[UY/Ranma/SisPri][FanFic] Lonely Souls - Part 7, "B" Side (3/4)
pye...@gmail.com
The construction chief engineer artificer's personal craft, RSS/C
"Haengge'cha," was a modified two-man warp courier ship about the same
size as the "Kiboo'cha." It was one of dozens of such vessels that
had been found by the Sagussans ten years before over a dead Class D
planet near Spotak named Den'sha Two. Having been extensively
modified by Koyomi on her spare time, the "Haengge'cha" was considered
one of the fastest ships based on that reborn world outside the
Galactic Barrier. Even so, given how slow ships from the races inside
the Barrier were in comparison to anything from Sagussa, Koyomi didn't
really have to push it to get her bond-mate close to the "Rose
Emperor."
As she manipulated controls to allow the "Haengge'cha" to parallel
the Ellsian patrol monitor, Koyomi smirked. "No shields up," she
reported after taking a glance at the scanner readouts. "Lucky thing
I put those particle mufflers on this thing. Even cloaked, we could
be spotted by all the tachytron energy emissions our reactors and
engines put out." She glanced over her shoulder at Tomo. "You set to
go?"
The master chief warrant officer of the Sagussan Internal Security
Force took a breath as she finished buttoning her shirt. On Koyomi's
suggestion, Tomo had switched from her duty uniform to plain Terran
Western-type civilians. "Even if this is an undercover mission, I've
never done something like this before," she asserted. "Do you think
we still have time to call in the HRT?"
"They're not trained to handle a situation like this, especially when
military personnel are involved," Koyomi replied, she trying not to
smirk at Tomo's show of nerves. She had long learned that her bond-
mate, while always willing to project a mask of steely determination
when in the presence of other people, was still human underneath. It
was a good thing, the Pirpirsiw'r mused as she began an internal scan
of the "Rose Emperor" in hopes of locating Ataru's sisters and the
other hostages. Cautious warriors, warriors willing to question
anything and everything about missions assigned to them, were often
the ones who survived to tell the tale afterward. "You can do it.
Don't go totally hog-wild. When hostages are involved, you've got to
be VERY careful."
"I hear you," Tomo asserted as she picked up a web-belt holding three
personal defence pistols, she moving to strap that around her waist.
Once that was done, she stood beside her bond-mate. "Where could I go
in, anyway?"
Koyomi's eyes danced over the display showing the interior of the
"Rose Emperor." "Okay . . .! Ah, there they are!" She tapped a
point in the lower hull amidships. "Terran life-sign readings.
That's where Ataru-sama's old classmates are being held, no doubt.
And . . . " Her smile widened as the fingertip shifted left
slightly. "There're Ataru-sama's sisters. On the move by the looks
of things. No doubt, they're being shifted over to keep them close to
the other prisoners. Now, let's find out what's around there . . . "
She tapped controls. Tomo watched as another hologram appeared by
the first, revealing an Intelligence Ministry data file on the
internal structure of an Ellsian patrol monitor. "Enlisted crew
quarters," she announced, pointing to rows of cabins close to the
chamber where Ataru's old classmates were being held on the "Rose
Emperor." "Beam in there, get a change of clothes, then move in to
deal with whoever's guarding Ataru-sama's sisters and everyone else.
Once you're there, I'll beam you all out."
"Can the transporter do that?" Tomo then asked. "You were gonna
replace the pattern buffer before we came out here."
"It should be okay." Koyomi then sighed. "I hope."
* * *
"Aniue-sama, you didn't tell us there were other people aboard this
ship." Marie gazed quizzically at Ataru. "Who are they?!"
The sisters, Ranma and Ataru were standing in what served as the main
engineering control space aboard the "Windrider": The solar sail
control room. Currently manning the stations that governed the
winches, pulleys and feeds that gave the sail-barque her power was a
team of golden-skinned men and women in utilitarian jumpsuits. All of
them had given Ataru respectful nods when he had stepped into the room
with his companions, and then they returned to their duties. "Well,
Marie-chan, they're . . .!" He flustered.
"Androids."
Eyes locked on Chikage. "Robots?!" Ranma then peered intently at
the crew. "Yeah, they are machines, aren't they . . .?"
"The Noukiites purchased them from the Zeiwanites when I told them I
didn't want a volunteer crew assigned to my ship," Ataru elaborated as
he stated at his companions. "You just wouldn't BELIEVE the number of
people ready to drop everything just to serve as crew on a ship I
might not put to much use, even if the Special Committee DOES permit
me to dock her on Earth!"
"Rinrin-chan's going to be BESIDE herself when she finds out about
them," Marie said with a chuckle, covering her mouth politely as she
gazed on her siblings. "Could you imagine how fast she'll finish up
her work on Mecha-Rinrin-chan when she gets a chance to examine them?"
Chikage scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Much less what she might
do if Sakuya persuades her to create a 'Mecha-Anikun?'"
Ranma blinked. "'Mecha-Anikun?!'"
Ataru flustered even more. "That was a little idea Sakuya-chan came
up with when Rinrin-chan first told us about Mecha-Rinrin."
"Hina remembers when Sakuya-chan tried to play Mecha-Sakuya-chan!"
"Hinako-chan, DON'T remind me of that!" Ataru yelped.
