Nanoha FanFiction Discussion

[Craxuan]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

Spoiler for Confessions:

"So what did she do?"

"I swear, she turned red as a beet! She didn't know what to do, so she fidgeted a bit before she bolted! I had to apologize to him in her absence."

"Poor Fate-chan."

The aforementioned blonde only flushed and lowered her head further in shame, trying to avoid the expressions of her four friends as they walked among the throng of students departing from school. She knew they weren't teasing her or condemning her, but damn if she didn't feel utterly embarrassed by her reaction. How was she supposed to react to something like that!?

"Ahhh, that would've been so funny to see," Arisa remarked, linking her hands together behind her head. The fourteen-year-old was grinning at the thought, making Suzuka, Nanoha, and Hayate chuckle. She felt bad for the boy who confessed to Nanoha's best friend, though--but hey, that was Fate's fault, and she had to go back and give him an answer, didn't she?

"Ne, ne, Arisa-chan," Nanoha spoke, trotting forward to catch up with the American girl. "Have YOU been confessed to?"

Well, that was one way to derail her train of thought. Now the girls were looking at her, even Fate. Arisa sputtered.

"W-w-w-what kind of question is that!?" she demanded.

Nanoha never lost her smile. "I know why Fate-chan gets all her love letters; because she's a foreigner, but so are you! So I wondered if you had a special someone that you haven't told us about."

"We've caught you staring off into space like she was thinking about someone," Hayate teased, grinning like a cat.

Suzuka blinked as a huge blush spread across Arisa's cheeks, causing Nanoha to giggle as they hit the target. "Really, Arisa-chan?" she asked, surprised--the girl's nature made it difficult to express her real feelings at times. Arisa's movements stopped entirely at the question.

"Arisa-chan?" Nanoha asked, looking a tiny bit concerned. Had they pushed her too far by accident?

Arisa turned around, looking so hard at Nanoha the girl took an unconscious step back. It was like something had clicked, and Nanoha knew that her short-tempered friend had made a decision.

Of course, it wasn't at all what Nanoha was expecting when the blonde flung herself at her, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

Each of the girls' eyes went wide at the sight. Even some of the others around them stopped to watch what was going on. Suzuka's hands were clasped tight in front of her chest, Hayate hid a knowing grin behind a hand. Fate's book-bag hit the ground.

"A-Arisa-chan?" Nanoha asked again, understanding beginning to dawn on her.

Arisa only squeezed the girl tighter, her blushing countenance hidden from the other girls. She looked off to the side. "A girl can't have a friend like you and not fall for her."

The realization hit her like someone had turned her own Divine Buster on her. She'd never heard that kind of cute voice from Arisa! Her mind whirled at the sudden realization. Everyone was staring as Arisa buried her face against Nanoha's neck, and there was only thing the poor girl could do.

Her brain shut down entirely, and she fainted.

Arisa blinked, staring dumbly as Nanoha collapsed backwards, her face frozen in a stupefied expression. "Well, that wasn't the reaction I was expecting."

Continue! Continue! Continue!

[vic-vic]

Uh, I couldn`t believe it at first, bit my muse is back. So i decide to fight back a laziness and write a multi-chapter story.
This is my Nanoha crossover story.

Gathering of the banners

Spoiler for Part 1:

Stage 1. Rising Curtains.

The sound of working fans and low hum of engines was not the loudest in know universe, on contrary – they where rather quiet, but still they where pretty audible in the room. Through certain intervals of time those sound where interrupted by the sound of slow but powerful inhale. And after even wider pauses the sound of leaf-through pages disturbed the settled tune of cabin.

The pages was belong to book named “The genealogy of Belkan royalty”, a rather old and massive book that currently reside in the hand of 15 years old blond archaeologist who sat on the on one of the empty seats in the cabin of space craft.

Yuuno Scrya blinked, then put book down on a near sat and stretched his moaning back and shoulders. His muscles gleefully reacted at his exercise after few hours of almost total motionlessness. The boy then slightly raised his old-fashioned glasses and rubbed his tearing eye by his right hand. He understood that he should give his already nit healthy eyes some rest, but then he will be left alone to face agonizing boredom of nearly empty room.

The rectangular cabin's only furniture was a rows on empty metallic gray-colored seats, which was upholstered by soft green synthetic covering. Right over the door that lead toward pilots cabin hanged bid screen, unfortunately right now TV still wasn't repaired after disagreement with drunken members of their party who thought, that anchorman insulted their mothers (or even more beloved pet saber-tooth skunks) and now permanently show sophisticated electronics through shattered glass. The sigh behind the window also didn’t please his eyes: the purple an black kaleidoscope which sometimes was rippled with energy bolts stop being “shocking” and “marvelous” after fourth or fifth travel through hyper-space.

The only other living being in the cabin – his uncle, Kaien Scrya – currently was in the kingdom of sleep and couldn’t help his nephew with spending of a excess time. And so, the further damage to his visual organs was the only way (other than sleep, of course. But Yuuno didn’t want to emulate all of his uncle’s habits) to fight boredom. Besides, the book was really interesting (green-eyed boy automatically considered any historical books interesting), so he really didn’t complain. His eyes and back did.

Yuuno reached back toward the old tome but a sudden loud groan interrupted him. Glancing at the source of sound, young archaeologist gaze met the view of his awakening uncle, who was stretching his entire body, as if he tried to mimic his nephew’s recent motion. Yuuno smirked and, instead of continuing torture by book, he decided to look after his relative. Swiftly, he put a bookmark on the page he started to read, about close relatives of Kaiser Brendt 4th, and sprung to his feet and strode toward the still yawning and stretching uncle.

