Vandread GA: The Second Stage
Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or anything that references other anime, manga, movies, video games, and comics; they all belong to their respective owners and creators including Gonzo. I do own the things I created; enough said.
Chapter 9: How not to have a surprise birthday party
June 9th 3818 AD; 8:30 am (0830 hours)
It had been nearly a month since the battle against the Selena and Helios Gundams and their Mejere task-force. After that battle, there were more battles against the Harvesters, but still despite all of that, humans were proving stronger than machines.
About a month after that battle, the remains of the two fallen Gundams were given to the 1st fleet of Terrain Prime though Arthur despite it being a sore idea, asked that the two pilots be given full honors and a burial at sea/space which was granted reluctantly.
Today Brian noticed that Meia seemed rather not want to talk about and when he inquired from other crew members, he learned it was Meia's birthday tomorrow making him wonder why she would hate it.
For him he could finally show Meia that he actually loved her, but in the past just recently, he had been shy about it along with the fact that he'd buried his feelings for Meia in the wake of the Second Gundam Raid and was now more comfortable with developing his feelings for the Dread leader.
Currently, he was searching for Meia so he could hopefully spend more time with Meia when he wandered into the café and saw Dita with Paiway and Amarone planning something and decided to ask.
"What's going on here?" Brian asked.
Meanwhile on the other hand, Meia was walking along the ship's corridors when she ran into two of the bridge bunnies of the Nirvana who were Belvedere and Celtic the latter wearing a Chinese-type outfit.
"Oh! Good morning Meia…" Celtic said nervously.
Meia just passed the two while Belvedere hid a bag behind her back while Meia continued her way while more female crew members that saw Meia instantly pretended to do something else as they all spoke at the same time.
"Oh hello Meia..."
"Nice to see you Meia-sama."
"Not now! She's coming!"
Meia then heard shuffling and upon stopping, she checked her clock on her wrist and saw that tomorrow was her birthday which didn't surprise her. Inside the café, several of the crew including Brian was trying to plan Meia's birthday without her running off like several times before Arthur, Brian, and Bella came along.
"But she will find out if we do that! We can't have her running away!" Celtic shouted.
"Well, we typically do the same thing every year." Amarone said.
Brian then spoke, "That's the main problem right there. For using the same tactic always ends up with Meia running away. Changing the plan will work so Meia stays put because you ladies aren't the only ones who want that to happen."
Just then, the door opened to the cafe and Meia came in which freaked out everyone except for Brian as he looked at her warmly though Dita made it vocally about Meia's presence.
"Oh! Leader!"
Everyone, but Brian scrambled to pretended not to do anything while Brian himself on the other hand acted like his mind was on something else like working on his Gundam.
"What's going on?" Meia asked.
"Oh, nothing Meia…" Paiway said nervously.
Meia just shrugged and went to get a cup of coffee when seconds later, Barnette wearing an apron over most of her outfit with a mixing bowl and whisk in hand came into the café. What she wore would've gotten good number of men not from Tarak howling like mad over her sexiness as she while she wore panties, Barnette wasn't wearing a bra under her apron as she didn't see Meia in the room when she came in.
Barnette then spoke, "Hey now, if you're going to put anything in the cake I'm making tell me now or if you tell me later…"
Then, Barnette stopped talking and saw Dita, Amarone, Paiway, Belvedere, and Celtic acting crazy while Brian gestured to look at where he was pointing at that which upon looking, she saw Meia herself. Naturally she freaked out a bit.
"Oh uh…. Meia! What a pleasant surprise because I didn't know that you'd be here!" Barnette said while laughing nervously.
Barnette then spoke again, "You just love to lounge around here sometimes you know that? Oh, cooking is so much fun heh, heh."
Seconds later, Barnette quickly turned around and walked back into the kitchen breathing a sigh of relief as for some reason, she ended up imagining Lockheed instead of Meia being in the kitchen when she came out in her current attire.
Her fantasy didn't stop there as she soon found herself imagining Lockheed walking up to her and making out with her before she snapped herself back to reality as she spoke to herself.
"What was that all about? And what's wrong with me? Why do I keep thinking about that man? He's very strict and by the-book, but why do I have a thing for him? I've only met him once in person and talked to him during meetings with our ship and his fleet…I must ask the boss about this as I'm a lesbian, but am I become bisexual?"
On the other hand, Meia just said nothing as she got her cup of coffee and sat down at an empty table. Just then, everyone except for Brian had the "Impulse" to head to the bridge.
"Oh no! I need to return to the bridge!" Amarone shouted.
Celtic and Belvedere both quickly followed suit after Amarone before Dita followed as well while speaking rather quickly after the three bridge crew members or bridge bunnies left the café.
"Um, Dita needs to head to the bridge as well!"
"Why do you need to head to the bridge as well Dita?" Paiway asked as she followed behind.
"I don't know, but I have to go Paiway!" Dita shouted.
Just then, Misty appeared near Meia and spoke, "What's up with them?"
"Oh, nothing important Misty." Brian said while sitting across from Meia.
Meia had a bit of a blush as she remembered the one incident which Brian accidentally saw her and Jura naked by him and Arthur not long after that battle with the Helios and Selena Gundams.
Flash Back
May 15th 3818 AD; 7:30 AM
Arthur was busy taking a stroll through the Nirvana after his workout. For him, things were getting interesting especially now that Brian and Meia now know that they are in love. Seconds later, Brian appeared and joined him on their morning stroll as Arthur decided to give everyone in the Starfires the day off today.
As they walked, they heard humming and decided to find out where it was coming from. They followed the sound and found it came from the washroom of the men because the women's washroom had been cleaned and wouldn't be ready for use until later today.
Unfortunately, curiosity got the better of the two and upon opening the door; they found Meia and Jura both buck naked with only a towel covering their front sides leaving their asses exposed.
Both stared at each other while Jura and Arthur looked and just nodded while Meia on the other hand well…she screamed at the two men and started to throw stuff at them calling them perverts while the guys ran with both apologizing in the process.
"Well, that was awkward and stupid of us." Arthur said.
"Yeah, but they're hot including your girlfriend Arty…" Brian said.
"Shut up Brian…" Arthur said.
Flash back end
Misty looked at the potential couple before her and spoke again while holding a tray of her own with a very curious look on her face as everyone else went about their day.
"Everyone is surely acting all strange lately. I wonder what just happened."
