Chapter 7: Benisuzume on the hunt

On this day a number of events are taking place, the trial for Andrews, our little hunt, and a briefing about the other Tsumugi… and where she will be assigned to, after Kunato expressed his concerns about his lab and projects. First is the briefing, announcing the end result to Sidonia, the trial, and than Reaper wing's little hunt. I head to the meeting wearing my hybrid suit that was recreated using the Black Guard fusion by product, a fabric that has the same defense as the armor, and fuses to the hybrid form meaning no ripped clothing. When I get in there several people from different places are here, including Kunato.

"It seems I ran late, what did I miss?"

"The entire meeting, however I congratulate you."

"Oh, for what must I be congratulated for?"

"The Tsumugi from this alternate timeline was assigned to Reaper wing, out of demand."

"Demand?"

"Yes the Tsumugi in question said she wanted to be with others like her, which was Reaper wing or stay with Kunato Developments, and that I wouldn't stand for."

"Hmm alright, good thing I am in a better mood this morning."

"I will show you to the public speech area."

"Thank you, Kunato."

I follow him all the way there, and I see Andrews in cuffs being brought to the Captain.

"Good luck; you will need it for them to accept your group as trustworthy."

"You mean like your talk?"

"Yes like mine to Sidonia."

"Well let's hope mine goes better."

I head out on the metal lift, makes me think of the talk when Johnson introduced us to the Freedom.

"Thank you Sidonia for letting me talk to you all, I know we have a lot of differences and that some may not trust us, but I assure you that Reaper wing will not go out of control."

"Tsumugi showed she could be trusted, you just showed up and hid the fact you were hybrids!"

"I know that much needs to be explained, but we are not your enemies, we are allies."

"Don't try and hide the fact you lied to get aboard the Sidonia!"

"I didn't lie, I was never asked by anyone but the Captain."

"When you came aboard you fled the fight with Gauna 550, why should we trust you?!"

"I didn't flee, the Garde I pilot has a special shield that reflects any beam weapon away from it, meaning if it fired again I would have to repair the Garde for months but the Sidonia would survive."

"Why should we believe that, if your Garde had that all the rest would?!"

"Enough of that, I didn't come to be chewed out by people who don't want to listen to my answers, I came to explain the event four days ago."

"From the reports it was that Rex hybrid that caused it, and it could have destroyed Sidonia!"

Great now Garde pilots are yelling at me over it.

"The even wasn't just from Rex, the event was caused by a time and space explosion in some different timeline, that caused a rift. The whole reason I am here to explain is on Rex's behalf and for the survivor from this explosion."

"There was a survivor?"

"Yes from this alternate world, a sole survivor was recovered, you all know her as Tsumugi Shiraui, and this leads me to explain that there is now two Tsumugi aboard the Sidonia."

"Two Tsumugi?"

"Yes and unlike here things were incredibly different, to prevent any harm to Sidonia or Garde pilots, the Tsumugi from the different timeline is being assigned to Reaper wing. Now if you have any questions, ask them please."

"Why did the Captain assign you another hybrid, you already have 16 of them!?"

"That was a question to ask Kunato and the Captain, not me."

"Why were you trusted with Tsumugi, you break protocols as you see fit and according to the declassified files you have no restraints of any sort?!"

"I take offence to that, I have only broken one protocol when I went to save Tsumugi and Izana during 550, and the party was authorized by the Captain."

"The generation that survived the disaster a hundred years ago will never trust you!"

"Very well then, if some of the older folks don't believe me, than I will show you when we defeat the Gauna cluster and secure peace! But until than I will do what we have done and support the war effort with our research and our strength. Good bye, and may the stars guide you."

I turn and scowl, I knew some wouldn't listen but almost everyone didn't… at least there wasn't garbage being thrown at me… spoke to soon it seems a can hit the back of my head. Head to the wing hanger and hear the sound of the wooden training swords smacking each other, I walk in to see Herald and Tanikaze training with them.

"Listen Tanikaze if this was a real fight you would have been beheaded roughly 20 times by now."

"I still don't see how this will help; if a Gauna attacks I will be in a Garde, not on foot."

"Well if you ever hope to beat me in combat, you need to train."

