[MONTHLY] Beltorchika's Children Ch.09

　Luna II, a celestial body with the peculiar appearance of a misshapen lemon, could no longer be justly deemed a planet. Instead, having taken up residence within Earth's orbit, it earned the rather dismissive moniker of "a mere pebble."

　A flotilla of Salamis and Ra-type vessels encircled it, their bows poised toward the direction from which the Neo Zeon fleet was anticipated to emerge.

　"Where pray tell, is the Neo Zeon fleet?" inquired Adenauer Paraya, ensconced on the bridge of the Clop, basking in the most glorious moment of his life. His negotiations with Char had played out precisely as he had envisioned.

　Absent this crowning accomplishment, his life would have been a drab affair, bereft of any semblance of grandeur. The sting of his heartrending parting from his woman had all but dissipated.

　He was now consumed by an ardent longing to forge a new path alongside Char.

　"Sir! The radar indicates the same number of ships as when they launched from Sweetwater!"

　"Three vessels, including the Rewloola, have removed their gun barrels. The rest appear to be signaling their surrender," reported another operator, scrutinizing the enlarged reconnaissance images on the display. This intelligence only served to heighten Adenauer's euphoria.

　"Captain, ought we not position the Clop at the forefront? Remaining at the rear could be perceived as disrespectful to Char, no?"

　"As a junior officer, it is my obligation to safeguard the esteemed members of Lhasa who stand beneath you, sir," replied the captain.

　Adenauer could not contest this, yet a lingering dissatisfaction remained.

　"Hmm... Is it just me, or is the Neo Zeon fleet approaching faster than expected?"

　He feigned the composure of a commanding officer, but his observation was accurate.

　"They must be eager to join our ranks and get their hands on a high salary, eh?"

　"Right..."

　The Clop captain's sardonic comment slipped past Adenauer, who remained ensnared in the web of his own jubilation.

　Yet, upon the bridge of Neo Zeon's flagship, the Musaka, the captain had already established attack vectors targeting Luna II's ports and vessels.

　"Owing to the sparse Minovsky particles, we can direct missiles towards Luna II's ports," he declared.

　"And our mobile suit units will follow suit, shall they not?"

　In response to Mesta Mesua's inquiry, the Musaka's captain nodded, his eyes narrowing at the peculiar silhouette of Luna II, now discernible to the unaided eye.

　"It seems the Neo Zeon fleet is spreading out laterally."

　For the first time, the Clop's captain displayed genuine concern toward Adenauer.

　"They're supposed to approach single file."

　Despite his merriment, Adenauer was no fool. He sensed the fracture in Char's commitment and began to entertain doubts.

　"Spread out our mobile suit forces! Send out scouts as well!"

　As the Clop's captain issued orders, Adenauer leaned towards the forward window, observing three Jegans advancing in the direction of the Neo Zeon vessels.

　Neo Zeon's fleet had assembled around the Musaka, scattering left, right, upward, and downward. The three Jegans navigated the spaces between, looping around to the rear.

　In that position, the silhouettes of the decoy Rewloola and three additional vessels emerged.

　"We'll commence our attack."

　Witnessing the enemy mobile suits' movements, the Musaka's captain confirmed with the bridge crew.

　"Yes, sir!"

　The central operator activated the ship's horn, and a sharp whistle sounded throughout the ship.

　Each vessel's cannons, initially poised at maximum elevation, leveled horizontally. The Jegans launched from Luna II appeared to falter upon discovering the Rewloola was a ruse.

　"Ready the mobile suit units for deployment! The Alpha as well!"

　As one, the blinding flash of the ship's cannons flooded the Musaka's bridge, and the missiles and mega particle beams of Neo Zeon's fleet hurtled towards Luna II.

　The reconnaissance Jegans, caught in that searing radiance, were pitiable. They vanished swiftly after sustaining direct hits from the focused assault. However, the explosion of these mobile suits was like a sparkler compared to the swirling light that erupted on Luna II moments later.

　"Numerous heat sources!" An operator aboard the Clop's bridge shrieked.

　"Evade!"

　"But the treaty! This is madness!"

　As streaks of light flashed across the bridge and explosions erupted before them, Adenauer could not bring himself to admit that what he believed in had been mistaken.

