Disclaimer: Muv-Luv was developed by age. Keith Shadis comes from Attack on Titan, created by Hajime Isayama, his dialogue comes from Team Four Star. Yukimasa Ikuruga and Kuro Shinano belong to Centurious the Azure.
Howling Under The Total Eclipse
Prologue
By Storm Wolf 77415
It is believed that there are countless universes and dimensions, each with their own version of a humble little blue planet known as Earth. Some universes are near carbon copies of each other, while others are radically different. In one small corner of the multiverse, the Earth is under siege by a hostile race of aliens classified as the Beings of the Extra Terrestrial origin that is Adversary of the human race, known more commonly by the acronym BETA.
Humanity has put up a terrific fight against these bizarre alien creatures, making use of the advanced bipedal war machines known as Tactical Surface Fighters. But the BETA have been relentless, having managed to overrun most of Eurasia. Many wonder if this is the twilight of mankind. Still at a small base in the heart of Alaska, a dedicated group of test pilots develop new weapons with which to fight the alien threat. Unbeknownst to any of them, they will soon set foot into a much larger world, beyond anything they could have imagined.
(Kyoto, Japan, April 19th, 1997)
A young girl of fourteen wearing a white and blue sailor outfit walked along the line blossoming cherry trees. Her shoulder length brown hair bounced with each step. Violet eyes flickered along the textbook she was reading. Yui Takamura, a cadet training to join the Japanese Imperial Guard, looked up to see where her three best friends were waiting on the bridge for her.
"Hey Yui!" Izumi Noto called out, waving. She gave a sigh of exasperation. "You're reading a textbook? You are such an egghead, you know that?"
"Knowledge is never bad a thing! It can be just as powerful weapon as a gun or Tactical Surface Fighter if used properly." Yui replied, giving a slight bow to her friends.
It was then a pair of TSFs flew by them. Her friends screamed as they struggled to keep their skirts from flipping up, exposing their underwear. The young noble viewed the Tactical Surface Fighters with a measure of awe, almost like she was admiring a work of fine art. "Look at that! It's the Type-82A Zuikaku! Those are the machines we'll be flying when we graduate!"
"The Zuikaku was the unit your father helped develop, right Yui?" Shimako Kai asked.
"That's right." Yui said, the pride clear in her voice.
"Come on, we need to get to school! We don't want our instructors getting mad at us." Another of Yui's friends, Aki Iwami said. So they hurried to the Imperial Guard Academy. Taking their seats for the first lesson of the day. Their lead instructor, Captain Hiroshi Tachibana, a tall man with an eyepatch slammed his hand on the chalkboard containing a single number and word.
"Eight Minutes! That is the average time a soldier manages to survive their first encounter with a BETA. Only after you endure those eight minutes, can you consider yourself a true soldier." The instructor continued to lecture about the supreme threat the BETA posed to humanity. Even though the students at the academy were poised to enter the most elite branch of the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces, they were still teenagers and found it utterly boring.
Izumi and Iwami sat up one tier from Yui and Shimako, so they leaned over. "You guys want to go somewhere after school?" The ribbon wearing girl asked.
Izumi sighed, resting her head on her arms, brown pigtails pooling around her. "Thanks, but I'll pass for today. I didn't get any sleep at all last night."
Aki smirked, "Oh, did you stay up late talking to your boyfriend again?"
Izumi just nodded, "Yeah…he said he's being reassigned to Kyushu soon."
"Reassigned to Kyushu?" Shimako winced, "The Regent Houses ordered the entire island evacuated last year. I heard they established a new frontline base there."
"He couldn't tell me all the details, but it was pretty much implied that was what happened." Izumi said.
Even as the girls chatted, Yui was scratching out everything the instructor was saying in her notebook. "Come on you guys, we're in the middle of a lecture. Pay attention, this is vital stuff!" She whispered to her friends. Unfortunately, Yui's timing was rather bad. The instructor pointed at her, and by reflex she stood at attention.
