Chapter 11 – Meetings
Alrighty! Well before we start anything I just want to say to all my fellow Australians…HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY! AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI!
Nikki: You Aussies are completely whacked….
Hey! We like to have fun all right?
Nikki: Whatever I still think you're nuts
Kai: Aw come on Nikki let her have her moment
Thank you Kai!
Nikki: -glares at him- who's side are you on?
Kai: Uh…-starts sweating-
Jason: -sniggers- Uh oh…busted!
Nikki: -leers at Jason- who asked you?
Jason: - Hey wow someone's in a mood!
(Doors get blasted down)
-Coughs- what the-oh man…ECHO!
Echo: -appears- Sorry! I forgot my keys!
THEN KNOCK! I have to pay for repairs since this is my house! GREAT!
Echo: Knocking is boring!
Kai: (To Nikki and Jason) Maybe we should just start the chapter…
Nikki: Good idea, she'll be blasting Echo for a while
Jason: Enjoy everyone!
Nikki sat inside her machine and looked around the cockpit of her fighting partner. It had been several weeks since she had been fighting inside the Vengeance, so she decided to get a feel of her before she would fly her out onto the battlefield. After a minute of getting comfortable, she turned the machine on and felt everything hum to life. The cockpit lit up as all the instruments turned on. She pulled out the keyboard and started furiously typing away. She thought she might as well check up on the settings and update her OS system. She was so caught up with her machine that she was unaware of the excitement of the friend she had left nearby.
Echo gasped as the Vengeance came to life. It's blue eyes flashed and the Phase Shift Armor wrapped around the machine in magnificent black and purple. Sunlight poured through a window, the beam hitting directly onto the shining metal causing it to glint and show only by appearance the power that this fighter could perform on a battlefield. Echo grinned, although there were plenty of instalments she knew she could add, there was no way she would change the colours, mainly because black and purple were obviously Nikki's choices. So she decided that would be one detail she would most definitely leave alone.
She continued to gaze in wonder at the machine that stood before her. She knew Nikki must still be inside working on the machines systems so she took the time to admire this powerful warrior. She arched her neck to try and spot Nikki, she could hear the vague sound of her typing but she was too high up for Echo to see.
Curious about the inside of the cockpit, she yelled out to her friend. "Hey Nikki! Have you forgotten about me already?"
Nikki stopped typing upon hearing her friends' voice. "No I haven't, just working on a few modifications! You can come up if you want!"
Before Echo could ask how, the hoist line came down for her to take. Nikki yelled out to her again. "Jump on that! I'll bring you up!"
She jumped and grabbed onto the line. "Ok I'm on!" Her grip tightened when the line jerked upwards without warning.
Once she reached the top, she walked over and peered over the Vengeance's controls. "Wow! This is amazing! This is the most upgraded and improved machine I've ever seen!"
Nikki laughed. "Well yes it is one of the most latest designs."
Echo's eyes shined as they travelled around the cockpit "If I wasn't so scared of flying, I'd take this baby everywhere!"
Nikki chuckled. "Still not fond of flying around huh? That's too bad I was prepared to take you out for a spin."
Echo shivered. "Ah…no that's ok I feel better on the ground, but thanks for the offer anyway."
A beeping noise went off and the two girls turned to the source. It was a transmissions call so Nikki pressed a few buttons before answering. "Yes? Nikki here."
She was pleased to hear her sisters' voice. "Nikki! There you are! I tried your room but no one answered so I figured you'd be down in the hanger."
Nikki chuckled. "Kai is most likely still in the shower, and the reason I'm down here is because I have a friend with me."
Lacus spoke back with an excited tone. "Yes! Cagalli told me of the talented mechanic girl! Any way I can meet her?"
Nikki smiled. "Sure thing, we'll just finish up here and we'll make our way over."
"Very well then! See you soon!" she exclaimed before hanging up.
After the call, and while Nikki was shutting her machine down, Echo continued to stare at the place where Lacus's voice came from. Nikki noticed her friends' expression. "Are you alright Echo?"
Echo turned to her with wide eyes. "Was that who I thought it was?"
Nikki laughed. "Yes, that was my sister Lacus, which means she must've just come back from her date with Kira, so you'll be meeting her shortly."
Echo grinned. "Awesome! I get to meet your sister! It's one surprise after the next with you people!"
Nikki grinned back. "Well it's what happens when you're in the military, come on then let's make our way down."
