"We're -all- going," Orlinskiy declared irritably, "of
-course- we're going!  Has there ever been a time when any of us let
danger hold us back?  Besides," he added with a mischievous grin,
"you remember those capitalist children who climbed onto our rocket
and rode it into the stars to fight the Eleventh Angel.  Their bravery
would shame us if we did not do our best to match it with our strong
Soviet courage!"  The tubby mathematician concluded his speech with a
dramatic flourish that, in the cramped confines of Kirishatov's
office, nearly poked Mikhail Popkov in the eye.
	"Thank you, Comrade Political Officer," said Irina Tereshkova
dryly.

::Giggle-snarf:: Great line, Gryph. The snarfage just kept getting worse from this point out. My poor fiancee was thinking I was ready for another stay in the room with padded walls by the time I got done!

	Kirishatov nodded.  "Ah.  Of course.  I understand.  Well,
Shinji, you're to have a front-row seat for history, eh?"
	"Looks that way," replied Shinji.

Now THERE is one heck of an understatement!!!

From the four hundred mostly English soldiers who made up
Station 51's X-COM tactical contingent, the most common reaction to
the first sight of the Brigadier on the gangway was a softly murmured,
"Cor blimey, she ain't half-bad."

Nope! Just don't get into a drinking contest with her after this is over... you could well find yourself stripped nekkid and tied to a park bench with funny writing on your chest!

	Two other men arrived at Station 51 that day as well.  Unlike
Fuyutsuki, they arrived not by private jet but in the relative
ignominy of a cargo container being unloaded from a British freighter
at the station's port - but their arrival was just as highly
anticipated, and when they emerged, unshaven and blinking, from the
Conex, their reception committee gave them a small version of a hero's
welcome.

Shades of Spies like us.... only no chips! =P

	"Fifteen years trapped in the world of Adam's sons," she said
in a soft voice, "and you're still the most picturesque angel who ever
sat on a cloud.  It's been -way- too long since I've been able to draw
you from life.  Are you going to hold still long enough for me to do
it now?

YES!!! It could only be....

	"You, an observer."  Rei laughed.  "The Seraphim Council
will get their report in sketches."
	"Only if I don't get a chance to color them first," Rachael
answered with a toss of her head to get her hair back out of her face.

And this is bad how? After all, isn't a picture worth a thousand words? I love this interpretation, too... channeling her Makalite (sp?) restlessness into her constant drawing. What a perfect tribute to Rachie!

	"This is Xerxes.  To celebrate the Grand Opening of the Fort
Defiance commissary, tonight will be Taco Night.  Bring your taste for
that south-of-the-border flavor and your sense of adventure.  Spiced
tofu will be available for vegetarian staffers." 

I should note, at this point, I started wondering if either Xerxes was based on memory engrams from the good sublieutenant, or if/when he'd be making an appearance.

	"ANTI-MATTER BEAM?!" Ikari blurted, rising to his feet and
wiping at his mouth with the back of his sleeve.  "Kirishatov mounted
a DOUBLE-BARRELLED POSITRON ACCELERATOR on that monster?!"

Yes, but at least their LICENCED particle accellerators!

	Shinji's response was direct, to the point, and perfectly
summed up his feelings about the situation.
	"GYAAAAAAAH!!"

Poor Shinji! He certainly seemed to do that a lot in both the original source and here. Its enough to make one wonder if he was originally created to be the comic relief, ya know?? =)

	"No," she said firmly.  "You're stuck with me until you hear
me out, so you might as well stop running.  What I had in mind was us
arming up and going out and doing what I'd be doing -anyway-, if I
weren't nominally an observer."
	"And what's that?" Asuka growled.
	"Smiting evil!" said Rachael, in the sort of voice a normal
person would use to say, "Let's get ice cream!"

Not to say anything bad against Ice Cream... (athough I had an image of Rachie channeling a certain Usagi for that line) but I can see how smiting evil would appeal to a malakim just as much.

	Asuka shook her head and passed Rachael her gun.  "You are 
-really- weird, you know that?" she said.
	"I used to serve Eli, and some people say there's no
difference," Rachael responded distractedly, flipping the gun around
in her hand and pulling out the power pack. 

Personally, I think its a good difference, myself!!

