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: Must I always tell the readers that Ranma ½, Tekkaman Blade and Vandread don't belong to me, and I am only writing a fan fiction about them? Oh, I already did.
italics: Thoughts
Chapter 24 Part 3
Sibling Rivalry, Slade and Saber!
The Command Satellite floated peacefully in orbit around the planet Tarak. Then suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the man-made structure to its core. A massive decompression made the station shudder and momentarily caused it to drift out of its orbital path before emergency retro-thrusters righted it and bulkheads were sealed. However, with two of the most powerful fighters in the galaxy battling it out inside it, the satellite was in danger of falling out of its precarious position and burning up in the atmosphere.
Slade growled as he pushed back against Saber's Tekkalance. Behind him, Magno watched in horror as her only children were locked in mortal combat. She could not believe that Kenji was actually the murderous Tekkaman that had been determined to destroy the Nirvana for the past year. When she had first beheld him a few minutes ago, she had be so overjoyed to be reunited with her other lost son…
Flashback…
Magno sighed heavily as she walked into the guest quarters that she had been given for the duration of the Conference. It had been a long and tiring meeting as she had acted as a mediator between the representatives of Tarak and Mejele. The old hatreds had been hard to silence and it had almost come to violence had Slade not fired off a warning flash of ki to get everyone's attention. After seeing what he could do as a Tekkaman, one did not want to get on his bad side.
After a very intense debate, it had been decided that all human worlds would join in the fight against the invading Radam. Nearly ninety-nine percent of all the industries on Tarak, and to a lesser degree the other planets, would have to be converted toward supply and weapons production. All the weapons the Nirvana had developed against the Radam, primarily the Warrior Squadron's Tekkasuits, would serve as the blueprints. Furthermore, Vanguard production would have to be QUINTUPLED in order to supply each world with at least one battalion to combat the almost endless numbers of Spider-Crabs.
The Tarak men had few complaints since they were used to such. They were the ones to go to for efficient mass-production, though such a large-scale war effort was unheard of by the standards of the other planets. However, when the driving force was survival, they were motivated enough. In a way, the Tarak men's simplistic lifestyle and eating of food pills worked to their advantage in this case, since no resources would be wasted.
When it came to the matter of the Mejele refugees, it was decided (though very reluctantly by the representatives of the all-female world) that the surviving populace would be given living quarters and a temporary truce was established. They were to be given ONLY the essentials to survive, and any special requests would have to be taken up with the Tarak Council. This truce was to last only until the Radam Menace was dealt with. They would sort things out afterwards.
This did not give the women much, but considering the alternative, they couldn't make any complaints… YET. Magno could only imagine the inevitable conflicts that would occur when the Mejele women would be forced into the Tarak lifestyle. According to what Duero and Bart told her, living on Tarak was harsh and didn't allow much for luxury. And for people who were used to enjoying the benefits of technology, as well as being less efficient with resources, this was going to be a shock to many. They were going to have to learn to do without, as well as save whatever they had, and most of all, they are going to have to live off those food pills! A lot of women are going to starve if they did not swallow their pride.
The elderly woman had considered revealing the data that Duero had given to her and BC, about the fatal genetic flaws of Tarak and Mejele's current reproductive methods. However, given the current circumstances, she decided not to inform the leaders just yet. Everyone had to be focused on defeating the Radam and the information would be useless if they were all enslaved or destroyed. When the enemy was defeated, then perhaps the data would convince the two sides to reconcile.
It was then that she noticed that someone else was in her quarters. He was a tall individual with long green hair and a pale complexion. At first, Magno did not recognize the stranger, but then he stepped out from the shadows and said in a tone that dripped with scorn…
"Hello… MOTHER!"
There was a long stretch of silence as the two gazed upon each other. For Saber, he simply could not believe that this ancient crone was actually the woman who had given birth to him centuries ago. She resembled nothing like the person he remembered so long ago, but then again, considering how much he wanted to erase those images from his mind, he didn't really care how she appeared presently. According to the records he had read, Nodoka had underwent surgical and genetic alterations to her body in order to start over from her previous life. Well that suited the Red Tekkaman just fine. He wanted nothing left to link him with his pitiful childhood, and as soon as Vivian Magno was gone, there would be nothing left!
It was Ranma, always Ranma that she thought about! It was always his older half-sibling that she cared about! To her, Kenji was simply a substitute and those long years in that malfunctioning cryo-pod had warped his mind to extreme homicidal tendencies toward his family. And now, he was going to erase one of the two banes to his present existence!
For Magno, it was as if she had gone back in time. There he was… her other son! The one that she had thought had been lost forever! He looked harder than she remembered, but there was no mistaking his eye color and facial resemblance he had with her second husband. Of course, he was older than when she last saw him, and she was inwardly pleased that he had grown into a very fine figure of a man.
Then she noticed the expression on his face and started to feel the hostility emanating from him.
"Is… is… is it really you… Kenji?"
There was another long period of silence as Saber glared at his mother. Then finally he growled his response.
"Yes."
Joy overwhelmed her as she who was formally Nodoka, started toward her second offspring. "Kenji! I'm so-!"
