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||           Chapter 2 – Homecoming                  ||          

||           Legend:                                                ||

||           Word - denotes character thought         ||

||           [Word] - denotes setting, time  ||

||           <Word> - denotes sound effect            ||

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[Beyond the depths of the solar system, inside an asteroid belt]

            Amidst the floating pile of asteroids, a dark shadow stood motionless. 

Inside of it, a figure was seated with his arms crossed and eyes closed.  Dressed in dark clothing, he wore a black mask that covered his identity.  He was resigned himself to a peaceful slumber.             

            In his mind, the world around him was basked with a shimmering red glow. 

A sound of a beating heart resonated softly. 

As he listened to it for a few minutes, he slowly opened his eyes to reality. 

His right hand clutched a fade-out rosary worn around his neck.  He released it and reached for the controls. 

A pair of dark-red eyes illuminated.

            "So… it's time…" the pilot spoke.

            In a few seconds, the shadow revealed itself to be a vanguard.

= = = AUTHOR'S NOTE = = =

Mech. Profile --- Vanguard Apocalypse

Model No:

V-Unit EFX001

Pilot:

? ? ?

Engine Type:

? ? ?

Armor Type:

? ? ?

Weaponry:

? ? ?

Other Notes:

This mech was as an experimental prototype created from one of the few projects from an unknown group.  It sports an all-black luster design resembling that of a winged devil; this hides a dark secret to be revealed at a later chapter. 

= = = AUTHOR'S NOTE = = =

            "Time to carry out the Elders’ plan," the mysterious pilot contemplated to himself.  He shifted his controls a bit to start moving his mech. 

It clenched its hands into shaky fists.  Silver side blades snapped forth from its arms.  A pair of long, black angel wings protruded from the back.  It curled itself into a fetus-like position.

From within his mask, the pilot’s eyes shimmered with the same red glow as his mech.  His lips curved up into a devilish grin. 

“Apocalypse… it starts now!”

It instantly uncurled and overextended itself with a deafening cry, outstretching its wings.  A dark aura emanated around its form.  Its head turned to look at a planet from millions of miles, where it could be seen as a small circle.

“Those fools couldn’t conjure up the way of human perfection.  A shame they didn’t live long,” the pilot sneered at the planet he watched, which was zoomed in with high magnification. 

Where it was once beautiful and life-like, it was now a shadow of itself as a result of its inhabitants’ selfish ways.  An all-around shell of protruding, jagged buildings on the outside showed the bleakness that existed for such a time.

            That planet was Earth.

[An Orbital Station – Talark space perimeter field]

            Inside one of the fortified orbital stations set up as defense points of Talark, the Nirvana was docked.  Magno decided to give the crew a break and ordered the ship to dock for re-supplies.  From within the bridge, B.C. approached her.

            “Boss, are you sure about this?  We should at least make a last check in that route we took,” B.C. inquired, checking up on area patrol in a palm organizer. 

            “You need not worry, B.C.  I’m giving the crew a few days off.  We shouldn’t overwork ourselves on a trivial matter,” the female pirates’ commander replied with a small smile. 

            “But still…”

            “You worry too much.  Don’t fret about it.  We’ll discuss it some other time, ok?”

            Gascogne walked in from the elevator and to the pair.

            “Boss, needed to see me?” she waved to them.

            “Yes, Gascogne, how’re the male crew handling?”

            The chief registry officer took out a small binder with notes attached.  She flipped between them in one sweep before looking back at Magno.

            “They’re getting used to our workplace environment.  So far, they haven’t caused trouble and are getting along with our crew.”

            “I see.  That’s good to hear.  Please make last checks on the supplies.  Oh, and please inform Parfait to update on the engine system.”

            “I got it.”

            Magno pressed a few buttons on the arm-bar of her specialized chair. 

            “Everyone, I’d like to make an announcement.  Hibiki Tokai will be making a visit here in the ship.  We’d like to hold a welcoming party for him, so I want everyone to pitch in.”

Everyone in the bridge was surprised.  Gascogne and B.C. looked at Magno with raised eyebrows and mouths ajar.

