Inside the ship's conference room, the captain, her sub-commander, and the leader of the Dread teams were conducting a meeting to establish their current situation. The conference room was spacious yet cluttered with various navigation charts and status monitors. The walls were lined with metal panels, and a large, holographic display table stood in the center, projecting a 3D model of the ship.

"The ships have been completely consumed by the crystal," the sub-commander, Buzam Calessa, or BC as everyone called her, began. "The bridge, residential quarters, and engine room have all been engulfed. Thankfully, the Dread platform and Reg Central have suffered minimal damage; we're currently cleaning up and attempting to install the new database. For now, the bridge has stopped sliding and is situated over the garden sector. Right now, the growth of the Peksis Pragma and all other changes have ceased." The sub-commander looked to the leader of the Dread teams. "Your report, Meia?"

The blue-haired pilot nodded. "Thank you, Buzam. The three Dreads that were transformed by the Peksis are too large for our platform, so we've modified the men's ship to hold them for now. Also, while I was investigating, I discovered that this ship hadn't been used for some time. Almost all of the circuits and wiring are decayed and useless."

BC resumed her report. "The real issue is our current location. Readings show that we're far from Mejerean space, and it'll take approximately 270 days to return home."

The captain, sitting at the head of the table, leaned her head against her open hand while she fanned herself with a piece of paper. "What did we do to deserve being swept across the galaxy?" She looked to Meia. "What about those things that attacked us? Have we learned anything?"

Meia nodded. "My team was understaffed, so I sent some volunteers to try and retrieve some information from the wreckage."

"Volunteers?" the captain repeated.

Outside the ship, in the darkness of space, Dita and Gascogne, leader of Reg Central, were beginning their investigation of the wreckage of the enemy seed ship. The wreckage floated eerily, pieces of twisted metal and debris illuminated by the ship's spotlights. Dita and Gascogne moved cautiously through the void, scanning the fragments for any useful data.

On the bridge of the crystallized ship, the bridge operators were frantically fanning themselves, trying to stay cool under the slowly rising heat. The bridge was a high-tech command center with numerous control panels and screens displaying various ship statuses. The large windows at the front provided a view of the vast, star-speckled space outside.

"Why is the air conditioning broken at a time like this?" the one with blonde hair complained before she contacted engineering. "It's 82 degrees in here. What's taking so long?"

"Stop complaining," one of the engineering staff told her. "It's over 86 down here."

Inside the engine room, the leader of the engineering teams was wearing a spacesuit while working on the Peksis that now seemed to be the ship's main power source. The engine room was a maze of pipes, wires, and machinery, with the Peksis at its core, pulsating with an eerie light. "Is this a prototype?" she asked herself. "It seems to be ancient."

Elsewhere, the ship's nurse, Paiway, was riding a lift while playfully writing in a notebook. The corridors she moved through were narrow and dimly lit, with the occasional flicker of malfunctioning lights. "Bravely, the crew took over the enemy ship, but even then Magno's family must face a whole new crisis."

"Paiway!" a crew member called from a nearby platform. "If you have nothing to do, then start helping out."

Paiway closed her eyes with an annoyed expression. "I am doing something."

"Hold on, we need a lift," someone called.

Barnette and Jura got on the lift. "Are you fooling around again?" Barnette asked her.

The young nurse held up her frog puppet and began speaking in a grainy voice. "Barnette and Jura sure have a lot of stuff," looking at her puppet in the face she spoke with her regular voice, "We're lucky; since our rooms weren't affected, we don't have to move, ribbit."

"She's really pushing my buttons this time," Jura growled.

"You're not helping matters, you know," Barnette said before she noticed the rope tied to Paiway's waist. "What's the rope for?"

Holding her frog puppet up once again, Paiway said, "This elevator is only a temporary one. You're on your own if it falls." The young nurse giggled as the rope began lifting her up and away from the elevator, leaving both of the Dread pilots behind and really worried about their choice of transportation.

