Post by Draco on Feb 16, 2010 2:08:14 GMT -5
Shortly after "Courageous Zaku Fighta Sho: Episode 6. Blue Devil Amidst The Storm"
Many of the members of the Shooting Star's crew had spent the time immediately after the destruction of New Amsterdam celebrating their success however they could without interrupting their duties. They had drinks smuggled on duty, bro-fisted, and shared lustful moments with each other throughout the ship as it landed to join with the ship of G-Force, which were reorganizing following the destruction of the Hochstetter. Not everyone was in a celebratory mood however and outside of his room stood two women in discussion.
"How is he?" Captain Vina Sealander asked, standing outside of Rhett's cabin.
"He's pretty torn up over Genevieve's death," Cora said. "He's always taken losing members of his team hard, like it's some kind of personal failure."
"Is it going to interfere with his duties?" Vina asked. "We need him functional if we're going to stay operational. I don't want to risk the lives of everyone here fielding an emo MS pilot."
"He'll be ready to go, I promise, ma'am," Cora answered. "He's always recovered before."
Vina nodded. "We've got more work to do. We're hunting down some of the Medeas that escaped from the battle tomorrow and I need every gun I can get."
Cora saluted as Vina walked back to the bridge before knocking on Rhett's door. She could hear some kind of broadcast playing inside but nothing else, so she entered unbidden.
"Sir, what are..." Cora began.
She looked at the television to see a recording of a soccer match playing, one that had arrived too soon before the battle for Genevieve to watch.
"Promised Genie I'd watch this with her," Rhett sighed from his bunk. "We were going to share some cognac and a bottle of Pepto Bismol, she said."
Cora sat down at Rhett's desk and watched as he took another slug from the bottle of cognac and then the bottle of Pepto.
"God damn, this Pepto stuff is awesome," Rhett said. "Now if only they made one for dead teammates..."
Cora took the bottles from him without a fuss and set them aside. "Sir, what's the matter? You've never been this torn up, even after Alta and Louie died."
Rhett sobbed. "It's just...everyone else I respected and appreciated as a subordinate. I got to know them but Genie was the first pilot I really KNEW."
Cora cringed a little inside. She knew that Rhett and Genie had gotten along well. Why not? They were both Zaku pilots who liked having a drink, yelling at the TV, and cards. Everyone else was either a fighter pilot or a stuck-up Gouf driver.
"And I failed her," Rhett continued. "I didn't get that Fly in time to save her."
Cora clenched her fists as she remembered getting shot down in the Arctic and how he'd rushed over to rescue her from her burning Dodai. He might think he'd failed Genie and Alta and Louie and everyone else who'd been shot down in service of the 25th, but he'd always managed to save her. She moved over to the bunk and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Sir, you might think you failed Genie, but you didn't," she pleaded. "She got unlucky, but she knew the risks when she signed up. She was a damn good pilot and I was glad to know her."
Rhett looked up at Cora and wiped his eyes. "Me too. She was damn good to have around."
"You've never failed me though," Cora said. "You've always protected me."
Rhett sat up. "No, you're the one who's protected me. Everything I've done, all my successes, have been thanks to having you at my side and under my feet in battle."
"Then let me protect you again," Cora cooed. "Protect you from sadness. We can be sad later after we've killed some of those bastards that took our friends away."
"I think I'd like that," Rhett said with a grin.
Cora grinned too as they stripped and let the world take care of itself for awhile.
As they made love, the unnoticed game came to a climax as a player kicked in a goal during the last minute and the announced proclaimed "SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!"