            “Woah, I didn’t expect this coming.”

            “That’s a surprise.”

            The aged, female commander chuckled softly.  She tapped the floor with her walking cane and slowly got up from her specialized chair.  B.C. went up and supported her, noticing she might require some help. 

            “It’s alright, B.C., I need the exercise.  You don’t have to.”

            “Boss...”

            The second-in-command backed down, obeying her wish.  Gascogne scratched her head, starting to form plans in thought for the welcoming party.  Magno noticed.

            “Problems, Gascogne?”

            “No problems, boss, I’ll get everybody working on it right away.”

            “Good, I want that party to be ready ASAP.  I leave you in charge temporarily.  B.C., you’ll come with me; I have to meet with the commanding officer of this station and discuss with the formalities.”

            “Yes boss.”

            The two commanders exited the bridge via elevator.  Gascogne clapped her hands to get the bridge crews’ attention. 

            “Ok, ok, people.  All of you report to the biosphere on the double.”

            “Yes ma’am!”

            “Oh, Celtic, can you announced what I said to the rest of ship?  Join up with the others when you’re done.”

            Celtic Midori, one of the bridge operators, saluted in response before doing the task entrusted to her.  She was wearing now a normal outfit for a change, unlike costumes due to her disdain to males from her previous experiences with Hibiki back then.    

            “Yes ma’am.”

            The rest of the bridge crew along with Gascogne exited via elevator.  The chief registry officer pressed some buttons, marking the destination as the biosphere.  As the elevator proceeded to its destination, Gascogne smirked to herself as she thought about Hibiki.

            Well I’ll be.  A round of cards should bring back some nostalgia for him when he sets foot here.

            The chatter of the bridge crew around her was buzzing her ears.

            “Hibiki is visiting the ship?  It’s been a long time since we last heard from him,” Beldevere Coco, the dread operator, started. 

            “Maybe it’s work-related?” Amarone Slaintheav, the radar operator, wondered. 

            “No, it can’t be it!  He misses us!” Misty Cornwell, another radar operator, exclaimed with a dreamy face.  Everybody looked at her with anime-style sweatdrops on their heads. 

            “What?  Was it something I said?” she asked, confused. 

[The Nirvana --- hangar bay]

            Meia was making last minute checks on her dread when she noticed other dread/vanguard pilots scrambling to head for the elevator. 

            What’s going on here? 

            “Meia!  What are you still doing there?  Everybody’s heading for the biosphere!” Barnette Orangello, a fellow dread pilot, yelled out to her.  Meia jumped down to the ground and went to her. 

            “Why is that, Barnette?” she asked.

            “The Boss announced a while ago that Hibiki is making a visit here in the ship!  We’re going to hold a welcoming party for him!  After that, Amarone announced that all crew members gather in the biosphere on the double.  Gascogne will explain the details,” Barnette replied.

            Meia felt a little light-headed as she took in those words.  Her heart was beating fast. 

            Can it be true?  Then the Boss was right!

            “Hello?  Nirvana calling to Meia!  You ok?” Barnette waved her hand in front of Meia’s face, getting her attention.

            “Huh?  Oh!  Yes, sorry, I had something in mind.  Ok, let’s head out then,” Meia proceed to follow suit to the elevator, leaving her fellow dread pilot rubbing her chin in wonder. 

            She’s acting strange a while back.  Nah, must be from too much work.

            “Hey wait up!” Barnette exclaimed, catching after her.

[The Nirvana --- biosphere]

            Amongst a small stage with a podium set-up, Gascogne let out a sigh at the gathered crowd in front of her.  She whistled very loudly to silence them.  Looking around them to check for any noise, she smiled. 

            “Settle down, men and women.  As you know, the Boss announced a while ago that Hibiki will make a visit here.  I don’t know when, she just said that we’re going to hold a welcoming party for him just in case,” she started.

            “You mean Hibiki Tokai, the proclaimed hero that brought peace between Mejer and Talark?” a Talark crew member chimed in. 

