Mobius sat in the garden sector under the end of the bridge, cradling the protected Tarot card The World gently in his hands. The soft rustling of leaves and the distant hum of the ship's systems created a serene backdrop as he stared at the card, lost in thought.
"I'd give anything to see you again," the pilot whispered, his voice barely audible as he looked at the face of the card. He sensed a presence nearby and looked up without hesitation. "You don't have to stand there, Meia," he said aloud, his tone calm.
Meia walked around the corner, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I don't know why I'm always so surprised that you know when I'm watching," she admitted as she sat down next to him, her eyes drifting to the card in his hands. "I can't begin to imagine how much she must have meant to you."
Mobius ran his thumb slowly across the card's protective case, his expression thoughtful. He didn't reply immediately, letting the silence stretch between them.
After a moment, Meia spoke again, her tone shifting. "The captain would like to see you."
Mobius took a deep breath, the serene calm of the garden falling away as he seamlessly shifted into a more serious mindset. "Alright," he replied, standing up and sliding the card back into his breast pocket. He followed Meia to the conference room, his posture now straight and alert.
Entering the room alongside Meia, Mobius gave Captain Magno and BC a stern salute before taking a seat at the table with Meia next to him. His demeanor was now entirely professional, focused on the task at hand.
The captain smiled warmly at the ISAF pilot. "Thank you for coming, Mobius. I'll get right to you once I finish with BC."
Mobius nodded silently, his expression respectful but serious. The captain then returned her attention to her subordinate. "Now, what were you saying, BC?"
BC activated the projector in the center of the table, and an image of a deep blue planet appeared. "Approximately 99% of the planet's surface is covered in water. Scans also show that the planet maintains a nitrogen and oxygen atmosphere, which means it fulfills the requirements for sustaining life. Deeper scans have also detected a colonization ship on the ocean floor as well as a single, small island whose inhabitants seem to be humanoid."
The projector turned off, and Magno smiled. "Well then, why don't we go say hello to our long-lost relatives." She then looked to Mobius, her tone shifting to one of seriousness. "Now that that's over, there's something I'd like to discuss with you, young man."
"Yes Captain?," Mobius replied, making direct eye contact with the captain.
"That business with that man Rabat a few weeks ago," Magno began.
"You mean when I shot him," Mobius said, his voice flat and unembellished.
Magno nodded. "Indeed. Even though you and the other men are still considered prisoners, you are members of my crew, and you protected Hibiki from that man. Add to it that since you first came aboard this ship, you haven't hesitated once to assist when we were under attack. You've proven yourself an invaluable ally. I'd like you to take on a more active role on the ship."
Mobius' eyes narrowed slightly, his expression thoughtful. "What do you mean?"
BC activated the projector again, showing footage from the battle a few days ago. The majority of the enemy formation consisted of Yellows instead of Harvester drones, but thanks to Mobius' unmatched skills as a pilot, the enemy was defeated with no casualties and minimal damage to the Nirvana.
Magno closed her eyes as she spoke. "We are running into these Yellows more and more with each battle, and you seem to be the only one capable of keeping up with them. I'd like you to start training some of our pilots."
Mobius remained silent for a moment, weighing his response. Finally, he spoke, his tone direct. "With all due respect, Captain, I've never trained anyone before. I don't have any experience in teaching others, and frankly, I believe someone else might be better suited for the task."
BC leaned forward slightly. "Our pilots are barely able to protect themselves, let alone the ship, from attacks by the Yellows. As the captain said, you're the only one capable of handling them. Your skills as a pilot cannot be denied—it would be a great help to all of us."
Mobius lowered his eyes for a few seconds, considering their words. "I understand the need to better train the pilots, but as I said, training isn't in my list of skills. I'm willing to give it a shot, but I'm not sure how it'll turn out."
The captain smiled, her confidence in him unwavering. "I have faith that you'll do just fine."
Mobius exhaled slowly, the weight of the responsibility settling on him. "Well, I hope you're right. So, when should I start?"
Magno continued, "I don't see any reason to delay. We're going to play it safe today and get a full scan of the island and the planet to be sure it's safe first, that should take about an hour."
Mobius shook his head slightly. "An hour isn't enough time to begin proper training. If that's all the time I have, then I suggest you just inform the pilots you want trained about what will be happening. Also training all of the pilots at once won't be feasible, so it'd be best to train them in small groups one at a time."
