( watch?v=fRZqDPaLBmI )
Macedonia 66th let their rear face us while me and Fleur tailed behind them. "Baron launch a shot at their wings and-" The two on the flanks barrel roll away and the front accelerates out of range.
"Dammit, Fleur pursue the two, I'll go for the front."
"Yes, madame."
"Now's not the time for cute nicknames," I raise the speed to afterburner. The ship jolts forward and the continuity of space becomes a wall of light blurs. This should have been enough but I was still far behind the Macedonia fighter.
Fleur corkscrewed after the fleeing fighters while Baron spent his rounds, narrowly missing Fleur but unable to hit the fast moving targets.
"Nice tactics, but our fighters have the advantage. We' have higher end technology after all." the Sqaud leader ended the transmission, and shot out small probes that were carried away by the speed of the Emblem Frame.
They fired lasers at multiple angles creating a maze of fire from all directions. "How the-"
"Well, it was nice knowing you."
BEEP BEEP BEEP.
Alexander: Calculating, Turn Right.
"Wha- Are you sure?"
The right wing of Alexander was pierced. No time to argue.. I jump right, "Now what?"
Alexander: Spin 360 degrees.
"What if I hit-"
Alexander: Their intervals are precise using clockwise firing positions.
Trusting him, I spun and let the blood run to my head. When I returned to normal altitude and G-levels, I saw the probes were far behind me.
Fleur's Red Masque was still well behind the two emblem frames I told him to chase. When I saw three more sneak up on Baron.
"Baron! They're behind you!"
I need to turn around and- Alexander's text came back on the screen.
Alexander: Tell him to use his Rusio Roulette. From the Rear.
"Use Rusio Roulette from the rear, Baron!"
His guns flipped to the other side and spun its chambers until all his bullets emptied into the aces, ripping off their wings and destroying them.
"Damn that was close. I owe you one."
"Impressive shooting!" Fleur exclaims over the comm, "May I ask how did you-"
I rub my right eye, a feeling of mechanical vibration is filling my temples. "I might sound crazy, but I think my emblem frame is smart."
"What the hell are you talking about, Mori? You're not making any sense of course it is-"
A flurry of missiles spiral toward the nose of the Alexander.
Alexander: Dodge
My heart freezes and the world feels much slower and the weight of the machine comes down on me. "Uh.. How?"
Alexander: Focus.
A small crack in the cluster gave way. I slammed my drive to afterburner, it's maximum speed, then tore it past that level further forward. The Alexander jabbed through the opening unaware, detonating all the cruise missiles behind me.
The Macedonia ace turns around, "How did you-"
My plane jumps in front of her canopy. The vibrating in my eye continues; the whole space appears in graphs. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
"What are you? You were a rookie not so long ago. You survived a laser explosion, and a crash landing, and now you can fly through missiles, tell me.. What are you?"
This whole time I thought my eye was badly scarred, no in reality it was something much more.
I ripped off my bandages, to show my right eye. "When I crashed, I was found with a wound that couldn't be healed. It adds up in a funny way. The Lost Technology is protecting me."
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Distant red lights are appearing, "Baron enemies are coming within range, don't let them! Fleur.. Handle the stragglers!" I shouted as I pursued Macedonia's ace closely.
I rammed my ship right into his wings, "You were the ones that killed everyone in Bishop. People asking for peace, why?"
"Why does it matter?"
I fire a triangular laser into his rear engine, but she manages to steer and react to the blow well enough to return fire form the rear with more clusters of probes.
As I dodged she was laughing, "You don't get it do you. Even if we negotiate peace now, what difference will it make? For years, we've been fighting. The Eonia Coup, The Val-faask, Nephelia! It won't stop no matter how much we talk it out! Don't you remember reading books, seeing what happened?!"
"Macedonia Ace..I remember," I nod with regret.
"Lucious is a knight, he wants to protect people from danger!"
