By: Ominae
Rating: T
NOTE:
All characters of the Full Metal Panic! series are under the copyright of Shouji Gatou/Koichi Chigira/Yasuhiro Takemoto, GONZO Studios, Kyoto Animation Studios and Kadokowa Shoten.
To all readers:
- I guess not much people has tried to do a fic on Nora Lemming at least. In case most of you don't know/forgot who she is, she's the short-haired blonde who has her left eye (by TSR) covered by her ever growing hair. I don't know with you guys, but she appears sexy in my book (Okay, fanboyism mode is kickin' in again). Her rank happens to be 2nd Lieutenant and is an Engineer who studied the "Venom" Arm Slave, which is a Chodarl Arm Slave made by Amalgam. You can see her in TSR again aside from FMP, briefing the SRT/PRT homeboys (plus girl) in explaining about the Lambda Driver in particular. Sadly, she doesn't have that much screen time aside from being with Tessa in the Merida Island command center. Oh well, time to kick this in and start it. I may be the first one to do a Nora Lemming drabble. I just hope the next FMP season shows her again and gives her more screen time. Can't believe that Kelly Manison's her TSR voice, aside from doing the voice of the TDD's Communication officer and Kurz's A.I.; who am I kidding anyway? I think she's better than Monica here...
In short, I won't be surprised if someone decides to do a Sousuke/Nora story.
Chapter 2: Nora Lemming
This takes place after the last episode of Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid
Hangar, Tuatha de Danaan-1, Somewhere in South China Sea
I never thought that I'd see the day when MITHRIL had recruited a mercenary whose age was less than 18... Just as I'm inside the Tuatha de Danaan's hangar waiting for him in the TDD-1 after he returned back to Japan from Hong Kong, I began to think about one particular person who was assigned to the machine.
Sousuke Sagara.
He's the only one from MITHRIL's Special Response Team unit who intrigued me. I've heard a lot of stories about Sergeant Sagara, especially on how he fought as a child soldier in Afghanistan in the Afghan Civil War before the Soviets reoccupied the country. Just thinking about that just reminds me of some other mercenary who fought in various race liberation wars in Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. What was his name? I think it was Frank Jaegar. But that part's not important anyway.
When I heard that the Arbalest was to be handed over to Sergeant Sagara, I was caught by surprise. I had some work experience done on the Arbalest project after Bunny Morauta, the project's engineer, had died. During my time as the project's engineer, I discovered that its A.I. was an issue and thus, raised the issue with Captain Testarossa. My request back then to have the Arbalest's A.I. worked out a bit before handing it to Sergeant Sagara had been rejected.
That's when I started to worry about him.
Not in the sense that I know him on a personal level or something. It's just that I began to worry about him since he hasn't been given any training of sorts regarding the A.I., as well as for the use of the Lambda Driver on the Arm Slave. I've only heard from Lieutenant Sachs and some of the maintenance personnel after the North Korea mission that Sergeant Sagara was able to utilize the Arbalest's Lamba Driver with the help of a high school student, which was upheld by Sergeant Weber when I spoke to him about the gossip coming from the lieutenant.
Judging from those statements, it seems that Sergeant Sagara wouldn't be able to conduct his duties as the Arbalest's lone pilot if he can't focus on using it throughly.
Based on the reports that I've written down since Sergeant Sagara got the Arbalest, I noted that he had severe problems in maintaining a good relationship with the Arbalest's A.I. every time that the use of the Lambda Driver is required. I'm not sure where he got that feeling of hatred against it, but I remembered asking him about his viewpoint on the Arbalest.
"So Sergeant," I recalled asking him after the Perio Islands Mission was complete in the hangar a few months ago. "was the Arbalest's Lamba Driver working?"
"No, Lieutenant Lemming." I heard the Sergeant's reply. "I did try to focus my attention on using the Lambda Driver to work..."
"And it didn't work?" Finishing his sentence, I can hear Sergeant Sagara sigh on my question.
"No." Somehow, I can see the frustration in his eyes when he shook his head. "In my opinion, I can't help but feel that it's useless on certain occasions..."
Those words had convinced me that Sergeant Sagara was beginning to have problems with using the Arbalest's Lamba Driver. Not only that, I could have sworn hearing from him about his hatred for the machine.
"Are you all right, Sergeant?" I saw him already out of the Arbalest and seated down on a folding chair after the Nanking operation had turned to be a disaster.
"Useless piece of junk..."
