Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Tekkaman Blade and Vandread all belong to their 
respective creators so it's no fault of mine.

< >: Thoughts

Chapter One

Boys Versus Girls

On the distant, all-male planet of Tarak, the Prime Minister and Supreme 
Commander of the Tarak Space Force was finishing up his speech before the 
graduating team of cadets. Behind him loomed the former colony ship, now 
battle cruiser and flagship, the Ikazuchi.

"And so my fellow warriors, we shall go forth and crush the enemy of our 
beloved empire! The empire that our forefathers, including our great Grand 
Pa had brought forth those many years ago. We shall annihilate the accursed 
monsters known as WOMEN! With the combined strengths of the second and third 
generations, we shall triumph over our greatest enemies! We shall prove to 
all the great manliness that is our heritage! With our new weapons and the 
return of the mighty Ikazuchi, we can not... no! WE SHALL NOT FAIL!"

There was a roaring ovation as the raw new recruits cheered on their leader. 
Near the front of the crowds was a long-haired individual with a calm, 
collective demeanor. His face betrayed no emotion as he and the rest of the 
cadets continued to listen to the Prime Minister.

"We shall at last reclaim our place in the stars, by first wiping out the 
scourge of pirates that have been harassing our transports! Why wait until 
the designated time? Let us go forth now!"

The crowds gave off another round of applause and cheering.

----------

The engineering section of the Ikazuchi...

"What?! He's starting two hours early?!" A technician gasped.

"All crews! To your stations!" The head engineer ordered.

The engineering crews of the battleship scrambled like mad to prepare for 
takeoff. The engine room was like a beehive as men buzzed about to fulfill 
their duties. Huge mechanisms whined and creaked as the massive craft began 
powering up. The barracks started filling up as the cadets quickly boarded 
the Ikazuchi. In less than fifteen minutes, the ship was ready to leave the 
planet as the Prime Minister and his command staff came onto the main 
bridge.

Then the massive thrusters that would propel the ship to the stars fired up. 
The entire flagship thrummed with power as it readied to leave the planet's 
surface. Outside, the crowds watched in anticipation as the crowning 
achievement of 'manhood' was about to take their war with women to the 
stars.

Then the massive engines novaed in a huge blast light, lifting the ship off 
the ground and caused it to slowly gain altitude.

On the ground, near the launch site, an old man wiped his sweaty brow as he 
looked up from the fields he was working. As he watched the massive craft 
rise towards the heavens, he began to have a certain feeling that the 
Ikazuchi was about to be cast into a role that would determine the destinies 
of both his world, and that of Mejele. A moment later, he went back to 
working the dry and almost desolate soil of Tarak.

----------

Deep within the belly of the Ikazuchi, a lone space warrior was awoken from 
his slumber against the leg of a Vanguard. The vibrations of the ship had 
roused him and he casually looked about. The large room was still dark, save 
for a few indicator lights and such, and there was not a single soul as far 
as Slade could see. He then looked to an observation porthole and saw that 
the ship was rising.

<Hmmm? We're going already? Ah, it's just as well. I wanted to get back into 
space anyway. (Yawn) I'll just sleep for a little longer, then be on my way. 
 >

With that in mind, the Teknoman returned to sleep.

----------

Several hours later, in orbit around Tarak...

The liftoff had proceeded without a hitch and the mighty battleship was soon 
in synchronous orbit around the men's home world, awaiting for its escort 
fleet to join with them. On board the craft in the main hall, the cadets of 
the Tarak Space Force were busy enjoying the inauguration ceremonies as they 
drank and conversed with each other.

"I can't wait to get into battle!"

"Those new Vanguards will put those women in their places!"

"Say, after all this is over, do you want to make a kid?"

"A kid with you? That's not a bad idea."

As the celebration continued, a cadet by the name of Duero Mcfile stood with 
two other cadets.

"Hey, Duero. I hear that you made the top of your class."

The long-haired man simply nodded as he took another sip of his wine.

"Yeah, you'll probably be assigned to headquarters." Another cadet remarked.

"I hear that he left the position line of his submissions entry form 
completely blank." A third cadet said.

Just then, another cadet walked in on them, holding a box of pink and white 
colored pellets.

"Hey guys! Is everyone having a good time?"

The group looked at the newcomer, who looked totally out of place on a 
military ship. He was a skinny individual with a shock of blond hair. His 
voice was whiney and he seemed to be full of himself as he offered the men 
some of his nutrition pills.

