The Pirate's Soldier

by operation meteor

Heero's career as a Preventers operative takes a strange turn when he gets caught up in a fight between a Juraian royal and a notorious space pirate. As the two alien beauties settle in with him on Earth and more soon follow, the former Gundam pilot soon finds himself to be the target of their affections, with a certain lovely outlaw at the front of the pack! M for some language.

34. Chapter 34

Author's Notes: Hello there! Sorry for the long wait with this one. Between work and getting moved into my new place, the past few months have been extremely busy.

Since the story's ramping up towards the final battle, I decided to spice things up a bit by taking a page from my other fics and adding a piece of music for the battle in this chapter. If you've read my other stories, you know how this works. Song name will be in bold, with both start and end points marked in the chapter. Play the song if you want, or don't; not like I can make you. Hell, if you think of something better, play that instead. Whatever enhances the reading experience for you.

Funnily enough, the song I went with isn't from Gundam Wing or Tenchi Muyo! It's "Contact With You" from Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. For the scene that it plays in, and the chapter in general, I thought it was rather fitting.

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Four: No Need For Divine Contact!

As the rest of the ground team took up defensive positions in a rough crescent, with Ayeka and her guardians anchoring the line in front of the data center doorway, Heero nodded at Ryoko and gestured upwards. The former pirate looked briefly puzzled before her eyes widened in comprehension, and then she rapidly ascended, disappearing into the ceiling a second later.

Not sure how long she can avoid detection, Heero thought, seeing as we're up against Tokimi. Still, if she can get the drop on them when the fighting starts, it'll give us a brief advantage.

"Don't open fire right away," he ordered, "Kagato loves his theatrics, so let's see if he'll indulge himself. Remember, we're playing for time here."

"But we'll have them in a perfect choke point, sir!" one of the Marines protested.

"Not really," Quatre countered, "According to Heero, Kagato and his sister have Light Hawk Wings; they can just use those to block our fire while their team enters."

"And then there's Tokimi," Duo added, "No idea what she can do in a fight, but plasma's probably no threat to a goddess."

Yosho stepped forward, standing to Heero's right. "Let me take the lead. I can string him along for a bit."

Heero glanced at his grandfather before nodding. "You know him best."

"Kagato does love to talk," Nagi noted, "even when he should be keeping his mouth shut. Seems to be a thing with you aristocrat types."

"Then let's hope the bastard runs his mouth off here," Wufei muttered.

"And that he didn't bring too many troops with him," Trowa deadpanned.

"You up for this?" AIDA quietly asked, "You went hard against that drone earlier."

"I don't have a choice," Heero replied, "How far away are they?"

"Almost at the door," AIDA answered, her tone contrite, "Sorry that I couldn't stall them longer."

"Your tricks held them up long enough for us to get here," Heero reassured her, "That's all we needed."

It was then that the door at the other end of the chamber opened, and all chatter ceased. Heero already had four of his Light Hawk Wings at the ready; he'd only call upon the last two when the fight started. Yosho had dispelled his to conserve strength, while Ayeka was likewise holding hers in reserve. To Heero's surprise, he couldn't sense any Light Hawk Wings deployed by Kagato or Ragyō.

Awfully confident that we're not going to hose them in fire right out of the gate, Heero mused, but then again, we are playing for time.

Kagato's group entered, with the man himself at the front. There wasn't so much as a scratch on him, no blemishes or marks on his robes, and the arrogant smirk Heero had seen in their past encounters was worn proudly on his face. Next to him, his sister was clad in a much more practical white jumpsuit, the deactivated hilts of her Keys already in hand. A smile bloomed on her face as she looked straight at Heero, and she licked her lips in anticipation. Flanking Ragyō were the two assassin twins from the earlier battles, easily identified by their black and purple robes. Their mismatched green and blue eyes swept over Heero's group in an instant, knives and plasma pistols at the ready. The pale-faced, white-haired girls both flushed with color a moment later, but this wasn't out of embarrassment or nerves; Heero would've recognized the hungry looks in their eyes anywhere. They were thirsting for battle.

Fitting, Heero thought, since Washu identified them as death cult assassins.

Emerging from behind Kagato and Ragyō was the woman who had nudged them down their dark path; Tokimi. The brown-haired goddess had traded her finery for a form-fitting maroon jumpsuit, and while Heero could see no weapons on her, he wasn't about to drop his guard. He could take some comfort in the fact that her child-avatar was absent, but that simply meant all Tokimi's attention would be on herself rather than split between two bodies. She then met his gaze and winked, her deep purple eyes gleaming with delight.

"The lady of the hour," Heero muttered before addressing his artificial companion, "Did Washu give you any intel on how she fights?"

"I'm afraid she didn't have any data beyond pulse grenades being useful for stunning her," AIDA confessed, "Remember, Tokimi's the same order of being as my creator and Tsunami. She's observed the universe since its very creation; assume nothing when it comes to her abilities and fighting techniques."

"Of course," Heero murmured.

Behind the goddess and her companions, Heero counted twenty-four Imperial Marines entering the room. They rapidly fanned out into a crescent formation, mirroring Heero's group. In fact, Heero was mildly amused to note that they were occupying the same defensive positions his comrades had held when they'd been fighting the last drone. That the Marines had not immediately opened fire upon seeing their foes was encouraging; it reinforced the notion that Kagato wanted to talk before getting down to business.

Not sure what good he thinks talking will do at this point, Heero mused, seeing how we've shot his offers down multiple times since this whole mess started. Still, if he insists, we can kill some time this way.

Heero saw Yosho looking his way, and he took a step back so his grandfather could take centerstage. At the same time, he closed his eyes and stretched out with his Juraian sense for energy, focusing on the ceiling. He couldn't resist a slight smirk when he found Ryoko; she'd set herself up just above and behind Ragyō. Kagato's sister might've come here wanting a warrior's clash with Heero, but he wasn't going to give her a fair fight if he could help it.

Yosho looked at his old friend before loosing an exasperated sigh. "Still, you persist in this folly, Kagato? Has not enough blood been shed for your ambitions already?"

Kagato spread his arms. "Has not enough blood been shed to defend the stagnant status quo? Even now, countless lives are being lost in the battle outside. How many more lives will the Emperor sacrifice to protect his precious throne?"

"How many more lives will you sacrifice to usurp it?" Yosho pointedly countered, "How many more will you sacrifice should you seize it, to solidify your rule and bring about this 'evolution' you've endlessly preached about?"

Kagato took a deep breath, looking genuinely hurt. "Do you really think so little of me, old friend? When I take the throne, there will be no need for further bloodshed. Simple knowledge of the Array will be enough to deter any further conflict."

"You forget that the wider galaxy has lived in blissful ignorance of the Array," Yosho pointed out, "The public believes the Imperial Civil War was ended through a costly naval assault and orbital bombardment of rebel worlds. Even now, few know the truth. Reveal the Array, and the people will ask how you knew of it. Your part in its construction will become public knowledge. By extension, so will your involvement in the deaths of millions. They will see you as no different than my father; he commissioned the Array and ordered its firing, and you helped Washu build it."

Kagato sagely nodded. "That much is true, and I'll wager many will be less than charitable towards me for my involvement. Their feelings will be irrelevant, though; who will speak out against the new order when all life on any rebellious world can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye? I will accomplish what no Emperor of Jurai ever has, Yosho; true and lasting peace in the galaxy. No one, from great powers down to regional warlords and pirates, would dare stand against the overwhelming power that is mine and Washu's legacy. Can you imagine what could be accomplished in a galaxy that's no longer plagued by brigands and powers constantly jostling for position, trampling over anyone who gets in their way? It will be Pax Juraia; a golden age of prosperity and tranquility that will last a thousand years and more."

"You're confusing peace with terror," Yosho retorted.

Kagato shrugged. "We have to start somewhere."

Yosho shook his head in disappointment. "Listen to yourself, Kagato. You preach of washing away the old order so the galaxy can grow again, but all you offer in return is for its denizens to exist under the perpetual threat of annihilation. Your 'new order' would be just as stifling as that which you would replace. If you truly wanted the galaxy to grow beyond what it is now, then you would join us in destroying this vestige of its dark past. The Judgement Array is not a tool for social engineering; it is a shameful weapon of mass destruction the likes of which the galaxy is better off without. Your claims of 'reform' are nothing more than justification for the pursuit of absolute power. Stop pretending otherwise."

Kagato smirked. "Don't act so high and mighty, old friend. Your family's held that absolute power for a hundred-fifty-thousand years and counting. Dress up your foolish desire to destroy the Array in nobility all you like, but all you're really doing is ensuring the perpetuation of the status quo where your bloodline reigns supreme."

Yosho chuckled, and Heero saw his grandfather look proudly at him and Ayeka. "You can look at it that way, I suppose. Personally, I'd like to think that I'm putting our past sins to rest so that the future generations are no longer burdened with them."

The old crown prince's expression became serious as he turned back to face Kagato. "Our time has come and gone, Kagato. For better or worse, our prime was the Imperial Civil War. We've left our mark on the galaxy already, and history will judge it accordingly. It's time for us to step aside and entrust the galaxy to the next generation."

Kagato scowled. "How far you've fallen, old friend. Had I known when I shot you down all those centuries ago that stranding you on Earth would make you so soft, I would've landed and finished you off then and there. At least you would've kept your dignity and pride."

"I never lost them," Yosho calmly retorted, glancing at Heero once more, "My time on Earth was the best thing that could've happened to me. Thanks to it, my dignity and pride will long outlive me. I owe you a debt of gratitude, Kagato; I never would've learned that lesson had you not marooned me on that beautiful world long ago. I may even have wound up like you, had I stayed in the Empire. Fate, thankfully, had other plans."

Kagato was quiet for a moment before eventually sighing and shaking his head. "A pity that it did. It shouldn't be this way, Yosho. Even if your prime is past, I know your skills remain sharp, as does your mind. It's such a waste that you employ them only to preserve what is, rather than boldly venture towards what could be. It should be you by my side, ushering in the change that the Empire needs."

"My place is right here," Yosho firmly answered, his eyes narrowing, "stopping you from despoiling the future. I will entrust Jurai's future to those still young enough to learn and grow, not one who's trapped in the past seeking a weapon that should never have been built."

Kagato's gaze darkened for a moment before he suddenly smiled and turned his gaze towards Heero, and then Ayeka. "Why not let that precious 'future' speak for itself? Prince Heero, Princess Ayeka; look what the current order has dragged you both into. Here you are, nobly risking your lives to protect the rule of the one whose past actions brought about these unfortunate circumstances in the first place. His Majesty has imperiled your lives and those of you dearest friends all for the sake of preserving his power. Though we are on opposite sides right now, I truly do have nothing but the utmost respect for your abilities and bravery. If you ask me, your courage and talents are wasted on defending the status quo. There is still time to change course, for the betterment of all."

Heero saw Ayeka glowering furiously at Kagato, and he held up a hand to prevent an unfortunate outburst; he could understand her indignation, but he could not have her saying something that would cut the conversation short. Every second that they could buy Washu was vital.

I strung him along back at his estate long enough to be rescued, he mused, so let's see how much I can get away with here.

"Kagato," Heero began, weighing his words carefully, "given your vast breadth of experience, you can surely understand why Ayeka and I would be reluctant to side with you. After all, you're talking of overthrowing our dynasty. To secure your power after you've usurped the current Emperor, the next logical course of action would be to neutralize the threat posed by any other contenders for the throne. Naturally, that would include us. Where's the incentive for us to 'change course' when our present one is the only path towards our survival?"

Kagato's eyes lit up, and Heero smiled inwardly; he'd laid out the bait, and his enemy had swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. "What if I could guarantee not just your survival, but that of your friends and family, including the Emperor himself?"

"I'm listening," Heero said.

"There is another path available to us," Kagato elaborated, "One that joins us together, and brings this foolish conflict to an end. When Washu comes out of that room behind you with the data, let us all escape this repository's inevitable self-destruction together. Return with me to my flagship. When we seize the Array, we can bind our branches of this family together. I can marry Crown Princess Ayeka, and you, Prince Heero, can marry my sister. Of course, you would also marry the Kuramitsu Clan's daughter, thus bringing the Seniwa Domain into our pact. Together, we can compel the Emperor to abdicate and spend the rest of his long life in comfortable retirement. With his wives, of course; I would be loathe to harm any of them, and I'm certain you'd wish to protect them, Prince Heero."

"What about Sasami?" Heero asked.

"She would be protected, naturally," Kagato replied, spreading his arms in a magnanimous gesture, "as would the rest of your friends and family."

"How generous of you," Heero quipped, "and how do we not know you'd simply turn on us all the moment we let our guard down? You'd have the Array and the power of the throne behind you; you could eliminate us then with no issue. We'd be fools to trust you."

"And that's the crux of the matter," Tokimi chimed in, shaking her head, "Trust, which it's clear we cannot earn from you. You showed us as much back at White Coven, and I see your resolve is no less firm now."

The goddess then turned to her candidate. "They're stalling. Surely you've realized that by now."

Kagato loosed a resigned exhalation. "I have, though I still had my hopes. This really is your final answer, Yosho? Yours as well, Prince Heero, Princess Ayeka?"

"Go to hell, traitor!" Ayeka snapped, her fists clenched in seething rage.

Heero resisted the urge to chuckle; while he would've preferred that Ayeka kept her cool, he could appreciate the sentiment. "My thoughts exactly."

He saw Yosho stared down Kagato for a long moment before he brought Tenchi-ken up into a guard stance. "If you will not turn back willingly, my old friend, then I must stand against you once more. I do wish it were otherwise."