"Well now, Cadet Takamura, something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" He replied, to which the girl rapidly shook her head face and forth. The soldier was a seasoned veteran and could tell a bald-faced lie from a mile away. He just smirked, since he had her on the spot, may as well go the extra mile. "Well then, Cadet, perhaps you can enlighten your fellow students. Just tell us where the name BETA comes from?"
Yui opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by a prim sounding voice a few rows above her. "BETA stands for Beings of Extra Terrestrial origin of which is an Adversary of the human race. I believe that's the answer you're looking for, sir." Yui's head snapped up to the source of the voice. A young girl the same age as her, long straight dark hair and gray eyes which gave a disdainful expression to her.
Tachibana gave a subtle smirk. "Very well done, Cadet Yamashiro. It looks like someone has been paying attention after all. You and Cadet Takamura can sit down. We're going to continue the lecture." The girl gave Yui another dismissive glare to her before sitting down.
(Imperial Guard Academy, Courtyard)
The bell rang for lunch, and the students went outside to eat on the mats they set up. In the background, crews of mechanics and technicians were working on the Type-77 Gekishins the academy used as training units. "I recognized that girl from earlier. She's Kazusa Yamashiro." Aki said, "They're one of the most prominent families in the samurai class, and have a reputation for putting out skilled TSF pilots."
"She probably sees you as her biggest rival since her clan isn't one of the Shogun's nobles." Shimako winked at Yui. "But we know you'd kick her butt any day of the week!"
Yui blushed a little bit, "Aw, come on, girls! I really don't think she'd want to be my rival." As they chatted, Izumi was reading a letter from her boyfriend. Aki craned her neck to read over her shoulder.
"Oh, 'I'll be able to come home to you on my next leave. We can catch a movie together if you want.' Looks like someone's got a date!" Izumi blushed, holding the letter to her chest.
"Hey, no peeking! This is private!" She whined.
(That afternoon)
School finally ended, so Yui and Shimako were riding the cable car home. The TV was set to the news, talking about the encroaching BETA threat, and how the Asian Union was putting together an absolute defense line in preparation for an inevitable invasion by the bugs from space.
"So your father is still abroad, Yui?"
"Yeah, he comes and goes. Even when he's here, he spends most of his time in Tokyo. So it's rare I get to see him." Shimako was about to say something when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A dark blue sedan pulled up by them. She saw Kazusa sitting in the backseat.
Immediately catching sight of her two classmates, the Yamashiro heiress turned up her nose, and the car passed them by. "That car looks really expensive." Shimako remarked. She snapped into a salute, doing her best impression of Captain Tachibana. "In times like these, those of you in military families should set an example for the common citizen and live a simple life!" She said.
"Was that supposed to be our instructor?" Yui smiled.
"How did I do?" Shimako grinned.
"It was right on!" Yui broke into laughter, and her friend did the same. Even with the encroaching threat, there was still time for levity. It came time for Yui to get off, and walk the rest of the way home. When she arrived at the Takamura family home she saw a quintet of black sedans with government plates out front. She lit up, for it could only mean one thing.
Yui ran through the gate to find a gentleman wearing the uniform of the Imperial Japanese Army standing in the courtyard by the koi pond next to her mother, Senna Takamura. "I'm home!" she called out. The man turned, revealing a long scar along the left side of his face. "It's good to see you again Uncle Eiji!" She then snapped to attention, offering her best salute. "I'm sorry, Colonel Iwaya."
Lieutenant Colonel Eiji Iwaya just gave a warm smile. "Oh isn't that a professional looking salute? When did the adorable little girl I sat on my knee grow up into such a lovely young woman, and a model soldier?" Yui's cheeks flushed at the compliment. Eiji gently patted her on the cheek, "Stand at ease, cadet. You haven't even been commissioned yet and we're in private. There's no need to stand on ceremony, Yui."
"Thank you, Uncle." She said.
"I'm surprised you knew I was here." He remarked.
"It was all the cars out front, Uncle." She said. "I'm surprised there were so many to be honest."
