The Search of the Old Archive[IC-SEMIOPEN, I guess]

"Aaaaaahhh!" Haruna practically screamed through her gritted teeth as she continued to thump on Alexander's shoulder. Thankfully for the closed door, the Pinks and Angelo could not hear their exchange, otherwise surely they'd think that a Great Admiral of the Federated Colonies was doing something funny to a Vice-Admiral of the Jupiterran Star Fleet. Alexander's comments were just what she wished to hear, and what she did not want to hear from someone who she'd have just began to know. Although she practically threw away her professional image to Alexander, Haruna wanted to make sure of several things.

"Don't tell anyone..." Haruna said as she glared at Alexander. "Dont. Not even... No one! Especially not to a Jupiterran. Definitely not Kanzaki, nor Gaius!" Her face was completely red, hearing Alexander's comments, first she felt pride at keeping her form well, then she felt weird, when she remembered the sensation, and finally the embarrassment kicked in. At least, it was Alexander, not some Invader freak or even Omega. Their touches really threatened to steal her soul, while Alexander's hand only seemed to make Haruna wish to banish his.

Moving to the edge of a bed, Haruna looked back at Alexander, who was still trying to say something. It was then that she noticed the small smile on his face, probably the expression of a male after feeling a girl's assets. Thinking of a way to enact a small bit of revenge, Haruna turned an evil stare at Alexander, who immediately looked up at his second-in-command.

"Well, Great Admiral... do not be so smug. You might have felt them, but it was in virtual reality. You have yet to feel the real stuff, and I, Shimazaki Haruna, tell you, Alexander Werther, that it will take much more than sweet words and actions for your to achieve that." Haruna said triumphantly. "Oh and..."

Moving back to Alexander, Haruna took his hands into hers. "I'm sorry. I forgot to ask. Were you wounded anywhere during the battles on the old ship? As your second in command, I should have been more aware."

Haruna continued to look at Alexander, not answering his question as she led him towards the bed. After getting him to lie on her bed, which was actually below his in the living quarters, Haruna took out a large medical case from a cabinet. Removing Alexander's top, Haruna sighed at the scars and wounds suffered from the ordeal. Alexander's arm was badly pricked, his chest and ribs too, not to mention his neck, where Omega bit into.

"You... are not alright. That phrase... between us, is mine and mine alone. Haruna is alright. Alright?" Taking a medicated swab, Haruna began to dab the little pricks from the vines, the bruises from the chains, and the bite on his neck. Alexander felt a numbing sensation where Haruna pressed the swab into, as the pain slowly ebbed away. He could almost sleep there and then, but the sight of Haruna bending over him was enough to keep him awake, blushing as her assets came really close to his face while she dabbed on his neck. Haruna did not notice the change of colour on his face, or did not care, as she dutifully took another swab and dabbed it into a green chemical. The first swab was to sterilise the wounds, while this swab would encourage a human's body to accelerate healing through sleep. Haruna explained every stage of what she was doing, like a dutiful nurse tending to a patient. There was nothing much which can be done with the bruises inflicted by the chains, but Haruna took out another ointment, rubbing it over Alexander torso, covering every bruised area.

"I can tell, if you are lying... I am a person of higher perception after all." Haruna muttered. Alexander could tell from the tone that Haruna was not boasting, was no longer having her aggressive attitude earlier, but was back to her caring, professional self. "Sometimes, I wonder if it was a curse, that I would be born this way." Flipping Alexander over with some effort, Haruna began a massage on Alexander's battered and bruised self, drawing some cries of pain as she began the treatment. "They call me a girl who appears once every ten thousand years. I wonder if that is true, and whether it is a badge of honour, or a burden of expectations. Beauty, Brains, Body... everyone called me that. I was a celebrity born out of my genes, not of my choosing."