Kagato ignited his emerald blade and bowed solemnly. "As do I, old friend."

Here we go, thought Heero, gathering his energy, Tsunami, I hope you're ready.

….

Back on the Yagami, Mihoshi was on edge. The crimson patrol cruiser was as safe as she could be under the circumstances, sheltering amidst a cluster of particularly large rock and ice chunks. Ken-Ohki was floating just below the vessel, while Ryo-Ohki and the AI-controlled fighters of Heero and his friends were patrolling above and around. The three-way clash between the Juraian loyalists, Kagato's supporters, and the repository's defenses was still waging as fiercely as ever, but the Yagami's little group remained unmolested for the time being.

"You think they're okay?" she asked her partner.

Leaning back in her seat, Kiyone lowered the water bottle she'd been sipping from and sighed. "AIDA's last update was that they'd made it to the data center. I haven't been able to get through since; comms interference has really picked up. If I had to bet, I'd say Kagato and his group have probably caught up to them by now, and they're duking it out while Washu downloads the data."

Mihoshi's fists clenched at the blue fabric of her uniform. "We should've gone in with them. We should be helping them in there!"

Kiyone shook her head. "You and I might be trained for shootouts, but we're beat cops at the end of the day; just flying the Yagami into a battlefield like this is way above what we're meant to handle. Heero and the others know what they're doing, they have Marines with them, and even Nagi's on our side this time. Our first job was to get them to the repository, and now, it's to keep their getaway rides intact and be ready for extraction. Trust them, Mihoshi. I do."

Mihoshi fidgeted anxiously. "I do, but…"

Her voice trailed off as Kiyone reached over to place a hand on her shoulder. "I know. We both care about everyone down there… but it's different for you, now that one of them is your fiancé."

Mihoshi's shoulders slumped. "I feel so useless. Heero and Ryoko take all the risks. Compared to them, I'm…"

"Don't finish that sentence," Kiyone firmly interjected, "Those two are recklessness incarnate, but they also have the powers and skills to back that up. They understand the dangers, and I know neither of them would want you facing the same kind of risk. Having you up here with me minding the escape route gives them peace of mind; helps them focus on what's ahead of them."

Mihoshi sighed. "I guess you're right. I just don't like it."

"Neither do I," Kiyone confessed.

There was a moment of silence before Kiyone spoke again. "I just thought of something; check the feed with Ken-Ohki. We should see how Sasami's doing."

"Right," Mihoshi acknowledged as she pulled up the information on her screen, "Vitals show that she's… uhm… I'm not sure, actually."

"What do you mean?" Kiyone asked as she leaned over towards her partner's station.

"Her breathing's slow," Mihoshi explained, "I was about to say that she's sleeping, but that's not quite what the sensors are showing. It's like… something between sleep and being awake, maybe?"

"Meditation," Kiyone surmised, "or perhaps a trance. She must be bracing herself for Tsunami to act. If Kagato has caught up to the others by now, then Heero's going to need her power."

"Will Sasami be okay?" Mihoshi asked, biting her lip in concern, "I still don't really understand how her power works, but it takes a lot out of her, right?"

"That's what we saw back at the second repository," Kiyone confirmed, "and it sounds like she'll be exerting herself a lot more here than she did back there. Still, Heero wouldn't have agreed to this if he thought that Tsunami's using her power would put Sasami at genuine risk."

"He mentioned a time limit," Mihoshi recalled, "How much was it, again? Thirty minutes?"

"Twenty, I think," Kiyone said, taking a nervous breath, "I just hope that's enough."

"So do I," Mihoshi whispered as she pulled up a visual feed.

The princess looked like a classical sleeping beauty, her closed eyes and slow breathing creating a very tranquil sensation even through the camera. It was a stark contrast to the ferocious battle unfolding in the star system around her; an uninitiated observer could be forgiven for finding her presence entirely out of place. What contribution could such a sweet and innocent girl make to such bloody business? Mihoshi knew better, though, and she could only pray that both Sasami and the young man the goddess within her was supporting would survive the storm.

….

While the banter between the two camps had been playing out below, Ryoko had been silently slipping through the ceiling above. Now, she was over the rear of Kagato's group, almost at the entrance of the chamber. She had originally considered placing herself above Kagato or Ragyō so she could take one of them out right at the start of the inevitable fight, but Ryoko eventually discarded that idea; given how cunning and skilled these foes had demonstrated themselves to be, they were likely prepared for such an attack. After all, Ryoko knew she cut a very distinctive figure, a figure that Kagato, Ragyō, and the others undoubtedly realized was absent from the group they now faced. The most powerful among them would be braced for a stealth strike.

So, instead of settling in for attempting a likely-doomed leadership decapitation strike, Ryoko decided on a different approach. The number of Marines in both groups was equal, but several of the soldiers in Heero's contingent had been wounded fighting against the repository's defenses, while Kagato's troops seemed fresh if their unblemished armor was anything to go by. While the likes of Kagato, Ragyō, and Tokimi were by far the biggest threats in the room, all the healthy soldiers backing them up would only amplify that threat. If Ryoko could get among them and thin out their numbers at the start of the fight, it would greatly help out Heero and the others.

Look at me, she thought with a mix of amusement and pride, trying a tactical approach instead of going in head-on, blasting energy spheres and swinging my sword around… Heero, you're really rubbing off on me. I like it.

In position, Ryoko was now waiting for her cue. Nothing had been prearranged; Heero had simply told her to get into the ceiling, confident that she could figure the rest out herself. It was difficult for Ryoko to monitor events traditionally. Poking her head out to see with her eyes meant giving away her position, while whatever material Washu had used to construct the repository's ceilings and walls was annoyingly good at muffling sound. She could tell that people were speaking, but not who they were or what they were saying. Ryoko had to count on her ability to sense the others' energy; when it spiked, that would be her signal.

Ryoko slowed her breathing as much as she could, concentrating on Heero's energy above all else. He had sent her up here; he was counting on her, and she'd be damned if she failed him now. Memories of her disgraceful performance on Seniwa bubbled up in her mind, only for Ryoko to shove them down as quickly as they surfaced. That was then, and this was now. She had messed up once, and she was not about to do so again.

Come on, Heero, she thought, I'm where you need me, now I need you to give me a sign that I can't possibly miss.

Don't hold anything back!

….

Having not moved from her bed since entering the system, Sasami had only shut her eyes once Nagi had left and Ken-Ohki had moved with Ryo-Ohki, Yagami, and the AI-guided fighters to their shelter in the planetary rings. The pale crystalline interior of Ken-Ohki was gone, but what replaced it was not the darkness that one usually found when closing their eyes. The sensation of the bed below her was gone, as was the periodic mewling of the living starship holding her.

Instead, Sasami found herself floating in an endless expanse of water. Strangely, despite being submerged, the princess did not feel wet at all, and she could breathe easily. Sunlight glimmered in a brilliant blue sky above the calm surface, while a gently swirling current kept Sasami drifting in a small circle.

It was a picture of tranquility, one far removed from the battle that Sasami knew was taking place in the real world. Sasami herself appeared as serenity incarnate, eye-lids half shut as she floated in the crystal-clear water. If she did not know better, she could have been forgiven for mistaking her surroundings as nothing more than a pleasant dream.

Yet this was no dream, and while the water was calm and comfortable, Sasami did not find it pleasant. She could not, for as she drifted just below the surface, the princess sensed a presence lurking in the depths below. Sasami was not alone in these waters; a leviathan was circling in the dark beneath her. She'd felt it before, usually as a dormant mass of energy simply sitting in the background. It was not hostile; given that it represented the goddess within her, it would be strange indeed for the creature to hold animosity for the vessel that was its modern incarnation. Yet the princess was ill at ease with the knowledge of its very existence, and that unease only grew now that it was stirring.

Though she was facing the surface, Sasami became aware of a sea-green glow building up below as the leviathan was roused. A younger, uninitiated version of her would've turned around to look, but Sasami knew that she was not supposed to do that. While Tsunami had difficulty in communicating explicit thoughts and words to her host due to fear of accidentally exerting too much power and harming Sasami, the goddess could make her desires and intentions known through other means. Sensations and urges were her preferred tool, vague impressions upon the princess's mind, and the impression she gave Sasami now was quite simple; to continue facing towards the surface.

The sea-green glow beneath began rapidly intensifying, and Sasami knew what was to come. She closed her eyes completely, surrendering herself to the sudden current swelling up from below. Power of an unfathomable scale surged around and through her, the princess nothing more than a pliant conduit for its flow.

The leviathan ascended, and the princess took its place in the depths.

….

Kagato smiled as he charged across the chamber, the emerald blade of his Key blazing as all eight Light Hawk Wings materialized around him. That Yosho only had three and had summoned no others was all the proof the cadet branch Royal needed that his old friend was in decline, never again to reach the lofty peak of his prime. Of course, he'd be foolish to underestimate the long-lost crown prince; the recent clashes at the last two repositories had shown that Yosho's technique remained sharp as ever, even as his Juraian power declined in potency. Three Light Hawk Wings versus eight was an uneven match no matter how one looked at it, but knowing Yosho, the old man would make those three count for all they were worth and more.

Allow me to offer you one last courtesy, old friend, Kagato thought with a smirk as his green sword met the azure shaft of Tenchi-ken, a grand stage upon which we can perform your final rites.

It was not just him advancing. Ragyō was to his right, the white blades of her twin Keys ignited, and all six of her Light Hawk Wings ready to go. As Kagato had expected, his sister was making a beeline straight for Heero, her thirst for another match with their former captive overriding all other considerations. For his part, the young man she'd targeted had all six of his Light Hawk Wings activated as well, while his azure blade was angled across his body for maximum defensive coverage.

Unfortunately for both Heero and Ragyō, they wouldn't get to indulge in a one-on-one fight this time. Without uttering a word, Tokimi had joined Ragyō in her advance. While the goddess backing Kagato's agenda held no weapon, she was far from unarmed. Materializing around her as she charged forward were a series of six glowing black crescents of energy, almost a dark reflection of her opponent's Light Hawk Wings. Kagato had never seen Tokimi use this power before, and he was quite interested as to how she would wield it. Of course, seeing as his opponent was Yosho, Kagato didn't have the luxury of watching the show.

The suspicious absence of Ryoko initially led Kagato to hope that his sister and Tokimi could take Heero out in a quick two-on-one, but those hopes were dashed when a familiar bounty hunter stepped in, her violet energy whip already activated. Kagato had been understandably peeved at Nagi changing sides during Heero's rescue, and now that was compounded by seeing her fighting alongside his enemies. He silently cursed his previous reliance on her skills, and made a mental note to never trust a member of Nagi's profession again.

While the heavy hitters in both groups exchanged opening blows, the rest of their respective parties opted to fight around them. With both Kagato and Heero's Marines having already assumed defensive positions and loathe to catch their own masters in friendly fire, plasma bolts flew back and forth along the periphery of the central engagement. Kagato briefly caught sight of Kana and Kayda working their way along the perimeter. The pale assassin twins were clearly angling to flank the fighters in the middle, but they soon found themselves intercepted by two of Heero's human friends; Duo and Quatre, if Kagato recalled their names correctly.

Let the twins have their fun, Kagato thought as his sword met Yosho's and sparks flew, Washu won't emerge from the data center for some time yet, anyway.

His Marines would be ready when she did. While they were outfitted primarily for firefights, they also carried specialized weapons designed by Kagato himself for this scenario. One such weapon was a long rifle with a conical-shaped shell at the end of the barrel. There were four of these divided amongst the Marine fire teams, and Kagato had developed them with the intent of disrupting Juraian barriers. When Washu came out of the data center, the Marines would fire these shells at Ayeka's barrier to punch a hole in it. That was where the second weapon came into play; four more specialized rifles that were designed to fire ranged-versions of the memory extraction device Kagato had given Nagi to use against Washu in the past. Long cords coiled within the barrels would extend outwards, providing a direct link between the 'shell' and weapon to seamlessly transfer the data as it was scanned from the scientist's mind. If the cord was cut, there was a backup wireless transmission system, but Kagato hoped it would not come to that. Wireless memory transmission was a somewhat patchy field, and it ran the risk of some information fragments being lost.

Those concerns were in the back of Kagato's mind, but he could hardly pay them much attention right now. As his Marines cautiously engaged their counterparts on the other side of the chamber, they were suddenly confronted with a new threat; Ryoko phasing through the ceiling above them and diving into the fray. The twin red blades of her double-ended Key ignited as she descended, and a broad spinning slash cut down two of Kagato's Marines before they even knew what hit them. Despite the surprise attack, the surviving Marines reacted quickly, immediately shifting their fire to concentrate on Ryoko herself. Already generating a barrier with the open palm of her left hand, the pirate was able to tank the bolts without harm, but she only slew one more Marine with a lunging thrust of her Key before swiftly pulling back under heavy fire. Her trajectory was clear; she was moving to rejoin Heero and Nagi, and Ragyō was directly in her path.

"Sister, behind you!" Kagato called out in-between deflecting strikes from Yosho.

His warning wasn't even needed; Ragyō had already shifted two Light Hawk Wings behind her, the two sheets of energy slashing back and forth across Ryoko's path. This forced the pirate to phase down through the floor, deactivating her Key and vanishing from sight. Where she would pop out next, who could say? That would be for his sister and Tokimi to worry about; Kagato had much more immediate concerns in the form of an unusually aggressive Yosho.

Kagato could not help but grin as he defended himself from an uncharacteristically vicious sequence of slashes; it'd been a long time since he'd seen Yosho fight with such ferocity. "Ah, now this is more like it! Going all-out for your swansong, old friend? Just don't tire yourself out before we reach the climax."

