Author's Note: Kara90, Thanks... I hope you won't be put off by the following events, since I'm about to throw people for a loop. Rest assured, there is good reason for it (I don't want to spoil too much, but the crux of the story is how can Nanoha defeat someone overwhelmingly strong?)... And there is plenty of fighting, yes. As for romance, sorry to disappoint you, but not in this story, no, though there is some implied attraction here and there.
12th Squadron Assembly Area…
Only three people had managed to make it back from the initial battle. All were in bad shape, but they managed to deliver a report before being taken to the hospital for treatment. Nanoha stood next to a tactical display along with the other senior officers, going over what had taken place in the battle.
"So they say that the interference disabled all of their search magic, leading to the ambush?" one was saying.
Nanoha shook her head. "That's not quite right," she corrected, pointing to the map. "Their search magic wasn't disabled, but became so unreliable due to the interference, that they stopped using it around here, and relied on visual scanning only. However, the enemy forces were hidden beneath the forest canopy, making visual detection in those light conditions exceptionally difficult." With a wave of her hand, she replayed the first few moments of the battle. "You can see them emerge from their hiding places here. Their troop deployment is exceptional. The field commander certainly thought this through." Looking up at the others, she remarked, "We were completely caught off guard."
Her observations drew a few muffled coughs while others shifted uncomfortably. Nanoha suppressed another weary sigh. Too few of the TSAB mages had ever been in real combat, which was why people like her were so prized in the training corps. However, it was clear that while the enemy must have been preparing for real all out warfare for some time and training at least a large group of their mages accordingly, the TSAB was woefully lacking in that department.
Shifting the conversation point slightly, one of the officers pointed to the pockets of interference. "Do we have any idea what was causing our search magic to become so unreliable?"
Major Day handled this question. He could sense that some of the officers were becoming annoyed with Nanoha, through no real fault of her own. They had their pride, and it had been bruised sorely by the enemy forces, and Nanoha pointing out their faults was not making them feel any better. "We analyzed the pattern. Though it appears random, the range of the disturbances indicates a single, central location it's emanating from." He pointed to the relevant coordinates. "We think it must be a wide area magic, being cast from the center of the enemy controlled zone."
"So taking it out before the attack is out of the question," observed one officer.
Major Day nodded. "Caution is going to have to be the order of the day for the next attack."
Before anyone could add other thoughts, one officer cut in viciously. "Are we so sure that another attack is the proper course of action? We still aren't sure of the enemy's total strength, or even who they are, our first probe was virtually annihilated, and we know they're set up in an ambush, but we're just going to walk right back in anyways? And why only the Fast Response Squadrons? Where's the general mobilization?" " He threw up his hands in frustration. "Does this make any sense at all?"
A heavy silence hung over the room for a moment as they all looked around nervously. Except for Nanoha Takamachi. The young woman simply closed her clear blue eyes for a moment before fixing her gaze on the officer. "We have no choice." Though she spoke quietly, none had to strain to hear her. The sureness and stern determination in her voice made her seem far louder. "If they are able to completely secure that area and a full attack force lands, we will be in for a long, destructive conflict. While it's true the enemy has many advantages, the benefits of a victory now far outweigh the risks." Taking a deep breath, she looked around at all the gathered officers, her gaze and voice still calm, almost dangerously so. "The safety of the citizens of the Time Space Administration is our responsibility. We can do no less than to confront the enemy with courage, and fight them with maximum power."
The other officer stared at Nanoha, visage edged with stubborn defiance, but in the end, the cool gaze of the White Devil turned him aside, and he nodded in agreement sullenly. The pregnant moment following Nanoha's words passed, and Major Day cleared his throat, addressing them all once again.
"Then, as we agreed, the next attack will follow in 7 hours, with Captain Takamachi commanding." There were small motions of agreement made throughout the room. He turned to Nanoha. "I'd suggest you get some rest before final mission preparations, Captain. You'll still have a long flight ahead of you after mission start."
Nanoha nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you, Major. I'll think I probably could use a little nap first." Glancing at her watch, she decided she should also call the school to check in with Sister Schach and Vivio. She didn't want anyone to worry.
As the meeting broke, she strode out to a terminal where she could have a little bit more privacy, and set up a link to the Saint Church institution Vivio attended. Sister Schach's thin, angular face immediately appeared on the screen, looking somewhat concerned.
