The Devil Inside Ch.17

[Shinobi]

AN: Tsk. No hate mail. Well that's okay. My pre-reader did for you guys!

"[on chapter 16] ...you are a bastard -- and, no, 17 did not make
it all right!"


So enjoy!

And stuff

The Devil Inside
Chapter 17

?Where?s Chidori?? Sousuke asked.

?She?s right behind me.? Kyouko explained as she met the others at the club entrance. ?She?s returning some guy?s wallet.?

?I see.? Sousuke frowned as he scanned the club for a sign of blue hair. He did not like Kaname being separated from the group. He eyes efficiently swept the club starting at the back and moving forward. He paused when his eyes met those of Crispin Daniels who was still seated at the bar.

?Relax.? Maya swatted the sergeant on the shoulder. ?Kaname?s right. You?re too tense.? The three girls burst out into laughter.

Sousuke looked at the girls in puzzlement. He turned to Shinji for answers. The boy shrugged in response.

?God hurry up Kaname.? Mayuko whined. ?We?ve got to get going.?

?Where?s Kaname?? A dark voice demanded.

?AH!? The three girls and Shinji shrieked when Crispin suddenly appeared behind them. ?Don?t do that!?

?Where is she?? Crispin ignored the others and locked stares with Sousuke.

?She should return momentarily.? Sousuke answered tightly. His eyes bored into the mechanic?s.

The others stared apprehensively at the stand-off. Unlike Kaname, they did not have the courage to intervene between the two boys.

?Cris, don?t do this.? Kyouko pleaded. Maya, Shinji, and Mayuko bobbed their heads.

?Where. Is. She?? Crispin?s eyes never wavered as he bit the words out.

Sousuke?s eyes flicked to the rear of the club. To his growing unease he saw no sign of the blue-haired girl. ?I.? He licked his lips. ?I don?t know??

Crispin spun and stalked into the club?s interior. Sousuke wordlessly followed. Until he was stopped by a hand on his sleeve.

?Sousuke, what?s happening? What?s wrong?? Kyouko asked desperately as she clung to the boy?s sleeve.

Sousuke reached down and pried the girl?s hand of his sleeve. He noticed the others frightened looks. ?I don?t know.? He walked away and called over his shoulder. ?I?ll be right back.?

Sousuke moved past the flickering lights of the dance floor and approached the area of the restrooms. He spotted Daniels holding a young women with bleached hair by the arm. He frowned and hurried to assist the young women when she jerked herself free and stalked off.

?She just came out of the bathroom.? Crispin explained as Sousuke neared. ?And she hasn?t seen a blue-haired girl.? He turned and Sousuke was shocked to see the mechanic?s eyes blaze with fury.

?Daniels. What?? Sousuke was cut off when Crispin whirled and stormed into the girl?s bathroom.

?Check the men?s room.? Crispin snapped over his shoulder as the door shut. The women?s rest room was currently unoccupied. It had two stalls, a sink with a mirror and towel dispenser and one urinal.

Crispin slowly peered into the stalls. The first one was exactly what you?d expect. A little graffiti. A toilet, some paper. That was it. The second was the same except?.

?The window.? Crispin breathed. It was not large, but a small person could squeeze through. And the engineer knew from the club?s layout that the bathroom was partially below ground level and that the window was actually even with the ground outside.

Crispin stood up on tiptoes and inspected the window. What he saw made his blood freeze. The seal of the window frame had been broken. ?No.? He breathed as he carefully checked the entire frame. The seal was completely broken all around.

Some instinct told him to look down and at Crispin?s feet was pieces of grout used to seal the frame. He picked up a piece. It was hard and unyielding. To the mechanic?s trained eye it was as old as the grout still in the broken seal.

Crispin glanced around the rest room. It was clean and tidy, obviously the club cleaned it regularly, probably every hour or so. That meant the grout had not been there long.

Crispin dropped the piece of grout when the door to the restroom burst open. He heard the giggling of two females. Crispin turned on his heel and marched out of the restroom. He ignored the shrieks of the two startled girls. Outside he found Sousuke Sagara waiting.

?Nothing.? Sousuke reported with clenched jaw.

?Is there a window?? Crispin asked. At Sousuke?s shake he grimaced. ?There?s one in the girl?s room.? He stared hard at the Mithril sergeant. ?The seal?s been broken. It leads outside. My guess is the ally.? Sousuke nodded in understanding.

