Chapter 2: Shocking Revelation

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

Vandread Ace

Nathan and Hibiki do a sparring match inside the Nirvana's gym.

Hibiki throws a punch that Nathan catches with ease then jumps when he sees Hibiki trying to kick his feet out from under him. Nathan retaliates with a roundhouse kick that knocks his opponent down and takes advantage by locking in the Kimura submission that Hibiki taps out to if he doesn't want to risk suffering a broken arm. Untangling the limb from his legs, Nathan returns to his feet and helps Hibiki up.

Nathan commented, "Your fighting skills have greatly improved but you still have some way to go before reaching my level."

Hibiki asked, "How long?"

Nathan replied, "About 6 more years."

The young Tarak shouted, "What? 6 more years?"

Nathan explained, "Fighting skills aren't perfected overnight, kid. They're developed over the years while learning from mistakes. But even if you are a seasoned veteran, you shouldn't ever underestimate your opponent because that can prove fatal. You understand what I'm saying?" Seeing Hibiki nod, he continued, "Good. Let's shower then head over to the infirmary." The two part ways to wash up and change into different clothes.

Nathan wore a black shirt, blue jeans, socks and shoes while Hibiki donned his everyday attire.

They arrive at the infirmary in time to notice Duero reading the pod's data log.

He said, "According to the log, her name is Misty Cornwell and is 14 years of age."

Paiway spoke through her frog hand puppet, "14 plus the 63 years she spent in cold sleep which would make her 77, ribbit."

Duero chuckled, "I stand corrected. She's regaining consciousness." Letting out a moan, Misty opens her crimson red eyes and looks around to see virtually the entire crew staring at her. The left earring glows and that shapeless blob appears again.

Pyoro exclaimed, "Did you see that?"

Misty said, "Don't worry Q-Chan, I'll be alright." She shivered the moment she sat up, "So cold!"

"It's a side effect of the cryogenic stasis field. You should get some rest until it wears off." Duero explained as he placed a blanket on her.

Misty stared at him and said, "Wow, you're a really handsome guy!" The Tarak doctor blinks in confusion from the compliment.

Bart said, "Hi there. I heard that you come from a place where men and women live together. Is that true?"

Misty glared at him, "That has to be the dumbest question anybody's asked of me. You a moron or something?" The blonde-haired helmsman looks away in shame.

Hibiki placed a hand on the man's shoulder, "No need to sulk, Bart. Cheer up, would ya?"

The blue-haired teen asked Duero, "Who's he?"

Duero wondered, "Which he? You must mean one of those two. If it's not Bart then you must mean Hibiki."

Misty said, "Hibiki. What an adorable name!" The Vanguard pilot turned his head to her, "I knew the moment we met, it would be love at first sight. See? The red string of fate." The occupants in the infirmary gaze at him.

Hibiki retorted, "No, I don't see! I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Misty giggled, "You're so funny but that just makes you even cuter. Well don't just stand there, Hibiki come sit next to me." Dita immediately comes in-between them and denies her the request stating that red is the color of bad aliens, referring to the Harvesters they are facing. Misty glares at the redhead with a tick mark.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Grimm spots Paiway writing another entry in her little book.

'When will she stop doing that?' He mentally groaned.

Misty asked, "Hey, is that girl his girlfriend?"

Duero wondered, "Girlfriend? I'm sorry, I am not familiar with that term. What does it mean?"

The blue-haired teen raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? You really don't know? Q-Chan, these people are definitely weird."

Jura stepped forward, "Well, it works both ways and from our point of view you're very strange yourself."

Misty asked, "What kind of place have I found myself in?"

Nathan explained, "Besides from me, my wingmen and the personnel aboard the Kestrel II, the people on this ship come from a solar system where men and women live apart from each other. We are not accusing you of anything, you just need to understand that the two genders haven't spoken to each other and have been at war with one another for centuries. If you ask me, I think this battle of the sexes is completely stupid."

The newcomer mumbled, "Oh, boy." Dita sits in the dark cafeteria with Ezra as the pregnant bridge bunny hands the fuming Dread pilot a cup of hand.

Dita said, "Who does she think she is? She comes barging in and hugs Mr. Alien!"

Ezra asked her, "If you suddenly woke up in an unfamiliar place shocked and confused, wouldn't you react the same way?"

Dita answered, "Then how come the first thing she does is hug, Mr. Alien? What's more is that he didn't react in the same way that he does with me."

