"LUNAR: Tales From Crystal Tokyo"
LUNAR:
Tales From Crystal Tokyo
By
Daryll Pung
Episode
1-04: Livin' On The Edge
Rated:
R
Sorcerer
Basic Military Training Ground, Planet Mars, Sol system, 21 March 2736
It was dry, hot, and dusty.
The terraforming of Mars had still left the red planet with a vast area
of desert. Studies showed that the
exact type of environmental conditions present in the Red Planet's deserts were
the perfect for the testing and training of the newest recruits for the Golden
Millennium.
Zach didn't mind.
The sky still carried a faint reddish color, though it was really only
noticeable at dawn or dusk. Otherwise,
it was a light purple color, almost gray. He
knew some spots on Mars could be likened to a jungle paradise on Earth; the
planet overall was very warm. Zach's
mind wandered as he stood on the arrival platform, waiting with other recruits.
He remembered the frantic packing, the hurried departure, and the stunned
look of his 'family'. At the last
though, at least Mary had had one constructive thing to say.
"Good luck, although I don't think you'll need it.
I always knew you were special, different. I think I may have just gotten frustrated when it wasn't
obvious."
He mulled over that statement. He
shook his head.
Who cares anymore? he thought.
I'm making my own way now.
I determine my future. It'll
be better than that ever was! How
hard can it be?
He noted the last shuttle venting; and then it lifted vertically off the
ground.
I wonder how the anti-grav works? he thought.
All his life he had been like that, wondering, always wondering.
It was what had let him become a skilled hacker.
Wondering about something usually led to a desire to conquer it, and so
it had been.
He again thought about the fact he was regarded as a prodigy.
He recalled that there were only two types: musical and mathematical,
although some reasoned that since music was heavily math-oriented, there was
only one type. So where did they
get off on saying he was a magical prodigy...?
Oh yeah. Magic was just
another form of math, with excellent imagination and control added to the mix.
Was that what they meant?
He wasn't given a chance to ponder further.
"Attention!" called a voice.
Then he caught his first glimpse of the person who spoke.
"King Endymion," he gasped.
"Listen up!" addressed the tall, dark-haired man.
His breastplate armor gleamed in the lowering sun; his sword hung in a
scabbard by his waist. He surveyed
the now-quiet group. Zach glanced
down and had to grin; it was weird having three shadows. The sun was now low enough on the horizon that Phobos and
Demios were beginning to reflect the sun's light.
He had heard stories of what multiple moons could do to disorient those
who traveled at night in such places... he jerked his attention back to the task
at hand.
"I don't know who you are. Right
now, quite frankly, I don't care. You
are nobody until you prove otherwise. This
portion of your training is the physical; over the next eight weeks you will
learn to shoot, climb and jump. Your
bodies will be punished; your self-control and egos will be challenged.
You will learn essentials of survival.
Only those who pass this course will proceed into the ranks of
Sorcerers," Endymion declared in firm, ringing tones.
"Now meet your squad leaders," he said, a wicked grin on his
face. Apparently Endymion had a
sense of humor, too.
Zach gulped at the hulking, red-haired man-brute who approached the group
he was with.
"Hello, ladies," he said, in a deep voice.
Zach immediately regretted his earlier thought about how easy it would
be.
Nebular
Artifact NAX-1701, near the Sabaat system, 21 March 2736
The
Demon
He glared at his officers,
paying attention to the reports and data. He
never let on how much he actually needed, and even enjoyed, these planning
sessions.
"And we think there may actually be two scout ships," finished
his data analysis officer.
"Excuse me?" asked his first officer, snapping at the officer
in question. "Based on what data?"
"The starship scouting the nebula is transmitting a continuous, high
band signal. The nature of the
signal-" she began, only to be interrupted by the first officer.
"We've already been over this!" he roared.
"The signal in question can easily reach their Sabaat Array.
And it makes sense that with all the disturbances, they are trying to
keep closer tabs on their ships!"
"But!" she sputtered.