As one the two Mithril agents turned and marched determinedly toward the club?s entrance. They were stopped by a very worried Kyouko and company.

?Did you find her?? Kyouko asked desperately. At the teens? grim looks tears pooled in her eyes. ?Where is she? Where?s Kaname!? She was ready to sob.

?Stop that!? Crispin grabbed Kyouko by the arms and shook her. ?That won?t help Kaname now!?

?What do you mean?? Mayuko asked fearfully.

?Chidori?s?.? Sousuke hesitated. It would not do to reveal classified information. Yet as he stared at the four worried teens he knew they would not let him leave without some explanation. ?Chidori?s gone.?

?What? What do you mean??? Maya gasped. Sousuke stared unsure how to respond.

?Hey this isn?t funny.? Mayuko tried to yell but it came out a whisper.

?She?s gone!? Crispin yelled. The four teens jumped as he continued. ?Get it thru your heads! She?s not here.?

?You?re lying!? Kyouko yelled back. ?She was right behind me! Stop lying!? She started to cry as she spoke.

The others stared wide-eyed and white faced as the brown-haired girl sobbed in Crispin?s grasp.

?Kyouko, listen to me.? Crispin shook the hysterical girl roughly. ?LISTEN!? At his yell Kyouko gasped and looked up. She fell silent at his intense stare. ?It?s not a joke. She?s gone.? Kyouko gave another choked sob. ?But we?ll get her back!? Crispin shook her again.

?Huh.? Kyouko could not think straight. Her best friend was gone. ?What?? She stared glassy-eyed at the American.

?We?ll get her back.? Crispin insisted. He gave the girl another shake. ?Do you hear me?? At the girl?s reluctant nod he continued. ?We?ll get her back.?

?But?? Kyouko protested weakly.

?We?ll get her back!? Crispin insisted again. ?You have to trust me!? He shook the girl one more time. ?Do you trust me Kyouko??

Kyouko starred miserably at the stocky boy. Her mind felt fuzzy and a sharp twisting pain pulsed in her abdomen. It was hard to think, but his words finally registered. ?I trust you.? Kyouko whispered brokenly. ?I trust you Cris.?

?We?ll bring her back.? Crispin surprised everyone (including himself) by hugging the girl. ?I promise we?ll bring her back.?

?Okay.? Kyouko sniffed and returned the hug. ?I believe you.?

?Hey, is there some kind of problem here?? The club?s bouncer asked the distraught group. He looked at the crying Kyouko and pale faced Maya, Shinji, and Mayuko and the grim faced Mithril soldiers. ?These two bothering you guys?? The bouncer indicated Sousuke and Crispin.

?NO!? Kyouko?s shout startled all of them. ?No, we?re fine.? She sniffed and wiped her eyes. Everyone nodded.

?If you say so.? The bouncer regarded them warily. ?Try to keep it down. You?re disturbing the guests.

?Keep it down!? Maya seethed. ?I?ll show you dis-OW!? The long-haired girl was cut off by Mayuko stepping on her foot.

?Thank you.? Sousuke said. ?We?ll keep that in mind. We apologize for disturbing your guests.? The bouncer nodded and drifted away.

?What are you going to do Sousuke?? Shinji asked once the bouncer left. Now he was certain Sousuke was more than just a military geek like himself.

?That?s not important.? Sousuke calmly explained. ?What?s important is that you four get back to the others.? He glanced at Crispin who still had Kyouko in his arms.

?Right, we need to tell our teacher.? Mayuko said. ?And she can call the cops.?

?You can?t.? Crispin released Kyouko. ?At least not yet.? He shared a glance with Sousuke who reluctantly nodded. ?Wait ten minutes and then tell her. Got that??

?Ten minutes?? Kyouko whispered. ?Why??

?Just do it!? Crispin snapped. When the girls jumped, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ?We?re wasting time. Just wait ten minutes. Please??

?Cris.? Kyouko trailed off and finally nodded. The others nodded too.

?Good.? Crispin nodded at Sousuke, ?lets go.? He took two steps and froze.
?Damn!? He turned and raced back to the bar. ?Forgot something!? He retrieved his book bag laying next to his old seat and hurried back.

?A book bag. Yay we?re saved.? Maya weakly joked.

