Ayashi no Yuugi IIThe Final Sunrise

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Chapter 3: Immortal Yet Mortal

Name: Lisa Hart
Age: 22
Colony: L2 X28965
Description: Blonde hair; Blue eyes
Origin: United Kingdom
Mother: Jessica Clyne Hart (Deceased)
Father: Patrick Franklin Hart (Deceased)

Birth Date: March 10, 180 AC

Basic Report:
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 186 AC
Age 12, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 192 AC
Age 16, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Andromeda Reconnaissance University in 196 AC
Age 20, Graduated from Andromeda University with Honors, Top Five as Lieutenant, Second Class, Type Three Limited in 200
Age 21, Internship with Preventors

Current Status: Attending to Joint Investigation between CSA and Preventors; Mission IN-6; Being considered for position of Hecete in Mobile Suit Taurus Team Sadame

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

July 10, 200 AC; 8:45 AM

Sanq Kingdom Preventor Headquarters

Sally Po rubbed her temple tiredly as she put aside another stack of papers. She swore that there was more paperwork today than in the past. The door opened and an intern sent from the CSA to gain experience entered and saluted her superior.

"More paperwork, Hart?" Sally said lightly.

"No, Miss Po," Hart said lightly. "Admiral Morse from GTK is on Line 6. She wants to speak with you."

"GTK?" Wufei said, looking up from his own stack of papers. "Isn't that the team that Maxwell is in?"

"If you're talking about Admiral Shinn Asuka, Mr. Chang, then yes, the very same GTK that he is a part of," Hart said, her blues eyes sparkling with suppressed excitement.

"Thanks, Lisa," Sally said, picking up the phone.

"No problem, ma'am," Lisa said, leaving the room.

"Sally Po, Department of Investigation, speaking," Sally said.

"Hello Ms. Po," a female voice said over the line. "I am Admiral Alexa Morse from the CSA GTK. I'm afraid we have a very large problem."

"What type of problem, Admiral?"

"We've detected the formation of a somewhat violent group in North Vietnam, and they're causing quite a bit of trouble."

"Somewhat violent, Admiral?"

"Mostly vandalism, they haven't attacked people just yet, but there was a great deal of damaged property found in one of the colonial embassies. We're talking more than just spray paint as well. Threatening messages were burned onto the walls of many of the rooms; twelve personal vehicles were destroyed, and let's not forget to mention several hundred thousand dollars worth of damage that was done to the computer systems. All of it seems to be related to prejudice against the colonies, which has been treated very seriously since the war several years ago. Local police forces thought they could handle the problem themselves, but they're having some difficulty. As for the CSA, I'm sure Lady Une has issued the Memo about the Triad's most recent orders. Our hands are tied at the moment, so we have to rely on the Preventors to take care of the situation. It's nothing pressing, but we'd still appreciate it if you'd send a person or two to Vietnam to check things out."

"You've told Lady Une about this?"

"Yes, my partner, Admiral Mitsuki, just got off the phone with her a minute ago."

"I see. Well, I'll see what I can do. If you can have a contact waiting at the Mengzi shuttleport in China, I'll have someone on a shuttle there by tonight at the latest."

"I have just the person. Her name is Li Meiling, Captain, Third Class, Type Four Limited. She will be waiting at the spaceport at midnight tonight. Have your person there by then."

"Done."

"Thank you for your help, Ms. Po. Good bye."

"Good bye," she hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Wufei asked without looking up from the reports.

Sally took a sip of her coffee before speaking. "Vandal group in Vietnam. I'll send one of the interns to have a look."

Wufei paused and looked at her. "You think that's a good idea?"

"Lisa Hart is more than capable of handling this, I think. I'll have her check in with you periodically, if you like," she answered.

He shrugged. "Whatever."

Sally grinned. Her partner would never admit it, but he did care about the interns in their department, especially since most of them came from the CSA. He was no doubt terrified of the possible reaction of a certain American Gundam Pilot, who was also the cream of the CSA crop, should a CSA originated intern get hurt or killed while in his department and on his watch. Quickly shaking the thought out of her head, Sally pressed the speakerphone button and asked Lisa to come into the office. A moment later found the young woman standing in front of Sally's desk.

"Yes, Ms. Po?" she asked.

"Lisa, that call I just got from Admiral Morse was about a vandalism situation in Vietnam. I'd like you to go check things out for us."

Lisa's expressive sapphire eyes instantly became hard chips of ice. "I'd be happy to, ma'am," her light and cheery voice, reminiscent of Duo, had become flat and determined.

