These are the words of Hung Nguyen. I just have permission to post them and make it easier to read. Just want to give his stuff the recognition it deserves.
I am scrunching both works into one story, maybe even adding something extra. Any new updates will be told here. Think of this as the "Remastered version". Welcoming new and old readers alike!
Disclaimer: Vandread, Ranma 1/2 and Tekkaman Blade all belong to their respective owners so stop bothering me already!
italics: Thoughts
Chapter 20 Part 1
A New Menace
(Opening song 'JUSTICE')
Music starts as a shot of space is seen, then zooms out to show a line grid with random code, before finally zooming out from Slade with his eyes closed.
Fight for your justice yuuki o dashite (Fight for your justice show your courage)
Right! Kono te ni shinjitsu o tsukamou (Right! Grasp the truth in these hands)
Fight for your justice mune o hatte (Fight for your justice I want you as you fight through)
Tatakainuku kimi ga hoshii (With your head held up high)
An explosion occurs, then shots of Gascogne, Buzam, Meia, Jura, Paiway, Bart, Barnette, Duero, Parfet, Dita, and finally Slade pass by. A shot of his Tekkaman form alongside Pegas shoot through space. The "Tekkadread Remastered" title appears.
Shots of Slade and Dita appear.
DAIYAMONDO migaite iru yori kagayakeru mirai o choudai (Rather than polishing diamonds, give me a glistening future)
Bart takes a pose, then gets pushed aside by Duero. Shots of Jura and Meia appear.
Nani wa naku to mo get up SUICCHI ON ga kanjin (Even if nothing's there, get up, it's important to turn on the switch)
Slade's first transformation to Blastor mode as he decimates Harvester ships. Misty's awakening. Slade beating down Rabat on the Space mission, then his meeting with Ghaleon. Slade traveling through the desert planet with Dita, Jura, and Pegas. Duero and Barnette surrounded by sand monsters.
Yuzuritakunai something new motomeru sore ga seigi! (Something new that I don't want to yield, seeking it is justice!)
Darkon rises and slaughters the Harvester leaders. Lance, Axe, and Rapier are born. Slade tearfully carrying a wounded Jura to the Sick Bay. A giant mothership confronts the Nirvana as Tekkaman Slade along with Dita, Jura, and Meia face off against Tekkaman Lance, Axe, and Rapier. The three Radam Tekkamen envelope Tekkaman Slade and his allies in an explosion, but Tekkaman Blastor comes out, followed by the naked forms of Dita, Jura, and Meia just before they transform into Tekkamen themselves.
Fight for your justice honki ni natte (Fight for your justice, be serious about it)
Right! massugu genjitsu ni mukae yo (Right! Face reality head on)
Fight for your justice gyakuryuu demo (Fight for your justice, I love how you never give up)
Akiramenai kimi ga suki sa (Even if the current is against you)
Shots of Meia undergoing her transformation as the remnants of her Dread condense around her and turn her into Tekkaman Diamond. Shots of Jura undergoing her transformation as the remnants of her Dread condense around her and turn her into Tekkaman Ruby. Shots of Dita undergoing her transformation as the remnants of her Dread condense around her and turn her into Tekkaman Sapphire.
It shows the Nirvana as it fires its laser barrage, causing an explosion. From the explosion comes Tekkaman Blastor. It ends with a group shot of the rest of the cast while in the back shows the Nirvana along with Tekkaman Slade, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond.
End opening
"Quit your whining and face it like a man!"
"No! Please! Don't put me down there again! I don't want to..."
"You're such a crybaby! Are you a man or a little girl? Now get in there, and don't come out until you've mastered the technique!"
A scream was heard, then came that overwhelming darkness, which was soon accentuated by dozens of eyes; red glaring eyes. They were everywhere. Then came the pain, the screams, and that horrid sound of flesh being torn to shreds...
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"
Slade snapped awake in a cold sweat. His breathing was in short gasps and he couldn't stop trembling. As his eyes looked about in the darkness, he almost expected to see countless red eyes surrounding him. However, all he saw was the spacious and simply decorated features of his room as the starlight of the porthole window illuminated it.
It took him several minutes before he calmed down and his body stopped shaking. As his heart and breathing rates returned to normal, he thought back to his nightmare while shaking his head.
Damn! Why is it I keep having that same nightmare? What does it mean? And why would it affect me like that? Does it have something to do with my lost past?
The Tekkaman shook his head, then looked down at himself. He was soaked in sweat and needed to dry off. Swinging his legs toward the side of his bed, he reached over toward the nightstand for the small handkerchief he had placed there while setting down his legs in the water.
Water?
Looking down at the floor, he was quite surprised to see his legs were in one and a half feet of liquid. That was when the internal alarms began to sound off.
In their own rooms, the three newly-formed Tekkamen of the Nirvana awoke with a start as the alarms went off. However, it was not the shrill sounds which had caused them to tremble in their beds. On their foreheads, glowed a pattern of light in the shape and color of their Tekkacrystals.
Apparently, with their newfound powers, each girl had developed a kind of empathy with a certain former Saotome and his traumatic experiences during his first life. They didn't know why they were trembling so hard, but they had felt Slade's terror. They had not witnessed the images that he had seen in his nightmare, but somehow, the sheer fear and anxiety that the Tekkaman had experienced had made itself known to the new space warriors. Their transformation to Tekkamen had made them closer to Slade.
The Bridge...
"What's going on?" Magno asked as the alarms continued to blare.
