- Like the old days, huh, Zero?
Zero turned a smile to Harlock: in the old days, in addition to the Death Shadow, there was the Queen Emeraldas having Karyu's back, along with a dozen other ships in perfect condition.
He fixed the summary panel on his dashboard: all the top shields damaged, six turrets down and fire principles in five of the nine airlocks of deck one.
And they look even worse than us.
On the main screen, Arcadia's side showed new damage where the Nèmesis had already hit it in the first battle; the dimensional cannons were smoking and the hull seemed to be still in one piece by pure miracle.
And their automatic systems don't work either.
- You'd better retreat, Harlock.
Yuki looked at him frowning.
- No way, Zero - she tightened her grip around the stabilizer - If the Nèmesis is really like the Hell Castle and the Arcadia now, you will never do it alone.
Zero glanced up at his crew, turned his hat in his hands and stared at the screen.
- We are the ones with better chances of surviving at the moment. We still have shields, artillery and St. Elmo's cannon. We'll manage.
Yuki stood up.
- I was the one who got you involved in this story - she slammed her palms on the dashboard - I can't go back to Earth and leave you to your destiny! Don't ask me that!
Harlock frowned.
- And don't ask me either, Zero. You know what I think about unfinished businesses - he gave the helm a quarter turn - And anyway, Hell Matear is not Vorder. She will not give us the luxury of shooting only on you while we leave.
Zero stretched a fold on his hat.
It was true. Hell Matear hated him, but not enough to let her grudge become an obsession and make her lose focus, let alone in battle. She was a Machine Man General and would have acted logically: first, she would have shot down the most damaged enemy ship, then she would have faced the other. With those deadly cannons and a gravitational field surrounding her for sixty kilometers, she could totally afford it.
Damn it!
Zero put his hat on his head.
- Fine, Harlock - he adjusted the visor - But stay out of my way and don't get caught.
Harlock brought two fingers to his forehead.
- I won't die, don't worry - he smiled - Not before I've finally taught you how to fence.
- In your dreams, lousy pirate.
The sarcastic grin that Zero wanted to give him died on his lips.
Beyond the window in front of him, the silhouette of the Nèmesis was now visible to the naked eye. Like fourteen years earlier, the distortions created by its gravitational field sent a shiver down his spine.
- How are the repairs going, Kaibara?
- We can hold another broadside by their main battery, Captain, maybe two, then we will be defenseless like the Arcadia!
- The fire squad?
- They did it - Rai turned to him and smiled at thirty-two teeth - And the damage is minimal: we can count on all the artillery pieces!
- Good - Zero turned to Marina - Mr. Eluder, get sixty-five kilometers from the target and keep the distance. First Officer Oki...
- We still have ten minutes before the Nesmesis primary cannons are ready to fire - as usual, Marina seemed to read his thoughts - But it could shoot us from the turrets or the launchers.
- Then, let's shoot first - Zero licked his lips - Mr. Rai, fire from the main batteries! Harlock...
From the screen, Harlock gave him an imperceptible nod.
- Tadashi... fire!
Rai released the safety.
- Main batteries, fire!
Zero kept his breath. The main bridge shook and the darkness of the space was illuminated by the scarlet light of the lasers. Next to them, the Arcadia fired. Like fourteen years earlier, the gravitational shield dispersed and absorbed the shots.
- We haven't even made a dent - Ishikura fell back on his seat, white as a ghost - It's just like the Hell Castle!
Zero pressed his lips.
- Keep calm, Mr. Ishikura. First Officer Oki, measure...
- Captain! - Breaker jumped - The Nèmesis fired!
- On who?
- Us - Harlock turned the wheel furiously - Maji, stop the engines! Yuki, engage the retros! Tadashi, to my order, fire the torpedos! Now!
The Arcadia bent all over the port side, and a missile round bolted out from its side.
- Zero!
Harlock looked at him from behind the helm wheel and Zero gave him a nod of assent.
All right. I get it.
The connection dropped and the light of the lasers shot by the Nèmesis hid the Arcadia at sight. Zero looked away from the screen: he did not have time to make sure if Harlock's elusive maneuver had been successful.
Don't die! Please... don't die!
He turned to Marina.
- First Officer Oki...
- Thirteen hundredths of a second since it shoots - she panted - Just like Hell Castle!
Good. So let's get this over with!
- Lieutenant Ishikura, initialize St. Elmo.
- Yes, Sir - Ishikura removed the safety cap, shifted the lever switch and turned the key - Reactor power circuits running.
- Auto adjust ready - Rai typed on his keyboard - Target successfully locked!
Zero glanced at the screen: the Arcadia was still there. There was a new gash on the underside of its keel and four of its turrets were smoking, but at least it was still in one piece. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Stay focused, Harlock. We'll have to let it shoot again.
- The torpedoes of the Arcadia have dissolved - Breaker bent on the radar - No damage to the enemy ship.
- Three-helium's fusion reactor activated - Kaibara pressed the ignition button - Power at one hundred and twenty-five percent, rising. Stream incoming.
- It's going to shoot again - Eluder shook the cloche - From the bow turrets!
