Magical Lyrical G-Squad
Chapter 4: Peril in the Sky
Xx~~*~~xX
“It's about time,” Arisa commented dryly from the table, turning her attention from the TV in the corner and watching her long-time purple-haired friend enter the small embassy cafeteria.
Suzuka stifled a yawn with her hand, seemingly working on auto-pilot as she grabbed the proffered tray of food from the cook. She mumbled a “thank you” and made her way over to join her friends at one of the tables. Arf scooted over so Suzuka could sit between her and Arisa, but appeared concerned at the technician's general lethargy.
“Are you alright?” Vice questioned from the other side of the table, raising an eyebrow.
“Fine,” Suzuka replied absently, beginning to dig unenthusiastically at her meal.
Arisa raised an eyebrow. “You've been zombie-like for almost a week now. And apparently you've been staying up late every night for the past two weeks! What are you working on?”
Suzuka smiled tiredly. “It's a surprise, you'll see.”
“Well, it's not good for your health,” Alto added. “I'm sure whatever it is, you don't have to focus so much on it. Perhaps I can even give you a hand? I'm already learning a good bit about how to service the golems.”
Suzuka shook her head. “Thanks, but no. This is my special project.”
Arisa eyed her old friend suspiciously. “Well, we need you at 100% in case of trouble, so if you don't get some more sleep, I'll request that Doctor Ishida issue an order for you to get some sleep.”
Suzuka looked suitably abashed, as Arisa named the doctor that had become the official caretaker for the Bureau group. Sachie Ishida had been Hayate's personal doctor long ago, but had been brought in for the expedition as a compromise with Earth; they wanted an Earth doctor to check out the “alien” physiology and confirm they really were humans. Lindy could think of no one better, and one-upped Earth's representatives by inviting the doctor in for personal care of all her staff. In the process, the doctor and her nurses would begin learning about Bureau medical techniques and technology, to eventually share with Earth.
“Oh, it's on!” Arf suddenly piped up, grabbing the TV remote and turning the volume up, as all eyes were directed into the corner.
“...and there was another sighting last night of Tokyo's newest secret vigilante, which has made waves the past few days,” the female TV reporter was saying.
“Only this time, one of the victims managed to get some video and audio. What you are about to see, is the alleged vigilante apparently rescuing some mugging victims.”
What followed was the shaky image from from a cellphone camera.
“...and surrender!” a female voice commanded. The camera panned over to showcase the back of a girl in a sailor fuku, pointing at several male gang members. But the oddest things were the pair of cat ears that poked out of the top of her golden hair, and the thin tail that trailed out of the top of her blue skirt's waistband, and moved with a life of its own.
“Like hell!” one of gang members crused.
Several shots could be heard, and the camera suddenly panned away as the holder probably ducked and covered, to the sound of bullets striking metal. But when it came back up, the sailor-suited girl had closed the distance with the half-dozen gang members, a glowing Round Shield deflecting bullets, and was now soundly beating the crap out of them.
“S-she's some kind of monster!” another gang member yelled, terrified. “Let's get out of here!”
“Oh no you don't!” the girl shouted, flipping one gang member to the ground, and then leaping through the air as the last two got back in their car and started the engine.
“Oh my god... is she...?” the girl holding the camera could be heard whispering, and then the image grew steadier and focused in.
The sailor-suited girl had landed in front of the car, and could be seen holding onto it while the car's tires screeched. Then the girl punched hard into the hood, plunging her hand through the metal, and the car went dead. The two gang members attempted to exit the car and flee, but she leapt towards the driver, revealing that she had taken the front bumper off and was holding it in her other hand. She quickly bent the bumper around him, practically tying him to a light pole, then turned and frowned at the second guy, now halfway down the street.
“You can't get away!” she declared with much bravado, then struck a pose, placing two fingers near her eye. “SEXY KITTY BEAM!”
