Souls of Fire #13: Endgame, part 1-- Mechanical Plague Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com) http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective properties and characters. This file can be freely distributed so long as it appears in its complete form and proper credit. No part may be reproduced for monetary gain without permission from the author. ---------------------------------------------------- Darkness "Where am I? Who am I?" "There is darkness all around me... I can see nothing, even though I stretch my hand out in front of my face. The absence of light... is this what darkness truly is?" "But wait... there is a light. I see it, in the distance. It's a faint light, but it's calling to me, to come home...." "Home. Did I really have a home? Yes... once... but it was destroyed... swept aside with a bygone age. I no longer have a home. This darkness is my home, but it is no true home." "Then it must be the light. The light is my only home now. I will reach that light, even if it takes a thousand years...." --- Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ She lowered her cup of steaming coffee, fresh from the pot, as she read the data pad report handed to her only minutes ago. Ayame Mishima, the Chief Executive of the Earth's Peacekeeper Corps, lowered her head slowly, setting the data pad on the table. She shook her head wearily; the contents of the report only confirmed the storm on the horizon. It was forty years ago that the Mekani last attempted to invade the Sol System, in a large expedition meant to conquer Earth while its defenses were down. Although the expeditionary force was annihilated to the last of the spheroid, spider-legged creatures, the Mekani were known to be holing themselves in other solar systems in this galaxy as they expanded from their own home galaxy. Ayame recalled that her former terrorist organization-- the Fenril Knights-- was split up, in part to utilize the talents of such a crew, to met out punishment, and to remove several dangerous threats to the Crystal Court's power. The two kami, Sypha and Cinder, were forcibly removed from Earth, and sent into exile to Nemesis. Shizuka, too, was sentenced to exile, but thanks to a legal loophole, she could have remained on Earth if she so chose, but the priestess of Genbu elected to "keep Sypha and Cinder out of trouble." The Master of Hidden Weapons, Mousse, also left out of his own free will, as he decided that he could not remain on this bizarre world of Neo Queen Serenity's. Lastly, the master tactician Kanna Rajura left for Nemesis as well, primarily to join the expedition to the Mekani footholds. Their former benefactor, Wiseman, took Nemesis with him to the Mekani territory, and along with him a volunteer force residing on Nemesis-- among them two of the Sailor Senshi, Uranus and Neptune. Although no communication came from beyond the solar system, it was apparent that Nemesis reached its destination when astronomers detected a new, dark star in the heavens. It was during the forty years of no communication that Ayame had the chance to make the PKs her own, just as she did the Fenril Knights. The first few months were turbulent, as the layout left by Kanna was quite confusing at first-- it was difficult to decipher her plan, but once Ayame was through she had to admit it was a brilliant plan. She wished she could have figured it out sooner, with the help of her old friend Shion Kagami... but he, too, would not take part in the PKs. Instead, the mercenary hacker, amidst the confusing period, took it upon himself to reestablish the underworld organization Section. Ayame knew Shion was riding on fumes, having been left behind on Earth while the girl he was interested in was exiled off-world. Although he wouldn't admit it Ayame knew Shion felt something toward Shizuka, and her sudden departure left a great wound in him. The day he walked out of her office the last time she could almost see the sadness behind his tinted glasses. Perhaps it was in a lost love's memory that he turned back toward terrorism. The secretive organization known as Section existed for a great long time before the change of Earth, but it collapsed in the purge of the Black Moon Family's ancestors. Ayame's uncle was a member of the group of technocrats, as Section was obsessed with technology. Shion himself was never a member, but his own group, the Inner Circle, was often contracted by Ayame in proxy of her uncle to perform certain tasks. This new Section, however, resembled the Inner Circle more than the Section of old. Shion Kagami founded his tightly-knit group on the basis of controlling information, as befit his "information is power" philosophy. It did not end there, however, as Shion fundamentally disagreed with the way Earth was run, even though he recognizes the good in it, and in that regard his Section is known to be behind several terrorist actions around the world-- be they rogue humans or kami hiding in the shadows. Faster than Ayame could settle into her role as head of the PKs Shion united most of the underworld factions that worked against the Crystal Court and the World Parliament-- what they believe to be a puppet government to throw off critics. In some respects, they were right, Ayame had to admit. In the guise of allowing humans to make decisions on their own Neo Queen Serenity still retains control, as her ideals were forced on the populace easily, and thus her influence strong. People were too blinded by her innate good intention to see there were any problems at all. In order to maintain such an illusion, the PKs remained a secret organization; very few outside their number knew of its existence, or even the existence of the terrorist Section, thanks to their hard work. It was a secret war being waged underground while the people of Earth carried on in their happiness, but someone had to do it. Unfortunately, the report that lay on her desk would likely shatter the illusion, and it was unlikely that anyone on Earth was oblivious to the danger by now. Six city-sized, wedge-shaped warships appeared from hyperspace, quickly orbiting around Earth at strategic points around the Earthsphere-- two at the poles, and four at equidistant points along the middle ring called the Equator. The spacecraft could not be identified, as they were not encountered before, but the occupants were broadcasting signals compatible to those used by the PKs... and likely Section as well. So far her men deciphered very important pieces of information-- ones that proved that they had previous contact with humans. The ship holding position over the North Pole was broadcasting itself as the Scylla, and its opposite on the South Pole was appropriately named Charybdis. On the Equator were the Basilisk, the Griffin, the Kraken, and the Hydra-- all of them were names of mythological beasts. Yet, what nagged Ayame most was one myth in particular; the adage of "between Scylla and Charybdis" came to mind, and that meant whoever it was commanding the fleet above was intending to sandwich Earth. It did little good that their only functioning warship, the Night Hammer, was far out at the Jupiter colonies, assisting with colonization of the moons. It would make an invaluable asset now, but without their own gate technology the Night Hammer would not make it to Earth in time to stop whatever beating Scylla and Charybdis had in store for them. And that, Ayame believed, was a calculated action. "They knew the Night Hammer was their only threat," she thought aloud, "and just rushed past them, just to pound on us before we knew what hit us." She heard a knock on her old-style, heavy oak door. "Come in." The woman that served as her second-in-command entered, not looking any older than she had forty years ago, but if Ayame glanced into a mirror, she could say the same for herself. Her second, like the rest of the PKs, wore no uniform, in order to easily hide themselves among the masses. Dressing casually with a clean white jacket and matching pants, and her long hair tied back, Ukyo Kuonji appeared quite the professional lady-killer-- if only she were after that effect. "I see you've read the report," Ukyo said, nodding her head quickly in greeting. "I already see the worry lines on your face." "You'd think, after forty years," Ayame began, "that nothing could surprise me anymore." She shook her head. "They've got to be the Mekani." "That's what I thought, but we've never seen them use actual ships before. That's only something we'd use because we'd get spaced; the Mekani don't have that problem." "Unless, of course, the ships also serve as their factory satellites," Ayame pointed out. "The last we knew they were slow as shit, but these things dropped into orbit like that." She snapped her fingers. "They got the others," Ukyo decided. "That's the only explanation." The Chief Executive nodded, knowing her second was referring to the Nemesis expedition. "But that still doesn't explain why they'd go through all this trouble to make human ships. Heck, they're even broadcasting on the same frequencies, using the same type of codes." Ukyo shook her head. "I refuse to believe that." Ayame nodded in understanding. It was their unspoken understanding-- one that would imply that the expedition betrayed Earth to the enemy. Both Ayame and Ukyo knew the members of the expedition well, and both refused to believe that they would sell out the world they tried to save from Neo Queen Serenity. The