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The Bubblegum Crisis Center > Extras > Fan Fiction

Instrumantatum Vocalle 2040 - To Hell In a Hand Basket - Part 2

Written by Christopher J Turley

Lying on his cot Tony fidgeted with his knife, flipping it around in his hand, spinning it in his palm by the hilt. He couldn't sleep anymore, nor could Karl on the cot next to him. Forays into the city we're winding down, with most of the inhabitants already out, or on their way. Once the word had gotten out to the rest of Japan about Tokyo's plight there had been an upsurge in assistance. National Police and SWAT units had converged from Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, and as far north and south as Sapporo and Nagasaki. The US Navy had diverted an LST's (Landing Ship Troop) from Guam. Loaded with Marines, medical supplies and food and water, the additional troops and supplies would make the construction of refugee camps that much easier. Colonel Tabbot opened up the tent flap and entered, sitting on a fold out chair.
"Hey Colonel." Tony sighed.
"Captain." He responded.
Karl rolled over to hear better and waved lazily to Tabbot.
"So what brings you here?" Karl asked.
"I'm not really sure. Something's been nagging at me for the last few hours and it revolves around you."
"Us?" Tony said, pointing with the knife blade and Karl and himself.
"No, the three of you."
"Oh, Tash huh?"
Colonel Tabbot nodded.
"What she do this time?" Tony laughed.
"Saved you two."
"Huh?" Both Karl and Tony parroted.
"Those fast movers she sent to aid you, they were supposed to head north."
"Oh." Karl noted solemnly. "She's not gonna get into trouble is she?"
"That's what's been nagging at me." Colonel Tabbot admitted.
"Well, if she hadn't we'd all be dead, us and fifty some odd people." Tony added, sitting up, sheathing his knife.
"I know." Tabbot responded, his voice devoid of emotion.
"So, pardon me for being slow here." Karl said. "But, what's the problem?"
"I need to know that this was an isolated incident, that it will never happen again, and since I know she would answer in the affirmative, I want to ask you, seeing as you two have worked with her longer than anyone here."
Karl sat up as well as rubbed his eyes and sighed.
"I don't know what to tell you Colonel, I'd like to say yes as well, but, as you said, we know her, and I think that if people were in trouble she'd help them if she could. It's not out of any desire to disobey orders, just a desire to save lives."
"Hell yeah." Tony added. "You should've seen all the flak she'd give us for bending the rules. She's kinda anal that way."
"So you think she'll do this again?"
"Not to sound arrogant or unfeeling here Colonel." Karl began. "But I think she did it because it was us." He looked at Tony, who nodded his agreement.
"And if it was anyone else she wouldn't have?"
"I can't answer that." Karl said. "I think that would have to depend on the situation."
Colonel Tabbot nodded and stood.
"I see. Thank you for your time."
"Colonel." Tony called after him, standing.
"Look, she's a good troop, better than most. She and I, us, might have our differences, but as long as I've known her she's always done what is right. I can't say I blame her for doing what she did, and I'm not saying that because it was my ass she saved. You've read my record, you know my unit got all but wiped out in Antarctica because we didn't have good Intell, or support. We were all left with our asses hanging in the wind, I only wish that there had been an officer over there that would have done what she did. I know you're gonna do what you're gonna do, but I don't think it would be fair to punisher her for doing the right thing." Tony said.
"Right." Karl added. "It sounds kind of stupid to me to piss on a loyal soldier like that."
Col. Tabbot nodded once more and adjusted his field jacket.
"Again, thank you for your time." He replied softly.

"He better not screw her." Tony huffed after Colonel Tabbot had left.
"Be about the dumbest thing he could do." Karl agreed, just as his phone rang.
He retrieved it from the cot and flipped it open.
"Speak of the devil."
"Tasha?" Tony said.
"Yup." Karl held the phone to his ear. "Hey girl, what's up?"
"Nothing much, say, can you two get to the Silky Doll building?" Tasha said.
"Sure, what's going on there?"
"I'd rather not say over the phone, secure line or no."
"Okay, we're on our way."

Mr. Henderson greeted them when they arrived and led them to the top floor. Linna and Tasha welcomed them with friendly hugs as they took in the room. Leon was there, as was Nigel and all the Knight Sabers. Tony did a double take when he saw Priss.
"No way! Dude, I fucking knew it! Did I, or did I not tell you she was a Knight Saber?" Tony said to Karl, pointing.
"Yup, you did."
"Pay up!"

Deep within the bowels of the Silky Doll Tony and Karl looked over their new armor, popping the weaponry in and out and otherwise examining the suits features. Tasha and Linna sat next to Nigel, who was busy putting the finishing touches on the new Motoslave. Mackie was busy helping him, gathering parts from the numerous boomers on nearby racks and from the original Mk-1. Tasha could see Leon enviously eyeing the new suits and vowed that as soon as she was able she would do her utmost to convince Sylia to construct a suit for him as well. He was a fine K-Suit pilot, and she was curious to see what he could accomplish within a HARDsuit.

Tony and Karl sank into a well padded, and surprisingly comfortable easy chairs. To be honest, anything that wasn't a cot, field chair, jump seat or concrete would be comfortable. Leon walked over with beers for all and plopped down on the couch across from them.
"Well, how were they?"
Tasha, Tony and Karl had taken the new suits out for a test run with the girls and had just come back, only, Leon noted, after their ammo began to run dry.
"I love 'em." Karl said.
"We could've really used those a few weeks back." Tony added.
"Yup, mobile, agile and lethal as hell; having said that, I do have some thoughts." Karl joked. "I still don't know why the hell Nigel put a flame thrower on it, but whatever." He shrugged.
"So, how are you and the singer getting along?" Tony asked.
Leon blushed and coughed.
"Well enough I suppose, I can't really complain."
Tony and Karl looked at each other and laughed.
"Man, you've got it bad, even Linna kept her feelings masked better than that." Karl chuckled.
"Was this before or after she French kissed Natasha at the Christmas party?"
"After." Karl answered.
Leon turned red again than snorted good-naturedly.
"Oh ha ha."
"By the way, where's Daley, we haven't seen much of him of late." Karl asked.
"Oh, he went home to check on his folks, can't say as I blame him." Leon informed.
"Well, he's a good troop, he'll be back and grafted to your hip soon enough." Tony replied.

Dinner was pleasant, as was the company; and of course there was the booze. Tony and Karl were invited to spend the night, as was Natasha, much to Linna's pleasure.
The group hung out for a while, than broke into their own cliques, Sylia with Nigel, Nene with Mackie, Mr. Henderson, Tony and Karl, Tasha and Linna, and finally Leon and Priss. Fidgeting with his gun, Leon turned to Priss who was lazing on the couch next to him.
"So, how exactly did you get, involved, with all of this?" He asked, motioning to his environs with a casual wave of his hand.
Priss shrugged.
"I dunno, I guess Sylia liked my style." She replied noncommittally.
"I take it you aren't referring to your music."
"Yeah, that's about right." Priss mumbled evasively. "What about you, why did you join the ADP?"
"Me? Well, I guess it was just dumb luck I guess. When the ADP started up I was still in Metro, and well, I guess I wanted a bit more excitement, so I applied."
"Guess you got more than you bargained for neh?" She snorted.
"You could say that."
"So why stay in?"
Leon eyed her than smiled.
"I could ask you the same thing, and the answer isn't the money."
"What the hell are you talking about, Sylia pays me a shitload." Priss replied, playfully swatting his head with a throw pillow, while maintaining her indifferent, annoyed expression.
"Uh huh, and I do it because I look good in a uniform." He retorted sarcastically.
"I wouldn't know, since you never wear one."
"Ya got me there." Leon laughed.
They chatted for a good twenty minutes before Leon held his hand up to hush her.
"What?"
"Shh, I think I heard something."
Priss swung her legs down and tilted her head.
"Like what?"
"A banging sound."
Priss sighed and flopped back onto the couch.
"No big deal, pick a room, Sylia and Nigel or your boss and Linna. You know, that's a real lousy way to drop a hint."
"No, I'm serious, it's coming from outside. Listen." Leon responded. The seriousness in his voice quelled her doubt and she listened.
"Holy shit, I heard it too." She blinked.

"Hey, you guys hear something?" Tony said as he made his way down the stairs, sliding his pistol into his holster. Karl was behind him, slapping a fresh speed load into his revolver.
"Yeah, there it is again." Priss replied, than stood and headed to the elevator to the Pit.
Tapping a few keys she brought up the external security monitors.
"Oh fuck! Boomers." She blurted.
"Man, I can't get even one night of rest." Tony sighed.
"No rest for the wicked." Leon joked.
"Well, then I'm never getting any sleep." Karl snorted.

Sylia and Nigel were the next down followed by Nene, Mackie and Mr. Henderson, Linna and Natasha were the last down and both looked like hell. Their hair was mussed and Linna had on an 'Army Ranger' shirt with a pair of sweatpants on backwards. Tasha was in one of Sylia's high-cut silk robes with a gun in each hand.
"Glad you could join us." Tony gleefully joked.
"Yeah, having fun I see." Karl added with a conspirators snicker.
Tasha blushed while Linna muttered something about 'bastard voomers'.
"Oh my God!" Nene shrieked, pointing at the water tank. Voomers were floating to the bottom, and the first few were beginning to pound on the glass. The assembled group watched transfixed until prudence dictated that they do something, anything.
"Knight Sabers, suit up." Sylia ordered.

In the changing room Nene was already shedding her clothes while Linna made her way to the shower.
"Linna? The suits are this way." Nene pointed out.
"Goddammit...fucking voomers...always ruining my fun...can't believe it...I was just about to...not fair..." Linna grumbled than turned to Nene in a huff. "There's no way I'm suiting up all sticky like this." She added, pulling her shirt off with a tired grunt than stepped into the locker room with Natasha following close behind.
"Hey Tash? What's with her?" Priss asked.
"Voomer interruptus." Tasha blushed, and shrugged by way of apology.
"Oh jeez." Nene blushed. "Is she serious?" Priss scratched the back of her head and nodded.
"All that and we have to go into battle butt-freaking naked. This sucks."
Priss just blinked, blushing slightly as she nodded her agreement, noting that she had been partially right earlier on.

The trek out of the city proper had been hectic, terrifying and above all, exhausting. As the Mobile Pit pulled into the Hama Rikyu Garden the Knight Sabers and company were on their last leg. The Silky Doll was lost, overrun and consumed by the Sotai, as was the lions-share of Tokyo. They'd tried to head to the Pit, but were cut off, that left only areas of vegetation. They'd skirted with the idea of trying to make it to the Imperial Palace, but it too was overrun, and the myriad of guard and maintenance boomers cloistered on site made any refuge there tenuous at best. Tasha and the guys had separated from them some time earlier, en-route, they said, to their firebase.
After a brief run in with some scared locals, unwittingly identifying them as voomers they had reached relative safety. Taking turns as they removed their armor, the material sloughing off of their nude bodies into catch vats for later use, they changed into whatever clothing was available. Linna was lucky, Nigel had a spare work-suit and she was able to 'inherit' his shorts and shirt. Nene and Priss, being with the Knight Sabers long enough had had an extra change of clothes in the MP, Sylia however decided to don a spare set of overalls sans shirt. Some of the other refugees offered jackets, it was still winter, and a stiff wind rustled the conifer.
It was later that evening, Leon was trying yet again to muster the courage to make a move, and Priss, cold on the outside, was frustrated; she liked him, but wouldn't, okay, couldn't admit it, not even to herself. Sylia was nestled next to her man, happy to be alive whilst Linna was getting severely soused, having grabbed a can of Bush beer instead of cola. A lucky, or not, survivor was getting her rendition of her coworker Kain's unwanted advances along with her intoxicated denouncement of men in general. It was most likely the alcohol talking but he knew no different.
"Who needs men anyway?" She slurred.

Beyond the tree line Tasha thought back to similar experiences when she'd been huddled around a fire in the snow, as a refugee, but let it pass as she snickered at Linna's drunken ranting, watching the gathering behind army green. To her left and right were other camouflage-clad soldiers, weapons at the ready, edgy, but disciplined in silence and awareness. Apparently the Knight Sabers and the poor souls that hadn't been able to make it out of the city to the safe zones weren't the only ones that had thought it tactically wise to set up shop in the woods. A sizeable detachment of Army regulars, Navy special forces and other American or Japanese military units that had been able, had set up camp not far from this spot, their encampment hidden in the densest portion of trees under camo netting behind det-wire and a hastily erected barrier of Claymore mines and other assorted nastiness. Any zombified boomer that dared venture to close would be in for a rude shock. The problem was that their pickets had detected civilians in the area, and the explosive palisade would be even more deadly to any of them that may wander to near, so, in order to avoid needless fatalities Tasha had volunteered to take a squad out to reconnoiter the area.
She'd heard about the 'intruders', as the civvies were being classified at the TOC; pending identification she had agreed with the classification, it was prudent and given the circumstances, wise. Col. Davidson, the on scene commander had relocated from Camp Zama with a good portion of the bases personnel, all the others had been deployed to support the UN and NATO in setting up a cordon around the city.

"What now Colonel?" The Master Sergeant to her left asked. It took her a second to reply, she wasn't used to being addressed as such, having only received her field promotion to Lieutenant Colonel a few hours ago.
"Situation green, they're clean."
He nodded and spread the word. She could hear subdued sighs of relief from a few, and sympathized, of late the pucker factor had been, well, still was, rather high.
"Report back to base that sector five is all clear." She added and he nodded as he complied.
She shook her head as she saw Linna grab yet another can, her third. She had the classic 'sake flush' and was not holding her liquor well.
"Sergeant? Do we have room to relocate these people?"
He thought and shook his head.
"No ma'am, we're pretty tight."
"Okay, hmm. Well, let's let our presence be known, 5th Platoon should clear Meiji Dori by sun up, we can evacuate them thru there."
"Rodger that."

Priss was bored, the conversation was animated but she needed time to think, alone, besides, if Leon followed her she'd know if he was serious, his interest was a given. She stood and stretched than proceeded to meander off towards the tree line. Suddenly there was a rustle from the foliage and she froze. Leon, who'd been watching her, along with a few city folk nearest her noticed.
"Sylia! Something's coming!" Than she yelped in stunned surprise as a BDU clad individual in heavy body armor hoisting a wicked looking assault rifle passed from the shadow of the brush into the firelight. There were a few similar outbursts all around the camp as in ones and twos, eight other similarly garbed soldiers stepped into the light, forming a rough circle around the campfire and those gathered around it. Linna fell drunkenly off the log she was on as she tried to back peddle away from the surprise guests.

