Disclaimer: I don’t own Vandread.
Vandread: A Renewed War
Chapter Twelve: Divine Retribution
Location: Command Center, Hidden Pirate Asteroid Base, Tarak/Mejale Asteroid Field
“That’s a pretty desperate picture the Admiral painted,” Valore commented after Rebecca’s conversation with Alaria Zuka was over. “Do you really think that this plan she provided will work?”
“Not sure,” Rebecca replied, turning to face her Dread Team Leader. “But it sure puts a hell of a lot of responsibility on our shoulders.”
“I know, but calling for an entire evacuation of the populations of both planets?” Valore commented. “It’d take a large number of ships to pull that off. More than we have, anyways.”
“Plus, we’d have to convince both Grand Ma and Grand Pa to authorize such a plan, seeing as…” Rebecca trailed off.
“Both fleets are too battered to put up an effective resistance for long,” Valore completed. “But it’s finally good news that Tarak forces agreed to a ceasefire.”
“Only after the removal of their radical Prime Minister,” Rebecca replied. “It’s good to see that at least a few in their ranks see the actual threat.”
“Now, are we going to go through with this plan?” Valore asked. “Even though the Captain isn’t here?”
“I’m afraid we have to,” Rebecca replied sadly. “If she were here, she’d know exactly what to do.”
“Commander!” one of her subordinates called out. “The combined fleet has just engaged the Earthlings!”
“Damn,” Rebecca muttered. “We need to act now. Lina, open the code used to contact Lady Grand Ma and Lord Grand Pa.”
“Yes ma’am!” Lina replied, carrying out the order.
“I’ll see to the preparation of the Paraiso for takeoff, as well as seeing if I can acquire as many ships as I can,” Valore said before turning and beginning to exit the command center.
“Alright,” was all Rebecca said, focusing more on what she was going to say to the heads of both nations, and thinking what to do if they refused…
--
Location: Tarak/Mejale Battle Line
“The Prime Minister has failed you,” an authoritative voice sounded throughout the broadband frequency. It could be heard on every vessel and machine in the Tarak force. “He has dragged us into a pointless war that has cost us the lives of several good men, and even now the true enemy which he failed to recognize is approaching. You are all ordered to disengage from your battle with the women, and reform the battle line to face this oncoming threat.”
“I am sorry to say, that at our current strength, we are no match for them, but the Mejalean commander has proposed a plan of action that will save both peoples, but it requires us to make a great sacrifice. In order to evacuate the populations of Tarak and Mejale, the pirates, as well as those ships that are able, will carry out the task. I know that it seems impossible, but the Harvesters have caught us at the worst possible time, we are to hold the line for as long as possible, to buy enough time to guarantee the future of our brethren. I ask that all of you fight them with the best of your ability, and beyond. Their future is depending on us!”
Having listened to the entire speech in the confines of his cockpit, General Ozeki Kyunmel, Commander of the Gale Squadron knew what he had to do. Having been an experienced veteran of many battles as part of the Empire, he knew when a no-win situation presented itself. This was just such a situation. Overwhelming enemy numbers, both defending fleets badly damaged, commanders, soldiers, pilots, and crewmen on both sides exhausted, both physically and mentally. Yes, this was going to be a hopeless battle, if not for the renewed determination and an admirable goal that had been revealed.
They were to make sure both Tarak and Mejale were evacuated of their populations before the Earth fleet wiped everyone from existence. As a determined soldier and commander, no, as a citizen of Tarak, he knew what he had to do…
“Gale Squadron!” he announced, his voice full of authority. “You heard the man! Prepare to engage the enemy!”
“YES SIR!” they replied at once, now that they knew what they were going to do.
--
Location: Temporary Perimeter around Deimos/Nirvana
Being assigned short-range recon duty wasn’t her idea of an interesting assignment, but Mayura was one not to question orders without a damn good reason. Since standard tactical doctrine issued two Strikers per recon team, she was partnered with a man named Thomas Ingram, although she’d heard some of the other pilots call him ‘Eagle-Eye’. She did notice a scar over the man’s left eye when she’d saw him before they were assigned this recon/perimeter defense.
