Disclaimer: I do not own vandread and if I did I would make Hibiki a lil taller, make Jura a lil less irritating, make Dita a lil bite more grown up.. you get the hint. ^_~
This story happens after the ending of Vandread the Second Stage. After Super Vandread has been half destroyed, Paeksis has latched onto it healing it miraculously. The Nirvana has accepted a few men to live with the ladies. So is that the end of the harvestors? Earth is definitely not happy...
## NOTE ## I do not upload this story by chapter but I will only start another chapter after one episode finishes. So I update by constantly changingthe files for the chapters. Please read and review!!!
~~~
"Uchuujin-san!" Dita cried as she ran down the corridor, looking for Hibiki. She glanced around searching high and low. But she couldn't find Hibiki. SHe blundered into the kitchen. "Oh! Ezra, have you seen Hibiki?" Dita cried. Ezra paused, the spoon of milk powder half raised from its container.
"Oh Dita. No I haven't seen Hibiki. I'm sorry."
Dita shook her head and smiled.
"Its alright Ezra... oh you're making milk for Kalua?"
"Yep. She's getting hungrier each day."
"Soon she'll have to shift to semi-solid food..." Came a grunt wizened voice from nearby. The two of them looked up and grinned.
"Boss!" She greeted simultaneously.
The ol' woman with the hood and shawl nodded and smile again. A mysterious smile. "I heard you were looking for Hibiki?"
Dita nodded vigorously, her chibi eyes glistening.
"Do you know where he is Boss?"
"I sure do young lady. He should be at the vanguard and dreads. Parfet asked for his help in the magor overhaul project. Which reminds me, weren't you informed of it?" The old lady gave Dita a questioning look.
"Major overhaul?" Dita repeated the words. "On yes! It was today! I fogot!" She yelled and ran out.
"Tsk what great memory she has..." Laughed a senior sercurity crew member.
Magno Vivan turned back to the crew member and smiled again. Her old but shrewd eyes shining. "my the ship getting way too lively for an old one like me."
"Oh don't say that Boss, we're all just glad that the threat is over." The grinning lady passed the old woman a glass of hot tea and leaned back against hte counter smiling.
"Yes at least the Harvestors are gone." Magno repeated the words, as if consolidating herself...
~~~
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................__......__........___.....................__...................................................................................................\\.....//.//\.....!!\..!!...!!--\\..!!--\\..!!-----.....//\.......!-\\............................................................................... ............\\...//.//.\\...!!\\.!!..!!....\\.!!-//..!!___....//.\\.....!!....\\.........................................................................................
....\\.//.//--\\...!!.\\!!.!!....//.!!..\\..!!-----...//---\\...!!....//............................................................................................ .....\\/.//.....\\..!!..\\!.!!--.//..!!...\\.!!___...//......\\..!!--//.............................................................................................. ............................................................!-----........................................................................................................................ ......\\.._\___................................THE FINAL ASSAULT....................................................................................................
....._=.\\\ \\__\__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _............................................................................................... ......=.///__//__/.....................................................................................................................................................................//.../.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
~~~
"This is preposturous! How dare they!" A hairy hand flung the vid screen across the room in disgust and outrage. The vid screen hit the adjacent wall and shattered into a dozen pieces of glass and metal. He growled. Things were made too frail these days. But no, he would stay strong. Stronger than all the useless living scum out there.
He quivered and shook as he climbed to his feet, propping himself up from the chair. His face contorted in anger and rage. He was a white lump of flesh, well past his age but his complexion as fair and pale as a baby. His eyes however, were harsh and bitter. It had been months ever since he got out of the chair. Or even tried to stand. In fact it was perhaps weeks since anyone in his community last stood. His fingers clenched at the armrest till his knuckles turned white. Sweat dripped down from his face and hair.
He quickly sat down again, his limbs too weak to support himself properly. Around him in the hexagonal room, like the cell of a bee, the wall flared into an eerie red glow, as if the wall themselves dripped blood. He could hear the hiss of machinery as a small compartment box-like in nature came out from the wall and presented him with a small white cloth. Disgusted with his own initial reaction, the white thing leaned back against the rigid stone chair, scuplted to display the base of humanity's creativity and greatness.
