As SunTzu awoke the next day the place next to him in his bed was empty.
But there were giggles and voices coming from the living room.
He sat up and although the Bacta made things better his back felt horrible today.
With a face distored with pain he put on a shirt and some pants and walked out of the bed room.
"Look Minako. The Sith have risen again."
A beaming Rei told to Minako, both were at the kitchen counter and apparently making breakfast.
Minako didn't take the joke as easy and the corners of her mouth went downside.
At least Rei could make Jokes about it.
"C'mon Bitch, don't take it so hard. It was just a joke."
Rei turned around to SunTzu.
"She's having such a bad conscience that she's doing pancakes for you. She never does pancakes for anyone. At least if it's not British Royality." Rei laughed and got back to swirling around pancake dough with an egg whip.
"Hey Rei?" Minako asked her friend, as she was frying the first pancakes.
"Hum?"
A hand with flour was rubbed over Rei's left cheek leaving white flour on her.
"Ahhh, you hoe! You get that back!" Rei yelled at a laughing Mina and grabbed for the flour A hand of flour was rubbed through the middle of Minako's face.
And soon flour was flying everywhere.
SunTzu tried to stop the loud giggling girls as they were ruining his kitchen but gave up when the first hand mark appeared on Rei's black hot pants. SunTzu remembered he had seen something like this before somewhere. And he know how this would end.
Apparently Pornhub had lied and it didn't end like he thought it would do. It rather ended with him cleaning his kitchen while the girls cleaned themselves up and took showers.
His aching back didn't make things easier.
When the girls were back they finally had breakfast and SunTzu had to admit that Minako's Pancakes were awesome, very tasty and so fluffy.
"That's because I cook with Love." The Reincarnation of the Goddess of Love stated.
At breakfast the girls noticed that SunTzu was flinching and distored his face when doing some movements.
"Babe, what's wrong?" Rei asked him between two pieces of pancake. Izanagi, those pancakes were great.
"My back. This time it's killing me. I feel like an eighty year old."
"Awww. You want a massage later on?"
"How about some yoga later SunTzu? I bet it would help. I'd give you an exercise later." Minako said.
"I'm good thanks." SunTzu said and held his hands up in a defensive way.
"No really, you should do that. I'll participate too." Rei chimed in and both women were now looking to him waiting for an answer.
SunTzu sighed.
"Fine then. But only because you're a doctor that can prescribe me the good stuff if my back fractures completely, Minako."
After Breakfast the trio went to Crystal Palace with Rei checking in with diplomatic service, Minako with the Queen and SunTzu with AICA.
As the pilot arrived at the hangar Hotaru was there also, looking weary as she hadn't slept.
"Long night Recruit?"
"Good Morning. When Chibiusa and me heard that there was something up we immediately went out. I even had AICA on Standby but by the time we both arrived here it already was over. But we stayed here, ready to immediately move out until the early morning and right now I just came from to check in with AICA if there were any news."
The teenager stretched herself and yawned.
"I heard rumors that you went all out yesterday. And Mom told you even we're in the hospital."
"Yeah, guess I was pushed too hard yesterday. But it's apparently all good now. Only my back is killing me."
"I'm glad to hear it's nothing serious then. If you would excuse me now, I'm going back to sleep."
"Yeah, you should. See you later Kiddo."
He greeted AICA and climbed into the cockpit, which back didn't like at all.
"You okay meatbag?"
"My back's fucked but otherwise I'm okay. Apparently I'm also not a Sith yet although I guess I pretty much flirted with the dark side yesterday."
"I heard about that from Hotaru."
"Yeah, I guess I have to tell Master Cilghal about it."
"Oh, talking about that, I don't know if you saw it yet. She sent an Holo Message earlier."
"Really? I haven't seen it yet. Play it please."
In the small holo projector above the console the Mon Calamari Jedi Healer appeared and told that she was on her way to earth and would arrive soon. Sailor Mercury had contacted her yesterday night and although she heard that he was alright she wanted to see it for herself.
SunTzu once again had to admit that he understood that.
Her arrival was scheduled at noon so not long from now on.
SunTzu went over to the palace and waited at his usual place and while he was waiting he thought about yesterday night.
Yes, his rage powered the force and he wanted to punish these attackers but he never had the feeling that he had lost himself or would attack anyone else. Well, guess it's up to the Jedi Master to tell me if I'm still on the right track.
A message on his phone pulled him out of his thoughts, it was Rei, asking where he was.
He answered that he was waiting for the arrival of his personal Jedi Consultant to which Rei answered that these Jedi sure don't waste time.
Yeah, he answered, they don't and that he was excited to hear what the master would say.
Rei replied, that it would better be good or a certain Goddess of Fire and War might burn down the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to which SunTzu had to smile and answered that he'd tell her ASAP what was up.
God, he loved this woman, that last message was so Rei Hino.
Never loose your Fire Sailor Mars, ever.
Not long after a Jedi Shuttle from Coruscant landed and Master Cilghal excited the starship.
