Chapter 4: A Night of Stars
For the following 2 days, the Edelweiss makes steady progress towards Gibraltar. Lucia and Jacky perform daily patrols in their repaired Muramsames as the Captain is still worried that they will be ambushed along the way. The mood aboard the ship remains sullen but it is slowly recovering. Akito has been released from the medical wing while Aiyumi has also regained consciousness. Like it was for the other pilots, she has also been devastated by Takumi's death. As the ship crosses the French southern coast and flies over the Mediterranean, it is joined by the Spengler-class carrier Curtiss and two destroyers. "Thank you very much for providing escort." Renner contacts the carrier as it moves alongside the Edelweiss.
"Don't mention it. We were ordered by HQ to make sure that your ship safely reaches Gibraltar. That battle at 'Grosse 5' and the attempted nuclear attack on Tokyo has left high command on edge. They don't want to take any chances."
"Understood, we appreciate it, Captain." Renner salutes her fellow captain who returns the salute. Meanwhile down in the mess hall, Akito, Michael, Jacky and Lucia are eating. Aiyumi is also present, albeit in a wheelchair as her left leg can't support her weight yet.
"Kagamin, do you need help with that?" Jacky points towards Aiyumi's plate and she shakes her head.
"I can eat just fine. I'm left-handed so it's just awkward."
"Were you gonna hand feed her, Jacky?" Michael says with a silly grin, but the girls are unimpressed.
"Wha…NO! Where did you get that idea?" Jacky snaps at Michael, who shrugs.
"Hey it was just a joke, loosen up."
"You really need new material." Akito says silently.
"I concur." Lucia nods.
"Since when did you two share a brain? Argh, whatever." Michael starts fiddling his holo-phone when suddenly he jumps up. "OH MY GOD!" He shrieks so loud that Akito forces him back to his seat.
"Stop shouting. You're hurting my ears."
"Sorry man. Hey Jacky, you're not gonna believe this, but Shelly is gonna perform in Gibraltar."
"WHAT?!" Now Jacky stands up but Lucia drags her back down to her seat.
"Why do you have to scream so loud?"
"Sorry. Are you serious Michael? She's gonna be in Gibraltar?"
"Yeah, she's gonna perform in some event. They haven't given any details yet but it's going to happen tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? OMG I wanna see her sing so bad!" Jacky jitters as Michael nods excitedly.
"Me too. That girl can sing I tell ya."
"I wouldn't mind listening to her live…" Akito mutters and both Michael and Jacky stare at him in disbelief. "What? I've heard some her songs and they're ok."
"Did he just say what I thought he said?" Jacky looks at Michael.
"Yeah…I'm so proud of you Space Boy! You finally show interest in the outside world!" Michael pretends to cry, frustrating Akito, who glares back.
"I'm not a fan like you two!"
"Don't try to hide it. She's got you under her spell too!" Jacky pokes at Akito who brushes her aside.
"It's not like that. Takumi gave me his music player and I've been listening to some songs…" Akito's words remind everyone of Takumi and Michael immediately slaps him on the back.
"That's good, buddy. Music enriches the heart as they say."
"Michael, does it say where they'll hold it?" Jacky peeks at Michael's holo-phone.
"Nope, no location info."
"Darn it. I really hope it's not a private event…"
"Is she really that popular?" Akito asks, causing both Michael and Jacky to look at him like an idiot.
"YES! She's totally the most popular singer on Earth right now."
"Dude, have you seen what she looks like? I'd sell my kidney to get even 5 minutes with her." Michael shows Akito a picture from his phone: in it, poses an amber eyed, blond-haired girl about the same age Akito and his comrades and she is wearing a green crop-top, ripped jeans and sandals while a crescent moon-shaped hairpin hangs on her blond bangs above her left eye.
"That's a bit extreme…"
"This was from her last summer's world tour. I got plenty more of these!" Michael says with glee and starts showing more pictures of the idol singer in various poses and outfits but then, he is interrupted by the intercom.
"Attention, 2nd Lieutenant Kagami, please report to the medical wing immediately. 2ND Lt.'s Perez, Blanc, Evans and Lt. Gronwald, please report to the briefing room."
"I guess it's about my connecting flight to Japan…"
"Come on Kagamin, don't be so down. We'll be with you in spirit." Jacky pats Aiyumi's back.
"But I've never had cell regeneration treatment…"
"I had that once, back in the academy. My hand got crushed between the Training MS's cockpit hatch. They strip you down, give you a breathing mask and put all kinds of wires into you. Then they put you in to an upwards pointing tube-like vat full of some sort of green liquid that makes your cells grow. I had to go there 4 times and then my hands joints and bones were fixed. It was weird." Michael explains but it does not make Aiyumi any happier.
"But I'm missing my whole arm…"
"Then you've got a choice of either doing many short sessions or few long sessions."
"How long are they?"
"Depends on the injury, Jacky. With you I'd say the maximum could be a full day. One or two like that." Michael shrugs, scaring both Jacky and Aiyumi.
"Wow…that's crazy."
"Now I'm afraid…"
"You'll be fine." Akito gives her a reassuring smile.
"Damn straight."
"Shouldn't we go to the briefing room now?" Lucy remarks.
"Oh yeah right. Let's go."
While everyone else heads to the briefing room, Aiyumi lets out a sigh as the nurse comes to take her to the medical wing. As the pilots enter the room, the Captain and Commander Aho are waiting. After a short salute, the pilots take their respective seats and Renner starts the briefing. "Now, I'll try to make this briefing short since we'll be arriving in Gibraltar in about 1,5 hours. As you know, our ship will be resupplied and repaired at the dry dock in Gibraltar; there are a few things we must discuss. HQ has decided to hold a hearing regarding the battle at 'Grosse 5' and what to do with…Ensign Tsuda."
"What's there to talk about? He's not exactly here, is he?" Michael becomes agitated but Akito stops him from going further.
"Calm down Michael."
"Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to say what they plan to discuss about him. Now, the other subject is a bit more positive. Ensign Evans has been promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and it will be made official during the EFF Promotional Gala that will be held in Gibraltar, tomorrow. The event is sponsored by Gründer Industries, and it will also have representatives from various other military suppliers. All of you, me, the Commander and Lt. Commander Barros have been invited. I believe that famous singer Shelly is also going to perform there." Both Michael and Jacky stare at the Captain in silence and in total shock. "What is it?" she lifts an eyebrow but then both Michael and Jacky scream at the same time, forcing the others to cover their ears.
"Will you two shut up!? You're making my head hurt!" Akito shouts and Renner looks at them with disapproval.
"Sorry, sorry Captain."
"Yeah, sorry. We just…We're big fans of Shelly so we got overexcited." They both stand up and bow to her as a sign of apology while Commander Aho giggles and Renner readjusts her eye patch.
"Hmph, I see. No harm done. I do enjoy some of her music too. Anyway, that's all for now. If you have any more questions, direct them to the Commander. I have to go to the bridge." She salutes and leaves the room.
"What is the dress code for the gala, Commander?" Lucia asks cautiously.
"Military uniform or formal wear."
"I see…" Lucia twitches while Jacky comes ot her side.
"What about Kagamin? When is she leaving?"
"I believe her flight to Japan will take-off today."
"Commander, can it be postponed somehow? I think she should also be allowed to attend the gala too." Jacky pleads and her fellow pilots join in.
"Yeah, it would cheer her up." Michael notes while Akito and Lucia nod.
