Alright everyone – for those of you who have read my story to this point, you're in for a treat as this chapter is a particularly pivotal one in the story! Keep reading to find out why.
"I wonder if there's a manufacturing defect," Daniel commented aloud as he was helping Sasha to repair Nipa's striker unit – yet again. "Pardon?' asked Sasha as she looked up from her repair work. "I was thinking," Daniel explained, "Nipa's striker units seem to break down far more often than even bad luck would seem to allow. I've seen her fly during combat, and she never seems to do anything particularly reckless or that would be considered particularly hard on the unit."
Sasha looked at him, slightly confused as to his point. "So you think that I'm being too hard on Nipa?" she asked, motioning towards said witch who was currently kneeling as punishment from Sasha for once again wrecking her unit. "All I'm saying is that maybe there's something wrong with the unit that's contributing to her breaking them – something that we may not be able to see normally," Daniel replied. Sasha thought about what he said for a few moments before finally replying, "We'll take a look at that possibility another time. Right now, let's concentrate on getting the unit back in working order." With that they got back to work with the repairs.
Over the past five weeks or so since his arrival, Daniel and Sasha had developed a very friendly repour with each other – both in their work relationship and personally – mainly due to the fact they worked more often, and generally spent more time, with each other than with anyone else. Daniel's mechanical skills (developed for this time period thanks to Shirley) made him valuable to Sasha when she was called upon (as was often the case) to repair the striker unit of one of the witches. Usually Nipa was the culprit, but Kanno and Krupinski also had issues with that – the three of them gaining the moniker of 'Break Witches' for, in Sasha's words, "being reckless and constantly breaking their units."
Sasha was quite mechanically skilled herself, with her experiences as a child helping her father repair various vehicles, along with her special image memorization skill, making her ideal to make repairs to the striker units quickly and on the spot – once she saw and memorized the various unit schematics. And Daniel thought that HE had a good memory!
In addition, Daniel helped out Sasha in her work going through and preparing the budget documents (chronic back injuries preventing Commander Rall from performing this task). Thanks to his experience doing the same thing under Commander Minna, he was able to help the work get done faster and more efficiently. On both counts, Sasha was very grateful to Daniel for working with her.
Further, Daniel kept his promise and showed Sasha the technology behind his fighter unit, as well as his laptop, iPhone, and iPod – things that fascinated Sasha greatly. In fact, the iPod was a hit with the whole squad once he started playing some music through the fighter's speakers. Although it was very different from anything that they had ever heard, it grew on the witches as they heard it more and more.
Right now, he was in the middle of helping Sasha to repair Nipa's unit – a fairly common occurrence, as it turned out. Nipa, meanwhile, was taking her kneeling punishment, where she would sit on her knees for several hours, while Hikari was training with Meister Rossman in the background.
Suddenly, the Neuroi alarm sounded throughout the base, with Commander Rall announcing that the Neuroi had attacked an observation post within the city. At that, everyone on base save Nipa (who was still on kneeling punishment) was scrambling to their fighters/striker units to intercept and destroy the Neuroi that had done this. This was a grave concern, as this was the Neuroi's first attack within the city limits.
As battle commander, Sasha directed the rest of the unit in their search for the Neuroi both within the city and in the outskirts, with everybody splitting up into smaller groups. Eventually, she was able to spot the Neuroi that had launched the projectile on her own, about ninety kilometers east of the city. Unfortunately for Sasha, no one else was in the vicinity, as the Neuroi was able to evade her attacks and fire another projectile into the city – this time hitting a supply warehouse.
At the next briefing, the unit analyzed the two attacks and was able to determine that the Neuroi was able to pull this off due to a second 'marker' Neuroi infiltrating the city and indicating the various targets to the Neuroi firing the projectiles. It was then determined that while most of the unit would go out looking for the projectile-firing Neuroi, Sasha would lead Nipa and Hikari in flying over the city to find the marker Neuroi. While Sasha said that she had no familiarity with the city, having grown up in the southern part of Orussia, Rall felt Sasha was still the best qualified to lead the city search.
