There are secrets in the universe that may never be fully explained.
Where there are mysteries, there are always three kinds of people connected to them. One is the kind of people who want to seek the mysteries out to their fullest.
The other are the people who are out to destroy any secret they believe threatens their security or positions of power.
The third type are the defenders of mysteries.
This is the tale of several such defenders.
Outcast Legends: And Outlaw Star fanfic
Melfina
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the original Outlaw Star TV anime. I'll make a list of those characters and concepts I do own at the end of the fic, if there are any.
OK, by now, I can officially say there are original characters. I'll put a list at the end of this chapter, marking this as the hopeful halfway-point of the Outcast Legends saga.
Chapter 7- The Way of the Dragon
Ron McDougal paced wordlessly from one end of the force-fielded security holding cell to the other, restlessness and frustration showing on his features. Harry sat on a nearby bench jutting out of the wall, flipping a small silver coin and catching it in mid-air, not bothering to check whether it had landed heads or tails. On the other side of the transparent, water-like, static blue force field, four guards stood armed and ready in case of emergency. Ron, finally losing patience, turned to the nearest guard.
"Just how long does it take to do a simple inspection, anyway? We've been in here an hour!"
"Sit down; your complaining won't make it go any faster, will it?" The guard stated.
Ron, taking a deep, agitated breath, sat down cross-legged on the floor.
"Can I ask just what they're looking for?" Harry suddenly spoke up, not taking his eyes off his coin flipping.
"Why do you wanna know?" Another guard asked.
"Because then maybe I can make an educated guess at how long all this will take." Harry replied monotonously.
"If it makes you feel any better," The first guard stated. "Last I heard they were running tests for explosives, computer viruses, bio-tech bombs, and spying devices. My superiors didn't tell me when they might be done."
"Probably about twenty more minutes if they're doing a thorough search." Harry concluded, coin still flipping.
But none of the searches being conducted could have picked up DragonMage's microscopic messengers of death. The large army of nanoprobes, hidden within the confines of the El Dorado's primary missile bay, were even now scattering invisibly across the station towards their different destinations. Each one, armed only with it's twenty skittering, pointed, spear-like legs, and the small amount of command coding it contained, would bring about the downfall of the North Star defense base. As spider-like nanoprobes rushed down hallways, through air vents and engineering tubes, and into consoles and computer systems, the fate of all aboard the station came closer and closer to an untimely demise.
"And so it begins." DragonMage mused with a laugh as he stood in the middle of a large transparent dome in the side of his asteroid fortress. Stars surrounded his vision as he looked about, contemplating how close he was to final victory. Soon, everything he saw would belong to him, and that which did not would quickly fall in line. The universe was to become his plaything, the cosmos his amusements, to spare or destroy as he willed. He laughed out loud, not holding back, as if declaring to all creation that he was now both master and god, and challenging it to try to oppose him.
"Lord DragonMage," Said a voice from behind him. "Your personal envoy to the leyline is ready to launch."
He turned to see Cerpa standing silently at a distance behind him. He smiled briefly, then addressed Cerpa directly.
"Is everything prepared?" He said, using a somewhat joking tone. "I'd hate to leave home and then realize I'd forgotten something."
"The trajectory information retrived from the El Dorado's navigation computer has been processed into the auto-nav systems for your command ship. Although the shield kept them from getting any sensor readings until they entered the leyline, we were able to compute out the course they took based on thrust and geo-spacial records kept by the navigation computer. Once Melfina is in our hands, nothing will stop us."
"Quite true, Cerpa, quite true. Gather the members of the elite guard and have them on board the ship when I get there. How long until the North Star defense base meets it's demise?"
"In less than an hour and a half, all the nanoprobes will be in place. After that, it'll only be minutes before they take effect. Your plan is, as ever, ingenious, lord DragonMage."
A little over an hour later…
Jean kept a continual cautious eye on the McDougal brothers from where he sat in the briefing room. Ron McDougal, irritatingly enough, had chosen a seat directly across from Jean, and Harry sat on his brother's right. Dawn Sword and the members of the Outcast Legends were seated at various positions around the table, but Dawn Sword himself preferred to stand. Suzuka sat on Jean's immediate left, Aisha on his right. Even though such an assembled group was far more than a match for the McDougals lest they should try anything, Jean had decided long ago to trust the McDougals only as far as he could throw them. He continually had one hand poised inches from his Caster, and it wasn't long before Ron McDougal noticed.