The girl holding the camera could be heard gasping as a purple beam lanced out and smacked the escaping thug in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground. The sailor-suited girl with the cat ears and tail, promptly picked the now-unconscious hooligan up and put him with his friends.
“There, that takes care of the last of them,” she said to herself, obviously pleased, and then turned to the victims, revealing for the first time to the camera that she had a superhero mask over her eyes. “Are you two okay?”
“Y-yes, thank you, but who are you?” the shaky-cam-bearing woman asked.
The girl struck a pose, one hand on her hip, and another making a side-ways V-sign with her fingers next to her face. “I'm Sailor Neko, defender of justice! The police will be by shortly, so you'll be okay. But remember that I'll always be here to defend you! Take care!”
And with that, Sailor Neko leapt high into the sky, landing on the top of a nearby building, and then vanished into the night.
“As you can see, this masked vigilante showcases unusual abilities,” the TV reporter said as station switched back to her.
“Police are looking for her, but suspicion has already been cast by some people, towards our recent extra-terrestrial visitors. When questioned, the Bureau's PR spokeswoman, Serena Earls, had this to say, and I quote: 'We do not know who this person is, and we are not working with, nor responsible for, her actions. Other than that, we have no comment at this time.' Back to you, Nana.”
As the TV report ended, all eyes in the cafeteria turned toward one person.
“What?” Suzuka replied meekly. “You don't think that's me, do you?”
“Your 'late nights' and the cat motif?” Arisa questioned, with arms folded across her chest and eyes half-lidded.
“She doesn't even look like me!” Suzuka protested, squirming in her seat. “Besides, I don't even own a sailor fuku.”
Silence followed, which was broken by Lindy coughing politely. “Well, whoever she is, it is clear she possesses magical capabilities. We have already analyzed the film clip, and during the fuzzy section with the gun shots, we saw the glow of a Round Shield, which is presumably what blocked the bullets. If it's someone who has discovered their magical powers and is taking advantage of them, we should try to contact them. Unless she's properly trained, she could be a danger to herself or others.”
“I thought I remembered reading that Earth natives generally couldn't use magic without a device,” Vice questioned.
Lindy nodded. “That is what we have found. Even if they possess a linker core, it seems very difficult for them to access their magic. We have no record of anyone from Earth spontaneously showing magical abilities, at least not without being introduced to some extra-terrestrial source like Bureau contact, or specific heavy training, or use of a device.”
“It was the same for Suzuka and I,” Arisa noted thoughtfully. “Even though Yuuno was able to detect our cores, we needed devices in order to fully bring out our magic. Without them, even heavy training makes it difficult to process mana. I wonder why that is? Most of the people in our training classes had much better magic capabilities without a device.”
“Probably something in your genetic makeup,” Alto suggested. “Even though we're all human, we are all from different worlds, and thus there are bound to be differences between us.”
That seemed to make sense to Suzuka, and she noted in Arisa's expression that the other woman was thinking the same. Both of them had come to similar conclusions awhile back.
“Well, anyway, finish up breakfast and then get ready to move out,” Lindy stated, breaking the temporary lull. “We move out at 1100 hours.”
As she left the cafeteria, normal background conversation resumed. Arisa and Suzuka finished up their meal and deposited their trays back on the cleaning shelf, each keeping to their own thoughts, at least until after they had passed through the double-doors.
“You know, this mysterious sailor-suited girl makes me feel a bit nostalgic,” Arisa noted wryly.
“Why is that?” Suzuka inquired, curious.
“Don't you remember the days when it was just Nanoha, and later Fate, living their secret lives as magical girls? And look at us now, piloting mecha. I wonder... could we even be considered magical girls?”
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” Suzuka quoted from one of her favorite authors.
Arisa smiled wryly. “So, are we Sufficiently Advanced Technology Girls, then?”