"Tomorrow is my birthday Misty…" Meia said bitterly.
"Oh? Could it be a surprise party Meia!? But, um you don't seem so happy about it big sister though big brother Brian is on the other hand…" Misty said.
"I'm not big on large gatherings, especially when they make me the big reason for holding one. I can only think of it as annoying." Meia said with a glare.
Misty just laughed a bit while Brian decided to plant a quick kiss on Meia's right check causing her to blush brightly which Misty giggled which prompted Meia to ask what was up with it.
"Wha-What is it?"
"Oh, that stoic atmosphere about you is so wonderful and you're so cute when you have a blushing, yet angry face big sister. Not to mention you're troubled faced is fantastic! Won't be long before you two do the Bow Chicka Bow Wow!" Misty shouted.
While Meia blushed a huge embarrassment storm, outside of the café, Paiway and Dita stood nearby listening in on the conversation which Dita muttered quietly with Paiway near her.
"I wonder if Meia found out?"
"Found out about what?"
Dita and Paiway turned around saw the voice was from Hibiki as he walked up to them. Quickly, the female pair shushed Hibiki so he wouldn't talk any louder than he already was as Dita quickly motioned Hibiki to her and then spoke up.
"We're planning a surprise birthday party for Meia."
"Yeah, we'll give her a big surprise together-kero!" Paiway shouted.
Hibiki smiled and spoke, "You mean like with the hamburgers? Not a half-bad idea if I get to eat something good."
"But, she's not all that happy even though it's her own birthday!" Dita shouted.
Paiway agreed and spoke up, "She always runs away every single year!"
"Well, she's dark and gloomy like that, but surprising her like that isn't a bad idea. Okay then! I'll give you a hand as well!" Hibiki shouted with a smile.
"That's great!" Dita and Paiway said together.
Hibiki then sat down and spoke, "We've got to land the first strike, what happened last year?"
In another part of the ship, Meia arrived in the Hanger bay intending on running away from the surprise party that she knew was planned after asking Brian to teach Misty some close-quarter fighting moves.
Last time she almost succeeded, but Brian and his teammates Arthur and Bella at the time were able to recapture her Dread before she got too far. Once they got back, Bella pried open the cockpit and with Brian and Arthur's help, dragged her to her party with her fighting all the way.
This time however, she hoped that with Bella now gone, Brian teaching Misty some fighting moves, and Arthur teaching Jura how to use a gun and other pilot training skills she could succeeded this time.
She then saw her Dread in its Dread mode being serviced on the special platform which was originally built for her Dread, Dita's Dread, and Jura's Dread which after the three machines had Gundam modes added, had to be modified so it could also serve as a repair station as well.
Meia saw Parfet on her unit and shouted, "Parfet! What are you doing up there? I don't recall a very large maintenance job occurring!"
"Sorry Meia! It just came up so suddenly! Don't worry for I'll have it finished up in a day quickly as it's just a few things here and there!" Parfet shouted.
Meia tried to argue back, but then decided not to argue with the spunky engineer as she was a nice gal pal of the Nirvana as she then left the Hanger bay which after she left, Parfet contacted Dita.
"This is Hanger bay here, I've stopped Meia from running away on her machine!"
"Thanks a lot Parfet!" Dita shouted.
Parfet muttered to herself one thing after hanging up after helping with preventing Meia from running away from her birthday party this year.
"I can't keep this up charade up because this can't be good for my nerves."
On the other hand, Dita relayed the news quickly to Paiway and Hibiki to ensure that Meia had no means of escaping her birthday party including using her Dread/Gundam.
"First stage is cleared now."
"Don't let your guard down just yet, next up is…." Hibiki spoke, but was interrupted by someone.
"Well now this is a rare sight, men and women having a secret conference with their faces together." Duero said.
The three looked at each other before Hibiki spoke up, "Hey now! D-Don't get any ideas or say strange stuff like that! There's a reason for this! A reason doc!"
"A reason? What is exactly that?" Duero asked.
Meanwhile on the other hand, Meia was walking throughout the ship having had her attempt to runaway be thwarted. Turning the corner, she spotted Jura in her usual garb outside of the Planning room for the Dreads and Vanguards.
"Jura? What are you doing here?" Meia asked.
"Oh, they won't let me in. they said they were working on new formations and that I wasn't allowed in. They told me that they rather work on them alone without me." Jura said.
"How troublesome because I hoped that we could work on the plans for the new mech." Meia said.
Jura looked at Meia and spoke, "Do you want me to contact you when it's available?"
"No thanks, it's okay Jura." Meia said.
Meia then left the area in which Jura quickly contacted Dita with a bit of an annoyed expression on her face as she made it clear to the red-head girl that she wasn't liking this a bit.
"This is the Planning room! I'm not doing this again hopefully so, be thankful!"
"Thanks Jura! You're the best!" Dita said.
After she hung up, Jura then told Arthur to come out of the Planning room which he spoke while clad in his new pilot suit that was made for the post-Lighting Commando augmentations.
"Well now, least it's starting to look better than last year hopefully as I'm not in the mood to be hit in the balls by Meia again."
Jura couldn't help, but laugh at the comment as it remaindered her one thing; she was a biological female with internal plumbing and not a biological male with outdoor plumbing.
In the Medical bay on the other hand, Dita, Hibiki, Duero, and Paiway were now carefully plotting the next part for Meia's party when Hibiki spoke up to everyone present.
"I wonder how will she will move now."
Dita then spoke, "Mostly likely to the boss or the sub-commander."
"That's not good." Hibiki said.
"If the boss or Magno complains about it, then it's all over-kero!" Paiway said.
Duero looked at the group and spoke, "Then the only logical choice we have is to decide on Meia's actions from here with Brian or Arthur's help."
"What are we doing?" Dita asked rhetorically.
The group was pondering trying to come up with an idea when they heard Pyoro entertaining baby Miranda nicknamed Kahlua by Ezra as the machine sang in a singing tune.
"Pyoro 2 is cu-u-ute…."
Pyoro then heard the curtain drawing behind him and when he turned around, he wished he didn't as Hibiki, Dita, Paiway, and Duero had something up their sleeves, which he spoke up.
"W-w-what-pyoro is this bad feeling I'm getting?"
On the bridge, Ezra was talking to Dita about the plan they had to distract Meia long enough, so they could organize a surprise birthday and was asking a few things as she spoke up.
