Well, here's the last Eureka 7 Revision I need to make before I need to start making new chapters. Enjoy.
Chapter 4: First Fight
" Is he ok?" Gidget asked as she looked at Dante, leaning back on the couch asleep.
" He's fine. He's just tired. He didn't get much sleep when we were waiting for you to get to Bell Forest." Saya said.
" He'd better wake up soon or Holland's gonna be on his case. He isn't one for laziness on his ship." Hilda said.
" It's not like he's just been sleeping. He's been working on the LFOs with Axel and had helped clean the ship a few times." Saya responded
" Just make sure he wakes up soon. We're getting close to Tresor." Hilda said as she and Gidget walked towards the bridge.
" Hey Dante, wake up." Saya said.
" Already? I was hoping to get a little more downtime. Maybe later then." Dante said.
" I know. It'll be awhile before we can get into more sensible sleeping patterns." Saya said.
" Yeah. Well, i'm gonna go work on my 505. If anyone needs me let them know where I am."
" Got it." Saya said.
" Renton, hand me that wrench." Dante said as Renton handed him the took before he continued with his work.
" Hey Dante, what're you working on?" Renton asked.
" Just some routine maintenance on the hydraulics and the chassis." Dante responded.
" Renton, go get Eureka and the rest of the crew, Axel wants to show you all something." Talho said, holding Charles in her arms.
" Right Ms. Talho." Renton responded, quickly running out of the hangar.
" You've got a pretty complicated machine here. How'd you turn a junker LFO into a combat worthy machine?" Talho asked.
" One of the fighters in the MMA coalition my adoptive father ran had a cousin who was a former KLF pilot and a son who was an LFO mechanic. They taught me the basics and let me work with them on some civilian LFOs they worked on. From there some more work during the summer as a part time job, then I decided to do some traveling. Partly to see the world beyond my hometown, and also to do my father a favor by demonstrating some basic MMA moves to entice people to either enter tournaments or think about enrolling in MMA self defense classes. The first overshadowed the other after Gremicoa though." Dante said.
" When was the last time you talked with him?" Talho asked.
" Around the same time Renton and Eureka disappeared. We're a little at odds right now. He was rather upset that I didn't call him as much as I had promised when I'd first left, and he wasn't pleased by the amount, or lack thereof, of people learning about the MMA association." Dante said.
" He sounds kind of like Holland. Caring but hotheaded." Talho said with a smile.
" I guess you could say that. My adoptive mother was much more supportive of my decisions. He's okay, but he has his moments. Regardless, he's a decent man. He raised me well." Dante said. Moments later, the rest of the crew plus the kids and Axel walked into the hangar.
" Why're we all here?" Matthieu asked.
" I have an announcement. Since the return of Eureka and Renton, and their decision to rejoin Gekkostate, they need an LFO to pilot. Axel?" Holland said, ushering for Axel to walk over to the LFO under the tarp.
" Working with Morita and some of the staff from Tresor, we came up with the plan to develop a new LFO from a recently discovered archetype. I present to all of you, the Gladius." Axel said as he and Holland pulled the tarp off of the LFO. The Gladius very closely resembled the Nirvash in shape, but sported a blue and green paint job with red stripes on the arms and legs. The head resembled that of the Nirvash with blue eyes instead of green. The cockpit of the LFO also resembled that of the Nirvash with the exception of some redesigns of the layout and a redesigned rear area for up to three adults.
" Grandpa, this is amazing." Renton said.
" I'm not done yet. Look inside the cockpit." Axel said. After getting inside, Renton looked towards the compac drive and gasped.
" The Amita drive? But how?" Renton asked.
" Apparently my son had one more secret. During an inventory of a military storage warehouse, they came across a box containing a second amita drive and a copy of the original Ageha plan. Top military analysts took the documents to study them while Jurgens gave the drive to Holland, who in turn gave it to me. From there I decided to create another LFO for the both of you to fill in the hole left by the sacrifice of the Nirvash." Axel said.
" Thank you grandpa. We really appreciate it." Renton said.
" Hey Renton, how about we see how you two and that LFO perform." Holland said. Soon after the 606, 909 and Dante's 505 were all flying alongside the Gladius.
" The LFO has the regular vehicle and fighting modes as well as a flight mode, just like the Nirvash Spec 2. The LFO's main weapons are a pair of Boomerang knives and two sets of homing lasers located in the chest. The Gladius can also deploy chaff, flares or smoke depending on the mission." Axel said.
" Roger." Eureka responded.
" Renton, you and Eureka have to land a direct hit on all three LFOs with the practice machine gun to test your skills and the performance of the LFO. Try your best." Holland said.
" You know we will." Renton and Eureka both responded. After being given the signal, the duo immediately went to work, landing several hits on the 606 in just seconds.
" Aw man, you guys are too good." Matthieu responded.
" Or maybe your skills are slipping Matthieu." Dante said, dodging a burst from the duo.
" Cut the chatter, both of you." Holland called as the Gladius fired, landing two direct hits to the cockpit of his 909.
" What?" Holland responded, prompting laughter from the crew and Matthieu.
" Come on Renton, I know you two are better than this." Dante said as he dodged another burst from the duo's weapon. Dante responded with a trio of bursts from his own, slightly clipping the Gladius' right arm.