Echo clung on to Nikki as she hoisted the two of them down. Once reaching the floor, she pounced off the older girl, grateful to be back on solid ground. Nikki smiled in amusement at her but didn't say anything, instead she silently lead her friend back the way they came.
A few minutes later found them standing once again in front of Cagalli's door. But instead of knocking, Nikki turned to the girl next to her. "Listen, you head on in and meet Lacus."
Echo stared at her. "Aren't you going to come in?"
Nikki shook her head. "I have a lot more things I need to get done. For the rest of the day I'll be busy recruiting soldiers, so I'll be working the rest of the afternoon." She placed a comforting hand on Echo's shoulder. "Don't you worry; Lacus is one of the kindest people you'll meet. I doubt you'll have any trouble getting along with her.
Echo nodded. "Ok, I'll do my best. It can't be that hard seeing as she's your sister."
Nikki nodded and smiled. "That's the spirit. Well go on in, if Lacus asks where I am just tell her what I told you." When the younger girl nodded, she gave her one last smile before turning and walking away.
Echo watched her go for a moment, and then taking a deep breath she turned back to the door and knocked.
"Please come in!"
Hearing the friendly voice caused her to grin. 'This should be fun.' With confidence she opened the door and upon entering, saw a girl standing by the desk waiting with a patient smile. She immediately saw the similar resemblance she had with Nikki, the main difference being that she had soft pink hair that flowed down her back.
The Chairwoman walked forward with a warm welcoming smile. "Hello there! You must be Echo! It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Lacus Clyne!"
Echo smiled back, still flabbergasted by how friendly this girl was. "Hello Lacus, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. Nikki's told me a few things about you." She said, doing her best to be polite with her best friends sister.
Lacus's smile widened. "Has she now? Well what have you heard?"
Echo gave her a sheepish grin. "Well she firstly told me your position in the PLANTS, then told me that you two were sisters and the slight history behind that. And just before I came in here she told me that you were one of the kindest people she knew."
She wondered if she had said a bit much with the last statement, but took it back when she saw the smile on Lacus's face grow. "She said that about me? Oh my I'm so lucky to have a wonderful older sister!"
Echo nodded, her mind drifting to her own long lost sibling. She hadn't told anyone, not even Nikki, what her last name was. At school she had asked them to keep it a secret within their records, she wasn't ready to be bombarded with questions if people found out whom she was related to. Especially now since the two biggest wars have happened, it would make people wonder.
She was brought back to earth by Lacus's voice. "So where's Nikki? I thought she was going to bring you here."
Echo smiled. "She did, but she only dropped me here. She's busy for the rest of the day preparing for the battle, poor girl doesn't seem to have much time off in these types of circumstances."
Lacus nodded in acceptance. "Very well then, I can understand that. It can't be easy for her to run around like this preparing to fight. I can only imagine just how exhausted she must be feeling."
Echo whole-heartedly agreed. "She did seem rather tired when she came to my place, but I could see she was trying to hide it."
The pink haired girl sighed. "She always tends to do that in times of war, she pushes herself to her limit to the point of exhaustion. I'll be grateful when this fight is over, then she'll finally have the peace she deserves. She's been through far too much, I'm happy she has Kai beside her. Can you imagine what she would be like if she hadn't met him?"
Echo gave that some thought for a moment. "Probably how I knew her back in school, she was mainly on autopilot and was only happy when she really wanted to be. Otherwise she'd just have a bored or blank look on her face, or she'd get angry if something annoyed her. That's how she would be if Kai hadn't come into her life."
Lacus gazed at her in wonder. "I see…then she must really be in love with him then."
Echo nodded. "Oh she is, believe me I've seen the proof with my own eyes." Her mind wondered back to earlier that day when Nikki and Kai were sitting on her couch and gazing into each other's eyes, completely oblivious to everything around them.
Lacus placed her hand on Echo's shoulder, causing the other girl to look at her. "Why don't you go and get some rest? You'll need it, especially with what I hear Nikki has in store for you."
Echo twiddled her fingers. "But I don't know where my room is."
Lacus laughed. "Oh I'm so sorry! You're in room 26, just a few doors down from Nikki. She's in room 21."
Echo grinned. "Thanks! I should be able to find it then." She put her hand out. "Well it was a pleasure meeting you Lacus, Nikki's lucky to have a sister like you."
