Nadesico Fan Fiction ❯ To Die or Not to Die ❯ Chapter 15

A/N: Oh, I'm sorry, was Akito and Gai's little relationship-ending spat a surprise to some of you? I thought I forewarned about it enough with Hikaru thinking stuff… Oh well. I'm sure you're ALL wondering just WHAT Yukina's gonna do and stuff… Right. Anyway. That had no purpose. Hehehe. But yeah. Alrighty, here… ick, not much happy crapper. But you didn't expect happy crapper, did you? You did? Baka. Fine, you'll get some happy crapper. On a side note, Yukina may be actually interacting with people here! Wow! Anyway. Playlist… was VERY difficult to assemble this time, can you imagine that? ("Piro's Sadness" and "Yuki's Theme" by Kim Justice, "Yuffie's Theme", "Interrupted by Fireworks", and "You Can Hear The Cry of the Planet" by Nobou Uematsu, "Hypnotic Distortion" from Gravitation, "Sacrifice" by Amano Yuri, "Kurenai" by X-Japan, and "Fight Theme" from Bakuretsu Hunters) Anyway, let's get started, shall we?

~*~

Yurika's green eyes popped open, abruptly waking from her slight catnap as the Nadesico traveled towards Earth. She lifted her head from its perch on her hand and, blinking, surveyed all of the screens that were up. 'What was that…' She shook her head, clearing out all of the sleep angels. "Ruri? Can I get a sensor reading please?"

The silver-haired girl barely blinked before placing her hands on the console, issuing the command to run the scanners. After a few short moments, Ruri stated the results. "There appears to be nothing out of the ordinary, Kanchou."

Yurika sighed. 'But I could have sworn I felt something…' She blinked again, thinking a random thought, and deciding to implement it. "Ruri? Is it possible to scan for certain things?" Ruri turned in her seat. "What sort of things?"

"Like… Boson particles?" Ruri turned back around, wondering why the captain would care anything about Boson particles, but didn't question it. "Requesting scan in a 50 kilometer radius. Scan for Boson particles," stated the girl.

A new window popped up, but it basically said the same thing the result window of the first scan said. Nothing out of the ordinary. This didn't satisfy Yurika, however. 'As we continue to travel, I feel this pull get stronger and stronger.' "Increase range to 100 kilometers."

Ruri issued the command to the computer. It took a bit longer this time, and the Martian girl squirmed in her seat, eager to see the results. After what seemed like a long time, the computer finally beeped. A new window popped up. Ruri read what it said aloud.

"Apparently there is a small Boson Jump field stabilizing approximately 75 kilometers ahead, on the heading 20 degrees above ours." She turned back to the captain, her face expressionless, but her brain working rapidly. 'How did Kanchou know that there was a Jump field?'

Yurika blinked. 'Did I know that's what I was looking for? Well, of course I did, but how did I know?' "I want an Aestivalis to investigate, immediately."

~*~

In ten minutes, Akito's pink Aestivalis left the Nadesico and was on the way to check out what, or who, was making a Boson Jump field. The way the Aestivalis glided in the nothingness, you would think the pilot was as calm as the morning breeze.

On the contrary. The pilot happened to be trying to get a certain helmswoman to leave him the hell alone.

"Why do you keep trying to avoid it? Don't you know that you'll never amount to anything? This is the best way to be of use to mankind, and to Nergal!" Erina just didn't seem to be able to get through to the Martian numbskull from her perch on her seat on the bridge.

Akito completely ignored her, apart from saying, in complete monotone, "I'm not avoiding it, I've already dropped it." Yurika heard what he said from Erina's window. She raised her wrist and pushed in his code, opening a window to Akito. "Don't listen to her Akito! You'll always be our Number One pilot in my eyes!" She smiled widely, completely oblivious to Erina glared at her over the communications screens.

"Kanchou, shouldn't you be worrying about the Nadesico and her crew as a whole?" It seemed like Erina and Yurika's disagreement was becoming apparent, once again. Yurika closed her green eyes and raised a finger. "A crew is made up of individual members, and one must recognize the differences in people." Erina shook her head, sighing. "I know what crew member you're thinking about."

Erina and Yurika's windows seemed to be trying to phase each other out, and they were in the way of Akito's vision. He leaned to one side, trying to see past it as he yelled, "Will you two just stop it!" His attempt was futile though, because a window showing Akatsuki's face appeared right in that spot. "That's isn't anyway to speak to your captain…"

The Martian sighed. "Can't you people leave me alone?" Akatsuki started stroking his non-existent beard. "Of course, if you don't want her, I could always take her off your hands…" Yurika's face came back into view. "You won't let him do that, will you?" Erina growled at her cousin on the level below her. "This conversation is completely inappropriate for a business setting!"

Akatsuki gave Erina a knowing, yet blackmailing smile. "Do I detect a certain hint of jealousy, cousin dear?" Her black eyes widened as Hikaru and Izumi opened windows up too, both of them smiling viciously and mocking, "Hubba hubba!"