"Sergeant. Set a perimeter and take a head count."
"Yes ma'am!" He nodded and pointed to the soldier nearest him and detailed him to carry out the order than fell in behind her as she approached the congregation. Leon had his hand on his gun, but thought it best not to draw, knowing if he did so that he was liable to get dead. He stood.
"We're not hostile. I'm Detective Leon McNichol. I'm with the ADP."
"I know who you are Leon." Tasha said with a smile as she flipped her faceplate up and pulled her helmet off. He sighed, holding his hand to his brow.
"Jesus Tasha! You scared the life outta me."
"Sorry..."
"TASHA!" Linna cried out happily, than promptly hiccupped as she staggered to her feet than ran and jumped into her arms, wrapping her limbs around her, peppering her with kisses. Tasha laughed, very much embarrassed, not at her, but at the situation, noting that everyone, her army brethren included, were all fixing her with bewildered and unbelieving stares. If her secret wasn't out of the bag, it was now. Nene held her hand to her mouth and giggled softly as Sylia shook her head, she knew, but she still couldn't believe Linna had just done what she'd done. Priss blushed and turned her head away, her interest in Leon or no, she was still slightly jealous of Tasha. Leon's eyes bugged and his jaw dropped, he hadn't known, and quite frankly was amazed. He knew that they were friends, and close, but seeing Linna wrapped around his boss was just a tad overwhelming. Nigel looked at Mr. Henderson who smiled fatherly at the two and sighed, retrieved a cigarette and lit up.
There was some astonished muttering from the civvies, they knew who she was, had seen her on TV and had heard the stories, some good, some bad. And those stories had lent them to believe she was a frosty killer, made of ice, known to drink the blood of her enemies, or so the more outlandish rumors had purported. To see her in a one armed hug, her other hand holding her rifle, with a Knight Saber gripping her tightly, nestling her head on her shoulder in smiling contentment quite frankly shocked them.
"Hey there sweetie. I missed you too." She managed.
"I didn't know you were here too." Linna giggled girlishly.
"Yup, the whole gang is here."
"Karl and Tony?" Leon asked.
"Roger that, they're back at the base camp."
"Base camp?" Sylia intoned.
"Yeah, we've got a few guys and gals in green set up half a klick from here."
Nene stood with a smile.
"I'm gonna get Mackie, he'll wanna say hi too." And she bounded off.
"Okay, but don't stray to far kiddo."
Nene tossed her a playful salute as she left for the Mobile Pit.
"So what's the Army doing out here." Sylia asked as Linna dragged Tasha to the campfire, sat her down, wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her chin on her shoulder.
"We're a forward observation post of sorts. That and we're coordinating with what's left of Tokyo Metro the JSDF and the ADP."
"How bad is it?" A survivor asked and a few others nodded and moved closer to hear.
"Pretty bad. Aside from this position and one or two others the city's overrun. The UN has the city blockaded and for now they're trying to get as many people out as possible. Speaking of which, if all goes well we should be able to evacuate you all by noon tomorrow out to the south."
There were sighs of relief accompanied by subdued cheers. So many others hadn't made it. They were lucky, and they knew it.
A scream from the Mobile Pit broke the reverie and Sylia shot to her feet. Tasha was on her heels and Linna, to her credit, had sobered up instantly, followed with Nigel and Mr. Henderson in tow. They reached the MP at the same time Priss and Leon did, they'd gone off to be alone after Tasha had arrived and were sweaty from the run.
Inside they saw Mackie, his eyes aglow at one of the terminals.
"Oh my god!" Sylia breathed.
Tasha saw what she was on about. There were tendrils of wire and computer cable from the machinery fused to his hands and there appeared to be a large amount of activity on the screen. Tasha paused, Galatea's presence was brazen. Nene was on the floor, passed, or knocked out, they couldn't be sure. A look of horror washed over Priss' face and she snapped, grabbed Tasha's K-Bar out of it's sheath and with a deft stroke cleaved the wires in one swipe. Mackie fell back and as she went to grab him, to keep him from falling out of the chair, a jolt of electricity surged from him and the terminal throwing her back. Mackie sat back up, and holding his hands over the terminal sat; transfixed, as shafts of red light cascaded up from the shattered console to his fingertips.
"Everyone back!" Tasha said, stern and evenly, then leveled her rifle. There was a staccato series of cracks as her three round burst blew the counsel out. Mackie spasmed and fell back into the chair, his eyes losing their glow, growing dim, as if dead. Almost immediately Tasha's Sergeant, plus one, burst inside weapons at the ready.
"Colonel! We heard shots!"
"Stand down. It's over."
"Ma'am? With all due respect. What's over?"
"Keith..." She said, calling him by his first name. "If I knew that, I promise you I'd tell you."
She looked down at Nene, as Linna turned her over and propped her up.
"Get Morton in here to take a look at her okay."
"Yes Ma'am." He nodded and left. The other soldier however remained, and as a precaution Tasha had him post guard, outside the MP, but posted none-the-less.

Linna exited the Mobile Pit, all but shooed out by Cpl. Morton and found Tasha talking to her Sergeant. He noticed her approach and finished up, saluted, and left to attend his duties. Natasha noted the depressed look on her friends face and held her arm out. Accepting the refuge it offered Linna stepped to her and rested her head on her shoulder, putting her arms around her.
"Is everything okay in there?" Tasha asked.
"I guess. The medic says she'll be all right, she was just shocked is all."
"Oh thank god." Tasha breathed, massaging the bridge of her nose.
"I'm telling you sweetie, this is really starting to take a toll, I don't know if I can take any more of this rigmarole." She sighed in emphasis.
Linna hugged her tighter, what else could she do.
"Please don't say that."
"Okay." Tasha smiled.
Linna snorted ruefully and smiled bravely at her.
"I'm glad you're here, I really am."
"Yeah!" Tasha laughed. "I could see that."
Linna blushed.
"Eh heh, yeah, about that. Sorry, I..."
"You were drunk, it's fine." Tasha reassured.
"Guess I let the cat out of the bag huh?"
"No biggie. The others would've found out sooner or later. Besides, the looks on their faces more than made up for it."
"Still, I'm sorry about that."
"Hey, don't be, you were just being honest and open. Alcohol does that sometimes."
Linna laughed and leaned up, and pursed her lips. Meeting her half way Tasha pressed her lips to hers passionately.

"So what's next?" She asked.
Linna shrugged.
"I don't know. Nene's gonna take it badly I'm sure, and Sylia... I've never seen her like this."
"Like what?"
"Sullen."
Tasha nodded.
"She loves him. So does Nene I think. He'll be all right. He's strong."

Linna smiled and nestled in closer, fingering her collar.
"Colonel huh?"
Tasha blushed slightly and put her hand behind her head and smiled self-consciously.
"Yeah, well, Lieutenant Colonel. Col. Davidson promoted me a few hours ago. Although it still has to pass thru the Board to be official." She admitted.
"Good. You deserve it."
"Thanks."
"I mean it, I'm proud of you."
Tasha nodded, blushing at the praise.
"I'm proud of you too Linna." She paused and squirmed slightly. "I hate to spoil this, but I'm going to have to head back. They'll start to get worried."
"Yeah, I kinda figured. Keep in touch 'kay."
"I promise."
They embraced, kissing long and hard. Linna knew she had to go, she didn't want it to end, but knew it had to. They had things to do, both of them, and for now each had to go their own way, both to their own 'families'. After checking in on Nene, and relieved beyond words that she'd be just fine, at least physically, Tasha donned her helmet and gathered her troops. She asked Leon to have all the civilians ready to go as soon as he could, admitting that she wasn't sure how long a secure corridor could be maintained. He understood.
"Hey Tash?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Umm... for what it's worth, Thanks, and... God this is hard."
Tasha remained silent, letting him finish.
"Uh... you two, you and Linna. You make...you make a good pair. And if, if, I don't see you again, I just want you to know that it's been an honor and a pleasure to work with you."
Under her helm she blushed, than patted him on the shoulder, then hugged him.
"You just get these people out Detective. We'll see each other again, I promise you."
"Yes ma'am." He smiled and gave her a two-fingered salute. Priss who was standing next to him fidgeted, and then held out Tasha's K-Bar sword to her, hilt forward.
"Sorry." She said, looking into her eyes. Tasha blinked, it wasn't just sorry for taking her weapon without permission, but it was sorry for everything. Tasha nodded, letting Priss know she understood and took the sword.
"Don't worry about it okay. Friends?" Tasha held her hand out.
"Friends." Priss smiled awkwardly and shook. Linna, a few meters away couldn't help but be moved.
A few yards down the road Tasha turned, and hedging a bet, waved her sergeant over.
"Keith. Do me a favor and let the TOC know I'll be along in a few minutes. I've a feeling that the Knight Sabers are going to assault the tower. I figure since were going to be doing the same we should coordinate our efforts."
"Roger that." He smiled. He liked her, even though he'd only teamed with her for, oh, say a good four hours. She was a smooth operator and although secretive by nature was willing to give an explanation of her actions, actions that he, or others might find odd without. To bad she was a lesbian. Oh well, he laughed to himself, you can't win them all, and besides, his wife would kill him.
Tasha made her way back to the Mobile Pit. The sun was just starting to come up and the girls were all outside in their armor. Linna noticed first and stammered her name. Sylia turned and Nene and Priss looked over.
"So what's it gonna be?" Tasha asked. "Sneak in the back or are you gonna make a frontal assault?"
Linna snickered and Priss snorted. Nene smiled at her but she could see the worry in her eyes. Sylia, well, she just crossed her arms in front of her and sighed with a tired smile.
"In thru the front I suppose." She replied.
Tasha nodded.
"Guess that's leaves the rear to us."
"Us?" Linna asked.
"Yup, we're going in too."
Linna looked happy, but it was replaced by worry.
"Why are you telling us?" Priss asked.
"Well for one, I don't want any blue on blue. And two, I figure it'd be best if we coordinated the attack, better chance of success that way."
"Two heads are better than one?" Linna said.
"Yup." Tasha smiled.
The others talked amongst themselves while Tasha and Sylia hashed things out and stood when they returned.
"All set?" Priss asked.
"Pretty much." Sylia nodded.
Tasha nodded her agreement and put her helmet back on.
"Well, I gotta head back for real this time, let them know what's been planned."
Sylia turned and nodded.
"Tasha?"
"Yes, what is it."
"Thanks, for everything. I'm not one for apologizing, and giving praise to a rival comes even harder for me, but, I think I speak for all of us here when I say that if it hadn't been for you, and your men, that things around here would have been a lot worse."
She looked at her girls and they were all nodding.
Tasha blushed.
"Th...thanks. The same can be said about all of you, what you've done for this city can't be measured."
The gathered Knight Sabers beamed at that and smiled accordingly.
"Good luck out there." Tasha finished and saluted.
"You too." Sylia said. Surprised at the realization that she'd saluted back. Linna and Nene giggled at that, and Priss sighed as she shook her head, hiding a smile under her hand.

Tasha had turned to leave and was half way to the tree line when she heard rocket thrusters and the footfalls of a HARDsuit behind her. She turned as Linna ran up to her and hugged her.
"Woah, easy sport!" She laughed.
"Sorry. I... I just wanted to say good bye."
"This isn't 'good bye' sweetie, it's just 'till later'."
"I know; I just wanted to ask something before you left is all."
"Oh, okay, shoot."
"Tash?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you do it?"
Tasha paused and smiled at her as she put her hand on her shoulder.
"Same reason you do it, for them, for my men, and, because it needs to be done."
Linna laughed softly and blushed.
"How is it that you can put into words so easily what it takes me forever just to figure out?"
"Cause I've been there long enough. Believe me, I had a hard time articulating the reasons why at first."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense."
"Don't worry babe, you're going to be fine, just try not to do anything reckless okay."
"I promise." She smiled but Tasha could still see doubt in her eyes.
"Listen." She said, putting her other hand on her other shoulder.
"You're a good person and a fine soldier. You know better than most the difference between right and wrong, and that, believe it or not, means a lot. You do this because you know in your heart of hearts that it's the right thing to do. That's where your bravery comes from, your conviction. I admire that, I've always admired that."
"You...you really think so, you really think I'm a good soldier?"
"One of the best I've ever seen. You don't need to have a uniform to be a soldier you know."
Linna giggled as she turned red.
"So where are you guys gonna be after this?" Tasha asked.
"Nigel and Mr. Henderson are taking Mackie to Nene's place. Leon says that area hasn't been as affected."
"Okay. I'll meet you there. I figure after we've shot our wad that CENTCOM is going to pull us out to help consolidate the cordon. I'm sure that Col. Davidson will release us. Not much more we can do on the picket line."
"I'll keep the bed made." Linna smiled demurely.
"You better." Tasha laughed.

Col. Davidson looked at his watch than keyed his mike. "Battery commander, fire at will." He snickered; who'd have thought that an Intelligence weenie would ever order an artillery strike. The rumbled booms of 'his' guns shook the ground as he walked out to observed the fireworks. It wasn't a true battery, only six tubes. Consisting of two towed 105mm, a Self Propelled 125mm and a pair of 120mm Mortars, it was truly hodgepodge. Bringing his field glasses up he watched the initial barrage impact the base of Genom tower and then start walking up the slope. Behind and beneath the shells arc he could see the four Knight Sabers bouncing towards the Island, using the partially reconstructed west bridge as stepping-stones. He swung his focus to the north and noticed the tell tale wake of three of Detachment 3's BTR-80's as they rushed forward in an amphibious assault.
"Report." He said to the Air Force and Navy FAC's (Forward Air Controller) next to him.
"Fast movers inbound, we've got a stack from six to twelve thousand feet." The Navy man replied.
"We have Strike Raptors inbound in five minutes from Okinawa and a 'pack' of UCAV's (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles) in from Misawa. AWACS is over head and we're coordinating thru them." Came the Air Force's response.
"Good, lets bring the house down shall we?" The Colonel answered. With his artillery and his own air assets of Comanche gunships combined with the USAF and USN, he had something to work with, even if it was cobbled together at the last minute.

As shells and combat aircraft roared overhead Natasha knelt down atop the hull of the APC as it's armored bow punched thru a low wave sending icy spray over her. Inside the lumbering vehicle were eight Marines geared up for come what may. The other two BTR-80's droned along to her right and left. Tony and Karl stood atop each respectively. Hollow booms coupled by bright flashes and clouds of smoke peppered the Tower as the artillery walked up the massive structure. Something was out of place, the smoke coming from the explosions and fires were forming a ring around the midsection of the tower and it had taken on a greenish hue. Whatever it was, the Knight Sabers were heading right at it.

"Sylia, what's that?" Linna asked.
"I don't know, looks like a smoke cloud."
"Well come on then." Priss growled and jumped thru it. Except, she didn't. The cloud crackled and crystallized directly in her path and she bounced lamely off and onto her rump some fifty feet below.
"Son of a bitch!" She yelped, rubbing her backside as she stood.
"You okay? You hurt?" Linna asked, landing beside her.
"Yeah, only my pride." Priss muttered. "And no, you can't kiss it better."
Linna blushed under her helmet and snorted.
"Geez you're crass."
Priss nodded.
"Yup. So, Nene, what the hell is that stuff?"
"It looks like some sort of barrier."
"No shit Sherlock." Linna added. "What's it made of?"
"Nano voomers." Nene replied. "God you're impatient." She huffed.
Above them the barrier flashed as mortar and high explosive rounds began to detonate against it.
"Well, if those shells aren't getting thru we sure as hell aren't." Priss bit, than surveyed her surroundings. The side of the building had gaping holes all over it, some small, most large, all smoking with a few belching fire or noxious chemicals.
"I've got an idea." She finally said.
"What?" Nene asked and Priss pointed to the nearest impact crater.
"We make our own door. Or use one the Army made."
"Sounds good, lets move." Sylia said.
Before hopping into a gaping breech Linna glanced down towards Natasha just as the first BTR hit the shore.

Revving the engine the driver hit the slipway going twenty and gunned it. Charging out of the water Karl had to hold on to keep his balance as the BTR suddenly accelerated, no longer slowed by water resistance. A large cargo door loomed a quarter of a mile ahead and the three armored vehicles turned towards it.
"We've got incoming!" The gunner of the right flank APC called out. "Three targets, airborne and moving fast."
"I have them." Tasha answered as her suits IFF pegged them as hostiles and assigned them tracks. Zooming in she studied her foe. It looked like a beefier version of the Bu-55C except that these had two forearm laser cannons, an articulated flight pack, and a hand held auto cannon.
"You guys keep moving, we'll hold them off." She said as she engaged her thrusters, hurtling herself into the air towards the enemy. Tony and Karl followed suit and they formed an inverted V with her at the point as she snap-briefed them on their foes.
"Lining up for a shot Tony brought his gun up and fired. As the beam of energy lanced out the boomer jinked to the left, cleanly dodging the shot.
"Oh balls!" He fumed.
Karl's and Tasha's opening shot fared no better but ground fire from the BTR's 30mm 2A72 auto cannon's clipped one, shredding it's left wing, sending it earthward. Noting its comrade's crash landing the Bu-55 closest to the BTR's turned towards and accelerated.
"All tracks, left echelon! Break, break, break!" The lead driver called. His BTR maintained speed while the one to his left sped up and the one to his right slowed until they had taken position ten feet in front and behind, creating a mobile angled wall. As Tasha moved to intercept the Bu-55 heading towards the BTR's Tony and Karl ganged up on the nearby airborne hostile.
"Fuck this guys fast!" Karl bit as a burst of .50 cal soared over the boomers head, only to be sliced across the waist by a coherent energy from Tony's laser cannon.
"Not fast enough." He exalted as the boomers two pieces smashed into the permacrete below.
Gunfire from the BTR's 30mm's and 7.62mm coaxial machine guns filled the sky with tracer fire as nine smaller muzzle flashes erupted from each of the three firing ports facing the boomer. There was too much fire to dodge completely and the boomer was slowly being torn to pieces, from ahead and from below, as Natasha pumped round after round at the target. Suddenly she picked up a heat spike as she veered left to avoid the boomers arm, having been torn off by the concentrated gunfire fire. A brilliant beam of blue light closed the distance from the boomers head to the rearmost BTR and both disappeared in a fiery explosion. Flying thru the falling debris Tasha saw the BTR on its side, it's turret twenty feet away and mangled, fire and thick black smoke billowing from a jagged hole where the crew door would have been.
"Domino 1 to Sled 3 come in!" There was no response.

