[Sitting against the wall of Darkon's cruiser, Warhammer sits peacefully.]
WH: Nothing is lovelier than seeing the world, as you know it, twist and pervert itself into something else in front of your eyes.
TWHammer presents
Shara's Last Gift
Chapter 8:
Unreal Reality
A work of fiction, based on the Teknoman series, which is based upon Tekkaman Blade, which was created by Tatsunoco Productions.
*****
'In the space of two weeks and random interviews with our guest, I have discovered two pieces of intriguing information. One: Both our visitor and the leader of the enemy forces come from the same race. Two: They don't like humans very much, if at all. Which brought me to the conclusion that their race has known about us for quite a while. Though I am a bit apprehensive, our visitor has assured me that most of their kind are not malignant; we just got the bad apples.'
-Entry in Commander Jamison's Journal
*****
On the bridge of his cruiser, Darkon received the report given to him by Sword and his other soldiers on the previous day's events.
"...and so, this black hole of sorts appeared and consumed them both."
With a hand to his chin, Darkon carefully went over the options this... phenomenon, could have been. There were many that he had seen, but there was one possibility that continued to stand out.
"It could have been him," Darkon mumbled. "I've never seen him actually use it, but it is possible. Could it have been you, Scepter?"
The Teknos in question had a very bad habit of showing up at the least and most convenient times. Then, he would leave and never return for whom knew how long. It wasn't impossible.
Sword tilted her head, "Who?"
Darkon shook his head, "No one of consequence at the moment." He reared to his full height, "We must continue if our victory is to be assured. Surely the commander is informing his superiors of what is going on and we must take this opportunity."
He raised a fist and clenched it, "Order all of our forces to commence a full-scale attack! I want this planet beaten into submission!"
*
For the next two weeks, both sides fought as viciously for survival as any army in a storybook. With the addition of more Z-Tron weaponry into their arsenal, the forces of earth had improved their position from constant retreat, to simply holding off the attack force until reinforcements arrived.
To most of the citizens of Earth, it was a bit unsettling to see the aliens attack military installations instead of population centers. Yet, not all non- combatants were safe, for many refugee convoys had been attacked.
In the case of a convoy preparing to head west of Italy, an extra precaution was recommended for protection in the form of Space Knight personnel. Having the most experience and the most advanced weapons against the aliens, any sort of aid would be most helpful.
However, despite their victories in the past, the command personnel were having problems of their own.
"And I say no!" Raye Hino snapped again at the proposition presented to her as she sat at the other side of the conference table. "We are doing fine as it is. We don't need to put another person through the process again."
Upon learning of the disappearance of Slade, Raye had flown out to the Command Center and had taken over operations. When it came to first contact with their visitor, the stranger had left to explore the planet, much to Raye's chagrin. What angered her even more was the fact that the visitor was another Teknoman.
"Chairperson Hino, not everyone has access to the weapons and our forces are stretched to the limit as it is. And on top of that, Lieutenant Corman is getting worn out from all the fighting. We need someone to give the Lieutenant a chance to rest." Commander Jamison was the first one to support the proposition of creating another Earth made Teknoman for Earth's defense.
"We don't need another teknoman, we need more of the suits and leaders to train the newer pilots with." Hino was adamant about her position and it appeared that these talks were going to get them nowhere.
"Ma'am, please. You know for yourself that teknosuits are quite vulnerable to the attacks of Teknomen. Even with these newer weapons we've developed, they've been getting around those as well. A few days ago, I received a report that said it took twice as much firepower to bring down a group of spidercrabs, when it should not have happened in the first place. They're building up an immunity to our weapons, we need more fighters like theirs!" Tina was unsure how much longer she would last being on constant combat alert.
Her recent promotion from Ensign to Lieutenant had taken her from the communications officer to a front line soldier. Though she had no qualms about the promotion, countless hours of fighting against spider crabs and the occasional teknoman was beginning to wear her down; henceforth the proposition to alter another one of the Space Knights.
A knock on the door turned their attention to the monitor showing the outside to see Innsali, in her all-covering robes, looking straight into the camera.
"Me, enter?" The past two weeks on the planet had helped her learning of one of the many languages Earth had to offer and it was only recently that she had shown coherency with the words she was using.
Jamison looked to Raye, who nodded, and pushed the button to open the door for her.
With near silent steps, the alien visitor turned to the screen and to the commanders of the Space Knights. "Bad things?"
Jamison nodded and turned to Raye. "The closest approximation we can come up with, as far as our visitor's name is concerned, is Innsali Zale, a Kharusein. She hails from a system called Kharuse, which has three inhabited planets and she comes from the third."
Raye nodded to the alien and asked, "What brings you to Earth, if you don't mind me asking?"
Innsali tilted her head in confusion.
Jamison spoke up, "Why here?"
The alien then nodded in comprehension, "Hunt, Darkon. Stop."
Tina held back a few chuckles as Raye's astonished gaze. Whenever she had to meet new people that spoke a different language, she had to be as careful as stepping on a minefield. And here was Jamison, communicating with an alien in the mannerisms of a three-year-old.
