A/N: Have I mentioned lately that sickness is not fun? + Well, right now I feel more up to writing than I have all week (read: I'm on medicine right now and my head actually doesn't want to go to sleep for once (for the moment at least)), therefore I shall get started. Well, I'm sorry. I promised raping of plot, but the more I think about it, it seems more like this story is mostly character development and slow moving plot. Yeah, we'll finally get away from Somenolenthe (ROAD TRIP!!!) But they'll have some traveling time until they get to where they're going, but not much traveling time. Not any actually travel in this one, next one, yes. This one was just getting kind of long, so I cut it off where the traveling is about to start, so… yeah. Yeah, I'm in the undercooked area of the outline of the story, and I'm kind of winging it here, but you'll all still be here, right? Anyway, I plan on fleshing out some people, people that I wouldn't like fleshing out, but it needs to be done. Anyway, I'll try to get this done as soon as I can, with the same quality as before, but don't sweat it if it isn't. This is pulling on my mind and I'm sick. Okay, with that all said, I would like to warn you to keep your attention up during the first part of this. There will be the explanation of the connection between Ninlan and Ancient Mars and Jupiter. And some highlights into the devastation of the two said civilizations. All right, let's get going now.

~*~

"Of course. How could I not even remember this? Such a vital piece of the puzzle has been under our noses this whole time. Amazing, the tricks our minds and the Gods play on us." Inez pushed her glasses up and scanned the page in Rumiko's book again. "Yes, it's perfect. It makes perfect sense." They were sitting in the guest lounge, mostly so Rumiko could get a first impression of the interior of the ship, instead of the Strategy Room.

Akatsuki ran a hand through his hair. "But, how could it? I mean, I understand the fact that most of Nergal technology was first invented by the Ancient Martians, but how did it get back here?"

Inez was still gushing over the find of the Ninlandish man. "It explains how I knew so much about the technology when it was discovered. How I discovered the secrets of the PT Engine at the age of sixteen. Wonderful."

"I still don't understand, how could a random engine called the 'Infinity Engine' in Rumiko's book have anything to do with the Nadesico?" cried Yurika, tired of being ignored.

Rumiko cleared his throat, ready to explain this part. "Ninlan was part of the 'alliance' between Five Empires: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Ninlan. In the year 225, Empress Juveus of Mars showed the other rulers the breakthroughs in since over the past fifty years, as Mars was the empire focused on technology and scientific study. The other empires got started manufacturing the weapons, engines and shield generators right away."

Yurika's jaw dropped. "The PT Engine, the Distortion Field Generator, the Gravity Blast Cannon, the Boson Jump Computer…" Inez smirked. "And the PT Cannon."

Rumiko nodded solemnly. "That's what you Earth-aligned folk call them. We call them the Infinity Engine, the Shield-Barrier Generator, the Supernova Cannon, the TST Calculator and the…" he trailed off, swallowing hard and curling his hands into prayer-position, "Apocalypse Cannon," he murmured quickly, as if spitting the words out.

Akatsuki rubbed his hands together, as if he just found a delicious steak dinner. "Does this mean there's a Jump Computer on Ninlan somewhere?" Inez glared at him.

"No," answered Inez, Yurika, and Rumiko in unison. Rumiko glared at the women before turning away to face Akatsuki again. "No. It's impossible to duplicate the TST Calculator." Yurika raised her eyebrows. "TST?"

Inez nodded. "It stands of Time-Space Teleportation, or what we call Boson Jumping." Rumiko rolled his eyes, as if Yurika should have known something so simple. "Anyway… They sent us all the finished products, so we could make copies of them, but Ninlan thought the Shield-Barrier Generators were much more useful than weapons, as we were a magic powerhouse, and it was our greatest weapon."

