"LUNAR: Tales From Crystal Tokyo"
LUNAR:
Tales From Crystal Tokyo
By
Daryll Pung
Episode
1-09: S.N.A.F.U.
Rated:
R
In
high orbit near Atlantis-1, Atlantis system, 3 October 2736
The
Demon
The bio-doors slicked open, and Heran stalked onto the bridge, in a
much-improved frame of mind. He
had, after all, experienced a rapid reversal of fortunes, and thus was eminently
successful in his mission to this point.
He had enjoyed a good laugh when they intercepted the uncoded
transmission from the fleeing Destiny relaying the news that Princess
Serena was severely injured. He
figured someone very junior must have been left in charge to transmit an uncoded
message, and that thought made his day.
"Status?" he demanded, sitting in his chair and crossing his
arms, leaning back, his piercing gaze sweeping the bridge.
"Lord, seeding is going according to schedule; we're all but
finished at this point. Defensive
platform layout and construction is ahead of schedule; we're about two-thirds of
the way done with that. The only
place we're behind schedule is the submission of the Sabaat system; however, the
commanders there believe they will penetrate the shielding of Sabaat-6 today,
followed by the rest within a few days," reported First, her demeanor cruel
yet satisfied.
"Excellent," grinned Heran, relaxing.
"So fulfilling when a plan comes together."
"Indeed," agreed First.
In
geosynchronous orbit near New Sahara, Sabaat system, 3 October 2736
It had been more than five hundred years ago that the first Golden
Millennium scout vessel had entered the anomaly on their charts of a dual star
system.
Imagine their surprise to find it was a diamond in the rough.
At first, it seemed incongruous; two yellow stars, in a tight elliptical
co-orbit, generating an immense quantity of heat and a very unique gravity
field. The result of such heat and
gravity meant that the first five planets were mere lumps of molten rock and
metal, with bizarre orbits. After
the fifth planet, however, the last three orbits became fairly stable and
regular. The sixth planet was a
desert planet, barely able to support life; although it did have plenty of
resources. The seventh and eighth
turned out to be lush jungle planets, perfect for colonization.
To top it off, an asteroid belt that had tons of resources, including
gestalt, surrounded the system.
The speed with which the system was claimed and colonized was
astonishing. It became the third
colony of the GM... and the largest. It
had also become an important part of the GM, a major trade center.
All of which was currently in jeopardy.
The
Ripper
"How goes the bombardment?" asked the captain, leaning back in
his chair. It had taken a while to
eliminate all space-borne defenses in the Sabaat system, and quite a few losses,
but the DK had firm control of the space. Once
the planetary shields collapsed, they would bombard important defensive
facilities, and deploy troops to capture the planet.
This, the sixth planet, was the most weakly defended and least populated
of the three planets, and would fall easily.
"Good, Lord. We
estimate the shield will fail within the next hour," came the report from
tactical. The tactical officer then
sniffed. "What kind of name is
'New Sahara'? They got something
against a simple designation like 'Planet Six'?"
"Don't know, don't care. Keep
up the pain," the captain grinned.
"But of course, Lord," came the reply.
The DK battleship's nose was pointed towards the planet, and a continuous
stream of Negatorpedoes slammed into the shields beneath them. It wasn't the only ship in the area, either.
The five other battleships were evenly spaced, along with a complement of
cruisers and escorts. All pumped
firepower into the planet's shielding.
Shield
Station 16, New Sahara
"They've almost had it," sighed the technician, desperately
fighting a losing battle to keep her sector of shielding up.
She was scrambling about, trying to shunt power and repair damaged
cabling, but it was obvious her efforts were in vain.
Very obvious. She heard a
high-pitched whine, turned, and ducked as the primary generator relay blew,
sending sparks and debris across the chamber.
She looked up as it started on fire, with smoke billowing out.
She glanced at the viewscreen, watching as a salvo of green beams struck
the ground a hundred meters distant.
"Oh shit!" she gasped, turning to run.
The next salvo bracketed the area, and the blast shook the generator
viciously. She grabbed on a
handrail, and was knocked off the catwalk, dangling precariously above a fifty
meter drop, above the actual cylindrical generators, which had plumes of smoke
issuing from them. It was already
becoming difficult to see. She
glanced up, trying to pull herself up and blink her eyes.
The ceiling above became an inferno, debris raining down, with green
streaks whistling past her almost too fast to see.
