Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread, it belongs to Gonzo, the things are mine are characters from Theora.
Allies Out There
By Eric Tsai
Chapter 10 "Defense Line"
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Well, this is the last official chapter. Enjoy it while you can.
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"Sir, we have detected five large scale ships exiting the magnetic storm." A Tarrakian operator reported to his superior who then ordered the message be sent back to Alliance Command.
"So they are finally here." The captain said to himself as his communication officer sent the message on an all frequency broadcast.
1823, T.I.S. Kaze reported to the Alliance Command five contacts crossing the magnetic field.
1830, all contacts with T.I.S. Kaze was lost.
At 1845, a general alert was issued by Alliance Command.
1850, all Combined Fleet ships entered into combat status.
1930, The Tarrakian Minefield was activated, damage to the
2000, Taskforce 11 and Nirvana were launched from Tarrak Orbital Shipyard.
2010, Taskforce 11 and Nirvana activated jump drive.
2100, Taskforce 11 and Nirvana arrived at designated engagement zone.
2120, Taskforce 11 and Nirvana finished deployment.
2135, four Earth Harvest Fleet detected and reported.
2140, Main group of Theora 4th Fleet under Admiral James Y. Denton launched with Aniseia 7th Fleet under Vice Admiral George Clarence and Tarrakian 3rd Fleet under Admiral Davan McCan from Tarrak.
2143, Taskforce 11 and Nirvana engaged the Earth Harvest Fleet.
"This is Meia, to all units, concentrate on the big ones." Meia ordered as they flew toward their enemy.
"Commodore, once you start the cannon barrage, we will go in." Meia said over the communication as David nodded.
Then after the channel was closed, Meia opened up a channel to her fiancée.
"Don't die out here, because I can't have wedding by myself, okay Hibiki?" Meia said with a gentle voice as she gave him her most beautiful smile.
"Same goes for you." Hibiki replied as he gave a confident smile.
Then suddenly, David's face appeared.
"Hey you two, I don't want my flight commanders to get mushy. Save that for afterwards." David said with as he chuckled a little then looked at Hibiki.
"So you did it as I told you." David said as Hibiki nodded telling him with his expression, "Yep, I did it."
Then David sighed and said, "Well, battle will begin any moment, so from now on this channel will be for military purpose only. And Hibiki, Meia…" David paused for a few seconds before going onward, "Be sure to come back in one piece, okay?"
Hibiki and Meia both nodded and then closed the window.
"All ships commence fire at my mark." David E. Lin said as Esther Chen stood beside her commanding officer, which was rare as she was David's first officer, that meant she was usually inside administration center of the ship.
She looked at him and gave the commodore a smile as her right hand reached over and grabbed David's left hand as he stood up.
David then returned her smile then her hand let go of his as a firm expression came onto his face, while he raised his right hand.
"Fire." David said as he waved down his right hand and so the battle began.
As soon as the first volley was finished, the fighters, gunboats, dreads, vanguards, charged in after Hibiki and Meia.
2200, Theora 4th Fleet, Aniesia 7th Fleet, Tarrakian 3rd Fleet entered in subspace.
2230, remaining units of Theora, Aniesia, Melanus Combined Fleet completed Mobilization at their various stationed area.
2300, Theora 4th Fleet, Aniesia 7th Fleet, and Tarrakian 3rd Fleet arrived at the battle zone.
"Meia, let's combine." Hibiki said as his Vanguard slashed through one of the cubes.
"Roger that." Meia replied as they flew toward each other.
Moments later, a bright light shined and formed Vandread Meia.
"Strange, it looks from last time." Hibiki said as the transformation finished.
"It seems like when our relationship reaches another level, it changes just like we are." Meia said as Nirvana fired its multi-beam cannon.
But they could mind less, because they already lost quite a few units from their flight and even though their reinforcements had jumped in a few minutes ago, the enemy had not even lost one flagship.
Then like always did, they flew at high speed, creating an energy blade around the ship.
"How is the situation?" Admiral Denton asked as David, who had been his friend at the academy, took a seat on his chair.
"Not good." Just as David said, the sensor on Independence picked something.
"Sir, we are detecting another object passing through the magnetic storm." The Intelligence Officer said as he continued reading the sensor data.
"Sir, it's also a lot larger than the Harvest Mothership." The officer added.
"What!" Both David and his superior stood up from their seat as they heard that.
2307, Main Harvest Mothership detected.
"Oh my gosh!" Every pilots and crew members' breath were taken away as they saw the enormously large ship enter into their view.
"So that's the enemy flagship." Hibiki said as he eyed Meia, telling her to get ready.
"Dita, Jura, Barnette, form up on me." Meia shouted into the communication network and less than thirty seconds later, the four dreads requested formed up on their leader.
"Looks like the boss of the bad aliens are here." Dita said as they flew toward the enemy flagship.
"But what can we do?" Jura asked as she frowned.
"Stop it, of course." Hibiki said as they all accelerated.
