Chapter 2: Love and pain.

Ben and I after the "Accident" were detained although they let me take the serums that were made, a… wise choice. I got several visits from Tanikaze and his friend named Izana mainly asking questions about my Gauna form… I still wonder why they called it a "Crimson Hawk Moth" whatever that was. During this time Ben hacked his way into the data base and we started to read up on the combat reports and videos much to our warden's disapproval, even though he wouldn't do anything about it he would give a small protest. The most disturbing visit was from Norio Kunato, he asked why I was in his labs and why I disturbed his people. Something smelled off about him… yet when I asked about the hybrid in the lab he called her Tsumugi… this Tsumugi I could tell acted much like a child reminds me of how we were when they let us out of our cages into the ship.

"Master John have you prepared a speech for the citizens of Sidonia? Half want you dead and the over half want results."

"The Garde we came with has more than enough advanced tech than they could dream of, and as for my head well I will explain the depths of the crisis that befell the Freedom."

"What will you do about Tsumugi?"

I cringed at that question I have been asked many hard questions on the Freedom for the freedom of my hybrid brothers… and it sickens me just thinking of them caging one so…

"Master John your heart rate as increased, are you ok?"

"Just thinking… this isn't the Freedom."

"Hey John is it? There's a Gauna on the way they said I could let you go for the fight than right after you are to talk to all of Sidonia."

"Get ready than."

Tsumugi and the Gardes going against the Gauna this one looks like it had eaten some sort of colony ship… interesting.

"This is John ready to launch and aid Tsumugi against those Gauna."

"What? You're already ready to engage?"

"Yeah and I can catch up quicker than any clasp formation."

"Permission granted."

As I launch I download Ben into the Garde and get all cores online. They were nice enough to resupply my ammo at least.

"They have captured Tsumugi in some sort of cage from themselves… that's far too flawed, Ben take the wheel I am going out for a little walk."

"Yes Master John."

I open the cockpit and jump out, Ben's kind of enough to eject two of the four Kabizashi for my own use. Ben takes off to engage the Gauna while I grab the sword I carry around.

"How will a hand weapon kill a Gauna?"

"You will see."

I grab the hilt which wraps around my whole arm, and pull out the weapon. My Gauna form rushes over the human form and I am ready to engage them at full strength, at this point the Gardes are almost here.

"Ben focus on the second group of Gauna I will rush in and take care of the cage."

"Master John that's a unwise choice your energy would be better spent on the second group too, this Garde isn't able to fight them all."

"Fine, if she's like any hybrids from Freedom she will be out in a minute anyway."

I charge with the two Kabizashi attached to my back, simply grabbing approaching Gauna and throwing them into each other than blasting them with organic Kabi from my arms destroying the cores of several at once. That is until I get… distracted by a sudden dispersion of the Gauna cage.

"John look out!"

I snap back into the present in time to stop one group of tentacles but not the second… or third. I feel a lot of pain as they try to crush my form's rib section. But I get them… but the damage was done my left side was exposed to any more attacks.

"Sir detecting loss of particles."

"Yeah tends to happen when you get your side ripped off!"

I notice Izana go to rush to save Tsumugi and don't get to warn her in time about a Gauna.

"Ben get over here now!"

"You're not planning on changing with an injury to your hybrid form!?"

"I am because I am not being a science experiment ever again!"

"Fine sir, but I will advice against changing again for three months."

"So be it."

I change back and feel great pain even though the special hybrid suit made from the Freedom's research into hybrids hides the wound I can feel half of my ribs broken on my left side… just my luck.

"Sir massive internal injury from the change, I recommend you let me…"

"Don't you dare."

"Of course Master John, forgive my actions."

I set a high speed course to assist just to get knocked back by a Gauna in my way.

"Master John, Tsumugi can get Izana back to Sidonia for medical attention, we have the Gauna to worry about or there won't be a Sidonia to return too."

"Your right as always."

The battle goes well and we engage the ship Gauna and its cores start to combine into one massive core and create a heavy particle cannon… oh crap.

"Target the core… wait… well…"

Before I can finish my sentence it fires and I mute the communication while I curse myself for turning back. But by some miracle or… Tsumugi must have changed its course… crap.

"Ben light it up with the rail guns!"

