Chapter 13: Loosing sleep

Dukovak is on a call with Kudelia.
Kudelia: Good afternoon, Mr. Horikoshi, I need you to report to me what happened today.
Dukovak: Today we entered our first battle against a fleet of pirates. We managed to rescue several child soldiers. And we captured the ship's captain alive.
Kudelia: It's good to hear that. I suppose you'll be close to Jupiter.
Dukovak: That's correct, but what's with the comment?
Kudelia: I'm telling you because Teiwaz can do us the favor of bringing those children to the foundation. Is there anything else you need to add?
Dukovak: Let me think... Yes, the pirates possessed a rare, illegal weapon. They had several Dainsleif.
Kudelia: Dainsleif?! Dukovak, there's only one owner of such a weapon in the solar system, and that's Gjallarhorn. I need you to interrogate the captain and keep her alive.
Dukovak: Understood, ma'am.
Kudelia: One more thing, Dukovak, be very careful.
Kudelia hangs up, and Dukovak looks for Manfred. He eventually arrives at the medical room, where he finds Manfred sleeping next to Sephora on a couch. Dukovak wakes him up.
Dukovak: Manfred, we have an assignment from Kudelia.
Manfred: ...
Dukovak: It's important, damn it.
Dukovak shakes Manfred.
Dukovak: Wake up.
Manfred: What do you want?
Dukovak: Do you know where they're holding the captain?
Manfred: Why?
Dukovak: Kudelia wants us to interrogate her.
Manfred: What did she do?
Dukovak: The captain may have something to do with Gjallarhorn.
Manfred gets up, checks that his revolver is loaded, and goes with Dukovak. Sephora wakes up and asks him.
Sephora: Manfred, where are you going?
Manfred: It's something important; we need to interrogate the captain.
Sephora: Be careful and don't do anything stupid... wait, I'm going with you.
Manfred: Alright.
Dukovak: Why are you taking her with you?
Manfred: She'll cover our backs.
Dukovak: I see. Let's go.
Manfred: One more thing.
Dukovak: What?
Manfred: Mick knows where they took the captain; he was the one who got her out of her cockpit. Let's go get him.
Manfred and Dukovak head to the corporation's quarters where all the mechanics and pilots slept. Manfred approaches Mick.
Manfred: Mick, wake up.
Mick: Manfred, what's going on?
Manfred: Do you know where they took the captain?
Mick: Why do you want to know that?
Manfred: We need to interrogate her.
Mick: They took her to a cell by the hangar. Manfred don't do anything stupid.
Manfred: I won't.
Mick: You know what, I'm coming with you.
He grabs a toolbox and a crowbar.
Mick gets up and guides them to the cell where the captain is held. Upon arrival, Manfred and Sephora ambush the two guards and tie them up.
When Dukovak arrives, he takes out a camera and tells Mick to stay and watch with Sephora. Meanwhile, Manfred sprays black aerosol on all the cell cameras.
Dukovak: Alright, what's your name?
Captain: That's none of your business, you jerk.
Dukovak: You sure have a sailor's mouth.
Manfred drops the toolbox.
Manfred: Sephora, come help me tie her up.
Manfred, Sephora, and Dukovak take out duct tape and tie up the captain.
Manfred opens the toolbox, takes out a hammer, and says to her,
Manfred: If you don't answer our questions, I'll break every bone in your body.
Captain: I don't think you'll keep your promise.
Manfred: Oh, you think so?
Manfred takes off his boot and hits one of her fingers.
Captain: AAAAH, you son of a bitch!
Manfred hits another finger.
Captain: Stop!
Dukovak: If you want him to stop, give us your name.
Dukovak starts filming.
Captain: I'm Teresa... Teresa Conhran.
Dukovak: Alright Teresa, what do you do?
Teresa: I'm the captain of a pirate crew. We kidnap people, raid merchant ships, and do mercenary work.
Dukovak puts away the camera.
Dukovak: Is that all?
Teresa: That's all.
Dukovak: Are you sure? Manfred, you know what to do.
Manfred grabs the crowbar and starts hitting Teresa.
Dukovak: Manfred, wait, stop!
Dukovak leaves the cell to catch his breath.
Mick: Everything okay?
Dukovak: Everything's fine, just that it's the first time I've seen Manfred so angry.
Mick: Must be because of the child soldiers.
Dukovak: It's very likely.
Dukovak goes back into the room and takes out the camera again.
Dukovak: What else does your crew do?
Teresa: We traffic human debris.
Dukovak: How do you get human debris?
Teresa: We take prisoners from the ships we attack.
