Kommandant - - - "In summary, the council concludes that this generation's Gakutenou user is severely underpowered and incapable of summoning her god into battle. While the reason for this is unknown, it may be a sign that HiME powers are beginning to degenerate, perhaps due to their age and the bloodline have been spread thin in earlier days. Whatever the case, it is an asset to our forces, and we should make use of the weakness while it is still available." -- Dammerung Academy meeting led by Column #1, the Spiritual Quartz. - - - Midori had involuntarily fallen into a trance thanks to that damn machine. She couldn't help it. History was just so interesting, especially Earth's! There was a gentle reminder in the back of her mind that the information was probably quite biased, given how the archive and its databases were maintained by the HiME alone, but she found the reports to be quite shockingly brutal when it came to the more negative things about their own society. It was because of that that she was willing to place a certain degree of trust in what she was taking in. She'd sat there for hours, just soaking up everything she could, from recent events to the beginnings of the Otome. A very nice older woman came by every hour with a glass of water, and seemed mildly amused by the level of Midori's interest. She set another glass on the desk, reclaiming the used one. "I take it you were an excellent student when you were a child, then?" "No," Midori replied in her standard aloof tone, typing out another search query, "I was a very bad student. I kept reading history books during math lectures. I think I almost failed that course, actually." The older lady chuckled and offered her a kind smile, and proceeded to get out of her way. "It just shows you're motivated. Don't spend too much time on that thing, dear. You'll rot your eyes out." Midori smirked slightly once she was out of view before getting right back to work. She picked up on the article she left off on. "The research conducted on the Obsidian Lord during the Last Carnival allowed for the construction of the Type I Materialization System, a very basic device capable of emulating the Obsidian Lord's emissions, thus allowing the original Otome to summon robes and weapons as if they were HiME. As the method indicates, the Type I was the first in the long line of Emulators constructed by Schwarz and independent contractors. It was rendered obsolete in 2089, when it was replaced by the Type II." Click. "The original Five Columns were brought online in 2014 as a test unit in Schwarz's Otome Project. The number of Columns was not important at the time of creation, but it has remained an Otome standard to have five soldiers in an elite 'Column' unit ever since. The Lovely Onyx, the Dazzling Lapis, the Continental Orb Topaz, the Ice Silver Crystal, and the Fire String Ruby were the original five GEMs ever created. The Columns became locked in conflict with the Last Ikusahime, and both the Ruby and Crystal users were killed just before the original Type I System was destroyed. The remaining three surrendered their GEMs and then went missing." Click. Damn it was addicting, wasn't it? "The Fire String Ruby was the fifth GEM ever created, it's primary weapon meant to replicate the Element used by the winner of the Last Carnival, the 'Queen of Heaven.' At the time, it was the strongest X-Type GEM in existence, but it's inherit structural and programming flaws served to make it somewhat of a forbidden GEM. The first users was driven mad by its influence, and subsequent users also complained of difficulty focusing in battle. On more than on occasion, a Fire String user was responsible for collateral damage and mass civilian death. It was removed from service in 2095. Placed in storage, it was later taken on board the Schwarz colony vessels bound for the Lalande System. During the journey, it was upgraded to a Z-Type GEM, and after centuries of being considered unstable it was sought after by many seeking its great power. The Fire String Ruby has not been since since the departure of the colony ships, and may or may not have reached its destination of Laland--" "Midori-san?" Came a gentle inquiry. The redhead looked up to see Minako staring down at her, flanked on either side by the Kiyohime and Julia users, whatever their names had been. Once her attention had been acquired, Minako wasted no time in getting to her point. "I'm sorry to bother you, but we need your assistance for a quick mission. Consider it a test of your loyalty." Midori felt her mouth open in surprise. A mission? So soon? She couldn't be gallivanting around on missions. The others were likely to still be in the area, and might consider her a traitor. She struggled for words, the other three staring at her expectantly. Then again, she could not refuse them, could she? They'd given her food, water, shelter, and