WHAP!
The pirate captain staggered backward from the blow and looked up in shock. Saber stood with an even harder expression on his face. His right hand was raised with the palm open. It was very fortunate for her that he had used an open slap and with very little strength. Otherwise, his strike would have taken off her head.
Magno trembled as she looked at the one she had once called her son. Her eyes started welling up with moisture. A bruise started to form on her left cheek. "My son… why?"
"Don't EVER call me that!" He snarled as he lowered his hand.
"But… you just said-" She began in confusion.
Saber growled again, silencing her instantly. He then gave her a slight nod. "I WAS Kenji… but I was NEVER your son! The one who was once Kenji died long ago, when you abandoned me in that stinking cryo-pod!"
"No! I didn't abandon you!" She protested. "I was told that your cryo-pod was lost and that you were dead!"
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR LIES!" Saber roared. "I WAS NEVER YOUR SON IN THE FIRST PLACE! ALL YOU EVER CARED ABOUT WAS MY HALF-BROTHER! I WAS JUST A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOU!"
"No! You were my son! I loved you as much as I loved Ranma…"
"I TOLD YOU, I AM NOT YOUR SON! I… AM… SABER!"
"S-S-Saber?!"
"Yes! And I am also… YOUR EXECUTIONER… MOTHER!"
Magno felt her heart stop. Her son… was SABER?! His words stung deep into her soul like a dagger as she felt her tears stream down her cheeks. First her son Ranma… Slade would not speak with her, and now her newly-found second son was the one who had constantly tried to destroy the Nirvana? She felt her entire world begin to fall apart as her other offspring started to advance toward her. He raised up his right fist and began focusing his inner Tekkaman energies. Then the entire room was enveloped in a huge explosion, causing debris to fly toward her.
Magno managed to move to the right and mostly avoided a huge chunk of metal that came at her. However, its sharp edge still ripped up her robe's left shoulder, cutting through the cloth and into her flesh. She let off a scream as she collapsed to her knees and clutched at her injury. Blood flowed down her wound as she looked up and saw her attacker now holding a huge, wicked-looking, double-bladed lance, a weapon that she was all too familiar with.
H-He can bring out his Tekkalance without transforming?
Saber then let off a bloodcurdling roar as he raised his weapon high, then brought it down toward her head with intent on cleaving it in two. Magno shut her eyes and prepared for the end.
End of Flashback…
KTANG!
Magno opened her eyes at the sound of metal striking metal and found herself staring at the strong back of Slade as he held up the two halves of his own Tekkalance, blocking his half-brother's.
Then she heard the words she thought Slade would never say…
"Don't… you… DARE… hurt… MY MOTHER!"
Saber then retorted with scorn, "Don't you mean… OUR MOTHER?!"
Both combatants then let loose with powerful auras of energy and grappled with each other. Then they hurled themselves through a huge hole in the wall and she heard them simultaneously shout out…
"TEKSETTER!"
There was another series of explosions as the bulkheads of the station were shaken and alarms went off. As emergency personnel began running about to keep the station from falling out of orbit, Magno sat there in a state of shock as she continued to bleed profusely.
At that moment, BC came rushing into her ruined quarters and saw that her captain was severely injured. She immediately came to her while pulling out her communicator to alert Duero. However, as she knelt down to assess the captain's wound, she saw that Magno was in the state of shock and didn't even notice her. The old woman just continued to stare out toward a large hole in the wall.
"Captain?" When the elderly pirate didn't reply, the former Tarak spy repeated herself. "Captain?"
Then, after a long while, Magno spoke. "Ranma… Kenji… my sons… MY SONS!"
"What?" Unlike Duero and Parfet, Magno's First Officer was unaware of her captain's connection with Slade and Saber.
Magno said nothing more as she continued to stare in shock.
Both Tekkamen burst out of the station and into deep space. The two combatants darted about the void like a pair of angry hornets. Then, the two faced off in orbit above Tarak, getting ready to fight to the death. It seemed that this may be their final confrontation…
The two warriors gazed upon one another, their weapons held at the ready. Neither one spoke for a very long time, then Saber decided to tell his brother what he really thought of him.
"Just like always… BROTHER! Mother always did like you best."
"What?! What are you talking about?!" Slade said in surprise. "The captain is not your mother and you sure as HELL ain't my brother!"
Saber smirked behind his helmet. "Oh? So she didn't tell you? Oh, of course not! She just found out herself, didn't she?"
"What are you talking about, you psycho!?"
The Red Tekkaman chuckled as he replied. "If you already know that Vivian Magno was once Nodoka Saotome, and that she was once your mother, then you must know about her other son… Kenji Tensuke, right?"
"Yes…" Slade began suspiciously, then he began to get the underlying meaning to Saber's words. "You… don't mean that you're…"
Saber chuckled again, this time with more smugness. "So you finally caught on… eh, brother?"
"It can't be! The captain said that your cryo-pod was lost!" Slade exclaimed in denial. This madman was his half-brother?!