"I'll talk to the doctor and the Captain and see what I can do, but I won't make any promises. Any more questions? No? Okay then, you're dismissed. The event will begin tomorrow at 17:00 PM, so make sure you're prepared by 16:15." While they leave the briefing room, Michael and Jacky excitedly discuss the upcoming event.
"This is gonna be awesome! We're gonna go to a huge party AND we get to see Shelly live!"
"I need to get a dress once we arrive. There's no way I'm going to a party in my uniform." Jacky says excitedly.
"But isn't it a military event? I thought it's mandatory for soldiers to wear uniforms?"
"That's true Space Boy, but this isn't a ceremonial event." Michael says as he once again stares at his phone while Jacky turns towards Lucia.
"By the way Lucy, why did you ask the Commander about the dress code?" she nudges her team lader, who immediately looks away.
"I…I merely wanted to know…that's all." her reply however gives everything away, causing Jacky to smile mischievously.
"Hoooh…don't you mean that you're planning on wearing your uniform at the event?"
"Of course I am! There's no reason for me to wear a dress or something like that!" She snaps but that simply makes Jacky giggle.
"Don't worry; once we get to Gibraltar, you and Aiyumi are coming shopping with me!"
"I said I don't need a dress!"
"I never said I was going to force you, but since you're so open about that, I guess I'll have to."
"Wha…No, I don't need it!" Jacky giggles and start walking away from the others but Lucia follows her, insisting that she doesn't need a dress for the event.
…
As the ship arrives to the Gibraltar base, which is built on a landfill and floating structures that stretch across the gulf to North-Africa, she slowly moves over a concrete dry-dock and settles there. Thanks to Commander Aho, Aiyumi's flight is postponed by two days and Jacky drags both of her teammates to the city to do some shopping, while Michael and Akito tour the area. The Captain however is immediately called to the local headquarters where the hearing will take place. Barros drives her on an SUV to the HQ and drops her off. "Send a message and I'll have someone to get'cha. I need to do some…shopping."
"Did your previous formal uniform rip again?" Renner gives him a mischievous look.
"Kinda…God I hate formal events."
"Me too George. I can't stand them."
"Well, don't piss off too many people in there." Barros jokes and salutes his Captain.
"And you should find a uniform that fits this time." She salutes back as the SUV drives away and Renner enters the building where a smiling officer with brown hair greets her in the main hall.
"Ah, you must be Captain Louise Renner I presume?"
"Yes, that's me…"
"I'm Commander Dawson. I shall escort you to the hearing."
"Be my guest." Dawson leads her to a large room with an oval-shaped table with many high-ranking officers sitting in it. At the opposite end of the table sits a man in his late 50's, wearing an admiral's insignia. "Captain Louise Renner, reporting, Admiral Lafitte." she salutes and the Admiral salutes back.
"Take a seat Captain." Renner sits down at the opposite end to the Admiral. "I apologize for asking you come to here on such a short notice."
"It's not a problem Sir." she replies firmly.
"That's good. Now, we are in a bit of a schedule, so I don't want to drag this for too long. I have already read your report regarding the events at 'Grosse 5' but just so everyone here is on the same page, would you care to give us a short overview of the events that occurred?"
"Of course, Sir." Renner explains the main points of her report and summarizes the events. Once she finishes, the other officers begin to whisper with each other.
"Well, that certainly explains a lot. Let's first look at the case of Ensign Tsuda. Under normal circumstances, you would be held responsible for allowing an under-age pilot to operate a state-of-the-art mobile suit in a combat situation and would be punished. However, your circumstances where not normal and you received the order too late so I will take responsibility for that. As such, we have agreed that Ensign Tsuda will receive a full military memorial service in Japan and his record will not be erased. It would be wrong of us to punish someone who is no longer with us and who died while protecting his fellow pilots."
"I am very grateful for our decision Admiral."
"Your pilots performed most admirably during the battle, and you should be proud of them."
"That I most certainly am."
"Moving on to the mysterious attackers you encountered. How would you describe them?"
"They used highly advanced mobile suits and knew that we would come to the valley. I suspect they had a carrier nearby because there is no way they would've been able to appear like that if they had a ground base. I also suspect that they had been in contact with the Sleepers that took over the station in the first place, but that's just a theory. We had no solid proof."
"And the jamming you mentioned?"
"Yes, as soon as they appeared on radar, our communication system was shut down. Thus, we couldn't contact any of our pilots. The mobile suits also flew without any flight surfaces and possessed advanced anti-beam defenses."
"I can answer that question if you don't mind, Captain." A young man in his mid-20's with long blond hair and wearing a gun metal colored suit with a black tuxedo, stands up.
"And who are you?" Renner asks bluntly.
"Ah, I apologize for my rudeness. I am Helio Perez. You might know my younger brother."
"So, you're 2nd Lieutenant Perez's older brother."
"Yes, I'm representing Gründer Industries, the company that made the Windam your pilots used. It would appear that the phenomenon you encountered was a 'Laser Pulse'."
"Laser Pulse?"
"Yes, it's a side effect of the Laser Pulse Engine, a new type of MS propulsion system. It was developed originally by the colonies but, Gründer has two working examples. It allows a mobile suit to fly without any wings and dedicated thrusters, which saves fuel." Helio's explanation causes a faint murmur to fill the meeting room. "But I must say, this is rather troubling. The Sleepers are being supplied by the colonies with much more advanced technology than we thought." Renner looks at Helio Perez with suspicion but does not say anything.
"It's very troubling indeed. We'll have to double our efforts in hunting down these Sleepers. Alright, I believe that's all for now. This hearing is now adjourned. Captain Renner, would you please stay for a moment. I must speak to you."
"Very well." The other officers and Helio Perez leave the room as Renner and the Admiral stay.
"This won't take long Captain. I simply wanted to inform you about your new orders." Laffite takes a small sealed folder from his aide and hands it over to Renner.
"What orders?"
"You and your ship have been reassigned."
"WHAT?!" Renner shouts but the Admiral simply nods back.
"Now, now, there is no need to act so surprised. Captain. Since you only have two functioning mobile suits and four pilots, Gründer Industries wants to pay you back for the three destroyed Windams. They will provide you with 5 new highly advanced mobile suits, 3 of which are Gundam-types. Once 2nd Lt. Kagami recovers, she will also receive a new machine."
"Why? We only asked for three new Windams."
"Those Windams will be given to other units. You and your ship will form a new unit known as the 51st Advanced Independent Corps, codenamed 'Velge'. You will continue with your Sleeper hunting as usual but you will receive an additional pilot and a liaison from Gründer, who will provide expertise on many fields."
"I see…"
"This will be made official tomorrow so don't speak of this to anyone until then, is that clear?"
"Yes Sir."
"Good, you may go now."
Renner salutes the admiral and leaves swiftly but as she does so, she notices Helio Perez returning into the same room she just left. "First new pilots and now this? Just what the heck is going on and why is a civilian company so involved in this debacle?" she thinks while walking out of the building, towards a waiting SUV.
…
The next day, the pilots prepare for the gala. As the clock ticks closer to 16:15, excitement fills the air. Akito and Michael are waiting next to the connection bridge that leads from the ship to the main entrance of the dry dock.
"Man, I forgot this uniform was so damn uncomfortable." Michael says as he tries to loosen his collar while Akito is feeling equally uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I can hardly breathe in this thing…"
"Remember Space Boy, this is a really high-class event, so behave yourself." Michael jokingly nudges Akito.