	"Will you support the Lightbringer in the confrontation that
is to come?"
	For several seconds of complete silence, Asuka looked at her
as if she thought the angel had gone utterly mad.  Then she burst out,
"What?!  Are you STUPID?  Haven't you been paying ATTENTION?  Didn't
Tabriel tell you ANYTHING?! 

Of course she did... but she still had to ask. Part of the standard enlistment process, you understand. Have to accept of your own free will, et all...

	Gendou grinned an impish little grin - an expression which
still had the power to shock the pilots, who vividly remembered the
cold, humorless, rather mean Gendou of old - and produced a
screwdriver from the pocket of his lab coat.
	"You don't need to bother hotwiring an old van like this," he
said cheerfully.  "You just need one of these."

After this scene, Gendo will forever remind me of the 5th Doctor!

	"He kept maps of the tunnel system... under his bed," Jon said
in a tone of mild disbelief.
	"Of course he did," said Asuka dismissively.  "That's where
teenage boys hide -everything- they don't want the authorities to
find."

And then we wonder why it seems like we're so transparent!! =D

	"So who needs your mysterious presence?" Asuka replied,
gripping the controls.  "I'm a Production Model pilot.  All I need is
your body."
	So saying, she threw her will against Lucifer's flesh,
bypassing his astonished consciousness entirely as the Synchrotron
spooled up into the positive control zone.
	As his face vanished from the monitor and his presence winked
out of her mind, Asuka thought she heard Lucifer chuckle and murmur,
"Well thought."

Aww Rats. Here I thougt it was the Lightbringer and DJ starting their big move... Still, this was just TOTALY perfect, on every level!!

	"My name's Bacon," the voice replied.  "Sergeant, X-COM,
DN38416, assigned to protect you.  I have control of several of
Worcester-3's security and information systems, including the airport
network.  Wish you'd had time to get your R-Grade before you went on
this little trip, I could give you nav markers to follow.  Oh, and
Brigadier Katsuragi says that when you get back she's going to have
your nutsac for a coin purse, unquote, so if you own a codpiece I'd
recommend wearing it for your debrief."

YAY!!! Even Derek gets a cameo!

	"You... I... withOUT... so... could've... AAAARGH!"
	Jon took that without comment, then said in a firm voice,
"Brigadier, I take full resp - "
	To his immense surprise, Misato interrupted him by seizing him
in a fierce embrace and kissing him firmly, then, to his even greater
surprise, doing the same to Asuka.
	When she released the redhead, the Brigadier took two steps
back, pinned them all with slightly less angry eyes, and said in a
much more coherent tone of voice,
	"You're all on kitchen patrol until 2075."

Codpieces not included! Oh man... I could just soooo see this one in my minds eye, it was that perfect!

It was, Asuka realized in the next moment, a large axe with a
wicked blade on one end and an equally menacing spike on the other.
As she watched, the shadowy form of the weapon became more definite,
transforming into gleaming black iron capped with gold on each end.
        Then the flames blew out, and the axe dropped into Jon's
waiting hands as the two angels and one demon finished their song.
        Rei was the first to open her eyes, and blinked.  "An axe?"

What, you were expecting a Vorpal Bunnie, maybe?? Seriously, though... I'd be carefull from now on if he says he wants to Axe you something!

	On the display screen, a simulated newspaper front page
appeared, topped with the standard of the Star and then a headline in
gigantic black type:
		 H.M. TO UN THUG SQUAD: 'BUGGER YOU!'
		     US Military Action Expected

GO, YOUR ROYAL MAJESTY!!! This gets my vote as the single best line in the whole movie, even if it wasn't, technically, spoken on screen!!!

	Truss nodded.  "I don't think it'll keep."
	"Well... uh, I guess we have a few minutes... what?"
	Truss reached into the pocket of his uniform jacket, rummaged
around for a moment, then removed a small object from it and placed it
on Maya's console next to her left hand.
	"Assuming this isn't the last day of the human race," Truss
inquired conversationally, "will you marry me?"

::sigh:: What is it about the emminent end of all creation that brings this out in a man??? First DJ, now Truss? Still, its about time he made an honest woman out of Maya!

	"John," she said, "Jet Alone can wait.  Tell Weapons to drop
everything... "
	Truss looked momentarily puzzled; then comprehension dawned.
"You mean... "
	The grin was audible in Asuka's voice as she replied, "That's
right.  Gabriel needs her silver trumpet."