From that day on, I had warned the Captain that the Sergeant may have to devote more time to train himself in using the Arbalest. But in doing so, I heard that he had been frustrated after being taken out of his current mission to eye Ms. Chidori, not to mention hearing more and more of his frustration directed towards the Arbalest's Lambda Driver.
Was this my fault? Am I responsible for Sergeant Sagara's growing problem and distrust towards the Arbalest?
I can't seem to answer that question.
"Lieutenant Lemming."
When I heard that voice, I turned around to see a surprise before me. I really don't believe it. It's Sergeant Sagara with a new haircut. I just don't know why, but I suddenly felt that my cheeks were turning red.
"Sergeant Sagara." I replied, being able to keep my cheeks from turning red. Despite that part, I was able to speak to him back in my professional manner. "What can I do for you?"
"I just want to check on the Arbalest." replied the sergeant. "Did you run a maintenance check on it?"
"Yes." I handed to him the clipboard, which contained data on the Arbalest's maintenance a week after the Hong Kong crisis was over with the ceasefire between the North and South Chinese governments. "Lieutenant Sachs and I ran the usual maintenance check on the Arbalest. No damage was spotted on it."
"I see."
"You know, Sergeant." I began to be frank with him a bit. "For someone who didn't have extensive training in using the Arbalest's Lamba Driver, I'm quite impressed that you were able to use it despite your assessment that it was not suitable for you a few weeks ago."
"That wasn't a problem anymore, Lieutenant." I can see Sergeant Sagara smile at me. "I was able to work out my problems with AL and all..." He then suddenly blushed. That was peculiar; it's the first time that I've seen the young sergeant like that.
"Was this about Ms. Chidori herself, Sergeant?" I raised my left eyebrow and tapped my right foot, waiting for his reply.
"Y-yes..." I heard the sergeant reply. Was it all because of Ms. Chidori that he was able to utilize the Lamba Driver to its fullest once again? I was told by Sergeant Weber and Sergeant Major Mao about this predicament. But I was not one to poke into details anyway, so I declined to ask him anymore questions.
"I suppose you may want to check it for yourself." I told the sergeant on what to do next. "After all, we're about to conduct an operation in the Philippines in a few hours."
"Understood, Lieutenant Lemming." As he was about to climb on the Arbalest, I gently grabbed him by his left shoulder and called out to him.
"Sergeant Sagara." I addressed him a bit loud for him to hear me.
"Yes?" He turned around, facing me. For a split second, I wasn't sure on whether I have to say it. But there wasn't any time to hold it back. I need to be blunt with this guy; he takes things too serious for most of the time.
"To tell you the truth..."
I was, all of a sudden, hesitant to be blunt with him. With Sergeant Sagara waiting for me to say something, I just had to do it.
"The truth is..." I decided to say it anyway to get it off me. "When you told me on your problems with the Arbalest's A.I. a few weeks ago, I was really worried about you out there ever since Nanking. I got so scared that you may be killed. Everyone in the TDD would have been sad if you were dead because of your inability to operate it."
When I said it, he simply stared at me before he asked me. "Is that all, Lieutenant?"
"Yes." I meekly replied, not knowing if he would laugh or what. But instead, he just smiled at me.
"Thank you Lieutenant." Once more, I just saw the sergeant smile at me. "I appreciate it. Now if you would excuse me."
As I watch Sergeant Sagara climb up the Arbalest and enter its cockpit, I suddenly felt something strange from within me.
Was it a feeling due to the fact that he was able to come back to the TDD-1 alive and well?
I think it was, but I really wasn't sure if that was the case. But there is one thing that I'm sure of.
I'm glad that Sergeant Sousuke Sagara came back alive from Hong Kong.
This means I'll have to thank Bunny for creating such an impressive Arm Slave for the sergeant to use.
Chapter 2 END
PS - Well. If anyone wants suggestion on who should I do next. Let me know. It can be a female civilian or someone from MITHRIL. Let me know if I did fine with this chapter. I had a hard time doing the last few parts of the chapter since Sousuke and Nora don't interact that much (Maybe in the novels, but I can't be sure...)
Also, did anyone catch the Metal Gear reference? Come on, that part should be easy.
Come to think about it, I could maybe put a Kaname or Tessa chapter. I just want the readers to know if they're opposed to it or not. I changed my mind a bit since yeah, I got a review (Nope, I don't boast about the number of reviews I got. I'm stating a fact, that's all.). Back to work on a third chapter for Impressions now.