Chapter 8 – Shifting Alliances
Akito sat at his desk with a blank look that belied his inner torment. His situation had not changed dramatically. In fact, he feared for his life even more since he had long figured out that he had become less useful to his captors. Erina had ceased calling him to the bridge on a daily basis. It seemed obvious that whatever she wanted she now had and his presence was only ancillary to the situation. This made him useful only as a hostage. Not a great position to be in.
But still in his mind he kept hope alive. A small hope that he was afraid to trust too much because it could be so easily extinguished. He now knew, or better put believed desperately, that Yurika was not against him. He also possibly had an ally of sorts in Suzuki Miaka. He would not call her a friend or comrade. He figured her actions were driven by some concealed self-interest and not bleeding heart charity. But still he sat and waited for her. She said she would arrive in ten minutes to show him the "proof" that she was on his side. That was seven minutes ago though and the time passed like an eternity.
His thoughts began drifting to happier thoughts of his dream of a restaurant with a darling wife as his partner. A small but popular restaurant as Yurika had once said. His meditations were interrupted by his door chime. He exhaled as the tension gripped him and he said, "Come in." It came out though as a barely audible croak. Obviously she heard it because the door opened and Suzuki walked in.
"Hello, Akito. We must be quick so I won't waste your time with idle chatter. You ready?" Suzuki said smiling at him and staring intensely with her radiant green eyes.
Akito shrugged and remained motionless. "Whatever. I'm warning you not to expect me to melt in your hands like butter because of this."
"Fair enough," she said extending her hand. Akito ignored it and got up.
"So how am I going to leave here without drawing attention to us?" Akito asked.
"Well, I have created the excuse of taking you to my quarters to interrogate you about your father some more," she said with a grin.
Akito tried to push the inevitable thought out of his mind but it came anyway making his face turn a beet red. "Why do we have to do it there?" he asked.
"We can do it at the hot spring instead if you'd like," Suzuki replied remaining dead serious. Seeing he was in a no-win situation Akito decided to stop arguing and just follow her. The rest of the crew walked by them with little regard.
"They are so smug and sure," Akito thought. Just like Nergal employees to have that attitude.
They finally arrived at Suzuki's quarters which had the most unusual décor. Pictures, holograms, and models of many intricate and geometric shapes adored the walls and table making one wonder whether she was a mathematician or an avant-garde artist. Akito, curious but more concerned about his immediate meeting, sat at the table where Suzuki promptly joined him.
"You ready?" she asked him again smiling even bigger this time. Akito nodded. "Come on Akito, you should be more excited than that to talk to your girlfriend!" Suzuki teased him.
At this suggestion Akito's eyes went wide with shock. "Yurika!? How?!" he stammered.
Suzuki did not answer his question but pulled up the holographic interface for the Cosmos's systems. "Computer, initiate hidden program Lambda Oscar Vincent Edgar. Authenticate Suzuki Miaka. Fully encrypt as described in the program. Contact ND-001 Nadesico."
Ruri sat at her post with usual demeanor of emotionless efficiency. It was after main hours so the bridge was deserted except for her. Only she could possibly be so skilled at hiding her true emotions to suppress the melancholy that lay deep inside her. She had wanted Akito back as much as anyone else. She had looked to him like a big brother. A shoulder to lean on as well (for the rare times Ruri needed such). However, the situation seemed grimmer than ever before. Erina didn't seem to be afraid to risk her own life and use Akito's as leverage. The battle and Hikaru's situation had dampened everyone's spirits so even if she barely understood emotion, Ruri felt it now.
Her expert eye suddenly picked up an anomaly. Omoikane was detecting a strange X-ray signal coming from the Cosmos. Normally such a signal would be lost in the radiation noise of the PT engine but Ruri and Omoikane were able to expertly pick it out. It's modulation indicated it was not natural and its direction indicated it was meant just for the Nadesico and not the Excalibur. A back channel message from Erina? Maybe she wanted to make a deal. Ruri for one would consider it. The thought of Akatsuki's venality left a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't know what he had told Jun in his recent communication but the captain had left with a stressed look on his face.
Ruri asked Omoikane to get on the message and it did. The first thing it picked up from it was a string of digits representing a private key for encryption. They picked it up and began to decode the main message. It read, "NADESICO: URGENT MESSAGE. VIDEO FEED. RELAY TO CAPTAIN MISUMARU YURIKA ASAP. FOR THE CAPTAIN'S EYES ONLY."