access to their archived files. They'd been so kind to her. She was in their debt, was she not? "What kind of mission?" "The main force that's been struggling with the Otome in the southeastern quarter has adequately distracted the enemy. It's now the perfect time to slip in closer to their stronghold. It is not a permanent solution, but an EMP bomb will knock out their main electrical equipment, including their Emulator. It won't last long, but we can gain a wonderful advantage by using it," Minako explained. Electromagnetic pulse? She knew vaguely of the technology, though it remained largely a weapon on paper where she was from. It would destroy any unhardened electronic target. Midori furrowed her brows. "Won't that result in you losing your technology as well?" Minako shook her head. "It's range is a one kilometer radius. We'll be clear of the danger once we temporarily pull back the HiME Heirs and leave the male militia to continue occupying the enemy. After we knock out their Emulator, we charge in and seize as much of the city as we can." "EMP... so no one will be killed?" Midori inquired. Perhaps that would get her off scott free when it came to the rest of her little visiting party. Minako gently raised both her eyebrows. "Not by the e-bomb, no. Why? Do you have qualms about that? How interesting." Midori smiled sheepishly. She was lying, but it was good to play innocent for now she supposed. "Blood makes me a bit squeamish, actually!" "You'll be broken of that fear soon enough," Minako said in a stern voice. She was not condemning Midori to kill in her name, but rather just stating a grim fact of life on Earth. "We'll use our Children to flying into the target area and then drop the weapon down. We'll then retreat to a safe distance and activate. The target is the old Imperial Palace, which the Otome have been using as a base of operations for some time. Understood?" "Yes, ma'am," Midori replied. She hadn't any intention of addressing the First with such respect, but her personality seemed to demand it. She stood from the computer terminal and then was struck by a thought. She still technically had her battle mask with her from earlier days, and perhaps if she donned the clothing of a HiME, none of her actual allies would be able to tell the difference. "Do you happen to have a spare uniform for me? Mine is rather old and useless." "The Twelfth, who is supposed to be the Gakutenou user, has a spare uniform in the room where you summoned your Child. Change quickly, if you must," Minako allowed. Midori ran off quickly, back into the Altar of the Ikusahime, and headed to the twelfth altar in the room, right on the left side of the door. She pulled out a black uniform from a compartment within, and paused. Should she take the maroon kimono that accompanied it? No, it would just get in the way. Still in possession of her old battle mask, she placed it over her face. After all, she couldn't afford to have her beauty ruined by some silly aliens, could she? Ready and in mild disguise, she ran back out to meet with the others again. Minako wasted no time in starting down one of the halls, checking with a weapons officer to make sure everything was ready. "Azumi is in charge until we return. She and Yafusa will be on guard duty. Call on her if you have any problems," she instructed to the crew in what looked like some kind of command center. They nodded, used to frequent switches in who was acting commander during Minako's absence. Once done, the four of them headed back into the Altar of the Ikusahime and summoned their Children, the great ceiling opening once again to allow them to fly out one at a time. Gakutenou shifted impatiently as Kagutsuchi flapped his mighty wings and took flight. A small and slender hydra, Kiyohime, followed suit. Julia Araneae climbed up the walls and out the ceiling like a true spider, the Seventh hanging on tightly. Finally, Gakutenou could switch mode and take to the air, following behind the lot with an ease Midori was not truly familiar with. He seemed content enough, even amongst Children foreign to him. He was never like that with any other such beasts. It had taken him ages to warm up to the other machines of war that Aswad had used. Their formation was close. Close enough to still hear one another. Reina, the Seventh, called out. Her voice was strained and loud, necessary to carry over the wind. "Hey, Minako!" "What?" The First turned back just slightly. "You think that last report about Otome having been brought back from Lalande is true? You think they captured Anya?" She asked, and Midori kept silent. They had sent someone close to them with...? There were HiME taken from the second shuttle that Haruka had found, but they had been so silent that no one would have known a high ranking member had been taken prisoner. Minako turned her gaze back to the horizon. "Any Otome, of any world, is