Dukovak: Tell me, have you ever heard of Gjallarhorn?
Teresa: Yes, you're part of them, you're making a big mistake.
Dukovak: That's where you're wrong; we're not making any mistakes.
Teresa: What do you mean?
Manfred: We're not part of Gjallarhorn. Tell me, what mistake did we make?
Teresa: Damn it.
Manfred raises the crowbar to hit her when Teresa says,
Teresa: I have a deal with Gjallarhorn; you can't interrogate me.
Manfred: Yes, we can.
Dukovak: What deal do you have?
Teresa: Three pirate clans were going to supply human debris to the African Union, mine was one of those three clans.
Dukovak: In exchange for what, exactly?
Teresa: Weapons, Mobile suits, ammunition.
Dukovak: Did Gjallarhorn give you the Dainsleif?
Teresa: I can't answer that question.
Manfred hits Teresa in the ribs with the crowbar. Blood splatters on his face.
Teresa: Enough, if Gjallarhorn gave me the Dainsleif.
Dukovak: Why did they give them to you? Why do you operate near Jupiter?
Teresa, panting, says,
Teresa: By orders of Gjallarhorn, we were supposed to attack Teiwaz ships, that's where we got resources and human debris.
Mick hits the cell, Manfred cleans up the blood and releases Teresa. Sephora exits the cell first, followed by Manfred and Dukovak. Dukovak takes out the memory card and puts it in his mouth. The Gjallahorn guards arrive, and one of them asks,
Soldier: What are you doing here?
Dukovak, holding the camera, says,
Dukovak: Nothing, just came to visit the guest of honor.
Soldier: Stop talking nonsense.
The soldier snatches the camera, sees its contents, and smashes it against the wall.
Soldier: Get out of here immediately.
The group leaves. The soldiers enter the cell and find a severely injured Teresa. One of them pulls out his gun and executes her. Manfred, Sephora, Dukovak, and Mick hear the gunshot and leave.
The next day, Julieta speaks with Rustal.
Julieta: We took care of Teresa.
Rustal: Very well.
Julieta: We have a small problem.
Rustal: What's the issue?
Julieta: The corpse shows signs of torture, several broken bones.
Rustal: Are you sure no one from the crew interrogated her?
Julieta: Yes, I suspect the Horikoshi brothers.
Rustal: Why would mercenaries do that? It's not their concern what the pirates do.
Julieta: There's a detail I didn't tell you.
Rustal: What?
Julieta: The children we rescued, the rescue was devised by Manfred. He might have tortured Teresa as punishment, not for interrogation.
Rustal: We might be dealing with a moralist after all. Send a team to check their quarters.
Manfred is having dinner with Dukovak.
Manfred: Take care of that with your life.
Dukovak: You know I will.
Soon, Gjallahorn soldiers arrive to search the Horikoshi brothers' quarters. Finding nothing, they leave.
Soldier: Sorry for the inconvenience, gentlemen.
Dukovak: No problem.
Manfred: I think it's time we develop our own Mobile suits.
Dukovak: What are you talking about?
Manfred: It's dangerous for you, Yamazin, and Mick to be on this ship. Call your lady.
Dukovak: I told you she's not my lady.
Yamazin passes by the dining area and sees Dukovak.
Yamazin: How are you guys doing?
Manfred: Speaking of the devil.
Yamazin approaches and kisses Dukovak on the cheek.
Yamazin: How are you, my Duko?
Dukovak: Fine.
Manfred: She knows about last night.
Dukovak: She knows already
Manfred: Very well.
Yamazin: What's up, guys? Is there something you want to discuss?
Dukovak: Manfred and I believe it's time to develop our own Mobile suit.
Yamazin: I see. Then we'll return to Mars.
Dukovak: Just Mick, you, and me.
Yamazin: You know that as far as we know, they'll kill us at the first opportunity, right?
Dukovak: Yes, I know. That's why I'm going to talk to Kudelia.
Manfred: Good luck with that.
Manfred gets up and goes to the hangar, where he meets Mick.
Mick: Manfred, everything okay?
Manfred: Yes.
Mick: Can you tell me why you killed Teresa?
Manfred: I didn't kill her.
Mick: I know that. Tell me why you did it.
Manfred: Because that bitch used children as cannon fodder, thinking Gjallahorn would eventually set her free. It made my blood boil just to see her.
Mick: It made my blood boil too, but you were too drastic.
Manfred: I know.
Mick: She's dead anyway. What do you know?
Manfred: You need to go to Mars with Dukovak and Yamazin. You're going to design a Mobile suit. They'll explain all the details to you about what we got from Teresa.