　Homing missiles poured into numerous ports on Luna II, engulfing the base in crimson flames. While the Clop and other vessels attempted to retreat, most suffered direct hits and exploded.

　The Clop, however, situated at the rear, had been spared the first wave's direct impact.

　As the second wave of missile and mega particle beam attacks began, mobile suits were launched from each vessel, with Glarv's Psycho Doga and Quess's Alpha Azieru being the last to take off from the Musaka.

　As the Psycho Doga catapulted from the deck, the Alpha Azieru, anchored beneath the Musaka, ignited the pair of booster nozzles concealed beneath its skirt – a feature absent during training.

　Glarv's Psycho Doga flew diagonally ahead of Quess.

　"Quess, today you just need to get a feel for real combat, understand?"

　"Roger! Fuel tank burn test complete! Detaching now!"

　As Quess detached the two tanks from beneath the Alpha's skirt, she guided its ungainly form southward along the fleet's attack path toward Luna II. The rotund Psycho Doga trailed, appearing simultaneously childlike and akin to a watchful guardian deity.

　As Luna II loomed closer, Quess's cheeks tensed from her position in the cockpit in the Alpha's head.

　Though the missile onslaught had subsided, Luna II remained engulfed in vermilion, punctured by mega particle beams, and distended from internal detonations.

　To Quess, the scene evoked a nightmarish hellscape.

　"Incredible…"

　She held her breath, compelled to stay close behind Glarv.

　The airspace seemed a realm that repelled women – a domain where manifold forms of insanity converged, driving individuals to madness.

　Quess entertained the notion that a woman's voice might offer solace, but the thought dissipated rapidly.

　Her irritation intensified. Through the psycommu, she detected a vast surge of thoughts incensed by their own vexation, and within that turbulence, she discerned an unusually vivid thought.

　The striking thought emanating from Luna II's northern airspace captivated Quess more than any disordered notion.

　"There's still a vessel attempting escape!"

　The colorful thoughts in that direction grated on Quess's mind, infuriating her.

　She sharply steered the Alpha towards the source of her agitation.

　Glarv's Psycho Doga wavered for an instant before attempting to pursue but was soon compelled to engage several Jegans that had emerged in defense of Luna II, diverting his attention.

　"Damn it!"

　Glarv released his funnels, concentrating his will on controlling them for a moment.

　The ship Quess approached was the Clop, carrying her father, Adenauer Paraya.

　Of course, the Clop responded to the appearance of the Alpha, which looked like a small battleship, with a barrage of frantic anti-aircraft fire.

　Quess's vision became saturated with the swirling lights of combat for the first time, her emotions overwhelmed.

　"There!"

　The eight funnels mounted on the Alpha's skirt fired in unison, hurtling towards the Clop like a cascading torrent.

　"Ugh... It's a mobile suit!"

　Upon witnessing the bizarre appearance of Alpha from Clop's bridge, Adenauer perceived the machine as the "Grim Reaper."

　The fact that his daughter piloted it was a notion beyond Adenauer's imagination, a mercy in its own right.

　However, Quess's experience differed significantly.

　"Uwah! Ahh!"

　The funnels launched from the Alpha charged toward the Clop, discharging lasers and ultimately colliding with the ship before self-destructing. One of them scored a direct hit on the Clop's bridge, obliterating it.

　The instant Adenauer's body vanished, Quess emitted a scream, feeling the direct impact of her father's vivid thoughts.

　"Aaaaahh...!"

　Nevertheless, she failed to fully comprehend that the pressure and flow of thoughts she experienced originated from her father. Her vision momentarily faded to white, and she sensed a peculiar sensation as if her spinal cord was being forcibly compressed from her neck. She held her breath. She held her breath.

　"Buhah!"

　Quess gasped for air as if attempting to expel her stomach's contents. However, she could barely produce any saliva; her mouth was parched.

　Her entire body, beneath her pilot suit, quivered with fury. Shaking her head seemed to alleviate the stimulus coursing through her brain only slightly. Quess retrieved a wet carton from the basket on the armrest and drained its water in one go.

　"Quess!"

　Glarv's Psycho Doga neared Quess's motionless Alpha.

　"Don't stop! You're my rear guard!" he ordered.

　"Ah!? ...Y-yes, I understand! I'll do that... Glarv..."

　Quess pressed the wet carton to her forehead and took a breath, but the sensation of revulsion persisted.

