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: Why me?
italics: Thoughts
Chapter 4
Slade's New Partners
One of the ladies rooms...
"Did you hear the latest rumors? I heard that men have some strange tube stuck between their legs."
"No way! Are you sure that it's not some kind of antennae? Gross!"
"I wonder if it makes it hard for them to walk?"
Dita listened closely to her comrades as they discussed the latest gossip about men. She then glanced at herself and noted that she didn't have such an appendage. She then decided to find out for herself if the rumor was true about Mr. Alien.
"What... ARE you doing?" Slade asked in annoyance as he had been preparing to drop his pants in front of the toilet.
Dita said nothing at she simply watched with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face.
In a flash, Slade zipped up his pants, grasped Dita by the collar, and hauled her out of the men's restroom. The female found herself planted outside as Slade slammed the door behind him.
"But why can't I watch?"
"I can't go with somebody watching!"
In the sick bay...
"Peculiar... this organ doesn't even exist in a man's physiology." Duero said as he watched the computer display of the gestating baby within Ezra.
"It's called the uterus."
"A reproductive organ... most interesting."
As she lay on the bed, the female began explaining. "I wanted to have a baby, so I decided to carry the seed."
"What's the seed?"
"It's when an ohma donates an egg and has it spliced with the genes of the fahma. Then it is implanted into the fahma's womb to be nurtured. Where I come from, anyone who wants to be a fahma, can be one."
"Hmmm... so that means I can be one?"
Ezra developed a sweatdrop as she tried to think of a way to explain.
Meanwhile, the chief engineer Parfet was holding a contest for a new name for the ship, since everyone agreed that the name Ikazuchi was a lousy choice. All the crew would contribute and the winner would win a year's worth of food coupons that could be redeemed at the Trapeza. With the Navi robot, now being called Pyoro, logging in all the suggestions, Parfet would later give the list to the captain for her to choose. One of the suggestions was the name Nirvana, which was BC's idea. Parfet hoped that the captain wouldn't choose that one.
Buzom had just been inserting a data disk into a message pod when she was suddenly contacted by the Captain.
"BC, is everything ready?"
"Er, yes Captain!"
"Why are there two pods?"
"Well... this second one is for Tarak. I thought it would be prudent to warn the men as well."
Magno considered her first officer for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Launch the pods."
Twin cylindrical objects shot out of the bottom of the ship and sped their way toward their distant destinations. However, they only managed to make a few hundred kilometers before suddenly being engulfed in an explosion. An instant later, a quartet of enemy fighters came onto the scene.
"RED ALERT! ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS!"
Alarms went off all around the ship as Dread pilots began scrambling. Their current record for rapid deployment stood at forty-nine seconds. Meia and Jura were already running for their Dread fighters when they saw Dita standing near her own ship.
"Dita, what are you waiting for? Board your Dread!" Meia cried out.
Dita made a pirouette as she stated the reason why she was still standing around. "It was Mr. Alien! He changed and flew right out of here! WHOOSH! He was SO fast!"
"What? He's out there already?!" Jura exclaimed. They had only gotten the order to scramble just fifteen seconds ago.
Then just as suddenly as it started, the battle alert was over as the alarms stopped. A minute later, the three pilots saw a tall figure fly into the hanger. The Tekkaman landed in front of them and instantly transformed back into Slade. He casually tossed his Tekkacrystal into the air and deftly caught it again.
"Hmmm, four fighters... not even a decent warm-up. Hardly worth transforming."
Meia felt her anger rising at being upstaged by this... man! "JUST WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!"
The former Saotome shrugged as he replied. "I thought it was my duty to protect the ship."
"You went out there without authorization!"
"Considering that any further delay would have put the ship in danger, I assumed that the faster the threat was dealt with, the better. I'm only trying to lend my support as part of this crew. I figure that I saved you a lot of fuel, ammunition, and energy."
"We don't need your help! And you're not part of this crew! Have you forgotten that you're still a prisoner?"
Slade cocked his head in thought, then said, "My memory must be slipping then. As I recall, your Captain did state that myself, the good doctor, and the... navigator were to be part of this ship's crew for the duration of this voyage."
"Don't give me that! You're just a showoff! You're nothing without that crystal!"
"Oh... is that a challenge?" Slade smiled at her as he made his crystal disappear. He couldn't help but admire her fiery spirit. She had potential and the heart of a true fighter. However, he would not back down from anything or anyone. It was just the way he was.
Meia's temper was hitting its boiling point as she glared at his smirk. It was bad enough that men were now serving alongside them, but this man absolutely infuriated her! And now he was daring her!
"Ah, ah!" Slade wagged a finger at her. "The warrior who loses her temper has already lost the battle."
That final quip made the normally level-headed Dread Leader lose her control.
"AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!"
Meia then swung with her fist, intent on knocking Slade's head off. However, the former heir to the Anything Goes reacted with inhuman speed. He simply sidestepped her punch, grabbed hold of her extended arm, and with a simple throw, flipped her like a flapjack. Meia found herself being thrown a dozen feet before landing painfully hard on her bottom. Both Jura and Dita were shocked at seeing their leader so casually tossed.
Slade shrugged as he said, "She attacked me first. THAT was self-defense." Without another word, he walked out of the hanger deck.
Dita looked at Jura. "Mr. Alien... has a point."
