Butan used her controls of Rabat's ship's weapons and unleashed a barrage of lasers and ammunition that completely annihilated several special types as well as one of the harvest flagships.
In Rabat's ship a message suspended by chains appeared on his main console reading "Bullets Exhausted".
Rabat placed his hand against his head "Geez, biggest waste of money in the universe" that's when Gascogne appeared on his screen.
"Looking for some bullets? I'll sell 'em to you cheep".
"Oh come on, you know I need 'em" the tribal man begged.
At the end of the battlefield the Harvest Destroyer charged in a red aura before firing an entire network of red lasers in every frontal direction striking against every allied ship except Rabat's. If it weren't for the shields of each ship they'd all be goners.
"All section leaders report status to damage control" BC ordered from the Nirvana just as O'Brian did the same from the Emerald's Edge.
"You want status!" Bart cried "She's not responding!"
Down in engineering one of Parfet's workers said "The peksis isn't working. It's frozen up".
"This isn't good" Magno said just as Rabat's screen appeared "No doubt about it. Whatever you did you've definitely got the folks of Earth pissed off in a big way".
In front of the Harvest Destroyer both the ArchAngel and Super Vandread were completely unharmed thanks to a shield from the Vandread.
"That all you got!" Jay taunted.
"They've sure got a nasty way of saying hello" Hibiki muttered.
Dita wondered "The peksis from Earth, but they're all red".
Pyoro answered "The peksis is a being that changes reflecting the hearts of those who touch it. Red in the color of danger, a closed heart that doesn't accept others".
"A closed heart" Meia repeated. "That doesn't accept others" Jura finished.
On both Tarak and Mejere, the leaders were watching the battle rage on all in complete silence. That is until President Hamilton from the Gelinkos battleship contacted them both.
"Finally I got through" he muttered. "Leaders of Tarak I'd like to take this chance to begin peace negotiations between Tarak and Gelinkos".
"Peace negotiations?" one of them muttered. "At a time like this? Is he insane?" another continued.
The president looked off screen to one of his officers then nodded "Yes go ahead" he said before returning his attention to the screen "This war between us did start with an attack by one of your soldiers though I can understand why he attacked one of our own because of the stories he grew up with this war was escalated when your officials decided to attack our homeworld. I as well as the other world leaders of Gelinkos are willing to forgive and call an immediate end to any and all military hostilities between our worlds".
"Why do this now of all times?" one of the counsel members asked him.
The president closed his eyes for a second "If we lose this battle I'd rather it be as allies than enemies with a common foe. If we can win this battle I'd rather it also be the end of another war in which too many lives have already been lost which is also why I've opened this same line to the leaders of Mejere as well, there's someone I'd like to introduce to all of you".
A woman in her mid 40's walked forward and hooked her arm around the president's. She had blonde hair and brown eyes with beautiful tan skin standing just around 5'8.
"This is my wife Mina. We've been married for 22 years and this is our daughter Alex" he said before a girl around the age of 13 maybe 14 joined them resembling her mother in every way. Both Grandpa and Grandma our from the first generation so they both know that it is possible for men and women to live together, I'd like for all hostile relations to be ended between all of us there's no reason for us to be fighting there's no point to it".
Grandpa look at the three Tarak men in the Nirvana's crew, and Grandma look at the female pirates that run the Nirvana. All of them as well as the two pilots from my own country have co-incited for who knows how long now. And from what it looks like they've become quite found of each other. It all just goes to prove that there is a way for us all to live in peace regardless of where we're from".
The president's ship shook violently and the president immediately looked over to his right "Damage report!"
"Sir our shields have been breached!" an officer yelled. "Batteries 5 and 7 are offline!" another cried "Batteries 2 and 1 are also malfunctioning".
"Sir you must get to an escape pod and get to the Emerald's Edge now!" the ship's second in command yelled.
"Get my family to the escape pods, but I'm not going anywhere" the president ordered.
"I'm not leaving dad!" Alex barked "We can win this and I'm not leaving until we do".
The battleship shook again "Final shields have been lost we're wide open" the first officer said.