Saber then continued on in a deadly serious tone. "Oh, I was lost alright… but I didn't die… at least not immediately. I spent centuries suffering a slow, agonizing death as my body rotted away in that malfunctioning pod. When I was finally revived in this time period, I had been reduced to being one of the many wretches on Earth… as a Harvester."
"You were one of the Harvesters?"
"Yes. It was a daily struggle fighting the others for even half-decent organs to keep me going. We were always given body parts of the lowest quality, and frequently, they would only last for weeks or even days! There were times that I wanted to just end it all, rather than suffer continuously that living death. Then, I was presented with a chance to be reborn…"
"The Tekkaman Power Process…" Saber's half-brother guessed, in which Saber nodded.
"Yes. It was pure torture being put through the process in which I would get this power. A normal Harvester wouldn't have survived, but I did! Through my own will, my very hatred of what I had been reduced to and to who was responsible for my condition, it allowed me to withstand the process."
"So you blamed our mother for your pain?"
"Yes. She left me to die in that cryo-pod and I thought that I was truly free of her memory when I emerged from that Tekkapod. Kenji Tensuke was no more and Saber was born! But then, I later found out that SHE was still alive!"
"So that's why you're here now? To kill our mother?!"
"Yes! But only AFTER I make her suffer as I have! I'm going to tear her apart piece by BLOODY piece! She's going to feel pain on a scale unimaginable! Then, when she is no longer able to FEEL pain… when she is at the point of death… I'm going to FEED her carcass to the Spider-Crabs!"
Slade growled as his grip on his Tekkalance tightened. His half-brother was insane. It seemed that the long centuries had twisted his mind to the point that he couldn't even be called human. The way he described how he was going to kill their mother had sickened him. Though Slade had just recently decided on reconciling with her, it was apparent that Saber was beyond all hope of saving.
Saber then held up his own weapon and said, "Though I loathe to admit, my business with our MOTHER is only part of the reason why I am here. I was sent here to gather information about the defenses here, and to give a message to you… BROTHER!"
"A message?"
"My Lord Darkon would like to offer you a choice. You have caused the Radam quite a bit of trouble, but it would be a waste to destroy someone as powerful as you. Therefore, Darkon had sent me to offer you a chance to join us! This will be your only opportunity. So Slade… will you come with me… your brother? Or will you stay and be destroyed with Mommy Dearest?"
Slade let off a snarl as he replied. "GO TO HELL!"
"I'VE ALREADY BEEN THERE! NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!" Saber then charged at his sibling with thrusters going at full.
Slade countered his brother's first strike as the two Tekkamen sped through the starry void.
Back on the station, Meia, Dita, and Jura had started running toward the nearest airlock when they got word that Slade and Saber were engaged in combat. As they passed through a Vanguard hangar, they saw dozens of Tarak pilots suit up as they were getting ready to launch in order to defend the base. However, the girls knew very well that the mecha were no match against a Tekkaman. The men would surely die if they went up against a homicidal maniac like Saber.
The three found an adjacent airlock and took out their crystals as the hatch closed behind them. Holding their crystals aloft, they simultaneously cried out.
"TEKSETTER!"
In seconds, three comets of light raced out into space, as each girl went through her amazing metamorphosis. Their clothes were instantly stripped off, and their bodies became encased in nearly indestructible armor. Their already superhuman abilities were amplified to their highest levels as quantum energy weapons were drawn. Tekkamen Diamond, Ruby, and Sapphire headed toward the spot where Slade and Saber were mixing it up.
"SLADE!" All three cried out simultaneously as they were about to engage in battle.
However, to their shock, both the White and Scarlet Tekkamen snarled at them and responded in sync…
"STAY OUT OF THIS!"
The three females stopped suddenly at these words. They had not at all expected Slade to snap at them. Then, they heard something even more shocking…
"Your girlfriends should stay out of what does NOT concern them… Brother!" Saber growled. "This is between you… and ME!"
Slade growled as well as his grip on his lance tightened. Then he addressed the others without taking his eyes off his opponent. "Meia, Dita, Jura… don't interfere!"
The three girls became even more confused. With an enemy as deadly as Saber, shouldn't they all fight him together? And what did he just call Slade?
Slade then readied to charge at his adversary again. He gave the girls a final warning to back off. "Girls, this is something that has to be settled, once and for all between me… and my brother. This is FAMILY BUSINESS!"
"WHAT?!" The trio said at the same time.
It was then that space was lit up by laser bolts and cannon shells.
Saber growled as he looked off to one side and saw one of Tarak's battle cruisers bearing down on their position. It seemed that the men of the craft had decided to get involved.
Too bad for them.
Aboard the Warrior's Pride, Sahan Badir, the officer who had tried to sway Slade to the men's side, gave orders to open fire on the Tekkamen. It didn't matter that he was unsuccessful in recruiting the White Tekkaman. Once he had vanquished both him, the new intruder, and those accursed female Tekkamen, then the High Council would surely recognize him and his ideals that Tarak didn't need the women of Mejele. If he couldn't have the power of the Tekkamen themselves, then Tarak science could always discover their secrets from their remains.
However, both he and his crew would pay for his dreams of grandeur.
