Tabito

The ramen shop was a small building on the corner of the main street of Tabito's one and only town. Easy to overlook, despite its location, since it had a small frontage, the only advertisement a battered, hand painted wooden sign over a door whose glass panes had seen better days, although they were, on closer inspection, scrupulously clean inside, despite the all pervasive dust. And the whitewashed walls were also only grubby with the thinnest layer of sand, since the dust was impossible to keep clear of everything.

That sign, hanging at a charming kitty-kilter angle above the doorway read 三食ラーメン堂. At some point in the distant past someone had added the translation in English below this: "Three Portion Ramen Shop", the small letters of which were faded almost to illegibility. Although the wood was cracked and worn now, after more than fifty years in Tabito's dry atmosphere, the paint was nevertheless fresh. Several times the owner of the shop had refused the offer of a newer, more modern replacement, with a gentle smile.

It wasn't as though the place lacked for business, after all.

The doorbell jingled cheerily as a teenage boy barrelled in, scuttling around the long queue of lunchtime customers, and squeezing past the fully occupied tables as he made his way towards the door at the side of the serving counter, where a fair-haired girl a couple of years his junior was serving under the watchful eye of an auburn-haired woman in her late thirties or early forties, so alike that the two had to be related.

'Mom!' Daisuke called out as he charged through into the kitchen, the delivery bag in his hands swinging from side to side. 'Got that order for the construction site?' He perched on a stool at the back wall of the kitchen and pushed dusty brown hair out of his eyes. He sniffed appreciatively. 'Save some for us, please? That smells amazing…'

'In the warmer,' his mother told him with a bright smile as she stir-fried another batch of prawns. 'It'll take at least three trips mind you, unless you can round up some helpers…'

'Wataru's out front,' he told her, grabbing a stray prawn as it made a bid for freedom from the pan, snatching it out of the air. 'Can you spare sis here?' He grinned as his sister sent her mother a pleading look over her shoulder. That Kanna and Wataru were an item had been the worst kept secret on the planet, and the pair were constantly teased by both sides of their respective families.

'Not until this lot's been served,' Selen told him. 'Nami's out back fetching some eggs - she can take the other bike, so long as you boys take care of her…'

'Like we'd do anything else?' Daisuke told her, pouting with mock indignation until she reached out to ruffle his hair, which he ducked with practised ease. 'Hey! I'm all dusty…'

'Then out of my kitchen,' she scolded lightly, with a laugh. 'I'll bring the packs to you outside. Was that a motorcycle I heard?'

'Ummhmm. Wataru talked Taro into working on that old wreck they found. It's actually for their - Mamoru's birthday - they've been working on it together, but it needed a workout…'

'I'm sure it did,' she replied drily. 'Amazing how much exercise they need. Almost as much as the horses…'

'Aunt Selen?' A girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes poked her head around the door. 'There's a message. It's Blaze.'

Selen sighed and took off her apron. 'Never fails. And they're still queuing out the door…'

The man just replacing his bowl on the counter smiled at her through a constellation of freckles. 'I can take over, Selen. With the Arcadia gone, there's not much happening around here that I can't leave for a bit.'

'Zack. Thank you. If you could see to the deliveries first and then…'

'We can swap.' The girl bounced into the kitchen. 'I'll serve, Kanna can sort out the deliveries and Uncle Zack can cook?'

Daisuke laughed. 'Seriously, Nami? You get more like your mom every day.'

She sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. 'She says I take after papa…'

'Dai!'

At the sharp sound in his mother's voice the youth snapped to attention. 'Coming!'

Kanna, three years older than twelve-year old Nami, grinned at the younger girl. 'I love how she does that…'

'Thinking of practising on Wataru?' Nami teased as she took Kanna's place at the counter. For such emergencies, there was a step for her to stand on, and she smiled at the next customer and took his order. 'Because you don't need to - one look from you and my brother's a dribbling mess…'

Outside the door, Selen smiled listening to the chatter. When did our children get so old?

'Mom?'

She smiled wistfully and ruffled her youngest son's hair. 'Sorry. I still forget and find myself talking to your father some days.'