The visitor continued, "No find. Keep look. Stop Lahdam." She stopped for a second to look over the written copy of Jamison's proposal to create another teknoman and turned to the commander, "You make Teknos?"
Jamison nodded, "Lose war. Need more," he inclined his head to Raye, "No want."
Raye turned to Tina and asked, "You're one of them, can't you understand what she wants to say?"
The lieutenant shook her head, "I can vaguely understand notions and intent. Somehow the commander can speak to her the way he can quite easily."
"Any reason why?"
"Not that I know of, ma'am."
>From the opening in her cowl, they could tell that Innsali was scowling at Raye. "Bad choice. Bad leader. Humans die."
Now it was Raye's turn to scowl. "I'm sure you wanted to help us inadvertently, but with all due respect this is our war and we don't need anymore living weapons that could cause havoc afterward... provided we survive this war."
It was now Innsali's turn to be adamant, "No choice. Few humans. Make Teknos." Though she was rather apprehensive about a low-level species creating teknos, there was no alternative. It was either make living weapons or be completely annihilated. As indifferent as she was to humanity's survival, she would assist in helping them survive, and once she was done, she'd be leaving substandard technology for them to fiddle around with and keep them happy. Another consolation would be that the ones made here would be poor imitations of the real thing, so there would be no real threat in the future.
The staring duel between Raye and the alien visitor lasted well over five minutes before the former submitted.
"Alright. You can make another and if it turns out that we can make some use out of them, then we make more, but not until we get the ok from my boss." She stood up and began to walk out of the office, allowing everyone a sigh of relief. Just before entering the door, Raye turned to Innsali and mumbled loud enough for the latter to hear, "Don't push your luck, alien. I'm only saying that once."
Innsali nodded, she didn't need any sort of translation to understand the malignancy in Raye's voice.
In the back, Balzac began to wonder if rejoining the Space Knights was really such a good idea. Though being watched like a lab rat wasn't so bad, it was the suspicious looks he always got from the Chairperson whenever they were both in the same room that made him jumpy.
Then there was Tina with her 'courteous attitude'. They were pretty evenly matched as far as their vocal exchanges were concerned; he was just waiting for the occasion for when Tina would attempt to slander him with false evidence or something of the like. Though her character would have prevented Tina from stooping to such action, he always made a note to be as far away from her whenever possible.
Balzac finally spoke, "So, are we going to assist in the defense of the refugee convoy heading away from Spain?"
Jamison nodded without turning to him, "Yes, you and Tina are to report to the loading bay with a squad of Teknosuit pilots for briefing."
The look on Tina's face immediately turned ugly.
"Is there a problem, Lieutenant?" the commander asked casually.
Tina was behind the commander, so she took the chance to give a vicious glare at Balzac, "None at all, sir."
"Good. You'll be getting your orders tomorrow morning. Carry on." He turned to Innsali and continued to continue in the simple, yet profound manner of speaking that the visitor understood clearly. Which left the other remaining officers to leave the office under a very tense silence.
"Is he trying to kill me or what?!" both thought simultaneously.
*****
In the forests of Europe, a shadow dashed through the leaves, bushes, and branches furiously. At inhuman speeds, the shadow tore through the woods like a hunted animal. If one looked hard enough, they would have seen the desperate form of Star Summers running through brush and branch, gasping for breath and trying to stay on her feet.
It had seemed so long ago that Sword had subverted her and turned her into one of them.
It seemed even longer than that when she had finally gotten through to Slade to confide in her.
Now it was all gone.
Though she was thoroughly programmed to kill Slade without a second thought, her own mental physiology and Sword's alterations on the pod had resulted in a very unstable mind.
Those same nightmares she recalled were returning again and in greater force. In addition, the voices that accompanied the Lahdam programming were still pestering her. Yet, the only respite she seemed able to have been her memories and the voices were fighting each other in order to get to her. So being out of the crossfire had given her some rest.
Yet, the problem still remained in the fact she was no longer human. She had to get away. For Slade's sake, she had to stay as far from him as possible. For the past two weeks, she had been running away for days and nights, only to stop for resting and rejuvenation.
Amid her running, she felt hot tears stream down her face as she cursed the Lahdam with every full breath she had. Soon, the tears got in her eyes to the point where it was getting hard to see and she stumbled across a tree's root that had grown above ground.
>From the added momentum she had developed, she tumbled over herself and down a hill leading into a large gathering of bushes. The scratches and bruises she had received were superficial, and would soon vanish with the power of the regenerative power the Lahdam had programmed her with.
Holding a hand against a well for support, she forced air into her lungs to give them the oxygen they so desperately needed. Eventually, her breathing slowed to a more moderate pace and had the concentration to get a good look at her surroundings.
The town she found herself in seemed about the same size as the one as the city that had situated itself near the command center and there was plenty of activity in spite of the fighting going on. Though it wasn't the most favorable of places to hide, it would do for the time being.
Crawling through the windows of one of the abandoned buildings, Star made her way to the upper level to one of the bedrooms. There was nothing in the room to speak of, aside from the window, and it was perfect for the time being.
