NGE: A Warrior From A Counter Earth

by CerberusTheHunter

Shinji Ikari's teacher was Tarl Cabot. Yeah, that Tarl Cabot. Crossover between NGE and John Norman's Gorean Chronicles. Less crack fic, more full on cocaine. Expanded from a one shot.

1. Chapter 1

What if Shinji Ikari was raised on Gor by Tarl Cabot? A question nobody ever asked and I do not imagine many people want the answer to. But just in case, here is my take on it!

Expanded from a one shot due to interest. Also I was having a case of writers block on Trishula and needed something else to occupy my brain while I avoided mowing the lawn. I would not expect this to update regularly.

Being as this is Gor, definitely not for everyone. I personally like the books (not necessarily all of the fandom though) but not Mr. Norman's writing, so I am trying to avoid huge expo dumps. As such, if you are not familiar with the books, you may miss some things. There will be a small appendix at the end with some translations and cultural explanations for those unfamiliar.

Oh and the little mini ending in the conclusions chapter? No longer valid.

A Warrior From A Counter Earth: Chapter One

---

It was a dark and misty morning in the hills of Hakone. Captain Misato Katsuragi could see her breath. She cupped her hands around her mouth and breathed onto them to warm them up. Even with the leggings under her black dress and her red leather jacket on she was quite cold. One of her men, dressed in forest cammies, brought her coffee that she eagerly took.

"Thanks Suzuhara."

"No problem Ma'am." The private first class said and gave a curt salute. He was green, just eighteen and two years out of basic. He was a good soldier though and Misato was glad to have him as one of her own people. It helped that he was over six feet tall and built like a brick shit house, which made him basically a giant among his peers. Misato found the Sig Saur handgun strapped to his hip a little amusing just because it looked tiny on him compared to most soldiers.

It was a moonless night and she stood in the headlights of her Alpine and the Section Two van. They were almost a kilometer from the main road, as far down a dirt path as their vehicles would permit. She had been worried they had made a mistake until the lights found the blue-ish metal medallion, as large as a dinner plate, sunken into a boulder.

"Aida, got anything?" Misato called towards the van.

"No Ma'am. Not seeing anything on NV or IR. Which is kinda weird." The lance corporal replied, putting his BCGs back on as he lifted his face from the scope. He had been using a special scope mounted to the top of the van with controls inside. He wore the same hip holster as Suzuhara, but it looked fairly normal on his average sized frame.

Aida and Suzuahara went back, they had been child hood friends and had both enlisted when they were sixteen. Aida had done his college work alongside secondary school and got the grade bump when he came in. From what he said it was the only reason he did it. Misato had picked them up when she asked for permanent staff besides the units she picked up when she requisitioned whatever was handy.

"How so?"

"Well Ma'am, I used to camp up here and I haven't seen any deer, birds, not even a tanuki."

Commander Ikari had sent them out here to collect their newest pilot. Most of it was classified way above her paygrade, even as head of tactical operations, but from what she knew this pilot, the commander's own son, had been sent off for training when he was just a little kid. The commander had given them coordinates and instructions and told them he would meet up with them there.

He had also said the kid's teacher came from a weird culture and had given them a list of things to be ready for and things not to do. Misato had received a whole separate briefing on what not to do or wear around him. Apparently they had some weird ways of treating women wherever he had been. Maybe he had been in the Middle East or something, but she had never heard of muslim women not being allowed to wear earrings.

Misato checked her watch. It was nearly 0430, the sun be up soon. They had already been waiting an hour and their brief had said they would rendezvous before dawn.

"Dammit, when is he going to be here..." She grumbled and no sooner had her breath turned to steam did they hear the crunch of undergrowth under foot. All three had their weapons out and attached lights on in a split second and pointing into the forest where the sound came from.

What they found was unexpected. They had been briefed, it was in fact almost exactly what they had been told to expect, but one doesn't really comprehend these things until they happen.

The figure was perhaps five and a half feet tall, but the crested helmet made him look as big as Suzuhara. He wore a crimson red tunic held together by a broad leather belt that bore several pouches and sheathed sword on his left hip. In his right hand he held a spear his height and half again tall, and in his left hand held the front legs of a deer slung across his shoulders. Strappy sandals covered his feet and wrapped up his calves. The tunic stopped at the shoulders and his arms were bare but for leather wrappings around his hands and wrists. The helmet was the color of brass and looked like the old Greek helmets Misato had seen on several modern logos, though it differed in that the opening was Y-shaped instead of a T. Misato could see the points of a bow peeking over his shoulders and behind his hip.

"HALT!" Barked Private Suzuhara. "Are you Shinji Ikari, son of Gendo Ikari?"

The figure dipped his head to toss the deer over his shoulders to the ground. His left hand now free, he grabbed his hoplite helmet by the face and lifted it from his head to tuck it under his arm. His face was thin and smooth but for the hints of fuzz along the line of his jaw. He had shockingly blue eyes and a shake of his head let his dark, nearly black, hair fall to just above his ears.

"Tal!" He said in a clear and loud voice. He bowed to set his helmet on the ground and raised his hand, showing his open palm. As his body dipped they could see a shield strapped across his back, large enough to cover him from neck to thigh. "I am Shinji, though I have never been called Ikari and I do not know this Gendo of whom you speak. Which of you is Captain Katsuragi?"

Misato put her weapon back in the jackass holster under her jacket and stepped forward, hand extended. "I am Captain Katsuragi."

He tossed his spear into his left hand and grasped her wrist with his right, his fingers beneath the cuff of her jacket. She had been told about this, to shake by the wrists. When he released she copied him and licked her palm. It was a warrior ritual of some kind she was told.

"Well met Captain, I apologize for my tardiness for I did not get to eat before my trip and I hungered." He said and tapped the deer carcass between them with the butt of his spear.

Misato reminded herself that he was raised in a different culture and this may well be normal where he was from. He may look Japanese, he may speak Japanese albeit with a strange accent, but he was… from wherever he came from.

"Well I imagine we can get you some food quick enough. That is not to say we reject your kill if you mean it as a gift of course, I am quite fond of venison myself." She said, a little stiffly. The kid had just dumped a dead deer at her feet, was it supposed to be a gift or what? Was there some little back and forth they were supposed to have, she didn't know.

The young man cocked his head. "I mean no offense, but your superiors told you some strange things about how to treat me, didn't they? I mean I did just drop a dead animal in front of you, it would be strange from where I come from too."

All four laughed. The quizzical tone of his voice had broken the tension.

"Yes, you could say that. We were told you come from a very different culture."

"From what I have been told of your people Captain, I do. I am told though that this is the place of my birth, and I know I am one coming among the many. It is my place to adapt to your culture, not to force you to fit to mine. I am not some savage tribesman, I am of the civilized cities."

"Thank you, and nonetheless we will try to not make you too uncomfortable."

"Thank you Captain. Would you introduce me to your warriors?" He said, motioning to Suzuhara and Aida with his spear. Introductions were made and they each copied his method of shaking hands.

"Private, Corporal, Captain. These are ranks and what I should call you? That is polite here?"

"Yes." Answered Corporal Kensuke Aida. "You, uh, look like a warrior yourself if you don't mind me saying. What is your rank?"

"I am trained as a warrior like yourselves and I passed the trials in my teacher's home city of Ko-ro-ba just a month ago. I was accepted by the heads of the city into the high caste of the warriors there." He shrugged his shoulder to slide his shield around to his arm and pointed with his hand to the red markings that Misato figured to indicate his status. "Warrior is my profession and what you may call me."

Misato was still not sure he believed his words as they drove in the dim early dawn back to the city. Shinji rode with her in her Alpine and Suzuhara and Aida followed in the fan behind them. There had been some tense discussion when they had asked him to put his equipment in the van and ride in the car but he had been satisfied with keeping his sword. He had released the sheath from his belt and it now sat between his leg and the center console, his palm resting on the pommel.

"So, are you excited to see your father? I understand you've been away some time."

Shinji shrugged. "I suppose it will be interesting to meet him. My earliest memories are of my teacher, if I knew my father before I left, I do not recall. I actually thought my teacher was my father for most of my life."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"No need to apologize, you have not caused offense. In fact, would you mind if I asked you of my earth-father?"

Misato's brow furled at his wording. His 'earth-father'?

"I don't mind at all, what do you want to know?"

"What does he do? I know he is in a position of some authority and that I am required for some battle, but that is all I have been told." Shinji said. It was a lie, but only a small one. He had been told more, but his fib had a purpose. He wanted to know how much these people wanted him to know.

"Well…" Misato paused and considered her words carefully. She had been told to inform him of whatever he wished to know about his duties but she wanted to put it in terms universal enough he would understand. From how he spoke she gathered he had learned Japanese without the cultural side of it. He didn't use the honorifics at all and his tense was always quite forward.

"Your father is Gendo Ikari, the commander of NERV, a special military unit set up to fight a threat we call angels, an extraterrestrial race… do you know what that means?"

"Yes, that they are a species from somewhere other than this planet. We have a similar problem called the Kurii where I come from."

Misato figured he meant a rival group or something and continued.

"So the angels are going to try and kill lots of people. Your father says you were sent away to learn to fight to aid in the battle against the angels."

"I see. He is a warrior then?"

"I am not sure I would call him a warrior. He has never been in the military that I know of, but he is really good at organizing and keeping everything running smoothly. I was brought in to oversee the actual military matters."

Shinji nodded and seemed to consider it for a moment. "Does he answer to a council or some other organ of the will of the people?"

"No, he has total authority over NERV operations and the city."

"Until the threat is over?"

"Yes."

"He sounds like a war chief, put in place by proper rulers to manage a crisis, then expected to step down once it is resolved."

"Yes, yes that does describe what your father does very well." Misato replied after some thought.

"Where I have come from, the word for such a person is Ubar." Shinji said, pronouncing the word yoo-bar.

"Hm, Ubar Ikari, something tells me he would like that."

Shinji was pleased. So he was the son of a Ubar. His earth-father wasn't of the warrior caste, but if he was made a Ubar he must be high caste of some sort.

As they rounded a corner, dawn was breaking and Shinji got his first look at his father's city. His sense of awe must have been noticeable because the captain commented.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Welcome to Tokyo-3, Shinji."

Shinji smiled as he looked over the towers of glass and metal.

"She is beautiful… are all the cities of Earth so grand?"

"Shinji, may I ask you a question?"

"It would impolite to not first answer mine, Captain."

"Some are not as nice, some are so grand you cannot believe. Now tell me, you called the commander your earth-father, you asked about the cities of Earth… Shinji, where did you go to learn to fight?"

"They didn't tell you?" He asked and turned back to look at her.

"Would I be asking if they had?"

He cleared his throat and in his proudest voice said:

"Captain Katsuragi, I learned from Tarl Cabot, first of Bristol, then of Ko-ro-ba, then of Port Kar, agent and champion of the Priest-Kings of Gor."

As they rode the elevator down into the geofront some time later, Misato was concerned for the boy's sanity, that of his father, and most particularly her own. He claimed to be the student of a character from a crappy series of books, trained on another planet that Earth could never see. She had never read the series as a whole, just the first couple books, but it had a certain reputation. Now her first thought had been he was lying. When she entertained the notion he was telling the truth she had become angry at his father for having done that to a young child.

Finally, supposing it was all true, she was seriously concerned that the boy, young man really, was not unattractive. After all, if it was all true, he would be an excellent pilot for the nueral link controlled evangelion but for some firearm training and that was easy enough. The problem was from what she remembered; Gorean warriors were all honor bound, swarthy, and sex maniacs. Misato had the horrible feeling that she was going to get stuck keeping this warrior off the earth women, or them off him.

Shinji had put his sword back on his belt and leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest. He was whistling, though she did not recognize the tune. Under the bright lights, Misato could see that he was in fact swarthy, even without a proper beard, and though he was not muscular as the word usually means, he had dense lean muscles wrapped around his bones. Any baby fat was gone from his face and with the flesh of his cheeks sunken like that he really did look like his father.

"So, if you are from Gor…"

"Which I am."

"If you are from Gor, didn't the cars, this elevator, lots of stuff seem a little weird to you?"

Shinji shrugged. "Teacher told me about the many wonders of Earth. You have many things here the priest-kings do not allow us."

"Yeah, I couldn't imagine being forced to stay so… stagnant with technology. No phones, no cars, no computers…"

"Clean air, fresh food, almost no disease, medicine to let a man live a happy life for so long as he wishes…"

"No way."

"Its true, I met a man in my teacher's court who was two hundred and thirteen. Teacher says he knew an assassin who lived to be four hundred, but I never met the man."

"Uhuh, sure you did."

Shinji raised his nose to the ceiling and closed his eyes. "Captain, on my honor as a warrior, I would not lie to you.

He managed to keep a straight face for another two seconds before he began to laugh. Misato could not help but to laugh with him. His laugh was full and genuine, and thus infectious. So he may be insane, or from a savage planet, either way, Misato could not help but think he was a good person.

The elevator dinged and the doors open to admit a blond in a lab coat.

"Well hello, you must be Shinji Ikari, I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi." She said and extended her hand. Misato was a youthful thirty-four, as was her blond friend, but she could have sworn she heard a mountain lion growl when Ritsuko laid eyes on Shinji. Misato was amused but managed to not snicker when Shinji licked his palm after gripping her by the wrist. She saw Shinji grin when Ritsuko made a face at his actions.

"You know, for having cars and elevators, you people do spend an awful lot of time going from one place to another. Where are we going anyway Captain?"

The doctor answered. Shinji found her preemption of Misato rude, but perhaps physicians were placed above warriors here.

"We are going directly to the evangelion hanger. An angel has been detected." Ritsuko said and jammed the cancel button on the elevator before hitting the button for the correct floor.

The blond looked at him, and Shinji imagined she was expecting him to ask her a certain set of questions. He also imagined the answers he would get would be less than respectful. So he didn't ask. Her reaction to his inaction was amusing. He could almost hear her face scrunching up.

Earth women were fun. Lets see how far we can poke the hens.

"As I was saying Captain, medicine is much more advanced where I come from. Teacher said you lot haven't even figured out the stabilization serum here yet and our physicians figured it out five centuries ago."

Oh that got the blond going Shinji thought. She turned on her heels and her look was like daggers to his throat. "And just what is a stabilization serum, mister Ikari? I would think we simply call it something else and have it freely available to all if some alchemist or whatever you call would be doctors have come up with it. Tell me, does it involve leeches? Maybe certain mysical herbs and incantations? Oh do tell us of the magic of whatever backwoods hack that passes for medical treatment where you come from."