Hinako snickered. "Bad?" Ranma asked.
Ataru returned her look. "What do you think?"
* * *
"AH-CHOO!"
"Bless you, Sakuya-chan! Are you alright?!"
"Ugh!" Sakuya wiped her nose before she nodded assuredly at Karen.
"Yeah, I'm fine! Someone must be talking about me."
Shirayuki fretted. "Hopefully, it's Nii-sama."
Haruka nodded. "I hope so, too."
The sisters were being marched through the halls of the "Rose
Emperor" by a platoon of heavily armed guards. Two of the maids
assigned to them kept Aria and Kaho company. Seeing the fearful looks
on her sisters' faces, Sakuya tried not to scream out in rage. DAMN
that loony bitch! Who the hell gave her the right to frighten them to
their wits' end just to try to woo Onii-sama?!
One of the guards stopped by a door to open it. "Here."
They were led through the door, finding themselves on the balcony
overlooking Elle's other prisoners. Quick to recognize some of the
jerks Onii-sama once went to school with, Sakuya's heart sank on
seeing Yoshino Tomomi and Ikusawa Kyooko in the crowd. *When we get
out of this, we DEFINITELY try to persuade them to come to the Island!
* Sakuya mused to herself. *They certainly don't deserve to spend any
time with THESE nuts!*
"Ah, ladies, there you are! How nice of you to join us!"
They gazed right as a white-caped, green-eyed redhead with a white-
and-silver headband stepped towards them. Gazing at Elle, Sakuya
tried not to whistle in admiration. Damn, after seeing her in the
flesh, she could understand why those idiots in the Rose Queen's
refrigerator could fall for someone like this! "Queen Elle, I
presume," Sakuya hailed, the other sisters massing in a group behind
her. "So what's the idea? You realize the instant Onii-sama finds
out that you've taken us away, he'll come rescue us!"
The other prisoners, including a recently recovered Mendou Shuutarou,
were staring wide-eyed at the group of nine young women who had just
joined Elle on the balcony. Kunou Tatewaki was still unconscious on
the deck, being closely monitored by Tomomi, Kyooko and Sawada
Minako. Those from Tomobiki who had not learned of Ataru's sisters
before -- not to mention those who hadn't known how MANY sisters Ataru
had these days -- were whispering to each other. Listening to what
was being said by some of the boys close by, Miyake Shinobu could only
shake her head in disgust. If Ataru DID come soon to rescue his
sisters, things could get very ugly. VERY quickly.
Little did she realize how right she would be.
"Oh, I'm sure Honey WILL come after you girls." Elle then tittered,
the gleam in her eyes lacking any mirth whatsoever. "As to his
actually going all the way to rescuing you, that'll be a different
story, I assure you."
"Why?" Karen demanded. "Onii-chan never stepped on your shadow when
you played your shadow-tag game! He has no right to pursue a
marriage . . . "
"Not that Aniki'd want to marry a girl who loves dipping all her
boyfriends into cryo-tubes!" Rinrin snarled.
Elle jolted, gazing confusedly at the sisters for a moment before her
eyes widened. "Why . . .?" she whined, a flash of real pain appearing
in her emerald eyes. "Do you think I'd put Honey into my
Refrigerator . . .?"
"The evidence stands against you, Your Majesty," Haruka icily noted,
her eyes narrowing. "Much that it is something of a tradition for any
ruling elite to possess their own harems to see to their intimate
needs, the fact that you deliberately keep yours under such inhuman
restraints . . .!"
"I KEEP THEM WHOLE AND PURE!" Elle shrieked, the force of her
assertion making the sisters balk away from her. "I freeze them to
ensure their love for me is preserved, kept as fresh, as complete as
the day I first met them! What in the name of the Fates is wrong with
that?!"
"Do they actually AGREE to such treatment?!" Haruka pressed. She
then pointed to Mendou. "From what Anigimi-sama told us, Mendou-san
there didn't agree at ALL to being made a part of your collection of
'cute boys!'" That comment caused Mendou to blink; he never expected
Moroboshi Ataru of all people to stick up for him for any reason, even
to these so-called "sisters" whom he hadn't known about until that
very moment. "And you honestly believe that we'd accept your word
that you won't do the same to Anigimi-sama?!"
Elle leaned back before a determined look crossed her face. "It
doesn't matter," she asserted, dramatically pulling her cape close to
her. "Honey and I will be wed as soon as he comes here, as I'm sure
he's more than capable of doing given all he's done on behalf of the
Noukiites! I'm more than sure that he holds your lives dear, so
keeping you under my thumb should force him to see reason. A pity
that I couldn't get hold of Negako, Chikage, Hinako and Marie; with
ALL of you in my grasp, Honey's capitulation is assured! Now . . . "
An intercom whistled. "Your Majesty, long-range sensors have now
detected a Noukiite solar-sail scoutship coming toward us from the
direction of Earth," the monitor's sensor officer hailed over the
intercom. "Her identification beacon marks her as the ISS/C
'Windrider.' She's registered to Moroboshi Ataru of Earth, home-
ported currently on Magairu . . . "
"Big Brother!" the sisters gasped.
