Disclaimer: This fic could potentially waste your time… be warned that if you choose to read, the next little chunk of your life will belong to me! Suffer!!! Oh yeah, I don’t own Mr. Saotome and friends, Ms. Misumaru and her crew, or Mr. Yuy and his comrades. Thank you.
R.5 and Gundam/Nadesico
Fallen Star
Chapter 4: “Irony on the Battlefield”
By Gray
“I do not believe how little sleep I got last night…” Ranma muttered darkly as he finished his morning shower and walked into his main room to find some clothing. The dreams of the past seemed to mock him each and every night. His inability to make a difference in those days fueled his anger and depression on a level that Ryoga could never dream of…The fact that he was inadvertently responsible for the Amazon village burning to the ground made his heart even heavier with guilt, and not to mention Shampoo getting… A knocking was heard, and Ranma sighed.
“Just a minute, I’ll be right there.” He yelled, quickly scooping up some boxer shorts and preparing to put them on.
“Oh that’s okay! As the Captain, I have the key to every room!” The cheerful voice of Yurika chirped as Ranma’s door slid open with a metallic hiss. Slowly, he turned his head and saw his Captain standing in his doorway, with an interesting expression on her face. First she turned pink, then red, then almost purple, and her mouth had decided to let her jaw fall for a while, as it hung loosely. Ranma’s first knee-jerk reaction was to tense in fear of a beating, but he relaxed when he recalled that this particular facet of his life was…gone, to put it bluntly. So, he turned to cynicism and arrogance. Old friends.
“Y’know Captain, your face is going to stay like that if you don’t do something.” He commented dryly, securing his towel around his waist tightly so as to avoid a rather embarrassing incident of indecent exposure.
“I, um, uh, that is…” Yurika was having trouble getting her brain working, which Ranma found rather humorous, though the way she was staring at him made him a bit embarrassed. He found himself blushing ever so slightly, and he cursed himself for his weakness. Yurika finally seemed to recover, and hastily turned away from the, in her opinion, very nice view.
“Um, sorry…” She muttered. Ranma shrugged.
“It’s okay, you wouldn’t believe how many times it’s happened to me before.” He said as he slipped his boxers on while her eyes were averted. He then found some pants and a tank top. After dressing, he turned to Yurika.
“Okay, you can look now.” He said. Yurika sighed in relief and turned around. Naturally, the sight of Ranma in a tank top was also quite nice, as the white undershirt clung to his muscled upper body like it was painted on. Still, she managed to compose herself and recalled why she had come in the first place.
“You’re needed on the bridge.” She explained. Ranma blinked.
“And you came to tell me personally?” He smiled slightly, a knowing look in his eyes. Yurika flushed in embarrassment.
“Well, um, as the Captain, it is my duty to form close ties with my crew and…” She trailed off as he started to laugh lightly.
“Uh huh, what kind of “close ties” Captain?” He asked with a smirk. Yurika really wished her capillaries would give it a rest, but such was not to be. What happened to Ranma’s pessimistic loner attitude?
“Alright, I’m sorry, I’ll be right there, I just need to finish getting dressed.” He decided to let the woman off the hook. Making her uncomfortable was stupid, and besides, he was acting strange…Too much like his old self. For some reason, Yurika seemed to bring that out in him. He watched her nod and quickly leave, her face still red. Chuckling, he resumed getting dressed. Still, he wondered what it was about the bubbly Captain that made him feel so…normal.
“Must be her “natural charm”…” He thought sarcastically.
“Pilot Saotome, reporting as ordered.” Ranma said with a half-hearted salute to the assembled superior officers as he entered the bridge. The Nadesico’s bridge was as well designed and technologically advanced as the rest of the ship. With a full command platform with multiple levels and stations for each member of the bridge crew, and a large viewing screen built into the floor of the deck below the command platform for briefings. Naturally, Ranma could have cared less about any of this. Waiting for him, were of course Yurika, Mr. Hoary, Mr. Prospector, Admiral Munetake, Minato, who was “driving” the ship at the moment, Ruri Hoshino, who was staring at him oddly. And Megumi, the ship’s Communications Officer.
“At ease Pilot.” Mr. Hoary said after returning the salute. Ranma nodded and relaxed, even going so far as to lean against the wall, which annoyed Mr. Hoary and especially Admiral Munetake.
“Have respect boy!” The ill-tempered Federation liaison yelled angrily. Ranma smirked.
“He said at ease, so I’m at ease…old man.” His smirk widened and everyone winced.
“HOW DARE YOU!!!” Munetake screamed, almost foaming at the mouth with anger. Ranma turned to Yurika.
“So, what’s the problem Captain…?" He asked. Munetake was left to sputter in outrage. Yurika’s eyes became serious.
