These are the words of Hung Nguyen. I just have permission to post them and make it easier to read. Just want to give his stuff the recognition it deserves.
I am scrunching both works into one story, maybe even adding something extra. Any new updates will be told here. Think of this as the "Remastered version". Welcoming new and old readers alike!
Disclaimer: This story is just for fun and all the characters belong to their respective creators. Okay?
italics: Thoughts
Chapter 26 Part 1
Secret Operation
It was two days after the Battle of K-97 as the Mejele and Tarak citizens began to get used to each other. The victory had boosted morale all around and had served as irrefutable proof that the two genders could work together. The propaganda ministry had a field day with video feeds of the battle sent all over the public communications systems. The ships that were most decorated were the Nirvana, the Carrier Sunburst, and the Cruiser/Carrier Fire Heart. And the most widely seen profile was that of Tekkaman Slade.
Slade was seen as the symbol of the Allied Fleet and his exploits aboard the Nirvana against the Harvesters and the Radam had become near-legendary. There wasn't a place on Tarak, Heaven's Haven, or the Allied Fleet that he could go to that he wasn't recognized and mobbed by fans. As such, any event concerning him was of great interest to everyone, and what Vivan Magno, AKA Nodoka, had planned was on a monumental scale.
However, as she privately discussed the matter with Grand Pa and Grand Ma in a special conference room in the Command Satellite, the pirate captain was certain that such an event was essential to the war effort.
"I must admit that what you are proposing, Captain Magno, is quite an undertaking." Grand Pa stated. "I daresay that the resources needed to perform such an operation would be considerable."
"Although, I am intrigued by the notion." Grand Ma remarked. "And I would say that such an operation would garner great dividends if successful."
"Yes, but is the cost worth the effort?" The ancient ruler of Tarak interjected. "Our resources were substantially reduced during the Battle of K-97. Though we scored a major victory, it will take some time for our manufacturing plants to replenish Vanguards, Dreads, ships, and other war materials. We need time to replace those who were killed in action and to train new recruits. Can we afford to commit personnel, material, and time to this operation?"
Magno nodded. "I would say that it would be more than worth the expense. Great Grand Pa, I am very aware of the conservative nature of the men of Tarak and I do admire it, considering that I had lost my home due to the wasteful actions on Mejele. However, we must also look at the big picture, once the enemy is defeated. The women have no place to go, since the Radam had gutted our home planet. Relocating to a new world is not a viable option at this point. We HAVE to live on Tarak, and it would be in everyone's best interests to establish good relations between the men and women. Though the victory against the Radam at K-97 has lessened the animosity between the sexes, it should only be seen as temporary. We must build more trust among the men and women and I believe that this operation is essential to that goal."
Grand Pa sat back on his throne and pondered on Magno's words. What she said did make sense. The war with the Radam could not last forever. Either the human race would be wiped from existence (hopefully it would not come to that), or the enemy would be defeated. If that scenario came to pass, then what next? The men and women would have to live together on Tarak, and as such, the manufacture of weapons against the opposite gender would be considered as idiotic and wasteful. Resources would have to be re-applied toward civilian projects and one of the biggest and most desired of plans was to terraform the barren world of Tarak.
Several Tarak scientists had approached the World Council in the past with ideas to convert the vast deserts into more fertile farming lands. There was even an ambitious plan to drop comet ice onto the planet's surface to create oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers. However, at the time, the men were at war with the women, so all terraforming schemes were either dropped or put on indefinite hold.
Now, with the genders currently united, those same people who advocated the plan to alter Tarak had begun petitioning the Council to reconsider their ideas again. And they had some extra supporters from the women, as they too wanted to convert the planet into something more hospitable. Both genders had some very strong arguments.
One of the major obstacles to terraforming the world was technology. Tarak science was focused mostly on war production and general industry, but had very little when it came to the subject of ecology and agriculture. There were the small experiments to converting limited areas into farmland, but so far, the results were disappointing and not significant enough to justify a larger research budget. The men didn't have much in terms of green thumbs. It was far easier for them to eat the nutrition pills.
However, many of the men had gotten a taste of Mejele cuisine and found it difficult to go back to the pills. In order to satisfy their cravings for the four basic food groups, they would have to find a way to grow organic food in large enough quantities to sustain them. The Mejele women had the technology in terms of farming and food production. Furthermore, they did have several terraforming techniques they had used on Mejele when they had first settled there. The women's problem was that they lacked the resources to implement these methods on Tarak or anywhere else, due to their wasteful nature. The men had resources in good supply.
Grand Pa considered for a while longer, then nodded. Magno's plan had enough merit to implement, both in the short and long term results.
"You have the permission to put your plan into operation, Magno. However, this plan must be carried out with the utmost secrecy. You cannot inform ANYONE, including your crewmembers until they absolutely HAVE to know. Grand Ma and I will have all necessary supplies and arrangements made. The operation is to take place three days from now."
"That will be perfect, Grand Pa. Thank you." Vivian Magno bowed to the aged man, then left with BC and Gascogne behind her.
One of the industrial plants...