"Nanoha-san! I heard a little bit about what's going on. Are you alright?" asked Sister Schach breathlessly.
Nanoha smiled and waved away her concerns. "I'm fine, yes. I haven't actually deployed yet, so there's no need to worry about me quite yet. Is Vivio alright?"
Schach breathed a sigh of relief before becoming more composed. "Oh, yes. She's a little worried about you, since it isn't normal of you to not be around. But she likes the staff and they're treating her well." Schach paused a moment. "Um, Hayate-san was going to come by later to talk to Carim-sama, so I was thinking if you weren't back by then…"
Nanoha nodded, appreciative of Schach's efforts. "That's fine. I'm sorry to have to burden you with this, Sister Schach. Hopefully this will all be sorted out quickly."
Schach nodded slowly, understanding Nanoha's meaning—she'd end this as quickly as possible so everyone could return to their normal lives. "It isn't a problem, Nanoha-san. If you like, I can get Vivio for you," the plum haired woman offered.
"Yes, thank you. I don't want her worrying too much about me," Nanoha told the other woman with a smile.
Schach nodded and disappeared momentarily. Several moments later, Vivio popped into view, Schach reappearing in the background a second later, having apparently chased the girl down the hallway.
Seeing Vivio's lively face and smile brought one to Nanoha's face, and she felt a little brighter than she had for the past several hours. "Nanoha-mama!" cried Vivio exuberantly. "Where are you? They told me you were busy, but I've been wondering."
Nanoha gave Vivio a smile of reassurance. "I'm sorry, Vivio. Something important came up, so Nanoha-mama had to come to the base. It looks like I'm going to be here for a while, but there's nothing to worry about, OK?"
Vivio nodded. "OK. I miss you, Mama."
Nanoha had to check herself momentarily to avoid showing any of the hurt she felt inside at hearing those words. "I know, Vivio. I wish I knew when I'll be back, but it's a little complicated. Hayate-chan's going to be there later, though, so she and everyone else will be looking after you for just a bit, alright?"
Vivio looked over at Sister Schach, who nodded an affirmation. "OK."
Giving her adopted child a warm gaze, Nanoha told her, "I need to talk to Sister Schach about a few things before I go, Vivio. Be a good girl and don't cause Hayate-chan too much trouble, alright?"
Vivio smiled at the woman who had become her mother. "OK. Bye-bye, Mama."
The young girl scooted off to the side, and Nanoha could see Schach give her a wave. After another moment, Schach turned back to the screen. "What is it you wanted to say, Nanoha-san?"
Nanoha took a deep breath. "I probably shouldn't say too much, but it looks like the enemy might be a bit tough. We don't know too much about them. It'll be several more hours before the next battle." Nanoha paused. She wasn't very close with Sister Schach, but she felt like she had to talk to someone about her feelings. "I feel bad for telling Vivio not to worry at all," she admitted.
Schach gave her a bit of a concerned frown. "Is it really going to be that dangerous, even for you, Nanoha-san?"
Nanoha sighed, pursing her lips in thought. "It could be. The scout force was nearly wiped out in a few minutes." She blew out a breath, straightening her shoulders. "Sorry about that… I guess being a mother has made me a little more of a worrier."
Sister Schach shook her head. "No, that's not…" She fixed Nanoha with an anxious eye. "Nanoha-san, your body… It isn't…"
Nanoha gave Schach a reassuring smile, holding up her arm. "No, I'm feeling alright. It's true, I suppose," she admitted, "that I'm technically not an S+ mage anymore, but I won't be alone facing the enemy. There'll be 6 squadrons from the Aerial Forces. I'm just commanding them."
Schach breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. If you were going to go off and do something reckless again, I don't know what Hayate-san or the others would say."
Nanoha chuckled lightly. "I don't know if Sister Schach can really call me all that reckless," she pointed out to the outwardly calm and kind Saint Church attendant, who showed off a more fiery side when pressed into battle—not only was she the personal assistant of Carim Gracia, the head of the Saint Church Knights, she was a AAA class mage herself.
Sister Schach sputtered a bit at Nanoha's ribbing, before giving a heavy sigh. "I suppose I should have known better than to worry too much about Nanoha-san. Despite everything, I guess you're still the Aerial Forces' invincible Ace of Aces." She gave Nanoha a light smile. "Be careful, and don't worry about Vivio. We'll take good care of her until you get back."
