The Return
A Ranma Sailor Moon fic thingy.
By Sunshine Temple
Naturally, I own neither Sailor Moon nor Ranma. So here's the disclaimer
Ranma 1/2 and its characters and settings belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.
Previous chapters and other works can be found at my fanfiction website.
http://jtemple.florestica.com/
Temporary Backup Site.
http://www.fukufics.com/fic/
Other website Temple of Ranma's Senshi Seifuku
http://fukufics.com
C&C is appreciated.
Book 3: Raising Trouble
Chapter 1: Client Demonstration
Formerly: Reequipped and Repulsed Part 1
"Alright, it's time;
everyone get dressed," Ranma idly said, standing up inside the partially
reconditioned Quonset hut. Most of the holes had been patched, and the blood
had been washed out.
"You heard Mom,"
Nariko ordered before closing her eyes and shifting her own clothing. Her skirt
and blouse morphed into a bodysuit reminiscent of their training clothes but a
bit thicker with some rigid inserts on the arms and thighs. Heavy, armored, tall
boots appeared, and fingerless gloves formed.
Over the bodysuit, which went
from neck to wrists to calves, a vest with the inset plates on the front and
back, which were modified slightly to allow for wings, shifted into sight and
was followed by pleated skirting. Each mid-thigh pleat held another armored plate
and was articulated to maintain mobility and coverage. Hair was pulled back and
helmets appeared with connected headsets and radios.
"Check the electronics. I
want to know if they... summoned properly," Major Saotome said as she
walked among her granddaughters checking the fit of the armor. "How's the
bodysuit? I want to know if they breathe enough."
"It's fine," Nabiki
pouted.
"Normally Kevlar doesn't
allow moisture out, but your..." Nodoka shook her head. "I just want
to make sure this magic isn't messing things up."
"We've tested this. We trained in these; we ran in them; you made sure we got sweaty." She moved her hands to confirm that her knives had shifted back with her.
"I want to be sure,"
Nodoka stated. She had now turned to Misako and was checking the quick-release
on that girl's vest. Nodding with satisfaction her eyes went down to the gun in
the demon's hands.
"Is Sasha
okay?" Misako asked, handing over the grenade launcher.
"At least we don't have
to deal with ribbons anymore," Akane smirked as she stretched her
shoulders a bit. "Is my tail clearing out the back fine?" she asked
Nariko.
Her mate nodded.
"Well, those researchers
keep saying that the Pattern-Y gate we captured over half a year ago is giving
them lots of new ideas. If they can produce a teleport jammer that's compact
then they would have antennae that need protecting," Nodoka explained.
Ranma blinked. "A
reinforced Kevlar bow?"
Nodoka shrugged. "You're
the one that insisted on skirting. Would a bodysuit be that much harder to
transform into?"
"We're already cheating
the Senshi magic enough," Ukyou said, adjusting her HSMG. After she
finished she moved on to the sidearms mounted in
their thigh holsters. "You look good in that," she smirked, noting
Akane's annoyance at her own weapon.
"I'm just happy I finally
qualified on the annoying thing."
"Blame Mother for coming up with the requirements, or would you rather be outshot by an old man?"
"I don't think Colonel
Edwards would like that," Nodoka cautioned. She frowned and knelt down to
check out Nariko's boots.
Ranma chuckled. "I think
he'd laugh. The man was holding back. Don't worry Akane, it took me just as
long to qualify for my handgun too. Now turn around." Ranma then checked
Akane's wings, making sure they were clear of interference. "Any
chafing?"
Akane sighed. "No, I'm
fine. We've been training with these things for over a week."
"The improved plates only
came in yesterday. Remember the trouble the extra weight gave you?"
"That was only when I
landed," Akane growled.
"Yes, the extra weight is
all up top," Nodoka warned. "It's heavy stuff. I wanted an armor to
deal with knives, teeth, tails, claws, blunt trauma, rifle rounds, shrapnel,
napalm, magical napalm, beam weapons of various types." She listed off.
"The standard WIC insert plate was a great start, but you girls can handle
more weight than any human, as long as it doesn't interfere with your
flying."
"Yes, our legs can carry
more than our wings," Nabiki reminded as she checked Misako's back.
"We can't make it too
thick or it'd be too bulky, but still you girls should be happy sets came as
fast as it did."
"Odd, I thought you
already had those plates on order from my armor," Captain Jarvis noted as
she entered the Quonset.
"Yes," Nodoka
admitted. "And it's not bad for a prototype, but it is a bit weak in
crotch protection and the extremities are a bit looser too." She looked
Eve over with a critical eye. "And are you okay sitting this one
out?"
"I kinda
like my role in this demonstration," Eve said as she smoothed out the hem
of her dress uniform's skirt.
"I'm afraid they want me
to change too," Nodoka sighed.
"I think your helmet
improvements have real potential," Eve countered. "It was a real pain
to have it shift in flight. However, I'm not sure of using our horns to help
stabilize them. Yes, the padding dampens most blows, but..."
"I could always use a
stronger elastic." Nodoka frowned. "And why do you fight with your
horns out? Isn't that just a big vulnerability?"
"They help with our
senses," Ranma said. "Having your horns in is like going out with
your ears muffled."
"Well, hearing damage is common on the battlefield," Nodoka said.
"It's harder to feel
others without them," Eve added
"You would know if it's
that important. Your senses do make Pattern Scanners and night vision systems
superfluous," Nodoka admitted. "That reminds me, did your radios...
summon correctly?"
The broodlings nodded.
"I'm still amazed that
works," Eve noted.
"Why not? We can change
our clothes at will, add in that Senshi transformation, and shifting our armor
makes perfect sense."
"What about
weapons?"
Ranma shrugged, "The
pistols and ammunition come in fine; they fired on all the previous training
sessions. We even got the summoning time down."
"Sasha
didn't, but I'll work harder on it." Misako swore.
"Nothing wrong with my
blades," Nabiki said, her hands once again going down to the knives at her
hip. The possibility of losing them in the... wherever that her clothes went,
was disconcerting.
"I couldn't get my sword
to vanish with my uniform," Nariko sighed. "Though if I link it with
my armor transformation, will I be able to summon it independently?"
"I can do that with my
guns," Ukyou reminded. "Well, my pistols, not this guy," she
said hefting her newest gun, a technically compact, bull pup semi-automatic
that fired a custom 17mm by 65 mm round.
"Yes, Morgan can't make
hers vanish either," Eve admitted.
"Well she does have the
biggest gun," Ukyou said, giving a sideways smirk to Misako.
"By length, not
caliber," Misako hissed under her breath.
Eve smiled thinly. "Are
you ready?"
"Oh? Are our guests
getting restless?" Ranma asked.
"Quite the opposite.
They're getting bored. Perfect time to give them a bit of a show."
Ranma grinned. "Is Morgan
in place then?"
Eve's eyes shined. "Oh
yes."
***************
Sergeant Olsen Brummet, Joint Task Force 2 shifted in his seat. The
serenity of being so close to
On the upside, that meant a chance to do some actual live fire training was worth dealing with some Yankee defense contractor.
Another bit of... professionalism
was the minefield that was marked out. An irregular section of churned dirt was
marked out by several flags; there were even a few vehicles set inside the
area. That would certainly pose an interesting challenge. He chuckled looking
at one of the vehicles. "Looks like the Americans have a sense of
humor," he said pointing to Corporal Green.
Lily Green looked out at the
burned out vehicle. "Huh... they actually got the color right. Poorly done
dummies though." She noted looking at the numerous mannequins in
camouflage and holding prop weapons positioned in many of the vehicles and
trenches.
"Well, it's not a big
deal to know that blood dries brown, but splashing some around and then washing
it off, that's a nice touch." Olsen chuckled.
"It sounds like you're
looking forward to playing in this training setup, Sarge."
"They certainly put a lot
of work in it, and it's a break from our normal training," Olsen looked
forward to some of the officers in the front row. Their presence was expected,
since this had to be an expensive project. "Heck, they actually burned
down a building and destroyed a bunch of tunnels," he said pointing to the
hill in the distance. "It looks like they've been training artillery
before us."
"That's the rumor." Green
nodded.
Olsen looked up to see a non-descript
man in a grey uniform and sunglasses walk up to the lectern in front of the
rows of seats. Olson raised an eyebrow.
A ghost of a smile crossed
Olsen's attention focused as
several of the vehicles were gutted by explosions, one after the other. The
last of the flat blasts was followed by a series sharp cracks, and another
group of explosions. These were larger and more frequent; he immediately
recognized 40mm grenades, which fell around the trenches and the burning
vehicles. For a split second, Olsen smirked.
Then his eyes widened and his
jaw began to slowly lower at what happened next. Later on he would try to
organize the events into a coherent timeline. A group of figures in battle
dress darted out of a nearby forest. Then a helicopter flying at treetop appeared
and dropped a group of what Olsen first assumed were paratroopers. However,
they fired as they descended, were too low for parachutes, and had... wings.
After this, events degenerated
into an orgy of precise violence. The troops landed and proceeded to literally
tear into the targets. Some of the damage was being done by bullets of a
ridiculous caliber, each round blasting heads and torsos apart. Some was done
by claws and tails that seemed to slice through the dummies, and some by
various blades and thick purple beams. In one moment, the attack ceased and the
attackers spread wings, lifted off the ground and flew just over the trees
before dropping out of sight.
For the first time since the
initial shots, Olsen blinked.
The Commander of Canadian
Special Forces Command got up from his front row seat. "Commander
Stillwater is correct. Our government hired them to provide combat and training
assistance with the ongoing troubles we
have had recently."
Olsen stared. He had heard the
rumors but this was... He looked around at the other soldiers in his platoon. There
was the expected mix of shock, curiosity, and disbelief.