Ruri was perplexed and stunned by the message. It could be very important obviously. But who should she give it to? Jun was technically captain but what if the content was meant just for Yurika? Ruri sent back a message asking for clarification. The response quickly came, "BRING THEM BOTH. PLEASE HURRY."
Yurika was dreaming one her outlandishly ditzy fantasies of Akito again when she was awaken by Ruri's holographic image. Yurika put her pillow over her head and tried to ignore her. Ruri rolled her eyes.
"Baka, wake up. You have an urgent message. I will deliver it to both you and Captain Jun," Ruri stated.
Yurika sat up at this revelation and queried, "Who is it at this hour?"
Ruri, doing the impossible, smiled (slightly) and said, "Akito."
Yurika brought her hands to her mouth as if she was trying to keep herself from screaming hysterically. Jun's face appeared in the hologram next to Ruri's and in a split second the face of Ruri was replaced by that of Akito and Suzuki.
Yurika could no longer contain her joy. "AAAKKKKIIITOOO!" she yelled. Thank goodness for the soundproof walls. Tears of joy began to run down her cheeks.
Jun was shocked as well and relieved. "Akito? Are you ok? How are you communicating this message?"
Akito smiled. The first time he had smiled in days. He felt like a new man and wished he could jump through the communicator into her arms. "Yurika it's so great to see you. You too Jun. I have had a bit of help from an ally here on the Cosmos," he said motioning to Suzuki.
"I am First Officer Suzuki Miaka ," she stated tersely.
Jun's brow furrowed. "I remember you from the review tapes of the battles. Didn't you abduct Akito and knock Ryoko out? So we're supposed to trust you?"
"She brought Akito to talk to us though Jun!" Yurika cried. Then Yurika suddenly remembered the rift that had grown in their relationship. "Akito, please listen to me. What you heard from Admiral Shatner…"
"I know, I know Yurika. It as a lie orchestrated by Erina. Suzuki has explained it already. I owe you an apology for the way I blew up at you out there," Akito said dropping his head. "If you have in your heart to take me back…"
"Akito you were never gone!" Yurika said still crying tears of joy. "Come back and I'll cook you the best meal you've ever had!"
Akito suddenly regretted his words but remained mum so as not to hurt Yurika. He turned to Jun. "No offense or anything Jun, but why are you captain?" Jun felt a small sting at the question and was going to reply matter-of-factly until he saw Yurika's downcast face and mortified look. "There were some complications with the arrival of Admiral Misumaru and the UEF interference. I'll have command for the time being but Yurika is still capable of performing her duties." Yurika looked up and turned to Jun with a face of immeasurable gratitude.
Suzuki was all for the happy reunions but knew they had business to accomplish. She stepped into the conversation stating, "I have brought you all together for several reasons. First, to convince Akito to trust me." Yurika stared intently at the beautiful young lady giving the transmission. Since when did she know her Akito well enough to be on a first name basis? "Second, to plan our escape and arrival on the Nadesico." Everyone jumped at this including Akito
"What! We're going to escape!?" he said turning to her incredulously.
"Listen to my plan and you can give feedback later Akito" Suzuki replied.
They all listened intently. "We must be cautious but act quickly. Erina is becoming desperate and I'm not sure how far she would go to ensure victory."
"We're aware of that as you sadly note what happened to my crewmember Amano Hikaru in the recent battle no thanks to you!" Jun snapped.
"Dammit, I'm tired of this killing as much as you are but you put us in a nearly impossible situation! This isn't anime where there is a clearly good and bad answer to everything!" she snapped back.
"Please Jun, let her talk. If we could get Akito back we could end all this! Please continue Suzuki-san," Yurika finished.
Suzuki continued, "We will make our move in twenty-four hours. I have sent out a computer virus to the unmanned fighters escorting us. They will malfunction and I will use this as a pretext to ready the Aestevalis's for launch. Once I am loaded I will turn against the mechanical crew and force them to load Akito as well. I believe I can keep the catapult operational so we can get out. We just need you to cover our retreat."
Yurika frowned a bit and then asked, "If you have all of this hacking skill why not disable the Cosmos and make it surrender?" Jun nodded in agreement.