former okonomiyaki seller turned to leave. "In any case, we can't sit here and wait for them to come to us; I'm going to try and figure out something from my end, and I suggest you do the same." Wordlessly, Ukyo disappeared, shutting the door behind her, leaving the Chief Executive to her own thoughts. She smiled slightly. "My end, huh?" She quickly made her way back to her desk, pushing her chair back, and leaned over the top of the polished wood surface. Ayame punched and held down a key on her private phone. "Get me in touch with Section Inner Circle." --- Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress "Well, well, well," Shion Kagami stated plainly, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. Ayame, her face displayed on the screen, with the office as her backdrop, reflected completely off the hacker's reflection-tint glasses. He sat back in his captain's chair, hands folded in his lap. "Fancy seeing your face again." Ayame had not aged a year, he noted, and neither had her methods. "You know just as well as I about the six warships." "What about them?" he asked. The girl wouldn't go through so much trouble to compromise her office's security, knowing what Shion could do with a channel connection, unless she was desperate. Unlike Shion, Ayame did not have the know-how, nor the resources, to quintuple-screen communications channels, and that was only the basic layer of Section's security. Unlike the PKs, no one got in or out of Section unless Shion wanted them to. For that matter, most of his operatives had no idea to his identity, much less knew where the Inner Circle was located. Only a handful, including Ayame, knew the whole truth. It was a direct mirror of the original Section, save it had Shion's touch to it. The old Section Director would have been proud, had she remained on Earth, or remembered being Madame Director at all. In the same vein, the operatives knew Shion only as Master Director. "It's time we put aside our petty differences," Ayame stated, getting directly to the point. "This forty- year-old game can't possibly compare to what those... things up there can do to us." Shion raised his index fingers to his lips, showing interest. "I see." "Shion, we were allies once, in the past," the Chief Executive continued. "We worked as a great team then, and we can do great things together now. Our old team may be gone, but right now... I need you." The Director snorted in amusement. "Really, Ayame... is that all you've got to say?" His expression brightened at the sound of her gasp-- she knew she was beaten before she even started. "If you break down and confess to your love for me, then you're wasting your time; that only works in Anime. This is real life. I don't give a crap about fairy-tales anymore. And the reality is this: in the forty years you've administered the PKs, Neo Queen Serenity and her puppet government have done nothing-- absolutely nothing-- by which to improve their lots in life. They depend solely on you to defend Earth, but thanks to our friends up there, the truth is you couldn't deal with anything more threatening than me. You couldn't do it because you're simply an administrator; you depended way too much on the rest of us back during the Fenril War." "Think about it, Ayame; Kanna left your organization because it was boring. People like her are brilliant and all, but even brilliant people need to exercise their minds sometimes. Imposing limits only hinders such free thoughts. And hell, I left because, even though we made a difference, the difference wasn't enough. The free flow of ideas has yet to return to this frozen world, and you know this, too. Your queen is still back-pedaling to the Stone Age; Elysium fails if there comes another who does not share its ideals. Yet you ask me to join you. What you should be asking is if you can join ME." By this time Ayame's face reddened, flushed with anger and frustration. "You love-sick bastard, how could you? It doesn't matter who's ruling Earth; Earth is still Earth, and we must protect it! If it takes the loss of your girlfriend to shut you out, then there isn't hope for you." Shion chuckled to himself coldly as Ayame severed the connection. Had he the inclination he could have sent virii up her line, but it would prove counterproductive to his long-term goals. Ayame was still a useful pawn despite her gullibility. He stared at his open hands-- hands that had not aged in nearly forty years. Shion cursed his lot in life, wondering when he would actually enter his sixties in appearance-- he definitely felt the age on the inside. It was a torture that was almost too much to bear-- almost topping the one of losing... her. Shizuka tormented the Director's thoughts every free chance she got, and Shion believed this was a sure sign he was in love with her. He could see her innocent smile, hear her confused, curious voice, could feel her soft skin in his hand. Shion's thoughts would never replay their harsh parting-- only the wonderful memories shared. It was far too easy for her to shatter his heart and soul, and many times Shion lay prone in bed, trying to drive the specter from his thoughts. It was in these nostalgic attacks alone that the Director showed weakness, and only the most senior members of his Inner Circle knew of it. He bitterly recalled that night of infamy. Shizuka called him on the phone, and they met at the deserted Shrine of the Four Gods. The place, and its people, meant everything to her, and it was all swept away by the new world order. She turned toward him, with malice in her eyes, and stated simply, "I hate you." Although there was definitely more to the event, Shion only cared to remember those three words that decided the rest of his life. No manner of convincing on his part-- or that of her siblings-- could dissuade her from going into exile. "I hate you." And, despite that, Shion could do nothing but pine over her. It was a weakness that would make him the joke of the Section organization. "You okay?" He recognized Ziel Kagura's voice instantly, and Shion snapped out of his reverie, sitting up in his captain's chair. "What of it?" "It looked like you were thinking of her again," Ziel replied. He whipped open a folding fan-- one used by dancers-- and waved air in his direction. As a martial artist Ziel was a trusted and valued friend, a member of Shion's original Inner Circle who did not take part in the Fenril War. Tracking down and luring Ziel out of seclusion was a difficult task even for Shion, as the inheritor of the Kagura martial art was constantly contemplating his own future in this world. "Yeah," Shion admitted. "Damn, it never goes away, does it?" Ziel replied, making statement of fact rather than a question. "In any case, the project is starting to stir again." 'The project,' Shion mused. That alone was the key to Neo Queen Serenity's undoing, and it required constant attention and care. "Any problems yet?" "One of the boys was complaining about these weird dreams, but that's it," he reported. "Nothing serious yet, but I've upped the power on the inhibitor a notch, just in case." "Good. Can't have everyone yellin' and screamin' each night." Ziel pointed to one monitor in front of Shion. "And how about our friends up there?" "They've told me interesting things," the Director said plainly. "In fact, if we play our cards right, we can rid ourselves of Neo Queen Serenity and her Crystal Court in one fell swoop." --- Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace By now the world was in a state of panic, Neo Queen Serenity knew, as she observed the warship maintaining high orbit directly over Japan through her magical mirror. Although the mirror could not do the ship's scale justice, the spacecraft was as long as the length of Japan, and easily blocked out the light of the sun when it passed overhead at noon. Its wedge shape vaguely reminded her of the Night Hammer when it first emerged from its hidden dock under the sea, but this time there was no apparent cannon aiming at her home. No sooner had the secretive PKs began deploying their agents the warships orbiting at the Equator began to spread out toward the key zones around the world-- including the World Parliament in Switzerland. As a show of confidence the world leaders elected to remain in their stronghold, despite warnings that attack can come at any moment. Although the enemy had yet to reveal themselves, much less their intention, Ayame and the PKs, as well as the Sailor Senshi, possessed their own opinions, and all of them eventually lead to the Mekani. Neo Queen Serenity sighed wearily, knowing that the day she was dreaded had finally arrived. Nearly forty years ago she sent Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, along with Earth exiles, on an expedition to Tau Ceti in order to ascertain the threat level of the Mekani foothold into this galaxy. There could be no everlasting peace so long as threats from the outside remained, but no communications ever came from the expedition. This show of force was more than enough proof that the expedition failed. She placed a hand on the mirror. "What are you up to, mechanical ones?" --- Command Center, Scylla "Those fools," stated the shadowy spheroid flatly, "do they truly believe they can oppose us?" The creature's large, red eye glowed softly, but at such an intensity that its smaller eye, to the bottom right end of the large eye that dominated the front of the spheroid, was blotted out. The