"That's enough out of you!" he threatened.
"We've already looked at all the aspects; that probability had such
a low rating it's not to be considered!"
"What was the probability?" he asked.
The room went dead silent.
"Lord, it has a 0.0001% chance of being true," he said.
"Hmmm. And what ship is
it?" he asked, tapping his fingers. His
crew was getting anxious at that.
"Umm, the SLS Draco, Lord," she said.
"Ah, Serenity's raising the stakes, huh?
The esteemed Sailor Sirius and her logical companion, Sailor
Vulcan," he said. The tapping
ceased. "First."
"Lord?" he replied.
"I believe that sooner or later, such an occurrence may happen. Prepare for anything, because you just never know.
I will leave the planning in your hands."
He rose. "Just one more
thing. Do not underestimate our
adversaries; remember what that damned destroyer did to us.
This ship has that same potential..."
He turned.
"Maybe more."
The bio-doors slicked shut behind him, and the remaining officers sighed
in relief. The data analysis
officer sat back, a sneer on her face. She
knew the First Officer would dismiss the possibility of two ships.
Whereas she was almost dead certain he would be wrong.
The
SLS Draco
Sailor Sirius leaned back with a stretch and a yawn.
She glanced down at the hand-written notes on the handheld microcomp
sitting on the desk. She found it
easier to simply write her thoughts rather than speak them aloud.
Sailor Sirius glanced sideways, noting the bright colors of the nebula,
with the crackling energy flashing and rippling through it.
A few proto-stars dotted it, here and there. The environment was actually quite conducive to creative
thought; if it weren't for the fact that somewhere out there an enemy vessel
lurked, waiting to strike. She set
her laser pen down.
She pushed away from her desk, and stepped to the transparent crystal
window. She gazed at the
surrounding splendor for a moment, then at the wall chrono.
It was 2312. In less than
one hour, the Pleiades would be moving in for their rotation.
She straightened her bow in the mirror, and walked to the lift.
It hissed open, and she stepped in.
This one didn't have to be commanded, for it only went one place.
It opened, and she stepped out onto a quiet bridge.
Sailor Vulcan was also off duty, though she would be taking her place on
the bridge at 2330.
Lt. Cmdr. Petrovich glanced over, rising out of the big chair as Draco
announced, "Captain on the bridge!"
"As you were," said Sailor Sirius.
She glanced at the screen. Scrolling
data sped across the two secondary screens, and complicated overlays decorated
the main screen, which had a view of the nebula.
"Anything of interest?" she asked.
She made no move towards the chair, standing near the back, arms crossed.
Em relaxed in the big chair. "Well,
ma'am, the science department thinks a pattern may be emerging in the field
variances of the background energy and tachyon fields.
Once such a pattern is determined, we will be able to scan more
effectively, allowing us to get a better grasp on the resources and any other
anomalies there is to find."
"That's good news," smiled Sailor Sirius as the other door
hissed open, and Sailor Vulcan entered. Her
eyes registered her surprise at seeing Sailor Sirius on the bridge at the
current time, but otherwise the only response was a single raised eyebrow.
She gave Sailor Sirius a nod, then moved to Em, who was already standing.
"I relieve you, Lieutenant Commander Petrovich," said Sailor
Vulcan formally.
"The bridge is yours, Sailor Vulcan," said Em, standing at
attention. They exchanged a salute,
and both relaxed. "The ship is
code green across the board, and the science department is hard at work.
Have a good shift, ma'am."
"Good night," said Sailor Vulcan as Em departed, concealing a
yawn. Sailor Vulcan glanced at Sailor Sirius.
"Should you be awake?"
"I couldn't sleep," admitted Sailor Sirius.
"And working on my manuscript wasn't helping."
"You are worried," said Sailor Vulcan, leaning back.
"Yeah, I am. I can't
help but think that maybe the enemy has already moved on, leaving us wasting our
time. At the same token though... I
don't think they have. As a matter
of fact, I think they're near. I
think this nebula may be where they built whatever it was they built, and
they'll defend it as long as we keep coming," sighed Sailor Sirius.
