2988

'Despite a galaxy-wide alert and manhunt, the whereabouts of the Prometheus are still a mystery. The new Admiral of the SDF fleet, Rokuro Oki, has been tasked with tracking down the missing battleship and eliminating her captain, Colonel Dantetsu Ichimonji, and his Executive Officer, Henry Douglas.

The Prometheus infamously opened fire on the new headquarters of the Exploratory Corps for the SDF four standard weeks ago, destroying the entire complex, and killing fifteen hundred civilian contractors and the visiting dignitaries. Chancellor - formerly Professor Doppler, the head of Doppler Corp and newly installed head of state for planet Shaitan, had left the building only minutes before the attack, following a public argument with the project co-ordinator, Professor Oedo. In a press statement last week, the chancellor said…'

'Turn that off before I put a blaster bolt through it,' Ali said in a disgusted voice. 'I can live without looking at that pointy-eared bastard's smug face.'

Maji picked up the remote from next to Ali's elbow, switched the viewscreen off, and placed it back down in the same place.

'You idle bugger…' Yattaran snorted from his place on the opposite side of the mess hall table.

'It's a crock, is what it is. Dan can be a grade-one asshole, but this? This stinks of Hechi's handiwork. Danny and Hank are no traitors, or murderers…' He balled up a napkin and threw it at the screen. 'I'd love to know who spilled the beans about his family tree… they ain't bloody stopped harkin' on about him being the old captain's descendent and our Harlock's something-removed cousin since that little gem got out... '

Harlock watched from a corner of the room, curious. The warp footage of the battleship opening fire had been… disturbing. The facility had had no defences, and the reporting hadn't spared the scenes of carnage, bodies and parts everywhere as the optical cannon had lanced down from low orbit. Surgical carnage. Weapons designed for long-range ship-to-ship engagements in the void tore through buildings down to the bedrock and below as though they were paper. The bubbling lava from the molten crust had finished what the cannon didn't.

The parallel wasn't lost on him… Even knowing he wasn't seen, he flinched.

But the Gaia Sanction had had it coming… if there was collateral damage, then to quote their own propaganda, sometimes you need to send a hard message… they should have thought of that before heading for Earth for the photo-op with their families on board…

Yeah… still trying to sell yourself that one? There's a reason you spent so much time in seedy bars with cheap whiskey and used-up whores after the war… The council ships…? Those he could live with.

But none of it ever drowned out the cries for mercy from those thousands of defenceless ships full of people whose only real crime had been wanting a place to call home.

Or a place to die...

There had been a face in one of the scenes on screen he found he couldn't get out of his mind. A bloodied, terrified little boy about six or seven years old, in the arms of a portly, middle-aged, bearded man in an SDF science division uniform, himself looking as though he'd been put through a blender.

The little boy looked so like Yama's sons, he had little trouble guessing there was a family connection.

I didn't know you, Dan… but if you did open fire on your own son, I don't envy you when Yama catches up to you. And he will… If you two were friends, he will…

Ali's mouth was open again. 'Where's the captain, anyway? Thought he'd have called down by now.' He stood up, pushing the chair away with no attempt to lift it, causing a fingernails down blackboard screech. The other two winced.

'Infirmary, checking on Takuma and Hank's little girl, Lisa,' Yattaran replied. The big guy reached into a box on the table, rummaging round before his huge, but always surprisingly delicate fingers pulled out a sprue and began to carefully trim the contents from the moulding. 'Just when you think this shitheap of a galaxy can't get any worse, now we got people wading in on kids…'

'Luna said they were lucky to get out alive…' Ali replied grimly. 'Takuma's arm was broken in two places, and those kids damn near brained him - bloody ten year olds chucking stones at a six year old! Professor Oedo told her it was one of the parents threw Lisa against a wall for fuck's sake. She's an eight year old girl…' he was almost snarling. 'Bloody Doppler again, whipping up that media witch hunt - and he's the bastard who put up the names and pics of the families; I'd stake my left nut on that. The Prof told Harlock the rest of the teachers just stood there, and when he blew up at them, told him no-one would lift a finger to help terrorists. Terrorists! They're kids!'

'Captain'll take care of 'em until this all dies down,' Maji said quietly. 'Couple more orphans amongst Selen's brood won't be noticed. You caught Doppler's "sins of the fathers" rant?' Maji asked in his soft voice. 'He's been talking about invoking a version of Article 53…'

Harlock flinched. One of the reasons Maya had bolted with their sons after the war… or rather, the one she'd felt bold enough to throw in his face. The law which held the families of traitors and terrorists equally responsible for their actions, and subject to the same penalty. Death.

