These are the words of Hung Nguyen. I just have permission to post them and make it easier to read. Just want to give his stuff the recognition it deserves.
I am scrunching both works into one story, maybe even adding something extra. Any new updates will be told here. Think of this as the "Remastered version". Welcoming new and old readers alike!
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Tekkaman Blade and Vandread all belong to their respective creators so it's no fault of mine.
italics: Thoughts
Chapter One
Boys Versus Girls
On the distant, all-male planet of Tarak, the Prime Minister and Supreme Commander of the Tarak Space Force was finishing up his speech before the graduating team of cadets. Behind him loomed the former colony ship, now battle cruiser and flagship, the Ikazuchi.
"And so my fellow warriors, we shall go forth and crush the enemy of our beloved empire! The empire that our forefathers, including our great Grand Pa had brought forth those many years ago. We shall annihilate the accursed monsters known as WOMEN! With the combined strengths of the second and third generations, we shall triumph over our greatest enemies! We shall prove to all the great manliness that is our heritage! With our new weapons and the return of the mighty Ikazuchi, we cannot... no! WE SHALL NOT FAIL!"
There was a roaring ovation as the raw new recruits cheered on their leader. Near the front of the crowds was a long-haired individual with a calm, collective demeanor. His face betrayed no emotion as he and the rest of the cadets continued to listen to the Prime Minister.
"We shall at last reclaim our place in the stars, by first wiping out the scourge of pirates that have been harassing our transports! Why wait until the designated time? Let us go forth now!"
The crowds gave off another round of applause and cheering.
The engineering section of the Ikazuchi...
"What?! He's starting two hours early?!" A technician gasped.
"All crews! To your stations!" The head engineer ordered.
The engineering crews of the battleship scrambled like mad to prepare for takeoff. The engine room was like a beehive as men buzzed about to fulfill their duties. Huge mechanisms whined and creaked as the massive craft began powering up. The barracks started filling up as the cadets quickly boarded the Ikazuchi. In less than fifteen minutes, the ship was ready to leave the planet as the Prime Minister and his command staff came onto the main bridge.
Then the massive thrusters that would propel the ship to the stars fired up. The entire flagship thrummed with power as it readied to leave the planet's surface. Outside, the crowds watched in anticipation as the crowning achievement of 'manhood' was about to take their war with women to the stars.
Then the massive engines novaed in a huge blast light, lifting the ship off the ground and caused it to slowly gain altitude.
On the ground, near the launch site, an old man wiped his sweaty brow as he looked up from the fields he was working. As he watched the massive craft rise towards the heavens, he began to have a certain feeling that the Ikazuchi was about to be cast into a role that would determine the destinies of both his world, and that of Mejele. A moment later, he went back to working the dry and almost desolate soil of Tarak.
Deep within the belly of the Ikazuchi, a lone space warrior was awoken from his slumber against the leg of a Vanguard. The vibrations of the ship had roused him and he casually looked about. The large room was still dark, save for a few indicator lights and such, and there was not a single soul as far as Slade could see. He then looked to an observation porthole and saw that the ship was rising.
Hmmm? We're going already? Ah, it's just as well. I wanted to get back into space anyway. (Yawn) I'll just sleep for a little longer, then be on my way.
With that in mind, the Teknoman returned to sleep.
Several hours later, in orbit around Tarak...
The liftoff had proceeded without a hitch and the mighty battleship was soon in synchronous orbit around the men's home world, awaiting for its escort fleet to join with them. On board the craft in the main hall, the cadets of the Tarak Space Force were busy enjoying the inauguration ceremonies as they drank and conversed with each other.
"I can't wait to get into battle!"
"Those new Vanguards will put those women in their places!"
"Say, after all this is over, do you want to make a kid?"
"A kid with you? That's not a bad idea."
As the celebration continued, a cadet by the name of Duero Mcfile stood with two other cadets.
"Hey, Duero. I hear that you made the top of your class."
The long-haired man simply nodded as he took another sip of his wine.
"Yeah, you'll probably be assigned to headquarters." Another cadet remarked.
"I hear that he left the position line of his submissions entry form completely blank." A third cadet said.
Just then, another cadet walked in on them, holding a box of pink and white colored pellets.
"Hey guys! Is everyone having a good time?"