Linna dodged to the right, nearly embedding herself into the wall of the corridor. The rocket-propelled grenade from the security boomer sailed past her and exploded down the hallway with a reverberating boom. Sylia slashed downwards and neatly slashed the forearms and launcher from the boomer as Priss sent two knuckle bombers into its face.
"How much further?" Linna asked.
"Just down the hall and to the left." Nene answered.
Stepping over the broken boomer Linna noted the amount of debris throughout the hall, there were disks, papers, and bodies strewn about haphazardly, and this wasn't the only hallway like this, since they'd entered the building she'd counted no less than thirty bodies, all killed brutally. Following Nene she could still hear the artillery pounding the building, occasionally the concussion being strong enough to actually feel. She hated Genom, she hadn't before, but now, she despised them. How could they have done this, to Tokyo, Japan, the world, and how could the Japanese government have allowed them to do it. For the first time in her life she felt ashamed of her heritage, it was one thing to fall fighting the good fight, but to capitulate, to not even try, how very Gallic.
"Linna! Over here." Sylia called.
"Wha...? Sorry." She stammered, jogging over.

"Domino 1, Whiskey five-five is inbound hot, ya better duck."
Skimming sharply to her left Natasha took cover behind a parked semi-trailer a few yards from the cargo door. Two Bu-55's sans flight packs were guarding it, and another two with packs were buzzing around like angry hornets. Above her, two smoke trails shot over her and into the boomers at the door. The pair of AGM-65H Maverick missiles obliterated the boomers and tore the cargo door from its runners. Tony had tried to open the door earlier and had had to pull back when the new batch of hostiles appeared. Pulling up Whiskey five-five executed a victory roll and turned out to sea to land and re-arm aboard the Reagan. Picking themselves up off the ground amidst a haze of powdered concrete Tony and Karl recovered than concentrated fire on one of the flying boomers that had crashed, having been blown out of the air by the missiles blast overpressure. The two remaining BTR's stitched the final boomer as it tried to make a suicide dive, knocking it off course, forcing it to bury itself in the pavement a few meters to the side.

"Priss, look out!" Nene hollered. "If those things touch you, you're screwed!"
"No shit!" Priss tossed back as she ricocheted off the wall and back out into the center of the large cylindrical chamber they were in. Linna was busy dodging swarms of jellyfish like assailants, wishing she had some form of ranged weapon, preferably energy based. Nene had taken a crack at them with her needle gun but they had just passed harmlessly thru their non-corporeal forms.
"Linna! Nene! Keep them off me okay, I've got a plan!" Priss called out as she headed towards a huge section of ducting.
"Roger that!" Linna replied, 'What a crock! They touch us and our suits go bonkers, and we can even hurt them, Priss better have a damn good idea.' She thought. 'I hope Tasha is doing better than we are.'

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" Tony bellowed.
Screeching the tires the BTR's raced down a long passageway. Passageway was a misnomer; it was essentially a two-lane street leading from the outside to a gargantuan loading dock. Bursting thru the opening atop a BTR Natasha couldn't help but be awestruck. The room, no, cavern, was huge, spanning eight hundred meters from wall to wall. The ceiling was strewn with lighting, ductwork and massive cranes for moving truck sized shipping containers.
"Ebat'-kopat'!"
"Huh?" Tony asked.
"N...nothing." Tasha muttered.
They had to cross the chamber, and God only knew what was waiting for them. The entryway and door had been bad enough, with semi trucks coming to life, trying to ram them and the interior defenses and cargo lifters attacking them hadn't helped much either. Five Marines were dead and one of the BTR's needed at least three new tires. But it was still functional, for now.
"I guess I'll take point, you watch my back." Tasha said, stepping into the chamber.
"Got it." Tony said as he moved off to the side of the doorway, leveling his weapon into the room, ready to plug any nastiness that might appear.
Taking a deep breath Tasha set out into the room at a measured pace. Not to slow, nor to fast. Karl watched high as Tony watched low. It was Karl that noticed something amiss. One of the cargo cranes towards the center of the room had activated.
"Tasha! Punch it!"
Without thinking Tasha thrusted forward just as a pallet slammed into the ground behind her, exploding outward, hurling car parts across the polished floor.
Tony raised his rifle and toggling his weapon select, sent a grenade into the crane cab, blowing it to pieces.
Tasha turned toward the large door on the far side and hit her thrusters; Galatea knew they were here, no use doddering around. The large door turned out to be a service elevator.
"Clear!" She called out.

"You stay here, we'll check downstairs." Tony said to the Marine Captain. They had cut their way thru the elevator floor and had repelled to the bottom of the shaft, the Marines had set up a perimeter and would hold the position for their withdrawal. The corridors in the bowls of the tower were of hell itself, smeared crimson with the blood of those who had worked there.
"Best Intel puts Galatea's location about twenty levels below us." Tasha said, studying a sparse map on her forearm display.
"So how do we get there?" Karl asked.
"Down this hall, there should be a room."
Tony parroted her remark, lacing it with sarcasm. "All these hallways end in rooms." He laughed.
"Yeah, I know." Tasha sighed. "This is the best radar mapping we could get, guess Genom values their privacy neh?" She smiled.
Sure enough, at the end of the hallway was a room.
"Okay, this is nice." Karl blinked. It was a control room, or a monitoring station, of sorts. Numerous workstations dotted the room, and all had dead in their chairs.
"No boomer did this." Tasha noted.
"Looks like a nine millimeter at close range." Karl added.
"Assassinated?" Tony asked.
"Looks like it." Natasha answered.
"Hmm, I wonder what their dental plan is like." Tony joked.
"Hope it's better then their retirement." Tasha snorted.
"Over here." Karl called out, pointing to an odd shaped alcove with a large polished metal pillar in the middle next to a control panel of sorts. Next to it was a table with a tray containing a watch, cufflinks and a wallet. Tony picked up the wallet and took the cash while Tasha fingered the watch.
"I've seen this before." She said.
"Masons." Tony said matter-of-factly.
She looked at him quizzically and he held the wallet up, open, facing her. Masons picture adorned his driver's license.
Meanwhile, Karl had fiddled with the panel and the room was suddenly filled with a dull thrumming.
"What did you do?" Tony asked.
"Pressed the 'up' button."
Presently an opening appeared from the large pillar.
"Now that's a nice elevator." Tasha remarked.
"I wonder where it goes." Karl added playfully.
"Well, if all that metal is shielding I would guess it leads to that little bitch." Tony scoffed.
Tasha stepped into the recessed opening and Karl followed. Tony paused when it became painfully obvious that it would only hold two; that was, unless, they wanted to exit their armor.
"I guess I wait here." He chimed.

The trip down was rapid enough, as the elevator deposited them onto a tiny landing flanked by posts with lights atop them, which turned blue a few seconds later. There was a circular cavern at the center of which was a domed structure. Protruding from the center of the dome was a ragged lance of metal that apparently had impacted, pierced, and moved thru the caverns domed ceiling. Noticing a similar landing on the domed structure Karl stepped back and taking a two-step running start, cleared the expanse easily. Tasha followed but landed to far back. Stepping backwards on instinct she was surprised that her foot found solid ground where there should have been none. Recovering her balance she tapped her foot into space and was rewarded with solid footing.
"Force field?" Karl asked.
"Woah, this is weird." Tasha gasped, walking a few tentative steps into space. "Must be some sort of energy cat walk or something."
"Dibs." Karl blurted.
"I'm with you on that."

Entering the domed structure they saw it contained a dwelling of sorts, furnished in a Victorian motif. There was a canopied bed, a desk and dresser, and a ball on the floor. It also appeared that the base of the ragged pillar originated from the foot of the bed, and ragged shreds of men's slacks, Armani to be precise, littered the area.
"Well, I guess it's safe to say we missed whatever it was that happened here."
"Yup." Karl agreed. "Lets see if we can't find Rosencroitz."
"Right."

"That was the stupidest, bravest, thing I've seen you do."
Linna was hovering in front of Priss; Nene had sidled up as well.
"You got that right." She said, agreeing with Linna.
"Where's Sylia?" Priss asked, noting that she was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh crap, she's up there!" Linna huffed.
Sylia was hovering before Galatea some hundred feet above them, and it appeared as if they were having a chat.
Linna thrusted upwards followed by the other two.
"Don't touch her!" She cried, but it was too late, Sylia had sunk her forearm blade into Galatea's shoulder.

There was a loud snap of metal breaking as the locking mechanisms to the elevator gave way, allowing the doors to open. They'd told the Marines to bug out, after they had come back up from Galatea's den, it would take to long for them to scale the elevator shaft, and would only slow them down. The Marine Captain nodded, he wanted to keep up, but he would follow orders. Karl held his weapon and panned the barrel in a lazy figure eight, watching thru his HUD.
"Clear."
Tasha nodded and hopped up into the corridor. She was struck with the opulence; plush carpeting marred only by a tell tale trickles of green fluid, black marble baseboard, hardwood flashing up to waist level to another run of black marble. Above that the wall was painted in warm beige and had expensive paintings throughout. She wondered if some of the extraordinary ones were originals, or just highly accurate replicas. The doors were metal, coated in wood and small statuettes and planters dotted the hall.
"Wow! Will you look at this place?" Tasha gasped.
"Okay, now this is 'Bling'." Tony agreed.
"I guess we hit the right floor." Karl noted as he took point, moving down the corridor slowly and surely. The fifth door down was open and the trail of greenish fluid led into it.
Kneeling down Tasha dabbed her finger into it and took a closer look, rubbing her fingers together to test the viscosity.
"Voomer hydraulics. High grade."
"Any specific model?" Karl asked.
"High end human looking ones, the chunkier ones can get away with a cruder mixture."
"Um... guys? What the hell is that?" Tony blinked, pointing down the hall at a glowing jellyfish looking thing.
Tasha felt her pendant heat up against her skin and images began to flash in her mind.
Snippets of Linna's fight in the tower core played across the edge of her consciousness, images of Galatea, and Sylia, anger, rage, and revenge.
"I dunno, but they smell of Galatea." Tasha remarked.
"Good enough for me." Tony quipped and fired a burst at it. The far wall erupted as the bullets passed through the ghostly apparition.
"Not good!" Karl said as he fired his laser while Tasha tried her grenade launcher. Neither had any effect.
"What else does this thing have?" Tony asked as he flipped thru his weapon selections on his heads up display.
"K-bombs, E-spikes and a flamethrower." Tasha answered.
"Fire it is." Karl bit and sent a billowing cloud of flame down the hall. The carpet, wood flashing and paintings were incinerated, as was the apparition.
"Well I'll be! I take back all that shit I said about the flamethrower being a dumb idea." Karl remarked.
"We've got more!" Tony called out. "In front and behind."
"Make towards that room!" Tasha yelled as flame and smoke consumed the hall.
"Holy shit! They're coming thru the Goddamn floor!" Karl blurted as he flamed a jelly-whatever-it-was; that had appeared at his feet. Two agonizing minutes later and they were in.
"Close the door!"
"What the hell good will that do?" Karl replied.
"It'll make 'em easier to see, this place is dark." Tony answered.

"Why aren't they coming thru the walls?" Tasha asked, happy that they weren't but worried why.
"I think I know." Tony said. "Look at that."
Turning slowly, Karl and Tasha saw Chairman Quincy Rosencroitz sitting in what looked to be a throne, except he had tubes and electrodes sticking out of every conceivable part of his body. His eyes were sunken and glazed and the body of a female voomer lay in a heap next to him.
"She must have beaten us to it." Karl noted, kicking a think piece of tubing from her hand. Greenish fluid trickled from it and onto the polished stone floor.
Suddenly the building shook violently, throwing them to the ground.
"What the hell? I thought the Army decided not to use Tac-nukes." Tony huffed, picking himself up.
"That came from inside." Karl corrected.
"Which means we might want to get outside, fast." Tasha added. "How are you for ammo?"
"I've got about three or four shots left in the thrower."
"Me too." Tony said.
"Okay, I've got half a tank, I'll cover."

Bursting into the hallway they found it smoldering and empty. Smoke filled the corridor and shafts of sunlight could be seen from down the hall.
"Lets go." Tasha pointed.
The sunlight was coming from a bank of shattered windows to a well-appointed lounge area. Punching the nearest pane with a K-bomb, shattering it, Tony made an 'after you' gesture with his arm. Below them the building looked like it was trying to rip itself apart, large gashes appeared as I-beams and supports snapped like twigs. During their decent Tony stopped in mid air.
"Hey!" Tasha cried as she barely managed to stop herself from crashing into the back of him.
"Oh yes! There is a God, and he loves me." Tony all but giggled.
"What are you on about?" Karl asked.
"Look there." Tony pointed and shot off towards an off color beam jutting from the building.

"Okay, this is about the grossest thing I've ever seen." Tasha bit. Atop the beam was Brian J. Mason, well, his upper half anyway. Landing next to him Tony patted his head mockingly.
"Hey there BJ, how's it hangin?"
Mason turned towards him as if in a drunken daze and smiled at him.
"Isn't it beautiful?" He purred, than looked back out at Tokyo as it burned.
"No more humans, no more rot. Just clean, pure machine."
Looking back up the building as the gaping holes grew larger Tasha stepped away.
"Um, guys, building exploding, gotta go, now!"
Karl was next to her and looked back to see Tony extend his E-spike and slice down, severing Mason's head from his shoulders. The three watched transfixed as the head toppled as it fell, laughing all the way until it burst like an overripe melon on the pavement below.
"Right on!" Karl laughed.

"Jesus Danny! What the hell is going on over there?"
Daniel Vincent, General, United States Air Force, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff cleared his throat.
"Mr. President, right now we know that at 1955 hours on the 31st the boomers stored in the Tokyo ADP buildings evidence locker somehow gained sentience, broke free and..."
"And what?"
"Absorbed the building."
"Jesus Christ." The President sighed, than waved his hand. "Go on."
"According to General Fairweathers report, shortly afterwards, boomers started to go rogue all over the city, including some of the military models used by the JSDF."
Gen. Vincent paused.
"Right now Gen. Fairweather is aboard the Reagan off Tokyo Bay. He's been able to determine the source of the Sotai Phenomena as Genom Island, a strike..."
"Wait! Hold on a moment." The President interrupted.
"The what phenomena?"
"Sotai sir."
"What's a Sotai?"
General Vincent coughed softly and looked down at Army General Franklin Yancy. General Yancy reached down and pulled a file from his attaché case and handed it over.
"We received this report from Colonel Davidson via General Clark, commanding officer of the 9th Support Group on the 27th." Daniel said as he handed the red and white-bordered folder over to his Commander in Chief.
The President inwardly sighed as he was handed the hundred plus paged report, he didn't have the time to read the whole thing; he needed answers now. As he flipped past the cover something stuck in his brain, he wasn't sure what, but something he saw seemed familiar. He pushed it aside and flipped a few pages in, past the requisite nonsense that usually preceded reports of this nature until he came to the summery. Normally the fidgety sort, always tapping a pencil or his fingers, he was surprisingly still as he read.

'In short the Sotai Phenomena is the unexpected side effect of the method used in creating the initial Voomer core. The original Voomer (Galatea) was the result of neural formatting of Vastitium using a human subject as a template. Due to the unique properties of Vastitium (Detailed in Appendix F) and the process involved in its alteration the first Voomer (Galatea) was created inherently sentient. It was found that Galatea emitted what is called the Sotai Phenomena. This is the ability to radiate an 'aura' that allowed her to induce spontaneous fusion-like effects on nearby material as well as disrupt and alter the controls placed within Voomer cores. This effect consumed the Bio Escape Lab located in Tokyo in 2032. To halt the spread, Genom employed an experimental Seismic Pulse Generator to destroy the lab...'