"First, the situation here is too fluid. I don't have the time to do a major hacking job on the Cosmos without raising Erina's suspicions on falling behind in my duties. Second, I don't want the Cosmos to surrender. I may have my doubts about Erina but I'd rather not see her fall into the hands of Akatsuki and Nergal. There is such thing as going from bad to worse you know," Suzuki stated. An audible alarm went off over the communication. "OK, I am going to have to end the transmission. Akito, get any last minute things of your chest now," Suzuki said getting a bit nervous.
"Yurika, you know how I feel about you but I just need to say…," Akito started.
"I LOVE YOU!" Yurika yelled with her customary fervor. Akito smiled and nodded.
"Good luck you two. We'll be waiting," Jun said giving his last two bits.
Suzuki reached to disconnect the signal and then stopped. She looked at Jun and Yurika with a tenderness that she was unaccustomed to and said, "I'm sorry for what happened to pilot Amano. Perhaps I can make it up in the future…" she trailed off. Then without another word, she disconnected the transmission.
Yurika was now more hopeful than ever, but she still felt and impending fear that something could go wrong and she could lose Akito for real. "Jun, we need to inform the rest of the crew," she said.
"I agree. I know many may be resentful or suspicious towards this Suzuki character but this may be our only chance to end this. Meet me on the bridge in thirty minutes," Jun said. Yurika nodded in agreement. Jun turned off the communicator and slumped. They finally had a chance. But, Akatsuki wanted his answer soon. Jun finally decided that the best tactic would be to buy as much time as possible. Even if this meant agreeing to the unthinkable.
As Suzuki walked him back to his quarters, Akito still felt on edge but he had to admit he was slowly feeling more comfortable around her. Sure he would be watchful for any sort of betrayal on her side but he finally felt like he could make some good out of this situation. She had told him earlier that she knew the coordinates they were headed to and could get them there once aboard the Nadesico.
They walked in silence, mostly to not arouse suspicion. As they arrived Akito turned around and said, "Thank you Suzuki. I will be watchful but I starting to feel you are genuine."
Suzuki nodded and squeezed his hand. "I feel more and more we are after the same thing Akito." She then smiled at him and left.
Jovian Mobile Battleship Leviathan – En route to the front
Kusakabe reviewed the next bit of intelligence that had just come across his desk. It seemed that there had been another firefight and the Cosmos had escaped again. He was starting to admire the tenacity of this Erina Won. He was continuously amazed by how well these female captains in the UEF had performed. Maybe he would have put some of the Jovian women into battle but there were too few females to even consider conscription.
They would soon see though how they would perform against the flagship of the Jovian Empire. He called his first officer over for consultation. His first officer approached. He was a thin but muscular young man with the typical long Jovian hair and more than a hint of fanaticism in his eyes. "How long until they reach Jovian space?" Kusakabe asked.
"Thirty-Six hours, sir. They are obviously aiming to enter at a part of the front where fighting and troop placement is the lightest. It seems that the UEF has intensified the fighting in other areas to help cover their infiltration," his first officer reported.
"Yes, yes. However, even though we want them to lead us to our destination, we can't make it too easy on them. Can we get forces to attack them before they reach the front?"
"We have several swarms of grasshoppers we could divert as well as two regular battleships. They will most likely not prevail but at least they can buy us enough time to allow us to be in a good position to trail them."
"Excellent. Make it so. The attack should commence in twenty-four hours. Also bring several battleships away from the front to move around their left flank to block any possible retreat in case they start quaking in their boots. Have we received any additional information?" Kusakabe asked. The first officer shook his head. "In that case you are dismissed. Also, notify Fressange that I want to see her in six hours." The first officer saluted and returned to his post.
A few decks below Inez had just finished going through several theories on what the new artifact was with her science team. She enjoyed the group brainstorming sessions and admired the caliber of people she worked with. However, she always enjoyed a break that would allow her quiet contemplation on her own personal perspectives on a problem. As she sat back she hoped that she could figure out soon both what they were getting into and how to get out of this place. Kusakabe was sadistic but he was no fool. Any outbound communication would undoubtedly be intercepted and she would be punished harshly.