One nailed the catwalk in a burst of sparks, and she felt herself begin
to fall, even as another pushed the reactors past critical mass beneath her.
A tremendous explosion enveloped her falling form.
It blasted upwards, bursting above the surface, signifying the beginning
of the end. Green beams continued
to rain down from the blackened sky, marching inexorably towards the nearby base
in bursts of fiery dust clouds. Thunder
from the blasts echoed on the horizon, quaking the ground.
Headquarters
of the New Sahara Council of Representatives, New Sahara
The double doors slammed open, catching the attention of the nine
representatives as a runner raced in. It
was a long-standing tradition to have nine councilmembers; that number was
rumored chosen for the number of planets in the Sol system.
All glanced up.
"They've broken through the shields!
They're bombarding all the anti-air emplacements and military
bases!" gasped the runner.
"Evacuate the bases. Have
all troops deploy to the civilian areas! We've
got to protect the civilians as best we can!" ordered Councilmember Horace,
after a quick glance at his colleagues, all of whom nodded.
"Aye, sir!" said the runner, turning on his heels. As he left, one of the other councilmembers gazed up.
"What are we supposed to do? We
can't even expect help; it's likely Her Highness will pull in any spare ships to
the Sol system. How are we to
survive?" Councilmember Frieda asked, despondent.
Councilmember Rogal, a Vegan, broke in.
"I doubt that we will get no help.
We are the second most populated system in the GM, and even on principle
alone any attack would be answered. We
just have to survive until help arrives. Keep
your spirits up; think of our citizens!"
"The hell with our citizens," frowned Frieda.
Her colleagues blinked in surprise.
The doors burst open just then, and two Wizards raced in.
"What is the meaning of this!?" gasped Rogal.
"Councilmember Freida's body was just found in her residence!"
said one of the Wizards.
"But-" gasped an astonished Rogal, then heard a shout and
turned to see Councilmember Frieda transform into a hulking brute.
It moved rapidly, claws slashing, and hot crimson blood splattered on the
table and walls as weapons fire and spells erupted in the chamber, accompanied
by shouts of "Infiltrator! It's
an Infiltrator!"
In
high orbit near Atlantis-1, Atlantis system, 3 October 2736
The
Demon
"Lord, we just received a report from the Sabaat system.
The shields on the sixth and seventh planets have collapsed, and were
shut down by our Infiltrator on the eighth planet. Bombardment of defenses has begun; the Infiltrators assigned
to the councils on each planet have struck.
Number eight managed to kill two. Number
seven got one; and number six got the entire council," grinned First.
Heran nodded. Half the DK's
stock of Infiltrators, specially bred for their purpose, had been sent to the
Sabaat system in various tasks. The
remaining half had been sent to the Sol system, all assigned to kill the queen.
All had traveled the same way, sneaking into lesser-developed colonies
and boarding transports for their destinations.
The Infiltrator was one of the tactics that the DK truly excelled at,
causing suspicion and uncertainty on top of everything else.
Maybe one would even be successful in the Sol system.
That would be a bonus.
"Very good. Continue as
planned," smirked Heran.
Academy
of Sorcery/Crystal Tokyo, Planet Luna, Sol system, 4 October 2736
Archmage Derrelli sat back in the chair.
Around him, Sorcerers of all skill levels were being seated in the
auditorium. He figured this mass
recall had something to do with the current events of the Nebula War, as it was
already being called. The speed
with which things had developed seemed unreal to him.
Which was why he was here on one of his days off of guard duty.
"Hey, Master Blaster," he heard a chuckle.
He glanced up to see Apprentice Torym.
"Well, if it ain't the Creator," drawled Derrelli with a grin.
"Seat's available, if you like."
"Don't mind if I do," replied Torym, sitting down.
"Hear tell you had a slight incident yesterday."
"Yeah. Probably won't
be the last such incident, either," frowned Derrelli.
It still bothered and angered him. He
had come to love the Royals, Senshi, and Sorcerers like the family he never had,
and any threat to any of them pissed him off.
Sorcerer Dramlyn walked on stage, and sought out Gloria.
The Saturnite nodded as Dramlyn whispered in her ear.
He glanced at the crowd, and then activated his mike.
"Attention! Would
Archmage Derrelli and Archmage Ereunak please come to the stage?
I want to speak with you," said Dramlyn before turning his mike off.
