Sword and Shield
Volume 2: A Family Visit
Chapter 3: Going Home
Transit 1. n. The act of passing over, across, or through something. 2. n. The conveyance of people or goods from one place to another, especially on a public transportation system; the vehicles used for such conveyance. 3. n. (astronomy) The passage of a celestial body across the observer's meridian, or across the disk of a larger celestial body. 4. n. A surveying instrument rather like a theodolite that measures horizontal and vertical angles. 5. n. (navigation) an imaginary line between two objects whose positions are known. When the navigator sees one object directly in front of the other, then navigator knows that his position is on the transit. 6. n. (UK) a Ford Transit van. 7. n. (Internet) to carry communications traffic to and from a customer or another network on a compensation basis as opposed to peerage in which the traffic to and from another network is carried on an equivalency basis or without charge. 8. v. To pass over, across or through something. 9. v. To revolve an instrument about its horizontal axis so as to reverse its direction. 10. v. (astronomy, intransitive) To make a transit.
4 April 2000, 04:30 hrs.
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Hotel Lobby, Kawasaki Green Plaza Hotel
Sousuke groaned as the alarm in the room went off and he blinked his eyes open. At the same moment he heard a familiar whimper and felt Kaname burrow her way deeper into his arms. A slight smile slid across his face as he felt Kaname's slight frame press against him. Her warmth delighted his senses as she nuzzled him in her semi-conscious state. Careful not to disturb her too much, Sousuke reached out for the alarm and turned it off. As the beeps faded, Kaname groaned.
"Kaname..." Sousuke whispered quietly to her, before brushing her shoulder carefully. "Kaname, you need to wake up."
"Carbon monofilament wire has a tensile..." She murmured in a monotone voice that Sousuke learned to associate with the whispers. A groan came from her as her eyes blinked open and she sunk limply on top of him. "Morning..."
Sousuke ran a hand through her beautiful hair and kissed her temple. He'd learned early on that Kaname was as far from a morning person as was possible. She suffered from low blood pressure during the night, a phenomenon that Sousuke hadn't encountered before he arrived in Japan. This gave the girl headaches during the morning, and a tiredness that couldn't be burned away until she'd had a long hot shower. When Kaname began to slowly push herself off his chest and her eyes gave him that familiar glazed look that seemed exclusive to her first five minutes being awake, he sighed. "Go and get your shower, Kaname... you'll feel better. I'm sure."
She nodded and slid out of bed, padding over to the restroom as Sousuke watched her stumble as she walked. Her slim figure slipped out of sight as she shut the door and Sousuke let out a relieved sigh.
The changes in their relationship over the last few weeks had been mind boggling to him, and at times Sousuke felt as if he was being overwhelmed. Sharing an apartment had been an immense step, and Kaname had immediately gone and taken it from simply sharing an apartment to sharing a bed. She had held tight to him during the night, and both of them had woken to nightmares only calming as the other held tight to them. He'd become something like a security blanket for her during the night.
Then just a few days earlier, their relationship had shifted again. Despite the intimacy of sleeping together, they hadn't moved beyond kissing and cuddling. That had changed in the aftermath of the American abduction attempt, and the last barrier to intimacy Sousuke held had broken. Kaname and he had crossed the threshold together, expressing their love in a language neither of them could possibly misinterpret.
Their first time had been awkward, driven more by an emotional need to ensure the other was there and alive than anything else. Despite this, they had soon embraced this newfound element of their relationship. Kaname, Sousuke had long known was a passionate and strong woman. It had been, if he was honest with himself, one of the things that had attracted him to her. While most of their classmates were attracted to her more by her idol like appearance, Sousuke had paid little heed to it at first. She was beautiful, but that wasn't the lone element to his attraction, far from it. The fiery persona, temper, and stubbornness, traits that were considered bad by most of her classmates were the very things that drew him in.
She would tell him what she thought, even if the only way to express her displeasure was the impact of a paper fan over the head. Then there was the strength Kaname displayed. She wasn't just strong... Melissa was strong to, but Kaname had a strength that was separate from his world, a strength that showed him that she could survive in his... and she showed him a life beyond his own, a life which some part of him wished for. When he first met her, Sousuke had been considering leaving Mithril, his own experiences and life were firmly at odds with the ideology and mission of the organization.
