I Don't own Saber Rider or SeiJushi Bismarck. Don't sue me.
Chapter 11: Love Endures
"It'll be nice to be back at Cavalry Command for a while," Fireball says with a sigh. "We've been gone for nearly a year."
Colt nods and moves his hat away from his eyes, "I'm lookin' forward to stayin' in one place for a bit."
"I'm sure you can't wait to see your father again, right, April?" Fireball asks.
April smiles and nods, "It's been a long time. I haven't really even talked to him outside of an email in about a month. I emailed him a couple of days ago to tell him we were coming in for a few days, but he hasn't replied. I'm hoping we can have dinner and talk awhile."
"I'm sure he's just been busy," Fireball replies as they receive a signal for an incoming communication.
April hits the reply and Commander Eagle's face appears on her screen. "Oh, hello Father," April says cheerfully.
The Commander smiles, but it fades quickly. "It's good to see you too, April," he starts, getting the attention of the others and they send the image to their main screen. "I would have contacted you soon, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to reroute you."
"What's going on?" April asks.
"One of our agents was undercover among the Outriders, and I'm afraid he's been compromised."
"What do you need us to do, sir?" Saber asks quietly.
"Are you familiar with the CRI Train System?" the Commander asks.
Saber nods. "One of the most advanced rail systems used for civilian and military transports. It's on Ganymede, isn't it?" he asks.
The Commander nods. "The agent's name is Anthony Louvre, a former colleague of mine."
"Yvette's father?!" April practically yells.
"The same." her father replies with a nod. "I want you to meet him at the station and escort him back to us. He says he has some valuable information about a new Outrider plant."
"What kind of plant, sir?" Saber asks.
"We believe the plant's primary function is to produce more sophisticated renegade units. However, Anthony also hinted that there may be other threats as well. I've sent you the location of the station and it's current route. You should be able to arrive before the train does."
"Heading that way now," Fireball states, casting a glance to Saber, who nods.
"Keep me abreast of the situation. Come to me as soon as you get him."
"We will, sir," Saber replies. The connection terminates and Saber glances over to April. "I take it this man and your father were close?"
April nods. "He has a daughter close to my age. We used to play together when we were little."
"Well, we should arrive within the hour, so let's try and get this done, shall we?" he replies. The others nod and they head off towards their destination.
Nearly an hour goes by uneventfully when Colt speaks up, "Looks like we got some trouble up ahead," he quips.
"Aye, a lot of Outriders and the train seems to be their target," Saber says grimly. "Let's head out and try and end this fight," Saber states as he, Colt, and Fireball head out. They immediately draw fire and they spread out and start making headway. A loud explosion is heard.
"They blew out the bridge!" April calls over the com-link.
"I'll try to get to the engines and stop it," Saber calls back.
"We'll try and cover you," April replies.
Saber heads towards the front of the train, coming up next to the engine compartment and manages to board it. once in the engine compartment, he sees the two crewmen dead and looks ahead to see the train rapidly approaching the area that the bridge used to be. "Damn it," he mutters as he grapples with the emergency brakes and nothing happens. "I can't get this to slow down," he says over the com-link to no one in particular as he tries anything he can to stop the train.
Suddenly, the train starts slowing after a large thump and Saber looks out to see the Bismark robot stopping the train as if it were a toy, just a short way from the drop off.
"I'm glad you were able to stop it in time," Saber replies, with obvious relief. Looking around, he notices the fighters are gone. "Ran them off, I see."
"Yeah. A few of them got away," Colt replies.
"Let's see about the passengers and try to find professor Louvre," Saber says and they start going through the train, finding most of the passengers dead or dying.
"Over here!" April calls as she struggles to help a man sit up. The others rush over and move the man to a vacant seat. "Professor Louvre?" April says hesitantly.
The man looks up, his breathing shallow and a wound in his back bleeding heavily, "Make sure your father gets this," Louvre says as he gasps for air.
"We've got help coming," April says quietly as the man places an object in her hand.
"Tell Yvette I love her," he manages to say as his breathing becomes more labored. His hand becomes slack and he releases his last breath as the soldiers from Cavalry Command arrive.
