The Ramarian Crisis

By DarkHorse

Chapter 11: The Ramarian Gambit

Yoyogi Park Mansion, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo

Machiko Nomuri , lieutenant of the Marine Corps, veteran of Desert Storm, and a member of Lt. Colonel Scott Biggs' distinguished Elite Force, leaned against the wall of the darkened stairwell between the fourteenth and thirteenth floors. She was currently bleeding from various cuts and abrasions that covered her lithe body. Soot, dirt, blood and scratches marred her otherwise beautiful Amerasian features. But in spite of all of that, she was completely alert as her blue-gray eyes scanned her surroundings. It was an effort to move stealthily but she managed to do so, ignoring her various aches and pains.

She closed her eyes briefly and took deep quiet breaths, steeling herself from the panic that was threatening to engulf her. The floors above and below her, she was sure, were now bustling with alien activity. She hugged the MP5 tightly across her chest, her right index finger lightly caressing the trigger. She should have fled when Hiroshi told her to. She should not have stuck around, allowing her curiosity to get the better of her. Now she was trapped. She couldn't even communicate with Command, her radio having been damaged in the blast that mortally injured her best friend.

The thought of Hiroshi caused another wave of misery to wash over her. She shook her head and blinked away the wetness from her eyes. This is no time to get emotional, girl, she chastised herself. There was no way she was going to allow the aliens to get the better of her.

Machiko crouched to examine the next set of steps. Even though her eyes have long since adjusted to the near darkness, she had to make sure that she wouldn't make a sound when she started moving. From what she witnessed, the aliens seem to be capable of incredible feats of strength and endurance. The female alien that she and Hiroshi were stalking survived not only the bullet wounds they inflicted on her but also the double bomb blasts that obliterated much of the hallway of the fourteenth floor. Machiko saw with her own two eyes how the alien was able to pry herself from the heavy concrete rubble that practically buried her!

No, there would be no underestimating these aliens, Machiko decided. If she was going to escape with her life, she would be able to do so only with the utmost of skill and cunning that fortunately, her training provided. With her left hand, she carefully brushed away bits of rock and other debris from the step where she would be planting her foot.

After removing anything that would cause her foot to make a sound, she stood slowly and moved down one step. She was about to repeat the process when she heard it. A silent crunch. It rose above the various other background sounds of fires crackling, concrete and steel girders groaning from structural abuse, and water from sprinklers splashing on the already wet floor. It was the distinct sound of a deliberately placed footstep...from someone attempting to walk noiselessly but was not doing a very good job of it.

Either this particular alien didn't know how to be stealthy or he didn't particularly care if he was heard. Superiority can breed complacency after all. The problem was whoever made the sound somehow knew that she was hiding here. Which meant that she was careless as well...somehow. There was no time to review her past actions to find out what gave her away. She needed to plan...to think of how she was going to get past or get through the alien.

She heard it again. Another crunch of a footstep. It was difficult to determine whether it was coming from the floor above or below. Machiko groped the armaments she had on her. She knew that a confrontation was imminent. All right, she thought, I've only got two full mags of ammo and a few other hidden weapons. She stayed crouched. She would present to the enemy a smaller target. Any advantage she could muster could spell the difference between living and dying.

I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. And she waited.

* * * * *

Tanaka angrily unlocked and opened his office door to admit one of his assistants. Kin Miyawaki rushed in breathlessly.

"I was on the phone, Miyawaki. This had better be important," growled Tanaka.

"Sir, have you been listening to the news?"

"I've got the news on, if that's what you mean," Tanaka replied, nodding his head towards the huge TV he had in the room. It was currently showing the news of the burning Yoyogi Park Mansion condominium building. It was mute however.

"Sir, you've got to listen to what the reporter is saying," Miyawaki insisted. He walked over to Tanaka's desk and grabbed the remote. He used it to un-mute the TV.

"Listen, kid, I don't have time to listen to a bunch of reporters mouthing news I already know," Tanaka said dismissively walking to his desk.

"No, sir, you've got to listen," the assistant said increasing the volume of the TV.

"...the police have already entered the building and are slowly securing every floor. Initial reports state that an on-duty receptionist has been found alive, bound and gagged inside a utility closet," the field reporter on the scene was saying. "The identity of this receptionist has yet to be released by the Tokyo PD.

"For those of you who have just tuned in, I'm here right now at the scene where multiple explosions have rocked this new condominium building early this morning. We have unconfirmed reports that this building is allegedly where the aliens are now based. I would like to emphasize that this is an unconfirmed report..."

Miyawaki muted the TV once more and looked meaningfully at his boss.

"Aliens?" Tanaka asked.

"It makes sense, Boss. The building, for instance, is very close to Yoyogi Park where the aliens landed a few days ago," the assistant paused, waiting for a reaction. "And look at that wrist communicator this guy Lam gave you," he said after getting no response, "does it look like human technology to you?"

Tanaka slowly raised his wrist and glanced at his comlink. He looked up at his assistant. "You're nuts. Now get out of my office. I've got several more phone calls to make."

Miyawaki stared at his boss for the moment, obviously confused as to why he wasn't taking this seriously enough. After a while he gently placed the remote back on the desk and then left the office.

After his assistant left, Tanaka slowly sat down on his leather chair. Could it be? He debated whether to confront Rogo or Lam with it. No, he decided, he will learn the truth from them soon enough. In the meantime, it's best to arm himself with information. Information such as if they were indeed the aliens that invaded a few days ago, what did they really want with the girls? Perhaps he could use this information to further persuade them to pay him more than the seven million he was already going to receive from them.

