Standard Disclaimer

I bet you never thought you'd see this. That's right I'm back to writing this story. For those of you that doubted me, I direct you attention to the author notes of the last chapter. I had to really complex stories going on at one time and I didn't think working on both at the same time would have given me the desired affect for either.

So now that the other story has concluded I'm back! Hope my hiatus hasn't pissed you off to much and I hope you bear with me as I'm sure I'm a little rusty with this. I'll do my best to make it interesting for you.

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Anata No Ichiban Ni Naritai

Chapter 13 Signs of Change

The sudden appearance of the Nadesico into the battle sent many of the fleet commanders into a panic. Thoughts that the Jovians had a newer larger weapon than they anticipated almost created a route, but at the signal that it was the Nadesico a rallying cheer was let up. Three months after its disappearance the ship of fools had made its return.

Not yet confident in Nakushita's piloting ability, Yurika was forced to order Akito out into the fray. Ryoko, Izumi, and Hikaru were all itching for some combat after the long hours in the simulators, but Akito wasn't quite as zealous. Taking a deep breath, Akito willed his Aestivalis into the darkness of space highlighted by explosions.

Hikaru zipped past the part-time cook as a cluster of grasshoppers appeared in perfect formation for a quick burst of gunfire. Letting her gun spray the machines as she flew past them a sudden realization was made. "Hey! I only got three out of ten! They have better shields than we do!"

Never one to let a problem keep her down, Ryoko charged the nearest opponent and clubbed it with the end of her rifle. "Yeah but they sure can't stand a physical attack. Pisses me off thought, thought we had the newest Aesti's in the fleet!" Dodging a volley of fire from another would be killer, Ryoko's eyes fixed on her lance mate. "Tenkawa do something! Don't just float there!"

It was Izumi that first saw the incoming missile flying towards Akito, she tried calling out to him, but her sudden burst of seriousness was lost on all who heard her. In his cockpit Akito was prone. Old fears brought to the surface over the past few days paralyzed his body. 'Why…why can't I move now? I was better before but now…now…' He saw the approaching death but still couldn't get his body to react. Luckily for him another unknown Aestivalis appeared and shoved him out of the way.

"Damn it kid you'll die if you keep this up," the voice, not that of an older man but something in the tone spoke of age rang over Akito's speakers. A few seconds later Nagare Akatsuki made his first appearance to the crew of the Nadesico. "You three get out of here now! We'll take care of this." Hooking Akito's Aesti with his own, Akatsuki fired a volley into the approaching swarm and then flew off towards the Nadesico as the Cosmos discharged its gravity blast cannon.

Before Ryoko could respond the energy beams jutted past her and her other lance mates. 'I guess Tenkawa is safe with that guy.' But she couldn't deny that something happened to him. The look of raw panic on his face as he locked up was etched into her mind, and not just her own mind but also that of Yurika, Megumi, and Ruri. Whatever was happening they were going to all learn together.

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As the Aestivalis crew made their way back to the hanger, a heated discussion was occurring on the bridge. Due to her sudden awaking, Yurika made a hasty discussion that wasn't in the United Forces best interest. Her firing of the Nadesico's cannon did severe damage to the United Forces fleet. Something they and to a lesser extent Nergal weren't too happy about.

"Captain, had you been on the bridge this wouldn't have happened," Goat said sternly to the worried captain. With the immediate threat gone, the bridge crew started to take stock in the oddity that had occurred. Many had known Yurika was on the bridge as they blacked out so how she got to the recreation room was a mystery.

With Akito's pleas for help still fresh in her mind, Yurika didn't care what the large man said. Her heart wasn't in the bridge it was in the hanger bay. "I don't know how I got there honestly." Nobody noticed how Prospector stepped off the bridge momentarily.

Angry at the Captain for sneaking off to be with Akito, Megumi felt Yurika needed to be punished. "Had Inez not been there I'm sure you would have…" A pair of voices off to Megumi's side cut into her dialogue, and caused a hefty blush to form on her cheeks. 'Did I just accuse her of…?'

"She would have what Megumi?" Minako said with a healthy smile that said she knew what Megumi was thinking, while Ruri asked in genuine. The absence of Inez from the bridge did a lot to add to the discussion of what exactly happened while the crew was asleep, neither Megumi nor Yurika knew what it was but they weren't happy. Megumi blamed Yurika and Yurika blamed Inez for something.

