Bubblegum Crisis

Tech Wars

Chapter 3

The battle again was not going well. Even with Tech's presence they were fighting what seemed like an army. The odds were nearly five to one. Quincy apparently had set this up to lure the Sabers out of hiding, and when Tech saw had badly off they were to start with she had jumped right into the fray.

Priss felt someone at her back and turned slightly to see Tech herself fighting back-to-back with her. Tech too turned her head to look at Priss before turning back to the battle. She blocked a boomer fist coming at her face, then swept its feet out from under it. Tech's right fist lashed out as the boomer was suspended in midair and pounded it into the ground at her feet. She then kicked it and sent it flying into another boomer, knocking it over.

Priss was picking off boomers with pinpoint accuracy using her rail gun. Tech covered Priss, and Priss picked off boomers with her gun when they got too close and Tech had her hands full.

Sylia smiled slightly when she saw the two of them covering one another. It meant she didn't have to worry as much about Priss getting hurt. She was also glad that the two of them were getting along and not trying to kill each other. Her swords flashed out and cut the arm off another boomer that tried to penetrate her defenses. Another slash and she dropped it. The others were doing well also. Though Linna had been pegged a couple of times she was still faring well against their adversaries for the moment. Nene too was fighting, even though her armor was the lightest of the group. But what it lacked in defense it made up for with speed and agility. Nene was moving in and out of the boomers, almost seeming to dance as she fought. But they couldn't keep this pace up forever; they were still three to one odds.

Tech knew that she'd have to disengage from battle soon. Already she could feel the strain on her body as the suit drew on her strength. Trouble was she didn't want to leave her new friend here all alone. This Knight Saber fought like she did and there was no way she would leave a fellow warrior on the battlefield. So there was only one other option; she would fight until she was killed, though it would make Tira unhappy. Even though Tech was weakening she stepped up her fighting and continued launching attacks.

Back at the transport Tira watches the battle through the lens of the recon drone they had stolen out of a combat zone and modified for their uses. She didn't like what she was seeing. Tech and the Knight Sabers were seriously out numbered. On top of that she could see the signs of Tech beginning to weaken. She wouldn't last much longer at this rate. Sure she had managed to tweak the converter unit in the suit to allow for longer combat time, but it would still take its toll on her body eventually.

Looking over at the suit racks she began formulating a plan. With a determined look on her face she began stripping off her clothes. One of her teammates, Kathryn (aka Kat) saw what she was doing and moved to stop her.

"What are you doing Tira?! You know Sakura expressly forbad us from putting on the armors!"

She shook off the hand on her arm and proceeded to put on the protective inner suit. Once strapped up she pulled out the armor she had taken a fancy to. Normally a black and white affair the armor was currently a dull gray. Sakura's study of her father's database had turned up a deep hidden file for something called PS (Phase Shift) armor. (I have a Gundam addiction, so sue me) Not only did it provide grater protection from projectile weapons it also allowed them to cloak themselves, like Tech had done the first night she had encountered the Sabers.

Once the armor was on she did her hair up so she could put on the helmet. As the locks engaged the power flowed through the armor and the PS system became active. The armor glowed slightly and the color spread across limbs and body. The armor now resembled Tech's own, only black and white instead of green and gray. Tira took up a long pole-like weapon with a slight bend to it and some type of energy emitter at the top. The deploy unit in the wall attached a shield to her left arm and booster pack to her back.

Taking a deep breath she readjusted her grip on her weapon and started for the hatch. Kat's hand on her shoulder caused her to turn to her teammate.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" she asked worriedly.

Tira nodded. "I have to go, otherwise Sakura could be killed." She turned and again started for the back hatch. "Sakura's time is running out and I need to hurry if I'm to reach her in time."

She nearly made it out the back when Kat's voice again was heard, "Good luck."

Tira threw a brief thumbs-up over her shoulder then took to the air. Her booster pack didn't exactly allow her to fly, but it was close enough. It was actually like jumping a very long distance. She had to come down every minute or so, and she managed to push it to a minute and a half.

It was all she needed. There below her was the battlefield and the others still battling.

