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January, 2011 - Sol System - The Av'Nai Cruiser - on patrol, near Neptune
Tavek glanced up as alarms started going off all across the ship. Cursing in Kinmokunai, he dropped the faulty communicator he had been working on and ran for the bridge. He had to grab on to the doorframe to keep from falling as he slid to a stop. "What's going on? Are we under attack?"
"Negative. One of the ships at the outer edge of the Solar System has engaged a Hrrrrunai civilian transport."
"Civilian?! Damnit, tell them to stop firing! There could be Kinmokunai on that ship!" Tavek practically threw himself into the Captain's chair and punched in a quick, coded message to Earth. "Take us out there! Full speed. If they are Hrrrrunai, I'll blow them out of the sky myself."
The ship lurched as it changed directions suddenly. It was at the edge of the Solar System in just under an hour. There were signs of a one-way battle and the Hrrrrunai transport ship seemed dead in space.
Motioning for a comm. link to the other Kinmokunai ship, Tavek schooled his expression into a dark scowl. "How dare you open fire on an unarmed Civilian ship!?"
The other Commander flinched at the tone in his voice. "Sorry, sir. Our sensors didn't even register the ship until AFTER we had locked on to it manually and fired. It spooked us, sir. We felt we had no choice."
Tavek frowned, staring at the split image of the ship and the other Commander. "And what of it's crew?"
"In our holds, sir. We had already disabled the ship and taken them into custody by the time we got your message to halt the attack." He glanced around his bridge for a moment, then looked back at Tavek. "Perhaps ... we should continue this in private."
"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my crew."
The other Commander, a young human named Delmar, glanced apprehensively around his bridge once more. "It concerns Lady Fighter."
Tavek watched him for several moments, then nodded, knowing the young man didn't trust his own crew. 'Perhaps, in time.' "Very well. I'll meet you on your ship and see the situation for myself." He noticed the other man nod in relief and motioned for the signal to be cut off. Sagging in his chair, he glanced over at Noi. "Any contact from Earth?"
Noi shook his head. "Not yet. But it is the middle of the night in California. There may not be anyone awake to reply yet."
Nodding, Tavek stood and stretched. "Contact me the moment you hear anything. I'll take Xan and head over to the other ship. I swear these humans are going to be the death of me."
Noi chuckled slightly as he sent a signal to the assistant doctor to meet Tavek in the shuttle bay. The humans in question were members of the Air Force that had helped rescue Taiki and his crew. The redhead had arranged for them to be posted on various ships months ago, as a measure of good faith between the Kinmokunai and Earth. They had all seen the addition of humans to the fleet as a good thing, initially, but it had quickly proven to be more work for them, since most humans were still distrustful of aliens.
Their ship, the Av'Nai was the only one that didn't have a single human crew member. The Captain, Kageshirou, had asked a few to join his crew, but all had refused. Most were far too nervous around the young Prince to do their jobs properly. The rest thought him too much of a target in a Hrrrrunai attack. Assuming Tavek's place in the Captain's chair, Noi glanced over the crew. 'Still the same faces that brought the ship from Kinmoku. Once a spacer, always a spacer, I guess.'
Tavek stepped into the shuttle bay and immediately spotted Xan standing next to one of the smaller ships. He nodded to the young woman as he walked over. "Sorry to pull you from your research, but I don't know what to expect over there. I'd rather be prepared for any situation."
"Understood, Commander," Xan replied, nodding. She was the newest member of the crew, but had been with them long before they ever left Kinmoku. Originally from one of the Hrrrrunai Colonies, her family had moved to Kinmoku when she was just a child. When things went bad between the two people, she had chosen to support Kakyuu, while her brother joined the Hrrrrunai forces. They fought on opposite sides up until the day her brother was killed by his own Commander for refusing to fire on her.
Kageshirou immediately took her onto his crew and personally killed the Commander. He had never once doubted her loyalty, and neither had any of the others. That was the reason Tavek felt at ease taking her with him. He knew that the other ship had not only a human Commander, but a partly human crew as well. If there truly were Hrrrrunai on the ship, he would need someone that could translate, and a doctor that could treat their wounds. If they were agressive ... he needed someone that could, and WOULD, watch his back.