SunTzu was already waiting at the landing spot and greeted the Master with a slight bow.
She greeted him back and asked if there was a place where they could talk in private.
A few minutes later they were in a meeting room inside the Military HQ.
He explained to the Jedi Master in detail what happened and she listened carefully.
"I'm gonna have to probe your mind. If you would be corrupted by the dark side and even if you'd try to hide it, I'd feel it."
She put her alien hand to his temple and closed her eyes and concentrated.
He could feel her probing and after a few moments she opened her eyes again and retracted her hand.
"You didn't fall over SunTzu. BUT you have to work on your feelings and your rage. Try to work on your inner calmness. Are you meditating and training regularly?"
"Yes Master, I am."
"Good. We stay in contact. Try not to get provoked, we can't let you loose to the dark side."
"I'll do my best Master."
The Mon Calamari nodded.
"I'll meet with Captain Urawa now."
"I'll lead you there."
He lead the Jedi Master to Ami's office and knocked.
"Come in." Ami's voice came from inside the room and SunTzu opened the door.
"Master Cilghal for you Ami."
"I was already waiting for her. We talk later SunTzu."
SunTzu made room for Master Cilghal to enter and then closed the door behind her.
He then went back to his bench in the Garden.
A short time later Cilghal came back to the shuttle and they said their goodbyes.
As SunTzu watched the Shuttle take off, Rei walked up next to him.
"Since your head is still on your shoulders I guess the Jedi think you're still one of the good guys as well."
"I guess. Not that my girlfriend and her Senshi friends already knew that without Jedi help."
A smug grin appeared on Rei's face.
"The Goddess of Love and fluffy Pancakes sends me. She wants to torture you with a round of Yoga now."
"Too bad my back hurts too much to run away."
Boyfriend extraordinaire he was accepted to join the two girls on yoga and went back to the Flight Center to change into sport clothes.
When he got back to the palace and the sports and training room at the northern Palace building Rei and Minako were already waiting for him, also dressed in training clothes.
Minako was happy that he joined them and promised his back would be better afterwards.
After the Yoga lesson SunTzu's back was really better. If one would have asked him the cause of this was because his body had been so bent and twisted by Minako that it just wasn't able to send out any more pain signals anymore.
They went to refresh and then had lunch together.
Ami and Makoto joined them soon on the table and both hurried with their lunch since they were busy.
"We're having a meeting at the HQ for the whole inner circle and command staff at fifteen hundred. See you later." Ami said as they got up and left.
The trio watched them leave.
"I bet she found something out with those samples from yesterday." Rei stated.
"Yeah, but why she can't just tell us." Minako replied.
"Since the whole leadership will be there, I could bet we're deploying. Might have extra dessert today." SunTzu told the girls and got up to get himself a second dessert.
Ten minutes before the meeting the Trio sat down in the large meeting room in the Military HQ, next to the Outer Senshi and Chibiusa.
Hotaru, sat next to SunTzu, she looked less tired now.
Hotaru and Michiru were sitting behind SunTzu and he turned around.
"Twenty bucks we're moving out."
"I'm in. I bet it's just about yesterday and Artemis and Mercury will tell us that they still don't know anything more."
The rest strolled in and the meeting began. Ami held the meeting.
"As most of you know, Lieutenant SunTzu was attacked yesterday evening by attackers that weren't human. They weren't alien either, in fact they were just vessels filled with dark magic. For the ones that know, similar to the droids of Black Moon Clan but filled with a different kind of magic. For the record the Spectre Sisters helped immensely in gaining this Intel.
The attackers were made out of a certain kind of Argil and powered by the Magic. Eyewitnesses report that they were able to use melee weapons."
A bit of chatter broke out and Ami motioned the attendants to quiet down.
"I was able to analyze some of the argil. It's a very certain kind that only is found on one planet in the galaxy, the Planet of Phu in the colonies."
SunTzu began to grin and turned around to Haruka, her face became the direct opposite and the corners of her mouth bent downwards.
Ami continued.
"After consorting with Queen Serenity and Admiral Artemis as well as Galactic Intelligence and the Fleet we decided to sent the Taskforce to Phu to investigate."
While SunTzu mouth corners went up even more, Haruka's dropped even more.
"Ladies and Gentlemen we leave Earth this evening at twenty hundred hours so pack up and get going. Your immediate superiors will have additional information."
"Guess a certain someone owes me twenty bucks. Mate." SunTzu smiled into Haruka's face.
"Ah, piss off Fritz. You probably knew before that this would happen."
"Haruka, you took this bet. Those are debts of honour now mon amour." Michiru chimed in, smiling innocently.
On the minute the Far Side and it's escorting ships lifted off and left for space once again.
Phu had been contacted already and the Planet hadn't been attacked. A GA Customs Corvette even had crossed the system earlier that day and couldn't find any discrepancies.
Nonetheless the Taskforce would enter the system with caution and it's troops on standby.
The trip would take roughly one and a half day and the personnel onboard the four ships were carrying out their usual activities.