"Enemy flagship charging main weapons. IT'S COMING OUR WAY!"
Everyone on the bridge of the battleship froze so did everyone in the meeting chambers on both Tarak and Mejere as they watched the harvest flagship charge it's main weapon ready to finish off the Gelinkos battleship.
Just before the flagship fired its cannon a joint attack by the Tarak Azael squadron and the Baron Bomber squadron from the Emerald's Edge silenced the beast's cannon before Skeleton squadron finished it off in a single pass from both sides.
"HAHA!" General Kunemale cheered violently "Take that you bastard!"
"Nice moves there General" captain Eric Flynn said as his screen appeared in front of the Vanguard squad leader "Once this battle's over drinks are on me".
"I'll hold you to that, just don't die out there" Kunemale replied before flying back out into battle.
The president looked back to his screen with a frightened look of relief "You see? They've put aside their differences, if our soldiers can do that we can as well. As leaders we're supposed to be an example for our soldiers, I know we can all live in peace if you just agree to end this war between us and each other".
Both Grandpa and Grandma remained silent.
Out in space, at the end of the battle Hibiki could sense the presence of someone inside the Harvest Destroyer glaring at them without expression.
Gritting his teeth the young pilot yelled "It doesn't matter if you don't want to accept us" the Vandread held its hand out against it's other hand as its sword began emerging from its palm "You're going to have to whether you want to or not".
Once the Super Vandread charged forward, Jay and Kira followed suit in the ArchAngel "Bring it!" Jay yelled.
The Super Vandread cut its way through the copies of the Vandreads just as ArchAngel used its clawed hand/sword arm to destroy copies of the Wyvernns.
After the harvest copies were destroyed the Harvest lead ship immediately charged and fired its main cannon which split into two beams striking both the super Vandread and the ArchAngel head on forcing them both to separate into the Dreads, Vanguard and Wyvernns.
Quickly leveling his fighter Jay yelled "You haven't won yet!" before he flew back into battle firing several missiles and bombs at the Destroyer.
Jay's attacks seemed to have no visible affect against the Destroyer's shields so he quickly circled around for another attack just as Hibiki regained control of his Vanguard and charged forward with his sword colliding with the shield of the enemy.
Holding his ground, Hibiki struggled against the enemy's shields trying to force his way through. "Damn you!" he yelled just as Jay fired a round of missiles at the surround sections of the shield allowing Hibiki to force his attack on a single point and make a hole for both of them so slip through.
Kira, Jura, Meia and Dita tried to follow after them, but the shield was complete again and they were cut off. "Mr. Alien!" Dita cried was they were cut off. "Jay" Kira gasped quietly before a red net formed around all of them and their ships were encased in red crystals.
"Oh no!" Aramone cried from the Nirvana's bridge.
"That shield can't be broken with just Dreads" Barnette yelled after her screen appeared to the side with Valore's screen also showing on the other side of the main screen.
"What should we do now Captain?" BC asked
"It looks like we just have to trust those kids now" Magno responded before looking to Barnette and Valore "Barnette! You and Valore take command of the Dread teams for now. We still have plenty of enemies to deal with here".
Inside the crystalline traps the three dread pilots and Kira were all being crushed by an immense pressure. "What is this!" Jura gasped.
"Is this also some power of the peksis?" Meia asked.
"Jay hurry" Kira said, doing her best to withstand the pressure while Dita continued to call out to Hibiki.
Inside the Harvest Destroyer both the Wyvernn and the Vanguard were hanging from the ceiling while the two pilots were lying face down on the floor far below in a massive empty room with some kind of throne in the back and a small boy sitting in it.
"My head!" Jay yelled in a comic style voice before he tried to get up along side Hibiki.
Seeing the boy sitting in the throne Hibiki looked up and asked "So are you…an Earthling?" Just then a bone breaking pressure leveled Hibiki back to the floor alongside Jay.
"Everything is hopeless" a strong, hollow male voice said before images of the trapped pilots appeared above the boy in an arced wave.