It was grey tonned, made of seemingly plain stone and marble. But it served his every purpose. All he had to do was think it, and it was done. This connection to the Crimson One, was what gave humanity its greatest power and glory. His son had accepted the honorable task to going out to destroy those who rebeled against humanity. Those who indirectly caused the decay of mankind by rebelling against the forces of Earth. The Nature of Earth. It was only RIGHTEOUS that they sacrificed themselves for the good of humanity. Which grateful sane person wouldn't?
Yet.. and now... sorrow consumed his heart like a fire. His son. His own son was killed. At least it was an honorable death. But still, killed by those he was meant to destroy, the trash and the offal. Writhing in hatred, the blood red aura flared up again around him like burning flames. His eyes were like two black holes in white dough. Right now, all that mattered, were killing those rebels. Those pathetic creatures who dared go against the glory of humanity.
Now most ironically, it wasn't that the white creature, that was suppose to be a man, loved his son. It was simply that it brought dishonor to his name. He linked up to the other elders. One of them wasn't available. He was undergoing a transplant. But it didn't matter. What mattered was that he get his point across. Across the dull planet with its clockwork of gears, thousands tuned in to listen to his lecture.
"Friends, Terrans, Humans, lend me your ears. It is a sad day for us. It is a sad moment. Our dearest son of humanity has been killed by the rebelling offworlders. How could they, when he has left the glorious world of Earth, braving all odds to talk some sense into they-who-will-become-us. It is time. Time that we too scacrificed a part of ourselves for the future of mankind. It is time we led an even greater force to bring back they-who-will-become-us. They say that we are dying. No! It is us who will live through them. They say we are dying, but with them humanity was continue to breathe and live. They say we are dying. And they do not realise how weak they are, and that in becoming part of us, humanity will become stronger and glorious. It is time that we show them!"
And across the interconnecting chains of machinery and gears, clockwork that ticked efficiently with the unfailing help of the Crimson One, thousands applauded and cheered. "Come now, what is loosing some more of our resources when it is for the good of humanity's future!" Said a professor from his chair. And again the cry rang out. Monotonous like the drone of a hive, spread above the bleak landscape of the 'beautiful' Earth. And nature would have wept, only it could rain no more, its tears would never come. For nature was now powerless before the unyielding grasp of the Crimson One that served humanity that served the Crimson One.
"All hail the Crimson One, and let humanity progress!"
~~~
EPISODE 1 === DEATH AND REBIRTH
~~~
"Uchuujin-san!" Dita yelled as she burst through the doors into the holding bay of the vanguard. The golden one was docked beside the other coloured Bangatas that were in deep freeze. Hibiki was standing aboard the platform and talking to Parfet when Dita burst in.
"YAHHH!" Hibiki gave a short yelp of surprise as the red-haired girl ran up the platform.
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Dita grinned.
"DITA!"
"Dita winced at the familiar voice.
"Where were you?! You were supposed to be here over an hour ago!" Meia stood by a connecting corridor from the vanguard/bangata holding area to the dread holding area. She didn't look too pleased. Her arms were crossed.
"OH cheer up missy! She's just a little forgetful!" Came another voice from the dread hangers. One we all probably can't remember from anywhere. Can it be? Oh WOW... its a NEW guy.
Meia glanced back at him. "That's the point, she's too forgetful!" Meia snapped.
"Ohhh don't mind her, Meia's just in one of her mooooods again." Jura smiled with half-closed eyes as she leans against the railing beside her red ovular dread.
"Er... alright." Samtash Backuff of the Tarak Empire shrugged and went back to fiddling with the mechanisms in another dread. He had dirty-blonde hair which was tied back in a pig tail. Grease and dirt smudged his cheeks and hair as he continued with the overhaul of the dread. He was naturally a good and fit specimen for a human male, tall and well-muscled. No wonder Jura fell for him.
