Chapter 11

The entire journey home was a silent one. The Swan's head hung down and she maintained a tight grip on Koji's helmet, which lay in her lap. By unspoken agreement, the Swallow took over all of her duties. By the time they had docked at the Crescent Coral Base, the strained atmosphere was beginning to take its toll on everyone. The Eagle rushed off of the Bridge, ostensibly to give a report to Dr. Nambu, and was quickly followed by the Owl and the Swallow. The Condor stood up to join them, but the sight of the desolate Swan sitting alone at her console held him back. Hesitantly, he approached her chair.

"Jun?"

She turned to face him, and Joe could see the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Joe…" she whispered, her desperate eyes looking up at him. "Just… get me out of here… please…"

Wordlessly, the Condor took the Swan's arm, guiding her up and out of her seat and away from the Bridge. Joe noted that Jun took Koji's helmet with her, but chose not to comment on this. As soon as they had disembarked the God Phoenix, Joe led Jun to a nearby conference room. The chamber was dark, lit only by a small amount of filtered sunlight coming in through the water beyond the windows. But when Joe reached for the light switch, Jun stopped him.

"No…" she sighed, dropping into a chair. "Keep them off."

The Condor nodded, transforming back to civilian clothes and moving to sit beside the Swan. Jun also transformed, and when the bright white light of her change had faded away, she looked more scared than Joe had ever seen her before.

"What have I done?" she whispered hoarsely, her hands clutching at the motorcycle helmet in her lap.

"You did the right thing, Jun." Joe told her. "I know I've been hard on you for the past couple of days, and it's been difficult for you. But if you hadn't destroyed that mecha, we'd all be dead right now."

"No." Jun shook her head. "If I hadn't done it, then you would have done it. And then maybe I wouldn't be sitting here feeling so guilty…"

"Don't feel guilty." the Condor ordered her, grasping the Swan's face in his hands and forcing her to look at him. "It isn't your fault. By choosing to work for Galactor, Koji also chose death. The death you gave him was swift and merciful."

"Is that how you do it, Joe?" Jun asked tearfully. "Is that how you can fire the Bird Missiles so casually and kill all of those people?"

"I know that the ships and mecha I destroy are filled with Galactor scum. The same Galactor scum we fight on every mission. The same Galactor scum that fills the bases you are so good at destroying with your explosive charges."

"So, then… you've only killed Galactors. You've never had to use those Bird Missiles to kill a friend…"

"I did… once."

"When was that?" Jun asked, confused. "I don't recall you ever…"

"That's because the friend I was destroying was you." Joe admitted. "I shot a Bird Missile into a field of Jigokiller flowers and killed you."

"But Joe, you didn't kill me."

"At the time, I thought I had. It was no different from what you feel right now. In fact, I think it was worse. I'm not even sure how I got through the guilt I was feeling at the time."

"What made it go away?"

"Finding out that you were alive. Setting out to find you. Having a chance to right my wrong."

"Except, I'm not going to have that same chance, am I?" Jun said, placing Koji's helmet on the table next to her.

"He's gone, Jun." Joe admitted. "But that's how it had to be. He chose Galactor. But if we fight, we can prevent other people from having to make that same choice."

"I know." Jun nodded, but her eyes held a faraway expression. "I just wish that no one ever wanted to make that choice."

88888

"Report, Suto!"

"She's all repaired, Captain. Not that there was much to repair. There was hardly a scratch on her!"

While the Chief Engineer's words were meant as a compliment, they only grated on Kentaro. Of course there was no damage to the Recovery Vehicle they had used for their most recent mission! It wasn't like there had been any potential for damage; any danger. Ever since their last RhinoGilla mission, Captain Black and his men had been routinely assigned to little more than supply runs: obtaining resources and weapons, and recruiting new troops.

None of these things were worthy of him.

Kentaro suspected that Berg Katse was responsible for his low level assignments. The purple mutant had destroyed RhinoGilla, not to mention at least one other mecha, during the time that Captain Black had been assigned these meaningless tasks.. Yet somehow, Sosai continue to overlook Katse's incompetence, while at the same time ignoring Kentaro's abilities!

At least Katse hadn't been able to take away Kentaro's men. They had been aboard RhinoGilla at the time that Katse had faced down the God Phoenix, but once Suto had heard that the Science Ninja Team was aboard the mecha, he had gathered his team and gotten out. Suto had actually encouraged the new recruits from Mount Jupiter Penitentiary to join them, but they had refused, preferring to face the Science Ninja Team and fight. Fools! From what Kentaro had read in the secret reports, those goons had been paralyzed by nevrasine gas, and then had been physically unable to flee when the mecha had exploded.

The Science Ninja Team, while led by Kentaro's incompetent son, was at least good enough to routinely foil Berg Katse. But why couldn't Sosai see that this inept idiot wasn't deserving of the loyalty the alien entity bestowed upon him?

Captain Black's patience was coming to an end. He couldn't wait much longer before making a decisive move. If Sosai wouldn't get rid of Berg Katse, then it would be up to Kentaro Washio to complete that task.