Misato had assumed everyone on base had gotten the same briefing her men and she had, or at least all the women. She moved to the other side of the elevator, to try and put herself between her friend and the young man. She felt foolish when Shinji didn't move from his spot, still leaning against the wall in the corner of the elevator car.

"Now now Captain, I am more than happy to explain. Besides, Dr. Akagi's rudeness does not bother me. In fact I would ask a question of you doctor. How old are you?"

Ritsuko shoved Misato aside with a hand on her shoulder. "It is rude to ask a women's age."

"It is rude to speak ill of a culture you do not understand, Doctor…" He shot back with a grin.

"… I'm thirty-five years old."

"And you consider yourself attractive? I would offer my opinion but I wouldn't want to seem disrespectful. Physicians are obviously held in high regard here"

"Yes." She said through gritted teeth.

"And in another thirty-five years, do you predict you will still be so attractive?"

Misato felt like she was watching a train wreck. Ritsuko looked like she was going to scream at any moment. Misato had annoyed her to this point before but they had known each other for years, Shinji had just met the woman. It was all going so bad but she just couldn't look away.

"Noooo, I don't expect I will be but we don't feel a woman is defined by her body here on Earth, mister Ikari. I am a noted expert in my field and my colleagues define me by my work."

"I am sure they do doctor. But what if I told you a… I do apologize; I do not recall the word in your language… a kajira in my teacher's court, looked oh not unlike Captain Katsuragi does now, you are a few years older than her, right doctor?..."

Misato openly winced when he said that. She was actually a few months older than Ritsuko.

"… and we celebrated her one hundred and twentieth birthday by passing her among the warriors beds for the night, and not a single one of us found her lacking? I will admit I did not believe some of the men who said experience is the truest measure of worth but I will admit I must agree with your standards doctor…"

Shinji unfolded his arms and stretched them above his head before bringing his forearms to rest against the broad belt that circled his abdomen. His left palm rested on his sword.

"…I would define her by her work and she surely was an expert in her field." He said then snapped his fingers. "Oh that's it! I just remembered that word that escaped me. Slave girl, kajira means slave girl. Now I understand that an angel approaching is a serious thing, but I would love to discuss the latest use of leeches and mystical herbs on Earth with you at a later time doctor, I think we have much to learn from each other."

Shinji leaned back against the wall again and chuckled to himself as the doctor silently fumed. The rest of the ride was silent. Neither of the earth women were happy with him. Oh they were fun though. He wondered if they were all like this, it would explain some of the ones he had met back home.

The hens marched him out of the elevator and into a dark room with only a catwalk that he could see. They were midway across by Shinji's reckoning when the lights came on. His hand flew to his sword when he saw the huge face and the gigantic eyes staring at him. He wasn't sure what his sword could do to it, but it was the only weapon he had.

"Shinji…" Came a booming voice from above. Shinji looked up to see a small room of glass above the titanic head. Bright light from within silhouetted a figure, the source of the voice. "You have grown well, you look strong. An enemy only you can fight approaches. You will use this weapon, the evangelion, and defeat it. That is your duty as a warrior of Tokyo-3."

Nobody expected the young man to respond with laughter. Misato found his laugh decidedly less endearing as it echoed off the hanger walls.

"Do I speak with the Ubar of this city, my father?" He said, his voice as loud and full of pride as when he had first told Misato of where he was from.

"You do."

"And you would employ this warrior?"

"Yes…"

"Then we will discuss payment!"

"Shinji, I know you have been away some time and I do not know what you have been told but there is a giant alien monster coming here to kill us all! This is not time for wage negotiations!" Yelled the shadowy figure. Whatever air of mystery he had meant to cultivate was now eliminated

"Seems like the perfect time from where I stand!" Shinji responded, with more than a hint of arrogance in his voice. His arms were crossed across his chest and he looked up at the glass room with a grin.

The figure, his father, turned and said something Shinji did not hear. A moment later, a door to Shinji's left opened and a bed was wheeled in. On it laid a girl Shinji found quite curious. She was rather injured and looked to be in great pain. Her skin was ivory white and her hair was blue like the sky. Shinji stepped closer and saw her eyes were blood red. He assumed there was a second eye under the bandage that covered half of her face. Shinji brushed a doctor aside and stepped to the side of the bed and looked down into the crimson eye. He reached out and grasped the girls chin. She was in pain despite the sedation, but her jaw opened easily and she turned her head first left then right when he applied gentle pressure to her chin.

"What is your name, child of blood and sky?" He asked in a soft voice.

"If you will not fulfill your obligations…" Came the voice again. Shinji wasn't listening as it continued; his attention was on the girl.

"Rei… My name is Rei." The girl said, almost silent with just the faintest breath passing her lips. Shinji could see the strength in her face. She was in agony but refused to scream or cry. Not a whimper from her despite the injuries that left most of the bedding soaked with blood. That was admirable.

"I'll take her!" Shinji yelled up at the figure. He turned from the girl and faced the glass room. "Not premium wages by any means, but you have only words to know my abilities right now and I can understand that. I expect her to be fully healed before taking possession of her though! We will discuss ongoing pay after this attack is repulsed."

"What?!" Came voices from all around. Misato was trying to work out his meaning, thinking it could be a mistranslation on his part, like maybe he meant he will take control of the eva and talking about pay was some honor thing but then he wouldn't be talking about… then it clicked. Suddenly and horribly it came together in Misato's head.

Kajira, slave girl, Gor. He thought Rei was an offer of payment.

"Shinji, that's not what he meant, we-"

"NERV agrees to your terms for payment for this action, further negotiations can wait." Boomed the voice of the commander of NERV. "Weapons have been prepared for your use in the evangelion. Now get moving, I want to avoid a confrontation inside the city."

---

Gendo Ikari got what he wanted.

Evangelon Unit One deployed on the Eastern outskirts of Tokyo-3. A progressive spear and a broad double-edged sword, about the length of the giant's arm, had followed.

The bridge was stunned when the evangelion hefted the spear and threw it like a javelin, something it had never been designed for. It found its mark and pinned the angel Sachiel to a hillside by its leg. The angel freed itself, regenerating flesh as quickly as it ripped itself from the spear point, but it was long enough for Shinji to close the distance.

Butchered was the word that came to Misato's mind as she watched the carnage. The evangelion wielded the sword like it was processing an animal, severing joints and major muscle groups. When the angel regenerated, Shinji switched tactics, laying open the abdomen and torso with deep, powerful cuts.

When the angel screamed, Shinji knew he had found its weakness. His strike had chipped the great red gem in its belly. Blows with his great machine's fists did much more than that, and the screaming continued. When the gem's surface was deprived of all smooth round portions that his blade could deflect from, Shinji finished the monster with a powerful slash.

From the bridge they saw the evangelion cut the angel's core in two, then the core shattered into dust. The corpse of the angel lay on the same hill the spear had pinned it to, with the spear shaft still jutting out from the earth.

In the morning light, all could see the purple giant that was evangelion unit one. One hand was drenched with blood to the elbow, and the other held a great bloody sword. The blooded hand reached down and grabbed the beak like "face" of the angel and began to pull from the angel's corpse. The evangelion put its foot the beast to try and pull the skull away and finally brought the sword down, nearly stumbling as the face, and a skull and spinal cord behind, came loose. It hefted the bloody trophy to the sky and roared.

Inside the entry plug, and on the monitors of the bridge, Shinji laughed. What disturbed Misato was that when he laughed, no matter what it was about, it sounded the same. It was full, and genuine, and deep and it did not matter what it was about, whether he has butchering an angel or when he made a joke earlier, it was like that was all equally amusing to him.

"Ta Sardar Gor! To the priest kings!" He shouted in Gorean before repeating himself in Japanese.

"For Earth, for Tokyo-3!" He said as he pumped the trophy in the air again.

"Um, Commander Sir…"

"What is it lieutenant?"

"We may have a problem sir. In case of potential radio interference due to AT field fluctuations, the external speakers on Unit One were left on."

"Lieutenant, how much of the city has been evacuated?"

"Um, none Sir, there was no time with the angel's sudden appearance."

"How many TV stations is it on?"

"All of them Sir, local, national, and international, radio too."

Gendo Ikari took off his glasses, and gingerly folded the arms and set them down next to his console. He reached over and manually turned off the microphone so that unless he yelled, nobody could not hear him.

"Fuck…"

---

Later that day, Gendo Ikari found himself before the monoliths of his supposed bosses.

"Ikari, what in god's name were you thinking?"

"Well chairmen, it did afford us a four year delay in the arrival of the angels. We needed that time to prepare."

"You think I don't know that? I meant what the fuck were you thinking sending your only child off to that intergalactic zoo?!"

"They helped us, all they wanted was a cultural exchange and a favor down the line, I thought it was a good deal. Besides, sending the first or second would have been impossible."

"Don't even get me started on the first child! Am I to understand you sold her to your son for services rendered?!"

"Unfortunately, regulations prevent me from discussing ongoing wage negotiations…"

"IKARI!"

---

After the battle, Shinji had been concerned with firstly getting his things back. His arguments for the return of his weapons had been at least put off by Misato suggesting he leave them with science division so they could work on copying them for the eva. Shinji was satisfied with that but still took his sword, reasoning that he was satisfied with the model provided. He suggested they study his helmet as well, since the horn and frill of the evangelion was, in his words:

"As pointless as tits on a tharlarion."

Whatever the hell that meant. They had given him back his bow too, with the promise that the evangelion's model was undergoing final testing. Shinji had slung it across his chest as it had been when he had met Misato in the woods.

Priority number two was food. Corporal Aida had actually had the bright idea to take the deer to a butcher for processing so food was acquired from the NERV cafeteria. That had been an adventure in itself.

Misato had informed operations of where they were going, just to be safe. When they entered the cafeteria, it seemed like half the base staff was there. News spread quickly among bored soldiers.

"Ta sardar Gor!" They yelled.

"For Earth, for Tokyo-3!"

"Hail Shinji, warrior of Tokyo-3!" They chanted, some applauding by smacking their palms to their shoulders

Oh great Misato thought, someone had read the books. This could not end well.

He demanded meat and he received it. He demanded paga, whatever the hell that was, and someone said he wanted wine and brought it. She saw it was Makato doing the cultural translation. Oh that little bastard was going to get NJP'd so hard he was going to wish he'd never been commissioned.

They left the impromptu party nearly three hours later, only after Shinji had led several drinking songs, from atop a table, that he insisted they learn phonetically. The songs had followed a tall pot having been co-opted into a communal drinking vessel and filled with beer being passed around the room. Each person took a drink and passed it along. Quite a victory feast, for 0900 in the damn morning.

Misato cringed when he said where he wanted to go next.

"Take me to see the girl called Rei."

The hospital was only two elevators and four hallways away. Shinji brushed off the security officers who only went through the motions of telling him his sword was not allowed. They knew who he was, what he had done, and most of all that they lived only because of him. That's gets one a lot of credibility with people one has not even met. They were also happy to help him find Rei Ayanami's room and to make sure nobody but doctors and those he approved entered.

Misato followed him into the hospital room and shut the door.

"Warrior Ikari, I need to discuss this with you…" She said as she turned to face him but did not continue. She found him sitting cross-legged on the floor next to the low hospital bed. With her head turned to face him, he and Rei were at even level. He was speaking to her, softly, in that strange mix of low, guttural tones and lilting, almost sing-song consonants that she now recognized as Gorean. He had one hand by her face and was slowly stroking the blue-haired girl's cheek. God she was smiling, that wasn't something Misato had seen before.

Misato watched the little scene unfold in fascination. Shinji considered Rei property now, and from what Misato had read in those damned books, that didn't mean being…well… cute, was the only word she could think of to describe it. Maybe sweet. Yes sweet. Tooth rottenly sweet actually.

"What is that you are speaking?" She asked.

"The language of my home, Rei child of blood and sky." He replied.

"What were you saying?"

"That all will be well and your pain will be healed soon. I have slain the angel, you are safe now." Shinji said, smiling.

"Are you the commander's son?"

"I am the son of Gendo, Ubar of Tokyo-3, though I did not know him before today."

"What is your name?"

"I am Shinji, warrior of this city. You will know it well."

"What do you mean?"

"My earth-father offered you as payment for the head of the angel. I killed the beast, so you are mine now, you are kajira." Shinji said. He had seen the reactions of free women having just changed status before, but this girl did not react that way.

"What is kajira?" she asked.

Well that explained that.

"Slave girl." Shinji replied. "Worry not, I am a simple man and I will teach you those things I will require of you. I own no others, so you will have no chain sisters to squabble with. If father keeps paying me like this I will have to put you in charge of the others I suppose…"

"These are… good things?"

"Yes."

"Good." Rei said and nuzzled her cheek into his palm. Misato was looking at the IV bag hanging next to the bed. That explained it, she thought. Girl was on more painkillers than a woman in labor.

"Come on warrior, let's let the poor girl sleep."

They left after Shinji told Rei she was to obey her physicians. In the hallway, they spoke again.

"Captain Katsuragi, a question comes to mind. Will I be housed or given a stipend to secure shelter?"

"To tell you the truth warrior, I don't know. Good question though, I will check." She replied and took her phone from her pocket. She dialed and held it to her head.

"Commander, I am sorry if I am interrupting… Yes, Sir… Of course Sir, yes he is fine, we just finished visiting the first child… I'm sorry Sir I wasn't aware that was your intention… Yes Sir, since you mention it, she seemed to be doing alright… Yes, Sir, actually I called regarding lodgings for Shinji…" Shinji heard voices coming from the strange device, which he assumed was the 'phones' he had been told about. He saw the captain pull the device away from her head and she appeared panicked.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE IS STAYING WITH ME OF COURSE?!"

---

Two days before, some ways away…

Shinji awoke to pounding on his chamber door. When he opened his eyes, he immediately regretted it as pain shot through his head.

Okay, too much paga last night. For future reference, five flagons was his limit to be comfortable the next morning he noted. As he looked about he was glad to find himself in his own chambers this time and found not only the familiar arms of Katiya around him, but three other girls. He recognized Talena from the kitchens, but not the other two.

There was the pounding again. It felt like every knock was a man's fist on his head.

"I am coming, I am coming, hold fast your damned fist!" He yelled, groaning when even that hurt. He pushed the girls off his body and rose from the furs that covered his bed. He considered putting on a tunic but ultimately decided it was not worth the effort.

And yet more banging. Fuck, every knock was like nails in his eyes. He grabbed the door and swung it open.

"What?!... oh, tal Uncle Ivar."

