Disclaimer: Crap, how many times have I put this up here?
Author's Note: As the name of this and the next chapter will imply, these two chapters are a 'break in the action.'
Vandread: The Unknown Soldier (Revised)
Chapter Twenty-One: Interlude, Part One
Location: Main Hangar, S.D.S. Whirlwind.
Slowly, almost delicately, the small assault craft positioned itself in the designated landing area of the hangar. The thrusters switched position from horizontal to vertical, to allow the craft cushion it's landing. Not long after it's landing struts touched the deck, the hangar began to re-pressurize. As soon as that was finished, the rear bay door of the craft lowered, effectively becoming a ramp to allow several soldiers wearing heavy black armor to disembark. Two others walked down the ramp as well.
Aidan glanced around, almost relieved that he was on a familiar ship. It had been a while since he had set foot on an SDF vessel. He glanced over to his right to notice a Striker locked into it's gantry. Techs had just started to work on it, replacing armor and damaged components as needed. He was jolted out of staring at the damaged machine by someone shouting his name.
"Hey, Mercer!" Damon called from across the hangar, loud enough to be heard over the sounds of the repairs.
"What?" he answered back as he jogged over to where Damon stood next to a communications panel on the wall.
"Just finished speaking with the Colonel," Damon said. "He would like to have a word with you, and that woman over there."
"When?" he asked.
"As soon as you can," came Damon's reply.
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After getting off the shuttle, Meia stretched her sore muscles. Apparently, they don't build those things with comfort in mind, she thought bitterly. She then heard Aidan being called over by the man who'd released them. The hangar was bustling with activity, mostly technicians and repair crews working on damaged machines. No one seemed to pay attention to her, for they were busy performing their duties. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Aidan walking up to her.
"What did he say?" she asked, more out of curiosity than any real desire to know.
"My commanding officer would like me to report to his office as soon as possible, and he wants you to come along as well," Aidan replied.
"Well then," she said. "It would be best if we did not keep him waiting then."
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Aidan brought himself up to attention as he pressed the intercom button next to the door of the Colonel's office. Meia was standing right beside him. He then spoke.
"Captain Aidan Mercer," he said.
"Enter," the Colonel replied.
He then stepped through the door and brought his right hand up in a salute, immediately followed by Meia. "Reporting as ordered, sir."
"Captain Aidan Mercer," Colonel Albrecht said. "Nice of you to join us after so long, you were labeled as missing in action when the Artemis never reported in."
"Well sir, that's a long story," he replied.
The man known as Karl Albrecht stood slightly taller than Aidan and had a well fit, muscular frame. His brush-cut hair was black, with a few gray streaks running throughout it. His eyes were also gray, but the most noticeable feature was the long, crescent-shaped scar that ran from right below his right eye to his jaw. He was in his early forties.
"I'm sure, but we'll get into those details later," Albrecht replied, then shifted his attention. "Now, you're the one who sent out that encoded message from that planet, didn't you?"
Meia stepped forward slightly and replied. "Yes, and my name is Meia Gisborn."
"Are you, perhaps, one of those people that defeated Earth when they attacked your home?" Albrecht asked.
"If you mean their attack on the Tarak/Mejale system, then yes," Meia replied. "I was part of the squadron that spearheaded the attack on them."
"Now," Albrecht turned back to Aidan. "You were about to explain what exactly happened after the Artemis disappeared?"
"Yes sir," he replied as he started to explain it to his commander.
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Major Owens didn't want to believe what he'd just heard, but what Maria and these pirates had just told him was more than true. The Artemis was destroyed and the entire crew dead. Only Maria and a special forces soldier acting as her temporary bodyguard had made it off the ship alive. He'd been told that the soldier, a one Captain Mercer, had activated the self-destruct system on the crippled vessel to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. And then he'd been told of the assassination attempt on Miss Shakov's life. A lone assassin masqueraded as one of this ship's crew and attempted to kill her, but failed. They also told that they retreated into this nebula to get away from an encroaching E.D.A. fleet.
"Corporal, get back to the shuttle and contact the Dauntless, tell them we have located the late Prime Minister's daughter, and inform them that this ship is not hostile," he ordered one of his troopers. The man saluted and went to do as ordered. Boy, I'm going to have to file one hell of a report on this.
"So if what you're telling me is true," he said, turning back to the old woman who'd identified herself as the Captain of this ship. "Then, there is an E.D.A. fleet currently outside this nebula?"
"Yes, there is," the old woman replied. "Once they started to pursue us again, we decided to take cover in the nebula, and hoped they wouldn't follow."
"Damn," he muttered. "So, who are you guys, really?"
"We're pirates," the old woman replied. "And we hail from the dual system of Mejale/Tarak."