"Rail guns are offline due to damage to core 2 and 3, backup cores don't have enough power to sustain them."

"Plan B than fire thrusters get to Tsumugi and pilot Izana's coordinates. If Tanikaze's record is accurate he has a plan already."

"But Master John if we break protocall to get them that will worsen or case to Sidonia!"

"Just do it, if it fires again we can redirect it using the mirror shielding from the Garde."

"Master why are you acting this way?"

"Don't question me and do it!"

After a pause the ship's controls unlock and Ben unlocks the Garde from his control. Now I feel bad he has been a friend and I hurt him without trying… crap. When we get to their coordinates I panic… something I haven't done in… years. Most of Tsumugi's body was destroyed from the blast. I grab her and Izana and speed off toward Sidonia and when I look in the rear view I see the Gauna being destroyed from their fancy Kabi guns.

"This is John Medical emergency; Izana and Tsumugi are badly injured open the hybrid hanger so Tsumugi can get healed while Izana and my Garde get into the Garde Hanger."

"Opening."

All I can think about is how bad this situation is… and what would I say to Sidonia for leaving battle. I guess… my best wasn't good enough. Izana is brought to medical and Tanikaze and I get into a little argument over whose fault it was. Typical… my brain says one thing and I get annoyed with myself… the end result a headache that no amount of medical assistance will solve. At least I don't have to talk as the fact I collapse from blood lose… if that's a bright side.

Next time I wake up its been three hours and Ben was frantic and for good reason, I only lived thanks to a whole 1 Heigus particle unbalance, meaning the body regenerated a bit quicker and I was up before long. I catch Tanikaze at the door to Kunato Developments, no doubt going to see how Tsumugi is doing.

"Hey Tanikaze what's with all the flowers here?"

"They're from the people of Sidonia."

"Now they respect her huh? Just like the Freedom one gets… hurt and than their eyes open."

"Master John your heart rate has increased again are you ok?"

"Ben, I am fine."

"Well let's go in see how she is doing."

I enter and see her in the tank and feel… sorry, if I had been in my hybrid form I could have done that and saved her from this harm… wait why am I thinking these things? Even on the Freedom I never stuck my neck out in hybrid form due to the difference of mine and others. If I were to take enough damage to my hybrid form… I would die… but I… I need to get my head straight.

After I while of sleeping in Kunato Developments I get use to the noises and yelling but it's hard to not notice the yell from Tanikaze over Tsumugi moving in her sleep… wait could he have feelings for her and… maybe… I… oh crap. Of course it has happened to me on the Freedom some of the hybrids were naturally pulled to each other, and some would be pulled to a human. I guess I was dragged to Sidonia for more than just survival but also this… just freaking great. Of all the things in the universe why now of all times?! I scream in my head and hit the wall with my head.

"Master John are you ok?"

"No this time I am not… to the Garde hanger I want to repair my Garde and upgrade some systems."

After a few hours the 2nd and 3rd cores are working again, and I make some more rail rounds for the miniature rail guns.

"Ben open up the Kabi guns I want to upgrade those for a bit."

He opens them and I start to tinker… the only bad part about all this… I had to do this outside the ship. After another hour or so of tinkering around with the guns, a call comes in from Izana… the captain must have given her my number so that she can call me.

"Hey Izana how you doing?"

"Good, Tanikaze was looking for you and after a while we asked Sasaki where you went."

"Ah just outside working on my Garde's weapon and core systems, by the way know of any spare mark 18 Heigus cores lying around?"

"Umm no… why?"

"My Garde's systems can support 5 cores one 17 core, two mark 18 cores, and two prototype 19 cores, from the Freedom."

"Master John my scans show that Tsumugi is awake once again."

My blood runs cold… I tried to get my mind off of it… and now Ben's brought it back up. And I couldn't hide my sigh of relief from Ben or Izana.

"Master John do you care about the fate of Tsumugi?"

"Yeah is that a crime?"

"No master John, however the last time you felt this way was when you, Jack, and Big O escaped from the Freedom."

"Others escaped from the Freedom?"

"Yes Izana, let's hope they don't find us before I am ready or we are in for a bad day."

"Why do you not want them to find us?"

"Well… because they aren't… friends anymore… their hybrid brains took hold of all of their senses and… now they are hunting, lurking, stalking, and feeding like a normal Gauna."