“Hello, uncle Kaien.” Greeted Yuuno, leaning on Kaien’s seat back looking down on his relative.

“Hey there, Yuuno.” Responded Kaien with his rumbling, low voice, raising his eyes to meet Yuuno’s own. Shielding his eye with right hand from the light, it wasn’t very bright, but Kaien’s eyes where still sensitive right after the nap. Kaien Scrya, 28 years old member of Scrya tribe, was younger brother of Yuuno’s father - Glem Scrya and AA+ class mage. While he was not very tall, just one head above his 15 years old nephew, had a rather imposing presence because of his bulky and muscular stature. He had Scrya trademark emerald-green eyes and while he was bald as ball, he compensated for this with his magnificent honey-colored beard. On his left ear, the bald mage wore a massive bronze earring, shaped like a small shovel with an blue stone in the middle – his Intelligence Devise, Augur. He wore the very same clothes (minus size of course) as Yuuno: gray boots, sand-colored trousers and green sweater. Though it was really Yuuno who had the same style of clothes as his uncle, as Kaien was his most beloved relative, taking Yuuno under his direct tutelage since his parent’s death. The stranger would have a hard time to understand what common ground a quite and serious 15 year old book-lover and loud and brash 28 years old skirt-chaser could find, but they got along better than most fathers and sons.

“How long did I sleep?"

“A bit longer, than two hours.” Answered Yuuno, casting quick glance at his watch. “We make it halfway.”

“Kek!” Swore 28 year old Scrya. “I had hoped to wake up when we reached Mid-Childa’s system. And now I’m trapped inside of this wheezy tortoisemobile, together with my boring book-eating nephew instead of preparing to meet a cute, naive and sexy lab-girl.”

“I think all laboratories across Bureau-controlled space will decide to call back all of their assigned personnel, when they learn what a depraved and perverted man rides aboard this starship.”

Kaien burst in feat of thunderous laughter that closely resembled dog’s bark.

“Bar-bar-bar!! Seems that you spent your time by sharpening your own tongue, boy. I heard that some people have a knife in sleeve, but have knife in your mouth… You want to be a pioneer of a mouth-based weaponry? Or do you want to strike girls down with you tongue a bit more literally?”

Kaien ended his sentence with a wink. Now it was Yuuno’s time to chuckle at his uncle’s joke, though his cheeks reddened a bit, much to his irritation. In his verbal battles with Kaien he always lost. To be honest, his lack of aggressiveness normally made him a loser in almost any verbal duel.

“I prefer to simply talk with girls, rather them submit them to a session of a brutal brainwashing, the sole purpose of which is to worm my way inside their panties.” Responded Yuuno dryly.

“Pff.” Kaien exhaled with an slightly disapproving look on his face. “Yuuno, m’boy, what’s wrong with you? You’re fifteen years old already and not only do you still not have a girlfriend, but you simply didn’t make any attempt to find one. I can’t remember a time when you just tried to ask girl out. I hope it’s not because you… swing in other way?”


“No! I’m not!” Yelped Yuuno indignantly, now blushing even more. Damn, how could uncle Kaien always so easily to find a way under his skin. It’s because of a lack of aggressiveness, thought Yuuno bitterly. I really should learn how to be more aggressive, for a beginning; maybe he should try to drink something stronger than milk, tea, or juice. A Crepsi-sola for example. “Uh, uncle…” Yuuno decide to interrupt older Scrya rant, otherwise Kaien could chew him for a long time for not having a proper (by Kaien’s standards) relationship with opposite sex. “I swear, after we finish our mission I’ll try (in future perspective) to find a girl that suitable for me. Okay?” He finished, raising both of his hands, almost trying to shield himself from his relative.

Kaien grumbled, still gazing at him with reprimand, but then his expression notably brightened and he said.

“Well, I think after this mission we both would be so famous, that you’ll be forced to live in mouse hole in order to hide from cohorts of ravenous fan girls. Hey! To this is the reason that your beast form is ferret? Bar-bar, what a farseeing little runt you are.”

Yuuno scowled a bit. Why everybody so liked to pick this subject up – he choose ferret because he admire the little mammal grace and cunningness. And he find the Razor-bear or Dire hellion too… elaborate. Still, remembering what they mission was and why he and his uncle interrupted they work on digging site and now rush toward Bureau capital planet make him smile proudly.

“Jewell Seeds.” He muttered almost inaudible, almost fearing to scare his luck away.

“Indeead, m’boy, Jewell-kekin-Seeds.” Nodded his uncle also flashing a grin. “kek my ass, Yuuno. We’re find one of the most prominent and powerful Lost Logias. It’s far cry from Kaiser Hans the Third ultra-speedy nose-digger or Gran Vizier Farhud multi-purpose ass-scratchier, but the legacy of Al’Hazard power. With this we gain ticket at meetings with Bureau top brass. Huh, and I doubt the elders decision to went at this particular site. I could miss chance of century, thank you for persuading me m’boy.” He slightly nodded, looking at Yuuno fondly.

