Chapter 14: All Things Come to Pass
Hibiki and Renz both circle around the yellow one for a few seconds trying to get a read on how exactly to tackle a monster like this. But while they are formulating ideas the rest of the group catches up causing Renz to open the communications link to everyone, yet addresses Hibiki, Alexei and Jukkai.
" Hey guys find your partner and form the Vandread. We need to rely on that to give us an edge." Hibiki being as gung-ho as he usually is spots Dita and flies towards her,
" Come on Dita!" as Dita responds in an equally energetic tone, " Alright Hibiki, Vandread time!"
Though, right before Hibiki and Dita seemingly crash into one another Dita quickly maneuvers out of the way and asks in a very confused way, " Wait! Why isn't it working? It always worked before…"
Meia sighs and says in an impassive manner, " It's just like Duelo and Parfait said… Peksis will allow us to fuse. But if Peksis, and the entire ship for that matter are offline… I think we don't have a chance at the fusion." Renz growls slightly and glares at the monsters that impede their way and states, " Fine… we don't need the damn Vandread fusion. We'll have the Dreads circle around and stay at a decent distance and hammer them with any long distance weapon they have, while the Vanguards attack from close range. Maybe that can buy enough time for Peksis to come back online… or just something to start going our way. Or hell, who knows, that may just be enough."
Barnette smirks and nods as she speaks, " Well it's an idea… and unless we're destined to die, something has to go our way. So I say we go with it!" The others all nod as Jukkai and Alexei then unsheathe their twin swords and take their places next to Renz and Hibiki on the front line.
The two creatures gaze curiously at the group of pilots, awaiting the move that will actually turn this slaughter into a battle. " These humans need to learn when to lay down and die…" Mutters the yellow one as the green on just smirks, " Patience my brother, we will let them attack, and once they leave themselves open we will feast." Both monsters grin and nod as they await the attack of the remaining Nirvana crewmembers.
The pilots line up, the four Vanguards in the front and the four Dreads right behind the Vanguards as Hibiki radios to Jura, " Keep your cool Jura. This little move should give us a slight advantage." Jura laughs slightly fighting her own fear of death as she replies, " Just don't get in Renzy wenzy's way or mine for that matter you idiot!"
The communication channel is closed after that and the tactic starts to take shape as Renz and Alexei both raise the sword in the Vanguards right hand over it's head and as they quickly lower the sword the Vanguards split. Hibiki and Alexei fly left and around towards the creatures as Jukkai and Renz head to the right and come around to engage the enemy. But the beauty of the tactic is not what the Vanguards do it's what the Dreads inadvertently do. As soon as the Vanguards split and left an open target the Dreads start firing off any and all long-range weapons they have at their disposal creating quite an effective distraction.
As long-range attacks hammer them the yellow monster quickly barks, " Arg, those bastards! I'm going to kill them myself!" The yellow creature holds out his hands as if he's getting ready to launch another energy cannon attack, but he forgot about something. Before the yellow monster can mount an attack Alexei and Renz come crisscrossing towards one another and without a single word being exchanged they both pass by the yellow monster slashing at it with their swords. The continuous crisscrossing motion and powerful slashing actions had a type of scissors effect when the two men's attacks land at the same time causing the arms of the creature to be cut off. This entire event happening in one quick and blurred motion as the yellow creature howls in pain.
" NO! My arms! Those bastards! BROTHER!" The green one looks over to his brother as he sees the arms of his brother fall off into the obscurity of space. " What? How did they do that to you?"
Amongst the confusion Renz radios over to the others, " Hibiki, follow me… Alexei and Jukkai, occupy that green one." Renz storms toward the yellow abomination with Hibiki next to him as Renz radios the plan, " I'm going to take both of my swords and plunge them into the eyes of that freak, I want you to come by and severe it's head." Hibiki smirks and nods, " Sure… that's a little brutal… but hey, not everything can be sweet." So with that Renz twirls both swords in the hands of the Vanguard, slowly aiming them downwards as he flies through the smoke given off from the still constant Dread barrage and lands both swords into the eye sockets of the creature.
