Vijaik Ace - Epilogue;

A woman with hair past her shoulders - The ends of which still showed faded traces of a cheap black dye - But the majority of which was a brilliantly deep crimson shade - Stepped head held high out of the doorway to a large grey detention-centre building.

She glanced around herself, not bothering to shade her lone uncovered eye from the sparse rays of sunlight that graced Bannerman city where she found herself.

Some metres in front of her she spotted her 'target' of attention. Standing by the gateway of the institution she had been staying in 'rent free' for the last six months - Was a well put together woman. Her age somewhere in the 20's, her hair an ill-defined shade of black or brown (the light from above on her eye made it her to tell).

She stood proudly, the posture of a model soldier, wearing what pasted for a formal IAFS uniform. The other woman seemed to spot the lady exiting the building in sync with her and saluted promptly. The red haired woman sighed, half-heartedly saluted back and made her way over to the gateway.

"What are you for then? Here to make sure I don't run off? Sheesh, you'd think 6 months would be long enough for people to stop staring over your shoulder constantly." The older of the two women muttered boorishly.

The younger, in the well kempt uniform, seemed to take this in her stride as though used to grumpy old veterans;

"I'm not exactly an escort no, I'm Ensign Hoki Bachika--" she said in a fittingly officerial tone of voice before offering out her hand,

"--and what should I refer to you as Warrant Officer Bela Grimizan? or--"

The Ensign continued, an inquisitive tinge to her last sentence.

The supposed 'Warrant Officer Grimizan' scoffed at the use of that name before interjecting into this 'Hoki's' sentence;

"I believe I already made it clear that ain't my name. And did you say Bachika?

Oh I get it you're that 'Houkai' woman right?"

The Ensign sighed a little,

"Quite a few have taken to calling me that yes, but it's really more my father's title--" Before she could finish she was once more interrupted;

"Ha! Now what could the daughter of that man possibly want with a little old convict like me?" 'Not-Bela' blurted, grinning almost menacingly at Miss.Bachika.

'Ensign Hokuai' sighed a second time before regathering her composure. She removed the hand she had outstretch and wordlessly began to trot leisurely out the gate and onto the sidewalk - Much to her satisfaction her new comrade begrudgingly did much the same.

"I'm here to ascertain a few details is all. Firstly will you continue to refuse in giving us your actual name? Further giving cause to those who've suggested your a TSU-s infiltrator, the very thing that lead to this first incarceration?

Secondly do you intend to stay with IAFS now that said Court-Marshalling has been served?" - She delivered both questions so matter-of-a-fact that it seemed the woman had already guessed the answers.

The so called 'convict' still walking a pace behind stared up at the red mid-day sky for a few moments after the questions, as thought making a final decision on her answers. Hoki copped this and stopped her stride to turn back and face the stoic warrior before her.

"Listen girly, I've still got some scores to settle, and anyway soldiering is all I know how to do - So no I ain't going anywhere. With that said I've had a lot of time ta' think and I've no further interest in being a Commander Grimizan to anyone, that ok Ma'am?"

Hoki nodded her agreement "Of course, Warrant Officer, that atleast won't be a problem."

Seemingly satisfied with this part of her declaration, the red haired woman folded her arms diffidently, then stared the 'Hokuai' dead in the eyes;

"As for the other thing, it might not be my birth name but I think it'll disprove any doubts of me bein' a 'TSU-spy' or whatever.

From here on out you can all refer to me by my title whether you like it or not - I'm the Scarlet Scourge. The one and alone.

The original back from hibernation, and if you or anyone else has got a problem with that then shove it!!"

This bold decree made Hoki simply stood staring for a time.

Had the line been delivered by anyone else she was confident she would of lost all control and burst into laughter from the cringe factor alone - But coming from this woman, covered in scars, still wearing her prison attire with a pair of briefs just short enough to show the woman's prosthetic leg beneath.

With that dark, swelling red hair, flowing behind her and the face of an experienced warrior further extenuated by the almost proud eyepatch over her right eye - Her left staring daggers at all who crossed it - In that moment Hoki felt like she could finally understand what it meant to truly be 'an ace amongst aces' of piloting.

Coming from the family she did, Hoki was well aware of what a title like that meant. Most Ace pilots had garnered these, usually unofficial, nicknames during the First War and usually from amongst their own subordinates as a mark of respect.

Few had gained such names in peace time for obvious reasons but among the ranks of the States Union's fleets, the most tenacious of Abhlien remnant forces had been imparted with their own peace-time titles.

Among those the Scarlet Scourge had stood tall and proud, been one of the most feared enemy pilots during those years of and after the war. Hoki knew all this well, furthermore she was well aware of the fact the woman formerly known by the fake pseudonym of, 'Bela Grimizan' was in all likelihood that very ace in front of her now - And yet still she found herself taken aback by the woman.

----

"Yo, the hell you gawking at now kid?!" The complaint had come from 'Scarlet'.

Hoki coughed into her hand with a slight degree of embarrassment at a her lack of professionalism, before taking a file she haf held under one arm over the course of the conversation, and handing it to Scarlet.

Scarlet turned it on and began to scan through the available information.

"So this is the new gig huh?" She asked without looking up from the files.

Hoki nodded in response; "Indeed, a new team is being put together in order to take the strain off the Tradech, as well as to test certain new tactics - And for the purposes of 'Operation Deadlight.' "

"Deadlight Huh? Sounds interesting, anything worth all of this effort?" Scarlet responded grinning a little in anticipation.

"If the rumours are to be believed than maybe. How does an invisible Troy-class ship, accompanied by an experimental high performance Casnel sound to you?"

Hoki replied back offering her own grin in return.

Scarlet glanced up, clearly surprised at the mention of such a lofty target; "So what, me and a group of other top pilots in the newest machines go to hunt down this thing? Sounds fun!"

"Ah, well not exactly. As part of the operation we will be making use of the new V-MBT-Neo-C however if you move to that page--"

Hoki leaned in while still talking to move the page on the tablets display forwards;

"-- you'll see that we're going to be doing the trail run for how well Neo's can be effectively customised to their pilots needs. Hopefully with a goal for this to be rolled out across the whole of the organisation and in doing so reduce the somewhat high causality rates of pilots as of late."

She finish, clearly this part of the conversation had been pre-scripted as it were.

Scarlet's early enthusiasm seemed to wain a-little at the sight of the Neo's rather mundane specifications - But before saying anything a particular file picture caught her interest;

"This is?" She half muttered to herself.

"Hmmm? Oh that, I happened to be passing near Glas-Noa on a particular errand and found a Gen 1 Heavy-type mech in strange colours - Just floating around near a former battlefield - I didn't have the room to take it all back with me, but it's weapons and some of the armour - The Shoulder plates with all those names in particular - Looked like they might still be useful."

Hoki said non-chalantly, trying to avert her eyes away.

Scarlet pinched the screen to look closer at the picture - At a series of names on one shoulder in particular.

Hoki didn't bother waiting for any more questions, the interview was clearly over;

"You can use Scarlet as a first name but you will have to go with 'Grimizan' for the surname - That alright Warrant Officer?" She held out an old fashioned paper contract, backed by an old-school clipboard.

Scarlet offered out her hand to the Ensign before speaking, "Understood, I'm in."

The End