A small smile formed on his lips. Yes, that's right. Besides, if they were really aliens then why did they seek out his help in the first place? If they were the aliens intending to invade Earth, why only send a few? Why not attack with all their spaceships or something? And finally, if they were the aliens, what did they need the girls for? The reporters are just looking for something new to report to raise their ratings.

He took one look at his comlink. It wasn't anything special. Heck, it even looked like that new Casio wristwatch he saw the other day. Tanaka shook his head. It's all foolishness. Better start earning that seven million, he thought to himself and got back to work.

* * * * *

Lam and Rogo marched into the room where all the remaining members of the assault team were assembled. They had lost a total of thirteen warriors to the human attackers. Although neither Lam nor Rogo showed it, both were infuriated. They were sure that the remaining warriors shared this sentiment.

"Are all the warriors present and accounted for?" Rogo asked.

"All except Bono," Crata replied. "He detected a human lurking around in one of the stairwells."

Rogo frowned. They didn't have time for this. "Can't you contact Bono and tell him to just hurry and dispatch that human so he can join us?"

"I'll contact him right now," Crata said and then moved off a short distance to communicate with the absent warrior.

Rogo turned towards Lam. "Except for Bono all warriors are present."

Lam nodded and stepped forward. "Fellow Ramarian warriors," he began, allowing his eyes to sweep across the assembled warriors, taking care to make eye contact with as many of them as possible, "this unfortunate attack by the humans has made it necessary for us to change our plan. All of you have already been brief of the new plan," he paused, again looking hard into the eyes of his warriors. "You all know what is required. Now I ask for seven volunteers who will remain."

No sooner had Lam uttered the word "volunteers" did seven warriors step forward. As one they saluted by beating their right fist against their left breast. He gazed into the eyes of each volunteer trying to search for fear or uncertainty but found none in any of them. Even as he hated the idea of leaving these worthy Ramarians behind he felt pride in them. Each of the seven volunteers stood erect and confident knowing that if they died it would be as warriors.

Lam returned their salute. "Very well," he said as a way of telling them that he approved of their sacrifice. The seven filed out of the room silently. Lam watched until the last one had disappeared outside. He turned to look at the remaining warriors. "In approximately ten Earth minutes, two helicopters will arrive to pick us up on the roof. You all know what to do. Any questions?" There were none. "Very well, fall out."

* * * * *

Bill Winters watched the proceedings detachedly. He didn't really mind the fact that Joan was once more handling the situation. Heck, he was actually used to it already.

That's actually what he liked about Joan. She was strong and capable. He had always liked his women strong. Not that Joan was his woman. At least not yet. Bill could spot a strong-willed woman from a mile away much like a shark was able to pick up the scent of a minute spot of blood from afar. Strangely, this was what he was picking up from the two girls in front of him. Strength of will.

He knew there was something about them. At first he just couldn't put a finger to it. Except for their extraordinary attractiveness (he didn't normally find Asians attractive) and involvement in physical activities, there didn't seem to be anything special about them.

But now that he knew what made them stand out, he watched them more closely. He had studied the dossier of the three girls extensively. Unfortunately, the girl named Fuu Hououji was not present. He would have wanted to see how this third girl interacted with the two that were present.

As it was, the girl named Umi was the one communicating with Joan. Joan mentioned the word "wormhole" and Umi asked what it was. As his colleague began explaining, Bill noted that the blue-haired girl's eyes would dart furtively from the girl named Hikaru, to the old guy named Malor and the tall guy dressed as Darth Vader minus the mask known as Lantis. There seemed to be communication happening and yet no words were being exchanged. It was as if...as if they were communicating telepathically. Bill shook his head. He was seeing too much into it, he was sure. At any rate, it would be another question to ask as soon they were able to gain the trust of these people.

"So," Joan said, concluding her explanation, "do you understand what a wormhole is now?"

Bill saw all eyes turn to Hikaru. That was really strange. The redheaded teenager looked to be the youngest and yet, here again, he saw everyone defer to her.

Joan caught it too. As a matter of fact, she noticed it from the moment this little redhead opened the gate. This was the alpha female if she ever saw one, the age and looks notwithstanding. She now focused her attention on the girl. "You seem to know more about wormholes than you're letting on," Joan said.

Hikaru began to fidget, all of a sudden aware that she was the center of attention. "I not know what you mean," she said, shaking her head but not doing a good job of acting all innocent.

Joan leaned forward, looking right straight into the young girl's eyes. "Our interest in your ability to create wormholes is purely scientific. If you have been given this wonderful gift, then you stand to be in a position to help a lot of people," she said. She was gradually getting into her element and she couldn't help speaking a lot faster. "The potential for progress is endless--"

"No," Hikaru interjected quietly but firmly.

"Imagine what we could..." Joan trailed off as she realized that Hikaru said something. "What was that you said?"

"I said no," the redhead repeated. "You must keep secret."

"But why?"

"I cannot explain but must be secret for now," she said firmly and emphatically.

For several awkward moments Joan could only stare, mouth slightly opened, at the young girl. For her part, Hikaru returned the stare unflinchingly. After a while Joan shook herself and slowly nodded. "Very well," she said, "it will be a secret between you and me...and Bill, of course."

"Why thank you, Joan," Bill said almost sarcastically.

For several more moments, Hikaru just glanced between Joan and Bill trying to assess whether they were indeed trustworthy. Joan and Bill sat stiffly as if any movement would influence the girl's decision one way or the other. It was obvious that they were holding their breath.

