Vandread: Intermezzo
Disclaimer: I do not own GONZO and therefore do not assume control over the Vandread series. All theories, concepts and designs used here have been created by me and a few others. They are not the original theories from GONZO, save by chance.
Author's Note (A/N): This is a Vandread sci-fi fic which is going to have little focus on the love web in Vandread. This is because although Vandread is a cool anime, the love plot is not to my liking; if I wanted something of that sort, I would've watched Love Hina (which I did). Rather, this will probably delve into the more thought-provoking items. Also, if you have any questions, please post them in the reviews section, or email me at kaiserwing_2001@yahoo.com. Flame away if you must, but please, at least give a proper reason to flame. Okay, now that I've said that, shoo and get going to the starting!
Three Trajectories
The Earth.
Dominated by virtually only one species, the homo sapiens, that were supposed to have reached genetic perfection, that which was once a planet was now short of a mechanical globe. That which was once a biosphere was suddenly an inundated ruin of nature. That which was once a cerulean blue now swept the globe with torrents, dragging crude mechanical filth as it went. That which was once an azure sky was now a layer of torment to inhale, let alone live in.
That which was once the guardian was now the corruptor.
News of the Kaiser's defeat at the hands of an insurrection-spreading rebel group was a deathblow to the Earth's military, affecting the Harvest prospects and ultimately narrowing the already slim path of humanity's survival. None were left to continue the efforts of the military, as the Red Angel refused physical melding with any normal elite. The Harvest ships were dormant and disused in all patrolling systems; the Red Angel's inactivity signified a major loss in the military power of the Earth. Planet by planet was slowly liberating themselves of the yoke placed upon them by the coming of Earth. All hope for survival was practically impossible then.
His coming, however, heralded a second sunrise for the Earth.
Proclaiming himself as the Messiah, he came, with little to offer and nothing to prove his claim to the Red Angel. However, the Earth council of leaders bore witness to a person who excelled through the ranks of the society, power and politics with a speed to match his title. Within two months, he was the Earth's main strategist and field leader. Wielding weapons and a platoon of his own fighter vehicles, he recaptured the losses of the Earth in a matter of another month. His popularity soared so high; it was probably the highest ever percentage recorded in a worldwide poll ever since the poll regarding the justification of Saddam Hussein's execution. It was merely a question of time before he would be presented to the Red Angel.
* * *
'Lord Alexis, the Main Council wishes for your presence before them at 1000 hours. This regards the Council's decision over the inheritance of the title of the Kaiser and the Red Angel.'
'Yes. Tell them I will come after the colonization analysis and the subjugated planets' reports come in.' Alexis breathed in the purified air of his office chamber. A smirk crept insidiously on his face. Yes, he exulted; there is no stopping now; the Red Angel even willed this to happen. He would once again see power in its fullness and this time, taste it. The Earth would benefit, no doubt, but in the end, that was planned for anyway. Puffing a breath of smoke into the air from his lips, he watched the thick of the smoke dissipate into the air. The air now was tinged with a slight scent of cigarette.
'If you can't rip the fabric apart, pick at the threads.'
He smiled, this time with manic glee. He watched, with growing malice, the location of the Meger-Talark solar system, the base for all the rebels and their activities. He was interested to find out how they had defeated the former Kaiser. Interested also in how they, among all insurrectionists, inherited the accursed Blue Angel and integrated it into their conglomerate spaceship aptly named Nirvana; the accumulation of all their hopes. Interested also in why they had not been able to figure out the Paeksis genus and its limitless powers. Interested in how such addled monkeys of space still believed in inheriting a future they claimed to be their own.
So many questions would have to go unanswered. What a waste. He almost regretted the fact that they were to be assailed next.
* * *
'The Council has called for this meeting to inform you, Field General Alexis, of the Council's decision regarding your position.'
'Yes.'
'We have decided that you will be instated as the Earth's new Kaiser should you pass one last test.'
'I am honored. But what is this last test?' Hiding his knowledge of the Red Angel, secretly he knew that the last test would lead him to his destination on this otherwise useless piece of overloaded space rock.