Erina blushed and shook her head. "Shut up, all of you! If you're going to-" She was caught off by Ruri's face appearing before them all. "Crash into it, head on." Akito heeded her warning and lifted his Aestivalis just in time, swinging his arm through all of the communication windows up in his cockpit and screaming "Shut up!!!"

He stopped above the vessel, and started describing it to the entire bridge. "It's a manned Jovian ship… only it's unarmed. There's a passenger too."

Yurika nodded, all business now. "Bring the ship to the landing deck, we'll take the passenger prisoner." Erina glanced at her; Yurika's tone not her familiar cheerful one at all. 'She can be as clueless as she wants, and act as dependent on Akito as she wants, but she really isn't. I wasn't lying when I said she was good at fighting, though she doesn't want to. This really is her arena. She can show her true, brilliant, tactical self in battle, as much as she hates it. That's what it is. She hates this… and loves it. She's untouchable.' Her painted lips turned up slightly. 'And that's what I like most.'

~*~

Yurika could only gasp as the mechanics, including the Prince of Peaceland, forced open the cockpit of the small ship, if you could call it a ship. A young girl, looking to be of age twelve or so, nearly slipped out and bumped her head on the floor. The captain had caught her just in time. She turned to one of the blue-suited men, kind of just staring at the scene, and seemed to start barking orders. "Get Miss Fressange and a stretcher down here, this girl is unconscious!" She turned to Uribatake, who was a bit scared at her listen-or-die expression. "I want this flitter searched, make sure there isn't anyone else on it!" Her eyes moved to Ariko, who stood wringing his hands. "Could you help me put her on the stretcher when Miss Fressange gets here?" Ariko nodded dumbly, his adrenaline pumping as he was actually asked to help, and not treated like the sheltered child he was.

It didn't take long for Inez and an attendant to arrive, pulling a stretcher with them. Yurika grasped the girl's feet and Ariko took her arms, leaning her head against his torso. They got the nameless Jovian girl onto the stretcher, and the attendant, Inez, and Yurika were gone in a flash, heading towards the hospital wing.

Ariko watched them go before starting to help with the search of the flitter. 'She was… a little older than me, but she was my age.'

~*~

After watching Inez practically dance around the girl, checking vital signs and any sign of injury, Yurika was startled by Inez beginning to speak. "It appears that she lost consciousness during her Jump. Her Boson Jump field was found unstable when I analyzed the arrangement of particles. She may have also hit her head, so we should be able to expect anything." Yurika stood and looked at the little girl on the bed. "Why would a cute little girl be Jumping all the way out here?" Inez sighed. "We'll have to ask her that when she wakes up. She is obviously a Jovian, but she seems underage for a soldier, and from what we heard from Megumi and Minato, they don't let women become soldiers anyway. She might be a runaway." The girl's eyes slowly opened, looking full of exhaustion and confusion. "Though we don't have to wait anymore, it seems. Ohayo, Sleeping Beauty."

She started to sit up, her eyes darting around the room. "Where am I?" Inez didn't even blink. She nodded to the captain, who left to go back to the bridge. "You're on the High Mobile Battleship Nadesico." The girl rubbed one of her brown eyes. "Nadesico?" Inez nodded. "That's right."

Yukina took a deep breath. 'Well, I made it to the right ship. Now, I just gotta play my cards correctly…' She grasped her head, and started making painful noises. "What's wrong? I can't remember… anything! Who am I?" She glanced up. The blonde lady turned to the desk behind her and was picking up her identification and purse. 'Well, I got her snowed under.'

Inez read off of the little card in her hand. "Your name is Shiratori Yukina. You have brown hair, brown eyes, and you're thirteen years old." She looked back at Yukina. "Oh, I hope you don't mind, but we had to confiscate your purse and ID." Yukina's eyes widened. 'No!' "No, give them to me! Let me have them!" She tried to dive for them, but she ended up falling on the ground as the doctor had turned out of her way.

"I believe regulations say I have to hold on to these for a while~" she said, singsong. Yukina, from the ground, spun her fingers innocently and smiled cutely. 'It's gotta work, it's gotta work…' "But you seem like such a nice lady… Pretty please?" She smiled her cutest smile, all the while thinking not cute thoughts. 'Fall for it fall for it fall for it…'

The blonde woman smiled back. "Oh well! It probably isn't anything!" She handed the two items back to the girl on the floor. Yukina seemed genuinely happy. "Oh thank you, Miss!"

Inez's smile faltered a bit. "Now, you were suffering from memory loss, right?" Yukina squeaked. 'Crap, I wonder if my cover's blown…' She nodded slowly, and Inez smiled skeptically. "Very well then…" She started walking towards the door. "I'm going to leave, but I'll come check back in an hour, all right? We should be within Earth's atmosphere by then. Get some rest, Yukina." Inez left the room, knowing full well that the girl was going to sneak out, and that Yukina didn't have amnesia at all. 'She deserved to be humored; she obviously thought this plan through far enough. And I have a feeling that letting a Jovian girl run rampant through the ship is enough to make people realize all the secrets kept within these metal walls.' The blonde woman smiled to herself before heading for her lab.

