Chapter 11: The Slaughter
Several days passed, and the Saotome family slowly, sometimes painfully, adjusted to Akane's presence in their midst. Ka'Dalanis, by contrast, was rarely in attendance. She spent most of her hours helping X- Com researchers design and build the Regeneration Tank needed to keep Akane alive.
Ka'Dalanis stumbled across the lawn of the Saotome house. Her blue- gray skin was pale, a testament to her exhaustion. She had worked with the human scientists continuously for the past three days, and had only consented to come back to rest after mistaking the regeneration crystal as a power transformation crystal, something not even a trainee Healer would do. Even though it was dark, she could see a light on in the dojo. Exhausted, she walked to the door, barely noticing a large hole in the rice paper wall of the house and a human shaped imprint in the stone wall opposite. She opened the door to the dojo and saw Akane wearing a simple robe. She was reading a book by the light of a single lamp. Ka'Dalanis's foggy brain managed to do a general translation of the Japanese text on the book. It was something involving biology. [Why are you up so late?] asked Ka'Dalanis. [Healer!] To Akane, Ka'Dalanis's minded-voice sounded wan and thin. [Don't 'Healer' me, Akane,] replied Ka'Dalanis testily. [Why are you not in bed?] [I'm not sleepy.] [Whether you're sleepy or not isn't the issue! Look.] Ka'Dalanis went over to Akane and brushed at one of Akane's exposed shoulders. A small cloud of dust flew off and hung in the air. [See! That is your skin! The bonds that hold your cells together are eroding. The degeneration will continue, and affect your blood vessels, internal organs and nervous system. The only thing that affects it now is how much energy you expend. If you don't sleep, you expend more energy and you degenerate faster.] [I know.] Akane looked away. [I'm sorry.] There was a long pause. Through the floorboards, Akane felt Ka'Dalanis sit down on her own futon. [No, Akane, it is I who am sorry. I'm just tired and worried, both about our progress and your health.] [How are things going?] [Well, we were lucky in the fact that many parts we need we can get from the Aiur's Glory. Also, for basic repairs, we just need to get the regeneration crystals operational. However, there are two major concerns right now. One, is the regeneration fluid. The chemists do not have the proper materials to make it. They said they could 'do their best', but even if it works, it will be inferior to what we used before. Second, is power. We Protoss draw power from astral space through our Pylons. The humans have no such power systems. The only thing that could be thought of is running conventional power through the Aiur's Glory. The shuttle's Gravitic Drive should convert the electricity into energy usable by the Regen Tank, but the transmutation ratio will be horrendous. General Moroto has authorized the use of one of their backup fission plants.] Akane quailed at the thought of being plugged into a nuclear reactor. [Is it safe?] [It's not so much as it being safe, it's do we have any alternative.] [Oh.] There was a long silence. [How much longer?] [We're hoping another week, probably two.] There was another long pause. [And me? How much longer do I have?] [I.I'm not sure. It will be close, Akane, but I believe that if you do not exert yourself you should make it.] Neither spoke again for several minutes Akane finally broke the silence. [Dala, you should get some rest. You look exhausted.] Ka'Dalanis shook her head. [No, I can't. My mind is spinning with thoughts of my work. I need something to take my mind off of it. Tell me, how are you adapting to life here?] [Well.it would be better if I wasn't confined here. I'd like to see more of the city.] Ka'Dalanis's mind-voice was tinged with amusement. [No doubt! I am a similar prisoner to my work! What have you learned about the humans and their culture?] Akane struggled for the words needed to express the knowledge she had gleaned over the past several days. [I've observed several strange things over the past few days that confused me. One is the differentiation between the male and female roles in society.] [Such as?] [Generally, as the physically weaker sex, the female gets put in the role as caretaker. She sees to the operation of the home, and watches over their children. The male on the other hand, being physically superior, does, what Ranma called 'manly work,' whatever that means.] Ka'Dalanis's disdain at the notion was obvious. [However, Nabiki refuses to have anything to do with that convention. She told me that she would do laundry when 'hell freezes over.' In fact, she said that Nodoka usually does the laundry, which is considered 'women's work.'] [It's amazing your people evolved. They create a society, but their people are still full of internal strife. No wonder the humans had so many wars among their own kind. They can't agree on anything.] [I seem to remember reading about a civil war involving The Conclave against Templar Tassadar and the Dark Ones.] [Yes, and that was our second war in how many millennia? At least twenty.] [Yes, well.] [Oh, forget it, Akane. I seem to be bent on embarrassing you today. What else have you learned?] Akane hesitated for a moment before continuing. [Do you think that Nabiki and Ranma act.odd?] [How so?] [Well, they're very.close to one another. Always touching, they sleep in the same room, and a dozen other things. Doesn't that seem odd for a brother and sister?] Ka'Dalanis stared at her young charge. Akane still had not figured out that Nabiki and Ranma were mates? Surely she was not this dense. [Akane-] [After all, it's not like they can marry. She's been adopted by Nodoka.] Ka'Dalanis could not believe it. Akane was under a delusion of self denial. [Akane, why do you think that Nabiki has been adopted by Nodoka?] [It's obvious. Nodoka dotes on Nabiki like she's her long lost daughter. And Nabiki calls Nodoka 'Mom.'] Ka'Dalanis was too tired, and too scared to ask the obvious statement, 'But no one said that Nabiki was adopted.' Instead, Ka'Dalanis tried to guide Akane more subtly. [I'm sure a reason will become apparent if analyzed properly.] Then she lay down. [Good night, Akane. Could you turn out the light?] [Okay. Good night, Dala.]
