Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread.
A/N: As it said in the prologue, this story takes place close to three and a half years after the events at the end of Second Stage. Also, sorry for the wait on this, as, after I had written the first several pages, I realized that they were not heading the way I wanted. So I had to rewrite them. Well, now here it is for your reading enjoyment.
Trials of Error
Chapter One: Alliance
“It seems, no matter how hard I tried, I could never forget that fateful day. Even during my self-imposed exile to that planet I crashed on in the Magnetic Storm, the memory wouldn’t ever go away. Upon my return to my home system, I joined the Tarak Imperial Army. To think, I never would have done something like this if she, if Dita were still around. I still wonder how my life would be right now if she were still here.”
- From the personal journal of Hibiki Tokai
With precision that only countless hours of training could attain, several black Vanguards tore the Harvester’ ranks with what one could label as a fanatic’s zeal. They quickly made work of the small skirmishing force that the Earth forces had sent ahead of their main advance. Apparently spurred by the rather quick defeat of their scouting elements, the main body, which consisted of several larger vessels and automated units, as well as one of the powerful Nirvana-clone ships moved in to attack. Even though they were outnumbered, the lone Tarak vessel and its complement of attack Vanguard fought with a determination that belied their numbers.
The primary reason was the effectiveness the Vanguard squadron commander showed in taking on the enemy. If one paid close attention, they would notice that his machine was different from the rest being employed in the battle. Even though it was painted black, one could not forget it’s distinct, menacing appearance. With a pair of silver eyes instead of the normal cyclopean eye that all prior Vanguards sported, it had a more streamlined appearance. It also had the numeral ‘1’ painted in red on the right shoulder. Opposite that, was the Japanese Kanji for a word meaning ‘Retribution’. Aside from obvious color differences, one might recognize the Vanguard’s design as belonging to that of the only male survivor from the Nirvana, Hibiki Tokai.
“Commander! To you left!” one of the Vanguard pilots warned Hibiki, who was about to be attacked by a Vandread Meia clone. Reacting with what some would call inhuman reflexes, Hibiki dodged the swooping strike, grabbing hold of one of the clone’s legs with his left hand, he thrust the sword into the underbelly of the machine. Pulling the sword out, he jetted clear as the clone exploded seconds later. He dispatched another Vandread clone with brutal efficiency, cutting it in half as before it could react to his presence. The last clone, this one of the Nirvana, fired at him with all of its laser cannon. Dodging the multitude of blasts, Hibiki moved his Vanguard point-blank with his attacker. The Vanguard’s right forearm and fist started emitting electricity, apparently charging for something. With punishing force, he drove the electrically-charged fist into the machine’s core.
What appeared to some as lightning shot out of the back of the clone, followed by a massive surge throughout its body. A few scant seconds after he withdrew his machine’s fist, the clone exploded. What few cube-type drones remained were quickly dispatched, taken out by the rest of the Vanguards. As soon as the last Harvester drone was destroyed, Hibiki radioed the all-clear.
Less than five minutes later, all Vanguards were back onboard the Kodotai, the warship that squadron was assigned to, with Hibiki’s being the last to set foot inside the hangar. After he docked it in its assigned cradle, he opened the cockpit, and exited. Looking down from his perch on the gantry, he noticed his second-in-command, Gerhard Schieken already on the hangar deck. Deftly making his way down there, by using his Vanguards cockpit hatch to push himself off, as there was no gravity in the hangar, as it was standard protocol before and after a sortie. Landing right beside his exec, he turned to face him.
“Commander,” Gerhard said by a way of greeting. “The Captain wants to see you for debrief, ASAP.”
“Restoring normal gravity,” the intercom blared, warning everyone in the hangar.
Hibiki scowled internally at the voice, as it cut off his reply. After the message repeated itself, he finally spoke. “Right now?”
“Yeah, that’s what he said,” Gerhard replied, running a hand through his short black hair.
“Well, better not keep him waiting then,” Hibiki replied with a smirk.
--
“Commander Hibiki Tokai reporting as ordered, sir,” Hibiki said upon entering Captain Tanegawa’s office.
“Take a seat, Commander,” Tanegawa said without looking up. He waited until Hibiki took a seat before continuing. “The reason I summoned you here so quickly is that you have received new orders.”
“New orders?” Hibiki echoed. “Care to explain, sir?”
“I was to getting to that,” Tanegawa said flatly. “You and your squadron are to hereby cease all combat actions and return back to Tarak to await transfer to a new ship.”
“Return to Tarak?” Hibiki replied, getting up out of his seat, surprise, as well as a little bit of anger in his voice. “But there are still Harvesters out there, and you’re saying that my squadron has to leave the front, for what damned reason?!”
Tanegawa gave him a stern gaze. “If you’ll let me finish, Commander. You know of the Unity, don’t you?”
“Yes sir,” he replied, sitting back down. A little bit of anger still in his voice. “That’s the ship that’s being built by both Tarak and Mejale. I don’t see what it has to do with me or my men.”
“Oh, but it does,” Tanegawa countered. “That is the ship you are to be transferred to. They wanted one of the best Vanguard squadrons as part of the ship’s battle force. Seeing as how General Kyumel turned down the offer, and as your squadron was the only other with extensive battle experience against Earth, High Command made their decision. You are to coordinate and integrate your unit with Dread Teams assigned to the ship, under the command of Meia Gisborn.”