?Let?s go.? Crispin ignored the long-haired girl. Sousuke nodded and together the two soldiers walked outside to the festival ridden International Street.

Kyouko sighed as she watched the two disappear into the crowds. This was going to be the longest ten minutes of her life. ?Kaname, I hope you?re alright.? The girl whispered.


**

?Want to split up?? Crispin asked as they pushed thru the crowds.

?No, I think we should investigate the ally behind the club.?

?Agreed.? Crispin nodded and the two walked to the end of the block. A minute later they were in the ally behind ?The Dragonfly?.

?This must be it.? Sousuke crouched next to a window that was flush with the ground. He peered inside and could barely see what looked to be a bathroom thru the frosted glass. The sergeant inspected the window frame itself and confirmed its seal had been broken as Daniels reported.

?Look.? Crispin crouched next to Sousuke and pointed at the ground in front of the window. There were slight gouges, scratches really, in the ground before the window seal.

?They pulled the window out by the frame.? Sousuke stated. ?Easier too climb thru and pull someone out.? He looked at Crispin. ?A two man job??

?That?s my guess.? Crispin grimly answered. One man inside to grab Kaname and a second waiting right outside to pull her and his accomplice thru. ?Two men.? His mind thrummed the words. ?It?s just like?.? He cut the thought off. Otherwise Crispin knew he would start screaming. It was all he could do to keep the bubbling fear and sense of powerlessness from overwhelming him.

Sousuke slowly stood and Crispin followed suit. ?I doubt we?ll find any more information here.? Sousuke observed as he scanned the ally. ?I suggest we spilt up and sweep the block.? His jaw tightened. ?Maybe someone saw something.? It was a long shot, but they had to be methodical. The most insignificant detail could be the lead they needed.

?Right. I?ll head left. You go right.? Crispin spoke softly. ?We?ll meet at the southwest corner.? He glanced at his watch. ?Fifteen mikes sound good??

?Fifteen mikes. Southwest corner. Understood.? Sousuke nodded and strode back into the crowded International Street.

Crispin sagged against the ally wall after the sergeant had disappeared. ?Please.? He begged. ?Not again.?

**

?So where are we headed anyway?? O?Campo asked Gwen. He did not bother with Gauron, the ruthless mercenary had made it clear he wanted little to do with the three Marines. That suited O?Campo just fine. While he and Gwen were hard dangerous men. There was something about Gauron that put the large Hispanic man on edge.

?You?ll know when we get there.? Gwen calmly replied.

?Come on!? Fitz insisted. ?Cut the crap. Just tell us where we?re going!?

?Aren?t you a little chatterbox.? Gauron observed. Everyone fell silent as he spoke. His head leaned back against the head rest and his eyes were closed ?It?s disturbing my nap. Are you trying to keep me from getting some shut eye?? Gauron?s question was innocent enough, but the edge of his voice made everyone in the small SUV shudder.

The young Marine gulped nervously. ?N-no sir.? Fitz stammered. ?I was just curious. No biggie.? He shrugged sheepishly and starred out the window. They were approaching the city limits of Naha and would soon be in the country side.

?Alright, we?ll be coming up to 67. I want you to go south.? Gwen explained to Marlen. The black man nodded.

They drove in silence, the only sound was the occasional thump and grunt from the back. After an hour Gwen spoke up again. ?See that rest stop up ahead. Pull into it.?

Marlen did as instructed and soon they were at a rest stop. It was about 10:00 p.m. but there were a few other cars parked at the rest stop. No one seemed to be around though. Marlen cut the ignition and they sat in silence. Except for the thrashing of the tied up girl in the back.

?So, uh, what next?? Fitz whispered.

?We wait.? Gauron answered.

**

?Nothing!? Crispin cursed as he approached the southwest corner of the block ?The Dragonfly? sat upon. ?Absolutely nothing!? He paused and looked around but saw no sign of Sagara. By now Kyouko and the others must have told the teachers what had happened.

?Damn, we?re gonna have to clear out pretty soon.? He suddenly kicked a bottle at his feet into the ally. He was satisfied to hear it shatter.

?That was unnecessary.? Sousuke chided as he walked up.

?Screw you Sagara!? Crispin snapped. He was not happy with the Mithril sergeant right now. ?You?re one to talk!?

?What do you mean?? Sousuke was really confused now. Dealing with Daniels was very trying.