Inez nodded. "Just as there are unmanned weapon factories on Jupiter, but nowhere else. If I remember correctly, Jupiter was an industrial state, yes?" Rumiko nodded. "My Lady's memory is perfect. As Jupiter focused on the Soulless Warriors, we focused on Barriers and Barrier systems. When Magus rose to power over the corrupted elemental Gods in 240, near the end of the Martian-Jupiterian War, He announced that we would create a Barrier system so powerful, it would cover the entire planet in a shell that would not let us use the forbidden machines in our atmosphere. The forbidden machines being those that caused the War, that Mars created. No artificial mages would be made, no Teleporting would take place. Nothing."

Akatsuki sighed. "In other words, we're stuck here, because our ships runs off PT Engines, and we need to Jump back to Earth." Inez shook her head. "No, I'm sure there's a way to turn it off."

"There is," Rumiko stated, bringing relief to the others. "But only the First Priest of Magus, a person chosen by Magus Himself, can shut the system down." Yurika was rejuvenated. "Where can we find this guy? No offense, but I can't WAIT to go home!"

Rumiko bit his lip. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. The First Priest of Magus is in Carmina, the capital city, but… it's a month's walk away."

The three crewmembers of the Nadesico laughed. "A month's walk is a day and a half's walk on Aestivalis. And those certainly work, or we would have heard about it already from Uribatake!" announced Akatsuki, highly amused at Rumiko's distress at the distance.

Inez crossed her arms and leaned back into the seat. "The only thing that concerns me is how will we get everyone we need there? We can fit, maybe, three full-grown adults in one Aestivalis cockpit, INCLUDING the pilot. Not to mention we don't have enough Aestivalises to begin with!"

A communications window popped open with a beep, making Yurika jump. Akatsuki narrowed his gaze into a glare. "I thought these meetings were supposed to be confidential?"

Uribatake, in the window, gave them a thumbs-up. "Not with Omoikane at the Security controls!" Omoikane flashed on and gave them a victory sign with his hands before flashing away again. "Anyway, I assure you, we have enough Aestis! We only need, like, ten, right? Well, we sort of built two extra from our spare parts, and we already had one spare, so we have enough, exactly ten!"

Yurika smiled. "So the only problem is deciding who will stay and who will go!" Another communications window popped up, only this time showing Mr. Prospector working his computer like mad. "That problem is solved as well, Kanchou. If all our regular pilots work the Aestivalises, and Rumiko-san and yourself as well, we can take the main bridge crew, the culinary officers, and most of the support staff!" He held up his calculator, as if the numbers would make any sense to those in the Guest Lounge.

Inez twitched an eyebrow. This is not what she wanted. Sure, it was great that Rumiko found out why the Nadesico couldn't leave, but the education of the crew's mages counted on them being here. And not leaving until it was time. Being assured that they could leave now did nothing to help Inez's case on trying to get them to stay until they were done learning what she learned as a girl, with Empress Juveus as her teacher.

Rumiko's face was paler than normal. "Me? Pilot an… a giant ROBOT?" Akatsuki guffawed; the look on Rumiko's face was priceless. "I think we better inform someone that Rumiko doesn't know how to make an Aesti walk!" Inez nodded, taking this suggestion seriously. She put in two communication codes into her wristband. "Hikaru, Ryoko, could you come down here please? We need Rumiko able to work an Aestivalis as soon as possible."

Rumiko crossed his arms and looked indignant, his face getting red with anger and embarrassment. "I'm sure I can pilot it. It can't be too hard." Yurika smiled. "I'm sure you can too." Akatsuki smirked. "Easier said than done."

~*~

Ryoko rubbed her temples. It was hard enough having to teach Akito how to use an Aestivalis properly. But Rumiko was just a pain in the ass. He'd insist he had it, but he'd really just fall down and sprain something. He'd already sprained both of his wrists, his neck, and his left ankle.

Rumiko rubbed his right wrist with his other hand, knowing his pale face was flushed with embarrassment. 'Well, can't always assume that things that are easy to the students will be easy for the teacher. But why the hell can't I even walk in this thing?'