~*~

Yukina was ready to run rampant, too. She was listening at the door for the blonde lady's footsteps to turn a corner before the girl ventured out of the room and started to attempt to conquer the maze of metal hallways that the crew knew every nook and cranny of. She whispered, "Tip toe..." as she wandered through the halls, careful to look around turns at junctions before continuing. She finally turned as she met a dead end, and went from tiptoeing to skating, not lifting her feet as she stepped. 'I'll find you Earth woman… I'll get you for stealing Oniichan's heart.'

~*~

Tsukumo sat with his best friend, who made tea for the two of them to calm his nerves. It just didn't seem to be helping, though. Tsukumo sighed. "I just can't believe Yukina would be up to something like this. I guess we'll just have to count on her."

Genichiro didn't even blink. He said the same statement that had been drilled into their heads during childhood, the statement neither of them questioned. "Don't worry. Justice always prevails in the end." Tsukumo looked up. "It's not about justice anymore, we're aiming for peace." Genichiro shook his head. "Earth must be defeated, you know that, Tsukumo," said he, a little mournful that his best friend was leaving all lessons that had been taught as children.

Tsukumo looked at the ceiling, and grimaced to find a Nanako poster there. "I can only hope Yukina knows that she was sent for peace."

~*~

Yukina continued to walk, or skate, rather, down the hall. 'Why would I want to bring peace? Where are you, Earth woman!' She stopped, and then started to shout. "I swear on Jupiter, I'll not let Haruka Minato seduce Oniichan!" She then realized she was shouting, and started tiptoeing again, whispering, "Sneak… sneak…"

She went inside a door, after looking in the window to make sure no one was there. She kept low and continued to tiptoe, but stopped when she saw what looked like a refrigerator. "I'm a little hungry…" She opened it, finding just about everything you could find, but it was mostly preserved and not good for eat-while-I-carry, which is what she was looking for. Nevertheless, she found a piece of cheese and popped it in her mouth. She also grabbed a small sausage before closing the door, smiling around the cheese in her mouth. Before she even had the door closed, she heard a much older voice say, "It's Yukina right?" She squeaked, then pushed the food in her mouth before turning around slowly. Looking through the shelves behind her, she discovered that they weren't talking to her, but they were talking about her.

How Mei gave Uribatake a strange look. "What are you talking about?" Uribatake's smile didn't falter. "That's the name of the new girl, right?" How Mei sighed. "She's a prisoner! Not a new recruit!"

Uribatake kept smiling, and, frankly, it was disturbing Ariko as he tried to eat his sandwich. "But she's cute, right?" The brunette cook looked like she would practice chopping vegetables with Uribatake's head if he didn't shut up, but she stuck to arguing. "She's also only thirteen years old!" Uribatake looked confident. "Hey, I've got patience." How Mei sighed, going back to helping Junko collect the dishes of the crewmembers that already left dinner.

One of the mechanics pushed a button on his communicator, and Yukina's information popped up. "This is her picture." All the mechanics crowded around Ariko's table, where the mechanic was sitting. Most of them were making strange sounds, mostly to the affirmative that yes, the new girl really was cute. Yukina smiled a bit. "I guess Earthlings do know a few things about beauty…"

One of the mechanics pointed to her age. "I've got a niece that's her age!" Ariko nodded. "Oneesama is her age too…" Uribatake elbowed the young prince in the side. "Hey, she's not too young for you, Ariko-chan. She's older than you, in fact! Maybe you two ought to hook up!" The silver-haired boy shook his head, smiling and blushing. "Oh no, Uribatake-san, I definitely couldn't do that!" The older man shrugged. "I thought the whole point of this was to piss off your mother…"

The other mechanics had their own conversation going on. "It sucks that kids like her, Ruri, and Ariko get pulled into the war…" Another nodded. "War sucks, man."

Yukina turned away from them, having a few things to think about. "This is really strange. Those Earthlings sound almost nice." She gasped, realization dawning on her. "Wait a minute. Maybe they already know I escaped and this is all part of a trap!" She glared at them through the shelf again. "I must find Minato-san." She started sneaking away again.

~*~

Akito opened the door to his new room to find that Erina was already in there. He sighed. "Aren't you ever going to leave me alone?" Erina smiled maliciously. "I'm staking you out. I'm tired of you avoiding me." Akito walked past her into the room itself. "I was filling out my report on retrieving the shuttle, not avoiding you."

Erina stuck her nose in the air. "Whatever. The only reason you don't want to take part in the experiments is because you're weak and not willing to fight. I'm being blunt so we can get things done." Akito unbuttoned the outside part of his uniform. "I may not be the best here, but I'm all you got, isn't that what you've said?" Erina kept her eyes off him. "Trust me, Akito-kun. If I had a choice, I'd pick your Energizer bunny of a boyfriend for experimentation, but no, I'm stuck with you. Stuck-up, arrogant little-"

"We're not together anymore. Just tell me what you want so I can tell you no." He pulled off his black turtleneck and hung it on the line strung across the room. Erina smiled. "Of course not. I've been saying it since Christmas. No one wants a loser like you. All we want is your ability. If we could get anyone else, we would."

