Epilogue
The stars shone brightly overhead. At a small and relatively obscure restaurant, the crew of the Nadesico had been gathering for a victory celebration of sorts. Drink flowed freely and everyone once again had regained their cheerful dispositions. About a month had passed since their return and their lives had once again been interrupted. Instead of interplanetary space battles, however, this time their lives had been interrupted by trials, media interviews, and a military funeral for the fallen. They had had little of the precious time they craved to themselves since their return and it seemed like it would remain that way for a while. It was important then for them to be able to gather informally for a night to shake of the stress and worries of their hectic schedules.
"I can't believe he's that good. I just can't," Seiya complained bitterly as he tottered on the brink of inebriation. "Don't tell me they can't find ANY evidence for anything against him. Even tax evasion come on!? Didn't they use it against that 20th century mobster?" he lamented loudly.
"You mean Al Pacino?" Minato replied.
"Not Al Pacino! He was an actor! He only played mobsters." Megumi replied back with indignation. If she knew anything, she knew her cinema.
"Al Capone," Goat responded.
"Yeah, whatever. He HAS to go to jail for something. There is no decency in this world if otherwise," Seiya rambled on. He was clearly drunk now.
"Ask Mr. Prospector, he would know," Yukina piped in. "He's heading Nergal now so he should have the inside scoop on things."
A few tables away, Mr. Prospector discussed the same topic with Yurika, Akito, Ruri, and Ms. Fressange.
"So you really are going to take over Nergal next week?" Akito asked.
"Yes, the UEF government has made me the interim CEO. That is until their ad hoc senate antitrust committee figures out how many companies they are going to split Nergal into. So far I've heard no less than ten. I guess you can call me the last king of a dying empire," Mr. Prospector said with a grin as he took a sip from his glass.
"What about Akatsuki and Erina?" Yurika asked. There had been editorials every day in the news trying to prognosticate their eventual fate but so far there was no consensus on what would happen or should happen.
"Akatsuki, could get off for lack of evidence. He had lived every day knowing that the UEF could turn on him so he hid his dealings well. The prosecution has one trump card though," he continued.
"Erina," Ruri said anticipating the answer.
"Brilliant as always, Ruri," he said taking a big gulp down from the drink. "Most people think she is defiant and evil but I always knew her well enough to know otherwise. Now, I'm pretty sure she is dejected and sad, not unrepentant. She will probably negotiate a nice plea bargain deal with the UEF. Since they have to win this case she will probably just lose a lot of her assets and get minimum jail time if any."
"Something about that just seems wrong," Akito murmured.
"Her possibility of leveraging power plays is over though Akito," Inez commented. "I would be less worried about her out and about than Akatsuki. Living her life in ignominy is enough punishment for her psyche I believe."
"But on to brighter topics. I was talking to Minato earlier about the news from Jupiter. Is it true?" Mr. Prospector asked Akito and Yurika.
Akito nodded. "We watched through one of Yukina's old communication devices. It can receive Jovian news feeds. There was a real convulsion in the government and a lot of people went down, Admiral Kusakabe included. He seems to have been replaced by an Admiral Seki who has taken one of the vacant seats on the Jovian High Command."
"That's good. Very good," Mr. Prospector said finishing up his drink. "Maybe something good will come of it."
"Something good has already come of it," Yurika added. "My father tells me that the Jovians have secretly contacted the UEF through back channels. They are urgently requesting peace negotiations and now the government has changed its tune, I think there will be receptive ears to such negotiations."
Just then the kitchen door opened and Jun stumbled in. He was out of breath and looked frantic.
"Is the door locked?" he asked.
"No, should we lock it?" Akito asked him back.
"Just to be safe, please lock it," Jun replied. Everyone stopped talking and Yurika quickly jumped up and locked the door.
"Jun, what's wrong?" Akito asked filling with dread.
Jun sighed. "Those damn fangirls and paprazzi are after me again," he wailed. At this comment, everyone broke out into laughter. Theoretically, everyone from the Nadesico were heroes for all they had accomplished but the media always had its biases towards a good story over the whole truth. So naturally the focus of many commentaries had fallen on the dashing Jun. Jun the superhero. The man who had taken command in the heat of battle, fearlessly stood up to a Jovian fleet that outnumbered him more than ten times over, had battled hand to hand with the "great evil" of Akatsuki Nagare. Obviously such coverage and praise elicited adoration from millions. From a select few it also elicited fanaticism. Now Jun, who had previously had trouble getting a girl to talk to him, had hordes of them stalking him in every way imaginable.
