Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ CHANGING DARKNESS ❯ The real doll ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

CHANGING DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT

Book 1: Changing Darkness

Chapter 11: The real doll

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Shinji wondered how this was possible. The first date with Hikari was a pure nightmare, and even that
description would have been a compliment for it.
But this, their second, was pure heaven.

They met a hour after school, so that they were able to change clothes and wash a little bit up. How
Hikari had managed not only to do this, but also to apply very nice looking make-up was a mystery for him.
Maybe it was some mythical girl power to be able to do this so fast.

The initial meeting was at the school gates, and their first target was the cinema. Hikari let Shinji
decide which film they would see, and as she realized that it wouldn't be a sport film, she nearly jumped
for joy. Her last three times were such films, and she hated them after the first five minutes of the first
of them.

As Shinji chose an old, but rather good thriller, she was delighted. She liked films that were more than
some massive bloodshed, which was rare in the films that were made in this time.
During the movie, Hikari grasped for his hand and held it until it was over.

Afterwards, they went to a small, French looking bistro for dinner. They were led to a table in the corner,
which was one of the most secluded spots in the small restaurant. They sat down, and started to talk.
At first over the movie, then the topic became more private.

"You looked surprised today. Was I the reason?" she asked, fully aware that this was the case for sure.

"Yes. And you know this as well." came his playful answer.

Hikari blushed, but replied nonetheless. "So I take a guess that you wouldn't have an antipathy of going
out with me again?"

"No, I haven't. It was a very beautiful date, and I wouldn't mind repeating it soon."

Hikari thought shortly if it would be wise to make such a bold move, then decided to go for it.

"We could spend the weekend together. You make the program for Saturday, and I for Sunday."

Shinji smiled. "Sure thing."

And Hikari smiled too.

Later, after dinner, they left the bistro and Shinji escorted her to her home. As the couple arrived in
front of Hikari's door, Shinji gently embraced her and kissed her on the lips. As Hikari parted
invitingly those, he slowly pushed his tongue in her mouth.

For Hikari, the kiss was testament to the fact that Shinji fit better for her than Touji. Instead of
pushing his lips against her until their teeth clenched together, Shinji's kiss was soft and careful. That
he understood her invitation was an added bonus, as was the pleasant taste of the mint tea he had after
dinner.

Whoever the girl Shinji had sex with was, she did an amazingly good job at teaching him how to treat a
girl. Instead of endless stammering and blushes, he treated her now as perfect gentleman. It was a
devastating difference to Touji's too often displayed narrow-mindedness.
While she still liked him, she realized that he may be a good friend, but not more. They simply hadn't
enough similar interests for a lasting relationship. And by comparing the kisses, it would have been a
sure bet who of the two would be the better lover.

As they parted for the night, Hikari looked after Shinji until he was downstairs and left the building,
so that she couldn't see him anymore. Then she went inside the apartment, where she was greeted with
the sight of her older sister awaiting her.

"Did you have fun sis?" asked Kodama with a frown on her face.

"Yes, I had."

"Strange. Your escort didn't look like Touji." countered Kodama.

Hikari answered. "Maybe because he wasn't Touji."

"Aren't you together with him? I never thought that you would be two-timing your boyfriend."

"Touji isn't my boyfriend." Hikari spat. "We dated, it didn't work, now I date another boy."

Kodama looked surprised at the ferocity of her little sister. "And why does he try to talk to you?"

"Because he is too thick-headed to get the fact that I don't want him as boyfriend."

"And who is the new guy?" Came the concerned inquiry from Hikari's big sister.

"Shinji."

"Shinji? The last time you went on a date with him, you were ready to kill him."

"He changed immensely, and with him, I can talk. So I tried again, and it went very well."

"Don't think about getting down with him too soon." teased Kodama.

Hikari answered with a grin. "Why not? Because I would lose my virginity sooner than you?"

"You are sooo dead!"

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Misato was not happy. Kaji was back in her life, which was definitely one of the worst things that happened
in a long time. That he told her that today would something very important take place in NERV, didn't sit
well too. Especially because Rei, Asuka and the Sensei would be involved.

She knew that the Sensei had his own agenda, and that he was as dangerous as an angry scorpion or snake.
But this didn't meant that she didn't like him. He stood up against Ikari, and someone who did this, was
someone she liked. Only her hate for the Angels surpassed the disgust she felt for the older Ikari.

She contemplated the entire day, ever since Kaji told her that all security measures were down this
night, if she should follow his invitation and look at what will happen this night in NERV HQ.