"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried seeing Hibiki on her screen.
"So it's you!" Hibiki yelled while Jay tried to reach down his side and to his waist.
"Is that your voice I heard?" Meia asked the boy on her screen.
The same strong, hollow voice answered "Peksis seems to have taken an interest in you. You have developed rather peculiar powers by synchronizing with peksis".
"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried again "Are you alright?"
"Somehow" Hibiki grunted trying to get back to his feet.
"You are all incomplete" the voice of the red peksis said before Jay jumped back to his feet.
"How's this for incomplete!" he roared taking his M9 pistol from its holster and firing the entire magazine at the boy.
After the hammer on Jay's pistol clicked and locked itself back he stared at the boy who was completely unharmed just as Hibiki began pushing himself up. "That's new" Jay mumbled before another wave of pressure forced both of them back down, causing Hibiki to snap his elbow back.
The boy in the throne looked up "Zen, leader of Tarak. Aunale, leader of Mejere. Thanks to your efforts Earth is eternal".
"What's so eternal!" Misty yelled from the Nirvana's bridge "He's making that up!"
"It's because of our existence that you were even born. Isn't it proper that you should do anything for our benefit? Yet you continue to get in our throughout the universe, at this rate Earth will fall to ruin. It is for that reason that we choose the best method for mankind's prosperity".
Across the Nirvana, across every allied ship in the battle across Tarak and Mejere even across Gelinkos far away from the battle everyone was gathered around every available monitor watching, listening to the battle and the voice of the peksis.
"We are all children of Earth, we must not perish. Compared to those unfortunates who are not allowed to die, you should be happy because you are able to die. You shall continue to live as a part of us".
In the Nirvana's medical bay Duelo set his datapad on the console "In a way. He's got a point".
"Isn't this the greatest virtue for humankind?" the voice of the red peksis asked them all "To altruistically die for someone else. It's not just anyone who could do that. All of you were born with that destiny. Rejoice in your destiny!"
On the Nirvana the bridge bunnies had completely lost their morale. Each of them were beginning to think that really was their destiny.
"No that's not true!" Dita cried "You call it destiny, but it's nothing more than cold-blooded murder!"
"Exactly!" Kira yelled "You're not just taking away people's lives. You're taking away their right to exist".
"Come now little one, Open your heart" the peksis told them "This future contains beauty in its simplicity. It is the only solution; you must open your hearts to it".
"You're wrong!" Hideki's voice yelled from the radio's before his screen appeared on every ship in the battle "I may act like a fool a lot just to get a cheap laugh from someone, but I know for a fact that there's nothing beautiful about that. You monsters had your chance and now that your lives are drawing to an end you selfishly seek us out and use us like cattle to extend your life. That's now the way the world works!"
"Foolish child" the peksis said before Dita began crying.
"No you're wrong. Maybe I am just silly and clumsy, but there's never been anyone who treasures people's feelings more than I do. I'd happily give my life and body to the people I care about, that's my choice and I'd only go that far because of how I feel about them. There's a difference between my choice and having someone like you just take it from us!"
"Dita" Jura muttered "That was amazing" looking down at the boy Jura continued with an angered, determined smile "You listen here no matter how powerful you are or how important you think you are, you'll never have what it takes to open someone's heart".
"Regardless of what happens our lives are finite" Meia said "We all know that we will grow old and that someday our lives will end, that's why we try so hard to live each day to the fullest. That's why we keep stumbling on by trial and error, but it isn't just for ourselves, it's so we can leave signpost for those who follow behind us. To cowards who cling to where they are and have given up on moving forward. There's no way to see how bright the future is even though it's just around the corner".
"That's right!" Kira yelled with the fiercest determination "Even after all that's happened I've never given up hope. I've always looked for a light to keep me on the right path, even after I lost Hideki I knew everything would be alright if I just kept moving forward instead of hiding in the same spot. And look what happened. He's still alive and he's returned to us, he's right here fighting alongside us just like he did back then and its for reasons like that, the fact that we all care about each other so deeply that we can keep going. No one can get by on their own for ever it takes the strength of those you love to keep you going and pick you up when you fall on hard times. People like you could never understand something like that!"
