"LUNAR: Tales From Crystal Tokyo"
LUNAR:
Tales From Crystal Tokyo
By
Daryll Pung
Episode
1-05: As The Moon Turns
Rated:
R
Nebular
Artifact NAX-1701, near the Sabaat system, 18 June 2736
The
SLS Draco
The doors hissed open, and Tanya walked in.
Talia, Jen, and Eileen were already in the briefing room, relaxing out of
their Senshi forms for a while. There
were still a few char marks on the walls; when walking from the shuttlebay, the
pair from the Pleiades noted the damage from the enemy ship's attack was
everywhere, and quite extensive. She
tossed the microcomputer she held onto the table.
"How's repairs coming?" asked Jen.
Tanya sighed. "Still
working on it. Most of the
important systems are fixed. A lot
of the support systems are still erratic or offline; that's not even including
cosmetic damage. Fortunately,
injuries were minor." All four
wore the uniforms of the RSN, with their captain's rank proudly displayed.
"I doubt that battleship will return any time in the near
future," came the calm voice of Talia.
"And we can thank the Crystal for that!
Anyway, the reason for this meeting is to discuss the data downloaded
from the Demon," stated Tanya.
The other three sat up. "The
Demon? That was its
name?" said Eileen.
Tanya sat down. "Yep.
The DK battleship Demon, under the command of Lord
"WHAT!" exclaimed Jen and Eileen, while Talia merely blinked. "How dare they!"
Talia looked thoughtful, as she cocked her head.
"Colonize a planet, build defensive stations, the better to further
protect whatever is hidden. It also
gives them ample reason to go to war for this patch of space, which we have not
truly claimed. There is the
additional benefit of almost a direct path to the Sol system."
"We must go to headquarters with this!" hissed Eileen.
"Agreed," said Talia. "I
would also suggest that since the Demon now knows that there are two of
us, we stay together. The rotation
idea is no longer viable; their next assault will be plotted to get us
both."
"Then let's advise fleet HQ right away, and make plans for the next
time the Demon rears its ugly head!" Jen said forcefully. "It's unlikely we'll get assistance any time soon... the
fleet is stretched pretty thin. It's
gonna come down to us... or them."
Crystal
Tokyo Spaceport, Planet Luna, Sol system, 18 June 2736
Derrelli stared out of the window as the sun's rays burst over the
horizon, highlighting the area he was now approaching.
The lush green forests, crystal-clear lakes, and brilliant patches of
colored roses paled in comparison to the massive crystalline structuring of
Crystal Tokyo.
He thought for a moment, remembering that Crystal Tokyo had been on Luna
now for just over a hundred years. The
original Crystal Tokyo, in Japan, still existed; however, it was now a huge
resort, with many theme parks, museums, parks, zoos, and tourist traps. CT Japan had become the Smithsonian Institution of the GM.
CT Luna, on the other hand, was the capital. It was built close to the
original palace of the Silver Millennium, which was the only spot on Luna not
terraformed. A force field
contained the area, and it was a national monument.
(It was fairly well known that while many visited the area, the Planetary
Senshi, King Endymion, and Neo-Queen Serenity I herself almost never did.)
He blinked as the shuttle banked, and some of the light reflecting from
CT momentarily blinded him. The
shuttle's course now carried him and his fellows towards a complex of low, long
buildings, arranged in a star-shape. Tall
trees shrouded them, with a well-tended garden in the middle.
A thrill rose in him as they overflew the Academy.
They slowed just outside of the expanse of Crystal Tokyo proper, nosing
down to the spaceport. Moments
later, they began dropping, settling onto the arrival pad.
There was a light thunk as the landing struts dropped, and the shuttle
rotated, the dull whine of the anti-grav slowly fading.
A final thunk indicated contact with the ground as the anti-grav engines
went silent. Then, the Archmage who
was serving as their chaperone stood, reaching to the hatch controls.
As the panel next to the hatch went green, he pressed it, and the hatch
hissed open as the air pressures equalized.
