Post by Chan on Dec 1, 2009 20:12:43 GMT -5
2 Days from Earth, Zeon Expeditionary Force
Erinyes, Musai-class
Captain’s quarters
She nearly slams the open bottle of cognac on her desk as she gulps down the brandy from the tumbler. Coughing a bit as she swallows the burning liquid, she took a deep breath and pours herself another cup.
Her doorbell chimes. Actually it had been chiming for over a minute now. But Captain Jeanne Schwert doesn’t care. Nothing seems to matter ever since the beginning of this stupid assignment. When the MAF handed her the mission of supervising Wu Jinyuan, Schwert expected the job to be no more complicated then bringing a Reservist up to speed with full time active duty soldiers.
Unfortunately, what should have been a cakewalk quickly spiraled out of her control. Instead of leading a force of discipline, cooperative, and veteran fighters Schwert had found herself as a spectator a military-themed circus.
“COME IN ALREADY!” Schwert barks angrily at the door as she pours herself another glass.
On command, the door hisses open and the captain of the Erinyes turns towards the light flooding into the room.
“Oh, it’s you,” she growls before taking another swallow of the cognac,” I thought I told you to get off my ship.”
“I just want to grab some towels and drinks from the mini-fridge before I check out of the hotel,” remarks 2nd Lieutenant Wu Jinyuan as the door shuts behind him. He points at the bottle of brandy, “Looks like you beat me to it.”
“Go to hell. Don’t you have another ship commander to annoy?”
Jinyuan shrugs. “Unfortunately Captain Denova died of his wounds half an hour ago.”
“Lucky him? I’m your handler but I think I’m about as effective controlling you from another ship as I would be standing around you. Besides, I’m still captain of the Erinyes and she is my first responsibility.”
“Not anymore you are.”
Jinyuan felt the edge of the glass tumbler glaze his cheek as he ducked out of the way. The cup shatters against the wall a split second before Schwert pins Jinyuan to the bulkhead with both arms.
“WHAT did YOU just SAY?” she demands.
A smile appears on Jinyuan’s face despite Schwert’s aggressive hold on him. “I’ve convinced the MAF that I need a retinue of experienced officers at my side to improve matters in space. Since you are my ‘handler’, ‘supervisor’, or ‘babysitter’ –pick the term you like the most- you would naturally be first pick.”
“I rather go to hell,” sneers Schwert.
“Wrong time of year, going during tourist season is bad,” remarks Jinyuan without so much as batting an eye,” besides I doubt your tenure on the Erinyes will last much longer based on your current reputation-.”
The sharp impact of Schwert’s fist across his face followed by his back landing on the metal deck floor actually made Jinyuan flinch, much to Schwert’s delight. But then the 2nd Lieutenant chuckles and looks up at her from the floor.
“All that was because of you! You did this to me!”
Raising an eyebrow at her, Jinyuan asked,” I thought striking a superior officer is against regulations?”
“You’re not my superior officer!”
“Oh but I am,” he reminds her,” you gave me my new orders remember?”
She grabs Jinyuan by the collar and pulls him to his feet. With her face inches from his, Schwert growls,” I don’t care about the rules any more, I will kill you.”
“Good. It’s about time you learn to think outside of the box. Now the real work can begin.”
Those last few words broke through the rage boiling in her mind. “What real work?”
“Why should it matter to you?” muses Jinyuan, looking her straight in the eye,” if you stay on the Erinyes, you’ll probably be transferred to a desk job back at Side 3. Or maybe the flight officer in charge of a squadron of Gattles protecting god knows what. Clearly, matters such as the exploits of a frontline fleet like the Zeon Expeditionary Force are above and beyond your concern.”
Schwert’s mind hesitated. This damn prick is right. Her career in the Zeon military is tainted without repair if left on her own. At best her political reliability to the Zabis will guarantee her pension and current rank. But at the expense that she will no longer be an active part of the war. All of that was moot point if Zeon were to lose.
She looks hard at the arrogant eyes of Wu Jinyuan. Schwert cannot trust this man to win the war. But, damn him to all the hells, Schwert needs him if she were to have any hope. Her success now depends on his success.
