A/N: I've had absolutely nothing on 'Memory' (or any of my other writings) for a long time! For those who have been readers since before, thanks for sticking with this! (No, I'm not ending it yet now) For new readers, welcome! Sorry if updates have been sporadic. I'm now in another country, more responsibilities, work, studying, and a difficult life in general. I'm really glad there are still people reading, liking, and fav-ing this on fanfiction dot net. Really sorry for not updating as much as any of us would like, but that's how it goes. But like I said, I intend to finish this story someday.
Details/events diverge from what's in the anime, though I keep some things similar, but you probably already know that.
Speaking of story, onwards to it! Enjoy!
Fanfiction dot net is being wonky again with formatting and stuff of uploaded documents; there may be some errors in here that I missed.
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CHAPTER 21
Stirrings
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"Another battle, another debriefing. To be fair, we instigated the last one on a spur of the moment while testing out a fusion ship," Magno sighed. The bridge crew were currently waiting for the pilots to arrive; Jai's call for a meeting did not make her any less uneasy.
Gascogne was already at the bridge. "Aye Boss. All the fighting has been a drain on our supplies, though we should have just enough to go 'round without too much trouble. Nevertheless, we'll need to restock sometime soon."
"And there's that too," Magno acknowledged.
It wasn't long before the awaited crew members entered. An even tenser atmosphere followed as Jai made his way forward. "Thank you, everyone. I'll get straight to the point: during the last battle, I thought to try and analyze our enemies a little more using the Dita-Base system. Even during the fighting, enemies were transmitting encryptions to an unknown relay. I couldn't understand at all what the information was at that time, and decryption was slow going."
Parfet was carrying Pyoro, whose "face" intermittently displayed a status bar. "It's a little faster with Pyoro here, but there's still a lot we haven't gotten to yet," she said.
Jai went on, "We were able to determine that the enemy squad we clashed with was a sort of advance patrol for a much larger Earth fleet. I have the coordinates of their destination here," he then relayed the information to Belvedere, who brought up a computer display of the target area.
"It's a small planet," Belvedere pointed out, "we do not know anything else about it, though."
Bart spoke up, "First time I've seen this too. This is in unexplored territory for Tarak."
Jai continued, "So neither Tarak nor Mejale are aware of what is at this location exactly. It is a ways off, so the Dita-Base wasn't able to see what was there as well, but I guessed it must have been an inhabited place of sorts, based on something we scanned from the enemy ships' programming."
Pyoro, who had been unusually quiet all this time, floated up from Parfet's arms and announced, "As Parfet said, I've been trying to decode the more encrypted parts of it, but here's a bit of what we have so far."
An image of what seemed like a partly-decoded transcript of instructions now flashed on the main screen.
The first line ominously told them all they needed to know: HARVEST OPERATION
Even though it was as most of them had expected to see, everybody was stunned. Even Jai visibly shivered, recalling earlier scenes of the "harvest".
Jai gravely resumed, "It seems that by wiping out the advance forces, we could probably expect the main force to be significantly, uh, more fortified when they get there. And I mean they will send upgraded, more advanced ships, and at least double the troops than when we faced that one mothership. It is possible we bought these intended victims more time, but it'll be a much more difficult battle than any we've had if we try to take this one head-on. We've had big upgrades to our arsenal, but honestly, I don't think we will win."
There was a ring of truth in his words. Even the Boss had to concede that, assessing the situation, being lucky another time was not very probable. They had not the luxury of time to formulate and practice strategies utilizing the fusion ships with other Dreads, not to mention their supplies were only getting less abundant.
After a prolonged silence, Jura ventured, "So...let's just stay away then."
"But...all those people," Ezra mouthed.
Gascogne pounded her fist on a wall. "We can't just abandon anybody on that rock! You saw what the harvest is, right?"
Duero replied coolly, "If we get ourselves killed while playing the hero..."
Some of the others also began raising their voices, arguing either for or against helping the planet's inhabitants, if there even were inhabitants, or if they even needed the pirates' aid at all. It would be easy, and at the same time impossible, to devise a plan for victory, and nobody and everybody would have to die.
Amidst the squabble, Meia leaned in towards Jai and whispered, "What do you think we should do?"
Jai blinked. Meia timidly asking for advice instead of taking action was a change in her usual character, especially given the circumstances, but it was one he welcomed all the same. "Forewarned is forearmed," he replied softly, "Right now, I could at least guess how much time until the harvesters arrive; it could be worth going in to at least scout around while avoiding a full-on clash as much as possible."
Magno rubbed the bridge of her nose. All the bickering around her was difficult to ignore; everybody had a valid point on the issue. Decisions such as this one are never easy, but all the same, one had to be reached, sooner than later. She only had to raise one hand for everybody to quiet down.
"I know the gravity and difficulty we find ourselves in, with the information we have. We cannot say for sure what even is on that planet; there could already be an army ready to take the harvesters on, or there could be just defenseless villagers living out their lives in peace. I do not intend to lead us into suicide. Yet, I also cannot find it in our spirit to forsake the innocent to such a horrible fate."
