Vandread Fantasy
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or Vandread. I wish I did though oh well ;)
Sorry that I haven't put this chapter up it's a long story well enjoy
( ): thoughts
Chapter Four
Just trying to help out
In one of the ladies rooms...
Belvedere was powdering her face with her make-up unit looking at a mirror as she had a discussion of the latest gossip about men with one of her fellow crewmembers.
"Did you hear the latest rumors? I heard that men seem to have some strange tube stuck between their legs."
The reaction of the other pirate was rather obvious.
"No way! Are you sure it's not some kind of antennae? Gross!"
"If that rumor was true, then I wonder if that 'thing' there between their legs makes it difficult for them to walk."
They were not aware that there was someone else listening on their little gossip session as a certain redhead was all ears to that little rumor.
Dita listened eagerly to her comrades as they discussed the latest gossip about men. As soon as she understood what Belvedere was talking about, she looked on her own body and noted that she didn't have that said appendage on her. She smiled and then decided to find out whether this rumor was true about one of the Mr. Aliens
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As Dita was going down the hallway down to the men's quarters her curious question was just about to be answered as Cloud came around the corner and headed for the men's room. Dita then quietly snuck in behind Cloud without him noticing. Just when Cloud pulled down his pants he saw a certain red haired women behind him.
"AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHH! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE DITA!" Cloud asked in shock and embarrassment, as he was about to drop his pants in front of the toilet, but he couldn't do that as a certain someone was inside the restroom with him.
Dita said nothing at all, as she continued to stare at Cloud with a twinkle in her blue eyes and a smile on her face, totally unaware what her presence was doing to the young man.
Cloud tried in desperation to contain the embarrassment in his face from showing, in a flash he pulled back up his pants, grasped Dita by the collar of her jacket and hauled her out of the men's restroom. As soon as he opened the door leading out, he dumped Dita on the floor. The female now found herself planted outside of the room as Cloud slammed the door and activated the electronic lock.
Dita turned around and spoke to Cloud through the door.
"But why can't I watch Mr. Alien?"
"I can't go with someone watching that's why!" He shouted back.
Dita looked down and sighed in disappointment. She then decided to go and see if the other Mr. Alien would let her see. Dita then went to look for Hibiki.
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At the medical bay...
Duero gazed in interest at the images he was viewing.
"Peculiar... this organ doesn't even exist in a man's physiology." He remarked as he further studied the computer displays showing the gestating baby within Ezra.
Ezra looked at the young medic and explained what they were viewing.
"It's called a uterus."
"Hmmm... a reproductive organ... most interesting."
Ezra rested on the bed comfortably, as she began to explain to Duero what else they were looking at.
"I wanted to have a baby, so I decided to carry the seed."
This made the young medic curious even more. "What's the seed?" Duero asked.
"It's when an ohma donates an egg and has it spliced with the genes of the fahma. Then it is implanted into the fahma's womb to be nurtured and to grow. Where I come from, anyone who wants to be a fahma can be one."
"Hmmm.... So that means I can become one?"
Ezra developed a rather large sweat drop as she tried to find a way to explain.
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Elsewhere...
Parfet was busy holding a contest for which a new name would be given to the fused ship, since everyone agreed that the name Ikazuchi was a rather lousy choice for the ship. All of the crew would contribute and the winner would get a year's supply of food coupons that will be redeemed at the Trapeza. With the Navi-robot, now being called Pyoro, logging in all the suggestions, Parfet would then give the list to the Captain for her to choose the name. One of the suggestions offered was the name 'Nirvana' which was BC's suggestion. Parfet hoped that the captain wouldn't choose that one. It was then that she was going down the hallway when she noticed Cloud coming her way. She then remembered that men were now a part of the crew so she went to him to see if he had any suggestions for a new name for the ship.
"Hey your names Cloud right?"
"Yeah, can I do something for you?"
"Well were holding a contest and who ever wins gets a year's supply of food coupons that will be redeemed at the Trapeza."
"Ok so what do I have to do."
"Just give us a name for the ship and if the captain chooses it you win. It's that simple."
"Umm how about the name......Highwind." Cloud then left
"Hey that's not a bad name Pyoro put that one down."
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Meanwhile... at another section of the ship...
Buzam had just finished inserting a data disk into a message pod, when she was suddenly contacted by the captain via Comm.-link.
"BC, is everything ready?"
"Err, yes Captain!"
Magno nodded as she then spotted two pods were in the launch ports. "Why are there two pods?"
"Well... this second one is for Tarak. I thought it would be prudent to warn the men of the threat as well, as they are also the enemy's target."
Magno considered this and her first officer for a moment, and agreed with her plan, as the men too were a target.
"Very well." Launch the pods."
BC nodded as she activated the launch ports. Twin cylindrical objects were shot out at the bottom of the ship and sped towards their designated coordinates of the distant planets of Tarak and Mejale. However, before the pods could even reach a full two hundred kilometers, they were engulfed in a massive explosion. BC looked in surprise as she viewed the two pods' destruction through her screen, and in an instant later she spotted a quartet of enemy fighters came into view.
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"RED ALERT! ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS!"
Alarms were going all out throughout the ship, as Dread pilots began scrambling to respond to the incoming threats. Their record for rapid deployment was a full forty-nine seconds. Meia and Jura were already on their way to their own Dreads when they saw Dita standing near her own ship.
"Dita, what are you waiting for? Board your Dread!" Meia cried out as soon as she got close to her apprentice pilot.
Dita faced both her and Jura as she spun in pirouette as she stated why she was still standing around.
"It was Mr. Alien! He got into his partner and flew right out of here! WHOOOSH! He was SO fast!"
"What? He's out there already!" Jura exclaimed. They had only gotten the order to scramble just fifteen seconds ago.
As Jura had finished saying her sentence Cloud had entered the hanger.
