Season 1: Return of the Akuneko
Episode 9: No Need for an Ambush
Battleship Hito, on the bridge, at the Akuneko feint
"The enemy is retreating," the admiral was not
surprised. He scanned about the bridge, surveying the
slight state of disarray. It had been an easy victory,
they would have needed twice the number of ships on
the Sol vector to succeed. Even then it would have
been a messy victory.
"Get me a status report and a list of casualties."
The admiral ordered.
"I don't understand their strategy," the first
officer commented. "Why not mass all there forces here
instead of directing the bulk through that backwater."
"Isn't it obvious," the admiral noted. "You know
the effects of the galatic edge as well as I. It is
easier to see out of galaxy than into it. If they had
sent all the ships we have yet detected we would have
had a more difficult time, but we still would have
won."
"Then why attack us at all if it is so impossible?"
"Simple, they get those carriers the galaxy, and
the advantage becomes theirs. Their strategy has
partially succeeded, drawing the bulk of our forces
out here."
"Then I suppose this will be going on for a long
time," the officer said resigned. "All we have on the
sol vector is six ships, thirteen if you include the
two transports and the five reinforcing battleships on
their way."
"The GP have not sent anything to Earth?"
"It appears that we may have received the bulk of
their available forces," the officer said. "It was
still only three months ago that Caine destroyed their
HQ, they can't find everybody."
"Sir," the Jurai soldier approached the raised
platform. "The casualty reports are in. We lost three
battleships and half the GP craft. Five more
battleships have received severe damage. We count the
enemy kills at twenty-seven of those cruisers and
three hundred ninety-five of those all black fighters
and fifty of the red and black fighters. We ourselves
suffered moderate casualties due to Akuneko boarding
actions, but the structural damage is minimal."
"Any hint of when the Akuneko will encounter
Makibi?"
"Makibi ordered a communications blackout shortly
after receiving command, sir," the officer answered,
uncomfortable that he had no information. "We have no
idea when the battle will happen, not much longer I
would think."
"Good, relay this order, I want the 2nd task force
to join the Hito on an Earth vector. The remaining
battleships will remain for one day in case this is
another feint, and then reform the picket to watch for
further incursions."
"Yes sir," the soldier left to carry out his
orders.
"Do you think six battleships will be enough, sir?
After the Akuneko roll over Makibi there will only be
the five reinforcing battleships and us."
"If you had been stationed around Jurai a year ago
you would not be so worried."
Akuneko High-Carrier Dreadnaught, Earth Vector
"Milord, the Shiroi clan reports facing a massive
force on the Jurai vector," the surveillance officer
reported again. "They have suffered massive losses,
including�" the man paused, shocked at the next
information. "�seventy-three scions of the Shiroi
clan. It seems that your plan has succeeded, the Jurai
do not know that we are here." There was a hint of
reproach in the man's eyes, but he looked to the floor
and masked his voice well.
"And when will we cross into the Jurai galaxy?"
"We are entering a border system now, it is an
unpopulated system," the officer noted. "But the sixth
planet and one of its moons are habitable. We could
leave an outpost behind sir."
"Do so," Lord Ryoi informed him. The soldier was
about to leave but paused as his lord addressed him
again. "It appears that you will keep your head this
time." The soldier nodded respectfully and left for
his station.
"The Shiroi will never recover from this, Lord
Ryoi," the battle-suited woman, her hair sparkled
azure in the artificial light, noted as the soldier
was dismissed. "Perhaps now the council will accept
your Thane status?"
"It was never a question, Lady Ran," the black
haired Akuneko answered. "They would have accepted me
in time."
"Indeed, milord," she said dryly.
Washu's post, second moon, sixth planet
"There they are," Washu commented.
"Washu-Sa�" Azaka was interrupted by an irate
pink-haired genius.
"Washu-CHAN�" she yelled. Tenchi and Ayeka rolled
their eyes.
"Washu-chan," the knight repeated, feeling very
silly doing it. "If you can see them, then shouldn't
we alert the others?"
"We're waiting until they're almost on us," Washu
told him. She watched the hologram calmly, wishing she
could use active scanners. "Like now."
The signal was a short burst of static without any
words, it could have been taken for a natural
occurrence if the enemy wasn't paying attention. With
nearly one hundred twenty ships out there somebody was
bound to be paying attention.
"Washu-chan," Ayeka noted, the scientist turned to
her with a big smile. "What, praytell, are we doing
out here?"