Nanoha smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. And I will." With that, the call ended, and Nanoha was alone again.
Leaving the communications hub, Nanoha stepped out under the late afternoon sky. It was full on night at the engagement zone. The next engagement would happen mid-morning the following day. Looking up into the azure blue ceiling above her and pondering these time zone shifts, she suddenly found herself feeling the immensity of the world. For an aerial mage like herself, there was no where she could not go, and it rarely struck her anymore how large an entire world like Mid was. Casting her gaze back to the east, in the direction of the enemy force, she suddenly frowned, wondering what it was that drove these people to attack another world. Why had they disturbed the peace of this place with this sudden attack? What did they hope to gain?
Suddenly burdened with unanswered questions, she felt a somewhat glum state returning to her. Feeling a bit irritated with herself for letting her good mood following her chat with Vivio slip away, she decided to head for the barracks and see if she could catch a little shut-eye before the final preparation and briefing took place. She needed to be in top form tomorrow, and ensure that as many people went home alive as possible.
11 hours later…
The sun was finally climbing up into the sky, the dawn reds and oranges giving way to the clearer burning white globe surrounded by clear cerulean expanse. Nanoha Takamachi and nearly 70 other aerial mages hovered near their target area, on the edges of the interference which had proven so dangerous to the scouting party. Nanoha had discovered after a quick and unobtrusive experiment that her own Area Search spell had slightly higher efficacy than normal search magic, as it was capable of visual scanning as well as magical detection. However, using an Area Search over such an expansive area would be taxing, and if they were attacked while she was carrying it out, she'd be exceedingly vulnerable. While it was true the others in the attack force would be there to protect her in such an event, she knew their one greatest advantage lay in her own personal combat capability. Even if—due to the damage her body had sustained during the battle on the Cradle—she technically was no longer an S+ ranked mage, she still possessed the power of an S rank mage, and her combat experience was far greater than almost any other mages in the entirety of the TSAB.
It would be easy if she had Teana Lanster and her illusion magic here, Nanoha reflected. Unfortunately the young mage was an Enforcer with the Navigational Forces now. Nanoha would have to make do with what was available. It was rather risky, but the quickest and easiest way to lure the enemy out of hiding was by using some people as bait and drawing the enemy up to attack. Playing on a variation of the enemy's own tactics, most of the force would descend while they were still out of the enemy's sight, below the canopy. From there, they'd shadow the small group Nanoha had selected to draw out the ambushers. All of them had exceptional defensive skills, and she had instructed all to divert maximum power to their protection fields and barrier jackets. It left the main force with few people who could absorb a lot of damage, but if the plan worked out, it wouldn't be a big hindrance. The biggest gamble was having Nanoha herself lead in the decoy group. If she was taken out immediately—which her pragmatic mind wouldn't allow her to ignore the possibility of—things would fall apart rather rapidly. Still, she was the one most likely to survive an initial barrage, seeing as how she was the only one could resist AAA class attacks with little or no damage.
The decoy group advanced cautiously. Nanoha had sent a few of her Area Search globes with the main group to make sure they didn't run into anything unexpected. The drain was barely noticeable at this level, and she could concentrate on her defenses. As they moved in, the interference began increasing in frequency. It made sense that the area covered became less sporadic closer in since it was centered around one point.
Nanoha narrowed her eyes. They were approaching the contact point of the first engagement. Glancing around rapidly, she noted the previous positions of the enemy troops. If they weren't in the same location as last time, then the next logical place would be…
She drifted her small Area Search forward, still scanning the surrounding terrain as they edged closer. Suddenly, she detected movement at a distance. There was a natural choke point between two small ridges ahead. A natural move would be to avoid going over the top directly into an upward field of fire, and thus go straight through the gap.
She turned back to her squad, shouting, "We're about to be attacked! Boost defenses to maximum, and begin evasive maneuvers on my mark!" she told them through the secure band.
Nanoha concentrated on the small area the attackers were likely to be in. Checking the status of her main force, she suppressed a grimace. They were moving too slowly. If the enemy attacked within the next thirty seconds, the decoy force could be completely caught out and destroyed. There was little choice.
"Stay here," she ordered the rest sharply before blazing forward. "Raising Heart, Exceed Mode!"