Eiji gave a knowing smile. "Well, I was trying to be frugal, but this is a special occasion. You see…I didn't come by myself, dear."
"Indeed," a deep voice spoke. Yui gasped, seeing a pair of men the same age as Eiji appear from the house, but unlike everyone else, they weren't Japanese, wearing the standard olive green duty uniform of the United States Marine Corps. Brown eyes held a commanding gleam, framed by dark brown hair peppered with gray. A pair of silver eagles sat on both sides of his khaki shirt collar. He held his arms out. "Hello Yui, it's been far too long."
"Uncle Mark!" She cried out joyfully, running into the man's arms. Colonel Mark Lamperouge, known to the world as the Crimson Fox, tenderly embraced the young girl. Standing at his side was another man a few years younger than him. His silver gray hair cropped as short as regulations allowed, wearing the uniform of a senior enlisted man.
Yui then hugged him. Marine Command Sergeant Major David Bourne had been Mark's senior NCO for the better part of two decades. "Hello Uncle David! I can't believe you're both really here!" The young girl didn't bother to hide the tears of joy in her eyes. She rarely saw her other two honorary uncles. So this was a very special treat.
"I must say. You've grown quite a bit since the last we saw you, little lady." David's thin, weathered lips twisted into a rare smile for him. "Both Mark and I had some leave time saved up so we decided to come and visit your family."
Yui said nothing. She had noticed two more people standing at attention in the corner. A pair of young men a few years older than her, one wore the same uniform as Mark and David, with dark brown hair in the traditional Marine 'high and tight' haircut, and steel blue eyes with an intensity to them.
The other young man had a very Asian look to him, his messy brown hair framed greenish-hazel eyes. He wore the darker but more vibrant green of the United States Army. They both wore the single gold bar of a Second Lieutenant on their uniforms.
"Who are they, Uncle David?" She asked.
"Connor! Bridges! Don't just stand there like a couple of statues waiting to get shit upon by a bunch of birds!" David barked, "Introduce yourself to the lady! Where are your manners?"
"Yui, allow me to introduce you to my new protégé and his friend. Gentlemen, if you will?" Mark said. They both snapped to attention, offering their best salutes.
"Second Lieutenant Sebastian Connor, United States Marine Corps, Callsign Ghost Wolf. It's nice to finally meet you Miss Takamura." Sebastian spoke in almost near perfect Japanese. He surprised Yui by giving a slight bow, which she returned.
"Colonel Lamperouge has told us all about you. Japan really is beautiful at this time of year. Much like you are." He gave a dashing smile, kissing her hand, causing the young lady to start blushing once again.
The young man in the Army greens held his hand out. Yui tentatively extended her own hand. They locked eyes for a second, looking away just as quickly. She wondered how much she was going to blush today. He cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders. "Second Lieutenant Yuuya Bridges, US Army. I'm glad to make your acquaintance, Miss Takamura." His Japanese wasn't as smooth as Sebastian's, but it was clear he knew the language quite well.
"It's nice to meet both of you." She said. "Welcome to our home."
Senna clapped her hands together. "I cooked a nice large meal for our guests. Shall we eat?"
Everyone sat down at the table. "Lieutenant Connor, Lieutenant Bridges, I hope you like Japanese food. I put a lot of time into cooking this meal to welcome you." Senna said.
"It looks great, Mrs. Takamura. I can't wait to try it out." Sebastian said. To everyone's surprise, the young Marine had little problem handling the chopsticks. Deftly picking at the beef and sushi, putting it onto his plate.
"Show off…" Yuuya muttered. He had to work a little bit more with the accursed bamboo shoots, but if there was one thing he hated more than anything else was failing at a challenge. He soon began picking what he wanted to eat. The atmosphere was light as Eiji began recalling old times on the European Front with Mark and David.
"Can I ask you a question, Lieutenant Bridges?" Yui asked.
Yuuya gulped down the mouthful of soba noodles he had chomped down. Not wanting to talk with his mouth full. "What is it, Miss Takamura?" He said.