She tapped a few notes into her computer and then remembered she did have one additional ace. Hidden inside her computer was the mysterious plate she had been give a year-and-a-half ago by her younger self when she was in the heart of the artifact. She had worked on its contents since that time and had even continued her research surreptitiously after being captured by the Jovians. She could not figure out much about it except it seemed to not be an independent device but would interface with another, probably much larger, system.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Kusakabe's first officer called her. It seemed that fool wanted to see her in six hours. Whatever. She would only have to remain playing along in this game for so long. He already knew about their recent breakthrough. Unfortunately, they had not found an elegant and permanent solution to the organic boson jumping problem. They had developed a drug using half-biological nanites that would enable a person to jump for about two hours. However, the body built up a resistance to the drug and it would take successively larger injections to achieve the same effect. The only problem is that the simulations said that after three trials there was a 45% chance it would kill you. Knowing Kusakabe though that would probably not be a deterrent. People were just numbers to him to be balanced and risked just like any other military asset. She shuddered at the lengths he may go to in using it.
Then it hit her. This ship had a boson jump cannon! In fact, Kusakabe had even planned to use it. If she then administered it to her colleagues, not only would they be reasonably safe but they could possibly jump into the Nadesico without leaving the ship! Inez began to allow the wheels of her mind to turn furiously pumping out theoretical possibilities and any contingencies. After two hours of thinking and some back of the envelope calculations, she smiled. They could do it.
Jun sat waiting for the call he knew would come. He and Yurika had discussed their options and decided they would inform the crew of the new events together and then swear them to secrecy. He knew some would balk at first, especially Ryoko and Izumi, after what happened to Hikaru but he knew they would eventually see the wisdom on ending this madness as soon as possible. Also, against his better judgment he had not told Yurika about Akatsuki's "offer". He would have to deal with this himself and she may not have gone along with his plan anyway.
His computer chimed indicating an incoming communication. He sighed and realized that the moment of truth had come. Akatsuki's face popped up on the screen.
"Hello again, captain. I hope you had a restful night?" Akatsuki asked.
"Actually I didn't sleep well at all, thanks to your offer. But knowing you I'm sure you slept soundly and without reservation," Jun replied.
Akatsuki shook his head. "Jun, do you think I take some kind of joy in all that has happened? As I told you before I don't murder without reason and there is no better option in this situation!"
"I guess you're just following the family tradition. Your dad kills the Tenkawas, now you kill their son," Jun said blandly.
"So I see your answer is no. I did not want to have to go at this alone but I am prepared to do so. You must realize that any interference by your part will make you an enemy combatant and I assure you the Excalibur is ready to handle you," Akatsuki stated icily.
"Did I say no explicitly? Just because I realize how much this reeks doesn't mean that I don't see how the hand of fate has made it inevitable," Jun replied.
Akatsuki looked shocked. "So you agree with me? The Cosmos must be destroyed?"
"I say that I see no better options. Just promise me you will never reveal this to ANYONE. I can blackmail you just as well as you can me so let's keep this our little secret. What's your timetable?"
"I say we should move in six hours, therefore we can get them out of the way long before we reach Jovian space," Akatsuki said in a calculating fashion.
"No, that would not be wise. As long as we are deep in UEF space they could still attack or harass us if they think Erina is threatened. We can't take on both the UEF and the Jovians alone. I say we wait until we are close enough to the front so that the UEF will not be able to respond to Erina's distress calls. Let's say twenty-three to twenty-four hours from now," Jun said.
Akatsuki grimaced. "I personally think the UEF factions allied with her would fall apart with her demise, however, I see your point that we are in a risky situation. Very well, twenty-three hours from now. I am happy you finally came around to seeing the rational way out of this. Or perhaps your desire had as much to do as reason," he said slyly.
"Whatever. I'll talk to you later," Jun said. Akatsuki nodded and signed off. Jun sighed again. This was going to be complicated and close. He cleared his throat and then said, "You see the task we now have before us Ruri?" The platinum haired girl, who had been listening out of the view of the camera for the entire conversation, nodded.
"I think I can be ready Captain. I'll remember what you said and I will not disclose these events to anyone, especially Yurika," Ruri stated.
"Great, let's get back to our posts. We have a lot of people to convince and a lot of work to do," Jun said getting up.
Ruri nodded and got up to leave. Right before the door though she turned and said to Jun, "Captain, I have been amazed at your performance. You have performed above and beyond what any of us thought you were capable of."
Jun blushed. "Thank you Ruri. Does that mean I'm no longer a baka-baka?" he asked.
Ruri remained expressionless. "Of course not. You are all baka. I just think you've become less of one." Without another word, she turned and walked out. At first Jun was stunned by her stinging indictment. But then he raised his head and began to laugh.
