Ryocha
ZMF 
Master Chief Petty Officer
I know where you sleep.
Posts: 793
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Post by Ryocha on Dec 8, 2009 16:33:49 GMT -5
Of all the things Ferusha found upon scouring the hanger, she had found a sketchpad. It had been practically crushed underneath a tipped over toolbox, but upon some of the men moving items aside to, at the very least, clean up what damage Malta had taken in the attack. The battle itself felt very fresh in Ferusha’s mind; but on the other, it felt very distant even if it had taken place only days earlier.
For now, she leaned back inside the cockpit of her Zaku II F and flipped through the sketchbook. Page after page was of one particular woman, sometimes clothed and sometimes nude, all done in soft charcoal. Ferusha imagined her with long, luscious golden locks and green eyes teeming with mischievous intentions. She sent a chill up her own spine just thinking about it.
Ferusha closed the sketchbook and held it close to her chest. Was it a woman who used to be on this very base? A wife or an imaginary lover, perhaps? She didn’t know, but because she didn’t know she found it all the more exciting.
It was only a momentary dream, Ferusha knew. Just something to keep her mind off the war when she wasn’t on the battlefield. A secret that would help keep her sanity intact. Ferusha tucked the sketchbook underneath her seat and exited the cockpit with a small smile.
Outside was a beehive of activity. Repairs to many parts of the base were well underway or only beginning. A swell of pride went straight to Ferusha’s chest as she watched all the dedicated citizens of Zeon below her. There was something magnificent about progress; the atmosphere from only a day or two ago had risen greatly to a pride that was almost tangeable. Ferusha managed to catch a glimpse of Clara, but as soon as she had seen that flash of braided brown hair, it had disappeared down a hallway along with the mass of mechanics swarming around her. Business as usual, Ferusha chuckled.
She paced the catwalk, occasionally shifting out of the way to make room for mechanics bringing this and that to another area within the base. Out of the corner of her eye, Ferusha spotted a… simulator? Not that it wasn’t surprising, but moreso surprising to find it still intact and moreso, someone was using it. There was a very small chance that the Feddies hadn’t wiped the memory clean yet, so what better way to get some extra training in while guarding the base?
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Post by gaplant on Dec 8, 2009 17:47:04 GMT -5
"Chikushou!"
A frustrated curse echoed harshly in the hangar.
Inside one of the few cockpits replicated by the worn-down simulator, lieutenant Ando Shoji vigorously shoved joysticks and slammed on buttons. Onscreen, his Zaku II was engaged in a heated melee battle with a ground-type GM, and not faring well. Engaged in the mecha equivalent of a saber-lock, his virtual mobile suit was unable to make any progress against the Federation mecha. A warning siren blared on a panel to the right of Shoji's head, and in response his Zaku's knees buckled from the stress of melee combat and an earlier spray of machinegun fire. Helplessly defiant, Shoji punched the screen as his intangible opponent defeated him yet again by shoving a beam saber through his cockpit.
"Damn you!"
The young Zeon lieutenant had found the simulator in surprisingly good shape just a few days earlier, almost immediately after the base had been captured. Any specific Federal combat data had been wiped from the archives already, but technicians had been able to restore the machine to working order based on accumulated battle data on Earth Federation mobile suits. Since then, Shoji had spent almost every waking hour engaging in heated training sessions to improve his piloting and command abilities. Unfortunately, the operational programmers had decided to calibrate enemy mobile suits to theoretical abilities, making the Federal Forces the figurative equivalent of Superman, on an individual basis. As a result, over the course of 300-some simulations, Shoji had managed a clean one-versus-one victory only about 30% of the time. This had lead to occasional re-aggravation of his recently sustained injuries, and a routine expression of anger on an hourly basis.
It's no use! You shoot them with the machine gun, they block! You shoot them with the bazooka, they dodge! The only worthwhile weapon is the heat hawk, and I can't even get close enough to them because my Zaku is so damned slow!
Fuming, Shoji exited the simulator. He immediately noticed light trails of smoke from overheating hydraulics below the machine, intended to mimic cockpit movements and G-forces. Disgusted, he kicked the melting pile of metal.
Movement in his periphery caught his attention, as he turned to see a familiar face on a nearby catwalk. Shoji's scowl quickly turned into a confident grin, recognizing a comrade from both assaults on this very base. Waving, he called a greeting.
"Oy!"
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Ryocha
ZMF
Master Chief Petty Officer
I know where you sleep.
