Flowers of the Forest

[Nodoka Hanamura]

---

Another Libertonian, seemingly of Hispanic descent, makes his way up the way to the site. He seems to be accompanied by a woman and their young daughter. Mieko doesn't recognize them, but the man seemingly does, as he greets her.

"Are you Honya?" He asks of her.

Mieko answers in the negative. "I don't go by that moniker anymore, sir. Who are you? This is a restricted ceremony." she says, not harshly, but rather out of concern.

"Maybe this will remind you, if you can remember it -- It's like they say. War is hell."

The man's words fall hollow for a moment, until a quick check of long-term memory comes back with a valid return. He was one of the Lane Hackers that had aided her, Hanamura and Jae-un in the midst of a brief spat betwixt the Liberty Navy and LSF in 823.

"Mr. Martinez?" Mieko asks of the man.

"Assassin, Fernando Martinez. Retired." he answers with a chuckle. "I wanted to come by on behalf of my old flight lead, give our squad's condolences. What do you go by these days?"

"Mieko."

"I see.. I remember seeing all sorts of crazy news about you guys, first out in the Omicrons two years later running that Freeport, and then later you show up wanting to blast the Kusari state a new one... Is it really true? She was a Terran?" He says as his wife takes their daughter into the field to play, the two walking up to the memorial.

"Yes, she was. First Generation Kusari. Kishiro had retained her as part of some sort of state-sanctioned program."

"Leave it to the corpos to disregard the value of human life. Say what you will about us hackers, but at least we had something resembling a moral compass. Though you're a Kishiro AI, aren't you? Wonder why she bought you and your 'sister' if she had just been stabbed in the back by 'em."

"I'm a prototype. I was created by them but.. lost aboard a Starflier-class personal shuttle that was later resold to Hanamura-sensei." Mieko corrects. "We.. originally were going to turn her in after she turned against the state and started a fuss over it.. but realizing what had happened.. we turned against the Keisatsu-cho... even killed one of their inspectors with fire from a plasma weapon as they were in EVA."

Fernando grimaces at the idea. "Mierda. That's brutal. Like, corpos and pigs are shitheads, but.. man, I wouldn't have the heart to do that... Thackeray and his guys, maybe.. but not me."

"It was my sister's doing."

"Yeah, I remember her, always saw her posting on /ew/ - you could tell it was her because she was always the one stirring up shit. I don't do that shit anymore, though. After she left, place felt a little less like a place to shoot the shit about the weird crap that happened out there in the Omicrons, Omegas and Sigmas, and more a place for Core and Order dipshits to yell at each other."

"I take it you aren't fond of them either?"

"Core's corpos. I hate their guts, even with them coming from BHG roots. Order.. fuck, it's been downhill ever since Golanski had that little 'witness me' moment. I laughed my ass off seeing him shout that, only to fuck over his buddies. Was a meme on /ew/ for months, full on remixes of his voice to music and shit."

Mieko gets a bit of a chuckle out, from her once depressed demeanor. "I always thought him a fool, but that moment was one made me forget the grave reality of his rule over the Overwatch."

Fernando grasps from a messenger bag carried with him, a assortment of flowers, with a note affixed to them.

Given with love from the Lane Hackers Mactan Cell 9th Trade Lane Attack Squadron 'KERNEL PANIC' (818-829)
Brothers and sisters of the twin snakes, may you rest in peace.

"So.. I've been meaning to ask." Fernando asks her. "Why now? It's been almost 10 years since they left."

Mieko answers him concisely. "I've been frozen for about that long. The ship was expected to return to Sirius by way of Tau-44."

"44, huh? Don't think the Crayterians would be keen on seeing you guys what with your guys' ties to Auxesia. At least these days."

"We were.. flying by the edges of our seats, trying to keep things going.. I still feel that I should have told Hanamura-sensei that our plans needed more time in the oven."

"Yeaaah.. we Hackers didn't come up outta the blue like we were at our height. You guys really suffered from that star burning twice as bright lasts half as long shit."

Mieko simply answers with a nod.

"If it's anything worth a damn, she and them died doing their damndest. With us hackers, that's our creed. If you're not social engineering some Ageira goon into giving us backdoor access into their VLAN and running a RCE to escalate access, all the while the LSF's N3SA is waiting to trace our asses back to Mactan and find an excuse to fuck us - then you're not living, Mieko. Do or do not, there's no try - an old Terran flick taught me that one." Fernando answers, giving her a smile. The man's words seem to help her a bit.

"You're right."

"And I think in their final moments - they probably thought about you. All those good times, even the one with my ass." he says with a laugh, as Mieko's eyes well up slightly.

Fernando turns her as the two stand before the memorial. "If you need anything - give me a call. I'll try to wrestle the squad back together and help you out if you need it."

For once, Mieko's smile seems to return. "Thank you, but.." she says to him, wondering why he of all people, a man he only met once, is willing to go so far for her. ".. Why all this?"

"The Hackers and the Ouroboros are kindred. We both saw the problems with our home. It's just that we saught to exploit it, and in turn start change much like the pentesters of old - poke around and get the big fuckers to change the tune.. and then poke around again - even if we profit from it. You all wanted to be the ones to change that tune. Not our cup of tea - but commendable regardless." he says to her, patting her on the back. "Besides, I remember a saying that comes from that neck of the woods out in Delta. Space is vast and friends are few and far between. And after losing alot of your friends, It wouldn't hurt to at least be willing to be one for ya."

Mieko nods in the affirmative. "Yes. Thank you, Fernando."

"Not a problem. Also, if you ever need new software, or need some work done, hit me up. I can get you the retiree's discount on stuff from Mactan." He goes to rejoin with his wife and daughter. Mieko meanwhile, is taken aback by who she sees approach the aisle, almost like a ghost.

