Mirai Yashima tried to ignore her surroundings as she walked down a wide
corridor in the asteroid base previously known as Solomon. The base was
packed with humanity: captured Jion soldiers who had been there when the
fortress fell, the Federation soldiers who were holding it, and the
wounded.
Having three times too many people crammed into the base made for squalor. The place smelled, there not being enough water for adequate sanitation. Walls and equipment were defaced, vandalized by the occupiers. Finally, her low-grade New Type senses could pick up the pall of despair over the place, generated not only by the captured Jions but also the men and women who had since fled or gone knowingly to their deaths. Mirai had heard that Dozel Zabi's wife had lived here, and that he'd sent her away while going to face his own death at the hands of Amuro and the Gundam.
She reached the door she wanted, an officer's residence. She rang the bell and after a moment, Bright Noah answered.
"I heard you're done with your debriefing. I thought you might want some company," she said.
"I'd love some company. Come in."
She stepped inside. The place was small, with a living room, kitchenette, and doors to the bedroom and bath. "This isn't bad. I'm sharing something this size with Sayla, Frau, and the kids."
"Being the commander of White Base has earned me some privileges," Bright explained. "I must say I'm not completely comfortable. There are too many signs of the previous occupant. It was a woman, and she left all her, you know, Ithings/I behind."
"I wonder if she's alive or dead," Mirai said softly, sitting on the couch and putting the basket she was carrying on the coffee table.
"I prefer not to think about that. Would you like a cup of tea or something?"
"Something," Mirai answered.
"Oh?"
She realized how that might have sounded and felt her cheeks get hot. Bright had removed his tunic and was in his usual sleeveless undershirt and trousers. Mirai had always thought he had a nice body, a little on the slim side, but with enough development in his arms and chest to be more than presentable.
"I mean, I brought something," she said, taking the bottle and ceramic cups from the basket.
"What's that?"
"Sake. It was in the stock of all the captured stuff left behind. I asked politely if I could buy it and I was told I could just have it, no one was going to claim it."
"It's a miracle a bottle of alcohol was left lying around this long."
" I don't think anyone's had any time to do any drinking until now."
Bright sat down beside her. "A drink sounds like a very good idea. I've never actually had sake before. We're a port and sherry family."
Mirai uncapped the bottle. "I like port. It's such a pretty colour and it tastes good, too. Sake should really be served warm, although some radicals like it cold. I don't know how I could heat it up here, though."
Bright stood and went to the kitchenette, then held up an electric kettle. "Where would any self-respecting Englishman be without a way of heating water for tea?"
She laughed and joined him as he filled the kettle, plugged it in, and lowered the bottle into the water. " And once again, working together, we come up with a solution," Bright said.
"Yes, we seem to be good at that."
There was an awkward silence. Bright broke it by asking, "I haven't had a chance to meet with the others yet. How are they?"
"Amuro and Hayato are in sickbay, but they'll be fine. Frau's hands are full with the kids, who want to help and aren't buying the 'you can help by staying out of the way' line." She was quiet for a moment. "Sayla's being very withdrawn, and I'm worried about her. She won't talk about what happened on A Bao A Qu, but whatever it was, it traumatized her. Kai is trying to draw her out, but it's not working."
"Sayla is a young woman with a lot of demons," Bright said, checking the water. "I don't think we'll be seeing her again after we're all dismissed from here,"
"You know something about her."
"It was told to me in confidence, Mirai."
"What about you, Bright? What did you discuss with the generals?"
"Is this warm enough?" Bright asked, pointing to the sake bottle.
Mirai took it out and tested a drop against her wrist. "No, not quite." She put it back in. "From your reaction, I take it it's bad."
"No, not bad exactly," Bright said, leaning against the counter opposite her. "They're more than happy with the showing we all made. The war is won, after all. Things are messy on Side 3 right now, but that's not our concern."
"Messy how?" Mirai asked. "I haven't been paying attention to the news."
"The government surrendered, but many of the people and the military haven't. Fighting is street by street. I don't think this one-year war will be really over for a long time."
Bright and Mirai were silent for a moment before Mirai asked, "And what else?"
"Well I've been given my orders to go back to Europe. Very soon now, the rest of you will be free to leave, as civilians."
Mirai tested the sake again, then unplugged the kettle and poured two cups. She handed one to him and they clinked them together. "To peace," she said.
"Here, here." They downed their first cups and went to the couch.
"I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself," Mirai said. "I have no family and no home. I know that everyone's in that situation, except for you and the others who were on White Base before all of us refugees got on."
