Eternal City Crystal Tokyo
Chapter 82
Weapons fire blazed in the darkness of space as the three pirate ships fought off a swarm of attack fighters.
"I can't believe they jumped us this soon." Captain Marika Kato complained as the ship rocked from a near miss. The mostly red painted Bentenmaru was exchanging fire with one attacker as it maneuvered away from the enemy.
"Someone REALLY doesn't want you mother making it to Earth," Jenny Dolittle, Captain of the Odette II, noted as the silvery pirate ship fought beside them.
"Here they come again!" Kane McDougal warned.
"Why haven't they hailed us, at least?" Misa Grandwood complained, the pretty ship's doctor on the bridge for no good reason.
"We've hailed them continuously," Coorie, the communications officer and computer expert noted dryly.
As they were talking the third pirate ship, the Barbarossa swept in, weapons firing as it blew several fighters out of space.
Marika winced. She KNEW the attackers meant to kill or at least disable them, but she still hated the idea of killing people. Unlike her wife over on the Barbarossa...
"Are you alright?" Captain Chiaki Kurihara-Kato asked them, the black haired woman standing on her bridge.
"We're fine," Marika reassured her.
"We're being hailed," Coorie called, "finally."
"On screen," Marika barked.
The tall redhead was wearing a League Military uniform, and he was frowning. "Surrender your ships and prepare to be boarded," he demanded.
"Mesa Fleet, I see," Marika recognized the system patches. "Name?" she drawled.
He scowled, "Commodore Fletcher. Well?"
"You're looking for Ambassador Kato, I take it?" Marika drawled.
The man flushed, "We wish to ensure she safely makes it to Earth."
"Then you'll be happy to hear that she transferred over to the Swordbreaker vessel 'Yamato' two days ago, she should be there soon." Jenny Dolittle said cheerfully.
"What," Fletcher blurted.
"We met up with them a day out from Morningstar," Marika smiled, mentioning their home Solar System, "fast ships, Swordbreakers. They're probably on Earth by now."
"You're lying," Fletcher said flatly.
"Maybe," Chiaki shrugged, "but honestly, we have no reason to lie. We're winning this fight, as you well know."
Fletcher gritted his teeth. He had lost half his fighters, assuming no reinforcements existed... and his carrier ships were not designed for ship to ship combat. He HAD to know he was in a bad tactical situation.
"Fighters, retreat," Fletcher ordered his forces. He addressed them, "You've won... for now. I will not forget this insult."
"Been nice talking to you," Marika waved, then cut the link.
"I wonder how he'd feel to know we were telling the truth," Jenny noted.
"Still pissed off, but just over being outmaneuversed," Chiaki shrugged.
"Misa, get to sickbay, I want to know how badly we got hurt," Marika ordered grimly.
"Aye aye." Misa hurried off. They were lucky, no deaths though a lot of injuries...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Venus was in her office as they got the news that a new ambassador was being appointed for the League. Mind you, she had known who it was going to be already, through her various agents based in the League and local space.
"Was this a surprise?" Naomi Amitage asked, the 'Third' advanced cyborg checking in with her boss after a mission in the League.
"Not really," Venus admitted, "though I knew that Mesa was trying to get their rep appointed. Thankfully even the League Senate isn't THAT corrupt."
"Or Mesa couldn't pay off enough Senators to swing the vote," Naomi noted cynically. Mesa wasn't well loved, even in the corrupt League.
"That too," Venus conceded. "I got your report on Serenity Kingdom... are you absolutely sure?" she asked.
"Yes, they're confirmed having Queen Serenity's DNA," Naomi used a projection system to bring up pictures of two familiar looking blonde girls, Gruier and Grunhilde.
"Damn it... was it a left over plot from the Nega Moon?" Venus wondered aloud. Despite being defeated years back, they still stumbled over schemes left behind by them.
"Or someone swiped a blood sample during the Great War," Naomi added.
Serenity Kingdom was a powerful group of worlds in the League, and were led by a royal family. What was not commonly known was that the family was based on bioengineering, using a mysterious DNA sample called 'The Rose Queen.' The Queen, of course, being the former Sailor Moon, Queen Serenity...
"Do THEY know they're related to our Queen Serenity?" Venus asked thoughtfully.
"No, or at least I can't find any evidence they do," Naomi admitted.
"I do have some theories to why," Venus admitted. "Tapping into Sailor Moon's power, possibly. Or even trying to present them as rivals for Crystal Tokyo's throne."
Naomi hesitated, "You're not planning to take steps, are you?"
"No," Venus frowned at her. "It's no their fault someone screwed around with the Queen's DNA," she added.
Venus didn't mention it, but she also had certain plans for Serenity Kingdom, depending on what went on in the League. Assuming things got much worse and they needed to take action.
"Any luck cracking the smuggling ring?" Venus changed the subject.
Mesa and Manpower were trying to smuggle in illegal biotech and boomeroids into Earth-space. Despite it being banned there was always SOMEONE who wanted a 'forbidden' thrill or dangerous technology.
"We've stopped the group using the asteroids as a base, busted the ringleaders," Naomi noted. "Some Earth First survivors were involved."
"Weaponizing Mesa biotech?" Venus guessed.
"They wanted to deploy a nanotech bomb to overrun the capital," Naomi said flatly.
"Bastards," Venus sighed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Miki Kaoru waited, the blue haired man as slim and elegant as usual. He was busy, and helping set up the Royal Wedding had him even busier, but he now found himself here meeting the new ambassador from the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.
(Miki had considered asking Touga to do it, but he'd probably hit on her. And Saionji was busy dealing with a deplomatic issue involving the colonies.)
The shuttle from the Yamato came down and landed in the spaceport just outside the city, and the hatch opened. The good looking reddish-brown haired woman emerged, then strode towards him.
'Yep, Touga would have totally hit on her,' Miki mused. Aloud he said, "Ambassador Kato?"
"Please, just Ririka," she smiled wryly, "besides, until the Queen sees me, I'm not officially the Ambassador yet."
"Ririka then," Miki smiled. "As most of the staff resigned after the last Ambassador... left," Miki started.
"You mean, fled to escape her actions," Ririka noted. "I know what went down. I assume some or all of the staff were implicated too?"
"Almost everyone who was actually from the League refused to talk and returned home," Miki admitted. "The Embassy does have local staff for day to day operations."
Of course, both of them knew that the local staff would have at least some spies from the other great space powers. Neither one brought it up, as it was business as usual.
"Thank you... I'll look into bringing in my own people as soon as possible," Ririka agreed as he led her to a waiting transport.
"Do you have luggage?" Miki asked, seeing she was just carrying one large bag.
"Just this, I'm used to travelling light," Ririka answered as they set off. She continued, "I'm aware the wedding is coming in a week or so, so I know my official appointment can wait."
"Thank you for your consideration," Miki smiled wryly.
"I'm glad I got here in time for the party," Ririka added, grinning. They arrived and he escorted her out.
"Please contact the palace if you need anything," Miki added respectfully.
"Will do," Ririka casually waved, then headed through the gate.
To be continued...
Notes: Addressing some of the Bodacious Space Pirates stuff. In that anime, there are expies of Sailor Moon, from 'Serenity Kingdom'. I've decided to keep keep them, but reveal that they're actually derived from Sailor Moon's stolen DNA.
As Naomi Armitage from Armitage the Third is a full android, I don't see an issue with her being around in 3000...
I need to decide who's going to be on Ririka's staff, it will almost certainly be a group of characters from Bodacious Space Pirates , too.