Several days later. "My, that aroma sure smells interesting," commented Genma as he entered the room. "What are we having for lunch, Nodoka?" "I don't know, dear. Why don't you ask Akane? She cooked it." Genma paled. He turned to run, only find Ranma right behind him and Akane just beyond, a steely glare on her face. "If I have to sit through this," growled Ranma quietly, "so do you." Grabbing Genma, he pulled him to the table. Genma stared down at the table of food, large drops of sweat rolling down his square face. Steeling himself, he sat down at the table, the rest of the family following suit. Akane sat down carefully. Over the last week, moving around had become more and more painful. Ka'Dalanis explained that the cartilage between her joints was breaking down, and the fluid that lubricated the joints was leaking out, causing an effect similar to arthritis. Also, this morning, she had had a coughing fit in the bathroom. When she finished, she discovered that she had coughed up a frightening amount of blood. She healed her lungs by drawing energy from astral space, at the expense of the rest of her body, but at least now she did not have to worry about drowning in her own blood for the next few days. "Where's Nabiki?" asked Nodoka. "She said she had to pass on lunch for.medical reasons," replied Ranma. By his tone it was clear to everyone that he wished he could use the same excuse. [En Taro Adun, everyone.] Ka'Dalanis stepped into the room. "Hello Ka'Dalanis," replied Nodoka. "They finally let you out of the base again, I see," commented Genma. "Yeah, what are you working on over there, anyway?" asked Ranma. Ka'Dalanis paused, shooting a glance at the suddenly still Akane. [I'm helping them develop some Protoss medical technology I brought with me. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you more. General Moroto classified the project.] "Would you like to join us for lunch?" asked Nodoka. [Well, my people do not eat, but-] "Boy are you lucky," muttered Ranma. Akane's aura flared to life and she lifted a fist to send Ranma into the backyard. However, as she moved, her shoulder joint popped loudly. Akane's arm dropped to her side. She clutched her arm and whimpered in pain. "Akane!" exclaimed Ranma. "Are you okay?" [I'm fine.] "But-" [I said I'm fine!] She sent a private thought out to Ka'Dalanis. [Aren't I?] she asked, subdued. Ka'Dalanis was already doing a physical examination of Akane's shoulder. [You strained a ligament. You must be more careful! What did you think you were doing?] [I'm sorry. When he says things like that, I have a hard time controlling myself.] [Why?] [I.don't know. Many of my memories show that I spent a lot of my time hitting him. Maybe it's a long lost reflex.] Ka'Dalanis shook her head. [You were trained to control yourself better than this.] [I know,] Akane forlornly replied. "Well," said Nodoka briskly, "why don't we eat?" Both Ranma and Genma could think of plenty of reasons, but none they could politely voice. They took some of the food and looked at it. It seemed normal enough. They both glanced up at Akane, who was watching them. Maybe the Protoss had cured her of her horrible cooking. Looking apprehensively at the food in their chopsticks, they each took a deep breath, then put the food in their mouths. And slowly continued chewing, realizing that the toxic death they feared did not arrive. "This isn't so half bad," remarked Genma. Akane practically glowed. "Yeah," continued Ranma. "It just might be edible." [Just edible?! Why you ungrateful-!] exclaimed Akane, starting to glow blue once again. [Akane!] admonished Ka'Dalanis. Immediately, Akane calmed, her aura fading. [Sorry.] Just then, Nabiki stuck her head into the room. "Hi everyone, how's lunch?" They all jumped as sirens went off all over the Pasture, the massive cave system the civilians lived in. One of Nabiki's eyebrows rose. "That's my little sister, all right. Come on, Ranma, we'd better get to the base." Ranma struggled to his feet. "Hey, we're under house arrest, remember? We don't need to go anywhere." The phone started to ring. "A thousand yen says that's Command," bet Nabiki. Ranma shook his head in disgust. "No bet." Answering the phone, he said, "Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, Ranma Saotome speaking." "Captain Saotome, this is Command. You, Major Saotome, and CI* Saotome are needed at Pad C immediately." "Are the Zerg attacking us?" "Not us. They're attacking Japan: North." "Japan: North? But we-" Ranma stopped as Akane's mind-voice intruded. [But I want to help!] complained Akane. [Akane, you aren't fit to go into battle right now. You can't-] [I don't want to be sitting here doing nothing while there's a fight going on!] Ranma had an idea. Into the phone she said. "Will you be needing help with refugees?" "Absolutely." "Okay, we'll be sending a few people to help." "Roger. Send them to Section D-4." "Roger." Ranma hung up the phone and returned to the main room where the argument was getting more and more heated. "Nabiki, Pop, the two of you and I need to report to Pad C. Mom, could you, Akane, and Ka'Dalanis go to Section D-4? They're going to need help with refugees." "What's happening?" asked Nabiki. "The Zerg are attacking Japan: North." Nokoka gasped, while Genma cursed. Akane looked up at her caretaker. [I'm going to help.] It was not a question. Privately to Akane, Ka'Dalanis replied, [Akane, you must rest! Your body-] [I can take care of myself!] she declared. [I have to do *something*!] Resigned, Ka'Dalanis nodded. [All right. But only if you promise to be careful and not stress yourself.] Akane looked at Nodoka. [Let Dala and I get our armor on, then we'll go.]
Major Saotome, Captain Saotome, and the newly drafted and field- promoted Sergeant Saotome made their way swiftly through a valley near Japan: North. While the rest of the attack force was massing at the far end, the three Saotomes were doing reconnaissance. Edging up to the opening of the valley, they took out binoculars and peered through them. What they saw was not encouraging. In a hundred places, smoke rose through the many hidden entrances to Japan: North. Only a few Zerg could be seen, most of them being Overlords. Farther north, there was a huge column of smoke, the place where sat-scans showed the Zerg had broken through into the civilian areas. "Oh God," whispered Nabiki. "They've completely taken it." "We can't go in there," said Genma, his voice heavy with sorrow. "If we try to take on the Zerg in the base, they'll slaughter us." "Damn it!" Ranma punched a rock, which fractured and fell apart. "Now what the hell do we do?" Suddenly, a voice came over they're communicators. "This is Command to Major Saotome. Come in, Major Saotome." "Major Saotome, here." "Major, we've detected a large number of people coming out of the vehicle armory section in Sector 8. We're sending our forces there to cover their escape. Proceed there as quickly as possible. Command out." "Roger that. Let's go people."
