A friend told me that this part didn't make it you, so here it is
again... if it did in fact get to the list, making this unnecessary, I
apologize.


Stormwalker <stormwalker@airmail.net> presents...

                 Bubblegum Collision

  A Bubblegum Crisis fanfiction by Douglas A. Reeves

Part Four - The Enemy of my Enemy

     Christine Stevenson was dead; there was no debate on the
matter.  She was known to be in her mansion at the time of the
fire, and it was known that neither she nor Dr. James Boston had
escaped when the flames consumed the building.  Three days later,
funerals were held for the two of them on the grounds of the
estate.
     When her lawyers went to execute her will, many people were
stunned at how freely she had distributed her wealth.  Having no
known heir, she had given large sums of money and property,
seemingly randomly, to individual citizens of Megatokyo.  In
fact, it seemed that the only pattern in the gifts was that none
of them were given to employees of Genom.
     Among the beneficiaries of the heiress's generosity was a
young officer of the AD Police by the name of Nene Romanova.  She
was surprised when she received an envelope from Miss Stevenson's
lawyers, and she would be more surprised later when she opened
it.  The contents included some legal documents and a note.

     Miss Romanova,
     I am truly sorry for the pain that I have caused you.  If
you have received this, it is likely that I will never be able to
convey my apology in person, so please accept this means as the
best I may offer.  I realize that this is a small compensation
for your pain, but it is the best that I can give. 
     With your signature, the enclosed documents will transfer
fifty-one percent of the Stevenson, Inc. stock to your name.  I
hope that you will find it useful.
      Admittedly, I have an ulterior motive in bestowing this
particular gift upon you.  I feel confident that you will not
allow it to fall into the hands of Genom; this is a fate which I
would not wish to befall the corporation my father built.  I
trust that you will not grant our mutual enemy such a boon.     
     Again, I truly and deeply regret the day that I harmed you,
and while I doubt that you will forgive me, I hope that you may
at least find some comfort in this gift.
                         Sincerely,
                        Christine Ann Stevenson
                         (a.k.a. Starblade)


     Upon reading this note, Nene nearly dropped the envelope. 
Once she had recovered her composure, she immediately phoned
Sylia, who said she would be there shortly to help her decipher
the paperwork.

                    * * * * * * * * *

     The very next day, Sylia found an ad of interest in her
morning newspaper.  It was encoded, but the code was relatively
simple.  Sitting down at her computer, she had deciphered it
within a few minutes.
       To the Knight Sabers,
     I wish to speak with you.  I may be found at my new home,
which is not far from my old, anytime after midnight.  The matter
is urgent.         
                     Starblade

                  * * * * * * * * *

     As the clock struck one, Starblade found her gaze drawn to
the tombstone beside her.  It was an odd feeling to gaze at one's
own grave, she reflected, but she considered it appropriate. 
Indeed, everything that had been Christine Stevenson had died in
that explosion, her life slowly bleeding from the wounds of the
only friend she had ever known. 
     Looking down at her scarred armor, the only thing she had
salvaged from her home, she realized that it was truly all she
had left.  Here, she would gamble even that on the possibility of
more.
     The minutes passed slowly, seeming as hours, until the
chimes sounded again at one fifteen.  It was then that her
scanner registered the approach of her former enemies.  After
another tense moment, she could see them approach.  Once they
stood before her, she extended her arms in a gesture of
non-aggression and popped the seals on her suit.
     Once she was free of the armor, she stood and faced the
white-suited one she knew was their leader.
     "So, you do yet live," Sylia addressed her softly.
     "If you can call this a life," was her embittered reply.     
     "Why did you call for us?"
     "I wish to join you."
     The silence spoke more than any words could.  Only Sylia was
not shocked by the request - indeed, she had expected it - and
she was not given to rash speech.  After a moment, she responded,
"We will have to discuss this matter among ourselves, you
understand."
      "I understand," Starblade responded, her voice taking on a
somber tone.  "Please, though, decide quickly.  I will wait her
each night until you return."