"You have all volunteered
for the training part," the Canadian officer remarked. "You are the
best we have. Your work in
Olsen watched as the older
WIC... officer stepped aside and a woman in a dress uniform consisting of a grey
skirt and blouse stepped up to the lectern. Olsen's appreciation of her rather
pale body was interrupted by him noticing several projection screens quickly
being erected.
"After several years of
research the Company found a way to classify non-human entities by the energy
patterns they give off. What are considered demons fall under Pattern-D," Jarvis
made a motion and another agent turned on the three projectors. "And this
is what they can do in a real battle," she said as the screens filled with
gouts of blood and torn bodies. The footage was grainy and often poorly shot,
but it showed enough. The quick messy violence was occasionally interrupted by
slower but more gruesome footage of screaming humans being slowly eaten. There
had been decades of footage in the WIC archives to choose the best from.
"Why am I showing you
soldiers, women and children being killed and worse? So, you'll remember. If
you lose, being eaten alive is what happens if you're lucky." Captain
Jarvis narrowed her eyes.
"Pattern D's have the
physical advantage over humans; this variety included. They are stronger than
you, faster than you, can see better in the dark than you can with NVGs, can smell you dozens of meters out, have claws that
can slice through bone, tails that are like a chainsaw crossed with a blender, fangs
that hopefully will just tear your throat out, and fully functional wings. And
they can throw balls of self-igniting napalm."
Olsen tore his eyes away from
one of the screens and looked at the blonde woman. She was quite the looker,
and gave a nice distraction from the gore.
"Now comes the good news.
Humanity learned long ago not to fight on purely physical terms. Weapons,
intelligence, counter-intelligence, strategy. This is where we come in. We have
the weapons, ammunition, armor, and equipment to fight Pattern-D's and other
NH's. More importantly, we can teach you how to fight them. How to use
humanity's advantages to beat them."
Olsen looked past the screen
to the left to see a few people in grey uniforms wheel out some horizontal
barrels mounted waist high on platforms and carrying a few unmarked crates. He
turned back to the speaking blonde, still glancing over to see what kind of
equipment was being setup. This whole presentation was getting a bit "cute".
"We'll be splitting up
into modules and starting with a more one-on-one introduction. After some
refreshments, we'll start familiarizing you with some equipment and give a brief
overview of the global NH situation, and local threats," Captain Jarvis
said as she stepped down from the lectern. "If you'll all get up,
please."
After Olsen stood up, he
froze. One second the Jarvis woman was standing there, the next wings, horns,
and a tail appeared. As the demon smirked showing her sharp teeth, Olsen concentrated.
Aside from the... extras she did not look very different.
It was simply that earlier, the chalk white skin, pointed teeth, and killer body did not seem... odd. It was only when all the demonic extras were added in did it look odd in retrospect.
"This is another
important lesson," Eve said as she adjusted her wings slightly. "Many
NH's can pass as human. You need to be careful that the pretty woman next to
you won't disembowel you." Her face brightened. "We're going to fire
up the grills; so get some refreshments while we assign your groups."
Olsen and Lily followed the
rest of their platoon to the drums which turned out to be charcoal grills and
the crates which were coolers. "That's a pretty sick sense of humor they
have here," she said eyeing the large amount of meat being staged onto a
table near the grills.
"We've seen stuff like
that before. Remember that camp we found in
"It also gave them some
entertainment," Lily added. "Great, so we can cannibalize and rape
right up there with the worst hell can offer. Go humanity."
"Damn straight! We can be
total bastards because we want to. Not because we have to. That's what gives us
the edge. If this is the worst they could show us..." Olsen took a sip, casually
enjoying the caffeine. It was not as good as the medication used for missions
when they had to stay awake, but it was not like he needed waking up.
"We are Special Forces.
I'm pretty sure the spooky mercenaries know all about us," Lily said
deliberately turning her gaze slightly in the direction of their superior
officers chatting with the WIC officers.
"And we just wanted to
make sure you knew all about us," a voice behind them stated.
Lily turned around. "Very
quiet approach. I mean Olsen kept looking around. Demon right? There's the
wings, but I don't want to assume." Green composed herself.
The demoness smiled.
Olsen's head simply threatened
to split apart as he ginned madly. Want in his eyes, he stepped closer to the
demon. "That's an Mk 19.. with a shoulder stock," he said almost
reverently. It was amazing that she could even work the action on the thing.
The statement drew the attention of most of the other Canadian troops who all
turned to Misako and Olsen.
Misako beamed with pride.
"Yes."
"And you shot that thing
standing," Olsen said with ecstatic glee. "Damn, how do I sign
up?"
"Are you sure about
that?" Lily asked. "Isn't it odd how there's only female demons in
the Fifth?"
Olsen shrugged.
"Look at her, her hair's
perfect, too perfect for having just worn a helmet. She's got great makeup. Even
her uniform is pretty!" Lily waved her arm around. "They're all
beautiful. There's a word for demons like that."
One of the demons, with red
hair and violet eyes, warmly chuckled as she cut her way through the crowd to
them. "You're right. We're succubae. Physically, we're not the strongest
Pattern D. Our real advantage is that we can easily pass as human, that and our
adaptability."
Lily had to keep herself from
stepping away from the redhead, despite the demon's diminutive height.
"Mimicry. Sometimes predators evolve to look like its prey. That way the
prey doesn't realize it's being hunted."
The redhead chuckled.
"Good. Keep it up and you'll do well here." She held out her hand.
"Ranma Saotome, Special Company Contractor."
Straightening her stance, Lily
grabbed the demon's hand, with what she hoped was a lack of hesitation; it felt
normal, if a bit smooth. "Corporal Lily Green, Joint Task Force Two."
"Sergeant Brummet," Olsen nodded, tearing his attention off of
Misako's gun. Seeing the other succubae walk up, he let out a low whistle. They
all carried some type of large sidearm strapped to their waist. Based on the
magazine girth, they had to be double-stack, Olsen guessed some type of fifty
caliber, possibly used in a Desert Eagle.
One of the new girls, like
Ranma, carried just a sidearm, but the rest carried a very pleasing mix. Olsen
was reminded of the chocolate samplers he would get as a child. There was a
wide variety, but the boxes were too small to do anything but whet his appetite.
It was one thing to see them in a demonstration; it was another to see them up
close. There were a pair of giant knives, a sheathed sword, two guns that
looked like the sullen, hulking older brothers of the FN P90, and lastly, being
shouldered by another diminutive redhead, was a sniper rifle that looked like
something Barrett engineers would make on a drunken dare.
It looked like it started out
as a normal anti-materiel rifle, but, like the rest of the Fifth's weapons, it
was increased in size and power. The barrel alone had been lengthened until the
rifle was longer than its user was tall.
"I should be finding my
team," Ranma said as she excused herself and walked around the crowd of
special forces busily talking with the rest of the brood.
"She seems... " Brummet looked at Misako trying to gauge her reaction.
"... in charge."
Misako chuckled.
"Oh?"
"There were seven of you
in the attack. Captain Jarvis was up here playing human. Your sniper was
God-knows-how-far-out giving cover. Of the seven there, I recognize all your
weapons. Now only two types of people just use sidearms.
Officers not in the fight, and those that don't need 'em."
Lily nodded. "Given how
she fought, and the way you defer to her, she's both, right?"
"Clever, clever humans. Shouldn't
you be scared that we can eat you?"
"Nah, people don't give
neat presentations and refreshments for their food." Brummet
shrugged. "Besides, seeing these weapons makes up for it."
Misako looked at Brummet's eyes to make sure his lustful gaze was at her gun
and not Morgan's. "Shouldn't you at least be looking for your demon
instructor?"
Lily let out a slow sigh. "You're her, aren't you?"
Misako smiled. "The two
of you being together just made my job too easy. So where's Giddings?"
"Cordell?" Lily
looked around. "Oh, he's over there with Tahnee."
"So, how long have you
been with WIC?" Lily eventually asked as they walked to the other side of
the small crowd.
"Few months," Misako
said as she got her own beverage and eyed one of the steaks that had just been
tossed onto a grill. "Before that I was part of an 'evil' brood,"
Lily saw the demon roll her eyes, "and before that I was in the Assembly
of Man."
"Assembly?"
"Bunch of losers who
pretend they're knights and priests and fight demons. They thought that just
because they had some powers they could take on WIC and us," Misako
laughed to herself.
"They didn't like WIC
working with demons." Lily slowly noted. Demons being real was a bit more believable
than one of the most bland defense contractors actually being a premiere private
military corporation. In retrospect, it made sense. The best cover for a spy
was someone too dumb to be a spy. "What happened to them?"
Misako raised her arm and
swept it over the destruction that surrounded them.
"You're holding our
orientation at an enemy base. An enemy base in our country that you wiped
out."
Nodding, Misako gave another
little laugh. "And people say WIC doesn't have a sense of humor."
Olsen stopped. "And you
were a part of this group of pretend knights and priests?"
Misako nodded before ducking
aside to drag Corporal Cordell Giddings over to them. "Good, that's all
three then."
Cordell's eyes widened at the
demon's face but then took on a measured cast and eventually narrowed.
"Oh, man I'm starting to wish I had flunked that psyche exam."
"I thought we were the
failures." Olsen drummed his fingers. "I mean, it's like they picked
the most unstable, amoral, anti-social, and just plain weird batch of JTF
2." Almost all of the of female soldiers in JTF2 were picked, constituting
ten percent of the new unit. Women infantry, especially woman Special
Operations personnel tended to be a bit ... strange.
Cordell looked at the burned
out mountain top and shattered tunnel entrance and gave a slight cough.
"In other words, we were
selected for being the least religious, the least attached to family, the
unmarried, and those that have half a chance of accepting a world with demons
and other freaky monsters."