"Okay," Hikaru said and both astrophysicists immediately let out a long sigh of relief. The girl glanced at her friend, Umi.

Umi caught Hikaru's glance and then turned her attention to the visitors. "Hikaru has the ability to create portals or as you called them 'wormholes'."

Joan and Bill just sat there staring blankly at the blue-haired girl. It was exactly what Joan thought it was except hearing it now in the open still shocked her. "Okay," Joan held up a hand in a gesture to slow things down even though Umi had already stopped talking, "so your friend Hikaru has the ability to create wormholes."

"Um, that's what I said."

"Right," the astrophysicist drew out the word as if using the extra milliseconds to absorb this piece of information. "How does she do it?" Joan finally asked.

Umi glanced at her friend before returning her focus to Joan. "Hikaru uses her will to create a portal."

"Her will?" Joan and Bill exchanged incredulous glances.

"That's correct. Hikaru is the only one with the power to do so."

"Okay. So, does she use a device of some sort?"

"She uses nothing but the strength of her will," Umi reiterated. She was starting to get irritated by the repetition but was so far still able to conceal it.

Bill leaned forward. "So, it's some kind of magic."

"It is magic."

Bill and Joan exchanged glances once more. Joan turned once more first, to the blue-haired teenager and then to Hikaru. "Can you show us how you do it?"

* * * * *

Bono crept slowly and softly up the stairs. He could sense that the human was already aware of his presence. That couldn't be helped. There was no time for finesse in this situation. This would have suited any other Ramarian fine since most would rather just charge in with guns blazing. Bono, however, knew the dangers of just blindly going into the line of fire. Especially after witnessing the deaths of a couple of his fellow warriors. The humans may be inferior to Ramarians physically but their weapons have proven to be surprisingly effective against them nevertheless.

The warrior stretched his senses forward, trying to determine the exact location of his quarry. He wasn't as familiar with human beings as perhaps Rogo and his team were but he was getting a distinct perception that the quarry in question was actually female. This could prove interesting. Even the females in Ramar were not as powerful as the males. Could it be different here on Earth?

For a moment, he considered just leaving. After all, what possible damage could one puny human female do? Bono shook his head at this thought. No, thinking like that wasn't right. Never underestimate the enemy. The two comrades he saw die were proof enough of how lethal this mistake was. He needed to dispatch this human and quickly. Crata had made it clear that if he didn't return in five Earth minutes, he would be left behind. While he was not averse to the thought of being left behind and contributing to the mayhem that was to occur, he believed he would be more useful in the capture of the girls.

Bono took one more step upwards and then froze. His senses picked up the faint sounds of the shuffling of several feet approaching his location. He cocked his ear towards the direction of the sounds and confirmed it. Probably the local militia. Damn! He didn't need this now. Bono took one more glance upwards. He was just two steps away from the bend. His quarry was just beyond that. He will have to take care of her later. For now, he had to take care of this other problem. He just hoped that he would have enough time to rejoin the group that will capture the girls.

With that final thought, the warrior turned slowly and quietly made his way down.

* * * * *

Machiko fought to steady her breathing. She could hear the alien slowly coming upwards. Just any second now, he would emerge from the lower stairwell and they would then see who between the two of them was the better warrior. She had sinking feeling that it would not be her. She was scared. The thumping of her panicked heart seemed very loud in her ears.

The marine lieutenant readied her submachine gun and trained it at the spot where she knew the alien would emerge...and waited. Machiko held her breath. Any second now...

She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the first explosion! What the--!

She heard the rapid staccato of returning gunfire. She recognized the shots as those coming from an M16. That could mean only one thing: the local police. She hurriedly walked towards the bend leading downwards. Machiko leaned against the wall holding her rifle close to her chest. She slowly crouched and peeked down the bend. She could see a lone figure firing a weapon that she couldn't recognize--which could only mean one thing: this was the alien.

The alien seemed to be distracted, which presented Machiko with a choice she hadn't imagine she would have to make. She already had her rifle up, the alien's head right up on her sights. Should she take him out or should she attempt to take him alive?

She slowly lowered her sights and aimed it at the alien's weapon. He was constantly firing now effectively taking away any opportunity the local police might have to return fire. Machiko found herself admiring the alien's weapon. It was truly impressive. It undoubtedly had superior firepower, seemingly able to incinerate and disintegrate anything. It also did not seem to run out of ammunition or energy or whatever it was it uses for power.

She groped for the switch that set the firing mode and made sure that it was set at semi-auto. Machiko adjusted her aim and then slowly squeezed the trigger. She felt the gun jerk against her firm grip as the barrel coughed out three rounds. She watched as all three bullets hit the gun emitting a shower of sparks. By the time she lowered her gun, the alien had eyed her with a surprised look on his human face.

"You!" she heard him exclaim.

The police, having immediately notice that the barrage of explosions has stopped, began firing in earnest. Machiko saw the alien's body take multiple hits before going down. She rushed downwards, a flashbang grenade on her right hand and a smoke grenade on the other. Just as she was about to reach the landing, she flicked the pins out of the grenades with her thumbs and tossed both in the direction of the police. All gunfire abruptly ceased as the police was taken by surprise by the explosions.

As she approached the alien, she noted that his eyes were open. He had a look on his face that seemed to ask, "what in the world do you think you're doing?" Machiko ignored the look, positioning herself by his head. She hooked her hands under his armpits and began dragging him across the debris-covered carpet, away from the police.

