YSS Resurgence - Bridge
The ship rattled and shuddered as the Resurgence took another glancing blow from the Mishhuvurthyar enemy ships, while on the main screen there was a great shot of the first targeted NMX cruiser breaking apart in an explosion. Thankfully, all of the Resurgence away team had made it out of that ship alive.
"Shield generators struggling, sir! We'll be down to hull armor soon at this rate," Kalena advised captain Aoba, who nodded.
The captain sent a message to the Wakaba: "We're on borrowed time, time to make a move," he simply sent. He wouldn't abandon the Wakaba but staying around this dreadnaught was suicide. They needed to get out of the system and fast.
Next, captain Aoba sent a message to the away team: "This is Taisa Aoba. When we bring our shields down, we'll signal you and I want you all, including the new crew members sent as reinforcements, to be ready to teleport back to the Resurgence and get ready to defend the ship as we go through a little bit of hell to get home."
"We've been through worse, captain," Mineko said from her console, remembering what they had done just to get to the Wakaba. She continued to scan through the HUD of the away team, watching for any new data on the Mishhuvurthyar in this region.
YSS Wakaba- Bridge
Thomas paced back and forth on his bridge. The stolen generators were being installed and he like everyone else was just waiting to see if they would work right. He was also extreamly anxious about Setsunu. He had heard that his daughter Ryoko had been able to repair some of her internal damage, but he didn't know what her status was. On top of that his other daughter...
His thoughts were interrupted by a message from the Resurgence Captain, Aoba. "Stand by Resurgence." Thomas responded. He rang engenering. "What is the status down there?" He demanded.
Pidole's cheerful voice replied, "You're connected now! Activating the generator! It's been a pleasure to help."
The Wakaba groaned as the generators began powering up, as if the ship was a giant waking up from a long slumber. Many of the lights pulsed and even some of the artificial gravity failed before coming back online. All over the ship crew began to celebrate.
On the Bridge, Thomas laughed grimmly. "We're not out of this yet people. Inaho, is everyone accounted for?"
"Aye Captain. We have 96% of the crew accounted for." Inaho reported.
Thomas nodded, they'd be back. "Then lets take to the heavens again."
Shoi Kohosei Shima Hoshiko allowed the barest hint of a smile to form at the imminent return of the Wakaba to the space it belonged in. Not that she'd really consider it accomplished until they managed to break orbit. A non-insignificant portion of her Navigator training meant that she was all-too-familiar with how exacting the mathematics of success could be when launching a vessel into space. If that purloined Mishhuvurthyar aether generator wasn't up to the task, or the improvised connections failed, this could just be the prelude to another crash landing. And Shima was not sure how many more crashes the Wakaba could handle.
Fletcher was still in comparison to the captain, making a careful circuit of the bridge and checking in with each station and ensuring that the ship was ready to ascend again. There were a lot of flashing error codes and warning lights, but they had already worked through most of them. Fletcher kept an eye on some of their procedures as some might require his input.
Space Battle with Little Mouthy Devil
Runa grined with glee as another of the Mishhu fighters fell to her group's attack. "twenty-seven-nuh!" she said in open comms taunting the Mishhu as she pressed her attack, and tried to gain the focus of the Mishhu. The fighters little more than gnats to large ships but she wasnt bothered.
The swarms of Mishhuvurthyar fighters continued to make attack runs on the Renaissance and Resurgence, unleashing massive volleys of mini-missiles at any power armor unfortunate enough to get in their path. They were basically just guns and engines, piloted by an enslaved disembodied brain somewhere in the middle. Many of them carried deadly anti-ship torpedoes that could turn the Resurgence into a space wreck. Keeping them from being able to sink the ship with these weapons was the priority for everyone outside in power armor.
"By blood and blade shall i destroy all who threaten my people." Yoshiro said as he began targeting Mishhu fighters and firing his aether cannons. "Do you want to know death or victory?"
