There is very little Ranma in this part, but it is important for the
story that you at least have an idea about what is happening. Besides,
this one is going to be damn cool.
Ranma Xero.
Prolouge.
Twenty years ago...
"Riker pull up damn it!" screamed the voice over the com. The gruff
looking man stared out over the sea of stars and simply glared at the
massive cruiser that moved slowly over his head. The sounds of explosions
ripped through the gasses that the bulky cruiser emitted as it passed.
He jammed the stick down sending his fighter into a downward spiral as
he passed by the rear engines of the starship letting loose a barrage of
energy from his front mounted cannons that seemed to merely scorch the
surface. His spin sent him harmlessly between the two massive jets of
plasma that propelled the cruiser through space. Riker switched off the
comlink with an annoyed grunt.
"Yo boss, HQ is screaming for us to pull back. There ain't nothing more
we can do," said a familiar voice as one of his wingmen pulled up behind
him.
"These bastards are heading straight for our hometowns on earth; you
really think I'm going to pull back just because our cannons don't do
more than dent this thing? I'll find a way," retorted the man angrily.
Five more ships pulled up beside him from various points in space. They
were all the same type of fighter, a light brown color with long noses, a
short wingspan, and four laser cannons jutting from the nose. The cannons
varied in size and several missiles rested on the underside of each
vessel. Markings indicating they were a part of the planetary defense
force adorned the portions of the ships that were not scoured with
damage.
The battleship itself was huge, easily a hundred times the size of the
ships that circled around it. Humanoid robots almost twice the size of
the Earthian ships zoomed through space picking off the ships not fast
enough to obey the evacuation order.
Silence filled the airwaves with the occasional scream for help or last
cry of life before another human pilot ended his career in a flaming ball
of glory. "I'm going back in."
"With you all the way boss!" agreed the wingman. None of the others
responded, their feelings were clear enough.
The five ships tore through space with surprising speed as all of the
afterburners roared to life. Riker's ship was in the lead as he spun and
weaved through laser blasts and enemy mechs. His cannons roared with an
almost continuous blast as he tore through the hectic battle. Most of the
ships were limping in the opposite direction. However the heroic charge
had picked up three other ships by the time the reached the battle
cruiser again.
They roared down the side blasting at laser turrets and cannons as they
streaked down the side of the massive ship. Riker could hear the screams
of his men through the communications interface as they died bravely at
his side, covering each other from fire. "I'll get you bastards!" he
screamed as he pulled away as he finished his attack run.
Three ships remained, small explosions could be seen down the side of
the cruiser from the damage they group had created along the ship's hull.
"That was one hell of a hit," commented one of the two remaining wingmen.
"But not good enough, if that payload reaches the planet we're done
for," said Riker with a heavy sigh. He steeled himself and looked at his
display. "I've still got enough missiles for another run. How are you two
doing?"
"Fresh out boss, I've still got my frontside blaster though," said the
ship to his right. He had a heavy Texan accent.
"Still green on half my payload," said the other man with a dissatisfied
grunt. "I ain't going back until I unload it all."
Riker glared at the ship with a burning hatred in his eyes. The plasma
ports were facing them directly and he could feel his teeth begin to
grind unconsciously. "Don't bother, just cover me." He reached down and
flicked several switches before entering a code on a keypad that rested
just below the canopy. The interior of the ship began to flash red and he
breathed in and out in slow controlled motions. "Let's go."
The ships charged forward again moving through enemy fire easily. Almost
the whole attack force was alerted to them now as most of the human ships
had retreated or been destroyed. The three men plowed through them
relentlessly taking heavy damage to their ships. The Texan screamed as
his run was ended in a ball of fire. Riker didn't even give the man a
passing glance as he bore down on the cruiser. He simply shot forward
pushing his engines to their maximum. Red lights and heat sirens flashed
around him in warning and a yellow circular symbol flashed on his main
screen. "Danger, core overheating," chimed the computerized voice.
"Boss, what the hell are you doing?" screamed his remaining wingman as
he pulled away as they neared the star cruiser's engine ports.
The computerized voice of the ship's computer began to count down inside
Riker's ship. "Five...four...three..."
"Take this you sons of bitches!" screamed Riker as he slammed into the
rear of the ship. A massive nuclear explosion shattered both of the
engine ports sending the gigantic ship into a slow spin in space.
The wingman shot forward just ahead of the blast at a speed that slammed
him into his seat. His own warning lights blared around him as he
struggled to control the ship as he rocketed towards the space station.
He finally managed to regain control and spared a glance back at the
sparking remains of the space cruiser. A majority of the ship still
survived, but it was now a sitting duck in space. A dark smile crossed
his lips as he realized that it was still moving slightly. "Way to go
boss." He turned his attention back to piloting his starship home.
"What is going on here!" screamed the older looking man on the bridge of
the starship known as the destroyer. He had a long white beard and a
light blue skin color like everyone else on board the ship.
"Admiral, our engines have been destroyed; we are without power on
eighty percent of our systems. In short, we have lost," said the taller
man who stood next to him.
"Impossible!" screamed the man in rage.
One of the female officers turned from her console with a shocked look
on her face. "Sir, we are being pulled into the planet's gravitational
system."
"What?! Take evasive action!" screamed the old man in a rage. "Get us
the hell out of here!"
"We cannot, there are no engines," said the tall man with a strangely
calm look about him.
"Oh god! The emergency systems are down! There's no way to escape, all
the pods are shorted out!" screamed another man from his seat nearby. The
bridge quickly went into a panic and the Admiral merely stood from his
seat and watched as the screen began to take a slightly red glow.
"Send a distress signal! Ask them for help, I cannot allow all of these
people to die!" screamed the old man in desperation.
"It has already been done," said the tall man with a slight smirk. "I
believe the return message was...'Burn'."
The old man hung his head and stared down at the console in front of
him. "Damn them."
"Apparently they have not forgotten what we did to their colonies on
Mars sir."
Kimiko stood on the remains of Mt. Fuji and smirked. The side of the
mountain had a huge gash in it where the enemy battle cruiser had crash
landed. Pieces of the doomed ship littered the landscape of Japan for
miles around the sight. Fortunately for her team, several almost
completely intact mechs had been recovered for study. With these machines
Earth's technology would grow in leaps and bounds in just a few short
months. Robotic technology alone would be enough to give them the edge
they had lost in the last confrontation with the alien menace. Now where
they were desperately lacking, they had an edge where they could fight
back again.
"Kimiko, come and look at this!" screamed her husband as he pushed back
the heavy fur hood of his coat. His long dark hair flowed behind him as
he turned to look at her with an excited look in his eyes. She noticed
his friend step back with a look of terror in his eyes.
"My god! What is it?"
She paused when she neared the crater they were standing over. Buried
halfway in the ground was a completely intact mech. It was black and red
with an almost demonic appearance about it. The seams of its body were
smooth, and it had an almost sleek appearance about it. Two black
metallic wing protrusions rose from its shoulders and a blade like horn
rose from the forehead. It's head almost looked like Samurai armor with
two red eyes that remained dull as they stared out into space.
"What is this?" she gasped out loud. She turned to face the team of
scientist she had brought with her. "Get over here! Now!"
"An ill omen," said her husband's friend.
"Quite so Saotome," agreed her husband.
TBC...