Nadesico – Truth and Consequences by StarFire
rsman_404@yahoo.com

Author's Note: Legal stuff: Nadesico, its plot, and its characters are property of Xebec and I am in no way affiliated with them. This is my first attempt at fanfic so any feedback, even on mechanical and writing issues is appreciated. Please ask permission before distributing.


Chapter 3 – Friends, Enemies, and Alliances

The four girls returned several hours later after a night of shopping and bonding. Yurika bust in yelling her trademark, "Akito!" while Ruri licked her ice cream cone, ignoring the challenge Yukina had offered her to see who could finish first. "Akito, dear I bought you something!" Yurika continued pulling out a "Kiss the Cook" apron with Akito's name stitched on the top she had gotten him. There was no reply. "Akito? Are you asleep?" she asked approaching his room, a strange sense of impending dread building up in her chest.
Ruri, always the curious one headed straight to Akito's room opening it without knocking. She reached for the power switch but before she could turn on the lights another hand grabbed her arm. Ruri, rarely one to loose her composure was terrified. She didn't have to see this person's face to know this firm grip was not a joke being played by Akito Tenkawa. "Ruri, are you girls all alone? Did anyone follow you home? Is the door locked?"

"Mr. Prospector?" asked recognizing his shrill voice.

"Yes, it's me. Are you all alone?" he repeated.

"To our knowledge, yes," Ruri replied.

"Ruri, who are you talking to? Is Akito here?" Yukina asked quizzically as the other two stared in bewilderment. When Mr. Prospector stepped out instead they all jumped, Yurika dropping her present to the floor.

"No, I'm very sorry. Akito is not here. He has been taken by others and I may need all of your help to get him back safely," Mr. Prospector began. All four were shocked, but none compared to Yurika who began to pale as she put her hand to her mouth. "My Akito," she whispered.

Akito woke up to a bright light shining on his face. He noticed he was not restrained as he got up from the bed he was lying on and began to survey the room around him. He was in a long room where the only light provided was the lamp above him. At the end of the room were a desk and a large chair whose back was turned towards him, obscuring its occupant. He noticed his back was sore where he had been shot earlier. He wondered how he had survived. As if to answer his most pressing question a voice came from the chair stating, "Don't worry. You were shot with a neural tranquilizer, not real bullets. Your sores have been treated and will heal in a few hours. I hope to make you feel more comfortable, take a seat." At this command the floor opened and an armchair rose in front of the table. Akito balked at the invitation. "Please Akito, you know I would never hurt you," the voice in the armchair replied ending with a short laugh. The chair turned around and sitting there was no other than Erina Won.
Akito, shocked and angered, instead of sitting down walked straight up to the table and pointed his finger accusingly at Ms. Won. "I should have known your slimy hands would be involved in this! Where is your partner and crime? Out on another womanizing spree?"
"Mr. Akatsuki is not present because his presence is not needed and dare I say not desired," she spoke relishing her complete control of the situation. "I believe you deserve answers and I will give them to you. Ask away."
Akito started with the most immediate, "Why have you brought me here against my will?"
"Why for your own safety of course Mr. Tenkawa. You must know how explosive your father's message is. I was concerned for you and…."
"Cut the crap Erina! I want the real answers not some game about how you are concerned about me. The only thing you are concerned about is your position in Nergal which I see has not changed," Akito did not bother to hide is anger or frustration now as he pointed to the "secretary" sign on her desk." Instead of being enraged though, she continued to smile cunningly.
"You know I can help you. But since you aren't willing to recognize the fact you are free to leave," she stated icily as she pushed a button that unlocked and opened a hidden door. "Of course, I would like to know where you think you can go? Back to your restaurant and your ditzy girlfriend? With the contents of that disc in the hands of both UEF and Nergal do you think you will be safe anywhere? There are certain factions that are very interested in seeing the wonderful thing your father hid from them so many years ago. May I also add that anyone else associated close to you would also be in danger. Including your Yurika, Ruri, and the others. It would be quite disappointing if something happened to one of them…" Erina allowed her voice to intentionally trail off. Akito froze.
Erina continued. "Sure you can take your chances. With your darling girlfriend whose father was in on your father's murder? Oh I'm sure she wasn't complicit then but how do you know she never learned the truth and kept it from you. How would she react if you were to know? Can you be sure that she wouldn't choose protecting her father's honor over her relationship? She may not have chosen that back when he asked her to turn over Yukina but then she doing what was best for not only you but the whole ship. Is her love that strong or genuine?" She smiled as she watched Akito's face turn crimson with rage at her words. Time to go for broke.
"Oh yes, I'm sure it was Mr. Prospector who leaked you the disc. We found out that he had obtained a copy and I was sure you would be the first person he'd go to. Let me tell you this, he is a very sly man but against the combined pressure of the UEF and Nergal even his luck may one day run out and let's not even consider the situation if the Jovians find out." Akito stood indecisively, still trying to cope with the gravity of the situation. Erina went for the kill.