our enemy if they chose to fight against us. It is as simple as that. If Anya was taken prisoner, which I'm beginning to assume, then we'll have to send another team in to rescue her. Let's worry about this after the mission." The other two HiME nodded, and Midori maintained her silence. Well, if they had a member of the Twelve in Windbloom Castle's dungeon, that would certainly make things... interesting, to say the least. If they found out Midori knew, she would have a hell of a time explaining herself. Hopefully she could find a way around the danger. She was a genius, of course, so she was sure she'd think of something. - - - "Shizuru-sama!" Hands were roughly shoving her shoulder and torso back and forth. Shizuru gently opened one of her eyes. "Meister Viola, wake up! We have to go!" Yukino was above her, a panicked look on her spectacled face. Shizuru twisted her neck up to see what was in front of her. When did she get onto the ground? With a light grunt, she looked ahead. They were both in a building, the occasion gunshot heard off in the distance. There was something else... a kind of pulsing noise. Then, she saw it. It was not a simple pulse, but rather the well paced flapping of wings disrupting the air. A giant purple and black raven was outside, tearing at the building's outer walls. The structure rocked and groaned, unstable after years of combat, and it seemed quite evident that it might have been close to collapsing. The gunshots she had heard earlier were not a result from generic firefights somewhere else, but rather from a well organized fire team of both men and women just outside. The Otome had gone. It was now a united HiME force attempting to exterminate them. Melee forces were materializing weapons and heading their way. Yukino had no fighting ability. Shizuru was her only support, apparently. Where was Haruka? Time not on her side, Shizuru gritted her teeth and summoned her robe, activating the flight function. She stood and grabbed hold of Yukino. Running was out of the question. She felt too weak. The flight function provided a suitable alternative. It did it all for her. She hovered in the air for just a moment before reversing right out of a window, and then she twisted around to put her belly parallel with the ground, Yukino still in her arms. Shizuru rocketed down the street, dodging gunfire, bullets slamming into buildings to her side and right in front of her. She rounded a corner to avoid further shots, and then another. She headed back towards the palace, or so she thought, taking note of enemy and allied positions. The Otome were on the retreat in this section, it seemed. It was just littered with HiME rebels. She attempted to follow the lead of a retreating Iolite Otome, but the pain in her body forced her cold sweat and dizziness to return. She struggled to merely keep her eyes open and hang on to Yukino, no longer truly focused on destination. She yelped quietly, her reclusive personality used to covering up her pain and discomfort, and felt her body slowly fall from the sky. Yukino gasped in her arms, knowing that it was inevitable. Shizuru finally had to drop. She managed to gracefully drop Yukino, who managed to land with no problem, before slamming into the frozen asphalt below. She landed stomach first, and slammed both hands to the ground to try and push herself up, wincing with every movement. She was worse off than she had previously thought, apparently. She felt blood starting to seep into the bandages Yukino had applied under her robe. She tensed as she heard a commanding voice that was certainly not familiar. Damn! "Attack!" She tossed her eyes up, fixing them on an incoming squadron of HiME. She scrambled to her feet, summoning her Element. "President Chrysant, please stay back." "You aren't in any condition to..." Yukino began to plead, but then silenced herself after seeing Shizuru's intense glare, cutting down any arguments. The young president understood all too well, no matter how much she hated it. An Otome was to protect a leader with their very lives, and if Shizuru did not have the ability to retreat, then the only option left was to fight. Yukino checked the street names, a few signs still intact even after all this time, and tossed her meister ring into the snow. It would force Haruka to lose power, but would prevent the HiME from taking it, should they manage to win. Shizuru held out her dual katana with shaky hands, taking a few steps forward as five HiME Heirs surrounded her. She spun and activate one of the chains, and it sliced through the air with a light whistle. It failed to hit, the targets diving out of the way. The metal bounced along the ground and eventually returned upon Shizuru's request. At once, the other three charged and lunged, and she jumped up, assisted by her robe's flight function, and landed behind them. She spun again, using the main