The group looked at the newcomer, who looked totally out of place on a military ship. He was a skinny individual with a shock of blond hair. His voice was whiney and he seemed to be full of himself as he offered the men some of his nutrition pills.
"Here! These pellets are made of far superior ingredients than the other companies! But as a favor, I'm letting you all have a free sample!"
The cadets gave the newcomer a nervous look as they gave him their reply.
"Thanks, but no thanks."
"Yeah, I'm full already."
"Thanks for the offer,"
Bart gave a hurt look, then shrugged. "Gee, that's too bad. You might not get another chance to eat this good again." He then turned his attention to some other cadets and tried to sell them on the new pellet.
"Who is that guy?" One cadet asked.
"His father owns Garsus Foods. Let's just say that his family is keeping us all fed and leave it at that."
"Geez, I'm getting heartburn just thinking about it."
Just then, the lights went down as an announcer began addressing the assembled personnel. The crowds directed their attention to a movie screen which began showing images of the military's latest weapon, the Van-Type Fighter. The announcer then began giving a brief documentary on the mecha.
"Stab! Pierce! And Slay! With these various accessories, the Tsukumo Van-type fighter is a weapon unto itself! It is the frontline weapon of our military! Be it the sea, the air, the mountains, the plains! There is no terrain that our great weapon cannot traverse! The new Vanguards are the new beacons of hope for our people! Let's give a big hand for our latest weapons!"
There was a standing ovation as the cadets cheered for their latest tools against the women. Then the lights turned back on and a section of floor near the podium opened up. A large elevator platform rose up with more than two dozen of the completed Vanguards on it.
The applause and cheering stopped as the men saw... him.
Slade was roused again from his slumber as the floor of the storage room began to move. His eyes blinked open when a hatch above him opened and light flooded into the area. He then felt the entire floor begin to rise, carrying him and the Vanguards upward. He quickly got to his feet and slung his travel bag over his shoulder. When the platform reached the top, he suddenly found himself staring back at a large crowd of military cadets.
This wasn't good.
"Who is that?"
"Look at him! It's a third-class citizen."
"What's he doing on board?"
In the crowds, Duero Mcfile assessed the stranger. He noted that the intruder wasn't at all like any third-class citizen he had ever seen. Slade was in excellent physical condition, with a lean, but finely muscled form. His clothes were well-kept, unlike the shabby garb that third-class citizens usually wore. He wore white pants, red boots and a crimson jacket with black trim. His raven hair was in a kind of shaggy style with a small ponytail. He had the most intriguing blue eyes that he had ever seen. The scar on his face also added to his appearance, making him seem more rugged. Around his neck was an ID tag that clearly denoted his rank, but the young doctor couldn't believe that he was a third-class. There was just something about him...
Just then, the ships security guards began approaching the stranger to arrest him. However, the stranger was not going to go quietly as he dropped his bag and got into a defensive stance. Then the guards attacked with stun batons, hoping to overwhelm the intruder by sheer numbers. That was when the men of Tarak got their first glimpse of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts.
Slade instantly went into action as his body automatically went into defense mode. Swerving left to avoid a blow to his flank, he pivoted on one foot and tagged a guard in the head with a spin kick. Ducking under another swing to his temple, he came back up and let loose with a series of fast jabs, laying low two more opponents. When three more guards charged at him, Slade made a stunning reverse spin kick, toppling the trio like dominos. Grabbing the arm of another guard, he swung him around to knock him into two more of his own comrades. In less than five seconds, he had already incapacitated nine military men. Though his memories of his former life of Ranma Saotome was all but gone, the psychomotor reflexes and hand-to-hand combat skills of his ten-year training journey still remained, which were being boosted with the hidden power of a Tekkaman.
Just as Slade leapt back to get more fighting room, he suddenly heard the distinctive click of weapons being aimed at him. He looked behind him and saw that ten of the guards had brought out their rifles and leveled them at him. He looked out in front of him and saw five more do the same. He began considering his options. Now he could try fighting them as he currently was, or call forth his crystal and transform.
After a long, tension-filled minute, he decided on option three. He raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture and surrendered without a word. It wasn't that he was afraid of the guards or had any doubts if he could defeat them while unarmed. It was that he didn't want people to know exactly what he was capable of.
"Comrade." He said simply.