"If all goes well you'll see that after their
fighters launch," the scientist told her. Ayeka noted
the odd headband that Washu was wearing. She had given
similar headbands to Nagi and Ryoko, as well as
smaller versions to the two cabbits. She wasn't
certain what that meant.
Akuneko Carrier, Warrior
"Lord Raisan," the Kuroi warrior looked down from
his seat at the kneeling surveillance officer. "We
have detected a signal originating from the second
moon of the sixth planet, perhaps there is an enemy
outpost here after all?"
"Nonsense, they would have attacked by now," the
warrior responded. "Return to post."
Yagami's bridge, under the sixth planet's atmosphere
"Okay guys," Kiyone said. "That's your cue, we'll
follow behind as planned."
"Good luck," Mihoshi said quietly. Ryoko and Rikyu
merely nodded at each other as Nagi and Ryoko left the
ship for the forming cabbit vessels outside. They
rocketed forward of the four other ships, using their
greater speed to push the charge. As the cabbits
attacked, the battleships and Yagami broke atmosphere
in a staggered formation centering on the cruiser. The
Yagami stayed only a little ahead of its support.
"Okay, Mihoshi," Kiyone started. "You remember the
video game we played in the academy?"
"Oh yes, the really big game that we didn't have to
pay for right?" Mihoshi asked cheerfully. Of course
she remembered it was the only thing nobody could beat
her at.
"Okay well this is the same thing okay," Kiyone
said. "Exactly the same thing."
"Really, it's all just one game," Mihoshi asked.
Rikyu stared at the blonde in terrified fear. "Cool."
Mihoshi suddenly looked very focused and prepared for
action. Rikyu started to ask Kiyone something, but the
teal haired detective cut him off with a sharp throat
slashing motion. He shrugged and let it go.
Ryo-Ohki, bridge
Ryoko took the CD walkman had put the earphones
around one of the computer crystals. This CD
collection was part of what she had spent her work
money on so recently. She already had song for this
battle in mind.
"Let's give them a show they won't forget,
Ryo-Ohki," Ryoko suggested impishly. "Broadcast this
on all open channels." The cabbit meowed cheerfully,
and soon the cabbit ship was filled with the CD's
recorded sound.
"Got to keep them seperated!!" Offspring blared on.
Yagami bridge
"This has better music than that other game,"
Mihoshi noted. Kiyone rose her eyebrows.
"Oh yeah, two can play at that game," she told
nobody in particular. "Yagami, Beethoven's fifth.
Broadcast all frequencies." The Yagami added its voice
to the friendly musical war, with the three
battleships and Ken-Ohki soon following. Across all
six ships tensions were released a little as they went
into battle.
Akuneko High-Carrier, Dreadnought bridge
"M-milord," the surveillance officer spoke
nervously. "We have detected six ships breaking
atmosphere from the sixth planet. They are engaging
our under flank now. They are all six broadcasting
what sounds like music."
"Music," Lady Ran asked, confused.
"A morale trick," he waved it aside. "Only six
ships? And they're attacking?" Lord Ryoi was amused. A
hologram revealed the attacking force. Two of the
ships had split far apart and then continued on
parallel paths towards them. "Those two forward
vessels seem to be those cabbits mentioned in the
Ryoko file. We'll be able to destroy Ryoko and her
bastard half-breed ourselves. Order the Flame and the
Blade to release all their fighter squadrons." The
soldier nodded and left to carry out the order.
"Forty fighters for six ships," Lady Ran asked. The
hologram revealed Lord Ryoi's command being carried
out as the cabbits passed moderate carrier fire to
reach deep into the Akuneko under flank. As of yet
neither had fired, and the remaining vessels were
still half a second behind.
"I've heard these cabbits are powerful forces."
Then the cabbits revealed how powerful they were.
Cabbits were rare creatures, and they had a capability
that was even more rarely used. The only previously
recorded cabbit starburst was Ken-Ohki's in the battle
of Jurai. Now two cabbits simultaneously erupted into
starbursts, in mere moments the hologram revealed the
destruction of almost sixty Akuneko cruisers. The
Kuroi nobles and their soldiers gaped in surprise for
a moment. "Release ALL fighter squadrons! Destroy them
now!!!"
Battleship Tamashii, bridge
"It is a good thing that they're on our side,"
Korestu's first officer addressed him. The captain
remained impassive.
"According to the pirate and the bounty hunter the
cabbits will be unable to fire again for some time
yet," he noted. "And we are still vastly outnumbered,
do not get to confidant in Makibi's plan yet."
