Kaname Chidori Sterling couldn't get to sleep.

It had been a long day by anybody's standards. Add to that the nearly critical confrontation in Blair 4 with her still strangely-acting observer, and she definitely didn't want to deal with any more weirdness. For the rest of the evening, she busied herself with the sorts of things that she would normally do on a Friday night. She finished up her Introductory Chemistry reading assignment, pausing only to help some of her younger charges with some task or another. She posted the notice for her floor's weekly movie night (tomorrow night's presentation: Godzilla's 11), before making the final room sweep to confirm that those who were supposed to be there were there. She performed her evening's ablutions, and then returned to her room to hopefully sleep...

... but once all her physical activity ceased, there were no distractions to prevent her mind from running at a high tempo thinking over everything from earlier that day and the day before.

She raised her head slightly and looked at the dataterminal that was part of her room's built-in desk, its holopanel's frame now covered with a shirt to block the pickup of its camera module; Lindsey had said she'd scrubbed the intrusion software and put a block in place against its replacement, but Kaname didn't like the idea of the thing looking at her anyway. Just looking over there reminded her of the towering rage she'd been in when she first set out to go over to Blair Hall and confront the New Guy. The walk, and the hassle of getting into his room in the first place, had cooled her temper somewhat, but she'd still been ready to throw down with him, until Lindsey had stepped in and suggested a conference, of all things.

And she'd gone along with the whole cockamamie idea. Why?

Grudgingly, Kaname admitted to herself that Lindsey had had a good reason, and not the stated one earlier that evening. It was a delaying tactic, one that would give Lindsey time to perform whatever investigations she could squeeze in, while giving herself sufficient time to cool down. It wouldn't have done to have had a throw-down in the middle of Natsuki's dorm floor; that was a certain one way ticket to the Port Jeradar Bus Stop, by way of President Tiefield's office for an official notice of expulsion.

All this was true, but it didn't mean she had to like it.

Lindsey was right to stop me from starting something right then and there, she admitted to herself, but why didn't I go straight to Campus Security?

She lay there for a while, looking up at the shadowed ceiling and turning the situation over in her mind. Kaname had been raised in a military family, and though her parents had been at pains to give her the chance to grow up in as normal an environment as possible, it had still rubbed off on her a good deal. That part of her kept coming back to Sosuke Sagara's claim that he was a soldier prosecuting a mission, and therefore only coincidentally a guy spying on a girl. Could she possibly give an idea like that credence?

If he's an "invisible", she thought, where's his support team? He ought to have two more people at least. OK. Maybe whoever hired him didn't have the budget for that. In a situation like that you make do. I should have asked Lindsey where those cameras she found were aimed. Automatic surveillance would go a long way toward taking up that slack, particularly if he had the one over by the window angled to watch the door and the one in the light fixture covering the window. Which he probably did if he's anywhere near as professional as he acts...

... Spirit of Light, Kaname, are you seriously playing devil's advocate for the guy who bugged your room here? What is your major malfunction? Next you'll start considering how you would've done it yourself.

Something was tugging at her mental sleeve and trying to get her to see it, something about the young man's demeanor, but she couldn't get a fix on it. It was like thinking of the perfect thing to say and forgetting it before a break in the conversation came along in which to say it. She tried to think what it might be.

The practical army-brat side of her nature, looking at the problem from a tactical perspective, was wrestling with the normal-girl part that just wanted to curl up, put the covers over her head, and go OMFG A GUY PUT CAMERAS IN MY ROOM for a while, preventing either of them from getting anything done - or getting to sleep. For nearly an hour she tossed, mind running in circles, not getting anywhere.

Kaname yawned, and rolled over, facing the rest of her room. The glowing dial of her clock looked back at her impassively from the nightstand, and if she focussed her eyes carefully, she could barely see the very faint shimmer of the previously mentioned acoustic laser refracting through the window glass, and the more visible dot on the far wall.

She groaned. Couldn't he at least have sprung for a laser that was a little less obvious? she thought with minor irritation. Now that it had been brought to her attention, she could find herself picking out more and more incidents over the past week where he had just been on the periphery...