Said sister smiled and took offered hand. "It was my pleasure also, always glad to help. Well I'm lucky to have a sister like her."
Echo smiled. "I'll be sure to tell her that for you, have a good night Lacus." She saluted her out of respect, before turning and walking out the door, the Chairwoman smiling softly at her retreating figure.
Meanwhile in room 21, Nikki sat on the bed with her laptop, patiently waiting for her boyfriend who was currently in the bathroom. Kai had finished his shower and was now in the middle of getting dressed, she was amazed that he had taken so long. She was waiting for him to come out so she could also quickly freshen herself up, so she took the time to look over some data on a file she had saved. According to several sources, she already knew what formation the enemy army was positioned in. So knowing that, she was already thinking of more strategies, ideas flowing through her mind at hundreds of miles.
Her concentration was broken when the door to the bathroom opened and a freshly clean Kai came out. As always he was shirtless but Nikki was used to this by now, although she still couldn't help the slight blush that crossed her face whenever she saw his toned chest.
Kai grinned at her crimson face. "Glad I have that effect on you."
She huffed, although the redness on her cheeks remained. She strode past him towards the bathroom, but before she could get too far, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him. He smiled softly at her. "Hey come on, you know I love you right?"
She looked away, the glowing red still eminent on her face. Damn him for being so irresistible, and why the hell couldn't she stop blushing? She should be used to this kind of behaviour from him by now!
She was surprised when instead of pursuing his flirtatious behaviour; he loosened his grip and gently turned her around to face him. Confused by his sudden change of attitude, she lifted her head to stare at him. His eyes were full of emotion, but also with nervous hesitation.
Nikki tilted her head curiously. "Kai? Are you ok?"
Kai averted his eyes slightly; whatever he was about to say he decided to hold in at the last minute.
He let his arms drop from her waist and turned away, "I'm fine, feel free to use the shower."
She knew something was bothering him, so she gently grabbed his wrist and turned him to face her. Seeing he was trying to avoid eye contact, she reached up and gently pulled his face back to look at her. When their eyes met, she saw nothing but uncertainty staring back at her.
Her eyes softened in concern. "Kai…sweetie what's wrong? Talk to me."
Kai gently pulled out of her grip and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine Nikki, I'm just tired from all this planning that's all…look I'm going to get my part of the army ready, I received word that Jason and Jenny were back with recruits from the PLANTS…so uh, I'll see you later." Giving her a quick kiss, he quickly pulled a shirt on and strode out the door.
Nikki was beyond confused; Kai had never behaved that way before. One moment he was his usual charming self, the next he wouldn't look at her and was acting withdrawn. She shook her head; whatever was bothering him she knew he would confide in her eventually. But right now she needed to focus; she had less than forty-eight hours to bring everything together. Grabbing some clothes she walked into the bathroom for her shower, her mind filled with battle strategies and about what in the world could be bothering her boyfriend.
The boyfriend on her mind was at that moment leaning against the wall just outside their room. He was annoyed with his behaviour just a minute earlier, and hoped that he hadn't worried Nikki that much. Kai knew that with the way he was acting that she may be scared that he was planning a break up, but that was the furthest away from the truth. He was in fact planning on asking the exact opposite. He put his hand in his pocket to feel a soft jewellery box, but didn't take it out just in case his girlfriend unexpectedly came out. He sighed in frustration; how hard was it to propose to your long-term girlfriend? They had been together for three years and he knew that he loved her more than anything, and there was no doubt in his mind that she felt the same way. But then why was it so difficult? True it may not be the best time seeing as how they were about to go fight soon, but if he didn't do it now then he may regret it. Kai sighed again, torn apart by his conflicting thoughts.
He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Echo walk up next to him. Realizing that he hadn't seen her, she stared at him, waiting patiently. She had promised herself that she would talk to this boy, but didn't think she'd get the chance since him and Nikki seemed to be inseparable. So she was on her way to their room to ask for a private word, and couldn't believe her luck when she saw the very person she needed near their door all by himself, no girlfriend in sight.
From his expression she could tell something was bothering him. But she didn't have any other better time so she decided to make her presence known.
"And what might you be pondering, 'Mr Perfect Boyfriend?'
The sudden question startled Kai; he turned his head to the side to see Echo smiling innocently at him. He raised an eyebrow. "Mr Perfect Boyfriend?"
She grinned at him. "There must be some reason Nikki is so infatuated with you."
