Chapter 11 Time Catches Up
Naruto yanked his VI to the right and mashed the tiger for his particle cannons and sent a stream of energy at a Haydonite fighter that was trying to smear Joker against the hull of the Command ship. Every since the Icarus and the rest of the attack fleet arrived, the tables had turned on the Haydonites. REF and Invid forces were beginning to gain the upper hand over the Haydonites and Naruto could almost feel the high morale as enemy ship after enemy ship fell under their combined onslaught. The blonde pilot couldn't help but grin as the rest of Admiral Hunters squad finally managed to break through the fighter and defense screens around the massive ship in front of them. He took a more grim look as they approached their target. The five of them hurtled forward as the pulse turrets that were the Haydonites point defense systems began to return fire. Naruto rolled himself over to avoid a blast from their defenses.
"Alright! Throttles to max! Stay tight and prepare snychro cannons!"
Naruto taped a few controls and suddenly realized that they hadn't even done a weapons test on these yet. He shook that thought out of his mind and concentrated on closing on the Haydonite ship. The VI pilots weaved and dodged incoming fire, undaunted by the sheer volume of it. Each of them knew they could die, but death in combat was the most honorable death a warrior could ask for. The fire intensified as they approached. The Haydonites now seemed to understand at least part of their plan. Naruto had to smirk as he avoided another blast.
"Snychro charge at 92%. Lock onto the target. Selection Beta. Prepare all MITVs."
Naruto did as he was ordered and was somewhat surprised to see his reticule snap a lock on immediately. He zoomed his display in and saw that it was a heavily armored. Naruto glanced to his left to see the Admiral's own VI rippling with energy form the cannon. A small beep caught Naruto's attention, telling him that he was at full charge. He grinned darkly as he pulled the trigger and sent the energy beam knifing through space, joined by the rest of the squads.
"Missiles away!"
Sixty MITVs raced out through space, their protective casing bursting open, expelling the dozen ASRMs creating a cloud of seven hundred and twenty independent warheads, each carrying a reflex charge. The missiles slammed into the hull after the snychro cannons downed the shields and blew through the armor creating a nice sized hole. Naruto shifted into Battloid mode and landed inside the enemy ship. They were greeted immediately by incoming laser fire from the Haydonites. Naruto popped out from his cover and sent a burst of energy rounds across the bay at the counter boarders. He got one as more of the large mecha stomped into what appeared to be a holding bay of some kind. Naruto watched as Rick leapt out of cover and fire off a pair of SRMs before sending a stream of 80 mm particle rounds at the mecha. The blonde gathered himself together and moved foreword as well, dropping to one knee and adding his own 80mm fire to the Admiral's. The rest of the squad arrived just as the last of the counter boarders fell with multiple smoking holes in it's body. The two men looked back to the three others.
"Where were you guys?" Rick asked.
"We had trouble figuring out how to fly them. Some one forgot to include a manual." Joker responded.
Naruto chuckled in embarrassment as Rick turned to him.
"Sorry. We didn't get the chance to train anyone other than the two of us, sir."
Rick smiled and turned to the nearest door.
"You guys think you can keep up?" He asked as he moved toward the hatch, his VI's metal boots thudding against the deck.
The others nodded over the com channel as Rick put his mecha's hand through the control surface, shorting it out and making the door open. Rick grinned and looked back at them.
"Well what are you waiting for? We've got a job to do."
Xxxxxx
"Commander. Four humans and an Invid have been detected onboard."
The Haydonite Commander was mildly surprised at the report.
"Seal of the section. They are of no consequence."
"We beg to differ."
The Commander wheeled around as did every other Haydonite on the bridge. In the doorway stood their five intruders. One of which was pulling his hand out of the back of his sensor officer. He didn't know it, but outside, the Haydonite fire became less accurate with shots that were near perfect became widely inaccurate. The Haydonites on the bridge rose up and soared toward the intruders.
"You will die here, Protoculture Addicts. All who embrace it's power will be destroyed!"
Naruto raised his EP-13 and let the energy fly into the cloaked Haydonite. The rest of the REF forces did the same and watched each of the three remaining Haydonites fall under the combined fire power. Rick opened a channel to the squad.
"We've got one minute before the fleet resets and the individual commanders take local control of their own forces. Cipher. Find that data!"
