Xenosaga : Destiny of The Force
Part Three : Return of Light
Story:
A Star Wars-Xenosaga crossover. AU of Xenosaga 3. The battle of Light and Darkness is drawing close. So is the end of the world. Who will triumphant in the end?
Disclaimer:
I do not own Star Wars nor Xenosaga but I do own the characters Alexander Darkblaze, Daron Sol/Darth Exodus and E1-D1. KITT from Knight Rider is copyright to Universal Studios. The name Jon Antilles is the property of LucasArts.
Chapter 11: Darth Exodus' Hidden Agenda
Shion opened her eyes. Her surrounding was in black and white. She noticed a man standing on the shore of a beach. She gasped and approached him.
"Are you Joachim Mizrahi?" She inquired.
"Don't you think waves resemble the relationships between people? They ebb and flow, as if feeling the distance between them, and repeat that process eternally." he said, totally ignoring the question. Shion managed a mumble.
"Young lady, do you love your father?"
Shion bewildered. "What?"
"Parents and children, too, could be said to be like waves."
"Professor Mizrahi, what was your relationship to my father?"
"What good will knowing that do? I don't think knowing that will be of any benefit to you now."
"I..."
"Words can completely change their meaning depending on the mind of the listener. They can change into good ones or into bad. Some words cannot be conveyed. What one thinks is good will not always lead to good results. You're a scientist, too. Then you should understand." explained Joachim.
"I still want to know! Without knowing, how do I know where I stand?"
Joachim Mizrahi stepped closer. "That man's words are merely shackles." he said.
"That man?"
"He is a man possessed by his own narrow-minded ego. He brings suffering to all those he comes into contact with. I don't want to see your sad face."
Shion was even more confused. "Who are you talking about? I don't know anyone like-"
"I promised Sakura." Joachim cut her off. "I would make a world in which all wills that have
yet to be born can live in happiness." Then he looked at her. "I want you to live in a world like that, too. That is my wish."
"Professor Mizrahi…"
Joachim smiled. "Don't do anything you don't want to. Be true to your feelings." Then he turned the other way. "Do that, and she will answer your call."
Shion looked at his direction to see a woman with long hair. She turned around. She recognized her almost instantly. "KOS-MOS?"
Then, everything faded.
Shion opened her eyes to see Jin beside her. "Jin, I-I met Dad." she said.
"I see." he replied short.
Shion stared at him as he kept his silence. "Aren't you going to ask what we talked about?"
"I don't think I need to. I doubt you were able to have much of a conversation with him. You wouldn't be able to keep yourself composed enough for that."
"You're being mean."
Allen was standing outside the door of the cabin with a tray of food. Jon walked by and smiled as he took his place not far from him. He was able to listen the conversation between the siblings.
"The U-TIC Organization had Vessels of Anima. From what Professor Mizrahi said, they're needed to activate the Zohar. If we can stop their experiment, we can prevent Miltia's space-time anomaly." Shion said what she knew. "And if we're able to do that-"
"…we might have a chance to save Mother and the others." Jin finished.
"Also, if we can use the Vessels of Anima, we might be able to get the energy needed to return to our original world. We might also be able to find out what Professor Mizrahi was really trying to do."
"That may indeed be possible. But the risk is too great." Jin cautioned her.
"But we don't know what's going to happen to us either way!" Shion yelled and walked away from her brother.
"Don't try to stop me. This is a past I don't want. I'm going to change it."
With that, she left the room, not noticing Allen and Jon. Jin sighed and shook.
"Shion, you need your past to be who you are now." he said.
"Let us be on our way, Mr. Ridgeley." Jon said.
"But did you hear that? Chief still intend on changing the past."
"It is her decision. But it does not matter. It will not avert the event that will happen soon."
Later, the group had a meeting in the gun room for the next course of action. They planned to steal Vessels of Anima from Labyrinthos and transferred them to the E.S. The Professor approved of the plan.
"Yes, that could work. If we had Vessels of Anima, we might be able to use that energy to return to our original time."
"We could come under attack at any time. Just being able to use the E.S. would benefit us." Ziggy said.
"But the Vessels are stored inside Labyrinthos. I don't think they'll let us inside that easily." chaos warned.
"We have forged IDs. If we use them well, getting inside will be easy." Shion assured.
There was a brief silence but the Professor ended it with a cough.
"At any rate, our presence here is causing an expanding distortion throughout the entire universe. It could lead to not only us disappearing, but the destruction of the universe itself."
Jr. gave a nod and turned to the others. "Gotcha. Get yourselves ready to infiltrate the place. The third descent operation, the Miltian Conflict, is going to take place in a few days. We have to hurry."
"What about you, Jon?" asked Ziggy to the mysterious man at the corner of the room.
"I will be staying here for a while." he said. "After all, I will be using my craft to delay the distortion. Please go ahead and take care."