She strained under the effort of pulling the alien's weight. He was heavier than she expected. From what she saw of his height and bulk, she estimated him to be about two hundred pounds. The actual weight seemed to be a lot more than that.

"Geez," she muttered, "what do you they feed you in that planet of yours?"

"I'm not sure it would be something you would know."

Machiko looked down at creature that just spoke with a mixture of shock and fear. His voice did not contain the nervous quivering that typically accompanied pain. She ignored him for the moment until she could drag him to safety.

She began panting from the effort of pulling the alien's dead weight. She needed to find a hiding place soon. The police would surely recover from the flashbang pretty soon. As she rounded the bend, she spied an open room. She began to hustle. Before long, she was able to pull the alien across the threshold into the room. Once inside, she dropped her cargo unceremoniously on the floor and ran to the door to close and lock it. She returned to the alien and with one final heave, propped him up against a wall so that he was in a sitting position. She stepped back a few steps and raised her MP5 rifle, aiming it point blank at the alien's already bullet-ridden chest.

"So," Machiko said nonchalantly, "here we are, alone at last," she finished sarcastically. She dropped to a squat, her rifle still aimed squarely at the alien.

"Tell me, human, what is it you intend to do with me?"

Machiko was careful to hide her amazement at the alien's calm veneer. Here he was, bleeding (or at least she thought he was bleeding) from several gunshot wounds, many of which were fatal were he a human, and yet he seemed unconcerned by it all. She looked the alien straight in the eye. "Well, if it were up to me, I'd drag you back to my command center so that my colleagues can interrogate you. And then, we'll probably sell your sorry ass to a lab where they can dissect and study your carcass."

"Ah," the alien countered, "so you human beings are not that much different from us, after all."

"We are nothing like you!" Machiko spat. Her scowl deepened. For some reason, his words bit into her being.

The alien snorted. "Whatever you say, human. Although, my advice to you is that you interrogate me now while I'm still alive and while the police have not yet discovered us," the alien said and cocked an eye at her. "I gather that you are not working with them, yes?"

"I'm not telling you anything," Machiko snarled but she flicked her eyes nervously at the door. The creature was right. She had to find a way to get them out of here. She was not going to allow herself to be gunned down by "friendly fire" when she had already survived this far.

An idea was already forming in her head. It was risky but she didn't have a choice.

* * * * *

"We've got two men down, Sir!" the leader of Team Alpha reported frantically over the radio. "I've got three wounded, requiring immediate medical attention."

Hirota glanced at Jenkins who was standing beside him. He raised the radio to his mouth and said, "Calm down, man, we'll get to your injured. How much resistance did you encounter?"

"We saw one subject, repeat one subject. He was firing some sort of energy weapon, really powerful," there was an edge in the voice on the other end. "We took him down but just when we were about to push forward, we got hit by smoke grenade and flashbangs."

"Repeat that last, Alpha leader, did you say smoke grenade and flashbang?"

"Roger that, Sir!"

Hirota saw Jenkins frown. He himself was puzzled. How could these aliens, if they were indeed aliens, be using smoke grenades and flashbangs? Once again, he raised the radio to his mouth. "Is your position clear?"

"Yes, Sir. We're at section three. It's clear."

"Very well. Secure the injured. We're sending the paramedics to get them. Proceed with the execution plan. Do you copy?"

"I copy. Secure the injured and proceed with execution plan. Roger and out!"

Hirota marched towards a nearby paramedic just finishing up the treatment of an injured resident. "You there!"

"Yes, sir?" the paramedic stood at attention.

"I've got five men down on the thirteenth floor, section three. The area is clear. Go get them...and hurry," Hirota said hastily.

"Yes, sir!" The chief investigator saw the paramedic run to the nearest makeshift clinic and begin addressing his fellow rescuers. Okay, that's done. Where the hell is that helicopter?

* * * * *

Jenkins watched the chaos with growing frustration. Things weren't proceeding in the orderly fashion he was accustomed to. Sure, a little confusion here and there was to be expected but not like this. Back in the States, in an operation like this the Hostage and Rescue Teams, local fire departments and the paramedics were much more coordinated. If the subjects in the building were indeed aliens, then they had to improve the coordination amongst the different groups, otherwise...Jenkins shook his head. Something had to be done.

The FBI agent wanted to do something but his hands were tied. He was officially just an observer here. The Japanese were a sensitive lot. If he interfered it would be deemed as impolite, rude and a major breach in political etiquette. He wasn't even allowed to carry a firearm, for Pete's sake. Back home he was almost never without his sidearm.

That, however, was not the real source of his unease. He had a bad feeling about things. Just as a cornered rat can become aggressive and dangerous, so can these aliens wreak real havoc. If there was anything he'd learn in his fifteen years in the force it was to follow his instincts. And his instincts tell him that he needed to voice his concerns.

Having made a decision, he approached Hirota. The Japanese investigator was busy trying to talk to the victims, coordinate the actions of the two SWAT teams in the building and piece together the puzzle about the true identities of the aggressors, all at the same time. He was certainly doing too much by himself.

"Hirota-san," Jenkins said a bit too stiffly.

Hirota turned to face the American. He cast his weary face upwards. "What can I do for you, Robert?"

"I would like to make a suggestion."

"Of course," the investigator nodded, "any suggestion from you would be most welcome."

Jenkins saw that Hirota seemed sincere. "I have a feeling that our subjects are going to be a lot more aggressive in the next few minutes. I suggest we evacuate the buildings on either side of the condominium."