Yosho offered no verbal reply; he was content to let his swordsmanship do the talking. Pressed hard, Kagato rapidly found himself on the backfoot. The azure blade of Tenchi-ken seemed to have a mind of its own in Yosho's hands, darting up and down, left, and right, striking from every conceivable angle. The aggressive swordplay took Kagato back to their younger days; Yosho in his prime going all-out on the offensive had been a marvel to behold then, and even now, in his twilight years, his skill remained nearly peerless. For all of Kagato's outward confidence, he very much appreciated the danger facing him. He had greater power and stamina on his side, but Yosho's withering onslaught of slashes and thrusts was pushing his defensive bladework to its limits. A single slip-up on Kagato's part would be all the old crown prince needed to end him.

Luckily for Kagato, he had more than just his blade to work with in this fight. No longer needing to hide his true strength, his eight Light Hawk Wings had been spinning above and behind him this entire time, and now he sent them forth. As Yosho had gone on the attack with his blade, Kagato did the same with his Light Hawk Wings, spreading them all around Yosho to attack and leaving none for his own defense. Against such a formidable array, Yosho's meager three Light Hawk Wings looked downright pitiful in comparison.

Numbers weren't everything, though, as Yosho was quick to demonstrate. Making Tenchi-ken his sole avenue of attack, Yosho kept his three Light Hawk Wings so close to his body that a careless gesture could result in him cutting off his own limbs on them. The result was a simple but practically seamless defensive shell that Kagato could not penetrate no matter what angle he had his Light Hawk Wings attack from. The only real opening was from the front, and Kagato could not bring any of his Light Hawk Wings in to attack from that angle because Yosho was constantly in his face. Kagato would risk cutting himself with his Light Hawk Wings if he tried to attack that front with them, which ironically brought things back full circle to their prior fights; despite unveiling his true power now, he could only engage as he had before.

Blade to blade.

After a moment's reflection, Kagato realized that he would not have it any other way.

….

Despite having activated all six of his Light Hawk Wings, Heero hadn't sensed any signs of Tsunami commencing the merger of her power with his. Of course, the young prince didn't know much about how the process actually worked beyond Sasami having to be in the same star system as him, the fact that Tsunami would have access to his very thoughts during the merger itself, and that there was a time limit involved. All other details were beyond his knowledge. For all he knew, there was a delay period before he'd actually sense Tsunami within him. At the very least, there was probably a lag time between him activating the six Light Hawk Wings, Tsunami sensing that activation, and the goddess then acting upon it. There was the very real chance that Heero would be lacking any Chousin support for the opening stages of this fight, which meant he had to tread carefully.

Taking a page from his grandfather's book, Heero kept the Light Hawk Wings close for now, utilizing them in a purely defensive manner while taking to the offensive with Achika. With Ragyō coming at him head-on, she was his obvious opponent, but Heero was not blind to Tokimi's presence, either. Even as his opening thrust was parried by Ragyō's twin white blades while his Light Hawk Wings kept hers at bay, Heero did not miss the strange glowing crescents of black energy that were floating around the brunette Chousin. What were they? A weapon or shield power analogous to the Light Hawk Wings, perhaps?

He got a rough answer moments later, when three of those crescents suddenly flew towards him. As his sword was locked with Ragyō's twin blades while most of his Light Hawk Wings were busy fending off hers, Heero could only hastily redeploy two of his white energy barriers to intercept the incoming attack. There was a brilliant flash of light followed by a thunderous cracking sound as the black and white energy constructs collided, with Heero and Ragyō both finding themselves buffeted by small shockwaves. The Light Hawk Wings and black crescents themselves were still intact, but arcs of energy crackled along the edges of both, and they were shaking violently until their respective wielders pulled them back.

That reaction when they met, Heero thought as Ragyō quickly pushed him back onto the defensive, her twin white blades striking high and low with ferocious speed, those crescents and my Light Hawk Wings… are they opposing forces? Tsunami might know. It'd be nice if she showed up soon…

Until Tsunami responded to the energy spike that had come when Heero activated all his Light Hawk Wings, he'd have to do without her aid. At least he wasn't fighting alone; Nagi was by his side, and Ryoko was rushing back to him after ambushing Kagato's Marines. The bounty hunter was wasting no time in earning her keep, the violet strand of her energy whip snaking through the air as she took a swing at Ragyō. Kagato's sister caught Nagi's whip on her left blade and swatted it aside, but the distraction gave Heero a slim window of opportunity. Knowing that Ragyō's other blade would still be all she needed to deflect a strike from him, Heero instead feinted for the cadet branch Royal before suddenly changing directions and charging straight at Tokimi.

The goddess was not the least bit worried at finding herself the center of Heero's attention, instead greeting his charge with a confident smile. Without moving a muscle, she moved all six of her strange black energy crescents forward, with two arraying themselves like a pair of scimitars before her while the others fanned out. The thrust from Heero's Master Key was caught by the front-most pair, with the obsidian energy constructs forming an X as they intercepted his strike. The remaining four crescents then moved to surround him, but Heero had kept his Light Hawk Wings back to counter them as well as protect his rear should Ragyō slip past Nagi. What resulted was another series of bright flashes, followed by booms and shockwaves as the Light Hawk Wings and black crescents clashed against and repelled each other.

"That's it," Tokimi purred, "Come at me again, boy. Show me how you measure up."

"How about me instead?" a familiar voice interjected.

Tokimi suddenly leapt back as Ryoko sprang out of the floor. The former pirate immediately activated her double-ended Key, and its scarlet blades missed taking the Chousin's feet off by a hair's breadth. Now fully emerged from the floor, Ryoko moved to stand next to Heero, glaring daggers at Tokimi.

For her part, the goddess simply smirked. "The more, the merrier."

Unbeknownst to Tokimi, her words unwittingly applied to more than just Ryoko, for it was now that another familiar voice spoke, though only Heero could hear it.

"My sincerest apologies for the wait. I hope I'm not too late."

Behind his helmet's visor, Heero allowed himself a very small smile as he felt a familiar tide of cool and soothing energy take root in his mind before washing over him.

You're right on time…

…Tsunami.

….

It wasn't that Tsunami had been negligent in looking out for Heero's signal that help was needed or sluggish in her response; she'd detected the energy spike the moment he'd activated all six of his Light Hawk Wings, and she'd swung into action immediately. The problem lay not in the goddess herself, but in her circumstances. As ever, Tsunami had to be cautious about the impact employing her formidable power would have on Sasami. The amount of energy she'd be expending to help Heero today was no small thing, and she couldn't just put it all into action at once with the flick of a switch. Tsunami needed to carefully build up and channel her power through Sasami, regulating it so that it did not harm her host. Too much power right out of the gate would ravage the princess's body, which meant that the Chousin had to spend precious time and energy shielding her host before moving on to helping her candidate.

Now that all the prerequisites were met, Tsunami could play her part. Having properly established her connection with Heero, she spent the first few seconds acclimating herself to this new vessel. Having spent most of her timeless existence in the female form, Tsunami found merging her consciousness with a male body and mind to be a very intriguing experience. Her innate curiosity for life was begging for the chance to explore, but she shoved that urge aside; Tsunami suspected that Heero would hardly approve her checking him out like this in the middle of a battle. Instead, she focused on attuning her senses to his. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and that precious sixth sense for energy that had been awakened back on Earth; as Heero perceived them all, now Tsunami would, too. It wasn't just his senses that Tsunami was connecting with, either; Heero's very thought processes, the core of his being, were exposed to her. She would understand how he experienced the world on the most intimate of levels.

I do hope Ryoko and Mihoshi can forgive my trespass, she thought, I suppose it would be for the best if I keep Sasami from describing to them the true depths of my activity here. I am inside their fiancé, after all; I could hardly blame for any jealousy they might experience at that knowledge.

The feelings of Ryoko and Mihoshi towards Tsunami's actions were not important now, though. Experiencing the ongoing battle through Heero's senses, Tsunami could easily grasp the gravity of the situation. While Heero had been engaging Tokimi when Tsunami first entered his mind, the clash had shifted, with her candidate now fending off a barrage of blindingly-swift saber strikes from Ragyō while simultaneously keeping her Light Hawk Wings at bay. Accordingly, Ryoko and Nagi had likewise altered their focus, with the two former rivals working together to stall Tokimi.

To the credit of Heero's two protectors, they were doing remarkably well, considering that they were up against by far the most physically adept of the Chousin. A steady barrage of crimson spheres from Ryoko meant that Tokimi was employing at least half of her black energy constructs defensively, while one took swings at the former pirate and the remaining two were deployed against Nagi. For her part, the bounty hunter was circling the goddess warily, making broad sweeps with her energy whip while occasionally firing off volleys from her disruptor pistol. Tsunami noted with relief that Tokimi seemed to be holding back for now, her efforts presently focus towards studying her opponents rather than all-out attack.

Our luck won't hold for long, Tsunami thought, Tokimi's not about to pass up the chance to push her candidate's rival to the brink. I need to act quickly.

"Heero… do you trust me?"

"I thought we already settled this. You wouldn't be in my head right now if I didn't."

Tsunami smiled inwardly. Heero was right; he had made his thoughts clear back on the carrier, and they had not changed a bit. Even so, Tsunami was grateful for the validation.

"Of course. In that case, I have a favor to ask. I want you to focus purely on your swordsmanship for now. Let me take control of the Light Hawk Wings. Right now, you're using them as you've seen other Juraians use them. That's not bad per se, but it's inherently limiting. Remember, Juraians were not the ones to first create them; I was. They are much more than mere defensive or offensive implements limited to a set form. Their energy is the primordial power of creation itself, of life itself."

"Heero…"

"…let me show you what they can really do."

….

I'd hoped that your skills would grow before we met again, Ragyō thought with a hungry smile as her ivory energy blades clashed with the azure shaft of her opponent's Master Key, and you haven't disappointed, Heero Yuy.

You really could be the one I've sought for all these years…

His form was perfect; constantly presenting the narrowest possible target profile to her, Master Key angled for optimal deflection against either of her blades, impeccably neat footwork, and firm balance. No matter what direction Ragyō's blades came from, her foe simply had to twist his wrist or slightly adjust his stance to fend them off. Her six Light Hawk Wings came at him from every possible vector she could think of, yet the tight shell Heero had formed with his own simply shrugged them off. The latter was even more impressive when one considered that Heero was using his Light Hawk Wings just as much to discourage an opportunistic strike from Tokimi as he was to Keep Ragyō's at bay.

He was calm, disciplined, and focused utterly on the fight. Just like back at White Coven, his strikes, blocks, and parries were a hybrid of Juraian swordplay and the fighting styles he'd taken from his homeworld. It was the right mix of artfulness and efficiency, of grace and precision. Everything Ragyō wanted in a rival duelist, Heero possessed. If she had one complaint, it was the helmet he wore. Oh, what she would not give to see those fierce blue eyes of his, to behold the same intensity within them that she had witnessed during their matches back at the estate.

Perhaps I should slice that visor open, she idly mused, even aiming a slash at Heero's head which her foe swiftly parried, so I can revel in his ferocious splendor. Seems a shame to hide that gorgeous visage from the world…

Of course, even if the young prince's face were visible, Ragyō hardly would've had time to admire it now. The frantic battle unfolding in the chamber's center allowed for no distractions; the first sign of inattentiveness would be ruthlessly exploited by her adversary. As things stood, the opening stage of the clash was locked in fierce stalemate. Whiles Heero continued to defend himself from Ragyō's blades, her Light Hawk Wings, and the occasional potshot from Tokimi, his two closest allies went back and forth between foes as needed. For all their fearsome rivalry, it turned out that Ryoko and Nagi worked quite well together when the chips were down.

The former pirate was mostly focused on keeping Tokimi at bay, facing the goddess head-on while the bounty hunter supported her from behind. Wide slashes from her double-ended Key were either deflected by Tokimi's black energy constructs or simply evaded outright, but while the Chousin hadn't taken a single hit from Ryoko, Heero's Royal Guard was still keeping her on her toes. Occasionally, Ryoko would suddenly break off, feinting towards Tokimi before lunging at Ragyō to attack from the flanks while Nagi danced through the sweeping strikes of the Chousin's energy crescents and countered with sweeps from her energy whip and shots from her pistol. Other times, they would change up the formula, with Ryoko redoubling her aggression against Tokimi while Nagi would turn away to attack Ragyō with her whip, usually when the cadet branch Royal was going particularly hard against Heero.

Meanwhile, the prince himself was concentrating primarily on defending himself from Ragyō and looking for openings, but he'd sometimes send a Light Hawk Wing towards Tokimi in the middle of the chaos, hoping to slip through her defenses. It hadn't worked so far, resulting only in another series of flashes, booms, and shockwaves as the Light Hawk Wing clashed with Tokimi's strange constructs. Still, Ragyō could hardly fault the young man for trying.

For the two of us, she thought as she faced down the prince, this contest isn't about our Light Hawk Wings, but our blades. As it always should've been.

Taking inspiration from her opponent, Ragyō recalled her Light Hawk Wings, arraying them in a purely defensive formation. She would not use them to attack Heero, but merely to defend her flanks and rear from strikes by Ryoko and Nagi. Ragyō would've preferred that the pirate and bounty hunter simply focus their efforts on Tokimi alone, but she could no more dictate their actions than she could those of the Chousin herself. Blocking their avenues of attack against her was the next best thing, and she could only hope that they were skilled enough to absorb the bulk of Tokimi's attention; the last thing Ragyō wanted now was to share her foe with another.