Haruna focused especially on Alexander's shoulders, where she could feel the strains of combat causing the muscles to tighten, potentially causing an ache the next day. "Privacy, what's that? I did not live a life experienced by the usual Jupiterran. Everywhere I went was prestigious, sponsored by the government. To make me into something they wanted me to be, an icon of Jupiterra. Shimazaki Haruna, the perfect Jupiterran, the pinnacle of natural human evolution since the Genius classification appeared. Gifted, not by perfect genes, but by genes directly from God."

She worked on his arms next, squeezing them to release the tension. "The spotlight was on me. My own home was no longer a home. The moment I stepped out, a camera was following me. Every year, documentaries of my life would be compiled and sold in the entertainment circles. Invitations for model shoots, talk shows, diplomatic meetings, I received them all. I see my face in the streets of Jupiterra, I see myself in advertisements. I had my own fan base, even though all I did was try to live a life."

Moving on to Alexander's legs, Haruna continued. "I had no boyfriend, no partner. As I told you, you were the first, ever, to come that close to me. The first to kiss me, the first to... *ahem*, to take me out on a date. Every person who I talked to was interviewed, every friend I had was paid millions for revealing more of my life. You were my first, in many ways. And keep that smile off your face." Slapping his back, Haruna drew a small cry of protest from Alexander, who was smiling a little at that part, as he listened intently to Haruna's story.

"My parents finally listened to me. They did not know who I was, at fourteen, I was no longer their child. They were losing their daughter to the claws of propaganda, who only wanted more, and more. Every day was millions of people logging in to the tabloids, following my every movement everywhere. I was suffocated, I was trapped. We fled Jupiterra, and sought a new life in KR Muscae. We did not make it." Alexander could feel something wet drip onto his back as Haruna worked on his shoulders and neck again, commenting that those parts of his body were especially stiff.

"We got attacked, by pirates. They were coming for me. They got the information of our departure, the exact ship, a Star Liner, and intercepted us. Father and Mother tried to protect me, and they paid the price. The pirates, they wanted me. They wanted to exploit me, in ways which no one could begin to imagine. Only the intervention of the Star Fleet, of Star Admiral Gaius, who was just a captain at that time, saved me. He personally crashed his Gale fighter into the Liner and fought against pirates and aliens with his personal weapon, as his cruiser under Fleet Admiral Kanzaki battled the pirates. The cruiser was outnumbered, but she prevailed. Kanzaki... she suffered a blasted panel to the hip. Unable to give birth, and walking hurts her sometimes. The only time when I was truly happy, was when Gaius took me to see Kanzaki as proof of a life saved, among others. That was how... I got into the Star Fleet."

Finishing her massage, Haruna turned Alexander back to face her. Her golden eyes were rimmed with tears, and slightly red. "We were forced to separate, Jupiterra wanted me back, wanted to continue their propaganda program, sweep the entire pirate attack under the rug, say that it was part of a military exercise to demonstrate the power of the Star Cruisers, with me as a willing participant. Gaius Silverheart nearly rebelled against the government then, and the entire Fleet would have followed him, but the politicians relented. They still wanted to send the media after me, but Gaius made sure I was always away, on assignment, changing ships often to throw them off track. My official dossier says I served in four, I actually served in seventeen. Imagine the faces of the crew when I suddenly appeared among the crew one day."

Sniffing away her tears, Haruna sat down next to Alexander as she used her hair to hide her face for a moment. Several moments actually, before Haruna was able to speak again.

"That's my story, Great Admiral. I have committed yours to memory, and it is only proper that I recount my own to you. Now, we have no secrets. You know the past, of Vice Admiral Shimazaki Haruna, Second-in-Command, to Great Admiral Alexander Werther." Haruna ended, a smile on her face, even as tears continued to roll out of her eyes.

