Interlude 2: Sands of Red

Tokyo-3 City Hall

It was a quiet noise that rippled through the air as the government of Tokyo-3 hosted members of the delegation of the League of Independent Echoes. It was a formal dinner party with the mayor, Mr. Konishi and his city council, the heads of NERV-HQ's divisions, and a few members of the delegation, along with a few plus ones.

Daniel sighed quietly as he looked over at Eleanor, swirling the punch in his hand as the group mingled after eating. "Have I ever told you how much I dislike these sorts of things?" he said, equally quietly.

"Many times, dear." Eleanor said with a patient tone. "I know it's been a while, but I remember quite clearly."

Daniel nodded. "Oh, good. I'd hate to belabor the point."

Eleanor sighed quietly, then drained the last of her drink, and took Daniel's hand. "Alright, come on now. Let's get back into the mix."

"If you insist." Daniel said with a sigh, following Eleanor as she walked in amongst the conversations happening.

At a whim, Eleanor stopped next to Ritsuko and Maya, having a conversation with Mashor Vinis, the salarian head scientist of the delegation.

"Hello, there." Eleanor said, looking over at Ritsuko with a slight smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Oh, it's no problem." Ritsuko said. "Mr. Vinis and I were just getting to know each other better."

She gestured to Mashor. "Some of the solutions that he's recently proposed for keeping the Russian breadbasket arable when they get to shifting the axial tilt of the planet back to where it was before Second Impact are simply fascinating."

"Thank you, Ms. Akagi." Mashor said levelly, nodding to Ritsuko. "This world seems in quite the predicament, and it has been a most exciting use of my mental abilities to keep things stable while improvements are being made."

Mashor looked over at Eleanor. "I don't believe that I have made either of your acquaintances yet."

"Well," Eleanor said, "I'm Captain Eleanor Theisman, and this is my husband, Major Daniel Theisman. We're in charge of the engineering branch of NERV."

Maya looked over at Eleanor. "Isn't there a rank you're missing?" she said with a slight smile.

"Well, Maya," Daniel said, "we aren't actively in the role of the Colonels Theisman of the Worldstrider Corps right now. Keeps things simple."

Mashor blinked. "Ah. You are also part of the Worldstrider Corps? How long have you been in this Echo?"

"I got here about 3 months ago, Worldsea time." Eleanor said. "Daniel's been here for a while longer than that."

"I see." Mashor said, looking intently at Daniel now. "So you would have both been involved in the Unity War?"

Daniel nodded. "In some capacity or another." he said simply.

Mashor looked at Daniel for a moment longer, then nodded as he turned to look at Ritsuko. "It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, Doctor, but I'm afraid that there are others whom I wish to speak to tonight. May I set up a correspondence with you?"

"Certainly." Ritsuko replied, opening her purse and digging through it for a moment, pulling out a transparent rectangle the size of a smartphone.

"Pardon me." she said as she activated the device in her hand, the side in her palm becoming frosted as a small holographic display came to life. "I'm still getting these set up for internal use at NERV, so I'll pull up my contact info… now."

Mashor pulled his own device out of a pocket as he smiled. "Not to worry. There is always a period of adjustment to new technologies and ideas. These clear-pads are no exception."

After a moment, Ritsuko and Mashor tapped the top of their clear-pads together, and in an instant, their contact info was shared. "Amazing." Ritsuko murmured, seemingly wondrous at the tiny moment that had just transpired.

Mashor's smile widened for a moment. "Thank you, Doctor. Again, it was a pleasure to meet all of you." he said as he looked at the assembled group. "Good evening."

With that, he walked away, leaving the group standing together.

Ritsuko continued to look at her clear-pad with no small amount of wonder, then looked back up at Daniel and Eleanor. "We just exchanged a massive amount of information with just a tactile meeting between two devices." she said with no small amount of excitement in her eyes.

Daniel and Eleanor chuckled softly. "Think about it, Ritsuko," Daniel said, "you're at least…" he glanced up as he did some mental math. "About a decade ahead of where we originally came from in 2024. We were only really starting to apply the technology to be able to do what you just did."

