| Sic Semper Morituri |
Index of Chapters and Sections
Chapter 6: The Veterans' First Blood
Hand to hand
Nabiki Confronts Ranma
Revolution
The Battle Begins
Pilots in trouble
Nabiki on the Warpath
Rei's Invasion
Breakfast
The Fourth Angel
Pep Talk
Pregrowl
First meeting with Ikari
Chapter 7: A Turbulent Priest
Darkness Falls
Ranma's Nightmare
Growling
Rei's Apartment
Dark Inklings
Deals and Provocations
Thunder in the Underground
Meetings in the Daylight
Chapter8, 9, 10, Dream, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, Four Thought, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, Genesis, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 47, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56,
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters from Ranma 1 / 2, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ah My Goddess, or the Lovecraft Cycle involved in these stories.
C&C, MSTs are welcome
E-mail: dan_s.comments@comcast.net or dan_s.comments@att.net
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What has gone before:
About Book 11, Akane and Soun Tendo throw Ranma out of the house, Nabiki, in the guise of a wish, follows him. They meet pilots Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami. Ranma battles the god Nyogtha alongside Rei. They go to the United States to collect pilots Asuka Soryu Langley and Jeffrey Davis.
Asuka's Dreamself, a knight called the Meliorist, the Scholarly Dragon and her friend Anna Alice are taking their army into the Blank Lands, Rei's Dreamself pursed and was captured.
The Pilots and the EVAs board the CVB-43 Coral Sea to sail to Tokyo, testing the pilot/EVA combinations on the trip. Shoggoths attack Rei and Nabiki, they are rescued by Shinji and Jeff. The four begin to socialize. Also the NERV staff perform when they cross the International Date Line, Rei's comedy surprises everyone.
After a day of relaxation and baseball, the tests begin again.
"When we get the enemy on the run, we must keep him on the run. We must run faster than he does! We'll not need food when we are winning! We will eat the enemy!"
George S. Patton - (Porter Williamson, Gen. Patton's Principles)
Chapter 6: The Veterans' First Blood
Hand to hand
Asuka and I have been watching Ranma `train` Roku-kun and Shinji. I was glad Rei wasn't in this gymnasium, or there would have been blood on the mats, Ranma's.
I hate this, I sighed. Yes, I wanted Ranma to get out and do something. Yes, I thought Shinji could use the stability and confidence martial arts provides, and yes I hoped to foster the `rivalry` between Ranma and Raccoon. But.
Jeff hit the mat, rolled over and tried to stand.
I've had enough of this, I thought as Shinji hit the mat and yelped, even Asuka, our poster-child for sympathy deprivation, winced at the boys' impacts. As she looked on from the sidelines with some disgust, both of them were getting pulverized, I don't like my plans not working out.
"Your form is too stiff," Ranma told Jeff, as he arrogantly braced for Jeff's attack.
I could tell he expected to throw Raccoon down easily, yet again.
Kempo abandoned, Raccoon raised his fists.
NO! DON'T DO THAT! I wanted to yell, Thank the kamis, the boy is being reasonable.
He opened his hands, dropped them to his sides, "That's between Nab-chan and me."
I heard my own gasp and Asuka's snicker at that comment, and saw Ranma's concentration flicker, instead of Raccoon screaming 'an opening' and attacking, Jeff quickly sidestepped and hauled Shinji to his feet. The pair backed away, Jeff never taking his eyes off Ranma.
This is not good, I realized as I moved towards them, a moment later Asuka followed me. Ranma 'Doesn't hit girls', I thought she assumed we're going to interpose ourselves. Interpose, nothing. Saotome! You need a spanking! Our American friend didn't mind being a punching bag, but, like me, he drew the line at Shinji taking that kind of punishment.
"Langley, mark this day in your calendar, I really made a big mistake. Nevertheless, I certainly learned something today," Davis told us.
"I learned how to get bruised," Shinji complained, he had more trouble staying on his feet than Jeff did.
"What do I mark, that you made a mistake, or that you admitted it publicly?" Asuka asked.
"Both," Davis answered.
Okay, here it comes, I knew Davis had gone over to the offense, or the offensive, We'd better hurry.
"When we agreed to receive training, I expected more than you using us as a couple of heavy bags for 20 minutes. I had thought, and had heard, you were both honorable and a man of honor." Jeff told Ranma, who was still ready for the counterattack, not realizing Jeff was making it, "I see we adhere to very different definitions of the word."
"You said you could fight," Ranma yelled back at him, he still expected a hopeless, screaming charge.
He isn't going to get one, I thought.
"I sought education in the style you use. Not in its aggressive use in brawling." He half-carried Shinji out of the gym, as we blocked the direct line of pursuit.
Asuka stared daggers at Ranma, she turned to me, "Let's get those two bakas to the infirmary."
"I don't need an escort. However," Jeff said, "I do need a navigator." Jeff had a map and wasn't able to make heads or tails of it in his current condition. Asuka helped Jeff carry Shinji, I helped support Jeff. We carried/led them through the passageways.
"Not smart, Raccoon," I told him.
"I am well aware, painfully aware, of my flawed strategy. The fact remains, Mr. Ikari and I would still benefit from the training."
Asuka grumbled something in a language I didn't understand.
"Just keep your temper this time," Davis replied with a bark of laughter, "Just be gentler this time. There's only a few meters of metal between us and the sea."
"I did NOT lose my TEMPER," She yelled as Shinji winced at the volume, "He had it coming."
"Germany," Davis explained, "Adapting ballet high kicks to soccer, or football."
Asuka blushed furiously and glared, "It worked. And how do you know this?"
"You talk in your sleep," Davis told her.
Am I going to have to separate these two as well? I wondered, thankfully the infirmary was close.
We arrived at the infirmary, Misato was loitering there, "What happened?" she demanded as a corpsman moved up to begin treatment.
"Training accident," Jeff supplied.
"I picked the wrong teacher," he whispered to me. "Say, you said you picked up the basic of the art, and you've been teaching Rei."
"Yes"
"Are you willing to train us?"
"I said I know the basics."
"That's what we need," Asuka said. "How to fall, basic footwork that kind of thing."
I was amazed how fast those two went from enemies to allies.
"Yes." Shinji winced as his abrasions were cleaned.
"I thought you were going to have Ranma train you," Misato said.
"This is twenty minutes of his idea of `training`, give him the full hour, and you'd be left with him, Ayanami, Langley and Tendo. I might live, they'd be sweeping poor Shinji there into a small sack. That's the last time I trust him."
"I'll go have a talk with him. Training isn't supposed to be that painful, at least not the first day."
"Why did she have to say that?" Jeff lamented, "The universe hates challenges like that."
Asuka and I laughed at him.
I am going to have a talk with Saotome-san, a long talk.
Good grief, I'm starting to think like Akane! Somebody please shoot me!
"I would be five kinds of an idiot to request one, Saotome-san." Raccoon kept walking.
Ranma was confused, "Is that a yes, or a no?"
"Saotome, never let anyone ever tell you, you aren't the very embodiment, the very paradigm of the bushido code."
Well, he's not completely stupid, just a lousy fighter. "Thanks." Ranma smiled, "You've got your rematch! I'll go easy on you this time." Give him a chance to redeem his honor. Just us, nobody to interfere.
"In your dreams." Raccoon turned around, and walked away.
Now was that a yes or a no? Ranma wondered.
"Was he injured?"
The robot actually sounds concerned. Figures, the two automatons would pair up. I wonder if Dr. Akagi will have to give them a training manual for their wedding night, she thought as Rei put aside the book on the Coral Sea she was reading. Wondergirl and Spineless's honeymoon, that is an image I didn't need so close to lunch.
"No Wondergirl, not very badly, we'll have to see to it that it doesn't happen again," Asuka told her.
Why can't I just let one of these idiots get wiped out, and get Anna in here as a replacement? I finally wrote her after so long. I almost couldn't forgive her for engineering Unit 02's fall into British hands, and me too. Better the British than the Russians, they were decent enough `chaps`.
I doubt either of us can forgive the other for what happened at the end of the war, and after. I do think we can agree that both of us made the best of a difficult and painful situation. I am soon to be called to action in the Waking World. I wish you were coming with. I have never mistrusted you to guard my back. I wish that `ole' Dragon` could be with us, he wouldn't even need an EVA.
We both know that's impossible, his link here isn't as strong. But I can wish can't I? I don't know what kind of disaster I'm going to walk into, Gendo Ikari as supreme commander, oh Wonderful.
Well practice your Japanese, I expect we'll need more pilots after some real combat missions.
Asuka Soryu Langley
Why don't I wish for one of the pilots to be the Scholarly Dragon in disguise? Tendo's my best bet for that. But where would you find a wizard to arrange the transition? Asuka wondered as Spineless stood in the gymnasium. They were using a different gym, Than where he got his beating this morning.
