The Conquered
By Jade Tatsu
Chapter XIX - Rescues
With Toki gone we could return to our planned mission, that of finding allies to fight the Advent's with. Although the Interstellar Meeting had shown us that the possibilities for an alliance were limited. The Tekki didn't require an alliance. That much was blatantly clear. The Senalzar were provincial to the point that they attacked any potential allies and no one else that we knew about had either the strength or the desire to fight the Advents. That put us in the position of allying with one of the stronger weaker races to aide us in the battle against the Advents.
'Stronger, weaker.' An ambiguous but accurate description. The Wesodin Corang and Kyheenan's both fall into this category. They and others like them were the strongest of the younger races. They were the ones we were looking for an alliance with. I didn't like the option but the Advent's had left us with little choice. They had been doing this for centuries and they knew how to eliminate potential threats.
An alliance with any of the younger races would be difficult... None of them yet had the strength or the will to fight the Advent's and we were too disorganised to really fight effectively.
Difficult, it was very difficult. With Advents attacking everything we managed to raise our profile by rescuing several ships but there was no one interested in allying with us in the long term... all those races were too small...
We did eventually find allies though, Individuals... Guyvers but eventually we did ally with a race. And with a little creative planning it worked beneficially for both our races.
Which was just as well because we both needed that.
Sho floated in space. He wasn't really floating but was instead hurtling forward, travelling at the same speed as Mirai and Eternity. With the vastness of space though, it felt like he was floating. The others were probably talking about how he had changed. He didn't think he had changed. All that had happened was that he had spent a week or so away. That week had been interesting because he had been able to see the wider universe.
What they, the Terrans, had planned was possibly but they would be the more powerful species. That hadn't been expected but it was the situation they now found themselves in. For almost all their potential allies, they would enter into the agreement as the stronger party. They could almost be the one's approaching races to ally with them. They wouldn't though because they didn't know enough about the races in the universe. They would be a power that would ally with the first race that approached them!
The week with the Tekki leader had shown him that very clearly. Tsuyosa had Guyvers of many races working with him. Most were anomalies for their species. They had more bio-energy than was usual and most were rebels, rebels who had been tamed by the Tekki's will.
That really was the minor thing he had learnt from the Tekki. What had really struck him, and what he presumed the others were discussing was any change in his combat potential.
Sho sighed. He knew there were times when both Aptom and Makishima despaired of his ability to fight and he admitted that in terms of skill he was not up to their level but the decision of when and who to fight lay with him. He did not believe that combat should automatically be assumed to be the only way of deciding conflict. There were times... many times he felt that if they had of tried to work out differences peacefully then perhaps they could have avoided at least some of the troubles they had. The Senalzar were just the latest example. They didn't have to fight them, and there had been the possibility that they could have allied with them...
Eh... maybe not. Tsuyosa had explained the Senalzar to him, ensuring that he understood exactly how provincial they were but there was a possibility they could have gotten information from the Senalzar. Maybe they knew which race might best be able to ally with them. At the moment they were just fumbling around in the dark. The Kyheenans might think of them favourably but there was a possibility that would chose not to fight. It was always difficult to know what a race would do when facing the possibility... no the absolute certainly of destruction. Someone else though might be willing to fight with them but fighting was not the only way.
And, Sho frowned, now that he thought about it, they had never tried to speak with the Advents. Granted the Advents hadn't been interested in talking but even he had made the assumption that they could not negotiate. Even if they had of tried though, he doubted the Advents would want to speak. Their actions, attacking without warning on Earth indicated that they had already decided upon combat.
It was depressing in its own way. An advanced race automatically went for battle. It might be because they could but it was not a weakness to go for the nonviolent option. It was not. Peaceably working out differences and arrangements was not weakness. He would never believe that.
But nor would he believe that you should passively allow yourself to be dominated, to be forced to go against your beliefs and desires. There was a time when it was necessary to fight. Fukamachi sighed. The time to fight though was not all the time! He grinned; amused at the irony of thinking such things so soon after Ishiikawa had been contained. The time Zoalord had... well; he had highlighted to more than just the Terrans the importance of acting when you could.
That being the case he would make it up to Mizuki as soon as...
:Help me!:
Sho threw his head up, turning towards Mirai and Eternity as he sought the source of the call. It wasn't Mizuki's voice and he didn't think it was Shizu's but it was definitely female... Like Mirai's only softer.
:And speaking Oranmeiran,: his Unit supplied.
Sho blinked - he hadn't been aware that he had made the translation - before he turned back to the stars, narrowing his eyes and focusing his sensors as he searched.
:Please, help me!:
:There!: His Unit growled. Since it had been expecting the second call, the brief plea was enough for it to lock on too.
Fukamachi turned brown eyes towards the call, his sensors pitching forward to analyse the situation.