" HUMAN! ARGGHKU!" The yellow creature tries to beat off Renz with his nubs of arms but realizes it's futile, " BROTHER! HELP ME! ARHGG!" The green one turns to see this Vanguard atop his brother's head gauging his eyes out, " These humans are psychotic! What the hell are they? I'll help you brother!" As soon as he says that Alexei slams both swords up through the green one's stomach causing more screams of pain. " Not me too! AAAAA!" Jukkai then comes up behind the green one and rams the swords into the back of its head forcing it to stare towards its yellow brother. Almost as if it were a synchronized tactic Hibiki then comes over decapitating the yellow one as the green monster just watches in horror seeing his brother slaughtered by the humans.
Renz quickly pulls his swords out of the now severed head as he and Hibiki float side-by-side staring at the weakened and restrained green one. " Meia, tell the other to stop firing…" The Dreads immediately end their barrage and Renz and Hibiki both hold the swords out in front of them and charge at the thing. The green creature doesn't have enough time to mount any type of counter attack, he just resigns himself to his fate with last words of, "There will be more of us, this does not end here" Just as he gets the last words out Jukkai quickly dislodges his swords and ducks down as Hibiki and Renz fly by, removing the head of this green one also.
So as the bodies of both fiends drift off into space the men breathe heavily and sheathe their weapons as Hibiki exclaims in a tired beat down way, " Hey! We won… I think." Renz laughs slightly and responds, " We won the battle, not the war. Plus we need to return to a ship that looks like it was just pulled out of a dumpster. We may not have won after all."
Meanwhile on the ship Parfait starts returning to consciousness, still very weary and with a splitting headache she fumbles around for a handheld communicator that she enhanced and radios into Meia. " M-Meia…" Meia hears this and opens the channel to all the pilots and replies, " Yes Parfait, is everyone alright?" Parfait groans a little still in immense pain but continues, " I don't know, I was knocked unconscious. Did you guys win or are you still in the heat of battle?" Barnette answers the question in her confident hotheaded way, " We slaughtered those ugly freaks!" Parfait chuckles slightly, " Well good, have the Vanguards pry open the hatch to the storage hangar, and I'll meet you all there… if I can get up."
With that Parfait closes the connection and Jura hollers at everyone, " We need to head back to the ship now!" Renz scoffs and shakes his head, " No duh Jura, just calm down, the Vanguards need to open the hatch anyway so unless you want to crash into the side of the Nirvana, just shut up and cool down." Jura gasps in an obviously irritated way, but since it's Renz she'll let it slide.
After very little stalling they all head back to the ship with Hibiki and Jukkai reaching the hatch first. " Alright, we'll open it up, give us a second. Jukkai you go that way and I'll go this way." Jukkai shrugs and starts pulling the doors apart, " Hibiki next time you try and give directions… remember to motion your Vanguards arms too, not just say this and that."
Everyone laughs as Hibiki just kind of mumbles, " Smart ass, so sue me for caring more about getting back into the ship then moving arms and fingers." Alexei quickly cuts in just trying to speed stuff up, " Dammit Hibiki, stop being an ass and open the hatch." With a little less then a grumble Hibiki starts pulling open the hatch, and after a few seconds both he and Jukkai have the hatch open enough for everyone to fly in and land their machines.
As they each open the cockpit doors and walk out of the robots Parfait comes limping into the Hangar, her glasses cracked, a fairly deep head wound with blood slowly dripping down her face as she holds a rag to the previously said injury as her free hand waves half heartedly as she then grips her shoulder and cringes. " Nice, to see you all again…"
The others gaze in shock and slight horror at their beaten comrade as they quickly jump down and run towards her. " Parfait! Don't move another inch!" Screams Dita as she runs towards Parfait and quickly embraces her beaten down friend.
" I'm gonna go find Duelo or Paiway…" Renz says in a slightly hurried way as he runs off towards the sick bay. While the others stand around huddled around Parfait.