"Are you by chance Japanese yourself?" It was an innocent question in itself. It was only the warning glare from Mark that kept Yuuya from giving his usual reaction. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Trying not to have too much hostility in his voice.
"Yes…I am, Miss Takamura. But it's not something I like to discuss." He said.
"Why not? I think you should take pride in your heritage." Yui asked.
"Perhaps, but I don't." Was his brusque reply. Not wanting to cause a scene he got up from the table. "If you'll excuse me, Colonel Lamperouge. I'm going to turn in early." He gave a slight bow to Senna. "Mrs. Takamura, the dinner was superb. You're as good a cook as my own mother. I'm certain you could have shared recipes." He left without another word. Sebastian sighed, in relief that his friend hadn't blown his stack,
"I don't understand. What did I say? What's his problem?" Yui asked.
"Don't worry about it, Yui." Sebastian explained, patting her on the shoulder. "Yuuya's a pretty nice guy once you get to know him. But he's very sensitive about his Japanese heritage. He grew up dealing with a lot of racism and prejudice because of it. One of the reasons I invited him on this little trip was to help him better appreciate that part of himself."
"I see…" Yui said, resolving to speak to him about it later. They resumed eating dinner. After he finished. Sebastian entered the room the two young soldiers were sharing, finding Yuuya sitting on the deck, watching the stars come out.
"You gonna chew my ass out?" Yuuya asked.
"No, I'm not." Sebastian grinned, "I was actually going to applaud you for showing such restraint, given how you normally react in this situations."
Yuuya just shrugged. "She's just a kid, it didn't feel right to go off on her like that." He flopped back on his futon. It was more comfortable than he thought it would be. "Not to mention that Colonel Lamperouge made me promise to be on my best behavior, otherwise he'd have Sergeant Major Bourne put me into a backbreaker!" He shivered, as Sebastian just laughed. "It's not funny man!"
"Sergeant Major Bourne wouldn't do that to you! He's actually quite polished for an NCO." Sebastian chortled, "Staff Sergeant Shadis on the other hand, he would do that! But not before headbutting you, and then when he was finished, he'd kick you in the groin a few times just because he felt like it!"
"Glad I never became a jarhead then!" Yuuya said, beginning to laugh himself.
(Two Days Later)
Yui and her friends were now in their Gekishins, preparing to engage in their daily sword drill. Hiroshi was barking orders into the headset. Yuuya and Sebastian stood off to the side, observing as the young men and women who would become the elite of Japanese Imperial Armed Forces trained. "Well boys, what do you think?" The older man asked.
"You drill your cadets hard, Captain Tachibana. It reminds me of my own time in basic training." Sebastian remarked, recalling a tall, imposing bald man with a goatee clad in the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform yelling inches from his face.
"Still, don't you think you're being a little harsh on them, sir?" Yuuya asked.
"I'm preparing them to enter the jaws of death itself, Lieutenant Bridges. The BETA are an unrelenting force, and it may become necessary for them to sacrifice their lives to protect our nation and its people. It's not something I relish doing, but sadly that is the reality." Tachibana explained, before ordering the next pair of cadets to begin their practice run.
"Colonel Lamperouge says the same thing." Sebastian remarked.
Yuuya watched Yui moved through her sword routine with a smooth grace, he wondered if she had ever taken some kind of dance lessons. "Cadet Takamura is quite handy with a blade it seems." He noted.
Tachibana smirked. "Yeah, she's a true prodigy. Many of the faculty have started calling her the Samurai Princess, because she's of noble blood, not to mention no one can handle a blade the way she can. Cadet Takamura is considered to be the future of our country." The older man then got an idea. "Tell you what…how do you boys feel about assisting me? I want the two of you to spar with my students, give me an idea how they're progressing. You feel up for it?"
Sebastian looked to his friend. "I don't have a problem with it if you do. Colonel Lamperouge always said that being a teacher is important. By sharing our knowledge and experience with the cadets, it means we might be able to bring some of these kids home to their families in the future."
