I don't own anything here...
"How long is it going to take?" Misato asked as she looked over Daniella's shoulder.
"Quite a while."
"Is it that hard?"
"It's not hard," she said, "just frustrating. You know that the Seele Committee is no longer composed of real human beings, just software. The problem being that when the original human Seele implemented themselves into the software, they also added their entire personalities. Imagine having the will to survive, as well as the ability to stop others from destroying you."
"So, they're making themselves difficult to erase?" Misato asked. "Wouldn't be easier to create an anti-virus, and have it look for the Seele program?"
"Way ahead of you. As a matter of fact, when we installed Magi, and Seele, I made sure that both ran independently, in part, from each other. The problem now is that since Seele is also conscious of its existence, it tries to find an exit through anything we throw at it. Magi is doing its part by trying to find a way to purge it from its systems."
Misato and Daniella were in Unit 01's control room, facing the mech, and had been working non-stop since Daniella's release. Both Commanders, Ikari and Evans, had signed the release under one condition, that Daniella, on her own, must contact Comstar after the coming events have settled down to more quieter levels. The first item on the list, after the initial contact, was to maintain Nerv as an independent entity. Make sure no one claimed rights over Unit 01, or the lost technology to recreate one to its likeness. Second, and perhaps most importantly, was that Comstar would allow Nerv to maintain one battalion in its own premises. But in case of a larger force, then the ComGuard would deploy a full military force to counter it. In exchange, Nerv would not allow its technology to be released to anyone, whether it be Great House, Clan, mercenary, Word of Blake, Periphery or Comstar itself, allowing stability among them all in being devoid of such technology. Also, in exchange, Nerv would go back to its original post-Amaris mission, which was to preserve Terra's historical, religious, and past scientific achievements until the second millennium. As an incentive, Nerv would aid ROM in finding Seele's terminals, and deposits, until all of Seele's Committee was terminated.
But all terms of contract would become moot, unless Daniella was successful in breaking Nerv away from Seele before they were able to pinpoint Unit 01's location. It was known that Seele's forces would use its integration in the terminals and system, in order to acquire an exact position of Nerv's mech bays, airfields, and surface-to-air defenses. With that in mind, the Commanders had only ordered Nerv's wing of fighters to remain in flight formation, due to the fighters being the last to be able to take-off under heavy fire. Every other military asset was informed to stay alert for incoming attacks. There was no point in having them move, or set up defenses or positions; Seele would be aware of it all. Reason why Daniella was working furiously on removing the Seele program. And Misato waited to launch Unit 01 away from Central Base before the attack began.
"Misato," she heard someone call her from behind.
She turned around to find Shinji entering, already dressed in his plug suit.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
"Yeah, I guess." he answered unenthusiastically.
"Come on," she said smiling as she pushed him out the door. "Be a boy."
"How long do I have to be in there for?"
"I don't know, but you'll stay there as long as it takes."
"I won't have to fight, will I?"
"Let's hope not," she answered sincerely.
With that he left the room and walked to Unit 01's dock. Misato walked back to Daniella but was able to see through the glass as Shinji walked behind Unit 01 and disappeared from view. A few seconds later an automated voice warned everyone to leave the dock area, followed by a whirring sound and a hydraulic arm lifting the plug. The Eva's back, below the neck, opened up allowing the arm to insert the cylindrical plug inside. Once it had been inserted, the back closed, sealing Shinji inside. Once Unit 01 was activated, the LCL lake was drained and the restraints removed, readying the Eva to launch.
Misato checked Shinji's synch ratio, and was amazed by the sudden 89% compatibility between Shinji and Unit 01 in just the startup. But then she remembered what Shinji and Unit 01 truly were, and simply chuckled at her forgetfulness. She knew that Shinji did not need to be connected to Unit 01, in order for the Eva to operate, but Shinji's way of being made him actually have to follow orders. Since the moment she had met him, he had always been one only to follow orders, and never to be creative or independent. Maybe that's why he was so dependent upon her, and the others.
"I got it." Daniella said. "Magi is deleting all Seele entries and paths, and in a few minutes it will be fully operational."
"Good. Now we have to call Takihiro and let him know we're ready."
"I'm here." Takihiro said as he walked into the room, ashen faced.
Daniella immediately ran to him and held him close, trying to see if he was all right. Misato, upon hearing whispers between the two, knew she was not needed at the moment so she walked out the room and headed for the Unit 01's dock. She found one of the vid-coms, and called Shinji.
"Shinji," she said softly.
"Misato?" He asked. There was no visual, since the plug was filled with LCL and putting anything in there besides the necessary could contaminate the inside of the plug.
"Shinji, can I ask you for something? Can I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure."
