The telehandler continued forward with the soldiers in white. The Astray Out Frame GUNDAM was moved to another hanger off to the side. Jess watched where they were taking it.
"Will I get it back?" Jess asked the soldier guarding him.
"Depends," the soldier replied.
"Depends on what?" Miriallia was still taking a stand against them.
"Depends on the investigation," the soldier smirked. "This way." The group veered off to a set of small doors while the telehandler went through one last set of giant doors.
"Where is it going?" Jess craned his neck, trying to keep watch.
Canard was already annoyed of these two. He wished for them to shut up. He was relaxed around the soldiers.
"They have to be handled with the best care," another soldier explained. "One will be detonated. However, they're not marked. We will need to do it one by one."
The hair on Canard's rose up. He was glad he wasn't in the torpedo anymore. The soldier had another meaning to that word. It confused Jess and Miriallia but Canard could only imagine what it actually meant. His thoughts went back to the trail of bodies at the secret compound.
Jess saw one soldier ahead had a briefcase. "Hey! Why do you have 8?"
"Everyone who is involved will be investigated," the same soldier continued. "Even AIs."
"Does Lowe know about this?" Jess tried to threaten them.
The soldier didn't answer him. "This way." Part of the group took Jess, Miriallia, and 8 through another hallway. Miriallia glanced back to see that Canard was taken away in a different direction. She tried to memorize the hallways, trying to get a floorplan made in her head.
Canard ended up in a medical room close to the room where the torpedoes were being placed. There was a screen showing the live footage.
"Welcome, Canard Pars," a woman in scrubs smiled. "It has been a long journey for you. We would like to do a physical, blood and urinary exam, and mental state check. We know you have been put through a lot. I believe you would like watch what is happening. We can do the checks here while you watch, if that's okay?" Her voice was soft and comforting.
"You only want to do those things?" Canard was thinking they were going to interrogate him.
The doctor gave him a comforting smile. "Yes. You've been traveling for days. We want to make sure you're not dehydrated or malnourished. Continuous travel in fight or flight mode also wears on the mind. We want to make sure you are healthy and okay."
Canard wanted to cry. He had thought the worse and was ready to tough it out. He didn't expect they were worried about his mental and physical health. He swallowed as his throat started to tighten. "Yes, please do."
The doctor's smile got bigger. "We'll start with the physical so you can watch the screen easier."
Sven jumped up from the chair in Mikael's hospital wing.
"Go to her," Mikael beckoned. "I would like to be there too, but she needs you more."
"You have a clean slate!" Sven repeated. "Clean! The command is over on trying to keep her safe from herself. I know you want to be the one leading the group once more, but you have earned your rest. Try not to scuff up yourself anymore, I hear you have a crush on someone. I don't think she likes scars."
Mikael frowned. "Don't read into her. Please say you don't have a file on her already?" He let out a groan.
"Get through your physical therapy first before you come after me," Sven strode away. He glanced back at his friend. Mikael smiled. "Make sure you watch how your team does; they won't let you down." Sven headed off to go closer to where Selena was at.
Anita was already waiting with medical staff ready for what was going to happen next. They were in hallways on the other side of the hanger. At the top of the hanger on one side was a large glass window. It allowed those to watch from a safe place. Ezalia and Luka were watching from there. Sven had entered seeing standing close. There were also guards and staff observing down below.
One torpedo was unloaded at a time. The empty torpedo was hauled off to an adjacent room. The soldiers in white spread out around the room. Robotic arms came up from the floors from metal tiles that slid away. One arm opened the hatch up, while the other took the air mask off their face. It was a swift movement, and the arms were back down in the floor again, with the tile over it. The soldiers in white had no artillery type of weapons only batons. Some were solid, others were collapsible but became long sticks if needed.
The person wrapped up in gauze woke up. It took them a while to pull themselves up into a sitting position.
"Male, unidentified number one," a staff member called out to the rest. The door opened next to Anita, allowing a small group come running out there. The soldiers stepped to the side.
Ezalia let out a sigh. She was anticipating a big scene. She had watched videos of the scheduled outbursts Selena had but never one that was real like this before. Luka wanted to pat her on the back, to comfort her but they were in public. He only glanced at her.
The staff helped the man into a wheelchair. They put a blanket around him. He felt safer as the staff was comforting him. The torpedo was hauled away, and another was put in its place. Anita didn't take her eyes off the screen as the staff came past them with the new person. The staff went to a similar medical room that Canard was in. The staff knew how to handle someone like him as they were helping others rehabilitate.
The second torpedo was opened the same as the first. This person wrapped in gauze, jolted awake. They sat straight up, trying to look around. They were a bit more scared.
"Male, unidentified number two," a staff member called out.
