A/N: I would like to thank the person who reviewed the last chapter. He of she was the first person to review. Thank you. Your review was constructive and insightful. Would you like to be my proof reader. I understand that may be a massive undertaking in on it's self. But if you would like to be my proof reader drop me an email at erkman2 at hot mail. Com. I have to write it that way because fanfiction has something against writers leaving their emails on a posted story.
Any ways I hope, despite the spilling errors and what not you all enjoyed the last chapter. The following chapters, if I can get a proof reader. Will be have many issues a now turned nomadic people has to face. With a food shortage, keeping a group of people from running out an other group of native people off of their lands, and a couple other people issues the crew and couples has to deal with.
Also while working on this chapter I'll also be working on a multi part video clip of some battles and ships in action from homeworld. I have to again thank the guys how made the game and give them so much credit for the inspiration. I wouldn't have the idea for this story if I didn't dust off my old copy of Home world and installed it. Thanks again you guys.
Well... why don't we get back in to the story.
CHAPTER 11
What is Family?
A month and a half had past since the the battle in the stellar nursery and the ships that was lost had been rebuilt but the pilots needed for them where still in training. With Asuka at the head of the fighter group it was her job to train in new pilots. Still something she didn't like but with the job comes responsibilities. One of the things new pilots need to do as well as current pilots is a physical fitness test that everyone needed to pass.
"Come on you good for nothings!" The red head shouted. "And as you pass Mrs. Aida make sure to thank her for letting us use her field to day!"
Rei stood there beside Asuka watching and hearing several new pilots thanked her as they ran by. She then looked over at Asuka that was standing there to her left. "That was not needed."
Asuka just shrugged her shoulders as she saw that some of the new pilots slowing down. "I'll be right back Rei." She said, then she took off down the track catching up with those slacking. "Come one you three, I'm going to run here beside hassling you four till you catch up with the group of pass them!"
Asuka ran along side of the group of slackers yelling and throwing insults getting this group of slow moving pilots. As she started to come around the second corner, Asuka started to feel a little winded. Thinking nothing about it she kept on running she just racked it up to the pot she and Shinji has smoked and the couple cigarettes she and Lisa shared the a couple days ago.
When she had made it back around to where Rei was standing Asuka came to a stop beside Rei. Bending forward, hands resting on her knees. Asuka fought to catch her breath.
"Are you felling alright?" Rei asked.
Asuka while still trying to catch her breath waved it off. "I'll...be fine...."
Later on that day lunch finally rolled around. Picking through th vary slim pickings, Asuka ended up picking out an apple, some salad, and something that was pressed in the shape of something that looks like meat that was the protean. Walking out from the line she scanned the galley, finally finding Shinji waving at her letting her know that there was a place to sit. Finally getting to the empty seat, Asuka sat down and started to dig in to her meal.
After watching Asuka piratically inhale her food he worked up the guts to ask. "Just a little hungry?"
Asuka lifted her head and nodded. "God dame starving."
Shinji just sat there and blinked a couple times before he returned back to his own meal. Laid out in front Shinji the updated star charts, since the Landing Crafts where being used for what they where meant for. Scouting out ahead the of the ACR, and since then the new star charts have been flowing in. Having the main map that Bloom had made shrunk down on a twenty two inches wide by thirty four inches long. Like with the main star chart there was the red line and the blue line, compared to the vastness of the milky way galaxy, The Arc has only moved a total of one hundred and ninety light years.
While chewing some food Shinji took a blue colored pencil and a ruler marking three lines that the ARC could Hyperspace to with in one jump. This portion of space was filled with planetary systems, but thus far all of them planets they've found where lifeless rocks. But the last round of scouting trips some promising readings.
Finished with eating, Shinji packed up his work from off the table and he and Asuka started their way out of the galley, but before they even exited Asuka came to a stop and quickly turned around in a sprint. Wondering what was wrong Shinji turned around to find Asuka hunched over a trash can throwing up.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"It must have been something I ate." She managed to replay. After a couple of minutes she composed her self and walked past Shinji.
Catching up just before the elevator door closed, Shinji stood there looking at Asuka. A questioning look clear on his face.
"What?" Snapped the red head, clearly getting annoyed at Shinji.
"Feeling alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine."
Asuka's eyes averted to the counter on the small control panel.
Shinji reached out and placed his hand on her forehead.
"See." She said pushing his hand out of her face. "No temp. So just lay off."
