Chapter Text
Somewhere near Magadan
“A peace treaty?” Eye-Tee repeated the words out of Bookie’s mouth, “...this late into the war?”
“At this point, I have no idea anymore.” He sighed, rubbing his head with a defeated expression. “Before we took out Faust, the CIF pushed in so far into the mainland that Prospero’s battalion had to be mobilized, and things were about to escalate until the word of our achievement got out, which actually sent them thinking twice about their flank.”
“…and that led to the ceasefire.” Brick let out a huge sigh of relief. “Holy shit. We actually might have saved thousands of Fed lives.”
Driver nodded in silence, then bit down hard on his s’more, chewing loudly as the mixture of chocolate and gelatin mixed together in his mouth.
“Possibly tens of thousands, if another Faust was in their ranks.” Cobb sneered in disgust, at both Driver and the situation. “Imagine what would’ve happened if they took over Prospero.”
The team shuddered. Prospero’s battalion wasn’t weak in any case, but they were among the largest armies in the region of the Federation. If the rumors of the CIF’s mercenary elites were true, the entire force would have been completely wiped out.
Tens of thousands of lives, in a battle like that, which would have possibly decided the result of the war itself.
“In any case, the peace treaty’s going to be signed in Prospero as well, and we’re going to be the witnesses between the leaders.” Bookie continued, “So pack your things and get a gun, we’re going on a trip.”
Cobb perked up. “Wasn’t Crimson Team granted the honor?”
“Their leader is nowhere to be found. Apparently, he disappeared off the face of the earth after the peace treaty was announced.”
Exhausted groans echoed through the hangar. And they were just about to enjoy the little celebratory campfire, too.
Brick pursed his lips. “Woah. That means we’re meeting the rumored mercenary group that’s bolstering the CIF… kinda scary, don’t you think?”
“Gaah, I don’t wanna think about it…” Eye-Tee swallowed a gulp. “I’d rather meet the President of Oceania than this.”
“All in favor of leaving Eye-Tee to Oceania the moment we’re assigned there?”
““Aye.””
Driver raised his hand in agreement.
“Go fuck yourselves, all of you, you know that? You especially, Driver. I still haven’t forgiven you for that stunt in the tunnel.”
With that final say, the group dispersed and began packing up their things in the setting sun, all while bracing themselves for the eventual showdown in Prospero. For all they knew, if this went badly…
Then there probably wouldn’t be a Cascadia anymore.
That night, Eye-Tee dreamed of a sparkling glint that resembled a silver figure.
When she ‘laid eyes’ on it, it fluttered twice and moved closer in curiosity, before suddenly vanishing as the WSO woke up with a small gasp.
It certainly did look quite beautiful.
Two days later
Prospero
“I knew that Prospero was big and all, being Cascadia’s financial hub…” Cobb nervously chewed on her fingernails, “But just what the hell is this city!?”
Standing before her was a building easily the size of a small mountain, stationed right in the middle of downtown with high-rises on every street, and surrounding the area were the combined flags of the Federation and the CIF, along with thousands of soldiers on each respective side.
Rows upon rows upon rows upon rows of soldiers, all glaring at each other.
And separating these soldiers in between was a line no larger than two hundred meters, and in the center was a single empty street, with a small tent raised right in the middle of it all.
Eye-Tee glanced around the area. As this was her first time visiting Prospero, she couldn’t help but be awed by the massive infrastructure of the area. Even the landscape itself, or what she could see of it before they landed, could only be described as a naturally-formed stronghold with chokepoints at every route.
“Gives you the chills, doesn’t it?” Bookie muttered as he glared at the CIF across from him, “I was raised and trained here, so I know for certain… if those bastards took over this city, they would have used it as the penultimate base to strike Presidia. And by then it would be too late to stop them.”
Driver grunted in agreement.
Brick’s hands started shaking from the heavy atmosphere. “Dust Mother, they’re all right in front of us… What the hell was high command thinking!? One wrong move and this would turn into a bloodbath!”
“And that’s exactly why we’re signing a peace treaty, Division K-9.” A deep voice appeared behind the team, and they turned around to see a heavily scarred man wearing a dark frown, with another tall naval officer behind him. “At ease.”
“Crystal Kingdom…” Bookie whispered in realization, before immediately bowing. “Guys, fucking bow! Commander-in-Chief, it is an honor.”
“The honor is mine.” The Commander of the Federation forces waved them off after bowing back, “I must thank you for taking care of that thorn in our side. I imagine Faust wasn’t an easy opponent.”