Ezra nodded as she gave the captain the report. "We seem to have... sprung a leak. A water main has burst and is flooding several areas. The bulkheads are holding and most of the damage is confined to the men's quarters."
"We're all going to drown! I'm getting out of here with Pyoro 2!" The little robot exclaimed as he dragged the basket with little Nodoka.
"Her name is Nodoka." Ezra reminded. She was beginning to get a little annoyed at Pyoro's insistence to calling her daughter after itself.
"Her name is Pyoro 2!" The machine maintained.
"Perhaps we should ask Slade as to what HE thinks about that." Ezra said lightly while smiling sweetly.
At the mention of the Tekkaman's name, Pyoro immediately became silent and began trembling nervously. He also pushed the basket back toward the baby's mother.
Ezra's smile became more smug as she went back to her console. If there was one surefire way to get Pyoro to stop with that Pyoro 2 nonsense...
Back on Earth...
"So... you have finally come." Darkon said as he gazed upon those who had answered his summons. The Radam Warlord had made various changes to the main chamber of the Earth Harvester Council. What had once been a cold, metallic environment, had been replaced by a more sinister, organic, and even colder atmosphere. The walls and ceilings resembled the insides of some grotesque insect hive and the surfaces were sometimes pulsating as if they were alive (which in a sense they were). The Warlord stood before what appeared to be a large treelike structure, which housed the Paksis Power Source. It had formally served the leaders of the Earth, but had betrayed them in order to resurrect its original creators, the merciless and cold-blooded Radam.
The Warlord stood tall as organic tendrils ran from certain areas of his body to the Paksis. The power source was steadily feeding him power, making him grow ever more powerful as the final vestiges of free will of the human host he had usurped was being eradicated. With a clawed armored finger, he gestured to the two Tekkamen who stood before him, Rapier and Axe.
"Report."
Rapier nodded as she replied. "We are pleased to inform you that the Master Plan is nearing fruition. We have long awaited for this day and all the preparations are nearly complete."
"Yes, Master." Axe added. "Nearly all of the former Harvester Fleet has been transformed, and we shall soon be in position to begin conquering all of the worlds that those pitiful organ-hunting wretches had either enslaved or were fighting against. Their pathetic armies and fleets will be no match for our Spider-Crab forces, especially after exhausting their resources in defending against the Harvesters. Their weapons have little firepower and we expect them to fall within weeks, perhaps even days after we begin our assaults."
"Excellent." Darkon said as he looked off to one side where a pair of Tekkapods were busy tending to their occupants. "The Radam has been waiting for many centuries for this and we shall not be stopped again. Those foolish Earthmen thought they could control the Paksis, when in reality it was the Pakis that was controlling them. They had no idea that it had secretly implanted bio-organic conversion devices in all of their ships and weapons, nor did they even suspect that our essences were stored within it. They didn't even know that the Tekkamen they had created were actually agents of the Radam. They were SO easy to manipulate."
"Yes, Master." Both Tekkamen nodded as they bowed to their ruler.
Darkon nodded again as he gestured to the Tekkapods. "Your fellow Tekkamen Saber and Lance will join you as soon as their wounds are healed. They were both heavily damaged when they answered my summons and I need them at full strength if the invasion of the human star systems is to be successful."
"Yes, but what of the problem of the Nirvana and Slade?" Rapier asked.
"We shall deal with them soon enough." Darkon assured. "Though I am somewhat puzzled."
"About what, Master?" Axe inquired.
"It's about the Paksis aboard the Nirvana. I have been unable to make contact with it and our Paksis cannot communicate with it. It's almost as if it is ignoring us, rejecting our order to destroy the humans within that ship."
"Why is it not responding?" Rapier wondered. "Is it not a Radam Power Source as well?"
"Indeed." The Radam Warlord agreed. "Though I find it almost impossible to believe, we cannot rule out the possibility that it has turned against us and is siding with the humans. The very possibility is... incomprehensible. It couldn't have chosen them... could it?"
The Nirvana...
"AHHHH-CHOO!" Bart sneezed mightily as he, Slade, and Duero huddled in the Sick Bay. He had gotten soaked while falling out of bed when he reached for his pillow that had floated away. Their quarters had been flooded by the sudden leak and it was going to take a couple of days before they would be able to use those sections again. As a result, they had no place to sleep and all of their belongings were piled up in the doctor's work area. Slade's possessions took up the least amount of space as he kept all that he owned in one knapsack.
"Hmmm, this is most... distressing." Duero remarked as he gazed upon the various items strewn about his normally immaculate work station. As a doctor, cleanliness was a rule and this cluttered environment simply would not do. He would have to order Bart and Slade to vacate themselves and their belongings. The problem was, where could they go to? Furthermore, he too was without any place to sleep. He began to consider setting up a hammock in his office.
At that point, certain people came into the Sick Bay. The first person who entered was Misty. She immediately came up to them while holding out a towel.
"Here, you must be soaked to the bone and cold from all that water."
"Oh, thanks!" Bart said as he reached out for the towel.
Misty pulled back the towel and gave him an irritated glare. "Not you! This is for Slade!"
"Awwwww!" Bart pouted as the girl handed the offered cloth to the Tekkaman.
Slade was at a loss to respond as he saw those lovesick puppy dog eyes in the girl's expression. For some time now, he had been purposely avoiding her and Dita, since they had both been vying for his affections and he couldn't bring himself to return them to one girl without hurting the other. Besides, their adoration sometimes threatened to smother him. Since Dita had become a Tekkaman, Slade had to spend time in training her in controlling her powers, but this made Misty even more determined to win him.