The communications room was on the way to the back yard, and he fell in beside her as she walked. It was with mixed feelings that she realised he was almost as tall as she was now. 'We all miss him, mom. Even Rei - he'd love to show dad how well he's doing. You know - that he wasn't wrong to take him in.'

'It wasn't a difficult call,' Selen replied softly. 'I'm just happy you two get on so well.'

Daisuke grinned at her. 'I loved Marin, Rowan and Raven to bits,' he said, naming his lost siblings 'and Blaze is the best, but it is nice to have someone my own age. Mind you - can't say I'm not loving having the room to myself at night… But yeah. I'll be glad when he's back. And Mamo and Freya - it's just not the same without them.'

'Not so much trouble to get into?' she asked archly.

He grinned. 'Don't know what you mean!' he called out cheerfully as he headed for the back door. 'Love you!'

'I love you too!' she called out after him 'And no riding that blasted motorbike!'

The door swung shut behind his cheery wave, and she sighed. 'What the hell made me think boys would be less trouble than the girls in my family?'

The small room behind the shop that held the warp radio link was built on top of a powerful communications array. Like most things of Lar Metallian construction, nine tenths of the ramen shop and the little house it was attached to were underground, although most of the former rebel headquarters was now decommissioned and no longer accessible from the property. Selen sat in front of the comms suite and brought up her eldest son's image on the screen.

'Blaze?'

'Mom?' He smiled, and the resemblance to his father made her heart skip a beat, just for a moment.

'Blaze. I wasn't expecting to hear from you before you got back…' she broke off, noticing the configuration of the bridge behind him. 'Darling - that isn't the bridge of the Marin, is it?'

'I'm on board the Miranda. There's been a little problem…'

She listened as he outlined the events of the past few days, a frown slowly forming on her lovely face. 'I'd hardly call losing Harlock, Kei and Hannibal in one fell swoop a "little problem",' she said eventually, steepling her fingers in front of her nose as she leaned back in her chair. 'Is Freya sure about those traces?'

He nodded. 'She's not usually wrong. I had been going to suggest you hop on board the Arcadia and keep her active out here, try to pin that bastard Lazarus down. We have no idea what he's up to in this sector, but he's sniffing around Herise for some reason.'

'If those are Metanoid ships and they're heading for wherever Harlock and the others are being taken, then Lazarus can wait. When will the Arcadia…'

'I sent the Arcadia to fetch you, and it should reach Tabito in two days. But with this…'

'Tell Yattaran to meet us half-way. I'll take one of the Star-class destroyers and transfer to the Arcadia. We'll get there a lot quicker…'

'You might even beat us there,' Blaze said. He smiled fondly at his mother. 'But I hate dragging you away…'

'Nonsense. Unlike Harlock, I know how to delegate. My problem's going to be slipping away without Wataru and your siblings finding out everyone else is getting in on the action...'

He grimaced. 'Huh. You couldn't bring Wataru along with you, could you? For my peace of mind?'

She laughed. 'Blaze - you worry too much. Your sister can take care of herself, and she's old enough to know her own mind on that subject.'

'Yeah… that's not reassuring…' he muttered darkly.

'This isn't the dark ages, Blaze. She's considerably better informed than I was at her age.'

'You grew up in a culture that tried to get by on cloning,' he pointed out.

'And look how well that turned out,' she replied drily. 'Whilst he's got a tendency to run headfirst into all kinds of trouble, I can assure you Kanna isn't one of them. Besides - he knows what I'd do to him if he put even a foot out of line.'

'It's not his feet that worry me,' he muttered.

She lowered her head briefly to hide a smile. 'Honestly, Blaze. I should think you should be more worried about the fact that Wataru, Taro and Daisuke found an old motorbike to repair - allegedly a present for Mamoru. I heard it revving up outside, only a few minutes ago…'

'Wait. What? They've got what?'

'I'll see you at the rendezvous point, darling.' She cut the connection, leaving him spluttering but distracted.