"You want Meia-chan to babysit my little baby? And you want Brian to help as well?"
"Yes! Just temporary because we're planning the surprise party for Meia!" Dita said.
"I'm fine with that but, what will Pyoro-chan say?" Ezra asked.
Dita replied quickly, "D-Don't worry Ezra-chan! We've already talked to Pyoro-chan about it!"
"You haven't talked to me about it at all!" Pyoro shouted while behind Dita.
The Navi-robot then got tackled by Hibiki and Paiway so the negotiations could proceed quickly, which Ezra replied to Dita despite the chaos in the Medical bay which was keeping the Navi-robot quiet.
"Well now, she can't just be constantly around Pyoro-chan. Okay then, I'll leave it up to Meia-chan and Brian if he can as well."
"Thank you Ezra!" Dita shouted.
Buzam standing near Ezra decided to speak to her about something regarding her parenting skills as of late and made it clear vocally to the soft-spoken bridge operator.
"Ezra, it may not be my place or anything, but hasn't Pyoro been taking care of your baby constantly recently?"
"Well, he always volunteers for it, so I allow him." Ezra said.
"Ezra, I won't give my disapproval, but are you really sure about it?" Buzam asked.
Ezra didn't say anything before she spoke "Well um, sometimes I wonder how I should treat her BC."
While Buzam was a little confused on what Ezra just said, Meia on the other hand had just stepped off an elevator in another part of the ship just as Brian arrived on the scene after finishing his sparing lessons he was giving to Misty. They then saw Dita, Paiway, and Hibiki standing around about something
"Oh no, oh no, what will we all do now?" Paiway asked.
Dita turned and saw Meia which she spoke up, "Oh Meia, where are you heading?"
"Oh, just heading to meet with our boss Magno." Meia said.
"For me, I just got done teaching Misty a few lessons in close-quarters fighting so, what's up?" Brian asked.
The trio hesitated a bit much to both Brian and Meia's confusion before Dita spoke in fake sad tone to draw them in further into their little plan they cooked up for the couple before them.
"Oh no, what will we all do?"
"What is going on?" Meia asked.
"Everyone's busy and we don't know what we should do!" Dita said.
"Oh, wait Meia; are you looking for something to do aside from training with Brian-kun? That's great then!" Paiway shouted.
Brian watching the whole mess unfold before him on the other hand had a sneaky suspicion that they were going to do something with him and Meia which grew as Dita spoke to them.
"Oh yeah, our Dread Leader Meia was there all along! Why didn't we realize this sooner?"
"What is all this about?" Meia and Brian asked together.
Hibiki looked away and shouted, "Hey, come on out now!"
Dita and Hibiki moved aside to show Pyoro holding baby Miranda with the Navi-robot very reluctant to hand over the baby which prompted Meia to ask out loud. Brian standing near Meia was just as confused as her.
"Wha-what's going on?"
Next thing Meia quickly saw was that Dita took the baby from Pyoro and handed the baby to her while Brian looked on in complete and total confusion which he then saw Pyoro arguing with Dita.
"No Dita! Not so violent! What's with the way you hold her? You're going to hurt her!"
"We couldn't find anyone or any group to babysit Miranda-chan and we were so worried, but it's all okay now! Everybody can now do their jobs!" Dita shouted while doing it over Pyoro's shouts.
"I'll never forget this." Pyoro said bitterly.
"Wait a second, I'm sure there are more people better suited than Brian or me for this!" Meia shouted.
Before the couple could say more, Hibiki then seconds later held out a bag that contained the necessary things for taking care of Ezra's baby girl while speaking to the couple in a mocking fashion.
"Oh? Both you and that Marine pilot keep saying that either one of you can handle anything, but both of you are troubled or bothered by looking after a baby?"
"Just you wait! I'll get back to everyone quickly for this! What are either one of you are going to do if something happens-pyoro! Oh no Pyoro-2!" Pyoro shouted while being behind Hibiki.
"But Hibiki!" Meia shouted.
As if the shouting was the cause, the baby began to cry which both Meia and Brian though it was the because of one of them did something to the baby to make her cry while Dita spoke one last thing.
"Okay then! We'll everything to you Meia-chan and Brian-kun can help too!"
"Smell ya'll both later!" Hibiki shouted.
Dita, Hibiki, and Paiway then left dragging Pyoro with them while the Navi-robot shouted the baby's false name while both Meia and Brian looked on. While Brian was trying to wrap his mind around this as to him, it was more than what he agreed to and looked like the deal was altered for him which he shouldn't pray it'd be altered more.
"They got me good along with you Brian." Meia said.
Brian just merely looked at Meia and replied, "I'm so not kissing the bride right now as much as I would love to do that to you Meia which is you, but no I rather wait until I propose to you. Ooops! Scratch that last thing I just said!"
"What!?" Meia asked just as the baby stopped crying.
"I meant to say that this is not a very logical situation either one of us wants to be in now!" Brian said with a rising blush on his face.
While Brian was mentally grumbling to himself on how accidentally spoke of his feelings to Meia, Buzam on the other hand going to have a private talk with Ezra in a separate Conference room which was a normal one compared to the one that allowed Magno easy accesses due to her age. It was also the same one that the captains of the 1st fleet of Terrain Prime meet in due to it having more seats than the usual one.
The door alarm chimed and Buzam replied, "Come in."
Ezra appeared and spoke, "U-umm….did….I…..um…do something wrong?"
"No Ezra, I was just concerned about the conversation we had over the child earlier today. Please have a seat Ezra." Buzam said.
Ezra did what Buzam asked and spoke up, "Um, did my baby girl do something wrong?"
"I have no experience with this myself, so I can't tell you what's right or what's wrong. What I do think is that the most important thing for a child is her parents." Buzam said softly.
Ezra was a bit surprised but let Buzam continue talking to her about the wellbeing of her daughter Miranda as the second in command of the Nirvana continued with her lecture.
"What people really need while growing up isn't a manual. The bonds between parents and child only form after their thoughts merge into one. Isn't that right Ezra?"
"But I'm worried BC, what if she becomes a bad child because I raised her wrong? I'm constantly worried, but I just couldn't talk to anyone. When we get back to Mejere and I show her to her Ohma Rebecca, what if she doesn't like her because of my way of upbringing." Ezra said.
The gentle bridge operator then gently clutched a medium-sized piece of cloth she had on her tightly before she cried a bit before Buzam continued to speak to her in a gentle voice.