　The battle situation on Luna II could be discerned through the observation of the celestial telescope aboard the Rewloola, which had ceased all propulsion systems. The ship then reactivated its main engine and proceeded towards Axis, accompanied by three escort vessels.

　"The operation appears to be successful," Captain Lyle informed Char.

　"Hmm... By the time we reach Axis, the Axis fleet will have mobilized to reinforce Luna II, leaving it defenseless, correct?"

　"That should be the case, indeed."

　Events were unfolding in accordance with Char's designs, not Adenauer's anticipations.

×       ×       ×

　As Cameron Bloom disembarked from the elec-car and joined Bright and Hathaway, he found Bright reprimanding a teary-eyed Hathaway for his unbecoming conduct as the son of a soldier. In the background, the Ra Cailum was beginning to detach from the dock, towed by tugboats.

　"Is it true? Has Luna Two been completely destroyed?"

　"The details are unclear--Stop crying! It's disgraceful!"

　As Bright scolded him again, Hathaway's shoulders trembled as he walked away, heading towards the Med.

　"Please look after the boy."

　"His naivety comes from his mother, Mirai. Good luck out there!"

　Cameron saluted Bright as he made his way to the Ra Cailum's bridge.

　Cameron didn't worry about Hathaway; after all, arrangements had been made for him to visit his home once he had calmed down.

　However, contrary to the adults' expectations, Hathaway closed the Med's canopy and crossed the opening third bulkhead, moving closer to the harbor entrance.

　"My big sob act sure got me out of there."

　As Hathaway wiped away his tears with his arm, he jumped the Med onto the underside of the departing Ra Cailum.

　After adjusting the Med's balance with several bursts from its apogee motor, Hathaway made contact with a hatch near the center of the ship and opened the Ra Cailum's hatch.

　"Good thing I studied the ship's layout."

　Being the captain's son had its advantages. And so, Hathaway slipped the Med into the ship's underbelly. Naturally, the opening and closing of the hatch was detected on the bridge.

　"Hey! We have a problem with hatch 48!"

　"What's that?"

　By the time Executive Officer Meran peeked at operator Meunier Thuhigg's console panel, the anomaly light had disappeared.

　"Huh... Problem corrected! Armor maintenance team, check out hatch 48!"

　As the final harbor bulkhead rose, the vast expanse of space became visible through the front window.

　Hidden in the corner of the Ra Cailum's storage compartment, Hathaway left the Med tucked away and crawled out.

　"Mom said it's about time I get space experience. I have to hold out a bit longer..."

　In a panic, Hathaway returned to the Med, retreating into the darkness of its cockpit. Two deck officers had come down to patrol.

　Hathaway realized that although he hadn't been discovered, he couldn't leave the Med either.

　The Ra Cailum was accompanied by three Ra-type space cruisers, and surrounding them, mobile suit forces conducted their final formation flight training. Thus, the Londo Bell was a makeshift military force.

　Meanwhile, the Ra Cailum attempted to make contact with the various colony fleets, but the situation was far from promising.

　"It's no use! We're not getting any response from the fleets!"

　"Are they all so afraid they won't fight against Char!?"

　As Bright cursed, Amuro, who had been checking the displays of Axis, Luna Two, and the fleets on the bridge's panoramic display, called out to him.

　"Captain, doesn't this seem odd?"

　"What do you mean? If we consider Char's fleet at Luna II capturing the base's nuclear arsenal and heading towards Axis, we should reach Axis first. With the nuclear warheads provided by Cameron, we can obliterate Axis, leaving Char without any rocks to drop on Earth and rendering him powerless. Dropping Luna II on Earth would require time-consuming preparations to use the nuclear bombs as propulsion, which is not a viable strategy."

　"But is Char really that foolish?"

　"Lieutenant, here's the mobile suit unit formation chart and equipment placement. Please review them one more time before the operation."

　"Understood..."

　Amuro received the file from Beltorchika.

　"What's so strange about it?"

　"Char is smarter than that. Even if fleets were dispatched simultaneously from Luna II and Londenion, we would still reach Axis first. Would Char really allow that?"

　"But there were more vessels in the Neo Zeon fleet that surrendered than we expected."

　"That's the thing... Can we really trust the camera footage from the Sweetwater broadcasting station?"

