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Mobile Suit Gundam: Broken Arrow [IC/PG-16+]


BANZAI!!!!

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One by one the mobile suit pilots slowly filtered in and out of the medical bay, though it appeared that a few of them were a bit slow getting here. Reveka had made sure to send one of her assistants to get them. At the moment though Reveka was occupied with the newest addition to the ship's crew. 

 

She was quite the odd duck, that girl. She hadn't said a thing the whole time Reveka had been running tests on her. Just did Reveka told her to with only the slightest nods as an acknowledgment of what Reveka had said to her. While Reveka was more than happy to have a compliant patient the girl's almost robotic behavior was quite worrisome. Having finished the testing for the moment Reveka had the girl sit on the edge of one of the examination beds while she looked at the initial results of her tests.

 

"Hey, Doctor... Coming in for that little check up you talked about before everything hit the fan a while ago." 

 

Putting the results aside, for now, Reveka brought Rosaria over so she could examine the young woman more closely. While the check-up revealed nothing out of the ordinary Rosaria did mention that she had been feeling some aches and pains since the battle. 

 

  "Well from what I heard you got smacked around quite a bit during the battle,"   Reveka smirked before handing Rosaria some heating pads. "Place these wherever it hurts and get some rest if you're still feeling sore in the morning come see me. Also no hitting the bar tonight, and trust me I will know if you do. Now if there's nothing else you're free to go." 

 

"When is the scheduled feeding time on this ship? My daily biological clock requires proper adjustment so I can endure hunger properly again."

 

Before Rose could say anything else the young girl seemed to be needing Reveka's attention.

 

"What? Oh, you mean you're hungry... Well, the mess hall won't be serving food for another several hours, however from my understanding you've been in cryo for nearly 2 decades, so just to be safe I'd rather not start you out with solid food quite yet." Calling over one of her assistants to help Rosaria, Reveka walked to another part of the medical bay which had several refrigerators. While normally these held blood and biologic medications Reveka had made sure to make a new edition to the refrigerators when she had been notified of their newest crew members circumstances. Grabbing a small package of yogurt Reveka returned to the blue-haired girl's bed. "Here you go, sweetie." Reveka handed the young woman the yogurt and a spoon. "Start with this and wait a little bit. If you're still hungry just get me or one of my assistants and they'll get you more, ok?" Smiling Reveka ruffled the girl's hair before returning back desk to finish going over the young woman's test results.

 

------

 

"Eh, no use in overthinking... It happened, let it go and move on. Though next time...next time I'm gonna need to remember to take the bazooka. It might've helped."

 

"Kenji, hun, stop being such a party pooper. We won, nobody died, and we're probably going to rich. Nobody's perfect so don't dwell on sheet so much." Roche slid into the booth across from Kenji wanting to avoid Hurricane Maxine and her shitty mood. 

 

"And don't think I can't hear you over there, young man! Only weapon a man needs besides his favorite killing tool is a sharp wit. Least, that's how I remember it being. Not sure if you post-war kids need different tools to settle things from my generation. Awful times they've left you in if the bigger gun always wins."

 

"Yeah listen to the robot, Kenji! You need to listen up a little bit. You know what... STAN get me Kenji here some shots!" Roche turned back towards Kenji with a mischevious look in his eye and the most sheet-eatest of smirks on his face. "Me and good ol' Kenji are going to play a game... that is... if he's man enough~" The bait was obvious, but Roche was also pretty confident Kenji would take it.

 

Across the bar one of Reveka's assistants, a young woman who's mousy brown hair was done up in a bun, entered.

 

"Just where Dr. Isozaki said she would be, well at least I don't have to search up and down this damn ship looking for her," the assistant mumbled before approaching Maxine. "Ahem... Ms. Delphi, Dr. Isozaki has requested your presence in the infirmary, and from the looks of it, you could use a visit pretty badly. Oh, I should mention that Dr. Isozaki said that consequences would be quite unpleasant for you if you did not come willingly."

 

------

 

"What the hell...?" Reveka looked over the last bit of data she'd just read. "No... that can't be quite right..." Reveka rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing exactly what she thought she was seeing. "I examined her myself. She's most definitely a cyber newtype, but these brain scans... Just what the hell were they doing on this ship?" Reveka quickly began loading the data from the girl's tests onto a tablet. "Hey! You!" Reveka pointed at one of her assistants. "Watch her, I'll be back." Reveka walked briskly from the infirmary to the captain's quarters not bothering to knock before entering.

 

"Arthur, we need to talk." Placing her tablet in front Arthur she showed him the young woman's brain scans. "What does that brain scan tell you?" Reveka began pacing around the room. "It looks like she's a newtype, yeah? Arthur, she's a cyber newtype I saw the implants myself, but that shouldn't be possible. Arthur, you need to make sure the salvage party doesn't touch that ship. I need to get on that ship and find out just what the hell they were doing to her or I'm not sure I'll be able to treat her. The procedures used to create cyber newtypes weren't meant to be used on people who already had that capability." Reveka stopped pacing to look at Arthur. "Holy sheet, Arthur, what are we getting ourselves into?"

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For the past twenty three minutes, Kokko had been pounding away at a piece of armor on one of the Djinns back in the hangar. Repetitive motions really, using a multitool that wasn't his as he attempted to un-wedge a piece of scrap metal from the leg. His face was the epitomy of stoicism as the motions continued, one after another after another after another after another...

 

His shoulders began to tremble, as he swung back and through the tool onto the floor with full force.

 

"God DAMMIT!"

 

A shocking sight to any nearby, for sure.

 

"...I need a break."

 

----

 

Kyy sat at one of the bar stools in the canteen, casually sipping from a light beverage as the Jazz soothed his soul. Despite this, he felt quite stressed in the current situation; at the very least, being in a bar again seemed to make him nervous. It almost had felt like he was there for months and months on end... Couldn't shake the feeling. Rather than focus on this, however, he felt obligated to take a look around and examine the others in the bar, if only to take his attention off himself. Kenji, sitting at one of the booths, seemed to be down on himself somewhat, in a bit of obvious thought. A speck of determination seemed to arise from it, however, so it didn't seem all that worse off. Maxine, on the other hand, seemed a bit rough around the edges. A bit moody, roughed up, craving drink to the point of it being lust. Actually, come to think of it, Maxine seemed rather normal, considering her. And Stan?

 

Well, if a robot could be in a good mood, he'd likely be in one right now.

 

The sliding door shwished open, revealing a grimey and sweaty Kokko as he let himself in. It didn't take him long to find Kyy and promptly take the stool next to him. He eyeballed Stan and made a small hand gesture.

 

"Something light, but bitter, please."

 

Eyeing his brother as he ordered, Kyy took a sip from his much sweeter drink. "Having a rough one?"

 

"Something like that."

 

Kyy took a second sip.

 

"Last time I saw you like this, you'd lost your multitool. Took you months to make another one."

 

"..."

 

This last sip finished the drink off; Kyy had the habit of drinking often during conversation.

 

"Oh. Damn. So, where'd it go?"

 

"Left it in the Red Queen. An arm or something. It's floating in space somewhere now."

 

Kyy couldn't help but snort at the reveal, trying desperately not to laugh but certainly not getting anywhere. Kokko loved those dammed tools, to an absurd degree, so Kyy could tell it was legitimately upsetting to him. However, regardless of Kokko's vicious glare in response, it was too much for the brother; he'd heard whispers that the Red queen was suffering in combat due to a joint malfunction, but due to this? His face, by this point, was firmly planted on the table as he silently chortled. Kokko's face un-contorted as he sighed. By this point, his drink had arrived, and his first sip was more akin to a chug.

 

"Whatever. What're you doing here? You don't have it so rough that you'd be here drinking your troubles away, I know that much."

 

Kyy appeared contemplative for a second, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Kokko.

 

"I'm... getting a drink with Maryanne. She invited me."

 

Kokko snickered. "What, and she ain't here yet? You sure you didn't get stood up mate?"

 

"Oh, can it. I don't even know when she gets off duty, so I decided to come early. Plus, even if she did, we're all floating on the same hunk of junk in the middle of nowhere. I could find her in two minutes." He nervously looked at the clock on the wall. "Any minute now, I tell you."

 

Kokko grabbed his drink and dismounted the stool, still smirking. "Sure, ok. I'll leave you to that then; I was just reminded I have some business with Kenji."

 

As his brother walked off towards the boy, Kyy raised his voice after him. "Don't be too hard on the guy!"

 

Turning back to the bar, he ordered another of the same drink from Stan.

 

"...I wouldn't get stood up."

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"Yeah listen to the robot, Kenji! You need to listen up a little bit. You know what... STAN get me Kenji here some shots! Me and good ol' Kenji are going to play a game... that is... if he's man enough~"

 

"Something light, but bitter, please."

 

Not a quiet day at the bar, that was certain. STAN welcomed the company, however. As the twins went back and forth about Kokko's bad mood - apparently the result of him losing his multitool - STAN got to work filling up and setting a drink on the bar in front of Kokko, before getting started on shots for Kenji and Roche over at the booths. He assembled an array of shot glasses on a tray as he filled each one up in short time, ultimately lining up fifty shot glasses in five neat little rows of ten glasses each. Rows far neater than a human could manage on the fly like that. As the conversation between the twins began to wrap up, the robot picked up the tray, and made his way over to the booth.