Then Sousuke got a taste of peace, and he found his world view shattered. He no longer fought for the paycheck, he fought to save others. Then he fought for Kaname, to save her.
What he had never expected was for her to fight to save him, just as he fought to save her. The first time he saw her pick up the Glock 26 had been a shock. To see her take a life to save his own had been even more of a turning point for Sousuke. He knew that from that point on Kaname would not settle for simply being protected. It had been the grudging acceptance of that fact which had driven him to procure AK-74M for her use. Kaname was stronger than even Sousuke had known, and she'd shown that to him.
Then she'd shown him more than that. Sousuke may not have been much of a follower of Islam, but he considered the act of sex a sacred commitment. Internally Sousuke knew that he had pledge himself to her, many times over, but since that night Sousuke began to feel that there was no other place for him besides being by her side.
He loved her, and the fact that she loved him in turn astonished him more every day. Almost as much as how much their love seemed to grow by the day. The harisen of hers had disappeared from her arsenal, replaced by an instrument that struck him with more force than it ever had. Her disapproval itself made him cringe. An upset Kaname was something he wanted to avoid. He preferred her happy, lively, and safe.
As the sound of her hot shower filled the room Sousuke's mind turned toward the night before. Kaname's passionate nature and athleticism combined as they made love. It had been a night of burning hot kisses, tangled limbs, and exhausted bodies. Clothes lay tangled all across the floor where they lay, tossed aside during the passionate start of the evening.
Sousuke's cheeks flushed as he remembered. The little happy sounds Kaname made and the blissful look on Kaname's face as she arched her back in sync with his movements. His face was a dark red as the door to the restroom opened and Kaname slipped out into the room wrapped in a towel. Her face turned red as she saw Sousuke and she bent over one of her bags, grabbing a set of clothes for the day.
His blushed faded as he sat up. "We have a busy day today Kaname... Farzen has arranged for our transport, but the first leg will be out of Tokyo. I considered a Chofu flight, but there aren't any."
Kaname nodded as she slipped out the towel and hurriedly pulled on her underwear, blushing all the while. As she finished, she turned to him. "What about security... we're carrying weapons."
Sousuke nodded and pulled a pair of identification cards from the dresser. "Tessa gave us these. They're Sword and Shield Identification cards, which will let us carry weapons on the flight. I can handle it on the other end if need be. India is far from the least corrupt nation on Earth. A few American dollars and we'll be cleared without any trouble."
"And then we're flying to Pakistan... I guess they are even less trouble?" Kaname said with a frown.
"Yes. I may not need to bribe them at all if I tell them our destination is Afghanistan." Sousuke shrugged. "Even Japan and America are not without corruption. Most of the African nations are far worse."
Kaname pulled a set of cargo pants from her bag and slipped into them before answering him. "Tokiwa and Kazama are ready?"
"Hai, they will be seated with us, if you're worried," Sousuke said. "Of course, during the flight into Afghanistan, we'll be the only passengers I believe. Well, beside Farzen."
"Take a shower Sousuke, it'll be the last we get for a while, won't it?" Kaname said quietly.
"I will." Sousuke said before slipping out of bed. He stopped and gave Kaname a peck on the cheek before slipping past her into the bathroom. "I love you."
"I love you too, Sousuke."
4 April 2000, 09:53 hrs.
Tokyo, Japan
Haneda International Airport
Shinji smiled faintly as he stood before the counter with his bags, he was really doing this. The excitement and nervousness that ran through him seemed almost electrifying. Beside him, Kyoko was nervously glancing around the area glancing down at her passport every few minutes before glancing back at the entrance. Then, finally the three figures they'd been waiting for arrived.
Farzen Zalad walked in, looking rather out of place with his baseball cap and Afghan features followed by Sousuke and Kaname. It took a moment for Kazama to realize what he was seeing when the two swung large packs off their backs and set them down as they joined the line. Shinji's eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of the three gun cases that they'd carried in and nervously swallowed.
The queue shuffled forward and after a few more minutes the group was at the counter, where Sousuke pushed his way forward. As Shinji and Kyoko's bags were loaded he pulled out a set of papers from his breast pocket. "Ma'am... Miss Chidori and I have authorization for these arms, and a permit to carry weapons aboard a flight. I therefore must ask that you not search our baggage."