"I--" She could not continue. She knew it would not be fair to him if she continued. But being in a strange land, in a strange time was too much for her. And now seeing Takihiro and Daniella together, proved how alone she felt. "I hope you do well in there."
"Hmm, thank you, I guess. But what did you need?"
"Just that you be okay," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Sure, Misato."
She sighed, unfulfilled by such emptiness that now surrounded her, but she knew now that her priority had become Shinji and Unit 01. She looked at her surroundings and began inspecting it all, from the walls to the piping, from the rooms to the Main Tactics room. Seele had decided to recreate everything, to the minutest detail in order to give Shinji a more similar surrounding. But she did not expect everything to be so exact as it was now. It was eerie seeing everything, so much, she expected Dr. Ritzuko to walk in the dock at any time. She was sure Shinji must have felt the same way before, and he probably would have expected more when he was told that he would share housing with Takihiro. Too bad all plans had gone awry. Now, Shinji was confined in Nerv, for god knows how long. And the more Misato thought about it, the more she realized that she would be suffering confinement as well.
"Misato!" She turned to see Daniella calling her, with Takihiro behind her. "We have to go."
"Why?" She asked. "What's going on?"
"Seele is here."
=====
"Enemy units standing in sector A5 are now on the move. We are yet to make visual contact."
"Large movement around second target area. ECM system is in full deployment by enemy units."
"Fighters approaching third target. Awaiting order for visual contact."
"Enemy dropships have lifted-off. Number of deployed units is unknown."
Takihiro, Daniella and Misato walked into the midst of chaos. Sub-Commander Evans was directing the entire scenario, in Takihiro's place, readying an effective defense against the invading force. Commander Ikari had began arranging the evacuation of unnecessary personnel, as well as laying out Unit 01's escape route. Around them both, dozens of officers ran back and forth between their terminals and others. Orders and commands were voiced over person-to-person, by shouting, or loudspeaker. In the main monitor, the mountains were visible, but the hidden enemy had kept themselves concealed truly well between trees and rock outcrops. In the 3-dimensional topographical map, below the screen, points and marks, representing support vehicles and infantry, were moving around, rearranging themselves into their respective positions. Nerv's mobile armor, consisting of a battalion, and infantry, a company, seemed to be playing a game of ordered chaos as each unit found their preset place. Their mech battalion, meanwhile, awaited Takihiro's direct orders for deployment and organization.
"What do you know about the ECM units?" Takihiro asked as he walked behind his three new aides.
"We haven't been able to recognize those units. Radar can't pick them, probes have yet to be deployed, and our fighters are awaiting orders to contact enemy units."
"Are they stand stills?"
"No, sir. The area of cover has been in constant move, but the moment we think they have minimal coverage, another unit replaces it."
"Then give me a print out of movement speed, times of switch, as well as amount of time it takes to replace one ECM unit for another." He ordered before he moved to talk privately with the Commanders, and mentioned for Daniella and Misato to join him.
"You also suspect them of having a battalion?" Evans asked.
"Yeah, I do," answered Takihiro. "I also expect them to be well supplied. But we have the advantage in being at the home base."
"But they will surround us," added Misato.
"They will, but they haven't yet. I don't know why, but they could be waiting for aerial support."
"They're not," said Ikari. "They're waiting for Unit 01. The moment the Eva shows itself outside Central, they will bombard us, and then send their units down to destroy whatever forces we have left. We are fortunate we reside within Terra and no atmospheric bombardment will occur."
"Why no atmospheric bombardment?" Misato asked.
"Because Terra has been labeled neutral territory," answered Evans, "and no fighting is allowed within it. Of course, some people tend to bend the rules. In this case, Seele will not bombard for two reasons. One, atmospheric bombardment will attract the attention of espionage transmissions, and second, since long range bombardment is not as precise as unit bombardment, because of distance, they might hit Unit 01."
"Then why don't we hit them first?" Daniella asked.
"We could," Evans said, "but we would only hit part of their forces. We don't know how well distributed they are, or where their long-range artillery is."
"True," said Misato. "But shouldn't we first draw them out, before they commence firing?"
"I'm seriously thinking about it," said Takihiro as one of the aides handed him printed report he had requested. "But if I draw one side out, how do I know I'm dragging their artillery out into the open?"
"We use our fighters," said Ikari. "We divide them into three companies, and have them hit an enemy point respectively. Once their cover is blown, we use sniper equipment to destroy their ECM units."
"There are three ECM units traveling at a speed of 65 KPH," said Takihiro as he read the report, "with a difference of one to two minutes between them. These are reconnaissance mechs, obviously, and they're probably equipped with Angel ECMs, BAP systems, and TAGs for their artillery. I'm guessing, since Seele seems to be very old fashioned, that they're using Ravens. Now, I want two assaults ready for sniper duty as well as Unit 01 with its HH Gauss Rifle. Both assault mechs will wait outside for cue, but Unit 01 will have its position from inside one of the mech bays. I don't want to give Seele a chance to attack before we do."