"Do you mind?" He inquired, nodding towards Jean's right hand. His tone was a combination of dislike and distrust.
"I've learned not to take chances around the two of you." Jean replied, hand still poised and ready.
"At any rate," Dawn Sword interrupted, turning his attention on Ron McDougal. "We've checked your ship over and found everything to be acceptable. The two of you, as refugees from the Dragon forces, can stay here until such time as it's safe for you to return to your normal lives. However, there's a few points I need to bring up."
"Such as?" Harry inquired.
"Firstly, the new technology on your ship. Considering it as much as I could from your perspective, I've decided we'll let you keep the upgrades so long as the technology is not distributed, sold, or reproduced for any reason. Understood?"
"Fine by me." Ron stated calmly.
"Secondly, as refugees, it will be required that, whenever you travel outside of the living quarters that will be assigned for you, that you be accompanied by at least one of our officers. In case you couldn't tell, we take our jobs very seriously here." He paused and, getting no retort from the McDougals, continued. "And thirdly, neither of you at any time for any reason will be allowed to be within visual range of Melfina so long as you stay here. Understood?"
"Yeah, but why?" Harry protested, obviously hurt at the thought of being so close to Melfina but not even being allowed to see her.
"… Do you believe in prophetic dreams, gentlemen?" Bluestone, who was standing towards one corner of the room, asked. Like Jean, she constantly had her right hand ready to draw out either her Striker, the Remnant version of a Caster, or neuro-dart gun at any moment. Ron and Harry both turned in their seats to give her a perplexed look.
"Just what are you talking about??" Harry asked, confused.
Dawn Sword and Bluestone quickly the McDougals in on the dream and how it seemed to be coming true.
"That's ridiculous! Absurd!" Ron exclaimed as the two Remnant warriors finished their explanation. "Firstly, I don't buy a word of any of that fortune telling swami stuff. The only things I believe in are myself, Harry, the El Dorado and my Caster."
"And secondly neither of us have any desire to hurt Melfina." Harry pleaded. "Myself especially."
"But it's come true so far, hasn't it?" Reaper stated.
"But we will not hurt Melfina." Ron returned with a forceful tone.
"I personally hope that the dream was just a warning," Vapor added. "But we can't ignore the potential ramifications. That's why we had to search your ship and keep you in the brig."
"That's true. So you understand why we-"
Suddenly, the lights began to flicker. Everyone instantly locked their attention on the ceiling lights with stunned surprised expressions on their face. Dawn Sword's comm unit beeped.
"Commander Dawn Sword, this is Jake Duran up on command deck. It seems we're experiencing erratic power fluctuations all across the grid. The comm systems have been down for the last three minutes, so I wasn't able to contact you. Engineering doesn't know what to make of it, sir, and there seem to be multiple encrypted viruses running amok in the central command nodes."
"When did all this start?" Dawn Sword said, an alarmed tone in his voice.
"Just minutes ago. At first I thought it was just a simple glitch in the new plasma conduit control systems, but then it spread to the sensor array, holographic generator systems; about the only things not hit are communications, Grappler Pod launch systems, and the quantum-warp reactor core." Suddenly, there was a long moment of silence as the lights continued to flicker randomly, then suddenly returned to normal without apparent reason. Jake Duran's voice, nearly panic-stricken, suddenly came back over the comm unit. "Sir, whatever's going on has just converged on the atmospheric control generators, all of them. Temperatures are dropping drastically on decks 5, 7, 11 through 14, and… wait, now all the decks between 3 and 21 are being effected." There was a brief pause in which Jake's gasp of terror could be heard. "Sir, the oxygen output from all generators has ceased. Backup systems aren't responding. Additionally, . . . sir, we're receiving a communication from the Dragon forces, source of transmission unknown but local."
"I'm on my way up." Dawn Sword said with an air of military forced calm. "Duran, do whatever you need to get those generators back on-line, now! Get everyone from engineering working on this." He switched off his communicator and turned to look at the Outcast Legends. "There's no questioning that DragonMage constructed this scheme. Everyone who can, get down to engineering and help. Jean, find Melfina. The rest of you, find some way to help turn whatever's happening around before it kills us all."
With that, everyone made an immediate dash for the door, dispersing in different directions down the hallways. Harry, Ron, and Suzuka, however, came up alongside Dawn Sword as he raced down the halls towards command deck.