Leaning against the corner, she brought her head up to her knees and curled up as much as she could. Fall was still in full swing, so it would not be too cold for trying to sleep in a place like this. Maybe after a day or two, she could continue heading north.
She had no clue where exactly where to go, but she had no qualm about anywhere as long as Slade was safe from her.
Star slept soundly as the sun set behind the western mountains and night set in. Recently, her sleep had become less hectic and more peaceful as the war within her mind had become more commonplace. With any luck, she'd be able to keep it under control and maybe even go against her programming.
Her eyes snapped open as her ears detected movement in the lower level of the building. There was about... three, no, four people. Judging by how hard their feet were hitting the floor, they were more likely than not, male. They casually went to the stairs and ascended to the upper level.
Keeping as silent as possible, she stood up and walked to the doorway and pressed herself against the wall by the door, effectively keeping herself out of sight.
"Are you sure you saw someone here?" a gruff, male voice said to his companions.
"Of course. She was also a cutie from what I saw and maybe if we're lucky, we might actually have something to sell for the boss."
Star tensed as she heard all four of them advance to the room she hid in. There was no recourse.
>From nowhere, the same spiked mace that she nearly killed Slade with appeared in her hand.
*****
Shara sat alone on a wheelchair on the open-air deck of the Command Center, watching the clouds pass slowly over her. The cool breeze and the warm morning sunlight popping through the clouds were one of the few things that she could distinctly discern in her current state of health. A slight twist of the wind caressed and blew back a few strands that had long since fallen out of place on her face.
Her condition had steadily decreased and had gotten to the point where she could no longer stand or walk. Now, confined to a wheelchair, she had no choice but to allow herself to waste away to nothing. Even the preventive drugs that her mother had been able to prescribe her with, the Lahdam countermeasures were simply too strong.
"It'll all be over soon..." she whispered to no one. With every increasing day, she had become more aloof and withdrawn to everyone, save for Ringo. She had done her part and now wanted to rest.
The sound of the door opening behind her drew her attention from the sky to her visitor. The sight of Ringo was one of the few things that brought a smile to her face anymore. They had grown steadily closer in the past two weeks and being with him had eased the burdens she carried somewhat.
He was about to ask her if she was all right, but knew the answer and held it inside. He hated to see her in such a wretched state, but there was nothing he could do about it. If just being there for her was helping in her in any way, he'd continue to do it, but her condition had become so horrible, it was difficult to tell if improvement was ever a possibility.
"It's nice outside... I thought I'd take a moment and enjoy it while I could."
"And you didn't invite me? How cruel," he said with mock indigence.
She smiled back weakly, "I know. I can't do much else."
Ringo smiled, "I don't know about that. You've been a big help for us all in spite of your condition."
Shara reached down to turn her wheels around to the door. The outside had suddenly lost its savor. "Ringo. When I said I was grateful for you for giving me the strength to keep going, I meant it. Thank you."
His face remained neutral. "Think nothing of it... Can I take you back to your room?"
She turned and smiled back at him, "I'd like that."
*
In the launch bay, the squad of Teknosuits and Tina listened intently to the orders received by Ensign Yuuki with regards to the mission.
"The convoy will be heading through the canyons in western Italy before they reach the coast. Once there, a more heavily armed defense force will take over and escort the convoy to Spain. Our role will be to ensure that the aliens stay away from the convoy, because we not only have vital supplies, but many homeless refugees that barely escaped. Any questions?"
The question was met with silence as everyone waited for the Ensign to continue.
"Good. Departure time is 1100 hours, so get ready to move out"
With that, she turned and headed back to the bridge.
As Tina walked to the transport, Tina pocketed her crystal, glared at Blazac and grumbled, "I hope you know that just because you're in command, it doesn't mean you can make a habit of bossing me around."
Balzac's face turned sour. "What's your problem?"
"You are. That's what."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do much about that. At the very least, we can cooperate until this mission's over. Is that too hard to handle?"
"Not at all and I even got a way to make this mission more bearable."
"Dare I ask?"
"I'll just pretend that any enemy I see is you."
"That's comforting," Balzac grumbled humorlessly.
The rest of the soldiers who were the witness of their exchanges turned to each other nervously as they entered their suits one by one.
"Let's just hope that it doesn't get like this if the enemy shows up," one soldier whispered to a friend getting into his own suit.
*
In spite of the many threatening alien forces laying waste to Earth's defenses at the time, Earth's residents were adamant about keeping things as normal as possible. Proof of this was the press conference that President Johan Trier called in order to lay aside any and all fears the public had developed over Galt's recent arrest. For the past hour and a half, the president was continually questioned by eager reporters.
"Mr. President, we all heard the report that General Galt acted against orders and fired the missile, but how did you get word of what he was doing?" one reporter asked quickly.
"In all honesty, I had only heard of him doing it minutes before the launch. Any and all attempts to contact him to stop the launch was ignored, henceforth, the rest of the International House of Representatives, Senate, Court, and myself could only conclude that Galt was taking matters into his own hands. He failed in his duty to answer to the people he's supposed to serve," the president answered calmly, like any real politician would.
