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Kiriko sat unconscious in her escape pod, large trauma to the left temple knocking her out clean, blood trickled down her head, the left of her head being completely red, it had only been a matter of time before this happened, Hopper had warned her only a few days previous, he doubted her abilities and was constantly worried something might happen, her parents too always worried but the way Kiriko would smile and laugh when near the Clytemnestra, to many the very notion of a sentient machine brings them chills, others amazement and wonder, neither would treat a machine the way Kiriko does, like a best friend and loved one.

Through the porthole in the pod, the fierce fighting between Corsair aggressors and Bretonian Armed Forces raged, the battle was lost, the corsairs were already singing songs of their home and brothers and sisters in arms further demoralising the Bretonian forces, Dublin had been taken for the time being. None of this mattered to Kiriko, she sat without a word clutching Cly's Core chip in her right hand which was ejected as Cly also forced Kiriko's ejection process. The Clytemnestra and a Corsair Decurion vessel both collided with a tactical nuclear explosive charge, the Clytemnestra predicted this calculating the ships trajectories and balancing what the assailant had done so far in the fight making the decision to Eject. Before ejecting sending out a high powered ping on the emmergency level frequency to all ships logged in her memory as "friends" "Family" and "Allies". Having not even a few milliseconds to spare the mine tore through both ships like tinfoil as Kiriko was ejected.

The fighting began to wear off, slowly the corsairs were beaten back by combined Molly and BAF forces Kiriko had been drifting in space for around 3 hours before she had been picked up, her face almost white as snow due to blood loss.
Aboard the Essex hers and other BAF personnels Escape pods were being breached to help the wounded inside, a man approached Kiriko's pod looking into the window a little...

Medic: sir this one is empty sir.

Officer: make sure!.. open it

Medic: yes sir..

He pressed a small series of small buttons on the exterior of the pod, the Pod opening with an initial loud hiss, the medic looked into the pod and was shocked to see a small child sitting in the seat her face covered in blood

Medic: w..wh..at the... sir take a look at this!

The officer on deck stopped talking to the dock crew and came over to the medic calling him

Officer: yes what is- ..... *he stopped speaking as he caught sight of the small girl* my ..god.. get her out of there!

the Medic immediately began to cut her belt straps, Kiriko didnt stir speak nor move, he could see a small flashing orange glow from through her clothes, he paid it no mind for the moment and lifted her up, using too much of his strength the medic overestimated how light she was in his hands, like a doll almost. he placed her on a stretcher outside the escape pod,

Officer: hey.. wait,

The officer stepped forwards and crouched down, he swept her hair aside

Officer: Shes bloody Kusarian...

Medic: sir she will die if I dont get her to medical quarters at once

the officer looked along the lines of escape pods many containing men and women under his personal command, many of them in equally or worse shape as Kiriko was, the officer stood back looking down at the Kusari child

Medic: sir?

Officer: make sure this one is treated last, I want my men attended to first *he spoke with a cold voice*

The officer turned around walked away from the doctor and Kiriko, the officers mind raced *that was a goddamn Bretonian Police uniform, how the **** did the Slantys get this far into our ranks* he thought to himself quietly mumbling.

Kiriko was placed on a bed in the emergency room of the Essex, her implant still glowing a steady orange pulse, Kiriko still held onto Cly unconsciously with a loose fist, not ready to still to surrender to the fate that she was constantly averting during her persistent lonely patrols around Bretonia, determined to get stronger by actively spearheading the BPA's movements near single headedly.
A nurse gently wrapped Kirikos head, leaving only her right eye unwrapped, covering round the sides and all of her left eye the nurse was ordered away from Kiriko to attend to the more deserving patience, the nurse looked down at Kiriko with almost a mothers broken heart, she shook her head and walked away from Kiriko's bed slowly...

Kiriko lay motionless, a nurse was looking over the file on Kiriko, she did not have any legally bound parents or guardians, any proof that she did exploded with the Clytemnestra, no living blood relatives. Nurses scurried around the room attending to the wailing masses of injured Armed Forces pilots, Kiriko was placed on the bed closest to the exit, just in case they needed the bed for another Bretonian casualty, the light on her arm implant glowed a dull orange before being replaced by a steady red glow.

nurses walked around many looking at Kiriko feeling a sorrow in their hearts that they couldnt shake off,

Nurse: look what the war is doing to us all... she's so young

Nurse: I was looking at her file... she has nobody

The first nurse gasped

Nurse: n..Nobody at all?