"We can't do that." Daniella added. "Shinji is not capable of killing, and he never will be ready. It will be even worse if he is told that he has to kill someone."
"Misato?" Asked Takihiro. "Is this true?"
"If we force Shinji," answered Misato, "or if we trick him into, he could go into shock. And that would make Unit 01 to go berserk."
"Berserk?" Asked Takihiro. "That's what happened to Unit 01 during initial testing."
Takihiro thought about the new element introduced, now, into the battlefield. Unit 01 going berserk was actually a point for Nerv, but in that state the Eva tended to be unpredictable and it could easily turn against them. But if pushed correctly, then Unit 01 could become their one and only hope.
"Let's go ahead and proceed as planned," he said.
"Are you certain about this, Commander?" Asked Evans.
"Allow me to do what I am here for, and I will do it well."
=====
"Shinji, do you remember the Pulsitron rifle?" Misato asked
"Yes."
"We're giving you a smaller version of it. It's more lightweight, more accurate, and more powerful. So now you have a higher accuracy rate than the .00001 percentage we had last time."
Everyone turned to Misato when she mentioned this.
"Long story," she said. "If we survive, I'll tell you all about it."
"Shinji," Takihiro said, "the rifle you are carrying is a rail gun called Gauss rifle. Its barrel is composed of a series of electro magnetically charged sectors and isolation areas, which propel the shell towards the barrel nozzle. And since there is no friction, the projectile can achieve a speed of at least Mach 5. Because the rifle is not attached to Unit 01, like it would to any other mech with allocation slots, there is a small chance of error due to outside interferences like wind velocity and weight. That's why you will be stationed inside one of the mech bays looking outside. You'll be blocked from wind, and you will be able to rest the rifle on one of the railings."
"What's my target?" Shinji asked.
"There are three, but you'll have to hit only one. The targets are Raven mechs, and though I don't have an exact variant, I am sending you a visual of what they look like, but they are all used for reconnaissance and undercover operations. Right now the three out there are hiding several units within their respective covert areas, and the hidden units are all powered down. I'm about to send several fighters to engage the three enemy groups and have them activate their radars. Once fighting has began, you, and the other two mechs, will have a time window of about 15 seconds to find and destroy you respective enemy mechs. It's 15 seconds because that's how long it takes the rifle to reload a slug and cool down. Also 15 because I doubt my fighters will be able to hold down for thirty. Is that understood?"
"Yes."
"Then proceed to the second mech bay, and await further orders."
Unit 01 moved down to the corridor adjoining the rest of the mech bays. Meanwhile, Takihiro turned to his three aides and started arranging orders of operation.
"What's a Pulsitron rifle?" Takihiro asked without looking back at Misato.
"Oh," said Misato smiling awkwardly. "I'd forgotten about that. It wasn't really a rifle, but rather an impromptu creation that used charged ion particles to create a beam that could penetrate an angel's AT field."
"Just like our PPCs, except we use plasma from a reactor to create a beam."
"And how are they connected to the mech?" Misato asked this time.
"A reactor itself drives the mech. The PPC simply siphons off excess energy into it until it is ready to fire."
"Well, in our case, since we used electricity, we pretty much blacked out an entire city to feed the rifle. Not very convenient by your standards."
"And hopefully, not by yours either," said Daniella.
"The blackout was so bad, we weren't allowed to use it again."
"Commander Takihiro."
Takihiro turned to see Kadena and Yuri standing at the doorway, saluting him. Immediately, he grew frustrated. After the incident with Tenku, he had ordered them both relieved of their duties for the time being, until everything in Nerv had resumed under its normal order of operations. He was also giving them enough time, which was traditional, to mourn for Tenku's death. But having them here would be an emotional baggage for him, and more baggage than a war, he did not need.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"We decided to stay, Commander," Kadena said. "We can't leave, and simply allow someone else to perform our assigned duties."
"Forgive us, Commander," Yuri added bowing, and Kadena following after her. "But the needs of all are greater than those of us."
"I don't care. I gave you a direct order, and you disobeyed it. Right now your intentions amount to nothing because you ignored what I said in the first place."
"Commander Takihiro," interrupted Evans, "I understand that your officer's breach of command should result in severe penalties. But at the moment, we surely need every available hand capable of assisting us."
"Commander Ikari?" Asked Takihiro turning to Gendou. "What is your say in this?"
"That, I leave to you, Commander," Ikari said. "Your officers are your responsibility, and this decision should be made as you see fit."