Her offensive redoubled in its ferocity and speed, the twin white blades of her Keys flashing like shooting stars across the sky with every strike. Whirling slashes, staccato bursts of thrusts aimed high and low, deft parries followed by lightning-fast ripostes; every tool in her considerable arsenal of swordsmanship techniques, she brought to bear now. Cocooned by their Light Hawk Wings, Ragyō and Heero's clash was now almost separate from the wider battle raging around them, which was just what she had sought from the start. Although offensive domination was hers, that did not mean victory was guaranteed. Heero's bladework was mostly focused on defense for now, expending minimal energy to deflect her barrage of attacks, prioritizing economy of movement over more flashy techniques. However, when he sensed an opening, the young man did not hesitate to seize it.

One such opening came shortly, when Ragyō had just finished swinging both of her blades in a scissoring motion. Pulling back to avoid the strike, Heero then lunged forward, the speed and power of his thrust enhanced by him activating his armor's thrusters to boost his momentum. Ragyō threw herself backwards to evade, with the azure blade of Heero's Master Key passing over her chest with scant centimeters to spare. While his sword strike had missed, Heero then threw his right knee into the mix, and Ragyō found herself stumbling courtesy of a hard impact to her hip. She turned that stumble into a roll, slashing with her right blade when she came up. The white shaft of energy scraped along Heero's armor, the edge penetrating the shields and leaving a small furrow in the torso plating.

Then she was on the attack once more, driving her opponent back across the chamber with a sequence of spinning slashes as flowing and graceful as they were unrelentingly vicious. Ryoko attempted to intervene, but the blades of her Key and her energy spheres were easily deflected by Ragyō's Light Hawk Wings. Tokimi made the pirate pay for her distraction, with one of her black energy crescents slashing across Ryoko's back. Heero's Royal Guard cried out in pain, and through a gap in her Light Hawk Wings, Ragyō saw blood trickling from a cut in her back; shallow, but with residual energy from Tokimi's attack still coursing through the wound, agonizing.

"Poor girl!" Ragyō chortled with cruel delight as she hammered Heero's defenses, determined to swat aside that blue blade of his and drive her swords through his chest, "So desperate to protect you that she leaves herself exposed! She must be so jealous of us right now."

It was an obvious taunt, but the reaction she got from her target wasn't what Ragyō had been expecting at all. Heero's swordsmanship remained unchanged, remaining largely defensive against Ragyō's onslaught. Instead, she felt a sudden upswelling of energy from within the young man…

…including energy that wasn't his.

Start 'Contact With You'

Six spears of white light surged forward, forcing Ragyō to spin and twist as she fell back to evade them. Regaining her footing, her jaw dropped as she saw what was happening. Those six spears were Heero's Light Hawk Wings, but they were no longer in the traditional form. Instead, the sheets of energy known throughout the galaxy as the trump card of Juraian Royals had shapeshifted, narrowing into elongated shafts. In fact, they'd become so narrow that they'd effortlessly slipped through the small gaps in Ragyō's Light Hawk Wings; were it not for her incredibly reflexes honed over millennia of combat and training, she would've been skewered on the spot.

And she wasn't out of the woods yet.

Now that she was on the backfoot, Heero once again charged forward. Boosted by his armor's thrusters, he came at her hard and fast, his blade slamming into hers in a tremendously powerful downward strike. At the same time, his transformed Light Hawk Wings struck as well, and Ragyō was stunned to see those spears of white energy bend as their tips tracked her. Instead of solid and rigid constructs, they now behaved as if they were liquid, flowing as streams of light that snaked their way through her defenses. Deft and agile footwork combined with graceful acrobatics kept Ragyō from being impaled by them, but the edges of two caught her jumpsuit on the right leg and her left shoulder, slicing through and leaving slender, stinging cuts. Had she been just a split-second slower, the cadet branch Royal would have lost limbs to those attacks.

Ragyō continued to fall back, white blades focused purely on defensive swordsmanship now, Light Hawk Wings brought together tighter for maximum coverage, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what was happening. She'd expected, even hoped, that the boy would've improved his abilities since their last clash, but there was a difference between refining one's technique and power versus what she was seeing now. Back at White Coven, Heero had successfully summoned six Light Hawk Wings, and had quickly begun adapting to using them, but this was far more than him acclimating to wielding the increased number. Actively transforming the very shape of the Light Hawk Wings in the middle of combat was a feat relegated to Juraian myth; no one had pulled it off since supposedly the legendary founding days of the Empire.

And that was when it clicked for Ragyō. It wasn't Heero that was doing this. Not consciously, at least. That additional energy source she'd detected during the surge… it could only be one thing.

"Tsunami," she whispered as she weaved a barrier with her twin Keys while twirling and leaping through the onslaught of flowing Light Hawk Wings.

Suddenly, her eagerly-anticipated rematch had taken on a new dimension. It was no longer just the young prince she contended with now; the once-passive patron Chousin of the Royal Family had finally come to the battlefield herself, if only through possession of her candidate. Now her adversary had divinity directly aiding him, much like Ragyō and her brother did.

The thought elicited a hungry grin; there was nothing she loved more than a challenge.

….

Incredible, Heero thought as he felt Tsunami's power coursing through his veins, I never imagined…

"Oh, trust me, Heero; we're just getting started."

Just getting started? Heero already felt like he'd completely transformed, and this was only the beginning? The thought was difficult to fully appreciate, and not just because Heero was trying to focus on the fight. Though still clad in armor, his body seemed light as a feather now. Though he'd gone through a space battle and multiple firefights just to reach this point, he no longer felt so much as a hint of weariness. His reflexes were sharper, his swordsmanship now coming easier to him than breathing. In fact, every breath itself felt rejuvenating, like he was ingesting the coolest and purest of mountain spring waters by simply inhaling.

And then, there were his Light Hawk Wings.

Well, more like his and Tsunami's Light Hawk Wings.

While Heero had grown accustomed over time to wielding them, now that Tsunami was controlling them, he felt as though he'd experienced a revelation. The way he'd used them before as simple shields and blades was now shown for what it really was; the fumbling attempt of an amateur to use a master's paintbrush. Now, that brush was in the hands of its original master, and she had turned the battlefield into her canvass.

What a canvass she painted. In Heero's hands, the Light Hawk Wings were lifeless tools; in Tsunami's, they were alive. Even as Heero's blade clashed again and again with the twin Keys of Ragyō, he could not help but marvel at how the white energy constructs surrounding him now ebbed and flowed, as each was a river that carved its own course through the air. Unlike a river, though, that flow was in more than one direction. Even as Ragyō was assailed by the winding and curving tips of the Light Hawk Wings facing her, the opposite ends of the constructs were aimed towards Tokimi, and they were not idle. The Light Hawk Wings stretched thinner as they reached out towards both of Heero's foes, with Tsunami and Washu's fellow Chousin now assailed by twisting and turning tendrils of deadly light along with the attacks of Ryoko and Nagi.

How…

"How is this possible? Remember, the Light Hawk Wings are pure energy constructs; they are not limited to a single form."

If that's true, then why have all the ones I've seen so far been the same shape?

"When you, your grandfather, and anyone else summons Light Hawk Wings, you're doing so with the mental image of Light Hawk Wings that you've seen before. Every Royal, main branch or otherwise, has done this… going all the way back to when I demonstrated them to the man who would become Jurai's first Emperor."

So, it's your fault, then?

"Well… yes, I suppose it is. I wanted to keep things simple, given the power I was entrusting to that young man. Had I known then it would result in every user since limiting their form, perhaps I would've demonstrated greater variance in the shapes they could take. Consider me making up for lost time through you. I hope you don't mind."

Not at all. You're keeping me and my friends alive right now.

"I intend to continue that. However, the way I'm using the Light Hawk Wings now is not ideal for you; such manipulation is beyond your present abilities, though I'm confident that you'll reach and surpass that point in time. Allow me to show you a style that may be better suited to your skills."

As Heero parried a pair of thrusts from Ragyō, he saw his Light Hawk Wings shrink from the long, winding tendrils that Tsunami had fashioned. Instead, they became straight and slender, almost rapier-like blades, no larger than the weapons Heero had grown accustomed to fencing with during his old war. While they covered far less space than the shape that he'd originally had his Light Hawk Wings in, Heero immediately recognized the advantages, and Tsunami wasted no time in demonstrating them.

While Heero deflected whirling slashes from Ragyō's twin Keys, two of his smaller Light Hawk Wings surged forward in a pincer attack. Their reduced size allowed them to slip through the thin gaps between Ragyō's Light Hawk Wings, and as the cadet branch Royal could not position her own to deflect without risking harm to herself, she had no choice but to rapidly fall back. The second pair of Heero's Light Hawk Wings were now hovering over him, with Tsunami using them to deflect attacks of opportunity from Tokimi's black energy crescents. Meanwhile, the final pair went after Tokimi herself, stabbing at the goddess from high and low, taking the Chousin's attention away from Ryoko and Nagi.

"What do you think?"

Definitely easier to manage than what you were doing before.

"I figured you'd see it that way. Now that you have this example, should you wish to form your Light Hawk Wings in this shape, visualize it in your mind. The rest will follow. I think it's the ideal form for you to use them in until your power matures."

Alright… but if that's the case, why show me that display from earlier?

As his blade clashed with Ragyō's in a blindingly-fast exchange, Heero could not help but be taken aback when he heard the goddess in his head suddenly giggle.

"Well, apart from demonstrating to you what you'll be capable of in the future… I wanted to show off. I've been confined to Sasami for so long, and now I get the chance to exercise my power through you; I'd be a fool to waste it. Besides, my fellow Chousin needs to be knocked down a peg. Will you help me with that?"

Heero allowed himself a small smirk.

With pleasure.

….

Positioning two of her energy crescents to block strikes from Ryoko and a third to fend off the latest swing of Nagi's whip, Tokimi found herself in the unusual position of being on the backfoot. Granted, it was not often that she directly participated in any sort of combat, but she was accustomed to firmly grasping the initiative the few times she had to fight. Were it just Ryoko and Nagi that the goddess had to contend with, that trend would have held. However, with Heero's Light Hawk Wings in the mix, the equation was different.

The boy's shown remarkable growth in such a short amount of time, Tokimi thought as two of the slender blades that Heero's Light Hawk Wings had become slipped through the gaps in her defenses, forcing the Chousin to leap and spin to avoid them, but then again, what I'm seeing now isn't entirely his doing. How nice of you to finally join us in the field, Tsunami.

She had wondered when her fellow goddess would take a more active role in the grand struggle. While each of the Chousin had sealed most of their strength to prevent negative impacts on the mundane world, that did not mean they were without agency or influence in this conflict. Tokimi had counseled Kagato and personally participated in the Seniwa operation to abduct Heero, while Washu was constantly putting her brilliant mind to work in aiding her side with knowledge and inventions. By contrast, Tsunami had been by far the most passive of the three Chousin, her involvement limited to the legacy of her power within the Jurai Royal family, along with reaching out to Tokimi.

Now, though, Tsunami was firmly off the sidelines. Her power was clearly active within Heero now, and it was clear that the boy's Light Hawk Wings were now under Tsunami's command. The deft way those six white blades danced through the air, striking and defending against Ragyō and Tokimi simultaneously despite being outnumbered by their respective energy constructs, was proof enough of that. When combined with her candidate's superb bladework and martial instincts, they made for a most potent force.

Potent, Tokimi thought, but still raw and unrefined. Let's see how they fare when I up the pressure.

The air around her crackled with black sparks, and two more of those ebony crescents materialized. If Heero and his bodyguards thought the likes of Tokimi would be held at bay so easily, they had another thing coming.

You're not the only one who can show off, Tsunami!

….

"Well, shit," Ryoko growled as she saw the new pair of black crescents join the strange energy constructs surrounding Tokimi.

"Not ideal," Nagi deadpanned.

That was all either woman had time for before the Chousin sicced her formidable array on them, with six of the ebony energy arcs racing through the air to attack while the newest pair was kept back to defend Tokimi. Ryoko and Nagi leapt and rolled frantically to avoid the dark blades as they swept through the air, evading only by the narrowest of margins. The wound on Ryoko's back ached keenly as one of the crescents passed just over her shoulder, eliciting a reflexive wince; she did not want those things to dig into her skin again.

Pain was an old friend to Ryoko, though; the pirate's life was not for the faint of heart. She could and would power through, for what other choice did she have? Heero, her friends, and the entire galaxy were all counting on her now. So, she gritted her teeth while continuing to weave through the obsidian crescents scything through the air, firing off bursts of scarlet spheres whenever she could to counterattack. Nagi was in a similar boat, though the greater reach of her whip meant that the bounty hunter could and did attack with both her melee weapon and pistol. Not that it did much good; even though Tokimi was only holding one pair of energy crescents back for defense, that seemed to be all she needed to block their attacks.

"This bitch is really starting to piss me off!" Ryoko snarled as another volley of crimson spheres fired off from her left palm was intercepted by one of the black crescents.

"Join the club," Nagi quipped as the goddess effortlessly dodged the bounty hunter's whip while blocking shots from her disruptor pistol, "Are you just going keep complaining, or do you have any idea for what we can do about it?"

"You're supposed to be the smart one," Ryoko hissed at her rival as she leapt over one sweeping crescent before rolling beneath another, "so you tell me!"

Nagi smirked while sidestepping a crescent before making another swing with her whip. "Here I thought some of lover boy's wit was rubbing off on you. Guess I was wrong."

"Not the time for that!" Ryoko snapped.

"Agreed," Heero interjected, startling both women, "I'll get you an opening. Be ready."