"Ah John, didn't see you come in, Tanikaze and I were just training so he can have a fair chance against my teacher, aka you."

"He's been teaching me well, wish he didn't hit as hard though."

"We are hybrids Tanikaze, he is hitting lightly."

"Oh didn't notice you were here Little O."

"Don't call me that, you killed my brother!"

"He was trying to kill us first."

"It doesn't matter he could have been saved!"

"Enough John, Oliver break it up the last thing we want is a fight!"

"True, now get ready for the hunt I want my best pilots out there, and we need a vat ready when we return."

"Why a vat?"

"For Oracle, I left our sister behind because she is ill, I won't leave her this time."

"John are you insane? She is the oldest one of us, she is the hybrid 001, she was the first the Freedom made and kept alive."

"I need answers, and she has them."

"You're bringing Oracle here?"

"Yes, she can't stay on the asteroid forever."

"She can't stay alive forever either."

"Who is Oracle?"

"The only hybrid that has a genetic default, her ena disintegrates unless in a tank 24/7 however she has been able to read the future in the past."

"Read the future?"

"Yeah, and according to Thomas's old research before he went insane, one of the first 200 she was the mother DNA that was taken and used as a cloning source."

"So we need to look for a girl?"

"Nope the first 200 were all boys, and unlike cloning here we were made when they used different father and mother DNA, we only knew our fathers."

"Rex enough history lessons, is the new launch elevator ready?"

"Yeah me and the Gardes made it was about to test it why?"

"Because I want our newest Reaper in the field with us."

"And what about Herald, he is grounded thanks to Roy?"

"Well there goes the plan, we need three fast Gardes, the Vanguard makes one, the Regulator makes two, our newest Reaper makes three, without the Phantom we can't get this hunt started."

"Hunt?"

"Yes Tanikaze a hunt for Gauna cores."

"But that means fighting Gauna."

"Yup, that's why I was planning on bringing ten people however I only have four Reapers that are allowed to leave Sidonia. Drawing from the Garde list is off limits unless they volunteer."

"I'll come."

"Tanikaze you would be putting your life in danger, and be gone for four days are you sure you want to come?"

"Yeah I can ask Izana and Tsumugi if they can come too."

"John, that's not an option after this morning argument you barely broke up."

"I know that they fight like cats and dogs, most literally."

"They fought over cats and dogs?"

"Yeah one loves cats, one loves dogs, and opposites don't attract for those two."

"Who?"

"The two Tsumugi had a fight this morning they both started to talk to me in Kunato developments and it led to them arguing… in my face at 0500."

"Ha is that why you were in a bad mood this morning?"

"Yeah, but if they were to get along that would make it six and if Izana came seven, for us to get a intact Gauna core we need ten."

"I can ask Samari, Kouichi, and Ichirou."

"No they are needed here."

"You do owe Kouichi an apology for letting him drink the hybrid cocktail during the party."

"Rex they are needed here."

"John, admit it you need them."

"Herald I don't want to jeopardize Sidonia while I go and get an intact core for a sword, which may not even work."

"That's why we need the best, besides Ben already called them while we were arguing."

"BEN!"

"A thousand apologies master John, but we need it so we can have a battle plan when we go after the Union Ship, and so you know if what we talked about it true."

"Ben shut up or I will rip you only eye out."

"I will remain silent."

After a small argument Samari and Kouichi show up.

"Sorry about Ben, did he try to get you to come with?"

"He asked if we were open to come on a small pick up mission why?"

"Well Kouichi, we are doing that but unlike a normal run we are going past the PNR and fighting Gauna without Kabi, returning with a REALLY old hybrid, and flying at near light speed, which means the mark 18 may just fly apart. So its not just a pick up mission its life or death for anyone that comes."

They both are silent.

"However we get an ace in the hole if we bring this hybrid home, my brother here likes to leave important information out when he is dealing with other people."

"What type of ace?"

"The weapon no one person controls and always changes when you read it, the future."

"The future?"

"Yes this hybrid is Oracle and she has been spot on so far, from Big O going bad and trying to kill John, Tsumugi being born on the Sidonia, Tanikaze becoming a Knight, and I really hope she is wrong about the last part."

