Chapter Text
June 5th, 2148
10:23
Annette had just gotten out of a tense meeting with Karlstahl and was walking back to her new office. Karlstahl had wanted an update on the prototype Juggernaut... And although Annette thought they were ahead of schedule, he's asked the impossible. He'd asked her to deploy the thing by the 13th! There was no way... At least it wasn't a full prototype and he never stated exactly what stage of completion the unit had to be in... She didn't bother to hide her yawn as she stalked down the hallway, rubbing her shadowed eyes. She got a weird glance but she didn't see it and didn't care, either.
Unlike her old lab, this room had a small window... Which was the only thing it had going for it. Annette had done her best to set up her equipment on the desk, but her multiple displays practically covered corner and she'd placed a curtain over the window... She hated that people would walk in at any time to distract her from her work, and she hated that it wasn't freezing cold in there, since people wouldn't overstay their welcome in a freezing cold room. She looked back at her to do list... A bead of sweat rolled down her face as she realized the herculean amount of work which still needed to be done, a lot of which Annette didn't have the time to trust to others and would have to do herself. And since Karlstahl had vetoed her idea to send components over to Spearhead and let them figure out the wiring themselves, Annette would have to have it done at the manufacturing plant. But none of the Alba there knew anything about basic electrical wiring... So she'd have to do it herself, as the only member of the team who knew how. Which meant a flight out to the plant, which meant time away from her desk... And she'd have to make sure the additions to the Juggernaut's OS wouldn't break it, especially while it was in combat. Karlstahl had made it veryclear that while she could do as she liked with the Processors in Spearhead, Annette could not afford to lose Handler_01 as there would be no replacements, thereby making testing necessary so that the Juggernaut wouldn't kill the drone. And Annette had days of work on the code before she could send it out. She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose... There went her sleep and sanity. She needed to talk to the manufacturing plant again. She tapped her fingertips against the silver collar around her neck. "Activate, paraRaid. Target, 14th Juggernaut Manufacturing Plant." The paraRaid stung with illusory heat, and Annette became aware of the other person on the line. "I need to speak to-..." Annette trailed off, realizing she'd forgotten the name of the man she was thinking of. "Who's this?" "The Handler Drone Replacement Research Unit Commander." Annette heard the other girl grumble under her breath. "Handler Drone Replacement-?!" "Well then, Handler Drone, what do you want?" "Where's your commanding officer?" "...I dunno." Annette heard footsteps. "What are you doing?" "Finding that- him." The girl corrected herself mid-sentence.
Annette was bothered by something. The girl on the other side of the line sounded barely older than 10. "How old are you?" "Why do you need to know that?" The girl shot back. "I asked, how old are you?" Annette repeated. "...I won't tell you that." "Listen-!" "I am Plant-03, captain of the 14th Juggernaut Manufacturing Quality Control squadron." "That's not what I asked you." Annette just shook her head, infuriated by the girl's obstinacy. "How old are you?" "...I was drafted 6 months ago." "How old where you when you were drafted?" A sense of smug disdain washed over the paraRaid. "You mean you don't know what the age of conscription is in the camps?" "No." "Well then, I won't tell you." Annette felt the girl's mouth twitch into a smile.
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June 11th, 2148
Morning
Lena and Kaie finished up their breakfast. Lena met many of the girls and was trying to remember their names as they peppered her with questions. "Hey, Shin!" Lena looked up to see a dark haired boy with a faded scarf wrapped around his neck coming into the dining hall. Whatever Anju said to him Lena didn't hear. He was mesmerizing... Lena couldn't look away.
Kaie had been watching Lena as she stared after their captain. Lena's face was flushed pink and her mouth hung open. Kaie was taken aback by Lena's reaction. She looked at Kurena nervously... Kurena was still eating her breakfast, and hadn't noticed Lena's reaction to Shin. And since she hadn't, Kaie wanted to keep it that way. "Hey, Lena! Lena!" The waved her hand in front of Lena's face, then poked her. Not getting a response, she shook her a little. "Lena!" "What?" The dazed, love-dovely look faded from Lena's eyes as she came back to earth and noticed all the girls mischievously grinning at her. "Hey, do you like our Reaper?!" "Huh?!? Who was that?" "That's Shin, our squad's captain." "Is that so? I see..." Lena dropped off into thought. So that's Spearhead's captain. She remembered seeing him last night, where he had helped her get into the barracks 'cuz she couldn't walk straight. Then his face came into his mind and she blushed furiously. He had no right to be that attractive! And Lena was supposed to be working with him as a Handler?! She sank down into her seat, covering her face with her hands. How could she mantain a professional distance in between the two of them? This is the worst...