?I mean you were supposed to be her BODYGUARD!? Crispin turned and yelled in the sergeant?s face. ?What the fuck were you thinking?? He grabbed the boy by the collar. ?You moron. You let them get her!? Crispin was on the verge of tears as he shook the startled Sousuke. ?You let them get her!?

?Daniels!? Sousuke quickly tore the mechanic?s hands from his collar. ?Get a hold of yourself! Assigning blame accomplishes nothing.?

?Don?t give me THAT!? Crispin screamed. ?You were supposed to watch after her! YOU! SAGARA! Mr. Perfect-Fucking Soldier!? Crispin spat.

?I KNOW THAT!? Sousuke yelled back. ?I don?t need you telling me that Daniels!? Sousuke had enough. He was not going to put up with anymore abuse.

?Don?t make me laugh!? Crispin taunted. ?You fucked up and now they?ll-!? He stopped and a piercing whine tore from his throat. Crispin turned away and started hyperventilating.

?What?? Sousuke demanded. He felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach at the Lance Corporal?s words. ?What do they want with her??

?T-they.? Crispin gasped for breath and leaned against the ally wall for support. ?Oh god.? He shuddered. ?Oh, god please not again!? He gave a strangled sob at the last.

?Daniels?? Sousuke watched in alarm as the stocky American began to fall apart. ?What is it? Talk to me?? He put a hand on the other?s shoulder. He repressed a shudder at the clammy feel of Crispin?s sweat-soaked skin. When he got no response he turned the mechanic around and shoved him against the wall. ?Tell me damn it! I can?t help her if you don?t tell me!? Sousuke pleaded the last.

?They.? Crispin thrashed like a fish out of water. ?They?ll? His lips trembled and this time he DID sob. ?They?ll tear her apart! God, they?ll tear her apart just like Allie!? A scream clawed its way from Crispin?s throat, but he fought it back. The pain he felt was a tangible thing. Hot tears flowed Crispin?s cheeks as he slid down to the ground. ?I was too late!? He curled up into a ball and repeated himself. ?I was too late!?

Sousuke stared in horror at the mechanic?s words. Suddenly the girl?s words he had extracted from Kahbarovsk flashed thru Sousuke?s mind?.

?What are you going to do to me??

?What?? Sousuke licked his lips and his heart pounded in his chest. ?No it can?t.? He squeezed his eyes shut as his mind was assaulted by images?

?We had to sedate her.?

?She kept screaming! She tried to gnaw her hands off!?

?No!? Sousuke grated. ?No it won?t.? His eyes snapped open and he stared at the huddled corporal at his feet. ?Daniels! Listen to me!? He got no response. Sousuke kneeled next to the mechanic and shook him by the shoulder. ?LISTEN! It?s not over! There?s still time!? he was frantic as he shook the corporal. ?We can save her! But we have to act NOW!?

?Wah?? Crispin muttered dazedly.

?We can save her Daniels!? Sousuke declared. ?But we can?t waste time. They don?t have much of a lead. We need to put our heads together. Figure out where they went. And we need to contact the de Danaan. The Commander needs to be informed. He can lock down the island.?

?The Old Man?? Crispin muttered.

?Yes! He needs to be informed.? Sousuke gave the mechanic another shake. ?Get up Daniels!? Sousuke hesitated. He hated what he was about to say, but Kaname?s life was in danger. His pride was a small thing in comparison. ?I can?t do it alone.?

?You can?t do it alone?? Crispin dazedly asked. ?Save her? We can save her?? There was a hopeful quality to his voice.

?Yes, but only if you get on your feet. We have to contact headquarters!?

?I-yes I understand.? Crispin blinked and became aware of his surroundings again. With Sousuke?s help, He slowly picked himself off the ally floor.

**

Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin idly flipped thru his planner at his desk. It was late evening and he wanted to prepare for tomorrow. One thing about working for Mithril, unlike his time in the Soviet Army, there was always something that needed doing. Even when there was not some crisis threatening the world, it was imperative that equipment and men remain in perfect form.

So training scenarios and war games, a staple of any military life, was doubly important for Mithril. With the successful Cruise missile strike on the Whispered Research Facility it was important that the men and women of the Tuatha de Danaan maintain constant readiness. They could not afford to be caught off guard. That was part of why he had given the members of Team-Urzu a weeks leave.