Rabat slammed his hand against his face and began laughing "Oh man that was too much, these guys sure are entertaining!"
The peksis spoke again "Believing in the future is one of the delusional ravings of the weak. Now you're beginning to bore me".
Both Jay and Hibiki began chuckling.
"I just have to say" Hibiki began using his good arm to push himself back up "How ridiculous it is now that I understand. Even though I might've sounded real mature when I found the proof of my existence, I gotta admit I'm still afraid. I'm actually still trembling with the fear of losing, but now I finally see, what I really need to conquer is myself. It's not the enemy in front of me or their weapons! It's me and my fear!"
The peksis laughed "You still haven't learned".
"You think you're winning here don't you" Jay said getting back to a standing position "But the same goes for you. You're afraid!"
Again a massive wave of pressure fell down on both Jay and Hibiki, but they held their ground refusing to give in.
"You guys are scared to" Hibiki said "You're afraid of what's to come, that's why you keep digging up all of these reasons to convince yourselves am I right?"
"Even after that" Jay continued "There's still a big difference between you and us. Do you know what it is?"
"The difference is" Hibiki said before Jay joined him "Is I've got myself a bunch of true friends!"
Hibiki continued "People who believe in me, even when I get like this, people who think of me like family and scold me when I do something wrong. But you're all alone and you know what. I'm not even scared of some weakling who can't listen to his own heart".
Jay reached out his hand and helped Hibiki to his feet "Compared to facing the darkness in our own hearts. Taking care of you is a joke!"
On the Nirvana the peksis regained its blue aura and shined far brighter than it ever has, without a single trace of dull light around it.
The red peksis however had finally had enough. "I…Truly…HATE YOU!" it yelled sending a new wave of pressure that managed to cut Hibiki's forehead as well as Jay's.
Seeing the blood pouring down Hibiki's and Jay's forehead the trapped pilots gasped while Dita called out to Hibiki.
Looking down at their hands both Jay and Hibiki were shocked. Something like that they had no chance of defeating on their own.
"YOU!" the peksis growled "SHOULD GO AWAY!"
Sending another wave of pressure toward Hibiki the peksis was ready to kill him right there, but Jay stepped forward and threw his right hand to the side just as the wave of pressure hit him knocking the pressure away entirely.
Surprised, Hibiki as well as the trapped pilots looked on as Jay stood there in front of his friend still holding his right arm out to the side as a small amount of blood dripped form a cut on his palm.
"Jay…" Kira, Meia and Hideki gasped as he stood there not so much as trembling.
"You talk about hate and destiny" Jay growled "I can tell you right now you have no right to talk about either. The hate you have for Hibiki pales in comparison to my hate for you. You and the sad people back on Earth who have fallen so far to forget what it even means to be human. And you're talk about destiny. Every person chooses their own destiny something no one can decide for them".
Jay began emanating a fiercesome aura around him for a second everyone thought they could see the ghostly figure of another man standing around him. It looked like a gladiator of some kind, clad in silver armor that stopped at his shoulders and knees standing in the exact same position that Jay was, with his right arm held out to the side.
"And as for the future" Jay began again "You don't have one!" Jay threw his arm in front of him right at the boy sitting in the throne sending his own wave of pressure at him making him flinch and crumble under it.
"For all the suffering you've caused! All the lives you cut short! All the people you've hurt! And all the futures and dreams you've stolen! I'll see you and the entire Harvest operation destroyed!"
Once again the ghostly image appeared around Jay only this time it was different is was the image of a knight fully dressed in armor before being replaced by the image of a woman dressed in smooth plated armor kneeling down and using her hand to draw an imaginary cross in front of her chest. The image was once again replaced by another man who wore blue war paint on his face dressed in Scottish clothing and holding a massive claymore sword above his head giving a war cry before one again vanishing and being replaced by the image of a colonial man leading a charge against an unseen enemy.