The woman paled at those words and nervously took the paperwork from him. "Sword and Shield? I... I have to check that this is authorized."
"That is fine." Sousuke stated patiently as the woman picked up the phone. "Would my old Mithril ID accelerate the process?"
The agent swallowed and shook her head. "That is alright, sir." Shinji watched as the woman spoke quickly on the phone, and a moment later the supervisor and head of security appeared. They examined the documents and found a bar code which they hastily scanned in, finding that the computer acknowledged his clearance. A moment later, Kaname stepped forward and the process was repeated.
Shinji shook his head as he followed them to the security checkpoint. Once again, Sousuke pulled out his id and Shinji took this to mean that his friend was carrying a weapon aboard, which was confirmed a moment later when Sousuke pulled his Glock 17 from its hiding place, removed the magazine and handed it to the security officer. "I have loaded it with frangible ammunition, so that there is no risk of decompression in the event of accidental discharge or I must combat a hijacking attempt." He explained as the security officer just stared at the weapon in surprise. Looking rather disturbed, the officer looked over the weapon before handing it back to Sousuke.
Shinji had been about to follow him when Kaname pulled out her id as well and produced a Glock 26. Beside him, Kyoko gaped as the officer swallowed nervously and let her through as well. After that, the group went through without incident and hurried to their terminal. They arrived thirty minutes before boarding was to begin and sat down.
Kyoko was the first to ask. "Kana-chan, I didn't realize you... you were bringing it as well."
"Yeah, well... after what's happened. It seemed like a good idea." Kaname shrugged.
"Zalad, what about your stuff? I thought you had a gun." Shinji asked.
"Packed with Sousuke's gear." Zalad muttered. "I could get it through customs but Sousuke insisted."
"I would rather do this legally, as much as I can." Sousuke stated. "You will get the Krinkov back."
"Why did you bring three rifles... or was one of the cases just for Zalad's gun?" Shinji asked.
Sousuke shook his head. "One is a gift, this you have heard. One is a PSL-54C, a Kalashnikov pattern sniper rifle for my own use. I broke down the Krinkov and stowed its parts among the other cases. The last case contains an AK-74M..."
"Sousuke, you're not carrying two rifles, are you?" Shinji asked. He'd seen American soldiers carry short barreled shotguns into combat along with a normal rifle, but never a man carrying two full rifles.
"No, the AK is for Kaname's protection." Sousuke said quietly.
Shinji gaped. "But... what about Kyoko and I?"
"You are not targets, Kaname is... I am." Sousuke stated flatly. "Her safety is my highest priority, and if that requires giving her a rifle... so be it."
Shinji shut his mouth and glanced out the window for a long moment. When Sousuke put it like that, it made a great deal of sense. Still, it didn't sound like he was happy with the situation at all.
The windows shook in their frame as an enormous plane rumbled down the runway in the distance. Shinji chewed his lip for a moment before glancing at his friend. "You really are worried."
"Yes." Sousuke admitted. "It is a war zone, Shinji. I hope you know enough to listen to me when we arrive."
"Of course, Sousuke, you are the expert." Shinji said.
"Flight 1774 is now boarding..."
Sousuke nodded before he stood. "Let's go."
The group of five shuffled through boarding, and Shinji took the window seat. Kyoko sat beside him and produced a book as Farzen took the seat by the aisle. Across from them, Kaname and Sousuke sat down in the center row. Soon after takeoff, Shinji watched in surprise as the two fell fast asleep, leaning against each other.
Kyoko giggled to herself as Farzen shook his head. "Kashim..."
Shinji couldn't help but smile as he watched the two of them.
The flight was a long one, far longer than the hijacked trip to Korea from two years earlier had been. Shinji pulled out a tattered book from his pocket and flipped it open starting to read. Beside him Kyoko had curled up with a book of her own.
After several hours the rumble of the engines changed and Shinji watched as the clouds began to thin outside his window. An urban jungle sprawled out below them as the plane banked toward the airport. He listened as the flaps whined as they were deployed and glanced at Kyoko as the plane began its landing run. Then he looked back toward Sousuke and Kaname, both still asleep in their chairs. The rumble of the plane's landing gear lowering filled the cabin and Shinji felt himself smile as Kyoko took his hand.