　After saying that, Amuro played the news video on the ceiling display, finally realizing something unbelievable.

　"The barrel of the Rewloola is missing, isn't it?"

　It was Bright who noticed.

　"Right!"

　Amuro stopped the display and zoomed in on the footage.

　"It's a well-crafted decoy. The news camera didn't capture a close-up of the fleet. I believed it was meant to show the Earth Federation government that there were fourteen ships, but I was wrong. It was to conceal the decoy."

　"So that means...?"

　The entire bridge crew held their breath at Amuro's revelation.

　"Does that mean Char's fleet might have already arrived at Axis?"

　"No, they're already under attack."

　Amuro's conclusion was correct.

　Axis, with its triangular mountains above and below the flat rock surface.

　In front of it, a harbor area had been constructed. Concentrated gunfire poured into that area like an avalanche as four ships under Char's command sunk the two Federation ships stationed there for defense.

　Char, not even wearing a normal suit, watched the scene unfold from the bridge of the Rewloola.

　He then sent mobile suit forces ahead, dispatching a team of engineers to prepare the nuclear pulse engines, and descended to Axis for reconnaissance in his own Nightingale.

　The central part of Axis, which was composed of seemingly smooth iron-like rock, had a mountain-like mass of magma protruding above and below its center. It appeared to be a meteorite formed as a result of several different meteorites colliding with each other.

　Furthermore, traces of structures were left here and there, as if they had merged with the rocks after being bombed.

　"Axis, huh…"

　There were four massive tail nozzles for the nuclear pulse engines at its rear, which the Rewloola fleet did not attack. The Nightingale circled around from above them and emerged on the harbor side facing Earth.

　Axis was a space fortress built by Char when it was in the asteroid belt.

　However, after Char left Axis and the Zabi family's heir, Mineva, in the care of Haman Karn and returned to the Earth Sphere, Haman Karn took over Axis and used it as a base for Earth invasion.

　Haman was defeated when she attempted to bring Axis down into the Earth Sphere.

　Even a layman could speculate that if a meteorite of this size collided with Earth,  the planet would experience a devastatingly cold climate similar to the one that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

　"I'll drop this on Earth… Amuro! There's no way you'll just stand by and watch, right?"

　Char cast his eyes toward the Earth behind him.

×       ×       ×

　From the airspace of Luna II, the Musaka and the fourth ship, trailing long tail nozzles, launched towards Axis. The Alpha was being towed by the Musaka, while the remaining ships provided cover against sporadic resistance from Luna II.

　Mesta Mesua had managed to load as many nuclear weapons as possible onto the fourth ship from a corner of Luna II, and now, the Musaka carried the maximum number of mobile suit troops on board, heading to support Axis.

　"Are we certain that the Captain's fleet has occupied Axis?"

　"There's no mistake. Minovsky particles are beginning to thicken, so the information is somewhat unclear, but..."

　"There's no doubt."

　Quess's voice rang through the bridge, sweeping away the operator's hesitation.

　"Quess?"

　Both the Musaka's captain and Mesta raised their eyebrows at the voice and her appearance.

　Quess, who had brazenly climbed onto the bridge, had changed into civilian clothes and was curiously looking around the bridge. It was as if she were on a school trip.

　"Is this the combat bridge below? Ugh, it's as cramped as a mobile suit cockpit!"

　"This is problematic. We're on secondary combat alert. Everyone's on edge."

　The captain of Musaka spoke openly to Mesta, but had no intention of yelling at her himself. All the Newtypes and Cyber-Newtype were under Mesta's jurisdiction.

　"I understand, Captain."

　Mesta grabbed Quess by the neck, who was peering into the combat bridge, and tried to lead her out.

　"This isn't a playground!"

　"Let me go!" Quess retorted, swatting Mesta's hand away, her rebellious nature on full display.

　"You! In that outfit!"

　Mesta's hand flew to Quess's cheek, but Quess's hand also flew to Mesta's cheek in retaliation.

　"You hit me! I don't see the problem! I just wanted to refresh myself because it felt disgusting! What's wrong with that?!"

　"This is the military! We can't have the discipline of our officers and soldiers disrupted for your sake! We're in a war!"

　"I'm not fighting any war! I'm just helping the Captain!"

　Mesta delivered several more slaps to Quess's cheek, each one igniting Quess's anger further.

