Oh ho, ho. Nearing the end:

Process of Elimination -- Chapter Fifteen -- Part One


"Yeah, well, I don't got much of a choice. I'd say it needs to be done,
so I'm going to do it. That's about all there is to it."

Ohh. A rhyme.

Attributed to Higurashi Ranma  -- July 27, 1999 Old Terran calendar.


The first lights of the rising sun speared through a high window in the
lodge,

Shattering glass all over the place, since they misunderstood what sense of
the term 'spearing' was being used. :)

Sighing quietly, he sat up on his cot, grabbing his satchel from the foot
of his bed.

And scratching his crotch. All men scratch their crotch when they wake up.
Wouldn't be natural otherwise.

 A cursory inspection and inventory revealed a clean shirt, a

pair of pants with one knee torn out, and badly stained with blood, his
survival knife, the holster for the gun he had discarded, and three
grenades.

He put one of the latter in his mouth and pulled the pin. Boy, were those
marines going to be surprised, but it was what they got for assigning him
the duty of waking everyone up.

He suspected that the grenades would be minimally effective

against the reavers, but wasn't about to discard any advantage

immediately.

Tugging the clean shirt on over his tank top, he pocketed the grenades,

seeing he had no sheath, he simply stuck the knife in himself. This
inabillity to die thing was really handy sometimes.

Boy, you know, you can have a lot of fun with Yakumo if you wanted. :)

stuck the knife into the sheath on his belt, then discarded the satchel.
He stretched, muffling a yawn, then shouldered his kinetic displacement
rifle, nodding at one of the Marines lacing up his boots a short
distance away.

Stepping out into the light, he froze, watching Ryu and Ryouga standing
opposite one another before the lodge. Ryu sported a cloth bandage
around his chest, and Ryouga had finally removed the linen wrapping from
his arms, rolling his sleeves up. The two stared at one another
intently,

What was really surprising was that neither wore pants.

The two boys relaxed from their stances, both looking at one another with
appraising glances. "You're built like a rock," Ryu finally said. "I've
broken statues softer than you."

"You're not too bad yourself," Ryouga said,

Makoto: Hey, that's my line!

Yakumo shook his head, as Ryu and Ryouga charged together again. Walking
around the combatants, he leant

lots of 'leant'ing in the last few chapters. Is this your new word of late?
:)

"Yeah, yeah," Ryu grumbled, sighing. "I got it." Turning to one side, he
nodded at a small group of observers that Yakumo hadn't seen approach.
"Hey, Mako-chan, you want to show me what you've learned since the last
time we sparred?"

Makoto: Sure. JUPITER THUNDER STRIKE!

Ryu: <sizzling> Ouch.

Makoto brightened instantly, as Ryu pulled his shirt on, and strode
towards her. The other girl near her was Minako, staring at Mousse, and
smiling brightly. Moving away from Makoto with slow, deliberate steps,
she announced, "You're okay! I was so worried that something happened to
you!"

Mousse; Well, there's this blonde girl that keeps stalking me and I was
trying to get away from her.

Minako: Okay. I'll help keep her away.

Mousse shrugged, turning his head aside and staring away. "Ah, well, I
wouldn't let a little thing like a reaver get me," he stated
confidently. Losing some of his aloof demeanor, he turned to the girl as
she paused to lean against the wall and catch her breath. "Are you okay?
The healer said you would be fine, but... er... you didn't wake up until
after she sent me away."

"Sure!" Minako said cheerfully. "I was really tired, but now I feel like
a million does!"

Not sure how she messed that up. Maybe she should have gotten the wrong
denomination and said 'Pesos." Then Mousse could explain how that comes out
to about five dollars and twenty cents. :)

Mousse stared blankly for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, then. We should
probably get something to eat -- we're heading out in about an hour."

The girl beamed a smile at Mousse, as he led the way. He walked slowly,
for her benefit, but after a few steps she tripped,

Hmm. Thought that was Usagi's gimmick. Mina does it too?

and he had to lunge

to catch her. "Oops!" she said, giggling. "I guess I should have
listened when they told me not to get out of bed."

Mousse sighed, shaking his head. "Climb on my back,"

Minako: I was thinking of straddling another part of your anatomy, actually.

the boy suggested,

kneeling for her benefit. Beaming a smile,

Just used that. Should use a different phrase.

"I hate to sound like a whinny

Horses whinny. Whiney or whiny is what you're looking for.

 little kid," Yohito said, knuckling back a

yawn forcefully, "but... are we there yet?"

Genoh: Yes. Pay no attention to the stars going past the viewports. Just
step out the spacelock and everything will make sense.

"You're right." Genoh looked puzzled, then shrugged. "I don't know that
we've ever ridden a current this fast," he confessed. Tapping a switch
on his console, he instructed, "All units, prepare to drop Light Hawk
Wings on my mark. Once we finish braking to half the fleet's current
speed, fold, and finish braking in-system."

The question is, will the Death Star be operational when they drop out of
subspace. Oh, wait, wrong movie. Never mind.