"Ezra, there's no need to bear it all on your shoulders alone. That child isn't yours alone Ezra. Isn't your baby girl the first child born on this ship? She's our entire child or to put into better terms, we're all a bunch of mothers and fathers to her. If you're troubled by her upbringing, just ask someone for help or advice. "
Ezra looked up and felt better while in Meia's room, Meia just sat on her bed looking at the sleeping baby while Brian was reading a book called "Parenting: For Dummies" nearby.
Meia signed a bit before looking at the picture of her parents and her when she was younger thought part of the picture was torn off and put back together. Her Ohma had medium red hair with turquoise eyes dressed in somewhat military uniform. Her Fama on the other hand had purple hair and gentle blue-green eyes and dressed in a housewife attire of purple and white.
She had seen the picture of Brian's parents once when she peered into the cockpit of his Gundam which her train of thoughts was interrupted by baby crying which prompted Brian to put the book he was reading down and look.
"Oh no, what can I do to make her stop crying?" Meia asked.
"I could teach you that one song my mom used to sing to me as a baby." Brian said.
Meia just said nothing as she put on the rest of her flight suit she typically wore and after grabbing the baby, she left with Brian following behind her closely. For several minutes, the baby kept crying which Brian admitted that the kid had some strong lungs.
Brian followed Meia to see if he could try and help Meia because the baby could be crying for three reasons; hunger, diaper needed to be changed, or needs the comfort and security of its caregiver. The duo with the baby passed near a corridor which a lone crew member cursed at Meia and Brian's timing as she spoke to herself.
"Damn, not now, Meia's coming along with that dragon pilot."
The couple then continued walking in the area which above them in the ceiling that was being worked on or rather it was being used as a viewing spot for some reason, another crew member spoke up.
"This is the Pipe-Division here. Meia is currently passing through the area along with that male."
Just then, a group of crew members heard Meia and Brian coming along with baby Miranda crying her lungs out and one of them spoke up rather quickly.
"She's coming this way with one of the men in tow! Everyone hide!"
After everyone hid, the male-female duo passed through the area and stopped with Meia talking to the baby even though the newborn couldn't talk back to her about what she needed.
"What is it that you're unhappy about? But she's not going to answer."
Brian spoke up before they left the area, "She could be hungry I mean, we do have the baby bottle and formula back in your room or she could need a diaper change or needs some love and affection."
Nearby after they left, Pyoro clawed his left fingers/claws on a wall while saying Pyoro-2 before Hibiki grabbed him and spoke sternly to the Navi-robot while glaring at him.
"Shut up! If either one of them hears you, they'll come this way!"
Just then, the ship began to shake which meant that the party was on hold for now as everyone had to scramble to their battle stations quickly including Jura and Arthur who had just finished practicing sword fighting.
In the bridge, Magno quickly asked, "What is it?"
"It's the Harvesters captain, they were hiding in the gas cloud nearby!" Belvedere shouted.
"They're in attack formation captain! And they've surrounded us as to prevent us from escaping!" Amarone shouted a second later.
Buzam then arrived with Ezra which she started to give orders as soon as Ezra got to her station seconds after the other two bridge bunnies spoke of the sudden attack.
"All hands to your battle stations! Emergency team to the bridge!"
In another part of the ship, Meia was running while holding baby Miranda while Brian was following closely behind. Brian cursed at the timing of the attack as baby sitting and fighting were something he wasn't planning on having both happen at once today.
"Damn, not at a time like this!" Meia shouted while voicing the same thought as Brian.
Then the ship rocked from a hit which caused Meia to lose her balance which prompted Brian to grab her to help keep her balance when Meia's left elbow hit a panel which then the two with the baby held by them protectively fell into an escape pod from the days of when the Nirvana was the Ikazuchi during the colonization Era which launched immediately in the middle of the battle.
"This day can't get any worse than this right?" Brian asked sarcastically.
Meanwhile, Buzam noticed with worry that the Dreads were not launching while the Vanguards were about to launch as well which Buzam asked very quickly as to what was the problem.
"Why haven't the Dread teams launched yet?"
Jura contacted the bridge and spoke, "This is Jura. Meia still hasn't arrived yet along with Brian."
While everyone was trying to figure out where the heck the Marine Gundam pilot and the Dread Leader pilot were at, the enemy forces continued their attack which annoyed Bart who replied angrily.
"Just you wait you bastards….and taste Hell!"
Bart then fired the ship's missiles and guns obliterating most of the enemy attack force except for one that looked like a cross between a sea serpent and a dragon that vanished avoiding any shots.
"You're not a ghost! Stay where you're at! Make up you mind if you're going to be in one spot or not!" Bart shouted while being very annoyed.
He then mockingly apologized after getting hit while in the Hanger bay, everyone was wondering where Meia and Brian where at as both were needed as one Dread pilot spoke up.
"Where's Meia and Brian?!"
"Dread teams, Vanguard teams, the ship is getting pounded where are you folks?" Amarone asked.
Seconds later, Jura after hopping into the cockpit of her unit with her new pilot suit spoke up quickly as the battle raged outside of the ship as she quickly powered up her unit.
"Jura will lead the Dread teams while Arthur will command the Vanguards that Brian normally commands. All Dread and Vanguard leaders transmit your information to me."
Dita worried about Meia when Jura talked to her, "If you're worried just take of the Harvester enemies quickly."
"Okay then." Dita said.
While everyone launched to deal with the Harvesters, in the escape pod away from the battlefield, Meia was trying to figure out how to work the pod while Brian held the baby Miranda trying to keep the baby from panicking.
"Damn, Distress Marker is disabled. The communications system is working either….perfect." Meia said bitterly.
After looking at the screen in front of her, Meia spoke again softly and bitterly as Brian looked around throughly to see if anything in the escape pod could be used to help them.
"Of all of the worst luck here, I end up with Brian and Ezra's baby in a pod that was supposed to be cut up for scrap."
"That doesn't mean we should give up yet, keep trying." Brian said while rocking baby Miranda gently in his arms.
After looking at the baby, Meia agreed and spoke, "How innocent, I mean the baby that is. Who knows what Pyoro will say to either one of us later if we make it out with the baby."
Nearby, the fight was raging on which was a bit of a standstill has any attempt to hit they mysterious Harvester ship was either blocked by other Harvester units or the unit itself vanishing before anyone could hit it.