The Japanese first looked at the American and then turned to look at the two buildings that were sandwiching the Yoyogi Park Mansion. He had snipers on those buildings. Perhaps it was indeed wise to evacuate. Hirota turned once more to face the FBI agent. "Very well. Let me handle it," he said with a final nod before walking away in search of a person to instruct.

Jenkins watched Hirota approach what appeared to be the chief of the fire department. "I hope it's not too late," he said to himself.

* * * * *

Joan watched Hikaru stomp off. She blew it. She couldn't control her eagerness and now look where it got her. This could be the greatest discovery of all time, within her grasp and she just...blew it. She glanced at Umi. Her eyes were also watching the redhead walk away.

"Umi," Joan said to catch the attention of the blue-haired teenager, "I'm sorry if I offended your friend."

Umi turned to face her. She had a somber expression on her face. "Hikaru's powers are not to be taken lightly."

Joan nodded vigorously. "I know, I know. I guess I just got carried away. Her powers are...well, it could benefit mankind."

Umi frowned. "How could it? Besides, her powers were not given to her for use here on Earth."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain--" Just then the doorbell rang. Umi turned to look outside at Hikaru. Joan watched as both girls seemed to communicate even when no words were being passed. Umi stood and faced Joan. "My taxi's here. Listen, it's very dangerous now. Since you know about the aliens, you know that they are after us. I wouldn't want you or your friend to get hurt." Umi spared a glance at Bill who seemed content to just sit back and watch all the drama unfold around him. She then turned and walked across the room where her bags were. Malor was already waiting for her outside.

Joan was speechless for once. But when she realized that the girl was leaving, she rushed towards her. "But we're here to help!" She protested.

"I don't see how you are helping at all," Umi said over her shoulders without breaking her stride. When she was alongside Malor, she said to him, "Let's go."

"Umi!" Joan called out in a desperate attempt to reason. Umi stopped on her tracks and turned around, an expression of exasperation on her face. "Bill and I were the first to discover the existence of the aliens. We can help you, Hikaru and Fuu by learning more about them. Knowing them is the key to defeating them."

"In that case, I suggest you don't waste your time talking to us and start learning about them." With that she turned and gave her bags to the taxi driver who was waiting just outside the gate.

She watched helplessly as Umi and Malor boarded the taxi. "Damn!" Joan muttered to herself.

"The kid has spunk," Bill spoke up causing Joan to jump in surprise.

"Geez, Bill! You know how I hate it when people sneak up on me," she ranted but then almost immediately calmed down. "You're right, though. She does have spunk."

Bill cast his eyes around the unusually large yard and saw Hikaru watching her friend leave. She was kneeling on the lawn absent-mindedly petting a…was that a wolf? The redhead, as if sensing she was being watched, turned her head and stared right back at him. Bill immediately averted his eyes, all of a sudden becoming flustered.

"What's the matter with you?" Joan asked, a frown creasing her brows.

"Nothing," he replied defensively. "Listen, I think we may have overstayed our welcome. I think we should leave now."

"Not yet," Joan said stubbornly, "I need to know the truth. Didn't you hear what Umi said? She said that Hikaru's powers were not given to her to be used on Earth. What the hell does that mean?"

"Geez, how should I know?" Bill was getting a bit irritated. "It's not important." He began to walk towards the gate but Joan's hand on his arm stayed him. "Dammit, Joan!"

"I'm not leaving until I know the truth!"

"Fine then! You stay, I'll leave." Bill tried to yank his arm free but was annoyingly surprised to find that Joan had refused to let go of him.

"You can't leave me here!"

"Listen, Joan--"

"No, you listen! I'm thinking that the girls must have been given the power by some other force or race from another planet."

"Will you listen to yourself, Joan? Do you realize what you're saying?"

"Of course I know what I'm saying. Think about it for one minute and stop pulling your arm or you'll pull mine out of its socket."

Bill realized that he had been pulling his arm all this time. He rolled his eyes skyward. "All right! What's your cockamamie theory this time?"

Joan visibly relaxed after being able to finally get Bill's attention. "Well, Umi said that Hikaru's powers aren't meant for Earth. Where was it meant for then?"

"How the hell should I know? Are you saying that her powers came from another planet?"

"Exactly!" Joan nodded eagerly.

Bill stared blankly at his colleague before finally erupting. "Oh man! That's it! You are no longer going to eat sushi. All that raw fish has finally screwed with your brain," he said, making circular motions with his index finger towards his temple.

"You know what? Why don't you just leave? Go on, leave!" Joan pushed feebly at his shoulder and promptly stomped off heading towards Hikaru. "Jerk!"

Bill could only watch helplessly. Damn that woman!

* * * * *

Machiko heard the silent shuffling of feet just outside the door. It was the local police, of course. She licked her lips which had suddenly gone dry and turned to glance at the alien who was lying prone, covered in a thick blanket. "You had better play your part well, alien, or there will be hell to pay."

"Remind me again why I have to do this?"

"Because if you do as I say you get to live a few hours longer."

The alien snickered. "It's not much of an incentive, is it?"

"Quiet, alien!"

"My name is Bono," the creature replied calmly in a tone that implied boredom.

Machiko glared at the alien. She was about to hurl another scathing retort his way when she stopped. "Machiko," she turned quickly away just as she said it. "Now, be quiet."

She heard a knock on the door followed by: "This is the police. Is anybody in there?" She maintained her silence. She heard another knock, this time louder. "This is the police. Is anybody in there?"