She sat back in her chair and stared over the top of the screen, to a crack in the plaster on the opposite wall. From this angle it always looked like a small cat with antlers. 'It takes some serious balls to kidnap three of the most infamous - and dangerous - people in the galaxy,' she mused out loud. 'But why those three? If it's another Deathshadow captain, why not just Harlock? Or Hannibal?'

'Mum?'

She turned to the door, to see her daughter standing there, a worried frown on her lovely face. 'Kanna?'

'Has something happened?'

Selen took a deep breath. 'Nothing I can't handle. I'm going to have to help your brother out for a little while. Would you tell Zack I need to speak to him once the shop closes?' She took another long breath, realising there was another conversation she'd need to have. 'And tell Wataru and Taro to get back here once they're done.' She sighed. Persuading that pair to stay behind with their brother and two partners in crime in the thick of things wouldn't be easy, but slipping away without telling them? 'Tempting,' she muttered, as Kanna slipped away. She turned back to the console and reached for the planetary commlink. 'Mirai - put me through to HQ, would you?'

She could, at least, make sure they were well guarded.

Admiral Class Battleship: Miranda

Ali folded his arms and stared out of the view screen, currently displaying a false colour view of Andromeda against a background enhanced to show the CBR, dark matter and ZPE concentration in the area. The trail left by the three Phantasma ships was all too clear. They left nothing in their wake: dark tunnels in the multi-coloured fabric of existence, with thin contrails spiralling away from the main path. On magnification these were revealed to be vast mandelbrot curves ripping their way through space-time with no regard for the consequences.

'If I'd known you were going to do a complete one-eighty, I could have stayed on board Arcadia,' he muttered, a scowl twisting his face. 'My own comfy bed… Luna... '

'Quit your bitchin'.' Anita slapped him on the back hard enough to send him stumbling down the two steps to the main bridge deck below the captain's station if she hadn't caught his arm as he pinwheeled. 'All you ever do is moan. I sometimes wonder what the hell Luna sees in you.'

Ali eyed up the Arcadia's quartermaster and head cook belligerently. The woman was only a couple of inches shorter than he was, and about twice as wide - not all of it fat by a long way - Anita had once been an SPG sergeant, and wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. He drew himself up haughtily. 'There are,' he said self-importantly, 'some things that a gentleman does not discuss.'

'Thank Lar for that,' Blaze murmured. 'I think I can live the rest of a hopefully very long life without hearing about your sexual gymnastics…'

Ali leaned over him and patted him on the shoulder. 'I can give you some pointers, privately,' he said in a stage whisper.

'Thanks Ali,' Blaze removed the hand and patted it patronisingly. 'But you're really not my type…'

Ali sniffed and stomped away. 'You can go off some people,' he said huffily as he strode off the bridge, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Blaze leaned back in his seat.

'I thought he'd never leave…' He smiled up at Anita who was busy arranging a covered dish and mug next to his chair. He sniffed appreciatively. 'Anita? You're spoiling me…'

'Your mother wouldn't want you to starve,' she replied kindly. 'And like Harlock, you've got a distressing tendency to forget to eat when there's trouble.'

'To be fair, we haven't reached "trouble" yet.' He looked down at the floorscreen, which almost filled the area between his dais and the forward control consoles. This displayed the time-radar image from the small system outside the main spiral arm of M31, currently in the projected path of three Phantasma class vessels. 'Three of them...I hope whoever took Harlock and Hannibal has something big enough to help out, because the Arcadia took some serious damage against just one of those according to dad, back during the initial phases of the war.'

'The Miranda's a tough old bird,' one of Hannibal's crew spoke up. 'She's not in the Arcadia's class by a country mile, but she can hold her own.'

'Without the Arcadia's self-repair system?' Blaze tried not to sound worried, and failed miserably. He was distracted by a hand on his shoulder, as light as a feather, and looked up into Freya's wide, luminous eyes.

'She has some rudimentary systems,' Freya told him. 'Tochiro apparently tested a few things for the main Deathshadow class on her, in miniature. He didn't want to go full scale though, with the dark matter controller. But she does have a working model, and she did take a massive blast when the Deathshadows blew… If the crew are willing, Mamoru and I can see if we can get some of those systems boosted a bit. I can then work the dark matter controller. But it'll take a few days…'

'Mamoru?' Blaze glanced over to where the youth stood, leaning against the hull in his father's favourite pose: arms folded, ankles crossed, and his hair flopping down over his missing eye.