As if on cue, someone else came into the Sick Bay namely...
"Mr. Alien!"
Slade suppressed the urge wince as the red-haired former Dread pilot came in with a hand-sewn blanket with a cute green alien depicted on the front. She proudly showed displayed her work and smiled, not noticing that her rival was there.
"Here Mr. Alien! I made this to go with the pillow I gave you! Since you'll be sleeping in my room, I thought I'd make things more comfortable and... "
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S SLEEPING IN YOUR ROOM?!"
The cheerful Mejele girl looked to where she heard that annoying voice and glared at her rival. Their eyes locked together as they faced off.
Slade saw this as his window of opportunity and snuck out as the two went at it.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"
"MR. ALIEN IS GOING TO STAY IN MY ROOM! I ASKED THE CAPTAIN AND SHE SAID I COULD LET HIM SLEEP WITH ME!"
"OH NO HE'S NOT! I WAS GOING TO ASK HIM TO SLEEP IN MY ROOM!"
"TOO LATE, I'M ASKING HIM!"
"I AM!"
"I AM!"
"WELL, ASK HIM WHO HE WANTS TO STAY WITH!"
"FINE BE ME! MR. ALIEN?"
"SLADE?"
Both girls were surprised to see that Slade and his luggage was nowhere in sight.
The Tekkaman sighed as he leaned against the wall of the hallway that led toward the hanger bay. He was lucky that Dita hadn't gotten the hang of using her psychic connection to him to track him down. Ever since she, Jura, and Meia had gained their powers, they had also formed a kind of empathic bond with him, which made it possible for them to home in on his position. As a result, hiding from them had become more difficult than usual. His usual tricks of concealment hadn't worked with the voluptuous Jura. One time, while he had been clinging to the ceiling, she had detected him and decided to pounce instead of just chase him. He had forgotten at the time that she could sense him. She jumped ten feet straight up from a standing position, grabbed hold of his waist, and pulled him down with her new enhanced strength. Slade had ended up ripping out several beams and pipes while trying to keep from being dragged down. Jura was now strong enough to bend nearly double, three-inch diameter solid steel support rods. It had been quite a wrestling match on the floor before Slade finally managed to get away. During their 'close contact,' he had noticed that her body hadn't gained much muscle-mass despite its increased strength and durability. It was still as soft and pliable as ever, especially in certain areas...
Slade shuddered a bit at the memory, then wondered just what was he going to do at the moment. He didn't have a place to sleep until the men's quarters were drained and cleaned out. So where could he go?
"Hi, Slade."
Slade was caught off guard when Meia suddenly appeared beside him. Either his senses had become dulled or she was somehow able to bypass them, which could be one of the effects of her new Tekkaman powers. In any case, he was a little surprised to see the former Dread Leader looking somewhat unsure of herself. She didn't appear to be very confident and he could see hesitation in her eyes.
"Uh... hey there, Meia. What can I... do for you?"
"Well." Meia began as she tried to form her words. "I was kind of wondering if you've found a place to stay until the flooded sections are drained and cleaned."
"No, I haven't really. I was thinking about bunking in the hanger..."
"Oh no! That's no good! The hanger isn't as climate-controlled as the residential areas and it can get really cold in there at night."
Slade shrugged. "Ah, it doesn't really matter to me. It's not the first time I've had to rough it out."
"No, you could catch a cold and..." Meia's voice became softer and trailed off as she uncharacteristically twiddled her index fingers in embarrassment. Why was she showing such tender concern for a man? Sure he was a good friend and comrade in arms, but to be interested in his personal health and well-being? She steeled herself and put on a serious expression, though it was hard for her to hold it. "Well, we can't have you in less than fighting condition when the Harvesters attack and you need a place to rest, so I was thinking you can stay with m..."
"Oh Slaaaaaaaaade!"
Both winced a bit when they heard the singsong voice of a certain Dread pilot-turned-Tekkaman. However, when they turned to face Jura, they were surprised at her appearance.
Instead of the dark brown gown with plunging neckline and slit skirt, she was instead dressed in a variation of Slade's usual attire. She was wearing a kind of short dress/jacket ensemble that was red with black trim, with long white sleeves and black shoulder guards. On her forearms were thin black bracers. She also had form-fitting white pants that hugged her legs, hips and derriere like a second skin. On her feet, instead of the high-heeled brown boots she usually sported, she instead had a pair of red leather boots. They looked like Slade's, but were more slender and had lower heels than her old boots, which made them more practical. Her long flowing hair was now bound up in a simple ponytail. On her hip was her usual sword hanging from a belt scabbard.
Jura made a pirouette, showing off her new outfit, then took a few steps toward Slade and Meia, keeping her gaze upon the cosmic warrior with a seductive aura. She stopped in front of him and asked, "You like?"
"Uh..." Was the only thing that Slade could say.
Meia however, had this to say. "What is THAT?"
Jura shrugged demurely as she replied. "Oh, I was just thinking about what Slade told me during our last training session. You know, about how my clothes were not very practical, and how I should be wearing something more appropriate to battle? So, I had the Register make this up for me. It works for Slade, and I make it look even better, don't you agree?"
Meia couldn't argue with the logic of the change, though she did suspect that Jura made the wardrobe change with an ulterior motive in mind. This definitely impressed Slade, judging by the way he was staring at her, and she began wondering why she hadn't thought of doing the same. The thing was, she had no excuse as her usual garb was both simple and practical. She became even more confused at this new emotion of jealousy. Then she became alarmed when Jura said...