"She's approximately ten minutes from reaching our position at
present speed," the officer continued. "The captain wishes to
know . . . "
"Stop the ship!" Elle ordered. "Weapons on stand-by. Raise shields
to prevent their beaming anyone out! I'll be right there!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The intercom clicked off. Elle faced the sisters. "Do excuse me,
please, ladies. I'm off to have a long chat with Honey!"
She stepped through the doorway, her guards shifting themselves to
ensure none of the sisters could escape with the door open. In a
minute, the nine young women from Earth were left alone on the
balcony, the door leading out of this place locked. Exchanging
worried looks, the sisters then focused on the door. "What do we do
now?" Kaho pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Why don't you guys c'mon down here?" Ryuunosuke's voice echoed from
the main deck. "If we stay close together, we'll be a lot safer."
The sisters glanced down at their brother's former classmates. "As
long as Sword-for-brains and Bokken-for-brains behave themselves,"
Sakuya asserted as she pointed at Mendou and Kunou. She then turned
to Aria. "Here, Aria-chan, you go first. Tomomi-chan and Kyooko-
chan'll catch you."
Seeing the big drop to the main deck, the young Parisian shuddered
fearfully as the others gently pressed her to the balcony rail.
"Aria . . .!" she burbled before she started to cry. "Aria doesn't
want to fall . . .!"
Tomomi and Kyooko shifted themselves below her. "It's okay, Aria-
chan!" the former asserted with a bright smile. "We'll catch you!"
"Kusun!"
* * *
"They're stopping!" Tomo reported.
"I see that," Koyomi asserted as she pressed controls to de-warp the
"Haengge'cha" close to the "Rose Emperor." Glancing at the sensory
controls, she then smirked. "And there's Ataru-sama's ship. Alright,
here's our chance to get you aboard so you can rescue the others!"
"Right!" the internal security officer said as she shifted herself to
the transporter unit at the aft end of the pilotage.
* * *
"Papa, they've raised shields and readied weapons."
The "Windrider" was two hundred kilometres from the "Rose Emperor."
The solar sails had been drawn in, clearing the field for the ship's
weapons, including a pair of swivel accelerator cannons amidships and
concussion missile tubes located under the figurehead, to be used. On
the front view screen in the pilotage, the Ellsian patrol monitor, a
ship roughly the size of Invader's "Kashin," glistened like a multi-
faceted jewel in the pitch-dark of inter-system space. "Are they
scanning us?" Ataru asked.
"They're trying to," Kamen -- who, these days, called herself
"Fujikaze Nobuko" -- reported. "Ship's ECM systems are blocking the
scans easily."
"They're blocking our scans too, Darling," Mienai -- she currently
calling herself "Kanki Yukiko" -- reported from a port-side station
next to Marie. "I'm trying to adjust the bandwidth to get around
their ECM now."
"Don't be too obvious, Yukiko-chan," Ataru warned.
"Hai!"
"We can't fight them flat-out, can we?" Ranma, having shifted herself
to stand behind Ataru's chair, wondered.
He thoughtfully tugged at his beard. "No, we can't."
"Darling?"
"What is it, Shinobi-chan?"
"Long-range sensors just picked up another ship heading our way from
the direction of Toshitto," Lum's double said. "It's a Fukunokami-
type starship, frigate-class. Trying to identify her now." She then
tapped controls.
"What would one of them be doing here?!" Seiko wondered.
"Do you think the Ellsians've picked them up?" Ataru asked.
"Doubtful." Shinobi then frowned as the readouts danced before her
eyes. "You've got quite a powerful sensory unit for a ship of this
size, Darling. I . . .!" She paused. "Wait! The other ship just
came to a halt. She's about ten million kilometres away. If I'm not
mistaken, I think they just picked up the 'Rose Emperor.' Hard to
tell if they've been detected in return."
"They haven't."
Eyes locked on Chikage. "Is that bankable?" Nabiki wondered.
"Very." The sorceress then smiled as images swirled in her crystal
ball. "It appears, Seiko, several of your friends were on their way
to visit you and your sister when Elle decided to change all our
social schedules."
Seiko blinked. "MY friends?!"
"Wait!" Shinobi cut in. "Got the ID on the second ship. She's the
Independent Starship 'Goddess of Luck,' out of Bensaikyou."
Nobuko stared at her sister Avalonian, her eyes wide. "Shogai
Dakejinzou's ship?! You sure about that one, Hensou?"
"Chikage-chan, isn't that the bounty hunter Brother Sunfire put on
retainer just in case something happened to us?" Marie wondered.
Chikage nodded. "The same."
"And the Ellsians haven't detected them?" Ataru asked.
"No, Ani-kun, not yet. But it could happen soon."
"Right." He then scowled, bracing himself. "Reiko-chan, ready a
spread of concussion missiles. Use the subspace harmonic warheads.
Bracket Elle's ship on all sides. I don't want them to see who else
is out there."
"Hai, Papa!"
* * *
"You can't scan into that ship?!"
The sensory officer shook her head. "Negative, Captain. She's got
quite a powerful ECM system for a ship that size . . .!" Her voice
then trailed off, her eyes wide as a new reading came up. "Captain,
she's readying missiles!"
The shock at that announcement was very brief as the captain barked,
"All power to the shields! Ready anti-missile defences . . .!"
"She's firing!"