For several seconds, nothing more could be heard. Suddenly, the door burst open and several armed black clad police poured into the room. Machiko jumped in fright. How much of it was real and how much was playacting was difficult for even her to discern. Although she expected this, the actual event was nevertheless frightening. She widened her eyes and put up her hands, partially covering her face. "Please don't hurt us!" She pushed herself as far back into the corner as she could, as if that simple action could protect her from the guns that were all pointed at her and the alien lying beside her.

"We're here to help you, miss," one of the policeman said. "We are the police."

"Oh, thank the gods!" Machiko jumped to her feet and hurled herself at the policeman who was too stunned to react. She pulled herself back as if in shock at her own actions. "I'm sorry. I'm just so glad you're here."

"It's okay, miss," he said. He turned to the prone figure at the corner. "Is that your husband?"

"Yes, yes! He's not well. We need to take him to the hospital. I was just so afraid to take him out what with all the explosions going on and--"

"I understand, miss. Don't worry. We'll take care of you and your husband." He turned to one of his companions. "Okura, call the paramedics. Tell them we've got one sick man, and..." he bent to whisper in the other's ear, "one woman in shock."

"Yes, sir," the man named Okura said, not quite concealing a smile.

Machiko pretended not to hear as she bent down to check on her "husband". The alien had his eyes closed as if in sleep. Wonder of wonders. It looks like she might actually be able to pull this off. She looked down at herself. It was a good thing that the room had women's dresses. The dress she had on was two sizes bigger but that was just fine. She let her hand drop to where she had her sidearm strapped on her thigh underneath the dress. Its hard coldness gave her the reassurance she needed. And she needed as much as she could get especially if the next part of her plan was to work.

* * * * *

"The helicopters will be here in two minutes," Rogo announced as he approached Lam. The latter was studying a graphical display on a monitor showing the various positions of the members of the diversion team throughout the building.

He nodded without turning to face Rogo. He picked up his comlink. "This is Lam. Helicopters are inbound and should be here in two minutes."

"Copy that," said the voice on the comlink.

"Be ready to commence operations on my signal."

"Roger."

Lam finally turned to Rogo. "All seems to be in readiness."

"Tanaka was only able to get two helicopters."

"I really didn't expect him to be able to provide three helicopters," Lam replied as he turned his attention back to the monitors.

"So the plan remains the same." It was a statement. Rogo and Lam had already exhaustively discussed the mechanics of the capture.

"Of course," Lam replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

* * * * *

Hikaru knew it was only a matter of time before the woman would try again. She could see that the other was very assertive. It seemed like all American women were that way. Hikaru sighed inwardly. She didn't need this. There were too many problems, too much pressure. She wished Umi had not left. She wished that Fuu was here. Any problems they faced seemed easy when they were together. She had to remind herself that they needed to be with their family so that they can provide some semblance of protection for them. Why did it all have to happen to me? Hikaru thought darkly as she eyed the approaching foreigner.

The Fire Knight slowly rose from her semi-kneeling position. Hikari figured that he needed to leave her mistress alone but only did so after giving the strange woman a throaty growl. Hikaru looked down at her pet dog-slash-wolf and was almost surprised to see him look back up straight at her with an expression on his face that seemed to say "Good luck." She had to smile. She was almost positive that her pet had almost-human intelligence.

The smile quickly faded as finally she was face to face with Joan Rumsen. She slowly crossed her arms and waited for the other to start.

Joan faltered, all of a sudden unsure of how to start the conversation with the fiery teenager before her. She was several inches shorter than she was but that didn't stop her from feeling somehow inadequate. Joan cleared her throat. "Hikaru, I hope you don't mind the intrusion but I think it is in your, um, best interest that we discuss your special powers."

Hikaru's expression turned into a deep scowl. "Umi tell you already that you no waste your time here. Instead, you should go learn more about aliens. Please," her eyes turned softer, pleading, "not safe for you to be here. You must go."

Joan's shoulders visibly slumped. "Very well," she conceded, "when this is all over, I will still try to talk to you about your abilities."

Hikaru shook her head in exasperation. This was the last thing she needed. If, by some miracle, they were all able to survive this whole mess, she would just want to continue living out her life in peace. It was beginning to be clear to her that these people will continue to bug her. "Just go, please," she said finally before finally turning to walk wearily back to the house. She didn't wait for acknowledgement from the woman. She just wanted to be alone for a while and think.

Joan watched Hikaru walk off. Part of her regretted having to put such a burden on the girl but part of her, the part that was a scientist, wanted so much to continue trying to convince the other of the importance of sharing her gift. The astrophysicist sighed. Perhaps she could try later, when this whole mess was over. In the meantime, the blue-haired teenager was right. They needed to learn more about the aliens they were up against.

She turned around with the intention of heading towards the gate when she discovered Bill still standing where she left him. She began walking towards him. "I thought I told you to leave," Joan said as she neared him.

"You did. But you know me," Bill replied sheepishly, "I could never leave you."

"Oh shucks, Bill, you're bringing tears to my eye," Joan countered sarcastically as she walked past him.

* * * * *

"Raptor's Nest to Raptor 1."

"This is Raptor 1. Come in, Raptor's Nest," Lt. Col. Biggs replied on the radio. It was highly irregular for Raptor's Nest, which was the code name for the carrier group that was part of the US Third Fleet currently anchored somewhere within Japan's area of responsibility, to communicate with him. Because his was a black bag operation, strict radio silence was to be observed.

"We are registering two inbound choppers heading towards your location bearing two-one-one. ETA is approximately one minute. They are not responding on the IFF. Thought you ought to know. Over."