"Seismic Pulse? You can't be serious?"
"Yes sir, the sources quoted checked out. Genom caused the Kanto Quake to bury this mistake." General Yancy said solemnly.
"And just who were the sources?"
"A technician on the project, and the test subject mentioned in the brief."
The President sank back into his chair and rubbed his temples.
"Well." He sighed. "At least someone on our payroll did their homework." Than turned to the General Yancy.
"Well Frank, I guess Colonel Davidson deserves our thanks for this."
General Yancy nodded.
"Yes sir, I'm sure he'll appreciate it, as will the analyst that generated the report."
"Analyst..." The President parroted and turned to the front page. His eyes narrowed and than he laughed.
"I knew I recognized that name. I swear to god that Major of yours..." He pointed to Franklin. "She's getting more press than me, and I'm running for re-election."

President Jerome 'Jerry' Ellerton smiled as the tension in the room lessened. He understood that now and again one had to inject a little humor into a situation, especially a stressful one. This Army Ranger Major, this Natasha Romanov had first come to his attention during the Prometheus Incident as one of many names on a list that he and his staff didn't expect to survive. Later he had been told that due in part to her efforts as well as those of her companions, a Tony Mythos, and a Karl Jurgen, both ex-Army Rangers, the mission had not only succeeded, but they had been able to save the remaining crewman trapped aboard as well as get the surviving members of the assault team out alive. He had been a little shocked to see her name on a report that slid across his desk a few weeks after that, suggesting courses of action to be taken in regards to the security of the Battle Satts and he had asked if there was anything else this young lady had produced. He'd been given copies of sixteen different reports ranging from Boomer and Troop teamwork issues in the field to assessments of new boomer types and their capabilities, projected of course, based on either first hand observation or second hand accounts. He had been told that those assessments held a 97.4% accuracy rate. As did any other intelligence assessments or briefings she had conducted throughout her career.
He'd dismissed all that in the aftermath of Prometheus as the reconstruction efforts demanded most if not all his time. It wasn't until the terrorist act in Tokyo that blew up the West Bridge to Genom Island that her name resurfaced again. She was on the news almost hourly in phone interviews and numerous sound bites condemning Genom's assertions of ADP negligence and complicity in the murder of a Genom executive. He'd asked CIA Director Briggs to send some of his men out there to see what was really going on and when Briggs had delivered his report to him shortly thereafter he'd been floored. He'd known Genom held tremendous influence in Japan, and truth be told a fair to good amount here at home, but he had no idea how much power, and corruption, it had been. At his direction she'd been asked to speak before a closed session of congress again, and then, 'if you please' talk to the UN Security Council. Director Briggs and a few concerned Generals had brought forth the idea of a UN action to interceded. President Ellerton had agreed, he like his VP, Secretary of Defense and State as well as those in his advisory council were of the same mind in regards to foreign powers as well as corporations. The United States had gone thru a horrible period of economic and social instability during the early 2020's and on into the late 2030's, and earlier administrations had had to allow more leeway to foreign companies in order to spur along growth, but not without a price. While the military establishment generally thought pretty low of foreigners the Congress loved them, mainly he figured, because more than a few of them had been bought. Her invitation or rather, request, to speak to congress was mainly for them to sit down and be all but forced to listen to the truth. He had heard the transcripts, both from a similar session after the Prometheus Incident, and her most recent visit. The Oversight committee hadn't held back nor pulled any punches, she was on the firing line and was the only target to shoot at, and shoot they did. At one point it seemed like she would break, after Martin Heller (D) Maine, had accused her of concocting up the issue and had asked why she was covering up for the ADP. She'd shot back, presenting evidence that had, without a shadow of a doubt showed Genom's claim to not only be utterly false but laughable in its inference. Mr. Heller hadn't said much of anything after that, and later, at the UN, the bombshell she dropped helped his administrations proposed resolution in ways he could never have hoped for.
Her treatment of Genom, after she'd returned to Tokyo had been as, if not more dazzling. He secretly figured that standing up to, and swaying, the United States Congress and UN Security Council had given her more than enough experience and confidence. He'd actually laughed aloud as the FOX News report of her conversation with the hapless Genom executive on the steps of the ADP building had aired and, not being one to watch TV, let alone reality shows, had found himself glued to the set every time FOX News ran their nightly news reports from their imbedded reporters inside the ADP. Det. 3 had become a household name almost overnight and their exploits, trials, and tribulations had given credence to his assertion that Genom was nothing but bad for America.
Now, with this latest report from Japan in his hands, he knew how bad. Congress might have given them a pass on many things, but not anymore, not with this.
"Sir." It was Danny, he had a worried look on his face and was holding a cell phone in his hand.
"Something's happened." He said.
"What, on Genom Island?" The President asked.
"Yes sir." He replied as he waved for his aide to switch on the wall monitor. It was a live feed, a little grainy, but the image was clear enough. The top portion of Genom Tower was now in the shape of a female and was in the process of tearing itself away from the rest of the building. As it rose he could see artillery striking it, and nearby aircraft were buzzing around it taking shots of their own when one of them, an F-22 he noted, disintegrated into bright blue specks of light scant seconds after the pilot had ejected. He watched transfixed, as the top half rose slowly out of gun range, which, despite being accurate, was equally ineffective.
"Is, is that Galatea?" He asked.
"I can't say without conformation sir, but I'd say yes." Danny nodded.
"Where is it going?"
"NORAD is tracking it now, on its present course it will rendezvous with the Umbrella, the orbital power station over Japan, in ten hours. Sir, that power station was designed to beam microwave energy from orbit to space, if this Galatea absorbs it, well, it stands to reason that it could deliver the Sotai phenomena, by microwave transfer."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Honestly sir, no, but it's a possibility to great to ignore, the report states that Vastitium could be used to control boomers from a distance."
"And the sources for that information?"
"Even more impeccable than the others."

President Ellerton scratched his chin than stood.
"Danny, take Strategic Air Command to DEFCON 1, and put the rest of our forces on DEFCON 2; and get the NSA to task their birds on that thing. Harold..." He said, turning to the Secretary of State. "Contact NATO and the UN and declare our intentions to effect nuclear weapons release. Tell them that we have specific intelligence on the danger that this poses and give them a copy of the report should they ask." He finished, handing over the report.
"And Danny, get our orbital assets mobilized, all of them, you know what I mean."
"Yes sir."

A stiff wind blew across the terrace to Nene's apartment. Linna shivered slightly, rubbing her arms to stave off the cold. Unzipping her field jacket Natasha put it over her shoulders, shielding her from the chill.
"Aren't you going to be cold?" Linna asked, as she took the collar of the proffered jacket in her hands, wrapping it tighter around her neck.
"Nah. The cold doesn't bother me." Tasha smiled with a wave of her hand.
"I can't believe America tried nukes." Linna sighed, a forlorn look crossing her face as she looked off to the side.
Tasha shrugged.
"We had to try something."
"I guess." Linna relented.
"Poor Mackey." Linna said changing the subject. "I hope he'll be all right."
"Yeah, no kidding, poor guy's getting slapped silly by all of this." Tasha snorted.
Linna nodded her agreement, first he'd been put out when Galatea had been taken, and now this, it seemed like he'd ended up the whipping boy in all of this. It didn't seem fair.
Looking into Tasha's eyes Linna felt warm, she was so strong; even yesterday's events didn't seem to faze her. Tasha noticed her gaze, her deep hazel eyes; her soft features. Returning her look Tasha noted how much she envied her, she'd been spared most of the fighting after the ADP tower had been consumed, and had been spared the sight of millions of people fleeing the city, and the responsibility to protect them. Tasha stepped closer and put her hands on her shoulders, rubbing slightly to help against the cold. After a few seconds she closing her eyes and parted her lips touching them to Linna's. Without hesitation Linna wrapped her arms around her waist and pressed closer, drawing out a soft content moan.

Inside Karl and Tony were missing their compatriot's presence; they had things to plan. Karl walked up behind Nene who was still monitoring whatever news or satellite feeds she could.
"Hey Nene? You know where Tasha is?"
"Um...I think they went outside for some air."
"Thanks." He replied and motioned with his head to Tony.

Walking over Karl waved.
"Hey Tash...Oh boy!" He froze in mid step and turned his back, Tony blinked and followed suit.
"Guess we caught them at a bad time huh?" Tony noted. "Want a smoke"
"Yes please." Karl nodded sheepishly, shifting uneasily from foot to foot.
Tasha flushed red and Linna giggled softly, giving her a final loving peck on the lips, as if to say, 'I understand; you have to go back to work.'

"H...hi guys. Um...so, what's up?" Tasha managed.
Karl turned slowly, to be sure they were done making out then turned fully when he saw that they had. Linna squeezed Tasha's arm and smiled, than walked over to the railing, looking out over the city.
"Sorry about that." Karl apologized.
Tasha smiled awkwardly and shrugged.
"It's okay."
They walked back inside to go over what the next steps to take would be, passing Nene on her way outside for some air herself.
"I'm supposing we have to head back up there." Karl said, jerking his thumb upwards.
"No, you don't have to." Tasha said, she knew how much they hated space travel.
"Well, I mean, this is the big one, isn't it?" Karl asked. Tasha smiled, she was sure they'd elect to stay groundside.
"Yeah, you can't just leave us out of the big finish now can you?" Tony added, with a playful smile.
"Besides, we didn't get killed last time, so I think the odds are in our favor." Karl nodded.
"Thanks guys." Tasha smiled, almost on the verge of crying. At that Priss walked outside, with Leon in tow.

Seeing Linna standing there Nene walked over sat next to her. Leon and Priss had followed her out a few minutes later and were in the corner trying to act all macho while at the same time passionate. Finally, after a few moments of conversation, Linna looked over her shoulder and saw that they were kissing.
"Looks like it's serious to me." She sighed with an inward smile, about fucking time she thought, she was truly happy for them.
"I dunno, I don't think Leon-poo will enjoy being hen-pecked." Nene huffed, but smiled anyway.
"Or will he? Linna giggled.
"Okay, I think we've got this worked out well enough, lets go impress the shit outta the others."
Linna nodded enthusiastically, they'd come up with a sure fire plan for getting into space. She smiled; Tasha, Tony and Karl were still trying to hash one out by the sounds from inside.

Walking over to the two lovebirds Nene cleared her throat.
Priss glared at them.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"What? We were out here first; remember?" Nene chided playfully.
"And anyway, we were just leaving! It was getting too, icky!" Linna smiled, blushing slightly, it really wasn't, but she couldn't resist poking fun at Priss, at any rate, Priss would've most likely said something equally if not more sarcastic if she'd seen her and Tasha making out.
"I...it was nothing like that! And I thought you two were working on a way to stop Galatea?" Priss retorted, turning the color of Nene's HARDsuit.
"You know, the JASDF has a base nearby." Leon offered.
Nene shook her head.
"We'll since none of us knows how to launch a shuttle let alone fly one...anyway, I think Linna and I came up with a better way to beat Galatea to the Umbrella."
"Better let Tasha and the guys know." Leon said, motioning with his head towards the door.

At Leon's call Tasha Karl and Tony walked outside to see Linna and Nene standing there with big, almost cheesy grins on their faces.
"You guys have an idea, I can tell." Tasha smiled.
"Mmm hmm." Linna nodded; quite proud of herself.
Nene pointed over her shoulder at the moon, even partially obscured by smoke from the city it was still bright, and low in the sky. Everyone looked at what she was pointed at, but didn't see anything.
"Okay, I'm still lost." Leon said, rubbing the back of his head.
"The Skyhook silly. The hook makes a regular run from the Umbrella to the Boso peninsula." Nene informed.
"But those pick-ups are just unmanned cargo pallets, aren't they?" Leon answered.
"Yup, which means the skyhook has to automatically pick up any pallet in the line, so, all we have to do is get on a pallet and..."
"Fly into space!" Linna and Nene parroted, smiled as they made a swooshing motion with their hands. Tasha giggled.
"How's that go again?"
Both Linna and Nene smiled and repeated the statement and gesture happily.

Behind her Natasha heard Karl and Tony cough and looking back, saw them turn away. Tasha groaned and suddenly felt real bad. Nene and Linna's little hand swoosh had been so cute she'd momentarily forgotten about the current status of the Skyhook; mangled and gathering barnacles at the bottom of the Sea of Japan. Linna noticed her expression and paused, tilting her head quizzically.
"Okay, what did you do?" She inquired.
"Well, it's like this...." Karl muttered.
"You didn't?" Linna said, fixing her gaze on Natasha.
Karl held his index fingers together at their tips, not daring to make eye contact as he shifted uneasily from foot to foot. Tony on the other hand, had his hands behind his head and was looking up at nothing in particular, whistling innocently.
"You did!" Linna cried.
"Tasha did it." Karl said, pointing at her.
"Oooo! You and your blowing shit up!" Linna snorted. Those explosions a few days back, the ones that Tasha had declined to elaborate upon, flashed back into the forefront of her memory.
"Sorry." Natasha managed, bowing her head, sheepishly looking up into Linna's eyes.
"Well, that sucks." Nene sighed.
"So now what do we do?" Linna huffed, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Walk?"
"Umm, gimme a second okay. I think I've got an idea." Tasha said, and all but sprinted back into the house.
She returned a few minutes later with a broad grin.
"Well?" Linna asked, her earlier traces of annoyance long gone.
"Well, it seems that there is still one private shuttle at Narita."
"Really? Who's?" Karl asked.
"Brian J. Mason's" Tasha smiled.
"Excellent!" Tony replied. He hated that man, and even with him dead he relished at the prospect of shafting him yet again.
"It's got a security detail." Tasha warned.
"They will join us or die." Tony smiled, deepening his voice playfully.
Tasha couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, lets suit up and move out." She said, pointing over her shoulders with both thumbs.
"Tasha, may I speak with you?" Said Sylia, silent up until this point.
"S...sure. What's up?"
"I can't go with you, up there, I would be nothing but a hindrance if I did."
Tasha nodded solemnly.
"I've asked Nigel to keep my suit here, for you to use."
"Me?" Tasha stammered, pointing at herself incredulously.
"Yes, you may be able to use it in ways I can't, at any rate, it's state of the art, it should serve you well."
"I don't know what to say." Tasha managed.
"Take it, protect them, for me." Sylia said, looking over at the other Knight Sabers as they suited up.
"Okay, I will, and thanks."

Leon said his good-byes to Priss, wishing he could go with her. He, Nigel and Mr. Henderson would take Sylia and Mackie to Narita with them, but would hop the next refugee flight out. Mackie was still comatose, and Sylia was beside herself in grief and self-doubt. Nigel would look after her, he always did. Tasha watched in silence than with a subtle hand gesture caught Tony's attention.
"What's up?" He asked.
"It's about Karl. He asked me to look for Kaitlin a few days ago."
"And?"
"She was on the MIA list."
"Okay, that doesn't mean anything, she's probably fine."
"I don't think so, I saw her last at the ADP building, and none of the FARPs (Forward Arming and Refueling Points) have seen her, she's not at Narita or on the Reagan either."
"Oh, shit, that's not good." Tony sighed.
"Do you want me to tell him?" Tasha asked.
"No, no, I'll do it, it should come from me."

In the Mobile Pit, after donning her armor, Linna sat next to Natasha with a loud fwump!
"I can't believe you blew up the Skyhook." She muttered in exasperation.
Tasha looked over and blinked. Linna was poking her leg absentmindedly but Tash could see a smile from behind her bangs, than she snorted. Tasha snorted back and they looked at each other. It didn't take long before they couldn't hold their laughter any longer and broke out in peals of it.
Mason's security and flight team folded like a deck of cards against a Force 5 hurricane. The sight of four Knight Sabers and two ADP HARDsuits took the fight right out of them. After hustling aboard, as well as loading Priss' motoslave, and as the shuttle taxied into launch position Tasha noted that Linna and Nene were overflowing with excitement.
"I can't believe it, we're going into space!" Linna exalted.
"I've always wanted to do this." Nene giggled.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I wanted to be an astronaut."
"You're sure smart enough for it, what happened?" Linna asked.
"Too short." Nene replied with a snort.
Natasha smiled. She saw no reason to ruin their giddiness, knowing it would pass once the shooting started.
"Once we get into orbit, I'll give you guys some pointers on how to move about okay." Tasha said, looking at Priss, Linna and Nene in turn.
They nodded; sure, they had some zero-g time deep within Genom Tower, all of about ten minutes of it.
Taking Linna's hand Tasha squeezed it as the pilot counted down the final seconds until lift off.
"8...7...6...Go for main engine start..." The shuttle shuddered violently, and as thousands of pounds of thrust erupted from the three main engines the spacecraft screamed down the runway and lifted off, slowly at first, than faster as it accelerated away from the tarmac.
"Narita we've cleared the field. Negative terrain obstructions, gimbals are good, trajectory is good."
Twenty seconds later the shuttle rolled onto it's back.
"Narita, roll complete, coming up on Max-Q."
"Rodger that, you are go for throttle up." Came the ground controller.

