"LUNAR:  Tales From Crystal Tokyo"

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LUNAR: Tales From Crystal Tokyo

By Daryll Pung

Episode 2-14: Going Hunting

Rated: R

Somewhere in deep space, the Alpha Zone, 26 January 2738

The SLS Orion

            Sailor Cygni gazed thoughtfully at screen 3, eyeing the data being displayed there.  "What do you think?" she asked, returning her eyes to the science station and the dark-skinned officer manning it, next to which she was standing.

            "I don't see how much more useful data we can glean at this point, ma'am," replied the officer in question.

            Sailor Cygni nodded, crossed her arms across her chest, and leaned back against the bulkhead.  "Yeah.  We've spent seven days scanning this area, and that damn Gate.  They still don't have a clue we're here, either.  Still, Sailor Mercury ought to find the data useful; and her projections may have been a little optimistic, based on the results of our scans."

            The science officer nodded, her dark curls bobbing as she did so.  "I couldn't agree more, ma'am."

            Sailor Cygni smiled faintly.  "Prepare everything we have, and transmit to one of the message buoys.  Geez, I'll be so glad when Sailor Mercury solves the cloak disruption that using our comms causes.  Anyway.  Ops, prepare to launch message buoy when it's ready; we'll drop it as we leave."

            "Yes, ma'am," came the reply from the tall Vegan filling that position.  He bent to his console and to his task as a beep came over the bridge speakers.

            "Sailor Vulcan to Sailor Cygni."

            "Go ahead, Sailor Vulcan," Sailor Cygni replied.

            "If you would join me in Galactic Mapping, I believe I have localized a vector for us to search for the SLS Bahumat," the stoic Senshi of Logic stated.

            "On my way," Sailor Cygni said, spinning on her heel and striding towards the lift.  "Commander Syani, the bridge is yours."

            The Vegan ops officer nodded as he moved to the center chair, and the doors hissed shut behind Sailor Cygni.

            Sailor Vulcan briefly glanced at the door as it hissed open; she turned as Sailor Cygni entered.

            "Whatcha got?" Sailor Cygni asked, moving forward to lean on the console.  Sailor Vulcan raised an eyebrow slightly, before tapping the panel.

            The room disappeared, and the two of them found themselves standing in outer space.  The Galactic Mapping room was set up similar to a holosimulator; with the sole exception being it was reserved only for mapping and navigation purposes.

            "Based on a collaboration of all available data, both from our scans and what data we have from the continuous data stream supplied by the Bahumat, this is a reconstruction of the events of that time... as well as a possible hypothesis."

            Sailor Cygni blinked, and nodded.  Space shot by them; they were now following the battleship as it streaked towards the enemy ships.  The battle was joined, and Sailor Cygni winced as she saw how the Bahumat had been suckered in, and the little ship racing in from behind.

            The little ship detonated; the flash caused both Senshi to shield their eyes.

            "Pause," commanded Sailor Vulcan.  Sailor Cygni moved forward, walking around seemingly through outer space, stopping as she noted the angle the battleship was now moving from the shockwave, and the fact that the Gate was still open.

            "Huh," she said.  "Now, if I recall correctly, the blast started causing a core breach in the Bahumat, right?"

            "Correct," Sailor Vulcan replied.  "Just after that data registered, the data stream from the Bahumat was lost."

            "They're aimed right for that Gate," Sailor Cygni murmured.  "But it doesn't go anywhere, as the necessary components for a complete wormhole are not yet finished."

            "Also correct," Sailor Vulcan slowly nodded.  Unlike previous captains she had served with, she knew she didn't have to explain that much to this one; a green starship captain she may be, but a superior intellect she had always had.  Sailor Cygni was nearly as versatile as herself.

            "Now, if I am not mistaken, wormholes generate a massive energy flux when opening and closing.  I'm guessing that the Gate rapidly closed afterward; knowing that the collapse of a wormhole would scatter the molecules of the object in it throughout subspace," Sailor Cygni continued, walking slowly around space, circling the action.