" That was close. We need to take him down fast." Renton said.
" Right." Eureka responded. They lifted higher into the air, performed a cut back drop turn then fired two bursts at Dante. Dante maneuvered around the blasts, then grabbed his ref board, aiming his weapon as he quickly lost altitude, firing several shots directly at the Gladius. The Gladius at the same time fired, the blasts passing right by each other. Moments later, both LFOs were struck with the paint rounds from each other's weapons. Dante deployed his ref board, then met up with the Gladius back near the Gekko.
" Had that been a second earlier I would've won." Dante said.
" That was one of the boldest moves I've ever seen." Eureka said.
" If it works." Dante responded.
" Alright. Head on back." Holland said. After cleaning the LFOs of any remnants of the simunition, the Gladius redeployed to run some diagnostics.
" Everything looks normal." Mischa said after a string of basic maneuvers to observe the LFOs statistics.
" Just try the amita drive and that will be all for today." Mischa asked.
" Ready Eureka?" Renton asked.
" Ready Renton." Eureka responded, as they both activated the amita drive. Seconds later, the trappar levels in the area began to expand as Gladius was enveloped in a slew of light. Seconds later, the familiar seven swell phenomenon appeared, the Gladius riding on multicolored trappar.
" These levels are off the charts, but perfectly stable. Even more so than the Nirvash in both spec 1 and 2." Mischa said.
" Holland, the trappar levels in the area are stabilizing." Hap said.
" Its as if the seven swell effect is under more control with the Gladius. We'll have to keep an eye on that LFO for awhile." Mischa said.
" Renton, you and Eureka are done for today, come on back." Holland said as the phenomenon ended. In the lounge, Dante and Saya were listening to one of the CDs they'd bought earlier that week. Moments later, the intercom turned on.
" Dante, could you and Saya come to my office?" Mischa asked.
" Sure. Come on." Dante said, turning off the CD player.
" What do you think she might want?" Saya asked as the two of them walked to Mischa's office.
" Dunno. I guess we'll find out." Dante responded. The two walked in, seconds later seeing Mischa looking over some of her medical reports.
" Dante, I want you to wait outside for a few minutes." Mischa asked.
" Sure." Dante said, walking outside the room and leaning against the wall.
" Okay, I just need to perform a quick physical and you can go." Mischa said. Dante was still leaning against the wall when Renton and Eureka walked past.
" Hey Dante. What're you doing outside Mischa's office?" Renton asked.
" Mischa called both of us down here then had me wait outside. Probably performing a physical." Dante said.
" She usually does this for new people on the ship and inquires about any sorts of contagious diseases or recurring ailments." Eureka said.
" Makes sense." Dante said. The two walked down the hall as Mischa's door opened.
" Dante, you can come in now." Mischa said. Unfortunately she had spoken too soon. As Dante walked into the room, he saw Saya still getting dressed.
" Dante!" Saya screamed, covering herself with her clothing. Dante covered his eyes with his hand and looked away.
" Oh my. I apologize Saya. I spoke too soon." Mischa said.
" Just. Just get dressed, i'm going back outside." Dante said, walking out the door again and leaning against the wall, slowly slinking to the floor.
" Hey Dante." Holland asked as he walked by.
" Don't. Just. Don't." Dante said.
" I'm guessing this isn't a good time. Just come see me later." Holland said, continuing to walk down the hall..
" Now you can come in Dante." Mischa said. Dante walked in, seeing Saya now fully clothed.
" I'm sorry, both of you." Mischa said.
" It's okay Mischa. Just try not to jump the gun in the future." Saya said, leaving the room.
" I apologize. Are you okay?" Mischa asked.
" That's a question you should've asked her." Dante said.
" I'm sure your both embarrassed and I don't think an apology is enough." Mischa said.
" You think. I hope this doesn't put a strain on our relationship." Dante said.
" I'm sure she'll be alright. If not you can go and talk with Talho or Hilda. They should be able to help you." Mischa said as she started conducting tests. Minutes later Mischa wrote down the results of her tests and filed the contents away.
" Ok, your free to go. I'm still sorry about earlier." Mischa said.
" Thanks Mischa. I'll keep what you said in mind. If everything goes well consider that apology accepted." Dante said as he left.
" This is the Gekko, requesting permission to land." Talho said into the headset.
" This is Sonia, your clear to land. Welcome to Tresor." Sonia said. Moments later, the Gekko touched down, driving into the nearest available hangar. Once everyone began walking out, Morita, Dr. Bear, Sonia and a few scientists greeted the group.
" Morita, it's good to see you again. We have a few people we want you to meet." Holland said. Seconds later, Renton and Eureka walked down the ramp, followed by Dante and Saya.
" Renton, Eureka. It's wonderful to see you both again after such a long time. How are the both of you?" Morita asked.
" We're fine, thanks for asking." Eureka said.
" Eureka, when did you get those wings?" Sonia asked.
" A short time after we entered the earth before the second summer of love." Eureka said.
" I hope you've been alright. I've heard about that awful propaganda being spread by the rebels." Morita said.
" We actually got into a bit of a mess do to that. Though Dante and Saya managed to help us out of it." Renton said.
" Who?" Morita responded.
" Hey Morita. Long time no see." Dante said.
