I dare you to MST this sucker.

continued from part 1
----------------------

  Kodachi's Black Rose squadron, made up of medium fighters, escorted 
the heavy bombers of the Catoblepas squadron toward the oncoming 
Dominion warships. The bombers would make a torpedo run on the warship, 
but needed about twenty seconds for the torpedo to match shield 
modulation. However, since the shields were temporarily burned-out, that 
was no longer necessary. All the bombers needed now was cover from enemy 
fighters. 
  "This is Catoblepas Leader, ready and arm torpedoes!" Kodachi heard 
over the commlink. 
  "Incoming fighters!" shouted another. 
  Kodachi thumbed on her commlink. "Black Rose squadron, do not engage! 
Stay with your escorts!"
  Had the squadron been her usual team, they would've complied without 
hesitation. But, since only two survived previous conflicts, the rest 
were made up of Terran pilots, who barely listened to Kodachi. Three 
broke off to engage the Dominion ships. 
  Damn, Kodachi thought. Damn those green pilots! 

  Kuno waited in his star-mech as the Dominion fighters broke pass the 
satellite defense batteries. 'Mechs were ill-suited for space combat, 
but star-mechs were specially-designed for space in mind. Unlike 
standard 'mechs, star-mechs had better propulsion jets, but not nearly 
enough to replace the function of actual fighters in battle. 
  "Bronze Phoenix squadron, prepare to engage the enemy!"

  The battle seemed to fare well for the Terra Combine. Konatsu was 
already ready to celebrate, but Ukyo was not. 
  "What troubles you, sir?" asked Konatsu. 
  "They're holding out, they've got to have more than this," Ukyo said. 
"Either they're trying to soften us up, or this fleet's just bait...."
  She watched the tactical display. The Dominion forces appeared to be 
pulling out. Several of the Combine ships left their positions to 
pursue. 
  "Who is that, and get me a link to him!" Ukyo ordered Konatsu. 
  "It's Captain Hikaru Gosunkugi, sir. Putting him through."
  The image of Hikaru appeared on Ukyo's viewscreen. "Come on, Admiral! 
We got them on the run!"
  "Get back here, you idiot," Ukyo snarled, suddenly realizing the 
danger, "they're luring you away!" One of the oldest tricks in the 
book....
  Someone shouted from behind Hikaru, "Sir! We're detecting massive jump 
gates forming around us...!"
  "Oh shiiiii...." Hikaru screamed, then the transmission went blank. 
  Ukyo didn't have time to contemplate Taro's demise. She opened 
channels to the ships surrounding Hikaru's previous guard position. 
"Close up that hole in the array! Nothing gets through!"
  But the defenders were too slow to act as the Dominion reinforcements 
plunged through the defensive perimeter left open by Hikaru. The real 
battle just began. 

  Mousse's heavy fighter weaved through the swarm of Dominion craft. 
What remained of his White Swan squadron was now battered, as they took 
the full brunt of the frontal assault. 
  Over the comm.-channel Mousse heard, "Oh my god! They're torpedoing 
the main ship!" 
  Mousse checked his radar, and sure enough, a full torpedo spread fired 
off at the main Joketsuzoku battleship. Shampoo's ship. 
  "Shampoo, I'm coming my darling!" he cried, leaving the squadron 
behind in the wake of afterburners. 
  The torpedoes were getting closer. 
  "All available power to engines, including shields!" Mousse shouted at 
the computer. The speed of his fighter increased significantly as laser 
blasts punched through the hull. 
  The torpedoes were almost within shield range. 
  Mousse flew faster and faster, ignoring the explosions around him. His 
glasses cracked in a sudden blow, blinding Mousse with shards of glass. 
But he didn't need his eyes anymore. 
  "BAAAAAAANNNZAAAAAAAAIIII!!!!"
  Mousse's fighter crashed through the torpedo spread. 