88888

There was only one vehicle ahead of him, and one lap to go in the race, but Joe Asakura wasn't in the least discouraged. In fact, this last obstacle between his car and victory only created a strong rush of adrenaline in his veins. This was a problem easily solved, and one in which he had experience.

Car number two moved to pass on the right, but the leader car, number fourteen, swerved to prevent this maneuver. Number two moved left, and again, number fourteen altered its position to block its challenger. Only half a lap to go, and number fourteen still held onto its lead.

Car number two moved far left, practically riding on the retaining wall surrounding the track, and car number fourteen obligingly inched over even further, impeding the vehicle behind him.

Without warning, car number two sped over to the far right, shooting around car number fourteen and taking the lead position, only five hundred meters from the finish line. From that point, it was simply a heady rush as car number two practically flew across the finish line, and Joe Asakura claimed victory in the International Speedway 500.

The roar from the spectators was a wall of sound crashing over him. The moment he pulled to a stop, his car was surrounded by more people than he could count: other drivers, reporters, pit crew, cameramen, even racing groupies who had come down from the stands. He could barely get his door open in the crush of human beings eager to greet him.

"Joe Asakura!" shouted one reporter as he opened his door an inch. "How does it feel to have won the International Speedway 500? This victory places you as the number six ranked driver on the Speedcar Circuit."

Joe managed to open the door another inch, only to find a camera pressed up against the small space that was his opening to the rest of the world.

"Give him some room!" laughed a man in a business suit, stepping forward. The rowdy onlookers moved aside for the President of the Speedcar Racing Association.

"Come with me, Mr. Asakura." the President smiled, allowing his bubble of personal space to extend to car number two's door.

"Don't mind if I do." smirked Joe, exiting his car and moving forward with the SRA President. The two men walked to a large grandstand that faced the spectator stands, a small army of people behind them. Another group of officials in business suits was there to greet Joe, and as he approached one of them held out a giant silver trophy.

The entire presentation ceremony was a blur for Joe, and he mechanically accepted both the trophy and the check that were his prizes for winning the race. Moving up in the driver rankings was not insignificant either; he had jumped ten spots simply by winning this, the most prestigious race in which he had ever competed. Even the World Custom Car Rally in Africa was nothing compared to this… and he had done it completely on his own.

Screaming girls in heavy makeup and tight, revealing clothes reached out to him from the edge of the grandstand. Camera flashes appeared from all angles, and a slew of microphones were thrust into his face to catch his reactions as Joe Asakura claimed his reward. For an instant, it seemed as if the entire world was present, and participating in the intense adulation for the latest Speedcar racing champion.

And yet, he was alone.

There was no one he knew. None of the faces were familiar to him; even his pit crew was composed of men he had met only that morning. At that moment, everyone wanted a piece of Joe Asakura, from the reporters looking for the best sound bite, to the girls who wanted to share his bed.

Something was missing.

The ache inside of him was a familiar one, and yet today, it took front and center stage; refusing to be ignored, as he was usually able to do. Smiling broadly, Joe Asakura stepped down from the grandstand and into the crowd, doing his duty and meeting with the press, waving to the fans, and stopping to sign a few autographs. But when it was all over, he ignored the onlookers and groupies hanging around the exit to the racetrack. He simply passed by those stragglers, eager to get back to his hotel, and the solitude that occasions like this demanded.

He glanced over at his bracelet as he drove, almost willing it to light up with a call, whether it be a global emergency, a summons to Dr. Nambu's office, or simply a message from his teammates. But his communicator remained stubbornly silent.

He opened the door to his hotel room, casually tossing aside the hard-won trophy and throwing himself down on the bed. He placed his hands underneath his head and stared up at the ceiling, finally allowing the gnawing feeling inside of him to take over and run its course.

He didn't want to be alone.

Being alone had always been a choice for Joe Asakura. He had consciously kept himself apart from others, only allowing himself to truly relax with a select few individuals; the ones whom he considered to be his family. But his family wasn't here, now, at the moment of his greatest triumph of his civilian life.

Of course, he couldn't really blame them. Katse had been throwing mecha after mecha at them, and things had calmed down significantly since their most recent mission: searching through the Antarctic for a suspected Galactor base. That particular base had turned out only to be a trap for the Science Ninja Team, as they had only encountered an old man in a tank, shooting at the G-machines with a freeze ray gun. It had been after that mission that Ken had finally understood what Joe had been telling him all along: their G-machines needed weapons.

They had returned to the Crescent Coral Base, and Dr. Nambu had set his research teams to the task of creating weapons for the Science Ninja Team's vehicles. It had proved to be an opportune time for such a project, as Galactor had lain low since that time.