Everyone agreed and left. MOMO mumbled to herself. Then she heard a voice in her head.
"Are you thinking of Joachim Mizrahi?"
MOMO gasped and turned to Jon. He was smiling. "Do not worry. It is easier to communicate this way."
"I...would like to see him..."
"I see. I believe you will."
"Jon..."
"But be careful. The truth is not always good to see."
"I know."
"Take care, Miss MOMO. If you require my assistance, you know how to reach me."
"Thank you, Jon."
It was dark by the time the group sneaked in the hospital front of Labyrinthos. The entrance was just beyond the main hall. Shion pointed at the gated area.
"There. We can get into Labyrinthos from that gate."
"There are guards." Ziggy said, observing three guards.
"We have IDs, so no problem, right?" Jr. asked.
"Uh, actually we can't go any further with these IDs." explained Allen.
Ziggy clenched his fist. "If there's no other route, then we have no choice but to go in by force."
Jr. pulled his guns from the holsters. "Yeah. We're going to have to fight sooner or later. Let's get it over with!"
The group crashed the gate with ease and proceed. As they walking deeper into the area, Shion noticed an elevator marked AREA 13.
"That number." She muttered.
"What is it, Shion?" asked KOS-MOS.
"If it is the same as fifteen years ago, the special equipment transport elevator, which connects to the Acute Neurosis Treatment Facility lies ahead." the android replied.
"I knew it. It connects to Mom's room."
Jr. suddenly came from behind. "Hey, what's up? Something happen?"
Shion shook her head. "No, nothing. Let's go."
They moved on and arrived at an elevator that will take them down.
"According to past data, we can head to the isolated research ward where the Vessels of Anima are located by using this elevator. There are no alternative paths to the research ward from this area." KOS-MOS explained.
Shion and the rest gave a nod before going down the walked along the corridor until Jr. saw something familiar.
"What's that?"
They looked at where Jr. was looking at. Joachim Mizrahi and Sellers were having a heated argument.
"I don't care about you obsessing over that doll of your daughter, but I can't have you forgetting the real objective. The operation has already begun." Sellers said, almost yelled.
"You and Winnicot formulated it. I don't see why you need me." Joachim retorted.
"I'm going to take over the management of this experiment, if you've lost your nerves." Sellers, who was angered by the statement said.
"Do as you wish. It's no longer my concern."
Sellers left, not pleased while Joachim Mizrahi returned to his research lab nearby.
"Is that Joachim Mizrahi?" Jr. asked the obvious.
"Daddy..." MOMO muttered. Then she left, following the researcher. Jr. was bewildered by the situation.
MOMO entered the lab. Joachim Mizrahi was working on the terminal. She approached him cautiously. He noticed her.
"Hmm? Who are you? This isn't a place for children." he said.
"Uh, um, I'm sorry, I got lost." she mumbled.
He looked at her then smiled slightly. "You're not very good at lying, young lady. Do you think you could give me a hand?"
"Oh, okay!"
MOMO followed him to the terminal and activated the computer. Then all thirteen hologram images of Zohar appeared from the circular area in the center of the room.
"What kind of research are you doing, Professor?" she asked.
"Hm? Actually, I'm making a Realian like you."
MOMO was astonished. "What? I-I'm not a-"
"You don't have to hide it. I can tell."
He stepped out, looking at the holograms.
"I lost my daughter to illness." he said. "I thought that if I could retrieve her consciousness, I might be able to return her to life. So I studied the U.M.N., the Zohar, and U-DO for that purpose."
"Reviving the consciousness of the dead?"
Joachim Mizrahi nodded. "Yes. The Unus Mundus Network, just as its name implies, is a collective subconscious that's existed since the moment to universe was born. It's a fundamental part of nature. Through my research of the Zohar, I discovered the existence of what appears to be human consciousness within the U.M.N. Consciousness are born from the U.M.N., and they return to the U.M.N. If I could discover that process, I could fulfill my wish. But my daughter's consciousness has disappeared. The new consciousness which is growing is not hers."
"Uh..." MOMO mumbled.
"But I think that's all right. This child will surely become the hope of all Realians. That hope may become a way to stop the looming threat of the expansion of the universe. Our second daughter. I'm sure Sakura would have wanted that."
"Her name was Sakura?"
"Yes. My wife and I came up with the name together. She was a cute child, just like you. This world must continue to exist for you and others. I must stop them."
He walked to the elevator nearby.
"Who?" asked MOMO.
He warmly smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry for making you listen to the ramblings of an old man. Now, go. I'm sure there are people worried about you."
Joachim Mizrahi entered the elevator and went up, leaving MOMO alone. "Daddy..."
The group entered the room shortly. "MOMO, are you okay?" Jr. asked.
"I talked with Daddy." she said. "He called me his second daughter. He said he's going to protect the world for us. I..."