"Huh, you're the one to talk. I dare you NOT try to hit on any woman there."
"Nope, not gonna happen, buddy. I'm gonna bring my A-game today. If I'm lucky, I might even get a chance to talk to Shelly."
"Good luck with that…" Akito scoffs at Michael's enthusiasm.
"What's wrong with you? You're getting promoted today, you should be happy."
"I'm not a fan of formal events."
"I know, I know. Just try to relax, okay? At least you don't have to hold a speech like in the academy graduation."
"Yeah…" Akito replies before a deep, frustrated breath.
"Hey guys!" Jacky and the other girls arrive to the entrance with Lucia pushing Aiyumi's wheelchair. Jacky and Lucia are wearing dresses while Aiyumi is wearing a uniform.
"Hello ladies. You're looking fine today." Michael winks and Akito rolls his eyes.
"Be careful, he's practicing his smooth talk. He's really desperate." Akito says bluntly.
"I'm NOT desperate. I was merely giving my fellow pilots some complements."
"Right…"
"So, you guys actually managed to get our stuck-up Butterfly to wear a dress."
"That's right! She resisted but we made her understand eventually." Jacky smiles cheekily while Lucia looks away. She's wearing a purple gown and her hair is tied in her signature tight ponytail.
"What do you guys think?" Jacky shows off her light red long dress while her curly hair is split in two pig tails and Michael immediately shows his approval.
"Absolutely dazzling."
"You look good." Akito gives them a thumbs up.
"*giggle* Thanks." Jacky smiles happily while Lucia turns red and again looks away.
Their conversation is interrupted as their commanding officers arrive. Barros has managed to acquire a new uniform while Aho is wearing a green dress. Renner is in her ceremonial uniform. "Hello everyone. Looks like you're all ready for the evening." Aho greets the pilots.
"Yes Ma'am." Michael says enthusiastically.
"Now, Lt. Commander Barros is going to hand you all a personal firearm." Barros opens a small suitcase and hands a pistol with a holster to all the pilots.
"Whoa, I haven't held a gun since we the left the academy…" Michael says as he puts the holster on his belt while Lucia and Jacky tie the holsters to their thighs.
"It's a necessary measure. These kinds of events can attract unwanted guests sometimes."
"That's right, so you should be prepared but I don't think we'll actually need to use them." Aho says as they start crossing the connection bridge. Outside, two SUVs in military markings are waiting and the officers and pilots go to separate cars. After a short drive, they arrive at a large, illuminated building with a parking lot full of limousines. The SUV's drive right next to the entrance and drop off their passengers. While Aho and Barros go in first, Renner speaks one more time to the pilots.
"Alright, our cars will pick us up at 20:00 PM sharp. If you stay longer then you're on your own. Just make sure that you are present at tomorrow's briefing at 08:00 AM."
"Yes Ma'am!" They reply simultaneously.
"Good." Renner smiles slightly and they proceed into the building. As they enter, the pilots are in awe over the grand interior of the building. It has three hollow floors and a large stage the center. Each floor has its own buffet with tables and smaller rooms for private meetings and on the ground floor, in-front of the stage, are also many tables. However, right before they leave the foyer, a woman stops Akito and pulls him aside.
"Ensign Akito Evans?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Will you follow me please? Admiral Lafitte will hold the promotion ceremony shortly. You can then rejoin your companions."
"Understood." The woman leads him to a small room with ten other people already there and while most of them are about the same age as him but some look older. Akito takes a seat near the back of the room and the woman gives more instructions.
"Alright, now you are all here, I'll explain how this event will go. In a few minutes time you will all be called to the stage. Once you are there, stand in attention in a line facing the audience. The Admiral will give your new insignias and you can leave once he has left the stage." She quickly leaves the room and the others begin to talk. Then, a light brown-haired Ensign approaches him with two other junior officers. He has a crew cut, an earring on his left ear and a rather smug look on his face while Akito can smell the pungent odor of his deodorant.
"So, what's a test pilot doin' here?" He asks with an unfriendly voice and points at the wing insignia on Akito's uniform.
"Excuse me?" Akito looks at him coldly.
"I ain't gonna repeat myself! Hmm?". However, the Ensign's attention is drawn to the other insignia, which depicts a colony. "Huh? The hell is that?" He points at the insignia and then realizes what it means. "Hold on, you're from the colonies. HAHAHAH!" The Ensign and the other junior officers start laughing while Akito stays calm. "That's rich, a Colonial test pilot! How did they let a Space Rat like you enter the Federation Army?" He asks mockingly but Akito continues to act cool. "Man, the Federation has sunk pretty low if they allow space rats to join. If the Atlantic Federation was still part of it, we wouldn't let trash like you even set foot on our planet."
Akito sighs and responds without looking at the ensign. "I don't know what kind of a problem you have with me, but could you go somewhere else? It's hard to breathe when you stink like a garbage can."
"The hell did ya say?!" He prepares to grab Akito by the collar, but the latter stands up and stares directly at the ensign.
"You heard me." he glares coldly at the Ensing as their faces are a few centimeters away from each other.
"You've got some nerve talkin' back to me."
"A pompous garbage can like you doesn't scare me." Akito gives the Ensign a murderous look, who is just about grab Akito again but then the woman re-enters the room.
"Um excuse me, Ensign Evans, could you come here for a moment?"
"Of course." ignoring the Ensign the completely, Akito walks past him and approaches the woman.
"The Admiral has insisted that you should be the first in-line to receive your 2nd Lieutenant's insignia. I'm not sure if you've been told yet but he has also decided to give you the EFF Medal of Valor for your actions at "Grosse 5"." The other junior officers, especially the Ensign, stare at him in disbelief and shock.
"I see. I'd be honored." Akito says but he feels indifferent.
"Excellent. Now everyone else, follow Ensign Evans." The woman leads Akito and the others out of the room and Akito is surprised by the large amount people in-side the main hall. He tries to look for his friends among the crowd but can't distinguish them from the mass gathered in-front of the stage. The junior officers are led on to the stage and Akito stops at the right side of it. Then a Commander walks to the stage and shouts.
"ATTENTION!" Akito and the others stand in attention as the Admiral joins them on the stage. Starting with Akito, he begins handing out the insignias.
"I would like to give this EFF Medal of Valor to 2nd Lieutenant Akito Evans for his heroic actions at "Grosse 5" on the 23rd of April, 0040 SC. In his first real battle, he defeated a Sleeper mobile suit with nothing but his MS's beam saber and saved his team leader from being slain by another Sleeper." As the Admiral shakes Akito's hand and puts the medal on his uniform, the building erupts into applause. Akito, however, isn't impressed by this gesture and after the Admiral has moved on to the other officers, Akito can see his friends among the crowd, sitting on a round table where Jacky is frantically waving while Michael is filming with his phone.
"Why the heck is he filming this stupid freak show?" Akito becomes irritated but then from the corner of his left eye he sees the Ensign giving him glares. "He's really salty huh?"
Once all the insignias have been given, the officers are led away from the stage and Akito manages to reach his friends and sits down next to Michael and opposite to Lucia. "Man, you got lucky dude. An EFF Medal of Valor of all things. Congrats'." Michael slaps Akito's back.
"I don't understand why he gave it in the first place. It all felt like a spur of the moment thing…"
"Yeah, I kinda sensed that. This whole event feels like a damn TV show. Shouldn't promotions be given during inspections or somethin'?"