"What are you guys doing we should be getting ready to go out there and fight."
"Well you see the other Mr. Alien came and went out with his partner and..."
"Ok Dita I think I get it."
Cloud then looked at the blue haired women and noted that she was quite pissed. He also noted that he would have to talk to Hibiki about this later as well. He then looked over to Jura and saw that she was looking at him with those pleading eyes and found it quite discomforting.
(Man I think I might never get used to being surrounded by women.)
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Out in space...
Hibiki was out in space, and was already fighting off the threats.
Hibiki then went full out toward the enemy with his two swords and took them out with no sweat.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA. See just leave this to me only a man can do moves like that. HAHAHAHA.
Hibiki and his partner then went back to the hanger.
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Back in the hanger
As soon as Hibiki landed his Vanguard he saw Cloud, Dita, Jura, and Meia. Hibiki then looked at the three women
. "You ladies can take a break, Hibiki the man has taken care of the enemy."
Meia's anger was rising at being upstaged by this...man!
"JUST WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT DO YOU THINK I WAS DOING I WAS SAVING YOUR BUTTS FROM THE ENEMY WHAT ELSE."
"You went out there without any authorization!" Meia called out with a little unrestrained anger.
(Uhh I think that I should jump in sometime soon before something serious happens.)
Cloud then got in between them before anything else could happen.
"Hey calm down you two there's no point in fighting."
"Who wanted your input and if I need to remind you both. You're both prisoners on this ship and you're not a part of this crew and you have no right to give me orders." Meia said
(Man, this one sure has a high temper.) Cloud thought to himself as he gazed at Meia. He then cocked his head in thought as he tried to find a way to resolve this without fists being launched.
"Correct me if I'm wrong here, but as I recall, your Captain did state officially that me, along with Hibiki, Bart the navigator and Duero the doctor were to be part of this crew for the duration of this voyage."
"Don't give me that! You're just a showoff! You are nothing without that Vanguard or the other men!"
Cloud tensed up a bit and became a little bit angry as he gazed at Meia. (Okay, that's it. I can't stand her)
"Oh really... are you challenging me?" Cloud said with controlled anger as he gave a slightly forced smile on his face. Despite his anger, he had to admire her fiery spirit and her inner strength. She had the potential and the heart of a good fighter. However, she had unwittingly challenged him, and as a soldier well Ex-soldier he NEVER backed down from a fight.
Meia's own temper hit another high notch and reached its boiling point as she glared at the smirk on Clouds face, she wasn't aware of the fact that the smirk was hiding the small amount of anger in the man's face. It was bad enough that men were now serving alongside her and her fellow pirates, but this man in particular infuriated her! And now he was daring her!
"Ah, ah! The warrior who loses her control over her temper has already lost the battle." Cloud smiled even more as he could tell that Meia was losing her control due to anger. Despite his own slightly flaring temper, he had no intention of harming the girl, as she wasn't his real enemy, so he decided to goad her a little bit to end the conflict quickly.
His attempt to goad Meia worked, as it had made the normally levelheaded Dread squadron leader lose her control. "AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" Meia cried out as she leveled a fist, intent on knocking Clouds head off.
Cloud however moved with ease as he side-stepped the fist which was only a centimeter away from his face, grabbed hold of Meia's extended arm and with a simple throw tossed the woman and flipped her like a pancake tossed off the baking pan. Meia found herself being thrown at least a dozen and a half feet before landing painfully on her posterior.
Hibiki, Dita, and Jura gasped at the sight of their leader so casually tossed, and they directed their looks to Cloud
Cloud shrugged his shoulders and spoke, "She attacked me first. What I did was merely in self-defense." Without another word he walked out of the room.
Dita turned and looked at Jura. "Mr. Alien... has a point." Just as Cloud was leaving
"Hibiki come with me. You and I need to have a talk."
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At the bridge...
"He's a danger to the ship and to the morale of the crew!" Meia complained to her Captain. It was rather obvious that her pride and ego were bruised along with her posterior. She would not be shown up by anybody! Namely by that... that MAN!
"I take it that you don't approve of the newest addition to our crew?" Magno Vivian asked her Dread squadron leader.
"That's putting it too mildly... captain. He's not following orders, he's absolutely reckless, and he's so...so... infuriating!" Meia said as she tried to rein in her temper.
"I see. Well... I'll admit that he is a bit reckless. But he's already done us a couple of favors. Furthermore, his skills and the power of his Vanguard are quite helpful assets, considering our current situation. However, if you really believe that the men are hampering the Dread teams' performance, then perhaps he will accept a reassignment of duties?"
Meia felt a surge of accomplishment and smugness as she nodded in agreement with the suggestion of her captain. She'll show that MAN her place!
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In the Garden...
"Jezz Cloud the way you showed that women. Your amazing." Hibiki said
"Ok Hibiki I get it already so calm down we need to have a talk."
"Yeah so what do you want to talk about my training with you, some special vanguard moves, what?"
"I want to talk to you about what you did today. When you left for battle all by yourself."
"Yeah so. I just wanted to show the women who Hibiki the man really was."
"Well Hibiki I hate to bring you down but you shouldn't do that again. What if you went out there all by yourself and was killed or seriously hurt. No one would be out there to back you up or to help you out."
"Yeah so"
"So what I'm trying to say is listen to Meia she knows what she's doing and what's she saying."
"Ahh come on Cloud not you to. You've probably done the same thing I did back at your planet a bunch of times."
When Hibiki said that Cloud started to get memories of when he was back at his planet and what he did. Hibiki was right he did the same things he did when he and AVALANCHE were fighting Sephiroth, and before he had met AVALANCHE and what he had done when he was in soldier. Of course he still followed commands but when he remember what Sephiroth had done to his hometown and when he tried to fight Sephiroth on his own it brought back some really tough memories.