Tavek strapped himself into the pilots' seat and watched as Xan secured herself into the co-pilot's seat. He signaled Noi that they were leaving and took the shuttle out. He couldn't resist the urge to fly closer to the smaller Hrrrrunai ship. Upon seeing the damage inflicted, and that the shuttle was still in one piece, he opened a comm. link back to the Av'Nai. "Noi, get a team ready. As soon as I know it's not a threat, I want that ship gone over with a fine tooth comb."
"With a what, sir?"
"Sorry, it's something Aunt ... it's something Suuri-san always says. Just search the ship thoroughly. It must be something new the Hrrrrunai built after we left. I want the information sent directly to the lab."
"Understood, Commander."
Tavek cut the link and chuckled slightly. "Guess I'm spending more time on Earth than I realized."
"So it would seem." Xan smiled at him as they landed in the other Imperial ship. Her smile faded as she noticed that the human Commander was there himself to greet them. "Think we should be worried?"
Shrugging, Tavek reached under the console and palmed one of the energy weapons hidden there. "Better to be safe than sorry. Besides, Kageshirou would kick my ass if I screwed up something like this." He stood, sliding the gun underneath his uniform jacket as he did so. He saw Xan do the same and nodded. "Don't say anything until we find out what's up. Something's got this guy spooked."
Xan nodded as she followed him off the ship. She noticed the tense nod from the human, indicating he wasn't surprised Tavek brought backup. She didn't think there would be much of a problem, most of the humans she knew were inept, backwards and clueless about space. But the two bodyguards at his side were Kinmokunai.
"Commander, I'm glad you came. I'm sorry I couldn't explain this over the comm., but ... this kid keeps shouting something about Lady Seiya that I just can't understand." Delmar motioned for them to follow him to a small holding cell near the hangar. Even before they reached it, they could hear a child screaming.
Xan listened for a moment, then hastened her steps. "That's Hrrrrunai. He's saying he's her son."
Tavek grabbed Xan's arm and pulled her back. "Lady Seiya's son is dead. Has been for a long time. Are you sure that's what he's saying?"
Xan listened for a few more moments, then frowned. "No, it's not. He's ... screaming too much to make it out clearly, but ... he's with her son. Urani is alive."
Tavek dropped her arm and stared at the closed door of the cell in shock. He fought down the urge to send for the blue-eyed Senshi and turned to the human Commander. "Was there another boy ... black hair?"
Delmar nodded. "He's unconscious, up in the medical bay. Got tossed around pretty bad during the attack. Doc says he thinks he'll be ok, but he's never seen anything like him."
Tavek sighed, forcing himself to remain calm. "What color is his blood?"
"Huh? It's ... it's almost black. I thought it was at first, until we got him into the light." Delmar frowned, motioning to one of his guards. He took a small communicator from the other man, then called up a picture of the sleeping boy in the medical bay. Handing the device to Tavek, he frowned. "What's wrong?"
Looking at the picture, Tavek felt his heart lift and break at the same time. The teenager looked seriously injured, but there was no doubt that he was, in fact, Urani. The young boy had always looked exactly like his mother, even down to his bright blue eyes. "Open the cell. Let us speak to the child."
Delmar motioned to the guards, continuing to watch the other Commander. "Is it ... is he really her son?"
"Yes ... yes, he is."
Xan moved to the cell and smiled as the young boy stopped screaming as soon as he saw her. "Hello, little one," she replied in Hrrrrunai.
Hiko looked up at the newcomer and smiled slightly. He knew immediately why she was there and that, unlike those other people, she wasn't scared of him. His smile faded, however, when he looked past her to the stunned man in the shuttle bay. "Where my brother?"
Xan's smile faded a little as well. "He's hurt, little one. We're here to help him. We're here to help all of you. What's your name?"
Glancing from the Hrrrrunai woman in front of him, to the human woman sitting beside him, he grinned a little. "Hiko."
Xan eeped as she heard the voice in her head. Tavek was at her side in an instant, weapon at the ready. He frowned when he heard her laughing. "What's so funny?"
"He's a telepath!" Xan chuckled a little more, then looked up at Tavek. "And he's not more than two years old. He poses no threat to us or this ship. The woman ... is human."
"How could you have figured that out that quickly?" Delmar asked, coming up to the cell.
"I told her."