"Yes, that's the normal protocol Michael." Lucia nods before the pilots order some drinks and watch as the festivities continue.
As various other people go to the stage to give speeches, someone approaches the table where Akito and the others are sitting. "So, this is where you went, little brother." Akito immediately recognizes the voice and looks behind him, where he sees a man in his mid-20s, wearing a dark red uniform and large sunglasses. He has the same hair color as Akito but his cut is much shorter and well kept.
"Ryo?" Akito stands up and walks up to the man, who smiles and shakes Akito's hand.
"It's been a while hasn't it, Akito?"
"4 years to be exact."
"Damn, it's been that long? Sorry I haven't been able to see ya face to face. I've got work and all that." Ryo apologises to his brother, but Akito simply smiles back.
"I don't mind it but you should apologize to Emi. She worries about you a lot more than me."
"Yeah, I know. I saw her two days ago when I was in Japan."
"How was she?"
"She was fine. Still studying as usual. She wanted to come here but she had an exam."
"At least she has her priorities right."
"Yeah. Hey, aren't ya gonna introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh, of course." Akito leads Ryo to the table. "Everyone, this is my older brother Ryo Evans."
"How you all doin'?" Ryo shakes their hands one at a time and after a round of introductions, Ryo stands next to Akito.
"Why don't ya sit with us?" Michael offers him a seat on his left but Ryo turns him down and looks at Akito.
"Sorry, I can't stay for long. Uhm, Akito, could you come with me for a moment?"
"Sure." The brothers leave the hall and Ryo leads him outside while Akito can sense that something is not right as his brother removes his sunglasses, revealing a very serious pair of brown eyes.
"Akito, what I'm about to say is highly classified info. Normally I wouldn't be allowed to tell this to anyone but since you saw what happened and you're my brother, I'm willing to tell you. Don't speak of this to anyone, ok?"
"Got it." Akito nods firmly but then, Ryo grabs him by the shoulders.
"First off, it's great that you survived that battle. I heard what happened at "Grosse 5". You lost your friend there."
"That's right. Takumi was killed by that black MS."
"You also remember the attempted nuclear attack on Tokyo?"
"Yeah, we were told about it right before the mission began."
"Officially, the EF has not identified neither the perpetrators of the nuclear attack or those mystery mobile suits that attacked you and you comrades. However, my employer and I have a lead on the perps.
"What?!"
"Shhh, don't shout."
"Sorry. Then, do you know their identity?" Ryo looks around a bit before he continues.
"Like I said, we have a lead. The mobile suits that attacked Tokyo were not Sleepers, they were unmarked Union Flags."
"But the Flag is an Atlantic Federation MS."
"Exactly. The nuke was also made completely from scratch. We did manage to trace the plutonium and found out that it wasn't weaponized in the Colonies."
"No way. What about "Grosse 5"?"
"We think it was a trap to test a new kind of MS that can respond to the pilot's thoughts directly."
"The Black machine…Takumi had to die because of some test…" Akito clenches his fist.
"Don't forget that they lost 3 pilots. That's a pretty heavy price to pay for a test."
"But still…it makes no sense…who were they?"
"I wish I knew, but that's where our lead runs dry. But do you know who they're blaming for all this?"
"The Colonies…"
"That's right. The Atlantic Federation has always been very vocal about its hate towards the Colonial Empire. They provided 60% of the EFSF's manpower during the war and lost the highest portion of soldiers and material too. That's why they left the EF 5 years ago when Aquarius was destroyed. The EF did nothing and they took this as a sign of allowing the Colonies to do what they want. I doubt they'll complain if the EFF and the Colonies start to wage war with each other again."
"They want revenge."
"Indeed. I want to prevent that from happening at all costs. That's why I'm going to space."
"Space? You're going back there?"
"Yeah. Five days from now marks the 10-year anniversary of the Orbit War Peace Treaty signing. A commemoration event will be held in Tycho lunar city and the EF's head council members, the AF's president and secretary of state and on top of them all, the Colonial Empire's Royal Family will all be in attendance. The Valais Company will also be present and that's why I'm going. As it stands, we're sitting on a ticking timebomb. We lived through the Orbit War but now, it's different."
"No way..." Akito can't belive what he is hearing. "But...so many people died 10 years ago...why would anyone want to start another war after that..."
"I can think of plenty of reasons, from all sides...but, Akito, I'll say this again, don't speak about this to ANYONE, got it?"
"I'll keep my mouth shut Ryo." After a moment of silence, Ryo pats Akito's shoulder.
"That's the brother I can trust. Well, Akito, I'll go now. Remember what I told you."
"I'll keep it in mind."
"Good. Take care of yourself out there. See ya." the brothers share a short hug before Ryo leaves while Akito walks silently back to his friends, his thoughts in disarray from Ryo's words.
Akito rejoins his friends in the table but rmeains shocked by Ryo's revelations and can't concentrate on anything. "Hey man, what did your brother want?"
"Nah, we just had some catching up, nothing else." Akito sits down but Michael can sense that something is bothering him.
"Are you sure? I've got a feeling you aren't telling everything."
"No, that's all we talked about. Don't worry about it."
"Right…"
"What are you two whispering about?" Jacky asks from across the table.
"Uh nothing…" Michael replies while Akito shakes his head slightly.
"Hmm, really?"
"Yes really. We were just…wondering when Shelly's gonna perform. Yeah, that's right."
"I see…well do you know when she'll be on stage?"
"That's what we were talking about. Don't ask us." Michael looks towards the stage where various officials have held speeches after the ceremony. "Man, where is she? I came here just to see her live. They better not trick us…"
"I doubt it." Akito replies silently just as the last speech ends and most of the senior guests move to the upper floors while a man goes up to the stage and speaks into a microphone.
"Ladies and Gentlemen and especially our younger guests, this evening's special guest is going to perform to you shortly. Please welcome, the voice of the Earth, Shelly!" The hall erupts into cheers and the crowd moves closer to the stage.
"OMG SHE'S GONNA SING!" Jacky shouts as she and Michael stand up immediately.
"DUDE COME ON; LET'S GO TO THE FRONT!" Michael also shout and tries to pull Akito with him but he steps aside.
"You guys go, I'll listen from the back."
"It's your loss." Michael and Jacky push their way towards the stage while Akito stands near the edge of the crowd but Lucia and Aiyumi stay at the table.
"Aren't you going Lucy?"
"No. It would be rude to leave you here alone."
"Thanks…"
Behind the stage, Shelly prepares for her performance while Eric leans against the back door. She is wearing a teal-colored gown dress while her hair is untied and has a small crescent moon-shaped hairpin above her left eye. But ss she puts on her teal-colored evening gloves, Eric starts leaving. "I'll go now. I have some business to do. You take care of yourself, Nena."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Alright then. I'll leave her in your care, Miss Danner." Eric walks out of the room, leaving Shelly alone with her manager, the bespectacled Aria Danner.
"So, is everything alright? Do you need anything before you go?" She asks calmly as a makeup artist finishes Shelly's makeup.
"Nope. I'm okay."
"I took a look outside and it seems there's going to be quite crowd waiting for you."
"That just means that I'll have to give my very best. I can't disappoint them." She stands up and takes a deep breath. "Wish me luck."
"Go get 'em." Shelly nods and walks out to the stage where she is welcomed by a huge crowd of mainly young officers with Michael and Jacky near the very front, cheering loudly.