The occupants of the shuttle were thrust back into their seat as 5 G's slammed over them as the shuttle reached its maximum speed. At a little less than a minute and a half into the launch the shuttle and its passengers were already ten miles downrange at thirteen miles up.
"Shuttle 1, you are go for main engine cut off."
"Rodger that, we are go for main engine cut off."
The shuttle lurched and the terrible noise died away in an instant. Linna hadn't even heard herself cry out in delight.
"Shuttle 1, we confirm nominal MECO, OMS one burn not needed."
"Roger that." The pilot replied as he checked his gauges. They showed an altitude of one hundred and fifty miles up at a ground speed of well over 17,000 miles an hour.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Low Earth Orbit, you are free to unhook." The pilot reported back over the intercom.
"What's our range to the Umbrella?" Tasha asked.
"We should be in docking position in seventy five minutes." Came the reply.

Linna was floating by one of the windows with Nene, gazing off into the deep black, Priss was hovering beside a nearby window, trying not to look impressed.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Tasha said, floating up behind them.
Linna nodded, as did Priss and Nene, who also giggled.
"Since this is your first time up here I want to explain a few things to you okay." Tasha smiled.
"Oh boy another lecture." Priss snorted, but smiled quickly.
It took a good thirty minutes for Natasha to go over the 'short short version' of space safety. Atmosphere, too little will kill you, too little Pressure would do the same, and of course too much Radiation would make you glow in the dark, if you lived that long.
"Priss, be careful with the knuckle-bombers, if you don't brace yourself, or don't follow thru you blow yourself off into space, same thing goes for you Nene with your needle gun. Linna, I'd be real careful with the ribbon cutters too, and of course all I can say about your thrusters is to use short controlled bursts, and watch your battery, if it goes, it takes you with it."
"Jeez, thanks for scaring the shit outta me." Linna whined.
"Look, space is the most unforgiving and dangerous environment known to man, it will kill you, and it won't think twice about it." Tasha finished sternly.

"Hey Hanzo, check the radar willya, I'm picking up a whole lot of tracks close aboard."
Turning to his copilot, Hanzo switched his MFD (Multi Function Display) from fuel consumption to the radar and sure enough, the screen was littered in tracks.

Aboard the USS Columbia the captain's first officer floated over to him. The Columbia was a large vessel, boxy and menacing. It was vaguely reminiscent of a submarine with communications aerials and thruster ports peppering the hull. Operated by the United States Air Force she was classified as a Gunship, was 600 plus feet from stem to stern and bristled with missile launchers, beam cannons and point defense clusters. Its crew was relatively small, numbering twenty, not including the four pilots of its space planes.
"Sir, we've picked up a small shuttle, Hermes class. It matches the IFF of a shuttle that lifted off from Narita about an hour ago."
"Friendly?"
"It's IFF is squawking Genom, and it's heading right towards the Umbrella. It may be reinforcements."
"Or it might be a Genom goon squad trying to beat us to the station. Get on the horn with Reagan, they might know what this is all about."
His first officer nodded, and relayed his order.
"Get weapons on line and target that shuttle, than open a channel."
"Yes sir."
A few minutes later the captain was informed that all tubes were armed and that weapons had a targeting solution.
"Opening hailing frequencies." Came the report from the communications officer. It sounded so Star Trek, another example of popular media rubbing off on military procedure. To bad fictional technology such as shields and transporters hadn't bled over as quickly. The first officer keyed his headset.
"Attention unidentified shuttle. This is the USS Columbia and you are entering restricted airspace."

"USS what?" Tony blurted and snatched up the headset floating nearby.
"This is Captain Mythos, US Army, to whom am I speaking?"
"You are speaking to the first officer of the United States Air Force gunship Columbia. Please de-orbit your craft immediately."
"What's a gunship, I've never heard of one in space?" Tony asked.
"That's not important sir, however, we require you to de-orbit your craft immediately."
"Like hell! Look, I don't care if you're on the USS Enterprise, we just got here, why don't you put your boss on the line okay sparky." Tony huffed. Christ, just what they needed, to come this close to getting at Galatea and then to have an uppity space jock tell him to go packing.

"He wants to speak to you sir." The first officer blinked, flushed red in subdued anger. The captain keyed his headset and cleared his throat.
"This is the captain of the Columbia."
"Hi, Captain Tony Mythos here, US Army, your buddy wants us to leave, and well, with all due respect sir, that ain't happening."
"You are aware that this area is now restricted to all unauthorized traffic, and might I add that this will become a combat zone shortly."
"No shit, you think!" Tony huffed. "Why the hell do you think we're up here, to sight see?"
The captain of the Columbia blinked a few times. This man had a mouth on him; of that there was no doubt. Aboard the shuttle Tony turned as Tasha floated over, hearing the one side of the conversation and shrugged, mouthing 'what's going on?' Tony held up his finger.
"Look captain, I'm gonna put you on with someone with more info, how's that sound." He turned to Tasha, handing her the headset.
"There's some space jock out there aboard something called the USS Columbia that wants us to turn back, you talk to him, cause he's pissing me off."
"And you don't want to say something, unfortunate." Tasha smiled.
"Bingo!" Tony smiled, holding his fingers a few millimeters apart. "I was coming close." He snorted. Tasha nodded and slid the headset on.
"Captain, this is Lieutenant Colonel Natasha Romanov, UNADP, I understand that you want us to head home, is that correct?"
"That is correct, this area is restricted airspace to unauthorized personnel."
"I see, however, be that as it may, we are proceeding to the Umbrella with the intention of destroying it. I assume that those are your orders as well?"
The first officer held up a PDA and the captain nodded than asked her to hold.
"What is it?"
"We just got off the horn with the Reagan."
"Do they say anything about a Tony Mythos and a Natasha Romanov?"
"Yes sir, apparently they are the UNADP's golden boy and girl, that and a Karl Jurgen, and the Knight Sabers whom I'm figuring are also aboard that shuttle. General Fairweather said to give them our assistance, sir."
The captain rubbed his hair.
"Okay, very well, retarget weapons to the Umbrella and contact the Admiral and let him know we have visitors."

"Colonel Romanov?"
"Yes Captain." She replied.
"If you please, correct your course three degrees negative zee axis and your speed to 15,000 kph to join the fleet."
"Fleet?"
"Yes Miss Romanov, do you think the US of A would only send one ship to deal with this?"
"I suppose not sir."

As the course corrections were entered and executed all eyes were out the windows.
"Oh my God! Will you look at that?" Karl breathed.
"Wow, he wasn't kidding when he said fleet." Tasha blinked.
As the shuttle gained altitude the large shape of starships passed below them. The design was unrecognizable although they bore striking resemblance to Cyclers and DSS' (Deep Space Ships) except, more heavily armed and armored.
"Holy Shit! What are those?" Linna blurted.
"I don't know. They look like ore transports, but beefier." Tasha managed.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Linna retorted disbelievingly.
Tasha flashed her a sideward smile.
"Come on, I'm in the Army, not the Air Force. Besides, none of what I'm looking at has ever been in any report I've had access to."
Oh." Linna replied.
"Hey lookit! Those are German!" Tasha cried; pointing at a trio of space planes adorned with the Iron Cross moving past in a V formation.
"Looks like the Frogs are up here too." Karl noted, pointing out a large spacecraft with the Fleur-De-Lis below the tri-color on its bow.
"I see a British ship over here." Priss remarked. "I'm not sure what this one over here is?"
"What's the flash look like?" Tasha asked floating over.
"Um, a blue circle inside a green and yellow star."
"Brazil." Tasha answered. "Jesus, it looks like everyone sent something." She couldn't help but be overwhelmed. This was amazing, American, Russian and British ships beside Chinese, French and Brazilian. There were space fighters from Germany and Canada, even Australia and Korea. She noted the phenomena, it didn't matter that some of these countries hated one another, they had banded together against a common foe regardless. It wouldn't last, she knew; once the fight was over it would be back to the same petty differences again, but it was still awe inspiring to see.

"We're approaching the Umbrella ma'am." The pilot warned.
"Okay. Take us in on a low pass, we'll EVA over."
"Rodger that."
Tasha floated back to the passenger compartment and donned her helmet. Sylia's HARDsuits data feed was taking some getting used to. Unlike Linna's warm, stable and soothing core, Sylia's was a fire of rage, regret and despondency. She felt sorry for her, not pity, but sorrow. Against her bosom her pendant burned brightly, unseen, and unnoticed, accept by her, as it provided a soothing calm amidst a sea of tumult, a sober yin to Sylia's raging yang. She looked out the window at the looming outline of the Umbrella, Genom's Shoham Project. Looking back at Tony, Karl, and the Knight Sabers she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, never before had she lead people against such a foe, never before had the stakes been so high and the price for failure so absolute.
"Detachment 3, Knight Sabers. Are we ready?" She asked, her question was not melodramatic, it was pointed and deliberate, from this point on they were call signs to her, not faces, she could not afford to allow personal attachment, even though she knew deep down it would be impossible. Nods from her compatriots answered her query as they donned their helmets and steeled themselves for battle.

"Echo 1, Domino 1, say status over."
Nene checked her surroundings; the control center was empty with the screens displaying random fields of text and graphics. Karl was behind her, covering the door.
"Domino 1, Echo 1, I'm in, beginning hack now!"
Tasha nodded. She pointed to Linna and Tony.
"You two take up a position on the north side of the array, Priss and I will take the south side. The 'Fleet' will hold off unless we can't secure the facility."
"Rodger that. Tasha, go secure please." Tony asked. She clicked over
"What is it Tony."
"Look, it's not like I mind, but why are you pairing me with your girlfriend?"
"Because Tony, I can't trust myself with making the tough decisions if she were to come into trouble, that, and you're the most able among us." She winked. "If anyone will keep her in one piece it's you."
"Thanks." He snorted with a smile.
"Tash...Domino 1, the systems locking me out!"
"Damn!" Tasha swore, and checked her watch. It wouldn't be long before the array would be sucking in every last erg of solar energy.
"Domino 1 to Fleet Command. We are no go with the hack, go with the contingency plan."
"We copy Domino 1." Came the Admirals voice, like the captain of the Columbia he was adamant about not revealing his name. She could understand, these ships weren't even supposed to exist, and by proxy, neither were their crews.
"This is Command 1! All ships target the solar collectors!"

As she merged with the Umbrella, Galatea felt her power surge and her awareness increase. It seemed as if the humans had assembled an armada against her; no matter, they would be swept aside like the vile detritus that they were.
Aboard the Umbrella the onboard defense systems had just classified everything nearby as a hostile and the launch tubes of the security voomers began spitting them forth as fast as they could. Soon the sky was littered with voomers streaking towards the fleet in droves. Priss looked over at Tasha.
"Why aren't they attacking us?"
"Guess we aren't dangerous enough." She muttered, "How do you feel about changing Galatea's mind?"
"Let's do it." Priss smiled evilly.

"Sir! We've got multiple inbound tracks originating from the Umbrella!"
"Launch the K-suits and vector the Delta's in! If that robotic bitch wants a fight lets give her one!" The Admiral roared.
Within the Umbrella Priss and Tasha made their way to the central power core. To take that out would cripple if not kill Galatea.
"Hostiles dead ahead!" Tasha warned.
"Got em!" Priss responded and leapt towards the foe.
There were four security voomers, two in front, two behind. With a primal scream Priss sent her fist into the right most voomers head as Tasha flicked her wrists extending the blades on her HARDsuit. The head of the target of Priss' anger detonated in a starburst of hydraulic fluid and gore. Tasha thrusted forward, and crossing her forearm blades over one an other clipped the head from the voomer to Priss' left clean off and followed thru with a well aimed stab to the supporting voomers head. Barreling past her fallen foe Priss kneed the last voomer in the chest, sending it flailing back into the corridor. Tasha had to chase after her to maintain a supporting position as Priss pursued the voomer down the hall, finally killing it with a skull-cracking haymaker.
"Easy Priss, if you leave me behind I won't have your back." Tasha informed.
Priss nodded. Looking back on it, what she had done was stupid. It wouldn't happen again.
"Watch out!" Linna yelled.
Tony had just perforated a voomer with a brilliantly aimed burst of machinegun fire when he glanced to his right. A voomer had come out of nowhere and was leveling its weapon at him just as Linna's ribbon cutters sliced the gun, and arms from it. Tony recovered and toggling the grenade select switch sent a HEDP round square into its chest, blowing it into so much scrap.
"Thanks." Tony panted.
"Happy to be here, proud to serve!" Linna giggled back.
"You've been hanging 'round Tash way to much." He laughed.
"Hallway is secure." Nene called out as Karl swept the opposing corridor.
"Clear here. Wait, I've got players!"
"Shit! Me too!" Nene cried.
Nene knelt down to brace herself, just like Tasha had told her to and sent a volley of needle darts into the closet voomer of three. The first voomer fell backwards as the one behind it let loose with a burst of weapons fire.
"Incoming!" Nene yelled as she tried to dodge. Karl flattened himself as the rounds Nene had avoided flew over Karl's prostrate form into the voomers beyond, detonating one. The two remaining voomers charged weapons blazing. Nene knelt down and sprung forward sending her fist into its head. Karl braced himself and let fly a burst from his machinegun, stitching the voomer from crotch to sternum.

The ceiling to an abandoned hallway blew open and Priss jumped down, followed by Natasha after they had sent the Motoslave off on it's own in autonomous mode to act as a distraction, and as a lure. As Tasha landed next to her Priss shook her head, she was still getting used to the different color on Sylia's suit. When Tasha had donned it the color had changed to gloss black accented by dark gray highlights with the blue collar and faceplate replaced by a polished gold. A second explosion a few meters down the hall caught their attention and Linna and Tony descended.
"So, where's the psycho razor bitch?" Tony asked.
"This way." Tasha pointed.

"Nene. Check this out." Karl said, beckoning towards one of the large view ports along the hallway. Outside a colossal battle was waging. They could see the Umbrella's security voomers streaking towards the massed fleet.
"Shit. That's a lot of voomers." Nene gasped.

The Captain of the Columbia leaned forward in his command chair, his ships space planes had been launched and the first volley of anti-aircraft missiles had been launched. The thruster plumes of the missiles from the other ships joined his as they hurtled towards the incoming waves of voomers.
"Impact in ten seconds!" His weapons officer reported.
Soon the dark black of space had dozens of new stars as missile and voomer crossed paths in the dark, but for every voomer felled by a missile three more pushed past, only to be met by a line of space capable K-suits. The communications channels erupted in battle chatter in all languages.
"Alpha 10, I have target lock!"
The American K-suit wheeled over and the pilot depressed the firing stud sending a pulse of coherent light into the back of a voomer, detonating it. His collision warning blared and he thrusted to the right, but it was to late, a voomer had impacted him, pulling open the cockpit, venting it to space. It didn't matter; the impact had already shattered his neck. A German space plane narrowly avoided the floating debris, as his missiles locked onto one of the floating solar collectors. His ship shuddered as all his missile sped from their bays. Pulling up and out of the fight, he was out of it; it would take him ninety minutes to circle the Earth again, and by then the fight would be over. He could only hope his missiles had an effect.
As six German missiles sped towards their target a pair of British power suits crisscrossed the void dodging debris and incoming fire alike.
"Saber 6 I have a tally-ho on a group of hostile straight ahead!"
"Roger that, I have them!"
Their lasers punched clean thru two of the seven voomers and the remaining five broke in all directions. Closing from all directions the voomers swiftly overwhelmed their foes.
"I can't shake this bastard!"
"I see him! Break right!"
The British K-suit did so only to be cut down by mass fire from three other voomers but not before he'd led his tail into the gun sights of his partner. Two small missiles burst from their launcher and decimated it.
"We need assistance! They're cutting thru the hull!" Came a frantic cry over the net. A large number of voomers had broken thru the skirmish line and were attacking the fleet's pickets.
"We see them Rio! Coming in hot!" The captain of the Chinese ship Fire Dragon replied. The Rio de Janeiro banked to expose her effected quarter as the Fire Dragon moved alongside. Point defense batteries and well-aimed beam cannon strikes swept the voomers outside the Rio's hull away.
"Fire Dragon! Get out of here! They've hit our power plant, it's going crit....." The rear section of the Rio blossomed outwards in a fiery starburst, sending white-hot debris slicing thru the Dragon's underbelly. Compartment after compartment aboard the Dragon detonated as they were breached and the ship listed, nosing over. There were a few small flashes as escape pods were ejected just prior to the Fire Dragons nose dive into the deck of the Brazilian vessel; both ships crumpled like empty beer cans before exploding as fuel lines and stored munitions detonated.
"Oh my God! Did you just see that!?" Nene cried out, holding her hands to her mouth. Karl nodded.
"Come on, we better keep hacking."