The three Saotomes watched as the pitiful line of refugees made its way towards the waiting shuttles. "This is awful," said Nabiki quietly. "How many do you think there's been?" asked Ranma. "I'd say about two thousand so far," replied Genma. "Two thousand. Out of four hundred thousand." Nabiki's face looked pale. "I think I'm going to be sick." Ranma nodded. "You're not the only one feeling.wait a sec. Isn't that.?" Ranma grinned. "Hey, that's Ukyo! Ukyo! Over here!" Ranma waved. The dirty figure looked up and stared at Ranma in amazement. She broke from a walk to limping run. Practically falling into Ranma's arms, she began to weep uncontrollably. "U-chan?" Ranma asked in amazement. He could not believe what had happened to his best friend. Her X-Com uniform was torn and bloodstained in several places with both Zerg blood and her own. She had sustained a horrible cut on her left leg. It was bandaged, but he could see that it was still bleeding slightly. Her bandoleer of mini-spatulas was empty, and her large battle spatula was covered in slash marks. "U-chan, what happened?" asked Ranma. In a faltering voice, Ukyo answered. "They.they attacked from everywhere! All-all at once! We didn't have any warning at all! The people, dying everywhere.Zerg all around us.the blood.I couldn't kill them! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't kill them! They just kept coming-" Ukyo deteriorated into sobs. "It's okay U-chan, help's here. We'll take care of-" Ranma was interrupted and Ukyo began screaming hysterically. "Don't you get it?! You're not help, you're just fodder for the Zerg! When they get here, they'll kill all of us! Nothing can stop them, nothing! We've got to get out of here!" She began struggling, trying to break away from Ranma. "Got.to.run! They'll find us! We can't stop them! Let me go! They'll kill us all! Let.me.go! Have to get-!" Nabiki worked her way around behind Ukyo and touched her on the back of the neck. Ukyo's eyes glazed over and she collapsed, unconscious. "Thanks," said Ranma. "She needs to see a doctor." A few minutes later, Ukyo was being examined by a medic near the evacuation zone. "She's got cuts and bruises all over her. Except for the leg, they're not too bad. Several broken ribs, a minor concussion, probably internal injuries.what the hell?" "What?" "There's some sort of discoloration here." The medic cut the shirt away and rolled Ukyo on to her stomach. Flipping up the shirt, both the medic and Ranma swore. Just below her left shoulder blade, was a small mass of Zerg organic tissue. A single eye in the growth opened and stared back and forth at the two men. "A parasite," whispered the doctor. "Can you removed it?" Ranma asked in a sickened voice. "Yes, but it'll take several minutes, and the Zerg know we're here." "Yeah, I know." Activating his com-link he spoke to the commander of the attack force. "Sir, we've got a parasite. The Zerg know we're here." He heard several expletives from the other side. "Ranma, I want you and Major Saotome to cover the valley entrance with our marines. I've got some people constructing some hasty fortifications. I'll send Sergeant Saotome to protect the wounded. Out." "Roger that. Out." He relayed the orders to the rest of his family, then went to his post.
Ranma watched as the line of refugee stragglers continued from the ruins of Japan: North. The ones that could handle it were being urged into a run by marines posted along the path. The ones that could not were being carried by tanks. Dozens of people crowded over each massive vehicle that rumbled by the two bunkers. "It won't be long now," said Private Raguri Omoto. His voice was filled with barely suppressed tension. As though his words were a signal, a cry of alarm came over their communicators. "The Zerg are approaching from Sector 8!" "All units fall back to the valley. We will engage the Zerg at the perimeter." "But the refugees out there-" "Leave them! We have to protect the ones we have!" Above them on a ridge, several tanks in siege mode began to rain artillery down on the approaching Zerg. Human and alien alike were caught in massive explosions. The purple Zerglings began to die by the dozens, alongside their human victims. "They're killing them!" cried one soldier. "They don't have any choice!" declared Ranma. It made him sick to say it, but it was true. "We stay here and wait for them to come into range." The men watched as the Zerg forces close in. When they were in range. Ranma let loose with a powerful blue ki blast. It tore into the Zerglings, blasting them to pieces. A second green ki blast came from the bunker beside him, with a similar effect. "Hey Ranma, these Zerg don't seem any tougher to me," said Nabiki over her communicator. "Yeah, I know. I wonder what Ukyo was talking about?" For ten minutes, the battle was waged. Human losses were, thankfully, minimal. Eventually, there was a pause in the battle, and no more Zerg appeared. "That's it?" asked Private Omoto. "Nah. They've got to be planning something," said another. "What's the status on the evac?" Ranma asked. "We've got about five hundred left. Shuttles should be reaching the area within three minutes." "Here they come!" cried Omoto. About two dozen bone white Zerglings appeared. "That's it?" Ranma snorted. Building up his ki, he let loose with another blast. It hit them, scattering them like ten pins. "Great shot, sir!" "What can I say? When you've got it, you've-huh?" The Zerglings began to get to their feet. Shaking themselves, they charged. "What the hell?!" exclaimed Ranma. "Nabiki, looks like I'll need a hand on this one." "Gotcha." Twin beams of energy flew from the bunkers and slammed into the Zerg. Again they were scattered, but again they picked themselves up. More Zerglings joined them, followed by Hydralisks, all bone white. "We're in trouble," said Omoto. "Everyone, open fire! Now, do it!" ordered Nabiki. Destruction rained down from above, along with a hail of bullets from the bunkers, which was joined by Ranma and Nabiki's ki blasts. Zerg began to fall, but by and large the majority of the aliens were going to make it to the bunkers. "Command, we're under attack by some kind of Zerg we've never seen before!" cried Ranma. He jerked back as a Zerglings claw penetrated the bunker's armor. "They're stronger, faster and tougher than the regular troops! We can't hold them!" "What? Already? Dammit! Fall back! All units fall back to the evacuation zone! We'll pick you up when the shuttles get here." "What about the refugees?" There was a long silence. "I've been ordered to leave them." "You can't do that!" "I've got to save as many military personnel as I can in order to protect Japan: South. You have your orders, Captain." "Aye, sir."
