Before the Storm

Lieutenant Victoria Schwarzenberger sat cross-legged in the domed-shaped cockpit of her Shinra model Mobile Trooper. The power was off except for blue luminance radiating from the armrests. She just finished reciting a shaman zensunni sutra.

A small buzzer went off, two seconds between rings. Victoria turned a key on her cockpit console and the Shinra rumbled to life. The cockpit’s paneling went from a grayish hue to projecting a panoramic view outside the Shinra. Though the cockpit is located in a reinforced chest compartment of the Mobile Trooper, the main modular optical feed is linked to the MT’s headpiece mono-eye camera.

Victoria casually pivoted the left joystick.

MT and Hoshiga fighter pilots alike rushed to battle stations. Refueling and rearmament personnel finished work and already retreated to give space for launch. Victoria is about third in line to launch. Her junior team member, Frank Erwin, was deploying first. But Victoria saw it as more like being a sentry for her launch.

A unique presence groped Victoria’s attention. Lawrence Mengde, she said to herself. On a sub-window, Victoria zeroed in on him. Lawrence was in full Hoshiga flight gear. He parted from his squad, all of whom left for their Hoshigas, but Lawrence headed for her.

Victoria tapped a button to open the cockpit hatch door. Still worried about me after all, Victoria said to herself. The armored hatch unlocked and swung outward just as Lawrence made a smooth landing inside the Shinra cockpit.

Normally, Victoria would’ve kicked him away but she didn’t feel the need for antics this time. With Victoria having superior agility, she faced no resistance pulling Lawrence into a controlled embrace.

“Hey... what’s this about?” Lawrence asked, bewildered by Victoria’s aggressiveness. Then: “I told you not to stroke my hair.”

For Victoria, ruffling with his hair only brought her joy. “Are we being sortied again?” But Victoria already knew the answer. This makes it the sixth time today, she said to herself.

“Seems so, but listen, Victoria, the commander is getting reports it’s a whole battalion’s worth of Tacomas.” Victoria released Lawrence. Victoria glanced at her armchair console: Commander Theodore Buttermilch was undoubtly impatient about the launch delay.

“Coming out in full force, huh?” Victoria asked. Lawrence procured a bottled drink from his pouch and offered it to her from the open hatch. “I take it we’re catching up fast on Zeta.”

“You bet. You skipped out on eating?” Lawrence pointed at her combat rations. None of it was consumed.

“I hate the aftertaste of the main dish and I wouldn’t have a breath’s moment to step outside in case of sortie anyway.” The two pause in the midst of slight tremors. “Those imperials are getting frisky, aren’t they?”

Lawence rested a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. He didn’t expect her to be trembling. He stroked her hand.

“Victoria,” Lawrence said, “stay safe out there. Come back in one piece.”

“Me?” Victoria asked, holding back a haughty scoff. “I have no equal among the Imperium. It’d take an Imperial Dreadnought or three to take me down. It’s you I’m worried about.”

Lawrence leaned in and touched helmets with Victoria. Victoria tried to slip hers off, but Lawrence stopped her midway. “It won’t be long now, Victoria. I can feel it. When this operation is over and we’re free, we can---ooh!” Lawrence was kicked out of the cockpit. He didn’t regain his stability in time even after the hatch shut behind him.

“It’ll be a date, love,” Victoria said, her vitality restored. “See you on the other side!”