Zoanoids... Space Zoanoids... Advent design. He categorised them quickly. Except they wouldn't have called for help... And they were the wrong species... No, wait, there! A guyver. A Guyver Engineer was battling them. Her defensive shield was holding... barely but there were already wounds on her armour that were slowly healing. Whoever it was, she was losing.
:Not today,: Sho growled, throwing his mind out to summon a Gigantic Unit.
:Summon the black one,: his Unit interjected guiding his call. :So the Advent's won't know it's you.:
He nodded, feeling the armour wrap around him before he teleported.
It was not much of a battle. Sho materialised in the midst of the hyper Zoanoids, his whip like vibroblades already half extended and lashing around him. Five were down before the others were aware and by the time they turned to look he was already moving, head beams lancing out to pierce through more distant targets. He didn't bother with a shield, relying more on speed and surprise and for the numbers of Zoanoids present a shield would have been displaying a worry he didn't feel.
He did feel though a frantic mental order as the Zoanoid's commander tried to bring them back into order, to organise an attack against him but by then it was too late. Sho spun, vibroblades extended like ribbons around him, creating a deadly sphere which sliced approaching Zoanoids into shreds before lashing out at more distant targets. He came to a stop, sensors clicking as they flicked back and forth to confirm the destruction of all Zoanoids before he turned towards the Guyver Engineer.
:No...No, stay away!:
Sho blinked again. He hadn't been expecting hugs and kisses for the rescue but he had been expecting a slightly warmer greeting.
:I won't go back,: the blue and silica coloured Guyver Engineer continued, pulling back and straining, but Sho could see, ineffectually to try to reinforce her barrier.
:Go back where?: he asked as calmly and as soothingly as possibly, shrugging the black Gigantic armour away and inducing the pearl plates that formed his armour into a softer shade.
She seemed to blink, looking at him again with his lighter colour armour and Fukamachi got a good look at her. She was blue, with silica lining and he realised he had seen her species before. Makishima had fought a Guyver Warrior of her species. She looked spindly with what on a human would be long thin limbs. Her arms reached to her knees and as he focused, he could see blunt claws on her fingers and toes. Her body was whiplash thin and her armour highlighted that fact. Normal Guyver armour on a human was bulky. On her species it looked like her Unit had tried to minimise itself to allow her to take advantage of what Fukamachi was sure was significant speed. The armour was bulky but only in some areas. He wondered what the Gigantic form looked like.
:This,: his Unit supplied an image but Sho shook it away as he returned his attention towards the blue, Oranmeiran Guyver Engineer.
:You're not..?: she questioned. :You're not with him?:
:With who?: The question made as much sense as the previous one.
:With the Tekki,: she hissed fearfully.
:No,: Sho said easily, ignoring the prickle of worry as her fear rose. She probably didn't agree with what the Tekki was trying. He didn't agree... Well, he wasn't sure. He couldn't really judge without at least seeing the One but that didn't mean other Guyvers would be as even handed. Some agreed for what Sho would call no good reason with the Tekki, others like the Guyver Engineer before him would disagree without obvious reason. :No,: he repeated, seeking to reassure her. :I'm not with the Tekki. I'm a Terran,: he pronounced it carefully. :We too are fighting the Advents and that is our only goal.:
:You don't want to fight the One?:
Sho shook his head. :Why would I want to fight someone I've never meet?: He asked, allowing a teasing note in his mental voice as he tried to make her relax. :My name is Fukamachi Sho. What's yours?:
She seemed startled by his cordiality and after examining his blue form she lowered her shield. :My name is Iythra. Iythra Habasia... :the words slurred as he collapsed but Sho was quick to move, extending a gravity globe around them and filling it with atmosphere.
:She's just tired,: his Unit supplied when blue armour retracted.
:Can you give her some energy?: Fukamachi asked sympathetically, remembering exactly how debilitating it not only was but felt to be that exhausted.
:That's a Healers job... but if you insist. I'm not supposed to but I can syphon some of your energy into her.:
:I insist,: Sho said firmly, bracing himself for the power drain. There was a tickle on his mind and Iythra blinked.
:Who? What? Where?: She questioned, seeing the stars through the gravity globe.
:You're safe,: Sho said reflexively, acting to reassure her. :I'm not the Tekki and I don't work for him. My name is Fukamachi Sho of the Planet Terra, Sol System and I will help you.:
:Terra...: Iythra said weakly, feeling her strength return to her in warm waves. :Terran... I was...: she said slowly, turning to face Sho, taking on a position that looked like she was sitting even though she was in zero gravity. :I was looking for you.:
:You were?: Sho couldn't help but question in surprise.
:I was... I want... My sister Iythry serves the Tekki. I could not, for everything that he is and wants to do, I just can't serve him. The power will rest as it sees fit and he could portray no evidence that the One had ever abused that power and as such I do not know why he was fighting.:
Sho nodded, to indicate his understanding, gesturing for her to continue, hoping she'd understand the movement.