Akito pulled off her undershirt, and Erina blushed at seeing him topless. Akito tried to control his temper. He could blow up at his boyfriend, but not a superior. "You keep saying that, and I keep saying no. Why don't you just drop it?"

Erina glared at the wall. "You know we need this technology to win the war." Akito shook his head, and hung his tank top on the string. "We've been doing just fine without it. We don't need it." Erina growled at the Martian. "What you need is a kick in your pants." Akito glared at the floor before him. "Kick me now, because my pants are coming off."

Erina whispered, unintentionally, "I swear to God, you're almost as stubborn as your damn father." She gasped as she realized what she said and that Akito heard it. He spun on his heel and stepped closer to her. "What did you say?" He grabbed her wrist. "What do you know about my parents?" Erina pulled her arm from his grasp. "Stay away from me, you Jumper!" she fled the room.

Akito didn't know why, but being called a 'Jumper' in such a tone hurt.

~*~

Yukina was tiptoeing/running down the hall when she heard a beautiful voice from the woman's bath. "So, are you ready for a hot soak, Minato?" Yukina skidded to a stop, and then sneaked into the baths. "I'm done, so you'll have it all to yourself."

Then she heard the voice of the woman she loathed. "Thanks, Meg!" 'She's in the next aisle.' There was a soft pop, like someone opening a bottle. "Watch your posture!" said the evil Earth woman cheerfully as she started to undress.

Yukina ran into the baths, her plan formulated. She pulled off her Jumpsuit, and hopped under the water, ready to pull the small pistol out of her purse and shoot Minato as soon as she had a clear shot.

She heard the door open, though all the water muffled it. She heard Minato gasp and say, "Oops! I forgot my shampoo!" One minute went by before the door opened again and Minato sat down before the pool.

Before she could get in, however, one very red and breathless girl burst out of the water. She yelled and gasped, trying to get air and talk at the same time, "You Haruka Minato Earth woman getting dizzy…" she fell backwards into the water again. One of Minato's brown eyes twitched in confusion before she gathered the poor girl out of the water and wrapped a robe around each of them. A bath could wait.

She carried her into the lockers and sat her on a bench, and then Minato laid Yukina's head in her lap. She took out her Nergal fan and started to push air into her face, to help her get air. At the same time, she found Yukina's ID and purse. She looked at the ID first. 'Shiratori Yukina… Perhaps she's related to Shiratori-san.' She opened the purse to find only a small pistol. 'Oh my. Someone really doesn't like me.' Nevertheless, she set the items down on the bench beside her and continued to fan the girl. 'The Jovians' whole society is based off Gekiganger… I should make her feel comfortable while she recovers.' Minato started to hum the opening song, only messing up a few times.

Yukina's eyes started to open with recognition to the song in her brother's anime. The first thing she saw was Minato's smiling face, and a fan in her hand. She pulled herself up and whispered, "Why were you singing that song?"

Minato smiled again. "Shiratori-san taught it to me." Yukina looked down. "I may love Oniichan, but I hate that anime." Minato burst out laughing. "I thought you were his sister!" Yukina glared at the older woman. "You seduced Oniichan and turned him into a spy!"

Minato smiled, trying to hold her laughter in, and fanned herself. "If I was meaning to do that, I'd have gone all the way!" Yukina's brown eyebrows knit. "All the way?" Minato winked. "I would have been more intimate with him." Yukina stood, blushing like crazy. "That's disgusting!" She promptly passed out again, and this time Minato caught her. "Oh no, there you go again! Now, just hold on!"

A few minutes later, she was sitting up in her spot again. "What's so special about Oniichan?" she asked gruffly. Minato put a finger to her cheek, as if thinking hard before she turned to her with a smile and answered, "Well, he has a very wonderful sister who loves him!" Yukina actually considered this for a minute before realizing how stupid she was. "Don't play games!"

Minato waved a hand. "Oh, but I'm not playing games! You came all this way just because you were worried about him. And that means you must love him very much." Yukina looked away. "Well, maybe." Minato petted Yukina's shorter hair. "And if you love him so much, he must be very special. That tells me a lot right there, see?" She put her hand back on the bench.

Minato grasped the little purse on her left and held it up. "Tell me, Yukina. Were you planning on assassinating someone?" Yukina squeaked. Minato set it down next to her. "Yukina, your brother would be very sad if you got jailed or killed, don't you know that? He must be worried sick, now that you've gotten yourself involved in the war. You have to be careful."

Yukina looked down, and then turned to Minato. "Promise me one thing." Minato cocked her head, but Yukina continued. "When you do it with Oniichan," Minato blinked, looking a bit confused at why Yukina was the one to bring it up, "be gentle."