He was wearing a pale yellow under shirt with a black colonial coat over it and matching hat with pale white colonial pants and a Colichemarde Sword, before that too was replaced by another image. This time of a bulky man with small glasses a cowboy hat and a blue shirt with pale brown overalls running up to his waist.
"Human lives are not a toy that can be take apart and used to help build or improve on something else" Jay said lowering his hand which was still bleeding "We're not crops or cattle you can slaughter for your own needs, we're people just like you once were and we have a right to continue living and its not your place to decide when our lives end!"
Once again each of the images around Jay appeared in the same order they appeared the first time before rapidly vanishing as if they were just a slideshow leaving Jay standing in front of Hibiki "And like I said" Jay growled "You have no future past today. As the Holy Knight I have the power to bring life or death where needed and you've fallen to the latter".
"Enough!" the peksis yelled sending all of its power into one last pressure wave at Jay.
Jay held his ground standing firm as he guarded Hibiki. Grunting in effort Jay held his hands up in front of him before it became too much for him and both he and Hibiki were thrown back into their ships and launched back into space with the trapped pilots finally freed.
The harvest destroyer opened up and the main part of it separated before turning around and flying away.
"You're not getting away from me!" Jay yelled before the remaining part of the destroyer began charging another weapon that glowed in a black aura.
"I'm not going to let you do what you want anymore!" Hibiki yelled as he and Jay charged after the retreating enemy.
In the Engineering section of the Nirvana, Parfet noticed a change in the peksis and immediately contacted the captain. "Captain! The energy readings on the peksis are the same as when we were thrown across the galaxy!"
"What do you mean!" Magno yelled just as BC answered.
"That time a wormhole opened up because of peksis own self preservation instinct".
"This isn't self preservation!" Pyoro yelled "Peksis is trying to use the energy of the wormhole to tangle up time and space".
"I don't get it" Misty muttered staring at Pyoro on the screen above them.
The NAVI-bot yelled "THEY'RE TRYING TO BLOW UP EVERYTHING IN THIS ENTIRE GALAXY!"
Everyone froze; the enemy's final plan was to destroy everything in the galaxy?
"Hibiki!" Jura cried as Kira and the three Dreads tried to force their way through the shield.
"That same shield again!" Meia said clenching her teeth.
Inside the monstrous storm of the peksis energy Hibiki's Vanguard was holding against an object rippling with destructive energy with Jay's Wyvernn pushing against the Vanguard helping it stay level.
"I won't let you do it!" Hibiki grunted "In the end I have to say there are things I could've done better, but I finally get it Gramps. Even if my life ends here, I'll continue to live on in each and every one of their hearts. Isn't that right partner!" he asked his Vanguard.
Jay scoffed "I couldn't have said that better myself" he said while easily holding the controls of his Wyvernn steady. "If this is where we die, our memory, OUR LEGACY will live on with them. The two of us Hibiki, we're the ones that secured the future for everyone else".
Jay lowered his head with a happy smile as he thought about everyone that they left behind outside the shield "SO LET'S END THIS RIGHT HERE!"
"It doesn't have to be that way!" Dita cried just as her and Kira forced their way into the shield and began fighting their way through.
"Stay back, both of you!" Jay yelled at them.
"I'm not letting you do this alone!" Kira cried "We're all in this together".
"I know" Dita muttered "I finally understand now to. I am just silly and the rest of the world is so complicated. But when it's about you Mr. Alien I understand perfectly. Right now you're out there risking your life to protect everyone and that's why I'm going to protect you Mr. Alien…because I love you Mr. Alien! That's why I'll do anything to protect you Hibiki".
Hibiki released his controls and looked behind him yelling "Don't do it Dita!"
A blinding light erupted from the core of their struggle flying across the entire area as every trace of Dita's Dread, the Vanguard and both Wyvernns were completely lost.
Meia, Jura and Pyoro as well as Hedeki on the other side of the battle had tears forming in their eyes, they had just lost everything.
The NAVI-bot sitting in Jura's lap gasped and looked up.
