"He's been doing this for four hours now. Loop after loop. At the same exact spot. Except when something flew in or off. He escorted every Gunship and the Companion off. Heck, he even escorted the Shuttle with the Engineers Coruscant sent to the island. Other than that he just flew loop over loop over that point." The Queen explained to Ami and Rei who just joined her at the monitor that now showed SunTzu and AICA from above. "When ordered to fly to the Hangar, he declines and states that not every member of the Taskforce is back at the Far Side yet."
"It's the point where Marvin died. You know, when Saturn is standing guard over the battlefield after the end of the fighting? He is doing basically the same." Ami replied.
"Great as if one person doing this stuff already wouldn't be creepy enough." Rei chimed in. "How is he?"
"We don't know. He just answers in a strict military tone. But apparently he's not a danger to us." Usagi told, not knowing more than anybody else.
"So how many people did we really loose?" Rei asked, with a worried face.
"Till now? Just Marvin. Which is hard enough. One of the Commando teams found Taego floating in the ocean and pulled him out of his cockpit before his fighter sank. He lost a leg and Setsuna reckoned he's more dead than alive. He's In the surgery room right now." Usagi sighed. Even one dead was more than enough.
Parts of Team 1 and Sailor Saturn were the last members of the Taskforce on the island.
SunTzu curved in next to the Gunship and followed it down to the beach where it landed hovering next to it.
The four remaining members of Team 1 climbed into the Larty. Saturn stopped at the side door and looked over to SunTzu. They both nodded to each other and she entered the Gunship as last member of the Task Force. The ship lifted off and AICA followed on point.
He followed it spacewards to the Far Side and fell in between the small Star Destroyer and the Companion, like he would escort them too.
"Lieutenant, you have clearance to land, proceed accordingly." Flight Control came over the com.
"Negative Control. I'll be on escort till every member of the Taskforce has been accounted for."
"Lieutenant, proceed to land. Over."
"Negative Control. Not every Taskforce Member has been accounted for yet."
In the Mission Center the Queen and Ami looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
"I know what this is." Setsuna walked up from behind, wearing a lab coat. "He's shellshocked."
She took a headset and switched to the tactical channel.
"Lieutenant SunTzu, be advised. All Taskforce Personnel have been accounted for. Mission accomplished. Proceed to land." She ordered him in harsh commanding tone.
Immediately AICA swung around and moved off to the Hangar opening of the Far Side.
"Get everybody that is not a Senshi out of this hangar." Serenity ordered and left the room, the two Senshi following her.
SunTzu landed AICA and their designated landing spot. Ever since the Attack AICA was shutdown, the energy flow too much for her circuits.
When he touched down, she came back on.
"That was something else. I really had to proceed this first." The KI came back. "How are you?"
Tired, exhausted. And still angry. He liked to open the canopy and throw his fucking helmet through the whole hangar and scream out his frustration. He couldn't save Marvin. He failed.
"Im tired AICA. And I feel ashamed. That burst of the force. It was definitely not the light side."
"But you probably saved a lot of lives with it. Although I was busy processing and trying to not burn out my circuits I was on enough to witness what you did. Do you think the Commandos would have found that less of opposition without your actions? Or that every other Pilot would have gotten home?"
He clenched his teeth.
"Still. I became a monster. I became what Michiru foresaw in her mirror."
"I'm a machine, a computer and although I learn and adept and might be even able to show emotions I see things more objective than humans, so my interpretation of good and evil probably differs from the one human's see but what I see was that after Marvin's dead you single-handedly beat any threat for your comrades. Think about it"
He put his hand on his chest and went internal.
AICA opened her canopy.
Michiru and Haruka were waiting next to the fighter. Ever since they landed they stayed in the hangar, waiting for SunTzu. Michiru still had traces from the tears rolling down her face on her mascara.
Near them stood Sailor Saturn in her guarding stance, Glaive up, just staring towards the A-Wing.
The canopy opened, revealing a tired looking SunTzu, gone completely, totally zoned out.
"Fuck!" Haruka let out a small curse.
She walked up to AICA and climbed up next to him.
"You good, Mate?" She asked him.
"I'm tired Haruka." He asked, not looking in her face.
"I can imagine. Quite a show you provided there."
He looked up in her eyes, trying to find hints of anger or shock. He couldn't find any.
She offered him her hand and he took it, getting up his seat.
He took a look around the hangar, apart from the three Senshi and a worried looking Karlena the hangar was empty.
He got out and stood there for a moment, looking like limp dishrag, staring down to the floor.
Haruka put her hands on his right shoulder and squeezed, she had seen better days too.