"So.... Sammie, what do you think of my beautiful dread?" Jura asks...
Meia sighs and eyes Dita as she moves down the platform towards the dread team leader.
"Why do we still have to overhaul the dreads?"
"For the same reason why we do so before we got blown to the other side of the galaxy." Meia answered in a matter-of-fact way. "There may be other threats and we have to be ready for them."
"I'll see you for lunch Uchuujin-san!" Dita waved at Hibiki as she followed Meia back to the dreads.
"Erm, yea!" Answered Hibiki, pretending to wave.
"Well...."
"What?" Hibiki snapped. He never could stand the little nurse's taunts.
"What IS it Paiway?"
"Oh I don't know, right Kero! We both don't KNOW. Kero! But have you done it with Dita yet?"
"WHAT?!" Hibiki yelled.
Parfet *sweatdropped*. (-_-)'
"You KNOW. Making a baby. Teehee. Yup Kero! Kero!" PaiWay grinned as her green frog puppet croaked in front of Hibiki's face.
"No I DON'T KNOW! Go away and do something useful for once." The 'man' turned around thoughroughly irritated.
PaiWay chuckled, "you're too EASY!" And the little nurse scrambled away to find 'better' things to do.
~~~
In the kitchen, there seemed to be a big mess. Steam filled the room as one of the crew members scrambled to take off the kettle.
"Over here! Eggs! Where ARE the beaten eggs?"
"Right there by the... waitaminute! I swear I just left the bowl there just now!"
"Someone beat the eggs now!"
"Do it yourself!"
"My hands are full!"
"Ahhh! The meat is burning!"
"You put too much wine!"
"I know that! I can SEE THAT! OW!"
The fire was quickly switched off as the cook surveyed the mess. The meat was a thick black mass.
"That's it. That's the last time we're using the gas and fire way to cook. Its back to the electric stove!"
BC had taken a small break from bridge duty. Or rather, Boss had chased her offthe bridge saying she needed rest.
The minute she had walked into the kitchen, the horror of inorganisation met her eyes. She clapped her hands, loud enough till the whole kitchen was quiet. Save for something sizzling away on the pan.
"People, at the rate you go we're never going to have a welcome party at all. Okay you two clean up the utensils again. You go get another batch of..." BC eyed the burnt meat, "Of whatever this once was."
Then she glanced at the head cook. "We should forgo the traditional cooking idea. Get going!"
Instantly the kitchen flared up once again to its normal activity. BC sighed and shook her head. That was one thing about women...
"Oi oi... seems so much like the old times."
BC needn't turn around to recognise Gascogne's voice. The two had been one of the oldest crew members around. BC said nothing in reply, only a small smile etched on her lips.
"Buzam!"
BC opened the coms link instantly.
"Yes Boss?"
"Come up to the bridge for a second... you're needed."
"Oh Big Surprise." Gascogne grinned.
"yea yea. See you later." BC whirled around and headed to the upper decks quickly.
Most of the crew members greeted her as she passed by, but some gave her an odd look. She wasn't surprised by that.
The bridge door slide open with a soft hiss as she strode up to take her normal position near Magno Vivan.
The old pirate started almost instantly. "The Melenas Space Guard have invited us to their planet for Peace talks and Trade partnerships between the Tarak and Meger."
"Big surprise." BC said, quoting Gascogne. "What did Meger and Tarak say?"
"Well, you know them well enough, they want us to go in their place. I'll let you handle the military negotiations."
"Negotiations? You mean..."
"Melenas wants us to sell them some of our military technology."
"I see."
"I trust I can leave this project in your hands." Magno gave a wry smile.
"Thank you very much Boss!"
~~~
"Alright, squad alpha zero. homing in on the Rhudite Station. Requesting permission to dock!" The woman's voice accessed to the control room of the Rhudite Station. The small Mejalean Frontal Guard speeder manuvered slowly up the the docking stations of the Rhudite Station. It was a small station but a key position inbetween the Mejale and Tarak space territory. RIght now it was occupied by both Mejale and Tarak troops that were trying to coexist with each other. While the small silvered speeder moved into docking position, awaiting the permission grant, the rest of squad alpha hovered nearby. The other two of them. Both silver, alpha one and alpha two waited patiently.