Magno considered his suggestion for a moment, then nodded. "That may be a good point. How about this, then: instead of training the attack teams, I'll assign you a handful of pilots that you'll train into a special strike team capable of repelling the Yellows."
"So instead of training the entire front line of the Dreads, I'll only be training four or five pilots?" Mobius placed his hand around his chin, thinking for a second. "That I should be able to do. One condition, it's done my way, the pilots will follow my orders to the letter and any insubordination will be met with punishment."
BC and Magno exchanged a glance before the commander replied, "That's a fair stipulation. We wouldn't want it any other way."
Mobius nodded in response, "Very well, I'll give it my best and give you an elite squadron."
Magno smiled again, her faith in him evident. "Thank you, Mobius. I'll have your new trainees gather in the hangar at once. I look forward to the end result of their training."
The meeting concluded, and Mobius left the hangar with Meia following close behind him. As they walked, Mobius glanced at her. "Was this your idea by any chance?"
Meia moved her eyes away from him, a hint of unease in her posture. "Not directly. I merely mentioned to the captain that we should double our training efforts to deal with the Yellows. I guess she decided to let you train the crew to deal with them better."
Mobius nodded, his expression unreadable. "I see. Now, on to the next question."
"What is it?" Meia asked, her eyes returning to him.
"Don't take this the wrong way or anything," Mobius began as they walked down the corridor. "But I've noticed that you've been watching me more and more often in the past few weeks." He stopped in the middle of the corridor, turning to face her. "Why is that, I wonder?"
Meia blushed, averting her gaze. "I... I'm not sure."
Mobius chuckled lightly, his eyes softening for a moment. "It doesn't bother me at all; I was just curious." He started walking again, his tone shifting back to its usual steadiness. "Now, let's go see these trainees."
As they entered the hangar, Mobius immediately noticed three women standing around his F-22, gazing up at it as if they were admiring a divine figure. His eyes zeroed in on them, his military instincts kicking in as he approached them.
"So, it's just you three then?" Mobius asked, his voice cutting through the quiet, startling all three women.
They spun around, two of them quickly standing at attention, a mix of nerves and respect in their eyes. "Yes, Captain," the one in the center said. She had brunette hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a single bang falling over her left eye, almost reaching her shoulder. Despite her confident stance, she was the shortest of the group, standing around 5'6", with bright green eyes that couldn't hide her nervousness.
"Captain?" Mobius repeated, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"It was your rank back in ISAF, correct?" the girl asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Indeed, it was," Mobius replied, nodding. "I'm just not used to people referring to me by my rank."
The girl stuttered, "I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean any—"
"It's fine," Mobius interrupted offering a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, let's get to the introductions, shall we?"
The first girl on the left spoke first. "My name is Laura Harper. I was originally assigned to the B-Teams. Most of my assignments during battle involve protecting the ship and providing support for retreating pilots."
"Nice to meet you, Laura," Mobius said with a slight nod before turning to the center pilot, who had spoken earlier.
The center pilot bowed her head slightly. "My name is Yukiko Narukami. I was a member of the front-line Dreads before being selected for this. I... I look forward to training under you."
"I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do, Yukiko," Mobius replied with a reassuring smile before turning to the last pilot. "And what's your name?"
The last pilot hesitated, glancing at Meia, who was standing behind Mobius. It was clear from her stiff posture and narrowed eyes that she didn't like the idea of being trained by a man. Meia gave the pilot a quick nod, encouraging her to speak.
Finally, the pilot introduced herself, her tone clipped and cold. "Leona Harper, second-in-command of the B-Teams."
"Harper?" Mobius asked, a curious look crossing his face as he glanced back at the first pilot.
"Leona is Laura's older sister," Yukiko explained, catching Mobius' attention. "She's also very traditional in Mejere's views against men, so please don't take any offense to anything she says."
"I wouldn't worry about that," Mobius told Yukiko, his tone steady and composed. "So, it's just going to be the three of you? I can handle that."
"Five, actually," Meia corrected.
Mobius looked over his shoulder at Meia, raising an eyebrow. "Five?"
"The captain wants you to train Hibiki and myself as well," Meia explained.
Mobius sighed, his expression serious. "You, I don't mind, but I draw the line at training Hibiki. That boy is going to get himself killed, and it won't be while he's under my command."