...damn it, at this rate I'm never going to get to sleep. Sighing, Kaname sat up and rubbed her eyes. She didn't bother turning on her nightstand light, instead using the reflected light from outside to make her way through her room. She chanced a look out the window, but all she saw from the rooms of Blair 4 were darkness. She wondered whether the mystery sergeant was awake over there, sitting in the dark with headphones on, listening to her not getting any sleep. Shaking her head, she picked up her keys, her cell phone, and Bonta-Kun, and got out of bed. Taking a moment to put her slippers on her feet, she then left her dorm room.

The hallway that ran the length of Hamlin 4 was empty and dark, illuminated only by a few low-power glowstrips on the ceilings and floors that lit the way to the exits in case of emergency, and the faint light that could be seen around the corner in the vicinity of the elevator lounge. With nobody present, Kaname could look down both wings of the hallway to the end windows. There were no lights visible through the underside of the doors, a good sign. At least the sprogs are getting their rest, she reflected ruefully.

Letting out another sigh, Kaname rounded the corner to the lounge proper. It was in the shape of a capital letter T, with the elevator bank bracketing the stem, and the crossbar forming a large general-purpose room that overlooked the Commons through several banks of windows. The two hallways opened into that common area, allowing quick and easy access to the elevators, and provided a good place for friends and study groups to congregate. At the "base" of the stem were several more doors, one leading to an emergency stairwell, one to the floor's supply closet, and one to the floor's efficiency kitchenette. The closet and the kitchenette usually remained locked, at the RA's discretion.

It was to the kitchenette door that Kaname now went, unlocking it and slipping inside. She knew where most of the supplies were by heart now, and didn't bother turning on the light. No need to ruin her night vision, especially with the small window in the room. She rummaged around one of the cabinets, pulled out the teakettle, and filled it before putting it on the stovetop to heat up. A second search yielded a DSM-Issue Coffee Mug, a third unearthed a box of tea-packets. She looked at the box lid -- it was some brand she didn't recognize, but that Shizuru Viola had recommended and given to her as a gift before the christmas break -- shrugged, and popped one of the packets into the mug.

A minute passed while she stood there, clutching her plush Bonta-Kun in one arm, her keys and cell phone in the pocket of her pajamas, and feeling equal measures of forlorn and mildly silly at being up this late. Any further thoughts along those lines were halted as the teakettle started to faintly whistle. Reacting quickly, she turned off the stove before the whistle could get louder and wake anybody else, and then poured the nearly-boiling water into the mug. The aromatic steam wafted as the tea leaves in the packet began to do their work, and she took a deep breath, inhaling the fumes.

Damn. If this tastes as good as it smells, I'll have to write Shizu a thank-you note, she reflected with a slight smile as she stepped back outside, mug now in hand and Bonta-Kun still under the opposite arm. She walked back to the main part of the elevator lounge, and briefly surveyed the area. Tables and chairs were neatly arranged, a pair of couches on the opposite ends, a few lounge chairs and endtables interspersed between them. After a moment's thought, she chose the lounge chair that was in front of the wall between two windows, allowing light to enter and illuminate the nearby area without herself being seen.

Settling back, she took a sip of her hot tea, and immediately revised her initial impression. It tasted even better than it smelled. Taking a deeper drink of the heady brew, she just savored the tea for several minutes in silence, alone in her thoughts.

Eventually, she set the mug aside on the nearest endtable. With a little shifting around, she pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. She considered for a moment, then dialed a number one-handed from memory, then when the first ring occurred, she entered another, longer sequence. This changed the tone of the ring, and she waited anxiously for the other end to pick up.

It took three rings and a click before a female voice on the other end asked, "Kaname? What are you doing up so late?"

The sound of the voice on the other end, even drowsy as it was, caused a wave of relief to course through Kaname's body. Her features softened as she answered, "Hi, mom. Sorry if I woke you up."

"Oh no, it's all right, dear. It's been a while since you last called your poor mother, I'll take what I can get," Miranda Sterling said with an audible smile. "What's up?"

Kaname hesitated for a moment, before deciding to just cut to the chase and get it over with. "Mom? Are there any incipient threats lurking around that I should worry about?"