"Yeah I did Hibiki, but then I found out what friends were for and why they always had your back when you were in trouble. So try to listen to Meia at least once and a while and hopefully I didn't piss her off to much."
"Yeah Yeah fine alright. I'll give it a try but only cause you asked me. By the way when do we start my training?"
"When I'm able to find a large empty space on this ship. Well come on I'm starving lets get something to eat. Oh and before we leave I heard from someone that we got new orders to work in the reg. whatever that is."
"Well we'll worry about that later I'm starving."
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At the Register...
(THIS is where we'll be working?) Cloud thought to himself as he stepped in the ship's supply depot and center. Everyone in the center's staff were all dressed in white and red waitress outfits.
Gascogne was busy giving her staff the orders for today when she spotted the vanguard pilots.
"Ah yes! The new arrival! Girls, what's our motto?"
"SMILE! SMILE!" The girls said in unison as they faced the young man and simultaneously gave them a wave.
Cloud looked at the scene with a raised eyebrow. (Just what the heck have I gotten myself into anyway!)
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"You have GOT to be joking!"
Cloud looked at himself in shock as he took stock of his new uniform that were worn by every woman on Gascogne's staff. The frilly apron and skirt may look well on a woman's curves and body... but on a man's frame... (I know I've had to wear a dress before but this is ridiculous.) Cloud then looked over to Hibiki and saw him in the uniform.
"Hibiki I blame you this is your fault."
"Whatever do you think I like wearing this too?"
Gascogne smiled and tried not to laugh at the looks of anger and embarrassment on the men's faces who were now under her supervision and also took stock of their appearance.
"Now that's better. Now you truly look like part of the stagehands."
"Stagehands?" Cloud said
Gascogne nodded as she decided to explain.
"That's right. It's our job to make certain that all the supply orders or filled... with a smile of course. Don't think that the actors have their own up on the stage."
Cloud was still in a deep state of shock and embarrassment over what he was now ordered to wear, when the chief supply officer came up to him. He couldn't resist giving out a growl of annoyance and irritation, but Gascogne shook her head at that.
"You should remember our motto here. Smile, smile!"
Cloud tried to force a smile as he tried to keep his temper in check.
Gascogne smiled and then motioned for him to follow her for his first day of work. Hibiki on the other hand had to mop.
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Elsewhere on the ship...
"Wow! What is all this?" Dita asked as she and her companion the Navi-bot Pyoro explored the other sections of the men's side of the ship. She had already given her suggestion to Parfet that the ship's name be Roswell. Once she did that she went on a little trip to the men's side deeply interested in learning all that she could about her Mr. Alien. The two of them had come across one of the food storage compartments and were now gazing at the massive flood of variously colored nutrition pellets.
"This room is where the men keep their food supplies." The Navi-robot explained to the young redhead. "One of these pellets is good enough for a full three hundred hours worth of labor."
Dita knelt down and took one of the pellets and began to nibble it. She grimaced immediately and spat out the pellet as her tongue's taste buds were subjected to the pellet's foul taste.
"Ewwwww! Mr. Alien actually eats this stuff!"
"Well...." The robot spoke out as it decided to tell the redhead on what it had learned about both Cloud and Hibiki. "From what I've been able to gather, Cloud and Hibiki don't care for the taste either, but these pellets are all there is to eat on Tarak."
At that bit of information, Dita perked up and smiled as she thought up an idea on how to get closer to the Mr. Aliens.
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At the Register System...
Though he absolutely hated the idea of having to wear a skirt and apron to work, Cloud had to admit that Gascogne ran a very effective and efficient operation. The members of her crew were completely professional, though they kept on offering those somewhat annoying smiles. However his assigned tasks were even more demeaning than when he was back in Midgar. He had been demoted from being a Leader of Avalanche to scrubbing toilets and mopping floors. He was now a janitor.
Cloud's anger was at the high notch at this treatment, as he had a VERY accurate idea on why Meia had removed them from the combat roster.
(Hmmph! Now I understand why Meia was so happy when she was given the authority to have me reassigned. She's probably gloating right now. Oh well it didn't help that I hurt her pride. )
Cloud knew that he was MORE than capable on countering this new assignment; however he knew that Meia had some justification to do what she did, as he had no doubt injured her pride as a warrior. Not only that, he knew that if he did ignore this new assignment that would cause discord on the fragile and questionable alliance on the ship, and in effect cause a morale drop in the crew. He had decided not to risk this problem from escalating just for the sake of his pride, and not to cause any injuries for that same pride. They were all doing their jobs, after all. Though he made no bones on showing how much he HATED the dress uniform of the Register System.
Gascogne had arrived and spotted the sour look on Cloud's face, so she decided to have a chat with the only male member of her Register staff.
"Well now, it seems that some people don't remember our little motto."
"Hmmm?" Cloud turned from where he was while scrubbing the Launching Bay.
"Smile, smile."
Cloud gave a slightly icy glare as he gave a growl as his only response to the woman. It was then that Gascogne gestured for him to follow her. She wanted to show him something.
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"Don't start thinking that the jobs you were assigned to do aren't as important as destroying the enemy."
The head supply officer as she and Cloud stood in a small projection viewing room.
"We all have to do our part to help keep the ship running and keep everyone alive. Don't think that we have it easy down here."
"I hear you, but you might want to get to the point as to why you brought me here." Cloud said as he faced the supply officer.
Gascogne noted that she had a part of the man's interest, no matter how small. She then reached over and pressed a small button.
"Take a look at this."
A holographic image appeared on a screen, which caught the ex-soldiers attention. He saw the women's home-planet of Mejale and what seems to some sort of apartment complex in the residential areas. As the images continued to play, Gascogne began to explain.