Maya looked over Ritsuko's shoulder at the pad as Ritsuko played around with it. "Making these from the blueprints we've been delivered and discovering the functions has been… a joy, really."

They chatted idly for a few moments, speaking on the Evangelion Frame project and the Frame Plug prototype that would be almost halfway done by now. Then, Misato and Kaji, smelling slightly of alcohol, made their way over, accompanied by another figure.

He was a tall man, well-toned and wide with muscles that filled out the formal suit that he wore. His tan face was framed by a long mop of black hair, a trimmed beard surrounding an easy smile.

"Oh, hi, Ritsky." Misato said with a broad smile. "How are you guys doing?"

"Doing just fine, Misato, thank you." Ritsuko said patiently. She looked up at the man who accompanied them. "And who might you be, sir?"

"My name is Duncan Idaho." the man said with a smile, reaching out a hand which Ritsuko shook politely.

"Idaho?" Maya asked with a quirked eyebrow. "Isn't that a state in the USA?"

Duncan chuckled slightly. "You know, I've heard that more than a few times. Apparently, it is. My name, in some way at least, is always going to be remembered whenever I travel to Earth. Kind of nice, really."

Duncan's gaze turned to Eleanor, and his eyebrow quirked as his smile widened slightly, offering a hand which Eleanor took. "And it is a pleasure to meet you, madam." he said, gently brushing his lips across her knuckles. "Who might you be?"

"I'm Eleanor Theisman." Eleanor said with a gracious smile. "I'm in charge of engineering at NERV."

"That sounds like quite a task, from what I've seen." Duncan said. "You must be quite capable, to be able to oversee it all."

He paused after a moment. "And Theisman… I've heard that name before."

Duncan looked over at Daniel, and Daniel's heart stopped as a glimmer of recognition shone in Duncan's steel-grey eyes. "Well, then." Duncan said quietly. "It's been a while, Daniel."

"You know Duncan, Daniel?" Misato asked with a smile on her face, looking over at him. Her smile faded as she saw the look in Daniel's eyes. Scared. Ashamed.

"I'll be right back." Daniel nearly mumbled, turning around and heading for the bathrooms, leaving a wondering, concerned group behind him.

Everything was a muted rumble as he pushed past a few people, offering mumbled apologies as he headed towards the men's room. Memories flashed through his mind. Good memories of a lush world, tarnished by terrible foresight, remorseful acceptance, and haunting guilt, old friends one and all.

He finally reached the empty bathroom, pushing a stall door closed and locking it before perching over the toilet, breathing heavily as the green vistas and blue seas in his mind became stark white and tan desert under a harsh blue sky, and the almost overwhelming smell of cinnamon filled his nose.

'Damn it… why now?' he thought silently as the memories became violent. Blood and sand and fire swirled in his mind, threatening to overpower everything. And that face that had smiled at him… slack…

He felt the touch of Eleanor's soul, her confusion becoming sadness as she comforted him silently.

After a long while, the memories began to grow more tolerable, and Daniel heard the bathroom door open, then shut, two sets of steps clacking slightly on the tile.

After a moment, Daniel heard a gentle knock on the door. "Daniel?" Duncan's voice said quietly, and Daniel fought off another wave of memories as he stood slowly, opening the stall door.

Duncan seemed to take up all the view of the cracked door, his face the picture of concern. "What's wrong?" he said quietly. "I've never seen the fear take you like that. Not even on Arrakis."

"No, you probably wouldn't have." Daniel said with a sigh, opening the door further to reveal an equally concerned Kaji behind Duncan.

"Hell of a panic attack?" Kaji said, a serious look in his eyes.

"Yes." Daniel said, nodding. "Interfacing makes it worse. Especially for memories and moments you experience after you become Interfaced. Makes PTSD a far greater monster at times to face with some of the changes that come into effect."

