Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Sailor Moon", "Star Trek" and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special note: Feedback time! Here goes-
To "len", it's a doozy!
To "Innortal", you got a point there abouthow a dark universe would effect Ranma and Usagi. My premise is based upon an "Enterprise" episode where there was a divergent point in the timeline. In one timeline, Zephram Cochrane welcomed the Vulcans, after years of Earth warfare and trauma. In another, Cochrane ambushed the Vulcans. Now, there is a theory out amongst Trek fandom, that had the Borg not have traveled into the past, the real timeline would have created a xenophobic Earth. By Picard and the Borg going to the key nexus point, Cochrane was shown that humanity can be a force for PEACEFUL pursuits. So when the Vulcans did arrive, Cochrane took a chance and accepted the Vulcans with open arms. Now, if Usagi and Ranma existed in this timeline, I can see your scenario coming to fruition (Usagi loosing out to Rei, and commits suicide, while Ranma is seemingly killed during his fight with Saffron). I'll have to explore this notion further, as I slowly make to that point (i.e. "Mirror, Mirror").
Part 65
Years ago, somewhere in "The Rifts"…
In some desolate wasteland, the ground begins to crack. Like a sick womb, something spews out. An inky, black blob oozes across the ground, until it comes upon an ordinary lizard. The lizard tried to dart out of the way, but is overcome by the ooze. It began to shake violently, as its body began to pulsate…and grow larger. Soon, it began to take humanoid shape, as it continued to grow. Within minutes, it had assumed a female form that appeared human. The humanoid sported dark hair, olive skin, and a shapely body. However, the humanoid's eyes were anything BUT human.
They were jet black, including where the whites of its eyes should be.
The humanoid examines its body, dissatisfied by the fact that she was so weakened by the ordeal, both during her escape and during adapting another life to its purpose. She would have had a much easier time if she had already came across a human, but she no longer had the luxury of finding a fully developed body to take over. If she could have her way, she would have preferred a male body. However, the reptile that she had come across was already female, so that was THAT.
"Soon," the female said, as she spoke for the first time. "I will have my revenge of Ranma Saotome and his trollop Usagi Tsukino. So says Apsu of the Dark!"
2246 CE: "Sea of Tranquility Shipyards", Terran Sector.
With the influx of newer, and more potent, alien species, "Earth Dome" (the umbrella term for the executive branch of the United Nations, that includes the High Queen of Crystal Tokyo and the Earth Chancellor) had decided to push through a program, through its representatives, in the United Federation of Planets (of which Earth is a member of) by expanding the role of Starfleet. Part of this strategy of reform is the creation of a newer, more powerful starship.
Enter: the Constitution-class starship.
Thus far, two ships of this design have been built. The prototype was, of course, the Constitution. Complete on the anniversary of the signing of the UFP charter, it has been successfully field-tested. Still, it was a prototype, and thus a new ship was needed for actual field service.
Enter: the USS Enterprise.
It was the first ship in years to bare such a name. Why this is the case, no one really knew. Nevertheless, construction of this new ship, the first of twelve ship similar ships, is nearly complete, and, thus, it was time for a shakedown cruise.
Meanwhile, in the bowels of the Enterprise…
"Okay, people, let's wrap things up," said the construction foreman, as he assembles his work crew. "I was just told that our new Captain will be arriving shortly, so I want us to be at least somewhat presentable…Where's Saotome?"
"I believe he still in the warp core doing his fine tuning," says a crewman.
"Well, get him out of there. I don't want to repeat myself!"
"Yes, sir!" said the crewmember, as he trots off the retrieve Lt. Ranma Saotome. Ranma was the designated pilot for the shake down mission.
Soon the designated messenger opens the main hatch, where the dilithium crystals would be housed. It would be there where positive matter and anti-matter will be injected into the crystals themselves, which will, in turn, power up the warp nacelles, making space warps possible. Some felt that only more powerful Jump Gates were needed, making the newer drives a wasteful expense. The counter argument is that you should not solely on one means of transportation; the Earth-Romulan War proved that to be the case.
The designated messenger sees Ranma, as he fine tune the internal instruments manually. With each adjustment made, he then goes back to his laptop computer to make new calculation. By the way, the only reason why he didn't hear his foreman's shout out was because his was listening to music from the legendary opera group, "The Three Tenors". He didn't know why he liked opera and classical music, other than it helped him concentrate on his work.
"Hey, Ranma-!"
Ranma turns his head.
"What?" Ranma replies, as he cuts down on the volume control.
"The foreman says that we should start cleaning up. We get our new captain!"