"Permission granted, dock at station 2 bay 3."
"Affirmative. reading homing beacon."
A tired finger trailed along the edge of a small glowing screen.
"Frankly, I don't see why we're suddenly cooperating with the disgusting men. What do you think Rela?"
Rela had a somewhat distant look on her face, "I'm not sure Haite, I htink they look kinda nice..."
"What? Don't tell me you LIKE them?! They're disgusting creatures!"
"..."
"Besides, there's this online forum and most of Meger dislike the men or are unsure about the cooperation. Unless of course you fell for..."
"Hey! I fall for no one okay?! I'm one of the best around. I don't fall for anybody!"
"Heh, sure hope Nala doesn't get too hypnotised by the men there..."
Giving a small huff, Nala switched off the engines of her speeder and opened the hatch.
"This is alpha zero, I'm heading in."
"OH do be careful."
"I WILL!" Nala growled and then opened the hatch. A hand reached down to haul her out.
"BOy am I GLAD you're here..." Came a woman's voice. Nala took off her helmet.
"Well, I was assigned here to pick up the..."
"I know. I know. DO you need a drink? Some coffee or tea perhaps?"
"But that thing is very im.."
"No worries, its being guarded."
The two women strode through the corridors. Nala gave a small inward sigh. They passed a few other men adn women in the corridors but barely greeted each other. Nala withhold herself from staring at the men. No matter what she couldn't get used to their bulky mass stridign about the corridors like some huge beasts.
"Let teh party begin..." A sinister voice whispered. Nala jerked and glance around but then...
"This is the control room where we..."
KABOOOMMM!!! As soon as the door whizzed open a huge wave of heat hit the both of them as they flew backwards and sprawled on the ground semi-conscious. Pain coursed through her chest as the sharpnel embedded deep into her flesh. Her lungs heaved in desperate want for oxygen. Smoke billowed out into their faces. Gaseous fumes and the acrid smell of burning metal choked them. Nala gave a loud groan as she gasped at the pain. Her head reeled as if the world was spining around her. Her vision grew dim, darkness clouding in from the edges... threatening, over-hanging, was this the end?
More explosions follwed that rocked the Rhudite Station. Metal crunched and twisted and buckled. Squad alpha imemdiately flew towards the red blossuming explosions that blew form the stations metal grey hull.
"NOOOO! This is squad alpha one requesting immediate assitance. The Rhudite station is blowing up, it could be an unknown attack!"
"Copy that Alpha one. Beta and Gamma squads are on their way."
Inside the stations, all the people in the control room were dead, killedi mmediately but the sudden heat wave and sharpnel. Communicaiton links with Tarak were abruptly cut off.
Static filled the sound systems the screen turned fuzzy shades of grey as the link was cut.
"What's happened?! Send the defence teams to check it!"
"Sir! The Rhudite station's been bombed!"
Presently the scene of the exploding station filled the holoscreens. Including the three Mejale Frontal Guard squads which sped to the wrecks.
"The Mejale Frontal Guard attacked it?! What vicous creatures! They have their own comrades in that station!"
"Women are demons!"
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions!"
A stern sharp voice suddenly held the approaching tide of hatred against women in check. A man wearing the rank of a Assistant commander of the Special Intelligence Division stood up. The rest regarded him with little amusement.
"So what do you suggest?"
"We declare hostility against Mejale but not full war as before."
"Bullshit! That's what Tenmei Uragasumi said the last time! I'd say we go all out war against them! WHy should we hold patience while they damage our pride!"
"War! Declare War!" The cry came from one ofthe Majors sitting in the meeting room.
"War with Mejale! War with Mejale!"
"ALRIGHT!" The head of the military division yeleld. He ran a hand over his bald head and growled. As if considering not having a war, he was but actually thinking of greater honor... then his voice suddenly soft and in a sly hiss he grinned, "Let's bring out the dogs of war..."
