CHAPTER 12
GROUNDED
Between the rain and the dull, depressing grey sky, Dutch was even more irritable. He had been stuck in his large luxurious beach house for weeks waiting for either Blackadder or Master Embryo to get in touch with him. The white sand and palm trees had always been a soothing effect on him during the cloudless blue skies of summer. But with the arrival of autumn gave is a grave barren effect.
With nothing else to do, Dutch sat down on his leather sofa and watched the Women's Finals of Iaria. It wasn't his favorite sport but there was nothing else much on. He pulled a cigar from the pocket of his maroon smoking jacket and was in the midst of lighting up when a flashing dot on his Mana screen signaled an incoming call. He opened a sub-window and who should appear but a familiar looking thin young man with long silver blonde hair.
"Hello Mr. Villson. How is your vacation going? I doubt it must be pleasant this time of year." Blackadder said with a slight gloat in his voice.
Dutch held his composure but inside he was seething at the condescending tone. "I assume you have work for me?"
"That is correct. Master Embryo has received word of a new development from your team. And your experience and connections with the Management board are required."
"Is this about by investigation on those missing Norma?"
"Yes and Master Embryo has been pleased with this developing investigation since I took over since your extended vacation."
"So, what's the situation?" Dutch asked.
"It appears your theory was correct." Blackadder transferred a video footage to Dutch of a Mana drone cam that looked as though it had been shot down and a few meters ahead it showed a transport vehicle flipped on it's side, it's guards shot dead on the road as 3 figures in ponchos guided a small girl away from the scene. "There is indeed a secret terrorist group sympathetic to the Norma but looks like they got sloppy and forgot to destroy this drone that captured their doings. I needn't tell you of the panic that would arise if their existence was know to the world. Therefore, Master Embryo is tasking in you to reassemble your old squad."
"In other words, pest control." Dutch nodded.
"Exactly." Blackadder agreed. "You and your team did well to exterminate those ancient monkeys 10 years ago. Along with the Norma who stood with them. So Master Embryo has decided you were the best option. Your team should get in touch soon to break down everything on the investigation in your absence."
"Understood," Dutch said with a salute. "I give you my word I won't fail Master Embryo a second time."
"I'll hold your word to that," Blackadder said as he cut the line. Leaning back, Dutch took a moment to process what he had been told. He knew throughout his time as head of the Norma Management board that some humans allowed their sentiment to override their civic duty and hide their Norma children. But never had there been an actual organized movement. The very thought of betraying their own kind like that was sickening. Ever since that night, Dutch had suspected Gavin's treachery went beyond Subject Alpha. 10 years ago, the primitives and their Norma allies had known they were coming from them. And the only way they could have known was if someone with access to the Light of Mana had warned them beforehand.
'I suppose I'll find out soon enough,' he thought. His old squad had been decommissioned but they kept in touch so it wouldn't be too hard to recruit them. The real problem was where to find a suitable replacement for Lieutenant Standall. Dutch needed someone who not only was capable, but reliable as well. Someone he knew wouldn't be swayed by pro-Norma sympathies. 'Come to think of it,' he realized, 'Standall's son just graduated the Academy. I imagine he'd probably be more than willing to accept a position if he learned the real reason his father died.' And as his father's former CO, giving the boy's career a little boost was the least he could do to repay Standall's service.
Slowly, weakly, Cal opened his eyes and found that he was in the med bay. A sharp pain erupted in his right side from under his rib and shoulder. Fighting through the grogginess, he felt his side and found both spots to be stitched up and bandaged.
"Well good morning handsome," a familiar flirty voice sang. Cal looked up and saw Maggie leaning over him. "How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"
"A little," he croaked. "What happened?"
"You were injured during your sortie and needed surgery to close your wounds. Consider yourself lucky that it wasn't anything major. Any one of those shards could have hit you in the head or a major organ." The memory of yesterday came flooding back as Cal remembered being helped off his Para-mail, bleeding out from under his rib before passing out. Cal saw that his uniform was neatly folded on a chair beside his bed. "You're even more lucky to have people who care about you," she smirked. "Especially the one who kept you warm all night. I had to chase Naomi out of your bed this morning. Ah young love is a beautiful thing." Cal's cheeks went pink with embarrassment when he suddenly noticed how bright it was.
"Crap!" he yelled as he jumped out of bed. "What time is it?"
"Excuse me where do you think you're going?" Maggie asked in a surprisingly serious tone.
"I'm late for training. Captain Zola's gonna kill me!" Laying her hands on his shoulders, Maggie gently pushed him back onto the bed.
"Don't worry about it. You've been benched for a few days due to your injuries."
"Really?" he asked. "A couple days off does sound good. I should have injured myself a while ago."
"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that," she told him. "You'll be charged 1 million in cash for each day you miss."
"Excuse me?!" he cried.
"Oh you didn't know? Sick days don't exist on Arzanel even if you've lost a limb. I hope you saved up because you won't be cleared for a week." Cal's face went blue as his left eye twitched and he fainted back onto the bed. "Okay that's just being dramatic," Maggie sighed.
The rain from yesterday had turned the entire track into one pig mud pile. Several times, First Squad slipped and wound up face first in the grime. After their run Zola called for a water break and took stock of her girls' morale. In addition to Cal being benched for a week, Chris had caught a cold so Zola had ordered her to stay in her quarters where she could get some real rest. Even Hilda seemed down much to Zola's surprise. Usually she pushed herself harder than anyone to be first over the finish line but today had come in dead last.
"It's such a bummer not having Big Bro around," Vivian sighed.
"Don't worry Vivian." Ersha said ruffling her hair. "You'll see him after we're done."
"Having two of our squad mates out of commission sucks," Rosalie gripped. "What if we get called out?"
"It'll be another week before that happens," Salia pointed out. "Cal and Chris should both be good to fight by then."