"Here! These pellets are made of far superior ingredients than the other 
companies! But as a favor, I'm letting you all have a free sample!"

The cadets gave the newcomer a nervous look as they gave him their reply.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"Yeah, I'm full already."

"Thanks for the offer,"

Bart gave a hurt look, then shrugged. "Gee, that's too bad. You might not 
get another chance to eat this good again." He then turned his attention to 
some other cadets and tried to sell them on the new pellet.

"Who is that guy?" One cadet asked.

"His father owns Garsus Foods. Let's just say that his family is keeping us 
all fed and leave it at that."

"Geez, I'm getting heartburn just thinking about it."

Just then, the lights went down as an announcer began addressing the 
assembled personnel. The crowds directed their attention to a movie screen 
which began showing images of the military's latest weapon, the Van-Type 
Fighter. The announcer then began giving a brief documentary on the mecha.

"Stab! Pierce! And Slay! With these various accessories, the Tsukumo 
Van-type fighter is a weapon unto itself! It is the frontline weapon of our 
military! Be it the sea, the air, the mountains, the plains! There is no 
terrain that our great weapon cannot traverse! The new Vanguards are the new 
beacons of hope for our people! Let's give a big hand for our latest 
weapons!"

There was a standing ovation as the cadets cheered for their latest tools 
against the women. Then the lights turned back on and a section of floor 
near the podium opened up. A large elevator platform rose up with more than 
two dozen of the completed Vanguards on it.

The applause and cheering stopped as the men saw... him.

----------

Slade was roused again from his slumber as the floor of the storage room 
began to move. His eyes blinked open when a hatch above him opened and light 
flooded into the area. He then felt the entire floor begin to rise, carrying 
him and the Vanguards upward. He quickly got to his feet and slung his 
travel bag over his shoulder. When the platform reached the top, he suddenly 
found himself staring back at a large crowd of military cadets.

This wasn't good.

----------

"Who is that?"

"Look at him! It's a third-class citizen."

"What's he doing on board?"

In the crowds, Duero Mcfile assessed the stranger. He noted that the 
intruder wasn't at all like any third-class citizen he had ever seen. Slade 
was in excellent physical condition, with a lean, but finely muscled form. 
His clothes were well-kept, unlike the shabby garb that third-class citizens 
usually wore. He wore white pants, red boots and a crimson jacket with black 
trim. His raven hair was in a kind of shaggy style with a small ponytail. He 
had the most intriguing blue eyes that he had ever seen. The scar on his 
face also added to his appearance, making him seem more rugged. Around his 
neck was an ID tag that clearly denoted his rank, but the young doctor 
couldn't believe that he was a third-class. There was just something about 
him...

Just then, the ships security guards began approaching the stranger to 
arrest him. However, the stranger was not going to go quietly as he dropped 
his bag and got into a defensive stance. Then the guards attacked with stun 
batons, hoping to overwhelm the intruder by sheer numbers. That was when the 
men of Tarak got their first glimpse of the Anything Goes School of Martial 
Arts.

Slade instantly went into action as his body automatically went into defense 
mode. Swerving left to avoid a blow to his flank, he pivoted on one foot and 
tagged a guard in the head with a spin kick. Ducking under another swing to 
his temple, he came back up and let loose with a series of fast jabs, laying 
low two more opponents. When three more guards charged at him, Slade made a 
stunning reverse spin kick, toppling the trio like dominos. Grabbing the arm 
of another guard, he swung him around to knock him into two more of his own 
comrades. In less than five seconds, he had already incapacitated nine 
military men. Though his memories of his former life of Ranma Saotome was 
all but gone, the psychomotor reflexes and hand-to-hand combat skills of his 
ten-year training journey still remained, which were being boosted with the 
hidden power of a Tekkaman.

Just as Slade leapt back to get more fighting room, he suddenly heard the 
distinctive click of weapons being aimed at him. He looked behind him and 
saw that ten of the guards had brought out their rifles and leveled them at 
him. He looked out in front of him and saw five more do the same. He began 
considering his options. Now he could try fighting them as he currently was, 
or call forth his crystal and transform.

After a long, tension-filled minute, he decided on option three. He raised 
his hands in a non-threatening gesture and surrendered without a word. It 
wasn't that he was afraid of the guards or had any doubts if he could defeat 
them while unarmed. It was that he didn't want people to know exactly what 
he was capable of.