Slade was quickly surrounded on all sides and his hands were bound in a set of wrist restraints. He was quickly ushered off toward the detention areas to be held until the upper brass decided on his fate, which was likely to be execution. Through it all, the former Earthling showed no fear or concern.
This lack of fear intrigued Duero as he watched the intruder get taken away. Normally, third-class citizens were low in self-esteem and were afraid of their masters. However, this one carried himself with an unspoken confidence and seemed sure that he could handle anything. After seeing that display of physical prowess, the young doctor wondered how a third-class citizen could be so well-trained in unarmed combat. If it wasn't for his ID Tag, the medic would have mistaken him for one of the elite.
"Keep an eye on him Cell Unit 6." The guard ordered as a squat, oval-shaped mechanoid hovered near the laser bars of Slade's cell. The brig was in actuality, a storage room. The men of Tarak had not been planning on taking any prisoners in their war with the women.
"Beep! Beep! Roger!" The robot replied as it took up its position in front of the cell.
As the guards left, Slade looked about the area. It was relatively cluttered with boxes, crates, spare parts, and so on. He sat on the floor in a cross-legged position with his hands out in front, still bound by the wrist restraints. If he wanted, he could easily snap the bonds like paper, but had decided to bide his time. His gaze then fell on his 'guard.'
The machine was about the size of a small dog, and had a large projection screen cut into its top half, with a small console out in front. The robot floated by means of an antigravity field and remained glued to its post.
Slade growled slightly but kept his peace. Naturally, he wasn't going to stick around long enough to be executed. He figured that one quick blast of ki and quantum energy would be enough to get out of his cell. And if he aimed right, he could destroy that robot guard in the process. However, he didn't feel like obliterating the thing as it was simply fulfilling its programming. He'd just wait for the most opportune moment to make his escape. Until then...
"So... come here often?" Slade asked nonchalantly.
"Beep! Beep! That does not compute."
On the main bridge...
"Cancel the exhibition match." The Prime Minister said as he sat down in the captain's chair. "That third-class trash ruined the ceremony."
"Yes sir!" An aide saluted. On the main viewscreen, several other ships of the Tarak Space Fleet was moving into position with the Ikazuchi. It wouldn't long before the fleet would be in position to launch its first strike against its most hated nemesis.
It was then that several small, but bright dots of light came streaking out of the void of space.
WHABOOM!
The floor of Slade's cell shook as a massive explosion rocked the section of the ship he was in. This caused the robot guard to temporarily lose its balance. It suddenly pitched forward and slammed into the energy grid of Slade's cell, causing it to short-circuit itself and the grid. The energy bars weakened in intensity, but remained in place.
Slade went to a porthole and saw bright flares of laser and cannon fire light up the star-studded background. He shrugged. It wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but a surprise attack by the women would be the perfect diversion to make his escape. Though a part of him wanted to get involved in the battle, he silently reminded himself that this wasn't his fight and he shouldn't interfere. Raising his cuffed hands, he simply pulled them apart, and the restraints snapped like thread.
Raising one hand toward the energy grid, he focused his ki through the Tekno-organic circuits that ran through his body. The circuits on his arms briefly became visible as he let loose with a minute burst of ki and quantum energy. The front of the cell was totally blown apart as the energy bars were overwhelmed and the projectors on the sides of the doorway were fried.
Slade calmly exited his cell, pausing to pick up his travel bag which the guards had left near one corner of the storage room. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back toward the fallen robot and contemplated it.
"B-Bleep... beep... bip..."
Though it was only a machine, Slade couldn't help but feel sorry for it and decided to take it along. Perhaps he could get it running again, with some minor reprogramming of course. During the time he worked in the factory, he had learned quite a bit about electronics and mechanical repair.
On the main bridge...
"What's going on?! I thought I ordered the exhibition to be canceled!"
A lieutenant replied from his station. "Sir, it's not an exhibition! It's the women! They've launched a surprise attack!"
"What?!"
In the vacuum of space, the sleek Dread fighters of the female pirates were running rings around their technologically inferior adversaries. The slow-moving turrets of the male warships could not traverse fast enough to draw a bead on their nimble targets. Each Dread fighter easily evaded the enemy barrage and some of the male ships were hit by friendly fire.
