[ Claudia / September 21, 0078 06:32 ]
"Subaru!" Tea's voice called out to her almost the moment she exited the transporter.
"Tea?"
The air around Claudia was tenser than the day before. Even the transportation technician who welcomed Subaru back looked grim and uptight. When she looked at Tea for answers, she averted her eyes.
"What is it, Tea?"
"I… Sorry, the Admiral can explain it better. He is waiting upstairs."
Bewildered, Subaru followed her to the elevator.
"Lieutenant Nakajima, Major Lanster, have a seat," the Admiral dismissed their salutes as they entered his room. "Good that you are here, I would like…"
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh, they're here," Chrono hastily seated himself. "I hoped to brief you first but… Come in!"
Subaru watched with surprise as a familiar figure entered the door. The hellish joint training session with Sister Schach and Lieutenant Signum three years ago was hard to forget. Three men followed her. Two of them she didn't know but they wore habits and carried tonfa-shaped Armed Devices, so she assumed they were Knights of the Church like Schach. But the third face was much too familiar for the memories it stirred.
The man was tall, dressed in gray full-body suit with magic and movement suppression field generators sewn into it. He had shoulder-length purple hair and unnatural yellow eyes. Despite his situation, he was grinning widely as he looked across the room. Subaru's fists clenched so hard, she could hear the knuckles cracking. She stole a glance at Tea and quickly looked away, relieved that she wasn't the only one with murder in her eyes at the moment.
"Dr. Scaglietti," Chrono greeted the man in a low voice. Schach and the Knights remained perfectly still.
"Admiral Harlaown," the man answered courteously. His tone clashed with his smug grin. "A pleasure to finally meet you in person."
"Can't say the same."
"Such a pity."
"Not really," Chrono's gaze urged caution and Scaglietti chose not to reply.
"Dr. Jail Scaglietti," the Admiral turned to Tea and Subaru, "has made a deal with the Bureau. In return for his expertise on the Belkan technologies, particularly the Cradle, he will be given four years parole after the Cradle case is resolved."
Subaru wanted to speak up by he stopped her with a gesture.
"I don't like this any more than you do, Lieutenant, but we cannot jump in blindly anymore. We need that data and Scaglietti is the only one who can give it to us. Besides, with his sentence, four years don't amount for much."
Subaru nodded slowly.
"Major Lanster here will be in charge of Dr. Scaglietti's interrogation. His confinement will be ensured by a joint security force of the Church and the Bureau. Sister Schach is responsible for the former, and I want you to take over the latter, Lieutenant."
"Yes, Sir."
"One more thing. In case of a suspected escape attempt, Major Lanster is authorized to use deadly force against the prisoner."
Silence fell upon the room, until Scaglietti spoke himself:
"Are you telling them this in my presence on purpose, Admiral?"
"Oh, I would have briefed them before, Doctor, but you were so eager to meet me earlier…"
Scaglietti ignored his vitriolic tone.
"And do you really think the good Major here will be able to kill me?"
The urge to punch him really, really hard, and wipe that smirk off his face along with a half of his head, was nigh unbearable.
"No, I am not counting on it. But I expect whatever she does to you to hurt like hell… Doctor."
Everyone looked at the prisoner, who became silent once more. Tea's lips formed a ghastly smile.
"Understood, Admiral."