The bridge...
"He's a danger to this ship and crew morale!" Meia complained to her commander. Apparently, her ego had been bruised along with her posterior. She would not be shown up by that... that MAN!
"I take it that you do not approve of the new additions to our crew?" Magno Vivian asked.
"That's putting it mildly... captain. He doesn't follow orders, he's absolutely reckless, and he's so... so... infuriating!"
"I see. Well... I'll admit that he is difficult to work with, but he has done us a couple of favors. Furthermore, his power is quite an asset, especially in our current situation. However, if you truly believe that he is detrimental to the operation of the Dread crews, then perhaps he might agree to a reassignment of duties?"
Meia felt a sense of accomplishment and smugness as she nodded. She'd show that MAN his place!
The sick bay...
"You really shouldn't have angered the Dread team leader." Duero warned as he had Slade lie down on the examination table in his underwear. "We all have to work together on this ship."
The martial artist sighed. "Yeah... well, that girl... what's her name again?" Slade asked.
"Meia."
"Yeah, Meia. She's got a lot of spirit and potential, but her attitude just rubbed me the wrong way. I never did care much for authority types."
Duero nodded in understanding as he looked at the medical monitor. "Curious."
"What?"
"All anatomical data has come up with nothing special. There are no foreign organisms or mechanisms. All extremities show nothing unusual. Heart and respiration rates are good, with all vital functions showing stable conditions. You're perfectly... normal."
"That's supposed to be a good thing, isn't it?"
"Well, technically speaking yes, but I had been hoping to find out the source of your powers and how you are able to transform. However, I can't seem to find anything out of the ordinary about you."
Slade simply shrugged as he sat up. "Don't lose any sleep over it, Doc. I couldn't tell you how I got to be this way even if I wanted to, because I don't know myself. All I remember is waking up one day and I suddenly have these powers."
"So you don't remember anything prior to this... awakening?"
"Well..." Slade thought back to those strange images that he had been having lately when he was sleeping. "I do get some blurry images in my head from time to time... and I think they may have something to do with the time when I was little, but..." He shook his head sadly. "It's no use. I can't clearly remember anything further than that."
"It could be a kind of self-induced amnesia." The medic suggested. "Perhaps they could be a set of traumatic memories that you are repressing. Maybe something horrible happened to you while you were growing up, and you decided to shut out those memories."
Slade absently stroked the scar on his face, though he didn't realize it. "I... think that may be a part of it. One of those images was about... being in the dark and... seeing lots of... red eyes..." Duero's patient paused for a moment. "I... do remember waking up screaming sometimes after seeing that image."
It was then that Meia came into the sick bay with a smug look on her face and a computer pad in her hands.
The Teknoman had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what she was going to say to him.
Duero wasn't the only person that was mystified about Slade's abilities. In the engineering section, Parfet was still trying to determine how the Tekkaman Power System worked. She had spent the last two hours staring at the data that she had collected from her analysis of Slade's crystal. The information made no sense and she couldn't even begin to guess as to how that crystal was the key to his transforming into a force of mind-boggling power.
The only bit of information that made any sense was that the crystal seemed to be somewhat similar to the Paksis, which also left her stumped. However, the female had no intention of giving up. There just had to be an answer! If she could somehow duplicate the Tekkaman process, then that would give the space pirates a tremendous edge in fighting ability.
As she pondered about the mysteries of Slade's powers, she had decided to check up on a few unexplored areas on the men's side of the ship. As she wandered about the hanger where Meia, Dita, and Jura's fighters were stored, she came across a large room that was near the Paksis reactor room. She opened up a door and saw that the entire place was flooded with crystal. In the far corner, she then spotted a large object that was halfway buried in Paksis.
The Reg System...
THIS is where I'll be working now? Slade thought as he stepped into the ship's supply depot. Everyone was dressed in white and red waitress outfits.
Gascogne has just finished giving her staff the daily orders when she noticed the Teknoman.
"Ah yes! The new arrival! Girls, what's our motto?"
"SMILE! SMILE!" The girls said in unison as they simultaneously gave him a wave.
Slade wondered just what he was getting into.
"You've GOT to be kidding!" Slade said as he found himself dressed in the uniform of Gascogne's staff. The frilly apron and skirt may look good on the slim and curvaceous females, but on a man's frame... (Just use your imagination, ugh!)
Gascogne smiled as she took in the appearance of the newest addition to her staff. "There. Now you are truly one of the stagehands."
"Stagehands?"
The head supplier nodded. "That's right. It's our job to make certain that all supply orders are filled... with a smile of course. Don't think that the actors are on their own up on the stage."
Slade was still in a state of shock and embarrassment over what he was wearing when the head supplier came up to him. He growled a bit, but Gascogne shook her head.
"You'd best remember our motto here. Smile, smile!"
Slade's snarl turned up into a very forced smile as he just barely kept his temper in check.
The supervisor nodded as she held out a hand. "Oh, and I'll be taking that crystal of yours. After all, you won't be needing it here. Don't worry, I'll keep it safe."
Slade was about to argue, but decided that it would be pointless. Besides, it wasn't as if he couldn't take it back when he needed to. With one flick of a hand, he made his crystal appear and deftly tossed it to her. Gascogne caught it and then motioned for Slade to follow her.
Somewhere else on the ship...