However, the most damage being dished out was from the Dread pilots as they strafed the escort ships and made their way toward the flagship. One after another, the smaller vessels were either destroyed or incapacitated, leaving the Ikazuchi to defend itself.
Some distance away, the main pirate vessel stood by and observed the battle. Though everyone on board was ready to intervene, it seemed that the Dread fighters had everything under control. On the main bridge, an extremely old woman in robes smiled as she and her second witnessed the one-sided fight.
"It seems that we've come across a big one." The second remarked.
The captain nodded. "Yes, it seems that today is our lucky day."
On the bridge of the Ikazuchi...
The Prime Minister gritted his teeth as he was informed that two more of the escorts ships had been destroyed.
"What deplorable tactics! They're hiding in the background fire!"
His first officer saluted him. "What are we going to do, sir?"
"Launch the Vanguards!" The Ikazuchi's commander barked.
"But... most of them are just trainees!"
The Prime Minster snarled. "If we lose this fight because we didn't use our new weapons, then we shall bring shame upon our forefather Grand Pa!"
The scramble order was given, causing every available cadet to hurry toward the launch areas. Some of them boarded the Vangaurds that had been set up in the main hall. A speaker then came to life.
"Switching to sub-zero gravity to deploy the Vanguards!"
In an instant, tables, chairs and other items began floating off the floor. Under one such table, a certain heir to Garsus Foods also became airborne.
"Sir! Some of the launching mechanisms are offline!"
"I don't care!" The Prime Minister replied. "Launch all available Vanguards!"
Emerging from certain areas of the Ikazuchi, several of the humanoid battle machines managed to make it into space. However, with just raw recruits for pilots, the highly vaunted Vanguards were nothing more than animated debris to the Dreads. Some managed to latch onto the fighters as they passed by, but they could do very little to stop the onslaught.
"Eek! What are these things?! They're getting in my way!" A Dread Pilot screamed as two of the Vanguards pounded on her canopy.
The Dread Leader kept her calm as she replied, "Don't worry about the Vanguards. Just concentrate on the enemy flagship."
"Roger!"
A trio of Dreads followed their leader as they made a strafing run at the Ikazuchi. A section of the outer hull exploded and the fighters zoomed into the new opening.
"Hull breach in sector five!" A petty officer declared as the emergency walls closed to prevent precious air from escaping into space.
The fighters barreled through the ship's corridors and landed in the main cargo bay. The canopies opened up and the pilots disembarked to secure the area. They were dressed in formless suits and their helmets were like monstrous facemasks, designed to put fear in the hearts of their enemies.
Bart tumbled out from his hiding place, which incidentally was the base of the statue of Grand Pa. He cried out in terror as he got his first look at his race's mortal enemies.
"THOSE THINGS ARE WOMEN?!"
Just then, another ship came through the hull breach at breakneck speed. However, this craft seemed to be less skillfully piloted than the others.
"AAAAAAHHHHH! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Bart then scrambled back into the statue. The ship flashed by him, knocking off the head of the statue. The cowardly cadet poked his head up through the top hole.
Inside the main reactor room of the ship, Slade was crossing a walkway with his travel bag over his left shoulder and the robot under the arm. He looked over the side and saw that the Paksis crystal power source was humming with power.
Slade suddenly stopped when he was halfway across the room. For a moment, he felt a strange sensation wash over him. At that one instant, it felt as if the reactor was somehow... calling to him. He then shook his head at the ridiculous notion. The machine simply used a huge crystal for power to run the ship by collecting the photons that were given off as the Paksis expended excess energy. It wasn't as if the thing was actually alive, right?
It was at that moment that Slade decided to transform. Holding out his other hand, he made his Tekkacrystal appear.
The Dread Fighter was careening out of control as it sped through the passageway.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I CAN'T STOP!" The pilot cried out as she found herself hurtling toward a wall. In desperation, she began firing her ship's cannons.
In the reactor room...
"TEKSE-"
KA-BOOOOOOM!
Slade suddenly found himself thrown back as a wall exploded. He lost his grip on his bag, the robot, and most importantly, his Tekkacrystal, as something large plowed through the bulkhead.
Then everything went dark.
The Ikazuchi's main bridge...
"Minister! You mustn't do this!"