Sailor Vulcan looked thoughtful. "I
had not considered that possibility. Logical.
It would explain much."
Sailor Sirius grinned. "Nobody's
perfect."
"Speak for yourself," said Draco.
Sailor Sirius groaned. "Where
the hell is his plug? I want to
pull it!"
"Pleiades approaching!" reported the ops officer, hiding
a smile.
Sorcerer
Basic Military Training Ground, Planet Mars, Sol system, 17 June 2736
"Zachary Thomas."
Upon hearing his name, Zach took a single step forward.
He saluted.
His Training Instructor nodded. "You
have done well." He turned,
and an assistant handed him a bundle. He
held it to Zach. Topmost was the
rank insignia of a Cadet. It sat
upon the microcomputer spellbook, on top of the uniform of a Sorcerer.
"I now promote you. You
are now a Cadet. Have you decided
upon a name?" he asked.
Zach smiled. "I have
indeed." He remembered some of
the things he'd read. He knew that
it was now fairly widely known that he had hacked the CP AI.
It was also fairly widely known that the CP staff had revamped the
defenses of that same AI.
"I choose... Derrelli," Zach said.
He noted the surprise, and the creeping smile on his TI's face.
"Cadet Derrelli. Congratulations."
He saluted, which Zach returned, and moved on.
Zach, no... he was Derrelli now. He
smiled.
He was on his way. He
already carried the blaster rifle and pistol of his rank.
Now he had the rest of the accoutrements.
He was a deadly shot, having acquired two marksmanship medals already.
His hair was now short-cropped. He
was trim, built, and fit. His mind
was now the only thing requiring training, and at 0800 on the morrow, he would
report to the spaceport for reassignment to the Academy of Sorcery on Luna.
He gazed at the rank insignia.
He looked forward to what was next.
He heard the command. He
snapped to attention, holding his gear with one hand while he saluted with the
other. The anthem of the Golden
Millennium began to play, and the flag, white with a golden upturned crescent
moon, fluttered in the breeze. On
command, the entire troop turned to face the flag as the strains of the music
carried to the climax.
"Dismissed, and congratulations!"
Derrelli immediately turned and raced for the dorm, eager to try on his
uniform and insignia, and customize his spellcomp.
It didn't take him long to put it on, and he glanced in the mirror as he
placed his insignia where it was supposed to go.
All he could think as he stood before the mirror is how good he looked in
the uniform he was so proud to wear. He
was aware that he owed much to those who gave him this chance.
It was time to begin earning his keep.
Nebular
Artifact NAX-1701, near the Sabaat system, 17 June 2736
The
Demon
"And for our approach vector, we'll cut through the nebula, though
not from the same angle. A little
higher than before," First said.
"And the other ship?" he asked.
"Lord, that possibility is so remote as to not be considered,"
he said. "I don't care what
that pompous, obsessed woman thinks, it won't happen."
He raised an eyebrow. "So
you take responsibility if she's right?"
First gave an exasperated gasp. "Yes,
Lord! If there is a second ship, I
take full responsibility!"
He nodded gravely. "I
am glad that matter is put to rest. I
find nothing wrong with your planning. How
are you intending to attack?"
"Same as before. It's
the only thing I don't recommend changing.
If we take out that damned TPA before they use it, we'll be quite
successful," First said. "Are
these plans to your taste?" For
his part, First wasn't quite sure why he was being allowed to plan the raid. Normally, the person who was staring at him through steepled
fingers was the one doing the planning. He
would be the one to implement them, after all.
He was in command, not First.
So why was he doing the planning?
Not that he complained. It
was a way to get noticed and promoted.
Unless...?
He shook it off.
"They are indeed. Make
sure the bridge knows what the plan is. Turn
us towards the nebula, one-half speed. Standby
alert; let me know when we are within range of the nebula," he commanded.
First saluted neatly, in the way of their people, across the chest. "Yes,
He probably would have been most disconcerted to see the evil grin on his
superior's face.