'You have heard of the Red Angel?'
'Yes.'
'You will be presented before the Red Angel to determine whether it would have you as a leader.'
The meeting ended after some litany of tradition and responsibility as a Kaiser. Honestly, he didn't care about such a backward civilization that still believed in tradition. He had no time for tradition.
Not when he had pursuers breathing down his neck. He needed the Red Angel.
* * *
He retreated to the sanctuary of his own room, away from the mania that had spread throughout the Earth; the rejoicing for a new Kaiser. It was no different to him than every other day, jumping at the slightest chance of survival, even if it meant sucking life from others. The only difference was that this time, instead of some incompetent child, they would install a madman as their king. They were even more insane to do such an act; after all, in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Even though he was an aristocrat and an elite in the Council, he was covertly disgusted with the Earth in its entirety. He longed to escape from that tyranny-bound planet, longed to get rid of the guilt he inherited by association with the Earth's military affairs, but then he would have no other place to turn to. The rebels? No, they would execute him for being an Earthling. The desolate planets? No, there was nothing left there, so much so that it wasn't worth Earth's attention and he didn't relish the idea of dying alone anyway.
There was nowhere to go. He was bound by the invisible chains of being an Earthling.
He remembered the look of the soon-to-be Kaiser. He shuddered involuntarily. It wasn't because he appeared with horrendously lousy fashion sense, but rather because his air of imperiousness that he wore every time he came into the government complex was, to the extent of physical manifestation, unsettling. People around him would suddenly complain of lethargy, tiredness and fatigue. Although there was no substantial proof that their being was affected by his presence, he was moved into an opulent, private chamber for his personal use based on 'health reasons'. Reasons, he suspected, that concerned the others' health more than that scourge's well being. He felt a chill race up his spine just remembering being in his presence. He shrugged it off as a trivial matter and focused on the more pressing matters of the assault on the next system. The new Kaiser seemed to relish the idea of his first accomplishment being the heads of the rebels that so arrogantly prowled the inky blackness of the universe.
The very same that reft the life from the former Kaiser.
* * *
In the innermost sanctum of the Angel's Throne, Alexis stood, hands outstretched to the Red Angel. It was frustrating to think that only a layer of Plexiglas separated him from power almighty. But, no, he could not attempt a forced takeover for it would jeopardize too much; his safe haven, a potent military force and a bunch of mindless slaves was at stake. He would wait and show the Earth what potential the Red Angel had. He would lead them to their prime and their splendor.
And in one swift decision, if he did not care for Earth much more, he would destroy it with one blow.
'My angel...My bloody angel...'
His victory over the Meger-Talark rebels would be his crown jewel for his ascendance. Already, he was plotting the weakening of the rebels. If unity would bind them together, he would just have to spread the rot of doubt and treachery to them.
And he was more than prepared for such trivial operations. He thought of it as fun to see teammates kill themselves for him.
* * *
The universe was a big place to lose a person, but still, it was only one place. Even in its infinitesimally huge form, there were few places even space-time distortions would allow one single being to go. It was just merely a matter of jumping from one place to another in hot pursuit. Or so the Ragnarok Defense Team had estimated.
'Leon, any readings on..?'
'No. That's 99 times now, Charlie. You aiming for a record?'
'Oh, darn. Just one more to hundred.'
'Shut up.'
The Raganrok Defense Team pursuit group 1 was stuck is some abysmally unknown and probably hostile space area, scanning their sector for the missing convict, Alexis Iridos, and by their arrant lack of knowledge pertaining to their surroundings, lost in space. They were hot in pursuit of the escape pod that released Alexis and his cronies into the maze that was the universe but, by some chance of misfortune, miscalculated their warp co-ordinates.
'Well, maybe we should try and find some suitable planet that would be able to offer repairs and supplies,' quipped Evira. She pointed to the food supply storage with a slightly grim look. 'Supplies here were made to last a short pursuit, not a space exploration extravaganza. Besides, you guys finished the prisoner's grub the last mealtime.'
Both of them blanched, concertedly expressing their disgust for the prisoner's food in their face mimics.
'Yuck! I thought that those croissants were WAY too hot!'