Yuuya shrugged. "I don't exactly feel the same way as you do, Sebastian, but we may as well help out. It will be a good way to keep our own skills sharp until the next time we see action."
They both snapped to attention, offering their best salutes. "All right, Captain Tachibana. You have a deal! We'll be happy to assist in any way we can."
Tachibana smirked. "Good, because I already spoke to your commanding officer. He absolutely loved the idea. So that means for the next few days, both of your asses belong to me. Be here at 0500 sharp. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir!" They both said.
When word got around the Academy that the two young American servicemen would be assisting in the training drills for the rest of the week, all of Yui's classmates became very excited. They were all standing in their Fortified Suits before the TF-4J Gekishin trainer units. Yuuya was very uncomfortable at the amorous glances the female students were giving them. Sebastian seemed unaffected by it all.
"Listen up, everyone!" Tachibana barked. "This is Second Lieutenant Connor from the USMC and Second Lieutenant Bridges, he's with the US Army! They're going to be my assistants in teaching you how to get these tin cans working! Both of them have actual combat experience fighting the BETA, so listen to what they have to say! You may just learn something when it's all done."
This elicited murmurs from many in the crowd. "They actually fought the BETA? They can't be any older than we are!" Izumi whispered in awe.
"If it helps us, we can only benefit!" Aki said.
"Those two are becoming more interesting by the minute!" Shimako giggled. She had immediately been attracted to Sebastian from the minute Yui had introduced them to her friends.
Yui gave both Sebastian and Yuuya another look. She thought there was something about the two of them when she had first met them. Now that she looked into their eyes, Yui could now determine what it was. They weren't the eyes of a couple of fresh-faced officers, but rather seasoned soldiers that had stared death in the face and survived. Sebastian stepped forward.
"Cadet Takamura, front and center right and now." He spoke in his most authoritative voice. Blushing, Yui came in front of her classmates. "I've heard you're quite skilled with the blade, so you're going to get the honor of going first. Mount your machine." He said, turning to head for the nearest trainer.
"Uh, are you sure you want to do that, Lieutenant Connor?" Yui asked. The poor girl was certain her heart was going to stop when he turned to face her with those blue eyes locked straight onto her. "What I mean is, you've never piloted Japanese TSFs before. It might not handle the way you expect!"
"I'm full aware that the Gekishin has been specially modified to suit the terrain of your home country, Cadet. But it's still built off of the Phantom, a machine I'm very familiar with from my own training days. It will be fine. Go ahead and mount up." Sebastian said, eliciting a meek nod from Yui as she climbed into the cockpit of her machine.
The two machines slowly came to life. "Cadet Takamura are you ready?" Tachibana asked, the Gekishin's eyes flashed twice, the general signal for yes. He then looked to Sebastian's machine. "Lieutenant Connor are you ready?" The other unit's eyes did the same; there was a great tension in the spring air. Everyone was primed for the match. "Then begin!"
Both went immediately for the Type-74PB Melee Halberd mounted on the rear pylon. Everyone was surprised as Sebastian offered a formal salute to Yui. She was taken aback at the gesture, but followed protocol, responding with her own. The two padded weapons slammed into against each other.
"Think Yui's going to beat him?" Shimako whispered to Izumi, watching as he parried Yui's initial strike.
"Lieutenant Connor may have real combat experience, but Yui's one of the best blade wielders in the entire school. No way she'll go down that fast!" The pigtailed girl replied.
"I don't know…he seems to be doing a pretty good of keeping up." Aki remarked. Shimako and Izumi were surprised to see that she was correct. Yui was usually quite good about finishing her opponent quickly, but the young Marine was proving to be more of a challenge. Yui quickly pulled back on the control sticks to avoid getting hit in the side. If this had been actual combat, she would have cleaved in two.
Sebastian's Gekishin swung downwards, aiming to score on a point on the shoulder. Yui met it quickly with a deft block. She gracefully spun the machine in a circle trying to catch him with a backhand slash across the back. But the older man held the blade over the shoulder, guarding his rear. "Nice try, Cadet. Your blade work is superb. However, you're still going to need more than that against me."