Suzuka smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
x~~*~~x
“Any contacts, Seargent Granscenic?” Arisa asked, speaking into her communicator as she glanced out one of the 747-400's small port windows. She could fairly easily make out the form of his golem in fighter mode just off the left wing tip.
“Negative,” came his relaxed reply, then his voice changed a bit. “I have to agree with the admiral on this one; I think you're overly worried about all this. No one is likely to attack the South Korean president's official plane. At least, not with the escort we have.” He chuckled. “Decent looking planes, but if trouble does happen, the slowpokes better stay out of my way.”
She couldn't see all of them, but Arisa knew there were a dozen F-15K's from South Korea's Air Force as an official escort. While she appreciated the gesture, she didn't really like that they were using the South Korean president's plane. Sure, he was on board and in a meeting with Lindy, but as the admiral's persona head of security, it was Arisa's belief that traveling in the shuttle was better. She felt more in control there, versus here. And the shuttle would allow them to take all the golems, instead of just having Storm Raider in fighter mode as an escort. Well, there was Otto down below, hidden beneath the waves, but that was a secret. And in a pinch, Alto could fly Arf and the other two mecha out, although that would take time.
“I suppose you're right,” Arisa conceded. “At any rate, keep me updated.”
“Everything alright?” a taller Korean man in a formal suit and tie inquired.
Arisa glanced up at him, unable to see his eyes due to the black visor-like glasses. His name was Jin Lee, and he was essentially her counterpart, responsible for the security of the South Korean president. “Looks good so far. Though I am surprised your president would take this risk, considering the warm welcome we got when we first arrived.”
“I have to admit I'm not too crazy about it, either, but the president wanted to see to this personally,” Jin replied nonchalantly. “He really believes in the possibility of this treaty. If the Bureau can negotiate bringing the two Koreas together in peace, or at least protect the country from attack, then it will be the greatest thing to happen to my people in a long time.”
“I'm sure she'll do her best,” Arisa answered noncommittally.
He nodded, then touched his ear piece, apparently listening in to his own reports.
Technically, the mission was the start of the world tour, where Lindy would visit as many nations as she could, meeting their leaders and peoples, and exposing the extra-terrestrials to the populace. The idea was to ease tensions, by showing the people of Earth that the Bureau was human and friendly, and not to be feared. In that light, Arisa, Suzuka's, and Adam's own personal testimonies would be required as well, since they were native Earthlings who had later joined the Bureau; the two former from Japan, and the latter from the US.
But this particular meeting with South Korea was to open negotiations between the two divided countries, and see if a reconciliation was possible. If so, it would go a long way towards showing Earth the good the Bureau could do. If not, there was the potential for the Bureau to install a self-defense shield around Seoul and several other cities closer to the demilitarized zone, which would protect it from shelling by the north. Such shells could carry biological warheads, and posed a constant risk. And of course, much more recently, it was thought that the North might have nuclear weapons now.
“[Captain, is there a problem with your communicator?]” Vice sent telepathically.
Arisa blinked and tapped her earpiece. “[Strange, no, I'm not getting anything through it. Maybe it broke. I'll grab another.]”
“[Um, you might want to check up on the admiral first,]” he replied, concern evident in his tone. “[It was subtle, but I detected a slight heading change from the president's plane. I'm not picking up any other craft or weather phenomenon up ahead that would warrant a course change, and it wasn't radioed to us, so I'm not sure what's going on. I'm sure the other escort jets will probably figure it out in 10-20 minutes or so, when we're far enough off course].”
An unpleasant feeling formed in Arisa's gut, but she didn't want to disturb Lindy's meeting just yet; dealing with security issues was her job. Checking the cockpit was the obvious first step.
Jin apparently seemed to sense her anxiety. “Is there a problem?”
“Is there a particular reason we changed course?” Arisa inquired, which caused Jin to put a finger to his earpiece and relay the question. She removed her own ear bud to examine it, but there didn't appear to be anything wrong, so she put it back.