:So I wanted to find the Terrans because he, the Tekki, is convinced that the power of the One lies within a Terran and I would stand with a force that must therefore someday come into conflict with him.:
Sho's eyes darkened, the pearl plates dulling somewhat as he considered her words. He... He liked the Tekki. He didn't want to fight Tsuyosa. :I... we... :he fumbled for words. :We are not seeking conflict with the Tekki.:
:I know but if one of you is the One, he will seek conflict with you. Apart from that though, I can help you. I know the races of the universe, those who treat fairly and those who will seek to betray you and I know the hierarchy of the Guyvers. The Tekki does not speak much on the future but when he forces you to evolve, to become the ultimate form of your armour, he forces you to know, to see much more than you are ready for, things that even if you have become a Gigantic Guyver or a Guyver Lord you may still not comprehend, because comprehension is a long way from knowledge and I can help you gain that comprehension... Please... I don't care... I have nowhere else to go. Just let me come with you.:
Sho held up his hands to forestall her begging any further. :Iythra, you can come with us,: he said. His Unit assured him she was speaking the truth as well as saying... in its roundabout way that she would be needed. :I must ask though that you do not ever attack without provocation, not even the Tekki. It's not something all Terrans adhere to but until we are accustomed to you it will help. Now just relax, I'll have you back to the ship in no time.:
:All right, he's out scouting now,: Mirai said laughingly. The Advent thought the situation was amusing. It would be a lot easier if they just asked the Guyver if anything had changed and what he thought of the Tekki after spending a week with the Guyver Lord. But then it seemed humans never did things the easy way. The two Advents had decided to wait a little before they asked Fukamachi about their ultimate creation.
:So has anyone noticed anything different? Mizuki?:
The Guyver Lord Healer looked pensive for a moment. :He's... he's more collected,: she said finally. :He considers thing more, even the little things. There is a moment of thought before everything.:
:How about in battle?: Agito asked.
Mizuki shrugged. :Can't tell yet, although if the battle against Toki was any indication you should be happy.:
Aptom chuckled. :I'd been thinking we needed to give him lessons but he beat me to it, asking if I would spar with him to improve his technique. That's a request for combat lessons if I ever heard one.:
:Interesting,: Tetsuro said. :He asked if I would play Go and Shougi against him again.:
Mizuki sighed. It appeared everyone was preparing for war. Sho hadn't shown such changes to her but then he probably hadn't wanted to worry her. He had been attentive and thoughtful towards her. Loving in the way they had been trying for, for years. It was nice and she had enjoyed it but he was also preparing to fight. It was realism she supposed. I fell in love with a warrior, she smiled sadly at the conclusion. "Nothing has changed," she said aloud, rescinding her previous statement. "Nothing at all," she added.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean Sho is as he has always been. All that's happened is that he's grown a bit, adapted if you will. This has happened before, it will happen again. We just weren't there to see it this time. It is what we in the Rebellion wanted to happen. We should be thankful and the Advents should be running as Chronos should have for now he will not rest. I do not know what the Tekki may have said or done but I know he did not hurt Sho but despite what has happened I do not believe we can call the Tekki a friend, however he is not our enemy, not wholly for he has helped Sho to this point."
"So what should we do?"
"Do?" Mizuki laughed. "We do nothing," she said matter of factly. "We continue with our original plan to find allies to help us fight the Advents. Given the strength of the races we have seen so far we may be aiding them more than they aid us but we will need that good will when we come to fight. Unless something happens we aren't going to drive the Advents from Earth quickly. This will be a battle for generations because we don't know them well enough. It was childish to believe that it could be done faster."
"What do you mean?"
Mizuki sighed. It should be obvious. "What do you know about the Advents?"
Tetsuro nodded. He understood and looked slightly surprised that this was his sister bringing this up. Usually she didn't really consider combat objectives or the issues that went with it beyond the necessity to heal the wounded.
Agito nodded slowly as he thought about it. He knew the Advents were their ships, that they fought using Zoanoids, that they were repressing and destroying developing races and that they had taken his empire. Black eyes burned. What more did he really need to know? They were on Earth. He could destroy them there and if he was strong enough he could continue to destroy any reinforcements they sent until they either negotiated with him or he destroyed them all. They would not take his empire again.
On the other hand though...
How they acted, how they thought beyond gross actions he didn't really know. He didn't know any of the details he usually knew when fighting. The psychological element was missing. He did not know why they did what they did. He knew how, he knew where but not why. And beyond what Mirai and Eternity had told them he didn't really know their structures, how they derived power between themselves, who they would protect over another. That was something they would have to learn in combat or have to learn from someone like the Tekki or Senalzar, if they could be persuaded to talk. And it was something they would need to know to win, to gain final victory over the Advents.
