Disclaimer: I don’t own Vandread, and unfortunately, I never will.
Vandread: The Unknown Soldier
Chapter Five: The Demons Awaken
Location: Men’s Quarters, Nirvana
A dull, gray mist rose from the ground like steam rising off of a boiling pot. It had been raining most of the day, and it had turned into drizzle for the last few hours. Just recently, it had stopped, and in it’s place rose fog. The cold, gray haze swirled around boulders and trees, giving it an eerie look. Captain Aidan Mercer gave it no thought as he scanned the structure a few hundred meters in front of him. He replayed the briefing in his head.
Your objective is to eliminate Dr. Geoffrey Hoskins and anybody else there. He is a known supporter of the rebel cause and we suspect he may be giving aid to the rebel soldiers. He is currently at his estate in the Blackwood Forest, here is map of it and the surrounding locale. We believe there may be armed guards in and around the location. This is a black operation, if you are caught, we will deny any knowledge of your existence.
He noticed several armed guards patrolling around the estate, and even located some on the roof. Lowering his electronic binoculars, he pulled his Longbow Sniper Rifle out of it’s “drag-bag“. He loaded the eight round clip and pulled the bolt back. In his prone position, he dialed the appropriate setting on his scope, and zeroed in on his first target, a guard on the roof. He settled into a steady breathing rhythm, and squeezed the trigger. The guard pitched over onto his face. Before the other one could react, he adjusted his aim and fired again. The shots were suppressed, which meant it was highly unlikely that anyone heard them.
He put the rifle into it’s “drag-bag” and silently moved closer to the compound. Creeping up to the estate, he noticed a lone guard patrolling a walkway. He snuck up behind him and drew his knife. His arms snaked out, and in one slick motion, he slit his throat. He slowly lowered the guard to the ground, and wiped the blood off his knife. He sheathed it and proceeded over to the back entrance.
“Hey! You there!” an alarmed shout came from behind him. He ducked to the left and twisted as bullets screamed by where he once was. He raised his sound-suppressed submachine gun and fired at the guard. The guard dropped to the ground as an alarm sounded.
“Shit!” he cursed as he kicked open the door. He didn’t care about stealth now, as he barged in and gunned down a few more guards. He made his way up the stairs and to where Dr. Hoskins office was. Shouldering through the door, he noticed his target sitting at the desk. Near him was his wife and his six-year old daughter. He pulled the trigger, only to figure out that he was out of ammo. A loud crack was heard as Aidan took a bullet in the right shoulder.
The submachine gun clattered to the ground as blood ran down his arm. The doctor had pulled a small handgun from a drawer in his desk. Before he could fire again, Aidan drew his handgun and fired. Dr. Hoskins collapsed over his desk, blood starting to soak in the wood. His wife stared in horror and his daughter started crying. Aidan walked over to them and raised his gun.
There must be no witnesses, he heard his commander’s voice in his head. The woman hugged the child, knowing what was to come next. The child looked up at him, her eyes full of tears, clearly frightened of him, and his expression softened, if only for a moment. He aimed his gun, and fired…
-
With a choked cry, Aidan Mercer snapped awake, gasping. It gradually came to him that he was on the Nirvana, not carrying out a mission on Solaris. He wiped the sweat from his face and got out of his bed. He walked over to the sink and turned it on. He splashed cold water over his head and bare chest, washing away the sweat and fear of his dreams.
He grasped the edge of the sink and leaned forward until his head rested against the mirror. He stood there for a few more seconds, remaining silent. The had thought the dream banished, but it apparently came back. He was assigned to assassinate a known supporter of the enemy, and his commanding officer had explained that there be no witnesses of his death. When he saw the doctor’s family, he knew that they were innocent, yet his commander wanted them dead. He hated him for forcing him into a position like that. His orders were to kill everyone, and he grudgingly carried them out.
I am a soldier, not a murderer. He lifted his head, and looked into the mirror. His steel gray eyes stared back at him as he ran a hand through his short brown hair. He turned away from the mirror and walked over to the showers.
About five minutes later, he dried himself off and put on some fresh clothes. He checked his chronometer, and it read 0344 hours. He couldn’t sleep, and his muscles ached from his injuries, so he decided that would walk around for a little while. He left the men’s quarters, with all of the others still asleep.
-
Elsewhere on the Nirvana, there was someone else who couldn’t sleep. Meia Gisborn leaned on the railing overlooking the ship’s garden, deep in thought. The dream she had about an hour ago was disturbing.