Magno turned to Jai, "How long before the fleet gets there, would you say?"
"Not a hundred percent sure, but going by the other records we've been able to figure out, I'd estimate any time between five to seven days from now at the earliest," he replied.
"I see. And how long will it take for us to reach the planet?" Magno then asked Amarone.
The navigator answered, "Two days at top speed, leader."
The Boss nodded, then now addressed Gascogne. "Will our supplies hold out?"
The maintenance officer scratched her head. "If this becomes a rescue mission, we won't be able to support any more stomachs without a major replenishing. Weapons-wise, a huge battle would be pushing it. We're a bit stretched already as it is."
"There are several ways to cut down a tree," Magno uttered, "though let's hope no radical means will be necessary regarding this." She then gestured to Parfet, "What of our ship and engines?"
The mechanic smiled confidently. "Nirvana's in tip-top shape, and the Pexis hasn't been fluctuating much recently, which is a good thing. Hopefully everything stays that way, but honestly there's no reliable way of telling what could happen against the harvesters. We'll do our best. And if Pyoro could finish his decoding, we might have a better idea of our enemy."
After a pause, the pirate Boss then stood up and spoke in a more authoritative tone. "Our mission will be to reach the planet as soon as possible, identify any inhabitants and ascertain their status, and provide any aid possible without compromising ourselves. To that end, our specific plan of action will be determined following further investigation. If we are forced into combat, use only defensive tactics while retreating. Get each of your stations ready, and inform the rest of the crew. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes, Boss!" came a resounding reply.
Magno went on, "Meia, Dita, and Jura, along with Hibiki, Jai, and Barnette, will come up with possible strategies utilizing all Dreads and any of the fusions, for any possible scenario we might come against. There will not be any time to practice, but at least we will have a plan. I don't want any scurrying about like headless rats when we're in a pinch, is that understood?"
"Yes, Boss!" the addressed Mejale pilots, plus Jai, saluted. Hibiki simply nodded.
Everyone had gone, in much more enthused spirits. When only the bridge crew remained, and the Nirvana steered towards their mission course, Magno slumped back into her seat. "B.C., I must be getting too old for all this."
The Sub-Commander was only slightly taken aback. "Nonsense. I concur with each of your instructions in that meeting, and how you took control of the situation was nothing less than masterful."
The other four bridge pirates assented. Celtic Midori even took the head off her teddy bear costume. "You're the best, Boss!"
"Even I couldn't have done a better job of unifying them earlier. That just shows how much they respect you, including the Tarak, and Jai as well," B.C. added.
Magno nodded gratefully. "You have my thanks. Let's just hope that it wouldn't be too much to pray for fortune to be on our side once more."
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A section of the ship's park temporarily served as the "strategy area", where the fighter pilots were currently in intense discussion during breakfast the next day.
"I'm telling you, when it comes to firepower, my fusion with Dita is the best. We just need you guys to group the enemies together for maximum destruction!" Hibiki asserted, waving his sandwich for emphasis.
Jura scoffed. "You're crazy if I'll do that. Our Swan-Shot is the strongest weapon, and it's you guys who should provide us cover when we use it."
Meia seemed to be deep in thought, but still interjected, "Stop quarreling, you two. Both can be used if the situation arises. Let's first look at the abilities of each fusion ship before drawing up possible scenarios."
"If I may," Jai offered, to which Meia nodded, "but before that, and I've been thinking about this since last night, could I suggest we call the fusion ships Vandreads? You know, since it is a combination of a Vanguard and Dread."
An almost awkward silence followed; Jai laughed sheepishly behind his cup of coffee. Dita then brightened the mood. "I like it! Sounds, I dunno, right. And easier than just 'fusion ship' all the time."
"Whatever, it doesn't matter to me," Barnette shrugged.
"Sounds cool," Hibiki simply said.
"Swan Vandread...or Vandread Swan...it slides off the tongue easier, and sounds sexier as well," Jura intoned, eyeing Jai temptingly, to Barnette's chagrin.
Meia said with finality, "So it is decided."
"Ahaha thanks, everyone. Now for each Vandread," Jai resumed, "Vandread Dita-Base is exceptional at information gathering and strategic purposes, but is relatively slow and lacks any direct combat abilities. The EMP pulse targets only one enemy at a time, and has a limited duration, making it difficult to utilize when engaging several squads at once."
"Vandread Swan is basically a cannon, meaning it excels in locking-on to distant targets and unleashing the massive Swan-Shot beam. It has comparatively more short-range offense than a standard Dread, but is also significantly slower than one. The main weapon also requires time and energy to set up."
"Vandread Raptor, Hibiki's fusion with Meia, has the fastest speed and maneuverability in our entire arsenal. It could easily take out smaller enemy units and is suited for front-line combat, but its own energy beam might not be as effective against larger ships. Armor could also be an issue, so it cannot sustain heavy damage."
"Vandread Crab is the most defensive-oriented; its powerful shields can withstand and absorb tremendous amounts of force and energy. This, however, drains a lot of power, and also requires the craft to be mostly stationary. Laser beams from the orbiting discs give it some weaponry."