Derrelli sighed. "Save
this seat. Hopefully I'll be
back."
Torym nodded. "You got
it."
Derrelli stood and walked in his customary brisk stride to the stage,
catching up with Ereunak halfway there. Together,
the two Archmages approached Dramlyn.
Gloria could only watch the intense conversation, wondering what it was
about. She stifled her impatience,
knowing all would be revealed shortly. It
was a few more seconds before the two nodded at Dramlyn, then turned and headed
back to their seats. As they did
so, Dramlyn approached center stage, reactivating his mike.
Torym nodded as Derrelli sat down. He
wondered what that had been about, but Derrelli's face was schooled into an
emotionless mask. Dramlyn cleared
his throat.
"All right. The
subjects of this briefing are classified. The
purpose: to give you the facts about this so-called Nebula War, our role, and
our plans. To begin, we are most
certainly at war with the Dark Kingdom. So
far, it's been remarkably one-sided."
Dramlyn paced a little as he continued.
"It originated in the newly-named Atlantis system, and has spread
over to the Sabaat system... with catastrophic results.
The DK fleet originated in the Atlantis Nebula, and jumped the Destiny.
The Destiny fought valiantly, but was ultimately forced to retreat
when the Princess was injured. The
DK promptly occupied that space, and we have to assume that it has been seeded
and defended by now."
Torym blinked as he realized Derrelli was no longer sitting next to him.
He turned his head fractionally to see Derrelli creeping up the aisle
towards the door, staying low, as if he didn't want to be seen from the stage.
He jerked his attention back, knowing something was up. Dramlyn was continuing.
"Their fleet moved on to the Sabaat system, where they promptly
destroyed the Sabaat Array with all hands aboard."
A low, angry murmur raced through the auditorium.
"Hold on, the worst news is yet to come.
They didn't stop there. They
proceeded to lay siege to the system, and at last report, had knocked out all
defenses and begun bombardment of the system, with massive casualties.
How did they accomplish this so quickly?
An old, time-tested, DK tactic... Infiltrators," Dramlyn said,
stopping and facing the full auditorium. Torym
frowned as he saw Ereunak sneak by, in the same fashion and following Derrelli.
Huh? he thought.
"Infiltrators hit every major base on the three planets, as well as
important governing positions. We
don't know the exact results, but they were damned effective.
Fortunately, none have gotten past our defenses here in the Sol system;
we've found thirty-two so far. We
must all remain vigilant on that score," Dramlyn added, gaze sweeping the
crowd.
"Now, you may be wondering how we know what we know, and what our
response is going to be. Well, the
reason we have such good intel is the Destiny is still in the Sabaat
system, hiding in the asteroids. It
is still very badly wounded, yet still dangerous.
It is likely they will remain there until we are able to mount our
retaliation. As far as our plans,
they comprise multiple parts." Dramlyn
paused to summon a bottle of water to his hands from his pocketspace.
"Firstly, we need volunteers for a special undercover mission to
infiltrate the Atlantis Nebula. Volunteers
should be at least Archmage; they should also specialize in illusionary magic.
Anyone who would like to apply see me after this briefing is complete.
Next, a major reshuffle of the fleet is in progress.
Since the assault was so major in one vector, we are drawing ships from
the rest of the GM and bringing them home.
Over the next seven days a major fleet will be assembled. They are
bringing with them a percentage of the Sorcerers stationed in those areas,"
Dramlyn said, taking a drink before allowing the bottle to disappear.
"By this time in two days, you will all know what units you'll be
assigned to. Within two weeks,
you'll be in combat. I would
suggest everyone stay close to CT; and get your affairs in order.
The plan: take back what is ours! We'll
also end up cleaning up the planet we now call Atlantis-1. In summary..." Dramlyn continued.
Gloria slowly edged her way along the curtain to the exit.
She smiled as she got there. Her
eyes glowed faintly red.
She turned, heading backstage, straight for the stage exit. As she approached, the door hissed open, and a pair of
blasters was pointed right at her face.
"Hi," said Derrelli. His
face bore an expression of pure rage.
"Going somewhere?" asked Ereunak conversationally. Not taking his eyes off her, he held his pistol steady as he
raised his other hand, thumbing the wrist communicator that he held in that hand
on. "Got her... or it."
Gloria adopted an attitude of injury and anger.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.
"Shut up, bitch," growled Derrelli through gritted teeth. "The remnants of Gloria's body have already been
found."