"This is our home planet of Mejale. On the outside, it seems to be a rather beautiful and peaceful world. However, appearances are very deceiving. The people of Mejale are more concerned with their appearances than on practicality. They constantly waste precious energy and resources on very trivial pursuits, like who has the better garden. Often, these personal contests have gotten in the way of the more important things and what is needed to be done. One time, there was a massive power consumption and as a result... one of the residential units had to be shut down."
Cloud nodded with disgust on his face as he watched the image of a housing complex became dark as it was stripped of power. Gascogne continued further with her explanations.
"Our captain had lost her home as a result of what had happened and that was when she started this pirate gig. It was the perfect solution for those who had nowhere to go. In piracy, there was no difference between males and females. Everyone had to work hard, but everyone shared in the rewards. Don't get the idea that certain people reaped the rewards while others did all the work."
Cloud said nothing, but he had a good idea where the head supplier's conversation was hinting at. Cloud respected the views of the supply officer, as they were perfectly valid ideas. No person should be forced out of his or her own home, just because of the foolishness of one's neighbors.
"You know, you should be considering yourself lucky. If it had been the Mejale military that had attacked the men that time, then you would have been dead long before you could have even said mercy."
"Well I would consider yourself to be lucky cause you see were I'm from there was a city that ran on the planets energy. We called it Mako. Slowly the planet started to die because a company called Shinra kept extracting the planets energy and knew that we were sucking the planets life force. They never listened to us. So a bunch of us got together and made an organization called Avalanche. We meaning avalanche went around and tried to take out the Mako reactors that were sucking the planets life force out. A lot of people got hurt during those times. And then Seph...someone came along and wanted to destroy are planet with the black materia called Meteor. We were able to stop him and we know longer use Mako as an energy source. Well what I'm trying to say Gasco is I know what you're trying to tell me."
Gascogne gazed at Cloud as she thought about it for a moment. She had to agree her home-planet and his planet weren't that very different except for meteor and planet destruction, considering his innate abilities and the sheer power.
"Yes, I suppose that you do understand and that we are very alike"
"Yeah I know." Cloud replied as he exited the room.
Gascogne smiled a bit as she watched the young man leave.
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A week after Cloud and Hibiki joined the Register System...
"LOOK OUT!"
The women scrambled back for cover when the anti-gravity fields failed as the huge payload of missiles started falling. They had been moving the ammunition to one of the loading bays for the Dreads, when the lifters malfunctioned. The massive loads of ordinance that was being moved shifted and began bearing downwards.
A young member of Gascoigne's staff, a pretty girl with long braided brown hair, screamed after she had tripped and injured herself, and saw that the missiles were now bearing down on her. She knew that she was now going to die, either from being crushed by the tons of ordinance heading for her, or to be blown to bits when those weapons exploded on impact with the floor.
However, that disaster was quickly averted when one individual dropped his mop and headed for her. Cloud saw this and within a fraction of a second(or two)Cloud arrived and got her out of the way from the falling weapons, which made a loud, dull clang on the floor. Fortunately the missiles weren't armed, so they didn't detonate.
Cloud sat down on the floor, on his back as he tried to shake the gongs and bells in his head and groaned in pain, he slowly got up on his knees, still shaking his head slowly. Gascogne quickly rushed up to him and kneeled down.
"Are you all right?"
Cloud nodded and gave a weak grin. "N...No problem. Besides... we still have to... keep smiling... right? Though...I'm going to be...hearing...quite a few...gongs for a while."
The muscular woman couldn't help but laugh along with the young man as she helped him to his feet.
Nearby, the young woman saved by Cloud continued to glare at the young ex-soldier while being tended by a co-worker with a first-aid kit. However, the woman didn't appear to be at all thankful to her rescuer. Instead she gave a deep glare at Cloud as she openly showed her hatred for men.
Gascogne hoped that this would not cause any more conflict
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Later...
"Here. I thought you need a break after what happened today." Gascogne said as she reached the table where Cloud was resting as she handed him a glass filled with orange liquid.
Cloud nodded as he accepted the drink form the muscular woman and he sat down near the main console. "Thanks." Was the only word he gave, but Gascogne nodded with acceptance.
"I have to admit this much; you are a very hard and efficient worker... for a man."
"Sort of a back-handed compliment, but I'll take it." Cloud said nonchalantly as he gulped down his drink, once he finished his drink Cloud posed a question.
"So how's that girl I saved earlier."
"Maaya's doing fine, thanks to you Cloud."
Cloud nodded as he sighed a bit, and cradled the cool glass.
Gascogne noticed this and became rather curious. "Cloud... are you all right?"
Cloud nodded as he looked up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just took a little mental breather. What's her full name anyway?"
"Her name's Maaya, Maaya Hisakata."
"Hmmm, not a bad name. From what I've seen, she's a good worker."
The head supplier nodded. "Yes, Maaya's one very dedicated worker, though her dislike for men's a little too high than most of the other crew."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, from the moment she joined up with us, she's never made any attempt to curb her hatred of men. She despises men totally."
Cloud shrugged as he took a refill of his drink. "So what? I was under the idea that all women of Mejale despise and hate men... no offense intended to anyone on the ship."
Gascogne smirked. "None taken. However, it's not the propaganda films back on Mejale that make her hate men so much."
"Really... then what's the reason? If I'm not prying in too deeply." Cloud asked as he finished draining half the liquid in his newly filled glass.
"Well... she never gives me much in the detail department, but she stated that a tragic event that happened to her distant ancestor was done by a man. From the day she was born, she had been raised to hate all men in general, though the full reason had faded over time, long ago. I rather doubt that she even KNOWS the reason anymore for her trained hatred."
"I don't want to pry. But personally, I think that it's totally stupid to be raised to hate someone without any reason to validate that hatred at all." Cloud said as he drank what's left in his glass.
Gascogne nodded as she poured another round of orange juice to her only male worker, and somewhat, friend. "On that one Cloud, I totally agree."
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Maaya Hisakata continued to glare hatefully at the two men who were now part of the Register crew.