The engineering chief of the plant scratched his head in puzzlement as he read the order he had just received. He wondered why he was being ordered to produce several tons of blasting powder, but no shells or any other kind of ammunition to go with it. What was even stranger was the request for differently colored dyes and the blueprints for some weird-looking detonation devices.
However, since the orders had Grand Pa's official seal on them, he had no choice but to manufacture the requests.
Another manufacturing plant...
"Sir? Do you have any idea why we would receive an order for sound-amplification systems of this size?"
The head foreman could only shrug his shoulders at his subordinate. "Ours is not to question why. We just follow the orders. Besides, these orders are from Grand Pa himself. If he wants speaker systems this large, then that's what we're going to build for him."
A synthetics plant...
"Why would Grand Pa and Grand Ma request this much low-grade rubber?" A worker asked.
"Yeah, I mean this stuff isn't strong enough to be used in Vanguard articulation joints. It's too thin and the density wouldn't be able to hold up against the pressure." Another worker added. "I thought we were on full war material production."
"And why do they want them in different colors?" A third worker inquired.
"Get back to work!" Their boss shouted out. "Grand Pa is expecting this shipment in two days!"
A major Tarak broadcast station...
"Sir?"
"What is it?" The head of the studio asked.
"We just received a request to have all of our airwaves clear in three days at this time period. It says that an important announcement is be broadcast worldwide."
"Yes. So what of it?"
"We're not given the reason why or what the announcement will be."
"Well, does it have Grand Pa's official seal on the request?"
"Yes, it does."
"Then have all our transmission lines open three days from now at the time requested. Grand Pa must have something important to tell to the people."
Meanwhile, on Heaven's Haven...
In the facility's communal bathing area, three girls lounged in the hot tub, letting the waters soak away the day's tension. As they relaxed in the comforting warmth, they had a quiet discussion concerning a certain someone very close to their hearts.
"So you and Slade combined during the last battle?" Jura asked as she took a sip of sake from a small cup. Floating nearby was a small tray with a bottle of the alcoholic beverage.
Dita nodded happily as she drank from a bottle of milk. "It was really amazing! It felt so incredible! It was WAY better than combining with the Tekkadreads!"
"I have to agree." Jura concurred. "It was the most wonderful experience I ever had! I never felt so close to him as I did when we became Tekkaman Blaze, even though he doesn't even remember that time." She took another sip, then asked her other compatriot. "How about you, Meia? What was it like when you and Slade became Tekkaman Flash?"
The short-haired girl nibbled her lower lip for a moment, then replied, "It's hard to explain. It felt as if every one of my thoughts became his thoughts and vice-versa. I felt everything he felt and he could feel all of my feelings, too. You're both right. I've never felt more close to him than during that time."
"I can't wait to combine with Slade again!" Dita piped up.
"Oh no! I'm going to be combining with him next mission!" Jura interjected. "After all, he's going to be the ohma of my children!"
"No, I'm combining with him! And he's going to be living with me!"
The two girls started to argue, but Meia immediately put a stop to it by splashing them both to get their attention. When the pair turned toward her in irritation, she took a deep breath and slowly said, "Jura, Dita, don't you think we should consider Slade's feelings? I mean, he deserves that much after all he's done for us, right?"
The girls became silent as they considered Meia's words, then slumped down while nodding simultaneously. Both felt a bit of shame arguing over Slade like he was some kind of possession.
"You're right, Meia." Dita said. "Mr. Alien- I mean, Slade should get to choose who he combines with."
"You're still calling him Mr. Alien after all this time?" Jura asked with some surprise.
"It's an old habit and it was my special name for him."
"Special name?"
"Well, he really IS special, right?"
Jura shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "I'll agree with you on that. He's really special. He's so special that I want him and ONLY him to be my children's ohma."
Dita and Meia gazed upon their friend with slightly puzzled expressions, then the former Dread Leader said, "You're serious! You're really serious about having his children!"
"I thought you wanted to have a baby from a man's seed because you wanted to be famous." Dita stated.
Jura shook her head while taking another sip of sake. "No. Not anymore. Besides, I'm already famous as a Tekkaman. I want his baby because... well... just because I want it! In fact, I'd be proud to bear a dozen of his children!" She then took a big gulp of sake. "How about you two? Would you like to have his child?" Both girls became apprehensive at the sudden question and became nervously silent. The blonde female nodded at her companions' reluctance to answer her questions and noted that their cheeks were blushing. She gave them both a small grin and said, "I thought so. It's kind of a shock, isn't it? The fact that we're all in love with the same man."
At the mention of the word love, Meia and Dita's cheeks took on a furious shade of pink as they both dipped lower into the water.
Jura drained her cup and started refilling it. She took another swig and said, "Come on, girls. Don't lie to me. We've been friends too long to keep things from each other. I'm telling you here and now. I LOVE SLADE! I want to bear his children! I want to spend the rest of my life with him! I am not afraid to admit it! Now I'm asking you to tell me honestly. Are you in love with him? If you aren't, then say so! That way I can go after him with a clear conscience! If you feel the same way about him, then we have got to settle this, here and now! The war is not going to last forever, and I fully intend to win his heart!"
After a long silence, Dita sat up and nodded. "I love him, too! And I want him to be my children's ohma!"