MOMO broke down and cried. Jr. hugged her. "Yeah. I'm happy for you, MOMO." he said.
In his craft, the ADVENT Suzaku, Jon contacted the Professor who was with Shion's group with his assistant.
"I am now above the stratosphere. Tell me what to do next." he said.
"Is there anyone or anything that would interrupt the operation?" the elderly man asked.
"This craft have its stealth mode on. Do not worry about hostile detection."
"Okay. Do your stuff, Jon. We'll measure the output from here."
"Understood. Setting energy reactor output to seventy-five percent."
With that, the whole craft emits unseen particles in an attempt to delay the space distortion.
"Alright." Assistant Scott said. "The current reading is just nice. Just maintain the output and it should be fine."
"You'll wait until we get the Vessels of Anima and we're out of here." the Professor said. "Will you be okay up there, son?"
"I will manage, Professor." he said as he leaned back in his seat. "I am used to waiting."
Watched by E1-D1, Alexander was having an unarmed combat training in the park. Though it looked more of a shadow fighting as he feigned of taking hits from his imaginary opponent. He did several back flips and stopped. His droid companion squealed. He smiled.
"I'm worried about them too." Then his expression turned grim. "Especially Shion. Knowing her, she will know the horrible truth behind the Miltia Crisis."
"And it will be shocking for her." KITT said from the communicator.
"Yeah. I worry about how will she take the truth. Will she accept it? I lost Aoi, Suou and Real there. I was lost, I blamed myself for not able to help them, protect them. I even contemplated on suicide like I did when I lost Melisse and Aileen. Then I realized the Force guided me into this world to do something meaningful and finding a purpose. I hope she will able to recover from that."
He looked out at the vast space outside, recalling the memories of Melisse, Aileen, Aoi and Real.
After making sure everything was clear, the group entered Suou Uzuki's room. They took a breather as MOMO and Scott went to different terminals to search something useful. MOMO gasped.
"Shion! It's a list of the test subjects."
The group huddled around. "So, he really was involved with U-TIC." Shion said, void of any feelings.
"Shion! This name!" MOMO exclaimed.
"Yes, it's my mother's name. She was one of the victims of the experiments performed here. She was put here by the hands of the one she trusted."
"No, below that!"
"Below?"
She looked at the name just below her mother's; UZUKI, SHION. She was puzzled and shocked.
"Shion Uzuki? What? Why is my name here? Jin! What does this mean? You know something, don't you?" she demanded.
Jin could only managed a moan. Shion shook.
"No. You're the same as Dad. You knew everything, and still you let them do that to Mom."
"No! Shion, it's not like that!"
"Then what is it? If you haven't done anything wrong, then explain it to me!"
"Shion..."
"Does Alex know about this?"
"He..."
Suddenly, there was a sound as Scott activated something from the terminal. The display showed grotesque humanoid test subjects encased in their respective tubes. The group cringed at the awful sight.
"What? That's…it can't be." Shion uttered as she recognized them.
The Professor takes a closer look. "Hmm. Are those combat Realians?"
Jr. gave a nod. "No doubt about it. Those are the prototype combat Realians the U-TIC Organization used during the Miltian Conflict."
"Those are the Realians that killed Mom." Shin said. "Why are they here?"
"Why? I'd imagine they were developed here." The Professor replied.
The statement irked Shion. "No, it can't be. Kevin killed Mom? There is no way that can be true!"
She turned around towards the door but Jin stopped her.
"Are you all right? We could cancel this operation."
Shion paused. She remembered the purpose of getting in here and she shouldn't let her own personal feelings gets in the way.
"I'm fine. I just got a little worked up." she admitted. "When the Conflict starts, this place will be a part of the battlefield. It'll be too late then. If we miss this chance, it'll be impossible to get the Vessels of Anima."
"Shion..."
Shion noticed a card labeled "LEVEL B" on the desk nearby. She took it.
"A security level B card. Now we have permission to access the central hall elevator."
They left the room and headed for the elevator that will take them further down.
As Alexander was admiring the view of space from the park with E1, KITT commed.
"Alex, I found an unknown program hidden in the AMWS' system. It only have a description which says 'LAST RESORT'."
"Oh, it finally decided to reveal itself huh. Did you just find this program?
"Yes."
"Well, it's been around since I asked Scientia to build Galaxius. It was supposed to stay hidden until I say otherwise."
"The description bothers me. Is it what I think it is?"
Alexander paused. Then laughed. "No, KITT. It is not a self destruct program. I assure you that."
"Then what is the purpose?"
"Since the program chose to reveal itself earlier than I expected, you will know soon, KITT."
"We are expecting tougher battles ahead I assume."
"Of course."
"You are always prepared for any possibilities."
"It comes with experience, KITT. Despite my ability to see the future, there is no guarantee that it will happen. I must always see the opposite outcome and form a counter measure for it."
