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Vandread: A Renewed War

Chapter Six: Decisions

Location: Asteroid Field Between Tarak & Mejale

(BGM: Gundam Seed Destiny- GAIA x CHAOS x ABYSS)

With lightning speed, several black, humanoid forms seemed to appear out of nowhere. Emma had little time to dodge a shot that was intended for her. Whoever these guys were, they were damned good, and it showed. They deftly moved in and around the surrounding rocks, not exposing themselves any more than was necessary. Another thing, they weren’t using close-combat tactics, as was standard practice for most Vanguard pilots. These mecha had rifles, and they were using them to excellent effect.

One by one, her team was being picked off, and she felt as if she could do nothing about it. She could hear their screams and curses as the members of her team were being killed. Every time she fired, her target had already moved out of the way, and she hit either rock or nothing at all. It was frustrating, for sure. She had to act now, or there wouldn’t be anything of her team left to save.

“Everyone!” she called on her team’s frequency. “Exit the asteroid field and fall back to the ship! I repeat, fall back to the ship!”

“I don’t think so,” came a condescending male voice. Followed seconds later by a rapid, black machine approaching her from her six.

Before she could challenge the voice, her Dread shook violently. Surprised at the fact that the attack didn’t kill her, she got a hold of herself and checked the damage. The readout told her that her engines were disabled, meaning she was a sitting duck. After figuring her comm system still worked, she attempted to call out to the Starfall and report what had happened. After several tries, the same male voice cut through her comm frequency again.

“It’s no use,” he said, as his machine landed on top of her Dread. “You’re being jammed.”

“Just who are you!” she called out to the male pilot after the shaking of his impact had stopped. “What are you doing out here?”

“I think you’re in no position to asking me questions, Mejalean,” he replied coldly.

The machine’s head looked down at her, and she noticed something she hadn’t before. Even though it was humanoid, it looked nothing like a Vanguard. It’s construction was more streamlined, and it didn’t have the ‘cyclops-eye’ that the Tarak machines had.

“You’re not from Tarak, are you?” she asked, not really expecting him to answer.

“So what if I’m not? It doesn’t matter, at least not to you.” After saying that, a single, double-edged blade emerged from the right arm of the machine. “Too bad I can’t take you prisoner, I have my orders, you know. Can’t contradict my employer, now can I?”

And with that, the machine thrust it’s right arm into the cockpit of her fighter, killing her instantly. Withdrawing it’s arm, the pilot looked at the red color that was crystallizing on the blade before retracting it back into its stored position in the forearm. “Pathetic, is that all the fight these Mejaleans have?”

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Location: Captain’s Meeting Room, Nirvana

Aidan sat, arms crossed, while he watched the message that was addressed to Magno from one of her subordinates. He kept his face impassive throughout the length of the message, still not sure what to think of this new development. He had called over here as soon as the two ships rendezvoused with each other. He didn’t like what he was seeing.

“So, from what I’ve seen of this,” he said after the message ended. “This ‘war’ looks like it was started by some radical faction to pit the two nations against one another. This seems all too familiar.”

“Despite whoever started it,” Magno said. “We have to stop them.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?” he said, lowering his arms to his sides. “Something like this is not in my mission orders.”

“I realize that,” Magno said. “But I believe there is a bigger power at work here, and it just might have connections to Earth.”

“Well,” he said after a moment of thought. “I suppose I could have my help you investigate this, but I’m going to need proper evidence and someone from your ship to help me convince the higher-ups to get me full authorization to assist you.”

“Very well, then,” Magno concluded. “I’ll have Meia go with you, as well as give you a copy of the message.”

“Understood, ma’am,” he replied, getting up from his seat. “I’ll have the Deimos follow you to your home system, and Meia and I will catch up. That way, we won’t waste very much time.”

As he reached the door, Magno said one last thing. “You know, you didn’t have to do this. You could’ve just went on with your mission without us.”

“I know,” he replied, looking back over his shoulder. “Call it repaying a favor, that’s all.”

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Location: Military High Command, Tarak

The Prime Minister was satisfied with what he was seeing. The initial stages of the conflict were going in his favor. Several skirmishes and a few larger battles had all gone in his favor. The time was near to ‘step up’ his operation. Just a few things had to be done before he could finally rid the universe of man’s enemy. Just then, the commander of the Special Information Bureau walked into the command center.

“How’s the construction coming along?” he asked the SI Officer.

“It is proceeding at a fast pace sir,” the man replied. “It should be completed within the week.”

“Good,” he said. “What news do you bring me?”