Touchdown was rough, and Shinji grimaced as Sousuke and Kaname both snapped awake as the engines roared. He'd read that on landing most airliners actually reversed thrust, hence why the engine's seemed to roar so loud as the plane rumbled down the runway. A few seconds later, the noise died.
Kaname stretched and yawned as Sousuke frowned slightly. The seatbelt sign flashed and winked off as the plane came to a stop at the terminal. Kyoko grinned at the two of them. "Long night?"
"Maybe..." Kaname said before giving them an impish smile.
Sousuke clambered out of the seat and pulled out a set of tickets from his breast pocket. The five of them headed out into the concourse as Sousuke explained they had a layover just long enough to get lunch. He exchanged some money for Indian rupees and directed them to a small curry shop. The Japanese travelers were surprised at how different the curry was from back home, while Farzen and Zalad discussed their next stop: Peshawar International Airport.
After the food, they made their way to the gate for their next plane and soon were packed inside. This, their second flight was aboard a smaller plane, and the five of them took up one whole row of seats. Soon they were in the air again, for a flight that to most of them seemed to be almost hilariously short compared to the last one.
Shinji however saw a change coming over Sousuke as the plane circled to land. Outside the windows, the land was growing more rugged by the moment, and trees became sparse. Looking down, Shinji saw that the vegetation itself seemed to be turning a dusty yellow. As the plane lined up for the final approach, Shinji saw Sousuke's knee bounce nervously as the plane lined up for landing.
Kaname saw it too, and put a hand on his knee causing him to stop fidgeting. A tired sigh came from Sousuke as the plane touched down and slowed to a stop. Shinji glanced out the window and gaped as he saw four C-130 Hercules sitting out on the tarmac decorated in Pakistan's camouflage scheme. Alongside them were a set of Chengdu F-7PG fighters, a plane of Chinese manufacture that Pakistan had bought years earlier. A number of Al-Fwja mechs stood guard over the group of equipment, and a chill ran down Shinji's back as he saw them.
The Al-Fwja, or Immortal Soldier, was a Pakistani version of the RK-92 Savage, which utilized both western and Soviet elements in its design. Externally it looked almost identical to the soviet mech, but the standard load out was western. Like many things in Pakistan, it seemed to be a combination of what both sides of the cold war could produce.
He was really here, and Shinji swallowed the lump which rose in his throat as he glanced at Kyoko and saw her swallow nervously as well. As the rest of the passengers began to leave, Sousuke stayed back and glanced at the rest of them, his normally stoic expression now growing taunt and nervous. Slowly he stood and headed for the front hatch where the last of the other passengers were leaving.
Sousuke swallowed, he was back. He hadn't even thought about it when he'd seen the itinerary that Farzen had put together, but looking out over the tarmac from the top of the ramp chill ran down his spine. It had been here, Peshawar International Airport where his last trip into Afghanistan had begun. Biting his lip he shook away the wave of depression that nearly overtook him as he remembered that doomed mission.
Slowly he clambered down the ramp and glanced at the baggage that sat waiting. With a sigh, he picked up his pack and swung it over his shoulder and glanced across the tarmac to where an An-12 clad in the white of the United Nations sat waiting. A moment later, Kaname picked up her pack as well and swung it on with a grunt. A faint smile from her burned through his grim thoughts.
He bent to pick up two of the gun cases as the rest of the group grabbed their things. Sousuke took a deep breath. "Farzen, is that our ride?" He asked before nodding toward the An-12.
"Yep." Farzen said as he swapped his ball cap for a pakol and smirked.
"That's... That's a biplane!" Kyoko stammered. "That's our ride?"
"Yeah, it's a really popular plane in the third world." Shinji muttered. "It'll be fine Kyoko."
Sousuke smiled faintly and shook his head as he looked at the plane. As he walked over, the pilot appeared from the hatch with a cigarette clasped between his fingers. He blinked as he caught sight of them and shook his head.
"Farzen, you must be joking! Who the heck are you bringing in this time?" He snapped.
Farzen Zalad chuckled at that and shook his head. "You don't need, or particularly want to know."
Sousuke took a deep breath as he clambered aboard. He was going home.
As the engine sputtered to life and Farzen asked for his Krinkov back Sousuke couldn't help but smile once again as he saw Kaname roll her eyes.
Yes, he was going home… This was just a visit.