October 4th 2050. Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, U.S
Major Jinguuji is heading back to Seattle today. She's spent the last four days in Los Angeles, but the urgent needs of Seattle call to her. There's the matter of those newly returned pilots who crossed the continental United States on foot, the reorg the IJMDF so desperately needs following the last Border War, the deteriorating situation of the Japanese population in Seattle...the list goes on and on.
She's already packed her things, and this is one last briefing before we bid her farewell.
"W-We're going to miss you, Major Jinguuji!" Nanami is trying to keep a straight face, but she's never been good at hiding her emotions. The Major has been our biggest supporter and most tireless leader. And now we're being cut adrift and set to stay in a foreign land under foreign commanders who we can barely speak to.
It shouldn't feel like exile, but it does.
"You two are going to be just fine," she tells us with a small smile, that one that both masks and channels her own pain and concern. "Captain Tomosato will be staying with you, and you and I both know she will always have your best interests at heart. She'll have a direct line to me should anything happen, but I don't think it'll be necessary."
"We will honour the trust you have placed with us, Major Jinguuji." I replied. "Did you get what you needed from Los Angeles, ma'am?"
The Major nods. "I've shared all the information on both the BETA and the France-Canada Coalition with the American High Command, and had a long meeting with Secretary Anderson that has proven a great success. He's agreed with me that completing the rail link between Seattle and San Francisco is the highest priority right now. We need Californian food in Seattle as soon as possible, if not sooner. Things are not going well up north, but you don't need me to tell you that."
Nanami and I have been in Seattle since the Empire's chaotic arrival there. Things did not get off to a good start, and they haven't improved in the year since. There are serious food shortages in Seattle and while California remains a major food production centre, getting food to the starving people of Seattle has been all but impossible. The retreated seas make shipping difficult, and the low-oxygen zone covering Oregon makes flying in supplies even more of a headache and has hampered re-establishing a rail link. Engineers are forced to wear space suits when trying to work there and the preexisting rail lines have been broken in multiple places thanks to the gravity anomalies. Much as we might wish otherwise, the going is slow and arduous.
"We can be grateful that the Japanese people have been willing to shoulder the burden of rationing and overcrowding, but they can't carry that load forever. Secretary Anderson understands the risks that a collapse in Seattle poses to the Americans, but there is only so much he can do. What we need is the one thing we lack the most: time."
The most precious resource of all.
The Major sighs and then smiles at us again. "You don't have to worry about any of this. You two focus on the enemies we can fight, and I'll make sure we can handle that which requires a more deft touch."
I worry about the Major. I really do. She alone seems to be keeping the Empire's mainland presence afloat, but the pressure must be immense. She could well be setting herself up for a breakdown if she can't find somebody to share the load.
The Major turns back to the window in her temporary office and the view over the base it presents. "You two will be here in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future, so I'll brief you on what you'll need to know about the situation here. Some of this is well-known in the area, while other details are of a more confidential nature."
"Understood." Nanami and I chorus.
Major Jinguuji nods. "California is not under martial law the same way Seattle is. The President of the United States is based in Sacramento to the north, and most government functions were reconstructed here after the Great Ocean Collapse. In most ways California still functions as it did before Operation Babylon."
Contrast that to the Empire, where were it not for military rule the state would have collapsed long ago. It almost seems like a perverse joke at our expense.
"There is a certain level of rationing here, but as you're already well aware there are few concerns for the food supply."
That was the biggest shock upon arriving here. After the short rations we were on up north, seeing the food on offer in the PX of El Segundo Base seemed almost unreal. I don't think Nanami even paused to breathe in between mouthfuls, much to Alicia and Simone's mirth.
"California produces 2 million tonnes of Almonds every year. And that's just Almonds. There's over 400 different crops grown here." The Major keeps a neutral tone, but I know from her work in opening up land around Seattle for cultivation that the bounties down here seem unfair. Why should the Empire lose everything and have most of its population below the international poverty line when America gets to enjoy the bounties of its largest and most prosperous state?
Not all Americans, I remind myself. The Americans living in Seattle haven't had any chance to enjoy these bounties either. I know the American population in Seattle are on the same sort of tight rations as we are. I'm sure they must feel even greater resentment at the luxuries the Californians are enjoying.
"I've been advocating for the relocation of a Synthetic Protein Production Plant to Seattle for a while now. If the Empire can produce our own food, then we won't have to rely on the goodwill of our American benefactors, and it'll allow us to trade synthetic food for the naturally-grown products found here. There'll be benefits all around."
The Major has spoken of it before, and I agree that it's a good idea. The concerns over security are rendered moot when Nanami and I could defend it against all comers. Question is, will the Americans allow it? If they can maintain control over the food supply they can coerce the Empire into doing whatever they want.
"Secretary Anderson agreed with my argument and I have since sent a message to the Imperial government in Hawaii. If they sign off on it, we can begin to relocate a plant to Seattle within the next few days"
Wait, Anderson is alright with the Empire making a move that will result in his side having less leverage over the Empire? What kind of game is he playing?
Wait, I know what he's doing. The plant doesn't give us as much leverage as it could have, not when the Americans have all the resources of California at their disposal. I guess they can afford to give us this sop if it keeps us quiet. And it makes the Americans look good that they're graciously conceding this point to the Empire.
I never thought politics would be such a major concern to me when I signed up to be an Eishi. It's been a rough education, and it's not over yet.