blade of her weapon. An Heir met her blade with her own saber, and the two struggled against each other briefly before Shizuru leapt back, attempting another hit with one of her chains. An heir blocked the attack with her sword while the others again dove out harm's way. Shizuru's brow was laden with cold sweat, her body tingling as it felt ready to give out. Pain shot through her chest, a particular ache just under her left breast. She took another step forward, raised her weapon overhead, and then lost herself as one of the HiMEs leapt in and sent a particularly devastating kick right into her already injured torso. Shizuru fell back onto the ground with a controlled yelp of pain, grunted as she attempted to get back up. The same Heir that had kicked her pinned her down with her boot, saber in hand. The woman raised the blade and with a muderous look in her eyes, prepared herself for the finishing blow. "Wait!" Yukino. The command worked, although it was mainly for the HiME to turn her head in order to give the president an irritated look. Apparently the leader, she barked out a response, not too happy with the interruption. "Be silent!" "We are not your enemy!" Yukino pleaded in the native tongue of Zipang, taking a few steps towards the group. "My name is President Yukino Chrysant of the Aries Republic. I'm a diplomat sent here from Earl. You will be killing a key political figure of that world if you go through with what you're about to do. We don't truly know the nature of this war. We're only observers. Please release her." "I have never heard of Earl," the HiME countered. "Do not waste my time with such pathetic lies, or I'll simply make your death slower than it has to be." "It's in the Lalande System. Surely you've heard of that. You all sent a team of HiME to our world to stop the Otome from summoning us. It'd be a very terrible mistake to kill either of us, lest you have our entire planet unite and come here to get their revenge, yes? Please do not be so hasty when we are not even an enemy. We formally surrender and request to be taken to your commanding officer." The five HiME quickly looked at each other in confusion. The decision rested in the hands of their leader, who still looked quite upset for having been denied a simple kill. She sighed, anger and frustration evident in the gesture, and stepped off of Shizuru, who's eyes were almost rolling back in her head. The HiME picked the Archmeister up by the collar and got right in her face. "Surrender your GEM immediately. Guys, bind their hands." She sat Shizuru down on her feet, and the leading meister of Garderobe deactivated her robe and handed over the GEM, knowing that further fighting would only result in death. Yukino's plan at least gave them time to think of a plan. The HiME took the jewel and pocketed it, then searched Yukino for any meister rings. Finding none, the other HiMEs bound both of them. They marched, and Shizuru felt her body start to shut down. She leaned against the woman holding onto her more and more with every step, and Yukino watched in shock as Shizuru once again passed out due to the previous injuries and the exertion used in the fight. With minor complaints, one of the HiME hoisted Shizuru over her shoulder, but would have been completely fine with leaving her for dead. They walked back to the HiME base of operations, a few Children flying away from the complex in the process. Yukino was led into a small cell, and watched as Shizuru was taken away to a different room. She yelled out after them, holding onto the bars. "What are you going to do with the meister?" Yukino demanded. "I told you we are not a threat." The unit leader turned back to her for just a moment. "Calm down, four eyes, we're sending her to the infirmary to fix her sorry ass up. Sit there and be a good girl. I'm going to inform the CO about your arrival. Whatever happens from this point on, it'll be up to her." - - - "What was her name again? Kuga?" "Kruger." "Ku-ru-ga?" "Kruger." Natsuki groaned even before she opened her eyes, her body incredibly sore. A sea green eye managed to look briefly around the area, seeing the faces of two of the Earth Columns and Mashiro. She was back in the Dammerung facility under the old Imperial Palace, apparently. How did she end up there? They smiled briefly as they saw her regain consciousness. Natsuki slowly turned her head, seeking out someone else who was not there. She winced as she tried to sit up, her torso in pain from the building that had landed on her. A bandage was wrapped around her arm, and it was partially soaked with blood from the impact of debris. Right. That wolf had opened fire and taken the structure down. "S-Shizuru?" She inquired, her head pounding. She put a hand to it, using the other to prop herself up. She looked around again, her worry increasing. She was the only one on a cot in the room. Shizuru had been