::Eli pops up mid screen:: Blow, girl, BLOW!!!

"Ken, you're up."
	Alda blinked.  "What?!"
	"I said you're up," Bacon replied, sitting down at the
controller's station.  "Get in there and get Jet Alone back on our
side again."
	"Me?!  Control Jet Alone?  In -combat-?"
	Derek gestured to his massive frame.  "-I'm- not getting
through that hatch."

To heck with the point about his skill in MW games... this was the defining line for me!

	"What the - ?!" Misato growled again.  "The hell is - oh NO."
She punched a comm key on her command podium.  "EVA-03, come in!  I
know it's you, Shinji - what the hell do you think you're doing?"
	"Actually, Brigadier," Shinji's voice replied calmly, "I've
stolen Unit 04.  That's San in Unit 03."

Remember what I said about pre... pre... argh. I've been snarfing so hard my brain is going into o2 deprivation!

	The matronly scientist paused to shake a cigarette from her
pack of Lucky Strikes and light it.  Then she regarded it sardonically
for a moment before making eye contact with Natla through the porthole
and remarking, "I ought to quit smoking these things.  They're gonna
kill me one day."
	Then she flipped a last switch, setting off alarms throughout
the compartment, and smiled.

To heck with the next line... This was one of the best 'famous last lines' in the movie... and, in fact, rates right behind HRH's Bugger you in my fav's list.

	"Oh, bravo, Eternal One," she crowed.  "The most important
throw of all your endless lives - and you MISSED."
	She flung the stunned Lightbringer aside and took a step, then
paused.  Her thumbs pricked; Longinus's posture was not that of a
defeated failure as he slowly rose to his feet, his eyes glowing at
her like coals, his armored jaw quirked in something terrifyingly
like a monstrous smile.
	"Did I, now," said DJ quietly.
	From where he'd ended up in a heap, Lucifer reached out,
crying, "No, WAIT - "
	A terrible pain wrenched all through Natlateth's giant body.
She looked down - 
	- and saw the twin points of the Spear of Destiny's stabbing
end jutting through the crystalline surface of her core.

Heh. It may have turned out to have allmost been an ooops, but still... GO DJ! He's not the Eternal Warrior for nuthin!

        "Comrade Director!  Comrade Lieutenant Kirishatova is
requesting authorization to employ Petya!"

Why the heck not? Shure can't make things any worse!

"The reactor core is off-limits to all Pit-spawned evil-doers.
Security forces are en route to terminate your hellbitch ass.  We
apologize for any inconvenience. ... Ici Xerxes.  Le coeur du réacteur 
est interdit à tout intrus ayant été engendré par le Puits.  Notre 
service de securité se met en route pour mieux vous casser la pipe, 
espèce de fils de pute de calisse de merde d'hostie d'enculeur.  
Nous vous prions d'excuser tout inconvénient."

Even at the end, still the courteous SOB, isn't he? ;)

	"Yes, m'Lud, I am.  DJ Croft, Viscount Crofthenge, at your
service," said DJ in a comic-opera parody of an aristocrat's tones.
"See here, are you attempting to imply that Miss Ayanami is a creature
of something less than perfect rectitude and virtue?  Because if you
are, I'm afraid that as an English gentleman I shall be forced to
require satisfaction of you."

And given that he's the Eternal Soldier, that might be quite some satisfaction, too, ya self centered snot!

	Just then Misato barged in and said in the slightly-too-loud
voice of the well-meaning drunk, "What the hell're you doing in here
WORKING at a time like THIS?  C'mon down to the canteen, Ko, you're
missing all the fun!  Maya's drawing on Truss with a marker!  C'mon,
you might be able to tell me what it's s'poseta be!  It just looks
like a buncha jiggedy lines to me."

"Its Kanji for 'I saved the world, got drunk, and wound up with this silly Tattoo, Misako"

	"This," he remarked after taking a sip, "is the bloody life."
	"Mm," Asuka replied, a trifle sleepily.  "Though you know we'd
go crazy from boredom in a week or so."
	"Oh, I know.  But right now?  Heaven.  After everything we've
been through in the last year and a half, it's so good to just
-relax-."