"There's a precarious balance of law and order here." The Major continues. "The situation is better than it is in Seattle, but not by as much as you might think."
Really? Because the situation in Seattle is pretty dire. We have Eishi up there acting as law enforcement because there aren't enough Military Police left to cover all the bases. The city has been on the verge of riots multiple times. Los Angeles seems like an ocean of calm by comparison.
Then again, I've barely seen much of Los Angeles beyond the base here so far. Simone has family living here, maybe I should ask her what she knows of the situation on the ground.
"While there is a certain level of drug liberalisation in California, there are still a number of illegal narcotics here. And their use is on the rise." The Major explains. "Especially in the refugee camps. If there's one thing that is a major problem both north and south, it's the refugee situation."
That's something I read up on before we came here. When the Babylon Disaster happened, Mexico and Central America were swallowed whole. Between the low oxygen zones and the gravity anomalies, multiple countries were torn apart in hours. Whole cities were reduced to rubble. Those who survived have fled across the border into California. It's estimated that there may be as many as a million refugees here now, crowded into shantytowns. Too many for the American authorities to process.
There's plenty of refugees in Seattle as well, mostly clustered on the islands west of Seattle. They came from Eurasia by boat, but the end result is the same.
"There's a lot of friction between the refugees and American citizens. There's been reported incidents between gangs on both sides, often with firearms. Lots of people have died in the riots and clashes that have taken place. And the camps themselves are lawless places where kidnapping, murder and sexual assault have been reported. They're a massive headache for the United States government."
Ouch. I see what she means now. On the surface California might look like an oasis in the salt desert, but that oasis is overcrowded and in high demand. Los Angeles might look better on the surface than Seattle, but both are houses of cards awaiting a small breeze to collapse them.
"The eastern suburbs of Los Angeles are ground zero. I suggest you both keep out of those areas of the city if at all possible." The Major stops and then smiles at us. "Oh, don't look so glum."
"Sorry ma'am," Nanami apologises. "I thought things would be better here."
"They are better here," The Major clarifies. "They're not starving to death, they haven't had a large part of the population forcibly relocated. California got off lightly, all things considered."
All things considered. That's the most we can hope for in a post-Babylon world.
"That's all I have for you. My flight leaves in an hour." The Major walks over to us. "The hopes and dreams of the entire Empire rest with you two. It's one hell of a burden, I know. But when have either of you let me down?"
"Never, ma'am!" We chorus.
Major Jinguuji reaches out and shakes first Nanami's hand, then mine. "Play nice with the Americans. Dismissed!"
She's already turning back to her bags as we exit the room. She's a hardened and stoic woman, constantly juggling seats and responsibilities as though the weight of the entire world was on her shoulders.
The least we can do is to try and carry some of her load for her.
El Segundo Base's main PX is thrumming with activity. A deep murmur of conversation forms the base line, the clink of plates and cutlery adding percussion. It's a song in and of itself, one I was always acutely aware of. Looking back on it, it's clear evidence of my latent ability as an Adapter, though that power only blossomed when the songs of the Noble Six reached inside and touched my heart and soul on that bloody day at Sadogashima.
There's a table reserved entirely for us Adapters. Simone and Alicia are already seated there, and they wave at us as we join them.
"So, your Major's gone back to dreary Seattle?" Simone asks me as I take my seat.
I nod. "We're under the tender care and mercy of the American government now."
Simone guffaws at my comment while Alicia just rolls her eyes.
"I don't know your Major well, but everything I've heard of her paints an impressive picture. No wonder Seattle can't do without her." Alicia smiles sympathetically. "You two will be just fine here. You should know by now we don't bite."
"Speak for yourself," Simone tells her. "I bite pretty good when I need to."
"I'm not worried about you two," I said apologetically. "I worry about what we might be ordered to do. If you need to restore order, who would be more efficient at it than us?"
"You think that if there were a full scale riot or worse we might be ordered to hurt the rioters?" Alicia looks sceptical.
"Of course we will be," Simone doesn't hesitate to agree. "We wouldn't even need our SSFs, on foot we could still smash faces if that's what they want us to do."
"I wouldn't do that!" Nanami exclaims. "I fight the enemies of mankind. Those refugees aren't my enemies. They're the people I'm here to defend."
"It's alright Nanami," I tell her, "That's not likely to happen any time soon. The Americans have everything under control."
"Yeah, sure we do." Simone huffs.
Right, since we're on the topic: "Simone, you have family living here. The Major painted a rather grim picture of the situation here in Los Angeles. Is it all that bad?"
"Depends on what your definition of 'bad' is," Simone peers at me with those honey-bright eyes. "If everyone who's skin is paler than milk toast feels safe and secure, then it's clearly not bad at all, right?" A tone of bitter sarcasm enters her voice. "They're calling it an epidemic of violence now. That means white folks are being caught up in it."
There's complicated racial politics there I for one am utterly ill-equipped to understand. Moments like this are a stark reminder of just how different Americans are from us Japanese.
Alicia sits there awkwardly. There's words on her mind, and a desire not to say anything that would rock the boat. Fortunately I feel ignorant enough to say what would go unsaid.
"Doesn't violence hurt everyone? I know America has a long and sad history of racial tensions. It's something we Japanese have never had to deal with."
"What about Korea? You Japanese ruled it for nearly half a century and it didn't turn out well." This really seems to have gotten under Simone's skin. She's definitely been affected by this new wave of violence. Seems like her family have indeed been caught up in these recent spasms of bloodshed on the streets of Los Angeles.