As Runa taunted the enemy fighters one swooped in and blasted one of her turrets with a particle beam, sending her Hayabusa Fighter into a spiral with smoke trailing behind. Her AIES displays turned red and displayed there was major damage to the interior of the left wing.
"oh sweet fudge!" Runa cursed as she got hit with the attack. It was what she deserved due to her taunt, but she didnt feel like qutting yet. "Sizist spawn of cannibalistic evil!" She cursed as she attempted to fly her fighter, to either continue the attack, or to return. "give them hell!"
YSS Wakaba- Hangar bay
Crysta felt the ship shudder and hum as the stolen generator started to flow power to the great battleship, She was broken yet her spirt remained. Hearing the cheers of the crew echoing though the hallways she meeps looking up to Ryoko, " Ryoko, I am going to get back to Engineering, I'll call the Captain and report on the kidnapping once i get there, then see if there is anymore help needed with the Generator. She gathered up her things and then put them on a saddlebag on lou before grabbing her lance and getting onto her Havoc drake and heads out.
Yayoi glanced around as she heard the cheers. She recognized the sound as hope returning, having heard it in the past. But she'd heard the comms especially one on open channels. "Mouthy little devil" she thought to herself as she turned her focus back on the task at hand. She'd also heard her captain's words.
Ryoko followed Crysta. "I already reported it. Directly to dad." Ryoko looked very grim and on the verge of crying but she kept it in check.
Blinking, looking over at Ryoko as they left the hanger bay, Crysta moved over to hug Ryoko as best she was able to as she smiles some " Its ok we WILL get her back!" then with a sigh she drops to sit on Ryoko's shoulder as Lou snorts some.
Ryoko liked Crysta a lot and had let the little neko ride on her shoulder many times. But right now she wasn't in the mood for company. She shrugged her shoulder to get Crysta off. "Just do your damn job and leave me alone!"
Crysta blinks at the retort but nods some as she flew over to Lou and then says " Yes Ma'am! " then takes off flying on Lou. She was hurt some by the response but she understood why. Her sister just got kidnapped, and she was trying to cope with the loss. Entering the engineering bay she looks around some before moving to land Lou out of the way and setting the Aether lance nearby him and flew over to look at the Aether generator.
Resurgence - Power Armor Bay
Sanda and Trowa teleported back to the Resurgence and had to hang on as the ship jumped and bucked.
Yayoi teleported in after Sanda and Trowa had returned to the resurgence.
Yoshiro teleported back last. He was glad but he had work still left to do.
'Excited' was an understatement.
To be in her Mindy, fighting the old foe... it was like legends coming to life for Yoko. Her LASR flashing as it poured out rounds over the enemy's attempt to start a run on the Renaissance. Even as her ally's fire flew past her frame, she was quietly being grateful for her previous decision to go heavy on shielding. As her shield crackled from the return fire, she heard that the first cruiser had been destroyed. The enemy assaults started to break off and regroup, now that one of their return ports were gone. That's when she heard the call to return for a teleport to the Resurgence. Satisfied that things would be fine in her absence, she answered the order and returned to the ship's hangar, ready to teleport.
Time to move. "Santo Hei Fujiraki, ready for teleport" Came her crisp report. The heavy shoulder mounted turrets linked their aim to her rifle, the heavy shields she had put on hummed quietly from their full charge. Her mind raced through the pre-deployment checks again, despite already having been in combat. She couldn't afford to have the battle's wear and tear have a component fail on her now... Time and space bent around her as the teleport yanked her through. She wondered why it tickled sometimes. Her heavily armored and shielded Mindy appeared in the hangar bay of the Resurgence, Weapon already raised just in case it wasn't secure. Thankfully it was.
Engineer Pidole teleported to the Resurgence's and entered near the shuttle bay, followed by Cassie, who posted up on the outside of the ship acting as an extra aether turret to shoot at passing enemy battle pods."Is that everyone back aboard?" Pidole asked, pulling up a systems display to see how badly the Resurgence had been damaged while she was working on her Grand Theft Aether Reactor project.