            "A logical supposition," Sailor Vulcan said calmly.

            "But the Bahumat was experiencing a core breach," muttered Sailor Cygni.  "The flux would have reacted with that.  How, exactly?"

            "There are two possibilities.  The most likely result would have been complete disintegration of anything in the area of the reaction," Sailor Vulcan replied.

            "And the percentage of that?" Sailor Cygni asked, gazing thoughtfully at the battleship, sailing sideways.  "Orion, energy readouts of the Bahumat at this point, please."

            As the requested data appeared above the Bahumat, Sailor Vulcan answered.  "Eighty-seven percent."

            "The other, thirteen percent possibility would be the formation of a subspace rift, which would then deplete all localized energy, and let the hulk of the ship pass through to normal space in one piece," Sailor Cygni concluded, carefully examining the readouts.

            "Affirmative," Sailor Vulcan responded.  "I have calculated the exact vectors, along a conical path, from the probable departure point.  Note that the odds of locating the Bahumat decrease the farther along the conical search pattern we must go."

            "Doesn't matter," Sailor Cygni said decisively.  "It's a start.  Orion, transmit the coordinates you and Sailor Vulcan extrapolated to the bridge.  Sailor Cygni to bridge."

            There was a brief pause.  "Go ahead, Captain."

            "Plot a course to the coordinates you are now receiving; move us out of detection range of the Gate and its pals, and drop the message buoy as we enter RIFT.  Speed all ahead full.  Engage," Sailor Cygni concluded, as both Senshi exited Galactic Mapping, the room going blank and dark behind them.  The door hissed shut.

            Space rippled slightly, several light-years away from the Gate; a small spherical shape abruptly appeared, and then a small scout ship-shaped white blur stretched into infinity, and disappeared in a spiraling white flash.

            The SLS Orion had caught a scent, and was on the hunt.

An asteroid belt near Dreyious Prime, 26 January 2738

The Dread

            Heran stared out of the windows, at the asteroids around them.  His quarters were dark; he was supposed to be sleeping.

            He found he couldn't; his rage was keeping him awake, coupled with his mind going overdrive, plotting and planning.

            He scowled, and resumed his pacing.

            A beep sounded over the speakers.  "Aaryx to Heran."

            "Yeah," Heran answered.

            "The target is moving," Aaryx reported.

            "Where is it going?" Heran asked.

            "Guess," Aaryx chuckled.  Heran's scowl slowly melted into a nasty grin.

            "Playtime," Heran snickered.  He moved towards the door.

In Faster-Than-Light Transit, 26 January 2738

The Atlanta

            "Comfortable?" London asked, leaning against the wall outside of the forcefield that held Neris in her cell.  She glared at him.

            "You know," he continued, conversationally, "you haven't been very cooperative."

            Neris simply stared at him, a hard scowl marring her features.

            London chuckled.  "That'll change, soon.  You see, we know where the currently disabled Dread is; we're enroute to destroy it as we speak.  After that, I personally deliver you to her Highness; I guarantee you will eventually talk.  Oughta be good for a few Ghost Torps, methinks."

            He straightened up, and moved for the door, grabbing a flask from his side as he did so.  He took a swig.  "Well, have fun, babe.  Time to go kill your friends."

            The door hissed shut behind him, and Neris snorted.

            "I wonder if perhaps things'll turn out slightly different than you intend?" she murmured.

An asteroid belt near Dreyious Prime, 26 January 2738

The Atlanta

            Brad London stepped out of the lift, onto the bridge of the Atlanta.  The main screen showed a tactical overlay, and the Atlanta was rapidly approaching the point of intercept, which was where the Dread currently was.

            "Boss?" began his first officer tentatively.

            "What is it?" London asked.

            "The signal strength is increasing; however, the stronger it gets, the more convinced I am we're getting a dual waveform," he reported.

            "The hell does that mean?" London snapped.