“Meia?” Hibiki blurted, hardly believing it. “She’s assigned to that ship?”
“Yes,” Tanegawa replied. “And seeing as you fought alongside her when you were part of the pirates, it was only natural that you’d be selected for the job.”
Hibiki just sat there, not knowing what to think of this little situation. He parted ways with Meia and Barnette almost three years ago. He didn’t know what they’d think of him now, as they hadn’t seen him since then either. When he returned to Tarak, he neglected to inform them of his return, as he felt he couldn’t face them at the time. Now, he was being forced into a reunion with them. “When are we supposed to return?”
“In the next few days,” Tanegawa replied. “The Mihari is scheduled to be here in two days. You are to transfer over to that ship once it arrives. Commander Mitsuhara’s Stryker Squadron is to continue operations here. Inform your men, dismissed.”
“Yes sir,” Hibiki replied after a few seconds. He got up, saluted and turned to leave the Captain’s office.
--
“Do you know why we’re being summoned?” Barnette asked Meia when she caught up to her. “Immediately after the training exercise?”
“Not completely sure,” Meia replied. “But I heard Rebecca say something about a Tarak commander, that he would be arriving in a few days.”
“From Tarak?” she wondered. “So, they finally made up there mind on who to send. So I guess we’ll find out who he is. I hope he’s not like the last one.”
That got a faint smile out of Meia as they approached Rebecca’s office. Since they were both expected, they went in. Rebecca, overall commander of the pirates, sat at her desk. After the Nirvana’s disappearance, she was really the most senior member of the pirates, so command fell to her. Of course the Nirvana’s disappearance had an effect on them all, Barnette figured that it was probably harder on Rebecca. After all, Ezra and Kahlua had been onboard when it disappeared. She felt the same, as Jura had vanished along with the rest of them. Unlike the leadership of both nations, she held out hope that they were alive out there, somewhere. They had all lost something that day, especially Hibiki.
She had noticed that the relationship between Hibiki and Dita was finally getting somewhere. In the last few months before their disappearance, they had gotten closer to one another. He was by far the hardest hit, and constantly blamed himself for what had happened. He put it squarely on his shoulders, taking the burden of guilt with into what he labeled his self-imposed exile. After he had left, they hadn’t seen him since, as he was out of contact. Even three years later, and neither herself nor Meia knew of his exact whereabouts. What Rebecca said next surprised them both.
“As I told Meia earlier,” Rebecca started. “A Tarak Squadron Commander is going to show up in the next few days. He is none other than our very own Hibiki Tokai.”
“What?!” they both replied at the same time.
“Seriously,” Rebecca said, handing Meia the data pad. “Unless there is another person by that name, which I find unlikely.”
“Since when did he get back?” Meia asked as she handed the pad to Barnette.
Barnette looked at the data pad, and sure enough, it said the name ‘Hibiki Tokai’. Since when did he join the Tarak Imperial Army?
“I’m not sure,” Rebecca replied to Meia’s question. “He’ll be here in two days, why don’t you ask him yourself?”
--
Meia knew why he left. After the search was recalled, he was devastated, and just a bit angry at the higher-ups for giving up so easy. Hell, she was angry at them too, for forcing them return before they found the Nirvana. Hibiki left not to search, but to think, as he had said to her before he departed. She knew what he meant. She did a lot of the same, if not more so, on what was going to happen now that most of their friends and loved ones had been sucked into the void. She still didn’t know what to do. Even though this alliance had given her a focus. To carry on what the Captain and the others had started.
Although, in the back of her mind, she knew that they were still alive, or at least the Paksis was, as her Dread and Hibiki’s Vanguard still worked. Even though the success of this alliance was on the forefront of her mind, she would always place a higher priority on her comrades and friends, and that included finding the Nirvana. She would gladly forsake this alliance if it meant finding them. As it stood now, they hadn’t the power or the ability to do that, at least not right now.
She stood there, along with Barnette and Rebecca, awaiting the shuttle pod that carried Hibiki. She was having mixed feelings about him, as why did he join the Tarak military, and why did he didn’t tell them he when he arrived in the system. She knew she was going to have to ask him those particular questions when he got here. It’s not as if she was close to him, she just wanted to know how he was after all this time. After all, aside from Barnette, they were the only ones that didn’t get dragged in. They were the only three left from the Nirvana, forming a kind of bond between them.
Slowly, the shuttle pod came to a stop, venting steam from its engines as they were shut down. The ramp extended, stopping when it connected to the pod’s hatch. The hatch opened, and a lone figure stood at the hatch’s exit. It was none other than Hibiki Tokai. To her, it seemed he had changed in the three years he’d been gone. He was taller, and she could tell he gained a little bit muscle underneath his modified uniform. His hair was also longer, and kept back in a ponytail. The only thing that apparently didn’t change was that smirk he had. So focused she was on his appearance that she almost failed to notice that he was already at the foot of the ramp, less than two meters away from where she stood.
A long silence hung over the group, until Hibiki finally spoke up. “Long time no see, eh?”
--
Well, there it is for you, I hope you find satisfactory.