Daniel scoffed softly as he shook his head. "There's whole fields of study dedicated to how the mind and the soul interact. And they still haven't quite figured it out yet what happens to us Interfaced soldiers that get like this."

Daniel took a deep breath and met Duncan's gaze with a weary smile. "I apologize. It's good to see you again, Duncan."

Duncan put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "There's no need to apologize to me for something so out of your control as that."

"The fear takes all at one point or another." Daniel said, echoing words from long ago. "We must simply accept it for a time, then act."

"I see old Gurney still leaves an impression." Duncan said with a chuckle.

"Alright," Duncan said after a moment's quiet laughter between him and Daniel, "let's get back out there. No need to keep the ladies worrying any longer than necessary."

. . .

Misato, Eleanor, Ritsuko, and Maya all stood opposite of the men's room door, all with some level of concern in their expressions as they talked quietly amongst one another when the door opened, and Duncan, Daniel, and Kaji stepped out of it.

The group came back together, questions of concern flowing from Ritsuko, Maya, and Misato, Daniel reassuring them repeatedly. "I'll be fine, I promise." he said again, a slight smile on his face. "It's just going to take me a few more moments. I just… didn't quite expect it, is all."

"Okay. But what happened?" Misato asked, a serious look on her face. "Why did seeing Duncan here cause this?"

"Well…" Daniel said, trailing off as his expression became sorrowful. "Duncan Idaho died in my arms. Then I ran."

It was quiet for a moment, then Duncan slapped Daniel's shoulder. "Well, I got better, clearly." he said, with a smile, and Daniel chuckled at the thought.

"That it seems you did, Duncan." Daniel replied.

Then he looked over at the rest of the group. "Our time together is a fascinating story. One that deserves far more time than standing here at an official dinner party."

"So, how about an unofficial one?" Maya chimed in.

Misato looked over at Maya and nodded. "Yeah, actually. No reason I can't throw something together. Have you two swap some interesting stories for us to hear." Misato smiled. "Maybe even have the kids meet him."

"The kids?" Duncan said with a guffaw, slapping Daniel's back hard. "You didn't tell me you were a family man, Daniel."

"The Children," Daniel replied as he gathered his breath again, "aren't mine by blood. But I do esteem them as my brothers and sisters in arms, terrible though it is that they have faced battle so young."

"Really?" Duncan asked, an eyebrow raised. "How young are they?"

Daniel looked up at Duncan with a sad look in his eyes. "16. Not much older than Paul was when we left for Arrakis."

"Ah. I see." Duncan said gravely. "They must be quite strong of heart to be able to endure such things as I have heard happened here."

Misato smiled wanly. "Maybe they can share some stories of their own. Surprise you with what we've done."

Ritsuko nudged Misato slightly. "With what we can reveal without spilling confidential information, of course." she said with no small amount of reproach.

"Well, Ritsky," Kaji piped up, "I would be surprised if he'd spilled state secrets, even with how little I'd get to know him. I trust my gut on this one."

"The one that has maybe a little too much booze sloshing around in it?" Ritsuko replied with an arched eyebrow. "I hope you'll pardon me if I don't quite share your trust."

"State secrets or not," Eleanor cut in, raising her hands, "he's still certainly welcome to have dinner with us." she looked up at Duncan. "Would this Saturday work?"

"One moment, and let me find out." Duncan replied, pulling out a clear-pad and pulling up what appeared to be a calendar, turning it into a more legible Gregorian form with a few taps. "Yes, actually. I'm free the whole evening." he said with a smile.

"Perfect." Eleanor replied with a small smile. "We'll talk to the Children, let them know. Shinji will probably introduce you to his cooking, too. It's amazing."

"I look forward to it." Duncan said. Then he looked around at the group. "It was a pleasure to meet you all. I'll be going, now."

With that, Duncan Idaho walked away, back towards the party that was beginning to wind down.

"Well, speaking of Shinji's cooking," Misato said with a guilty expression, "I didn't really eat much tonight. I think Kaji and I will go ahead and head home."