Mai's ancestor had a good reason to hate men. As over the last four hundred years ago back on Earth. Her ancestor had been a simple woman who had planned to be married, but on that day when she would be married, her fiancée had run away with another woman, who had been his mistress for some time. When she had found out about it she began to grow hateful of men and had in time made it a pact to forever despise men and have nothing to do with them. Since that sad betrayal by the man she had loved dearly, her family line had reproduced through the use of artificial insemination or invitro fertilization, any male child was immediately given up for adoption. When the time of space colonization came and the later founding of Mejale the Hisakata clan totally embraced the new asexual reproduction methods, therefore ensuring that no man would be born to soil their proud (though rather misguided) lineage.
Little did Maaya know that soon through this voyage, she and her crewmembers were about to learn things that her ancestors had totally forgotten about men.
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A couple more weeks passed, and the crew soon fell into a normal routine. Cloud had found work in the Register to be rather relaxing, he namely found his work to be the best way to avoid that crazy UFO girl, though the ex-soldier never disliked Dita at all, in reality he found her to be really attractive and she had a good and kind heart. But it was her constant calling of him by the name of Mr. Alien that had grated his nerves and had been a source of annoyance.
During this span of time, the ship had been under sporadic attack by the alien forces, but they were merely small skirmish teams, and that gave the Dreads no difficulties in repelling the attacks. Meia became even more confident that they didn't need the skills of Cloud and Hibiki and the power of there Vandreads. However... that idea was soon to change...
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WAAAABOOOOOOM!
"Enemy attack!"
Magno nodded as she got confirmation from both Belvedere and Amarone, as she and her bridge crew prepared for the latest assault of the enemy. All throughout the ship, crewmembers rushed to their assigned posts, as the Dread pilots rushed to their waiting fighters. In a full thirty seconds squadrons of Dreads were now in front of the ship ready to engage the enemy. After the many previous encounters, Meia was confident that she and her comrades would be able to handle this new threat without the help of the males, namely Cloud and his Vandread.
The enemy group comprised of at least several dozen of those strange-looking fighters that the pirates have accurately dubbed as Cube Fighters, two more of the ships that spouted out the Cube Fighters that they tagged as Seed Ships and one very large machine that seemed to be one massive sphere which comprised of globes on the surface. The alien forces maintained a fixed distance in front of the pirates, as if they were daring the women to make the first move in this little encounter.
On the command bridge, Magno ordered Bart to direct the ship in some evasive maneuvers, which the helmsman did without any hesitation, (his specialty is running away after all). However, for every maneuver the ship would attempt, the alien forces countered effectively, keeping the distance between them and the pirates in deadlock. After several more attempts that were easily countered, the pirates halted and decided to face off with their alien enemies.
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The Register...
"They're just standing there. What are those women doing? ATTACK ALREADY!" Hibiki said as he watched the situation unfold along with the rest of the pirates via monitors.
Cloud had heard Hibiki from the other side of the room and walked over to him.
"Hibiki, I'm going to tell you something useful never rush into battle without analyzing your enemy first. Once you've analyzed the enemy wait for them to attack first. This is also part of your training so remember that."
(Hibiki does have a point though they should have attacked already, not keeping us in this deadlock.) Cloud said to himself as he gazed at the image.
"I've got a REALLY bad feeling about this."
Normally he would have already been out there, fighting these new attackers, but since he had been reassigned, he was now just a spectator. It wasn't as if he couldn't disobey, but he respected Gascogne and the Captain enough to not break the rules.
Though he could tell, that in the next few moments, the rules were about to change for the worse...
In that sudden instant, the enemy attacked...
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Meia immediately placed the Dread squadrons into the fray. The agile pirate fighters darted in and out of the mess, blowing up a small number of the Cube Fighters to junk while trying to engage the alien's main attack ship. However the strange craft was evading the first wave with speed that contradicted its massive size. Then the globes on it's surface began to rotate and extend out massive purple tendrils turning into massive razor sharp spikes, making the machine look like a...
"Sea urchin? How disgusting!" Jura commented as she directed her Dread into a strafing pattern attack against the new alien ship. She was immediately followed by her best friend Barnette who also launched her own barrage of missiles against the target. However, the spines immediately became jagged and started rotating even faster. The missiles fired by Barnette were immediately brushed aside by the spines leaving the main body unharmed, as the missiles exploded harmlessly into space.
"No good! We can't get close enough to it for a direct shot!" Barnette called out as she moved her Dread away from the fray for move maneuvering room along with Jura.
Then the spines became straight and were suddenly launched outward like over-sized high velocity darts. A few of the Dreads were caught unaware by the sudden attack, getting hit and placed out of action. Meia thought that now was their chance as she directed the still operational Dreads to immediately attack. However, the machine rapidly extended more spines and began spinning them again, causing the next barrage of missiles to totally miss and explode without any effect.
"Damn!" Meia swore as she evaded the barrage of fire from a few Cube Fighters that rushed in to protect their main system of attack. But it didn't help matters when those Seed Ships were spewing out periodically more Cube Fighters.
"Let's ask the Mr. Aliens to come and help!" Dita called in her communicator as she also managed to evade the incoming barrage from her own pursuers.
"NO! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT RELYING ON OTHERS?"
"But there good aliens, they can really help us out!" Dita countered as she dodged more shots from the enemy.
"WE DON'T NEED THERE HELP! THERE MEN AND OUR ENEMY! WE CAN HANDLE THIS ON OUR OWN!"
Meia gritted her teeth as she directed her fighter teams once more.
(I WON'T ask for anyone's help! Namely from that MAN!) Meia mentally said furiously as she remembered...Cloud
Though Meia was confident of her skills and abilities and that of her fellow Dread pilots. She wasn't aware that she was breaking the most important rule in battle, and that was... Never let your pride override your better judgment'
-------------------------
Back at the Register...