Ivar Forksbeard was a mountain of a man from the lands far to the North known as Torvaldsland. He had been a regular feature as Shinji grew up. As he and Tarl called each other brother, Shinji had known him as Uncle Ivar from the time he could walk. He had even visited his small hold many times as a child. That Ivar was known as the fiercest and worst of the raiders of the North was hardly a bother to the boy, in fact it impressed him immensely. Ivar was good company, so long as he did not begin to sing.

"Hail my boy. I saw you stumble out last night, you drink like a woman."

"Uncle Ivar, I have seen how your bond-maids drink, that is no insult to be compared to."

The red haired giant let out a deep laugh and slapped Shinji on the shoulder.

"Ah, very good very good. Speaking of my bond-maids…" Ivar put his fingers to his lips and made a shrill whistle. "GIRLS! We make ready to sail. Get down to the docks."

The two that Shinji had not recognized sprung up with looks of terror on their faces and grabbed the white woolen shifts their kind wore from the floor. "Yes my Jarl!" they squeaked as they slid past Shinji and Ivar.

"Wait, if you are getting ready to leave, it must be nearly midday." Shinji said, rubbing his throbbing skull.

"That it is boy. You should grab some clothes yourself, your captain wishes to speak with you." Ivar replied. Tarl's actual position was a captain of the pirate haven of Port Kar, Ivar meant his teacher wanted to see him.

"Thank you Uncle, I will go right away." Shinji said and turned to go grab his clothing before turning back around to face Ivar and embrace him. Despite his nakedness and their emotional hug, this would not be seen as an at all erotic act on Gor. These were just two good friends, fellow warriors.

"It was good to see you Ivar. Tarl says I am to go on a journey soon, and I am glad we could be together again before I left."

"It was good to see you too warrior. I'm proud of you. Keep your ax sharp and wherever you are going don't let your kaissa game dull either or I shall be very disappointed when you return."

"Of course Uncle Ivar, thank you. May the sea find you well and may Thor and Odin favor you."

"And you boy, and you." He said, and left while Shinji got dressed.

Not leaving his teacher's palace, Shinji elected for just a tunic and his master belt over a loincloth. The master belt was an affection he had picked up from Ivar and his northmen. It was a broad leather belt with reinforcing straps and studs, and was made to have any number of scabbards and pouches attached to it. The literal translation for the name, over-all or encompassing all, was, as in English, a homophone for the owner of slaves. This was not incidental.

Shinji entered his teacher's throne room with only his sword on his belt. He waited patiently while the scribes gave their accounts for the day of his teacher's many ships and transactions. When they were done, Shinji was beckoned with a wave. He approached his teacher and saluted with a fist across his chest.

"My captain."

Tarl Cabot was a man raised on Earth, of an Earth mother who died when he was a child and a Gorean father who he did not meet until he came to this world in his mid twenties. It gave the best of both worlds. His genes gave him the stature of someone born of the slightly lower gravity and acute survival pressures of Gor, but raised on earth his muscles had developed beyond that which a Gorean man would normally have. He was just over two meters tall and though he was well into middle age, his once bright red hair had only gone blond and his body showed no signs of weariness.

Though his actions in the past may have prevented him from being among the most respected warriors on a planet where nearly everything is trying to kill you, he was without a doubt amongst the most feared. He had traveled and lived with all the warrior peoples of this world and with each he had mastered their weapons and strategy.

"Warrior. My son. You slept late."

"My rest was equal to my pleasures in your hall."

"You don't remember most of it, do you?"

"Nothing past the sixth flagon of paga." Shinji said with a smile.

Tarl threw back his head and laughed and Shinji could not help but to laugh with him.

"As it should be at a feast in your honor. Take care in the future though, you were amongst friends here and it will not always be so. Now, I have told you of the journey you will take."

"Yes father, but not where or to what end."

"The time has come for you to know these things and more my son. I have told you of your true father, he who sent you to me so that you may learn to fight an enemy his people cannot. The time has come. You will be going to Earth."

Shinji smiled. Earth, his home, supposedly. He was not sure he wished to be known as being from somewhere that had to send her warriors away to learn how to fight properly. But as a place to go raiding, oh if the stories he heard were true it would be a very enjoyable place.

Like any man who served a captain of Port Kar, Shinji loved going raiding. Uncle Ivar called it going Viking and Shinji had sailed and looted with him many a summer growing up.

"I see that look in your eye boy, you are going to protect it, not to pillage. They are strange there, and their ways will seem unusual to you, even with what I have taught you."

"Yes, father."

"Take your weapons, don't worry about extra clothes or provisions, they will provide for you there. And Shinji…" Tarl said, pausing for the right words to reach him. "I want to speak to you, only as a father, to his beloved son."

"Of course father." Shinji said and approached his father's chair, sitting down with his legs crossed near his teacher's feet. "You seem troubled."

Tarl rose only to sit down beside his adopted son. The child had been but a babe when he was brought into his care. Not even weaned yet, he had suckled off breeding slave women and as soon as he could walk, he had begun to learn to fight. Not even boys from warrior families in the cities were treated that way. Children were supposed to have childhoods, to play and laugh. Shinji's play was hunting, and his laughter was over victory, even from the start.

"I took you on many journeys, and sent you on many more without me. Everywhere you went, anybody with eyes to see could tell you had the makings of a great warrior. Even as a child though, you had no patience for being told to wait. I remember when Ivar brought you to me, hoisted you up by your tunic he did, I think you were eight. You were covered in blood and scales with this little boot knife in your hands. You looked like you'd been cleaning fish, but Ivar had found you wrestling with the young sea serpents. Twice as long and half again as heavy as you, and there you were, in their water, challenging them."

"I killed two before Uncle Ivar found me."

"Ay, that you had, but I ramble. Those many names you acquired on those journeys got back to me you know. I know in the desert you are called he-who-walks-on-dark-sands. I know Ivar's kin in the north call you Hidden Knife, I know even the Kur speak your name in fear, and I know about that little incident in Ar."

"Ah yeah, the white tarn. Not my proudest moment that."

"Not the incident I meant son. I know why the low-caste in Ar fear the Nightcrawler."

"Oh, yeah… that."

"There is a fire in you my boy." Tarl said and slapped Shinji on the back. "But it burns hot and wild, and will burn you down to cinder if you do not control it."

"Yes father." Shinji said, his head drooping on his shoulders.

"I do not mean to censure you, only to offer important advice. I know that fire well, and it will be as dear a friend as you will ever have. Now come, we can't have you representing this world with any shoddy equipment, can we?"

"No father." Shinji said with a smile as they strolled off to the armory. "Hey, you think I could take…"

"No."

"Oh come on, I didn't even say…"

"I know what you were going to say young man."

---

"WARK!"

"It is a… midget tarn?"

"His name is Pen-pen. He is a hot-springs penguin."

Shinji was squatting in front of the strange little bird, his arms crossed across his knees. The bird was standing facing him, regarding him with those dark eyes framed by fiery feathers.

"Um, tal?" Shinji said and raised one hand up just a little bit.

"Wark." The bird squawked and raised a flipper in return. Goreans respected animals, not as one respects an equal, but as a sort of low grade but worthy enemy. Shinji did not know if the little bird was truly intelligent or simply well trained, but he was erring on the side of caution and being courteous.

Granted the waddling flightless bird had little in common with the war beasts so large they could be ridden in the sky, but something about the plumage reminded Shinji of a taro.

"Your father would like to speak with you and will be arriving in about an hour. I am going to try and get this place tidied. Would you like to get cleaned up or anything? I've heard that LCL is impossible to get out of your hair once it dries."

Shinji reached up and ran his fingers through his hair then looked at them. The thin orange liquid that had filled the plug still clung to them.

"Yes, I think I would."

Misato pointed to the bathroom door. "Shower is in there, do you know how it works?"

"Yes captain, I told you I am not some savage."

While the boy… no that wasn't right… man, bathed, Misato made short work of the collected beer cans and take out containers that occupied much of her apartment. She was taking the final two bags down the dumpster when the three black sedans pulled up. Commander Ikari stepped out of the middle one, flanked by plain-clothes section two men.

"Captain Katsuragi, I hope he has not given you much trouble."

"No sir, he is very… I guess polite would be the word." She said and fell in behind him as they walked to the door.

"You men stay out here." Gendo said, waving off the agents. "I think its best we speak to him alone, wouldn't you agree captain?"

"Yes Commander." Misato replied. The last thing she wanted was for the warrior to feel threatened. In close quarters like the apartment they wouldn't have time to get their guns out before he cut them to pieces with that sword.

They rode the elevator up and after they stepped out onto the third floor, Gendo put a hand on the captain's shoulder to stop her from going down the hallway.

"Captain, before we go in there… We have to be a united front or he will split us up and break us apart. I have dealt with the men of that world before, I know how they are. Is there anything you want to ask before we go in?"

"Yes commander... you aren't seriously going to give him Rei are you?"

"Captain, I love Rei like my own daughter. We needed him to get in the damn robot, so I said what I needed to. I am going to offer him anything else he wants in place of her. If that doesn't work then we will tell him she was never on the table and we just needed him to fight at the time, but I would rather avoid agitating him."

"Okay commander. One other thing though."

"Yes Captain?"

"I'm not on the table either."

Gendo laughed and damn now that she had heard the son it was creepy how much he sounded like his father.

"No Captain, your life is not up for negotiation."

"Or Dr. Akagi, or Lt. Ibuki, or anybody else, right?"

"Captain Katsuragi, I have no intention of paying the boy in flesh. Now lets see what kind of pay a warrior of Gor demands."

"Your offer is very generous Ubar, but I am satisfied with what I have. She is quite beautiful and I will confess, I like her unique looks. Tell me, is such pigmentation common on earth?"

They sat on the tatami in Misato's living room. Misato had brought out a low table and Shinji had his legs crossed and his elbows resting on the edge. His fingers were intertwined and he stared at them over them. Misato found it profoundly creepy. Gendo had nearly settled into his normal pose until he saw the boy doing it.

"No, warrior it is not, Rei's looks are the result of a unique genetic defect. I do not mean to be rude, but this is not a question. I consider Rei a daughter and I will not see her… what was the phrase you used?"

"In collar?"

"Yes that is it. I will not see her in collar, so you may ask any other price and have it paid."

"With respect Ubar, if you don't wish to see her in collar, then you should not have offered her to me."

"I will confess, that was a mistake made in the moment. I had Rei brought in to show you that if you did not fight I would send her out, even if she was injured. We were short on time if we wished to avoid civilian causalities and so I allowed you to think that was acceptable. I am deeply sorry, but it was to protect the people of this city."

Shinji thought on this for a moment.

"I understand your actions, given your position your first concern must be to protect your people. However I must ask, where you really prepared to send her out to fight, and likely die?"

"Yes. The evangelion does not require the pilots body to be in good condition, only the mind. For the people of this city and the earth, I would have sent her out."

"Once she is healed, will you send her out to fight again?"

"The other evangelion is very damaged, I do not know if there will even be a machine for her to pilot."

"But you love her as your own child?"

"Yes, I do." Gendo said.

"Then are you sure you would not prefer she have a comfortable life of servitude? I am no sadist Ubar, I would treat her well."

"She is not up for negotiation warrior, name another price that is not in flesh."

"Fine fine…" Shinji said and reached into a pouch on his belt. He withdrew a single gold coin and placed it on the table between them.

"This coin is made of gold with a little silver mixed in to toughen it up. Is gold valued here, as a currency to trade in?"

"It is."

"By the measures I have been taught you use, this coin contains an ounce of gold. Is that of significant value?"

"Yes."

"By the measure of Gor, in your units, I weigh one hundred and forty pounds. Adjusted for gravity difference, I weigh about one hundred and seventy five pounds here. Now if I remember my teachings correctly, there are sixteen ounces to a pound, correct?"

"Yes." Gendo said. He did not like where this is going.

"Ah I am glad I remember such things, so many little differences to learn. So that is..." Shinji made a show of counting on his fingers. "Two thousand and eight hundred ounces. Very well, my price is my weight in gold."

Gendo had his mobile phone out in a flash. "Lt. Ibuki, excellent. What is the trading price of gold, by the ounce, in yen today?... Thank you Lieutenant."

Gendo closed the phone and slid it back into his pocket. "Your price for defending earth from total destruction is reasonable. Would you like it in bullion, that is gold itself, or will four hundred million in useable currency do?"

Misato blanched. She knew it was going to come out to a lot, he was a big guy for his size, but four hundred million yen!

"So long as I can convert any currency back to real gold before I complete my employment, currency will do fine."

"And would you like that in installments or a lump sum once all the angels are dead?"

"You misunderstand Ubar. That will be weekly salary until the angels are dead. That is unless you would rather total destruction of this planet. Thank you by the way I didn't actually know just what was at risk for you until now." Shinji said with a smile behind his folded hands.

Well played you little shit, thought Gendo. "Supposing I agree, which I have not yet, just what do you intend to buy with all that money?"

"Well Ubar I guess that requires me to ask you a question."

"Which is?"

"How much would you sale me Rei for?"

"Look, have you considered trying the earth way, you know, take her on a date or two, see if she wants to try a relationship with you?" Misato interjected. She was in the kitchen leaning on the table. Her gun was still under her jacket and she was not totally comfortable with Shinji still having his sword that close to the commander.

Gendo looked at the captain, then at Shinji. "Well, would you take that possibility as enough to satisfy you?"

Shinji stroked his chin and thought for a moment. "Alright, but if she ends up in collar of her own free will, that's her choice, not yours. Far as this money issue goes, I'll take whatever your captain here makes."

Gendo slapped his forehead. "Really? All that and you'll take a middle management salary to save the world?"

"Hey!"

"So when can I get my weapons back?"

"I will speak with science division. Report the morning after tomorrow for orientation. Captain, if I may have a word with you in private."

They stepped outside into the hall, leaving the gorean alone.

"Captain, I have a very special assignment for you."

"Anything Sir."

"Take him out tonight, show him a good time."

"Uh, what…Sir?"

"Look, my son has been raised in a culture that... how to put this… The man who raised him, he had a few bad relationships, lets just put it that way. So he had a prejudice against the idea of courting, building healthy relationships, that sort of thing. Combine that with a take what you want, do as you will savage culture like theirs and what you get is someone who has no interest in free women. I am concerned Shinji has inherited that view."

"Okay, Sir and you want me to what, take him on a date, to cure it?"

"Well… yes. Captain, if he is going to be able to treat any woman as an equal in his present mind, it will be you as a fellow warrior."

"Uh huh." Misato said, her shoulder slumped. Here comes the green weenie.

"You sound skeptical."

"Profound observation Sir. What if he tries that slave shit with me?"