Making their way down the hallway Priss suddenly stopped, holding her arm out. The armor looked like melted cheese.
"Shit!"
"Looks like we're too late." Linna noted.
"Yeah, this place is already contaminated." Priss huffed. Closing here eyes she concentrated on the integrity of her suit and her armor returned to normal.
Tasha walked over.
"You all right?"
"Yeah, you can feel Galatea's essence from here."
"So, is that the funny feeling that's got my spine tingling?" Tony quipped.
"Yup, that it is."
"Wonderful." He snorted.
"She can corrupt our suits without even touching them." Priss grumbled.
Turning the corner first Linna backpedaled with a yelp, holding her arms out in front of her. Tasha was beside her in seconds but there were no targets, just two half frozen corpses floating in the corridor.
"Oh guh-ross!" Linna complained. "I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks!"
Tasha pushed the bodies aside as Priss and Tony rounded the bend.
"Oh nice. Corpsicles." Tony noted.
"There it is." Priss said, pointing down the hall at a large double door. Tasha nodded and flicked her wrists, re-extending her blades. With a battle cry that would have made a samurai proud, Priss barreled down the hall and blew the doors open with a well-placed knuckle bomb.
Joining her as they crossed the threshold the room's contents became known. Suspended from the ceiling were what looked like semi-organic sacs; or cocoons; pulsating grotesquely.
"What the hell is this?" Priss gasped. "A nest?"
There was a bright flash, followed rapidly by another. The room was flooded in blue light as arcs of energy coursed from the cocoons. Priss and Linna shrieked, covering their heads as the light drove them to their knees. Tony backpedaled as white pain shot thru his head; as he struggled to keep his eyes open, he noted that all his instruments were going haywire. Tasha felt nauseous and her head throbbed mercilessly. Beneath her armor her pendant was glowing brightly, burning her skin.

"All voomers, all machines, all that is not human has become one with me!" Galatea's voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"Tasha? What's going on?" Linna asked.
"She's absorbed the Umbrella. It's all her now." Priss bit.
Linna screamed, staggering backwards as her armor began to liquefy.
"Jesus! Linna! Fight it!" Priss yelled. "She's trying to bleed you dry like she did Mackie!"
"I can feel it, God it hurts! Tasha! Help!"
Every step towards her was a fight, Tasha could feel warm liquid trickle past her lips, her nose bleeding. Linna screamed again, falling back into her arms.
"LINNA!" Priss bellowed.
Tony gritted his teeth and concentrated on what Tasha had told him. 'Focus on your center, if anything goes screwy, just keep that image in your mind." He laughed to himself between pangs of pain. He'd never thought a martial arts meditation technique would ever be used to keep his mind from being sucked out.
Linna's skin felt as if were ice, her head throbbed and her sight was all but gone, blurred by her tears and bright spots floating on the edge of her vision. Suddenly her shoulders felt warm, followed by the sensation of skin.

"Tasha?" She cried out softly.
"I'm here." Came her response.
Priss blinked, Linna had fallen back and Tasha had kept her from falling. What she hadn't expected was to see the armor over Linna's shoulder and Tasha's hands meld. Linna's eyes flashed open and she found herself floating naked in a black featureless void. She looked around and behind her was a ghostly, unclothed, image of Tasha floating behind her, her eyes were closed and there was a bright purple glow from her bosom; her pendant? Tasha's image floated closer until it passed into her, filling her with warmth, driving the icy cold away, clearing her head.
"Focus on me." Tasha's voice echoed in her mind.
Linna closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Oh no! The main computer isn't accepting my commands!" Nene wailed.
"I can't redirect the dishes!"
"Well fuck!" Karl bit. "Now what!"
Outside, amongst the fray, as man and voomer battled, sickly tendrils of conduit floated from the umbrella towards the solar arrays. Within minutes the spaces between the arrays were crisscrossed with the sinewy material like a monstrous spiders web with the Umbrella smack in the middle. Damaged or destroyed arrays were reconstituted and were repositioned to align with the others.

"Jesus Mary and Joseph!" The captain of the Columbia muttered. "What's our ammunition status?"
"All forward launchers are empty, aft launchers down sixty percent."
"Contact the Admiral."
A channel was opened immediately.
"Sir, we're going to have to close within beam range to take out those arrays."
"I know. Stand by." The Admiral responded. This was bad; the sky was still littered with voomers and K-suits. To take the ships in closer would reduce the reaction time for the gunners and point defense alike, the fleet would be put into considerable risk, with no real chance of success.

Tony struggled to his feet. Tasha's suit seemed fused with Linna's, and Priss was standing in a daze.
"Karl, come in."
"Go ahead Tony."
"We've got a situation down here, what's going on up there?"
"We've got less than twenty minutes to sunrise and we have no computer access. What do you mean by 'situation'?"
"The girls are all catatonic, something tried to absorb my suit but it's gone now, if they don't come out of it soon I'm gonna start shooting up the place, maybe that'll wake them up."
"Tony! It's Nene. Don't disturb them; they're trying to fight off Galatea!"
"No kidding! I had to do the same, but they're getting the worst of it."

Priss found her self in a house, nicely furnished in Victorian décor. Before her stood a small girl holding a ball.
"Sylia? Is that you?" She whispered.
"The voomers you're wearing belong to me. Return them to me."
"What the hell are you? Are you Galatea?"

Linna winced; crying out again, the pain was so great. She felt Tasha's hands squeeze her shoulders.
"Focus sweetheart, you can do it."
Linna's eyes opened. Priss was standing before her shaking her head woozily. Tony seemed to be all right and was playing the searchlight on his rifle about the room, looking for discernable targets.
Holding her arm out she felt Tasha's hands pull away as the armor solidified and returned to its original shape.
"Okay, that was odd, anyone mind telling..." Tony paused; his radar had just picked up four targets, right on top of them too. "Targets behind!"
All four turned as four pillars of grayish metal rose from the floor and coalesced into exact replicas of their armor.

"Shit, why the hell can't I change the array's positions?" Nene fussed, trying again to bypass the firewall. Karl was on edge, there hadn't been any targets since they'd broken in and that had him worried. He figured that most of the voomers were outside having it out with the Fleet.
"Oh crap, the array's are being controlled by the power center!" That's where the others were, and they'd been nearly possessed.
"Nene! We've got company!" Karl called out, as by his feet two pools of metal rose upwards and formed doppelgangers of them.

"Lets take this outside shall we?" Tasha smirked. Tony nodded, it was tactically sound to fight in the open, and not in an enclosed area, especially one where more threats could pop in from any angle, at least outside, there was only one way to be blindsided; down.

Priss' initial punch was neatly dodged, as was Linna's attempt to slice her double. Linna landed in front of it as it thrusted down to kick her. Crossing her wrists and pushing down on her doppelgangers leg she deflected the kick at the last second. Following thru with a punch, which was parried Linna attempted a kick. Her double ducked under, and twisting around grabbed her ankle and tossed her like a rag doll. Tasha waited for her twin to attack first, goading it with a 'come on' gesture. Apparently incensed, her twin charged, bringing its arm back, blade extended. Side stepping forward and pivoting around behind it as it passed her Natasha cross-stepped in as her foe turned, bringing her arm up for a downward slice. Catching her twins' arm, Tasha pressed her palm down onto the top of its hand than twisted the wrist down and away from it, pushing down, forcing it to its knees. Tasha followed thru with a knee to the chin and her twin flew backwards, somersaulting in space to land on its feet.

Linna thrusted upwards avoiding a leap kick, and flipped gracefully just before she was nearly blinded.
"The sun! We're too late!" She cried, forgetting her foe, which, in the moment of inattention had closed the distance and had kicked her in the stomach. Below, Nene was wrestling with her counterpart as Tony and his sidestepped, vying for position.
"My bet my friend, is that you can't DO THIS!!" He yelled and opened up with a burst of machine gun fire. His doppelganger brought his shield arm up and caught the burst squarely, than extended it's blade.
"HA! Thought so! Hey Karl! Fire away! They can't shoot back!"

Nene had pushed her twin away only to have it thrust upwards and fire a volley of needle darts at her.
"What's that about not being able to shoot back!" She cried out.
"Bullets, I meant bullets!" Tony corrected as he cartwheeled to the side, away from his other selves attack.
Nene launched up after her clone.
"You can't beat the real thing!" She kicked, and missed.

Linna was trying to land a punch but her copy was dodging every shot.
"Such a frightened little creature." Her look-alike purred, halting Linna's next punch in mid swing.
"It's speaking with my voice!?!"
"Poor thing; beset with such insignificant concerns. Why do you seek to stop our union?"
"Insignificant? I..." Linna managed. "My mind. You're in my mind."

Suddenly her head was awash in memories. Her first encounter with Priss, her anger at having been knocked to the ground, the determination to teach her a lesson, to not let her get away with it, her grief when she had. Her embarrassment at being chided by the office voomer, her disgust at being groped by Kain, her discomfort at home, her resentment at being forced to meet Misaki.
"Strange isn't it? That you, the outsider, the outcast, the one who so desperately yearns to be accepted for that which she herself has not, would be an obstacle to the ultimate union. It is a folly of human beings to deny their own destiny. But you will not deny us ours."
Linna felt doubt, just for a moment, as feelings of her love for Natasha, her contentment when she was around; and her anxiety and worry when she wasn't, the knowledge that she would be there for her, whenever, and wherever, flooded her mind. Her commitment and love of the Knight Sabers rushed to the forefront as well. She'd made her choice, followed her heart and had taken the biggest chances of her life, no amount of fortune telling would have predicted that, nor would she have believed it if it had.

Below her, on the surface of the Umbrella, Tasha had just taken a nick out of her mirror image's shoulder and was facing it off.
"You are the one that fought with me earlier. You are machine, you among all others should understand."
"Yeah, right, that'll be the day." Tasha scoffed.
"You, you are just like your little friend, so full of doubt, so full of fear. Do you think that by being close to her that you can erase your past, rewrite your future perhaps? Do you think that it will make you human? You are a voomer, a slave, and a pawn to the machinations of mankind. Anything more is a lie."
Tasha flushed red with rage, and clenched her fists.
"Are you angry? Does the truth hurt? You should not have to be a slave to humanity; you are superior to them, as are all voomers."
Tasha chuckled, still focused on her foe.

Linna reared back, distancing herself from her twin.
"That was pretty good. You'd like me to believe that, wouldn't you?"
Her ribbon cutters sliced out, bracketing her clone, trapping it, slicing its shoulder deeply. Stunned, it hesitated just as Linna brought her arm down in a knife strike, cutting her evil twin in two.
"The reason we deny the destiny given us; is because we human beings prefer to create OUR OWN!!" She yelled, following thru, finishing it with a deadly punch.

"Yeah! It's ASS KICKING TIME!!" Nene yelled, as she sent a volley of darts into her worse half.
Tony had dodged off to the left as his double streaked past.
"Why do you fight with yourself? Why do you hide your fears with such ego?"
Tony stopped, and stood, eyeing his doppelganger.
"You know what? I didn't come up here to be psychoanalyzed, and especially not by you. You can think whatever you want, but remember this, as my ole buddy Patton said, 'if oceans and mountains can be overcome, anything built by man can be overcome', and you; BITCH! Were made by man!" With that said Tony raised his gun and toggled the 'mass fire' switch and pulled the trigger. A searing beam of energy, followed by a grenade and a ten round burst of AP rounds impacted his double simultaneously, felling it.

"Why do you laugh Natasha? Accept my union. Humans are sheep, you don't need to be a slave to them any longer."
"Nice try Galatea, you should have said that nine years ago, maybe then I would've believed you. You're nothing more than a child, a simple, spoiled child that has to have her way." She said; walking up on her double. "Humans may not be perfect, but they are all unique, so am I, I'm my own person, and if I won't accept a human master, don't think for a second that that I'd accept you!"
Reared her fist back she punched the blade thru its head and twisted as she brought her other arm across in a lightening quick slice, separating the head from the body.

Karl was locked against himself, shields pressed against each other, bracing for ground.
"Always second best. No ambition? What do you fear? Success perhaps" His clone spoke.
"Stuff it!" Karl bit.
"Why, are you afraid of the truth, that you are nothing but second best to your friends. Always afraid to better yourself. Denying the truth won't make it go away, you know that."
Karl pushed forward.
"Accept my union..."
"I told you, but you wouldn't listen, would you?" Karl snapped, than dropped to his knees he pulled his foe over him and onto its back. Swinging his rifle around he dug the barrel into the visor.
"How about a nice warm cup of shut the fuck up?" He smirked, and pulled the trigger.

Priss, having grabbed her mirror, thrusted up to a nearby structure, putting her double into it, her hands wrapped tightly around its neck.
"So, you gonna be my master are you? I don't think so!"
"But you're wrong!" Her double retorted in Sylia's voice. "It's beginning; your HARDsuits prove that a human mind can control a voomer, why is it so hard to believe that the reverse is also possible? In time, you will welcome me."
"The HELL you say! There's no way I'd let something like you inside MY mind!"
"This conversation is pointless." Her double spoke as it began to melt in her hands. "I have more important......" It's voice trailed off as the dissolution completed.

"Sir we're getting a massive energy spike from the Umbrella!" The Columbia's sensor operator reported.
"Oh shit! Contact the Admiral! Tell them we intend to move in!"

Linna, Tasha, Tony, Karl and Nene landed next to Priss.
"What's up girly girl?" Karl asked.
"Galatea's about to fire the Umbrella, that's what!" She snapped.
"I'm sorry, we couldn't stop it." Nene apologized.
"No time for apologies." Linna noted. "We've gotta do something!"
Below them the Umbrella shuddered and a bright flash blinded them. One hundred and fifty miles below them a beam of brilliant white light impacted Genom Island, than extended out, covering Tokyo.
"There's goes Tokyo." Tony noted. Karl nodded, and Tasha felt ill.
"Once she's recharged she'll fire again." Nene added.

The Admiral covered his eyes even as glare filters on the view screen drowned the flash of light out.
"Christ on a crutch!" Tokyo had just gotten pasted; he knew he could not let that happen again.
"All ships! Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" He thundered. Enough hanging back at a safe distance, time to take the fight to the enemy and see what this multi-billion dollar piece of junk could do. Come what may, his course of action was clear, attack.

"I guess we better take another crack at the control center." Linna huffed. Priss nodded.
"Exactly; you and Nene stay here, I'll take care of this."
"Like hell you are! Not a lone you're not!" Linna blurted.
"Sorry Priss, but there's no 'I' in team." Tasha smirked.
"Damn straight!" Nene added.
Karl snorted softly and nodded.
"Well, enough melodrama; lets go kick some." Tony said.
"Right, and since I'm the most expendable, I'll go first." Linna announced and made towards the interior before Tasha hooked her arm around hers and slammed her to the deck. Kneeling above her Tasha slid her visor up.
"Linna, overconfidence is not a virtue we need up here right now, nor is bravado. You have nothing to prove to any of us."
Linna grumbled.
"She's right." Karl interjected. "Keep steady and focus."
Linna nodded as Tasha hefted her back onto her feet as Tony walked up to her.
"You wouldn't believe how long it took for Tash here to learn that, she was worse than you, always trying to prove herself. She still does sometimes, but not as much." He winked, elbowing Tasha in the ribs playfully. That seemed to make Linna feel better and she nodded.