"What the heck is goin' on??!" Ron exclaimed.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, we can bet DragonMage is behind it." Dawn Sword stated. "He must have somehow used the El Dorado to transfer a smart-virus to the base computer systems somehow, at least it's the only thing that makes sense to me."
"But that's impossible-!" Harry exclaimed, but Dawn Sword cut him off.
"DragonMage is never to be underestimated. He must have planned on the two of you making an escape with your stolen technology." He stated, then muttered to himself. "This is bad, very bad."
"He's after Melfina, I'm sure of it." Suzuka interjected. "He's cutting off the oxygen and environmental controls to the base so everyone here except Melfina and a few others will be dead. Then he can take Melfina and use her to unlock the leyline."
The command deck was nearly empty by the time Dawn Sword and company arrived. Jake Duran was still manning his console on the second level up, but besides him the room was void of life. The crystals in the ceiling had gone black, the systems they controlled probably overridden by the 'virus' too. Dawn Sword, ignoring the ramps, jumped high into the air and landed next to Jake Duran.
"What's the latest?" He asked, scanning the console with his eyes briefly.
"The generators are remaining completely inoperable. We've lost control of external and internal force fields, as well as all primary weapons systems. Secondary weapons could go any minute. All the ships in dock have been effected too."
"Put me on the line with the Dragons." Dawn Sword instructed, and moments later a vid-comm window popped open in center screen. DragonMage's face was the only thing visible on the vid-comm.
"Greeting, my worthy but crippled foes." DragonMage gloated with a laugh in his voice.
"DragonMage, I presume." Suzuka stated. DragonMage quickly turned his attention on her.
"Well, if it isn't the prodigal assassin." DragonMage mused, then turned his attention back to Dawn Sword. "Yes, my old rival, I'm the one responsible for the present condition of your base. I also have a small fleet of ships utilizing new, more advanced PWD fields who are ready to attack only a few dozen miles outside the confines of your base. You have no choice; your hands are tied. You will give into my demands right now or you will surely perish."
"Why you two-timing, low down, son of a-" Ron began, but DragonMage cut him off.
"There's no need of such language, McDougal. And if I recall correctly it was you and your brother who first betrayed us. An eye for an eye as I always say."
"Get to the point, DragonMage." Dawn Sword interjected aggressively.
"Oh, I intend to take my sweet time, Dawn Sword." DragonMage laughed. "For you see, it won't be more than an hour before there isn't an iota of air anywhere aboard your precious battle station. I rather enjoy watching you squirm under the power of my intelligence." He sighed mockingly. "But I suppose negotiations would be rather pointless once you're dead." He became very serious. "I want you to surrender the android Melfina to me immediately."
"Why should we?" Dawn Sword challenged.
"Because you don't have a choice, old foe. You know very well that I crave not just the power that the leyline will give me, but the final, greatest battle, the singular conflict that will bring this age-old war to it's climactic conclusion. Why would I wish to deprive myself of finishing what I've begun, of ending the bittersweet struggle between you and I by killing you in such a pointless, dull, meaningless manner? Surrender the android to me and I shall deactivate the devastation I have wrought upon your base. Or, if you prefer to resist fate, I will simply wait you out and once all the air on the station is gone my forces will move in and collect Melfina for me. You'll never figure out my method in time to stop your own unquestionable death, so you might as well give in and focus yourself on the final battle, Dawn Sword."
There was a long moment of silence, in which no one moved, and hardly no one breathed.
"… You'll pay for this, you snake." Dawn Sword stated, his tone of voice stating that he had no choice but to do as DragonMage said.
"You have no idea, Dawn Sword. You have no idea." With that, the vid-comm blinked out. Dawn Sword turned to Jake, who appeared to be sweating profusely.
"Duran, you said that Grappler Pod launch was still operational, didn't you?" He asked, causing Jake to instantly refocus on the console.
"Yeah. It seems whatever DragonMage is doing to us is designed to only effect certain systems." He suddenly paused as his console beeped. "Sir, we've got a Grappler Pod launch on deck 19. Whoever activated it seems to have overridden standard lock-down procedures through the use of a fractal interception code."
"Melfina!!" Harry exclaimed, and in a rush of movement he was suddenly at the console. He quickly looked at Duran with a serious 'do as I tell you or you'll die' look. "Open a vid-comm channel, now!"
"But-"
"Just do it!!!" Harry said, aggression showing in his voice.
The vid-comm window appeared, Melfina's serene face floating in the center. Her hair, no longer held by the constraints of gravity, floated weightlessly above her shoulders.