 

"Not sure how much the two of you plan on drinking," he started, setting the tray down between Roche and Kenji. "But try not to make a mess of the booth if you can help it; I just cleaned it a few minutes ago." As STAN wrapped up his service and request, Kyy requested a second drink. This was definitely better than just standing around idly wiping glasses cleaner than even he deemed necessary. Leaving Kenji and Roche with their drinks, STAN returned to the bar to set up a refill on Kyy's drink. Kokko seemed to be swapping places with him. Kenji sure was popular with the crew right now, at least out of those gathered here.

 

Once again behind the bar, STAN got to work on Kyy's drink, as well as a second one for Maxine. Best to have it there in advance, while he was already getting drinks. Once the mugs were full and set down on the bar, STAN turned his attention to the twin who was clearly in a better mood. "Drinks with a lady, eh?" he asked. He was interested. "I tried having drinks with a lovely young dame once, before all that ugly war business. Turns out I wasn't quite what she was looking for when she said she was into heavy metal."


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-BGM-

 

"Kenji, hun, stop being such a party pooper. We won, nobody died, and we're probably going to rich. Nobody's perfect so don't dwell on sheet so much."

 

Kenji looked over and saw Roche there, sliding into the booth across from him. Oh goodie... He was about to say something, but good ol' STAN spoke up.

 

"And don't think I can't hear you over there, young man! Only weapon a man needs besides his favorite killing tool is a sharp wit. Least, that's how I remember it being. Not sure if you post-war kids need different tools to settle things from my generation. Awful times they've left you in if the bigger gun always wins."

 

"Yeah well...this change and evolve, STAN." Kenji retorted, shaking his head. "As an android, you definitely know this, I'll bet."

 

He rubbed the back of his head some, only to see Roche already getting shots ready for the both of them for a little game. Fantastic... Kenji could see that Roche was obvious baiting him into this game, even trying to goad him into playing this little game by throwing that "If he's man enough" line into the mix. Jeez...can't me trying to save his life be enough? he thought, seeing STAN bringing over the drinks. Really shouldn't be drinking. Drinking games and Roche being a ringleader of it...yeah that isn't a trap at all...

 

Before Kenji could say much of anything else, he noticed one of the twins, Kokko, moving towards him. What am I, Mr. Popular all of a sudden? he thought, before waving slightly at Kokko. "Kokko...what can I do for you?"

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"Drinks with a lady, eh? I tried having drinks with a lovely young dame once, before all that ugly war business. Turns out I wasn't quite what she was looking for when she said she was into heavy metal."

 

Kyy snorted, despite himself. It was such an awful joke that it looped around into being alright in the end.

 

"Yeah, something like that. I wouldn't really know, though; Maryanne and I are fairly decent acquaintances, sure, but she was the one who asked. Threw me for a loop, and she dashed off the bridge before I had a chance to recover and respond."

 

He took a sip of his Blue Fairy; a sweet and girly drink, sure, but he didn't care much. Drinking wasn't a means to show off, after all; simply a matter of taste. And Kyy preferred to not have the aftertaste of old furniture and battery acid after a trip to the bar.

 

"...I'm mostly just assuming she'll show up. Kokko was joking about me getting stood up, but maybe she doesn't even know I'm here to begin with?"

 

----

 

Kokko set his Piledriver on the table, though it was mostly done by this point. Rather than sitting in the booth proper, Kokko dragged a stool over, setting it near the edge of the table and taking a seat.

 

"Right. Kenji. I need to ask you about your Duel. In particular, how you tend to treat it."

 

He picked his glass up off the table and took another swig, finishing with a sigh.

 

"I'm sure you're doing your damnedest, but lad, you gotta try CLEANING the damn thing sometime! Yeah, yeah, it's the job of us techies to do all the heavy lifting, but a pilot's gotta know how to do these things in the off chance we aren't around. And on that note, you're joints need regrinding, your crank shaft is bent, and in my initial tests, I couldn't even get your standardized piston up! What did you DO to it?"

 

With one final swig, his drink was finished with a cough.

 

"On... in any case, I do have some good news. I was running an internal diagnostic, and, well... I might be able to fix your little cupholder problem." His self-satisfied grin was almost beaming.

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"Arthur, we need to talk."

 

"Do we now?" Arthur took another sip of tea from his mug, which read "Special Vehicles Section 2". He was ever so slightly perturbed that Reveka had decided not to knock, but she looked worried, so instead he gestured to the couch that lined the wall, offering her a seat. "What is it, Dr. Isozaki?" She didn't sit down, instead making her way over to where Arthur sat and handing him her tablet.

 

"What does that brain scan tell you?"

 

Arthur skimmed through the data. He was no doctor, and so most of it was meaningless to him, but he was able to glean enough information that he could see what Reveka meant. "It reminds me of Chief Kusanagi's Nt-D readouts... Let me guess, this is from that girl Reyd brought back with him?" While he spoke, Reveka had begun pacing about the room.

 

"It looks like she's a newtype, yeah?"

 

"What about it? Newtype Gundam pilots weren't unusual."

 

Arthur, she's a cyber newtype. I saw the implants myself, but that shouldn't be possible." Arthur scratched his chin as she continued. "Arthur, you need to make sure the salvage party doesn't touch that ship. I need to get on that ship and find out just what the hell they were doing to her, or I'm not sure I'll be able to treat her. The procedures used to create cyber newtypes weren't meant to be used on people who already had that capability."

 

"She hasn't shown any signs of rejecting her implants, has she?"

 

Reveka stopped pacing, her anxiety at last spilling over. "Holy sheet, Arthur, what are we getting ourselves into?" He sighed, and stood up, placing his hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her down.

 

"Nothing we can't handle, I'm sure. Still, perhaps its time I went and paid our guest a visit. Maybe she'll be able to tell us something." He made his way out of his study and into the hall, expecting Reveka to follow him toward the medical bay.

 

---

 

Unlike the Arrowhead, the atmosphere aboard the Pierre Gint was much more somber. As Jared Richter floated down from the cockpit of his damaged Sieg, his compatriots in the Rewloola-class cruiser's hangar shot worried looks in his direction. By now, word had gotten around that he was the only member of the Gint's 6-man assault team to make it back from their latest sortie, and there was a certain bit of anxiety among the pirate crew about what their next move would be.

 

Jared didn't stop to talk to anyone as he landed, and the mechanics instead went to work on inspecting his mobile suit. Wordlessly, he made his way down the Gint's rusty halls toward the ship's briefing room, where he knew his boss would be waiting for him. Before he got there, however, he was stopped by a familiar young woman wearing the same kind of bright red normal suit that he himself had on. It was his usual wingman: Carla Sonoda.

 

"Carla."

 

"Glad you made it back in one piece."

 

"I got lucky. Can't say the same for Schnell and Cumberdale." He tried to move more rapidly in order to avoid a conversation with her, but Carla turned herself around and caught up with him.

 

"You're not blaming yourself, are you?" Jared didn't respond, and Carla frowned. "Jared..." Still nothing, and so at last she grabbed onto his shoulder and forcefully spun him around. He could tell she was concerned. "You know this isn't your fault, right?"

 

"My first time running a job, and everyone under my command ends up dead."

 

"It happens. You knew we were gonna run this risk when we joined up here... just be glad it wasn't you." She looked away for a moment, then came forward and embraced him, trying her best to hold back the tears gathering in her eyes. It took him a moment, but Jared at last reciprocated. "You have no idea how worried I was! You scared me half to death, going out there without me to watch your back. And then when I heard, I thought-"

 

"I'm sorry Carla..." Neither of them said another word. Instead, they floated silently together, holding one another tightly before they shared a kiss.

 

---

 

"Hey hey! Sorry I kept you waiting!" Maryanne announced as she made her way over to the bar, taking a seat on a stool next to Kyy. She was wearing a typical set of casual clothes, namely jeans, a shirt and a cardigan, but she had foregone the blue-rimmed glasses she usually wore, instead presumably opting for contact lenses. "I would have been here sooner, but the captain asked me to stay on duty a bit longer than normal... said he had something he needed to look into and went off to wherever it is he likes to hide." She took a moment to get STAN's attention next. "Hey STAN, mind getting me something nice and strong? I reeeealllly need to unwind." Now, it was a glance around the room, and then back to Kyy. "Looks like everyone's already here, huh? Good! At least you had a little company!" She let out a small laugh.

 

Before Kyy could continue the conversation though, the jazz that had been coming from the jukebox suddenly stopped, accompanied by a noise similar to the scratching of a vinyl record. A moment later, it was replaced, at a noticeably higher volume, by a song that was much more palatable to the obvious culprit. 

 

BGM

 

"Ahh, much better than that ancient crap DeGaines always plays!" Reyd said with a hint of satisfaction as he appeared from behind the jukebox. Quickly, he made his way over to the bar, ignoring STAN entirely and instead taking a bottle of liquor, a glass, and a bottle of soda from off of the shelf. He then proceeded to pour himself a mixed drink, though he frowned after tasting it. Too much booze, not enough soda. Still, it didn't deter him from taking his loot and making his way over to the booth where Roche, Kokko, and Kenji had congregated.