E1 whirred.
"I know, E1. I'm not perfect. I never thought I would see the day me and Daron would fight each other. Coming to this side of the universe was the most unexpected thing to happen. But it did and I learned how to adapt to it. Because of that, I met wonderful friends and comrades."
Then he noticed one of the stars blinked. "And love." he added.
Using the backdoor elevator as suggested by Jin, the group arrived at the deepest area of Labyrinthos. They were standing on the rail above where Proto Omega was located.
"Hey, there's someone there." Jr. stated followed by his echo throughout the area.
"Shh. Quiet, Jr. If they find us, it's all over." warned chaos.
"Sorry." he apologized in lower voice.
Shion looked down to see his father Suou. "That's Dad!"
"Colonel Margulis…" Jin added as he saw his rival followed by Kevin approaching Suou.
"How is it progressing? Lord Heinlein is concerned." Margulis demanded.
"Lord Heinlein? I thought this project was under Lord Sergius's jurisdiction." Suou shot back.
"Lord Sergius is only interested in Proto Omega. It's too powerful a toy for that fool." Margulis retorted.
"So, while the Federation is easy to deceive, Ormus leaders are less likely to be fooled." Suou noted.
"The Federation's operation will soon begin. The system must be activated at the same time."
"The project has already entered the final phase. Dr. Sellers is in charge of the system. I'm calibrating the Vessels of Anima." Kevin informed.
"The artifacts of God scattered throughout space with the disappearance of Lost Jerusalem. Our objective is to return them to their proper form so we may return to our holy land. That is the reason the Zohar and the Vessels of Anima were created." Margulis explained.
They approached the Zohar which was within the chest of Proto Omega.
"So, that's the Zohar." Suou stated, seemingly unimpressed.
"Yes." Margulis confirmed. "The Zohar and the Vessels of Anima were once one whole. No, it would be better to say that they were intended to be one whole. I understand that the link experiment has been delayed. Perhaps this project is beyond Mizrahi's capability, Supervisor Uzuki."
"Professor Mizrahi isn't the reason. We have to be careful since Febronia is the only usable transgenic type unit we have."
"She's still disposable. We can always make another." Kevin interjected.
"Why do you insist on using Realians? You could use those patients for the experiment." Margulis suggested.
"Because of fear."
"Fear?"
"Unlike humans, Realians feel no fear. That's why we can use them."
"I've heard that Realians feel fear as well." Margulis retorted.
"All things fear their own death. But Realians are strongly connected to each other by their subconscious. They never reject each other. Even if their body disappears, they are still connected at the subconscious level. That's what makes them different from people." Suou explained.
"The Realian consciousness unavoidably suffers stress since it acts as a wall to suppress the human fear of U-DO."
"At any rate, we'll take care of the problems. There's nothing to worry about. A certain company has agreed to support us as well. Of course, it's all unofficial."
Margulis turned to Suou. "Vector, I presume. Is it safe?"
"All that matters are results. That's the only thing any business cares about. But if that Lord Sergius learns of Vector's involvement, he's not going to be happy."
"Then he won't know. And we will have a new master soon enough." Margulis turned around and left.
"I'd be careful saying things like that, commander. The walls have ears, you know."
Then, he and Kevin left. Shion, witnessing the entire conversation shooked. "Dad, I can't believe you. You betrayed Mom and me and everyone."
They proceed further and then took an elevator to where the Vessels of Anima were.
The Professor hopped around like a kid who just went into a candy store. "Hoo-whee! This is a nice setup! I'm getting excited just looking at it! Ha, ha, ha!"
"This is it, huh?" Jr. sighed.
"Those cages should contain the Vessels of Anima." Shion said.
The Professor opened up his portable computer and started tapping the keyboard wildly. "A little bit of this, and that, and Enter!"
The hatches of the containers opened to reveal each E.S. MOMO gasped in amazement. "Amazing!"
Jr. was astonished and confused after he looked into one of the containers. "This is...Simeon!"
"Zebulun, and Dinah's names are here, too." Shion observed.
"There are 11 cages containing the Vessels of Anima: Simeon, Dinah, Zebulun, Reuben, Levi, Issachar, Gad, Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, and finally, Judah. Of those, there are three capable of being operated as E.S. craft. And as you can see, Asher's cage is empty." KOS-MOS added.
"Wait a minute!" Shion exclaimed. "What's going on? The E.S.s were developed at Vector. What are they doing here?"
"It's just like what Margulis said, Heinlein from Hyams and Wilhelm of Vector oversee the weapons at this facility. The two of them may have…made some sort of exchange…which just might have involved the Vessels of Anima. Backdoor weapons deals are so common these days, even the tabloids wouldn't bother printing anything about it." Jin explained.
"Basically these are so valuable, that they're even more important than reputation or profit concerns." Jr. concluded.