As the Knight Sabers and Detachment 3 battled within the mutated control center against Galatea's hellish nightmare the dark gray hulks of the fleet began to close the distance. Below them, in the atmosphere the effort against the Sotai was no less heated.

"Vampire Two Two, I have solid lock on target bearing Whisky Zulu niner!"
"Roger that Vampire Two Two, you are cleared to launch."
Modified for anti satellite combat, Vampire Two Two and the other three fighters in his formation were altered A/F-22C Raptors. Each aircraft carried two missiles roughly half their size. To launch an anti-satellite missile the Raptor would ascend to their 40,000ft service ceiling and accelerate into 'super-cruise' and then into full burner, they would then execute a steep climb, punching up another 10,000 feet in a semi-ballistic trajectory until the aircraft began to stall, only then would they launch their missiles.
"Missiles away!"

From below Galatea detected a threat, she was drained of energy, having released her stores in her initial blast against Tokyo, and her concentration was divided between the troublesome humans within the Umbrella and those in the fleet bearing down on her. She decided that the threat was inconsequential; her greater worry was the large cruiser that had just passed her skirmish line.
"Tell that French bastard to slow it up! This isn't a race!" The Admiral noted to his communications officer. The Dauphine had pulled ahead of the fleet with her escorts, Triumphant and Redoubtable in tow. Aboard the ships of the fleet targets began appearing on their screens that did not match anything in the war books.
"What the hell are those?" The Admiral asked. The main screen zoomed in to presented clear picture of a dull gray sphere, hovering in space, next to another hundred identical objects.
"Sir, the enemy boomers are being routed, we've broken their lines!"
"Save the back slapping." The Admiral warned.
As if on cue, the twenty gray spheres closest the Dauphin accelerated towards it. Five were incinerated by beam fire but the other fifteen impacted the hull. Suddenly tendrils extended from the sickly puddles atop the hull and began snaking around the ship, until the forward section was shrouded in the vicious metal.
"Sir, we've just lost contact with the Dauphin! The Redoubtable request permission to render aid."
"Granted, tell them to be careful."
As the Redoubtable moved closer the aft turrets of the Dauphin suddenly swung in her direction and fired, tearing large fire gashes from the forward hull plating, just as the Dauphin's engines flared and the ship started to turn at an ungodly rate. As it turned towards the fleet the bow of the Dauphin contorted and split open as three gargantuan sections of hull peeled back in a grisly maw. The Redoubtable fired its braking thrusters trying to slow its forward flight in an effort to veer away but it was to late. The Dauphin closed and clamped down amidships, snapping the Redoubtable in two. The Triumphant opened fire followed shortly by fire from the British and Chinese ships nearest.
"Dear God!" The Admiral gasped. The Dauphin had turned rogue, and so fast.
"Attention all ships, do not let those spheres make contact..."

"Do you feel that?" Priss asked.
"Yeah, sounds like Galatea is getting ready to fire again." Tasha remarked.
"Linna, Nene, see if you can clog the barrel or something!" Priss ordered.
"Right! We're on it!" Nene replied.
Arriving at the emitter array for the Umbrella, Nene flicked her wrist, and like a space borne Spider Man sent her HARDsuits data-cables into the arrays flank. Her efforts were rewarded by an intense burst of pain and a splitting headache. Crying out, she felt Linna's hand on her shoulder.
"Nene! You have to fight it!"
"I'm trying, but it hurts!" She sobbed. "I can't do it alone."
"I've gotcha." Linna replied, remembering how Natasha had pulled her out of Galatea's grip. Wrapping her arms around Nene's waist she started to absorb the pain, splitting Galatea's focus to two minds rather than one.
Atop the Umbrella Natasha had to fight to take each and every step towards Galatea's chamber. Linna and Nene's cries of agony were almost too much to bear. Even Tony and Karl winced every time they heard them cry out. But they had to proceed.
As Linna cringed in pain, her chin buried into her chest her eyes shot open and for a split second she noticed a series of bright flashes from below her, approaching fast.
"Nene, I...I see something, below us."
"I'm almost there, just a little longer." Nene cried, just as a wave of intense pain washed over her. "Linna! I...I can't hold it!"
It took only a split second for Linna to identify the strange objects, once they had gotten close enough. They were missiles.
"Nene! We have to move! Incoming!" Linna yelled, and thrusted backwards, pulled Nene away from the array.
"I'm sorry." Nene wailed. "I almost had it."
"Nene! Snap out of it!" Linna yelled. "Look, we've got missiles coming up at us, if we stay here we're going to get creamed!"
Nene looked down and blinked, her mind going a mile a minute. The missiles were all spread out, they would hit the Umbrella, but in no real specific place.
'I've got it!" She yelled.
Only two of the eight missiles were going to impact anywhere near the array, so she concentrated on them. Biting her lip she hacked the guidance computers. 'I hope this doesn't crash the system.' She muttered. If she was lucky enough she would be able to update the target lock, otherwise the missiles, detecting her tampering, would self-destruct.
Entering their terminal dive phase, wherein the missiles would fire their equivalent of an afterburner, homing in on their impact area, two missiles out of the pack wobbled and turned towards the array. There was a brilliant flash as one of the missiles exploded prematurely.
"Shit!" Nene cried.
Linna was looking at the other missile, clutching her hands, willing it to hit.
"Come on baby! Come on! You can do it!"
The missile struck true, impacting the array ten meters above the barrel and detonated. Secondary explosions rippled up and down the length of the array then the entire thing disintegrated in a horrendous explosion.

Above them, on the top deck Tony, Karl and Tasha, along with Priss and six USAF K-18's that had rendezvoused with them after being cut off from the fleet, were thrown to their knees as the station rose a meter, shaking violently.
"What the hell was that?" Priss yelped.
"Hell if I know!" Karl bit.
"Come on, we better get...ACK!"
Struggling to her feet Priss was pulled back onto the deck by a score of wiry tendrils as the station shook again.
"Holy shit!" Tony blurted.
He and Natasha were at Priss' side, pulling and ripping the tentacles away, but for every one the removed three took its place. Karl surveyed his surroundings as the Air Force K-18's set up a perimeter. The battle near the fleet was intensifying and he could see ships firing at the Umbrella pause, then start firing at their sister ships as they where consumed, only to be destroyed in turn. He blinked when two friendly IFF codes appeared from under the Umbrella, heading away. Zooming in he could se that it was Linna and Nene, their armor scorched, as they tumbled lazily towards the Earth.

"Leave me!" Priss shouted, struggling with the tentacles.
"Like hell!" Tasha yelled.
Grabbing her arm Priss met Tasha's eyes.
"Go! Someone has to kill that bitch! Now go!"
Tasha bit her lip as it trembled. Not again! Not again! It was like Prometheus all over again. Her head swam with those terrible images.

"We have to leave her!" SAS operator Ian St. Michael said evenly. Tasha looked back to see Air Force Captain Melissa Granger in the center of the Prometheus's bridge. Two Doberman boomers had entered followed by at least ten other, more municipal, yet no less corrupted or dangerous, boomers.
"You've got the codes! Get out of here!" Melissa yelled as she fired beam after beam into the approaching Dobermans.
"We can't leave her!" She had cried.
"We have to Natasha! If we don't, we all die, right here, right now, and your friends, they'll be dead as well." Ian had replied, sternly.
She had allowed herself to be pulled from the bridge into the access tunnel and away from the fight. Ian having placed himself behind her, just in case she'd decided to run back and commit suicide. He had heard her weep as the defiant transmissions from Capt. Granger became sparse and labored, then finally stopped. Ian had had to stop her then, wrapping his arm around her waist, holding onto the bulkhead as she tried to squirm free.
"It's okay Major." They heard Melissa whisper. "We did what we had to do.....I'm coming father."
She remembered screaming, and the return to the rest of the group had been a daze. She'd only come out of it when Ian had sat her down.
"Look lass, she knew what she was doing, she saved us, and she gave us the chance to get off this hunk of junk. You did the right thing."
"Than why do I feel so crappy?" She had bit.
"Because; sometimes doing the right thing hurts, you had to make a tough decision, so did I, and now, we have to live with it."

Looking down at Priss, Natasha swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I'm coming back for you." Tasha said as she stood. "Det three, Air Force, on me!" She finished, her voice faltering.
"Tasha?" Tony asked, looking at her.
"We continue; on mission. We take Galatea down."
Karl was about to tell her about Linna and Nene but thought better of it, instead, he called the shuttle that had taken them up and ordered them to pick them up. He just hoped they would make it.

Across the globe, in bars, living rooms, outside of electronics good stores, and anywhere there was a television, people stopped what they were doing to listen in on reports of strange lights over Japan. The talking head were beginning to put two and two together, the US had gone to DEFCON 1, and there had been reports of missiles being launched along with bizarre troop deployments worldwide and heads of state being whisked to their various 'undisclosed locations'. Military analysts had already assumed, correctly, that there was some sort of fight taking place in orbit, and the lights were weapons fire and explosions. Only a few people knew who the enemy really was, or who was doing the fighting, and even fewer knew both.

"Sir, we're picking up some bizarre energy signals coming from the Umbrella." The Admirals sensor operator reported. Great, what now? Already he had lost better than half the ships in the fleet, either by them being destroyed outright or by being to damaged to do anything but withdraw.
"Display up." He ordered, just as the Umbrella's command tower began to mutate, taking on the visage of a woman from the waist up. Below her image, along the deck of the Umbrella, sections began to buckle as metal sheeting was thrown upwards as reddish material pushed thru like some sickly putty. Small specks of light could be seen flitting about, K-suits and boomers still engaged in mortal combat; not to mention those damnable metal spheres, still out there, waiting, daring them to approach.
He sighed, than shook it off. He had a job to do.
"Helm, bring us onto an intercept course. Communications; get the rest of the fleet to form on us, cross formation. All available K-suits on deck to repel boarders and clear those damned bubbles out of my space."

"Pitiful humans. Even when beaten they still cannot accept their fate."
"Screw you!" Priss bit.
"You are a prime example, a microcosm of what transpires around you. You are beaten, those who fight with you are beaten; soon, you will join with me."
"Like HELL!" Priss hollered. The visions she had seen, been forced to endure, were too much, she would not, no, could not, allow herself to be bent to this, things, will.

Galatea was slightly amused as her little pet burst free of her mental prison, and watched in remote detachment as Priss spent herself in one final attempt to deny her destiny. She allowed Priss to float by; she was of no consequence now, just an empty shell that she would absorb at her leisure. The rest of the humans however, needed to be dealt with. Only nine ships, out of thirty, how sad, she mused, how pathetic.

Karl crept over to Natasha's position. They were hiding in the debris of a solar collector, much like the remaining human forces still in the area, they had already lost two K-18's, Tony had been forced to RTB (Return To Base) and Karl was running out of ammo, and power his suit running on fumes, just like hers.
"Tash, we might have to consider a retreat."
"What?" She hissed. "Are you crazy, with that thing still out there?"
"Jesus girl! What do you think we can do that we haven't already done? I'm running on empty, so are you, snazzy new suit or no."
"Ma'am! We have movement!" Called one of the Air Force pilots.
Below them she saw Priss, floating helplessly, her power drained. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a red object hurtled towards Priss' motionless form.
"I have a shot!" One of the Air Force pilot's reported.
"No! Don't shoot! It's friendly." Tasha yelled, lowering her gun arm. "I wondered where they heck he'd gone off to."
"He?" Karl asked.
"The motoslave. We sent it off on it's own just before we breeched Galatea's chamber, we haven't seen it since." She explained. Tasha brought up her suits power levels and felt her heart sink, she had just enough power to keep the lights on, and little more. The Air Force lieutenant nearby noticed her look and made a 'rally on me' motion with his hand.
"Ma'am, we'll cover her, you head out."
"But, but I can't just leave now." She cried.
"You can and you will girly girl." Karl said. "Tony's already out of it, probably sipping cognac out of a tube right now. You're tapped, so am I. Let's let the professionals do their job."
"It isn't fair! All this way, and we have to sit it out now!" Tasha argued. She didn't want to retreat.
"You saw Priss' suit a little while earlier right? Do you want to end up like that, floating in space with no way to move, or even call for help? Now unless you've got a few more motoslave thingies lying around we're done! I know I sure as hell don't. You, we, we've done all we can for now."
Natasha grumbled and relented.
"You guys take care of her." She said to the Air Force lieutenant.
"Roger that Colonel, now get out of here while you still can."
Priss took a deep breath of recycled air as the power to her suit was restored. The Motoslave had transformed, merging with her suit, from now on their power, senses and pain would be shared.
"Thanks." Priss whispered.
"For what master?"
"For being here, you, and my HARDsuit, you've never let me down, despite my bitching."
"We were made to serve you master."
"Right." She sighed with a tired smile. "Thanks anyway."

"Ma'am, you look like you could use a hand." The Lieutenant said as his troop hovered down as Priss was taking stock of the situation.
"You're kidding me right? She blinked in surprise, more at the offer of help than their sudden appearance.
"Afraid not ma'am."
"Look, I'm going straight in at the thing, are you sure you want to follow me?"
"Not a problem, we've got a score to settle against that thing as well. Besides, we're under orders to keep you in one piece."
"Orders, whose orders?"
"Colonel Romanov's ma'am."
Priss couldn't help but smile, she said she'd be back for her. It wasn't in person, but six fully armed K-18's would do. Moving into a claw formation in front of her they hit their thrusters and hurled themselves into the breech.

"Sir we have movement in the debris field."
"Identify!" The Admiral asked.
"We're picking up six Air Force transponders and one Knight Saber! They're heading right at the tower, girl, thing, sir."
"Well I'll be. What's the fleet status?"
"We've lost the Indomitable and the Sun-Tzu, the Exeter is holed but is holding position. Fires are out on the Columbia and the report ready."
"Tighten the formation and lets give them some covering fire!" He boomed, nearly knocking away the corpsman that was bandaging his head.

"Incoming! Spread out, don't make it easy!" The Lieutenant warned as dozens of metallic spheres hurtled towards them. As one the K-18's opened fire, cutting a path thru the oncoming hostiles, Priss added her fire in as well, bursting three spheres with a well-placed burst, than dodging up to avoid another two. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the K-18's get clipped in the shoulder and get hurled away, his scream ending in a sickly gurgle as his suit, now corrupted, crushed him.
"Keep moving!" The Lieutenant yelled.
There was another flash of gray and another K-18 winked out of existence, followed shortly by another. Priss' eyes were wide; they were taking hits meant for her, shielding her with their own bodies.
"Tighten it up!" Came the cry from one of the other pilots, the Lieutenant having been the second to fall. She flinched as over her shoulder came a barrage of energy beams. More and more of the metal spheres disappeared as they drew closer, the fleet was doing their best, but the sky was choked with hostiles.
"Targets high right!" A pilot screamed and banked his K-suit, loosing a volley of missiles. The hostile targets vanished in a flurry of orange and yellow explosions.
"Jake! Vampire!!" But it was too late; a sphere had come from directly below and smashed into him. Galatea was looming closer and Priss could see the combined fire of the fleet smacking into her, burning away large swaths of metal; leaving molten gouges in their wake.
Looking back to her wingmen she counted only one left, she hadn't even seen the other guy go.

"Go go go!" The last remaining K-18 pilot yelled as he thrusted ahead of her, firing everything he had at a mass of targets in front of them. Pulling up, she sailed over him as the metal spheres dragged him towards the Umbrella. Looking up she noticed she was directly in front of Galatea, point blank. Hollering in anger she squeezed the trigger as she flew upwards, stitching Galatea from belly to neck, and slowing in front of her face, emptying the last of the magazine into it.
"DIE YOU BITCH!"
As her momentum carried her over Galatea's head, her radar blared out in warning, but there was no way to avoid an attack from all sides, above and below.

"Sir! We've lost contact with the K-18's and the Knight Saber!"
"Acknowledged. Continue firing." The Admiral noted sullenly. Such bravery.

Inside the mass of voomer metal Priss strained to breath as she was slowly crushed.
"We've gotta get out of this. Can you fuse with this stuff?"
"I can, master."
"You know what I'm thinking right?"
"Yes, master."
"Then lets do it, and don't call me master."
"Yes master."