The
SLS Pleiades
A white surge of energy merged into a counter-spiral and condensed into
the scout ship Pleiades, as the nimble vessel re-entered normal space around the
planetoid, fresh off its rotation.
"Telemetry?" asked Sailor America.
She yawned from the big chair, acting casual.
"We are receiving a good signal from the Draco,"
reported Erika.
Sailor America gazed at the screen. "Good."
The view of the nebula from this distance was still quite impressive.
She sighed, wanting to go surprise Sailor Orion, although deep down she
felt that if there were an attack, it would be soon.
Her mind wrestled with her options.
She sighed again as duty won. She
couldn't leave fellow Senshi out on a limb.
Besides, they could have a little fun in a few hours, and... what was the
old saying?
Oh, yeah. "Good things
come to those who wait," she murmured.
The brunette shook herself vigorously, attempting to stay focused.
She ignored the knowing looks of the bridge crew, and the chuckle from
Antares.
The
SLS Draco
She drummed her fingers restlessly on the armrest of the chair. Sirius leaned back, trying to get comfortable.
She was uneasy.
It was too quiet. By the
time frames of the previous attack, they could be in combat very soon.
She hated the waiting. It
was the worst part. She gazed at
the nebula.
"What secrets are you hiding?" Sailor Sirius asked quietly.
She stood, for another quick tour of the bridge.
She knew her worry was beginning to affect the crew, and that was bad. You could feel the tension in the air. She strolled lazily around, giving an air of boredom,
although she was pretty sure everyone could see through the lie.
She paused by the science console.
"Did you decode those field variances yet?" she asked.
"Still working it, ma'am," said the young man in green.
Sailor Sirius gave a nod. "Be
interesting to actually see the quantities of resources in this nebula, and set
up a harvesting station. Then we
could actually continue our deep-space scouting."
She continued on her way, after a reassuring pat on the back.
How best to deal with this? she wondered.
Sailor Sirius frowned thoughtfully.
She had an idea she wanted to kick around, and therefore she needed her
First Officer. "Sailor Sirius
to Sailor Vulcan," she said aloud.
There was a brief pause, then: "Sailor Vulcan here."
"If you're not too busy, would you please come to the bridge? I have a few things I want to discuss with you," said
Sailor Sirius.
"Enroute," came the reply.
Barely a minute passed before the lift door to the bridge hissed open,
and the tall, dark haired Senshi stepped onto the bridge.
Soon, the two were deep in conversation.
The
Demon
The bio-doors parted, allowing him onto the bridge.
He strode with his customary long stride to his chair.
He sat, gaze sweeping the bridge.
"Battle Alert! Speed to
max! Arm all weapons and raise the
shielding!" he commanded. His
first stood nearby.
"As before, target the TPA," First ordered.
"Approach vector as per the plan, go now!"
He didn't notice the measuring look his superior was giving him, although
he did see the smirk on the data analysis officer's face.
He gazed at his first. He's
getting too cocky, to big for his britches.
I'm gonna have to rein him in, soon.
He wrenched his attention back to the main screen, even as the immense
ship shuddered from the initial entry into the crackling nebula.
The ship's shielding showed as a dark violet energy field against the
surrounding brightness. Crackling
energy sizzled around them and against them.
"Time for the hunt," he grinned, displaying pointed teeth.
The
SLS Draco
Sailor Sirius grinned, at something Sailor Vulcan had just said. She enjoyed using Sailor Vulcan as a sounding board, bouncing
ideas off of her and having her try and punch holes or try the logicality- was
that a word?- of it out.
She glanced at the view of the nebula, and turned back to the discussion.
She blinked, and looked hard at the view.
Her expression became one of uncertainty.
What in the name of Serenity is that? she wondered, staring hard
at the screen, at the growing dark spot in the brightness of the nebula. Dread suddenly filled her, as she realized-
Dark Kingdom ships were black!
Sailor Sirius swung around fully, resting her hands on the railing.