"Jura, I can't hit it! That thing moves too fast and vanishes too quickly!" Dita shouted.
"Calm down Dita. They may look like it, but in the end they're just pre-programmed machines. Just analyze their attack patterns and defenses and then predict their next move. Jura said.
"Hey, what's going on Jura?" Barnette said while flying the Dreki near Jura.
Jura was a bit surprised as Barnette spoke to her again, "You're so much more dependable today than the last time you took command of the Dreads."
"Hey now! Jura can be dependable at certain times too Barnette! I just felt that if I didn't do it, then something like what happened to Gasco would happen again and I wanted to show that I've improved on my leadership skills since that battle in that asteroid field." Jura said.
Barnette nodded and replied, "Yeah, now is the time all of us need to work together. Let's roll Jura!"
Both females then shot forward with Arthur and few Vanguard squads escorting them from enemy fire while Hibiki watched nearby and decided to go out and give them a hand.
"Now then, we can't let them take all of the glory now can we?" Hibiki asked.
Dita flew near him and spoke, "Yes Mr. Alien!"
Nodding, Hibiki then spoke to Dita again, "Let's go now!"
"Okay then!" Dita shouted.
The two units flew close together and formed Vandread Dita once more. On the ship's bridge, everyone was still looking for Meia, Brian, and Ezra's baby and had just now turned up empty.
"There's no sign of Meia-sama, Brian, or baby Miranda anywhere on or within this ship…" Misty said.
Buzam tensed up as Celtic got her attention, "Commander! One of the escape pods is missing!"
"Wh-what? Are sure Celtic?" Ezra asked.
Buzam didn't waste a second and spoke to Ezra, "Ezra, I want you to make your way to the radar room, work with Pyoro to find the missing escape pod. I'm most certain that it's the one which Meia, Brian, and your baby are in."
"Okay Sub-commander." Ezra said softly.
Misty then got up and spoke, "I'm coming with as well. Don't worry Ezra, it'll be alright, big sister is with your baby along with Brian the Marine Gundam pilot."
Outside on the battlefield, Vandread Dita had formed and tired taking out the Harvester ship or attack fighter when it used its cloaking device to dodged the shot much to the frustration of Hibiki.
"It dodged!" Dita shouted.
"Damnit! Hold still!" Hibiki shouted seconds later.
The Harvester ship continued its cowardly in Hibiki's mind or rather its quick hit-and-run attacks on Vandread Dita frustrating both of the pilots when Dita spoke again quickly.
"Where is it coming from?"
Just then a squad of four improved Harvester Cube Fighters were about to attack Vandread Dita when Jura and several others helped them out of their problem as Jura sliced them up in her unit's Gundam mode, so they could concentrate on the main Harvester unit itself.
"We're leaving the big, ugly one to you Hibiki and Dita, take care of it okay?" Jura said.
"Okay then!" Hibiki said.
While the fight kept raging on, Meia on the other hand with Brian's help was trying to figure out how to work the pod while avoid dying at the same time. It was easier said than done due to the pod's age.
"Trying to sooth the pod only makes it more irritated and temperamental…which is almost like a baby," muttered Meia.
Seconds later, Ezra's baby or rather baby Miranda then cried almost like as if she hurt it by accident which prompted Meia to speak up softly and quickly as Brian glared at Meia for the comment.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to insult you."
Brian then spoke, "Nice one Captain Dumbass, you should say nicer things to the baby and you should hold the baby because I did it last time in this pod."
"And you should not swear in front of the baby ya moron. I said I was sorry okay!" Meia shouted softly.
"Meia…." Brian said softly.
Meia then spoke, "What is it now?"
"Why do you hate your birthday so much?" Brian asked.
Meia was surprised that Brian would ask that question in times like this as after a few moments of debating internally, Meia sighed and finally gave an answer as she then spoke to Brian.
"The main reason I hate my birthday is because the tragedy that took my parents…happened on my birthday years ago. That is why whenever someone tries to make a big deal out of it, I hate it because it reminds me too much of how it all went to from joy to despair that day. I try to put it out of my mind, but I just can't…"
Just then, a warning sound quickly got their attention which Meia spoke while Brian held the baby in his arms trying to keep the little tyke calm and realxed while he also saw the warning as well at the same time Meia did.
"What now!?"
Back outside, the fight between the Harvesters and the heroes of the Nirvana continued as Barnette contacted Dita after clearing an explosion from destroying some Harvester forces and spoke quickly.
"We're done here. Dita, how are things going on your end?"
For Dita, she only screamed as the Harvester enemy was being tricky to hit as it kept appearing and reappearing like crazy. Hibiki cursed at this while nearby, Arthur was observing it and noticed a pattern; whenever someone tried to shoot at it, it would vanish as if it was predicting it almost like a guerrilla fighter so he decided to use an Art of War technique: All Warfare is based on deception.
Dita then shouted, "Mr. Alien! Above us!"
Vandread Dita tried again to hit the enemy, but dodged it much to Hibiki's growing frustration while unknown to him and Dita, Arthur was trying to sneak up on it and when the Harvester unit went in for another strike, Arthur then directed the Archangel Fujin Gundam to cling onto the enemy fighter using its beam/plasma sabers which the enemy unit began to try to shake him off.
At the same time Hibiki spoke up, "That does it! I've had it!"
Hibiki then let go of the controls of Vandread Dita making the mech stop moving which the Harvester attack fighter took advantage off, but not fully due to Arthur clinging on it.
"What are those two doing!?" Barnette asked nearby.
In the cockpit of Vandread Dita, Dita herself worried at what the plans of the two pilots including her Mr. Alien were about anyway. Hibiki just continued to sit where he was while at the same time, Arthur was trying to slow the Harvester attack fighter down, so it could be destroyed which gave Hibiki an idea.
In the Radar room of the Nirvana on the other hand, Misty was trying to find the escape pod that had Meia, Brian, and baby Miranda in it while Ezra helped and Buzam stood near her.
"Come on, come on! Where are you my precious baby girl?!" Ezra shouted.
Pyoro just muttered Pyoro 2 while Misty spoke, "The problem Ezra is that the gas cloud is creating interference so great that we can't locate a pod that small."
"There is a lot of junk in this universe, but there is only one Pyoro-2!" Pyoro shouted.