Cloud shook his head in disgust as the fight continued. "The situation doesn't look good."
Gascogne nodded in agreement as well as she watched the battle through her tactical monitors. With the Cube Fighters running interference and defense, and the Dreads being unable to attack the new alien attack ship due to its defenses, it seemed that the pirates were now fighting a one-sided battle with them at the losing side. She checked her monitors again and noted that several of the Dreads were knocked out of the action. It wouldn't be long when the enemy would make their assault on the ship itself.
"Those Dreads aren't going to last much longer. Not to mention the fact that the current battle tactics they're using are now useless." Cloud said as he sighed and shook his head at the scene.
"Oh? What would you suggest then?" Gascoigne asked as she gazed at the new vanguard pilot.
The young warrior nodded as he pointed at the urchin like vessel of the aliens. "That new ship was designed specifically for the Dreads. The spines were designed for at least three functions. The first being to act as a form of defense, with the spines being jagged and in fast rotation and considering the flow of energy in them, they then would deflect the incoming barrage of missiles, as they now know that the Dreads are only effective on long and medium range attacks. The second is for ranged attack, the design is similar to that of high penetration rounds, and with them fired at extreme speed, they're very hard to dodge, even more so with those Cube-Fighters around, and to make things even more hazardous, there's two of those Seed Ships causing interference. The last will probably to act as melee weapons, as soon as they break through the Dreads' ranks, the aliens will use their main ship to attack us."
He began accessing the computer and did more calculations. "The only possible weakness of the new attack vessel is due to the fact that it relies too much on its spines for defense. From the way it has a fast recovery rate of spines, it would mean that it has light armor, which probably explains its speed and reaction time, and uses the spines extensively for defensive runs when it's attacked."
Cloud then pointed at the image of the urchin ship as it once again fires it's spines at the formations of the Dreads. He then pointed out the now spineless ship.
"The ship can be destroyed only when the spines are out of the way, and not from long range as that would give it the needed time to regenerate its spines. That would mean that the machine can be destroyed only when attacked in point blank range." He said
Gascoigne nodded in amazement at Cloud as he had already discovered the weakness of the current attackers. "Getting up close with that ship, with all those fighters guarding it and those spines shooting out? Sounds real risky."
All Cloud could do was smile. "Back were I'm from taking risks is a part of life, that and it was basically my daily life style. From monster attacks to SOLDIER. So I'm used to it."
Cloud then looked at Hibiki and could tell that if he didn't calm Hibiki down sometime soon he would end up hurting himself, but before he could it was then that the Register System began receiving delivery orders from several of the Dread fighters that were now running low on ordinance and ammunition.
"Well looks like we have some orders. Cloud, Hibiki come with me so I can show you the robes and show you what a stagehand really does." She then pressed a button to release Hibiki from his seat
Both Cloud and Hibiki nodded and followed Gascogne for a delivery.
--------------------------
The Dreki, Gascogne's supply ship, detached from the main ship and made its way to the battle zone. The ship resembled a deep gray metallic ladybug and was protected by high-density armor plate and had several grappling arms located on the undersides. As four Dreads came in to be rearmed and refueled, she then extended the arms and then grabbed the fighters bringing them closer so that the ordered weapons could be loaded on the ships.
On the main bridge of the Dreki, Gascogne sat with Cloud and Hibiki and watched the procedures.
"Okay, we're going to get all this done in forty seconds, tops. Let's do this all in one go."
Both Cloud and Hibiki nodded they efficiently and systematically loaded the Dreads with their newly ordered ordinance of missiles and power packs. The head supplier nodded in satisfaction as she watched the Vanguard pilot's amazingly flawless efficiency, and the calm look of Clouds face as his hands literally danced over the consoles.
In less than a full minute, the Dreads were now ready to go into battle once more, with some of the pilots itching to go back to the fight.
"I'm so full!" Data called out happily.
"Give them Hell, girls." Gascogne said as they launched away from the Dreki.
As Cloud watched the Dreads reenter the battle, he gave a sigh. He spoke at this. "Not that I'm saying that being a stagehand isn't a good job or anything, but we all need to change tactics soon. Unless the Dreads can take out that urchin vessel before it can make more spines, then it won't matter just how many times they shoot at it all and how many times they reload."
Gascogne nodded. "I couldn't agree more. However, the reloaded fighters can buy us some extra time."
"What are you getting at?" he asked.
Gascogne gestured to the display. "That's the reason why we brought these along with us."
Cloud then noted that two of the cargo bays were still loaded with two more items. Hibiki looked at it. "Hey, you still got two more deliveries."
"That's correct." She then accessed cargo manifest. "It's your vanguards I had some of the girls from the register load them in before we left. Now go ahead and put that plan of your into motion and give them hell."
Both Cloud and Hibiki looked up with puzzlement. It was then that Cloud got up and started to head for his vanguard.
"What are you doing Hibiki come on and lets go we don't have a second to waste."
"All right about time. I can't wait to go out there and kick some ass." Hibiki said
"Thanks... Ms. Gasco." Cloud yelled out as he headed for the cargo bay.
"It's Gascogne!"
---------------------------
"It's Cloud...and the other one" Jura said as she spotted two new machines enter the fray.
"It's the Mr. Aliens and their partners!" Dita cheered as she spotted the vanguard pilots
On her own Dread, Meia gritted her teeth in anger. (NO! It can't be HIM!)
Before Meia could tell Dita to stay away from Hibiki the two had already combined to make Vandread Dita and entered battle. As for Cloud he went toward Jura's Dread and combined with her. Jura was ecstatic and they entered the battle.
(There's no way I'm going to let a man out show or beat me.) Meia then continued the battle.
