The battle for Gateway
Chapter 14: Be yourself
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½.
Authors note: Thanks for reviewing Ar-Kaos; I'm currently deciding whether or not to do a sequel or prequel or maybe both.
Ranko had gathered the crew of the Sulaco in one of he hangers "I am about to tell you our situation, only two others know of our situation, we are running out of fuel and supplies slowly." She said and the crew started to talk amongst themselves "so we might have to pull double shifts." Ranko finished before they all leave except Ranma "the only bit of advice I can give you right now is be you yourself." Ranma said before he left leaving Ranko alone to think about things as Ranma caught up to the others.
"What did you say to her?"
"I just told her to be herself, as Joe Strummer once said the future is unwritten." Ranma replied to the question as they head to the mess hall "wasn't Joe Strummer in a punk band called The Clash?" Whistler asked as they enter the mess hall and sit at an empty table "who would have thought that you listen to a band like The Clash?" Nabiki asked.
"You can blame O'Hara for that, he always played The Clash back at the academy."
Just as Ranma said that O'Hara walked in wearing torn jeans and a Clash t-shirt with the London Calling album cover on it and finds Rogue squadron and goes over to them before sitting with them when the sirens go off and everyone runs to their battle positions, O'Hara runs to an AA turret and loads it before taking up the gunners spot as Rogue squadron strap themselves into their fighters and wait for the order to launch as the gunners close the hatches behind them, on the bridge Ranko sits in the captains chair "don't order any squadrons launch unless I say so."
O'Hara waits until the targeting system locks onto the first enemy fighter before opening fire as the other guns and AA guns open fire and O'Hara opens fire hitting the fighter before swinging the guns round and opens fire nailing a few enemy fighters before the Razorback takes up position next to the Altron and opened fire on the Altron and the Altron returned fire before sustaining heavy damage before breaking in half "Ranma, the Altron's just been destroyed." O'Hara said over the intercom as he continued to open fire.
Ranma sits in his fighter and takes off his helmet "you guys hear that?" he shouted and everyone replies in their own way "That's Alpha squadron gone." Ritchie said as he took off his helmet, meanwhile O'Hara had reloaded the AA guns and opened fire at the Razorback and nailed any enemy fighters that got in the tracer rounds met a quick death before the Razorback had set it's sight on the Sulaco, on the bridge Ranko gives the order to launch "YOU HEARD THE LADY!" someone shouted as Ranma and Ritchie put on their helmets and the squadrons launch to take the heat off the Sulaco.
"Okay, let's try and take the heat off of the Sulaco."
Rogue squadron take out as many enemy fighters as they can while they head towards the Razorback whilst dodging lascannon fire and opening fire themselves and firing their missiles and unloading all their ammunition into the Razorback before heading back to the Sulaco to reload their ammunition before heading back out to the battle raging in space.
Ranko sits in her chair watching the battle as the rest of the fleet get involved in the battle, O'Hara had overheated the AA guns and waits for them to cool down pulls out some more ammo boxes whilst waiting, Kasumi sits in the infirmary writing a letter hoping that Ranma could deliver it for her. The AA guns that O'Hara had overheated had now cooled down and reloaded it had started to open fire once again keeping a tally of the enemy fighters that he had destroyed keeping an eye on the ammunition counter as he fired the AA guns meanwhile Rogue squadron were having a hard time dodging the heavy lascannon fire and enemy fighters that got in their way and were shot down and exploded in a ball of fire before both sides decided to retire otherwise they would have both destroy each other and the AEF squadrons land before getting the hell out of there.
Ranko had left the bridge and goes to the hanger just as the pilots climbed out of their fighters and Ranma went to go see Kasumi in the infirmary "I'm sorry Kasumi, the Altron's bought it." He said before he turns to leave "any survivors?" she asked.
"No, the only thing I can say to you right now is I'm sorry."
With that said Ranma let as Kasumi broke down into tears and heads to his quarters to pick up his showering gear before heading to the shower "that's Alpha squadron gone and everyone on the Altron dead." Whistler said as Ranma walked into the showers "hey Ranma, you know anyone that was on the Altron?" Jonesy asked.
"Apart from Alpha squadron, yeah. Tofu Ono."
"What?" Nabiki shouted and Ranma looked at her "I've already told Kasumi about the Altron." Ranma replied before getting showered and leaving and going to the mess hall and gets something to eat before sitting at an empty table and starts to eat his meal as Kasumi walks in and spots him and goes over to him and sits opposite him.
"What did the letter say?"
"He asked me to marry him." Kasumi replied and Ranma looked at Kasumi "I'm really sorry, but there was nothing we could've done." He replied as Nabiki walked in and found Ranma and Kasumi talking before heading over to them and sitting beside Ranma "I'm really sorry Kasumi." Nabiki said before they leave together and Kasumi heads back to the infirmary while Nabiki and Ranma head to Nabiki's quarters.
O'Hara sat in the reccy room with his marines playing some pool "I heard you got involved in that battle earlier O'Hara." One of the marines said, "It's the least I could do." O'Hara replied as he stood up and took the pool cue from one of his men and goes to take his shot before giving the pool cue back and sits back down in his seat "anyway, the Altron's gone." One of the marines said and O'Hara looks up "do you realise how many men and women that were killed?" he asked and the rest of his marines shrug their shoulders "over one thousand men and women were killed, just think about what they could have been if they never enlisted... think about them when you've left the corp." O'Hara finished before leaving and his marines look at each other.
"I've never seen him like this."
"Well, he was at the academy before he got booted out and sent to the corp." one of them replied before they go back to what they were doing and O'Hara headed towards the mess hall and sits at an empty table as Ranko walks in and spots him before going over to him "this seat taken?" she asked "no." O'Hara replied and Ranko sits down opposite him "what's on your mind marine?"
"Everyone on the Altron's dead, and we couldn't do anything about it."
"I know, I never wanted to be acting captain but I was the highest ranking person on the bridge." Ranko replied as O'Hara laughed at what Ranko said, "you see O'Hara technically I'm not a real person you see Ranma used to be cursed to turn into a girl at the touch of cold water and his old man engaged him to loads of girls to fill his stomach but the final straw for him was a wedding attempt to one of his old mans friends daughters before he left and wandered around Japan and he met a woman named Washuu Hakubi and she split the curse and created a body for me." Ranko replied leaving O'Hara staring at her.
"I hope you realise that I will never look at you the same ever again."
"And what's that meant to mean?" Ranko said before giggling and O'Hara put his head on the table and sighed in defeat.
R&R