            "I think our signal is being used as a carrier wave, with another signal attached to it to determine OUR position," he said as the Atlanta entered the asteroid field.  The first one passed by on the port side, as seen by screen 2.

            London snapped upright.  "Damn!  That means they knew about it!  That means... Shit!  Switch views between screens 1 and 2!  Intensify scanning!"

            They passed a largish asteroid, off to starboard.

The Dread

            "Come up behind them," Aaryx ordered.  "Begin the next phase!"

            As the Dread drew up just below the Atlanta, a mere kilometer distant, arcing from behind the asteroid the Atlanta had just passed, its shuttlebays abruptly opened, pouring out shuttlecraft.  They were arranged in pairs, each with a weak tractor beam activated and towing a torpedo.

            Abruptly, as they all drew level, the beams cut out, allowing the torpedoes to go free.  The homing mode aboard the torpedoes was shut off, and proximity detonation was on; the torpedoes tumbled in a straight line, until they would find something to cause them to detonate.

The Atlanta

            "OH FUCK!" snapped the first officer.  "The homing beacon is detached from the Dread, and has been added to a probe; it's just sitting there!  They sure as hell know!"

            London jumped out of his seat.  "Helm, turn us around!  Get us outta here!"

            "Too late!  Phoenix torpedoes incoming, aft!" reported his weapons officer.  "They aren't using the torp propulsion or lock, so we're late detecting them!"

            "How!?" snarled London, as the Atlanta abruptly pitched viciously forward, sparks erupting from a dozen consoles, followed by the hollow echo of an explosion; the back bulkhead blew, enveloping his weapons officer, who didn't even have time to scream.  Debris whistled by.

            "Report!" hollered London as the bridge went dark, followed by red as low-light emergency lighting clicked on.

            "Shields down!" gasped his first officer.  "Sensors damaged...  shit!  We have shuttles locking on to our docking ports!  We're being boarded!"

            "Alert the crew!" London ordered.

            "I can't!  Comms are down!" his first reported.  The fire was now out; the damage sealed.  "According to scans, they're butchering our crew; no way of warning them.  Looks like they're breaking into groups; the core, the engine room, and here appear to be their initial targets...  and they're moving fast.  They just took engineering... and the core."

            A pounding sound came to their ears.

            "They're at our doors; all links with the central core cut off; bridge defenses erected, but they won't hold forever," first reported with a sigh.

            "Damn it all to hell!" raged London.  "While we still can, detach the bridge.  Plot a course for GM territory, all ahead max."

            "Aye, boss," replied the helm officer shakily, blood streaming from a cut on her forehead.

            "Try your damndest to warn our people in any way possible," London snarled.

            "I am," sighed his first.  "Shit... it was so quick."

            London just glared.  "Yeah, they knew exactly how and where to hit us.  We were sold out, and when I find the bastard..."

            The forward section of the Atlanta's hull opened; squarish sections of the ship slid up and to the side, allowing the diamond-shaped bridge to fly up; never-used sublight engines burst to screaming life, and the diamond shape darted around the nearest asteroid, a light blue ionic trail faintly marking their path.  It exited the asteroids.  Abruptly, particles gathered around the stern of the shape, and the emergency FTL core propelled it out of normal space with a flash.

The Dread

            "The bridge is gone, sir," came the report to Aaryx.

            "Damn.  Aaryx to Heran," Aaryx said, walking around the bridge of the Dread.

            "Heran," came his voice.  The sounds of weapons fire could be heard over the open comm channel.

            "The bridge of the Atlanta has jettisoned, and blazed along a course that leads them to the GM border.  Their backup drive seems to only let them be capable of approximately fifty times the speed of light; it'll take them roughly two weeks to get there.  We could chase..." Aaryx trailed off.

            There was a pause.

            "No," Heran's voice said firmly.  "We're about seventy percent in control of this ship; it's as good as ours, and it'll help us rebuild the Dread to even better than it was before.  I expected something would not go according to plan, but there it is.  We'll deal with it later... after we reap the benefits of this capture.  Heran out."