Mekani Director stood on four insectoid, steel legs on an even balance. It possessed a pair of mandibles just below its huge eye, which served no purpose save for show. The Director snapped its thick, heavy crab-like claws out of habit, and whipped its scorpion-like tail about in the air over its head impatiently. The others referred to the master of the expedition as Director Mezzat, and it was its charge to bring swift end to the threat posed on Earth. The humans of Earth constantly confounded him; in his own independent study of Earth specimens Mezzat discovered some sort of anti-aging agent in their bodies, one that slowed the human aging process down to a veritable crawl, and not even that. Consequently, the average human life span far exceeded the original projections, but on the flip side population growth was finally confirmed to be drastically decreased, now that the information was available below on the surface. Bizarre creatures, these humans, Mezzat mused. Always in fear of death, as expected. It's unbelievable that these creatures could threaten the Alliance, but everyone in the Hive Entire knew of a Director's downfall at their hands. These creatures cannot be underestimated. Mezzat turned toward its ally, standing cloaked in the shadow of night. The Mekani had no need of lighting in their spacecraft, but some were required in order to keep the ship running properly-- an artifact of previous designs that proved useful to any guests. They were being used as such, but only sparingly, as most of the power was spent in the factory blocks. "The Kraken and the Basilisk are in position, as directed," Mezzat explained to the guest. "The Griffin and Hydra are on course to their directed vectors." "Excellent," she replied, purring in delight. "I shall relish in this moment." "Do not take too long," warned Mezzat. "We have a timeline to consider." The Director's small eye rotated in place. Nearby, a console monitor flared to life, and communications was established with one of the other warships. "Basilisk reporting," said the silhouetted figure on the screen. "We're in position; it's funny watching all these ants scurry about like this." A second console flared to life. "Kraken reporting," said the new speaker, "and we're ready to go. So, are you going to issue an attack, or am I going to have to break regulations?" "Wipe that smile off your face," ordered Mezzat's guest, snapping with impatience. "There will come a time for that later! I wish to savor this." "Savor it all you want," replied the Kraken, "you've got to strike sometime. If we don't act now the Sailor Senshi may have enough time to figure out a way to beat us; remember, that's not acceptable." "Situation analyzed and confirmed," Director Mezzat said. "Authorization granted to preliminary strikes. Issue the general command to the other ships in formation. Proceed to target areas as specified in the briefing." --- '80s Cafe, Hollywood Shingo Tsukino cast a long look toward the horizon, as the wedge-shaped warship maintained position just off the coast. He did not need to sit in a high-rise or a mountain restaurant to know this; the ship was really that big, according to the news. The man who appeared to be in his early twenties automatically reached down and picked up his cup of coffee, unable to tear his eyes from the hypnotic sight of the flying wedge. The monstrous craft appeared as if out of nowhere-- it was floating up in the sky when he woke up that morning. It was hard enough to get past the fact that it wasn't a dream-- heck, even a publicity stunt-- much less wonder at such a technological marvel as the ship. "Hey, Shingo," the voice belonging to the woman across the circular table said, concern in her voice. "Are you even listening?" At an instant Shingo's attention was torn away from the aura of awe the ship generated, and was back in the open-air Hollywood cafe, sitting opposite his fiancé. "Huh?" "Can't tear your eyes from it, huh?" she decided, smiling slightly. "I admit, I think the same thing, but it can't get in the way of what's going on." He nodded in agreement; there was little time to idle when one was working post-production for major production firms. Shingo's eyes momentarily met with those of Chika Hisho, and he remembered much of the events leading up to their first encounter well. It was not long after the last of the renegades were exiled to Nemesis, before the First Black Moon War. Shingo had joined these rebels on a daring raid-- more like being dragged into it, and the queen showed mercy to him. Likewise, the close call, and the encounter with Neo Queen Serenity, changed his life. He could no longer look upon the world the same way again, not after understanding the truth of his supposed sister, Usagi. Friends were lost that day, and not even his friend Akiko could drag him out of it. However, it was through Akiko that Shingo was introduced to Chika-- a friend of Akiko's from work that suffered a similar depression, as she lost her brother. It was in a state of misery loves company that they got to know each other better... but Chika would never speak of the fate that befell her brother... step-brother, actually. And, thanks to a job offer in the United States, and his own intuition, Shingo mostly escaped the devastation that befell Crystal Tokyo during the Black Moon invasion of the first war. Certainly, the war was world-wide, but most of the damage was concentrated on Crystal Tokyo; places such as Hollywood were relatively untouched. Time after the first war came and went, the Second Black Moon War arrived, bringing the Fenril Knights. At this time Chika tried to bottle herself up even further, as if the Fenril Knights disturbed her somehow. Shingo respectfully backed off on the issue, waiting until after the war had run its course that he learned that her step-brother was one of the enemy. Since he was one of the few Fenril survivors, Chika seemed relieved, and opened up more. The past thirty- eight years, Shingo reflected, had to have been the best time to be alive; it seemed that with the end of all threats this dream world was real. And yet, he knew it was still a far cry from being perfect; the invading warships was point enough of that. "Hey," Chika said, "you're STILL not listening!" "Oh?" Shingo replied, taking a sip of coffee. "I think we've plenty of time to finish work. I'm just wondering when that thing up there's going to make a move." He pointed his free hand back toward the sky. "I mean, for all we know this is the Third Black Moon War." "Those days are long past us," Chika replied. "And besides, there's not much we two can do about it, so the only thing left is to keep living." "Until someone makes us stop living," Shingo pointed out dryly. She shook her head. "Nah, it'll take care of itself; trust me." --- Front Steps, University of Tokyo The world knew her as Princess Serenity. The Sailor Senshi of the past called her Chibi Moon in her guise. Her closest friends called her Chibi-Usa. Today, she was none of those. Now that her training in the past was complete, and her mind having grown, Usagi mysteriously advanced in her aging process. Today, forty years later, she appeared to be in her late teens, surrounded by college friends and acquaintances, attending class just like any other bright student. None of them were ignorant of her identity, but they did not hang around the daughter of the world monarch for brownie points. Respectfully, Usagi's guardians had all but vanished from sight, now that she was well on her way to making her own way in life. However, she knew she could count on the four Asteroid Senshi, if the need should arise. There was no argument about her attendance of a public facility to receive a formal education; in fact, her mother encouraged it, seeing as how Usagi could learn her people skills better while being amongst the people. Both knew it was a subtle, yet effective grooming for a time in the future when the princess would ascend the throne. Such thoughts were furthest from her mind, as Usagi's thoughts were consumed by the warship that darkened the sky. Although morning had not yet come, the premonition in her mind bothered her ever since the warships first appeared over Earth. No biting wind blew against her, thanks to the weather control system, but Usagi shivered nonetheless, her eyes fixated straight up, where the light of the stars were blotted by the disgusting mechanical mass that covered the visible sky above. The sun would appear over the horizon soon enough, but it would make no difference, as the shadow cast by the ship would make Crystal Tokyo just as dark as night. "I can sense a dark force," she murmured to herself. "But it's nothing like the others from the Cauldron." Usagi detected movement on the underside of the ship, and light issued forth from cracks that formed three sides of a box. She knew a hatch was opening on the underside of the craft, as the cracks of light grew larger as the door opened. She barely made out several small, spherical dark specks against the light, moving from the end of the hatch into the light, then vanishing again entirely. The enemy was mounting an attack. Without thinking, without hesitating, Usagi reached her hand into the sky, and transformed. --- The largest of the Mekani warriors, a spheroid resembling closely a scorpion in number of appendages, focused its smaller eye on the shining light off the target vector at minus 30 degrees. As an Enforcer