'They were, Charlie,' responded Evira with an innocent smile. 'I spiked them with those capsaicin-rich herbs from the third colony's main spice planet. They drive people crazy if given in moderate doses. Large quantities can cause psychosis and derangement. I thought that it would've made for nice torture material.'
Two sets of eyes, including the normally-indifferent Leon, stared at her, amazed yet disgusted at the level and depth of sadism that she hid behind her angelic, innocent face.
'Anyway, medic girl, would you mind hauling your interrogation-based mind to the controls so that we can find a nice, peace-loving and generous satellite town or planet to restore ourselves?' Leon apparently hadn't taken the fact that he'd eaten stuff made for torture purposes very well. Evira shrugged, tossed her long raven tresses behind her and moved to the weapons and supplies control area.
'Yo, we've got a reading from a probe sent ahead. There's a mag-storm ahead.' Charlie sighed disgustedly. 'Rough-riding time, huh?'
Leon did not bother. 'Evira, activate the shield generators but do not maximize the shields output yet. Wait until we enter the mag-storm, and then pump it to full power. Charlie, ready the turbulence protectors and stabilize the engines' output.' He took his place at the main cockpit.
'Are we ready?'
* * *
It had only been a year in Talark-Meger time estimation, yet the progress of bilateral relations between the two planets had been unquestionably smooth. The interplanetary exchange of residents was an experimental stage project, organized by the Nirvana crew and condoned by the Meger and Talark government on grounds of 'scientific analyses'. Originally, the numbers of willing individuals dwindled, so much so that the whole project would have been called a failure if not for a timely exposé by the Nirvana crew members. After the first try, however, even culture shock was not much of a deterrent for others who were eager to try the program. Many old myths of each gender were disposed of; legends like men being germs and women being liver-eating devils. The Nirvana was originally used as the main area for the conduction of the project, but soon after, each planet developed a facility building each for that cause. The project then abandoned its experimental stage and became a full-scale course. Nirvana's role as a main transit transport vehicle overrode its' former life of a pirate ship, even though it remained under the rightful ownership of Magno Vivan. The fundamental principles of basic heterosexual life had been established in half the population of each planet, while the other half were in the process of understanding it. The relations between the two planets and the satellite town Mission, Meranas, and Aivur (presumed name of the mysterious planet found in the magnetic storm) further strengthened their military power and prowess. Yes, life was bliss and serenity then.
Already, the first anniversary of the victory against the Earth main fleet was close at hand. The Nirvana was, as presumed, spared of its transit duties for three days. Hibiki Tokai, official first-class citizen, first generation of the Talark Empire by biological standards and patriot of the war, looked up into the inky blackness of space as his shuttle pod headed towards the monolithic spaceship that was the Nirvana. Accompanying him was Doctor Duero McFile, an accomplished doctor and researcher in the heterosexual lifestyle research and analysis field, and Buzam Calessa, Deputy Minister of Military Affairs and lead person in the interplanetary movement for Talark. They had their own tasks and life to take care of when they had departed from Nirvana, so it was a refreshing reunion for the three of them. Of course, Dita Liebelly also tagged along with the trio as they left for the Nirvana. Apparently, to the amusement of BC and Duero, Dita and Hibiki had settled into a unique truce; she'd drop Uchuujin-san from her vocabulary in exchange for Hibiki's acceptance of her name into his own lexicon. It was apparently infuriating for Hibiki to have Dita under the same roof; he insisted that Dita made his home look like some sort of Megeran residence unit, with its neatness and absolute lack of casual disorder that would abound other homes.
'Three minutes to arrival. Strap yourselves in,' noted BC. The pod veered to the entry gate and entered the Nirvana. Already Hibiki saw the crowds of people waiting at the landing area in anticipation for their arrival. He grinned. No matter what had happened, was happening, or would happen, he knew that he had a place to come home to with a family he knew over a haphazard voyage through space. It was something he lacked, even in Talark. Aivur was too far to be a place he could frequently travel to, even though he did long to see the people there. And, almost as if someone was listening to his inner voice, his eyes fell upon three familiar figures; Tatanka, Elder Cocopeli, and Sam. Evidently, his perception of distance being a hindrance to a reunion was not shared by those three. Yet somehow, he was glad they had proved him wrong.