Misato heard the door of the neighbor apartment as the two pilot girls started their way, heard the chatter
down as they met at the entrance of the building with the Sensei.

With a loud sigh, she finally made her decision. Her curiosity was too great for her own good, but she
lived with it ever since her birth. Now was not the time to break with this line of behavior.

She wrote a little note for Shinji, grabbed her keys and started her way to her car. She would meet Kaji
on a side-entrance, from where they had a good look at the central shaft, which was also open tonight.

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Rei and Asuka sat in the back seats as they drove to the HQ. Asuka didn't know what to expect, and wasn't
calmed that Rei showed for the first time a sparkle of emotion.
The dark brooding and anxiety of the blue haired girl riled her nerves even more up.

The arrival at the entrance wasn't something Asuka or Rei had expected. Instead of heavy security, the
gates were open, no guardians in sight.
The Sith sighed disappointed, as he had hoped that NERV would do everything they could to stop him. It
would have showed him what kind of weapons were available, and how they fared against some storm-troopers.
Sadly, this would not be the case, as not only the gate, but also the central shaft was open. So the
transports could fly in and land without problems too.
He grumbled as he had to give the higher ups of NERV at least that they had a little bit of brain, as they
choose not to interfere with his business. Maybe they were able to learn after all, but he wouldn't get
high hopes for it.

The car stopped at the entrance of the pyramid in the geofront, and the three disembarked the car and
started immediately their way into the lower confines of humankinds greatest madness.

Ignoring the usual routes and the command center, the little group walked directly down to an immense door,
which marked the entrance to Terminal Dogma. Rei opened the door, as she saw no reason to let her master
blow the door up. She was no fan of unnecessary violence.

After entering, Asuka gasped as she saw the gigantic white figure on the red cross.

"What?...."

"Lillith, the second Angel. I'll talk with her later." announced the Sith, and led them deeper into the
mysteries of NERV.

Asuka looked questioningly at Rei, but was only rewarded with an empty and sad look.

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They stopped in front of another large door, until Rei nodded approvingly. After this, the doors were
opened, and they entered.

The room was large, and the backside of it was made out of glass. Whatever was behind it was empty.
Several molten holes indicated that whatever was in there, was freed by someone from outside.

Asuka looked again at Rei, waited for an explanation what the importance of this room was.

"Here, I was born." said Rei and pointed at the lonely glass-cylinder in the middle of the room.

"What do you mean?"

Rei looked in Asuka's eyes. "Contrary to you, I never had parents. I am an artificial life-form, created
for only one purpose, trained for it, and I had lived for it."

"I don't understand."

"I am not human."

Rei waited for a sign of disgust on Asuka's face, but she saw only a disbelieving stare.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. So, what is this room. The truth."

"This is the truth." interjected the Sith. "Ayanami is an artificial made life form, made of a
combination of genetics to ensure that she is the perfect pilot, and useable for another, more
disturbing purpose."

The redhead looked at Rei. "Then, what you are?" she asked carefully.

"A hybrid of human and Angel genetics." came the calm reply.

Asuka blinked. "For this you are looking awfully human." She yawned. "Stop with the fairy tales and
tell me why I am here. I'm tired and want to go to sleep."

"Watch."

As a orange hexagonal field appeared in front of Rei, Asuka was badly shaken. "So you are not
bullshitting me?"

"No. This is what I am."

"But....why.....what...."

"I have no intention to harm you. I am your friend, and I want to stay your friend."

Asuka gaped at the other girl. "You are half Angel, and you want to be my friend?!" she shrieked.

"Yes."

Through the fog of fear and shock, Asuka managed to see the lonely face of Ayanami, the girl she simply
declared to her friend, not even bothering to ask her if she wanted. Now, the girl wanted to stay her
friend, and she didn't knew if she was able to. She remembered Rei's words of the prior evening, and that
everything would change.
And she understood.

While still a little fearful, she suppressed the urge to run for her EVA and decided to ask some
questions instead.

"Any urges to destroy the world?"

"No."

"Or to kill me and the other pilot?"

"No."

"Or to support your....half-siblings?"

"No."

Asuka knew that these questions hurt Rei, but she needed to clear this up. It was important for her, as
while she had to admit that she was often self-centered, egoist and somewhat violent, she was also loyal
and stayed to her friends. This girl was the first person she ever graced with the title friend, and now
she had to decide if it would stay this way or not.

She knew how hard it was to be alone, to be an outcast. She was one ever since she was chosen as pilot.
Always the genius, the famous pilot, the great student, the best soldier, never simply a girl.
And Rei was very similar in this regard.