Ryoko's eyes widened in concern as she risked a glance towards the prince; Heero was still fighting for his life against Ragyō, even with Tsunami's power boost helping him. "Heero…"

"Be ready," Heero repeated, his tone holding no room for argument.

Ryoko and Nagi traded quick glances before they both nodded. Whatever Heero had planned, they could only hope he knew what he was doing.

….

You better have something good up your sleeves, Heero, Nagi thought as she ducked beneath an energy crescent, the construct zipping over her head with just a few centimeters to spare, because I'm not sure how much longer our luck's going to hold.

While she retained the cool and professional veneer that her reputation was built on, the bounty hunter knew that her opponent now was far beyond any fugitive she'd pursued in the past. Even when they had been on the same side, Nagi's danger senses had always been on alert whenever Tokimi was around, and seeing her moves during the Seniwa affair had only confirmed her fears. The Chousin moved with a catlike grace, her every step appearing as effortless as it was precise. She sidestepped and spun through Ryoko's energy blasts and the winding strand of Nagi's whip like she was dancing on a stage rather than engaging in deadly combat, while her eight strange energy constructs were as swift in their attacks as they were unpredictable. While Nagi could take a small measure of satisfaction in Ryoko being wounded by the goddess before her, the bounty hunter doubted that she herself would get out of this fight unscathed.

As if jinxed by her very thoughts, Nagi felt a searing pain rip through her left side as the latest of Tokimi's energy constructs cut into her shoulder. Black sparks arced along the wound as blood seeped out, and the bounty hunter fell to one knee. She steeled herself and began to rise, but it was already too late; another energy crescent was following the first, aiming straight for her neck. There was no way Nagi could dodge this one.

That was when a slender white blade interposed itself between Nagi and the crescent, resulting in a blinding flash of light followed by a deafening boom. When the glare cleared and the ringing in Nagi's ears somewhat receded, she saw the white blade still floating in front of her, while the black crescent had pulled back. Glancing back at Heero, Nagi was alarmed to see that now only one Light Hawk Wing remained to protect him. While two joined his Master Key in engaging Ragyō, Heero had pulled one of the blades he'd used for defense and sent it to engage Tokimi instead, saving Nagi's life in the process. The bounty hunter was not about to protest the rescue, but it meant that the man she'd been hired to protect was exposed, and the enemy surely wouldn't miss it.

Indeed, both Ragyō and Tokimi wasted no time in taking advantage of that exposure. The traitorous cadet branch Royal sent two of her Light Hawk Wings forward to attack, while Tokimi did the same with a pair of her energy crescents. Outnumbered four-to-one, the single Light Hawk Wing Heero had retained for his own protection surely would not be enough. Nagi's paycheck was about to die right before her eyes.

Yet what she saw instead wasn't Heero getting cut to ribbons by the combined onslaught, but the sole saber-like Light Hawk Wing he'd left behind dance above and around him, deflecting Ragyō and Tokimi's attacks with what Nagi could only describe as a fencer's grace. The single Light Hawk Wing seemed to possess a mind of its own, flitting about without rhyme or reason, yet always where it needed to be for interception.

Is that Heero's doing, Nagi thought, or Tsunami's?

At the same time as the Light Hawk Wing Heero'd kept behind was working its magic, the one he'd sent forth to save Nagi's life now joined the other two in attacking Tokimi. It went low, going for the goddess's legs and feet, forcing her to backpedal and lower not one but two of her energy crescents to counter it. Nagi and Ryoko both recognized the opening and acted immediately, the former lashing out with her whip while the latter raced in, double-ended Key spinning. For what felt like the first time in this fight, the Chousin was truly on the defensive now, dodging and leaping about to avoid strikes that were coming in from seemingly every possible angle.

The bounty hunter and former pirate became emboldened, both taking a much more aggressive approach than before. Dashing forward, side-stepping and jumping through the sweeping black crescents Tokimi sent her way, Nagi shifted her weapon over to its saber configuration, thrusting for the Chousin's neck as soon as she was in range. The goddess bent sharply backwards, narrowly evading Nagi's attack, but Ryoko had moved behind her and lashed out. The scarlet blades of her double-ended Key flashed, and Nagi had the satisfaction of seeing Tokimi grimace as she took her first wound of the fight, a searing furrow left in her back by Ryoko. Following up their attacks were Heero's Light Hawk Wings, and while Tokimi managed to roll beneath one before coming up to leap over another, the third sliced into her right shoulder. While the goddess did not slow down a bit despite both hits coming in rapid succession, the bounty hunter was still pleased with their showing; they were finally on the scoreboard, so to speak.

"Well played," Nagi murmured with a slight smile as she redoubled her assault with a staccato burst of thrusts, funneling her straight towards Ryoko while Heero's three Light Hawk Wings continued attacking from above and below, "Not bad, Heero. Not bad, at all."

End "Contact With You"

….

"Shit!" Duo snarled as the assassin twin he was targeting deftly leapt away just as the burst of plasma 'buckshot' left his shotgun, hitting the floor instead of the target, "Hold still so I can shoot you, damn it!"

Agile little skank, he thought before frantically backpedaling as the girl came at him, her knife flashing through the air, but I guess she wouldn't last long as a professional killer if she didn't have some moves.

Ducking beneath a swing of her knife, Duo countered by swinging the butt of his shotgun forward. He caught the girl square in the jaw, and she staggered under the blow. Duo immediately leveled the weapon and fired, but his foe had recovered astoundingly quickly, already rolling to the side as his finger depressed the trigger, causing the plasma to sail harmlessly overhead. As the assassin came back up, she opened fire with the sidearm in her off-hand. Duo ducked behind one of the barriers lining the chamber, but a few of the energy bolts still splashed against his shields.

"Alright," he grumbled before poking out to take another potshot, the plasma buckshot this time peppering the floor as the girl leapt high into the air, "You're good, I'll give you that."

"One compliment deserves another," his opponent replied, her voice possessing an eerily cheery air, "You're a most tenacious foe, Duo Maxwell."

Duo chuckled awkwardly. "Thanks, uhm… no offense, but I can't remember which twin you are. Help a guy out, Little Miss Psycho?"

"Kana," she answered, smoothly slipping around behind the barrier and forcing Duo out in the open.

"I'd say it's a pleasure, Kana," Duo quipped before pumping out another blast from his shotgun, "but I don't like lying to ladies."

"Where's the lie?" she asked playfully, a creepy smile on her face as she attacked with knife and sidearm, chipping away at his shields, "This is a pleasure."

"Yeah, definitely not beating the psycho allegations with that attitude," Duo muttered as he fended her off and fell back to another barrier, keeping his enemy at bay with more shotgun blasts and whatever melee attacks he could risk.

I guess Heero's luck with the alien ladies is spreading to the rest of us, he thought, too bad for you that I'm married, Kana. Even if I weren't…

…psycho assassins are not my type!

….

On the other side of the arena, Quatre's circumstances mirrored Duo's. In his case, Quatre was laying down quick volleys with his rifle to keep the pale assassin targeting him at bay. Having given up on outright hitting her, he was instead shooting around her, trying to dictate her path and guide her into an ideal spot for a lethal attack. Alas, his opponent was as wily as she was athletic, with her evasions often taking her the exact opposite direction that Quatre wanted her to go.

No wonder Kagato hired her, Quatre thought with a begrudging respect as his two latest shots sailed cleanly above her, OZ or the old Alliance would be drooling over an assassin with her reflexes and skills.

Shifting his aim, he went for her legs this time, but his target seemed to know exactly where each shot would go. She practically danced through the plasma bolts, raising or twisting her limbs so that the energy flew past by margins that could be measured in millimeters.

"You missed your calling," Quatre remarked as he fired again, this time aiming for her torso but once more meeting with no success, "You should've become a ballerina, not a hired killer."

"A life and death struggle is a dance all its own," the woman replied as she lunged forward, her knife scraping against his shields as Quatre frantically backpedaled and fired point-blank, the bolts from his rifle this time splashing against the energy shields over her chest; she likely had a portable generator hidden somewhere in her robes, "and one not to be shared with a crowd of unworthy spectators."

"That's… an outlook, I guess," Quatre said as he thrust the butt of his rifle at her gut, prompting the woman to flip and spin through the air like a seasoned acrobat.

"Surely you can understand," the woman insisted as both ducked behind barriers and took potshots at each other, "You and your friends are like my sister and I, after all. You know death, just as we do."

"Just because we know death doesn't mean we enjoy dishing it out," Quatre quipped between shots.

"Yet you have the gift for it," the woman pressed as she rushed Quatre's position, vaulting over his cover with fluid grace and driving him back with her sidearm and knife, "Embrace it."

Quatre was about to speak when a sheet of white light flashed between him and the assassin, slicing through the barrel of her sidearm. She hissed and discarded the wrecked weapon, and as she withdrew back towards Kagato's Marines, Quatre saw the light sheet vanish. Glancing back towards the data center entrance, he saw Ayeka glaring daggers at the retreating figure.

"Thanks!" he called out as he sighted in on the target and popped off a volley, only for her to duck behind another barrier.

"You're quite welcome," Ayeka answered, and Quatre saw her generate a new Light Hawk Wing, "Kagato's hired killers are becoming quite irksome."

Quatre watched as Ayeka sent the Light Hawk Wing towards the opposite end of the chamber, towards the fight between Duo and the other assassin. The timing was fortuitous, for Duo's back was to the wall, and his target was pressing hard. Luckily, she too pulled back when Ayeka's Light Hawk Wing interjected, though unlike her sister, this assassin managed to keep both her weapons intact.

The reprieve gave Quatre a chance to reposition into cover closer to the friendly Marines on his side of the chamber. It was only now that he realized just how little fire was being exchanged between the Marines on both sides. Most of that was likely down to fears of friendly fire; with both sides' VIPs duking it out in the middle of the chamber, the last thing any soldier wanted was to be the one who accidentally assassinated their side's Royals. Still, though the clash going on in the middle of the room was quite fluid, there remained room along the edges for the regular troops to engage each other. Potshots seemed to be the most of it, though.

They could just be reluctant to fire on former comrades, Quatre thought, but then again, that contradicts just how ferocious the fighting outside the repository was before we got inside. The fleets on both sides weren't pulling any punches. Maybe they're just hunkering down until Washu leaves the data center, and then they'll do a full-court press. The data's their real objective, after all, not fighting us.

With one eye on the closest of the assassin twins as he waited for her to attack again, Quatre took a moment to observe the wider battle. Neither side had suffered any fatalities apart from the three Marines Ryoko had slain in her surprise attack at the start of the fight, and there were only a few wounded in both camps. That balanced out the friendly Marines who had been slain by the final drone guarding the data center, so the current fight was between two roughly even camps.

That balance held for the duels raging in the middle of the chamber as it did for the low-key firefight unfolding at the edges. Shifting his focus, Quatre watched as Yosho and Kagato continued their clash. The initial aggression Yosho had shown in the duel was replaced with a cautious defense as the older combatant now worked to conserve energy and keep his younger opposition at bay. For his part, Kagato was hammering his emerald blade against Yosho's azure one in a relentless sequence of powerful overhand blows meant to batter down his opponent's defenses and stamina. As a seasoned fighter, Yosho was naturally aware of this, which was why he did not meet Kagato's attacks head-on. Instead, he would either step back or to the side, angling Tenchi-ken so that the subsequent deflections redirected most of the energy behind Kagato's attacks. At the same time, Kagato's eight Light Hawk Wings circled the shrine keeper and thrust in repeatedly like spears, yet Yosho's meager three Light Hawk Wings maintained such a tight defense that the traitor cadet branch Royal's attacks were constantly scraping along their edges and being deflected away.

Quatre suddenly had a mental image of Heero's grandfather piloting the old Mercurius Gundam developed by OZ, with the crimson machine's Planet Defensors taking the place of the old man's Light Hawk Wings. The former Gundam pilot could not help but wonder just how formidable a pilot Yosho would've made, given his instincts and martial talents. Perhaps it was for the best that the long-lost crown prince had sat out the Gundam pilots' war in peaceful seclusion as a shrine keeper; Quatre did not like the thought of having to go up against a veteran warrior like him.

A warrior prince for a grandfather, and a master sniper and operative for a father and mother, Quatre thought as he recalled the conversation back at the countryside estate when everyone had learned of Heero's heritage, Heero… it's almost like you were born to be the perfect soldier with this bloodline.

Quatre could only marvel at how the cosmic dice had lined up to drop Heero into the universe at the right place and the right time. He only had a moment for that marvel, though, for he could see the assassin he'd been fighting before slinking along the chamber's wall again. Glancing at the other side, he saw her twin mirroring that advance, and Duo was already drawing a bead on her. Focusing on his own target, Quatre sighted in and pulled the trigger.

Just like before, the woman seemed to dance through his shots. However, unlike before, another volley of bolts joined Quatre's, forcing the assassin to hastily duck behind cover and halt her advance. Glancing over his shoulder, Quatre saw that Wufei had his rifle trained on the girl, and he flashed his fellow former Gundam pilot a thumb's up. On the other side of the chamber, a similar scenario played out, only this time it was a stream of plasma bolts from Trowa's rotary cannon joining a blast from Duo's shotgun that sent the assassin scurrying behind a barrier.

"Can't let you have all the fun," Wufei quipped, "Damn it, she's a slippery one."

"Let's switch up," Quatre suggested, "You're better at close-quarters-combat than me. I can give you supporting fire."

"Works for me," Wufei replied, already moving forward.

The two men seamlessly swapped places, both laying down fire during the transition. Their combined fire seemed enough to keep the assassin at bay for the moment, but Quatre wouldn't put it past her to try advancing again if she sensed an opening.