and commander of the Griffin attack group, it recognized the threat instantly, given previous records of Earth's defenders. "Target identified as Sailor Senshi," the Griffin Enforcer informed the warrior, crab-like drones. It fired off a longer burn of retro rockets to lessen its descent and allowed the warriors to pass by. "Priority target override," it commanded. "Eliminate the Sailor Senshi at all costs." --- Discarding her latest identity, the new Sailor Moon emerged. It was her responsibility as the princess to carry on the tradition passed from her mother-- a responsibility to protect the people of Earth from the darkness and evil from the stars. "Why now?" she asked herself, watching as the first cluster of Mekani warriors landed at the foot of the steps below her, their four insectile legs easily bearing the weight of heavy spheres. "Why, after forty years would you destroy everything?" She slipped her wand into her hands as the lead warrior issued a warning. "Surrender peacefully and your world will be spared. Resistance will be met with greater retaliation in kind." "Surrender?" Moon scoffed. "You came all the way from your galaxy just to bully people around? You walking tin-can, you don't know who you're up against! I'm Sailor Moon, the soldier of love and justice!" "Registering hostile response," droned the warrior, its large eye blinking rapidly. In succession the warriors behind it-- seven, she counted-- replied in the same manner. "Upgrade to Level 5 operation." The soldiers spread out in an organized fashion, each raising their large, heavy claws. Each of the claws, seemingly as heavy as boulders, were held by thin arm appendages that were just as thick as their legs, and somehow the warriors could balance them easily. Both halves of the claw spread up and down to open, and a violet energy spike erupted in the space in-between. All open claws raised upward to the top of the steps. Moon was ready long before she heard the telltale power-up whine in the air, and just as all eight Mekani fired in unison she waved her wand before her in a circle, creating a force bubble around herself. All at the same time the sixteen energy bolts collided with the field, then reflected off into the sky from the uneven surface. As the warriors continued firing Moon refined the shape of her force bubble, transforming it into a plane in order to reflect the energy bolts back at the attackers. Her plan was met with reasonable success, as three of the warriors instantly went up in smoke, their huge eyes shattering and the spheroid bodies exploding, throwing bits of metal all over the place. The remaining five, including the lead warrior, scurried about in an ordered fashion, repositioning themselves in order to get a better shot and to avoid the reflecting field. One thing was certain, they were not completely stupid, Sailor Moon mused. Not anywhere near as stupid as the ones she watched the other Sailor Senshi fight during the Great Sleep period. --- Command Center, Scylla Mezzat's huge eye lens reflected the Griffin Enforer's transmission on the screen, viewing the first strike on Earth along with its guest. "Simultaneous attack all over the world has deviated by 2.47% off schedule," reported one of the worker drones, off in the darkness of the command center. "Within tolerable limits," it added. "I never expected her to be this old," admitted the guest. "The previous reports said she appeared twice as young as she is now." "Analytical data is outdated," Director Mezzat concluded. "Enemy target Sailor Moon II poses a larger threat than previously assessed; all operations will be adjusted accordingly. Upgrade all units ten levels in threat assessment." As a matter of principle the Mekani drones operated on as little power as possible. Mezzat, following this tradition of the Hive Entire, refused to expend more power than was necessary to subdue the threat presented on Earth, as it was deemed wasteful. On the other hand, its guest often lodged complaints against such actions, as the enemy, she stated, deserved to get annihilated quickly, no matter how much the cost. It was, as she stated, a cheaper cost than the annihilation of the Alliance. Unfortunately, Mezzat finally understood such reasoning. It was deemed illogical by the Hive Entire, and Mezzat had to support it, but now that the targets were readily-available to assess... the targets were definitely highly-dangerous. "Ten levels will not cover it," the guest pressed. "We will operate on standard procedure for as long as necessary," the Director replied. "Emotion will not cloud judgement. However, judgement will not be clouded by procedure. We will test the extent of this target's limits at this time." --- Front Steps, University of Tokyo Not a minute after the attack began Sailor Moon lowered her reflecting field, now that all eight of her attackers lay in smoldering ruin at the foot of the steps. Her eyes fixated back toward the sky, where a much larger spheroid, possessing a tail appendage, was making its descent, along with two more warriors that likely served as escort. All three landed just beyond the ruined warriors. The leader steadily crawled forward, turning side to side slowly, as if assessing the damage done to its minions. The huge eye then stared upward, to the top of the flight of steps. "Sailor Moon," it identified. "Form and power do not match that of the previously-identified Sailor Moon." "You're right," she answered, "I'm not the same Sailor Moon. I'm the first of a new generation." The Mekani Enforcer seemed alarmed by this, its huge eye focusing quickly. "Then it is true that there are more Sailor Senshi...." "What do you want?" Moon demanded. "All threats to the Alliance and the Hive Entire will be eliminated," demanded the Enforcer. "The Silver Crystal of the Moon Kingdom, and the Sailor soldiers that guard it, are priority targets. You will be swept aside by the Aligned Peoples as we restore order to this galaxy." "The Mekani version of order has no room for freedom and harmony!" Sailor Moon countered. "You're just interested in creating a haven for drones, not people." "Then the bargaining period has ended," the Enforcer determined. Turning to one side it raised a claw, waving its escorts forward. As the two warriors skittered past, the leader added, "No mercy!" --- '80s Cafe, Hollywood Shouts and stunned looks were the order of the day as one building near the coast exploded in brilliant flame. Both Shingo and Chika stood up from their seats, staring out toward the source of the explosion. At the same time, two more buildings erupted in flame, throwing stone, wood, and crystal everywhere. Shingo shielded Chika with his body as the sky rained of the debris, having been thrown an incredible distance. "What's going on?!" he shouted, even though he knew the answer. "The enemy... they're attacking...." Chika muttered, her voice trembling. --- Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ The walls and windows rattled violently as the Mekani holding position over Geneva initiated their attack, and Ayame was trying to remain standing as she keyed in a communications line through her desktop computer. The image of Ukyo appeared on the monitor. "They've started," Ayame informed her. "No kidding," the Vice Executive replied, and Ayame could see smoke rising in the background. "I'm out here at ground zero, and those buggers are trying to force their way into the World Parliament." Ayame punched in more keys, bringing up numerous maps on the display. "Four ships are attacking at once in positions over Crystal Tokyo, Los Angeles, Geneva, and Moscow. Try to keep them busy; I'm going to try and get word from the other cities under attack." "What about the Sailor Senshi?" "Don't count on it," the Chief Executive answered quickly. "Predictably, all of them will be busy defending Crystal Tokyo. I'm going to check in on our other operatives." --- Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress "So it's begun," Ziel noted, folding his arms as he watched the numerous monitors in front of Shion. The Director of Section chuckled to himself. "Look at all of 'em, Ziel, scurrying around in a panic. Those worms of people never dreamed that war would ever come again. Not after thirty-eight years, five months, two weeks, six days, thirteen hours, and four minutes since the end of the 'Second Black Moon War.' Not even our friends, the PKs, were prepared enough." "What about us?" asked the second. "I've made arrangements," he assured Ziel. "In fact, I'm going to be meeting with the Mekani again to discuss our futures." --- Front Steps, University of Tokyo The force of the twin blasts from the Enforcer's claws was enough to throw Sailor Moon backward as they impacted against her reflection field, as they absorbed the energy bolts rather than reflected them. Quickly scrambling to her feet she dropped the field, and broke into a sprint as more of the Enforcer's bolts hailed in her direction. Risking a glance over her shoulder Moon saw the Enforcer making efficient use of its mobility, using its built-in rockets to hasten its pace. In fact, if her eyes weren't mistaken, the beast was threatening to overtake her. She came to a halt just in time to note the other two warriors block her escape route. Heavy claws raised to bludgeon her into submission, and Sailor Moon leaped backward to avoid the blow. She aimed her wand outward and fired a blast toward the offending machine, but it fired its