?Sir.? The intercom buzz roused the Russian officer from his thoughts.

?Yes, what is it?? Kalinin asked.

?Conn. has an incoming transmission. Sir?

Kalinin frowned. ?That?s hardly my concern. Who is the duty officer on watch?? His time was too valuable to be wasted on such trivialities.

?Uh, that would be me, Ensign Yamada, sir.? The voice sounded sheepish over the static-filled intercom.

?Ensign, get to the point. I don?t have time for this? Kalinin frowned as he spoke. Yamada was a good man, young, but he had a good head on his shoulders. The Russian could hardly imagine the Ensign bother a senior officer over a routine transmission.

?It?s encoded for you personally sir. There?s no identifier, and the frequency is strange sir.?

?What?s the frequency?? Kalinin asked. He was curious now.

?Zulu-981.?

?I?ll be right there!? Kalinin all but leapt from his desk. That was the frequency reserved for the marker implanted in Cpl. Daniels. He felt a small knot of concern as he hurried toward the bridge. ?What could be so urgent for Daniels to attempt contact now?? He thought worriedly.

**

?Judas-1. This is Golden Goose. Over.?

Crispin nearly sobbed in relief. He was trembling in exhaustion from trying to ?contact? the Old Man on the de Danaan. The chip in his shoulder extracted a heavy toll on the Lance Corporal with each use.

?They got her! They got her Old Man!?

?Judas-1. You will maintain proper radio procedure-?

?FUCK your procedure! They got her Old Man! Do you hear me? They GOT HER!?

?Got who? Judas-1 what??

?Kaname you stupid Russky! Angel! 17-A! Whatever you want to call her. She?s gone!?

Crispin trembled as silence was his only answer. Pain racked his body and he was slumped against the ally wall he?d collapsed against earlier.

?Judas-1. Explain. Over?

Crispin resisted the urge to curse as he shakily outlined the chain of events that lead to Kaname Chidori?s kidnapping. He also reported Sagara?s whereabouts (right next to him).

?Understood Judas-1. You and Urzu-7 report to Field-17 immediately.?

?Fuck that! What about a rescue? You can?t leave her-? Crispin protested.

?We?ll organize search parties immediately. Our spy satellites are already overhead and should be able to pinpoint any suspicious movement. You and Urzu-7 have done your jobs. Now it is time for us to do ours.?

?Hell no!? Crispin?s fist convulsed open and closed as he ?spoke?. Field-17 was the designation for the first open field available from your current position. It was a command for withdrawal and extraction.

?I?m not going anywhere! I?m going to find those bastard and waste their asses!?

?Judas-1 your actions will jeopardize the mission. Furthermore your attitude is hardly helping your own case any.?

?I DON?T CARE!? Crispin?s whole arm shook uncontrollably now. ?I?m going to find her. If you want to stop me you?ll have to pull that little kill switch I know you have attached to this chip in my shoulder.? Crispin gasped as spots began to dance before his eyes. ?That?s the only way you?ll stop me.?

**

Sousuke watched in fascination as Crispin closed his eyes and focused his attention inward. After a short while the Mithril sergeant swore he could feel a thrumming in the air around the mechanic. That fascination turned to alarm as the AS engineer begin to sweat and convulse.

?Daniels!? He caught the mechanic as he suddenly collapsed. ?What happened? Daniels!? Sousuke shook the stocky corporal in growing alarm. He sighed in relief when the American finally moaned.

?Ugh, highly uncomfortable my ass!? Crispin complained woozily as he sat up. ?Where am I??

?You?re in the ally on the southwest corner. One block south of International Street.? Sousuke answered succinctly. ?Can you stand??

?Yeah, no problem. I think.? Crispin braced himself against the ally wall and slowly pulled himself up. He gasped as a wave of vertigo overwhelmed him. ?I?m okay.? He gasped and straightened up. ?Just need some air.? He took several deep breaths and slowly exhaled.

?What happened??{Sousuke asked once the color had returned to Crispin?s face.

?I-I contacted the Old Man.? Crispin explained as he scratched his shoulder. ?Did I burn it out?? Crispin thought idly. He expected Kalinin to try and contact him and demand he return to the de Danaan, but so far he got nothing.

?How?? Sousuke frowned. He saw no way for a communication to have taken place.