~*~

A half-hour later found Yukina dressed into her school uniform and, having already told Yurika her purpose on the ship, standing in the middle of the hangar, describing her communications device to Uribatake. "You're looking for a jiro with no guns…" She held her arms out, determining a size, "with a Leap Gate strapped to it's back. Does that help?"

Uribatake scratched his chin. "Yeah, it actually does. Thanks, Yukina." He picked up his megaphone and yelled. "Okay! We're looking for an unarmed grasshopper with a Chulip on it's back!" There were mechanics looking through her shuttle for the device. Uribatake glanced at the silver-haired boy standing nearby. "Ariko-chan, why don't you take Yukina back to the bridge? We'll send her thing up when we find it and fix it up." Ariko nodded slightly, then turned to the older girl. "Well, um… Let's go." He started walking out of the hangar. Yukina hung back a second before following.

There were a few moments of silence before Yukina broke it. "Why's such a young kid like you on a Battleship?" Ariko stopped and glared at her. "I'm eleven! Not nine or anything!" Yukina crossed her arms and glared back. "I'm thirteen, and that's older than you." Ariko sighed, and then they kept walking.

"I'm on the ship… to piss Okasama off." Yukina glanced at the boy. "Okasama? Why so much respect to your mom? I mean," she crossed her arms behind her head, "my mom died when she was giving birth to me, so I probably wouldn't know, but how come?"

Ariko smiled slightly. "You talk a lot, don't you?" Yukina shrugged and gestured for Ariko to answer her question. "Well, my mother is Queen Gwynth of Peaceland. We all are supposed to give her, and Otosama, the respect they need."

Yukina blinked. "So… you're a prince?" Ariko nodded, and pushed some buttons on a wall, activating the elevator to the bridge. They stepped inside, but Yukina kept talking. "I mean, that's cool and all, but you never would've thought, lookin' at you." She gasped. "Oh, uh, I mean no disrespect-" Ariko waved a hand, shutting her up. "It's okay, really. I really wish I wasn't in my position. That's one of the reasons I'm on the ship. I really like machines, working with them. I convinced Uribatake-san to start teaching me how to fix, and build, things." Yukina nodded. "And now everyone just sees you as one of the guys, even if you are younger and a prince."

Ariko sighed as the elevator stopped. "Sometimes I wonder if Oneesama is happy where she is, even though I know she is." Yukina blinked, and followed him off the elevator. "Oneesama? Who's your sister?" Ariko didn't answer, but was walking towards the silver-haired computer operator. Yukina followed, not believing her stupidity. "Oh, YOU'RE his sister! God, don't I feel stupid! It's obvious now! The gray hair!" Ariko glared at Yukina. "It's silver!"

Ruri closed her amber eyes. "Honto, baka baka." Yukina's jaw dropped. "I say that all the time!" Ruri didn't regard her, but Ariko didn't seem fazed by it. Instead, he was looking down by Ruri's left. "What's wrong with Omoikane, Oneesama?"

Ruri glanced at the robot on the floor. "He shut down yesterday during the battle. I have not been able to get him back online since then. I think he knows something will happen that requires him to be off the network." Ariko cocked his head. "How would he know?" Ruri didn't even blink. "He reads everything. Including confidential Nergal files."

Ariko was thoughtful, then blushed. "Oh, I'm so rude. Gomen nasai!" Yukina raised a brown eyebrow. Ariko put a hand on his sister's head. "This is Princess Notsumote Hoshino Ruri, First Princess and Heir of Peaceland." Ruri shook her head a bit to get him to lift his hand.

Ariko started pointing people on the bridge out. "And that's Subaru Ryoko, she can be pretty mean sometimes. The longhaired lady next to her is Maki Izumi, she makes puns all the time… And the redhead is Amano Hikaru, Uribatake-san has a crush on her." Yukina squeaked, but looked to the left of where he was pointing. "Oh my god! That guy looks just like Oniichan!"

"He certainly doesn't have his personality," commented Minato. Yukina didn't even realize she was sitting next to Ruri. The three children turned to her, and Minato smiled. "Sorry to take your spotlight, Ariko-chan! You go ahead and point to everyone, I'm sure they'll be pleased!" Yukina was starting to wonder how Minato could smile all the time.

Ariko cleared his throat. "Right. Okay, the lady next to him is Kazamo Itsuki… she, um…"

"She's a lesbian," stated Ruri plainly. Yukina shrugged. "There isn't anything wrong with stuff like that. It's kind of looked down upon in the Jupiterian Empire, but… call me a rebel, but there are a lot of things in our society I don't agree with. Telling people to watch a certain anime and no other, telling people to love a certain person and no other, though they may not even like them…"

Ariko just shook his head. "You do talk too much." The two of them laughed, and Minato could almost see the hint of a smile on Ruri's face. 'Somehow… I think they're all going to become good friends.'