"It's a good thing our
military's not lacking oddballs then," Cordell noted. "So what did
all this? I'm guessing there was artillery and something with sub-munitions
dropped. Unless these... Assembly right? Unless these assembly were so stupid
to put a minefield over their own line of retreat."
Misako tapped her chin.
"Well, they are that dumb."
"Okay, blew the tunnel
then? That concrete's pretty chewed up."
Misako simply smiled.
Olsen paused and recalled how
the crowd parted for a certain demon, unconsciously "That Ranma Saotome
lady."
Misako shifted the hand she
was holding Sasha with. "Not by herself. Good
eye, Cord. WIC opened the door with an MRLS strike. The AOM was staging their
own attack and was caught off guard. Over a dozen vehicles and a hundred troops
were killed right then."
She inhaled and closed her
eyes as if savoring the memory of a pleasant meal. Disquieted, Olsen was
certain that was exactly what she was doing.
"That killed half of
them, everyone outside. Then WIC encircled the base and kept them bottled up. Sharpshooters
picked off those that tried to escape," Misako said as they walked among
the burnt-out wrecks.
"Then Ranma blew open the
door and you girls went into the base to finish them off," Lily surmised.
Misako gave a frown and shook
her head. "And you were doing so well," she said, disappointment
dripping off her words. "No, we stayed out and intercepted anyone that got
past Mother."
"One demon. One demon
went into a bunker complex and killed a hundred people?" Cordell asked.
"It wasn't a hundred," Misako waved off. "Wasn't even eighty. I think they got it at seventy-eight before Forensics Section ran out of unique parts to count up."
"Wait? That redhead's
your mother? Wow, you girls age great," Olsen added.
Misako paused, appearing to
think things over. "Well yeah, but no. We're about same age."
"That's related to how
you used to work for a... religious demon hunting group, but are obviously a
demon?" Lily proposed.
"I'm a demon now,"
Misako stated.
"And that evil brood,
that's different from the current thing you have, with Ranma," Olsen
added.
"Fine, yes I was
human," Misako sighed. "It's not a big deal."
"People can be turned to
demons; like vampires?" Lily asked.
"Not like vampires!"
Misako's eyes flashed. "Vampires are pitiful spirits that reanimate their old
bodies. Little more than fancy flesh-golems that figured out how to build more
of each other."
"So, vampires are real
too." Olsen sighed. "Why don't you like them? They taste bad?"
Misako ignored the joking
tone. "Yeah, they're a waste of perfectly good meat."
"Perfectly good meat...
humans?" Cordell started to wish that he had pretended to be a bit more
normal during that exam.
"You saw the
videos," Misako sniffed.
"I thought that was
demons in general, not like - you guys specifically."
"If it makes you feel
better, Pattern D's taste way better than humans." Misako rolled her eyes.
Cordell stared at the demon.
"And, Ranma's your
mother, in charge of the brood?" Lily asked. "So, WIC hires a group
of demons and starts giving you armor and special weapons."
"Sounds like a good deal.
You get food, money, and great toys." Olsen's eyes went to Sasha again. "How do we sign up?" he asked with a
bit of a smirk.
Misako raised an eyebrow.
"Don't disappoint in battle. Do that and Mother may make you a deal."
Olsen paused, both at the
insult to his combat ability and by the apparent seriousness of Misako's
statement. "That's what happened with Capitan Jarvis?"
Misako gave a slight nod.
"I guess... I mean if you
can look great and use giant guns. I mean that'd appeal to a certain type of
woman," Lily slowly allowed as they looped back around and returned to
the... party. She saw everyone in the new platoon had split off with their
demonic... instructors.
Chuckling, Misako shook her
head as they walked. "It has a certain appeal, yes. WIC's smart too. They
took in mother when she was alone and unsure. They did the one thing no one
else did."
"Being?" Cordell
asked.
"They didn't try to screw
her. They played it straight, earned her respect and built up trust. Ruthless,
clever bastards." Misako smiled smugly.
"And now her brood's the
jewel in WIC's little demonstration," Lily noted.
"What about you?"
Misako's gaze went between the three soldiers. "Can you handle this?
Answer honestly, though I'm not sure what'll happen to you if you quit after
hearing all this," she added, with a toothy grin.
Cordell was the first of the
group to reply to the sudden question. "Well, we've got no idea what we're
up against, but that's what the training is for. Someone obviously thinks we
should be doing this, otherwise we wouldn't be here."
"Or we could be
sacrificial lambs, set up to show that even the best our military has to offer
just isn't good enough," Lily cautioned.
"Good." Olsen's grin
threatened to split open his face. "Fighting monsters? That's pretty damn
scary, but spite? I can get behind that; I'm all for proving someone wrong.
We'll do it, and we'll pass your training."
Misako smirked. "Good
enough."
***************
Her HSMG across her lap, Morrison
leaned onto an oak at the periphery of the clearing. As she told her story, she
looked at the troops that had somewhat reluctantly sat down facing her.
"And then I was wounded in an ambush and turned. Since then, I've been
training on how to use this new body. Questions?"
"There's actually a
program to turn guys into female demons?" Sergeant Billy MacDowell asked.
"It was this or
die," Morrison reminded, gently.
"It doesn't sound that
reliable... in execution. You only get 'saved' if you get wounded and are dying
and a... friendly demon finds you before you die," Willkie
Bishop clarified.
Morrison gave a slight nod.
"That's why there's just two of us."
"That sucks,"
Corporal Jon Jones said, finally speaking up. "I'm just glad you're
normal. Some of the rest are pretty..."
"Intimidating?"
Morrison asked with a raised eyebrow, once she got over the amusement of being
called normal.
"Yeah, that redhead and
the blonde of-" MacDowell froze, remembering who had turned Morrison.
"Yes, Mother can be quite
scary."
"Ah," MacDowell
looked at Morrison's gun. "what's the story with that gun?"
"Willard Munitions 17S.
WIC custom Heavy Sub-Machine Gun. It fires a 17 by 65 mm cartridge developed
specifically for this project. Double column horizontal magazine with a forty
round capacity. It weighs nearly twenty kilograms loaded," she said
handing the weapon to MacDowell.
The special forces trooper
grunted a bit. "Damn, why don't you just use a fifty cal machine
gun?"
"It was too long."
MacDowell looked down at the
gun he was holding and then back up at Morrison. She did have a point, weight
aside, it was a compact weapon. "Still... isn't this overkill?"
"Sounds pretty good to
me," Bishop said.
"It's too heavy,"
MacDowell frowned at the gun and handed it to Bishop.
"And the kick is
something else," Morrison said a bit of concern forming. As long as she
could keep them talking, they'd at least start working through this.
"I can imagine. What're
we going to use," Bishop asked.
"Depends, the 9 x 19mm of
your MP5's is passable for some uses. As you know it's compact, good for inside
buildings. Give the ammunition the right loads and you can do some real
damage."
"A lot of what we're
doing is counter-terrorism?" Bishop asked.
"Pretty-much. Most combat
is fairly low intensity. Most NH's don't want anything to get too public. Their
primary safety lies in anonymity."
"So, it's like spies and
terrorists with them?"
"Yeah just like spies,
but with fangs, regeneration, super strength and a taste for human flesh,"
MacDowell's grin died when he turned to Morrison.
The green-haired woman simply
laughed. "Ain't it the truth. Course, I don't know what human tastes
like," she warmly said. It was good that they were starting to make jokes.
"Really? So, you don't eat
people?"
"I've only had one combat
mission as a demon," Morrison shrugged before taking her gun back.
"Ah, so we got the green
demon," Bishop stated, noting the color of her hair.
Morrison frowned. There were
jokes and then there were bad jokes. "Now your C8 rifle has similar
stopping power problems. The old debate between 5.56 and 7.62 mm is pretty
settled for NH combat. Stopping power is what counts. I suppose if you were on
a long deployment being able to carry more ammo for the same weight would start
to be the main benefit but..."
"I get it; these things
won't go down as easy as a person," Jones said.
Morrison nodded. "Larger
bullets also allow for specialized payloads."
"What, like hollow points
filled with holy water capsules?"
"Holy water is an
unreliable agent."
"Really? What does work
then?" Bishop asked.
"Depends on the Pattern. Certain
types of iron work well. Part of why this thing is steel." Morrison said
patting her gun.
Bishop's brow furrowed. "In... case you have to beat a... fairy to death?"
"Don't see many Pattern F's these days, but if you have to use your gun as a club it might as well be one that doesn't break." Morrison stated.
"I thought it was to keep
a 17 mm shell from blowing up the chamber," Jones noted.
"That too," Morrison
nodded. "Silver affects some, particularly Pattern L, lycanthropes. White
oak is good, if properly treated. There's also a few more esoteric metals and
some caustic chemicals."
Bishop eyed the barrel to
Morrison's gun. "With bullets like that you could have a whole sampler
pack."
A chuckling Morrison peeled a
cartridge off of one of her extra magazines and tossed it at Bishop. "There's
your party pack. Even if the NH isn't weak to that mix there's still plenty of
trauma and shrapnel."
Bishop inspected the bullet
and brass; it was the same rough dimensions as a 12 gauge shotgun shell, but
with a pointed aerodynamic slug. "Must be nice to have all this special
equipment."
"That load's actually a
downsize of an existing 20 mm grenade round."
Jones raised an eyebrow.
"None of you carried that. Closest was that sniper rifle, but that was 25
mm."
Morrison smirked. "That's
because the 20 mm grenade is a human weapon. The Heavy Armament Optional Gun or
HAOG is the main weapon for a WIC trooper, though the A is often dropped. It's
two guns in one. The lower assembly is a 7.62 mm carbine and there's an upper
attachment with a repeating 20 mm grenade launcher."
Bishop raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds like the Objective Individual Combat Weapon boondoggle you
Yanks tried a few years back, and the South Koreans are workin'
on now.."
