The VTOLs connected anchors to Unit 11, and gently lowered it back onto the train, while the rest of the Evangelions retired to their cradling positions.  As the EVA series got ready for its post battle debriefing, the pilot entry plugs automatically ejected, and slowly drained their precious LCL back into the Evangelion.  With a pop, the capsules opened, and the heroes of the day were exposed to the sunlight of a new day for humanity.<br/><br/><br/>Back at base, everything was in shambles.  A number of construction cranes near the main cages were damaged, and many of the industrial throughput centers were filled with holes.  Fortunately, the UN had already authorized a massive outlay to fix the problem.  ...And not merely fix it, but upgrade the base to something magnificent; a true fortress for humanity.<br/><br/>A few hours later, the team stood in Naoko's office, sitting in chairs while she projected the footage from the battle on a holographic display.  She walked around slowly, like a teacher, holding a laser pointer in her mechanical tendril, while her hands in delicate, shoulder length leather gloves simply seemed to play with each other like snakes in heat.  "Randall, I'm very disspointed in your excessively agressive attack.  You are to refrain from excessive emotion during combat.  Similarly, Evangelion Unit 04 sustained heavy damage for almost no tactical gain by charging the enemy head on, instead of containing the angel with a wall of gunfire, and subsequently demolishing it from a position of strength."  She concluded imperiously, will all of the authority and hubris of the MAGI guiding her.<br/><br/>"In my analysis, the conventional forces deployed against Gazardiel accomplished absolutely nothing, except risking their lives unneccisarily.  The MAGI have calculated that a simple observation squadron of VTOLs should be sufficient to guard Babylon, so I am recalling as many of our assets as possible into the central fortifications.  We will make this a true fortress city."  She noted, carefully cycling between holograms of gun turrets while she showed footage of tank shells bouncing off Gazardiel's armor.  Wedge could only look on sheepishly, unwilling to say anything against the base commander.  Ritsuko got up quite suddenly, a fire blazing in her eyes as usual.  "Mother, how can you say that?  If anything, it was your pallet rifle that didn't affect the outcome of this battle!"  She nearly shouted, pulling a tablet remote from her lab coat, and setting off a hologram of pallet rifle shells being harmlessly absorbed by Gazardiel's body.  "During the battle, I developed a simple design for a rocket propelled anti-armor shell, which can be equipped with a high explosive core for maximum destructive potential.  If we adopt this new, more aerodynamic round as a standard, we could greatly increase our ability to destroy angelic targets!"  Ritsuko almost ranted, quickly cycling through her production designs.<br/><br/>Naoko's metal tentacle twitched, and a crayon drawing of a green figure holding a gigantic gun with a rocket coming out the tip appeared.  "You had this same idea when you were seven, dear."  She said with venom, while Ritsuko simply stared forward.  "What we need are a strong set of research priorities.  N2 shells are the only viable way for us to be sure of destroying angelic targets.  Any other development is just a waste of time for now."  Naoko said with the mad certainty of a person who has never once considered she might be wrong.  Ritsuko simply turned around in annoyance.  "N2 shells will work when they are viable, but the core design of my HE bolt shells and angel buster payloads are what we need now.  I don't know if you've noticed,<em>Mother</em>, but we need to fight the Angels now, not when your pet projects are finished.  Ask your pilots and your cronies; you'll get the same response."   Naoko simply looked at the assembled group, mentally calculating who was going to "stand up" to her first.