This story happens after the ending of Vandread the Second Stage. After Super Vandread has been half destroyed, Paeksis has latched onto it healing it miraculously. The Nirvana has accepted a few men to live with the ladies. So is that the end of the harvestors? Earth is definitely not happy...
## NOTE ## I do not upload this story by chapter but I will only start another chapter after one episode finishes. So I update by constantly changingthe files for the chapters. Please read and review!!!
~~~
"Uchuujin-san!" Dita cried as she ran down the corridor, looking for Hibiki. She glanced around searching high and low. But she couldn't find Hibiki. SHe blundered into the kitchen. "Oh! Ezra, have you seen Hibiki?" Dita cried. Ezra paused, the spoon of milk powder half raised from its container.
"Oh Dita. No I haven't seen Hibiki. I'm sorry."
Dita shook her head and smiled.
"Its alright Ezra... oh you're making milk for Kalua?"
"Yep. She's getting hungrier each day."
"Soon she'll have to shift to semi-solid food..." Came a grunt wizened voice from nearby. The two of them looked up and grinned.
"Boss!" She greeted simultaneously.
The ol' woman with the hood and shawl nodded and smile again. A mysterious smile. "I heard you were looking for Hibiki?"
Dita nodded vigorously, her chibi eyes glistening.
"Do you know where he is Boss?"
"I sure do young lady. He should be at the vanguard and dreads. Parfet asked for his help in the magor overhaul project. Which reminds me, weren't you informed of it?" The old lady gave Dita a questioning look.
"Major overhaul?" Dita repeated the words. "On yes! It was today! I fogot!" She yelled and ran out.
"Tsk what great memory she has..." Laughed a senior sercurity crew member.
Magno Vivan turned back to the crew member and smiled again. Her old but shrewd eyes shining. "my the ship getting way too lively for an old one like me."
"Oh don't say that Boss, we're all just glad that the threat is over." The grinning lady passed the old woman a glass of hot tea and leaned back against hte counter smiling.
"Yes at least the Harvestors are gone." Magno repeated the words, as if consolidating herself...
~~~
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................__......__........___.....................__...................................................................................................\\.....//.//\.....!!\..!!...!!--\\..!!--\\..!!-----.....//\.......!-\\............................................................................... ............\\...//.//.\\...!!\\.!!..!!....\\.!!-//..!!___....//.\\.....!!....\\.........................................................................................
....\\.//.//--\\...!!.\\!!.!!....//.!!..\\..!!-----...//---\\...!!....//............................................................................................ .....\\/.//.....\\..!!..\\!.!!--.//..!!...\\.!!___...//......\\..!!--//.............................................................................................. ............................................................!-----........................................................................................................................ ......\\.._\___................................THE FINAL ASSAULT....................................................................................................
....._=.\\\ \\__\__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _............................................................................................... ......=.///__//__/.....................................................................................................................................................................//.../.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
~~~
"This is preposturous! How dare they!" A hairy hand flung the vid screen across the room in disgust and outrage. The vid screen hit the adjacent wall and shattered into a dozen pieces of glass and metal. He growled. Things were made too frail these days. But no, he would stay strong. Stronger than all the useless living scum out there.
He quivered and shook as he climbed to his feet, propping himself up from the chair. His face contorted in anger and rage. He was a white lump of flesh, well past his age but his complexion as fair and pale as a baby. His eyes however, were harsh and bitter. It had been months ever since he got out of the chair. Or even tried to stand. In fact it was perhaps weeks since anyone in his community last stood. His fingers clenched at the armrest till his knuckles turned white. Sweat dripped down from his face and hair.
He quickly sat down again, his limbs too weak to support himself properly. Around him in the hexagonal room, like the cell of a bee, the wall flared into an eerie red glow, as if the wall themselves dripped blood. He could hear the hiss of machinery as a small compartment box-like in nature came out from the wall and presented him with a small white cloth. Disgusted with his own initial reaction, the white thing leaned back against the rigid stone chair, scuplted to display the base of humanity's creativity and greatness.