The first night went by quietly and all the Starfighter Pilots gathered together for some leisure time. Rumors had it that some of them might be promoted soon. Bets were on Odegana as Squadron Leader of Terra Squadron.
The next morning Sailor Pluto made sure that SunTzu was not injured and combat ready by making him train with her and Sailor Mars.
Strange way to make sure he was okay, especially as she started with a sparring battle against him but after all she was the doctor, SunTzu thought.
And he wouldn't argue with her, after all she still could kick his ass without much effort.
After lunch SunTzu and Rei met with the other Senshi for a training exercise in the ship's gym.
Of course Jupiter and Uranus went against each other and competed in benchpressing.
It was close but Makoto won in the end.
A mission briefing was scheduled before dinner and since everything still looked calm on Phu, a limited reconnaissance and liaison mission had been authorized.
Two teams of the Commandos, Diplomatic Personell as well as Intelligence Personnel would be ferried to the marshlands where the argil was to be found and would investigate anything suspicious. The operation on ground would be lead by Sailor Jupiter.
The King and Admiral Artemis as well as a formation of Guards and Sailor Pluto would meet with the planet's government.
Sailor Saturn and Sailor Venus would guard the Neo Queen and the Princess and Sailor Mercury would also stay onboard and help with the Investigation from the Mission Center.
Terra Squadron as well as Team 1 and the Nomad's Luck would be on standby if something came up in the Capital.
So far it did look like that for once it wouldn't end in a combat mission but rather in a pure recon and investigation mission.
Of course Diplomat Hino would be one of the participants of the mission to Phu. And of course SunTzu would follow her. A nice little afternoon of talking to some local farmers and the prospect of not fighting for once sounded great to them.
After dinner Rei and SunTzu went to Rei's room and enjoyed some Netflix & Chill. It was Wednesday and at 10pm sharp Artemis welcomed the Taskforce to another episode of his Nightshift radio program.
The couple was lying on Rei's bed and had way too much fun with the music the Fleet Officer played and they were joking, laughing and singing along.
A few songs after it's start Artemis announced a song wish he got in advance and started playing Nicky Minaj's Super Bass.
A girl named Akira had requested the song in advance for her man.
SunTzu began to broadly smile as he heard that. He leaned over to Rei who laid beside him and, her smile also going from ear to ear.
"This Akira sure has a great taste in music. I can imagine her man is also fine as hell."
She also leaned in to him and they started to kiss each other passionately.
As the chorus began Rei stopped kissing him and sang along, her face next to his.
After she had sung the chorus they locked eyes for a moment before they continued their amorous play.
The next morning SunTzu soon left for the hangar.
Although apparently the space around Phu was safe, the Taskforce would still drop in prepared for the worst and the starfighters were on standby.
The entrance into the Phu System was perfectly executed and the three corvettes were behind the Far Side for a quick and nasty surprise to any lingering opponent.
But there weren't any opponents, just a little bit of commercial and civil space traffic and a small customs station as well as an old IPV-1 Corvette patrolling the system.
The Taskforce held back for another thirty minutes before the Terra Squadron and the Voyager escorted the Shuttle carrying the King and Artemis .
AICA and SunTzu would escort the second shuttle as well as the Assault Shuttle ferrying the personnel of the ground mission to a region on a continent in the northern hemisphere of Phu, a marsh land with just a couple of villages and not much residents.
The clay was only extracted in this very particularly area and the Taskforce would land in the region's capital which was not more than a small city with a few thousand inhabitants.
While the diplomats and Intelligence would meet with some local politicians, small Commando Teams would access the situation and afterwards small elements would visit the other villages and towns to look for any clues of the enemy or how he got the clay.
The shuttle carrying their Commanders just left as Rei, dressed in her Diplomatic Corps Uniform walked up to AICA, greeting her computer based friend.
SunTzu was sitting in the opened cockpit on standby and as his favorite diplomat climbed up the cockpit's ladder and appeared next to his face.
He spotted that she was wearing the mission ribbon of their fight on Bestine IV on her diplomatic clothing.
"Artemis gave me the ribbon, he said although I'm not officially a part of the military I earned it as much as anybody else. I wear it to not forget how senseless some things in war are." Mars said as she noticed him looking at the ribbon.
"Yeah, Artemis is right, you did earn that. You were in midst of this shit show as anybody else and we wouldn't have made it without you." He paused for a moment.
"It's a nice sign as respect to wear it like that."
"Don't forget that you owe me a holiday on these beaches there."
"Never." He looked over to the shuttles were people were boarding and gear was stowed in.
"You're ready to go, Diplomat Hino?"
She nodded firmly and with determination.
"Too bad I can't fly with you guys to get down there. But I'm trusting you to take care of us." She said with a smile and ended with a wink.
"I'd taken you but your too important than to be flown around in a starfighter. Plus I have to escort the second flight too. But I promise I'll be there in seconds if something comes up."