"Roger that, Raptor's Nest. Please stand by," Biggs put down the radio handset and grabbed a nearby pair of binoculars. He went to West window and looked out through the scopes. There they were indeed, flying in low. It was probably the reason why the Third Fleet wasn't able to detect them. Two non-military type helicopters, the kind used by civilians. Sometimes used by journalists as well. Are these just reporters then? Something in his gut told him otherwise. No, these were the aliens' means of escape. Shit!

"Evans--!"

His next words were drowned by the sudden explosion in the building next to the aliens' hideout. He dragged the binoculars to where the explosion was. He knew there was a sniper posted at that exact location. Well, there were no more snipers there.

Another explosion, this time bigger, thundered out of the Yoyogi Park Mansion this time. Biggs dropped the binoculars and raised his arms to shield his eyes from what appeared to be a massive thermal detonation. "What the hell--!"

The pressure wave from the blast shattered the window where Biggs was standing, sending razor sharp glass speeding every way. Biggs' last thought just as the world turned dark was that somehow he had failed in his mission.

* * * * *

"Son of a bitch!" Jenkins exclaimed as he looked up and saw the massive explosion somewhere in the uppermost floors of the building. His eyes widened as he realized that heavy debris was on its way down. He instinctively ducked and brought his hands up to cover his head as if the mere action would protect him from the hundreds of kilograms of concrete, glass and twisted metal that was plummeting downwards at incredible speeds. He dove under a nearby squad car. Within seconds, the car shuddered, shook and crashed from the barrage of debris that was pummeling it. In that brief instant that felt like eternity, Jenkins thought he was going to die.

In truth, the whole event took only two seconds. Even after it ended, the FBI agent hesitated for several more moments before finally deciding it was safe to come out. When he did so, he was astonished to find that the car that shielded him was a total wreck. It was indeed amazing he was able to survive.

When he got over his astonishment, Jenkins allowed his eyes to sweep the area. "My God," he breathed. Not five meters away from where he was standing were dozens of people, either dead or dying, strewn all over the place. Several of them were buried under heavy concrete. Still others were cut down by glass shards. There were moans and cries of pain and anguish from the injured. Instructions and commands for help and mobilization were screamed across the area.

In all his years in the service, Jenkins knew he would be hard pressed to find another gruesome scene as the one that lay before him. He looked down as he heard a plaintive moan. Lying on the ground before him was a man whose two legs and one arm had been severed. His eyes were open and looking straight at him. Jenkins bent down and held onto the one good hand of the man. Blood was flowing freely from his stumps. He didn't think this man would survive.

Jenkins took a deep breath and looked up. "We need a paramedic here!" He twisted his head another direction and shouted the same plea. "We need a para--"

More explosions rocked the area, causing Jenkins to dive once more for cover. "What now!?" There seemed to be bolts of blue energy streaking downwards, incinerating anything and everything in its path. "Jesus! Those bastards!" He looked down at the man intending to start moving him away. Because of the distraction, he had failed to notice that the hold of the man on his hand had slackened. He had already died. "I'm sorry, man," Jenkins whispered. Another bolt of energy landed just in front of him causing the ground to splinter. The FBI agent knew that there was nothing he could do for this person and if he stayed, he would soon join him. Jenkins jumped to his feet and began running as far away from the area being bombarded.

He eyed a fire truck just a few steps away. He immediately rushed towards it and took cover behind it. He gazed upwards. He could pick out the pin pricks of figures happily firing down at any stationary or mobile target. It wasn't long before he heard answering fires from police below. Not that it would do them any good. The range was too far. There was no way their bullets were going to hit their targets.

Jenkins clenched his jaws in frustration. "Where the hell is Hirota!?"

* * * * *

"We've got a live one here!" Immediately, two paramedics approached and saw a prone figure partially buried under a pile of rubble.

"Quick! Let's get him out of here before those alien bastards start firing down on us," one of the paramedics said as he began to carefully remove debris from the downed man while eyeing his surroundings for nearby explosions.

"What about the others?" one asked casting his eyes around him and seeing a lot of other bodies.

"They're all dead. Let's take of the living first, okay?" the head paramedic said a bit too harshly.

After a few minutes, with all the rubble cleared, they were able to attach a neck brace on the injured man and load him up on the stretcher.

"No," the man said hoarsely as he began to stir.

"We've got you, sir. You're safe now," said one of the paramedics who was walking briskly alongside the moving bed.

"No, I have to be out there."

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't. You've sustained some serious injuries that must be treated immediately otherwise you could risk doing some permanent damage to your bod--Ow!"

The man was gripping the paramedic's arm with a strength that belied the person's current state. "I am Chief Investigator Hirota. I need you to contact the police department. Look for Investigator Ryouko Hashimoto. He'll know what to do. Do you understand?"

"Let go of my arm!"

"Do you understand?" Hirota's grip on the man's arm became impossibly tighter.

"Okay, okay! Now let go of my arm before you break it!"

With visible relief, Hirota released his hold on the medic's arm. He collapsed back on the stretcher in total exhaustion.

* * * * *

Lam looked down from the helicopter at the carnage his team had wrought. The side of his mouth curved upward in a small smile.

"You seemed pleased," Tanaka said.

Lam turned to look at the Yakuza, any semblance of amusement on his face totally gone. "I will be even more pleased when I accomplish my objectives. Nevertheless, I must commend you, Mr. Tanaka. This, as well as the other one, are both fine helicopters."