own rockets in time to avoid the blast, flying upward in a quick jump. The second warrior made a high-pitched whine with its right claw, powering up its blaster. Quickly Moon threw up a field in front of the claw, and the next instant later the claw weapon was a smoking wreck. However, the momentary pause gave the Enforcer enough time to land on top of Sailor Moon, with the first warrior behind. The descending weight of the spheroid knocked the wind out of Sailor Moon, as she barely noticed the Enforcer's scrutinizing smaller eye giving her a harsh look. "All too easy," the Enforcer decided, powering up its tail weapon. Another high-pitched whine blotted out the noise, followed by the sound of something sparking. Sailor Moon shook her head, and turned to look upward, where the tail appendage used to be. The Enforcer, obviously surprised, lowered its tail in front of its huge eye, as if studying the sudden damage to its person. "What the...?" An explosion rocked behind the behemoth, as the first warrior was cleaved cleanly in two down the middle axis. "Leave her alone!" Sailor Moon recognized that voice, and her eyes widened in excitement. "Deal with the secondary target!" the Enforcer ordered the remaining warrior. Moon felt the weight of the spheroid lessen, and she realized that the leader was trying to make a quick exit. She sat up, finding her wand was still within reach, and snatched it up. Another slash from her rescuer, and the remaining Mekani warrior was cleaved in two, just like its partner. Bits of the creature's interior sparked and exploded, but it did not faze the young woman one bit. "He's getting away!" hissed Sailor Saturn. "I've got it!" Sailor Moon cried, pointing her wand into the air where the Enforcer was retreating. A focused blast issued forth, hitting the beast in one of its rocket boosters. Now thrown off-balance, the Enforcer's direction took a sharp turn and it ended up diving straight toward the ground. The two Sailor soldiers heard the telltale crash soon thereafter, followed by a great plume of smoke. Moon turned toward her longtime friend. "Thanks." "You weren't thinking of taking them by yourself, were you?" Saturn asked. "Come on, let's make sure that monster's done for." They found the crashed spheroid not far away. The crater was very shallow, thanks to the fact that it couldn't fly very far. The Enforcer's huge eye was cracked, and some pieces of the lens broke off in the crash. The creature's insectile legs were bent and broken-- a sure sign that it wasn't going anywhere in the near future. However, one of the claws still functioned-- albeit with only the upper half of the claw still attached-- using it as a means to orient its eye upright to the airship above. Saturn held Moon back. "Careful... we don't know how much more dangerous it can be." "What's it trying to do?" wondered Sailor Moon. The Enforcer hissed as it attempted to speak. "No... more... abandon...." Suddenly, the creature's only functional appendage stopped moving, and fell limp to the ground. Saturn tensed as the spheroid's huge eye rotated counter- clockwise, extending as it went, like a huge screw. Sailor Moon could hear her heart beat in anticipation as the huge lens finally ended after an arm's length, falling to the ground uselessly against the dirt. "Damn you, Sailor Senshi," they heard someone curse from within the depths of the creature. "Always the same damn thing!" Both girls' eyes widened as a pair of hands emerged from the rim of the hole the lens left-- human hands. Following not far behind came a head, full of hair as dark as night. They heard him cough from the smoke within the beast, and he struggled to stand up. It was a miracle his white robes, patterned in an old Chinese style, remained clean. He turned suddenly, his glasses glinting against whatever light was available. "The Mekani are human...?!" muttered Sailor Moon in surprise. "Whoever you are," Mousse rumbled angrily, "you haven't seen anything yet!" In an instant, three knives appeared in his hand. Gritting his teeth, seething with fury, the Master of Hidden Weapons, having made his homecoming, attacked the offending Sailor Senshi that plagued his existence. --- World Parliament, Geneva Ukyo struggled to catch her breath, maintaining her grip on her combat spatula even though all the Mekani warriors around the front gate were destroyed, in flaming husks. She cast a glance to her right, where Konatsu, standing on his knees, stood similarly with his sword. Both Peacekeeper agents felt exhausted from the onslaught, and both knew it wouldn't be the last. "All units, check in," Ukyo ordered, issuing the command through the microphone attached to the collar of her jacket. She unbuttoned a couple more rows for good measure. The former okonomiyaki chef barely paid attention to the success reports, now that Konatsu had her full attention. He pointed outward toward the destroyed enemy mass, and a silhouette appeared from the flames. "Well, well, well," the newcomer shouted, her voice echoing across the courtyard. "I never thought I'd see you here." "That voice..." Ukyo muttered, finding a ring of familiarity in it. "But where...?" "Still working for peace and justice, Ukyo Kuonji? I'm surprised at you! You should've joined Section; its goals suit you much more." The newcomer, a young woman appearing to be in her early twenties, dressed loosely in a pink kimono top and hakama, the sleeves decorated with cherry blossoms that were oddly in a spread of eight rather than five. Her hair was kept to each side of her face, and she wore a pony-tail in the back, tied by a red chord. Two metallic, tentacle-like appendages appeared over each shoulder-- the mark of one who was familiar having changed so much. "Shizuka Minazuki," Ukyo remembered. "You're still alive...." "Sadly, I won't be able to say the same for you," the girl warned, "nor of Neo Queen Serenity, or her puppet government! You know nothing of how the cosmos works, you insignificant peon!" --- '80s Cafe, Hollywood "Cinder," Chika whispered in recognition, as fire rained from the heavens. The flames engulfing the city flared of recognition. "It's his fire... no, Suzaku's fire." "What?" Shingo asked, obviously perplexed. She turned toward her fiancé. "The Nemesis expedition failed; the ones we exiled have returned on the enemy's side!" Desperation clung to her voice. "If we don't do something quick, there'll be nothing left...." --- University of Tokyo, Crystal Tokyo Proving himself more than capable of battling while outnumbered, Mousse rained metal weapons, tethered or not, on his enemies, pinning down the two Sailor Senshi with little regard to who he was aiming at. They heard several explosions in the distance. The leader of the attack chuckled to himself. "See? You two girls aren't any match for us! Even now your friends should be engaging wave after wave of my drones, and they won't stop until you drop!" Lightning sparked in the air a long distance away past the two girls, and he noted flames jetting out of the corner of his right eye. Good. "What do you want from us?!" shouted Sailor Moon, her back against the wall separating herself from Mousse's deadly projectiles. "How could you side with the Mekani?" "That ship up there," Mousse continued, ignoring Moon, "is not just a warship, but it's also a quick, mobile factory satellite! All of them are! With our vast cache of resources, it'll be a simple matter to manufacture more drones. And heck, while we're at it, we can scrounge up more from Earth!" "He's mad," Saturn said, ducking next to Sailor Moon. "And he's also not listening to me!" the other girl pouted. "What'll we do? We can't kill him." "I'm thinking!" However, before that plan could come the section of wall between the two Sailor Senshi exploded as a heavy chain mace crashed through it. "We're fighting," Saturn decided for herself, tightening her grip on her Silence Glaive. Standing quickly, she vaulted over the wall. Mousse smiled in satisfaction as Sailor Saturn came at him, and, discarding his chains, he raised a sword quickly to parry the attack from her polearm. He gave himself better leverage, grasping the handle with his other hand, and shoved Saturn backward and away, giving himself time to find a better position. "So, this second generation likes to fight dirty, eh?" The Master of Hidden Weapons smacked his lips. "Just my style...." "You'll find I'm full of surprises," warned Saturn. "Back down now, or pay the consequences!" "Hah! And you, too, girly, will find I'm the master of surprise!" Mousse quickly freed a hand, and quickly produced the twin of the sword he was wielding from the darkness of his sleeves. "Let's dance!" --- Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress "Our operative in Los Angeles informs us that it's Cinder's handiwork," Ziel reported, flipping his cell phone closed and turning back toward the monitors. "It seems you were right, after all." "Of course I'm right," Shion gloated. "I've got help." He pointed to a silhouetted figure on one of the monitors. "And while our friends up there are busy playing with the Mekani, and getting wasted, we'll be there to pick up the pieces and rebuild a new Earth." "What about... her?" asked the second, a hint of concern in his voice. Shion snorted. "Shizuka... yes, she's finally come back." He brought his index fingers to his lips, as if contemplating. "Yes, we'll meet, very soon." --- Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace "Your majesty," Ayame said, as Neo Queen Serenity waited patiently in her quarters, staring into the communications mirror. "We've positively-identified the leader of the attack at Geneva is in fact Shizuka Minazuki. Konatsu tells me that Ukyo's fighting her right now... and she's beefed-up." "So the expedition aligned themselves with the Mekani," Neo Queen Serenity concluded. "How many others are confirmed?" "An agent in the Los Angeles area has reasonable evidence to believe that Cinder is causing the Rain of Fire that's destroying everything," the Chief Executive reported. On the other hand, the attacks on Moscow and Crystal Tokyo are lead by Mekani." "Only two are confirmed, then," the queen said with a sigh. There was no telling what happened to the expedition... or to Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, much less the others. "My Sailor Senshi are battling the Mekani drones all across the city, but they have yet to find my daughter yet." "She can take care of herself," Ayame said quickly. "What I'm more concerned about are these mass droves of drones. I mean, we never expected them to bring THIS many drones...." "It is not yours to bear the blame," Neo Queen Serenity said. "The turn of events are a shock to us all, but we must decide how to remedy it." "The Night Hammer won't get here in time," Ayame stated, "and even then... the Mekani saw fit to destroy or disable the satellites. We think they're using some of 'em to communicate with each other across the Earth sphere." A global, computer-generated schematic appeared in Ayame's place, displaying the current positions of the Mekani warships. Scylla and Charybdis maintained their original positions, but Kraken moved to Geneva, Basilisk to Moscow, Griffin to Crystal Tokyo, and Hydra to Los Angeles. Red dots appeared, indicating the satellites that have been compromised, and these as well as the ships were connected by dotted red lines, with the most lines emerging from the Scylla. "As you can see, they've got a fine network set up here, and, judging from the number of transmissions we've observed, the command ship is the Scylla," Ayame presented. "My suggestion is we repel this first wave, and, before they can mount a second wave, we board and destroy the command ship. We believe that, if we take out the Director, the rest should fall into chaos and disarray... long enough for us to destroy them or force them to flee." "A sound idea, but we must repel the first wave," Neo Queen Serenity replied. "I suggest we take out the leaders first," Ayame advised. "Without a general to control them the drones won't be able to act, so we've got to find the control units and disable them." --- World Parliament, Geneva "Easier said than done," Ukyo muttered, receiving the same transmission through her ear piece. She struggled to deflect the tentacles springing from over Shizuka's shoulders, as they were too armored to be cleaved easily, and they threatened to rip Ukyo's spatula from her hands. Shizuka, for her part, stood with her arms folded as the tentacles did the work for her, extending across the battlefield with a seemingly limitless limit to distance. "You couldn't understand how much more powerful I've become. You're too limited to the box to notice... how could you choose the box, Kuonji?" "How could you choose to side with them?!" Ukyo countered, swatting the tentacles away with the flat of her combat spatula. "The Nemesis expedition was doomed to failure the moment it started on its fool's errand!" the priestess of Genbu cried. "Your puppet government has only to blame itself for bringing about its own problem; all that transpires today is rooted in that day, thirty- eight years ago!" "You chose exile, remember?" she reminded the enemy. "And you chose to sell your soul!" Shizuka countered angrily. "You stupid flake, I've been meaning to fight you ever since you deserted us the first time! How dare you, you stuck-up bitch, go ahead and betray us, then show me up?!" "Sheesh, you're still caught up on that?!" Ukyo muttered, dodging the tentacles' flailing, matching the turbulent mood of their master. For a moment she wished she hadn't dismissed her men, but it was probably destiny that she fight the priestess of Genbu alone. The demon hunter had it in for her since day 1, seeing how Ukyo commanded much respect and admiration, while Shizuka was scorned and loathed for doing similar things. It was jealousy, plain and simple; what came at an arm and a leg for Shizuka came easy for Ukyo. Heck, if reports were correct, Ukyo was still winning even in the relationships department. It was obvious to her that Shizuka was upset, but, strangely enough, Ukyo couldn't feel her aura exploding. She should be able to feel it, even from this distance. Ukyo reached into the inner pocket of her jacket, producing throwing spatulas that glinted against the flames of the demolished Mekani warrior drones, and threw them with precision toward Shizuka. Predictably, the tentacles whipped themselves in the way, deflecting the projectiles from their master. Seizing the opportunity, Ukyo raised her combat spatula overhead and charged while the tentacles were momentarily distracted. Letting out a battle cry, Ukyo focused her energies into one enormous swing, and leaped at her opponent, apparently catching Shizuka by surprise, judging from her sudden loss of composure. However, just as Ukyo was about to bring down her edge, the tentacles snapped against her limbs, wrapping around both her arms and legs quickly. The sudden hold ground her descent to an abrupt halt, throwing off her aim. The Vice Executive lost her hold on the spatula, and it buried itself into the concrete below her. "Really, Kuonji," Shizuka tsked, regaining her smug composure, "you should know better than that. I have the power of the gods behind me!" "The gods are gone," Ukyo shot back in a low tone. "Grow up, little girl." "Heh, 'grow up?'" laughed Shizuka, obviously amused. "Why, you haven't aged since the day we left! None of us have! Or do you mean mentally? I've grown up that way in spades... and hell, you haven't changed one bit. You too scared to see what's outside Pandora's Box. If there's anyone that needs to 'grow up,' it's you. You pathetic creatures are but children to the cosmos!" Ukyo felt the wind shift from her right, and in the next instant a vacuum cut slashed the air in front of her. She felt herself tumble to the hard concrete below, barely missing getting impaled on her own spatula. The tentacles loosed their grip on her arms and legs, and when she finally collected herself she realized that it was Konatsu that helped her. Shizuka was reeling backward, trying to give herself distance between her and Konatsu's sword. The ends of both severed tentacles sparked from broken wires, and she cradled her right arm, as if it got hurt. "You fool, now look what you've done!" she cried. "Sorry I disobeyed," Konatsu said quickly, "but I'd rather deal with the punishment than...." "Never mind that," Ukyo cut him off, pulling her spatula from the ground as she got up. Standing beside her assistant and friend, the Vice Executive readied herself for whatever plan Shizuka was thinking next. She detected something pulse under the skin of her arm. "Give it up, Shizuka," she ordered. The priestess of Genbu looked down at her arm, and then back at her enemies, gritting her teeth as if in pain. A second later Shizuka could no longer contain herself, and slowly she burst into a scream. And, along with it, her right arm burst as well. Both Ukyo and Konatsu took an involuntary step back, repulsed by the sight. Three bloody tentacles, each appearing similar to the shoulder tentacles, emerged from the stump where Shizuka's hand used to be. The same hand that was destroyed back on the Night Hammer by Vizier...? Ukyo recalled darkly. The three tentacles whipped around like the head of a flail. "You've asked for it," the priestess seethed. --- University of Tokyo, Crystal Tokyo Despite her best efforts Sailor Saturn could not penetrate the superior defense offered by Mousse and his double sword style, but on the flip side, he was suffering the same problem. The Soldier of Destruction pressed further, with only the thought of protecting the princess in mind. There was no reason to assume her guise as Sailor Saturn-- not since they had to deal with the Mekani during the Great Sleep. It was the last time, she vowed, to serve her role as the Soldier of Destruction, after systematically wiping-out entire peoples. It was a catastrophe too great to bear in her mind, and to end the cycle of death and destruction she resumed her life as just plain Hotaru. Despite the destruction raised during the First Black Moon War Hotaru remained a distant spectator of the events, choosing to stay out of the conflict in fear of wiping out more peoples that deserved no genocide. The power Death offered was too tempting to not even consider it.... Fortunately, in the end, events worked out in the Crystal Court's favor, in events ordained a thousand years ago. However, peace would not last, as it was interrupted by the Second Black Moon War, which was essentially a continuation of the first, akin to the two World Wars of the past. Unresolved issues came to light in this second war, and the enemy was far more cunning and dangerous. In fact, Hotaru herself spent much of the war as a hostage on the world of Nemesis, when the Fenril Knights captured the population of Crystal