"Red Alert! Hard about,
all ahead full, sublight!" she snapped, jumping over the railing to her
chair.
"Captain?" Em asked, confused.
She was already initiating the commands, and sirens went off.
"Red Alert, Red Alert, all hands to battlestations," intoned
Draco repeatedly.
As the Draco settled on its new heading, and leapt forward, a
green beam blazed past, narrowly missing. The
bridge crew all blinked.
"Oh, shit!" snapped Em. "Sensors
showing a DK battleship emerging from the nebula!"
If the situation hadn't been so grim, Sailor Sirius would have been
certain she would see a look of gratification in Sailor Vulcan's eyes.
She had guessed it, after all.
"Initiate search parameters! Burst
signal, to the Pleiades! Evasive
action! Come right to heading 056, mark 25!" ordered Sailor Sirius.
The Draco responded instantly, coming to its new heading and
moving erratically.
"We're being jammed! We
can't contact the Pleiades!" gasped Em.
Sailor Sirius frowned. "Sean,
step it up. Make sure they don't
hit us!"
Sean grinned. "Aye,
captain," he said, fingers dancing over the controls.
The view on the screen began rotating wildly, accompanied by spurts of
vertical and horizontal movement, and green beams missing them.
There were a lot of green beams, from many angles.
The combination of factors was enough to make anyone queasy.
"Tactical view," said Sailor Sirius.
"Is the TPA ready?"
"Yes!" came the reply.
Now she just needed an opportunity to use it...
The
SLS Pleiades
"Uh, Sailor America?" asked J.J. quietly.
She swung her head. "Yes?"
"We've just lost the signal from the Draco," he
reported.
She stood. "Any
degradation? Or did it simply cut
off?"
"It just ended," elaborated J.J.
"No warning, no good reason for it."
Sailor America suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Can we raise them?"
"I'm getting nothing but static," reported Erika.
Sailor America blinked. "Static?
Normal comm failure generally results in nothing at all..." she
trailed off. "Oh, damn!
That's jamming!"
"I would agree," said Antares.
Sailor America moved quickly now. "Red
Alert! Sailor Orion to the bridge!
Set your course for the nebula, RIFT jump, all ahead full!"
The sirens blared as Sailor America stared at the screen in worry.
"Let's hope we're not too late," she said quietly.
The
Demon
"Damn!" gritted First's teeth.
"They spotted us! Fucking
Senshi!"
The viewscreen showed the Draco... or attempted to.
It was moving all over the place, in no discernable pattern.
Their gravity beams hadn't hit it yet.
Well, there was another option.
"Prepare a spread of torpedoes!
Fire when ready!"
The
SLS Draco
"Captain!" shouted the tactical officer.
"They're preparing to fire Negatorps!"
Sailor Sirius blinked. "Screen
3!" It flashed to a view of
the enemy battleship, and the crackling darkness that any second would discharge
the lethal torpedoes...
Sailor Vulcan was already sitting at the special TPA console, arms in the
braces, and hands in the proper sockets. Energy
hummed faintly as she prepared to fire on a moment's notice.
But Negatorps were fast. Like
the RSN's "death ray", only larger DK ships could carry the generators
necessary. Unfortunately, a single
Negatorp stood a good chance of taking out all of their shielding. They counteracted any energy field...
And were counteracted by any. That's
how they were usually dealt with, by pinpoint blaster fire. The Draco didn't have the necessary amount of
blasters, but there was a good deal of energy around...
Sailor Sirius made a snap decision.
"Helm, into the nebula! High-energy
turn, now!" She grabbed on the
railing as the ship abruptly settled, and swerved, right under their humongous
adversary, racing for the safety of the nebula. Several beams scored direct hits, rocking them, even as the
salvo of torpedoes rippled out, following and gaining on them.
As the Draco swooped underneath the big ship, several beams of
bright yellow energy lanced out, drilling into the larger ship's dark shielding.
The torpedoes closed as the larger ship settled, and began its turn to
follow them in.