"All right," Agito said finally. "We continue as we have been, fumbling through space in the hopes of allies. As for Fukamachi..."
"As for the boy?" Aptom asked, a note of amusement lilting in his tone as he flexed Zoanoid claws. He had heard that tone before, in the Hall of the Leaders of Earth, on the day of Makishima's ascension and the hyper Zoanoid was not going to let it happen again.
"As for Fukamachi," Makishima began again after throwing the Zoanoid Guyver a dark look. "We should be thankful for the changes the Tekki has finally wrought for we could not." He paused. "The other thing we need to information on is our Units. They have changed. That is undeniable but the true extent of why and how remains hidden. It is also obvious that they now have power structures and I believe we need to know where we stand.
"I felt it when I summoned the armour of the One but there were many things it refused to tell me. What its objective is, for example, remains unknown. The Tekki at least we know broadly what he will try, for all others we lack information. We continue our path but we also need to seek further answers unless someone's Unit told them a lot more than mine?"
The question hung in the air, a direct challenge to all to dare to claim that they were more closely linked with their Unit than he was.
:Perhaps you have just not asked the right questions,: a female voice echoed softly through their minds.
"Who?" Both Agito and Aptom snarled, coming fully alert.
Alkard threw himself in front of Mizuki while Shizu ducked behind her husband. Tetsuro looked uncomfortable as they all instinctually turned towards the voice.
"Oh..." Sho cringed back, grinning. "I can, or rather Iythra can answer some of those questions."
Iythra stepped forward, away from Fukamachi's protective presence and bowed to those gathered. "Hello," she said looking around, memorising the faces of her new companions.
"I'll explain later," Sho said. Iythra was tired so she could explain her part and then rest while he explained his.
"As you are aware," Iythra began as she stepped forward, buoyed by Sho's silent support, "the Guyvers have changed. I know why but I don't know who or what it was that finally fulfilled the requirements of that why. I also know about the new power structures inherent in the new Guyver forms because while not all Units have been prepared to share that information, the Tekki is banking on that information."
There were nods all round. "So why did the Guyver System change?" Tetsuro asked gently.
Iythra nodded. "They changed a little while ago. Most of us didn't notice. I probably wouldn't have noticed it but the Tekki ensured that I knew. Only those who were powerful enough should have noticed the change for centuries but that is not how it was." Iythra shrugged. The gesture seemed universal. "What changed," she continued, getting back on topic, "is the fact that the Guyver Units became whole."
"Whole?"
"They are a collective. You don't see it often but every Unit is connected to every other Unit. But they are only connected when they have a Host. When they don't have a Host they seek to return to subspace to rejoin the whole. If that happens the Unit is lost to the Universe and the Advents, when creating the Guyver System didn't want that so they developed a trap. Unfortunately while the trap allows the Unit to stay in this phase of space, it cuts it off from the rest of the Units."
"But the Advents wouldn't have cared about that," Tetsuro broke in. "In fact they would have encouraged it because it's easier to subvert one to your will rather than the whole."
"Exactly," Iythra agreed. "That is what changed though. All the Units were unlocked. But I don't know who activated the Units remaining in this phase of space allowing them to connect to the whole."
"That was us," Agito said. "I already asked my Unit about this. It explained somewhat but not everything."
"Nice of you to share," Aptom murmured under his breath, rolling his eyes. Iythra heard him though and he thought he detected a flicker of tired amusement although Agito chose to ignore the comment.
"There are a finite number of Guyver Unit's in the universe. We've always known that, we just never knew when they would all be activated because we didn't know how many there were. A few have escaped back to the boost dimension but the Units have generally been considered so precious that that situation is avoided at all costs. Only the Guyver Emperor can call a Unit back from their home dimension, but that's not the issue. In the instant that the Guyver system became truly connected they adopted structure."
"Structure?"
"Yes, structure. Before all Units had approximately the same power levels, afterwards the structure was defined into the One, the Nine and the Twenty-One; one Guyver Emperor, nine Guyver Lords and twenty-one Gigantic Guyvers. But the structure goes further than that, and it is in that further structure lies the reasons for the numbers. There are nine Guyver Lords but there are only three Guyver Lord Warriors, three Guyver Lord Engineers and three Guyver Lord Healers."
"The power is distributed. That makes sense," Tetsuro nodded, flashing a grin at Mizuki. He'd always known she was a healer to be reckoned with.
"It goes further," Iythra continued. "How else do you explain a power structure that allows thirty-one powers, not a derivative of three, which is very important to the Guyvers." She paused, looking around but was meet with silence. "You explain it by the knowledge that each of the Lords has two Gigantic Guyvers that serve them directly. The two Gigantics are of the type the Lord is not so that together they can cover every Guyver type. It's a part of the symmetry of the Units; Nine Lords who can form complete triads either with others of their type, or with others of their power level, or with their servants. And the Gigantic Guyvers can form similar groups amongst themselves."