"Melfina! Please, don't do this!!" Harry begged and pleaded.
"Harry, … I'm sorry, but I have to. I can't let all of you die. And…" She let her thought stop there, but Harry could tell by the tone in her voice that she was hiding something.
"What? What is it Melfina? Please, tell me!"
She was silent for a long moment, arms crossed over her chest in the same way as when she was in the tube on the Outlaw Star. When she did answer, there were gentle tears in her voice.
"Harry… the leyline… it's dying. I have to go, even if it means surrendering myself to them. I'm so sorry . . ." Her voice trailed off.
A tear ran down Harry's cheek.
"…I love you, Melfina." He said, voice low and hoarse with emotion.
"I know, Harry. Thank you… for everything."
With that, the vid-comm window flashed out of existence. Harry, leaning against the railing for support, suddenly just kneeled on the ground and wept in despair.
Moments later, the environmental systems came back on-line.
"Nanoprobes." Firestorm stated. The Outcast Legends, Bluestone, the McDougal brothers, and the remaining members of Jean's crew were all gathered in central engineering. Firestorm held in one hand a small glass vial. "We estimate over 6000 of them, their entering point being the missile bay of the El Dorado. There's over a hundred in this vial alone." She said, holding it up for everyone to see. A small cluster of what looked like black sand, probably not even the total size of a marble, sat on the bottom of the glass instrument. Firestorm continued. "Each one was designed with a separate set of computer instructions, like parts of a virus. It only took minutes for the virus parts to find each other and begin their reign of terror on our climate control and life support systems. So far, we've been able to extract at least 4000, but some of them are so deep into our hardware removing them will be like picking out individual grains of sand. For the moment, however, they appear to be deactivated."
"… This is all starting to make the dream come together." Bluestone spoke up suddenly. "Only Melfina isn't dead yet."
"If that DragonMage hurts her,…" Jean fumed, cracking his knuckles.
"He won't have the chance." Harry interjected. "Because I'm going to kill him first."
"OK, let's deal with the present in the present." Dawn Sword advised, then turned to look at Vapor. "Were we able to find out anything about the Dragon advancements of the PWD devices?"
"When one of the Leviathan cruisers opened it's docking bay for Melfina's Grappler Pod, we were able to get a short readout on the residual energy. From what I can tell, it shouldn't be too difficult for us to adjust our PWD devices to the same frequency."
"Get everyone on it ASAP. The ships are the primary responsibility, but also prepare twelve personal PWDs immediately. And get both the Outlaw Star and the El Dorado loaded onto one of our Nova cruisers STAT." He looked away. "If it's a final battle DragonMage wants, let's not keep him waiting. Suzuka, Jean, Jim, and Aisha; you four and the McDougal brothers are coming with the Outcast Legends and I. We're gonna end this war, once and for all."
"Sir, with all due respect," Bluestone interjected. "… I'd like to come along as well."
Dawn Sword looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
"Vapor, make that thirteen personal PWDs. As soon as modifications are done with all the Nova cruisers, we're going to the leyline. Tell the cruiser commanders to have engineering teams modify the Grappler Pods en route." He turned towards Ron McDougal. "Listen, we're gonna need a way in there. If you two have flight data from your trip to the leyline, we can feed it into the auto nav systems on the cruiser. That's our ticket in."
"You mean you know what happened to the leyline?" Ron inquired.
"Got moved to a remote location in the Durramus-Pylon sector. That's where we're headed." Dawn Sword stated. "Since the Outlaw Star is inoperable and the El Dorado may be target to sabotage if some of those nanoprobes are still crawling around, we're gonna have to take one of the smaller S-class cruisers in." He turned to NightShade. "NightShade, show Ronald McDougal where the Striker shells are kept. I want everyone as battle-ready as possible, because this is zero hour and it's all or nothing."
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DA' LIST
The characters that I own:
Dawn Sword AKA Collin Jeran
NightShade
Reaper
Backtrack
Vapor
Firestorm
Katrina Bluestone
DragonMage
The stuff I don't own:
Jean, Jim, Melfina, Suzuka, Harry McDougal, Ron McDougal, Gilliam, Aisha, the Outlaw Star, the El Dorado, Hazanka, the galactic leyline, Hitiriga (Cerpa), the Kai Pirates are all owned by the Outlaw Star TV anime, which I think should have been expanded by several more seasons and tons more episodes. Any OLS fan will agree with me.
The character Cameron is property of Eternal Studios. Go to