Yui managed a small smirk. Sebastian was proving to be quite a good teacher. She tried for another slash, aiming for his right hip, but the more experienced warrior won the day, managing to score a clean blow to her right shoulder. "Point! Lieutenant Connor is the winner!" Hiroshi declared as the two pilots dismounted.
The two exchanged a deep bow. "You did very well, Cadet. I've never seen anyone with cleaner bladework. You obviously are a natural. With a little more time and experience. You could become quite the swordswoman. When that day comes, I'll eagerly agree to a rematch."
Yui blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, Lieutenant Connor. You're no slouch with a blade yourself." She then rejoined her friends who all were clamoring at her match.
A few rows behind them, Kazusa watched with jealous eyes. Even if he was a fully commissioned officer, there was no way a foreigner like Sebastian should be able to be so adept with a Type-74. The Yamashiro family prided itself on being one of the strongest clans of the Samurai class. Kazusa's grandfather, the patriarch of the family, hoped it would get them elevated to the status of the nobility.
Kazusa herself didn't believe it would ever happen, but Yui Takamura was the embodiment of everything she yearned to be. She had made a private to herself that she would do everything in her power to surpass Yui, thus proving the Yamashiro clan's worth to the world.
(Academy Quad)
Morning training came to an end, so everyone sat in the yard eating their lunch. Shimako gave a shy glance over to Sebastian. She had quickly become taken with him, despite the age difference. "Excuse me for asking, Lieutenant Connor, but I think is something we've all been wondering. Where did you learn to wield a katana like that? I can't imagine the Marine Corps including lessons on swords." Shimako asked.
"Yeah, spill the beans, Lieutenant!" Aki chirped. All of the girls were now eying him intently. He just gave them a charming smile, taking a big bite out of his sandwich.
"The simple story is that my next door neighbor was a former officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. He moved to the States. He was a widower, and he had no children. So he took me on as his student, teaching me all the traditional arts…sadly he died just before I joined the corps." He gazed up toward Mount Hiei, "I owe a lot to him. My instructors were all rather impressed with my hand to hand skills."
"Tell them about Shadis, Sebastian. They'll get a huge kick out of it." Yuuya struggled to hold his laughter in.
"Yui, let me say how fortunate you and your friends have Captain Tachibana as your senior instructor. I wasn't nearly as lucky when I went through basic training." Sebastian reflected fondly, "For my training was overseen by Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis, quite possibly the scariest man the United States Marine Corps ever produced."
"I don't know, Captain Tachibana can get pretty scary when he needs to." Izumi said.
"He's still an officer, he has a certain standard he's expected to work by. Staff Sergeant Shadis was not so inclined." Sebastian said.
The young American offered a slight bow. "I would like to apologize to you ladies ahead of time for what I'm about to say and how I'm going to say it. Staff Sergeant Shadis had a very filthy mouth, and no volume control. But I have to yell at the top of my lungs because it's the only way to truly capture the man's essence. If you don't want your eardrums to rupture, you might want to cover them up."
Sebastian took a deep breath before yelling as loud as he could. "ALL RIGHT YOU POOP NOBBLERS! NOW I DON'T WANT NO SCREWING AROUND WITH YOU BATCH OF MEAT TOSSERS! LAST GROUP THOUGHT IT WOULD FUNNY TO SHOVE A CORN COB UP A TRAINEE'S BUNGHOLE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? THEY WERE ASKED TO LEAVE POLITELY AND IT WAS AWKWARD FOR EVERYONE!"
Yui was aghast as her friends burst into laughter. "He actually said that?" Shimako managed between giggles. "Wow, it sounds like you were serious about him being the most dangerous man the Marines ever produced, Lieutenant Connor!"