The Draco rocked as they pierced the gaseous border of the nebula.
Screen 3 still showed an aft view, of the dangerously close torpedoes.
Crackling energy swept over them, and suddenly screen 3 showed a massive
explosion as the energy types canceled each other out.
Draco bounced around from the impact, with everyone clutching
something. Green beams streaked
through the explosion and impacted with bone-jarring force.
"Shields level 1 is down! Level
2 at 33%!" reported tactical.
It was then Sailor Sirius realized that they gave a perfect cross-section
target by going perfectly straight. "Helm-"
An explosion interrupted her, as a full salvo of the immense quantity of
green beams scored direct hits on the Draco.
The scout ship bucked, smoke and sparks filled the bridge.
Sailor Sirius tumbled, her hold on the railing disrupted.
She hit her head as she fell. She
staggered back up, waving away the smoke, staggering to her chair.
She fell into it, one hand to her forehead, feeling the moist warmth of
slick blood trickling down.
"Helm, hard to port!" she commanded.
"Damage report!"
"Shock damage to all major systems!
Shields to layer 3, 67% remaining!
"You're bleeding!" gasped Em.
"It can wait!" snapped Sailor Sirius.
"If we stay in here much longer, it'll be suicide!
Besides, if they're in here as well, they can't jam us!
Plot an erratic course out of here!"
"Aye, captain!" replied Em, as another salvo of tunneling beam
fire bracketed them. The Draco
gave a violent heave, as another shower of sparks rained down upon them.
"We can't take much more of this!" shouted Sean.
The
SLS Pleiades
The quick RIFT jump terminated, and the blinding white flash resolved
with a counterspiral into the Pleiades.
"Ma'am, no sign of any enemy!" came the report from J.J. They were in the fringes of the nebula, but that didn't stop
them from seeing the dispersing red ion trail of the Draco's fusion
drive, as well as the sinister green trail of their enemy.
"Sensors show intense negative energy, as well as massive tunneling
beam fire," reported Erika. "I
believe the negative signature is from Negatorpedoes, ma'am. It appears that Sailor Vulcan was right.
Such quantities of weapon output could only come from a DK
battleship."
Sailor Orion grimaced. "So,
where are they? Did they get the Draco?"
"I don't think so, ma'am," said J.J.
"No debris," agreed Erika.
"Hmm..." thought Sailor Orion.
"So, they're in the nebula, then?"
"I would think that the most likely explanation, ma'am," said
Erika.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do..." said Sailor Orion
thoughtfully.
The
Demon
The big ship shuddered as they avoided a proto-star, weaving around,
trying to lock on to the fleeing, evading scout ship.
The skill of his quarry gave him a thrill, leading him on this merry
chase.
It would soon be over, however. He
glanced at his First. The man was
grinning fiercely.
"Negatorps charged, Lord," came the report.
"We are ready to fire again."
"Keep herding them out of the nebula with tunneling beams," he
ordered. "Once we're both
clear of the nebula, nail them with torps.
Keep them in the middle of the tunneling beams... and let them have
it!"
"Yes, Lord!" came the reply.
"They're down to the last layer of shielding, Lord!" came
another report.
"Good," he grinned.
The
SLS Draco
"We're out of the nebula! They're
right behind us!" shouted Em. She
looked up anxiously as the next bit of information scrolled up.
"Captain, they're ready to fire torpedoes!"
Em reported anxiously, and then looked up to see Sailor Sirius look up
from her wrist, where her communicator was open.
"Very well! Helm; come
left to heading 321 mark 10! Prepare
for high-energy hard about and combat!" Sailor Sirius commanded with a
grin.
"What?!" blinked Sean as he complied.
"Captain, what the hell's going on?"
"Wait a few and see!" Sailor Sirius replied.
The
Demon
"Clearing now! Lord,
the target appears to have stopped!"
"What?" he said, standing.
It was at the moment when he saw the scout ship waiting for him that he
had the first inkling of trouble. It
was confirmed moments later, when another scout ship suddenly pulled out from
behind the first, rising above the injured one with...