He was an astute man with a very recognizable public presence. Though aging, he certainly had no intention of slowing down after his election two years before. When the war with the aliens came along, he was able to help keep much of the population's fear in check and achieve some semblance of unity in the face of annihilation.
Now, with Galt behind bars, some of the public was starting to fear and lose confidence in the government. Trier had expected a reaction like this. It was nothing new to him, yet he still felt it wise to consult with his advisors to come up with a statement to keep the affairs of Earth in order.
Another reporter spoke up, with a more suspicious tone about his voice, "Mr. President, isn't it true that you and Galt have had some bad blood between you two long before either one of you entered your present occupations? Could this whole Thunderhawk deboggle be nothing more than a move to get a political enemy out of the way."
Trier turned to the man and replied dispassionately, "I will be frank with you, sir. There was never any real love loss between us, I doubt my career would survive if I were to try anything. Besides, would you I rather stayed my hand and allowed him to continue being the leader of the army after what he tried to attempt? Did it even occur to you that had that missile hit the O.R.S. that a good number of you all would not be here?"
Though the question had left most of the room in silence, save for a few braver and brasher reporters, determined to get the story for their respective news services.
"Changing the subject, Mr. President, there's been rumors that the alien's defector, um Teknoman, as he was called, is now missing. He was reported to be a member of the Space Knights research and development team and by far the most effective counter to the aliens, but now there are been rumors of his disappearance."
"That is true, yes."
"Have the Space Knights come up with any answers? And since he's gone, what should we do to protect ourselves?"
"My advisors have been working closely with the command of the Space Knights and have discovered no evidence to the effect that he was killed, only missing. As to how he vanished, we are still in the dark. Yet, that should not give anyone the indication that all hope is lost. Because of some recently rediscovered material once thought of as an energy source, and with some newly developed research, we've been able to create weapons powerful enough to turn the tide of this war."
In the back of Trier's mind, he remembered speaking with Jamison personally, and about the possible explanations and consequences of what had happened.
The prognosis was not favorable.
Slade was gone for good, along with an important symbol for Earth's survival. Though much of the public had heard of him, they merely regarded him as more of an example of human tenacity to overcome. Now, it was gone.
Yet, the meeting didn't come without its benefits.
As a gesture of good faith, the commander, with the permission of his employers, gave his scientists the research the Solar Moon had made upon the Teknoman's power systems, conduction capability, and construction.
Yet, he still couldn't forget the Commander's final words to him.
"I practically gave this same information to Galt before... don't make me regret doing this, Mr. President."
"Don't worry, Commander. Though I enjoy my position as commander-in-chief, I don't have the same weakness for power that Galt has. We all have too much to lose because of my avarice. Besides, what good is being president over a dead world?"
Jamison said nothing and kept his suspicions to himself. He had every right to be suspicious. It was the role of every politician to come under scrutiny, regardless of his or her virtue and rank.
Returning to the present, he chose another reporter that shook her hand eagerly.
"Sir, we've also been hearing rumors of another alien life form have landed on Earth and is working with the Space Knights. Is this true? And if so, how come the rest of the world wasn't alerted to its presence?"
Trier smiled as if a child had asked him for a piece of candy. "I will confirm that the alien is indeed on earth and working with the Space Knights. And from what we've gathered, it also seems to have a vendetta against the aliens. Giving us a valuable ally which knowledge about our foe. As to why the rest of us don't know, I've been told by the Space Knights that the alien prefers to be rather discreet about its visit."
"Well, since the world probably knows about it by now, shouldn't we be seeing what it looks like? What language it speaks?"
Trier's smile grew, "I'm rather curious myself, but every time I've tried to make contact, it's always been gone. All we can really do is be patient and extend our best courtesies to it as much as we can."
The reporter frowned, "But what if the alien's a creature that works for the enemy? Or what if it is an enemy taking another form?"
Trier looked down to the podium, deep in thought, while the answer was already clear in his mind, the one from his mouth needed to be more carefully made.
"It is a risk we'll have to take. Our survival may depend on it. And I'm afraid that all the questions I can answer now. I'm not used to speaking English this much," he said before walking off the podium and out of the door, leaving the reporters with many more questions that needed answers.
Walking through a darkened hallway, his bodyguards cleared the way to his real limousine while another one with his double would distract the attention of everyone else outside. In the hidden garage, the deceptively heavy armored limousine opened its back doors and allowed the president to step inside.
Waiting inside, an Arab man and a Japanese woman, both formally dressed in the clothes of their respective countries, waited patiently in the seats opposite of the president.
"If I did not know better, Mr. President, you were having a most pleasant time," the woman spoke in very formal Japanese as the shield between the driver and the cabin, rose and shut.
The president smiled and replied in German, "Of course. It feeds my ego and feeds the press. What more can you ask for?"
"The whole truth," the Arab man muttered silently in his own tongue.
The president expected this and sighed at his companion's morose attitude. Yet, he was right.