 

"What, you all decided to hang out and didn't invite your ace pilot? How rude!" He said, only half-jokingly, as he slid himself onto the corner of the table, placing the bottles he had taken behind him for anyone who wanted to drink from them. He took another swig from his glass, wincing again at the overly bitter taste. "So, what's shakin' guys?"

 

Maryanne, of course, found it all rather amusing. "There he goes again. You'd think Reyd would be a little less rowdy after getting his mobile suit trashed today." She shrugged, a content grin on her face. She preferred the ambiance of the jazz, of course, but Reyd's music didn't exactly bother her, either. Besides, she most certainly wouldn't care after a couple of shots.

 

---

 

A few minutes later, Arthur arrived in the medical bay. Despite living on the Arrowhead for literal decades, he'd never really felt quite comfortable in the bright white of the room. It felt too sterile, though Dr. Isozaki's warm demeanor certainly made it more palatable. Right now, it was fairly busy, with one or two of her assistants busy checking what he could only presume was Seladri's medical data. Rosaria was there, too, and he acknowledged her with a nod and a "Miss Ortiz." before making his way over to the bed where Selardi sat, munching on a cup of Yogurt. He took a seat on a nearby stool, and introduced himself.

 

"I don't think you and I have gotten acquainted yet, Miss... Selardi, is it? I'm Arthur DeGaines: this ship's captain. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

 

 

 

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After a bit of a check up, Rosaria was good to go. Reveka handed her some heat pads, "Place these wherever it hurts and get some rest if you're still feeling sore in the morning come see me. Also no hitting the bar tonight, and trust me I will know if you do. Now if there's nothing else you're free to go."

 

"Thanks, Doc..." Rosaria stood up and took one last look at Selardi before heading out of the infirmary, something just felt off about that girl.

 

Walking down the hallway, Rosaria was at first heading to her room to rest, but her arm started reacting really slowly almost as if it were rusted, which it wasn't. "Dammit..." she sighed and made a large detour from her room. "A quick fix up by Kusanagi and I'm turning in..." she mumbled to herself.

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To say that Chief Kusanagi was less than enthusiastic about the prospect of repairing Reyd's Djinn was an understatement. She had known that it might as well have been a total loss as soon as they got it into the hangar, and the only reason she hadn't just immediately gotten the maintenance crew to get to work salvaging it was that they didn't have a replacement and couldn't afford to have two of their mobile suit compliment out of action in the short term and much less the long term. The Leveler was a much easier thing to handle. Reattaching the arm would be almost child's play for her and Kokko, but then she had sent him over to handle Reyd's machine for the time being. She had wanted him to examine it and give her a report on the damage, but it seemed he’d taken the time to try and work one of the dents out of the armor. Not the best use of his time, but she figured she’d go ahead and let him work out some frustration over losing his multitool. At the moment she was drawing up plans to reattach the Leveler’s arm on a tablet, with Cuddles the Rat nested in her hair and getting used to the almost null gravity in the hangar.

 

“God DAMMIT! The words rang out on the heels of the distinctive clang of something hitting the deck, which Motoko realised was the multitool she had loaned Kokko after she had to catch it to avoid being struck in the head once it bounced. “...I need a break.” Normally she might have shouted him down over doing something like that, but a quick look around at the rest of the admittedly small maintenance team told her all she needed to. Between needing to let themselves come down from the mix of superstitious fear of the L5 Shoal Zone, the stress of being in a combat zone, excitement over the new Gundam, and the various feelings on Reyd’s busted to sheet Djinn they weren’t in the best shape to be working.

 

“Alright then.” She said aloud, before slipping her personal communicator out of its slot on her tool belt and patched into the speakers in the Hangar. “Clear out everyone, we’ll pick this up in twelve hours.” No sense in using a time of day for reference in space. “In case that wasn’t clear, you’re all dismissed.”

 

---

 

Barely fifteen minutes later, and Kusanagi was entirely on her own in the hangar. That was fine enough by her, the silence helped her think. Helped her relax enough to let her mind just go wild without worrying about her thoughts pressing on on other people. For now they were dominated by two things. The first was whether or not Reyd’s Djinn was even salvagable. We’ll have to get a look at the reactor and see if its compromised. That will decide whether we can even save the reactor or not. She jotted down a few notes on her tablet, and then turned her attention properly to the other thing dominating her thoughts: the new Gundam.

 

“Well, what are we to do with you?” She wondered aloud, kicking off the floor so that she steadily drifted up towards the mobile suit’s face. “I could fly you easily enough, you wouldn’t even be the first GX I’ve been in.” She caught herself on the V-fin and came to a stop. “Though I can think of more than a few people who would pay a lot of money for you, and two that wouldn’t want me flying you.” She had taken that glowing crystal necklace out of the Scrap Queen’s cockpit, and was now wearing it as a necklace. “Plus we don’t really have the resources to keep another Gundam running, or any Bits for your Flash system. Probably ought to go talk to the Captain about this.” She kicked off again, this time using the Gundam’s chin as her launching point, and sent herself, and the slightly startled Cuddles the Rat, floating off towards the hangar exit.

 

--

 

It just took a little asking around to learn that the Captain had gone into the infirmary to interview the newest addition to the ship, who Motoko had picked out as a Newtype as soon as she’d gotten within a few meters of the GX while they’d been digging Reyd’s Djinn out of the side of the Hagane. That made enough sense, so she made her way to the infirmary. Reveka had insisted on seeing the new girl as soon as she’d been brought aboard, so she knew where she’d been taken. Selardi, she thought she’d heard the girl’s name was. Whatever the case, she headed down to the infirmary.

 

She passed Rosaria on her way there, and she knew without asking that the girl was looking for her. She made a beckoning motion for her to follow, intent on speaking to the Captain first, and continued towards the Infirmary. She didn’t so much as bother to wait before she opened the door.

 

“Captain,” she said aloud to get his attention. She didn’t have to look long to find him, he was pretty big. So she made her way over to where he was, oddly rigid once she came to stand off to the side of the bed Selardi was on and beside which he was seated. “I have the damage report on our mobile suits for you. That and we should discuss the GN-1400 sooner rather than later.”

 

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As she gulped down on the yoghurt provided by the doctor, Sela noticed something about the pilot that was being examined now and the doctor that handled her. Something pretty familiar, reminding her of the kids that was on the same group as her back then. She didn't have much interest on that yet though, but it's something to take note later once she's not hungry. The yoghurt helped to fill the gap inside, but she wished for something actually solid. If it's just a few hours until then, she could wait. For now she would just sitting contently on the side of this bed and turn herself off for a bit...well, until someone came in and approached her. Presumably the ship captain.

 

"I don't think you and I have gotten acquainted yet, Miss... Selardi, is it? I'm Arthur DeGaines: this ship's captain. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

 

"I have been told to not answer about any details regarding myself in the scenario I was captured by the enemy.

 

But at the same time, I have no obligation to follow the orders of long-dead people. Yes, I will answer your question."

 

Her speech was as monotonous as always as she took the time to observe the captain's appearance. She wondered about how she would judge him, but so far nothing of much interest for her was on him. She decided to just stick with Boss as his name. Soon another one entered the room though, seemingly wanting to talk to Boss. A sub-boss already? Something about her was quite interesting however. Aside from the same familiarity she felt with the other two earlier, there was this faint echo coming from somewhere close to her. Yet another thing for Selardi to figure out, but that wasn't the best time for it.

 

“I have the damage report on our mobile suits for you. That and we should discuss the GN-1400 sooner rather than later.”

 

"Are you planning to scrap it? Good. Tell me when the process starts, I want to watch."

 


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"Don't worry, I wasn't waiting long."

 

The arrival of Maryanne certainly brightened Kyy's mood; at the very least, it denied his growing concern that he had been stood up, and that meant quite a bit to him. In his mind, it's a whole lot better to go on a failed date than to not have your date show up at all.

 

...Was this a date? He squirmed at the thought for a moment; but all means, it probably is, but it definitely didn't have a romantic vibe about it. Kyy had never really put any thought or effort into romance up until this point, so he certainly wasn't feeling it. But... perhaps, did Maryanne feel for him...?

 

He took another sip of his Blue Fairy. No point in festering over the thought at this point, he figured; intentions would likely be revealed as the night went on and more booze was drunk. To a point, anyway. He was sure boss wouldn't appreciate half of his bridge crew coming back blasted to hell.

 

Wouldn't run a smooth operation.

 

"There he goes again. You'd think Reyd would be a little less rowdy after getting his mobile suit trashed today."

 

Kyy grimaced, and took another sip of his drink.

 

"Honestly, I'm not too concerned about how that loose wire acts. I'm more worried about how Kokko will take it."

 

----

 

Kokko froze when Reyd approached. As if he were suffering engineering-related PTSD, he began to rapidly tap the table with one of his fingers. A few more moments passed, and it stopped. Slowly, ever so slowly, his head turned to face the newly arrived "ace." It wore quite a vicious grimace, directed right into the eyes of the boy.

 

He said nothing.

 

----

 

Kyy downed the last of his drink in a single gulp.

 

"See? Compounded stress. If Ko had his multitool, he probably would've tried to kill the guy by now."