"What is all this?" Dita asked as she and Pyoro explored the men's section of the ship. She was still very much interested in learning all she could about Mr. Alien. They had come across one of the food storage rooms and were now gazing upon huge mounds of nutrition pellets.
"This is where the men kept their food supplies." The Navi robot explained. "One pellet is enough for three hundred hours of labor."
Dita picked up a pellet and nibbled on it. She immediately grimaced at the pellet's foul taste and spat it out. "Ewwwww! Mr. Alien actually eats this?!"
"Well..." The robot replied slowly. "From what I heard, Slade doesn't care for the taste either, but this was all there was to eat on Tarak."
At that point, Dita smiled as she got an idea to get closer to Mr. Alien.
The Reg System...
Though he didn't like the idea of working in a skirt, Slade had to admit that Gascogne ran a very efficient operation. The members of her team were professional, though they kept on giving those annoying smiles. However, his assignments were even more demeaning than what he had back on Tarak. He had been demoted from being a cosmic space warrior to scrubbing toilets and mopping floors. He was now a glorified janitor.
Oh yeah. I can understand why Meia was so happy when I got reassigned. She's probably gloating right now.
Though Slade was quite capable of simply ignoring the reassignment, he had realized that causing discord on the ship would be detrimental to the morale of the crew and he really didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him. They were all just doing their jobs, after all. Though he REALLY hated the dress uniform of the Reg System.
Gascogne noted Slade's scowl and decided to have a little chat with him.
"Well now, it seems that someone doesn't remember our motto."
"Hmmm?" Slade turned from where he was currently scrubbing the Launching Bay.
"Smile, smile."
Slade would only growl in response. It was then that Gascogne gestured for him to follow her. She had something to show him.
"Don't start thinking that this job isn't as important as going out to fight the enemy." The head supplier said as she and Slade stood in a small projection viewing room. "We all have to do our part to keep this ship going and keep everyone alive. Don't think that we have it easy down here."
"Whatever." Slade said without even turning to face her.
Gascogne noted Slade's lack of interest and reached over to press a button. "Take a look at this."
A holographic image appeared on a viewer which caught the Tekkaman's attention. He saw the planet Mejele and what looked like one of its residential areas. As the images continued to play, Gascogne began explaining.
"This is our home planet Mejele. On the outside, it seems to be a beautiful and peaceful place. However, appearances can be deceiving. The people of Mejele are more concerned with their appearances than practicality. They constantly waste precious energy on trivial pursuits, like who has the better garden. Often, these personal contests often get in the way of what needs to be done. One time, there was a huge energy consumption and as a result... one of the residential units had to be shut down."
Slade nodded as he saw an image of a housing complex become dark. Gascogne continued explaining.
"Our captain had lost her home when that happened and that's when she started this pirate gig. It was perfect for those who had no other place to go. In piracy, there was no difference between male and female. Everyone had to work hard, but everyone shared in the rewards. Don't think that only certain people reaped the benefits while others did all the work."
Slade remained silent, but could understand where this conversation was going. He could respect the head supplier's views, which were perfectly valid. No one should be forced out of his or her home, due to the foolishness of one's neighbors.
"You know, you should consider yourself lucky. If it had been the Mejele military that had attacked the men that time, then you would have been dead before you even got to say mercy."
"I doubt that." Slade replied simply.
Gascogne gazed upon him and thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I suppose that would be true in your case, but not everyone is highly trained in combat and blessed with super-powers."
"Still... I can see what you're trying to tell me." The Teknoman admitted as he exited the room.
Gascogne smiled a bit as she watched him leave.
Gradually, Slade became very familiar with the workings of the Register and found it to be... a refreshing change of pace from the life of constant combat that had been his life. Though he was forced to sit out a few of the battles that followed, he still worked hard, and in some cases, he proved to be extremely useful...
A week after Slade had joined the Reg System...
"Look out!"
The girls were scrambling for cover when the anti-gravity field failed and the huge payload of missiles started falling. They had been moving the ordinance to one of the loading bays when the lifter malfunctioned. The rack of ordinance that was being moved shifted and began heading downward.
A young member of Gascogne's staff, a pretty girl with long brown hair, screamed after she tripped and saw that the missiles were plummeting toward her. She knew that she was going to die, either from being crushed under tons of ordinance or when the weapons exploded when they hit the floor.
However, that disaster was narrowly averted when someone dropped his mop and rushed toward her. In a heartbeat, Slade raised his arms and caught the huge rack of missiles, stopping them from hitting the girl that was sprawled on the loading bay. However, even his superhuman strength was strained to the limit and he knew that he couldn't hold up thirty tons of ordinance for more than a few seconds. Both arms were full, he was badly unbalanced and he couldn't transform to his much stronger form as a Tekkaman.
"H-H-HELP HER!" Slade gritted as the load trembled in his arms. "I can't hold... this... up!"
The stunned staff were shocked back to normal as two girls rushed in and pulled their comrade out of harm's way. A moment later, Slade set down the heavy weight, which made a dull clang on the metal floor. Fortunately, the missiles were not armed and did not detonate.
Slade collapsed to his knees and groaned as his arms cried out in agony. Gascogne quickly went to him and knelt down.
"Are you all right?"
Slade nodded as he looked up and gave her a weak, lopsided grin. "N...No problem. After all... we... gotta keep smiling... right?"
