Chapter Twenty-Five
Kimiko sat back in her office chair, ignoring the chimes issuing from her work screen. Sparing it a glance, she sniffed in derision to see the number of messages left in her inbox. No doubt from the council. Her eyes again turned to the monitor on her desk, displaying the latest news on the hostile take-over currently going on.
The Baasratu appearance over Eden was unexpected, and per the council, "unexpected occurrences" should not be in a precog's vocabulary.
She allowed a tight grimace as she absently read the lips of someone they were interviewing from the Northern Fleet. What the council didn't seem to understand is that the precognitive skill wasn't a definite. Hell, they still weren't even sure how or why it worked. Or in this case; didn't work. Kimiko had a theory, and this latest turn of events only strengthened her belief.
She believed that the actions, and subsequent outcomes of said actions, of all individuals created an energy of its own. The emotions, thoughts, and determination behind those actions specifically. She also believed that those like herself were sensitive enough to pick up on that energy and translate it into an intelligible picture. A vision of the "future", so to speak.
That none of the precogs in any of the cardinal fleets had picked up on the danger to Eden until mere moments before the event occurred told her the Baasratu had made the decision last minute. On purpose.
While it was fine to feel a sense of superiority within your own race, Kimiko thought it was rather foolish to think humanity was at the top of the food chain. Those that compared the Baasratu to themselves by the things they had and used and the way they communicated, and found them barbaric, weren't looking at the whole picture.
The Baasratu were masters at energy manipulation. Have been for centuries before they even stumbled upon their race. The fact that they hadn't completely eradicated humanity was a mystery to her, but throughout the years she had experienced their skirmishes in her visions and through reports, she had at least learned this: the Baasratu weren't taking them seriously.
Sure, they seriously fought them when push came to shove, but for the most part, humanity was treated with as much caution as one would an insect encroaching on their picnic. The only time the Baasratu took the initiative to seek them out was when they had made attempts at colonizing another planet for their home base. Each time; completely wiping them out. Making sure to keep their race unbalanced and constantly on the move.
So, the question was: What were they attacking Eden for?
Taking her eyes from the figures moving in the news report, she focused on the documents displayed on a split screen beside it. She had had a thought, and acting on it, had brought up medical reports she had acquired a few years back. Her eyes skimmed over the name printed at the top; Kagome Higurashi.
Perhaps…the Baasratu were starting to see them as more of a threat than they had previously.
The first thought that came to Kagome's mind as she woke up was: it was freaking cold. Blinking her eyes, trying to bring everything into focus, she realized she was in a dimly lit room. A groan left her lips as she shifted, wincing at the pain it brought to her dry throat and wondering why she was laying on her stomach.
'I don't sleep on my stomach…and who left the cold air on?'
Her arms slid up the uncomfortable bed, and as she started to lift her upper body, a piercing pain went tearing up her back. Letting out a sharp gasp, she immediately dropped back down, her mind more awake then it had been. What was wrong with her back?!
Taking another glance around the room, her eyes flitted over several medical machines and equipment pushed to the far wall. So, she was in med-bay…why was she in med-bay?! Scrunching her brows, she stared absently at the thin blanket barely covering her, trying to remember exactly what had happened to land her in the medical ward.
'I spent the night in Miroku's room…we had a mission…Taisho was pms-ing so we got into a small fight…we found a hidden base on an asteroid…'
Her breath left in a whoosh as the rest of her memories hit her in a rush. They had been attacked by something. Ignoring the pain shrieking from her back, she scrambled out of the bed in a rush, rubbing her hands up and down her arms and checking over the rest of her body. Ignoring the way the medical gown bunched awkwardly on her shoulders and left her legs exposed, she scrutinized any exposed flesh with frantic eyes.
Something had passed from Taisho and into her. The memory of slick, reaching hands made of a strange energy had her shuddering. The phantasmal feel of it touching her ethereal form made her feel sick. What…happened?
She took deep breaths, trying to calm her panic, as she broke down her last few memories with a clinical eye. Taisho had been in pain, the thing that had attacked had sliced open his back. That was probably why her back was currently screaming at her, but this time felt differently. It didn't feel like it was an achy, below-the-skin type of pain. This was like she had been sliced open herself.
Gritting her teeth, she slid her hand up over her shoulder to touch the top most part of the wound. Raised and puckered flesh met her finger-tips and she let out a shuddering breath. She was scarred. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor as she came to grips with the fact that the attack to her partner had wounded her physically as well.
What the hell kind of attack was that?! And what about Taisho? Was he ok? Did the attack affect him in a different way than normal? If the attack had left her scarred, what did it do to him?
Her eyes shot up as resolve hit her. She needed to see it with her own eyes. Looking about the room she frowned at the lack of reflective surfaces. Not even any windows! Her brows lowered as she slowed her frantic search. Something seeming wrong. The only things in the room were the bed she had been lying in and the medical equipment against the wall. There was no curtain around the bed, no windows in the walls and only one door that she assumed lead to the hall outside. What kind of medical room was this?
Turning towards the door, she marched over with the intent to open it and demand answers from the first person she crossed paths with. Her plan ground to a halt when she tried the scanner by the door and got denied. Examining the words scrolling across the top of the scanner she scowled when it said it was locked from outside.
Raising a fist, she began pounding on the surface.
"Hey! Let me out!" Her voice was hoarse with disuse and she wound up coughing at the last part, her throat protesting the abuse. "Heeeey! Anyone!"
She paused to listen, but could hear nothing from the outside. Turning back to face the middle of the room, she again wondered where the hell she was. 'Am I even in the medical ward? Shouldn't a doctor or something have come to check on me?'
Her imagination began filling in those questions with scenarios worse than the last. 'Stop that right now, Kagome Higurashi! Stop freaking out and look for some way to get out of here…or some water…or the bathroom. Whichever comes first!'
Filled with a new resolve and ignoring the trembling coming from her hands, she inspected the walls surrounding her for the third time since waking up.
Miroku cursed under his breath as he was again denied access. The small screen he had hooked up to the lock on the massive doors let out the annoying "denied" chime once more. Just as he was entering another code into the small bracket, a voice from behind had him spinning in place.
"So, you're the one trying to hack open the doors. Tch! Not even trying to hide what you're doing. What are you, an amateur?"