  Shampoo stood staring out the window from the bridge of the Pride, 
watching the torpedo spread make its way to her ship. Then, without 
warning one of her fighters drove itself into the spread, detonating the 
warheads and sparing the Pride from destruction. 
  Shampoo turned to the tactical officer. "Identify that craft!"
  "Sir!" the female officer replied, "that was Mousse's fighter."
  Mousse. Stupid goose had to be a hero. He died a hero. 
  "Sir?" the officer said to Shampoo. The captain hadn't said a word for 
a long time. 
  "Divert all power to weapons," ordered Shampoo. "Take all of them down 
with fiery death!"

  If it hadn't been for that damned Hikaru, Ukyo'd be in control of the 
situation. Now things were getting out of hand. 
  She watched the tactical grid with disgust as more and more Combine 
blips faded away from the screen. Once the toe was in the door, it was 
all over. Ukyo watched as the blip that represented Captain Taro's ship 
vanished. She bit back the tears as her mentor died in battle. 
  The Jade Dragon rocked once again, this time more violently than 
before. Bridge crewmen were sent flying, dying before they hit the 
ground from explosions. Konatsu rushed to replace the dead helmsman. 
  Fire erupted on the bridge. Ukyo was thrown from her seat. 
  A transmission burst through the confusion. "Combine vessels, you are 
ordered to surrender to the Saotome Dominion. Failure to do so will 
result in your destruction."
  "In hell," Ukyo spat under her breath. She glanced over at the comm. 
officer. "Tell the marines to drop on Earth, as per pre-instructed 
orders. We no longer need them. We're not going to go down without a 
fight."
  Ukyo stood before her seat, the blood and sweat trickling down her 
face. She watched silently as the marine dropships descended toward the 
surface. "All weapons forward! Target the lead ship!" To Konatsu she 
barked, "Full speed ahead!" 
  The officers on the bridge stared at their captain as if she were mad.   
Konatsu looked back at Ukyo in alarm. "Full speed?!"
  "Ram them, dammit!" Ukyo snarled. "No one destroys the Jade Dragon but 
me!" 
  Konatsu nodded in understanding. "It has been an honor to serve under 
you, sir!" He stood, and withdrew the blaster he held at his side. 
Taking aim, he shot at Ukyo. 
  Ukyo never flinched. She looked over her shoulder, to an officer 
standing behind her, holding a weapon in his hand, pointed at Ukyo's 
neck. Konatsu's shot hit the officer right between the eyes. Ukyo's lips 
curved into a smile as she watched the life drain from the treacherous 
officer's eyes. 
  To Konatsu Ukyo said, "If we survive this, I'll make sure you get a 
medal." 
  Konatsu returned to his seat and punched in the proper sequence. The 
Jade Dragon lurched forward at high velocity. 
  "Jade Dragon, cease your present course immediately!" the Dominion 
flag-ship ordered, almost pleaded. 
  Ukyo walked to the communications console herself, and replied, "I AM 
the Jade Dragon, and I hunger for you!" She opened the comm.-channel to 
broad-band frequencies. "For duty, honor, and loyalty!" 
  Damn all Saotomes to Hell. Ukyo stood on the bridge, a stone sentinel 
to the inevitable doom before her, never flinching, eyes open. She 
stared death in the face, and was enjoying every minute of it. 
  The Dominion flagship couldn't get out of the way in time. 
  Oh, the light, Ranchan! If only you could see it with me.... 

  Kodachi watched as the Jade Dragon plunged into the Dominion flagship. 
The fireworks were spectacular. 
  It was about that time Kodachi's fighter was nearly helpless; wires 
dangled from exploded panels, sparks flew, weapons malfunctioned, 
shields failed. And the hull was getting punched up to hell. Ejection 
was simply out of the question, as the mechanism was shot. 
  "Black Rose squadron, let's make our sacrifice count!" Kodachi cried 
over the commlink to her remaining squadron. "Take the bastards with 
you!"
  They all knew the fight was hopeless. They all knew the risks. They 
knew they weren't going home. The most dangerous enemy was one that had 
nowhere to run. 
  Kodachi rammed her ship into the engine section of one warship. The 
chain reaction it caused sent shockwaves throughout the ship that ripped 
it apart from the inside. 

