Chapter 5: Front 3; Fire, Ice and, Rock? – Part 1/2

After a little longer, Una gently pressed at the shutdown sequence on her monitor screen - Listening patiently, as outside the small cockpit came the sound of bulkheads un-screwing and minuet machinery disconnecting the simulator module away from her Vijaik.
 The cabin was dark now, only a faint ceiling-light emitting a small glow.

She ran her hand over everything again, checking that all the control levers and switches really were still there.
 Of course she had been informed the Fluchtig had the most advanced in simulator technology but this had been more than she could of ever predicted. Back in the academy, simulators were bulky enclosed boxes, with a standardised set of controls and limited visuals.
 They certainly hadn't shook violently with enough force to match the movements of the simulation - Never had one physically winded her before.

They had used a couple of old Gen1 Vijaik MBTs, which were for doing practise bouts in - But those had always felt like practise, they had never made her feel trapped or scared. No this had been different.
 The simulator was a large grey rectangle on a miniature scissor lift of sorts, which raised it up into the air to attach straight to the raised cockpit of the actual Vijaiks used by each pilot.
 Said machine had only arrived that very morning, it felt like an oddly faint memory to think back on how excited she'd been when the small transport craft had arrived. How she was nearly giddy when the Lieutenant had offered to get everyone together and do a 'proper' simulation test, to help her 'break-in the new model'.
 That excitement felt very distant now.

The sounds of whirring outside her enclosure now quietened, replaced with the faint screeching of tyres reversing slowly, indicating the simulator mechanism had been fully released and that she could now leave.
 Stand up, walk out, away from the machine, her machine - 'Just a simulation.'

She reached out, moving her hand to grab the control connection or CC, a small USB like object, from its mooring - When her eye caught something.

 Positioned above all the monitors, above eye level in fact, and just below where the entry hatch still lay shut was a collection of small cupboarded compartments.
 Akin to glove boxes in a regular vehicle.

They're use, quantity and position often varied from model to model but generally one would be empty and free for the use of the pilot (that one could often be found beneath the pilot's chair), with the others normally holding a number of different fire extinguisher types, emergency tools, possibly rations or spare clothing and of-course protection.

Una timidly felt at the surface of that last one, having to reach her hand up to its smooth face.
 Unlike the other boxes, this one had a small slot for an old school brass key.
 Half heartedly she pulled free the CC key and haphazardly stared at it. She couldn't believe it had passed her notice when Lt.Kolme had first handed her the thing.

'It must be some sort of mistake...' - Una pondered but indeed there on a thin ring next to the mech's starter, was a dainty dust-coloured key. The young woman swallowed hard, unsure now if she was simply still feeling stressed from the simulation or from this new quandary.

She reached up key first.
 The little lock clicked and she let the key fall from her hand, dangling freely from it's footing with-in the lock.
The now open cupboard fell away slowly, there was after all only a small amount of artificial gravity aboard the hangar bays of the ship.

'....It's really there... A gun.'
 A submachine gun to be more precise. From what she could remember it looked to be a standard issue one, the stocky bodied type that could be easily disassembled - Quick to reload and near useless at any real range.

A completely ordinary thing to find in any Mech's cabin, for use in the extreme emergency that the enemy actually attempted to board your machine.
 Totally regulation, as was the spare ammo magazines, all held in place by little, easily pulled away straps, to ensure a pilot quick access but without ever worrying about the thing rattling around inside the box.

Clunk

Una's heart dropped, her mouth barely suppressing a scream as suddenly a blinding line of light appeared before her accompanying the sound of boots bouncing onto a metal surface - All just above the gun she'd been staring at so intently.

Thin but bright, like dawn creeping in under a pair of curtains, said glow soon grew larger.

A moment later Una laid back, reflexively sinking into her chair with relief, now remembering that it was simply her cockpit's hatch opening. Then she tensed, realising the box to be still open, it's contents lay bear - She moved to close it up but found herself stopped half way when the world suddenly turned black once more.
 She felt at her face, half panicked before again feeling remarkably embarrassed at her own skittishness as she patted her face with the warm towel which had been thrown at her.

"Make sure you take the key out and turn the lights off Rookie, no need to run down the battery." - Came the stout voice of Sabban Vint. It was somewhat weird hearing it now, close up and personal.
 It was a gravelled voice that seemed to exclusively speak in monotone and with quant grunts between sentences, as thought the act of talking presented an efforted strain with little returns given for such labour.