                  * * * * * * * * *

     "Absolutely not!" Nene screamed.  "Surely you do not trust
this... this... BITCH not to betray us!"
     "Calm yourself, Nene," Sylia interrupted firmly, her voice
as ice.    
     "Why do you assume that she would turn on us, Nene?" Priss
shot back.  "You just don't like her!"
     Nene rolled her eyes.  "She already tried to kill us all
once!"
     "Yes, and she was hired to do that - "
     "By GENOM!" Nene cut her off.
     "Who then proceeded to stab her in the back.  She bears as
strong a grudge against them as any of us.  She also saved our
lives, if you don't remember," Priss answered, her voice rising.
     "Priss, it goes double for you," Sylia chastised.  "Calm
down.  I can see both of your positions on the issue... there is
no need to shout.  What do you think, Linna?"
     "It is difficult to say.  My personal feelings say no, but
if I am objective I think I have to say yes."
     Sylia nodded.  "She brings many valuable things to us as a
team, should we admit her.  She is a competent fighter, her
understanding of powered armor and the relevant technology is
superb, if my research is correct, and she gives us access to new
weapons and armor improvements which could potentially be
incorporated into our own designs.
     "Exactly," Priss cut in.  "I think Nene's just pissed to
find out she's still alive."
     "Priss!" Sylia glared at her.
     "I am NOT!" Nene insisted, but a quiet voice in her mind
asked, "Am I?  Do I hate her that much?"
     "And I thought I was the angry one here," Priss sighed.  At
that, Nene almost exploded again, but managed to restrain herself
when she realized she would only prove Priss right.  Instead, she
just sat there and turned a deeper red than she already was.     
     For a moment, silence hung heavily in the room.  Finally,
Linna softly spoke up.  "Nene, I understand how you feel... well,
actually, I don't. But I can see why you feel the way you do. 
Still, we have to make the decision that is best for the team."
     Feeling her anger crumbling under the weight of truth, Nene
only nodded.  "Not being terribly objective, are we?" the voice
inside her prodded - not taunting, not mocking, just pointing out
the fact.
     "Nene, if we do allow her to join, she will be closely
observed," Sylia tried to reassure her.
     "Very well," Nene sighed, resigning herself to the facts. 
"My vote is still no."
     Sylia nodded.  "Priss?"
     "I say yes."
     "Linna?
     "I say..." she looked indecisive, glancing at Nene, then
Sylia, then back at Nene.  With the thought, "Forgive me, Nene,"
she said, "Yes."
     "And I must say yes as well.  I am sorry, Nene, but that is
the decision I feel I must make."
     Nene only nodded, accepting the facts, but she could not
help but feel a little betrayed.

                  * * * * * * * * *

     Roughly twenty hours later, Sylia was introducing Starblade
to the Knight Sabers' main headquarters.  The decision had been
made not to show her the alternate complex at Raven's Garage
until she had proven her loyalty.
     "This," Sylia explained, opening a door, "is the design
system.  The computers in here are where all of our equipment is
designed, to be constructed in the next rooms.  You and I will be
spending a good deal of time here, creating a hardsuit design for
you and incorporating some of your technology into the existing
suits.
     "Very good," Starblade smiled, looking around the maze of
electronics which occupied the chamber.  "Very advanced system
you have here."
     Sylia smiled slightly, "No more advanced than your own, I am
sure."
     "No, not more... but certainly its equal."
     "Did you design your armor alone?" Sylia inquired.
     "No, I had help..." her voice faltered, then she recovered,
"but he was taken from me."
     "I am sorry," Sylia apologized.  "I am... not unfamiliar
with loss."    
     "I know," Starblade smiled wryly.  "I had a rather detailed
file on you... or more correctly, on your family.  I probably
should have guessed your role here, but it never occurred to me."
     Sylia smiled slightly.  "To my knowledge, only one person
has guessed." 
     Opening another door, she continued.  "This is the
construction chamber. As the name implies, much of our equipment
is built here..." 