The gentle bridge bunny nodded, "How awkward. I guess that'd be very shocking indeed." In the infirmary, Nathan watches Misty sleeping. His gut's telling him that this girl had an objective besides escaping from the Harvesters but what exactly? Shaking his head, he departs from the room and the door opens to allow Magno and BC enter and Nathan to leave.

Magno asked, "How's the newcomer, doctor?"

Duero replied, "Sleeping at the moment. She hasn't fully stabilized yet so for now, rest is the best medicine."

BC sighed, "Then I guess we'll have to decode this ourselves." She holds up a capsule containing a green sphere.

Back at the cafeteria, Dita pouted, "I shouldn't have made that promise, Ezra. It's boring just waiting for Mr. Alien to come visit my room. I was a lot better off chasing him, you know." Ezra was about to say something when she feels agonizing pain hit her stomach.

Dita asked in concern, "Ezra, what's wrong?"

The brunette groaned, "The baby."

Dita replied, "You mean it's time?" Seeing Ezra nod, Dita panics.

Hibiki sits in a chair at Reg Central, holding his head against a hand.

He said, "Who does that girl think she is? Calling me cute and all!"

Gascogne approached him, "What are you babbling about now? Sounds to me like you're smirking."

Hibiki raised an eyebrow, "What? I wasn't smirking."

The Reg leader advised, "Why don't you hurry up and fulfill the promise to Dita."

Hibiki stood up, "That's my business, not yours. Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

Gascogne watched him leave, "Doesn't have a clue." Hibiki walks through the hallway when he spots Dita helping Ezra walk. Normally, he would have ran out of there but he remembered Nathan saying that he needs to man up and face a challenge head-on.

He asked, "Something wrong?"

Dita urged, "Help me get Ezra to the infirmary! She's going to have her baby!" The Vanguard pilot gasps and the three step into the nearest elevator and Hibiki presses the floor number that their destination is on.

In the infirmary, Duero said in surprise, "What? She's gone into labor?" He grabbed the 'Hello Baby' book, "Hibiki, can you give me a description of Ezra's condition? What type of pain is she feeling?"

Hibiki observed the woman's breathing and said, "We don't time to discuss that. She is in a lot of pain, it goes away for a minute then comes back. I'll bring her over as soon as possible." Meanwhile, BC places the capsule into a holder and waits after typing for the results.

She wondered, "Well, Pyoro? How's it coming?"

Pyoro read the message, "Access denied. The message is encrypted. In order to access it, we need to know the password! I'm sorry, commander."

Paiway appeared on a monitor and announced, "Newsflash! Ezra's baby is about to be born!" Suddenly Pyoro acts all funny then he short circuits, in an apparent chain reaction systems in the Nirvana shut down.

Belvedere informed, "The infection's spreading throughout the entire system! We have one minute until full contamination!" BC gasps from what the blonde-haired bridge bunny said. She must have unintentionally released some sort of virus from the capsule.

The elevator that Hibiki, Dita and Ezra are in stops moving!

Hibiki wondered, "What happened? Why did we stop? Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

Duero replied, "Calm down, Hibiki. There has been an accident and all systems are down at the moment including the elevator. What is the condition of the patient?"

The young Tarak looked at, "She's sweating, in pain and her breathing is coming in short breaths."

Magno said, "She's definitely gone into labor." Seeing Duero flip through the pages of the book, she informed the occupants, "Alright, listen up! If the elevator isn't fixed in the next few minutes, Ezra will have to give birth right there!"

Dita exclaimed, "What? Here in the elevator?"

Duero objected, "That's crazy, captain!"

Magno told him, "Without power we have no choice! I'm afraid that baby won't wait!" Inside the elevator, Dita holds Ezra's hand.

She said, "Don't worry, Ezra. I'm here and so is Mr. Alien. In a way, everyone is here for you."

Ezra smiled despite the pain, "Thank you, Dita. You too, Hibiki." Upon request of Magno to continue, Duero asks Hibiki the intervals between the pregnant bridge bunny's contractions.

Dita answered, "They're very short, a few seconds apart at best."

Duero looked at the watch, "That's 6 contractions an hour." Paiway and Magno stare at him with a comical look of displeasure and Magno is about to say something when she is suddenly interrupted by the ship being attacked.

Hibiki groaned, "Oh for God's sake, not now!" The bridge bunnies are taken by surprise of the attack, the sensors were down so they didn't detect the attack until the Nirvana shook.

BC asked, "Gascogne, you think you can divert power to the launch platform?"