Indeed, they find the ancient treasure by sheer stroke of luck. Few months ago on a planet Gerbar 3 – one of the agricultural centers of Bureau – local construction company, digging a ditch for a new auto-granary accidentally find an ancient burial whose age could be traced to time of Al’Hazard. The Scrya tribe at that time already prepared an expedition on Talbal – a resort planet, where the ruins of Old Belka was find in neighborhood with one of the biggest beaches. Certainly his uncle wanted to go with Talbal’s research party, since the number of beautiful girls near their site would be much higher, if they would go at Gerbar. Kaien also give another, now pretty reasonable cause to no go at “planet of herbalists”, as he nicknamed agricultural words. The chances of finding something valuable would be the same for both places and the group, which would go at Talbal already was gathered and properly equipped. And if they decide to go at new digging site, they’ll be forced to wait for new party to be assembled and equipped. His uncle also tried to scare him away from voyage on Gerbar, telling him, that recently, planet was shacked with a series of gruesome killings and Bureau still didn’t find unknown maniac.

Yuuno understood Kaien’s reason (barring the ones, that was connected which peeping at beautiful woman in the bath) but his sheer fascination with Al’Hazard – ancient city of science and magic was immense. He just couldn’t go anywhere before he had chance to probe the place connected to ancient wonder. So he spend two next day begging (and threatening to reveal a identity of a perpetrator who crashed the Scrya tribe big gathering party) his uncle to switch destination point. Kaien eventually give in to his endless pleas (and moreover, the treats, as if truth would be revealed older Scrya would receive a very brutal punishment) and ask elders to redirect him and Yuuno on Gerbar 3 digging site. And two weeks later their party fled toward one of the core Bureau worlds.

After their arrival on a Gerbar their group spent many weeks digging, searching, storing and researching every bit of finding remnants of old era. Fortunately, company agreed to lease some of their laborjacks (magic-controlled automatons constructed for civil use), that boosted efficient of their activities. Members of Scrya tribe was famous for their enthusiasm in archeology and Yuuno wasn’t an exception, but on any place that belong o Al’Hazard he promptly transformed into living laborjack: he jumped up early, have a nicely plentiful breakfast and then he simply disappear in complicated maze of tunnels and shafts. And despite his endless nagging, Kaien always was there for him. Somehow younger Scrya enthusiasm infected him and forced him over and over again to dive into the thickness of earth in search of legacy of the old.

The lady luck smiled on them on the twenty eight day of the works. Working in the newly created shaft, Yuuno’s laborjack (the poor thing got broken again and again doing the overwork) accidentally triggered a small landslide. Fortunately, nobody get hurts in the process (except his ears which was assaulted by his uncle thunderous scream). After the ground calmed and works restarted, Yuuno and Kaien discovered the small cave. To be more specific, it was Kaien, who discovered the cave – when the landslide started, both Scry was forced to use their beast-forms, to escape the doom, and while Yuuno simply sneaked away, using little ferret’ speed and agility, the older man resort to his giant fell-mole ability to crawl through earth with surprising speed and while digging through mass of clay and sand, he founded a small, obvoucly man-made hollow. Inside the room, they find a armored capsule that belong, judging by old records, to Al’Hazard’s military. The sheer importance of new founded object forcefully stall all other work on site, and their entire party concentrated their efforts on opening of the casket of mystery. After the countless hours of sweating, swearing and changing the one method by another (their efforts paid off only when they used the “can-opener” magic-enchanted-plasma-cutter of utmost power) group of archaeologists finally opened rebellious capsule.

The founded items – the famous Jewel Seeds was utterly worth every wasted efforts. Yuuno and Kaien was labeled as heroes of the sate and after, rather prolonged, party, they was sent back into the tribe, where elders contact Burau, and shortly thereafter sent the pair on Mid-Childa, into Bureau Main HQ with mission to bring sacred treasure to high-ranking officers for storage and research. Of course, The Scrya tribe would also receive a generous reward and their scientist could gain access to research. Which could guarantee, that if the founded technology would reach mass-producing stage, the Scrya tribe will have their portion of gain.

“How about to go and look at our little babies?” Kien’s voice interrupted the train of Yuuno’s recollections. Blonde archeologist nodded with little smile. They still have plenty of free time, why won’t to try at last use it properly.
Yuuno swiftly stood back, opening the path for his uncle who hastily sprung up on his feet and resolutely stormed toward the airlock doors in the back of cabin, their boots loudly rumbled onto metal floor.

The older man slammed his meaty fist into door’s panel, which sharply clacked in protest for such treatment and whisk into opened pass, Yuuno followed him, and with soft touching on the panel on other side closed doors behind them.
Now they stood in the small dusky room, that have three doors, no counting the one, whom they used just now. Right door lead to airlock and they obviously didn’t intend to use it, enter in open space during hyper-space jump was highly hazardous mission and they simply didn’t need to. The left door was actually an elevator that cruised between two decks but again, Yuuno and Kaien right now hold no need to inspect main reactor or engines. So they destination was the pair titanium lists that covered the entrance into small corridor, where a small row of escaping pods stood on guard, and then into main storage room, where lay their equipment, magic devices and finally Jewel Seeds.
Pair of archaeologist quickly passed distance that separated them from their point of destination. Kaien’s fingers swiftly danced on panel of code lock and with quite hiss the massive metal plate that blocked entrance into storage room slide into wall.

The storage facility was a thoughtfully illuminated, rather spacious (for a not-that-large spacecraft) room which was tightly overcrowded with numerous racks, which contained dozens and dozens of various things. A clothes, equipments, canned food, mage devices and, most important, a relics and treasures, which was found during the archaeological missions. The problem was that all of them weren’t sorted by their purpose or class, but simply put (albeit, with utmost accuracy) in various different racks in chaotic order. Such negligent handling of both invaluable relics of old and precious science equipment irritated Yuuno deeply, but all his attempts to point this problem out meet his uncle casual answer: “Boy, we Scryas know location of each damn thing here. And I really doubt you find a many volunteers who would love to help you overhaul the storage. So chill out.” Yuuno tried to argue and even dare his uncle to find a few certain pieces of cloth, equipment or antique selected by Yuuno. To boy’s utter shock, smirking Kaien pointed out each thing without a single error. And so Yuuno was forced to full back and let things to be.