Inside the core of the destructive energy Vandread Dita and the ArchAngel were hovering in front of the core, both of them shining in a new, brighter light than they ever had before.
"You idiots what's wrong with you!" Jay yelled at Kira and Dita.
Dita looked over her shoulder at Hibiki while she began tying the checkered cloth around his wrist and hers to keep their hands together "We're stronger when we're together than you could ever hope to be when you're alone. Don't you know that yet?"
"When did you become so hopeless?" Hibiki asked just as the Vandread and ArchAngel began holding the core open.
"Hibiki I just want to hear you say my name" Dita said "Come on just say it once for me".
Hibiki's face faulted "Oh come on now's not the time for that sort of thing".
Dita giggled and smiled "Oh come on just say it".
"Uh guys" Jura said "This is heartwarming and all, but can we get back to business?"
Both Jura and Meia's Dread were behind them slowly approaching against the powerful force of the core.
"We'll close the gate with one shot from Vandread Pyoro!" Pyoro yelled as they finally reached Dita and Hibiki.
On the Nirvana's bridge Aramone announced "Super Vandread has successfully entered the gate, both it and ArchAngel are holding up a shield now".
Captain Magno clenched at her chest and hunched over grunting quietly in pain.
Belvedere yelled "We're detecting a huge amount of special distortion dormant within the gate".
"It's putting all of them under intense pressure!" Celtic added.
Both the ArchAngel and the Super Vandread were struggling to keep their shields up, but the power of the special distortion was too powerful and managed to break through a part of their shields immediately destroying several harvest drones and Vandread copies as a small wave escaped into the battlefield.
"Dammit!" Jay roared "We're not going to lose here!"
Another bright light shined across the battlefield engulfing everything even to the furthest edge of the battlefield before quickly disappearing.
"What!...What was that!" BC yelled as all monitor screens on the bridge were turned to static.
"Systems are offline everything is failing!" Ezra cried.
"What's going on?" Aramone asked "Did the team make it?"
Finally power was restored to the Nirvana and the screen's static vanished showing a single mecha standing within a shield it wasn't the Super Vandread or the ArchAngel.
It had crystalline silver armor with purple joins between its shoulder and elbow joints as well as it knee to pelvic joints. Its shoulders had outward pointed armor and its four wings extended long past its arm reach.
"WHAT IS THAT!" Bart yelled from the helmsman portal.
Inside the new machine, Dita was sitting in Hibiki's lap in the center of a large room with Meia sitting behind them back to back and Jura down in the front row and with Jay and Kira sitting on both sides of Hibiki and Dita.
"This is…" Kira gasped "Amazing!"
"Let's end this!" Jay yelled as the new machine threw its arms and legs out standing firm against the destructive wave coming from the gate.
The energy wave that escaped the shield continued to fly across the battlefield destroying everything it passed by before hitting the Nirvana's shield.
"This isn't good" Gascogne muttered through clenched teeth.
"Captain!" Rebecca said "We need to pull back now".
Magno grunted "We're going to wait right here for those kids" the captain smiled "So they don't get lost on the way home".
The armor of the new machine began ripping apart as it stood against the wave of energy tearing at it, all of the pilots within it refusing to give even a single inch.
Pyoro's face went blank "Friends…" he muttered "Things to be cherished".
The peksis on the Nirvana erupted in a blinding light as the armor of the Nirvana's arms shattered and unleashed a barrage from its main weapons right at the gate.
Once the barrage from the Nirvana made contact with the gate everything erupted in a massive explosion leaving behind a swirling vortex of greenish light as the new machine was safely cradled within a crystal formed by the peksis and the enemy ship fleet completely destroyed.
"Did we do it?" Kira asked.
"What is this?" Dita asked quietly.
"The peksis" Pyoro answered.
"The peksis" Meia repeated "So it really is one of our friends".
"We've protected our future" Hibiki said "That means we won".
"Why so somber?" Jura asked "It's not like you".
Hibiki gasped and smiled "I've made enough snide comments for a while. You wont' be getting anymore from me" he said before Dita tried to pull her hand up, but forgot about Hibiki's dislocated shoulder.