Slender torpedoes lanced out of the "Windrider's" launch bays,
darting to all sides of the "Rose Emperor." Before the crew on the
larger ship could realize what was happening, the first of the
concussion missiles exploded, sending high-frequency subspace
shockwaves all over the place. Since they were presently both in
normal space, neither the "Windrider" nor the "Rose Emperor" was
affected by the strikes save for molecular debris from the detonated
missiles showering the larger ship's shields. It was in the various
dimensions of subspace, where the most highly attuned of the Ellsian
warship's sensors were currently locked, that the missiles had their
full effect.
"Damn!" the sensory officer spat out. "He's blinded us!"
"What?!" the captain demanded.
"Long-range subspace, short-range subspace and weapons targeting
sensors down! Subspace communications are off-line!" the younger
woman read off the litany of problems facing them now. "Warp core's
unaffected, but I'd recommend NOT going into hyperspace at this time,
Captain!"
The captain blinked before she turned to stare at the image of the
"Windrider." The view screen was showing the static after-effects of
the missile strike from the Noukiite ship. "What's he up to?" she
whispered.
* * *
"What's that idiot up to?!" Benten demanded.
"Multiple subspace shockwave blasts," Nassur said as he adjusted
controls on the "Goddess'" sensors. Like what was fitted on the
"Windrider," the sensory suite on Shogai Dakejinzou's ship was well
above what was seen as standard for a vessel of that size. "No doubt,
they're pretty much blind save for normal-space scans, plus they can't
risk entering warp unless they clear the disturbed area." A nod of
approval. "Smart move on his part."
"Why would Ataru do something like that, Nassur-sama?" Oyuki asked.
"Elle has hostages aboard her ship."
Eyes locked on Dakejinzou, the alien hunter's hand touching one of
her earrings. "How the hell did you know that?!" Benten demanded.
"Signal from Brother Sunfire I just received right now, Benten. Nine
of Ataru's sisters, plus all his former classmates at Tomobiki High,
were kidnapped shortly after lunch local time. Elle demanded Ataru
surrender himself to her in order for the hostages to be released."
Benten and Oyuki exchanged a look. "But Moroboshi never stepped on
that idiot's shadow when they were kids!" the former said. "Why the
hell's Elle after him now?" Her voice trailed as something came to
her. "Unless . . . "
"With Lum-chan 'dead,' the Queen must have come to believe that no
one else would desire Ataru," Oyuki noted. "After all, we did make
quite a mess of things when we helped her rescue him from the
altar . . . "
"Everyone knows how vain that woman is." Nassur then gazed on
Dakejinzou. "So what's Brother Sunfire going to do now?"
"He would contact a crusade fleet on Magairu to force Elle to release
her hostages," she reported. "A message would be passed to the
Noukiites based on Toshitto to send their own force out. Hopefully,
this can be done with as . . . " She paused before turning to tap
controls on her flight board.
Everyone gazed on the view screen. "Why's he approaching her?!"
Oyuki demanded as the "Windrider" came in close to the "Rose Emperor."
Nassur turned to his board. "Shields still up; he's keeping some
distance from the 'Emperor.'" A hum. "This is interesting . . . "
"What's he tryin' ta do, anyway?" Benten wondered.
The expat Vosian shook his head as he sat back in his chair. "Hard
to tell since I've no idea what he's capable of doing. If he's got
some hidden surprises up his sleeve and he's prepared to use them,
Benten, I'd say his chances of rescuing his sisters and the others are
very good."
"Why say that?! He ain't ever done this before . . .!"
"True, which could potentially give him an advantage, especially
dealing with Elle." Nassur held up an objecting finger. "An
experienced warrior would know what sort of manoeuvres to avoid in a
situation of this nature, Benten. I'm willing to strongly bet that he
wouldn't know what mistakes to make. Atop that, Elle's probably still
thinking of Moroboshi Ataru as the sex-crazed idiot she met a year
ago. I think after what you both saw happen on Phentax Two, that
doesn't apply anymore. Ne?" His eyebrow arched knowingly.
Benten moved to disagree before a thoughtful look crossed her face
for a moment. "Yeah, ya got a point." She gazed out the front view
ports of the "Goddess'" pilotage before she watered her response down
with a muttered, "Still, it IS pretty hard to believe, ya know!" She
smirked.
"Agreed," Oyuki affirmed with an understanding nod.
"Wait . . .!"
Eyes locked on Dakejinzou. "What is it?" Nassur asked.
"He's hailing her," the alien bounty hunter reported.
* * *
"Beam-in successful," Tomo whispered into a communicator in her
collar.
"Gotcha," Koyomi's voice echoed through a speaker fitted in the
officer's ear. "Lucky thing we got you over before Ataru-sama fired
those missiles." A pause. "Ataru-sama's starting a parlay with Elle
right now, Tomo. Get to the hostages and get ready. I'm prepping the
transporter unit now."
"Okay."
* * *
"Hello, Elle. It's been some time."
"Hello to you, too, Honey. My, it HAS been some time since I last
saw you. The beard and moustache are very nice touches." The Rose
Queen seemed to quiver with delight on seeing her "fiancé." A
condemning glare then crossed her face. "What you just did to us was
very rude, Honey." She wagged her finger at his image. "It's not
nice to launch subspace-harmonic concussion missiles at your fiancée,
you know!" she admonished.