Another confirmation of his uncle’s statement, when bald archeologist quickly zigzagged between racks and point a finger at on of the shelf. In the specified place lied a metal container, inside of whom, Yuuno know, lied twenty one identical jewels, containing tremendous power. The teen gulped slightly, nervously stretching his right hand toward the case. Though, his fingers tremble a bit all the way his hand closed distance with small sensor bar, the sudden fear disappeared when tip of his thumb pressed into box’s lock. The red bulb above sensor change it’s color into green and with sharp click case opened. His gaze meet a view of a dozen jewel-shaped Lost Logias, lying in perfect circle, each placed in special socket that was connected to sophisticated system that would automatically regulate level of mine inside of jewel Seeds, and prevent them from self-activation. The quite blinking of sensors indicated that everything proceeds smoothly and Yuuno finally calmed down completely.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” He whispered, not addressing his words to a particular listener but Kaien retorted.

“Indeed m’boy. Shinny, tough, mysterious and immersive powerful, each of those little fellas could unleash the destruction of continental proportion or change entire landscape, or even create new forms of life, living and… not very. This is the very reason why throw all of the work we make and now scuttle around like rats with their arses ablaze. Because of their might, even our elders don’t want to take responsibility and study them by themselves – one mistake and our tribe goes ka-boom. So let’s hope nothing will happen until we not drop this responsibility from our shoulders.”

Suddenly, as if retorting to his words, the entire room jerked violently, accompanied with short black-out. Yuuno managed to remain standing by quickly grabbing the shelf, Kaien by latching on nearby rack.

“Wh… what the…” Started bald men, but was interrupted by sudden appear of magic circle right before his face. The magic screen showed narrow face with sharp cheekbones and thin nose, which was pierced with three copper rings, of the red-haired, blue eyed man in the middle of his thirties. Kerl Nibbit the pilot of their ship, Kaien Scrya old friend, and one of the Scrya tribe most experienced pilots. Now, his somber narrow-eyed expression, red face and trails of blood on his lips told them that something indeed happened.

“Kaien, where the gramkins pulled you sorry hide?!” Roared veteran pilot, visibly struggling with unseen controllers, another powerful jolt that occurred split second later, which this time managed to send both archeologist in the short fly together with some rack, whose fittings didn’t withstand the shock; make him disappear for an instance. Loud thud and explosion of swears, told them that pilot was knocked against dashboard.

“In the storage room! What in the name of Janak’s snot –filled nose is happened?!” Roared Kaien in response, struggling to overcome the amplifying jolts of deck and stand up. Yuuno was more successful, mostly because he was able to find a clutch in form of still standing rack.

“Ugh.” Kerl grunted, gritting his teeth, desperately trying to stabilize the ship. “The Fold-Storm! He just suddenly started, I never seen something like that!”
“Well.” 28 years old Scrya at last managed to stand, but quickly latched on nearby rack, not wishing to try his luck again. “Those buggers normally start suddenly, otherwise ships never flew into them.”

Fold-storm was a phenomena, that occurred when in normal space take place a massive outburst of power. Since hyper-space still was connected to normal one that outburst created the storm of energy bolt, which could damage, send out of the course or even destroy ship if they were powerful enough. Thanks to Goddess, such incidents were rare, but this one, curse the Janak, seems to be very bad.

“But there always was the signs of it’s beginning!” Barked Kerl, his face now drenched in sweat, which he desperately tried to shake off, not daring to leave a controllers even for a moment. “You know, the walls of hyper-tunnel start always to convulse a bit and shimmer, so crew of ships normally prepare themselves and their craft, but this bugger just started out of the blue!!”

“What do you mean by just started?!” Roared Kaien back, seemingly losing control over anger and fear. Yuuno didn’t blame him; he also was scared by occurring event. The cellar lights blinked furiously, some bulbs already exploded because of energy overload. The room was filled with a rumble of fallings items. Yuuno was forced to lunge sideway, evading a rather huge hammer that fall from the top shelf.

“I mean that kekin storm just sprung out of Janak’s throat and bombarded our baby with frightening amount of energy bolts! Our field held on the skin of teethes, ship’s case sustain a severe damage and you can kiss our route goodbye! I won’t even try to imagine where we would enter the normal space, let’s just hope we still would be in our galaxy!” The pilot slightly turn his head and give Scrya tribe member a sharp gaze. “Kaien I need your and Yuuno boy’s help!”

“What can we done?” Kaien narrowed his eyes.

“Go to power plant and use you magic to strengthen our shields, or we done for!”

“Got it!” Barked older Scrya, giving his friend a sharp nod, Yuuno repeated his gesture. “Yuuno, let’s…

He didn’t manage to end his line when suddenly Kerl screamed.

“What the…??!!!”

His shout was abruptly interrupted by blinding flash of purple light that drowned entire magic circle. A split-second after entire vessel seemed to receive a kick from a giant. The almost every remaining lamps explode into a storm of shattered glass, many of previously holding racks was send flying, the bolts of energy now flied through the ship inner space (both Scrya mages barely managed to create a field that protect them). Yuuno was tossed into the air and then his right side collide with one the few still standing racks with enormous force. There was burst of a prickly pain, the rumble of falling rack’s contents and then darkness enveloped a young archaeologist.