"That only accounts for eighteen Gigantic Guyvers," Shizu said softly.
Iythra nodded. "The last three are the Guyver Emperor's. He, she, it, they... no one knows yet who or what the Guyver Emperor is but I'll say they for convenience sake... They have three to allow for equal interaction, and their Gigantic Guyvers are about as powerful as a Guyver Lord... maybe more because they are linked to the Guyver Emperor and the One can loan them power."
"Do they have any distinguishing features? So far we've seen Guyvers of many colours but none seem to mean anything."
"Colour does mean things," Sho spoke up. "It is an indication of desire and intent."
Iythra nodded. "Hence the Tekki is black and his followers almost always share at least part of that darkness."
Agito snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Colour is not absolute," he stated firmly.
"It's not," Iythra agreed. "It's only an indication but there are only four Guyvers that bear the same colouring; the Guyver Emperor and their servants. They are always white with gold."
"Hayami!" Mizuki exclaimed.
"What?" Iythra's eyes were wide.
"Hayami," Mizuki said again. "He's a friend. He called a Gigantic Unit and it was white and gold," she explained.
Iythra was awed. "Then this Hayami is one of the Guyver Emperor's Gigantic Guyvers," she breathed.
"Figures," Agito did not sound impressed. "I understand the concept that there are now ranks within the Guyver system but I do not understand how the Tekki can fight the Guyver Emperor."
Iythra shook her head. "He's not planning on fighting, he's planning on ambushing. Anything more I do not know. The Tekki is only a Guyver Lord and by his own estimates he is well below the Guyver Emperor in power... But that could be from the future... Maybe that's why. The Tekki has all his power now, because his future self-activated the power within his present self long before it should have manifested. Maybe he thinks he can ambush the Guyver Emperor while they are like he was, unsure of their total power. I wish I knew because if I did I would warn them, I could help them but despite even the Tekki's best efforts the Guyver Units are remaining silent on the identity of the One. Don't get me wrong, some of them, the Unit's themselves agree with the Tekki, that the power the One has should not be able to be wielded by one individual alone but whether the other Unit's out rank them, or there are more or somewhere someone is being incredibly stubborn the knowledge of who the One is and exactly what they are capable of is being held back. And the amount of power required to do that in a collective is amazing in and of itself."
Sho stepped forward, taking one of Iythra's spindly elbows, supporting her as she swayed slightly with exhaustion. "I think that's enough for now," he said firmly. "Iythra needs to rest." He looked up towards the ships, roughly in the direction of its central core and where its consciousness could be said to rest. "Mirai, could you?" he asked.
:Go here,: Mirai directed, indicating to the space that had been prepared for Iythra and as gravity left the room, Sho kicked off from the ground, gently guiding Iythra with him as the wall peeled back to allow passage.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Aptom laughed. "He just can't help it, can he?" The question was genuinely amused.
Both Segawa's shared the amusement while Shizu looked worriedly at the stone faced Agito and Alkard was just confused.
"At least the Unit's agree she's safe," Agito finally snapped as he tried to rework his arrangements to cover for yet another Guyver who would probably fight for Fukamachi.
Although... Both he and Shizu could expect two Gigantic's each to serve them, much like Alkard served Mizuki and that would help even out the balance. It would only bring one more warrior to him but he knew the importance of Healers and Engineers even if he didn't always wish to admit it. And, he thought as his Unit prompted him to a new revelation, both Fukamachi and Aptom as Gigantic Guyver Warriors who were not white and gold... well... they would have to bow to someone. He would enjoy seeing the haunty Zoanoid forced to abase himself. That was something he could look forward to especially since it seemed neither Aptom nor Fukamachi had worked out that implication yet.
Tarnsi groaned as the pressure on her shield increased. The Zoanoids just kept coming in waves and while their troops had fought bravely they weren't enough. She'd argued with Uryal'ng, who had just wanted to protect her, going so far as to indicate that he would unconditionally surrender the Kasd'n Goa and all hands to ensure her safety. It didn't help that his crew had agreed with him... Their loyalty was touching but somehow she knew that the Advents weren't interested in that, they just wanted to destroy them. That's why she was now pushed up against the hull of the Kasd'n Goa, holding a shield that was fast being eroded. The other Guyver's her father had sent were exhausted and had been taken back aboard the ship. They hadn't allowed her to fight until now.
They had tried to avoid this conflict. When they'd accidentally encountered the clusters of Advent troops they had immediately turned around, seeking to flee as had been traditional but the Zoanoids hadn't allowed that, moving to surround them. Zoanoids were much more aggressive than Monomeeth, and it showed.