She wanted to tell her off, despite all the points that spoke for the other girl, as another realization
hit her hard. Rei could have avoided this room, could have hidden this truth from her. Could have played
the normal girl, and she would have never noticed it. But instead, she told her what she was, hoping that
their friendship would survive this fact. And this realization gave her the strength to see past her own
fears, and accept Rei as was she was. A lonely girl, that wanted company, as herself.

Asuka forced a smile on her face. "Then I see no problems."

Rei nodded relieved, went to her and laid a hand on Asuka's shoulder. "Thank you."

Asuka tensed under the contact, but this reflex was something she would have to overcome.

"Let's continue." announced the Sith, and led them out of the room into the next.

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While also not in good shape, this room wasn't destroyed, but under construction. And someone awaited them
there.

"I received no invitation." declared Tenel Ka in an annoyed voice.

The Sith shrugged. "I thought that you would find your way alone. And sadly, I was right."

Rei was surprised as she heard the coldness in the voice of her master. So far, she had thought that the
competition between those two were more of a friendly one, but now, she had to doubt this.

"What are you doing here?" asked the Jedi.

"Liberating victims of a wannabe-tyrant and megalomaniac fool."

"Sith and liberating doesn't really mix."

"I am not Tharagon. You should know this, but maybe you are simply to stupid to realize the differences."

"I've always known the differences. That's why I made the decision I made back then."

"As long as you have the price to pay for your stupidity, I don't care about your decisions."

Rei had a hard time to control herself. Not only because of the open hostility, but also because of the
clear feeling that her Sensei lied. This disturbed her, as so far, he hadn't lied to her.
She would have to ask for his reasons to do so at their next training session.

Then the Sith concentrated again on his apprentice and Asuka. Now came the hardest part.

"Asuka, do you know what this room is?"

"It looks like the same like the other one, only that it isn't finished."

"You saw the lonely tube in the other room. And you saw the place behind the glass walls. Didn't you ask
yourself what was behind them?" inquired the Sith with a calming voice.

"Yeah. But...I thought there were only some equipment."

"No." interjected Rei. "It was the room for my sisters."

Asuka looked strangely at her companion. "Sisters?"

"Cloning is expensive, and making one clone costs almost as much as making hundreds of them, or 150, as
is the standard for NERV cloning projects."

"And what does that mean?"

"That I have 149 sisters, which are all looking the same. They are the same as I, but with their own
lives, their own wishes, their own souls." explained Rei.

Asuka wanted to vomit. This was too much. Not only that her new friend was partial Angel, but there were
also 150 of her! But why was there a second room? This was something she would have to ask.
She gulped and wanted to ask the question, as the Sith asked one of his own.

"Do you know how you became the Second child?"

"I...yes. Because I was one of the few who could pilot EVA. And I was the most talented and intelligent."
she stated somewhat proudly, but her words were unsure.

"Then I have some truths you'll don't like. I know the truth, as the MAGI has showed me the files. Do you
want to know it, or not?"

The German girl knew that this was one of the most important decisions she had made so far in her life.
Doubts gnawed on her mind, maybe it was better to forget those events. The problem was that those events
determined her entire life so far. All what she was, all what she is, and all what she would be.
She looked at Rei, who nodded encouraging.

"It is better to know the truth, than let the dark shadows of the past rule your life." stated the pilot
of unit00.

Asuka gulped again, then nodded. "Tell me." she demanded.

"As you wish." came the dark reply. "Do you remember the end of your mother?"

"Yes." came the unsteady reply.

"She was the one who developed 02, but you already know that. And she was also its test pilot, and this
you didn't know. She piloted 02 at its first activation. The unit went berserk, and she achieved a synch
ratio of 150 percent."

"That's impossible."

"No, it isn't. Always at the first activation, the EVAs are forcing a super-synch, because they need a
life force to exist. And the only well for such a force is the pilot, therefore, the first pilot is always
doomed."

"So, it was an accident that made my mother insane?" asked Asuka sadly.

"No. She was deliberately placed into the EVA by NERV, which knew full well what would happen, as the same
happened some months prior to Ikari Yui, Shinji's mother and pilot of 01."

Unable to control her legs any longer, Asuka fell on the floor and landed on her butt as the realization
hit her. The realization that something of her mother was inside her unit.

"Contrary to Yui, 02 was unable to gain a synch that was high enough to assimilate your mother completely.
So, her body remained, but her spirit was gone. It was now in the core of 02, where it ever was since
then."