Akito sat at his desk with a blank look that belied his inner torment. His situation had not changed dramatically. In fact, he feared for his life even more since he had long figured out that he had become less useful to his captors. Erina had ceased calling him to the bridge on a daily basis. It seemed obvious that whatever she wanted she now had and his presence was only ancillary to the situation. This made him useful only as a hostage. Not a great position to be in.
But still in his mind he kept hope alive. A small hope that he was afraid to trust too much because it could be so easily extinguished. He now knew, or better put believed desperately, that Yurika was not against him. He also possibly had an ally of sorts in Suzuki Miaka. He would not call her a friend or comrade. He figured her actions were driven by some concealed self-interest and not bleeding heart charity. But still he sat and waited for her. She said she would arrive in ten minutes to show him the "proof" that she was on his side. That was seven minutes ago though and the time passed like an eternity.
His thoughts began drifting to happier thoughts of his dream of a restaurant with a darling wife as his partner. A small but popular restaurant as Yurika had once said. His meditations were interrupted by his door chime. He exhaled as the tension gripped him and he said, "Come in." It came out though as a barely audible croak. Obviously she heard it because the door opened and Suzuki walked in.
"Hello, Akito. We must be quick so I won't waste your time with idle chatter. You ready?" Suzuki said smiling at him and staring intensely with her radiant green eyes.
Akito shrugged and remained motionless. "Whatever. I'm warning you not to expect me to melt in your hands like butter because of this."
"Fair enough," she said extending her hand. Akito ignored it and got up.
"So how am I going to leave here without drawing attention to us?" Akito asked.
"Well, I have created the excuse of taking you to my quarters to interrogate you about your father some more," she said with a grin.
Akito tried to push the inevitable thought out of his mind but it came anyway making his face turn a beet red. "Why do we have to do it there?" he asked.
"We can do it at the hot spring instead if you'd like," Suzuki replied remaining dead serious. Seeing he was in a no-win situation Akito decided to stop arguing and just follow her. The rest of the crew walked by them with little regard.
"They are so smug and sure," Akito thought. Just like Nergal employees to have that attitude.
They finally arrived at Suzuki's quarters which had the most unusual décor. Pictures, holograms, and models of many intricate and geometric shapes adored the walls and table making one wonder whether she was a mathematician or an avant-garde artist. Akito, curious but more concerned about his immediate meeting, sat at the table where Suzuki promptly joined him.
"You ready?" she asked him again smiling even bigger this time. Akito nodded. "Come on Akito, you should be more excited than that to talk to your girlfriend!" Suzuki teased him.
At this suggestion Akito's eyes went wide with shock. "Yurika!? How?!" he stammered.
Suzuki did not answer his question but pulled up the holographic interface for the Cosmos's systems. "Computer, initiate hidden program Lambda Oscar Vincent Edgar. Authenticate Suzuki Miaka. Fully encrypt as described in the program. Contact ND-001 Nadesico."
Ruri sat at her post with usual demeanor of emotionless efficiency. It was after main hours so the bridge was deserted except for her. Only she could possibly be so skilled at hiding her true emotions to suppress the melancholy that lay deep inside her. She had wanted Akito back as much as anyone else. She had looked to him like a big brother. A shoulder to lean on as well (for the rare times Ruri needed such). However, the situation seemed grimmer than ever before. Erina didn't seem to be afraid to risk her own life and use Akito's as leverage. The battle and Hikaru's situation had dampened everyone's spirits so even if she barely understood emotion, Ruri felt it now.
Her expert eye suddenly picked up an anomaly. Omoikane was detecting a strange X-ray signal coming from the Cosmos. Normally such a signal would be lost in the radiation noise of the PT engine but Ruri and Omoikane were able to expertly pick it out. It's modulation indicated it was not natural and its direction indicated it was meant just for the Nadesico and not the Excalibur. A back channel message from Erina? Maybe she wanted to make a deal. Ruri for one would consider it. The thought of Akatsuki's venality left a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't know what he had told Jun in his recent communication but the captain had left with a stressed look on his face.
Ruri asked Omoikane to get on the message and it did. The first thing it picked up from it was a string of digits representing a private key for encryption. They picked it up and began to decode the main message. It read, "NADESICO: URGENT MESSAGE. VIDEO FEED. RELAY TO CAPTAIN MISUMARU YURIKA ASAP. FOR THE CAPTAIN'S EYES ONLY."