so very close to her at the time of the attack. She should have been there. "Where?" Ashura gave her a reassuring smile. "Meister Armitage found her and left her in the care of your President Chrysant in the city. She was injured, but Armitage-san assured us that she would be fine, because the 'bubuzuke woman was as stubborn as she was annoying.'" They were still speaking in their native tongue, and Natsuki only had a slight grasp on it. She hadn't taken any classes in Zipang for years. Without the others present, it was difficult to understand, and especially in her condition. She got enough to briefly understand. "Up." "You should lie back and--" Ashura found herself cut off by the determined headmistress. "Up." Ashura and the other Column grabbed hold of her arms and lifted her to her feet, and Natsuki took a moment to maintain her composure, fighting off the urge to sink back down. She straightened her blue coat and turned to the Columns. "Where are the others?" "Ah... Armitage-san is out with Yumemiya to scout the area for any more survivors from your group. Tokiha, Zhang and Minagi were all separated and pushed to the city outskirts by the HiME. They're trying to get them back." Leaving Yukino in charge of Shizuru! How utterly careless, especially if Shizuru was injured. What had Haruka been thinking, doing that? It was dangerous. Yukino could not defend herself and manage to protect Shizuru at the same time. The hiding place better have been good. Natsuki tightened her fists and then looked up as she heard a messenger shout, "Armitage is here!" Natsuki stalked forward as Haruka burst through the door, a look of panic on her face. She paused as she saw the headmistress, not expecting such a cold welcome, much less one from someone who should have still been unconscious. She got right to her report, seeing that Natsuki did not seem keen on tolerating anything less. "Mai's group is still missing, and..." "And?" Haruka, for once, looking slightly timid. She sighed. "Forgive me, Headmistress, I didn't follow protocol. I should have brought Shizuru in first, but I was worried that those Slaves were going to finish Mai's group off, and..." "Where are Shizuru and Yukino, Haruka?" Natsuki demanded. "Arika and I heard word that... they were both captured by the HiME, and that Shizuru was injured a second time during their fight. A few Iolites saw but were in no position to give aid, I..." Haruka stopped herself short, her determination coming back. "Headmistress, I'll have no problem tearing through their defenses to get them back! I promise, just let me go back out there and I'll make one of those HiME bitches tell me exactly where they are!" Natsuki's breathing became strained and shaky with rage. Her knuckles had become white. Haruka had seen her upset before, but in times of genuine anger, Natsuki could be positively frightening, even if you weren't on the receiving end. Haruka froze as that anger broke. "We've lost a president and a leader of Garderobe! Do you understand that? Get your robe on and get back out there. Go find Mai, and I'll handle your little mistake." "I..." Haruka paused again. She had not been quite that shaken in a long time, but it was not simply from Natsuki. Her eyes were moist, and she hesitated slightly. "I cannot summon my robe." Natsuki stared at her. "What?" "I can't summon my robe, I just... it deactivated during my last patrol and Arika had to fly me back herself," Haruka explained. Both women fell silent, understanding the gravity of that statement. Unless an Otome lost power because their master prevented it, it meant they were either without the ring or... something worse. Natsuki tensed again. If Yukino had been greatly injured or had been separated from her ring, then it meant that both women were in great danger. "The ring was probably taken from her when they were captured," Natsuki calmed, and that was the only comfort Haruka was going to receive from the headmistress that day. Her face became stern once again. "If you don't have your robe, then you will be ineffective. Do not leave these facilities until further notice." Haruka's face became angry, her blonde eyebrows lowering in aggression. She was fully capable of fighting without her robe. Given the headmistress' look, she decided that rebellion was not going to sit well. "Fine." Natsuki began to walk through the room and exited out of the door, Ashura and the other Column running after her. Both Akira and Mashiro followed behind, not exactly sure just what Natsuki intended to do. She was still too weak to fight herself. The headmistress ignored the protests and roamed her eyes around the facility, trying to find some sort of tactical map or battle display. She exited the barracks section, walked through the mess hall, and reached the infirmary. There, she paused for just a second. There were hundreds. Otome, standard soldiers, even