As Yurika was about to scold Megumi for insinuating she would force Akito into anything, Prospector reappeared at her side and called out to her. "I didn't do anything to him alright!" the Captain hollered at the man without waiting to know what he wanted. A full body blush soon spread over her body as she realized she had lost control. Mr. Prospector soon led Yurika to the communications room for a call from the higher ups at Nergal.

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Ruri was panicking in her shared domicile as Inez walked in dabbing the sleep from her eyes. Inez didn't know either why she had awakened in the recreation room, the only thing she knew was her hand felt warm, and a warm feeling spread in her heart. 'What the hell happened?' the blond thought as Ruri shut the door and hurriedly lead her to a chair. "What is it Ruri? I know we can't be in any real danger because you've have told me."

True Ruri wasn't worried about the battle or Akito's mindset she knew it would work out for the best. That is unless time had changed him too much a part of her mind kept reminding her. What was bothering Ruri was simple, "Something's happened to me Inez! I…I woke up in the rec room with you three. That didn't happen before."

Inez realized Ruri's concern was for what had happened to her, but with limited resources she couldn't accurately deduce what was the cause. Opting to calm her ward, "Ruri, does this change who you are? Will it really make a difference right now what caused it?" Sure it was somewhat cold of Inez to question Ruri this way, but the past had happened and it couldn't be changed. 'She wasn't seen so it shouldn't affect things here.'

"I guess it doesn't matter that much, it just scared me is all," Ruri said truthfully. The fact that it happened hadn't been what scared her; the not knowing was what it was. Her memories of the past were hazy but she knew so much of what to hopefully expect that when the newness of her encounter hit her, it startled her. "Sorry, I'm better now," taking a few calming breathes Ruri started gathering her gear, "What do we do now?"

Pulling up a vidscreen, Inez started doing calculations. "I get ready for the debriefing about the recent change in scenery while you head to the hanger bay to see how our pilots fared." Inez could sense the smile on Ruri's lips without having to look at her. Just as Ruri reached for the door, Inez called out to her, "It appears your memory is a bit lax in points Ruri."

Pushing her helmet down further to give her a better view, Ruri walked back over to Inez and her calculations. "What do you mean Inez?" The vagueness of Inez's statements often left Ruri wondering what the blond genius meant.

Showing Ruri the date and some of her pre-calculations, "The Nadesico was gone for eight months not three. Its been a few years for you so I guess we can't trust everything you say as divine doctrine," the joke failed to calm either woman. Inez trusted Ruri's recollection of the past so much that she at times would alter her plans based on it, but now they both realized that not every detail would be correct. "No matter things still seem to be as you said. Nergal has made peace with the U.F. so the Nadesico will behave as we thought."

With yet another blow to her sense of security, Ruri tapped her seals in insure they were secure and headed to the hanger bay, where Nagare was making a dramatic entrance to people who didn't care who he was, or even truly know who. The only thing that most of the pilots knew was that they'd have newer Aestivalis soon.

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With the alert downgraded to yellow, Akito headed to his room to relax and hopefully come to terms with what had just happened to him. Nakushita had arrived at the bay just as he was leaving and did his best to reassure him that things would get better. Akito nodded at the man's logic and asked if he'd like to have a little spare later if things went well. Nakushita said he wouldn't mind, and went further into the hanger to see the man who saved Akito's life.

'Akatsuki,' Akito thought, 'He's a different type of guy isn't he.' While Akito didn't know Akatsuki for long, the way the man introduced himself and how skillfully he made his way over to the female pilots, Akito was pretty sure he knew what to make of him. 'He's a playboy type I bet.' It didn't upset Akito to know that, he wasn't looking for any significant other right now anyway. Pulling the disk of Gekiganger out of the mass of them that had the episode he was on, Akito reclined against his wall for a good dose of anime and thought.

That was what he had thought he would do, but a snicker from the door caught his attention. 'I could have sworn I locked that door,' Akito pondered as he tried to adjust his eyes to the dim light of his room to identify his guest. It couldn't be Yurika, as sounds from the bridge were she was in a meeting with Nergal. Megumi was busy with Minato preparing the Nadesico to dock with the newly identified sister ship to the Nadesico the Cosmos. As the red of the uniform filled his vision Akito knew his guest, "Hello Akatsuki, something I can help you with?"

Smirking at the kiddy show on the wall, Nagare couldn't figure Akito out. The other pilots claimed he was very skilled for how green he was to piloting, but the show he saw earlier had him pegged differently. "With all this anime you watch, I'd figure you were a better pilot," the man said simply.