'Wish I'd managed to get off a better shot at him and that slimy, arse-licking greasy-haired one-eyed toady, Hechi…' Ali ground out, fists clenched. 'One day…'

'When it comes, I'll have your back.'

Yama had entered quietly, unnoticed until he spoke, standing just inside the doorway.

'Ghost time?' Ali asked, with an almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgement.

'Standing over in the corner,' Yama replied with a quick hand wave in the direction of the shadows Harlock was loitering in. 'And looks as if he has been for a while…'

Was it really bad to smirk at the way Yattaran went as white as a sheet and made a run - or rather waddle - to the door? Or the way Maji was looking like some creature caught in the gunsights?

Hell, even Ali looked a little nervous.

'Pull yourselves together and get your backsides up to the war room, you old ladies. My daughter's made of sterner stuff than you three…'

'Nami's inherited the worst parts of both of you, that's why,' Ali snorted. 'She's almost as devious and manipulative as Mamoru…'

Yama just smiled beatifically. 'If you can't outwit a seven year old boy and his five year old sister, Ali, that's your problem. My children are adorable…'

'They're Harlocks..' Ali replied bluntly. 'Adorable ain't the word anyone would use to describe any of ya… You rock pretty like it's going out of fashion, but once you get to work no-one's safe...' He glared over at the shadows where the previous holder of the name had been standing. 'And yeah, I'm talking to you, captain…'

Yama shared a smirk with his namesake. 'Then try looking this way. He's standing right next to me…'

Ali glared at a spot somewhere between ghost and current captain. 'Now you tell me? And just how are you doing that anyway?'

'Tochiro modulated a signal to the new frequency ship-wide. Have dark matter, will travel.'

'So why can't the rest of us see him then?' He waved a hand around near Yama, nowhere near his phantom counterpart.

'Dark matter contamination. I got an extra dose on Earth, remember? At least it's one theory… Tochiro says most of you who were on board back then could probably see him, if he made an effort…'

Ali sniggered. 'Not much chance of that then, I'm guessing, since the lying bastard could barely be bothered to give a shit when he was alive…?'

Really? Sharing a look with his counterpart, Harlock concentrated, reached out a gloved fist and thumped his former crewman on the nose.

The result was pretty predictable: although it didn't actually connect, the dark matter discharge was enough to give Ali a nasty shock. With an outraged bellow Ali backpeddled and lost his footing, landing hard on his ass on the floor. Maji spilled his beer in his lap, and a shrill shriek from behind Yama caused the younger captain to jump at least a foot sideways.

'Dammit, Yattaran! I'm already down an eye, I'd rather not lose an eardrum as well!' Yama held his hand out to Ali, who was rubbing his affronted proboscis and glaring at where he thought the offending attacker was standing.

Ali took Yama's hand and let himself be helped to his feet. 'You fucking bastard… that sodding well hurt…' He glared at where Harlock had been standing. 'And you - ' he jabbed a finger at Yattaran. 'I've seen you face down an entire squad of whacky, skeletal dial-heads - as in actual skeletons - without turning a hair on yer balding head, but a bit of phantom hanky panky from our kind-of-not-dead-but-not-alive asshole of an ex-captain has you squeaking like a mouse…? Bloody well grow a pair… it's embarrassing!'

Harlock tsked at his namesake. 'Is that any way to speak to his captain?'

Ali jabbed his finger at what must have assumed was the ghost's position. 'Is he pulling that I'm the captain-be-a-good-boy-and-shut-up routine?' he asked.

Yama shrugged. 'Not in so many words, but close enough…'

'Yeah - well tell him he ain't my captain anymore... ' The offending digit jabbed at Yama. 'You are.'

Hey… when did my resident pain in the ass become your bosom buddy, brat?

'He's actually standing near my right shoulder, and he can hear you…' Yama pointed out mildly.

'Huh. Fergit it. War room, did you say? I'm guessing the lanky bastard'll be joining us?' He pushed past Yama and grabbed Yattaran by the shoulder of his sweater. 'He's had twelve years to work on his apology, it'd better be a good one... C'mon, big boy. Ali'll protect you from the big, scary, ghosty…'

Apology? For what? Your self-deception wasn't my problem, Ali... It's not like anyone ever asked me the right questions...

Maji slipped Yama an apologetic smile and sneaked past warily, almost jogging to keep up with his crewmates. Yama just sighed.

'Yattaran will flatten him for that once he finally gets his head round this…' Harlock pointed out with a knowing smirk.

Yama answered it with his own matching version. 'Oh, believe me, I know…' He grinned 'Want me to make sure we capture it for posterity?'

'With the fate of the universe in the balance, don't you have more… pressing considerations?' he asked slyly.

Yama just looked at him.

'Fair point.' Harlock pointed at the direction the crewmen had taken. 'War room?'

'War room.'