The 'strategic withdrawal' was more of a panicked rout. Ranma and Nabiki were the only ones to make it back from their section. Ranma's friend, Raguri Omoto, had died detonating his belt of grenades killing several Zerg in the process. By the time Ranma and Nabiki got there, the shuttles were lifting off, carrying most of the surviving military forces. Two shuttles, empty because the people they were suppose to retrieve had died, took as many refugees as they could. One shuttle, overloaded and under fire, hit a wind shear as it tried to escape. It slammed into a cliff, exploding into a huge fireball. Ranma and Nabiki managed to jump up into the last shuttle as it was lifting off. They watched as the refugees still remaining on the ground cried up to them in fear. "Don't leave us!" "Save us!" "Where are you going?!" The couple could only watch as they lifted off. Col. Katsu Mitori came up to the pair. "Major, Command sent this. The General has one more job for you." He handed Nabiki a small diskette. Taking it, she listened to it's contents. Ranma watched as her face became a sickly gray color, and her hands started to shake. "Do you know what he's asking me to do?!" She demanded. Mitori nodded. "And you agree?" Again he nodded. "I don't believe this!" "You know he's right, Major." "But.but.!" "What?" asked a confused Ranma. "Later, Captain," replied the Colonel. "Major?" She stared at him, fighting an internal struggle. Finally, she deflated. "All right," she said weakly. "I'll do it." Mitori gave orders to the pilot of the shuttle. The shuttle slid to one side and the ramp opened. Nabiki jumped out onto a small cliff, which was several hundred meters away from the fight. "What the hell is going on?" demanded Ranma. "I'll tell you later," said Mitori. "I'm going with her!" Ranma moved to jump out. "No, you're not!" yelled Nabiki over the engine of the shuttle. Her voice held such deep conviction that it stopped him in his tracks. "Only one of us should have to suffer this," she said quietly. Nabiki vanished. The doors closed and the shuttle made its escape.
Nabiki looked down at the surviving refugees. The General was right. The Zerg were not killing them. They wanted the refugees so they could infest them. She watched as the bone white Zerg herded them into the end of the box canyon. Looking around she saw several bone white Mutalisks and Guardians fly over the valley. Nabiki sighed. Taking her targeting laser out, she went to set it under the barrel of her rifle. Her hand shook. She stared at them for several moments. Eventually, she got the laser on. Looking through her scope, she searched for the best target. Her sights settled on the group of refugees, the most central target. From there, the blast would radiate out, killing everything. Zooming in, she saw a young girl clutching the leg of her father. Nabiki could not hear, but she could see that she was crying, begging her father for something. Tears filled Nabiki's eyes and her finger fell away from the trigger. I can't! she thought. I can't do it! Then she thought of the future that the girl would face. She would be dragged off by the Zerg. Screaming with terror, she would be placed in a cocoon, where she would be slowly infused with the Zerg cells that would take over her mind and body. If she was lucky, she'd be a suicide infestation, where she would be used as a living bomb. If not, she'd be a spy. She'd try in infiltrate a base somewhere. That would be the most logical choice. The Cerebrates would not hesitate at using humanity's maternal instinct against itself. Opening her eyes she looked back down at the crying girl. Nabiki could not let the Zerg use her like that. Looking away, Nabiki pulled the trigger. The targeting laser shot out set the target. Minutes passed as the nuclear missile traveled the distance between Japan: South and her position. A low roar filled the air. Nabiki looked back and saw the missile fly over and turn down towards the valley. Her laser shut off. Through her shielded goggles, she watched the girl look up and scream in terror as she realized what was going to happen. She clutched her father closely, burying her face in his clothes. Don't watch. Don't watch. Don't watch. The thought repeated itself in her mind like a litany, but Nabiki had to look. She owed it to the little girl who was about to die. Don't watch. Don't watch. Don't watch. Nabiki watched. The missile hit, and her vision was filled with light. When it was over there was no life in the valley except Nabiki. All the Zerg had been killed, as had the refugees. Numbly, Nabiki turned and ran to meet her pickup shuttle at it's extraction zone.
"Yes. Good. Thank you." Lieutenant Harper put down the phone and stared at it like it was the first time she had seen a phone in her life. Staring, staring. She jumped as the cuckoo clock, a gift her grandfather gave her before the war, chimed the quarter hour. She had been staring at the phone for several minutes. Getting up, she walked to General Moroto's door. Knocking once, she entered. "Sir, Colonel Mitori reports the operation was a success, and sat- scans confirm it. The Zerg have been destroyed." "Very good, Lieutenant. Thank you." "Sir-?" "Dismissed, Lieutenant." "Yes sir," she whispered. Lieutenant Harper returned to her desk. She stared down at the paperwork before her. She had a lot of work to do. Deanna folded her hands on the desk, put her head in her arms and cried.
General Moroto sat at his desk, staring at the amber liquid of his whiskey. He swirled it around in his glass a few times, trying to lose himself in its fiery depths. Closing his eyes, he searched back through his memory, remembering all the wars, all the scenes of carnage he'd never forget, all the corpses of women and children he'd seen. And now he'd committed an atrocity not done by human hands since the second World War. He was jerked out of his reverie by the sound of breaking glass and a lancing pain in his hand. His glass had shattered in his grip, piercing his soft skin. He was about to call to Lieutenant Harper to get a doctor, but decided to let it bleed for awhile. He decided to let himself suffer. It was the least he could do.
The very least.