Let's leave this subject on the back burner, shall we?
"What is your family like?" I ask Simone. Her eyebrows raise in surprise, but then she sighs and nods.
"Struggling," Simone says simply. "Thanks to the generous contributions of the United States Government as payment for the services I render, they're not starving. But there's a lot of suspicion of them now, and there have been attempted break-ins before. If it got out that I'm an Adapter, I know there would be those who would try to kidnap them to extort the government."
"Did the government not offer to relocate them when you were accepted as an Adapter?" I ask.
Simone nods. "There's no way any of my family will leave Long Beach. We've been living in the hood since before the BETA arrived on Earth. It's made every generation leading down to me. And that's what I'm fighting for. Not for the US Government, but for people who can't defend themselves otherwise. For my sisters and brothers and cousins in Long Beach and all like them." Now the fire's returned to Simone's voice. "You might fight for your Empire, and the princess might still believe in the government, but I fight for people."
"Fighting for the Empire means fighting for the people!" Nanami cuts in. "My mother and father are part of the Empire, as are so many others. It's for them that I smash."
"And what do you fight for, Alicia?" I ask her.
She purses her lips for a second, then a determined stubbornness lights up her face. "It's cliche, I know. But the ideals of the United States are worth fighting for, even when the people expected to uphold them come short. It's because we come short of such lofty goals that we must keep on striving towards them."
"A true believer." Simone scoffs.
"We all believe in something, Simone. There's a nobility in what Alicia believes and I admire her for it." I tell her sternly.
Simone looks doubtful. "How many times do you have to be let down before you admit that the United States is not all that it's cracked up to be?"
"If we stop trying to make America live up to its potential it'll never reach it." Alicia returns. "We're a disparate people born from a shared idea. That idea drew people to America from north, south, east and west."
"My people didn't choose to be part of America." Simone states bluntly. "Nor do many of those who now huddle in shantytowns in and around the city. We were forced to come here, and we have to make the most of what little we're given."
Alicia won't let it get to her. "I won't make excuses. Nobody was prepared for Operation Babylon, and the government dropped the ball. But nothing will get better if we don't try!"
"They have been trying. For over a year now. Have things gotten any better?" Simone's question lingers in the air.
"We're here to make it better. Symphogears are weapons of hope, and that's what we'll bring with us." I state as confidently as I can.
"I don't think we can conjure up housing, jobs and a stable income for the million or so refugees clustered around the city." Simone sighs. "But sure, if it makes you feel better."
"What's on the lunch menu today?" Nanami deftfully asks.
"Creamed corn, corned beef and beef stroganoff." Simone recites from memory.
"And that's real beef?" Nanami asks in wonderment.
"And real corn." Simone winks.
"It's an extravagance." Alicia grumbles. "We have all these mouths to feed and we're wasting land on cattle instead of crops. That's one change we should have made."
"America without beef is like Japan without rice. Ain't that right?" The last part is directed at Nanami and I.
"I haven't had real rice in several years." I told her. "Most of our food is synthetic. The Empire leads the world in the development of synthetic foodstuffs, and Babylon hasn't changed that."
"Do they make synthetic beef?" Alicia asks.
"Not that I know of," I answer truthfully.
"If the Empire could make synthetic beef, we could start to scale down cattle numbers and open more land up for other foodstuffs." She explains.
"I'll have the beef stroganoff. It sounds funny." Nanami smiles.
"It's a Russian dish." Alicia gets up. "What will you be having Kaede?"
"I've never had corned beef. It sounds nice."
"Sounds nicer than it looks. And what about you Simone?"
"I'll also have the stroganoff." She answers.
Alicia nods and walks away.
"You don't need to keep jumping down Alicia's throat," I tell Simone after she's gone. "You're antagonising her needlessly."
"She needs to get off her high horse," Simone fixes me with a steady gaze. "She acts aloof, like she doesn't have to stoop to our level, we should rise to hers. Her shit smells the same as mine, as does yours."
"She keeps her barriers up because you won't give her a chance," I've only known these two for a handful of days now but I've already mapped out the contours of their rocky relationship with one another. Now I get to try and smooth over those contours and make a bond out of those two Americans.
"It's a delicate dance of give and take. Neither of you seems to trust the other enough to make the first step, because that would be a leap of faith, faith put into your counterpart." It's a feeling that Kazanari-senpai instilled upon me in those early weeks. She showed that despite all that had happened to her she could still believe that I could stand by her side, and I in turn aspired to that place.
"You're thinking about that Kazanari chick again aren't you?" Simone seized upon the wistfulness of my gaze. "You gotta be careful. Alicia mentioned something about the Kazanari this morning. She's been looking into it."
Of course she did. She's the daughter of a senator. Foriegn relations would not be unknown to her, and the role of the Kazanari in the coup against the Shogun pre-Babylon was not exactly a state secret. Not when Kazanari Fudou broadcast to the entire nation after his forces occupied Tokyo and sent the Shogun into hiding.
"I have nothing to hide, and if she asks me I'll tell her all about the Kazanari. Theirs was a noble name once, and not all of them should be tainted by the stain of association."
"That's the stain that's the hardest to get off." Simone says. "I'm not sure the princess will be able to see past it."
"She doesn't have to," I reply. "She's not Japanese, it doesn't concern her anyways."
