A/N: Wow I've been able to write quite a bit these days...I'm sorry if this chapter looks sorta disjointed. It's back to intensive work again for a while, but I hope I can squeeze in some creative writing here and there, and maybe update again sometime soon. Haven't been this creative in a long time!

.

CHAPTER 19

Elegance

.

"I just hope that this one will look better than with that other Tarak," Jura said miserably. She was the first to experiment fusing with Jai's craft, and didn't have much optimism. 'A stupid crab! Of all things! I swear, if this doesn't go well...'

Jai shrugged, "Well, there's only one way to find out. By the way, how were you able to fuse with Hibiki's Vanguard anyway?"

"Just moving in close seems to be enough," Jura replied. "And it can happen even when I don't want it to sometimes," she added, making a face while apparently recalling an earlier attempt.

"That might become a problem when we're maneuvering in tight quarters," Jai mused, when another voice popped into communications. "All right, everyone's set up here. Are you good to go?"

"Aye that, Parfet," Jai responded, then nodded to Jura.

She nodded back, and both Vanguard and Dread moved towards each other, before being surrounded by a flash of light.

Jura had her eyes closed tight, and gingerly opened them when all had settled. She gradually became aware of a presence behind her...and this wasn't the seat of her Dread...

"Uh..." Jai's voice sounded right behind her head, and she shrieked in surprise.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?!"

Jura found herself on Jai's lap; both of them on the lone seat in the new ship's helm. The sensation wasn't entirely unwelcome, though having a Tara-...a male, rather, in such close proximity startled her. She wasn't this close to Hibiki when their ships fused.

Parfet appeared again on communications and was about to say something, when Barnette butt in. "Jura! Your ship looks so...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Believe me, if I knew, I'd say so," Jai commented dryly. "You were saying something about the ship, Barnette?"

Parfet reappeared as Gascogne pried Barnette away from the screen. "Look! Look!" She was just as excited as the others on the bridge were, and brought up a video feed of the fusion ship.

Jura's eyes and smile widened immensely. No wonder everyone was so thrilled!

.

"It's a swan!" The girls shouted in chorus.

Jai was amused, more than anything, about the female pirates' enthusiasm. It was at least something that took his mind off the rather shapely, not to mention alluringly-clad, female currently sitting on his lap.

The fusion ship looked like a majestic bird of some sort, but with a curved frame as compared to the angular edges of most of the other vessels. The "neck" area turned upwards, with a long "beak" that ended in a sharp tip pointing down. "Wings" made of what looked like pure condensed energy sloped on either side, and a "tail" that consisted of elongated flexible cables seemed to flow backwards; several round discs were embedded at intervals along each tail fiber.

And yet, there was something a bit...off. 'Definitely avian, but it's not quite a swan...' He thought.

He was feeling a little dizzy, probably because of that sudden light. Still, he had the presence of mind to observe what was around them.

The controls seemed to consist of a single control stick located right in front of Jura, and several buttons and switches to their sides. "Maybe that's what controls the ship's movement?" Jai mentioned. It was too far in front for him to reach; besides he had reservations about leaning into and reaching around her.

Jura looked confused at first. "How is this supposed to work?" She then gripped the stick and abruptly pushed forward.

"Whoa!" Jai exclaimed, as the ship suddenly accelerated into a dive. Though quick, the movement was smooth and somehow felt...graceful.

"Oh yeah!" Jura was absolutely ecstatic. She tugged the control stick to the left, and the ship veered in the direction.

"Urrrrgh...not so rough..." Jai was not in such a good disposition; his dizziness was only getting worse, and Jura's forceful handling of the control stick, and incessant excited shifting on his lap, were not helping.

His companion wasn't listening. "Looks like I'm the one in control of our movements, huh?" There was no other mechanism in the small compartment for maneuvering the ship. "How about this?!" Jura was now constantly jerking – almost manhandling – the control stick every which way, making the craft perform complicated corkscrews and zigzags; and yet, each motion was fluid, continuous, and in a way, almost gentle.

"Jura," Jai moaned, "I'm...warning you, I'm...gonna...gonna..." He realized that had the ship's movements been any less delicate, he would really have already emptied his lunch all over the place.

It was then that she looked back at him. "Hey, are you all right? You look really greenish! Don't you dare throw up on me!" She immediately halted the vessel.

"...thanks..." Jai closed his eyes and was taking deep breaths, feeling the sickness subside.

Ezra appeared onscreen. "Everything okay? Jai, you look pretty sick."

He waved back. "I'll be okay in a bit...I guess I've just been sitting around in the Nirvana for too long."

It did not take long for Jai to calm down enough, and he soon declared it was safe enough to continue. Several of the other buttons fired different beam weapons, most of their arsenal operated by Jai.

There was a particular set of controls that stood out – a pair of identical lever switches to their right, arranged so that each of them can reach only one. Jura tried pulling on her switch, but it wouldn't move.

"Can't move mine either," Jai said after trying his, "maybe together?"

Jura made a face. "That kind of makes sense. Anyway, I'm more than happy with this beautiful ship already, so I can forgive that."