Of course, it was likely that Berg Katse was planning something, but without knowing the exact location of Galactor's Headquarters, there wasn't much the Science Ninja Team could do about it, other than wait for the next inevitable attack. When the Condor had expressed his frustration at having their hands tied in this manner, Dr. Nambu had calmly suggested that everyone take some time off. Jinpei and Ryu had gone to the Owl's marina and were running fishing charters. Jun was working at the Snack J. Ken had flown off in his plane, running air deliveries and doing errands for Dr. Nambu, while Joe had spent his days doing laps around the Utoland Raceway track, each one only adding to his anger.

After a couple of days, the Doctor had informed Joe that the ISO had entered him into the International Speedway 500, and this race had proved an effective distraction. But now it was over, and all that Joe was left with was a useless trophy and a large check.

What did he need to buy, anyhow? It wasn't like he wanted anything more than his car, and his trailer. Where would he ever spend money…?

With a grin, Joe stood up. If he checked out now and drove all night, he could be back to Utoland by morning.

88888

He had had to stop for a brief rest around three am, but a couple of hours' sleep at a truck stop had refreshed Joe enough to get him back on the road. His first stop in Utoland had been the bank. Now it was approaching lunchtime, and he found himself pulling up to his second destination: the Snack J.

"Anyone here?" Joe called as he entered the restaurant.

"Just a minute!" came Jun's voice from behind the counter. After a moment, a dusty, disheveled Swan stood up to greet her customer.

"Joe!" she grinned widely. "It's great to see you! And congratulations! I saw you on the evening news last night."

"My ugly face made it all the way over to Utoland, huh?" Joe smirked. He found himself pleased that Jun had watched news reports of his victory.

"I wouldn't call it ugly." Jun winked. "Perhaps more… rugged."

"'Rugged' is something I can live with." Joe nodded.

"So what can I get for you?"

"Beer and a sandwich."

"Coming right up!" The Swan turned to head into the kitchen.

"Wait a minute… isn't Jinpei going to make it?"

"He's still off with Ryu." Jun shrugged, but her expression grew indignant when she saw the dismay on Joe's face.

"I can make a sandwich, you know." she lectured, pointing her finger at the Condor.

"That remains to be seen." he laughed.

"Just you wait!"

It felt good to be back.

A few minutes later, Jun came back with the beer and the sandwich, and Joe invited her to sit with him while he ate. Silently, he agreed with the Swan's earlier statement. She was capable of making a cold sandwich.

"I have something for you." he said between mouthfuls. Casually, he reached into his jeans pocket, pulling out a wad of bills.

"Joe… what's all of this?" Jun gasped, her eyes popping at the sight of hundred dollar bills.

"My race winnings." he grinned. No need to tell her that this was only a small portion of his earnings the previous afternoon.

"Why are you giving them to me?"

"It's for Ken's tab." Joe told her. "I know you aren't exactly raking in the cash here, what with having to run off at a moment's notice all of the time, and it's got to hurt giving Ken those free meals every day."

"I…"

Jun's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. She looked at Joe, her eyes bright.

"Thank you." she whispered, leaning over the bar to press a soft kiss onto his cheek.

He suppressed the urge to grin foolishly, returning to his sandwich with renewed vigor.

Just as he was finishing up, Jun's bracelet lit up.

"Jun, this is Ryu. Come in."

"What's up, Ryu?" Jun asked.

"Is Jinpei there?"

"No… I thought he was with you, at your marina." The Swan's face took on a worried frown.

"He was." Ryu admitted. "But then yesterday he disappeared. He had been taking out some customers for me, and when he got back he said that he just had to go somewhere. I thought he'd come back for dinner, or at least breakfast this morning, but he hasn't, yet."

"He'll be okay, Jun." the Condor reassured the Swan. "He may not look it, but he's a Science Ninja. He can take care of himself."

"Is that you, Joe?" Ryu asked, his voice full of relief. "He's right, Jun. Jinpei knows enough to contact us if there's a problem."

"If that's what you think, then why were you calling me and asking where he was?" Jun questioned, her hand on her hip.

"Uh…"

"Have you tried to contact Jinpei?" Joe smoothly interceded for the beleaguered Owl.

"Yeah, he's not answering his bracelet." Ryu admitted.

"Then, let's report this to Hakase." Joe said calmly. "Just in case."

"Okay." Jun agreed.

Dr. Nambu's initial reaction was similar to the Condor's, but he agreed that the rest of the Science Ninja Team should remain on high alert, in case the Swallow attempted to contact them for help. It turned out to be the right course of action, as only a few hours later, just as the Eagle arrived at the Crescent Coral Base, Jinpei called in.

"This is G4 to G1! I've found a Galactor base, approximately one thousand kilometers south of Utoland!"

"He found a base?" Ryu choked.

"Send us your position, Jinpei!" Ken ordered. Jinpei transmitted his location, then asked the rest of the team to join him.

"They've apparently got some big mecha in there that's supposed to defeat us." the Swallow laughed mockingly.

"Don't go in there alone, Jinpei!" Ken ordered. "Wait for us!"

"Can't hear you!" the Swallow smirked. "Just hurry up and get here!"

The communication ended suddenly, and no one was surprised when Ken ordered the Science Ninja Team to the God Phoenix.