Though his cruiser couldn't use its main guns, due to its proximity to the planet Tarak and the Command Satellite, his secondary guns and batteries were allowed to blast away. They concentrated on the sector where Slade and the other Tekkamen were. However, the murderous barrage had zero effect as Saber simply jetted out in front of them and took the brunt of the attack. His form was enveloped in a series of blinding explosions for a full minute. When the guns and missile launchers finally ceased, the Scarlet Tekkamen gave off a scornful laugh as he emerged from the conflagration completely unscathed.
On the bridge of the Warrior's Pride, Sahan and his crew were in a state of disbelief. How could ANYONE survive that? Their weapons had enough firepower to bring down Mejele spacecraft. Then their expressions of shock became that of horror as Saber suddenly shot forward with lance held at the ready. Their anti-fighter guns opened up again, but had no effect as Saber didn't even bother to evade.
"No!" Slade cried out as he tried to catch up to his brother before he could…
Too late.
Saber plowed through the front section of the cruiser and ripped though bulkheads like they were made of paper. The massive decompression caused havoc as debris and crewmembers were sucked out into the vacuum of space. However, the red space warrior wasn't finished by any means as he broke into the bridge through the floor and began slaughtering officers left and right. Sahan and his first mate were beheaded in less than a heartbeat, their faces locked in expressions of terror as one of Tarak's proudest warships was gutted from the inside. Then the insane Tekkaman delivered the final blow as he smashed his way into the engine room and breached the reactor core. Not even bothering to make his escape, he simply allowed himself to be engulfed in the resulting explosion. In under two seconds, more than a hundred lives were snuffed out.
In front of the horrified eyes of Slade and the girls, the Warrior's Pride was consumed in a large explosion. When the light died down, they saw nothing but debris and in the midst of it, was Saber, unharmed and ready to murder again.
At that moment, several squadrons of Vanguards came charging out of other cruisers in the sector as well as the Command Satellite. They were all set to avenge their fallen comrades. However, they were about to learn that while the mecha were effective against Spider-Crabs, they were nothing but cannon fodder to a Tekkaman.
Slade desperately tried to get to Saber before he had a chance to decimate the Vanguard pilots. Dita, Meia, and Jura also flew in to assist him, as well as keep the men from getting too close to their adversary. However, that was when things went from bad to worse.
A huge flash of light appeared from another sector as a tear in hyperspace opened up. From this, a large horde of Spider-Crabs came hurtling out, and at the front of the formation was another armored figure, who was riding on the largest of the mutant monsters.
Tekkaman Dagger had arrived.
However, Saber was not happy to see his comrade.
"What are you doing here?!"
The green-colored Tekkaman shrugged as he replied. "Lord Darkon sent me to bring you back to headquarters. He says that it is time to begin preparations…"
"NO!" Saber shouted out as he gestured to his half-brother with his lance. "I WILL NOT LEAVE NOW! I'M GOING TO-!"
His words were cut off as cannon fire and laser beams started raining down on them. The Vanguards started to converge on their position, firing off a continuous rain of projectiles and energy blasts.
This had dire consequences as the Spider-Crabs and their Tekkamen masters began retaliating.
Shrugging off blasts like a dog shaking off rain from its fur coat, Dagger simply made his weapon appear, which was similar to Dita's Bow. Holding it out and taking almost casual aim, he made a single energy arrow appear as he cocked back his right hand, then released. The shaft of light streaked forward and the closest Vanguard pilot had no time to react as he and his mecha were vaporized in a blossoming sphere of destruction. Then Dagger began loosing arrows in rapid succession like a machine gun, with each hitting their target. In less than three seconds, two dozen brave men were sent screaming to their deaths as the Tekkaman nonchalantly executed them. Several squadrons were destroyed in quick order as Dagger continued to shoot them down with cold efficiency.
Slade let off a cry and charged at Dagger, but before he could reach him, he was blindsided by Saber. The two warriors grappled with each other as the carnage continued around them.
Though they wanted to help him, Dita, Meia, and Jura had to stop Dagger first. With him taking out the Vanguards, there was nothing to stop the Spider-Crabs from heading toward the Command Satellite and the nearby cruisers. As they approached the merciless Tekkaman, they were met with stiff resistance by the Spider-Crabs that were protecting him. As several groups of the monsters came close toward the cruisers, they could only hope for a miracle.
They got it as a streak of white light burst from the Command Satellite. They immediately recognized the figure in the nimbus of brilliance.
Ghaleon Viperson, as Tekkaman Phantom, started to slash and rip through the ranks of the Spider-Crabs. The stealthiest of all the Tekkamen faded from view as he continued his assault on the Radam monsters in his invisible mode. This allowed the defensive fleet the time it needed to launch more Vanguards and begin firing off barrages of covering fire.
However, as the battle escalated, more brave crews of the Tarak Empire fell before the Radam onslaught. Two destroyers were ripped apart as Spider-Crabs invaded into their hulls. Several dozen Vanguard pilots were slaughtered, though some did manage to take a good portion of the mutated monsters with them, showing that they were not all helpless.