Jin frowned, confirming Arisa's suspicions. “Strange, my communicator must be on the fritz. I can hear some of my agents, but no response from the cockpit. Let's go.”
She immediately fell in behind him, while sending another telepathic message herself. “[Miyuki, something may be up; we're going to check the cockpit. It's probably nothing, but just in case...]”
“[Understood,]” came the reply in her head, making Arisa glad Miyuki had been issued a standard device that allowed reception and transmission of telepathic messages. Currently, the swordswoman was outside the meeting door, functioning as Lindy's personal bodyguard. Only Kyoya had gone back out undercover, leaving Miyuki to the sole task.
The pair of head security agents entered the electronics section, where personnel manned radar and other computer consoles, and then finally approached the closed cockpit door and the pair of agents on either side of it. Jin frowned when he attempted to open it, since the door obviously wouldn't budge and his code wasn't accepted.
He turned to the two guards. “Open this door immediately; we need to talk to the pilots and I'm not getting any response from the cockpit.”
Arisa didn't need to turn around to know exactly what the clicking noises were from, but she did anyway upon the command to. Several of the Korean agents had left their seats and we're pointing weapons at Jin and her.
“What's the meaning of this, Ji-hun?” Jin demanded from one one of the agents pointing a handgun at them.
Arisa realized the two agents guarding the cockpit door, had also drawn weapons on them, leaving them surrounded on both sides. She knew her barrier jacket, in a modified form to reflect the formal black jacket, tie, and slacks of the other agents, would protect her from bullets. But she wasn't confident she could get up a barrier in time to protect Jin, and there could be other innocents on the plane in danger. Also, casting such a spell, might break their cover as non-magical extra-terrestrials.
“Let's just say that, while I agree with the unification of Korea, I don't believe the South should be the ones to do it,” Ji-hun.
“[Admiral, Miyuki, we have a problem,]” Arisa sent urgently.
The sound of gunfire coming from above was her immediate response.
x~~*~~x
“[I see what you mean,]” Lindy replied back calmly at the broken door to the meeting room.
Miyuki stood with sword raised, blood trickling from the side of her head, as several security personnel poured in with raised guns. At her feet, lay two agents she had already taken out when they attempted to storm the room. By the considerable lack of blood and their slight breathing movements, Lindy could tell they were still alive, just unconscious.
“You might want to be careful with those firearms,” Miyuki cautioned, her expression calm and neutral. “It only takes one bad shot to pierce a window and depressurize the plane. My sword, however, carries no such concerns.”
“So we're in a bit of a standoff,” Lindy noted, the picture of calm as she sipped her tea. “Perhaps you gentlemen would care to sit down and discuss the matter?”
South Korean president Lee Myung-bak glanced at her with his own hardened expression, and then returned his gaze to the gunmen. “Who is behind this? Where is Jin?”
“He's indisposed at the moment,” one of them said, stepping forward and holstering his weapon. His and Miyuki's eyes met for a moment, as if he was daring her to strike, but she held her stance. “And this plane is now under the control of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
x~~*~~x
“Admiral, we have been monitoring the situation,” Chrono transmitted, converting the signal into a telepathic wavelength. “On your command, we can teleport everyone out and aboard the Ventek.”
“Negative for now,” Lindy sent. “They seem to want us alive for now, and I am interested in seeing how this goes. You can always teleport us out later.”
“Chrono, we have have a problem with that, anyway,” Lucino reported from her forward position. “I can't seem to get a lock on anyone aboard the aircraft!”
“What?” Chrono nearly blurted, surprised. “That shouldn't be possible. How? Why?”
“Unknown, but there is definitely some magical interference taking place,” Lucino clarified, her fingers rapidly typing away over the computer console. “I'm working to bypass it, but I'm not sure if I can.”
“Well, then, I guess we'll have to figure this out on our own for the moment,” Lindy stated, her tone still calm, and more curious than anything else.