Kai rolled his eyes. "Did you come here just to tell me that?"
Echo folded her arms. "As a matter of fact no, I came to ask you a question."
He stared at her. "Me? I thought you'd be here to see Nikki."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "What am I not allowed to talk to you?"
He put his hands up in surrender. "Fine, whatever, so what is it you wanted to ask me?"
Echo placed her hands behind her back and leant forward to peer at him. Kai felt himself starting to sweat from her leering gaze and decided to himself to never make this girl angry.
"I was wondering when you were planning on proposing to Nikki."
Kai's jaw dropped. How did she know he was planning to propose? He wasn't that easy to read was he?
Echo laughed at his expression. "Don't have to look so shocked, if you're actually going to or not I have no idea. But I do know that Nikki is not going to wait forever, so I am here to tell you to hurry up."
Kai let out a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding. Ok so she was just pushing him along, but did he want to tell her that he already had a ring? He shrugged to himself; it didn't matter either way, this girl was just going to keep badgering him about it no matter how prepared he was. Making up his mind he pulled the box out of his pocket and gave it to Echo.
Echo was surprised to see him pull out a jewellery box, so he was planning to propose! She couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face; Nikki was going to get the surprise of her life. She then noticed that Kai had the box held out in front of him and realized it was an indication for her to take it. She yanked it from his hands, although she opened it gently. Inside was what she thought was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.
It was a white gold band with small diamonds set into the rings ridges. Sitting in the centre was a trillion-cut blue topaz diamond that seemed to glitter with just the slightest movement.
Echo gawked open mouthed at the piece of jewellery. She could understand why girls would want to get married if they could wear beautiful rings such as this. With wide eyes she looked back at Kai, who was giving her a nervous and sheepish grin.
"So…do you think she'll like it?"
Echo stared incredulously at him. "What kind of stupid question is that? Of course she'll like it!"
Kai shrugged modestly. "Well I don't know much about jewellery so I just picked one I thought would look nice on her finger."
Echo barely restrained herself from bursting out laughing. "You men are so sad and clueless." She held the ring up close to his face. "If you are stupid enough to not see just how stunning this ring is then I do have to wonder what Nikki sees in you."
Kai just chuckled "She sees more than a hopeless guy that is clueless shopping for stuff that's for sure; otherwise she would've dumped me a long time ago."
She grinned. "Well at least you admitted it, but I do have to ask though…" When he raised an eyebrow she continued. "How much did it cost you?"
He sheepishly grinned. "Ten thousand"
Echo's jaw just about hit the ground. "Where in the world did you get that money?"
Kai smiled. "Nikki and Lacus's family are rich, and they inherited their parents' life insurance when they died. So they're pretty much loaded"
Echo glared at him. "So you used Nikki's money behind her back?" She couldn't believe the nerve of this guy!
He just chuckled. "Of course not, I wouldn't do that to Nikki…I asked Lacus to help me out."
She let out a sigh of relief. "Oh I see, you asked Lacus for help. Oh man and how did she react when you told her you were proposing?"
Kai laughed. "What do you think? She paid the whole ten thousand for me; I owe that girl big time."
Echo grinned. "Man I'm liking this Lacus more and more, she sure is charitable."
She then realized she was still holding the ring, so she closed the box and handed it back to Kai. "You better take this back before Nikki gets the wrong idea."
Kai chuckled before taking the box and slipping it back into his pocket. After making sure it was secure, he turned back to Echo. "So when do you think I should ask her?"
Echo thought for a moment before answering. "Depends, when's the invasion?"
Kai shrugged. "Morning after tomorrow I think, I'm not too sure. Nikki has all the data and information on her computer."
She nodded. "Then it's settled then, ask her tonight."
He gave her a confused look. "Why tonight?"
She grinned. "Because if you do it tonight, then you'll have an extra day to be with your 'fiancé' before the battle. And also, the promise of getting married will give Nikki the strength to come back alive."
Kai thought about that for a moment, she definitely made a point there. But he didn't want that to be the only reason that he would ask her, he had been meaning to propose for a while but had never found the perfect opportunity. But Echo certainly had a good point; it would be their last day together before a battle that would take who knows how long. Echo's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"The only question is when or where?"
He grinned. "Oh I already know the where, that's one part I'm quite confident about."
Echo raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? And where is the magical scene going to take place?"
