Chapter 10: More questions than answers

Oliver's POV…

How am I alive? Last thing I remember was that Gauna's hand breaking into the cockpit… now I am in this room.

"Wake up little bug."

"Who?"

"Did you forget me so quickly?"

"Who the hell are you?!"

"I am an old friend of yours, my latest avatar is a Crimson Hawk Moth."

"Reaper?"

"Now we are getting somewhere, I know you don't like John so tell me, what's become of the Freedom and where is the Sidonia?"

"I will never tell you, you betrayed everyone!"

"Such great defiance however you are nothing compared to my powers."

"You're crazy and EVERYTHING that happened to the Freedom after you left was your fault."

"I didn't leave I ascended far above the term mortal. I am now Reaper the undying slayer of Gauna and humankind!"

"You are nothing, you think you can just destroy the Freedom and Sidonia, we had time to prepare you will fail."

"Will I now, and what guarantee do you have?"

"John will break your neck and rip your twisted head off!"

"I have over a trillion dead and living hosts to chose from, I can spare a few."

"You don't understand you will die this time."

"I doubt that pawn, have at him my pet."

Some sort of spider like Gauna was sitting nearby I hope that's not what I think it is.

John's POV… Three weeks later…

"Are we sure?"

"Yes the repair crew on the Freedom has sent a distress call scans show a signal Gauna core aboard inside the bridge."

"Great, at least Andrews and Rex made those hand held Kabi weapons otherwise this could be bad."

"John I don't need to tell you how dangerous fighting a Gauna on foot is so I won't, but be careful I will never forgive you if you break your promise to Tsumugi."

"I won't Xena, and where is the Sub-commander?"

"She is right next to me why?"

"Tell her that we may have a friend "they" are here which means that Gauna maybe just maybe be a friend not a foe."

"Well slag if Reaper's parasites are aboard the Freedom you will need to be careful."

"I will be and get the Phantom ready to launch with a container; if there is a core we can save that Gauna."

"Will do."

We board the Freedom, its hull has been breached and the crew of 150 that stayed aboard to repair it is just gone. The parasites that roam the halls are all ignoring us and going into the open rooms searching.

"John, you know as much as I do that Reaper is a threat and no amount of Kabi will kill him."

"I know Andrews, that's why when Rex said he made an anti-Heigus Particle beam weapon to drain him of his Heigus rendering him human I supported him."

"The Gauna is right behind that hull breach."

"Ok Herald, get your guns ready but don't fire yet."

We enter and find something I REALLY hope isn't infected, the Crimson Hawk Moth.

"That's the Crimson Hawk Moth you encountered during the Hunt?!"

"Seems like it, who is that?"

"That's ena in the shape of a human, with a bug on it."

"Don't fire; I will get that bug off of it, only fire if it attacks us."

"Are you crazy?!"

"It isn't like a normal Gauna, it thinks and talks."

"So it taunts, it doesn't talk to them?"

"Means it has some intelligence though."

I carefully approach the Gauna's ena humanoid part that just sits perfectly still while the parasite just sits and twitches its front legs. I grab the new sword that Rex made that drains Heigus particles from the target, the only way to kill these bugs, unless you're a Gauna or Hybrid. The Gauna's head has shifted and is now staring at me, no doubt thinking on ways to kill me. And with a deep breath I get ready just in case I have to duck. With a quick forward motion the blade went straight into the parasite and the ena.

"RAHHHHHHHH!"

"Got one and angered the Gauna great."

I withdraw the sword and the parasite along with the greenish ena from it turns to dust however there is more on the Gauna itself, just my luck.

"Hold fire, there's one more."

"You're crazy, just kill it and get it over with!"

"If we do that this thing will be a bigger problem."

I carefully walk over to the Gauna, I can see it's core from here, and the parasite that's trying to dig into the Gauna's core. I reach in with my hand and grab the parasite and pull hard causing it to go flying across the room into a wall. The Gauna jolts and moves a little bit, the green ena has disappeared from it meaning now it could be a threat, but a kill able one. With speeds that exceed anything I have seen the Gauna's claws drive into the floor behind me and I turn and look, the parasite had recovered and ran this way, now it was impaled on a claw as it turned to dust.

"Thanks I guess?"

"Debt… repaid…"

"Did it just speak?"

"Yup, it did talk Andrews."

"Who did this to you?"

"Reap… er…"

"Reaper the undying?"

The Gauna's head just nods and collapses, no doubt the Heigus blade drained it dry.

"Away team another Gauna headed straight for you, no core is detected!"

"Well crap, what did it look like?"

"Like a Garde, but it was green."

"Yup Reaper found the Freedom, and Sidonia. Launch the Phantom get it over here now!"

I quickly jump into the Gauna's "cockpit" and grab the core the ena starts to burn at the suit nothing it can't handle though.