"Well that is the other thing, I imagine you could teach him a lesson in respect for women, if that were the case."

"And let me guess, you expect me to be at my desk at oh-eight-hundred too?"

"Actually I was planning to give you the day off and put your paperwork responsibilities on Lt. Makato, I understand you are none too pleased with him after that ruckus in the mess hall. Of course any expenses incurred would be handled out of the budget. You have every right to refuse, I won't force the issue."

"Are you saying you are going to pay for me to have a night out AND give me the next day off AND give my work to someone else?"

"Yes."

Misato sprung to attention with a sharp salute. "Sir, Yes Sir! You can count on me."

---

It had all started off so well.

She had got her favorite little black dress out. Not the one she wore to work all the time, but an honest to goodness party dress. It hugged everywhere right and came to a mandarin collar with a heart shaped window over her chest.

The commander even had some clothes brought over for Shinji. They looked like something out the section two uniform closet, a simple black suit. He had refused the tie, but he filled out the slacks and jacket well with the shirt unbuttoned two down, showing off his well defined chest.

They had gone out at the sun was falling. The commander had warned her to be careful about alcohol around him, but Misato wasn't worried. She had no plans to drink tonight. Let the kid get himself sloshed, if he tried anything he would be no match for her sober. Besides, she had moved past her obsession with booze a few years ago. She still had a reputation, but it was on her terms now, not the bottle's.

She had asked about what kind of food he liked. Apparently he ate a lot of seafood back home, but he wanted to try something he had never had before. Turns out the idea of sushi hadn't made it to Gor yet. Dinner conversation was either about the food, or Misato asking about what his world was like.

"Okay, so you keep bringing up the books. Are these the ones about Tarl?"

"Yeah, there are something like thirty of them, some crazy American put them out. I only read a couple, they are not well regarded."

"Why?"

"The writing is… its very poor quality."

"Aaaaah. Tarl told me about the friend he sends tales of his adventures too. I will have to see how close to the truth they are."

"I am sure we can find some copies floating around. So um… I have to ask you some things about them though."

"Such as?" Shinji said, plucking another wrapped piece of fish up with the strange eating sticks and popping it in his mouth. He liked the eel ones, but the ones called salmon were good too.

"So the women. They go on and on about the beautiful women, but only the slave girls, the kajira." Misato said, using the hard J.

"Okay, first of all, its like I said earlier, ka-jer-a, the jer like ssssh." Shinji said, emphasizing the soft j sound. "And I imagine its mostly because Tarl has a thing about free women. First time I looked at a woman and wanted her, he took me aside and told me…

Shinji sat a little straighter in his chair and held up his free hand with a finger out, then affected a deeper voice. "My son, free women are never worth the trouble. If you want a woman, go to the tavern and buy one."

"Basically go drinking and forget about it?"

"Why do you say that?"

"You people drink in taverns, right?"

"Well yes, but the serving wenches are usually for rent."

"Oh…"

"Of course the free women are usually covered in robes in a lot of cities. However I will say, having seen plenty of free women who were made kajira and many slaves made free, there is something about a slave girl." Shinji said, sipping at the little drinking cup. Some liquor, he thought she called it sake.

"You get a girl who has just let go of that last shred of reservation and…" Shinji shivered a little. "No, there is no more beautiful woman, on any planet. Even the bred pleasure slaves don't look that way too me. No, a woman who has accepted that new place in the world just has something special. And that is before brands, silk, any of that."

Misato smiled and sipped her ginger ale. "Well we have plenty of beautiful women here, and they aren't slaves. You are a handsome young man, I bet you could have any girl you liked if you treated her right."

In the very back of her head, an unbidden voice spoke to Misato: Yes, like you. She was telling the truth, he was handsome, young, very fit, saving the world helped too. She even recalled the faint memory of reading those stupid books and imagining the life a girl like that might lead. If the men were all like him, maybe it wasn't so…

Snap the fuck out of it marine! She told herself. You are sitting across from a goddamn monster. Yeah he could have any girl he liked, he'd turn around, sale her, and use the profit to buy dinner for another.

Shinji took another sip, and as he lowered his glass, Misato saw the sly grin across his face again. With how much he looked like his father, she really hoped to never see the commander smile like that.

"Oh I have seen many in my short time here. Earth stock compares favorably to Gor, I assure you. I will admit, I have even seen a couple who would be improved by a brand…" He said and at the very moment he uttered the last word, looked straight into her eyes.

Holy fuck it was like looking at a big cat. Misato had done that at the zoo once, locked eyes with a tiger. You can't look away and as soon as it sees you it wants you. She had been mesmerized until it lunged at the cage.

As quickly as it had happened though, it was over. He threw back his head and laughed, then slammed the little cup down on the table.

"I quite like this food, and your drink is not bad either. Well Captain, I propose a toast." He said and refilled his cup.

"To victory?"

"To victory!" Shinj said and tapped his cup against Misato's glass then emptied it.

For a moment, Misato thought that perhaps warriors were just warriors, doesn't matter where from. Fighting men and women of the same cloth. He could change, adapt. Hell, get those two set up and put aside the adopted incest of it, and he and the commander's daughter might make a nice couple.

"And…"

Then he threw the cup down hard, smashing it on the floor.

"Ta Sardar Gor!" He said, that wild gleam back in his eye. She had seen it when he had been trading barbs with Ritsuko, and on the monitors when he had been fighting the angel. It was that look when all the practiced politeness broke for a moment and the monster underneath showed through.

There were gasps around the restaurant when they heard the sound, then murmurs, and finally cheers and applause as people realized who he was. His victory cry and his face as he had been extracted from the eva had been all over every news network on earth. Shinji stood up and raised his hands up as their table was mobbed.

It had taken a half hour to leave the restaurant after that. Any attempts to pay had been refused. Shinji had been signing fucking autographs.

They were walking back to the car when Shinji stopped her.

"Hey, whats that place?" He said, pointing a finger across the street. The club's door was open and there was colored lights and pounding music pouring out into the night.

"That's a night club, do you want to go?"

"Night club…" He repeated the words to himself, memorizing them. "Yes, I think I would like to see it."

So they had gotten inside and well if you are at a club, you are expected to have a drink. But just one Misato promised herself, sipping the rum and coke. Then, and this had caught her totally by surprise, he had wanted to dance. Oh well, he is young, first time at one of these places, why not.

It was then that Misato discovered one of those lovely little cultural parallels between Earth and Gor. If you are "dancing" in a crowd of young people to loud music, it isn't dancing. It is somewhere between foreplay and pornography.

It was only when he gently began to nibble at her neck, just below her right ear, that she realized she had walked into a trap. One strong hand was on her hip, while the other was tracing circles on her exposed legs with his fingertips. The low growl, like there was a tiger right behind her, was what made her stop caring and push back against him.

It was a trap, it was a good trap, and dammit it felt good. She responded with a growl of her own and reached her hands back to grab him by the hair.

"I'm a fucking warrior gorean, I'll kick your ass if you don't make the cut." She had told him, her neck arched back so she spoke into his ear. The hastily formed plan had been to get back to the apartment. They didn't even make it to the car.

She wasn't sure who started it, but seconds after they had slipped out a side door into an alley, they were both growling and baring teeth, hands clamped on each other's shoulders and fighting for dominance. She wasn't going to be screwed up a dirty alley wall by this… this… animal. She wasn't going to let this warrior have his way with her like some slave girl.

As she looked into his eyes, teenage fantasy came back, unbidden. Her grip went slack but for a moment and she was up against the cold stone, arms wrapped around him as he lifted her from the ground by her hips. She squealed as he bit into her shoulder, and she could feel his growl rumble through her bones as he pushed her dress up.

"Ugh, fuck… not here." She had said into his ear. If he heard he ignored her, or rather responded by biting harder.

"Okay okay, please, not here? People, questions, possible interruptions?..." She said, trying her best low and husky voice. "Let me get us home and you'll have me all to yourself, okay?"

He seemed to react a little to that. Okay good, maybe a little aggressive, but she could work with that.

"Would that work for you warrior, come on, just a little patience?" She said and he very gently, surprisingly so in fact, let her down on the ground. He didn't speak though, and stayed silent all the way home. He didn't even look at her, but there was just this energy coming from him. That feeling like when he had looked her in the eye talking about earth women and when he growled, it just radiated off him.

She began to get nervous as they mounted the stairs and got closer to the apartment door. What was he going to do, where, how?

"Shinji, before we go any further…" She said and turned around. She laid a gentle hand on his chest. "I… please do something for me, okay?"

He said nothing, but cocked his head as he looked into her eyes. She took that as enough.

"What you said earlier about earth women… You meant me, right? About being improved by, y'know."

Oh that creepy smile. Less a smile, more a leer. His perfectly white teeth nearly glowed in the dim light.

"I…" She took a moment and a deep breath. "When I open that door, please wait, let me be prepared, okay? I just don't want you to you know, grab me, and we might end up somewhere and you know, get hurt or something. Give me a chance and I… I promise, you can have me like one of those girls, okay?"

She nearly jumped when he spoke. She had expected more silence, maybe a nod.

"Your words betray your meaning, captain. That sounded like a request for me to 'have you' that way." He slid a hand up onto the railing and leaned in much closer, his hot breath on her ear. "Its not uncommon you know, for a free woman to wish to be taken like a slave. You need only ask…"

She opened her mouth to speak until he stepped around her, hooking his arm around her waist and spinning her about.

"But know this. It is a one-time offer. I refuse to believe any woman who wants it a second time wouldn't be happier in collar."

She had said nothing as she let them in, which got a chuckle from the gorean. She stood in her room, facing away from him, fingers on the snap of her dress. Was she really going to do this? She had met him just this morning, he came from a culture where rape and pillage was a business practice, and he had none too subtly told her if she liked it too much the only way she could get it again was as a slave.

She turned around, leaving the dress clasped shut. Perhaps she meant to tell him she had second thoughts, or that it had just been alcohol talking. She forgot whatever it was she had meant to say when she saw him there. Somehow he had removed his shirt and jacket in silence, and stood there only in his trousers, the belt and fly hanging open.

His torso was long and lean, each muscle perfectly toned and defined. Not too bulky, but each one noticeable and looking like they had been carved from stone. Those ice blue eyes glinted in the moonlight that came in through the window, the light still off.

"Is that hesitation captain?" He said with a sneer. "Shall I leave you alone with yourself tonight, to ponder your superiority? To think on how refusal sets you above those women who find themselves improved with their belly to the sword?"

As he spoke, he took slow, cat-like steps, rocking his hips and shoulders back and forth until she snapped and grabbed him by the arm, twisting it hard.

"All I hear is a lot of fucking talk. Let me show you how a real woman does it, before you start offering collars."

The rest had been a blur. That hadn't been what she wanted to say, like really wanted to say, but wiser parts of her mind had prevailed. The next thing she actually remembered was her face pressed into the braided tatami mats, one arm twisted behind her back and her hips pushed high into the air. He was teasing, horribly teasing.

It was right there, but he wasn't moving. She could push and buck and get maybe an inch, but no more and it did nothing to relieve her. And all the while that damn laugh, like he was the devil's own peanut gallery. Jerking and whimpering for it, she could only think how pathetic this must look for him to be laughing at her.

"What!? Just…FUCKING… do IT!"

She was so worked up, when he traced a fingernail scratching down her spine she squealed through clenched teeth.

"I told you, you need only ask…"

Misato thrashed against him, not sure if she was trying to escape or just get satisfaction.

"Just ask and it can be yours, captain." He said, half laughing and half growling as she pushed back, stronger this time. With ease he just rocked back the tiniest bit more on his own hips, denying her anything but the barest parting. As growls turned to whimpers, she started to choke out the words.

"P-please…"

"Please, what captain?"

"Please take me…"

"Oh, nice and gentle? Perhaps slow and steady with your hands free to wander? Tell me what you want, come on I haven't all night." He snapped out the words and gave her just the tiniest bit more.

"Like… like a girl."

"Like what kind of girl? Well captain? Where is that beautiful confidence of the warrior woman of earth, hm? Take you like a what, tell me! Speak!"

"Take me like a slave girl!" she had screamed.

His laughing and snarling became one as he did as asked.

"The warrior women of earth are truly amazing, my captain! Your wish is my command."

---

She was awake before the first rays of dawn snuck under the curtains. Well, awake is a strong word. Aware of the existence of the outside world might be more descriptive. She could feel the muscles in her legs still twitching, each one causing another hammer blow of pain. She tried to move her arms, but ultimately decided she could deal with just laying here all day if it meant not feeling the resulting sensation.

"Good morning."

Misato tried to close her eyes as hard as she could. No, no no, that smug, teasing voice was just a dream, all last night, just a dream, she'd just had too much to drink. There was no Gorean warrior looking at her with a mix of pride, lust, and amusement. Nope nope nope nope nope. All a bad dream.

When he wrapped his arms around her she groaned and made a laughable attempt at pushing him away when he pulled her to his chest. When he began to rub her sore muscles and stroke her hair, she gave up and curled into his body. She soon fell back to sleep to soft words and songs in a language from a hundred and eighty million miles away.

---

When she next woke, the room was bright with sunlight, and she pushed her face into his chest to hide from it. As soon as she did, she felt his strong arms hold her just a little bit tighter.

When they finally rose, it was well into the morning. Misato said nothing to him as she laid out a simple breakfast, some toast and microwaved sausages.

"You seem worried, my captain."

Misato sat down at the table, and didn't even want to look at him.

"Please, tell me what troubles you. I don't know how I am to act in this situation, or why you might be unhappy."

"You're serious?"

"Yes. I did what I did because I thought you would enjoy it, nothing more, nothing less."

"Uh-huh. And I am not just a girl to you now? You aren't going to be there needling me all the time about enjoying it?"

"No." He said. "If I may, I have to confess that last night I experienced several things for the first time, and I question the consequences myself."

"Oh do not try and tell me that was your first time with a woman."

"What? No of course not." He said then leaned over the table and slid his hand across to touch hers. "But it was the first time I enjoyed a free woman and still wanted to know her, as a free woman, afterwards."

"Sure, and what about all that shit about if a woman likes she must want to be a slave?"

Shinji shrugged. "We don't all get what we want. If you are a valuable soldier, then that is what you must do. If you are wondering whether I will try and make you a slave just because you enjoy vigorous sex, the answer is no. I would not mind attempting a relationship in the style of your culture either."

"Wait, seriously?"

"What's not to like? At least I can respect you as an equal, you are the first female warrior I've met who wasn't a complete she-tharalion." He said and picked up a sausage, biting into it.