"Kurena, I think the new girl like Shin~" "If you don't confess she'll steal him away~" Kurena squawked in indignation, slamming her hands on the table. "It's not like that!" It's NOT LIKE THAT!" "That's enough." Anju said. She placed her cup delicately down on her tray, then carried it to the sink. Everyone else filed out of the dining hall, cooperating without words. Lena bustled outside following Kaie. She noticed the expression on Kurena's face. Kurena was cherry red. Lena wanted to say something to her but couldn't think of anything. The girls kept teasing Lena as they walked down to the river carrying baskets full of dirty laundry.
The girls quickly found out that their new rookie was practically useless. Lena had no understanding of what a washboard was, and tired out almost immediately after sitting down to scrub. Turns out she'd never had to do manual labor before. They'd put her on fire duty while the other girls took turns scrubbing and hauling water, rinsing the clothes in the river. Lena had unknowingly put something into the fire that caused it to smoke. After scolding Lena, they'd had her sit back and watch. Lena was sad that she couldn't help more. The other girls reminded her that she could help out more later. Lena started to feel better after that.
Kaie hung back with Lena and Anju after the laundry was done, watching the other girls splash and play around in the water. Anju was content to watch her squad members splash in the water. But a disturbance in the woods caught her eye. All the other girls turned too at the noise.
Out through that bushes in the side of the riverbank came Daiya. He hit the ground and looked up to see every girl save a flabbergasted Lena pointing a gun at him. He tried to cover himself from the assault of pebbles and rocks that came flying his way.
Anju had to deal with this little pervert, thinking he could get away with peeping on her comrades. It was her duty as a squadron captain. Strapping his butt until he couldn't sit down for a week or comfortably pilot a Juggernaut seemed an appropriate punishment for him. Anju started beating Daiya with her belt. Daiya started howling, apologies turning into yelps and screams as Anju plied her belt on him. Daiya was crying by the time she was done with him.
("Rest in peace." Theo and Haruto both prayed together as Daiya wailed tearful, unmanly screams. Anju's eyes moved to their hiding spot, They scrambled into a tree. Once Anju wasn't looking, they'd snuck away and run back to base. They'd said Anju was mad and begged Shin not to punish them, saying it was only natural. Shin's miffed response was; "Why would you do that to your female comrades?" His clear disappointment in them made Theo and ? hang their heads in discomfort. "Besides, you were taking your lives in your hands. Idiots." Raiden added. Trifling with women, after all, typically did not end well. Anju would be making sure that the boys did not get off lightly. "Even if I get where your coming from," Raiden began, crossing his arms as he thought. "THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT OKAY!"
"3 days in containment. All of you." He ignored the heartbroken expressions on both Theo's and Haruto's face as he continued. "Anju doesn't know you 2 were in on it." "Don't tell her-!" "D-Do you want to get us killed?!?" Theo hissed. Shin gave him a 'not my problem' look and went back to reading. "But Shin~" Haruto tried to object. "3 more days if you won't stop complaining." Both boys froze and looked at each other. "And I'll be beating your butts after Anju is done with you, got it?" Raiden menacingly added. It was with a heavy heart but a cheeky spirit that Theo and Haruto walked out the stairs.
As they walked back from the river, Lena was astounded by the coarse, violent, and vindictive remarks from the Processors. Lena was shocked by the beating she had just witnessed. Anju was back to her sweet self, so it seemed... Save for the part where she sweetly whispered something into Daiya's ear, who trembled in fear.
They arrived back at base. Anju activated her paraRaid. "Shin! I need you outside." Shin walked out the front door, for once not having a book in his hands. "I heard." Two other boys were hauled out the door by Raiden, who had them both in a chokehold. Anju's voice never wavered, only becoming sweeter as she talked through her smile. "These two were also peeping." Shin answered dispassionately. Anju raised an eyebrow, opening her eyes to glare at the boys in turn. "Ohh, is that so?" Theo and Haruto felt a chill go down their spines. "Is 3 days in confinement fine?" Anju stared at the boys, slapping her belt in her hand. "But will that teach them their lesson?" "...I can take away their food?" Shin added wearily. Anju tilted her head. " I suppose that's alright..." "And I'm beating them after you're done with them, Anju!" Raiden yelled, tightening his chokehold on a protesting Theo and Haruto.
