Chapter 14
Kito ran to the bridge, receiving updates on the situation as he went. The moment he entered Arachnotron's control room, he checked the computers to ascertain their status. So far, all was well. The God Phoenix was approaching, but still a few minutes away from intercepting them. Arachnotron would easily be underwater by that time.
"It's about time you showed up." sneered Lord Katse.
Kito was startled. He had been too pre-occupied to notice the Galactor Overlord standing in the control room, when he had entered.
"My apologies, Sire." Kito said, bowing smoothly. "I was inspecting the mecha and ensuring that our unexpected 'passenger' was secure."
"You had just better hope that this mecha does what you claim it will!" muttered Katse, turning away.
Kito sighed. It appeared that Lord Katse was never happy. The new Captain was almost getting used to it.
Kito busied himself by walking around the control room, giving the Mecha Operators a few encouraging words, and checking on their status. He made a few adjustments to their settings and controls, double-checking that the energy shielding had been activated.
They arrived at their pre-determined location under the ocean's surface.
They were ready.
Lord Katse paced the small room anxiously, and Kito shifted nervously from one foot to the other. He could see the Mecha Operators squirming in their seats.
The ninety seconds or so before the God Phoenix arrived were the most excruciating sense of anticipation Kito had ever experienced. But, unlike when he had been waiting for them on King Kang, this time, he was completely confident that Arachnotron would be able to defeat the Science Ninja Team.
The familiar blue and red shape came into view, traveling through the water as easily as it did through the air.
"Fire Eye Lasers!" Kito ordered.
Although the Mecha Operators were quick, the God Phoenix was faster. For a moment, Kito felt an admiration for the blue warship's pilot, as the vessel appeared to effortlessly dance out of the way of Arachnotron's laser attack beams.
Kito approached the Weapons Operator.
"Notice how they're evading our beams?" Kito asked him. When the Operator nodded, Kito continued. "I want you to use the beams to move them closer to us. Force them evade our attacks by approaching our position."
The Operator did as he was asked, and slowly, the God Phoenix got closer and closer. Without warning, a Bird Missile shot from the top of the ship, toward Arachnotron.
Lord Katse cried out, and cringed as the missile approached, but Kito stood confidently.
As the new Captain had expected, the double shielding continued to be effective against Bird Missiles. There was no damage to Arachnotron. This was proven again when three successive missiles had no effect.
Kito smiled. His plan was working!
The God Phoenix came within attack range.
"Grab the God Phoenix with the four grappling arms!" Kito ordered. Almost instantly, the God Phoenix swerved to avoid the first arm. But, it was unable to escape four attacking at once. In short order, the Science Ninja Team's vessel was immobilized in Arachnotron's grip. Kito could see the elegant ship struggling to free itself, thrusters firing full blast.
But there was no escape for the God Phoenix.
"Excellent!" Lord Katse was actually grinning. He looked around the bridge.
"Now, where are those guards I was expecting?" The Galactor leader's temporary good mood had evaporated within seconds. Kito figured that Katse must have some kind of psychological complex that prevented him from being happy. He guessed it wasn't surprising, given that the man apparently conjured up an imaginary superior named after a letter of the alphabet.
As Lord Katse grumbled about his missing guards, Kito ordered the two drilling arms to attack the God Phoenix, on the sides of its hull, in front of its wings, where he had noticed weak spots before. For good measure, he had the Weapons Operator fire laser attack beams, to further weaken the structural integrity of the ship. Visible cracks began to appear on its sides.
The God Phoenix was trembling, and it was clear that the vessel was beginning to fall apart. Lord Katse fell victim to another mood swing, practically dancing as he surveyed the image on the main viewscreen.
"Congratulations, Captain Abbott!" he crowed, "We have the Science Ninja Team at our mercy!"
A group of soldiers entered the bridge, accompanied by the Swallow, who wore restraints at his wrists and ankles.
"Finally!" Lord Katse screeched, "I was expecting you awhile ago! Where the hell have you been?"
"Uh…" the Sergeant in command looked at the floor, "we had a little trouble getting the restraints on…"
"Idiot!" Katse spat. "Well, he's here now. What better time, to taunt his teammates?"
His purple cape swirled as he grabbed the young ninja, practically dragging him up to the main viewscreen.
"Open a comm channel to the God Phoenix!" Lord Katse commanded, just as Arachnotron gave a lurch.
"Captain!" cried one of the Operators, "Arachnotron's arms are not responding to commands!" just as another shouted, "We have an explosion down in Engineering! The damage is spreading!"
"This damned mecha is going to explode!" Lord Katse cried, "Where the hell is my escape pod?"
"Right here, Sire." Kito replied, pulling a large lever behind a hidden panel. The entire bridge shot away from Arachnotron's body, fleeing through the ocean waters, even as the God Phoenix began to pull free of the Spider's grip.
"The entire Command Center is the escape pod?" Katse asked disbelievingly.
Kito ignored him, activating Arachnotron's internal comm system, so that he could speak to the men who remained on the mecha.
"All personnel: evacuate immediately! Follow signs to escape craft!"
"What?" Katse screeched. "You built escape pods for the soldiers too? What a waste of resources!"