"Stop it!" Tekkaman Sapphire cried out as she launched a trio of energy arrows at the green-colored armored warrior. However, her attack was blocked as a Spider-Crab appeared in front of Dagger and shielded him. The beast blew up in an explosion of pus and gore, but in that spilt-second, Darkon's servant fired off another salvo of arrows.
Dita let off a scream as one arrow punched through her armored left shoulder. The rest of the deadly energy projectiles flew by and took out seven more Vanguards. One arrow in particular sped toward a nearby cruiser named the Double-Edge. On the bridge, the commander of the vessel gave off the order to maximize the forward shields as he saw the arrow streaking toward them.
However, the command was given a heartbeat too late as the arrow crashed through the front view port and detonated within the bridge. Not a single member of the bridge crew survived, and the resulting explosion had also disabled the vessel's ability to maneuver. A massive explosion on its port side caused the cruiser to drift dangerously closer to another. In the sub-command bridge just aft of the primary control sections, the head engineering officer called out to his subordinate as more explosions rocked the ship.
"Damage report!"
The other officer gulped as he read the data on his view screen. "Guidance system… out… auxiliary steering… out…"
"Divert! Divert!"
"The ship won't answer the helm! The Double-Edge is going to collide with the Battle Axe! What are we going to do!?"
The head engineer raised his head up solemnly and said, "We die." (1)
The front of the Double-Edge slammed hard into the side of the Battle Axe and both ships were engulfed in a pair of explosions, scattering debris and hot gases in all directions. Some of the Spider-Crabs were taken out, but unfortunately, several more Vanguards were also obliterated along with them. The battle had only started ninety seconds ago, but already the casualty figures had quadrupled.
Saber let off a blood-curdling war cry as he sliced an interfering Vanguard in half. The pilot inside was also cut in twain before his mecha exploded. The Crimson Tekkamen then threw his lance out toward a trio of the Tarak machines, spinning about like a discus. The men had no chance to even scream as the weapon sliced through them, causing their Vanguards to self-destruct a moment later.
"DAMN YOU!" Slade cried out as he charged his half-brother, thinking that he was at a disadvantage without his lance.
However, Saber surprised him as two wicked blades suddenly popped out of his gauntlets. He easily parried his sibling's lance, then started slashing away. It was then that Saber's lance swung back to its master.
Slade was caught off-guard as the weapon glanced off his shoulder. That was all Saber needed to grab his weapon and kick out with a foot into Slade's solar plexus. Then, while his brother was off-balance, he slammed into him with thrusters going on full. Slade barely managed to block the point of Saber's lance with his own, but he couldn't stop their forward momentum in time. When he looked back and saw that they were heading toward another vessel, he started his own thrusters to slow them down.
"STOP IT, SABER! YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY THEM!"
"LIKE I CARE!" Saber retorted as he kept on going.
The pair impacted into the heavy cruiser/support carrier known as the Avenger's Sword, and unfortunately into the Vanguard hangar. At the time, the ship had been preparing to launch its Vanguards to deal with the Spider-Crabs, but when the Tekkamen came crashing through, the pilots and hangar crews scattered. Many were killed in mere moments as Saber let nothing and no one stand in the way of his revenge. Slade tried his best to keep him from slaughtering innocents, but in those close quarters, it was impossible to prevent the body count from piling up. Then Slade's blood ran cold as he saw Saber beginning to glow red. That could only mean…
"NO! YOU CAN'T!"
"ANTI-VOLTEKKER!"
The Avenger's Sword became the latest ship to fall under the might of the Radam as it was gutted from the inside and then exploded in a crimson fireball. However, as the ship died, another explosion appeared from within and elongated into a green beam.
"VOLTEKKER!"
Saber screamed as he was caught in the full force of Slade's attack and was driven back out into space. Slade followed him out with the intent to make him pay for the lives he had taken that day.
However, fate would have other plans.
Saber managed to recover from his brother's attack, though his armor was now shredded in several places. Slade wasn't much better as his armor was also badly damaged from the fight. The two streaked off into the distance, past the Sentinel Stations and toward the asteroid belt that formed Tarak's First Defensive Line. In past times, the ring of gun turrets and mines prevented the majority of the Radam Spider-Crab hordes from getting through. Dagger and his attack force had managed to bypass it through a precise interspatial warp that could not be frequently duplicated and could only transport a certain number through. The technique could not be used for a full-scale invasion, but was enough to insert a considerable strike force to test Tarak's inner defenses and retrieve the errant Saber.
However, as the two warriors mixed it up among the rocks and ice, both were unaware of the secret within Tarak's solar system minefield. Deep within the asteroids, a certain rare type of crystal began to awaken and pulse with energy. Unknown to even the men of Tarak, they were the OTHER reason why the Radam kept their distance from the all-male world, and it would only take a certain event in order to trigger their power.
Both Slade and Saber began to slow down the longer they battled. It was if something was starting to drain their energy. The Crimson Tekkaman in particular was feeling a bit light-headed. Then he decided that it was now time to obliterate his half-sibling once and for all.
Both he and the former Saotome faced each other off as the red-colored warrior gestured with his lance at Slade. "I've got to admit… you're just as strong as you were the last time we fought! However, I'm NOT the same as I once was!"