"That's enough rest," Zola ordered. "Time for sparring."
"Yes Ma'am." Zola saw that Hilda was on her own rested up against a tree, seemingly deep in thought. 'I'll have to talk with her see what's wrong.' Zola thought.
"You're joking 1 Million!" Cal gasped in horror. After regaining consciousness, Cal had raced off to the Command Centre to try and convince Commander Jill and Inspector Emma to put him back on duty.
"Rules are rules," Jill sighed in annoyance. "There's nothing that can be done about it."
"It was Maggie's orders you be benched," Emma said, her head throbbing as she felt a headache coming on. "She said your wounds will be healed enough in a week or less so just be thankful that's all you'll incur."
"But I'm perfectly fine!" Cal said lifting off his shirt to show off the bandages around his flank and shoulder. Hikaru and the others were practically drooling over his nicely toned abdomen.
"Put that back on right now you pervert!" Emma shrieked.
"Maggie said if you do any hard training or work, you'll pull your stitches and bleed even more," Jill scolded. "So unless you want to miss out for more than a week, I suggest you shut your mouth and do as your told!"
"Yes commander." Cal groaned. Having to be fined just because he was injured was just not fair. Plus, he had just purchased his new cannons and his last combat didn't earn him a high pay. How would he ever pay off 5 million? "Any chance I could get a discount?" Cal grinned. Both Jill and Emma shot him an annoyed look.
"Don't push it you!" Emma snapped. "Just because you're injured doesn't mean you're exempt from punishment!"
"Aw c'mon Inspector. I'll go on a date with you if you take 10% off." Emma's eyes nearly bulged out of her face as Pamela, Hikaru and Oliver covered their mouths; all three on the verge of tears from trying not to laugh. Jill however hand chopped Cal on the top of the head with her prosthetic, making him yelp.
"Enough Cal! Get out of here or I'll raise your fine to 2 million per day!"
"Yes commander," Cal saluted.
"And on your way out give this to Maggie." Jill handed him a clipboard with a few files stuck to it. As he left Commander Jill couldn't help but shake her head. She could definitely see traces of Gaz in him which she both liked and was annoyed by.
"It never ends with that little heathen does it." Emma whined. "A couple of days ago he was snooping around when I was reading outside during my break."
"I heard about that," Jill smirked, making Emma go red. "I believe he said it was called 50 shades off…"
"Don't believe a word he says!" Emma shouted
When Cal returned, Maggie could already tell his meeting with Jill and Emma had not gone as he'd hoped. "Well cheer up," Maggie said as she looked over the files he had brought her. "At least you're not the only one in your squad who's been benched."
"What do you mean?"
"It seems Chris caught a nasty chill from yesterday's storm." The news caught Cal off guard and his mood changed completely.
"Is she okay?"
"She'll be fine if she stays in bed and stays warm. All your other squad mates are off training so why don't you keep her company."
"Yeah, I'll do that." Cal said. "If I can't train or even work at the mall then at least Chris can keep me company too."
"Well I think she'll be more than happy to have a big strong man to look after her and take care of her every need," Maggie joked as a mischievous grin spread over her face. "Just don't get too accommodating or you'll have a fever on top of those wounds."
Limping slightly as he walked, Cal made his way down the hallway toward Zola's room. Apparently, she had ordered Chris to sleep off her cold there as her bedsheets were thicker. Throughout his time on Arzanel, Cal realized he hadn't really spent much time with Chris and Rosalie. He felt a little bad about that as even though they hung out with Hilda most of them time, they had actually been pretty nice to him.
After a detour to his own quarters to pick up something, Cal arrived at Zola's door and knocked. "Come in," a hoarse voice croaked as Cal opened the door.
"Hey there Chris." Cal waved.
"Oh hi Cal." She weakly sat up and shyly covered herself with the blanket even though she had on a white t-shirt and her green PJ shorts. "ACHOO!"
"Wow. You're as green as your Hausur." Cal joked. Chris's face was paler than usual, and her nose was bright red.
"Very funny," she pouted.
"Anyway, since we've both been benched, I thought I'd keep you company." This seemed to brighten up Chris' mood as she smiled.
"Thanks. What about your wounds? That shrapnel hit you pretty bad."
"It's nothing I can't handle," he assured her. "I tried to tell Jill I was fine, but she didn't listen." Chris eyes widened in surprise. Trying to talk back to the Commander orders was a death wish. Cal meanwhile poured her a glass a water and set a bottle of pills on the nightstand. "Maggie gave me these. She said to take two every six hours." Chris gulped down the medication and sighed as he lay back. "Don't worry," he assured her. "You'll be back on your feet in a day. Two at the most."
"Yeah but I'll be broke," she whined. "I don't have 2 million. And I only got four schooners on the last sortie."
"Four kills or not at least you didn't suffer the same fate as me." Cal said as he rubbed his side.
"You're okay, aren't you? It didn't hurt too much did it?"
"It's a little sore but being grounded hurts more," Cal admitted making Chris chuckle.
"Well at least you can walk around while I'm stuck in bed." She always hated morning training, but at least she wasn't alone. Being trapped in bed just made her miss being with her Captain, Rosalie and Hilda.
"Well, I think I know something that will cheer you up." It was then Chris noticed the bag he had brought with him and her heart skipped a beat at what he was going to do. She often asked her Captain how different he was compared to a woman in bed and the way Zola phrased it left her dizzy. Could he really be planning to do that with her? "Check it out," he said as he pulled out a portable movie player. "Don't know if you like any of these but I figured there must be something."
"Oh," she said, not sure if she should be disappointed or not. "Sounds fun." Cal plopped onto the bed beside her and let Chris scroll through the shows and movies he had uploaded. To her surprise Cal liked a lot of the shows she did. Mostly sci-fi and giant robot anime. And one in particular caught her eye. "Elite Space?" she gasped. "Me and Rosalie use to love this when we were little. You're a fan too?"