"I'm only getting warmed up, Miss Kai. After his little introduction, Shadis starts walking the lines, asking random people why they wanted to serve. He gets to me, and I tell him that I want to serve my country and aid in humanity's victory over the BETA. And he answers just as before, 'WELL SWEET PUPPIES AND KITTENS PLAYING IN A FIELD OF WILDFLOWERS! THAT IS FUCKING DELIGHTFUL TO HEAR! YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A GREAT LIGHT SNACK!' Thinking about it still makes my ears ring." Sebastian idly rubbed a finger in his ear.
"Do you have any others?" Aki asked.
"There is one more." Sebastian said, looking off into the distance. "What the Staff Sergeant said to me was relatively tame. Another guy wasn't nearly as lucky. He got the salute wrong. I kid you not when I say that Shadis grabs this guy by the sides of the head, stretches his face out, and lifts him bodily into the air. He screams 'IF YOU DON'T FIX THAT FUCKING SALUTE, I'LL KICK YOU SO HARD YOU'LL SHIT YOUR PANTS AND I'LL STICK IT IN YOUR FACE!'"
"He sounds like a total barbarian." Everyone turned to see Kazusa standing there, hand on her hip. "It figures the Americans would be so crude and brutish!"
"Wow, you're just a little quick to judge, aren't you Yamashiro?" A voice said as a young man walked up, a fierce gleam in his deep hazel eyes. He wasn't much taller than Yui or her friends, but size wasn't anything. Despite wearing the male version of the academy uniform, he looked decidedly non-Japanese, almost Anglo even. His eyes flickered over to Yuuya, who had reached the same conclusion.
The newcomer got right up in Kazusa's face. "Have you ever met an American before now? You don't even know this Sergeant Shadis guy. He's a drill instructor. He's paid to be a hardass! Maybe next time you should check your facts before opening your mouth!"
Kazusa didn't say another word. She just gracefully turned on her heel before walking off, her long ebony hair flapping behind her. The young man just shook his head, before standing up tall before Sebastian and Yuuya at attention.
"Sorry you had to deal with the Queen of the Bitches, Lieutenant. Kazusa is like that to everyone. She thinks she's better than everyone else!"
Sebastian just waved it off. "It's not a big deal, Cadet. I've dealt with much worse in my time. What's your name?"
"Cadet Kuro Shinano, sir. Let me just say, I thought what you said was an absolute riot." Kuro grinned. "I'm actually kind of jealous of you. The instructors here are all so dry and boring. Your Staff Sergeant sounds like he'd be really fun at parties."
The older man nodded in bemusement. "He certainly had his moments." His face grew serious, "But, all joking aside, Shadis actually is a very worn and tired man. He was on the front lines in Africa. He saw a lot of his men die at the claws of the BETA…too many of them in fact. It's why he became a Drill Instructor. At least he could pass his knowledge onto the next generation and maybe keep some of them alive."
"Either way, he sounds like he's still a total badass." Kuro said.
"He might actually be flattered you said that. I actually do have a lot of respect for him. He was my first teacher after all. Just as Captain Tachibana has been teaching you everything you need to know to survive this war. Staff Sergeant Shadis was the one who drilled all the basics of combat into my head. I learned about the Eight Minutes of Death from him. He taught me how to handle a TSF. As such I owe him a great debt."
"Where is he right now?" Izumi asked.
"Probably still in San Diego, terrorizing the new guys coming in fresh off the bus and making the recruits clean the latrines if they piss him off. It is what Uncle Sam pays him to do after all." Sebastian said, eliciting laughs from everyone.
"So what about you, Lieutenant Bridges?" Yui asked, wringing her hands nervously. "If it bothers you greatly, I understand. But I…that is we really would like to know." Yuuya didn't miss the slip of the tongue. He gazed into the young girl's eyes. There was no scorn, just curiosity. Sebastian just shrugged when Yuuya looked to him.
"All right, I'll give you the lowdown. My father was Japanese, and he walked out on us when I was just a baby. I grew up in a small town in Mississippi, which is a place not exactly known for its tolerance. I was the only Asian in town." He sighed. "Everybody used to make fun of me. It didn't help that my grandfather was one of the biggest racists of all. He hated everything Japanese, he hated me."