The Reg leader gave her a thumbs-up, "No problem, leave everything to us on our part, you just concentrate on getting rid of that virus, okay?" Ending the transmission, she ordered the stagehands, "Alright girls, put some muscle into it. This is your chance to get rid of all those extra calories. We need to give the Dread launching platform every drop of juice we can deliver." She grunts as she pushes a switch in.

Barnette demanded, "Gascogne, what happened? Why is it dark?"

Gascogne replied, "Some sort of virus knocked out the systems so we diverted any remaining power to the platform. Your orders have been put through but you're on your own after that." The Dread pilots slide down a tube that leads to their Dread's cockpit. Barnette takes off first, the other Dread pilots, Razgriz Squadron and B-1R follow suit.

Meia ordered, "All Dreads, keep the enemy away from the Nirvana! We need to protect it at all costs!"

Jura protested, "Damn it, I really wanted to see that baby being born!"

Blaze said, "Focus now, Jura. The enemy's coming!" Razgriz Squadron disperse to engage the Harvesters.

Blaze fires his F-15E Strike Eagle's M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon at a MiG-21 that was heading for the Nirvana to drop its bomb payload. His radar detects a squadron of MiG-31 Foxhounds closing fast, he changes the F-15E Strike Eagle into its robot mode and brings its arms up to shield its body from the R-27AEs fired at it. Once the last missile hits, Blaze lowers the arms and destroys the first half of the enemy formation with the M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon then quickly whips his machine around and downs the other half with QAAMs. He does a scan on the F-15E Strike Eagle and the results show that his jet sustained minimal damage from the missile attack, he briefly smiles over the fact that the Strike Eagle's exterior hasn't been compromised...yet. Blaze changes his machine into jet mode again to resume protecting the Nirvana.

Inside the elevator, Hibiki gritted his teeth, "Damn it! If only I could get out there and show those scrap heaps who they're messing with!"

Dita retorted, "That's not important right now! We need to take care of Ezra!"

Hibiki fired back, "That's easy for you to say but..."

Ezra cut him off, "Don't, please. There's something I want you two to do for me. Be friendly to each other, okay?" She places their hands on top of the other with a smile and Dita and Hibiki look at each other before turning away with a blush. She lets out a pained shriek.

Hibiki said, "We need help!"

Duero flipped through the Hello Baby book when Magno held his arm and urged, "How long are you going to sit there like a dumbass? Hurry up and tell them what to do next!"

Duero said, "But I don't know what widening of the birth canal means. I haven't studied enough to..."

Magno sighed, "Okay, I get the picture. You know doctor, in times like this, experience and common sense are better than mere logic!" She seized any further protests with a smile, "You just leave the rest to me. Ezra, can you hear me? Don't push just yet! Use shallow breathing, it helps lessen the pain." Out in space, 2 modified Seed Ships appear and pierce the Nirvana's wings with chain-like grappling hooks. The fighter pilots automatically discover what the Harvesters are planning to do.

On board the Kestrel II, Dave Anderson barked, "Aim forward guns on those Seed Ships! We can't let them take the Nirvana away!" The supercarrier's forward 14" guns take aim at the hostiles and fire their deadly shells. The projectiles impact the Seed Ships with enough force to strain the grappling hooks. The Dreads fire their lasers on them and the hooks break, freeing the Nirvana.

The explosion sends Dita, Hibiki and Ezra thrashing about inside the elevator.

Dita gasped in fear, "Ezra!" She spots Hibiki using his body to soften the impact. Ezra winces and when Hibiki looks down, he screams at what he saw.

Duero asked, "Hibiki, what's wrong?"

Hibiki replied, "Water! A whole lot of water!"

Magno cried, "That's normal! Her water's broken!"

Duero read, "It's called amniotic fluid. It doubles as protection for the baby inside the womb and a lubricant to help it come out of the birth canal more easily."

Hibiki face faulted, "I have no idea on what you just said." Back in space, Archer pulls up behind a cube-type and opens fire with his MiG-29 Fulcrum's GSh-30-1 cannon, quickly trashing the target then jinks right when he hears the missile warning and pops flares to divert a heat seeking missile from him. Looking out of his canopy, Archer discovers the missile to be an AIM-9X Sidewinder.

He contacted Blaze, "Captain, did you fire that Sidewinder on me by mistake?"

Blaze responded, "How can I when I have my hands full with these MiG-21s, Archer?" He looked at his radar to notice new signatures, "Heads up, people. Enemy reinforcements are on their way. The formation is composed of F/A-18 Hornets and B-2 bombers."

Meia said, "I'm not picking them up on my radar."

The Osean pilot informed, "Look harder. The B-2s can't be detected via radar because they're stealth bombers, you will have to rely on your eyes. Swordsman, Archer, target the Hornets escorting the B-2s, Edge and I will go after the bombers."