"You misunderstand," Meia said, her tone patient. "The captain merely wants you to add the two of us to your training plans. We won't be part of the team you're forming, but we'll be pilots capable of dealing with the Yellows as well, that's all."
Mobius sighed, a resigned look crossing his face. "I'm not getting a choice in that am I?" he replied calmly.
Leona scoffed arrogantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I knew you were all talk."
Mobius, Meia, and the other two trainees turned to Leona, their expressions a mix of surprise and irritation. Leona stepped forward, her eyes blazing with anger. "I've seen you around the ship a couple of times, and all you ever do is sleep and drink coffee. What have you contributed to this ship and crew since you joined?"
Mobius remained unfazed, meeting her glare with calm indifference. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he began to list his achievements. "Saved Meia's life, saved Hibiki's life, single-handedly saved the ship from colliding with an asteroid, fought off an enemy attack alone... I can keep going if you'd like."
Leona gritted her teeth, her hands clenching into fists as she glared at him. Without another word, she threw her head to the side and stormed out of the hangar, a scowl etched on her face.
"She does not like me," Mobius noted calmly after Leona left the hangar, his tone devoid of any concern.
Laura quickly stepped forward, her expression apologetic. "I'm sorry for my sister's attitude, Mobius. She's... well, she's just very set in her ways."
Mobius dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "Trust me, Laura, I don't care. As long as she follows orders, that's all I care about." He looked over his shoulder at Meia, then toward his fighter, his expression turning serious once more. "We'll start the first part of your training tomorrow, first thing in the morning—0700. Understood?"
Laura and Yukiko both bowed their heads respectfully before leaving the hangar, their excitement tempered by the seriousness of the task ahead.
Once they were alone, Mobius turned to Meia, his tone firm. "Don't expect me to go easy on you. I may not be sure about my abilities to train others, but I'm going to force everything I know into all of you."
Before Meia could respond, the ship's alarm blared, cutting through the hangar's relative quiet.
Mobius glanced down at his left wrist, smirking. "You could set your watch by it."
Climbing up into his fighter, Mobius looked back at Meia, "See you on the other side."
Meia smirked back at him, her competitive spirit ignited as she turned to run to her Dread.
"This is Mobius 1, I'm taking off," Mobius reported, his voice steady as he prepared for battle.
"Roger, Mobius 1," Belvedere replied from the bridge, her tone filled with confidence. "You're cleared to take off. I know you won't let us down."
The F-22's engines roared to life, the sound echoing through the Nirvana's auxiliary platform as they had done almost a hundred times before. The fighter shot out of the hangar and into space, with Meia's Dread right behind it.
"Analyzing enemy formation," Ezra said over the radios. "Approximately 12 cube types, 2 Yellows, and a strange machine I can't identify."
"Only two?" Mobius asked, his voice calm and focused. "Then this won't take long then."
Immediately separating from the Dread teams, Mobius flew ahead of his allies to engage the two enemy Yellows, his focus sharp and unwavering.
Mobius quickly gained a double lock on the two Yellows, his finger hovering over the trigger. But then, the unexpected happened—the two Yellows broke formation and fled from the battle.
"The two Yellows are retreating," Ezra announced, her voice laced with confusion.
"Why would they come all this way just to run?" BC wondered aloud.
"Who cares?" Hibiki yelled as he swung the Vanguard's sword at a cube type and missed. "If they want to turn tail and run, then it's easier for us—ARGH, DAMMIT, HOLD STILL!"
"It seems they've learned to evade our attacks," Meia noted, her tone growing more serious.
After finally destroying an enemy, Hibiki flicked his thumb across his nose in a gesture of triumph, just as Jura's Dread hovered over him. "Hey there, so are you ready for me?" Jura teased, her voice dripping with playful confidence.
"You wish!" Hibiki barked, irritation clear in his tone.
"Mr. Alien, look out behind you!" Dita cheered before shooting down an enemy targeting the Vanguard pilot. "Hey, if you're going to combine, you should do it with me!"
"No thanks, I'll pass," Hibiki replied, quickly flying away from both of the Dread pilots.
"Aww, why not?" Dita whined, her voice filled with disappointment.
While Hibiki continued to engage the few remaining enemies on his own, Mobius kept a close watch on the enemy's attack and evasion patterns, his mind working quickly to analyze their new tactics.