Haruna nodded as Alexander tried to comfort her. They both had vastly different backgrounds, Alexander's story of tragedy, while Haruna was one of exploitation. Regardless, she was grateful as Alexander began to dab the wound on her neck. Despite it being several hours, the injury left mental scars, the pain resurfacing every once in a while. Alexander also attempted to look at her other bruises, but just as he tried to shift her shoulder, Haruna gave him a disapproving look, one which quickly turned into a softer one as she understood. Alexander's awkwardness, he still wasn't the best around girls, but he will learn. Haruna told herself that she would look to see Alexander grow into a fine man, not just an able commander, but a fine partner should their relationship last.

Smiling as Alexander assured her of his support, Haruna gave his nose a slight pinch.

"And I''ll be here for you too, Alexander. Thank you for listening... Thank you for allowing me to join your command. But now, you must rest." Haruna said, just as Alexander began to feel the effects of the medicine. Haruna gently laid Alexander down onto the bed, seeing his eyes start to droop. At the last moment, she gave the black-haired boy a kiss in the lips, feeling his return, just as he fell asleep.

Knowing that she too was under the influence of the medicine, Haruna quickly moved to the cockpit with the medicine box, where the Pinks assured her that Angelo would be fine. Stumbling back to the bunks, Haruna realised that she would not make it back to her bed, which requires climbing up from a ladder. Instead, Haruna found herself next to Alexander as she placed on his bed, right next to him. Realising that Alexander would find a cold and vulnerable Haruna when he wakes, Haruna smiled at the thought, and simply closed her eyes as sleep took hold of her...

As the transport ended it's FTL journey, the JRSF Kongou was on hand to receive it. Although the transport's communicators were down, it's signature still registered on the particle sensors (PARDAR) of the Jupiterran ships. It's bay doors opening, the Battlecruiser received the transport, as Alexander and the others were finally secure. On the transport, Haruna adjusted her uniform, a spare suit located in the transport. Her shoulder ranks were empty, but she was Shimazaki Haruna after all. Helping Angelo and the Pinks adjust their attire, she went to Alexander last, as the two would be leading their contingent... the only survivors from a force of tens of thousands of men. Seeing Haruna about to cry, Alexander instinctively gave her a hug, ignoring the stares of the other three in the transport. Nodding her thanks, Haruna broke off from Alexander as they entered the Kongou.

The atmosphere was cold, distant, a totally different scene from the usual talkative and joyful Jupiterran behavior. Jupiterran crewmen avoided making eye contact with the small group, as the marines curtly greeted and saluted them. Was it because they faulted them for the loss of the Yui? The loss of so many Jupiterrans? In the history of the Star Fleet, the incident days ago was the event which the Star Fleet has suffered the greatest loss of life ever. Entering the Command Center, Alexander, Haruna and the others could see that it was deserted, except for one person. Sitting on a hoverchair, Fleet Admiral Kanzaki Silverheart turned and hovered towards them, returning the salute. 

"It's good... to have you back... Alexander, Haruna, and the others..." Kanzaki spoke with a strained voice. Her face looked ragged, like she has not slept well for days. "The loss of the Yui was... unfortunate. Gaius understood, and the others understood. You do not need to blame yourself for that. Everybody achieved their missions in the end... Gaius... He is not here... He has to settle some issues at Jupiterra."

Seeing Kanzaki struggle to get the words out, Haruna shook her head. "No. No, Kanzaki... what happened? Tell me the truth, please." Haruna said as she crouched in front of her godmother, placing her hands on Kanzaki's arms.

Kanzaki's hand instinctively flew up, ready to slap Haruna, even as everyone looked in shocked. However, the hand stopped an inch away from Haruna's face, before Kanzaki gently stroked her adopted daughter's face. "They took him. The Government. They wanted an explanation for you getting injured, they wanted an explanation for us coming to terms with the Colonials, and they wanted an explanation for the Yui." Tears streamed down Kanzaki's face as she explained. "Gaius... he will be no more. Each of what I said carries a sentence, and he has been a thorn in the politicians side for too long. This was the perfect time to arrest him, and they'll send him to the firing squad..."