"Are you kidding it's the best." Cal beamed. Leaning back, the two of them lost themselves in a binge of season three.
"I can't believe someone other than me remembers this show."
"If I knew you were a fan, I would have brought it by sooner," he said. "I remember the first few weeks you acted like I was going to eat you."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Chris mumbled. "It's just…I had never met a man before, so I guess I was a little intimidated."
"Hey, at least you got over it," he said. "Unlike Hilda. I imagine she's quite proud of herself that she's managed to put me out of commission."
"Don't say things like that," Chris said surprisingly angrily. "I know you don't get along, but she was really angry and upset at herself for injuring you."
"So why hasn't she apologized," he asked.
"Look she's never one to be honest about her feelings but she's our friend," Chris said. "I know she can be mean at times, but she'd never hurt someone on purpose. Not unless they did something to her first." 'Easy for you to say,' he sulked. As the next episode began to load, Cal got up to stretch his legs and found himself standing before the pin board where Zola kept her collection of photos. Most of them were of First Squad when they were younger, and even a few of Scarlett. Cal guessed that despite the rift that had formed between them Zola still held feelings for her.
As he walked back to the bed, he noticed a magazine on the floor and at bent down to pick it up. As he did, he saw a weird looking blue object under Zola's bed. "What's this thing?" Cal asked as he picked it up. It was long and tube shaped and had a button along the side. And Chris went even paler when she saw what he was holding.
"Nothing!" she shrieked as she leapt out of bed. Snatching it away from him, she pulled open one of Zola's draws to hide it away and Cal to his horror it was full of pictures of him when the door opened and in walked Rosalie.
"Hey Chris, how's your fever…" only to stop as she noticed Cal was with her. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a suspicious glare.
"Oh hey Rosalie. I was just keeping Chris company while you all were training."
"Hey Rosalie, check it out." Chris said holding up the data player. Rosalie bent around and jumped on the bed beside Chris.
"Holy shit I haven't seen this in years." Rosalie cheered. Cal was about to speak when a pair of arms wrapped around him and the familiar smell of gooseberries and strawberries washed over him.
"Hey there sexy." Zola greeted. "I see you've been taking care of our Chris while we've been training." Cal felt her hand drift around his back and down to his butt as he wiggled free.
"Don't do that," he said. "You know I don't like that."
"Aw why you gotta be so tense, why don't we have some fun?" Zola teased. "Or have you and Chris been having some fun without us?"
"Actually…" he started to say.
"We were watching movies!" Chris interrupted her face scarlet.
"Well I'm afraid you'll have to hit pause," Zola told them. "Ersha and Naomi wanted you in the kitchen for some reason."
"Oh yeah," Cal remembered. "Naomi offered to teach me how to cook. I guess since free time is all I have I might as well." Cal stepped past her but stopped when he suddenly found himself eye to eye with Hilda.
"Hey," she said blankly.
"Hey," he said back as he walked off. Hilda could tell by the look in his eyes that he was angry with her. Not that she blamed him since she was the one who got him benched. Even though he drove her insane with his innocent and carefree attitude, she realised she would prefer that to him not talking to her. As if reading her mind, Zola hooked Hilda's chin and lifted her up.
"Don't let it bother you. That guy's too much of a softy to hold a grudge for long." She then bent forward so she could kiss Hilda on the lips. "Now why don't we go release some of the tension from training. Rosalie, are you in?"
"Hang on Captain it's at the best part." Rosalie said. The two were clearly too involved into watching Elite Space on Cal's data player for anything else.
"Well you two can watch your silly little cartoons in your own quarters then," Zola pouted.
Cal's mood had soured considerably after seeing Hilda. Hopefully working in the kitchens with Naomi and Ersha would put him in a better mind. Upon reaching the cafeteria and opening the kitchen door, something barrelled into Cal almost knocking him over. "Cal!" Naomi cheered. "I'm so glad to see you up and about!"
"Yeow watch my side!" Cal yelped as Naomi hurriedly released him.
"Oh sorry."
"I've only been out of training for a day. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Naomi pouted and pinched his cheek.
"It's not the same when you're not with us." Their exchange caught the attention of everyone in the kitchen. Ersha in particular found it entertaining. "So, you ready to learn how to cook some good grub?" Already, Cal could smell something delicious that made him drool. "Make sure you wash your hands first," Naomi ordered. After taking care of that, he wrapped a large apron around him and was quite impressed by how everyone was working when preparing food and how clean everything was. It reminded him of dressing kills with Gramps except there would always be a big mess of blood everywhere.
"Okay." Naomi began. "We're going to cook up some chocolate cupcakes for the kids. You'll be working with Tanya. She'll show you what to do." Cal turned and recognized her from third squad. She had shoulder length purple hair and yellow eyes. She was apparently best friends with the more reserved Irma which Cal found interesting considering how outgoing Tanya was. Especially in regard to cooking which she had a deep passion for. As Cal approached her, she started to sweat and blush with how close he was to her, but she forced herself to calm down so she could teach him properly.
"Alright, you're learning from the best, so you'd better pay attention," Tanya said, some of the older women shot her nasty looks. Cal noticed most of them were between the ages of Ms Mary and Jasmine. From what he had heard, those Norma which had the lowest performance grades were assigned to kitchen and base maintenance, so they often lived to an older age than the other departments.
"The best? Who does she think she is?"
"Give him to me. I've been doing this for over ten years full time. 'll teach him how to be a real cook." Tanya meanwhile began to show Cal how to make the treats for the kids as Naomi and Ersha busied with making their own. People weren't lying when they said Tanya was very passionate about cooking. She went on an over the top lesson making sure Cal followed every step with mixtures and timing. At one-point Cal was about to lick the wooden spoon full of chocolate, only for Tanya to smack him on the head with a frying pan, much to Naomi and Ersha's amusement.