Mick: Why don't you tell me?
Manfred: Because we're being watched.
Mick: I see.
Manfred: In three days, we'll resupply at Teiwaz's central base.
Mick: We'll wait for you on Mars then.
Manfred: Seems like it.
Mick: Manfred don't hide what you're doing from me anymore. No more secrets.
Manfred: I promise, I won't do it anymore.
Dukovak goes to his quarters and calls Kudelia.
Kudelia: Dukovak, did you find out something? You seem a bit agitated.
Dukovak: We need to talk about business at Teiwaz's space station. I made an important discovery.
Kudelia: I see. I'll be there in three weeks. Is there anything else you want to inform me about?
Dukovak: It would be good if I go to Mars with you to start the development and production of Mobile suits.
Kudelia: Do you even have the funding for that?
Dukovak: Not yet to establish production plants, but for development, yes.
Kudelia: I see, Dukovak, one more thing.
Dukovak: What's up?
Kudelia: Thank you very much.
Kudelia ends the call.
Manfred is in the hangar talking when Richtoffen joins them.
Richtoffen: What are you guys up to?
Mick: Just talking about Mobile suits. We never thought we'd be working with a Mobile suit and a Gundam as the cherry on top.
Richtoffen: Why do you guys like Mobile suits so much?
Mick: Just imagine seeing and fighting two giant robots. It's not something you see every day. Plus, I love how they work, how they move like they're people.
Richtoffen: What about you, Manfred?
Manfred: Well, they look good. Also, the idea of piloting them really interests me.
Richtoffen: Is there anything you want to change in the world?
Manfred: What change can a mere human being bring?
Richtoffen: When it's a lot of people, a big change can be made, my friend.
Manfred: If that's the case, why don't you destroy this ship? You would make a positive change in humanity.
Richtoffen: Why do you say that?
Mick: Because it's a Gjallahorn ship.
Richtoffen: What did Gjallahorn do to make you hate our organization?
Mick: The question you should ask is, what didn't Gjallahorn do.
Richtoffen: What do you mean?
Manfred: Remember the Persia incident where Gjallahorn violated the human debris treaty despite being a signatory?
Richtoffen: What about it?
Manfred: Don't you remember that Gjallahorn provided child soldiers to the African Union?
Richtoffen: Yes, but they did it because the creation of the Persian Republic would question the functionality of the economic blocs.
Manfred: Exactly.
Richtoffen: Thanks to the creation of the Persian Republic, the African Union is fragmenting. There are rumors of European and Arab groups seeking independence. Moreover, there are already two factions in the African Union, the northern and southern blocs.
Manfred: And how does that affect me?
Richtoffen: If the African Union is balkanized, the Strategic Alliance Union will be balkanized too. As far as I know, you're from there.
Manfred: Yes, we're from there.
Richtoffen: You might lose your family.
Manfred: I already did. Didn't you hear about the Neo-Mexican protests?
Richtoffen: You mean the Neo-Mexican terrorist attacks.
Mick: Do me a favor, Richtoffen, it wasn't even an armed uprising. They were just protests asking for more autonomy.
Manfred: My parents died that day.
Richtoffen: At the hands of the terrorists, I assume.
Manfred: Yes, terrorists, that's what Gjallahorn truly is. Terrorists.
Manfred gets up.
Richtoffen: Manfred, where are you going?
Mick: Leave him be.
Richtoffen: What does he mean by Gjallahorn being a terrorist organization?
Mick: You know the answer, but you don't want to say it.
Manfred goes back to the medical bay and sees Illmari asleep. Manfred just smiles.
Two days pass as usual until the skipjack ship arrives at Teiwaz's port.
There, Dukovak hugs Manfred, and they bid farewell.
Manfred: Yamazin, take care of my brother.
Yamazin: You know I will.
Dukovak: See you in half a year, Manfred.
Manfred: Take care, bastard.
Dukovak: I will.
Manfred hugs Mick and says,
Manfred: Good to see you, man.
Mick: Same here, man.
Manfred: I hope you manage to develop the Mobile suit.
Mick: It's the first thing we'll do, Manfred.
Manfred: Take care, man.
Mick: Same to you, man. I left you a little gift in your cockpit.
The skipjack ship leaves the bay, and Julieta talks to Manfred.
Julieta is watching the scene from a platform.
Julieta: I think I need to talk to Richtoffen.
The skipjack ship finishes replenishing supplies and sets off to continue hunting down human debris traffickers.
Dukovak spends time on Jupiter trying to make contacts to get money when he runs into Azee Gurumin, leader of a Teiwaz transport branch.