children, god damn it. She kept moving, ignoring Mashiro's startled cry, and proceeded through the particular area as fast as she possibly could, ignoring the mauled victims and the dead bodies that were being sorted and taken out of the room. Even children. She felt her rage build. "Bastards." - - - "My name is Azumi. I am the mistress of Yafusa," the dark haired woman stated, though she did not look happy to be there. "I am in charge of this complex for the time being. State your name and why you wished to see me." Yukino took a breath and gathered her will enough to respond like a true leader should. "I am President Yukino Chrysant, and I want to thank you and your soldiers for sparing my life and the life of Meister Viola. I simply wanted to see you in person to state that we are not your enemy. We simply here to observe the conflict and meet with regional leaders. This is a mission of diplomacy. We were merely defending ourselves from attack." Azumi was seated on a small chair in front of the cell, six guards accompanying her. "My soldiers said you were from Lalande. If that's the case, then you will be very useful to us. Understand that you remain alive not simply because you are a diplomat, but because you are my link to that world. What happened to the shuttle that crashed there containing HiME soldiers?" "They attacked the first person to investigate the crash, who was admittedly an Otome, and so they were detained in a prison in one of our world's nations. They are safe, just detained," Yukino answered honestly, calm despite her discomfort. "We're still in the process of learning what this conflict is about. We're here because of our interest in uniting with Earth once again, but have not yet pledged our full support to either side." "Your soldiers were attacking my people," Azumi said plainly. "I witnessed it first hand. The foreign Otome, although not 'officially' our enemy, have killed several members of our army. Why should I trust anything you have to say, madame president?" "As I said, we were just defending ourselves. The HiME naturally assumed we were normal Otome, which I understand, but it forced our escorts to take action to protect us. We weren't here for more than ten minutes before we were attacked by two of those giant monsters – the dragon and the wolf." Yukino took another calming breath. "Surely you can understand why we had to fight. I assume you would fight to protect those you love." "I have to," Azumi responded vaguely. "I can understand. I do not trust you, but I can understand. If you are a diplomat, then is it still possible to convince you that an alliance with Dammerung would be destructive and not beneficial in the least? I assume you cannot simply become their enemy and side with my people. If that's the case, then I recommend going home. This war is not yours. Your people should not spill blood for either side." "That's a very honorable request," Yukino admitted. "The nations of my world would very much like to reunite with Earth, however, so if there's any possible way to resolve the conflict diplomatically, perhaps by offering trade deals with both of your groups..." "No," Azumi said gruffly. "It would be nice, but this conflict has gone on for years. It will not go away that easily. This is a war in which everyone has lost a mother, a father, a sister or a brother. There is hatred on either side, the kind that does not go away. You cannot grasp it. I am afraid both sides laying down arms is an impossibility at this point." Yukino nodded, and then dared to ask a different kind of question. "I know this may sound a little odd, given the situation, but because of all the fighting, the group I was with was separated early on. By any chance, have you seen a woman with red hair, armed with twin katanas? She is the leader of Aswad, a group from our world." Azumi was silent for a moment, and for a moment, she almost looked offended. "Midori al-Aswad?" Yukino blinked. "Y-yes. You've seen her?" "Yes." Azumi then turned to one of the guards. "Move Chrysant-san into the barracks and give her a guest room. See that she does not leave. President, if you'll excuse me, I have work that must e done. I hope you find your new accommodations a bit more comfortable. Your friend is in the infirmary and should be healing up quite nicely. I must take my leave for now, but I will be back." She stood and left without further word. So, Midori had been taken in as well? Hopefully she had not done anything to jeopardize the diplomatic negotiations. Yukino watched Azumi retreat and exit the room, a slight sense of dread filling her. Two guards took her by either arm and led her through the building, eventually dropping her into a fairly large guest suite reserved for political dignitaries. Well, Yukino thought, at least she was getting an upgrade to her cell. - - - A holographic display of Kyoto hovered in front