End Chapter 11
*CI = Civilian Instructor
Several days passed, and the Saotome family slowly, sometimes painfully, adjusted to Akane's presence in their midst. Ka'Dalanis, by contrast, was rarely in attendance. She spent most of her hours helping X- Com researchers design and build the Regeneration Tank needed to keep Akane alive.
Ka'Dalanis stumbled across the lawn of the Saotome house. Her blue- gray skin was pale, a testament to her exhaustion. She had worked with the human scientists continuously for the past three days, and had only consented to come back to rest after mistaking the regeneration crystal as a power transformation crystal, something not even a trainee Healer would do. Even though it was dark, she could see a light on in the dojo. Exhausted, she walked to the door, barely noticing a large hole in the rice paper wall of the house and a human shaped imprint in the stone wall opposite. She opened the door to the dojo and saw Akane wearing a simple robe. She was reading a book by the light of a single lamp. Ka'Dalanis's foggy brain managed to do a general translation of the Japanese text on the book. It was something involving biology. [Why are you up so late?] asked Ka'Dalanis. [Healer!] To Akane, Ka'Dalanis's minded-voice sounded wan and thin. [Don't 'Healer' me, Akane,] replied Ka'Dalanis testily. [Why are you not in bed?] [I'm not sleepy.] [Whether you're sleepy or not isn't the issue! Look.] Ka'Dalanis went over to Akane and brushed at one of Akane's exposed shoulders. A small cloud of dust flew off and hung in the air. [See! That is your skin! The bonds that hold your cells together are eroding. The degeneration will continue, and affect your blood vessels, internal organs and nervous system. The only thing that affects it now is how much energy you expend. If you don't sleep, you expend more energy and you degenerate faster.] [I know.] Akane looked away. [I'm sorry.] There was a long pause. Through the floorboards, Akane felt Ka'Dalanis sit down on her own futon. [No, Akane, it is I who am sorry. I'm just tired and worried, both about our progress and your health.] [How are things going?] [Well, we were lucky in the fact that many parts we need we can get from the Aiur's Glory. Also, for basic repairs, we just need to get the regeneration crystals operational. However, there are two major concerns right now. One, is the regeneration fluid. The chemists do not have the proper materials to make it. They said they could 'do their best', but even if it works, it will be inferior to what we used before. Second, is power. We Protoss draw power from astral space through our Pylons. The humans have no such power systems. The only thing that could be thought of is running conventional power through the Aiur's Glory. The shuttle's Gravitic Drive should convert the electricity into energy usable by the Regen Tank, but the transmutation ratio will be horrendous. General Moroto has authorized the use of one of their backup fission plants.] Akane quailed at the thought of being plugged into a nuclear reactor. [Is it safe?] [It's not so much as it being safe, it's do we have any alternative.] [Oh.] There was a long silence. [How much longer?] [We're hoping another week, probably two.] There was another long pause. [And me? How much longer do I have?] [I.I'm not sure. It will be close, Akane, but I believe that if you do not exert yourself you should make it.] Neither spoke again for several minutes Akane finally broke the silence. [Dala, you should get some rest. You look exhausted.] Ka'Dalanis shook her head. [No, I can't. My mind is spinning with thoughts of my work. I need something to take my mind off of it. Tell me, how are you adapting to life here?] [Well.it would be better if I wasn't confined here. I'd like to see more of the city.] Ka'Dalanis's mind-voice was tinged with amusement. [No doubt! I am a similar prisoner to my work! What have you learned about the humans and their culture?] Akane struggled for the words needed to express the knowledge she had gleaned over the past several days. [I've observed several strange things over the past few days that confused me. One is the differentiation between the male and female roles in society.] [Such as?] [Generally, as the physically weaker sex, the female gets put in the role as caretaker. She sees to the operation of the home, and watches over their children. The male on the other hand, being physically superior, does, what Ranma called 'manly work,' whatever that means.] Ka'Dalanis's disdain at the notion was obvious. [However, Nabiki refuses to have anything to do with that convention. She told me that she would do laundry when 'hell freezes over.' In fact, she said that Nodoka usually does the laundry, which is considered 'women's work.'] [It's amazing your people evolved. They create a society, but their people are still full of internal strife. No wonder the humans had so many wars among their own kind. They can't agree on anything.] [I seem to remember reading about a civil war involving The Conclave against Templar Tassadar and the Dark Ones.] [Yes, and that was our second war in how many millennia? At least twenty.] [Yes, well.] [Oh, forget it, Akane. I seem to be bent on embarrassing you today. What else have you learned?] Akane hesitated for a moment before continuing. [Do you think that Nabiki and Ranma act.odd?] [How so?] [Well, they're very.close to one another. Always touching, they sleep in the same room, and a dozen other things. Doesn't that seem odd for a brother and sister?] Ka'Dalanis stared at her young charge. Akane still had not figured out that Nabiki and Ranma were mates? Surely she was not this dense. [Akane-] [After all, it's not like they can marry. She's been adopted by Nodoka.] Ka'Dalanis could not believe it. Akane was under a delusion of self denial. [Akane, why do you think that Nabiki has been adopted by Nodoka?] [It's obvious. Nodoka dotes on Nabiki like she's her long lost daughter. And Nabiki calls Nodoka 'Mom.'] Ka'Dalanis was too tired, and too scared to ask the obvious statement, 'But no one said that Nabiki was adopted.' Instead, Ka'Dalanis tried to guide Akane more subtly. [I'm sure a reason will become apparent if analyzed properly.] Then she lay down. [Good night, Akane. Could you turn out the light?] [Okay. Good night, Dala.]