Wufei seemed to read Quatre's mind. "I'll keep an eye on her. You help the Marines. If she makes a move, I'll call it out, and you can back me up."

Quatre nodded. "Roger that."

….

He's doing well, Tsunami thought as she observed Heero's swordsmanship through the young man's eyes while continuing to manipulate his Light Hawk Wings, I knew he was gifted in combat, but for him to hold his own against the likes of Ragyō in a contest of blades is no small feat. Were it purely a contest of physical prowess, with no Light Hawk Wings… I daresay they'd be evenly matched, or close to it.

It was truly a treat for the Chousin to behold her candidate's technique from such an exclusive vantage point. Not only could she see the contest play out visually, but Tsunami could read his every thought and instinct concerning the duel. The exact angle for a deflection, the timing of a parry, the vector for a counterattack; all that and more was processing through Heero's mind at astonishing speed. It was the perfect blending of a highly-honed mind and a body conditioned through brutal training and battle, of the mental and physical in exquisite synchronization.

What a privilege it was for Tsunami to see Heero's talents on display. Even as she directed his Light Hawk Wings to harass Ragyō and Tokimi while defending her champion, she looked on in admiration as Heero took the duel to the cadet branch Royal with a surreal mix of grace and ferocity. Keeping Achika in a one-handed grip, Heero was concentrating his attacks on Ragyō's torso and neck. While every strike thus far had been deflected or parried by the traitor's twin white blades, Heero was supplementing those attacks with low kicks and even punches with his left hand at every opportunity. When combined with Tsunami's attacks with the now slimmed-down Light Hawk Wings that continued slipping through Ragyō's defenses, the result was an offensive that had one of the most experience warriors in all the Empire on the backfoot.

Unfortunately, it was not too last. Ragyō had survived duels dating back to before the Imperial Civil War; it was utter foolishness to count her out just because the candidate of two Chousin had managed to seize the initiative against her. When she parried Heero's latest thrust, the young man attempted a sweeping kick to knock her off balance, but she swiftly leapt over Heero's outstretched leg with cat-like grace. As she came down, both of her blades were swinging towards Heero's head, forcing the prince to fall back, narrowly deflecting her attacks in the process. To make matters worse, Tokimi was becoming even more aggressive with her constructs. Two of the black energy crescents came at Heero's back, and Tsunami was only barely able to fend them off, with the sinister arcs being blocked with only centimeters to spare.

Six Light Hawk Wings just isn't enough, she realized, but Heero's only just learned how to summon that many. Two more now would be beyond him.

Beyond him as he currently is, at least.

There was a way, however, for Tsunami to change that. Doing so, however, would require the complete cooperation of the young man currently hosting her. What she was about to ask of him was no small thing. In fact, pretty much every being in the galaxy would likely recoil at it, dismissing it as a step too far, as a violation.

Heero, though…

…well, Tsunami and Washu had both put their faith in him, and he had yet to disappoint them.

Tsunami believed that he would not do so now.

….

This isn't enough.

That was the one thought echoing in the back of Heero's mind as he continued his fierce saber clash with Ragyō while simultaneously fending off attacks from Tokimi and supporting Ryoko and Nagi's engagement with her. It was paradoxical; thanks to Tsunami, Heero felt more powerful now than he ever had in his life, and yet it was insufficient. For all their combined might, they were essentially treading water.

Whether it was his grandfather's ongoing duel with Kagato or the wider firefight, the same held true. Both sides were locked in stalemate, each trying to wear the other down while they waited for Washu to emerge from the data center. That was theoretically good enough for the mission; all Heero and the others had to do was hold the line until Washu was done, then they and the enemy would be forced to withdraw courtesy of the repository entering countdown to self-detonation. However, when Washu emerged was the window Kagato and his followers were undoubtedly waiting for to attack her and extract the data from her mind. If they could be decisively weakened before Washu came out, then the risk of the enemy getting the data would be mitigated.

How to accomplish this, though? That was the quandary Heero found himself stuck in. He and everyone else had their hands full. Just locking blades with Ragyō was demanding enough; were it not for Tsunami managing his Light Hawk Wings while Ryoko and Nagi provided invaluable flank protection, taking on both Kagato's sister and Tokimi would have been impossible. Heero could sense the raw power coursing through Ryoko, with his Royal Guard channeling the might of both gems Washu had implanted within her to bombard Tokimi with a ceaseless rain of red spheres while swiping at her with the crimson blades of her double-ended Key whenever she got an opening. Yet even the might that Washu had bestowed upon Ryoko wasn't enough for the former pirate to overcome Tokimi's defenses. Nagi was no better off. The bounty hunter was putting on a phenomenal display of skill as foil to Ryoko's brute force, her main weapon shifting seamlessly between its saber and whip configuration as need demanded while being supplemented by crackling blue bolts from her disruptor pistol, yet it wasn't enough. The combined might and skill of the two former rivals might've been helping to keep Tokimi contained, but both Ryoko and Nagi had been wounded in the process, and Heero was keenly aware that the Chousin they were facing was not a spent force by any measure.

Heero was desperate for something, anything, to break the deadlock.

"Anything?"

Heero had wondered if Tsunami would take note of his concerns as they bubbled forth to the surface, and sure enough, she had. As he deflected a sequence of whirling slashes from Ragyō while attacking Tokimi's legs with two of his Light Hawk Wings, the young prince seized on Tsunami's word.

Anything.

"I do have something in mind… but it involves me going deeper."

Deeper? What are you talking about?

"Remember what I told you back on the carrier about my mental intrusion?"

That you'll see whatever thoughts come to the surface of my mind. I've already accepted that.

"You have… but it's just that; my intrusion's surface level. I can draw out more of your latent potential… essentially leapfrogging the development of your powers… if I go deeper. If I do, though…"

You'll see everything. Not just any surface level thoughts, but the entirety of my mind.

"Yes…"

That's fine. Do it.

"Just like that? Heero, are… are you certain? I'm not sure if you truly grasp just what…"

I already gave my consent. Do whatever you need to. I trust you.

"Very well, then… and thank you, Heero. Now…"

"…brace yourself."

….

A good showing from your candidate, Tokimi thought, but not even your direct intervention can save him now, Tsunami.

To be sure, Heero and Tsunami wouldn't make it easy. The young man was still going strong on both offense and defense, as were Ryoko and Nagi. However, pirate and bounty hunter alike had their limits, as did the prince they served. Tokimi's energy reserves, even when most of her power was sealed to avoid adverse effects on the material plane, were practically limitless by comparison. The eight energy constructs she'd deployed to counteract Heero's Light Hawk Wings and the skills of his protectors were barely sipping from the Chousin's reservoir of power, while her opponents were fighting tooth and nail simply to keep her at bay. Tokimi had found the contest amusing, but now that she'd properly taken everyone's measure, it was time to wrap things up. The boy was interesting to be sure, yet Tokimi had seen nothing to disprove her belief that Tsunami and Washu had chosen incorrectly.

He's no more than a curiosity, she mused as she sidestepped a Light Hawk Wing thrusting at her hip while simultaneously blocking crimson spheres from Ryoko and evading Nagi's whip, and will be just a historical footnote when this is all finished. Nothing beyond a speedbump to Kagato's glory and the galaxy's evolution. We've danced long enough; it's time to conclude this show.

She let out a pulse of power, sending her black crescents spinning around her. Ryoko and Nagi both cried out as the constructs cut into their left leg and right arm respectively; it was impressive that they'd pulled back quickly enough to keep those limbs. Both women grimaced as black sparks crackled around the wounds, blood seeping between their fingers.

"I hope you've had your fun," Tokimi called out to Ragyō, "I'll be through with these two shortly, and then we're disposing of your toy."

Another warrior would have been pleased at the goddess's words, but Ragyō's response was to shoot her a silent glare while her white blades continued clashing against the azure shaft of Achika. Tokimi dismissed the cadet branch Royal's discontent with a shrug; Kagato's sister knew well enough that they hadn't come here for indulgence. She'd had plenty of time to play with Heero, and now that playtime would come to an end.

That was what she believed, at least until she felt a sudden spike in energy from the young man in question.

No, not just from him.

From Tsunami, too.

As Tokimi was trying to puzzle things out, a blinding flash of white light engulfed the young prince. When the glare cleared, Tokimi's eyes widened when she saw that the boy had generated another pair of Light Hawk Wings, now bringing his total to eight. He'd only made the leap to six a mere week ago; creating another pair so soon should not have been possible, candidate or otherwise. What the hell was going on?

While the new pair of Light Hawk Wings slimmed down to mirror the saber-like forms of the others and split up, one blade going after Ragyō and the other aiming for Tokimi, the Chousin focused her gaze squarely on Heero. It was more than just her eyes; her every sense concentrated upon him. The chamber and the wider battle vanished, leaving a black space occupied solely by Tokimi, Heero, and Tsunami.

And that was when she saw it.

The helmet covering his face faded, revealing an upside-down green triangle with a slender split running down the middle of it on his forehead. At the same time, she sensed the seamless fusion of Heero and Tsunami's energy, and she perceived the latter's glowing form embracing the former from behind, an uncharacteristically smug smile on her face.

It cannot be, she thought, even as her mind already knew that there was only one possible conclusion, it absolutely cannot be…

Oh, but it was. The only thing it could have been…

…was a goddess merger.

Unlike what had been happening before, with Tsunami merely occupying the surface of Heero's mind and manipulating his Light Hawk Wings while the young prince fought with his blade and body, a goddess merger was a much more intimate connection. What Tokimi was seeing now meant that Heero had given Tsunami complete access to his mind, which in turn enabled her to fuse her energy with his to kickstart his next evolutionary step. It was something Tokimi had attempted with Kagato before, but the two of them had failed.

The reason for that failure was simple; ego. Everyone, no matter how humble they might believe themselves to be, possessed their individual pride and shame. All beings had their innermost thoughts, impulses, and desires that they kept hidden from the world, both consciously and reflexively. To accomplish a goddess merger, whoever was playing host had to completely cast aside their ego, to bare the most private recesses of their mind to the Chousin they'd partnered with. Even knowing the power he could achieve through such action with Tokimi, Kagato had been unable to clear this hurdle, but that was hardly a mark against him. To Tokimi's knowledge, no one had ever done it apart from Sasami, and she could be argued as a special case given the extreme circumstances in which Tsunami had essentially forced the merger with her. Sasami had not consciously set aside her ego; it had been broken down and suppressed by Tsunami when the Chousin had saved her life, then reconstructed to fit around the goddess.

No one could so thoroughly cast aside their ego willingly, could bare the entirety of their very being to another.

Yet this this upstart youth from the absolute ass-end of the galaxy had done exactly that.

Every fiber of Tokimi's being suddenly felt electrified and froze simultaneously as an unfamiliar sensation swept over her. For the first time in all her eons of being, she was genuinely afraid.

"Boy…" she whispered in a mix of hushed awe and dread, "What… what are you?"

….

While Tokimi was awestruck and horrified, Ragyō was nothing short of ecstatic as she felt the same upswelling of energy coming from Heero and Tsunami, and outright jubilant when that resulted in another pair of Light Hawk Wings materializing. Those high hopes she'd possessed for her brother's rival candidate had already been met, yet now they were being blown completely out of the water. The very real peril that came with such a development would have shaken any other warrior, but Ragyō was positively delighted at the prospect of facing an even more dangerous foe than before.

Her face was aglow as she worked furiously to deflect and parry the sudden onslaught of slashes and thrusts Heero dished out, beaming with glee as he reconfigured his Light Hawk Wings to assault her with three while throwing four at Tokimi and leaving just one for his own defense. Her prior indignation and simmering fury at Tokimi's earlier remarks about 'disposing' of the young man were completely burned to ashes by the searing pride she felt in her adversary, knowing that he had so decisively made a goddess eat her own words. An opponent like this, who could grow beyond his previous limits in the middle of fight, with help or otherwise, was one to be savored like the finest of wines. One who could make Ragyō genuinely fear for her life was a treasure beyond measure, for it was only when a warrior knew the risk of death was real that they could truly go all-out.

"Yes," she hissed, grinning even as she fought for her very life, "Yes, yes, yes! Come on, Heero Yuy Masaki Jurai! Don't stop now! Go further, strike harder, grow stronger still! Show me, show the galaxy, your skills and might!"

Show me what no warrior in millennia has.

Bless me with the fear of death once more!

….

While one cadet branch Royal was thrilled with this new development, the other was anything but. Even as Kagato was focused on his duel with Yosho, he could keenly feel the rising power of Heero and Tsunami; it was impossible to miss. Now the boy's Light Hawk Wing count equaled his, and there was no sign of his growth slowing down.

He's still young, Kagato thought as he engaged Yosho with a sequence of powerful downward strikes, which means his potential for further evolution is massive.

While one corner of his mind was still mulling over how formidable Heero could potentially be as an ally, by and large, Kagato recognized that the window of opportunity for coaxing a defection had passed. The boy's actions today and in his escape made it abundantly clear that he would never join Kagato, and he was far too powerful to be simply sent away into exile. He was an active threat, one that had be eliminated quickly.

With that in mind, Kagato redoubled his assault on Yosho. He threw every bit of physical might he had into his sword strikes, while his eight Light Hawk Wings swept and thrust at Yosho from whatever angle Kagato could manage. The old man had ceased any offensive bladework some time ago, now focusing solely on keeping Kagato's onslaught at bay. It was a clear sign of which way the duel was trending. Kagato still had power to spare, but Yosho's reserves were dwindling.

He can't have much left, Kagato mused with a small smirk, and there's only so much that experience and technique can make up for. We've been going at it for a while now; Washu should just about be done in the data center, if the other repositories are anything to go by. That means we're getting close to starting this facility's self-destruct countdown.