"What are you babbling about?" The Professor yelled, agitated. "Prepare each of your E.S.s! Transport them to their respective cargo holds, now!"
Professor and Scott proceed to begin the process retrieving the Vessels of Anima. As the process of aligning each of them to the E.S., Jr. and chaos approached them.
"What about Asher? The cage is empty!" the Little Master moaned.
"I know that! I thought we'd be able to use a different Vessel, but it seems that won't work." the old researcher said.
"Don't tell me we can't use Asher!"
"Oh, stop whining."
Scott faced Jr. and chaos, smiling. "We've got another reactor for Asher."
"We originally developed it for Erde, so its capabilities are top-class!" The Professor added.
"Are you sure it's going to be okay to use some weird thing like that? chaos, say something!"
chaos managed a shrug. "Well, we'll just have to trust the Professor. And it's not like we have any other choice."
The Professor and Scott managed an evil laugh. Jr. gulped. " I have a really bad feeling about this."
20 minutes later, the reactor was fitted into ES Asher. Jr. whistled. "Wow! Not bad. Not bad at all."
"This reactor had been tweaked as directed by your friend Alex." Scott informed. "He left the notes on how to do it before he left a year ago. He said that you might need to use it if anything goes wrong with the Anima."
"I have to admit, he make a good robot engineer." The Professor said.
Jr. sighed and chaos smiled. "Blaze, huh. Since this is his handiwork, might as well trust him."
Suddenly, the alarm was heard. "What the hell? Have we been caught?" asked Jr.
"Well yes, of course! After all, we're using their mainframe to get these things assembled. So, of course they noticed us!" The Professor explained.
"It's like sending a message: "We're using your stuff without permission."" Scott added.
"chaos…" Jr. turned to the co-pilot, pleading.
chaos chuckled. "Oh well, I guess we better hurry up and get going."
"Scott, inform Jon that we're done here." The Professor instructed.
Scott nods. "Okay." He opened up the terminal and contacted Jon. "Jon, we're leaving Labyrinthos. You can stop now."
"Affirmative." Jon replied from the other side. "I will wait for you outside. Things are not looking good from my view."
"Gotcha. We'll move as fast as we can."
As the group activated their units, purplish aura emanated from Dinah, Reuben and Zebulun.
"What's going on? They're not going to shut down again, are they?" Jr. said.
"No. This is the Vessels of Anima resonating with our wills." chaos replied.
"What? With our wills?"
"Our consciousnesses and the Vessels of Anima have begun to synchronize." Jin elaborated.
"So this is what Virgil meant when he said we're being "compelled" to ride them?"
"But what does it mean? Is this caused by someone's will?" Shion asked, adding to their confusion.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling his words did mean something." Ziggy said.
The Anima stopped synchronizing. "If the synchronization continues, it's only a matter of time before the Vessels..." chaos said, almost shouting.
"What is it, chaos?" asked. Jr.
chaos suddenly calmed down. "What? Oh, it's about the E.S.s. Controlling them even more difficult than before. Be careful and don't lose control."
"Right. Gotcha."
"Let's move out." Ziggy stated. The rest agreed and took the elevator up.
A younger Pellegri was overseeing the security when one of the soldier who was monitoring the hangar gasped.
"The Vessels of Anima have been stolen!" he exclaimed.
"Impossible! How?" another asked.
"What's the commotion?" she demanded.
"Someone has infiltrated the facility and stolen three Vessels of Anima!"
"Vessels of Anima? Is it Federation soldiers?"
"We don't know. The enemy moved the Vessels onto unknown A.M.W.S.s and are currently on the run."
"They moved Vessels of Anima into A.M.W.S. craft? So they've completed the E.S. before we did?"
"What shall we do?"
Pellegri paused before making a drastic decision. "Prepare the Interstellar Strategic Integrated Weapon System!"
The soldiers were perplexed. "What?"
"I said, get it ready for launch! Is there a problem?"
"It's still in testing phase. It's too risky to use in real combat."
"I don't care! Capture those A.M.W.S.s at any cost!"
Alexander (from fifteen years ago) was watching over the coma Aoi Uzuki with a sad look.
"Aoi, is this what you wanted? Being used by your own husband for his Zohar project? If your father knows this and I didn't lift a finger to do something about it, he will kill me. But you...believe in Suou so much and I...cannot bring myself to get you out of here."
Tears welled in his eyes. "YOU WILL DIE, AOI! YOU HEAR ME? YOU'LL DIE HERE!" he yelled. He broke down and cried, holding her hand tight. "I...may have failed the Uzuki family. But I will not abandon my promise to Ouga. I will continue to watch over Jin and little Shion."
He stood up and wiped away the tears, smiling. "If you go there, don't forget to tell me how does it feel to be there." He leaned and kissed her forehead. "Goodbye Aoi Uzuki. I will not forget the times we were together. Not being with you is one of my biggest regret. Thanks for the memories."