That had been three days ago and they had been running and fighting and running and dying ever since. They had tried to flee towards more populated areas, to seek help but the Zoanoids had not allowed that. The Advents had been in control the entire time, blocking their calls for aide with a callous casualness that truly indicated how little the ancient race thought of the other races in the universe. They were even blocking the Guyver Unit's distance communications abilities, although Tarnsi wasn't sure who they could have called to.
She hissed as a concerted blast from a group hit the far shields. They were weakest there and she was so tired. Her outer eye lids threatened to close over the already closed inner ones but she'd fought that urge off every time. It was dangerous and she was only glad that the Advents hadn't decided to relax their attack and give her time to rest. If her shield went down she knew she wouldn't be able to raise it again.
"ibs Kyheen," Uryal'ng's voice came to her tiredly. He hadn't slept as well and had been working with the entire crew to try to escape from this situation; encouraging the gunners to keep firing, working with the engine crew to try to squeeze a little more from the Kasd'n Goa, working with the medics, covered in blood as they battled to save the injured, even sitting with those who were doomed, making sure that their passing was as gentle as possible. Tarnsi smiled, the whole crew respected him, trusted him and no one blamed him for the mess they were in now.
"You've got incoming." There was no way to soften the blow the information was.
"All right," she said tiredly, reinforcing the shields as much as she could.
"There is just one more thing, something I hadn't thought of until now. You could try what the Terrans did at the Interstellar Meeting."
"You mean summon an Over Unit?"
"Yes... I don't know what else to try."
She nodded, even though Uryal'ng wouldn't see the gesture before gathering herself both to try to summon an Over Unit and to brace against the incoming attack from the Zoanoids. They really didn't have anything to loose. If it worked, perhaps they could hold out a little longer. If not... well... that wouldn't be an issue for long.
She almost lost the shield when the Zoanoids didn't attack immediately but instead gathered in a cluster. One Zoanoid, larger than the rest came forward to hover in front of her. Tarnsi felt the gun turrets rotate, following the Zoanoid's movements.
:Give in,: a deep voice echoed through her mind. :Give in and we will ensure that your destruction is quick.:
:No!: Tarnsi responded, recognising that this was the Advent's. It was amazing how after three days she could still recognise some of the things around her.
:We will continue chasing and eventually you will tire. You have no help coming, so you are only delaying the inevitable. Give in and you will not even feel your destruction.:
:No!: She wasn't sure what more she could say.
:I am the Hyper Zoanoid Zekrubus. I am far more powerful than those you have faced and so you will be destroyed.:
The Hyper Zoanoid Zekrubus was a sickly mix of orange and black, colours the Kyheenan's had never liked. The orange plates of armour seemed slapped atop the black and many had bevelled sharp blade edges. His left arm ended in a clawed hand with a bulge on his wrist. There seemed to be a focusing crystal there and her Unit kindly pointed out other laser focusing points all over his body. His right arm ended in a pincer, long claws that came together into a point. His jaws were mandibles and Tarnsi's Unit estimated the bite strength in terms she didn't really want to consider. He had three horns on top of his head, two splayed out to the sides and she could see their cutting edges. One came forward and didn't seem bladed like the others but ended in a wickedly sharp point which would no doubt puncture anything Zekrubus desired.
Like the space capable Zoanoids she had seen images of the body was segmented, not quite as insect like as the others but still very much like the exoskeleton of those creatures. She didn't like it. She hadn't liked any of the Zoanoids she had seen yet. Not that that was surprising. She wasn't meant to like any of them. The Advents had designed well.
:No!. :Tired as Tarnsi was, she still felt her anger rise at the arrogance displayed. It would be easy to surrender, to accept the gift of easy death but she couldn't help but remember the information given to her by her Father about all the races that had come before. In their memory she had to fight, the Kyheenan's had to fight and she was not about to have their first battle end in surrender. They would die fighting but they would not surrender. It had become a matter of principle. :It is you who will be destroyed,: she added with sudden belligerence.
Please let this work, the Kyheenan Princess thought, not knowing entirely who she was calling to before she looked upwards, past the Zoanoids towards the stars on their velvet back drop. They were cool, silent, calming... she needed that now.
"Gigantic Guyver!"
For a moment it seemed like nothing had happened but then she almost screamed as energy was ripped out from her. The oval shaped object that Uryal'ng had described from the Interstellar Meeting appeared and even though she was suddenly more exhausted than even she shouldn't help but feel a small kernel of satisfaction. The object enveloped her briefly and it burned as her armour changed before the shell pulled back and vanished, leaving her to glare at the now afraid Zoanoids.
Tarnsi gulped, knowing she had to act quickly and after re-enforcing the shields around the Kasd'n Goa she jumped forward to attack. She wasn't a warrior but she had no choice. Her mind continued screaming the plea to the universe, :Help us, help us, help us!: But she couldn't tell if the signal was getting through whatever jamming the Advents had set up.