April fights back tears and Fireball places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She clutches the item to her chest, then holds it out to study it. "It's a locket," she says barely a whisper as she opens it to reveal a picture of the Professor, his wife, and daughter.
"It has something on the inside of the lid," Fireball states and April turns it so he can get a better look. "It appears to be some sort of microfilm."
Perhaps this was a backup in case of something happening to him," Saber states. "Not many things can read this anymore," Saber adds quietly. "We need to get this back to Cavalry Command."
"I need to find Yvette first. She has the right to know about her father, and I'd rather tell her myself," April says as she struggles to keep her composure.
Saber nods, "We should contact your father. He may know where to find her and wish to accompany you."
"I'll try to call him now," April replies quietly before heading back to her saddle unit to make the call.
A few hours later, April is walking along a street talking with a young woman close to her age. "I wish I could say that we got there in time, but we didn't. I didn't even know he was working with my father until he had been compromised, Yvette." April says. "I'm sorry we didn't make it in time," she adds quietly.
"Sorry?" Yvette says, struggling to keep her composure. "The best you can say is sorry?! I've just lost my only family and that is the best you can do."
April starts to speak and hesitates, trying to think of what to say.
"I wish my father had never met yours. Maybe then I'd still have him," Yvette says bitterly. "I wish he'd never became involved in this damned war."
"Your father has saved countless lives by doing what he's done. Because of him we may be able to find the factory that is making the Renegade units and destroy them before the Outriders get a chance to use them. If we're lucky, it'll end the war," April replies.
"I'm not part of your war. It's not my fight," Yvette says as she turns to leave. "You're not one of them are you?" she asks quietly.
"Yes, I am. I'm fighting so that we can remain free," April replies.
"We all are, Fireball states as he and Colt, and Saber come up from another area and slowly make their way towards the two women. "Perhaps you should think about things before walking away, your life may very well be at risk. We just want to talk to you." Reluctantly, she agrees and they head to an office to talk.
"Unfortunately, you're involved whether you want to be or not," Fireball states as Yvette sits down and they begin talking. "I know you don't want to be here, but we feel that there might be a chance that your father said something to you that might help us. Even something that seems insignificant to you."
"If we don't win this fight, many more people will die," April adds. "You don't want your father's death to be in vain do you?"
"There's a chance that you may unknowingly have information that could help us decipher some of the information your father gave his life to get to us," Saber states quietly.
"We know that your father called you shortly before he boarded the train. Did he say anything that seemed off or that didn't make any sense at the time?" Fireball asks. "Anything could be of use to us. Unfortunately, we can't just ask him ourselves, so we need you to try and think back to your conversation and let us know if you can think of anything. Look, you could be in danger as well. If we know about that call, there's a chance that the Outriders know as well and they will think you know something, even if you don't."
Yvette stands up. "As I've already stated, I don't know anything. I'm sorry that I can't help you, but I'm not part of this fight," she says as she fights back tears.
"So you're not even going to try?" April asks.
"This isn't my fight. Just leave me alone," Yvette says as she struggles to keep the anger from her voice and heads for the door.
"Yvette, Wait!" April says as she heads towards her. "Your father's last request was that I make sure to give this to you," April says as she holds the locket out to Yvette. "This is where he kept the microfilm that contains the information we're hoping will allow us to defeat the Outriders. His dying words were to tell you that he loved you."
Yvette hesitantly takes the locket, then without another word she turns and heads out the door.
"I think someone should follow her," Fireball states.
"She is an easy target for the Outriders right now," April states. "Perhaps we should follow her." They all head out after her. They spot her a short time later, walking alone.
"She's made herself an easy target," Saber says quietly.
"Yeah, we'd better stick close to her," Fireball says.
"I just wish she'd listen. I don't want to see her get hurt," April says quietly.
"Well, perhaps we can draw them out. The idea is a bit risky, but it gives us an advantage."
A short time later, Yvette is still walking through the office complex when several Outrider fighters appear and fire at her simultaneously. She drops to the ground and a couple of the fighters start to approach her when she stands up and starts firing back, revealing that it is really April in disguise, wearing her battle suit. The others join her and they all get into a firefight.
Colt is heading towards the place they had last seen Yvette when he spots her hiding in an alley nearby.