"Okay, Wondergirl, put your hands like this." Asuka took a ready stance, amazingly, Rei duplicated it. "Now slowly strike at my head, slowly enough I can easily block or dodge. Don't use your knuckles, use the heel or edge of your hand. Do you understand?"
"Hai."
"Wunderbar."
Asuka went to a guard position, "Okay, Spineless, watch closely. When you're ready." Asuka was surprised, Wondergirl snapped off a fairly elaborate combination, Maybe Ice Princess's lessons are good for something. I was glad I told her slow, I should have told her soft, she still hits with a fair amount of force. Asuka could still block, but she was going to bruise. "When you do that to Spineless, don't hit him that hard."
"Hai."
I love you too Wondergirl, Asuka thought. "Okay, stop." She was glad Wondergirl dropped her hands to her sides.
"Okay, Spineless, get over here. Get your hands up, like I had. No, elbows tucked here, you're protecting your head." Asuka made a glancing blow to his triceps.
He gave her an angry look and rubbed the muscle.
"If I hit your nose or stuck a thumb in your eye with that much force you'd be on the ground. So get used to it. Okay Wondergirl, same speed, a lot less force. Spineless, catch the punches on your arms and shoulders, and alternate sides, don't take the pounding all on one side. Begin!"
Asuka stepped back and let the pair go at it. Wondergirl was mechanical, Exactly what Spineless needs to practice against to start. "Change your style occasionally Wondergirl, give him about a dozen, then change. Keep going Spineless, this is the easy part. Next you're going to learn how to punch and kick."
Nabiki Confronts Ranma
"Saotome!"
"Hey Nab-chan," Ranma begins, I didn't bother to knock, just burst into his room, he and Kaji were talking, then he sees my expression.
"Outside. NOW!" I tell him.
"We were having a private conversation," Kaji tells me.
I smile at him, "Okay, Saotome-san. You can finish your conversation."
He's about to thank me.
"And every second you make me wait, I'll spend working out how to make the rest of your life a living Hell. Your choice. I'll be outside." I walk out, barely able to keep my temper in check.
Davis had put the beating down to battle fatigue on Ranma's part, except Ranma was so out of character on that, that I couldn't believe it was anything other than intentional.
"Well, Nab-chan?"
I bridle at the implied insult, grit my teeth and don't return one of my own, "What got into you?! Davis I could understand, he's been insulting you and he knows how to fight -"
"Not too good, I -"
"Shut UP! You interrupt me again, and I'll personally kick you all over this aircraft carrier. For all your skill, you aren't good enough to avoid me forever. Do you understand?"
He nods.
"The question was, why did you beat up Shinji that way? He did nothing to deserve it, and he was never a threat to you in that fight." I pause for a moment, "You may speak now."
"I already got chewed out by Misa-chan, what's your problem, sticking up for Shinji."
Maybe I'm worried about what you're turning into Saotome. "So you are just a bully. Beating people up who can't fight back. Thank you for explaining that, coward."
His face darkens at that insult. He won't hit me, but he wants to, "Who cares what you think, you arrogant Ice Bitch!" he yells at me.
I'm seething now. He could have scarcely picked an insult that hurt more. His constant 'uncute tomboy' must have had the same effect on Akane, it hit her where it hurt worst.
"Because until that last comment, I was the only pilot who didn't want to see you broken and beaten for what you did. Now I see the truth, you're so afraid of the young men around here, that you have to beat them up to prove yourself. You have to tear others down to make a bully like you feel like you're brave." I'm shouting at him. I calm myself, "And all a bully is, is a coward with muscles or training, and that's all you are. Sorry I wasted your time, I'm more sorry I wasted mine. Go back and worship at `Daddy's` feet. I'm sure lessons how to seduce college girls will come in handy when you're living on the street!" I turn and march away. I don't want him to see me cry.
"Nab-chan, wait! NAB-CHAN!" He runs after me.
I wipe away the tears before I turn around and frost him with hauteur, "My name is Tendo Nabiki. My friends may call me Nabiki, you don't qualify, Saotome-san."
He shifts nervously from foot to foot.
I want to be pleased that maybe he just needs to be brought up short to correct his behavior, but it's too early to tell, Come on Ranma, just admit you were wrong, we can go on from there, I want to tell him, Admitting an error isn't fatal, the pain goes away and the others will forgive you too. But I can't say that, I have to stand there, staring at him, hurting him, because it has to be done. He has to learn. The others don't love him like I do, they'll hate him, and I can't allow that.
So here I am, hurting him again to make him a better person. I don't want this, to do this, to see the need.
He looks at me with those soft, hurt eyes, and I want to hug him, to tell him all is forgiven, do anything to make that hurt go away. But I can't, I realize, What was it Davis said, 'Sometimes a pat on the head is pure damage and a swift kick in the teeth is true love.' He wasn't joking by much.
"I . . . I . . . "
Come on. Say it Ranma! I want to shout.
"I, apologize for Shinji. I, don't know why I had to win so bad. I'd do a move on Raccoon, then I'd do the same on Shinji. That was wrong, I admit that."
Well, that's the most critical part. "You should tell Shinji-kun that," I let my greater familiarity with Shinji sting him.
"Hai, what about Roku-kun?" he asks.
"Check you bed for landmines for the next week."
NOW he's looking nervous.
"I don't think he'd use a live one, but you might accidentally arm it in your sleep." I'm glad he relaxes slightly, Davis can fight his own battles, and I don't want Ranma to think I'm interested in our future housemate, but it's okay if he thinks Davis is interested, that is our plan after all.
I gesture back to the cabin he shares with Kaji, "Do you actually listen to the crap he's spewing out?" We get out of the way of a steward pushing a cart of half-empty glasses to the kitchen, I snag one. Good, there's still ice in the water.
"Yeah, some of the things he sez make good sense."
I dump the ice water on him, "Why don't you go ask Davis, he doesn't mind answering Rei's questions. He seems to like Ranko, he'd probably help her too."
"He's crazy, he doesn't believe I'm Ranma!" Ranko retorts after transforming.
"He's never seen it," I remind her, "It's kind of hard to explain until you see it. Look Saotome, Everett was a gentleman, Kaji isn't, his only interest in girls is getting into their head or their panties. Davis is a gentleman. And Harvard trained him to be a gentleman, he had to pass classes in it even. You could do a lot worse than trying to be a gentleman." I ready the stake in his heart, "As bad as you're doing right now."
"You really hate him, don't you?" Ranko asks, "Kaji, I mean."
More than you could ever know. "He turned somebody I thought was worthy of my respect and affection into a cowardly, vicious, little monster in a few days. What's not to hate about that? Go apologize to Shinji, then talk to ole Raccoon. 'Cause if you go back there like that . . . well, I'll let you imagine what he and Misato-san were doing, all, yesterday, alone, together, in a dark room."
She gulps and pales, leaving quickly.
Please come back, the Ranma I remember and cared for. Come back to me. "Stupid schoolgirl," I curse as I head off.
For the thirtieth time, Asuka wonders, Why am I doing this. Let him ran away, then they'll bring in Anna, and I'll have some real help.
Then the -, No, I can't call him, her, it, Hydromorph any more. "What do you want? Horseface?" Asuka suspects Spineless is actually considering running away again. And if I jump Horseface, from her attentive expression, Wondergirl would probably help me.
"I, I came to apologize, for this morning."
"It's all right," Spineless tells him, "I didn't get hurt too badly."
Horseface winces at that.
Good, Spineless needs toughening up, not beating down.
Horseface nods, "Do you want -?"
"NO!" Wondergirl and Asuka shout together, Well, as much of a shout as you get out of her.
"You said your piece Saotome. Get out." I don't know which way I'm hoping this will go, will he/she/it stay and make a fight out of it, or a meek retreat.
Horseface skulks off.
Good riddance. Forgive, yeah, I'll forgive, but I'll never forget.
Revolution
Jeff sat in Unit 04's entry plug and waited in filthy darkness for the systems to come online. Jeff was beginning to think when they needed to test something new, Ritsuko-sensei would toss him in the EVA before they gave it a whirl. The new power interfaces of Unit 04 were a case in point. As 2d alternate it made sense, he was the most expendable, and he could sync with all three EVAs, possibly with Unit 02 as well.
And isn't Langley pleased with that possibility, he thought as he began the start up sequence. "I don't mind playing test pilot, Doctor, but I am curious why you don't intend to rotate the pilots. Letting some rest while you have a full stable."
"Because your and Nabiki's sync rates are lower than the others, considerably lower."
Ten to 15 percent, he thought, That still doesn't mean we can't get better with practice. Practice we're denied.
"You just have to check the power systems," she told him.
"And if it electrocutes me, you still have all your real pilots," he muttered as he examined the metal chair. You fill a vessel with a neutrally buoyant, nonconducting liquid, then sit the most delicate component in a metal chair bolted to the hull. He shook his head.