"That's not good," he muttered under his breath as he observed how one of the cube types evaded the Vanguard while the others attacked it from all sides. His military instincts told him that these changes in enemy behavior could mean greater challenges ahead.
Suddenly, Ezra's urgent voice rang out, "Warning! There's an unknown object coming in at high speed! All pilots, evade! Hurry!"
"What?!" Hibiki yelled, his panic rising. "What kind of object?!"
"Don't question it, just move to evade!" Mobius ordered, his voice sharp and commanding. "Everyone, fall back to the Nirvana and get inside its shields—now!"
Hibiki swung his sword one last time, forcing the cube types away from him before turning to flee toward the safety of the Nirvana's shields. But the cube types weren't done—they latched onto the Vanguard, dragging it toward the planet below them.
"Hibiki!" both Meia and Mobius yelled at the same time, their voices echoing in unison across the comms. They exchanged a brief glance, a moment of shared concern flashing between them before returning their focus to the battle.
"Jura, what are you doing?!" Barnette yelled as she saw Jura's Dread speeding after the Vanguard, the blonde pilot laughing maniacally. "Get the camera ready, Barnette! You're going to see the perfect elegance of my Vandread now!"
Barnette's voice was filled with panic. "Jura, you can't be serious! Pull up, or your Dread will burn to pieces! Jura! JURA!"
"They've begun their descent into the atmosphere!" Ezra cried, her voice trembling.
"10 seconds until the object passes us!" Belvedere announced, her voice tight with tension as she counted down. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"
Whatever it was, the object flashed past the Nirvana and by the planet below in an instant, moving so fast that none of them could see it clearly.
"Just what the hell was that?" the captain demanded, her voice filled with shock after the object flew by and completely vanished.
Ezra quickly scanned the area. "Contact with the Vanguard and Jura has been lost, but there's a new signature on radar."
An image appeared above the bridge, showing a large, claw-shaped crimson ship.
"It's a crab," Aramone said, her face faulting as her left eye began twitching in disbelief.
"Are all pilots accounted for?" BC asked the operators, her tone clipped and efficient.
"Yes, Commander," Belvedere replied. "All pilots are safe and accounted for, including Jura and Hibiki. Their vitals are showing up in the new Vandread below."
Ezra allowed herself a faint smile. "Scans show minimal to no damage on all Dreads. Once again, no damage sustained by Mobius 1."
"Captain!" Aramone cried, her voice tinged with urgency. "I managed to capture an image of the object on the high-speed cameras!" The bridge bunny displayed a still image on a screen above the bridge.
"What is that thing?" Belvedere asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. "I've never seen anything like it."
"It's a bullet," Magno stated, her voice grim. "A very large one at that… I'm also willing to bet my life that Mobius might know something about it as well."
"Mobius?" Belvedere repeated, her eyes turning to the seasoned pilot.
The pilots all returned to the ship, and Mobius was immediately called to the bridge. As he entered, he quickly zeroed in on the image above them. His eyes narrowed as recognition dawned on him.
"Oh joy" he sighed, a deep annoyance lacing his voice.
"I take it you know what this is?" BC asked him, her tone probing but respectful.
"Unfortunately," Mobius replied, his voice tight. "It's a giant bullet fired from a superweapon called Stonehenge. That weapon was responsible for the loss of hundreds of aces during the Usean Continental War… it took a long time for it to be destroyed."
"Are you sure it was destroyed?" BC asked, her question laced with concern.
Mobius shot her a sharp look, his patience thinning. "Pretty damn sure, I'm the one that did it."
Before BC could respond, Aramone interrupted. "There's an incoming message from the planet below!"
"Patch it through," Magno ordered calmly, her eyes narrowing as she prepared for the unknown.
A screen appeared above the bridge, revealing a pale-skinned, lovely young woman with blonde hair almost as long as Jura's. She bowed gracefully before speaking. "Greetings, travelers. My name is Faneita, and welcome to Anpathos."
"Anpathos? Is that the name of your planet?" Magno asked, her tone polite but cautious.
The woman smiled warmly. "That is correct. We have called it that since we first arrived here many years ago. We are so glad to see you; we've been waiting for you to appear."
"Waiting for us?" Magno repeated, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
"You are the Munya, are you not?" Faneita asked, her voice soft but confident.
Magno shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid not. We are not these Munya you are referring to. Pardon me for being so direct, but may we visit you? There are some questions I'd like to ask."