The muscular woman couldn't help but laugh at that one as she helped him up.
Nearby, the girl that Slade had saved continued to gaze at him while being tended by a co-worker with a first aid kit. However, the young girl did not appear at all thankful toward her rescuer. In fact, she gave Slade a deliberate scowl as she openly showed her hatred of men.
Gascogne hoped that this would not cause more conflict.
Later...
"Here. I thought you might like to take a break for a while." Gascogne said as she handed him a glass of orange liquid.
Slade nodded as he took the offered drink and sat down near the main console. "Thanks."
"I have to admit, you're a very hard and efficient worker... for a man."
"Sort of a backhanded compliment, but I'll take it." Slade replied nonchalantly as he drained the glass in one swallow. "So how's that girl I saved?"
"Ukyo's doing fine, thanks to you."
At the mention of that name, Slade stiffened and his heart skipped a beat. The head supplier noted his sudden change in expression and became intrigued. So far, she had only seen him either with a cool, nonchalant expression or with a scowl.
"Is... something wrong?"
Slade was quiet for a long time before answering. "Did... you say her name was Ukyo?"
"Yes. Do you know her?"
"No... I've never met her before today... but that name seems... familiar."
The head supplier nodded. "She's a very dedicated worker, though her hatred of men is a little more extreme than what most of the crew feel."
"Oh?"
Gasogne nodded. "Yes. From the day she joined up with us, she's made no effort to curb that hatred. She totally despises men."
Slade shrugged as he finished his drink. "So what? I thought that all women of Mejele hated men. No offense to anyone on this ship."
"None taken. However, it's not because of the propaganda films and such, which makes her so angry toward men."
"So... what's the reason, if I might ask?"
"She never tells me the exact details, but she stated that it was men who caused a lot of pain to a distant ancestor of hers. She had been taught from the day she was born to hate all men, though the reason behind it has faded over a long time. I don't think she even KNOWS the real reason for her hatred."
"Sounds kind of stupid to be raised to hate a person without knowing the reason."
"On that, I'll agree."
Ukyo Kuonji the seventeenth, the direct descendant of the original Ucchan, continued to glare at the hated male who was now a part of the Reg System.
For the last five hundred years, the females of the Kuonji clan had always hated the opposite gender. Ever since the original Ukyo had been disgraced, the females of the family line had always viewed men as untrustworthy and useless.
Though the original Ukyo's honor had been satisfied with the apparent death of Ranma Saotome, she had sworn off men and marriage completely, so that she would never again be hurt. She had embraced her femininity, but totally rejected anything that had to do with men. Since that time of betrayal, the women of her line had been reproducing through artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization. Whenever a male child was born, it would be given up for adoption. During the time of space colonization and the founding of Mejele, the Kuonji women happily embraced the newest method of asexual reproduction, thereby ensuring that no men would ever be born to soil their proud lineage.
Little did the present Ukyo know, was that the man who had unintentionally broken her ancestor's honor was alive and living on the pirate vessel!
A couple more weeks would pass and the ship's crew soon fell into a normal routine. Slade found that working in the Reg System was quite relaxing and was a way of escaping from that crazy UFO girl. It was that he didn't like Dita, but her constantly calling him Mr. Alien had been getting annoying.
During this time, the Nirvana had been attacked by the aliens, but they were merely small skirmishes at best and the Dread teams had no problems in beating them back. Meia became even more confident that Slade's power as a Tekkaman wasn't needed. However, that would soon change...
Engineering...
"This is what you've been working on for the last couple of weeks?" Gascogne asked as she looked over Parfet's latest project. "That's a LOT of firepower for just one machine."
"Yep!" The bespectacled girl nodded as she closed a panel. "The captain and commander both agreed that the last few attacks from the enemy were just probing missions, like they were trying to figure out our strengths, weaknesses, and battle tactics. So they asked me to come up with something to give the Dreads an edge. I modified this machine to act as a support vehicle."
"But... this thing looks like..." Gascogne continued to stare at the huge machine.
The engineer shrugged. "Hey, it was the only source of spare material I could work with. All the other available parts and resources were reserved for Dread maintenance and repair."
"What gave you the idea to use it?"
The head engineer began explaining. "Well, for one thing, we've already seen how effective using the power of the Paksis can be against the aliens. This particular machine was near the Paksis reactor when we got transported away and when our ship merged with the Ikazuchi. It got transformed like Dita, Meia, and Jura's Dreads. It's also giving off low-level energy emissions that's similar to the Paksis and to Slade's crystal."
"You mean this?" The head supplier took out Slade's possession.
"How did you get it?"
The older woman shrugged. "Since he's working in the Reg System and isn't fighting, I'm... holding onto it for safekeeping. Never mind that now. What did you mean that this thing is like the Paksis? I thought the reports said that it didn't give off any energy."
"Well, the preliminary reports showed nothing, but when I looked at a subatomic scan of its molecular structure, it showed that this crystal gave off a wavelength that was linked to the Paksis." It was then that she snapped her fingers. "Hey, wait a second! Let me have that crystal for a minute. I want to try something."
Gascogne cocked her head in puzzlement, then handed the engineer the crystal. "What are you going to do with it?"