"Comarade." He said simply.

Slade was quickly surrounded on all sides and his hands were bound in a set 
of wrist restraints. He was quickly ushered off toward the detention areas 
to be held until the upper brass decided on his fate, which was likely to be 
execution. Through it all, the former Earthling showed no fear or concern.

This lack of fear intrigued Duero as he watched the intruder get taken away. 
Normally, third-class citizens were low in self-esteem and were afraid of 
their masters. However, this one carried himself with an unspoken confidence 
and seemed sure that he could handle anything. After seeing that display of 
physical prowess, the young doctor wondered how a third-class citizen could 
be so well-trained in unarmed combat. If it wasn't for his ID Tag, the medic 
would have mistaken him for one of the elite.

----------

"Keep an eye on him Cell Unit 6." The guard ordered as a squat, oval-shaped 
mechanoid hovered near the laser bars of Slade's cell. The brig was in 
actuality, a storage room. The men of Tarak had not been planning on taking 
any prisoners in their war with the women.

"Beep! Beep! Roger!" The robot replied as it took up its position in front 
of the cell.

As the guards left, Slade looked about the area. It was relatively cluttered 
with boxes, crates, spare parts and so on. He sat on the floor in a 
cross-legged position with his hands out in front, still bound by the wrist 
restraints. If he wanted, he could easily snap the bonds like paper, but had 
decided to bide his time. His gaze then fell on his 'guard.'

The machine was about the size of a small dog, and had a large projection 
screen cut into its top half, with a small console out in front. The robot 
floated by means of an antigravity field and remained glued to its post.

Slade growled slightly but kept his peace. Naturally, he wasn't going to 
stick around long enough to be executed. He figured that one quick blast of 
ki and quantum energy would be enough to get out of his cell. And if he 
aimed right, he could destroy that robot guard in the process. However, he 
didn't feel like obliterating the thing as it was simply fulfilling its 
programming. He'd just wait for the most opportune moment to make his 
escape. Until then...

"So... come here often?" Slade asked nonchalantly.

"Beep! Beep! That does not compute."

----------

On the main bridge...

"Cancel the exhibition match." The Prime Minister said as he sat down in the 
captain's chair. "That third-class trash ruined the ceremony."

"Yes sir!" An aide saluted. On the main viewscreen, several other ships of 
the Tarak Space Fleet was moving into position with the Ikazuchi. It 
wouldn't long before the fleet would be in position to launch its first 
strike against its most hated nemesis.

It was then that several small, but bright dots of light came streaking out 
of the void of space.

----------

WHABOOM!

The floor of Slade's cell shook as a massive explosion rocked the section of 
the ship he was in. This caused the robot guard to temporarily lose its 
balance. It suddenly pitched forward and slammed into the energy grid of 
Slade's cell, causing it to short-circuit itself and the grid. The energy 
bars weakened in intensity, but remained in place.

Slade went to a porthole and saw bright flares of laser and cannon fire 
light up the star-studded background. He shrugged. It wasn't exactly what he 
had in mind, but a surprise attack by the women would be the perfect 
diversion to make his escape. Though a part of him wanted to get involved in 
the battle, he silently reminded himself that this wasn't his fight and he 
shouldn't interfere. Raising his cuffed hands, he simply pulled them apart, 
and the restraints snapped like thread.

Raising one hand toward the energy grid, he focused his ki through the 
Tekno-organic circuits that ran through his body. The circuits on his arms 
briefly became visible as he let loose with a minute burst of ki and quantum 
energy. The front of the cell was totally blown apart as the energy bars 
were overwhelmed and the projectors on the sides of the doorway were fried.

Slade calmly exited his cell, pausing to pick up his travel bag which the 
guards had left near one corner of the storage room. Just as he was about to 
leave, he turned back toward the fallen robot and contemplated it.

"B-Bleep... beep... bip..."

Though it was only a machine, Slade couldn't help but feel sorry for it and 
decided to take it along. Perhaps he could get it running again, with some 
minor reprogramming of course. During the time he worked in the factory, he 
had learned quite a bit about electronics and mechanical repair.

----------

On the main bridge...

"What's going on?! I thought I ordered the exhibition to be canceled!"

A lieutenant replied from his station. "Sir, it's not an exhibition! It's 
the women! They've launched a surprise attack!"

"What?!"