"You don't know that," Nanami loudly whispers to me.
"I guess I don't," I admit with a half-chuckle, half-groan. "But that's a bridge I'll burn when I get to it."
Simone chuckles before changing the subject. "You were asking about my family? I have two sisters and a brother. All younger. My mom takes care of them. My dad...You've read the files. That's all you really need to know."
"You've had a harder life than any of us," I tell Simone. "You have a strong heart as a result. But you need to be willing to open that heart up a bit to us if we're truly going to fight together as Symphogear Adapters."
"You do seem to use your Symphogears more dynamically than we do." Simone admits.
"You can't learn how to use a Symphogear from anyone but another Adapter. It's not a skill that can be taught unless by experience delivered firsthand."
"As the Canadians would doubtless attest." Simone is not afraid to remind me.
'"Which is why we're here, to get you two up to that level." I turn to see Alicia approaching with four trays of food.
"Thank you, Alicia-senpai!" Nanami smiles energetically as she's handed her tray. Alicia gives a bemused smile in response. She hasn't quite worked out how to take the honorific applied to her.
"Most appreciated, Alicia," I echo.
Simone has already started eating, but Nanami and I wait until Alicia is seated before we begin.
Surprisingly nice stuff. The Americans don't skimp on their rations, they eat better than we Japanese soldiers ever have. It's been a long standing belief that Americans are soft, and their insistence on eating well is a clear example of that softness. That's not a belief anyone who's actually fought side by side with the Americans has.
"This sure beats synthetic food!" Nanami gasps between mouthfuls.
"It doesn't matter if it tastes good, so long as it does the job of keeping us fighting fit." I told her sternly.
"Let her enjoy it," Simone tells me. "It gives her something to look forward to each day."
I grin wickedly at her. "If you two Americans end up coming north to Seattle, you'll have to eat our food. And it's all synthetic up there."
Both their faces fall in an instant. "I hope for our sake it'll be a long time coming," Alicia finally says. "In the meantime there's no shame in enjoying the bounties of being here in Los Angeles."
"Yeah. Even you can stand to loosen up a little here, Kaede." Simone echoes. "Don't act like everything is on your shoulders alone."
"Someone needs to keep their feet firmly on the floor." I state.
"You pilot a music-powered supersuit. Baby, the floor fell through some time ago, and we're still falling." Simone smirks.
"How strange must it feel to either of you? That you can sing a fragment of dead alien technology to life, and use it to fight other Aliens."
"At this point nothing is strange anymore." Alicia says. "All the laws of reality went out of the window the moment we discovered Alien life was out there and wanted to kill us."
"Ain't that the truth?" Simone echoes.
Lunch goes by pleasantly after that. A good hearty mean and decent company can murder a sense of time.
Simone volunteers to take the trays back for washing, leaving Alicia with us. Now it's time to pre-empt anything Alicia might be planning.
"So, Alicia. You've been poking around the name of Kazanari recently?"
Alicia's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. "Simone told you, didn't she? Of course she did. Thinks I stick my nose too much into other people's and I both know this is not some minor matter we're dealing with here."
I nod. "You've got the nose for politics. Must have come from your father."
"It's not what I'd wanted from him, but it's done me enough good I don't resent it as much anymore." Alicia's past is not some land of sunshine and rainbows as Simone might think. There's more going on behind the scenes that neither of us know about.
"If you want to know what I know," I tell Alicia, "you'll defeat me in today's exercise. If you win, I'll tell you everything I know about the Kazanari. And you'll see why I still hold the name in such esteem."
"That you most certainly do," Alicia remarks. "That is a loyalty Simone will never give me. Not that she should, but I wish she could see me as an ally in all this."
"I told Simone earlier what I'll tell you now: What this requires is a leap of faith from one of you, letting your guard down and putting your faith and trust in each other. Neither of you seem willing to take the first step, not that I blame you."
They didn't come together the way Nanami and I did. She was brave, trying to push back against the world that had seen her home sunk beneath the sea. And she was willing to believe in my oath to her, that I would never leave her behind.
Alicia and Simone were brought together not as partners or friends, but as two freshly-minted soldiers with a task to perform. Any ill feelings between the two were left unaddressed. As long as it didn't hamper their fighting prowess in their SSF machines against the mindless hordes of BETA they were sent out to kill.
"But that's not what the world needs. If you want me to stop carrying the world, you need to take up your share of the burden. We Adapters have a lot of weight on our shoulders, more than any soldier should have. But we alone are up to the task." I fix upon the blonde's bright eyes. "And part of that task requires that you work well with your erstwhile partner, even if you two remain somewhat distant from one another. You need to trust each other's backs out there."
She returns my gaze with an unflinching intensity. "I'd like to trust you too, Kaede. But you won't get that trust by trying to run everything by yourself. You and I are equals in rank, and that means you can't just override my orders if I give them. And you don't seem to think I can carry the slack yet."
"It's not about your ability at all," I quickly seek to clarify my words. "It's all a matter of experience."
"Experience," she repeats cooly. "Well, how long until you deem that I'm 'experienced' enough?" Alicia asks. She's good at masking herself, but there's a defensiveness about her words, an indictment of my tone. She doesn't like me placing myself ahead of her and expecting her to defer to me. She can hate it all she wants, until she's on my level I'm not about to hand over the reins to someone lacking that all-important experience.