"Oh."

"Anyways see you in a little while."

"Ok."

I hang up and head bash my Garde… again. I finish with the guns and close them up, I head inside and let Sasaki know of the repairs and upgrades I made on the Garde. And started to Kunato Developments my technical home, kind of funny really, I mean that's where Tsumugi is and well… the only place that's safe when I am low on serums.

When I get there I am asked more about the Freedom, my origins, and my hybrid source. Mostly by Tanikaze and Tsumugi.

"So they Experimented on unborn children, why that sounds monstrous?!"

"I know it does Tsumugi but unlike here we didn't have Kabi… and when used on older people… they died."

"That's scary."

"The Freedom science division created a drug meant to be used on younger children this was the hybrid serum, or GH475832. It was mainly used at the 3rd month before the child was born of course… being born from cloning makes it easier. But it often led to hybrids like you, Garde sized."

"That's… discouraging."

"Yeah Tanikaze, but the Freedom had just that freedom, no cages or restraints of us "Reapers" we could go anywhere and with upgrades to gravity and supports we could even walk about the residential areas. But it wasn't to last some of us saw divisions that they wanted down and that led to deaths, and our cages being built."

"Reapers?"

"Oh most of the hybrids on the Freedom were in Reaper wing and won our freedom through victory, and at the worst cases deaths."

"That's sad."

"I know Tsumugi, it was."

"I don't understand why was the Freedom lost?"

"Well Tanikaze, it was lost when some of us lost our sanity to the Gauna. They crept into our very minds and toyed with us for weeks on end until we broke. Of course the human pilots… had far more things to worry about, you would call it a Crimson Hawk Moth, and we called it Red Death."

"You fought a Crimson Hawk Moth too?"

"Yeah… I still bear the scars from it."

After far more hours of talking we all went to our areas, Tsumugi to her room, Tanikaze and Izana left to go wherever they live, an me well I stayed on the ceiling of Tsumugi's old room in an old pipe. After a while I was invited to live with Tanikaze and Izana in their new house, it had old piping and after a startle from Tsumugi on night I knew why they chose that place.

"She said hold our breath causes there's lots of dust in the pipes she's going to blow it out."

"Ah I can handle…"

Before I can finish a torrent of dust hits my face like an engine from a Garde blowing air in your face.

"That was almost relaxing… although a little too much dust."

Tanikaze and Izana just cough loudly and Tsumugi's small white tentacle that reminds me of a marsh mellow shows up.

"Well looks big, no wonder you invited Izana and me to live here with you."

"Well you can't live in an old pipe in Kunato Developments."

"If it was my way Tsumugi wouldn't have to be locked in there. Than I would sleep anywhere."

"You feel strongly about the living conditions of Tsumugi don't you?"

"Yeah I guess once you had real freedom… it's hard to let go."

After a talk and getting the sub commander as a house guest, I couldn't help but to ask Tanikaze something.

"So Tanikaze chances are you have a love interest, who is she?"

For once everyone drops silent… I must have said something wrong.

"Hoshijiro."

"Oh, ok and why don't…"

"Master John according to records… she is dead, although numerous Gauna recreations including the Red Death bear her face."

Now I feel like crap, I had upset Tanikaze, I made myself look like a jerk, and Tsumugi looks upset now too.

"Oh sorry to hear that."

Without a word Tanikaze gets and walks out, and the table area gets clear really quick. I can't help but want to express my feeling for her… but… I can't be blinded I mean… she is young! I than bash my head into the table.

"Master John are you ok?"

"I feel like crap for asking now, how do you think I feel?"

"Awful."

"Well guess I could go work on repairing that hole, although I would be alone… yeah I will do that."

"you mean the hole from the Gauna attack?"

"Yeah that one."

"Master John using the Garde and Sidonia, I have located a… troubling thing."

"Oh, like what?"

"The Red Death."

My blood goes ice cold, it must have followed me here!

"Where is it?!"

"Lem star system, I can't tell what planet."

"That's where the Sidonia is headed."

"If you were to tell someone maybe you could save lives."

"No if we can't find it the morning of the scout mission than we don't worry if we can find it let the crew know."

"Yes master John, I will begin advanced combat training downloading."

"Good."

And without another thought we go to sleep. Just two days until the scout mission.