The Hyper Zoanoid Zekrubus drew back before she reached him, motioning the Zoanoids to close with her. For the moment her power seemed infinite but she could feel her already depleted energy fading quickly. Three Zoanoids fell as her stubby vibroblades lashed out. Her head beams lanced out but their design was different to a warrior's and weren't designed to kill. They were designed to measure, to carve, to engineer, not to kill but she was pushed, and she could improvise.
Tarnsi was turning to return to the safety of the ship to avoid being surrounded but it was too late and a Zoanoid grabbed her tail while two more lunged forward to grab at her arms, holding on despite her struggles and the cuts that caused on their hides. Their claws gripped tightly, piercing through her white armour despite its efforts to remain whole.
:And that is the end of that,: Hyper Zoanoid Zekrubus said moving close again as he flicked some power at the shields on the Kasd'n Goa, bringing them down with an almost contemptuous ease, following the strike with several more that took out the gun turrets. The Zoanoids threw her towards the ship as the white and gold Gigantic armour retracted, knowing that she could barely move, let alone fight them.
:A waste of my time,: the Hyper Zoanoid murmured and Tarnsi looked through eyes that were fuzzy from exhaustion as energy began to gather around him. The other Zoanoids formed a perimeter so even if Tarnsi hadn't been too exhausted to respond to Uryal'ng's urge to run, she couldn't.
"No," she gulped, heaving for air as she tried to gather a shield but she couldn't. It was all she could do to hold her armour in place.
As the energy gathered in Zekrubus' midriff Tarnsi whispered one final denial before looking back up to the stars. They were so peaceful. They were so unlike the real universe but they were the real universe. The dichotomy was amazing and frustrating. "I'm sorry, Father."
She closed her eyes and waited for the pain, for the burning energy that would tear through her to end her life. At least in space, she wouldn't hear her own doom.
:Uryal'ng, we have got to stop meeting like this!: The voice echoed through her mind, laughing, as warm energy flowed into her.
"I quite like our encounters," Uryal'ng va Kyheen's voice came to her, showing more good humour and pure relief than she had ever thought possible.
:What..? Who..?: Tarnsi asked as her vision cleared. Of Zekrubus she saw nothing and the last few remaining Zoanoids were being destroyed with frightening facility by two black Guyver Warriors whose blades almost seemed tangled but were ruthlessly and efficiently cutting through everything. She could see Guyver Engineers, a grey one and a silica coloured one hovering by the worst of the damage on the ship, their hands extended and power glowing through their fingers as they repaired the hull.
:It's okay,: the same voice that had addressed the Kasd'n Goa sounded to her again. :We are here to help.: She could hear the warm reassurance in the voice, the smile and knew she was speaking with Fukamachi Sho. The silver and blue Gigantic Guyver Warrior gently reached out to touch her shoulder, pouring further energy into her with the touch. Tarnsi felt more than just the power. She felt comforted. This was a warrior who understood what he was fighting for, who understood what others fought for. This was a warrior many would trust and she felt that many would follow him if given the chance. :You should rest,: he said easily. :We will keep them all away should they continue to attack, and Mizuki, our Healer will treat your wounded. So rest.:
Tarnsi wasn't even aware that she was being guided to the landing bay until her feet and tail touched the steel and she saw the Officers waiting for her. Some of the other Terran Guyvers landed a discrete distance behind her but she knew Engineers were still outside, and of course their Advent ships were now guarding the damaged ship. She felt warm, and safe... She'd never felt this safe before.
"Uryal'ng," Sho greeted the tired Commander as he walked forward, dismissing his armour.
Tarnsi didn't even have time to stumble as another Terran took his place. This time it was an apricot Guyver with blue highlights who looked at her softly. Segawa Mizuki, her mind registered sluggishly.
"Fukamachi," Uryal'ng greeted the Terran Guyver. "By the Emperor! I have never been so glad to see anyone as I was to see you!"
"Sorry we seemed to be late this time," the Terran said easily before his voice took on a note of authority. "Now, once you've shown Mizuki to your wounded, you should go and rest... I will speak with you then... unless you've got another captured Zoanoid?"
Uryal'ng shook his head, bowing low to Fukamachi to indicate his acceptance of the suggestion. He knew the Terran's could be reasonable... and it was now that he appreciated that. They would speak soon, until then, he, like Tarnsi felt safe with the knowledge that they were being watched over.
:Someone tell me why we keep this growing list of dependants?: Agito growled through the Guyver link.
Sho sighed. :Because we can help them,: he replied, sensing no one else would, and the question didn't deserve to be rhetorical.
They were still working on the Kasd'n Goa, or on the wounded Kyheenans. Tetsuro was currently fixing the engines while Shizu, although a more powerful Guyver Engineer was working on the more mundane repairs. She was a different type of engineer and just didn't truly understand the complexities of mechanics. Mizuki was accompanied by Alkard as she worked on the Kyheenan wounded. The medical staff, this time had actually rearranged things to accommodate her. Aptom was standing guard, monitoring for further attacks while Mirai and Eternity took flank. Agito was also out in space, drifting as he formed the van guard and Sho was sitting with Iythra to ensure she awoke to a familiar face.