"Likely," Genoh answered, before falling silent, studying some control
panel or another. "Tatsuki-san, do you have any crew on your ship to
explain the situation to any refugees you evacuate? I'm not picking up
any life signals outside of your own."

"Sorry," he said, shaking his head apologetically. "I was in a rush."

"We'll see if we have anyone who can help you out, then," Genoh said,
grimacing. "Forces are going to be stretched tightly."

More room for survivors.

"Understood," Yohito said, saluting, and then terminating the connection.
Rolling slightly, Saryu-oh broke away from the slowly forming fleet's
trajectory, barreling towards the Earth's moon. Opening a broader set of
communication channels, he said, "This is Tatsuki Yohito, provisional
assistant for Ginraii. Is there anyone out there?"

A response came a moment later, a communications screen coming active.
The young man in the Galaxy Police craft that answered looked a bit
haggard, as though he had just woken. "I'm hearing you,

I think it's 'reading you'

Waking with a start, Ranma rolled out of the perch he had slept in -- the
rafter of the guest room of Cologne's house

Getting more like Ryouko every day.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, hopping off of the floor and launching into another
of her exuberant hugs. "Nuku-Nuku dreamed of mice," she said quietly.
"And chasing them with Ran-oh-ki-niichan."

He's her little brother now, is he? Heh.

The reception deck

I'd call it something else. It sounds too much like 'reception desk' and
that invokes the wrong kind of imagery.

wait only half an hour, I'm sure that Saffron-sama will finish."

"That generally doesn't bother me very much," Ranma said, smirking. Kiima
opened her mouth to protest, but Ranma teleported away before she could
speak,

Thought as much. :)

arriving once more above Jusenkyou.

He spent a moment staring at the waters below,

waters under the earth,

^_^

Shaking his head, Ranma stared straight down, using Ran-oh-ki's senses to
search for reavers. The pools below, and the narrow fields above the
western face of the cursed training grounds. That would be the final
battleground as Norris and Cologne had decided. Leading away to the
southwest, a small valley led into a maze of stone spires and dead ends.

Which mean nothing to creatures that can phase through objects.

It seemed as blue as the day he had first seen it, save, much larger from
his current viewpoint. He smiled at it, shaking his head, and reminded
of Saffron's words. "You would rather destroy it than see it given over
to the reavers," he mused aloud. "Is that the right thing to do?"

Since the reavers would destroy it anyway, it's kind of a moot point.

"Just overhead," Ranma said, grinning.

"Ranma... halfway to the moon is more than merely 'just overhead',"
Tsunami chastised him.

Sure it is. In celestial terms, it's so close that he might as well be next
to them. :)

"Admiring the view," Ranma said, shrugging. "I'll get Saffron and his
people in a bit -- I've already scouted Jusenkyou out, and couldn't find
any traces of reavers there. Ran-oh-ki didn't detect the guide, so I
don't know where he is,

Guide: I jumped into the Spring of Drowned Kryptonian and got the hell off
planet. I'm not stupid.

Sword on his hip, Ranma appeared once more on the receiving platform

Much better.

Saffron nodded again, running his fingers across the twin staves tucked
into his belt. "Indeed," he said quietly. "We are prepared. What is your
plan?"

Ranma; I thought you werr going to make the plan.

Saffron: Not me, I thought it was you.

Ranma: Oi, we got problems now.

She strode from the entrance of the building, pausing long enough to
sketch a brief bow to Saffron, and leapt upward, winging her way over
the top of another building. Saffron made a thoughtful noise, watching
her depart. "Enough of that," he said dismissively

Enough of what? It's not clear what he's referring to, to me.

Crouching atop the lodge that had been leant

'loaned' perhaps?

Lining the log on all sides, within the perimeter of the other assembled
groups, the original defenders of Tokyo stood in a ring. The girls who
Yosho insisted were from Jurai stood together, then Ryu, Ryouga, Mousse,
and Yakumo. After them, Yosho, Tsunami, Washuu, and Nuku. As Cologne
glanced upward, and to the south, the Phoenix people wheeled over the
village, slowly descending, then landing in disorganized clusters.

Hope her speech is better than Pullman's was (ID4 ref). ^_^

Nods greeted her assessment, and she smiled, sighing. "Warriors all,
brothers and sisters in arms. We fight together, simply enough, so that
we can hope to see another tomorrow. Lets

Let's

 >

"This has to be one of the weirdest missions I've ever been on," he
grumbled quietly.

Oh, I'd hope so. It doesn't get weirder than that

Saffron strode forward, padding across the forest floor next to Ranma.
The boy had one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, and was scowling
intently. "What troubles you?" he finally asked. "Does your partner
sense something amiss?"

Ranma nodded, not glancing towards Saffron. "They're out there... maybe
half a kilometer away. They get confused if they get too close to the
beacon," he explained, nodding towards the device that Lime was carrying
behind them. "So they're up to something. I don't know what it is,

though."

It'll be bad. It's always bad.

