Chapter 6 - settlement
"Wow... I'm amazed... they they really are that stupid."
the crew of the kamidake watched on the bridge a recording of alan sneaking off the ship with the fake package.
alan gave the finger to the camera and made a boastful expression as he pointed to the package and got into an escape pod
"wow they actually went ahead and did it..."
"but that's a fake right?"
"right..."
"so there going to send them back to us soon..."
they noticed seina was looking upset.
"Seina this isn't your fault."
"if anything it's ours"
kiriko and amane said
"are you sure this isn't my bad luck's influence? NB was even involved."
"Don't forget this is a test ship meant to help us learn how to cope with your bias. this can only help us make sure it doesn't happen in the future." kiriko said
"still those idiots stole our package they will be lucky if the worst they get is re-training." amane said
" I guess you're right ... some things just cant be helped."
"Well... there's probably more to NB defecting then just your luck." Kiriko said
"how?"
"there is probably a reason for it defecting... remember it's programmed to help you... and subspace communications are blocked on the ship."
(still it seems like it has a will of it's own sometimes.) kiriko thought
"OH! so it did it to broadcast our position to get help!" seina realized what she meant.
"Alright then!then set a direct coarse right for the pirates so they can find us!"
"Alright. Hakuren give the remaining rations to amane. she will be manning the the ships weapons systems. The rest of us should go rest." kiriko said
"But how will the ship function with all of us asleep!?" hakuren asked
"dont worry.... Kamidake.... please take care of things for us!" kiriko said out loud
a rainbow appeared on the bridge
"Is this a royal tree ship?!"
"No But airi's team installed an AI to mimic one. It's very smart, but it can't substitute for amane's sniping skills."
"I see... makes since if their going to send it to fight a war..."
"exactly..."
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Later hakuren came to talk to kiriko in her room in private
"hey kiriko"
"What's up?"
"In order to get alan and his people back you might be thinking about sacrificing Nb... please don't."
"Why... that's our best bet...."
"Haven't you noticed.... there is someone inside of NB."
"So it's not just one of airi's programs?"
"No... It's an astral A.I.... it's ok if you tell the others ... but don't tell seina."
"thank you for telling me this hakuren."
"Well... I better be off to my room."
Hakuren left. shortly after kamidake gave kiriko a warning message
"We've encountered pirates"
"Damn that was fast."
She got up a monitor of the situation but the kamidake instantly fired on the ships without warning blowing them up.
"hmm ... wow that's just what amane would have done... keep up the good work kamidake."
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"I've Found seina!" ryoko cried out happily in front of her crew on the disguised ship
She had analyzed the damage reports from the pirates and figured out the ships course
"Can we send a hail?"
"all Communications seem to be blocked."
they jumped to find gazura's fleet doing battle with the kamidake
"wow that's amazing look at it go!"
"If we can't communicate through normal means with them were going to have to send a laser transmitted communication."
They rushed into the fray and began trying to send a communication laser to the kamidake but the kamidake was in defensive mode and was not easy to hit.
"This is no good. were going to have to fire in all directions at once!
"But the other pirates will get the message too if we do that."
"Then prepare to jump afterwords"
"We're ready!"
"Alright lets go!" Ryoko transformed into erma because it was easier for her to operate as her.
The message got to the kamidake.
"emergency jump!" They jumped off into hyperspace the kamidake also jumped at the same time as if it had been anticipating them.
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"where did they go!"
"Sir there seems to have been a ship that looked like a container ship that snuck into the battle. It sent them some co-ordinates."
"even if they jump after them with the AHP on their hull it's going to take a while for them to catch up. Go after them!"
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a few minutes later a few hundred ships jumped out in front of the kamidake
"Where's the container ship"
"hold on...... found it!"
A huge white flash went off in outer space and the ship shook.
"What was that!"
"the kamidake has exploded part of it's outer shell!"
the kamidake darted around quickly and started docking in the shipping vessel."
" it moves like a juraian royal ship. ... what is that thing!?......... Quick tag the kamidake again and place a tracker this time!!"
Ahp again coated the kamidake as it docked inside.
The slimmed down kamidake finished itself inside ryoko's ship and they jumped off into hyperspace
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"Yes ! It worked!" gazura rejoiced as he noticed the ship struggling to say in hyperspace a few seconds later.
on the inside of the ship the friction had caused damage to the inside of the container.
"A little help here airi?"
"I've managed to finish analyzing that paint stuff this should do the trick. be careful they put a tracker on it this time."
airi transmitted data for a formulation that would dissolve the ahp the walls on the inside of the shipping container began spraying the kamidake down with it.
"The container's internal temperature is decreasing. The kamidake is stabilizing!"
"As soon as its stable jump!"
"captain we have about 20 seconds till were good to go"
"How stable is it so far?"
"About 25 percent"
"establish communications with the kamidake and Drop out into normal space! prepare for a long distance jump.
"Ok returning to normal space now! everyone prepare for the shock!"
The ship shook as it left hyperspace
"captain we have a line open to the kamidake!"
erma stood up as seina appeared on screen.
"Erma-san? ... or should is say ryoko?"
"Either is fine.... is everyone okay?"
"yes but well... were a bit hungry."
"When the kamidake stabilizes I'll have someone bring over some food."
" A ship has jumped out right next to us. Its quick! We have to jump now to avoid it!" an operator reported
"erma the kamidake hasn't stabilized yet!" kiriko cried
"Erma ! we have to go now!"
an emergency jump was too risky ryoko realized she had no choice but to try to fight it off.
The ship shook.
"Captain the enemy ship has managed to penetrate our shields but there has been no damage!"
AHP now covered the exterior of the ship in the process a huge hole had been blown in their shields.