"Now then, Slade. Since you don't have anywhere to stay and I've got SO much room in my quarters, why don't you..."
"Hold it! He can't stay with you!"
"What? And why not?"
"Because he's going to stay with m...!" Meia stopped herself before finishing.
"He's going to stay with who?" Jura pressed as she and Meia began to glare at each other like Dita and Misty did.
"Well... I mean, it's improper!"
"What do you mean?"
"Uh, excuse me?" Slade said, but immediately realized that the two females were too busy arguing to notice. So he left again and let off another sigh.
Man! I must be the only guy on this ship with these kinds of problems!
Not quite Slade...
"Uh, excuse me?" Duero said, but it was obvious that neither Parfet or Barnette were listening.
"He's not going to stay in a place cluttered with parts and circuit boards!"
"Oh? And is sleeping in a place full of ammunition and guns any better?"
"Your quarters are too close to the engines! The noise will keep him awake!"
"And I suppose the smell of gunpowder and cleaning fluids won't?"
"Parfet... Barnette... please, I'm quite content to stay right here and..."
"HE'S NOT STAYING WITH YOU!" Both girls screamed at each other, totally ignoring the good doctor who decided follow Slade's example and disappear.
The Navigation Well...
Bart sniffled in a sneeze as he floated in the well.
"Nuts, nobody's asked me to stay anywhere..."
Earth...
"So tell me Rapier, what is the status of the Spider-Crab legions?" Darkon asked as he continued to wait for Lance and Saber to emerge from the Tekkapods.
The female Tekkaman nodded as she gave him the report. "Nearly ninety percent of all the Harvester Cube Fighters have been converted and the Seed Ships are now steadily producing more Spider-Crabs with every passing hour. The few remaining unconverted units will complete their metamorphosis within days. The other ships and battle cruisers are being adapted as we speak. Soon, the glorious Radam Armada shall be reborn!"
"Excellent! Everything is going as planned! Now, I have a new mission for you."
"Yes, my Master?"
"I would like to test our newly-reborn Spider-Crabs, so I want you and Lance to direct three separate divisions of them to the sector in which the Nirvana is currently in. I don't expect them to defeat Slade and the Mejele pirates, but I would like to see them in action and gauge the strength of the Nirvana's new Tekkamen. Oh yes, and I'd like you also to send a few dozen to the Delta 6 Mission Station. According to the Harvesters' files, there is an incomplete Tekkaman that is guarding it. I would also like some data on him as well."
"It shall be done, Lord Darkon." Rapier bowed to him before leaving his chambers.
"I made this new recipe just for you, Commander." Ukyo the XVII said as she held up a plate of okonomiyaki. However, she had some competition as a certain Amazon descendant also came up to him and held out a plate of chow mien.
"Hello Commander. I was just looking for you and..." Then Xian Pu caught sight of Ukyo.
Slade rolled his eyes and mentally prayed. Please, please... not another...
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Damn!
"This is all you're fault!" Parfet growled as she and Barnette were out searching for Duero. They hadn't noticed that he had left until they had asked for his opinion, and found out that he had left Paiway in charge of the Sick Bay.
"My fault?! How do you figure that?!" Barnette shot back.
"You're the one who drove him away! I mean, who'd want to stay in the same room with a gun-crazy nut?!"
"Hey! At least I'm not some techno-geek! The doctor would be more comfortable with somebody he has more in common with!"
"What would a gun nut like you know?!"
"Hey, I spent two whole days with him on that planet! And I happen to know a few more things about him than you! That's a whole lot more than you've spent with him in eight months!"
"I guess you forgot about the time you started a mutiny and had him thrown in the brig!"
"That was five months ago! And besides, he forgave me and we're really good friends now. I still think he'd be better off sharing my quarters."
"We'll see which place he wants to stay at when we find him!"
"Yes we will, and I'm sure Razor will choose my room!"
"Who?"
"HAH! More than eight months and you don't even know Duero's nickname!" Barnette gloated.
"I would have KNOWN IT... eventually..." Parfet insisted, though she was a bit embarrassed that Barnette knew something more intimate about the doctor than she did.
As the two girls continued to bicker, they did not know that their quarry was closer than they thought. Clinging closely to the ceiling's pipes and support beams, Duero McFile kept as still as possible until the engineer and Dread pilot passed by and turned around a corner. He silently thanked Slade for teaching him that trick of 'Cling-to-the-ceiling-and-hope-no-one-looks-up.' It was a silly name, but it did have its uses.
Now he was wishing that Slade would teach him how to deal with females who are fighting each other, with him as the prize.
Unfortunately, Slade had no idea how to deal with that situation.
Meanwhile...
Ghaleon was getting a strange feeling as he led his squadron of scout ships on patrol around the sector. Ever since meeting Slade and the crew of the Nirvana, the inhabitants of Mission Delta Six had been guarding themselves against any future Harvester attacks. So far, there had been the occasional raid by Cube Fighters and perhaps one or two Seed Ships, but Tekkaman Phantom and the newly formed defense groups had been able to beat them back, thanks to some technology that had been lent to them by the female pirates. In addition to the tachyon communicators and Tarak food rations, the Mission had received several essential components and weaponry. Now they were able to better defend themselves from the Earth forces.
Recently however, the Harvester raids had been less frequent and the patrol groups would rarely come across a single Cube Fighter or any other kind of Earth vessel. It was if the Harvesters had suddenly become extinct.