"Gloria" recoiled in surprise.
After a brief glare, her skin seemed to rip and melt away, replaced by
gray scaly hide, and she swelled to a height of three meters.
Huge horns came from her forehead, and she snarled, teeth and claws
brandished menacingly. Derrelli
took an involuntary step back as the thing leapt at him, slashing at him.
Derrelli didn't hesitate. He
pulled the trigger.
A beam of yellow smashed into the Infiltrator, knocking it back on the
stage. The blaster fire was
unmistakable, and the auditorium went utterly silent.
It staggered to its feet in full view of everyone, to be nailed in the
midsection by another blast. As it
fell, Ereunak and Derrelli raced onstage, blasters still ready.
Ereunak holstered his, raising both palms up as he concentrated.
Ribbons of blue mist began to envelop his hands.
As he did so, the creature shook its head and began to regain its feet.
Derrelli took two steps forward, pointing the blaster at the inverted
black crescent moon on its forehead, and pulled the trigger again.
And again.
As the double beams nailed it right in the crescent, it staggered into
the wall. Its eyes were glazed over
even before Ereunak finished his casting.
"Sleep!" he called, pointing both palms at the beast.
The blue tendrils of power burst forth and enveloped the Infiltrator,
which collapsed in a sleeping heap.
"Excellent capture, gentlemen," nodded Dramlyn as Derrelli
slightly lowered his pistol. He
produced a pair of specially designed restraints.
"Get these on it, and we'll take care of it after briefing.
If it so much as twitches, blast it." He turned back to the auditorium, and heard a click, followed
by the whine of another blast. He
whirled back around, where the Infiltrator was now half buried in the wall;
Ereunak was still holding the restraints, a look of surprise on his face, and
Derrelli stood over it, his rage showing in his eyes.
His pistol had wisps of steam coming off the red-hot barrel and emitter
assembly. He slowly lowered it,
before turning to face Dramlyn. Dramlyn
raised an eyebrow.
Derrelli shrugged as he holstered his pistol.
"It twitched."
Crystal
Palace
"So this is what an Infiltrator actually looks like," murmured
Serenity, gazing at it in its cell. A
force field blocked the only entrance, and the rest of the walls were comprised
of a titanium/duranium/crystal blend. "I
have never seen one alive."
She turned. "And these
are the intrepid young Archmages that captured it?" Derrelli and Ereunak
stood at attention before her.
"Yes, your Highness," replied Dramlyn formally.
"Archmage Ereunak and Archmage Derrelli."
Serenity's eyes registered her recognition.
"Ah yes, I recall now. Very
impressive, both of you. You have
done well. At ease, please."
She turned, once again studying the creature.
"Amy?"
As Sailor Mercury came forward, from the trio of Planetaries, the other
two being Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, both Archmages glanced at one another, a
questioning look in their eyes. "Amy?"
Derrelli mouthed. "Sailor
Mercury's name is really Amy?" Ereunak
shrugged.
"Yes, Serenity?" asked Sailor Mercury.
"Would you work on a way to interrogate that thing an as much of a
humane way as possible? After you
get what you can, we will formally execute it," ordered Serenity, a hint of
anger in her normally calm voice.
"Of course," replied the blue-haired Senshi.
Serenity turned to Dramlyn. "Would
you assign a guard to assist Sailor Mercury?
I would like to speak with the three of you."
"At once, Majesty," nodded Dramlyn, raising his communicator as
Sailor Mercury activated her visor and produced her computer.
After the guard of Dramlyn's choice appeared, the party of six headed out
of the cell area, back on the main floor. Sailor
Mars and Sailor Venus walked next to Serenity, and the three Sorcerers walked in
front.
The main floor of the Palace was a bustling place.
Interspersed with the occasional Senshi were Sorcerers standing guard, as
well as uniformed fleet personnel, palace staff, and ambassadors.
As they moved through, the crowd split.
They neared the executive elevator suite, the Sorcerer guards snapping to
attention as they approached.
"Your Highness!" called a voice.
The six turned to see a reporter, being followed by an upset Sailor
Betelgeuse, running towards them. The
reporter stopped, slightly winded, before bowing to Serenity.
"Can I ask-"
"What did I tell you!?" snapped Sailor Betelgeuse, stepping in
between the reporter and the queen. "You
go through me!"