"Prepare to purge the outer hull as soon as the kamidake is stabilized and then jump!
Ryoko prayed that strategy would work.
But before they could the ships around them grappled them and anchored them so they couldn't jump
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Kirche was worried. Gazura noticed and grinned.
"Thanks you helped us out! the kamidake is as good as ours now."
"They're not caught just yet.... You shouldn't underestimate the academy like that..."
"We aren't stupid either, we've thought about how they would react to the AHP and we have anticipated for it."
"But what will you do if they jump?"
"we know this part of space and it's not hard to figure out where there going to try to hide... Besides with that tracker we can find them
no matter where they go." gazura boasted
kirche sighed in defeat suddenly a field surrounded kirche and she was confined.
"Tell tarrant that it's time!"
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"Seina! as soon as the kamidake is stabilized I'm going to have the ship release the cargo container so you can get away!"
"No erma! if you do that you will be caught! there's no telling what tarrant will do with you."
"If he catches you it's going to be even worse. besides you need to get that package to safety. Don't worry! I can change my identity."
if they mistook her for an academy person they might hold her for ransom and return her once negotiations went through.
"Ryoko! your death hasn't been announced yet! maybe you can convince them you were trying to capture us."
"please leave our affairs to us to decide" her adjutant said.
"High level gravity distortions are being detected! a ship is jumping out!"
"Its the Daedalus!" Erma said recognizing the feel of the tremor it was causing.
her cries silenced the bridge. Tarrant knew what had happened so her hopes of getting out alive had just vanished.
"WAIT! Bombard the ship and have the kamidake use it as a shield for escape!" she cried the ships staff set to it.
"Seina the ship will be stable in two minutes! Go as soon as you can!"
"NO! "
"What?!" seina's reaction stopped the crew on the bridge
"That is unacceptable. I won't do it."
The Daedalus grappled onto the ship and begun dragging it to it.
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"Ha... we've finally caught them ! thank you for your efforts gazura. I know this has been a challenging week.... everyone get ready to bring them to me and don't waste any time." shank said
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"If you don't everyone will die! Hurry!"
"no!"
"Erma! get your crew into space suits and we will open the hatch so you can board our ship! go now!
"OH!"
"And bring food!"
"Amane!"
"What about the container ship? who will control it?"
"Our ships Ai will do it... "
"Deputy commander get everyone to the kamidake immediately"
Within 5 minutes everyone was transferred over"
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"Seina!" kirche yelled
"Sir we're reading rapidly rising energy levels from the container ship."
"They're going to suicide bomb us! Quick! Detach the anchor! Don't let them get away!"
but it was too late an explosive white light blinded their monitors but they quickly applied a filter and saw the kamidake was gone.
"find them!"
but another burst blinded the monitors.
"A diffuse beam?" tarrants ship had fired it and it had torn the coating on the hull of the kamidake off.
"tarrant has caught them!"
"no get away!" kirche screamed
the crew cheered
"well that's that."
"Thank you for all your help gazura." Tarrant came on the monitor with seina and kiriko where taken away the background"
the operator went to close communications when
"Wait... is that kirche?.... gazura what's going on..."
"I'll explain" gazura started in
"make it quick"
"How do you know who i am?" kirche interupted
"You're kirche right... I've seen your show."
"oh thank you! I'm surprised to meet someone from outside of the academy who knows me."
gazura moved out of the way and let them talk he started working on something and got distracted.
"you know we had some trouble in our systems due to an ai with an astral. I'm glad to see your not the one who was causing it."
"you know I'm missing right?"
"of course but I never thought i would see you here."
"well it's a long story actually I...."
She told him a long drawn out story making sure not to include seina in it.
20 minits later she was still talking and gazura realized something was off about how she was extending the conversation but tarrant was very interested.
"tarrant it's about time don't you think?"
"if you say so"
kirche thanked him for listening and she looked at gazura and smiled.
"everyone please... sit down for this!"
tarrant was about to get seina when a huge blow shook the ship
"Miaaaaaaaaaaah miaaaaaaaaaaoooooooou"
"What was that... it felt like a juraian royal ship. what's going on"
"our sensors were knocked off line! I can't tell!"
"no your right! I'm right here! can you get me?" kirche said
"miyaaaaaaaah!"
"no way is that?!"
"sensors are back online... what!"
"miaaaaaaaah!
the figure of the Daedalus caught in ryo-ohki's tractor beam appeared on screen
"I don't understand! the ship says.... that's the Ryo-ohki!"
"wow the legendary hero ryo-ohki is here!"
"don't get carried away guys! that thing is not our friend!"
"but!"
"The ryo-ohki always worked alone. It's not with us!"
ryo-ohki focused a second tractor beam on gazura's ship it went flying towards it.
"The ship is going to be pulled apart by this thing's tractor beam!"
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seina and the girls were transferred to the bridge of the kamidake suddenly. The pirate ships were let go from the tractor beam.
"What's going on!"
"Aaaaaaaah!"
"Oh!"
"is that!"
"What's the matter?" seina was confused.
a notification came on screen that NB alan barry and cohen had been beamed back on board
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"Fyew! seina's safe!" airi said to ringo as she heard about what happened with the ryo-ohki.
"I'm a bit disappointed though since it means were not going to get any more data"
"And how would you expect us to pay for that? don't be greedy" ringo said "the only good thing to come out of this is a found a lot of holes in the accounting that we had done earlier and i plan to make sure we get paid every cent."
"oh god... you don't mean me do you ringo-chan"
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The pirate ships cleared a circle around the kamidake as if to give it to ryo-ohki as an offering. ryo-ohki transferred the kamidake inside of itself and the ships stood at standby as if it were a god and they were worshiping it
----end of chapter----------