Standing behind him, with his arms crossed over his chest, was a young boy. Looking to be no older then thirteen, with long red hair tied into a ponytail. Miroku set his face into something passive, too irritated at the moment to fake a friendly atmosphere.
"And what are you doing here? The militia is gathering everyone in the northern cafeteria."
The boy snorted and turned his gaze to the screen he held in his hands.
"I know. Convenient for someone trying to break into the medical ward, huh?" He took a handful of steps closer and ignored the way Miroku had tensed up. "That code's wrong, by the way."
Dropping all pretense of amicability, Miroku scowled down at the boy. "Oh, yeah? And how would you know?"
Glittering green eyes and a sarcastic grin turned his way. "Because I'm head engineer." The boy calmly stepped up to Miroku's side and inserted a small keycard into the thin slot by the scanner. Prompts for an additional code flashed across the screen and the boy typed in a series of fifteen different numbers. With a soft hiss, the bulkhead doors slowly opened, granting them access.
Pulling the keycard out, he turned to walk through the doors but was waylaid by a hand on his shoulder hauling him back.
"And where do you think you're going?" Miroku asked archly, swiping the keycard from the kid and holding it aloft. "Thanks for opening the doors, kid, but I can't let you go any further."
Shippo scowled at the older man, glaring first at him, then at the card he was holding above his head and out of reach. He shoved the hand on his shoulder away and crossed his arms in defiance.
"Oh, yeah? And how do you intend to get past the other doors?"
Miroku waved the keycard as if in answer and Shippo snorted. "You don't know the access code." His tone was decidedly smug.
"I memorized the one you typed in." Miroku answered back sounding just as self-satisfied.
A slow, wicked grin spread over Shippo's face. "Who say's the doors all have the same code?"
Miroku's air of superiority dropped along with the arm holding the keycard up. "Why do you want in the medical ward, anyway?"
Shippo dropped his own arms and resisted the urge to lunge for the key. "I could ask the same of you, Mr. Archivist."
In a sudden whirl of motion, Miroku had Shippo pinned to the wall beside the scanner, dangling by his shirt a good six inches from the ground. "Who are you? How do you know about that?"
Wheezing from the sudden loss of air being pinned to the wall had caused and staring up at him as if he'd lost his mind, Shippo grabbed a hold of the arm holding him up. "I'm the HEAD engineer!"
Miroku frowned at the expectant look on the kid's face. As if his designation was supposed to mean something to the organization he worked for. When there was no dawning realization in the man's eyes, Shippo rolled his own.
"Oh, jeez. You're a low man on the totem pole, ain'tcha? You don't even know what that means!" Miroku stiffened at his words, but didn't loosen his grip. "Look, you can contact your superior when this is all over, but I'm telling you, we're on the same side! And I bet we're going in to med-bay for the same reason. So, before the Baasratu come storming in, what say you let me down and we get going already?"
Still on edge, but knowing he was short on time, Miroku released Shippo and took a step back. "I will be getting answers later." He promised and handed the keycard back to the redhead.
"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up! I gotta close the doors behind us to reinitiate the protective current."
"Protective current?" Miroku repeated, stepping through the doors and watching as they were sealed behind them.
"Yeah. New technology designed to stop the Baasratu from teleporting into areas or going through the walls. Gives them a nice zap."
Miroku raised a brow and started his trek down the corridor. "Why wasn't the whole ship covered with this current?"
"It's in the testing stages and it doesn't work when we try to cover large areas. In the end, we could only successfully activate it in certain circuits." Shippo glanced up at him. "The northern cafeteria is one of those areas. It's why I advised the militia to gather who they could there."
"Why the cafeteria?"
Shippo shrugged. "People gotta eat."
They were in the middle of putting on specialized armor when the screams started. Looking to the others in the room, Bankotsu nodded his head to Suikotsu. Suikotsu strapped his armband in place and headed for the front of the ship. Peering cautiously out the hatch, his eyes narrowed at the sight of people running and screaming. Keeping perfectly still, he zeroed in on what they were running from.
It seemed the Baasratu had finally started their invasion.
He backed away from the open door and headed for the armory where the rest waited. With a terse nod, he affirmed their thoughts. "It's started."
The ruckus from outside in the hanger grew louder and Bankotsu scowled to hear the discharge of phasers. "Ugh! Who told those idiots it'd be a good idea to shoot at the Baasratu?! Those go right through them! They'll wind up blasting a hole in the hanger!"
"Hmph. Just a bunch of scared amateurs." Renkotsu scoffed as he finished fiddling with the wiring inside of Ginkotsu. Shutting the small panel and giving the large shoulder a thump to signal he was done, he stepped back as the large cyborg stood from the bench and turned to face the rest of the room. "We'll just have to show them how it's done."
Jakotsu warily eyed the cyborg before turning away with a sniff. "So, what's the plan, Bank?"
Bankotsu strapped on the last of his gear and then reached for the unassuming metal bar lying in the bench next to him. Pressing his thumb to the small scanner on the side, he grinned in satisfaction as a low hum met his ears and electricity crackled over the surface of the bar.
"What else? Let's go kick some ass."
Inuyasha once again found himself watching his older half-brother link with a new psychic. This time, however, Sango was also linking with a new psychic and his mind was distracted with more serious concerns.
"So, Tetsusiaga is able to cut through Baasratu energy shields?"
"Yep." Kagura replied.
"Seems so." Ayame murmured.
"That's what they said." Kouga muttered.
"It's also supposed to be one of the fastest ships in the fleet?"
"Yep."
"Seems so."
"That's what they said."
Inuyasha's eye twitched. "And this will be the first time it's ever been tested?"
"Yep."
"Seems so."
"That's what they said."
Turning from studying the two in the center of the training room, Inuyasha opened his mouth to demand what was wrong with them when he noticed the other three looked to be lost in thought and not even paying attention. "And Wolfe must go through a vasectomy before this mission starts?"
"Yep."
"Seems so."
"That's what they- Hey! What the hell are you talking about, Mutt?!"
Startled from the sudden shout, both Kagura and Ayame jumped to attention and turned to the other two males. At this point the both of them had fisted the other's shirt and threats were flung blindly. Ayame moved her gaze back to the still form of Captain Taisho.
"What do you think about all of this?"
Kagura shifted her gaze to the pigtailed soldier and then shook her own head, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is going to be one hell of a mission."