Back in the brig, the four men that were taken prisoner were being hosed down by a small group of guards to 'disinfect' them. The brig was a stark, sterile space with metal walls and a grated floor, designed more for containment than comfort.

Hibiki and Bart scurried like roaches in the light, while Duelo calmly held his ground. The fourth man, the one everyone only knew as Mobius 1, was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily as the cold water washed over him.

"So these are the only men left, huh?" Captain Magno asked as she watched from a monitor in the conference room.

BC nodded. "We have no other choice but to rely on them for the time being until we can fully understand how the systems on the ship work."

The captain hummed while she recalled how Bart was sucked into the helmsman portal the previous day. "Yes, I've never seen anything like it. It was very unnerving."

Back in the brig, the washdown was over, and the four men were finally given some time to relax, in some form or another.

Bart was telling a fake story to pass the time. "It was so unnerving; one by one, my comrades were falling, and before I knew it, I was the only one left. I knew it was my duty as a soldier to persevere."

Duelo calmly listened to the story just to humor his cellmate, while Hibiki was daydreaming in the corner next to Mobius 1, who seemed to be sleeping.

"This is messed up," Hibiki thought. "Here I thought I changed my life, and here I end up."

Bart eased over to him and brought him back to reality. "Hey, you!" he began, startling the young pilot. "What happened back there? Why did your Vanguard combine with that Mejerean fighter?"

"How should I know?" Hibiki snapped. "And who cares about that? You think I'm going to forgive you for socking me earlier!"

Bart held his hands up defensively. "Now, now, I was only thinking of your best interest, is all."

Hibiki's anger grew. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you? There's enough hot air as it is!"

Mobius 1 grunted weakly as he sat forward, glaring at them. "Unless you two want to have a screaming contest with a Beretta I suggest you keep it down."

"He's simply worried," Duelo said to Hibiki. "He's trying to take his mind off things through conversation. Try to forgive him."

Bart was impressed. "Wow, you're pretty sharp! So whaddya say? With your intellect and my superior speaking skills, we should have no problem taking the ship back from those—"

"Would you care to repeat that, please?" a demanding voice asked from outside the cell, startling Bart.

The helmsman slowly turned around with a sheepish expression. "Oh, nothing, we were just joking around, is all."

The woman standing outside the cell was the ship's sub-commander, BC. She smirked at the helmsman. "I'd like to hear your jokes. You'll come with me, won't you?"

The helmsman chuckled weakly. "I'd love to, as long as it's of a social nature."

After BC and her guards escorted Bart from the cell, Duelo saw the pained expression on Mobius' face and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Mobius groaned as he straightened himself against the wall. "Bit of a fever, mild headache, there's a faint ringing in my ears, and I'm still dizzy. What do you make of that?"

Duelo closed his eye for a second. "It's just aftereffects from your concussion, but the fever could cause complications if left untreated."

The doctor got to his feet and stepped over to Mobius, placing his hand against his forehead. "It's not that high, but I'd feel a lot better if we got you to the sick bay as soon as possible for some medicine and rest."

Mobius had a small grin on his face. "Well, let's hope the guards come back soon, then."

The ship rocked violently, throwing the three men around in their cell. The cold, metal walls of the brig amplified the echo of their bodies hitting the floor, and the harsh lighting flickered ominously.

"What the hell was that?" Mobius asked as he tried to push himself off the floor, his muscles straining against the dizziness.

"It was most likely Bart," Duelo answered as he helped Mobius back up and sat him against the wall. Seeing the way the pilot's eyes kept rolling back and forth, Duelo placed his hand against Mobius' forehead again, and his visible eye narrowed. "Your fever got worse. This isn't good. If we don't get you some medication now, there could be serious consequences."

"Just get me some whisky or some vodka; I'll be fine," Mobius joked with slurring speech, his attempt at humor undermined by his obvious discomfort.

Mobius' eyes rolled back in his head again before his eyelids closed, and he slouched over.