Kai's grin then turned into a soft dreamy smile. "A park a little ways from here, it holds a lot of memories for the two of us."
Echo nodded. "Sounds perfect then, may I ask what kind of memories?"
She watched as his eyes glazed over, the soft smile growing. "It was the place where we confessed our love to each other and when I officially asked her to be my girlfriend. So I thought it would be significant if I asked her in the same place to be my wife." He turned to the younger girl with a grin. "Good enough?"
She grinned widely at him. "Perfect! Guess you're not so useless after all you sly dog!"
The two of them laughed loudly at her comment, not noticing the door to Kai and Nikki's room open. The latter stepped out and instantly stopped in her tracks when she spotted the two laughing friends. She raised a suspicious eyebrow; what in the world was going on?
"Kai, I thought you said you were going to recruit soldiers."
Both of them jumped at her voice and turned to face her. Kai nervously scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Yeah I was, but I needed Echo's help with something first. I just happen to meet her out here so we got talking."
This just raised her suspicion even more. "Oh I see, so then why were you laughing?"
Echo stepped forward. "Kai just said something stupid."
Kai sent her a playful glare. "Thanks a lot." She just gave him a cheeky grin.
Shaking his head he turned back to his girlfriend. "Actually Nikki, I was wondering something."
Nikki looked at him and raised a curious eyebrow. "And what is that?"
He smiled at her. "May I ask for some of your time tonight? I'll be perfectly content to wait until you're finished with everything else."
She smiled back. "Was that your smooth way of asking me out on a date?"
He chuckled. "Did it work?"
She laughed. "I guess so, when and where?"
Kai looked at his watch. "Tell you what, why don't you call me when you're done with your preparations? Then I'll tell you where to go. Fair enough?"
Nikki nodded, then grinned. "Sounds good enough for me, but I really need to get going. I have juvenile soldiers to train."
It was then that Kai and Echo noticed her clothes; she was wearing her white Zaft Commander Uniform, her FAITH badge clipped on the front.
Nikki noticed their stares on her uniform. "Oh I need to keep up a professional appearance if I want to live up to my name." She sighed. "All these rumours go around about me, so I don't want to make a liar out of myself."
Kai smiled at her. "You won't have any trouble with that, those rumours are nothing except for how great you are and that can't be any truer."
Nikki stuck her tongue out at him. "You're such a smooth talker sometimes."
Kai laughed. "And you love that about me."
She smiled. "Well as much as I'd love to keep flirting…" She winked as she said this. "I have an army waiting for me." She leaned up to give him a soft chaste kiss. "I'll be seeing you tonight then."
He nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you then."
She gave him and Echo one last smile before hurrying down the hall and out of sight. Once she has left, Echo turned to Kai. "Am I visible again now?"
Kai laughed. "Sorry about that, you know we don't intentionally shut people out. We just get a little carried away sometimes."
Echo stared at him. "A little carried away? Must I remind you what you and Nikki were doing on my couch earlier today? I'm never sitting on that piece of furniture ever again!"
By this time Kai was in hysterics, which caused Echo to glare at him. "It's not funny!
He put his hands up in surrender, although was still slightly chuckling. "Alright, I'm sorry." He then looked at his watch and sighed. "Well I guess I better get going. I have my part of the army to prepare as well."
Echo sighed. "What am I supposed to do?"
He shrugged. "Go make something that could be of use in the battle, I know you're good at that."
She clapped her hands together. "I know! I have an idea!" She turned and starting running back to her room, waving her hand back to Kai. "I'll see you sometime later!"
Kai absentmindedly waved back startled by her outburst. He then shrugged, figuring he would find out what she would build later. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he started making his way to the large hall where his army portion was waiting. His footsteps sounded through the corridors as he walked quickly, his mind focused on only one thing…whether or not Nikki would say yes.
Meanwhile in the hanger, Jason and Jenny had finally returned from the PLANTS. The hundreds of soldiers they had recruited were scheduled to arrive a few hours after them, so they travelled ahead of them to prepare for their army's arrival. One soldier, however, had travelled back with them. Khris Anderson, whom they had met on the colony, came back to earth with them, although he was forced to follow in a separate machine. The boy was constantly talking about the honour of meeting 'Commander Clyne' so Jason switched off all communications so they wouldn't have to endure his excited, yet annoying, jabbering, which rewarded him and his girlfriend a quiet journey back to earth.