Her thoughts centered on the short explanation they had been given before being jostled onto the sleek craft. Apparently, Tetsusiaga would be moving at almost double the speed of a regular battle cruiser. There were pros and cons about this. While they would reach the center of the Western Fleet within a matter of six hours, they would be moving too fast for a stable psy-link to their partners. The second they cut their speed, and broke through the Baasratu barrier, they needed to be linked. Timing had to be damn near perfect, and speed was the key.
A message had been sent to their linking partners and the techs that would oversee the pods. Confirmation was fast in coming, but Kagura wasn't too sure they knew what they were in for. Kitakawa had gone on to announce that there were pods aboard the Tetsusiaga to offset the problem, but that had only raised more concerns.
Psychics were valued as the only beings capable of causing real lasting damage to the Baasratu. However, the only way they could do so, was through linking with a soldier trained in combat and bolstering their own energy. Combining the energies of both psychic and soldier created a lethal power able to slice through the Baasratu.
Having pods, and consequently, said psychics, aboard a ship primarily built to enter the thick of battle, only put them in needless danger. Didn't it? In the human population, civilians made up the majority at fifty-two percent, soldiers made up about thirty-eight percent and psychics fell in last at ten percent. Among the ten percent, not all those psychics became battle links. Kaede was a perfect example.
So, it was no surprise that psychics were mostly kept from battlefields and pods were equipped with higher ranges. When posed the question, Kitakawa had looked to Totosai. The old codger had muttered something of "damned fool cowards" and "kids these days!" before explaining the cloaking technology the ship would employ.
"As soon as you shatter that barrier of theirs, you'll go dark, energy wise. The Baasratu won't be able to pick up on you. Took a better half of thirty years to create that kind of technology, but it was only a theory, until a few years ago, that we were able to make it a reality."
Kitakawa had said that because Taisho and Taijya had partners aboard Eden, the both would have to use the time it would take to reach the center of the fleet by training with herself and the psychic whom had volunteered to link with Taijya. Kagura smirked in remembrance of the earnest young man that had nearly fallen over himself when he was introduced.
Kuranosuke Takeda seemed to be a childhood friend of Taijya's. A love-struck childhood friend of Taijya's. He had rushed forward as soon as Kitakawa had introduced him and grasped a hold of both of Taijya's hands in his own. He'd waxed poetic about Sango while she had stared in him in bafflement, clearly not remembering him at all. Kagura's smirk widened as she recalled the way recognition had lit Sango's eyes and she had blurted out: "Ah. Runny nose kid!"
The onrush of laughter had been halted as Totosai had literally pushed them all into the hatch of the ship. "Yes, yes. No time to waste! Butch, I'm trusting you with her. Lydia! You know the proper procedures for the energy currents! Don't screw it up!" And with that launch had been initiated and this training session had gotten underway.
While Sango had started her drills and katas, as she was supposed to; Taisho had remained still in the center of the room. His eyes were focused to the ground, but she could tell he was having a serious conversation with Kitakawa. Her curiosity bit at her relentlessly as she wondered, not for the first time, exactly what it was the two were talking about.
'It all started back when Kagome was ten.' Midoriko had started after they had linked. Her voice was soft, most likely due to the heavy emotions Sesshomaru could feel weighing her down. 'It was just after she and her peers had been assigned their Class. I don't know if you know how psychics are tested, so allow me to explain.'
Sesshomaru had moved carefully into a ready stance, more for testing the wound on his back then their link.
'When a child psychic is first designated, they are given a series of tests to figure out exactly where their talents lie. One of these tests is a large ball of yarn.'
'A ball of yarn.' Sesshomaru had paused in the stretching of his muscles at the mention of the unusual test.
'Yes. Each string wrapped within the ball of yarn contains an energy linked to a different field and there are several bunched together in the ball. The children are told to find the string, or strings, that they like the most and unravel it from the mass. They aren't told about the energy or what the strings signify. At that age, psychic energy is used by instinct. Though most of them would be attracted by their favorite color first, invariably, they would end up pulling what calls to them the most. If they didn't have the right energy to sync with the string, they would not be able to unravel it from the others.'
'Energy seeking like energy.'
'Exactly.' Midoriko paused as she thought on that fateful day. 'With Kagome, however, it was different.'
At this point, Sesshomaru had forgone any pretext of appearing to be training.
Midoriko paced up the short rows of desks, taking the time to glance at each child struggling with their ball of yarn. Murmurs of confusion and frustration made her smile as she felt small flares of energy coming from many in the room. It was times like these that she really enjoyed teaching the younger generation.
Her eyes landed on Kagome Higurashi and she allowed a soft smile to see the girl staring hard at the ball of yarn in front of her. Unlike the rest, she hadn't touched it yet, and instead was studying it intensely. Kneeling, Midoriko placed her hand on Kagome's desk to grab her attention.
"What's wrong, Higurashi? Having trouble deciding which one you like best?"
Looking up with serious eyes, Kagome had nodded and then returned to glaring at the ball. Midoriko stifled the urge to laugh at the solemn atmosphere and turned her own gaze to the ball, observing with her other senses the many different energies suffusing the strings. "You don't need to choose just one, you know. You can choose as many as you like."
Wide eyes swung to her and Kagome's mouth had opened in shock, as if she hadn't thought she could choose more than one. "Really? As many as I want?"
The excited whisper had Midoriko smiling as she gave into temptation and softly tousled the girl's hair. "Of course." Seeing the excited smile stretching the ten-year-old's face, Midoriko had stood back up and turned to focus on the small class as a whole. There were ten minutes left for the test and she glanced about, satisfied that everyone had managed to pull at least one thread from the ball. She continued another circuit around the room and was coming back to Kagome right around the final minute. 'If she hasn't unraveled any by then we'll have to stay after.' She decided, not minding the overtime.
Her eyes, however, widened at the sight of the string on Kagome's desk. Her heart stammered and her stomach dropped at the thirty different strings lined out neatly atop the synthetic wooden desk. Sensing her teacher behind her, Kagome had turned with a smile; proudly displaying the strings. "I really couldn't pick just one. Is it ok to have them all?"