---

Her somewhat short stature, bright skin, and robin-light blue hair are unmistakable to Mieko, even after all these years. The woman wore a dark suit and skirt, and underneath, low-denier pantyhose, completed by black pumps.

"Mei-san..? Is.. is that you?" Mieko says, approaching her, walking down the alley.

The girl answers in the affirmative. "It's been a while, hasn't it Honya-chan?" she says to her. The girl Mieko and the others had scrambled to liberate after fleeing the Blood Dragons, Ayasato Mei - in the flesh, after all these years.

Mei had been rescued by Ouroboros, shortly before the Seraphine's departure for the Taus, years ago. She was in her late 20s, somewhat physically older than Mieko, but still retaining that youthful look. Whilst she turned down Hanamura's offer to join the ranks of Ouroboros - she eventually followed in Nodoka's footsteps, entering into Zoner society - with little else to lose.

Mieko proceeds to hug Mei tightly, squeezing herself against her as tears rush down her eyes, crying. She wasn't Hanamura.. but she was happy to see Mei again - another piece of the past, a close friend - back to the present. "Mei-chan.. It's... it's been such a long time.." she says, between bouts of bawling into the girl's chest. Mei was understanding, given the time that had passed. She gently pulls Mieko off of her, looking at her. "It really has. I'm so sorry about Nodoka and Bride.. and Alexei.. and everyone.." she says to Mieko, before continuing. "The Zoner Defense Reserves said they got a message from you for a flyby or something? Once that went out, word spread you were back - none of us really ever had a proper ceremony for her and the others, given everything."

Mieko is comforted by Mei's words a bit, and manages to calm down. "Are you.. a Zoner?"

"Yeah. I mean.. I couldn't go back to Kusari, Blood Dragons were mad at me because they thought I was helping recruit people to Ouroboros, Police want me in a jail cell.. The GC.. man, the GC are something else I want no part of.. I kinda understood where Nodoka was back when she left with you and Bride -- So I did what she did - ran off to Freeport 10, got an apartment there, and just.. lived, taking on escort contracts for OSI."

Mieko listens to Mei's story, wanting to know what all happened. "After the war ended, I visited Gallia for a bit, and then went back to 10, met a few people I spend my time with these days, fellow former Dragons, GC - who kinda just.. gave up."

Mei stops for a moment before her mood becomes a bit dour. "Though to be honest, I did miss you guys. Spending time with you all was always a blast, and it's a shame that she's gone." she says, looking to Hanamura's visage at the memorial.

"So.. what do you do these days?" Mei asks of Mieko.

"I'm an Initiate with the Auxesian Technocracy - directly reporting to Leviathan."

"Oooh.. that big spooky guy.. I guess he's the only choice you had, or..?" Mei says, concerned.

"Well, truth be told, alot of the people I know are either missing or dead.. Marisa-san, Vex-kun, Ezrael-san, all of them. Leviathan and Firmitas, two of Auxesia's finest - were the only ones who answered my call for help - to give me purpose in life again.. and the former only after I.. profusely.. deeply apologized for a gross transgression against the Gammu."

Mei listens on, rubbing Mieko's back as she talks.

"I see. Well.. if that ever goes south Mieko-chan.. you could always roll with us. OSI is always looking for contractors, and me and a few of my friends go out once a month on long hauls, which tend to be fun." Mei says to Mieko, offering a genuine helping hand.

"It's the least I could do for getting me out of that mess all those years ago, alive." she continues.

Mieko nods in the affirmative. "Thank you, Mei.."

Mei and Mieko head towards the memorial, once again repeating the cycle. Mei's eyes immediately look to Hanamura, amongst the faces in the center of the holographic display, her picture prominent, among the likes of Alexei, Jae-un, Setsuna. Mei reaches out to the image, placing her hand upon the image of Nodoka. Her demeanor has shifted, now that she is witness to the one woman who held them all together.

"I'm sorry. I knew.. I knew you loved me and I.. If I had known this was going to happen I'd.. I'd have at least taken you up on it. I'm sorry I blamed you for what happened.. my foolishness back then.. It wouldn't change or bring you back but.. I'm sorry. Please rest peacefully, Nodo-chan." she says, wistfully, as Mieko returns the favor from earlier, calming her with rubbing of her shoulders and back. Mei wells up somewhat, turning to Mieko, and crying into her shoulder. Mieko does much of the same, holding her old friend tightly.

Moments pass, grief is shared, and tears stain them both. Moments later, Mieko notices a Gallic man step forth, a rifle upon his back, in Council combat regallia, aged over the years - as the two girls start to come back to a presentable state. She turns to the man, who introduces himself.

"Mademoiselle Iekahara. I am Jean-luc Rosnay, one of a group known as the Council Remnant Honor Guard. Your missive on the neural net regarding Mademoiselle Hanamura, and those of Ouroboros - reached me personally and I wished to offer the Guard's condolences and wishes to commemorate her and the others' lives with a three-volley salute. Her service to the people's pursuit for liberty, no matter its' size, played a part in shifting the future of our house ever closer to true freedom from the Roi."

Mieko would bow to him. "Thank you Monsieur Rosnay. Pour honneur, patrie, valeur, et liberte." she says to him, issuing her gratitude for their presence. The man heads back down the lane, towards his team, all adorned in similar attire. Mei looks to Mieko, and speaks up again. "I'll.. I'll go ahead and find a seat. I know you probably are needing to prepare things. Don't be a stranger, Mieko-chan."

Mei retreats amongst the rows of seats, as families of the deceased come and go to pay respects. Mieko greets some of them, issuing her condolences, and chatting amongst them to pass the time before the ceremony begins.