A ramp automatically extended, and he turned to face them.
"Well, this is where we say goodbye.
You will find a personnel officer from the Academy at the base of this
ramp," he said, glancing out the hatch.
"She will be telling you what's going on.
You can all relax slightly. The
hardest part is over; the discipline will not be anything like Basic."
Derrelli nodded; he remembered doing a lot of pushups; extra laps around
the track, and various duties due to his mouth.
He wasn't the only one, he knew. Still,
the added discipline had made it a lot easier to meet the physical requisites
for passing Basic.
"You're here to learn magic now, and the environment is going to
become mostly academic. There will
be weekly group physical workouts; you will be required to put in a daily
allotment by yourselves. Every six
weeks there is weapon practice. Aside
from that, you'll feel like you're in college!" finished their babysitter.
There were a few snickers, as not for a second did anyone believe that
after what they had all just completed. Derrelli
paused, wondering if he was telling the truth.
No daily wake-up at four? More
than ten minutes to wake up? No
more two hours of PT, or the bi-hourly push-up sessions? No more climbing, running, and jumping in the oppressive, dry
heat, with no water until the end of the eight-mile course?
No more burly, weight lifting maniacs in their faces, finding fault with
anything they did? No more extreme cleaning, or orderliness?
No more snapping to attention and saluting everything in sight?
To be able to eat in peace, at one's own pace, without a TI hovering,
snapping at people, making sure that everyone was eating in right angles?
No more marching in formations?
Derrelli found he didn't have a problem with that... if it were true. He was about to find out, he realized. About the only restriction that hadn't really bothered him
was the lack of communication with the outside world.
The first rows stood, and began shuffling toward the hatch.
Derrelli forced himself to be patient.
He was in one of the back rows. He
fought down the excitement, until he was the picture of calm.
He had a long way to go before he was anything like his namesake.
His mind went back to the files he had read from the CP AI. Under directory Time Travel, subdirectory Unusual
Encounters, File: Derrelli. He
knew the entries had been copied from Sailor Mercury's computer. He mentally recited the file:
"Derrelli Grattef-Ranas. A
half-elven magic-user, the red-haired mage's magic is as fiery as his
temperament. Highly intelligent,
cocky, yet loyal and friendly. He
is a borderline pyromaniac. Of all
the forces we witnessed him manipulating, we never saw anything but flame.
Notes: What are the qualities/differences between humans/elves?
Just how does he use what he terms 'magic'?
Is it similar to Sorcerer magic? Age
was given as in his nineties; looked to be in his thirties.
Preferred weapon: a carved staff with a red fire opal gem on its tip.
Final note/question: How and
why did nothing ever seem to catch him by surprise or off balance!?"
Cadet Derrelli smiled, even as he made a promise to himself.
By the Crystal, I will live up to my name, he swore.
His row began to get up, and he followed suit.
He could already smell the sweet scent of Luna's air, fresh and clean,
with the perfect blend of roses (not too overpowering, yet not too faint), and
if sunlight had a taste, it would taste like the air he took a deep breath of.
He glanced up as he exited, and his breath caught in his throat at the
incredible view of Crystal Tokyo, surrounded by its gardens and forests.
Even as he first stepped onto Luna, he knew he would forever remember
this first sight of his new home.
His reverie was suddenly broken as the cadet behind him poked him in the
side. He blinked, and took his
place in formation. Behind them,
the ramp retreated into the shuttle, and as they were marched away, the hissing
steam jets lit off, and as that trailed off the anti-grav drive kicked in and
the shuttle lifted into the busy sky. He
noticed the woman their chaperone had mentioned. She gave the ‘at ease’ signal, and he let his duffel slip
off his shoulder as he softly set it down.
Several hovervans waited, as she turned to address them.
"Listen up! Welcome to
Luna, your home for as long as it takes for you to graduate to Archmage; unless
the higher ups decide to post you to one of the secondary Academies, anyway.