Trowa was doing a head count. "I believe so. Even some new troops." He nodded to Fujiraki and Elster. "Welcome aboard. We'll do formal intorductions later but for now hold onto something and wait for orders."
"They better not die before we get to meet them," Cassie quipped. "We could use a few more faces around here after the recent departures headed to the Renaissance and other ships. I'm looking forward to it...if we get out of this."
"If we don't get back through that wormhole we're just stuck in the middle of unknown space with the Wakaba," science specialist Kawa Kinie said over the group channel. "By the way I'm out here defending against torpedoes too, on the ventral hull. Good hunting."
Yoshiro reloaded his ammo and grabbed a couple of aether blade smgs to fight with. "There but for grace, go I." He said and grinned evilly.
Viscera from a combination of sources coated Erika’s armour. Residue from what the Mishhuvurthyar called bulkheads had left streeks of blood that had congealed on her second skin, while the chunks of flesh blown from a recent close encounter were still fresh. The Neko was in an adrenaline haze, her perception had seemed to slow. A course of action seemed to be carefully considered and then executed in fractions of a second, and executed without hesitation. It was new, exhilarating.
A pair of the Mishhuvurthyar blocked the corridor ahead. She rushed forward, dropping her rifle, letting it hang loosely against her stomach, held up by a sling around her neck. She pulled out a large combat knife in one hand and her Aether pistol in the other. She then vanished, only to appear behind the squids with a flash and a boom, her knife sailing into the gaps between one of the creatures carapace with practiced precision. The other arm flung around, the weapon in it bearing down upon the other as the squid was recoiling from the close-range teleport. The aetheric energies of the blaster didn’t give the creature chance to recover, blasting a hole out of its abdomen.
The order to leave came before they were dispatched fully, the one at the end of her blade still thrashing. She almost missed it, her battle trance filtering out all that was unnessisary. The cooldown timer on her teleport came to mind.
4 seconds.
It was going to be a long 4 seconds. Rather than fight she chose too flee, though it took a not insubstantial amount of will on her part to overcome her killing instinct. Her blade was caught so she opted to leave it, and with her path back to the safety of her squads suppressing fire blocked by said fire she ran deeper into the Mishhuvurthyar line. Tendrils from the wounded creature reached out and slipped around ankle, causing her to trip and fall face first. The helmet abosrobed the fall and it began to draw her in. With the first plan failed, she defaulted to her killing instinct. She grabbed the rifle resting upon her stomache, rolled on to her back and fired full auto.
When she appeared on the Resurgence with a flash she brought the creature with her, as round after round filled its body.
YSS Wakaba-Bridge
The Wakaba moved through the clouds and up towards the mesosphere. The ship began shaking but it was still moving upwards. Finally it broke free of the atmosphere and fired it's main engines. They coughed a moment as if they hadn't been used in a long time, which they hadn't, then began to burn stready.
"Surrender now and we will use you for reproduction instead of as food," the Mishhuvurthyar dreadnaught offered in a booming telepathic transmission.
Thomas didn't respond to the transmission. Except to begin playing a song that his daughters had written after the Wakaba took on 5 NMX Cruisers. The same that brought the Wakaba down in the first place.
You should have turned back sooner, because the Wakaba owns this system. And you can't outrun her and you can't outgun her and you know you're going to pay.
"Bring our weapons online Doctor." Thomas ordered.
"Aye, Battery one status?" Fletcher asked.
"Battery one ready." The gunner replied.
Each weapons battery replied swiftly. Not all of them were functionaning perfectly, but enough were. Fletcher nodded to Thomas. "We have teeth sir."
As the Wakaba rose, the dreadnaught fired, barely missing, and the planet below erupted into a fiery cataclysm, shockwaves spreading across the entire planet from the fractured crust as the Wakaba was sprayed by lava and rocks the size of stadiums.