Initially, Daniel was not assigned to either team, as there were already enough members searching for the projectile-firing Neuroi, and his fighter was not suited for a city search. Nevertheless, he suggested an idea to make himself useful. "I can help Sasha's team search the city," he said. "Even without my fighter, I still have my lightsaber, and my Jedi senses and abilities will come in handy if I'm on the ground. Plus, I can search spaces that may not be visible from the air." Rall agreed to his plan, to which Daniel replied, "Great! Now all I need is a lift into town."
As Daniel made his way through the maze of streets that made up the now-evacuated and empty city of St. Petersburg, he used his senses to get a sense of the general street layout, so as to not get lost or run into a dead end. He also kept apprised of the girls' progress above by staying tuned in to their comm channel. Before too long, Commander Rall radioed them a message saying that a second warehouse had just been hit, and that they should all head there immediately.
Upon seeing the wreckage, Daniel knew that the situation was quite grim – now that a significant portion of their supplies had been destroyed, with no easy way to get more. As they searched the area for the marker Neuroi, Nipa, not paying attention to what was in front of her, bumped into a statue. However, the statue almost immediately transformed into a Neuroi – the Neuroi had disguised itself and was now attempting to flee!
The girls flew through the air trying to catch it, while Daniel followed from the ground below. Soon, both Nipa and Hikari crashed into the objects scattered in the streets, leaving Sasha and Daniel as the only ones able to maintain pursuit. Daniel then radioed Sasha and said, "Let's try to corner this sucker! Keep following right behind it and I'll try to cut it off somewhere up ahead. I'll direct you if need be." Sasha acknowledged and continued to follow the Neuroi through the maze of streets.
Just as Sasha was about to chase the Neuroi to one of the larger intersections, Sasha got a 'deer in the headlights' look as the Neuroi was able to evade both her and Daniel, and she pulled up into the air. The only thing Daniel heard over the comm was Sasha saying something about being wrong, that she possibly DID know the city much better than she thought.
After that, everyone met up back on base, where they were able to learn that the Neuroi wouldn't be attacking again that day, as its energy limited it to only three such attacks per day. Although Sasha was despondent about allowing the Neuroi to escape her, Commander Rall told her not to dwell on it and ordered everyone to relax and rest up for the next day.
As Daniel passed by the hangar later that evening, he heard Sasha speaking in a raised voice along with Nipa, who was speaking nervously and stuttering. As he looked in, Nipa made her way out looking very down while Sasha remained, using a cloth to wipe at something on her striker unit. When he came towards Sasha, he asked about what had just happened, and Sasha explained that Nipa had scribbled something on the inner panel of her unit.
While he couldn't figure out what it was now that Sasha had wiped it and made the image blurry, he was nonetheless concerned – both about Sasha and Nipa – as Sasha looked even more upset than Nipa had just moments ago. He kneeled down beside Sasha and Asked, "Are you alright?" Sasha just snapped back, "I'm fine," in an annoyed tone.
Daniel then sighed and commented, "Don't get too worked up about this. Nipa's not one to play pranks or do something mean to someone – I'm sure there's a good explanation why she did this." Sasha just continued scrubbing, her facial expression not changing. Finally, Daniel sighed again and said, "Hand me a cloth, I'll help you."
The next day, Daniel, along with Sasha, Nipa, and Hikari went out to search for the marker Neuroi again. While he was trying to focus on the task at hand, Daniel couldn't help but worry about Sasha – this whole episode seemed to be affecting her a lot more than normal.
Suddenly, he heard Nipa and Hikari report over the comm that they had found the Neuroi and were in pursuit, indicating where it was heading. By the time Daniel spotted it, Nipa and Hikari had already crashed into various objects, taking them out of the chase, leaving only him and Sasha to maintain pursuit.
As Daniel made his way around the large block, trying to cut off the Neuroi, he noticed that Sasha had uncharacteristically lost control of her unit, and saw as she came crashing down in the square ahead of him, just short of the river, where a multi-domed, gold-topped church stood. As Sasha stood up, she looked at the church towers with a concentrated, yet also painful look as her polar bear familiar emerged.
As Nipa and Hikari caught up to them, asking if Sasha was alright, she started moving through the streets again in a frenetic yet determined manner, seeming to know where she was going. Eventually, she led them to an apartment building, where she climbed up the stairs to an apartment that was left unlocked. Once inside, she looked around and stopped as she saw a framed photograph on the mantle. She picked it up and held it close to her, as if it was a precious treasure.