Damn him.
“You planned this didn’t you?” she asks.
He smiled at her,” Does it look that way?”
She lets go of his collar and he lands on the deckplating again. As Jinyuan stood up, Schwert looks at him and asks,” What do you want me to do?”
“First of all,” began Jinyuan as he checks out his jaw in a mirror on the wall,” forget about what the books say about military warfare. The EFSF thought they written the book on it and look at what mobile suits did to them.”
“So…?”
“Be creative,” summarizes Jinyuan as he straighten his uniform jacket,” lastly, you are to take over operational command of the Lucifer’s Fury.”
That caught her by surprise. Schwert thought that she was going to become his secretary or something. But to come from the command of a Musai to a Tivvay…
“I thought YOU are going to command the Tivvay?” she asks.
“Ack, with Captain Denova dead, call it fleet commander’s discretion,” spat Jinyuan,” she’s a nice ship and all but I am better at things other than operating a warship.”
“Like what?”
“Getting us geared up for the next fight,” he says as he stretches,” though, my first order of business is to wave MAF alcohol regulations for you for the next 24 hours.” He gestures at the bottle of cognac. “After that, meet me and your new bridge crew on the Lucifer’s Fury.”
“What’s going to happen to the Erinyes?” Schwert asks.
“Lieutenant Richard Banks of the SAF will be her new commander,” answers Jinyuan much to Schwert’s surprised,” but in exchange from something from the SAF.”
Her eyes narrows. “…What are you planning…?”
Jinyuan actually laughed but stops as his face reminds him that Schwert knocked him good. “You of all people know I’m ‘bi-partisan’ when reaching across the service branches of the Zeon military. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to have to find a place for me to sit on the bridge of the Lucifer’s Fury.”
The new captain of the Tivvay blinks as Jinyuan steps out of the door of her quarters. “You’re not bringing your-.” But the door closes on her.
Schwert grits her teeth, her mind racing over the events of the last five or so minutes. She reaches for a new glass and pours another helping from the bottle of cognac.
“Damn him, he is going to do it,” she says before downing the brandy.
Erinyes, Musai-class
Captain’s quarters
She nearly slams the open bottle of cognac on her desk as she gulps down the brandy from the tumbler. Coughing a bit as she swallows the burning liquid, she took a deep breath and pours herself another cup.
Her doorbell chimes. Actually it had been chiming for over a minute now. But Captain Jeanne Schwert doesn’t care. Nothing seems to matter ever since the beginning of this stupid assignment. When the MAF handed her the mission of supervising Wu Jinyuan, Schwert expected the job to be no more complicated then bringing a Reservist up to speed with full time active duty soldiers.
Unfortunately, what should have been a cakewalk quickly spiraled out of her control. Instead of leading a force of discipline, cooperative, and veteran fighters Schwert had found herself as a spectator a military-themed circus.
“COME IN ALREADY!” Schwert barks angrily at the door as she pours herself another glass.
On command, the door hisses open and the captain of the Erinyes turns towards the light flooding into the room.
“Oh, it’s you,” she growls before taking another swallow of the cognac,” I thought I told you to get off my ship.”
“I just want to grab some towels and drinks from the mini-fridge before I check out of the hotel,” remarks 2nd Lieutenant Wu Jinyuan as the door shuts behind him. He points at the bottle of brandy, “Looks like you beat me to it.”
“Go to hell. Don’t you have another ship commander to annoy?”
Jinyuan shrugs. “Unfortunately Captain Denova died of his wounds half an hour ago.”
“Lucky him? I’m your handler but I think I’m about as effective controlling you from another ship as I would be standing around you. Besides, I’m still captain of the Erinyes and she is my first responsibility.”
“Not anymore you are.”
Jinyuan felt the edge of the glass tumbler glaze his cheek as he ducked out of the way. The cup shatters against the wall a split second before Schwert pins Jinyuan to the bulkhead with both arms.
“WHAT did YOU just SAY?” she demands.