Thomas smiled showing his own teeth to Fletcher. "Very good. Concentrate fire on that Dreadnaught. Aim for her right bow. That was where she was damaged in our fight with her before."
"Aye, transmitting targeting orders." Fletcher said, getting the Gunners to work. "Ready to fire on my mark. Ready, Ready, Mark."
Fire rippled from the smaller ship, splashing first against the shields, then hull of the massive dreadnaught. The alpha strike was impressive, then the cooldowns started. "Optimize for maximum destruction, we have to blow a hole in that wall."
YSS Wakaba- Engineering
Grabbing some hearing protection and some PPE made for Mini-neko's Crysta moved into the Aether generator room and flew to check each of the connetions for any signs of breakage, misalignments or other signs of trouble There was no way that Crysta was going to let this come to an end so soon after starting. "Thats it, be a good generator!" she said out loud as she moved over the foreign device
Ryoko grabbed a huge wrech and began tightening cables. The generators were working, but it was nerve wracking working beside of them.
Spotting a connection that was down in a very tight passage that was loose she cries out moving to grab a wrench and qauickly move down to the connection and start to tighten it down. " Shit, Ryoko we have a cross threaded Connection down here, I can't get it tightened down fully!! Shall i try and take it off and reseat it or pray it does not fail?"
Ryoko came and looked at the connection Crysta was pointing at. She took her huge wrench and whacked the connection a few times before using the tool as it was intended. She strained agaist it, trying to get as much leverarge as she could. It finally tightened. "That should hold. But lets put a clamp on it."
Crysta meeps some as the large wrench moved into the tight space that she was in and flew out of the way as Ryoko hit the connection and then grunted seating the connection down. " ok " flying off to grab a clamp as she moved back into the tight space and puts the clamp in place. Then moving around the device in the tighter places looking for more trouble. The heat from the generator making her sweat some as she worked.
Ryoko checked the clamp Crysta put on and nodded. It was holding. She looked around for anything else that might need working on.
Space
"Those..tentacled sizist..spawn of calamari! they've done it, i loved that place damn it! my favorite eatery was there!" Runa cursed as she also recalled adopting her daughter officially there too.
Hundreds of Mishhuvurthyar starships began to emerge from the wormhole ahead of Wakaba and Resurgence, as the enemy fleet began moving through from the battle on the other side.
"We're going to have to push for the wormhole," Taisa Aoba transmitted to Taisa Canterbury.
"Agreed. We'll take the point. The Wakaba's firepower should be able to blast us an opening to run through." Thomas responded.
YSS Resurgence - Power Armor Bay
In the PA bay, the Resurgence and Renaissance units had a good idea of the battle happening outside. Like the science specialist on the hull, they would need to defend the Resurgence against the oncoming fire as it barreled towards the wormhole that would take them home.
"Alright Away Team. We're making for the Wormhole. Defend the ship from all boarders!" Trowa ordered.
"Copy that" Yayoi said as she glanced towards Yoko for a momented before she prepared herself to fight once more.
The intelligence analyst Mineko had excused herself from the bridge. The last time she had the oppotunity to protect the ship and didn't take it, Aoba had died. Now donned in her Mindy armor, she didn't take a moment's pause before heading out of the bay to do the same as Kawa Kinie and stuck herself to the red, white, and blue hull of the Fuji-class and zeroed in on incoming torpedo and starship rounds, detonating them before they could do so the Resurgence's dying shields.
Upon receiving the order to repel all attempts at boarding, Yoko barks a single confirmation as she trudges her heavier than usual Mindy out past the bay's shielding. Locking the feet to the ship's side, her Scalar Machine guns became an improptu AA turret. The rapid green flashes tore wide lines through the approaching Mishhu drones and fighters. She mostly focused on anything that looked like a transport or a boarding missile.