Posts: 793
|
Post by Ryocha on Dec 9, 2009 13:00:31 GMT -5
Ferusha’s eyebrows raised in surprise. She hadn’t expected her Captain to be the kind to use simulators, but judging from the wafts of smoke coming from the hydraulics, he seemed to abuse them just as much as his Zaku. Unintentionally, mind you. That’s just the sort of man he is.
She waved back when he called for her, abeit barely hearing him over the ruckus the mechanics were making trying to repair the hangar door, and began looking for an elevator or a lift to get down onto the hangar floor. There was one at the end of the catwalk, and Ferusha motioned with her hand towards it, then made a gesture to the ground. She hoped he understood.
Walking over to the lift, she noticed how scraped and generally worn down it looked, with the corners dull enough for a hand to slide and slip over. Good signs to see, Ferusha thought, that this base had been in good working order when the Federation had owned it. It made the fact that Zeon had taken it over all the more sweeter.
The lift brought her down to the hangar floor and began walking towards her Captain in the shadow of her own Zaku. Several feet before him she stopped and saluted him, her eyes meeting his sharply.
“Did you need me for anything, Captain?”
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Post by gaplant on Dec 9, 2009 14:25:54 GMT -5
Shoji nodded, and relaxed his stance to lean on a nearby safety rail. He was momentarily surprised by the female pilot's intense expression. Her very focused eyes met his, and inexplicably Shoji felt dull waves of pain on the periphery of his conscious mind. Shaking it off, he smiled at Ferusha.
"Sergeant Glavadeen! I'm glad to see you're still here."
He was telling the truth. Ferusha had participated in both assaults onto Malta, and even helped flank the installation on the successful attempt. However, this meant she had been part of the first attack, a terribly blundered assault that had lead to Shoji fearing a lack of faith in his overall leadership. However, while nearly everyone else involved had departed to other theaters of war, she had stayed - seemingly a good sign.
Furthermore, he noticed, her mechanic friend didn't seem to be standing within five yards of her. She was probably elsewhere in the same hangar, for sure, but it was still a little unusual considering in his mind they were usually attached at the hip.
Shoji's eyes widened at the appearance of an opportunity. This was his chance.
"Say, Sergeant, do you have any plans for this evening?"
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Ryocha
ZMF
Master Chief Petty Officer
I know where you sleep.
Posts: 793
|
Post by Ryocha on Dec 9, 2009 14:54:14 GMT -5
Ferusha blinked and pursed her mouth, inadvertently puckering her lips as she thought. She had planned to stay in the hangar to help with the repair crews and stay on standby in her Zaku. They weren’t exactly plans, just moreso little duties she made for herself to keep her from getting complacent with their latest victory. However, the Federation had taken a blow from losing Malta, and wouldn’t attack any time soon… So…
It would be a nice dinner on the base; Ferusha thought, coupled with them talking about future endeavors the Zeon could make. Sensible talk, nothing more than that. If need be, she’d make sure of that. It was Ando, so she couldn’t make any promises. But with Clara busy around the clock, Ferusha didn’t see any harm with talking to a fellow, dedicated Zeon military man; even if he seemed a bit off his rocker.
“I was planning on staying on stand-by in my Zaku tonight,” Ferusha responded, “But I wouldn’t mind if you had dinner with me in the mess hall, Captain.”
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Post by gaplant on Dec 9, 2009 15:36:03 GMT -5
Color drained from Shoji's face as the full weight of what just happened settled on him with the elegance of the Big Bang. His mind exploded into a thousand different colors and raced in a million different directions, as his face settled onto a comically pale shade.
"I just...I..."
Shoji, thrown out of his normally aggressively passionate state of being, was speechless. He had intended to ask the young pilot to accompany him on a very important reconnaissance mission, and somehow it had turned into this.
What are you doing, Shoji?! Don't just stand there!
Even his own inner voice was confusing him at this point. Clenching his fist to will himself back to earth, Shoji smiled. He had been uncomfortable with the idea of fraternizing with fellow soldiers at such a critical time in the war, but as the battles from here on out were only going to become both more important and more painful, it couldn't hurt to take a little time to get to know the people he would be fighting beside. He could also use that opportunity to ask her his original question, as well.
Nodding, the fire returned to Shoji's eyes as he confidently stared down his companion.
"Yosh! IKUSEI!"
With that, Shoji abruptly turned and began moving in the general direction of the mess hall - at least as far as he knew.
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Ryocha
ZMF
Master Chief Petty Officer
I know where you sleep.
Posts: 793
|
Post by Ryocha on Dec 9, 2009 16:17:11 GMT -5
Ferusha smiled, following her enthusiastic Captain into the corridors of the base. The mess hall wasn’t very far from the hangar, though she only knew how to get there from her resting quarters. Which wasn’t going to be an option for after dinner. She wanted to have a nice chat with him, nothing more.