"Pardon me for being cynical, Saladin, but the fact of the matter is, the public cannot handle the whole truth, give it to them bit by bit and when the whole truth is known, they will understand. Give them too much at one time and it will give them only confusion. After all, was it not always you who told me to be patient?" the Japanese woman asked.
Saladin nodded in reply, then accepted a cup of fruit juice poured by the president into glasses handed to them.
Now it was the president's turn to question, "So, you know that he'll return soon?"
The Japanese woman nodded. "The one responsible informed me of his exact time and place where he will return and where he will go after he returns."
The president narrowed his eyes, "And you can trust this man's word?"
She nodded in response, "He is one of us, after all. He has proven his word and earned all our trust many times before. He has foresight that reaches far beyond any of ours."
"If that be the case, then," he raised his glass to meet with theirs, "To our victory over the ignorant, while we too live in ignorance."
Saladin added, "And, Allah willing, our survival over the enemy without and within."
*
Some hours later, the fears expressed by the leaders of the convoy were made real as Sword and several dozen spider crabs proceeded to attack.
Yet, fate seemed to favor them that day as the transport from the Space Knights arrived and with the Blue Earth as escort, began to fight the enemy on more fair terms.
As the last pair of Teknosuits jumped out of the back of the transport, Tina, now transformed, and Balzac flew from the exit and into the heat of battle.
Within moments, a perimeter had been formed keeping the convoy and the teknosuits on one side, while the spider crabs attempted to muscle their way through the Z-Tron powered weaponry.
Proving the alien visitor's words, it was taking twice as much Z-Tron to destroy the crabs than it had done before, leaving the soldiers little recourse but to conserve their ammo and concentrate their fire when the opportunity arose.
Elsewhere, Tina and Balzac were forced to deal with Sword, who by that time nearly wiped out the defense forces that came with the convoy initially.
"Aha, so, it looks like the boy who lost to Saber wants a rematch with someone better, eh?" Sword taunted while hovering above them both.
"Don't start! It's bad enough I have to live with that over my head, I don't need that kind of crap from you or Jr. Teknoman, here." Balzac growled, aiming his rail gun at Sword.
Such was the straw that broke the camel's back as Tina wrapped her arms around Balzac's neck and started to choke him, "Take that back, you jerk! Take it back! Take it back!"
Sword had heard rumors that Tina was not at all happy upon learning of Balzac being a defector, but this was too much as she started to giggle...
...which gave Tina and Balzac the distraction they needed as she hurled him in Sword's direction. Using what control he had, Balzac directed himself so that both of his feet connected with Sword's gut, sending her away and giving them the advantage.
Whipping out her alternate namesake, Tina charged forward and swung in an upward arc, trying to dismember Sword, but hit only clear air as her foe sped downward past the swing. Moving past, Balzac aimed his rail gun and let fly several rounds of antimatter munitions.
Sword threw her hands in front of her person and let the round bounce off and into other directions, though she could still feel the sting through her armor. Through the pain, she aimed at the source of the hailing bullets and countered with a larger bolt of antimatter.
>From his experience as a pilot, Balzac was able to veer off to the side in time before the beam had hit him, allowing Tina the chance to close in and attack again.
Every swing Tina used only found itself blocked by Sword's weapon. Then, it was quickly followed up with a hit to increase the distance between them. With a growl, Tina charged again and tried several times to knock her foe's weapon out of the way to get a clear shot.
Hearing the discharge of energy from Balzac's weapon gave Tina cause to worry for the shots were flying precariously close to them both. Feeling the antimatter gather behind her back, Tina allowed herself to drop out of the way and still miss Sword as she got some more room between her and her foe.
"Hey! Watch where you're shooting! We're supposed to be on..."
Tina never got a chance to finisher her statement for Sword charged and with an unusual crystal in her hand and attached it to Tina's breastplate. Before Tina could blink, the crystal flashed brightly and within seconds, the space knight found herself in a three-dimensional hexagon which held her hostage.
"Now, get lost Junior!" Sword proclaimed before giving the cage Tina was in a good kick on the top, sending it careening to the ground. Not wanting to risk taking on Sword by himself, he followed the crystal cage as fast as his suit could carry him.
Amused by what could happen, Sword allowed herself to follow the two at a much more leisurely pace.
*
Tina mumbled in pain as she struggled to restore her equilibrium. The tumble she took when the cage landed had not been pleasant in the least. Taking in the sights around her, she noticed that she was at the bottom of a small valley. Nearby, the exit to the valley and the rest of the convoy lay ahead.
"You alright?" she heard Balzac ask as she saw him close in on her location.
"I'm ok. But whatever this thing is... I don't think it's going to let me out easily."
"I can tell and... hey, wait, Tina look at yourself!"
Blinking, Tina looked down at her hands to see them completely interwoven with glowing blue wire. She flexed her fingers to see them conform to her hand's form with no apparent discomfort or disfigurement. Looking up to her arm, she noticed it wasn't just her hands, but her entire body. Yet, she felt no different than before she had changed.
It was then she realized something.
Inside her cage, she wasn't wearing anything and Balzac was standing outside!