 

For a moment, he concerned ordering another drink, but decided that a glass of water would be a better bet, taking the order to STAN.

 

"...Kokko! Just drink your drink, woulda?"

 

Without changing head positions or expression, Kokko took a quick gulp of his Piledriver; it softened his expression just a bit.

 

"He'll come out of it if he gets tipsy. I think. So long as we keep him out of the brig, things should work out anyway."

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Kenji looked at Kokko, beginning to hear what he wanted to talk about...namely his Duel Gundam.

 

"I'm sure you're doing your damnedest, but lad, you gotta try CLEANING the damn thing sometime! Yeah, yeah, it's the job of us techies to do all the heavy lifting, but a pilot's gotta know how to do these things in the off chance we aren't around."

 

Slowly sitting back in his seat, Kenji looked at Kokko for a moment. "Firstly, I do tend to clean it up when I have a moment. Keyword there is when I have a moment..." he explained. "The times I try to get to clean up the Duel, I get dragged into something else. Plus we do a lot of salvage work, so its always causing us to get dirty. Not to mention that I've tried cleaning it occasionally before I joined the crew. Unfortunately, I lacked a few tools needed to get half of the gunk and whatnot out. It wasn't going anywhere at that point..."

 

"And on that note, you're joints need regrinding, your crank shaft is bent, and in my initial tests, I couldn't even get your standardized piston up! What did you DO to it?"

 

"Not sure if that was my fault." Kenji shrugged. "I mean, it could be from this previous battle or some long term damage that it took back when my dad was piloting it. Can't exactly say for certain."

 

"On... in any case, I do have some good news. I was running an internal diagnostic, and, well... I might be able to fix your little cupholder problem."

 

Kenji immediately had his face meet his hand, forcing him to sigh greatly. This was something he really didn't care about, nor did he feel like it improving the performance of the Duel in general. He only shook his head a bit before returning his gaze to Kokko. "And here I was hoping you'd tell me something useful with that last part..." he chuckled.

 

"What, you all decided to hang out and didn't invite your ace pilot? How rude! So, what's shakin' guys?"

 

"Oh we're sorry. If they show up, we'll immediately invite them, Reyd." Kenji quickly threw out, shaking his head at the style of music that now blared out the jukebox.

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"Looks like everyone's already here, huh? Good! At least you had a little company!"

 

Well, she was right about one thing. There was certainly company to be had here today. STAN was about to agree with her, when suddenly, the jazz music he'd been quietly enjoying was abruptly stopped. And in its place, something quite different started up.

 

 

"Ahh, much better than that ancient crap DeGaines always plays!"

 

Kids these days. No respect for some perfectly fine music, or for the bartender that was right there as Reyd went around behind the bar and set his drink up himself. His expression upon taking a taste test indicated it wasn't an ideal mix. Serves ya right. With that done, Reyd made his way over to the booth that was getting more and more attention, and half-joked about being the crew's ace pilot. If he knew the first thing about piloting those giant lifeless husks, STAN would probably like to contest Reyd's claim to being the ace pilot, but he wasn't about that pilot life. He was much more content to stay on the ship, cleaning it up and whatnot.

 

"There he goes again. You'd think Reyd would be a little less rowdy after getting his mobile suit trashed today."

 

"Honestly, I'm not too concerned about how that loose wire acts. I'm more worried about how Kokko will take it." Kyy followed up with a simple order for some water. Easy service. As STAN watched the scene at the booth unfold, he poured a quick glass of water and set it down in front of the twin at the bar, before bringing his own input to the table.

 

"I'd figure he's acting up because his mobile suit is trashed if anything," STAN mused. "Humans just love getting attached to things, and then when they break, you need to blow off some steam. He's doing just that, I reckon." With a shrug, STAN glanced behind him to analyze what needed cleaning along the wall. A few bottles were a bit dusty, but that could wait until the place had cleared out a bit. He kept his eyes on Reyd instead. Getting some steam off was fine, but he didn't want things to get violent on his watch. If they did for some inexplicable reason...he'd be ready. Better safe than sorry, he figured.


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Another completed mission, another night alone at the bar, halfway torn to pieces, and aching from head to toe. Some days it felt like she was still on deployment. At least the beer was cold here. She closed her eyes for a bit, trying to bring her focus to the center of the source of her pounding headache. A few cathartic breaths followed, as she continued to bring herself to a resting pulse. She was almost beginning to tune out the bar; it was nice. She could sit there for at least 10 minutes uninterrupted and find some peace.

 

"Ahem... Ms. Delphi, Dr. Isozaki has requested your presence in the infirmary, and from the looks of it, you could use a visit pretty badly. Oh, I should mention that Dr. Isozaki said that consequences would be quite unpleasant for you if you did not come willingly."

 

Maxine grit her teeth almost to the point of cracking. Was it really so hard to just get some peace and quiet with a damn beer around this place?

 

"Consequences, you say?" Maxine looked over to the bar top, where Stan had just set a fresh one, then back to the assistant, "Well you can go ahead back to the med bay and tell the good doctor-" As Maxine reached for her beer, a loud, agonizing sounding crack accompanied the extension of her shoulder, followed by a squint that looked more irritated than pained, although the pain was definitely there, "That all she has to do is ask nicely next time. Threats are uncouth, especially for a woman." Maxine hoped the assistant didn't put much thought into that interaction, and grabbed her beer, making her way towards the medical bay.

 

Maxine slipped in the doorway, attempting to make as little a scene as possible, but the club meeting in the med bay made that a bit harder to do. Incredulously, she spoke, "The hell are all you people doing in here? It wasn't even that bad, just a dislocated shoulder and some cuts. This can't be for me right? Listen Arthur, I told you a million times a post op beer is just how I cool off; it's not an issue."

 

She made her way into the middle of the room, setting her beer down on a desk nearby, "Alright doc. Lets just get this over with already, okay? Threatening me to come to the med bay seems a bit extreme considering I'm in here after every major op. Punching bag is practically in the resume. And just who the hell is this?" Maxine gestured over to Selardi, who was... eating yogurt? In the medical bay? She was sorry she asked. Rolling her eyes, she leaned up against the examination table, waiting for Isozaki's inevitably uncomfortable examination.

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"You're right. It's not like me to get worked up. Let's go, Arthur," Reveka smiled and nodded at Arthur stepping out of the way to let him pass by before turning to follow him herself. 

 

------

 
"Heeheeheehee, oh yeah~!" Roche giggled hysterically slamming down the last shot in his own line, "C'mon Kenjiiiiii, you're no fun, you haven't even done a single shot!" Roche pouted at Kenji from across the booth.
 
 
"Ahh, much better than that ancient crap DeGaines always plays!" 
 
"OH MY GOD REYD, DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SO OBNOXIOUS!?" Roche yelled across the bar with absolutely no sense of irony what-so-ever.
 
"What, you all decided to hang out and didn't invite your ace pilot? How rude!"
 
"People who almost get me killed cause they've got their heads up their asses don't get to call themselves ace pilot," Roche threw a pointed look at Reyd from across the booth. "Like, I know you're new here, but you can't think Arthur's that stupid. I mean c'mon if you'd just waited for like 2 seconds we probably could've blown them all out of the sky with the ship's turrets, and maybe your Djinn wouldn't trashed~" Finishing his statement with a smirk Roche got the same mischievous look on his face he'd had when he'd asked Kenji to do shots. "So, are you gonna make it up to big boy? I was so scared when those big, mean pirates were shooting at me I didn't know what I would do. I think, if you wanna make it up to me you should play a little game with me~. STAAAAANNNN! Get me some more shots, Reyd you can take Kenji's, he's obviously not going to drink them."
 
Across the bar, Reveka's assistant was preparing herself for the inevitable rage fit that she would be subject to by Maxine.
 
"Consequences, you say? Well you can go ahead back to the med bay and tell the good doctor-" Reveka's assistant faced Maxine with a deadpan look on her face, she was quite prepared to use the tranquilizer Dr. Isozaki had sent her here with, however, the look of pain on Maxine's face that she would not need to take any such measures. "That all she has to do is ask nicely next time. Threats are uncouth, especially for a woman."
 
"Of course, Ms. Delphi please right this way." The assistant moved out of Maxine's way keeping the same deadpan look on her face, however as soon Maxine had passed a self-satisfied smirk crossed her lips. Trusting Maxine to get herself to the med bay Reveka's assistant sat at the bar intending to enjoy a short break before going back. "STAN get me a martini, please."
 
 
-------
 
Back in the med bay, the captain approached Selardi meanwhile Reveka pulled up the rest of the girl's medical data. 
 
"I don't think you and I have gotten acquainted yet, Miss... Selardi, is it? I'm Arthur DeGaines: this ship's captain. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"
 
I have been told to not answer about any details regarding myself in the scenario I was captured by the enemy. But at the same time, I have no obligation to follow the orders of long-dead people. Yes, I will answer your question."
 
Reveka again found herself feeling... sad whenever Selardi spoke. It reminded her too much of herself before she'd met Carlo. She was quite familiar with the methods the ESA used to train its newtypes, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what other sorts of abuse she'd had to go to get those implants as well. 
 
