Chapter Four

The scene was of complete and utter chaos, as the Arcadia landed, and the ship's crew and captain made their way outside. Hundreds of men lay dead or dying on the ground from the wounds the guards surrounding the complex had given them.

"Damn….what a massacre…." One member of Harlock's crew muttered, before uttering a yelp and getting knocked behind some boulders; shocked when he saw that Young Harlock had just recklessly pushed him out of sight of another blast.

"Looks like this is round two." Another man was heard to say, before the air around them became thick with laserfire.

"No shit." Tochiro Jr. muttered, as they all took cover from the seeming 'storm'; only managing to fire off a couple of shots every now and again.

"Hold your fire! Let them get closer, and then try to fire on them!" Harlock commanded, from amidst the roar of the guards' rifles.

"Aye, sir!" the crew shouted, in response. And yet, even with that plan in mind, they were still shocked when one of the guns on the other side suddenly exploded; some of them looking up and back to see if the Arcadia had fired a shot.

"It wasn't us, Captain! It looked like something on their side had set it off!" Kei's voice shouted, over Harlock's comm-link; sounding just as bewildered by the occurrence as those on the ground now were.

"Then let's hope some more miracles like that happen!" Harlock thought, as he turned and nodded to the men on either side of him; sensing that their only real chance was to charge in when the guards were in disarray. Seconds later, another gun blew up, and, briefly, a man appeared on the other end of the battlefield; his lean body bloodied and bruised, and white clothing bloodstained, but even from that distance the Arcadia's captain and crew could see the fiery spirit in his wild brown eyes.

"Now!" Harlock shouted, as he raised his gravity saber and motioned them forward. With yells of fury, the crew surged forward; rushing towards the complex with their own guns drawn.

"Now, to see if we can prove ourselves worthy of our names!" Young Harlock thought, as they swiftly closed the distance between them and the prison, with Tochiro Jr. and Keikai sticking close to his side…..None of them realizing that a defining moment was indeed just around the corner…..

………………………….

Tochiro cursed vehemently under his breath, as he scanned the land as he flew over it. The closer he got to the signal, the stronger his feelings of unease and anger became. He could already sense Emeraldas' pain, and, what angered him even further, was that a hint of shame was in her spirit, as well.

"Whatever yarou has dared to put that in her, is going to regret it." Tochiro inwardly snarled, his eyes narrowing as his fighter neared the forest behind the complex…..and his heart leaping into his throat when he caught sight of a flash of red through a break in the trees.

"There!" Tochiro inwardly shouted, as he circled around to try and find a place to land, only to be forced into pulling up again when a blast from another fighter almost clipped his wing.

"Dammit! Where the hell….?!" Tochiro growled, as he glanced at his fighter's scanners, and saw that the radar was picking up at least two more fighters.

"Hold on for a bit longer, Emeraldas…..Just hold on! I'll be there as soon as I can!" Tochiro thought, then turned and glared at the fighters coming towards him from both sides, "You want a piece of me, yarous? C'mon, then!" With that said, a vicious dogfight began in the sky over the imperiled captain of the Queen Emeraldas….one that both he and one other hoped would lead to an eventual victory over the one who now held Emeraldas captive.

Author's Note!

Yes, yet another short chapter (probably my shortest one in a long time). Hope it was okay, though!

Gemini14