"Akito how did you survive such madness?" Jun asked as he sat down getting a beer.
"Well, you fight it for a while, but eventually you give in," he said putting his arm around Yurika.
"That's what I was afraid of," he said.
"Hey, Jun-kun, come over here," Megumi said. Jun turned to see Hikaru and Megumi asking him to come over.
"Oh no, not them too," he lamented. Akito shrugged while Yurika started giggling and Ruri and Inez stared on in amusement.
Jun went over and sat down. "Hey Jun!" they both said. Megumi went first. "Jun, you know the premier of my new movie is going to be next month. I really need and escort and I would be honored if…" Megumi started but was cut off by Hikaru.
"Jun already promised he would accompany me to the premier of my new manga downtown…" she countered at Megumi. Jun just sat quietly. He was going to refute the truth of Hikaru's statement but he'd had a hundred of these arguments already. It was hopeless.
The phone rang and Akito excused himself to pick it up. "Hello, we're closed now, we'll be open again tomorrow at 8," he said.
"Hello Akito. It's Suzuki. Please put this message on the hologram," Akito jumped. "SUZUKI!" he yelled. Everyone again went silent. Akito fumbled for the button for the holographic display and soon a life-size hologram of Suzuki was visible.
"Hello friends. I know you want to ask me so many things but regretfully, this is a recording," she started. Everyone held their breath in anticipation at her message.
"I want you all to know, first of all, I'm fine. I have healed as I usually do so I am in no danger. However, I regret to tell you that you may not see me for a while, if within your lifetimes. As you suspect I have gone to find out what happened to the rest of my race. I had this message sent back through a jump-gate communication system since I have been so busy as of late. When you see this, I will probably be thousands of light years away. I assure you though that my thoughts will always be with you. Perhaps, we can meet again some day. I have not locked the jump facility near Saturn since I want humanity to have the chance to use it. Inez, your key should still work and when you think the human race is at peace and ready, feel free to start it up. It will give you the ability to navigate in a large part of your galactic neighborhood. Perhaps, one day you will find me. If so, I would really enjoy having time to catch up. I have no answers now, but only more questions than even you yourselves have. I only hope I can find some solace in my quest for these mysteries. So with this, I tell you goodbye, good luck, and thank you all for giving me a chance. Thank you most of all Akito for being a special friend," she said and winked. The message then terminated.
"Akito…" Yurika said turning to him. Akito gulped. He didn't want to hear this. "Akito, what did she mean by a special friend?" Yurika asked with an innocent yet sinister edge to her voice.
"I don't know," Akito replied. Yurika nudged closer.
"Akito, we're going to spend our life together you shouldn't keep anything from me you know," Yurika pressed on. Akito turned over and looked at Seiya who was making a cutting gesture with his index finger on his throat.
"Well, I guess it means I told her some special things dear to my heart," Akito stammered.
"YOU WHAT?!" Yurika said. This frightened even Ruri. Yurika rarely lost her cool. "Like what?"
"Like, how much you mean to me and how much I love you," Akito said. Yurika smiled.
"OH AKITO!" she said glomping him.
Seiya laughed heartily. "Great escape man! I gotta use that on my bit...I mean wife!" he yelled.
"OK, time to stop drinking," Minato suggested to him.
They partied until late in the night. Just before dawn, everyone had more or less filed out. Only the housemates remained to clean up after everyone.
"Akito," Yurika told him as they picked up bottles. "You know I was just kidding earlier," she started.
"Really?" Akito asked.
"If I or any of us ever doubted you, would I be here right now? Would any of us?" she said. Ruri nodded in agreement.
"If we were an ordinary crew, we would never have shared enough of a bond to do what we did to help you Akito," Minato agreed.
"I guess that is what makes the Nadesico special above all other ships," Akito concurred smiling. "If only the rest of humanity felt the same none of this madness would go on."
"You never know. With the prospect of peace around the corner, maybe they can learn," Yukina conjectured.
"Maybe? I'm sure they will Yukina. I'm sure they all will," Yurika said answering her question. They all nodded in agreement.
Upstairs, in Akito's room, in a photo taken nearly fifteen years before, Akito's father smiled proudly holding his son.
FIN
A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I have writing it. Thank you again for all your helpful comments and criticism. I would not have been motivated to continue without it. LET'S GO PASSION!