Once they were done Ersha and Naomi packed their perfectly shaped cupcakes into boxes. Cal and Tanya's however didn't turn out as well. They were out of portion, misshapen, and slightly burned. Tanya looked devastated as Cal grinned and scratched his head.
"Well it's safe to say you need a lot more to practice in cooking." Ersha pointed out.
"Hey, I only learned how to cook rabbit stew and meat," Cal pointed out.
"Well," Namoi said as she looked them over, "I'd give you a B+ for effort. You can eat those as your reward." This perked Cal up noticeably and he took his tray full of mutant cupcakes out to a table. 'I don't see what the big deal is,' he thought as he ate. 'It's not like a weird shape makes them taste any less good.'
Though he would have liked to have stopped by the see the kids, Cal found he just didn't have the energy, so he decided to keep his mind occupied by playing games at the arcade. As he passed by the hanger, he saw his Glaive had already been cleaned off and repaired. 'I'd better remember to thank Mei when I see her.' Cal told himself. As he loaded up the arcade machine and began to play a few games, he found that he couldn't focus. All Cal could think about was that figure who had appeared twice before him. Was he hallucinating? Or was it real? 'No it couldn't have been real,' he decided. 'Why would someone be standing on top of a para-mail in the middle of a DRAGON attack. Radar would have detected them the moment they got close.' Cal shook his head and concluded he had just been seeing things and needed to take it easy. He continued his game until an all too familiar bubbly presence came from behind and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey Big Bro, I've been looking all over for you!"
"Hey Vivian. I've just been in the kitchens with Ersha and Naomi. I never thought without training that the morning would be so boring."
"You're telling me. It just wasn't the same without you and Chris. Hey, why don't we see if Granny has any new cannons in stock. You could change one of yours out, so your Para-mail doesn't copy Rosalie and Naomi's."
"I'll have a look," he sighed. "But I can't buy anything. The Commander and Maggie said I'll be benched for a week or more." Vivian didn't look to happy with his answer as she took Cal's hand and dragged him to the weapon stock.
"A week? But you'll miss out on a combat mission if it's that long!" Vivian awed. As they came to the huge wall mounted racks where Para-mail weapons were stored, Cal checked out a few of the cannons ranging from heavy artillery Revolver cannons to rotary Vulcans. But it was a weapon of a difference scale that ultimately caught Cal's eye.
"Hello," he whispered. On a table showing off some of the new handheld weapons was a jet-black crossbow with a sniper scope attached. He picked it up, checking its weight, how it felt when he aimed, feeling refreshed with the memories of hunting game on the island.
"That thing looks really cool." Vivian said.
"You should have seen the one I use to have. I loved hunting. Especially in the dark with an optic thermal scope." Vivian's eyes sparkled in wonder.
"So awesome."
"Find something you like?" Right on cue, Jasmine and Vulcan had appeared, hot on the trail of a potential customer.
"Yeah I've missed this feeling," Cal admitted as he bent down to scratch Vulcan's ears. "It feels great to hold a crossbow again."
"Well nothing is stopping you from purchasing it and testing it out in target practice." Jasmine mused.
"You know I'll be in debt if I do that. Unless you let me do some kind of work."
"Sorry kid," Jasmine answered. "If you carry anything heavy or catch your side you'll be benched even longer. You push yourself hard all the time so just enjoy the rest. I'm sure you'll pay off the fine in no time." As the two of them walked off, who else should appear but Mei and a group of her armorers.
"So, you're into Crossbows?" the younger Norma asked.
"Yeah, I used to hunt all the time. But I doubt I'll ever get the chance again. It would be cool to hunt a DRAGON with one." Cal smiled as he imagined chasing down DRAGONs in the sky, his Glaive picking them off one by one with its giant Crossbow. "By the way, thanks for cleaning my machine."
"The cleaning wasn't the problem," Mei frowned as she crossed her arms. "You push that thing too hard and you'll overheat the thrusters which are a pain to repair."
"Hey at least I keep you busy," Cal joked as Mei resisted the urge to clock him one.
"Hey Cal, over here." Cal and Vivian turned around and saw Rosalie jogging over to them. "Thought I'd find you here. What do you say we have another bet?"
"Didn't you have enough losing the last few times?" Cal reminded her.
"You're going down this time." Rosalie challenged. With a shrug, Cal followed after Rosalie with Vivian serving as his cheering squad when a thought occurred to Mei.
"A crossbow for a Para-mail huh?" she mused. An idea came to her and Mei grinned excitedly. The mechanism for the Ice Bullet Launcher wasn't too dissimilar from that. It had been a while since it had been field tested, back when Salia first attempted to pilot Vilkiss. And Mei knew her older sister would want her greatest invention to finally have a wielder. And who better than the new pilot of Siegfried. 'I'll talk to the commander next meeting,' she decided. 'Mark my words sister. I'll get Siegfried AND that weapon back in top condition.'
"What's the matter you finished already?" Zola heaved as she leaned over Hilda.
"Please,' Hilda panted, drenched in sweat. "Let me rest a little bit." Zola sighed and granted her request.
"Hey, talk to me," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed, one hand gently stroking Hilda's crimson hair. "I can tell something is bothering you."
"It's nothing," Hilda lied, her eyes shifting away from Zola's. "I'm just tired."
"It's no use acting tough." Zola said. "I can tell you feel bad for getting our stud out of commission. Don't beat yourself up for it too much. He's not dead or even that badly hurt."
"That's not the point." Hilda said with an annoyed tone. "First, he saves my life from that Brig a couple of weeks ago. And now I'm the one who got him hurt."
"Aw so you do you care about him."