Duelo did what he could to keep the pilot's fever down, but without ice, water to wet his shirt, or some medication, there wasn't much he could do.

Not long after Mobius passed out, BC returned to the brig. "You're called Duelo, right?" she asked the doctor. "It's your turn to come with us."

Duelo looked over his shoulder. "Mobius has a high fever and needs some medication and rest. I'd appreciate it if you took him to the infirmary."

BC smiled and placed a fist against her hip. "Well then, it's his lucky day. We need you in the infirmary to check on one of our bridge operators, so it looks like you'll be able to treat both of them."

Duelo nodded. "Very well, lead the way."

Picking Mobius up and shouldering him, Duelo followed BC to the infirmary. The corridors they walked through were dimly lit, with occasional sparks from damaged wires and the hum of malfunctioning systems echoing through the ship.

The doors opened, and Duelo immediately noticed the bridge operator, Ezra, lying on the far bed. The infirmary was cluttered with medical equipment, some of it operational and some sparking with signs of malfunction. The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and the faint hum of life-support machines.

"She's running a fever, and it won't go down," BC told him while he set Mobius on the nearest bed.

"Interesting," Duelo said calmly. "I was under the impression that your medical technology was fairly advanced."

BC casually closed her eyes and smiled. "You're an elite soldier, aren't you? Probing for information at every opportunity. Very well, approximately 90% of our systems are down; unfortunately, the medical systems are as well."

Duelo smiled. "I'm going to need a wet towel and any analgesics and antipyretics you have on hand; that should take care of him long enough for me to check the other patient."

BC smirked before nodding at one of the guards to assist Duelo in the infirmary while he treated Mobius and Ezra.

On the bridge, the three remaining bridge operators were frantically running system checks while the ship continued to speed through space. The bridge was a high-tech command center, now chaotic with alarms blaring and status screens flickering. The large windows at the front provided a view of the vast, star-speckled space outside, now filled with the swirling gases of a nebula.

"Scanners are picking up a nebula dead ahead of us," Amarone announced, her voice strained with tension.

Belvedere added, "The main systems are all down; we can't regain control of the ship."

Captain Magno sighed as a bag of ice rested on her head. "It's just one problem after another."

A massive screen appeared above the bridge, showing Meia. "Meia here. The platform is offline; we're unable to retrieve Dita and Ms. Gasco."

Another screen appeared, showing Barnette and Jura crammed into a small space. "Jura and I have been trapped in this elevator for hours," the green-haired pilot whined.

The ship entered the nebula and immediately flew into the center, which was filled with iced-over asteroids. The little power that remained in the infirmary went out, casting the room into an eerie darkness illuminated only by the glow of emergency lights.

The second the lights went out, Duelo snatched the communicator from the guard next to him. "Engineering, I'm trying to work on a patient. Make power to the sick bay a priority."

"Hey, we've got our own problems," the leader of the engineering teams told him. "I'd love to help out, but I can't read men's language."

Duelo looked up to BC from the corner of his eye. "If I were there, I could read it for you."

The sub-commander tilted her head and smiled again. "Go right ahead," she told him.

After Duelo left to head to the engineering deck, the ship stopped completely and the main engines shut down.

Aramone checked her console station. "Captain, it appears the engines have shut down."

The captain sighed as her desk fan cut off. "Just when I get the good news that we stop, we end up in a nebula."

"Captain, another section of the ship is changing!" Belvedere said, her eyes wide with concern as she monitored the readings.

"Captain, I have a suggestion," BC's voice said before her screen appeared above the bridge.

The captain had leaned back in her seat and moved her bag of ice down over her eye. "Go ahead."

"Our investigation has revealed that the male Vanguard and that other fighter can still launch. However, the pilot who calls himself Mobius is in no condition to go out, so I recommend we send the other man out in the Vanguard to retrieve Dita and Gascogne."

"That's not a bad idea," the captain concurred. "By the way, what are you doing in the men's section of the ship?"

BC paused for a second. "Just fulfilling my duty as your first mate, over."