Midoriko had attempted to fix her expression. Children that age were susceptible to outside emotion, especially in an adult's face. Showing her fear and apprehension at Kagome's feat would do irreparable damage. Swallowing her mixed feelings, Midoriko attempted a weak smile. "That's…amazing, Higurashi. How…how did you do it?"
'Maybe the energy in her yarn ball was faulty?'
Kagome frowned, studying the tense posture of her teacher, suddenly feeling as if she had done something wrong. "I just took them apart. You…you said I didn't have to choose just one…"
Midoriko snapped out of her daze, forcing the smile to be more genuine. "You're right, I did. You like them all?" She hid the tremble in her hands by smoothing down her pants as she again kneeled by Kagome's desk.
"Yes, but I like these more." She indicated four strings she had separated from the others slightly.
"That's right, you like the color green, huh?" Midoriko realized she sounded dazed, but this situation was…impossible. Dismissing the class, Midoriko decided she would get in touch with the council on the matter. At the least, a retest needed to be conducted.
'I take it the retest yielded the same results?' Sesshomaru asked as Midoriko paused. The humorless laugh he received in answer had him frowning.
'No. Kagome was already suspicious. We had tried to make it as innocuous as possible by retesting all the children, but she wasn't fooled. She studied the way the others struggled to pull out one or two strings and attempted to mimic them. However, I was monitoring her with my other sense, watching closely. She wasn't just manipulating the energy in the string she was attempting to pull out. She was manipulating all the others to move out of its way too.'
Sesshomaru let it sink in, knowing he couldn't fully understand exactly what it all meant, but getting the gist.
'I decided to enter her second choices as the true result and blame the first test on faulty equipment.' Midoriko answered his unasked question and went on. 'As it happened, she had chosen the strings for battle-link capacity and botanical energy. Her training was decided from then, but I couldn't help but monitor it closely. As she learned, her affinity with both flourished, and I started to believe my own false recordings. At least until her first link when she was fifteen.
'They had labeled her a prodigy. She had grasped the concept of manipulating someone else's energy almost frighteningly fast. No one else could see it, but I knew. It was more than just an affinity for linking with someone else. I could see it when we worked together in the botanical gardens. Kagome has a connection to all energy. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.
'However, there was no hiding her results in her linking tests. The military faction had gotten a hold of her scores and started the process for conscripting her into the battle program. They had wanted me to reassign her classes, gearing them more for combat and strategy. I…I couldn't bring myself to completely comply. Yes, I set her for courses the military claimed were mandatory, but I also stuffed in lessons in other areas she seemed to enjoy. Eventually it all fell to naught.
'The other lessons were gradually pushed out and the only time Kagome could come into the gardens seemed to be in her free time. I watched as her affinity with other energy waned, and in some cases, disappeared completely. We were destroying something wonderful and amazing right before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it.
'The time came for me to submit the report labeling which field Kagome would go into after graduating, but I…couldn't do it. I refused to give her a designation, and when the council called on me to ask why, I gave my case. I had been keeping track of Kagome's energy separately from the official files and used them against the definitive decision they had wanted me to make; that Kagome would be slotted for battle-linking.'
Sesshomaru's face remained passive, but something inside must have given him away because Midoriko gave another dry laugh. 'Yes, not the best choice I've ever made. The fallout from revealing what I did cost me everything I had built for myself after retiring from the battlefield. And Kagome…the council had no idea what to do with the information I had provided. It took up until the day before her graduation before they called upon her to make her own choice.
'I wasn't privy to the way the council had decided, but I think that because they had foisted so much combat and linking classes her way, that they thought she would have chosen it as her designation. Much to their great disappointment, she chose botany instead. I was transferred that very day, having been contacted by your father after the council had decided I was no longer able to mentor the young. Never got to see Kagome's graduation, or even say goodbye.'
Sesshomaru thought back to the awkward feelings of betrayal that had come from his partner, finally able to place why she would feel that way.
'How does this tie in with the Baasratu.' He not-quite-asked and Midoriko gave the feeling she was shaking her head.
'I'm not sure, I don't claim to know the mind of the Baasratu. Given their inclination toward energy manipulation, I can only speculate they have interest in Kagome because of her abilities. Her files have been hacked multiple times, so I don't think it to be a stretch that the traitor in our midst was giving her information to them in exchange for whatever they were giving back.' A sharp laugh reached his ears. 'You know, Kagome herself doesn't even know any of this. My doing. My lies…crippled her. I made her believe she was less than she was.'
'Too late for regrets, Kitakawa.' Sesshomaru nearly growled, irritated at the guilt coming from his temporary partner. Midoriko reigned in her emotions, trying not to cringe at the biting accusation in his tone. He was right. She had made her own bed and had no choice but to sleep in it. Besides…
'Kagome's strong.' She spoke the last out loud, conveying more than those simple words. A spike of contemptuous agreement washed over her from the silent captain.
'Hn.'
Lydia wacked the younger man at the back of his head and pushed his hands from the controls. "Not like that! Exactly what are you watching?!"
Brandon rubbed at the sore spot on his head and scowled at the tyrant that had taken control of the transport room. Compared to her flirty nature when he had first met her, he was sure she was a case of "the body snatchers". As soon as they had walked into the transport room and she was tasked with teaching him the controls, she had done a complete turn-around in her behavior.
"That's it! Get out! Go get me a coffee! Maybe I'll have your mistake fixed in the time you are gone!"
Still scowling he stalked from the room, unconsciously following her orders to retrieve her caffeine. He ran into a broad chest and looked up at the scowling visage of Butch. "That lady driving you batty too, huh?"
Brandon blinked as Butch shifted slightly to peer into the room around him then shifted back abruptly.
"That had better not be a good-for-nothing pilot loitering out in the halls when he is supposed to be studying those manuals!" There was a pause and both pilot and tech held their breath. "And he damn well better not be colluding with my worthless gopher…I mean assistant!"
Clearing his throat, Butch made a hasty retreat as the sound of exasperated footsteps approached the doorway. Brandon followed his lead, powerwalking all the way to the kitchen.
Kaede pulled her head back in the medical room she had been shown too when they had first launched. Stifling her giggles until the door was shut tight, she let go, reimagining the scared look on the rugged Butch's face. If anyone knew how to whip men into shape, it appeared to be Lydia.