The genius pilot began to wirelessly hack into the Haydonite computer banks, hunting for the information. Naruto himself was looking over the screens and his eyes widened before he turned and rushed out of the control center. He could hear the others calling after him but he ignored it as he had a destination in mind and he need to get their before it was too late. The blonde came around the final corner and immutably blew the Haydonite in the room away as it raised it's front leg and crushing the people on the ground in front of it. Naruto moved foreword and saw mostly scared children in the room and no adults. The three children in front of him gave him a terrified look. He opened the top half of his mecha and dropped down in front of the children, pulling his helmet off and offering them a kind smile.
"It's okay. My name's Naruto. Your going to be okay."
The children looked up at him with wide eyes before he activated his com.
"Admiral. This is Lieutenant Uzumaki. I've found three children here."
He could hear Rick curse before he returned to the com.
"In the forward cargo bin on your VI holds four additional pressure suits. Get them in those and stand by. Unless you can fit them inside the mecha."
Naruto looked back to the Interceptor to the children before sighing.
"I can get them out. But I'll need cover once we leave this thing because I'll be in Interceptor mode."
There was a pause before Rick returned.
"Understood. We'll wait at our breach. You've got two minutes before the charges go."
Naruto sent his reply and hurried over to his Interceptor, tapping the command to turn it into it's interceptor form before he grabbed the pressure suits and facing the children. They looked at him with scared looks on their faces and he knew he had to work quickly.
"It's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here, but I need to get you each in one of these. Trust me, please."
The children nodded as Naruto hurried over to them, pulling the suits out of the bag and noticing that they would be very large on the children, but that couldn't be helped. He managed to get the little brunette girl into her's and found the scene of this young child in a pressure suit way too large for her somewhat funny. The blonde checked the seals and the oxygen supply and was satisfied that they were green. He checked his watch and began to sweat. He had about a minute to finish. He turned to the others and was surprised to see that one of them was already dressed as well. He glanced at the third girl as she gave him the same scared look as the others. Naruto quickly checked the blonde girls systems and was also relieved to see it was green as well. He hurried as he put the final dark haired girl in her's and had just finished checking it over when the first explosion rocked the ship. His com began beeping frantically.
"Uzumaki! Get your ass off this ship, now! The rest of the Haydonites are trying to scuttle it!"
"On my way now, sir!"
Naruto snapped his com off and moved to his interceptor. In this mode, he was relieved to see a second seat and he was able to pile all of them into the back seat, securing them with the same belt before he secured himself into it. He powered up his engines and yelled a warning back to them as he secured his own helmet before he punched the throttle. The ride was harrowing and it didn't help that he had three wailing, screaming girls right behind him, terrified as he weaved around corners and ducked under falling debris. He reached the bay they had came in.
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" He roared as he shot out the hole.
The others didn't need to be told twice and followed him as the all engaged their boosters and the gee forces grabbed at their bodies. Naruto grunted as he twisted his VI to the right to avoid a piece of wreckage that soared past them. Naruto looks back to see the Haydonite fleet utterly destroyed as the REF and it's Allies pound the hell out of them. Naruto gave a loud cheer as did everyone in the fleet as the last Haydonite ship went up in a stunning explosion. Naruto glanced back to the girls to see them huddled together, all three sobbing in fear still. Naruto could have smacked himself and did his best to hurry back to the ship.
Xxxxxx
Claudia was very frustrated. She had been hunting for Naruto after his debrief, but she couldn't find the blonde. It was very frustrating. She decided to take a walk down the main section which held the stores and other such things need for the civilian population that decided to remain on board. It was at an outdoor ice cream shop that she came across an adorable sight. Naruto was walking down the street in his uniform with a little girl on his shoulders and one on each side, all three holding an ice cream cone. The older girl giggled at the sighed and decided to do a little investigating. She saw Naruto go cross eyed as a bit of ice cream landed on his nose. Claudia helped him out by wiping the ice cream off his nose for him. He gave her his signature smile.
"Thanks. I'd have done it myself, but my hands are kinda full."
Claudia smiled but gave him a questioning look that he understood once he saw her glance at each of the girls.
"I'll explain at the park. I promise."
She accepted this and fell in beside Naruto and the pair talked about random things until they reached the destination. Naruto collected their napkins for the ice creams that were now gone and told them to have fun, pointing at the playground equipment. The girls hesitated before they headed off to the swings. Naruto himself threw the napkins away and plopped down on the bench, shortly followed by Claudia. She gave him a sweet smile.
"I believe you were going to explain?"
Naruto sighed and nodded his head, causing her to lose her smile.
"Their my responsibility now."