of him, highlighting the known positions of enemies and members of the Twelve. He guided his hand over the picture, his finger moving digital replicas of soldiers around, creating new way points and objectives for the various Otome in the field. He gave them combat instructions over a GEM link periodically, their digital copies moving around the hologram in real time. He typed a few commands in, relocating and deploying remote artillery with a few quick commands. He heard a click, but it wasn't from his keyboard. He looked up, past the hologram, and saw his fellow officers in the Dammerung command room frozen in shock. He turned to the side, and saw the barrel of a firearm pointed right at his head. "Verlassen sie dieser terminal sofort, oder sterben sie." A raven hair woman with icy green eyes stared down at him, her tone one befitting a great commander that did not take no for an answer. Her grip tightened on the small pistol just slightly as her expression grew more irritated due to his lack of movement. He didn't know what the hell she had just said, for one thing. He could just damn well give up his post to some stranger. Why weren't the others moving to attack her? "N-Nani?" He stammered. "Schneller!" Her lips curled into a snarl, and she bore her fangs. With that, he leapt out of the chair and backed up to the wall before she even dared to think about lowering her weapon, a side arm she had brought from Garderobe should her robe fail her. Ashura and Eiko, the Quartz and Kyanite, rushed into the room moments later, perhaps promising salvation. They were followed by a young, well dressed girl and an older female who had suited herself up in ninja garb. All four of them gave this intruder a shocked look, but did little to stop her. Was she one of those Otome from the colonies? She sat down and with one hand began to toy with his command display, the gun still in her other hand. "Direktorin Kruger! Halt!" The protest came from the young girl as opposed to either of his bosses, but it was better than nothing. The raven haired woman did not stop, ignoring the call. - - - Shizuru gently opened her eyes and sat up, taking a wet cloth off of her head. Her body still ached, but it wasn't quite as bad as it had been. She was in her amethyst colored uniform as opposed to her robe, her GEM having been taken from her earlier. She felt almost naked without it there. She found herself in a prison cell, where she was lying on a cot. Her movement attracted the attention of the guards and a member of the medical staff, who came to look at her like an animal in the zoo. "Well, the Otome whore's awake," one of the guards taunted. "What a shame. I was hoping she'd get an infection and die painfully." "There's still time for that, don't worry." Another cheery guard. Shizuru managed a smile despite the rude comments. "Good morning to you, too. I hope I haven't been too much of a bother." "Shut your damn mouth, wench. Nobody was talking to you," one of them hissed. "Not one for pleasant bedside manner, I see," Shizuru managed to reply with a laugh, though it did nothing for her headache. "Where has young Ms. Chrysant been taken? She was the woman I was brought in with." "Do we look like your secretary?" A guard turned to her friend and the pair shared a laugh. The doctor, an aging male, simply shook his head and took a seat next to the bars, his job the only thing on his mind. Shizuru felt she could be courteous. He seemed pleasant enough, even with just his expression. "How are you feeling, miss?" Shizuru shrugged and smiled her polite little smile again. "Like I was crushed by a building, albeit a smaller building than before. I suppose its an improvement. I am still quite tired, but that will wear off on its own. Thank you for asking." "I will be back to check on your from time to time. If you feel that anything is wrong, please inform one of the guards. They will, despite their boorish behavior, let me know." He gave them both a stern glare, and they stiffened up, clearly showing that he must have been a bit of a disciplinarian to the local soldiers. "I have to go check on the other wounded. If you'll excuse me." He stood and exited the door, leaving Shizuru with just the guards. They both glared down at her, but she continued to look pleasant, perhaps just to spite them. She attempted light conversation to pass the time, and perhaps start a light interrogation once she worked her way into it. "Ara, it's a lovely day, isn't it?" - - - "Headmistress Kruger! Stop!" Mashiro yelled at her, watching as Natsuki demanded that a man leave his computer terminal, pointing a gun right at his head. She had sat down and was in the process of what looked like planning an attack of all things. "This is an offensive abuse of power. Any further action and I will be forced to materialize and take up arms," Ashura hissed in her native tongue, waving an