“Captain, I have the damage report on our mobile suits for you. That and we should discuss the GN-1400 sooner rather than later.”
 
"Motoko, maybe we should refrain from discussing what we're doing to someone else's property right in front of them..." Reveka muttered at in an attempt to be at least somewhat subtle. 
 
"Are you planning to scrap it? Good. Tell me when the process starts, I want to watch."
 
"You're perfectly fine with that...? I had always thought pilots shared a "special bond" with their Mobile Suits. Though I suppose I only ever thought of my own Mobile Suit as a tool, so I guess I can understand the sentiment." That was the closest semblance to emotion the girl had shown the entire time she'd been in Reveka's care. She wondered what must have happened to her aboard that ship that she would want to see her own Mobile Suit, a Gundam at that, destroyed."Wait, hold on. Motoko, you can discuss the Gundam later. Selardi, dear, I need to know-"
 
"The hell are all you people doing in here? It wasn't even that bad, just a dislocated shoulder and some cuts. This can't be for me, right? Listen, Arthur, I told you a million times a post-op beer is just how I cool off; it's not an issue."
 
"Oh, for funk's sake..." Reveka muttered as the foul mannered girl entered the med bay.
 
"Alright, doc. Let's just get this over with already, okay? Threatening me to come to the med bay seems a bit extreme considering I'm in here after every major op. The punching bag is practically on the resume. And just who the hell is this?"
 
"Maxine, dear, let's not forget who was being difficult. Now, go lay down on one of the examination beds, one of my nurses will be with you in a minute. I have half-a-mind to make you wait for the 5 and half hours for the alcohol to leave your system..." Reveka shook her head and then returned her attention back to Selardi. "Now as I was saying, dear, I'm going to need your medical data and history or treating you may become difficult. Is there any place aboard your ship, or rather former ship, that we could find this information?" 
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"I have been told to not answer about any details regarding myself in the scenario I was captured by the enemy. But at the same time, I have no obligation to follow the orders of long-dead people. Yes, I will answer your question."

 

Cold, detached, almost robotic. Selardi's tone reminded Arthur very much of another Gundam pilot who'd been put in his care decades ago. Then, as if his reminiscence had somehow conjured her from the ether, Chief Kusanagi made her way into the medical bay, followed closely by Dr. Isozaki.

 

“Captain. I have the damage report on our mobile suits for you. That and we should discuss the GN-1400 sooner rather than later.”

 

"Motoko, maybe we should refrain from discussing what we're doing to someone else's property right in front of them..." The doctor muttered, though Arthur was sure that Selardi could hear her. Before he had a chance to acknowledge either of them though, the newtype girl chimed in.

 

"Are you planning to scrap it? Good. Tell me when the process starts, I want to watch."

 

Her remark produced an audible chuckle from Arthur (a rare occurrence). "You're perfectly fine with that...? I had always thought pilots shared a "special bond" with their Mobile Suits. Though I suppose I only ever thought of my own Mobile Suit as a tool, so I guess I can understand the sentiment."

 

"Yes, she certainly has no love lost for that GX, eh?"  He turned around to talk to Chief Kusanagi, but Reveka had beaten him to it.

 
"Wait, hold on. Motoko, you can discuss the Gundam later. Selardi, dear, I need to know-"
 

"The hell are all you people doing in here? It wasn't even that bad, just a dislocated shoulder and some cuts. This can't be for me right? Listen Arthur, I told you a million times a post op beer is just how I cool off; it's not an issue."

 

Arthur was surprised to see Maxine willingly (at least somewhat, he assumed) present in the medical bay. She was obviously a little worse for wear than she was letting on, but Arthur had seen much, much worse before. Her condition was nothing to worry about, especially considering how tough his senior pilot had proven herself to be in the past. The girl may very well have been more resistant to damage than her mobile suit. "The only way that I would have an issue, Miss Delphi, is if you declined to return to my ship in one piece after an operation. So long as you're still up and about, and you don't make any trouble for the rest of the crew," He shot a knowing look in Reveka's direction as he spoke. "then you are free to do as you like after a sortie. That said, its never a bad idea to get a checkup after a rough flight. Sometimes those bumps and bruises are more than they appear to be, you know."

 

Confident that he'd made his point (both to Maxine and Dr. Isozaki) Arthur turned back to Selardi, whom he was sure was just as bemused as he was. Judging by the following exchange, however, it hadn't quite sunk in. "Alright, doc. Let's just get this over with already, okay? Threatening me to come to the med bay seems a bit extreme considering I'm in here after every major op. The punching bag is practically on the resume. And just who the hell is this?"

 

"Maxine, dear, let's not forget who was being difficult. Now, go lay down on one of the examination beds, one of my nurses will be with you in a minute. I have half-a-mind to make you wait for the 5 and half hours for the alcohol to leave your system..."

 

"She's our guest, Miss Delphi, and I trust that you will treat her as such."

 

"Now as I was saying, dear, I'm going to need your medical data and history or treating you may become difficult. Is there any place aboard your ship, or rather former ship, that we could find this information?"

 

"Back in the day, we used to keep all the pertinent medical records for the gundams' pilots on a backup in the ship's archive... at least the classified stuff. Anything else you'd need, Reveka, will probably be in that ship's medical bay, or wherever it was that Reyd happened upon her. If they erased the data when they evacuated, though, then you'll have to make your best guess based on Motoko's old file.... and perhaps CPO Hawke's, if we still have it onboard." He paused a moment, then finally addressed Selardi.

 

"That being said, you look like you're feeling well, other than the aftereffects of stasis. Am I right, Miss Selardi? I don't think we have all that much to worry about. Speaking of worries, I'd like to make it clear that you're welcome to stay onboard the Arrowhead for as long as you like, and, should you have any reservations about that, I'd also like to make it clear that we aren't a military vessel, and so you've nothing to fear either from myself or any of the crew here. I'll even give you a tour, if and when you're feeling up to it." Arthur put an awkward, but friendly smile on, in much the same way he'd first introduced himself to Adrian and Motoko when they'd first arrived on the Arrowhead during the war. Hopefully, he'd win her over in much the same way. "And Chief, you said you had a damage report for me? Well, lets hear it."

 

---

 

"Honestly, I'm not too concerned about how that loose wire acts. I'm more worried about how Kokko will take it."

 

"What makes you say that? I figure you and I have to put up with him way more than Kook does up in the hangars."

 

"See? Compounded stress. If Ko had his multitool, he probably would've tried to kill the guy by now. ...Kokko! Just drink your drink, woulda?" Kyy pointed at his twin brother to illustrate that, indeed, Reyd had an immediate and noticeable impact on him. "He'll come out of it if he gets tipsy. I think. So long as we keep him out of the brig, things should work out anyway."

 

"I wouldn't worry about that too much Kyy. Your brother knows how to play nice. Its Reyd I'm more concerned about."

 

"I'd figure he's acting up because his mobile suit is trashed if anything," STAN mused. "Humans just love getting attached to things, and then when they break, you need to blow off some steam. He's doing just that, I reckon."

 

Maryanne pouted when she noticed that STAN hadn't brought her a drink, instead only serving Kyy some water. "STAN, its very unbecoming of a gentleman such as yourself to not serve a lady her drink! And I thought we were friends!" Maryanne was being playful, of course, and added to her statement by exaggerating her facial expression and making a big, cartoonish motion out of spinning around on the bar stool and putting her hands on her hips.
 

Meanwhile, over at the booth, Kenji was the first person to respond to Reyd. "Oh we're sorry. If they show up, we'll immediately invite them, Reyd." Naturally, Reyd bristled at this.

 

"Reeeeeeal funny. This coming from the pussy who's too scared to use his fancy gundam to take down a few pirate mobile suits. Poor Roche, practically alone out there and having to babysit your candy ass." Instead of agreeing with Reyd though, Roche countered with his own insult.

 

"People who almost get me killed cause they've got their heads up their asses don't get to call themselves ace pilot. Like, I know you're new here, but you can't think Arthur's that stupid. I mean c'mon if you'd just waited for like 2 seconds we probably could've blown them all out of the sky with the ship's turrets, and maybe your Djinn wouldn't be trashed~"
 
"Who cares about that Djinn? There's a shiny new Gundam X up there in the hangar with my name on it! Which, by the way, we wouldn't have found if it wasn't for me, either. Besides, that guy in the Red Seig was damn good. I doubt you guys would have done any better than I did, especially since you couldn't even handle a few slowpoke Dauntless Weapons without the Chief having to come bail you out." Kokko was the next person he talked to, though Reyd's tone was noticeably more apologetic, having realized that it was Kokko who would probably be saddled with the herculean task of fixing his mobile suit. Reyd slid his bottle of liquor over in the Kokko's direction, expecting him to refill his glass with it.
 
"And hey, Kokko, sorry about getting my Djinn so beat up. I can't imagine she's gonna be an easy fix, so if you need an extra pair of hands, just come find me and I'll do what I can." Reyd winced as he took another swig of his drink.
 
"So, are you gonna make it up to me big boy? I was so scared when those big, mean pirates were shooting at me I didn't know what I would do. I think, if you wanna make it up to me you should play a little game with me~."
 
Reyd laughed and nodded in the affirmative. "You fruit. Sure, why the hell not? We're celebrating, aren't we?"
 