“Stay sharp,” he reminded her. “Keep your eyes open, rookie.”
Even though there was no sarcastic or insulting tone to his voice, she still bristled at his calling her a ‘rookie’, even though he was technically correct. “I know that!” she retorted, her face starting to get red before she reined in her emotions.
“Contact,” Ingram called out, noticing something on his Striker’s sensors. Due to the fact that his Striker was modified as a long-range sniper, it had better sensors and optical equipment. It’s primary weapon was a long-range laser rifle tied directly into the backpack generator via power cable. “One point five kilometers. Two humanoid machines, one shuttlecraft, approaching at cruising speed running crosscheck”
They were currently out of range of her Striker, and they were too far out to get a good visual. She brought up max visual on her optical anyways. Two blurry human-like figures appeared, with the outline of what appeared to be some kind of small spacecraft, most likely a shuttle. It was then that she noticed the two machines were not of Solaris origin.
“Shuttlecraft is an HSS-67, limited data most likely identifies the two machines as Vanguards belonging to the Tarak Empire,” Ingram announced after his computer identified the incomings. “All three are broadcasting friendly IFF codes.”
“That’s the commander’s shuttle, isn’t it?” she asked. “Then what’s it doing with two Tarak machines?”
“I’m not sure,” Ingram replied, raising his machine‘s rifle. “But we’ll find out soon enough.”
She had done the same, raising her Striker’s battle rifle. Upon seeing the implied threat, the lead Vanguard signaled for a halt of the other Vanguard and the shuttle. A few seconds later the lead pilot came up on screen via direct communications. She was surprised by what she saw. It was Commander Aidan Mercer himself, although not wearing a Solaris uniform. He was wearing what appeared to be a guard uniform, probably of Tarak origin as well. Something happened while he was away, and she had no idea what it was.
--
Location: Captain’s Meeting Room, Nirvana
After returning to the Deimos, Aidan had taken a quick shower and gotten a change of clothes. He had sent a brief message to the Nirvana, informing them that he was coming over to explain why he’d come back with a pair of Vanguards and Tarak soldier. In that message, he requested that only Magno and her two highest ranking be present. He had also requested that Captain Vincent and Damon to accompany him. That was over an hour ago.
Now, they were standing in Magno’s meeting room. He noticed that Magno had done as requested, having only BC and Gascogne present. Meia was also present, as this concerned her as well. Also present were Damon, and Conrad Vincent, along with Akira, who was in dressed in a blue-black jumpsuit, as they had no Tarak uniforms onboard the Deimos. Now that everyone was assembled, he went on to explain what had happened. It took several minutes as he laid down the exact details, including Akira’s involvement.
“You‘ve got to be kidding,” Gascogne replied.
“No, I’m not,” he said flatly. “Meia and Akira both know, they can back me up.”
“We were being followed the whole time,” Magno said, directing her next question to Akira. “Is that true, young man?”
“Yes, it is,” he replied immediately. “The O-Bakemono was under strict orders to follow your ship, but to stay outside Solaris borders, to prevent from being spotted. You have been followed since you first left that system.”
“Was that ship under orders from Grand Pa?” BC asked.
“No, the Prime Minister gave those orders, and circumvented official channels to do so,” Akira replied, as if he was expecting the question. “He had justified it by saying that the O-Bakemono was on a long-range recon mission to check for possible Harvester activity. I was placed onto the ship via crew transfer by Lord Grand Pa to find out if that were the truth. I found out that it wasn’t.”
“But what was the real purpose of us being followed? Was it so he could eventually recapture this ship?” Magno asked, wondering just what the true purpose was.
“From what I have gathered, no,” Akira replied. “The real purpose of the operation was to shadow you so he knew where you were. As soon as he knew where you were, he could carry out his plans, whatever they were.”
“He was afraid we would intervene,” Meia said flatly, speaking for the first time in this conversation. “When he noticed we were far enough away, he would go through with his plans.”
