Outpost 40
The dropship had landed by sunrise, everyone disembarked and we're sent to different quarters to recover, change and get ready for departure to their outposts.
Kanesaki, Sakaguchi and Nishihara were escorted to their own reserve quarters, along with a few survivors also from outpost 34. Hirabayashi was sent to the medical sector, Yasuko had recovered on the ship and was discharged on arrival, sent to her outpost's reserve quarters.
Nishihara and Sakaguchi went to showers to clean up with the other troops, Kanesaki went to follow, but was stopped by two guards.
'Chimera showers are down the hall.'
Eyebrows furrowed, Kanesaki groaned, turning around and heading for the showers to change.
He stood silently for a brief moment, the water cascading down his body as the scars burned, healing slowly over time - much less severe and the night before.
Head down, water dripping from his face, he thought back to the fight with the rogue, Tashiro.
What was he on about? Why was he rogue? What mission led to his rebellion? How did that Yatzul form so quickly - and why did my weapon's ability work on it?
The questions poured through his mind, his brain straining from the confusion, the sound of the falling water soothing it.
Then he heard it.
A strange sound - an odd 'Flip-Flip-Flip'
Wet sandals slapping tile.
His eyes opened, just a little. Someone else had entered the showers. He pondered for a moment on who would be in the Chimera showers.
There was humming. Off-key. Familiar.
He turned his head slightly, water streaming down his brow.
Yasuko stepped into view, completely casual, completely undressed, towel slung over her shoulder, humming a cheerful tune that had no business being in a military base.
Kanesaki froze. So did his brain.
'…Y-Yasuko!?'
She blinked, turning her head like a puppy hearing its name.
'Oh, hey, Kanesaki!'
There was no recognition of the situation. No embarrassment. Just a bright smile, like they were passing in a hallway.
He turned fully now - but kept his eyes forward like a soldier under sniper fire.
'Y-You're… in the wrong-! This is my side..!'
Yasuko blinked again. 'Oh? Wait - your side? So what, am I supposed to go to a different shower dude? There aren't any more!'
She tilted her head, walking casually to the next showerhead over, switching it on as if nothing was wrong.
'We're Chimera, they don't care about gender mixing these things, man.'
Kanesaki kept his back to her, pressing his forehead into the wall like it might grant him salvation.
'Yasuko… please, at least turn around...'
'What?' she asked, rubbing shampoo into her hair. 'You're not even my type, don't flatter yourself.'
He twitched. 'That's not-! It's about basic privacy!'
'Oh relax,' she said through a mouthful of bubbles. 'You think I haven't seen a body before?'
'Kinda,' Kanesaki mumbles under his breath.
There was a long pause. The only sound was the running water and Yasuko's unapologetic humming.
Kanesaki sighed, utterly defeated, and reached for the body wash with a shaky hand.
'Next time, at least… knock?'
'In the shower?'
'…You know what, never mind.'
Kanesaki just continued washing, eyes confused, cheeks a deep red, still flustered.
A few minutes later, the showers finally hissed to a stop. Steam clung to every surface like a fog after battle, and Kanesaki quickly wrapped a towel around his waist with the speed of a cheetah. He moved with rigid purpose, avoiding eye contact, eyes trained firmly on the floor as he grabbed his folded uniform from the bench.
Yasuko, however, was taking her time. She wandered casually across the dressing room, still toweling off her hair, completely unbothered by anything resembling modesty.
Kanesaki had his trousers on in record time, yanking his shirt over his scarred chest like he was shielding his soul, hastily working on the buttons.
'I still can't believe you walked in like that…'
'What?' Yasuko said, wringing her hair out with one hand, holding her shirt in the other. 'Besides, you looked like you needed someone to talk to. Figured I'd multitask.'
'Multitask?! We were naked, Yasuko!'
She gave a long, dramatic shrug. 'Not my fault you're weird about it Kanesaki.'
He groaned, running a hand down his still-damp face.
Yasuko smirked and finally started tugging on her own cargo pants.
'Aw, poor you. Want me to look away next time?'
'There shouldn't be a next time!'
She tossed her damp towel at him. It landed on his head with a wet slap.
'Lighten up, soldier. You're cute when you're flustered, y'know that?'
He sputtered beneath the towel, tossing it off and glaring weakly.
'I'm not flustered.'
'Oh, you're so flustered,' she said, finally pulling her top over her bra, it only went slightly past her chest, revealing her semi-toned midsection.
He turned away, cheeks still burning, muttering under his breath.
'I hope you get torn in two by a Yatzul next time...'
Yasuko grinned and slung her arm around his shoulder as they headed for the hallway. 'You'd miss me though, soldier...' She leaned in. 'You definitely would.'
Kanesaki groaned again, this time with a tired smile. Yasuko moved off him, turning down the hall as he went the other way.
Pulling his dark red coat over his shoulders, fitting his arms through them, he made his way down the hall as Yasuko shouted down at him.
'Gonna miss ya, Soldier! And tell that beefed up officer that I'm saving him next time!'
Smiling to himself, Kanesaki waved back as he walked the other way.
***
The halls buzzed with low chatter and the distant rumble of idle machinery. Kanesaki's boots echoed softly on the metallic floor as he passed technicians and exhausted soldiers moving like ghosts through the quiet aftermath of chaos. He adjusted the collar of his coat, still damp from the shower, and felt the weight of everything settle back onto his shoulders.