"What are you talking about!?" Slade demanded. "You're the SAME psycho you've always been!"
"Yes, but now THIS psycho has a new trick to show you!"
With these words, Saber began focusing his energies as his armor started to shift and change shape. He was then enveloped in a scarlet corona of light.
Slade was in a state of shock as he watched his brother morph into something even more dangerous then what he was before.
No! He couldn't be!
Saber's armor broke apart, then reformed with sharper angles and more bulk. His back formed a kind of hump, then elongated into what looked like a tail. When the transformation completed itself, Tekkaman Saber became Tekkaman Slaughter (2)
"Well, what do you think, brother?"
Slade growled as he began powering up his energies as well. "I think I have no choice!"
In an instant, Slade triggered his own transformation and became Tekkaman Blastor.
At that moment, the gun emplacements picked up the surge of power of the two evolved Tekkamen, and decided that both were to be labeled as outside threats. They immediately began to fire on them. The mines were also activated and started to swarm toward them. Laser bolts and cannon shots went flying in all directions, and mines detonated with the force of small nuclear bombs. None of this affected either Tekkaman, but this caused a huge chain reaction within the asteroids as the crystals within them exploded and sent a gigantic backlash of energy to scatter throughout the system. Multitudes of sensors and other instruments started to go haywire. And at the center of it all, two brothers screamed out in agony.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And they weren't the only ones.
Dagger, Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby, and Phantom all stopped in their tracks as the surge of energy ripped through their very beings. Their bodies were caught in a series of spasms. They had never felt such excruciating pain. The Spider-Crabs also became disoriented and halted in their assault. The men were unable to capitalize on this sudden reversal as their weapons and instruments became scrambled.
As the bombardment of energy waves continued, Dagger decided that enough damage had been inflicted on the enemy and retreated, leaving his Spider-Crabs to die. The monsters began exploding like kernels of popcorn, sending their gory remains all over space. Meia and the others tried to follow Dagger, but they were still feeling intense pain and couldn't catch up to him. He sped out to where Tekkaman Slaughter was and grabbed hold of him. He then sent a signal back to his master Darkon, asking for the hyperspace gate to open for them. As the tear in space opened up, he dragged the now senseless, though evolved, Saber and himself through it and disappeared from sight. It was at that time that the energy surge subsided.
However, the surge had caused one of the battlewagons to lose all of its navigational and thruster controls. Unlike the Warrior's Pride, this ship, the Titan's Fist, was ten times larger. As it began to slowly fall through the atmosphere and began to heat up during re-entry, all those who were tracking its descent became horror-struck as they calculated its impact point. It was going to hit one of the most populated areas on the planet, and it was right next to where the Mejele refugees were being sheltered.
Slade cleared his head and began racing back toward the planet, but he knew that even as an evolved Tekkaman with far greater speed, he wouldn't be able to make it…
"Slade!"
Tekkaman Blastor looked off to one side and saw Meia racing toward him with Dita and Jura trailing behind her. She was the fastest of the three and was soon keeping pace with him as they streaked toward the planet.
By this time, the Titan's Fist was already halfway through the middle layers of the atmosphere and had become a huge flaming meteor. One could only hope that its heat shielding would be enough to protect the crew inside, but that was a moot point. The impact alone would kill the men inside it, not to mention obliterate the population center and the Mejele ships that were in its path. The resulting crash would most likely send shockwaves across the planet's surface, devastating the nearby landscape and upset the already barren ecosystem. The men were used to meteor showers and such hitting their world, which was one of the main reasons why they built their cities within the huge chasms that were scattered about their planet. However, even they would not be able to withstand such a dire change in their environment. A great many men would die alongside the females once the ship crashed, only more slowly.
Slade poured everything he had into his thrusters, willing himself to go faster. He just had to get there in time! As he sped up, he began to consider his options. Then he realized that there was only one way. Even if he did get ahead of the falling vessel, then he would have to destroy it with his Mega-Voltekker to save the city and the Mejele refugees. That meant that the innocent crew within the vessel would be sentenced… to death.
There was no other option.
Damn it! To save their lives, I have to take lives! NO! I can't do that! There has to be another way! There has to be!
At that point, Tekkaman Blastor started to glow with a white light. Meia, who was straining to keep up with him, became puzzled and drew closer. Then it happened…
Just as he did before, Slade unconsciously reached out for more power, and a shaft of energy burst from his armored form and connected… this time with Tekkaman Diamond! The former Dread Leader was pulled toward him as he became translucent. Their bodies became one as armor fused together. Meia gasped as unimaginable power seeped into her and she felt a familiar presence in the back of her mind, urging her to accept the union. In one final burst of brilliance, the transformation was complete.
The new warrior was more sleek and curved than the one formed by Jura and Slade. He/She was about a foot taller than Tekkaman Blastor but was less bulky. The armor was gray with white and scarlet highlights. Behind his/her shoulders were two pairs of sharp winglike protrusions, along with a quartet of diamond-shaped thrusters. The boots had winglets and the helmet was now framed with smooth, angular surfaces. Every part of the new Tekkaman emphasized one thing…
Speed.