[vic-vic]

Spoiler for part 2:

~***~

Being an archeologist always was a risky job. Unfortunately, there always could be possibility of a landslide during the work underground, explosion of a cave-gas or old thief-trap, the meetings with ancient tomb guardians, dangerous fauna (and flora) or simply that type of peoples who thought that you belongings could serve them better.

So, this wasn’t a first time in his life, when Yuuno Scrya was render unconscious. The familiar feeling of floating through the jelly said that he start to slowly regain conscious. Mustering his remaining strength he forced himself to “swim” upward, toward the chorus of fainting sounds, fighting the nausea and weakness.
The awakening meet him with feeling of dizziness, blunt aching headache and when he tried to move his right side burnt with sharp outburst of pain, telling that his ribs didn’t apprehended his flight toward rack.

Boy slowly and carefully craned his head, moaning lightly and struggling with
increasing headache and dizziness and glanced around. Since, he was surrounded not by rows of item-filled racks but dozens of small airlock doors, that was obviously an escape pods, he instantly recognize this place as evacuation bay.

The room, normally well-illuminated now fight against darkness with just three or four remaining lamps and fading greenish light from below. He start to recognize the sounds, he heard in his haze. It was buzz of damaged electronics, monotone recitative of computer that repeat a message about have damage of the ship and need of evacuation and quite rustle from the direction of entrance in storage, telling that someone move a things there.

Yuuno make a pair of deep inhales and exhales, then, rested his elbows against floor (or, to be specific, a smooth piece of a fabric on which he lay all long, understood young Scrya), and slowly lifted his upper body. His bode make a few prick of disapprove, before he manage to sit and turn around to have a better look. The door in storage was open and in the dusk of room he could see the floating spheres of light spell. The pod on the left wall, which was closest to door was open and, judging by rather bright light, that flow from inside from hiss mushroom-shaped frame, was active.

The rustles stopped and then Yuuno could hear the sound of cautious steps, alternating with sharp rings of broken glass, soft thuds from collision with hard objects and rather loud outbursts of foul swearing, that follow both previous cases.

After a half-minute, emitting a loudest swear, his uncle emerge from devastated (Yuuno didn’t need to go in to image the state of the room, judging from the how bad it was before he was send sprawling against the case) storage room. His normally green sweater now was almost gray from sheer amount of dust, settled on him. His prized bear, which normally flew down on his neck in straight stream, now dangled around as sweat-saturated mess, decorated with dust icicles. Trousers on his left leg were ripped, showing a deep gashes and big graze on his uncle’s knee. Kaien’s bald head also was covered with scratches and bruises, but most notable was nose – a horrible bloody mess (seems that older archaeologist also had a rather bad landing on his face).

He carried a half-dozen of cans under his right arm and Yuuno could see that Kaien stumbled a bit when he leaned on his left leg, indicating, that his knee sustained a even more significant damage. Older archaeologist didn’t immediately noticed changes in his nephew’ state, since he furiously rubbed his eyes, whipping the blood, that flowed from injures on his forehead, hissing in pain. But when he saw awakened Yuuno, who stared at him, with concern, Kaien gasped loudly and then charged toward younger male, dropping his loot, whick crashed on floor with high-pitched rumble.

“Ah, swraag!!” Kaien cursed loudly, but promptly forget about them and concentrated on his relative state. Reaching Yuuno, he crouched beside him, gently putting his burly hand on blond boy shoulder. “Yuuno, thanks Goddess, you’re awake! How are you?!”

He muttered under his breath, striking himself on head, but then continued.
“I know that you can’t be alright. When you rammed into this rack, you get rewarded with a fall a keking heavy drill right on your head!”
So, this was the reason why his head ache, thought Yuuno grimly, he was lucky that heavy piece of equipment not outright smash his head. But again, he always insisted that more heavy things should be place on lower shelves, but who listened. Still, it wasn’t the time and situation to think about order in the storage room. And his uncle was injured too, so he said:

“I’ll recover soon. But how are you? You didn’t look perfectly healthy too, uncle.”
Kaien give him a mirthless smile.

“Well, let’s say, that you wasn’t a sole Scrya, who enjoyed a small fly with a colorful landing, when that keking energy bolt struck our van. But…” Now bald man smile more genuinely. “Unlike you m’boy, my head filled with granite, how you aunt Swerra, like to say, so I manage to perform as rescue operation.”
Yuuno’s expression told archaeologist mage, that he want a more detailed explanation. He sighed, but then sat on floor, stretching his legs and start to tell.
“When I recovered from a quite nasty landing right in my nose, I saw you, lying under fallen rack and heap of various equipment, and the heaviest of them manage to shatter you skull.

So I dashed toward… Well, as much as I can in my state… threw away all heavy shit, that buried you under (Yuuno didn’t doubt that his uncle even manage to send a metal rack into the air, his strength was among the top in the Scrya tribe) and cast most powerful healing spell I know. But situation, as if trying to mock me, become even worse. When I tried to pull you out of the storage, the computer suddenly announced that power field in critical condition and ship’s hull was breached.”

Yuuno’s eyes widened and he felt his veins turning cold; the collapse of power field, with addition violation of integrity of ship’s structure would guaranty the destruction of space craft during fold-storm. His uncle, apparently catch change of his expression and quickly understood his thoughts.