In a piercing scream, she covered herself as best she could. Not seeing the shriek coming, Balzac lost his balance and fell backward unceremoniously.
"Don't you dare look at me!!" Tina screamed, "You were just waiting for something like this to happen, WEREN'T YOU?!"
"Oh, come on! You think I want to hear you shriek like a dental drill just because I've seen you like this?!" Balzac snapped as he stood up. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he grumbled, "Besides, with that personality there's nothing much to see."
"I think I know what this is," Tina said, calming down, but still mad at Balzac. "It's the same kind of disruption field that Gunnar used against Slade some time ago. It trapped him in his human form and prevented him from changing. But since I was already changed, it left me in this stage."
"Can you get out?"
"I don't know. I'm worried if I try and force my way out, my crystal might shatter."
"Would you object to me shooting it? You may change back with no harm done."
Tina threw another glare at him, but quickly relented, "I don't know what can happen, but it's better than nothing."
Nodding, Balzac brought the rail gun on his suit to bear. The barrel slowly started to build up speed and soon the surface of Tina's cage was hammered with z-tron bolts. Tina held her hands to her ears as the high pitched scream of the gun and the loud collisions between the crystal and the ammo made hearing nigh impossible.
Noticing that his ammo was getting dangerously low, Balzac let the rail gun stop and figured that maybe the accelerator would have more success in aggravating the cracks he saw from his earlier assault. It certainly seemed better, since the accelerator increased the heat of the samples, which made them all the more potent.
Taking careful aim at one of the larger cracks, he let loose a single powerful shot that he was certain would crack the cage open. Yet, to his and Tina's horror, the shot not only did little to help, but it had repaired the crack that had taken most of his rail gun ammo to create.
"You moron! Stop using that, it's not helping anything," Tina yelled from within her cage.
"Sorry! I was just trying my best to help!"
"Well, maybe your best just isn't good enough!"
Frowning, Balzac brought his rail gun back up and snapped, "You want some cheese with that wine?"
Before Tina could insult him back, he let loose all his remaining ammo at the sphere. The soon he got her out, the better. Judging by the murderous faces Tina was making at him, Balzac felt the ear-piercing racket a blessing for it drowned out her protests.
However, Balzac's relief was short lived, as he was knocked aside by the blunt end of sword's weapon. The woman in question had noticed their attempts to release Tina from her trap and Sword was not at all willing to let them take her advantage.
With a casual air about her, Sword smiled, "Sorry, dear. But we can't have you getting out of there, after all the trouble I went through to make it for you."
Tina frowned back, but felt helpless as Sword advanced and kicked the cage, sending her careening further into the canyon. The younger woman grunted with every impact against the cage, only to be tossed against another side like a rag doll. Several more painful collisions later, the cage came to a stop and Tina rubbed her head to try and ease the pain.
Seeing the dust settle, she saw Sword advancing again and wondered where Balzac was. Though she wasn't crazy about the man, he could certainly be of some help.
"Someone! Anyone!! Help!" Tina screamed to the air, hoping beyond hope that someone would hear.
With an air about Sword that could have resembled pity, she answered, "Sorry, but there's no one around to help..."
Sword never got a chance to finish her sentence, for a shadow a bit smaller than her appeared and with a fierce uppercut, sent her flying into the air.
Tina blinked and looked up to see Sword flying upward, only to be redirected by another shadow that kicked her into the side of the mountain range like a soccer ball. And like a soccer ball, Sword bounced off the side and was propelled into the air once more by another shadow wielding a hammer larger than her. Once into the air, another figure sped past Sword, leaving a large slash mark on her back, only to be bathed in a shower of explosive projectiles, and finally struck from above by another figure much larger than her, sending Sword careening into the ground.
When the dust settled, Tina tried to find her benefactors, but whoever it was that had assaulted Sword had vanished. Within the cage, Tina's perception was limited to her sight and hearing, so telepathy and other extra sensory abilities were useless. For now, she would have to simply say that she was rescued by unknown persons that had the capacity to toss Sword around like a rag doll.
Soon after, the sound of teknosuit hover thrusters filled the air as it landed by her position and noticed the rather large crater that Sword lay unconscious in.
"Uh... what happened?"
"Wish I knew. Just like that, Sword was being tossed around and ended up there. What's the situation?"
"Well, the spidercrabs have been routed and the convoy is on its way. We're just cleaning up right now."
"Good, that means we can find a way to get me out of here before you know how wakes up."
Turning back to the crater, Balzac muttered, "For once, I agree."
"Think that gun of your has enough ammo in it to punch a hole in this?"
The pilot shook his head, "No, but I think the Fusion gun has enough force for a blast to get you out?"
With a panicked look on her face, Tina yelled, "Are you sure it'll get me out?! I don't want to recall what happened to the last guy that got hit with that."
"Well, I can't carry you! What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to get me out of here! I don't know if I can stand being in the buff for much longer in this condition."
Balzac was inclined to agree. He wasn't sure if his ears could take another one of her shrieks. Within seconds, the strongest gun in the teknosuit's new arsenal assembled itself beside Balzac's arm and gave himself from distance so he would not be caught in the backlash.