But now as Jason secured the Independence, he dreaded having to once again face the frisky teen. So him and Jenny sat in the cockpit, enjoying their time alone before meeting Khris.
Jason slumped in his chair while Jenny, who was sitting in his lap, smiled at him in amusement. "Relax Jason, we only have to do this one little assignment and then he'll be out of our hands."
Her boyfriend sighed. "I really don't want to do this."
She shrugged. "Well alright, let's let him wonder around and get lost, or better yet, get arrested."
Jason laughed. "Now that would be entertaining, but then again…. if Nikki found out."
Jenny shivered. "I don't want to think about her getting angry, so let's just get this over and done with."
Giving one more exasperated sigh, Jason opened the cockpit. When they climbed out, they looked down to see Khris anxiously, but patiently, waiting for them at the hanger doors. Holding his girlfriend to him, Jason hoisted them down. Once they were on the ground, they silently made their way over to the fidgeting soldier. He instantly saluted when they approached him, although he didn't address them, which Jason hoped was a sign that he was starting to loosen up.
After quickly saluting him back, Jason led them back through the two hangers, entering into this main building. The walk through the halls was silent, but that quickly changed when Jason suddenly halted in his tracks, his stare directed in front of him. The two behind him followed his line of sight to see Kai walking towards them. He appeared to be deep in thought so he didn't seem to notice his friends.
Jason grinned at his best friend. "Hey there mate!"
Kai's head jerked up in surprise, but he smiled when he saw who it was. "Jason! Jenny! Welcome back."
Jason nodded. "Thanks, how's it been going around here?"
Kai shrugged. "Getting there, Nikki's making final preparations, so we should have everything done by the morning."
Jason grinned. "That's great! That'll give us an extra day to relax!"
Jenny rolled her eyes before stepping forward. "Where is Nikki by the way? We have something we need to discuss with her."
Kai pointed behind him. "With her 'army' in the training arena, she wants everything to be in order."
It was then Kai noticed the young soldier half hiding behind Jenny. He threw a questioning look to Jason who grinned before turning and gesturing to the teen to come to him.
Khris timidly made his way over to Jason and…Kai wasn't it? He wasn't sure why, but for some reason this man scared him. Sure he was a lot taller, but he just had this gut wrenching feeling that he was important, and he also had this feeling he had seen him before. He already knew he was best friends with Jason, but sensed there was something else. His feelings were confirmed when the blonde commander introduced them.
"Kai, this is Khris Anderson, we've hired him from the colony for a special assignment." When Kai nodded politely, he turned back to Khris. "Khris, this is Kai Rodgericks, he's the Captain of the main Murasame squad of the Orb union." A smirk then appeared on Jason's face, making the young teen nervous. "He's also Nikki's long-term boyfriend."
Khris's eyes grew extremely round. So that's why he felt so nervous around this guy! He was Commander Clyne's boyfriend! The knots in his stomach suddenly intensified and he hastily saluted the Captain he was facing. "S-Sir! It's an honour to meet you sir!"
Kai stared in astonishment and amusement at the timid boy. "It's nice to meet you too Khris, but there's no need for you to speak like that. I'm not one for formalities so just treat me like I'm a normal friend of yours, alright?"
Khris lowered his hand, surprised by the friendliness of the older teen. He could see why the Commander would fall for someone like him; he had all the perfect qualities in him that any girl would love. The young soldier felt rather envious of the Captain, he had the love and trust of someone he had been dying to meet his whole life, not to mention she was one of the most attractive women known to society.
Resisting the urge to salute him once again, he spoke with a shaky voice. "Um...Yes sir-I mean...Ok Kai."
Kai shot him a grin before turning back to the couple. "So what is his 'special assignment?"
Jason gave a straight answer. "He's going to be working for Nikki."
Kai's eyebrows shot up. "I see... anything specific he'll be doing?"
Jason grinned. "He's going to be doing some surveillance for us, which includes some spying and blending with the crowd. I can't reveal too much though, Nikki's the person that's entitled to know all the details since she's the one he'll be working for."
Kai nodded in understanding. "Fair enough," he grinned, "Not like I can't find out from her myself, we do sleep in the same room."
Jason groaned. "Spare me the details please." This comment brought a chuckle from his friend.