“Bring down the plane.”
x~~*~~x
“[I'm sorry, what did you say, Arisa?]” Chrono's voice in her head nearly sputtered, full of disbelief.
“[Have Vice target one or two of the engines,]” Arisa clarified, mentally calculating the best order to take down all the agents. “[The initial attack should throw them off guard, allowing Miyuki and I to take them down. If all else fails, that should bring the plane down low enough for us to bail out; Vice and Otto can pick us up.]”
“[I'm afraid we'll have to put that plan on hold for the moment, too,]” Lindy replied, an odd tone in her telepathic voice. “[We need to find out who these people are. If they have a device capable of jamming magical teleportation, then it has to be our mysterious opponent who has made a move, and they apparently have more capability than we assumed. We need to find out who they are, and what their motivations are. For now, we'll go along with them. We still have a few cards up our sleeve we can play.]”
Arisa grit her teeth; the admiral's response made some sense, although she didn't like it. As head of security, her instinct was to protect everyone first. But figuring out just who didn't want them here, and why, would be the more important concern.
Ji-hun gestured with his gun. “Enough. We have the plane. Tell the escorts to back off, as we will soon enter North Korean airspace. That goes for your Bureau craft as well.”
“You cut off communication, so I can't,” Arisa bluffed. It was true they cut off normal communications, although she could still talk telepathically; however, she didn't want to disclose that little detail. “But don't worry, your anti-aircraft defenses won't pose any threat to it, so he'll just tag along and watch.”
The slight twitch of his eyebrow let her know that her little taunt had found a mark. “That's not what I said. I will undo the jamming for a minute, but my patience wears thin. Call it off, or your Bureau Admiral dies, as does everyone on this plane. And even if you don't believe I will kill your admiral, know that you will be responsible for the deaths of many others who don't really matter here.”
A frightened gasp drew her attention to a doorway, where an agent held one of the cooks, a woman in her early 30's, from behind with a gun to her head. The look of terror on her face was palpable.
Arisa glared at Ji-hun, but remembered Lindy's words to go along with them, and reached up to activate her communicator.
x~~*~~x
“Understood, adjusting course,” Vice replied to the order, then paused for a moment. “Good luck.”
“You, too,” came the response, and then some further instructions via telepathy.
He smiled at that; it was what he was planning to do, even if she hadn't told him. Then adjusted the control stick, sending Storm Raider peeling off into the sunset, the jumbo jet rapidly disappearing in his wake.
x~~*~~x
Miyuki glanced back at Lindy out of the corner of her eye, saw the admiral nod slightly, and dropped her sword.
The hijackers moved quickly to take her into custody.
x~~*~~x
“It's done,” Arisa spat, removing her earpiece to hand it to one of the agents.
“Confirmed,” one of the men at the radar station declared. “All escorts, including the Bureau craft, are moving away. Our own jets are five minutes out.”
And then, like Jin, her hands were bound behind her back and her body was frisked. The normal handgun in her breast holster was taken, as was the knife attached to her ankle. Inwardly, she smiled, since those two items were mostly for show anyway; as long as they left her dog-tag device alone, she had Terra to help her process magic when needed. And her device had several combat forms to complement her martial arts training.
“Move,” the agent behind her ordered, roughly shoving her in the back.
Arisa shot him a dark look, but acquiesced and followed Ji-Hun out of the electronics center. As they passed the spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, they paused long enough for a couple of agents to lead a bound Miyuki down.
“Keep them separated in the cargo hold until we land,” Ji-Hun told them while beginning to climb the staircase. “I have some business with the alien representative and the president.”
Arisa waited for him to disappear upstairs, before talking telepathically to Miyuki. “[Did they take your communicator?]”
Miyuki paused, and then nodded once.