Claudia felt her eyes widen.
"I think you'd better start from the beginning."
Naruto nodded and launched into his story…
(Flashback)
Naruto faced the brass as he began his debrief. They only wanted to hear his side of what happened inside the cruiser.
"We managed to board the Haydonite Cruiser and made it to the Command Center. Once we arrived, we secured the bridge and got the data we were sent to get. In the process, I saw three children running down a corridor, being chased by one of the Haydonites' mecha. I left the bridge and headed off to save them from the mecha. After that, we left the ship and came back to the SDF-3."
The men nodded, accepting his explanation as Admiral Hunter rose from his seat.
"Lieutenant. I think I should be the one to inform you that…" Rick paused as he saw Naruto lower his head.
"I know. Everyone down there is dead."
Rick nodded and sat back down as Jean entered the room, looking extremely worried as she handed Rick a paper. The Admiral accepted it and dismissed the doctor. Naruto watched as he looked over the paper, his gaze hardening before he faced Naruto as the three five year old girls were brought into the room under armed guard, each of them looking terrified.
"Naruto. These…beings you saved are not human. I have in my hands the medical report from Doctor Grant. They are an advanced Human-Haydonite Hybrid." He told the room.
Naruto looked at Rick in shock as the girls eyes darted around the room in fear, not understanding what was going on.
"Admiral. What do you mean?"
"They are barely a week old. Doctor Grant discovered signs of Haydonite technology in their bodies."
Naruto looked over at the girls before looking back to the Admiral.
"Sir. If I may? Who will take care of them?"
"No one. They will be under observation and will be studied as to understand how they were created."
Rick began to sit down when a loud thump caught his attention.
"No. They won't be lab rats. I'll take care of them."
Rick never really got angry. It was a very rare thing indeed. But right now, he was being pushed toward that.
"Lieutenant Uzumaki. You do not understand the kind of leverage they can give us. If we can us them against the Haydonites in anyway-"
"No. I understand perfectly. The same way your wanting to treat them is the same way I was treated as I was growing up. Oh yes…I recognize your hate and fear. It was the same I was given because of the creature I held inside of me. My village couldn't tell the difference between a child and the monster that attacked them." Naruto pointed and accusing finger at Rick. "And your doing the same thing. Your hate of the Haydonites has been showed on these girls who are guilty of nothing but having been created by the Haydonites! I thought you were more evolved than my people. Then prove it!"
The next thing he saw confused him. Rick was smiling!
"Your right. Your absolutely correct." Rick chuckled. "I guess we all forgot ourselves. I allowed peoples fears and hate to sway my decision. Lieutenant Uzumaki, they are your responsibility now. I guess we could all use some rest after today's events."
The men gathered in the room chuckled and agreed with him. They had all been leaping to conclusions and allowing their emotions to control them instead of using the heads they prided themselves on having. Naruto snapped off a crisp salute and left the room with the three girls, all looking thoroughly confused.
(End Flashback)
Claudia looked at him before she laughed.
"Only you would do that and get away with it!"
Naruto smirked and put an arm around her.
"Maybe it has something to do with being with the Admiral's daughter."
She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as the pair watched the girls play.
"Do they have names?" She asked.
"Not form the Haydonites." He responded.
She looked up at him with a curious look.
"What did you name them?"
Naruto smiled and pointed to the one with dark hair.
"She reminded me the most of one of my old friends. Hinata. The girl was quiet and very shy around new people." He pointed to the brown haired girl who was laughing as she launched herself off the swing, landing on her feet. "Her name, she chose for herself. She wanted her name to be Jamie. Don't ask me how she came up with it or where she got it from." The last girl looked around and was trying to figure out what she wanted to do. "I named her after my mother. It only seemed fitting." He said with a smile.
Claudia smiled at that thought and laid her head back on his shoulder as Naruto put an arm around her.
"And their going to need a mother figure to help out. Want the job?"
Claudia's eyes almost popped out her head which caused Naruto to laugh.
"I'm not proposing. I just would like your help is all."
Claudia smacked his shoulder as he laughed harder.
"I'll help them, only because your incapable of raising a girl. Otherwise they'll become tomboys. They need a woman to make them proper ladies." She told him as she looked over at the girls.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow as a grin spread across his face.
"Really? You know someone that can help you then?"
Claudia looked scandalized as Naruto pulled her close to him.
"I was just messing." he said softly as he leaned in.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT LOSER CLAUDIA?!"