"Kanzaki... no... this... this cannot be! What are they thinking? This is war that we are facing! Do they want to cause the Star Fleet to be destroyed without Gaius?" Haruna replied, her hands shaking as she fell into a kneel. "We... I... I cannot let this happen! Let me go back! I'll tell them everything, the public will believe my words and pressure them to release Gaius!" "No! No, Haruna, no. This is what they want, can you not tell? They either want you back, or they want Gaius to explain why you went missing... They want you, Haruna... You cannot give yourself back."

Haruna was at a loss, as Kanzaki slowly disengaged herself from the girl. Giving Alexander a nod, Kanzaki hovered out of the Command Center, heading to her own room for private grieving. Haruna herself collapsed onto the floor in tears. Worse than the pain of battle, the pain of the Cursed Torpedoes, the pain of Omega, Haruna screamed and cried in agony as her heart was filed with despair. Losing so many men, and now losing Gaius, who has always looked after his subordinates, his ships, and his adopted daughter, both Haruna and Alexander could remember what he told them of the mission, that their lives, and coming back was much more worth it than the juggernaut itself.

Haruna was one of strong character, but after all that transpired, she was now broken, punching and banging her fists on the floor, as she tried to come to terms with the impossible... 

Haruna was shattered. Her heart and spirit broken. The only way to break her was for something to happen to Gaius or Kanzaki, and now both of them were suffering. She cried and screamed on the floor, just as Alexander came and held on to her, making sure she could not hurt herself anymore.

Wailing, Haruna cried into Alexander as he assured her of his help. Before she could continue, alarms lit up as klaxons blared the arrival of the Enemy. Standing up, Haruna wiped her tears, as she ran towards the Command Center, the others following.

Unlike the older Haruna, the Kongou was a modernized Battlecruiser, ready to take revenge on the Invaders who destroyed her sister.

Kanzaki was already in the Command Center, still attached to her hoverchair. Haruna stumbled in, adjusting her hairband, but was clearly disturbed by the recent events. Alexander followed, but Haruna instructed Angelo to protect the Pink sisters. "Only you have passed a Cybergenius Test." Haruna told Alexander. "If there is someone who can take over me, it is you."

The Combat Command Terminal was unmanned, Kanzaki pointing Haruna to the station. Reaching it, Haruna slipped her hands into the gloves, handing Alexander a similar set, as well as a golden circlet. There was no set design to the Cybergenius gadgets, anyone uses whatever they were given. As Alexander wore his, he could feel himself being pulled in, falling into a huge matrix of commands and controls. Just as he was about to be overwhelmed, someone, or something, stabilized his thoughts, as he seemed to float upwards, until he was looking at the same terminal which Haruna was looking at, yet seeing the battle through dozens of screens.

Haruna has assumed subconscious control of the Kongou's weapons system, as the Battlecruiser turned towards the battle.

Invader warships jumped in by the dozens, and soon there were a hundred, two hundreds, as Colonial and Jupiterran warships opened fire. The first wave obliterated many Invader cruisers and destroyers, but the starbases were made of sturdier stuff. The Constructor was seen in the distance, launching hundreds of thousands of Typhoons, most of them AI or Genius Controlled.

The JRSF Kongou, leading ship of the Class, now faced the enemy fully, shields up and batteries primed to fire. Alexander felt Haruna give him control of six main turrets, heavy kinetic guns which could toss a shell across space, knocking a ship apart with sheer force. Alexander knew their weakpoints, so Haruna would focus on wearing the shields down, engaging the smaller ships, and controlling the twenty AI Typhoons. Lasers and missiles soared towards the battlecruiser, but Haruna's control of the Sundance was perfect, creating a near total defence against missiles and torpedoes, while the multi-layered shields deflected shells and lasers.

"Alexander." The boy could hear Haruna speak, his consciousness seeing her point to a gap in the Invader flank. "The Colonials are doing well. Do your best too. Remember how you performed in the simulation? It's the exact same thing. The Kongou will dive into that gap near those seven Invader cruisers, and we can flank some of them. Meanwhile, focus fire on that nearest starbase. It's shield will go down in the next three... two... one... NOW!!"