The Sith paused shortly as Rei started to caress Asuka's head. This time, the body contact didn't trigger
any reaction from the redhead.

"With your mother residing in 02, it was logical that you would be the perfect pilot for it, as your
mother would try to protect you. Now NERV had only one problem: you had no reason to do it. You were a
carefree and happy child, more interested in playing than in piloting some war machine. So, the next
stage started. The remains of your mother were placed in the psychiatric ward, an institution where
no children are allowed. You, on the contrary, had unrestricted entry to the ward, so that you were
able to see your mother each day. You heard how the doctors talked about her. And after three weeks,
they implemented the next stage. A nice old man offered you a chance that your mother started to
notice you again. Pilot EVA, become a famous pilot who saves the world, and she would surely love
you again."

Asuka flinched as those memories hit her with their full weight. He said the truth, and nothing but
the truth.

"You agreed, but you weren't good enough for them. So, they announced that you would be tested, and that
after those tests, they would tell you if you would become a pilot or not. The next day, you were
overjoyed as your mother was sent home. This was the next stage of NERVs plan. Now one would ask why
they sent a hopeless case like your mother home, where the care wasn't as good as in the psychiatric ward.
The answer is that NERV ordered it. Your mother was harmless, as she was unable to do coherent actions of
her own. So there was no danger in sending her home, so that your hopes went up."

Tears streamed over Asuka's face. Those memories were what she always wanted to forget, and now, all
those old wounds were ripped open again. The agony she felt was worse than any physical pain she ever
endured in her entire life.

"Then, NERV tested you, and you were accepted by the EVA, as they expected. As soon as this was determined,
a team of NERV did the final stage of the plan. Have you ever wondered why your mother committed suicide?"

Asuka nodded weakly. And the next words hit her harder than everything else so far.

"She never did." announced the Sith.

Asuka's eyes flew open, and sadness and despair were replaced with shock and surprise.

"As I already said, your mother was unable to do coherent thoughts and acts. So there was no way that she
could commit suicide, along with a doll. No chance. So someone had to arrange this little scene, and now
we are again at the team which was sent to your home while you were tested. Their mission was simply.
Hang your mother at the ceiling, place the ripped doll under her, and that's it. And this was the scene
you found as you came home to tell her that you were selected as pilot."

"Why?!" came the tortured outcry of Asuka.

"The death of your mother scarred you mentally, and put you in a very vulnerable state, where you were
very open to all suggestions. So, the friendly people at NERV told you that you had to be the best to
make her proud, that you had to be better than everyone else so that you could be sure that she would
have liked you. And whenever you were on the verge of failing, the second part of this scene came into
play. They asked you if you wanted to end like the doll, useless, ripped apart and discarded, your fate,
if you would be a failure. All these preparations gave them what they wanted. A pilot who wanted to
control the unit, who wanted to be the best, no matter what, who was determined to be the number one
pilot, who sacrificed her childhood for this goal, who would sacrifice her life to reach this goal.
The perfect pilot. And they made you exactly the thing you hate the most. A puppet. Stringed along by
NERV, you always did what they wanted, always worked to reach their expectations. They made you a doll,
the thing you never wanted to be."

The German girl sat sobbing on the floor, and Rei held her in a close embrace in a futile attempt to
ease her pain.

"Do you understand what they did, and why they did it?" asked the Sith. A weak nod was the only answer.
As he had expected, Asuka didn't immediately cry for revenge. She wasn't strong enough for that. Instead,
she would need some time to recover, and then she would try to find all the other secrets of NERV, and
would start working towards its fall. But she would never result to brutal assault and mass-murdering.
She didn't have the cold determination Rei had, the iron will for revenge, no matter what.

As he looked at the Jedi, he had to hold his laughter. Tenel Ka looked disapprovingly at him, clearly
agitated by the coldness he used as he threw the hard truths at the poor girl.

He waited for some time, until he had enough of her crying. Then he went to her, took her face in his
right hand and forced her to look in his face.

"We are not finished. We are not here only for you. We have other urgent matters to attend, and I expect
that you are able to walk with us and finish this tour. Is this clear?" he stated coldly, and got again
a nod.

Rei helped her up, and was soon supported by Tenel Ka, who took Asuka's other side.

"As you can see, this is the second room. What do you think, why are there more than one?" he asked Asuka,
who whispered a "I don't know." as answer.

"There are three rooms. The first one, where Rei's sisters were held, was opened, and the girls secured a
few days ago. The second, in which we are now, was planned for the clones of the Third. But he is only
since a few weeks with NERV, too short as that they could have started the process. Now, this will never
happen. But there is a third room. And now we are going there." he announced.