Ferusha jogged to keep up to Ando, eventually meeting his pace and walking side-by-side with him, “There’s an elevator over there that’ll make the walk shorter.” She pointed to one just up ahead, “After that it’s only a right turn and we’ll be there.”
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Post by gaplant on Dec 9, 2009 16:51:16 GMT -5
Shoji nodded. He was thankful for the directions - spending such extensive amounts of time in the simulator had left him decidedly disoriented as far as the layout of the base was concerned. Furthermore, as he walked through the installation he was distracted by a feeling of anxiety that was hard to pin down; it was almost as if someone had rubbed a balloon over his head to build up a static charge, only over his entire body. This confused him greatly, as it was something he had never experienced in battle, and since battle is essentially all he knew it was a mystery to him.
Shoji glanced over and took full stock of his companion. Ferusha was cute, but he knew that wasn't to be mistaken for weakness. She had proven herself to be quite a skilled warrior in the past few weeks, and would likely prove it again soon, if things went well. Shoji honestly didn't know too much about her other than that; a few rumors and lewd stories had been passed around between the male soldiers, but Shoji had felt obligated to crush those whenever they appeared. It wasn't that he thought she needed or deserved special treatment, but simply that he felt a duty as a leader to support the personal lives of his troops, whatever they might be. After all, how could they expect to trust him if he couldn't do the same?
As it was, the "date" was sure to be interesting, to be sure, but not that interesting. Shoji felt much more comfortable entering unknown territory when he was in a Zaku, and there were tangible enemies to be crushed. Even now, walking alongside Ferusha, his legendary courage began to waiver - much to his chagrin. Hilariously, it seemed, it was much easier for him to charge headlong into a dozen enemy mobile suits than into a casual conversation with a fellow soldier.
Shoji suddenly stopped, breaking his trains of thought before they collided together disastrously. They had arrived at the mess hall.
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Ryocha
ZMF
Master Chief Petty Officer
I know where you sleep.
Posts: 793
|
Post by Ryocha on Dec 9, 2009 17:29:16 GMT -5
The mess hall was teeming with hungry soldiers, mechanics, navigators and everything in between discussing about what was left to fix, what they were going to do in their spare time, and what possible actions Zeon could take now that they had Malta under their control. Ferusha looked around the dingy mess hall with wide eyes, and couldn’t help but smile as she entered. The good mood was evident in the smiles and the twinkling eyes, and to be in the middle of it all made her chest fill with warmth.
As they made their way to the line for food, Ferusha glanced down at the plates of the other soldiers filled with mashed potatoes and gravy, and some meaty substance that she couldn’t place a name on. It was so mundane, but people weren’t complaining like they usually were over war rations; Ferusha chalked it up to the good mood and exhaustion.
“High spirits all around,” Ferusha commented offhand, looking around the mess hall and then to Shoji Ando, “But I’d rather be on the front lines again.”
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Post by gaplant on Dec 9, 2009 17:40:03 GMT -5
Shoji nodded as he glanced at the mass of Zeon personnel congregated in the mess hall. He was happy to see a number of familiar faces, but a few were missing. Narrowing his eyes, the young lieutenant offered a silent prayer in consolation to the lives already claimed by the war.
I won't forget you, friends.
Stepping forward in tune with the the rest of the line, Shoji noted how even this style of march rekindled his desire to fight.
"As do I. I find it hard to rest with the threat of the Earth Federation looming overhead."
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Ryocha
ZMF
Master Chief Petty Officer
I know where you sleep.
Posts: 793
|
Post by Ryocha on Dec 9, 2009 18:11:25 GMT -5
“We’ve got to appreciate what down time we have.” Ferusha responded, shuffling as the line moved forward, “But I agree, it’s hard to sit around and do nothing when just days ago we were in the heat of battle.”
They reached the lunch lady, a stout old woman with beady eyes and short white curls nestled under her cap. She looked at the pair of them, nodded and shoved two trays to Ferusha and made a motion with her chubby hands to move along down the line. The bags underneath the cook’s eyes made the lavender-haired woman forgive the older woman for her brashness.
“Here,” Ferusha turned and handed Ando his tray, “There’s a table freeing up over there.” She pointed to a group of men slowly rising from a table surrounded by wooden crates.
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Post by gaplant on Dec 9, 2009 18:50:20 GMT -5
Shoji accepted the tray, and lead the walk over to the recently-abandoned table. Bits of crumbs and papers littered, which the lieutenant shoved to the ground with his arm. Taking a seat, he analyzed his food.