:But they can't help us,: the Guyver Lord Warrior snapped back, almost eager for a fight.
:What makes you say that?: Sho asked, deliberately affecting as innocent a tone as possible, even though he heard the snigger in the back of his mind from his Unit that told him it would annoy Makishima.
:Apart from extra man power, and even then their worth is questionable, we have yet to come across someone who can help Terrans as a whole, rather than just temporary assistance on our path.:
Fukamachi blinked. He could almost hear Makishima grinding his teeth together but he read deeper, looking into the words the Terran Emperor had said. It was obvious that he was excluding Alkard, the still sleeping Iythra and the Kyheenan Guyvers from this conversation but behind it all, Sho sensed that Agito was... frustrated. As he had once earlier stated, they hadn't really found anyone who could help and everything they did seemed just a stop gap against the inevitable.
But they couldn't lose hope!
The may not have found anyone who could help the Terrans as a whole but it would have been foolish of them to expect this to happen quickly. And while it was true that Iythra and Alkard were individuals, they could and did interact with their races, and the Kyheenans weren't to be ignored. It was coming down to the fact that they weren't finding anyone, potentially because there was no one to find. They would just have at ad lib in that case.
:That's true,: Sho said, calming Agito by giving his words due consideration. :But while we haven't found one race, there is no reason we can't ally with many. And the potential remains for us to be the ones who provide aide.:
:That's my problem!: Guyver III growled. :We can help, and we can aide but who is helping us? If we lose ourselves then we have lost and our mission is one that we can't afford to lose. We can't afford to be philanthropic here!:
Sho sighed. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the point but while they needed help, they also had to give. No one would help them if they only took. :All right,: he sent softly. :We already have Iythra and Alkard and have made a commitment to them but for Uryal'ng va Kyheen we have not yet made a full commitment. If they cannot help us Agito, in some way of achieving our goals of saving humans for the Advents, or in some other way, then we will not help them again.:
:What?:
Sho could feel the outrage from Tetsuro and Mizuki who both agreed with him in that they should help who they could, when they could, while Aptom simply gave him a questioning mental prod. :It's okay,: Sho sent to his friends. :Uryal'ng will help us. After all, Mirai and Eternity have told us they need to leave so where else are we going to get a ship from?: He added the last with a grin, sensing their confusion turn to understanding. He wasn't taking a risk.
:Humph!: Agito snorted. :The Kyheenan's of all races are one of the few most likely to be able to help us, so we will aide them now but I refuse to become known as nothing more than a sap. :With that, Agito turned his mental back, somehow knowing that on this issue he was defeated.
It was perhaps time for him to start looking at alternatives to this path... The Tekki was fighting the Advents without vast resources so maybe if he established himself thus, drawing on the resources of a few planets, perhaps he could begin something there, for surely his abilities were worth something.
The twin rescues of Iythra and the Kyheenan's was a period of transition for us all. Iythra's information while useful was overshadowed by the Kyheenan's need and by what we were to later learn of the Tekki's plans.
The Kyheenan's however... As Sho said they would be useful to us but it was not for some time that we began to truly appreciate that.
Makishima remained testy during the time. He was frustrated by our apparent lack of progress in finding allies for the battle against the Advent's. What I think he failed to recognise but knew anyway on some level was that even if we couldn't find those who could fight directly with us, by helping others in there small battles against the Advents, we were raising their courage, raising their willingness to fight the Advents for their own gain. And if enough races fought the Advent's for their own benefit or survival, while it would be generally chaotic, it would reduce the size of the force we needed to fight with, meaning that perhaps the gathered warriors on Earth and to a lesser extent, Merrimu could be enough to drive the Advent's away.
It also gave us the opportunity to lead.
The Advents had tried to demonify us at the Interstellar Meeting as a race that could easily kill its own and while fighting Zoanoids only did serve to prove that point, rescuing various aliens from Advent attacks helped drive home a few different points.
Firstly that we were some of the few that could fight equally but more importantly that we only fought for good reason. We killed our own, yes but we killed our own protecting others.
That, for many species, especially after they'd just been rescued was a more important point.
Makishima continued to brood but in the end did not break away from us. In fact I know that he was at least a little bit satisfied by the depth of relationship we were to develop with the Kyheenan's.
We didn't know then about Maxwell's speculative warriors or Merrimu's plans to expand but we unknowingly played to them both. And that was, while leading to much sadness for the Kyheenan's, in the end a good thing for both our peoples. But it also signalled that the battle had only just begun. It was the beginning of the end and the opening moves were soon to be played.
Review please? :)