Chapter 27

Getting the woman into the shuttle had been easier than Thallin had any right to expect - he simply opened the door and pointed. After a pause she climbed in, looked around, then strapped herself in. 

Thallin was now climbing back towards the SDF-1, local night falling on Mars and covering the carnage around Sarah. <A shroud of darkness to hide the result of Darkness.> Checking his instruments, Thallin recalibrated his FOF sensor to follow the irregular signals sent by the Macross. A final burst from the thrusters and the shuttle was slotted into an orbital rendez-vous with the Fortress, its Ghost escort following behind, a silent and unrelenting guardian angel. 

"Shuttle AS-104 to Macross Approach, do you read?" Thallin fiddled with the radio's control to quiet the last of the background static. 

"Macross Approach to Shuttle AS-104, we read you loud and clear. What is your sitrep?" 

"Returning on approach-vector Delta Two Five. Zee minus 1. Orbital Rendez-vous. Requesting approach to docking bay Seven Beta," 

"Roger that," responded the bodyless voice. "We have you on- screen. At 2 klicks, bear zero five nine. Approach will be cleared with Defence Command." 

"Understood, Macross Command, beginning approach." Thallin's palm began to sweat as neared the SDF-1. He began to hope that no-one would try to eye-ball him on his approach, in case someone remembered this particular shuttle had left with only one passenger. 

Beside him, the woman sat still, her head turned to the side window, her eyes the only things that moved. 

[Reality Check - Saturday, Feb. 13 2010, 1912 hours, Pegasus Club] 

The 'Night of Gold' still was not back in its usual space when Thallin set down the two-man shuttle in the Pegasus Club's private loading bay. A quick check of ihs terminal, however revealed a message from Izabelle. Thallin did not open it, the woman in the shuttle praying on his mind. 

<Alright,> he thought as he stood next to the door, looking at her as she exited the shuttle, <it's not that her dress has been reduced to rags, her dress was rags to begin with.> Now that he did not have to defend himself, it was obvious that what she was wearing was nothing more that a sack-like garnment with a cord belt tied around her waist. The only thing vaguely high-tech about her appearance was the makeshift oxygen mask she still held in her hand. 

"What is your name?" The woman looked at him without blinking, oblivious to his question. She was not afraid, but neither was she relaxed - she moved like a cheetah ready to pounce. "Thallin," said Braywater, pointing at himself. he then pointed at her, but still she stayed silent. 

<So, it'll be the hard way, huh?> Thallin relaxed and let his mind wonder, formulating the question in his mind, letting pent-up rage at not finding Izabelle bubble to the surface. Finally he opened his mouth and spoke. "Di etalkes?(1)" 

The woman seem to snap-to as she heard the words. "Zhan Mika Delgisterae alkes, Dielmelkesta.(2)" 

Thallin paused for a second, trying to figure out which was what in her phrase. He pointed at her. "Mika?" 

She noded. "Sa, Dielmelkesta.(3)" 

"Zhan Thallin etalkesta, eskes?(4)" 

"Fodants, Thallin Dielmelkesta.(5)" 

Thallin sighed. This was getting him nowhere, fast. He motioned her to sit down while he leant against the wall, thinking. <So what do I do with her? And why does she keep on calling me DeathBringer?> In an attempt to clear his mind, Thallin turned towards the computer monitor and keyed-up Izabelle's message. 

The screen rezzed into life, showing Izabelle in her pilot outfit. "Thallin. I know you'll be angry with me, but Lieutenant Landers needed my help. We didn't find anything today, but Kay is certain some of our pilots are still alive down there - so we'll try again for the next few days. If you want me, I'll be staying over at the barracks, in case some news comes in during the night." She smiled. "Take care of yourself." 

<Well,> thought Thallin to himself, <that was no help at all. At least I know she's not openly gunning for Kay, so that's something.> His eyes wondered back to Mika and her sack-like covering. "Let's get you a shower and something to wear, shall we?" 

"No, you can't wear the tiger-fur bikini." <Tamara, if you weren't already dead, I'd strangle you myself.> 

Eventually, Thallin managed to get Mika into a short skirt and shirt from Izabelle's wardrobe. It hung a little on her as she was shorter and smaller than Izabelle, but it was a vast improvement on the rough sack-cloth she had been wearing. Thallin was wondering why he had a nagging suspicion he had forgotten something when Mika bent to pick up her oxygen mask. Thallin sighed. "Underwear." 

"Table." 

"Tay-bull." 

"Chair." 

"Tshare." 

Thallin was leading Mika around the Pegasus Club, pointing at various objects and saying their name. "Door." Mika seemed to be able to remember most of the words he was teaching her with only one or two repetitions. 

"Dor." 

<Her accent isn't improving much.> "Thallin." 

"Thallin Dielmelkesta." 

Thallin sighed. No matter how often he had tried, he had not been able to shake her out of calling him... that. "Look, Mika - if someone comes in and catches you calling me DeathBringer, we'll both be in serious trouble." Mika stared at him with a puzzled look. "Never mind. Wall." 

"Wol." 

Verbs had been harder than nouns. In desperation, as the SDF-1's artificial daylight approached, Thallin had sat Mika down in front of a computer screen and punched up a speak-and-spell program. As he left, he could hear her reciting words after words. 

<Now what? Let's see how your life is going, shall we?> the litle voice inside his head nagged at him. "Shut up," he growled. <Oh no, you don't get rid of me so easily. So. You have created an artificial intelligence - against the Tifaro Treaty - and she may turn out to be highly unstable. You have lied to your superior officer, stolen a body and aided a non-military person get command of a Veritech squadron. The MIBs are watching you and you have just brought an alien on board covertly. Am I forgetting anything? Oh, yes... you open the Club in less than a day and you still are one short on staff.> Thallin could feel the voice giving him a smug look. <There is a solution, you know.> 

Thallin looked at Mika. "Oh no." 

<Oh, yes.> 

"wohboy..." 

1) Who are you? 
2) I am Scoutmaster Mika, DeathBringer. 
3) Yes, DeathBringer. 
4) I am Thallin, understand? 
5) Of course, DeathBringer Thallin. 

Forward to Chapter 28. 
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