Finally, Meia decided to reveal her feelings as well. "I asked the Captain for permission to start a family with her son because I love him."
Jura gave her friends a nod as they began to discuss their situation with a certain White Tekkaman.
The next day...
"How are the preparations going, BC?" Magno asked as she was being served her morning tea.
Buzom nodded as she looked down at the chart in her hand. "The preparations are going well, and I must admit, this is probably the most covert operation I have ever been involved in."
"Remember BC. We can't tell the rest of the crew until they NEED to know. You are aware of how much the crew likes to gossip, right?"
The dark-skinned woman nodded again. "I can understand not telling certain crewmembers, but are you sure about...?"
"I couldn't be more sure than I am about this operation. Now, about that other project we discussed with Grand Pa and Grand Ma?"
"Gascogne has already contacted the Mejele experts on that matter, and they assure me that it will be finished on time. Though I was expecting you to ask Barnette about taking part in it."
"She will be informed about the project when the time comes. I hope that everything will be in place when the operation begins. Timing will be everything."
Later that day...
"Hey Slade!"
Slade was currently having lunch at the cafeteria in Heaven's Haven when he saw Ukyo the 17th approach his table with an older woman walking beside her. He smiled to his fellow Stage Hand and stood up to greet her and whoever she was with.
"Hey, Ucchan! How's it going? Who is this?"
The brown-haired girl nodded as she made the introductions. "This is Ukyo the 16th, my mother."
Slade gazed upon the older woman in shock. This was Ukyo's mother? She was so young-looking! He had almost mistaken her as Ukyo's older sister! She was slightly taller than her daughter and had her hair tied up in a ponytail with a red bow. She was dressed in a kind of simple housedress. He did note that Ukyo the 16th was a bit more muscular, but had similar facial features to her offspring. The Tekkaman could see that the family resemblance was still strong, even after over half a millennium. In both females, he could discern traces of the original Ucchan, even though he only remembered a six-year-old boy er, girl.
Now the real question was, what did they want?
Ukyo the 16th looked Slade over and nodded to her daughter. "I have to admit, Daughter, he is exactly as you described. " She then turned her attention to Slade. "My Ucchan tells me that you are the ORIGINAL Ranma Saotome; the very same one with whom the Kuonji had sworn a blood vengeance for besmirching our family honor."
"Honor?!" Slade repeated in surprise, then realized what she was talking about. "Wait a minute! You can't be talking about what my no-good father did to your family all those centuries ago, are you? That was HIS doing! I had nothing to do with it!"
Ukyo's mother took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, Ucchan told me of her talk with Ms. Gascogne, as well as your side of the story, since you WERE there. If the facts had been realized five hundred and sixty-two years ago, then our vendetta against your family, would have been directed toward the true criminal, namely that worthless trash, Genma Saotome. For that, as head of the Kuonji Clan, I apologize on behalf of my family and ask for forgiveness."
"Uh. yeah, that'll be fine." Slade was a bit surprised at the sudden turn of events. It had been his experience that people tended to hold grudges for a long time.
Ukyo's mother silently acknowledged his acceptance of her apologies, then added, "Initially, when I heard that you were the original Ranma Saotome, I had intended to press you into marrying my daughter so that ancient pledge would be fulfilled and honor would be satisfied." When Slade tensed up at that notion, she raised a hand to ease his concerns and continued. "Not to worry. I have decided not to force the issue, since I only wish for my daughter's happiness. Therefore, I shall leave it up to her whether she wishes to pursue you or not. As far as I am concerned, the vendetta of the past should STAY in the past." She turned to her daughter and said, "I shall be heading back to our quarters. I will be seeing you later."
The elder Kuonji bowed to them, then left the cafeteria, leaving the two of them alone. The Tekkaman bid Ukyo the 17th to sit with him. As the crowds of people milled about their own business, the two discussed for a long time about their relationship. Finally, it was decided that though Ucchan did have some feelings toward him, it would be best for them to remain just good friends.
The next day...
Slade pondered as he walked down the streets of Heaven's Haven. For the last two days, some of his friends had been avoiding him. One person in particular, his mother Nodoka, refused to see him.
After he had decided to reconcile with his mother after centuries of separation, Slade had been making every effort to spend some time with her. In the beginning, she had been always eager to drop everything for a chance to be with him, but now she seemed to be too busy to even talk. Every time Slade asked BC about her whereabouts, Magno's Second-In-Command would simply say that the captain was involved in a very important operation and could not be disturbed. He had also noticed that certain parts of Heaven's Haven and the Nirvana had been closed off and could not be accessed by any of the crew.
The former son of Genma Saotome knew that something was up, but no one would tell him what it was all about. Then again, just about everyone didn't know about what was going on either. The only thing he was certain of was that something big was about to happen. However, he had no choice but to wait until it happened.
It was then that his danger sense went off as someone came in from above. He jumped backward in reflex and tensed up.
His body immediately went into a series of evasive maneuvers as his unknown attacker landed in the spot he had just been a heartbeat ago. The assailant made a series of fast strikes at him, which he easily blocked or dodged. Slade made a couple of back flips to get more fighting room and landed in a ready stance. He then got a good look at his opponent.