“V-very much so, sir! Faust was a gruelling trial to overcome, sir!”
“Hmph. Indeed. Admiral Pater, you may leave us.” The naval officer bowed and turned around, and the Commander continued, “But now there awaits a trial twice as difficult for you. I assume you’re all aware of your role?”
Cobb nodded nervously. “To stand silently behind you as your bodyguards?”
“You? No, I would never. A peace treaty has no need for bodyguards.” The commander sized them all up, “Rather, you are here to represent the forces who have brought the enemy to a standstill, that the Federation is not so weak to hide their elites from the enemy. Especially now that Crimson One has seemingly gone AWOL.”
“We… But… They…” Brick tried to process those words in his head, “What?”
“We’re witnesses, Brick. Like I told you two days ago,” Bookie gently slapped the back of his head, “Since we’re responsible for Faust’s death, we’re here to convey the message that we’ll gladly do the same for the CIF.”
Driver grunted again.
The Commander’s glare didn’t let up. “Precisely, however, I believe the Cascadian forces are doing the same with their elites to bear witness to the treaty. That quirky Captain Woodward, who stole the Eminent Domain, along with the squadron who stopped Crimson Team in their tracks.”
His tone sent an icy chill down Eye-Tee’s spine.
“Take a good, long look at them at the tent, Division K-9. Once this alliance ends within a few years…
“...They are the ones we must immediately kill, lest we let the continent delve into further discord.”
The air was suffocating.
Well, that was to be expected, since they were all wearing their helmets to conceal their identities, but that was besides the point.
The two leaders of the CIF and Federation shook hands and sat down to begin their negotiations.
“Commander-in-Chief of the Cascadian Federation Forces, Crystal Kingdom.”
“De facto leader of the Cascadian Independent Force, Stardust.”
After their introductions, Eye-Tee remembered her task from the Commander, so she turned her attention to the soldiers standing behind the opposing leader.
Or to be more specific, the pilots of Hitman Team, the wolves of Sicario who struck fear into the hearts of the Federation itself. She couldn’t see their faces, as they, too, hid them with helmets.
Beside her, she heard Driver quietly growl.
“...what’s wrong?” She whispered, and she got her answer when a pilot on the other side responded with a tilt of their helmet. The two of them sized each other up silently, and for a moment she could see electricity colliding between their helmets. She analyzed the one glaring at her pilot when she had to swallow a gulp.
A white Crown on the side of the helmet.
Not a single pilot hasn’t heard of the crowned mercenary who drove away Crimson and cut his forces down by half. Driver had once expressed his desire to meet him, and now that they were here…
Shit, she needed to cut in between them, but this was a formal event, how in the world was she going to—
Suddenly, on the other side, a shorter figure next to the Crown quickly kicked him on the calf, interrupting the death stare between the aces.
Huh, fast and efficient. She liked that.
Eye-Tee did the same and quickly pinched Driver’s arm, snapping him back to reality and calming him down. Luckily, nobody noticed what had just happened, and everyone stood silent for the rest of the meeting.
For the next few seconds, it seemed that was going to be the end of any surprises…
That is, until the naval officer of the CIF stepped forward, drawing everyone’s attention. He walked over to K-9 and stared at them menacingly.
“I recognize those colors.” He glared, “You were the ones who killed my men at Magadan.”
“Woodward.” The opposing leader stated with a warning laced to it.
For a moment, the Captain’s glare intensified, and it seemed that he was about to lash out before suddenly backing down.
“...Hmph. Excuse me.” Woodward turned away and walked all the way back to where his forces were. The Sicario pilots glanced at him as he went away.
“It can’t be helped. He’s been our bitter enemy for so long.” Crystal Kingdom said sympathetically.
Brick was the next to react. “I don’t get along with invaders either.” He said out loud and turned around, “I’ll head back.”
The rest of K-9 looked back with sympathetic stares.
“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way… First, allow me to express my gratitude. Thank you for reaching out to us for a ceasefire.” Crystal Kingdom spoke stoically.
“Hm. Ignoring Woodward, it was certainly a surprise to meet you in these circumstances, kindred spirit of Cascadia.”
The Commander nodded. “Thank you for calling off the attack and setting up a meeting. It was a good decision.”
“Tch. He’s flattering him,” One of the officers behind Stardust spoke. “Disgusting.”
Admiral Pater took offence at that. “Hey, shut up, dirtbag!”
“You’re the noisiest one here!”