It was grey tonned, made of seemingly plain stone and marble. But it served his every purpose. All he had to do was think it, and it was done. This connection to the Crimson One, was what gave humanity its greatest power and glory. His son had accepted the honorable task to going out to destroy those who rebeled against humanity. Those who indirectly caused the decay of mankind by rebelling against the forces of Earth. The Nature of Earth. It was only RIGHTEOUS that they sacrificed themselves for the good of humanity. Which grateful sane person wouldn't?
Yet.. and now... sorrow consumed his heart like a fire. His son. His own son was killed. At least it was an honorable death. But still, killed by those he was meant to destroy, the trash and the offal. Writhing in hatred, the blood red aura flared up again around him like burning flames. His eyes were like two black holes in white dough. Right now, all that mattered, were killing those rebels. Those pathetic creatures who dared go against the glory of humanity.
Now most ironically, it wasn't that the white creature, that was suppose to be a man, loved his son. It was simply that it brought dishonor to his name. He linked up to the other elders. One of them wasn't available. He was undergoing a transplant. But it didn't matter. What mattered was that he get his point across. Across the dull planet with its clockwork of gears, thousands tuned in to listen to his lecture.
"Friends, Terrans, Humans, lend me your ears. It is a sad day for us. It is a sad moment. Our dearest son of humanity has been killed by the rebelling offworlders. How could they, when he has left the glorious world of Earth, braving all odds to talk some sense into they-who-will-become-us. It is time. Time that we too scacrificed a part of ourselves for the future of mankind. It is time we led an even greater force to bring back they-who-will-become-us. They say that we are dying. No! It is us who will live through them. They say we are dying, but with them humanity was continue to breathe and live. They say we are dying. And they do not realise how weak they are, and that in becoming part of us, humanity will become stronger and glorious. It is time that we show them!"
And across the interconnecting chains of machinery and gears, clockwork that ticked efficiently with the unfailing help of the Crimson One, thousands applauded and cheered. "Come now, what is loosing some more of our resources when it is for the good of humanity's future!" Said a professor from his chair. And again the cry rang out. Monotonous like the drone of a hive, spread above the bleak landscape of the 'beautiful' Earth. And nature would have wept, only it could rain no more, its tears would never come. For nature was now powerless before the unyielding grasp of the Crimson One that served humanity that served the Crimson One.
"All hail the Crimson One, and let humanity progress!"
~~~
EPISODE 1 === DEATH AND REBIRTH
~~~
"Uchuujin-san!" Dita yelled as she burst through the doors into the holding bay of the vanguard. The golden one was docked beside the other coloured Bangatas that were in deep freeze. Hibiki was standing aboard the platform and talking to Parfet when Dita burst in.
"YAHHH!" Hibiki gave a short yelp of surprise as the red-haired girl ran up the platform.
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Dita grinned.
"DITA!"
"Dita winced at the familiar voice.
"Where were you?! You were supposed to be here over an hour ago!" Meia stood by a connecting corridor from the vanguard/bangata holding area to the dread holding area. She didn't look too pleased. Her arms were crossed.
"OH cheer up missy! She's just a little forgetful!" Came another voice from the dread hangers. One we all probably can't remember from anywhere. Can it be? Oh WOW... its a NEW guy.
Meia glanced back at him. "That's the point, she's too forgetful!" Meia snapped.
"Ohhh don't mind her, Meia's just in one of her mooooods again." Jura smiled with half-closed eyes as she leans against the railing beside her red ovular dread.
"Er... alright." Samtash Backuff of the Tarak Empire shrugged and went back to fiddling with the mechanisms in another dread. He had dirty-blonde hair which was tied back in a pig tail. Grease and dirt smudged his cheeks and hair as he continued with the overhaul of the dread. He was naturally a good and fit specimen for a human male, tall and well-muscled. No wonder Jura fell for him.
"So.... Sammie, what do you think of my beautiful dread?" Jura asks...