"You could join the regular forces. You're a veteran at this point, and an excellent pilot as well. I'm sure you could go to Nijmingen the way I did, and come out with a commission. Perhaps.perhaps we could work together again."
"Ugh," Mirai said. "Oh, I don't mean that about the working together again part, only about being a Federation officer. I just don't want to ever be in uniform again."
"Oh. Well I suppose that's understandable. I have every intention of being career military, myself. I don't love being a soldier, mind you, I just AM one."
"I know. I can't see you as anything else."
Bright held out his cup for a refill. "This stuff isn't at all bad. Less bite than a whisky."
"I once read that in Japan, it used to that when a salary man was drinking after work, it was the one time he could say whatever was on his mind to his coworkers. The next day, they'd all blame it on the alcohol and pretend it didn't happen." She fixed her eyes on his. "What's really on your mind, Bright?"
Bright swallowed. "I'm not very good at self-disclosure."
"I've noticed."
There was a long silence in the room. Bright played with his cup. Mirai waited. Finally, he said in a hoarse whisper, "I don't want to lose you, Mirai."
She hooked her arm around his elbow. "Why has it been so hard for you to say that?"
He looked over at her quizzically. "Do you mean you wanted me to?"
"Yes!"
"Well, you could have said something too, you know."
She nodded. "I know. I should have. Looking back, I guess I just must like men who aren't passive about their feelings."
"Is that so?" Bright asked. He dropped his cup down onto the table with some force and took her face in his hands. She closed her eyes as he leaned down and touched his lips to hers.
Bright didn't really know what he was doing. Despite her one kiss from Sleggar a few days ago, neither did Mirai. Neither one of them minded. She slid her arms around his back and held on for dear life.
"I love you, Mirai," Bright murmured to her as they held each other in the aftermath of the kiss. "You're my best friend. I don't want you to leave me."
"I don't want to leave you either. I just can't see myself as a Federation officer. Are there any other ways we could stay together?"
"Yes. I can think of one."
Mirai sat back, her eyes becoming misty. "Do you really mean that?"
Bright stroked the third finger of her left hand. "I would never tease you about something like this."
They embraced again. "You're the only man I've ever wanted to marry," Mirai sighed.
"You're the only woman I've ever wanted to marry," Bright assured her. "And once again, working together-"
"We come up with a solution," she laughed, and they kissed to make it official.
Having three times too many people crammed into the base made for squalor. The place smelled, there not being enough water for adequate sanitation. Walls and equipment were defaced, vandalized by the occupiers. Finally, her low-grade New Type senses could pick up the pall of despair over the place, generated not only by the captured Jions but also the men and women who had since fled or gone knowingly to their deaths. Mirai had heard that Dozel Zabi's wife had lived here, and that he'd sent her away while going to face his own death at the hands of Amuro and the Gundam.
She reached the door she wanted, an officer's residence. She rang the bell and after a moment, Bright Noah answered.
"I heard you're done with your debriefing. I thought you might want some company," she said.
"I'd love some company. Come in."
She stepped inside. The place was small, with a living room, kitchenette, and doors to the bedroom and bath. "This isn't bad. I'm sharing something this size with Sayla, Frau, and the kids."
"Being the commander of White Base has earned me some privileges," Bright explained. "I must say I'm not completely comfortable. There are too many signs of the previous occupant. It was a woman, and she left all her, you know, Ithings/I behind."
"I wonder if she's alive or dead," Mirai said softly, sitting on the couch and putting the basket she was carrying on the coffee table.
"I prefer not to think about that. Would you like a cup of tea or something?"
"Something," Mirai answered.
"Oh?"
She realized how that might have sounded and felt her cheeks get hot. Bright had removed his tunic and was in his usual sleeveless undershirt and trousers. Mirai had always thought he had a nice body, a little on the slim side, but with enough development in his arms and chest to be more than presentable.
"I mean, I brought something," she said, taking the bottle and ceramic cups from the basket.
"What's that?"
"Sake. It was in the stock of all the captured stuff left behind. I asked politely if I could buy it and I was told I could just have it, no one was going to claim it."
"It's a miracle a bottle of alcohol was left lying around this long."
" I don't think anyone's had any time to do any drinking until now."
Bright sat down beside her. "A drink sounds like a very good idea. I've never actually had sake before. We're a port and sherry family."
Mirai uncapped the bottle. "I like port. It's such a pretty colour and it tastes good, too. Sake should really be served warm, although some radicals like it cold. I don't know how I could heat it up here, though."