" Oh, you two. How have you been." Morita said.
" We've been well. Though until recently we were living a little rough. Money doesn't go as far as it used to." Dante said.
" Right. Well it's good to here from the both of you. Are you going to be taking on some more missions from the U.F?" Morita asked.
" Well actually, we're joining the Federation as a part of Gekkostate." Dante said.
" I see. Renton, how did you and Eureka enjoy your little homecoming present?" Morita asked.
" We really like it. It reminds us of the Nirvash." Eureka said.
" The funny thing is, this archetype appeared around the same time as the disappearance of the Nirvash. I almost wonder if it isn't a coincidence." Morita said.
" That is funny." Renton said.
" My little cub!" Dr. Bear yelled, spotting Mischa walking off the ship.
" Greg, you know that I hate that stupid name." Mischa said, glaring at the man.
" I'm sorry." He responded, twiddling his thumbs.
" Remember that we're divorced, Dr. Bear." Mischa said.
" Hey Morita, can I talk with you?" Dante said.
" Sure, come with me." He responded, the two of them walking down the hall into the building.
" You have that part I asked for?" Dante asked.
" It took some time, but yes. We received it about a week ago." Morita responded.
" I'm going to have your technicians install it. I need it installed before the Gekko leaves. Though that shouldn't be for at least a few days due to upgrades on the other LFOs. Keep me posted." Dante said as he walked back towards the rest of the group.
" I'm hoping the LFO can take it." Morita said.
" Renton, I was wondering if you and Eureka could come with me. I'd like to perform some tests on you two." Dr. Bear asked.
" Just as it isn't anything extreme." Renton responded. After conducting the tests, Dr. Bear asked the two a few questions.
" Ok, I've noticed the jewels on your foreheads. Do you know how and when you received them?" Dr. Bear asked.
" We're not sure how, and we only noticed them after Dante and Saya noticed them about a week ago. I'm guessing they may have appeared after we disappeared." Renton said.
" I see. I'm wondering whether those jewels might not be some sort of link between you two.
" Link?" Eureka asked.
" It's been theorized that people who are very close to each other develop a sort of bond. This bond allows for a sort of telepathic link. Have either of you been thinking the same or very similar thoughts lately." Dr. Bear asked.
" Not that we're aware of. If it is true, we'll let you and Mischa know right away." Eureka said.
" Glad to here it. Just one more question. Have you two participated in sexual intercourse?" Dr. Bear asked.
" What? No, we haven't!" Renton said, thoroughly embarrassed.
" I'm not sure what that is, Dr. Bear." Eureka said.
" Greg, what're you doing?" Mischa asked.
" I've been performing some tests on these two along with having them answer a few questions. Also, were you aware that Eureka is unaware as to what sexual intercourse is?" Dr. Bear said.
" I wasn't. I was hoping that Talho or Hilda might have explained the subject to her. I could have her watch an educational video about it though." Mischa said.
" Well, you two are free to leave. I hope to see you both again in the future." Dr. Bear said, popping a piece of candy into his mouth.
" Eureka, come with me. You too Renton." Mischa said.
" Why me?" Renton responded.
" I want you to watch it with her. She'll feel less nervous if someone watches it with her." she responded as they walked back towards the Gekko.
" I've already learned about this in school." Renton said.
" Renton, could you please watch it with me. It'd make me feel better." Eureka asked. Renton took a deep breath and wiped his forehead of sweat.
" Sure Eureka." He responded.
" Good. Follow me and I'll prepare the video." Mischa said.
" Hey Dante, where do you think those two are going with Mischa?" Saya asked.
" Don't know. Lets find out. Hey Mischa!" Dante yelled from the front of the Gekko as he and Saya ran towards them.
" What is it Dante?" Mischa asked.
" Where are you taking these two?" Dante asked.
" Oh, I'm having the two of them watch an educational video on sexual intercourse." Mischa said.
" Ah, the birds and the bees. I remember that talk. One of the funniest days of my life, seeing my dad try to explain the topic without just saying it. That and a semester in a health class" Dante said.
" The same here. My parents had a fun time trying to explain it. Emphasis on trying. It helped that my high school went over the topic the week after so it saved my parents a heart attack trying to fully explain." Saya said with a laugh.
" Well, we'll leave you two alone then. Have fun." Dante said as he and Saya walked away. During the movie, Eureka clung to every detail with interest. Renton kept his composure and managed to watch the entire movie.
" It's amazing what humans are capable of." Eureka said.
" Yeah." Renton said, slightly nervous.
" I just want to tell you two that if you do decide to do so, make sure your aware of the possible risks. Just keep that in mind and the both of you should be ok. You two can leave now." Mischa said.
" Later Mischa." Renton said.
" Hey Saya." Dante said.
" What is it?" She asked.
" I'm sorry about earlier." Dante said.
" I said it's okay. You didn't mean to look, and Mischa already apologized. It was just a misunderstanding." Saya said, giving him a peck on the cheek.
" Thanks. I was hoping you weren't upset by that." Dante said.
" Only momentarily. After I left I knew it was an accident, which wasn't even your fault to begin with. Simple case of right place at the wrong time."
" Yeah. Well, lets go check on Renton and Eureka. I want to see if they enjoyed their movie." Dante said.