The second nurse shook her head sadly and continued

Nurse: no home, no family, no relatives,

Nurse: d... do you think thats why she is wearing that uniform?

They both looked at her Bretonian Police uniform which still doesnt fit her due to it being made in adult sizes

Nurse: she must have been fighting both mentally and physically... For a long time.

Nurse: do you think... the police know about her? She doesnt even look like she entered puberty yet

she shook her head again speaking with a solemn tone

Nurse: The police would have turned her away and informed child services about her...

The two nurses continued to speculate and worry themselves like mother hens over the unconscious figure before them before moving away to tend to the others once again.

(dreaming)
Kiriko ran happily, smiling joyfully she laughed in the bright Gran Canarian sunshine, holding onto another childs hand, the child was a body double of Kiriko, only this child had no face, only a single eye that resembled a small camera lens. Kiriko laughed and turned around jumping and waving at Leo and Shizuma who walked slowly behind them both holding hands. They all walked down a long road which did not have an end, people watched as they passed, Kiriko felt protected, safe and secure, holding onto the childs hand and running on ahead of her parents down the sunlit road...

Shizuma Sakuragi had just begun to clean out her cockpit when the comm announced a distress call. She sighs and looks at the screen for a moment, her expression slowly changes in disbelieve as she reads that the call came from Kiri's ship. She quickly throws the half full garbage bag out of her ship, barely hearing the docking masters angry yelling "Hey! Don't throw trash on -my- docking zone!" She closes the canopy and powers up her ship... flying alot faster in gran canaria's atmosphere then the zoners would allow, she undocks and overclocks her cruise engines... getting everything from it she speeds towards Dublin... the system where the distress signal was sent from. She slams the control panel of her ship and yells "Faster! faster! dangit!" She jumps into Dublin and heads to the grid... Debris everywhere... She sees a wing of Bretonian ships who seem to be searching for survivors and she flies closer into the debris field, looking for Kiri's ship.

Lieutenant Commander Lee Adama, sighed as he began his volunteer shift, aboard the Essex. He then put on his medic outfit and got stuck down to it. After checking the non emergency patients in the east wing, medical facility aboard the Essex, he got stopped by a couple of nurses that were telling him of the incident.

Lee sighed it was going to be a long night. After calling round to each patient in the emergency room when he , spotted what he thought to be a child. He murmured "what would a child doing in a combat situation." He then proceed to look at the files of the patient. "Kiriko Hidamari" it read hmm as he continued " no parents or family".
he thought "no that cant be everyone has someone."

Lee then sped to the area of the incident. "Ms Sakurgai and Mr Ramirez" he transmitted to the two ships at the site of the wreckage. "Yes" both replied
"I suppose your looking for Kiriko Hidamari" Lee replied.
"Yes yes" they both replied
"Battleship Essex I am escorting two visitors I am requesting priority clearance for both of them" Lee commanded
"Lt.Commander request approved" Battleship Essex replied as efficiently as ever.

As the three ships landed. Lee then escorted them with is metal leg clunking as it always does, to Ms kiriko's bed side. "If you want me I will be next door" Lee told them. As lee Adama left the room in silence.

Shizuma walks towards Kiri's bed, her hands shiver not knowing if she's still alive or not. she stands next to the bed, quietly sobbing when she suddenly realized something... She pulled up her sleeve to check on the medicine, the red light was blinking and she quickly turned to Leo. "She needs her medicine! She has one stashed inside her stuffed toy on her room. please Leo-san, go get it! Your ship is faster then mine anyway!" She tries to give Kiri some water but it doesn't work, instead she makes one of the towels wet and cools her forehead and neck. whispering to her "Don't die honey..."

(dreaming)
Kiriko and her "twin" stood holding hands, Kiriko laughed happily as they both walked with large over exaggerated steps down the nameless Gran Canarian street, swinging their arms to and fro. The sun shone brightly on Kiriko's face and she looked up shielding her eyes from its intense warming rays. Leo suddenly lifted Kiriko up from behind, she laughed in excitement as he placed her onto his shoulders. Leo chuckled a little smiling and placing a warm hand onto Kiriko's "twin" it looked up at Kiriko on Leos shoulders and Kiriko waved down at "her" joyfully with a big smile, they continued to walk down the road as a family, her twin didnt follow.