Nanami's voice comes over softly. "We don't want the Canadians to kill you, Alicia-senpai." Thank you Nanami, for coming to my rescue. "That's what Kaede-senpai is trying to say. She wants to make sure you and Simone are as ready as you'll ever be. Though Kaede-senpai could stand to learn some tact."
"I'll have you know i'm very tactful," I snap back, trying to keep the red from my cheeks. "Look at how good a job I've been doing so far."
"What job is this?" Simone returns to her seat, eyes flickering across our little group trying to decode the puzzle of the conversation she's just walked into.
"Teaching you how to fight." I told her.
"Speaking of," Simone fixes me with those bright, hawklike eyes. "I'd like a little explanation about something. Is that alright with you?" Her tone tells me she doesn't give a damn what I think.
"Why the hell are we in for simulator time? The princess and I both know how to pilot a TSF already, it's not like we need a refresher course. Do you think so poorly of our skills that we need to be sharpened up?"
I know it must not sit easy with them to be following a playbook Major Jinguuji and I drew up together, but must they both question all of my motives?
"Why do you think that I judge your skills at piloting or fighting to be poor?" I ask her in all seriousness. "It's nothing to do with that."
"Then what's it all about?" She presses.
"Teamwork." I reply simply. "If we're going to work as a team, all four of us, we need to have experience in fighting together in all forms. We've started with on-foot combat with our Symphogears, and this is to compliment that."
"So we're going to be repeating our whole training, just with you two as instructors?"
"Exactly." I say.
Simone gives out a long sigh. "I hoped we were over that shit already." She grumbles. "It wasn't exactly a fun experience the first time around."
To my surprise, Alicia nods in reply. "We didn't have all your Empire's prior experience. Our training program was cobbled together on the fly, and it showed."
"Well, let the Empire of Japan share it's experience with the United States to the benefit of all. And we can start that right down in the Simulators."
"I liked the simulators," Nanami said. "It was exactly like the driving simulators my dad sometimes fixed. Most Cadets feel nauseous the first time, but I didn't feel it at all."
"Lucky you," Alicia grimaces with a flicker of memory. "It took a few goes before I was comfortable being jostled around."
"And I was hooting with joy, to the point Instructor Havelock had the machine shut down for fear I was having an episode of something." Simone beams.
"She sent the entire command staff into a tizzy." Alicia tells us. "Our lives are worth so much the military brass are unsure exactly how hard to push us. One way or another we were getting into those giant robots, even if they had to lower their standards to get us in there."
"That shit don't cut it with me," I smile at the Americans. "So you have to meet my standards now. Are you ready?"
"Oh, you bet," Simone grins. "Simulator or Symphogear, either way I'll one-eight-seven you."
"What?" I have no idea what those numbers are supposed to be.
"It means kill," Alicia said.
"Metaphorically of course," Simone quickly rectifies. "I save the real one-eight-seven passes for the BETA. And the Canadians I guess. And the French."
"And you too if we don't get you and Alicia ready. Now come on, time's ticking on us all."
"And there is never enough to spare." Alicia echoes.
A broken city encloses us. Once it must have been a mighty metropolis, a testament to the hundreds of thousands of lives being lived within and their collective effort in building and maintaining such a den of humanity.
But the power of the BETA has been proven all the greater. It has swept this city up and left it a broken shell, a wilderness landscape of broken concrete and powdered rock, of rusting metal and creaking wood.
This was the fate of so many cities across the world in the three-quarters of a century since the first BETA Hive landed in Kashgar. The Empire of Japan's ancient and hallowed capital, Kyoto was destroyed in this way by the BETA back in 2043. I was only fifteen then, living in Fukushima safely away from the front lines. But I saw the images on the news and the net of the devastation wrought upon a city that looms large in the heart of every Japanese citizen. It only steeled my determination to join the fight the moment I was able.
This isn't a real city. It's a simulation based upon the digitised remains of hundreds of real-world locations. But it reminds me of all we have lost, and we must fight for. I never wish to see Seattle, Los Angeles or any of the few cities left on Earth reduced to such a blighted wreck, and I'll fight with every bone in my body to see it doesn't happen.
Simone shares that ideal at least in part, and I wonder if that's what's going through her head as she follows me a hundred yards to the left, striding down an empty street at an unhurried pace. The pairing of Simone and I against Alicia and Nanami has proven a good one. Simone is more willing to defer to my orders, and Alicia and Nanami have proven very capable together. I suspect this pairing will be the one we use when we finally meet the Canadians face to face.
Our simulated TSFs are American-made Boening T-7A Red Hawks, the standard training machine of the United States. It's the last American TSF not to feature stealth technology as standard, and lacks the sleek, strong and somewhat disturbing appearance of the Raptors, Lightings, Retaliators and Peregrines that make up America's frontline forces. I've only been piloting this machine for a few minutes now, but it's already apparent the Red Hawk is a heavier and clunkier machine than the Empire of Japan's own trainer, the Type-20 Tachibana. Nanami and I clocked many hours in the Tachibana before we were let into the cockpits of our SSFs, and this machine is taking some getting used to.
One thing I have noticed is that the Red Hawk is faster, optimised for speed instead of maneuverability. A boom and zoom machine, fitting perfectly into American TSF doctrine. But that's never been the Empire of Japan's way of fighting, and it isn't mine either. I need to harness this machine's fighting potential as best I can to a doctrine it was never designed for.
Simone grinned through the communication window. "So how we kickin' them today?"