All emotion drained from Ataru's face as he icily replied,
"Kidnapping my sisters is equally rude, Elle. Especially on the false
pretext that we're engaged. You WILL recall what we discovered when
we took that small jaunt into the past after you and I nearly got
married. So what's the idea? If you wanted to talk to me, all you
had to do was call me direct."
Elle seemed to freeze for a moment as she took in who and what sat
alone on the bridge of the "Windrider;" before hailing the Rose Queen,
Ataru had the bridge cleared out of everyone else, especially his
sisters, his daughters and Ranma. "Well, in spite of what did happen
when we were children, the fact remains that I still do care for you.
And yes, I still wish to marry you. And NO, you're not destined for
the Refrigerator of Love. Why in the name of the Fates would I place
my husband inside the Refrigerator?"
Ataru's eyebrow arched. "And the Cute Boys? What about them?"
She made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Oh, just fleeting
liaisons that struck my fancy, Honey. Nothing more, nothing less.
Besides, you yourself tried to gather your own harem. Before, of
course, you learned of that delightful family your late father
parented on the side."
"True, I was that way," he verbally admitted the hit, sitting back in
his chair. "However, I'd like to think I've outgrown that stage of my
life. I hope that one day soon, you'll be able to do the same,
Elle." A pause. "Besides, why is it you targeted boys who were,
almost to the end, suffering from a host of incurable illnesses like
Hifuto Syndrome?" He ignored the shocked look on her face on hearing
those words. "Elle, if you were really trying to preserve their lives
for a time when medical technology might cure them, it might've done
you a lot of good to come out and admit the truth. Your people might
actually respect you a lot more that way, you know."
"H-how . . .?!" she sputtered.
Ataru thinly smiled. "There's little the Inquisition doesn't know."
* * *
"Is he tellin' the truth?" Benten asked.
Nassur's eyes were scouring the image of the Rose Queen on his
board. "By the looks of it, yes. Hard to believe, ne?"
Dakejinzou quirkily smiled. "Agreed."
* * *
"Sylia on 'Kiboo'cha' to Koyomi on 'Haengge'cha.' Status report,
Chief?"
Koyomi tried not to frown on seeing Sylia's image appear before her.
Everyone on Sagussa knew that when Sylia addressed someone by rank
instead of name, she was clearly upset about something. "The Master
Chief's aboard the 'Rose Emperor' right now, Commander. So far, so
good. Ataru-sama's in a parlay with Elle as we speak. I'll pipe you
the transmission." She then tapped controls to link the transmission
back to Earth.
* * *
Elle quickly gathered control of herself, and then she made another
dismissive wave. "Well, that doesn't matter, Honey. What does matter
is you." She winked at him, her lips widening in a smile. "I WILL
marry you, Honey. I just can't imagine living another day without you
at my side."
Ataru then sighed. "Elle, I AM quite flattered . . . "
"You deserve it." The Rose Queen then blew him a kiss before she sat
back in her chair. "Even better, the Devil's Daughter is now
radioactive dust over what's left of Onishuto thanks to your Noukiite
friends, so we don't have to worry about any interruptions from that
quarter. And with her gone, all her friends from space won't
interfere since, as you and I are aware of, they never cared one bit
for you, much less Lum's interest in you."
He nodded. "Yes, that is true, isn't it? Hell, there are times
these days that I kick myself for actually taking interest in the
likes of Benten and Oyuki in the first place. I mean, would you
believe that the day Lum dragged me to their Setsubun festival, Benten
tried to entice a kiss out of me just to help her side win that stupid
ball-toss? And Oyuki!" He rolled his eyes. "Other than dumping
enough snow to sink the 'Titanic' into my bedroom every time she
visited, there's that so-called 'bodyguard' of hers, B-Boy. Sheesh!"
He threw up his hands before turning to wag a finger. "I swear, Elle-
chan, the NEXT time I see that pathetic imitation of a yeti, I'm gonna
take my qu'f-piaqu'r and use him for BAYONET practice before using my
eunuch swords on him!"
* * *
"He WOULDN'T!" Oyuki shrieked.
Dakejinzou gazed amusedly at the princess. "Bets?"
The Neptunian shuddered before she turned to look anywhere else but
the view screen re-playing images transmitted between the "Rose
Emperor" and the "Windrider." Nearby, Benten was muttering a litany
of dockyard-grown curses about Ataru. Watching their reactions,
Nassur tried not to fall over laughing as he exchanged a knowing look
with his old partner. Dakejinzou winked back.
* * *
"Excuse me."
Tomo tensed as the voice from behind her made her stop. "Eh?"
She turned to see a chief warrant officer step up to adjust something
on the back of her uniform. "You belt wasn't looped properly," the
older woman declared as she made the necessary changes to the
sleeveless bodysuit Tomo had appropriated from the cabin she beamed
into. "This is the Royal Flagship. You have to look your best,
especially when the Queen's aboard. Remember that!"
Tomo braced herself at attention. "Aye, ma'am!"