'Taro and I have both had Tochiro and Mimay as tutors. Plus the AI for this ship has a lot of stuff in its drives relating to the original project. The ship's hull does have a basic self-repair mechanism, which was boosted by the absorption a hundred years ago. If you think Gramps won't mind us messing with his ship…'

'Under the circumstances, I think he'll understand, if not approve,' Blaze replied dryly. 'I'll take responsibility. You do what you need to.' He raised a hand as Mamoru pushed himself off the wall and straightened up. 'But do not - under any circumstances - take any risks. Blow this ship up and I guarantee there won't be a hiding place in three galaxies where Hannibal won't find you…'

Mamoru snorted. 'Puh-lease. I'm not Old Harlock!' He wrapped an arm around Freya's tiny waist. 'C'mon sis, looks like we'll be busy for a bit. Blaze - we'll be in Engineering if Rei comes looking for us.'

'You don't want him to help?' Blaze called after them as they walked out arm in arm. Mamoru looked over his shoulder and pantomimed a shudder. 'Hell no. Not whilst we're working on the controller anyway. His Motherball and that controller would not mix well…'

'Captain?' One of the crew called out. 'Ready when you are.'

'IN-SKIP go,' he called out quietly. 'Farah - take the helm. Keep the crew on a six hour shift pattern. Anyone non-essential can take a break.' He stood up, stretched and then picked up the tray Anita had left for him, the ex-marine having left a few minutes earlier.

'And you, sir?'

'Having a little chat with my little brother about the wisdom of inviting himself onto a dark matter enhanced battleship…'

Rei was alone in the quarters he shared with Mamoru. Blaze watched from the open doorway as the boy murmured something to the device on the bed beside him - a large metal globe the size and shape of a soccer ball, but inset with several dials and glowing gauges, lit from within with an eerie green glow. Rei laughed lightly as though in response to something and then looked up at his older brother from under unruly black bangs. 'Oh, hi Blaze. We're finally underway?'

'I'm not sure I feel quite that perky about it, but yes. May I come in?' He got a noncommittal shrug in reply that years of dealing with younger brothers and other assorted teens tended to mean anything from "sure" to "whatever". 'You know… you coming along might not have been the safest course of action, kiddo. If we go up against these Phantasma ships…'

'I know the risks, nii-san.' Rei's voice was melodious and pleasant. He stared into Blaze' eyes with a gaze far older than his apparent years. 'But I'm getting better at controlling it - and stronger.' He smiled, and his usually reserved face lit up. 'You're worried about Mamoru and Freya's tweaks down in engineering? Don't be. This ship's levels - even with the changes - won't be enough to interfere with the Zero Point Energy I use. But I told them I'd stay out of the way.' He looked down, and grinned even more widely at the tray. 'Dinner?' he asked hopefully.

Blaze laughed and ruffled his hair, earning a "gerroff" for his pains. 'Just like any normal teenage boy, huh?' He pushed the tray over until it was between them. 'Anita always does too much, I thought we'd share, since you have a black hole where your stomach ought to be...'

'Ooh… exaggerating much? You should see Dai eat if you think I've got an appetite. Still, that might be too much for you,' Rei quipped, grabbing a nori-wrapped rice ball. 'But I am a growing boy…'

'Rei…'

'It's fine, Blaze. I know you worry. And I love you for it. You… Marin… you accepted me right from the time dad decided to offer me a home. I'm not your brother in blood, but that stopped mattering a long time ago. A lot of people would be shit scared about what I could do…' Blue fire danced along his fingertips as he licked them clean, and he grinned again as Blaze rolled his eyes.

'You're hopeless…'

'You're scared for me, not of me. It matters, B. I'm an android in a world that despises and fears AIs. I'm a weapon in the shape of a little boy…'

'Not so little these days,' Blaze pointed out, narrowly winning the grab for the last rice ball. 'Hah!'