He turned around and left the room. He breathed in, absorbing all the sadness. His eyes brightened. "The operation will begin soon. Might as well get ready for it."
He left the facility stealthily.
With Asher leading the way, the group was almost reached the exit. Suddenly, Dinah picked up a transmission frequency.
"We're picking up enemy transmissions. If we adjust the channel, it may be possible to listen in." KOS-MOS informed.
"Please try." Shion asked.
KOS-MOS adjusted the frequency and they were able to get a much better hearing.
"…intruder…Zohar…test subject…provide…curity…there's no time…no…postpone the connection experiment. Number…1…6…5, Aoi Uzuki is being prepped…in…hospital ward…"
Shion was schoked. "Aoi? Uzuki!"
"Transport the test subject!"
The announcement sent Shion reeled in panic. "Mother!" She opened the hatch and left Dinah. KOS-MOS observed her actions.
"Shion. Tell me where you are going." she asked. "Acting alone under the current circumstances would be extremely-"
"I'm sorry! I have to save my mom!" Shion shouted, cutting off KOS-MOS. She took a nearby elevator and went up.
"Shion."
From Asher, chaos saw what was happening. "Jr., look!"
The Young Master looked Shion in surprise. "Shion? Where do you think you're going?"
"Shion, it's too dangerous. Come back, now!" Jin, who was still calm, called.
"Dammit, we have to get her!" Jr. was about to turn Asher around when chaos detected a mobile unit from the radar.
"We can't, Jr.!" he warned.
"What?"
The mysterious mobile craft fired several laser shots but Asher evaded. It stopped, looking down at the four targets. The dark blue unit had an eerily human-like face. Its eyes glowed intently at them. Then, it went into a martial arts stance, signaling that the fight is inevitable.
"Looks like the enemy unit wants a battle." Ziggy commented.
"I guess we should honor it with one and get out of here fast." Jin added.
"Get the hell out of our way!" Jr. yelled.
"I am ready for battle." KOS-MOS stated.
"Jr., I suggest not to try anything reckless. Since this Asher doesn't possess the Anima, we should try to back off a bit." chaos suggested.
"Yeah. I got it. Can't use the awakenings and the response rate is slower." Jr. said. "We're leaving it to you three. Be careful."
"We will!" MOMO chirped.
"Let's do this fast. Reinforcements are coming." Jin noted.
"I will distract the enemy unit with Dinah's speed." KOS-MOS said. "Please engage when you see an opening."
"Roger that."
KOS-MOS started the battle by advancing Dinah towards the enemy unit with the sword outstretched. The opponent blocked the attack effortlessly. But KOS-MOS followed up with more melee attacks. However, the enemy didn't have problem dealing with Dinah.
"I already looked up on the enemy unit." MOMO informed. "The one we're fighting now is known as Omega Universitas."
Jr. raised his brows. "Omega, you say?"
"Yes. This unit was registered as Interstellar Strategic Integrated Weapon System. Besides that everything is classified."
"More secrets from U-TIC. I'm not surprised." Jin said.
Jr. sighed. "So I guess we have no clue on how to deal with this. It is a super weapon, after all."
"Be patient and wait for an opening." Jin suggested. "When that happens, I will break in."
Alexander went to the bridge with E1 after hearing the announcement for everyone to be ready for battle.
"Problem?" he asked.
"Yes." Shelley confirmed. "A fleet of Immigrant ships is coming this way."
"And we're lacking mobile units to deal with them." Mary added.
Hearing this, Alexander smiled. "I see. Well, let's see what I can do to help. E1, stay here and assist them. I think KITT and I are good enough to deal with them."
E1 gave an eager reply.
"Will you be alright, Alex?" Shelley asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. Just keep Durandal's defenses up. I think it's time to show what my Galaxius is capable of. Ready to show off, KITT?"
The sleek, jet form of AMWS Galaxius was already outside the bridge. "I suppose." There was a sigh in his tone. "Try not to do anything reckless."
"Of course." He went through the area where the 100-Series were working. When he reached the edge of the area, he turned around and winked at the sisters. "Be back soon." He touched the thick glass and a water-like ripple was formed and he simply went through it and appeared on the other side.
Mary was in awe at the sight but Shelley shook her head. "Show-off." she muttered.
Alexander entered the cockpit. "Disengage autopilot mode."
"Done." replied KITT, almost instantly. "Passive Laser Restraint System activated. Weapons Protection System disabled. We are ready to go."
"Alright. I'm glad they showed up. Otherwise, I would die of boredom."
"Alex..."
"Yeah I know. Alexander Darkblaze, Galaxius. Engaging enemy."
In a blink of an eye, Galaxius disappeared from sight. Seconds later, explosions could be seen from where the enemies came from.