Sally blinked. The sudden transformation from happy-go-lucky into a soldier still startled her, despite the fact that she'd seen it many times, not only in the interns who had just gotten a new assignment, but in Duo and other agents of CSA origin. It just showed the amount of discipline the CSA drummed into those who would become their Agents.

"Good. This shouldn't take more than a day or two, so why don't you go home and grab a change of clothes, then report back here and take a shuttle to the Mengzi spaceport. I'll make arrangements for your docking and prepare the info we've received so far. Your contact at the spaceport is named Li Meiling. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am."

"All right then, you're set. Check in with Wufei every few hours though. Just to be on the safe side," Sally finished.

"Of course, Ms. Po. I'd better get going then," Lita said, reaching for the door.

"Don't be nervous, Hart. This is just a routine check. Your training should have you more than prepared in case something should go wrong," Sally said reassuringly.

Lisa's lips twitched, the only sign of emotion on the controlled features, and she saluted. "Right. I'll check back with you in a bit!"

With that, she left the office.

No one noticed the dark figure in the shadows spread black wings and vanish after the woman.

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July 10, 200 AC; 9:00 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Shinn Asuka, age 20, violet eyes and brown haired, a CSA Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 02 of the GTK, Preventor Agent Shinigami, and Pilot 02 of Gundam Deathscythe Hell, Codenamed Duo Maxwell, frowned as the black vid-phone with the letters CSA stamped along the top rang. Sure, he was an active agent, but he knew that his profile noted that he was to be contacted only during an emergency. He turned on the screen and the speakerphone and felt his jaw drop.

"Gaia?"

Alexa laughed, a high tinkling sound, and said, "Hello to you too, Admiral Shinn Asuka. I am Admiral Alexa Morse, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 08 of Gundam Strike Phoenix, and your new GTK team member."

"Gaia, I thought you were in the Divine Realms?"

"I was, that is, until Cosmos---"

"Cosmos? She's here too?"

"Sure I am, Shinn!" Kayla grinned as the screen split in two to allow the three way call. "I am Admiral Kayla Mitsuki, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 07 of Gundam Freedom, and your new GTK member!"

"What are the two of you doing here?"

Alexa smiled indulgently at the suddenly hyperactive immortal. "I would have told you if you hadn't interrupted me with questions about a poor excuse of a goddess of existence."

("Hey!" was Cosmos' indignant reply.)

Shinn grimaced looking chagrined. "I'm sorry, Gaia, I'm just surprised to see the two of you back in the Mortal Realms again. Please, continue."

Alexa nodded. "Like I was saying, we were attending to our duties when Cosmos detected a large amount of negative energy headed for earth. We decided to investigate, and discovered it was chaos. We consulted Aries and Athena, as well as the Three Fates, and they all agreed that it was an omen of War, but not one that was supposed to take place. With this news, we went to see the Creator, and He decided that we would return to Earth and deal with Chaos, and help you train Kamui in the Magami art, that is, if you're not already finished?"

"We're about four spells away," Shinn rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Now, I'm sure you didn't just call to let me know that you're back, so spit it out."

Kayla sighed and said, "Chaos arrived early last month, around March 21, I believe. His influence is spreading through the Nautilus, and they've begun causing trouble. Three days ago, the Nautilus struck against several Colonial Embassies, and did quite a bit of vandalism, yes, not their style, I know, but they left threats and over ninety hundred thousand credits worth of damage. To make things worse, just two weeks ago, the Triad ordered that the CSA is not to interfere with anything, political or otherwise until GTK and Mobile Suit Taurus Team Sadame (MSTTS) are fully staffed, so while we could watch and pass along information, we can't do anything, so our hands are effectively tied. Alexa and I ended up sending the information to Preventors, who are sending an intern to check things out."

Alexa said calmly, "Clotho says that the tapestry has been weaving itself lately, and the threads have been snapping on their own, which means another power other than Fate or Destiny is manipulating the lives of the mortals. By the way, you might want to expect a call from Wufei in about five minutes. The intern they sent to North Vietnam, one Lieutenant Lisa Hart, Second Class, Type Three Limited; to investigate the vandalism just got herself killed about five minutes ago."

"We'll call back in about two days," Kayla said, "We've got a mission to take care of."

"Don't get killed, Gaia, Cosmos," Shinn said worriedly, "While we're in mortal form here on Earth, even our threads, though immortal, can be cut."

"Don't worry about us, Shinn," Alexa said. "We'll be careful, but you better take your own advice as well."

"I will."

The screen of the vid-phone went blank, and Shinn hit the off button, severing the link.