?I just did. Alright!? Crispin snapped. He did not feel like explaining Kalinin?s little science experiment.

?Very well.? Sousuke accepted Daniels word for the moment. ?What did the Commander say??

?He?s mobilizing search teams. Some spy satellites are passing over head so tracking them shouldn?t be too tough.? Crispin scratched his chin and finally added. ?Oh and we?re supposed to report to Field-17.?

?Field-17?? Sousuke starred at the corporal. He felt a chill of uncertainty pass thru him.

?Yup.? Crispin grinned. ?Guess you don?t get to be the hero today Sagara. Of course, you?ve already fucked up so I don?t blame the Od Man!? He was unsurprised when Sousuke grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the ally wall.

?Enough!? Sousuke growled thru clenched teeth. ?I?m tired of your insults Daniels!? Sousuke ignored the hurt part of him that agreed with the corporal?s assessment. He SHOULD have kept a closer eye on Kaname.

?Truth hurts don?t it Sagara?? Crispin laughed in the sergeant?s face. ?Now be a good little soldier and run back to that floating tin can.? The mechanic?s smile widened. ?Wouldn?t want to disobey orders would we??

?Shut UP!? Sousuke threw Crispin to the ground with a yell. However he made no further move toward the downed corporal.

?Come on Sagara!? Crispin taunted as he leapt to his feet. ?That?s the best you got?? He advanced on the sergeant. ?Kalinin?s favorite little commando afraid?? He jeered. ?That?s funny.?

With a growl Sousuke balled his fist and swung at the grinning Crispin. The mechanic ducked his swing, but was caught in the temple by his snap-kick. Sousuke followed up on the staggered corporal with a double-fisted strike to Crispin?s back. The force of the impact forced the air from the corporal?s lungs and drove the mechanic to his knees.

?Nice.? Crispin coughed on the ground. ?You gonna drag me back to Danaan like the Commissar ordered?? He sputtered and coughed as he tired to get air back in to his lungs. ?Gonna abandon her just like that??

?Daniels.? Sousuke frowned at the corporal?s words. For whatever reason he believed the corporal when he said they were ordered to Field-17. It made tactical sense. Any action they might take could potentially disrupt the search and rescue efforts.

On the other hand. Sousuke knew it would at best take an hour before the de Danaan could mount any kind of serious search effort. In that time the kidnappers would be that much farther away. However, he looked skyward, if Mithril?s satellites were indeed overhead than the chances of finding Chidori improved drastically.

But Sousuke still came to the factor of time. Even if they pinpointed the kidnappers precise location; it would still be an hour before a rescue team would arrive. Anything could happen in that time. They could move to another location. They could kill Chidori. Or worse. Sousuke recalled the coughing mechanic?s earlier fears and his own mind conjured disturbing images?

The terror filled gaze of the girl he rescued from Kahbarovsk

The same gaze on Kaname as she huddled in some corner.

A shadowy figure leaning over a bound and gagged Kaname. His hand reaching for her.

?NO!? Sousuke shook the disturbing images from his mind. He stepped back from the figure huddled Daniels on the ally floor. Sousuke gasped for breath as Crispin slowly pull himself up.

?What?s it gonna be Sagara?? Crispin whispered. He staggered to his feet and rested his hands on his knees.

?I-.? Sousuke wet his lips. For one of the first times he was uncertain about the proper course of action. ?I don?t know.? He confessed. ?What can we do?? He asked helpless. ?We have no equipment. No support. And no way of finding them.? Sousuke closed his eyes. He never felt so helpless.

?Heh, you?re wrong.? Crispin smiled.

End Chapter 17



The Devil Inside-Glossary of Terms


MCMJ -Mithril Code of Military Justice. Basically the legal code and rules of conduct all Mithril personal are subject to.

CO - Commanding Officer (This is actually used by the US military)

MCF- Mithril Correctional Facility. Most ships and bases have their own brigs or jails, but those are only designed to keep a prisoner for a short period of time. The MCF serves as Mithril?s more permanent jail. It?s used to hold those who are awaiting their hearing or trail, and for those who?ve been sentenced for longer than a month, to a maximum sentence of a year or two.

MDC- Mithril Detention Center - basically prison. This is where Mithril throw's their hard-cases and long terms sentences. It's a great place where you get to spend twelve hours a day making little rocks out of big rocks. Sounds fun doesn't it?
Basically, think of it as Mithril's equivalent to Ft. Lebonworth.