"Akito, there is one more thing I can offer. Something no one else has offered and can give you. Justice for the murders of your parents. If you cooperate with me I will publicly disclose all details regarding Nergal's complicity in the death of your parents and allow the issue to finally be resolved justly. Finally they can rest in peace knowing…"
"Sure, like you would actually do justice for anyone, especially at Nergal's expense. I've seen this line before. Offer some bait, catch the fish, and then gut him! That news would never come to light," Akito shouted trying to show his disinterest in continued bargaining. Erina removed a file from her desk. She pressed a button and another man, apparently her secretary, came in. "Paul, could you deliver this to the press please? Make it look like a leak," she commanded him. "Sure Ms. Won," he said bowing and leaving.
She again turned to Akito. "That is the first part of the evidence against Nergal for their involvement in your parent's death. The rest will follow on condition of your cooperation. I will also give my word that Nergal will not hurt Yurika, Ruri, or anyone else close to you. Without your help I cannot control Akatsuki and he may become, well, ruthless." So the truth comes out about what she wants Akito thought. I'm not only finding this thing my father left behind, I'm becoming a collaborator in her game of corporate coup d'etat. However, he was not so stubborn to realize the truth of what she was saying. Neither the UEF or Nergal would stop until they had the information his father left behind in their possession and due to the nature of the message, only he could lead them there. As distasteful a suitor Erina Won was he doubted that the others would be in a negotiating mood. The hawkish factions of both the UEF and Nergal both also had reasons to silence him to hide their complicity once they were through with him.
The final decision came down to the fact that he feared that Erina may actually back up her threats. It was no secret to him how she had secretly desired him on the Nadesico and he wouldn't put it beyond her to take revenge on Yurika in retaliation for his non-compliance. He decided to play his cards the best he could here. When the first chance exposed itself he would escape with his father's data, or destroy it.
"I have several conditions Erina," he said coldly. Erina smiled tasting victory. "Name your terms," she replied. "If anything happens to any of my friends I will have your head, second I will be allowed to directly retrieve my father's information and see its full contents, and third, the Nadesico's crew will do the retrieval." At this Erina frowned. "I'm sorry, I have already readied a ship and assembled a team for this mission. The Nadesico's crew is not needed and will not be used. Anyway, what use would they be with half of their former ship floating in an unknown location of space? The other two terms I can agree to though." She extended her hand and Akito stared at it blankly. Withdrawing it she thought, "Your demeanor will change soon Tenkawa. Everyone will recognize my power and respect it."


Back at the apartment there was bedlam over Akito's disappearance. As the sun began to greet the new day outside their confusion continued inside of the living room. "Let me understand this. Something has happened. Something you don't want to tell us, but it involves Akito. You told him about it yesterday in the restaurant and now he's missing?! By whom you don't even know? What is this mess?" Yurika had gone from being sad to livid in the last few hours. "Yurika, please if this information wasn't of the utmost sensitivity I would tell you, but I just can't. As things clear up I will reveal more. What I need you to do now is assemble the crew of the Nadesico immediately so I can brief them all."
"Baka," Ruri stated in her usual nonchalant fashion. "Baka, the real reason you won't tell Yurika what she wants to know isn't security. If it was you would not have come here. Are you scared of hurting her feelings?"
"Out of the mouth of babes," Mr. Prospector thought as his demeanor totally dropped. He looked at Yurika's demanding face, Ruri's expressionless one, and the concerned faces of Minato and Yukina. "Beware of the truth, Ruri. Don't ask for it unless you are ready to deal with its consequences," he replied to her.
"I'm ready to deal with anything to help my Akito. Now out with it," Yurika demanded. Mr. Prospector sighed, took out his copy of the disc, and placed it in the playback machine. As the women watched the film their expressions turned first to shock in seeing the man introduce himself as Akito's father and then horror as the full details of the message were revealed. By the end even Ruri's jaw had dropped. Yurika, already shedding tears suddenly went hysterical. "What is this pack of lies?! My father may have had lapses of judgment but he would never, never," she stammered. Then she got up and ran into her room locking the door behind her. "Now you see my concern," Mr. Prospector said. "I know he is in the hands of Nergal or the UEF, and I'm not sure which, but the only hope we have to retrieve this information and Akito is with a battleship. We need to call the crew on the double.
"I can call them. Again," Ruri offered. Mr. Prospector patted her on the shoulder. "I knew I could count on you Ruri. Get them within 24 hours. Can we find a ship too?" He turned to Minato. "Please help Yurika cope and have her ready. I'm counting on you." Minato nodded still in shock as Mr. Prospector left.