            "Yeah," grinned another bridge crewmember.  "There are a few Ghost torpedoes aboard that ship."

            Aaryx grinned.  Between these two ships, a very potent single would arise, even more lethal than before.

            "Report from team five; they've found Neris in the brig."

            "Tell them to escort her to Heran," Aaryx ordered.

The Atlanta

            "Heran!" Neris grinned.

            "Neris," Heran said with a smile.  "You didn't think we wouldn't come for you, did you?"

            "Me, or the ship?" she asked with a silky tone of voice.

            "Well, let's just say everything has side benefits," Heran answered suavely.  He eyed her carefully, and she smiled, opening her arms.  She could feel his presence moving through her.

            "I didn't think you'd talk, but I had to make sure," Heran said a moment later.

            "I know," she replied coolly, eyeing the flashing of combat further up the corridor, listening to the echo of weapons fire.  She looked back at Heran, then down at two forms lying nearby; bodies of London's crew.  She reached down, and came up with their weapons.

            "I feel a slight need for revenge," she smiled sweetly.  "Shall we?"

            Heran raised his Miraxic disruptors.  "Yes, why don't we?"

            The pair charged down the hall.

Crystal Palace in Crystal Tokyo, Planet Luna, Sol system, 5 February 2738

            Sailor Eos glanced at Sailor Astraea as the two of them exited the lift, heading for the briefing room.  Sailor Astraea's step was more confident, and as well it should be, considering how well she was doing in her training.

            Sailor Astraea noted Sailor Eos' thoughtful look.  "What is it?" she asked.

            "I'm just wondering what this is about," Sailor Eos commented.

            They stopped in front of the door, and the Sorcerer guards nodded, and opened it.

            The pair stepped in to see Luna, Neo-Queen Serenity I, Princess Serena, and two people they didn't immediately recognize.

            "Ah, Sailor Guardians Eos and Astraea," Serenity smiled.  "Please be seated."

            The two Guardians curbed their curiosity for the moment, and took the indicated seats.

            "Everyone is here, so we shall begin," Serenity said.  "The information we are about to discuss is to be held very closely.  Firstly, Eos, Sailor Astraea, you remember Sorcerer Merlin, do you not?"

            Sailor Eos and Sailor Astraea both just stared at the person Serenity waved to; there were some features that were recognizable, but...

            He smiled, and opened his right palm, revealing the glistening crescent there.

            "Ah," nodded Sailor Astraea.  Sailor Eos grinned widely.

            "Also with us today is the Droylian ambassador, Wolit Hehgrah," Serenity continued.  She indicated the slender, blue skinned and black-spotted humanoid, attired in a black robe.  Two of his arms were crossed, while the other two were sitting on the table, hands folded together.  He gave a polite nod.

            "Now, the reason you are here is in reference to problems within the Holy Droylian Empire," Serenity explained.  "Specifically, the arrival of a small GM shuttle, cloaked in dark energy, on an uninhabited moon."

            Merlin jerked to attention.

            "It is unknown at this time if this craft is still there; it is also unknown if it was indeed Torym," Serenity said.  She paused.  "We have been asked by the HDE through the ambassador here to investigate, in the interests of peace."

            "You mean, they demanded it in no uncertain terms," murmured Serena.  Serenity shot her a quelling look.  Ambassador Hehgrah raised his eyebrows; a slight look of amusement played over his features.  He leaned forward.

            "Unlike some of my people, I genuinely like the Golden Millennium," he said.  His voice was slightly raspy.  "I tried to present my government's request as politely as possible; but it is a fundamental difference that most of my people simply don't understand the peoples of the GM... and hence, how they think.  That, and the High Priest Talkhazaih does not believe there can be more than one sacred being, and he feels he is the only sacred being worth worshipping, and that Neo-Queen Serenity the First, with her mystical abilities, is a threat to that."