　"I don't care anymore! I don't care about you!"

　Quess flailed both of her hands, storming out of the bridge in a huff. In that moment, she tore off her jacket and hurled it at Mesta, as if to strike her.

×       ×       ×

　The Re-GZ's backpack glided across the mobile suit deck of the Ra Cailum, docking around the main body of the Re-GZ as if enveloping it.

　"Great! Now, I can take down the enemy fleet all by myself, right?"

　"Please stop talking that way! I'm worried about you getting hurt, Lieutenant..."

　Astonaige's lighthearted concern made Kayra burst into laughter.

　"Astonaige... You, silly man!"

　She playfully poked Astonaige's chest with her finger.

　The surrounding crew couldn't fathom how the flamboyant and spirited Kayra Su and the unassuming Astonaige got along so well, but that's just how things were between them. The relationship between a man and a woman is something others can't quite grasp. The two of them teased each other, even with the crew around them.

　The atmosphere on the deck was shattered by the bridge's urgent call.

　"Fleet identified! Prepare for contact! They're Federation vessels!"

　"No doubt! It's Luna II's fleet! Is the Clop among them!?"

　Urged by the bridge's voices, the crew rushed to the outer deck. Four heavily damaged ships approached the Ra Cailum, their survival a marvel in itself.

　From one ship, a mobile suit drifted toward Ra Cailum. Amuro and the others on the upper deck saw two people in normal suits riding on the suit's manipulator.

　"I apologize... A sudden, fierce simultaneous attack left all key personnel, including Vice Minister Adenauer Paraya, were killed instantly. The Clop was destroyed in an instant..."

　"What about Char's fleet?"

　"Intercepted radio communications revealed they broke into Luna II's nuclear weapons cache... Luna II's space forces are... Ungh..."

　The Ra Cailum's crew could only watch as the Clop's officer sobbed.

　"The colony fleets won't help us. They're afraid of riots breaking out."

　"It's as if the colonies and Earth were helping Char!"

　Meran shouted as if Bright was responsible for this.

　"Not all of Neo Zeon's vessels are gathered at Axis! Our forces are the same! If we strike now, we can win!"

　Bright retorted, not backing down.

×       ×       ×

　"Out with that woman! Drive her away! That... that wench!"

　Glarv heard or rather sensed, the near-madness in Quess's voice when he was waiting in the briefing room.

　"Quess...?"

　Thinking it might be a trick of his ears, Glarv stepped out into the corridor connecting the briefing room and the mobile suit deck and was stunned.

　"What are you wearing?!"

　Glarv saw Quess ripping off her bra as she floated by.

　Glarv ignited the verniers on his pilot suit, ascended, and grabbed Quess's arm.

　This was far from normal. But Glarv sensed that Quess's intentions were clearly directed towards Char and that her mind was not clouded, which brought him relief.

　"I'm going to the Captain!"

　"Why?!"

　Glarv tried to calm Quess down by grabbing her shoulders, but her body continued to drift toward the center of the mobile suit deck.

　"Who cares about the reason! I hate it here! I hate it!"

　"Quess! We're on a battleship! We're at war! This is for the Captain's sake, too!"

　"If I stay here, I can't do anything here, so I'm going to the Captain!"

　The mechanics glanced at Glarv, holding the naked girl but did not intervene. Even Mesta on the bridge witnessed the scene.

　"What do you think, Director of the Newtype Labs?"

　The captain of the Musaka asked Mesta mockingly.

　"The Captain intends to use her effectively as a military asset. If that girl says so, shall we release her?"

　"That's true. With the Alpha Azieru's auxiliary fuel tank, she can reach Axis's airspace. Even the Musaka would be faster to enter Axis's combat zone if we released the Alpha. But how do we put the naked Quess in the Alpha's cockpit?"

　"Glarv! Allow Quess to launch! Put her in the Alpha and launch it!"

　Ignoring the captain's sarcasm, Mesta ordered Glarv.

　Glarv held Quess and floated over to his Psyco Doga.

　"We have permission. Ready to head to Axis?"

　"Did that woman say that?"

　"Yes!"

　Quess sighed in relief and sat on Glarv's lap, just as she had in the Hi-Zack.

　"Open the mobile suit deck! Psyco Doga, heading out!"