Another small group came running out to greet him. He had more questions and had to be persuaded to get into the wheel chair. He was placed in a room right next to the first male.
"It's time," Sven started to frown. He hated this.
The third torpedo was moved into place, and the second torpedo was stored with the other empty torpedoes. Ezalia, Luka, and Sven did not know that Yzak was watching this all unfold. The screens showed different angles and views of the torpedoes. Yzak wanted to ask questions but Mikael was silent. He never spoke once the torpedoes came into view. His eyes focused on the screens.
The third torpedo's hatch opened. The mask taken off. The soldiers knew that this one was the right one. They braced themselves, ready to react.
One screen focused on the contents of the torpedo. Yzak moved his head to see a female bandaged in all white gauze. His heart clenched, knowing who it was underneath.
It was only for a few seconds that she stayed on that screen before flinging herself out of the torpedo by moving her feet above her, going over her head. Her arms helping her to push out of the torpedo with the same inertia. As she landed on her feet, the soldiers had not moved. She stood completely still.
"It's now a stand-off," Mikael commented. "Usually, her or I initiate the fight, but this time it's not a drill, we wait and hope they rely on their training."
A soldier murmured to the two beside him. "Remember, we need to get the gauze off of her. She can use that to her advantage." The word was spread around. Everyone gave a slight nod while still concentrating on their target.
The two boys did not want to do an examination, they only wanted to watch the screen. The medical staff complied, as they too were curious.
There were nine soldiers that surrounded Selena. She took a breath as it signaled to the rest to come at her. She grabbed onto one soldier's shoulders, flipped herself above him, kicked in the back, before heading onto the next victim. She stopped arms trying to land on her or punch her. She held onto an arm, flipped the soldier over onto the ground, kicked another that was coming her way. The soldier she still held onto, she swung her around, knocking three soldiers down. The soldier that first spoke, grabbed onto the gauze on her arm. She moved away as he pulled. Turning around to face him, grabbing the gauze, tugging him back. He braced for her kick. She head butted him.
The group of soldiers did not stop going after her. Selena kept up her pace, knocking them back down. They were skilled enough that they could keep up with her. Ordinary soldiers would not be able to withstand her full strength.
Selena grabbed a baton from one of the soldiers. This prompted the rest to follow suit. The group continued to grabble her. Gauze started to unwind off her body, showing her body that she tried to preserve. The fight continued, no one was going to stop. The silver bands on her limbs were now visible. Her white attire that she wore in the labs, that almost looked like swimwear was almost fully exposed. Her hair and face were completely exposed.
The screen that showed the contents of the torpedo, showed a full scale version of Selena. It circled small areas with notes off to the side. Yzak moved closer to read it. She had the signs of fatigue and exhaustion. The silver bands were circled indicating body conditioning and control through serums. There were several circles over some of the more intimate parts of her body. It had faint color discoloration but what was written made Yzak take a step back. He looked back over to the other screens to watch her continue to fight. He clenched his fist, glancing back at the note that said bruising made by kissing.
"AHHH!" One of the soldiers had her arm broken, as Selena snapped it with a swift movement. The soldier laid down, holding onto her arm. She muffled her cries.
"Don't read into any more that is now," Mikael warned Yzak as he was in disbelief. "She's coming out of a state where if anyone was to open that hatch, they would automatically be her enemy. This is their whole purpose. They all knew that bodily harm will be inflicted. How did you think I got all these scars?" Yzak glanced over to him. "Their job is to hold their own against the Princess in any state. If they opened that hatch up in the Minerva, all would most likely have perished."
Selena had almost everyone on the ground laying around her. She was panting enough that there would be an end soon. The rest of the soldiers just had to keep through. It was three on one. All had batons against her, and Selena had gotten ahold of one of their sticks that elongated from a small device. She twirled it around, daring them to come closer. The three did. She swung at them; the three soldiers leaned back to duck away from the staff but had to react to Selena's kick. One fell to the ground, while the other two went after her. One went for her legs, while the other swung his baton.
Selena drew the staff back around, close lining one of them. He fell to the floor and didn't get back up. He couldn't hold up against her stamina. He stayed on the floor, tapping himself out. The one that fell got back up, still trying to fight her off. The two continued to fight against her. They could feel that she was getting sluggish. Her movements were not as quick. She would still be able to take out ordinary soldiers with this strength but not like she did earlier with them.
She kicked one in the gut, punched him in the face, while using her other arm to grab the baton and fling it back to the other soldier behind her. She knocked the two out in a few swift movements. As the two fell to the ground, Selena continued to try to catch her breath. Her body glistening with sweat. The fatigue was clearly seen all over her face. She moved slowly to a point of the room. She kneeled down, touching the floor in a series of movements with her fingers. Little tiles had small lights flashing with each touch. The floor moved to reveal a medical pod. The glass moved away to allow her to enter. Selena stood up, her muscles shaking as they were telling her she needed to rest. She placed her shoulder down in first, body rolling herself in. She took a deep breath, letting it out while closing her eyes. The glass moved around to cover her. A mist sprayed inside.