Ezra on the other hand ignored Pyoro and spoke as she worked, "Oh dear Lord, please save my baby girl! I'll never be so decisive ever again!"
Misty on the other hand while standing nearby just looked at Ezra in sympathy and looked outwards to the stars towards space and the battle raging outside and spoke softly to herself.
"Big sister, Brian. Where are you two?"
Inside the escape pod, Meia and Brian had managed to calm down the baby and decided to sleep which both got subjected to flashbacks to their respective pasts. While Meia started to remember parts of her past, Brian was in the same boat as well.
Brian's flashback 1 Start
A young Brian around four years of age was sitting on a bathroom toilet crying as his mom pulled another bee sting out of him. When his mom was finished treating his bee stings which were about five, she knelt before her son before hugging him. She had beautiful black hair, navy blue eyes, and wore a green summer sundress.
"Brian my son, don't cry because I'm here…" Miranda said softly.
"Why do those stings hurt? Why did they attack me? I was only getting my toy plane and got attacked anyway…" Brian said.
Miranda held her son and spoke to him, "Brian honey, creatures don't see certain things and don't always think, they act on instinct. You're fine Brian; you don't have allergies to bee, wasp, hornet, or other insect stings because you're my perfect son to me. I couldn't have asked for a better son which the same could be said about your dad as well."
Brian's flashback 1 End
Brian remembered that his mom told him that he was special in her and his dad's own unique ways while Meia remembered her Fama at the same time Brian did as both reflected on the past.
Meia's flashback 1 Start
Meia as a young girl was sitting and crying in a part of her old home back on Mejere years before the accident that took place before she heard her Fama speak to her as the young girl cried while her Fama stood nearby.
"Meia sweetie, you Ohma didn't yell at you because she doesn't like you. She just wants, you to understand and I assure you that she loves you just as I love you as well."
Meia's flashback 1 End
Brian woke up and saw Meia holding the baby which made him smile and realize at that moment how even his dad despite his stasis as the Interior Minister of Terrain Prime that he'd always remember what made him strong; his will.
Brian's flashback 2 Start
Brian now fourteen was chatting with his dad before he left to check on a nature preserve on one of Terrain Prime's contents. His dad had hazel eyes, silver hair, and wore a dark green suit.
"Remember to do your homework son and stay out of trouble please because I can't always be there for you." Xavier De Gras said.
Brian just rolled his eyes and sarcastically said yeah to him which prompted his dad gently grab his son, so he could make him look at him in the eye before he spoke to him in a soft, but firm voice.
"One day, you'll meet a nice and wonderful woman, have a good job, a nice home, and a family which when you have all of that, you'll mature and rise to the occasion. Also, I give a damn about you and your mom because the reason I married here is because I love her like how I love you my son don't forget that even with my big job."
"Okay dad." Brian said.
Brian's flashback 2 End
While Brian stayed by Meia's side while looking for away for them all to be saved, Meia slept while holding baby Miranda and remembered a few things from her Fama and Ohma growing up before her life went straight to Hell.
Meia's flashback 2 Start
Meia got home from her school one day and saw her Ohma working outside their home before she paused from her work as Meia then heard her Ohma speak up once she got close enough to her.
"Hard work for this and we may not live to see our beloved planet Mejere filled with greenness, but I won't give up. Meia my dear, for you will be the one who will take over this planet from us along with future generations of Mejere to a great age of endless possibilities."
Meia's flashback 2 End
At the same time Meia's second flashback ended, Brian then remembered the last time he saw his parents alive before the Valentine Colony was destroyed and he became an orphan.
Brian's flashback 3 Start
At the spaceport at the Neo Paris colony, Brian was seeing his parents off while he stayed behind and studied for an entrance exam for one of the officer training courses of Terrain Prime's Self-Defense Forces. The Terrain Prime-Mejere War had gone on for a year and still no end in sight.
Brian wanted to do his part and with a lot of talking, he could go into the armed forces of the country to help to see if he could help end the war as he saw the gender war as one that needed to be ended quickly and hoped he could bring it to a close.
"We'll see you in a week Brian and study hard, but not too hard and enjoy having our home to yourself, but no parties okay." Xavier De Gras said as he was dressed in a brown business suit.
"But what about the safety of both of you? The war is still going on and I'm afraid both of you will be caught in the cross-fire." Brian said.
Miranda De Gras wearing a formal gray white suit looked at her son and spoke to him, "Don't you worry about us my boy. We will be safe and we'll find a way to end it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you were among those to end it but remember this; no matter what even if we can no longer be there physically for you, we'll always be close by you, always."
Brian smiled and the family took a photo together. A week later, the Valentine Colony Tragedy happened, and Brian became an orphan as a result as then, he became cynical for a period.
Brian's flashback 3 End
Brian pulled out the picture of his parents he kept in his uniform jacket and whatever piece of clothing he had and remembered that after he enlisted in the Terrain Prime Self-Defense Marine Corps, he was driven to avenge them, but one drill instructor who looked like Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket snapped him back into shape almost like his parents were there themselves.
Then, Meia before she awoke remembered one last thing in a series of pictures and her being with her parents in one of their calm, quiet family moments. This was a moment Meia would typically remember how her life was in the good, old happy days of her previous life.
Meia's flashback 3/relapse Start
"Meia, we were love a great deal by your mother's mothers. So when you were born, I made a promise with your Ohma, that we'd give you all the love that our mothers have given us until now. Meia, don't ever forget no matter how far away we may be, we're always watching over you." Meia's Fama said.
Meia's flashback 3/relapse End
Meia woke up and saw that she still held Ezra's baby which was sleeping quietly in her arms while Brian on the other hand helped her be properly seated which did make her blush a bit which a thought crossed into her mind.
"Now I finally understand now. How precious I was to my parents, now it's my turn. My turn to give the next generation the love that my mother's gave me…" Meia thought mentally.
Just then warning alarms sounded which showed that the oxygen levels were dropping which prompted Meia to open a locker and put baby Miranda in it so she'd survive while Brian on the other hand tried to see if he could save everyone.
Meia hugged the suited up baby Miranda and spoke, "Neither, Brian nor I will let you die!"
After seeing the oxygen levels were getting low and was reassured that Ezra's baby would be safe, Brian reached for his pistol which prompted Meia to ask with a worried voice.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping to save the baby by saving oxygen Meia, I'm doing what needs to be done to save her." Brian said.