"Are my sisters there?" came the strangled voice of the red-headed girl.

"Yes."

"Can I see them?"

"Yes. Follow me." And thus she did, along with Rei and Tenel Ka.

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The third room, another copy of the first, was, contrary to the other two, in perfect condition. All
computers were functional, and the glass wall at the rear end of the room was pitch black.

"Are you ready?" asked the Sith Asuka, who replied "Yes.".

A few short commands in one of the consoles, and the glass became transparent, allowed a view on the
tank behind, where over hundred Asuka's swam with an empty look on their faces.

Asuka closed her eyes, and again, tears escaped them.

"You freed Rei's sisters?" she finally asked.

"Yes."

"Can you do the same for them?"

"Yes. Everything is prepared for it. I can start anytime."

Asuka's answer was too silent, but Rei's nod confirmed the suspicions of the Sith and the Jedi.
He spoke some commands in a small communication device, and only a few minutes after, white armored
soldiers entered the room. One of them used a modified blaster to melt several large holes in the glass,
without hurting the clones inside. The LCL flooded the room, the acidic smell of the drug induced
liquid bit in their noses. One clone after another was drew out of the tank, laid on streckers, and
brought outside.

Only a half hour later, the mission was accomplished, as the last Asuka's were loaded on the last assault
transport. The Jedi and the two female pilots went with those last ones outside, so they saw that they
were brought to safety. At least Rei knew that, Asuka not. And Tenel Ka wanted to know too where they
were brought.

"They go aboard the same ship as Rei's sisters are, the 'Sword'. There they will undergo basic training,
and an education about how to live. Later, they all will have to decide what to do with their lives. Like
everybody else. The education and training will prepare them for this decision, way better than you were
from NERV." he answered Asuka's question.

"You mean you indoctrinate them with imperial propaganda, so that they play nice little soldiers for your
fleets." spat Tenel Ka in disgust.

"Contrary to Jedi, the Empire is open-minded enough to let people decide what they do, while you want to
force your twisted views of the world on all others."

"Really? Last time I heard, it was the other way around."

"Maybe you forgot that Palpatine is dead and forgotten. Thrawn is our Emperor."

"And the difference is?"

"If you do not understand it, why should I tell you. Go back to your temple and tell your apprentices how
bad it is to kill and to give in into emotion. Only slaughtering Sith is permitted. Damn fanatic
hypocrites. Oh, I forgot, your temple doesn't exist anymore. The Vong flattened it without losses. Really
awesome how strongly the Jedi defended their home."

Tenel Ka felt the anger boiling in her. The last point was an open wound for every Jedi who was trained
in the academy of Yavin. This taunting was nearly too much, and only her rigid training and discipline
held her back from engaging him in a fight.

Rei and Asuka were temporary forgotten as those two powerful beings fought their verbal battle.

"At least we don't destroy entire worlds in futile attempts to gain useless victories only to feel better."

"Well, we have victories. And for your information, the Vong do the same. They use biological weapons for
making worlds uninhabitable, and transforming them to breeding grounds for their weapons. They don't spare
civilians and other non-combat personnel, the people the Jedi oath to protect."

The Jedi flinched again. "And you are better? We know that the Empire uses also some new weapons to destroy
entire worlds. As it did in the past with the Death Star, or with the Suncrusher. Now, you are only more
subtle, but the mass murdering is still the same."

"And? I know that you Jedi are too stupid to understand, but this war is a total war. There is no such
thing as civilians or code of honor. This is a fight for survival, nothing else. The Vong are destroying
worlds, we are simply destroying them more properly, so that they can't use them anymore."

"Oh, yes, excusing your bloodshed with the cruelty of the enemy. How cynical. You are just like the Vong."

"If it is the way to victory, I have no problems with it, you ungrateful Jedi brat. If the Empire hadn't
destroyed several large ship-breeding worlds in the outer rim, your precious Republic would have already
been wiped out. Mourning about innocent enemies, and condemning the people who are saving you. Typical
Jedi."

Before the argument went finally completely out of hand, Rei interrupted them.

"Are we finished for tonight?" she asked, and a concerned look to Asuka made clear that this was neither
the place nor the time for a fight.

The Sith sighed and regained his composure. "Yes, we are. I will bring you home."

This said, he led them out of Terminal Dogma, and brought the two girls to his car. The Jedi followed, a
few meters behind.