Washu's station
"Okay boys and girls!!" Washu shouted, laughing
maniacally. "I'm about to call down our friends!!" The
scientist began clicking buttons the moment she noted
the fighters disembarking. When she had finished ever
tenth fighter on the screen suddenly seemed to go
haywire. The scientist hmmphed and examined this. "Not
as effective as I had hoped." She shrugged. "Oh well."
Akuneko High-Carrier, Dreadnought
The soldiers stared in horror as Lord Ryoi and Lady
Ran rolled about on the ground, screeching in agony
and gripping their heads. It had started only a few
moments ago, as a signal was detected emerging from
the second moon. The nobles had suddenly just started
writhing in pain.
"Order a fighter squadron to the second moon, now!!"
the surveillance officer ordered his lieutenant.
"Somebody jam that signal!!"
Yagami, bridge
Rikyu was laboring to keep up with Mihoshi's
impossibly fast keystrokes. The red-haired Akuneko was
beginning to think that Mihoshi was something of an
idiot savant. It would certainly explain her
competence in this one area despite the odds against
it. Behind them both, using a Washu holograph console,
Kiyone was keeping track of the battle as it
progressed. For some reason all the red and black
fighters, like the one Rei had used, seemed to be
going haywire. Kiyone quickly concluded that it must
have been Washu. Then the detective noted one of her
Jurai battleships slowing to a stop. They apparently
trying to apply standard Jurai tactics, hold and fire.
"Damn. What is that idiot doing?" Kiyone opened one
of the hologram communication screens to that
battleship's bridge. "Captain Karyo, do not hold your
ground!! I repeat do not hold your ground!" The magna
missiles exploded, scattering three of the thicker
fighter concentrations. Most of the fighters pushed
outward by the force hung limply in space as their
ships struggled to recover from the EMP.
"I appreciate your concern, Captain Makibi," the
Jurai woman noted. "But victory is achieved by taking
a position and holding it." Mihoshi worked to dodge
the attacking fighters, seeming unaware of the impacts
on the Yagami's shields. The six-one police cruiser
was maneuvering in ways never intended by its
designers. It was a toss up as to whether that was
Washu and Kiyone's improvements or Mihoshi's piloting.
"When you have the greater force," Makibi agreed.
"But we don't. Move now, you have enemy squadrons
bearing on your position now."
"As you command," the Jurai woman answered, she was
young, this was probably her first command.
Considering the Jurai she might have even received it
on the basis of her lineage rather than capability.
The battleship began moving again, making sloppy
evasive maneuvers. It had been too long since the
Jurai had to fight against the odds, some of them
appeared to not know how it was done.
"Damn, they're going to go down," she noted the
scans on the ship as its shields were weakened by a
continuous barrage from the swarming fighter craft.
She turned to the blonde and sweetly yelled out
"Mihoshi, you'll get extra points if you keep the bad
guys from blowing up that battleship."
"Really? Oh-Kay! Let's stop those guys then!" She
declared solidly. Rikyu's eyes widened as he fought
the urge to scream. Mihoshi weaved and dodged making a
more or less direct route to the embattled battleship.
Rikyu watched in horror as the plant-like battleship
began splintering and then exploded. They had arrived
just short of time.
"Oh shoot." Mihoshi commented blithely.
"Did anybody escape?" Rikyu asked Kiyone.
"I see five escape pods," Kiyone noted. "Try to get
close enough for a teleport if you can."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Mihoshi shouted happily. The
blonde was still unaware of what was really happening.
The battle from the outside
The Sol system's defenses had gained and made use
of the iniative, but now the Akuneko had taken it
back. The Yagami managed three passes over the
Kagekiha's gravesite before heavy fighter
concentrations forced it away. Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki
were only just barely firing again, basically at
random. Mostly they were still making use of the
cabbits' sharp edged craft forms, by mowing through
virtually everything in their way.
Makibi's forces were on the run and locked in
individual battles. All around them the system was
swarming with fighters, a few of which, those with the
red and black tracings, seemed to be directed at
random and not a problem. That still left in excess of
eight hundred fighters that the Jurai and allies had
to avoid.
=====
"Caffeinated Kender? What's that, a berserk spell?" -
Tribble, Kender Warrior of the Celestial Kingdom
Signed
He of Too Many Names (Thrythlind/Thryth/Luke/Hyperbole/Pika/Pooka)
http://members.aol.com/thrythlind/snake.html
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