"John those suits, only have about a minute of protection against the acids of the ena!"

"We need to destroy the core or bring it with."

"Then destroy it!"

"Andrews I would really not want to be blown to bits, and get some sun block on we are going to Lem."

"Are you…"

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Times up."

I grab the "tail" of the core and pull it out the ena immediately starts to dissolve. And the infected Gauna enters the room it had the number 10089 on its right shoulder, the Phantom under the control of Ben grabs it and throws it back.

"Master John get in!"

"Good timing!"

We all get in the Garde and I take the pilot seat, and rewire the Heigus particle cannon for negative Heigus energy I fire and impact it, it turns gray and more like a rock.

"Grab that thing and set course for the star, cloak to avoid the Gauna cluster."

"We can't cloak the phase cloak is not repaired."

"Try to mask us as a Gauna than!"

The infected Gauna started to move again I grab it and take off with full power to the engines, I really hope we don't get spotted by the Gauna cluster, because if we do its game over.

"I did my best; we have roughly four minutes before the Gauna sees through it though."

"That's more than enough."

I kick on the other cores and enter the sun's outer limits, using the arm as a rocket I fire the infect Gauna and the arm into the core, good now we can get out quickly.

"This is John, infected Gauna is burned headed back, and the Gauna did not detect us."

"You just played chicken with the Gauna cluster and almost put the entire ship in jeopardy just to make sure one Gauna died?!"

"Yeah, but its ok we are already out of range, and you may want to fire Heavy mass rounds on the Freedom, she is lost."

"Very well, but expect to get a chewing out by the Captain over endangering the ship."

"She won't I told her about the parasites and the infected Gauna before Gauna 550."

After a debriefing and scraping of the semi melted Phantom we all head to the wing hanger.

"Andrews I know we have our differences and our issues, but we need to get along and kill Reaper otherwise no amount of Gardes or victory against the Gauna will matter."

"For once I agree, but I still think you as nothing more than an abomination."

"You wouldn't be Andrews if you didn't."

"By the way I heard what you did to Kouichi, are you sure you didn't go overboard?"

"No he was being nosey so I gave him a good one."

We get to the hanger to see Yuhata, Izana, Tanikaze, and a few security guards there, no doubt going to try to arrest us for almost being caught.

"Well what are you all dong in my hanger for?"

"You and your wing have been suspended due to lack of judgment and endangering Sidonia."

"Is that so, and who ordered that, you or the Captain?"

"You and your entire wing are loose cannons; if I were the one calling the shots you wouldn't be on Sidonia."

"Is that right, guess it's a good thing that you aren't and we are far too valuable an asset to lose than."

"John, do you want me to remove them or should you?"

"Xena, I can handle a few people with katana and sleep darts any day."

"Ok, Herald I bet you three days of Garde maintenance in a row that they won't be in good shape by the time they are out of the hanger."

"You're on."

"I will only ask you all once; get out of my hanger please."

"John, I wouldn't…"

"Shut up Andrews."

"Master John I do not agree with your actions but I will say they are the ones out of line."

"Ben sometimes I wonder whose side you're on."

I see the guards have some sense of self preservation as they just shake their heads and leave.

"Tanikaze, I recommend you and your girlfriends leave my hanger, or would you rather have our match right here and now?"

"John, any further threats to the crew will end up with time in the brig."

"Yuhata, I am done asking so I will just say it, get out of my hanger now."

"Hey Herald, what's higher rank, sub-commander or commander?"

"Commander why?"

"Cause the sub-commander is trying to order the commander around."

"Enough you two, I didn't want to pull rank but I will, as commander of the combat wing Reaper, I command you to leave my wing and their hanger alone."

"There is no commander rank."

"Maybe your Captain needs to explain to her Sub-commander about the chain of command, now get out."

With a scowl they turn and walk out, man I had hoped I wouldn't have to pull rank.

"Wow you just made a few enemies."

"Thanks for the update, I am headed home."

"Ok John, see you later."

I head home, the Crimson Hawk Moth is in containment and under Ionization stasis while Rex works to see if the "Soul theory" is accurate or not. I can't help but think about the events of today, Reaper showing his ugly face, a close call with an infected Gauna, and then threatening Tanikaze and his friends. I notice a small teenage girl, her hair was neon green and cut short, what stood out the most was her green eyes… the catlike green eyes… and she was following me. I try to ignore her but when someone who looks just like her just taller and maybe older wearing a Reaper wing uniform started following, I grew tense.

"Who are you and why are you following me?"

"I am Leo this is my younger Sister Zoey, don't you remember us?"

"No… should I?"

"I told you, besides if he was the same one he would be dead, remember that big bro?"

"Master John scanning via the quantum displacement shows they are from X like Lady Tsumugi."

