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While You Were Sleeping
Chapter Sixteen: Preparations
"This is madness Skipper." Shinji grinned at the young blue-haired captain. "You're mad as well sir."
"It's brilliant," Gambit corrected.
"If this is brilliant, then its so far beyond me that it looks like sheer stupidity," Levant said.
"I take it we have your support," Shinji said.
"I'll have you know I like madness," Levant said, "unfortunately. I'm pretty sure we all do. Let me hear this once more and I'll see if I can spot any brilliance in it."
"Alright," Shinji said. "We march to within one klick of the Tokyo-2 Defense Perimeter and call in the air strike."
"With our one H-Jet?" Levant asked.
"Five more are coming," Gambit said. "They're carrying a new toy that Doc Akagi just made."
"Which is. . .?"
"Super napalm," Shinji said. "We're going to scorch the Earth. Burn everything above the ground."
"Of course," Levant said. "Then we move in, right?"
"Right," Shinji said. "They won't be expecting that."
"Mainly because its suicidal," Levant said.
"Then we assault the fortress," Shinji said.
"Right," Levant said. "What kind of casualty rate are we talking about here?"
"One hundred percent," Shinji said. "Eighty percent killed."
"Only eighty?" Levant asked in surprise.
"Low estimate," Shinji said with a shrug.
"Do you really think that the soldiers will followed you to their deaths?" Levant asked. "Without soldiers I doubt even you would try it. . ." he paused, "again."
"They'll do it," Shinji said. "After all, you are all just like me."
"If that's true then God help the Saviors."
(:ii:)
Asuka felt her jaw dropping as she listened to Shinji elaborate his plan. "That's insane."
"It'll work," Maria said.
"How can you agree to go along with this?" Asuka demanded. "Is it because you owe Shinji your life or something? I'm sure he wouldn't want you to repay a debt by dying."
"It isn't that," Maria said. "Though he probably has saved just about everyone here at one time or another and we saved him. It's how Genesis work."
"Then why?" Asuka asked.
"Because he's right," Maria said. "We're just like him. You joined this war because it felt right to you. You were fighting for a cause you believe in. We're fighting this war for money. We got into the business for love of money and war." Asuka stared at the woman she had once thought she understood.
"I guess I really don't understand," Asuka said.
"I never thought you would," Maria said. "Go talk to Skip about it." Asuka nodded and turned back to look at Shinji. Levant and Gambit were gone, leaving the Captain to stare at his map.
"Shinji?"
"Hello Asuka," the man said without looking up. Asuka sat down across the table from him. There was one thing she truly needed to know.
"Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Shinji asked.
"Were you about to stop fighting and leave with Hikari before I came along?" Asuka asked.
"Hikari had her facts mixed up," Shinji said. "I had agreed to leave Japan with her. I never agreed to stop fighting. I don't know if I even could."
"Why?" Asuka asked.
"I like war," Shinji said. "There's no other reason for it."
"No sane person likes war!" Asuka snapped.
"You're right there," Shinji said. "Of course you're talking to a man who fights wars for a living so you can probably take a guess at my sanity."
"So Maria was right?" Asuka asked. "She said that all of you fight wars for the money and the enjoyment."
"That's right," Shinji said, "well all live for the thrill. Even if we didn't live for war, I know I could never have left this war unfinished."
"Why not?" Asuka snapped. "You aren't getting any money for this."
Money is important, but so are your fellow mercenaries," Shinji said. "These people are my family. I've seen too many of them killed to just let the Saviors walk away."
"So this is all about your own personal vendetta?"
"Our personal vendetta." Asuka turned and watched as Gambit sat back down. "Our men in NERV want to know when we're going."
"Within a week. We'll have to do it at twenty-three hundred sharp," Shinji said. "That's the only time when the GPS satellites are in position to give us exact fixes."
"I thought you could always get a fix," Asuka said.
"Back when there were more then three satellites you probably could have," Shinji said with a shrug.
"I see," Asuka commented. "If we win then this is going to be a battle for the text books."
"It won't matter," Shinji said. "Once everything has settled down again no one will care about a war between mercenaries. Everything we do here will be forgotten. We aren't the kinds of people that can be looked up to. We're the kind that a government calls in when they're about to loose and then they'll force us away as soon as they win."
"Stigma of being a mercenary," Gambit said.
"Actually," Shinji began, "I kind of take some pride in that."
"Me too," Gambit said. Asuka frowned.
"I really can't honestly say that I take pride in that."
"That's fine," Shinji said calmly. "At least I can count on you to not just go and agree with a crowd. Hell, that's the reason I wanted you on Genesis."
"You wanted me here?" Asuka demanded. Shinji nodded. "Well you had one hell of a way of showing it," Asuka growled.
"I like to think of it as tough love," Shinji said with a smirk.