Arisa grimaced; that made this a little more difficult. It was that communicator device that allowed Miyuki to send telepathic thoughts. The agents wouldn't be able to make it work, as it was keyed to her, but it was no surprise they took it. Arisa was just surprised they didn't attempt to take her dag tags, which was Terra in device mode, now hanging around her neck and under her shirt.
“[Are Lindy and the President okay?]”
Nod.
“[I've got an idea, but we need to find whatever is blocking the Ventek from getting a teleportation lock on us. If you-]”
“In here!” the agent in charge barked, nudging Arisa's back hard with the butt of his rifle, almost shoving her through the shelves and large containers. “Take off their clothes.”
Arisa spun on him, suddenly indignant. “What?!”
The agent waved his gun at her threateningly. “You may be human, but given your level of technology, anything on you could be a weapon. We have our orders, and we don't need your compliance.” He gestured towards one of the other agents, as if telling them they that if they didn't strip, one of the men would do it for them.
Arisa glanced at Miyuki, who nodded and stood, turning her back to the agents to showcase her bound wrists. “You can't get our clothes fully off with these handcuffs. If you undo them, I will go first.”
“Any funny business, and we'll fill you and your friend full of holes,” he reminded her. “We do have orders to avoid killing you if possible, but they aren't ironclad.”
Once the handcuffs were removed, Miyuki rubbed her wrists, and then removed her black jacket, keeping her back to them. Arisa grimaced at what the other woman was forced to do, but carefully watched the five agents guarding them, noting that their eyes through their dark glasses were drawn to the stripping swordswoman. There was even a whistle once Miyuki unbuttoned and removed her blouse.
Arisa waited just a moment more while slowly bending her knees, for the weapons trained on her and Jin to lower slightly, and for Miyuki to reach up and begin pulling her sports bra up. With a sudden burst of speed, Arisa pushed off with her legs to slam her head into the stomach of the closest agent. Even as the others slowly began to react, Arisa became a whirlwind of motion, slamming a roundhouse kick into the next closest guard and sending him flying into two others. The last finally managed to turn and fire several shots in her direction, but Arisa was already diving behind a container for cover.
Miyuki sprung into action as well, kicking the gun up as she flowed forward, bringing her hands together and slamming both fists into his jaw in a move that snapped his head around. As he stumbled back in a daze, she chopped the gun out of his hand, but she was unable to follow up due to the other agents recovering, now bringing their own weapons to bare. Like Arisa, she leapt up and over several containers to hide from the gunfire. There wasn't much room to maneuver in here, which meant there was little chance of her being able to dodge the gunfire.
Meanwhile, Arisa had dragged herself to her feet, noting with some relief that Jin had taken the initiative to get out of the way himself. She didn't know where he had disappeared to, but she hoped he was smart enough to keep his head down. Concentrating her magic into her arms, she snapped the handcuffs and rubbed her wrists and then glanced at the wall of the plane behind her, nodding that her internal map of the aircraft was accurate. However, this next part wasn't going to be easy.
She attempted to rejoin the action, but as she peeked around the corner of a crate, she came face-to-face with one of the agents, who looked as surprised as she did. Arisa barely managed to step inside his guard the moment he depressed the trigger, spraying bullets past her instead of at her. She grabbed the lapels on his jacket and flipped him over her shoulder, but he grabbed her arm with his free hand and brought her down with him. For several moments, they both grappled and rolled on the floor. Her fingers clawed at his face, but strangely didn't feel skin; there was something else there instead. It surprised her, giving the man enough of a moment to kick her off.
Her back slammed into the wall of the aircraft, but she took a moment to glance down at what she was now grasping in her left hand; a strange cloth-like object. She didn't give it too much thought, however, as she noted the agent standing back and bringing his gun back to bear. She thought quickly as her hand came down on a lever embedded in the wall behind her, realizing what it was the moment the agent fired several shots.
She felt the impacts in her gut, but still managed to raise her head, grin, and push the lever down. The agent's eyes widened in realization, the moment the emergency exit door was blown outward with a loud roar, sucked out along with the air in the cargo hold.