Ranpha jumps in, "But will he be able to live it! Getting innocent people involved! Forcing people to do what he wants!"
"The order has always practiced Unity Through Peace."
"I don't believe this, Soldum wouldn't allow it-" she shook her head and sliced the air.
The explosions continue behind us. Macedonia's ace is beginning to distance himself slowly inch by inch. He flies into the hangar of a battleship. I pursue after him. There were several catwalks and balconies to avoid from all angles and directions. People screamed below and scattered for cover, while others ran for their weapons.
THOOMP.
A balcony creaked as I tore through it. "Dammit." He was well ahead of me when I exited the hangar. "He doesn't answer to Soldum. He answers to the old kings, the holy Knights of Seldor."
"But you're one in the same. Your country is like ours, connected with Seldor!" she chokes up at those words and looks away from the screen.
"Ranpha.."
BLIP. She shuts off. "RANPHA!"
The three Macedonia Emblem Frames re-emerge in space. "They're back, Baron!"
Eonia's Ark cruises toward the immobile Vindictus. We're surrounded again this time up against the elite fighters of Macedonia. As I dogfight in corkscrews and barrelrolls around their Ace, Fleur skirmishes with the Centurion shields while Baron sprays on the slippery Emblem Frames.
The red lights appear in the east. More, fighters? My eye eases, no.. That's not it.
"You're cornered, rookie. This is the end of the road..heh, it's been good flying with you. What's your name?"
"Sayaka Mori."
"Elizabeth Troy, now," she fires another cluster of red lasers at my nose. My eye can't detect an opening or possible path. I cling to the throttle and push back. They close in now appearing all over the canopy windows. Is this how it ends?
I close my eye. POOMPF. The cabin beeps and I feel a presence. When I open my eyes, I see a green magic seal covering me.
"What-" Elizabeth shouts, "Traitors?!"
A women in purple hair and a green cape spawns on the screen, "This is the Magician Emissiary fleet! We are covering you in return for asylum as defectors!"
I tilt my head, "Did you dye you hair, Kahlua?"
"I'm not Kahlua, for now," she grins devilishly, "My name is Tequila."
"Cute, well- will you protect us? We need to hold them off!"
Eonia's flagship approaches Vindictus. "Are you still alive Takuto Meyers?"
"Argh, yeah. You caught me at a bad time."
The Magic fleet send Atlantean ships the shape of tridents. They charge head forward into the fire and absorb all the lasers and missiles firing on us, while diverting the attention of the Macedonia Emblem frames.
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Tequila's castle rotates and forms a seal around Vindictus.
"We can hold out," I told myself, "We can do this." I head for the Ark and chew at the hull. No damage. The hits rippled and disappeared.
"Our ships have been equipped with shields. Your futile attacks won't do anything.."
"What? No!" I continue shooting. Fleur follows behind me, "I shall assist you."
Baron sprays his chaingun into the hangar, too. All our hits managed to do nothing. While we struggled he fired at the seal surrounding Vindictus at a steady pace.
Takuto screams, "Tequila!" She comes to, "Argh.. Don't mind me. I'm fine..," her personality changed along with her hair color to blonde, "We're both fine.. Don't worry.."
"We need to retreat! If you take this much damage, you'll-"
Kahlua extends her arms out and clenches her fist holding on to an invisible force. BOOM. "They'll only follow you.."
The seal begins to crack.
Coco picks up a signal on the bridge, "Takuto, Sigurd says he'll be delayed!"
"That bastard!" he turns to Kahlua, "Kahlua it's alright, don't push yourself!"
Eonia slowly chips away at the castle, firing from his huge rail-gun. The seal begins to shatter and several large cracks gape through the seal.
"I don't understand you, mage. Why protect them? You're not from Transbaal."
"I-," another explosion shakes the castle, and her fingers begin to drip blood. "I'm doing this because they are my friends."
"You would betray your own planet for them?"
She coughs, "Yes," her expression changes to a stern women, her voice deepens, "They are my friends that stood beside me no matter who I was or where I'm from. I am returning the favor!"