Tanaka leaned back on his seat, a smug look on his face. "Well, I am not without my own resources. Now about my fee--"

"You will get your fee as discussed. They will be wired to your account as per usual," Lam gave a frown. "Have I given you any reason to doubt me or my organization?"

"Not at all," the Japanese said defensively. "This is just business after all. Now about your organization..."

"Yes?" Lam raised his eyebrows. He somehow knew that it was just a matter of time before this gangster would ask the question.

"Well...you see...I've heard on the news that...you know..."

"No, I don't know. As you can see, I've been too busy fending off attackers to listen to the news," the other replied matter-of-factly.

Tanaka took a deep breath. "The news said that you were aliens." He said the sentence in a rush.

"Aliens? Interesting."

The Japanese gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I know. I mean, come one, who in this day and age would believe stories about aliens..."

"What if we are aliens?"

Tanaka could only stare blankly at the other. "What exactly are you saying?"

"I'm asking you, what if we were aliens?"

"But you're not, right?"

"You're not answering my question."

Tanaka looked away, his brows furrowing. He was about to turn back and give a reply when the comlink on Lam's wrist chimed.

"This is Lam."

"Rogo here. We are en route to Target 1."

Lam turned to look out his view port in time to see the other helicopter banking to the right. "Very well. We will maintain our course en route to Target 2. Update me of your success. For Ramar!"

"For Ramar!"

"Ramar is the name of your planet?"

Lam returned his focus on the Japanese. "That's correct." The human did not need to know that Ramar, the planet, did not exist anymore. "Does it bother you that we are aliens then?"

Tanaka swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. He realized that, aside from the helicopter pilot, he was the only other human in the helicopter. Every other...person...was not looking at him, waiting for his reply. That every other person was actually a non-human was terrifying him. He turned to meet Lam's eyes. "Should I be bothered?"

Lam broke out into a hearty laugh. "A man like you, Mr. Tanaka, should not have to be afraid."

Tanaka swallowed once more. Somehow, Lam's laugh and his statement did more to increase his nervousness than anything. What have I gotten myself into?

* * * * *

"Admiral, we seemed to have lost all communications with Col. Biggs," the radio operator said the Battle Group Command standing behind him.

"Keep trying, son," Rear Admiral Joshua Parker replied, giving the operator a small pat on the shoulder. He turned this time to his radar operator. "What of the two inbound helicopters?"

"They might really have been news helicopters, Admiral. They landed two buildings away from the target building and just before the explosions occurred, they had lifted off and headed away. Probably the whole thing scared them off."

"Do you still have them on your scopes?"

The radar operator looked back on his screens. "No, Admiral, they are no longer within are scopes."

Parker nodded and sauntered away, his forehead creasing deeply in worry. The news of a massive explosion in the building that housed the aliens was doubly disturbing. The reporter on site was able to capture astonishing footage of the detonation. The nearby buildings appeared to have been affected. Including, it seemed, the building Biggs was in.

He looked down on the phone as if willing it to ring. If the people in Washington were doing their jobs right then the phone should ring and when he picked it up, they would tell him to send reinforcements. He stared for several more moments but the phone didn't ring.

"To hell with it," Parker said to no one in particular. He turned to an aide standing close by. "Get me the Pentagon."

* * * * *

The Japanese Prime Minister turned to look at the large-screen TV monitor. Footage after footage of the destruction and carnage was being shown. The upper right hand corner showed the tally of deaths and injuries. The numbers were steadily climbing.

"We should send in the jets and simply destroy the building," the Minister of Defense said.

"We can't do that," another minister protested, "we must capture those aliens and find out exactly what they intend to do here."

The Prime Minister turned his attention away from the news and faced his bickering advisers. "Can we do it? Do we have the capability of being able to capture an alien alive? Have you seen the news? They are using weapons capable of terrible destruction."

"Perhaps it's time we ask the United States for help," the Minister of Foreign Affairs suggested.

"And what? Have they perceive us to be incompetent and incapable of defending our own country?"

"With all due respect, Prime Minister, but look at the news. Those aliens seem to be just content to be firing away at random targets."

"What does that have to do with anything?" still another Minister asked.

"It's a diversion," the Defense Minister said, his expression showed that the very idea had also just suddenly dawned on him. He turned to look at the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Some sort of communication past between them.

"What is it?" The Prime Minister looked from one minister to the other.

Both ministers turned to focus on the Prime Minister. "They are after the three girls," it was the Defense Minister that supplied the answer.

"Well, we should alert the police immediately to provide protection for the girls."

"Police have officers posted outside the girls' residences already. But I will make sure they double the security."

"Do it," the Prime Minister ordered. The Defense Minister left the office to make a call. "So, the question remains: do we involve the Americans?"

"This is no longer just about Japan, Prime Minister. For all we know, our entire planet may be in jeopardy. I am not sure exactly what the aliens need with the girls. But whatever their reasons or motives, it won't be trivial. I strongly recommend that we do involve the Americans."

The Prime Minister looked down and thought for a few moments. "Very well," he finally said as he stood. "Place the call."

NEXT:

Chapter 12 - Sacrifices

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

To those who have been waiting patiently for this chapter, my apologies for the delay. The pressures of real life have a way of suffocating one's creativity.

At any rate, I shall endeavor to come up with the next chapter much sooner. Do wait for it. More excitement to come!

C&C are very welcome. Please e-mail them to darkhrse0714@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER:

Magic Knight Rayearth and all the characters in that anime/manga are properties of CLAMP. These are used here without permission.