Dinah attacked Omega Universitas relentlessly, hoping to create an opening for Reuben to exploit. However, the enemy unit doesn't seem to leave any openings. Jin readied himself.
"Jin, are you going in?" chaos asked.
"I'm afraid we can't wait any longer. Let's hope that...thing is surprised."
"We'll back you up." Ziggy added.
Jin nods. He waited until Omega Universitas turned its back on him. When that happened, he pushed hard on Reuben's thrusters to give a temporary speed burst. Flames ignited from the sword's blade as Jin slashed the back the enemy. However, it aware of this and made a bodyflip upwards but still unable to avoid itself from getting minor damage from the surprise attack. Omega Universitas prepared to launch a counter but was thwarted by Zebulun's long-range beam pods.
"Jin, clear!" Jr. shouted as Asher charged up its cannon. Reuben quickly distanced itself and a powerful lightning blast was fired. The shot hit at the intended target, electrocuting it. After a few minutes, the unit seemed to be deactivated.
"That should do it, right?" Jr. wondered. "There is little energy left for Asher after that blast."
"I suggest we get moving." Ziggy stated.
"Agreed." Jin added.
"I am detecting signals from the enemy unit. It seems that it is rebooting itself." KOS-MOS said.
"WHAT?" Jr. exclaimed.
A short while later, Omega Universitas was active again. It looked at the group with murderous intent.
"How the hell is it still moving?" Jr. whined.
Then, the mysterious mech activated its spiky wings, slowly changing its color to red. But before the transformation was completed, it stopped and then the wings retracted. Then it flew away from the scene.
"What the hell just happened?" Jr. asked, scratching the back of his head.
Jin tried to look up for Shion from Reuben's sensor but failed. "KOS-MOS, what's Shion's position?"
"She's moving through the 13th Administration wing." she replied.
"We'll get her back!"
Suddenly, more security units arrived. "More of them!" Short skirmish ensued but the end was nowhere near.
"Dammit! They just keep on coming!"
"Jr., we should retreat for now." Jin suggested.
"Retreat? But then Shion will-"
"It's all right." Jin calmly said. "Shion's not a child. She'll manage something on her own. If we stay here, we'll be in trouble."
"What now? Jr., we won't last much longer!" Ziggy yelled as he shot down several enemy units.
"We've got to escape, now!" Jin shouted.
"Dammit." Jr. cursed. "Okay then, let's head back to the Elsa!"
With that, all four ES retreated towards the mountain range, shooting down all pursuing units to ensure their safety.
Alexander had a satisfied look on his face as AMWS Galaxius defeated the entire Immigrant fleet single-handedly and without casualties. Most of the enemy mobile units were unmanned and it made his work much easier. Those who were alive counted themselves lucky and left the area. The battle scene wasn't the best of sight as it was littered with scrap metal remains of enemy units.
"Score update, KITT."
"All seven hundred unmanned units were destroyed. Fifty manned units were disabled. All five Immigrant ships suffered at least fifty percent damage. Zero casualties on human lives."
"Yay." he said, bemused.
"You did very well, Alex." KITT complimented.
"Couldn't have done it without you, partner. How's the Durandal?"
"They were attacked but fortunately, the defenses held on."
"Nice."
"Shelley is online. Do you wish to talk to her?"
"Bring her up."
The smiling face of Shelley appeared on screen. "I hear you did well." the older sister said.
"Yeah. Feels great to get back into action. I hear you're doing well too."
"Thanks to E1!" Mary shouted from the back.
"Yes. Thanks to him. He knew how Durandal's defenses work and produced the best defense tactics for it."
"Haha. I'm glad. Well, I'm going back."
"Understood. We'll ready the hangar for you."
He set the autopilot on towards Durandal and laid back in his seat with his eyes closed. "A century has passed." He thought. "Many things had happened. So many memories were made. So many lives were lost. Yet here I am, flowing against time in this ageless body."
Then he recalled the conversation with his enemy Darth Exodus before his first demise;
"What...are you...doing..."
"I'm giving you the gift of eternal youth and you WILL get to see my rebirth soon."
"No...I don't...want..."
"I WILL RETURN AND HUNT YOU DOWN. Mark my words..."
"Why? Why would he come after me?" He wondered. "He ruled the entire universe. He got what he wanted. The Zohar is just one of the reasons why he's here. He could have get his hands on it without me interfering. There is something else..."
Back at the Elsa...
Jon was standing not far from the door when he heard footsteps. He looked up to see the gentle face of Febronia.
"Excuse me." she said, staring at the hooded man. "Are you with the group that helped the wounded soldier?"
Jon took a quick glance at her. He didn't notice nervousness nor excitement from her pulses and body language. He was surprised by the revelation before managing a slight smile.
"Yes. I am with them."
"Could you relay a message? It's about your friend."