Azee: Can I ask why you're in this bar?
Dukovak: I'm here to make contacts, I have a defense company. I'm seeing if I can get suppliers.
Azee: Let's go step by step. What's your name, and what's your "company" called?
Dukovak: I'm Dukovak, and my company is called Horikoshi Defense Corporation.
Azee: Hold on a moment, you're the owner of the PMC that helped found the new Persian Republic.
Dukovak: That's right.
Azee: So, a guy like you founded the company.
Dukovak: Not just me, this is my partner Yamazin Toka.
Yamazin: Yamazin Toka, nice to meet you.
Dukovak: And what's your name, by the way?
Azee: I'm Azee Gurumin, I work for McMurdo Barriston.
Dukovak: The owner of Teiwaz?!
Azee: That's right. Dukovak, tell me where your star pilot is and what are you doing here?
Dukovak: Manfred is on the Gjallahorn ship that just left, the skipjack vessel. He's on a mission to dismantle human debris trafficking routes.
Azee: From fighting against Gjallahorn to fighting alongside them. You guys are only loyal to money, right?
Dukovak: We all are at some point; the contract was given by the Martian Union.
Azee: I see, Dukovak, you didn't answer my question, what are you doing here?
Dukovak: We've come to look for Ahab reactor suppliers.
Azee: Ahab reactors, good luck with that. Only Gjallahorn produces them. Tell me, Dukovak, what was your first job?
Dukovak: Is this a job interview?
Azee: I just want to know who I'm dealing with.
Dukovak: Alright then, our first job was with Miguel Amado Carrillo.
Azee: With the Lord of the stars, what did you do? Protect a passenger ship?
Dukovak: My brother did that, protecting a smuggling ship against space pirates.
Azee: Just that?
Dukovak: Not just that, we protected the train cars carrying weaponry against Gjallahorn patrols.
Azee: Who was the weaponry for?
Yamazin: For Neo-Mexican nationalists.
Azee: Who would've thought even Miguel Amado Carrillo can be loyal.
Dukovak: What did Miguel do?
Azee: He brought together all the independent smugglers and generated competition against Teiwaz.
Dukovak: Just that?
Azee: Do you understand what Miguel did? He jeopardized McMurdo, the man who made him go from being a nobody to someone with money and influence. He betrayed him.
Dukovak: I see.
Azee: I liked you guys, you might meet McMurdo someday. It was a pleasure meeting you, Dukovak. I invite you to a drink, would you like anything in particular?
Dukovak: A centenario tequila, please.
Azee: You know what, I'll treat you to a bottle. Bartender, a bottle of centenario tequila.
Dukovak: Wow, thank you very much.
Azee: Dukovak Horikoshi, I hope we meet again.
Dukovak: Likewise.
Mick approaches him and says,
Mick: Who was that girl?
Dukovak: Azee Gurumin, she works directly with McMurdo Barriston, head of Teiwaz.
Mick: And what did she want?
Dukovak: Just to chat, you know how girls are. She might grant us an audience with McMurdo Barriston.
Mick: Do you think Manfred is okay?
Dukovak: You know him, I don't think anything will happen to him.
Julieta is in the ship in her office when Richtoffen enters.
Richtoffen: why do I have the honor, Mrs. Juris?
Julieta: Richtoffen, how are you? Please, take a seat.
Richtoffen: I've been behaving well, why did you summon me?
Julieta: Manfred, I need to know how to ease the tension we have.
Richtoffen: So, Manfred, I thought you already had a boyfriend.
Julieta: It's not that, I need him to cooperate with us. For that, I need to have a friendly relationship with him.
Richtoffen: Give him a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label. That'll make him happy.
Julieta: I already did that, it's the first thing I did.
Richtoffen: And what happened?
Julieta: He said, "are we only worth a bottle of whiskey to you?" and started a fight.
Richtoffen: I see. Look, Julieta. Manfred is someone who hates Gjallahorn. I don't know the reasons why he feels that way.
Julieta: I see, is Manfred some kind of nationalist?
Richtoffen: I don't think so. But if you want to get close to him, avoid touching things related to Gjallahorn or changing the world. He seems very cynical; try talking about personal things or work.
Julieta: I see, thank you very much, Richtoffen.
Richtoffen: You're welcome, but why do you want to have a good relationship with him?
Julieta: I already told you, it's just for work.
Richtoffen: You know that's not true; he follows everything Dukovak tells him. Be honest.
Julieta: I want to understand his psyche, to know why, of all the pilots in Gjallahorn, he decided to spare your life.