Jai shrugged. "If it's that complicated, it must do something awesome, I suppose."

"That's right! Let's do it!" Jura exclaimed, regaining her delighted mood.

"Then on the count of one, two...three!" They both pulled both levers together.

At once, mechanisms in the craft activated. The "tail" cables spread out to their full length, forming a fan shape above and to the ship's sides. The energy "wings" dispersed along each cable, concentrating over and around the rows of discs that now glowed in a myriad of colors and resembled...eye patterns.

Jai snapped his fingers in recognition. "I get it! A peacock!"

.

Almost all the Mejale pirates were screaming in delight as Jura's fusion ship shifted to an even more grandiose appearance. Each of the "eyes" on the extended tail cables shone with energy.

Jura tried moving the control stick again, but the ship didn't move. "We're stuck! I think this is like its stationary mode, or something. Hey, what's that on your eye?" She asked as she turned back to face Jai.

"It's a...scouter from Dragonball, I guess?" Jai answered pensively. "It attached to my face after the ship reconfigured itself."

She arched an eyebrow. "A what? I don't know what you're talking about!"

He was looking around, as if realizing something. "Oh...I see. It's some sort of lock-on device. Sweet! The targeting capability is over nine thousaaaaaaand!"

"What? Nine thousand?!" Jura was dumbstruck.

Jai blinked. "Huh? Oh, no, that was just something I wanted to say...er, I mean, that was an exaggeration. There are about only seventy or so asteroids over there we can shoot at."

"Huh? I don't see..." She then noticed a debris field in the far distance. "You can point out those rocks?"

"As easily as if they were only right beside us," he replied confidently.

Jura huffed. 'Aww, I wish I was in control of the weapons too...'

Jai was now the one in high spirits; he was clearly enjoying himself. "Well then, let's see what this thing can do in siege mode!" He then engaged several of the laser systems, and a number of the glowing tail orbs started growing in luminescence.

"FIRE!"

At once, beams of concentrated energy blasted towards the targeted rocks with pinpoint accuracy, instantly decimating each and causing vivid explosions that were easily visible despite the distance. The fusion ship did not move an inch, even though each shot fired with immense force.

Jai merely stared at the now annihilated asteroid group. "I guess its power IS over nine thousand..." he mumbled quietly.

Jura could barely contain her exhilaration. She was sure all the other girls were at least as excited as she was. "THIS is the kind of ship I wanted! It's so elegant and powerful, and the best fusion ship of them all! Don't you think so, Jai? Right? Right? It's so wonderful! You're so much better than that Hibiki!" She rambled, throwing her arms around her co-pilot.

He was still in a state of semi-stupor, still looking out into space, but now grinning widely. "Well, it's definitely powerful, as you say..."

"Hey, hey, let's combine as often as we can, all right?" Jura nagged coyly, moving her face next to Jai's and flashing him a seductive smile.

That seemed to make him turn beet red, but then both pilots were startled by a voice yelling from the Nirvana. "CUT THAT OUT!"

"Now, now, Barnette..." Magno admonished, clearly amused. She then addressed Jai and Jura, "That was an amazing display of maneuverability and firepower, I must say. I have no doubt it will come in handy should the need arise."

Jura regained her composure and spoke with respect towards the pirate leader. "Yes, boss. This, the Swan fusion ship, shall be the foremost weapon against the Tarak...or whatever enemy we may face."

"Er...if I may say something..." Jai interrupted.

"Go ahead," Magno acknowledged.

"The ship isn't exactly a swan...it's more of a peacock, actually."

A moment of curious quiet passed before Jura asked, "a pea...what?"

Parfet exclaimed, "Oh! I think I remember seeing..." she then began to tap several buttons on the control panel, "...something from the data packs from the safe-pod Jai came in...and here it is!"

A picture of a peacock displayed onscreen, with a short description. "Yep, almost looks exactly like it," Parfet declared as others nodded.

"But this...says that this is a...male animal?" Jura read, a horrified expression spreading across her face. "What does the female pea-whatever look like?"

Parfet pressed more controls, and another picture popped up: a peahen.

Jura hung her head dejectedly. "...really? Well, that's disappointing..."

Jai then suddenly spoke up after a short silence, "Uh, hey, but does that really matter? I mean, just because the ship looks like that, doesn't mean that it can't be a girl ship, right?"

"Y-yeah! Hahaha," Jura replied. "I still really believe that my ship is the most beautiful and powerful, and I'm very pleased about it!"

"And there's no reason we can't call it a swan, right?" Jai continued.

"Absolutely!"

"Very good!" Jai patted her on the shoulder. "Now let's get back to the Nirvana, shall we? I'm getting hungry..." he mentioned just as his stomach rumbled audibly.

They both laughed. Jura then said, "Okay, this is the Swan fusion ship, and we're now returning to the Nirvana." She then closed the communication link and began to steer the vessel after they had disengaged "siege-mode", as Jai called it.

As they neared the Nirvana, the fusion ship separated into the original Vanguard and Dread.

After they had parted, Jura whispered, "Thanks, for cheering me up..." She was smiling inwardly.