"What's the last part?"

"That she won't live to see the end of this war."

"Well it sounds like an important thing to me if we can tell what the Gauna will do it will be easy for us to win."

"She barely lived getting her to the asteroid base, chances are we can't get her to Sidonia, however we could bring the asteroid to Sidonia."

"You want to bring an asteroid to Sidonia?"

"A terraformed asteroid that has enough food, air, and water to keep a hundred people alive for tens of thousands of years... and without risking Oracle dying in transit."

"I say we do it, if this asteroid has food and water, that means that Sidonia could have more in storage and this Oracle sounds like a tactical advantage."

"Fine Ichirou if you Samari and Kouichi want to come you all can, but we won't have Kabizashi or core penetration rounds."

"What will we use to fight Gauna then?"

"Ionizer capture rods."

"And how can they beat a Gauna?"

"They leave them alive but the ena is destroyed and they are frozen at temperatures below -200, making it impossible to regenerate. This is all for an experiment, because we can't have someone as big as a Garde live in the hanger."

"Are you saying you could freeze a Gauna in a freezer and keep them from being a threat to Sidonia?"

"No each head of the rod has a battery of two hours, and it takes at least four to make what we are going to make."

"I can be a spear John, I am ready!"

"No! You would fare no better than those Cadets on that ice asteroid that faced that Gauna!"

"I am not a Cadet I was trained for this, I am ready to become better than you think I am!"

"I promised Big O that I won't let you get killed by the Gauna or anything but old age and I am keeping that promise!"

"You were there?"

I didn't even notice Tanikaze was paying attention to me when Rex was explaining what we were doing.

"Yes the day I learned of the Sidonia was when a Gauna faced off against six Cadets and one was eaten."

"You had Kabizashi, you could have killed that thing and spared Akai and his squad!"

"Tanikaze if I had showed that I was there and I was a hybrid I would have died from demand of the people of Sidonia, and if I had gotten there just thirty seconds quicker I world have killed that Gauna and got some ice for us, but your team was there quicker than me."

Tanikaze was just staring at me in disbelieve… I think this is the start of me getting kicked out of his house. My thoughts are cut short when a security guard enters and approaches us.

"Yes Officer?"

"We are here with Tsumugi, should we open the hanger door?"

"Yes, Tanikaze I recommend you stay here if you're emotionally compromised your no use in this hunt, and old relics are at that asteroid including some Gardes from Sidonia."

Tanikaze walks out of the hanger and Ichirou follows, most likely going to talk to him.

"Including Rex, Tsumugi, Ichirou, Samari, Oliver, Kouichi, and myself we have seven we need three more members."

"Izana could come."

"We could ask but Tanikaze is upset thanks to me, chances are she won't come."

"We could finish cleaning the Phantom of Roy's paint job and Herald could come."

"No he is suspended Captain's orders; after all we can't have him fighting with a pilot."

"Master John, Izana and the other Tsumugi could come, and no Gauna can attack the Sidonia badly enough to destroy it while we are away, and it would have well over 400 Gardes to defend it with core penetration rounds."

"Tanikaze is coming he just had gone to clear his head."

"Thank you Ichirou for letting me know."

Over the next hour the Ion spears are loaded onto the Gardes and Tsumugi and her pilot are getting ready and are briefed on the plan. We all launch, Izana and Tanikaze were late to join us

"Ok Reaper wing and guests lets get this hunt ready, now Tanikaze, and both Tsumugi if I hear any fighting from you I will get out of my Garde and one of you can head back am I clear?"

"Yes John, you are clear, but be kinder on the kids ok?"

"I will try Rex."

"All ten of us must clasp formation to reach the base with enough Particles to land, once there we will refuel, eat, repair the Gardes, and plan for tomorrow."

"Wait how far is this base?"

"Past the point of no return, however with the Vanguard and Tsumugi we should be able to reach there with 40% of our Heigus Particles remaining."

"Well Rex, let's hope that's accurate."

We all clasp and go out of contact with Sidonia, it takes ten minutes to reach the asteroid, and the particle count of each Garde, is a steady 30%.

"Ok welcome to the outpost, Rex keep an eye on them I will space walk to the personal door and unlock the door."