            “Yup, the one and only.”

            “So what are we going to do, Gasco?” a registry officer asked.

            “Don’t call me that!  It’s Gascogne!” Gascogne waved a shaking fist at her, “I’ll be assigning some task leaders to start out parts of the party.  Ok, please come up to the stage when I call out your name!”

            Murmurs resonated throughout the crowd.  The chief registry officer flipped through few pages of her small, personal binder. 

            “Jura!”

            Jura Basil Elden, one of the main three dread pilots, was the enthusiastic, perky blonde jumping up with joy before walking elegantly up to the stage.  She blew out a kiss to the male crew, eliciting excited responses from them.

            Barnette rolled her eyes over at her best friend, shaking her head.

            “Ezra!”

            Ezra Vieil, one of the bridge personnel, walked up to the stage with a smile, holding her baby daughter, Karuwa.  Curiosity and delight were exclaimed from the crowd as they caught glimpse of the baby. 

            “Parfet!”

            Parfet, the chief engineer, walked up to the stage.  She waved to the crowd with a smile.

            “Duero!”

            Duero, the ship’s doctor, walked up to the stage with his calm demeanor.  He nodded to the crowd. 

            “I’ll be the last task leader.  Listen up!  I want five groups of 40 volunteers head to the respective task leader and listen very well to their instructions.  The Boss wants the party to be set-up ASAP.  If you have questions, ask the task leader.  Okay, that’s about it!  Get going!” Gascogne finished.  She took a deep breath.

            “Whew… that went longer than I thought,” she said to herself.  She checked up on the announced task leaders.

            “I’ve pretty much narrowed down on what each of us should do.  So here are a short summary, people:

= = = AUTHOR’S NOTE = = =

Duero: The art department! 

*We need to make this ship look lively with culture, since we have males and females co-existing here in the ship.

Ezra: The culinary department! 

*Make sure there’s enough for everyone to eat.  Some elegant-looking desserts should also do.  There’s going to be a huge feast for all!

Gascogne: The special department! 

*I’ll make sure that the party starts and ends with a bang!  And a heart-warming welcome to our hero!

Jura: The entertainment department! 

*Try to keep everyone happy and festive, but not too much, please. 

Parfet: The special effects department!

*Your group and mine will work together to make this party look cool!

= = = AUTHOR’S NOTE = = =

            “Here are copies of the list we’ve gone over now,” Gascogne handed out to each task leader copies of their tasks, “Ideas are appreciated, but don’t overdo it, please.  Let’s start!”

            The five task leaders rounded up 40 crew/personnel into their respective departments.  They then headed out to their respective areas of the ship and began their assigned tasks for the welcoming party.

[Orbital Station --- commander’s room]

            Magno and B.C. stepped inside, catching first glimpse of the commanding officer in charge.  He had a flattop haircut, a chiseled face with weary light blue eyes.  He wore a Talark army uniform with six yellow stars patched on the shoulder pads.  As he stood up from his seat to greet them, his body projected a beefy look, showing years of military experience. 

            “Well met, Commander Magno Vivian and sub-commander Buzam Calessa.  I’m Commander Tyson Muto of the Talark Defense Force, in charge of the 2^nd perimeter defense.”

            “Nice to meet you, Commander Muto,” Magno shook hands with him.  Tyson noticed B.C. and smiled, compelling her to salute him.

            “Sir, I…”

“I checked your records, no need to be embarrassed about it.  I can see you’ve grown fond of being a female, judging by your looks,” Tyson saluted back with a sly smile.

            “Thank you, sir,” B.C. replied with a small blush on her cheeks.  All three people took their seats.

            “I hope you don’t mind for the ship to dock here for re-supplies, Commander,” Magno started, “With the integration of the male-female interaction program, there are some Mejerrans and Talarkans not happy about it.”

            “Ah, that program, I see.  Well, some of the commanders of the Talark army council weren’t happy about it either.  They’ve been separated in half because of that --- half of them agreeing to it and half of them suspicious of it.  Don’t worry; the defense force is on your side.  We’re glad to be of help to your group,” Tyson smiled.