He smiled as he saw Yosho's knees buckle while the old man blocked a powerful two-handed strike. His form held, but the sweat building at his brow and the increasingly ragged-nature of his breathing were further indicators of the growing strain. Yosho's spirit was indomitable, but his body was another matter. The latter would give out well before the former; it was just a matter of time now.

….

Despite the desperation of his situation, Yosho could not help but smile as he caught a glimpse of his grandson past Kagato and his array of Light Hawk Wings. He could not have been prouder as he saw Heero, with Tsunami's help, battle Ragyō and Tokimi with no less than eight Light Hawk Wings at his disposal. All those sparring matches Yosho and Heero had engaged in were showing their worth as the young man took the fight to the finest duelist in the galaxy, his single azure blade the equal of Ragyō's twin white ones as he drove her across the chamber with a sequence of thrusts that were as efficient and graceful as they were vicious. Simultaneously holding Tokimi at bay with the help of Ryoko and Nagi, Heero had unknowingly surpassed what Yosho had been capable of in his prime, and he still had so much more growth within him.

How strange, the old crown prince mused as he continued fending off Kagato's attacks, I always wanted Heero's abilities to eventually exceed my own, yet there was a small part of me that almost dreaded the prospect. No, that's not quite right… more like I was jealous that he could still grow further while I was in decline, that I would inevitably fall to the wayside when he rose. Now that the moment has come, though, that envy is gone. Instead… it's comforting, knowing that he'll carry our line's torch to new heights long after I'm gone. The future will be in his generation's capable hands…

…and it's the responsibility of mine to make sure they have the chance to grasp it.

Knowing his duty was one thing; carrying it out was another. Yosho knew that he was rapidly approaching his limit. Kagato's technique might still have been a notch below Yosho's, but the traitorous cadet branch Royal was still a phenomenally skilled combatant with incredible physical power at his disposal, bolstered by the might of his Juraian energy. While weariness was getting to Yosho, turning what had previously been deft deflections into desperate blocks, Kagato still swung away with strength to spare. Between fending off Kagato's powerful blows and keeping the aristocrat's eight Light Hawk Wings at bay with his meager three, Yosho was bleeding energy at an alarming rate. As his gaze met that of his old friend, both men already knew the truth; the old guard would inevitably fall to the new. For Yosho, victory was impossible.

How many times was Heero in this situation when we sparred, Yosho thought as Kagato's emerald blade kept hammering against his blue one, sensing that defeat was near, yet fighting on to the very end? I can, at the very least, follow his example.

And that was when an idea flashed in his mind as Yosho recalled one particular sparring match with his grandson back at the shrine in that idyllic countryside on Earth…

…and the move Heero had used to end it.

Yosho fought hard to suppress a smirk, lest he betray his intentions to Kagato. Victory for him was impossible, yes…

…but he could still deny it to Kagato as well.

….

"Oh, fuck…" Washu groaned as she staggered back from the console, with Hilde frantically working to keep her upright, "I hate doing that…"

"You okay?" Hilde asked as she slung Washu's left arm over her shoulders.

"Not really…" Washu grumbled through her splitting headache and dizzy mind as a million images and more were still spinning through it with seemingly no rhyme or reason, "but I'm still alive. Take what you can get, right?"

"You need a minute?" Hilde pressed.

"Yeah, but we don't have it," Washu answered as she gestured towards the door, "We're on the clock now, remember? This place goes kaboom in thirty minutes, so let's get out pronto."

Hilde quickly nodded. "Right."

As they approached the door, Washu tried to calm her disordered mind and focus on the clash unfolding beyond. She could sense the energy of multiple powerful combatants going at it without restraint, but it was two signatures that really stood out to her… or rather, two combined into one.

They really did it, Washu thought with a pained smile, Heero, Tsunami… I should've known you'd pull it off. An actual goddess merger… there's no doubt about it. Heero really is the one. I wonder if Tokimi's finally cottoned on. Unlikely; her pride won't allow her to admit she made the wrong choice so soon. Only when her candidate's been decisively defeated will she see the light. Still…

…this should at least give her a good spook.

"I just signaled the others," Hilde explained as the door began sliding open, "They know the countdown's on now."

"I hope they're ready…" Washu began, her voice trailing off as she beheld the ongoing battle.

It was a deadly spectacle. With Ayeka, Azaka, and Kamidake continuing to defend the data center's entrance, the Marines and Heero's old friends were still trading fire with Kagato's troops at the engagement's periphery. Meanwhile, the real action was still playing out in the center of the chamber. Washu's eyes were initially drawn towards the three-on-two clash with Heero, Ryoko, and Nagi versus Ragyō and Tokimi. Feeling Heero and Tsunami's combined energy had been one thing; seeing it with her own eyes was another. The eight slender Light Hawk Wings, split between engaging the two women and protecting their wielder, were a marvel to behold. Heero's swordsmanship was no less impressive, with the young man fighting Kagato's sister on even footing despite the extreme experience gap. Ryoko and Nagi's performance was equally splendid; the former pirate and bounty hunter were not only still holding their own against Tokimi, but seemed to actually have her on the ropes, with no small help from Heero's Light Hawk Wings. It was almost a shame that everyone was now on a countdown; under other circumstances, Washu would've loved nothing more than to sit back and enjoy the show.

Then her gaze turned towards Yosho and Kagato, and Washu's heart sank. Where the old crown prince's grandson was soaring to new heights of power and skill, Yosho was clearly on his last legs. His once-sublime and peerless technique was slipping, slowly devolving into basic blocks and deflections as he struggled simply to stay alive. The three Light Hawk Wings surrounding him barely moved, making only the bare minimum adjustments needed to fend off the assault from Kagato's eight, and it was likely just a matter of time now before one of the latter's finally got through. A satisfied and supremely confident smile was on Kagato's face, no longer the product of mere arrogance; even the uninitiated could see that his victory was all but assured now.

By chance or fate, as Yosho was fighting for his very life, his gaze met Washu's. Her heart stopped as she saw him give her a small, almost apologetic smile. It was one she'd last seen a very long time ago…

…and it was the kind Yosho gave whenever he was about to do something incredibly reckless.

….

Like a predator running down weary prey, Kagato relentlessly drove Yosho back. Now that Washu had revealed herself, the next phase of his plan would now commence. It was imperative that Yosho be dealt with now; the fewer obstacles in the way of Kagato's Marines, the better. Yosho would not last longer than another exchange or two at most now.

His emerald blade flashed furiously as Kagato put every ounce of power and speed he could into the duel's climax. Yosho's desperate deflections were becoming almost sloppy by his standards now, with Kagato nearly knocking Tenchi-ken out of the old man's hands more than once. That, more than anything else in Kagato's eyes, was proof that the battle was all but over now.

There was a brief pause as the two combatants stared each other down one last time, with Kagato inclining his head. "It's been fun, old friend. I do wish it didn't have to end like this. Any last words?"

Yosho lunged forward, clearly determined to not give Kagato the satisfaction. As blue blade met green, Kagato sent all his Light Hawk Wings at the old man simultaneously, a final hammer against his defenses and what little energy remained to support them. While Yosho's three meager Light Hawk Wings held, they began to flicker; they would dissipate in another minute or two at the most, Kagato guessed.

For his final stand, Yosho was holding nothing back. The ferocity he had displayed earlier in the duel returned briefly, with Kagato marveling at the speed of Yosho's slashes and thrusts despite his depleted state. However, the old crown prince had now thrown everything into the offensive. All Kagato had to do now was keep him at bay and wait for the inevitable opening.

It came a moment later. Throwing everything he had into a sweeping circular slash, Yosho's momentum carried him into a spin and exposed his back. Kagato pounced, thrusting his sword low, the emerald blade piercing the right side of Yosho's abdomen from behind. The cadet branch Royal grinned in triumph…

…only to suddenly double forward as searing agony lanced through his gut.

His eyes widened in utter astonishment as he looked down to find that Yosho had flipped Tenchi-Ken around, thrusting the blade backwards so close to his left side that it cut through his robe and seared his skin before plunging into Kagato's gut. Kagato replayed the sequence of events in his head even as his knees began to shake, and he realized what had just happened.

"You… left yourself open… deliberately," he groaned, his vision rapidly fogging from the pain.

The old crown prince looked back over his shoulder at him, and Kagato's blurred vision just barely made out the small smile beneath Yosho's mustache.

Despite the torment seizing his body, Kagato could not help but reciprocate, even chuckling as a painful cough wracked him. "Artfully done… old friend."

Then both men collapsed to the floor.

….

Time seemed frozen as Heero saw Yosho and Kagato simultaneously fall, their energy blades deactivating as the weapons slipped from their grasps. It was not just Heero who was stunned by the outcome; Ragyō, surprisingly enough, appeared equally shocked. Her eyes were wide, her already-pale complexion going all but snow-white, and even her blades lowered somewhat. It was an opening that Heero should have exploited, yet his horror at what had just happened prevented him from doing so. Tsunami tried to make up for that, assailing Ragyō with Light Hawk Wings, but the cadet branch Royal's own Light Hawk Wings folded in preemptively, perhaps even instinctively.

Ragyō immediately disengaged, rushing towards the two fallen duelists. Instinct overcoming shock, Heero tried to follow, but he suddenly found himself assailed by an overwhelming wave of lightheadedness. In the blink of an eye, it was now all he could do to simply remain upright, to keep Achika in his grip and his Light Hawk Wings materialized. Were it not for Tsunami directing them and using them to protect him, Ryoko, and Nagi, Tokimi could've struck and won right then and there.

Tsunami's alarm was apparent, but it was not for Yosho's sake. "Oh, no… Heero, we're almost out of time!"

In that moment, several things happened at once. Ryoko and Nagi, both recognizing something was wrong with Heero and likely thinking it was from shock alone at Yosho and Kagato's mutual-defeat, immediately sprung forth to attack Tokimi and keep her off him. However, the Chousin made no move to strike Heero or his protectors. Instead, she deployed four of her black energy crescents in a defensive formation to keep Ryoko and Nagi at bay, and sent the other four to the back of the chamber. Ayeka swiftly deployed her three Light Hawk Wings to fend them off, but it turned out Tokimi's attack was meant for just that; to force the crown princess to use her most potent tool against them, denying them as a defense against other attacks.

What those other attacks were became apparent when four of Kagato's Marines aimed rifles with conical shells on the ends of their barrels at Ayeka and fired. The strange ordinance impacted Ayeka's barrier, sending sparks coursing through it and disrupting the flow of the princess's energy. Large gaps opened in the barrier, and that was when the next attack came. Another of Kagato's Marines levelled their rifle, this one with a familiar device mounted on the end.

The memory copying device Nagi had used on Washu.

Realizing what was about to happen, Heero attempted to intervene with his Light Hawk Wings, but they began fading one by one as a fresh wave of dizziness swept over him. His footing faltered, and were it not for Ryoko rushing back to support him, Heero would have collapsed to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Heero, but I can't keep this up any longer. Forgive me…"

Her voice faded, and it was suddenly all Heero could do just to keep from passing out.

….

Ryoko was focused on supporting and protecting Heero, so she did not immediately register the black cord that had suddenly shot across the room. Only when she heard Washu cry out in agony did Ryoko realize what had happened; Kagato's memory copying device had been modified for use as a ranged weapon, and it had struck home. It was out of her Key's reach, so Ryoko instead returned the weapon to her belt and fired off a volley of red energy spheres. Those quickly ripped through the cord, but the device itself had already been latched to Washu's head for several seconds, which may well have been all it needed.

Sure enough, the Marine who had fired the shot called out a moment later. "We got it!"

"Withdraw immediately!" Ragyō ordered as she hoisted Kagato over her shoulder.

"Grandfather…" Heero weakly grasped, trying to step towards the fallen Yosho.

"Heero, save your strength," Ryoko urged with a grimace, "Your grandfather… he's…"

She was surprised when Ragyō, of all people, interrupted. "Yosho's still alive! You have a chance to save him!"

Ryoko blinked in confusion. "What? Why are you…"

Ragyō disregarded her, instead turning her gaze towards the young prince. "Survive this, Heero Yuy. You and I aren't done yet, and neither is my brother."

Kagato's sister then glared at Tokimi, who had arrayed her energy constructs for battle again. "Tokimi, I said withdraw immediately!"

The brown-haired goddess briefly scowled, her deep purple eyes fixed on Heero, and Ryoko feared the Chousin was about to attack. Ryoko ignited a shaft of crimson energy from her palm, while Nagi positioned herself between Heero and Tokimi, but the Chousin ultimately backed down and raced towards the chamber's exit. Kagato's surviving Marines had already formed up around their unconscious master, as had the assassin twins. A few seconds later, and they had all exited the chamber.

"Damn it," Ryoko growled before turning to Nagi, "Go get the old man!"

The bounty hunter put away her weapons and rushed over to Yosho. Reaching for her utility belt, she grabbed a small canister with a spray nozzle and applied a sealing medical foam to Yosho's injuries before hoisting the old man over her shoulder.

Looking back towards the data center door, Ryoko saw that Hilde was carrying Washu. The red-headed scientist was now completely out cold, the dual trauma of the initial data download followed by the memory copying device having done a number on her.

We got the data, Ryoko thought as she glanced back and forth between Washu and Yosho, but is this really a win? Doesn't feel like it. Well, better focus on getting out of here for now. Worry about the rest later.

"Ryoko…" Heero groaned.

"Hey, I'm here," she reassured him, "We're getting out of here, Heero."

He nodded weakly. "I'm… sorry."