He heard Dr. Akagi and Maya chuckling, they'd been told by Nabiki that `When he's griping he's got the situation under control, when he's quiet everything has gone to Hell.' More truth to that than I care to admit, he thought. "Power is coming through the tether, all systems functioning within normal parameters."
"Good," Dr. Akagi said, "Eject the tether and check the internal batteries."
"Ejecting." The clunk of the tether and the clock going from 'Infinite' to a diminishing count from 5:00.00 minutes:seconds, didn't fill him with confidence. "Five minute clock, counting down. All systems still nominal to profile."
"Sempai," Maya intruded, "The clock isn't counting down correctly, we have a slight lag on the time function from standard."
"Jeff," Dr. Akagi said, she took a perverse pride that she could actually say it correctly, "Are you doing anything unusual?"
"Not for me, but how do you define `unusual`?"
"You're using power at less than standard rates."
"Well I assume you calibrated the other units to Ayanami's consumption rate in Unit 00. We're calibrating this system now."
"That makes perfect sense, Sempai," Maya told her.
"Why do I think you two are conspiring against me?" she chuckled at Maya's scandalized look.
"Doctor Akagi," the deck officer called, "Tether reinstalled, batteries are next."
"Switch over to tether power took place automatically. No problems detected," Jeff reported.
Dr. Akagi sighed, Unit 04 was so different from the humanoid units, she had foreseen all manner of problems, so far none had cropped up.
"Doc, I was thinking."
When am I going to learn? she wondered, "Yes, Jeff?"
"This thing - well you are a thing - okay, him."
Dr. Akagi and Maya exchanged worried glances, they hoped `Raccoon` was only pulling their leg again.
"Well, he's like a long-legged centipede with a snake's head or a snake with a lot of grasping/walking limbs. So what would combat be like? From a biophysicist's point-of-view."
Ritsuko hung her head, Maya giggled. She wasn't even thinking in those terms. It was a completely legitimate question, and she was the most qualified to answer it.
"Do you really enjoy being in L.C.L. that much, to investigate all the possibilities?"
"No, it's just -"
"Doctor Akagi, battery packs are installed."
"Okay, Jeff, we'll shelve that discussion, eject the tether and we'll check the external batteries."
"Ejecting, 60 minutes, zero seconds countdown. All systems oper-" Static interrupted, "-cept comm-" More static.
"Maya, check communications system."
"Yes, sempai."
"All systems seem to be functioning otherwise," the boy's voice came in clean.
"Good, we'll reattach the tether and see if the batteries -"
"Please say again, all after 'tether', that's all I got."
"Stand by. I repeat, stand by. Did you get that? Did you get that?"
"Got it, standing by. I thought things were going too smoothly," he grumbled, then fell silent.
"Maya, start tracing the circuits. If we can't communicate, we can't use the battery packs."
"Yes, semp-"
An explosion shattered one of the fast freighters accompanying the fleet.
"What was that?" the boy demanded.
"Stand by, I repeat, stand by!" Ritsuko urged, lifting the phone to the bridge.
Wondergirl let her mind wander just as Spineless connected with one of the few decent punches he'd thrown. So instead of being able to finally congratulate him on getting it right, he knocked Wondergirl's glove into her head, so now he was apologizing profusely, he reminds me of a bird that knows a cat's around, but can't see it and can't bear to leave the food either.
"Give her some air," Asuka pushed him away, "Stay here!" she ordered. He nodded, more nervous now he'd seen the cat.
"Sorry, Wondergirl," Asuka knelt next to where Rei sat, "This wasn't what I had in mind, but this is what happens when you don't pay attention in a fight," Asuka told her.
"Something is wrong," she told them.
Or she was talking to hear herself talk, Asuka didn't believe that.
Of course something's wrong, you just got clobbered, should I ask what the little birdies are singing?
"Pilot Ikari report to Unit 00, Pilot Saotome report to Unit 01 for immediate launch," Misato's voice came over the loudspeaker, 1-MC the Navy calls it.
"Go! I'll take care of Wondergirl!"
He ran off.
"You know if it hurts, you are allowed to yell or cry, or say bad words."
"It does not help," she told Asuka.
Yeah, but it would make me feel better if you did, Asuka thought as she helped Wondergirl to her feet. Asuka thought she was just dizzy from the blow, but that she should take her to the infirmary to be sure.
"Pilot Ikari report to Unit 00, Pilot Saotome report to Unit 01 for immediate launch," Misato said over the ship wide loudspeakers.
"Okay, that I heard. Doctor, what do I do?"
Silence, not even static.
"Analyst Ibuki?"
"Anybody?"
RED.
"Yes I know. Okay. If I do not hear contravening orders in 30 seconds, I am going to clear the deck to allow launching of the other units. Please respond."
RED.
"Hold your horses, I know." He watched the test stand, someone running out waving at him would have been enough. Nothing. "Okay."
BLUE. RED.
"Unit 04 clearing the flight deck for EVA launches." He jumped gently off the deck, and over the side.
RED RED RED RED.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get the message. I have a target descending from the stricken ship. Without contradicting instructions, I will pursue to guide combat units to the target. Please acknowledge."
RED RED RED.
"Not you, okay, here we go. I don't know how to get back on board anyway."
"Probably not." Ritsuko entered the bridge, "We were having communication problems."
The U.S. Navy crews were trying to coordinate the rescue of the freighter's crew with the underwater pursuit.
"Marines are engaging your other `special cargo`," Admiral Simson reported, "Wait." He listened to the phone, "It's gone over the side too. There's two of them in the water."
"Send Units 00 and 01 against our recent escapee. Where's the first?"
"Dropping like a stone, straight down. Unit 04 in pursuit," Simson told them.
"We can monitor communications here?" Ritsuko asked.
"We have command radios, but only you two can make them work." Captain Ramsey handed Ritsuko one of the headsets, like the EVAs' nerve clip.
"Now passing 500 meters. All systems save communications nominal to profile. Target still descending, no other actions apparent. Will stop transmitting for 30 seconds to listen for communications." Jeff's voice came over the speakers.
"Jeff, Jeff. Pilot Davis we are transmitting, please acknowledge, I say again we are transmitting, please acknowledge," Ritsuko sent over the radio.
Silence.
"Receiving no transmissions, target has stopped descent, depth 2300 meters. It hasn't moved. I will keep my distance, monitoring the situation until it takes hostile action, awaiting reinforcements. On a positive note I - Woah! It's attacking. I'm going to be a little busy!"
"Damn," Ritsuko said.
"Units 00 and 01 head directly to the target, keep it away from the rescue efforts, that thing is a man-eater," Misato ordered.
"Yes, Captain." "You got it, Misa-chan." Shinji and Ranma acknowledged the orders.
Misato darkened at Ranma's 'Misa-chan', something he'd picked up from Kaji, Ranma needed a better role model.
The Battle Begins
"Let's get it," Ranma exulted as Unit 01 surged forward.
Shinji felt a little guilty taking Rei's seat, but she was recovering from her encounter with Unit 01, and wasn't back on the combat roster. He wondered if Asuka was jealous that he could sync with multiple EVAs.
The strange multi-limbed creature was swimming straight towards the men of the sunken freighter. Saotome and Unit 01 were closing with powerful strokes. Shinji was following behind. He wasn't a swimmer like Saotome, he didn't know how, and being in all this water was making him a little nervous. Saotome seemed naturally good at everything. Like Asuka was, and Nabiki, and Davis.
Why do they need me?
Ranma came to a sudden stop a short distance from the creature. To avoid a collision, Shinji swam down, and encountered an invisible wall.
"Captain, it's stopping us," he reported.
"Deploy your AT fields and break through its field," Misato replied.
Shinji did as ordered, the creature's field collapsed so suddenly it surprised Shinji, but he started after it, reaching out and grabbing a leg, that came off in his hand.
The creature screamed and turned towards them.
"Ranma!" Shinji yelled as he drew his prog knife. Fear warred with anger, he couldn't run away, he wouldn't let this thing eat all those helpless people. Rage won out, a shout of rage built up in his chest.
"Try to take it alive!" Misato ordered.
Shinji fell forward, then shouted with Ranma, "NANI!" [What!]
Rhan Tegoth crashed into them.
"Of course the obvious question as how would I attack? Grapple? Bite? Do you have fangs and venom?" His attention was drawn to a number of subsystems he hadn't had a chance to check out before.
"Oh," he cooed, "With ears like that, yes, that will work. Just the same, I'd rather wait for orders."
YELLOW. WHITE.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Look if it so much as moves, we'll go after it, agreed?"
"It keeps getting away!" Ranma protested.
"Quit trying to beat Shinji while you're beating that thing! Do as you're told!" Misato let out an exasperated sigh. "Those two just aren't listening." Then turned to Ritsuko and Maya who were trying to untangle communications.