Arisa could see the agent being drawn to the door by the air pressure change, as she herself went tumbling out of the plane.
x~~*~~x
The door swung open, admitting a smooth and composed male with what he probably hoped was a charming smile.“I trust you are well? My name is Ji-hun, and I will be your host for the remainder of the trip.”
Lindy eyed the clean-cut secret service man in a suit and dark glasses, and matched his disarming smile with one of her own. “I am fine, but the manners of your coworkers seem to be a bit lacking, young man.”
He crossed one arm over his stomach to embellish a short bow. “My apologies, but circumstances put us in an uncomfortable position. We will attempt to make your stay as... rewarding as possible.”
“Stay?” South Korean President Lee Myung-bak inquired, raising an eyebrow slightly. “You have taken my plane and my staff hostage. This goes far beyond a mere international incident; but now an interstellar one as well. Do not expect to get off lightly.”
“We will be landing in North Korea in under 30 minutes,” Ji-hun replied, taking one of the empty seats at the table opposite the two hostages. The rest were previously filled with staff from both the Bureau and the South Korean government, but they had been taken away and locked up below. “Where you will be treated quite well during the negotiations.”
“You aim to bargain with South Korea for my release?” Lee questioned, his voice growing harder. “I doubt that will go as well as you think.”
Lindy took a sip of her tea, then set it down and pursed her lips thoughtfully as she studied the lead hijacker. It was obvious he was attempting to immediately establish a story for them to believe. All reports indicated that North Korea simply did not have the capability to pull off something like this, and the teleport scrambler was further evidence of a larger power in play. Someone knew the Bureau had magic, and was capable of blocking it. However, this Ji-hun didn't seem like the kind of person to be high up on the knowledge pole; she'd need to play along with his story for now, until the real puppet masters revealed themselves.
“I didn't think the North Korean Generals would be so insistent upon my company,” Lindy stated casually, letting him know that she was aware of just where the real power lay in his country.
Ji-hun grinned, showcasing pearly white teeth. “The admiral gets it. For years, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been laughed at and mistreated by the world at large. But we will be the first to have your technology and emerge as the preeminent world power.”
Lee finally chuckled. “I do not think it will be easy as you believe. Never mind that every other country will not take kindly to this, but do you really think you can best the advanced technology and capabilities of an alien civilization?”
If anything, Ji-hun's grin only grew. “Oh, I think you'll find that we know more about them than you think.”
Lindy raised an eyebrow; perhaps this Ji-hun did know more than he was letting on. “If you say so,” she offered simply.
Further conversation was put on hold by the sound of gunfire down below, and Lindy sighed; she instantly knew it had to be the result of one person. [I should have figured she'd be a bit impulsive.]
Ji-hun put a hand to his ear, apparently listening to a report, but the plane jerked to the side after a few moments and then began a rapid descent, throwing everyone off balance, shaking wildly. “What's going on?!”
When the plane eventually leveled off and returned to normal, Lee retook his seat while eying Lindy calmly taking another sip from her teacup. “How did you...?”
She smiled happily at him and set her cup down, not having spilled a drop. “Yes?”
Ji-hun dusted himself off. “It didn't work.”
Lindy turned to him, her face blank. “What didn't?”
“Your underlings attempt to retake the plane; they nearly killed us all!” he almost snarled at her, then lowered his hand from his ear and crossed his arms over his chest. Lindy didn't like the way he was maliciously grinning at her. “But I'm afraid I that it cost them their lives.”
x~~*~~x
“How the hell did they get the plane?!” Arf demanded to know, slamming her hand on the meeting table. “I thought such people would be heavily scanned and investigated before being allowed on a leader's jet!”
“We don't know,” Adams confessed, his voice thick with barely contained anger himself. “The South Koreans aren't giving us straight answers, but I'll admit it seems they were as equally taken by surprise by this.”