"That's horrible!" Izumi said, tears forming in her eyes. Yuuya gave a small smile, patting the pigtailed girl on the shoulder.
"I appreciate your sympathy, but I've come to live with it. I didn't have many friends growing up. The only people who really cared about me back then were my mother, God rest her soul, and the Heims, a family who lived a few houses down from us. Colonel Heim was stationed at the nearby Army base, he was actually the one who sponsored my entry into the service. His daughter Sharon and I were quite close, we went in together."
"Oh…were you two sweethearts?" Shimako teased, making kissing sounds. Both Aki and Izumi giggled while Yuuya just rolled his eyes.
"No, we weren't. If anything, Sharon's like a sister to me." He said plaintively. "The worst day of my life was when I got the news my mom died. Sharon was right there next to me…for everything." He let out a light grunt. "Good thing, she was one of the few people who could put up with me and calm me down. Everyone else…I managed to piss off, not a smart thing to do if you catch my drift."
Yui decided it was time to change the subject. "Lieutenant Bridges, Captain Tachibana mentioned that you and Lieutenant Connor have actually gone up against the BETA. How did that happen?" The two gave nervous glances.
"Well…this isn't something we readily discuss, if just to keep a panic from happening." Sebastian said in a hushed tone. "But yes, we have engaged the BETA in actual combat. It was during the last few weeks of boot camp. A small company of the things came ashore near the training center in San Diego. It was…terrifying."
Yuuya's mind flashed back to that night, "It's how Sebastian and I first met. I was in basic training at Los Alamitos when the order to scramble went out. It was just a small group of about two hundred or so, but a lot of people in D.C. were still scared when they got word that the BETA had managed to get all the way across the Pacific. Everything was mobilized. We managed to keep them from wreaking too much havoc…but still so many lives were lost."
"A fair few of my friends died to those things, some of them…we've even eaten!" The girls began rather nervous, seeing the haunted look in his blue eyes. He began speaking with the wisdom of someone much older than he looked. "Much as I hate to say this, you can expect the same thing, girls. The instructors do their best to prepare you for what's to come, but it's never an easy thing to see people you trained with die right in front of you. All I can say is reach down, find your resolve, and see the mission through to the end."
(Takamura Residence, A few days later)
Sebastian sat beside the koi pond, watching the fish swim about. He saw Yui come out of the house. "Evening to you." He said, watching the girl sit down next to him. "Good job in your match against the Yamashiro girl earlier today." Yui and Kazusa had gone up against each other in a very fierce training match, which Yui barely won. "I have to give her credit. There was a couple times when she almost had you."
The Takamura heiress hugged her knees, purple eyes locked on the fish. "After school, Kazusa hung out with the rest of us. She's not as bad as I thought she'd be. Although she said the we'd always be rivals."
"That needn't be a bad thing. It's good having someone around that can keep you on your toes." He patted her on the back, "But it's even better if you can be friends as well. That's important too." Sebastian sighed. "I'm a little sad. I've enjoyed the past few weeks, but it may be about time for us to return back to the States."
"That is too bad, we've enjoyed having you here as well." Yui giggled. "Shimako will be devastated. I think she likes you."
"Yeah, I might have noticed that too. I'm sure she'll get over it before too long." Sebastian said. It was then Mark and Eiji came in through the gate. He noticed that both older men had grim expressions on their faces. "Uh-oh…this does not look good." He said. The two got up, approaching them. "Is something wrong, Colonel?"
"I'm afraid so, Sebastian." Mark said, looking up at the setting sun, almost seeming like an omen of dark times approaching "I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that we're going to be remaining in Japan for a bit longer. The bad news is that we are now officially on active duty. We just came from Command…it appears our worst fears have come true."
Sebastian felt his stomach drop out. "Are you telling me?"
Eiji nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so. At 1637 hours, the BETA broke through the Korean Defense Line…they're heading east toward Japan and should hit Kyushu within the next week or so."