Morrison gave a sympathetic
nod. "With an even heavier rifle round for the under barrel. We called it
a Hog for a reason. The gun was a total pig. They made it as light as possible
but..."
"It was still carrying
two guns," MacDowell laughed. "That's what it takes for that weapon
to be practical? Inhuman monsters."
"Yup, it's a good gun. That
extra firepower is real handy."
"What about missiles and
rockets?" Jones asked.
"You all know the
problems of launching inside a structure, which depends on the weapon. In close
quarters, you have to watch out for who's behind you, but it's really nice to
be able to shoot a Pattern D out of the sky, or blow apart some Pattern G's,
ghouls, while they're still far off." Morrison rubbed her chin.
"Those are pretty
standard. Sometimes we tweak the warhead a bit, but most of the time they're
fine as is. Your existing training should be good for a lot of that. You'll have
to learn some new tactics and targeting," the demon evaluated. "Also
having support teams with general purpose machine guns or anything belt-fed or
vehicle mounted isn't a bad idea."
"How will we know
someone's a target?" MacDowell coughed when his comrades looked at him.
"I mean when they're not being belligerent. How do we tell the non-humans
from the humans? Heck how do we tell the friendly non-humans from the ones that
want to eat our brains?"
"That's ghouls. Most
demons prefer the liver, followed by the heart and the rest of the muscles.
Marrow's good too, but hard to get. Of course, the energy from the body is a
major source of sustenance but that is taken at the moment of death."
"A hungry succubus can
render a body down to bone splinters and entrails in under half an hour. A
brood can do it in minutes."
"Sounds like something
we'll be learning," Bishop noted.
"Yes, you probably won't
be exposed to the more... visceral knowledge of it. You raise a good point. Our
Pattern scanners are reliable at detecting most NH's. That's what should worry
you. That's why learning how to watch people and how they act is important
too."
"Yeah, like if a vampire
hires some human goons," MacDowell said.
"Exactly!" Morrison
nodded. "And when dealing with mixed NH's it can be a real pain to sort
out the friendly from unfriendly. We have some restraining equipment that can
help. It also helps to look at the local registry. That'll give you an idea if
there should be any friendly NH's about."
"Registry?"
"Yes, WIC keeps tabs on
the non-belligerent NH's in our operational areas. Most NH's are just trying to
live out their lives, keeping their heads down and staying out of trouble. They
remember when mobs with torches would come hunting for them."
"And some get hired by
the Company?" Bishop asked.
"It's honest work.
Especially if you have certain... dietary needs."
MacDowell inhaled. "Yeah
about that, you're a succubus now. So... sex means..."
"Yes, we can feed during
sex. That's why we look like this." Morrison chuckled.
"Ah, and the gender
stuff..."
Morrison sighed. "I was
male, but it was this or going home in a box."
"Tough choice,"
Bishop muttered.
"Still, can't go home
again," Jones noted. "Your family would notice another daughter, I'd bet."
"Yeah, that's the hard
part, but I have a new family now."
"That's kinda creepy," Bishop stated.
"I am a demon,"
Morrison dryly stated.
"Sorry, sorry. So...
brood thing. Sounds good for teamwork. You girls really worked well out in the
field." Jones looked at the perplexed expression on the demon's face.
"Is that just the training or, uh, can you read minds?"
Morrison raised an eyebrow.
"Like they'd tell the
truth if they could. I'd keep that ability secret," Bishop said.
"No, we don't do that.
We're really good at reading body language and smelling pheromones. But that's
a real good point. It's a bitch fighting someone that can read your mind."
"What do you do? In that
case they'd know what you were planning to do before you do it," Jones
said.
"Best way is to stay out
of range and kill them at a distance, or rush in and box them, so it doesn't
matter that they know what you're thinking. What's worse is teleportation."
"That can happen?"
Morrison nodded. "Yes,
some Patterns can teleport from location to location, others can simply pass
through matter. Less tangible ones can do that. The rules of teleportation
differ. Common limits on teleportation include range and/or frequency, but
either way..."
"It's a major advantage
for the enemy to have." Bishop blinked.
"Yes it is, that's why
WIC spent decades developing technology to jam teleportation and honing tactics
to fight enemies that can do it. The biggest problem is that without jamming
there are no safe zones, as the enemy could show up anywhere and bypass any
defenses."
"Nasty ambushes then.
Also a lot of tactical material and personnel targeting. Strategic too,"
MacDowell said.
"And you don't want an NH
to suddenly pop up next to you." Morrison summoned the claws on her left
hand and flexed the glowing blades that appeared along her fingers and extended
past them several inches.
***************
"Not to be rude but...
how old are you?" Master Corporal George John Pattison
asked the short demoness.
Nabiki smirked. "That's a
loaded question."
"This is why you English
have such poor luck with women." Corporal Richard Bonhomme
smirked.
"Then you must be a poor
example of Quebequois romance," Private Sherrise Tahnee said laughing at Bonhomme.
Nabiki looked down at her
watch. "So, you were recently transferred into the same unit?"
"It's that obvious?"
Bonhomme asked.
"At least you don't seem
to be too nervous."
"Oh please, arguing with
each other is a way to diffuse the tension," Tahnee
noted.
"You are half our age and
can easily kill us." Pattison noted.
"And that's why you
should always carry a gun," Nabiki dryly remarked.
"You weren't using
yours." Bonhomme's eyes went down to the knives
on Nabiki's hips.
"These?" Nabiki drew
one of her knives and flipped out the foot long blade locking it in place.
"Sixty centimeter reach, sharper than a razor, and when filled with
demonic power can block energy blades and other insanity," she flatly
recited from memory.
"Those aren't knives;
they're short swords. That can fold" Tahnee
added. "Better in close quarters then?
Nabiki nodded.
"And what are the blades
made out of?" Bonhomme reached his hand out
slightly, but then thought better. Trying to grab someone else's blade was not
the wisest of moves. "The handles are... dense grain... nice glow... Cocobolo?
That's used for fancy gun grips."
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Right
on the handles; no one else has guessed that. The blades are Dantite.
The pair was built by Master Oskar Nishina and Major Nodoka Saotome PHD."
"Dantite?"
"Common name for a type
of rare alloy of steel and something more... exotic. It's very good at
channeling energy. It's toxic to humans. Especially when inhaled or exposed to
blood," Nabiki explained with a cute smile as she closed the knife and
slid it back into its holster.
"What's it going to do to
us?" Richard asked.
Nabiki smirked. "Don't
touch the blades and you'll be fine, and it'll only drive you insane if you try
to channel energy through them."
"Sounds dangerous."
"It doesn't hurt my kind,
and grandma and Master Nishina used glove boxes to
make them." Nabiki shrugged.
"Wait... Major Saotome, she
designed the other weapons too, and she's your grandmother?" Tahnee raised an eyebrow. "How long has WIC been
planning this?"
"They are certainly well
equipped," Bonhomme smoothly stated.
"Grandma was also behind
our battle armor's design too," Nabiki gave an evil smile and went with
it. "She's been a part of this project as long as mother's –well- been our
mother, of course she's been training us since day one."
"And Willard?"
"Mother has their full
support."
"See. That's what's wrong
with our country. The Americans spend good money breeding demons, and what do
we do? Try to bring back the green-eyed ferret. Merde."
Bonhomme sighed.
Nabiki chuckled.
"Canadians are known for their insanity too. Besides, Grandma and Mother
are Japanese."
"WIC isn't some multi-national
defense contractor but really a globe-spanning mercenary organization fighting
creepy monsters?" Pattison asked.
"Sure."
"Just like all those
movies and comics where secret agencies do just that. Ones that also just
happen to have small teams of supernatural beings that also fight to protect
humanity."
"I can think of worse
marketing ideas," Nabiki noted as she frowned at one of her fingernails.
"You're saying WIC is
behind a lot of the supernatural paranoia media out there?" Tahnee asked. "Conspiracies don't work that big."
"We would know; we've
been part of enough," Pattison nodded.
"You don't need a
conspiracy. There's a reason human myths have all these monsters. WIC just kept
the ball rolling. Where do you think pulp horror got a lot of their ideas? Once
this stuff is in the popular consciousness WIC had to do even less."
"I'm sure a swimsuit
calendar would be a great way to raise funds," Bonhomme
noted in a carefully neutral voice.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow.
"Just leak the right
events? And assume people will read the subculture zeitgeist right? Huh...
that's not a bad plan," Pattison admitted.
"It's also good cover
whenever something unexpectedly leaks out." Nabiki smiled.
"Like how all those TV
shows with US Air Force and Feds dealing with aliens coverup
real alien encounters," Tahnee noted.
Pattison
and Bonhomme looked at her.
"Oh come on. Aliens are
real. Right there." Tahnee pointed to Nabiki.
"That's a demon, Private
" Pattison stated slowly.
"No, being from another
world: alien,"
"I guess Hell
counts," Pattison admitted.
"She's right, we are from
another place, but it's not Hell. It's the Succubus Homeplane.
From what I've read Silvana, a big city
over there, sounds like a pretty nice place, kinda
like here. "
"The mangled earth of a
battlefield that turned into a complete rout and slaughter?" Pattison asked.
"I meant the forest and
trees."
"The succubus home world
looks like
"A bit, there's more
trees, more mountains. There's a lot more wilderness, and some really big
lakes."
"It's like planet
"You haven't been there
yourself?" Pattison asked.
Nabiki shook her head.
"Born right here on Earth, mother and grandma too."
"Demons are... just
another immigrant group?" Bonhomme asked.
"Well we're more violent,
sexual, and aggressive."
"Eh, Quebequois
then," Pattison said.
"Jealous," Richard
smirked
"You were reading about
this place?" Tahnee asked.
"Yes, our great
grandmother sent us some books and a few other gifts when she visited."
"Like Dantite
demon metal?"
"Good, perceptive."