Takihiro thought about it, and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. Allowing both, Kadena and Yuri, back into service would supply him with trained personnel. Also, it would occupy both of their minds from depressing thoughts, just like it was to him. And at this moment, he wanted everyone he knew he could trust next to him. But if he relieved all three of his new aides, then one spot would be left vacant. He began thinking about possible replacements, when he looked to the side and found the perfect one.
"Alright," he said finally pointing a finger at them both. "I will accept your return. But mark my words that once this is over, we will seriously discuss this. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir." They both answered in unison.
"I'm not done yet," he said before they had a chance to sit down. "I will be adding a new officer, and I will be re-arranging tasks. Kadena, you will take Tactics, while Yuri, I'm assigning you to Com-command. As of this moment, there are only five minutes until contact. Sit down, glance through orders and get to work."
"Yes, sir."
"And who's taking Statistics?" Daniella asked.
"You are," he said.
Daniella was about to protest, but upon seeing the seriousness of Takihiro's expression, she decided against it. The three new aides were immediately relieved and ordered back to their regular commands, while Takihiro's officers and Daniella took their seats and readied themselves for the task ahead.
"Kadena," Takihiro said. "I'm waiting on our fighters."
"Roger that, Commander," Kadena answered. "Countdown to begin in T minus 90 seconds until initial contact. Company Alpha, coming in North-northwest. Company Beta, coming in East-northeast. Company Kappa, coming in East- Southeast."
"Nerv Alpha Wing is now online, Commander," said Yuri. "I'm putting Captain Johan online."
"This is Alpha Wing Captain, Johan, online, Commander," a thundering voice filled the room. "We are armed and ready. Any further instructions before contact, over."
"Proceed as planned, Captain," Takihiro responded. "Good luck and good hunting."
"Roger, Commander."
"Yuri, allow feed over intercom and loudspeaker."
"Roger, Commander."
The room filled with the voices of pilots as they said their customary salutes and catch phrases. Some were wonderfully said, others were simply bad words, while others wished their companions and Nerv good luck. All in all, 36 pilots, and 12 co-pilots paid their respects to each other and their families. Some of the officers inside the Tactics Room stopped to listen, others tried to busy themselves with work, and others held their breath in expectation. But they all hoped, in a true sincere wish, that all 48 men and women flying out there, would come back alive.
"Contact," Kadena's voice boomed in the room, "T minus 5."
"4."
"3."
"2."
"1."
"Fire at will," came the order, followed by confirmation of 36 fighters hitting exactly, around, or close to their targets.
"No enemy response--"
"Turning back for second--"
"I'M HIT!"
"I just lost a lance!"
"Incoming fire from--"
"Ejecting! Ejecting!"
"Enemy on radar!"
"What the--? I have a damned Rifleman shooting down my--"
"Commander, we have two Riflemen shooting down our fighters."
"Acknowledged, but where are the Ravens!"
"This is mech lance leader Stevens in 111th. I have Raven mech visual."
"Fire at will."
"This is mech pilot Elias in 321st. I also have Raven mech visual."
"Fighter down! I'm down to one Flight--"
"Second wave coming back--"
"Where's the third Raven?"
"I have no visual! I can't fire until I have a-- I see it! I see it!"
"Fighter Company Pride is pulling out--"
"We can't hold out any--"
"Shinji! Do you have a visual!"
"I have one! I have a visual!"
"Fire at will! If you have a Raven, within your sights, fire at will!"
Nothing was said for a second that seemed more of an eternity. But immediately, following the never ending second, all three suspected enemy groups were lit up by several red markings. The enemy units had been revealed.
"Enemy mechs approaching!" Kadena shouted. "I have 6 Catapults coming in within firing distance. Three are coming in from North-northwest, the other three East-northeast!"
"I have multiple mech readings!" Yuri added. "Two full companies. They are accompanied by armor and infantry!"
"Have fighters fire upon the Catapults!" Takihiro ordered.
"Negative!" Responded Daniella. "We are down to seven fighters. Those Riflemen are destroying them!"
"Have them pull back then!" Takihiro said. "Have turrets fire! To all lance leaders! Prepare to engage the enemy! Armored unit, stand behind your respective mech lances!"
"Catapults are within distance and have began firing!"
Immediately a shock was felt in the room as each missile hit close, or exactly, upon the building. Debris began to fall, though large damage was still to be seen.
"Mech bay areas 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 have been destroyed. We just lost five lances!"
"Our fighter have been completely destroyed!"
"Enemy units have passed 1st perimeter!"
"We are beginning to engage enemy units!"
"Unit 01 is leaving mech bay 2, and has entered the battlefield!"
Takihiro looked at the mess that lay in front of him. The fight would be long and hard, but he knew that many lives, not only of his crew, but those of even who knew not the events that were happening, were dependent upon his choices. And as he took a deep breath, he made up his mind and left the room running, communicating to everyone still inside the room of the choice he had just made.