  So, I am the last of the Kuno line, Kuno thought as he watched his 
sister plunge to her fiery doom. The phoenix was reborn in fire, perhaps 
it was time for Kuno to do the same. We live and die together, Kodachi 
had said. I'll see you shortly, dear Sister. I promise. 
  As his star-mech accelerated at the nearest warship with guns blazing, 
Kuno shouted over the commlink, "For House Kuno! We die for honor!"

  Ranma watched as the door to his dark cell opened, revealing Major 
Ryoga Hibiki, of the late Jade Dragon. 
  "Come here to gloat?" Ranma speculated. 
  "No, I'm under orders from the admiral to make sure you don't die," 
Ryoga replied. 
  "Ucchan's doing?" Ranma said in surprise. "Why?"
  "She wanted to make sure you lived to see the next day," explained 
Ryoga. He handed a datapad to the prisoner. "She recorded her final 
message here." With that, Ryoga stalked out of the cell, ready to throw 
his life for his 
admiral. 
  Ranma looked at the datapad curiously. Then, with a shrug, he turned 
it on. The image of Ukyo appeared on the small screen. 
  "Greetings, Ranchan," Ukyo said. "By the time you hear this, I'll be 
with my ancestors." Ucchan... dead? "It appears that your Saotome 
government have won. Know that I lived and died by my principles, for 
the people I serve. Never forget that, old friend." She halted for a 
moment. "I have one small favor to ask of you, one I'm sure you'll carry 
out. When it's time for you to take the throne, remember the people. 
Always remember that the government exists to serve the people, my 
friend. I wish things were different between us; I've come to forgive 
our pass differences, perhaps you can do the same. You don't know how 
tempting your offers to defect were, just so I could be with you! See 
you, Ranchan, wherever we meet again, in a place without wars to tear us 
apart." 
  The message was short and to the point, just like Ucchan. Ranma held 
the datapad tightly, silently mourning the loss of his friend. She's 
right, I will do her this one favor. 

  In the end none of the Terra Combine fleet survived the onslaught of 
the Dominion's numbers. However, the Dominion only barely succeeded in 
rescuing the Heir-apparent from his Siberian prison, as the forces under 
Major Hibiki set up a fierce defense. Unfortunately for the Combine, the 
entire defense force was wiped out. Ryoga died a warrior, as did those 
who died in the heavens above before him. 
  The Terra Combine was crushed under the heels of the Saotome Dominion, 
but at what price? Ranma watched as the surviving enemy were lead to the 
prison ships, among them Shampoo, who somehow survived the destruction 
of her own ship (she wanted to kill herself, but the escorts prevented 
her from doing so). Nowhere Ranma saw a trace of Ukyo, and he felt a 
pang of guilt in his stomach, even if he did know she was dead already. 
  I could've saved you, Ucchan, Ranma thought. If it weren't for these 
damned wars, everything would've been different between us. In the end, 
you chose your duty over friendship. I have to respect that. 
  Good-bye, Ucchan. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. 

  So it came to pass that when Ranma returned home he memorialized Ukyo 
and those under them for their duty, honor, and loyalty, in the face of 
death. Posthumous honors were bestowed upon the defeated officers, and 
their families were provided with full benefits of other military 
families. His own father when he wanted to punish those against the 
Dominion during the war, but Ranma dissuaded him, arguing that it was 
time to heal. Reluctantly, he agreed. 
  When it was time that Ranma became head of government sweeping reforms 
were made throughout the Dominion to make it a better place. For Ucchan. 
For the people.  

 
<!-- End File -->


"That's my story and I'm sticking to it."--JMS, creator of Babylon 5. 
"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die."--Kosh, Babylon 5.
"Jump. Jump now!"--Kosh, "Z'ha'dum," Babylon 5, making some sense. 

--Razorclaw X

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