Narrowing his eyes, Saffron peered into the forest ahead of the small
army. Shadows flickered about the forest seeming to coalesce before his
eyes. "Ah," he breathed. "I see them. There is no need to worry further
-- I can unmake them easily enough."

That should be neat to see.

"You idiot!" Ranma yelled, starring into the ruined forest through the
haze. "You made 'em really hot, but they're not dead -- everyone back!
If you touch 'em, they'll probably set you on fire!"

Saffron blinked, as the main battle group began to spread out, and the
first of the defilers burst from the clouds of smoke. It was glowing a
bright red, heat distorting the air above it, and its eyes were oozing
sockets, the softer tissues boiling away, but it unleashed a horrific
and tortured shriek, rearing up over Saffron.

Sounds like he hurt them, anyway

***

From the very beginning Jim knew that something was wrong. The shot
projected a beam of light that struck the reaver, and carried the same
deafening crack that it did the last time he had fired it. But this
time, the beam simply deflected off the reaver's hide, shearing through
a stand of trees and sending them crashing to the ground.

Better stop firing. Allies can get hit in the ricochet.

Impossibly fast, the Musk warrior snatched her out of the air, and
grabbed her spear with his free hand. The woman clung to his neck,
hanging against his back, and shouted something in Chinese. Roaring at
the top of his lungs, the Musk lunged, slamming his new spear into the
reaver -- receiving a spindly black claw through his chest in exchange.

Ouch

Realizing the truth of Eric's words, but resenting the fact regardless,
Jim sank to his knees, cursing. As he watched, the Musk warrior, still
fighting on, even with the reaver's claw stuck through him, seized the
woman with the staff, yelling something in Chinese that neither Jim nor
Eric understood. The woman clinging to his back reached a hand out, and
yelled something else, her hand just seeming to brush against the
carapace of the reaver.

Well, it's the end for her as well.

Pavel rolled away, staying on the ground and fumbled for his radio. "Hot
and cold!" he yelled over the increasing din of the battle. "He made the
reaver really hot and then froze it -- so it couldn't handle the heat
differential, and exploded."

Nice

"Come down, yes, but in what form?" Saffron asked, climbing to his feet
shakily. "While the defilers here may slink through the Earth, my
warriors rule the skies."

But not for long, I'd wager.

"They do not draw too near," Tsunami said, shaking her head. "Perhaps it
is that they cannot -- the beacon wards them away.... But there are a
great many, approaching from that direction." She pointed towards the
vanguard's position.

"How many?" Yosho asked anxiously.

"Perhaps... thirty?" Tsunami offered, frowning, and rubbing at her
temples. "I can only guess from what the fleet senses and their
Ouke-no-ki relay to me."

Still a fair number

"Everyone in the vanguard, rally here!" Jim yelled, waving to the other
combatants. Even if they couldn't understand his English, the others
began to heed him, backing towards Eric and Jim. The other Marines had
already thrown their fission batteries onto the pile, and run off to
join the main task force, leaving Jim and Eric behind.

"Let's hope that this works," Eric grumbled. "If it doesn't--"

"Then we'll be dead anyway," Jim mumbled, turning his attention to his
positronic laser rifle. "I'm more worried that it'll work too well."

True. But worst case under the conditions is that they take some of the
enemy with them.

At the fore of the line, wings trailing flames of fury, Saffron wielded
his scythelike weapon, slashing at a reaver and completely unmindful of
the claws that speared him, lay him open, and severed his arms. No
sooner had the damage been done than the fires of his being undid it,
fires hot enough to melt even the limbs of the reavers where they came
into contact with the Phoenix god's blood.

Heh. Regeneration. Got to love it.

"It's way too easy," Ranma assessed,

Well, only for his group. The vanguard would disagree vehemently.

"Why?" Cologne asked, shaking his her. "Why would they want to push us to
Jusenkyou?"

"There's a cliff north of here," Ranma added, frowning. "They could try
and push us towards that, instead."

Nah.

"People often fight harder when they're cornered," Pavel reasoned. "They
may have learned that, and are trying to pick us off as they push us

along."

"Or they could have a trap waiting for us," Norris countered. "One way or
another, things just took a very bad turn."

Yep.

"It was enough," Washuu said quietly. "The... that shouldn't have been
possible under normal circumstances."

Oh?

Other cries rang out from the defenders, a particularly loud, "Jupiter
oak evolution!" sending a veritable forest of angry leaves across the
entire line of reavers, staggering them all.

"Awesome," Ryu said, grinning. "They must be new, or something. Total
pushovers. Let's go kick some ass!"

Nope. Way too easy.

The girl growled at Mousse, shaking her head, but Minako interjected
before Makoto could say anything. "Mako-chan, you trust Ryu, right?"

Slumping, Makoto nodded, and Mousse unfurled his chains from about her,
slinging them towards the rushing charge.

[End Process of Elimination, Chapter Fifteen, Part One]

Oh ho, ho. Almost the end.

D.B. Sommer




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