"Hm, I didn't know you had tarsk here, this tastes good."

---

The next day Misato woke before dawn, a habit she had never broken from basic. At least when she hadn't been screwed through the floor by some extraterrestial psycho. As she walked into the living room still in skivvies, she wondered what basic was like on Gor, what Shinji had gone through. She figured she would have to ask as she pounded on the guest bedroom door. She was fine with the idea of sharing a bed with the man, but not every damned night.

"Revelry!" She shouted. When she didn't hear any movement she got worried. She could outshout a gunny, no way he slept through that. She knocked again then opened the door.

Shit.

The futon was empty. It was neatly made though, which Misato noted with satisfaction. No clothes on the floor, no sword. He was gone. As she turned to run for her phone and get section two on alert, the paper on the kitchen table caught her eye.

Oh good, crazy man left a note.

She flicked on the lights and picked up the yellow half sized sheet of paper. The characters were drawn in a surprisingly feminine looking hand.

It said:

Captain

Not familiar with morning rituals. Also not familiar with use of Earth clocks. Gone for morning exercise, will return once the sun dawns.

Shinji

Well fan-freakin'-tastic she thought and crumpled the note up to throw it away. She set the coffee going and headed for the shower. When she came out still wrapped in a towel, she found the warrior sitting standing over the coffee pot. She had not heard him enter.

"Good morning, you were up early."

"Good morning captain. I think my body is still adjusting to the time difference. Tell me, I smell the black wine, I see the black wine, but I do not wish to damage this device, how does it work?"

"Black wine?"

"Sorry, coffee."

Misato looked at the LED timer on the pot. "It still has a couple minutes. Lemme get dressed and I will show you how it works."

The pot beeped its completion as Misato exited her room. Her hair was up off neck and she was wearing her MARPAT cammies. Her sleeves were rolled, but with her boots by the door her cuffs still hung free. She rotated and lifted the pot to release it from the station and poured a cup for herself and one for Shinji.

"Wow, thank you." He said, looking down at the plain white ceramic cup.

"Huh? What for?"

"Where I come from we don't drink this in the morning or this much. Its expensive and its sipped in small… cups…" Shinji petered off as he saw the captain drink her entire cup in one motion before refilling from the glass vessel.

"Yeah well, here we drink it by the gallon in the morning to get going, then you get real food later."

"I see." He said then sipped from his cup. "Different, but not unpleasant."

"Like it?" She said, lifting her cup again.

"No, it tastes like silty sleen piss, but the morning ritual is not a bad idea."

Misato clenched her cup and turned to hide the twitch she could feel in her forehead. Don't kill the little maniac, we need him to fight angels. She vaguely remembered sleen being like giant weasels.

The drive to work was quick on the empty early morning streets. Misato passed the time as the slow industrial elevator descended teaching Shinji how to use an earth clock.

"Okay so the long hand measures minutes, that's 60 seconds, and the short hand is hours, which are 60 minutes. The thin hand measures seconds. Once around the face is 12 hours, twice around is 24, one day."

"Got it, not too different."

"Well whats it like where you are from?"

"Only 20 hours in a day, hands spin the opposite way."

"Weird."

"You move around in carriages powered by continuous small explosions. We have the good sense to use animals, which by the way do not explode in any way. That alone proves their superiority."

"Touche'."

Being as there were no incoming platoons, Shinji got the 'privilege' of a private orientation. This was normally done in one of the large onsite auditoriums before the marines are routed through the various supply depots. Shinji got Kensuke Aida. They had measured him for sizes first thing then moved onto paperwork.

"Alright, so I have here that we are putting you in as a transfer from another service, whatever your unit back home was. Per the commander, we are bringing you in as an O-3, that means you are a captain. I don't know if they are going to give you command of anything, but lots of people are going to be saluting you, um, Sir."

They were sitting at the desk outside Captain Katsuragi's office that served as his workspace. The lance corporal shared the small anteroom with PFC Suzuhara, who was out.

"Heh, I have lead a raiding party or two."

"Whatever you say Sir, I am going to have to ask you how you got the commander to agree to bring you in as an officer sometime though. Anyway, private Suzuhara is getting your uniforms and I have your tapes and insignia ordered, they should be here later."

"Thank you… forgive me, what do I call you again?"

"I'm a lance corporal but you call me whatever you want Captain. I am required to show you courtesy because you are above me in rank. The only people you have to worry about are majors, colonels, and generals. I will show you what the insignia looks like later. Oh and here is your ID." Kensuke said and slid the black card across the table.

"Are we of the same unit as you say?" She said, looking at the likeness printed on the card next to his name.

"Yeah, I answer to Captain Katsuragi and she is head of evangelion operations, and you are a pilot Sir."

"Good, then we are sword brothers, lancemen."

"Sword brothers, I like that. Hey mind if I ask you about, you know, where you come from? Uh, Sir." It was still weird to call someone his age captain.

"Not at all, I am something of a cultural ambassador besides a soldier I guess."

"Is it true you have slavery there, uh Sir?"

"Yeah, but Tarl, my teacher, said Earth people might think it is a bigger deal then it really is."

"Well did you ever own any?"

"No, but Tarl did and I had a girl of his that might as well have been mine. She was actually from earth, we bought her to help me learn Japanese."

"What about the tarns, those real?"

"Oh yes. I learned to ride one when I was fourteen."

"That sounds so awesome."

"What's awesome, Sir?" Suzuhara said as he entered, tucking the plastic wrapped packages under his left arm to salute.

"Our new Captain here was telling me about his home. The birds are real."

"Sweet. Well, uh Sir, here are your uniforms. 2 sets of skivvies, 2 blouses, 2 trousers, 2 covers, 1 pair of boots size 8, 2 pairs of socks, and 2 belts, one pants, one PT. Oorah." The big marine rattled off and set the package on Aida's desk along with the boots.

"You people wear a lot of clothes."

"Not so bad Sir, you should see the combat load out."

Which he soon did. Having finished with his remaining equipment, Science division had left them with the armory.

"What can I do for ya, devil dog?" The sergeant behind the counter said.

"Sir, this is Captain Ikari, science division just returned his things." Aida said from behind Shinji. Shinji had changed into his new uniform, but still had the broad leather belt from which his sword hung around his middle, over the blouse. The high counter had blocked it from the sergeant's view.

"Oh uh, sorry Sir, of course Sir." The sergeant said and threw up a salute.

Shinji returned the salute and responded as his sword brothers had suggested. "Oorah." He was told it something of a battle cry, but also a general affirmative statement.

Shinji liked Aida and Suzuhara. Perhaps he had underestimated the worth of the warriors of Earth.

"Yes Sir!" The man behind the counter said and ran back into the racks of equipment behind him.

"So Sir, are you going to switch out for some modern armor?" Suzuhara said, patting the stomach of a fully kitted out mannequin. Light brown armor covered all the way from its neck to its feet. Over that were yards of load bearing equipment and pouches.

"Eh, I don't see the point."

"Whaddya mean Sir? No offense but your gear was high tech like 2000 years ago."

"On Gor you get a helmet and a shield, wearing all that armor just isn't our way. If you don't want to get hit, you just have to be faster than the other warrior. You don't carry shields and your helmets don't cover the face. So for how I fight, my equipment is better. Besides, how much of that is for your weapons, the guns you carry?"

"Most of it is ammo I guess, plus a back up weapon Sir."

"I carry many weapons, but I would say I probably carry less weight. You are equipped to fight on Earth, I am equipped to fight on Gor."

The sergeant came back with his gear and had Shinji sign for it. Shinji tucked the helmet under his arm and slung his shield over his shoulder. He let the PFC carry his spear since he seemed eager to help.

"Alright…" Said LCpl Aida as they walked back into the hall. "I am supposed to take you to see Commander Ikari now, but there is something I think you might want to see first, Sir."

"And what is that lancemen?" Shinji replied.

"You'll see Sir."

They rode down several levels in an elevator and arrived on a floor helpfully labeled HANGER in man high letters across the wall opposite the elevator.

"Do you miss riding tarns Sir?"

"Greatly." Shinji replied.

"Well let me show you what we have here instead." Aida said and swung open a door. They were on a catwalk over the cavernous underground hanger. Rows upon rows of steel birds covered the ground, each attended by many men and machines. Each upright fin bore the red half leaf of NERV.

"Meet the F-35B, the meanest war tarn this city can bring to battle." Said lance corporal Aida with a sweep of his arm. He had been reading late into the night so he could put this in terms the new captain would understand.

"She flies faster than sound, she's quiet, and she can level half a city before anyone knew she was there. She doesn't need a runway, she can go straight up, just like a bird. And before you even ask Sir, yes she can even think for herself with all the computers onboard."

Aida was glad he brought the Gorean down here. He was practically drooling.

"What are those spears beneath the wings?"

"Those are missiles, sir. The computer tells them what they are supposed to hit and they fly themselves to it and explode." Aida said, pantomiming an explosion with his hands.

"And those canisters?"

"Those are bombs, they are used to attack targets on the ground. You ever drop anything from a tarn, sir?"

"Not on purpose…" Shinji said and as he saw Aida open his mouth. "No, I do not wish to speak of it."

"Alright then Sir, off to see the commander, er Ubar, er… your dad."

---

Gendo Ikari grumbled when the phone rang. It was the special line.

"Yes Chairman?"

"Dr. Akagi reported that unit zero is a complete loss."

"Yes chairman, I read that."

"Her reports also says a minor concussion suffered by the first child has created significant interference in the A10 nerve interface, rendering her unable to pilot even if there was an evangelion available."

"I am told it is a very delicate system chairman, but yes, it is my understanding that Rei is no longer a viable pilot."

"She reported also that you denied her request to dissect the first child."

"Well yes chairmen. Unlike the good doctor, I do not see the point in such a procedure. Given that she is no longer of any utility to us, I think it appropriate to allow her to continue to have a normal life. She is doing very well in school and we are expecting to hear back from universities in the next month as to acceptance."

"You are letting emotions get in the way of your work Ikari."

"I prefer to think of it as my humanity preventing me from becoming a monster chairman."

"I will let that slight go this time Ikari. I have overridden you, teams have already been dispatched to recover the first child before I called you. Maybe it wouldn't have been necessary if you approved the dummy plu-"

Gendo slammed the phone down and picked up the normal one.

"Bridge, what room is Rei in at medical?"

"Sir, Rei was released this morning, her tracker says she is at school."

Shit shit shit. Think think think think think… Even if he got people there, who knew who was actually loyal and who was one of theirs… wait a sec. Only one other pilot with a working eva, they will do anything to keep him happy or at least Gendo could use it to… it just might work.

"Where is my son?"

"Um, he should be at your office Sir."

Not a second later, Gendo heard a knock on his door. He slammed the phone down.

"Get in here!" He yelled. His son and those two marines of Katsuragi's came in. Between them they had the warrior's various equipment. Good good, this could work, thought Gendo.

"Lance Corporal, Private, you are both now under the direct command of my son for the rest of the day. The conversation we are about to have never happened, are we clear?

"Yes Sir!" The marines responded.

"Good. Shinji, you understand what I mean?"

"Yes Ubar, you want to deny this action."

"Damn right. Shinji I have rethought our conversation the other day. I hereby give you ownership of Rei."

The marines could not stop their jaws from dropping. Shinji smiled.

"Why the change of heart, Ubar?"

"Because I would rather see her alive in chains then dead in a lab. Now Rei doesn't know this yet, which works to our advantage. You see, someone with authority over me has decided she is to be killed and examined. I don't want that to happen. So you, my boy, are going to take these two marines and go raiding."

"Raiding?" Aida and Suzuhara said, looking at each other then back at the commander.

"Warrior, I want you to make sure every single person at that school knows what hit them. I want everyone to know that a Gorean warrior went in there and took what was his and wasn't going to let anybody stop him. If someone directly threatens you with deadly force, you may kill them, otherwise I don't want any deaths to school personnel if we can avoid it, and absolutely no deaths among the student population are acceptable, understand?"

Shinji crossed his fist across his chest. "Yes my Ubar!" He said with a manic grin across his face.

"Then make haste, I don't know how much time you have. GO!"

"Well, there is one thing I could use."

"What?! Come on out with it!"

"I didn't exactly bring a collar with me."

Gendo took a key from his pocket and reached down for a low drawer on his desk. There was a click of the latch, then the commander brought out a black felt box, like the kind a necklace might be sold in. Gendo opened it and took the steel ring within and threw it to his son.

Shinji recognized a collar when he saw it. This one was well worn, possessing a dull polish rather than a mirror finish. It was a steel ribbon, perhaps an eighth of an inch thick and three quarters of an inch wide. An integral lock, the small key stuck in it, closed the ring in back, and a small ring dangled from the front. There was an inscription next to the lead ring that Shinji was surprised to see was in Gorean.

"Property of Gendo of Port Kar… the fuck?"

"It was your mother's, get moving."

"Wait, what?!"

"Move warrior! Your Ubar commands it!"

---

It took them three minutes to get down to the motor pool and they were out of the geofront and on street level in another five.

"Faster!" Shinji yelled and banged on the roll bar of the jeep.

They had taken one of the open top models, it had been convenient to carry Shinji's man sized shield and that giant spear. Aida and Suzuhara sat in front with bandanas and sunglasses over their faces and Shinji stood in the back with his feet braced, holding onto the roll bar with one hand and his great spear with the other. His shield was slung over his back and his helmet was on his head, the black crest whipping in the wind.

They had kind of made up the plan as they went. They had taken the conveniently unguarded vehicle and two rifles. A banner had been torn down hastily modified into a red tunic… cloak… thing that Shinji had put his belt over. It covered his chest and shoulders and came down like a tabard in front and behind him. It was an impressive sight with enough wind, though an impractical garment. As long as one didn't look too long, he didn't look like a NERV marine.

"That's the front gate!" Aida yelled and pointed to an impressive wrought iron gate between two brick walls topped with wrought iron spikes. The lettering across it read:

Our Lady Of Eternal Suffering

School for young women

Two black vans were approaching from the other direction.

"That's the enemy! Me and Suzuhara will take care of them, you go get the commander's daughter!"

"My prize you mean!" Shinji said and jumped from the moving jeep with his spear in one hand and his shield in the other. Planting the spear gave him enough leverage to vault the mostly aesthetic wall.

He heard a gasp as he landed on the green grass and looked up to see two young women. Each was wearing the schools uniform of a short plaid skirt with a navy blazer, over a white blouse and a red tie, with dark knee socks.

"You two!" He shouted in his best commanding voice and pointed his spear at them. He knew that, combined with the facelessness of the helmet and his weapons, such a voice commanded fear from the civilians of any world.