"Admiral, the enemy fleet is still advancing." The operator aboard the 4th Fleet flagship, Bunker Hill, shouted as they took a hit from the smaller mothership.
"Hold the line." James Y. Denton yelled as he held onto his chair for support.
"Sir, we are detecting high energy read from the enemy flagship." The Intelligence Officer said as warning signs began to flash.
"Evasive maneuver." The admiral ordered as his captain moved the flagship away from the projected firing path.
Seconds later, a large red beam fired and rained destruction on the Alliance Fleet.
"Admiral, we lost complete communication with Unit 23, Unit 56, and Unit 13." Denton felt coldness down his spine as he shivered with fear.
2310, Theora 4th Fleet, Aniesia 7th Fleet, and Tarrakian 3rd Fleet began retreat from the Defense Zone One-Zero to the Defense Zone One-One.
The Alliance Command designated the entire Mejalian and Tarrakian territory into defense zones. And the defense zones facing the area which 4th Fleet had engaged the enemy all started One. For the One Quadrant, there were ten zones including Zone One-Zero.
2320, Theora 4th Fleet, Aniesia 7th Fleet, and Tarrakian 3rd Fleet regroup at Defense Zone One-One.
At 2325, Theora 4th Fleet, Aniesia 7th Fleet, and Tarrakian 3rd Fleet reengaged the Earth Harvest Fleet
At 2330, remaining units of Combined Fleet activated jump drive in a synchronized jump to Defense Zone One-Seven.
2340, Tarrakian and Mejalian began to mobilize their remaining fleets and called all units, which was close enough to relocate to Defense Zone One Eight.
2400, Earth Harvest Fleet Flagship fired its main cannon a second time and decimated the entire 3rd Tarrakian Fleet.
2420, Theora 4th Fleet and Aniesia 7th Fleet began retreat to Defense Zone One-Two.
2430, Theora 4th Fleet and Aniesia 7th Fleet arrived in Defense Zone One-Two and began regrouping.
2440, Theora 4th Fleet and Aniesia 7th Fleet reengaged Earth Harvest Fleet.
0130, Theora 4th Fleet and Aniesia 7th Fleet retreated from Defense Zone One-Two while the Earth Harvest Fleet changed tactics and pursued the two fleets.
0300 Theora 4th Fleet and Aniesia 7th Fleet entered Defense Zone One-Five.
0410, Theora 4th Fleet and Aniesia 7th Fleet entered Defense Zone One-Six.
"Sir, we are entering into Zone One Seven." Admiral Denton sat in his seat as his battered fleet and the Aniesian fleet fired their reverse thruster, while their weapons fired at the enemy fleet.
"David, how are you doing?" James asked after opening up a channel with Independence.
"Not good, I already lost four ships out of my unit and out of the twenty ship Taskforce 11, twelve of them are gone." David said as cuts could be seen on his face, as he had been fighting on the front line.
"How is the Independence?" James asked as he realized the static interfering with the communication.
"She has taken quite a bit of damage, but we are still hanging in there." David replied after looking around the bridge.
"We really need a miracle." James and David both said that in their heart and so it happened.
"Sir, subspace signatures." Then seconds later, the Intelligence Officer of both Independence and Bunker shouted in joy.
"It's the Combined Fleet."
0500, Combined Fleet exited the subspace in Defense Zone One-Seven.
0530, the battle came to stand still.
Onboard the Liberty, comm. windows were opened as flag officers of the Combined Fleet along with Magno Vivian discussed their current situations.
"We have managed to stop them, but it's only a matter of time before they start pushing us back again." Admiral Thomas Redman said as explosions from afar could still be seen.
"Any suggestions?" Admiral Adam Strom asked and everyone was quiet as they looked down.
Just then, another window opened.
"Hey, you completely forgot about us." It was Hibiki as a window displayed him and Meia.
"Where are you, boy? I was looking for you." Magno shouted as several more windows opened up showing Dita, Jura, and Barnette.
"Track this signal and you will know." Hibiki said as David ordered his Intelligence Officer to track the signal, knowing that Hibiki was definitely doing something crazy.
"Commodore, the signal, it's only 0.0001 Light Second away from the enemy flagship." Everyone including David was shocked.
"That's right." Hibiki said as he and Meia continued to accelerate.
"Tell the entire fleet to push in." Adam Strom knew this would be the opportunity to turn this completely around.
"Here we go." Hibiki and Meia, along with Vandread Meia charged right through the enemy cubes along their comrades, which included Dita, Jura, Barnette, and several Theorian and Aniesian pilots.
Then Vandread Meia charged into the enemy flagship, wreaking destruction as it penetrated into hall until it reached the Pexasis.
"Die, you monster." Hibiki said as he released a salvo of Mega Tsunami Bomb, a Theorian tactical weapon which Meia picked up before combining, then flew out the way they came in.
The bomb impacted and howling cry was heard as the advance version of Vandread Meia flew out of the ship.
But then a red beam was fired from the main Harvest mothership and it hit the Vandread, forcing them to separate.