The ship docked and the boarding ladder connected with the Nirvana's arrival bridge. Soon the resonating sound of joy erupted as they were swept away in a tide of 150 other former pirates. It sure feels good to be home, he thought, as he mingled into the crowd that was now the complete Nirvana crew.
'Hibiki!' The gruff voice of Sam greeted him while Tatanka and Elder Cocopeli acknowledged him from within his mind. And at that moment, everything that bound him to the realities of the present ceased to be; he was now the young adult that the pirates of the Nirvana were used to.
The party was euphoria personified, with food aplenty and drinks flowing without fail. Everyone lost themselves lost in the happiness of reunion and even the stodgiest crewmates found themselves loose-lipped and pink in the face, by joy or by the Megeran syrup they didn't know or care. Hibiki excused himself from the Bio-Park to visit an old friend. Even if this old friend of his didn't know what it meant to be mellow.
He stood in front of his Vanguard, the very machine that he was bound to by the will of the Paeksis. Taking out a flask, he sat on the entrance platform and, uncorking the bottle of wine, toasted to his buddy. He drank in memory of the long and arduous history they forged. And in that moment of twilight between reality and illusion, the faint nostalgic alarm of the Nirvana sounded.
Only, to others, it was no illusion.
Even as they scrambled to their respective positions, they could smell the fear of battle permeating into their laxity. But as a trickle of rain precedes the heaviest of downfalls, the true battle was still eluding their eyes, waiting before they put their entire body into the snare before snapping the trap.
And, by their misjudgment, they were about to step into the noose.
P.S.: Yes, I know, the ending stinks, and it really is too long of a read, so I'll see if I can cut down on the lexicon. And just a forewarning, most of the sci-fi stuff will be lightly sketched into here, but if you really want to know about the mechanics, e-mail me at kaiserwing_2001@yahoo.com Also, I am rather busy now, so don't expect frequent updates.
Disclaimer: I do not own GONZO and therefore do not assume control over the Vandread series. All theories, concepts and designs used here have been created by me and a few others. They are not the original theories from GONZO, save by chance.
Author's Note (A/N): This is a Vandread sci-fi fic which is going to have little focus on the love web in Vandread. This is because although Vandread is a cool anime, the love plot is not to my liking; if I wanted something of that sort, I would've watched Love Hina (which I did). Rather, this will probably delve into the more thought-provoking items. Also, if you have any questions, please post them in the reviews section, or email me at kaiserwing_2001@yahoo.com. Flame away if you must, but please, at least give a proper reason to flame. Okay, now that I've said that, shoo and get going to the starting!
Three Trajectories
The Earth.
Dominated by virtually only one species, the homo sapiens, that were supposed to have reached genetic perfection, that which was once a planet was now short of a mechanical globe. That which was once a biosphere was suddenly an inundated ruin of nature. That which was once a cerulean blue now swept the globe with torrents, dragging crude mechanical filth as it went. That which was once an azure sky was now a layer of torment to inhale, let alone live in.
That which was once the guardian was now the corruptor.
News of the Kaiser's defeat at the hands of an insurrection-spreading rebel group was a deathblow to the Earth's military, affecting the Harvest prospects and ultimately narrowing the already slim path of humanity's survival. None were left to continue the efforts of the military, as the Red Angel refused physical melding with any normal elite. The Harvest ships were dormant and disused in all patrolling systems; the Red Angel's inactivity signified a major loss in the military power of the Earth. Planet by planet was slowly liberating themselves of the yoke placed upon them by the coming of Earth. All hope for survival was practically impossible then.
His coming, however, heralded a second sunrise for the Earth.
Proclaiming himself as the Messiah, he came, with little to offer and nothing to prove his claim to the Red Angel. However, the Earth council of leaders bore witness to a person who excelled through the ranks of the society, power and politics with a speed to match his title. Within two months, he was the Earth's main strategist and field leader. Wielding weapons and a platoon of his own fighter vehicles, he recaptured the losses of the Earth in a matter of another month. His popularity soared so high; it was probably the highest ever percentage recorded in a worldwide poll ever since the poll regarding the justification of Saddam Hussein's execution. It was merely a question of time before he would be presented to the Red Angel.