"Drive Ignition," replied the intelligent device which had fought at her side through all her battles.
Coming to a quick stop near the likely enemy position, Nanoha readied her shot, loading a cartridge into the barrel. She knew she had only one chance. "Divine Buster Extension!" A massive blast of magical energy burst forth from her staff, lancing into the ground from long range and blasting apart the surrounding area. Her Extension shot wasn't her most powerful move, but it had far better range than her normal buster, and it was what she needed now.
Almost immediately, she came under attack, noting the mages scattering from her attack. Deftly evading the blasts that came her way, she quickly drew back, laying down a little covering fire meanwhile. The rest of the decoy force moved to back her up as the enemy forces boiled out like angry hornets from a nest.
"They're going to hit us hard," Nanoha told the others. "Main force, wait until you have a good shot." Leveling her staff, she readied herself. "Watch yourselves and make sure to cover one another. Go!"
The formation broke, Nanoha the only one going solo. Weaving through the blasts now filling the air, she tried to keep the enemy corralled in, not letting them encircle the small force. As the superior numbers of the enemy slowly pushed them back, however, things were looking dire.
At that precise moment, however, blasts came with shrieking force from below, as the main attack force burst from their cover, lacing through the enemy formation. They actually had the enemy outnumbered, it seemed, and the surprise attack had caught them off guard, putting the initiative squarely on the side of the TSAB forces.
Arcadian Command Post…
Andrew Darkstar watched the tactical display, suppressing a scowl. The enemy commander was good, as well as exceptionally daring. Already, most of the forces in that sector were in disarray, and his squadron leaders were hastily moving in neighboring forces to compensate.
"Sir, we count approximately 60 enemy personnel now, with only a few having been shot down already. We've lost nearly a full squadron already," reported the senior technician.
Andrew nodded slowly. "Lieutenant, prepare the reserve forces. We need to…"
His voice trailed off as a massive blast from the enemy commander cut through the formation, knocking down several of his soldiers. Eyes tightening in surprise, he zoomed in on the singular mage who was causing so much damage. As the picture resolved itself, he heard a collective gasp from the squadron leaders and technicians.
It was easy to see why, he admitted to himself, though he didn't let his own alarm show. "Nanoha Takamachi," he breathed, recognizing the auburn haired woman dressed in white.
"The White Devil of the Administration Bureau," one of the technicians stammered out, voice a mixture of awe and fear.
Andrew's eyes narrowed. This was unexpected. He hadn't thought one of the TSAB's aces would show up so quickly. "Belay that Lieutenant," he corrected himself. "I'll take in the reserve force personally."
The others looked at him apprehensively. None of them doubted the strength of their commander, but this woman was more than an ace. She was a legend, feared by all those who threatened the TSAB. "I understand, sir," replied the Lieutenant gravely. "Good luck."
Stepping out from under the small canopy, he lifted his right forearm, looking directly at the links on his wrist. "Are you ready, Shooting Star?" he asked his intelligent device.
"Prepared to engage," replied the cool feminine voice his device had adopted.
"Set up," he ordered quietly.
In a flash, the Field Commander of the Arcadian Combined Forces stood in his trademark jet black long coat worn over a dark gray and navy jumpsuit covered here and there with molded armor plates. The dark, dreary ensemble was one of the other reasons why he was known amongst the Arcadian forces as the Black Reaper. "Barrier Jacket: Assault Mode," reported Shooting Star.
Without another word, Commander Andrew Darkstar bolted into the morning sky to face down the most dangerous foe he had ever encountered.
It was one of the most chaotic battles Nanoha had ever been involved in. Initial force strength seemed to be about equal, though she imagined the enemy probably had more people elsewhere, but were unwilling to break up the whole of their defensive alignment just yet. At this point, things had mostly devolved into dozens of individual duels taking place all over the sky, despite her efforts to have her people work together. If she could get her forces reorganized, she might be able to cut a wide swath with her Starlight Breaker, but the way things were, her Divine Shooter ability was the only one that was truly useful at the moment.
Spinning around one incoming attack and firing her own, she sent another opponent trailing smoke as they spiraled to the ground. She ground her teeth at the brutal necessity of what she was doing. It wasn't the first time she had been forced to kill someone, and likely wouldn't be the last, but that didn't make it sit any better with her. Glancing around the battlefield as she continued dodging the fire which was coming from all directions, she found her forces slowly gaining the upper hand. If she could force them into a retreat, she could blow a hole straight through their defenses with her Excellion Buster, and they could seize the landing zone.