Kiriko blinked and she was stood on the ground again, she saw Leonardo and Shizuma holding hands talking and walking down the street away from where she was stood, a cold wind blew past Kiriko from behind, she held her skirt and hair briefly until the wind had died, turning around her "twin" lay face down on the paving stones, a red liquid seeping out, Kiriko dropped to her knees, she wiggled her twins body trying to wake "her" up. Kiriko lifted the body up and turned it round, the facless persons had a crack from her left temple down to "her" chin, the single eye of the camera lens was cracked and red liquid ran from beneath it like red tears.

Kiriko touched the cheek of her twin gently and it shattered, revealing a mesh of silicon computer components and metallic parts. Kiriko's mouth moved as if she were shouting at the "twin", with tears in her eyes Kiriko wiggled its body desperately, no sound was heard, the twin strained and lifted its hand to Kiriko's face as she cried shaking "her", it wiped the red engine oil that was spilling out gently onto Kiriko's face as it reached up and stroked her cheek, slowly its hand began to fall, Kiriko held it still shouting in silence her tears dropping like rain all the while in muted silence. Kiriko looked up in desperation, Leonardo and Shizuma were far away, walking still holding hands. Kiriko called for them but they continued to walk away, she placed her hands over her mouth and screamed a muted scream for her parents...they could not hear her.

A bitingly cold breeze swept across Kiriko from the front, she closed her eyes and shielded her face with her arm. The wind ceased. Kiriko opened her eyes her parents had disappeared she looked left and right frantically for them yelling, still muted. Kiriko stood on a dark plane, it expanded to infinity in every direction she turned around and her "Twin" was still laying on the floor, the red liquid still flowing freely from "her" corpse. Kiriko knelt back down and shook her "twin" frantically her face still streaming with tears shouting in silence. The "twin" slowly began to sink into the floor, it looked up through a cracked lens at Kiriko as the occasional tear obscured its vision for a few moments. Its legs were first to go, then slowly its upper body began to sink into the blackness. Kiriko stood absolutely screaming her head off in despair, tugging her "twin" by the hand trying to stop "her" from sinking. "her" face slowly sank into the darkness beneath Kiriko as she stood on the pitch black plane, Kiriko held its hand for as long as she could, crying and holding her face to it, she watched painfully as the last of "her" fingers sank into the unending darkness below.

Kiriko shook, she knelt on the obsidian floor, trembling, she wailed a muted cry for her parents, for her uncle Keitaro, for her older brother, for anybody to come and save her. Kiriko gasped as she felt an ice cold draft flooding from over her shoulder, she shivered uncontrollably, scared out of her mind. Kiriko could not defend herself against that which stood behind her now. It reached out into her body; she could feel its long bony hands on her soul, her very insides felt colder than she dared to believe. It whispered a continuous stream of unknown words and phrases from every language.

Kiriko closed her eyes and cradled her arms together trying to protect herself, but there was nothing she could do to stop it this time...

Leo: " You...Put it in...I don't know how..."

Shizuma took the capsule from Leonardo and walked quickly back to Kiriko's side, the light pulsed a dim red glow, there was not much time. Shizuma sniffled a little and forced back her own tears so she was able to function enough to do what she needed to do. Kiriko breathed very slowly and silently in her mothers arms. Shizuma opened the hatch on Kiriko's arm looking at all the workings of the implant, she released a catch to allow the capsule mechanism to be slid into the correct position, shizuma's hands shook and she would occasionally just look at Kiriko's face, wondering if she was really ok.

Leo: "h..honey.. hurry."

Shizuma shook her head and continued, she pulled up the old capsule so it was visible and then prized it out of Kirikos arm, the lights on her implant flashed in unison for around 2 seconds and then they all went dark. Kiriko didnt flinch, move, nor make a sound, this painful procedure would normally make Kiriko wince or even yelp, but this time Kiriko did not do a thing, she still lay motionless, making Shizuma's mind race around in circles even faster *please hang on... please... onegai.. Kiri-chan*, Shizuma thought to herself thumbling around with the new capsule, she looked at it and made sure it was the right way up and pushed it hard unitl it clicked into Kiriko's arm, she then slotted the mechanism down and the capsule disappeared into Kiriko's arm, the lights flashed all flashed together twice in quick succession and then all went black again, shizuma gasped in horror and then was relieved as the green light glowed brightly, indicating the procedure was done correctly. Shizuma swallowed shakily and closed the hatch on her daughters implant and wiggled Kiriko gently

Shizuma: "ki..kiri-chan... kiri-chan... wake up honey... wake up... onegai..."