“We’ve received reports, that a potential enemy has been sighted in a forest near our current position…” She wasn’t looking forward to saying this part.
“The enemy is…probably…a…Gundam…” She winced as Ranma’s eyes grew that familiar steely look. Everyone on the bridge mirrored her reaction.
“When do we get there…?” Ranma asked, managing to keep his voice neutral.
“In about half-an-hour Saotome…So get ready for possible combat.” Hoary warned. Ranma nodded and turned to leave.
“You haven’t been dismissed yet Pilot.” Hoary said angrily. Ranma shrugged and turned to face him once more.
“Permission to be allowed to do what you told me to do…sir.” One could practically see the sarcasm in Ranma’s tone. Hoary bristled, but kept himself in control. Minato was watching after all…
“Permission granted.” He finally said. Ranma smirked and left.
“The nerve of that…that…kid!” Munetake yelled. Yurika and Minato both watched Ranma leave with worry in their gazes.
“I’ll have him court-martialed so help me!” Munetake ranted. Everyone ignored him, though some wished they could just throw him overboard and be done with it. Why did a privately owned battleship even need a Federation Liaison?
“Hmm…Will it be the same one? Or a new one? I wonder…” Ranma thought as he entered his room and grabbed his pilot’s uniform. He knew of five Gundams at the moment. There was the winged one he had sworn vengeance upon, a black one with a scythe, a heavily-armed one with a chaingun for an appendage, a desert combat model that relied on a pair of wicked scimitars, and a ferocious dragon style one with an extending arm and a beam spear. He had carefully studied the reports on all of them and was convinced he knew their attack styles pretty well.
“Every little edge helps…” He thought. It didn’t matter if it was martial arts, MS fighting, or anything else. The first rule of any sort of competition was to know your enemy. Once you did that, half the battle was over.
“And this is the most important “competition” of all…” He muttered as he finished putting his blue piloting uniform on. It was a bit snug, and a little too silly looking in his eyes, but he figured he might as well wear it. He turned to exit his room. Only to encounter an unfamiliar face right outside.
“Hmmm, purple hair…” He thought. The young woman in front of him did indeed have purple-hued hair, and her freckled face, big eyes, and small build could be called “cute” and even attractive.
“Oh! I…I’m so sorry!” She said, embarrassed at having seen him in such…tight-fitting attire. She found her eyes roving his frame, and hastily snapped them back to his face to avoid further embarrassment. Ranma blinked cluelessly at her behavior.
“Something wrong?” He asked. The girl shook her head furiously.
“No! I mean…uh, no of course not.” She laughed nervously. Ranma shrugged.
“Okay, if you’re sure…” He trailed off uncomfortably.
“Um…you’re on the bridge right?” He was pretty sure he had seen her earlier.
“Yes! Communications Officer Megumi Rainard!” She saluted, though it was a bit off. Ranma actually smiled faintly.
“No no…It’s like this…” He showed her the correct method of saluting; the well-practiced manner in which he did so, signified that he had done it many times. Megumi blushed in embarrassment.
“Oh…sorry.” She said quietly. Ranma shrugged again.
“It’s no big deal…not that important.” He tilted his head.
“I’m Ranma Saotome by the way.” He introduced himself. Megumi nodded.
“Yes, I know. Everyone’s been talking about you lately.” She herself certainly had…
“Really? Why’s that?” He didn’t know why the heck anyone would want to talk about him.
“Well…It’s because you single-handedly destroyed a squad of enemy Zaku’s, and fought off a fully-armed Gundam, without any sort of weaponry whatsoever…” She smiled at him shyly. Ranma rubbed the back of his head slightly.
“Yeah…well…I just did what had to be done.” He explained.
“Oh…” Megumi felt another uncomfortable silence descend. One that was broken by a video-screen opening in front of them. Yurika’s face appeared, smiling as always. But when she saw Ranma and Megumi together, the smile fell slightly.
“You’re needed in the hangar Ranma. And um…You need to get back to the bridge now Megumi…” Yurika said, before her image winked out of existence. Ranma sighed.
“There’s my cue…” He turned to leave. Megumi’s face fell.
“Oh!” He turned back to face her for a moment.
“It was nice talking to you Megumi!” He said. Megumi’s smile returned, and it remained as she walked back to the bridge.
“Maybe he’s the one!”
“Pilot Saotome reporting for duty…” Ranma droned in monotone upon his arrival to the bridge. The chief mechanic, Seiya Uribitake, nodded at him.
“Hmmf…Listen up kid!” The tech yelled, his voice carrying a note of hysteria.
“If you so much as scratch my Aestivalis this time…you and I will have words…!” The man calmed slightly, adjusting his glasses in the process.
“I’ve added a beam saber and a machine gun to your armaments, in addition to the standard vibrating dagger that is housed in the hip chamber…be sure to make use of all three weapons…” His eyes grew maniacal.