"Say again . . . capture or kill . . . spotted target . . . unarry . . . orders . . . respond."
"That's the best we can do," Maya admitted, "We don't know if he's receiving."
"Deimitsu," Misato shouted into the pickup, "Return to the carrier immediately! Do you hear me? Return to -"
"Ak!" the sonar man screamed as he tore off his headphones, "I don't know what that was, but it was loud."
"Deimistsu, respond," Misato shouted.
"Maybe you should just call him `Raccoon`," Ritsuko suggested, "It's easier to pronounce."
That earned her a dark glare from Misato.
Chaugnar Faugn had released a spell, and that had ended any indecision, the EVA's roar that followed had seemed to have stunned the creature.
"And deafened everyone for half a mile," he admitted, "Let's go collect this thing and take it back to the surface, I think I've got enough grapplers to handle it."
The EVA bit down on the elephant-like Great Old One's trunk, while multiple arm/legs grabbed the creature as the snakelike body squeezed as tightly as he could manage.
"It would be easier without this stupid chair."
GREEN.
"Yeah, why not," he stepped out and floated above it, the new freedom allowed him to drive the EVA through the motions better. He remembered a Greek statue of two naked warriors, one upside down about to have his head crushed against the ground had grabbed the only handle that presented itself. 'Now are we going to hurt each other?' had been Malkowitz's name for it. Jeff thought it applied to his current situation, if the Great Old One made a fuss, he'd have no reply except to kill it, and that would get him in trouble.
"Hell, breathing gets me in trouble with her."
YELLOW. PURPLE. GREEN.
"Thanks for the support. Let's head back to the surface. Have you got any ideas how we're supposed to get back aboard the carrier?"
Colorless silence.
"That's what I thought," he sighed, he was not looking forward to explaining all this.
"Spineless has a brain," Asuka said innocently, as she trembled, nearly in hysterics, "Who would have thought that?"
"A very innovative solution," Ritsuko said as she watched the two EVAs load the squirming ball onto the rear deck of the South Dakota. The big, turretted guns loaded and ready to fire. While they couldn't kill it, the heat and the blast of the guns at that range wouldn't be pleasant, shells would actually detract from the effect.
"The cable will hold it, Captain," Admiral Simson advised her from his seat, raised his binoculars to hide his smile.
"Thank you, sir," Misato mumbled. It had been an offhand remark as Shinji and Ranma had tangled each other's tethers while fighting the beast. She'd told them not to forget tangling the Angel while they were at it. She'd meant it to get them to stop their bickering, and it worked.
Now she wasn't sure she was more embarrassed that it worked, or that the pilots had taken it to heart so seriously.
"Another Katsuragi victory, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat," Kaji entered.
Misato shook her head, I do not need this. "Send Shinji to pick up a tether and to assist Unit 04. Where is he by the way?"
"Heading towards the surface," the sonar man reported.
"He has the Angel," Maya added. She didn't know her smile was heaping hot coals on Misato's head. Nothing had gone according to the original plan, and they hadn't plotted to make her look stupid and ineffectual, but that's how it turned out.
"Get him aboard as soon as possible, those packs won't last forever," Ritsuko said, keeping her voice neutral.
It would be better if they all just started laughing at me, Misato thought as she walked off the bridge. She hadn't gotten 10 meters before raucous laughter broke out behind her.
"The packs work, even under extreme pressure," she told the other pilots and the bridge crew, "I can't wait to hear the debrief." She smiled at the others.
"But I think they overwrapped it," Asuka said, her unforced laughter much more attractive than her more raucous bay.
Ritsuko considered this and waited to judge that, when Ranma withdrew his AT field from surrounding the creature. As amusing as it looked, without the AT field to reinforce the structure and to prevent the Great Old One from manifesting its own, it was a stop-gap only.
"Unit 04 is receiving," Jeff was ecstatic to hear the transmission, even one as spotty as this. "Boost your signal and say again, I say again, boost your signal and say again."
"Raccoon . . . help you."
Jeff recognized Shinji's voice.
"Do you hear me, Raccoon? I'm here to help you."
"I got the last loud and clear. Acknowledge."
"I hear you. I heard you clearly through the whole fight."
"Well I didn't hear anything. I got tired of you two lollygagging, so I took matters into my own hands, hands, hands, teeth, hands, hands."
Shinji laughed at him. "What help do you need?"
"How do I get back aboard the carrier, and where do I put this thing?"
"Wait, I'll check."
"I'm not going anywhere except up," Jeff waited for instructions.
The creature was loaded aboard the cruiser, the forward guns of the South Dakota trained on it.
"So, how do I get back aboard the carrier? I've got 10 minutes of power left." Jeff asked, a human face appearing in Shinji's mind's eye, it removed the edge of the fearsome appearance of the odd machine.
"Akagi-sensei says that you jump back on, using your AT field to distribute the blow more evenly."
"That's good to know," Raccoon sighed, "Is it always like this?"
"I've only piloted once before. But it was kind of like this."
"A solo capture on my first sortie. Not bad, if I do say so, I'd really -"
"Look OUT!" Shinji yelled as the `Elephant` god slipped its bindings and jumped on Unit 04's head. The EVA sank instantly with the added weight.
"Shinji! Get over here! It's loose!" Ranma yelled.
Shinji was torn, not certain what to do.
"Go help him, then help me!" Jeff yelled as he and Unit 04 descended into the depths.
Shinji rushed to aid Ranma, whose Unit 00 looked like it had grown another head, one with many legs.
"Not this one," Admiral Simson said, "We can broadcast from one of the destroyers," he signaled for a yeoman to take the message she dictated.
How do I put in an authentication code? she wondered, then smiled.
"Nauseated Raccoon, nauseated Raccoon, orders from the Doc, orders from the Doc, get the specimen, get the specimen, do not endanger yourself or unit, do not endanger yourself or unit." The message repeated twice more.
Who said Doctor Akagi doesn't have a sense of humor? Jeff digested the sonar message. Then broadcast his own message to the Great Old One, "Okay, you can go quietly, or you can be lunch." He didn't expect an answer.
"Increase power, the EVAs need more speed," the Admiral ordered his engine room, "Captain, we're doing our best to keep up, but this carrier doesn't exactly stop or turn on a dime."
Misato nodded, glanced at Maya who was monitoring communications.
"Where's Ritsuko?"
"Trying to get another prog knife ready, Unit 04 launched without one," Maya told her.
Misato felt her stomach drop. The progressive knives had been absolutely necessary fighting the other two Angels.
The creature changed course and sped away.
Shinji slashed at it, "Well . . . it's running out of legs."
Ranma looked at the disgusting thing disintegrating in his EVA's hand.
This is stupid, he thought, Maybe I should have gone after Raccoon, and get all three of us to catch this thing.
Nabiki was watching the proceedings with more concern, "Why don't they just turn and run away? Why are they circling?"
Asuka sobered, "I guess they're even dumber than the pilots chasing them."
"You'd be better?" Nabiki asked.
"Of course, Unit 02 is a specifically designed combat unit, Unit 00 and Unit 01 are the prototype and test models. Unit 04 isn't even humanoid. Unit 03 and the French one are. What kind of idiot designed it anyway?"
Nabiki shook her head.
Pilots in trouble
Jeff curled into a ball. What he had seen and felt when he'd absorbed . . . when Chaugnar Faugn died, made him physically ill.
Only force of will and the hand clamped over his mouth and nose kept him from vomiting. He knew how dangerous doing that in the L.C.L. would be, so he forced himself not to react.
He also knew that the EVA was sinking, but after what the assimilation had made part of him, he welcomed death. He couldn't live with what he saw, what he remembered. Sacrifices, bloody orgies with young men and women captured by his -
"NO NOT MINE!" he screamed, then fought down an intense wave of nausea.
That was the real problem, untangling his memories, his identity from what he'd gotten. He'd briefly considered tearing out his eyes, so he couldn't see it anymore. But the memories were there, in crystal clarity, only death would erase them.
The images, the glory of slaughter kept coming back to him. If I'd know it felt that way, he thought, I would have torn it apart slower. Made it feel the suffering, let it experience the terror.
Another bout of nausea, barely restrained. He'd resign, poor Sharon in Bethesda locked away, never to be released, never see the light of day again, maybe she was the lucky one. He'd known these things were evil, but he never imagined they'd be predators that would put the vilest mass murderer to shame. He'd never rest with these things in his mind, he'd always have to be on guard, never let them out.
You are not alone, he heard.
"I thought you'd run too," he said weakly.
Repulsive, but not unexpected, the voice told him, You have survived worse. You survived me.
"You weren't this bad," he admitted, pulled himself into the command chair, despite the environmental controls, he was shivering with cold.
Unclean, unclean, a dry chuckle, You at least suspected.
"I want sympathy, not answers," he jeered as he righted the EVA and began heading for the surface.
Go somewhere else, you have a job to do, the presence left him.