The stars shone brightly overhead. At a small and relatively obscure restaurant, the crew of the Nadesico had been gathering for a victory celebration of sorts. Drink flowed freely and everyone once again had regained their cheerful dispositions. About a month had passed since their return and their lives had once again been interrupted. Instead of interplanetary space battles, however, this time their lives had been interrupted by trials, media interviews, and a military funeral for the fallen. They had had little of the precious time they craved to themselves since their return and it seemed like it would remain that way for a while. It was important then for them to be able to gather informally for a night to shake of the stress and worries of their hectic schedules.
"I can't believe he's that good. I just can't," Seiya complained bitterly as he tottered on the brink of inebriation. "Don't tell me they can't find ANY evidence for anything against him. Even tax evasion come on!? Didn't they use it against that 20th century mobster?" he lamented loudly.
"You mean Al Pacino?" Minato replied.
"Not Al Pacino! He was an actor! He only played mobsters." Megumi replied back with indignation. If she knew anything, she knew her cinema.
"Al Capone," Goat responded.
"Yeah, whatever. He HAS to go to jail for something. There is no decency in this world if otherwise," Seiya rambled on. He was clearly drunk now.
"Ask Mr. Prospector, he would know," Yukina piped in. "He's heading Nergal now so he should have the inside scoop on things."
A few tables away, Mr. Prospector discussed the same topic with Yurika, Akito, Ruri, and Ms. Fressange.
"So you really are going to take over Nergal next week?" Akito asked.
"Yes, the UEF government has made me the interim CEO. That is until their ad hoc senate antitrust committee figures out how many companies they are going to split Nergal into. So far I've heard no less than ten. I guess you can call me the last king of a dying empire," Mr. Prospector said with a grin as he took a sip from his glass.
"What about Akatsuki and Erina?" Yurika asked. There had been editorials every day in the news trying to prognosticate their eventual fate but so far there was no consensus on what would happen or should happen.
"Akatsuki, could get off for lack of evidence. He had lived every day knowing that the UEF could turn on him so he hid his dealings well. The prosecution has one trump card though," he continued.
"Erina," Ruri said anticipating the answer.
"Brilliant as always, Ruri," he said taking a big gulp down from the drink. "Most people think she is defiant and evil but I always knew her well enough to know otherwise. Now, I'm pretty sure she is dejected and sad, not unrepentant. She will probably negotiate a nice plea bargain deal with the UEF. Since they have to win this case she will probably just lose a lot of her assets and get minimum jail time if any."
"Something about that just seems wrong," Akito murmured.
"Her possibility of leveraging power plays is over though Akito," Inez commented. "I would be less worried about her out and about than Akatsuki. Living her life in ignominy is enough punishment for her psyche I believe."
"But on to brighter topics. I was talking to Minato earlier about the news from Jupiter. Is it true?" Mr. Prospector asked Akito and Yurika.
Akito nodded. "We watched through one of Yukina's old communication devices. It can receive Jovian news feeds. There was a real convulsion in the government and a lot of people went down, Admiral Kusakabe included. He seems to have been replaced by an Admiral Seki who has taken one of the vacant seats on the Jovian High Command."
"That's good. Very good," Mr. Prospector said finishing up his drink. "Maybe something good will come of it."
"Something good has already come of it," Yurika added. "My father tells me that the Jovians have secretly contacted the UEF through back channels. They are urgently requesting peace negotiations and now the government has changed its tune, I think there will be receptive ears to such negotiations."
Just then the kitchen door opened and Jun stumbled in. He was out of breath and looked frantic.
"Is the door locked?" he asked.
"No, should we lock it?" Akito asked him back.
"Just to be safe, please lock it," Jun replied. Everyone stopped talking and Yurika quickly jumped up and locked the door.
"Jun, what's wrong?" Akito asked filling with dread.
Jun sighed. "Those damn fangirls and paprazzi are after me again," he wailed. At this comment, everyone broke out into laughter. Theoretically, everyone from the Nadesico were heroes for all they had accomplished but the media always had its biases towards a good story over the whole truth. So naturally the focus of many commentaries had fallen on the dashing Jun. Jun the superhero. The man who had taken command in the heat of battle, fearlessly stood up to a Jovian fleet that outnumbered him more than ten times over, had battled hand to hand with the "great evil" of Akatsuki Nagare. Obviously such coverage and praise elicited adoration from millions. From a select few it also elicited fanaticism. Now Jun, who had previously had trouble getting a girl to talk to him, had hordes of them stalking him in every way imaginable.