Feeling the elevator came to a stop, then the doors opened up. It was Asuka's stop. She steped off, but turned around and used her hand to trip the sensors causing them to slide back open.
"I'm fine, If you're that worried, I'll stop by and see Hikari while she's still in the hospital." She said with a smile. "Would that make you feel better?"
Shinji smiled. "Yes. Now give me a kiss."
Sharing a kiss Asuka turned and returned to the flight operations.
Once returning back to the Command deck, Shinji handed bloom the new locations the landing craft should look at. Bloom looked over the work.
"Good job Mr. Ikari, you'll make a good prospector." He commented.
"I... I really don't like to camp all that much."
Bloom let out good loud laugh causing Misato to laugh as well. "It's true Sir." Misato said. "I took Shinji, Asuka and Rei out on this one trip a few years back to this beach. We where camping out on the beach, The first night Shinji spent swatting bugs away for the whole night." Misato laughed some more. "By the second day he was so miserable...." Misato laughed, hard enough that she whipped a tear from her eye. "Good times."
"Clearly, Mr. Ikari has grown since then." Bloom said in Shinji's defence.
"Yes, thank you Commander." Shinji said while giving a glare at Misato. "I love it when people remind me of those sort of things."
Bloom leaned closer to Shinji. "It's alright Mr. Ikari, I'm not much of a camper my self. I guess that's why People like you and I make for good spacers, eh?"
Shinji nodded.
"Any ways... I like the locations you picked out." Bloom said while he cleaned his glasses. "Give the locations to the Landing craft crews, lets see what they find."
Later on that day, Asuka sat in front of Hikari on top of a hospital bed explaining the events of the past couple days. "...And I threw up my lunch just today." she finished. "So Shinji's worried about me ya'know."
Hikari nodded, then readjusted the baby back pack she had on that held a sleeping infant. She then wrote somethings down. "Okay... well first pee in this cup, make sure to stick on the label on the cup too... I can't stress that more. Please put your label on the cup. Then after you get done with that I'll take some blood." Hikari said while filling out the label first marked with the Seal of the ARC before all the standard information was filled out. This different label told the lab techs that it was something that belonged to a crew member and to put a rush on it.
"Really?"
Hikari Just handed her the cup and pointed in the general direction of the restroom. Letting out a heavy sigh, Asuka got off from the hospital bed and made her way to the small restroom to do as she was told.
A couple minutes later Asuka returned with a full cup, labeled and the top screwed on tight. She placed it on the counter top where Hikari was doing her paper work. Seeing the cup with its contents placed in front of her Hikari looked up.
"Good. Now have a seat and hold on to this." Said Hikari as she handed the red head a stress ball and used a rubber hose as a tourniquet. Wrapping the rubber hose just above Asuka left elbow, she then felt along her friends forearm, feeling for a vein. Once finding a vein, Hikari placed the needle in to Asuka's skin. Once the tube started to fill with blood, she removed the tourniquet allowing the blood to flow again. Once the tube was full, Hikari removed the needle from Asuka arm and placed a band aid where she took the blood from. "Take it easy for a couple minutes just in case."
Hikari then took the samples in to an near by office before returning. "Everyone in the lab has already taken off for the day, so You wont know know anything till around ten or eleven tomorrow"
"I'll be doing a combat patrol, launch time is ten thirty."
"You think you can fly?" Hikari asked.
Asuka nodded.
"Shouldn't be a problem then." Hikari said with a smile. "Now that I'm done for the day, I'm going to try to get this little guy a bath and get him off to bed."
"Asuka how would you and Shinji feel about babysitting some time?" Hikari asked as she and Asuka walked out of hospital ward.
"I don't know. Someone catch your eye?" Asuka teased.
"Nope, just in case I need a brake." Hikari replied as she inputted the security code on the key pad out side the hospital ward.
The two friends waited for the elevator to arrive the talked about ship rumors and on board drama. It was the same old issues really. So and so did such and such in where ever. Though the juices bit of rumor was that of the crazy stories of the commander and Misato spending a lot of time with on and other.
"... No way. First off he's too old for Misato." Asuka stated. "Second the old man is too much in his work. No the only thing he's in love with is his ship."
"A ship can't love you back." Hikari pointed out.
This caused Asuka to shoot a glare at her friend. "She's done a good job loving everyone on board thus far. Considering that the ARC wasn't build for battle."