Nabiki allowed.
"And you're still in
contact with your ancestors in the old-country," Pattison
noted. "I'm betting demons don't have to deal with old age."
Nabiki smirked.
"What is WIC doing about
that? Or are they chummy with elder demons too?"
"BlackSky found WIC to be
rather impressive," Nabiki noted.
"Well, that's a nice
feather for their hat," Pattison noted.
"The Company is feeling
confident enough to show this project off," Tahnee
said waving to the surroundings.
"It does show they know
how to handle demons and the like," Bonhomme
agreed.
"The Company is a
business, so this must be good for business," Pattison
said looking critically at Nabiki.
"It's not a coincidence
that our official reveal is at the same event as your induction?" Nabiki
asked.
"I don't think you guys
are that sloppy," Tahnee noted. "No, this
is just WIC showing that they've still got something we don't."
Nabiki shrugged.
"There is plenty of money
to be made training and equipping the military," Pattison
said.
"This is also a chance
for you to prove you can handle this," Nabiki idly noted.
Pattison
raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, a challenge," Bonhomme smiled.
"Great, why don't you get
into an argument over who can make the biggest fireball," Tahnee sighed.
"Pyrokinetic?"
Nabiki asked.
"Demolitions," Bonhomme stated.
"So you set bombs to kill
unsuspecting people allowing the rest of your team to pick off the disoriented
survivors."
"It's not our fault
someone thought a fight was going to be fair."
Nabiki smiled "Good. So
you are professionals. Remember that, NH's don't play fair, and if you try to
fight by their rules you'll get eaten."
"All the non-humans eat
people? Why?" Tahnee blinked.
"Well, some that don't need
to eat don't. Really, it's because you guys are so plentiful, and have all
sorts of good nutrients, muscle, energy, blood, souls. Very handy food
source."
"What about other NH's? Or
do they not have souls?"
Nabiki rubbed her chin.
"Well some are just animated corpses, not very much energy there and the
meat can be quite spoiled. Other species are edible enough but bland, and then
there's the really tasty ones."
"Oh?" Bonhomme asked
Nabiki gave a wide smile.
"Succubae are great. Amazing flavor and great nutrients and energy."
"But humans are the main
food source." Pattison set his jaw in thought.
Her grin shifting to a more
subdued expression, Nabiki gave a slight nod.
"And that's because we're
more 'common' right? I guess eating your own kind is some kind of rare
treat."
"Caliss,"
Bonhomme swore. "If you're gonna eat us at least
enjoy it! Nom de dieu
de bordel de merde!"
Nabiki raised an eyebrow.
"In the name of the god of the brothel of shit? I'm not sure an angel'd
worship that."
"That's the literal
translation. It's really just 'Goddamn fucking shit almighty!'" Bonhomme blinked. "Wait? Angels?"
Tahnee
gave a slow wave at Nabiki. "Demons are real, why not angels?"
"If you're right, demons
are less corrupting spawn from Hell and more aliens," Pattison
reminded. "And what's the big deal Rich? If demons can be nice despite
their reputation, why not angels?"
"Because demons make sense!" Bonhomme
hissed. He paused and regained his composure. "They can manipulate our
emotions, are stronger than us, live a lot longer, eat us, oh and they can turn
us into more of them. So, it's perfectly logical that humans would make those
myths around demons.
"Demons are corrupting,
tormenting monsters. That's a perfectly normal reaction to a predator. What the
hell are angels? Benevolent all powerful creatures that help humanity? In this
world?"
"They're only a more
better camouflaged predator then?" Nabiki idly asked. "If we're ignoring the idea that they're
actual cosmological entities."
"Well are they?" Bonhomme asked. "You're the supernatural expert. Is
there a species with feathery wings that cons humans into thinking they're here
to save us?"
"At least a demon's
honest," Tahnee agreed.
Nabiki chuckled and wondered
exactly what test WIC had that measured skeptical cynicism so well.
"Honest to their true
nature," Tahnee clarified. "Bonhomme's right. Angels sound way too good to be
true."
"To the point, are there
angels? And if so how dangerous are they?" Patterson asked.
"Biblically, angels, especially the arch angels are entities of considerable power and guile," Tahnee reminded.
"Planning a war on
Heaven?" Bonhomme smirked. "Now there's a
challenge worthy of our nation."
"We're already in a shadow
war with demons. Isn't that WIC's stance?"
"Johan Willard's
motivations when he founded WIC were simple. His family, his whole hometown was
wiped out by monsters. Succubae understand vendetta."
"Is that why you fight
on... our side?" Tahnee tried to hide her pause.
"Mother watched the
various factions; she learned the history." Nabiki ran a hand over her
blade's holster.
Bonhomme
smiled. "She went with the winner?"
The demon tilted her head.
"She realized why WIC, why
humanity, will win. There's a reason why we're such powerful fighters."
"You're using our
technology, our tactics, our support."
"Humans are weak, because
of this you learned that 'fighting fair' was a loser's game. One fit only for
the complacent, for those that wish to stay weak, and for those that foolishly
think they're strong." Nabiki flexed her hands.
"Your mother sided with
the humans that chose to fight?" Pattison raised
an eyebrow
"That's what you all did.
You know how the world works. This is just yet another ugly secret war."
"At least we get another
batch of cool weapons," Bonhomme said, dryly.
"Are angels real?" Pattison asked. "You didn't answer us."
Nabiki frowned. "There's
been... reports. Occasionally something will pop up that sounds angelic. Something doing something cryptic."
"But that doesn't mean
they're working for God." Tahnee paused.
"Or even a species. The angelic look could just be a disguise."
"At least one of the
'angelic' sightings did turn out to be a Pattern V with a dark sense of
humor."
"You don't know what they
are, how dangerous they are, or if they're even real," Bonhomme
frowned.
"Not all NH's are as
clear cut as the succubae," Nabiki smiled.
"Isn't your species split
between those that want to exterminate, forcefully feed on, peacefully feed on,
work with, or ignore humanity?" Bonhomme
rhetorically asked. The videos seemed to make that fairly clear.
"Yeah, pretty
straightforward."
"I guess your motivations
are clear," Pattison allowed.
"Makes me wish we were
back in the Commando Olympics," Bonhomme sighed.
"Ah,
"You just liked showing
them what a woman with a gun could do."
"And you liked blowing
them up."
"The boys on the M77 did
most of the work." Bonhomme gave a Gallic shrug.
Artillery was nice, but it often lacked the personal touch of something
hand-placed.
"You guys aren't going to
lack targets, but they won't all be assaults," Nabiki cautioned.
Tahnee
sighed. "Peacekeeping?" she asked with exasperation.
"Worse," Nabiki
smiled, once again showing her teeth. "Immigration."
"How does that work? I
mean NH's don't exactly come from 'official' countries." Pattison said.
"That makes it simpler. The
standard procedure involves registration and surveillance. Make sure there's
not a rash of missing persons or the like."
"And if there is, the law
enforcement side is much simpler?" Bonhomme
asked. "Sounds fair, the innocent would have nothing to hide," he
chuckled.
"Of course, you guys
being 'official' may have more regulations to deal with. You don't have quite
the plausible deniability that we do."
"Yes, independent
contractors hired by a consulting company working for the government," Tahnee noted.
"Still the work will
vary. The fights will vary too."
"Swarms of minions versus
one or two powerful guys?" Tahnee asked.
"And any combination of
them. Mother fought a brood that had a few dozen minions, one demon in charge,
and the rest of us."
"Us?" Pattison asked.
"It happens. Mother
rescued us from Mother Alexia, after she ate her," Nabiki quietly said. It
was hard to believe that, aside from her and Akane and Misako, everyone else
was dead. There were just so many, but it looked like Mother got them all.
"I'm guessing the ways to
kill NH's vary too."
"Broadly speaking,
no" Nabiki shrugged. "Just about anything will die if you destroy the
brain. Failing that, dismember it and burn it."
"But there are more...
elegant solutions?" Pattison asked.
"Not really, some
chemicals are more effective on certain NH's, and of course the regeneration abilities
vary between the species. When in doubt do as much damage as you can,"
Nabiki said her mood brightening.
"A woman after my own
heart," Bonhomme said.
"Learn all you can from
us, keep your eyes open, don't hesitate," Nabiki advised.
***************
Jacob opened the lid and
rotated some of the thick steaks. "You see, most people confuse grilling
with barbecue. The difference is time and temperature." He looked over to
a grill where Lieutenant Tendo was cooking some hamburgers and sausages. "Barbecue
is much slower and a bit cooler. More work but it's worth it," he
explained as he picked up a small container of spices and sprinkled them onto
the slabs of beef.
"Not that there's
anything wrong with grilling. Often it's the best way for a lot of meat,"
he closed the grill and looked up. "Oh, hello Miss Saotome. I was just
talking with our guests."
Lieutenant Hanna Hill looked
from the older man to the redhead. "It drifted off on a tangent
though." She looked over to see the demons group a few feet away at a
table where the cooked meat had been placed.
"Jacob will do
that," Ranma said before taking a bite out of the hamburger in her hand.
"So... how much longer?" she asked happily sniffing the smoke coming
out of Jacob's grill.
Jacob grinned. "Not long."
"Good." Ranma's eyes
went over the officers with Jacob before returning to her group.
"Intense," Major Wellwood
Ellis Sifton noted.
"At least you maintained
your composure," Jacob stated. "Though you'll need more than a poker
face to deal with demons."
"They really can smell
us?" Hanna asked.
"Yes, it's very well
developed." Jacob opened a small ceramic container and stirred his sauce
glaze. "Now I'm sure you've figured out why you're talking with me and not
one of the 5th."
"There are more than
twenty-seven of us," Hanna said.
"And we will have more
people under our command than even Captain Jarvis," Sifton added.