"How long is it going to take?" Misato asked as she looked over Daniella's shoulder.
"Quite a while."
"Is it that hard?"
"It's not hard," she said, "just frustrating. You know that the Seele Committee is no longer composed of real human beings, just software. The problem being that when the original human Seele implemented themselves into the software, they also added their entire personalities. Imagine having the will to survive, as well as the ability to stop others from destroying you."
"So, they're making themselves difficult to erase?" Misato asked. "Wouldn't be easier to create an anti-virus, and have it look for the Seele program?"
"Way ahead of you. As a matter of fact, when we installed Magi, and Seele, I made sure that both ran independently, in part, from each other. The problem now is that since Seele is also conscious of its existence, it tries to find an exit through anything we throw at it. Magi is doing its part by trying to find a way to purge it from its systems."
Misato and Daniella were in Unit 01's control room, facing the mech, and had been working non-stop since Daniella's release. Both Commanders, Ikari and Evans, had signed the release under one condition, that Daniella, on her own, must contact Comstar after the coming events have settled down to more quieter levels. The first item on the list, after the initial contact, was to maintain Nerv as an independent entity. Make sure no one claimed rights over Unit 01, or the lost technology to recreate one to its likeness. Second, and perhaps most importantly, was that Comstar would allow Nerv to maintain one battalion in its own premises. But in case of a larger force, then the ComGuard would deploy a full military force to counter it. In exchange, Nerv would not allow its technology to be released to anyone, whether it be Great House, Clan, mercenary, Word of Blake, Periphery or Comstar itself, allowing stability among them all in being devoid of such technology. Also, in exchange, Nerv would go back to its original post-Amaris mission, which was to preserve Terra's historical, religious, and past scientific achievements until the second millennium. As an incentive, Nerv would aid ROM in finding Seele's terminals, and deposits, until all of Seele's Committee was terminated.
But all terms of contract would become moot, unless Daniella was successful in breaking Nerv away from Seele before they were able to pinpoint Unit 01's location. It was known that Seele's forces would use its integration in the terminals and system, in order to acquire an exact position of Nerv's mech bays, airfields, and surface-to-air defenses. With that in mind, the Commanders had only ordered Nerv's wing of fighters to remain in flight formation, due to the fighters being the last to be able to take-off under heavy fire. Every other military asset was informed to stay alert for incoming attacks. There was no point in having them move, or set up defenses or positions; Seele would be aware of it all. Reason why Daniella was working furiously on removing the Seele program. And Misato waited to launch Unit 01 away from Central Base before the attack began.
"Misato," she heard someone call her from behind.
She turned around to find Shinji entering, already dressed in his plug suit.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
"Yeah, I guess." he answered unenthusiastically.
"Come on," she said smiling as she pushed him out the door. "Be a boy."
"How long do I have to be in there for?"
"I don't know, but you'll stay there as long as it takes."
"I won't have to fight, will I?"
"Let's hope not," she answered sincerely.
With that he left the room and walked to Unit 01's dock. Misato walked back to Daniella but was able to see through the glass as Shinji walked behind Unit 01 and disappeared from view. A few seconds later an automated voice warned everyone to leave the dock area, followed by a whirring sound and a hydraulic arm lifting the plug. The Eva's back, below the neck, opened up allowing the arm to insert the cylindrical plug inside. Once it had been inserted, the back closed, sealing Shinji inside. Once Unit 01 was activated, the LCL lake was drained and the restraints removed, readying the Eva to launch.
Misato checked Shinji's synch ratio, and was amazed by the sudden 89% compatibility between Shinji and Unit 01 in just the startup. But then she remembered what Shinji and Unit 01 truly were, and simply chuckled at her forgetfulness. She knew that Shinji did not need to be connected to Unit 01, in order for the Eva to operate, but Shinji's way of being made him actually have to follow orders. Since the moment she had met him, he had always been one only to follow orders, and never to be creative or independent. Maybe that's why he was so dependent upon her, and the others.
"I got it." Daniella said. "Magi is deleting all Seele entries and paths, and in a few minutes it will be fully operational."
"Good. Now we have to call Takihiro and let him know we're ready."
"I'm here." Takihiro said as he walked into the room, ashen faced.
Daniella immediately ran to him and held him close, trying to see if he was all right. Misato, upon hearing whispers between the two, knew she was not needed at the moment so she walked out the room and headed for the Unit 01's dock. She found one of the vid-coms, and called Shinji.
"Shinji," she said softly.
"Misato?" He asked. There was no visual, since the plug was filled with LCL and putting anything in there besides the necessary could contaminate the inside of the plug.
"Shinji, can I ask you for something? Can I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure."