Kaname could imagine her mother looking at her phone in confusion before replying, "What brought this on?"

"I... look, I'll get into the whys in a minute. Just answer me if there's anybody hanging fire on us."

"Well, Xera and Mira had to help Emi fight off some Klavaarite border raiders at a build site for Cianbro, and Maia was looking into something going on in the Corporate Sector and won't be back until the end of the month. Komi and Terry are busy with the final preps for the Prometheus. Voronda Elendil is out on maneuvers, so that's the usual crew there."

Kaname nodded to herself as she made a sound of acknowledgement. With a family such as hers, it wasn't unheard of for her aunts (and uncles) to be spread across the known galaxy for weeks, sometimes months, at a time.

"Other than that, aside from the usual cautions of crazies wanting to get the goods on your father's side of the family, and the usual anti-WDF nuts, I don't think there's much out there that's a pending threat to the family at the moment."

"Ok, that good, at least. And I'm assuming nobody in the family's put out a watch request for me..."

"If we did, it wouldn't be through a third party. It'd be like, I don't know, dad replacing Hannibal Hamlin Hall's janitor for a few weeks."

Kaname paused for a moment as she tried to imagine her grandfather, the galaxy-renowned Veritech ace Maximilian Sterling, moonlighting as her dorm's janitor. "... great, now I'll be paranoid. Thanks, mom."

"Would you rather I suggest having Tessa or Kyoko registered as students at DSM?"

Kaname groaned. "Oh Spirit no. I'd never live it down from those two."

"Oh, Kaname, I doubt it would be that bad. Much." There was a soft chuckle from Miranda, before she continued in a more serious tone. "Now, would you care to tell me what this is all about?"

Kaname sighed. She had gotten her initial questions out of the way. Now it was time to face the music.

"What this is all about. Huh. Well... OK, I met this guy... "

"Oh ho!" said Miranda, sounding amused. "Well, I should have known it was only a matter of time -- "

Kaname closed her eyes in exasperation and scowled, not that her mother could see her, and said through her teeth, "Not. In. That. Way."

"-- oh. Sorry. Do go on," Miranda replied, the indulgent amusement plain in her voice.

"Mom. C'mon. Pretend you're not Aunt Maia's twin sister and be serious for five minutes, I'm having my first major brush with teen angst over here."

"OK. I'm serious, I swear," Miranda promised, but she didn't really sound it.

"Good. 'Cause this is no joke. There's a new guy at school this semester, name of Sosuke Sagara. He's been following me around. At first I thought I was just being paranoid, but Lindsey and I caught him redhanded yesterday and he admitted it. Now today I find out he's bugged my room."

There was a momentary silence on the line, and when Miranda spoke again she no longer sounded even a little amused: "OK, that is serious. You have my undivided attention now."

Kaname, feeling a perverse sort of triumph that the situation was actually capable of taking her mother aback, laughed hollowly. "Oh, ho ho, no, it's way weirder than you're thinking now. When we cornered him he claimed to be part of a security outfit hired to protect me. Even coughed up an ID to prove it. Ever heard of something called 'TechCom Security Solutions'? Or the 'Rhodos Group'? The ID looked legit, but what do I know about mercenary security services? That's more in line for you or Aunt Maia."

"Can't say they ring any bells, Kaname, but I'll be the first to admit that that particular job category has rather high turnover in the lower ranks. I can look into seeing what I can find out, if you'd like."

"Thanks, Mom, I'd really appreciate it. There's something niggling in the back of my head, but I just can't pin it down onto what."

"All right. Now, about this 'Sakara' fellow..."

"Sagara, Mom. Sosuke Sagara." She shook her head. "It's just weird. I mean, most guys who meet me for the first time give me a once-over -- you know the type -- just because of who I am or how I look... but he didn't. I'm not sure if it registered to him that I was even female."

"Maybe he swings the other way?" Miranda offered. "It's been known to happen, you know."