Arf grinned, showing teeth. “Just give the order, and I'll get them back.”
The General shook his head. “Not yet. This is a diplomatic incident, and we can't just invade a sovereign nation. North Korea has issued an initial statement that the Admiral and the South Korean president have been invited as guests, and have given their assent. We know that's not the case based on what the Ventek sent us, but we're keeping the secret of telepathy for the moment. And before communications were completely cutoff, the Admiral sent me a message, relayed from the Ventek. She wants us to sit tight and wait for her signal. If we attack now, we'll look like aggressors.”
“Have we not heard anything from them?” Arf asked, worry creeping into her voice.
Chrono shook his head from the holoscreen. “Not since they landed. There is considerable jamming going on at the landing site.”
“I find it more disturbing that they can jam magic like they did,” Suzuka noted, deep in thought. “I still can't figure it out; it's not like an anti-magic field. It's just very strong interference.” She shook her head. “It's a dangerous game she's playing, letting herself be used as bait.”
“The admiral wanted to get caught?” Alto asked in disbelief.
“If we're right about there being someone or some group that wants us gone, then this is one of the more direct ways to discover that,” Chrono admitted with a sigh, giving Suzuka a hint that he may have known in advance about this particular ploy. “And they'll want our people alive to use as bargaining chips, so I don't think they'll do anything. Still, it is a big risk.”
“Still, I can't believe the other countries of Earth would simply believe the North Korean statement,” Alto pondered aloud. “Based on what I've read, this North Korea has repeatedly blustered and lied.”
“They don't, but I think that is the goal here,” Suzuka stated, shaking her head. At Alto's confused look, she went on to elaborate. “Whoever wants us gone, is behind this. There is no way North Korean soldiers had the training or capability to pull this off. However, the other countries also know this, so they will be looking at us with suspicion.”
“And that's why we have to be careful about how we act,” Adams confirmed, and then let out a sigh. “Still, that doesn't mean we can't be ready. I want the shuttle prepped and ready to launch, with the Fenrir and Terra golems loaded. If it's needed, and when Admiral Harleown gives the signal, I want to be ready.”
“Already done, sir,” Alto confirmed with a shot nod.
“Then what's our next-” Arf started to say, but was interrupted by an aide entering the room, nervously handing a small envelope to General Adams, before excusing himself. “What's it say?”
Adams scanned the piece of paper within, his face going deathly serious. “The note is anonymous, and I doubt will be able to tie it back to anyone, but...”
“But what?” Suzuka prompted, her brow furrowing in concern at Adam's steely expression.
“It says if we attempt any action against North Korea, a nuclear weapon smuggled in Seoul will be detonated, wiping the city off the face of the Earth.”
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's notes:
Continuing my quest of utilizing underused secondary characters, this fic proudly brings you the first time someone has used Serena Earls in a fanfic! Yes, she is a Bureau PR person, and the only other time you saw her, she was covering the Nanoha/Signum fight in the StrikerS manga. I figured a Bureau expedition to Earth could make use of a PR department. Expect to see her pop up a bit more.
Today's golem entry:
Golem: Storm Raider
Pilot: Vice Gransenic
Based on: Veritech from Robotech/Macross
Capabilities: The second prototype golem to be put into use, it was an attempt to create a unit with superior aerial capabilities. As a result, it can transform from a bipedal humanoid mode, to a sleek aerofighter, with a hybrid in-between mode. Primary armament is the single gun attached to the underbelly of the fighter mode, and carried in-hand in the humanoid mode. It can alternate from shorter-range rapid-fire magical bullets, to a longer-range sniper beam. A half-dozen smaller weapons on the wings provide lesser magical beam weaponry. Magical stealth technology easily hides its presence from various sensing abilities and technologies, especially those of Earth. It was originally designed to use it's superior mobility to gain advantageous ground, and take out enemy targets from long-range.