"I actually was hoping that this time we don't need firepower and just can use words to fulfill this mission, so that me and my department for once are useful too." She smiled, a hint of sarcasm in it.
"I'll see you down there, okay? And try to not blow something up before the mission's head diplomat gives you her approval."
"Ah, we're cool. I think she has my back when I accidentally provoke a galactical crisis."
Rei shook her head smiling when the loudspeakers announced that the Shuttles would start in five minutes.
"Guess I gotta go TopGun. See you soon."
The couple kissed and she climbed back down the cockpit stairs.
"Hey Rei?"
SunTzu as she just started to walk away and Rei turned around.
"I love you."
Rei smiled again, this time mischievously.
"Understandably. What's not to love about this Diplomat and Warrior."
She turned around again and walked away. The extra motion in her hips and the hand that brushed through her long black hair as she walked away were just for her boyfriend to not forget what he had on her.
And SunTzu had to admit that the pencil skirt of her diplomatic corps uniform looked really great from the back.
The two shuttle launched first and were followed close by AICA who stayed in an over watch position close behind them.
The Royal Shuttle that launched before already touched down in the planet's capital and the delegation was welcomed by the planet's leadership right now.
The troops bound for the northern hemisphere soon arrived at the regional capital's small landing spot and embarked, before she met with the local governor and the mayor of the city Rei gave SunTzu a wink and a wave as he hovered above the small force. He gave her a quick two finger salute and shot back into the sky, getting ready to escort the second flight.
Parts of Team 2 would secure the landing spot as well as secure Rei and the diplomats accompanying her.
SunTzu soon came back with the second flight, that brought four speeder bikes as well as a speeder truck.
The vehicles just had been deployed when Rei and most of the personnel accompanying her came back already.
SunTzu was sitting on AICA and observing the landing spot when Rei walked over to him.
"Back already?" He asked his girlfriend, again marveling at her looks and demeanor in that outfit today.
"Looks like this particular argil is just found in a fen a some fifty kilometers from here. I'll tell Jupiter so we can get going. I also have bad news if you wanted to bring AICA. We need her as communication and data nod since our equipment malfunctioned."
"Murphy's law in war is even worse than in daily life." SunTzu shrugged and petted his starfighter.
"You stay here and behave." He told to the snub
"I always behave, as you should know."
Half an hour later they were in one of the tiny villages near the fen and talked to the people there, while four of the members of Team 3 headed for the next village.
Rei was talking to a local Bardottan, except for Team 3, her and SunTzu there was also a single Intelligence Agent, the rest of the flown in personnel stayed at the capital with the Intelligence Service members at the capital looking for any Intel there.
The Bardottan told her that one of the three nearby villages, the most remote and deepest in the marshland lying one had been very quiet lately. It was remote, so remote that there was just a narrow path through a rock formation to get there, so contact was sparse anyway but they haven't heard from the village in weeks now. A few months earlier a company from another planet built a factory to win argil from the fen.
SunTzu was standing next to Rei when the villager told her that and both immediately looked at each other.
If this wasn't suspicious than what else would be.
They thanked the villager and immediately went over to the speeder truck where the rest was waiting.
The couple told the information they had just recieved to the others and together they all decided that four of the Commandos, Sailor Jupiter, Rei and SunTzu would march to the nearby village and check it out, while the rest would wait where they were.
Rei went into a remote corner of the village and transformed.
Better come prepared.
After roughly one and a half hours they arrived at the formation that closed the village in.
A few meters passed the narrow path through the rocks was an embankment and after it the path became wider again and the village was nearby, completely looked in, either by rock or swampland.
From what they heard the swamp was too dangerous to cross on foot because the marsh could swallow one and deeper pits with argil were patched in everywhere. Once in the wet argil it almost was impossible to get out on one's own, It behaved like a more gluey quicksand.
They stepped into the village, some wooden cottages, a few houses and barns. And at the end of the village a large, new looking factory hall.
The village was completely empty and there was nobody in sight.
"I have a very bad feeling about this." Sailor Jupiter announced and looked over to Rei who had an Ofuda out and had her eyes closed, concentrating on detecting any bad presences.
"I can't feel much, but there is something up ahead. In that factory."
SunTzu wished he had brought more weaponry than just his pistol as he unholstered the gun.
Two of Team 3's members would stay back at the embankment while the rest would take a look around.
The group decided to check the village first but all the houses they searched where empty and nobody reacted to their yells if anybody was around.
They went further through the village and finally came to the factory.
SunTzu and Mars waited near the factory entrance in an alley, while Jupiter and the remaining two commandos went Inside.
The company logo on the factory said Diagus and SunTzu told AICA to pass this information over to Ami onboard the Far Side via his communicator, maybe she could find something out about that company.
After a few minutes Sailor Mars was weary of waiting and wanted to cross the corner and she just took her first step out the alley when SunTzu suddenly felt something in the force and jumped after her.
He grabbed her and pulled her swiftly back into the alley, just a blink of an eye later a blaster bolt shot by where Rei just had been standing.