"Good to see your people skills are improving."
RED. BLUE. RED.
"Oh shut up."
Ranma had always depended on martial arts and meditation to find his center. If those thoughts kept invading his mind, he'd never find his center, not a human center, not a balance he could live with. He believed in the balance of yin and yang. For such an evil to exist, there had to be a synchronous good. He would remember if he'd heard legends or stories about such a power. Nothing he knew would ever balance out that this thing had been allowed to exist. Killing them, all of them, every single one of them! . . . was the only thing he could do.
The idea of killing them, of total genocide, should have repelled and appalled him, except he'd never heard of anything so foul and corrupt as these things, they all had to die, even if it killed him, they all had to die. Honor, future, meant nothing, even the Art he had dedicated his life to, meant nothing. They all had to die. And the thought of that saddened him.
"Come on sleepyheads, we can't winch you up over the side." Misato's chirpy exhortation contrasted with how he felt. He called up Shinji's comm line, saw how sick his fellow pilot looked. "Let's head back. We have to get aboard and down below before Raccoon can, and he's on batteries."
Shinji nodded.
Ranma wanted to talk to him, to Raccoon, to Rei, all had been in combat with these things, maybe he was sensitive to it, maybe the others had an idea, any idea how to deal with it. Maybe Raccoon, he'd either know, or Ranma would have the pleasure of stumping the know-it-all.
"Come on you guys, you act like you lost, you won, show some enthusiasm," Misato's image told them.
Ranma was tempted to tell her exactly what they'd won, and what it had cost them. Maybe the memories would go away, the dreams had faded, at least partially. Maybe the memories would too. He wanted them to.
"When you get aboard, get a shower and change, then proceed to the conference room. We need to talk about your coordination. You should have done much better."
Ranma considered telling Captain `You-screwed-up-smiley-face` what she could do with her lecture, but he couldn't manage the energy. Maybe Shinji's `accept/apologize` strategy is the right one, he thought, It will sure cut the meeting short. Maybe I can get some sleep, maybe I won't dream.
"Why didn't you follow my orders?" Misato angrily asked Shinji and Ranma, the only other two in the large room. "I clearly told you to coordinate your actions. And who told you to wrap the Angel up in tether cable? That stuff is hard to make and very expensive! You should have captured it between your AT fields."
"I'm sorry," Shinji said.
"I also." Ranma bowed slightly.
Misato stared at them and fumed.
How are we supposed to do something we've never trained for? Shinji asked himself. Every time my AT field touched Saotome's they burnt each other away. No matter how `coordinated` we were, it still had a huge gap to slip through.
"Where's Raccoon?" Ranma asked.
Shinji wondered why his roommate wasn't getting chewed out alongside them.
"He's in the brig," Misato announced, "Where you two could be, if you don't learn to follow orders. The world depends on us to destroy the Angels. You have to follow orders to do that."
We managed to do fine without orders, Shinji thought as he offered another apology, We caught both of them without any instructions, and killed both without any instructions.
"Remind me to get arrested next time," Ranma whispered.
Shinji nodded.
"What was that?!" Misato asked.
Ranma fell silent, looked at the floor.
"Look you two! This is important!"
If it's so important, why don't you find someone who actually wants to do this? Shinji studied the deck, Like Asuka, Roku-kun, Ayanami-san or Nabiki-san? I don't want to do this anymore.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Hai, hai." No, Shinji thought, I can't do better than I did.
Finally they were released. His and Ranma's cabins were a short distance from each other.
"Do you think Rei has the same memories in her head?" Ranma asked Shinji, as they trudged down the corridors.
Shinji vaguely noticed the sailors got out of their way, smiles on the sailors' faces vanished as they got a good look at the pilots. It depressed both boys.
Shinji shook his head, "I don't know."
"What about Raccoon?"
"I don't think anything bothers him." Shinji knew that wasn't fair, but he seemed to take everything in stride, adapting. I wish I could be like that, he thought, Let the world wash over me without being battered by it, like I am.
Nabiki was angry, she hadn't been this angry since her `family` had thrown Ranma out. She's watched the battle, overheard the nonsensical, to her, instructions Misato kept spouting. Although Asuka managed to `translate` them for her, she'd no more idea what they meant than the boys did.
Ranma looked as bad as he did when Akane had clobbered him for something he'd actually done wrong, and knew it.
She didn't know the cause of Shinji's despair, but she was arguably the world's leading expert on Saotome Ranma. She hadn't followed them into the changing rooms, but typically, after a hard-won victory, Ranma was insufferably proud of himself, Why did he look and act like this was a serious defeat?
She eavesdropped on the `debriefing`, another Misato temper-tantrum, this was the second she'd witnessed and she was going to put a stop to it.
One of the Chiefs told her that Davis was in the brig for disobeying orders, and from what Nabiki had overheard, Shinji and Ranma weren't far behind. She headed down to the brig and was denied entry, although the Chief Master at Arms, did check on Davis, I hope Ranma never hears that title, he'll challenge for the it. The CMAA reported back that Davis was standing in the cell, staring at the wall, exactly where he was when they'd put him in the cell an hour previous. So when Nabiki saw Rei, she was already on the warpath.
Nabiki on the Warpath
Nabiki is walking through the corridors outside the pilot's cabins.
"Hello, Rei." Nabiki tried to keep her voice level. 'Protect these people, possibly from themselves,' You might have warned me I'd have to protect them from each other. "Can you do me a big favor?"
Nabiki waited for the other girl to nod. "Possibly," Rei said.
"Check to see Shinji's alive in there, and if he wants any dinner."
Rei nodded and headed into Shinji's cabin.
Nabiki entered Ranma's cabin. Less than three hours ago I came in here breathing fire, now I'm afraid for him. Kaji's not here, that figures. Never around when there's difficult work to do. He'd fit `back home` just perfectly., "Hey, Saotome, dinner's almost ready. Do you want to come to dinner, or would you like me to bring you something?" she asked quietly.
The silence stretched on until she got worried.
"Not hungry," he finally said. Dragged it out like a sentence of death. "Leave me alone."
"Okay," Nabiki left, a moment later Rei came out of Shinji's room.
"He is breathing and his pulse is regular. He wants no food."
Nabiki considered for a moment then plunged ahead, "I was teasing about making sure he was alive. A statement made in an attempt at humor, or to hurt someone," she added when Rei didn't understand. "I'll give you a good example. Everything I say to Misato-chan will be aimed at hurting her as much as I can."
"Why?" Rei asked.
"Because giving her a physical beating will get me in too much trouble, and she needs to be brought up short, or she'll hurt Ranma and Shinji again."
Rei nodded, Nabiki thought Rei was developing a crush on Shinji, ever since he pulled her out of Unit 01 when she tried to sync with it. I had to put up with Soun and Genma treating Ranma and Akane that way. I do not have to put up with another `adult` who acted like that. Especially when it was life and death of the whole world at stake, Nabiki thought.
"Well, you forgot the most important detail, Captain," Nabiki tells her as we sit down across from the Captain. "But Ayanami-san," she nods to me, "And I took care of it. Who would have thought white kimonos and tantos would be so hard to find. Fortunately Westerners think white is a color of celebration. Shinji and Ranma will redeem your lost honor."
Dr. Akagi stares into her coffee. Captain Katsuragi transfers her squint to Nabiki, who continues happily. I agree that Shinji-kun did little if anything wrong. If he did not understand the orders, how was he supposed to follow them?
"Davis understood seppuku, but he'll just shoot himself, it's a Wild West thing, 'eating a gun'." Nabiki smiles and shakes her head, "I couldn't figure out why you hadn't bothered to train them in radio procedures, what the orders mean, all that silly, absolutely critical stuff. Rei and Asuka understands them, and thanks to Asuka's translation during the fight, I do. Then I remembered a girl back home, very pretty, lousy cook, called all boys 'perverts', hated and beat them up for their interest. I suddenly realized." Nabiki smiled broadly, and said in extremely loud English, "It wasn't that you are incompetent, you wanted to kill them, and when they didn't die in battle, you decided to demoralize them to make it easier next time."
The rest of the room falls silent, every conversation in the crowded mess stops. Captain Katsuragi has lost all the color in her face, Dr. Akagi also, both stare wide-eyed at Nabiki who continues in Japanese, her happy, quieter tone, smiling and clapping her hands with every major point.
"While all the Americans are treating this as a tremendous victory, you've managed to drive all three pilots to the depths of despair. I'm glad I can study with you, such calculated viciousness is a rare talent and to use it on such vulnerable targets, truly inspiring."
Nabiki looks at me, "Well, Rei and I are going to see if those two have done the honorable thing, if not, we'll egg them on," she winks at Captain Katsuragi, "That way, nobody will track it back to you. Don't worry Captain, your secret's safe with us."
She stands, I decide to try my hand at it. "My congratulation Captain." I bow slightly, "You are still NERV's best tactician."