                  * * * * * * * * *

     The design of a hardsuit for Starblade proved to be a
challenge indeed.  She was bent on retaining the energy web and
razor disc systems from her old armor, and fitting them into a
hardsuit shell was not an easy task.  Eventually, however, they
were able to work the components in.  The size of the disc
magazine was reduced from thirty to fifteen, but otherwise the
weapons remained unchanged.  Also, she was able to accept some of
the communications duties originally assigned to Nene, creating
space for a larger arm cannon in that hardsuit.
     In terms of style, Starblade's hardsuit was closest to
Sylia's.  It was moderately armored, and thus sacrificed only a
small amount of mobility.  Starblade was amazed by the sheer
freedom of movement which the suit allowed, and while it was less
armored than her old battlesuit, she quickly became quite
comfortable with it.  The largest adjustment was the loss of full
flight capabilities, but this would be solved when she received
her motoslave.
     Starblade's major contribution to the Knight Sabers would
prove to be her own design for a power reactor.  Although
slightly larger than the one currently used, it was readily
downsized and, even in its modified form, produced a
significantly higher extended power curve.  The peak output
remained roughly the same, but as the system had been designed
with a flight rig in mind it was capable of maintaining maximum
output for longer periods.  While not as impressive as the Genom
prototype reactor, it was a significant improvement.
      As all this work was being done, Starblade found herself
admiring the Knight Sabers more and more.  Sylia, with her
fantastic intelligence, reminded her of her lost friend, and the
two began to grow close quickly.  Priss, while distant, seemed
the most willing to trust her; perhaps this was because they were
so much alike.  Linna was a true artist on the field of battle,
and Starblade respected her skill deeply.  Finally, Nene, who was
so young, possessed a genius with electronics like none she had
ever encountered.  She was strong at heart, too; Starblade knew
the young one did not welcome her, yet she could also see that
she accepted her presence in a professional manner.
     Starblade desperately wished she could find a way to ease
Nene's pain, but she knew that there was little she could do. 
She was the cause of that pain, and it seemed that her very
presence would only serve to irritate the wound.  Never before
had Starblade really sought to be forgiven for anything she had
done, but she coveted Nene's forgiveness, and she knew she might
never have it.