"Take a look at this." Parfet pointed to a certain set of circuit relays which were infused with crystals derived from the Paksis. "Up until now, I haven't been able to get a response out of this machine's central processors and vital circuitry, because of all that Paksis crystal. The mechanisms and relays are functioning normally, but it seems to reject all attempts at controlling it. Now let's see what happens if I do this." She then held Slade's Tekkacrystal close to the circuit panel, which immediately came to life and started humming with power. When she pulled it back, it went dead. When she repeated the experiment of bringing the crystal close, then pulling it back, the panel turned on and off accordingly.
"Well, that's interesting. So what you're saying is that this thing won't work unless someone is holding the crystal."
"No... not quite." Parfet shook her head in thought. "This experiment proves my theory. This machine is responding to the crystal, since they seem to be on the same wavelength, but in order to control it, we would need someone who is also linked to the Paksis."
Gascogne thought back to what had happened that day when the Paksis had imploded and merged the two ships. "As I recall, Meia, Dita, and Jura were near the Paksis and their Dreads were transformed. Would they be able to control it?"
Parfet shook her head again. "No. I already had them down here, and not one of them could make this thing respond to their commands."
It was then that the head supplier put two and two together. "So that leaves only Bart and... Slade."
"Well, you can also scratch Bart off the candidate list since I've had him down here, too. The only likely person who could control this new weapon is Slade."
"Slade?"
"That's about the long and short of it. The fact that this thing is responding to HIS crystal makes him the only possibility."
"So the bottom line is that this machine could give us the edge we need, but it can only be used by Slade."
"Mind you, this is all just theory. I can't guarantee one hundred percent that it would even work and-"
WHABOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
The hanger shuddered and nearly caused the two women to fall to the floor.
"Enemy attack!"
Magno nodded as she and her bridge crew prepared for the assault. All through the ship, the crew were at their battle stations as the Dread pilots raced to their fighters. In thirty seconds, squadrons of Dreads were taking up positions in front of the Nirvana to confront the enemy. After all of her previous encounters with the enemy, the Dread Leader was confident that she and her comrades would be able to defeat this new threat without the help of males, especially Slade.
The enemy consisted of several dozen of those strange-looking fighters, which the pirates had dubbed as Cube-Types, and one very large machine that was a spherical mass of globes. The alien formation maintained a fixed distance from the pirates, as if they were waiting for the women to make the first move.
On the bridge, Magno ordered Bart to direct the ship into some evasive maneuvers, which the helmsman did readily, (since his specialty was running away). However, for every move the ship made, the large machine and its escort fighters matched, keeping the distance between them constant. After a few more futile attempts, the two forces halted and faced each other off.
The Reg System...
"They're just standing there." Slade commented as he and the rest of the crew watched on the monitors. I've got a bad feeling about this. Normally, he would have just gone out as a Tekkaman and destroyed the enemy, but since he had been reassigned, he couldn't do anything but watch. It wasn't as if he couldn't disobey, but he respected Gascogne and the captain enough.
Then all of a sudden the enemy attacked.
Meia immediately put her Dread squadron into the fray. The nimble pirate ships darted about, blowing a few of the Cube-Types to pieces while trying to engage the main machine. However, the strange craft was impossibly fast for its size and evaded the first wave. Then the globes on its surface began to rotate and extended large purple tendrils, making its appearance seem like a ...
"Sea urchin? How disgusting!" Jura commented as she put her Dread in a strafing run against it. She was followed by Barnette who launched a barrage of missiles at it. However, the spines became jagged and started rotating even faster. The projectiles were easily deflected and exploded harmlessly away from the main body.
"No good! We can't get close enough to it for a clear shot!" Barnette declared.
Then the spines of the main ship became straight and were suddenly launched like oversized darts. A few of the Dreads were hit and put out of action. Meia thought that this was her chance and ordered her teams to attack. However, the machine simply extended more spines and began spinning them again, evading the next barrage of missiles.
"Damn!" Meia swore as she evaded a few of the Cube Types that were protecting their main system.
"Let's get Mr. Alien out here!" Dita called in through her communicator.
"NO! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT RELYING ON OTHERS? WE DON'T NEED HIS HELP! HE'S A MAN AND THE ENEMY! WE CAN DO THIS ON OUR OWN!"
Though Meia was confident in her own ability and that of the other Dread Pilots, she was letting her pride override her better judgment.
The Reg System...
Slade shook his head. "Not good."
Gascogne had to agree. With the Cube-Types running interference and the Dreads unable to get clear hits on the large alien craft, it seemed that the pirates were fighting a losing battle. She looked at the tactical display and saw that several more of the fighters were put out of action. It wouldn't be long before the enemy would begin their assault on the pirate ship.
"They're not going to last long." Slade said.
"Oh? And what would you suggest?" Gascogne asked.
The Tekkaman nodded and replied. "It's obvious that the enemy knows that the Dread Fighters are very effective with long and medium-range attacks, so they've got those fighters out there to keep them busy. Those spines are also preventing their missiles from getting close. I'd say that the best way to win is to get up close and personal with that thing."
"Getting up close with all those fighters and spines shooting out of it? Sounds pretty dangerous."
It was at that moment that the Reg System began receiving delivery orders as several of the Dread Fighters were running low on ordinance and ammunition.
The bridge...
"It appears that the enemy has adapted to our current battle tactics." BC remarked with a frown. She too had been watching the tactical display and the Dread teams had been whittled down to half their number. Several of the Cube-Types were getting through the defense lines and attacking the ship itself.