"Jarvis' experience would
have come close, that's why she's got your squad leaders, but you have a point.
You and your auxiliary staff will have to learn the support, logistics, and
command details of NH operations."
"And equipment which your
organization can provide," Hanna noted.
"Yes," Jacob said,
glancing at his watch. He still had a few more minutes before he could put on
the finishing sauce.
"You're taking this
rather well," Sifton noted, he looked out to the ravaged building at the
summit of the charred hill. "You need us. What's... going on?"
"You think this isn't the
status quo for us?" Jacob said with a ghost of a smile.
"Perhaps."
"I think he's...
happy," Hanna stated.
"I am cooking."
After opening the lid he flipped the meat and started brushing the meat and
ribs. "The D program and the 5th are doing well, too."
"Why is it the Fifth Non
Human Task Force?"
"Why are you the Second
Joint Task Force?" Jacob idly asked, closing the grill.
Sifton put his fingers to the
bridge of his nose.
"Well, there never was a
Joint Task Force One. We got the 'two' to add an air of mystery." Hanna
sighed.
"My condolences. But it
wouldn't have beent he first time a military has used
a larger number to obfuscate force side. For the Company, this is the Fifth
such unit, and two of the previous ones are still active."
"You have other Non-human
teams?"
"Of course," Jacob
mildly said. "But I wouldn't discount the psychological effects of your
unit name. That's important."
"What are the key
organizational differences?" Hanna asked.
"Our NH task forces tend
to be more of a counter-terrorism role. Most of your operations will be within
Canadian territory and short in duration," Jacob explained as he adjusted
some vents on the grill.
"At least resupply will be easier," Sifton noted. "Though
civilians will be a big problem."
"Secrecy's another
concern," Jacob nodded.
Chewing her lip, Hanna looked
around. "The steaks are almost done, right?"
Jacob raised an eyebrow.
"Well, the demons are
back, all of them."
"They like meat."
Jacob shrugged before stepping over to get a platter.
"Can you be a bit more specific?"
Hanna asked.
"The only change to draw
them is that the meat's being cooked. They didn't need to wait if they wanted
raw," Sifton said in a carefully even voice.
"Just because you're a
cannibal doesn't mean you can't appreciate good food," Jacob said as he
started removing the steaks and ribs.
"What... kind of... meat
is that?" Hanna reluctantly asked.
"Are you prepared for me
to answer?"
Hanna blinked. "Well it's
not like I've eaten any of it."
"Those steaks are too
thick to be human," Sifton snorted. He grew up in rural
Jacob smiled. "Yes, the
shape is quite distinctive, and it's not like I'm cooking sausage. Good, fresh
meat's difficult to find anyway, even harder to get experience in cooking
it."
"A joke?" Hanna
raised an eyebrow.
"No, that's the
truth," Jacob shrugged.
"It's important to keep
the troops happy?" Sifton's voice was strained.
"Morale is vital."
Jacob stated.
***************
Vosem
walked up behind Galina. When the older girl did not respond, Vosem coughed politely.
Closing her hand, Galina
turned to her subordinate. "Have all the pods checked out?"
Frowning, Vosem
nodded. "They're checked and ready."
Smirking, Shest
looked up from her work. "The little chatterboxes still work?"
Vosem
shot the diminutive girl a glare. "No shipping damage."
"Shame we can't do a full
test," Shest muttered.
Galina looked over to Arisha with a raised eyebrow. "We'll see." Arisha allowed.
"Any progress on your
side?" Galina asked Shest.
Shest
pulled up her display. "I've got plenty of data," she bit her lip,
"and the results aren't good."
"Their jammers work against
our abilities?"
She gave a slight nod.
"But the pulse idea does hold promise." Shest
coughed. "Testing will be problematic, worse than Vosem's
little friends."
"Don't blame those pods
on me," Vosem glared. "Besides, they'll do
their job."
"The pulse would alert
the mercenaries... prematurely," Arisha frowned.
"What are the chances of it working?"
Shest
shrugged. "I can make the pulse powerful enough, but I don't know what
kind of redundancy systems they have."
"If I were them I'd have
a backup system powered off and ready to kick in," Arisha
noted.
"I can deal with
that," Shest assured. "The problem is this
won't be subtle. They'll know about it."
"Keep up the work,"
Galina said, looking over Shest's notes. "See if
you can find a less brute-force method."
"We're not a blunt
instrument," Arisha noted.
Galina raised an eyebrow.
"Speaking of blunt instruments..."
"I've made the
calls."
"Got anyone
interested?" Galina asked.
"Any Bulgarians?" Vosem chuckled.
"When will Dve'nadtsat, Sem, and Desyat be back from their recon?" Vosem
asked.
"They were ordered to
keep their distance?" Shest quietly asked.
"Just to look." Arisha reassured. " Zaika's
up to something."
"You mean the Princess is
actually planning something?" Vosem smirked.
"That why you're making the calls?"
"It'll take time to make
all the arrangements," Arisha said.
"Good," Galina
looked at the girl's frowns. "We need to be prepared. We've been watching
the demons and the Company. They're the real problem here, not Zaika."
"I wouldn't discount Zaika's green-haired guardian. I still haven't figured out
what power she used to stop Svetlana," Shest
stated.
"Magic," Vosem dryly noted.
"Yeah, but what
kind?" Arisha asked.
"They have power,"
Galina warned. "But they lack training."
"Meiou is training
them," Shest reminded.
"With mixed
results." Arisha looked out the window.
Galina went back to looking at
her fingers as they flexed. "In general they're getting better, but the
magical girls are still keeping their distance from the demons. That makes me
suspicious. It's too obvious."
"You think they're
pretending to not get along? Make us underestimate their cooperation?" Vosem laughed. " The magical girls aren't that
smart."
"Meiou is," Shest said.
"True, but Zaika's a good guy. That means playing fair, not tricking
us."
"You really think we can
count on her being that dumb?" Arisha raised an
eyebrow.
Vosem
nodded. "It's a safe bet."
"So? Zaika
may be as pure as driven snow, but we know Miss Saotome and her Fascist Friend
aren't," Shest stated as she got up from the
couch and pulled a few bottles of juice out of the fridge.
"Unwitting bait?"
Galina's eyes sparkled. "So, we're dealing with the kind of minds that'll
use people like that?"
"Worthy?" Arisha asked.
"We'll see how the brood responds."
Galina took the drink Shest offered her. "I'd be
disappointed if they didn't make a good showing, but that would make the payoff
that much easier."
***************
Hearing the sound of a throaty
engine, Usagi looked up from her menu and out the window to her left. The
blonde smiled a bit as she watched the motorcycle park across the street and
the rider pull off her helmet, revealing a long mane of crimson tresses.
"You're early,"
Ranma said with an amused smirk as she sat down across from Usagi. The
redhead's nose flared as she took in the scent of the restaurant.
"And you're not
surprised," Usagi said with a bit of a sigh.
As she picked up a menu, Ranma
raised an eyebrow.
"I guess it was foolish
of me to think I could surprise you." Usagi's expression turned to a
smile. "It was nice of you to invite me out to lunch."
"I see we have a
chaperone," Ranma gave a respectful nod to Setsuna who sat one table over,
appearing to read the paper.
"It's not safe; I can't
pretend otherwise," Usagi's tone was of reluctant resignation.
"One can't do it
alone," Ranma's voice was sympathetic.
Setsuna wondered how much of that sentiment came from the social nature of succubae. As a species they did not handle solitude well; forced isolation was a sure way to drive a succubus mad.
Usagi looked to her left and
could not spot any other agents or demons in the restaurant or outside, but that
did not mean they were not there.
Ranma smiled, at least Usagi
was trying. "Did I keep you waiting long?"
"Not at all," Usagi
blushed a bit. "Setsuna wanted to be sure."
"If it helps, think of
this as a working lunch," Ranma said giving Usagi a pat on the hand.
Usagi's reaction was cutoff by
a waitress arriving and asking for their drinks. After asking about the
specials Ranma turned to her companion. "Have you ever had BBQ ribs?"
The blonde froze, the cooking
meat filling the small restaurant with a charred, primal scent, which only
compounded the visuals in her head. At the very least, Ranma was eating ribs.
Usagi was looking far off.
"We'll have two orders of
pork short-ribs then." Ranma watched the waitress leave and almost
immediately return with their drinks. "So why are you moving?" she
asked after taking a sip of water.
The blonde's eyes went to
Setsuna's. "I took your advice. I'm doing something," Usagi's expression
hardened. "They think I'm spoiled, that I'm weak. Good."
"You're learning."
Ranma chuckled. "Though they're going to know you've moved, and that it's
to a better defended place, but you know they'll know that."
The blonde smiled. "I
then remembered your plan in the helicopter."
Ranma blinked. Usagi had control
over the one thing the assassins needed. "They'll be expecting
something," she cautioned.
"At least it'll be where
I'm in charge," Usagi stated.
Ranma leaned forward. "How
can I help?" she quietly asked.
Usagi coughed at the eyes.
"I'll still be going to school. Setsuna said staying in one spot all the
time would be too suspicious and they'd probably try something else."
"They'd prefer to take
you on the move," Ranma reminded.
Usagi hesitated.
"Setsuna's planned for that."
Ranma slowly turned her head
to the green-haired woman who just gave a curt nod. Smirking, the redhead blew
a kiss and noted to get the details from Setsuna in a more... secure place.
The blonde narrowed her eyes
at Setsuna, but quickly blushed when Ranma turned back to face her. "I...
I can do this, but..."
Ranma tilted her head and
wondered if Usagi's tenuous confidence would become problematic. "But you
want some help?"
"I'm not staying on some
Company base," the blonde stated, her eyes hardening again.
The redhead's emotions played
out. She wanted Usagi to be someplace
safer, but she also wanted to see Usagi taking responsibility for shelf..