Tokyo. Again, Death tempted her, time and again, but events transpired such that Sailor Saturn was not needed. Forty years passed since the time of war, and it was during that period of time that she and Usagi started to physically-age, because their minds, bodies, and souls were ready to move on. They shared much time together with friends during the era of peace, and it seemed the era of the Sailor Senshi was drawing to a close. Now, however, the Mekani returned, in what amounted to a threat larger than the two previous wars combined. It was no simple human uprising, but a full-scale invasion force, six-times larger than the previous invasion attempt at the close of the second war. Hotaru had to admit she was worried about her friend when she slipped out into the early morning by herself, and it was when she saw her fighting against the Mekani that she knew what to do. Death would not chain her in her duty to protect her friend. Although I am the Soldier of Death and Destruction, she thought, I will not allow it to prevent me from protecting this world. So long as I live.... Mousse caught the Silence Glaive's shaft between his crossed blades, then shoved Saturn backward again, then leaped back. Unwilling to charge against the enemy martial artist again, and Mousse seemingly sensing the same, the two stood their ground. "You're the first real match I've met for a long time," Mousse admitted, between heavy breaths. "The same for you," Saturn returned the praise. The Master of Hidden Weapons, despite himself, lowered his blades. "I've had fun, girl...." "Sailor Saturn," she corrected sternly. "Sailor Saturn," he accepted. Mousse twirled the blades around, and sheathed them back up his sleeves. "But, next time we meet, I won't be so easy." Without waiting for a response, Mousse turned his back, and walked toward the darkness. Young Sailor Moon rushed to Saturn's side, as the Soldier of Destruction eased her guard. "Sailor Saturn," she cried, "you're letting him go?" "People like him," Saturn replied, "are proud. This Mousse is a warrior... somehow, he trusts me enough to turn his back. Like he expects it." "Or respects you," Moon pointed out. "It might be a courtesy... from one warrior to another, maybe." "Perhaps," she considered. She turned to face her friend. "We should help the others; there's no telling how many drones are on the loose in the city." "Right!" Moon agreed, nodding. --- World Parliament, Geneva Shizuka continued to retreat and step back as she whipped her flail arm before her, attempting to keep her opponents at bay while making a steady retreat. This fact was not lost upon either of the Peacekeepers, and they pressed their advantage, intending to go as far as they can take it. "It's over, Shizuka," Ukyo shouted. "Not even your Mekani enhancements can raise your skill anywhere near our level." "Dammit," the priestess cursed. "Should've known it was all too good to be true." The cornered girl, despite her situation, started to laugh. "What's so funny?!" demanded Konatsu. "Watch yourself," warned the Vice Executive. "Be ready for anything!" And even then, she added quietly to herself, why hasn't she summoned Deathclaw's power yet? "Idiots, how would you like to go up with me?" Shizuka asked, her face bearing a dark expression. All five tentacles lashed out at the two PKs, but each of them dodged their deadly grasp. "Initiate self- destruct sequence! Count down five seconds!" "What the...?!" Ukyo gasped, momentarily dropping her defenses when the words hit her. "No time!" Konatsu cried, grabbing Ukyo's arm and running for dear life. The events happened far too quickly for Ukyo to take in at once. For a moment she saw a brilliant flash of white light, and the next moment she was being propelled backward by a great force. The world seemed to disappear around her, and her senses dulled. When she came to the Vice Executive was lying flat on her back on the hard concrete walkway leading up to the World Parliament, staring up at the sky. Beside her, Konatsu was slowly getting up, as he was facing down. The warrior appeared to be fine, and Ukyo thought the same for herself, but the moment she tried to sit up she knew her pain receptors were still working well. She blinked as a heavy object fell beside her with a loud thud. The mechanical arm attached to Shizuka was still flinching since being flung from ground zero, as the tentacles still whipped about, but in a less- violent manner. Ukyo watched as the Mekani device slowly died from lack of power-- or the end of the rigor mortise. "God dammit," she cursed, staring up toward the sky at the Kraken. "What the hell is going on?" --- Command Center, Kraken "Dammit!" Shizuka cursed, the door to her control chamber hissing open violently. Steam-- or likely smoke-- issued from the open door, as if something overloaded while she was inside. "Mezzat, you bastard, your stupid replicant droid almost killed me!" The Director she was addressing appeared on the main viewscreen of the command center, with its guest standing in the background and to the left, still concealed by darkness. The cold stare of the huge eye reflected the monitor the Director was viewing. "You pushed it too hard," the woman behind Mezzat pointed out. "It's no wonder it stopped being effective." "Such an advantage is lost to our cause," Director Mezzat added coldly. "Who gives a crap?!" wondered Shizuka, flaring in anger. "They're going to put the pieces together and they'll still know I didn't blow myself up. Heck, even that stuck-up bitch knew it wasn't me-- I could tell!" "Withdraw your forces from the target zone at once," Mezzat ordered. "Maintain siege positions and hold. The Earth defenders were stronger than anticipated on most fronts. Two of the targets have been neutralized, but your target and Crystal Tokyo still stand with strong defenses." "And those are the ones that matter!" Shizuka pointed out. "They didn't go for the bait like you said they would! How could they, if they weren't prepared for this? They saved all the good stuff for that which they HAVE to defend." "We are presently re-evaluating our tactics," the Director added. "Stand-by for further instructions." With that, the Mekani commander terminated the link. Shizuka flipped the birdie to the blank screen. "You bastard, you screwed up!" "Don't let it bother you too much," Mousse suggested, his image appearing on a console near the angry priestess. "We've got them holed-in pretty good now; we can take 'em out whenever we want." "In any situation," Cinder added, appearing on a second monitor, "I will have the opportunity to exact vengeance on the Sailor Senshi myself." "Don't get ahead of yourself," Shizuka warned. "We've been in this position before, remember?" "And this time we're not going to screw up," Mousse promised. "They heard us before, but this time, they're going to listen...." --- '80s Cafe, Hollywood Slowly people made their way out of the woodwork of the devastated city, each turning to the sky where the Mekani warship hung overhead, serenely amidst the smoke and destruction. Shingo worked his way to the bar, where Chika was seated, presently watching the news on a monitor reserved for the cafe patrons. There was very little being said that he didn't know, and for the most part the reporter was making things up as he went along. However, the camera changed to an aerial shot, from one of the few news copters still braving the skies since the Rain of Fire, as they coined it. Shingo's eyes widened, noting that, when the camera zoomed out for a panoramic shot of the destruction, there was a pattern.... "Chika," he whispered. However, she saw it as well. "Yeah, I know." The destruction was drawn out with a series of strokes not unlike kanji. If one distanced themselves far enough they would know that it was specifically two characters: "Suzaku." "He's sending a message," Chika knew. "It really IS Cinder, and it's a challenge." "For who?" asked Shingo. His fiancé shook her head. "I don't know... I only know OF Cinder, but haven't really met him. Just a few good looks, is all. He's supposed to be possessed by the spirit of the god Suzaku." "But the gods...." "Cinder himself is one of the gods," she interrupted quickly. "His kind was wiped out by the Sailor Senshi, and now he demands restitution for his loss of honor. I'm sure the other surviving kami will see this, and it'll inspire them to side with the enemy." "I see. Then there's nothing much we can do." Chika shook her head. "Not really." Glancing at her watch, she stood up from her seat. "I'm sorry to have to break off like this, but...." "Don't worry, just go," Shingo said, understanding completely. He, too, had family and friends to be concerned about, and it was time for him to figure out what to do next. --- Office of the CEO, Peacekeeper HQ Ayame sighed, trying to bury herself into her chair. Her monitor displayed the current tactical overview of the Mekani invaders-- two locations fell to their onslaught, and the other two remain hanging on a thread as the Mekani, although pushed back for now, were still in a position to siege Geneva and Crystal Tokyo. It was only desperation that kept those two key cities free, while Moscow and Los Angeles seemed to be merely random targets of destruction. The Mekani literally had no reason to raze them. Everyone knew if they kept up with it, Earth was doomed to fall. Ayame tapped her fingers together, slumping in her seat. The destruction was confirmed