The commander of the now decimated Space Fleet of Tarak shook his head as he grabbed hold of a large lever. "We cannot afford to let this entire ship fall into the hands of those pirates! I must at least save the new sections of the ship! Before everything is lost, I will separate the old from the new!"
With these words, he pushed the lever forward.
Throughout the Ikazuchi, several series of explosive charges went off, causing the new sections of the ship to disengage from the original vessel. Within the barracks of the older ship, scores of cadets watched in horror as they witnessed their leaders abandoning them. The one known as Duero showed no fear. He knew that for all their brave talk, the brass were nothing more than hypocrites.
Back in the Paksis chamber, Slade slowly began coming around. His vision was blocked by something that was lying on top of him and he reached up with a hand to feel around. He encountered something that was round, warm, and... squishy.
Uh oh. If this is what I think it is...
He quickly threw off whatever was on top of him and scrambled backward.
"WAIT!"
He stopped as he heard the voice and then watched as the person he had pushed remove her helmet.
Dita Liebely was more excited than she had ever been before as she removed her helmet. Her bright eyes twinkled as she shook her long mane of auburn red hair. She had a decorative hairpiece that looked like a tiara.
"Wow! It's a real live alien!"
Slade was confused. Weren't they basically the same species? "Huh? Who are you calling an alien?"
Dita paid no attention to Slade's words as she raised a hand and began making some simple gestures with it. When Slade mimicked those hand signals, she became even more excited.
"I did it! It worked! I made first contact!"
No doubt in Slade's mind. This terrible enemy of Tarak was a ditz! Though he had to admit, she was pretty. The martial artist quickly got to his feet and began looking about.
Where's my crystal? There! He spotted his most precious possession lying on the floor several meters away. He then raised a hand to it.
Dita's eyes became even wider as she looked at what the alien was holding his hand out to. She glimpsed a sparkle of green light, which instantly winked out and then reappeared in his hand to form a crystalline object. She began applauding.
"Wow! Alien power is amazing! Do it again!"
The Tekkaman was not in the mood to do circus tricks. Sweeping up his travel bag and the robot, he then leapt down to a lower tier. "Bye!"
Dita quickly removed her spacesuit, revealing a very cute ensemble consisting of a light beige mini skirt with a matching short jacket worn over a black midriff-baring crop top. She then rummaged about her suit for her camera. "Wait! I want to take a picture!"
It didn't take the pirates long to take over the old section of the ship. In the barracks, the men were being herded at gunpoint toward the escape pods. As Duero walked with them, he began listening in on the conversation between the females as they disrobed their heavy suits.
"I know that it's a disinfectant, but I don't think that I'll ever get used to the smell." Jura commented. She was a tall, voluptuous woman of twenty with long, lush, blonde hair. She wore a very snug dark blue dress with a plunging neckline reaching down to her navel and a slit on either side of the skirt, showing off her fabulous legs.
"Has anyone seen Dita?" Meia asked. She was an athletic girl of nineteen with light aqua hair cropped short in a boyish style. Over her left eye she wore a kind of metal circlet. She was dressed in a form-fitting black and blue-grey body suit that emphasized her curves.
"The last I saw of her, she had crashed through the bulkhead and... ow!" Barnette glared at her comrade Paiway. Barnette was Jura's best friend and wingmate and she too sported a lush figure and wore a purple form-fitting leotard that rode up a bit in the rear and had an open front to display her bosom's cleavage. She had dark, greenish hair that was also cropped short. "Watch it Paiway! My skin is very delicate you know!" She frowned as she looked down that the wound on her arm. The burn she received from the enemy shots when it penetrated her space suit stung, and she knew that there would be a scar after the wound healed. She became a bit distraught as she realized that her perfect skin was now permanently blemished.
"Just try to endure it." The apprentice nurse replied as she continued to add disinfectant to the wound. Nearby, several other pirates waited to be treated.
"Nurses are supposed to be more sensitive." Barnette complained.
"I am!" Paiway assured. She was only eleven years old with long, dark purple hair that was tied up in two odongos like a certain meatball head we know of. She was the pirate's medical officer, though Duero could tell that she wasn't very good at it. She had promise, but lacked the proper training and knowledge to treat her patients effectively.
As the men were being forced into the escape pods, Meia went toward one of the holes in the walls. She then called to Jura.
"Jura! I'm going to go look for Dita."