Soon after BC received permission to send the Vanguard out for the retrieval mission, the ship's radar picked up a more imminent threat.

"Captain, something is on an intercept course," Aramone cried. "Scanners show an asteroid-sized ice mass is on a collision course with this ship."

The captain looked toward the helmsman portal. "Can't you do anything?" she yelled.

Bart screamed from inside his station. "Help me! Get me out of here!"

"The ice mass is too big," Belvedere cried. "Even if we put the shields up, we don't have enough power to stabilize them against something of that size."

Aramone cried, "If we can't get the power back on, it's gonna destroy the ship!"

A screen appeared above the bridge. "Bridge, this is Mobius 1 requesting clearance to take off and intercept the asteroid."

The captain looked up to him. "Do you really think you can destroy something that big? Better yet, should you even be flying in your condition?"

"We don't really have a lot of options, do we?" Mobius asked her, his voice steady despite his condition.

The captain closed her eyes. "Very well, permission granted."

Mobius nodded. "Mobius 1 launching."

The ship shook again, and the pilot closed his eyes, hearing a distant voice in his head: "Heroes really do exist."

Gasping, the pilot shot his head up and glared at the open hangar door. "This will be easier than training, let's do this" he exhaled before activating his fighter's engines and taking off into the battle that awaited outside.

Once the engines of the F-22 roared to life inside the auxiliary hangar, the fighter began rolling out toward the open side of the ship before taking off to intercept the ice mass. The hangar was a large, metallic expanse, filled with the hum of machinery and the cold, sterile environment of space equipment.

Out in the void, Mobius 1 could barely see the nose of his F-22, let alone a giant mass of ice hurtling toward him. The vast emptiness of space stretched around him, with only the faint glow of distant stars and the ominous shadow of the nebula providing any light.

"Bridge, I'm getting interference on my radar. Relay all hits on the ship's main radar to my HUD and IFF."

Belvedere responded, "Sorry, but we can't do that. Engineering has their hands full trying to restore power to the ship."

"Mobius 1, understood." He took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the black void ahead. "Bridge, tell me when the ice mass is about to pass me. Give me a bearing and distance to target."

"The ice mass will pass by you in exactly 20 seconds. Distance between you and the target will be about 1,200 feet."

"Roger, leave it to me."

Mobius 1 counted down the seconds until the ice mass would pass by him, gripping the controls with a focused intensity. As the massive object loomed closer, he switched to his special weapons. Once the target passed by him, Mobius 1 turned his fighter around and leveled it behind the ice mass before firing 4 XMAA missiles at the massive asteroid. Immediately switching back to his regular missiles, he fired both, scoring minimal damage against the thick ice.

"Dammit," the pilot growled. "Alright, new plan."

Flying away from the asteroid, Mobius 1 circled around until he was on the asteroid's flank before turning to fly right at it. "Missiles ready, Fox three!"

Firing four more XMAA missiles at the side of the asteroid, Mobius repeated his previous plan and immediately switched back to his normal missiles before firing another two, aiming not just to destroy but to nudge the ice mass off its collision course.

After the missiles impacted the side of the asteroid, Belvedere called him from the bridge. "The trajectory of the ice mass has changed slightly. If you can push it just a little more, it should pass by without hitting us."

"Understood, circling around for another pass." His voice was steady, betraying none of the tension he felt.

Banking away from the asteroid, Mobius circled back around for a second run at the target, his hands moving with precision and ease, showing his mastery over the fighter. As he lined up for another shot, he noted the slight shift in the asteroid's path. He fired another volley of missiles, carefully timing their impact to maximize the force exerted on the asteroid.

"Just a little more!" Belvedere cried, her voice filled with hope and tension.

Mobius made a third attack run, his F-22 moving with grace and agility as he dodged debris and maneuvered around the ice mass. He fired another set of missiles, watching intently as they struck true, further altering the asteroid's course.