Nothing seemed particularly appetizing, but then again Shoji never found himself particularly attached to good food. He didn't even think that he had a favorite food, or and couldn't remember if he had ever one. As far as he knew, the last thing he could recall was waking up after the Battle of Lourm.
Nonetheless, Shoji began aggressively attacking his food as if his life depended on it, practically shoveling it into his mouth. He continued for a few seconds until he recalled that he wasn't alone, and paused only to wink and exclaim to his companion:
"Not bad!"
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Ryocha
ZMF
Master Chief Petty Officer
I know where you sleep.
Posts: 793
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Post by Ryocha on Dec 10, 2009 10:29:51 GMT -5
Ferusha winced as she swore she sat down on something sticky, but preferred not to check in the presence of her superior officer. Instead, she stared down her food. The mashed potatoes looked too lumpy, the gravy a bit cold and the meat… she didn’t even want to know how many animals had been mashed together to make it. It looked like a very thick, fat, grimy hotdog.
Across from her, Shoji Ando was shovelling the food in like a starving man. Ferusha, for the life of her, couldn’t figure him out. One minute, he was silent and reserved and the next he was his usual boisterous self as seen on the battlefield. When he finally looked up and proclaimed to her his liking for the food, Ferusha cocked her head.
“The food? Oh!” She quickly cut off a piece of the meat, examining it before putting it in her mouth. She winced. It was cold to the bone, and there were bits of hard things inside it.
“It could use a microwave… and maybe five pounds of seasoning.” Ferusha muttered. “But I’m not one to turn down food, even if it looks like it could come alive any minute.” She added, already cutting off another cube of meat.
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Post by gaplant on Dec 17, 2009 1:29:20 GMT -5
Ferusha's initial attempts at downing the decidedly unattractive plate of food spawned a huge grin on Shoji's face. It was obvious that each bite was an exercise in perseverance for her, and the sympathetic lieutenant considered saying a few words of encouragement to his companion. It was, after all, his standard reaction when facing an enemy alongside his troops. This notion didn't last long, however, as Shoji quickly decided against it.
This is her own battle, an adversary only she can defeat!
Shoji brought his hand to his face and rubbed his chin between his left thumb and forefinger, thoughtfully, as he wondered aloud. His voice was garbled and distorted by bits of food still being chewed.
"I suppose I could go talk to the kitchen staff! A little bit of teamwork and knowing that people believe in you to do your best can go a long way!"
This proclamation caught several nearby Zeon soldiers off-guard, although once its source had been located the more veteran members of Shoji's task force dismissed it with the significance of a breeze in the air.
A few of the newer recruits to the Malta forces, however, sheepishly glanced at their energetic commander. Some held looks of admiration and respect, while others were obviously nervous upon confirming for themselves Ando Shoji's energy level and mannerisms. Among the Zeon military forces, specifically the TAF, lieutenant Ando was quickly beginning to personify the double-edged sword of life in the One Year War. On the one hand, Shoji was a valiant leader and was fiercely dedicated to both the Zeon cause and his subordinates, his mere presence making those serving under him believe that they could truly conquer any foe before them. On the other, though, his presence usually preceded an upcoming difficult, costly battle, and many of these men and women had already lost friends in such confrontations. With the war still gridlocked, it was a sad, yet unavoidable fate, that many more would be lost before a victor would be claimed.
Either way, they won't forget about me...
Shoji's eyes shot open and the surprised soldier nearly choked on the generous helping of knockoff mashed potatoes he had been swallowing. He placed both hands on the wooden table in front of him to brace himself from the mental shock just as much as the involuntary reaction of his throat ejecting bits of food and saliva in loud rasps.
What the hell was that?!
Shoji was shocked at this uncharacteristic, seemingly random break in his psyche. Ever since he had first drifted back into consciousness following his injuries at the Battle of Lourm, Shoji had been unceasingly consumed by a desire to crush the Earth Federation. Nothing else even measured close in comparison, and wouldn't until the war was over. Subsequently he was startled by the appearance of such a seemingly selfish thought, and found it incredibly hard to believe that it had even happened. It was almost as if he was hearing someone else's thoughts, but deep inside he knew that was crazy - his thoughts were his, and his alone.
This inner turmoil was marked physically by a sharp, jabbing pain in his temple. Shoji shook his head in an attempt to dispel the sensation, stopping only when he suspected his abnormal activity had caught the attention of his dinner partner. Covering his mouth sheepishly with one hand, he waved his choking experience off as a matter of little consequence.
"Sorry about that! It seems I underestimated today's menu."
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