The blonde shrugged. "This is the reason why I didn't want to bring along a trainee."
"We're short-handed enough as it is!" Meia snapped back. "If you didn't want to come along, then you should have said so."
"Oh all right! I'm coming!"
Meanwhile, on another part of the old ship, three more pirates made their way into what appeared to be a sub-bridge. After taking off their suits, they began exploring the consoles.
"Oh my! I can't read a word of this!" Ezra remarked as the screens showed nothing but the language of Tarak. She was a quiet girl with brown hair and a gentle demeanor. She was usually one of the bridge crew of their ship, but the first officer had insisted that she come with her and the chief engineer.
"No problem!" Parfet said as she brought out a device. She had large, oversized glasses and her dark brown hair was tied up in two large braids. "I knew that something like this might happen, so that's why I made this Inter-Pricko! I'll make one up for you too commander...?"
However, Buzom was not even interested as she casually began downloading the computer's data to their command ship. She was a statuesque woman with waist-length silver-blonde hair and wore something that looked like a dark green harem's outfit. As she continued to download, she spoke into a communicator.
"Have all the men been immobilized? Good, then dump them."
"Huh? You already know how to read this?!" Parfet gasped.
"That's the elite for you." Ezra shrugged.
"Darn! And I worked so hard in making this thing, too!"
Back at the barracks...
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Duero simply ignored the pirate as he reached into a locker and pulled out his trench coat.
"Get into the capsule now!" The pirate demanded.
"There's time enough for that later." The medic replied as he turned around.
"Do as you're told, or I'll shoot!" She emphasized her point by leveling her blaster at him.
"I'm no threat to you." Duero said simply as he eyed Paiway and her patient. "I happen to be a doctor."
This immediately caught the attention of the pirates. An expert physician was something that the female corsairs sorely needed, since Paiway was still just an apprentice nurse. However, they were still uneasy about the thought about letting a man touching them.
The Paksis chamber...
"Go away." Slade said simply as he tried to distance himself from the girl who was following him wherever he went.
"Wait! Let's just sit down and have a little chat!" Dita called as she took a few snapshots of Slade.
The martial artist groaned as he looked about for a way out of the Paksis chamber. He had thought about blasting his way out, but that would be hazardous, being in close proximity to the reactor. So he thought that he might find an exit, but with this girl continually pestering him, it hadn't been easy. He was tempted to just blow her away, but she wasn't a threat and that innocence of hers made him so...
"We're really a peaceful race!"
Whatever! Where's an airlock when you need one?!
Some distance from the old segment of the ship, the newer section was in orbit near Tarak. On the bridge, the Prime Minister's pride was severely bruised at the moment. This was supposed to have been his greatest moment, but those pirates made a mockery of his Space Fleet. They were even letting their prisoners go in the escape pods, but he wasn't fooled by their attempt at pity. However, he knew just the thing to get back at them.
"Prepare to fire the space torpedo Muramasa!"
"Minister, are you actually going to destroy the old section of the ship?" His first officer asked in disbelief.
The Prime Minister did not reply as he glared angrily at the main viewer. "I'd rather destroy it with my own hands then let it fall in the hands of women!"
On the underbelly of the new section, a large door opened and a cylindrical object was lowered.
On the old section...
Ezra gasped as she looked at the readout and saw the danger.
"There's a missile being locked onto us!"
Buzom relayed the message to her captain. The aged woman nodded as she replied.
"I see it. Losing the ship would be a shame, but let's get out of here!"
The order to evacuate was given and the pirate ship began laying down covering fire as it moved toward the Ikazuchi's old section to retrieve its crew.
Meanwhile, Duero was just finishing his ministrations on the last patient.
"There, that should do it." He secured the bandage on Barnette's arm and nodded. With the added medication, there wouldn't even be a scar.
The medic then contemplated Barnette with a natural curiosity. Like most men on Tarak, he had never seen a woman before and she was quite different from the propaganda films.
Barnette became extremely agitated at his gaze.. "What? Do you find something interesting about me?"
"Actually... I do."
"Don't expect any thanks!"
"I don't. I suppose I'll go now."
Behind him, Paiway was busy writing down on a notepad. "He touched a total of five girls."
The pirate ship flew to the underside of the old Ikazuchi and connected a boarding tube to it. The crew extraction commenced, but time was running out.