“Or else it would be a tremendous waste of my talent!” He cried. Ranma nodded uneasily and quickly scrambled away when the technician started to laugh to himself.
“Hoo boy…call the guys in white…we got us a bona-fide screwball for a chief mechanic…guess he fits right in here.” He muttered as he shook his head.
“Maybe I should’ve signed up for another ship…” He thought as he walked towards his Aestivalis. The black gleam of its ebony armor shined in the artificial light of the hangar. Ranma stared into its cold eyes for a moment.
“Is the pilot ready?” Yurika asked, her professional manner coming out once more, now that actual combat was imminent. Megumi turned her head up to the Captain and nodded.
“Yes Captain. Pilot Saotome has been verified for launch and is awaiting clearance…” She listened in on her headset, and giggled slightly at what she heard Ranma say.
“And he’s growing impatient!” She smiled. Yurika nodded.
“Well then, let’s not keep him waiting…” She paused.
“Launch Aestivalis!!!”
“Finally…” Ranma muttered as he blasted out of the hangar and made use of the air-combat armor to hover near the Nadesico. A video-screen appeared in front of him depicting Yurika’s face.
“What’s up Captain?” He asked.
“Reports indicate that the Gundam was sighted in this area…so be extra careful.” She warned. Ranma nodded.
“Roger that…” He said. He peered out at the wide stretch of forest beneath them.
“The trees would conceal it if it’s down there…” He muttered.
“I’m gonna go and pay our friend a visit…” He declared, dropping altitude by disengaging the air-combat parts, reverting the Aestivalis to its original land engagement frame.
“Be careful Ranma.” Yurika said quietly. Ranma smirked, though it was a bit dark.
“Leave it to me Yurika…I’ll bring the thing’s head back on a plate…though there won’t be much else left of it once I’m through…” The sea of trees rushed up to meet him and Ranma had only one thought.
“Huh?” A young man uttered as he sat in the cockpit of his mobile suit. His hair was an orangish-red, and his eyes were oddly innocent for a mobile suit pilot. His radar had just picked up something, but now it was gone. The new suit was incredibly strong, and had excellent maneuverability, but in a forest such as this, visibility was pretty bad. But the purpose of him being out here was to determine whether or not the suit functioned properly. Now he could have sworn his sensors had picked up something nearby. But it was probably just his imagination.
“Guess I’d better head back to base…I’m getting bored of this…sure hope Frau kept the kids under control…” Then he heard a noise, and carefully raised his beam rifle.
“What was that…an enemy?”
“I’m picking up something…but it’s faint…” Ranma muttered. He stopped his Aestivalis for a moment.
“Wait! It’s moving…” He turned the head of the Aestivalis towards the right.
“Over there…?” He started moving again.
“The reading is getting stronger…It’s gotta be…SHIT!!!”
“RANMA! What’s wrong!?” Yurika yelled. She turned to Megumi.
“Why isn’t he answering?” She asked almost hysterically. Megumi frantically typed commands.
“There’s some kind of interference! It’s the only explanation!” She looked worriedly at the blank screen in front of the bridge.
“Please be alright Ranma…”
“SHIT!!!” Ranma frantically dodged blasts of highly potent energy as he back-pedaled away from the crazy bastard firing at him. Trees were smashed to pieces as the heavy Aestivalis crushed them in its bid for escape.
“Running away won’t do anything…” He muttered. There seemed to be some sort of radar interference in the area, so contacting the Nadesico was useless. He was on his own. All alone…always alone…
“I won’t run away!” His nano-tattoo blazed as he suddenly engaged the forward thrusters, blasting towards the source of the beam shots at high speed. He was hit by a few, but it was glancing damage, leaving only small “wounds” in the Aestivalis’ thick armor. His eyes blazed with fury, and finally he reached the target.
“There you are!” He roared. It was indeed a Gundam. But it looked less…sleek to put it simply. It was actually a bit clunky-looking, but it was equipped with a beam rifle, and a large red shield, and was therefore, quite dangerous. Beam rifles were nothing to sneeze at. They made conventional bullet using guns look pathetic in comparison. Though, this one was nothing compared to the massive weapon the winged Gundam used. Ranma ignored all this however. It was a Gundam…It had to die. It was as simple as that. He raised his machine gun and opened fire. The rounds pounded into the enemy’s large shield, which the pilot had raised in the nick of the time. The high-impact rounds dented and chipped away at the shield, but did little damage otherwise. Cursing, Ranma dropped the gun and drew his beam saber. The blade blazed into existence as the circuit contained in the handle interfaced with the hand of the Aestivalis. The sword glowed an angry red, seeming to mirror the color of blood. Ranma leapt, his MS twisting in mid-air, and chopped downwards. The shield got in his way once again, but the power of the beam saber, combined with the momentum of gravity, proved too much, and the shield was sheared in half. Stepping back, Ranma smirked.