"All forces, this is Nanoha-san. We need to push the enemy back towards the center. Get them clustered and I'll take care of the rest!" she told them.
It took some doing, but the mages slowly worked the enemy towards the center. While it strengthened the defensive formation they were facing, it also immobilized them, which was exactly what she wanted.
"Alright, everyone move back," called Nanoha, charging up her attack.
"The firing area is clear," confirmed Raising Heart a second later.
"Alright. Let's blow through them, Raising Heart. Maximum power!" cried the Ace of Aces. A massive bundle of magical energy formed on the tip of her staff. "Excellion Buster!"
In a flash, the humongous blast shot forth, crashing into the circle of enemy mages and blowing apart their formation, several spiraling to the ground, disabled or dead. To the credit of the survivors, however, they quickly reformed, spreading out to prevent another attack from doing as much damage. However, Nanoha wouldn't be stopped by only that.
"One more time, Raising Heart. We'll sweep their formation and knock them all aside," she said firmly. She wouldn't need the Excellion Buster this time. A normal attack would be good enough.
"Clear to go," replied the intelligent device.
"Here we go. Divine Buster!"
Another huge blast followed, shrouding the area with dust and smoke from the impact. Frowning, Nanoha looked up at the blast zone. At the last moment, she thought she had felt something intercept her attack.
"You did it, Nanoha-san," called one of her Lieutenants. He waved the other forces to move forward towards the gap.
They stopped short, however, when the debris cloud cleared. Standing like a monolithic statue was a man dressed in a long black coat, magic barrier emanating from his left hand. Behind him lay the remains of the enemy formation. Nanoha's second attack had failed completely, deflected by that singular man.
Even Nanoha herself had to pause. It would take at least a AAA class mage to take that kind of attack, and even then, they'd likely suffer damage. This man had apparently defended her Divine Buster without much difficulty. He was on an entirely different level from the others.
"Pull back, now!" Nanoha called to the advancing forces.
Shaken from their state of shock by her words, they began to move. However, a few didn't move fast enough, and were lanced down from a multiple shot technique fired by the man in black.
Andrew shut down his barrier and spared a glance at the troops behind him. "Is everyone alright?"
"We could be doing better," admitted a squadron leader. "But we can still fight, sir."
Andrew shook his head tersely. "No, you're no match for that woman. I'll handle this."
"But sir!" he protested.
Andrew turned back to face the woman in white. "She's an S+ class mage. This isn't a battle you want to be caught up in. Fall back to secondary positions and cover me. Don't let anyone else through."
Andrew didn't bother listening to the Lieutenant's response. He knew his orders would be carried out. He had to concentrate now on the woman opposing him. He had read as much as he could about this woman and the other top aces of the TSAB. Unfortunately, acquiring actual footage of her battles had proven difficult. As such, he didn't really know too much about how she fought—of course, conversely she wouldn't know anything about his abilities, which meant he could keep some of his cards hidden for now. Playing everything he had at once wasn't an option; he had to beat every ace the TSAB could throw at him, and despite the hellish years he has spent preparing for this, he wasn't sure if it was possible even then. Remaining at this distance was suicide, in any case. Nanoha Takamachi had much better long range shooting magic than he did. He needed to close in to a more beneficial combat distance.
Nanoha watched the man momentarily, keeping herself calm and focused. She couldn't worry about the men and women who had just been shot down. If she didn't concentrate on the here and now, she just might find herself getting taken out. This was clearly no ordinary opponent.
As she watched, the man moved like a flash, closing the distance to her. He's fast… But not as fast as Fate-chan. Firing her own multiple shot directional attack, she maneuvered around to gauge his reactions. "Divine Shooter! Shoot!"
Andrew saw the incoming attack and countered directly. "Cosmic Blast! Execute!" A series of small explosions peppered the space between the combatants. A few of Nanoha's shots snuck through, but he managed to avoid them.
"She has slightly better control," he muttered to himself. His Cosmic Blast wasn't as maneuverable. That could be a problem. He was still out of optimal range, but that didn't mean he didn't have options. "Shooting Star, load cartridge! Solar Flare!"
