We are not monsters

Astrea and David got out of the interrogation room, both of them looked quite frustrated.
"We didn't managed to get a single useful information" David was complaining.
"I expected more of an expert hacker" Astrea was looking to the bald, young man on the other side of the window "He looks stupid to me"
"Don't judge a book by its cape. Should we resort to some kind of torture?"
"No, we are not monsters, just keep him arrested" Astrea said while leaving "Check everyone he talked while in here, also his historical again. I want to know everything about Jeffrey Finzel"

"Ian, update me about SCU's squads" Astrea ordered arriving at the command center.
"We still have sufficient ARC soldiers, but we are running low on pilots after yesterday, specially if we start sending them on pairs because of the destroyers"
"Destroyers?"
"It is how most of the soldiers are calling the mining exosuits"
"Oh, pass some of the SHU pilots to the SCU's division, we are not using them too much recently" Astrea was looking at the city projection on the table "And actually, put the pilot who defeated the... destroyer, to explain to them how they work"
"Uh, actually it was a private who was piloting the SCU on that moment" Tanya commented.
"What?? Who was the sargeant who allowed that?" Astrea was surprised.
"A private managed to pilot a SCU? Who?" So was David.
"Anh... It was sargeant Vladmir Kostaya, General, right now, he is at the medical bay; and private Rafael..." Tanya gave a small smile "Rafael Kouri"
"Kouri??" David exclaimed.
"This family has talent, huh" Tanya turned herself back to the computer "But wasn't a good piloting though, if you read the report, it was luck who defeated the destroyer"
"Rafael Kouri..." Astrea sat to think "Assign him for the mecha training, and hope he becomes a pilot like captain Marcos or Major Theo"
"Uh? Just assign him?" Ian asked a little worried.
"Yes, I know his family, he is reliable, and probably has some hidden talent waiting for an opportunity"

Rafael, Anna and George went visit Vladmir, he passed through a surgery, but recovered well. Even though he will not be able to return to action in the next few weeks, he was already conscious, and in the next days, would be discharged.
"Saaarge, you don't know how much I missed you" George arrived animated.
"Don't start, George, because I won't be able to hit you when my patience runs out" Vladmir was on a bed, with his arm completely bandaged.
"Sargeant, I'm glad to see you better" Anna was smiling.
"Thanks, It's good to see that you are also unharmed" Then, Vladmir turned to Rafael "And what is wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry sargeant, I failed with you, all of you" Rafael was almost crying.
"You are depressed because of this??" Vladmir laughed a little "Don't worry about that, kid"
"Bu-"
"You only did what you thought was right, it was my call, and I chose wrong, I should be the one apologising" Vladmir stared at the floor for a while "But I won't, old people don't say sorry to younglings"
Rafael kept on silence.
"Sarge, you didn't change a bit" George joked.
"And what did you expected, that a shot would make me gentle, perhaps I will try with you sometime"
"Ah... You two are idiots" Anna sighed.
"Any news about Lucy?" Vladmir asked.
"Her state still is delicate because of the blood loss" Anna replied with a sadly voice tone "I'm sorry"
Before Vladmir could reply, someone interrupted their conversation.
"Private Kouri?" The man asked to Rafael.

"Anh... MAJOR? Y- yes, sir" Rafael got scared.
"Follow me"

Both headed to an SCU hangar, was the first time Rafael went there as an soldier, since all the missions, the ARCs meet up with the SCU already on an deploy station.
"You are being promoted to corporal, and also reassigned to the SCU pilot division"
"WHAT? REALLY?" Rafael was shocked and excited, didn't know how to react.
"Yes, you will start your training right away, we are in need of pilots, good pilots, so I hope you don't disappoint. But before that, there is someone who was wanting to see you for quite some time"
In a distance a man, a litte bit fat, really short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a major rank uniform was waiting for him. Rafael hastily walked towards him.
"Dad!" Rafael gave him a hug as soon as he arrived.
"Whooahh big boy, slow down, you must keep your posture here" Major Theo was visibly happy.
"Uh, sorry, it is just that I missed you so much" Rafael blushed a little.
"I missed you too, son" Theo put his hand on Rafael's shoulder and smiled "I missed you too"

"Do you have news of Mom and Sophie" Rafael asked.
"Ah yes, after you got here, they stayed on the hotel for a few more weeks, but already came back home. The door is brand new now, no one will be breaking in our house so soon" They started walking through the hangar.
"What a relief, and Marcos, can we see him?"
"unfortunately, no, all the Fenix squad must be ready to launch, in case of the battl- corruptions"
"Battl-what?"
"Nothing. I heard you were the one who defeated the destroyer, Although that was extremely irresponsible from you, I'm actually proud"
"Defeated is way to exaggerated"
"I'm proud that you made the SCU move, there a lot of people who takes days only to move an arm, and you walked with it, that was incredible" Theo gave him hitted him on the back "That's my son"
"Ouch, and I can't say it was easy, I don't even know if I can do it again, I was exhausted after it"
"Oh don't worry, this is why we have the simulators, you'll be a hell of a pilot in no time"

In the next days, Rafael trained piloting, George and Anna were assigned to substitute two soldiers on another squad. There was no major problem on the city in this meantime, until:

"Hehehehehee, General, you will like this" Tanya was menacingly laughing.
"What do you have for me?"
"I tracked where the spy sent the information, sector fifty one. But the adress was quite odd, so I checked the cameras, and there was a randomly improvised antenna installed on a building wall"
"You are telling that we now know where they are hiding" David was excited.
"No, the antenna is portable, they don't necessarily need to be there" Tanya then stood up from her chair all full of herself "But I managed to find out the person who is moving the antenna from place to place"
"Do you have a name?" Astrea asked unpaciently.
"I have have this man whole life, Stewart Cloverfield, born at the sector fourty eight, and is at the sector fifty seven as we speak" Tanya was almost getting up on the table "You want me to keep talking about the details or-"
"Send SHUs after him immediately, and tell them to bring him alive" Astrea was excited "Finally, we have a good lead"
Tanya kept looking at Astrea, expecting a compliment.
"Yeah yeah, good job, now work"

Theo arrived at the hangar with another three people.
"We have a target, Stewart Cloverfield, sector fifty seven" Rafael noticing them, went to talk to his father "Also, it will be one of those annoying missions, they want him alive"
Rafael stopped, he never saw his father like that, in his memories, his dad was always a gentle person.
"Corporal Kouri, keep on training the simple movements, you need to stay relaxed when you pilot" Theo tried to lift his spirits before leaving "When I come back, we'll train together, what do you think?"
All of the four entered their mechas, the SHUs were a little shorter than the SCUs and didn't carry a weapon. Rafael didn't reply his father.
"I already think it is odd that killing becomes so natural, but complain when you can't kill?" Rafael took his family's photo from his pocket "what kind of monsters do we become trying to protect what we love?" Rafael was wondering.

The platform carrying the SHUs arrived at the deploy station, there a transport with eight soldiers on ARCs arrived as well.
"You already know the mission, right?" Theo asked.
"Yes Major" One of the ARCs replied while they were entering the in the SHUs.
"Everyone on place, comms online" Theo was checking everything "All right"
The platform rised, the avenue was with cars, pedestrians, different from the SCU's missions, there is no warning that the SHUs are arriving. Eventhough all the pilots are skilled enough to, even running, avoid stepping on anyone, it was still extremely dangerous for the civillians, all this risk is for maintain the element of surprise.
"Our prey, little Stewart, is ten blocks away, let's not keep him waiting"