by her remote operatives working in both Moscow and Los Angeles areas, and the casualty tolls weren't through yet. Heck, they wouldn't be through until after someone got the Mekani to stop hailing the structures with fire and electrical bursts. "At least we got them to stop," she said half- heartedly. "And we've still got the robots in reserve, even." Not that the Mishima-made robots, which hadn't been upgraded in forty years, could keep up with the Mekani drones, much less could she deploy them in places other than Geneva or Crystal Tokyo. The image of Ayame's assistant appeared on the monitor, interrupting her thoughts. The Chief Executive was instantly sitting-up, unwilling to show any sign of slacking from her duties. "Sir," he said, "Neo Queen Serenity is on the line now. Your meeting is about to begin." "Put me through," Ayame ordered. In a second the assistant was replaced with a view of the interior of the Crystal Palace, half a world away. From the position her monitor was set Ayame could see the long side of a rectangular table, and gathered around it were the members of the Crystal Court-- Neo Queen Serenity, her husband, the princess, and four of the Sailor Senshi, with Sailor Pluto and the Asteroid Senshi absent, as usual. For a moment Ayame wished she knew where those people went, as they weren't attached to the palace, but her speculation was interrupted as she realized there was an extra body present. "Greetings, Ayame," Neo Queen Serenity began. She gestured a hand in the newbie's direction. "This is Sailor Saturn. Sailor Saturn, Ayame Mishima, the Chief Executive Officer of the Peacekeepers." Ayame nodded, subconsciously accepting the new addition. "Well, like you wanted... the attacks have stopped for now. Not that we know why, since we've only actually routed one of their leaders." "I see. Then they are planning something much larger than a simple invasion." "According to the information we've gathered, and from reports made by my vice executive, the leaders are in fact the remnants of the Fenril Knights, exiled to Nemesis after the last war. They've definitely sided with the Mekani, and they're apparently cooperating fully." "I agree," Saturn said. "The one we fought here was using a Mekani Enforcer as a vehicle of some sort." "Well, we got some kind of sophisticated robot that looked like Shizuka," the PK Director stated. "My guys are studying the remains even as we speak, looking for any way we can take advantage of the Mekani tech." "Or disable them," suggested King Endymion. "It seems to me that, if these Mekani hold a similar philosophy as before, they will have innumerable hordes at their disposal. Deactivating them at the source will be desirable." "We theorize that the head is working at the Scylla warship," Ayame added. "But why there?" asked Sailor Mercury. "Certainly, it is where most of the transmission signals originate, but the Mekani are clever. Who's to say that they would not have multiple command centers on each ship?" "Or even the Charybdis," Mars said. "So far that's the only ship that hasn't actually done anything yet." "None of the warships have shown any signs of activity since the attacks ceased, but...." Ayame's voice trailed off as the communications link was showing static-- something that shouldn't be possible with the level of communication she was working at. Replacing her view of the palace was what amounted to a pirate transmission-- one that the Crystal Court was likely also experiencing. "Greetings, Neo Queen Serenity," came the instigator, his form silhouetted by a large captain's chair, and his glasses reflecting the screen. "And to you, too, Ayame... seems our chats are becoming more frequent." "Shion," Ayame said. "What game are you playing this time?" "Oh, nothing much," he said in mock modesty. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your successful defense of Los Angeles and Moscow. My agents tell me that it was quite a success." "All sarcasm aside," she heard Mercury say, "the human race is being threatened by an outside force, with such strength that many more lives will be lost if we don't work together." Shion laughed, darkly amused by the obscured plea. "And to boost my ego even further... no." "'No?'" cried Jupiter. "Are you crazy?" "I assure you, I'm quite sane. For the most part." "You sold us out to the Mekani, is that it?" Mars accused. "That's why you're talking to us now, to laugh and point fingers? Grow up." "'Grow up?' Nah." The Section Director paused to laugh at his own joke. "Section will survive once your Crystal Court is wiped-out. They're only interested in you, after all. They don't care about humans; they want to get rid of you." "Why us?" asked Neo Queen Serenity. "What could we possibly do to threaten the Mekani?" "Two words: disco ball." With that, Shion terminated the link, and Ayame was offered full view of the Crystal Court once again. "What's that guy thinking, selling us out?" wondered Venus. "Don't you get it?" Mars said. "As long as their goals coincide with the Mekani, they'll side with them." "On the other hand," Ayame interrupted, "Shion did mention we had a chance of winning." And apparently, Neo Queen Serenity was thinking the same. "I will not resort to the Silver Crystal. We cannot depend on its power to save us every time a new enemy threatens us from the stars." "We don't have a choice," the Chief Executive pointed out. "Any minute now the Mekani are going to mass-gang us, and take out everyone in the way." "There has to be another way," the world monarch insisted. "If we rely on the crystal's power once more, then all that we worked to reach this point since the last war will be for naught. I restructured this world to give it back to the people, and live in peace and prosperity at the same time. I will not allow an intergalactic bully to push us around." "Then we'll just have to take out the Scylla," Sailor Mercury decided. "However, if the enemy learned from their previous mistakes, then even severing the head will not end this conflict." --- Inner Circle, Secret Section Fortress "How ironic," Shion mused, "that after all this time the fate of the planet Earth lies in the hands of the rebels of the past. In the same vein that Section is made up of those who resisted Neo Queen Serenity's rule so did the PKs. Both drew upon the same pool, and both approached the renegades on a one-on-one basis to convert to their cause. No one who was not a rebel wouldn't dream of joining either faction, and thus they live ignorantly in bliss... until both of their existences were forcibly made known." He spun in his captain's chair, facing Ziel. "Don't you think?" "That's all fine and dandy," Ziel said, "but there's been a problem. The project subject... she's emitting a great deal of psionic waves. If I'm not mistaken, her mind has gone completely active again." "You're kidding," the Director wanted to believe. "This isn't a good time." Ziel leaned over Shion's desk, and punched in a few keys on the keyboard. Shion turned back around to face the monitors, and the bottom center monitor displayed a watcher's view of the darkest room in the Inner Circle complex. Lying flat on her back in a clean hospital bed, connected to life support and monitoring stations, was Hokuto Takemasa, a serene, peaceful look on her face. However, the brainwave analyzer to her left was indicating otherwise. "Dammit, not now!" Shion hissed. "Don't wake up now!" "Want me to terminate her?" asked the second. Shion shook his head. "It's too late; we can't help it any longer. It seems we're going to have to pull out our ace card a bit earlier than expected." --- Darkness "The light... it's like a baseball now... I can feel its warm brilliance...." "I hear them... I hear the sound of my name, called over and over. I can see them, the ones that call my name. How do they speak of me? Does it really matter? I am remembered...." "What is the meaning of this darkness? Is it here, defined so that we may seek the light? Is this the reason why we must reach for the light?" "I feel warm inside... a warmness lost since I was banished to this cold darkness. I will achieve my homecoming, by touching the light." "The voices... they wait for me. I can hear them calling my name... those that bathe in the light. All should bathe the light." "All should share in its brilliance." ---------------------------------------------------- Author's Notes After a time I decided to pick up on the loose end I left for myself after I finished 'Ragnarok;' I purposefully meant for this to have an ending point there, but still have ideas that elaborate further on the Mekani themselves, and some other consequences that were dropped in the last few chapters. Enjoy. This chapter mainly focuses on characters I neglected in the past-- Chibi-Usa, Hotaru, and Shingo. They are all somewhat integral to what's going on in this day and age, and this is their story, basically. It also adds more info on the unknown enemy, the Mekani, who have not been detailed before. Back in the original Geometry story Shingo was a key player, and in Souls he disappeared into the woodwork, so I decided to bring him back. I really didn't want to deal with little kids, either, so I aged Chibi-Usa and Hotaru to respectable ages-- within reason. It also works out a system by which one could age in this weird world, too. --Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com) http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html