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As the two pilot girls left the car, he gave an unspoken command to Rei to come back to him.

"Tomorrow, no school. She will need time, and your help."

Rei nodded, and went back to Asuka. Soon, they vanished in the darkness of the apartment building.

Contrary to them, the Sith had still some open points on his agenda. At first, a little talk with Lillith,
then maybe with the EVAs too. That depended on the time he needed for his talk with the second 'Angel'.
He turned the car around and drove back to NERV.

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Misato and Kaji watched both astonished at the non-existing security, and followed the Sensei and the
pilots down to Terminal Dogma. They made sure that they couldn't be seen, but close enough that they
were able to hear the words that were spoken between them.

They heard Rei's confession in awe, and witnessed Asuka's breakdown as she was confronted with the
cruelties of her past. They saw the second room, and finally, the third, and the clones.
The armored soldiers who took them, and the transports that brought them to another place.
Cloakable transports, without wings or VTOL configuration.

Both realized that this technology wasn't available on earth. Misato wasn't all too much surprised, as
she had already witnessed some strange events in vicinity of the Sensei.
Kaji was more surprised, but he had already heard that SEELE boasted with allies from space, so it was
logical that their enemies would be here too.

However, the most enlightening part of their excurse was the spat between the Jedi and the Sensei.
Three large blocks, two of them against one, that was quite overwhelming. Termination of entire worlds,
big fleets and enormous battles were things that went beyond their horizon of thinking.

As the Sensei departed with the girls, they were surprised that the Jedi didn't leave as well. So they
continued to hide, and waited for an opportunity to slip away. But none presented itself, so they were
still around as the Sensei came back.

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"Still here?" asked the annoyed Sith.

The Jedi countered. "I knew that you weren't finished, and I don't want you unsupervised wandering around."

"I wander around as I please. It's not that you could stop me from anything."

Tenel Ka glared at him. "What now?"

"Time to know what those Angels really are." he announced and started his way back down to Lillith.

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The first thing Asuka wanted as they were back in the apartment was a long and hot shower. She felt filthy,
but even with the hottest shower, she was sure that this feeling wouldn't subside.

Of all things she anticipated for todays excursion, the complete and utter destruction of her world was not
on her list. She was abused, misused and violated in ways that were more cruel than the worst rape.
Not only her body was mutilated and abused, but her entire being was violated beyond recognition.
She didn't even know if it was really her who went wordlessly into the shower and stood now under a stream
of hot water. If it was her who wanted to be a pilot, if it was her who always wanted to be the best, if
it was her who saw everything and everyone as competition.

Her tears mixed with the water, until the shower door opened and Rei drew her carefully out of the stall
and dried her like a little child with a towel. After this, the blue-haired girl led her into her room,
and placed her in the bed, where she covered her with a blanket and wished her a good night.

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After the arrival at Lillith, the mismatched pair used a boat to get close to the crucified being, until
the Sith was able to touch the enormous being. He reached out with the Force, and got immediately an
overwhelming response, as a thunderous voice asked who he was.

<I am Sith. And I want to know who you are.>

<I am Lilith, mother of humanity.>

<And I am Papa smirf. Don't give the religious crap. I want the truth.>

In his mind, he saw as light formed a human body, which looked curiously at him.

<You are not one of mine.> it stated.

<Do I look that dumb? Of course not. What are you?>

<Your arrival marks the end of my mission. Thank you. What do you want to know?>

Of all possible answers, this was the most surprising one. He had never thought that it would be this easy.

<What are you, why are you here and what mission?>

<I am Lilith. Scientist and researcher, maker of the species called 'Humans'. Our species is old, as we
were one of the first which developed nearby the galactic core. Natural evolution is slow, and we were
alone for a long time. We decided to help evolution by speeding it up. We sent research teams to
inhabitable planets, and used our knowledge and wisdom to create intelligent life. I am one of them.>

<There are a lot of myths of artificial evolution, so that they could held some kind of truth. I will
believe you, for now.>

