Disclaimer: RANMA ½, TENCHI MUYO, ROBOTECH, BABYLON 5, STAR TREK, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, GUNDAM SEED, I Don't own them so please don't Sue me if I mess around with them.
Chapter 10
"Forging New Swords"
Delta Quadrant
Mars Darkside Orbit
Mars Planitia Shipyards II
November 8, 2036
Bay 7Pressurized spacedock
The Archangel's Chief Engineer Murdock is wishing for a vacation right about now, instead of being millions of miles away from Earth space, working among people claiming to be from another Earth form the other side of the galaxy, not to mention, working and learning in cooperation with a real honest to Goodness alien called a 'Tellarite'
The Tellarite who is giving Chief Murdock a terrible migraine for the past month, thru countless lectures and instructions of what the new systems on the Archangel can do and cannot do. Tellarite engineer name 'Maher' is the UN Spacys Chief Engineer and their Instructor for the Archangel's refit. It is an On the Job Training that lasted for a month, and now, they are about to complete the final connections for the sublight engines called an 'Impulse Drive'.
But it was not just the new engines that the Archangel was receiving, they also installed gravity plating, inertial dampening fields and a new form of radar system called 'Cyclops' as well as a 'Lightwave Barrier System' for shielding.
The Chief and the crew have been working very hard for a month to complete the installation of the new systems on the Archangel. As well as understanding them in order to maintain them properly according to the instruction given by the UN Spacys engineers. Chief Murdock got a constant headache from the tellarite, as the alien seems to relish in giving them test, exams, and then pop quiz from all of the sudden without warning. He's constantly testing Murdock engineering skills, especially on combat situations and it was grueling.
Chief Murdock and Maher are on a walkway overlooking the spacedocks; the chief brought a pad on the installation report and Maher look satisfied at the Archangels crew performance.
"Well it looks good" he said "Once finish, you can finally call this Bucket of Bolts of yours, a real warship Student Murdock," Maher said sounding enthusiastic and knowingly it will irritate Murdock for calling him Student Murdock, but calling his ship a bucket of bolts is another thing
Murdock, who is just behind him, glowing red aura and eyes, sharp claws and razor sharp teeth, would like nothing more but to do the urge to grab Maher by the neck and strangle the life out of him,. Fortunately though, he didn't go thru it, as he doesn't want to embarrass himself, for he knows that Maher was being annoying again
"Oh don't push it Maher" the chief growled warningly. Slowly he calms himself down and returns to normal. Calling the Archangel 'A Bucket of Bolts' is Maher way of a send off gift for the chief, for after a month of pressing his buttons, Maher can see that he's totally annoyed and laughs at that
"I'm so sorry my friend" he apologize "But it's my way of saying that you and your crew have passed with flying colors, congratulation Chief Engineer Murdock of the Archangel" he said as he shake his hand
As a teacher Maher is a serious task master, but outside the class he a good person and Murdock kinda like him…a little.
"Thanks" Murdock said "But you have a very irritating way of saying it though"
"Well as a ship engineer myself, I know that calling a ship 'a bucket of bolts' is an insult, which I apologize," he said "And if you had ring my neck just now, when I called your ship a bucket of bolts, then you and your crew would have to repeat my class again" he told him smiling
"What!" the thought of repeating Maher class is not a pretty thought. He felt weak in the knees and relieve that he didn't. Murdock was lucky to be sane after a month of learning pressure from Maher, and if he had repeated, then he'll probably go insane if his crew doesn't kill him first for making them go thru a repeat.
"Relax Chief, you survive a year's worth of training compressed into one month, and believe me, you and your crew are a small few who survives my class without quitting"
"Crash Course, a years worth?" Murdock couldn't believe it 'And I thought this was the norm for you guys' he thought
--
It was not just the Archangel that the Spacys are putting on crash course training, but not as strict as Maher class. Hundreds of EA ships are being refitted or being built across the shipyards along with their crews. This kind of activity have been going on for a month now, and the Chief suspected that something major was about to happen very soon.
His suspicions are fueled when seeing more personnel from the Eurasian Federation and East Asia Republic, started to arrive by UN Transport that came from Earth, and they came to be trained to manned the new ships and Mobile Suits. The Archangel and the crew was among the first to arrive when Ms. Clyne, ask Captain Ramius and the crew, to go with the REF to Mars, saying it was to refit the Archangel with new tech, with no reason given why.
A month later, the Chief started to hear rumors of a major offensive is in the works, and it's against Chairman Dullindal and remnants of Blue Cosmos, but nothings confirmed yet. But as he sees this military build up all around the shipyards it's starting to sound true.
