Tides of Change

[Jeremy Hunter]

The halls of Razgriz Straits were quiet.

Curtana's armored boots echoed on the floor, a the only sound in the silence. Most of the personnel on base were asleep or quietly winding down from the day, but she was moving. Past lab after lab, through the hulk of the re-purposed Resheph, to the elevator. Inside, the crystals above warmed, bathing her in multicolored light before the panel lit up blue. Pressing the floor she wished for, she was shot downwards, within moments arriving at her destination. Stepping off, Curtana made her way to her personal lab. Deep below the facility was HADES RAZGRIZ, the Wedjat Facility built here in the north. Further below them was Deep Quarantine, where everything they didn't trust would be placed, trapped beneath multiple Order facilities and mountains upon mountains of ice and rock. Standing in the quiet laboratory, she reached up as her helmet hissed and clicked, pulling it free. She shook her hair out, before setting it down on the main console. Even with the climate controlled at a comfortable degree, she still felt cold. Looking at the helmet she had worn since the Legion of Steel incident she took a good, long look at it. Running a hand over the visor, she once more lifted it up, but did not replace it. Turning, she headed for the locker room, where Curtana set it down. Stepping over to the PARR Station, she turned and stepped inside, arms out. The armor locked into the PARRS, and soon it was pull off. Stepping out, clad only in panties and a tank top, she yelped as her feet touched the floor. The heater for the floors had conked out again. Hopping over to a locker, she quickly tugged out socks and hopped more, getting them on with a gasp. Shaking her head, now able to stand normally, she tugged out her clothes and began to get dressed. Warm pants, jacket. Heavy boots. She took one more look at the helmet...then walked it over to the station, feeding it to the machine and watching it, too, be taken away. She turned and tugged a beanie from the locker, before closing it. She briefly ran her hand over the name, then went back to the main, tugging a lab coat on.

The door hissed open mere moments after she keyed the holotable. Captain Declan Morrison stepped out, followed by Commander Jonas Ward, his XO. The two were both Order Marines, leaders of the security detachment of Razgriz Straits...and both paused. "...Ma'am." Declan said, saluting. Jonas followed suit, with Curtana leaning over the table still.

>>ENTER AUTHORIZATION
-Until men united wield a hallowed saber
>WORKING
>
>
>>WELCOME TO RAZGRIZ STRAITS, DIRECTOR HUNTER

"At east." Ellie Hunter said. "What brings you here?"
"...the armory marked power armor returning from this locker, ma'am. We were uncertain of who would be returning armor from this room." Declan shifted, adjusting his hat. "You can understand our confusion." He looked uneasy. Ellie nodded, hands flying over the keyboard. The table glowed, showing the current project she was working on - SNOW WHITE. Declan and Jonas frowned, watching as the simulation collapsed again. Ellie chewed her lip, hands working more and more.
"I understand. But the loss of the Kusanagi lies solely on myself. I have hidden within that armor for years now, hiding from everything. It has gotten to me. I cannot be Curtana any longer. I cannot be false any longer. If I am to succeed, if I am to work these damn power cells and start making our own, start moving the Order away from dependency on H-Fuel altogether, from fuel, I can unshackle us from any and all who may wish to cut off our fuel source, who may wish to ensure we do not have the ability to protect humanity from anywhere. It started with STORM COVE, and continues with SNOW WHITE. But if we are to succeed, to grow, we must work. And if I am to do my best...I cannot hide behind a mask. Waiting for terrorists in Gallia to answer Lelouch, stressing over how. What am I even doing? I am Ellie Hunter, Director of the OSD. My little sister helped create Thebes herself, and here I am failing. No, it is time I worked. It is time I did something right, and goddammit I'm going to make the Jeanne D'Arc able, make it worthy. I am going to make it my best of work, and by God, my best means nothing behind a mask."
Declan and Jonas were taken back. Eyes wide, they could only watch with ignorant confusion as the computer brought up the schematics they had put together from hull mapping scans of the former Battleship Eglantine. Stylus in hand, other hand sweeping, she moved and twisted the model, pulling and placing components with a zeal.
"...We will leave it to you, ma'am." Declan saluted, followed by Jonas, before the two entered the elevator once more. Leaving her alone, Lab 001 seemed far bigger than it really was, as she worked. For her, it was but minutes in the lab, deep below the icy mountains of the northern regions of Akabat.
But it was hours. Hours spent on the Valor, working out the power grid, the reactor, interface. The failure of Kusanagi had done what had been needed to be done for a long time.

Give the scientist the kick she needed.

First would come Jeanne D'Arc. Then? Then would come more.

The only thing needed for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing.

And she was tired of doing nothing.

"Kairi."
The dedicated AI pad glowed, displaying the young facsimile of Rika. "Yes, Ellie?"
"Create new Project File. Copy all data from the Kusanagi Incident into it. Furthermore, copy any and all information obtained from further tests regarding Project SNOW WHITE into this project, as well as any and all information from Doctor Sullivan's research into the IRG Power Cell given to him on Alexandria. Furthermore, I want simulations run regarding the power output of an IRG cell within a CV-1 Osiris."
"Director, if I may. The next generation CV-1s are currently being finalized for production, starting with the lead ship - Jerusalem. Battleships Solomon and Tel Aviv are currently slated behind it, though their finalizations are to be determined. Once Jerusalem is finished, we should run them in tandem."
Ellie tapped her chin with the stylus. While by appearance the CV-1 and CV-1 Horus Package looked identical, the insides were a massive overhaul, using the latest technology from the Order. Ellie swiped her hand across the screen, putting SNOW WHITE on hold.
"Label Project as HEAVENSWARD. Set to standby. Open new Refit Project. Commence recall of Oathkeeper to Fort Carthage. Based on CV-1 MK...whatever plans, to upgrade it from a base Osiris will require a month of work at present. If we can finish the refits for SNOW WHITE we can then put those crews into the overhaul and cut it down by thirty percent."
"Why not scrap the Oathkeeper on total, ma'am?"
"Because." She said softly. "There is history. My history. Seth's. Rika's. Jeremy's. That Osiris has seen battle across the galaxy, as gone through the Battle for Toledo, the Fall of Minor. It has been one of the staunchest survivors. If we can overhaul it to a CV-1 MK whatever, then we can do it again."
"...what will be the project name, ma'am?" Kairi sighed. "Whatever" yes, such....descriptive language for a scientist.
Project...Ultima."

---

May you ever walk in the Light, Shizune.