Wide eyed Sailor Mars looked into her boyfriend's eyes.
A few seconds later they heard Gun fire erupt from inside the plant.
"Are you okay Rei?" SunTzu asked a slightly shocked Sailor Mars.
"Thanks to you, yes. Why didn't I feel that incoming?"
"I just felt it that something wasn't right just about now either."
That moment one Commando and Sailor Jupiter came running out of the plant, firing wildly behind them.
"Fall back, Fall Back!" Jupiter yelled as they tried to run back as fast as they could and black figures, some of them armed, others on all four and with twisted and deformed limbs emerged out of the factory.
The ones with the twisted limbs moved extremely fast.
"And I was looking so forward to one time not have to fight my way out." SunTzu stated as he and Sailor Mars fell in with the other three and ran back to the embankment where the other two commandos waited.
"What the hell is going on Jupiter?"
"I don't have any fucking clue but the whole factory is full with these things."
They jumped down at the embankment and the commandos started to fire at the hordes of enemies pouring out of the plant.
"I know why you could detect them. I don't sense darkness in them either. Rather just normal energy like someone without any ability in the force." SunTzu yelled over to Rei while the four commandos tried to hold back the flood with their two assault rifles, a blaster and a machine gun.
More and more figure emerged out of the factory it was like a black flood moving towards them. Some of them had blasters and shot at them.
"We have to get out here. There's too many." Jupiter yelled.
"Schulz, Dubois, fall back. And leave that Machine Gun here."
Schulz, a German, left his also german-made MG5 machine gun and ammo there and he and the French Commando, who gave his rifle to SunTzu fell back. Makoto took the machine gun and began to fire.
"If we stay here we're dead." She said in between bursts, the first twisted black figures almost had passed the village and closed in onto the two remaining Commandos, supported by Jupiter with the machine gun and Sailor Mars with her attacks.
"They're too fast, someone has to stay here and keep them busy!" SunTzu yelled over the gunfire.
"So we stay! Petrov, Tanaka, you fall back too. Get back a few hundred meters and try to find a defensive position. If these monsters get out here, they'll fall over the neighboring villages too!"
The other two commandos fell back too and now it was just the two Senshi and SunTzu. Soon SunTzu ran out of Ammo, as they tried to keep the figures at bay. A burning mandala from Sailor Mars and a Super Supreme Thunder gave them a bit of room to breathe.
SunTzu leaned in to Makoto as she was reloading the machine gun and quietly whispered into her ear.
"It's no use like this Makoto." She gazed over to him. "I'll call AICA and authorize a Base Delta One on this position, that should let the rocks at the chokepoint fall down and close the path. I give it two minutes. But you and Rei have to go now, as far away as you can."
"I won't leave you here."
"You have to. And you have to get Rei away from here. It's the only way you two can survive."
She gritted her teeth and then nodded with closed eyes, he was right. They didn't had any chance to stop the hundreds of figures, which were still pouring out the facility.
SunTzu took a deep breather and activated his communicator.
"AICA, Override Code Osk-Resh 11, we're Status Dull Saber and about to be Code Broken Saber. I need a Base Delta One on my position in two minutes." With this SunTzu told AICA that they were pinned down and about to be overrun and that he ordered a guided orbital bombardment on his position before he took over the machine gun from Jupiter.
"Rei, you have to go now!"
SunTzu said to Sailor Mars who was hurling attack after attack on the black flood of enemies.
"I'll stay! I won't leave you here!"
"You have to or you will die. I'll cover your retreat."
Sailor Mars shot a Mars Flame Sniper into a nearby enemy.
"I won't go!"
"Rei. I love you but you have to go, now! Jupiter!"
For a moment Sailor Jupiter looked to the ground, contemplating something and then grabbed Sailor Mars and pulled her over shoulder and started to run away as SunTzu began to shoot.
"May the moonlight guard your path forever. Thank you SunTzu!"
You're welcome Mako-Chan. You girls take good care of my beloved Rei.
SunTzu didn't have time to regret as he was busy to cover the retreat of the two Senshi and keep the enemy at bay for the next two minutes.
Jupiter didn't look back as she ran away with Rei over her shoulder, gripping her tight, so she wouldn't jump down and run back to SunTzu.
Mars was struggling to get free.
Sometimes he drove her crazy. This guy could act so goddamn stupid. Why he always had to proof something and why it always had to be so borderline suicidal. He did it the first time they were fighting a monster together and since then he had done it countless times. Why he always had to put his damn life on the line for her like this. She was used to look out for herself and there were the Senshi and Tuxedo Mask also if things got rough. Yomi, she even sacrificed herself for Usagi several times, not to mention how many time she saved Yuichiro. But no, TopGun always had to play the knight in shining armor and rescue her. And this time it seemed he really was sacrificing his life for her and Jupiter.
"Let me go Makoto! Let me go!" She screamed hysterically and tried to escape the Brunette's grip.