Swordsman nodded, "Roger that, Blaze. Let's go, Archer."

After watching the two depart, Blaze barked, "Edge, follow me! We need to make sure those stealth bombers don't hit the Nirvana or the Kestrel II! Losing either one will be a serious blow to us!" Meia's moved by the Osean's courage and determination.

She smiled slightly, "Archer wasn't lying when he said that Blaze was the son of Mobius 1. His father's leadership and lethal skills radiate off of Blaze."

Jura said in surprise, "It's unlike you to pay someone a compliment, Meia."

Meia replied, "I'm just pointing out a fact, Jura. We have fought side by side with Razgriz Squadron for a year now and have seen their fearsome piloting skills in action several times. I would like to talk more about it but we got a battle on our hands, let's hurry up and finish this." Archer lines up his MiG-29 with an F/A-18 Hornet for a missile lock but the enemy fighter's flying was equaled to that of a seasoned veteran, it kept pulling maneuvers to shake off any missile lock Archer tries to obtain.

'Hold still, would you?' He thought in annoyance.

He follows the Hornet's flight path like a person plotting his/her next move in a game of chess. The F/A-18 ultimately makes a mistake by turning right and Archer takes advantage of it, locking onto it.

The 19-year old said, "Got ya. Archer, Fox Two!" He fires an R-27AE active radar-homing missile that screams toward its target and obliterates it upon impact. Archer turns his Fulcrum around to engage the other F/A-18s.

Blaze arms 2 AIM-120D AMRAAM on a pair of the B-2s and the lock-on symbol turns red.

He called out, "Fox Three! Fox Three!" Pulling the trigger, the AIM-120Ds hit home on the stealth bombers turning them into fireballs. Looking to his right, Blaze spots Edge downing two of her own targets but they still got more enemies to deal with.

Inside the stuck elevator, Ezra continues to release moans of pain.

Hibiki begged, "Hey old lady, she's in a lot of pain! What do we do?"

Magno answered, "It's on its way! Which one of you is closest to her legs?"

Hibiki replied, "I am."

The pirate leader instructed, "Then you're elected. Open her legs and when the baby's head comes out, pull it out gently."

Hibiki recited, "Open her legs and when the baby's head appears, I'll-What?!"

Dita pleaded, "Please, Mr. Alien! We need to help Ezra!" The young Tarak gulps and steels himself for the task he's about to perform. He sheds his outer jacket and uses it as a cushion and to keep the baby warm.

Hibiki announced, "Okay, I'm in position. Now what?"

Magno said, "Ezra, don't shallow breathe anymore. On the count of three push with all your might. Ready? One, two, three, push!" Ezra does what the captain said and pushes, whimpering from the waves of agony assaulting her nerves. Hibiki gasps in awe as he watches the infant's head slowly appear.

He requested, "The baby's head has appeared. Now what, old lady?"

The aged woman further instructed, "This is the point of delivery, reach under the baby's head and support it." At one point, Ezra admits that she is scared but Dita comforts her, saying that everyone on the Nirvana have waited for this moment of her baby being born. Ezra somehow smiles.

While this is going, Duero closes the book.

Magno said, "Doctor, don't tell me you've had a change of heart?"

Duero admitted, "I finally realized that you were right, captain. Some answers can't be found in a text book." Magno smiles at his truthful admission.

With one final push and cry, Ezra's baby entered the world of the living. Hibiki wipes off the blood and other nasty gunk covering the baby and the infant takes its first breath. Her crying restores all of the Nirvana's systems including the power grid. Hibiki sighs in relief that the danger has passed before handing the baby over its mother.

The ship's fighters finish mopping up any remnants of the Harvesters. Paiway informs that Ezra's baby has just been born, making every single pilot smile including the Ghosts of Razgriz.

Blaze said, "The baby's voice restored the Nirvana's systems? Heh, I never imagined that an infant would save our skin. Razgriz Squadron, let's return to base."

Ezra smiled warmly, "What do you know? She's already fast asleep." Dita looks on with happiness.

She said, "A mother's touch has that kind of effect. She's beautiful!"

Parfet's voice came over the intercom system, "Sorry to keep you waiting. We're starting up the elevator again." Without warning the emergency breaks snap, sending the elevator into a free fall at high-speed lifting the passengers off the ground.

Hibiki screamed, "Parfet! I prefer to be in one piece!" A second later, the elevator stops in its rapid descent and they hear Pyoro saying that he will protect the baby.