"Pirates, eh?" he said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "Looks like you're going to have to have a talk with the Admiral, he is on board the Dauntless. We'll radio over to get clearance for you."
"Good, I'd like to meet this Admiral of yours," the old woman replied.
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Daniel Harwell at on the edge of the operating table as the long-haired doctor treated his wound. He didn't very much like the feeling of being shot, especially from some woman wielding a heavy automatic weapon. From her looks, he didn't think she could even hold the weapon properly, let alone fire it and remain standing. But looks were deceiving, they always were. He glanced over to where the upper half of his body armor suit lay, along with his weapons and equipment, on a table a fair distance away from him.
The woman in question was also in the infirmary, but not for the same reasons as him. She stood there, intently watching him, her holster unsnapped and her hand near her pistol, ready to sue it at a moment's notice. There was really no huge need for that, for he wasn't going to try anything. He probably would receive enough flak from the rest of his unit, being the only one captured, and by a woman no less. He did not want to die a pointless death, either.
"You still don't get it, do you?" he asked the dark-haired woman.
"Don't get what?" she replied, in a not too friendly tone.
"Don't get the fact that we're technically on the same side," he replied.
"Yeah," she replied sarcastically. "Like I want to believe that from someone who attacked us first, without so much as a warning."
"Well, what do you expect?" he countered. "An unknown ship just comes waltzing in without so much as a warning. Also, it's an unknown, possible hostile. What do you expect from a combat fleet that's been on edge ever since their last defeat?"
"So, just because you were defeated, you guys decided to take out your aggression on us?" she asked, her voice still not very friendly.
"That's not entirely it," he replied, locking his gaze with hers. "It's mission security, we don't want you guys revealing the location of our fleet to the enemy."
"There, finished," the doctor said, interrupting their spirited conversation. "Luckily, most of the bullets didn't penetrate, and the ones that did only grazed you. As it stands, you have a couple of cuts and some bruises."
Just then, someone walked through the entrance of the infirmary. It was a young man with medium-length blonde hair. The soldier he recognized as Private Rawlins saluted and then spoke up. "Are you alright, sir?"
"Yes, I'm fine, Private," he replied as he got up off the operating table.
"Sir, we just got the order, we're going to head back to the Dauntless," Rawlins said.
"Alright," he replied. "Let me get my gear, and I'll be in the hangar in a few minutes."
"Alright, sir," Rawlins said, then left his sight.
Daniel walked over to his gear, and started to put it back on. Once he was finished with gauntlets of his suit, he picked up his weapons and helmet, and started to walk out the door. Before he did that, he looked over at where the woman was standing.
"It's been nice 'chatting' with you," he said as way of parting shot before he exited the infirmary, not allowing her the time to respond.
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After being dismissed, Meia was being escorted around by a member of Aidan's team. She was dismissed when Aidan's commanding officer wanted to speak with him privately. She had no problem with that, as what they were going to talk about most likely didn't concern her. Aidan had already informed his commander of the events after the Artemis and up to being caught by the E.D.A.
Julia Marks, the woman that she was currently following, was not much taller than her, but had a slightly muscular build. Her dark blond hair was kept short, most likely by preference. Since they have not and currently could not locate the Nirvana, she would be staying on this for a while. Personally, she didn't all that comfortable, as this was an unfamiliar ship, and she know no one, except Aidan.
"This is where you'll be bunking for the time being," Julia said as they stopped in front of a door.
"Okay," was her only reply.
"There's a fresh uniform in one of the lockers," Julia said. "As you don't want to stand out too much on this ship."
"Makes sense," she replied.
"Well, I've got to get back to my duties," Julia said. "Later."
"Alright," she replied and then walked into the room.
I need a shower. That thought was on her mind for a while now. She didn't like the smell of that jungle she'd crashed on, and she wanted to get the smell of that place off of her mind.
She took off the accessory that her mother had given her, as well as her laser ring, and put them into a drawer next to one of the bunks. She then proceeded to take off her pilot suit. As soon as she stepped out of that, she tossed it onto the bunk. She grabbed a towel and headed for the shower. She stepped inside and drew the door shut.
She pressed the stud that would activate the hot water. A second later, jets of hot, but not scalding, water sprayed all over her nude form. The warm water felt good on her bare skin, but there was still something that was bothering her. It was that conversation between Aidan and that person he'd labeled traitor.
Did Aidan really kill an innocent woman and child? That was the most nagging and disturbing thought that had been bugging her. It seemed that the only way for it to be resolved was to ask him about it. The only problem was, when would be the right time to ask him? She decided she was going to ask him, so she could hopefully get it off her mind. She let the spraying water to wash away all of her other worries.
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There will be a conversation between and Aidan and Meia concerning that mission in the next chapter. Also, the next chapter is an add-on, as it is not present in the original version of the story.