Kaname coughed. "Nooo... I don't think that was on the table for this. It's just that he's bound and determined to try and 'protect' me, and won't tell me why. And has gone to such lengths that I don't think it even dawned on him that he could be misinterpreted. Which takes a special level of cluelessness that I didn't think was humanly possible. Hmm. Maybe he's not human! I hadn't considered that -- no, no, if he was a robot that wrist thing wouldn't have worked so he must at least be an organic life form -- am I gabbling?"

"A little."

Kaname sighed. "Right. Sorry." She squeezed Bonta-Kun a little tighter, and went on. "Anyway, it was Lindsey who found the bugs, and swept the rest of my room for anything else... 'anomalous'. And if she says it's clean in that regard, then I believe her."

"And how did she determine this?"

"Well, she used the Flashlight of Truth."

"The... what?"

"I... see." After a moment's thoughtful pause, Miranda continued, "I was unaware that you had a friend who could process a bedroom for forensic evidence, Kaname."

Kaname rolled her eyes. "Aw, mom, you've met Lindsey before, remember?"

"Yes, but I didn't know she was going around with Alternative Light Sources in her pockets."

"C'mon, she doesn't do that..." Kaname snorted, before hesitating a moment. "At least, I don't think she does..."

"All right, all right," Miranda laughed softly. "I get the gist of it, Kaname. So he told you that he's been hired to be your bodyguard, but he won't say by whom."

"No. He just says it's 'classified'. That's why I asked if there was anything special going on. I half wondered if it was one of you guys. But we've already gone over that." Kaname sighed deeply. "I don't know, I'm tired and kind of freaked out, my mind keeps going around in circles. I almost convince myself that he must be on the level just because his story's too screwy to be made up, and then I almost convince myself that he must just be some kind of nut. If I keep at it much longer I'll just be some kind of nut."

"Well... " Miranda considered for a moment. "For what it's worth, I think you made the right call walking away from the situation tonight. And by sitting down with this mystery man tomorrow and talking, you might get closer to the bottom of this. One of the most important things I learned as one of the Nazgûl is that sometimes you make greater gains by waiting and watching than you do by striking at the first opportunity." She chuckled. "It wasn't an easy lesson for me to learn, so I'm proud of you for thinking strategically."

"It's more Lindsey's strategy than mine," Kaname admitted.

"But you saw the value in it, even if you weren't quite consciously aware of it," Miranda pointed out. "That matters. It shows you have good instincts. I'd like to take credit for that, but I don't think it's really something that can be taught. Now, you didn't ask, and you're there and I'm not, but if one old lady's opinion is worth anything to you, here's what I think: Go to your meeting tomorrow; learn as much as you can; and when it comes time to weigh all the factors and make a decision... trust your instincts." Miranda laughed quietly. "This parental wisdom brought to you by that Mythbusters episode about the Force."

Kaname laughed, but then asked seriously, "And if my instincts say this was a bad idea after all?"

"Then you've still got options," Miranda replied. "And you shouldn't hesitate to exercise them if you feel it's the right move. And you won't hesitate," she added positively. "I know you're not about to let anyone abuse you, Kaname. You're a Sterling. As your Aunt Maia would say, that's not how we roll."

Kaname laughed again, stronger this time. "Yeah. Yeah, I hear you, Mom." Then she yawned so hugely that she was glad no one was around to see her. "Damn... I've really got to go. I think the day's finally catching up to me. Love to dad and sis."

Miranda chuckled on the other end of the line. "Of course I will, dear. Take care, and be safe, all right? Let me know how it goes tomorrow."

"I will. Spirit of Light watch over you, Mom."

"Ilúvatar watch over you, Kaname."

Kaname closed her phone, sat regarding it for a moment, then squared away the tea things, put her mug in the sink, and went back to her room. After that conversation, she felt bold enough to toss a jaunty salute out the window in the general direction of Blair 407 before shutting the blinds on the laser dot and climbing into bed.

Good night, Sergeant Sosuke Sagara, she thought as she began, at last, to drop off. Remember what I told you. You put one toe out of line... and I will bury you.

Then, smiling in half-sleep, she added, But if you don't... then this might turn out to be interesting.

"DSM Panic! Mission 2.5: Introspective Interstitial" (a Symphony of the Sword Mini-Story) by Philip Jeremy Moyer with Benjamin D. Hutchins
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