* * *
'Lord Alexis, the Main Council wishes for your presence before them at 1000 hours. This regards the Council's decision over the inheritance of the title of the Kaiser and the Red Angel.'
'Yes. Tell them I will come after the colonization analysis and the subjugated planets' reports come in.' Alexis breathed in the purified air of his office chamber. A smirk crept insidiously on his face. Yes, he exulted; there is no stopping now; the Red Angel even willed this to happen. He would once again see power in its fullness and this time, taste it. The Earth would benefit, no doubt, but in the end, that was planned for anyway. Puffing a breath of smoke into the air from his lips, he watched the thick of the smoke dissipate into the air. The air now was tinged with a slight scent of cigarette.
'If you can't rip the fabric apart, pick at the threads.'
He smiled, this time with manic glee. He watched, with growing malice, the location of the Meger-Talark solar system, the base for all the rebels and their activities. He was interested to find out how they had defeated the former Kaiser. Interested also in how they, among all insurrectionists, inherited the accursed Blue Angel and integrated it into their conglomerate spaceship aptly named Nirvana; the accumulation of all their hopes. Interested also in why they had not been able to figure out the Paeksis genus and its limitless powers. Interested in how such addled monkeys of space still believed in inheriting a future they claimed to be their own.
So many questions would have to go unanswered. What a waste. He almost regretted the fact that they were to be assailed next.
* * *
'The Council has called for this meeting to inform you, Field General Alexis, of the Council's decision regarding your position.'
'Yes.'
'We have decided that you will be instated as the Earth's new Kaiser should you pass one last test.'
'I am honored. But what is this last test?' Hiding his knowledge of the Red Angel, secretly he knew that the last test would lead him to his destination on this otherwise useless piece of overloaded space rock.
'You have heard of the Red Angel?'
'Yes.'
'You will be presented before the Red Angel to determine whether it would have you as a leader.'
The meeting ended after some litany of tradition and responsibility as a Kaiser. Honestly, he didn't care about such a backward civilization that still believed in tradition. He had no time for tradition.
Not when he had pursuers breathing down his neck. He needed the Red Angel.
* * *
He retreated to the sanctuary of his own room, away from the mania that had spread throughout the Earth; the rejoicing for a new Kaiser. It was no different to him than every other day, jumping at the slightest chance of survival, even if it meant sucking life from others. The only difference was that this time, instead of some incompetent child, they would install a madman as their king. They were even more insane to do such an act; after all, in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Even though he was an aristocrat and an elite in the Council, he was covertly disgusted with the Earth in its entirety. He longed to escape from that tyranny-bound planet, longed to get rid of the guilt he inherited by association with the Earth's military affairs, but then he would have no other place to turn to. The rebels? No, they would execute him for being an Earthling. The desolate planets? No, there was nothing left there, so much so that it wasn't worth Earth's attention and he didn't relish the idea of dying alone anyway.
There was nowhere to go. He was bound by the invisible chains of being an Earthling.
He remembered the look of the soon-to-be Kaiser. He shuddered involuntarily. It wasn't because he appeared with horrendously lousy fashion sense, but rather because his air of imperiousness that he wore every time he came into the government complex was, to the extent of physical manifestation, unsettling. People around him would suddenly complain of lethargy, tiredness and fatigue. Although there was no substantial proof that their being was affected by his presence, he was moved into an opulent, private chamber for his personal use based on 'health reasons'. Reasons, he suspected, that concerned the others' health more than that scourge's well being. He felt a chill race up his spine just remembering being in his presence. He shrugged it off as a trivial matter and focused on the more pressing matters of the assault on the next system. The new Kaiser seemed to relish the idea of his first accomplishment being the heads of the rebels that so arrogantly prowled the inky blackness of the universe.
The very same that reft the life from the former Kaiser.