"Making a fourth run," Mobius announced. "Bridge, if you can put up those shields now's the time. If I can't knock this thing off course, the shields may allow it to graze by without causing extensive damage."

"Alright," Belvedere acknowledged. "We don't have sufficient power to stabilize them against a direct impact, so please keep trying."

"Don't worry," Mobius told her, a confident tone accompanying his words.

He banked away again, executing a perfect roll to position himself for the final run. With his fighter steady, Mobius fired his remaining missiles, their engines igniting and propelling them toward the asteroid with pinpoint accuracy. The missiles struck the ice mass, creating a series of controlled explosions that nudged it further off course.

Belvedere's voice came through the comms. "Success! The ice mass is no longer on a collision course with the ship."

The captain sighed with relief. "Well done. I'm impressed."

Mobius 1's screen appeared on the bridge. "Thanks, I'm coming back in to land."

The engines of the F-22 roared as he navigated back to the ship, the hangar bay doors opening to welcome him. He landed smoothly, the fighter's tires screeching slightly against the deck before coming to a halt.

The hangar was a bustling, metallic expanse, filled with the hum of machinery and the clatter of tools as the mechanics and engineers went about cleaning it and trying to restore power. The cold, cluttered environment was a familiar scene to Mobius as images of days past flashed through his mind.

On his way to the bridge, Mobius spotted three guards near a damaged elevator.

"Is something wrong?" he asked one of them.

The guard was surprised to see Mobius outside of the brig but didn't pay it much attention. "Two of our pilots are trapped inside the elevator. We're trying to get them out, but so far no luck."

Mobius stepped away from the guard and over to the open elevator door. "Well, it's not that far down. If you've got a ladder or even just a rope, everything should be fine."

The guard told him, "We have a rope ladder, but it won't do much good unless we can get them outside the elevator."

Mobius nodded slowly. "Alright, have someone go get the ladder. I'll climb down and get them out of there."

The guard nodded as Mobius began climbing down the elevator shaft. The shaft was dimly lit, with the metallic scent of machinery and the echo of distant clanging.

Stepping on the top of the elevator, Mobius opened the hatch and dropped down inside.

"What are you doing out of your cell?" one of the pilots demanded.

Mobius recognized the hostile voice. "You're the one I saved, aren't you?" he asked the green-haired pilot. "Yeah, I remember your voice. You're the one that was pinned down during that raid." Turning to face the other pilot, Mobius smiled. "And you're Jura, if I remember correctly, right?"

The blonde Dread pilot smiled seductively. "Hmm. You remember my name. How curious."

"Well, we can chat later, but for now, it's time to get the two of you out of here," he said as one of the guards called down to them before dropping the rope ladder.

Cupping his hands down by his knees, Mobius asked, "Alright, who's going first?"

Barnette looked to Jura and nodded her head upward, telling her to go first.

Jura stepped onto Mobius' hands, and the ISAF pilot boosted her up, allowing her to climb out of the elevator and up the ladder.

"You're next," he said to Barnette as he cupped his hands again.

Barnette was clearly hesitant at first, but she realized that she wasn't going to be able to climb out without his help, so she roughly stepped onto his hands while he boosted her out.

Once Barnette was on top of the elevator, Mobius took a step back before he jumped at the wall of the elevator, planting his foot against it and immediately pushing off and grabbing the edge of the open hatch before pulling himself out.

Climbing back out, Mobius was met by two armed guards standing in front of Barnette and Jura.

"You know," he said in a casual, sarcastic tone, "I'm beginning to think I'm not appreciated around here."

The speakers in the halls came on as the captain and BC made a ship-wide announcement.

"The captain and I have concluded our meeting," the sub-commander began. "We've decided to inform the entire crew of our current situation. Upon analyzing the data we've retrieved from the enemy debris, we've gained some intelligence on our enemy. I'd like you all to take a look at this image."