Though the targeting sensors were not really necessary, Balzac didn't want to take any chances and made sure that the blast would hit Tina's cage.
The gun started to rumble as the unstable energy elements began to mix and condense. All the pilot needed was a minute more and he would be able to free Tina... hopefully.
Again, his hopes were dashed when Sword came out of nowhere and batted him away. His gun was undamaged and he was relatively unhurt, but he would develop some bruises after a while.
Looking up from the ground he noticed Sword fuming and stomping towards him. Whatever blow her pride had taken did not bode well for him.
A short distance away, Tina was ready to scream at Balzac to fire his weapon anyway. Even if the weapon wasn't fully charged, if it weakened the general structure enough, she could force her way out without much, if any damage to her crystal.
A sound of unsheathing metal brought her attention behind her to see her cage slashed open by a pair of small blades that had pierced it. She didn't get a chance to see who it was that was controlling the blades, for as soon as the prison was slashed twice, the structure began to collapse and then exploded.
Both Sword and Balzac turned to see the new pillar of dust surround the area where Tina once was. From the dust cloud, Tina burst forth, clad in her armor once more, and was again on the offensive.
Hard alien metal clashed as Tina struggled to get Sword in a prime position for a fast victory. However, it was not to be as a slight hesitation gave Sword an opening to place her foot in Tina's gut and send her reeling into the ground below. Gathering up energy for a bolt, Sword looked to her side to see the Fusion attack that Balzac had collected for Tina's cage now coming straight at her.
She let out a sigh before the sphere exploded and sent her careening into the distance and out of sight. With the resulting shockwave settled, Tina groaned and with a helping hand from Balzac, stood up to see that Sword was gone.
"You all right?"
"I'll live," Tina let a few seconds of silence pass before she turned to him and said reluctantly, "Thanks for helping me back there."
With a grateful smile, Balzac nodded, "don't worry about it," he then turned to the remains of the shattered cage that once held Tina, "you have any idea how you got out? I was about to fire, but well, you know the rest of that."
Tina used a second to concentrate and 'speak' to the wind to find out who her benefactors were, but sadly, she found no answer. Whoever it was had vanished as quickly as they came and that worried her.
Whoever had the capacity to toss around someone like Sword was obviously worth their attention. Not only that, Tina's and Balzac's superiors would have something else to worry about.
Turning back to Balzac, she shook her head, "No clue. I'm not sure what I can do in this regard."
Radio chatter on his headset gave them the news that the convoy was exiting the canyon and their assistance would be needed still, just in case the enemy would come back.
"Well, there's one thing you can do."
"What's that?"
"You can help me make sure that no more spider crabs attack, I could use the help," as a gesture of peace between then, he extended his palm towards her.
Tina looked at his outstretched hand. She did not like Balzac at all. Though she did harbor a bit of respect while his time as a spy, she now had to admire his courage for joining up with people that felt the same as she did.
Nevertheless, she took his hand and shook it, "Sure."
*
Commander Nathaniel Jamison's eyes raced over the lines of reports given to him of the tests from the newest batch of Z-Tronic Antimatter. The results were actually encouraging for once. If some of the newer theories given by the combined efforts of the Space Knights and the Solar Moon's best minds, a more potent form of the energy source could be mass produced and used against the aliens for their favor.
A small light emitted from the panel of the screen embedded in the wall by his desk and Jamison knew very well what it meant. Turning to his control panel, he typed in a single phrase as a pass code.
`Darkness that hides in the light.'
Once the computer acknowledged his pass code, the windows closed and all points of entry were sealed off. A small hum reverberated through the room to provide Jamison with the soundproofing he needed. He then turned to the screen and awaited the response.
A few seconds of static passed before the dispassionate face of Amy Mizuno appeared.
"Greetings, Commander. I trust you received the report my men sent you?"
"Just finished reading it, Chairwoman. Yet, I don't understand why the need to keep this whole affair secret. Shouldn't we also be sharing this information with the UEG?"
"I wish we could, but as much as I would like to trust the president, I have a feeling that I dare not. This new batch of Z-Tron should be placed under highly controlled battle testing. Heaven knows what would happen if other sources got a hold of it."
Jamison kept a few cynical remarks to himself as he continued, "Very well then. And I assume you've received my proposal concerning the next experimental teknoman to be made here."
Mizuno nodded, "Yes and I approve of it. However, there's one alteration I wish to make."
Jamison raised an eyebrow, "And that would be?"
"I wish to view the procedure and the activity of our `visitor' personally."
"I take it you've met with Chairwoman Hino about it?"
Mizuno nodded again, "Yes. Though I do not harbor the same amount of xenophobia Raye has developed over the years, I am still a bit suspicious. I want to take a close look at this... Innsali, was it?"
"From what I've been able to tell, the alien calls herself, Innsali Zale. I've been able to also gather a little intelligence about her origins, but I'm afraid it's not much."
"It'll do for now. I'll be transporting the materials you've requested myself. Expect us to arrive within the next few days or so."