Ruri was perplexed and stunned by the message. It could be very important obviously. But who should she give it to? Jun was technically captain but what if the content was meant just for Yurika? Ruri sent back a message asking for clarification. The response quickly came, "BRING THEM BOTH. PLEASE HURRY."
Yurika was dreaming one her outlandishly ditzy fantasies of Akito again when she was awaken by Ruri's holographic image. Yurika put her pillow over her head and tried to ignore her. Ruri rolled her eyes.
"Baka, wake up. You have an urgent message. I will deliver it to both you and Captain Jun," Ruri stated.
Yurika sat up at this revelation and queried, "Who is it at this hour?"
Ruri, doing the impossible, smiled (slightly) and said, "Akito."
Yurika brought her hands to her mouth as if she was trying to keep herself from screaming hysterically. Jun's face appeared in the hologram next to Ruri's and in a split second the face of Ruri was replaced by that of Akito and Suzuki.
Yurika could no longer contain her joy. "AAAKKKKIIITOOO!" she yelled. Thank goodness for the soundproof walls. Tears of joy began to run down her cheeks.
Jun was shocked as well and relieved. "Akito? Are you ok? How are you communicating this message?"
Akito smiled. The first time he had smiled in days. He felt like a new man and wished he could jump through the communicator into her arms. "Yurika it's so great to see you. You too Jun. I have had a bit of help from an ally here on the Cosmos," he said motioning to Suzuki.
"I am First Officer Suzuki Miaka ," she stated tersely.
Jun's brow furrowed. "I remember you from the review tapes of the battles. Didn't you abduct Akito and knock Ryoko out? So we're supposed to trust you?"
"She brought Akito to talk to us though Jun!" Yurika cried. Then Yurika suddenly remembered the rift that had grown in their relationship. "Akito, please listen to me. What you heard from Admiral Shatner…"
"I know, I know Yurika. It as a lie orchestrated by Erina. Suzuki has explained it already. I owe you an apology for the way I blew up at you out there," Akito said dropping his head. "If you have in your heart to take me back…"
"Akito you were never gone!" Yurika said still crying tears of joy. "Come back and I'll cook you the best meal you've ever had!"
Akito suddenly regretted his words but remained mum so as not to hurt Yurika. He turned to Jun. "No offense or anything Jun, but why are you captain?" Jun felt a small sting at the question and was going to reply matter-of-factly until he saw Yurika's downcast face and mortified look. "There were some complications with the arrival of Admiral Misumaru and the UEF interference. I'll have command for the time being but Yurika is still capable of performing her duties." Yurika looked up and turned to Jun with a face of immeasurable gratitude.
Suzuki was all for the happy reunions but knew they had business to accomplish. She stepped into the conversation stating, "I have brought you all together for several reasons. First, to convince Akito to trust me." Yurika stared intently at the beautiful young lady giving the transmission. Since when did she know her Akito well enough to be on a first name basis? "Second, to plan our escape and arrival on the Nadesico." Everyone jumped at this including Akito
"What! We're going to escape!?" he said turning to her incredulously.
"Listen to my plan and you can give feedback later Akito" Suzuki replied.
They all listened intently. "We must be cautious but act quickly. Erina is becoming desperate and I'm not sure how far she would go to ensure victory."
"We're aware of that as you sadly note what happened to my crewmember Amano Hikaru in the recent battle no thanks to you!" Jun snapped.
"Dammit, I'm tired of this killing as much as you are but you put us in a nearly impossible situation! This isn't anime where there is a clearly good and bad answer to everything!" she snapped back.
"Please Jun, let her talk. If we could get Akito back we could end all this! Please continue Suzuki-san," Yurika finished.
Suzuki continued, "We will make our move in twenty-four hours. I have sent out a computer virus to the unmanned fighters escorting us. They will malfunction and I will use this as a pretext to ready the Aestevalis's for launch. Once I am loaded I will turn against the mechanical crew and force them to load Akito as well. I believe I can keep the catapult operational so we can get out. We just need you to cover our retreat."
Yurika frowned a bit and then asked, "If you have all of this hacking skill why not disable the Cosmos and make it surrender?" Jun nodded in agreement.