Through the union of Tekkaman Blastor and Diamond… Tekkaman Flash was born!
Dita and Jura were left gaping as Tekkaman Flash suddenly accelerated to what could only be described as going to warp speed! Like a bolt of lightning, he/she shot forward and in less than an instant, he/she crossed the distance and was now just a few hundred meters behind the falling battleship.
Then he/she made another burst of acceleration as he/she angled his/her flight path toward the bow of the craft. Energy emitters appeared on his/her shoulders and began focusing power in front of him/her. Then, in one final charge, he/she shouted out…
"HYPER-LIGHT… VOLTEKKER!"
Tekkaman Flash impacted hard against the bow of the ship, like a projectile being fired off from a rail gun. The front of the Titan's Fist was blown clear off. However, this caused the craft to alter in its trajectory. As its direction changed, the vessel angled away from the population center and toward a more desolate area. Its velocity had lessened with the sudden change in motion, but it still wasn't enough. The city and the Mejele refugees had been spared of instant annihilation, but everyone on the planet was still in jeopardy.
The new Tekkaman powered up and struck with his/her Hyper-Light Voltekker again, this time at the belly of ship with a glancing shot. This caused the ship to fall at a shallower angle and decreased its speed even more. He/she hoped that it would be enough to allow for a much softer landing. As the warship plowed through several huge sand dunes and started to skip across the surface like a stone over the waters of a pond, he/she powered up for one more strike, in an attempt to stop its motion altogether.
However, it was unnecessary as a familiar giant machine appeared from the sky and flew down to land some distance ahead of the Tarak battlewagon.
It was the other fusion of man and woman… Tekkadread Blade!
Within its combined cockpit, Duero and Barnette directed their machine to begin digging trenches with its energy blades in the path of the oncoming vessel. As it hit each depression, its speed dropped. After digging out more than four miles of ditches, the Tekkadread braced itself against the superheated hull and began firing its thrusters at full throttle to counter the ship's forward momentum. The huge craft tore a wide trench into the sandy surface of the planet as it slowly but surely decelerated. When the Titan's Fist finally came to a stop and the resulting clouds of sand and debris settled down, the Tekkadread detached itself from the ship and stood triumphant.
Inside the cockpit, both Duero and Barnette gave off simultaneous sighs of relief. It was over… for now.
At that point, Tekkaman Flash split apart into Tekkaman Blastor and Diamond. Both figures landed beside the crashed vessel and immediately transformed back into their human forms. They simultaneously toppled forward into the sand in exhaustion.
Tekkadread Blade immediately split into Tekkaman Razor and Dread Gunner. The good doctor flew down toward his comrades in order to check on them…
Much later…
In his quarters in the Command Satellite, Grand Pa let off a tired sigh as he bid the officer before him to continue with the report.
The officer in question, Captain Jensen Dar, was a young and exceptionally bright cruiser commander with short russet hair. He had a height of 6' 2" and a slender but tough and wiry build. Unlike the late Sahan Badir, Jensen had earned his command, having fought his way up through the ranks of the Tarak military. Like Duero, he had undergone the Spirit Trial when he was seven years old and had been upgraded from his 3rd Class status to 1st. He had joined the armed forces at the age of 16 and now at the age of 23, he was among the youngest to ever command a vessel. His ship, the Fire Heart, was one of the newer and more powerful class of heavy cruiser/support carrier. He also led a task force called Grand Pa's Knife, which consisted of eight medium cruisers, six destroyers, and their escorts. At times, his superiors considered him a bit of a maverick with his unorthodox methods and ideals, but there was no mistaking his dedication to defending his world from all outside threats and his loyalty to Grand Pa.
Jensen took a deep breath as he read the figures. "The casualty figures are as follows. The B-class cruisers Warrior's Pride, Battle Axe, and Double Edge were totally destroyed, with all hands lost. The AX-Class Support Carrier-Cruiser Avenger's Sword was also lost with 100 casualties. Dirk-Class Destroyers Defiant and Courageous were mauled by Spider-Crabs, with no survivors. Alpha-Type Battleship Titan's Fist reported 60 fatalities of its crew, which came to 875 men. If it weren't for that thing the women called a Tekkadread and that strange new Tekkaman, then they would have all died. Total Vanguard pilot losses has been tallied at 178. Death toll at the Command Satellite came to 98. The final count… one thousand, eight hundred and four confirmed dead, with another six hundred and forty wounded, and twelve missing."
He shut off the data pad and added, "This was all done by just two Tekkamen and several dozen Spider-Crabs. And according to what Slade told us afterwards, they weren't even TRYING to destroy us."
"By all the gods of Tarak, this is not acceptable." Grand Pa said as he took in the information. "And the reports from the Nirvana stated that the Radam have at least FOUR Tekkamen and an unknown number of Tekkadreads, not to mention what appears to be an unlimited number of Spider-Crabs. It was just by pure luck we were able to end up with these results. It could have been worse… MUCH worse."
Jensen nodded. "Yes." He paused for a moment, then asked, "May I speak freely, Your Excellency?"
"You may."