Though with all three of her weapons blazing, she couldn't catch everything, a bombing run got one of its payloads off, and though she shot the offending torpedo, the blast nearly knocked her off of her perch on the ship's side. Again, her decision to go heavy on shielding possibly saved her life just now. Of course, there was always time to turn around and bring down the offending bomber with a couple well placed LASR bursts. "Bit too many to shoot all at once. I'll try to keep them away from the PA bay." Quietly she wished she could try and rescue the lost members of their crews, but she knew full well that her place was where she was ordered.
That said, Yoko was definitely keeping score. Highly inappropriate in this situation.
No sooner had she dispatched the Squid had Erika been given new orders with little fanfare. The momentary lull caused her to crash lightly and she found herself holding a breath that she released all at once. She was panting now, but none the less disentangled herself from the now limp tendrils of the beast and clambered to her feet. No time to introduce herself, not even to catch her breath.
"Aye sir." Erika said, winded but not out. She bent down to collect her knife from the wound in the creature, gave it a flick to get rid of the blood before reholstering it.
Sanda noticed the knife that Erika had pulled out of the Mishhu. Another knife girl. They'd have to compare blades later. Sanda had her's attached to her rifle to give her added reach.
"Ah, I'm ready to go home," Sakuko said, joining the others with Beryl on the ship's hull, taking a spot outside the observation dome. "It looks like we have a bit of a blockage in the way, though."
"Time to go to work." Yoshiro said with a smile. "I am the blade that cuts evil and tears it apart. "
The Resugence and Renaissance went into a flying V formation with the Wakaba at the center, using it for some cover but also far enough out so their main guns were free to join firing at the enemy fleet increasingly spilling into local space by the second.
Runa and Zan's fighters joined with the bigger ships, as best as they could, for Runa's damaged fighter.
YSS Resurgence - Medical Center
Even deep inside the Resurgence, Okimi could hear the increased sound of explosions. Between that and the increased shaking as the ship buckled and bounced beneath her, the Caretaker was fairly certain that things were getting worse, not better. With a groan she rolled on her side and turned her head to look at her friend. "Hey Yuri, any chance you can grab me a service pistol? If something unfriendly comes through that door, I want to be ready."
Yuri watched as she remained at Okimi's side she held on for support. She tried to keep her face calm and straight but inside she was panicking a little. When Okimi spoke she nodded, and hurried to the Medical Centers armory to grab something they could use.
She returned to Okimi's side, and prepared herself with the gun as she handed the other to Okimi. "i hope they dont come in." Yuri said as she began calming breaths she'd learned in school.
Okimi pulled the battery magazine from the pistol, gave it a quick inspection and rammed it home before selecting heavy burst fire mode. Nodding to herself she aimed towards the medical center's door, but kept her finger down the side of the pistol. It wouldn't be a fun day for a friendly fire incident, after all. "Don't worry Yuri-chan, this is just a precaution."
Yuri nodded her head. "yeah.. precaution is good"
YSS Wakaba - Med Bay
Setsunu was lying on a bed in the Med Bay, unconscious. Someone had brought her spear and had set it in her hands. She looked like she was sleeping. Or dead. But as the Wakaba began to be boarded her hand tightend slightly on her spear. Suddenly her eyes shot open and she gasped. "Ryoko." A bright light flashed in the Med Bay. The medics looked around, confused. Setsunu's bed was empty.
YSS Resurgence - Outer Hull
As the three Star Army ships bumrushed the Mishhuvurthyar fleet, the Mishhuvurthyar were launching every pod they had, making it a race against time. There were thousand of small craft, filling the AIES display on the crew's MINDY armors with a sea of red outlines. Enemy particle beams and missiles started to fall on the ship's hull like a thunderstorm.
"Fuck," Cassie said, "Norita do you have some of those large Zesuaium shields?"