Akito's head bouncing softly, "I guess I'm just not really cut out for it. I'll do my best though." He hoped he'd get another chance to try though. With Nakushita's skill and Akito's panicking it wouldn't be a surprise if they replaced him. 'What good could I do if I panic again?'

Walking further into Akito's room, Nagare wasn't about to let Akito off that easily. He had hoped for a challenge in the man. 'Its just no fun to get everything without a fight,' he smiled to himself. "What's with the defeatist attitude? I wonder if you were any good at all or if those girls were just lying to protect your sorry ass." Having watched the Nadesico's visual feed of the battles, Akatsuki knew that wasn't the case, but to get Akito's spark to flare sometimes you have to apply fire.

Having his own name tarnished was fine, Akito didn't mind what people thought of him. Hearing this man making claims about his fellow pilots though wasn't something he'd stand for. Getting off his feet, the sudden pain of standing, Akito could feel anger brewing in is chest. "I didn't want to be a pilot but I did the best I could. Ryoko and the others did too. Now I don't have to stand here and listen to you say that we lied!"

'Now there is the fighter that I saw in those videos,' Akatsuki smiled to himself. "Well then I hope you'll show me how good of a pilot you are come next battle. Hate to know all your talk is just a show," doing his best to intimidate Akito, Nagare was almost proud of the fry cook as they now stood nose to nose. "Will you show me?"

His momentary feeling of inadequacy and low self-esteem vanished as he bore his gaze into Akatsuki's face. "I'll be there if you are," a moment was shared between the two men. At that moment they knew they could never truly be friends, but they respected the other at that moment. 'I'll show that windbag I'm not just full of hot air,' Akito thought as Nagare turned and left his room.

Stepping around the two women at Akito's door, Akatsuki's outlook for Akito had already been drastically changed for the better. 'Kid has guts, I'll give him that.' Before Akito could settle back down for another attempt at relaxing Megumi and Yurika started bickering about who was there first and his door opened again as the mentally sparing women headed into his room to try and cheer him up.

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The essential crewmembers had gathered on the bridge as Inez announced that she was going to hold a debriefing. Gathering in the bridge, the assembled flanked Inez on both sides, the pilots on the left and the bridge crew on the right, Nakushita was standing on Akito's left, Ryoko his right. Inez began her explanation. "If you haven't been informed of it yet, eight months have passed since we left Mars. During that time Nergal and the United Forces have come to terms and Nergal has again started making ships for the military."

With his wealth of information, Prospector cut in before Inez told the crew to much information. "Thank you Miss Fressange, but all this means is that the Nadesico will be drafted into the far east defense division of Earth until a better assignment is given to us. With ships like the Cosmos the U.F. has already reclaimed the moon."

Seeing the hurt in Akito's eyes, Megumi spoke up, "What about Mars, we'll be going back to reclaim it too right?" She personally didn't care about reclaiming Mars, but if it helped Akito she was all for it. Also if by saying this she helped herself TO Akito she was for it as well. Nakushita just shook his head softly Ruri already knew that the request was to be denied.

Prospector swiftly made true the adult Ruri's belief, "We have no hope at this time of recovering Mars. Our defense of Earth and its satellites comes first." Pushing his glasses up further on his nose, the man known as Prospector hoped the discussion of the matter was closed.

Minato wasn't taking the news very well however. "So what? Were just common soldiers now? I didn't sign on here to just follow the militaries beck and call." Minato had enough of the world of men in her secretary job. Seeing men fighting men in a game of 'I'm better than you,' wasn't something she wanted to see again.

In a show that set the crews opinion of him, Nagare took Minato's hand and tried to tell his beliefs on the matter. The woman quickly liberated her hand from the man, and later commented on the sickening feeling it gave her. Nobody truly believed Nagare's claim that they would be free to act as they wanted. Being in the military meant you had to follow orders, and that was something the Nadesico had been created to not do. Further discussion was cut short as Ruri sounded the alarm they were under attack again.

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Through her visor, Ruri could only watch with admiration and regret as Yurika and Megumi left the Nadesico for the Cosmos. 'They get to go to him and save him while I'm stuck here watching, knowing.' The battle had been thankfully brief for the Aestivalis crew, but it wasn't without a loss.

During the battle, Akito had shown signs of improvement from his previous battle only to have his Aestivalis knocked out of the Nadesico's power range by a grasshopper that went out of control. The two other women left when they heard that on emergency power Akito would only live for four hours. With the Nadesico being refitted the ship couldn't leave, which left only single person craft.