Kai looked at his watch and sighed. "Damn, I'm late; look I have to get going. If you want to catch up with Nikki then you better hurry, I have plans with her tonight." He turned to Khris and nodded at him. "Nice meeting you." Then casually waving to his other friends, he hurried past them before disappearing around a corner.
Once he was gone, Jason turned to his girlfriend and the young teen. "Well, we better hurry and find Nikki then, since it seems her and Kai have a date tonight." He rolled his eyes as he said this.
Jenny giggled. "Oh give them a break; it's been a while since the two of them have had a date just to themselves."
Jason snorted. "They had one in the park earlier."
She raised an eyebrow. "Yes but if you remember, we interrupted them, which I don't think Nikki was very happy about."
He shivered. "They still blatantly made out in front of us."
Jenny playfully slapped his arm. "Oh just drop it, come on we have to catch Nikki before she goes out."
Grabbing his arm, she dragged him down the hall, with Khris, who was silent during their banter, quietly following them.
After a few minutes of wondering, they came to a big double door. Jason pushed open one side and the three filed in. Walking in, they saw what had to be fifty to a hundred men and women doing exercise drills. One half was practising piloting skills on simulators, while the others were alternating between doing laps around the hall and push-ups on the ground; the soldiers were clearly being pushed to their limit.
Looking around, they spotted Nikki standing in a far corner, arms folded and intently watching the young trainees with a steely gaze. Completely aloof to her hard expression, Jason lightly walked over to the Commander.
"Oi Nikki!"
Said brunette whipped her head their direction, scowling when she saw who it was. She was oblivious to the young teen behind him, who was gawking openly at her. "Jason, what the hell are you doing here? Can't you see I'm busy?"
He grinned at her. "Gee it's nice to see you too."
She glared at him. "If you just came here to be annoying then you can leave, I'm not wasting any time."
Jason put his hands up. "Alright fine, I did come here to discuss something with you."
Nikki sighed. "This better be important Jason."
Jason nodded. "I assure you it is." He turned to the visibly shaking soldier behind him. "Khris, come here mate."
Nikki watched with a raised eyebrow as a boy, who appeared a few years younger than her, stepped forward. She noticed he appeared rather nervous, so she decided she would be polite so she wouldn't scare him.
When meeting Kai, Khris didn't think the knots in his stomach could get any worse. But now as he stood in front of the brunette Commander, they twisted so much his stomach was beginning to hurt, but he was determined to prove himself to her.
Mustering up his courage, he squared his shoulder, and saluted her. "Ma'am! It is an honour and pleasure to finally meet you!"
Much like Kai, Nikki was rather amused; she wasn't much for formalities either. But when someone showed this much respect, she in turn held a lot of respect for them.
Giving him a slight smile, she returned his gesture, although in a more casual way. "Thank you...Khris was it?" He nodded. "Well Khris, why don't you loosen up a little and we'll introduce each other probably."
His eyes widened when she offered him her hand. He looked up to see her smiling at him. "Nice to meet you Khris, I'm Nikki Clyne, but you can just call me Nikki."
He placed his hands in hers, relishing in this one moment he's always dreamed of. "Khris Anderson, nice to meet you too Nikki," he was amazed by the calmness of his own voice, since his insides were feeling quite the opposite.
Giving him another polite nod, she gently pulled her hand away and faced her two friends. "So...there must be a reason you brought this fine young man to me." Said young man blushed at her compliment.
Jenny nodded. "There is, we hired him to work for you."
Nikki raised her eyebrows. "And you didn't think about asking me before recruiting random soldiers for me?"
Jenny waved her hands. "This isn't random Nikki; we think he could be of good use."
Nikki stared at her. "What kind of good use?"
Jason took over. "Because he only just recently enlisted, he's still in some ways just a normal kid. So we thought he could blend as a civilian and do some spy work for us."
Nikki folded her arms. "I already have several soldiers out being spies, I don't need another one."
Jason sighed impatiently. "But he's different! He can hide in plain sight! They wouldn't even give him any more than a sideways glance because he would look like an ordinary teenager."
Nikki thought about that for a moment. "And what about locating him?"
This was the question Jason was waiting for. "We can place him in certain areas that will give him a good visual on sighting the enemy, so he can alert us when they're approaching."
Nikki had to admit that she was folding to this idea. All other spies she had hired had to stay in hiding to prevent suspicion. But with Khris out there, no one would be any the wiser, especially to a young sixteen year old boy.