As her laughter died down, a darker emotion welled up in its place. To distract herself from the feeling, she turned to look through the various implements provided. She was missing a few things she thought she would need, so she began thinking around the lack of equipment. She had buried herself so deep in her task, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Butch's voice thundered from the intercom.
"Eden is ten minutes out. Suit up."
Before the communication was cut, Kaede could hear Lydia in the background. "You're supposed to run this program at the same time as this one! Do you even know how to read-?" Letting out another laugh, Kaede went to put on her own suit. She would be transporting with the rest of the team. No one knew exactly what was going on inside that black sphere. One thing was for certain though; there were never too many medics.
Another boom sounded from somewhere outside her room and Kagome gripped her knees tightly. She had been sitting in the overly air conditioned room for hours when the sounds of what could only be explosions rumbled to her ears. At first, they were just minute vibrations, but as time dragged on, she could hear some sort of commotion.
She blamed the absolute silence of the room she was in. Truly, she doubted she'd be able to hear anything if there was some other noise…any other noise. She looked around the room at the mess she had made it into ruefully. In the beginning, she had been desperate to get out. Enough to try to ram expensive looking equipment into the door, hoping to either make enough noise to draw attention, or bust the door down.
Honestly, she had been banking on the first option, seeing as the door was firmly sealed. But, time had dragged on and nothing had changed. No one had come. Her energy couldn't probe past the walls she was enclosed in either, so she couldn't search for people that way. She had tried to while away the time by testing out the limits of her injury, stretching in any way she could to see how far she could push it, but that only distracted her for so long.
She had thought she was hallucinating when she heard a door open, so she nearly had a heart attack when someone shouted her name.
"Kagome!" Came from two different mouths and Kagome whipped her head to stare in shock at the sight of Miroku and Shippo fighting each other to enter her room. Shooting to her feet, something like desperation filled her as she sprinted for the two now staring at her in astonishment. Launching her body at the two, she successfully managed to push all three of them out into the hall.
"Finally! Free!"
Both males froze comically as they crashed to the floor and Kagome found she was crying even as she was laughing. "Thank god! I was imagining the worst while I was stuck in there!" She scrambled off the two and took a quick look down the hall on both sides. It ended in a dead end to her right, roughly the length of her room, and a large bulkhead door remained shut down her left. "Uh. Where are we?"
She turned her steadily narrowing gaze to Miroku as he picked himself up off the floor. "And what the hell is going on?!"
Unbiddenly, the two males looked to the other, silently debating exactly what to say. Where did they start? Miroku opened his mouth to start, but the sound of a large explosion and the ship rocking violently had him snapping it shut as he wrapped an arm around Kagome, cushioning her impact with the wall. His hand slid over her exposed back and he recoiled at the feel of rough ridges where there shouldn't be.
Beside him and slightly behind Kagome, Shippo drew his breath in a horrified gasp.
"Kagome…what…"
Gritting her teeth over the rough way Miroku's hand had connected with her scarred back, Kagome shot a look to the younger engineer. Before she could answer him, Miroku seized her shoulders and hastily spun her around. The sound of his own swift intake made her flinch and clench her eyes again.
"That bad…?" Her voice sounded shaky and nervous to her own ears. The featherlight touch to the side of her scar had her turning her head in time to catch a glimpse of Miroku's expression. It was too much for her to decipher so she turned back to face Shippo.
Shippo swallowed under the weight of her stare and shook his head. "No! I mean…well…yeah…it kinda looks like someone tried to filet-"
"Kid. Enough." Miroku barked and Shippo shut his mouth with a snap, already knowing he was swallowing his own foot.
Kagome took a shuddering breath and pulled away from the other psychic. "What's going on, Miroku? Where is everyone? …anyone? What…what are those explosions?"
Miroku took a deep breath and decided it was best to get it all out quickly. "Eden is under attack. From the Baasratu. They appeared above the ship when you were still out from the attack in that asteroid."
The shock and bewildered look on her face spoke for her. Shippo shifted nervously as he checked his screen for information on how the protective currents were holding up. In the four hours it had taken to track Kagome to the isolation room in the quarantine sector, half of which the Baasratu had actually started their attack, they had lost power to four currents. The only ones still in full effect were the helm, the northern cafeteria, the medical ward, the labs and the underbelly of the ship.
The current ringing one of the residential districts had just dropped, meaning the Baasratu were on a course for the medical ward. Looking up from his screen, Shippo realized that while he had been plotting the Baasratu's course, Miroku had continued to explain their current situation to Kagome.
"Quarantine…? Why…?"
"They wouldn't tell me. I had to get the kid to help me find you."
Kagome shot a glance to Shippo who was glaring at Miroku. "So, what do we do?" Fear was in her eyes, but Miroku was proud to see her fighting back her panic.
"Well, I have a-"
"We're going to the underbelly of the ship." Shippo cut Miroku off, ignoring the glare shot his way. Kagome frowned, crossing her arms as goosebumps crawled up them. "The underbelly?"
"Hey! What are you-?"
"I told you we were after the same thing, right? And that's getting Kagome to safety! The safest place to go is the underbelly! There's…" Shippo trailed off as he tried to find the right word. "…someone you need to meet."
Kagome frowned, thinking his pause was suspicious. Before either of the older psychics could put forth more of an argument, Shippo pulled out the big guns. "The Baasratu are already closing in on our trail. Heading for the underbelly is the only way to go, unless you want to cross paths with them?"
Miroku grit his teeth, reaffirming that he did not like the kid's smug attitude. Kagome glanced at the silently fuming Miroku and then turned to Shippo fully. "Fine. To the underbelly then. But could we maybe find me some clothes…and a bathroom? I've been wanting to go potty for a while now…"
"Yeah, the main lobby has a locker room for all medical personnel. There should be some clothes you could use stashed there…scrubs at the least. Also…" Shippo trailed off as he fussed with the map displayed on his screen. Miroku felt his teeth clench for the thousandth time he had been forced to work with the brat.
"Also…what?!" He finally asked as Kagome gave another shiver beside him.
Shippo looked up from his screen, determination painting a grim cast to his young face. "There is a weapons cache located around the main lobby. I think it would be a good idea to grab something from it; just in case."
"What happened to your explanation of 'it's the safest course!'?"
Kagome blinked at the almost snide tone Miroku was using and frowned at him. "What's wrong with being prepared?"