* * *
In the innermost sanctum of the Angel's Throne, Alexis stood, hands outstretched to the Red Angel. It was frustrating to think that only a layer of Plexiglas separated him from power almighty. But, no, he could not attempt a forced takeover for it would jeopardize too much; his safe haven, a potent military force and a bunch of mindless slaves was at stake. He would wait and show the Earth what potential the Red Angel had. He would lead them to their prime and their splendor.
And in one swift decision, if he did not care for Earth much more, he would destroy it with one blow.
'My angel...My bloody angel...'
His victory over the Meger-Talark rebels would be his crown jewel for his ascendance. Already, he was plotting the weakening of the rebels. If unity would bind them together, he would just have to spread the rot of doubt and treachery to them.
And he was more than prepared for such trivial operations. He thought of it as fun to see teammates kill themselves for him.
* * *
The universe was a big place to lose a person, but still, it was only one place. Even in its infinitesimally huge form, there were few places even space-time distortions would allow one single being to go. It was just merely a matter of jumping from one place to another in hot pursuit. Or so the Ragnarok Defense Team had estimated.
'Leon, any readings on..?'
'No. That's 99 times now, Charlie. You aiming for a record?'
'Oh, darn. Just one more to hundred.'
'Shut up.'
The Raganrok Defense Team pursuit group 1 was stuck is some abysmally unknown and probably hostile space area, scanning their sector for the missing convict, Alexis Iridos, and by their arrant lack of knowledge pertaining to their surroundings, lost in space. They were hot in pursuit of the escape pod that released Alexis and his cronies into the maze that was the universe but, by some chance of misfortune, miscalculated their warp co-ordinates.
'Well, maybe we should try and find some suitable planet that would be able to offer repairs and supplies,' quipped Evira. She pointed to the food supply storage with a slightly grim look. 'Supplies here were made to last a short pursuit, not a space exploration extravaganza. Besides, you guys finished the prisoner's grub the last mealtime.'
Both of them blanched, concertedly expressing their disgust for the prisoner's food in their face mimics.
'Yuck! I thought that those croissants were WAY too hot!'
'They were, Charlie,' responded Evira with an innocent smile. 'I spiked them with those capsaicin-rich herbs from the third colony's main spice planet. They drive people crazy if given in moderate doses. Large quantities can cause psychosis and derangement. I thought that it would've made for nice torture material.'
Two sets of eyes, including the normally-indifferent Leon, stared at her, amazed yet disgusted at the level and depth of sadism that she hid behind her angelic, innocent face.
'Anyway, medic girl, would you mind hauling your interrogation-based mind to the controls so that we can find a nice, peace-loving and generous satellite town or planet to restore ourselves?' Leon apparently hadn't taken the fact that he'd eaten stuff made for torture purposes very well. Evira shrugged, tossed her long raven tresses behind her and moved to the weapons and supplies control area.
'Yo, we've got a reading from a probe sent ahead. There's a mag-storm ahead.' Charlie sighed disgustedly. 'Rough-riding time, huh?'
Leon did not bother. 'Evira, activate the shield generators but do not maximize the shields output yet. Wait until we enter the mag-storm, and then pump it to full power. Charlie, ready the turbulence protectors and stabilize the engines' output.' He took his place at the main cockpit.
'Are we ready?'
* * *
It had only been a year in Talark-Meger time estimation, yet the progress of bilateral relations between the two planets had been unquestionably smooth. The interplanetary exchange of residents was an experimental stage project, organized by the Nirvana crew and condoned by the Meger and Talark government on grounds of 'scientific analyses'. Originally, the numbers of willing individuals dwindled, so much so that the whole project would have been called a failure if not for a timely exposé by the Nirvana crew members. After the first try, however, even culture shock was not much of a deterrent for others who were eager to try the program. Many old myths of each gender were disposed of; legends like men being germs and women being liver-eating devils. The Nirvana was originally used as the main area for the conduction of the project, but soon after, each planet developed a facility building each for that cause. The project then abandoned its experimental stage and became a full-scale course. Nirvana's role as a main transit transport vehicle overrode its' former life of a pirate ship, even though it remained under the rightful ownership of Magno Vivan. The fundamental principles of basic heterosexual life had been established in half the population of each planet, while the other half were in the process of understanding it. The relations between the two planets and the satellite town Mission, Meranas, and Aivur (presumed name of the mysterious planet found in the magnetic storm) further strengthened their military power and prowess. Yes, life was bliss and serenity then.