Magno nodded. "Yes. It's as we thought. I thought that those last few battles were too easy. So they were probing for our strengths and weaknesses. They know how we react and they've learned how to counter us. Well then, let's give them something that they don't know about yet." She then contacted the engineering section. "Parfet, is that new weapon ready yet?"
The engineer shook her head as she responded. "Captain, you're not really thinking of using it now, are you?"
It was then that the ship shuddered violently. The large alien craft had broken though the defense lines and was now using its spines to attack the pirate vessel. That one pass alone had caused major structural damage to the port arm of the ship, as the spines raked the hull. Bart let off a scream as he felt pain shoot up his left arm and a large gash appeared. The cybernetic link between himself and the ship was still active.
"We don't really have a choice, Parfet! The Dreads can't hold out for much longer and we don't have any other options. Is it ready or not?"
"It's completed, but it's totally untested!" Parfet responded. "And besides, we don't have a pilot for it!"
At that moment, Gascogne cut into the communications. "Oh yes we do."
"What?" Magno asked.
The head supplier nodded and winked. "Have Parfet load it onto my ship. I have a few deliveries to make anyway. I'm sure that D-Boy will be able to handle it."
"D-Boy?" Both the captain and the engineer said in confusion.
The Dreki, Gascongne's supply ship, detached from the main vessel and flew toward the battle zone. It resembled a large ladybug and was heavily armored and had several grappling arms located on its undersides. As four Dreads flew toward it, the arms extended themselves and grabbed hold of them, bringing them closer so that new armaments could be loaded onto the fighters.
On the main bridge of the Dreki, Gascogne sat with Slade and watched the procedures.
"Okay, we're going to get this done in forty seconds, tops. Let's do it all in one go."
Slade nodded as he worked at his console and systematically loaded each Dread with new missiles and weaponry. The head supplier nodded as she watched the Tekkaman's efficiency.
Less than a minute later the fighters were ready for combat again.
"I'm so full!" Dita said happily.
"Give 'em Hell, girls." Gascogne said as they launched.
As Slade watched them go, he shook his head. "Not that I'm saying that being a stagehand isn't important, but we need to change tactics. Unless they come up with something better than wasting their shots on that thing, then it wouldn't matter how many times they reload."
Gascogne nodded. "I couldn't agree more. However, the reloaded Dreads should be able to buy us some time."
"Huh?"
She then gestured to the display. "That's the reason why we brought this."
The Tekkaman noted that one of the cargo bays was still loaded. "Hey, you still got one more delivery."
"That's right." She then handed Slade his crystal back. "That's our latest weapon against the enemy, but only you can use it. Parfet called it a Tekkabot. It's voice-activated so you'd better make your commands loud and clear. Give 'em Hell with it, D-Boy."
"D-Boy?"
"D as in dangerous, since that's what you are when you're out there."
The former Saotome smirked as he began running for the cargo bay. "All right... Ms. Gasco."
"It's Gascogne!"
Slade stared at the thing. So this was their new weapon?
The machine had formally been one of the Vanguards until it had been transformed by the Paksis. Parfet had modified it and it was now ten feet taller than its counterparts, with added armor and more firepower. He saw that a geometric crystal shape was mounted on the front chest armor and noticed that it was similar to his own crystal. Holding up his possession to it, the machine began to activate and humm with power.
Okay... let's see if it works. Slade then voiced out his first command.
"TEKKABOT, POWER ON!"
The machine spoke back in reply as it sensed the link it had with its pilot.
"Affirmative."
The modified Vanguard opened up in front, revealing the cockpit. Slade could feel a kind of pull from it and immediately jumped into it. The hatch closed up as grappling arms maneuvered the machine toward the cargo doors.
On the Dreki's bridge, Gascogne activated the doors to open.
"Initiating launch sequence... Tekkabot away!"
"What is that?" Jura gasped as she saw something new enter the fray.
"It looks like a Vanguard." Dita remarked.
In her own Dread, Meia gritted her teeth. No! It can't be him!
Within the new Tekkabot, Slade found out that he could control it as if it was his own body. He soon got the hang of piloting it. The machine was less maneuverable than his own Tekkaman form, but the heavy armor and massive firepower made up for it. He began directing the Tekkabot to attack the Cube-Types, thereby drawing them off so the Dreads could concentrate on battling the main alien craft. The machine began launching a murderous storm of missiles and blaster fire, mowing the enemy down. As he pressed the attack, he looked through the display monitors and nodded. As the Cube-Types were being dispatched, the Dreads were now concentrating their attacks on the larger machine. The huge sea urchin had to stop attacking the pirate vessel to deal with the fighters.
However, it still proved to be difficult to damage as it continued to evade the females shots.
Slade knew that he had to help them out and destroying the Cube-Types was taking too long. He had to get out there.
"TEKSETTER!"
To all those who were watching, the Tekkabot suddenly glowed with an emerald light, then suddenly, the top of the machine opened up and something shot out of it.
"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried out happily.
The Tekkaman made a neat flip and landed on the back of the Tekkabot. Slade then realized that he was still linked to his new partner as it responded to his mental commands to charge at the remaining Cube-Types. Bringing out his lance, he began spinning it like a propeller, deflecting enemy fire. Then his shoulder blasters opened up.