" Have you ever though about your future?" Saya asked.
" Not that I can remember. I've had too much to worry about in the present to think about the future." Dante said.
" I always though that I'd be a doctor or specialize in computers. Maybe get married in my late 20s, maybe have a couple kids, nothing complicated." Saya responded.
" I didn't think you wanted to be a doctor. I think my father wanted me to one day take his place in the MMA association. I'm all for martial arts, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing I'd want to take up as a career. I'm too much of a free spirit." Dante said.
" Hey Renton, you in there?" Dante asked, knocking on his door.
" Yeah. Come in." Renton responded. Inside Dante and Saya saw Renton and Eureka sitting on their bed watching some TV.
" How was your movie?" Dante asked.
" It was, okay." Renton said.
" It was so interesting. It's strange what humans are capable of." Eureka responded.
" Yeah. I'm sorry to cut this short but we'll see you later." Dante said.
" It's alright. Later." Renton said as they walked out of the room.
" I'm gonna so see Morita about the upgrades to my LFO. I'll meet you in the lounge in half an hour." Dante said.
" See you then." Saya responded.
" Hey Morita, how goes everything?" Dante asked.
" Everything's going fine. The part is being added as we speak. I only have to tell you a couple things. Number 1. It will be very difficult to control, and Number 2, I advise that you don't overuse it. It could either short out your LFOs power supply or put your life at risk." Morita said.
" Don't worry. I know the risks." Dante said.
" That's good to here. Just be careful." Morita said.
" I will. See ya." Dante said as he walked out of the repair hangar and towards the Gekko. He walked into the lounge, seeing Saya sleeping on the couch. Dante smiled and sat down on the other side of the couch, turning on the TV to kill some time.
" Morita, how're the upgrades going?" Holland asked.
" They're actually going much quicker than expected. They should be done early tomorrow morning. Also, we received a transmission from the Super Izumo. Jurgens asked if you were here, and if so to tell you that he would be here later this afternoon or in the evening. He wants to speak with you about something." Morita said.
" That's good to hear. If he sends you any more transmissions tell him that I'll greet him when he gets here." Holland said.
" I'm sure he'll be glad about that." Morita responded.
" Hey Holland. Get some rest. You look like you need it." Morita said.
" See ya later." Holland said. He walked back to the Gekko and looked into the lounge, seeing Dante and Saya both asleep. He continued walking down the hall and into Stoner's room, where he was looking over his camera and some of the articles he'd already begun work on.
" Hey Stoner, how's the new edition of Ray=out coming along?" Holland asked.
" I'm saving some of the content I was originally planning on putting into this issue for next time since we have a couple new members. I was thinking of adding them into this issue. I'll leave out some articles for next time." Stoner said.
" Can't wait." Holland said, leaving Stoner to his work. After dozing off while watching TV, Dante woke up, seeing that it now dark outside. He looked to the clock, seeing that it was now after midnight. He picked up Saya and brought her to her room, layed her down on her bed and left for his own room. The next morning after a hearty breakfast made by Renton and Eureka, the crew began loading the LFOs back onto the Gekko before the ship headed out for its next destination.
" Listen up, once we leave our first orders are to destroy a string of Rebel supply bases up north. Jurgens has also provided us with Intel that shows the location of rebel battleships as well as the location of an LFO storage sight at our first target. I'll brief you more when we arrive at the location." Holland said. Moments later, the bridge crew went to their respective positions and waited for the doors of the warehouse to open.
" Gidget, are we clear to leave." Talho ordered.
" We have confirmation from the tower." She responded.
" Hap, trappar counts."
" Trappar counts holding steady." He responded.
" Jobs, engines."
" Engines are at optimum." Jobs responded.
" Woz, are the skies clear?"
" Area clear of enemy KLFs, we are clear to launch." Woz responded.
" Alright. Doggie, punch it." Talho ordered. Seconds later, the Gekko sped down the runway, lifting into the air as the VRFs began channeling trappar.
" Alright, until we arrive at the way point, the ship's on patrol mode." Holland ordered.
" Dante, what're you doing?" Renton asked as he walked into the hangar, seeing Dante in his LFO.
" I'm looking over everything to familiarize myself with the upgrades and calibrating the layout to my preferences." Dante said.
" Holland's asking for you. He sounded rather urgent." Renton responded.
" Alright. I can get back to this later." Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes."
" Gotcha. Also, what were you talking to Morita about back at Tresor?" Renton asked.
" I was just letting Morita know about some of the previous modifications I made to the LFO to make sure he understood the layout." Dante said.
" Oh, I thought it was something serious. Never mind then." Renton said as he left the hangar.
" Well, everything looks good." Dante said to himself as he left the Hangar for the Bridge, seeing Holland sitting in the command chair reading.
" What's up, Holland?" Dante said.
" Oh, Dante. I was wondering. Do you have experience in commanding troops?" Holland asked.
" Yeah. Some of the missions I've taken from the Federation required me to lead some KLFs to take down specific targets. Why do you ask?" Dante said.
" We're separating our LFOs into two roles. The 909, Gladius, Flestnia and Sumner's 505 will act as air support for the Gekko while the 606, 808 and your 505s attack the compound. I'm trusting you to lead your group in the attack." Holland said.
