Secretly to Arms (Sub-plot Prequel)

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[Open to Aden Williams and Tristan Leodegrance]

Reluctantly, Tristan returned to the military wing in the Tokyo Settlement headquarters. Anderson had provided him the necessities to see this mission done, but a handgun and a Britannian uniform weren't what Tristan normally liked to bring to a fight. Though Anderson knew it was likely that even the handgun was unnecessary given Tristan's metamorphosis, the blonde-haired Britannian hadn't yet realized what exactly he was capable of. Aside from being shot point-blank and surviving, that is...

With hurried steps, the Captain moved through the halls. Past offices, past guards, past those who would've otherwise recognized him and delayed his progress if he moved any slower. His identification card would give him access to what he wanted. Human interaction only increased the chance that he would be held back from accomplishing what he set out to do.

"Her Highness..." Tristan thought to himself, his eyes opening slightly wider as he realized something. The 'highness' he was referring to wasn't the young princess he intended to rescue, but the one who was likely trying to rescue him. Sylvana li Britannia...

The frantic young man was torn. On one hand, he wanted to find her and assure her he was alive and well. Relatively well, anyway. But deep in his heart, he knew that he wasn't the same Tristan she saw days prior. The fragile, mortal man who had taken a sniper's bullet and - against her will - kept her from harm had died on the operating table deep within that haunted city, with its violet glow and eerie hum. He couldn't see her now. Perhaps when he had done what he set out to do, he could be free for a moment, but not now...

[OOC: Come on in while Tristan's vulnerable, Aden ]

[aden]

Aden theses day truly was a morbid site to see he found the government to be very ineffective right now. Their was a princess in need of rescue and no one had been dispatched, *Only if... if we had some one like Tristan.* that captain had gone missing though, but Aden was sure that he would be the man for the job. Aden took some time to reflect on himself, and his shortcomings in Area 18. Given that information Aden was in no position to judge the military's action anymore, and in fact even though Aden still held the rank of major he was given the simplest of tasks.

(Assuming your going for high ranked military items.) Aden had been stationed to a small officer armament bunker. Simple job of logging all the check-outs and so on... Aden was just about to check out for the day when some one walked in, but they had their head down low. Aden could not make out who it was, but it was not one of the usual captains. "Can i help you sir?" Aden said as he hoped the counter walking up to the man. The man appeared to be in a hurry but he had stopped like he was in a trance.

Now standing right next to the man Aden could see the pensive mood in this mans eyes he was abusively lost in thought, but he was also sad you could tell by the eyes. The bizarre nature of what was happening had altered Aden's mind from even recognizing that it was Tristan Leodegrance the captain he had been thing about only moments before. "Sir why is it that your eyes read like the ending of a Shakespearean tragedy? What pains you sir?" there was something to be said right now about the feeling a subordinate felt for those great heroes in the military, for when he can read the pain on the hero's face without knowing him personally it truely shows the reach of one man.

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Tristan wanted to reply with "You have no idea", but that sounded both assuming and...well, unimportant. He really hoped the young Major had no idea what pain he harbored inside. It wasn't something any man should know, and it wasn't Tristan's choice to have it brought down on his own body. It was that damn Anderson...

Still, Aden snapped him back into the moment. It seemed that the place was relatively cleared out, except for he and the Major, obviously. Regardless, the thought had crossed Tristan's mind. He had been seen, and he wasn't supposed to be. Anderson had said that he was supposed to stay hidden and remain in the guise of a typical soldier. After he organized the Britannian response during that incident with the new 'Zero' and stepped in during the attempted assassination of the First Princess, Tristan wasn't exactly unheard of in Area 11 - and with the current task at hand, the last thing he needed was attention.

Anderson, and more likely Hebe, would want him to kill Aden. Anderson would, simply because it would be the most direct way to fix the situation. Hebe would, because...well, she was Hebe. Though it wasn't Aden's fault, he had seen what Anderson didn't want seen, and he knew what he was supposed to do. Kill everyone who saw him, Britannians and Elevens alike. Then again, Tristan wasn't very fond of Anderson...

"Are you off duty, Major?" the Captain asked bluntly.

[aden]

The Captain never addressed what Aden had asked he guessed that it had something to do with the question being of a too personal manner. The simple rebuttal of a question that was off subject was alright with Aden for some reason. Usually his block head mentality would not have accepted it and ruined any form of conversation by being to obtrusive in the one topic of speech. Aden was not off duty, but like every other day when he left early no one would notice, plus he was sure what ever Tristan wanted it would be exciting.

Aden had longed for the action that came from being on the battle field, or even around the battle field, yet Aden had not trusted himself to be in control of any men. Those were not only his views they were shared by the top brass in the government. Aden estimated by Tristan's rushed deminer and the fact that there had been no chatter of his return that what ever he was doing was small and secret... Aden would go on this adventure if that in fact was what he was offering. After all all of Aden's previous thought were based on one assumption that Tristan was on some mission, and he wanted Aden to come with him.

"Yes captain i am off duty for three days i was about to go on leave." The aspect of him leaving on leave was in fact a very true thing, but it didn't start for three hours.