The woman looked to be in her early to mid-nineties and had a thin, but wiry frame. She was dressed in emerald-green ceremonial robes and had a wooden cane in her withered hand. Her silver-gray hair was long and reached her midback. She stood casually before him with her cane held out in front of her. On her wrinkled face was an expression of satisfaction and her eyes studied him with a calculating gleam.
"Well, well, well. You're not half-bad."
"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" Slade demanded. Damn! She moves pretty good for an old woman.
The elderly woman shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I wanted to see for myself if you really are as good as my granddaughter said you were. I must say, you are skilled. Not bad at all for someone who's over five hundred and fifty years old."
"Huh? How did you know that? Who told you?"
"My granddaughter told me about you. I believe you know Xian Pu?"
"Xian? You're her grandmother?"
"Yes. I am Khu Lon. I am the First Elder of the Joketsuzoku, and as such, I am honor-bound to uphold 3,500 years of Chinese Amazon history, Son-In-Law."
"Son-In-Law? Why are you calling me that?"
"By our ancient laws, my granddaughter must marry the man who defeated her fairly in combat."
"You're kidding me!" Slade exclaimed, but then saw the determined look in her eyes. "You're not kidding, are you?"
Khu Lon shook her head. "When it comes to our tribe's ancient laws, I am ALWAYS serious!"
"Oh come on! You and Xian Pu are from Mejele, aren't you?"
"True. The Amazons did migrate with the rest of humanity and when the genders separated, we did go along with the other women to Mejele. Using the cloning techniques that were developed, the Joketsuzoku continued. However, now that the genders are united again, our ancient laws are in effect. Therefore, you WILL marry my granddaughter."
"Sorry. I'm not going to marry anyone just because of some outdated law. Besides, don't you think Xian Pu should have a say in this as well?"
"She will do as our laws command."
"Outdated laws that haven't been enforced for centuries." Slade pointed out. "As much as I like being with your granddaughter, I'm not going to be forced into something that neither of us agreed to."
"Our laws are adamant. For the sake of our Amazon honor, you will marry Xian Pu."
Slade took a deep calming breath, but did not relax his stance. "I guess there's no choice then. You want me into the family? Then you're going to have to DRAG me to the altar."
"So you are challenging me then? Very well. That is in accordance to our Amazon Laws. However, do NOT take me lightly. I may not be as spry as I was in my younger days, but I am still MORE than a match for a whelp like yourself. And do not think to transform into your Tekkaman armor. I assure you, you won't get a chance."
"I won't need it." Slade emphasized his point by making his Tekkacrystal appear, then dropping it to the ground. If necessary, he could always recall it back. However, he was a man of his word and had no intention of transforming.
"Very well then. If you should defeat me, then I will release you from your obligation to become my granddaughter's husband. Let us begin."
Khu Lon twirled her cane while getting into a battle stance, then suddenly blurred forward. Slade was surprised that an elderly woman could possess such speed, as he countered the first of her punches. Then she upped the ante as she cried out.
"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
Her cane stabbed forward like a jackhammer and Slade wasn't able to block all the jabs. He managed to move back to get more fighting room. That's when his arms started to stiffen up.
The aged woman smiled knowingly as she took on a superior air. "Surprised, Son-In-Law? Let me explain. That speed technique I used was an ancient method called Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Now I know that you possess superhuman strength. However, even the mightiest of warriors cannot withstand Amazon Shiatsu, and I am a master of manipulating nerve impulses. The Chestnut Technique allowed me to strike many of your arms' pressure points, causing temporary paralysis. You will regain the use of your limbs within an hour, but I will have won this match long before that. Surrender now and accept your fate!"
"Don't bet on it!" Slade retorted as he shot forward and started throwing a dozen fast punches. Khu Lon was shocked by his speed and as she blocked the blows, she noted that his arms had faint, green-white lines running over the skin. She was forced back a bit, then took several small hops to get even more distance.
Slade smiled a bit as he felt the Tekka-circuits in his body realign the ki pathways in his body, releasing his arms from their forced paralysis. He had to give the old crone credit. If he didn't have his Tekkaman powers, her attack might have given her the win, or at the very least put him at a disadvantage.
As for Khu Lon, she immediately realized that Slade was formidable, even without his armor. Her granddaughter had not been exaggerating when she had described her commander's fighting skills and powers. It seemed that she would have to use her strongest techniques.
She started to build up her ki, which caused Slade's senses to go on full alert. Not wanting to find out what kind of attack she was going to use, he charged in. He hoped he could finish the fight before she could power up.
At that moment, Khu Lon let loose with her attack.
"HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"
In another part of the station, Xian Pu ran frantically through the hallways. She had just gotten a message from her grandmother, stating that she would be discussing the matter of Amazon Law with Slade. Those words immediately had her running like mad as she searched for her only living relative.
Xian Pu loved her grandmother dearly as she had raised her, following the deaths of her ohma and fahma, both of whom had died in a shuttle accident. The girl had always been fascinated by the old woman's tales of her Amazon Heritage. And yet, she never really felt as an Amazon herself as the laws of the warrior women had not been upheld in centuries. Many of the descendants of the Joketsuzoku had felt the same way since immigrating into space.