Tyronne had decided to make good on his promise. He took a day off to gather his thoughts and rest. He took his job seriously and wouldn't fly if he wasn't feeling well on in tip/top shape.
He sighed as he approached his nyx in the hangar. The ship beared a few scars from recent work. He would need to take it in for a service soon enough, he hated that trip to the taus but he wasn't gonna get killed over faulty equipment.

The silence drew out in the hangar. He realized that he probably had too many ships. What could he do however? He needed each for specific tasks.
He climbed up the ladder to the wing of his nyx. He prefered to get in that way and surveyed them.
The pytho was almost brand new. It hadn't seen much combat action at all. Same with Julia's.
He let out a small sigh at the cost it had cost him to sit here collecting dust. He looked across at the sabre. Still no guns and waiting for some fitment. It was a dark vessel for him. It represented very dangerous work.
He had inspected it over and over. He couldn't find fault with it but he just didn't like the thing. The work it would do was against his beliefs. He needed to forge a future for himself he knew. That ship was it. He needed Liberty on his side.
He took a quick glance at the gunboat. Also relatively fresh. It had some marks on it from a tussle with the jokers he had barely escaped but the ship held together nicely. He might need to take that in for a service as well.
He peered across to Julia's ships when something in the cockpit caught his eye.
A dull blinking red light.
He was often getting messages. Mostly wrong IDs or woman.
He shrugged. It might be the message from Hale he was waiting so desperately for.

"Cockpit open"
":Comm ID required:" The artificial voice of the computer.
"I said open boody ell. 19238247583AJ14" He replied with a practiced air.
":Comm ID recognized, Tyronne Hopper:" It said with a hiss as the cockpit slid upwards.
With a sigh he awkwardly climbed down into the seat. He nearly fell over when he stood on the helmet. Swearing he managed to get himself settled into the seat again. It was a tight fit in the cockpit but he liked it like that. It beat being shook around.

"Open mes.. ang oon. Close da damn atch" he said as the cockpit closed. He waited for the resounding clunk as all the airlocks worked and locked him inside.
"Reet, new massages"
":Error:"
"I said new meesages ya bleedin.. "He didn't finish.
The console opened up with a list of new messages.

He frowned, it wasn't the message he was waiting for but what the hell.
Sender Kiriko. Ahh most likely a reply to his previous message he thought.
He pressed on the console to see the message.

":Error 627:"
"Da ell computer? run a diagnoostic on dis ere message" he said tapping on it.
":Message truncated code 7231:"
"En what da ell dat mean?"
":connection Severed before delivery:"
"Ell computer, I ain no shmart arsh. What'd cause dat?"
":Possible destruction of sender vessel, Possible corruption in transmission, Possible sender cancellation, Possible sender.. "
"Reet Reet I gut it." He said cutting it off.

He let out a small sigh. He couldn't know what was going on and only one way to sort it out
He reached across and started to fire up the ship.
"Computer ken ya trace da location o da sender?"
":Error, sender not found:"
"Aww s****e. Where dis message kum frim?"
The ship was ready to take off now and he pulled on the stick. It was slack and nothing happened.
":Error, unable to launch without proper safety checks. Please fasten.. "
Tyronne didn't hear anymore of it as he was already fiddling with the straps. He finally put his helmet on.
"Aye aye I gut it. Where dis message kum frim eh?"
":Sender location, Dublin:"
Using his right arm he instinctively started the feed boosting the ships fuel to engine ratio.
":Error, undocking sequence on automatic only:"
"Den gut me oot o ere den bleedin ell" He said as the computer switched to auto to begin the undocking.
If a bloody molly has hurt her there was gonna be hell to pay.
He was sucked back into his seat as his ship accelerated hard to reach atmospheric exit velocity.

He was jerked forward again as the ship entered space and the acceleration stopped. He let out a deep breath.
He took a quick look around, there was a gunboat on patrol who hailed him and he ignored it.
"Computer switch ta full combat systems en set a course fir dublin. Dunt power da guns but keep all trackin systems working"
The computer executed the command and he saw on his helmet as all the tracking systems turned on and he could see all ships and their vectors. The cruise engines began to charge and the computer swung around for the lane.