“As you know, in such condition, I was forced to leave you in magical circle and rush into main power room. Thankfully the power plant lay in the center of ship and always well protected, so when I charge in I didn’t notice any damage not to reactor nor to control panel. So I plunged those two cranes into sockets and reinforce or shields.” He even raised his meaty hairy hands into air, giving Yuuno a better view on them. “Thankfully, it’s helped, our electronic friend.” A quick nod toward ceiling. “Stopped moaned like girl on her first night about critical condition of field and blah-blah-blah… So I returned here, fetch one of our Storage Devices and install it into consol, so it’ll support power field. But when I decide to check on you, the destiny kicked me and you in the curb again.”

Yuuno narrowed his eyes, he already learn a lesson to never underestimate a fate’s ability to switch a any situation from bad to utter nightmare, so he instead of destiny-tempting “how it could be worse?” he simply asked:

“And what’s happened?”

Kaien make a deep sigh and then sharply waved his right and in the direction of storage room. Yuuno carefully studied the pointed direction and after a few heartbeats he noticed, that devastated room was illuminated not only by still remaining green spheres of his uncle light spell, but also with mysterious pulsating violet glimmer.

“Wh…?” Started blond boy, but older man calmly interrupted him,

“Jewel Seeds, my boy. Those cute little thingies decided to play with us, when, as I can presume, their containing mechanism was damaged.”

Younger Scrya blood turned into ice by those words. Forceful and uncontrollable activation of powerful Lost Logias inflict a disastrous damage on a continents, the so the forceful and uncontrollable activation of twenty one Jewel Seed will perfectly atomize their ship and every unfortunate being, who didn’t manage to escape.

He pulled his legs to his chest, rested his hands against and then, gritted teethes, gathering strength and bracing himself to increasing nausea, before pushing his body upward with a powerful jolt. His damaged torso response with sharp burst of pain, his headache increased dramatically and room around him started to spun like maddened wheel. Yuuno hissed, biting on his lip, desperately trying to overcome fatigue, fight back urge to vomit and stabilize his body at last. Unfortunately, the headache continues to grow stronger and the panorama of evacuation bay more and more resembled a kaleidoscope. In overwhelming wave of fatigue that flowed from the tips of his hairs to the nails of his toes Yuuno’s legs goes under from his and with a soft groan young mage fall back. Thankfully, pair of strong arms prevent him from, a very possibly painful in his state, contact with floor. Yuuno lifted his pain-hazed gaze to meet his uncle’s worried eyes.
“Whoa there, hotshot! You not in the condition to play a circus monkey!” Panned him Kaien. “Didn’t you hear me – you skull carried a very heavy blow. For a Goddess sake, you easily could die here!”

Bald archaeologist, still nagging, forced Yuuno to sat back on improvised bed… Now he could see that his uncle made an improvised bed for him, using his raincoat as matters and Yuuno’s own raincoat as pillow. Seeing that Yuuno calmed down a bit, older Scrya continued:

“Boy, I also very much know that, if Jewel; Seeds goes at full throttle, there wasn’t even a more that atoms, leave from us. So, as you can see, we both alive and our ship not a cloud of plasma, don’t you think I did something to prevent big boom?”

Yuuno nodded cautiously, still didn’t averting his eye from storage room’s entrance, where ominous glowing of Jewel Seeds could be seen.
“Well, where I left…Ah! So when I come back for ya, those destructive fashion accessories already suck the mana from the surrounding, preparing to go berserk and your healing circle barely glow and in a last step to disappearing. Actually, they’re the reason, why you didn’t recover from the injures. Believe me, m’boy, before striding to power plant; I overcharged the heaving circle with my magic, thanks Goddess, the healing spell managed to heal most dangerous damage, before little buggers start to suck mana from it. Again, I was forced to postpone your treatment…” On this words Kaien lowered his gaze in a shame, but Yuuno reassuringly squeezed his hand. In his uncle’s place he would do the same – older mage wouldn’t save him if he didn’t prevent ship from vaporization first. And not only ship, even if the explosion occurred in hyper-space, the sheep amount of energy would bring a immense destruction, if there was a planet or station nearby. “…And start to seal Lost Logias. Oh Goddess, it was longest minutes in my life: when I started to concentrate on one, the other simply sucks the mana from my seal, not only trashing my previous efforts, but also getting closer and closer to going berserk.”

Bald archaeologist make a pause, sighed deeply and whipping the sweat, which appear, while he told his story, hissing in pain, when he either tough his injures or sweep salty liquid into gashes, again returning in this intense time, when everything was on a stake. Sighing again, he pulled put from his trousers pocket a small flask of water, which he always carries with him. Kaien take a large gulp of water, fading for an instant to enjoy sensation, returning to his senses, Kaien inclined his head on a right side, slightly stirring flask up, offering it’s to a wounded boy.

Yuuno nodded gratefully, only now realizing that his throat is aching in dry; quickly snatching the flask from his uncle’s grip he make a two rapid gulps, almost nearly chocking, and then just sat here, trying ti catch his breath, while Kaien continued his story.