                    * * * * * * *

     Starblade had been faced with another problem as well. 
Christine Stevenson was dead, with all her property distributed
to others.  It would be simple to reclaim it, but she would
rather that Genom believe her to be gone.  Since her hostilities
with the megacorp had begun, she had feared that the conflict
would be extended to her own financial empire, and she would just
as soon not see her father's company harmed.  Also, once she had
given all her possessions away, she did not have the ruthlessness
to reclaim them.
     Sylia, sensing this difficulty, offered her a place to stay. 
Starblade did not wish to accept any more charity than necessary,
but Sylia had insisted, calling it payment for the use of her
designs.  Once that was agreed on, she rarely left the base of
operations.
     Each night, her sleep was tormented by nightmares, visions
of death repeated time and time again.  When she could sleep no
more, she would simply lie in bed, wondering why she had to
relive the worst moment of her life each night.  "Was not once
torture enough?" she would whisper, crying herself back into the
tortured slumber.
     Eventually, her weeping was heard by another soul.  Sylia,
who was awake late that night, knocked on her door.
     "Yes?" she managed.
     "Is there anything I can do for you?" Sylia asked quietly.   
     Starblade didn't answer, so Sylia quietly opened the door.   
     "Christine?" she asked softly, using her name for the first
time.
     "Christine is dead!" was the reply.  "I am only Starblade
now." 
     "Perhaps," Sylia answered, her voice soothing.  "Perhaps you
wish it were so.  I know the feeling well."
     "Do you?" the bitterness in Christine's voice cut deeply,
but Sylia persisted.
     "More well than you might imagine."  Sitting on the bed,
Sylia extended her hand to Christine.  "We all have our dark
hours."
     "And I am the cause of many."
     "You are not responsible for his death, Christine."
     "I am!  He died because he stayed with me... because he
loved me."
     "And Nene was harmed because I led her into a trap," Sylia
responded, cautious of bringing up the incident but having no
better answer.
     "A trap that I laid!"
     "Then perhaps you are responsible for that.  I would not say
so, however.  Nene knew the risks when she joined us, as did your
friend when he chose to assist you."
     "But he died for my love..."
     "Then his death was happier than most."
     "But..." Christine was stunned by the truth of that
statement.  The only thing James had ever desired, to her
knowledge, was her love... and she had given that to him. 
"...but he didn't have to die."
     "All things end.  My father's death was pointless, his
life's work stolen by a power-hungry madman.  He never lived to
see his dreams."
     "I don't know how to go on without him."
     "Day by day.  You will find new life.  Perhaps you will find
it here, as did I."
     There was her answer.  All her sorrow, her agony, was over
her own loss.  The knowledge did not lessen the pain, nor dull
its impact, but it eased her tortured conscience.
     "And Nene?"
     "... will be fine, in time.  She, too, has lost something
dear, but loss is a part of life."
     Christine nodded.  "Thank you.  I think I feel better now."
     Sylia smiled and rose, "You are welcome."
     As she left the room, Sylia realized something.  Finally,
she had faced her own pain, and beaten it, by helping another
with hers.  Each of her Knight Sabers - and they really were
'hers' - needed her, and she was determined to be there fore
them, because that was the new life she had made for herself. 

                  * * * * * * * * *

     "So, is this a field test for the new hardsuits or are we
actually after something here," Priss asked.
     "You might call this a scouting mission," Sylia answered. 
"The objective is to sneak in close enough to the facility or
Nene to record some data on the production of the 34-CX." 
Pausing for a moment, she added, "PREFERABLY without being
detected."
      Priss scowled.  "And here I was hoping for acombat test." 
Another of Starblade's improvements to the basic design was in
explosion-protection.  While not as effective on the thinner
hardsuit shells, this was the same design feature that had
allowed her to shrug off the blast effect of Linna's Knuckle
Bomber.  She predicted that it would also cushion impacts from
explosive projectiles, assuming the projectile did not penetrate
the shell before exploding.
     "I'd just as soon get this information without that sort of
distraction," Nene commented.
     "No questions?" Sylia waited a few moments.  "All right. 
Let's get suited up and go."