"First, the situation here is too fluid. I don't have the time to do a major hacking job on the Cosmos without raising Erina's suspicions on falling behind in my duties. Second, I don't want the Cosmos to surrender. I may have my doubts about Erina but I'd rather not see her fall into the hands of Akatsuki and Nergal. There is such thing as going from bad to worse you know," Suzuki stated. An audible alarm went off over the communication. "OK, I am going to have to end the transmission. Akito, get any last minute things of your chest now," Suzuki said getting a bit nervous.
"Yurika, you know how I feel about you but I just need to say…," Akito started.
"I LOVE YOU!" Yurika yelled with her customary fervor. Akito smiled and nodded.
"Good luck you two. We'll be waiting," Jun said giving his last two bits.
Suzuki reached to disconnect the signal and then stopped. She looked at Jun and Yurika with a tenderness that she was unaccustomed to and said, "I'm sorry for what happened to pilot Amano. Perhaps I can make it up in the future…" she trailed off. Then without another word, she disconnected the transmission.
Yurika was now more hopeful than ever, but she still felt and impending fear that something could go wrong and she could lose Akito for real. "Jun, we need to inform the rest of the crew," she said.
"I agree. I know many may be resentful or suspicious towards this Suzuki character but this may be our only chance to end this. Meet me on the bridge in thirty minutes," Jun said. Yurika nodded in agreement. Jun turned off the communicator and slumped. They finally had a chance. But, Akatsuki wanted his answer soon. Jun finally decided that the best tactic would be to buy as much time as possible. Even if this meant agreeing to the unthinkable.
As Suzuki walked him back to his quarters, Akito still felt on edge but he had to admit he was slowly feeling more comfortable around her. Sure he would be watchful for any sort of betrayal on her side but he finally felt like he could make some good out of this situation. She had told him earlier that she knew the coordinates they were headed to and could get them there once aboard the Nadesico.
They walked in silence, mostly to not arouse suspicion. As they arrived Akito turned around and said, "Thank you Suzuki. I will be watchful but I starting to feel you are genuine."
Suzuki nodded and squeezed his hand. "I feel more and more we are after the same thing Akito." She then smiled at him and left.
Jovian Mobile Battleship Leviathan – En route to the front
Kusakabe reviewed the next bit of intelligence that had just come across his desk. It seemed that there had been another firefight and the Cosmos had escaped again. He was starting to admire the tenacity of this Erina Won. He was continuously amazed by how well these female captains in the UEF had performed. Maybe he would have put some of the Jovian women into battle but there were too few females to even consider conscription.
They would soon see though how they would perform against the flagship of the Jovian Empire. He called his first officer over for consultation. His first officer approached. He was a thin but muscular young man with the typical long Jovian hair and more than a hint of fanaticism in his eyes. "How long until they reach Jovian space?" Kusakabe asked.
"Thirty-Six hours, sir. They are obviously aiming to enter at a part of the front where fighting and troop placement is the lightest. It seems that the UEF has intensified the fighting in other areas to help cover their infiltration," his first officer reported.
"Yes, yes. However, even though we want them to lead us to our destination, we can't make it too easy on them. Can we get forces to attack them before they reach the front?"
"We have several swarms of grasshoppers we could divert as well as two regular battleships. They will most likely not prevail but at least they can buy us enough time to allow us to be in a good position to trail them."
"Excellent. Make it so. The attack should commence in twenty-four hours. Also bring several battleships away from the front to move around their left flank to block any possible retreat in case they start quaking in their boots. Have we received any additional information?" Kusakabe asked. The first officer shook his head. "In that case you are dismissed. Also, notify Fressange that I want to see her in six hours." The first officer saluted and returned to his post.
A few decks below Inez had just finished going through several theories on what the new artifact was with her science team. She enjoyed the group brainstorming sessions and admired the caliber of people she worked with. However, she always enjoyed a break that would allow her quiet contemplation on her own personal perspectives on a problem. As she sat back she hoped that she could figure out soon both what they were getting into and how to get out of this place. Kusakabe was sadistic but he was no fool. Any outbound communication would undoubtedly be intercepted and she would be punished harshly.