Faneita's expression became slightly withdrawn, a shadow of hesitation crossing her face. "Our ceremony is at hand, so I'm afraid we won't be able to greet you properly."
"Oh, there's no need to worry about that," Magno replied, her tone polite but firm. Faneita bowed her head once again, and the screen shut off. Magno immediately opened a communication screen with Bart in the Helmsman portal, leaving him in charge of the ship while she was away.
Before her chair turned around to slide back and out of the bridge, Magno looked down to BC and Mobius. "BC, Mobius, I want the two of you to come with me—just in case."
As the shuttle descended onto Anpathos, Hibiki stood on the island's beach, his eyes scanning the decorations that adorned the town. The vibrant colors and festive atmosphere made him wonder if some kind of event was about to take place. Spotting a shuttle landing near the center of the town, Hibiki called out to Jura, who was still sulking on the edge of the Vandread.
"Hey, can you hear me?!" he yelled, his voice cutting through the noise of the bustling town.
Jura glanced over her shoulder, her expression a mixture of irritation and disdain. "Unfortunately, yes!"
Giving up on Jura, Hibiki huffed and rushed into the town, eager to find his allies.
"I'm just going to go ahead and say it," Mobius said as he, BC, and the captain stepped off the ship and onto the island. His eyes scanned the area, taking in the overly friendly faces and the pristine surroundings. "I don't trust these people. They're way too friendly."
Magno nodded slightly, her tone calm but firm. "I have my suspicions as well, Mobius, but for now, we must remain calm and get some answers."
"Hey, old lady!" Hibiki's voice rang out, cutting through their conversation.
The three of them turned to see Hibiki rushing over, nearly knocking over several people in his haste.
"Little one," Magno said, her voice tinged with surprise. "You're alive, are you?"
"Where's Jura?" BC asked, her eyes scanning the area behind Hibiki.
Hibiki huffed, crossing his arms in annoyance. "I don't want to talk about Ms. Crabby right now."
"Well, as long as both of you are safe, everything is fine," Magno replied with a small smile. "Why don't you come with us for now?"
With Hibiki joining them, the four of them headed toward the tall temple at the center of the island, where Faneita was waiting for them. The temple's towering structure loomed above them, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch endlessly.
Once inside, Mobius quickly glanced up at the high ceiling, noting the intricate designs that adorned the walls. His instincts were on high alert, every detail of the place fueling his distrust. He returned his gaze to the woman standing before them, his expression unreadable.
"This is the way to the holy path," Faneita said graciously, gesturing toward a large doorway adorned with symbols.
"Why is it always religious kooks?" Mobius thought when he heard those words.
"It's very impressive," Magno said, her tone neutral. "But would you mind telling us about these Munya you were expecting?"
Faneita's expression brightened, a sense of pride evident in her voice as she answered. "They were the ones who led our ancestors here in the first place. We are very grateful to them. We consider the Munya to be the very foundation of Anpathos, and according to prophecy, they will be in great need of us soon."
"In great need of you?" BC repeated, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Mobius made eye contact with Faneita, his gaze steady and probing. "By the way you speak of them, you consider the Munya like gods—or at the very least, beings of a higher power. So what could such powerful entities need from humans?"
Faneita smiled, her pride evident. "They are in need of the spiral code, which only we can provide to them."
"Spiral code?" BC asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. But before she could press further, she felt a gentle but firm tap on her spine. She glanced to her right to see Mobius, who had subtly pressed his finger against her back and then nodded his head toward a gigantic banner hanging on the wall. The banner depicted a kneeling man with a large spiral object emerging from his back.
BC's eyes widened as the pieces clicked together. She felt a cold chill run down her spine, her stomach dropping as she whispered, "The spinal cord…"
Before she could react further, her radio beeped, and Bart's panicked voice crackled through alerting them that the ship was under attack. "What should we do?" he screamed, his tone frantic.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Meia's voice cut in, calm yet determined. "You want us to defend the ship, right?"
Bart's whimpering was audible before he finally issued his order. "DREAD TEAMS, SCRAMBLE!"
Back in the temple, Mobius heard Bart's order and felt a surge of urgency. He glanced at Magno, who suddenly winced, clutching her back as a sharp pain shot through her. She fell to one knee, her face contorted in pain.
