Mospeada Fan Fiction / Macross Fan Fiction ❯ Invid Lullaby ❯ Revenge ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Robotech or its characters. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended.

 

Chapter 12

Revenge

 

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The Karbarran scientist attentively watched over the scan results. Its immobile prey waited between metallic limbs. Baraka's will was set on discovering all its secrets. He could already taste the triumph of analyzing the heinous being piece by piece, and why not, savor the joy of breaking it apart slowly.

 

After all these years, Baraka could only feel hate. But he wasn't blinded by it; cold scientific detachment reigned on him.

 

It hadn't always been like that. There was a time when he had actually felt carefree happiness and hope. Painful as it was, Baraka still remembered the warmth of his wife next to him, the playful giggling of his own little cub, one peaceful day after another in his native Karbarra. That had been then, before the Invid.

 

In this moment, Baraka felt the strong pull of that deep old feeling. He couldn't hear a sound around him. He couldn't see anything except the oval-shaped Invid spawn behind a protective window. He couldn't feel a thing but his simmering desire for revenge.

 

But in fact, Baraka had stopped Lraon from destroying the pregnant Invid when news of her existence first reached them. He cited scientific research; valuable discoveries that would benefit whomever got to the Invid first. The evolutionary path followed by the Invid had given them powers beyond other known races, powers that everyone feared.

 

A mind like Lraon's didn't comprehend this. Lang on the other hand, understood. The human wanted all that knowledge for his race, already unfairly favored within the Council. Things would change now.

 

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The sad reunion's hellos were short. Lancer expressed his sorrow for his friends' situation and his wife hugged her distraught sister. Scott and Marlene were grateful for their friends' willingness to place themselves at risk in order to help them.

 

“That's what friends are for,” commented Lancer simply, looking at the parents intently. “You two would do the same for Sera and me.”

 

“Thank you, Lancer,” said the teary mother. Scott concurred with a silent but firm nod.

 

After a moment, it was time for the captain to brief everyone on the status of the search. Following his conversation with admirals Hunter and Hayes Hunter, Scott was granted access to the resources he needed in his quest. Discreetly getting Invid princess Sera and Lancer shuttled up to the moon was the first step.

 

So far, the search parties had been unsuccessful. A confined place like a base -on a moon with no atmosphere- should only have a few places for a suspect to hide. Yet, contrarily to the obvious, security forces hadn't found a single solid clue that would lead them toward the missing baby's whereabouts.

 

Garudan Moira Blune remained the only link. The discovery of her involvement in the kidnap and murder plot had angered Scott even further against his godfather, Lang. He had trusted him while the scientist kept a criminal among his staff; roaming freely next to Marlene and his defenseless son. Traces of her DNA had now been found inside the chemical storage room, particularly on the bins for products that matched the poisonous compound found in the lab's ventilation system. The Garudan's quarters were under surveillance, but she didn't come back yet - even for a change of clothes.

 

Marlene's lonely efforts hadn't earned her any response from her baby. Scott could only hope that with Sera's help, some useful information would finally surface.

 

Without many preambles, Scott told Lancer to follow him, nodded his gratitude toward Sera and kissed Marlene goodbye on the forehead.

 

“If anything happens, contact us,” he told the sisters, handing Marlene a tiny communication device. Then, both men left.

 

Strengthened by each other's presence, the sisters sat face to face and began to search together.

 

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Scott brought Lancer to meet Rick Hunter and the base's security chief. The latter gave a brief update and then it was the admiral's turn to speak. Among other things, Bernard was to assume control of the security search party. Chief Zaeten Cinkoda had the pride of a Perytonian and didn't welcome the idea with enthusiasm. Regardless, a word of warning from the Council's disappointed headman removed any apparent opposition from the chief's face.

 

Announced by Rick's aide, Dr. Emil Lang and Lisa Hayes Hunter entered the room and quietly approached the pensive group. Scott saluted the admiral and coldly nodded at the doctor. Lancer just nodded, receiving a strange look from the admiral. Obviously, she is expecting a different behavior form a “Lieutenant,” Lancer thought eyeing his borrowed military drab.

 

With everyone present and authority issues settled, the group proceeded to analyze moon base's design blueprints. A huge and very detailed 3D holographic projection glowed in the middle of the room. Under the chief's direction, the protector started to mark the ground that the chief's search parties had already covered.

 

“The information is updated in real time. Each party search member transmits a position to the computer,” informed Cinkoda.

 

“Wow,” let out Lancer seeing how easily the structure rotated, displaying various levels and changing colors after holographic troops swept through it.

 

“Were you expecting paper charts and markers, lieutenant?” asked Lisa.

 

“Uh...”

 

To Scott's despair, 75 per cent of the glowing structure had turned red. 75 per cent and still nothing!