Miroku startled at the angry feminine voice and cringed at the indignant look Kagome was shooting him. Of course, Kagome: protector of all things small and cute. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Miroku turned a glare at the smug look painting the engineer's face.
"Fine, kid. You win." He paused as he really thought the conversation over. "Why the hell is there a weapons' cache in the medical ward?!"
Shippo gave a signature shrug as he turned to the bulkhead doors. "Gotta prepare for any eventuality."
The three of them began their search, heading past two bulkhead doors and finding themselves in the main lobby.
"It's really spooky with no one here." Kagome whispered, feeling like the star of a horror/suspense film.
"Yeah. The medical facility evacuated first." Miroku whispered back, drawn into the atmosphere. "Hopefully everyone stuck in those pods are alright."
"Yeah." Kagome thought about how Miroku said the Baasratu had caught them all up in a net of energy. Since she had been told they were under attack by the Baasratu, Kagome had withdrawn her own energy, coiling it about her tightly. Sure, she couldn't feel out anyone, but they in turn couldn't feel her.
"Hey, Kagome! The locker room for medical staff is back here!" Shippo whispered as loudly as he could, waving his arm to attract her attention. Letting out a sigh on how silly they were being, Kagome slinked her way over to the locker room and hunted down something that would fit her. Shippo rejoined Miroku, a hard gleam in his eye.
"Alright. Let's go get those weapons." Both shot a quick glance to the shut door leading to the locker room then hurried down the hall to the hidden weapon storage. "Why are we sneaking, anyway?"
Shippo shrugged. "I dunno…kind of fit the mood?" Stopping before a random section of the wall, Shippo took out his keycard, swiping it over seemingly nothing. A sharp chirp sounded and the wall slid away, revealing a small closet hung with different styles of weapons. "They all have the capability of electrical discharge, meaning we can hurt the Baasratu with 'em, but killing them will be harder. Electrical energy only disables them for a time."
Miroku shot a sardonic look at the scholarly tone the redhead took and reached in for the large black staff. Before his hand closed around it, a loud clatter had the both of them whirling to confront large fearful brown eyes. Shippo blinked before his mouth dropped open in shock.
"Rin?!"
"Shippo?!"
Miroku eased his tense frame as he studied the slightly familiar teenage girl in front of them. Where had he seen her before? At the same time he was wondering this, liquid orbs met his own and another gasp escaped her.
"You're Dr. Higurashi's friend!"
"Miss Inoue!" A harsh whisper from behind Rin sounded and both males stiffened while Rin spun around.
"Kohaku-kun! Over here!"
Limping around a corner, Kohaku Taijya took in the sight of Rin, Shippo and Miroku and let out a sigh. His eyes also took in the opened weapons cache he had been searching for earlier.
"Why aren't you in one of the escape pods?!"
Kohaku glanced to Rin and then back to Shippo, who had asked the question. "It's a long story, for another time." He got out, easing his weight off his still healing leg. "What are you doing here?"
Miroku turned back to the weapons and pulled out the staff, testing the weight in his hands. "That's also a long story for another time. Are you able to defend yourself?"
Kohaku straightened once more and gave a sharp nod. "Just fine. Hand me a saber." Miroku nodded and reached in, tossing it over to the younger guard and watching his reflexes. When he caught it with ease, he nodded again. "Great. Let's get back before Kagome thinks we left her behind."
"Dr. Higurashi's here?" Both Rin and Kohaku spoke at the same time and Miroku sighed, motioning them forward. Shippo grabbed his own saber, determined that the guard not show him up. Making sure the three were on their way back to the lobby, Miroku reached in and grabbed a third saber. Kagome would want the chance to defend herself, after all.
A loud squeal from ahead of him had him wincing as he watched an overly excited teenager fling herself onto a scrub-wearing Kagome. "Dr. Higurashi!"
Kagome steadied herself as well as the large object that had barreled into her. Hands gripped the back of her shirt and she winced as they pulled at her scarred back. "Oh, Dr. Higurashi! Today has just been a nightmare!"
"Rin-chan?" Kagome looked from the shorter girl to a third figure hobbling over beside Shippo. "Taijya-san? What…?"
"Uh, can we do explanations and stories later?" Shippo cut in as Kohaku was opening his mouth. His eyes were on his screen and the little red flashes had him panicking. The current surrounding the medical ward was failing.
A commotion from down the hall had them all freezing and spinning to stare in the direction.
"Right. That's our cue!" Miroku nearly shouted as the commotion got louder and the sound of sharp scraping joined in. Grabbing a hold of Kagome's arm, he propelled the both of them down the hall leading to an emergency lift Shippo had pointed out as their designation. As they reached the lift's door and Shippo began unlocking it, a terrible screeching crunch had their eyes fastening on the only bulkhead door standing between them and the Baasratu.
A large, red-glowing claw punched through a corner of the door. Sounds spilled into the long empty corridor. Shouts that had Miroku taking another breath into lungs that had frozen in fear. Shouting meant human. It wasn't just Baasratu behind that door. There were soldiers too. Gripping his staff in front of him, Miroku thrust the saber he had obtained from the cache to Kagome.
"Here. Put your thumb on the scanner." He instructed, keeping his eyes on the door steadily being peeled apart like a banana. He had to shout over the horrible screaming coming from the metal. "Whack at anything alien!"
Kagome took the saber, her eyes also trained on the door rapidly falling away to reveal beings she had only seen in lessons and through the "eyes" of her partner. Shippo cursed as his fingers slipped and input the wrong number to the lift. The sounds echoing down the hall had him trembling in fear as he tried to keep his panic back.
Rin gripped a hold of Kohaku, her breath rapid pants. She looked from the rigid back of Miroku to the trembling hands of Shippo. She opened her mouth to suggest they make a break for it when the doors to the lift opened with a soft "ding!". Before Shippo could celebrate, a loud crash followed by a sudden short silence had him spinning around. The bulkhead door was torn completely from the wall and the five Baasratu standing in the opening had paused, causing the silence.
"I don't think we'll be able to take the lift." Miroku murmured as the commotion started up again and the Baasratu began a slow walk to where they stood.
When they had arrived to the first point and their speed had slowed, it had been explained that the rest of the battleships in the area were attacking the Baasratu warships as a distraction. Inuyasha, Kouga, Ayame and Kagura had linked with their psychics' mere moments before they had appeared on the battlefield. Standing in the transport room, Sesshomaru was working on calming the anxiety he had never felt before.