'Well I have to let you win occasionally,' Rei said a laugh. 'I'm not sure what I would have been without Dad, and Harlock… and you, Marin, Mom… Dai… From the day I arrived on Tabito you made me part of your family, and treated me like a normal kid…'

'Apart from the bits where we couldn't.'

A shrug. 'Well, I did give you a few headaches…'

Blaze raised an eyebrow, and Rei grinned like a cheshire cat. 'Okay, okay… more than a few. But I want to be useful, B. I can't cower on Tabito for the rest of my life pretending to be normal, afraid to face what I am. Mamoru…'

'Mamoru was not injured because of you, kiddo,' Blaze said softly. He gathered his brother into his arms and gave him a hug - brief, because like most sixteen year old boys, he wriggled to get out of the embarrassing show of affection. 'If you'd tried to fight those Mazone either your own power would have killed you, or they would. You needed to grow, to become an adult, with an adult's strength and a stronger body. You need to stop trying to make amends for stuff that wasn't your fault.'

'He's my friend. And I can help. ZPE is the primal energy of the universe, B. These ships… these "Lords of Shadow" Freya talks about - they're part of that Primal Energy. Relics from the previous universe, she says. Dark Matter might not be enough, this time, nii-san.' At his side the motherball glowed and flashed as though agreeing.

'I'm not convinced you're strong enough yet to start channelling so much of that,' Blaze told him, a worried frown on his face. 'And we've not established properly just how well your motherball has been repaired. Rei… be careful.'

'You're not going to ground me?'

'Would it work?' The brothers shared smirks so alike any observer would have assumed they really were related. 'Mom wants me to keep you safe. Dai however probably has his eyes on your stuff if you don't come back…' They both laughed, and Rei punched Blaze lightly on the arm.

'I promise, B. I'll be careful. But I don't want to be wrapped in cotton wool forever. I'm not sixteen, no matter what I look like. I'm tougher and stronger than I look, and way smarter than kids this age.'

'But not invincible,' Blaze pointed out.

'None of us are, B,' Rei said seriously. 'Not even the Arcadia if it fights alone. But we've all got each other's backs, right? You and me, Mom, Hannibal… Harlock and Kei… if we're not invincible individually, we're tough as all hell together. Which is why we're getting them back. Why whatever's heading for that planet's in for one hell of a shock.'

'I bloody well hope so,' Blaze replied with some force. 'If nothing else, they got mom's attention…'

Rei sniggered nastily. 'Well, they're screwed then, right?'

'Better hope you don't get her attention, kiddo,' he replied. 'I might cut you some slack and let you cut loose, but to her, you're one of her boys - and trust me, you can get to my age and she still thinks we should be grounded until we're in triple figures for our own protection. She still…'

'She still misses Marin, and Dad, and the little boys,' Rei added sadly. 'I love that she'd tear the universe apart to protect us, but I hate that she's so sad.'

Blaze patted him on the knee. 'Then don't get into trouble, little brother. If you won't stay safe because I ask it…'

'Ooh… low blow.' He picked up the motherball and tossed it lightly into the air, laughing at his brother's almost infinitesimal wince. 'Don't worry, we've got this. Now go get some sleep - according to the coordinates Freya found we're a few days out and you're not getting any younger…'

'Brat.' But Blaze stood, and walked to the door. He stopped with one hand resting on the side, then with a shake of his head left the room and strode off down the corridor with a slightly more energetic step than he'd arrived.

The motherball flashed, and Rei smiled down at the hi-tech ball - the remnant of the sexaroid used to create him. 'Yeah. He'd walk through fire for all of us - and so would Harlock. How can I do anything less?'

Another flash, and he placed the ball down on the bed and patted it gently. 'Sorry. We…' He pushed the remote for the door and waited until it had closed before looking down at her. Blue fire crackled between them, and he grinned wolfishly. 'Better keep it down though - last time we tried this we set off all the internal sensors.'

Concentrating hard, he gathered the blue lightning, and began to trickle it out in a single, concentrated beam towards a small target he'd set up against the far bulkhead.