Since meeting up with Slade, Xian Pu had been nursing feelings of admiration and perhaps even affections toward him. However, as time went on, and with Dita, Jura, and Meia getting even closer toward him, especially after becoming Tekkamen themselves, Khu Lon's granddaughter had felt that she was outmatched against her competition. She had just recently decided to end her infatuation with him.
Then her grandmother dropped that bomb on her concerning Amazon Laws, and how she was going to force Slade to follow them.
As formidable as Khu Lon was with the ancient fighting secrets of the Joketsuzoku, she was still no match against Tekkaman Slade. She had to stop her grandmother before things got out of hand.
Then, as she arrived at the open area where the residential sectors were, she saw the tornado.
Many of the residents of Heaven's Haven were startled by the sudden gust of wind that was stirred up within the residential area. A bright light flared like a sunburst as auras clashed with each other. Then, as suddenly as the wind came up, it died down, along with the light.
In the center of the residential area, a large depression in the ground was seen. The metal plates had nearly buckled under the drastic increase in pressure. At the center of the depression was a wrinkled old woman lying on her back, her robes in tatters. Beside her, the gnarled, wooden cane had been snapped in two. She had a shocked expression on her face. A short distance from her, Slade was kneeling and trying to catch his breath. His jacket had several tears in it and he had several smudges on his face, as well as a couple dozen bruises on his body which were already starting to heal.
For a long time, neither one spoke as they tried to process in their minds what had just happened. Finally, the Tekkaman broke the silence.
"Not bad, Granny. Not bad at all."
It was at that time Xian Pu came onto the scene and ran toward her fallen grandmother.
Later...
Slade took a deep breath as he turned to face Xian Pu and her grandmother. After the fight, they had gotten the old woman to the emergency ward of the pirate base. To everyone's surprise, Khu Lon was no worse for wear, other than a few bruises, a minor sprain, and some skin scrapes, despite being nearly a century old. This made the Tekkaman feel even more respect toward her, not only as his elder, but also for her skill and tenacity.
Currently, Khu Lon was in a hospital bed with her granddaughter by her side. Xian Pu had given Nodoka's son an earful, accusing him of hurting an old woman and such. However, before she could get any further, the elder Amazon immediately told her to be silent. When the girl calmed down, there had been a long silence before the Amazon Elder addressed her opponent.
"My granddaughter should understand that it was MY decision to confront you concerning our Amazon laws, and that you did nothing wrong. You disputed the validity of the laws and challenged me accordingly. And though it pains me to admit it, you did defeat me. Therefore, honor is satisfied, and you are released from your obligations."
"Grandmother, I..." Xian Pu began.
The elderly member of the Joketsuzoku waved a hand at her, stopping her in mid-sentence. "I wish to have a few words with Slade in private." When she noted the apprehensive expression on her granddaughter's face, she gave her a warm smile. "Do not worry, child. I am fine and I have no intention of starting another battle today. I only wish to ask him a few questions. Please leave us alone for a while."
The younger female gave her relative a lingering gaze before nodding and left the room. Once she was gone and the door was firmly shut, Khu Lon addressed Slade with a firm tone.
"I must know. How did you defeat the Rising Dragon Ascension Wave? It is one of the most powerful and secret of our tribe's techniques."
"You're referring to that tornado you made, right?" When she nodded, Slade thought back to the battle, then explained what he had done. "I got to admit, you caught me off-guard with that one. The more I struggled against it, the more intense the winds became. Then I realized that the best way to counter it was to not fight it at all. I figured that the technique feeds on the aggressive energy of the opponent. Did I get that right?"
Xian Pu's grandmother remained silent for a minute, then nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you, since it appears that you already understand the basics of the technique. You are correct. The Hiryu Shoten Ha does depend on the aggressive energy as you put it, or in more accurate terms, the 'hot' energy or ki of the opponent's battle aura. By using my 'cold' or calm aura as a counter-agent, I am able to combine the two differing temperatures and create a kind of funnel effect. The stronger or 'hotter' the battle aura is, the more powerful the effect becomes. So tell me your solution to the technique?"
"Well, since I figured out that my battle aura was feeding the technique, it only made sense to power down to reduce it. Once the temperature difference decreased, the winds died down, allowing me to drop toward you. When I was close enough to you, I took a shot with my own ki projectile and... well you know what happened afterwards."
"Indeed. I didn't have the time to repeat the technique again. Your fighting instincts served you well this day. A pity that you will not marry my Xian Pu. What fine great-grandchildren you two would have given to me."
Slade became extremely nervous at the mention of having children, especially with his own mother constantly hinting that he should go forth and multiply. Then he started to think about Jura, Meia, and Dita, whom he felt that he had the closest of bonds.
Later...
After finishing his discussion with Khu Lon, Slade also smoothed things over with her granddaughter. After being given some time to cool off, Xian Pu was glad that her relative was well and that she was no longer pressing the issue with the ancient Amazon Laws. Though she did admit to the White Tekkaman that she had some special feelings toward him, she and Slade agreed to just remain friends.