----------

In the vacuum of space, the sleek Dread fighters of the female pirates were 
running rings around their technologically inferior adversaries. The 
slow-moving turrets of the male warships could not traverse fast enough to 
draw a bead on their nimble targets. Each Dread fighter easily evaded the 
enemy barrage and some of the male ships were hit by friendly fire.

However, the most damage being dished out was from the Dread pilots as they 
strafed the escort ships and made their way toward the flagship. One after 
another, the smaller vessels were either destroyed or incapacitated, leaving 
the Ikazuchi to defend itself.

Some distance away, the main pirate vessel stood by and observed the battle. 
Though everyone on board was ready to intervene, it seemed that the Dread 
fighters had everything under control. On the main bridge, an extremely old 
woman in robes smiled as she and her second witnessed the one-sided fight.

"It seems that we've come across a big one." The second remarked.

The captain nodded. "Yes, it seems that today is our lucky day."

----------

On the bridge of the Ikazuchi...

The Prime Minister gritted his teeth as he was informed that two more of the 
escorts ships had been destroyed.

"What deplorable tactics! They're hiding in the background fire!"

His first officer saluted him. "What are we going to do, sir?"

"Launch the Vanguards!" The Ikazuchi's commander barked.

"But... most of them are just trainees!"

The Prime Minster snarled. "If we lose this fight because we didn't use our 
new weapons, then we shall bring shame upon our forefather Grand Pa!"

----------

The scramble order was given, causing every available cadet to hurry toward 
the launch areas. Some of them boarded the Vangaurds that had been set up in 
the main hall. A speaker then came to life.

"Switching to sub-zero gravity to deploy the Vanguards!"

In an instant, tables, chairs and other items began floating off the floor. 
Under one such table, a certain heir to Garsus Foods also became airborne.

----------

"Sir! Some of the launching mechanisms are offline!"

"I don't care!" The Prime Minister replied. "Launch all available 
Vanguards!"

----------

Emerging from certain areas of the Ikazuchi, several of the humanoid battle 
machines managed to make it into space. However, with just raw recruits for 
pilots, the highly vaunted Vanguards were nothing more than animated debris 
to the Dreads. Some managed to latch onto the fighters as they passed by, 
but they could do very little to stop the onslaught.

----------

"Eek! What are these things?! They're getting in my way!" A Dread Pilot 
screamed as two of the Vanguards pounded on her canopy.

The Dread Leader kept her calm as she replied, "Don't worry about the 
Vanguards. Just concentrate on the enemy flagship."

"Roger!"

A trio of Dreads followed their leader as they made a strafing run at the 
Ikazuchi. A section of the outer hull exploded and the fighters zoomed into 
the new opening.

----------

"Hull breach in sector five!" A petty officer declared as the emergency 
walls closed to prevent precious air from escaping into space.

The fighters barreled through the ship's corridors and landed in the main 
cargo bay. The canopies opened up and the pilots disembarked to secure the 
area. They were dressed in formless suits and their helmets were like 
monstrous facemasks, designed to put fear in the hearts of their enemies.

----------

Bart tumbled out from his hiding place, which incidentally was the base of 
the statue of Grand Pa. He cried out in terror as he got his first look at 
his race's mortal enemies.

"THOSE THINGS ARE WOMEN?!"

Just then, another ship came through the hull breach at breakneck speed. 
However, this craft seemed to be less skillfully piloted than the others.

"AAAAAAHHHHH! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Bart then scrambled back into the 
statue. The ship flashed by him, knocking off the head of the statue. The 
cowardly cadet poked his head up through the top hole.

----------

Inside the main reactor room of the ship, Slade was crossing a walkway with 
his travel bag over his left shoulder and the robot under the arm. He looked 
over the side and saw that the Paksis crystal power source was humming with 
power.

Slade suddenly stopped when he was halfway across the room. For a moment, he 
felt a strange sensation wash over him. At that one instant, it felt as if 
the reactor was somehow... calling to him. He then shook his head at the 
ridiculous notion. The machine simply used a huge crystal for power to run 
the ship by collecting the photons that were given off as the Paksis 
expended excess energy. It wasn't as if the thing was actually alive, right?

It was at that moment that Slade decided to transform. Holding out his other 
hand, he made his Tekka-crystal appear.

----------

The Dread Fighter was careening out of control as it sped through the 
passageway.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I CAN'T STOP!" The pilot cried out as she found herself 
hurtling toward a wall. In desperation, she began firing her ship's cannons.

----------

In the reactor room...

"TEKSE..."