"WE LOVE YOU SHELLY!"
Shelly is given a microphone and she greets the crowd with a smile. "Good evening everyone! How are you all doing?!" The crowd responds with a loud roar. "Is everyone ready? Because I'm going to take you all to the sky!" The crowd cheers even louder. "Let's go!" She starts to sing one of her most popular songs, "Fly Away". The stage lights up and a colorful lightshow begins as she sings.
While the crowd is in complete awe over her singing, near the back, Akito senses something else. "She really has a beautiful voice…but somehow…it feels sad. Almost like she's lonely or something…Wait, why is this happening again? I can sense emotions but how…" Akito starts leaning against a pillar and closes his eyes. "It's so relaxing…just like when I play solitaire…"
Up on the stage, while she sings, Shelly can sense the joy emanating from the crowd. "They're all listening to me. Please, hear my voice! I want my songs to reach all of you!" But then, she sees Akito, leaning against a pillar near the back of the crowd with his eyes closed. "Is he not enjoying my song? No…he's filled with pain and sadness. My song isn't cheering him up…Please, hear me!" She falters slightly during the second chorus, but she quickly recovers, and no one notices it. Shelly proceeds to sing four more songs, all the while keeping her eyes glued to Akito, who has his arms crossed as he listens silently. Once the last song ends, Akito leaves and walks away from the crowd which erupts into wild applause. "Thank you everyone! Did my songs reach you all?"
"YEAAAHHH!"
"That's awesome! I'm sorry that I can't sing more for you guys today but don't worry, I'll be holding an open concert very soon! Thank you again for being a great audience!" As the crowd cheers, Shelly waves to them and walks backstage where Danner gives her a bottle of water. "*pant* Thanks. How did I do?" Shelly asks as she sits down and takes a sip.
"You blew the bank. I've never seen such an enthusiastic military crowd before."
"Yeah, they were great. But I think someone didn't hear my song…" Shelly's smile fades and suddenyl starts feeling dissapointed.
"Oh, come now, you shouldn't worry about a single member of the audience."
"But I sensed it…he was troubled."
"Well anyway, what are you planning now? I can get your car ready if you want."
"Sure, but first, I need to do something." Shelly replies before she stands up and peeks out from the door next to the stage, towards the main hall. "Where are you...?"
Meanwhiel, Akito returns to the table, where he is joined by Jacky and Michael, who are still ecstatic over the short concert. "OMG that was the greatest moment of my life!"
"Hell yeah, I told ya she had the voice of an angel. What did you think Space Boy?"
"She was good…" Akito says as they sit down.
"Did you guys listen to her song?" Michael looks at Aiyumi and Lucia.
"Yeah, she's great."
"Her singing was very beautiful." Lucia nods as Akito abruptly gets up.
"Hey, what's wrong dude?"
"Uhm…I need to go…outside…to clear my thoughts."
"Oookay…just remember, the cars leave in 10 minutes, Space Boy. You miss 'em, you're on your own."
"Got it." But as Akito leaves, Lucia looks at him with worry, having also noticed that some isn't right with him.
Walking swiftly through the large doors, Akito sits down on a bench near the parking-lot, which is filling with arriving and leaving limousines and other cars. "What the hell is going on…why did Ryo have to tell me that...?" his head starts spitting and Akito leans backwards, putting his left arm over his forehead while looking towards the starry sky. Then, he repeatedly goes through what Ryo told him but it makes Akito feel even worse. "Why...?" He laments and lets out a loud sigh but then he hears the sound of high heels hitting pavement. As Akito straightens himself, he sees a blond-haired girl in a teal dress approaching him.
"Good evening. Can I sit next to you?"
"Huh…Oh sure." Akito makes room and as the girl sits next to him, he realises she is the idol that just performed, Shelly. "Wait a minute, isn't she the singer? Why is she sitting here all of a sudden?" Akito keeps his composure but when he moves, his ID card juts out of his uniform's right pocket. "Why is a famous singer sitting next to a simple pilot like me?"
"Oh…well actually, I saw you when I was singing."
"You could actually tell me apart from the crowd? That's impressive." Akito says nonchalantly, prompting Shelly to giggle slightly.
"Why thank you. I saw you with your eyes closed. You didn't want to listen to my songs?"
"No, I was trying to relax. I lost my friend during a mission 4 days ago so…I've been feeling really down."
"That's sad to hear. Was he a close friend?"
"Yeah, but I don't want to talk about it." Akito leans backwards again and looks wistfully up at the night sky.
"Oh…sorry." Shelly looks around but then notices the ID card in Akito's pocket. She squints at Akito and then quickly swipes it before reading the card out loud. "2nd Lieutenant Akito Evans. Okay, I'll remember your name."
"Hey, give it back! It's mine!" Akito tries to take the card back, but Shelly swiftly stands up and keeps it away from him.
"Sure, but on one condition: You'll have to keep me company for tonight."
"Are you serious?" Akito looks at her in disbelief and tries to grab it again.
"Or are you going to take it by force?" Shelly smirks and drops the card in to her dress right before Akito can get to it.
"*gasp* Oh you've gotta be kidding me...?"
"Now try to take it." the singer looks at him confidently while Akito sighs and hunches forward.
"…Fine, I'll accompany you…" he says reluctantly and Shelly starts smiling brightly.
"Good, then let's go!" she grabs Akito by his arm and drags him towards a black sedan waiting nearby, when at same time, Michael and the girls walk out of the building and notice Akito.
"Hey Space Boy, where are ya...?" Michael stops mid-sentence when he notices who is pulling Akito into the car. "Eh...?" As it leaves the parking lot, Michael stands in silence with his mouth open while Jacky looks at the disappearing silhouette of the car. "What…what just happened? Did he? He did, didn't he?"
"Yup, seems like he was dragged into a car by Shelly." Jacky says and sees Michael tremble.
"WHAT THE F%!?"
…
While Michael is left cursing on the parking lot, much to the girl's embarrassment, a frustrated Akito sits in the backseat of a black sedan as it slowly drives through the streets of Gibraltar. It is a far cry from the small holiday destination it used to be. Now, a massived city, partially built on landfill and floating structures stands in it's place, reminding Akito of Tokyo, where he lived a short while with his sister before enlisting. However, he quickly stops thinking about the past and glares the girl sitting next ot him, who looks out of the window towards the night sky. "Where are you taking me?" Akito asks coldly while crossing his arms.
"You'll see, just be patient."
"Do you have any idea what you've done?! I have to be present at tomorrow's briefing at 08:00. I can't miss it."
"But you can't go there without your ID card. Don't worry; you'll be back by then." Shelly's carefree attitude angers Akito but he stops himself from arguing and sighs.
"Right..." From his window, Akito can see the moon shining down on the Mediterranean Sea as the car drives parallel to the Rock. "How did I end up in this situation...?"
Then the car arrives to a large hotel protruding from the cliff and parks in-front the main entrance. The driver then opens the right-hand door and first Shelly and then Akito get out. As the car leaves, Shelly grabs Akito's hand again. "This is where I'm staying, the Caleta Hotel. One of the oldest buildings still standing in Gibraltar after the landfill was built."
"So, what are you planning?" Akito hisses at the singer, who frowns back at him.
"Oh, come on, don't be like that. You're really lucky you know; you get to spend the evening with a pretty girl like me." but her reply only makes Akito roll his eyes.