She then put it down, and as everyone asked if she was alright, she got a determined look on her face, saying she was fine and that they had to go back to the search. Before they left the apartment, Daniel was able to get a clear glimpse of the photograph. He saw a younger version of Sasha being held lovingly by two older women – one in her later twenties or early thirties, and one who was in her fifties or sixties – 'her mother and grandmother,' Daniel presumed.
As they returned to the square, trying to figure out where to search for the Neuroi, Nipa noted that the church also housed a communications tower – a good bet as to the Neuroi's next target. Sasha then looked at the church intently, as if something was amiss. She then suddenly said, "That church doesn't have a steeple!" The witches then flew to the top of the church, where Sasha opened fire on said steeple, revealing it to be a Neuroi. While they were able to quickly destroy it, they were unable to do so before it marked the area for its counterpart outside town.
A minute later, they received word from the other team that they had destroyed the attacking Neuroi, but not before it had launched another projectile – and impact was imminent! Sasha ordered the area evacuated, saying that the structures wouldn't be able to survive. While she tried to put on a stern face, both Daniel and Nipa knew deep inside them that this would take an even greater toll on Sasha if nothing was done to stop the oncoming destruction.
Daniel then noticed Nipa flying back towards the communications tower, and he instantly knew what she was attempting to do. Telling himself to screw it, he ran towards Nipa's position in an attempt to help. By the time he got there, Nipa had already raised her shield in an attempt to prevent the projectile from reaching its target. Daniel then looked at his lightsaber and got an idea.
"Nipa, hold it there for just another minute – I'm going to try something!" With that he activated his lightsaber's blade and tossed it into the air. After getting into a martial arts-type stance, he used the Force to gain and take control of the lightsaber while it was still in the air. Once he had achieved this, he was able to use his powers to move the lightsaber in a slashing motion, and cut right through the middle of the projectile, destroying it, and sparing the structures below.
Sasha and Hikari watched the scene unfold in front of them and couldn't help but stare in amazement at what Daniel had been able to do. However, instead of shattering into a million pieces of light as he had expected, it exploded, causing Nipa to take the brunt of the resulting explosion, and sending her flying. 'Shit!' he thought to himself, as he rushed over to Nipa. Luckily, she was caught in midair and brought gently to the ground by Sasha, avoiding even greater injuries.
As Sasha began to cry over the injuries Nipa had taken, Nipa tried to calm her down by engaging her self-healing abilities – apparently Nipa was more worried about having destroyed another striker unit. Daniel and Hikari then caught up, with Daniel asking worriedly if Nipa was alright. When he confirmed that she was, he sighed in relief, apologizing for miscalculating about what would happen.
At that moment, Sasha didn't care about the broken unit, and demanded in a worried and angry tone, "What were the two of you thinking doing something so reckless?" Nipa then explained that she wanted help protect something that meant so much to Sasha, even if she didn't show it. "Same reason for me," said Daniel. Nipa then went on to explain that she had seen the 'Good Luck' message written inside her striker unit by Sasha the last time it was repaired, and that she wanted to return the favor. Hence, the reason for the drawing (or attempt at drawing) of a ladybug, which was supposed to be a good luck symbol. 'I knew she had a reason for doing that,' thought Daniel.
Nipa finally said that she wanted to use her powers to help those she cared about, and that getting injured in the process was worth it if she could do that. That seemed to strike a chord with Sasha as she burst into tears while enveloping her friend in a crushing hug, demanding that she never do anything like that again. As Nipa cried for an escape from Sasha's grip, Daniel and Hikari couldn't help but chuckle at the moving sight.
Before they returned to base, the group went one more time to Sasha's grandmother's apartment, where Sasha once again took hold of the framed photograph and held it close to her. Before she placed it back on the shelf, Daniel suggested to her, "You might want to hold on to that for safekeeping. You know, just in case something else happens and we aren't here to save it again." Sasha then smiled and nodded in understanding as she took the photograph with her.