KA-BOOOOOOM!

Slade suddenly found himself thrown back as a wall exploded. He lost his 
grip on his bag, the robot, and most importantly, his Tekkacrystal, as 
something large plowed through the bulkhead.

Then everything went dark.

----------

The Ikazuchi's main bridge...

"Minister! You mustn't do this!"

The commander of the now decimated Space Fleet of Tarak shook his head as he 
grabbed hold of a large lever. "We cannot afford to let this entire ship 
fall into the hands of those pirates! I must at least save the new sections 
of the ship! Before everything is lost, I will separate the old from the 
new!"

With these words, he pushed the lever forward.

----------

Throughout the Ikazuchi, several series of explosive charges went off, 
causing the new sections of the ship to disengage from the original vessel. 
Within the barracks of the older ship, scores of cadets watched in horror as 
they witnessed their leaders abandoning them. The one known as Duero showed 
no fear. He knew that for all their brave talk, the brass were nothing more 
than hypocrites.

----------

Back in the Paksis chamber, Slade slowly began coming around. His vision was 
blocked by something that was lying on top of him and he reached up with a 
hand to feel around. He encountered something that was round, warm and... 
squishy.

<Uh oh. If this is what I think it is...>

He quickly threw off whatever was on top of him and scrambled backward.

"WAIT!"

He stopped as he heard the voice and then watched as the person he had 
pushed remove her helmet.

Dita Liebely was more excited than she had ever been before as she removed 
her helmet. Her bright eyes twinkled as she shook her long mane of auburn 
hair. She had a decorative hairpiece that looked like a tiara.

"Wow! It's a real live alien!"

Slade was confused. Weren't they basically the same species? "Huh? Who are 
you calling an alien?"

Dita paid no attention to Slade's words as she raised a hand and began 
making some simple gestures with it. When Slade mimicked those hand signals, 
she became even more excited.

"I did it! It worked! I made first contact!"

No doubt in Slade's mind. This terrible enemy of Tarak was a ditz! Though he 
had to admit, she was pretty. The martial artist quickly got to his feet and 
began looking about.

<Where's my crystal? There!> He spotted his most precious possession lying 
on the floor several meters away. He then raised a hand to it.

Dita's eyes became even wider as she looked at what the alien was holding 
his hand out to. She glimpsed a sparkle of green light, which instantly 
winked out and then reappeared in his hand to form a crystalline object. She 
began applauding.

"Wow! Alien power is amazing! Do it again!"

The Tekkaman was not in the mood to do circus tricks. Sweeping up his travel 
bag and the robot, he then leapt down to a lower tier. "Bye!"

Dita quickly removed her spacesuit, revealing a very cute blouse and skirt 
ensemble. She then rummaged about her suit for her camera. "Wait! I want to 
take a picture!"

----------

It didn't take the pirates long to take over the old section of the ship. In 
the barracks, the men were being herded at gunpoint toward the escape pods. 
As Duero walked with them, he began listening on the conversation between 
the females as they disrobed their heavy suits.

"I know that it's a disinfectant, but I don't think that I'll ever get used 
to the smell." Jura commented. She was a tall, voluptuous woman of twenty 
with long, lush, blonde hair. She wore a very snug dress with a plunging 
neckline and a slit on either side, showing off her fabulous legs.

"Has anyone seen Dita?" Meia asked. She was an athletic girl of nineteen 
with light aqua hair cropped short in a boyish style. Over her left eye she 
wore a kind of metal circlet. She was dressed in a form-fitting body suit 
that emphasized her curves.

"The last I saw of her, she had crashed through the bulkhead and... ow!" 
Barnette glared at her comrade Paiway. Barnette was Jura's best friend and 
wingmate and she too sported a lush figure and wore an outfit that had a 
open front to display her bosom's cleavage. She had dark, greenish hair that 
was also cropped short. "Watch it Paiway! My skin is very delicate you 
know!" She frowned as she looked down that the wound on her arm. The burn 
she received from the enemy shots when it penetrated her space suit stung, 
and she knew that there would be a scar after the wound healed. She became a 
bit distraught as she realized that her perfect skin was now permanently 
blemished.

"Just try to endure it." The apprentice nurse replied as she continued to 
add disinfectant to the wound. Nearby, several other pirates waited to be 
treated.

"Nurses are supposed to be more sensitive." Barnette complained.