"Yeah, I'll bring them up," Norita replied, poking out of the armor bay to toss them to the crew members on the hull. These shields, left over from old LAMIA M1 power armors, were large circular Zesusiaum shields with transparent interiors, each as tall as a person. They could provide some cover against the deluge of oncoming fire. Cassie grabbed on and held it like a beach cabana while using her aether rifle's boresight camera to fire on incoming craft and torpedoes. "I think this is worse than the Kuvexians!" she shouted over all the explosions around them, a quiver of terror in her voice.
Yoko watched the Wakaba fail to repel the boarders in its hangar. Grimacing, she reached out to her link, "Requesting permission to aid Wakaba in repelling its boarders" She could reach it in the PA, and had the armor to make it there. Just needed the order.
On the hull, a particle beam had grazed her, making her AIES colors jump to yellow. The analyst gritted her teeth and thought of the bridge crew three decks down. She had to keep firing for them. Her shoulders spit out aether as she kept her left arm raised to fire from her forearm, as well. With dedicated steps, she mde her way to where the handheld shields had been brought up.
"It is always like this on the Resurgence?" an unfamiliar voice asked on the comms. "Colby Wando, Star Army infantry. Just transferred aboard." The Mindy armor took up a spot by Cassie as the Resurgence literally plowed through a cloud of enemy battle pods, sending several clanging off the hull.
"No, sometimes it's even crazier." Cheilith replied with a grin.
"Don't tell me you brought this rain with you?" Mineko joked over comms to the new recruit as the missiles and plasma fire belted them like a heavy storm would.
Just then, a squad of Ripper power armors landed on the hull, with two of them charging at Mineko!
"Hostiles!" Mineko only had time to chirp out before she swiveled her arm downwards, away from the falling fire and to the Rippers that were charging her. Faster than her arm's movement was her AIES' ability to start firing from her shoulders. She scanned with visuals for something to take cover behind and her thrusters pushed her backwards, making space between her and the NMX attackers and closing the distance between her and a ruined turret.
Watching as much as feeling the Ripper armors pelt the side of the hull, Yoko turned and moved slower than she'd like to Mineko's position. Though the twin Aether smgs gave the enemy PA squad more than enough reason to divert their attention. Reaching down, she pulled up the Ellipsoid shield as she approached close combat range with the Rippers. Which meant her LASR weapon was limited to semi-auto shots as she held it in one hand, but the whole point was to get them to focus on her much more heavily armored Mindy.
She got her wish with at least one of them. Noticing her proximity, one Ripper closed in to a near melee. It swung is deflected with the Ellipsoid shield as the two SMG turrets bear down and pummel the unfortunate Ripper into scrap.
Sanda telported to Mineko's postion when she reported hostiles. She launched herself at one of the Rippers with her bayonnet attached to her rifle and began to alternated firing and slashing at the monster while constantly moving.
Yoshiro teleported himself and his weaponry and engaged the enemy. He was moving to Mineko's position and slicing the Mishhu as he went.
As Sanda began tanking the Rippers, Mineko's shoulder weaponry's rate of fire slowed. The analyst wasn't willing to risk friendly fire on the ranger as she slashed with her bayonet. She found cover behind the turret and redirected her fire to the Rippers on the edge of the fray.
Yayoi was silent as she joined Sanda in battle against the enemy compantants. She aimed her Aetheric pulse cannon and fired at the Mishhu before her.
Her rifle pretty much useless aginst the Rippers, Erika tossed it aside, letting it float away into the void. Given her load out the only thing that would make a dent against the armored suits was her Aetheric hand canon. Gripping it tightly, she teleported, reappearing off the shoulder of one of the mechanical monstrocities. She drew the pistol, holding it with both hands as she fired at the optics on the suits head, the recoil kicking her back with each shot. As the suit and one of its friends turned to bear its large weapons at her she dumped the charge in her suits capacitor into the teleporter, vanishing as a powerful lance of Aethric enegy cut the space where she was moments ago. His friend then received the same treatment, both now blinded and easy prey for another with a bigger gun to finish off. She pinged them on the network for others to target.
