Chapter 53
We were taken into the transport and directed into repair harnesses.
Nerves were rocking through my core as I was released from my LYNC helmet and pulled my hands from the control gel. I climbed out of the cylinder, my heart pounding with every second wasted on the opening hatch sequence, then I climbed from the metal beast, and mounted a waiting hover platform.
Instead of dropping to the walk way, I directed the platform to Vetala, and dismounted on top of the cylinder. Pressing the heel of my hand to the emergency access panel had the door fan away, giving me access to the cylinder itself.
Seeing Fianna sitting on Seba’s lap, draped in his uniform jacket, put me at ease while also pinging an unexplainably warm sensation in my chest. Two of the people who meant the most to me were both alive and safe, and that was all I really cared about.
Seba removed his LYNC helmet once the rest of the harnesses retracted.
“Need some help?” I called down into the narrow chamber.
“Ah, I…” He frowned as he lifted her into a princess hold.
With the gravity in the space station, he couldn’t float in and out of the cylinder, and it would be near impossible to climb out while carrying someone.
And yet, Sebastian looked at her, then he looked at me, and his nose scrunched, like he had come to an impasse.
Wait…
“Fianna,” I said, keeping my voice low. There was more than enough noise in the space station that no one could eavesdrop.
He nodded, no further words needed, then he stepped up to the top of his seat and handed her up to me.
The moment she was in my arms, it was impossible to miss the fact that, beneath Seba’s uniform, her A2 had been deactivated.
His hesitation in handing her off while in this state, even to me, was actually as reassuring as it was unexpected.
I squeezed her close enough that I could hear her small breaths in my ear. She was simply blacked out, likely from pain or fear or some combination of the two.
I hopped back on the platform and buttoned the jacket over her, so her distinct shape would be better hidden until she was awake and able to reactivate her module.
Seba joined me on the platform, while Breaker and that fuck who nearly got us all killed were already down on the walkway, speaking to the crew.
“How long have you known?” He asked in a whisper.
“A week,” I admitted. “Found out after the last Evaluation in our night on the town.”
“Have you told anyone?” His tone gave nothing away.
“No.”
“Don’t.”
We stopped talking as the platform neared enough to the walkway to be heard, then we both dismounted.
“Captain Takeyama, Captain Marx, good to see you’re okay.
Good to see Vann has made it back in one piece as well, even if we can’t say the same for his Shinka.
” Professor Kitagawa greeted me with a purse to his lips.
The normally laid back man was dressed in an imperium suit, and I’d never noticed how strong he still was even well into his forties.
He was an instructor for a reason though.
He’d been integral to winning the last war, so it should have been expected that he was going to be part of that frontline response.
“We’ve got this from here. I’ve arranged transport back to Astaroth for you and your machines, so your Shinkas can be repaired and you can all take refuge in the secure bunkers.
Once you land, even if you feel fine, report to the medical bay immediately for assessment.
” He glanced at Fianna, who was in an unconscious ball in my arms, then he addressed Seba.
“I’ve spoken to Vann’s Spotter, and his vitals were stable up until you detached him from his LYNC.
Excellent rescue while under pressure, Takeyama.
We’d have one more casualty if you hadn’t acted so quickly. ”
“If not for your tutelage over the years, I may not have been successful. Thank you for everything you’ve taught us, sir.
” Seba tipped his chin in acknowledgement, while his cheeks were uncharacteristically pink.
I wouldn’t say anything, but it was a safe bet that Kitagawa’s praise wasn’t what had him blushing.
Kitagawa nodded. “In the interest of getting you away from the battlefield and into a safe house as quickly as possible, you can forego those medical checks until you return. It shouldn’t be more than a few hours before you’re back at Astaroth Academy.”
“We appreciate the good timing,” I added. “I don’t think we were going to survive much longer on our own out there.”
“Don’t sell yourselves short. You survived for hours longer than anyone could have hoped, and you took out an impressive number of enemy machines in the process.
I’m glad to hear my training scenarios are paying off.
” Kitagawa placed his hands on his hips with pride.