"It's not like that!" Hilda snapped. "It's just…" Hilda paused as she took in a deep breath. "He may be a man but he's our squad mate. Now with the way I've treated him then next time he might just let me get chewed to pieces. And I wouldn't blame him if he did." Hilda bit her lip and wiped her eye as she sat up. "Salia is right. If you, Rosalie, and Chris weren't around then who else am I going to depend on in combat? And now I doubt he'll lift a finger for me." Zola put her hand on Hilda's cheek and redirected her gaze to her.
"That's enough." She said in a serious tone. "Look, our lives might be expendable to the humans but we all have each other and that in itself is worth living for." Zola smiled as she thought back to her first time with Cal and how he made her feel like she mattered. "So don't waste any more time yapping at each other. Say you're sorry, do whatever you have to do to make it up to him, and try to get along. Life's way too short for grudges." Hilda knew Zola was only telling her this because deep down her captain cared for her and the rest of the squad. It was times like this in which Hilda almost loved her. The problem was how she was going to do it. Cal never asked for anything in return from anyone but if she was going to pay him back then then she had no other choice.
"I guess you're right," Hilda grimaced.
"Trust me you'll enjoy it. And it might release the tension you two have against each other." Pushing her back onto the bed, Zola climbed on top of Hilda and pressed her lips against hers as Hilda closed her eyes and let the pleasure take over.
It had now been three days and Cal was getting agitated. Even Chris was back to her duties which left Cal on his own. Washing himself down with a sponge on the bath's outer deck, Cal lathered up his body, being careful not to rub over his stitches. Because of his wounds Cal couldn't use the showers or the onsen in fear his stitches would come out or loosen. At least the steam from the kept him warm from the cold weather which wasn't too bad. The sliding doors opened behind him and he looked up to see Naomi holding a towel to cover her front.
"Oh!" she cried. "Sorry Cal I didn't know you were in her."
"It's okay," he assured her. "I'm almost finished anyway."
"Are you sure? I could wait."
"It's fine. Besides we've showered together before so it's nothing to be embarrassed about." She rolled her eyes in amusement and was about to enter the onsen until she saw the difficulty Cal was having with his shoulder and flank.
"If you want, I could help you out," Naomi blushed. Cal smiled and nodded so Naoi grabbed one of the stools to sit behind him and began to carefully wash his back. Cal relaxed under her gentle touch but when looking down he couldn't help but feel sad. He had suffered the same wound as Gramps that night the human attacked. Except Gramps was dead and he had survived.
Naomi could sense his negative energy as she heard him sniffling. "Cal?"
"Sorry," he choked as he rubbed his face. "I just…" Setting down the sponge, Naomi came around and kneeled beside him.
"Don't apologize," she told him as she cupped his cheek to raise his head. "Just tell me."
"Naomi…." Cal tried to say as she laid her hands on his shoulders.
"Cal I'm not letting this go," she told him. "I want you tell me everything. And I won't let you leave until you do." Cal looked up to her and hesitated. Naomi's eyes held a fierce determination he had never seen before. But there was also a desperation in them. It hurt her to see him like this which only made him feel even more guilty.
"It' just…Commander Jill told me not to tell anyone. She said…"
"The Commander isn't here. Cal, you know you can trust me. No matter what it is I swear I will never tell a soul." Cal stared into Naomi's beautiful violet eyes and took in a deep breath as he told her everything what happened that night he first arrived. The human soldiers' attack on his home, running through the burning forest, getting beaten in the cave, and finally how Gramps handcuffed him to the skyhook and sent him out before blowing up himself and their pursuers. Naomi's expression changed as she listened from curious, to surprised, and finally horror; her hand covering her mouth while her eyes glittered with tears. As Cal finished, he began to shake and Naomi threw her arms around him as he collapsed crying against her, not caring they were both naked. All that mattered to her was someone she deeply cared about was in pain and had been carrying that burden ever since. Finally, Cal calmed down and pushed away.
"I'm sorry," he said as Naomi shook her head.
"Don't be," she told him. "I don't think any latecomer I've met has been though what you have. And I guess I understand why the Commander didn't want you to tell anyone. Don't worry. I'll keep it secret." Finally, Cal managed to smile again as he wiped his eyes.
"Thanks Naomi," he said as he blushed. "Could...could we hug a little longer?"
"Yeah. Sure." Naomi could tell he wasn't trying to cop a feel and let Cal lean against her, his head resting on her bosom. 'You don't have to carry it alone anymore,' she promised as she gently stroked his black hair. 'Whenever it gets too much…I'll be your shelter.'
While the rest of Arzenal was sound asleep, Salia was in the middle of typing up the day's training report though she found it hard to concentrate on her work. She had gotten so used to Cal that his absence had left a hole in her routine. 'I hope he doesn't slack off when he comes back,' she prayed. 'He's become such a great pilot. Almost on par with Vivian.' Speaking of which, Vivian was sound asleep in her makeshift hammock on her half of the room wearing her full body Perolina pajamas. Since the young Norma was a heavy sleeper it was easy to leave for meetings without waking her. On the other hand, Salia always had the responsibility of dragging her out of bed every morning.
A sudden light knock on her door made Salia jump before she checked her watch to see it was past curfew. That could only mean one thing. Salia opened the door and as she expected, Mei was standing outside her door.
"The commander has called for a meeting," Mei told her. "I've deactivated the dorm cameras so just lookout for the Inspector." Salia nodded and waited for Mei to leave before she set out herself. It was safter to travel up to Jill's office alone. Once she was certain the coast was clear, Salia checked to make sure Vivian was still asleep before stepping out into the vacant hallway.
With a wince, Cal shifted to try and get comfortable on his bed. He liked to sleep on his right side so that his face was directed towards the breeze that come in from the window. But due to his wounds, he was forced to sleep on his left and the loss of ventilation was keeping him up. Especially since the boredom from his involuntary break was starting to get to him. He couldn't even go burn off some tension with Zola for fear of tearing his stitches open.