He turned the safety off and was about to shoot himself in the head when Meia stopped him from killing himself. She then kissed him on the lips with tears flowing from her eyes while Ezra's baby Miranda just looked on in confusion at the scene.
"Wha….What?" Brian asked.
"If we die, I at least want you to hear this...I…lo...oh for crying out loud! I love you Brian!" Meia shouted.
Outside, Vandread Dita kept getting hit while the Archangel Fujin Gundam kept clinging on the enemy Harvester attack fighter, but barely which Jura asked all three one question very loudly with a WTF expression to complete it.
"What the hell are you all doing!? Are all of you trying to kill yourselves!?"
"If we were, we'd already be dead by now!" Dita shouted.
"I'll be fine blondie! Just you wait! We will win!" Arthur shouted seconds later.
Dita saw Hibiki still didn't move while the enemy Harvester attack fighter kept attacking while Arthur was starting to lose his grip on the machine along with his lunch while everyone else watched on while fighting the Harvesters including those on the bridge.
"Is this some sort of plan by those young kids?" Magno asked.
It was then that the Harvester attack fighter prepared to finish off Vandread Dita which Jura cried out Dita and Arthur's name at the same time the Archangel Fujin let go which a second later, Vandread Dita caught it which when Arthur looked, it was huge compared to his Gundam and Vandread Dita.
"If you can't push, you pull!" Hibiki shouted.
Hibiki then along with Dita fired the main cannons of Vandread Dita just as Arthur fired the "Valkyrie" cannons along with the rest of the range weaponry of his Gundam at it destroying the Harvester attack fighter for good.
Magno watching from the bridge muttered one thing, "This is something that only the craziest of men would come up with including those young kids."
Just then Misty contacted the bridge, "Captain, this is the Radar room; another enemy Harvester force has been detected. But the strange thing is that they're heading towards something other than us."
"It's Meia and Brian! Those Harvesters are trying to get the escape pod! BC you know the drill…" Magno said.
"Dread teams and Vanguard teams, head to the given coordinates now!" Buzam shouted quickly to the pilots.
While everyone was racing to the escape pod, Meia and Brian on the other hand knelt before baby Miranda who tapped her tiny adorable hands against the helmet of the space suit she was in wondering what was going on.
"Don't worry little one, if Brian and I remain still, we can buy more time." Meia said.
Then the pod shook and when the duo looked out, they found out that the Harvesters had caught them which made Brian swear at the rather bad luck.
"Damnit!" Brian shouted.
"Brian, what did I say about swearing in front of the baby? Also, those cretins have a great sense of smell." Meia said.
Arthur, the Dread forces, and the Vanguard forces on the other hand saw the remaining Harvester forces and worked to rid them, so the escape pod would be gained by the Nirvana as Arthur activated the Warrior Drive Mode System once more to help save the trio in the pod.
While the battle was drawing to a close, inside the pod, Meia broke a glass door which had an emergency door opening mechanism while Brian was near baby Miranda determined to protect her.
"If they think they're going to cut us up and get our organs or the Lighting Commando Augmentations including the various formulas with the program then, they got another thing coming." Meia said with one hand on a handle.
Ezra's baby just looked on while outside, Arthur was leading the charge destroyed the improved Cube Fighters holding the escape pod and brought it to the Dreki while Jura guarded his back along with the rest of the pilots.
Back inside the pod, Meia took one last look at baby Miranda while Brian turned around, gave the baby a nod before the little girl heard Meia speak one more time in case she and Brian died.
"Don't worry, they'll find you no matter what."
Meia then pulled the lever and stumbled outwards with air going past her before she found herself in one of the bays of the Dreki along with Brian who stumbled right behind her, crashed into her causing her head piece to fall off, and both fell together with Brian on top of Meia in front of Pyoro and Ezra in a rather suggestive way.
"We made in time!" Ezra shouted.
"Pyoro 2-wait…I sense some raging pheromones in the air-pyoro…" Pyoro said.
Both Brian and Meia looked at each other and quickly got off each other blushing very heavily much to the laughter of Ezra and Pyoro. Outside, the last of the Harvester forces were being mopped up while Vandread Dita and the Archangel Fujin Gundam guarded the Dreki which had its energy shield up.
"Sorry about the wait you two and next time, tell us before going out from now on and also, can't wait until your birthday Meia before having some male-female romance like what the boss would say?" Barnette said from the cockpit.
"Barnette SHUT IT!" Brian and Meia shouted together.
"Also, Barnette, I'm going to have word with Parfet when we get back." Meia said after calming down.
Arthur then came online and saw the suggestive situation with the couple he was seeing before he then saw a rising blush on both Meia and Brian before he grinned like a loon before he spoke up in a cheeky bastard tone.
"Oh? Were you two about to get on? Couldn't you two hold it until the honeymoon so you two can do the Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang?"
"Arthur, enough will ya? Get your mind out of the gutter sheesh...Also, when this battle is over and the party is done, I want to talk to you personally…" Jura said seconds later.
Just then, Ezra and Pyoro began to argue over baby Miranda after she was retrieved from the pod by Ezra while Meia and Brian were distracted which the baby began to cry due to the noise. Pyoro shouted the false name of Pyoro 2 again grating on Brian's nerves while Meia looked on.
"No Pyoro-chan, let me hold her!" Ezra shouted.
"But I was so worried about her-pyoro!" Pyoro shouted seconds later.
Ezra grabbed her baby and held her child away from Pyoro which she then glared at the little Navi-robot and then argued back at him a bit harshly. Both Brian and Meia saw the fight go before them.
"I'm her mother Pyoro-chan!"
"Pyoro 2 is- "
Pyoro didn't finish when Brian lost his patience and grabbed him away from Ezra and her child before he had him in his face with an annoyed expression as he looked at him while holding the baby.
"Listen very carefully Pyoro. One; you're not her dad, two; the baby is not yours anyway! I swear on my parent's grave that if I ever, ever hear you call that baby Pyoro 2 one more time or claim it's your child; I'll take you apart and turn you into a wine rack and keep you that way! You got that?" Brian said sternly.
"Yes sir…" Pyoro said.
Just then, baby Miranda kept crying which Pyoro and Ezra began to fight over her again which Meia gently grabbed the baby and held Ezra's child in her arms which made the baby stop crying. Brian then came over to help out which the baby seemed to want to reach out and touch them.