She was running towards where she heard the screams. The power was off on the ship, and in the darkness she noticed two corpses. Then the sound of a weapon discharge got her attention, she immediately headed towards the shot, and when she looked, she saw another corpse with a pool of blood forming underneath it. She looked up to notice a woman standing over the corpse with a unfamiliar weapon in her hand. The figure looked at her, but her face was hidden from view. She attempted to fire her laser, but the figure beat her to it, she let out a gasp of pain as the shot hit her in the shoulder. The shot spun her to the left and knocked her to the floor. When she opened her eyes, the figure was over her, and she was staring the down the barrel of a gun. She tried to move, but she was pinned to the floor. Then the figure fired…
Was it just a horrible nightmare, or was it trying to tell her something? She would like to believe that it was just a bad dream, but her instincts told her that it might not be. Her train of thought was interrupted as she saw someone walking around in the garden. She took a closer look, and saw that it was Aidan Mercer.
Now what’s he doing here so early in the morning, she thought to herself. He walked around for a few minutes, and then sat down on a bench. She decided that she would go see why he was up, and maybe to get to know a little more about him.
-
Aidan sat there, staring up into an endless sea of stars. In his hand, he held dog tags, but they were not his. They belonged to a woman named Sakura Nakayama. He had known her since he was twelve years old. She was killed about three years ago. His gaze went down to the tags, and his grip tightened around them.
“Captain Mercer,” a voice said to him. He looked over to see Meia standing off to the side. “May I sit down?” He nodded and she took a seat right next to him.
“You don’t have to be so formal, you know,” he said. “Besides, I don’t hold any rank here. Just call me Aidan.”
“On one condition,” she replied, “call me Meia.”
“Deal.”
“I was wondering, when did you get attacked by Earth?” Meia asked.
“It was about twelve years ago,” he replied. “Our initial defenses were overrun, and it was quite some time before we could mount a solid defense. They were relentless, and soon our numbers began to decrease, it was only a matter of time before they would have reached our planet. I was on one of the transport ships at the time of their final attack. They penetrated our front lines and attacked the transports. Both of my parents died in that final attack.”
“What happened to the Earth fleet?” she asked.
“I don’t know why, but they stopped their attack and left the system and didn’t return. Soon after, I was put into a military training facility. I’ve pretty much been a soldier all of my life.”
After a long moment of silence, Meia stood up. “There’s something I’ve got to do,” she said, “And don’t be late to the briefing later today,” she said as she walked away.
“Understood,” he said. He was going to be integrated into the squadron as a Striker pilot, and he learned that it was under her direct command.
-
There was a slight shudder as the shuttle docked with the Nirvana. The door opened and the ramp lowered to the ground. Rieka Kiyaga was one of several of the transferees that were boarding the Nirvana. She picked up her bag and descended down the ramp. She was one of new dread pilots that would replace the losses suffered during the Harvest War, as it was called. Once she reached the deck, the Captain moved up from the crowd that formed around the shuttle.
“I’d like to be the first to welcome you aboard the Nirvana,” the Captain said. “More importantly, I’d like to welcome you to this family.”
The Captain continued her speech, and Reika listened intently. She had been alone for a long time, and now she had a new home, a sense of belonging. After the Captain finished her speech, they were told they would learn their room assignments.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Jennifer said, walking up to her, her long teal hair over her shoulder.
“Yes,” Reika replied, as she ran a hand through her short, black hair. What was distinct about her was that a single lock of her hair was red.
They became friends on the trip to here. They both walked over to where they would find there room assignments. Weirdly enough, they learned they were going to share a room. Due to space limitations, several of them would have to double up on rooms.
“So we’ll be sharing a room,” Jennifer said, looking at the list.
“It appears so,” Reika said. ”Looks like we’re going to be bunkmates.”
“I’m going to grab a bite to eat, wanna come along?” Jennifer asked.
“No, I’m going to our room to take a nap,” Reika replied, yawning.
“Alright then, you can take my bag to the room,” she said as she handed her bag to Reika. “Oh, and dibs on the top bunk,” she said as she departed.
“See ya later,” was Rieka’s only reply.
Once she got to the room, she tossed her bag onto the bottom and Jennifer’s onto the top bunk. She plopped down onto the bed, and before long she fell asleep.
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Finished Chapter Five, Chapter Six coming soon!