Pyoro lifts the elevator to a floor then stops allowing Nathan and Snow pry open the doors then they help the occupant climb out.

Later that day, the crew succeeds in decoding the capsule. It contained a video and Magno orders the bridge bunnies to play it.

In the video was a male and female scientist. The female scientist bore a striking resemblance to Misty.

The man said, "I am truly sorry for the inconvenience you experienced as a result of our precautions but we chose an infant's voice as the input password because we felt that the sound of a baby was a true sign of humanity. To those who have received this message I hope you are thriving healthy and prosperous as mankind was meant to. Ever since you left your homeland on Earth, it has suffered cataclysmic changes! You may not know this but in 2011, after signing a peace treaty, Osean President Vincent Harling and Yuktobanian Prime Minister Nikanor initiated a program that would allow the human race to eventually live among the stars starting what is now known as the Colonization Era. A century later, after we bid farewell to your fleet of frontier ships, mankind began to turn to insanity leaving the path of prosperity behind. As you know, human genetic distribution has reached a critical low. In other words for those on Earth, human evolution is no longer possible. So some of us left to avoid the trap of evolutionary stagnation. To ensure that mankind survived but now..." The woman shows them a video of Earth.

She stated, "Take a look at this. This is what your beautiful homeland now looks like. The once blue atmosphere is hidden behind a monstrous web of hideous machinery in which Lunar, Earth's moon, was forced out of orbit. As a result the planet suffered a drastic change in its gravitational field and in the present atmosphere, storms rage nonstop! The surface is like a giant acidic washing machine! What Earthlings that remain have created cities within these gears and hold on for dear life."

Grimm whispered, "My god!"

The male scientist took over, "When you left, people initially felt that you were mankind's greatest hope for survival but this dimmed over time and people on the stagnant Earth started to believe that they were the last true humans. In doing so, justified their means to self-preservation. However, the gene pool was so empty that attempts of cloning led to disastrous results. So with the same justification they claimed the right to harvest the organs of others like yours and use them for their own self-preservation."

Magno realized, "So that's what the Harvest is all about. We've become forced organ donors against our will. How vile."

The man continued, "I don't how or why this madness overcame the people of Earth but they used the last of the original Paksis to create a fleet of unmanned, automated harvesters to hunt you down mercilessly and harvest every last one of you!" This was a completely terrifying discovery for Hibiki and the others.

The woman said, "It's clear that the people of Earth have made a horrible mistake. It's because of this that I am sending our messenger to give you this. I may never meet you, you who are watching this message but I ask you to help restore mankind's self-respect and dignity and to protect the circle of life. There's nothing more that we can do so we leave the rest to you. Don't let the flame of life burn out!" The video ends after that.

BC mumbled, "To protect the circle of life."

Magno vowed, "We've received their message and now we must carry on their commitment. For humanity and a future where every child can grow up smiling!" At the infirmary, Dita stares at Ezra's baby that is sleeping right next to Ezra who is recovering from giving birth.

Dita said, "She's so cute. What should we name her?"

Pyoro smiled, "Pyoro 2."

Ezra giggled, "Silly Pyoro, that's not her name."

The white robot flared angrily, "This was already decided!" A hand tightly grabs Pyoro and throws him into a wall.

Nathan said, "That is a stupid name. How does the name Fiona sound to you, Ezra?"

The gentle bridge bunny thought about it, "Hm, 'Fiona'. I love it, it's a beautiful name! From here on, my baby's name is Fiona."

Dita saw Misty coming into the infirmary, "There you are, Misty. How are you feeling?"

Misty replied, "Fine. Oh yeah, congratulations on a safe delivery." Hibiki comes in bare of his jacket, Dita blushes from the way his inner shirt hugged his toned upper body.

He rubbed the back of his head, "Hi there, I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing."

Misty turned to him, "I heard the news. You kept your cool and helped Ezra deliver the baby. That was really manly of you."

Hibiki snapped back, "Are you making fun of me?"

Misty smiled, "I just love people like that!" She kisses Hibiki, shocking both Pyoro and Dita. After separating her lips from his, Misty licks hers savoring the kiss.

Having never been kissed by a girl before, Hibiki faints with a slight nosebleed. Dita stares with her jaw comically hung open.

Paiway snaps a picture of the unconscious Vanguard pilot.

A/N: Chapter 2 done.

The Nirvana crew find out what the Harvesters' objective was and what led them to this operation.

Hibiki helped deliver Ezra's baby because he freaks out in the anime so I wanted him to man up for a change.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 3.

Vader 23A