"VOLTEKKER!"
A huge beam of emerald-white light was released, atomizing most of the enemy fighters. He then directed the Tekkabot to charge at the main alien craft.
The giant sea urchin evaded its Dread pursuers and focused its attention toward its newest adversary.
Slade leapt off the Tekkabot and activated his alternate form.
TEKKAMAN BATTLE-MODE!
However, to everyone else's surprise, the Tekkabot acknowledged its master.
"Affirmative"
It also began transforming. New wing projections emerged from its back as its arms swung into its body. The legs produced a new type of thruster units and Slade found himself pulled toward the machine again. When the Tekkaman landed on the Tekkabot's back again, the two began to produce a combined aura which turned them into a huge comet, that streaked across space and headed toward the enemy. All of the remaining Cube-Types were blown away as Tekkaman and Tekkabot hurtled by, leaving energy shockwaves that reduced them to useless scrap.
"That's some new weapon, Parfet." Gascogne commented through the communicator.
"But I didn't build it to do that!" Parfet said as she watched in shock.
The sea urchin launched a barrage of its spines at the Tekkaman, but the projectiles disintegrated as soon as they made contact with his combined aura. It seemed as if the machine would be destroyed as soon it collided with him. However, at the last moment, the craft severed to the right, causing Slade to harmlessly pass by.
Damn, that thing's faster than me!
Meia saw this as an opportunity and ordered her team to attack while the alien machine was distracted. However, that was when it grew more spines and launched them, causing the Dreads to scatter once again.
As Slade turned about to make another pass at his foe, Dita's fighter flashed onto the scene.
"Mr. Alien! Let's combine!"
The gigantic sea urchin had other ideas though as it launched another barrage. Meia's Dread flew in to intercept.
"Dita, watch out!"
Meia's Dread took the hits and was sent speeding out of control. At the same time, Slade was also knocked off his perch on the Tekkabot and sent flying. The Tekkabot immediately became disoriented without its pilot and was nothing more than a floating technological mass.
As if by fate or pure luck, both Dread and Tekkaman came close enough to each other as both individuals voiced out the same desire to overcome the enemy.
"There's no way..." Meia shouted out.
"... I'm going to let this thing beat me!" Slade declared.
It was then that they both came together and became a new force. Meia's Dread immediately swallowed up the Tekkaman and began shifting its form. The entire craft flipped itself over and extended twin appendages that resembled the talons of a predatory bird. The front part of the fuselage extended itself even further, forming a serpentine head with tusks. The new mecha hovered in space, ready for combat.
"What?!" Dita was shocked.
"Did you see that?" Barnette exclaimed.
"It's SO cool!" Jura declared as she saw that Meia's fighter was now some kind of Dragon-type mecha.
On the pirate vessel, the bridge crew was also in awe.
"That guy sure has a lot of tricks up his sleeve." Bart said.
Inside the cockpit of the new fighter...
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Meia glared at Slade as she found herself in a very undignified position. The cockpit of the new Tekkadread had her sitting in a kind of reclining position, with Slade in front of her in a hunched-over position.
"WHAT...?!" Slade once again found himself in his regular clothes and in a very embarrassing situation.
"I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR HELP, SO GET OUT OF HERE!"
"I DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE SO-"
At that moment, the Tekkadread shuddered as it was hit by the enemy craft. Slade immediately put his anger aside and grabbed at a set of controls in front of him. The Tekkadread came alive with his touch as he glared over his shoulder to his unexpected co-pilot.
"We don't have time to argue, so work with me or we won't be able to chew each other out later!"
Meia gritted her teeth, but nodded in agreement as she began operating the foot pedals and the controls on either side of her chair.
The Tekkadread started darting about after the enemy with an acceleration that made the other Dread fighters look like slugs.
"That acceleration is impossible!" Barnette declared.
"Meia is SO lucky!" Jura said as she watched the machine wistfully.
Tekkadread Meia, (as it would later be called), ran circles around its foe and the giant sea urchin launched every spine it had against its elusive opponent. However, the machine totally missed its target as it flashed out of sight and reappeared behind it.
Inside the cockpit of the Tekkadread, both Slade and Meia voiced out their anticipation.
"This is exactly..." Slade said.
"... what I've been waiting for!" Meia declared.
It was then that Slade's aura flared and was fed into the Tekkadread's main systems. The entire craft became surrounded with power as it flashed forward like a comet.
"DRAGON... VOLTEKKER!"
The enemy craft was pierced though its center as the Tekkadread rammed clear through it. A moment later, it exploded into fragments and smaller spheres were scattered all around. The battle was over.
Inside the now dormant Tekkadread, Meia and Slade were completely exhausted.
"Whew! That was... a total mess." Slade said as he leaned against the console.
"I... never thought we'd agree on the same thing." Meia commented, then added. "Now do you see? You can't win every battle with just that armor of yours."
Slade had to agree, though he also said, "And I suppose you were doing any better with just your Dreads?"
Meia didn't answer, since Slade did raise a point.
"That's so unfair!" Dita pouted as she and the rest of the Dread Teams headed back to their ship. "Mr. Alien was only supposed to combine with me!"
In her own fighter, Jura began to consider a few things. "Hey... that could mean that I could combine to form something elegant too..."
Later...
"The ship's name? You want me to decide?" Magno asked.