The older woman nodded before she marched off to carry out her
rounds. Tomo watched her go, inwardly stunned that the Ellsian woman
hadn't taken notice of the fact that the visiting Sagussan wasn't a
local; all one had to do was look at the back of her thighs to find
her Daishi'cha sequential tattoos. *Guess people serving in this
bunch ARE as pack of idiots,* she mused to herself as she waited for
the chief warrant officer to disappear around a corner. Once that
happened, the patrol officer picked up her small duffle bag containing
her weapons -- that was from the quarters where she had got her
uniform -- and then she turned to head down the corridor to the
holding area.
* * *
"Oh, Elle-chan?"
"Yes, Honey?"
His eyebrow arched. "Do you still wear that very nice perfume I
smelled on you when we were dancing in the garden at your palace?"
Elle's cheeks reddened. "You still remember . . .?"
"Hai, Elle-chan. I haven't changed THAT much, you know."
One of the Rose Queen's hands touched her cheek. "Oh, Honey!"
"I guess I'll just have to reacquaint myself with that lovely
scent." Ataru then reached forward to tap controls at Reiko's
station. "See you in a couple of minutes . . . " He fixed her with a
wink. "Intended."
The screen blanked out on the "Rose Emperor," leaving behind a bridge
full of stunned, wide-eyed women. Their queen was quivering like a
schoolgirl who just landed a date with the most popular sports star
for the prom. "He's lowered his shields, Captain," the sensory
officer reported, causing the others to blink, save for a very
twitterpated Elle. "All weapons now deactivated."
"I . . .!" The captain then nodded. "Um, r-right! Lower shields to
allow him to come alongside, Pilot." She then stared at the officer
of the deck. "Tractor him into the portside quarterdeck airlock," she
then ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Oh, Honey . . . "
Eyes locked on Elle. Her cheeks were still aflame like a pair of
spring mountain roses after a morning shower. "Are you alright, Your
Majesty?" the captain gently asked as she approached the Rose Queen.
The Rose Queen jolted before she noticed everyone staring concernedly
at her. "I . . .! Ah! Oh, y-yes!" She cleared her throat with a
discrete cough. "Have a reception committee ready at the place Honey
is to come aboard, Captain. Let's be cautious." She raised a finger
in warning.
The captain saluted. "By your command, Your Majesty!"
* * *
"He's surrendering that quickly . . .?"
Seven Bake Rose scowled at the blank image on her view screen inside
her private cabin, which was located not too far from where the
prisoners were currently being held. The unit had been tapped into
the "Rose Emperor's" main transmitter unit, allowing the mercenary a
chance to overhear everything that had been said between Elle and
Ataru. "Something's going on here," Rose muttered as she sat back in
her chair, her mind calling up all the relevant information she had
acquired about Mr. Groom in the last while. It then focused on one
interesting point about Ataru's time with the Noukiites.
He was The Brother Who Danced on the Wind.
That name had been bestowed -- according to Noukiite propaganda -- to
an Ip'ihu warrior who had personally gone to Uru and several of its
colonies to deal with those high-ranking Onis who had escaped the
atomization of Onishuto midway through that conflict. Finding out
THAT tidbit about Mr. Groom's secret life on Noukiios had been
difficult for Rose, but not impossible.
In fact, that action had proven once and for all how stupid the
Urusians had been altogether when it came to the natives of the planet
Earth. After all, even a sex-crazed idiot like Moroboshi Ataru had
been able to learn the intergalactic specialized warfare trade quite
quickly. Almost TOO quickly, Rose often mused from time to time
during her recent investigative trip on Noukiios. Then again, after
learning the truth about his grandmother's murder at the hands of
agents of the Devil Invader, adding that to his parents' betrayal of
him three years before the First Tag Race, plus an understandable fear
concerning the safety of the family he just acquired . . .!
Well, that could easily prompt ANYONE to make himself the best
unconventional warfare fighter in the local cluster.
Yes, even a sex-crazed idiot like Moroboshi Ataru.
The Brother Who Danced on the Wind.
Rose's eyes then widened. "Diversion . . . "
Quickly, she bolted to her feet, reaching for her sidearm.
* * *
"Tomo, Sylia, the parlay's ended," Koyomi announced to the
transmitter in her bond-mate's ear and to the "Kiboo'cha" over the
Moon. "The 'Windrider's' moving to dock alongside the 'Rose Emperor'
now."
"Gotcha," Tomo whispered into her collar-mounted communicator.
"Hey! You're not supposed to be here."
Tomo's eyes turned up to see two guards standing post by the
entranceway to the holding area. Noting that only one of them was
facing her, the Internal Security Force's master chief warrant officer
grinned. "Actually, Sarge, I AM supposed to be here," she cheerfully
announced.
Both guards jolted on hearing Tomo's odd accent. "Who . . .?" the
other guard demanded as both turned to stare at her.
Tomo's fist smashed through the first guard's face shield, pulping
the poor woman's nose as she was flung into a bulkhead by the force of
the blow. Before the second guard could grab her pistol, the
Yizibajohei-born patrol officer's foot caught her under the jaw,
sending the hapless woman slamming into the holding area's doorway
with a broken neck. Catching them both single-handedly before they
could slide to the deck and mark the scene with blood, Tomo drew out a
small transmitter from her duffle bag. Aiming it at the security lock
by the doorway, she pressed a button. The lock unsealed, the door
opening in response. Without pause, she threw the dead troopers onto
the balcony deck before surging through herself, she closing the door
behind her.