She looked over at Kaji with doe-like eyes. "Unless my favorite superspy wants to keep looking for secrets?"

"No, no," Kaji chuckled, "I'll be fine."

"Oh, good." Misato said with a beatific smile. "Well, then, see you all later?"

And thus, the group went their separate ways, into the waiting night.

. . .

Theisman Residence, 3 Days Later

Shinji was in his element as he bounced from task to task, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration as he worked hand in hand with Asuka and Daniel, objects flowing from one hand to the next without even so much as a word.

The kitchen was alive as they prepared to have Duncan Idaho over for dinner. With Duncan being from somewhere beyond Earth, Shinji had taken up the task of preparing as comprehensive a showing of Japanese culinary arts as he could make with a zeal that seemed to eclipse all other drives at that moment. Daniel and Asuka simply went with the flow, setting up ingredients, chopping and slicing and dicing, leaving Shinji, the head chef of the house, to put together the ingredients precisely as he wished.

As the day became night and the time drew near, Shinji stepped back from his work, whipping his brow with the back of his arm as Asuka and Daniel joined him at his side to admire his work.

They had made a sushi bar that would be the envy of any cooking show, along with enough miso soup and rice to satiate all of the Children and friends, the adults who planned to attend, and Duncan's apparently massive appetite, at least, according to Daniel. Alongside it was a collection of summer foods, including yakitori, grilled unagi and ayu, some rei-shabu, and a selection of slightly salted watermelon slices.

Daniel nodded as he patted Shinji's shoulder. "I've got to say, you've really gone and outdone yourself this time." he said with a smile on his face.

"Oh, yeah." Asuka said, her eyes wide and hungry. "My mouth is watering just looking at some of these."

Shinji chuckled. "It's the least I can do for who's coming. I mean, this is Duncan Idaho we're talking about."

Asuka looked over at Shinji with a raised eyebrow. "You already know about this guy?" she said quizzically.

"Well…" Shinji said as he blushed slightly. "I found the Japanese copies of Dune when I was about 13. It was kind of dense, but I understood most of it."

Daniel nodded. "Surprising, how similar your story and Paul's would be, should things have gone on as they had. A young man called to save the world, and eventually save humanity."

"Humanity?" Shinji said, a puzzled look on his face. "From what I remember, Paul saved just the Fremen and became Emperor. Did he really save all of humanity?"

Daniel opened his mouth, then closed it. "Not quite in the way you would think." he said softly after a moment.

Then, Daniel shook his head. "But that's a discussion for another time. Duncan should be on his way soon. Then you'll all have plenty of stories to hear."

. . .

Soon enough, Duncan Idaho swept into the Theisman's home with all the energy of an oncoming storm, and quite the party received him, ready or not.

After no small amount of carefully edging around each other holding plates and trays of food and cups of various drinks, all of the Children, along with Ichigo and Kensuke, sat on one side of the three conjoined tables, one borrowed from Misato's apartment, and another from an empty one, while Misato and Kaji, Ritsuko and Maya, and Daniel and Eleanor sat on the other, while Duncan sat right beside Maya and Daniel.

They enjoyed the night together, Duncan paying rapt attention as Shinji and Asuka told the story of the Angel War, and how they narrowly averted the end of the world.

"I must say," Duncan said quietly after gulping down a piece of takoyaki, "you Children are among the bravest soldiers I've ever seen, to do what you have done and still do."

"Must be the youngest, too." Toji said with a slight smirk. It vanished as Duncan's expression turned somber.

"No, actually." he said quietly. "Not the youngest."

The subject changed, and after a few moments more of chatting that surrounded the general details of the Echo that Duncan had come from, of the Padishah Emperor and the Houses of the Landsraad, of the massive Heighliners and their mysterious Guild Navigators, to the spice melange that made all of it possible, Asuka asked a question. "So, where did you actually come from?"

"Well," Duncan said with a shake of his head, "I was born on the world of Geidi Prime. Home of House Harkonnen."