"Akito how did you survive such madness?" Jun asked as he sat down getting a beer.
"Well, you fight it for a while, but eventually you give in," he said putting his arm around Yurika.
"That's what I was afraid of," he said.
"Hey, Jun-kun, come over here," Megumi said. Jun turned to see Hikaru and Megumi asking him to come over.
"Oh no, not them too," he lamented. Akito shrugged while Yurika started giggling and Ruri and Inez stared on in amusement.
Jun went over and sat down. "Hey Jun!" they both said. Megumi went first. "Jun, you know the premier of my new movie is going to be next month. I really need and escort and I would be honored if…" Megumi started but was cut off by Hikaru.
"Jun already promised he would accompany me to the premier of my new manga downtown…" she countered at Megumi. Jun just sat quietly. He was going to refute the truth of Hikaru's statement but he'd had a hundred of these arguments already. It was hopeless.
The phone rang and Akito excused himself to pick it up. "Hello, we're closed now, we'll be open again tomorrow at 8," he said.
"Hello Akito. It's Suzuki. Please put this message on the hologram," Akito jumped. "SUZUKI!" he yelled. Everyone again went silent. Akito fumbled for the button for the holographic display and soon a life-size hologram of Suzuki was visible.
"Hello friends. I know you want to ask me so many things but regretfully, this is a recording," she started. Everyone held their breath in anticipation at her message.
"I want you all to know, first of all, I'm fine. I have healed as I usually do so I am in no danger. However, I regret to tell you that you may not see me for a while, if within your lifetimes. As you suspect I have gone to find out what happened to the rest of my race. I had this message sent back through a jump-gate communication system since I have been so busy as of late. When you see this, I will probably be thousands of light years away. I assure you though that my thoughts will always be with you. Perhaps, we can meet again some day. I have not locked the jump facility near Saturn since I want humanity to have the chance to use it. Inez, your key should still work and when you think the human race is at peace and ready, feel free to start it up. It will give you the ability to navigate in a large part of your galactic neighborhood. Perhaps, one day you will find me. If so, I would really enjoy having time to catch up. I have no answers now, but only more questions than even you yourselves have. I only hope I can find some solace in my quest for these mysteries. So with this, I tell you goodbye, good luck, and thank you all for giving me a chance. Thank you most of all Akito for being a special friend," she said and winked. The message then terminated.
"Akito…" Yurika said turning to him. Akito gulped. He didn't want to hear this. "Akito, what did she mean by a special friend?" Yurika asked with an innocent yet sinister edge to her voice.
"I don't know," Akito replied. Yurika nudged closer.
"Akito, we're going to spend our life together you shouldn't keep anything from me you know," Yurika pressed on. Akito turned over and looked at Seiya who was making a cutting gesture with his index finger on his throat.
"Well, I guess it means I told her some special things dear to my heart," Akito stammered.
"YOU WHAT?!" Yurika said. This frightened even Ruri. Yurika rarely lost her cool. "Like what?"
"Like, how much you mean to me and how much I love you," Akito said. Yurika smiled.
"OH AKITO!" she said glomping him.
Seiya laughed heartily. "Great escape man! I gotta use that on my bit...I mean wife!" he yelled.
"OK, time to stop drinking," Minato suggested to him.
They partied until late in the night. Just before dawn, everyone had more or less filed out. Only the housemates remained to clean up after everyone.
"Akito," Yurika told him as they picked up bottles. "You know I was just kidding earlier," she started.
"Really?" Akito asked.
"If I or any of us ever doubted you, would I be here right now? Would any of us?" she said. Ruri nodded in agreement.
"If we were an ordinary crew, we would never have shared enough of a bond to do what we did to help you Akito," Minato agreed.
"I guess that is what makes the Nadesico special above all other ships," Akito concurred smiling. "If only the rest of humanity felt the same none of this madness would go on."
"You never know. With the prospect of peace around the corner, maybe they can learn," Yukina conjectured.
"Maybe? I'm sure they will Yukina. I'm sure they all will," Yurika said answering her question. They all nodded in agreement.
Upstairs, in Akito's room, in a photo taken nearly fifteen years before, Akito's father smiled proudly holding his son.
FIN
A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I have writing it. Thank you again for all your helpful comments and criticism. I would not have been motivated to continue without it. LET'S GO PASSION!