Once we are out of earshot of the two silent adults, Nabiki turns to me, "You catch on fast."
I nod, "Some of the other students did that. Complimented me, in that way."
Nabiki nods, "It's cruel, picking on the weak, and those who can't fight back."
"Do you refer to yourself, or the Captain?"
Nabiki smiles again, this smile is different around the eyes. "As I said, you catch on fast."
"You're lucky she didn't come after you with a fire axe or charge you formally with dereliction of duty, for what you did!" Ritsuko retorted.
"What I did!?" Misato angrily replied.
"Yes, what have you been doing for the last 10 days, wait, with Kaji aboard I can just guess!" Ritsuko noticed most of the people around them were leaving, quickly. "I've only had at most two or three pilots out for testing. I would have thought you'd familiarize them with radio procedures, NERV protocols, what the orders mean."
"I thought we'd have time once we got back to Tokyo, I'm not their training officer!"
"Your job is to prepare a combat-capable force to put in the field. That's the tactical officer's job. If you didn't have a training officer, you get one, if you needed help from Technical Services you order it. This isn't college and this isn't a War College simulation where you've got a dozen other officers to carry out your orders and see to the trivial details. We only have TWO TRAINED pilots. One's not recovered enough to be on the combat roster, the other can't sync with the EVAs we have onboard. Did it occur to you that they might be useful in training our FOUR UNTRAINED pilots?!"
"Why are you picking on me? I'm not a training officer, you're the ranking officer here, if they had to be trained why didn't you order it?"
Ritsuko fumed, training pilots was not the job of Technical Services, it was strictly a Tactical Command job, if she'd have ordered anyone to do it, it would have been Misato. For not the first time Ritsuko wondered just how Misato had spent the past nearly two weeks when she wasn't helping with the testing. That she and Kaji were sharing a room with the pilots wouldn't mean anything, there were plenty of other empty places, so Ritsuko suspected she knew the answer and would hate having it confirmed.
"Fine," she stood, "If you want me to take responsibility for this, I will, full and complete responsibility."
"Where are you going?" Misato stood to follow her.
"You no longer have a need to know, Captain, it's not your obligation now, it's mine."
Misato snarled and headed after her.
I don't have three kids, Ritsuko angrily thought, I have four! And the younger ones aren't this much trouble!
Being hated is better, at least then somebody cares, he thought, admittedly, they wanted you hurt or dead. But at least someone would feel something when you were gone.
He pulled the covers around himself more tightly. "I'm a coward, sneaky, mean and selfish," he said quietly, But compared to that . . . thing. I am Amaterasu Omikami. I am the son of Heaven. Asuka claimed she'd been trained, did they tell her how to deal with this? Ayanami had been trained, it didn't seem to bother her, why weren't any of the boys trained? Why does Misato-san hate us so much? Why did she want to hurt us? Because we're boys? Because we're not Kaji? Asuka seems to think no male is as great as Kaji, and Misato-san seems to agree. Why is she punishing us for that?
He clenched his eyes closed, tried to keep from crying, he couldn't run away, unless he wanted to jump off the aircraft carrier. He didn't want to abandon the other pilots, even if they frightened or hurt him, they actually seemed to care.
We did our best, we tried to do what she wanted. As soon as we figured out what she wanted, she'd change it, so we were always late. "At least nobody died this time," he rolled over, faced the wall. He was exhausted, wanted to sleep, but with sleep came dreams, and in dreams - he'd remember all the things Rhan Tegoth had done. Those memories would settle in his mind and he'd never be rid of them. Maybe if I stay awake long enough, I won't dream.
Simson was glad to see that after Ramsey's first encounter face to face with their enemies, he was shaken but holding up.
The Admiral didn't want to push either man too hard, so he handled the questioning, "So after you heard the chanting, that's when it broke out?"
"Yes, Admiral. I thought it was dead, a weird specimen we were taking to NERV for study. I never thought it would wake up."
"Did it attack anyone?" Simson asked.
"No, it headed straight for the engine spaces, that's what caused the explosion. I also remember there were suds, black suds all over the bottom of the crate."
"Suds?" Ramsey asked.
The Cygnus's captain glanced around.
His ship is fragments on the bottom of the sea, Simson thought, All of us know there'll be a court martial. He doesn't want to be thought insane. "What did they look like, one big pile, lots of smaller piles, uniform color, anything unusual: movement, sounds, smells, anything?"
"Flat across the bottom of the crate, except for that other thing's footprints. No movement, no sound. They started to go gray, but I didn't have a chance to watch them. And the smell, Wee hoo! We had a stoker who hated bathing, even after a week, he didn't smell that bad."
"Very well, Captain," Simson said, "I'm afraid there will be a court martial. Tell the JAG officer everything since it happened while we were working with NERV, it'll all be classified higher than God. Depending on how well you saw to the evacuation, you may only lose a temporary pay-grade. I don't think they'll make you pay for the ship."
"Thank you, sir," the man stood and saluted. He took the doctored coffee with him as the Marine guard led him away.
"Sweet guy," Ramsey said, "Assuming that thing was a guy. One of those Shoggoths woke him up, and he eats it. That's why he was so lively."
"Same thing must have happened on Pollux, since we've got no report of 'soap suds' from them. Institute another fleet wide search, this time special emphasis on all the places it couldn't possibly be," Simson ordered.
"Yes, sir. What do we do if we find more?" Ramsey asked.
"That's what the EVAs are for," Simson told him, he knew it wasn't a good answer, but it was the only one either man had.
"Until today, I'd only seen the aftermaths, and read books. In the flesh, these things are . . . "
"Not us," Simson said, "In a disturbingly explicit way. We aren't the masters of our own fate. We just haven't been stepped on yet."
"At least with the EVAs, we can convince them to put their foot/feet elsewhere," Ramsey paused, "Sir, I know discipline of the pilots is entirely a NERV matter."
"Not entirely," Simson corrected, "Go on."
"We give our new draftees weeks of Basic Training and a Bluejacket's Manual. Any chief or officer who chewed out a new sailor like that, they'd be up on charges. I admit, any skipper who handled their ship as badly as those three did, would face a Captain's Mast or worse, but no one in this man's Navy would put newbies that green in command of a vessel of any size. Hell, the ship's lifeboats are commanded by men with five to six years experience minimum."
"Are you saying we should take a more active hand, Captain?" Simson asked.
Ramsey glanced around, then forged ahead, "Yes, sir. By whatever means necessary. If this is war, and I was in the pig boats around Guadalcanal before they cut us loose, and I've served aboard tin cans, and carriers. You know my service, I know war, sir." He waited for Simson to nod, "If you only have a handful, you don't use'em up, and you don't break'em out of pique. There've been times I wanted to chuck reporters and Washington V.I.P.s over the side, but you don't do that."
"Different attitudes, different rules. Rigid chain of command and absolute deference to authority." Simson was glad his right hand now lost his temper.
"So we're taking lessons from the people who LOST!!" Ramsey paused, regained his temper, "Sorry, Admiral, I shouldn't have raised my voice."
"I don't see why not, I would have been throwing things at this point. We'll look into it. In the meantime, we've got a more pressing concern." Simson handed Ramsey a folder.
"British Intelligence?"
"Very interesting reading. Read it, then it goes back in the safe."
Ramsey sat and read, as ordered.
At least that thing didn't have any worshipers I'll have to deal with. That unleashes another flood of memories, And drives home the fact that most of my memories aren't my own. 'Ranma Saotome' has existed for less than a month, Nyogtha and Rhan Tegoth have existed for centuries and millennia, even if they spent most of their time sitting around waiting for something to happen, waiting for a rival to challenge their dominance, waiting for sacrifices to gain their favor to be offered.
That was stupid! As Asuka might say. It shouldn't have taken anybody long to realize that those things didn't care about anyone or anything, they were just . . . bullies.
Ranma pauses, thinking long and hard on that notion. Nab-chan, no, Tendo-san, accused me of being a bully, using the Art to beat down a weaker opponent. She'd been defending Shinji, evidently she thought Raccoon could handle himself or deserved what I was doing, or some combination of both.
But Shinji was their most experienced combat pilot, alongside me, Ranma realizes. Only they had two fights, Rei and Raccoon had one each, Asuka and Nabiki had none. Is that why I fought Shinji so hard? Because Ranma Saotome, was the strongest and had to remain that way?
I'd arrived here believing that `real men` don't talk about things or complain about them. Everett had told me that real soldiers, Japanese and Americans, liked to brag about how scared they were when they got the job done, but only around other soldiers. I remember Asuka talking about Berlin and Raccoon talking about the U-boat. I knew they'd been afraid, Asuka turned it into anger, Raccoon to defiance.
Maybe I should ask him, Ranma smiles for the first time in hours. Raccoon has no reason to help `Ranma`, but since 'Ranma wasn't Ranko,' she can ask. Maybe there are advantages to having a teammate who was crazy. Now that he has a course of action, he relaxes, no more thinking on the problem is required.