<I have no reason to lie. I was sent along with 16 others to bring intelligent life to this planet.
As we reached this planet, is was inhabited by the dinosaurs, a line of evolution which was in 150 aeons
unable to create intelligent life. We used a meteor to get rid of them, and waited until life could
spread again. We manipulated genetics to breed some primates, then enhanced them further. Several
lines of intelligent primates existed as a catastrophic climatic change killed a lot of them, and
destroyed our labs and ships. We abhor coldness, as we cannot survive in it. So we went into hibernation,
and waited for a rescue team to arrive. It never came. We laid dormant for thousands of years, scattered
over the entire planet. Only a short time ago, we were discovered from the beings we made. They couldn't
understand us, so they feared us. You have to know, as the climatic change disrupted our work, we weren't
finished. The species had intelligence and the ability to develop it further, but no wisdom. We watched
in anguish how they developed, but were unable to intervene. They found me first, and didn't understood.
So they nailed me on this thing, and tried to pry the secrets of life out of me. Then they found Adam
at Antarctica, and used one of our weapons against him. The result was catastrophic, as his entire
being was completely obliterated in a fatal outburst of energy.>

<Second Impact.>

<Yes. This event let the others awake as well. They try to save me, and free me so we can return home.>

<And they die for it.>

The being of light laughed. <No. You cannot kill us. You would have to destroy our core on a
molecular-level to accomplish that. So far, only Adam was killed, the others have only lost the
ability manifest themselves.>

<So, the others will come, no matter what, and even their destruction will not kill them?>

<Correct.>

<And why has your mission ended?>

<Because you are here. Our goal was to enable the intelligent species to wander among the others between
the stars. You are from another planet, so we were finally successful. I know, this is not what you think,
or what you want, but nonetheless, it is truth. Accept it.>

The conversation continued for hours, and was enlightening for both of them. The Sith was almost sad as
Tenel Ka reminded him that it was time to go. The Jedi had listened the entire time, but never spoke a
word.

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Rei laid down in her own bed, and thought over the events of the day. Asuka hadn't reacted as badly as
she had feared, but the facts given to her were too much. Even she herself was shocked of the manipulation
behind Asuka's career as pilot, and the atrocities her creator did.
She had a lot of reasons to kill him, but Asuka had even more. It was strange to her that the other girl
didn't already cry for Ikari Gendo's blood, as it was one of the first things she thought of.

She contemplated those things only a few short minutes, as the sobbing of Asuka started. Rei didn't knew
what to do, so she waited if it would subside. It did not.

After listening for some time, she stood up and wanted to go to her, but stopped shortly. She knew that
Asuka would be bothered by her nudity, if she was able to recognize it, so she had to put some clothes on.
Panties and an old blue shirt would be sufficient.

Now somewhat clothed, she went to the other girl, whose laid in fetal position in her bed and cried.
Rei kneeled down beside her and comforted her by caressing her hair, which led to no response. Only as
she cupped Asuka's face in her hands, she elicited a reaction, as the German girl hugged her fiercely
and cried on her shoulder.

Rei was at a loss. Her experience in comforting someone was very limited, so she was unsure what she
should do. Since it would be most logical to give Asuka what she wanted, she hugged her back and held her
in a close embrace.

For long minutes they sat there, then the sobbing calmed down. Rei saw this as her chance to place Asuka
again into bed and leave for her own room. The first part of this plan went without problems, the second
didn't. The lonely, tear stricken face, the pleading look to not leave her forced Rei to stay.

Sitting all the night was not an option, as she would not only lose sleep, but also her back would hurt
in the morning. So, she slipped under the blanket and laid down beside the redhead, letting her snuggle
closely, and holding her to give her the closeness and comfort she needed. Although Rei never had to
face such a situation, she did intuitively the right things.

After she held Asuka for some time, her breathing became slower and more even, indicating that she finally
fell asleep. Rei then shut her eyes and followed closely.
It was strange to her to have someone in bed with her. The warmth was too much, and she felt disturbed as
she tried to sleep. She only hoped that it would not happen again.
She needed nearly a hour until she was able to succumb to sleep as well.

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"What do you think?" asked Tenel Ka.

"It makes some sense. While I don't give a damn if they were playing god or not, their presence here, and
their way of acting, fits into the things Lillith said."

"Yes, it does. So, what now?"

"We can take it for granted that those Angels do not know of the Vong, the war, or the general history of
the last ten-thousands of years. They know nothing about Jedi, Sith, Republic and Empire. They will
continue their attempts to free Lillith, and we need to stop them. We can negotiate with them after they
are stopped by our forces. What do you have to deploy?"

Sadly, Tenel Ka had to admit that his words made sense.

"A Nebulon-B with 2 squads. Wraith squadron, with X-Wings, and Yellow Squadron with E-Wings."

"Not much, but sufficient for the task at hand. We both are sure that the Vong are already here, so it
would be for the best to cooperate, despite how much we despise each other."

"I do not despise you. I despise what you became." countered Tenel Ka.

"Each action has a reaction. Skywalker decided to not train me, and you decided to not marry me. So I went
the last open way. I never regret it."