After Hibiki yelled in pain, Meia smiled and looked over to Jay who was lying back in his seat with his eyes closed "Why so quiet?" she asked him "I'd have thought you of all people would be cheering about this".
Jay didn't answer; he just sat there completely motionless.
Meia's smile dropped "Jay?" she said just as everyone looked over to the white haired pilot as a small line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth and his arm slid down off of his console before dangling to a stop at his side.
Meia's eyes immediately widened with fear.
"Jay!" Kira yelled jumping from her console and running over to him as Meia sat there frozen.
"Jay! JAY!" Kira cried shaking him as everyone across the battlefield and on the three worlds watched on in a curtain of despair.
Jay still didn't answer not even as must of a twitch in his body; it was over…he was really gone.
Kira's eyes filled with tears as she dropped to her knees and began crying while Meia's entire world began falling around her.
Just as Kira and Meia began crying they heard a snickering sound and both of them looked at Jay as he began laughing.
Looking at Jay with fear filled eyes Kira sat there on her knees still frozen as Jay continued laughing before saying through his laughs "I can't believe you fell for that".
Once Jay said that, Kira quickly snapped herself back to reality and punched him in the shoulder as hard as she could.
"OW!" Jay yelled still chuckling a little.
"You're an ass!" Kira yelled at him before smiling with tears still in her eyes.
"Don't do that you idiot!" Hibiki yelled at him as Meia finally unfroze and smiled in a 'why am I surprised' kind of way before she turned to all of them "Are you guys ready?" she asked.
Across the entire battlefield light was raining down in small specks, it looked like it was snowing all around them.
Hours removed from the battle a shuttle docked at an asteroid that served as a port for Mejere and Magno and BC stepped off to the waiting crew of the Nirvana including Jay and Kira.
"Welcome back captain" Ezra said "So what did Grandpa and Grandma say?"
Magno closed her eyes and smiled "They've decided to open up communications between the two worlds, as well as Gelinkos".
"And we're to be right in the middle" BC said "They decided to have us and the Nirvana be the center of an experimental study to see if men and women really can live together".
"An experimental study?" Paiway asked.
Misty scoffed "You're asking for trouble. You can't force things between men and women it just doesn't work that way".
"Hibiki, Bart and Duelo are going to get things started" BC told them "Jay and Kira will also be joining in on behalf of their world"
"I love being volunteered for something against my will" Jay yelled sarcastically"
BC smiled "Hibiki and the others will be leaving for Tarak to find suitable men to try out living together with women".
"You can count me in" Bart said pounding his fist against his chest.
"So when do we leave?" Duelo asked.
"As soon as possible would be best" BC replied.
"You're kidding!" Dita cried.
Gascogne leaned over her shoulder "What're you crying about it's not like you're never going to see him again".
"But I haven't had the chance to make Mr. Alien fulfill his promise yet" Dita argued.
"What promise?" Misty asked.
Parfet answered "He promised to go and visit Dita's room".
Misty blushed brightly before hiding her face "Oh I've got such ideas in my head now".
Magno sighed and looked away "How did a pirate ship go to being a government sanctioned daycare center?"
BC giggled at her captain's words.
Once the shuttle for Hibiki, Bart and Duelo was ready everyone gathered to say goodbye including Pyoro who Hibiki quickly grabbed a hold of and bowled up the ramp into the shuttle.
"Oh doctor" Parfet called catching Duelo's attention.
Duelo looked at the head engineer who had told him "Make sure you hurry back now. You know how selfish your patients are around here".
"I'll make sure I do that" Duelo chuckled before Paiway held her frog puppet up between them.
"Make sure you do ribbit".
"Pai what are you doing?" Parfet asked the young nurse.
Paiway stood up and growled through a closed mouth "Oh I just can't take it anymore!" she yelled throwing her hand out and knocking aside Duelo's hair to reveal his entire face making Parfet almost faint.
"Happy now?" Duelo asked her before turning around just as Jura stepped in front of Hibiki with Barnette behind her.