"I am!" Paiway assured. She was only eleven years old with long, dark purple 
hair that was tied up in two odongos like a certain meatball head we know 
of. She was pirate's medical officer, though Duero could tell that she 
wasn't very good at it. She had promise, but lacked the proper training and 
knowledge to treat her patients effectively.

As the men were being forced into the escape pods, Meia went toward one of 
the holes in the walls. She then called to Jura.

"Jura! I'm going to go look for Dita."

The blonde shrugged. "This is the reason why I didn't want to bring along a 
trainee."

"We're short-handed enough as it is!" Meia snapped back. "If you didn't want 
to come along, then you should have said so."

"Oh all right! I'm coming!"

----------

Meanwhile, on another part of the old ship, three more pirates made their 
way into what appeared to be a sub-bridge. After taking off their suits, 
they began exploring the consoles.

"Oh my! I can't read a word of this!" Ezra remarked as the screens showed 
nothing but the language of Tarak. She was a quiet girl with brown hair and 
gentle demeanor. She was usually one of the bridge crew of their ship, but 
the first officer had insisted that she come with her and the chief 
engineer.

"No problem!" Parfait said as she brought out a device. She had large, 
oversized glasses and her dark brown hair was tied up in two large braids. 
"I knew that something like this might happen, so that's why I made this 
Inter-Pricko! I'll make one up for you too commander...?"

However, Buzom was not even interested as she casually began downloading the 
computer's data to their command ship. She was a statuesque woman with 
silver-blonde hair and wore something that looked like a harem's outfit. As 
she continued to download, she spoke into a communicator.

"Have all the men been immobilized? Good, then dump them."

"Huh? You already know how to read this?!" Parfait gasped.

"That's the elite for you." Ezra shrugged.

"Darn! And I worked so hard in making this thing too!"

----------

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Duero simply ignored the pirate as he reached into a locker and pulled out 
his trench coat.

"Get into the capsule now!" The pirate demanded.

"There's time enough for that later." The medic replied as he turned around.

"Do as you're told, or I'll shoot!" She emphasized her point by leveling her 
blaster at him.

"I'm no threat to you." Duero said simply as he eyed Paiway and her patient. 
"I happen to be a doctor."

This immediately caught the attention of the pirates. An expert physician 
was something that the female corsairs sorely needed, since Paiway was still 
just an apprentice nurse. However, they were still uneasy about the thought 
about letting a man touching them.

----------

"Go away." Slade said simply as he tried to distance himself from the girl 
who was following him wherever he went.

"Wait! Let's just sit down and have a little chat!" Dita called as she took 
a few snapshots of Slade.

The martial artist groaned as he looked about for a way out of the Paksis 
chamber. He had thought about blasting his way out, but that would be 
hazardous, being in close proximity to the reactor. So he thought that he 
might find an exit, but with this girl continually pestering him, it hadn't 
been easy. He was tempted to just blow her away, but she wasn't a threat and 
that innocence of hers made him so...

"We're really a peaceful race!"

<Whatever! Where's an airlock when you need one?!>

----------

Some distance from the old segment of the ship, the newer section was in 
orbit near Tarak. On the bridge, the Prime Minister's pride was severely 
bruised at the moment. This was supposed to have been his greatest moment, 
but those pirates made a mockery of his Space Fleet. They were even letting 
their prisoners go in the escape pods, but he wasn't fooled by their attempt 
at pity. However, he knew just the thing to get back at them.

"Prepare to fire the space torpedo Murimasa!"

"Minister, are you actually going to destroy the old section of the ship?" 
His first officer asked in disbelief.

The Prime Minister did not reply as he glared angrily at the main viewer. 
<I'd rather destroy it with my own hands then let it fall in the hands of 
women!>

On the underbelly of the new section, a large door opened and a cylindrical 
object was lowered.

----------

On the old section...

Ezra gasped as she looked at the readout and saw the danger.

"There's a missile being locked onto us!"

Buzom relayed the message to her captain. The aged woman nodded as she 
replied.

"I see it. Losing the ship would be a shame, but let's get out of here!"

The order to evacuate was given and the pirate ship began laying down 
covering fire as it moved toward the Ikazuchi's old section to retrieve its 
crew.

Meanwhile, Duero was just finishing his ministrations on the last patient.

"There, that should do it." He secured the bandage on Barnette's arm and 
nodded. With the added medication, there wouldn't even be a scar.

The medic then contemplated Barnette with a natural curiosity. Like most men 
on Tarak, he had never seen a woman before and she was quite different from 
the propaganda films.