arm. "Kruger, get back here immediately!" "I am not going to sit while there are members of my group in danger. A world leader and Garderobe's leading meister have been captured. In addition, a Column and another meister have been lost outside the city. This is an issue of global security, and it is my job to secure all these individuals once again," Natsuki said in monotone as she continued to type commands into the terminal, learning as she went. "I would appreciate a little quiet. It is too loud in here. I can't concentrate." "Now!" Mashiro yelled. "I don't care what's going through your head, you lunatic, just get your sorry butt over here! I'm not going to have you ruin any chance at solidifying an alliance by having you seize control of the entire friggin' facility to go on some wild goose chase!" "Let the Dammerung staff handle it, Headmistress," Akira said in a calmer tone, hoping that logic would win the fight. "They know how to properly coordinate and issue commands from that device, and know the lay of the land far better than we ever will." Natsuki continued to type, bringing up views of the city from different angles, as well as video feeds of Shizuru and Yukino's capture, her face growing even more grim as she saw Shizuru take a hard kick to the stomach. "I can handle it, Akira. It's Garderobe soldiers who are missing, not Dammerung Iolites. They are my responsibility." "They're all completely capable of getting back here!" Mashiro argued, Arika finally coming to rest right behind her, looking confused at what was happening. "We can rescue Shizuru and Yukino with the cooperation of Dammerung. Give that man back his terminal, or when we get home, I'll have Windbloom... I'll..." "Why is she playing computer games?" Arika asked, causing Mashiro to turn 'round and smack her upside the head. "Ice Silver Crystal, you have thirty seconds before I--" Ashura began to bark out, but was halted by the room going pitch black, the holographic display and all other computer terminals shutting off. A small rumble shook the underground fortress, and she held onto the wall for support. "What in the hell?" A few lights flickered back on, but only enough to light the hallways. Key computers were activated and booted back up, though Natsuki was without her display, and she hissed in frustration. Reports began to flood in from the radios at the other terminals. One of the officers there stood up and stated, "We've been hit by an EMP weapon! The Emulator is offline and the Iolites are without power. The surrogate for the Columns is ready for use so long as the generator holds." "Where did it come from?!" Ashura asked, running over to his terminal to look over the display. "Members of the Twelve broke through our lines with their Children and dropped it nearby. It was activate almost immediately. There was no warning," he informed, bringing up various screen of information. "I'll order everyone to switch to conventional arms. ETA for Emulator repair is five hours." "What's an EMP weapon?" Mashiro asked. Ashura turned back. "Both sides use them from time to time to get a quick advantage. It's an electromagnetic weapon that destroys electronics. We can repair most of it, but it just takes time. We're without our Emulator for a little while, which means my Otome are next to useless. Prepare for the HiME to take several blocks, at the very least. Everyone, up the academy defenses and switch all artillery to manual firing. They might get all the way up here." Several shouts of 'yes, ma'am!' followed, and everyone jumped at the commands. Natsuki watched from her seized chair, her visage cold and clearly upset. Her hand was tightened around the now dead controls and she finally stood, ignoring the glare from Mashiro and Ashura. With no robe, she was as useless as Haruka. She had no choice but to wait it out, or find some kind of alternative. She allowed the original officer to sit back down in his seat and nodded once at Ashura. "My apologies." She didn't want to say it, and if it were anyone from Earl, she would not have. Desperate situations often warranted at least some kind of polite behavior. Ashura nodded back, content with that, and turned back to do her job. Natsuki could only wait. Her fist tightened around the sleeve of her blue coat. Natsuki... hated to wait. She hated not being in control. She hated the unknown. In the back of her mind, she pondered whether or not to call for reinforcements from Garderobe. To have lost so many so quickly, it was almost mandatory at this point. Because above all, when you got right down to it, Natsuki hated to lose. - - - AN: I have no idea if the German I put up there was right or not. I essentially Babelfished it. Which is always a no-no (unless your audience doesn't know any better, I suppose!). If you speak the language, feel free to correct!
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