Meia sighs and eyes Dita as she moves down the platform towards the dread team leader.
"Why do we still have to overhaul the dreads?"
"For the same reason why we do so before we got blown to the other side of the galaxy." Meia answered in a matter-of-fact way. "There may be other threats and we have to be ready for them."
"I'll see you for lunch Uchuujin-san!" Dita waved at Hibiki as she followed Meia back to the dreads.
"Erm, yea!" Answered Hibiki, pretending to wave.
"Well...."
"What?" Hibiki snapped. He never could stand the little nurse's taunts.
"What IS it Paiway?"
"Oh I don't know, right Kero! We both don't KNOW. Kero! But have you done it with Dita yet?"
"WHAT?!" Hibiki yelled.
Parfet *sweatdropped*. (-_-)'
"You KNOW. Making a baby. Teehee. Yup Kero! Kero!" PaiWay grinned as her green frog puppet croaked in front of Hibiki's face.
"No I DON'T KNOW! Go away and do something useful for once." The 'man' turned around thoughroughly irritated.
PaiWay chuckled, "you're too EASY!" And the little nurse scrambled away to find 'better' things to do.
~~~
In the kitchen, there seemed to be a big mess. Steam filled the room as one of the crew members scrambled to take off the kettle.
"Over here! Eggs! Where ARE the beaten eggs?"
"Right there by the... waitaminute! I swear I just left the bowl there just now!"
"Someone beat the eggs now!"
"Do it yourself!"
"My hands are full!"
"Ahhh! The meat is burning!"
"You put too much wine!"
"I know that! I can SEE THAT! OW!"
The fire was quickly switched off as the cook surveyed the mess. The meat was a thick black mass.
"That's it. That's the last time we're using the gas and fire way to cook. Its back to the electric stove!"
BC had taken a small break from bridge duty. Or rather, Boss had chased her offthe bridge saying she needed rest.
The minute she had walked into the kitchen, the horror of inorganisation met her eyes. She clapped her hands, loud enough till the whole kitchen was quiet. Save for something sizzling away on the pan.
"People, at the rate you go we're never going to have a welcome party at all. Okay you two clean up the utensils again. You go get another batch of..." BC eyed the burnt meat, "Of whatever this once was."
Then she glanced at the head cook. "We should forgo the traditional cooking idea. Get going!"
Instantly the kitchen flared up once again to its normal activity. BC sighed and shook her head. That was one thing about women...
"Oi oi... seems so much like the old times."
BC needn't turn around to recognise Gascogne's voice. The two had been one of the oldest crew members around. BC said nothing in reply, only a small smile etched on her lips.
"Buzam!"
BC opened the coms link instantly.
"Yes Boss?"
"Come up to the bridge for a second... you're needed."
"Oh Big Surprise." Gascogne grinned.
"yea yea. See you later." BC whirled around and headed to the upper decks quickly.
Most of the crew members greeted her as she passed by, but some gave her an odd look. She wasn't surprised by that.
The bridge door slide open with a soft hiss as she strode up to take her normal position near Magno Vivan.
The old pirate started almost instantly. "The Melenas Space Guard have invited us to their planet for Peace talks and Trade partnerships between the Tarak and Meger."
"Big surprise." BC said, quoting Gascogne. "What did Meger and Tarak say?"
"Well, you know them well enough, they want us to go in their place. I'll let you handle the military negotiations."
"Negotiations? You mean..."
"Melenas wants us to sell them some of our military technology."
"I see."
"I trust I can leave this project in your hands." Magno gave a wry smile.
"Thank you very much Boss!"
~~~
"Alright, squad alpha zero. homing in on the Rhudite Station. Requesting permission to dock!" The woman's voice accessed to the control room of the Rhudite Station. The small Mejalean Frontal Guard speeder manuvered slowly up the the docking stations of the Rhudite Station. It was a small station but a key position inbetween the Mejale and Tarak space territory. RIght now it was occupied by both Mejale and Tarak troops that were trying to coexist with each other. While the small silvered speeder moved into docking position, awaiting the permission grant, the rest of squad alpha hovered nearby. The other two of them. Both silver, alpha one and alpha two waited patiently.