"Time to die today, for today is your pennance in hell!" Yoshiro said as he fired his aether Shoulder cannons. He was murderous in his intentions to kill Mishhu.
The analyst's attention snapped to the ping from the other SAINT agent. Mineko's firing instantly diverted, happy to have a clean shot that the berserking black panel was giving her. Yoshiro, too, was shooting, but the multiple targets wouldn't mind being shared and Mineko steaded her forearm to shoot at the Ripper whose helmet had already been shot into. At such a close range, Erika's hits had likely damaged both shields and plating. Mineko aimed at the flattened head, focused her shoulder weapons on the same place.
As the Ripper armor flung into space, Mineko's view followed it for a moment longer than she intended. She could see in the distance the curling vortex of the wormhole and with awe, she began to opt her AIES into any available scans. Her vision snapped back the Ripper's friend, who Yoshiro's own firepower had killed, sending it spinning off the hull like the last.
YSS Resurgence - Bridge
Captain Aoba stood in a pile of guts with his sword in his hands and surrounded by bridge crew with their NSPs out. "Mishhuvurthyar boarded the ship," he said. "This time we were ready. Stay alert." He pulled the large Mishhuvurthyar corpse off his bloodsoaked captain's chair and sat back down. "There!" he shouted, pointing at the main screen, as the wormhole came into view.
Wakaba - Hangar Bay
For the fouth time in two years, the Wakaba's hanger bay was stormed once again by Mishhu. Defenderes were called up to repel the boarders that were coming in in force through the huge hangar bay doors.
Exyrus growled as the drake heard that there were boarders, but with its mistress still in the fighter, it knew she would be counting on it to help defend the crew and its other mistress. Now, it carried a small Aether weapon, in its claws, and had its tail wrapped around it to keep it steady as it waited for the next intruder.
The first intruder Exyrus saw got shot with a oddly well controlled Aether fire as well as normal fire as it got close.
Ryoko, along with Calandri and several others, came storming into the Hanger Bay. It was a mess. The enemy was coming on in droves. Ryoko drew her katana and, screeming at the top of her lungs, rushed headlong into battle.
Calandri, who had moments ago been on her way to the Med bay was back into the fight. She had stopped just long enough to put on her power armor and was blasting away and hacking with her four arms like something possested. All the Wakaba's crew was like that. They had a chance to make it back home and it fired them up and made them fiercer.
A few moments later Lou flew into the Hangar bay once more with Crysa riding on its back, the mini neko had her armor back on and her Aether lance in her hand as she charged in and went to joust against the invading Mishhu. " AHHHHHHH FOR THE WAKABA! ! ! Let's drive them out of here, and back to hell where they can burn in hellfire!!!!! " Screamed the tiny mini neko.
Exyrus chirped at Crysta's words as if agreeing with her and leveled her flight to be on level with Crysta's drake and fired Aether at the Mishhu once agan.
After getting annoyed at their hangar deck getting invaded, the crew had prepared the battlefield, rigging it in their favor in every way they could think. The cover was tough, and set up for the defenders. Small turrets that had been jury rigged popped from behind bunkers to spray fire at the attackers. A barrel of fuel was flung by a small trebuchet, landing and spurting fuel everywhere, then being ignited by weapons fire. Misshu soldiers screamed in agony as their armor suddenly were engulfed in fire and they began to roast.
Ryoko was knocked down and lost her grip on her katana. She quickly recovered and came up with a pistol in each hand and began blasting at eveything she saw.
Growling and spitting fireballs instead of a gout of fire this time Lou sent fireballs into whatever unarmored spots she can find on the invading Mishhu, Crysta is stabbing rending large wounds in the side of the Mishhu as she passes them. Looking around for that one PA that she seen kidnapping Hotaru, earlier.