Harkonnen. That name was a dark one as it was spoken by both Daniel and Duncan, the name carrying a dark, mysterious air that seemed to chill both of the men who had previously spoken it.

"It was a dark, smoggy, desolate place." Duncan continued. "All smokestacks and industry and slums holding up opulent cities. A gluttonous place. Especially under Baron Vladimir Harkonnen."

Vladimir Harkonnen was a name familiar to Shinji. It called to mind an impossibly massive man, seemingly weighed down by his evils and excesses as much as by his prodigious body fat.

"I spent some of my youth on that world." Duncan said. "However, I soon jumped ship on a Heighliner headed to the world of Ginaz, home of House Ginaz. It was there where I became a Swordmaster, adept with blade and shield and lasgun. It was also there where I learned of House Atreides, and its leader, Leto the Just."

He smiled as he paused. "Once I became Swordmaster, I pledged myself to his service. He was a great man and a good one. Stern, but kind, and giving to his people. As expected, I was one of only a few who pledged themselves to him."

Duncan's smile dimmed. "But before that, Ginaz fell, in a war of assassins. The quietest kind of warfare between houses. I was among the last Swordmasters trained there." he said, and there was a sadness in his voice that felt… old.

He shook his head. "But like I said, after they fell, I pledged myself to Duke Atreides, and became his Swordmaster on the world of Caladan."

"What was Caladan like?" Shinji asked quietly.

The table hushed as all eyes turned to Duncan, who smiled softly. "Beautiful. Green and lush, full of life, with mighty storms that swept over the Icecloud Range as they made their way to Castle Caladan, tempered by the mountain's touch, cooling the nights and making sleep easy. It was… paradise. The closest I think I will ever get."

Those who were not entranced by Duncan's words saw that a similarly dreamy look gleamed in Daniel's eyes.

"It was in that paradise that I witnessed the birth of one Paul Atreides, son of the Duke and one of his concubines, the Lady Jessica." Duncan said after a moment of silent recollection. He smiled, chuckled for a moment. "An intelligent, willful child if ever I've seen one, always finding a way out of Jessica's hands whenever he had the chance."

"Sometime after he was born," he continued, "Leto asked me to teach him in the arts of war. Strategy, hand to hand combat, I was to make sure that he was proficient in them."

Duncan smirked. "It was around that time," he said, casting a sideways glance to Daniel, "when another pledged his service to the Duke."

"And that's when I enter the story." Daniel said, nodding slowly. "I entered the Duke's service when Paul was around 7 or 8. I trained as a soldier, and in time, was assigned by Duke Leto to be Paul's personal guard. Not that he really needed one." he said with a chuckle.

"And to think that he gave it to you after you had bested me in combat." Duncan said with a glint in his eyes.

"Twice." Daniel said with an almost insufferable smile on his face. "Once in armed combat, and once unarmed."

"You only beat me twice, Daniel." Duncan said with a slight smirk.

"Yes, but I beat you, the Swordmaster of House Atreides, twice." Daniel shot back. "No small feat."

"Maybe. But we digress somewhat." Duncan said as he patted Daniel's shoulder, turning his attention back to the Children.

"Paul grew up to be a discerning young man. Still a kid with all the excitement and antics of being young, but wise in the ways of war and combat. I like to think that old Gurney Halleck and I did our jobs decently." he said with a smile and a glint in his eyes.

His smile dimmed only slightly, and the glimmer in his eyes took on a different nature as he continued. "Soon after Paul turned 15, I was sent to the world of Arrakis. Of Dune. I would scout things out there, make sure everything was ready when House Atreides would move over to Dune."

"Far from Caladan as it was," Duncan continued, "the desert held its own severe, dangerous beauty. It was marred by all the hallmarks of Harkonnen rule. Oppression abounded. Most were at least cautiously happy with their exit. Even the Fremen."