Michiru came over and and took the left side. They both hooked in under him, Michiru put his hand on his shoulder. They stood there for a moment in silence, Michiru was crying again.
"That was not fair." SunTzu flustered. "I'm a monster. It should have been me instead of Marvin."
"Shhh, don't say that. You're actions safed a lot of lives today. We wouldn't have taken that beach so easy without you." Haruka laid her head on his and the three of them stared out of the hangar shield, into space.
The door glided open and the Queen, with Ami and Setsuna behind her entered the room. The three pilots didn't notice her, while she slowly moved towards her three grieving guardians.
They just noticed her when she almost was standing behind them and only because the clicking of her heels on the floor of the hangar.
They turned around and were surprised to find the Queen standing there.
The trio straightened up.
"I'm sorry my Queen." SunTzu looked in her face and he couldn't hold back anymore, tears shot down his face. "I couldn't safe everybody today." He sobbed while Haruka struggled to not to cry too.
She had a grim look on her face when she replied.
"No. I failed you." The last words were a mere fluster. She stepped forward and embraced him, letting him cry onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry." She flustered an leaned into him too. He could feel she was crying too now. "I didn't want anybody to die."
For a moment they stayed like this, embracing each other crying, the two Outer Senshi joined the embrace, Michiru crying shakingly and even Haruka had a single tear run down her face.
Then the Queen raised her head again.
"I'm sorry i put that burden on you. I failed to guard us. I failed to prevent this war."
Haruka looked up and put on a neutral face again.
"Don't be stupid bun head. We did everything we could to prevent this war. Some things even exceed your powers." Haruka said.
"Sailor Uranus is right. You did what you could Usa-Chan. But this is war and we knew it would come. And every war has its victims although I wished we would haven't had to experience that. Marvin gave his life for the cause, we have to honor that with our actions now. And crying doesn't let us win this war."
The King stepped up and Usagi fell onto his chest, sobbing.
SunTzu took all his strength together to straighten up and was about to salute, when Mamoru put his hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you Lieutenant. You safed a lot of our Soldiers today."
"Thank you, King Endymion." SunTzu said with a quiet voice, looking to the floor.
"Now get some rest. All of you."
That said he hooked in Usagi after another hug and a kiss on her forehead, wiped away her tears and lead her out of the room, Ami following the two.
The three pilots looked after them, Saturn and Setsuna came over, they were standing aside, Setsuna had her hand laying over her adoptive daughter's shoulder.
Even Setsuna had a warm, empathic look on her face when she approached them.
"I'm sorry for your loss. Marvin was a great pilot and man." She condoled them.
"He was." Haruka nodded with a forced smile.
Setsuna stepped over to still crying Michiru and gave the younger Senshi a tight hug. Michiru was sobbing into Setsuna's lab coat. "Come on, I'll bring you to your room."
"Haruka, take care of SunTzu, I'll see you later." Michiru told to Haruka and gave her a fleeting kiss.
The doctor then lead her fellow Senshi out of the the room. Saturn nodded silently to SunTzu and Haruka and followed after them.
When she was at the door, she turned around. "Thanks for taking care of that fortifications. We wouldn't have made it without casualties without that." Then she disappeared too.
"And now?" Haruka told, wiping her face.
"I could use a cigarette." SunTzu stated.
"Now that you mention it. Me too."
Karlena came over, a piece of cloth in her hand, handing it over to SunTzu. She looked sad too, but comforted the two in a maternal way.
"Here, blow your nose. I'm so sorry Guys. He was such a great guy." He handed the cloth to SunTzu who cleaned his face first and then his nose.
She hugged the two.
"Go get some rest, Ol' Karlena will take care of your Snubs." She forced a warm smile from herself and walked over to the Fighters.
The two tired pilots made their way to the observation deck, the ship was ghastly quiet. They only passed a few people working on the ship. Everybody was looking grim and tired. The feeling of invincibility was lost.
They arrived at the observation deck, it was empty. SunTzu pulled out his cigarettes and handed one to Haruka, along with a lighter. They sat down on one of the benches, staring through the window into the void, silently smoking their cigarettes.
They had finished their smokes and still didn't say a word, when someone approached them.
"I thought I find you here." It was Rei. "Care if I join?"
"Oh, Good Timing, I'll have to see after my girlfriend anyway. SunTzu, if you don't mind?" Haruka said and got up.
"No, tend to Michiru. She needs you."
Haruka squeezed his shoulder and then left, nodding to Rei.
"Hey TopGun." She asked shyly, not really knowing how he was mentally.