Ryoko was being pushed backwords agaist a wall. She just couldn't keep the fire rate going. Then she pulled the trigger and nothing happend. Her pistols were empty. She dropped them both and drew her Straight silver. As a Ripper came at her, Ryoko launched her self at it and stabbed with all her might. The blade broke against the PA. The Ripper lifted Ryoko into the air and began to squeze.
Suddenly there was a flash of light and a spear cut the arm off that was holding Ryoko. Setsunu stood there. Her clothes were torn and her normally imaculate hair was wild but she was back on the battle field. The Lady of Death had returned.
As they flew around spitting fire at the Mishhu and making deep lines apear in their sides, face or wherever she was able to connect. Something caught her eyes— it was Ryoko's Katana. " Shit Ryoko?? Lou grab that sword we need to return it to Ryoko." Lou grunted as she dove for the katana and grabbed it in her claws. Looking around for Ryoko she spots a worse for wear Setsunu and then Ryoko on the ground. " Wha !" Hurry over there Lou?" Crysta pointed and they flew over toward Ryoko and then landed nearby as lou released the Katana. "I found your Katana Ryoko here you go!" Seeing the warrior as she stammers " She is back!! "
Exyrus chirped as they spotted Ryoko's situation then the bright light. Exyrus still clutched its own Aether weapon it had stolen from the ground that some lazy litterer had left.
"Mom?" Ryoko stammered, speechless. Setsunu made short work of the Ripper then turned to smile at her daughter who ran forward and embraced her mother. As they held each other, there was another flash of light and a strange looking Mindy suit appeared. It looked like the Warrior had returned.
Setsunu let go of her daughter and raised her spear. She was going to finish the fight between them once and for all. But before she could take a swing she froze. Setsunu dropped her spear and ran froward, wrapping her arms around the PA suit.
The pilot of the suit removed her helmet to reveal the short black hair of Hotaru. She looked pretty beat up and her eyes were red from crying. Ryoko ran forward and also hugged her sister. "How?"
Lou took to the air as soon as that Mindy appeared and then as Setsunu rushed forward in a hug she blinked. Stil lready to attack she closed in fast. That was till the helmet came off and it was Hotaru. Stunned Crysta slowed Lous and then came to a hover nearby the three at a lost for words on how she was standing there. But it matters not she was back!!!
"Michiru." Hotaru said looking at her mom. "Angel 3. She said you would know her. She had been captured for over a year on that Dreadnaught. She helped me escape and got this suit. But Warrior... she... Michiru didn't make it." Setsunu embraced her daughter, tears running from her eyes. Michiru, one of her best friends had sacrificed everything for her.
Space
As the Wakaba, Resurgence, and Renaissance pushed through the Mishhuvurthyar fleet, they finally, and miraculously made it to the unseemly swirling vortex of the wormhole home. A flash of shimmering blue light surrounded their ships as they were sucked out of normal spacetime, and then they were greeted with the sight of the decimated Second Fleet. Burning battleships, dead bodies, and chunks of debris littered the space ahead. Star Army Shuttles were already towing escape pods and performing rescues. It was a grim scene but better than that of the enemy fleet.
Seventh Fleet Capital ships, inluding the YSS Densetsu, had not arrived in time to participate in the battle, but they were realatively fresh, providing a defensive line and assistance for its battered sister fleet.
"Would you like to have a drink with me on planet Yamatai?" Taisa Aoba offered Taisa Canterbury, exhausted but relieved his ship was still in one piece. "It's on me. You earned it."
"I'm the one who owes you a few rounds Aoba." Thomas said. "You're the ones who risked everything to bring us home. I'll never forget that." Thomas sighed and collapsed into his command chair. They were finally going home.
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JP END
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OOC: JP by Wes, Charaa, Cowboy, Ame, iaincarter, Damaske, DragonNova, Sunny D, Yoshiro, Soban