" You sure?" Dante asked.
" I've learned a lot about you from Jurgens. Your an exceptional pilot. Your skills might even be on par with Renton and Eureka's. I know that I couldn't ask this of anyone else on the ship but you. Are you up to it?" Holland asked.
" Those rebels won't know what hit them Holland. I accept." Dante said.
" Glad to here it. We'll be at the way point in three days ." Holland said, going back to reading his book. Dante walked out of the bridge and into the hall, halfway down noticing something strange.
" A tripwire. I wonder." Dante thought, snapping the tripwire. He walked past where it was set up, and nearly slipped. He carefully knelt to the floor, feeling something on the ground. He smelled the substance and figured out it was soap.
" Someone's greased the floors. Of course." Dante thought, walking back a bit before sliding down the hall until the floor was clear of anything. He walked towards Renton and Eureka's room, just as the two walked out.
" Hey, have you two noticed anything strange?" Dante asked.
" You're going to have to be a bit more specific i'm afraid." Eureka said.
" Well, after I got done talking to Holland I started walking down the hall, find a trip wire, then nearly slip on soap covering the floor.
" I know what's going on. You see, the kids like to pull pranks on new members, and it looks like your open season.
" Oh crap." Dante said.
" What is it?" Renton asked.
" Saya said she was going to the lounge at around three to talk with Gidget and Hilda, and the hall leading there is still booby trapped." Dante said, running towards the lounge. Unfortunately, Saya was just walking towards the lounge when Dante found her.
" Saya, watch out." Dante called. He caught up to her just as she walked down the sabotaged hallway.
" What is it." Saya said. Dante was still going too fast as he caught up to her, accidentally running into her, knocking them both to the ground and onto the greased floor, making them slide down the into the lounge doorway with a loud bang. Seconds later, Hilda opened the door, seeing Dante and Saya on the floor. Unfortunately, Dante was kneeling over Saya in a very provocative position.
" What the hell are you two doing?" Hilda yelled.
" It's not what it looks like." Dante said as he hurriedly tried to stand up, slipping and knocking his head against the wall.
" Are you ok?" Hilda asked, about to walk out the door.
" Don't. The floor. Is greased." Dante said, holding the back of his head.
" The kids. I should've guessed. Here, let me help you up." Hilda said, holding out her hand. She pulled them both in and layed them on the couches.
" Gidget, i'm gonna clean up the hall. I want you to go get Mischa." Hilda said.
" I think that last fall got me good." Dante said, holding out the hand he'd been covering his hand with, covered with blood.
" Those kids. Let me finish cleaning the hall and Mischa will fix you right up." Hilda said as she walked back into the hall. Minutes later, Mischa walked into the room.
" Are you two ok?" Mischa asked.
" Other than a few bumps and bruises, Saya should be fine. I don't think I was as lucky." Dante said, showing Mischa the injury on the back of his head.
" This is serious. Have you been feeling dizzy since the injury?" Mischa asked.
" A bit. That and throbbing pain." Dante said.
" Most likely a concussion. I'll take an X-Ray, give you some painkillers and some rest and you should be fine. Saya, help me bring him to my office." Mischa said. Saya nodded, and helped her boyfriend to the infirmary. After an X-Ray, Mischa gave Dante some painkillers and had him lay down on one of the cots in the room.
" Mischa, how is he?" Saya asked.
" Just a mild concussion. The blood was from a gash near the wound. Must've been from the edge of one of the supports in the hall he'd hit when he'd slipped. After some rest he should be fine. I want you to keep an eye on him for me when I let him go though, just in case." Mischa said.
" That's good. Now, to go talk with Renton and Eureka." Saya said.
" Let me know if your not feeling right later. I hear you took a bit of a fall as well." Mischa said.
" Don't worry, I will." Saya said. She quickly ran towards Renton and Eureka's room.
" Hey Saya. Where's Dante?" Renton asked.
" In the Infirmary." Saya responded.
" Is he ok? What happened?" Eureka asked.
" I was heading for the lounge when he tried to stop me. We both slid to the door. When he tried to stand, he slipped and hit his head against the wall. He's in the Infirmary with a concussion right now. Hilda said the kids were the ones who set that trap." Saya said.
" Yes. But now they're in big trouble. We'll handle this Saya." Renton said. They walked down the hall, seeing the kids go into the lounge.
" Kids, come out here, now." Eureka said as she and Renton waited outside the door. Seconds later, the three walked out to see their parents.
" What is it momma?" Linck asked.
" Your three are in big trouble. We know about the trap in the hallway near the lounge." Renton said.
" We were just playing a prank on the new members, what's the problem?" Maurice responded.
" The problem is that one of those new members in now in the infirmary with a concussion due to your prank." Eureka said.
" Will they be ok?" Maeter asked, her expression changing.
" Saya will be fine, but Dante isn't in good shape right now. You three are grounded for the next two weeks. Your confined to your room except for bathroom and meals. That's final. When Dante is better I want all three of you to apologize to him. If you behave we might think about shortening it to ten days instead of a full two weeks." Renton said
" But momma." Maurice tried to argue.
" But nothing. To your room, now." Eureka said, slightly louder. The kids hung their heads low and did as they were told.
" I can't believe they've started that again. Pranks are one thing, but this is the first time one of their pranks caused any real injuries." Renton said.