- Power at one hundred and thirty percent - Kaibara turned, the fires of St. Elmo shining on his shoulders and the tips of his fingers - When you want, Captain!
- Mr. Ishikura, transfer the shooting control to my panel!
On the dashboard in front of Zero, the small door of St. Elmo opened with a hiss and the handle of the cannon appeared before him. He took it with both hands and pointed his feet to the ground.
- Suspend all systems! - he switched the safety off and put his finger on the trigger - Thirty seconds... from now!
- The Nèmesis fired - Breaker turned to him - This time on us!
Zero clenched his jaw.
It's logical. Hell Matear knows that during Sant'Elmo's shooting process we are completely defenseless for forty seconds. But the fire of the turrets alone will not be enough if we stay out of the gravitational field.
- Ishikura, order Grenadier to get ready with his squad and alert the mechanics and all the medical staff. Continue the shooting procedure. I repeat: continue the shooting procedure.
- But we're defenseless! - Rai jumped into his chair - Captain...
- Final Power Supply engaged - over Kaibara Station, the loading bar filled - Countdown, start!
- Rai, Eluder, shield the main bridge - Marina took the microphone of the intercom - Security, evacuate bridge one and close all the airtight compartments now! Nohara...
- Yes, First Officer! I pass the Nèmesis image on the main screen.
Rai and Eluder ran to rotate the handle. The superalloy protective panel darkened the window in front of him and Zero looked down at the automatic pointing system.
Ten seconds...
A deafening noise made his ears whistle and all the Karyu started. There was a burning smell and somewhere a siren was howling.
He tightened the grip and held his breath.
He focused on Battlizer's metal voice.
- Four, three...
His sight and the sight of the wiewfinder aligned and he blinked.
- Two, one...
Fire!
He fired.
The recoil sent him slamming against the backrest, the power of the energy beam made the grip pulse between his fingers.
On the main screen, the two beams of St. Elmo intertwined as two dragons fighting in space and dangled in a dazzling light that wrapped the Nèmesis.
- It's done! - Rai lifted a punch to heaven - We...
- Enemy fire coming in - Breaker looked around frantically - Engage the shields, Rai!
- I can't still do it!
A tremendous boom stunned Zero, a flash blinded him.
The command bridge plunged into the darkest darkness and the Karyu swayed like a yarn of grass in a vortex of storm.
St. Elmo's control escaped his hands and something struck him on his shoulder.
His nostrils filled with the smell of smoke. There was a persistent hiss in his ears and his eyes teared up. He got up.
The emergency generators kicked in and a reddish light lit up the main bridge. Zero looked around.
Nohara, Rai and Breaker were on the ground, but they looked uninjured.
Ishikura was holding extinguisher and suffocating a fire principle at the base of Marina's post.
Kaibara massaged his forehead.
- What happened?
Breaker grabbed the back of his armchair and sat in front of his control panel.
- The Nèmesis fired us one last beam with the main cannons while we were defenseless.
- Mr. Kaibara, damage report!
- We have a gash going from the first compartment of deck three to the seventh of deck five - Kaibara wiped sweat from his forehead - A big fire in the hangarand the first three compartments of deck five, plus six other turrets down. New outbreaks of fire on all deck one!
- We lost all the external connections - Marina was frantically typing on her keyboard - And the computer systems are not working... not even the fire system!
Ishikura laid down the fire extinguisher.
- I ask permission to intervene with my squad and direct extinguishng fires at deck five, Captain. Grenadier and his men can not intervene there, at deck one and in the hangar all at he same time... and if the fire propagated to St. Elmo's reactor room, it would be the end!
Zero looked at his hand wrapped in bandages and his shoulder now without guard.
He had a small blotch of blood at the height of his clavicle and the usual stubborn expression on his face.
He would go anyway.
- Granted, Ishikura - Zero looked away and sighed - But be careful.
Ishikura snapped at attention and ran away. The door had not yet closed completely that the Karyu jumped and heeled boardside.
Another explosion?
- Marina!
- Almost... here!
The screens came back on, the window shield rose and Zero flickered.
The Nèmesis was coming straight to them, a big hole in the bow, its turrets vomiting fire.
- That's impossible - Rai fell on his chair - Not only it didn't blow up, but it's still shooting at us!
- Rai, what's the shield's status?
- Forty percent. We got enough for maybe another broadside, no more!
- Then we must not let it shoot it - Zero clenched his fist - Nohara, cover for Ishikura and initialize St. Elmo! Kaibara...
- It's useless, Zero - on the screen, Harlock's image trembled and stabilized - Look at its hull.
Marina zoomed in on the Nèmesis bow, and Zero opened his eyes wide.
Instead of scattering in space, the fragments floating around the flail were coming back as if attracted by an invisible magnet.
Each of them went to the exact point where it had been before the hull was struck and with a scarlet flash soldered back in its place.
- It's impossible - Kaibara gasped - What is that thing made of?
Zero swallowed air. On the hull of the Nèmesis, not even a scratch.
Not even the Hell Castle could autorepair itself so quickly.