“Oh also, when he wakes up, let him know his performance today exceeded all expectations, especially for a first time pilot. And in live combat no less.” He turned his head to offer a hint of side-eye, then added, “I would implore him to learn a bit more about when to retreat though. But the rest of you may not have made it if he did.”
“Oh, I promise I’ll tell him every word.” I stifled a snort of a laugh. She did deserve more praise than I’d ever be able to give her for that stubbornness. She always did though. She was a force of nature when she wasn’t driving me insane.
Kitagawa pointed toward the transport bay with a tip of his chin. “We’ll begin loading your machines right now. You can take some blankets from the sleeping quarters and rest while you wait. It won’t take long.”
With that, Seba, Breaker, 989 and I headed into the rest area. Transport would be ready quickly enough, but I needed to lay down for a minute.
Medical was going to be a problem for the mouse once we got back, but she needed the medical check the most out of all of us, so I couldn’t exactly help her skip it.
But fuck, I wish I trusted my own first aid training to be enough.
Admittedly, I always banked on the idea that if I was ever legitimately injured enough to need it, while in a battle entirely comprised of three-story tall humanoid battle robots largely staged in the unsurvivable atmosphere of outer space, I was dead anyway.
Hindsight. I hate it.
Even if I had cared about medic training though, there wasn’t a lot I could do in this situation. It wasn’t like there were broken bones to set or bleeding wounds to patch. This was going to be neural checks.
I fucking hated neural checks.
I didn’t want to think about that right now. That stress could come later.
Exhausted, the adrenaline crashing violently into nothingness, we each headed to individual rooms where we could change out of our Imperium suits and recharge.
“Do you want me to take Vann so you can get some sleep?” Seba offered, as I opened a small waiting area with little more than a couple decently sized chairs and a small cot. A window took up the entire far wall, offering a vast view of outer space.
I shook my head, to Seba’s visible surprise. In all honesty, I felt like I was the safest choice to stay with her while she was unconscious and vulnerable and still keeping this secret, but… it must have looked insane to the guy who knew my history.
I swallowed, not sure how to explain myself, but not ready to justify my own feelings on the matter out loud to either of us.
“I’m used to Vann’s snoring. You wouldn’t rest one minute if you kept him in there with you.” I attempted something light and easy to explain it away. “It’ll only be a few hours anyway. I don’t plan to sleep.”
“Noted. We’ll speak more on the matter when we get back.” Seba tipped his chin, the implication clear, while his professionalism remained intact for any onlookers, then we parted ways.
I shut the door, then carried Fianna over to a chair facing the window, where I sat down and positioned her safely on my lap. Her head rested against my shoulder in that perfect way, where we fit way too well together, while she was bunched up in a ball, snug in Seba’s jacket.
Her chest rose and fell under the steady breathing of sleep, but her unconsciousness seemed more peaceful than traumatic now.
Though she was likely still delirious from the pain, exhaustion, and mental tax.
I should have placed her on a cot, but once again, I let that selfish part of me win, as I wrapped an arm around her to keep her snug against me.
She smelled like her, and she smelled like him, and the warmth of that whole aura was comfort I didn’t know I needed.
The whirr of the door immediately interrupted my calm, and I shot my attention towards a station worker who was carrying a tray as he entered our space.
I tensed, cocooning her against my chest to assure her notable differences weren’t visible to the man behind me.
“Captain Marx, I just wanted to offer some rations. You must be starved after your—”
“He’s trying to sleep after nearly dying on the battlefield. If you wake him up, I’ll break your fucking legs.” I whispered harshly, trying not to disturb her.
“S-sir, yes sir.” He was wise enough to loud whisper his compliance. “I’ll leave the tray here, sir.”
“Now lock the door on your way out.”
The man flitted off, and the door whirred shut, giving me peace and the ability to exhale again.
I laid back in my chair and finally let my body relax.
The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest calmed my own racing heartbeat.
I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, wanting all too badly to join her in that rest.
She nuzzled against my chest, then she gripped at my Imperium suit in a sleep walker’s fist. Even as she started to stir, slowly getting her wits about her, she didn’t let go.
“Elio?” Her voice came out in a barely audible whisper, more in confusion than in question. “Did we die? Is this hell?”