--
"Now come on chief, there are some recalibrations we need to finish before the field test"
"I'm coming, I coming" he answered exhaustedly
The Chief walks back to the Archangel, once finished the ship will to go into a rigorous field test and system adjustments before the ship is certified for duty. Maher work as a teacher is over and has certified Chief Murdock ready to take over from then on.
Just right beside the Archangel, is another fame ship undergoing the finishing touches, namely giving the hull of the ship a good wax job.
The Zaft Ship 'Eternal'
Back on Earth
Bangkok
12 Midnight
In the one of the backstreets of the city away from the tourist spots, the EA Special Forces Group in cooperation with the Local Police, have finished raiding another Blue Cosmos safehouse in search for the fugitive Logos leader, Lord Djibril von Hitler.
They found several intoxicated members of Logos who are wanted on the Local scene, but the infamous leader himself was not among them. While they search for clues, a man dressed like a beggar, slips away undetected with glee on his face covered by blackened grease.
'Serves you fuckers right!' he thought evilly, the one who tip off the safehouse…
No one had ever thought that a certain street peddler, was once the most powerful man on Earth.
Lord Djibril Von Hitler
This was the third time his place of refuge was found, only this last one however, he made this one known to the police, and he had enough of being chased around the world.
Being on the run for a month, he found himself hiding in dark places by day and travels by night. Djibril is always alert even in hotel and motels room that he stayed on. A gun is always in hand, and he sleeps rather shallow or too short to at least 1 to 2 hours a day, as he fears of being discovered by his persuers.
His Paranoia have become his companion, where in many times it helps him avoid being caught, as he has to be a step ahead of them all the time and never relax his guard down.
In the lowest point of his fugitive life, when Djibril lost all his money from bribing his way in and out of countries, he resorted to petty thefts to buy for food. Then at one time, he rummage thru garbage cans and dumpster diving behind fastfood store's, as he cannot afford to buy some food, for fear of being recognized by people who wants the huge bounty on his head. He even started to steal clothes from clothes lines or hampers, in order to make him look more civilian. This was the lowest point of his entire life, and bares it for the promise of revenge on all those he hated is fueling his will to live.
He bear the life of a vagrant for nearly a month, until Djibril was able to get to a Blue Cosmos Safehouse, but even there, he could not feel safe at all, as he feel so unwelcome by his supposedly, loyal subordinates.
They were very much unhappy with him, and they forced him to pay for his lodgings by what he has available on him. So in order to stay, Djibril gave some of his remaining possessions just to let him stay. However, Djibril found himself being the servant instead of the master.
To Djibril, it was humiliating, and he has had enough of their, Hospitality.
In his revenge, he tips off the police of the Blue Cosmos safehouse location, and then slips away in the night while his host, drunkenly sleeps the night away.
He walks away calmly as not to draw attention to him. The strap on his body is a money belt carrying a few thousand dollars, some jewels, and a black book of Blue Cosmos contacts holding important papers and hidden resources location, and they are items that he gave to his host and took it back when he left along with their money.
He entered a 24 hours open, public bathhouse and began cleaning himself up. Afterwards, in a darkened street corner, illuminated by a single candle, Djibril started to dye his hair in gray and uses colored contact lenses for his eyes and make-up to hide certain blemishes on his face, along with new clothes as not to make him be recognized by anyone. By morning he went to a pawnshop, looking like a different person.
He pawns the lasts of his jeweled rings or any precious items for money, in order to get what he needs for a trip. Throughout all his ordeals, his hatred grew and grew to those who made his life miserable.
Later, with better clothes, he looks like any other local businessman entering a travel agency to purchase an airline ticket for a business trip.
A travel agent gave him his purchased ticket.
"Enjoy your trip Sir" she said
"Oh I shall, thank you" he replied smiling but behind that smile is the face of evil
Deep within his soul, he screamed in thoughts of sheer hatred
'I swear it! All of them will pay for my humiliation!!! I will play them, a REQUIEM!!!!'
On the Entrance of a travel agency office, hangs a poster of a tropical paradise in the pacific.
Back on Mars
Mars Planitia Shipyards II
3 Rotating wheels one on top of the other with over 14km in diameter radius, each wheel has 12 pressurized spacedocks that can house 4 to 5 starships depending on their size. It is also the fabrication and assembly center for components for starships. Outside the station are 50 external spacedocks surrounded by scaffoldings and are being tended by automated machines that build ships 24/7 along with work crews Industrial Mobile Suits, keep watch over quality control of mass production of EA Ships are underway.
The Shipyards have been refitting and building up Earth Alliance warships for the past month from the Agamemnon, Nelson and Drake class ships, as well as building new ships such as the 'Archangel' Class Ships as well as the Logos 'Girty Lue' Stealth class battleships.