She could see him, trying to fend off the hundreds of dark figures marching towards him, pouring out of every alley by now. Blaster fire was hitting the ground next to him as he shot the machine gun at anything coming close.
"Please Mako! Please! He will die!"
Sailor Mars cried and struggled to get free, tears began to stream down her face
Sailor Jupiter kept running stoically looking to the front. Her heart was breaking, not only for Rei but also for SunTzu's sacrifice.
She would make sure that this wasn't in vain. First of all she would make sure that none of the Youma would get away from that Orbital Bombardment and then she would find the one who was responsible for this. And she would make him suffer.
Ammo went down fast and SunTzu was reloading the last ammo belt.
This is it then.
He smiled wryly, how corny to die in a last stand. But he did what he swore to do and defended the Senshi till his last. SunTzu just hoped that the Base Delta would come in before they overran him completely.
Jupiter would make sure that those dark magic fuck heads would get the nastiest of surprises from space.
SunTzu cocked the Machine Gun and started firing again, the first daimons were just a mere few meters apart from him when he felt them down with short bursts.
A blaster bolt from inside the incoming mass of darkness grazed his left neck and stung like hell.
He gritted his teeth and stood up straight again, shooting from the hip.
"You want some of me, then come and get me you Sons of Bitches!"
In a matter of seconds the ammo belt was spent and he threw the heavy gun away, pulling out his pistol shooting point blank at the closest enemies.
Rei cried without constraint as she and Makoto moved away further from the scene, SunTzu getting smaller and smaller in the distance.
As the blaster bolt hit him she flinched, cursed and fought harder to free herself but Makoto kept her grasp around her even tighter.
Tears were running down the taller Senshi's face now as well.
"I'm so sorry Rei!"
SunTzu just shot a daimon in the face, pulverizing the attacker's right head side when a blaster shot hit him hard in the shoulder.
He tripped and fell backwards down the embankment.
"Nooooo!"
Sailor Mars cried out loud when she saw him fall and finally she managed to set herself free, landing hard on her knees but immediately getting up on her feet again and running, towards SunTzu.
Because of Rei's aggressive struggling Makoto stumbled and landed on the floor, unable to catch Rei and holding her back.
SunTzu was lying on his back and fent off the Youma that were pounding onto him with his pistol and his feet, the adrenaline rushing through him stopping him from acknowledging the pain from his blaster wounds.
Sailor Jupiter got up and gazed after Sailor Mars, ain't no way she would catch up with her now and bring her back.
She sighed and activated her Sailor Communicator.
This stupid guy. He was stubborn, he was over correct, a country bumpkin and always had the most stupid, riskiest ideas.
But he was her man, her boyfriend, her love.
He wasn't Jadeite with whom many of her reincarnations felt in love before he fell for the dark, he wasn't Yuichiro who had been her first real love in this reincarnation and even had been her fiancé, he wasn't Mamoru or rather Tuxedo Mask she had such a crush on when she had been a teenager, he wasn't Minako, best friend turned lover because both were lonely and needed to feel loved again. He was SunTzu, the suicidal Starfighter Pilot without a past. They we're together for three months now but the love she felt for him exceeded everything she had ever felt for anyone else before, even for Yuichiro. The only thing that came close was her devotion to Queen and Kingdom
And now he was sacrificing himself for her.
This stupid guy.
She ran as fast as she could and soon she could see that the flood of black figures almost reached the embankment and SunTzu was fending them off basically off of him.
She closed her eyes and tried to gather every bit of strength she had, just to get there in time.
Please, please, please be still alive when I arrive.
The pistol shots began to stop, she knew what this meant. He was down to close quarters Combat against the avalanche of enemies.
"Be alive, please be alive." She pressed out as she pushed her body forward, her body evaporating heat and smoke.
And then something strange happened.
Rei's inner fire felt like it exploded in her chest and then flooded trough her body.
Makoto had called AICA over her communicator and the ship gladly called the Orbital Bombardment off.
Sailor Jupiter now ran after Sailor Mars, probably into their all's demise but she knew it was the right to do and to not let her friends die alone.
Suddenly she saw something strange happening to Sailor Mars.
Rei's eyes began to glow a fiery purple as if the blue of her eyes and the fire inside her mixed, the Mars Symbol on her forehead began to become visible and to glow also.
Her Sailor Uniform began to change as back when Sailor Mercury's did when she transformed into Cosmic Sailor Mercury. The red skirt became white as well as the bow on her chest. A cape formed on her back and her high heels changed color to white with red stripes just under the top, and her epaulettes of her Eternal Sailor Outfit turned to gold. The brochures on her chest and hip extended small wings and now showed the symbol of her Sailor Crystal and her headband was replaced through the symbol of Mars on her forehead.
"Protected by Mars, the planet of Fire. The Guardian of Flame and Passion, destined as one of the Sentinels of this Galaxy. I am Cosmic Sailor Mars! I will chastise you with the Fires of Mars!"