"Good shot!" Haruna yelled, both consciously and subconsciously. With the starbase down, the Kongou charged the lighter ships, Haruna's focused control of the laser batteries ripping them, apart. Alexander continued to fire with the ballistic cannons, as Haruna directed his shots at the Invader ships. Being linked to the same terminal, Alexander could see Haruna's mind in motion, her brain patterns as she reached out to every control terminal. Haruna's mind was a projection of herself, seemingly asleep as she lay on the floor. It was her expanded subconsciousness, and this was what she looked like.

"Alexander. Relax your mind when you use your mental control. It's much easier." Alexander didn't exactly hear, but understood the words. Haruna reached out to his mind as she continued to guide him, not letting him fall into the mental anguish which burdened so many Geniuses controlling a ship for the first time. As his subconsciousness read the scene, Alexander also fired the cannons, smashing Invader cruisers to bits as the Kongou charged on. Ahead, the final cruiser was hit by eight capital lasers focused on a Dissector Mirror, as the battlecruiser turned to face the flanks of the Invaders.

"Good work all!" Kanzaki could be heard shouting. With the Kongou alone by the flanks, the Invaders are finally paying it much more attention. Three starbases jumped in, just as the Kongou anticipated it's arrival. Eighteen Shatterer-Javelins shot from the missile bays towards the battlestar, four were shot, but the remainder managed to strike the battlestar as it's shields got depleted by a well-timed Dissector strike. The second battlestar came under attack by the Typhoons and Alexander, the fighters blasting their quad-lasers and missiles while the heavy cannons ripped through the shields, slamming against the hull at full force.

"Keep it up!" Haruna said. Coming from the front, eight Invader cruisers and four more Battlestars appeared, signalling trouble for the Kongou. All of a sudden, Alexander felt the control of his turrets being wrestled from him, as Haruna focused all her mental power in defence and offence. Sweat began to appear on Haruna's face, as Alexander could sense the strain, the desperation. As if she was relishing the challenge, the need to personally sweep her enemies away. The damaged battlestar stood no chance, and the third was Dissected within the next few seconds. It was then that Haruna left a gap in her defences, a Cursed Torpedo getting through. Haruna detected it at the last second, the Sundance ripping it apart.

The fog barely touched the battlecruiser, but Haruna, knowing the effects of the cursed torpedoes, threw her whole consciousness to absorb the effects, leaving the controls of the battlecruiser to AI and manual control. Haruna slumped against the console...

---

Alexander could see Haruna in her subconsciousness, but something was weird. Haruna was... restrained... by chains. The same chains by Omega, which bound and strangled her. This time, Haruna was lashed on top of an altar, her uniform burnt and torn, exposing some of her skin as she breathed in pain. As Alexander approached, a dark figure dressed in a thick cloak, hiding his face and body, appeared between him and Haruna. Looking at Alexander, the boy could sense that the figure was smiling. Moving to Haruna, the figure caressed Haruna's body, drawing a moan from the girl. Not a moan of pain, but one seemingly of desire.

"You want her, don't you?" The figure spoke. It's voice soft and comforting. "Come on, she's not looking. It is safe to have a feel of her yourself." At that, the previous desires, Alexander's thoughts when he saw Haruna sleeping, the feeling when he fell on her during the VR, when he kissed her in her room onboard the Yui, it all came back to him.

Seeing Alexander hesitate, the figure continued. "Her life was one of pain and loneliness. She has finally found you. Will you not give her the pleasure which Haruna has craved for, for so long?" Placing a hand on Haruna's breast, the figure again smiled, gesturing to Alexander. "She's all open, and you know it yourself that she wants you. Please not only her, but please yourself too."

"Me? I exist in every living being. You all call me... Fear... Nightmare... such names. You call me with such reverence, such caution in your voices." The dark figure said. "I exist within you, you cry, every night, and I was nearly successful at taking over... until she came."