“Huh?!!”
Ignoring the childish banter of their officers, Stardust continued to talk without changing his expression. “It’s only for a few years. We don’t intend to get along with you.”
Crystal Kingdom nodded. “I understand that. However, if we’re going back to fighting each other, it wouldn’t hurt to talk face-to-face right now.”
Silence fell. A breeze flowed through the tent, making the tablecloth flap gently and the flags ripple violently. The frame of the tent began to shake as well, and the two leaders glared at each other with sharp eyes.
“Stardust, look! Defenseless Fed soldiers! Get them!”
“Bastard! Come and get it!”
Stardust snorted. “Stop messing around, General Morgan.”
“My bad.”
The leader of the CIF turned back to the Federation Commander. “I’ll accept your gratitude for today, but that would be unnecessary for the ceasefire, Crystal Kingdom.” Stardust smiled softly, “This ceasefire is greatly advantageous to us. Giving Brite Fortress was a blunder on your part.”
Crystal Kingdom smiled back softly as well. “We shall see.”
They shook hands, and that was the end of that.
The banquet that evening was a festive one, but Eye-Tee was never one for celebrations. For one, they were too loud. Two, the atmosphere was still too tense.
And three, she just wasn’t hungry at all. That was how she found herself wandering around the hangars of the base next to the city.
Plus, the Federation Forces were eating with the CIF together in the great hall of the giant building as well, which honestly couldn’t have ended well given the circumstances of the ceasefire. Especially that scary Captain Woodward… he seemed to have a deep grudge against her division.
Couldn’t blame him, though. If her comrades were also killed in cold blood, she would have reacted in the same way.
Sighing, she took off her jacket and leaned on Driver’s F/D-14. It was quite hot, and she didn’t want to stain her uniform, and keeping an eye on her designated plane felt just right, anyway.
Her mind wandered back to the deal. She hadn’t heard of it much, but Brite Fortress used to be one of the Federation’s largest armories. To give it up just like that for a few years was unheard of, but since they were in a war, this couldn’t have gotten any better.
At least this meant she could visit her hometown, now. Or maybe even get away from the mercenary work as a whole, start a new career in that Icarus Armories that she dreamed about…
Clank!
Her ears perked up in familiarity.
That sound… that was the sound of a wrench hitting an F/D-14, but it wasn’t her doing, nor was it their own plane. That must mean there was someone else nearby.
Curious, she leaned under the nose to see where the sound came from.
Clank!
…and found another F/D-14 parked right next to theirs, with a person diligently working on it. She couldn’t see his face, as it was blocked by a helmet, but going by the height and build, it was the same person who kicked the notorious Crown out of the staring contest with Driver.
Small world, huh.
She quickly put her jacket and helmet back on. “Hey!” She called out and walked out from her plane, waving at the mechanic with a friendly smile, before suddenly realizing that the oxygen mask blocked her expression anyway. “Ah, shit, the helmet’s blocking the, Uh, I mean, hi! Nice to eat you- fuck! I mean, nice to meet me! I mean, you!”
“Huh.” The mechanic had a surprisingly soft voice for a guy, “You were the girl who pinched the pilot glaring at Monarch earlier.”
“Yeah!” Come on, Eye-Tee. Get it together. “Uhm… I apologize on behalf of Driver. He’s been a… fan of your flight lead.”
The mechanic chuckled. “Who isn’t?” He slid down from the ladder in a single motion, wiped the dust and grime from his flight suit and gloves, and extended a hand out. “Callsign’s Prez, as in President. I may be a mechanic, but I’m also the idiot’s WSO.”
…fucking superstitions.
“Is that so?” She tried not to sound annoyed as she shook his hand, “What a coincidence! I’m also the WSO for my flight lead.”
Immediately, the Crown’s assistant gasped in excitement. “Are you!?” He clasped her hand with another and leaned in, “Tell me, tell me, tell me, did your flight lead ever do something so stupid that made you question your life choices!?”
“Dust Mother, yes!” Eye-Tee said excitedly, finally there was someone who could relate to her! “During our fight with Faust, he decided to weave through an entire barrage of railguns that covered the sky orange! Even though the safer option was to dive, he still threaded that needle like a maniac!”
“On our first encounter with Crimson, Monarch shook off their missiles by flying into a cordium refinery, hovering just a few meters above the lava!”
“Against Faust’s elites, Driver flew up so high that the engine stalled from the lack of an atmosphere, and he had to fall back down to re-enter the fight while restarting his engines!”