Ryoko was about to ask what for when he slumped against her. "Heero? Heero!"

"He's unconscious," AIDA replied through the speakers in Heero's armor, "That thing he did with Tsunami really took it out of him. Can you carry him, Ryoko?"

"Not much of a choice," Ryoko grumbled as she lifted Heero; were it not for the incredible strength Washu had endowed her with, there'd be no way she could support the full weight of the unconscious young man in his armor.

"Hurry," AIDA urged, "If Hilde's timer is accurate, there's only twenty-five minutes left until this place blows!"

….

Back aboard the Yagami, Mihoshi nodded frantically as AIDA's report came through. While frightened at the news of her fiancée and Yosho's injuries, Mihoshi knew that she would be doing them no favors by panicking now.

"Understood," she said at the end, fighting to keep her composure, "We're on our way now!"

She turned to Kiyone, who was already pulling the patrol cruiser out of her hiding place. Mihoshi then sent a transmission to the AI controlling Heero's fighter; Eva would then coordinate the other fighters, Ryo-Ohki, and Ken-Ohki. Now out of cover, the formation found themselves flying through a chaotic dogfight between Juraian loyalists, Kagato's followers, and Washu's drones.

"Keep them off us!" Kiyone ordered, "We just need to get back within thirty kilometers of the repository and the drones will back off. Hopefully they can keep Kagato's fighters distracted."

"How are we handling the extraction again?" Mihoshi asked while directing the patrol cruiser's turrets.

"Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki will pick them up," Kiyone said, "Yagami and the fighters provide cover, then we run back to the Second Fleet. I'll set us up so the turrets can cover most of the approach vectors. Just brace yourself; we'll take a beating if the enemy decides to push."

Mihoshi nodded, brow furrowing as she focused on her work.

Hang on, everyone…

…we'll get you out of there real soon!

….

As their assault transport rocketed out of the repository, Ragyō's face was grim as she looked down at Kagato. Her brother had been strapped to a stretcher upon boarding the ship, with nowhere to put it but the troop bay floor. One of the Marine medics was kneeling next to him, his wounds sealed with a fast-acting foam until they could be properly treated aboard the flagship.

"He'll pull through," Tokimi remarked casually from Ragyō's left, "My candidate wouldn't fall from wounds such as these."

"How reassuring," Ragyō grumbled.

Tokimi's eyes then narrowed. "You could've finished off Yosho before grabbing your brother. He's an enemy we cannot afford to spare. The same goes for his grandson."

Ragyō shot her a withering glare. "Maybe a good death means nothing to an immortal like yourself, but after fighting Kagato to a draw like that, he deserved better than to be killed while unconscious."

Tokimi folded her arms. "I know your brother humors your notions of honor and warrior's pride, but if you ask me, they're more hindrance than help."

Ragyō smirked. "Good thing my brother's in charge and not you, then."

Tokimi tapped her right foot against the floor in low-key agitation. "I would think that you, better than most, would understand the threat posed by Yosho and his grandson. You may not value your own life, but you do value your brother's, yes? Why stay your hand when you can strike down two of his most dangerous foes?"

"And hand the galaxy to you and Kagato on a silver platter?" Ragyō asked, "A prize that grand should be earned. By him, by me, by you, and all others involved."

Tokimi scowled. "Foolish sentiments like those will cost us everything."

"We are no more entitled to ultimate victory than our enemies," Ragyō replied with a shrug, "Did you yourself not tell us more than once that my brother must be properly tested against his rival candidate? That he must prove his right to rule decisively? His injuries will heal far faster than Yosho's; he and Heero will have their final contest. Everything will be on the line then, as it was meant to be."

Tokimi was about to counter when Kagato groaned, Ragyō to leave her seat and kneel next to him. She saw his eyelids flutter before fully opening, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Kagato looked around, and when he spoke, his voice was labored and raspy. "The data… we got it… yes?"

Ragyō glanced at the Marine who had fired the device at Washu, who in turn looked at a device attached to their rifle before flashing a thumbs up. "Cord got cut during transmission, so the rest had to come wirelessly, but it's here."

Kagato's brow furrowed. "That might… have caused interference. Our data… could be compromised."

Ragyō placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll worry about that after we're away from this system. For now, rest and regain your strength."

Kagato appeared ready to protest for a moment, but a stern look from Ragyō made him think better of it, and he instead let out a ragged chuckle. "To think… that I'd be in this sorry state. Yosho… not bad. Not bad at all."

Ragyō scowled. "I warned you."

Kagato sighed. "You did."

"You didn't heed it," Ragyō continued with a growl, "and it cost you."

Kagato offered a rare apologetic smile. "I did not… and it did."

Satisfied, Ragyō's expression softened. "Fortune's not through with you yet, it seems."

"Indeed," Kagato acknowledged, "Looks like I'm… fated to carry this task… through to the end."

Ragyō smiled. "As long as my blades have anything to say about it."

Kagato's smile grew somewhat. "Speaking of… you looked like… you were having fun. Yosho's grandson… is he… measuring up?"

Ragyō's smile became a lustful grin. "Beyond my wildest imaginings."

Kagato let out a weary exhalation, though he at least seemed pleased. "I suppose… that's fitting. The next time you two fight… will probably be the last. I don't want to… spoil your passion… but…"

"Don't worry," she cut him off, "It will be final… one way or the other."

Kagato's eyes narrowed. "Only… one way. Once I… take power… there'll be much work for you to do. I need… you by my side."

Ragyō shook her head, though she was touched by the sentiment. "There are no guarantees in battle, brother. I thought Yosho taught you that long ago… and reminded you today."

She then rose, returning to her seat and stretching her arms, practically salivating as she imagined the battle to come. "I will only promise you this, brother; when Heero Yuy and myself fight again, it will be a clash to remember, regardless of who triumphs."

….

"How much time do we have left?" Quatre asked between frantic breaths as the team entered the hangar.

"Three minutes!" AIDA declared through Heero's helmet speakers.

"Cutting it close," Trowa muttered.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Duo hissed.

"Ease up," Wufei chided, "Our rides' are already here."

Much to Quatre's relief, both Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki had indeed crammed their crystalline starship forms into the hangar. Beyond them, he could see the red hull of Yagami, orange beams flying from her point-defense turrets as she dissuaded any hostile craft from getting too close. Quatre also caught brief glimpses of their custom fighters, the AIs aboard keeping them in a simple combat air patrol around the Yagami.

"Ryo-Ohki! You take me, Heero, and the Marines!" Ryoko called out, "Ken-Ohki, pick up everyone else!"

"Meow!" both living starships cried in unison.

Twin flashes of red and purple light flooded the hangar, and Quatre's world briefly spun before reorienting itself, revealing the pale crystal interior of Ken-Ohki. Nagi passed the unconscious Yosho off to one of the Marines before racing to the control console while everyone else sat down, suddenly conscious of Ken-Ohki's lack of safety gear as they looked for anything to grab onto. Quatre joined Ayeka next to Sasami's bed, with the crown princess placing a hand over her younger sister's head.

"She's warm," Ayeka muttered, "I hope it's not fever…"

Quatre placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She'll be alright. Sasami's strong; you know that better than most."

Ayeka took a deep breath and smiled, though the worry in her eyes was impossible to miss. "Yes… she is."

Quatre looked toward the other side of the ship, where Hilde had lain Washu next to Yosho. One of the Marine's was examining Yosho's injuries, so Hilde focused on keeping Washu stable as Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki rocketed out of the repository's hangar. Quatre fought to keep himself calm; as an experienced pilot, being a passenger in a combat situation was not something that sat well with him. Ken-Ohki belonged to Nagi, though, so it was not his place to take charge, and there simply was no time for him and the other former Gundam pilots to board their individual fighters.

"How much longer on that countdown?" Wufei asked.

"Thirty seconds!" Nagi replied as she zig-zagged Ken-Ohki through energy bolts and debris.

"That place was huge," Duo remarked nervously, "When it blows…"

"Let's not be in the same neighborhood," Hilde finished.

"Here," said Nagi as she adjusted Ken-Ohki's main display, "Enjoy the show."

The screen shifted, with half of it now showing the massive octahedron that was the third repository. Craft from both sides had rapidly cleared out, leaving only debris and space rocks surrounding it. The great monolith shrank rapidly as Ken-Ohki raced away as fast as he could go, yet Quatre was still anxious. Recalling the great waves of plasma that had been flung at them during their approach to the structure, he could only imagine what would happen when all the energy stored within the repository detonated.

Said imaginings became vividly real several seconds later. In the span of just a moment, great cracks fissured up and down the monolith's surface before the entire structure suddenly became a giant orb of red and white light, as if a second sun had spawned in the star system. Arcs of crimson plasma flew out wildly, washing over debris and twisting it into molten blobs or outright disintegrating it. When the glare of the titanic explosion eventually faded, crimson strands still hung in space amidst great jagged slabs of metal.

Quatre let out the breath he did not realize he'd been holding. "Well… that's that, then."

"The last of those damnable data centers," Ayeka muttered, "Good riddance."

Quatre heartily concurred.

….

Even as far away as the Juraian Second Fleet flagship Ōtaka, the third repository's detonation was impossible to miss. Admiral Mayumi Fukunaga had a perfect view from the carrier's bridge, and the briefly-lived sphere of red-white light that was the monolith's explosion was distinct even in a sprawling battlefield where warships were bursting like fireworks left and right.

It was a pretty sight, but Fukunaga had no time to admire it. "Do we have word from Prince Heero's ground team?"

"Affirmative, Admiral!" the ship's communications officer replied, "They've confirmed successful extraction of the data and are retreating from the planetary ring system as we speak."

I should've expected nothing less, the Admiral thought as she resisted the urge to smile, seeing as the prince and his entourage haven't let us down yet.

"Admiral," the communications officer continued, "they also report that Kagato's contingent has the data, too. One of his troops was able to take it from Doctor Washu with a device. Additionally, Prince Yosho and Prince Heero need urgent medical attention, as do several others."

Fukunaga's brow furrowed. "Find them and have the closest available squadrons escort them to us. Do we have eyes on Kagato?"

"His transport's been found," the officer answered, "and friendly fighters have been attempting to intercept, but he's already formed up with an escort screen. They're heading for his flagship."

"The rebel forces are breaking contact across the line!" the carrier's chief sensor operator called out.

"Tell Seniwa to get their Third Fleet in here now!" Fukunaga ordered, "Same goes for their Fourth and Sixth Fleet battle groups. All our reserves are to enter system immediately and engage targets of opportunity. We need to diminish the enemy as much as possible before they make their FTL jump!"

The holographic tactical display, already a riot of activity thanks to the ongoing battle, became flooded with fresh contact markers, and not just friendlies. Kagato, or whoever was serving as his field commander, appeared to have been thinking along similar lines as Fukunaga, for several battle groups flashing the traitor's IFF tag jumped into the system. The initial result was a series of chaotic running fights as loyalist and traitor forces practically stumbled on top of each other, and Fukunaga initially feared that her opposing number would concentrate for a push on her flagship. However, not only did the timely arrival of Seniwa's Third Fleet shore up the Juraian Second Fleet's defenses and hit the enemy with punishing firepower, but it soon became apparent that the enemy's reinforcements were only here to provide cover while the rest of Kagato's fleet organized their withdrawal. The lines of contact began to stabilize, with the Juraian loyalists and their Seniwa allies consolidating along the edge of the gas giant's ring system while Kagato's various battle groups pulled away.

We got what we came for, Fukunaga thought as she watched a squadron of bombers from her flagship make a run on one of Kagato's destroyers, demolishing the vessel under a plasma torpedo volley, but so did the enemy. Tactically, their losses have been heavier than ours so far, but we still don't know the full extent of their forces. Do the reserves that just jumped in represent all Kagato's naval assets, or are there still other formations that have yet to mobilize? How much support will he retain within the Imperial nobility now that he is openly using his forces to attack us instead of relying on outlaws?

What other cards does he still have to play?

Those questions and more needed to be answered quickly. Both sides now possessed the pathway to Washu's magnum opus; with the end of this battle, the final leg of the race for the Judgement Array's control center was now underway. Nothing could be held back for the penultimate confrontation. As vicious as today's battle was, Admiral Fukunaga knew it was only prelude to what lay ahead.

A final battle for the fate of not just the Empire of Jurai, but the entire galaxy.

Preview for next time!

Duo: I was right; that sucked!

Quatre: At least we got the data.

Trowa: So did the enemy.

Wufei: Then the race is still on, nothing new there.

Hilde: Both sides took a beating here. Can we at least get a chance to rest up?

Kiyone: Only until Washu wakes up and shares the data, I'm afraid.

Mihoshi: Heero and Yosho need time to heal! Especially Yosho…

Nagi: Look on the bright side; so does Kagato.

Ayeka: Are you forgetting Sasami? She's out cold, too!

Ryoko: Next time, in Chapter Thirty-Five: No Need For Licking Wounds! Wait, does that mean I get to lick Heero? Hey, if it helps…

Ayeka: There will be no licking anyone, wench!

Author's Notes: Ah, I do love me a good swordfight or two, and this fic's let me write a bunch of them! Been waiting a long time now to do that mutual-defeat bit with Yosho and Kagato, hope I pulled it off well. Next chapter's going to be a little break in the action, but things will pick back up very quickly afterwards.

Oh, for the black energy constructs Tokimi was using in this chapter; those aren't from the Tenchi Muyo series. They were something I invented for the fic. Washu will elaborate on them a bit in the next chapter when she regains consciousness. For now, think of them as a kind of shadow and foil for the Light Hawk Wings.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time!