"What now?" Hibiki asked her.
"These men that you're going to be choosing" Jura told him "I will be interviewing them before we make any decisions. Dirty guys and ugly guys are out of the question. And make sure you call in and update every morning and evening" she finished just as her voice began breaking.
"And don't forget" she said now in a crying voice "Every day ok?"
Looking up Hibiki and Bart were surprised to see tears in her eyes as she continued "If you forget…even once" she said through tears before running toward them "I'll never forgive you" she cried just as Hibiki ducked and Jura grabbed Bart and Duelo.
"Sure" Duelo said a little at loss for words.
"Don't be fooled" Barnette told them "She just wants to find someone to have a baby with".
"Figures" Hibiki said just as Meia and Jay stepped over to them.
"Hibiki" the blue haired pilot said before holding her hand out "I'm glad I got the chance to meet you. Thanks for everything".
Hibiki was surprised at first, but shook her hand "Me to" he said before looking over to Jay.
"We'll be seeing you again sometime right? Don't forget about us now" he said saluting him and then holding his hand out as well to shake Hibiki's.
"All right no more being shy" Misty said pulling Dita behind her and forcing her way through Jura and Bart over to Hibiki. "Hibiki, Dita has a favor she'd like to ask you".
"A favor?" Hibiki repeated.
"Go on stop beating around the bush" Misty told the red haired pilot nudging her with her elbow.
"I just…want to hear you say my name one more time that's all" she said "This time I want to hear it".
Hibiki's face reddened as everyone looked over to him "You've got to be kidding" he muttered before Misty tried persuading him.
"Come on do it" she said.
Hibiki quickly snapped "You've got to be the biggest idiot in the universe, there's no way I can do that sort of thing without a reason!" Turning his head Hibiki grunted "It's going to be really busy from here on out and so…well I uh…" Hibiki completely lost what he was going to say and began stuttering before rubbing the back of his head "Dammit".
"Hibiki!" BC called from the shuttle "What are you waiting for? The departure's already behind schedule".
Hibiki lowered his head "I guess that's it" he muttered sadly.
Hibiki turned to walk away following Duelo and Bart up the ramp and stopped once he entered the shuttle's doorway and the ramp started withdrawing.
Once the ramp started pulling away Jay held up his hand and began counting down from 5, once his last finger folded in Hibiki blurted out "Dita!"
Turning around Dita stared up at Hibiki as he held out his good hand "Come on let's get going" he said to her.
Smiling Dita cheered as she rushed up the ramp to him and then jumped at last second grabbing Hibiki's hand just before the shuttle took off.
Watching the shuttle leave Jay closed his eyes and smiled with a grunt trying to act cool, but he had a small stream of tears running down his left eye "Never end" he muttered before Meia walked over to him.
"Don't forget" she said catching his attention "You've still got a promise to fulfill to me as well" she told him.
Jay grunted again "Right then" he said pushing himself off the railing and holding out his hand for her "Let's not wait any longer".
Taking his hand Meia gave him a loving smile as he led her back to his Wyvernn with Kira not too far behind them.
The following week Hibiki, Duelo, Bart, BC and Dita had returned with a small group of guys from Tarak, the men and women from Mejere were all having a hard time talking to one another they were all really nervous about being around the ones they used to think as enemies, but time would prove that everything would work out as the crew of the Nirvana would be engraved in the history of both worlds as the people who risked everything to save them.
A/N. And so it ends. The final chapter. Well almost. There's still one more to go.
And as for the spirits that continued to appear around Jay here's a list of them in order.
Spartacus, a gladiator that revolted against the Roman army.
Charlemagne, a knight and king who revolutionized Europe.
Joan of Arc, a female French knight who led an army at the age of 19 against the English to free her homeland.
William Wallace, a Scottish knight who led many warriors in the Scottish Wars for Independence.
George Washington, the first president of the United States and General of the American army in the American Revolutionary War.
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States and leader of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American war.
I choose these figures in history because of what they stood for. Whether good or bad they were all important figures in history and help to shape the world into what it is today.