"U-us?"

"Wha-wha…"

"Where is Ayanami Rei?"

"W-why?"

"Oh god are you going to kill her?"

"No, I am here to take what is mine and make her a slave! Now tell me where she is or you can both find a place on my chain beside her!"

"You muscle brained, rape culture, patriarchy propogating asshole, what right do you have to…" One girl fumed.

"Room 4-C. Stairs are over there." The other, perhaps more sensible, one said and pointed. "4th floor, turn right, third door on your right." She continued, tracing out directions in the air with her fingers.

"Thank you free woman." Shinji said and brushed past them.

"Hikari, what the fuck? You just told him where to find her, why would you do that?!" The less sensible girl screamed at her companion.

"Because I was worried he was serious. Better her than us." Ms. Horaki sister replied.

He was intentionally making noise as he went, stomping his feet in the heavy boots and rapping his shield against the plaster walls. This was not a raid, this was a theatre performance, and he wanted every eye in the playhouse on him and what he had to do.

He saw the sign marked 4-C above the door, just where the free woman had said it would be. He stabbed the great spear through the wooden frame then switched his grip and ripped it from its sliding track. Within the classroom, the students were all pressed up against the far side, near the windows.

There was an older woman wearing black veils, she was yelling about something or other, brandishing a stick of some kind. Shinji was more concerned with searching for his prize and pushed her aside with his shield. He was rewarded with a rapping on his helmet. With a growl he turned to the woman in the black veils, who he assumed was an instructor of some kind.

"Free woman, I have come to retrieve what is mine, stand aside!" He barked and turned back to searching for his blood and sky among students. No sooner had his eyes left the nun than he received another strike across his helmet with the ruler.

"I am not here for you woman, cease!" He said, only to have her raise the stick again. Shinji let go of his shield, letting it hang by the strap across his shoulder, and slammed his fist into the woman's jaw, sending her to the ground. She wasn't dead, she'd be fine when she awoke, he was still within his orders.

"Oh my god, he just knocked out sister Agatha!"

"Holy shit!"

"Hell yeah, old witch had it coming!"

Shinji turned back to the huddled girls. "Rei child of blood and sky, come forward. Now."

The schoolgirls instantly parted, leaving the blue haired, crimson-eyed, girl sitting against the wall. She looked side to side, then at Shinji.

"I've have come for what is mine. Stand."

Rei made no move, and the other girls shrieked as he threw the great spear to the ground and strode over to her, then hauled her to her feet by her hair. She came to just above his shoulder even held up only by her toes and his hand. The shadow cast by his broad shoulders and tall helmet completely covered her.

"I told you in the hospital that you were mine now. Why did leave and come here?"

"I was told that you did not in fact own me." She said, her voice only slightly pained but otherwise deadpan. "I returned to my routine once I was released."

"Submit yourself."

"I was told to not obey commands from you, by the commander."

There was a dark chuckle beneath the helmet. Just because he was on a mission didn't mean he couldn't have some fun.

"You'll learn."

Rei's eyes followed his other hand as reached to his belt. She gasped and her crimson eyes went wide as he held up the steel band.

---

Outside, Ken and Toji were slapping in fresh mags and doing final checks. Six gangster looking guys and four guys in full kit, taken down clean.

"Wonder how the cap's doing…" Ken said, and on cue there was a chorus of screaming from the school building.

"We should probably make sure he is alright."

"Alright? Him, really?"

"Okay fine we should probably get in there to see something fucking awesome happen, and possibly save his ass when the men with guns stopped freaking out over being in a scene from 300."

"That's what I thought."

The marines double-timed it into the school grounds, just in time to see more men in black converging on the entrance. At the center of it all was Shinji, his helmet gone and blood tricking down his face, holding his spear with the girl over his shoulder.

---

He had taken the flights in leaps, his prize slung over his shoulder. She still struggled against her bonds and screamed into the knotted cloth shoved in her mouth, but Shinji had tied her well. He had lots of practice at this, she would not be slipping her bonds and the key to the steel ribbon around her neck was safely stowed on his belt.

A man at arms in black had blocked his way from the hallway to the lobby of the school. He wore the armor of earth and carried one of their rifles. For whatever reason, he had hesitated to raise his weapon and it was his final mistake.

The Great Spear is the preferred weapon of most Gorean warriors, for its utility both in melee and at range. It is large weapon and quite heavy. The shaft of the spear is two inches in diameter for whole of its length and the tip is more akin to a small sword, nearly two feet in length and sharp on both sides. The butt is capped with steel for balance, but the often spiked cap makes the weapon lethal at either end. Thrown properly, it will easily pierce a shield, the man holding it, and still have enough energy to sink itself into the ground far enough to hold the corpse up.

Shinji had dropped the girl to the floor and thrown his spear, taking the man through the chest and pinning him halfway down the blade to the tile floor. Even so, he had been able to raise his weapon, and a wild shot struck Shinji's helmet. The gash it tore through the relatively soft metal, flayed back the cheek piece on one side and carved the skull cap open like an axe blow.

Shinji had torn the ruined helm from his head and wiped the blood from his face before dropping his shield and drawing his sword. After what a single bullet did to his helmet, he would rather have the ability to move that little bit faster than the questionable protection it offered.

"Those men are here for you. Father says they wish to kill you." Shinji said as he grabbed the girl around the waist and threw her back over his shoulder. "But you are mine, a warrior's wage for saving this world."

Shinji walked warily forward, ready to drop the girl again if he had to and charge the enemy. He had no other option until he could retrieve his spear.

"I'm not going to hand you over. You know father was willing to offer me my weight in gold to leave you be? If these men want you, your price is steel, Rei blood and sky."

Shinji saw the gun barrel poking around the corner as he neared the end of the hallway. When the soldier came around the corner, his blade was already in motion and took the man's head from his shoulders.

Shinji put Rei down and took his spear from the first corpse in one hand and faced the enemy. Two more men had their weapons trained on him. Shinji ducked down and slid his grip down to the butt end of the spear then thrust forward, easily slicing through the Kevlar armor of one of the soldiers as bullets flew over his head. He thrust with his sword, forcing the last gunman to retreat, then spun to pull his spear from its victim. He continued the turn and slashed the long blade of the spear head through the throat of the man.

"You know, for all the furor over it back home, I would have thought these gun things would be more… I don't know, impressive." Shinji said, sheathing his sword and picking her up again. "For all the time they had I could have put an arrow in me five times over."

He looked through the glass doors then pushed one open with the butt of his spear. He wondered where his sword brothers were as he very warily proceeded into the sun light.

A gorean warrior does not despair in the face of the enemy, even overwhelming odds, but Shinji was cursing whatever gods there may be as more of the soldiers appeared and rushed towards him.

"Oh well, I suppose it couldn't have been that easy." He said and wrapped one arm around the girl, tucking his spear against his side. He would run, try and make it past them and into the streets, hoping that they would not shoot for fear of killing the girl too soon.

The men made a tight perimeter around them before Shinji could get moving. Well there went that plan. Shinji was trying to come up with options when he saw the NERV marines approaching. Shinji dropped to the ground as they raised their weapons and was happy to see the last of the enemy fall to the ground dead. If two could defeat so many so quickly, perhaps there was something to this firearm thing after all.

They were soon at his side, Aida helping him up while Suzuhara took the girl. Not a minute later they were back in the jeep, speeding away. Shinji was sitting in back, one hand holding his spear with the other holding Rei's collar in a clenched fist.

Shinji looked down at the girl and found her looking at him. He expected fear, or anger, in her eyes. Instead she looked… concerned perhaps?

"Do you understand what has happened, girl?"

She nodded.

"I killed to keep you today, I won't tolerate resistance. Do you understand me?"

She nodded again. Shinji let go of her collar and loosed the knot that kept her gagged.

"Thank you." She said after stretching her jaw and trying to get some moisture back into her mouth. Her voice was hoarse from screaming and her mouth dry from the gag.

"First lesson kajira, you will call me master. Well, you will call every free man master, but I am your master."

She nodded. "Yes… yes my Master." She added when he looked at her with disapproval. As soon as she corrected herself he rewarded her with a smile and a pat on the head.

"Good. Now thank my brother here."

"T-thank you, um, masters? Um, master marines?"

"You're welcome."

"Oorah. So Cap, where we going? I know the commander was all onboard with this, but I don't think he wants you parading her through HQ or nothin'."

"Take me to Captain Katsuragi's apartment, I am staying there, then return to the geofront and report to the Ubar."

"You're not coming Sir? I mean he is probably going to want to talk to you."

"I have his daughter to take care of lanceman, I am sure he will understand."

---

By the time they reached the apartment building, Shinji had freed the girl's hands and feet. She had made no attempts to resist, nor argued or fussed. Shinji left the ridiculous banner cum tunic and his spear with his brothers.

As the marines pulled away and they turned to enter, Shinji thought about the girl's behavior. A lack of resistance didn't mean the girl was going to along without incident of course. She could be planning to kill him in his sleep after all, but she seemed, if anything, grateful.

Shinji was taken from his wondering when he realized something. He had never actually opened the door before, Captain Katsuragi had always done it. Standing before the apartment door he was considering how he might break in before Rei spoke.

"Do you have a key?.. master" She said, adding the title only when he looked at her. Shinji thought he had seen the captain use a card or something, he hadn't really paid attention.

"I… we don't have doors like this back home."

"Did they give you an ID, master?" Rei asked, a little more natural sounding this time.

Shinji pulled the plastic card from his uniform pocket. Rei reached out for the card and swept it past the sensor to open the door. Shinji pucked the card from her hand and rewarded her with a pat on the cheek before walking through the doorway first.

"Come along girl, you have much to learn…"

---

"See that all section two personnel associated with those found at the scene are placed under arrest, none of them can be trusted." Gendo said, shifting through the last few pages of the reports on the incident earlier in the day.

"Yes commander." Replied Captain Katsuragi.

"Where is he now?"

"At home, with the girl… I mean Rei, sorry Sir."

A small smile came to Gendo's lips, but it bore no happiness. "Captain… I want you to know that I did what I did for Rei. It is the best way to keep her safe for now. I didn't do it lightly, I know the cruelty these men can inflict."

"I know Sir. I am sorry it came to that."

"Well, she wanted to take a break before university anyway. Once this is all over, I will strike a deal with my son and free her from it, but for now, please do what you can to help her through this."

"Yes, Sir. Sir if I may ask, since you seem to know a lot about it, what should I expect?"

Gendo leaned back in his chair and looked up at the carved ceiling of his office.

"Well, I won't claim to know my son as well as I should, but it depends on him. Some of these men are cruel simply because they enjoy it, others treat their property so well they are wives in all but name. You have spent more time around him than I at this point, what do you think?"

Conflicting moments came into Misato's mind. First the night before last, where he made her beg and laughed when she gave in. But then she remembered when she first saw him with Rei at the hospital. He had been gentle, just like the morning after with her, and she had smiled.

"Sir, how often does Rei smile?"

"Infrequently. Its not that she was unhappy, I'll assure you, but it's the expression part that she has trouble with. Why?"

"I saw her smile for the first time a couple days ago, Sir. It was because of Shinji."

The soft smile returned to his lips. "Then perhaps my son is a good man after all. Once things have settled down, please let me know, I would like to visit. Perhaps a family dinner of sorts?"

---

It had been a week since the "raid" on the school. Combined with the angel attack days before, Misato had only just finished with the last of the paperwork and dismissed her office just before lunch on Friday. Newly minted corporals Aida and Suzuhara had earned it.

Of course her roommate had left some time before, his duties, what that there were, always complete by mid morning. After the fracas at the school, the captain and the commander had decided it was probably best to not leave him at home all day to his own devices. Aside from his practice in the eva, Captain Ikari was assigned as head of physical training for the base marines. If nothing else, a man who could beat half a dozen soldiers armed with nothing but bronze age weapons could teach the marines a thing or two.

"I'm home!" Misato said as she walked in the door.

"Tal Mistress!" Rei said, stepping out from Shinji's room. She was wearing a recent gift from Shinji, a deep blue garment called a camisk. It was a sleeveless tunic slit down to her belly button and coming to nearly her knees. The rope belt allowed her to hitch it up like she had today, hanging high up on her hips, the edge just below her rear. It also kept the opening mostly closed.

"Master said to tell you he was going hunting with Corporals Aida and Suzuhara and would be home Sunday. You only just missed him." She said, bouncing up and down on her toes, her red eyes bright.

"Oh because we need more meat." Misato quipped as she sat down at the kitchen table to unlace her boots. They still had several pounds of venison from the deer Shinji had taken on his way into town that first day, tucked away in white paper packages in the fridge. They hadn't even taken it all, she had made Aida and Suzuhara take some. The freezer just wasn't big enough.

Rei slid down to her knees at Misato's side, reaching to take care of her shoes for her.

"Rei, its okay, I got it." She said, swatting dainty hands away. The poor girl looked hurt and dipped her head down.

"Sorry Mistress."

"Rei, you didn't do anything wrong, I just don't need help with my shoes."

"Is there something I can do?"

"Well I haven't had lunch."

"Oh!" Rei said, perking up and quickly getting to her feet. "Can I make you something? Or would you like leftovers?"

The change in the azure haired girl over the past weeks had bee dramatic. Where she had once been quiet, slow to happiness, probably best described as introverted, now a smile rarely left her face, and she was eager to do whatever she could. If Shinji wasn't home, she was there at Misato's side, constantly trying to make herself useful. Misato could only imagine what she did when left alone after the apartment was clean.

That was a good for a girl like here Misato thought, then immediately regretted it. Rei's change, and the thoughts that Misato chastised herself for, when she thought of her as a slave and not a person. It was like everyone around the man was bent to his twisted little world where people were property, where a man with a sword and spear could defeat squads of soldiers with guns.

"How about that stir fry you made the other night?"

"Yes Mistress, right away."

Misato had fought with Shinji about what Rei was to call her. Actually they had fought about many things regarding her.

---

"All free men are her master. I respect you as a warrior Misato, or I would not tell her to call you so."

"Of course she is naked, would you have her dressed as you do? It is not even that cold, she can dress when I find her something that suits her station."

"What is your objection captain?" Shinji said, holding the sobbing girl by the hair as she clung to his leg, choking out apologies. In his other hand was a strap, and its mark was up and down the girl's back.

"I object to you beating her for reading a book!"

"How many times do I have to tell you I am no savage! Her tasks were not done, I would beat no matter what I found her doing."

"Jealous my captain?" He said with a sneer. He stood there, naked in the darkness lit by sparse moonlight, that wretched slave girl huddled on the floor wearing only her collar, her chest heaving with deep breaths.