Parfet nodded as Pyoro began displaying the suggestions on his monitor. "All the crew contributed and we want you to pick one."
"You sure you don't mind?"
"Just pick out a real cool one!"
A name flashed by and Magno considered it. "Hmmm... the Nirvana. Not a bad suggestion. Who came up with that one?"
"It was the commander's idea." Pyoro replied.
"Fine then. From now on, this ship will be called the Nirvana."
In the engineering room, Parfet lowered her head in defeat. "I knew it." After turning off communications, she looked back to the Tekkabot, which was undergoing repairs and being rearmed. Beside her was Gascogne.
"I've got to admit, for a trial by fire, this thing didn't do too badly."
Parfet nodded, though she was still a bit puzzled. "I can see that a few improvements can be made, though I never knew this thing could transform. I didn't even consider the possibility that it would develop an artificial intelligence like Pyoro. Do you think that it had something to do with the Paksis or its contact with Slade?"
"Could be both. By the way, what are you going to call this new Vanguard?"
Parfet looked back up to her creation, then snapped her fingers in inspiration. "I'll use the name that I suggested in our contest. I wanted the ship's name to be Pegasus."
"Pegasus?"
"Yeah. In some old myths that I read, Pegasus was a horse with wings. Slade is the only one who can 'ride' it, so it seems fitting, don't you think? For short, I'll call it Pegas!" She called up to the huge machine. "You hear that? From now on, your name will be Pegas!"
The machine's head cocked to one side, as if in thought, then nodded. "I am Pegas!"
Later...
"Wow! This stuff sure beats the pellets I've been eating." Slade said as he sampled the food that Dita had cooked for him. He had used up a lot energy during the battle and he gobbled up the food within seconds.
"Mr. Alien, will you promise that you'll only combine with me?" Dita asked while giving him the dreaded Sad Puppy Dog eyes.
"Will you stop calling me Mr. Alien?" Slade was getting very annoyed by the reference though he welcomed Dita's company. She was one of the few people who didn't think he was some kind of monster.
The Register, two days later...
"So Ms. Gasco, I take it that... man won't be working here any more?" Ukyo asked, with a bit of hope in her voice.
"It's Gascogne." The head supplier reminded her. "And in answer to your question, no I don't think so. Apparently, he wasn't meant to be part of the stagehands." She let off a small sigh. Though he was a man, Gascogne had to admit that he was one of the most efficient and hard-working members of her staff.
It was at that moment that the main door to the Register opened up. The entire staff turned to see who it was and gasped.
It was Slade, but he was now dressed in a masculine version of the standard uniform. The skirt and blouse had been altered into a white tuxedo with red lapels on the vest with pink highlights. He wore a fashionable black bow tie and the cuffs on his sleeves were elaborately decorated. He looked like a high-class waiter from a very elegant restaurant and the new attire made him appear very handsome. Many of the girls didn't know what to make of the strange feelings they were experiencing at that moment.
The staff and their supervisor continued to gape in disbelief as Slade casually strolled over to Gascogne. He gave her a curt nod of his head and noted her surprise. "Miss Gasco. Have you already forgotten?" He flashed her a grin. "Smile, smile."
Gascogne found her voice as she shook herself back to reality. "D-Boy... I... thought that you..."
"Quit? Not really. I figured that when I'm not in combat, I can pull my weight on this ship by helping you out here." He then gestured to his wardrobe. "Though, I hope you don't mind my alterations to the uniform. My legs just don't look good in a skirt."
Gascogne could only chuckle as she nodded. "Just so long as you keep it clean. Oh and by the way, it's not Gasco, it's Gascogne."
"Certainly, and remember, it's Slade, not D-Boy."
The two gazed at each other for a very long time as the rest of the Register waited. Finally, the head supplier nodded.
"Welcome back... D-Boy."
"Good to be back... Miss Gasco."
The two then burst into peals of laughter.
On the bridge...
"So those spheres will mask the two message pods?" Magno asked.
Parfet nodded. "They've been coded with the enemy's recognition frequencies so they won't be destroyed.
"Very well then. Launch the pods."
The twin canisters were then sent on their merry, but the crew still had their doubts.
"Even if they receive our message, there's no guarantee that anyone will listen." Parfet remarked.
"Wish for it Parfet." BC said. "That's all we can do."
To be continued...
Preview...
Slade: "It's been a while since I've set foot on a planet. The girls are going to be using the Vanguards for the first time as well."
Dita: "Mr. Alien, combine only with me, okay?"
Jura: "Hold on! It's my turn!"
Slade: "Not this again… "
Duero: "Meia? What are you doing? You're not fit for this mission!"
Meia: "Shut up! I don't need advice from a man!"
Duero : "This is not good… if she goes through with this, she'll get herself killed because she's highly…."
Slade: "Next time, on TekkaDread Remastered: 'Vanguard Mission!' What? The enemy is…. Meia!?"
Meia: "Someone… help me…"
Author's notes
That takes care of the revisions and the fourth chapter to this story. After watching the entire Tekkaman Blade series, I decided to use the Japanese terms except for the name of Slade. As for Vandread, it will mostly be using the English references. In any case, I hope you liked my inclusion of Pegas and the introduction of one of Ukyo's descendants. There will be more changes and surprise in store, so stay tuned!
Please read and review!