" I remember. They pranked you quite a bit. I still wasn't much of a good mother then, but I've learned since then." Eureka responded.
" Come on, lets go see how Dante's doing." Renton said as he and Eureka walked towards Mischa's office.
" Hey Saya, where's Dante, I usually see him with you or down by the LFOs." Holland said.
" He's in the infirmary right now. One of the kids pranks sent him their with a concussion. He tried to stop me but I'd started to slip when he ran into me, and we both went sliding into the lounge door." Saya said as Holland cringed at the thought.
" You're ok though?" Holland asked.
" Mostly. Just a few bruises. When we slipped, he accidentally landed over me in a very embarrassing way. Hilda startled him and he hit one of the supports when he tried to stand. He's got a mild concussion and lost a bit of blood from a gash right where he hit his head. Mischa says he'll be fine but wants me to keep an eye on him when Mischa lets him leave." Saya said.
" Where are the kids now?" Holland asked.
" I'm not sure, but they're probably being scolded by their parents right now." Saya said.
" I'm gonna go see how he's doing. See ya." Holland said as he walked towards Mischa's office. Moments later, he sees Renton and Eureka walking towards Mischa's office as well.
" Renton, Eureka. Are you two here to see Dante too? " Holland asked.
" Yeah. We heard about what happened. I hope he's okay." Renton said.
" From what Saya told me, he just has a mild concussion and some bleeding from a gash near the injury. I'm not sure if he's awake though." Holland said.
" That's good to know. They walked inside, seeing Mischa doing some reports in her office.
" Holland, its good to see you. You too Renton, Eureka." Mischa said.
" How's Dante doing?" Holland asked.
" He's just resting now. I was going to let him go soon but I can wake him up now." Mischa said.
" Dante, wake up. There're a few people here to see you."
" Uh, man. Hey Holland, Renton, Eureka. I guess you've heard." Dante said.
" Yeah. Saya told me." Holland responded.
" Where're the kids?" Dante asked.
" They're in their room right now, grounded for two weeks. I want them to apologize to you later." Eureka said.
" Don't worry about it right now. I'm just glad i'm okay. Where's Saya?"
" I saw her near the lounge last. She was walking near where mine and Talho's room is. I'm not sure now though." Holland said.
" At least she's okay. Sliding into that door was quite painful." Dante said.
" Since your looking better than you were, you can go, Dante. Just be careful and let someone know if you're having any trouble." Mischa said.
" Sure." Dante said, standing up slowly.
" Well Dante, where're going to go first?" Holland asked.
" Gonna go see Saya, get something to eat, then get some real non painkiller induced sleep. Catch you later." Dante said.
" Talho, its Saya. May I come in?" Saya asked.
" Sure. What do you need?" Talho asked, putting Charles in his crib.
" Well, you heard about the incident near the lounge earlier, right?" Saya asked.
" Yeah. I heard Dante took a bit of a fall there. Is he ok?" Talho asked.
" Yeah, just a mild concussion and a gash." Saya said.
" That's good. Now, about why you're hear." Talho said.
" Well, after thinking back about what happened, I realized that it was my fault that he got hurt." Saya said.
" That's not true. You're just blaming yourself." Talho said.
" I'm not just blaming myself. He knew about the trap and tried to stop me from falling for it. It was my fault, why can't you understand that." Saya said, tears streaking down her face. Talho frowned, stood up and smacked Saya hard in the face. When she turned, Talho walked her over to her bed.
" He was trying to protect you. He accidentally caught both of you in it, and merely hurt himself in the process. The only ones in any way responsible for his injuries are the kids, and they've learned their lesson. He's okay, your okay, the kids have been dealt with by their parents, and that's that. Relax. You've had a heck of a day. I can already see some bruises showing. Come see me again if you need to talk to me." Talho said.
" Thanks Talho. I knew I made the right choice coming to you." Saya said.
" Hey Saya." Dante said a few minutes later as she was walking towards her room.
" Hi Dante. Are you feeling ok?" Saya asked.
" Much better. It'll take more than a concussion to keep me down for long." Dante said.
" Yeah, you're right. You've suffered worse and still survived. I was scared for a little while there." Saya said.
" You need to have more faith in me. Anyways, i'm gonna grab a bite to eat, then get some rest. Those painkillers leave you numb and tired. See ya." Dante said with a slight laugh as he walked towards the kitchen. A few days later, everyone was assembled in the conference room where Holland was going over the details of the attack.
" Alright, here it is. The rebels have a staging area where several trucks and scud bikes are stored while they're stocking up on supplies. North of the motor pool is a cluster of warehouses where new enemy KLFs are being developed as well as a hangar for several KLFs and ground based armor. Near the main base in a communication's tower that connects the base with airborne ships and neighboring bases There's confirmation that a few ships are in the air over the area. Jurgens recently informed me that the Super Izumo will be accompanying us in the attack to provide support. They'll arrive from the west while we flank from the east. Renton, you and Eureka, along with Sumner, Ruri and myself will provide air support and engage any airborne KLFs while Dante leads the ground assault with Saya, Hilda and Matthieu. Jurgens will also dispatch some of his KLF squadrons to assist us. That's all. Dismissed." Holland said, as everyone went to their stations. Once in his LFO, Talho had Gidget patch through a link to Jurgens.