They upgraded many systems; primarily they focused on the defensive systems of their ships, such as armor and radar, and added new ones such as Shields which gives them a plus to survive the battlefield.
In the Last War, the EAF Ships were easy pickings by Zaft Mobile Suits such as the GINNs. After the War the EAF commanders wanted upgrades on all ships, especially on their armor and maybe even add a shielding system. They suggested either using the lightwave barrier, the G-Weapons Trans Phase Armor or the Laminated Armor like the Archangel. Unfortunately, the bulk of their military budgets were allocated to the building of Logos's Requiem cannon, which is something many commanders think that it was a waste of time and resources for such an immobile weapons system.
The EA Ships can also go much faster and farther with their new engines, and can do more impossible maneuvers than before thanks to their Inertial Dampening Field and Artificial Gravity. Without the IDF, the ships maneuvering capability will be severely limited, for the crew will not be able to withstand extreme G-forces resulting from extreme speed and sharp turns and maneuvers, and having artificial gravity alleviated the crew's health. As it is well known that, prolong exposure to Zero-G environment can cause serious health risk, so to stay in good condition, people are required to stay in rotating sections from time to time. With an AG system in use, rotating sections will not be necessary and also longer length of time in space is possible.
Now with so many new systems they required an enormous amount of power. The current available fusion reactors in a battleship can only generate up to the gigawatt level, which was inadequate for the power hungry systems. So to power all of the ships new systems, the UN Spacys solve it by replacing the EA main fusion reactor with one of their old Mk.2 Reflex Furnaceand they can generate up to the petawatt level, enough for all the ships systems to function properly.
The only system on their ships that was not upgraded is their weapon systems and they are kept as they are. Still, the EA warships have become the most advance vessels in the Cosmic Era and it thrilled the Earth Alliance captains to have these new techs on their ships and for once, they have the advantage against Zaft.
While, the crews, personnel's and engineers of the EA, were given an on the job training on the new systems, the senior officers representing the best of the alliance can offer, are on the Prometheus doing classroom work. The commanders of the EA fleet, were getting some classes on several concerning subject matters mainly Space Warfare's, first contact protocols and others, as there is so much for them to learn if they are to survive in a galaxy that is filled with wonders and terrors.
Yet even after a month since they got to Mars, they are still absorbing everything they are experiencing, especially when they find themselves flying in, around, and outside Earth's solar system seeing venus, mercury, Jupiter and Saurn, and going as far as Pluto and thousand light years from Earth visiting actual alien neighbors with the REF.
This is for them, an adventure of a lifetime, and they are very grateful to the REF for letting them participate, but many wonders if there was a price for such generosity, for no one other than the senior officers knows the truth behind it.
And they are not talking.
Mars
Prometheus City
Admiral Saotome Mansion
Ranma is in communication with Pres. David Sheridan via comm. they discuss some certain subject matters. One of which is building a new EA Fleet with UN Spacys upgraded systems.
"You do know that, once Eileen and Ms. Cagalli finds out that the REF are upgrading an EAF Fleet without their knowledge, they are not going to be happy about this," David said
"Well, I'm not happy about this either David," Ranma said agreeing "But the situation, humanity as a whole demanded this, and risking the ladies wrath, is far better than seeing the Earth burned to the ground, and believe me, you really don't! Want to see that happen here," he said emphasizing on last parts of the sentence
'Like I did,' Ranma thought sadly
Ranma suddenly got flashes of memories, memories that will never forget, and he feared of seeing it repeated. Earth, his Earth during 'The Rain of Death' flying a Valkyrie beside the Macross
"No" shaking away those thoughts
"This threat from the Vorlon is a very serious matter, and one that we cannot take it too lightly because this race is one of the oldest and most powerful race in the galaxy with a God complex,"
"Admiral, surely we can negotiate a peace with them, I mean a race this old,"
"No we can't!" Ranma exclaimed "The United Nations of Earth, the Galaxy Alliance and several other union and Federation have been trying exhaustedly Mr. President…the Vorlon's refuses to even talk to us let alone look at us face to face, they are that arrogant and that dangerous. And they will scorched the Earth like the Zentraedi did to mine"
When President Sheridan had some time to read the History of Alpha Earth, one part of their History that gives him reasons for concern, along with a few nightmares. And it reason why the REF is here and why they are so zealot in protecting Earth, the Cosmic Era Earth.
"The Rain of Death" the president mention Ranma nodded
"I won't let that happen, not again!"
They pause for a moment after Ranma calms down a little before they continues
"I will be going to the Plants in a few days, and I will be taking the Eternal back to Ms. Clyne and the others, and I will explain to Eileen and Ms. Cagalli about this personally, meanwhile," Ranma inquired
"How goes the search for Djibril?"