            “Your support is appreciated, sir.  How’s the situation in Talark?” B.C. asked.

            “Well, everybody there is slowly getting adjusted to the peace agreement with the Mejerrans.  As I mentioned before, there are some who still think of them as enemies.  But Lieutenant Commander Hibiki Tokai is establishing some educational programs there, teaching us Talarkans the origin of mankind.  I won’t go into details of that, it’s too much for me to explain.”

            “’Lieutenant Commander’ you say?” Magno asked with a raised eyebrow. 

            “Yes, ma’am; he was promoted to that position by the army council.  He’s a popular figure among Mejer and Talark, I say.  I never thought someone like him could change the course of history.”

            “Speaking of Hibiki, I asked him to dock here in this station to pay a visit to the ship.  I’ve already provided him the coordinates from a personal call I made to him,” the female pirates’ commander added.

            “Is that so?  Well I’ll be!  It will be an honor to have him here in the station.  When is he due here?”

            “By three hours, he’s on his way now.”

            “How did you know, Boss?” B.C. asked, confused.

            “Just a hunch, judging from his nature, he wouldn’t be reluctant to visit us once again.  Anyway, Commander Tyson, I’m sorry to take your time.  Thank you once again,” Magno stood up from her seat, her walking cane in place, beckoning B.C. to follow suit and salute once more.

            “My pleasure; you’re welcome here anytime.  I’ll inform my men to speed up with the re-supplying,” Tyson saluted to them, watching their retreating forms.

[Talark space field]

            A speeding dark blue-white vanguard was on its way to its intended destination.  Inside the cockpit, Hibiki was sleeping with his arms crossed as he previously set the controls to auto-pilot and inputting the coordinates Magno left in their call. 

[Hibiki’s dream]

            Hibiki found himself floating in the blue, vibrant color of the Pexis Phlagma, the sea-like entity, where it was the start of his life’s adventure. 

            “Here I am again… what am I doing here by the way?” he asked himself.

            “What is your purpose in life, Hibiki?” a voice spoke forth all over. 

            “Sigh… I don’t know the answer to that question… Pexis; which is why I’m floating endlessly in you in this dream the first place!”

            Suddenly, the color of red slowly took over the color of the Pexis Phlagma.  Hibiki looked around.

            “What’s happening?”

            “Yes… Hibiki… what’s our purpose in life?” a different voice spoke this time, echoing a dark, mysterious tone. 

            “Pexis, what’s with the change of voice?  You got a cold or something?”

            A figure emanated from black pieces as they swirled out of nowhere.  It resembled Hibiki’s figure; however, what was more interesting was its voice.  It resembled identical to Hibiki’s. 

            “To live and make a better future, that’s what!” Hibiki exclaimed. 

            “Ha, ha, ha… I never thought you’d believe in what those fools created!”

            “What!  Show yourself, you!”

            A bright flash of light shimmered in an instant, forcing the vanguard pilot to shield his eyes.  He waited for a few seconds before looking again, but to be stunned by the sight in front of him. 

            The gray shadow was stripped from the figure, revealing its identity.  A black robe covered the black clothes worn beneath.  It was human, a male, but with an indescribable depth of character.  He wore a mask that showed only his mouth, which turned into a grin. 

            Hibiki felt a mixture of emotions, ranging from good to bad, from him.  He took a shaky step back.

            “What’s wrong, Hibiki?  You’ve obviously never met,” the unknown person spoke, taking the mask slowly off his face, “your… BROTHER!!!”

            “!  No… it can’t be!”

            His face revealed to be a twin image of himself.

[End Dream]

            “NO!  What?” Hibiki woke up in an instant, looking around himself.  He felt cold sweat forming from his head. 

            A dream… or was it? 

            He shook off the thought from his head and focused to calm down.  His right hand clutched a rosary worn around his neck.  He took a deep breath and looked at it with uncertainty. 

            “I have a bad feeling about this…”

            He switched off the auto-pilot and regained the controls.  He quickly increased speed to head for the Nirvana.