Several days later. "My, that aroma sure smells interesting," commented Genma as he entered the room. "What are we having for lunch, Nodoka?" "I don't know, dear. Why don't you ask Akane? She cooked it." Genma paled. He turned to run, only find Ranma right behind him and Akane just beyond, a steely glare on her face. "If I have to sit through this," growled Ranma quietly, "so do you." Grabbing Genma, he pulled him to the table. Genma stared down at the table of food, large drops of sweat rolling down his square face. Steeling himself, he sat down at the table, the rest of the family following suit. Akane sat down carefully. Over the last week, moving around had become more and more painful. Ka'Dalanis explained that the cartilage between her joints was breaking down, and the fluid that lubricated the joints was leaking out, causing an effect similar to arthritis. Also, this morning, she had had a coughing fit in the bathroom. When she finished, she discovered that she had coughed up a frightening amount of blood. She healed her lungs by drawing energy from astral space, at the expense of the rest of her body, but at least now she did not have to worry about drowning in her own blood for the next few days. "Where's Nabiki?" asked Nodoka. "She said she had to pass on lunch for.medical reasons," replied Ranma. By his tone it was clear to everyone that he wished he could use the same excuse. [En Taro Adun, everyone.] Ka'Dalanis stepped into the room. "Hello Ka'Dalanis," replied Nodoka. "They finally let you out of the base again, I see," commented Genma. "Yeah, what are you working on over there, anyway?" asked Ranma. Ka'Dalanis paused, shooting a glance at the suddenly still Akane. [I'm helping them develop some Protoss medical technology I brought with me. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you more. General Moroto classified the project.] "Would you like to join us for lunch?" asked Nodoka. [Well, my people do not eat, but-] "Boy are you lucky," muttered Ranma. Akane's aura flared to life and she lifted a fist to send Ranma into the backyard. However, as she moved, her shoulder joint popped loudly. Akane's arm dropped to her side. She clutched her arm and whimpered in pain. "Akane!" exclaimed Ranma. "Are you okay?" [I'm fine.] "But-" [I said I'm fine!] She sent a private thought out to Ka'Dalanis. [Aren't I?] she asked, subdued. Ka'Dalanis was already doing a physical examination of Akane's shoulder. [You strained a ligament. You must be more careful! What did you think you were doing?] [I'm sorry. When he says things like that, I have a hard time controlling myself.] [Why?] [I.don't know. Many of my memories show that I spent a lot of my time hitting him. Maybe it's a long lost reflex.] Ka'Dalanis shook her head. [You were trained to control yourself better than this.] [I know,] Akane forlornly replied. "Well," said Nodoka briskly, "why don't we eat?" Both Ranma and Genma could think of plenty of reasons, but none they could politely voice. They took some of the food and looked at it. It seemed normal enough. They both glanced up at Akane, who was watching them. Maybe the Protoss had cured her of her horrible cooking. Looking apprehensively at the food in their chopsticks, they each took a deep breath, then put the food in their mouths. And slowly continued chewing, realizing that the toxic death they feared did not arrive. "This isn't so half bad," remarked Genma. Akane practically glowed. "Yeah," continued Ranma. "It just might be edible." [Just edible?! Why you ungrateful-!] exclaimed Akane, starting to glow blue once again. [Akane!] admonished Ka'Dalanis. Immediately, Akane calmed, her aura fading. [Sorry.] Just then, Nabiki stuck her head into the room. "Hi everyone, how's lunch?" They all jumped as sirens went off all over the Pasture, the massive cave system the civilians lived in. One of Nabiki's eyebrows rose. "That's my little sister, all right. Come on, Ranma, we'd better get to the base." Ranma struggled to his feet. "Hey, we're under house arrest, remember? We don't need to go anywhere." The phone started to ring. "A thousand yen says that's Command," bet Nabiki. Ranma shook his head in disgust. "No bet." Answering the phone, he said, "Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, Ranma Saotome speaking." "Captain Saotome, this is Command. You, Major Saotome, and CI* Saotome are needed at Pad C immediately." "Are the Zerg attacking us?" "Not us. They're attacking Japan: North." "Japan: North? But we-" Ranma stopped as Akane's mind-voice intruded. [But I want to help!] complained Akane. [Akane, you aren't fit to go into battle right now. You can't-] [I don't want to be sitting here doing nothing while there's a fight going on!] Ranma had an idea. Into the phone she said. "Will you be needing help with refugees?" "Absolutely." "Okay, we'll be sending a few people to help." "Roger. Send them to Section D-4." "Roger." Ranma hung up the phone and returned to the main room where the argument was getting more and more heated. "Nabiki, Pop, the two of you and I need to report to Pad C. Mom, could you, Akane, and Ka'Dalanis go to Section D-4? They're going to need help with refugees." "What's happening?" asked Nabiki. "The Zerg are attacking Japan: North." Nokoka gasped, while Genma cursed. Akane looked up at her caretaker. [I'm going to help.] It was not a question. Privately to Akane, Ka'Dalanis replied, [Akane, you must rest! Your body-] [I can take care of myself!] she declared. [I have to do *something*!] Resigned, Ka'Dalanis nodded. [All right. But only if you promise to be careful and not stress yourself.] Akane looked at Nodoka. [Let Dala and I get our armor on, then we'll go.]
Major Saotome, Captain Saotome, and the newly drafted and field- promoted Sergeant Saotome made their way swiftly through a valley near Japan: North. While the rest of the attack force was massing at the far end, the three Saotomes were doing reconnaissance. Edging up to the opening of the valley, they took out binoculars and peered through them. What they saw was not encouraging. In a hundred places, smoke rose through the many hidden entrances to Japan: North. Only a few Zerg could be seen, most of them being Overlords. Farther north, there was a huge column of smoke, the place where sat-scans showed the Zerg had broken through into the civilian areas. "Oh God," whispered Nabiki. "They've completely taken it." "We can't go in there," said Genma, his voice heavy with sorrow. "If we try to take on the Zerg in the base, they'll slaughter us." "Damn it!" Ranma punched a rock, which fractured and fell apart. "Now what the hell do we do?" Suddenly, a voice came over they're communicators. "This is Command to Major Saotome. Come in, Major Saotome." "Major Saotome, here." "Major, we've detected a large number of people coming out of the vehicle armory section in Sector 8. We're sending our forces there to cover their escape. Proceed there as quickly as possible. Command out." "Roger that. Let's go people."