Viperson had been getting worried about this lull in action from the enemy. It would be too easy to lower one's guard. As he piloted his one-man craft through space, he began to wonder if the Earth was planning something big. It wasn't like the Harvesters to be inactive for this long. Everyone knew how desperate they were for human organs and would stop at nothing to get them. So where were they...?
Just then, his long-range scanners began picking up something on the edge of the sector's periphery. He signaled for his wingmen to follow as he headed toward them. He began readying his crystal, just in case...
When they came close enough for his sensors to give him a visual on the object, his eyes widened in surprise.
The thing... looked like a Seed Ship, but it appeared to be more organic, and was much larger than normal. Its surface was colored differently and looked as if it was coated in a jellylike substance. The exterior was translucent and if one could get close enough, one could see several large, dark amorphous masses. It was if one was looking at a group of developing embryos through a sonogram. Ghaleon's feeling of foreboding increased as his group came closer, then he ordered them to hold their distance from it. Something was wrong, very wrong.
It was at that moment that the strange craft suddenly turned its face toward the group, as if it had just sensed their presence. The large slit on its front opened up and released the contents of the Seed Ship in putrid sprays of fluid and pus.
That was when the carnage began...
"TEKSETTER!"
The engineering section of the Nirvana...
Parfet entered her office in a huff. After searching futilely for the object of her affection (and Barnette's), the engineer decided to work off some of her frustration with her latest projects.
After that last battle with the Harvesters, and the subsequent transformation of Jura, Dita, and Meia into Tekkamen, the bespectacled girl had been thinking of new weapons for the three in order to augment their extraordinary abilities. Jura and Dita had requested Parfet to build them each a Tekkabot, just like Pegas. Though that would be the most logical solution, there were some problems.
First of all, Pegas was a one of a kind machine and Parfet wasn't all that sure as to how it was created in the first place when the Paksis imploded and created the Nirvana. She had found the altered Vanguard shortly after that event and had only modified it to suit Slade. There were just too many variables to consider in order to try and duplicate the process on three more Vanguards.
The second problem was of course, Meia's inherent claustrophobia. She didn't feel any of it in her transformed state, but she still disliked being inside a Van-Type. That would most certainly affect her performance.
So the brown-haired girl had decided on an alternative measure. Since the girls had formally been Dread pilots, then they would be more comfortable in something that was related with Dreads. As a result, she had her salvage teams collect every remaining scrap of debris that had been their fighters. Most of their Paksis-enhanced Dreads had been remade into their new Tekkaman armored suits, but there were some mechanisms and components that had been left over from their unexpected metamorphosis. Surprisingly, the remnants had survived the destruction of the Harvester battle cruiser and Parfet supposed that it was due to the fact that they still retained certain properties of the Paksis. Currently, the parts that had been salvaged were being integrated into new hulls and leftover parts from the Dread maintenance bays and the Register. In a few days, the new weapons would be ready for testing.
Parfet had also gotten an idea to build a new kind of weapons system for the Warrior Squadron. The Vanguards were good and highly versatile, but they still lacked the raw firepower and mobility that Slade and the other Tekkamen had. Tekkaman Saber had proven just how inferior they were against someone like him. The pirates needed something that could at least give the Vanguard pilots more of a chance of survival.
To that end, she had been working on a new kind of mecha, in which the prototype was being prepared in a separate hanger. The thing resembled a Vanguard, but was small, almost human-sized. It would be propelled by a new Zeetron reactor, which would also power a cannon that was mounted on its right shoulder. Zeetron was a very rare but powerful energy crystal that the women of Mejele had discovered on their world when they colonized it. It had some similarities to the Paksis, and Parfet had theorized that it could be used to create a weapon system that was similar to Slade's armor.
Parfet still couldn't create a Tekkaman, so she was going to try for the next best thing, which was to give the pilot a suit of technological armor.
Slade sighed as he set up his temporary quarters in one of the old storage areas of the Nirvana. Since this had been formally the Ikazuchi (which had once been a colony vessel), the area he was in was piled with artifacts from a century ago and was a bit dusty. He had to do a bit of cleaning before he could settle in.
As he was about to lie down on the makeshift hammock he had constructed, the battle alert went off.
The enemy had come...
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS?!" A pilot screamed out as he and his comrades were being cut down by these huge alien monsters.
The defenders of Delta Six were totally unprepared when the mutated Seed Ship opened up and released odd-looking lumps like organic meteors. However, when they unfolded themselves into their true forms, the pilots immediately realized that this was no joke!
These types of Spider-Crabs were winged and were surprisingly nimble for their ungainly size. Instead of energy blasts, they spewed globules of toxic goo from their mouths, which corroded and ate away at all kinds of metals, including the Mission's defensive fighters. Wave after wave of the hideous Radam enforcers blasted through the defensive ranks and headed toward the Mission Station. More Spider-Crabs were launched from the Seed Ship in their compressed forms and hurtled toward Delta Six.
However, many of them would not reach their target as Tekkaman Phantom darted about like a maddened dragonfly and picked them off. The armored warrior pushed himself to his limits to prevent the attackers from getting to the innocent people aboard the station. As he fought in a near-berserk rage, he felt a kind of chilling familiarity with these strange beings, which made the Harvesters look tame by comparison. They were brutal and absolutely merciless. Despite the heavy casualties being inflicted by Ghaleon, they continued to press the attack.
Phantom became more concerned as many got past him and started to attack the station. The Mission's defense systems opened up as a protective barrier appeared. Defensive turrets swiveled and elevated to begin tracking their targets. Laser blasts and cannon shots were fired at the Spider-Crabs as the people desperately tried to fend off this new and deadlier foe.