~*~

It wasn't long before Yukina was on the level below, trying to control the grasshopper with a very stubborn remote control. "Open open open…" she sighed. "It's not working." Ruri seemed to appear right next to her, and, wordlessly, she walked to the grasshopper and gave it a few swift kicks. The Chulip on top finally opened, and the image of a chair in a dark room appeared. Ruri backed up and looked at Yukina. Yukina just chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head. Ruri went and sat back down at her seat.

They heard someone come into the room, and Minato looked like she was going to bounce when she heard Tsukumo's voice. "Hey… what's this doing on…" Yukina stood in front of the Leap Communications device. Tsukumo sat down, looking very relieved to see his sister. "Yukina!" Yukina smiled. "Hi, Oniichan!" Tsukumo started asking a slew of questions, seeming very worried over the young girl. "Just where in the hell are you? Are you all right? Is your ship intact?" Yukina whispered, "Don't sweat the small stuff," before moving, motioning for Minato to come and stand in front of it now.

Minato walked over to the device and bent her knees, so she could see well into the device. "Hello." Tsukumo's eyes widened, and he tried to grasp words. "Hello… It's been a while." Minato nodded slightly. "Yes it has." Tsukumo shook his head. "I'm so confused… I don't know where to start!" Minato's lips turned upright.

Yukina stood next to Minato. She glared at her older brother. "Don't start with that stupid anime!" Tsukumo sputtered. "What're you talking about? Why would I be thinking about that now?" Minato giggled, watching the sibling spat. Tsukumo was completely serious though. "Seriously Haruka-san doesn't tune into 'toons…" He giggled. "I made a pun!" Minato burst out laughing, mostly at how silly Tsukumo was acting. "So Jovians make puns too?" Tsukumo scratched the back of his head, still smiling. "I guess we can be jovial…" The two went back into laughter again, and Yukina was groaning at how stupid her brother was.

Izumi held up a sign reading "1.0". "Shoot me please," she breathed. Hikaru glanced at the sign. "That's pretty harsh!" Ryoko shook her head at her best friends' antics, and then glanced at Akito. He didn't notice her looking at him. He was too busy glaring at Erina. It was so harsh, his look was so cold Ryoko felt very uncomfortable. 'Is this a Yurika thing?'

And speaking of the captain, she was thinking serenely to herself. She walked up to the little girl called Yukina, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me, I'd like to announce an important decision I've made!" She looked at the teenager warm-heartedly. "As Captain of the Nadesico, I say Shiratori Yukina will stay on the Nadesico and under my protection as long as we have these negotiations! We've got to make this peace treaty a reality and end this senseless fighting!" Many of the crew seemed happy about it.

Erina shivered under Akito's hard glare and glanced up at the top level of the bridge. Her cousin stood there, as if waiting for something. 'So, the time has come, Nagare?'

Minato turned her attention back to the man she was in love with. He cleared his throat and seemed to be trying to force something out. "Um… Minato? The day the peace treaty's signed…" Minato nodded, thinking she knew what he was going to say. Tsukumo took a deep breath before starting again. "When peace does come, will you please give me the honor to-" The Nadesico's alarms started going off, and everyone's concentration on the device broke. Tsukumo blinked, then turned to his sister. "What is it?" Yukina shook her head, and then raised the remote control. "I don't know, but I think I better turn this off for now!" Tsukumo raised his hands before the screen went black. "No, wait-"

Yurika shook her head, and started walking towards the highest level of the bridge. "Status report, Ruri!" Ruri made a window appear on the bridge. "The Nadesico has been surrounded by various UE ships," said she, emotionless. Yurika gasped. "That's the Yugao, the Harujyon, the Mihejyon… But that means-" A new window opened, showing the picture of Admiral Misumaru Kouichiro. "Hello Yurika."

"It's Otosan!" Admiral Misumaru grew soft at the sight of his daughter. "Yurika… you've really grown." Yurika shrieked, then turned away, covering her breasts with her arms. "Ew, Otosan, you're weird!" Kouichiro cleared his throat. "I meant overall growth, of course." He coughed. "We demand that the Jovian called Shiratori Yukina be handed over."

Yurika stopped, and then grasped Yukina's shoulder again. "But she'll be much safer on the Nadesico! Don't you think she'd be safer on the greatest warship in our fleet?" Kouichiro's gaze lowered. "Yurika, I can't tell you the meaning of these orders. Just give her to us." Yurika was defiant, however. "Ruri, charge up the Gravity Blast Cannon!" Kouichiro nearly had a heart attack. "Yurika!!!"

Ruri was emotionless as she placed her hands on the console, the sparkling lines appearing on the interface. "Cannon charging, ma'am." Yurika nodded, then finally got up to the highest level. "Fire the first blast between their ships." "Hai."

Kouichiro waved his hands in front of the window. "Wait a minute! You don't know what you're doing!" Ruri gave the order to fire, but the interface shut down. She quickly ran through all the other systems, then quickly gave the report to Yurika. "All systems shutting down, Kanchou!"

Yurika gasped. She looked back to her seat to see Akatsuki holding the master key. "Don't worry, Kanchou. Since it was an authorized pull-out, we should be safely landing, in just a couple of seconds!" Yurika sputtered, at a loss for words. "I thought only the Captain of the Nadesico could pull the key out!"