Her song is already rising in her throat even though she's in a flight suit and not a Symphogear. She truly has music in her very blood.
"They'll be expecting us to go right at them, frontal assault. So we're going to swing right and try to outflank them, force them to confront us. Once we've pinned them down we can close for the kill. How does that sound?"
"We're fly as a falcon, and that's what we'll do." Her jump engines activate and in a leaping bound her machine takes to the air and pivots left, mine following a mere heartbeat behind.
As we move I scatter several noisemakers behind me to try and throw off the acoustic sensors of our rivals. We weave between the buildings, one eye on the terrain and the other waiting for the radar contacts or weapon reports that would announce that we'd finally found the others.
The enemy element is still staying silent. At this point they must know what we're trying to do and move from concealment to compensate.
So why have we found nothing of them?
"ECM buoys burning our buzz. They gotta be close." Simone reports sing-song.
I'm always worried I'll mishear her someday, her music is something I as Japanese can't quite click with.
"Keep your eyes peeled. Even a split second helps."
My diligent words are rewarded only a few seconds later with the scream of my lock-on warning assaulting my ears a mere second after I've already thrown my jump engines into a dive. A flight of hungry chaingun shells burrow into the concrete just above my machine, their aim thrown off.
A quick adjustment to my flight sticks and pedals sees me spiraling around a broken apartment block, pushing back against the G-forces assailing my body and bringing my guns to bear. The moment I'm clear I've already marked the spot where the enemy fire came from, and a short burst of fire is enough to drive the enemy from cover.
"Contact 1!" I yell out to Simone.
"On the way!" She's already moving up to secure my flank and begin pushing back against our ambusher.
Few machines of war have ever been as mobile as a TSF. That humanoid agility baked into their very being has made them able to fight more dynamically than any airplane or tank. Like a giant infantryman I sprint into cover behind a broken tower of flats, and then fire an aimed burst at where the enemy machine is cowering. As they push out they fire back, and once more I must move, my jump engines quickly putting me into the safety of a row of broken workshops.
Simone is less than a hundred yards to my left, aggressively pushing on whoever the bait is here. They've done a good job of slowing our advance, and I know the other must be laying an ambush somewhere ahead of us.
We come upon one of those 'mock parks' - in actual fact an empty concrete rectangular space more akin to an unmarked car park. Somewhere on the other side our enemy lurks.
It's the perfect spot for an ambush. Good enough that I discount for a moment the possibility that our rivals would be so obvious. Almost a fatal moment, as it turns out.
The other Red Hawk strides purposefully from cover on our left, an Assault Cannon in each hand. Tracers are already flying towards us, and it is by mere centimeters that neither Simone nor I take any serious damage as we evade by pulling back into reverse flight. I still feel my machine shake at the 36mm impacts. A quick check of the HUD confirms only superficial damage to the outer armor of my machine's left arm and leg.
No time to rest, all four TSFs are now in contact. Now the real fun begins. This becomes a dance of skill, and only the most skilled will triumph.
And that just so happens to be me, the veteran of Sadogashima.
With leaps and bounds courtesy of my jump engines I snap off volleys of fire at my aggressors, keeping them on the move. A 'dogfight at chest height' is how I've heard versus-TSF combat described before, and it's certainly fitting now.
A pair of 120mm shells detonate just behind me, the blast wave roaring through my chest and throwing my TSF off-balance. With a grunt I wrestle with the controls to keep it from clipping the scenery and leading to a crash. The engine power of the Red Hawk saves me, but the machine only barely corrects in time. I miss the increased responsivity of a Tachibana's controls.
I wonder if the other Tachibana, the Adapter and member of the Noble Six, ever had a problem sharing a name with the Empire's TSF trainer. I consider it a compliment, for it's clear both Tachibana share an affinity for movement that has shaped my Symphogear as well as my piloting skills.
I dart between the buildings in leaps and bounds, always one step ahead of the bursts of fire sent my way. There's been a few glancing blows exchanged between us, but we haven't been able to get off any serious damage. I suspect Nanami is the one keeping close to us, while Alicia is hanging back and trying to snipe us as we move. Alicia clearly has a lot of trust in Nanami's abilities if she's willing to let her operate this far away from direct support.
That opens an opportunity for us. If we can catch Nanami, we can take her down before Alicia can rush to her rescue.
"Simone! Pincer on Bogey one, now!"
"On it!" Simone's machine sails past a snap-shot volley and begins driving towards the nearest enemy TSF.
Nanami - if it is indeed Nanami - is giving her utmost efforts to make our life difficult. All we see of her are flickers and flashes as she darts back and forth between the buildings. Our attempts to pursue are constantly being interrupted by bursts of 36mm fire. She hasn't used her 120mm guns on us yet, so I'll need to keep a cautious approach lest I meet a heavy shell to the face. A TSF might be able to talk a stray 36mm round, but a 120mm will turn a TSF into scrap in a second.
"Simone, ammo count?" I call over the secure channel.
"800 of the three-six remaining." Simone responds quickly. "6 of the one-two-zero. How we winging it?"
"We either draw Alicia out, or drive Nanami into a position where either of us can deliver a killshot. Watch your ammo count, and let me know when it's time to reload."
"Rodger-dodger!" Simone is always on the move, not even pausing for a second. All her shots are made on the fly, yet her accuracy hasn't suffered much as a result. She's a natural in the cockpit.