Once again, Hikaru's yellow Aesti stepped over to Rumiko's spare vermilion one. "Need help to stand?" she asked, her face appearing in a window in front of his face. Rumiko's eyebrows snapped together, and he was about retort that it was fine, he could do it himself, but he caught himself. The last time he said that, he took out about seven trees and landed on his right hand. He sighed and nodded, placing his hands back on the surfaces in front of him. "Please."

Ryoko smirked. "Heh. Seems that Rumiko-san is starting to remember that we're the professionals this time." The red and yellow robots flanked the vermilion one and lifted it up by its arms. When they were sure it was steady and balanced, they let go. The Aesti didn't move an inch. Hikaru giggled. "Wow, Rumiko-san hasn't fallen on his ass yet." Rumiko glared at her window. "Now now, Rumiko-san. Don't want your face to get stuck like that!" Rumiko sighed. "Just tell me what to do now, please?"

Ryoko sighed as well. This is where he would fall down again. "Just imagine yourself taking a step forward this time. Don't actually do it, okay?" Rumiko shut his amber eyes. 'Imagine taking a step forward. Don't actually do it.' He saw his foot, in its little silver shoe with his white stockings. He saw his white pants stopping at his ankle. He furrowed his brow. 'Lift.' The foot raised itself. He could feel his own foot rise a bit, but it was so far away that he gave it no second thought. The rest of his leg appeared in his mental image, the pristine white pants and the access from his robes. He watched the knee bend and the leg push forward, and another leg, almost identical, appeared. The legs began to walk. He opened his eyes a bit to see little twitches in his legs. He finally let himself feel them as he focused his vision on the window in front of him. The forest was going past him pretty fast- Wait.

His jaw dropped as the Aestivalis he was in continued to walk, at a pretty slow pace of an Aesti, but much faster than he had every traveled in his life.

Hikaru easily kept up with her former teacher. "Rumiko-san, you're piloting like an old person! Put the damn pedal to the metal!" Ryoko could hear the smile in her voice. However, she just let out a sigh of relief. If he could walk, that's all they needed. No more teaching from her. "Terra," she spat. 'If I can't teach a full-grown man, that I KNOW, to pilot correctly, than what will I do when we get back to Earth? I mean, sure, I was only CONSIDERING becoming a pilot-instructor, but what now?' Ryoko set her Aestivalis to start walking to catch up with Rumiko and Hikaru. After all their training, the imaging was so easy. It was to the point where they could do it without thinking; even knowing they were imagining themselves doing what the robot was.

Hikaru turned to Ryoko. "What's taking so long, slowpoke? We gotta get back by dark, so Rumiko-san doesn't take out half the forest!" Ryoko nodded. "Race you to Somenolenthe, Hikaru!"

'She may be a better pilot then me, and a better mage, but she never rubs it in my face. Hell, she lets me take the spot of best pilot! If only she could keep her jokes under control…' Ryoko growled under her breath as Hikaru slowly caught up. "Oh hell no! Idiot, I'll beat you if I have to bust up your little yellow Aesti!"

~*~

Rumiko limped into the Temple of Magus, with Hikaru and Ryoko trailing behind. Ryoko was smirking at Hikaru, even though she knew the redhead probably just let her win. Hikaru was chewing her lip, a little angry for not winning the race. Rumiko was just upset in general, but at least the two girls had waiting for him to show up on the outskirts of town.

Igadosu was surprised to see his former student there; he hadn't seen him since Rumiko had resigned. "Rumiko! Long time no see! And are these some of your students? Hello there, I'm Igadosu Toccata of Somenolenthe, and priest of this temple." The old man bowed graciously to the two women, making them feel a bit more uncomfortable than they were when they first entered. This was a place of worshipping a God that wanted them to die. The thought of being in here gave them goose bumps and shivers.