We'll discuss more shortly, for now, break off into elements and get in
those vans! Oh, yeah, one final
thing... relax! This isn't Basic;
remember what you learned there and you'll do just fine!" she finished.
She moved to the lead van, and he grabbed his duffle as he followed the
cadets in front of him into the third van.
Within minutes, the vans were cruising low over the trees, leaving the
busy spaceport behind as the headed for the quiet, secluded Academy.
Crystal
Palace in Crystal Tokyo, Planet Luna, Sol system, 18 June 2736
"You're serious?" asked Sailor Jupiter.
"As a supernova," said Sailor Venus.
She surveyed the ornate meeting room.
"We have no reason to doubt the report of the two ships; especially
as the Draco was so kind as to include the complete sensor records, log
entries, and damage reports of the incident.
We have to seriously consider this a major threat to us."
Sailor Mars leaned back. "So,
what do we intend to do about this? It's
unlikely even those two ships and four Senshi can handle the battleship if it is
prepared for both of them."
Sailor Uranus sighed. "The
fleet is spread pretty thin. I
know, I know. We have a whole lot
of ships under construction, and a bunch of eager new captains, but until they
are all ready this is a serious situation."
"How goes the repairs of the Unicorn?" wondered King Endymion, referring to the heavily damaged cruiser, which had been caught in an
ion storm that had destroyed the DK ship it had been chasing.
"Another month," said Mercury Knight.
These meetings weren't too common, when every Planetary Senshi and Knight
was present with the Queen, King, and Princess.
"Sooner if they can lock down the engine imbalance."
"So do we have to rely on those four?" asked Neptune Knight.
"Granted, they are all dependable, resourceful, and quite capable,
but they are outmatched."
"Especially if the DK ship calls for reinforcements," added
Sailor Saturn gloomily.
Princess Serena laid her head on her hands, listening.
She liked being in the know, but truth be told, she rarely got to do
anything in here. Then she noted
her mother gazing at her thoughtfully.
Neo-Queen Serenity I glanced about.
"Which they probably will," she stated calmly, in response to
Sailor Saturn's comment.
"Do you have an idea, Serenity?" asked Luna politely.
The three familiars hadn't said much up to this point.
Truth be told, it had been a very, very long time since they had been
needed to guide the Senshi. They now served in their original roles as advisors.
"I do indeed. Here is
what we are going to do," she began, and then elaborated.
"It involves the one ship currently doing nothing important, merely
patrolling the inner system."
Before long, heads were nodding around the table.
Nebular
Artifact NAX-1701, near the Sabaat system, 18 June 2736
The
Demon
Heran leaned back, gasping, as the screen darkened and retracted. His door was locked, as it always was when using the mirror
to talk to his higher ups. This was
more for personal security, such as relating to his current condition.
It wouldn't do for his crew to see him in his current state.
As the welts from the... correctional treatment he had just received
began to fade, he sighed, trying to ignore the unfamiliar pain.
As the most successful captain of the DK, he had never before been
punished. The energy ripping
through his body had been most unpleasant, and even as the pain faded, his anger
grew.
At least his request for reinforcements had been granted.
He needed help seeding the planetoid, and defending it, although high
command didn't think it likely the GM could reinforce their two ships.
The scheme up to this point had been fairly successful, and this setback
due to a pair of measly scout ships infuriated him.
"Your time is coming, Draco and Pleiades," he
said quietly, clenching his fists. "I
will personally show you the door to hell!"
Academy
of Sorcery/Crystal Tokyo, Planet Luna, Sol system, 18 June 2736
As the hovervan motorcade moved towards the Academy, Derrelli gazed at
the beautiful scenery. He had seen
the prettier parts of Mars and Earth, but nothing came close to the surroundings
here. Besides, he was more
intimately acquainted with the Martian desert than anything else.
He remembered one of the more memorable combat drills, with the stun-only
blaster rifles...