He stood with one hand held to the rim of the open roof that acted as the cabin's exit & entry point, looking down at her impassively. He seemed intent on two things, Una wondered if one of those things was that.
 "Kolme's a real idiot ain't he, really threw you at this eh?" - He said with a raised eyebrow, now getting a better look inside the cabin.
 Una was slightly taken aback by the sudden change in Sabban's way of referring to the group leader outside of combat, but he went on further;
 "There'll be the proper gear in your quarters, should make piloting a little more comfortable for ya, new or not the Neo types still get pretty damn warm inside."

Una flushed a little, concluding he must be referring to the sweat she now wiped away with the towel.
 It was a natural part of any profession of course but it still felt a little weird hearing it be mentioned by a former school classmate, then again she could hardly deny the fact that the cabin was indeed warm
 'This warm for just a simulation.'

She had little time to think on this before Sabban nodded his head in the direction of the still carelessly open gun-box;
 "Something missing?" He added poignantly.

Una blinked absently before flailing her arms, "What? Eh no, no. I mean er... umm, it's just I think there's been a mistake. I'm not sure this should be here-",
 Before she could flounder any further - Sabban who seemed to of completely ignored her little display - cut back in;

"Leave the brass key in it, no one else ever bothers taking it out. After all if you do ever need it last thing you want is to be fumbling around looking for where you left your keys. Oh and don't worry about any of that bullcrap from before".
 He still held that absent look on his face, his off-hand planted firmly against the back of his head amongst his black-mottled hair - A sort of crew-cut that had been left grow out, with the air of having been once maintained but more recently having fallen on hard times;
 "When that ass from the Investigations-Bureau started trying to give Miss.Hoki trouble over 'What you could and couldn't have' here, well let's just say Kolme stepped in and gave the man a taste of what talking to a real soldier is like".

Sabban had finished that sentence with a visible sneer before continuing on;
 "He'll see to getting you a sidearm soon enough too so don't worry about it" - With that and not waiting for another further response, as thought the conversation had reached its logical end point - Una observed as Sabban shoved himself downwards, back towards the hanger floor and left her sight.

Quickly Una followed after the man, making sure to relock the cabinet and turn off all the instruments and lights - Leaving the small key in the now locked box as instructed. Once out she agilely glided down to the hanger floor, glancing back round to stare up at her machine.

Standing at a comfortably 20 metres, it was still hard to actually see it as her mech, gleaming in fresh paint, straight off the assembly line. A perfectly new 'Third Gen', Neo-Type-Vijaik Mark C - And all of it hers.

She found Sabban a few paces ahead, standing at the foot of his own machine staring vacantly foward. The room they found themselves in was the secondary or 'underhanger' of the ship.
 A box shaped room below the main entry space, with incredibly tall ceilings but just enough floor space for its inhabitants and mech storage facilities. The layout was functional at best and cramped at worst, with the idea of maximising said storage in mind:
 Three holding cages a piece, (which prevented Vijaik's from floating away) stood corresponding each other on two of the walls. A large industrial elevator took up a third wall and finally on the fourth was space for two more machines.

As it stood her machine was in 'the cell' nearest the elevator, Sabban's next to that and the Lieutenant's at the opposite corner (Its simulator, Una noted as still being connected and its hatch still closed).
 On the far wall with only two cages were the red and cyan machines, standing next to one another. A shiver ran down her spine just looking at them, of course now they stood silently, solemn even.
 The red eye of Miss.Scarlet's machine replaced by the hollow dimness of the powered down angular head's visor - And as for Miss.Hoki's terrifyingly powerful long-range rifle, it wasn't in reality even present, instead being upstairs in the workshop of the main hanger.

'Just a simulation.'

She made her way hesitantly to Sabban's side. Her mind did feel a little calmer now but a number of new thoughts filled the place of the discarded tribulations of earlier:
 There was Sabban's comments about the gun, and, well hygiene. Then there was the question of whether they were happy with how she had preformed during the pretend battle - For all she knew they'd think her a complete failure, maybe they would even send her back to the base if she couldn't keep up with them.
 There was also the question of what exactly the protocol was now, should she be standing to attention?