“Hah! One time Monarch decided to fly through a mountain! A friggin’ mountain! AND THERE WERE STILL ENEMIES INSIDE IT!”
“YOU TOO?”
From then on, the two WSOs laughed and giggled at each other’s stories for the rest of the evening. They even brought out some chairs and relaxed next to each other, talking about their lives and what stories their adventures had brought. At some point, Prez (Eye-Tee still couldn’t believe that she was talking about presidents the other day, and one just happened to show up) grabbed out some CDs and placed them in an audio player that somehow manifested into reality, and the two of them kicked up their feet and relaxed as the sun began to set.
“Didn’t know you liked Black Stripes.” Prez said with a chuckle, playing with his wrench like it was a simple toy, “You’ve got some taste in punk music, don’t ya, Fed-S-O?”
Eye-Tee flushed. “Oi! Just because we met doesn’t mean you get to call me nicknames!”
“Hey, it’s not like we know each other’s real names!” Prez argued back, “Come on, try it on me!”
“Okay! Okay! Let’s see… uh… rebel piece of shit!”
“Fuck you!” Prez pointed and laughed, and the two started wheezing again. “Right, right, but for real though, think hard about it.”
Eye Tee pursed her lips and closed her eyes. Well, he was a mechanic, right? So combine that with his emblem…
…his emblem?
“I got it! Seal of approval!” She yelled, pointing her thumb up and grinning wildly.
A crow could be heard cawing as the silence dragged on.
“Wow, really?” He deadpanned.
“OH COME ON, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY!! I DIDN’T KNOW THAT YOU-” She paused mid-rant as Prez actually burst out giggling just then, “Wh- huh?”
“I’m j-just fucking with you, girl, of course it was funny!” Prez’s giggles were full-on laughs now, “Hah! Your reaction was just so cute!! Haha!”
And it was then that, for a single split second, as if everything started fluttering… Eye-Tee saw that same glint in her dreams shining right around the WSO sitting next to her.
His helmet, shining. His black flightsuit, shining. His eyes, glittering. Like, what. What the Dust.
“Beautiful…” She muttered underneath her mask.
“Hm?” Prez paused and looked at her.
“Wh-! I said nothing! Nothing, I say! You’re hallucinating!” Fuck! How loud did she say that!? Shit, shit, shit! “I uhm uh uh wow it’s getting a little hot in here hahaaaa…” She wasn’t lying, it really was quite hot in Prospero. Was the base’s air conditioning broken?
“Here.” Prez leaned forward and tapped on her helmet, “If we’re fighting in a few years’ time, it won’t matter if I see your face again. Best we can do is just be comfortable in the moment, right?” He tilted his head and gave her a jolly eye-smile.
DUST DAMMIT HE WAS SO COOL AIEIEEEEE-
“S-sure, I guess…” Eye-Tee forced to stuff down the blush creeping up her neck, though it was clear she was failing miserably. “H-here, just lift it up from that side and…”
Click.
“Oop.”
The helmet fell down and so did her blonde hair, and she sighed in relief now that her collarbone was exposed to the fresh air. Even though the setting sun set its rays on her, it was a lot cooler than being in the helmet.
“Aaah, thank goodness, that was refreshing. Th-thanks a lot, Prez…” She turned around to see the other WSO staring. “Prez?”
“Uuuuh.” The other WSO blinked out of his trance. “Huh. Your hair looks great.”
“Thank… you? Were you staring?”
“No! I mean, uh, yes! I was! But not at you!” Now it was his turn to be embarrassed, but he still looked so cool waving his hands around, dammit! “It’s just… you’re sweating a bit.”
“O-oh yeah, uhm, yeah! I sweat a lot. I-it’s genetics, really.”
“Glad I brought something to wipe, then.” Regaining his composure, Prez leaned forward and took out a handkerchief, holding it up to her neck, “Here.”
Taking it, Eye-Tee started dabbing her sweat, feeling a bit bad and embarrassed that she didn’t bring a paper towel and was now using someone else’s personal handkerchief. Dust Mother, the others would not let her live this down if they heard about it!
Suddenly, something started blaring in the hangar. Cursing, Prez twisted around and took out his pager, deactivated it, and stood up with an annoyed look in his eyes.
“Sh-shit, I gotta go. Kaiser’s calling me, which means I’m gonna be working all night long. Dammit.” He pointed at the handkerchief she was holding, “Er, I think you can hold onto that for now? Just give it back to me later, m’kay?”