"Remember what I said about a slave girl just broken? My captain, I must reconsider. You are a match for any kajira. Come, this girl is spent anyway, she has no stamina."

---

He hadn't spoken to him for three days after that, let alone allowed him to touch her. She had been so angry about it that one day when he was gone and Rei had stumbled, spilling food, she had nearly beat the girl herself. She hadn't done it of course. Instead she had held the poor thing and told her it was okay until she calmed down.

Misato reflected that it was ultimately a good thing that Rei was liable to get upset at the smallest sign of anger towards her. She had actually only seen evidence of Shinji striking her twice, usually all she required was a stern look to correct herself.

Despite all of it though, the anger, the fighting, the just totally alien set of rules he played by, where he could respect herself and treat Rei as furniture in the same moment, there was something there. Misato was not sure she liked it, but the man did not have a romantic side and a gift for reading people. He always knew just what to say, or where to let the lightest touch linger.

"Would you like something to drink Mistress?"

"Beer, thank you Rei."

"Yes Mistress." The girl said with a bow. Misato was surprised to have her beer served, alongside her lunch, in a frosted glass.

"What's this Rei?"

"Y-you don't like it?"

"Don't worry Rei, I like it, just wondering why."

"Well I thought it might make you happy, and then you wouldn't be so mad and maybe we could talk and…" Rei was looking down, fidgeting with the bottom of her tunic. "… and you could tell me how I could do better and if I do better maybe you and Master won't…"

Rei bit her lip and looking at Misato through her bangs then quickly looked back at the floor.

"Won't what Rei?"

"I'm sorry Mistress, its stupid, please forget I…"

"I asked you a question girl, answer me." Misato said before she even thought about it. Damn it girl, just spit it out, stupid slave… oh fuck what was she turning into?

"Then maybe you and master won't fight!" Rei said, clenching her eyes shut and holding her tunic so tight her white knuckles stood out over flushed hands.

"Rei… we don't… we aren't fighting because of you."

"Yes you are! Every time you start yelling its over me."

"Rei, listen to me." Misato said, getting up nice and slowly from her chair. She didn't want to get the girl any more upset.

"Why don't you like me?! I am trying, I don't know what I did to upset you…"

"Rei, I don't not like you, I think you are…"

"Yes you do! You hate…"

As her conscious mind and that part she kept regretting letting speak reached consensus, Misato inwardly grumbled. This stupid girl was getting hysterical, telling her she was wrong and fucking interrupting!

Misato grabbed Rei by her steel collar and pulled her close, nose to nose, which lifted the slightly shorter girl onto her tip toes. Rei whimpered and tried to look away, to keep her gaze down or something, but Misato would just turn her head this way and that until she was looking into her eyes again.

"Silence."

The slave girl nodded, very consciously holding onto her tunic so she wouldn't grab the captain's hand on reflex. She had learned very early from master not to do that.

"Rei, I do not dislike you, in fact I like having you around. I like eating fresh food and having a clean home. I will even admit I like that your owner isn't trying to get into my bed every night. What I don't like is how he treats you, and that he expects you to give everything and ask for so little in return. I don't like that he thinks its okay to beat you for not living up to his weird ass cultural ideal. I am upset over how he treats you, not anything you have done. Do you understand now?"

"Y-yes, yes." She said, nodding.

"Excuse me girl?"

"Yes Mistress I understand!"

Misato let go of the collar and fell back into her chair. Rei slid down to her knees in front of her, fidgeting with her collar with the fingers of one hand.

"Rei, why do you let him treat you like an animal?"

"He doesn't…"

"Fine, not an animal, a servant, why?"

"I don't… I mean… I like attention."

"Attention, really that's it?"

"Yeah, master pays attention, he is actually interested in me and wants me to get better and… he tells me I am beautiful, and I make him happy. Yes, he is mean sometimes, but he has a lot to teach me and well…. The corrections help me learn."

Misato groaned, screwing her eyes shut as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "After this is all over, there wont be any reason to let him keep you, you know that right? He'll have to learn to live by the same rules as everyone else if he wants to stay here."

"Oh Master isn't staying."

"Huh-What-Now?"

"Master says it was a condition of his coming here, once the angels are defeated he gets to return to Gor."

"Well then that will be the end of it, right? Just hold out until then."

Rei shook her head. "Master says I am to go too. I want to learn everything he has to teach me so I don't embarrass him when his people see the girl he brought back. Master says earth girls are valued there, and nobody will make fun of how I look, it will just make me more admired. I am excited, really."

"Rei, that sounds like he is going to sell you."

The girl shrugged with a smile on her lips. "I suppose it does, but… I think I please him and if I make him happy, then what reason would he have to get rid of me?"

Oh good god, Misato thought. She's broke. He actually did it, in two weeks he broke her brain and made her WANT to be property. Not that she was all that well to begin with, but still! Whatever, she gave up. Maybe the commander has a plan, she would have to ask. Probably involved lots and lots of therapy for everyone involved.

"Okay, you know what, fine. If you don't mind, I'll stop making a fuss." Misato said. She was surprised when the next moment, Rei had her arms wrapped around her legs, squeezing them in a hug.

"Thank you Mistress." Rei said, laying her head in the captain's lap. She smiled and began to stroke the girl's hair. Every few days, Shinji had taught the girl something new, usually surprising Misato when she got home. One day it was kneeling, the next day another gorean word or two, like he had this little lesson plan all set up, in perfect order… perfect order…

A very certain grin appeared on the captain's face, as a very certain thought entered her mind. It was cat like, well Cheshire cat like. He was clearly enjoying the process, but what could he say if he came back and found himself deprived of a few steps, everything out of order. It was perfect really, she could troll Shinji, and nobody could get in trouble. After all it wouldn't be Rei's fault, and what could he do to Misato?

"Rei, go get dressed."

---

High in the hills, several miles to the north…

"What is THAT?"

They had driven to the trail head, about an hour outside the city. Shinji had brought his simple bow and had been stringing it when Ken had taken that… thing… from the trunk of his car.

"Oh, guess you wouldn't have seen one before. Its called a compound bow." Aida said and held it up for Shinji to take, but the Gorean recoiled back. The machine, and at this point it was truly a complex device, was completely camouflaged. Attached to the frame was a quiver holding several arrows. Dampers touched the strings at several points, and the round frame of the fiber optic sight was just plain weird to Shinji.

"… alright, I'll ask, why?"

"More power, less work, which means it draws faster too. The bow they built for the eva uses the same principles. Thought you might want to try the real thing after you were complaining about the feedback."

Shinji had indeed complained about the feedback during simulations with the new weapon. There was no sensation, he couldn't feel the tension, and it made him overdraw and his release was shoddy.

"Very well. When will Suzuhara be joining us?"

"He had some family thing, he shouldn't be too long." Kensuke said and held out the modern bow. "Try it while we wait?"

"Sure."

---

Rei was fidgeting with her school uniform. Besides that silly tunic, it was the only clothing she actually had at the apartment. Her twitching movements were getting on Misato's nerves.

"Be still." The captain barked. Rei winced and held her hands tightly together in her lap. Misato groaned, half mad at herself for being so sharp, half mad at the girl for annoying her in the first place.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. What's bugging you?"

"Its just that master said I wasn't to wear this…"

"Rei, I am not going to have you walking around in what he does let you wear. Now since he is out for the weekend, I would say it falls me to see to you, right?"

"Um, yes, I suppose so Mistress."

"Good."

"Mistress, may I ask where we are going?"

"Lt. Makoto's apartment. He has some books I want to borrow."

---

"Oh, uh, hello Ma'am, what can I do for you?" The Lt said through the chain gap in the door.

"Wanna get NJP'd, for that crap in the mess hall last week?"

"What?! No!"

"Then open the damn door."

It was frightfully fast how quick he got the door open, given that he was wearing a towel.

"Good. Now get some clothes on, get me those damned books, a note pad with ink stick and a beer. In that order thank you very much!"

"Uh, which books are…"

"You know every well which ones I mean!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Makato said, saluting with one hand and holding his towel up with the other.

Three minutes later, Misato was seated on the floor with the short table in front of her with a notepad, a pen, a beer, and three stacks of books, each a foot high. Who knew shit got piled that high?

"Oh…"

"Whats wrong captain?"

"I didn't know there were so… many."

"Um, are you looking for something in particular?"

"Trying to troll the gorean by jumping his training plans for Rei here."

"Shouldn't be too hard for you, ya slave driver." Makato mumbled.

"What was that boot?"

"Look for captive, slave girl, kajira, mercenaries, witness, prize, and conspirators. All of them are from the perspective of slave girls, uh, ma'am."

"Oh is that all?"

---

High in the hills, Shinji was drawing back his plain wooden recurve bow.

"aaaand push!"

"Pull sir." Suzuhara said.

"Pull!"

Toji threw the empty beer can into the air and Shinji let fly. The steel broadhead of his gorean arrow punched through the aluminum can. As the arrow sunk into a tree trunk, the can was left dangling along the shaft.

"And that, my sword brothers, is how, in your words, it is done." Shinji said, turning with his bow held over his head in both arms.

"Woah…"

"Can ya teach me to do that?"

"I still have enough meat to last the winter, did you really think we were coming out here to hunt?"

It helped that both already knew how to use a bow. Shinji only had to spend the hours until nightfall teaching them to use one right. As the sun began to fall behind the hills, they made a fire.

"So whats it like being a warrior?" Kensuke asked, seated on the ground with his back against the trunk of a tree.

Shinji was laying on his side, one arm propped up under his head. He shrugged his shoulders. "Whats it like being a marine? I'll tell you the difference."

"Well we both joined up after we finished school. Four years then you can sign up again or move on. Once you are out, government will pay for you to go to school."

Shinji smiled. "I was told I was going to be a warrior as soon as I could understand what the words meant. I don't know how it is for others, things vary a lot by city, but I was raised for it from the start. I hope I never have to take up another trade, well unless it was something like Tarl, he runs a fleet of trading and pirate ships. Still the same kind of thing though, and he still goes out to fight when the feeling strikes him."

---

"Ugh, okay what do we have so far?"

The captain, the lieutenant, and Rei were seated at Makato's table still, several books tossed aside and several still untouched on the table. Each had a note pad in front of them.

"Alright, so I ended up concentrating on stuff mostly." Makato said, adjusting his glasses. "So he got her a camisk, the uh, tunic you told me about. Collar, obviously… suppose could probably find a sirik at some adult store."

"Whats a sirik again? These words are getting confusing."

"Hand, ankle and neck shackle."

"Oh yeah... eh I will look."

"Kay, kind of assume he has a whip."

"Lets not go there."

"Alright, what about silks?"

"Which we would find where?"

"Well there is a belly dancing studio down the road."

Misato cocked an eyebrow at Makoto. "Which you know because?"

"I just pass it on the way to work everyday, okay?" he said, hands raised.

---

Kensuke was taking the last can of the six pack when Shinji made a grab for his bow and was just putting it back down when he nocked the arrow.

"Woah, cap I didn't…" Was as far as he got before the arrow went whizzing past his head, close enough that he swore he felt the fletching tickle his ear. He was frozen in shock until he heard the whimper and howl behind him

"Take up your weapons." Shinji said, taking several arrows in his right hand and jumping over the fire. "We hunt brothers!"

And he was off, running into the dark forest. Kensuke and Toji shared only a brief glance before they too were off, bows in hand. They followed as best they could, and once in a while they would catch a glimpse of him in the moonlight, launching an arrow at a full run or in the air as he kicked off a tree. For every arrow that he let fly, they heard another howl of pain.

The boys finally caught up in a clearing. They saw Shinji with his sword drawn, his bow discarded. At first they could not see the quarry, until the blood shining in the moonlight drew the eye to its source.

It was huge, covered in black fur with shining eyes. The hulk was hunched over, wheezing as it tried to defend its wounds, but even so it was taller than even Suzuhara. Toji was a full two meters tall and barely came to the things drooping shoulders. As the single human became three, the thing snapped its enormous jaws at them.

"What are you waiting for? Put it down!" Shinji yelled at them. The marines immediately drew arrows and let fly, putting two more into the great arm covered the beast's chest. The thing growled at them and rose to its full height.

"Oh shit…"

The beast was easily ten feet tall. Each arm was as thick as a tree trunk and ended in long, wicked, claws that nearly scraped the ground. In better light, they could see its face was some awful mix of an ape, a wolf, and a bat. The thing snarled at them, raised lips revealing teeth as long as a man's hand.

"Surrender!" Shinji screamed, sword raised at the thing. "And your death will be quick."

When the thing spoke, or perhaps tried to speak would be more accurate, it came out in growls and snarls that put the marines on edge.

"Assssh iffff I could exssspect honor from the Den Slllayer." The beast said then lashed out with a howl. Its claws came within mere inches of the marines, even as they quickly jumped back. Shinji dove beneath the attack and as he rose so did his blade, slicing through the monster's forearm down to the bone. The thing shrieked and pulled its arm back, quickly flailing with the other to protect its limp claw.

Shinji ducked the wild strike and swung his sword through the flesh of the beast's legs then slid to the side as it fell forward. Before the beast could recover or even swing again to make room, Shinji was on its back. The monster tried impotently to dislodge him one more time before the warrior drove his sword through the neck, splitting vertebrae and shredding the throat in one strike.

As the beast chocked and went limp, Shinji held onto his sword, watching every twitch of the thing's body for signs of life.

"C-cap… what the fuck?"

"Kurii…"

---

Gendo Ikari was still in his office. It was late on a Friday night, true enough, but since his adopted daughter had, ahem, "moved out", he hadn't felt any need to go home but for sleep. When the phone rang, he regarded it with surprise. It was the security desk calling. What in bloody hell did they want?

"Speak."

"Sir, Captain Ikari is on the way up to your office, he has something stra…"

The double door's to Gendo's office burst in to admit Shinji and those two marines' of Katsuragi's, the raiding party. All three were covered in a not insubstantial amount of blood, and Shinji was carrying something bloody and hairy in one hand.

"Son, what can I…" He began before Shinji slammed down what he was carrying on his father's desk. The almost canine head's tongue lolled out between the knife-like teeth.

"You have Kurii. I need a cadre of marines and several of your flying machines to clear them out."

"Interesting…"

"Interesting?! That's all you can say when you have Kur within mere pasangs of your city, Ubar?" Shinji said, just before an alarm began to ring. "And what is that racket?"

"Angel attack."

"You have angels and kurii… I think I died and went to paradise…" Shinji said, throwing his hands up as he turned away from his father's desk.