He ducked low, hitting the red dirt hard, gritting his teeth as his
wrenched right ankle sent spikes of pain up his leg, and the scrape on his left
knee was further irritated. He was
soaked in sweat, and his canteen was already almost empty.
He glanced over the bluff as his partner scuffled back down from the
edge.
They were the trailing element, the rear guard.
The main element was already down in the valley, and it was their job to
make sure that the main element was covered.
He sniffed at the dust raised from his hitting the ground, and he buried
his face in his shoulder, ignoring the filthy uniform as he muffled a cough.
"Anything?" his companion whispered.
They both hated these combat drills, for anyone whom was 'killed' had to
run laps without break until the exercise was over.
And they could last awhile.
He wiped the sweat from his eyes. The
sun was beating down upon them quite harshly.
Parts of the Martian desert shimmered, and a distant dust devil caught
his eye. He gave a quick scan,
ignoring the droplets running off his forehead.
He once again glanced at the boulder field at the far edge of the valley.
They were far from any civilized area, having been air-lifted to this
remote locale. The hunting team was
a group of TIs who ran this exercise ground, and they were good.
He glanced again at the valley, before sweeping the area once more.
His vision locked on movement amongst the boulders.
He quickly triple-tapped his radio trigger, giving the rear element code.
He then triple-tapped again, giving the danger code.
They could both see their squad diving under cover, such as it was.
"Rear, this is Six," came the voice of their squad leader. "What do you see?"
His companion was also looking at the boulder field, and he answered.
"Six, Rear. The enemy
point element is moving through the boulder field.
It doesn't look like they've spotted you yet."
He thought this assessment wrong, and as his companion moved higher to
get a better view, he was about to tell him so.
The enemies they spotted looked to be doing the same thing they were... a
rearguard. As he moved to tell his
companion to stay low, and his theory, a green beam sliced through the air and
laced into his chest, knocking him backwards.
As his 'dead' partner twitched, he dove to one side, rolling down the
hill. Several shots almost nailed
him as he ducked behind the nearest boulder.
"Six, Rear! The enemies
in the boulder field are their rearguard! We're
under fire! Smith's down!
I'm pinned!" he gasped, readying his rifle.
As the first gunman zigzagged to a better position, he pulled the
trigger. He had the satisfaction of
seeing the lead TI drop, twitching.
He had forgotten one thing, as he picked off members of the main enemy
squad. He had forgotten about their
point. As he sighted again, having
taken down eight already, something moved in his peripheral vision. He turned, and fire suddenly overtook his nerves, rendering
his muscles useless. He couldn't
even feel pain as the rifle slid from his now limp, useless fingers. He couldn't even turn his head as he fell.
As he regained consciousness, he noted a TI standing over him.
"Get up!"
He blinked, and struggled to his feet.
He fought the numb feeling, knowing the stun effect was wearing off.
He glanced at the TI, who actually had a faint grin on his face.
"Nice shooting."
"Thank you, sir!" he said, staggering to attention.
"Get moving," the TI said, pointing in the direction of the
exercise area HQ. "It's a long
jog."
He groaned as he set out, abusing his already aching muscles further,
staggering as the numbness still persisted, trying to ignore the dryness in his
throat...
Derrelli shook his head as the caravan came to a stop.
The outside area was shady, and if the truth was indeed being told to
them, he wouldn't have to worry about such heat, thirst, pain, and discomfort
ever again.
However, he didn't put much trust in those feelings.
The training was harsh for a reason, he figured.
He knew that he was now eligible to be deployed to any trouble spots that
could flare up, and that the environments could very well be worse than Mars'
desert.
He was damned if he was going to be unprepared.
As they shuffled off the vans, he noted how comfortable the temperature
was in the shade. They were led
into the nearest building, which turned out to be an auditorium.
They were seated, and the woman walked to the stage.
"Okay, boys, welcome to the Academy.
I'm the personnel officer here; any paperwork or problems will be my
domain." She was average
looking, with the light purplish tint in her dark hair that signified the
atmospheric conditions of Saturn. Even
the blonde people who colonized Saturn had slowly darkened over time. "My name is Gloria Wolenstein, and I'm to see that you
all get settled in. That is the
purpose of this briefing."