"I--" She could not continue. She knew it would not be fair to him if she continued. But being in a strange land, in a strange time was too much for her. And now seeing Takihiro and Daniella together, proved how alone she felt. "I hope you do well in there."
"Hmm, thank you, I guess. But what did you need?"
"Just that you be okay," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Sure, Misato."
She sighed, unfulfilled by such emptiness that now surrounded her, but she knew now that her priority had become Shinji and Unit 01. She looked at her surroundings and began inspecting it all, from the walls to the piping, from the rooms to the Main Tactics room. Seele had decided to recreate everything, to the minutest detail in order to give Shinji a more similar surrounding. But she did not expect everything to be so exact as it was now. It was eerie seeing everything, so much, she expected Dr. Ritzuko to walk in the dock at any time. She was sure Shinji must have felt the same way before, and he probably would have expected more when he was told that he would share housing with Takihiro. Too bad all plans had gone awry. Now, Shinji was confined in Nerv, for god knows how long. And the more Misato thought about it, the more she realized that she would be suffering confinement as well.
"Misato!" She turned to see Daniella calling her, with Takihiro behind her. "We have to go."
"Why?" She asked. "What's going on?"
"Seele is here."
=====
"Enemy units standing in sector A5 are now on the move. We are yet to make visual contact."
"Large movement around second target area. ECM system is in full deployment by enemy units."
"Fighters approaching third target. Awaiting order for visual contact."
"Enemy dropships have lifted-off. Number of deployed units is unknown."
Takihiro, Daniella and Misato walked into the midst of chaos. Sub-Commander Evans was directing the entire scenario, in Takihiro's place, readying an effective defense against the invading force. Commander Ikari had began arranging the evacuation of unnecessary personnel, as well as laying out Unit 01's escape route. Around them both, dozens of officers ran back and forth between their terminals and others. Orders and commands were voiced over person-to-person, by shouting, or loudspeaker. In the main monitor, the mountains were visible, but the hidden enemy had kept themselves concealed truly well between trees and rock outcrops. In the 3-dimensional topographical map, below the screen, points and marks, representing support vehicles and infantry, were moving around, rearranging themselves into their respective positions. Nerv's mobile armor, consisting of a battalion, and infantry, a company, seemed to be playing a game of ordered chaos as each unit found their preset place. Their mech battalion, meanwhile, awaited Takihiro's direct orders for deployment and organization.
"What do you know about the ECM units?" Takihiro asked as he walked behind his three new aides.
"We haven't been able to recognize those units. Radar can't pick them, probes have yet to be deployed, and our fighters are awaiting orders to contact enemy units."
"Are they stand stills?"
"No, sir. The area of cover has been in constant move, but the moment we think they have minimal coverage, another unit replaces it."
"Then give me a print out of movement speed, times of switch, as well as amount of time it takes to replace one ECM unit for another." He ordered before he moved to talk privately with the Commanders, and mentioned for Daniella and Misato to join him.
"You also suspect them of having a battalion?" Evans asked.
"Yeah, I do," answered Takihiro. "I also expect them to be well supplied. But we have the advantage in being at the home base."
"But they will surround us," added Misato.
"They will, but they haven't yet. I don't know why, but they could be waiting for aerial support."
"They're not," said Ikari. "They're waiting for Unit 01. The moment the Eva shows itself outside Central, they will bombard us, and then send their units down to destroy whatever forces we have left. We are fortunate we reside within Terra and no atmospheric bombardment will occur."
"Why no atmospheric bombardment?" Misato asked.
"Because Terra has been labeled neutral territory," answered Evans, "and no fighting is allowed within it. Of course, some people tend to bend the rules. In this case, Seele will not bombard for two reasons. One, atmospheric bombardment will attract the attention of espionage transmissions, and second, since long range bombardment is not as precise as unit bombardment, because of distance, they might hit Unit 01."
"Then why don't we hit them first?" Daniella asked.
"We could," Evans said, "but we would only hit part of their forces. We don't know how well distributed they are, or where their long-range artillery is."
"True," said Misato. "But shouldn't we first draw them out, before they commence firing?"
"I'm seriously thinking about it," said Takihiro as one of the aides handed him printed report he had requested. "But if I draw one side out, how do I know I'm dragging their artillery out into the open?"
"We use our fighters," said Ikari. "We divide them into three companies, and have them hit an enemy point respectively. Once their cover is blown, we use sniper equipment to destroy their ECM units."
"There are three ECM units traveling at a speed of 65 KPH," said Takihiro as he read the report, "with a difference of one to two minutes between them. These are reconnaissance mechs, obviously, and they're probably equipped with Angel ECMs, BAP systems, and TAGs for their artillery. I'm guessing, since Seele seems to be very old fashioned, that they're using Ravens. Now, I want two assaults ready for sniper duty as well as Unit 01 with its HH Gauss Rifle. Both assault mechs will wait outside for cue, but Unit 01 will have its position from inside one of the mech bays. I don't want to give Seele a chance to attack before we do."