"You did order him taken directly into custody," Ritsuko joked, "I would have at least had them hose him off."
Misato scowled at the smell, and at her friend's amusement. She was going in.
The cell was bare, except for a fold down bunk. Jeff was leaning against the far corner when she stepped up to the bars.
"Major Katsuragi." He snapped to attention.
Misato ignored Ritsuko's smirk, "I'm a Captain."
"Begging the Major's pardon, sir, but only the officer actually commanding the ship, is the Captain. Army Captains become Majors, Navy Captains become Commodores."
Ritsuko covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. She knew they'd been warned about bright teen-agers, and Misato seemed to go through this with all the pilots, after their first combat mission.
"Why did you launch without orders? Why did you engage the target against my specific orders?"
"Major - "
"My name is Misato!"
"That would be inappropriate, Major, given the current circumstances. This is a disciplinary hearing, is it not, sir?"
Ritsuko had heard of people killing with kindness. Davis was bludgeoning her friend with courtesy, and making Misato madder and madder, Ritsuko figured he knew he was doing it.
"May I continue, Major?"
Misato folded her arms and stared at him. The stare might have worked, except the boy was almost as tall as Misato, and thus not intimidated by her height. Ritsuko would have guessed he wasn't even looking at her face, but over her shoulder or some such. The silence dragged on.
"So talk, already!" Misato shouted.
"Thank you, Major. I heard you giving Pilots Ikari and Saotome orders to deploy to Units 00 and 01, respectively. I received no orders to leave Unit 04, surrender control to another pilot, or any orders at all. Since Unit 04, at that time, blocked access to the hanger deck, I had to clear the deck, to allow the other EVAs to launch. Over the side was the only viable option that wouldn't hamper ship-wide operations."
"So you jumped overboard, because no one told you not to?"
"Beg pardon, Major. I jumped overboard, because no one told me anything. I took up the pursuit of Chaugnar Faugn - "
"How did you know its name?" Ritsuko blurted out.
"The Romans had to deal with him, I speak and read Latin."
"Go on. Once you launched, I ordered you to return to the carrier," Misato said.
"Major, I received no clear communications, until Pilot Ikari arrived with Unit 00 to act as a relay. At that point, I had already defeated, and captured the creature. I admit I operated - without - orders, but I did not knowingly operate - against - orders. I also transmitted a stream of requests for orders, clarifications, et cetera. I apologize for any embarrassment I caused you."
"Embarrassment?" Misato stammered.
"Excuse me, Major, perhaps I should have said `loss of face`. I was attempting to operate by the paradigms of NERV, as explained by the Massachusetts' branch. I now understand, that Tokyo's branch operates very differently."
Ritsuko could almost hear the insult implied, but no one they related the conversation to, ever would.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Misato demanded.
"Different cultures, different rules, Major. At Massachusetts' branch I was told the pilots were being prepared to defend the human race against the `Angels`. All I've heard the Major say is, 'Kill them'. As I said, Major, Doctor, it's a different paradigm. I apologize for not adapting sooner."
Ritsuko saw Misato's clenched jaw. Davis seemed immune, neither noticed nor enjoyed, a completely blank expression, he just stared straight ahead, stood at attention.
"Besides, Major, we won. No losses or damage, beyond that of the initial escape, and a coordinated action under your command, I would be pleased, under similar circumstances," Davis said, "A very successful operation."
"If you're trying to worm your way into my good graces!" Misato was shouting at him, "Forget it!"
Ritsuko thought she was overreacting, yes, he was needling her a bit. Nevertheless, no one had complained about the results, even the American Admiral had been pleased.
"Permission to speak freely, Major?"
"That'll be a first!" Misato shouted, paused . . . waited . . . then shouted, "Go ahead."
Ritsuko shook her head, now he was going to get himself in hot water.
"As long as I do my job, and do it well, Major. I don't care what your - personal - opinion of me is. I wouldn't care if you thought I was the greatest thing since sliced bread, or if you wanted to ship me back to the 'States in a pine box. I won't even consider it. You are my commanding officer, I am your subordinate. I am to follow your orders, my personal feelings have nothing to do with anything, whether I hate you, mistrust you, or pity you, I am to do my job."
"I wish I could say you have the right attitude, we're expected to work together. Your 'I don't care' attitude, will get you killed piloting an EVA," Misato said coldly.
He didn't say he didn't care about piloting. He said he didn't care what you thought of him, Ritsuko realized, And she isn't hearing that. It's entirely personal for her.
"Major, with all due respect, you haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about. You cannot sync with an EVA, you are not a pilot, you do not know the attitude necessary to - be - a pilot. If you really looked at the pilots you do have, I think you will find, my attitude is similar to, if not the same as, theirs. I, unlike the others, have the tools to actually make the analysis."
"Then why don't you just get out and go home!" Misato shouted at him.
Ritsuko watched the pilot puzzle out the `Major's` confusing reaction, Well now he's figured out they're having two different conversations.
He took one swift step toward the bars. The first time he'd moved during the interview, Misato scrambled back out of reach.
"If I had that option, Major, I would have taken it. Like it or not, you and your flying circus are the only hope for mankind. My presence ensures continued funding of your operations. I refuse to let you, or anyone else, Major, sir, flush fifty thousand years of civilization down the toilet out of pique. I hope you understand that, Major. The oath American soldiers take is: to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. No one has asked me to give that vow, but it governs my actions."
"Is that a threat?" Misato asked angrily.
"No, Major, merely a clarification."
Misato turned on her heel and left. Ritsuko tracked her friend's progress by the shouts, crashes and tortured metal. Davis seemed to have a positive talent for getting under her skin. "Not the most auspicious entry." Misato is making this too intimate, it's just `business` to him, Ritsuko considered.
"She needs to grow up, Doctor."
"My name is Ritsuko."
A slight nod. "Very well, Ritsuko-sensei."
She noted the easy acceptance, versus the rigid protocol he adhered to with Misato. Personal, not business.
"The Major wants the Angels all dead, first day of the war, last day of the war. She hates life, hers and others. The lives of all six pilots, the health and sanity of the two pilots in her charge, are her direct responsibility. And I have the wrong attitude? My job is to defend humanity. I fear the Good Major may push the pilots into a place where those goals are mutually exclusive."
"My guess is, the pilots will die before they let humanity be destroyed. I think you should know, on which side I'll come down on, Doctor, pardon, Ritsuko."
"Understood," Dr. Akagi signaled the guard forward. "Go get cleaned up. Rei and Nabiki-chan are worried about you."
"I would have enjoyed watching that confrontation. Well, I finished my career, at least it ended on a high note."
Ritsuko didn't want to debate him on that, she'd never seen Misato so angry over something so trivial. She needed to know where it came from.
"Hey, Raccoon," Nabiki-kun hails him, "Good job today."
He stops, nods, then shuffles on his way.
"You do know you won?" she asks, her tone is different, "Don't you?"
He stops and turns to face us, "Tendo-san, Ayanami-san," he nods to each of us, "I'm afraid I'm not good company, and wish to be left alone. Excuse me." He shuffles on.
I catch Nabiki-kun's sleeve and draw her back, "Shinji-kun used almost exactly those words. Especially 'I want to be left alone.'" I stop, watch her think, as her face goes through a series of contortions.
"Ranma said he wanted to be left alone. Have you known any of them to both want to be left alone and specifically ask for it?"
"I have never seen it," I tell her. Shinji-kun prefers to be alone, but would never ask. The Fourth, Saotome and the Sixth would not want and would not ask, respectively. "Should we inform the Captain?"
She frowns, "Now you're teasing me. The Captain is why they're in this condition in the first place. I don't think Doctor Akagi could help," she frowns, looks around, "Let's get Maya, then let's keep an eye on them. I don't want my joke about seppuku to become a prophesy."
I nod my agreement, we leave the food with the boys. My tray with Shinji-kun. The Sixth seems to be having trouble navigating the ladder, I push him up the rest of the way into the bunk. There is no protest of the contact and no thanks for the assistance, further evidence that something is not right.
Nabiki confides Ranma is not interest in the food we brought. A behavior she's never seen in boys their age.
I am worried. The Commander must have wanted a range of abilities, abilities I cannot duplicate, to bring in these new pilots. Shinji-kun's rage in a fight, the Fourth's combat skills, the Second's fiery personality, the Sixth's unusual point of view, the Fifth's cunning and viciousness. To deprive the Commander of these necessary tools is wrong, and endangers the plan. Short of reporting directly to the Commander, I must follow the lead of the Fifth, and her Higher wisdom source. Until the Commander can clarify the conditions.
Maya's suggestion is: we watch and wait, she will tell Dr. Akagi. Nabiki-kun urges her 'Don't tell `mom` when Misato's around.' I don't agree with this, the Captain should have the information, but Nabiki-kun is adamant. I defer to her judgment.