Both hearing and feeling the elevator come to a stop they ended their conversation. When the door opened Asuka saw that it was Chin.
"Lieutenant. Ma'am." Chin said respectfully as he entered the elevator He stood there beside the two woman. The presence of an other person caused Taluse to walk up. The infant looked around the elevator, his gaze landed on Chin, smiling instantly at the towering man. "Good afternoon little one." Chin said in a childish voice making a funny voice making the child laugh.
Asuka lightly elbowed her friend.
Hikari rolled her eyes.
Once the elevator came to a stop on Hikari's deck. Hikari took a deep breath. "Okay Play time is over."
"Buy Buy little guy!" Chin said with a wave. "Sorry about that ma'am."
Once the Doors to the elevator closed again, Asuka looked over at one of her pilots.
"What?" Chin Asked. "I think kids are great." A couple moments pass before Chin said anything again. "So... is she your friend?"
A couple of minutes later, Asuka had finally made it back to her and Shinji's quarters. Opening the door she saw that Shinji was finishing up some of his star chart work. The 22X34 inch map hung above the work area, on the desk there where several other more detailed maps laid out.
"Find anything new?" Asuka said, the door closing behind her. She then removed her fight suit.
Shinji spun around in the chair. "One planet might be able to harbor life." Shinji said holding up a paper with a detailed information on a long range scan. "First thing in the morning after the the ARC finishes a days jump he's having landing craft to the planet."
"That's good to hear." Asuka said as she flopped on to the couch. Then she started to remove her boots. "I'm so beat..."
Hearing this, Shinji turned from his work. "Did you go and see Hikari?"
Asuka shook her head. "Yeah. I pissed in a cup and gave some blood. Hikari said that she'll have something for me when I get back from patrol tomorrow" Asuka then stretched out across the couch. "I'm just going to crash out here."
Shinji stood up from the desk. "No, get up move to the bed." Shinji said pointing to the other section of their living quarters. "I'll pick up my work stuff and I'll be in there to give you a back rub."
Normally Asuka would just roll over and disregard Shinji telling her to go to the other room, the chance to get a back rub, convinced her other wise.
Shinji smiled as he watched Asuka as she rolled off the couch and made her way in to bedroom, she went back to his work and picked things up. Then seconds later retreated in to the bedroom.
The following day started like any other day on board the ARC. The Ship would jump out of hyperspace telling everyone on the ship that it was a start of a new day and a new area of space they will be traveling through. Landing craft launched from the ship for their appointed scouting locations, All while the fighter groups where getting their combat patrols for the next twenty four hours.
Hikari walked in to the hospital ward like she had many times before. But with Taluse in tow her day started a little later then normally. Normally she and Taluse would be there around eight. Thankfully the doctor understood and was letting her come in a littler later.
"Good morning everyone." The doctor chimed as she came in to the office.
Taluse let out a mighty yawn causing the doctor to stop and smile at the child. "I know little one. It's far to early. "
Hikari smiled to her self as she went through the lab work that was ran earlier that morning. Flipping through the papers she came across Asuka's lab work. Reading it she, Froze. And seconds later she started to take off the baby back pack.
"Doctor I have to take care of something right now." Hikari said as she scanned the paper in to her computer then sent it off to Commander Bloom. "Doctor watch after Taluse. I'll be right back." She said as she handed the infant to her doctor and bolted out of the hospital doors.
Down on the flight deck, Asuka was suiting up for her eight hour combat patrol. She made sure that her suit was on right and, her side arm was strapped on her right leg. Finishing up she grabbed her helmet and made her way on to the launch bays. Walking up to her fighter she happened to pass by Lisa causing her to stop and chat for a couple minutes.
Still making her way down the several decks to the launch bays. Taking a combination of service latters and elevators, even forcing her self in to fairly packed elevators
Asuka was going through of the normal task of inspecting her own fighter before launch. making sure that things where in their proper place. Once she was happy that things where looking just fine with her fighter. Climbing up in her fighter. Lisa then started to make sure that that air hose where connected in to the back of the ejection seat and then in to her helmet. Once the helmet was on Lisa closed the cockpit to Asuka's fighter then flaged crews over letting them it was time to place the fighter in to the launch tube.
Finally making it to the launch bay, Hikari wan along the catwalk quickly scanning the area for Asuka or her fighter. She saw several fighters parked off to the side being worked on, then she saw at the vary end of the bay a fighter getting readied to be launched. Fast lining it down the latter Hikari ran to the fighter. She bumped in to Lisa along the way.