" Holland, we're two klicks from the base and have encountered no enemy resistance. I'm having some of my KLFs arrive by ground to catch them off guard." Jurgens said over the radio.
" Roger, we're almost at our way point. We'll be their in about four minutes. Holland out." Holland said as the LFOs were loaded onto the catapult.
" 909, launching."
" 808, launching."
" 606, launching."
" 505, launching."
" Flestnia, launching."
" Gladius, launching."
" Shadow, launching."
" Javelin, launching." The pilots called as they began flying in front of the Gekko.
" Hilda, I want you to take down their communications and then proceed to the motor pool. Matthieu, I want you on her six. Saya and I will take care of the warehouse and the KLF hangar. We'll meet up from there and take down the administration building. Clear?" Dante said.
" Crystal." Hilda replied. Seconds later, Dante's group descended lower to get a better vantage on the target.
" Ken-Goh, do you have the rebels in sight?" Talho asked.
" Target locked." Ken-Goh replied.
" Fire!" Talho commanded. Seconds later, three lasers fired from the Gekko's left cannon, hitting the right wing of one of the rebel battleships, sending it careening into the forest below.
" Captain, one of our battleships just went down!" A rebel communications officer said.
" What? Put the base on full alert and have all battle ready KLFs ready to counterattack." The Rebel Captain ordered. He looked out the window of the communications post to see an LFO aim its laser cannon at the building, summarily destroying the building and its inhabitants.
" Communications tower down, proceeding to the motor pool." Hilda said as she and Matthieu flew just above the tree line on their ref boards.
" Saya, take out the warehouse then meet up with me at the hangar." Dante said as Saya's 505 transformed, firing her laser cannon, destroying a part of one of the buildings. Down towards the hangar, several KLFs had assembled outside the hangar awaiting new orders when Dante caught sight of them, firing two missiles in their direction. The missiles caught two KLFs, while a third was hit by shrapnel. The remaining KLFs transformed, firing several shots at Dante's 505, which had flew into the air on its ref board, firing several rounds from his own weapon, disabling one of the KLFs while the remainder began their pursuit. Dante dodged their attacks and then saw one of the KLFs aiming its laser at him. Dante maneuvered then stopped. When the KLF fired, he dodged, the laser hitting the hangar straight on, trashing most of the equipment inside. The KLF pilot then rushed towards Dante, who impaled the KLF on one of his 505's armblades. Seconds later, the remaining KLFs were destroyed in a hail of machine gun fire. Dante looked and saw Saya's LFO lifting above, observing the scene.
" Warehouses destroyed, and I see you did a number on the hangar." Saya said.
" I didn't do anything. I tricked one of those pilots into doing it for me." Dante replied.
" Holland, we've taken down the hangar and warehouse, proceeding to the administration building." Dante said as he and Saya lifted towards their next target.
" Roger. Matthieu and Hilda have taken down the communications array and are currently engaging forces at the motor pool. One of Jurgen's KLF squadrons will assist your advance on the administration building." Holland said.
" Copy. Saya, you ready?" Dante asked.
" Always." Saya replied as the administration building came into view. They saw three Federation KLFs flanking from the east, dueling with rebel KLFs. Seconds later one of the federation KLFs exploded, the cause a ground mounted laser cannon. Dante fired two missiles which destroyed the laser turret. Dante saw five rebel KLFs painted in a black and red color scheme.
" Be careful, those KLFs must have ace pilots controlling them. This won't be easy." Dante said.
" Roger, more units should be arriving shortly. The air defenses should be mostly subdued by now." One of the federation KLF pilots said.
" Saya, engage the two on the far right, I'll engage the other three." Dante said.
" Gotcha." Saya responded, firing several shots at the two Ace pilots on the right. Dante fired his laser cannon at the other three, prompting the KLFs to dodge. Saya and two of the ace pilots battled in the air while Dante and the other three stuck close to the ground.
" Give up kid, you can't be Impala's Broadsword." The lead unit said, raising a large Gatling style cannon. Dante dodged the shots and returned several of his own, the KLFs dodging his retaliatory strike. One of the other KLFs fired two shoulder mounted machine guns along with an external machine gun, filling the air with flak, causing minor damage to the 505's torso. Saya dodged the attacks used by the two KLFs she was fighting, noticing their near symmetrical movements. Saya waited for the most opportune moment, then sliced the one on the right in half, causing the KLF to explode. The other KLF stopped momentarily, staring at the wreckage plummeting to the ground.
" You bitch, that was my brother! I'll kill you." the remaining pilot said, charging directly at Saya. Saya fired several shots, but the KLF managed to knock her 505 off its board and score several shots, heavily damaging the LFO.
" Dante, i'm going down!" Saya said, managing to used the boosters on her LFO to lighten her descent as her LFO crashed into the forest below.
" Saya, Saya!" Dante called into his mic as the KLF then joined the others already surrounding Dante.
" Any last words before you die, punk?" The KLF pilot said.
" Yes. Enjoy hell." Dante said, flipping a switch on his console. His LFO flew into the air, as his compac drive shone a rich blue. Seconds later, the LFO disappeared. Before the KLFs could react, the KLF with the Gatling cannon's head unit was removed before being torn in half. The other two KLFs that had originally fought Dante then began firing everywhere, before being sliced in half diagonally.