Seeing his commanding officer vulnerable Mobius in one swift motion placed himself between Faneita and BC who was helping Magno. Drawing his pistol as he stepped between them he aimed it directly at Faneita and the two men standing behind her. His voice was low and commanding as he barked, "Hibiki, get back to Jura and defend the planet and the Nirvana. Not a single enemy gets through, do whatever it takes."
Hibiki, startled by the sudden shift in Mobius' tone, quickly nodded. "Right, just leave it to me."
As Hibiki turned to sprint out of the temple, Mobius called after him, his voice tinged with dry humor. "Hibiki! Don't forget, my Raptor is still on the ship, so you better not let anything happen to it."
Hibiki smirked over his shoulder, his confidence returning. "I can handle that. You just focus on keeping the old lady and commander alive until this is all over." With that, he dashed out of the temple, heading for the beach where Jura and the new Vandread were waiting.
A cold, confident, almost predatory gaze filled Mobius' expression as he returned his attention to Faneita. "Do not move" he ordered, keeping his weapon trained on her.
Not long after Hibiki left, several overlapping voices flooded BC's radio, adding to the chaos.
The dread teams launched into battle, the tension in the air palpable as they prepared to defend the Nirvana and the planet to the best of their abilities.
"The two Yellows from before have returned!" Ezra cried, her voice filled with anxiety. "And there's another one in the second formation!"
"Three Yellows—are you kidding?!" one of the pilots yelled, their voice tinged with fear.
"Can we beat Yellows by ourselves?" another pilot shouted, panic creeping into their tone. "We've never come close to hitting one. Only Mobius can shoot them down."
Meia's voice cut through the growing fear like a blade. "Regardless of whether we think we can or can't, we have to defend the ship at all costs. The Yellows may be much more dangerous than the rest of the enemies we've encountered, but we can't let that scare us. We have to win. We're going to win!"
BC and Magno, still recovering from the sudden shock, could just barely see the edge of a smile on Mobius' face after Meia's speech. His expression softened slightly, pride flickering in his eyes as he listened to Meia rally the troops.
"That is how a leader should act," Mobius whispered to himself, a hint of pride in his voice as he kept his gun firmly aimed at on Faneita and her group his arms steady with solid nerves.
Above the planet, the battle quickly intensified. Nearly 20% of the enemy was wiped out within the first few minutes, but 17% of the Nirvana's pilots were forced to return to the ship due to the damage they had sustained.
"The enemy's numbers are dwindling! We can do this—just keep going!" Barnette yelled, her voice filled with determination.
Meia's voice followed, calm yet urgent. "Focus on the regular enemies for now and evade the Yellows as best you can. I'm sure they'll retreat once we put a big enough dent in their forces."
Despite their efforts, several enemies managed to slip past the Dreads and attack the Nirvana directly. The ship's shields held strong, but Bart's panic was palpable as he watched the enemy fire light up the screens.
"I don't wanna die here!" Bart screamed, his voice cracking under the pressure.
That's when Magno, her patience worn thin, snatched the radio from BC's hand. "Grow a spine!" she growled at the helmsman, her voice sharp. "I've lived a long life and seen many young lives cut short. It is in respect to those who've fallen under me in the past that I refuse to allow myself or any of us to die now."
Mobius without looking at Magno said, "Well said Captain, what should we do with her?
Magno still in pain and hunched over told him, "Leave her, she will have to learn to make her own choices sooner or later."
Reluctantly, against his training, Mobius lowered his gun, but did not holster it as he took a step back to better shield the captain and BC.
Out in space, the battle raged on. Meia took a hard hit from a Yellow while shielding Dita from a frontal assault by two cube-types. But then the unexpected happened—she spun around and fired, landing a direct hit on the Yellow, severing its wing clean off.
"A Yellow's been hit!" Ezra cried out, her voice a mix of shock and excitement. "Meia just shot down a Yellow!"
Across the ship, the pilots and crew were in awe—a Yellow, the single most dangerous enemy they had ever faced, was just shot down by someone other than Mobius.
Inside the temple, however, Mobius and the captain didn't seem surprised at all.
"I knew she had it in her," Magno said with a proud smile.
Mobius merely smiled, his confidence in Meia evident.
"The other two Yellows are retreating!" Belvedere cheered, her voice loud with relief.
Aramone added excitedly, "Vandread Jura is holding position above the planet!"
Vandread Jura hovered over the planet, its massive claw opening to release several green-colored discs. The discs formed a green shield that connected with the Vandread and the other discs, covering the entire planet in a protective barrier.