The cruiser captain nodded. "Great Grand Pa, from what I have already seen from a military and practical standpoint, my professional opinion is that we men of Tarak will not be able to win on our own against the Radam."
"I see. And the reasons for this conclusion?"
"It has already been proven beyond a doubt that conventional weaponry and our mechs have little to no effect against Tekkamen. Even if they had been able to use their main armaments, the men of the Warrior's Pride still wouldn't have been able to stop Tekkaman Saber or the others. Though our Vanguards have proven effective against the Spider-Crabs, the Radam have the advantage in sheer force of numbers. Additionally, we don't know if our fleets are any match against the Tekkadreads. And lastly, so far we've enjoyed minor to moderate skirmishes against them. We have yet to feel a full-force assault. If it hadn't been for those crystal deposits in the Asteroid Belt Defenses, I have no doubt that we would have suffered the same fate as Mejele."
Grand Pa nodded sadly. He had been informed by Magno and her crew about certain rare crystals that had a detrimental effect on the Tekkaman Power Process, and apparently it also affected Spider-Crabs. If they had known about those crystals, then a more potent defense could have been created.
When the original Asteroid Defense Belt was destroyed in the Radam's initial attacks, Tarak engineers worked around the clock to recreate the system using the inner field of asteroids that floated near the middle of their solar system. When the Radam suddenly stopped in their heavy assaults and switched to small, easily handled attacks, the men became puzzled as to why the enemy was now hesitant and more careful. It was only discovered now that the new Defense Belt was emitting low levels of disruptive energies, which had been keeping the Spider-Crabs at bay.
Now, with the asteroid belt obliterated, the crystals had released all of their energies at once in one massive surge. The Nirvana's Tekkaman could still transform, but must do so on the planet to be out of range of those energies. Parfet had estimated that the energy levels would disperse within one month. At that point, there would be nothing to deter the Radam from attacking Tarak in full force.
One month. A mere thirty days for men and woman to find the strength to overcome the merciless Radam, not to mention the animosity that had built up over the last hundred years between the sexes.
Grand Pa sighed again. Things were going to get rough. Then he addressed the young captain. "You do realize what you are implying, don't you Captain Dar?"
"Yes, Grand Pa. We need the women's help."
"I'm glad that you see things from a more sensible viewpoint. Out of all the officers in the Tarak Armed Forces, you are one of the few with whom I can trust to carry out my orders."
"I thank you, Grand Pa. Rest assured, I shall follow and protect you with my very life if need be."
"Let us hope it does not come to that. So be it. We shall begin integrating the Mejele women into our society. I know that it will be a shock to nearly all and heresy to even consider such a thing, but in order to ensure the survival of the human race, we must do what is necessary. Since the crew of the Nirvana had men and women cohabitating together for over a year, we shall use them as our model in order to get cooperation between the genders."
"As you command, Grand Pa."
The Nirvana…
Slade rushed into the Sick Bay after being transported back onto the ship. Though he was almost totally drained from his fight with Saber, he still needed to make sure that a certain someone was all right. Running behind him were Meia, Dita, and Jura.
"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!" Slade cried out as he flung open the door to the Sick Bay.
Slade stopped suddenly as he saw Magno sitting up on a bed. Beside her was Duero as he assessed the readings on a nearby pulse meter. Magno was dressed in a surgical gown and her long, silver-streaked blonde hair was loose and flowing. Her left arm and shoulder was tightly bandaged, and her left wrist had an IV attached to a bag of plasma hanging beside her bed. She looked up and smiled at him.
"Hello Ranma… my son…"
Slade felt a surge of emotion as he rushed forward to embrace her. In his haste, he let slip a certain word…
"MOTHER!"
Behind him, the three female Tekkaman stared in shock. Nearby, some other crew members heard the outburst. On the Nirvana, gossip spread like wildfire and soon everyone on board were exclaiming the same thing…
"MOTHER?!"
To be continued…
Preview...
Slade: "We've barely managed to beat off Saber and the Radam for now. Hopefully this skirmish will drill into those arrogant military morons that we all need to work together to beat this new enemy. Thankfully, we've been offered a reprieve before they strike again. This should help the Tarak and Mejele inhabitants to get re-acquainted with each other. Also..."
Dita: "Captain says Slade would like this food, so I should try to make it."
Jura: "Ooh... what is this elegant outfit the Captain had before?"
Meia: "Captain, you saying this old book will help me with..."
Slade: "Next time on Tekkadread Remastered: 'Moving In'. I'm feeling a sense of foreboding for some reason..."
Author's Notes
Wow! This was a long chapter, but I had to get at least the groundwork for the Mejele/Tarak alliance done. For those of you who are disappointed in the sudden end to the battle, don't worry. You'll see plenty of action in future chapters as each person plays out his/her parts. In the next chapter, we're going to see the two genders as they rediscover the joys and sorrows of living together, and some new characters being introduced. And of course, we're also going to see the ramifications of Slade's declaration.
(1) Got this scene after watching the Last Starfighter.
(2) I can't remember the name of Saber's evolved form or if he even got a name in the last episode of Tekkaman Blade, but I like this name. It suits him.
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