“I would be a liar, if I said that I keep my cool through all of those shit. To be honest, after the five minutes of a pointless struggle I started to panicked. No matter how I struggled, those Seeds of Bang continue to charge, getting close and closer to turning us into smoke. But suddenly, and who do you think, our computer suddenly said something about possibility of lost of course by accidental hyper-drive overcharge with additional magic energy. So, well, I decide to take my chances with being catapulted into another galaxy, rather than be sent into Janak’s ass and so I establish connection between my Intelligence Devise…” He slightly clicked his earring. “And the Storage Device I previously installed into control panel of Power Plant and send all the Jewel Seeds accumulated energy through Main Reactor right into hyper-drive. After the minute and half of quite a heck of a struggle with maintaining a line between Lost Logias and engines, the energy level of Seeds fall to the point where I could… ugh, I still didn’t manage to seal them up properly, but I make sure that their energy level stable now.“

Yuuno, finally smiled since the moment he waked up. Seems, for now at last, they avoid most obvious disaster, so they have some times to thin how to get out of this, still very bad, situation alive. And by “very bed” he meant that they ship seems sustain a severe damage, they were lost in hyper-space, and now can’t even imagine when and were they would enter normal space. Who know how many time would pass before someone receive their distress signal, of course, they could send a signal only if their spacecraft don’t ram in something right after they leave hyper-space, they still could ram into something even if they enter normal space without incident, who know how much navigation system was damaged and how much ship will respond to pilot’s commands…

Yuuno slapped himself on the forehead at sudden thought. The pilot, he didn’t even ask about their condition until this point. Though, he hoped Kerl were in better condition than him, since, judging by their absence, they still piloted the ship. Or… Without wishing to consider the worst possibility, Yuuno swiftly turned his head toward Kaien and asked his uncle, who also raised his gaze at his sudden movement.

“Uncle! How is the mister Kerl? What could he say about the situation?”
Young archeologist’ heart sunk when Kaien’s expression visibly darkened and he slightly avert his gaze.

“He’d dead m’boy.” With a low voice older man confirmed Yuuno’s worst fear. “That energy bolt, that strike our ship and sent us into our respective adventures. It’s pierced already weak field and struck right into the bridge, blasting it apart. I tried to contact Kerl, right after I cast the healing spell on you and receive no answer and when I was in power plant I launch full diagnostic through reserve computer – the bridge is nothing more than a molten slug.” Kaien gritted his teethes, shutting his eyes tight, allowing a few tears to stream down his cheeks. “Kek it, Kerl! You left a pregnant wife an children behind, you stupid bastard!”

Yuuno also lowered his gaze, feeling the same sorrow as his uncle – Kerl was a good friend of Scrya tribe, and more personally, he greatly helped Kaien rising him, never missing an opportunity to give a little Yuuno a present from his voyages, tell a “shocking but true” story, or just play with him. And now he was dead. Killed by cruel joke of fate – Kerl was a very accurate and attentive and prefer to make his own test on systems of the ship, even after forcing a mechanic team to perform a two or three on their own and he never start the hype-space jump without checking the route not only through computer, but also paid additional (and let’s just say a rather big) price to an licensed oracles from his own moneys, saying that lives of passengers is simply priceless. But in the end he was killed by fold-storm, a phenomena, that very hard to predict, leaving his cute and wife Aireya, who was so eager to give birth to so long-waited son, and two adorable four year old twin girls, Viria and Filena.

Yuuno, closed his eyes for a moment, then raised a flask toward barely lighted cellar in wordless salute for a fallen friend and take a deep swallow of water, silently prying to Goddess for Kern Nibbit eternal peace. Then he turned around and stretched his hand toward his uncle, offering him a flask. Kaien quickly understood meaning behind his, nephew gesture and slightly nodded in gratitude. Copying Yuuno’s previous movement he raised flack above the head and declared:

“This is for you, bro. May the Gooddess guide your soul into Happy Gardens and don’t worry, Scrya tribe will make sure, that not Aireya, not Viria and Filena and nor you son wouldn’t be left on their own.”

Ending his speech, he threw back his head and drained the flask with two powerful drinks. Seeing that Yuuno started to stir up again, he sprung up and helped his nephew to stand up. Yuuno still fell a bit dizzy, and lingering pain in his side tell him that his rib still didn’t recover, moreover when his attempt to cast his own healing spell bring a nauseous wave of fatigue, telling him that Jewel Seeds suck a plentiful of mana from his Linker Core too.

“Don’t force yourself m’boy, those little bastard already give you enough of troubles.” Rumbled Kaien still holding him lightly and didn’t let him go at his own.
Yuuno nodded a bit, but hardened his gaze and said. “Thank you uncle, but I don’t want to be useless ballast. Moreover, in such situation, you need as many help as you can get. We need to search through the storage room for necessary equipment for survival and save as many relics as we can, it’s our duty as members of Scrya tribe”

“Well, it’s maybe a true, but in your condition you wouldn’t be much of a help, since I won’t let you crawl over the mountains of rubble in storage room, because of your broken ribs. And, most important, there is no much help I already need. You know, you were out of cold for two hours.”

Yuuno paled – even in normal circumstances the excess of necessary time for hyper-jump by one hour could lead the ship in totally different star sector of Bureau controlled space, excess of necessary time by one hour, while your hyper-drive was overcharged with insane amount of energy from Jewel Seeds could bring them in utterly foreign region of galaxy. Unfortunately, now was too late to worry about that, what was left to them, it’s a work hard for their survival and hope for better. So, he said:

“Uncle, we really can’t have any opinions now, I would be as careful as I can. Or, is you that against it, I can check our escape pod.”

“That’s would be a moot point.” Quickly retorted Kaien, slightly jerking. “I already did that. Geez, boy, you wouldn’t back off aren’t you?”

“No.” Younger mage shook the head sadly. He know that his uncle is right, and he should rest a bit, but not in such situation. “I’m sorry, uncle, I swear that I would try to lift heavy cargo, or try to push the fallen racks.”