"Okay," Ranma says, as he saves his data, and began to disconnect his instruments from his workstation.
Meanwhile, Lt. Usagi Tsukino was on the bridge, getting the last of the control panels installed.
"Easy…easy…easy…THERE!"
CLICK.
Usagi sat down her micro-antigravity controller down, as she picks up her hand-held communicator.
"Yoshi, activate the main power coupler to the bridge."
Wrrrrrrr….
The instrument panels and buttons light up. A melodic sound hums and beeps from all around her.
"Ahhhh…Thanks Yoshi!"
Usagi then took a duster, and began to clean up the paneling of debris. She hummed contently, thinking that her and Ranma's designs for the Constitution-class would benefit the Federation greatly. She and Ranma especially wanted to be on hand to help build this newer Enterprise, which is why they were willing to forego their positions as co-project managers of the entire class.
When Usagi was done, she looked all around the bridge…and smiled.
Archer would approve of her and Ranma's attempt to build upon his work. After all, a warp-ten ship was the fastest ship in the Alpha Quadrant.
"Nighty, night," Usagi said, as she shuts the lights off on the bridge.
Later...
"Hey, Ranchan," Usagi said, as she entered the quarters that she shared with Ranma. Not all the rooms on the ship are livable, so crewmates had to share. She saw Ranma hanging up a sword that was given to him when the original owner had died. "Why did you bring THAT up here?"
Ranma looked back.
"Shhh, quiet! I just had gotten HER to sleep!"
"Ranma, Venus NEVER sleeps."
"Venus" was the name of a type of powerful rune, called a "Sword of Atlantis" that used the Roman goddess Venus as its template.
"Well…you could have brought 'Mars' up with you-"
Pop!
"Too late," said a voice.
Sure enough, "Mars", also a Sword of Atlantis, appears. Just like Venus, the sword was based upon the essence of its namesake.
Weirdly, Mars belonged to Usagi, while Venus belonged to Ranma. Ranma and Usagi wondered if they were given the swords by mistake, or if cosmic irony was at work.
"Oh, Mars-chan," Usagi beamed, as her sword fell into her hands. "How's it going?"
"I am fine, my Princess…though I can not say the same thing about Master Ranma!"
SLICE!
"Yow!" Ranma yelled, as he barely dodged Mars' attack.
"Try to take my wife away from me, you-!"
Mars began attacking Ranma, with Usagi trying to hold onto the handle. This ruckus woke up Venus, who began trying to defend Ranma from Mars' action.
"Hey!" Venus says, as she blocked the attack. "Don't hurt my Ranma!"
And thus the antics continue.
At the same time, a clean-shaven man (with a crew-cut) and the shipyard foreman head for Ranma and Usagi's room. April wore a tarnish gold, black pants and boots, and had the insignia of the Enterprise embroidered on the left side of the shirt.
"So my operations officer and pilot are here?" asked the man.
"Yes, indeed, Captain April," the foreman replied. "To be honest, I didn't expect you to be here until a few hours from now."
"Well, I wanted to take a look at the place before the press get here-"
CRASH!
There was a loud commotion coming from the room.
"Computer," April began. "Security override, code Alpha-Gamma-Epsilon-Zero-One. Enable."
The door to Ranma and Usagi's room open up, revealing chaos. As far as April and the foreman were concerned, Ranma and Usagi were sword fighting.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Um, Captain April?" Ranma asked.
"Yes?"
"This is not what it looks like. Usagi and I were…sparring. The environmental control protocols are not up and running in the gymnasium, so we decided to, well, practice in here."
"I see. Well, if it isn't too much of a hassle, I would like to speak with you in my office in twenty minute. I need to go over procedures for our maiden flight."
"Yes, sir," Usagi and Ranma say in unison.
And with that, the April and the foreman were gone.
"Mars, Venus, you BOTH can stay…if you stay out of trouble!" Usagi says.
"Sorry about that, my Princess," Mars replies. "I will conduct myself like a warrior should…unlike the pretender here!"
"Hey!"
"And Venus," Ranma began. "Please relax. I CAN take care of myself, you know."
"Okay, I believe," replies Venus.
And then, without saying a word, and in unison, Ranma and Usagi tossed their respective weapons expertly onto their shared wall.
CHING! CHING!
"Well, hopefully, that's the end of our troubles," Usagi says.
"With OUR past?" replies Ranma. "Yeah, right!
Tbc.
Next time: We take a brief look at what has transpired in Ranma and Usagi's life, just as their foe arrives on Earth! See you next time!