Hibiki quickly recovered and as he evaded the rest of the beam, he realized that Meia was not responding.
"Meia, can you hear me? Meia!" Hibiki cried out as he called out the name of his fiancée with the largest voice he could, but the fire continued as it didn't kill it completely.
At the same time, A.R.S. Majestic neared the area.
"Captain, we can't go any farther." The first officer said as panels exploded and in the bridge, most of the crew was either heavily injured or had died, after taking a hit from one of the Harvest motherships.
"Abandon ship." Alex Smith ordered as blood dripped from his wound on the forehead.
Then his sensor picked up Hibiki and he smiled as sadly as he knew what must be done.
"Commander, how many Rubies do we have?" Alex was referring to the Aniesian tactical weapon, Ruby.
"Three." The first officer replied as he was the only one left except a few essential crews.
"Set the Rubies to detonation on impact and get out of here." Alex Smith ordered he knew that if he had nothing and no one to worry about.
The first officer and the remaining crew nodded as they did what Alex told them.
But when they were done, the remaining crew, which included the chief engineer, helm, and the first officer remained there.
"I told you to go." Alex shouted at them, but they remained.
"Like hell we will do that." The officer replied with a big smile on his face.
Alex shrugged, but then he said, "Thanks, Andrew."
While Hibiki tried to reach Meia, but the beam kept on firing, keeping him from going to her side.
Just as one of the cannons was about to fire, it turned away as the began firing an opposite direction.
Then on the other side, the other cubes and gateway ships fired at the Majestic as it flew toward the Harvest Fleet flagship at ramming speed.
"Hibiki get Meia out of there." Alex shouted as soon as a comm. window opened up to Hibiki's Vanguard cockpit.
"No Alex." He shouted, but still he fired his thruster and grabbed Meia out of there.
"Go and don't let her die." Alexander Smith said with a smile as the comm. window went black.
The Majestic impacted fifteen seconds later.
Captain Alexander Smith, age 32, Commander Andrew Brooks age 30, Lieutenant Julian Hansen, age 29, and Lieutenant William Marin, age 30, of Aniesia Republic Navy, died in the Battle of Tarrak and Mejalee as they sacrificed themselves to destroy the Earth Fleet flagship, putting an end to the battle.
"Please don't die on me, Meia." Hibiki said as tears was running his cheek as she was rushed into the emergency room onboard the Independence.
Duero was there with the couple as he was her physician for the past year.
Hibiki and the other crew members of Nirvana stopped as they reached the door of the emergency room.
Hours later, Duero walked out with the Theorian doctors.
"Duero, is Meia…" Hibiki could not finish the sentence, but Duero knew what his friend meant.
"Hibiki, to tell you the truth, I don't know." This was the first time Hibiki could see Duero McFile so uncertain.
"We have done all we can and now it's all up to her." Duero McFile said as he patted his friend's shoulder apologetically.
"I see." Sadness was in his voice, then as if he knew it beforehand, he walked into the ICU Meia was in and watched her from the observation room.
"Meia, please wake up." Hibiki said as he closed his eyes and cried.
While inside Meia was fighting.
"Why is it that you live?" A voice asked the blue hair girl.
"Why? I don't really know." Then images of Hibiki flashed in front of her eyes.
Then the surrounding changed, it became the living room of her old house, the house she lived in with her parents.
"Welcome home." Meia's mother said to Meia as both she and her ohma sat on the coach.
She sat down with a smile as they talked.
Just as she was enjoying the time, she could hear voices of other people, the voices of her friends.
"Mother, father, my friends are calling me, I need to go." Meia said as she stood up.
Then her ohma looked at her and spoke.
"Meia, why go back outside to the world where you suffer? You can stay here with us and we can be happy forever." The offer was so tempting, but then once again images of Hibiki flashed through vision and she could see that he was crying and hear him calling out her name.
"If I am the old me, all by myself, I would have stayed. But mom, there is this man I love and he is waiting for me. If I don't go back, he will never be happy." Meia said as she was afraid that her parents would scold at her, but then it never came.
"Then go." Her parents both gave the same answer.
Meia then nodded as she opened the door and ran through it.
"Meia." Hibiki was still crying and even as the sound pattern on the life monitor changed, he still couldn't hear it as he was drowned in sadness.
"Hibiki." However, he looked when his name was closed by that voice, the voice of his love.
There he saw her eyes opened and immediately he ran over and hugged her while she lay on the bed while doctors rushed in to see what had happened.
"You got me worried there." Hibiki said as dried his tear with the sleeve of his shirt.
Then Hibiki embraced her, this surprised Meia a little, but then she smiled and returned the hug with weak arms.
"Don't worry Hibiki, my love. Nothing will now separate us." Meia said as she closed her eyes as she caressed his hair while everyone watched as tears flowed down their cheeks as they were so touched.
"Nothing will separate us." Meia repeated as she and Hibiki knew it was the truth, that no one and nothing in this world now separate their heart.
Up next: epilogue.
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Hello everyone, up next is the epilogue.