"Ok, good luck John."

I get out and use the suits systems to reach the small hatch and open it; the airlock was closed and lit… Oracle knew we were coming.

"John you just went in how is the door open already?"

"Oracle knew and opened the door I guess."

We all enter and hook the Gardes up to Heigus fuel cells. Tanikaze closes his eyes and walks out of the hanger area when he sees what was left of four Gardes.

"Those are from Akai squad… you recovered them?"

"Yes and buried the dead."

"Welcome back, to the outpost John, it has been four years since you were in this base, radio chatter is so impersonal for me."

"Hey Oracle, I see Rex hacked you into the PA system."

"Yes now I am the eyes and ears of the entire base, minus the bedrooms and restrooms."

"Well that's good."

"Who are the young ones, by the looks of them they aren't even a year old yet?"

"They are Tsumugi, I will…"

"I know what had happened but couldn't find out the name."

We all sit and talk about the plan while we eat, although through a vote Oliver was given a spear position, which makes me uneasy. The spears are Oliver, Samari, Tanikaze, Kouichi, and Ichirou. The decoys are Tsumugi, Izana, Rex, and I.

"Alright everyone get to the hanger and sleep in the Gardes or attached to a safety rail, the power for gravity turns off in ten minutes and won't be back on until 0800 tomorrow morning. If this is your first time sleeping in zero G than sleep in a Garde. Only if you don't mind being attached to a safety rail do that."

"This is Oracle, Tsumugi I recommend you dig your claws into the rock to prevent you from floating about."

I almost forgot about Mozuku, she hasn't spoken a single word since we left Sidonia… and forgot her gravity belt… guess she thought we wouldn't need one?

"Mozuku, since you don't have a gravity belt sleep in the Vanguard. I have a belt so I will use the railing."

She just nods and heads to my Garde. All but one railing is rusted apart… disrepair from being away meant that this place isn't as safe as Sidonia… not by a long shot as I found out when I notice the last rail was in bad shape… just my luck.

"This is a gravity alert, the gravity power core will go offline for recharging in two minutes, please get in a Garde or attach to a safety rail to prevent injuries."

I attach my gravity belt to it at give a small tug; although it didn't break it did shift… just my day. Gravity turns off and the only things moving are the railing, Ben, and myself.

"Master John, that railing has a 98% chance of failing."

"I survived being tossed trough eighteen walls; I think I can survive floating around if push comes to shove."

Ben was right because right after I said that the railing cracked and the belt retracted.

"Told you so."

The hanger's door was open but the environmental force field was in effect holding the air in and keeping the vacuum out. The view from the hanger allowed you to see a lot of stars including the Lem star, it was peaceful… almost as if it was planned. I use the katana that was given to me as an anchor in the wall to keep myself from floating into the force field, I fall asleep not long after attaching the belt to it.

The next morning after a quick brief and a meal we launch from the hanger and head to where the five Gauna cores were detected to find nothing.

"What's going on I thought you said there was Gauna here?"

"I don't know my scans earlier said five now all I have on sensors is a Heigus engine emission."

"There's no Gardes this far out, whom or what could it be?"

"Could it be a Hawk Moth?"

"Let's hope not Oliver."

"Contact… its REALLY quick, can't get a lock with the sensors."

"Nobody panic, and don't try and chase it."

"Wait two more same speed and heading."

"Three of them great."

"Tanikaze you fought the Crimson Hawk Moth before, are you sure it died?"

"I got it with a Kabi blade, it did disintegrate."

"Wait I managed a quick lock… those other two are Hawk Moths!"

"Great two Hawk Moths and an unknown Gauna."

"The third one just popped back up… it's right on top of us!"

I look behind me and quickly catch the Gauna's "arm" it was a Crimson Hawk Moth in the appearance of a Garde with the number 702 on it, it attacks using a Heigus Particle cannon that I barely dodge making me let go.

"It's a Hawk Moth alright!"

"Forget the Ionizer rods, use the Kabizashi that we brought with!"

"Don't splitter off, watch your backs everyone."

Didn't Tanikaze already kill this thing twice, how many more times must we kill this thing?!

To be continued…