"We can't do that." Daniella added. "Shinji is not capable of killing, and he never will be ready. It will be even worse if he is told that he has to kill someone."
"Misato?" Asked Takihiro. "Is this true?"
"If we force Shinji," answered Misato, "or if we trick him into, he could go into shock. And that would make Unit 01 to go berserk."
"Berserk?" Asked Takihiro. "That's what happened to Unit 01 during initial testing."
Takihiro thought about the new element introduced, now, into the battlefield. Unit 01 going berserk was actually a point for Nerv, but in that state the Eva tended to be unpredictable and it could easily turn against them. But if pushed correctly, then Unit 01 could become their one and only hope.
"Let's go ahead and proceed as planned," he said.
"Are you certain about this, Commander?" Asked Evans.
"Allow me to do what I am here for, and I will do it well."
=====
"Shinji, do you remember the Pulsitron rifle?" Misato asked
"Yes."
"We're giving you a smaller version of it. It's more lightweight, more accurate, and more powerful. So now you have a higher accuracy rate than the .00001 percentage we had last time."
Everyone turned to Misato when she mentioned this.
"Long story," she said. "If we survive, I'll tell you all about it."
"Shinji," Takihiro said, "the rifle you are carrying is a rail gun called Gauss rifle. Its barrel is composed of a series of electro magnetically charged sectors and isolation areas, which propel the shell towards the barrel nozzle. And since there is no friction, the projectile can achieve a speed of at least Mach 5. Because the rifle is not attached to Unit 01, like it would to any other mech with allocation slots, there is a small chance of error due to outside interferences like wind velocity and weight. That's why you will be stationed inside one of the mech bays looking outside. You'll be blocked from wind, and you will be able to rest the rifle on one of the railings."
"What's my target?" Shinji asked.
"There are three, but you'll have to hit only one. The targets are Raven mechs, and though I don't have an exact variant, I am sending you a visual of what they look like, but they are all used for reconnaissance and undercover operations. Right now the three out there are hiding several units within their respective covert areas, and the hidden units are all powered down. I'm about to send several fighters to engage the three enemy groups and have them activate their radars. Once fighting has began, you, and the other two mechs, will have a time window of about 15 seconds to find and destroy you respective enemy mechs. It's 15 seconds because that's how long it takes the rifle to reload a slug and cool down. Also 15 because I doubt my fighters will be able to hold down for thirty. Is that understood?"
"Yes."
"Then proceed to the second mech bay, and await further orders."
Unit 01 moved down to the corridor adjoining the rest of the mech bays. Meanwhile, Takihiro turned to his three aides and started arranging orders of operation.
"What's a Pulsitron rifle?" Takihiro asked without looking back at Misato.
"Oh," said Misato smiling awkwardly. "I'd forgotten about that. It wasn't really a rifle, but rather an impromptu creation that used charged ion particles to create a beam that could penetrate an angel's AT field."
"Just like our PPCs, except we use plasma from a reactor to create a beam."
"And how are they connected to the mech?" Misato asked this time.
"A reactor itself drives the mech. The PPC simply siphons off excess energy into it until it is ready to fire."
"Well, in our case, since we used electricity, we pretty much blacked out an entire city to feed the rifle. Not very convenient by your standards."
"And hopefully, not by yours either," said Daniella.
"The blackout was so bad, we weren't allowed to use it again."
"Commander Takihiro."
Takihiro turned to see Kadena and Yuri standing at the doorway, saluting him. Immediately, he grew frustrated. After the incident with Tenku, he had ordered them both relieved of their duties for the time being, until everything in Nerv had resumed under its normal order of operations. He was also giving them enough time, which was traditional, to mourn for Tenku's death. But having them here would be an emotional baggage for him, and more baggage than a war, he did not need.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"We decided to stay, Commander," Kadena said. "We can't leave, and simply allow someone else to perform our assigned duties."
"Forgive us, Commander," Yuri added bowing, and Kadena following after her. "But the needs of all are greater than those of us."
"I don't care. I gave you a direct order, and you disobeyed it. Right now your intentions amount to nothing because you ignored what I said in the first place."
"Commander Takihiro," interrupted Evans, "I understand that your officer's breach of command should result in severe penalties. But at the moment, we surely need every available hand capable of assisting us."
"Commander Ikari?" Asked Takihiro turning to Gendou. "What is your say in this?"
"That, I leave to you, Commander," Ikari said. "Your officers are your responsibility, and this decision should be made as you see fit."