The fact that Kitakawa was quietly murmuring reassurances had his teeth on edge. Butch's voice over the intercom announced they were ready to pop the Baasratu bubble, and to brace for impact. Gripping a hold of the handles interspersed throughout, the whole team waited for some sort of turbulence.
"Woo! Sliced through that shit like butter!" Butch crowed over the intercom and Inuyasha let out a grumble.
"Feh! Feel like a fuckin' moron…"
"That's because you are." Kouga shot to the younger Taisho and both were interrupted by an overly cheerful Lydia.
"Beginning transport! You'll be in the northern hanger. Good luck!"
Without any other warning, the team felt the familiar nauseous lurch and a shift of scenery. Tensing and ready for a fight, they took in the destruction. There was no movement, but red and orange was painted in splotches everywhere. Bodies of both Baasratu and human beings lay scattered about.
Ignoring the horrified gasps from Ayame and Sango, Sesshomaru began stalking forward, his eyes on the map displayed by his armband and his ear turned towards Kitakawa.
'No enemy or ally movement in the hanger. It's dead.' Her voice was monotone and Sesshomaru made the brief comparison to the first time he had linked with Kagome. It was clear where she had learned it from. 'As far as I can tell, the fighting has escalated and moved into the ship.'
"What are the red flashes on the map?" Kouga asked out loud, probably already having asked his partner to no avail.
'They are protected areas. If they are flashing the Baasratu haven't managed to infiltrate them.' Sesshomaru relayed the information and asked a question of his own.
'Where is the medical ward.'
Midoriko glanced to the map and explained to him that it was one of the larger red lined areas. 'The current barrier is still up, Kagome is still safe.' She added in last and hid a smile at how that seemed to tick him off.
"They've made it to the residential area. Let's move."
Sango shot a glance to Kaede, expecting to see fear or apprehension. What she saw was a hard light in her eyes and a jaw tightened in determination. The girl had guts and experience. "Stick close to me, Kaede." She got out as the both of them followed behind their team leader; Inuyasha falling in back to keep an eye on the room.
"There is no one I can save in here, anyway." Kaede murmured, her limited energy feeling out what she could.
Kikyo, having picked up on her words through Inuyasha, let out a small sigh. For the most part, Inuyasha had left his partner alone. Her emotions were all over the place since the asteroid mission, and he knew they had only gotten worse with each new revelation. The worst part about it was, was that Kikyo withdrew into herself when she got emotional. All he could really sense from her was an icy wall.
The team moved fast, only pausing to check on survivors and killing anything alien that still moved. "I know they have onboard soldiers and battle-links…but some of these marks don't make sense." Kouga muttered as he examined a scorch mark that looked like some sort of explosive had gone off. The half-deteriorated form of a Baasratu laying in the scorch mark's wake, made him raise an eyebrow. "What the hell else is fighting the enemy?"
"From the looks of it, a cyborg with heavy artillery." Sesshomaru answered absently, still tracking his map as they moved.
"A cyborg?! Those were outlawed after the massacre a hundred years back!" Inuyasha exclaimed from behind and Sesshomaru shot him a glare.
"Are you sure?" Kouga asked at a lower volume, staring pointedly at the assassin. Sesshomaru spared him a glance but didn't answer. They got to a fork in the corridor and paused.
"The Baasratu split up after this. Other ships have already started transport onto Eden, so back-up is on the way." Ayame reported, watching communications from the other ships on her screen and listening in her earpiece.
'Which way to the medical ward.' Sesshomaru reiterated and Midoriko indicated the left. As he turned to stalk down the hall a hand on his shoulder had him whirling around. Kouga quickly held up his hands and took a step back.
"Look, we know you want to get to the medical ward. Ain't gonna stop you. But the Baasratu have also headed further into the residential."
"So, we're splitting up?" Ayame asked, more for confirmation. "I'm heading into residential with Wolfe, then."
Sango blinked at the sudden decision to split before heading over to Captain Taisho. "Medical ward."
Kagura glanced to Inuyasha. "Residential."
Inuyasha let out a groan but knew where his partner wanted to go. "Medical."
Kaede, wanting to go to the medical ward, but knowing she'd be needed in the residential, gave Inuyasha a hard look. "Take care of my family." She scowled and turned to follow Kagura, Ayame and Kouga.
Inuyasha scoffed and turned, startled that Sesshomaru and Sango were already leaving him in the dust. "Oi! Hold up!"
Turning a bend in the corridor, the sounds of battle reached their ears. The screech of Baasratu and the shouts of men had them tensing as they came up on what could only be chaos. Eyes narrowing, Sesshomaru bent his knees, readying himself for the speed he would need to bypass the clutter and get ahead.
"The current to the medical ward is down! They've broken through!" Sango had the chance to shout over the noise before Sesshomaru was gone, disappearing into the thick of battle. Inuyasha traded glances with her before moving in to assist a soldier having trouble. Sango took a deep breath and raised her own saber, slashing at the first Baasratu in her path.
Miroku kept his arm out, pushing Rin and Kagome back towards the lift as he studied the strange way the Baasratu were moving. Contrary to what he had thought, instead of rushing at them in attack, they instead, were slowly moving in their direction. As if studying them. Worryingly enough, as more Baasratu spilled into the hall, it seemed as if even more had turned back to fight off the soldiers attacking them. As if blocking them from the hall.
About twenty feet in front of them, the advancing guard of Baasratu stopped completely and Miroku felt Kohaku tense beside him. "What…what are they doing?" His voice was raspy and Miroku had to swallow at the sound, knowing his would be just as nervous sounding.
"I don't know." He managed to murmur back before two of the Baasratu parted in the front and something stooped and knobby ambled forward.
"Human girl."
The voice had the hairs standing up on his arms and he was alarmed to realize the one talking was the Baasratu-esque thing that had come forward. Rin and Kagome both froze behind the two men standing in front of them.
"Human girl. Come…forward."
Kagome let out a shaky breath and pushed Rin back behind her and onto the lift. She took a step around Miroku and shook off the hand he grabbed her arm with. At her movement, the Baasratu also shifted, and she felt something flick at her. She would liken it to a snake's tongue, testing her energy.