"Safe house? At least we could integrate defenses," she offered.
Usagi turned to Setsuna who
gave a slight shrug. "That... depends. I don't want to anyone else to get
hurt."
"I think the Company can handle themselves," Ranma lightly noted.
"I'm not disputing that," Usagi countered. "I've been doing this longer than you, and I've faced enemies far more powerful."
"More powerful, certainly." Ranma raised an eyebrow. "But were they more skilled?" she eventually asked.
"I did defeat the woman
that destroyed the Silver Millennium."
Holding her tongue at the almost... haughty remark, the demoness paused. It was true. Usagi had defeated the very foe that had destroyed Queen Serenity's Empire. However, during the Fall the attack originated from Earth, while Usagi had to face an enemy that had to climb over a strong dimensional barrier. That counted for a lot.
Usagi
blinked at Ranma's lack of response. "Anyway, two of them have been
killed. You gave us copies of those
"That was from a couple kilometers away, and those files... had gaps. It's very different reading what the enemy might do and actually preparing to fight them. How far from you will they be during your plan?" Her question hung in the air as the waitress came in and served them their ribs with coleslaw and mashed potatoes.
"There's one more thing," Usagi said after the waitress left.
Ranma made an inquisitive noise as she sniffed the aroma wafting from their food.
"From what we know about their operations, it sounds like they're inexperienced too."
The redhead gave a little smile. "Oh?"
"I mean against magical stuff. From what the Vatican said, it sounds like most of their targets have been military, business, and other mundane things." Usagi looked her in the eye. "They might be operating just as blind as we are."
"Perhaps," Ranma allowed. "It could be the Vatican simply doesn't know about their supernatural missions, but it's a valid point. That may be a weakness of theirs."
Rapt, Usagi watched as the
redhead picked up one of the ribs and neatly tore it off the rack. Ranma bit
her teeth into one and quickly stripped the flesh off with an experienced
efficiency. She licked the bone clean and then grasping it with her long
fingers snapped it in the middle and began to suck out the marrow.
Bone still sticking between
her lips, Ranma paused and looked at the staring blonde. The demon bit down,
spitting the rib with a sharp crack.
"How is it?" Usagi
asked, suddenly studying her plate.
"Not as good as Jacob's
stuff," Ranma slowly licked a couple fingers. "But, he uses a dry rub
as well as a spicier sauce. This is more tangy and obviously," her tongue
darted out and cleaned the back of her palm, "a thicker sauce."
Eyes on her plate, Usagi
reached out and tore some meat off the bone, splattering some sauce across the
table.
"Good?" Ranma
playfully asked as Usagi took another bite and started devouring the meat. Once
the blonde was down to the bone she bit down on one of the ends.
"Owww!"
she whined dropping the rib and holding her jaw.
"Do you really want the
marrow?" Ranma asked.
"Well you did it,"
the blonde pouted.
"I can bite through a
femur," the redhead said before trying some of the potatoes. "And I broke
it in half with my hands first," she added.
"Yeah... sorry. It's
good." Usagi stared at the mess she had made.
Ranma glanced over to see
Setsuna's face hidden by her newspaper. "Fine..." she reached out and
holding Usagi's bone, slipped it into her mouth, and cracked it down the
middle.
Usagi stared at the offering
in front of her. "Uh... thanks," she said taking the split bone.
Tasting some of the marrow, her eyes widened.
Looking at the blonde, Ranma
kept her face neutral. "It's an acquired taste... will you be okay?"
Usagi took a long drink from
her glass. "Are you laughing at me?"
Ranma's face broke into a wide
grin. "Yeah."
The blonde pouted.
"It's funny."
"I can eat it,"
Usagi glared as she picked up the bone.
"Better?" Ranma asked
as a slightly green-about-the-gills Usagi put down the finished rib.
"Very good," Usagi
said starting to pull another rib loose. "So what have you been up to? You
missed school a couple days ago."
"Training," Ranma
shrugged. "How about you?"
"I'm sure you know."
Usagi raised an eyebrow. "We've got that move we're finishing up. So just
more training? Nothing special?"
Ranma raised an eyebrow before
going back to her ribs. "Hinting that you know something?" she
eventually stated.
Usagi sighed before she took a
bite of her meat. "I'm trying to be subtle."
"What did you hear?"
Ranma asked while looking over to Setsuna who had put down her newspaper and
was sipping at a mug of coffee.
The green-haired woman put
down the cup, smiled a bit, and added some sugar.
"Has she told you
everything she knew? She's not keeping anything hidden from you?" Ranma
asked.
Memories of a long
low-ceilinged room full of... tubes and Setsuna standing in the middle looking
vaguely ashamed hit Usagi. "Yes, she told me," the blonde slowly
said.
Ranma arched a thin crimson
eyebrow. "I was talking about what I was up to. Has Puu revealed some dark
secret to you? Something personal?"
Usagi turned to Setsuna. The
green-haired woman rolled her eyes. "Well... no... it's not about
her," Usagi admitted.
"So, there is something
about her?"
"Yeah, but it makes a lot
of sense, she would-" Usagi quickly closed her mouth.
"Learning to keep secrets
are we?" Ranma smiled.
Mirroring Ranma's expression,
Setsuna smiled to herself.
"I'm trying," Usagi
pouted.
"I suppose I should be
encouraging this," Ranma shrugged. "So what do you know?"
"You were north of the
city, in that base you destroyed. It looked like there were other soldiers
there, different soldiers."
Ranma gave a theatrical sigh.
"Willard International Consulting is a defense contractor. They're
supposed to do business with the military."
"And you're a contractor
for them," Usagi stated.
"What I do is
legal," Ranma chuckled. "Loopholes are useful things, so are lawyers,
and monster-fearing governments."
"Privateers are legal
too," Setsuna muttered.
"What's that?" Usagi
asked.
"Pirates that have state
sponsors, it makes their operations legal... in the eyes of one country."
"That would make you more
illegal pirates," Ranma said. "Course I get piracy, that makes sense.
Magical girls on the other hand..."
"Are you going to mock
me?" Usagi glared.
"Sorry, was just a tease."
Usagi looked down at her meal.
"Anyway... so you're training the military here? In what?"
Ranma smirked. "I think
you can figure it out."
"Fighting monsters and
stuff?"
The redhead nodded.
"Why?"
"You tell me," Ranma
purred.
"You need more men? There's money to be made? The government's forcing you too?"
"All very good
reasons."
"You're not making this
easier," Usagi sighed.
"I'm a demon; you've gotta let me have some fun." Ranma coyly leaned
forward.
Usagi blushed at the thought
of "fun". "Okay... so it was done for a lot of reasons. Do you
need the extra people? Are things going to be that bad?"
Ranma shrugged. "It's
better to have too many allies than too few."
"So, what is going
on?"
The redhead blinked and
started to chuckle which built into laughter that almost became maniacal. "Setsuna
didn't tell you everything?" Ranma asked after she regained her composure.
Usagi turned to the older
woman. "You said you didn't know!"
Setsuna glared at Ranma.
"You're either
incompetent or keeping secrets," Ranma grinned.
"I'll sort that out
later," Usagi's voice was firm, despite the redhead's expression.
"Going to punish
her?" Ranma asked. "Want to borrow any toys?"
Once again the blonde's
imagination caused her cheeks to flush.
"That's the spirit."
Ranma picked up another rib. "So, what about this new place of yours? You
going to have a housewarming party?"
***************
Saturn flipped the sharp end
of her glaive near the ground. "What do you think these guys are up to
The pink-haired girl peered
around the apartment. "Black robes, black magic. Standard bad guys. Why
don't you ask our friend?" the Sailor Senshi asked, pointing a pink glove
at the man whose neck was millimeters below Saturn's blade.
Saturn narrowed her eyes at
the prone man. "Are you going to be nice? Or are you scared of a couple of
little girls?"
Hood pulled away from his
face, the man's bloodshot eyes seemed to bulge from his head.
"Monsters!"
Saturn flicked her wrists with
a brief sigh.
"Huh, so their bodies
disintegrate,"
Flicking some blood off her
blade, Saturn tilted her head. "Momma and Poppa are taking too long."
"Don't tell me they're
having trouble? These guys are a joke."
"Yes, your attacks can
kill them," Saturn lightly giggled. She turned and frowned at the kitchen
where a pantry door was torn off, exposing a passageway with a set of darkened,
descending stairs.
"Go on, help them,"
"But we're supposed to
stay up here and watch their backs."
"Then I'll stay up
here,"
Saturn raised an eyebrow at
the small sparkly cylinder. Her skepticism was cut off by a large and wet
sounding explosion below them. The Senshi of Death and Rebirth gave a curt nod
and then ran down the stairs.
Alone
She looked up to see a group
of men cloaked in hoods, robes and shadows rush into the apartment. They
carried meter-long rods of metal covered in glowing runes, and surrounded her
in a third of a circle within a few paces of the pink girl.
"Oh, please. You're not
scared of me?" She asked in a high-pitched but bored voice. Their
hesitation and frankly the entire group's... stylistic tactics spoke of
inexperience, at least in anyone real combat. "I'm tiny, an annoyance. You
can take me," she assured, her red eyes sparkling. Faces obscured by their
hoods the men silently leveled their oversized wands.
***************
By the time Saturn crossed the
flooded basement to get to the room where her parents were, the fighting was
all but over. At least she managed to get there in time to use her glaive to
help in the finishing move, and release all the captured energy back to the
hospitalized victims.
It was then that she heard the
high pitched shrieking. In a dark blur Saturn ran out of the basement with
Uranus and Neptune at her heels. Bounding up the steps, Saturn could hear
several loud thuds and a gurgling squeal. Once she got into the kitchen she
stopped, causing the other two Outers to bump into her.