"Sailor Betelgeuse," Serenity said quietly.
"It is okay. I will
talk with this reporter."
Sailor Betelgeuse frowned. "As
you wish, your Highness. But he
didn't go though the scanner yet." At
this, both Derrelli and Ereunak shared a look with Dramlyn. The two Archmages reached down and activated their pistols,
increasing the setting while keeping their activity out of view behind Dramlyn's
back. Ereunak glanced back, nodding
at the two guards, who also readied their firearms.
"What did you wish to ask me?" Serenity asked.
"I wanted to ask you your feelings on the situation of your
daughter," the reporter said. Derrelli
blinked.
"'Your daughter'?" he muttered.
"Well," began Serenity, as the reporter cut her off.
"Also, what are your views on the threat to your life?" As it
said that, the reporter leapt, changing in midair into the tall, gray hulk of an
Infiltrator.
Four beams of intense yellow energy impacted it, smashing it back,
electrical discharges raging through the beast as it fell against one of the
ornate pillars. Derrelli jumped
forward, holstering his pistol and raising his hand towards it.
Sailor Mars also leapt forward, charging her attack as Sailor Venus,
Dramlyn, Sailor Betelgeuse, and Ereunak covered Serenity, urging her back.
"Mars Flame... SNIPER!"
"Fireball!"
Twin blasts of fire, accompanied by an explosion, instantly decimated the
creature. Slight scorch marks were
left on the crystal.
The fire suppressers in the ceiling extinguished the wisps of flame from
the fireballs.
As they hustled Serenity to safety, Derrelli groaned.
"You know, I'm getting really sick of those damn things," he
sighed.
"Amen," muttered Ereunak.
Sabaat
Asteroid Field, Sabaat system, 5 October 2736
The
SLS Destiny
Sailor Orion stared forlornly at the main screen.
Her fingers occasionally tapped the armrest of the big chair.
She had been rotating command of the Destiny with Sailor Sirius,
Sailor Saturn, Sailor Vulcan, and Sailor America, once they had all cleared
sickbay. She had tried to keep
busy, to not give herself time to think. She knew the others had the same problem, especially Sailor
Saturn, who spent a majority of her time in sickbay, watching the Princess. The
same thought echoed through all their heads.
We failed.
She frowned, the thought repeating itself.
She stared blankly at the asteroid field.
The Destiny, despite their best efforts, had been... had gotten...
Had gotten its ass kicked.
The loss of life, the injuries to the princess...
Injuries, hell. The princess
had been electrocuted to within an inch of her life.
The situation was steadily getting worse.
The planets were under siege, no help was coming, and things seemed so
bleak. She tried to think positive,
but couldn't.
The door hissed open and shut behind her.
She heard the duty watch officer say something, but didn't pay attention
to it.
"Cheer up," she heard someone say, and then a hand gripped her
shoulder.
Sailor Orion turned, and did a double take.
She leapt out of her seat. "Princess
Serena!" She noted Sailor Eos,
Sailor Saturn, Sailor America, Sailor Sirius, Sailor Vulcan, and Diana with her.
The pink-haired woman nodded, a faint smile on her face.
"You too, huh? So far,
I've had to cheer everyone up." Her
hands were still lightly bandaged, but she otherwise looked fine.
"Sailor Orion, it was not your fault.
No one could have predicted this... well, except maybe Pu.
But the fact is we did our best. We
were overwhelmed. I've heard the
reports of the atrocities happening on those planets, and while I hate it, we
have to bide our time for now. I've
already spoken to Mother, and while she feels we could do some good by raiding
and trying to destroy the DK attackers, we provide a better service by
listening. Until the fleet arrives-
and it is coming, make no mistake -we heal, eavesdrop and strategize."
Sailor Orion nodded, already feeling better.
If the Princess was okay, and thinking positive, why couldn't she?
It was then the historian in her decided to make a point, reminding her
that the eternal optimism and love of the line of Serenity was one of the
reasons they made such great leaders, despite whatever faults they may have.
Princess Serenity stepped forward, gazing out at the asteroid field. She assumed a defiant pose, shaking her fist at the screen.
"We'll get you, bastards! We'll
get you all! We may be down now,
but like the phoenix we will rise again! Your
days are numbered... and the clock is ticking!
And you will be punished..."
The others walked forward, heads high, determined looks on their faces.
"In the name of the Moon!"
STAY
TUNED!