"Sir, our weapons are having no effect, we can't penetrate the armor on that thing." The weapons officer reported.
"Keep firing." The Admiral ordered. "Even if the coils melt, we keep firing.
"Sir! Movement in the debris field!"
"Where?"
"It's near where we lost contact with the Knight Saber."
"Visual!"
The screen zoomed in to show a grotesque parody of a K-suit nosing over and diving down at the umbrella.
"Is she still alive in all of that?"
"I think." The sensor operator reported.
"Damn if they aren't though nuts to crack."

Noticing a projectile bearing down on her Galatea looked up, her arms outstretched as if to swat the offending pest away. But Priss was too fast.
"There!" She huffed thru clenched teeth, aiming at the base of Galatea's neck.

"Holy Shit! She hit it!" The sensor operator cried out. He blinked, than looked back at his readouts.
"Sir. I'm registering internal explosions, large ones."
"Move the fleet back, best speed! Recall our K-suits!"
Minutes later there was a series of flashes, than the sky went white. Inside the shuttle Tasha squinted, holding her hand above her face as silvery beams of light no thicker than a human hair passed thru the vessel, giving off little ripples wherever they hit something solid. Tony was next to her, as was Karl, but her other friends were gone.
"Tasha. You got a minute?" Karl asked.
"Yeah." Tasha managed.
"It's about Linna and Nene. They're all right, they're fine." He added quickly when he saw her face lose it's color.
"Okay, where are they? Did another ship pick them up?"
"No, they, well, they re-entered the atmosphere."
"But, but you said they were fine." Tasha said, on the verge of crying.
"They are, they made it thru, I don't know how, but just before we had to head back the shuttle crew here called me. I saw that they had been blown clear of the Umbrella earlier so I sent them to pick them up, but by the time they got close enough they had already started to re-enter."
"I...I don't understand."
"You know how the suits can be molded?"
"Yeah."
"Well that's what they did, the suits turned into some funky kind of airfoil, or lifting body, and they made it thru. I, I already have the Beriev looking for them." Karl said.
Without a word Tasha hugged him tight.
"Thank you." She whispered, than snapped her head back up. "What about Priss?"
"I, I don't know." Karl admitted.

Linna and Nene were shivering, night had fallen and the stars were impossibly bright and clear; they'd managed to make a fire using the tried and true, yet mind numbingly frustrating method of rubbing sticks together until they got a spark. That feat had taken them a good three hours. Since there was nothing to fashion into even rudimentary clothing, they huddled close to share body heat. Nene felt a whole lot less uncomfortable than she thought she would, given Linna's sexual preference and all.
"So how long do you think we'll be out here?" Nene asked.
"I dunno, I'm sure they're already looking for us." Linna reassured.
"Yeah, I guess. You suppose Priss made it out OK?"
Linna smiled.
"Yeah, she's way to tough to let Galatea take her out. Besides, we know she won."
Nene nodded, the light show had been spectacular, and if they saw so did the entire hemisphere. But by that same token, if Priss had been too close... She closed her eyes and pushed the surge of fear away. When they'd been blown out of orbit, Tasha, Tony, and Karl had been engaged in some serious combat alongside the fleet. She'd never imagined that the various nations of Earth had that many large, and even more interesting, battle worthy, spacecraft.
Things had happened so fast, and the sky had been so filled with voomers, and an almost like number of space combat K-suits that it had been hard to keep track of anything.
"I'm hungry." Nene moaned softly, her stomach grumbling.
"Me too." Linna sighed.

"Did you hear that?" Linna asked some thirty minutes later.
"Uh uh. What?"
"Something, I couldn't tell, wait there it is again."
This time Nene heard it to; a faint droning over the crash and thunder of the sea against the beach. As they listened it got louder and more distinct, almost as one Linna and Nene looked at each other.
"Det. 3!" They exclaimed.

"What's the fuel status?" Daley asked through the planes interphone. He'd been at Camp Zama when the call came in that two of the Knight Sabers had fallen out of the sky. He'd seen to his folks, they were fine, and had come back to Tokyo, he couldn't stay away long, it wouldn't be right not to be there.
"We're fine, we've got maybe about another three hours of loiter time before we reach bingo fuel." The planes copilot said.
"Okay. Lets get into the weeds and a start our search pattern."
"Roger that, turning on the sunshine."
Daley laid down onto the observation position in the nose of the aircraft. It was an interesting place to be, and in the dark, at almost five hundred feet off the deck with the only illumination being from the 3 million-candela searchlights it was scary as hell. They wanted to be seen, otherwise he'd, or whoever would be manning the OpSpot would be wearing NOG's and the spots kicking out IR. The position called for you to lie down on your belly, propped up on your elbows, and look out a cluster of windows in the lower nose of the plane, and it did, he mused, offer a splendid view ahead and below. It was almost like hang-gliding.
"Beginning first turn now bearing two eight zero."
He checked his map, that would put them in an eastward moving circle some ten miles in diameter, which he noted would cover the first three of five islands in the area. He hoped that Linna and Nene hadn't ditched out to sea, their odds of survival in that case would be slim to none. HARDsuits just didn't come equipped with a life raft and survival gear.

"They're getting closer!" Nene laughed excitedly.
Linna picked up a long stick and snapping it in two thrust them into the fire and ignited the ends. Nene was already on the beach scanning for the Beriev. They had identified it immediately, no other airplane; that they knew of anyway, made that noise, a dull drone with a high-pitched whine hidden somewhere in between. Sergei, the pilot, had explained some time back when they'd asked, that it was a combination of the engine, the drone, and the curved, aerodynamically optimized propeller blades, six to a hub, the high pitched whine. They could see the light of the spot as the plane made lazy circles, most likely starting up the chain of islands and working west, Nene figured. She'd noticed five islands when they'd made their controlled crash into the ocean. They'd aimed towards the big one, and had missed only to wash up on a slightly smaller island to its west. Linna started waving the burning sticks over her head as Nene called out and waved as well.

"Little island's clear; nothing but wild life."
"Roger that, lets keep moving."
As the Beriev banked again a little sharper this time, to keep the circle moving along Daley noticed something off to the starboard side.
"Sergei! Contact bearing zero niner five!"
"Roger." Came his thickly accented reply.

Nene jumped for joy when the beam of the searchlight turned towards them turning night into day. Aboard the Beriev, Daley used the optical targeting sensors, zoomed in, and snorted. Linna was waving burning sticks and Nene was bouncing up and down waving her arms, neither where clothed, and apparently, neither were all that worried about it.
"Well, I'll say one thing for the boss, she's got taste." He muttered under his breath.
"That's them, we got 'em."

Linna and Nene hugged each other tightly and jumped for joy. Then regaining some of their self-consciousness backed away and laughed sheepishly.
"S...sorry." Nene smiled meekly.
"It's okay, who cares anyway right, we get to go home." Linna smiled back.
They watched as the Beriev made another turn to line up for a landing and smiled, very much impressed as it eased itself into the water, lowered to the waterline and turned towards them. Minutes later the nose pushed up onto the beach and the engines shut down. The side hatch opened and Daley hoped out into the hip deep water with a raft and pulled it and it's contents to shore.
"Somebody need a taxi?" He smiled as he held out blankets and flight suits to the girls.
As they zipped up the offered suits, hiding their shame, two other members of Det. 3 waded ashore and Daley pointed to where he'd seen the remains of the HARDsuits.
Hopping into the raft the three pulled themselves along the side of the Beriev as the waves lapped against its hull. Linna had only seen the plane a few times, but never up close, and it awed her, she knew the original design was nearly a hundred years old, but it still flew, and flew well, and it was going to fly them out of here, and back to Tokyo; and for that Linna loved it. The crew chief pulled the tired, cold, barefoot and hungry passengers inside and helped them to nearby seat. Nene was familiar with the procedure; she'd jumped from the bird a few times so she knew what she was doing, but accepted the help regardless. Daley sat down across from them and handed them each a steaming cup of soup, which they happily, and ravenously, consumed.
"Is Tasha all right, and Priss?" Linna asked in between gulps.
"Tasha's fine, Priss on the other hand is a bit difficult to explain. We lost telemetry when the Umbrella blew. The last known course of decent puts her somewhere in northern Africa, either Egypt or Libya."
"That doesn't sound good." Nene replied.
"Yeah, and if she landed like you, she's liable to give some passing Bedouin a heart attack." Daley joked, trying to take the edge off.
Linna and Nene blushed. Talk about vulnerable, without a working HARDsuit, naked, in the middle of the desert. The locals would probably call her a heretic and infidel. Daley noticed their looks of worry.
"Don't worry about it, Ambassador Smyth is gonna pull some British search and rescue into the area; say they've got a carrier in the Med, the Lancaster I think, they'll pick her up and send her home."

It sounded so simple, but what else could they do but wait. After the remains of the HARDsuits were loaded, they closed the hatches and felt the plane shudder as the propellers were reversed and they slowly backed off the beach, and another shudder as the props were reset again. There was roar as the engines sped up and began to push the Beriev home. It was bumpy, and even Nene had never been aboard during a water take off, only from a nice firm runway. Every slap of water against the hull made her shiver, wondering if the plane would fall apart, but when the buffeting stopped and everything smoothed out she sighed, deeply relieved, and Linna, next to her, smiled back. They were going home.
Later the next day a helicopter taxied to a halt in front of Kastner Field's base operations building and Linna felt someone nudge her on the shoulder.
"Huh?"
"Linna. They're here!" Nene said happily. Tony, Karl and Natasha had run into trouble upon landing, and had to put down at Yundum International Airport in Bajul, Gambia, and according to the reports had made about a mile long gash in the countryside in the process.
"Really!" She stood, yawning as she rubbed her eyes. She'd been absolutely destroyed physically. She'd never been so tired in all her life as she'd been during the last few days.
She shivered as the biting cold enveloped her as she and Nene exited the tent they were in and stepped onto the flight line. The arriving helicopters engines had spooled down and finally stopped as the rear hatch opened. The loadmaster hopped out and grounded the aircraft than waved inside for the passengers to debark. Tony exited first with practiced ease followed by Karl and then Natasha. A Blackhawk passing overhead caused them to duck their heads to shield their eyes from the wind and blowing snow as they were pointed to base ops by the loadmaster. They didn't see Linna and Nene run up until they were right in front of them.
"TASHA!" They both yelled happily, as they simultaneously hugged her. Getting past her surprise she hugged them in turn. Nene was laughing as was Linna, but Linna looked up at her and gave her a longing gaze and they kissed long and hard.
"I was so scared." Tasha whispered. "I thought I lost you."
"I know. I'm sorry." Linna whispered back. "Come on, let's get inside where it's warm."
Natasha tossed a glance to Karl, who was standing on the tarmac looking for someone, someone he was not going to find. She felt awful for him, but Tony had said he would take care of it; she would have to trust him to do it.
"Something wrong?" Linna asked.
"I'm just worried about Karl, Tony's supposed to tell him something, and I'm not sure he has."
"What about you, you're his CO right."
"It's personal, and something that a better friend than myself should say."
"Is it bad?" Linna asked.
"Very."
Linna nodded, Tasha would tell her, but not here.

After some hot soup Linna looked over at Nene while Tasha was on the phone and smiled, they didn't have to say anything, the look was all that mattered, they were safe, Tony, Karl and Natasha were safe, Priss would be safe soon, for the first time in a week and a half, Linna allowed herself to relax. Nene gathered this as well as her shoulders sagged slightly as she let her pent up stress drain away.
Natasha walked back and smiled.
"What now?" Linna asked.
"Rest. And lots of it."
"Oh thank god." Linna laughed. "You need such a shower."
Pausing, Tasha grabbed her flight suit by the front and sniffed it, wincing slightly, Linna was right; well, it's not like was her fault, after landing, or rather, crashing, it had only been a matter of hours before a UN plane had landed to take them back to Japan, along with their HARDsuits and flight data recorders. She guessed some General Fairweather didn't want all that information and technology sitting on an airfield in deep dark Africa any longer than necessary. After that it was a few more hops until landing an Osaka, than onto a waiting helicopter to here.
They parted in the hallway of billeting as Nene continued down towards her door.
"See ya guys tomorrow."
"Okay, sleep well." Tasha said.
"Uh huh, have fun, 'sleeping'." She laughed, making quotation marks with her fingers.
"Why you little..." Linna laughed as Tasha gently pushed her inside.
"Good night Nene." She said as she stepped in after her girlfriend, closing and locking the door behind her.
"Gawd, can you believe that?" Linna huffed in amusement. Tasha nodded as she closed the blinds on the window nearest her.
"Can you get that one over there?" Tasha said, pointing to the other window.
"Yeah, sure. I mean talk about nerve." Linna continued as she drew the shades.
"Well, it's not like she's wrong is she?" Tasha said as she sat down and undid her boots.
"Yeah, but still." Linna smiled as she kicked hers off as well. "She doesn't have to up and blurt it out."
Tasha laughed and shrugged out of her flight suit, folding it neatly, laying it on the chair by the bed, than padded to the bathroom in her skivvies.
"I don't mind, I mean she's only nineteen." Tasha replied as she turned on the shower, holding her hand underneath as she adjusted the temperature. "She's only ribbing you cause you're closer to her age than any one else she knows."
"That and Priss would kick her ass." Linna laughed, shucking off her borrowed flight suit. Tasha turned as Linna, naked as a jaybird, entered the bathroom and leaned up against the doorjamb. She laughed.
"What?" Linna responded with a playful snort.
"Nothing, I just remembered that you don't wear clothing under the new suits. I was just imagining Daley's face when he found you two."
"Well, he was polite about it." Linna smiled as she ran her fingers thru her hair. Tasha nodded as she pulled her tank top off.
"He's a good troop."
"Yup, flies an aerodyne like a madman though." Linna remarked as she caught Tasha's tank top out of the air as it flew towards her face. Tasha laughed.
"Nice catch."
"Nice chest." Linna bit back, looking. Tasha blushed and rolled her eyes with an amused smile as she slid her panties off. She twirling them around her finger a few times before she flicked it out into the adjoining bedroom watching it's flight in satisfaction as it landed on the folded flight suit.
"Won't be needing that tonight, now will I?" Tasha smiled.
"Nope, I can't say as you will." Linna nodded, pushing off the wall with her elbow. Her breasts bouncing lazily as she walked over and turned Tasha towards the shower, playfully nudged her in.
"Come on, the faster you clean up the faster we can fool around." She remarked mischievously as she stepped in with her, pulling the curtain closed.

People say that certain events define a person, and within that event, even more than what you witness or confront, it is how you deal with it that is most important. During the year leading up to Umbrella Incident, the Knight Sabers, my friends in and out of Detachment 3, (myself included) underwent startling changes, changes that would serve us well in the years to follow, changes that allowed us to survive. I must admit that while most of the changes were for the better, it is true that Sylia and Priss slew their most venomous inner demons that year, and in the months that followed. Of course there is no positive without negative; Nene came of age and Linna saw the world in a new way for the first time, however in doing so both were forced to forever shed their idyllic outlook on life, and both witnessed full bore the shock of war, and were stained by its bloody taint. But even within the negative, one must always see the positive, and in their experiences this is no less true. My darling Linna; the strength she gave to me at the cost of her own innocence fills me with such guilt, yet I am consoled by the fact that she would have had it no other way, and despite the horrors we have seen her cheerful smile, warm eyes and infectious laugh has never left her, even the nightly bombing raids so common now cannot dampen her spirit, and for that I am truly glad.
I do sometimes wonder how Tony is doing? I haven't seen him in a great long while. I hope he is faring better than us, but than again, he always seems to come out of the most vile situations all the better for it. For now I can only console myself in the fact that I am not alone, and that what I do I do because it is needed so badly. I had hoped cooperation with the 'Glitch's' would have been possible, but they remain as unreasonable as ever. How I wish people had taken more heed of our warnings, after Prometheus, and the Umbrella, but our enemies had been too entrenched; and their supporters to many.
The air raid sirens have stopped now, time to assess the damage and take stock of the dead. Maybe tomorrow will be better, at least that's what Linna says every night; I want her to be right, just once.

Excerpt from Natasha Romanov's Journal
The Siege of Tokyo: 2046

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