The three Saotomes watched as the pitiful line of refugees made its way towards the waiting shuttles. "This is awful," said Nabiki quietly. "How many do you think there's been?" asked Ranma. "I'd say about two thousand so far," replied Genma. "Two thousand. Out of four hundred thousand." Nabiki's face looked pale. "I think I'm going to be sick." Ranma nodded. "You're not the only one feeling.wait a sec. Isn't that.?" Ranma grinned. "Hey, that's Ukyo! Ukyo! Over here!" Ranma waved. The dirty figure looked up and stared at Ranma in amazement. She broke from a walk to limping run. Practically falling into Ranma's arms, she began to weep uncontrollably. "U-chan?" Ranma asked in amazement. He could not believe what had happened to his best friend. Her X-Com uniform was torn and bloodstained in several places with both Zerg blood and her own. She had sustained a horrible cut on her left leg. It was bandaged, but he could see that it was still bleeding slightly. Her bandoleer of mini-spatulas was empty, and her large battle spatula was covered in slash marks. "U-chan, what happened?" asked Ranma. In a faltering voice, Ukyo answered. "They.they attacked from everywhere! All-all at once! We didn't have any warning at all! The people, dying everywhere.Zerg all around us.the blood.I couldn't kill them! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't kill them! They just kept coming-" Ukyo deteriorated into sobs. "It's okay U-chan, help's here. We'll take care of-" Ranma was interrupted and Ukyo began screaming hysterically. "Don't you get it?! You're not help, you're just fodder for the Zerg! When they get here, they'll kill all of us! Nothing can stop them, nothing! We've got to get out of here!" She began struggling, trying to break away from Ranma. "Got.to.run! They'll find us! We can't stop them! Let me go! They'll kill us all! Let.me.go! Have to get-!" Nabiki worked her way around behind Ukyo and touched her on the back of the neck. Ukyo's eyes glazed over and she collapsed, unconscious. "Thanks," said Ranma. "She needs to see a doctor." A few minutes later, Ukyo was being examined by a medic near the evacuation zone. "She's got cuts and bruises all over her. Except for the leg, they're not too bad. Several broken ribs, a minor concussion, probably internal injuries.what the hell?" "What?" "There's some sort of discoloration here." The medic cut the shirt away and rolled Ukyo on to her stomach. Flipping up the shirt, both the medic and Ranma swore. Just below her left shoulder blade, was a small mass of Zerg organic tissue. A single eye in the growth opened and stared back and forth at the two men. "A parasite," whispered the doctor. "Can you removed it?" Ranma asked in a sickened voice. "Yes, but it'll take several minutes, and the Zerg know we're here." "Yeah, I know." Activating his com-link he spoke to the commander of the attack force. "Sir, we've got a parasite. The Zerg know we're here." He heard several expletives from the other side. "Ranma, I want you and Major Saotome to cover the valley entrance with our marines. I've got some people constructing some hasty fortifications. I'll send Sergeant Saotome to protect the wounded. Out." "Roger that. Out." He relayed the orders to the rest of his family, then went to his post.
Ranma watched as the line of refugee stragglers continued from the ruins of Japan: North. The ones that could handle it were being urged into a run by marines posted along the path. The ones that could not were being carried by tanks. Dozens of people crowded over each massive vehicle that rumbled by the two bunkers. "It won't be long now," said Private Raguri Omoto. His voice was filled with barely suppressed tension. As though his words were a signal, a cry of alarm came over their communicators. "The Zerg are approaching from Sector 8!" "All units fall back to the valley. We will engage the Zerg at the perimeter." "But the refugees out there-" "Leave them! We have to protect the ones we have!" Above them on a ridge, several tanks in siege mode began to rain artillery down on the approaching Zerg. Human and alien alike were caught in massive explosions. The purple Zerglings began to die by the dozens, alongside their human victims. "They're killing them!" cried one soldier. "They don't have any choice!" declared Ranma. It made him sick to say it, but it was true. "We stay here and wait for them to come into range." The men watched as the Zerg forces close in. When they were in range. Ranma let loose with a powerful blue ki blast. It tore into the Zerglings, blasting them to pieces. A second green ki blast came from the bunker beside him, with a similar effect. "Hey Ranma, these Zerg don't seem any tougher to me," said Nabiki over her communicator. "Yeah, I know. I wonder what Ukyo was talking about?" For ten minutes, the battle was waged. Human losses were, thankfully, minimal. Eventually, there was a pause in the battle, and no more Zerg appeared. "That's it?" asked Private Omoto. "Nah. They've got to be planning something," said another. "What's the status on the evac?" Ranma asked. "We've got about five hundred left. Shuttles should be reaching the area within three minutes." "Here they come!" cried Omoto. About two dozen bone white Zerglings appeared. "That's it?" Ranma snorted. Building up his ki, he let loose with another blast. It hit them, scattering them like ten pins. "Great shot, sir!" "What can I say? When you've got it, you've-huh?" The Zerglings began to get to their feet. Shaking themselves, they charged. "What the hell?!" exclaimed Ranma. "Nabiki, looks like I'll need a hand on this one." "Gotcha." Twin beams of energy flew from the bunkers and slammed into the Zerg. Again they were scattered, but again they picked themselves up. More Zerglings joined them, followed by Hydralisks, all bone white. "We're in trouble," said Omoto. "Everyone, open fire! Now, do it!" ordered Nabiki. Destruction rained down from above, along with a hail of bullets from the bunkers, which was joined by Ranma and Nabiki's ki blasts. Zerg began to fall, but by and large the majority of the aliens were going to make it to the bunkers. "Command, we're under attack by some kind of Zerg we've never seen before!" cried Ranma. He jerked back as a Zerglings claw penetrated the bunker's armor. "They're stronger, faster and tougher than the regular troops! We can't hold them!" "What? Already? Dammit! Fall back! All units fall back to the evacuation zone! We'll pick you up when the shuttles get here." "What about the refugees?" There was a long silence. "I've been ordered to leave them." "You can't do that!" "I've got to save as many military personnel as I can in order to protect Japan: South. You have your orders, Captain." "Aye, sir."
