Disclaimer: I don't own starocean
Now that was sad.
Karin: there wasn't anything at all!
exactly, which makes it sad.
Karin: huh? ... oh... yeah, sad...
sigh
Karin: sigh.
There seemed like nothing was better than being back on his own ship. He stretched out in his chair, feeling free of a certain burden.
"Admiral, incoming transmission from the 'Freedom's gate'."
Kanai said, breaking Fayt's happy free run.
"Patch it through."
Fayt said lazily. He really did not feel like doing anything at the moment. Right now, he really felt like just lazing around. The screen with Sophia popped up.
"Hi Fayt!"
Sophia chirped.
"What's up? Need something?"
Fayt asked, not really bothering with her worries.
"Well... I was just wondering why aren't we going to rip-jump all the way to the battlefield?"
"It's simple, we need to conserve all of our energy for this battle. The federation's first fleet was completely obliterated in the Yzak system. Plus, i have a feeling that we won't be fighting in the Genosis system."
"We won't? How do you know?"
"Call it a hunch."
Fayt smiled. Sophia just gave a confused look.
"Oh nevermind. Sophia, what did my mother tell you when we were still on Elicoor II?"
Fayt asked, remembering Sophia smiling and giggling to herself after his mother wispered something into her ear.
"Hmm... It's a s-e-c-r-e-t. You'll see when all of this is over."
Sophia giggled and she terminated her transmission.
"Wha-? Whatever... i won't EVER get what she means."
Fayt sighed.
"It's not that hard to understand. You just think too much about it."
Kanai told Fayt.
"That's why i won't ever get her. I'm afraid that what Sophia said doesn't require any thinking at all, and that may reflect her own intelligence."
"Then why don't you go tell her yourself?"
Karin butted in, as she walked onto the bridge and seated herself in the empty chair next to Fayt.
"You know, Maria may not approve of you being here after that... incident."
Fayt said, worried that Maria may suddenly barge in, though she was back on the 'Justice Reign'.
"Oh don't worry about that. Besides, if she decides to act up again if she just sees me next to you, it just proves how immature she is. She has to learn that not everything is perfect and her way. She'll just have to accept this as it is."
Karin smiled. For a fighter, Karin seemed to have immense knowledge of relationships.
"Where do you get all of this information, anyway?"
"Let's just say, i have had first hand experiences. Anyway, isn't that why i'm considered your confidant?"
"Well... i wouldn't go all out and call you that, but... i guess."
"Then it's settled, unless you want Fuin to be your confidant instead."
"Never."
Fayt sighed. The last time he told Fuin something, he went spreading flyers about it, literally since Fayt made him shut his lip on it, but not his hands.
"Then that's settled. So what's the schedule right now?"
"Nothing. We're currently on course for the Genosis system. It'll take about a week to reach there. How are things on your end?"
"Everything's set. I have placed emergency crews on a timetable shift. Right now it should be Hyujin and Yuin."
Karin stretched out in her chair. Fayt looked around and saw who he was looking for. He signaled for Larni to come over and she immediately complied.
"Is there anything i can do?"
Larni asked. So far, all that she and her two subordinates had done was run down to the engine room to assist the engineers with an engine problem. That had escalated into a mouse hunt since it was a mouse that was messing with the engines.
"I would want to place you into the emergency combat team. Mino and Klo as well. As for your free time, you may walk around the ship to see if anyone needs help."
"... alright, if you wish."
Larni felt slightly disappointed but bowed and left.
"You couldn't find anything better for them?"
Karin asked.
"What do you expect? This is a space battle, not a ground one, besides, we're not expecting combat for another week. There isn't any other jobs i can find that is suited for her. Unless you can find something?"
"Not really."
"Then don't ask."
"Admiral, incoming energy signal."
Kanai suddenly said.
"Which direction? What amount"
"It's closing in from our portside. Magnitude 2."
"Emergency thrusters, evade at all cost."
"Aye, sir."
The pilot replied, pulling the ship up.
"Repeat orders to all ships. Evade at all cost. This enemy is still at our level. Locate the enemy and identify them."
"Understood."
Kanai typed in the orders and sent them to the rest of the fleet, and just in time, as a particle beam streaked under them, almost scraping the hull of the ship. The entire fleet managed to evade the beam, though just barely.
"Ten ships damaged and unable to move."
Kanai reported.
"I want twelve ships to stay behind. All remaining ships are to persue this enemy."
"Understood."
"Attention crew of the 'Eternal Vengence', prepare for combat. All fighters are to get ready in the briefing room."
Fayt sat back, having a pretty good guess of who their enemy is.
"Patch me to the 'Justice Reign'."
He suddenly said.
"Yes, sir."