Surprised by the attack, Nanoha threw up a shield. The attack was heavy, on the par of her Divine Buster. Quickly glancing about, she spotted him closing in on her flank. She fired another Divine Shooter. She was more accurate this time, necessitating a defensive move from the man in black.
Swinging about, she brought her staff to bear. "Time to go all out. Excellion Buster!"
Andrew saw the attack coming, the same one that had blasted his subordinates. It'd be dangerous to try and block that. "Solar Flare!"
Their beams, hers bright pink, his electric blue, struck head on. Both combatants grit their teeth against the pressure from the attacks. After wavering for a moment, the blue beam began to be pushed back by the powerful attack from the woman in white.
Andrew's eyes widened. She was even more powerful than he had expected. He threw up a quick barrier to blunt the attack, pulling back for a moment. However, Nanoha had already closed in, firing another Divine Shooter.
Again, Nanoha watched as the man in black dodged or intercepted her attack. The rapidity of his recovery, however, caught her off guard. The instant he had evaded her attack, he was bringing his own staff back to bear.
"Comet Pierce!" This was his fastest attack, a mid-range quick shot, and one of the reasons why he needed to get in this close. He had the upper hand here.
Nanoha quickly defended. The attack wasn't nearly as strong as the previous one, but it had come so fast, she hadn't had a chance to evade. She backed off, searching the skies. He hovered before her, not having pursued. Instead of firing again, Nanoha only watched him for a long moment.
"Who are you?" she called out. "Why are you doing all of this?"
Andrew frowned. She was stopping in the middle of a battle to ask him what his name was? This wasn't something he expected from the stories about the White Devil. Still, he didn't suppose it could hurt. After all, there was no point in fighting the TSAB if they didn't know what it was he hoped to gain out of it. "I suppose it would be the correct thing to introduce myself," he admitted slowly, "since I already know who you are, Captain Nanoha Takamachi." Fixing the auburn haired woman with his dark hazel eyes, he said, "My name is Commander Andrew Darkstar, of the Arcadian Combined Forces. As to why I'm doing this… That should be obvious to a TSAB mage. I want my people to be free."
Nanoha frowned. She had never heard of Arcadia. Was it one of the Administrated Worlds, then? She had never heard of one clamoring for independence, but then again, her knowledge of TSAB history wasn't the best, having come from Earth, a Non-Administrated world.
"Aren't there better ways to seek independence, Darkstar-san?" she asked him. "There's no need for us to fight if that's what you're after."
Andrew frowned, somewhat confused. "This is the only way remaining to us. I apologize, Captain Takamachi. I have nothing against you personally, but I have no choice but to defeat you," he told her evenly.
Nanoha was mystified herself. She couldn't detect any overt animosity in this man, and the look in his eyes was totally sincere, and even a little sad. "I guess I'll have to beat you then, to make you listen to me," she replied.
Without further ado, the battle continued. With this man's speed, she'd have little chance to use her Starlight Breaker, Nanoha knew. Her only possibility would be to capture him in a bind then knock him out with magical damage.
Maneuvering for a clear shot, again she traded directed shots with him before forcing him to defend with a shot from her Crossfire Shoot. This was her chance.
"Restrict Lock!"
Andrew suddenly found himself immobile. "A bind? That fast? Incredible," he muttered to himself. Her skill with orthodox magic was astonishing, even more so than her outright power. He spotted her above him, charging up her Excellion Buster. Quickly, he diverted energy to his Barrier Jacket, forcing it to explode outward in a burst, blowing him free of the bind and allowing him to dodge her attack by a hair.
As he reformed his Barrier Jacket, he spied her preparing another buster shot. "She sure is persistent," he commented lowly. Hoping he'd make it in time, he raised his own staff. They fired almost simultaneously.
"Excellion Buster!"
"Starfire Break!"
This time when their beams struck, it was Nanoha's turn to be surprised. Her own buster was being pushed back. "Raising Heart, I'm counting on you!" she called out.
"Alright," replied the unflappable device, increasing its power output.
Nanoha shuddered as the beam increased in intensity. Her body could barely handle this now. Normal Exceed Mode was fine, but this man was extraordinarily strong.
A massive explosion rocked both of them as their beams detonated against each other, coating the area in a smokescreen. When Nanoha's vision cleared, Andrew was still pointing his staff at her, however, it had changed somewhat, electric blue fins sprouting from the front which now featured four prongs instead of two.