Doors opened up to allow Anita and her medical staff to run in. Another medical staff came help the fallen soldiers. Ezalia noticed Luka and Sven had let out a sigh of relief at the same time. The two were worried about her.
Yzak had let out a sigh of relief too. Mikael observed Yzak. "Now try to imagine Kira in the same state." Yzak glanced over to him, wondering what he was getting at. "The Princess is an Ultimate Coordinator, as is Kira. This is what Gilbert Durandal was imagining when he wondered if Kira was actually trained as an Ultimate Coordinator. People think of Ultimate Coordinators as elite killers. Predators at the top of the food chain. They don't really think of them as genetically engineered beings who didn't need a womb to grow in. A person who can withstand disease, extreme temperatures, higher IQs, have faster reflexes, better cognitive abilities, genetically evolved to compensate for the advanced technology that is being continuously created; no just someone who is more advanced to kill others." Mikael sounded disappointed. "And that's why it has come to this. Because people only think of violence, they never thing of peace. Ghosts of the past, guiding along our future. Bigger bombs, no, the falling of colonies. Continuous genocide all because someone is different."
"So, this is what Prince Sven meant when he said she was busy and I would be able to see her soon," Yzak a bit angered as Mikael nodded. Anger from not being able to do anything. Anger because it seemed like she had escaped somewhere. Anger from not being able to show the rest of Terminal that Selena was not the enemy they made her out to be. "She escaped, didn't she?"
Mikael smirked. "Before you say anything more, think it thoroughly through." He looked to the screens. Yzak turned back to view them too. The two watched Selena being transported out on a special machine, that allowed others to stand around it. One person controlled the vehicle. Anita was working with a smart tablet, reading through scans and diagnostics of what the pod was reading. The group headed through a hanger.
The two boys then started their medical exams as they saw their savior was alright. Canard finished his exam. He was asked to move to a room that seemed for interrogation, but he figured it would be something like that. He was ready to spill everything, hoping to help out in anyway he could. Canard was shocked at first when he saw the pink hair, but it made sense as to why they needed to get back to the Kingdom.
Ezalia and Luka parted from Sven. Sven started to make his way back up to the mansion. The screens that Yzak and Mikael were watching, turned off, one by one, as the special vehicle left the hanger. The walls came back over, hiding them once again.
"I'll let you alone with your thoughts on this," Mikael walked off, the elevator door opened for him to enter. Yzak was about to sit down on a nearby couch, but instead, he went to take a shower. It would help clear his mind.
Mikael in the hospital wing, leaned back on the bed. He had been worried about the soldiers he had trained with to hold up against Selena. They had done a good job. Few soldiers had broken bones, others had been knocked out. Some were too tired to continue fighting. They held up well. Selena became exhausted enough to ask for medical assistance. It was a good ending. No one was fatally injured or killed.
Down below, Lowe was keeping an eye on the royal soldiers. They seemed to be calm but were absolutely tense and ready for action. It was a while before he noticed that they all seemed to relax inwardly. Lowe felt relief. It had meant that whatever happened went okay. Gai was still talking with some soldiers. As the relief was felt around, hanger doors opened to reveal teams of the engineering crew coming through with equipment to start to the work on repairing the vessels.
At the compound, Ra was furious as the Minerva had slipped through their grasp. He heard the yelling from Earth Alliance, as they believed in him. Ra was starting to get annoyed. As if Earth Alliance could do any better. Earth Alliance kept up a continuous battle of failure. If Naturals could not win, they would drag down Coordinators with them. Ra detested their mentality. Sacrifice all, because they could no step up and win. Even to go as far as genetically modifying their own to battle against Coordinators. It was actually idiotic. The whole point of the war was to destroy Coordinators since they rebelled against Naturals. Coordinators no longer wanted to do the bidding for Naturals.
Ra wanted to continue on and make a race of top tier beings. Naturals were fine for crossbreeding to keep the genetics going but that was their only purpose. Ra used his charisma to charm the Earth Alliance higher ups. They may have lost the special artillery for now, but Ra would be able to gain it back. He was wise enough to not let them know that Selena was what he had lost. Since he had Diana, he could just pull the wool over their eyes until he could get her back again. Ra let them know that he was ready to go public. He would be ready in a few days to speak to the whole Cosmic Era about his new world. They had enough coming to their side that they would withstand taking down those that oppose them. This charming effect did soothe the nerves of those in Earth Alliance.