"No, I'm being blackmailed by a total stranger." Shelly giggles before dragging him inside the hotel and into an elevator that takes them to the top floor. There, Shelly continues to drag him to the end of the hallway and they arrive at a door that she unlocks with a card.
"This is my suite. Make yourself at home." She smiles but Akito is not convinced but he enters regardless and takes off his shoes and uniform jacket, before leaving the foyer and start looking around the large room. It is about twice as big as the Edelweiss's briefing room, and it has a long balcony. On his right is a double bed, a makeup table and two wardrobes while on his left is a door that leads to the bathroom. Further to the left is the main living area with a large TV, two sofas with a table in between them, an easy chair and a small kitchen. "Cool isn't it? They gave it to me free of charge. I visit Gibraltar often, so they let me use this suite." Shelly explains as she takes off her long evening gloves and throws them on her large bed, while a frowning Akito sits down on the sofa facing the large window and hunches forward.
"Are you going to explain why you brought me here?" He asks with an irritated tone.
"Don't so impatient. I'll tell you once I've taken a shower."
"Right…do you have a phone I can use? I need to inform my superiors."
"Yeah, use that one next to the microwave." Shelly goes to the bathroom and locks the door behind her. As she takes off her clothes, the ID card falls on the laminate floor and she picks it up. "He really is different…He doesn't care about my celebrity status one bit. Even Eric hasn't been this blunt and rude to me. Maybe I can talk to him as myself…"
As the sound of water splashing and quiet humming is heard from the bathroom, Akito takes the small phone and types in Michael's number. While he doesn't have a cell phone like him, he does remember Michael's number quite well and after a moment of silence, he picks up. "Michael Perez speaking, who is it?"
"It's me, Akito." He doesn't get an answer, but Akito can the sound of heavy breathing from the other end before his ears are shattered by a loud scream.
"DUDE! WHAT HELL HAPPENED BACK THERE?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLAINATION OR I'M GONNA...!"
"Stop shouting in my ear you idiot!"
"Sorry! I'm just…so shaken…HOW DID YOU GET DRAGGED IN TO SHELLY'S CAR?!"
"I SAID, STOP SHOUTING!" Akito yells back at Michael twice as loud, startling him.
"Okay…just explain yourself."
"It's a long story so I'll tell you tomorrow. Just make sure to inform the Captain that I'll be back by the briefing."
"What…wait you gotta tell me now!"
"Tomorrow! I'll hang up." He puts the phone away and returns to the sofa. He looks out of the large window and sees the endless horizon of the Mediterranean. Then he reaches for his deck of cards and tries to play solitaire but again, he can't concentrate. "Why can't I get in the zone? It's never been this hard…" No matter what he does, the game doesn't feel the same as it did before, and he sighs loudly. "The only times I've been able to relax after the valley were when I've listened to that girl's music. Yet, solitaire isn't working anymore…It doesn't feel the same…" Then he hears the door slowly opening and from the corner of his eye he sees Shelly walking out of the shower wearing just a bathrobe. She marches to the refrigerator, takes a can of soda and nonchalantly sits right next to Akito on the sofa. "Hey, don't you have any decency?"
"Hmm? This is my room so I can wear what I want or is this too provocative for you?" Shelly nudges him seductively with her left shoulder, but Akito does not react.
"If the only reason you forced me here was to hit on me then you chose the wrong guy."
"You really aren't falling for me, are you?" Shelly giggles and takes a sip of her soda.
"No, I'm not."
"That's a first, but then again, I've never been with a guy close to my age like this…Okay, I'll tell you why I brought you to my suite."
"About time."
"I sensed something in you when I sang back there." Akito lifts his eyebrows and looks at her in surprise.
"You too?"
"What? You can sense emotions too? I thought I was the only one."
"I don't know how I've been able to do it but ever since my…friend died, I've had these occasions where I can sense thoughts or emotions...they're really faint but I can feel them."
"I'm the same, though I've had this ability since I was born. Eric calls me a Newtype because of that…"
"Newtype? What's that?"
"I'm not sure. Eric, my adoptive brother, explained that Newtypes are the next stage of human evolution or something, but I don't get it."
"That sounds kinda farfetched…" Akito leans with his elbows on his knees and looks at the cards on the table.
"So yeah…that's why I brought you here…I sensed so many bad emotions in you when I sung. It was bugging me."
"Then you could've just talked about it normally."
"I know but I just…wanted to talk about this in private. Only Eric knows about my…gift."
"That so…you said he was your adoptive brother. Does that mean that you...?"
"I don't remember anything about my parents. Eric found me on the streets in the Aries Colony right after the Orbit War ended. He's currently an MS instructor for the Earth Federation."
"Oh, you're from the colonies? That's a coincidence, I'm from there too." Shelly's eyes widen as now she stares at Akito in surpise.
"No way! Looks like we have a lot in common."
"Yeah…I don't exactly have parents anymore either…They died when my home colony Aquarius was destroyed."
"Oh…you're from there. I heard what happened. It must've been horrible."
"I don't remember much about the whole event. The one thing that keeps coming back to me is the long trip back. You're stuck in a transport ship in space, and you can't do anything, you just wait for it to end." Akito explains while looking out of the window towards the starts as a cold chill runs down his spine.
"I can believe that. Do you have any other relatives?"
"I've got an older brother and a younger sister."
"That's great! I've only got Eric but he's all I need. He saved me from the streets and gave me my name."
"He named you Shelly?"
"No silly. Shelly is my stage name. My real name is Nena Klinsman."
"So what do I call you then?"
"Normally it would be Shelly but since you're…different...you've got special permission to call me Nena." the girl blushes slightly and takes another sip of her drink.
"How come I'm different?" Akito lifts his right eyebrow while Nena stutters.
"B.b. …you haven't treated me as a celebrity, that's why! Eric is the only other person who treats me as a normal girl, not just a singer. Also, because you and I are kinda similar…" Nena becomes even more embarrassed and looks away from Akito who is slightly surprised by her sudden shyness.
"So she's not just a selfish celebrity…"
Then Nena finishes her drink and stands up. "By the way, don't tell anyone I'm from the colonies…"
"I won't…"
"Okay, I'm gonna put on some clothes so don't look okay?" She recovers her composure and tries to get a reaction from Akito.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Akito replies and reattempts to play solitaire. Nena giggles and walks over to her wardrobes and nonchalantly throws her bathrobe on her bed before looking over her shoulder, but Akito does not react in any way.
However, in his head, he is struggling to remain calm. "This girl is really trying to mess with me! Oh crap!" he shouts mid thought as he notices the clock on the wall, startling Nena.
"What are you shouting at?!" Nena asks as she peeks from behind the wardrobe door.
"Dammit, I forgot about the time. It's past eleven PM already! I can't go back now!"
"But you said you needed to be back by 08:00 AM."
"Yeah, but for security reasons they put the base on nightly lockdown. It starts at 23 and ends at 05:00 AM. Argh, now I'm stuck here and can't go back until five in the morning." Akito slumps down on the sofa and lets out an angry sigh.
"You can stay here. This suite has plenty of space for two people."
"Was this also part of your plan?"
"What?! Don't misunderstand. I didn't plan anything, I just wanted to talk that's all."
"Of course…Can I at least have my ID-card back now?"
"Sure." She throws the card across the room and Akito barely manages to catch it. "Nice catch." Nena walks back to the sofa, wearing a white top and shorts. She then sits back down next to him as Akito collects his cards and leans backwards. "By the way Akito, I've been meaning to ask you something."