The 'park' once more looms into view as the leading TSF speeds across it and disappears into the shade of the buildings lining its far edge. Right back to square one again, only this time we know they're there.
"Simone take left, I'll go right!" If they're thinking of using the exposed space as a firing range, they have another thing coming.
Sure enough, as we get closer the enemy element takes off and retreats away towards the heart of the simulated city. We're keeping the pressure on, but we haven't been able to get a killshot yet. And our ammo supply is quickly ticking down.
A 120mm shell bursts behind me, enveloping my machine in a cloud of dust and powered concrete. Any closer and I'd be done for.
Nanami's as slippery as a fish, we can't pin her down. Every time I think either Simone or I have her in our gunsights, she's already moving. And Alicia's presence is felt even though we haven't caught sight again of her machine. She's keeping herself well concealed and letting Nanami pull us around by the nose. Only our own piloting skills have kept us from being downed, but that strand of luck could run out at any time.
Luck should never be left to chance. There's still a stunt I haven't pulled that will either see me downed, or end this stalemate. I just need a break.
Another empty space of concrete simulating a park or square lies just to our west. That's it right there.
"Simone! We need to push them across that park. I have a plan."
"Get some!" I don't know if that's directed at me or them, but Simone is caught up in the instant, the single extended moment that all good flying turns into. Where instinct and action are one and the same.
I speed towards the enemy machine in leaps and bounds, firing as I go. It's a lot of ammunition being spent, but this should make it worth it. And it's pushing our competitors closer and closer.
There! The lead machine's making a break across the plaza to get into position to engage either of us as we cross the yard. Normally she'd have a few seconds spare before either of us could line her up to get into place. But I have something different in mind this time around.
With a throw I reposition my jump engines at the same time as activating the Red Hawk's rocket boosters. My TSF flings forward and soars into the air. Higher and higher, reaching enough of an altitude to clear the buildings, and then my jump engines scream into overdrive, pushing well into safety limits, and rapidly eating my fuel reserve. It's not advisable to skirt the Hard Deck - otherwise known as the 'Minimum Safe Altitude. Crossing it ends the exercise. But I'm an experienced enough pilot to call it, if it offers a shot at breaking the deadlock. A controlled dive right across the line of retreat to cut them off and pin them dead in my guinsights.
The other TSF is retreating back across the park, dead in my sights. Even so, it twists to try and bring its guns to bear. Too little, too late. A pair of 120mm shells consume the machine in a blossom of orange fire and black smoke.
I'm swooping down as fast as I can, but I still present a big fat target for the other enemy TSF. And I know Alicia's aim cannot be messed with. Sure enough my machine jolts as a flurry of 36mm shells bury into its side. All at once the cockpit alarms start screaming and a quick check confirms my right jump engine has sustained serious damage. I pull up, just making it into the shelter of some buildings and landing with a scraping grind of stressed metal.
My machine's servos grind as it straightens up, and then with a shudder I jettison the damaged jump unit. This is serious. A crippled TSF is as good as a dead TSF.
"You sure put a cap in her ass!" Simone yells in congratulation.
"And paid for it. My mobility has been seriously hampered. That's going to make it hard to flush the other machine out."
"We ain't stopping now! This is my show. Watch the mic." Simone darts across the plaza to the right, narrowly pursued by another volley of angry shells. I throw my wounded machine into a run, ignoring the protestation of stressed actuators. These simulators are of incredible quality, I feel the machine in a way I never did when I was using the Empire's training simulators half a decade ago.
I follow the sound of weapon reports and a fuzzy blob appearing and disappearing on my radar as the final enemy TSF adjusts for Simone's advance. She's clearly already discounted me as too damaged to offer any threat. A situation I'll have to rectify as quickly as possible.
Every long stride makes my machine shudder, but the distance between us is closing fast. Meanwhile Simone is trying to turn Alicia's left flank and catch her between us. I'm sure Alicia is convinced she can easily slip past me, and maybe even finish off my wounded machine into the bargain.
She forgets I still have one Jump engine working. Not enough to get me to fly, but together with what's left of the rocket boosters, enough to give me a single shot of speed.
I watch the radar contact speed towards me on an intercept trajectory. Only a couple of seconds. Three, two, one…
Engines to full! My Jump unit roars into life, while the last burst of my rocket boosters gets my machine into the air. I turn the corner to see Alicia's Red Hawk just finishing its rotation.
Our guns blaze at each other in unison, 120mm shells exchanged between us. At this range, there is no missing.
My screen fades to black in an instant, confirming that my simulated machine was destroyed instantly. I might be down, but I'm sure my last 120mm shells have done some serious damage to her machine, leaving her easy pickings for Simone.
But I won't know how that's gone until the Simulation is done. Meanwhile I'm out for the count.
"Hey, Nanami. How are you feeling?" With our parts in the Simulation done, we don't need to maintain radio silence.
As expected, Nanami's face flickers onto the communication window. "Was I that obvious?" She asks.
"You have a particular style of flying and fighting. There's no shame in it. You gave Simone and I quite the chase."
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Isn't that what you taught me?"
It's an old saying, some American wrestler said it last century. But it's fitting even now.
"Alicia-senpai got you?"
"I got her right back. Unless Simone fails hard, she should take down Alicia shortly."
"Alicia-senpai won't go down that easily. She's stubborn and strong-willed. Much like someone I already know." Nanami smiles warmly.