SunTzu was too busy to fight for his life to see what happened behind him but when he was fighting off two daimons slashing their claws at him with his last strength he could feel something like a heatwave coming in.
Had the bombardment already began?
Something crashed into the two Youma and they basically evaporated.
That was Rei, her hands and feet engulfed in fire and she was striking out at the daimons next to him.
As soon as the closest enemies were burned away she looked down to him.
"Cover down. I'll end this."
Her eyes and the Mars sign on her forehead were glowing and she lifted off from the ground.
He could feel an immense heat pouting out from her as well as an incredible high amount of magical power.
Cosmic Sailor Mars closed her eyes. channeled all her energy as she was floating a meter over the ground, the flames on her hands growing and engulfing her arms now.
A moment later she opened her eyes again, they were firey glowing.
She put her arms forward and a stream of fire shot into the black mass of daimons, burning it's way through the crowd and continuing down the whole village.
A hurricane of fire began to rage through the village, burning down everything Mars moved her hands onto, it was like the blast and firestorm of a nuclear bomb raged trough the city and everything in it.
A few seconds later only the foundation walls of the stone buildings, fire, smoke and ash was all that was left from the village and the daimons.
Slowly Cosmic Sailor Mars touched down on the ground again and the fire around her flowed back to her arms and dissolved.
She treated herself to a smug grin. So these were the powers of Cosmic Sailor Mars. Not bad she thought as she looked at all the carnage she caused.
"Rei… you have to get away… the bombardment!"
"I called it off!" Makoto landed next to him, breathing heavily.
"Holy Shit, Sailor Mars. You sure chastised this place." She continued.
Sailor Mars looked back to her, a grateful smile on her lips.
Makoto nodded, she didn't let her friend down.
Then Mars kneeled down to SunTzu laying next to her.
"I told you to leave."
"And I came back. I rather die with you then to exist without you."
She leaned down and gently kissed him.
"Rei? You're still burning hot." SunTzu said and tried to cool his burned lips with his tongue.
She couldn't do other than to laugh about that while a last single tear of relief rolled down her cheek.
And then the adrenaline began to fade and the pain of SunTzu's blaster wound set in.
Sailor Jupiter contacted AICA again and soon the four Commandos from Team 3 came back and started to give first aid to SunTzu as well as to uphold the perimeter. A medical team and a platoon of troopers from the Far Side were on their way to them as well.
The medical team swooped in nearby and soon SunTzu was in the med bay on the Far Side.
Sailor Venus had rushed over when she heard what happened and now treated him under the guide of one of the doctors.
The graze at his neck was nothing a Bacta plaster could cure, to a point where not even a scar would be left.
With his shoulder he had been extremly lucky too. The bolt went straight through and through and missed the bones. Not even a Bacta tank dive was required as Minako, now detransformed and wearing scrubs, cleaned the wound, injected a mixture of Bacta and other healing liquids into it and stitched a highly drugged SunTzu up. Rei, also detransfomed again, was in the examination room and refused to leave.
Minako was applying the last stitches when the door opened and a concerned looking Setsuna walked in.
"Minako, overview?"
"BSW with over penetration on the left shoulder, soft tissue damage only, no trauma, no shock. Patient addressable. I cleaned the wound, applied bacta plus and a patch above. The graze on the neck is nothing a Bacta patch can't cure. Blood tests and scans are all negative. Looks like SunTzu was lucky."
The older Senshi leaned over the wound and examined both the wound and the work of her protégé.
"Good work Minako, finish it up. SunTzu, looks like you were lucky. Extremly lucky."
SunTzu, spaced out by the pain killer, opened his eyes halfway, smiling.
"Oh wow, you're here too Doc. I got shot. But it's cool, Rei leveled that place. And the medics gave me the good shit." A few moments later he closed his eyes again
"Well, at least he seems to be calm and not unhappy so far." Setsuna stated as Minako finished her work on SunTzu's shoulder.
"Here we go, give it a day or two and you'll be like new." Minako told SunTzu who nodded absently and dosed off.
"I let him sleep off the drugs a bit here. Let's give him some rest ."
Minako said and the four persons left the room.
Outside Haruka and Hotaru were waiting. When they heard that SunTzu got shot after calling in a then thankfully dismissed Base Delta One, Sailor Pluto and Sailor Uranus immediately asked King Endymion to leave and help SunTzu, which the King granted instantly as well. Sailor Neptune would stay as his escort.
The two Outer Senshi had taken the Voyager and left for the Far Side.
"So, is he good? Let me guess, just a minor graze, being fatal for his ego."
"He's okay. Got shot right trough his shoulder but he'll be back to his old form in no time." Minako told her.
"That's bloody great news." Haruka said happily. "Err, I mean in terms of him being my wingman. I need someone to annoy when I'm out there."
"Yeah, yeah. We know you didn't worry, and you only flew Setsuna up here because nobody else was around to do so." Minako mocked her.
"Another thing. Rei, I heard you transformed to your Cosmic Form too. Is that true?" Setsuna asked.