" Where are you? You bastard! Come and fight me like a man!" The remaining KLF pilot said. Seconds later, The KLF unit's right arm was sliced clean off. The KLFs other arm and legs soon followed.
" I surrender! Please, stop! Please, I give up! Have mercy!" The Pilot begged. Dante's LFO reappeared in front of the remains of the KLF, staring at the cockpit.
" Mercy. Those who indiscriminately slaughter don't deserve mercy. The rebels support the actions of a mad man who embraced genocide. If that man were still alive, no one, Coralian nor human, would be alive right now. Everyone and everything would've been destroyed. That being said, think about your actions during your eternity in hell." Dante said, extending his LFO's arm blade, stabbing it into the cockpit of the KLF, making the remains explode. Dante's 505 turned towards the administration building and fired his laser cannon, razing the entire area. He jumped on his ref board, and managed to find the area where Saya's 505 had crashed. Dante landed his LFO, and ran towards the badly damaged machine. Dante couldn't see into the cockpit, so he hit the emergency release switch located under a panel starboard of the cockpit. He saw Saya, unconscious and bleeding from a wound to her forehead as blood trickling from wounds on her face and arms. Unsure if she had broken anything, Dante carefully pulled her from the LFO and layed her on the ground while he returned to his LFO.
" Holland, Saya's 505 is down and she's in bad shape. I need to get her back to the Gekko immediately."
" Gotcha, I'll have Talho fly the ship low to make pick up easier." Holland said.
" Roger. Thanks Holland." Dante said. After getting Saya on board the Gekko, Dante saw Mischa and Talho waiting with a stretcher.
" Set her down carefully." Mischa said as Dante placed her on the stretcher.
" Hey Dante, what happened when you were facing all those KLFs?" Holland asked.
" Well, Shadow and Javelin were test beds for an experimental system that could allow LFOs and KLFs to move at supersonic speeds. Awhile after we found them Morita's team managed to finish the components needed to complete the system. That last skirmish was its first test. Looks like it was a success. If I manage to work out any bugs in the system, I might add the same system to Saya's 505. Though after today it'll be awhile before her LFO's even operational." Dante said.
" I've never even heard of such tests. There was speculation, but I had no idea that they'd actually done experiments on the system." Holland said.
" Probably some sort of countermeasure against the sheer power of the Nirvash. That system could've taken down Eureka a few years ago I imagine. It'd be much more difficult now with the amita drive and Renton." Dante said.
" I knew it was a good idea to let you lead. I see a bright future ahead of you." Holland said.
" I just hope that Saya's okay. She wasn't in the best condition when I found her." Dante said.
" Don't worry. She'll pull through. From what I've seen she's pretty tough. Just go relax. We've had a tough day." Holland said. The next morning, Dante walked to Mischa's office to check on Saya, when he saw Mischa walking towards him down the hall.
" Hello Dante, has your head been bothering you?" Mischa asked.
" No, i'm fine. What about Saya?" Dante asked.
" She suffered a concussion from the impact as well as some lacerations from the glass from her instrument panel. That along with some blood loss and a broken arm, she'd taken quite a beating from the crash. She'll be in the infirmary for at least a week before she'll be allowed to leave. She'll be okay, but it will take some time for her to fully recover." Mischa said.
" That's good to know. Is it okay if I see her?" Dante asked.
" Go ahead. She'll still be in pain so try not to excite her too much." Mischa said. Dante nodded and went inside the infirmary, seeing Saya shield her eyes from the light of the hall.
" Sorry. How are you feeling?" Dante asked.
" Bad question." Saya said, Dante noticing the pain in her voice.
" Yeah, you're probably right. At least you'll recover." Dante said.
" What happened to that pilot who attacked me?" Saya asked.
" He's gone. He made his choice, and payed the consequences for his actions. Those pilots were the first to experience the Shadow's new upgrade." Dante said.
" The Sonic booster. So that's why you kept running off. You finally had Morita install that. I hope you had no trouble." Saya said.
" None, though i'm not gonna push my luck. It's been rather hit and miss lately." Dante said with a slight chuckle.
" I can't believe i'm stuck here for an entire week." Saya said.
" At least you can catch up on some sleep. I have a feeling that Axel and I are gonna have a hell of a time repairing your LFO. Sleepless late night repairs, here I come." Dante said jokingly.
" How is it?" Saya asked.
" The Javelin's in real bad shape. I need to fix the hatch to the cockpit, the left arm and right leg need serious repairs, and your control panel needs to be replaced. Axel has a small ship with some engineers to bring us the parts we need and assist us in the repairs. It's easier than returning to Tresor right now." Dante said.
" I can't believe how close I came to death today. Just the thought of it frightens me." Saya said.
" It's okay. If your anything like me, you're not gonna let something like this hold you down. In a month or two, your arm will good as new." Dante said, kissing his girlfriend on the forehead.
" Get some sleep. For the both of us." Dante said, leaving the room.
WOOHOO! I finally finished revising something. I'm amazed. I've finished three revisions in one day. I'm proud of myself. Anyways, stay tuned for Chapter 5: Sucker Punch.