The monsters of the Radam shrugged off direct hits as if they were nothing. They began pounding against the forcefield, straining it to its limits. In less than thirty seconds, they breached through the barrier, making large gaps in it, which allowed more of their brethren through. The Spider-Crab missiles streaked through the holes and uncurled themselves. These Spider-Crabs were of the normal terrestrial variety and landed heavily on the hull of the station. Using their massive claws and mandibles, they began tearing into the reinforced bulkheads as if they were tinfoil.
"Liz! We can't stop them! They're ripping us apart!" Patch cried out as his computer displayed the tactical readouts of the station's defense systems. One by one, the defensive armaments were being destroyed and hull breaches were showing up on several levels.
The leader of the station gasped as she witnessed her home being torn up and shredded like tissue paper! In a matter of minutes, the Spider-Crabs would break into the vital areas of the Mission, namely the main reactor core and the residential areas. Once that happened...
What will it take to stop these things?!
Her answer came in the form of Tekkaman Phantom as he swooped down and began cutting the Spider-Crabs to pieces. He slashed with his Tek Sword and tore though the ranks of the Radam monsters. He dispatched his enemies with deadly precision and speed, giving the station's defenders time to regroup and counterattack. However, there was a problem...
Arrrrggghhhh! No! I must be nearing my time limit!
Ghaleon felt his consciousness begin to slip away as the dark side of his Tekkaman powers started to emerge. He desperately tried to hold on as he and the remaining defensive fighters pushed to herd their enemies into one area so that he could finish them off before he lost control completely.
He almost gave in to the dark desires of his Radam-given powers as he saw the Spider-Crabs begin to breach the main reactor room. But, when he was given the signal that the enemy was in position and everyone was clear, he began powering up his strongest weapon.
Sections of his shoulder epaulets slid away, revealing energy collectors. Parts of his leg armor also opened up. Energy crackled between the units and convalesced into one massive sphere of power. Then finally...
"PHANTOM... VOLTEKKER!"
The energy suddenly winked out from sight and it looked as if Ghaleon's attack had failed. However, a heartbeat later, the Spider-Crabs suddenly exploded like flies caught in a flamethrower's blast. It was if they were being blown away by a beam of power... an invisible beam.
Apparently, Tekkaman Phantom's greatest weapon could also be hidden from sight.
Meanwhile...
Meia, Dita, and Jura ran toward the nearest airlock to join up with Slade and Pegas. Since the new weapons that Parfet was designing were not ready yet, they would have to fight on their own, alongside the White Tekkaman and his robotic partner.
Slade nodded as he saw the three girls head toward him with their crystals in their hands.
"Ready?"
All three nodded as they held their crystals aloft. Simultaneously they all cried out.
"TEKSETTER!"
In two seconds, four streaks of colored light flashed out from the Nirvana and into the star-studded void. However, as the Tekkamen quartet joined the Vanguard and Dread squadrons, they would soon find themselves in more trouble than the Harvesters ever gave them.
That was when they came across... them.
Mission Delta 6...
Ghaleon was breathing hard and was quite shaken as he had just barely managed to transform back to his human form. He had cut it close, too close. Another five seconds, and he would have succumbed to the violent and destructive urges of his Radam-derived abilities. Taking several calming breaths, he departed the station's airlock and headed toward the control center.
However, all was not well as he entered, despite the fact that the attack had been beaten back. The consoles were lit with various damage and casualty reports. Sirens were blaring all over the place and the crews manning their equipment were in a state of near-panic.
The Spider-Crabs had been destroyed, but they had already fatally crippled the station. Internal fires were burning all over. System-wide malfunctions ran all over. Most importantly, the main reactor core had been breached and a massive implosion was imminent. All they could do was slow the chain-reaction for as long as they could. Liz and Patch were desperately directing the civilians to the escape shuttles, which had been built for just such an emergency. Mission Delta Six was dying.
Ghaleon quickly began aiding the people in evacuating the station. They only had a few minutes before their home was destroyed forever. People crowded into their only means of escape, taking their most cherished possessions and supplies. Fortunately, the entire cargo of nutrient pills they had received from the Nirvana was loaded on board, as well as whatever food and medicine they had. As the last of the inhabitants boarded the shuttles, the entire Mission shook as the reactor core approached final meltdown. The insides became racked with heat and explosions as the station went into its death throes. Sections were blown from the main body and bulkheads crumbled under intense pressure. As the last of the escape shuttles broke away and headed out into space, Mission Delta Six finally died.
The Mission rumbled and its surface became twisted as internal explosions tore its interior apart. Then in one massive explosion of light, the station disappeared from sight. The energy shockwaves its demise caused rocked the escaping ships as they made their way into the star-studded void.
And so... the Radam invasion of the cosmos had begun.
"WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?!" Jura cried out as she just barely evaded a swarm of Spider-Crabs. She had been expecting, along with the rest of the Nirvana crew, to be going up against Cube Fighters and other Earth vessels.
However, as soon as the mutated Seed Ships opened up and released their forces, the rules had completely changed.
The Spider-Crabs were tough, extremely tough. The amount of firepower needed to destroy Earth ships proved to be less than sufficient in penetrating their thick armored shells. In many cases, laser blasts were reflected away while missile hits and cannon shots were simply shrugged off. The monsters were also surprisingly agile despite their size. But most of all, they were tenacious, far more so than their Harvester predecessors. The Dreads and the Vanguard pilots soon realized that their new opponents were not going to be as simple to defeat as the automated machines of the Harvesters. Though the monsters did have about the same intelligence as those pre-programmed robots, they did not have the directive to harvest human body parts. Their only directive was to destroy!