Akito followed Erina to the Nergal docks where she assured him that a hijacked Cosmos was waiting for their immediate departure. Each step he took he reevaluated his decision. Sometimes felt like he could make a break for it and run away but the potential horrible consequences always kept him. Here he was, despite his best efforts, about to reenter that war he swore he would abandon several months ago. There was no escape.
"We have your old Aestevalis unit ready for you in the Cosmos's hangar. It can be just like the old days, except this time I am captain," Erina said laughing to herself. They walked past the guards without any serious trouble. This supposedly had been set up as a routine test of the ship's systems to avoid arousing suspicion. As they entered the Cosmos Akito became reacquainted with the sleek yet sterile interior of Nergal starships. It brought back many memories from the Nadesico, both fond and haunting. As they reached the bridge, a young woman, similar in height to Erina except with a longer face, longer black hair, and mysterious green eyes greeted them with a smile. "First Commander Miaka Suzuki, this is Akito Tenkawa. He's the one I told you about," Erina said as she greeted with a salute. Miaka bowed in respect though Akito didn't return it. She just smiled and returned to her post.
The interior had been redesigned and fitted with the latest technologies in the expectation that the Cosmos would be sent into war against the Jovians again. Akito's marvel soon turned to disgust as he realized he was heading back to war. Erina had sat in the captain's seat and had begun giving orders to the crew to prepare for launch. As they were finishing their last checks on the ship the Cosmos received an emergency communication. Erina, though heavily suspicious, agreed to answer the call that seemed to be from one of her men at Nergal HQ. She was shocked when on the view screen appeared no other than the face of Akatsuki.
"So you thought you could pull the wool over my eyes so easily?" he said with his characteristic grin. "My contacts in Nergal run deeper than you could possibly believe. I have noticed your ambition Erina and you are foolish to think you could pull the wool over my eyes so easily. Now that you have prepared everything to find Tenkawa's secret for me I hope you don't mind if I take over from here." A massive amount of troops and artillery suddenly sprang from hangars and the surrounding area and converged on the Cosmos.
Erina's initial look of surprise though had been replaced by a smug look of certainty. "I knew you would find me eventually. I had hoped to be spaceborne, but alas, I knew it would happen. Yes, Akatsuki it is impossible to beat you in Nergal, but that very dependence will be your downfall." She instructed Miss Suzuki to send a signal which she did. At that moment the docks literally exploded as scores of well-placed explosive devices began to detonate. At the same time, boats that had been sitting docile in the harbor came alive gunfire and rockets attacking the Nergal forces. Erina had hired mercenaries outside of Nergal for this dirty work. They would eventually lose or retreat, but now she had a precious window of opportunity. The Cosmos began rising swiftly as the engines started and they set a trajectory for space.
Akatsuki frowned as he watched the action from the Nergal boardroom. He knew he should have gotten rid of her long ago but her wiles and strategy and allowed her to remain too useful. Now he may soon pay for it. "Sir, the ND-005 Excalibur is ready for launch on your orders," one of his dapper, sunglass wearing attendants told him. "Very well then. Assemble the crew. We leave after them in 6 hours." The attendant nodded and left. "Now I wonder where those UEF bastards will fit into all this?" he thought, dreading the prospects that could manifest.

It had been 16 hours since Akito disappeared and Ruri was desperately trying to gather the rest of the Nadesico crew to the assigned meeting place of the restaurant. Luckily, Megumi, Homwei, and most of Homwei's girls had been easy to contact. Goat, Jun, and Urbitake were proving more troublesome though. They searched through personnel and data records frantically looking for their latest whereabouts and contact information. The first thing she had done, however, before summoning any of the crew was summoning the "lost" half of the Nadesico. True, it had been jettisoned into space but in typical Ruri fashion she had left a program in Omoikane that on the receipt of a specific encrypted message, a message only Ruri knew about, it would immediately rendezvous at the coordinates the message would dictate. Therefore, it was now storing up enough energy to boson jump to those coordinates. Meanwhile, Yurika, having calmed and regained composure, was sitting with Minato and Mr. Prospector planning their first moves.
Ruri, waiting for a database to load, drifted towards the television where Yukina was watching the late news for any possible clues. "Our first story is that of tragedy. It was recently reported that there have been three casualties of the marine force recently landed on Mars. Three privates died as their transport vehicle accidentally drove off of a cliff near Utopia Colony." A picture of the three, two males and one female, briefly flashed on the screen. "The general heading the mission expressed his condolences. This just in, we here at UENN have just received a breaking new story. Evidence has been passed to us at UENN regarding possible Nergal and UEF complicity in the deaths of a scientist couple on Mars during the coup d'etat over a decade ago."

"Yurika, Mr. Prospector, Haruka," Ruri said. "Come see this."

The news anchor continued, "The scientists, the Tenkawas, were working for Nergal Laboratories at the time of their murder. It is said names of those complicit may become available later. We will continue to update you as this story develops."

"This is strange. The only people having this information are the UEF and Nergal and I don't see how either of them could gain by making this public. Something is definitely afoot," Mr. Prospector commented.

"I have to go," Yurika said suddenly getting up. "But, Yurika, we have to meet in 8 hours we still need to plan," Minato said. "Plus, it may not be safe right now."

"I'll just have to take my chances I guess then. I need to talk to someone who could shed light on all of this," she replied. Mr. Prospector nodded understanding. "Go see him Yurika," he said. "But hurry back, we must depart as soon as possible."