Ryoko said she'd go out and 'pick up that idiot' but Inez reminded her that if Akito's Aestivalis was out of the power range, so would hers. So the green-haired tomboy sat in the artificial green room and waited for news. Ruri would have went with the other two, but Inez was strict, 'they went alone last time, you can't go this time.' It didn't make matters easier for her to accept though. Her fingers running along the smooth folds of the letter in her pocket, Ruri prayed that she hadn't affected Akito to the point where he was now dead.

Clad in her pilot suit, Yurika was giving Akatsuki her confirmation that she wasn't the type of captain to abandon her crew. Her eyes turned to the other prepped fighter, "Megumi you shouldn't be here. You don't have the proper training for this sort of mission."

Having her reservations about whether Yurika was certified for combat flying Megumi wasn't going to listen. "I've had a pilots license long before I joined the crew of the Nadesico, and I don't think its appropriate for the captain to put her life on the line." Her last statement was shared by the bulk of the Nadesico and of the U.F. for that matter.

Yurika knew she was breaking protocol by even donning the flight suit, but she couldn't just watch anymore. 'I have to go to him, he's having such trouble and I should be there for him!' It pained Yurika to see Akito hurt or troubled. Seeing his Aestivalis vanish into the darkness of space, Yurika's heart nearly crumbled. The few kisses they shared, the time they spent talking, and just seeing him were all cherished memories of the captain now. "I'm going to get him and bring him back," was all the answer Yurika gave as she fired her thrusters and flew off towards Akito's last known location.

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Fate had a nasty way of playing with people's lives. Ten minutes ago, Akito was weighing his life for what he thought it was worth. Alone and drifting in space, his chances of survival in his eyes were nil. The good thing was that he thought in death he'd be reunited with Ruri in the after life. But in the off chance he survived he also thought about what he'd do if he returned.

'I can't keep running from Megumi and Yurika. I have to take a stance with them because I don't want to hurt them.' Akito was planning on politely yet firmly telling each girl that he was flattered that they cared for him, but he wasn't ready for a relationship. 'Whether the listen to me is another matter though,' he had thought with a smile.

Yurika had the habit of not listening to what she didn't want to hear, and Megumi was possessive to the extreme. Both girls were special to him, and he cared deeply for them both, but opening his heart to love one of them was too painful a thought to bear at the moment. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw two scout fighters being assaulted by a small group of grasshoppers, so he powered up his Aestivalis and saved his would be saviors.

Now he sat in between the two very girls he was thinking about. 'This is awkward,' the thought ruefully as he looked between the two women. Yurika smiled her warmest at him one moment and glared death at Megumi the next, Megumi acted the same. After the thank you's were out of the way, the trio tried to think of a way out of their predicament.

Using the physics of counter force, Akito started to jettison non-essential parts of his Aestivalis to force the machine back towards the Nadesico. Megumi broke the silence that fell upon them, "You overcame your fear Akito, I'm so proud of you." Her arms wrapped comforting around the young pilot.

Pinching Megumi's hand to make her let go, Yurika followed, "What caused you to do that Akito?" Looking at the smiling face of her dearest, Yurika's voice couldn't hide the joy she felt. Her hand trailed down Akito's back as the man hunched over ever so slightly in thought.

He was tired of being afraid, tired of failing those he loved, and that spurred him onward. "I couldn't stand to see you two in danger. When I saw you under attack I couldn't stop myself." Pushing a few more commands, Akito forced the compartment faster towards home.

Her heart leapt to her throat, "You mean you love drove you to save us?" Megumi couldn't contain her glee. Seeing the dower man force himself to save the ship, save his fellow crewmembers, and yet not even seek for the most remote of respect for it, it tore at the comm. woman. 'He's suffered long enough, I'll help him to recover.'

Yurika was thinking the exact thing. "How do we get back to the ship Akito? The Aestivalis should be able to determine that right?" Her hand rubbing the tense back of Akito soothingly. In her mind Yurika could picture doing this many more times, and with less clothing and with more feeling. 'But now we have to get back, this is all very good but if we die its pointless.'

Running a few tests, Akito learned how they could reach the Nadesico. It wasn't a very good hypothesis but it was the best they could do. One person would reach the Nadesico in twenty minutes, two in thirty, all three would take forty the problem was they only had thirty minutes of air. "One of us has to get off in order to get the other two to the ship. There they can refuel, get another Aestivalis, or something else and come back for the third."