"What?"
"What did you think of my singing? I know it's kind of a selfish question but it's something I ask from anyone who hears me sing if I get the chance." Nena looks at Akito expectantly.
"Hmm…I'd say it was good."
"Just good?"
"I don't listen to music often so I'm not much of a music critic…"
"Oh…I see…but I'm glad you liked it!" Nena smiles warmly as Akito shifts his gaze from the ceiling to the window.
"To be honest, I'm grateful that you dragged me here."
"What? I thought you hated being here?"
"I never said that. I was just annoyed that you blackmailed me. Anyway, ever since I lost my friend, I've been depressed, and I couldn't get any joy out of things I usually like doing. This was a refreshing change. So, thanks for talking with me."
"Oh…I should thank you too. I usually only speak to Eric about my troubles but even then, it's difficult because he's a bit stern, but with you, I somehow feel at ease." Nena gives Akito a warm, genuine smile and he has to look away for a split second to his faint blush.
"Uh...same here. It just feels natural talking with you."
"Maybe it's because we're both Newtypes?" Nena giggles and Akito shrugs in response.
"I'm not really buying that "Newtype" thing, but I did sense something from you on the stage. You seemed lonely."
"Maybe…like I said, Eric is only person I talk to so I guess you're right. I've never had any friends…" She looks wistfully at the floor.
"Really? I thought a celebrity like you would have many friends."
"You think too much of me. Eric is always with me in public events, and I never really speak to anyone by myself. Besides, the only thing I've got going for myself is my confidence."
"Yeah, no kidding. You blackmailed a complete stranger."
"Come on, give it a rest already!" Nena becomes irritated but Akito simply chuckles. "What's so funny?!"
"Nothing, it was just that you looked funny with that angry face." Nena huffs loudly in response and looks away from Akito. "Anyway, I need to go to sleep. I gotta wake up early so I can get to the base by 05:00."
"My bed is for two people. If you want, you can…"
"Not a chance. I'll sleep on this sofa." Akito stops her midsentence.
"Don't be stupid! This sofa is super uncomfortable. Trust me."
"I'm not gonna sleep in the same bed with you!"
"What, are you scared?"
"No, I'm not. It just wouldn't feel right."
"Fine, suit yourself. There's a spare blanket in that cupboard next to the sofa and don't you dare to snore!"
Despite the circumstances, Akito does manage to fall asleep on the sofa but he cannot get Ryu's words off his mind and they keep waking him up intermittently. The following morning, Akito is driven back to the base in the same black sedan that took him to the hotel.
While the sun is still only slightly visible over the horizon, he eyes a small object in his hand, namely a crescent moon-shaped hairpin."You're a mobile suit pilot, right? It's pretty dangerous work so here, take this. It's my favorite."
"Why are giving it to me?"
"For good luck. Take care of yourself, okay? Bye!" Those were the words Nena had to said to him before they separated and Akito still can't quite understand what happened yesterday. However, he quickly puts those thoughts aside as the sedan approaches the base perimeter and drops him off. Then, Akito goes to the check-point leading to the Edelweiss's dry dock and gives the guard his ID who then lets him in and after boarding the ship, Akito walks straight to his shared room where Michael is still sleeping. Though he tries to be as quiet as possible, Michael still wakes up and notices who has entered the room.
"Space Boy!" he shouts, not showing any sign of being tired.
"Don't be so loud. I didn't sleep well last night so I need to rest before the briefing." Akito hisses as he sits down on his bed but Michael is nto about to let him slip away.
"Oh no, you're not squirming out of this! You owe me and the girls an explanation."
"I'm serious! I really need to sleep!"
"And I'm serious too. You got to spend the night in Shelly's place. I wanna hear all the details."
"Later. I'm going to sleep." Akito snaps as removes his uniform and pulls the curtain around his bunk while Michael grumbles and mutters to himself before going back to bed as well. Then, Akito's mind drifts back to Nena as he glances at the hairpin once more. "That girl was weird...really weird…"
Two and half hours later, Michael literally pulls him out of the bed in a frenzy. "Why the heck did you do that?!" Akito stands up but is still visibly tired but Michael ignores his complaints.
"The briefing starts soon man. The Captain wants you there earlier so you can explain where you were."
"Oh…right. I take it she didn't like what she heard from you?"
"Well, she wasn't happy, I'll say that much. You better get going before she sends someone else to drag you there."
"Yeah, I'll go, just give me a few minutes." Akito goes to the small sink between the beds and cleans himself before he puts on his normal military uniform and leaves with Michael, who continues to nag him about last night's events. "Will you stop asking? I said I'll tell you once the briefing is done. We'll have plenty of time once it's over."
"Dude, you have no idea how special you are. You spent the night at Shelly's place! I've been waitin' long enough!"
"Then just wait more." Akito scoffs as they enter the briefing room where the Captain, Aho and Barros are waiting. After a round of salutes, Akito is instructed to take a seat.
"2nd Lieutenant Perez, I ask that you leave us. I'm sure 2nd Lieutenant Evans will explain everything to you in a later time."
"Yes Ma'am…" Michael leaves Akito with officers but as he closes the door behind him, Jacky, Lucia and Aiyumi, arrive.
"Hey Michael! We heard Akito came back this morning. How was he?"
"Tired I guess. He hasn't told me anything yet but I'm gonna make him spill every single detail once this is over." Michael clenches his fists dramatically while the girls roll their eyes.
Inside the briefing room, the Captain gives Akito a stern look as she crosses her arms. "So, 2nd Lieutenant, why don't you explain exactly why you left the event and why you failed to inform anyone about it? Now, I am aware that I said that if you missed the cars, you'd have to find your own way back to the ship but the fact of the matter is that you did not inform anyone about leaving. Had 2nd Lieutenant Perez not answered his phone when he did, we would've had to send MP's to find you. You better have a good reason for this."
"I…uhm…it's complicated Ma'am…my ID-card was stolen."
"By whom?"
"That singer…Shelly."
"What? Evans, this no time for jokes."
"I know it sounds crazy but…" Akito tells them how Shelly took his ID-card and extorted him to come to her suite for the evening and how the simply ended up talking until he realized too late that base had gone to lockdown. After a moment of silence, Renner, Aho and Barros burst out into laughter, embarrassing Akito.
"Evans…ha-ha-ha…you really are somethin'…" Barros has to lean at the wall to keep himself from collapsing while Aho and Renner are trying their hardest to stop laughing.
"Aha-ha-haaa….haaaah…Alright…let's calm down now…" Renner adjusts her hat and eye patch and straightens herself up on her chair. "Well, you certainly had an experience."
"While it's true that I had no control over the blackmailing, it is my fault that I didn't notice the time and failed to inform you properly Captain." Akito stares at the floor in shame.
"That's certainly true and exactly because of that, you will be punished accordingly. You're leave is cancelled and for the next two days, you will be working with the mechanics in the hangar. That should keep you punctual."
"Understood Ma'am…"
"Trust me 2nd Lieutenant, this is the minimum punishment. Had the circumstances been different, in the worst-case scenario, you would be facing a dishonorable discharge from the military."
"Yes Ma'am."