A sense of forboding grew as he headed off for dublin.
"computer, send a message ta Julie telling er where I headed. Keep all scanners on full. Dunt want no surprises."
As the ship entered the trade lane Tyronne got worried.

The journey to dublin had been uneventful. Well apart from a lane hacker he had needed to grit his teeth and fly past. Money was money, it felt wierd to let it go but he did.

"Elreet computer noo dat wew ere ken ya find oot where dat tresnmission kem frim?"
":running diagnostic, estimated time 15 minutes:"
Hells he thought, he turned the ship around to take a general look. The essex remained stedfast as she always did and the gate was quiet. Letting out a small sigh he flew toward the gate.
His thoughts turned to kiriko. He silently wondered again why he was doing this. Perhaps he thought its cause I wanted someone to notice me as a child, he shrugged. Whatever, he was here now and nothing he could do about it.
":diagnostic complete. Transmission point 4k above gate"
Had it really been 15 minutes. He pushed the thought from his mind and pulled the craft upward. He registered the gate on scanners till he was roughly 3.7k above before he dropped the fuel feed to minimum. Not enouch to move the ship, but enough to keep it running.
"Putah run a check fir eny debris eh?"
":small background hull panels detected:"
"I see, ken ya put em up on console?"
":error, magnification too low:"

Only tiny bits then. Junkers had probably cleaned up here already.
He let out a small breath wondering what to do next when his scanner popped up with new contacts. A BAF patrol.
He sent a hail through to the captain, no reply. Bloody militant types he thought.
They headed off toward the essex, probably to get drunk he thought.
Ahh.. BPA patrol.
He sent through a hail to what he assumed was the leader, she was the one out front.
"Freelancer alpha one six dash four how can be of assistance?"
"Day officer, I be lookin fir a freend o myne, were der any battles ere recently?"
"Please be patient freelancer, I will attend to you shortly."
The pilot broke off from the other two and tyronne noticed one of the ships was crisscrossed with plasma burns, one still glowed. Prolly off for repairs he thought as the pilot captain approached his nyx.
"Quit some equipment you got there. Can I ask what you intend doing with it?"
"Well lass I'm extually a merc ya see. Nut ta worry lass I'm wun o da few dat will work fir ya."
She nodded.
"Well yes there was a fight here earlier. I can't tell you more than that though"
"Dat so? Eh? Well me freend were a membah o da BPA? Dunt suppose...?"
"Can't tell you more sir. Only thing I can say is that it would be standard procedure to send pods to the nearest safe base. That would be the essex."
"O, well eh. Guess I owe ya wun den lass. Me tanks."
The officer merely nodded and closed the comm channel before she headed off toward the essex herself.

Tyronne let out a deep breath wondering how the hell he could get clreance to land on a battleship. Well he'd have to chance it.
He sent a hail out toward the battleship.
"Freelacer alpha one six dash four, this is the essex."
"Avvy lad, I'mma real sorry ta ail ya lioke dis. But ya see I were fightin dees... Mollies, well wun o dem rammed me when me shields were up."
The battleship didn't say anything.
"I gut all whiplash en I reckon I pulled a muscle in me neck ere too."
Still nothing.
"I were wondering if I could get a quick check, it be real sore."
"You understand sir this is a battleship?"
"Aye en da unly infirmary I ken land oon fir ages roond, I reckon a couple parts o me ship be a wee bit loose eswell."
"Well freelancer why not try the bmm station out in the field?"
"Well, dis ere dat I be flyin be a nyx. IMG fightah. I dun reckon da IMG or da BMM would be appy if I triod da(. Please lad its killin me"
The man on the other side let out a low sigh "alright freelancer. Please proceed to the front of the ship for a complete scan and switch off all your weapons"
"Aye aye I'll do dat, ells dis pain."
He did as was asked and powered down all his weapons. Moving to the front of the battleship he figured they were just trying to scare him. He knew they could scan him easily from 8km away.
"Alright freelancer you are clear to land but you are confined to the infirmary and the hangar."
"Aww thanks lad, me neck tanks ya elsoo, o o."
He closed the channel and set the autopilot to dock. The ship powered down as it prepared to dock. All the lights on the ship and the hangar bays opened leaving Tyronne with an ominous feeling.