"Hey! Who're you?!"
Tomo spun around to see the crowd some metres below staring wide-eyed
at her. Grabbing her duffle bag, she jumped down to join the
prisoners. Opening her duffle bag, she drew out a pistol as she
headed over to Haruka. "Here ya go, Haruka-sama," she declared as she
stuffed the loaded weapon into the back part of the martial artist's
waistband.
"Ano . . .!" Karen then spoke up.
Tomo grinned. "It's okay, Karen-sama. I'm helping with the rescue."
The hostages blinked as they took that in. Some distance away from
the Internal Security Force master chief, a brown-haired girl with
wide blue eyes was staring in shocked disbelief at the newcomer.
*I KNOW HER!* Seikou Mie railed in her mind.
* * *
"To quote the great cartoon . . . "
"'What a maroon!'" everyone in the corridor aft of the bridge chimed
as one after Ataru closed the door behind him.
"Will they be able to sense how many people're aboard this ship now?"
Nabiki wondered. "Especially since we're going to get . . . "
The deck lurched slightly. "Tractor beam," Kaneko warned.
"Perfect." Ataru glanced at the deckhead before he turned to
Sakiko. "You can use your powers to lock in on Ryuunosuke, right?"
The flame-haired Nendo-kata winked. "Easy as pie, Darling."
"Okay. As soon as we're aboard, Ranma'll use the Umisen-ken to
snatch Elle. I'll leave the moment to strike to you, okay." He
stared at Ranma before turning to Seiko. "Seiko-chan, you stay with
Ranma, help her as you see fit. Reiko-chan, Kaneko-chan, you'll come
with Chikage and I." He looked to the others. "Rest of you, stay
here. Hinako-chan, you keep the Staff locked on me." He tapped the
Staff. "After I find the other girls, I'll give a signal and you use
the Staff to bring us all aboard, okay?"
Hinako sniffed. "Hina wants to come with Onii-tama!"
Ataru firmly shook his head. "No. I don't want any knowledge of Bou-
san to be plastered from one end of the galaxy to the other, Hinako-
chan. You'll never know a moment's rest if that happens. Okay?"
The youngest sister nodded. "What of us, Aniue-sama?" Marie
wondered.
Ataru gazed on the others. "The rest of you'll stay here. Miree,
you're in charge of a rescue party in case things get out of hand. If
I get caught -- which I'll try to avoid -- I'm counting on you to bail
us out, alright?"
The Hollywoodite chief priestess nodded. "Of course."
A grinding noise echoed through the hull. "We're locking alongside,
probably at one of their quarterdeck gangways," Reiko warned.
"How many people might be on hand?" Ranma wondered.
Seiko's eyes glowed as she directed her telepathic powers towards the
patrol monitor. "There's about forty people within ten metres of us
right now, Ranma. I . . . " She then grinned. "Good. Elle's
waiting."
"Perfect." Ataru stared at Seiko and Sakiko. "Keep the use of your
powers to a minimum. They might expect it from Reiko-chan and Kaneko-
chan, but not you. Same deal as with the Staff." He nodded towards
Hinako in emphasis.
Marie shuddered. "Be careful, Aniue-sama."
"Everyone, let's get to the bridge," Miree ordered, waving those
remaining behind through the door into the sloop's pilotage.
"Watch your back, Ranma-chan," Shinshi warned.
"I'll be cool," Ranma assured before she slipped under the ki cloak.
The grinding came to a halt. A clanging noise echoed. Ataru waved
the others with him to the gangway. Sakiko slipped up to the airlock
controls, nodding on seeing the readout. "Soft seal, Darling. We can
go in."
She tapped controls to open the lock. Ataru blinked as the darker
light of the Noukiite ship was instantly chased away by a tidal wave
of bright light flooding in from the Ellsian monitor. His eyes
adjusted to the light as he stepped aboard the "Rose Emperor," finding
himself in a breezeway leading to a circular reception area. Placing
Reiko and Kaneko before him, he motioned his daughters forward.
Seiko, Sakiko and Chikage fell in behind him, the invisible Ranma
behind them. "Let's go," he whispered, waving the others with him.
Behind them, the "Windrider's" airlock automatically closed. The
small crowd boarding the "Rose Emperor" ignored it as they stepped out
of the breezeway onto the monitor's quarterdeck. Around them stood
nearly three platoons worth of security troops, stun rifles at port
arms. By the main doors leading into the remainder of the ship, there
stood a familiar figure in a lime green battlesuit. "Oh! Hello
again, Captain!" Ataru hailed with a smile on remembering the first
Ellsian he had met a lifetime ago at Tomobiki High's clock tower.
"It's been a while. Oh!" He caught himself, placing his hands on his
daughters' shoulders. "Permission to come aboard."
The woman blinked. "Um . . .! Ah, granted, Mr. Groom!
Granted . . . "
Her voice was cut off as the door behind her opened. "Honey!"
Reiko and Kaneko ducked as a white-and-red blur slammed into Ataru.
Fortunately, since he was the only man standing on the quarterdeck at
the time, Elle didn't repeat the faux pas she made when she first
encountered Ataru (then accompanied by some of his classmates) back in
Baran. "Hey!" Ataru grunted as the Rose Queen squeezed him. "Take it
easy, Elle-chan! I need to breathe!"