Later that evening, after everyone else had settled in for the night, Sasha sat in the hangar, continuing to look at the framed photograph and thinking about everything that had transpired that day. Daniel was passing by after taking a shower when he noticed Sasha sitting by herself. Deciding to engage her in conversation, he came up from behind, sat down beside her, and said, "Well, you've certainly had quite a day." Sasha looked up and simply nodded in response.
Not wanting to sit in awkward silence, he then followed with, "So, do you want to talk about it?" The question seemed to surprise Sasha momentarily, as she looked like she was considering whether to answer Daniel. Not wanting to press the matter, Daniel then said, "If you're not ready yet, I understand. But just know that I'm always here for you when you ARE ready." As he got up to leave, he was stopped by Sasha's hand pulling down on his left arm.
She then started to tell him the story of why that photograph meant so much to her – namely the incident that took place when she and her mother had visited her grandmother in St. Petersburg years ago. She told the whole story, from her stopping the car by using her magic for the first time, to the frightened looks on the other kids' face, to her running away in tears, and finally, to her returning to her grandmother's apartment, where she was comforted by both her mother and grandmother.
As Daniel listened intently to her story, Sasha's words tugged at his very soul – her experiences were so much like his own when he had first discovered his powers! After she finished, he stated, "I know how you feel – my first experiences with my Jedi powers were similar to yours." Sasha looked at him with a slight look of surprise as he began to tell his own story. As she listened, she understood what he had been through, all the while thinking to herself, 'Finally, someone who really understands my fears and doubts.'
As he finished his story, Sasha smiled and nodded in understanding. Daniel then thought of something and said to Sasha, "Wait here a minute, I want to show you something." A couple of minutes later, Daniel returned with a framed photograph of his own, which he then showed to Sasha. The photo showed a younger Daniel with two older men – one middle aged, the other in his sixties or seventies – in front of a small baseball stadium labeled Doubleday Field. "That's me with my dad and grandpa during better days – before I was forced into the military," he explained. "It's my favorite photograph, and one of the only things I have left to remind me of my family. So you see, I also understand how precious a photograph like that can be," he said, motioning to Sasha's photo.
"You're really sweet, you know that?" Sasha said as she smiled at Daniel's statement. "Actually, I've noticed that you have been really kind and generous towards me in particular for some time now." Sasha then turned towards Daniel and spoke in a serious tone. "Please tell me, how do you truly feel about me?"
Daniel was a bit surprised by the question, but knew that he had to answer Sasha. He was also a bit nervous – he knew in his heart that she was special to him and he didn't want to screw up his words. He then gathered up his courage, took a deep breath, and leaned in towards Sasha before placing a soft, tender kiss on her lips. As he pulled back, Sasha had a surprised look on her face that said, "Oh!"
Daniel then smiled and asked, "Does that answer your question?" to which Sasha blushed, gave a big smile, and nodded. "Yes," she answered softly. Daniel then gently took her hands in his while saying, "This is all very new to me, so please bear with me." She nodded, as he then took in another deep breath before looking her in the eyes, and continuing, "Sasha, I really like you – a lot. And if you'll have me, I would really like to be your boyfriend."
As the seconds passed after that, they seemed like minutes to Daniel, a little afraid that he might have acted too quickly and scared Sasha. In a slight panic, he then asked after about 15 seconds of silence, "So, will you have me?"
Now it was Daniel's turn to be surprised as Sasha smiled, leaned in, and kissed Daniel right where she had been kissed just a couple minutes before. As she pulled back, she asked Daniel in a slightly teasing manner, "Does that answer your question?" The two laughed at the exchange they had just shared before wrapping one arm around the other's back, with each person's free hand holding the other. Sasha then leaned her head on Daniel's shoulder and the two sighed in contentment, just enjoying each other's presence.
Little did they know that two pairs of eyes were watching in the shadows of the hangar doorway to the main building – one Fusoan and one Suomusian – and had just witnessed that whole exchange. The two pairs of eyes lit up and smiled in delight at having witnessed that romantic scene.
So there you have it! Sasha is the one whom I've decided to pair up with Daniel. How many of you saw this coming before this chapter, after I first said that I would pair Daniel up with a witch? (Looks at the audience and sees several hands up) Liar…Liar…Liar…all of you!
In any case, please let me know what you think of this development! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time…