[X] Acknowledge the validity of her feelings, before explaining the problems impersonating others causes or could cause (without talking about classified info in front of Horaki, note this isn't us griping about purely
theoretical threats), and that in the future she can and should come to us if she experiences any difficulties, personal, professional or otherwise. Let her know she will be coming with us to explain and apologize to Gendo and Fuyutsuki once we are home.
-[X] ...Also, you have a bad feeling about that storm.
You sympathize with Asuka's feelings of being kept in the dark. Lord knows you wish people would tell you things more. But you tell Asuka in no uncertain terms that she messed up. Impersonating others or attempting to access classified information in an unauthorized manner
will mobilize NERV's anti-spy immune system, which takes a lot of time, a lot of resources, and a lot of mental energy to do. Asuka has inadvertently caused an internal panic back at HQ with her antics.
Asuka says you are all overreacting, but you shut her down. From your perspective, she could have been contacted by an unknown agent intending to make off with her for a weapons development program, a terrorist plot, or a science experiment. You had no information to go on other than that Asuka had been contacted by an unknown and unauthorized individual. What would she do in your situation? That seems to shut her up for a bit.
You tell her that you will look into why crucial information about her transfer to NERV was not properly communicated to her, but you suspect it was a simple mistake and the people who were supposed to do it thought someone else was supposed to do it. You also let her know that you are here to help her and that if she requires any assistance (professional or personal!), she can and
should go through you. Asuka grumbles that she doesn't need your help, but she doesn't seem too adamant about it. She mostly seems embarrassed.
You conclude by adding you will keep this from the other NERV employees that she cold called, to prevent this mess from getting out of hand. But she
will be coming with you and explaining herself to Gendo and Fuyutsuki. Asuka seems like she's going to retort, but pales at the mention of meeting with the Commander and the Subcommander. You don't get the impression she has the same sort of reverence for them as Rei does, but she definitely wants to keep on their good side. Asuka asks if she could maybe…not have to do that? You shake your head. Gendo's going to ask for answers and both of you are in deep shit if you can't give him some. Are you understood?
Asuka hangs her head. Understood.
You get up from the table and suggest she join the others on the deck, but she seems to prefer sulking by herself. Well, different strokes for different folks, you guess.
You reemerge on the deck to find the weather has completely changed. The air is unpleasantly cold and moist, and the sea is enveloped in a thick, uniform light gray fog. You can't see most of the rest of the fleet. It's as if a great gray curtain has come down in the sea. The sea is dark green and choppy. The fog is so thick you wouldn't even be fully sure the ship was moving were it not for the low roar of the engines below. A light drizzle completes the experience. Ugh. So much for getting some sea and sun out here.
You find that Horaki has retreated to the bridge to take shelter from the inclement weather and is hovering around the Admiral, who is just barely tolerating her presence, but seems to like her better than anyone else who's visited him today because she's been quiet. You ask where Rei is. Horaki says Kaji took her away to ask her a few questions.
Nope, nope, no he isn't going to do that. You thank Horaki and leave her there on the deck. She weakly calls out to you to wait but you've got places to be. You tell your goons they have a new mission: find Kaji and Rei. You spend your time searching for him fruitlessly, but after around twenty minutes of this you're presented your quarry being manhandled by two guys in suits and sunglasses. You forgo the apology for the rough treatment and demand him to explain himself.
Kaji says he was just trying to find out whether you had a boyfriend. Rei told him you're single, by the way. He was in the middle of asking if you still snore real loud at night when Asuka barged in and whisked Rei away to one of the other ships to go look at her Evangelion or something. One of your goons on the
Othello confirms Asuka and Rei are indeed present there. Thank goodness. You let him know that your bulky goons that people go with a lot but don't seem to come back with much are very close at hand, and the UN Ethics Committee is so very far away. Kaji says you haven't changed much since college. You turn away in a huff. You hate this guy.
He hasn't changed at all either. You whirl back around and say by the way, you
don't snore and never have before heading back up to the bridge. A rumble of thunder from overhead matches your mood as you nearly slip on the slick metal stairs. The rain pops and hisses on the metal surfaces of the ship.
A second, extremely loud rumble of thunder comes from the ocean, followed by the unmistakable sound of an explosion. The
Over the Rainbow rocks back and forth from the shockwaves. Your eyes widen and you sprint onto the bridge. It is chaos. The Admiral is demanding to know what the hell is going on while several alarms blare in the background. The other officers on the bridge are radioing the other ships and demanding status reports and advising evasive action.
You tell the Admiral that this is likely an Angel attack and you are taking command of this operation, as is your duty per United Nations special guidelines regarding Angel attacks. It's hard not to sound a little smug here. The Admiral tells you to go to hell and to get off his bridge, and preferably, off his ship. He demands all ships fire on the target. You tell him he's wasting ammunition and time. As he turns around to yell at you some more, an enormous tentacle erupts from the sea, just barely visible in the fog.
ANANIEL
~Der Engel der Stürme~
The Angel is underwater. It cannot be seen fully due to the fog. It has at least one tentacle at least twice the length of the ship. Its skin is covered in red-violet ring-shaped bioluminescent photophores spaced irregularly. Its skin is transparent. Its skin stinks of decaying algae. Its tentacle is filled with translucent multicolored organs of an unknown purpose. The Angel has just broken a destroyer in half.
Your combat readiness is
Poor. You are not able to respond right away.
The United Nations Pacific Fleet is prepared to assist with the battle. Their combat readiness is
Fair. Their attitude towards you is
Resentful.
You have no idea what it's doing all the way out here, but it's bad news. You can't currently get into contact with Asuka and Rei, but you hear over the radio that the two of them have just entered Unit-02's entry plug. They'll be in the fight soon enough. Of course, they're going to have to make their way over to the
Over the Rainbow after they activate to plug into the Evangelion's emergency power supply, because
someone wouldn't authorize you to plug it in.
In the meantime, give special instructions to the Fleet and hope you don't die before Rei and Asuka get going. And hope that having two pilots in an Evangelion doesn't break anything.
[ ] Special instructions for the Pacific Fleet (Write-in)