"Very well then." Anju acquised. "Well then..." Anju reared back her arm, appearance seeming large and demon like as she prepared to beat the boys. They were temporarily saved by a thud on the ground. Lena had passed out at the sight of the dead deer hanging from the tree beside the barrack.
Lena woke up to a splash of water. She bolted upright, sputtering. "She's awake." Shin stood up from beside her. Lena stared at him, flush rising to her face. Kaie cringed. Would Shin notice this girl's crush on him or not?! Could she be any less subtle about it?! "Let's go inside." She pulled Lena upright and lead her up the stairs. She couldn't stand watching Lena make eyes at their Reaper anymore.
"Um, what's up?" Lena timidly gestured. "I couldn't stand watching the two of you." Kaie said bluntly. "Huh?!" Lena's voice rose. "Don't act like you don't have a crush on him!" Kaie spat. "It's annoying..." Lena tried to backpedal. "I don't know what you're talking about..." Kaie paused then turned around. "You'd better be a little more honest with yourself, Lena, 'cause I can't stand you blatantly staring at him every single time you see him! It's okay if you like him, but it's not okay if that's all you do. Confess or don't confess, but don't be like Kurena and act like you don't like him." Lena sputtered in denial. "B-but I don't like- I don't even know him!" Lena's face burned as she tried to defend herself from Kaie's glare. "You wouldn't know this, but our Reaper can be a little dense when it comes to things of this nature. Even so, don't go throwing yourself at him. Have some respect for yourself." Kaie sighed. "B-but that's not what I'm doing?!?" Lena started to feel flustered again.
A pained wail arose from outside, accompanied by THWACKS. Lena jumped and turned around. Kaie sighed. "Come on, Lena. We've got laundry to fold." Lena looked nervously in the direction of the commotion, unused to hearing such things. "Is this normal around here?" "No, it's just that those boys were peeping." Lena still looked uncomfortable. "...Is corporal punishment still used in the 86th Sector?" Kaie just looked at her, confused. "Corporal? What's that?" Lena looked at Kaie confused. "I mean, I wasn't raised around boys, but beating a person just because they did something wrong is just cruel..." Kaie scoffed. "How else are they going to learn?" She set the basket of laundry she was carrying on the dining hall table with the others the girls had left for them and pulled out a chair to start folding. "They knew it was wrong but they did it anyways. If there wasn't any consequences then they'd never stop doing it. I don't see a problem with it." Lena sat across from her, willing to close the subject for the time being. Of course the 86th Sector would be backwards and unrefined as opposed to the 85 Sectors of the Republic. "Uh, how do I do this?" She held up a pair of pants. Kaie sighed. "Watch closely." She folded the pants in half, then folded the legs up and up again, turning the pants into a neat bundle. "You can just roll it like the boys do but it looks better if you do it this way." "Roll it?" Lena looked confused. Kaie realized she may have confused Lena by giving her too much information. "...Never mind, just do what I do." "Okay..."
The Processors were grouped in a half-circle around the front of the barracks, watching the boys get punished. Shin was sitting on the middle step, watching the spectacle. Hopefully Haruto, Theo, and Daiya would learn their lesson after this. Daiya was crying out after every blow, Haruto had a big smile on his face just to spite Anju and was laughing at her. Theo's face was tight. Fido came out from around the side of the building, looking for Shin. Fido beeped from outside the ring, inquisitively. Shin got up and went to Fido to answer. "They were peeping on the girls." Fido hopped back in indignation, frame conveying outrage. He beeped angrily. Shin shrugged. Fido kept beeping. "That's why Anju is handling it." Fido beeped, again in shock. Then he beeped and Shin answered with "No, still haven't been able to- This had to come first." Fido angled his crane arm, then shook his head.
Shin heard something in the distance. He turned his head to the horizon, listening intently. The Legion were on the move. Fido let out a "beep?" Shin was analyzing the Legion's movements... They were moving positions... They'd be within sortie range either tomorrow or the day after. Or maybe they should march out to meet them? It would give them a tactical advantage if they choose the battlefield. His brother's voice was far away, today, but he was still audible in the din of Legion wails. Spearhead would have to be ready... Fido trilled, then hopped a little. "Yeah, they're coming." Shin answered.
He turned his attention back to the half-circle of Processors- They were noisy. Raiden was taking his turn disciplining their miscreants. Shin sighed. He'd risk the mechanic's nagging over his noisy comrades. He clicked his tongue, telling Fido to follow him. He headed to the hanger, wishing he had a book. Maybe he'd left something there to read?