"You ordered me to build this mecha, Sire," Kito replied through gritted teeth, "and I do not consider escape pods for all personnel to be a waste of resources."
Katse huffed as they watched numerous small craft leaving Arachnotron's body, before the mecha exploded completely. The God Phoenix managed to free itself and escape the blast, then began to immediately surface, rather than follow them. Kito wasn't surprised. With the large cracks he had seen, it was likely the Science Ninja Team's ship had taken on a lot of water.
Now that they were out of immediate danger, the failure of the mission hit Kito like a ton of bricks.
"What the hell happened?" Kito asked anxiously. Hurriedly, he ran over to check on the mecha's status reports, from just before the first explosion,
"Sir, it appears that there was some kind of incendiary device set off in Engineering." an Operator reported.
"A bomb?" asked Kito incredulously. "But, how?"
His words died on his lips as he saw Jinpei's smirking face. Apparently, Lord Katse had had the same revelation.
"What happened?" the Galactor leader asked the Swallow's escort, in a menacing tone.
"Well…" the Sergeant shuffled nervously. "When we went to get him out of his cell, we took off his restraints… so he could walk with us… and… he escaped."
"What?" Katse snarled, "I'm surrounded by incompetents! How the hell could you let that happen?"
"We captured him again, Sire!" the Sergeant was quick to offer, "And we put the restraints back on!"
"But not before he left a bomb in Engineering, you imbecile!" Katse cried, hitting the man across the jaw.
The Swallow merely stood, grinning from ear to ear, at the sight of the Galactor Overlord so enraged.
"We were so close…" Kito whispered, mourning his beloved mecha. He had put his heart and soul into Arachnotron, and now, all that was left were a few escape pods.
"You and your lousy mecha design!" Lord Katse rounded on Kito. "So much for your work, Private Abbott!"
"What?" Kito cried, "This isn't my fault! How was I supposed to know that we'd be carrying a member of the Science Ninja Team, much less that he would escape while under guard?"
"True." muttered Katse, sparing a glare for the hapless Sergeant and his men. "But you're still demoted. I don't want you building any more mecha for Galactor! After all, who let this damned ninja into the mecha, to begin with?"
Kito was about to protest again, when they were interrupted by a Mecha Operator.
"The God Phoenix is approaching!"
"Again? How?" Katse asked frantically. "Their ship must be damaged beyond repair!"
"Not enough, Sire. They're following us, and gaining!"
"Damn Science Ninja Team! I'll show them!"
Lord Katse grabbed the Swallow and dragged him back over to the viewscreen.
"Open a channel to the God Phoenix!" he ordered.
Within seconds, an image of the bridge of the God Phoenix appeared on the large monitor. Kito could see the other four members of the Science Ninja Team. They all appeared shocked and concerned, to see their missing member standing next to their enemy.
"You may have destroyed my mecha, Gatchaman!" Katse sneered, "But I will have my revenge! I will execute the Swallow, before your very eyes!" The Galactor leader pulled a gun out from under his purple cape, holding it to Jinpei's throat. The Swallow struggled, but the Sergeant and his men rushed forward to hold him in place.
Kito saw Jinpei's eyes darting around fearfully, searching for any way to escape. For a brief moment, he saw the image of the toddler he had once cared for, superimposed on top of the boy's face.
"No! You can't do this!" Kito cried, "He's just a boy!"
"He's a stupid kid, who destroyed my mecha!" Katse ranted. "And who's the leader of Galactor, here? Me, or you?"
Lord Katse answered his own question, an expression of insanity crossing his masked face.
"I am Galactor's leader! Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?"
Katse backhanded Kito across the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground, his spider mask falling off of his face.
"I won't let you kill him!" Kito cried, seeing red. As Katse cocked his pistol, Kito lunged at him, knocking the Galactor leader to the ground. The two men rolled on the floor, a swirl of purple, black and red, until a shot rang out.
Lord Katse stood up, brushing off his uniform with a disgusted expression.
"Imbecile! Why am I surrounded by idiots?"
Kito lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, a red stain blossoming out onto his uniform through a hole in his chest. He coughed weakly, tasting blood in his mouth.
Katse looked around in a confused manner.
"Hey, where did that stinking kid go?"
The Swallow had vanished.
As he realized what had happened, Lord Katse terminated the communication with the God Phoenix. The Science Ninja Team had witnessed his complete and utter humiliation. The Galactor Leader let out his frustrations by kicking Kito in the side a few times, causing fresh waves of pain to wash over the former Captain.
"The God Phoenix is breaking off pursuit, Sire!" one of the Operators reported.
"Good." smiled Katse. "Now, here's what we're going to do…"
His voice faded, as Kito's mind drifted away from the former Mecha Command Center, and back to what he had seen on the viewscreen. The Swan had looked so regal, so beautiful, even in her concern for the Swallow. Kito was glad that he had escaped, and that Jun would see Jinpei again.
Another image of Jun arose in his mind: as she had been the first day he had seen her, at the orphanage.
"Come on, Kito!" she called. "I have an idea for a new design!"
Kito ran to her, eager to begin work on another project with his friend.
Those had been the happiest days of his life, and they passed through his mind, even as what remained of that life ebbed from his body.
Jun smiled, and Kito followed.