"Yeeees…Come…"
"What…what do you want?" Her voice was just as shaky as her limbs, but the only thought on her mind was: she had to stall. The Baasratu couldn't keep the soldiers out forever, and if they were going to talk, it meant they weren't going to attack them.
The hunched over Baasratu in front of them slowly straightened, the orange…robes…it wore fluttering at its movement. Kagome watched with first confusion and then horror as twin slits on the Baasratu's head opened and she found herself staring into orange eyes. This Baasratu had eyes. Completely solid orange eyes. All except for the deeply red slit that broke up the middle.
"Yeeees…you…"
Another energy probe struck at her and suddenly her small shield burst. Like a flood, her energy spilled from the container she had locked it in, whipping out in all directions and taking in her surrounds with a deluge of information. The most frightening of the information she could grasp was that every single Baasratu in that corridor was focused on her with all their intensity.
A gasp left her mouth and her knees suddenly felt weak, but not because of the Baasratu in front of her. As her energy had burst out, reconnecting with everything around her, she had felt him. Sesshomaru. He was here. In that corridor, just beyond the shattered door.
"Come…human girl…and we will leave your race alone."
At the voice, Kagome crashed back into the situation she was currently in. "What?!"
"Like hell you-!" Miroku's outburst was cut off as a sudden crash of energy had all standing behind her smashing into the ground. Kagome shot a quick look behind her to see that everyone had been forced to the ground under what she could only describe as a gravity-like energy. Her eyes shot back to the tall Baasratu with the creepy eyes.
"Come…we want…only you."
Kagome swallowed convulsively and clenched her fists. She took a few steps forward, her breath escaping her mouth in an attempt to keep calm. Her heart was going a mile a minute and her legs trembled with every step. "You'll leave everyone alone…?"
"Yeeees…come…"
Muffled protests came from behind her as Kagome took a couple more steps forward. The Baasratu hadn't moved from where they were and she was now closer to the creepy-eyed Baasratu than her friends. Narrowing her eyes, she prayed to any deity that might be listening that she would survive this confrontation.
"No way in hell!" Shouting it out like a battle cry, she raised the saber she had been clutching in her hand, willing her energy to infuse it so she could at least cause some damage in distracting the Baasratu.
Moving faster than she had thought she could, she grit her teeth as the light blue lined saber fell through the air to meet with the arm that had been raised to stop it. Her tensed arms prepared for resistance, so it was understandable when she nearly fell when there was none. Both the Baasratu and herself watched in astonishment as her saber cleaved into the arm and then into its torso with no resistance whatsoever. She jerked back, bringing the saber with her and stumbled a few steps, staring in shock.
The Baasratu stared down at its severed arm, before shifting to look at the gaping tear she had carved into its chest. There's no blood. Kagome thought in abstraction as she stared down at the arm. She blinked when she caught sight of something and peered closer. The arm was…disintegrating? She had enough time to think this before a terrible screech rang through the air.
Looking up, she watched with her mouth slightly hanging, as the Baasratu she had attacked let out another shriek and appeared to be…melting from where she had sliced it. Absently, she registered the fact that the energy behind her had disappeared and that Kohaku and Miroku had leapt to their feet, rushing to her side. Which was definitely a good thing, because the Baasratu had not stopped to stare at their deteriorating leader.
"Kagome! Snap out of it!" Miroku shouted as he fended off red-tipped claws, swinging his staff around and knocking two of the taller aliens back from them.
Kagome shook off her shock and turned to the enraged enemy. She had no idea what the hell her energy had done, but she knew one thing. It was effective against the Baasratu! Swinging the saber, that she had only a vague idea on how to use, she let out a satisfied grunt as the same thing happened as before. Her saber slid through, meeting almost no resistance and the enemy cried out as it began to disintegrate.
He could feel her just ahead. Through the broken-down door. Slicing through an enemy in his path, Sesshomaru dodged a set of claws. She was so close, he could feel her. Heart picking up speed, Sesshomaru ignored the voice of Kitakawa as he zeroed in on where she was. Gritting his teeth in irritation as swarms of Baasratu seemed to be in his way, Sesshomaru slid past a downward slash, severing the arm the claws were attached to.
"Kagome! Snap out of it!" Was shouted ahead and his ears nearly twitched at the sound of her name. Three more Baasratu fell to his saber before he was through the door and closing in on the one he sought.
The bright flash of light blue energy caught his eye first, followed by a ripple of long dark hair. She turned and he caught the fierce tilt of her chin and the fire in sapphire eyes. Something dark and primal burned in the pit of his stomach as he locked onto her face, his lips lifting into a savage grin. She was there.
Slicing through her forth enemy, Kagome wondered if they were endless. High on adrenaline and the success of her own attacks, she realized that she could feel Sesshomaru getting close. Really close. As a matter of fact-! Before she could finish her thought, a black saber was stabbing her opponent through the chest from over her shoulder. A hand clamped onto her opposite arm, spinning her around to face the one behind her.
She caught the brief flash of molten amber before hot lips descended on her own and an energy she had been unconsciously seeking since her shields had dropped washed over her completely. Letting out a small whimper, she had only succeeded in opening her mouth just enough for his tongue to slip inside and tangle with her own.
A clatter sounded from beside them and then his hands were framing her face, tilting her head slightly for a better angle. Her hands, not wanting to remain idle, released what they had been holding and she found herself clutching onto the front of his suit.
Miroku let out a breath as the Baasratu in front of him was downed by the silver-haired man that had come in to assist. Looking up to thank the soldier, he was waylaid by the look of utter horror plastered to the man's face. Following his line of sight, is own mouth dropped open at the sight of Kagome, wrapped up in the arms of a second silver-haired man, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.
"What the fuck?!"
Sango, who had followed behind the Taisho brothers at a much slower pace, dispatched the last of the Baasratu in the room and spun around at the shout that came from a familiar voice. Before finding the one she was looking for, her eyes found the debacle that had, no doubt, inspired the shout.
'Well…go Captain Taisho…' Kuranosuke murmured.
xXx
Whew! This was a hard as hell chapter to get through! Eighteen hours spent just on writing it! Not consecutively, of course. Still, I didn't want to break it up into two, because I promised. It's nearly twice as long as the other chapters, but ya'll forgive me, right?
Thank you for reading, and as always, please review.