- Harlock, have you ever seen anything like that before?
- Yes - Harlock pinched his chin - On the artificial planet Prometheum. It is an alloy capable of restoring and replicating its molecular structure. But the one I had to deal with could certainly not withstand your cannon.
Next to Harlock, Yattaran frowned on the screen.
- They might have combined it with Tochiro's superalloy - he wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead - If that's the case, we're in trouble!
Indeed. That way there's not enough time to dissolve the gravitational field and strike again with St. Elmo before the hull regenerates.
- Harlock, how are you doing weaponry-wise?
Tadashi looked at him, a new cut on his forehead and the loosen bandage falling on his shoulders.
- Only the rostrum and the torpedoes work, but we're running out of it. You?
Rai shook his head in a sorrowful expression.
Zero looked down at his panel. The deck one was still in flames, the turrets and the cannons unusable.
- St. Elmo only. And with that we can't fire salvo.
Next to Tadashi, Yuki widened her eyes.
- Zero - she got up - Get out of there, now!
Zero started and looked ahead of him.
From the hull of the Nèmesis emerged a tremendous, sharp rostrum, the distortions of the gravitational field confusing its contours.
Damn!
- Mr. Eluder, evasive maneuver! Hard to starboard! Mr. Kaibara, full speed ahead! - under his feet, the bridge shook - Nohara, Rai, lower the shiled with the manual system! We must get out of its gravitational field sphere before it regenerate! Harlock...
Harlock nodded his agreement and turned to port.
- See you on the other side, Zero. Maji, all over - he growled - Tadashi, fire at will!
Does he want to attract all the turret's fire on himself? But that's...
Zero did not have time to think about it. The Karyu slid to the right and the engines running at full power sent his heart to his throat. The rostrum of the Nèmesis passed him by. Nohara and Rai increased their efforts at shielding the deck.
The vibration under his feet increased and the pressure pushed him back into his chair.
The connection with the Arcadia dropped again.
- Captain - Marina's voice trembled - Big explosion at deck five, in the room next to the reactor!
Oh, no! No!
- The fire system?
- I can't restore it - Marina slammed her fist on the dashboard - It doesn't work!
- Patch me to Ishikura's squad.
- They do not answer - her voice broke - And I do not even have the video link!
She fell silent and Zero brushed a hand over his eyes. Around him, the whole Karyu was jerking and creaking. The window shield screeched, covered itself with cracks and ended up in pieces dissolving into the waves of the gravitational field.
Please, Flaming Dragon... hold on... Hold on!
The winged figure on Nèmesis' side passed by at his left. The windows surrounding the main bridge creaked with a ominous crunch. The pressure on his chest took his breath away.
- Captain - Kaibara's voice was a rantle - The crack's expanding!
The queue of the Nèmesis passed them by and the Karyu moaned with a nearly human voice. Some panels of the outer lining broke off and fell apart in the waves of the gravitational field. On the windows there was a cobweb of cracks.
Zero panted, his vision blurred.
- Divert all power to the engines - he pinched his thigh to prevent himself from fainting - Turn off all unnecessary functions and engage the auxiliary propulsion system! We must get out of here as soon as possible or we'll get crushed!
The lights flickered again. New alarm lights appeared on his control panel. Zero bent over his seat and closed his eyes.
The acceleration and pressure got out of his stomach what he had managed to keep inside during his scuffle with Harlock.
He collapsed with his forehead against the base of the dashboard, a bitter taste in his mouth and the groan of metal in his ears. His head and chest were aching, the air was not enough to fill his lungs.
Please, Flaming Dragon... please!
- Come on - Eluder was a blurred figure in the fog - We're almost out.
The pressure and the speed dimmed suddenly. The Karyu shook.
Zero panted, clutched the console and stood up. His head was spinning and his ears ringing, but the Nèmesis was behind them.
- Captain - Eluder's voice was funereal - The propulsion is gone. We're only left with the auxiliary engine number two... and the energy's not even enough to go back to Miraiseria.
- First Officer Oki, what about the fire?
- I can't reach Grenadier or Ishikura... and the automatic systems are gone once and for all.
- Even the rescue pod launching system?
Marina bent her head and put a hand over her eyes.
- Captain - Nohara gave him a lost look - What are we doing now?
Zero looked down at the summary panel. It was all red lights.
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists in his pockets.
Nothing. There's truly nothing we can do.
Not even run away, not even evacuate the ship.
As in his worst nightmares, he had driven his trusting crew straight to death's arms.
Disclaimer: fanfic based on the world and the characters of "Captain Harlock" (Uchu Kaizoku Kyaputen Hārokku "and" Cosmo Warrior Zero "(Zero Kosumo Wōriā), created by and © Leiji Matsumoto.
All rights to these characters are © Leiji Matsumoto, Toei Animation, Enoki FIMS and probably a bunch of other people. Their use in this story does not imply support, approval or permission from their part. Since this story was conceived and written by a fan for other fans, please do not plagiarize it, give me my credit as author when publishing elsewhere and do not to redistribute it for a fee. Thank you!