Standing watch, actively sitting and watching does not tell me anything. Neither touched the tray of food, so I eat it quietly. Neither has dreams with outward manifestations, no sounds, no violent tossing and turning, nothing. Although both have adopted a similar posture: legs folded tightly against the chest, blankets wrapped around completely. Shinji-kun has his arms wrapped around his legs, Roku-kun covers his head with his. Their sleep is uneasy, but not as mine when I have nightmares.
I will wait for morning, before consulting with Nabiki and Dr. Akagi about this behavior, and its effect on piloting. We cannot afford to lose pilots, even though we have an excess and I can be replaced, the Commander will not have gathered them in, unless they were valuable to him.
I have another way to intervene, for one of them. I am ashamed that such a decision comes so easily, to abandon one to help the other.
Nabiki had watched Ranma sleep enough, she knew this wasn't natural or normal. Fetal position, faint, unintelligible comments. Nabiki could guess they were denials, but denials of what, whom, about what? And most important, in what language? She doubted Ranma spoke anything except Japanese, and a little English or Chinese, and he wasn't speaking any language she recognized. Not knowing anything was worrying her, Shinji hadn't acted this way when she'd first met him. Frightened with a hint of anger. This seemed more like depression.
More not knowing. She also wished she could ask her `patron`, but she came and went on her own schedule and answered only what she wanted to answer. Oh, she'd answer any question, but usually with the same kind of gibberish Genma and Soun used, Nabiki thought, Useless.
Rei's Invasion
Anna watched the plan go forward. She doubted anyone had attacked using this procedure. The dragons had assaulted the uppermost floors, removed the skulls and 'established a beachhead'. Then the infantry and engineers had used turtles, armored frameworks, to assault the main gate, the defenders had set the first on fire, that served their needs precisely. The oil and phosphorus massed at the top of the tower were set ablaze. Barrels of special herbs were added to the blaze down below. The entire tower was now a chimney drawing noxious fumes through the entire spire, in less than an hour terms would be offered. And accepted.
"We have trouble with our guest," One of Asuka's werewolves told her.
She joined Asuka outside Alwyk's tent.
"She seems to want to leave," the Meliorist told her.
"We could tell her who we are," Anna suggested.
"We still don't know whose side she's on," the Meliorist explained.
The Scholarly Dragon landed, "There is one way to deal with this. I trust you two to work with Alwyk, to deliver the terms. I will take her where she's asks to go," he told them, "There are advantages to being a dragon."
"Besides armor, flight, and breathing fire?" Anna asked.
"I do not breathe . . . fire." The dragon stuck his head in the tent.
"You wish to leave, I will take you. Otherwise you will remain, Rei-san." The dragon tells me in a soothing voice.
The fear is almost overwhelming. This creature is huge, only the head is within, and it nearly fills this tent. I can feel its evil radiating off in nearly physical waves. But Shinji-kun needs me, and somehow, the creature is testing me, my word of 'honor'.
"I go to a dreamscape. It is necessary," I tell him, it, through my clenched teeth. First an angel, now a dragon. Nabiki-kun serves a high order Friend of Man. This monster, part demon, part dragon, who or what is your master?
A taloned hand, large enough to crush an automobile reaches forward, "Take my hand and we go."
Can I trust this thing? I cannot ask others, or I will be too late, I don't know what to do.
"There is no quarrel between us unless you desire to begin one."
I touch the barrier that held me and the dragon's claws encompass me. I nearly scream in fear.
"Think of the place, and we will be there."
Shinji-kun.
"The girl worries me worse. Who quit screaming first when we met that thing the first time?" Asuka asked.
"False modesty aside, me. After I'd wet and soiled myself. I'd screamed myself hoarse. You had a healthier throat, and more practice."
Asuka ignored the barb, "Not a peep out of her. I've had nightmares about that girl for years. Chasing, watching, stalking me. She'd never close or finish me off, no purchased charm or spell could ever keep them away, the girl or the dreams. Even when our friend became that - dragon, and I was as scared of his madness as you were. I was more frightened by the dreams of that girl, and that makes no sense. Why should I be more afraid of a little girl I could slice in half?" She brandished her sabre-halberd, "Than a half-demonic creature that could eat a light cruiser or a tank battalion for breakfast. It doesn't make sense."
"Dreams rarely make sense. Like that dream you had about Gunther in college."
"Don't be so disgusting right before lunch."
I know Nabiki-kun told me to watch, but I can watch better from inside.
"Do you require any assistance?"
I don't know if it is trying to be polite, or if it is curious about my purpose here. "Can you stop a train without hurting it?"
It raises an eyebrow as we enter.
Fields and forests, soft breezes and fluffy clouds, all encircled by the train track, and the train sitting idle as we descend. The dragon peers at the steam locomotive, then blows into the firebox, extinguishing the flames there.
"You will not leaves this place before morning."
I recognized the threat, I nod.
"I go, the owner will arrive soon," it gestures, then pours a number of coins into my hand, "I can smell food, from that town, purchase some."
He is gone before I can say anything. I know Shinji-kun will be here soon, to sit alone and ignored in his train. I have seen others sit and eat amid the cherry blossoms, and thought it foolish. I am learning that what is foolish, and what is necessary for a better life, depends greatly on who is with you at the time.
"It is surreal," Jeff told him, he hadn't been there a moment before. "As promised, you have your rematch."
"This is a dream," Ranma realized.
Jeff shrugged, Ranma knew he was in line for a lecture, Hell a lecture from Raccoon is better than the dreams I was expecting. I'll listen, it'll give me an advantage.
"Many of our foes can attack through mental sendings, and dreams." Jeff circled him, he suddenly wore boxing trunks and gloves, instead of suit and tie. "You felt the residue, a conscious attack will be infinitely worse."
Ranma looked at his own clothes, he now wore a standard white gi, with a white belt, he fumed at the insult.
"Your defenses are truly pitiful. You are here, without your approval or understanding, and our enemies are far better at this than I am."
"So you brought me here to humiliate me? To get revenge?" Ranma asked.
"In a way. I intend to show you I am the better instructor, and that given a teaching opportunity, I will teach, without regard to settling scores."
"Hmph."
"Begin. Hit me, if you can."
Ranma charged.
A distinctly catlike pose, the Knight considered.
"Raccoon fights the Iron Horse." The dragon gestured at the gateway.
"How did - ?" the knight abandoned the thought, the conclusion was obvious, and answered many questions. "Let's go."
The Dragon preceded her, and the gate disappeared moments after they passed through.
His opponent hadn't seriously counterattacked, Ranma had managed to dodge a few blows, then an occasional one would land completely out of left field.
"Stop trying and do," Jeff taunted.
Ranma got angry, and feinted with a kick, and punched Jeff as hard as he could in the chest. Ranma's feeling of elation and triumph, turned to horror as Jeff hit the ropes and came back with a look of malevolent glee. Ranma couldn't dodge out of the way quickly enough.
"The Iron Horse seems to learn only from his defeats." The Scholarly Dragon watched Ranma clamber to his feet, "If he cannot learn from his victories, all is lost. I am reminded of another, extremely irritating human."
A growl from The Meliorist brought a faint smile to the Dragon's face.
"How did I beat you?" Jeff asked, in a vaguely smug tone.
You cheated, Ranma wanted to shout, "You were too fast. I couldn't hit you. Your blows and blocks were too powerful."
"Speed and strength," Jeff paused, "In a dream, what part of my body would give me those things."
Ranma couldn't answer.
"Why is this a boxing ring, instead of a dojo?" For an instant it was a dojo, straw mats, practice dummies, diagrams of chakras and strikes. Then it was a boxing ring again.
"I don't know," Ranma said.
"Wrong, your pride won't let you admit it." Jeff jumped down and marched over to face him, "You aren't as stupid as your lack of education and social graces would indicate. Use your brain for something."
"This is all will. Your will dominates, so I'm the puppet here," Ranma realized.
"No, I wouldn't do that, besides, it's easier to change the universe than another person. I adjusted things to give me time to counter you. Have you wondered why there are so many women in the NERV forces, compared with the regular military? Why the odd range of personalities?"
Ranma hadn't.
"To sync with an EVA, indeed to use much of the NERV equipment, you have to be able to manipulate energies without instrumentalities."
"In that case. 'Ima Shoden . . . '"
"STOP!" Jeff ordered
This time Ranma felt power forcing his compliance.
"You summon that here, with your current level of training, it will manifest in the Waking World, you'll probably kill someone."
Ranma relaxed, and felt the compulsion holding him slip away.
"You're on the right track. Your ki powers allow you to sync with EVAs, it doubtless makes you the best at syncing, but as it is a purely physical expression, it leaves you terribly vulnerable to mental and spiritual attacks. That needs to be addressed. That is why we are here."
&n