"Oh? So it's us you wanted to see? Not to mention, you like us which makes sense because we faced a life-or-death situation right?" Meia said in a soft voice.
"Meia, she's smiling along with Brian as well." Pyoro said while looking on.
Ezra said nothing as she imagined for some reason Brian and Meia with their own child like that which prompted Pyoro to speak again as the scene unfolded before him.
"Those are the prettiest faces I've seen-pyoro."
Meia and Brian briefly looked at them and smiled before both said thanks which as both Ezra and Pyoro looked at it; both knew that they were meant for each other. The battle quickly ended and everyone returned to the ship.
After everyone returned to the ship, Arthur in his Gundam opened the cockpit and just before he got far from the walkway that spanned across the Gundam, he felt nauseated and quickly ran to the railing as seconds later, he puked over the railing much to the disgust of some of the crew that happened to look in his general direction.
"You okay sir?" Hibiki asked.
Arthur then spoke, "I was both shaken and stirred."
He then fell onto his back before he passed out seconds later which prompted a few pilots to call a medical team for a reason. A minute later, a medical team arrived and cleaned up the vomit in which Duero then passed him a few pills to help deal with the motion sickness he suffered once he woke up though looking very dazed.
"Based on what I saw out there, any normal human would've blacked out and could've died, but you're one lucky bastard Arthur." Duero said sternly.
"Whatever doc…" Arthur said.
"You look a bit loopy Arthur…." Paiway said with humor.
Arthur looked at her with a bit of annoyance and sat up before trying to stand up only for him to fall back down due to his nausea prompting Duero to help him to the Medical Bay to sleep it off.
The next day, Arthur was up and running again as the Nirvana was on its way again and both Meia and Brian were walking when Misty came up to them and spoke to the couple.
"Big sister, Big brother Brian. I'm happy that both of you are home and how do both of you feel today?"
Meia was dressed in her Dread pilot suit while Brian was wearing his combat uniform which Meia decided to answer her question with a bit of more optimism while the trio walked along.
"Nothing to be concerned about Misty. Thanks anyway."
Misty then spoke up, "You've seemed to have changed Meia. Same goes for Brian as well."
"Really, is that so?" Brian asked.
Misty nodded and spoke again, "Meia seems to have become more attractive than before and you Brian seemed to be more honest about your feelings to Meia."
"That's nice and all but, are you planning something as well Misty?" Meia asked.
"No! Not all!" Misty shouted quickly.
What neither Brian or Meia knew, but Brian knew along with Misty was that hiding behind a corner up ahead, Hibiki lay in wait along with Dita, Jura, Parfet, Barnette, Paiway, and Arthur to surprise Meia.
"Ready?" Hibiki asked.
Everyone nodded as Hibiki counted down by saying it quietly, "One…two…three!"
Then everyone jumped out and shouted while using party noise crackers as they all shouted together in one loud noise that caught Meia off guard. Brian was also caught off guard, but wasn't surprised.
"Surprise! Happy Birthday Meia!"
"Um, Meia are you mad?" Paiway asked seconds later.
Brian then spoke, "Meia, here's my first gift to you."
He then grabbed Meia and gave her a kiss right on the lips which Meia was initially shocked, but soon melted into the kiss as she soon wrapped her arms around Brian's neck while everyone near them either cheered or looked confused.
Brian soon pulled away leaving Meia a bit confused while blushing a bit as then, Brian playfully smacked Meia on her rump causing her to glare at him and speak to him sternly.
"Behave Mister…"
Meia then slapped Brian on his rear in return before she grabbed him and not caring who was watching, pulled Brian into a full-blown passionate kiss as her party got underway once she and Brian parted.
The aqua-haired young woman knew something different compared to a year ago; she was in love with Brian and was keen on learning more about him. On the other hand, Arthur watched on as eariler, Jura asked if she and him could part ways she wanted to not hurt Barnette anymore by betraying her for him.
This discussion did hurt Arthur a bit, but then he realized that his duty mattered more than a relationship and after a bit of back and forth between them, Jura and Arthur decided to be friends. In the presnt day, Arthur just looked on.
"What a wondeful day, what a lovely day..." Arthur said softly.
Jura then spoke, "Listen Arthur, I know our attempt at a relationship didn't go well, but could ask you this?"
"What is it?" Arthur asked.
"If Barnette and I are unable to find a male donner from Tarak or Terrain Prime or even if Barnette dosen't want to donate an egg so we can have a baby Mejere style, could you be willing to donate? Also, since you're an officer of Terrain Prime, could you marry Barnette and I if we get that far?"
Arthur paused for a bit before thinking about it while everyone else left the scene. Then, Arthur shook Jura's right hand and gave her a soft, smile befor he then spoke up to the blonde woman.
"For the Lesbian wedding bit, we shall see. As for the baby doner bit, I think we can make that work, but remember, it's only a last resort okay as if you wish to be a lesbian with Barnette, it's okay. It's time we both loved who we want to love out of love and not for trival BS..."
"Good, last one to Meia's party has to change the baby's diaper!" Jura shouted while starting to run.
"You're on blondie!" Arthur shouted quickly.
Far away on the TPSDNS Solaris, Bella looked at the calendar and decided to send Meia a Happy Birthday greeting while wondering why she dreamed of Bart Garsus last night. She shook that clear as she reported for duty. The Gundam squads had been shifted around and while the Lunar Knights got Omar Jha and his Ninja Gundam, the Solar Eagles were given Robert Paulson and his Warrior Gundam.
As far a she recalled, Omar a middle-eastern decadent male with shaved black hair, rose-pink eyes and standing around 5'8 prior to the Lighting Commando augmentations as he always never talked openly. She found out he was a shy guy young, but overcame it years later.
Robert on the other hand, stood around 5'9 before the Lighting Commando augmentations, had a serious Samurai-like mindset from his family, he sported raven dark purple hair, baby blue eyes, and was descendant of Japanese heritage. His real name was Tamaki Soma, but he preferred to be called by his codename most of the time.
For now, business as usual though in the coming weeks, the resistance against the Harvesters would be put to the test more thoroughly for the resistance may be Humanity's hope against self-extinction…
A/N: This like the last one was a pain to write and things in my life were among the causes. Next up is the telepathic planet. Also I included a Family Guy joke and a few pop culture references which you'll get a cookie for each one.
R & R to tell me what you think, no flames allowed and have a great day everyone!