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"Good. I'm technically on leave, myself. Medical leave, as far as I'm aware," the Captain responded. There was something odd about him, but it wasn't very noticeable to those who hadn't known him very well. He was normally very friendly, but now he was direct and precise. Aden has asked him what was wrong, but Tristan could only think of the mission he was about to embark upon. Was it for Anderson, or Britannia? Or was it for Ayame herself? Or even, Sylvana?

Shaking his doubts, Tristan said, "I'm moving out to complete a black ops maneuver, Major. It is being led, carried out, and completed by myself and myself alone. None of the Council or command know about it, as it's something I'm doing off-the-record."

He was stuck on course, now.

"There are rumors that Ayame li Britannia is being held by the Black Knights on Penglai Island, a man-made body off the coast of the Chinese Federation. If you know your history, you'll understand the significance of this location. I am mobilizing to infiltrate this base and extract Her Highness, disguised as a Britannian infantryman to keep my identity hidden and prevent any backlash," the Captain explained, leaving out the part about his new abilities and the experiment he was testing by going on this mission, "You are welcome to join me, though it's obviously not an order. There will be no promotion waiting or reports to file if we return. The only gain in succeeding comes from the return of the Princess and the deaths of however many terrorists get in our way."

Tristan was notably more grim than he used to be. He would've sugar-coated it or made it seem more...virtuous. It made no difference in what they were about to do though. It was war, and the life of the princess, as well as the safety of the Empire, was at stake.

[aden]

Medical leave as far as Aden could tell Tristan was in perfect condition, and he certainly would not be going out on a mission, black ops mission, if he was hurt. This was all very puzzling to him, but now was not the time to reflect on that. Tristan was offering some thing serious he was talking about what Aden had been thinking about moments before, saving the Ayame Li Britannia. It was only when Tristan mentioned how there would be no glory involved in the victory of the mission. That was no good no good at all.

Aden's very driving force was to make his mark on history and doing stuff where he would not be recognized would only serve to defeat that goal, but what if this led to something else. This mission could make Tristan and the Princess trust him, thus giving him an opportunity to work for them again, and possibly that time would be in the public's view. The last thought that came to mind was the fact that Aden could always spill the story when they got back there was nothing keeping him from blabbing after all.

"I understand that it is not an order sir, but it feels like it is my duty because of the oath that i took when i joined this military that i need to take this opportunity to go with you and bring back the princess." He said with a small smirk and it was impart true a small piece of him felt that way, but would that small piece be in-control after the mission?

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Tristan nodded.

"Good," he responded, "Then get an infantry uniform and mask, whatever arms you prefer, and meet me at the docks in half an hour. There will be a boat waiting to take us to Penglai, where we'll infiltrate the Black Knight base and rescue Ayame li Britannia."

The blue-eyed Captain gave a salute, ready to move along. He had already knew where his equipment was, and it was just a quick task to get it from his office. Aden, on his part, could be trusted to get ready and meet him in Shinjuku without delay, and that was all that mattered at the moment. Despite the salute, Tristan wasn't really concerned with military procedure at the moment. This was a bit beyond all that...

"Set your comm link to channel thirty-three. I'll check in with you in a half hour, and make sure you know which boat to find. I don't like surprises, so until then, that will be all," Tristan concluded.

[aden]

Tristan's plan was simple precise, and well naive just two against the forces of the Black Knights standing army at their capitol, with no such stealth training Aden was becoming a bit worried. He would go though as it would be a great honor to venture out in pursuit of the lost princess. Aden nodded to the comments made in jester of the Commlink, and then he parted ways with Tristan until later at the boat. Aden left the small officers locker, which he did not have permission to use anything from as he headed to his quarters.

Once Aden was in his quarters he tried not to think about the mission at all, because he did not want to cause second thoughts until he was on the boat with no chance of return. Aden changed into the infantry outfit. Aden then proceeded to crab his two pistols, and four extra clips of ammo. Aden searched all over for a mask, before he found one. Stashing it away in the inside pocket of his uniform Aden set out for the shjuku district without delay.

Aden took the bus instead of his own car he figured that this way would be quite well quiet. Aden calmly sang a simple nursery rhyme over in his head another one of his stall tactics to thinking about it. Aden walked around the docks for awhile before he remembered that he had to turn his comm link to thirty-three. Aden did so, and then spoke "This Aden come in, I need to know where the Boat is at. I am currently by Dock number four on pier eight."

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Suddenly, as if he were waiting, Tristan's voice came through the comm.

"Go East to Dock Three, Pier Five. The boat will be the only one without a Britannian flag on it. I'll be inside the cabin...waiting..." he informed the young Major.

On his end, Tristan was...well, it couldn't be called nervous. He didn't think it could be called that, since he knew it would be very unlikely that he would die on this mission, given what Anderson had done to him. He was...not human. Not mortal. Yet, still...he wasn't immortal like Hebe. If Anderson used something from Hebe to make him into what he was, it still wasn't the same as the original. Despite his body's new capabilities, he wasn't a god...he could still die. But now wasn't the time for that. He had Ayame to rescue and bring home to her family. To...

"Sylvana..." Tristan uttered to himself, the name seeming to echo in the midnight ocean breeze.

[Touya Sakamoto]

-Thread Finished-

Tristan Leodegrance: (1168 Words, Normal RP) - 127 EXP, 127 Credits [+10]
Aden Williams: (1130 Words, Normal RP) - 123 EXP, 123 Credits [+10]

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