(:ii:)
Asuka stared around the camp and sat down. No matter how hard she looked she couldn't find any grim expressions. Even looks of disinterest were far and few between. They looked eager. There was something deep inside Asuka that felt the same way. "Did you talk to Skipper?" Asuka turned and saw Maria standing beside her.
"Yeah," Asuka said. She laughed suddenly.
"What?" Maria asked as she sat down.
"When I was little I studied the mentality of Japanese soldiers in World War II," Asuka explained. "They were all so self-sacrificing that I couldn't understand it at the time."
"And now?" Maria asked.
"Now I think I understand it a little," Asuka said, "but they were all so grim. I see the same fanatical people here and they all seem so happy. I don't understand."
"We've given up our humanity," Maria said. "No human could slaughter his fellow man without leaving it behind. With it goes fear, hatred, and all those other little feelings."
"So you don't hate the Saviors?" Asuka asked.
"Of course not," Maria said. "They're soldiers, just like us. Our training is so similar that we're almost interchangeable. We've been fighting each other for a while now and we've had to suffer through the same things, often together."
"Then why all of this?" Asuka asked.
"Revenge isn't hatred," Maria explained. "This needs to be done." Asuka stared at the woman and leaned back against an ammo crate.
"What would you do if you survive?" Asuka asked.
"Find who else survived and go find a new war," Maria said cheerfully. "What else would I do?"
"How about settling down and starting a family with Richey?" Asuka asked. Maria shook her head, laughing.
"Do you really think I would make a good mother?"
"No," Asuka answered truthfully.
"Besides," Maria said, "I hate peace. I really can't stand it. I guess I'm just too much like the Skipper in the end."
(:ii:)
Shinji looked around the equipment tent and adjusted his old, worn military-style short-billed baseball cap. He picked up the heavy .408-caliber rifle and slung it over his shoulder. He stepped out of the tent and looked at the fifteen men standing in formation. "Alright," Shinji said. "We've gone over the specifics. Any questions?"
"No sir." Shinji nodded and adjusted the strap of his rifle.
"I would like to remind everyone that this is a recon mission," Shinji said. "The name scout sniper is more then just a fancy title. There will be no firing unless seen and even then your first option is a knife. Clear?"
"Yes sir!"
"Alright then," Shinji said. "Let's move out."
(:ii:)
"You're kidding right?" Asuka asked as she stared at the weapon. "I'm not carrying that."
"Come on El Tee," Maria said brightly. "Men dig chicks with big guns."
"I'm not exactly interested in that kind of man," Asuka said as she experimentally picked up the Type-3 rifle.
"Well you carry this or you run into battle with a pistol," Maria said. "Nothing wrong with that. I know a few of the other officers are thinking about it, but they're just crazy."
"Crazy," Asuka repeated as she hefted the massive weapon, "right."
"Well the real fun is that you can mount a grenade launcher and a bayonet at the same time." Asuka frowned. She remembered the bayonet lessons in basic training too well. They had given her nightmares.
(:ii:)
Shinji stared down at the city and scratched his chin. "Get ready for a pulse."
"Ready sir," the sniper next to Shinji said. Shinji thumbed the switch on the side of the infrared laser designator. The light on the side of the boxy device flashed to show that the invisible beam had pulsed. "Got it sir." The sniper turned to the map laid next to his infrared binoculars. Shinji lowered the designator and brought his .408 to his shoulder. They were far from Tokyo-2, too far for even the .408 to be reliable. "Alright sir, I have the coordinates."
"Good," Shinji said. He checked his watch. The other seven sniper teams would be done by now. The eight teams had been set up in an octagon around the Psycho and Savior base to get the coordinates for the best locations to be bombed. Once done the eight maps would be combined and the H-Jets would use the final product for their bombing run. "Let's begin to fall back." Shinji took one last look at the city and walked away. Soon it would all be a pile of scorched ruble.
(:ii:)
"This is the latest reading?" Gambit asked.
"Yes sir," the corporal said. Gambit frowned slightly. He wished he knew the man's name. Shinji would have known. 'I hate being out of the loop.'
"This is good," Gambit said as he laid down the weather reports. There was a storm of some kind moving in. It would hit Japan in three days. "We're going to move out within two days."
"Really?" the corporal asked.
"Keep it quiet," Gambit said. "Let's let the Skipper break the good news when he comes back."
"Yes sir," the corporal said.
"Good," Gambit said. "You know, I would hate to have to exclude you from the battle. That may happen if I hear one work of this, understand?"
"Yes sir!" Gambit grinned and leaned back in his chair. He was looking forward to this.
End
(:ii:)
Author's notes. Not action packed, not at all. This is merely a bridge chapter with some insight into Asuka's thoughts on what is happening around her.