Fire glinting along the front of it.
"Lord, it's a trap!"
The
SLS Pleiades
Sailor America gritted her teeth, feeling the energy of the powered-up
TPA building. It drained her dangerously, but as the Pleiades pulled
level with the target, she realized the time was right.
"American... STARS AND STRIPES!"
The
SLS Draco
"Now!" called Sailor Sirius.
Sailor Vulcan allowed the device to draw upon her as she focused her
will.
"Vulcan Shockwave... STRIKE!"
The
Demon
Even as a rain of fiery stars detonated the load of charged Negatorps
while they were still in the launcher, and the fire began to char the outer
hull, the second scout ship dove underneath the first; and as it rose, a golden
ball of shimmering energy surrounded it, and then blazed forth, right at them.
The ship was already rocking from the impact of the fire attack, with
smoke filling the bridge, as it shook again, knocking everyone off his or her
feet. The sonic blast shattered
instrumentation and panels everywhere, and left everyone but him temporarily
stunned.
"Retract the bridge! Hard
about! Retreat!" he commanded,
staggering to his feet, ignoring the black blood pouring from a cut on his hand.
He could feel the first command being followed as the bridge shuddered,
then quickly dropped. Rage came
over him, as the first damage reports came in.
"They're still attacking!" came the report.
The big ship once again blazed through the nebula, trailing dark ichor
and fragments of its hull. A gaping
hole was now where the torpedo launcher had been, and the rest of the vessel was
severely damaged.
By a pair of measly scout ships, one heavily injured.
The thought drove him to irrational fury, and he glared at his First.
"You took full responsibility," he said as the ship jumped out
of normal space.
"Lord, I-" he stammered.
He never got to finish. The
captain of the wounded Demon raised his hand, energy blazing, and
released it. The blast slammed First into the wall, where he exploded from
the energy. Even as the last guts
splattered to the floor, he glanced over to the data analysis officer.
"You've just been promoted. Clean
up this mess." He turned and
stalked out.
"Yes, Lord," she said shakily as the bio-doors hissed shut
behind him.
The
SLS Draco
Sailor Sirius watched with a grin as the Pleiades made a final
pass at the now-fleeing battleship. There
was a clunk as a piece of that ship grazed their shields, and streams of black
ichor trailed by. Bright yellow
beams from the Pleiades' blaster arrays caused even more secondary
explosions to blossom on the DK ship's hull.
Suddenly, its engines glowed a bright green, and energy blazed forth,
enveloping the ship, and then it disappeared from view.
The Pleiades came back around, flying towards the Draco, as
Vulcan relaxed, disengaging herself from the TPA.
"All right!" whooped Sailor Sirius.
She glanced at Sailor Vulcan, whose face bore a faint smile.
"Oh yeah, Draco?" she said, glancing around the charred bridge.
The last vestiges of smoke were now being sucked out. "Please tell me you accessed its databanks."
The air reeked of fire.
"I did indeed," he said.
"Casualties?" she asked.
Em replied, smudges on her face. "Minor
injuries, some burns, some smoke inhalation, Captain. Nothing too serious."
"Damage report?" she asked.
"Compiling the list now, ma'am," said Em, shaking her head with
a smile.
Sailor Sirius glanced up. "Our
enemy?"
"Fleeing like a scalded dog, tail between its legs, Captain,"
reported tactical. "I bet they
hate the fact two mere scout ships just kicked their ass! Damage to them was extensive.
I daresay another round of fire and we would have destroyed them."
Sailor Sirius gave the bridge crew a big grin.
She was reminded of something she had forgotten, as she looked down at
the red splatter marks on her fuku. It
was almost fully healed already.
"By the Crystal!" she said with a grin.
"I would've loved to talk to that captain face-to-face as we pounded
him. You know what I would have
said?"
"What?" asked Sailor Vulcan.
Sailor Sirius grinned, and struck a pose.
"Have a nice day!"
STAY
TUNED!