Both Commanders jumped at the voice in their minds. Tavek grinned a little as an idea occurred to him. "Who-"
"Enishi Tamura."
Tavek was shocked for the second time since they landed and it must have been obvious on his face, cause he felt Xan grab him this time.
"Commander?"
"Xan ... get to the med-lab, now. The boy up there is like Miyo. Commander, I need you to contact my ship. Tell them to forget the exploration, bring the Hrrrrunai ship on board."
"But Commander, what if-"
Tavek held up his hand and frowned. "We can't leave it here for any one else to find. And we have to get back to Earth ASAP. Say nothing of the boy's identity. I want to tell them that myself."
Delmar nodded and motioned for one of his guards to escort Xan. He sent the other one off to setup the communications. "And what of these two and the rest of the ships crew?"
"There are more of them?"
Delmar motioned to another cell on the other side of the small hallway. Three giants were watching them carefully, as well as a smaller man that bared a strange resemblance to Noi.
Tavek looked at the four men carefully, then approached the cell. "Do any of you speak Kinmokunai?"
The smaller man and two of the giants apparently didn't understand, but the third giant, nodded. Chibi sat up in the small cell and tried to muster up as much dignity as he could. "I am Chiuxbinta vek Amo, descendant of the Hseti, servant ... friend to Lord Urani Tamura of Kikvesh, formerly known as Kinmoku."
Tavek smiled a little and bowed slightly. "I am Tavek, of the line of Kryshta, Commander in her Majesty's Fleet, servant to Empress Kakyuu, elected ruler of Kinmoku, courtesan of His Imperial Highness, Prince Kageshirou." He smirked a little as he straightened.
Chibi smirked. "They let courtesans fly ships now?"
"At His Highness' request." Tavek grinned and took the key from Delmar. "Sorry about all this. Some of the humans still don't understand the way we do things."
Chibi waved off the concern and explained to the others what was going on. They all seem to relax visibly, then smile in thanks when Tavek opened the cell. Chibi's smile faded a little as he glanced over to the other cell. "Where's Urani? Hiko's been screaming too much for us to hear him, even in our heads."
"He's been hurt. They're treating him up in the Medical Bay. Don't worry, my best doctor is overseeing his care. I have to get Lady Seiya's son back to her in one piece, after all."
"She's alive? Lady Seiya? The others?"
Tavek nodded as he opened the cell for Hiko and the woman. The little boy ran out of the cell and immediately latched on to his leg. "It will take time to explain everything in detail, but over one million Kinmoku are in this Solar System." He picked up the little boy and reached in to help the woman to her feet. He saw her swollen leg and realized that at the very least it must be sprained from the bandages around it. "The StarLights, along with all of their children, are on Earth. That's where we're headed, if you are interested."
Chibi quickly explained it to the others as the Vexan-Orion man moved to help Tavek with Panacea. They all nodded and he smiled at the Commander from his crouched position in the hallway. "We would be very grateful, Commander."
Shi was staring at the wall of her classroom, completely ignoring the teacher's lecture on some obscure battle that happened 300 years ago on the other side of the world. The lights overhead flickered, then went out. 'Miyo?'
'Are you doing this, Shi?'
'No.'
'Then I think we have a problem.'
It had been nearly time for the end of class when the lights went out, so the teacher didn't bother stopping the students as they grabbed their stuff and headed for the door. "There will be a test on this tomorrow, so make sure you read ch. 7!"
Shi rolled her eyes as she grabbed her stuff. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and frowned when she noticed it was completely fried. 'Ok, not good. Find Dema, Miyo.'
'Already on it. He said it was a shockwave from a couple of ships popping out of hyper right above the planet.'
'Don't they know how stupid that is!? They could have crashed!?' Shi was muttering in Kinmokunai as she stepped into the courtyard in the middle of the school. She already saw the other Senshi gathering near the middle. She was just about to join them when she felt *something* pulling at the back of her mind. The blonde glanced back toward the building and noticed her twin staring off toward the football field. As she followed her sister's gaze, she saw a tall young man standing at the edge of the courtyard. At first, she looked past him, then felt her gaze drifting back. 'Miyo .... who is that?'
'I ... don't know.'
'Hello, sisters.'
The twinned Senshi stared in shock at the blue-eyed young man. Shi felt her world spinning, then arms grabbing at her shoulders.