One last laser launched from Eonia's railgun.
In slow motion, I saw the mortar scatter. The castle crumbled into the hollowness of space. She was gone.
"Kahlua...," Kazuya pushed aside Takuto, "KAHLUA!?"
"KAHLUA?!"
I slam my console, "Squad...keep firing!" We shoot everything we had in our payload into the Ark. Missiles blazed through stars leaving infinite clouds of smoke while bullets punctured the shields as best they could. Fleur scraped the side with bombs and lasers.
Then at that last moment, Baron fired Rusio Roulette, Fleur released his hyper cannon at the cursed railgun.
Five long minutes passed. The smoke was beginning to clear. There, in the space we fired into was the Ark. Untouched.
Eonia stood with an arrogant smile in his face, "At last. After so many years, I've beaten the Angels. This is a beautiful day to celebrate."
"Sir," Elizabeth and the Emblem frames de-cloaked behind us, "Shall we finish them off?"
I tried to resist, but my system was shut down. The engines of my other squad mates died too. "What- how-"
"Good work, Cornelia," Elizabeth grins.
Eonia sighs, "Leave them be. We're here for Normad. Now, hand him over and no one else will have to die."
Kazuya goes ballistic, "Are you threatening us- I'm going to the hangar-" Ranpha blocks him, "Kazuya-"
"Get out of my way! I won't let him do this! He can't get away with it-"
She stares at him, "Kazuya." He gives up, "Sorry.."
"Eonia, we don't have Normad. Manny escaped with him."
"Then we'll find him. Tell me where he is. Now."
She shook her head, "We can't let you on board, not without negotiating."
"Your diplomacy won't do you any good. Do you want to be incinerated?" he played with his metallic claws.
"If you destroy the Vindictus, your chance of bringing back Normad will disappear with us. We'll let you take Normad and Manny, if you spare the Magic fleet."
He grumbles, "Fine. However, you can keep Manny. I don't want him."
"But- he was sent here on a mission wasn't he?"
"Yes, by my.. Superiors. However bringing him back is optional."
"You're going to leave one of your own?" Ranpha stuttered.
"Yes, I am. Enough talk, you've made your deal. Now hand him over."
Ranpha quietly whispers angrily to Takuto. "Angel wing! Return to the Vindictus.
In the hangar, two Teuton knights carried Normad away. "Don't worry about me. I will be fine," he reassured. "Normad, what will happen to you?"
"They will most likely use me as a weapon. I can't believe I've failed my mission. This is not what I was programmed for."
He disappeared into the Ark. Mission failed.. I leaned against Alexander. "Mori?" Fleur stood next to me, "Can I be of assistance?"
"No, I'm okay. I just need some time on my own."
He bows and steps toward the door looking behind to see if I was okay. In reality, I lied. I didn't feel okay at all. Images of Kazuya screaming for Kahlua and the Macedonia squadron.
Normad most of all. What did Elizabeth say about war? Was it true?
BONK
( watch?v=Mrgh4eK9e5Q&list=PL_0fdTQ19g-XsZFTNgCOqzl7IUiYPpOJ )
Creta tapped the Alexander with her wrench. She gave me a small, sad smile. "Oh. Hey, Creta." She handed me a chip, "I found this from the pile of modules I was working on. I can't make it out, but it's been transmitting messages in Edenian ever since Normad came on board the ship."
She left, leaving me with the module. I sat myself in the cockpit and inserted the module. The text scrambled with hundreds of numbers.
99 14 36 63 11
66 66 60 84 48
35 69 19 15 27
98 20 68 20 85
97 84 96 73 54
28 41 85 31 49
94 40 38 5 71
85 79 87 65 75
98 81 17 66 80
94 73 28 36 67
42 26 41 12 47
78 46 86 35 32
52 31 63 63 43
11 32 65 13 76
98 11 68 37 64
78 64 2 40 34
30 18 91 58 16
68 89 37 73 32
49 69 26 51 61
4 71 65 25 16
A voice of a man speaks through the console, "...It's good to see you again, Mori."