"And now you are Sith, and a Grand Admiral of the Empire. I knew that you were an officer of the imperial
forces as we met for the first time, but it never stopped me from getting close to you. We were friends,
but could have never been more. You heard what Master Skywalker said."

"That I have to wander a long and dark path, until I find the light in the arms of my destiny? Pretty
vague, if you ask me. And still, you used this prophecy as part of your reasons why we could not
become more."

"It was not meant to be."

"Instead, you decided to hang onto a person who is not only the Epiphany of cowardice and stupidity, but
also a traitor whose actions costed thousands of lives of your own people. A person for who you had to
stop your father to claim his life for his actions. Not only that, and the fact that he is the son of
your father's love spared him from the fate he deserved." came the cold answer.

"He did it out of his beliefs, not out of treason." stated the Jedi.

"Beliefs which cost the lives of ten-thousands of soldiers, an entire fleet, and the chance for a great
victory against a deadly enemy. People with such beliefs are traitors, or insane. If they die due to an
execution, or a mercy-killing, is irrelevant, as long as they die as fast as possible."

"You speak like a jealous lover, not a cool thinking officer."

The Sith laughed hard at this point of view.

"Say, do you consider Thrawn as cool thinking officer?"

Tenel Ka didn't like the fact, but she still knew the truth. "Yes."

"Imperial edict 22789-2363446b, direct order of the Emperor: Jacen Solo is to be executed at sight for
high treason against the entire galaxy. His execution will be rewarded with 15.000.000 credits. Looks
like I am not the only one who thinks this way." he closed chuckling.

Tenel Ka blanched at that.

"But now to the task at hand. The next Angel will attack soon, a few days at most. How about a combined
attack?"

It took some seconds until the Jedi replied. "What do you mean?"

"We let NERV try to defeat it, if it gets critical, or if they fail, we will wipe it out. I would say an
X-Wing from you, and a Tie Defender from me. Two torpedoes at the body, not the core, and it should be
finished. This way, we make also clear that we work together, and we are giving a strong message to the
Vong."

Tenel Ka nodded. "Acceptable. From where will they start?"

"If your pilot has some guts, they can start from the 'Sword'."

"Tell me where he can find the ship, and I'll give the orders."

"Backside of the moon."

"I will give the order as soon as I am home."

"Good. I will tell the ship to await him."

This said, they left NERV and went their respective ways.

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Kaji and Misato followed them again into Terminal Dogma, saw how they made contact with the crucified
Angel.

While they couldn't see what they did, the talk after they were back from the LCL told them enough to get
some glimpses at the events that had transpired between them and the Angel.

Especial the part of their history was interesting, and amusing as well.

"Just like us two." added Kaji his cent. Misato groaned silently at that.

The plans to stop the next Angel were also important, as it meant that they would fight for them, if
necessary. Misato was relieved on that, as the fifth already showed her the problems they could encounter.
And starships, ABC-Wings and knotted Ties were better than nothing. Whatever it meant.

As the two aliens left, they followed again.

The Jedi and the Sensei parted their ways, and soon, the engine of the Sith's car roared into the night
as he drove away. Now they were able to get home as well.

For the first time this night, they stood up and went with a straight, tremendously hurting, back. And
they froze as a voice called out for them.

"And, have you heard enough about your great organization?"

Like caught children, they froze and turned slowly around, only to face the blond Jedi.

"I wait for an answer."

"Yes, we have." said Misato.

"For now, we will help. But NERV is doomed. I will not stop the Sith when he presents the bill for the
atrocities this organization committed."

"We don't like it either. We sure won't hinder him." said Kaji flippantly, in hope to lighten the mood.

Tenel Ka snorted. "As if you could." That said, she went away as Kaji asked one last question.

"How did you know we were here?"

"We knew the entire time." came the dry reply, then the Jedi was gone as well.

Misato and Kaji looked at each other, then nodded in mutual understanding. They would have to talk about
the things they heard and saw this night, but not now. Now, they needed to sleep and digest this new
information.

With a short good-night, they went for their respective cars and drove home.

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While the Sith told the 'Sword' to be ready for a republican visitor, Tenel Ka made a report too.
Her last attempts of contacting Skywalker failed, so she tried it this time through the Force.
And she was successful.

Even better was the fact that she also got new orders, although she didn't want to believe as she heard
them. Protect the Sith, cooperate with the Imperial forces.

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Preread and useful comments by Yagami
More useful comments and encouragement to write by Kuracao
Domo arigato.