The women took Akito's words as a challenge. Whoever was left behind was the one Akito didn't love. Instantly both women sized the other up for a reason to dump the other. Yurika could pull rank, while Megumi could go for the throat and use emotion. They didn't expect Akito's words. "I'll set the Aestivalis up to fly on autopilot and I'll jump out. You two won't have to do anything to get back. Just try to find me fast ok?"

"NO!" Yurika threw herself on Akito and wrapped her arms around him protectively. "You can't do that, I'd rather we all go than have you out there to possibly die!" Akito could see the tears forming in Yurika's eyes. He hadn't seen anything so beautiful in a long time. The tears looked like crystal as they floated away from her eyes across the cockpit.

Megumi's eyes weren't any better. "I agree with her Akito. If you insist one of us get off, I'll volunteer. I couldn't stand it for you to die because we acted foolishly." Rubbing at the sudden irritation in her nose, Megumi felt Akito's hand brush her cheek. Nuzzling her cheek into his palm, things felt like they were getting better.

Moments later, Akito deployed the emergency sail and the ship, what was left of it started its wayward trip home. With all occupants onboard. They girls questioned him on not having one of them get off, but Akito would have none of it. 'If it's not me getting off, nobody will,' he told them. Megumi and Yurika settled into one of Akito's sides as the fear took hold and they sought comfort.

Postponing his plan to tell the girls his plan till later, Akito just wrapped his arms around the frightened women, he was afraid himself. In silence they drifted towards an unknown fate. Many variations could have affected their course and trajectory and they knew it was a long shot that they'd be rescued. But at that moment it didn't matter. Mumbling into Akito's ear, Megumi opened her heart to him, "I love you Akito."

Hearing Megumi, both Yurika and Akito's eyes widened in surprise. Not to be left behind Yurika played it off as if she didn't hear her but in his other ear, "I love you dearest." Her heart given to Akito during childhood, Yurika was confident in their love. Akito had been getting more responsive to her advances and her love, so Yurika wasn't really to worried about Megumi.

Looking at Akito expectantly, the girls waited his answer. "Girls, about all of this…" Akito's plan to tell them about his reluctance came to his mind in an instant. Forming the words in his mind, Akito was saved from having to tell them as suddenly the intercom turned on.

Various crewmembers stated their desire to know what Akito's plans were for the two women pressed against his sides. Ryoko refrained from commenting, as she still couldn't accept the fact that she liked him. Inez looked at the mask of Nakushita to see his retreating form. Her mind just asked itself, 'is this different than how it was before?'

Over the comm. link, Akito called out to Akatsuki, he challenged the other man with his ideals. 'I'm going to stay here to protect what is important to me! I won't stand ideally by and let danger befall what is precious to me!' The crew was moved slightly. Hikaru thought he sounded like Gekiganger, Ryoko just smiled, and the young Ruri Hoshino smiled softly yet called the man an idiot.

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After her introduction to the crew, Erina Wong felt confident that the crew would accept her as their leader soon. 'That captain is a total idiot, it's amazing they haven't been all killed yet.' Sure their would be a transitional period where they were intimidated by her, even hated her, but they would fall into line soon enough.

What Erina hadn't expected was to find the chairman of Nergal already on the Nadesico. "You're going to make this difficult for me you know that right?" Erina said as she sat behind the security console away from prying eyes.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Akatsuki smiled, "so what are we looking at?" His hand slid onto Erina's shoulder. Tempted shake off the man's advances, Erina reminded herself that if she allowed Nagare to think he had control, she could extort him when the time came.

"This is Akito Tenkawa during the trip through the chulip," showing her superior the recording, both smiled when Akito teleported from his room to the recreation room. "This has promise Chairman."

Watching the footage of both Yurika and Inez's sudden appearance next to Akito, Nagare couldn't refute it, it was going to be interesting after all. Then much to there surprise, "Wait, is that a forth person?" Akatsuki asked, as a shorthaired blue woman was seen teleporting into the room a few feet away from the dozing three. "Who is that?" Erina couldn't answer that question, but she was sure to find out.

-End Chapter-

Sorry if its not as good as you'd like but its hard to change gears so suddenly. I'm going to be working almost exclusively on this story until its done, so I'll be back to form in about one or two more chapters.

Hope you enjoyed reading it and are glad to see it back on the updated list.

Ja Mata

Zentrodie (zentrodie-at-secondimpact-dot-com)