The figure removed his hand from Haruna, drawing a cry from the girl. Alexander could see that she was perspiring profusely, streaks of red flowing down her pale skin. Blood. "At last, the Cursed Torpedoes... they awakened me within her. Her greatest fears, shunted aside for years, now come to light. She is struggling. The weight of worlds on her. When the Cursed Torpedoes came, I simply protected her from it, from what they wanted her to experience. However, things are not so simple, so I allowed you to come in, to see what she would have experienced."

---

Alexander saw the landscape change, to a battlecruiser's command center. Similar to the Kongou, but now littered with dead bodies. Alexander could see Haruna, her hands bound by chains, hanging by a wall, motionless. Her uniform was torn, streaks of red all over her body, wounds from the jaws and claws of an Invader. Said creature was stalking her like a predator approaching a prey, and with alarming speed, swiped a claw across her back, drawing four bloody lines, and forcing a cry from the Jupiterran.

"Her fear. A prisoner of the Invaders. The death of her comrades. The fall of Humanity. This was what the Cursed Torpedoes focused on, but deep inside her..."

Before Alexander could move, the scene warped, and Alexander could see a younger Haruna, distinguishable by her black hair, golden eyes and maturing body, walking along the streets of a city. She was not smiling, and Alexander knew why, as he saw three figures, holding cameras, following her. Even a handful of bystanders turned their heads and pointed at her, and whispers of her name could be heard. Alexander's vision followed the girl as she entered a building, but not before noticing several cameras being hidden in the bushes...

---

Alexander next found himself in a room. A girl's room. Lavishly decorated, nothing like the military furnished rooms he was used to. Everything was made of premium materials, the best wood, gold and platinum. This was no ordinary room, for no ordinary person. As he took in the bed and the furniture, he saw Haruna, dressed in a simple bathing robe, lying on the floor. A bottle of alcohol was lying on the floor next to her, and her eyes were bloodshot from tears.

"Look there." Alexander looked to the table, a knife was lying on it. "They knew her pain, that she might commit acts to harm herself, but ultimately, they knew her mind. The measures that her government took, to ensure that she lives, her brain was warped to what they told her, that should she die, millions would die with her. Not by the government, but by their own accord. Therefore, she was wasting away, yet she could not bear to kill herself. The weight of the world, on her shoulders."

The dark figure moved to Haruna, and picked her up. Her golden eyes were empty, soulless. "This is what she's experiencing now. Shimazaki Haruna, back in her past, back in her prison..."

"Urgh..." Alexander looked to the source of the sound, Haruna was groaning, when she suddenly threw up. Breathing heavily, the dark figure held on to her, not allowing her to fall into a pool of her own vomit.

"Disgusting weakling. It's good that I allowed you in. Otherwise she might never awaken from this. Not that I mind, of course, but over time, when she slowly becomes my pet, I lose the thrill of her resistance."

Motioning to Alexander to come over, the dark figure lay Haruna on the ground, before disappearing.

"Al... Alexan... Alexander...?" Haruna whispered. Her voice was hollow, lacking of any emotion. "Help me..."

"Help you? HELP YOU?" A shrill voice sounded, as another figure appeared. White haired, whit skinned, Alexander recognised the figure as... Haruna...

"Look at you! Pathetic wench. Lying in your self pity. Trying to hold on to what dignity you have, when it is an impossible task? Why do you seek freedom? Do you think that you'll ever get it? Do you think that anyone can help you?"

The real Haruna continued to sob, her hand trying to reach out for the bottle. Shaking her head, White Haruna turned to Alexander.

"That's your girl, Alexander. Look at her. Carefully. Look at her and tell me, Alexander Werther, what is she to you? She asks for help. Lying there, in her sick, she's totally helpless, dying by the second. Pathetic. Tell me, why do you still adore her, who do you still continue to care for her?"