"The Fremen?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, the Fremen." Duncan said with a smile. "The desert people, wanderers in the sand. Eaters of the spice, which gave them what they called 'the Eyes of Ibad'. Blue in blue."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "They are… were a severe people, who could be as harsh as the desert around them. Water, a scarce resource on such a world as Dune, was sacred to them, even more so than it was to the city dwellers in Arrakeen. I spent a lot of time among them, learning their ways and gaining their trust before the rest of the House arrived."

"It was a time of transition when the rest of the House arrived, as was expected." Duncan said. He paused as his smile disappeared. "Then we were attacked by the Harkonnens. And the Emperor's elite Sardaukar."

"It was a sudden, bloody attack that killed most of our troops. Those who weren't killed were driven into the desert, into an alliance of necessity with the Fremen. Paul was separated from us, and many of us worried about him." Duncan shook his head. "Those were bloody days, trying to stay alive."

"Then, Paul came back to us. A ray of hope in the conflict." Duncan said with a slight smile. "He had changed then. Become more calculating and cold. I chalked it up to the attack and surviving the desert then. But there was still something different."

Duncan's smile disappeared. "Then, the Sardaukar found us. Daniel and I covered Paul and Lady Jessica's escape, alongside some of the remaining troops of House Atreides and the Fremen soldiers, the Fedaykin."

"It was a bloody, loud battle within the walls of the Fremen's underground community. Banging and the bite of blades and the burning ozone smell of lasgun fire. I killed nineteen of the Sardaukar before… I died."

The table was silent. "You… died?" Rei said quietly. "Then how do you dine with us now?"

Duncan took a deep breath. "Well, though that may have been the end of my story otherwise, I became what is known as a ghola. A copy grown from the dead flesh of my body. I am not technically the original Duncan Idaho. For a time, my name was simply Hayt, and I was a pawn in a scheme to kill the now Emperor Paul Atreides."

Duncan took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, then opened them again with a sure smile. "But, here we are now, and that time is far in the past. And that's enough talk of death and destruction when there's good food to be had."

The dinner continued, and after what felt like far too short a time, the dinner was finished, and dishes were cleared off of the tables.

Duncan stood and stretched slightly. "Well, Daniel, it was a pleasure to meet your friends here. But the hour grows late, and I'll have to get going."

He placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "The best of luck to you." he said.

"And to you, Duncan." Daniel replied. He smiled slightly. "Try not to get into too much trouble around here. I've heard enough of your previous exploits with fair ladies, and I'm sure that the diplomatic staff would like to avoid one of their members making a scandal."

Duncan guffawed. "Oh, come on Daniel. Like you said, I'm on a diplomatic staff now. No great scandals for me anymore. Even still, beauty is universal…"

"And you are but an appreciator." Daniel finished, slowly shaking his head and smiling. "Alright then. Good night, Duncan."

"Good night, Daniel." Duncan said. And, with a few more farewells, Duncan left back into the night.

. . .

With Duncan's departure, others began to take their leave, until Daniel and Eleanor sat in the living room with Misato and Kaji, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei.

It was the quiet of savoring a delicious meal, contended and warm.

But after a moment, Misato looked over at Daniel with a questioning look in her eyes. "Daniel?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?" Daniel replied.

"So, I've been thinking." Misato continued. "With the battle where Duncan died… did you turn that into your Brazil story?" she asked quietly.

It was a silent moment before Daniel nodded. "Yes. I did turn it into a story about Brazil. I had my reasons then. I apologize if-"

"No, no." Misato interrupted. "It's fine. Like you said, you had your reasons for it." she chuckled softly. "I mean, I would have thought you were nuts if you had told me the real story."

"But even still…" Misato said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You and Duncan seem like good friends."

"We are. Or we were, at least." Daniel said. After a pause, he sighed and shook his head. "People coming back from the dead can make things complicated. Especially when it's as a ghola."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Well, because normally, gholas possess none of the memories of the person that they are created from. Duncan changed that, but… you'd have to ask him about that."

Shinji nodded, and it was silent again. Daniel could almost swear that he smelled the faint scent of cinnamon somewhere.

'No. That's just the memories again.' he thought silently. 'Memories of just another of the far too many lives I've lived.'