Aye, truer words have not been spoken. And yet, that is the basic dictonomy of life that makes it worth living; its opposition in all things. For without the bitter, how can we know the sweet? And even here, I feel this... Sweet, that this project is finally done, yet bitter in its own way, for this tale is done. The last word has been written, and it is finished. It was one heck of a ride, and now we have nothing left to look forward too. Yet I will not be sad, for even if their story is over, there are other stories that have not yet been told, and I await them with a sense of hope and wonder.

Fnord.

----------

 "So who needs your mysterious presence?" Asuka replied, 
>gripping the controls.  "I'm a Production Model pilot.  All I need is 
>your body." 
> So saying, she threw her will against Lucifer's flesh, 
>bypassing his astonished consciousness entirely as the Synchrotron 
>spooled up into the positive control zone. 
> As his face vanished from the monitor and his presence winked 
>out of her mind, Asuka thought she heard Lucifer chuckle and murmur, 
>"Well thought."

I particularly think it was a stroke of JMS level genius that he gave us the scene that follows this one months back and we all assumed it was DJ, because it just had to be, doncha know? But as it turned out, it didn't have to be what we thought it was at all.

And I think this is the very first time in any EVA fanfiction that I've ever seen Asuka get to pilot Unit 01. And it made sense for her to do so as well!

>

 "Oh, bravo, Eternal One," she crowed.  "The most important 
>throw of all your endless lives - and you MISSED." 
> She flung the stunned Lightbringer aside and took a step, then 
>paused.  Her thumbs pricked; Longinus's posture was not that of a 
>defeated failure as he slowly rose to his feet, his eyes glowing at 
>her like coals, his armored jaw quirked in something terrifyingly 
>like a monstrous smile. 
> "Did I, now," said DJ quietly. 
> From where he'd ended up in a heap, Lucifer reached out, 
>crying, "No, WAIT - " 
> A terrible pain wrenched all through Natlateth's giant body. 
>She looked down - 
> - and saw the twin points of the Spear of Destiny's stabbing 
>end jutting through the crystalline surface of her core.

It wasn't an "oops" at all on DJ's part. At least not in technique and aim. (It was only an oops in the sense he failed to take into account what it might actually mean for Natla's heart to be shattered.) Note that when he throws the Spear, he throws it with the single point first. The actual end meant for killing is the two prongs on the other end. He either saw Shinji getting ready to make his move, or knew he would be there already. So he threw it to Shinji after determining on the fly that he wasn't going to get a clear shot from the front at Natlateth.

Of course, it now occurs to me to wonder why the exploding core causing another "impact" wouldn't have been a problem with some of the other angels that were destroyed during the regular series. I'll have to go back and look to see if they were killed in the same way as the original source material.

>

 Just then Misato barged in and said in the slightly-too-loud 
>voice of the well-meaning drunk, "What the hell're you doing in here 
>WORKING at a time like THIS?  C'mon down to the canteen, Ko, you're 
>missing all the fun!  Maya's drawing on Truss with a marker!  C'mon, 
>you might be able to tell me what it's s'poseta be!  It just looks 
>like a buncha jiggedy lines to me."

"Been there, done that, got the T-shirt."

> "Oh, I know. But right now? Heaven. After everything we've
>been through in the last year and a half, it's so good to just
>-relax-."
>
>Aye, truer words have not been spoken. And yet, that is the basic
>dictonomy of life that makes it worth living; its opposition in all
>things. For without the bitter, how can we know the sweet? And even
>here, I feel this... Sweet, that this project is finally done, yet
>bitter in its own way, for this tale is done. The last word has been
>written, and it is finished. It was one heck of a ride, and now we
>have nothing left to look forward too. Yet I will not be sad, for
>even if their story is over, there are other stories that have not yet
>been told, and I await them with a sense of hope and wonder.

Well spoken. You know, it occurs to me that this is the first series of Eyrie that has had a definite ending. Undocumented features and Symphony of the Sword are open ended, and rightfully so. Hopelessly Lost, God's Willing, Warriors Legacy, and 45. Caliber Angel are all unfinished projects. But NXE is over. I wonder how that's going to effect this forum?

-Logan

	I would enter your sleep if I could, and guard you there, and slay the thing that hounds you as I would if it had the courage to face me in fair daylight. But I cannot come in unless you dream of me. --Prince Lir, The Last Unicorn