It was easy for her to see Tech was weakening quickly now. Her movements were becoming sluggish and she was breathing harder than normal. The boomer she was fighting managed to get through Tech's defenses and land a solid blow to her chest. The blue Knight Saber turned in time to catch her and shot the boomer in the head. Tech had grown to weak to fight any longer and the Knight Saber used the last shot in her cannon to destroy another boomer before tossing it away. The others were likewise looking tired and there were still a few of boomers left. Tech's armor chose this moment to change back as the PS system shut down, turning it gray and leaving her vulnerable.

As the boomers closed in on the two Tira leapt into the fray. As she fell she activated her weapon, the long green scythe blade appearing smoothly. She spun it over her head and swung hard as she landed, cleaving three boomers at once. Turning it over she again slashed another boomer in two.

"Who are you," asked the blue Saber.

Tira didn't even turn as she answered the question, "Call me Blackscythe." Now she turned, "You know Tech you should really take better care of yourself." The smile was evident in her voice.

The woman in question raised her head a bit having recovered a little, "I thought I told you not to put on that armor. It's not ready to see combat." She sounded exhausted.

"Neither was yours, yet you used it anyway." Said Blackscythe. She turns around when she hears the sound of charging feet. "Just a sec, please." She turns back to Priss, "Could you watch her for me?"

Priss nods, "Yeah, sure."

Blackscythe takes a few steps away and activates her boost pack. She bursts off with her scythe held at the ready. As Blackscythe nears the group she swings the scythe, digging it into the ground and then through the boomers. But the swing didn't stop, it continued as she spun in a 360-degree slash, cutting down every boomer near her.

Priss watched in amazement as Blackscythe swung her flaming scythe and cut through the machines like a hot knife through butter.

"Wow. She's pretty good." She said.

At her side Tech watched wordlessly as Ti… er, Blackscythe, cut into the boomers with each long slash of her weapon. She had told her not to get into the armor, but for some reason had defied her and gotten into it. As she watched though Tech watched how she moved in the armor as she helped out the green Saber. It was like she was born in that Blackscythe armor. Her movements were like water, one leading into another. In short, she was like poetry in motion.

Tech began feeling a slight flutter in her stomach as Blackscythe spun elegantly on one foot and reverse-slashed another two boomers. She was beautiful. For some time Tech had been ignoring these feelings so she could keep a clear head, but now there was no denying it as these pent up feelings came to the fore. Her memories began flashing before her eyes of all the times Tira had been helpful, all the things she had said and Sakura had tried to ignore.

One memory in particular stuck out; it was a few years back before they had gotten their group together and Sakura had been sick with a bad flu. Tira had stuck by her and cared for her all on her own, keeping her fed, wiping the fever sweat from her face, and keeping her comfortable. One day it had grown bad and Tira had called her family's doctor. The diagnosis wasn't good. Unless something happened soon to help the fever break Sakura was in danger of dieing. Tira had cried on her arm and was actually praying for Sakura's life. That was the first time she had felt it, this fluttering in her heart.

Some time just after dark the doors to Tira's room opened and her father walked in. He took her aside and there was a muffled conversation that Sakura couldn't quite make out. Something about a possible cure and she was pretty sure she heard her father's name mentioned. Mr. Ashcroft left a short time later, then returned with a small device. He said everything would be alright and then turned her head and placed the device against her neck just behind her ear. The device was activated and suddenly a gentle warmth began to spread through her chilled body. For the first time in days Sakura slept peacefully.

Sakura awoke two days later feeling better and felt someone holding her. Looking over she saw Tira's arms wrapped around her own arm and her nestled next to her shoulder.

'She must have stayed with me while I slept,' she had thought, 'just like all the other times.' She ran her fingers gently through Tira's hair and again felt this flutter. She suppressed it however, thinking of her father and her desire to avenge him. 'I can't let myself fall in love with her!' she thought, 'Not until my business with Genom is finished! I can't risk it… I can't risk Tira's life.'

So she had suppressed her feelings as best she could, until now, as she watched Blackscythe fight her Tech's life. 'I can't ignore this any longer. I have to tell her, and try to make up for the time lost.' She shut her eyes, 'Goddess I'm such a fool!' she looks back at Blackscythe, 'I promise I'll make it up to her.'

She felt her strength fail her and she finally fell unconscious, a smile on her face.

That's it for now. In the next chapter Sakura and Tira meet Sylia and the other Knight Sabers in a manner they had not expected, and Sakura finds out a secret that Tira had been keeping for quite a while now. No flames.