With a sigh, Cal sat up and went over to the mini fridge wedged between his desk and the wall. A cold beer usually helped him relax after a session with Zola so maybe it would help him sleep. He had just pulled open the latch when something under his door caught his eye. It looked like a shadow moving out in the hall. One of the security staff maybe? The footsteps didn't sound right, however. Usually the footsteps of security clicked loudly along the tile floor, but this person didn't make a sound as they passed. It was almost as if they were creeping.
His curiosity piqued, Cal waited for the person to pass before he opened the door and peered out. Further down the hall, Cal saw a slender figure with straight hair done up in pigtails go down a bend. 'What's Salia doing out this late?' he wondered. It wasn't like her of all people to violate curfew. As quietly as he could, Cal stepped out his door and followed after her. His bare feet helped mask his presence as he followed her out of the dorms and up to the Command Centre where she vanished into Commander Jill's office. Once he was certain it was safe, he sneaked up and pressed his ear to the door. He could hear people talking in low voices. And it wasn't just Salia and Commander Jill. It sounded like Maggie, Mei and Jasmine were with them as well.
"So what's the emergency Jill?" Maggie asked.
"As you all know," Jill began, "since it's autumn the humans will be slacking off. I'm therefore pushing up Libertus' timetable."
"Wait," Salia interrupted with widened eyes, "so you mean…"
"Yes it's time to get Siegfried and Vilkiss back to top condition."
"Yes!" Mei cheered as she pumped her first. "By the way Commander. If it's okay with you I'd like to pull the Ice bullet launcher out of storage."
"What for?" Maggie asked. "That weapon was never finished."
"I'm guessing because of Cal," Jasmine smiled. "He was handling a crossbow the other day and apparently knows his way around them. A weapon like that would be perfect for him. "Jill thought about it and nodded.
"It would come in handy since the user won't need to get up and close to a DRAGON like with standard Freeze bullets," Jill supposed. "Go ahead."
"Thanks Commander," Mei beamed. "I'll make sure my sister's work wasn't in vain."
"So does that mean you intend to give him Siegfried now?" Salia asked. Jill lit up her cigarette and puffed out a cloud smoke.
"No."
"What!?" Salia cried out. "Commander his pilot skills are almost on the same level as me and Zola. He's the only man on this island and you told us Siegfried can only be piloted by a man. So why won't you give it to him?"
"That's enough Salia!" Jill barked, making Salia flinch. "Because he's not ready and in my eyes just because he's a good pilot doesn't make him a worthy of Siegfried."
"That's not fair Jill." Jasmine said. Jill was even more annoyed, but she wasn't surprised Jasmine would disagree with her.
"Don't let your relationship with the boy make you forget what's at stake here. Cal doesn't have the slightest idea what we really fight for and it was Gaz's mistake not to tell him!"
"We know Jill," Maggie said. "But he did it to protect him. If it were me, I'd probably do the same."
"And that's the problem," Jill pointed out. "Cal doesn't need protection. He needs motivation. And if he knew the real reason why he was born it might just give him some."
"Wait," Salia interrupted. "What do you mean the real reason he was born?" Jill tched as she ground out her cigarette, she hoped she wouldn't have to tell Salia and Mei but it didn't look like they'd understand any other way.
"Cal wasn't just born. He was an experiment to see if Humans and Norma could interbreed."
"But why?" Mei asked.
"We don't know," Jasmine answered. "Even Gaz didn't know the real reason. But if I had to guess it was Embryo. His puppets don't do anything without his go ahead."
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Salia demanded.
"You didn't need to know," Jill said as if stating the obvious. "The point is him being sheltered for so long has made him soft. Whoever pilots that machine is tasked with protecting Villkiss. And Cal lacks the maturity to be entrusted with such an important mission." Salia felt as if her entire world was collapsing. If Jill wasn't going to give Cal Siegfried, then she wouldn't be able to pilot Vilkiss. All of her hard work would be for nothing.
"What else can I do Commander?"
"For now, just keep doing your duties and keep him in line. You've shown great training and leadership skills in organising the rest of the squad when Zola is busy. At least I know I can count on you when for Libertus begins." Jill's seeming trust in her gave Salia some comfort and she snapped a salute.
"Thank you, Commander." She and Mei were about to leave until Jasmine called out to them.
"Promise me you won't tell him any of this. Let me and Jill worry about it. Understand?" They both nodded and left, leaving the three older women to discuss further matters. As she made her way back to her quarters, Salia couldn't help feeling guilty. Keeping something like this from Cal just didn't sit right with her. It was almost as if Jill was treating him more like a tool than a potential ally.
At first, Cal had no idea what they were talking about. Siegfried? Villkiss? Libertus? What did it all mean? But when he heard what the Commander told Salia and Mei about why he was born, a feeling of dread and shock came over him. All those times he asked Gramps who his mother was, it never occurred to him he was someone's experiment. Who was this Embryo person? And why didn't Gramps tell him about all of this?
Cal's head began to spin, and it took everything he had not to storm into the room and demand an answer. He heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door and Cal ran as quietly as he could before the door opened. Once he got back to his room, Cal slumped against the door and sank down to the floor. His insides felt as if they were filled with lead and his fists clenched his upper arms so tightly his nails nearly cut into his biceps. Why didn't Gramps tell him any of this? And what else was being kept from him that he didn't know about?
"Well, I guess I'd better rehearse what I'm going to tell Cal," Jasmine sighed. She didn't like it but if this is what it took to get Cal into Siegfried than Jasmine would trust her judgement.
"Hold on Jasmine," Jill suddenly said. "Before you do, I want you to grill him about what happened the night Gaz died. Do whatever it takes to make him tell you everything."
"Why would that matter?" Maggie asked.
"Because if I know Gaz, he wouldn't have let Cal come here without some kind of preparation. I need to know if he told him anything about Libertus or this Angelise girl. If so, then he's a threat to Libertus."