A smile appears on Jinyuan’s face despite Schwert’s aggressive hold on him. “I’ve convinced the MAF that I need a retinue of experienced officers at my side to improve matters in space. Since you are my ‘handler’, ‘supervisor’, or ‘babysitter’ –pick the term you like the most- you would naturally be first pick.”
“I rather go to hell,” sneers Schwert.
“Wrong time of year, going during tourist season is bad,” remarks Jinyuan without so much as batting an eye,” besides I doubt your tenure on the Erinyes will last much longer based on your current reputation-.”
The sharp impact of Schwert’s fist across his face followed by his back landing on the metal deck floor actually made Jinyuan flinch, much to Schwert’s delight. But then the 2nd Lieutenant chuckles and looks up at her from the floor.
“All that was because of you! You did this to me!”
Raising an eyebrow at her, Jinyuan asked,” I thought striking a superior officer is against regulations?”
“You’re not my superior officer!”
“Oh but I am,” he reminds her,” you gave me my new orders remember?”
She grabs Jinyuan by the collar and pulls him to his feet. With her face inches from his, Schwert growls,” I don’t care about the rules any more, I will kill you.”
“Good. It’s about time you learn to think outside of the box. Now the real work can begin.”
Those last few words broke through the rage boiling in her mind. “What real work?”
“Why should it matter to you?” muses Jinyuan, looking her straight in the eye,” if you stay on the Erinyes, you’ll probably be transferred to a desk job back at Side 3. Or maybe the flight officer in charge of a squadron of Gattles protecting god knows what. Clearly, matters such as the exploits of a frontline fleet like the Zeon Expeditionary Force are above and beyond your concern.”
Schwert’s mind hesitated. This damn prick is right. Her career in the Zeon military is tainted without repair if left on her own. At best her political reliability to the Zabis will guarantee her pension and current rank. But at the expense that she will no longer be an active part of the war. All of that was moot point if Zeon were to lose.
She looks hard at the arrogant eyes of Wu Jinyuan. Schwert cannot trust this man to win the war. But, damn him to all the hells, Schwert needs him if she were to have any hope. Her success now depends on his success.
Damn him.
“You planned this didn’t you?” she asks.
He smiled at her,” Does it look that way?”
She lets go of his collar and he lands on the deckplating again. As Jinyuan stood up, Schwert looks at him and asks,” What do you want me to do?”
“First of all,” began Jinyuan as he checks out his jaw in a mirror on the wall,” forget about what the books say about military warfare. The EFSF thought they written the book on it and look at what mobile suits did to them.”
“So…?”
“Be creative,” summarizes Jinyuan as he straighten his uniform jacket,” lastly, you are to take over operational command of the Lucifer’s Fury.”
That caught her by surprise. Schwert thought that she was going to become his secretary or something. But to come from the command of a Musai to a Tivvay…
“I thought YOU are going to command the Tivvay?” she asks.
“Ack, with Captain Denova dead, call it fleet commander’s discretion,” spat Jinyuan,” she’s a nice ship and all but I am better at things other than operating a warship.”
“Like what?”
“Getting us geared up for the next fight,” he says as he stretches,” though, my first order of business is to wave MAF alcohol regulations for you for the next 24 hours.” He gestures at the bottle of cognac. “After that, meet me and your new bridge crew on the Lucifer’s Fury.”
“What’s going to happen to the Erinyes?” Schwert asks.
“Lieutenant Richard Banks of the SAF will be her new commander,” answers Jinyuan much to Schwert’s surprised,” but in exchange from something from the SAF.”
Her eyes narrows. “…What are you planning…?”
Jinyuan actually laughed but stops as his face reminds him that Schwert knocked him good. “You of all people know I’m ‘bi-partisan’ when reaching across the service branches of the Zeon military. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to have to find a place for me to sit on the bridge of the Lucifer’s Fury.”
The new captain of the Tivvay blinks as Jinyuan steps out of the door of her quarters. “You’re not bringing your-.” But the door closes on her.
Schwert grits her teeth, her mind racing over the events of the last five or so minutes. She reaches for a new glass and pours another helping from the bottle of cognac.
“Damn him, he is going to do it,” she says before downing the brandy.