Elle pulled back to give him a close look, a finger reaching up to
stroke his beard. "This IS a great improvement," she cooed with
delight, leaning in to rub her nose on the end of his chin. "It's
been so long, Honey! I'm so delighted you've decided to come join
me!"
He wriggled his eyebrows. "Well, much that I hate to remind you, you
didn't give me much of a choice, I'm afraid."
"Oh, don't worry about that!" Elle made a dismissive wave with her
hand. "They're all safe and sound, Honey. You needn't fear . . . "
Her voice then trailed off as she saw the young girls flanking Ataru.
"Who . . .?"
"Ah, sorry!" He then made introductions.
Elle's eyes widened. "Your daughters?!" she gasped before kneeling
to gaze upon them. "Oh, they're so precious! And Yekhu, too!" She
tapped their golden sun caste tattoos. "Well, only the best for
Honey's babies, eh?"
Reiko stared up at Ataru. "She's really pretty, Papa."
He nodded as Elle straightened herself. "That she's always been."
He leaned forward, his nose flaring slightly. "You remembered."
Elle's cheeks reddened. "You remembered for me, Honey . . . "
"I was happy to. Oh, good grief, I forgot!" He then turned around
to indicate Chikage. "Since you've already met some of my sisters,
here's another. Elle-chan, this is Chikage. Chikage, Elle."
Chikage curtly nodded. "Elle."
"A p-pl-pleasure, Ch-chi-Chikage-chan," the Rose Queen sputtered, a
shiver running through her as the sorceress' dark eyes seemed to bore
into her very soul. She then turned back to Ataru. "But Honey, where
are Negako-chan, Marie-chan and Hinako-chan? And who are . . .?"
She indicated the Izumo sisters. Seiko and Sakiko then introduced
themselves. "One of the people you kidnapped from Tomobiki is my
girlfriend, Fujinami Ryuunosuke," the latter announced, keeping her
voice level as she fought down the urge to lash out at this sub-
creature. "A lot of people are very upset with you right now because
of what you did, Your Majesty."
Elle made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Well, it was necessary.
Besides, all the incidents provoked by the Devil's Daughter living
there were far worse. And from what I've heard from them, you
yourself don't seem to care too much about what happens to them,
Honey." She gazed knowingly at Ataru.
"What do you expect?" Ataru shrugged, sensing Seiko quiver at Elle's
barb. "If it wasn't Lum they were fawning over, it was Mendou." His
eyebrow then arched. "Oh, speaking of which, what about him? Will
you send him into the Refrigerator with the rest of your collection?"
"No, of course not." Elle then gave Ataru a thoughtful look.
"Unless you want me to dispose of him myself, Honey . . . "
Ataru shook his head. "Nah, don't bother. Living well's the best
revenge, after all. And he DOES have to get married this Saturday or
else he'll get tossed out of his family. I don't want him to miss
that."
The Rose Queen then tittered. "An odd revenge, indeed!" She took a
deep breath before snapping her fingers. "Ladies!"
The guards instantly levelled their rifles on Ataru and his party.
"I guessed you'd try that." He then barked, "NOW!"
Two telekinetically propelled waves of compressed air slammed into
the guards and the captain, sending them flying into the bulkheads.
The air behind Elle fizzled, revealing Ranma. "***KACHUU TENSHIN
AMAGURIKEN!***" she barked as she rained a storm of punches into
Elle's back, sending her flying against the glass bulkhead beside the
breezeway leading to the "Windrider."
* * *
"PIG-TAILED GIRL!"
Everyone shrieked as Kunou leapt to his feet, and then he lunged for
the balcony. Yanking out a spare bokken, the kendou-ka roared as he
unleashed his storm of righteous vengeance on the door. "***THE BLUE
THUNDER WILL SAVE YOU, MY PIG-TAILED ONE!***" he bellowed as the door
exploded from the air pressure.
Kunou lunged through, racing off with a determined scream. The crowd
left on the main deck of the containment room gaped at the sight.
Yotsuba then turned to her sisters. "Um . . . do we follow him out?!"
People exchanged looks. Noting this after she slipped the last of
the pistols she had brought with her into the waistband of Shinobu's
skirt, Tomo then tapped her communicator. "Yomi, this is Tomo!
Something's happening! You got that damned transporter working or
what?!"
"Just a second . . . " echoed in her ear, and then a belching noise
nearly popped Tomo's eardrum. "Oh, DAMN . . .!"
"What?!"
"The transporter buffer's blown! Interference from those concussion
missiles Ataru-sama fired from his ship!"
Tomo sighed, her head drooping. "It's always something . . .!"
"HEY!"
The Internal Security master chief's head snapped up just as a
panicked scream echoed from her left by the balcony. Her eyes locked
on a tall, brown-haired woman who currently had one of Ataru's old
classmates in a headlock, a pistol pointed at the back of her head.
"Momoe-chan!" Gekasawa Kumiko cried out on seeing her beloved friend
being held at gunpoint by Seven Bake Rose.
"Oh, ki . . .!" Tomo muttered under her breath.
Yeah, it was ALWAYS something!
* * *