　After that call, Glarv launched the Psycho Doga from the catapult deck, maneuvering it toward the Alpha, which was being towed behind the Musaka.

　"You know, Quess, Mesta's that kind of woman who slept her way to the top, becoming the head of the Newtype Labs and a tactical officer," said Glarv. "You don't need to bother with someone like her."

　"I'll get rid of her and claim the Captain for myself!" Quess declared.

　"That's not the point."

　Glarv disconnected the radio from the bridge and the mobile suit control center, but a call came in on a separate line saying, "Release the radio block!"

　However, Quess bit Glarv, disregarding the call.

　'I don't want to hear about your jealousy!'

　"I'm not jealous!" Glarv protested. He brought the Psycho Doga close to the Alpha's head and ordered the mechanics to connect a tube. For now, it was best to let Quess do as she pleased and calm her emotions.

　Glarv sensed the growing turmoil in her thoughts.

　As he lowered the cockpit console panel, Quess's nearly nude figure flowed through the narrow space of the tube toward the Alpha's cockpit. While he didn't understand her feelings behind stripping, if it helped her calm down even a little, he thought it was for the best.

　"Still..."

　It was a fact that her exposed form stirred the desires of men. Quess was no longer a little girl.

　Quess tore the cables towing the Alpha from the Musaka and set her course toward Axis.

　Glarv followed closely behind in the Psycho Doga, leaving the Musaka. He was well aware that he hadn't received Mesta's permission.

×       ×       ×

　"All hands, prepare for level two combat alert! Ready the mobile suits for the first wave!"

　The call from the Ra Cailum echoed through the block where Hathaway sought refuge. Wrapped in a stolen jumpsuit to fend off the cold, Hathaway crawled out of his hiding place and decided to head for the upper section.

　"I-I need a normal suit..."

　Hathaway fastened a string to Haro's ear and set off towards the illuminated area.

　The speed of the lift grips used by the mechanics ahead in the light was faster than usual.

　The Ra Cailum's fleet began deploying Base Jabbers and started preparing to send mobile suit squads into Axis's combat zone.

　"Entering missile range! Fire the decoy missiles, now!"

　"Disperse the anti-electromagnetic particles! Spread the Minovsky particles!"

　The Minovsky particle dispersion apparatus on the side of the Ra Cailum engaged, silently initiating the spread of particles.

　"Prepare for visual combat! Activate monitoring systems!"

　"First wave of missiles, launch!"

　Numerous missiles burst forth from the Ra Cailum's side, some being nuclear missiles. Three accompanying vessels followed in kind, launching their missiles as a feint.

　As the flashes from the missiles vanished into the void, Earth came into view, while Axis's silhouette remained barely discernible, like a faint haze.

　Hathaway rode the lift grip that connected the cat deck vertically and caught a glimpse of the mobile suit deck when a sharp female voice said, "Mobile suits, everyone in your team here?"

　Startled by the red-suited pilot's exactitude, Hathaway arrived at the end of the lift grip. He struck his head on the cat deck's underside, and his body floated towards the mobile suit deck, where Kayra noticed him.

　"Ugh!"

　Kayra used the vernier of her pilot suit to intercept Hathaway's drifting form and chastised him, "In civilian attire?! Do you want to die?!"

　While berating him, she realized he was Bright's son, and she exclaimed, "Hathaway...?!"

　Amuro spotted the pair.

　"Kayra. I'll take care of this. You're leading the first wave. Scout the enemy's movements. You know the bearing for when you rendezvous with me in the second wave, right?"

　"Leave it to me! What were you planning to do if this ship was hit?!"

　"I knew where the normal suit room was. I planned to sneak in there."

　"If it were me, I'd throw you out into space right away!"

　Kayra tapped Hathaway's forehead and drifted towards her Re-GZ.

　"Open the airlock! All hands, prepare for space combat!"

　A sign reading "Air Pressure Lost" started flashing on the open deck, and the blaring buzzer that had pervaded the deck was swiftly silenced as the air hatch opened.

　It happened right after Amuro tossed Hathaway into the ship's internal airlock.

　"Opening the air hatch with only five minutes' notice, while still in civilian clothes, will result in two weeks of confinement or a one-month suspension of pay."

　"Does that apply to civilians too?"

　Ignoring Hathaway's objection, Amuro ushered him towards the officer's mess hall.