A final question which she really felt annoyed at the importance of, was how exactly to address the man standing next to her.
 'I mean we were classmates right and we just fought together? So I should be friendly, chummy ya? He can't really of forgotten me...'

As if to answer her unspoken questions Sabban suddenly started in his usual low rumbling tone, not bothering to make eye contact; "Here we go again."
 Una shot him a puzzled look before turning to try and get a view of whatever it was he had commented on.
 What she saw was the same as before, the two Vijaiks that had been on the opposite team of the simulation, however there was a minor change in each.

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Miss.Hoki's Cyan machine now had it's hatch open, thought there was no sign of the woman herself. Conversely Scarlet's machine, which uniquely instead of an outcropped hatch to match the other four mechs, instead pertained a flush circular doorway - Which had now rolled forward.
 Then there was nothing for a few moments, to the point that Una was almost about to ask the obvious question when finally she saw someone step out onto the lip of that circular entrance.

Thee Ace Pilot - known simply by her somewhat flamboyant nickname 'Scarlet Scourge' - Stood glaring absolute daggers across at the cockpit of her Cyan neighbour.
 Una found herself begrudgingly admiring the very way the woman held herself, poised as thought ready to fight at any moment, yet far from overly tensed. Aided by her long abundance of deep crimson hued hair and her singular eye-patched eye - It all made her stand-out like a character from some sort of adventure story, truly befitting of a former 'space pirate'.
 
'If only she had a nicer personality.'
 At-least that's what Una believed migth of gone through her head a few hours ago, as it was however looking at the woman inspired a different emotion; Fear.

The way she'd brutally swung around those large weapons. The precision, skill and most of all, ease which she'd matched both herself and Sabban with.
 That single glowing red eye seemed to ominously flash in her mind when she looked at Scarlets face. Of course from her distance she couldn't see the details but she distinctly remembered seeing Scarlet's eye the day prior - Thinking how strange it was to see someone with an almost blood-red tint encircling her brown iris.
 The word 'pirate' suddenly seemed far less romantic and far more sinister, far more real - Una could feel herself tensing just looking at that callous glare on the woman's face.

"You alright?" Sabban said abruptly, breaking her from thoughts for not the first time that day;
 "First time on that simulator can be... vigorous." He mused aloud.
Una nodded as best she could, glad for the surprisingly kind words even if the man's tone had remained droll.

Her focus back on the end of the room she watched silently for a few more moments as much like her, Scarlet simply stood glaring across at Hoki's machine, until finally the illustrious woman appeared.
 She floated up through the opening of her mech's cabin, swiping her long auburn hair behind her, before graceful swinging herself round over the side of the machine and beginning a slow and graceful descent down to the ground.

Una noticed a couple things immediately:
 For one Hoki like Sabban wore the proper piloting equipment. The specialised gloves, thin but sturdy boots and so on - All designed with the aim of keeping the pilot as comfortable and refreshed as possible but equally allowing them to feel in tune with the controls of their complicated mechanisms.
 In contrast Scarlet wore no such gear, instead sporting a worn pair of ankle length trousers and a half buttoned jacket with puffed shoulders, over a nondescript black T-shirt - Finished by a pair of tall, worn rigger boots and fingerless gloves.

Further where Hoki's hair was long but neatly kept and well combed, Scarlet's Crimson branding was a-flutter - Wisps and split ends haphazardly strewn around, something more akin to a 'mane' than a haircut.
 Before Hoki had even reached the ground Scarlet finally broke the silence;
"The Hell was that, you trying to act the fool girl?" - She barked downwards before grabbing a thin rope that had ejected from the roof of her mech's doorway and using it to start her own trip back landward.

Not bothering to turn around, Hoki daintily landed, arms folded as she replied calmly;
 "That's rich coming from the roving façade, whom gave the enemy all the cover they could ever ask for."
 
Scarlet's face scrunched in retort as she hooped off the rope before landing on the metal floor with a oddly loud 'clunk' -  "Come again princess?".

Still standing beside her, Sabban shook his head lightly, "Every time" he murmured.
 Una once more gave him a searching look to which finally the young man relented an answer;
 "They do this every opportunity they get, especially after we've trained as a group".

"Umm but why?" Una asked reluctantly, her own eyes now firmly fixed on the scene in front of her.
 The two pilots by now going at it full throttle with Scarlet throwing her arms up in the air to match her own sarcastic assaults, while Hoki stood maintaining her clam composure, arms crossed but firing back just as many biting insults.