"Now wait just a minute Jill," Jasmine warned. "If you're saying what I think you are…"
"And what if I am?" Jill said with a glare. "I won't allow anyone to endanger Libertus no matter who they are. If he knows and he doesn't shape up, then he'll have to be dealt with. It's as simple as that." Jasmine clenched her teeth, but she sighed in resignation.
"As you wish Jill." The older woman left, and Jill leaned back in her chair.
"Something you want to say?" Jill asked.
"No," Maggie told her. "I've stuck with you this far after all. But Jill will you keep one thing in mind? The whole reason you didn't wind up in front of a firing squad was because of Gaz. So just make sure you can live with whatever you choose to do." As Maggie left, Jill leaned forward on her desk. It was true, she owed Gaz for more than she could ever repay. And far more than she deserved. But there was more at stake than memories and debts. Jill's gaze drifted down but instead of her prosthetic she found herself staring at her left hand. How long had it been since those small hands had taken hold of hers? The night she lost everything. And the first time she met Cal.
(10 years ago)
Checking over his scanner Gaz ran towards the island's southern beach. Just a few hours ago he saw that dozens of enemy aircraft where heading towards the secret location of Libertus. Gaz had sent out a warning, but he never heard anything back until the distress call came in. In the distance, the thrust of a Para-mail's engines shone in the night sky and he saw a glimpse of white against the night sky. Something was wrong however. Villkiss wasn't handling like it should. Its hull was smoking, and it wobbled back and forth in flight. But it wasn't until it nearly crashed into the sand that Gaz saw to his horror what had happened.
"Oh my god Alektra!" Gaz cried as he ran to her aid. Her black and purple plug suit was torn to shreds and she was covered in blood that poured from the stump of her right elbow. Tearing off a strip from his shirt, Gaz tied off the injury and gently picked her up. "Alekra speak to me! What happened!?" Weakly, Alektra opened her eyes to look up at the man who was carrying her back to his cabin.
"They're gone…all of them. dead." She began to cry; tears streaming down her face. "My fault…all my fault."
"Don't talk," he ordered. "Save your energy just stay awake." Gaz didn't care how loud he was. He had bigger problems at the moment than waking up Cal. Busting through the door, Gaz carried Alektra into his bedroom and laid her on the bed. Since Alketra was a Norma he couldn't use Mana to heal her. And his medical supplies weren't meant for major surgery. All he could do was try to stabilize her.
Somewhere in the dark birds were chirping and warmth spread across her face. Alektra's body was heavy and it hurt to even breath. However, something small was holding her left hand. "Sa…sal…Salia?" she weakly murmured as she opened her eyes and found herself the bedroom of a wooden cabin. As her vision cleared, she saw a pair of sky-blue eyes and to her surprise realized it was a young boy in pyjamas. He had spikey black hair and barely looked over than Salia.
"Hi," he said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Slowly, Alektra forced herself to sit up and found herself wearing a man's shirt that her slim frame was practically swimming in. On a nearby dresser was the bloody tattered remains of her plug suit. And as she finally noticed the bandages that had been wrapped over the stub of her severed arm, the memory of what happened came rushing back to her and Alektra suppressed a scream as she clenched at her temple. The door flew open and in rushed Gaz, halting as he saw who was also in the room.
"What are you doing in here Cal?" he demanded. He didn't want to him to see Alektra in such a state. The boy however flinched as if afraid he had done something wrong.
"You weren't making breakfast, so I thought something was wrong," he answered. "I found her in your bed, who is she?" Cal sighed and rubbed his head.
"She's…a friend," Gaz said as he knelt down to the boy's level. "I didn't mean to scold you. Look, I'm gonna be gone for a few hours. Will you be okay with Star for a while?" Cal nodded and Gaz sent him out. "Sorry about that," he told her. "Alektra what happened?" The young woman who had been entrusted with Villkiss curled up in a fatal position on his bed and began to hyperventilate.
"Istvan, Vanessa, Zolton, Jacob, Fei-ling… they're all dead." Gaz put his arm around her and held her as she began to sob into his shoulder
"Shh. It's okay. You're safe now. I've contacted Jasmine and told her what happened. Let's get you back to Arzenal so you can get some real care." Helping her off the bed, Gaz walked her out the back since Cal was out front with Star. Inside the cave where he kept the Skyhook, he sat her between his arms to make sure she didn't fall off and took off towards Arzenal. When he arrived; Jasmine, Maggie, and a handful of others who knew about Libertus were already waiting for him.
"Alektra!" Jasmine cried as they landed. "Thank god you're alright." Helping Alektra off the seat, Jasmine got her onto a stretcher so Maggie could get her inside. "What about Villkiss?"
"It's back on my island. I covered it with a camo tarp so as long as the humans don't land there, they won't find it. What about Siegfried?"
"It was badly damaged, but Jacob managed to pilot it here. It's hidden down with the Aurora."
"Is he still here?"
"No. He just took off. Tusk was still back there in the emergency shelter. I haven't heard from him or anyone else since." Gaz sighed and set down on one of the rocks lining the cliff base.
"Jasmine I'm so sorry. If I had kept a closer watch, they wouldn't have gotten the jump on us." The beautiful commander smiled sadly and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.
"Don't do that to yourself," she told him. "If you hadn't been out there, we wouldn't have gotten any warning at all. And then Alektra would be dead and Villkiss would be lost." Gaz clasped his hand over hers and she brought him back into the base so they could plan their next move.
Maggie and her assistants managed to save Alektra's life, but her arm would have to be replaced with a prosthetic. "This is beyond a mess," Jasmine sighed.
"I just wish I knew how the hell they found out," Gaz agreed. "You know they'll be coming here for questioning."
"I know. I'll have to send Alektra into hiding. Maybe she could go with you?" Gaz creased his brow and an idea came to him
"This might be a long shot, but it could work. I could hack into their files and forge a few documents. The NMB tends to not take notice of a Norma's file once it's finalized. Maybe I could give Alektra a new identity."