Every monitor and holo-screen across the ship showed an image of a planet covered by massive machinery. "This is the enemy's home planet. We don't know its exact location, but we've determined they have a considerable amount of firepower. We are currently in their territory, and they perceive our presence to be hostile, which is why they attacked us. We can expect more battles with this enemy as we return to Mejerian space, but that isn't all. We've also discovered that this enemy has called for the destruction of both Mejere and Tarak."

The captain took over. "We are pirates, and our loyalties are neither to Tarak nor Mejere. However, we cannot allow this unknown force to drive away our potential customers. Therefore, I intend to reach our home system before this enemy and inform both worlds of this crisis. For this operation to be a success, we must incorporate the men we have taken prisoner into our crew."

Everyone seemed to be in shock at the captain's announcement.

"There are many things we still do not understand, such as this ship or that large machine, but I'm sure we'll learn piece by piece along our journey. I expect the full cooperation of the entire crew. That is all."

Mobius smirked cockily as he looked at the guards. "You wanna take those out of my face now?" he asked them calmly.

The guards lowered their weapons, and Mobius thanked them before walking away and returning to the hangar.

Hours later, Jura entered the hangar and saw Mobius staring intently at a damaged piece of salvage the investigation team had returned with. The hangar, dimly lit and echoing with the distant hum of machinery, was a stark contrast to the tension that hung in the air.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him after seeing the way he was staring at it.

"That emblem," he muttered, pointing at half an emblem on the side of the salvaged machine. "I've seen it before."

The emblem had a golden yellow outline and an eagle's head of the same color, with black and orange stripes running down and the tip of what looked like a golden yellow wing below it. There was an arced ribbon on the bottom of the emblem that read "156th TACT."

The rest of the emblem was broken off. The machine in front of them must've belonged to something significant before it was repurposed into what stood before them.

"You sure you've seen this before?" Jura asked him. "It looks really old."

Mobius grunted as he placed his hand against his forehead. "156th Tact... The 156th Tactical... Mobius 1, 118th Tactical Fighter Wing, ISAF..." His breathing became frantic and shallow before he felt a piercing pain in his head, causing him to pass out.

Mobius fell forward, but Jura caught him just as he fell to his knees. "Hey!" she gasped as she caught him. "Just don't pass out on me. Can you hear me?"

The hangar's cold, metallic floor contrasted sharply with the warmth of Jura's touch as she held Mobius. She gently lowered him to the ground, her concern evident in her eyes. "Somebody help!" she called out, her voice echoing through the cavernous space.

A couple of mechanics rushed over, their faces etched with worry. "What happened?" one of them asked, kneeling beside Mobius.

"He was looking at that old wreck," Jura explained, pointing to the salvaged piece. "Then he just... collapsed."

One of the mechanics quickly assessed Mobius, checking his pulse and vitals. "He's breathing, but we need to get him to the infirmary."

Jura nodded, her eyes never leaving Mobius's face. "I'll help you carry him."

With careful coordination, they lifted Mobius and began moving him toward the infirmary. The journey through the ship's corridors was tense, every step accompanied by the soft hum of the ship's systems and the distant murmur of the crew.

As they arrived at the infirmary, Duelo was already there, tending to another patient. He looked up, his expression shifting to one of concern. "What happened?"

"He collapsed," Jura explained. "He was looking at some old emblem and started mumbling before passing out."

Duelo immediately moved to assist, helping them place Mobius on a bed. "Let's see what we can do for him," he said, his voice calm and steady.

As Duelo worked, Jura stood by, her eyes filled with worry. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Mobius than met the eye. The emblem, his mutterings about tactical wings and ISAF—it all pointed to a past shrouded in mystery.

"Will he be alright?" Jura asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Duelo looked up, his expression serious but reassuring. "He needs rest and time to recover. The memories and the stress might have triggered this episode. We'll keep an eye on him."

Jura nodded, her gaze returning to Mobius. "Thank you, Duelo."

Duelo gave a small nod before turning his attention back to Mobius. The room fell into a quiet, tense silence, broken only by the soft beeping of medical equipment and the rhythmic breathing of the unconscious pilot.