---

"What do you mean its already here?!" Misato yelled into her phone.

"I'll be at the number four elevator in three minutes… No need? What do you mean by that?... He is already deploying and he has a plan, oh great, the crazy alien has a plan!... Pardon me, the crazy alien and Dr. Akagi have a plan, because that sounds so much more sane!... Okay fine put him through."

"Captain, can you hear me?"

"Yes Shinji I hear you."

"Good, I am still getting used to these devices. Captain, if something should happen and I fall…"

"You won't die, get out there and kick angel ass, gorean!"

"That is the plan captain, but should something occur, I must ask something of you. I want my possessions to fall to you, including the girl. Be kind to her, keep her in collar."

"Oy… Shinji, I don't know if you are carrying a shield but… come back with it or on it!"

"Yes my captain, I understand, good bye."

"Don't say good bye like that! If there is even a possibility you'll be defeated, you aren't worthy of me, you hear me gorean?"

"Loud and clear captain, we shall speak again soon."

There was a click and Misato closed her phone. Makato was looking at her, already pulling on his jacket.

"Well?"

"Don't bother, the battle has already begun."

---

As the buildings of Tokyo-3 slid into the earth, Unit One rose. Each arm bore a gauntlet, unpainted metal reflecting in the moonlight. On its left arm was a great ring with two long tines that reached nearly to its shoulder, each topped with a pulley cam. On the left arm, multi jointed armatures held arrows the length of giant's arm with their tips pointed skyward.

On the horizon, back lit by moonlight, was the angel Shamshel, the worm. As it slowed and "stood" upright, Shinji saw the red core glowing faintly in the darkness. These foolish angels, showing off their weakness in supreme arrogance. Or was it hubris? He could never remember the difference. Dramatic concepts on their own were difficult, even more so in a third language.

The giant raised its left arm and with a whir of motors and wire, the bow created itself. The ring swung in front of the hand with the handle sliding into place over the evangelion's palm. The arms began to part as wire was let out until a single bridge cable, nearly half a mile long and looped back over three times, formed the bowstring. The giant settled into an archer's stance and raised the weapon as lights began to come on and the center of the great ring spun.

On the right arm, a sub-arm moved one of the arrows into place, sliding the nock between the giant's fingers. At Shinji's will, the arrow was set to the string and as the eva began to pull back, the arrow locked into place, aligned with the ring. The great bow began to moan and creak as it was pulled back to its fullest draw.

Objectively, this was not a bow and arrow. It was a quite thin missile, set on a catapult system that would push it through a very short, very powerful coil gun. Realistically, this was the weapon of mass destruction by which all others would eternally be judged. This was the Brahamanastra.

"All systems go, target locked… Are you ready Shinji?"

"Yes Doctor."

"Fire at will, and god help what you hit."

The great machine let fly. The arrow flew so fast, to the naked eye it was just on the bow, then sunk deep into the red core of the angel. A tenth of a second later, the micro N2 warhead detonated.

What was once Shamshel was now so much dust, with but a small black spot of scorched earth to mark where it last existed.

"Target destroyed." Dr. Akagi said, with the barest hint of satisfaction in her tone.

"Oh thank you doctor for clarifying that, I might have gone blind. I suspect I might have gone deaf as well though because I am not hearing the feast starting yet!"

Ritsuko groaned. "You know last time was…"

"Ta Sardar Gor!"

"Shut up Lieutenant!" Dr. Akagi snapped. "Captain Ikari, you came in and hijacked breakfast the last time."

The evangelion's bow collapsed and Shinji backed the machine up to elevator rails. As the ground rose up around him, Shinji leaned back with his hands behind his head.

"Well Doctor, I suppose I have to show you earthlings how to have a proper celebration too."

---

A continent away…

"Well, that was anti-climatic. After the first one, I thought he was the ultimate warrior or some bullshit, but he just shot it with an arrow and boom, done! Weak."

"It was a good shot."

"Well yeah, but you give someone what is essentially a coil gun and a few petaflops of runtime for targeting software and anybody could do it."

"A bow isn't like a gun, there is a lot of feeling besides the aim and the shot."

"Whatever. 'Sides, the way they talk about him, he is probably some feral nut. I bet they keep him in a little cage between battles."

"Actually he lives with Captain Katsuragi and they have him conducting PT when he isn't busy. You heard about him and Commander Ikari's daughter, right?"

"I thought that was bullshit, just made up crap about this "Gor" bullshit when that media blackout went down."

"Nope. Charged right into the school, fought off half a dozen armed men with nothing but a spear, and carried her ass out of there. Put a metal collar on her and everything."

"You are shitting me, and Commander Ikari lets him? Its because he is his son, isn't it?"

"Dunno. Suppose you can ask him yourself in two weeks."

"You mean…"

"Yep, orders finally came in."

Asuka caught Kaji in a flying hug.

"You know what this means, right?"

"You get to take out your anger on something besides the marines?"

Asuka laughed and squeezed him tighter. "Once I'm there, we can put a stop to whatever the commander is letting his freak son get away with. If he can do it, killing angels can't be that hard."

The freak son of commander Ikari was currently getting away with rousing the marine detachment while his sword brother corporals procured food and alcohol.

"Wake! Up and on your feet! I am searching for the hardiest warriors of this city for the most grueling of hunts, and anybody who falls asleep before the sun rises will be immediately disqualified! Up!"

---

Between cleared roads and elevator rides, Captain Katsuragi arrived with Makato and Rei in tow after the party had well and truly begun. Rather than the mess hall, the festivities were taking place in a pavilion on the surface of the geofront, usually used for entertaining dignitaries and the like.

What struck Misato was not the smell, or the noise, though both were so powerful as to be offending, but it was the order. Yes, order was a good word for it. Just like it always happened around the Gorean. Everyone fell into the beat of his strange, savage drum.

Marines were drinking, eating, there was a fight, but it was in a ring of spectators and being refereed by an officer. A guitar had been brought out and songs were being sung. The typical marine fare, they were all either about fighting or sex.

"Oh hey Cap, glad you made it!" Shouted a voice from the crowd. Corporal Toji Suzuhara waded through lines of marines before emerging and quickly placing a beer in Misato and Makato's hands.

"Captain Ikari is back there, Ma'am.. and uh, sir. Not sure what he is gonna think of you being here though." Toji said, looking at Rei.

"I'll go see him right away, thank you master." Rei said before ducking into the crowd.

"Uh, right. Still not use to that." Toji said with a shrug.

Misato held out her cup and they toasted. "How did the hunting trip go?"

"Good, Ma'am. Killed some werewolf lookin' motherfucker. Cap can give you the details later, he called it a Kurii. Guess it is something from back home."

"A kurii, seriously?" Lt. Makato asked. "Great, angels and kur, I think we all died and went to hell." The Lt. drained his beer and went in search of another.

Misato took another drink before remembering something that was not necessarily bad… at least not for her. Could be quite unfortunate for someone else though.

"Hey Suzuahara, Ikari is in a good mood right?"

"Which one, ma'am?"

"Captain… commander too I guess."

"Well Cap just got to kill two nightmarish things in the space of a night, so he is pretty happy. Commander didn't seem too freaked out about the werewolf head on his desk…" That got a stare from Misato. "I'll tell ya later, ma'am. Haven't seen him since before the battle though. What's up?"

"Lets go see the Captain…"

At the rear of the pavilion, which hung over the shore of the geofront's lake, Captain Shinji Ikari of Tokyo-3, until recently Shinji of Ko-ro-ba, and before that just Shinji of Port Kar, was holding court.

He sat at the head of a table, at which many men sat, and only men. He respected that they allowed women to train as warriors here, and he was sure they pulled their own weight on the field of battle, but he was forming a hunting party, not a war band.

Shinji was telling them, and the crowd that gathered about the table, of killing the kur in the woods when he spotted the flash of blue hair pushing through the crowd.

"Girl!" He called out. She raised her hand above the crowd, waving.

Rei wanted master to know she heard him. She was trying her best but many of the men just didn't notice her enough to let her pass. When she finally broke through the crowd, she saw his happy smile turn to a frown and that look.

Rei knew master smiled when he was happy, or maybe just pleased with himself, or her. Most of the time, his face was just neutral, though always confident. Sometimes he frowned, but it was usually in frustration more than anything, usually over some earth-made device. These things just were, and she had quickly learned how to deal with him at any given moment based on reading his mood from his body language. She was only afraid seeing one thing on his face though, and it was that look. That particular scowl that said, in no uncertain terms, she had displeased him. She had done something wrong. She had not merely irritated him, but had earned his attention in a way that she most definitely did not want.

The table grew quiet, and the crowded marines around it fell silent. Everyone could feel that look.

"What are you wearing?"

"M-my school u-uniform." Rei said, looked down at the floor. She was grabbing at her plaid skirt, fidgeting with it. Don't cry, she thought. If she cried master would be more upset with her and that would be embarrassing. She didn't want to embarrass him, she wanted to make him happy. She was a good girl, his good girl. To embarrass him, to misbehave in front of others, it would cast him in a poor light. He was the one who saved the world; he should never be seen like that.

"I do not recall why that garment still exists. Do you recall what I did say about it, girl?" He said, utterly and completely without expression or inflection.

Rei gritted her teeth and did her best to choke back tears from starting. She hated when he did this. When he made her say what she did wrong, with no tone or feeling in his voice. Next it would be sarcasm, then anger only when she had admitted everything and already begun to beg mercy. Not forgiveness, there was no escaping punishment, only pleading for leniency.

"Ma-ma-mast…" She tried to start.

"Look, if you forgot how to speak, it is fine. It would no great loss to discourse at home." He said, standing. She twitched violently when he grabbed her by the arm.

"I… I mean, this one… she…" Rei stuttered out, her shoulders shaking. She felt like she was going to be sick and retch right there on the floor until he gripped her chin between two fingers and raised her head up so she looked into his eyes.

"The captain was uncomfortable with taking you out in public wearing the clothing I gave you, is that correct?"

Rei nodded, her eyes closed and silently thanking every god and spirit she could think of.

"Slaves must often feign modesty around the free woman. Their sensibilities are… different."

Good, she thought. This was how she was supposed to feel, this was normal for a slave girl. This was normal for her. Master wasn't mad at her. Rei was happy.

"Now that you are among men though…"

---

Misato felt bad, she really did. The poor girl was going to get beaten in front of all these people because of her. She pushed through the crowd, even resorting to shouting 'officer on deck' to get through. She expected to find the girl wracked with tears, bent over the table or something. She would yell and scream at Shinji, it would be a big scene.

Well that's what she thought was going to happen anyway. The cheering as she approached was definitely not part of that scenario. Marines were crude but they were not THAT crude. She eventually resorted to shoving a man out of her way when she could not longer yell over the din.

As expected, Shinji had a tight grip on Rei, holding her by the collar. As expected, some of her clothing had been removed. All Misato could see was the white blouse, hanging free and not quite covering her rear. Not that it mattered, as the thing was soaked through and open well below the girl's breast.

She was seated on Shinji's knee, her hands bound behind her back with what looked like… oh yes, that was her red school tie tied about her wrists. Shinji's grip on her collar kept her head tilted back and she was gleefully holding her mouth open, tongue stretched out as he poured liquor down her throat. He was moving the cup this was and that and she strained to catch as much as she could.

Oh good, this was so much better Misato thought, snatching a drink from another marine and draining it. She was glad nobody had gotten hurt. Well at least not on her account.

Alcohol seemed like a good idea, two hundred marines couldn't be wrong, right? She thought, heading off to find the bar.

For her part, Rei was quite happy with the little game. Master was happy with her though, that was the main thing. Everyone else seemed quite impressed with his ownership of her. Perhaps that was part and parcel to serving him: Showing others how fortunate and skilled he must be to win a prize like her.

As the bottle emptied and the pressure was relieved on her collar, she pushed her face against his check, nuzzling him like a dog might.

She was happy.

End

---

The result of a strange set of circumstances involving less writing time, writers block on Trishula, and reminiscing about books written before I was born. And saving a troop of scouts after a severe canoeing accident. Long story that.

I make no claims that this is "good" in any conventional sense of the word. I also acknowledge that it is less than perfectly accessible to those unfamiliar with Gor.

Just a heads up, I do not participate in online Gor RP. This may show in a general clunkiness when writing Shinji. As I come up with his lines, I feel like he doesn't speak naturally, y'know? Those of you who do Gorean RP probably have a better feeling for how to make the language flow.

So those of you still with me, and I doubt there are many at this point, are probably wondering what's going to happen to Asuka… I didn't say you were getting an answer any time soon, just that you were wondering.

---

Appendix

Gor = A earth-like planet that shares our orbit but always stays on the opposite side from the sun from us… or something like that. Home to several diverse, but small Human civilizations. As SEELE points out, kind of an intergalactic zoo, though closer to a preserve. Long as everyone follows certain rules, any species will be left to their own devices. These rules are basically no firearms or explosives, no long range communication technology. Human civilization on Gor is actually quite advanced when compared to our own in terms of medicine and construction, but the nation state as we know it does not exist. People are defined by their city state of citizenship and their caste.

Kajira = should be obvious at this point, but Kajira is the Gorean word for a female slave. The male equivalent is Kaijru. Singular and plural is the same for both. Much has been written on slave etiquette, I am going to avoid going into if at all possible.

Kur or Kurii = A werewolf, a gorilla, and HP lovecraft go for a night out at Freddy Fazbear's pizza and this comes out 9 months later. Potentially out of an air vent on the ceiling. The wolfman like form seen here is how most Kurii end up looking, but they take various forms throughout their life cycle. An alien species not from our system, or even our galaxy, they want both Earth and Gor since they destroyed their own homeworld millennia ago. They have a fleet of warships hanging out in the asteroid belt but are too scared of the Priest Kings to make an open try. Have recently allied with the angels.

Priest Kings = I for one welcome our new anthropoid overlords. If Gor is a zoo, they are the zookeepers. Sufficiently advanced aliens from parts unknown, can control gravity, move a planet across many light years, etc. They bring species to Gor they consider worthy of preserving. Kind of at war with the Kurii. Look like very large gold colored ant/spider things.

Tal = General Gorean greeting. Free people wave to show they are unarmed. A more respectful greeting is to say Hail whomever you are speaking to.

Tarn = very large bird resembling a hawk or eagle, used as a mount. Someone trained to ride is a tarn is known as a Tarnsman, thus the title of the first book, Tarnsman of Gor. An individual tarn may sometimes be called a taro.

Tharlarion = general Gorean word for lizard or reptile. Larger variants are used as mounts and draft animals.