"I guess we don't have any other option," she mused.
"Then I'll get to it. Now I guess I'd better get out of here before the enemy arrives." He had just stood up when someone called from outside Jasmine's office.
"Commander?" a small voice asked.
"Just a moment Salia." Jasmine beckoned for him to hide and Gaz took cover behind her desk. Jasmine opened the door and looked down at a little girl whose long purple hair was tied up in two pigtails.
"Commander is Mistress Alektra okay? I heard she was hurt."
"She'll be fine Salia," Jasmine assured her. "But she needs rest so I can't let you see her for now. I'll let you know when she can have visitors." Jasmine sent the child on her way and once the coast was clear she walked Gaz out to the beach. "Will you be alright?" she asked.
"I'll be fine. After all, I've got my boy to look after."
"I meant to ask, how is Cal?"
"He's doing amazingly well. Unfortunately, he saw Alektra. I never told him that there are others like him, but I don't think I can hide that from him anymore." Gaz looked out over the sea and frowned. "He often asks about who his mother was, but I just can't bring myself to tell him. Or why I saved him. Sometimes I wonder if I even deserve him."
"Of course you do," she told him. Hooking Gaz's chin, Jasmine turned his head to meet her gaze. "If it weren't for you, he'd be dead. I know what you told me was horrible but all these years you've more than atoned for the person you used to be." Leaning in, she kissed him, and Gaz ran his fingers through her blonde hair. "You take care of yourself alright."
"You too," he told her. Jasmine stood clear and Gaz lifted off before shooting out over the water towards where home and Cal were waiting for him.
(Present)
Since then Gaz tried searching for Tusk, Jacob or anyone who survived. He managed to find out Tusk was alive through Mana footage of the battle but had disappeared. And Jacob was most likely dead since they heard nothing from him. The false story worked like a miracle as Alektra's identity was changed to Jill, a Mail-Rider who lost her arm in a DRAGON attack. To make sure Jasmine was safe and the Humans wouldn't get suspicious she stepped down as Commander and Jill at 19 was the youngest Norma to be elected as Commander of Arzenal.
Jill looked down at her prosthetic arm and crushed her cigarette in its grip. She had lost her friends, Villkiss, and Istvan all in one night because of one man. Just picturing his face made her insides burn. "Embryo, I'll make you pay for everything." she vowed through gritted teeth. "As soon as that boy finds out the truth, I'll shape him up to rip you apart!"
Dutch checked his Mana screen and made sure he was at the right address. He had travelled all the way to Rosenblum to meet Standall's son, so he had better be home. He rang the doorbell and a woman in her early 40's with long brown hair answered. "Hello how may I help you?" she asked.
"Hello Mrs. Standall. My name is Dutch Villson and I was your husband's CO."
"Oh yes," she remembered. "Won't you come in?" Standall's wife showed him in and took his hat and coat. "Would you like some tea?"
"Thank you but no. Actually, I've heard your son is visiting. I'd like to have a word with him if you don't mind."
"Certainly." Dutch followed her upstairs and she knocked at the first door they came too. "Jeffery? You have a visitor." The door unlocked as it opened, and Dutch came face to face with a young man. He was athletic, with a defined jaw and long curly golden blonde hair which would make any girl think he was some sort of prince charming.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Jeffery, I presume?" Dutch asked. "My name is Dutch Villson and I was your father's superior. I've come to have a word with you about his death." Mrs. Standall gave a start and Jeffery raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Mom would you excuse us?" Mrs. Standall nodded and left them alone as Jeffery invited Dutch into his room. It was what Dutch expected a teenage boy's room would look like. Posters plastered with posters of athletes and swimsuit models, sports trophies lining the shelves, and a small collection of model vehicles. Dutch parked himself in the chair in front of the desk while Jeffery took a seat on the bed. "What about my father's death?"
"I'll cut to the chase," he said. "As I'm sure you know, your father was tragically killed attempting to detain a Norma." Jeffry gritted his teeth in rage.
"Yeah, those filthy disgusting pieces of shit. They said it attacked them on their ship and it crashed. At least it got killed as well"
"I know. It's a tragedy. He was a good man. And a good soldier." He wasn't at all surprised that the Board's PR department had crafted a false account. Dutch could only imagine the kind of panic that would rise if the knowledge of a male Norma were made public. "And that's why I'm here. Your father told me a lot about you Jeffrey. You recently graduated the Academy at the age of 21. Quite impressive. I'd like to offer you a position in the NMB. I see a lot of potential in you and want to help you become all that you can be." Jeffry looked up to him in surprise, but Dutch could also see a gleam of eagerness in his eyes. "However, you must swear that you'll follow my orders and not breathe a word of what I'm about to tell you. If it does there will be desire consequences. Not just to you or your mother but the entire world as well." Jeffry saw the serious of the situation and agreed. "Good. What I'm about to tell you will be a bit of a shock, but your Father wasn't killed by a Norma. He was killed by one of our own who was protecting one."
"What?" Jeffry gasped, his face pale with shock.
"You see I had ties with this man and the Norma. But the little bastard escaped. You see, this particular Norma was a male." Jeffrey's mouth dropped open, but he quickly regained himself.
"So what? Man or woman it's just another Norma. He can be put down just like the rest." Dutch smiled as he stood up. This was exactly the reaction he wanted.
"But the situation is worse that i thought. This wasen't the first human to protect Norma and with the evidence found there could a community of humans protecting Norma." said Dutch. "Your father was my most trusted subordinate and itt would be an honor if you were to take up his role." Dutch offered him his hand and Jeffry accepted it.
"Thank you Mr. Villson. I won't let you down. I'll do everything to protect this world from traitors like that."
"I'm glad to hear it"