As Slade walked down the hallways toward the quarters he was assigned to on Heaven's Haven, he began to ponder his future once the war with the Radam was finished. Would it be so bad to finally stop his planet-hopping ways? If he did decide to set down his roots on Tarak, then what would he do? Would he spend the rest of his life alone or with someone beside him? He then got another series of images of Jura, Dita, and Meia in his head. His cheeks blushed a bit as certain naughty thoughts came to mind. Shaking his head to clear it, he continued on his way as he wondered if there was any other major event (other than the Radam Invasion) coming in the near future.
Actually, there was...
Jura, Meia, and Dita were in a state of shock as they stood in the Nirvana's Conference Room with Magno, BC, and Gascogne. They had just been informed of the details of Magno's secret operation.
"Is this true, Captain?" Meia asked.
The aged pirate nodded as she explained. "Yes. This operation has been given the highest of priorities by Grand Pa and Grand Ma themselves. I had withheld this information from the crew to ensure its secrecy, given the nature that everyone on the Nirvana are prone to gossip. However, as the time of the operation is tomorrow, I am authorized to inform the three of you, so that you can relay the message to the others. I will make certain that my son knows as well, when the time comes."
"But it starts tomorrow?" Jura said in confusion. "That doesn't give us much time to prepare!"
"All the essential preparations have been taken care of." The former wife of Genma assured. "Just make certain that the Dread, Vanguard, and Engineering stations are aware. Gascogne has already informed everyone in the Supply Station. As for your own personal preparations..." Vivan Magno AKA Nodoka gave the three girls a smile. "...well, that's entirely up to you."
Each girl looked at each other with astonished expressions as their hearts started beating at rapid rates.
Tomorrow was going to be busy.
In the Engineering Station, an hour later...
"You want me to do what?!" Parfet asked in confusion after hearing Jura's request. She was currently sitting at her console with the former Dread pilot standing next to her.
Jura smiled and nodded. "Yes. It's for tomorrow. I need to have it done by tonight. Can you do it?"
The bespectacled girl shrugged her shoulders. "Well, yeah I could do that, no sweat. But why would you want me to do such a thing? I mean, I got into trouble the last time."
"This is different, Parfet." The blonde insisted. "Please? Can you get this done fast? We don't have much time, especially since the operation will begin tomorrow afternoon."
"Well, you got a point. I mean, I was totally shocked when you told me about it."
"Can you do it?" Jura pressed, while giving the Head of Engineering a very cute pout.
"Well, okay." Parfet swiveled in her chair and faced her control monitor. She then started to enter commands into the system. "It's a good thing that I can access the section from here, so I don't have to go down there to make the adjustments. Considering what you're asking, it's going to take some very strong overrides." After a few minutes of inputting access codes and detailed programs, the young engineer nodded in satisfaction. "There! That should do it."
The voluptuous girl smiled impishly at the screen. "So this will do the job at the time I stated?"
"Yeah, it'll do what you wanted, though I can't guarantee it'll hold, considering..." Parfet paused for a moment, then said, "Well, you know what I mean."
"It'll hold long enough for what I have planned." Jura stated with confidence. "Thanks Parfet! You're the best!"
Jura then walked away happily back to her quarters, leaving Parfet with a slightly apprehensive expression.
I hope things do turn out well, I'd hate to have to send in the repair crews to fix the mess, if this plan doesn't work.
In her own quarters, Meia paced about and puzzled over what to do. Never had she been given a chance to take part in such an important operation, and she had to admit that the captain had come up with quite a plan. To have kept it a secret for so long, especially from the gossiping crew, was a monumental achievement in itself.
Now the big question was, how was she going to handle it?
In her own room, Dita happily began constructing her own preparations for the coming operation. She hadn't felt so giddy since the Christmas party last year and now she would be able to go all out and showcase her talents. As she went through several of her things, she let off an excited cry as she found the perfect item.
On the Fire Heart...
Old Gun nodded as he continued to drill the Brawler Brigade on the new maneuvers he had been ordered to train them in. They had been going at it for several hours and some of the members were more than bewildered at the strange motions they were practicing.
"Sir?" Sosike called out.
"What is it, Sergeant?" The older man asked.
"The squadron and I would like to know why we are practicing such odd moves. They don't conform to any known hand-to-hand manuals, and some of these moves strangely requires us to work in close proximity with a partner."
"Are you finding the motions difficult to master?"
"Well, no they're not that hard to learn. They do have some coordination benefits and they're good for cardiovascular exercise. What the men really want to know is why Grand Pa specifically ordered us to master these strange moves by tomorrow. And why did he specifically request that all crewmembers of the Fire Heart to be in attendance at the Pirate Base?"
"To tell you the truth, Sergeant, I don't have all the details myself, other than the fact that Captain Dar ordered all personnel to be there at 1800 hours." The veteran Vanguard pilot then changed the subject. "Oh, and by the way. Did you assemble all the men who have those certain requirements he asked for?"
"Yes sir. We don't have any in the Brawler Brigade, but we did find about a dozen or so individuals in the Engineering and Navigation Sections that fit the bill. Though why Captain Dar would want those people specifically..."
"Ours is not to question why, Sergeant." Old Gun stated. "These orders come from Grand Pa himself, so it's up to the captain and the crew to carry them out."