Surrounded by fallen bodies was
Sailor Chibi Moon. In her hands was a plain
broadsword about her height in length. The pink girl easily held the two-handed
sword by a, too large for her, blue-grey hilt with a simple brass guard and an
unadorned, but obviously functional from the ichors staining it, pommel.
The blade itself was a steel
that only stood out by how much the black liquid contrasted the silver-white
metal. Pinning one of the hooded goons to the wall was a long grey scabbard,
with a few somewhat ornate brass fittings on the top.
"That wasn't you
screaming," Saturn noted.
Switching to a one handed
grip,
"That sword looks
familiar,"
"It's Endymion's,"
Uranus said eyeing the blade.
"About time I got it
back," Chibi Moon muttered as she pulled the
scabbard out of the wall, and the minion. With a yelp she jumped back to avoid
the body, and tripped over one behind her.
Uranus had to keep from
chuckling, at least that much was the same, but at least it looked like hanging
out with "real" warriors was starting to help the girl.
"You used your father's
blade in the future?"
"Of course,"
"I'm sorry," Hotaru
said, giving the girl a hug.
"Least you've got another
blade to sharpen,"
"That is too long to keep
at your hip," Uranus noted.
"Maybe we can spar,
Aunty,"
"You seem... happy,"
"She's always
bubbly," Uranus shrugged.
"I did get my-"
"From a future that may
not happen," Saturn gave her a pat on the shoulder.
"What? Pretending to be
human?" Uranus asked. "Corrupted?"
"That's... not
normal,"
"At least their plan
was,"
"But why the delay in
their disintegration?" Uranus asked turning to
"Her magic attacks are
weak," Saturn helpfully added.
Uranus looked at the
dust-filled cloaks littering the room, then back to her lover. "Yes, I suppose
that's what happened. Saturn, be more careful next time, don't leave her alone.
Chibi Moon's still... weak in... magic."
"I'm trying to get
better,"
Uranus raised an eyebrow. "You
just took out half a dozen magic lizard-men, kid."
"And without
crying," Saturn happily added.
"That's my mother's
power,"
"She... can hurt enemies
by crying?" Uranus asked.
"That's so... expected."
Saturn looked out a window.
"One of our escorts is pointing to his watch."
"What?"
"Guess the police are
coming," Saturn said stepping back from the window.
"Why didn't they
help?" Uranus asked.
"Do you want the Company
to? I think they'd just get in the way."
"It's creepy; they're not
even trying to hide," Uranus said as they exited the apartment and started
running up the stairs.
"Why would they? They're
working with the Inners and Puu," Saturn said as they reached the roof.
"So why aren't they doing
anything more than watch?"
"You have to ask for
their help,"
"Well... Aunty Ranma
really likes them, and Mom... she gets their help all the time, but she's too
stubborn to say it."
"Usagi... stubborn?"
***************
Akane gave a slight murmur and
leaned on her mother, as they lay on the couch.
"Happy now?" Ranma
asked, wrapping an arm around Akane.
"I just wanted to
spar," Akane yawned.
"Just before bed?"
The redhead raised an eyebrow.
"You said we should
constantly hone our skills," Akane remarked.
"And I'm sure making Misa-chan jealous wasn't part of it," Nabiki remarked
as she stepped in from the kitchen.
"If that were true I
wouldn't have bugged Mom after Misa'd gone to
sleep."
Nabiki took a contemplative
sip of her drink. "Maybe you're just incompetent at revenge," she
said before sitting down on Ranma's opposite side and nestling in.
Akane pouted.
Ranma's chuckle was cut off by
a ringing from the leather jacket over her unitard.
She answered and her eyes widened. "I see. Arrange transport then."
"Who is it?" Nabiki
frowned.
"What happened?"
Akane asked.
"Nabiki, go upstairs.
Tell the others to get ready. It's Jacob. Something happened at Usagi's place,
the cameras cut out too."
Akane frowned.
"Okay, so what
surveillance teams are in the area?" Ranma asked as she mentally recalled
the layout of the Sailor Senshi's new domicile. It was a light industrial
complex that consisted of a short office building attached to a small
warehouse. Ranma had gone on a small tour of the place and had seen the
surveillance images of it.
The building was set back on
its lot, with groomed grass expanses surrounding it. The wards setup around it
seemed thorough. It was not... poorly defended, but it looked like Ranma's
concerns were warranted.
The rest of the brood came
down the stairs in their armor and checking out their weapons. "What's
going on?" Genma asked, following the demons down.
"Work." Ranma closed
her eyes and in a flash her clothing shifted to her new combat armor. She
walked over to Akane and checked out her back armor.
Genma nodded. "Good luck,
then."
"Thanks," Ranma,
still juggling her phone, gave him a brief hug. "Okay, anyone short of
equipment? Ammo?"
"I'm fine." Ukyou
checked her HSMG.
"I could use a bit
more," Misako said with a grin.
"Right. Jacob, make sure
there's some extra 40mm for Misa," she said into
the phone.
There was a knock at the door.
Nariko looked out to see the idling vehicle and a pair of agents at the door. She
gave a wave and the girls centered onto the door. The brood left and piled into
a Company APC.
Still holding her phone, Ranma
turned to her sister. "What's the story?"
"Red Team trying to get
some long distance recon," Eve said as the vehicle shifted into gear.
"Don't want to tip our
hand early," Ranma nodded.
"We could have brought a
van and had it pull into your garage," Eve stated.
"Too slow," Ranma
said as she hooked up her headset. "You see anything Kas?"
In another vehicle several
blocks distant from them, Kasumi picked up the transmission. "It's real
windy but the Raven we launched is giving us something," she said,
referring to the micro UAV one of her men literally tossed out from the top of
the vehicle past the ring-mounted machinegun. "There's a lot of interference
but it looks like part of the building's on fire.."
"It's an attack,"
Ranma frowned.
"Better to assume that than
a house fire," Akane noted.
"We can't get a better
picture," Kasumi said over the connection. "We almost lost the bird,
and I don't want it any closer."
"Do the same for your
vehicle," Eve cautioned.
"We're actually driving
away," Lieutenant Tendo said with a light chuckle. "Shit, we lost the
Raven." There was a wave of static over the connection followed by an
explosion. I's volume muffled by the transmission.
"-Attack! We are under attack!" There was a grinding noise and a dull
thud. "We have wounded-" Kasumi's voice was cut off by a squeal of
static.
"We've lost the signal, unable
to reconnect," Maya Iverson's voice, almost reproachfully, said over the
channel.
Eve frowned. "Trap."
Ranma nodded and gripped her
wrist with her right hand. "Yes, they could have blown up her vehicle
instead of wounding it, or they could have jammed her out before the
attack."
"Lt. Tendo was three
miles away from the Senshi residence. It's a fair diversion," Eve looked
and saw the smoldering looks from Akane and Nabiki. At least their anger seemed
honed, contained.
"They want to split our
force, delay us and upset the rescue mission." Ranma closed her eyes for a
second. "Fine. They got their wish," she smiled thinly. "Colonel
Edwards. The brood is yours. I only need Nariko. We'll go to Usagi, that leaves
the rest of you free."
Over the encrypted link, Jacob
gave a thin smile. "Ah, I see our style's finally started to rub off on
you. Happy hunting."
"You too." Ranma
turned to her sister. "Do I need to explain myself?"
Eve chuckled. More than being
the eldest daughter, Nariko was a good choice for a "wingman"
"Not at all."
"Good. Find them; kill
them," Ranma said.
Feeling a nearly physical
pressure from the brood mother's violet eyes, Eve gave a quick nod. "Yes. You'll
be out of radio contact. When do you want backup?"
"When you're
finished," Ranma stated before going up to the APC's
turret. After moving the turret operator to the side, her senses unfolded and
she scanned the area. It was some comfort, though the enemy could have defeated
that. Behind her, Nariko was checking to make sure her sword and equipment were
properly stowed for flight operations.
"Right," Eve said,
and the redhead squeezed over to a rear ramp door, and after opening it a tiny
bit, climbed out. Wind whipping the compartment, Nariko followed.
Ukyou sealed the door.
"What now then?"
Eve paused briefly. "I
believe we have four teams available tonight."
"Immediately," Jacob
assured. "More are coming onto alert."
"Good, send them three km
west of the second waypoint from last week." Eve said. "Turning off
radios now, they won't be reliable as we get in." Eve looked to the brood
and the two human agents crammed into the transport. "We have two tasks: Rescue
and elimination. Two groups, both with human support.
"Myself, Akane, and
Nabiki with Gold Team and Blue Team will get Lt. Tendo and Red Team. Ukyou you
take the rest and position them as you see fit."
"They're going to attack
you," Ukyou advised.
"Yes, but that gives you the
ability to locate them and cover us," Eve explained. "They may still
assume we've split our force."
"Unless they broke our
encryption in addition to being able to jam us," Nabiki said.
"Then they think we're
messing with them." Misako chuckled. "Saying we're sending only two
to rescue Usagi and then immediately reducing communications."
"True there's probably
more of them at the Senshi's place. They just want to delay us; they want to
kill Usagi," Akane growled.
"Meanwhile they expect
WIC to muster in strength, do recon to get an idea of what's going on, and then
strike with overwhelming force," Misako gave her gun an affectionate rub.
"At least they're right about the last part."
End Chapter 1
I'd like to thank my pre-readers. They read through my most egregious mistakes so you don't have to. DGC, J St C Patrick, Terra, Pale Wolf, Wray, Kevin Hammel, Ikarus, Jerry Starfire, and Mike Koos. Special thanks to Terra for coming up with the chapter title and Nadrek for finely sifting through this chapter and giving notes on the next one
Revision Notes: And here's the start of book 3. Yes the JTF2 troops started getting their training only this late in the story. And we see a bit of what the Outers are up to back in Japan and how Chibi Usa is handling things. Oh and blame Ellf for the title.