She looked at Jason with her mind made up. "Alright, I'll hire him." She smiled at Khris. "Welcome aboard."
Khris couldn't believe it… she hired him! He was now officially working for Commander Clyne. He grinned, unable to contain his excitement. "Thank you, Nikki! I promise I won't let you down!"
She grinned back, finding his enthusiasm entertaining. She then remembered that she promised Kai the rest of her evening, and looking outside, noticed it was already dark.
She turned back to her friends. "Jason, just for tonight he'll be under your supervision."
Jason's jaw hit the floor. "What? Come on man!"
Nikki rolled her eyes. "You don't have to baby-sit him, just show him to a spare room. Then you can have your free time with Jenny."
Jason sighed while Jenny giggled. The redhead turned to her friend. "You go ahead Nikki; we'll wrap things up for you." She gestured to the soldiers that were training.
The brunette stared at her best friend. "Are you sure? You guys have had a long trip."
Jenny nodded. "It's fine, we don't want to keep you from a date with Kai." She grinned when her friend blushed.
Nikki flushed. "How the heck do you two know that's what I'm doing?"
Jenny shrugged. "We ran into Kai on the way here, he happened to slip that he had plans with you tonight."
Nikki sighed. "As much as I love the guy, I'd like these things to stay confidential."
Jason raised an eyebrow at her. "Why would you want it to be private?"
Nikki glared at him. "So certain people don't interrupt us again!"
The blonde yelped and hid behind his girlfriend, who just rolled her eyes. "Honestly Jason, get a backbone."
Nikki glanced down at her watch. "I guess I better let Kai know I'm finished."
Jenny looked at her. "Aren't you going to get changed? You're still in your uniform."
Nikki rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm going to get changed." She then hugged her friend. "I'll see you later." Glaring once more at Jason, and smiling politely at Khris, she quickly strode to the large doors and walked out.
After she left, Jason peered out from behind his girlfriend. "Is she gone?"
Jenny sighed. "Yes Jason she's gone."
He stood up straight, letting out a breath of relief. "Damn, the older she gets, the more terrifying she is."
Jenny chuckled. "You know she's only mean to you right?"
Jason grinned. "Yeah I know, and it's so much fun."
Jenny rolled her eyes before turning and making her way towards the trainees. "Honestly, you've given yourself a death wish."
Jason just smirked and followed his girlfriend with Khris behind them. The young teen felt a lot more relaxed now that he had met Nikki. Some of the rumours he had heard were people saying that she was an impatient and brutal Commander, which, in his opinion, couldn't be any further from the truth. She was one of the kindest people he had ever met and he was very much looking forward to working for her. But he could also see where those nasty rumours came from; the way she had glared at Jason earlier had sent shivers down his spine. So he agreed with himself that he would follow orders without question to prevent having her stare at him like that. But all around, it was rather entertaining. He couldn't wait to get to know Nikki and her friends better, and hoped the maybe one day; he could become a part of their close friendship.
End of Chapter
Nikki: -grins- Gee Jason you turn into such a wuss whenever I get angryJason: Can you blame me? You're bloody terrifying when you're pissed off!
Well then stop trying to piss her off all the time then.
Jason: Well… I can't help it! As scary as it is it's friggin hilarious to watch her explode!
Nikki: DON'T PUSH IT!
Jason: Eek! –backs away- Chill I was just kidding!
Nikki: Like hell you were! Do you know how many times I wanna beat the living crap out of you?
Jason: Um…lots?
Nikki: RRAAAHH! –chases after him-
Jason: Oh crap! –bolts out of room-
Nikki: GET BACK HERE!
-Watches with sweat drop- Wow…she sure has a short fuse…
Kai: I'd stop her but sometimes I feel Jason deserves it
-Grins- can't argue with that…where's Echo?
Kai: -shrugs- probably working on some invention again…you know what she's like. So did you pay for the door?
-Sighs- yeah I've got someone coming around to fix it…stupid explosives…stupid echo and her mechanical expertise…
Kai: Um…should we preview the next chapter now?
-Grumbles- yeah sure whatever…see you all next time…
Kai: Man what's with everyone today?
Kai watched his girlfriend, using this last moment to muster courage. If he was brave enough to confess all of that to her, then how hard can it be to ask one simple question? Taking a deep breathe, he let instinct take over before the two lovers heard him speak the words they had both been waiting for since the day they had fallen in love.
Nikki Clyne…Will you marry me?"