Nevertheless, Ryoko and Hikaru also bowed. Rumiko interrupted the introduction, however. "Igadosu, we need you to come with us to Carmina. We're going to try to convince old Lord Mythos Entrada to shut off the barrier system long enough to let them leave."

Igadosu's jaw dropped. "Rumiko, are you mad? Carmina is forever and day away, on foot! And what makes you think you and a bunch of rag-tag people from another planet can convince him to lower the barrier around the planet?"

Rumiko smirked. The arrogant bastard in him just entered the play. "We have Lady Ai. We'll be able to convince him. No worries there." Igadosu crossed his arms. "And how are we getting there, flying?"

Hikaru giggled. "You obviously didn't see what we used to get here, did you?" Igadosu furrowed his brow. "What, didn't you walk?" Ryoko smirked. "You better come with us, Igadosu-san. Hikaru, he's riding with you. I'll lead Rumiko back to the ship. It may take a while to get him back in the zone."

Igadosu allowed himself to be lead out of the temple by his former apprentice and his students. And couldn't believe what he saw.

Three giant mechanical beasts just sitting there and not moving. One yellow, one red, and one bit more vermilion than red. The red and yellow were much better quality, while the vermilion one seemed a bit thrown together. His jaw was practically on the ground.

Hikaru smiled at the old man. "Come on, Igadosu-san. The yellow one is mine. Yellow is such a fun color, isn't it? One of my favorites. But I chose yellow because I thought it would be pale yellow, not orange-yellow like this. Though this isn't too disgusting, don't you agree?" She continued to babble as they climbed the ladder up to the cockpit of the massive metal giant. "Usually orange-yellow looks sick, like puke. But this one looks more yellow than orange, so it just looks weird. Oh well. Jun's got the black spare. I don't like the mechanics on it, but it's black, which is a very good color indeed, right?" This time she actually paused her speech to get an answer from the old man, but swung herself into the cockpit. She reached down to help him up. "Hmm?"

"You talk a lot, don't you, Hikaru-san?" Hikaru smiled and nodded quickly, pulling him into the cockpit and closing the door. Rumiko was already walking his slow pace, Ryoko practically running circles around him because she was bored. Hikaru clapped her hands on the surfaces before her and the Aestivalis flared to life, scaring the living daylights out of the priest.

"Yeah, I talk a lot. It's part of my nature. That, and I'd rather not be bored on this trek back to the Nadesico, especially if I have to wait with Ryoko with Rumiko-san. He REALLY sucks at piloting. He's so slow. But hey, I guess even we were, when we were taking lessons. But I'm sure we caught on a lot faster than he did. Aer, it took him an hour to stand on his own without falling down and spraining something! Talk about pathetic! But I guess that's what comes from living in the dark ages with so much technology in our hands."

Igadosu was surprised at how fast they were going. A walk to the forest would normally take a half-hour or so, but they had been walking in the big robot for two minutes, tops, and they were already almost to get into the trees. "So this is how we'll get to Carmina?" Hikaru nodded. "Miss Fressange thinks it may take us a day or two. If we start bright and early tomorrow morning, we should be there by afternoon or so the next day. Our Aestis are fast, but not quite so fast when we're running on batteries. Which, I believe, Akatsuki no baka is carrying, right?" Ryoko's face appeared in front of Hikaru's face, making Igadosu jump again. "I believe so. I don't think Kanchou would trust him with anything else, even if she is sleeping with him." Hikaru shuddered. "Too many visuals."

Igadosu furrowed his brow. "What is that?" Hikaru looked over her shoulder. "What? This? Oh, it's just a communications window. Nothing to be scared of. See?" She lifted her hand from the controlling surface to put a hand through Ryoko's forehead. Ryoko looked up at the space above her black eyebrows. "How very mature, Hikaru. I'm only surprised you didn't pretend to pick my nose." Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Next time, okay, Ryoko? We need to get out." Low and behold, Hikaru's yellow Aesti was in the clearing with the Nadesico, and where seven other Aestivalises were sitting. Akito's pink one, Akatsuki's blue one, Gai's green one, Izumi's navy blue one, Itsuki's purple one, Jun's black one, and the other new one with the same crappy thrown-together look of Rumiko's, only azure blue in color.

