Luca leaned back on his chair, steadily and got the intercom.
"Okay, I just want a quick headcheck, see if we left anyone behind."
"Yeah," Mel could be heard in the med bay, looking through the supply cabinets. They were stocked adequately.
"Present," Sebastian was relaxing in the sparsely furnished lounge.
"I've got your twelve," John was figuring out the controls on the bridge.
"And I've your six, captain," Hitori could be heard in Luca's shadow.
"Yeah, yeah," Mitch could be heard walking through the cargo bay, possibly contemplating how much he would need to drink to forget this mission, "By the way, I found a pair of Super Demon power armours..."
"Great, let's burn whatever we've got in this thing 'till we see lines!" Luca echoed a former crewmember from the YSS Goban, Jason Travkai, "Vincent, John, get this thing in the air and back home. I'll send a communication to Nepleslia," Luca commanded as he tried to look at the communications console, input the number for both SAINT and the IPG for a three way call.
"Luca! By damn, ve thought you'd died," Nostrovia's surprised face came up on screen, "I have a confession."
"Luca - we managed to shoot down the missiles heading towards Yamatai." Another female face appeared on screen, a SAINT correspondent was talking in a more calm manner. She was an obvious Neko, in black-plated uniform, black hair and blue eyes, "How did you do it?"
"Huh?" Nostrovia was angered at the voice of a Yamataian, realising that Luca had called them both. Her face broke into anger, "Who is that?!"
"Ladies, ladies, calm down, all's well. I did saved you both with a lot of help from my crew," Luca told the IPG and SAINT correspondents, "Now, I'm on my way home from N-357 on a stolen Reds' Vampire Class, serial number was..." He turned away for a moment to look at Vincent, "What was it again?"
"BZ5019, skipper." He responded as he tapped commands in.
"Thanks, Vince."
"Ladies?" The SAINT correspondent seemed flattered, wryly smiling and sighing to herself, "So you saved billions of lives on my side and from the other side, and my congratulations for that," "However, that doesn't mean you can tell us to like each other because of that."
"You're damn right, bitch!" Nostrovia retorted angrily.
"Hey, hey! Clam down you two, we're not out of this yet!" Luca told them both to calm down, a bit sterner in voice, "Now, let's negotiate rewards for my deeds.
"One, when I go by Nepleslia, I get to keep this ship, registration and all, and get a paint job.
"Two, either of you can drop the bounty Cain put on me.
"Three, when I go by Yamatai, my crew and I are going to need hospital services.
"Four, I'd like a debrief from you both, like what happened on Delsauria. Is that clear?"
The engines were beginning to start as the ship begun to close up and pressure seal. A loud whirr could be heard.
"The paint job can be arranged and licenses can be made for you when you touch down..." Nostrovia replied, containing her anger.
"And we'll have a medic crew on standby when you land." The SAINT lady responded.
"By the way, what's your name, Ms. SAINT?" Luca asked coyly.
"Just call me Iza."
"Thanks girls. I'm on my way now, play nicely~!" He closed the line.
John took up the intercom, "Okay guys, strap yourselves in. This will get bumpy."
The ship begun a steady flight out of the hangar, and into the atmosphere, with relative grace. John and Vincent were keeping the controls steady with all they could, keeping it together as it exited the atmosphere and came into the orbit of the little planet.
Luca couldn't help but wonder what'd become of the fortress in a few years time. Probably a testament to what a little elbow grease, a stream of lead, a few friends, provocation and a family vengeance could do.
After all, all Cain did was push everyone too far, that's all.
"Setting course for Nepleslia... trying to calculate flight path by hand... hmmh..." John was trying to navigate through the system with some help from Vincent, "Ah here we go. Direct to Nepleslia."
He punched the numbers in for an FTL Flight there, with a brief stop in a space halfway to adjust course and avoid the nebula.