STAAAAANNNN! Get me some more shots, Reyd you can take Kenji's, he's obviously not going to drink them."
 
"Too much of pussy to get drunk with us too, eh Kenji?" Reyd nudged him on the shoulder with his elbow. "C'mon man bottoms up! It'll be a good time and we all need to unwind after today, I think."
 
"Well, at least they all seem to be getting along." Maryanne shrugged. "I hope we get a nice bonus off of all this crap, though. Been a long while since we had a good payday around here, and I could really use a nice shopping trip the next time we get some leave."

 

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"Reeeeeeal funny. This coming from the pussy who's too scared to use his fancy Gundam to take down a few pirate mobile suits. Poor Roche, practically alone out there and having to babysit your candy ass."

 

Kenji felt his eye twitch slightly, hearing Reyd's obvious rebuttal to his sarcastic comment. Ooooohhhh how he wanted to punch the smug look off Reyd's face right now, but that wouldn't get him anywhere at all. He kept his gaze away from Reyd for the time being, hearing Roche adding an insult to the other pilot.

 

"People who almost get me killed cause they've got their heads up their asses don't get to call themselves ace pilot. Like, I know you're new here, but you can't think Arthur's that stupid. I mean c'mon if you'd just waited for like 2 seconds we probably could've blown them all out of the sky with the ship's turrets, and maybe your Djinn wouldn't be trashed~"

"Who cares about that Djinn? There's a shiny new Gundam X up there in the hangar with my name on it! Which, by the way, we wouldn't have found if it wasn't for me, either. Besides, that guy in the Red Seig was damn good. I doubt you guys would have done any better than I did, especially since you couldn't even handle a few slowpoke Dauntless Weapons without the Chief having to come bail you out."

 

The beginning of Reyd's little tangent was the part that currently had Kenji's attention. Who cares about the Djinn? He sighed with a shake of his head. "So you end up dropping your Mobile Suit once something new comes along. Heh, just curious, if something else comes along that's better than the X, would you go for it?" he asked. "Honestly, I think a pilot and their Mobile Suit or even Gundam for that matter a-"

 

"STAAAAANNNN! Get me some more shots, Reyd you can take Kenji's, he's obviously not going to drink them."

 

Goddamnit Roche...right when I was on a roll. Kenji thought, sighing some.

 

"Too much of pussy to get drunk with us too, eh Kenji? C'mon man bottoms up! It'll be a good time and we all need to unwind after today, I think."
 
"Nooo...it's called unlike you, I'd like to be in control of a game...especially if Roche is the one orchestrating and pulling the strings." Kenji said, before taking one of the shots for himself. "I'd rather just stick around and watch."
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"Now as I was saying, dear, I'm going to need your medical data and history or treating you may become difficult. Is there any place aboard your ship, or rather former ship, that we could find this information?"

 

"Back in the day, we used to keep all the pertinent medical records for the gundams' pilots on a backup in the ship's archive... at least the classified stuff. Anything else you'd need, Reveka, will probably be in that ship's medical bay, or wherever it was that Reyd happened upon her. If they erased the data when they evacuated, though, then you'll have to make your best guess based on Motoko's old file.... and perhaps CPO Hawke's, if we still have it onboard."

 

"Bossman is right. And, I have no obligation to have any feeling towards a hunk of metal. It had done its job for me, nothing more."

 

He definitely looked like the leader of the bunch, so it's easier for Selardi to refer to him as such. Loudmouth on the room that just came reminded her of some of the soldiers that was stationed on her ship. Oh, the smell of alcohol too. Reminded of how those soldiers came across her at the same state whenever she snuck into the ship's bar. Took a while before she could beat the crap out of them before the reverse happened. Right now, she had nothing to fear about her. The other pilot was quiet, didn't seem like a troublesome specimen. The one talking about the Gundam and Doc and perhaps also Bossman seemed to genuinely care about her, but deciding whether they're actually for real or not was something a bit too taxing for Selardi's mind at her current mood. She'd just go with the flow and decide for herself later. Action is louder than words yadda yadda yadda, it's hard to remember what that book said.

 

"That being said, you look like you're feeling well, other than the aftereffects of stasis. Am I right, Miss Selardi? I don't think we have all that much to worry about. Speaking of worries, I'd like to make it clear that you're welcome to stay onboard the Arrowhead for as long as you like, and, should you have any reservations about that, I'd also like to make it clear that we aren't a military vessel, and so you've nothing to fear either from myself or any of the crew here. I'll even give you a tour, if and when you're feeling up to it."

 

"I'm still hungry. Do you have fruits here?"

 


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Just about everything about this Newtype, or Cyber-Newtype by the reference the captain made to herself and Adrian, was a depressing look back on herself some twenty years ago. And right along with it was Captain DeGaines doing what he had done with the two of them for this girl. For a moment she saw him as he had once been, a little thinner, dark haired, and clean shaven in that handsome Naval uniform of his with the Falling Star pinned to his chest. She lost herself in the nostalgia for a moment, and a familiar longing which she usually suppressed made itself known. For a moment, she considered finally just out and saying it.
 
"And Chief, you said you had a damage report for me? Well, let's hear it." And just like that the moment passed, and she snapped back to reality where she was presently surrounded by a trio of Newtypes. Rosaria knew better than to say something like that aloud, and the new girl probably didn't care enough. Reveka, on the other hand, got a look that could be described as venomous. Clearing her throat, Motoko adjusted her tablet and scrolled back to the top of her notes on the engagement.

 

“On the bright side, only two of the mobile suits suffered meaningful damage. The GMS-1100 and MCMS-08 made it out of the fight with only superficial damage from shrapnel and, I suspect, debris impacted on the way into the Shoal Zone. The MCMS-017 suffered minor heat scarring to its composite shield from proximity to the enemy ESAMS-204’s Heavy Beam Saber, and I am proud to report that the MCMS-018 suffered only superficial scratches and dents to its armor as well as some minor heat scarring. Quite the accomplishment, considering Ms. Ortiz was fighting a Mobile Armor. Oh, she did also lose three of her twelve funnels but considering we have six spares that is almost a non-issue.” She paused to allow the captain a moment to process what she had said.

 

“However, as you likely already know, we did suffer some significant damage to both of the MCMS-03Hs. Callsign ‘Leveler’ suffered notable denting to the external armor of the cockpit, and significant damage to the internals of the cockpit as well. Just about the only thing undamaged inside is the cupholder. Between that and its amputated arm, I estimate we have around 32 man hours’ work to get it back to 100%. We can probably cut that down to 22 if we just replace its damaged arm with the intact one from the other 03H. Speaking of which, I would go through the list of damage but it’s much quicker to just say that the aforementioned arm is the only piece of it that is currently functional. Junior managed to trash his Mobile Suit so thoroughly that I’m not even sure it’s salvageable. Won’t know for sure until I get the chance to open it up and see if the reactor’s been breached, and if it has then we’re better off selling the thing for scrap and cutting our losses instead of trying to repair it. Even if the reactor’s intact, we’re looking at over 100 man hours to get it functional again.” She paused again, looking meaningfully at the captain as if she were expecting him to have something to say with regards to Reyd's performance.

 

“On a more positive note, Ms. Ortiz and Ms. Delphi managed to recover the wrecked MCMA-01 which we’ve stored in the Port-side hangar for the time being along with the wreckage from the four ESAMS-204s. None of them are sufficiently intact to repair, though I could potentially make one 204 from the parts left by all of them. Either way, the sale of even just that scrap would pay for the repairs we need I think. That said, I do recommend we give one of the three recovered Heavy Beam Sabers to Roche to replace his heavy sword.”

 

“Which finally brings us to the GN-1400. We certainly could scrap it and sell it for parts, but you and I both know that an intact GX would sell for more than enough to make the entire trip out here worthwhile. I have a list of potential buyers for it drawn up already, but I would recommend contacting either Admiral King, yes he’s been promoted and yes he’s made the Ramba Ral his flagship, or Supreme Commander Vondal, yes that’s what he’s calling himself now. Apart from selling it, I have experience with the 1400 and could fly it with proficiency. Finally, we could keep it and strip it for parts. The GX frame is mostly similar to the Duel, so the parts would require only minor modification to serve as spares. The parts could also go towards my project, though I would essentially just be using them as a Gundanium source to manufacture parts for it.” With that, her damage report was thoroughly finished and with it any real business she had in the infirmary. Well, apart from tuning Rosaria's arm and waiting for the captain's orders. Just as she was considering what to do next, she recalled that their newest shipmate had mentioned something about fruit. Without really thinking about why, she spoke up. "There's a Freestone Peach tree in the greenhouse- our old forward MS Hangar- so we should have some down in the cantina, assuming Doctor Isozaki will let you out of the infirmary."

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"STAN, its very unbecoming of a gentleman such as yourself to not serve a lady her drink! And I thought we were friends!"

 

"I think you mean for a gentleman to pay for her drink, and I don't recall having a wallet," STAN teased back. "Something simple then, coming right--"

 

"STAAAAANNNN! Get me some more shots, Reyd, you can take Kenji's, he's obviously not going to drink them."