"Sir!" Sosike saluted.
The captain's office...
"It seems that all personnel are on schedule and we should be able to commence the operation without any problems." Captain Dar said as he sat at his desk and read over the report. He then addressed his second-in-command, who was sitting opposite to him. "Wouldn't you say so, Commander Shan?"
Aika nodded, though she was still getting used to her recent rise in rank. She glanced briefly at the new pin on her collar, which designated her as a full commander. "Yes Captain, though I must admit that I'm a bit surprised."
"In what way?"
Aika paused for a long moment before responding. "Permission to speak freely, sir."
Jensen nodded. "Granted."
The Mejele officer collected her thoughts briefly before answering. "I must admit that when we were told of the purpose of this mission, I had some misgivings concerning the men and how they would react to such an event."
"I see, and those misgivings were based on what Mejele intelligence had on Tarak's society. Am I correct?"
The former commander of the Crimson Twilight nodded, impressed with the man's insight. "Yes sir. Tarak men are not, no offense intended, known to partake in such activities."
"No offense taken, Commander. I can understand your concern. Officially, the citizens of Tarak do not partake in such activities, since they are not considered as unique or special. However, UNOFFICIALLY, we do have times in which we readily participate in such things. And here on the Fire Heart, as you may have already learned, we don't always go by the book." The Captain then reached down into a desk drawer and took out a small, clear flask and two shot glasses.
"What is that?" Aika inquired.
Jensen gave her a devilish smile that made him seem even more darkly handsome. "This is one example of what I mean by not going by the book. This a special brew made by Master Sergeant Fulson. He gave it to me after my first year on the Fire Heart. Once in a while, when I need to relax and I'm off-duty, I take a shot or two."
Aika eyed the flask with a cautious eye. Now there was some really questionable stuff. The color of the liquid was a light lavender, and it seemed to be constantly fizzing. Every now and then, it would darken, then lighten in tone, as if it couldn't decide on what shade it should be. Then she remembered back to when one of the new Mejele Vanguard pilots had told her about Old Gun's training methods.
"That..." Aika said slowly, "...wouldn't happen to be one of the special concoctions that Master Sergeant Fulson uses to train the Vanguard recruits, would it?"
"This?" The Fire Heart's captain shook his head while still smiling. "No, this is FAR more potent than what he gives to trainees. It's something like those alcoholic beverages that you women enjoy from time to time. However, this stuff has a lot more kick to it."
"This is more intoxicating than wine?"
Jensen nodded. "I sampled some of your beverages, when your people first came to our planet. That stuff you call vodka? It's a little light for me."
Light?! He thinks Mejele vodka is light?! She couldn't believe that he would say such a thing. Mejele vodka was based on the ancient Russian version of old Earth. The alcohol content of Mejele vodka was 65 percent or 130 proof. So what was the alcohol content of this Tarak drink?
Captain Dar smiled as he began pouring out the drink into the shot glasses. "On the Fire Heart, we call Old Gun's brew Torpedo Juice (1). Since we're both off-duty now, care to join me?"
Aika looked down at the offered glass, then looked up at her captain as he held out his drink. Technically speaking, she didn't have to partake in it. However, she didn't want to show any disrespect to her superior. Taking a deep breath, she took up her own drink and held it up.
"Cheers."
She drank down the contents of the glass in one swallow. Then she promptly passed out.
Later that evening...
Aika awoke with a massive migraine and found herself in the Sick Bay. She was on a cot and saw that the man tending to her was the Brawler Brigade's medic, Gin Zerga. Standing beside him was her captain.
"Ah, good! You've awakened." Jensen nodded to her.
"Oooh!" She rubbed her temples with her fingers as she sat up. The pain was comparable to having a thousand knives stabbing into her brain. Though she was not a strong drinker by any means, she had not been expecting Old Gun's brew to have the ability to knock her out with one shot glass.
"Steady there, Commander." Zerga advised as he noted that she was still somewhat under the effects of her drink. "You're still feeling the kick of Torpedo Juice. It's not something first-timers drink all at once."
"H-How did you...?" Aika stammered, as she tried to process what had just happened to her.
"I didn't need the Captain to tell me when he brought you in here. Your breath had the telltale scent of Old Gun's Specialty Brew." The medic explained. "It's a good thing I had some of his Wake Up formula to inject into you. You would have been out for another two days."
"You've done this before I take it?" She groaned.
The medic nodded. "Yes. As part of the Brawler Brigade, I've had a taste of all of Old Gun's Training Specials and his Torpedo Juice. Personally, I normally don't take more than one shot a week."
"Why do you call it Torpedo Juice? I've had the strongest vodkas on Mejele and nothing came close to knocking me out like that stuff."
Gin shrugged. "Well, we're not sure what's in that stuff. Like all of Fulson's mixtures, Torpedo Juice defies the chemical analyzer. I even ran it through a Mejele analyzer and I STILL don't know all of its components. It's strong enough to actually be used as fuel for plasma torpedoes. All I can tell you is that Torpedo Juice has the highest alcohol content that a human can consume and survive. You have my admiration, Commander."
"Thanks... I think."