"Tsumugi is here too?"

"I have somewhere to be."

"If you don't listen to us we will find someone who will."

"Then why are you bugging me?"

"Because you know where Tsumugi is… this ship is very different and when we went to Kunato developments we could only find a different Tsumugi who didn't know us."

"Yeah Reaper wing does know where your Tsumugi is… but why bug the leader?"

"Well she did have feeling for you before you died."

"Listen I need to get home."

"Fine, let Tsumugi know we are on the ship please."

"Will do."

Man those kids are annoying, not as annoying as the Cadets I am working with though, these recruits can barely hold a gun let alone understand the Mark 76 anti-ena armor, after all not all battles are raged in the stars.

"Sir I don't see how we can fight a Gauna on foot, I mean they are at least fifteen meters taller than us."

"That's why I am trying to train you, as a Reaper wing member you would have to be ready to jump out of a Garde to try and survive at a seconds notice. These suits of "useless metal" as you called it may save your life if a Gauna eats you, each suit has enough protection for exactly ten minutes, and past those 10 well that's another story."

"Another words after ten minutes we die?"

"Yes, however those suits are also covered in a toxin that will kill the Gauna after five."

"Impossible no toxin…"

"Liquid Kabi boiled down fused with plastics and ena masking its attractiveness to the Gauna."

"And why are we training for this crap we are pilot cadets not ground forces?"

"You all are here because you signed up for Reaper wing, I am its leader I decide if you fit the bill, if you try to make shortcuts or doubt this equipment that over a hundred people fought with and lived because they used it get out now."

Fifteen of the nineteen cadets grab their bags and leave the yard, leaving only four people, Zoey, Leo, Roy, and someone else.

"Roy why are you here?"

"I am old enough to apply so I did."

"Ok, you two why the heck are you following me around?"

"You didn't mention to Tsumugi about us yet."

"That's because I had to be here."

The other person grabs their stuff and walks out.

"Master John detecting a distress beacon."

"From where?"

"Planet nine, signal matches from the Freedom… detected a quantum displacement, it is from X."

"Great, more visitors… what's that smell?"

"Scanning… Master John I have detected an airborne chemical mixture… it is some sort of bacteria, it is laced with Kabi."

"Kabi based bacteria?"

"Yes sir… scans reveal it to be based heavily on the prototype weapon GK787."

"That virus was never created because of the Hybrids aboard the Freedom and the project was trashed how did it get aboard the Sidonia?"

"Records show a man was brought to medical with signs of stage 5 virus infection. The patient was named Carlos… he died five hours ago."

Carlos… he was the assistant of Thomas in that project… how could a human get infected unless… he is from X that would mean he could be a Hybrid… we could have a HUGE problem.

"Get a hold of Kunato and all members of Reaper wing, tell them all to get to quarantine if that virus is aboard anything even part Gauna is going to be dead or dying by the end of the week."

"Contacted."

Xena's POV…

Just great the GK787 is aboard the Sidonia… well at least in a humanoid form it won't affect us… yet.

"Herald! Get the Hearse ready to lift off and get the Mark 76 armor for an away mission, if we are going to a wreck Gardes would cause a bigger problem."

"Roger that."

"Tsumugi get to Kunato Developments and get into a tank it's too risky for you to be in the open like this."

"What is the problem?"

"GK787 a weapon that was designed to kill Gauna and Hybrids on the microscopic level using Kabi laced Bacteria that are absorbed through the skin."

She quickly runs off and starts headed there, I hope.

Rex's POV…

This day just keeps getting worse, now I have a bug to help kill and one made to kill Gauna… and Hybrids. Just when I thought Reaper was our biggest problem.

John's POV…

"This mission is not just a drill and we will split into two teams Alpha team will go to the Virus section of the ship and pick up the cure, Beta team will head to the primary data drives, chances are if the Freedom and Sidonia traveled together they had shared information on their projects."

"What are we looking for?"

"Beta team's leader is Rex he knows what he is looking for."

"Wait so you won't tell us?"

"Rex knows and Kunato knows if you want to know ask them and hope they tell you."

"Hearse is ready to go, John."

"Ok everyone pile on, Tanikaze you and Izana are not allowed to come so you are not coming with Alpha team to the virus location."

"Wait why?"

"A member of Alpha team and you have had far too many issues, and I would really not want to put a bullet in you or her."

Tanikaze and Izana are just silent as they board the craft; some of the recruits from earlier are here in the armor. I guess they think it will help now? The trip down into Planet nine's atmosphere was silent but rough making some people not sitting to shift about the hold. The Hearse was in service since Reaper wing was put together the craft was made to deploy planetary m18 heavy cannons, able to punch a hole in anything even a Gauna using a five ton artificial Kabi round. Also useful for orbital drops for ground troops and quick Garde deployment.