Old Man - just an affectionate way the soldiers of Mithril have of referring to Kalinin. Of course, they'd never address him like that!

LP/OP ?Listing Post and Observation Post.

FARP ?Fuel And Rearming Point. It?s a forward staging area combat-vehicles (such as an Arm-Slave) can use without having to leave the combat zone.

Mikes ?short-hand for minutes.

ETA ?Estimated Time of Arrival

Hawkeye ?Refers to a US radar plane. The Hawkeye usually flies ahead of a US naval task force (among other things) and gathers useful information about the area and reports it back.

AS- Arm Slave. Ya know, those big freaking robots Sousuke and the others pilot.

SRT- Special Response Team. Sousuke, Melissa, and Kurz are member of Mithril?s SRTs. The way I look at it, the Special Response Teams are Mithril?s equivalent of Special Forces. They do many of the same tasks as special forces: Recon. Infiltration. Sabotage. Lightning raids, Hostage rescue, and assorted other tasks.

MOTC ? Mithril?s Officer Training Course. Most military organizations have additional requirements for their officers besides just time in service and demonstrated ability. Most officers under go specific and grueling training and are usually required to have a four year college degree of some kind.

M9- Called the ?Gernsback? it?s the AS used by Mithril. Considered the next generation of AS.

M6- the AS used by the US Military.

RK-92- Soviet era Arm Slave. To quote Sousuke. ?Move you Soviet-made piece of Junk!?

Ninety-six- refers to the ASG 96-B manufactured by Bofors. It?s a 57 mm smooth-bore rifle and part of the M9?s standard armament. It?s the rifle Kurz used in episode five during his duel with Gauron.

NCOIC- Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge. It refers to the highest ranking enlisted person within a unit. In the case of Crispin?s orders it refers to Melissa.

DI ?Drill Instructor. Another way of referring to a Drill Sergeant.

SitRep- Situation Report. Basically a quick run down of what your situation in a field (or combat) environment.

WA2000- very high-quality German sniper rifle. Considered by some to be one of the best in the world. It?s only down side is its weight. (16 lbs) and cost. It?s highly customizable and sleek in design. It seemed appropriate for Kurz to use. Though I think the one he?s actually shown using is a PGS-1(another German rifle). I?m not certain.

Tac-Net- Tactical Network. A radio network set up and used by members of the same unit during tactical (i.e. combat) situations.

HE- High Explosive.

Fifty Cal ? short hand for fifty caliber. Which is the size of a heavy machine gun. A machine gun this large must be mounted on a tripod or vehicle in order to fire it. A fifty caliber round is about six inches long and can tear a man in half, and it can also destroy trucks, light armored vehicles and buildings.

NVGs -- Night Vision Goggles

EOD ? Explosive Ordinance Disposal

FTX ?Field Training Exercise.

Gunny- Short for Gunnery Sergeant. It?s an advanced NCO rank in the United States Marine Corps

Shiwa Statue ?those Lion statues you?ll see in front of temples and important buildings. There supposed to be guardian spirits and they are very prominent in Okinawa.

[pilot03]

Ahhh!!! You can't leave it hanging like this! You got to post the next chapter like right now!! Small third world countries depend on the timely manner in which you post the next chapter!! I will rain down desctruction if my demands are not met, I'll....I'll....quit ranting and start begging. Damn!! You where right when you said I would curse your name. CURSE,CURSE,CURSE!!!!

[Shinobi]

Awww! *bathes in the firey rain* That's more like it!

[necowaffer]

What a great chapter! Sousuke and Crispin working together? This story keeps getting better and better. Hurry up with the next chapter.

[miaka mouse]

i knew you'd come through... i luv the dynamics of sousuke and crispin's relationship... u got me hangin by my fingernails tho...

you seem to enjoy being abused... if i called you a sadistic bastard would u update tomorrow?

and for some reason i'm really (eager?) for the crispin/kyouko pairing... it almost sorta works... if cris was a little more normal...

but yeah... we need to get kaname back before we can dwell on that stuff!

HURRY!!

MM <?__)~

[Shinobi]

i
you seem to enjoy being abused... if i called you a sadistic bastard would u update tomorrow?

Aww. Flattery will get you nowhere.