He took a sip of coffee before continuing.
"Vandread Mecha, Hibiki's fusion with Dita, is an all-around offensive machine. Most of its armaments are either middle- or close-range, but the dual booster cannons serve as a powerful beam attack that can take out numerous enemies at once."
"Vandread Knight, my fusion with Meia, also seems to be an all-around humanoid vessel, but more geared towards a balance of close-range offense and defense compared to the Mecha. The shield is strong but cannot effectively protect from attacks much larger than the Vandread itself, and the piercing lance attack was able to down a mothership in a heartbeat, but also consumes a lot of power."
'Not to mention response time is drastically efficient thanks to moving at the speed of thought, as long as we're both in sync,' Jai and Meia said nothing, but shared a brief, knowing glance.
Barnette suggested, "Then, before the enemy arrives, wouldn't it be a good idea for the Dita-Base to be on the lookout? Aside from that, maybe you could also analyze the planet from the onset."
"That's an excellent idea, Barnette," Dita chimed in.
"But while the Dita-Base is active, we won't have access to the most powerful Vandreads, namely the Mecha, Knight, and Swan," Hibiki observed.
Meia voiced, "Should we need a fortified front, Vandread Crab would be vital to deploy."
Jura similarly retorted, "But again, we'd lack the long-range capabilities of the Swan and Mecha."
"Here's a thought," Jai interjected, "how fast can we combine and separate on the fly?"
Dita added after a bite of pancake, "And if our Vandread gets damaged, which of the two separate ships sustains it?"
Nobody could answer. These were variables none of them had been able to ascertain yet. And, as was mentioned by Magno the previous day, there would be no time to find out beforehand.
Hibiki clenched a fist in excitement. "Dunno about you all, but I'm getting pumped up for this!"
Barnette had a slightly irritated look on her face, "Just don't forget that we also have the most skilled Dread teams. And the Nirvana isn't without its own weapons as well."
Meia nodded, "Well said. We will also be counting on you all, Barnette."
"Yes, leader!" the other pirate replied proudly.
So it went throughout most of the day – scenarios were brainstormed, plans laid out, arguments erupted and settled. Parfet and even B.C. came around to share information and insight. Some of the pilots would join a surface taskforce to the planet, so adjustments were made for that as well.
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Jura, Dita, and Hibiki were sprawled out on random benches around the park, asleep by the end of their task. Barnette had returned to her room.
Meia was hunched over their "planning table", both palms idly pressed to her forehead.
Jai entered the park and approached, having come back from his room, CD player in tow. "Sit like that for long, and you'll develop poor posture," he playfully admonished.
"Don't start that," Meia replied, but stretched and sat up straighter afterwards. "I'm just tired...and admittedly worried about all of this."
Jai smiled and moved behind where she was sitting. "Just relax. May I?"
A little puzzled by his words, Meia was too weary to argue. "Mmhmm," she murmured, closing her eyes.
He placed the CD player on the bench beside her, pressed a few buttons on it, and slipped the earphones on her. Soon, the Andante cantabile movement of Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1 began to play.
Jai began by gently massaging her scalp, being careful not to mess up her hair too much. 'He did say something about being good at this,' she thought offhandedly.
As the music went on, he proceeded towards her forehead, and temples, eventually to the back of the head, then down to her neck and upper back. Practiced, dexterous hands kneaded and stretched muscles and soft tissue, finding sore spots and loosening knots she wasn't even aware of. The effect of it all was intensely relaxing, Meia found. So lost in the music and her languor, she wasn't aware of the small moans she made as Jai worked.
As the music ended, so did Jai's hands slow until they simply rested on her shoulders. It was a few seconds later that Meia mustered the will to awaken.
She tilted her head back and dreamily gazed up at Jai through half-lidded eyes. "Don't tell Gascogne, but your massage is so much better."
"You're welcome," he replied, collecting his music device. "Now off to your room, and get some rest. I'll be turning in as well after cleaning up here."
Meia hesitated for a moment. She had something she wanted to...request of him, or was it something she needed to let him know? But she couldn't distinguish what exactly it was, nor could she bring herself to do anything. It must have been the exhaustion. As Jai began arranging their notes and schematics, she instead softly said, "Yes...well, thank you," before slowly heading out towards her room.
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For his part, Jai could hear is heartbeat pounding in his ears despite outwardly maintaining a calm demeanor. It seemed like the longest eight minutes of his life; when he began the massage, an activity he had done countless times before, he didn't quite expect it to become so...
'I guess stirring would be the word,' he pondered, keeping himself busy and trying to clear his mind. Remembering the sounds Meia was making earlier was not helping.
Soon, everything was organized, and the whole place was quiet. 'Stirrings...' he mused again.
He knew what his feelings were, but it wasn't the time. 'Life-risking mission first. Then we could sort this out.'
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A/N: Did I make you all giddy there? Good news is that I have a pretty good idea of how to go about this "story arc". Bad news is that I'll be busier in the coming months. We'll see; I wanna try to push on through with this and maybe have another chapter or two out before long.