"Who are you?" I leaned over, my hands over the dashboard.
The machine beeped over the sepia of the glowing numbers. "I am Alexander. Your Emblem Frame. I believe Normad was kidnapped."
"Yeah..and Kahlua."
"There's still hope, Mori." Coordinates streamed to my map of a system I never saw before. "Alexander what is this?"
"The key to liberating Magic. I believe you've heard of the center of the Universe? Central Globe?" I looked at Alaexander and the charts of the system. These routes and stars and planets, were never on the Transbaal maps. "Yes, but.. Why through here?"
"It's a shortcut," he explained simply. I upload it to a holocron, "Alexander, I have to tell you something."
"Yes, Mori."
"Were you the one that saved me during the Bishop Incident?"
"...The HALO system requires a connection based on emotion between the pilot and the ship. I have been dormant since the time of EDEN. I was awakened by a special heart, a spirit unbreakable. From you."
"Thank you, then, Alex."
I left for the door. "One more thing, Mori. There is always hope, even in the darkest times, Angels can prevail. Believe in me, Normad, and the other Emblem Frames."
I nod slowly and carefully step outside to the bridge. The HALO system's can speak like Normad. So this whole time Normad was one of them, retrofitted for war.. That day, things got much bleaker.
EDEN, Seldor, The Order. It all revolved around me like a spiraling flame of bitter emotions. A great burden was on me. I had o live up to being an Angel, at the same time the Macedonians.. I had to fight and avenge my old squad. I can't forget about Eonia either.
He spared our lives.. But next time we won't be so lucky. When I presented the coordinates, Takuto did little to hesitate. The crew worked furiously to fix the damages to the engines and hulls.
Sigurd never came.
We gathered in the bridge to explain what had happened to Shiva.
"So.. He's gone."
Anise closed her arms and crossed her arms angry at how she failed.
Takuto spoke, "Yes.. He got away with Normad."
Shiva withheld strong feelings as she shook violently, "So this whole time.. He's been alive. His existence is an insult to the royal family..Takuto.."
"Shall we pursue, Lady Shiva?"
She shakes her head, "We can't start a war with Magic unless we have a reason to invade. They'll simply claim we are aggressors, even if we're trying to free them. People in the council are on the Order's side."
"But they're being oppressed! What they did to Kahlua and the rest of the fleet! We can't-"
Ranpha stepped in front of me. "Ranpha, are you going to let this happen?"
"No, but she is the queen. However- Shiva. Forgive Mori. I can explain the situation on Magic for myself. And so will Mayers, the Magic fleet, and Manny. They can testify the illegal activities of Magic. They have been impressed, forced to fight for another country, along with mercernary aid and the use of convicts. Magic has clearly breached several intergalactic laws."
Shiva nods with a soft laugh, "Very well. Ranpha Franboise, Takuto Meyers, I hereby put you in charge of the campaign to liberate Magic."
"Thank you, Shiva!"
She looks around the bridge, facing the eyes of tired pilots, soldiers and crew. Still determined and optimistic.
"I see, Sigurd has yet to show up as reinforcements. He will be demoted for his actions and put under your command. As for your chain of command, recruit who you see fit.."
"Thank you, Shiva. That makes me feel a lot better," Takuto wraps her hand around my shoulder, "Will you be my General?"
"Huh?" I turn red, "I -uh, sure."
He playfully taps me. "Don't be so nervous, you've been a great commander, so you being in charge of a fleet shouldn't be too hard."
"You're right!"
Shiva bows, "I have things to take care of. Politics," she sighs, "One more thing, Takuto. An old friend has a mercenary fleet ready for you, and my savior, Mori."
I humbly bowed while Takuto stepped forward with curiosity, "Who is it?"
"Blanmanche."