The 'strategic withdrawal' was more of a panicked rout. Ranma and Nabiki were the only ones to make it back from their section. Ranma's friend, Raguri Omoto, had died detonating his belt of grenades killing several Zerg in the process. By the time Ranma and Nabiki got there, the shuttles were lifting off, carrying most of the surviving military forces. Two shuttles, empty because the people they were suppose to retrieve had died, took as many refugees as they could. One shuttle, overloaded and under fire, hit a wind shear as it tried to escape. It slammed into a cliff, exploding into a huge fireball. Ranma and Nabiki managed to jump up into the last shuttle as it was lifting off. They watched as the refugees still remaining on the ground cried up to them in fear. "Don't leave us!" "Save us!" "Where are you going?!" The couple could only watch as they lifted off. Col. Katsu Mitori came up to the pair. "Major, Command sent this. The General has one more job for you." He handed Nabiki a small diskette. Taking it, she listened to it's contents. Ranma watched as her face became a sickly gray color, and her hands started to shake. "Do you know what he's asking me to do?!" She demanded. Mitori nodded. "And you agree?" Again he nodded. "I don't believe this!" "You know he's right, Major." "But.but.!" "What?" asked a confused Ranma. "Later, Captain," replied the Colonel. "Major?" She stared at him, fighting an internal struggle. Finally, she deflated. "All right," she said weakly. "I'll do it." Mitori gave orders to the pilot of the shuttle. The shuttle slid to one side and the ramp opened. Nabiki jumped out onto a small cliff, which was several hundred meters away from the fight. "What the hell is going on?" demanded Ranma. "I'll tell you later," said Mitori. "I'm going with her!" Ranma moved to jump out. "No, you're not!" yelled Nabiki over the engine of the shuttle. Her voice held such deep conviction that it stopped him in his tracks. "Only one of us should have to suffer this," she said quietly. Nabiki vanished. The doors closed and the shuttle made its escape.
Nabiki looked down at the surviving refugees. The General was right. The Zerg were not killing them. They wanted the refugees so they could infest them. She watched as the bone white Zerg herded them into the end of the box canyon. Looking around she saw several bone white Mutalisks and Guardians fly over the valley. Nabiki sighed. Taking her targeting laser out, she went to set it under the barrel of her rifle. Her hand shook. She stared at them for several moments. Eventually, she got the laser on. Looking through her scope, she searched for the best target. Her sights settled on the group of refugees, the most central target. From there, the blast would radiate out, killing everything. Zooming in, she saw a young girl clutching the leg of her father. Nabiki could not hear, but she could see that she was crying, begging her father for something. Tears filled Nabiki's eyes and her finger fell away from the trigger. I can't! she thought. I can't do it! Then she thought of the future that the girl would face. She would be dragged off by the Zerg. Screaming with terror, she would be placed in a cocoon, where she would be slowly infused with the Zerg cells that would take over her mind and body. If she was lucky, she'd be a suicide infestation, where she would be used as a living bomb. If not, she'd be a spy. She'd try in infiltrate a base somewhere. That would be the most logical choice. The Cerebrates would not hesitate at using humanity's maternal instinct against itself. Opening her eyes she looked back down at the crying girl. Nabiki could not let the Zerg use her like that. Looking away, Nabiki pulled the trigger. The targeting laser shot out set the target. Minutes passed as the nuclear missile traveled the distance between Japan: South and her position. A low roar filled the air. Nabiki looked back and saw the missile fly over and turn down towards the valley. Her laser shut off. Through her shielded goggles, she watched the girl look up and scream in terror as she realized what was going to happen. She clutched her father closely, burying her face in his clothes. Don't watch. Don't watch. Don't watch. The thought repeated itself in her mind like a litany, but Nabiki had to look. She owed it to the little girl who was about to die. Don't watch. Don't watch. Don't watch. Nabiki watched. The missile hit, and her vision was filled with light. When it was over there was no life in the valley except Nabiki. All the Zerg had been killed, as had the refugees. Numbly, Nabiki turned and ran to meet her pickup shuttle at it's extraction zone.
"Yes. Good. Thank you." Lieutenant Harper put down the phone and stared at it like it was the first time she had seen a phone in her life. Staring, staring. She jumped as the cuckoo clock, a gift her grandfather gave her before the war, chimed the quarter hour. She had been staring at the phone for several minutes. Getting up, she walked to General Moroto's door. Knocking once, she entered. "Sir, Colonel Mitori reports the operation was a success, and sat- scans confirm it. The Zerg have been destroyed." "Very good, Lieutenant. Thank you." "Sir-?" "Dismissed, Lieutenant." "Yes sir," she whispered. Lieutenant Harper returned to her desk. She stared down at the paperwork before her. She had a lot of work to do. Deanna folded her hands on the desk, put her head in her arms and cried.
General Moroto sat at his desk, staring at the amber liquid of his whiskey. He swirled it around in his glass a few times, trying to lose himself in its fiery depths. Closing his eyes, he searched back through his memory, remembering all the wars, all the scenes of carnage he'd never forget, all the corpses of women and children he'd seen. And now he'd committed an atrocity not done by human hands since the second World War. He was jerked out of his reverie by the sound of breaking glass and a lancing pain in his hand. His glass had shattered in his grip, piercing his soft skin. He was about to call to Lieutenant Harper to get a doctor, but decided to let it bleed for awhile. He decided to let himself suffer. It was the least he could do.
The very least.
End Chapter 11
*CI = Civilian Instructor