"Hmmm? isn't that much obvious?" Sabban said at last looking down over at Una.
 Seeing the confusion still present on her face he sighed and continued on, "You had Miss.Hoki as a special instructor for a bit, ya?"

'Confirmation that he does remember me!'

"I mean every new IAFS pilot has--"

'...or maybe not....'

"-- well if you forgot she's from that big family back on Bhaile, whole lineage of soldiering history? And on the side of TSU in the first war. Well Rookie or not I bet I don't need to tell you about 'The Scourge's' history ya?
 Rumoured Abhailien test pilot for the first Vijaiks ever made, than spent most of a decade tearing up Union supply lines in peacetime.
They even say she was involved in the Remembrance Incident as a commander a few years back. Do I need to spell it out any further?"
 He finished half yawning lazily.

Una felt a little put-out by the patronising tone of the explanation, "Of course I know all that...Sir, but they're lots of X-Abhailien and Remembrance people here, they aren't all fighting like this all the time, are they?".

Sabban seemed to give that question considerable thought;
 "I suppose that much is true but it's not exactly easy going. Most ships in the fleet are made up of one creed, two at most, but the Fluchtig and Tradech are different - Round here you got Commander Nate and Kolme who're both old hands from traditional TSU before they joined IAFS - Then you got the engineering team who mostly came from Remembrance - As I said Scarlet's a true Abhailien and a pirate in her spare time".

"Finally there's those of us who came from the moon or other off-planet independent space-settlements.
 There's even a few from the TSU speic-, ahem, but anyway I guess you're right that generally it's only the odd disagreement that breaks out. Those two are a speical case..."
 He grinned a little at that last comment, well grin was a strong word - More like a faint curving of the lips.

"--How do you expect me to hit the enemy when you are darting around like some hyperactive vagrant?!"
 The lady Hoki decreed haughtily.

"Snipers are meant to support the front line you spoiled dolt, S-U-P-P-O-R-T. Not just sit on their ass in one place waiting for the right shot!"
 Scarlet shot back with an expressive hand gesture and vigour.

"The thing is" Sabban said, his gaze now firmly back on the rapidly escalating confrontation ahead;
 "It's maybe less to do with their respective creeds than their personalities."
 He scratched absentmindedly at the back of his head, clearly trying to think on how best to explain;
"Miss.Hoki's the strict type ya know? Always gives everything her all - Even simulations, but Scarlet.. well you saw how easily she knocked the two of us around. Let's just say if she actually tried, got serious in that mock battle - She would of easily won in a four against one match."

Una stared blankly at Sabban, trying to decipher if he had really meant what he'd just said;
 '4 on 1? Not even trying? He can't be serious, no one's that good especially in a Vijaik are they?'
 But Sabban didn't seem intent on providing any further answers.

"You do this on purpose don't you, you want to make me look the fool by lowering my rank?"

"Your rank! Who gives a flying crap about ranks on some silly computer game. That ain't real combat princess, that's a bleedin' toy for children. You think you'd survive five minutes on the battlefield with that attitude?!".

Una felt as though she were watching some abstract sport, her head swaying from one woman to the next as the two continued their argument.
"Well atleast they'll be no more matches today." Sabban mused aloud.

Una felt her feet nearly give way from under her, "M-more matches?"
 Sabban glanced back at her again;
"Hmm, of course. Not much good in doing just the one scenario but I doubt there'll be more today, not all five of us together anyway."
 Una swallowed hard, the thought of getting back in the machine, of facing off against the glint of the riflemen or that lone Red eye again - Hadn't even factored in her mind, to do so once more seemed inconceivably, suicidal even - 'Just A Simulation.'

"I think you are forgetting who was in charge of our team 'Warrant Officer Grimizan'" Hoki sneered.
 
Scarlet visibly bristled at the statement;
 "I've made it clear before that isn't my damn name, and who cares about that kind of rank neither! What goods being an Ensign when your that incompetent at reading the battlefield! Shove your study title!"
 She shot back vehemently.

"Ho-ho and what would the mastermind behind 'The Skirmish of the 4th', or should I say 'The Massacre on the 4th', know about leadership eh? Is that how they thought you to fight back on Abhaile?"

****

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