 

"You don't have to shout," STAN called back, turning his attention to the kegs behind him. It was more efficient to just get Maryanne her drink first, then dish out more shots. Of course, he didn't want to keep the booth waiting, so her drink would have to be simple. Just a quick mug of beer, with two ice cubes to keep it cold, found itself poured and set on the bar before the young lady in no time flat, before the robot got to work on more shot glasses. Another tray of fifty shot glasses poured and lined up with machine precision found itself assembled before long, and STAN - as with the last tray - picked it up when it was ready, and brought it over to the booth.

 

"If you kids go through all of these, I think you've had enough for the day," he said as he set the tray down. "And if you pass out in that booth, you're waking up wherever I decide to drop you. Capisce?" With that, STAN promptly returned to the bar, watching the folks at the booth briefly to make sure nothing started before anyone even got their first shot in. He concluded they'd be fine. With that, he turned his attention back to Maryanne and Kyy.

 

"As for paychecks...come to think of it, one of my wrist blades has been getting jammed a lot lately. Probably about time I bought a new one, though I don't know how I feel about replacement parts."

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"Back in the day, we used to keep all the pertinent medical records for the Gundams' pilots on a backup in the ship's archive... at least the classified stuff. Anything else you'd need, Reveka, will probably be in that ship's medical bay, or wherever it was that Reyd happened upon her. If they erased the data when they evacuated, though, then you'll have to make your best guess based on Motoko's old file.... and perhaps CPO Hawke's, if we still have it onboard."

 

"Bossman is right. And, I have no obligation to have any feeling towards a hunk of metal. It had done its job for me, nothing more."

 

"Thank you, Sela- wait did you call Arthur, Bossman?" Reveka chuckled briefly. "Looks like she'll fit perfectly into our little family. ...Bossman... it's actually kinda cute, isn't it?"

 

"That being said, you look like you're feeling well, other than the aftereffects of stasis. Am I right, Miss Selardi? I don't think we have all that much to worry about. Speaking of worries, I'd like to make it clear that you're welcome to stay onboard the Arrowhead for as long as you like, and, should you have any reservations about that, I'd also like to make it clear that we aren't a military vessel, and so you've nothing to fear either from myself or any of the crew here. I'll even give you a tour, if and when you're feeling up to it."

 

"Arthur just because she's feeling well doesn't mean she is well," Reveka said pursing her lips. "That being said her test results seem to indicate that she is perfectly healthy, so I suppose if she wants a tour she can have one." Reveka smiled at Selardi.

 

"Ah... we do, but like I said earlier I would prefer to keep on non-solid food for at least week..." Reveka rubbed the back of her neck when she noticed Motoko through a look of pure venom from across the room. "Aww... Tokoooo, don't be like that~" Reveka teased, however, Motoko wisely ignored her. Allowing Motoko to her technical jargon speech in peace Motoko went to go retrieve more yogurt for Selardi hoping to at least placate the poor girl a little bit.

 

"Here you go, dear..." Reveka offered Selardi more yogurt, "I know you must be hungry so eat as much as you like. I know it's not fruit, but this yogurt's blueberry flavored... hehehe..." Reveka laughed weakly hoping this would be enough to satisfy the Selardi.

 

"There's a Freestone Peach tree in the greenhouse- our old forward MS Hangar- so we should have some down in the cantina, assuming Doctor Isozaki will let you out of the infirmary."

 

"Motoko I just said... oh wait..." Reveka paused a revelation dawning on her. "I guess I could just mash the fruit up. I'm sure that's a gross misuse of my equipment, but I suppose I can make an exception for our guest." Reveka turned back to Selardi extending her hand. "Would you like to come with dear, you can pick the fruit yourself if you want."

 

----

"Too much of pussy to get drunk with us too, eh Kenji? C'mon man bottoms up! It'll be a good time and we all need to unwind after today, I think."

 

"HEY! Less talk, more drink, shekshy! You're already behind." Roche's words were beginning to become more slurred and by now he had an obvious glow from all the alcohol he'd put in his body. Putting two more shots down the hatch Roche turned on Kenji. 

 

"Nooo...it's called unlike you, I'd like to be in control of a game...especially if Roche is the one orchestrating and pulling the strings." Kenji said, before taking one of the shots for himself. "I'd rather just stick around and watch."

 

"Hey! You think I'm tryna pull some funnybusiness? Now... now you listen here misser! I- I'm just tryna have sum fuk," Roche hiccuped. "Oopsie... I mean some fun, buuuut if someone's looking for the other thing I'm down for that too~"  

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"Would you like to come with dear, you can pick the fruit yourself if you want."

 

"Affirmative, Doc."

 

WIthout saying another word, Selardi followed the doctor out of the infirmary, to get the so-called peaches. So far, everything felt nice, if not a bit dreary. Sela wondered whether she would get used to live in this place or not in a short time, or whether it'd take her longer. More concerningly however...

"It is odd, accepting a stranger or prisoner like me into this ship this easily. What should I do to stay here? I am not good with any sort of work, but I believe this body would still have some ability to serve others in this ship, albeit perhaps it will not fulfill everyone's preferences."

 

While Sela was genuinely concerned about why was she accepted this easily into the ship, although the question in particular was more intended to fish a reaction out of the Doc and to gauge the values and norms on the ship. Although, she wouldn't be too opposed had what she said ended up actually be what she would do on the ship. It beat her old routine at least. However more importantly, she still need to eat, and after walking a while they reached the place where the fruit was stored, and Sela noticed that those were the fabled Moon Apples that she had read a lot back then. She decided to wait a while even in the presence of such inviting food, and only after a while of nothing that she decided to raise her voice.

 

"Is it fine to pick the moon apples now?"

 


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Kyy shrugged in Maryanne's direction. "Well, getting along is one way to put it. Either way, the way things are-"

 

Kyy's eyes suddenly perked up as he looked over towards his brother. Almost too calmly, he had removed himself from his seat, leaving the booth and its occupants behind. Despite his relatively calm stature, he was breathing rather rapidly, as his face seemed to twist between several wildly different emotions. In spite of himself, a big dumb looking grin crept up Kyy's face, as he nudged Maryanne in the shoulder with his.

 

"Ooh, ooh. Here it is. I knew it'd happen eventually. See, between Kenji's dismissive comments, Reyd's nonsensical bravado, and a fresh Piledriver..."

 

Kokko swung his head around towards his brother, without twisting his torso. "KYY!"

 

"Yeah, Kokko?"

 

"Ivdessoa... Ivedessde... do you... remember why I only order... really bitter drinks?"

 

"Isn't it because yo-"

 

"It's because I can't hold my liqueur... at all! I'm... I'm drunk, right now, I think..."

 

Kyy was losing his ability to maintain control of himself, face planting into the bar with a withheld chortle. "Is... is that right?"

 

Kokko swung his head back around and stared at Kenji right in the eyes, almost piercing through his skull. He lifted his arm and pointed directly at the boy, albeit shakily.

 

"You! Excuses... are the devil's food! AND DO YOU KNOW HOW FAT 'E CAN GET?!"  At this point, it was a miracle that he wasn't slurring. That same arm ended up pointing at Reyd.

 

"You! Sh-shut the fυck up! You're bothering the... patrons!" Finally, he directed his drunken scoldings towards Roche.

 

"And you! I-...I forgot you were here. I'm...ssosors sorry." In that moment, his demeanor had calmed down incredibly fast, as if depressants suddenly kicked in. Kyy, in the meantime, couldn't keep it quiet anymore, and was practically cracking a rib as he tried not to fall off the stool in laughter. Kyy swung his entire body around towards him this time.

 

"I order them bitter... so that I don't d-rdrink more! And you know what?"

 

Kyy could hardly squeeze a response out through the wheezing. "T-that it doesn't w-"
 

"IT DOESN'T WORK! IT'S NEVER WORKED!" The sudden outburst gave Kyy a new fit of crying laughter as he struggled to even breath.

 

"I'M GOING TO... MY ROOM! PAY... MY TAB!" Surprisingly steady on his feet, as was likely a consequence of his work, Kokko barely made it through the bar door as he left.

 

"We... don't have any tabs." Despite saying this, it was unlikely that anyone could hear it, as it was squeezed out through such a small amount of breath. It took him a good minute or so to finally calm himself down, regain his breath, and suppress the giggle fits he was having. Tears still in his eyes, he turned towards his drinking partner.

 

"See? Happens every time he goes for a Piledriver. Everything turned out ok, I think."

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Maxine rolled her eyes; she was hardly the difficult one around here, but she understood full well that her "take no prisoners" attitude never really jived well with many people at all, even less so the people on this ship. Everyone had to be #1 around here. Truthfully, she didn't mind. If Max really felt she had something to prove, or an authority to enforce, it was well within her power to do so; she was the veteran around here, and she has passed up many an opportunity to make herself as good as she really could be for the benefit of the group. That was just the way her company raised her; her commanding officer always ate last, showered last, got medical attention last, and was always the last to leave an active combat zone. She wasn't much of an idealist when it came to the military; most things were far worse than even the bad stories about military action choose to let on, but two things had always stuck with her: 1) Say less, 2) Do more.