            Serenity nodded.  "At any rate, we are the only ones prepared to handle this situation.  I was going to send Omega Force, but I feel this mission will require subtlety, and a deft diplomatic touch.  Hence, Sorcerer Merlin will accompany Princess Serena and Ambassador Hehgrah; with Sailor Guardian Eos in her normal role and Sailor Guardian Astraea protecting Ambassador Hehgrah by any means necessary."

            Sailor Eos and Sailor Astraea shared a glance.  "I will do my best, Your Highness," Sailor Astraea said calmly.

            "When and how?" Sailor Eos asked next.

            "Yesterday," Luna said with a slight smile.

            "That fast, huh?" Sailor Eos grinned.

            "We'll be taking the newly refitted SLS Pleiades II," Reeni added.

            "Well, then, I suppose we should get on our way," Merlin concluded.

            The five rose from the table.

Somewhere in deep space, near an asteroid belt, 5 February 2738

The SLS Bahumat

            There was a muffled curse and a thud, and Sorcerer Derrelli poked his head out of the maintenance shaft he was inside of, repairing a damaged plasma conduit.  He scrabbled out, slowly stood, and glanced around, stretching slightly before catching view of a cursing Wizard Duke.  He went over to him.

            "This fucking panel is not cooperating!" Duke snarled to the wall.

            "Duke, it's upside down," Derrelli said calmly.

            Duke paused, and turned, blinking as he warily eyed Derrelli.  "It is?"

            "Look at the scribed alignment markings," Derrelli chuckled, pointing them out.

            "Oops," Duke grinned.  "I guess I didn't notice that."

            "That's cause you're out of your element," came a saucy female voice.  "I still don't understand why the damn engineers don't do this themselves."

            Derrelli spun as Duke clapped a hand to his forehead and groaned.  Derrelli blinked at the holographic female now being generated by a previously unused microcomp.

            "What the hell?" Derrelli asked.

            "Derrelli, meet GIA," Duke said.  "I kinda programmed her as an amusement thing."

            "I think she still needs some work on her personality matrix," Derrelli commented wryly.  "And I'd probably give her some more clothing... like a proper uniform?"

            "Hey, bonehead," GIA snapped.  "I'll wear what I please and talk how I please."

            "You're right," sighed Duke.  "Just a little work."

            "Yeah, lest a superior order GIA to be deleted," Derrelli added, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  He turned to resume his work, and paused when Duke cleared his throat.

            "Actually, I was wondering on your off time, you could help me with a few things with her?" Duke asked hesitantly.

            "I don't know," Derrelli said slowly.  "Most of my off time is spent in a stuporous slumber.  Like what?"

            "Well, I wanted to add in some hacking capability," Duke explained slowly.

            Derrelli raised an eyebrow.  "Why?  And with that personality?"

            "Well, after I alter that slightly," Duke said.  "Anyway, I wanted her to be able to hack into an enemy computer, sort of a convenience thing."

            "Hacking takes a ton of resources," Derrelli replied.

            "And why would you need him?" grumped GIA.

            "GIA, he's the foremost hacker in the GM," Duke chuckled.  "And resources?  Let's just say I've made some refinements to that microcomp.  You want specs?"

            Duke leaned close and whispered quickly to Derrelli; Derrelli's eyes widened.

            "In there?" he asked in astonishment.

            "That's why it's a little thicker than the average microcomp," Duke grinned.

            "Oh, yeah," GIA smiled seductively.  "I have a LOT to offer."  The smile disappeared abruptly.  "Hey!  Was that a comment on my weight?"

            "Impressive," Derrelli allowed, shaking his head.  "Okay, after you alter a few things, I'll help.  In the meantime, I've got to get back to my plasma conduit."  He turned away, and smiled mischievously.  "Duke?"

            "Yeah?" Duke asked.

            "Try not to let any more panels kick your ass, okay?"  And with a chuckle, Derrelli ducked back in the maintenance tunnel.

            "Up yours," Duke growled playfully, before turning back to the panel, flipping it over, and hoisting it in place.

            It fit perfectly.

STAY TUNED!

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