Kanai obeyed without question, punching in the keys. Maria's face appeared on the screen.
"Fayt."
"Maria, i assume you know who we are dealing with."
"Yes, i didn't expect them to join the battle so soon, but it was inevitable."
"I know, that is why i am asking you and your fleet to resume your course onto the Genosis system."
Maria did not expect that from Fayt, but she kept silent about it.
"You know that we cannot spare any more time. I bet this is what they are wanting, to delay the reinforcements. I want you to go to the Genosis system and join Mirage. I will be there shortly."
"I understand. Please be safe, Fayt."
"You know i will. Now hurry, we do not have much time left to spare."
Maria nodded and smiled.
"You will come back to me, won't you?"
"I wouldn't want to go anywhere else."
Fayt replied. That answer satisfied Maria and she cut the connection.
"You really didn't want to let her go, did you?"
"No... I didn't. Kanai, you have the bridge, i'm going to join the fighters. Karin, you can come if you want to."
"There's no way i'm staying in here. I'm going."
Karin shot out of her chair like a bullet and followed Fayt out of the bridge. Kanai sighed. She really never did like staying on the bridge, but she didn't have much of a choice. She did push her authority too far the last time. Even though Fayt was extremely lenient, easily bending his own authority, she did not want to overstep her own boundries, out of respect for Fayt and for her own professional pride.
"I hate myself..."
Kanai muttered to herself.
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Fayt entered the briefing room, making everyone in the room turn. Fuin pushed himself off the wall and walked up to Fayt and Karin.
"So... what can we do for you, Admiral, in this garden of blood, sweat and scars?"
Fuin joked. Fayt responded by punching him in the stomach.
"Fuin, with all due respect, there is a line for jokes."
Fayt said, seating himself at the head chair.
"Serves you right."
Karin laughed at Fuin sprawled on the floor.
"Alright, everyone, listen up."
Fayt looked around the room. Fighter pilots, ground assault teams, all present. Even Larni and her group were here. Which was good. He need their skills. It was unfortunate that Nel and Albel are on the 'Justice Reign' with Maria, but he felt safer if he had familiar faces with Maria. Fayt's mother was with Sophia on the 'Freedom's Gate'.
"Right, let me begin. I believe that we are under attack by the Vendeeni."
Fayt stopped to let it sink in. The people in room muttered among themselves, before quieting down again.
"They would join this battle eventually. It was only a matter of time. I have a plan which does not involve destroying their battleships, but instead, using them against the Yzaks. If i am correct, the Vendeeni have created an alliance with the Yzak, if not how could they have massed such attacks against us? My plan is that while our main fleet attacks their ships, disabling their engines, cannons, our fighters would have two duties. One is to combat the enemy's fighters, and the other is to punch a hole through their shields for our transports to dock. Larni, i require your help from that point on."
Fayt nodded to Larni, who seemed to smile.
"Our assault team will disable the ship form the inside. Larni, Mino, Klo, Karin, Fuin and me will head for the bridge. Pyikon and Gin, disable to weapons and the security within the ship. Hyujin, Yuin, Karl, Jione, Alek, Sole, take your respective squads and disable, communications, shields, engines and backup systems, in that order. Split up if you have to. As soon as we're done with the flagship, i will upload a virus to send to all other ships in their fleet to disable them. It should go smoothly, if there are no other factors that intrude halfway. Everyone got their roles?"
Fayt looked around. Everyone nodded and looked extremely determined. They saw the confidence from their admiral, the aspect that made him the leader of men, the hero above darkness and the god-killer. As if nothing could wrong, for nothing could go wrong.
"Admiral, enemy fleet in sight. It's the Vendeeni royal third fleet."
Kanai spoke through the intercom.
"Right, get ready to deploy the fighters. I'll head to the transports with the others. Locate the flagship and try to bring us in close."
"Understood."
"Alright people, let's rock."
Fayt smirked. The room exploded in an loud cheer from the men, rushing out of the room to their battlestations. Fayt took his time and pulled the main players of his plan behind.
"There is something that you must know. The Vendeeni are after me, so they won't try to destroy our flagship until they know that i am on board. I want you guys to do your tasks as fast as possible. This ship will be in danger if my team reaches the bridge before your teams reach yours. Do you understand this risks?"
"Of course we do. Who do you think we are?"
Fuin snorted.
"Complete idiots, if we were all like you."
Karin countered. Everyone within the group, other than Fuin, laughed.
"Right. We have to get this done quickly. We have no time to waste. Let's go."
Fayt said, leading the group out of the briefing room. Whether they win, or lose, would depend on this one decisive battle.
AN: Not really a decisive battle, but quite interesting, i might say. Just kidding, it's boring. At this point, i'm just rushing through.