As he neared the reserve quarters, the door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing Sakaguchi seated at the small table in the corner, arms crossed and eyes closed. His breathing was steady but shallow - half meditation, half fatigue. Across from him, Nishihara stood in silence, arms resting along the windowsill, gaze fixed outward toward the smoldering skyline of the ravaged airbase.
Kanesaki stepped in, the door sealing shut behind him. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic, metal, and dried sweat.
Sakaguchi opened one eye. 'You look like you've had a spiritual experience.'
Kanesaki gave a tired chuckle. 'Something like that.'
Nishihara didn't turn from the window, his voice low and rough. 'You dry off before putting that coat on?'
Kanesaki raised a brow. 'You keeping track of hygiene habits now?'
'I'm just saying, you're gonna catch pneumonia before the next deployment.'
Kanesaki walked over, dropping onto the seat across from Sakaguchi. 'With our luck, probably mid-firefight.'
Sakaguchi cracked a smile. 'Least we'll die clean.'
Silence settled over the trio. The kind that wasn't uncomfortable, just worn down. The kind you only share with people who bled beside you.
Nishihara eventually turned from the window and grabbed his gear bag from the cot nearby. His movements were slower now, more deliberate. He looked like someone running out of fumes.
'You alright?' Kanesaki asked, watching him.
Nishihara paused at the door, glancing over his shoulder.
'I will be.'
That was all he said before turning again, grabbing his coat and slinging it on with a smooth motion.
Kanesaki looked to Sakaguchi.
'He talk much after we landed?'
'Not a word,' Sakaguchi muttered, rubbing his temple. 'Don't blame him. He killed his old friend with his own hands. That doesn't go away fast.'
Kanesaki stood slowly, grabbing his bag from the floor.
'Then we stay close. He doesn't need to talk about it - but we don't let him carry it alone.'
Sakaguchi nodded, pushing himself up.
'Agreed.'
The intercom overhead crackled to life.
'Outpost 34 shuttle departing in 15 minutes. Report to the hangar immediately.'
Sakaguchi looked to the others. 'That's us.'
The three gathered what they had, strapping in the last of their gear, fatigue still heavy in their bones - but duty even heavier. As they stepped out of the quarters and into the corridor, the weight of survival, death, and quiet camaraderie hung in the air between them.
No one said much. They didn't have to.
They were soldiers again. Broken, bloodied - but not done.
As they approached the shuttle bay, the doors slid open to reveal the transport prepped and waiting, engines humming with life.
They boarded without fanfare, the ramp closing behind them with a low clang - sealing off the last chapter of the massacre behind them.
And as the ship lifted from the ruins of the base, heading for the next horizon, the only thing that remained was the quiet thrum of motion and the bond of those who had endured.
As the shuttle's engines built to a low roar, the final loading hatch hissed open one last time. A soft whirr followed - a subtle hum of hover tech.
Gliding silently into the cargo bay, Hirabayashi's med-pod hovered just inches above the floor, its sleek Takemoto Corp casing glinting faintly under the flickering lights. The reinforced glass canopy was misted from within, her form barely visible, illuminated by the soft blue of the pod's stabilisation lights.
A medical tech walked beside it, one hand on the control panel built into the side. He guided it with practiced ease, maneuvering it into the docking port along the shuttle's interior wall where clamps clicked into place.
Inside, Hirabayashi remained still - unmoving, unconscious. Her skin was pale, lips faintly split, burns lining her arms and neck. Tiny needles fed stimulants and painkillers through her system, her vitals displayed quietly on the pod's side. A few errant sparks still blinked through the cracked wreckage of her once-pristine combat suit.
The tech gave one last check, then stepped away.
From across the bay, Kanesaki turned his head as the soft thrum faded. His eyes lingered on the pod, just for a moment.
She was safe.
And that was enough.
As the shuttle leveled out in the sky, the low hum of the engines gave way to a steadier rhythm. The rumble beneath their boots faded just enough for the interior's soft alerts and status chimes to become audible.
Nishihara sat near one of the side benches, hunched forward with his arms on his knees, lost in his own silence. His gaze didn't move - until a soft beep echoed in his earpiece.
He blinked, slow and sluggish, then tapped the side of his comms unit.
'Officer Nishihara. Transmission incoming — priority channel. Patch from Outpost 34, ID confirmed.'
The voice was clipped, efficient — one of the support officers from base.
Nishihara straightened slightly. 'Go ahead.'
His brows lifted slightly, and for the first time since he'd stepped on the ship, his eyes seemed to fully focus.
Kanesaki, seated across from him and adjusting the cuff of his coat, looked up curiously. 'Something up?'
Nishihara leaned back, exhaling through his nose with a tired smirk.
'Looks like our captain's finally back.'
Kanesaki's expression tensed — just a fraction. 'Seriously?'
'Yeah,' Nishihara said, nodding slowly. 'Guess we've got a hell of a debrief coming.'
The words hung in the air for a moment - a strange mix of relief and renewed tension settling between them.
Outside, the shuttle cut through the clouds toward the far horizon, where the jagged outline of Outpost 34 slowly came into view - grey, cold, and waiting.
Chapter 32 - end