"John Alpha team is ready for deploy."

"Thanks Herald, ok Helljumpers lets show these rookies how Reaper wing does things."

"Roger that boss."

"Leo didn't I tell you to stay on the ship?"

"Carlos was our friend we disserve to help him."

"Fine ever did a drop?"

"No how do we survive the fall in these things?"

"Shock armor, it protects us from the fall, ena acid, and any airborne virus."

"Oh, ok."

The force field goes up between Alpha and Beta teams, I grab the oval container sitting at the back and put it in a shock armor core.

"Open the door in 3…2…1… now!"

The door flies open and we launch from the Hearse and go flying towards the surface, man the air feels good as it pushes against us to try and slow us.

"Alpha team is descending at two hundred miles per hour, ground contact in ten minutes; recommend you apply thrusters at the two minute mark."

"Thanks Hearse, get Beta team landed and deploy the cannon."

"Roger that good luck boss."

We all apply thrusters to slow our fall and land without incident.

"Alpha has landed; man planet nine looks different when you see it from your own eyes compared to the Garde view."

"Looks more peaceful than last time you were here huh?"

"Yeah last time Oliver was trying to kill me, and we had Gauna to worry about."

We walked for a good ten minutes before finding the wreck; it was hanging off of the cliff of the land mass. The ship looked like it went through a blender, the entire front was ripped clean off the ship and when I looked down the rest of the ship was in a blaze on the ground below.

"Well where's the Gauna signatures?"

"They are in the interior focused around the primary Heigus reactor core."

"Alright let's head in and keep your eyes peeled, Xena can you hear me?"

"Yeah we can hear you there are no infections so far."

"Good, Alpha team head to the bio-weapon storage zone."

We all enter and head deeper into the wreck, the entire thing groans and creaks with every step deeper into it… almost as if one wrong move and it falls off the edge. Guess this makes the fifth wreck exploration done by Reaper wing; the last one was the United, the first Siege ship that had launched and fought the Gauna for as much time as the Seed ships escaping. The mission was going well until we hit a snag.

"Hold up, that's the airlock between us and the lab."

"Master John detecting a virus that's airborne… its mixed with some sort of acid, stronger than ena's with the armor I predict only four minutes of exposure before it breaches."

"Noted, everyone stay put, I will proceed forward and get the cure."

"Be careful John."

"I will be."

I enter the lab, the virus and acids made the air a dark blue a human was in the lab his veins were purple and his eyes were bleeding I would have to say he died roughly an hour before we got here. I find the lab equipment with the data about the virus it was created by… John Reaper, Ochiai, Kunato, and Thomas… again that name showed up.

"Got the data and the cure, transmitting the data."

"Received, Beta team needs assistance."

"Headed there now."

We all run there while our guest heads outside with Andrews for pickup. We get there a Gauna was trying to get through the door between us and them but a signal shot destroyed the true body, leaving the path clear. When we arrive I notice a lack of something important… namely the core.

"Where did the data core go?"

"It fell down."

I look over the edge and see the core dangling off the cliff only held by the wiring from it and the twisted metal frame from a Garde.

"Ok I think only two people can get down there safely, Rex you and Kunato stay put I can grapple down there to download the information, Hearse get under out position and activate the salvage claw to hold it still."

"Copy that we are headed there."

I use a grapple hook on a beam to get down there, once down I start to look for the info, not as easy as it sounds being over a few thousand years of research and developments in the same spot.

"Well did you find it?"

"The only thing about it is some ena sample from Gauna 491, the restrictions on Kunato Developments main research departments and audio logs from some John Reaper about the subject."

"Download it all chances are we can find more by cross referencing from our own data."

"Right."

I begin downloading the data and audio logs, the Garde frame was shifting from the weight and the movement of the core's fans turning while it worked.

"These wires won't hold for much longer."

"Don't worry, we will activate the grapples and try to pull it up more."

"Ok but hurry."

The download completed as some cords snapped and the power line snapped clean off. I grab the cord from my grapple and pull myself up. The second I got all the way up and someone helped me up the wire snapped and the core fell to the blaze below.

"Well not the closest I have gotten."

"Yeah won't be the last."

We just joke and get back into the Hearse the auto gun was deployed and linked into the Sidonia array, meaning we could fire it from Sidonia. When we get back we activate the ventilation to vent the virus and the cure into the same area neutralizing each other. The data lead to the removal of Tsumugi-X's implants that could cause harm to her.

"Well how do you feel?"

"A bit better, but I still feel dizzy and I little weak."

"That will pass it's just from the cure's side effects."

Xena comes by and starts giving a check up to Tsumugi, while Kunato started to read up on data from the Freedom-X. The only question I have to ask is why this John Reaper was a soldier and a researcher?

To be continued…