On the new part of the ship...
"Isn't the missile ready yet?" The Prime Minister growled.
"Sir, it's still in the process of fueling!"
"It has more than enough! FIRE!"
At that command, the Muramasa was launched, followed by a second torpedo.
The bridge of the pirate vessel...
"What's the status, BC?" The pirate captain demanded.
"Crew extraction is nearly complete." Buzom replied. "I'm the only one left on my team. Three under Meia's team haven't reported in yet."
"We'll let them return on their Dreads. Get back here on the double!"
"Roger!"
The reactor room...
"WHAT PART OF GO AWAY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Slade was at the end of his patience. He had tolerated Dita's pestering long enough. He was about to say to hell with it all, transform, and blast his way out. That was when Meia and Jura arrived on the scene.
The Dread leader called out to her wayward subordinate and then grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Dita, what are you doing?! You know better than to go off on your own!"
"I'm sorry Meia." Dita apologized as she took one last look at her first alien.
Slade let off a relieved sigh and went back to the business of getting out. As he walked off, he was given a casual once-over by Jura.
Hmmm... not too bad, for a man. I like the shoulders. She then shook her head. She was from Mejele and men were the enemy! Where did that come from?! I don't like men!
"All three accounted for. We're leaving now on our Dreads!" Meia said to her communicator as she and her subordinates ran toward their ships. However, just as Meia and Jura were lifting off, Dita ran into one tiny problem...
"OH NO! MY DREAD IS STUCK AND I CAN'T GET OUT!"
It was true. With the front wedged tightly in the hole to the reactor room, the fighter was effectively trapped. On the other side of the wall, Slade was about to transform when he saw the problem. He had to make a decision. He could just transform and escape imminent destruction, leaving the girl to die or...
Though he was no longer Ranma Saotome, he still felt the desire to protect the innocent and this girl certainly qualified. Though it meant cutting it close, he decided to do the honorable thing. Raising one hand toward the Dread, he focused his power and fired a tight blast at a space below the twin booms of Dita's fighter. The bulkhead gave way, enlarging the hole and freeing the Dread.
In her cockpit, Dita gasped at the act of kindness and the power the alien had displayed. "Wow! You're a really cool alien!"
Slade simply shrugged as he held up his Tekkacrystal.
Meia and Jura breathed out in relief as they saw Dita's Dread move back out of the hole. Since they were on the other side, they had not witnessed how the ship had gotten loose. Not that they had time to think about it. They had just started their escape when they realized that they were too late.
The pirate ship...
"We can't avoid a direct hit!" One of the bridge crew declared.
"Hit or miss, it's our destiny." The old captain said as she prepared for the worst.
"TEKSETTER!"
Just as Slade's transformation began, the missiles hit, causing a massive explosion that engulfed both ships.
On the new section of the Ikazuchi...
"Minister! We're losing mass!"
The commander nodded with satisfaction as he witnessed both ships being engulfed into a kind of vacuum and disappeared from sight.
"I hope you enjoy the taste of defeat."
Slade found himself falling in a sea of greenish-blue. His body felt as if it were on fire as energy flooded his entire being. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and yet it did not feel painful as he felt an unknown presence nearby and making him feel more relaxed.
As he fell, Slade saw that he wasn't alone. Three others were falling with him and as darkness enveloped him once again, he saw an image of something that would forever shape his future. It resembled his Tekkaman form, but was larger. Then the last image he saw was that of a certain girl as he heard the words...
"MR. ALIEN!"
To be continued...
Preview...
Slade: "My name is Slade, at least that's what I think my name is. I know nothing of my past and spent most of my life just wandering space. Now I find myself in the middle of a war between men and women of all things."
Dita: "We're really a peaceful race!"
Slade: "Now a third new enemy approaches. Will my armor and those Dreads be enough?"
Dita: "We have to join forces!"
Slade: "Dita! What're you doin'!? Next time, on Tekkadread Remastered, 'Where Are We Now?' For some reason, that sounds familiar…"
Dita: "Please don't miss it!"
Author's Notes
Yes, I know that this sounds like the first episode of Vandread, but rest assured that more changes will occur as time goes on.
The revision is relatively minor as I filled out a few things and changed some terms.
Please read and review!