"You've taken well to operating under Alicia." I remark. "What do you think of her command style?" There should be enough to draw a good picture of Alicia's leadership skills.
Nanami grins at me knowingly. "She's not all that different from you, Kaede-senpai. Always willing to listen to advice, but once she makes up her mind she expects to be obeyed. Adaptable, willing to change tack on the fly. She wasn't promoted over Simone just because she's the rich white American, what's that acronym they use here? Bee?"
"Wasp I believe," I answer her, wracking my brains to try and remember why white Americans call themselves after a stinging insect.
"Yeah, that, whatever it is. Alicia-senpai is more capable than you seem to think she is. You need to open your mind to her, Kaede-senpai." Nanami's voice is almost pleading with me. "Working with them doesn't mean we have to dominate. We're here to learn from them as much as they are to learn from us. The Americans have good ideas too, you know."
"Their last good idea involved G-Bombing Eurasia into the sea. I'm not sure I can trust American ideas nowadays."
Nanami puffs up her cheeks. "Remember what the Major told us. Not a word of that to the Americans. Right?"
I hang my head in a stab of momentary shame. "Understood Nanami."
It's now that two more communication windows flicker open, and that second I see how the Americans duel went. Simone's face is a mask of restrained fury, while Alicia's expression is one of serene triumph. So, despite getting her with both barrels of my 120mm, it wasn't enough to put Alicia down for the count. And she was able to turn the tide on Simone and win the duel.
"Thank you Nanami, for keeping them occupied. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time." Nanami blushes at Alicia's praise.
"How did you pull that off?" Simone demands of Alicia. "You were trailing smoke, your machine was barely holding together! I had you right there, right in my sights! What the hell happened?"
"I tricked you," Alicia says in as neutral a tone as she seems to have mustered. Not gloating at her victory, but not willing to let Simone forget it either. "You came at me like I was already dead, like your victory was certain. No victory is ever certain."
"Not with that attitude!" Simone growls.
"I let you down Simone, sorry." I tell the pissed-off black woman. "I thought I'd get her well enough to let you finish the job."
"That's another thing." Now Alicia's full attention is on me. "Kaede, if I may be so bold it's not a good habit to sacrifice yourself in order to allow your wingman the kill. You did it with the Symphogear exercises, and here you are going at it again."
I bristled at her impromptu lecture. "We cannot escape death on the battlefield, but we can dance with it. I take risks because only with risks can you achieve victory."
"There's risks, sure. And then there's valuing the life of your wingman above your own. That seems to be common to Japanese Adapters, if history is any indication."
How dare she? It's about Kazanari-senpai again, isn't it? She's read the reports now and thinks I was trained by a traitor to the Empire and an enemy of the United States.
If Alicia wants answers from me, she's going to have to earn them. "Having a wingman you can trust must be a new experience for you. No wonder you're not quite used to it yet."
That's got her. Blood rushes to Alicia's cheeks. "How dare you-!"
"I fight knowing that whatever happens to me, another will keep up the fight. That's the mindset of a true Eishi, and with that we can fight on the edge of death itself."
"What works for an Ay-she or whatever you call yourself won't always work for an Adapter. Surface Pilots can be replaced. Adapters cannot."
She's got a point dammit, but I can't let it distract me. "You can't fear death when you're fighting, or you will never fight to your full potential. You have to accept the risk that any action might be your last. And that's as true for an Adapter as for an Eishi. In their first battle, half the Noble Six fell. In Operation Babylon, I lost my commander and mentor. I know what the cost could be to me, and I accept it. When will you?"
"… Fine." Alicia finally admitted. "We see this differently. But I don't want to have to carry the slack should your need for self-sacrifice leave me holding the bag!"
Her window flickers out, leaving Simone and Nanami. Simone's face has an apologetic look that cannot quite obscure the sliver of interest in her eyes.
"You really pissed the princess off this time," Simone begins, "you touched her button. She never asked to be an Adapter and seems to treat it like a part-time job. It's time she hardened up and realized that this is her life now. It's my life too, but I accept the hand dealt and I give it my all."
"If I have to drill that lesson into her, I'll do it."
"She's right though." Simone continues, "You do put the life of your wingman above yours. You do it with Nanami, and you do it with me. I appreciate it, I really do, but I think you need to do some growing up as well. We can't have our most experienced Adapter rushing to find the best way of throwing her life away."
I nod. "We've got a few more hours to go. Nanami, get Alicia on the horn. We'll run through this again. Best two out of three. Got it?"
"Yes sir!" Nanami responds, both her and Simone's windows flickering out.
I sit for a moment, centering my mind. Alicia's words were a barb that got under my skin. I am in no rush to leave Nanami alone, but I will not compromise my own fighting just to keep myself safe. Kazanari-senpai never compromised herself for my sake, she pushed hard and expected to find me there at her side. And I always was.
It always boils down to Kazanari Tsubasa, the void she left in my life and in the life of the Empire of Japan. If she were still alive she'd be handling this, and doing a better job than I. All I can do is aspire to her, and I've been trying to do that every day since I was picked up in the Sea of Japan alone. How would she feel about this? Would she commend my attempts to teach the Americans, or would she flick me the way Kanade once did to her?
The dead cannot speak to us directly. All I can do is to keep going. Major Jinguuji has gone now and everyone is counting on me.
And I will never, ever be found wanting.
"This is Otohime Kaede, beginning simulation."