Heist

[Sol]

With a continued inner unrest after departing with Jiro, Teta finally arrived at her Chimaera in the hangar. Her goal was to go over the checklist again and again until it was time to launch. Though she found herself unable to concentrate on this task. While looking at the lists on her pad, she drifted off into thoughts repeatedly, just standing there to stare right through it.

Jiro was silently leaning against his chimaera, with his arms closed together, looking down in between his quick scans of Teta while she tried to busy herself.

He let out a loud sigh and shook his head, then turned his back and faced his ship. Close to the cockpit, the marks of his earlier battles were obvious on its armor. He pulled on its wing, where a piece burnt on its edges and turned black.

A young voice he heard, as he was checking on his ship; "It looks like you two have been together in some tough times, sir."

Jiro turned to him with an eyebrow raised.

"I mean the ship, sir," the young engineer said. "quite a lot of battle scars on this babe..." he nodded with a smile. "Well, it should be good to go... the wing was a bit loose after yesterday's patrol, but should be as good as new now... try to be careful out there, sir."

Jiro nodded back, "Ah... yeah..." he said, with no spirit in his words at all.

He glanced back at his ship. It indeed looked like the oldest, ugliest chimaera among all the others in the neat line of the formation.

His attention then turned on to the newcomer vessel, which was docked pretty close to their formation. He remembered the ship and flying with its captain before; especially the time Shimizu went missing in the Taus and when they had to search for him everywhere with Teta.

There was an air of nervousness with that ship's crew, he observed. They had their brows frowned, whispered among themselves, and when looked at their way, they made sure to not look back.

A woman among them left their group, wandered among the formation of the chimaeras. Her cap was well put on her head, hiding most of her face. It was as though she was observing the ships ready for launch.

Though Jiro had more problems in his mind to deal with, and could not be bothered with her suspicious act right then.

His attention would be taken by his wingleader, Commander Mitsuki, appearing with her hurried steps among the pilots to give them their last briefing before their flight. She called them all out into a circle, and started to inform them in her usual, strict way.

As the leader took their attention, Teta's eyes wandered off towards Jiro. Wondering about what he might be thinking, what he might be feeling now. Which just concerned her even more than before.

Jiro could barely catch a glance of hers as she quickly looked back to the leader and the written instructions to avoid any future possible eye contact.

The squadron leader spoke, "As you know, we have 12 chimaeras patrolling around the station. And as always, we'll separate into four wings, with three patrolling in these... waypoints" she showed three routes on the board, surrounding the base, "while the fourth wing will stay home as a reserve... every two hours to be replaced by the next wing,".

Jiro was not listening much, with the speech being the same as everyday's. When his name was called up, it surprised him and nearly made him jump.

"Jiro, Teta... you're in the Alpha wing, with me..." and then she continued on to count the rest of the wings. "Besides the usual, today we'll have a destroyer accompanying us... Captain Shin Takeru with KDS-Takao will be around..." she nodded, her movements as strong and sharp as a blade, "that's it. To your ships now."

All the pilots let out a loud "Hai!" then rushed off towards their ships, about to finish their last preparations. Some opened their cockpits already, climbing in, waiting for the hangar doors to slide open any time for them now.