2010-07-17 - Rebel One! Fight!

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "(Your phone is ringing. Call display shows who it is.)"

 Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck kneels down in the middle of his living room to answer it, because Metal Gear codec jokes will never, ever cease to amuse him. He also doesn't waste any time. "Do you know if this line is, uh, is secure?"

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "My end is. I am in Riksent."

 Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck exhales. "Yeah... okay, I guess it'll have to do. IA's probably got me tapped but they'll just think I'm crazy, anyways. Crazier, I guess."

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Leo... what's wrong?"

 Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck takes a deep breath, and then blurts, "Ralla's alive."

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "..."

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota picks her words very carefully. The delay may not be obvious, between the inherent delay of earth-to-space communication and her tendency to pause in any conversation. "Why do you think that?"

 Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck sounds increasingly distressed. "At- when the Shirogane went down, the Strike Rouge was there, and I, I thought it was Cagalli, so I opened a line, to- to, you know, but it wasn't her, and then she kept talking like she knew me, and, and she took off her helmet, and..."

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "So you talked to her..."

 Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: You say, "Y-yeah, she was, was crying, and kept saying she was sorry, and... I just... I don't... hhghn..."

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota does her long pause thing again. Then: "I knew."

 Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck sniffs. "Yeah... I-- ... wait... what?"

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "I said I knew."

 Tightbeam from Latooni Subota doesn't pause this time. Almost the opposite; she speaks more quickly. "I could tell. The - the foot - I think it was cloned. It wasn't worn right. If it hadn't been in the water it would have been easy to tell. So I asked around, and I found her. But I didn't want to tell you, because - I spoke to her. She wanted to go. It was like - like me, with the School, with what they'd done to her because she was a Cyber-Newtype."

 Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck says nothing for several seconds. When he does speak, anger is creeping into his voice. "What the f- what do- why didn't you tell me?! I thought she was /dead!/"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Because it wasn't my choice! It was hers. Only hers... I told her she should tell you."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck makes a pained sound. "Her choice... nnn. Yeah, her choice like it was Soma's choice, right?"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Any choice Soma made would be hers. Did something happen with her?"

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck still sounds angry. It's unlikely to change. "She got kidnapped, awhile back. They messed around with her head before she could escape... brainwashed her, I guess, I don't know. Made her think she was someone else sometimes, someone one of the Gundam Meisters kept insisting she was. That guy's a psycho. ... tch, whatever. It's not like it matters anymore..."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "I didn't know that. I haven't spoken to her in a while..."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: You say, "You won't again. She's dead."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "What? Since when?"

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck grunts. "It's not confirmed, but... she's MIA. People say they saw her falling into the atmosphere, when the Shirogane was going down, and things were so hectic that..." He doesn't continue, probably because his voice breaks.

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "...I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck takes a deep, shaky breath. At least when he speaks again, he doesn't sound as angry. "I had... asked her - asked Ralla - if she wanted to... leave. I'm not stupid, I know that- I know things are messed up. But she said no."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "...maybe she thought she couldn't."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota clearly has trouble saying this part. "When it happened to - to me, it was an accident, at first. I thought I was going to die. I thought I would do it somewhere where the School couldn't find me. But once I was out..."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck makes another pained noise. "That's-- different. We're not the School! I- she /knew/ she could trust me!"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Did you know that the School started as a secret Earth Federation project? When it became public they fired everyone involved."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Well, it was the UN then, but... it was before I was born. Made."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck's voice sounds strained. "That doesn't change the fact that we're not the School. If she wanted to- she's just doing the same thing she was, just for the other side! They're just taking advantage of her!"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Or she agrees with them. I don't, but I'm not going to stop her from making a decision. That's the one thing /everybody/ should get!"

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck snaps, "Who says they even /gave/ her a decision?! They probably just, just did the same thing to her that they did to Soma!"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "I don't think so. And I don't think they brainwashed Soma either."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck says, exasperated, "Yeah, you're probably right, I'm sure she just bumped her head and decided she was a totally different person!"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "...it can happen. I don't know... I'm sorry."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck huffs. "I just- I don't- you should have told me about Ralla!"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "No, I shouldn't have. She chose to tell you, isn't that enough?"

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: You say, "/You/ knew, and she didn't choose to tell /you!/ How is /that/ fair?!"

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Actually, she did. I talked to someone else in Katharon who would have known if she was there. /She/ called /me/."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck sputters wordlessly for a few seconds before he manages, "I- whatever. I- I have to go."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "...Leo, I'm sorry. But..."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck repeats, firmly, "I have to go. I have- important... things, to do."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "...okay."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: You say, "... bye."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota says, "Goodbye."

<Radio> Tightbeam from Latooni Subota starts to say something else, but it's after one of those delays and she may already have been hung up on.

<Radio> Tightbeam to Latooni Subota: Leo Stenbuck happens to hang up at the exact moment Latooni starts to speak. RIP.