Inside the Vandread, Jura cheered, her voice filled with triumph. "If anyone else thinks they can shield an entire planet, I'd like to see them try!"
Hibiki, however, wasn't ready to celebrate just yet. Sliding around in his chair, he shouted, "Don't start celebrating just yet! We've still got one more to deal with!"
Hibiki brought his fist down on the controls of the new Vandread, activating another disc that hovered above the craft. The disc summoned a vortex, draining water from the planet's ocean and channeling it into a raging column aimed directly at the giant machine the Harvest had brought with them.
The machine, resembling a gaping maw, moved toward the Vandread and the planet it was protecting, intent on swallowing them both whole.
"Feeling hungry, huh?" Hibiki muttered, determination sharpening his voice. "Well, let's see how you like this!"
The torrent of ocean water surged into the machine's mouth, filling it rapidly. Unable to withstand the pressure, the machine's structure buckled, and it exploded in a violent burst, sending debris scattering through space.
With their new weapon destroyed, more than half their forces lost, and a Yellow shot down, the remaining enemies retreated as quickly as they had appeared, leaving the crew of the Nirvana with another hard-earned victory.
As the battle concluded, BC, Captain Magno, and Mobius returned to the Nirvana, leaving the inhabitants of Anpathos to contemplate the paths they had chosen in life.
Back on the ship, Mobius sought out Hibiki, offering a rare moment of acknowledgment. In his own way, he congratulated Hibiki on keeping the ship and his fighter safe. Hibiki, though taken aback by the praise, accepted it with a proud smile.
Once his duty was done, Mobius made his way back to his room in the brig, only to find Meia waiting for him outside his cell. Her presence was unexpected, and the faint tension between them from the recent events lingered in the air.
"And to what do I owe this predicted intrusion?" Mobius asked, his tone laced with mild sarcasm as he approached her.
Meia scoffed, a cocky smirk playing on her lips as she stepped closer. "I just wanted to let you know—you're no longer the only one who can shoot down a Yellow."
Mobius raised an eyebrow, his expression remaining neutral. "Luck is luck," he replied, his tone humorous inspite of his dismissive words, "It runs out eventually."
Meia scoffed again, clearly not satisfied with his response. She turned to leave the brig, her steps confident, but Mobius called after her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Hey, Meia," he called, his voice softer than she expected.
The gentleness in his tone made her pause. For a moment, she stood still, her heart inexplicably racing, her face warming at the unexpected shift in his demeanor. She had seen glimpses of a softer, friendlier side of Mobius before, but this felt different—more personal, more… genuine.
She turned slowly to face him, her usual composure slipping as she met his gaze. Mobius approached her, his movements uncharacteristically relaxed, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Why don't we go to the cafeteria and grab some coffee?" he suggested, his voice calm and inviting. "Since you're going to be included in this training of mine, I want to go over a few things with you."
Meia's heart skipped a beat, and a soft smile formed on her lips. There was something comforting in the way he spoke to her, something that made her feel… noticed and warmer. Without fully understanding why, she found herself nodding, agreeing to his invitation.
As they walked out of the brig together, side by side, Meia felt her face getting hotter, her heart beating faster with every step. She tried to hide it, turning her face slightly away from him as they made their way to the elevator. Even though she didn't understand why she was feeling this way, she didn't want Mobius to see her like this, didn't want him to notice the effect his words and presence were having on her.
The rest of the evening passed quietly, the two pilots discussing tactics and training methods over coffee. But beneath the surface, something subtle had shifted between them—something unspoken, yet undeniably present.
That night, as Meia finally returned to her room, she found herself drifting into a peaceful sleep, her thoughts still lingering on the day's events. In her dreams, she was once again in the midst of a space battle, but this time, she was alone, facing an entire enemy formation by herself. Yet, she didn't feel afraid—instead, she felt a surge of determination.
On the other side of the formation, she saw Mobius' F-22, a lone figure amidst the chaos. She could hear his voice calling out to her, his tone steady and encouraging. He was cheering her on, telling her she could win, that she had the strength and skill to overcome any obstacle.
She wanted to prove herself—to show that she could be as good as he was, maybe even better. She wanted him to acknowledge her skills as a pilot, to see her as an equal, and perhaps… something more.
She dreamed throughout the night, a pleased smile on her face, one that no one could take from her.