“L-later!?”
“Well, yeah! If we don’t see each other in Prospero, maybe we’ll meet at that Brit Fortress you guys gave us—”
“Brite Fortress!”
“Yeah, that one! And just, uh, give it to me then! Got it!? Okay, I really gotta go now seeyounexttimebye!!!”
With that, Prez started running and took off, practically leaving a dust trail behind him as he ran. As he disappeared off into the horizon, where the sun was about to set, she continued to see that particular glow almost radiating off of his figure.
After a few seconds, she let out a giant, smitten sigh.
And for once, Eye-Tee felt that, maybe perhaps, this little alliance between two opposing forces wasn’t a bad thing after all.
Later:
“Auuuggghhhh.” Prez collapsed onto the couch in exhaustion, her legs sore from running so fast. “Why meeeee….”
“Because for some reason you decided it was a good idea to fuck off while the rest of us were eating.” Kaiser glared at her with a twitch in his eyes. “Monarch even saved you a seat! And we were having prime rib! The best prime rib! You could barely even get a single slice of that meat without paying top credits!”
“I’m sorry! I wanted to work on our plane!”
“DIP WAS CRYING BECAUSE YOU MISSED SUCH A DELICIOUS, SUCCULENT MEAL!! LOOK AT HIM NOW, HE’S STILL SOBBING!”
Diplomat was indeed, in the corner of the room, sobbing and huddling his knees like he was traumatized. “Prez… missed out… on the best… dinner…” Comic simply patted him on the back in pity. Monarch gestured at his sobbing wingman like he was saying ‘this is all your fault’ while sipping on his water bottle.
“Hmph! Well, I wasn’t hungry anyway!” She pouted, wrinkling her nose at Kaiser, “I found something better than a five-star meal anyway!”
“Working on planes is not supposed to be that enjoyable, Prez.” Galaxy said as a matter-of-factly. “You’re not like Monarch who gets his kicks from finding worthy pilots to test his instincts. You saw who the Federation brought in, right? They immediately locked onto each other like two sidewinders!”
“You’re not helping.” She glared at him, “And no, it’s… uhm…” She blushed, “It’s not just working on planes…”
Monarch stopped drinking his water and stared at her.
Even Kaiser was shocked at the sudden change of expression.
“Oh fuck, she’s charmed,” Comic said, stupefied.
“WITH WHO?” Galaxy roared in anger, “WHO DARES TO HIT ON OUR PRECIOUS MECHANIC!? WHO!!?? I’LL TEAR HIS GUTS OUT!!”
“It’s not a guy, you idiots! I…” Prez blushed hard and hid her cheeks under her shirt, “I think… I’ve fallen for a girl on the Fed side.”
Even Dip and Galaxy paused to glance at her with bulging eyes.
And for the first time in what had to be years, Monarch opened his mouth.
“What.”
Later that night, Prez collapsed onto her bed and screamed into her pillow.
OhmyDustMotherOhmyDustMotherOhmyDustMotherOhmyDustMother-
She couldn’t stop thinking about that girl! That Fed Wizzo was just way too pretty! Just what type of cleanser did she use? What type of moisturizer? WHAT IN THE HELL WAS HER SKINCARE ROUTINE BECAUSE DEAR DUST SHE LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL IN THE SETTING SUN!!!
The way her hair flowed out magically after taking off her helmet, how it basked even more golden in the soft hues of the dimming sky, how her sweat made her skin glisten like she were coated in diamonds just like the golden figure in her dream the other night and and and and-
Prez started kicking her feet up and down while her face turned a tomato red, steam practically coming out of her ears as she felt hot all over the place because that damn damning damn Fed damn goddess was damning everywhere in her damn mind!
And to top it all off, she had given her the handkerchief that was so precious to her, on accident, because after that woman took off her helmet it was all downhill from there.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. She was such an idiot…
Eventually, Prez did manage to calm down after what felt like an hour of tossing and turning. Panting heavily, she closed her eyes and let out a laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
Her, a merc, falling for a Fed, at the height of the war, almost literally the worst time possible.
She was opposed to the ceasefire when Stardust announced it to everyone two days ago, but now, after meeting her…
Well, it seemed that a ceasefire for a few years might actually be a good thing after all.
“Eye-Tee, huh?” Prez whispered, the image of the golden girl’s face resonating in her mind, “I wonder if I’ll see you again…”
That night, she dreamt of golden sparkles and setting suns, and of handkerchiefs that were to be returned.