“Sir, the mercenary commander reported that he came into contact with a Mejalean recon force not three hours ago.”

“And?” he said, waiting for the officer to continue.

“He reports that the entire recon force was eliminated, and their warship as well,” the officer completed his report.

“Very good,“ he replied. “It looks like those mercenaries are going to earn their pay.”

“And he is also requesting further orders, sir,” the officer added.

“Have him stand by and make sure no one finds out anything about the plan,” the Minister said.

“Very well, sir,” the officer said, bowing before leaving.

These mercs, as they called themselves, had come to offer their services to him. The equipment they were using was pretty advanced, and he was unsure as to where or how they acquired it. He also didn’t know where they called home, or used to call to home, but that mattered little to him. As long as they did what they were ordered, he’d pay them. Personally, he didn’t care much for them, as they were just hired soldiers, and therefore he had them do his dirty work. But if they decided to go public with any of the information he’d provided them, he’d make sure they were quickly disposed of, and their equipment confiscated or destroyed.

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Location: Rear Hangar, Nirvana

“How long will you be gone?” Dita asked Meia.

“For a few days, a week at the most,” Meia replied, then looked over to Jura. “You’re in command of the Dread Teams until I get back.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jura replied, clearly not very happy about it. “Going to have some alone time with him, are you?”

“Hardly,” Meia replied, slightly irritated that Jura brought that up. “The Captain chose me to assist him in convincing his commanding officer to allow him to help us stop the war between Tarak and Mejale. That’s all.”

“Right,” Jura said, her tone suggesting that she didn’t completely buy it.

Is that all she thinks about? Meia thought. Maybe I should leave Barnette, or even Hibiki in charge, she thought with dry humor. At least I know they’ll be serious about it.

Hibiki was the only one of the three to remain quiet. He appeared lost in thought. “Something wrong, Hibiki?”

“Uh, no, it’s nothing,” he replied, thrown slightly off-guard by her concern. “Return soon.”

“I will,” she replied.

“It’s time,” Aidan said as he walked down the shuttle’s ramp. They would be using one of the shuttle’s from the Deimos, as it was a military craft.

“Okay,” she replied as she turned and walked up the ramp.

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Location: Corridor Outside Rear Hangar, Nirvana

To say there was something on Hibiki’s mind was an understatement. He couldn’t begin to comprehend why Lord Grand-Pa, his father by genetic birth, despite a gross age difference, or Uncle Jinn, would allow something like this war to spread so greatly, and to such extremes. From the information Magno had shown him. The Tarakian soldiers were not taking very many prisoners, if any at all.

I thought we were over that kind of petty hatred. I thought the people had put such things behind them. Perhaps that’s too naïve a view for this damn universe. But I can’t, I won’t let them get dragged into a war like the one Aidan had been involved in. In a war like that, there are no real winners.

His train of thought was interrupted by Dita calling him by the moniker she’d given him the first day they’d met.

“What?’ he replied in a rather bland voice.

She seemed unfazed by his tone as she grabbed him by the arm. “Come on, follow me.”

“Where are we going?” he asked as she pulled him down the corridor.

“I know just what you need to cheer you up,” she said as they continued down the corridor.

Well, he thought. I suppose whatever she has in mind will help take my mind off that matter, at least for a while.

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Location: Military Shuttle, Currently Approaching Solaris

“Shuttle Two-Four-Two, you are clear on approach vector,” the tech’s voice said through the headset Aidan was wearing.

“Copy,” he replied. “Adjusting descent angle for atmospheric entry.”

“Affirmative, Two-Four-Two,” the operator said.

He adjusted the controls to allow for a safe descent through the atmosphere. He hadn’t flown one of these things in a while, and he was glad he still remembered how to. Meia sat in the copilot’s seat, riding out the reentry. Once they were in the atmosphere, he maneuvered the craft, putting it on a direct course for the spaceport in the city of Solaria.

Meia was quiet most of the way here, and he couldn’t blame her. She probably has a lot on her mind, with the war back in her home system, and the massive Earth fleet somewhere out there.

Within ten minutes they came into visual contact with the spaceport. A few seconds later he received a transmission from the air control tower.

“Shuttle Two-Four-Two, you are cleared to land at Pad Seven, do you copy?”

“This is Shuttle Two-Four-Two, copy,” he replied. “Landing at Pad Seven.”

As soon as he sat the shuttle down on its landing struts, he took off his headset and got up out of the pilot seat. Meia followed suite, getting out of her seat and following him to the crafts exit ramp.

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Finished with Chapter Six, what happens next? You’ll have to wait to find out. I’m tired, I’m going to sleep now.