She paused, and then outlined what they'd already been told, giving times
and locations for PT and weapons training, as well as the gym.
"You'll meet again here in two days to meet your instructors,"
she continued. "Now, shortly
we will give you a tour here, but first I want to discuss living arrangements.
Many of you noticed that we have a special station here.
That is reserved for a special, one destination train.
The other end is in Crystal Tokyo, near the Palace. Each of you already has a spacious apartment reserved for
you; you may customize as you wish, for these are indeed your homes."
A collection of surprised gasps greeted that statement, but Derrelli
wasn't one of the surprised ones. He
had already known that. He also
knew their pay was most generous, even though it wasn't the unlimited credit
allowed Senshi and full-fledged Sorcerers.
She began passing out microcomps, and even as Derrelli gazed at the
address of his very own apartment, he felt the eagerness once again threaten to
overtake him.
For in two days, he would begin to learn the very thing he now desired
more than anything in the world.
Magic.
It was almost evening as he departed the train station, walking the few
blocks to his apartment. He had a
fourth-story location, fairly close to the station.
He had already eaten at the Academy dining facility... great food!
he thought. He walked into the
lobby, and moved to the bank of elevators.
He stepped off, onto the plush, pastel carpeting.
The walls were a soft white color, with paintings adorning them, and
potted plants every few feet. He
strolled down the light blue carpet, to the door marked 422.
He slid the electric key in the slot, and as the door clicked open, he
walked in. The place was empty,
except for a pile of boxes.
He set down his duffle, and moved to the top box.
He lifted the flap, and noted the good condition of his computer
equipment. He glanced around the
spacious, well-designed accommodations.
"Computer?" he asked.
"Yes?" came the reply.
"Wake me up at 0500," Derrelli said.
He glanced around. Basic had
left him punctual, and waking up that early gave him several hours in the
morning to get ready for the day, which would begin at 0700.
He dug through several boxes, until he found his blankets.
"Maintain room temperature at CT springtime levels, and when I get
up I like to hear twentieth century metal music."
"Very good," came the computer's voice.
It didn't much like the thought of having to deal with this... hacker,
but so far he seemed polite.
"I'll customize the rest later," Derrelli yawned. He threw the blankets on the floor.
Note to self, he thought. First
thing to buy is a comfortable bed...
Nebular
Artifact NAX-1701, near the Sabaat system, 18 June 2736
The
SLS Pleiades
"Damn," muttered Sailor Orion.
It was all she could think of to say.
She stared at the reply from HQ. The
two scout ships were a little too far for face-to-face viewscreen
communications; thus all their communications were done on a report basis.
Sailor America shook her head. "We
were right. We're on our own.
And they're nice enough to tell us they think the DK'll be getting
reinforcements."
On screen 2, they could see a similar reaction on the Draco's
bridge.
"Oh, this is just great," said Sailor Sirius.
"We're not even close to being fully repaired, and two of us barely
handled one ship. What are the odds
the DK sends another battleship?"
Sailor Vulcan bore the slightest hint of a frown. "It is highly
probable."
Antares broke in. "It
can't be all that bad."
"Say what, you overgrown abacus!" snarled Sailor Orion.
"They are saying they have utmost confidence in you.
In a way they are paying these two ships a very high compliment.
They believe that the four of you can pull off a victory and protect the
GM's interests, despite the odds," said Antares.
His words slightly mollified Sailor Orion, and caused the other three to
calm down slightly, and consider things.
"Besides, I'm sure that a little strategy will work for defeating
them," added Antares.
"Actually," said Sailor America.
"I have an idea."
"You?" asked Sailor Sirius.
She hastily checked herself. "Sorry,
that was uncalled for."
"It's okay," said Sailor America.
She smiled. She decided to
explain.
"Check this out..."
STAY
TUNED!