Already, the first anniversary of the victory against the Earth main fleet was close at hand. The Nirvana was, as presumed, spared of its transit duties for three days. Hibiki Tokai, official first-class citizen, first generation of the Talark Empire by biological standards and patriot of the war, looked up into the inky blackness of space as his shuttle pod headed towards the monolithic spaceship that was the Nirvana. Accompanying him was Doctor Duero McFile, an accomplished doctor and researcher in the heterosexual lifestyle research and analysis field, and Buzam Calessa, Deputy Minister of Military Affairs and lead person in the interplanetary movement for Talark. They had their own tasks and life to take care of when they had departed from Nirvana, so it was a refreshing reunion for the three of them. Of course, Dita Liebelly also tagged along with the trio as they left for the Nirvana. Apparently, to the amusement of BC and Duero, Dita and Hibiki had settled into a unique truce; she'd drop Uchuujin-san from her vocabulary in exchange for Hibiki's acceptance of her name into his own lexicon. It was apparently infuriating for Hibiki to have Dita under the same roof; he insisted that Dita made his home look like some sort of Megeran residence unit, with its neatness and absolute lack of casual disorder that would abound other homes.
'Three minutes to arrival. Strap yourselves in,' noted BC. The pod veered to the entry gate and entered the Nirvana. Already Hibiki saw the crowds of people waiting at the landing area in anticipation for their arrival. He grinned. No matter what had happened, was happening, or would happen, he knew that he had a place to come home to with a family he knew over a haphazard voyage through space. It was something he lacked, even in Talark. Aivur was too far to be a place he could frequently travel to, even though he did long to see the people there. And, almost as if someone was listening to his inner voice, his eyes fell upon three familiar figures; Tatanka, Elder Cocopeli, and Sam. Evidently, his perception of distance being a hindrance to a reunion was not shared by those three. Yet somehow, he was glad they had proved him wrong.
The ship docked and the boarding ladder connected with the Nirvana's arrival bridge. Soon the resonating sound of joy erupted as they were swept away in a tide of 150 other former pirates. It sure feels good to be home, he thought, as he mingled into the crowd that was now the complete Nirvana crew.
'Hibiki!' The gruff voice of Sam greeted him while Tatanka and Elder Cocopeli acknowledged him from within his mind. And at that moment, everything that bound him to the realities of the present ceased to be; he was now the young adult that the pirates of the Nirvana were used to.
The party was euphoria personified, with food aplenty and drinks flowing without fail. Everyone lost themselves lost in the happiness of reunion and even the stodgiest crewmates found themselves loose-lipped and pink in the face, by joy or by the Megeran syrup they didn't know or care. Hibiki excused himself from the Bio-Park to visit an old friend. Even if this old friend of his didn't know what it meant to be mellow.
He stood in front of his Vanguard, the very machine that he was bound to by the will of the Paeksis. Taking out a flask, he sat on the entrance platform and, uncorking the bottle of wine, toasted to his buddy. He drank in memory of the long and arduous history they forged. And in that moment of twilight between reality and illusion, the faint nostalgic alarm of the Nirvana sounded.
Only, to others, it was no illusion.
Even as they scrambled to their respective positions, they could smell the fear of battle permeating into their laxity. But as a trickle of rain precedes the heaviest of downfalls, the true battle was still eluding their eyes, waiting before they put their entire body into the snare before snapping the trap.
And, by their misjudgment, they were about to step into the noose.
P.S.: Yes, I know, the ending stinks, and it really is too long of a read, so I'll see if I can cut down on the lexicon. And just a forewarning, most of the sci-fi stuff will be lightly sketched into here, but if you really want to know about the mechanics, e-mail me at kaiserwing_2001@yahoo.com Also, I am rather busy now, so don't expect frequent updates.