 

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Inside the hidden, soundproof lab, the Karbarran scientist continued trying to pry through its victim's protective shell. Gently but obsessively, Baraka tried pulse after pulse to pierce through the egg's outer layer.

 

“Reading?” Baraka demanded behind a console.

 

“Nothing, sir,” informed a technician.

 

A pulse again and then another, imperceptibly burning the egg's exterior, cell by cell. Inside, the baby was calm; completely isolated from the world and its protector's pain. The shell absorbed or reflected Baraka's attempts, without understanding what was attacking it. The confusion in its simple brain didn't matter; its sole mission was to protect.

 

“Enough now,” said Baraka. His probe had to be conducted carefully; the being must not be destroyed... yet.

 

“Inverse polarity and scan again,” he commanded. “Reading?”

 

“Scan is clear, sir.”

 

Come on! Baraka heaved. He was starting to get frustrated.

 

“Systems are starting to overload, sir,” informed Moira Blune, from her newly earned station at Baraka's lab. The Garudan didn't know if he had heard her, as he halted none of his actions.

 

“One more time!” Baraka voiced his intent and took control of the scanner personally.

 

“We got a data stream on console D, sir!” yelled a technician.

 

“Yes!”The alien's eyes shimmered with anticipation as the shell turned black. I am so close!

 

“Systems A to D have reached critical condition, sir!” informed Moira suddenly. Immediately, red lights started flickering on the lab's control panel and a muffled alarm buzzed off. “You must stop!” she yelled at Baraka. He didn't move.

 

The Karbarran assassin looked at Moira. “Stop him! Or he's going to blow all of us to pieces!” she pleaded.

 

Hesitantly, the assassin approached his master. Before he could even attempt to stop him, Baraka halted the scan and turned his eyes on him.

 

“Don't you dare touch me!” he roared.

 

“Sir, the alarms...” he countered with fear.

 

“Do you think I'm gonna kill us all?”

 

“Sir...”

 

“Do you think that after all this effort I would be so reckless?” Baraka saw the fear in the assassin's eyes. “No, of course not,” the scientist laughed, “you're just scared of death!” His smile twisted. “Too many souls waiting for you on the other side, perhaps? Pathetic coward... No one's blowing into pieces tonight!” He turned toward his staff. “Turn those damned alarms off! And reinitialize the systems now!” he shouted. “And you...” he faced the assassin, “ Get away form me.”

 

The hatched man faded into the shadows.

 

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Abruptly, the burning sensation disappeared. The sudden halt deepened the protector's confusion. Seconds passed and it relaxed; then, like a faint gust toying with a feather, it heard a calling.

 

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What is it? Sera asked her sister.

 

I don't know. But it is scared and wounded. And it is hiding something...

 

Is it... is it the baby?

 

I'm not sure... The women approached mentally and instinctively the being retreated. We don't want to hurt you...

 

Something about them made it trust them,something made it feel safe, something it had felt before...

 

Who are you? Sera asked.The being didn't answer but the sisters felt its confused thoughts.

 

What are you hiding? Marlene asked gently, and the being decided to show her: a baby, sleeping.

 

Far away, in a distant room at moon base the mother gasped. “My baby! He's alive!”

 

“At last!” Sera was drained and ecstatic. “But... what or who is that?”

 

“I don't know. But he knows where my baby is!”

 

Still surprised by the strange being's presence the sisters were able to feel the baby's life-force.

 

I want to protect the baby, Marlene explained to the being.I need to know where you are, she asked, but it didn't answer. Again, the mother sensed just confused thoughts.

 

“Maybe it doesn't know, sister,” offered Sera.

 

Marlene rephrased. Can you show me what is around you? The protector revealed images of what the Invid recognized as a lab. Equipment, tables and behind a large concave window, a group of aliens. The gleaming yellow eyes of a Karbarran stood out. Fear shot across Marlene and Sera. What they saw could only mean harm was coming to the baby.

 

Desperate now, the sisters tried to pin down its location. However, suddenly, all communication broke off, as if the being and the baby had been sucked into a black hole. Nothing remained.

 

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Baraka's probe resumed all at once, taking the distracted protector by surprise. Its inside shook frightening the baby. The unexpected pain angered the being. Alert now, the dark shell continued to absorb all energy that came its way.

 

“Reading!” the scientist bellowed from the main lab's console.

 

“Nothing, sir,” one of his staff answered.

 

Irate now, the scientist continued.

 

“The energy levels around that egg are increasing,” informed Moira Blune.

 

From a dark corner, Baraka's assassin observed him. Despite his master's menacing reassurance that no one would die that night, the Karbarran felt uneasy. He noticed the growing nervousness among the lab's staff while his sight wandered. Half hidden behind her chair, Moira Blune caught his attention. She was using a tiny communication device.

 

Behind the protective window, the hybrid egg remained sealed, its dark surface radiating an eerie glow.

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