"Well 'Sigh'…the man is like an eel…he is so damned slippery" David muttered out loud as he looks at the Intel file report on the manhunt for Djibril
"Djibril have slips away from us again 10 hours ago, this time it's in Bangkok around midnight, Asia Pacific Time" David shook his head at the disappointing reports he received
"According to the Preliminary Investigation Report, from the interview of the captured Blue Cosmos members" he told him, "When he came to them, Djibril lost over 10 pounds in weight he has baggy eyes because he barely had any long sleeps. Also, Djibril has indigestion problems due to hookworms and other nasty things in his stomach, as well as lice in his hair, and wearing dirty, worn out clothes like a beggar"
Ranma can visualize what Djibril must have gone thru just to elude capture, and it must have been hell for him.
'Serves the guy right' he thought nastily
"The captured Blue Cosmos believe that it was Djibril that tip off the police on their safehouse location" That surprised Ranma as to why he would do that
"Why would they say that?" he ask curious David answers
"Well it seems that Djibril was mistreated very badly by them," he said "They took out their anger and frustration at him for making their life miserable" Ranma snorted at the fate of the head of Logos
"And even among his bigoted kind he's not safe anymore, that poor wretched idiot" Ranma pitied (not)
"Ranma" David calls him "Where ever he is right now, he is still a major threat to Earth, and Blue Cosmos remnants still controls that cannon at Daedalus, and if Djibril ever gets there," Ranma nods in understanding what he means
"I know, I know," he answered understanding the consequence if that had happen.
At another holoscreen shows a graphic image of Earth and the Moon, it shows the EAF Blockade Fleet in order to make sure that no one tries to get in or out of Blue Cosmos territory. They even diverted Commercial Shuttles and Shipping traffic that comes close to Daedalus Base.
"Daedalus base's store houses will be running low on supplies in a month's time," David said, "Once they are empty, they will have no choice but to negotiate for surrender, and hopefully we can get the cannon intact without anyone else dying"
Thinking of taking the Requiem Cannon intact will add an extra defense for Earth if the Vorlon's or their allies ever reared their ugly head. Ranma agrees with that but taking it intact with no loss of life will prove difficult if you are dealing with fanatics. And if they can't get it intact, then it was decided that the cannon will have to be destroyed.
Ranma nods with agreement at the current plan "Best plan yet, still we can't be too sure that they will surrender, so long as there are diehards on that base holding the trigger"
"Well at least we have control of 5 of the 10 relay stations," David told Ranma "their targeting sight is pretty narrow, so there's no fear of them hitting any target on Earth or in the Colonies"
"Still, we need to find Djibril, and if he gets back in command we gonna get trouble we don't want" he looks to him "I have sent several UN Ships that can do surveillance far better than your spy satellites, and they will be scanning everyone in Thailand with a pinpoint detail if Djibril is still around, and if he's not there then we'll expand the search"
Ranma turn to look at a holoscreen showing the Map of Thailand, then expanded the map to include the rest of Asia with several dots of light where there are access to Mass Drivers and Spaceports, and the closes Mass Driver is in Singapore. A possibility that he may go there, however…
'Singapore is too much of an obvious a choice,' Ranma thought and disregarding Singapore for Djibril destination 'He's trying to gain access to one of these places, but which one? And who would help this poor Sap, who can he turn to?' Ranma wonders
ORB International Airport Terminal
By that moment, a commercial airliner has just touch down at Orb's International Airport after a three hours flight from Bangkok. Stepping out of the Terminal and calling for a taxi is a man in shades and got inside quickly
"To The Romafella Financial Group office, now" he ordered the driver.
"Yes Sir"
Romafella Financial Group, a company that just establish itself only a year ago, and is not part of Logos but a secretly, co-owned company operated by the Seran family, but in actuality it's under Djibril authority. Its purpose, to finance and access any technological endeavors with the Plants and Orb as well as a back door to quietly gain access into Orb's market and manipulate it in Logos favor.
Lord Djibril Von Hitler has finally found a refuge, in the one place that no one thought of looking. In an office building that overlooks, Orb Main Government Building.
Djibril looks out on tinted windows, and just behind him is Unato Roma Seran and his Yuna Roma Saran
"Its time we get unto business" Djibril said and then activate the Venetian blinds to close as he went back into the darkness
Above Earth's orbit, a Gloria Class ship have started scanning Bangkok with a fine tooth comb and then deploying their SWACS above the rest of Thailand for a scatter search, for they still believe that Djibril may still be in hiding in Thailand. Several other UN ships in orbit join in and began their search all across Asia.
They don't realize that Djibril is no longer in Asia.
To be Continued