"I think it is best for you to come aboard and inform the rest. Please proceed."
She bowed slightly. "Thank you." As she walked past him, she took a quick glance at Jon.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked without looking.
"I'm sorry. You just reminded me of someone I know."
"...I see."
Jon turned around and approached her. "I will accompany you to the bridge. You could get lost easily in there."
"Thank you, umm..."
"Jon Antilles."
"Mr. Antilles. My name is Febronia."
"Well met, Miss Febronia. This way."
As they approached the door, it slid open to reveal MOMO. Her eyes widened when she saw Febronia. "Febronia! What's wrong?"
"I have something I need to tell everyone. There's no time." she urged.
"Miss MOMO, please ask everyone to come to the bridge. I shall take her there."
MOMO nods. "Okay." Then, she quickly left.
Inside the male's cabin, Jin was staring at the far wall, heaving a sigh. "Allen, how long are you going to stand there?" he asked without turning around.
Allen, who was standing near the door for sometime looked up at him nervously. "Uh, um, why didn't you go back and rescue the Chief? If you'd gone right back, you might have been able to get to her."
"We can't put everyone in danger because of Shion's selfish actions."
"But why aren't we going to rescue her now?"
"After our infiltration, the security at Labyrinthos has been increased. If we make any rash moves, we'll only make the situation worse." Jin reasoned.
Allen's blood boiled. "I understand that, but while we're calmly talking about this, the Chief is in danger. Aren't you worried about your sister?"
Jin was silent. Allen realized what he just done. "Ah, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
The swordsman turned around and walked closer to him. "Allen, everyone's worried about her. During the Gnosis terrorism, Shion learned that our father betrayed the Federation…and handed over Lemegeton to the U-TIC. I've kept his involvement with U-TIC from her. Her actions are not based on conviction. Rather she's acting out of spite towards our father and me. Convictions built on a weak foundation like that will crumble at the slightest provocation. Thus, I'm worried. The truth that awaits her… I have a feeling there's something here that Shion must not be allowed to know."
"What do you mean?"
Jin hesitated. "I don't know what it is yet. But I'm concerned about the way she's been fainting lately."
"You mean the way she's been fatigued?"
"If that's all it is, I wouldn't be worried about it."
"What do you mean?"
"Her mother had the same symptoms." Jin stated. Needless to say, Allen was surprised. "The Chief has the same illness as her mother?"
MOMO suddenly entered. "Jin! Shion's in trouble!"
"What is it?"
"Febronia's here. Please, come to the bridge!"
The group gathered at the bridge a short while later.
"What's up?" Jr. inquired.
"Your friend is in danger. She's being held prisoner inside Labyrinthos. Commander Margulis plans to get information from her by force." Febronia informed.
Jin raised his brows in surprised. "The Colonel?"
"Don't tell me it's already too late!" Allen moaned.
"No, she's still all right. There's someone inside taking action to aid her. But I don't think it will delay them for long."
Jr. folded his arms. "I see. But if we take on U-TIC with our current capability, we're going to suffer a lot of damage."
"Not necessarily." Jin curtly said.
"Jin?"
"Don't you see? You and chaos should know what's about to happen."
Jr. quickly caught on what he meant. "Oh!"
"If this world is proceeding as we know it, then the third descent operation will begin soon. When it begins, U-TIC will be in a full-scale battle against the Federation." chaos stated.
"And we know the details of that battle from beginning to end. We can use this to our advantage." Jin added.
"We'll slip past them in the midst of everything and rescue Shion."
"Sounds like a plan. Let's do it!"
Jin turned to Allen. "Now, let's go."
Allen was caught off guard. "What? Me, too?"
"You're worried about Shion, aren't you? She needs someone to support her. Please lend us your help."
"All right. I'll accompany you!" he said, without thinking too much.
"How about you, Jon?" Ziggy asked Jon who was standing near the door.
"All of you should go ahead. I will catch up later." he replied.
"Right. Let's get ready." Jr. said. "But be quick about it. We don't have much time."
The rest of the group agreed and left the bridge to get ready. Jon and Febronia left the Elsa.
"Will you be alright walking back by yourself?" Jon asked.
Febronia managed a small chuckle. "Yes. After all, I did came here by myself."
He smiled under the hood. "Point taken."
"But I would welcome a company, if you wish."
"I see. Let me accompany you then."
"Thank you, Mr. Antilles."
"Likewise, Miss Febronia."
As the two left the cave, a dark shadow hovered above them before disappearing. Jon was aware of this and it became his reason to accompany the Realian.
"Soon, this world will be plunged into chaos." he thought. "What would you do if you are in my place, Jedi?"
CHAPTER END
Apologies for the late update. I was in a massive slump due to real life issues. Made this chapter twice longer than the usual to compensate those months of hiatus. I hope someone still follow this story lol