Rei, which was quiet since ever the medic team arrived and took care of SunTzu, the view of three medics working around her boyfriend reminding her again how close this one had been, looked over to Setsuna.
"It's true. Otherwise SunTzu, we wouldn't have survived. There were hundreds or thousands of these Youma."
"Care to tell me more? I guess a cup of tea would be good for all of us right now."
Rei nodded and four of the five Senshi were about to walk off to the quarters.
"I'm staying here a bit longer." Hotaru said and sat down at the seats for people waiting again.
Setsuna walked up to her and laid her hands gently over the girl's neck and embraced her.
"Oh Hotaru, I know you were worrying, but he's well and sleeping now. They will inform me and Minako immediately when he wakes up. Come with us and have a tea to relax and calm down a bit as well."
The teenager nodded slowly and said "Okay."
SunTzu woke up a few hours later, the medication still working on him but not as drugged as he had been before.
The five Senshi appeared and made sure he came to his room in one piece.
It was a bit awkward for him to be surrounded by so many of the Senshi taking care of him, even Haruka was more than friendly to him. He just didn't say anything because he could see that they all had worried greatly about him.
The Senshi put him into his bed and after another check of his shoulder by Setsuna and Minako all the Senshi except Rei left the room, wishing him well as they left.
Rei sat at his side, looking at him.
"You know, I should slap you. I'm used to do crazy shit but this one was over the top. Even for you. You called an bombardment in onto your own head."
SunTzu looked up to the woman he loved.
"You know at this point it was the only chance we had to keep these things inside that village. And someone had to cover your retreat."
"So it's totally okay you sacrifice yourself? And die?"
"We both know why I'm here. And what I swore to do. And this goes for any Senshi and especially for you Rei. I gladly would give my life to safe yours."
Rei sighed, she knew that of course. And she couldn't argue that it was just his sense of honor. He would do anything to save her. Anything.
"Next time, you talk to me before you're going to sacrifice yourself. I think we both already showed often enough that we can make it out of every situation alive. And i already told you I can't, I really can't live without you. I love you, you suicidal maniac."
She smiled at him and they both began to hold hands.
"I love you too Rei. More than everything else in this galaxy." He forced a smile.
"That was a pretty awesome show you put up there Cosmic Sailor Mars. You truly are the Goddess of War."
"Yeah, these powers are insane. I'll have to talk about this with Ami and the rest of us, when everybody is back. And I don't know if I can repeat it just like that. Anyways I let you sleep some more and check on you later again, okay?"
SunTzu nodded and she leaned down and kissed him gently.
She petted over his forehead.
"My hero."
The black haired Senshi then got up and walked out of the room, back to the lounge where the other Senshi were waiting.
She never wanted or needed someone to take care of her and protect her, even had neglected it at points, but she had to admit it made her love him even more.
The investigation in the now completely destroyed village and the facility didn't bring up much as not much of the buildings, or anything else at all, was left.
The heat had even baked the argil surrounding the village into potter's clay.
It had the same black color as the daimons.
SunTzu slept basically the whole rest of the day and night and Rei checked on him several times, to not accidentally hurt him in her sleep she decided to sleep in her bed this night.
Early next noon the remaining personnel of the Taskforce came back from the planet.
Ami found out, that the company, Diagus was a part of a consortium and the mother company was the Kengal Corporation. The blue haired genius wasn't surprised at all and sent her staff to work on it. She also gave the info to Ada, who organized a team of hers to work on this lead.
Ami also worked on the data based on the encounters with the daimons. It surprised her that Rei couldn't sense them as evil. Maybe they were vessels for life energy? And not necessarily evil? That would explain what happened with the villagers. She heard that ol' Palpy and the Ssi-ruuk both had technologies that would absorb a lifeform's energy and use it to power a ship or vehicle.
But first things first, as soon as everybody was on board again, the Taskforce, under special authority of the Galactic Intelligence Service, made it's way to the New Frontier, Investigation showed that Diagus had been active as a company over there.
The trip would take a few days and would be hopefully enough that SunTzu was healthy enough again. Ami had a distinct feeling that they would need him soon again.
Taskforce Sol had left the system a few hours ago when a man, swarmed by black armored and heavily armed assault troopers left a stealth shuttle that touched down in the middle of the village that Cosmic Sailor Mars had leveled.
They had to hurry, local authorities had overtaken the case from Taskforce Sol and would soon arrive there.
He had to admit that he underestimated the Sailor Senshi yet another time and didn't think that he would loose all his Clay Daimons without any casualties on the other side. Or at least the Youma causing more mayhem.
But he had to marvel at the absolut destruction that this one Sailor Guardian had laid on this village. No wonder SunTzu was always seen with her.
The man even was a bit thankful of Sailor Mars saving SunTzu, after all he still needed him.
And although he couldn't thin the Taskforce out, they were busy with a sideshow now.
And apparently they didn't had any clue of his real plans. Or the surprise he had for the galaxy coming in from the Maw.
"Pack up men. We're leaving."