Hikaru nodded, sighing. "I know, lots of blue and red. I would say Uri-P has a thing for those colors, but most of them we brought here." She opened the cockpit and looked behind her Aestivalis. "Aer, Rumiko's slow. Ryoko and him are only halfway here!" A communications window popped up, only Igadosu didn't jump this time. It was Ryoko. "Well, if this guy would hurry his ass up and stop taking baby steps…"

Another window showing Rumiko glaring in the direction of Ryoko's window popped up. "That was completely uncalled for, Ryoko-san!" Hikaru giggled as she threw the ladder over the side of the cockpit and started down it. "So you figured out how to use your communicator, Rumiko-san?" Rumiko looked at her and nodded. "Yes. But the codes are so complex, and there are so many of them." Hikaru shrugged as Igadosu started down the ladder as well. "You start to memorize them after a while. They're like phone numbers, either keep a list of them handy, or memorize them." Rumiko scowled indignantly. "Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Hikaru-san, but we don't have telephones on this planet." Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Simple details. Now get your ass over here," she said as she stepped to the ground. "Igadosu-san is going to have issues keeping names straight, not to mention numbers." She laughed a little to herself, then closed Rumiko's window with a push of a button. "Ryoko, will you please drag his ass here a little faster?" Ryoko's window was killed next. "Before she can yell at me for acting insubordinate," explained the redhead, noticing Uribatake walking over.

"Where the hell is Rumiko?" asked the mechanic, completely disregarding Hikaru's guest. Hikaru smacked him on the arm. "He's being slow and you're being rude. Uri-P, this is Igadosu Toccata, the priest at the temple in town. Igadosu-san, this is Uribatake Seiya, the head mechanic." The two men bowed to each other briefly before Uribatake raised his eyebrows at Hikaru. "Wow, you actually know my first name? I'm impressed." Hikaru glared at him. "Stop being a bitch. Is Miss Fressange done figuring out who's sitting on whose lap when we get to Carmina?"

Uribatake shrugged. "Who knows. You could go check though. I'll just give your Aesti a look over then hang around for Ryoko and Rumiko-san." Hikaru nodded. "See you later, Uri-P!" She smiled at him before skipping up to the ship, entering through the hangar bay, but staying slow enough to point out little details in the ship the Igadosu, who was impressed.

"Amazing. When we last heard of Earth in our history books, they were condensed in little areas, mostly near water. Still barbarians, if I remember my schooling. But this proves that you've all evolved well." His light brown eyebrows knit at a glowing box in the hallway. "What is that?"

Hikaru glanced at the vending machine. "Oh, that? It's a soda machine, silly! Here, let's get some." She fumbled in her pocket box, pinned to her skirt, for her pay-card. "There it is!" She pushed it into the slot and pushed one of the buttons without thinking. "I'll buy you one too, okay? Just pick one."

Igadosu looked over the choices. There was water, which he could have anytime, so he didn't pick that. There were these other drinks, though, that looked interesting. About three of them looked like coffee, but he knew they must not be it. Besides, he hated coffee, and preferred tea. So those were out. There was another that looked a little like green urine. Ugh. That was definitely out. The two left were both bright colors, and didn't look like urine. One was orange, and the other was red. He pointed at the orange one, because it was prettier.

Hikaru smiled. " One Sunspot Orange Soda, coming right up!" She pushed the button with a little flare. The two sodas popped out, and she pulled her pay-card out of the slot. She handed him his orange can. "If you live, I'll applaud you. Now I think I hear Ryoko and Rumiko getting here," She cupped a hand to her ear as she opened her can with the other. Sure enough, even Igadosu could hear the slow steps of the incoming Aestivalises. "So, we should try to get to the guest lounge really quick."