Barnette gritted her teeth as she received word that the Vanguard and Dread squadrons were taking more casualties. Since Meia and Jura no longer flew Dreads, the responsibility of leading the fighters had be regulated to her. This new enemy acted nothing like the Cube Fighters, so the old tactics for dealing with them were useless. They began swarming toward the Nirvana, and even with Bart's guns blasting away, the Spider-Crabs continued their assault on the pirate vessel. Many crashed headlong into the ship's protective barrier, straining the defenses to their limits. Several managed to penetrate through the shields and began ripping into the hull. They would have torn into the ship and destroyed it as they had Delta Six, if it weren't for four armored figures.
Slade and three female Tekkamen immediately came down on the Nirvana's hull as soon as they saw the Spider-Crabs begin breaking into it. Using their newly-given abilities and Slade's training, Meia, Jura, and Dita did their best to try and exterminate this infestation before they overran the crew within. He had ordered Pegas to support the Dreads while he, Diamond, Sapphire, and Ruby defended the Nirvana.
Slade landed in the midst of a group of Radam monsters and started slashing and thrusting with his weapon. Like Tekkaman Phantom, he too had felt a kind of familiarity with these horrors, but pushed such thoughts away as he concentrated on eliminating them before they caused irreparable damage to the Nirvana. Soon the hull of the ship became littered with broken shells, dismembered claws, and the innards and body fluids of the beasts. It was a gory sight, but it had to be done if they were to survive. Many Spider-Crabs exploded like fluid-filled balloons when hit, splattering the metal skin of the pirate vessel with their insides. Those who were watching from within the ship found it very hard to keep from losing their lunch at the gruesome display.
One crewmember in particular decided that something had to be done and began racing toward a hanger where a certain project was being developed.
"Ewwwwww! Gross!" Dita cried out as her energy arrows pierced through the body of a Spider-Crab, causing streams of fluid and organs to come spewing out. Some of it landed on the front of her armor, making her shiver in disgust.
"Just keep fighting!" Meia ordered as she ducked under the claws of another Spider-Crab, then drove her spear into its softer underbelly. With supreme effort, she hefted the massive creature above her and slung it toward two more that were charging toward her position. Her organic projectile crashed into its brethren, and that's when Tekkaman Diamond launched a volley of her armor-piercing energy darts. The tiny slivers pierced the heads of her targets, destroying their primitive brains and causing their craniums to explode. Though she was more battle-hardened than Sapphire, she too was becoming a bit nauseous over the sight of so much gore. However, it was the only way to defeat such a relentless enemy.
Streaking above them, Tekkaman Ruby was using hit-and-run tactics at the Spider-Crabs. She kept streaking in and out of the enemy ranks, delivering quick slashes with her sword. Though the monsters reminded her of her old Tekkadread, they were just too gross for her to want to get close to any of them. She hoped that this battle would be over soon as she began to feel the effects of exhaustion. She was going to need a seven-course dinner once this was done.
Slade noted that the performance of his comrades was beginning to decline as the battle continued. He knew that they were still new to using their Tekkaman abilities for any extended periods of time and were rapidly depleting their stores of energy. They had to finish off this conflict quickly. However, he was at a loss of how to do so. He was used to fighting machines that were pre-programmed with specific patterns. The Spider-Crabs were erratic and unpredictable, and their numbers seemed to be endless.
It was at that moment that he and the other Tekkamen realized that they were being surrounded by the Spider-Crabs. The monsters began concentrating on eliminating their greatest opponents and attacked them en masse. Jura was shot down as a trio of Spider-Crabs managed to blindside her. She landed hard on the hull of the Nirvana near Slade as Dita and Meia were forced back. Soon, they were all herded together as the Radam creations continued their assault. It seemed that the four would be crushed by sheer numbers. Slade was preparing to go to his Blastor Mode, but he was already feeling tired and wasn't certain if he would be able to transform. His armor began to take more hits as he and the three former Dread pilots prepared to make their last stand.
Then, just as the Spider-Crabs were about to unleash their full fury on them, a miracle appeared.
"EVERYBODY DUCK!"
Hearing the voice, the four Tekkamen took cover as a sudden blast of emerald energy appeared and took out several of the beasts, causing them to disintegrate and giving them more breathing room. Then they saw their unexpected savior as she jetted across the hull of the pirate ship.
"HERE WE GO!" Parfet cried out as she piloted the new prototype Tekkasuit she had been working on. She hadn't had time to properly test her new invention, but decided to give it a trial by fire. She was pleased to see that the new Zeetron reactor and quantum-energy cannon were working properly, but she had to choose her shots carefully, since she only had a limited amount of ammunition.
The armor was bulkier than Slade's, but gave her good mobility and protection against the Radam creatures. The shoulder-mounted cannon fired off quantum-energy shells, which proved to be sufficient in piercing the monsters' heavily armored carapaces. She also had a smaller sidearm which was used for more pinpoint shots.
Parfet was usually not one to enjoy being in the heat of battle, but she did find it to be quite exhilarating. She continued to zigzag around the Spider-Crabs, blowing them left and right as the Tekkamen began their counterattack. The Nirvana was quickly being relieved of its giant pest problems. Dozens of Spider-Crabs fell to the awesome firepower of Parfet's new armor as her allies started to gain the upper hand.