Akatsuki shook his head. "Nope. There's only one other person authorized to do it. The CEO of Nergal supercedes you, right?" Akito was at the highest level much faster then Yurika was. "Just what does that mean?"

On the lowest level, Itsuki shook her head. "Akito no baka." Gai glanced at his childhood friend. "You know what this may mean, right?" She smiled. "That we may have to go to our birthright occupations? Yes."

Akatsuki chuckled. "It means that I'm the CEO of Nergal!" Yurika and Akito gasped, and Akatsuki burst out laughing. Hikaru, however, shrugged. "I expected something like this!" Ryoko shook her head. "Typical." Izumi held up a sign reading "0.5".

Jun just sat comfortably, like the Nadesico wasn't in near grave danger. "It's just like anime." Akatsuki glanced at the Executive Officer. "Was it really that obvious?"

A communications window opened, showing Uribatake laughing. "As clear as a cloudless day! You ought to update your webpage, Playboy!" This angered Akatsuki. "Well, who cares what you all think anyway!" Kouichiro's window was still up. "Akatsuki-san, please let me speak with my daughter." Akatsuki shrugged. "Very well then." Yurika glanced at Akito. "Get Yukina out of here, Akito." Akito nodded before running off to the lowest level and pulling Yukina into an elevator.

It didn't take Kouichiro long to get onto the ship and onto the bridge. He looked at Yurika with a sense of knowledge. "I bet you know what happens now." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "What's happened to the Jovian girl?"

Yurika looked down, and then raised her look to face her father. "She's safe." Kouichiro nodded. That's what was important, anyway.

~*~

Akatsuki made a statement around the Nadesico, and it was not lost on Akito and Yukina, hiding together in a darkened service hall. "For the time being, I'll be taking control of the ship. If you sit down and think about it, letting the military take care of Yukina seems like a really good idea. Oh, and if anyone has any problems with it, they are welcome to get off the ship."

Akito heard a door open, and he held Yukina, motioning for her to stay. Erina appeared before him, and he growled slightly under his breath. "I know you're not happy to see me," she started, then stuck her nose in the air, "but you must realize that as Nagare's cousin and direct heir after him, I can do more than your captain can." Akito looked away, whispering in an angry tone, "Maybe…"

Erina shrugged. "That's more like it." Akito sighed. There was just no getting rid of this woman. "I already told you I know about your father. Doesn't that intrigue you?" Akito's mouth became a firm line. Yukina felt more like she was intruding on a personal matter. Privacy was one of the aspects of Jupiterian society that Yukina agreed with.

~*~

"I want Yurika, Prospector, Hory, and Misumaru searched before I speak with him." Akatsuki went into the guest lounge. They had to leave their communicators. Prospector sighed, and then palmed his little Ruri pin, ready to pin it on when the conversation went a direction that would affect at least a certain member of the crew. "It seems even our allies don't trust us."

They finally were let into the lounge, Kouichiro sighed. "You're becoming more like your father everyday." Akatsuki glared at the Admiral. "Just what does that mean?" Kouichiro shook his head. "Nothing. I was just recalling a time when we thought nothing could taint our children. Your father and the Tenkawas discovered Chulip Crystals at Mars North Pole together, didn't they? And it just so happens that the Tenkawas died in a military coup that just happened to take place a few days later!"

Prospector cleared his throat, and secured the pin to his shirt discreetly. 'Now we're on the right track.' Kouichiro noticed this. 'A small communicator. Smart.' He continued talking, though Akatsuki seemed to be shooting dagger through him. "Was Nergal involved in the murder?"

~*~

A window appeared on the bridge, showing nothing, but the voices from the room could be easily heard. Ruri glanced at Omoikane. 'This is what you were expecting, wasn't it, dear metal friend?' She looked back up at the window.

They heard Prospector's voice. "Of course Nergal was involved." Akatsuki's slow angry voice was next. "Now would be a good time for you to shut up."

~*~

Despite Akatsuki's warning, Prospector continued telling the tale. "I was Interim Commander of Nergal's Mars Branch Office at the time. Looking back on it, it's surprising how smoothly it all went, with the military pull-out and the coup." He cleared his throat. "Chulip crystals were secret, a confidential Nergal affair. Professor Tenkawa, on the other hand, wanted to publish the findings. Your father paid off those stationed at Mars to pull out, and also started the coup, making it possible to make an explosion at Professor Tenkawa's lab seem like an accident, or a rebellious act, when it was Nergal and no other. Nergal staged the assassination of the Tenkawas."

Akatsuki shook his head. He smiled maliciously. "It was what they found at the excavation site! My father knew, even then, that he who would control the relic, would control the world. So, of course he created a scene where Nergal would come to possess the relic."

~*~

Akito was standing, glaring at the window. "And my parents were killed by Nergal because they were in the way of a company's profits?" Erina seemed scary of this angry Akito. Yukina shivered at seeing an ally so mad.