"Understood. And one question, Chairwoman."
Now it was Amy's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Yes?"
"Any word on `her' location? She's been missing for too long for my comfort."
The shock on her face suggested that she did not want to hear that question, yet relented, "We still can't find her. As much as I hate to admit it, she's probably passed out in a drunken stupor somewhere."
Jamison closed his eyes and sighed, "I see. Very well then, Jamison out."
The screen went dark and the commander leaned back in his chair. Of all the things they needed now was `her' leadership. Yet, considering what he had heard, it was probably for the best that she remained hidden. She probably had enough grief to deal with as it was.
However, the sooner he stopped dealing with the likes of Hino and Mizuno, the better.
"You don't like those two, I take it," Shun asked casually, walking out of the shadows.
"You guess right," the commander replied dispassionately, not turning to the otherworldly visitor that got on his nerves.
Shun shrugged, "I can see what you mean. And to think they were at one time they were girls that fought other worldly monsters in ridiculously skimpy sailor suits..."
Blinking, Jamison turned to Shun, not believing what he just heard, "What?"
To the commander's chagrin, Shun waved it off casually, "Oh, it's nothing you really want to know about." With that, Shun hopped onto Jamison's desk and grinned impishly at Jamison, "Besides, I got better things to tease you with."
The Jamison was about to protest when Shun placed his index finger on his forehead and once more found himself in different surroundings.
A blaring sun made him squint his eyes and look to see countless miles of desert and trees. In the distance, he could hear the sound of people talking in the midst of the foliage. Shun was nowhere to be found and Jamison proceeded carefully so as to keep his presence unknown.
Peeking past the underbrush, he noticed several huts ahead. Made of sun burnt leaves and hard stones, they had the appearance of having seen worse things, but still stood tall. Keeping his steps and movements silent, he moved to see a group African people conversing with another that did not seem to fit in.
The woman's skin color, although worn through weather, was pale as death. Her hair had also had been another color at one time, but repeated exposure to the sun had left it in a bone white tone. Somehow, she looked very familiar...
Shun appeared from nowhere and stepped beside the commander and whispered, "Northern Zaire. 2040. Remember in your history class?"
Though he did not physically acknowledge Shun's presence, he did, however answer the question.
"Just after the `Hate Virus' completely reset the world's economy to zero, the African nation began to unify itself. However, though there was no official reason how they banded together, some speculated that one person started a movement which began an African version of Old America. No one ever knew who it was that..."
With a smile, Shun gestured to the pale skinned lady, "Well, here's one for the history books. Your mother was quite the woman, I must say. For twenty years she worked and fought to bring them together, and now thanks to her, they are. However, she never really would get the credit she deserved, yet, she wouldn't have taken it."
Amid the talks with the Africans, the woman noticed that she had visitors and was about to turn around when the scenery returned to that of Jamison's office.
Shun's impish smile remained while the commander was awestruck at what he just beheld. His own mother, the catalyst of the present day United African Nation. He turned to the human shaped enigma with a questioning stare, to which, Shun answered, "When you're ready..."
The room turned dark and Shun was gone, leaving Jamison alone.
End of chapter 8
[Warhammer walks through the hallways, wearied, but relieved.]
WH: Finally done. I just hope the time all two of you waited to see this was worth it. School and a few other distractions have been getting in the way of my precious little monstrosity.
First off; yes, Hino and Mizuno are the same characters you know and love/hate from the same series and they belong to Takeuchi sensei. They're here to provide antagonism and my continual effort to be at the SM fan's most wanted list, yet, it seems so empty to me. Oh well.
Next; a grown up Tina in the buff. That's the extent of any sort of fan-service you'll be getting from me, so I regret to inform you of the fact that I want to concentrate on the story instead of keeping male readers happy. :p
The interplay between Tina and Balzac was a long time in the making and now that I got it out of the way, I feel an immense weight being lifted off my shoulders. Ah, that feels nice.
BTW: you'll find out who Tina and Balzac's rescuers were in a few chapters, so be ready for another LONG wait. Or maybe, if fate and inspiration permit it, I'll write faster.
There's a large history that I've been fooling around with mentally in this version of Teknoman and the various animes that this is crossed over with. Now that I think about it, maybe it'll be a good idea to do that. Yet, the question lies herein: Would you folks out there even bother to read it?
Then; there's Jamison's past and Shun's involvement. Please, be patient with me. All can be explained in due time and only I in my supreme arrogance can make this `thing' work.
Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. And I congratulate you if you have been keeping up with it.
Finally; Teknoman and all the characters therein belong to Tatsunoco Productions. Ringo's teknsuit weapons belong to Acclaim. Shun belongs to Yukie Nasu. Hino and Mizuno belong to Naoko Takeuchi. All the other precious crap belongs to me. I do not receive monetary gain from this work of fiction. All I get is the thrill, the kicks, etc etc. Besides, I don't got much money anyway.
Anyway, onto the next chapter. Until then.
-TWH
When Ghandi was asked how he thought of western civilization, he said, "That's a great idea."
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