"Permission granted, dock at station 2 bay 3."
"Affirmative. reading homing beacon."
A tired finger trailed along the edge of a small glowing screen.
"Frankly, I don't see why we're suddenly cooperating with the disgusting men. What do you think Rela?"
Rela had a somewhat distant look on her face, "I'm not sure Haite, I htink they look kinda nice..."
"What? Don't tell me you LIKE them?! They're disgusting creatures!"
"..."
"Besides, there's this online forum and most of Meger dislike the men or are unsure about the cooperation. Unless of course you fell for..."
"Hey! I fall for no one okay?! I'm one of the best around. I don't fall for anybody!"
"Heh, sure hope Nala doesn't get too hypnotised by the men there..."
Giving a small huff, Nala switched off the engines of her speeder and opened the hatch.
"This is alpha zero, I'm heading in."
"OH do be careful."
"I WILL!" Nala growled and then opened the hatch. A hand reached down to haul her out.
"BOy am I GLAD you're here..." Came a woman's voice. Nala took off her helmet.
"Well, I was assigned here to pick up the..."
"I know. I know. DO you need a drink? Some coffee or tea perhaps?"
"But that thing is very im.."
"No worries, its being guarded."
The two women strode through the corridors. Nala gave a small inward sigh. They passed a few other men adn women in the corridors but barely greeted each other. Nala withhold herself from staring at the men. No matter what she couldn't get used to their bulky mass stridign about the corridors like some huge beasts.
"Let teh party begin..." A sinister voice whispered. Nala jerked and glance around but then...
"This is the control room where we..."
KABOOOMMM!!! As soon as the door whizzed open a huge wave of heat hit the both of them as they flew backwards and sprawled on the ground semi-conscious. Pain coursed through her chest as the sharpnel embedded deep into her flesh. Her lungs heaved in desperate want for oxygen. Smoke billowed out into their faces. Gaseous fumes and the acrid smell of burning metal choked them. Nala gave a loud groan as she gasped at the pain. Her head reeled as if the world was spining around her. Her vision grew dim, darkness clouding in from the edges... threatening, over-hanging, was this the end?
More explosions follwed that rocked the Rhudite Station. Metal crunched and twisted and buckled. Squad alpha imemdiately flew towards the red blossuming explosions that blew form the stations metal grey hull.
"NOOOO! This is squad alpha one requesting immediate assitance. The Rhudite station is blowing up, it could be an unknown attack!"
"Copy that Alpha one. Beta and Gamma squads are on their way."
Inside the stations, all the people in the control room were dead, killedi mmediately but the sudden heat wave and sharpnel. Communicaiton links with Tarak were abruptly cut off.
Static filled the sound systems the screen turned fuzzy shades of grey as the link was cut.
"What's happened?! Send the defence teams to check it!"
"Sir! The Rhudite station's been bombed!"
Presently the scene of the exploding station filled the holoscreens. Including the three Mejale Frontal Guard squads which sped to the wrecks.
"The Mejale Frontal Guard attacked it?! What vicous creatures! They have their own comrades in that station!"
"Women are demons!"
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions!"
A stern sharp voice suddenly held the approaching tide of hatred against women in check. A man wearing the rank of a Assistant commander of the Special Intelligence Division stood up. The rest regarded him with little amusement.
"So what do you suggest?"
"We declare hostility against Mejale but not full war as before."
"Bullshit! That's what Tenmei Uragasumi said the last time! I'd say we go all out war against them! WHy should we hold patience while they damage our pride!"
"War! Declare War!" The cry came from one ofthe Majors sitting in the meeting room.
"War with Mejale! War with Mejale!"
"ALRIGHT!" The head of the military division yeleld. He ran a hand over his bald head and growled. As if considering not having a war, he was but actually thinking of greater honor... then his voice suddenly soft and in a sly hiss he grinned, "Let's bring out the dogs of war..."