"You probably should reconsider the offer of protection. Them fighters would have killed you had April not dressed up as you and diverted their attention," Colt states to the young woman.
Yvette nods, an obvious look of fear showing on her features. "I thought I could just disappear," she says quietly.
"Well, ya can't," Colt replies as he shoots another attacker. "Stay here and hidden, I'll be right back," he says as she steps into the shadows. He heads off in the direction of the fighting and helps finish off the remaining enemy forces.
The four regroup and are heading back to where he left Yvette when they hear her scream and they all move quickly to try to reach her, seeing her fall to the ground as they arrive. Saber and Fireball finish off the last two fighters and April kneels down beside her friend.
"Yvette?!" April says urgently.
Yvette stirs and looks around in confusion. "I..I'm alive?" she says with obvious shock.
April looks relieved and notices the locket. "I think this is what saved you," April says as she pulls the locket out from under Yvette's shirt and shows her and the others the damage. "Even now your father is protecting you," April says quietly. She helps Yvette up and they head back to the Bismarck and continue their previous discussion.
"They must be nearby," Saber states.
"Yeah, there sure were enough of them that seemed to come from nowhere in a hurry," Fireball retorts.
"Can you think of anything that your father might have said, Yvette?" April asks.
Yvette looks off in though. "He said something about a warehouse on the outskirts not far from here. He made me promise not to go anywhere close to there."
Saber nods. "I think I know where you mean. It used to be a small mining village that was converted to an industrial park, but it's long since abandoned...the perfect place to work unnoticed," Saber states.
They make preparations and head out. "We're approaching the area, be on your guard," Fireball says as Saber and Colt look for signs of trouble. About then the alarms go off. "Something like that," he says as a huge Renegade unit comes up from underground. "Let's go to Challenge Phase!" he calls as he hits the button to begin the transformation.
"Looks like we no longer have the element of surprise," Saber says dryly.
They begin taking fire almost immediately. "Damn it!" Colt says as he fires rapidly towards the enemy unit and accompanying fighters. A shot manages to hit them and throws them back a bit.
"We've got to target the center of the unit," Saber calls.
"On it," Colt replies as he hits the unit with all of the Bismarck's firepower. The unit explodes, leading to a chain reaction of explosions of nearby fighters. They head towards the area that the unit came out of and dive down and start firing at random, inflicting as much damage as they can before leaving to get clear of the base's destruction zone. "Looks like they won't be using this base again for a while," Colt whoops.
The crew take off for Cavalry Command and debrief before taking Yvette back to her home to bury her father beside her mother. The group stands in somber silence as Yvette says a prayer and places flowers over her parent's graves and then stands up. "Thanks you," she says quietly.
"May their sacrifices not be in vain and we find peace soon," Saber says quietly.
April looks up, obviously trying not to cry. "May I be excused?" she asks in barely a whisper.
Colt looks confused and Fireball nods.
"Thanks!" April says and she turns and rushes off to the ship.
"Wonder what that's about?" Colt asks aloud.
"I dunno," Fireball says with a shrug.
"What is so important that you called me from a meeting, April?" the commander asks as he steps up to his vid-com.
"I just wanted to tell you that I love you very much, Dad. I don't get to see you as much as I'd like and I'm afraid if I didn't tell you now, something might happen and you'd die thinking I don't love you," April replies.
The commander looks a bit embarrassed and glances behind him to make sure no one is listening to their conversation. "I love you too, April. Maybe we can go out when you return home for a while. You can even bring Mr. Hikari if you'd like," he states with a hint of amusement.
"You...you would let me?" she asks in shock.
He nods and smiles.
"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" she says excitedly and closes the connection. She gets up and is humming to herself and dancing around the room when Yvette return with the other three and stand there watching the spectacle.
"Do you think she's been drinking?" Colt asks amused as April gasps in shock at finding the others there.
"Nah, I think she's just happy," Fireball says with a chuckle. "She likes to dance."
"What are you doing?!" April asks, obviously embarrassed seeing the looks of amusement on the faces of the others. "I'm going to go hide now," she says quietly as she runs away with her face in her hands.
The others start laughing and chatting as they go to return to Cavalry Command.
A/N: This is taking a while, but I'm slowly making progress. Hope you like it :-)