-----------------------
The gigantic urchin vessel however seemed to understand what the Blond-haired pilot had in mind. It responded by unleashing a slightly faster barrage of spines, intent of impaling Vandread Jura, Dita and the Dread fighters. Meia had suddenly appeared and her Dread took some of the damage
"Dita, watch out!"
Meia's Dread took the hits, sending itself hurdling to the side, though not badly damaged as she knocked Vandread Dita to safety, Cloud spotted the barrage and immediately banked away, He and Jura still took some damage and were forced to split apart. As if by fate or pure coincidence, the Vanguard and the Dread were in close proximity to one another as both individuals voiced out their same desire to defeat their foe.
"There's no way..." Meia shouted out.
"... I am going to let that machine beat me!" Cloud declared in a fierce voice.
It was then that the same process that caused Cloud's vanguard to merge with Jura's Dread went into effect as well, as both Cloud and Meia turned into a new force of power. Meia's Dread swallowed up the vanguard and began to shift its own form, the entire craft flipped over itself and extended twin appendages which formed into massive talons of a hunting bird, the front of the fuselage then extended further and took the form of a serpentine head with tusks. As it's wings then expanded to somehow resemble the wings of a massive predatory bird. It hovered in space, ready to wage a bloody encounter with its foes.
------------------------------
"What!" Dita said in shock as she looked at the new machine that had been born with the fusing of Mr. Alien and her leader Meia's own Dread.
"Did you see that?" Barnette called out as she flew alongside her partner Jura.
"It's SO cool, that means I can make another magnificent machine with that other man" Jura declared as she stared starry-eyed at Meia's fighter that now resembled a massive Dragon-style mecha.
On the pirate vessel, the bridge crew along with Magno and BC were also in awe, along with everyone else onboard.
"That guy's got a ton of tricks up his sleeve." Bart said as he gazed at the new mecha.
---------------------------
Inside the cockpit of the new fighter...
Cloud and Meia were already recovering from the fusion of her Dread with his Vanguard, when Cloud's backside collided with Meia's chest...and her... (Ahem) assets. They both froze and turned around when they saw one another, they were in shock, and the results were... rather... noisy.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Meia cried out in anger and embarrassment as she found herself in a rather undignified position. The cockpit of their own Vandread had her sitting in a reclining position, with Cloud out in front in a hunched over position.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SHOUTING ABOUT NOW...!" Cloud shouted back as he found himself in a rather embarrassing situation, though he tried not to show his body's reaction to the close proximity of the rather attractive and curvy Dread pilot.
"I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR HELP, SO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Meia shouted as she tried to force Cloud out of the cockpit, as her body seemed to tingle slightly from his proximity.
"FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I DIDN'T WANT TO EVEN BE HERE! SO QUIT PUSHING ALREADY!"
At that moment their little awkward verbal sparring match was cut short when the Vandread shuddered from the impact as the alien ship outside attacked it. Cloud focused himself to the threat at hand and grabbed a set of control systems in front of him. The Vandread came to life as he began accessing the systems of the massive machine as he then glared at his unexpected and reluctant though rather attractive co-pilot.
"As much as I want to argue a bit more, we don't have the luxury of time right now, so work with me here or we won't be able to barb each other later on!"
Meia gritted her teeth but slowly nodded in agreement as she went to work on the foot pedals and the controls on either side of her chair.
--------------------
The Vandread responded well as it darted with unbelievable speed after the enemy vessel with an acceleration rate that made the other nimble Dreads look like garden snails.
"That kind of acceleration is totally impossible!" Barnette declared as her sensors couldn't determine the exact speed that Meia's new machine was doing.
"Meia is SO lucky! Why can't my Vandread move as fast as hers!" Jura said as she eyed Meia's machine wistfully.
"Mr. Alien!" Dita chimed out as she watched the show.
"Come on, we don't have time to watch them we have battle on our hands." Hibiki said as he watched Vandread Meia take off. (Why does he get the cool looking machines?)
--------------------
Vandread Meia ran rings around the urchin ship and the giant urchin vessel tried in desperation to hit its unbelievably nimble target with every spine it could fire. However, the machine's barrage totally missed its intended mark as it flashed suddenly out of sight and reappeared behind it.
Inside the cockpit of the Vandread, both Cloud and Meia voiced out their mutual anticipation.
"This is just..." Cloud said out.
"... What I've been waiting for!" Meia declared as well.
It was then that Vandread Meia fed it's massive power to the machine's main systems. The entire craft was bathed in a bluish-white light of immense power as it dashed in like a comet.
The enemy craft was skewered through the center as the Vandread rammed straight through it like a bat out of hell. A moment later as the Vandread ran through it and out it's eye, it exploded into massive fragments and smaller spheres were scattered all over the place. The battle ended with the pirates, the Tarak men, and their allied Vanguard pilot as the victors.
Inside the now dormant Vandread, Meia and Cloud were completely exhausted.
"Well! Now that was... quite the mess." Cloud commented as he leaned on the console in front of him.
"I...never thought we'd agree on the same thing." Meia said as she also tried to regain her breath, and then added. "Now do you see? You can't just win every battle with just your Vanguards."
Cloud nodded "And I suppose you were doing better with only your Dreads?"
Meia didn't answer that question as Cloud had raised a good point.
"Look not to make you angry but I talked to Hibiki and he said he wouldn't do anything like that again...that and I'm sorry for embarrassing you."
But before Meia could say something the Vandread split apart and went back on the ship.
(That man is...weird) she said to herself before going back to the ship as well
------------------------
Later...
"The ship's new name? You want me to decide this?" Magno asked as she got into contact with Parfet through the Comm-link via Pyoro.
Parfet nodded as Pyoro showed the names suggested by the crew to her captain through his monitor." All of the crew contributed and we want you to pick one."
"You sure that you don't mind?"
"Just pick a really cool one!"
As she scanned the names, Magno spotted one that caught her eye as she considered it. "Hmmm...The Nirvana. Not a bad suggestion. Who came up with that one?"