Takihiro thought about it, and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. Allowing both, Kadena and Yuri, back into service would supply him with trained personnel. Also, it would occupy both of their minds from depressing thoughts, just like it was to him. And at this moment, he wanted everyone he knew he could trust next to him. But if he relieved all three of his new aides, then one spot would be left vacant. He began thinking about possible replacements, when he looked to the side and found the perfect one.
"Alright," he said finally pointing a finger at them both. "I will accept your return. But mark my words that once this is over, we will seriously discuss this. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir." They both answered in unison.
"I'm not done yet," he said before they had a chance to sit down. "I will be adding a new officer, and I will be re-arranging tasks. Kadena, you will take Tactics, while Yuri, I'm assigning you to Com-command. As of this moment, there are only five minutes until contact. Sit down, glance through orders and get to work."
"Yes, sir."
"And who's taking Statistics?" Daniella asked.
"You are," he said.
Daniella was about to protest, but upon seeing the seriousness of Takihiro's expression, she decided against it. The three new aides were immediately relieved and ordered back to their regular commands, while Takihiro's officers and Daniella took their seats and readied themselves for the task ahead.
"Kadena," Takihiro said. "I'm waiting on our fighters."
"Roger that, Commander," Kadena answered. "Countdown to begin in T minus 90 seconds until initial contact. Company Alpha, coming in North-northwest. Company Beta, coming in East-northeast. Company Kappa, coming in East- Southeast."
"Nerv Alpha Wing is now online, Commander," said Yuri. "I'm putting Captain Johan online."
"This is Alpha Wing Captain, Johan, online, Commander," a thundering voice filled the room. "We are armed and ready. Any further instructions before contact, over."
"Proceed as planned, Captain," Takihiro responded. "Good luck and good hunting."
"Roger, Commander."
"Yuri, allow feed over intercom and loudspeaker."
"Roger, Commander."
The room filled with the voices of pilots as they said their customary salutes and catch phrases. Some were wonderfully said, others were simply bad words, while others wished their companions and Nerv good luck. All in all, 36 pilots, and 12 co-pilots paid their respects to each other and their families. Some of the officers inside the Tactics Room stopped to listen, others tried to busy themselves with work, and others held their breath in expectation. But they all hoped, in a true sincere wish, that all 48 men and women flying out there, would come back alive.
"Contact," Kadena's voice boomed in the room, "T minus 5."
"4."
"3."
"2."
"1."
"Fire at will," came the order, followed by confirmation of 36 fighters hitting exactly, around, or close to their targets.
"No enemy response--"
"Turning back for second--"
"I'M HIT!"
"I just lost a lance!"
"Incoming fire from--"
"Ejecting! Ejecting!"
"Enemy on radar!"
"What the--? I have a damned Rifleman shooting down my--"
"Commander, we have two Riflemen shooting down our fighters."
"Acknowledged, but where are the Ravens!"
"This is mech lance leader Stevens in 111th. I have Raven mech visual."
"Fire at will."
"This is mech pilot Elias in 321st. I also have Raven mech visual."
"Fighter down! I'm down to one Flight--"
"Second wave coming back--"
"Where's the third Raven?"
"I have no visual! I can't fire until I have a-- I see it! I see it!"
"Fighter Company Pride is pulling out--"
"We can't hold out any--"
"Shinji! Do you have a visual!"
"I have one! I have a visual!"
"Fire at will! If you have a Raven, within your sights, fire at will!"
Nothing was said for a second that seemed more of an eternity. But immediately, following the never ending second, all three suspected enemy groups were lit up by several red markings. The enemy units had been revealed.
"Enemy mechs approaching!" Kadena shouted. "I have 6 Catapults coming in within firing distance. Three are coming in from North-northwest, the other three East-northeast!"
"I have multiple mech readings!" Yuri added. "Two full companies. They are accompanied by armor and infantry!"
"Have fighters fire upon the Catapults!" Takihiro ordered.
"Negative!" Responded Daniella. "We are down to seven fighters. Those Riflemen are destroying them!"
"Have them pull back then!" Takihiro said. "Have turrets fire! To all lance leaders! Prepare to engage the enemy! Armored unit, stand behind your respective mech lances!"
"Catapults are within distance and have began firing!"
Immediately a shock was felt in the room as each missile hit close, or exactly, upon the building. Debris began to fall, though large damage was still to be seen.
"Mech bay areas 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 have been destroyed. We just lost five lances!"
"Our fighter have been completely destroyed!"
"Enemy units have passed 1st perimeter!"
"We are beginning to engage enemy units!"
"Unit 01 is leaving mech bay 2, and has entered the battlefield!"
Takihiro looked at the mess that lay in front of him. The fight would be long and hard, but he knew that many lives, not only of his crew, but those of even who knew not the events that were happening, were dependent upon his choices. And as he took a deep breath, he made up his mind and left the room running, communicating to everyone still inside the room of the choice he had just made.