However, as they began to push their enemies back, Parfet's console lit up with some warning lights. Her ammunition was getting low and the reactor was starting to overheat. She mentally chided herself for not installing any backup power sources. Then her mechanisms started to malfunction, causing the armor to swerve erratically. When a couple of Spider-Crabs charged at her, Parfet tried to evade them by veering off to the right, but one of her maneuvering thrusters misfired, causing her to tumble end over end. The armor landed hard on its back and skidded for several meters before coming to a halt.
Parfet groaned and realized that in her haste to help the others, she had neglected to don the special impact-absorbent flightsuit that all Vanguard pilots now wore. As a result, she now had a very sore body and a few scrapes. As she shook her head to clear it, a Spider-Crab suddenly loomed above her and raised one of its clawed legs.
She quickly brought up her cannon and pulled the trigger, but...
CLICK! CLICK!
Oh no! I'm out of ammo! Parfet realized that without a loaded weapon, her armor was nothing more than a fancy metal spacesuit. She made a mental note to include some melee weapons and more ammunition, provided she survived!
Fortunately, she would live to make those improvements as Tekkaman Diamond came in from above and drove her spear into the monster's neck. Parfet grimaced as the Spider-Crab's fluids splashed onto her armor's torso and helmet, but it was better than the alternative. The monster let off a groan and toppled off to one side. Meia leapt off its back and went to help her fallen comrade.
Thanks to Parfet's last-minute rescue, Slade, Ruby, and Sapphire were able to force the remaining Spider-Crabs off the Nirvana and herd them toward the others that were engaged with the Dreads and Vanguards. As soon as they were in position, they signaled for their allies to break off. In that moment, Slade's shoulder units flipped up. Jura and Dita followed suit and began powering up. Then they unleashed their final assault...
"VOLTEKKER!"
"VOLTEKKER... SCATTER!"
"VOLTEKKER... BLASTER!"
The three separate blasts combined into one massive beam, which vaporized the last of the Spider-Crabs and their Seed Ships. The crew of the Nirvana all breathed collective sighs of relief as their enemies were obliterated.
It was over... for now.
The Sickbay...
"Ow! Ow!" Parfet winced as her arm was being treated for a sprain.
"Forgive me, Parfet." Duero said as he added some soothing lotion and made certain that she had no broken bones. His gentle touch made the engineer calm down and feel a warmth as he continued to treat her injuries.
"That's okay." Parfet said as she blushed a bit at the contact of his hands on her arm. He was so caring and considerate. "I guess it was my fault for not wearing a suit."
"Yes, well I certainly hope that you would refrain from such reckless actions in the future." Duero advised firmly, then his expression became a bit softer. "Although, I was most impressed by the bravery you showed today."
"You were?" She said as her eyes lit up with hope.
"Yes. Slade and the others would also like to thank you for your help today. They're quite certain that if it weren't for you, we'd all be finished by now."
"Aw, it was nothing." Parfet waved off, though she hoped that her actions had scored her some points with the Tarak physician. There was still the matter of the doctor not having a place to stay.
Standing near the door to the Sickbay, Barnette growled a bit as she watched the doctor continue to treat her biggest rival. She had to admit that the bespectacled girl had indeed done well and that Barnette would have to try harder in the future in order to remain serious competition.
Earth...
Darkon grumbled as he had received the transmissions concerning the outcomes of the battles between his forces, and the those of Mission Delta Six and the Nirvana. Though the Mission had been destroyed, the inhabitants had escaped and were still considered a threat, though not as great as the one posed by the pirates and their four Tekkamen. He had hoped that his Spider-Crabs would have inflicted some heavy losses on the Nirvana, but the females now seemed to have a new weapon. If that was the case, then the Radam would have to revise their plans and take out that accursed Slade and his comrades. But what to use?
As if answering the Radam Warlord's unspoken question, the Red Paksis began humming and showed images of past battle records of the Harvesters. Darkon snorted as he saw those failures, the Tekkadread Clones.
"What good are these? They have already proven to be worthless against Slade and the Nirvana. Why would I want to bother with making more of these Harvester failures?"
The red Paksis hummed even more insistently as it telepathically began making suggestions. A minute later, the Radam Warlord chuckled evilly as he understood the Paksis' plan.
"Ah, so that's your plan, is it? I must admit that it does raise... possibilities. Very well. We shall proceed with this plan. And it's a good thing that we have the PERFECT Tekkaman for the job."
At that moment, a crimson-armored figure entered Darkon's private chambers and knelt down in front of his lord.
"Hello Saber. Have you completely recovered from your last encounter with the accursed Slade?"
"Yes, Lord Darkon." The scarlet Tekkaman replied. "How may I serve you?"
"I have a little job for you..."
To be continued...
Preview...
Duero: "Being a doctor is a very huge responsibility. I just wish Paiway would realize that fact. She has the knowledge but not the hands-on experience, so I've decided to take it upon myself to teach her everything I know about being a physician. It would be easier on both of us if we helped each other with the wounded rather than me picking up after her. Paiway needs to learn fast, or things won't be easy for the rest of the trip. After all, we need to prepare for a time I might be put out of action. With her progress, I feel this will be a long uphill battle. Next time, on TekkaDread Remastered: 'Preparations and Plans'. Slade… are you all right? You don't look too good…"
Author's Notes
Well, that's it for part 1. Stay tuned for part 2 as a couple of the Nirvana crewmembers will play a major part in the upcoming story arc and... aw, that would be telling!
Please read and review!