"It was the commander's idea." Pyoro answered for the old pirate leader.
"Fine then. From now on, this ship will be under the name of Nirvana."
In the engineering room, Parfet lowered her head in defeat. "I knew it." After turning off the communications, "and I thought Cloud's name would win or at least mine would oh well."
-------------------------
Later at the men's quarters...
Cloud munched on the bento he had gotten from Dita as she met up with him. He tried to leave quietly, but that was impossible as Dita followed him, smiling all the while. He had arrived in the Bio-Park when she caught up with him. He sighed and decided to take her to his room, (NOT in THAT WAY you perverts!) and accepted the meal she handed to him.
As he was munching on the meal, he spotted Dita looking at him with the dreaded Sad Puppy Dog eyes, and that look was making him somewhat uncomfortable.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Dita smiled and came closer. "Mr. Alien, will you promise to combine me in the next battle?
Cloud tried not to blush as he found himself looking deeply at Dita. His male hormones were already kicking into overtime. He then reined in his hormones as hard as he could and gave Dita a glare. Though he didn't really hate her, he didn't mind her company at all and despite his annoyance to her name-calling of him, she was the only member of the pirates so far, who didn't treat him as some sort of monster
"I told you so many times already! I'm not Mr. Alien! My name is Cloud!" He then noticed Hibiki asleep in his bunk. (Now I know how Hibiki feels and she chases him everyday 24/7, I'm just glad that Jura's not chasing me around)
-----------------------
At the Register, two days later...
"So Ms. Gasco, I take it that...those men won't be working here any more?" Meia asked with a bit of hope in her voice.
"It's Gascogne." The head supplier reminded her once more. "And in answer to your question, no I don't think so. I've already made the request that Cloud and Hibiki be restored to the combat roster; the two of them were never meant to be part of the stagehands."
She then gave a sigh of disappointment. She had admitted that it was a little hard to let go of the young man, though he was of an opposite gender. He was one of the most efficient and hard-working people she had in her staff for all the time he was under her command, and she liked his company a lot, Hibiki was ok as well just not as good as Cloud. She only enjoyed his company when they were playing poker.
It was then that the doors to the Register opened and a familiar voice came in the room. "Who said anything about me wanting to leave anyway?" The women and their supervisor turned to look at the door and gasped in shock.
It was Cloud, but he was wearing some new clothes and it was a masculine version of the clothes worn in the Register.
Cloud was wearing a white tuxedo with red lapels on the shoulders, while wearing a form fitting white shirt, covered by a deep blue-violet vest and with some golden thread high lights which made the vest also high light his own aquamarine-amelyst. His hair was still in it's slightly spiky style, but with the suit it made him look a little more debonair and roguish. He wore deep white pants and also had a deep red sash on his waist, and in the collar was a black tie. He wore smooth shoes that were made of a special fiber that never wrinkled and had the look of high quality black leather, and the cuffs on his sleeves were elaborately decorated.
The clothes made him look like high-class waiters from a very elegant restaurant. And the new attire naturally made them look devastatingly handsome. Many of the girls in the Register didn't know what to do and how to react at the sight that greeted them, and what to do with the feelings they were experiencing at the moment.
The whole staff and their supervisor continued to gape at the young man, as Cloud casually approached Gascogne. Cloud gave a courteous nod as he reached the supply officer and noted her surprise with a smile. "Ms. Gasco. Don't tell me you've already forgotten?" He flashed her a simultaneous grin as he recited in perfect unison. "Smile, smile."
Gascogne managed to find her voice as she shook herself back from the surprised stupor she found herself in. " Cloud...I... thought that you..."
"I wanted to quit? Not really. I decided that while I'm not in combat, I'll work here at the Register so I'll use our respective time off productively and help with the work load. Besides, I happen to like it here, so I can do something else. Plus when I'm not helping you here I'm going to be helping Hibiki with some training. I like being busy all the time. If I'm not busy I feel lazy." He then gestured to his uniform. "Though I hope you don't mind my personal alterations to the uniform. My legs don't look that good in a skirt anyway."
Gascogne chuckled at that and nodded. "Just as long as you keep it clean. Oh by the way, my name's not Gasco, it's Gascogne. Spiky"
Cloud nodded. "As you wish, oh, that the name's Cloud, not spiky."
The women and Cloud gazed at one another for a very long time as the rest of the Register staff watched and waited. Finally Gascogne nodded.
"Welcome back... Spiky."
He responded in crisp order. "Good to be back...Ms. Gasco."
Cloud and Gascogne broke into peals of laughter as she directed him to their respective consoles.
---------------------------
On the bridge...
"So those spheres will help mask the message pods?" Magno asked Parfet
Parfet nodded. "Yes Captain, I designed the pods to transmit the recognition code of our enemies so they won't be destroyed by the aliens."
"Very well then. Launch the pods."
The twin canisters with the new messages were then sent on their merry way back to Tarak and Megele, but still, some of the crew still had their own doubts.
"Even if they receive our messages, I doubt that there is a guarantee that they'll even listen." Parfait remarked as she gazed at the moving pods.
"Wish for it Parfet." BC said as she too gazed outward. "It's not much, but that's all we can do and hope for."
To be continued...
Authors notes:
Sorry that I haven't updated in ages. I've been a little busy with school and sports. I'll try and updated as fast as I can and I might end up splitting some of the chapter into sections so I can update faster and give you fellow readers some reading material ;) anyways if this chapter sounds a little weird its because I started writing this chapter last year, totally forgot about it, and sort of had to start over. Also I waited for the Final Fantasy 7: AC movie to come out so I can put some really cool villains in this story if you have seen the movie then you know what I mean and for the people who don't its 3 people who go by the name of Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj. Well right now I'm at a lose for words, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter and like I said before I'll update as soon as possible
Balistic Monkey
Ja Ne