“So, you all believe that he somehow fabricated an excuse to go to war?” Magno asked.
“After what Akira had told me, and the actions of the former caption of the O-Bakemono, I believe this war that your homeland is fighting was in actuality started by the Prime Minister of Tarak, although we have no solid proof to back up that claim,” Aidan replied.
“Looks like we’re in way over our heads here,” Conrad Vincent commented. “This could have serious ramifications.”
“We already were, Captain,” Damon countered, uncrossing his arms. “The second we were assigned this mission.”
--
Location: Tarak/Mejale Battle Line
To Dread Team Leader Vera, the Harvester fleet looked like a literal wall of death, ready to wipe every last man and woman from this solar system. She wasn’t about to let that happen. She had been given specific orders to hold the line to allow time to evacuate everyone they could from Mejale, as well as Tarak. She didn’t know if Lady Grand Ma had approved of such a plan, but it seemed like the only viable one to her, and even that was a stretch. It would take the better part of a day before they could get even half the population of either planet evacuated, and that was if they just shoved everybody onboard several ships without regard for formalities. Still, she was obligated to make sure that as many escaped Earth’s grasp as possible.
Mere moments from now, the battle would be engaged in earnest. It was the moment of truth for them all. Hands tight on her controls, Vera waited for the inevitable order to engage the rapidly closing Earth fleet, which was now moving into a predetermined attack pattern. It came only a few seconds later. “This is Admiral Zuka, all units, open fire!”
“You heard her!” she called to her surviving pilots, as she kicked her fighter’s thrusters into high gear. “For our Motherland!”
With a tightly focused ferocity, their fighters tore into the rapid expanse of enemy machines, shredding through the foremost machines. In this initial attack, Vera accounted for at least three cube types and a Vandread clone. Losing only one fighter, Vera’s team grouped back into a precise formation and re-engaged the enemy, which were rapidly increasing in number. A feral grin creased her lips. This is what she was wanting, a battle with overwhelming odds. She was in her element. With a cry, she pushed her Dread’s thrusters to their limit and charged the line, her entire team following suite.
--
Location: Grand Council Chamber, Tarak
“Are you mad!?” one of the Tarak elders replied to Rebecca’s proposal. “There is no way such a plan would succeed.”
“You have nowhere the amount of vessels required for such a feat,” another said. “And besides, it would take far too much time to accomplish.”
“Just now,” Rebecca said, as if delivering a bad omen. “Elements of your military, as well as those from Mejale have just engaged the Harvester fleet. It is only a matter of time before they are overwhelmed. Are you willing to let them die in vain? Are you willing to let their sacrifices go to waste? Are you willing to let all of your people die, just because of your damned stubbornness? Don’t you see that this might be the only way to save any of your people? Lady Grand Ma has already given permission and is currently starting the evacuation on Mejale.”
After a long silence, Jin, Lord Grand Pa himself, came to a decision. “Very well, we will begin organizing for the evacuation of the citizens.”
In response to his decision, several protests and outrage generally gripped the rest of the elders. The racket lasted for all but thirty seconds before Jin had had enough of it. “Silence!” he commanded, immediately halting any further protests. “I now see that that is the only way for Tarak to live on in the current, as well as future generations. This is the way it has to be.”
--
Location: Infirmary, Nirvana
“So, you’re finally awake, sleepyhead,” Hibiki commented on seeing the red-headed Dita open her eyes.
“Mr. Alien…” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Are you alright?”
Even though he’d come to expect this concern from her, he still was amazed. She’d been affected most by the sudden pain inflicted by the red Paksis, yet she still thought for his well-being before her own. So caught up in his thoughts about her, that he almost forgot to reply. Composing himself quickly, he felt his face getting red. “Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“That’s good,” she replied. “What about Meia, and Jura?”
“Jura’s fine,” he replied quickly. “And Meia has just recently returned from her trip to Solaris. I’ve haven’t seen her since she returned, but I believe she is okay as well.”
“That pain, that means…” she said, trailing off, worry now in her voice.
“Yes…” he replied, the dread filling once more. “Earth has returned.”
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