Jensen smiled at his First Officer, then his expression became more serious. "My apologies, Commander Shan. I wouldn't have offered you a drink if I knew that you would have that kind of reaction."
Aika waved off his apology. "It's all right, Captain. One thing I can say about the men of Tarak. You sure know how to make one HELL of a cocktail."
The day of the operation...
Slade let off a sigh as he headed toward the building where Magno had asked him to meet. Things had gotten very quiet in the last few days, and he begun to miss the constant battles with the Harvesters and the Radam. Things had gotten... boring.
At that moment, he was met by his mother near the front of the building's entrance. The elderly woman waved to him.
"My son! How are you this day?"
"Hello Mom." Slade was still unused to calling her as such, but Magno had insisted that he do so when they were alone. She invited him into the building and started to converse with him.
"I am sorry that we have not been able to spend more time together." Magno said as she and her first-born walked down the hallway. "I have been very busy with a certain operation that was of the highest priority from Grand Pa and Grand Ma."
"Yeah, I heard." Slade said while nodding.
This surprised his mother. "You have?"
The White Tekkaman shrugged. "Well, I have heard that you and some other people are involved in some kind of secret mission, but I don't know any of the details."
Magno relaxed a bit after hearing this. "I see. Well, you are correct, and for obvious reasons, I cannot tell you exactly what it is at this time."
"Hey, I understand. It's all for the good of the people of Mejele and Tarak. So I'll assume it's some kind of secret strategy to defeat the Radam, right?"
Slade's mother gave her offspring a whimsical smile and replied, "Actually, I can tell you that the mission has nothing to do with the military."
"What?"
"In truth, the operation is concerned with the aftermath of the war."
"Oh." Slade pondered her reply for a moment, then nodded. "I get it. I guess we can't expect the war to last forever, and since Mejele is gone, the women are going to have to get used to living on Tarak."
"Correct. And it would be in everyone's best interests if the two genders are able to cooperate with each other. So far, they have been doing just that, and very nicely I might add. So it was decided by both sides to engage in more activities together to promote this unity. Wouldn't you agree?"
"That makes sense. But what can both sides do together? Were you planning on some kind of group project?"
"Well, you could call it that. Actually, we were considering more along the lines of something entertaining and enjoyable for both sides."
"What could both sides agree on to enjoy?"
"Well, you could say that both sides agree when it concerns you, my son."
"Me?"
"You are considered a hero to both the men of Tarak and the women of Mejele. You are also the greatest symbol of the unity between the genders. You represent the future of both our worlds. So, we decided to do this."
The two came to a door, in which the pirate captain gestured for her son to open. He did so and stepped into a large, stadium-sized room. Suddenly, large lights came on as the entire area became illuminated. A huge crowd of people jumped out from their hiding places and began cheering, while confetti, colored balloons, and streamers fell from above. Noisemakers sounded while poppers went off in all directions. The roof of the building retracted, revealing the air above. Flying remote cameras floated about and focused in on Slade, transmitting his surprised expression all over the world of Tarak, the combined fleets, and Heaven's Haven. Fireworks started going off outside of the pirate base and in all the cities on the desert world. Then a huge banner dropped down above him as all those present cried out...
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SLADE!"
The White Tekkaman stood in total shock as members of the Nirvana crew crowded around him. He looked about and saw long tables laden with food, and in the center of the stadium, was a huge, ten-layer cake with white and blue icing. On the top of the cake, there was just one, huge candle that was shaped into the numerals 568, which designated his age.
Slade looked over his shoulder to his mother and tried to get his mouth to work. After a minute, he finally said, "My birthday is today?"
Magno smiled and replied, "Who else, but your mother would know?"
Slade didn't have time to say anything else as Jura, Dita, and Meia tackled him to the floor and began hugging and kissing him.
In the background, Old Gun shouted out while holding up a mug of his Torpedo Juice.
"All right, everyone. Lets party!"
To be continued...
Preview...
Slade: "I can't believe it's my birthday today! All this time I never knew..."
Dita: "It's your special day, Slade! Let's get his party started!"
Jura: "I've got special plans for you later... hmhmhm..."
Meia: "Slade's birthday party is underway, and both Tarak and Mejele are coming together."
Slade: "Wow, so much going on... I don't deserve this...
Magno: Nonsense, my son. You are a hero for all humanity. It's the least we can do.
Slade: Mom... Next time, on Tekkadread Remastered: 'Celebration'. Well, might as well enjoy myself!"
Dita, Jura, and Meia: "SLADE!"
Author's Notes
Well, that takes care of this part of chapter 13, and now we are going to get more into the relationships between Slade/Ranma and the other girls, as well as a few other couples as well. Stay tuned for Chapter 13 part 2, Celebration.
(1) Torpedo Juice was a beverage created by PT Boat sailors in World War II. Using the high grain alcohol fuel in torpedo motors and cleaning fluid, it was strained through a loaf of bread and mixed in with pineapple juice and other fruit juices. We're talking about stuff that makes uncut moonshine seem like lemonade. Old Gun's version is similar, but he uses a stronger derivative of alcohol. No wonder it knocked out the unsuspecting Aika Shan.
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