                  * * * * * * * * *

     "There's the target," Nene said, pointing to the secluded
installation through the trees.
     "Excellent.  Be careful, the security is probably very tight
here," Sylia warned.
     "I don't know why Genom started building these production
plants out in the middle of nowhere... this would have been
impossible in the city," Priss interjected.  "It's hard to be
stealthy in combat armor on the street."
     "Because in the city, we could just pull up across the
street and record data from the truck?" Nene shot back, her voice
laced with sarcasm. "We need to get closer, Sylia."
     "All right... move in."  The five figures slipped between
the trees, approaching the electronic frontier which surrounded
the facility. A few feet from the laser fence, Nene said, "I have
a signal... establishing a link now."
     "Very good.  Priss Starblade, fan out to the east and west
and watch for sentries."
     "Got a link... this is going to take time, Sylia."
     "As quickly as you can, Nene."
     Ten tense minutes later, Starblade's voice broke through the
silence.  "There's a patrol headed this way.  Looks like its just
human guards, but you never can tell."
     "How many?" Sylia inquired.
     "Four."
     "Can you stay concealed?"
     "Not if they're boomers."
     "All right.  Nene, can you scan them?"
     Nene looked up with a scowl, "Not if you want me to keep the
stealth on this link."
     "How much longer, Nene?" Christine asked. 
     "Three minutes."
      "You don't have that long.  I can web them down, but if
they have comlinks, they'll just call for backup."
     "Do it." Sylia ordered.
     Using her jump unit to get up in the trees, Starblade
scrambled to get directly above them.  Aiming for the center of
the group, she fired her energy web down.
     "Got them," she smiled, looking at the tangled mess of Genom
guards trying to free themselves from he web.  "They're calling
for help, but it will take a minute for any to arrive."
     "All right, you and Priss pull back in," Sylia ordered. 
"Get ready to move out.  Nene?"
     "Working on it," she answered, the frustration showing in
her voice. "I can only do this so fast."
     "Here comes trouble!"  Christine called as she dropped to
the ground.  "I see six Twelves coming out the front door!"
     "All right... try to hold them off as long as you can,"
Sylia sighed. She had been hoping to avoid combat, but it seemed
that fortune did not smile upon them so.
      "I'm coming in from the other side, Starblade," Priss
informed. "Maybe we can catch them in a crossfire."
      "Right."  Picking out the nearest of the approaching
boomers, Starblade fired off another web.  Invisible until it
made contact, the net opened directly in the cyberdroid's path,
ensnaring it and causing it to fall.  The next of the boomers
opened fire with his machine gun, spraying the ground around her,
and instinctively she took to the air.
      It was a mistake.  Accustomed to a full flight system, she
found herself coming back to the ground much more quickly than
she had anticipated.  The boomer quickly closed, bringing its
heavier gun to bear.   Frantically, she began to fire her disc
launcher over and over, emptying half the magazine, but her aim
was wild and only one of the shots hit.  Bracing herself for the
inevitable, she gasped as the boomer exploded, its insides blown
through the front of its torso.
      "Thanks, Priss," she breathed, pleased to be still alive. 
Regaining her composure as she touched the ground, she pivoted
and fired her disc cannon at a nearby boomer.  Two of the
micro-serrated blades neatly sliced through the target's head,
and it fell on its face, shut down.
      At that point, Linna entered the fray.  At a dead sprint,
she charged the nearest boomer.  It turned to fire on her, but
she neatly dropped forward into a roll.  Coming up on a knee, she
fired her arm cannon.  Laser fire scored the boomer's armor as it
attempted to bring its weapon down to her, and it suddenly
exploded as the shots burst through to its power reactor.
     "Got it!" Nene called triumphantly.  "Let's go!"
     "Move out!" Sylia ordered, turning to face one of the two
that had gotten past Christine, Linna and Priss.  Deploying her
sword, she lunged straight at the metal monstrosity, only to have
it dodge.  Stepping in the opposite direction to avoid its
counterstrike, she brought the weapon across in a backhanded
motion, striking the boomer in the center of its back. Sparks
flew from the point of impact, and she pressed forward, driving
the blade deeper until it punched all they way through the front
armor.  Withdrawing the blade, she watched with satisfaction as
her adversary collapsed.
     Retracting her data-probe, Nene rose to confront the last of
the boomers.  With nobody to protect her, she knew she had a
fight on her hands.  Immediately it opened fire, splintering
trees and throwing up clouds of dirt around her, but she was
quickly out of the line of fire.  A mental command activated the
electronic warfare system, and suddenly the boomer found its
scanners clouded with static.  Pivoting to relocate its quarry,
it faced her right as she began firing.  A surprised satisfaction 
filled her as she watched her newly-boosted laser tear into the
boomers armor, and after a few seconds it was down.
      Just as it fell, the other three members of the team joined
Sylia and Nene, and they disappeared into the trees.
                   * * * * * * * * *
     "Well done, all of you," Sylia said.  "Nene, the data you
recovered will prove most useful."
     Nene smiled at that.  Of late, she felt that she had really
come into her own as a member of the team.  The electronic
systems in her hardsuit were improved with almost every job now,
and they had finally reached the point of providing her a
challenge.      
     "Christine," Sylia continued, deliberately using her given
name, "Your improvements to the hardsuits were very helpful. 
Your presence in battle also made a considerable difference.  I
doubt we could have completed this mission without you."
     "Thank you," she smiled slightly, glancing at Priss.  Priss
nodded at her, as if to imply that her mistake would be kept
between the two of them.       
     "If any of you need me," Sylia concluded, "I will be in the
databank room analyzing this information."  That said, she turned
and left.  Once she was gone, Christine turned to Priss and said,
"Thanks.  You saved me out there."
     "That's what we do," Priss responded.  "We all look out for
each other."      
     Christine smiled, "I appreciate it, anyway."  Looking
around, she noticed that Nene had already vanished.  "Does Nene
hate me as much as I think she does?"
     Priss nodded slightly.  "She'll be all right, eventually. 
She's never had to deal with real anger before."      
     Christine frowned.  "I've been there before... I hope she
comes out of it better than I."