" So, what happened here?" Asks Hibiki in an honestly clueless way with an equally vacant expression on his face. Parfait smirks a little at his question and responds, " All I know… is that there was a huge energy reading a split second before the impact. And next thing we are hit… then I just remember the ship echoing with screams of pain and suffering and then it's all dark. I'm pretty sure I was knocked unconscious… cause I don't remember anything from the actual attack until I stumbled back to my feet and attempted to contact you." Meia looks down for a moment as she starts thinking and trying to map out a timeline…
" So it was roughly 20 minutes that you were unconscious. Because from the time of the energy blast till the time of your transmission there was about a 15 to 20 minute time gap, it just really makes me wonder how the others are." As the others nod, all concerned for their shipmates Renz finally reaches the medical lab and looks around at the destroyed area.
" What in the name of the gods happened?" He looks around and sees little Paiway knocked out, as her body lies limp against a few small machines and a moving stool. Seeing her Renz slowly walks towards her and slaps her cheeks lightly and shakes her causing her to return to consciousness momentarily, " Are you okay Paiway?"
She smiles partially and nods, " Ya, nice to see you didn't die. I think Duelo's over on the other side…" With that Paiway passes out once again as Renz gently lays her back down and runs to the other end of the room to see Duelo, banged up and defiantly not looking great.
As Renz looks around her sees a small cup of water and picks it up as he looks down at his friend. " You'll hate me for this… but just be happy I didn't look for the smelling salts." So after that little apology Renz splashes the water into Duelo's face causing his eyes to flash open, as he looks around noticeably distressed.
" What was that for Renz? And what in the universe happened around here?" Duelo asks as he tries to stumble back to his feet. Renz shakes his head and grabs a small first aid kit and hoists Duelo up onto his right shoulder as he smirks at his friend. " All will be answered in due time, we just need you to tend to Parfait now, she's got some nasty looking lesions and a pretty gruesome head wound." Duelo understands as he and Renz begin heading back to the Hangar.
The scene in the Hangar doesn't change, the same odd anxious air about all of the pilots and Parfait trying to piece together all the information. So, before long Renz and Duelo come walking in as Duelo sees Parfait and nearly collapses in fear that she is severely injured.
" Parfait! Are you alright?" Parfait nods as she walks over to the two men and sits down slowly as she gazes up at Duelo, " I'm fine for now… just a few bumps and bruises." Renz then lets Duelo go so he may begin his work as he looks over to the rest of the people in the hangar.
" Let's head up to the bridge to see if Magno, B.C. and the others are alright. Then we can comb the rest of the ship after that. And ideally, we might be able to get some of the damage repaired before our next battle." Barnette looks down and sighs, " That fight… it was much easier then it should have been, don't you think? We didn't even need the Vandreads…"
Meia nods as she gazes toward Renz in wonderment, " Ya, what the hell was the deal? They were supposed to be giant, powerful and foreboding, and they fell like a house of cards in a slight gust." Renz just shrugs as Alexei answers a little unsure, but still going with his idea, " It's simple… they were feeling us out. That wasn't even the tip of their power probably. Any well thought battle tactic would begin with an easy battle, or at least the weaker people being sent out first. So… I have a feeling we were being toyed with, and if we don't get Peksis back up soon, we may not be so lucky next time."
Jura sighs and curses their luck a little bit, " Great even the weak ones have the power to render the Nirvana useless." Hibiki smirks slightly and brushes his nose with his thumb, " Hey, they just got lucky, next time we'll know what to expect. They don't stand a chance."
Everyone nods hoping what Hibiki said was right and also in accepting Alexei's answer as the one that makes the most sense. Before they head out Duelo comments hastily, " If anyone is brutally injured please drag my sorry butt up there to tend to them, alright?" Jura nods and smirks, " Oh trust me, if anyone has so much as a cut I'll personally drag you up there to administer the bandages." Duelo smiles slightly and nods as the rest now head off towards the bridge to locate their Commander and Captain and also to see how badly injured the crew is.
To Be Continued…