A Night in Kushiro by Firestorm

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Jack watched as a number of the pilot candidates went at it in simulated training matches. To ensure the best results, he had multiple pilots in the simulators at once and set it so that each time a match started the partners would be randomly determined. This also meant that pilots of the different models would be pitted against each other, providing critical information on the different models' capabilities against
dis-similar targets.

He looked around the training area. Although he spotted Matthews and Green wandering around looking at the various displays, he noted that the elder Onishi and Sora were absent. He found himself getting frustrated over this matter. Logically, they should be here as well since they were to be selecting
their team members from this group.

"How's it going?" Kit asked as he walked into the room.

"Onishi and Sora aren't here," Jack said.

"They took some leave time; they're in Kushiro, Japan."

"They knew full well that I had this session planned for today."

"That's their problem. They were told when they left that it would mean Matthews and Green would get priority over them in selecting pilots."

"Whatever. So what brings you here?"

"I need the simulation time, so I decided that it would be best if I went in against a few of the candidates here. If nothing else, it would give you a standard to rate them against."

"True."

"You, Matthews, and Green may also want to consider hopping in. That way, you'd have first-hand experience of what the candidates can do."

Jack paused as he thought the matter over. As Kit walked off, he heard Jack calling for the other two to come over and talk.

*****

Kelly looked over the dining area of the resturant. Business was unusually slow that night; aside from the patron in the corner who started showing up a few days ago, the only others there were an out-of-town couple. Although dressed in civilian clothes, she noted that the couple both had holsters and
pistols with them. She had seen enough pictures of Earth Defense Forces soldiers to recognize the style of the holsters, and decided that the two were probably trying to get away from their base for a few days.

The other patron was the one that puzzled her the most. The person had Asian and Caucasian features, suggesting a mixed heritage. However, his fluency with Japanese was what one would expect from a native speaker of the language; not only that, but he also knew idioms that could only have been gathered by living in the area for some time. The problem with this theory was that for the past few days he had shown up around the same time for dinner. His attire suggested that he was a businessman coming
off of the job, but he never brought with him a briefcase or anything else to prove that he was indeed getting off of work. Plus, she found herself wondering why it was that he only stopped in for dinner and not another meal during the day. Either way, he always paid in cash and gave a larger than normal tip, so aside from the nagging sensation that she knew him from somewhere she usually put the matter out of her mind.

*****

Ivan looked over the dispatch from the technicians working on the transtector suits. Although the dispatch was in a code, he had a pretty good idea as to what it meant - his transtector was almost complete. He estimated that it would be another week or so for the final touches, then as soon as the
technicians were done the suit would be ferried off to him so that he could test it out. For the first few test runs he did would just be attempting to see if it could actually fly; transforming it would be a ways off. But it would still be operational. And to him, that was what mattered the most.

*****

"Thank you for coming with me," Sakura said before taking another drink from her glass. "When I heard dad was in the hospital I panicked."

"No problem," Shiro replied. He looked around the resturant. Aside from a patron sitting in the corner and a waitress who kept popping in and out, they were alone.

"It worries me that he works himself so hard," she continued. "Thankfully this time it was just exhaustion."

"Maybe this time he'll listen when people tell him to slow down."

"Knowing him? He'll just want to work harder to make up for the time he's missing. He's one of those people that has to keep going."

Shiro poked at his noodles with his chopsticks. Even though he knew he probably wouldn't be back to this resturant for a while, he found himself so nervous that he didn't have very much of an appetite. His thoughts just kept going back and forth in his mind. Even though no one else seemed to notice, he was having trouble even getting words out.

"When do we have to return?" she asked.

"We have to be back by Monday morning, US Mountain Standard."

"Okay."

A pause.

Shiro started to eat a little, then stopped to watch Sakura. Even with the stress that she was under, she still kept her manners perfectly. In fact, that seemed to be how she dealt with stress - going back into routine mannerisms. Most people wouldn't have noticed such a shift in personality, but he knew
how much of a change it was within her. Under normal circumstances, she was as free-spirited as her name said she would be - "Cherry Blossom Sky." He almost found it painful to see her forcing herself into structure.

He downed his drink with a gulp, then reached into his pocket and grabbed a small box. Somehow, in the rush to get packed he had accidently put it in his luggage. In a way, he guessed that it had to be fate he did so. "Hey, Sakura,....."

"Yes?"

"I think it's time we had a long talk." He put the box on the counter in front of him, but before he could say anything else some shouting from outside the resturant got their attention.

Shiro watched as the waitress darted out from the kitchen. "It's those hooligans and their bikes again!" Before she could say or do anything more, the patron in the corner got up and walked out the front door.

"Sorry," she said. "There's a group of street racers who go by every night around this time. They won't listen to me or my brother, so I guess that guy's decided to try his luck at talking with them."

"I've got a better idea," Shiro said as he stood up. "Sakura, wait here and keep an eye on that box. I'm going outside to- "

Two loud crashes got their attention. Shiro drew his pistol and darted outside. The patron was in the middle of the road, watching as a pair of bikers tried to pull themselves off of the pavement. Shiro looked up the street, and saw their bikes laying on their sides. He figured that the guy had most likely
walked into the street, forcing the bikers to lay their bikes down rather than hit him.

"What'd you do that for?!" one of the bikers yelled as he got on his feet and rushed up to the patron.

Without so much as a word, the patron grabbed the man by the shirt and lifted him up into the air. "This is a road, not a race track. What happened here would have happened eventually, and instead of simply injuring yourselves an innocent may also have gotten hurt. You would not listen to rational speech, so I had to act. Now, you and your colleague there will gather your bikes together, you will survey them for damage, and if they are fit to ride you will leave this area. If they are not fit to ride, you will call for your friends to clean up any spills then carry your bikes away. In either instance, you are not to return
to this area except as a law-abiding citizen. Am I clear on this matter?" The patron let the man go without waiting for a response, then walked back towards the door. He glanced at Shiro, then went back inside.

"See that guy?" Shiro asked, pointing at the patron. "He's just a civilian. I'm with the EDF. Be grateful he got to you guys first."

*****

Alan fought sleep as he looked at the schematics he had been provided with. It was Mastermind's idea to take the most agressive of the fallen - Buster, Wilder, Motormouth, and the Mega-Octane clone - and rebuild them as a team designed specifically to counter the Autobot's Chaos Team. Of course, with
Mastermind still trying to affect repairs after their last disasterous outing, it would be a while before these four were operational. But with the power they were supposed to have, it would be worth the wait.

*****

Shiro waited impatiently outside the door to Sakura's quarters. They had been late getting back yesterday, and now if they didn't hurry they'd be late to their assigned training sessions. If that happened, there'd be hell to pay.

Sakura burst out of her quarters holding a piece of toast in her mouth and desperately trying to get her jacket on over a crumb-stained shirt. Her similarities to the average teenage anime heroine would have been rather amusing on any other circumstance, but right now there was little to laugh at.

"Sorry I'm late," she said as she pulled the toast out of her mouth. "My alarm is busted."

"We can deal with that later," he said. "Let's go." He grabbed her by the hand, trying to get her to go faster. In the process, he felt the piece of metal that was their engagement ring. They'd have the rest of their lives to get matters like this sorted out.

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A Night in Kushiro by Firestorm