"Just remember to keep an eye on the clock the next time you're flirting with a celebrity…ah-ha-ha." Renner chuckles. "Alright, let the others in. We'll start the briefing now." Barros opens the door and the rest of the pilots enter the room. Once they are seated, Renner opens a folder containing their new orders. "I am aware that we just arrived here but we have received new orders, as well as a new assignment. This ship, along with its crew and pilots has been re-designated as the 51st Advanced Independent Unit, codename "Velge"."
"What?! Didn't we just come back from a battle? Why now?" Michael asks in surprise.
"Yeah, weren't we just a Sleeper hunting unit? Why the sudden change?" Jacky is equally astonished.
"Settle down you two. Now, Gründer Industries has asked that we become a sort of evaluation unit for new mobile suits. Our original mission of hunting Sleepers remains the same, but we will use prototype machines provided by them. We will leave for Taranto where this ship will be refurbished further and will pick up the new units."
"What about Aiyumi? She hasn't even gone to cell regeneration yet?"
"I am aware, 2nd Lieutenant Blanc, but don't worry 2nd Lieutenant Kagami, once your treatment is finished, you will return to the Edelweiss and will receive a new MS as well. Moving on, Gründer has also provided us with a new pilot, to fill in the space left by Ensign Tsuda and an MS expert who will help with the evaluation of the new mobile suits. They are going to board this ship in Taranto. Also, from here on out, Purple and Silver Teams will be merged into the Velge MS Team. Lieutenant Gronwald, you're in charge and 2nd Lieutenant Perez, you'll be second in-command, understood?
"Yes Ma'am."
"Good. You'll be using flight number's Velge 1-4. Lt. Gronwald, you'll be Velge 1, 2nd Lt. Perez is Velge 2, 2nd Lt. Evans will be Velge 3, and 2nd Lieutenant Blanc is Velge 4. Is that clear?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Good. 2nd Lieutenant Evans, please report to Chief Ivanov at 10:00 am sharp. The rest of you still have leave so you are free to do whatever you want. Any questions?"
"Excuse me Captain." Lucia stands up.
"What is it Lieutenant?"
"When will this ship leave to Taranto?"
"Most likely tomorrow. Since the final repairs will be done there anyway, we will only receive basic maintenance here."
"Understood."
"Alright, you're all dismissed."
As the officers leave, Michael puts his arm around Akito's neck and rather violently pulls him closer. "So, Space Boy, why don't we go to the cafeteria where you can explain to us as well what happened?"
"Yeah yeah…" Michael drags Akito to the cafeteria, followed by the girls and once they sit down, Michael starts questioning him.
"Alright, start talkin'."
"Fine…" Akito once again explains last night's events. Jacky and Aiyumi laugh hysterically while Lucia looks rather upset. Michael meanwhile is green from envy.
"Dude you are one lucky bastard! You got to see Shelly in a bathrobe! Man, if I'd been there I would've…"
"Don't go any further you pervert!" Jacky snaps at him.
"I'm not a pervert! I just appreciate the female form."
"Whatever, but really Akito, why did she come to you specifically?"
"Well she…"
"What an indecent woman. Does she not know any shame?" Lucia interrupts him.
"I don't think it's that she doesn't have any shame, it's just that she's really confident."
"But still. I cannot comprehend why she couldn't ask you to accompany her like a normal person." Lucia says in an angry tone, suprising Jacky and Aiyumi, who huddle together.
"I've never seen her so pissed." Jacky whispers to Aiyumi who nods back.
"I know right? Maybe she's jealous?"
"I heard that! I am not jealous. I am merely puzzled why that woman acted that way."
"She didn't seem like a bad person. I think she was just lonely. She told me that she was an orphan before her adoptive brother found her. Apparently she doesn't talk to anyone else except her brother." Both Jacky and Michael are dumbstruck by Akito's revelation.
"Did she really say that? OMG that is so sad!"
"Dude, do you have any idea what kind of news story that would be?!"
"And that's exactly why we're keeping this between ourselves. You guys aren't gonna say one word about this to anyone okay?"
"Yeah, of course. It's her private info. You got that Michael?" Jacky glares at Michael.
"Hey I wasn't gonna tell. Even though I'm super jealous, I've got to respect Space Boy for stayin' cool while being in the room with Shelly."
"Regardless of her origins, her actions were still unacceptable."
"Oh you mean when she dropped Akito's ID-card in to her cleavage or when she tried to hit on him while wearing a bathrobe?" Michael says with a sly grin as Lucia's face turns bright red and she quickly stands up.
"Stop that vulgar talk! I'm going to the simulator!" She marches out of the cafeteria while Jacky and Aiyumi giggle.
"Sorry, she's never had any relationships with men, so those kinds of things are kinda foreign to her."
"Yup, that's the sign of a virgin. Just like Space Boy over here." Michael nudges Akito.
"What does that have to do with this?"
"Nothin' at all…" Michael grins.
"Ah right, Akito, why did the Captain want you to go to the hangar at ten?" Aiyumi asks.
"It's my uhm…punishment. I have to help the mechanics for the next two days and my leave is cancelled. Anyway, I better go now. Otherwise the Chief is going to have my head." Akito says while also leaving the cafeteria.
"Well I guess it's you and me ladies. What are ya gonna do?"
"We're gonna spend some quality time with just us girls. Kagamin's plane leaves tomorrow so I want us to make the most of the time we have left. Isn't that, right?" Jacky hugs her friend, who smiles back.
"Yeah…"
"Welp, I guess I'll be spendin' my leave by myself." Michael shrugs as everyone goes thier separate ways.
…
The next morning, all the pilots gather at the base's airport where Aiyumi's plane is waiting on the runway. She tries console a teary-eyed Jacky over her departure. "Don't worry Jacky; I won't be gone for long."
"Yeah but…I'll miss you…" Jacky sobs while Luciac also tries to comfort here.
"Come on, Jacqueline, don't be sad. She'll be back."
"That's right. You two make sure the boys won't get into trouble while I'm away okay?"
"Of course. I'm their superior after all." Lucia replies sternly while Aiyumi then turns towards Akito and Michael and they shake hands.
"Well, we've only known each other for two weeks but it was great meeting you. You better make a quick recovery."
"You can count on it. Besides, I need to come back to keep an eye on you Michael."
"Wha…what's that supposed to mean?" Aiyumi's comment instantly irritates Michael while Akito nudges him jokingly.
"Don't worry. I will make sure he'll steer clear of any indecent behavior."
"Not you too Space Boy! Hey, why are you all laughing?! Come on!" Michael shouts as his teammates erupt into laughter but deep inside, all of them realize that what they have been gone through has forged a bond between them that can never be broken but they cannot help notice that one of them is missing. Then, as Aiyumi boards her plane and Lucia has to hold a crying Jacky in her arms, Akito looks up at the clear, bright blue sky, hoping from the bottom of his heart that what Ryo said won't come true.
Note: And we are finally properly introduced Yellow 4's full identity. Her having an alias and a split personality was something I really wanted use in this fic, to make it a bit more interresting. Her other self, Nena/Shelly has a similar personality to Sheryl Nome from Macross Frontier in that she is very confident and headstrong but not above using whatever means necessary to get what she wants as the chapter showed. The songs she sings are all somehow related to Gundam and mecha anime in general, like Voices from the previous chapter or Fly Away by Nami Tamaki who sang the 3rd and 4th ops of Gundam SEED.
Also, the Laser Pulse Engine that was mentioned in this chapter is this universe's equivalent of the GN Drive, but it does not generate particles. Instead, it creates a light ring behind the MS that has the same properties as the GN Drive.