"Hey Rei. Did you get some sleep?" He looked up to her.
She nodded and sat down next to him.
"A good dose. I feel better."
"Good to hear."
She answered with another forced smile, not really knowing how to take him right now.
He handed her a cigarette. She took it and lighted it with her powers. He took one too and was about to light it with his lighter, when put her hand on his arm and presented a small flame above her other hand. He lighted his cigarette and took a big draw.
They sat there in silence for a minute or so.
"I hope you're not afraid of me now." He stated bluntly. He was a monster.
She looked at him, tilting her head.
"Why?" She bluntly asked.
"I'm pretty sure you heard what I did."
"I did. So what. You saved the lives of your comrades. And you were angry because your friend died. A reaction like this is normal, don't you think? Don't worry, Moeru Shōjo's reaction would have been even worse." This time she smiled a honest smile and his mouth twitched upwards too.
She laid her head on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. If your anger, your reactions or something else ever gets over the top, I'll be there to slap you back to conscience."
She playfully hit his shoulder with her fist.
This time he genuinely had to smile too and she put her head back on his shoulder as they both looked out the big window.
"Some guys on board gave you a new nickname already. Doitsu no akuma." She hooked in under his arm, smiling while looking out into space. "I think that's a fucking badass nickname!"
He enjoyed her company so much in that moment. A place of calmness, being a safe harbor inside his stirred up mind.
A few moments later he closed his eyes and napped away.
She didn't see it at first but when she saw that he was asleep now she cuddled up more onto him.
"Watashi no doitsu no akuma." She flustered to herself. My German Demon.
A hour later he awoke, jumping up from where he had been sitting.
Where was he? Oh yeah. How long has he been sleeping here? And where was Rei?
He got up. He felt horrible again. And he was still beyond exhaustion.
Okay, time to go to bed.
With his last energy he went to his room and fell into his bed.
He slept for ten hours straight. And still felt miserable. He took a shower and changed into new clothes, as if it would work to make him feel different but to no effect.
Sitting at his bed staring onto the wall of his room he went internal again.
A knock at the door startled him.
He jumped up and opened it.
It was Ami, standing there with a paper bag.
"I thought you might be hungry so i got you some sandwiches." She gave him the bag.
He forced a smile and thanked her.
"How are you?" She asked empathically
"Honestly. Felt better before. It hurts."
"I can imagine. I have to leave for a meeting with the intelligence officers now but let me know if you need anything."
"Will do, thank you Ami."
He ate the sandwiches and checked his chrono. It was half past eleven in the night, Earth time.
He remembered something and took out his phone.
He wrote Rei, how long he had been sleeping there. And why she left.
She greeted him with a "So you're finally awake sleepy head?" and told him, using lots of emojis, that she was there for a few more minutes but left when he started snorring like a bear. Merciful as she is, she stated, that she at least didn't took a picture or a video.
Philanthropist as always.
SunTzu put his phone away, not seeing the message, where she asked how he was.
The Pilot got up and decided to take a walk. Not knowing where to but he had to get out of his room. He wanted to run away.
The next hour he spent walking around the ship with no destination.
One time he passed the flight control center and something told him to go inside. There were just two service men working there, all smaller craft were on board and the Far Side traveled through hyperspace anyway.
He walked through the control room, the two men working there not taking notice of him.
He came to a small cabin inside the room. It was a table with a microfone on it, a laptop and a pair of headphones beside it. Some chairs stood around the table. Also a ashtray was in there.
"It's Marvin's radio booth. Or rather was." Artemis told him from behind, approaching. He looked even more tired than the last time he saw him.
"Sorry, i couldn't help but come here. I thought that maybe if I come here, I found him sitting there, playing music and I just had a bad dream." Artemis excused himself.
"I was kinda lead here too. Guess it was the force." They both nodded knowingly.
"Mind if I have a look?" SunTzu asked and Artemis motioned him inside.
He sat down and the same feeling from before to told him to put on the headset and boot up the laptop.
No password, he got into the starting screen and a software to play music opened.
He looked at Artemis and Artemis glanced back and they knew what had to be done in tribute to their friend.
SunTzu accustomed himself quickly with the software and decided for a few songs. Then he gave a thumbs up to Artemis. Artemis went to a console near the room and pulled some switches.
Then he took a headset and began to speak, his voice coming over the ships onboard speakers.
"This is your Captain speaking. In tribute to Captain Lewis a special episode of the Nightshift will commence soon on the show's regular channel."
Throughout the ship radio channels were switched to the one of the show. The crew really took a likening in the nightly entertainment.