Barnette became extremely agitated at his gaze.. "What? Do you find 
something interesting about me?"

"Actually... I do."

"Don't expect any thanks!"

"I don't. I suppose I'll go now."

Behind him, Paiway was busy writing down on a notepad. "He touched a total 
of five girls."

----------

The pirate ship flew to the underside of the old Ikazuchi and connected a 
boarding tube to it. The crew extraction commenced, but time was running 
out.

----------

"Isn't the missile ready yet?" The Prime Minister growled.

"Sir, it's still in the process of fueling!"

"It has more than enough! FIRE!"

At that command, the Murimasa was launched, followed by a second torpedo.

----------

"What's the status, BC?" The pirate captain demanded.

"Crew extraction is nearly complete." Buzom replied. "I'm the only one left 
on my team. Three under Meia's team haven't reported in yet."

"We'll let them return on their Dreads. Get back here on the double!"

"Roger!"

---------

The reactor room...

"WHAT PART OF GO AWAY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Slade was at the end of his 
patience. He had tolerated Dita's pestering long enough. He was about to say 
to hell with it all, transform and blast his way out. That was when Meia and 
Jura arrived on the scene.

The Dread leader called out to her wayward subordinate and then grabbed her 
by the shoulders.

"Dita, what are you doing?! You know better than to go off on your own!"

"I'm sorry Meia." Dita apologized as she took one last look at her first 
alien.

Slade let off a relieved sigh and went back to the business of getting out. 
As he walked off, he was given a casual once-over by Jura.

<Hmmm... not too bad, for a man. I like the shoulders.> She then shook her 
head. She was from Mejele and men were the enemy! <Where did that come 
from?! I don't like men!>

----------

"All three accounted for. We're leaving now on our Dreads!" Meia said to her 
communicator as she and her subordinates ran toward their ships. However, 
just as Meia and Jura were lifting off, Dita ran into one tiny problem...

"OH NO! MY DREAD IS STUCK AND I CAN'T GET OUT!"

----------

It was true. With the front wedged tightly in the hole to the reactor room, 
the fighter was effectively trapped. On the other side of the wall, Slade 
was about to transform when he saw the problem. He had to make a decision. 
He could just transform and escape imminent destruction, leaving the girl to 
die or...

Though he was no longer Ranma Saotome, he still felt the desire to protect 
the innocent and this girl certainly qualified. Though it meant cutting it 
close, he decided to do the honorable thing. Raising one hand toward the 
Dread, he focused his power and fired a tight blast at a space below the 
twin booms of Dita's fighter. The bulkhead gave way, enlarging the hole and 
freeing the Dread.

In her cockpit, Dita gasped at the act of kindness and the power the alien 
had displayed. "Wow! You're a really cool alien!"

Slade simply shrugged as he held up his Tekkacrystal.

----------

Meia and Jura breathed out in relief as they saw Dita's Dread move back out 
of the hole. Since they were on the other side, they had not witnessed how 
the ship had gotten loose. Not that they had time to think about it. They 
had just started their escape when they realized that they were too late.

----------

The pirate ship...

"We can't avoid a direct hit!" One of the bridge crew declared.

"Hit or miss, it's our destiny." The old captain said as she prepared for 
the worse.

----------

"TEKSETTER!"

Just as Slade's transformation began, the missiles hit, causing a massive 
explosion that engulfed both ships.

----------

On the new section of the Ikazuchi...

"Minister! We're losing mass!"

The commander nodded with satisfaction as he witnessed both ships being 
engulfed into a kind of vacuum and disappeared from sight.

"I hope you enjoy the taste of defeat."

----------

Slade found himself falling in a sea of greenish-blue. His body felt as if 
it were on fire as energy flooded his entire being. The sensation was unlike 
anything he had ever felt before, and yet it did not feel painful as he felt 
an unknown presence nearby and making him feel more relaxed.

As he fell, Slade saw that he wasn't alone. Three others were falling with 
him and as darkness enveloped him once again, he saw an image of something 
that would forever shape his future. It resembled his Tekkaman form, but was 
larger. Then the last image he saw was that of a certain girl as he heard 
the words...

"MR. ALIEN!"

To be continued...


Author's Notes

Yes, I know that this sounds like the first episode of Vandread, but rest 
assured that more changes will occur as time goes on.

The revision is relatively minor as I filled out a few things and changed 
some terms.