                    * * * * * * * * *

     Outside the Silky Doll, Nene thought, "Well, she seems to
have worked her way in easily enough."  Jealousy began to surge
through Nene's thoughts.  Why had Priss taken to Christine so
quickly?  And why was Sylia so insistent that she was good for
the team?  The familiar anger began to build within her again,
and she found it almost comforting. 
       "Nene!" Linna's voicecut through her jumbled thoughts. 
"Wait for me!"
      Turning, she saw Linna running toward her.  "I thought you
might need someone to talk to," she said.
     "Yeah, maybe," Nene replied, uncertain.
     "Come on," Linna tugged on her arm.  "Let's go for a walk."  
     Nene nodded, and the two of them set off down the street. 
After a few seconds of nervous silence, Linna spoke up.  "I know
how you feel, Nene.  It can't be easy for you to see us accept
her so quickly, after the pain she caused you."
     "You would think that she and Priss were best of friends or
something!" Nene exploded suddenly, the pent-up anger releasing
in a flood.
     "They're a lot alike, Nene.  They understand each other
well."
     "I suppose..."
     "And she's not trying to supersede you, Nene.  She would
like nothing better than to be your friend.  I heard her telling
Priss that, but she doesn't think that it's possible."
     "It isn't... at least not now."
     Linna nodded.  "That's why she's leaving you alone.  She
doesn't want to hurt you than she already has."
      "Then why did she come here?" Nene burst out angrily, a
tear forming in her eye, "Just... seeing her is a reminder."     
     "Because she had no choice.  Think about it... Genom was
just going to keep hounding her until they killed her, as long as
they knew she was alive.  At least this way she can fight back."  
     "I... when I heard she was dead, I thought this was over.  I
thought I could just move on.  Now... it's not that easy
anymore."
     "I know.  She knows.  Nene, she trusted you with the most
precious thing she had."
     Nene stopped.  "That's true, isn't it?" she asked herself
out loud.  Suddenly, a realization dawned on her.  "She gave
me... before she "died"... she KNEW?"
     Linna nodded.  "She found out, anyway.  She hasn't said it,
but I think knowing hurt her.  She's not as heartless as you
think."
     "Maybe," Nene said, her mind racing.  "I... need some time
to think about this."
     Linna said, "I understand.  Take care of yourself, Nene."
     "I will.  I've gotten a lot better at that lately."

*****************
END PART FOUR
*****************

-- 
**********************************************************************
Stormwalker <stormwalker@airmail.net> and <stormer@utdallas.edu>
Computer Science student and Anime fanfic writer (sometimes, anyway)
Storm Warnings - http://web2.airmail.net/a0011387/
"As a matter of fact, I do think I'm Batman, Miss Asagiri."
		     - Batman, "BGC/Batman : Darkest Knights" (draft)
**********************************************************************