She tapped a few notes into her computer and then remembered she did have one additional ace. Hidden inside her computer was the mysterious plate she had been give a year-and-a-half ago by her younger self when she was in the heart of the artifact. She had worked on its contents since that time and had even continued her research surreptitiously after being captured by the Jovians. She could not figure out much about it except it seemed to not be an independent device but would interface with another, probably much larger, system.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Kusakabe's first officer called her. It seemed that fool wanted to see her in six hours. Whatever. She would only have to remain playing along in this game for so long. He already knew about their recent breakthrough. Unfortunately, they had not found an elegant and permanent solution to the organic boson jumping problem. They had developed a drug using half-biological nanites that would enable a person to jump for about two hours. However, the body built up a resistance to the drug and it would take successively larger injections to achieve the same effect. The only problem is that the simulations said that after three trials there was a 45% chance it would kill you. Knowing Kusakabe though that would probably not be a deterrent. People were just numbers to him to be balanced and risked just like any other military asset. She shuddered at the lengths he may go to in using it.
Then it hit her. This ship had a boson jump cannon! In fact, Kusakabe had even planned to use it. If she then administered it to her colleagues, not only would they be reasonably safe but they could possibly jump into the Nadesico without leaving the ship! Inez began to allow the wheels of her mind to turn furiously pumping out theoretical possibilities and any contingencies. After two hours of thinking and some back of the envelope calculations, she smiled. They could do it.
Jun sat waiting for the call he knew would come. He and Yurika had discussed their options and decided they would inform the crew of the new events together and then swear them to secrecy. He knew some would balk at first, especially Ryoko and Izumi, after what happened to Hikaru but he knew they would eventually see the wisdom on ending this madness as soon as possible. Also, against his better judgment he had not told Yurika about Akatsuki's "offer". He would have to deal with this himself and she may not have gone along with his plan anyway.
His computer chimed indicating an incoming communication. He sighed and realized that the moment of truth had come. Akatsuki's face popped up on the screen.
"Hello again, captain. I hope you had a restful night?" Akatsuki asked.
"Actually I didn't sleep well at all, thanks to your offer. But knowing you I'm sure you slept soundly and without reservation," Jun replied.
Akatsuki shook his head. "Jun, do you think I take some kind of joy in all that has happened? As I told you before I don't murder without reason and there is no better option in this situation!"
"I guess you're just following the family tradition. Your dad kills the Tenkawas, now you kill their son," Jun said blandly.
"So I see your answer is no. I did not want to have to go at this alone but I am prepared to do so. You must realize that any interference by your part will make you an enemy combatant and I assure you the Excalibur is ready to handle you," Akatsuki stated icily.
"Did I say no explicitly? Just because I realize how much this reeks doesn't mean that I don't see how the hand of fate has made it inevitable," Jun replied.
Akatsuki looked shocked. "So you agree with me? The Cosmos must be destroyed?"
"I say that I see no better options. Just promise me you will never reveal this to ANYONE. I can blackmail you just as well as you can me so let's keep this our little secret. What's your timetable?"
"I say we should move in six hours, therefore we can get them out of the way long before we reach Jovian space," Akatsuki said in a calculating fashion.
"No, that would not be wise. As long as we are deep in UEF space they could still attack or harass us if they think Erina is threatened. We can't take on both the UEF and the Jovians alone. I say we wait until we are close enough to the front so that the UEF will not be able to respond to Erina's distress calls. Let's say twenty-three to twenty-four hours from now," Jun said.
Akatsuki grimaced. "I personally think the UEF factions allied with her would fall apart with her demise, however, I see your point that we are in a risky situation. Very well, twenty-three hours from now. I am happy you finally came around to seeing the rational way out of this. Or perhaps your desire had as much to do as reason," he said slyly.
"Whatever. I'll talk to you later," Jun said. Akatsuki nodded and signed off. Jun sighed again. This was going to be complicated and close. He cleared his throat and then said, "You see the task we now have before us Ruri?" The platinum haired girl, who had been listening out of the view of the camera for the entire conversation, nodded.
"I think I can be ready Captain. I'll remember what you said and I will not disclose these events to anyone, especially Yurika," Ruri stated.
"Great, let's get back to our posts. We have a lot of people to convince and a lot of work to do," Jun said getting up.
Ruri nodded and got up to leave. Right before the door though she turned and said to Jun, "Captain, I have been amazed at your performance. You have performed above and beyond what any of us thought you were capable of."
Jun blushed. "Thank you Ruri. Does that mean I'm no longer a baka-baka?" he asked.
Ruri remained expressionless. "Of course not. You are all baka. I just think you've become less of one." Without another word, she turned and walked out. At first Jun was stunned by her stinging indictment. But then he raised his head and began to laugh.