~*~

Kouichiro's eyebrows knit. "And what will become of Yukina?"

Akatsuki stopped smiling. "The Jovian girl with the ambition for peace. Hmm. There's a Jovian fleet orbiting Mars. Any suggestions for peace would only lower the UE troops morale." Kouichiro glared at the young man. "So she would have to be eliminated?"

At this, Minato left her station, determined to find Akito and Yukina in the hidden halls of the Nadesico.

Akatsuki nodded. Prospector sighed. "I guess that means we have no choice." Akatsuki gasped as he noticed the Ruri pin. Yurika cried out, as loud as she could, "Akito, run for it!" Mr. Hory elbowed the guard behind him and caught his gun. Prospector grabbed the arm of the guard next to him and swung him over his shoulder, stealing his own gun. Akatsuki stood as Prospector and Hory started shooting at the guard down the hall. "Stop firing!" He abruptly fell to the floor, and Kouichiro held up the frying pan he hit him with. Yurika smiled at her father before making a break for it.

~*~

At the bridge, five pilots formulated their plan. Ryoko glanced at the purple-haired girl and her childhood friend. "You two, can you help the mechanics that are mutinying with us prepare the Aestis? Akito's going to have to run in with the kid and pull out immediately." Itsuki nodded. Gai blinked slowly. "Me and Itsuki will go back to my house. We'll take up our old shoes and walk in them until we can communicate together again." Ryoko nodded, understanding the coded message. She turned to her best friends. "We'll run off and back Akito and Yukina up. Izumi, get a gun as soon as you can. We'll need your sniper skills." The other two girls nodded. The five broke away, calling out "See you later!" and "Until we meet again!"

Ruri stood, pulling Omoikane onto her back. She noticed her brother standing nearby, horrified. She told him of her own plan. "I will stay on the ship in secret. Miss How Mei can help me. Ariko-chan, lay low with Uribatake-san until I can contact you all." She glanced at the boy she was carrying piggyback style. "I feel I will have to work hard with Omoikane to do that. But whatever you do, don't go back to Peaceland. It will be easier for them to track you down." Ariko nodded hurriedly and ran off to the hangar. Ruri walked as fast as she could through the back ways towards the cafeteria.

~*~

Akito pulled Yukina from the floor. "Come on, Yukina, we've all got to go." Yukina nodded quickly, unable to say anything. They started to flee, but Akito stopped when he heard Erina cry out, "No! Don't go!" Akito turned to her. "I'm going."

"No! You can't just leave!" Akito sighed. "You've got to realize the world doesn't revolve around your wants, Erina." Erina hiccupped, starting to sob.

"Please don't leave me here… you're all I have left." She blushed when she realized that Akito understood perfectly what she said, then attempted to hide her face in shame. Akito looked away. "I'm sorry that she's leaving," was all he said before starting off for the hangar. Erina sank to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.

Akito and Yukina were almost there when soldiers surrounded them. "Dammit!" was all Akito could cry before he heard a loud yell. "Hiiyaaaaa!!!" Hikaru knocked two of them down with a flying kick. One of them dropped their gun, and Izumi caught it in midair. She pointed it towards the soldiers at the other end of the hall. "Time to dance!" yelled she, firing only at their ankles, determined to get them to run off and tell of a crazy woman with a gun.

As they ran off, Izumi smiled and slung the rifle on her shoulder. Hikaru made a victory sign. Ryoko came into the hall and winked at Akito. "Time to leave!" Akito nodded, and the five of them headed for the hangar.

~*~

Itsuki and Gai had apparently already taken off, heading straight for Kawasaki. Jun was helping Yurika into the cockpit of an extra Aestivalis when the Three Angels, Akito, and Yukina came in. Jun nodded towards the pink Aestivalis. Akito headed straight for it.

Minato came into the hangar and, seeing Yukina with him, walked up to Akito. "Let me ride with you too." Akito nodded quickly and helped the two females in before climbing in himself.

Jun opened a communications window. "Have somewhere for us to go, Tenkawa?" Akito nodded. "Sasebo." The window closed and the two Aestivalises took off. Yurika cried over open communications as they zoomed away from the ship, "Everyone! Get out while you still can!"

TBC…

~*~A/N: Wow! That sure was fun! Woo! Okay. Wow, Ariko seems to be gaining a crush on Yukina, doesn't he? Tee hee! I tried to stick with the original episode as much as possible, but I couldn't help changing the order of some things. Hehehe. Okay, yes, I know Erina calls Akito a "jouffer" or some weird shit like that, but I always keep hearing "Jumper" whenever I watch it. And that was foreshadowing to something a long way down the road. Just try to remember that she used Jumper as a derogatory name, okay? Alrighty, what do we have in store for the next chapter, eh? Well… it shouldn't bee too much different from this one, actually. You know, all normalish at the beginning, and lots of action towards the end of the episode. But yeah. And we get to follow Meg around, mostly! Anyway, um… yeah. Stay tuned for the next chapter! And review as always!