“How do you like that?” He asked. The enemy pilot naturally didn’t respond, and instead drew two beam sabers from its back. The weapons were a pinkish hue, and the pilot held them in front of him defensively. Ranma charged forward.
“That isn’t going to work!” He slashed from the side, and was blocked, though just barely. He grinned. This pilot must be a rookie…
“Too bad I don’t go easy on rookies…” Ranma muttered, conveniently forgetting the fact that he himself was pretty green…The enemy swung his sabers and Ranma blocked both of them, though he grit his teeth as the strength of the Gundam was pretty impressive.
“That…the best…you got?” He muttered. Breaking the grapple, he quickly stepped to the side, and then brought his saber around, narrowly missing gouging the enemy suit, as the pilot managed to dodge at the last moment. Now Ranma was getting frustrated. The two charged and their blades of light clashed again and again. Cutting through trees, disturbing animals, and causing small bursts of light. Ranma had had enough.
“Eat this!” He charged forward, ducking at the last moment so as to avoid the stab from one saber, and blocking the other sword with his own. He then shot upwards while his foe was off balance. His fist lashed out, smashing into the chin of the Gundam in a crude uppercut. The sheer power of the blow caused the Gundam to shoot upwards slightly, and the pilot suddenly ignited his thrusters, using the momentum to gain even more altitude, and breaking out of the trees in the process. Ranma smiled darkly and followed.
“You’re not getting away that easily…!”
Enemy mobile suit approaching Captain.” Ruri informed in monotone. Yurika and everyone else watched as a Gundam broke free of the trees, shooting upwards, and passing the Nadesico’s low altitude.
“Where’s Ranma?” Yurika asked. As if to answer her, Ranma’s Aestivalis followed the Gundam, blasting upwards, beam saber held at the ready.
“Re-establishing communication…” Megumi said. Ranma’s face appeared in front of them.
“He’s mine!” Ranma yelled.
“Ranma! Are you alright?” Yurika asked worriedly. Ranma nodded absently.
“Fine! But I’ll be even better once I ram this sword up that jerk’s…” He trailed off as he neared the enemy suit. His beam saber shot out, intending to impale the suit. The Gundam however, blocked once more, holding its swords in an “x.”
“Damn it!” Ranma yelled. Then, the two suit’s thrust gave out, as the land engagement models were ill suited for air combat. An idea came to Ranma.
“It’s my best bet…” He reached up and grabbed the Gundam by the shoulder. Then, he twisted his own mobile suit, and managed to flip the two, so that the Gundam would hit the ground on its back instead of its shock-absorbing legs.
“It’s over…” He whispered. The two suits fell at high speeds, both caught in gravity’s cruel grip.
“Ranma!” Yurika cried worriedly. The impact of the two suits hitting the ground was deafening in its volume. Birds flew out of the forest in droves. When the dust finally cleared, the crew of the Nadesico peered anxiously at the impact zone. Finally, a disturbance grew in the trees. The black Aestivalis erupted into the air, carrying the Gundam in its arms. Ranma’s triumphant face appeared on the view screen.
“Mission accomplished…the enemy pilot is unconscious. I’m bringing him and his Gundam in…over and out…”
“Careful! I said careful damn it! Who knows what kind of booby traps the Zeon put on these things!” Seiya yelled at his crew as they restrained the Gundam properly and then set about opening the hatch to get to the pilot.
“And…done! It’s open sir!” One tech yelled. Standing near the Gundam were Yurika, Mr. Hoary, Minato, Megumi, Mr. Prospector, Admiral Munetake, Seiya, Ruri, Dr. Tofu, Dr. Fresange, and of course Ranma himself. The hatch slowly slid open. Everyone peered into the cockpit cautiously.
“It’s…a kid?” The tech muttered. The young man in question was in his late teens by the looks of him, and was dressed in, of all things, a Federation pilot’s uniform.
“What the hell…?” Ranma muttered, unconsciously mirroring everyone else’s thoughts.
“Hmm…” Tofu muttered as he looked the boy over.
“His injuries are minor, he’s just unconscious…” The Doctor informed everyone as he absently read over a few test results.
“He’s coming around…” Ranma said. The young man slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light of the medical room. He curiously peered at everyone, but relaxed when he saw Admiral Munetake’s Federation Uniform. He weakly saluted.
“Federation pilot Amuro Ray at your service…”
Author’s Notes: Thought I’d end it here. Let me know what you think…and I apologize for taking so long…my writing skills are paltry, and at times I experience a whole lot of writer’s block…anyway, all comments and criticisms can be sent to the usual place: grayson_san@hotmail.com
I might revise this a little bit later on, but for now, this is it…
