Title: Eva: Above and Beyond
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: None
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or Space Above and Beyond. I would buy them but I am broke.
Summary: Follows the 106th Japanese Marine Squadron, lead by Shinji Ikari, in their battle against the Chigs. A Neon Genesis Evangelion, Space: Above and Beyond crossover.
AN: I know that there are military regulations prohibiting fraternization between officers, just imagine that they were waived from high up for the Royalty. Rei is not a clone of Shinji's mother, as stated in the first chapter.
"So you guys were at the Belt? That was some tough fighting." Shinji said casually.
"Yeah. Our first action actually." West admitted.
"You the guys playing the music over the airwaves?" Kensuke asked. "Good stuff, where'd you get it?"
"Uh, yeah. Hawks nicked it from a relay station on Mars." Vanessa replied.
"Huh. I'm surprised that Touji or Asuka didn't nick one." Shinji said, sipping a beer and starting on his fourth plate of food.
"Nah, we got the calendar set." Asuka replied offhand.
"Touji. Chew honey." Hikari said sweetly as Touji inhaled his seventh plate.
"Whoa! These guys eat more than Hawks." Wang said.
"Come on. Is this the normal food levels or is the kitchen holding out on us?" Kensuke complained.
"Didn't you hear? They say the head chef on the Atsugi is psychic." Shinji said. "Apparently they start brining out three times the food about two minutes before we reach Mess Hall."
"On several occasions Empress and Commodore Kaji had to overrule Dr. Akagi who wanted to ground us on medicals based mostly around Touji's eating habits." Rei added, eating more sedately than the others but still on her third plate.
"Who's Empress?" West asked.
"Oh, that's Major Misato Katsuragi, our CO." Hikari said.
"Who's up for finding some real food?" Touji asked, having finished his seventh plate.
All of the 106th looked down at their plated then at each other.
"Let's go." Shinji said, leaving a bemused bunch of Wildcards to catch up.
"SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE! ALL PILOTS TO YOUR HAMMERHEADS!" The PA system called.
The Royalty and the Wild Cards ran hard down the corridor towards the hanger bays.
"So, what's up?" Shinji asked, his voice calm as he jumped into his hammerhead.
"The Japanese Carrier Yamamoto is under heavy Chig attack. We are less than five minutes out." McQueen said briskly.
"Royalty, sound off. Stone King. Green." Shinji said.
"Ice Queen. All boards green." Rei's calm voice came over the radio.
"Fire Princess. Let's kick some Chig ass."
"Duke. Ready."
"Duchess. All systems functioning."
"Barron. Five by five."
"Royalty, launch." Shinji ordered.
The six hammerhead cockpits dropped from their ports and connected with the waiting plains below. Along with the 58th to their immediate right and the other squadrons of the Saratoga, the 106th hammerheads shot out of the launch bays and into space.
As they approached the battle, it was obvious to Shinji that the Japanese fighters were falling back before the more numerical Chigs. He knew that the Japanese pilots were almost ready to break.
"Royalty, split wing to Yamamoto vectors on my mark." Shinji ordered before switching frequencies. "Queen Six, Royalty breaking to sure up Japanese defences."
Switching frequencies again, Shinji also switched language to his native tongue.
"All Japanese Fighters, Royalty's visiting, repeat Royalty is visiting. Break out the welcome wagon." Then he switched back to his squadron channel. "Mark!"
At his call, the squadron split in two. Shinji, Hikari and Kensuke broke up, forming into a tight triangle, then went inverted as the sped over the majority of the Chig forces, their dorsal turrets pounding away at the enemy. Rei, Touji and Asuka broke down and did the same, without inverting. As they reached the Japanese line, the two groups did slow arcs and formed back into their paired arrowhead in a single smooth motion.
As the 106th approached the Chig forces, the Japanese fighters, whose moral had almost broken due to the more than six to one odds against them, began to form up behind the legendary squadron.
"Let's divide and conquer. Barron, sound off the Moto's squadron's on our lead." Shinji ordered.
Shinji heard Kensuke's voice ordering the six fighter squadrons to form up on the pairs of Royalty fighters. Shinji and Touji, with their two squadrons ploughed strait into the Chig's centre as Hikari's force took the left and Rei's took the right.
"Stone King to Queen of Hearts. We're the hammer, you're the Anvil." He said calmly on the Toga's frequency, as his Hammerhead spun radically to take out a Chig closing on one of his fighters then flipping back to his original course, inverted and blasting away with his dorsal turret.
"Rodger Stone King. Let's get em." Vansen replied.
"Counting game. Losing squad treats the winners to dinner." Asuka chimed in.
"Oh hell no." Damphousse said.
"Phouse is right. You've seen how they eat." West said. "I'll cost us six month's combat pay."
"Then don't lose." Rei's voice seemed totally calm, except to Shinji who heard the note of amusement.
"Wildcard's are currently at thirty-five." McQueen's voice broke in.
"Twelve." Shinji said.
"Hah!" Hawks began.
"Eighteen on my end." Rei added.
"Only ten over here, but two were heavy bombers." Hikari said.
"And the Royalty are on forty." A note of amusement ringing in McQueen's voice.
"Shit." Vansen said.
"Got another one." West reported.
McQueen loved the kids he commanded in the 58th, but he also respected and was beginning to like the 106th. As the fight continued, most of the Saratoga's fighters were bumped off the primary comms channel and moved to secondary frequencies, as the primary channel was filled with kill and confirmation reports from the Royalty and the Wildcards, along with McQueen's running totals on total kills for each squadron.
In the Combat Command Centre of the Toga, Commodore Ross walked over to the comms station where an inordinate amount of activity was going on. Colonel McQueen was marking something down on a board and several of the crew were anxiously whispering till they noticed his approach. As he took a long look around everyone, except McQueen, seemed to hold their breath.
"Put me down for ten on the Wildcards." Ross said calmly before walking back his central display.
"Good work out there people." Colonel McQueen called out to the assembled pilots in the main briefing room.
The 106th and all the pilots regularly assigned to the Toga were present for the debriefing.
"The Yamamoto sends their regards to all our pilots and I believe they mentioned a celebration for the Royalty next time they board." McQueen continued.
"Great. Another Carrier we can't visit without a fuss. I'm getting sick of all those celebrations" Touji complained.
"Look on the bright side, Touji. If we ever do land on the Moto, at least there'll be lots of food." Kensuke replied.
"Yeah." Touji said brightly.
"Now that's settled." The Colonel said with a grin. "We can get down to serious business. The final scores for the Wildcard verses Royalty contest. Wildcards got a final score of one hundred and twelve."
Those who had betted on the 58th cheered.
"And the Royalty got…. One hundred and twelve. We have a tie people."
Groans echoed through the room. The news quickly spread throughout the Toga, with only a few of the crew winning, but one thought went through the minds of most of the crew.
'Those 'Royals' seem decent enough.'
TBC…