Bright stood and went to the kitchenette, then held up an electric kettle. "Where would any self-respecting Englishman be without a way of heating water for tea?"
She laughed and joined him as he filled the kettle, plugged it in, and lowered the bottle into the water. " And once again, working together, we come up with a solution," Bright said.
"Yes, we seem to be good at that."
There was an awkward silence. Bright broke it by asking, "I haven't had a chance to meet with the others yet. How are they?"
"Amuro and Hayato are in sickbay, but they'll be fine. Frau's hands are full with the kids, who want to help and aren't buying the 'you can help by staying out of the way' line." She was quiet for a moment. "Sayla's being very withdrawn, and I'm worried about her. She won't talk about what happened on A Bao A Qu, but whatever it was, it traumatized her. Kai is trying to draw her out, but it's not working."
"Sayla is a young woman with a lot of demons," Bright said, checking the water. "I don't think we'll be seeing her again after we're all dismissed from here,"
"You know something about her."
"It was told to me in confidence, Mirai."
"What about you, Bright? What did you discuss with the generals?"
"Is this warm enough?" Bright asked, pointing to the sake bottle.
Mirai took it out and tested a drop against her wrist. "No, not quite." She put it back in. "From your reaction, I take it it's bad."
"No, not bad exactly," Bright said, leaning against the counter opposite her. "They're more than happy with the showing we all made. The war is won, after all. Things are messy on Side 3 right now, but that's not our concern."
"Messy how?" Mirai asked. "I haven't been paying attention to the news."
"The government surrendered, but many of the people and the military haven't. Fighting is street by street. I don't think this one-year war will be really over for a long time."
Bright and Mirai were silent for a moment before Mirai asked, "And what else?"
"Well I've been given my orders to go back to Europe. Very soon now, the rest of you will be free to leave, as civilians."
Mirai tested the sake again, then unplugged the kettle and poured two cups. She handed one to him and they clinked them together. "To peace," she said.
"Here, here." They downed their first cups and went to the couch.
"I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself," Mirai said. "I have no family and no home. I know that everyone's in that situation, except for you and the others who were on White Base before all of us refugees got on."
"You could join the regular forces. You're a veteran at this point, and an excellent pilot as well. I'm sure you could go to Nijmingen the way I did, and come out with a commission. Perhaps.perhaps we could work together again."
"Ugh," Mirai said. "Oh, I don't mean that about the working together again part, only about being a Federation officer. I just don't want to ever be in uniform again."
"Oh. Well I suppose that's understandable. I have every intention of being career military, myself. I don't love being a soldier, mind you, I just AM one."
"I know. I can't see you as anything else."
Bright held out his cup for a refill. "This stuff isn't at all bad. Less bite than a whisky."
"I once read that in Japan, it used to that when a salary man was drinking after work, it was the one time he could say whatever was on his mind to his coworkers. The next day, they'd all blame it on the alcohol and pretend it didn't happen." She fixed her eyes on his. "What's really on your mind, Bright?"
Bright swallowed. "I'm not very good at self-disclosure."
"I've noticed."
There was a long silence in the room. Bright played with his cup. Mirai waited. Finally, he said in a hoarse whisper, "I don't want to lose you, Mirai."
She hooked her arm around his elbow. "Why has it been so hard for you to say that?"
He looked over at her quizzically. "Do you mean you wanted me to?"
"Yes!"
"Well, you could have said something too, you know."
She nodded. "I know. I should have. Looking back, I guess I just must like men who aren't passive about their feelings."
"Is that so?" Bright asked. He dropped his cup down onto the table with some force and took her face in his hands. She closed her eyes as he leaned down and touched his lips to hers.
Bright didn't really know what he was doing. Despite her one kiss from Sleggar a few days ago, neither did Mirai. Neither one of them minded. She slid her arms around his back and held on for dear life.
"I love you, Mirai," Bright murmured to her as they held each other in the aftermath of the kiss. "You're my best friend. I don't want you to leave me."
"I don't want to leave you either. I just can't see myself as a Federation officer. Are there any other ways we could stay together?"
"Yes. I can think of one."
Mirai sat back, her eyes becoming misty. "Do you really mean that?"
Bright stroked the third finger of her left hand. "I would never tease you about something like this."
They embraced again. "You're the only man I've ever wanted to marry," Mirai sighed.
"You're the only woman I've ever wanted to marry," Bright assured her. "And once again, working together-"
"We come up with a solution," she laughed, and they kissed to make it official.