Two minutes later, Artemis gave SunTzu a countdown and with Zero he was On Air.
"Good evening TF Sol, Lieutenant SunTzu reporting in in absence of our good friend Marvin. And we're starting with our theme tune.
He put the music on and as it began to play he looked out of the window in the small room. Artemis standing in front of the booth doing the same.
SunTzu did the show Marvin usually did with his own touch in the spirit of Marvin. Actually it was fun playing DJ and it took his head off from this morning.
Playing the fourth song and looking into space again. Someone entered the booth. It couldn't have been Artemis because he excused himself after the first song. The visible moved Fleet Officer needed to be alone with his thoughts a bit he said.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Haruka, carrying a bottle of whisky and two glasses. The female pilot nodded and sat down, contrary to her wingman. She pulled two glasses of whisky and slid one over to him.
The song was still playing.
They both raised their glass and toasted to each other.
"To Marvin." They both declared at the same time. A long sip of the Whisky followed. It was pretty smooth and tasted well.
"I kept this for special occasions." She explained.
"I don't think it will get more special than this. I did a lot of crazy stuff in the last one and a half months but I think doing a radio show was the last thing I expected." SunTzu said with a wry smile.
"You could actually do worse." She smiled approvingly.
He put on the next song and lighted a cigarette, giving lighter and cigarette box over to her, she lighted a cigarette too.
"You know, if Marvin wouldn't have outsourced us from Terra Squadron things would have gon' pretty different, probably." He said, looking at the whisky in his hands.
Haruka looked out the window.
"Yet alone the last battle before. Thank you for looking out for Michiru and me. I'm not used to this but I appreciate it immensly."
"Same,same. And anytime. This goes for all the Senshi actually, I'm grateful for you girls. I came here without knowing anybody and I found… I found a." He was struggling to find the right words.
"Family. It's been just weeks but we've grown so far. Michiru grew so attached to you. I did too. Fighting side by side and almost dying together does that you. I usually don't trust people. But for you. Hell and Back Mate."
"Toast to that, same goes for you two. Hell and back." They clinged their glasses together, smoke was billowing through the air in the small room.
The emptied their glasses and Haruka poured another round.
SunTzu started the next song in the meantime. No hosting in between songs this time. He could get used to this.
"To Marvin!" They toasted again in honor of their dead friend.
"Have you heard about Taego? Looks like he's going to make it." She told him.
They toasted to the health and Will to live of the Shistavanian Pilot.
"How's Michiru?" SunTzu asked her, genuinely concerned about her girlfriend and his close grown friend.
"She's still in shock but at least she's not crying all the time anymore. We've seen death before, too many times actually but all that things cumulated where too much."
"She saw it coming in her mirror. Me standing inside the flames at that beach. I hope she's not horrified with me."
"No. She see's you like kind of a big brother, that's always looking out for her. I don't think there's much that could change that opinion." Uranus told her worrying friend.
A third round whisky was given out.
"When it comes to me tho…," Haruka paused for a moment. "…You're in no way a match for me and I can't wait to finally kick your ass in training. But yeah. Like a brother." She raised her glass.
"To Family." - "To Family!" They toasted to each other and in their minds to Michiru and all the other Senshi and their inner circle.
SunTzu made a small announcement about the next song and let it play.
Haruka was absently looking out the window again, the Whisky started to really work on them. Marvin would have loved to do a show with the three of them. The thought made her smile.
She raised her glass and looked to him.
"To my brother. That ever annoying, suicidal, crazy Kraut Maniac." She toasted to him.
He raised his glass, genuinely smiling at her.
"To my sister." He drank. "That tomboy with tits, so basically my brother with tits." He drank another sip.
Haruka tried to be angry but had to laugh out loud instead.
Three more songs followed and then SunTzu called it quits. They finished the bottle of whisky and the box of cigarettes and sometime and left the booth in the early morning.
They both were leaning onto each other to actually be able to walk back to their rooms.
They opened the room of Haruka first.
Michiru was at the door when they opened it. She heard them coming from far away because they were so loud.
"Why Is it, that whenever I leave you two alone you either end up drunk or in a fight."
The both pilots looked at each other and laughed.
Michiru helped SunTzu or rather vice versa to bring Haruka to bed.
"I'll go now. And sleep." SunTzu said goodbye to Haruka and dumbly smiled at Michiru.
"Hey SunTzu!" Haruka yelled. "I love you!"
"I love you too Man!" That said he stumbled to his own door and disappeared.
Haruka immediately fell asleep and Michiru just stood there laughing.
Lost and found was so fitting for these two.