 

So when it came to the rough and tumble of various pilots, mechanics, staff, and now Reveka trying to be hard with her to either intimidate her or gain her respect, Max was fairly understanding; it kept her from being completely consumed by the negative mindset constant bickering can really put over someone.

 

She simply watched as the cyber newtype ignored her presence and strolled out of the med bay, doctor close by; something about fruits. It may have been rich for Maxine of all people to accuse someone of being lifeless, but she did it anyway, internally;  Could get more personality from a scrap heap. What in the hell is so interesting about that one anyone? Where did we even find her?  Maxine assumed those details would be saved for some kind of debriefing, if she were even to receive one. She respected Arthur, but sometimes she wondered if he was more interested in theatrics than efficiency. Only hurt when she knew she was probably the jester.

 

"Listen; I came to the med bay when I was ready. Obviously, the doctor doesn't even want to deal with me now, so she sure as hell didn't want to deal with me when I was fresh out of the cockpit. I don't take a heavy impact to my skull and a dislocated shoulder with a smile on my face and utmost cooperation, and you can bet your ass I'm not taking it without an Aznable Stout." Maxine lightly gestured to the beer that was now sweating condensation on Reveka's desk, Listen, Arthur, we've been at this for a while now, I don't ask for very much. Cede me, at the very least, a routine that works for me. You know I don't like to be the first to see attention; would rather the young guns saw it first. You heard what the Cheif just said? Reyd's mech is completely worthless. That kinda stuff gets to me, when I'm the one being shuffled off to med bay, 'or else'" Max made air quotes with her fingers, before continuing, "Did he see medical attention? Because I've been through my fair share of dislocated shoulders, cracked ribs and a headache. But that kid probably hasn't even broken a nail before. He should be the one here, against consequences." Maxine shot Arthur a familiar look; was it of concern? Frustration? Perhaps it was nothing more than fatigue from a routine that too often sees the result of Maxine looking at the inside of this medical facility. It was always hard to peg that girl.

 

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"Listen; I came to the med bay when I was ready. Obviously, the doctor doesn't even want to deal with me now, so she sure as hell didn't want to deal with me when I was fresh out of the cockpit. I don't take a heavy impact to my skull and a dislocated shoulder with a smile on my face and utmost cooperation, and you can bet your ass I'm not taking it without an Aznable Stout."

 

Arthur scratched his chin, giving his now-undivided attention to Maxine. He'd heard most of this before, of course, but there was no sense in ignoring her.

 

"Listen, Arthur, we've been at this for a while now, I don't ask for very much. Cede me, at the very least, a routine that works for me. You know I don't like to be the first to see attention; would rather the young guns saw it first. You heard what the Cheif just said? Reyd's mech is completely worthless. That kinda stuff gets to me, when I'm the one being shuffled off to med bay, 'or else'. Did he see medical attention? Because I've been through my fair share of dislocated shoulders, cracked ribs and a headache. But that kid probably hasn't even broken a nail before. He should be the one here, against consequences."

 

"So that's what's bothering you, is it?" He stood up as he spoke, and, now that Reveka had left the room, made his way over to a refrigerator situated on the opposite end of the medical bay. It was, in all regards, a regular refrigeration unit, most likely used to keep samples and blood packs cool, however it could only be opened after unlocking it first. Arthur produced a key ring from his pocket, and began fishing through the keys. "Back during the war, they used to keep a limit on the amount of alcohol commanders could consume; they didn't want us all being drunk when we saw action. So, they used to make us keep our bottles in the medical bay. We had to get permission from the medical officer before we had a sip." He found the key and unlocked the fridge, then produced a bottle of brandy from the top shelf, along with a few glasses. "But nowadays, its just where I keep my stash. Care for some? Good liquor tastes better with company."

 

---

 

"And here I was thinking I'd have to ask your permission for something like this."

 

For the first time in quite a few hours, Jared Richter was smiling. He, Carla, and five of the Pierre Gint's other mobile suit pilots stood gathered around a holographic display of the L5 shoal zone in the ship's briefing room. With them was the Poltergeist Corps' leader: a tan, muscular giant of a man by the name of Haggard Bronson. Unlike his counterpart on the Arrowhead, captain Bronson showed definite signs of the toll his career had taken on him. His face was scarred (though some of it was covered up by a thick, graying beard) and the rest of his form didn't look that much better. What's more, the man's left leg was missing below the knee, replaced now by a crude prosthetic that greatly resembled the bottom half of a crutch, though with a boot attached. "Its like you said Jared. We owe those Vulture bastards some payback. Besides, can't just let them walk away with all those valuable mobile suits, now can we."

 

"So what's the plan then? We're not exactly equipped to handle two gundams and a Vertigo without Schnell's Bigro." Jared and the rest of the pilots present gave Carla a look. She clearly wasn't as eager for payback as the rest of them. Bronson, however, gave her a grin instead.

 

"No need to worry that pretty little head of yours. I had the guys downstairs take a few things out of storage for this." He punctuated his statement by entering a few codes into the projector, changing the display from one of a map to a wireframe image of a massive beam cannon, with a mobile suit attached. "Mega Bazooka Launcher. Its an old support weapon they used to use back during the war. Just point, click, and boom: deep fried Vultures. I've had a pair of them laying around for awhile... for special occasions."

 

"So two of our Dauntless man the launchers, and the rest?"

 

"We blitz 'em. Between the Gint's guns, the launchers, the DWPs, and you two up front, they'll be outnumbered, and out-gunned."

 

"With all due respect, your plan still doesn't account for our performance problem. The only suit we have left that can match theirs is my Indominus. Even with the Seig, between the gundams, the newtype, and that vet that took out Cumberdale, they've got us beat. Trying to get us killed, Captain?"

 

"Carla..."

 

"Doubting our wonder boy's skills are we, Miss Sonoda?"

 

"I just don't like picking fights I can't win."

 

"You'd best plan on winning then. Dismissed!" With that, the pilots began to file out of the room. Naturally, Jared stopped Carla after they'd made their way down the hall.

 

"Hey, careful what you say around him. You know he's not the type of person you talk back to."

 

"So I should just shut up and let him get you killed over some stupid grudge?"

 

"You two!" They both turned and saw the captain floating down the hall after them. "Come with me. I've got something I'd like to show you.

 

---

 

"Hey! You think I'm tryna pull some funnybusiness? Now... now you listen here misser! I- I'm just tryna have sum fuk," Roche hiccuped. "Oopsie... I mean some fun, buuuut if someone's looking for the other thing I'm down for that too~"

 

Reyd, who by now was also starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, let out a hearty laugh and patted Roche on the back. "Nice try there Roche ol' buddy. Might wanna be a bit more subtle next time though, maybe Kenji'll fall for it!"

 

"I always figured you'd be the one who couldn't hold his liquor. Innnnteresting." Maryanne looked down at Kyy, who was probably too busy laughing at his brother's antics to have heard her. She spun around on the stool to give him a moment to catch his breath.

 

"See? Happens every time he goes for a Piledriver. Everything turned out ok, I think."

 

"At least until Chief Kusanagi gets a hold of him later, that is." She took another sip of her beer. Man, this place is a riot after hours, isn't it? Atmosphere reminds me of the bar street back home. My girlfriends and I used to tear that place up on friday nights! Saaaay, where'd you and your brother used to hang out before you signed on here?"

 

---

 

Arthur sat back down, having poured both himself and Maxine a glass. "Now, as for your wingmen, I wouldn't worry about Reyd. aside from a cut on his head, he's fine. Believe me, if he needed to be here, he would be, as would you, if it was urgent. Reveka just worries about all of you, that's all. I'll be sure to have a talk with her about giving you some space after a sortie." He took a sip, giving Maxine a moment to process before he continued.

 

 

"That being said, I'm a bit worried about you myself, Miss Delphi. And no, not because of your shoulder. You're my senior pilot, I know you can handle yourself. But, lately work seems to be the only thing on your mind. Now, that isn't to say I don't value your work ethic, quite the contrary. However, lets just say I've seen many young people like yourself get that sort of tunnel vision before. If you keep pushing yourself so hard, eventually you're going to wind up burning out. Perhaps a short break is in order while we fix your mobile suit? Some time to decompress and recharge your batteries would do you good... and it would most certainly keep Dr. Isozaki off of your back." Arthur swirled his drink around in his glass as he continued. Keeping his hands busy was something he tended to do when having an important conversation. It kept his thoughts straight.

 

"And while we're on the subject, I've been thinking. Since Emilio retired, the Arrowhead's mobile suit team hasn't had a proper squad leader, and its about time we had someone fill his shoes. I don't need an answer right now, obviously, but its something to think about. Comes with a higher pay grade, as well."

 

 

 

 

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Rosaria couldn't help but smile at the praise she got from her efforts during the battle, the fact that her suit was one of the ones to be mostly intact and that she was able to bring down a mobile armor with Maxine's help. It seemed like everyone was in good terms with the damage reports, well... Except for the fact that two or three of their own suits were wreaked, its a wonder how the Arrowhead's mobile suits are kept together and maintained, guess they can thank Kusanagi and the engineers for keeping everything ship shape.

 

Speaking of which, Rosaria caught the chief engimeer before she could leave. "Sorry to bother ya, but my arm has been really slow as of late. May need a bit of tuning if your not too busy."

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