"Is that Asuka!?" Hikari yelled as she ran past Lisa.
"What?" Lisa asked, a little confused. "Yeah it is, why?"
"Stop the launch!" Hikari yelled.
Hikari then came to a stop, putting her self between the launch tube hatch and the fighter it self.
Asuka sat there in her fighter, not looking vary happy. And though no one could hear her people close enough could tell that she as yelling at her friend.
"God Damn it Asuka!" Hikari yelled. "Get out of that thing!"
Not knowing what was going on, Lisa quickly called the launch off. Causing crews to move the fighter back to its' parking spot.
Pissed, Asuka opened the cockpit and started to rip the hose from the back of her helmet. Once the helmet was free from the fighter, Asuka started to rip her helmet off and thrown it out on to the launch bay deck almost hitting Hikari who was still yelling at her. Asuka climbed out of her fighter and slid down the nose of the fighter.
Landing with a thud, Asuka walked over to Hikari. "Who the Fuck..." Asuka didn't even finish her words. Before getting close enough to push Hikari. "Don't you dare stop my launch!" She yelled while pushing Hikari.
Hikari not one to really fight, but she needed to knock some since back in to her friend and pushed the red head back. "You already knew!" Hikari pushed Asuka again. "You came to me yesterday, but you already knew!" Hikari pushed Asuka again this time against the side of her own fighter. "How could you not know?"
The launch bay deck was silent, no one made a sound. Everyones eyes where fixed on the Asuka and her friend. Everyone knew about the Red head temporment so everyone waited to see what would happen.
While the two friends shouted back and forth, Lisa got the call from upstairs. She walked up to the fighting friends. "Lieutenant, Your ordered to report to Commander Bloom. "
Asuka kept an cold stair at Hikari as she walked away, Kicking her helmet as she left the bay causing it to knock over a tool chest making its tools to spill all over the floor.
Ten minutes later Asuka was standing before the Commanders desk. The Commander looked through the lab work that Hikari had sent over to his computer. He tapped the glass top for several moments while reading. Asuka didn't say a word.
"Lieutenant, I have to ground your till after you have your child and you pass a physical."
"Commander I can still Pil..."
"You count for two now." Bloom said, cutting her off. "The last time I looked around there isn't much of us around anymore." Said Bloom as he stood up and walked around to the front of his desk. "Lieutenant, You are a good pilot, Damn Good. But there is something that every pilot knows that there is always someone better then you some where, and in our current status I don't want to lose good pilots. I need good pilots to train in new pilots, to pass on that knowledge."
Bloom removed his glasses and placed them in to a glass case. "You can still work in flight operations, tactics and over all mission planing, but you are grounded. Dismissed."
Asuka stood there for a moment giving Bloom that she wanted to say something. "Is there anything you want to say Lieutenant?"
"Does Shinji know yet?" She asked.
Bloom shook his head. "No, he's been working on the Guide Stone all day."
Asuka sighed.
Later on that day Shinji walked in to his and Asuka's living quarters surprised to find Asuka already home. "I thought that You had a combat patrol this after noon and you wouldn't be home till late?"
Asuka offered Shinji a smile. "Something came up."
"What happened?" Shinji asked. "Too rough on your fighter?"
Asuka shook her head. "Shinji, I'm pregnant."
"That's not funny Asuka." Shinji said while standing there with the dear in the head lights look.
"Not joking." Asuka replied. "Bloom grounded me until I give birth."
Asuka waited to hear something from Shinji. But that something was slow coming. "Damn it Shinji say something."
Shinji sat down beside Asuka. "Really?"
Asuka nodded. "I guess I already knew, I just needed to hear it from someone else."
It started to make since to Shinji. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that you and I will make far better parents that our own parents where."
That was a half truth, Shinji never really regarded His own father as a father. But his mothers where Yui and Misato. No one can do better then what they did for him. For the rest of the evening Shinji and Asuka laid on their bed, Shinji just held on tight to Asuka. Asuka was lost in her own thoughts, wondering if she would be a mother. The question of what is family started to rush through Asuka's mind. Was family people you are directly related to? Or was family those around you that care for your general wellbeing? Feeling that she was starting to figure out what that answer, A small smile came across her face. Family was the people around her. Family was the crew and for the time being home was the ARC.