"You're stronger than I had anticipated, Captain Takamachi," he admitted, as she caught a glint of respect in his voice. "But it's over now. Shooting Star, Nova Strike Mode. Execute."
"Nova Strike Mode engaged," confirmed his intelligent device.
Nanoha's eyes widened. He had another mode for his device? That meant he had been fighting her Exceed Mode at less than full power. How strong was he?
"Solar Flare Nova. Execute!"
The glowing cerulean beam came faster, broader this time. Nanoha barely brought her own buster around in time. "Excellion Buster! Maximum power!"
The contact explosion was far closer to her this time, and she coughed on the smoke surrounding her. When her vision cleared, she gasped in shock. She was completely surrounded by dozens of his directed attack rounds, hovering about her in a loose sphere. She didn't even have time to raise her arm.
"Cosmic Blast, Storm Burst."
The shots came crashing in on Nanoha, overloading even her barriers. She had underestimated him. Her last conscious thought was how she would ever explain this to Vivio.
Andrew lowered his staff slowly, watching as the wounded Ace of Aces dropped from the sky, her intelligent device managing to keep her flight fins active to prevent a fatal descent. As he watched, she was caught by the troops who had remained behind with her.
"You… Damn you!" cried one of them, as he and several other colleagues rush upwards to face Andrew.
"No, stop, you're no match for someone who beat Nanoha-san!" screamed another from below. His call was ignored however, as the others raced forward.
"Cosmic Blast," ordered Andrew calmly. Most of the mages were dropped by his first wave. A few others continued forward, having managed to defend. Again, Andrew reacted with utter composure. "Gravity Hold."
Suddenly, the onrushing mages slowed, their movements being constricted by Andrew's area bind. Looking forward, their eyes widened as a large mass of magic formed in front of his upraised staff. "Meteor Strike. Execute."
As his arm swung down, the huge mass thundered towards them, exploding in their midst before they could escape. They all fell from the sky, with the exception of one heavily wounded mage who still struggled forward, swinging his staff at the man before them who had somehow cast down their hero.
Andrew blocked the man's attack with his bare hand, staring at him, eyes revealing nothing. "Still you press on? Do you want to end your existence that badly? If you're not treated soon, your life will be over," he stated evenly.
"What does it matter?" the other spat out. "After what you did to Nanoha-san… I don't care if I die, if I can take you down, too!"
Andrew could only look at him, a hint of sorrow passing across his face. "War… is a most terrible endeavor," he observed regretfully, pointing his staff at the man. "Cosmic Blast Arrow Shot."
A single bolt blasted the man, flash burning his flesh and sending him too tumbling down. A moment later, with the skies apparently clear, one of his squadron leaders approached.
"Commander. We've confirmed it. Enemy forces in retreat. The field is ours," he told his superior, unable to keep a note of pride out of his voice.
Andrew breathed a sigh of relief, finally allowing his emotions to show. "Very well, Lieutenant. Keep some men on station just in case, have the wounded moved back for treatment, and secure the area for General Lagan's landing. Good work."
As the Lieutenant departed, Andrew observed the field for another long moment, watching as Nanoha was taken away by the TSAB forces. He was struck somewhat by the peculiarity of her words to him, in opposition to the spirited and uncompromising if not ruthless way she fought. She was certainly an interesting opponent if nothing else. With that final thought, he turned away from the battlefield, returning to the command post, having fired the first shot in what he hoped was as short and bloodless a war as possible.
Author's Note: So, I'm sure the howls of protest will commence now. Yes, Andrew defeated Nanoha. But you know what? It's kind of hard to have a believable antagonist for the heroes if he's absolutely no threat at all. When the heroes are as strong as Nanoha and her friends, the antagonists have to be really strong, too. Is this seemingly a textbook example of The Worf Effect (look it up on TV Tropes if you don't recognize the term)? Yeah, probably. So sue me. Also remember though that Nanoha was weakened by her fight on the Cradle, and that she didn't know exactly how strong he'd be--he openly admits later he got a little lucky. It may seem totally unreasonable, but every time he wins, there is absolutely a reason for it, beyond adding to the drama. If anyone is wondering, by the way, the title of Stars refers to Nanoha (who of course led the Stars unit in Strikers) and Andrew (who has the word star in his last name), since it's about their conflicts.