A few more twists and turns in the ship's interior, and then Hikaru stopped at an unmarked door. "Here we are!" The door instantly opened to let the two in.

~*~

Inez seemed a lot more stressed than usual, as if this little escapade were one of the hardest things she had to do. She kept finding her hair getting in her face, though she was sure she had tied it back. Her clipboard was full of scribbled kanji and roman letters; she had gotten lazy and started to write out the names is romaji, because she knew French first, as a child, and still was faster in it. "Damnez-le. Ainsi confondant." She ripped the page out and started over, making her final draft.

Rumiko looked up at the sound of some strange, obvious Earth language. "Lady Ai? Do you need assistance?" Inez shook her head and rubbed her temples. Switching between languages was difficult. "N-no, Rumiko-san. Everything is fine." She knew Izumi heard the English statement. And they had agreed to not speak in English unless it was something to keep from everyone else for a while. "Inez? Are you sure?"

Inez nodded and pushed her glasses up, absorbing herself into the list. It took only ten minutes to complete, kanji and all. "All right, everyone," announced Inez, "I have the list done. I have taken into account everyone relationship with everyone else that was chosen to go, not to mention the size of these people. Yes, the rumors are true. Nagare, no one made a request to ride with you, so you're the lucky duck that has to carry all the batteries." Several crewmembers laughed as Akatsuki's face went red with embarrassment and rage. Inez smirked at the younger man. "You haven't given us a good reason to trust you, Nagare. Consider yourself lucky."

"Yeah, yeah…" Inez glanced at her list again. "Ruri, Omoikane, and Ariko will be riding with Akito, for the size difference from the adults." Akito nodded, then friendlily smiled at Ruri, who regarded him kindly, but did not return the smile. "Admiral Fukube and Miss How Mei will ride with Yamada-san." Her finger scanned the page as she read off the assignments. "Sayuri and Eri will be riding with Kazamo-san. Mikako and Harumi will be riding with Ryoko. Uribatake-san and Mr. Prospector will ride with Hikaru. Igadosu-san and myself will be riding with Izumi. Yukina and Minato will be riding with Jun. Megumi will be riding with Rumiko-san, and Junko will ride with Kanchou." She looked over her glasses at those in the room. "Mr. Hory will stay here and keep the rest of the crew under control while we are gone. Is this agreeable?"

Various forms of uncaring affirmatives rang around the room, and then Yurika stood to make the rest of the announcements. "Carmina is obviously some time away, so we won't get started going till tomorrow. We're going to be leaving at dawn, but taking various rest stops along the way. We should get there by tomorrow afternoon, if not sooner, going by Rumiko-san's map," she smiled at him before continuing. "So I suggest you all get a good night's sleep, especially those who will be driving! Good night everyone!"

Ryoko caught Rumiko's gaze. "Hey newbie, take Igadosu-san back to Somenolenthe in your Aesti. You definitely need the practice if you plan on keeping up with us tomorrow." Rumiko scowled. "Fine."

~*~

TBC…

~*~

A/N: Wow, that was actually kind of fun. I got to play with Igadosu a bit, yes? Yes. Anyway, um, was this okay? I said before that this was undercooked land, and it is. Anyway, I got some things done that I wanted to, like Inez's uneasiness about this whole "We might be able to go back to Earth sooner than we thought!" thing. No, this wasn't just random. I had been planning on doing it this way for a while. Next chapter, hoo boy. Lots of characterization bits, mostly the ones I need to get done and the ones that were requested. (you know who you are ^^) But yeah… we're definitely nearing the raping of the plot, and the trip back from Carmina won't be as characterization-filled, but yeah. As usual, be nice and review me, kay? Or don't review me. Whatever. Just remember than they inflate my ego, and inflated ego equals less writer's block. ^^ Well, till next time, bye!