Kaien sighed sadly, but high-pitched trill of alarm claxon and a monotone speech of a central computer interrupted everything he wanted to say.

“Attention! To a crew of starship, twenty minutes to entering normal space. I repeat: twenty minutes to entering normal space, all members of crew should take their posts according to regulation!”

“Forget about everything m’boy!” Roared Kaien, promptly forgetting, that he shout right into Yuuno’s ear, increasing his headache. “Hurry up and take you place in escape pod! I’ll fetch what I can and follow you! Now, hurry up!”
Yuuno nodded hastily and went toward open door near entrance into storage room. Right now, they need to be hurry, and his injured torso will prevent him to de fast enough, even more than his uncle’s damaged leg. Said uncle darted from beside him, tossing Yuuno’s raincoat to its owner. Younger Scrya catches it automatically, quickly put on his shoulders, without stopping.

Reaching escape pod, Yuuno carefully slipped in, trying to spare his damaged right side as much as he can. The escape pod, as he recalled, was a small space-craft, capable of short flight in space and atmosphere, overall seven meters long, resembling a mushroom, with a rectangular six meters long stem with a square base with a side of two and half meters long with a two engine gondolas attached on both sides. A cap was a massive slab of heat-resistant metal four meters in diameter and one meter long in length, where main control system and mana-stores resides. Unfortunately, the cabin interior make a very little space for maneuver and poor boy fidget in pain in his ribs all the way from the entrance to the first seat, which also was a pilot seat, by virtue of having pod’s main interface and control switches right before it.

Finally reaching his point of destination, Yuuno slumped into seat and pull restrainers down, allowing himself to catch a breath and cast a quick glance around the pod. There was a five tightly packed rowed seats with installed restrainers and two rows of containers, placed right above the seats on right and left sides, the green indicator burn, if a container was loaded and red if it was empty The containers on right side always was “green”, since they was filled with standard emergency survival kits. He turned his gaze on a left and saw the sole green light, accompanied with four red in the left group of containers. He thought about it, but then shrugged – seems, as always, uncle Kaien simply toss everything he deem necessary into one place, intending to disturb the content between them later. Young mage pushed the button (a purple one, not red) right in the centre of dashboard, activating computer. The screen flickered to life, firstly showing the logo of its manufacturer, the Vandin Corp, black gear wheel in a red winged circle, but then showed a numerous rapidly changing symbols, indicating the start of testing process. It wasn’t take a long for a screen to beep quietly and then show the main menu with a test result in the center, Yuuno smiled when he didn’t find any right red inscriptions, mean the pod ready for take off. Deciding to kill the time before the ship leave hyper-space (mostly because he didn’t wanted to think about what can await them) he started testing of their parent’s ship status.

Yuuno’s throat dried when computer show the results. No, he was perfectly aware that after ship sustained such damage, the computer show the interior of ship colored in red and yellow. And Yuuno wasn’t surprised to find that ship’s main air stocks were heavily damaged and emergency stocks were almost empty. He already know, that bridge and short tunnel, that connect it’s with ship main body will be jet black, indicating its’ destruction. Not even the message that hyper-drive was on a verge of exploding, during the overload, scare him. To be correct, he was scared, but what he read later scare him more. What make his skin crawl was a message which said that external shutters on escape bay was damage and in order to open the patch for escape pod someone need to jettison it, from the main control panel on the bay. The problem was that when the shutter would be blasted out, the computer immediately close the internal airlock, to prevent decompression; and thus leaving the someone, who used main panel, trapped on the dying ship. He only saving grace of this terrible satiation was more or less stable fork of main reactor and gravity emulators. Otherwise, the, normally mundane, braking process could turn into serious ordeal for their already tattered ship and especially for its injured crew. .

Yuuno gritted his teethes, he need to tell this information to uncle Kaien immediately and then… Well, Kaien despite his attitude was a splendid and experienced archeologist and talented mage, who teach Yuuno everything he know and Yuuno couldn’t let his tribe to lose such master. Uncle already done so much for him, so it was Yuuno’s turn to return the offer, with his life if necessary.
The train of his thoughts was interrupted with a low hiss of closing pod’s airlock. Yuuno’s head twirled with threatening speed, but his gaze fell on already close door. Moreover, through little window on the airlock he could see the closing internal shutter. Before he could lift the restrainers the mage circle appear on the right, showing tired and suddenly older face of Kaien Scrya. On the background, blond teen could see already active evacuation bay control panel, which mean that now Yuuno’s ability to affect the situation was strongly restricted to diplomatic ones.

“Seems that you already know that some drastic measures is needed, eh m’boy?”

“Uncle!” Yelped Yuuno, trying to lift the restrainers, but with quick push on few icons his uncle blocked them in place. “What are you doing?

“Hm?” Bald man tapped his forehead with index finger and then said with wry smile. “How about, that I went crazy from an insane amount of outdated apple juice and now hijacking the ship, and drive left crew away?”

“Uncle, quit it!” Interrupted him Yuuno fiercely still struggling with a safety mechanism, which now became his jail. “There is no time for jokes, the ship on a verge of exploding, and even if you manage to prevent hyper-drive from detonation, you will run out of air, before the help will come.”

“I know that all, Yuuno.” Retorted Kaien calmly, his gaze set firmly on his nephew.
“And I know that I wouldn’t get out of this situation alive. But I’ll be damned if I let you to bite the dust here!”

“Uncle Kaien. Please, think rationally…” Pleaded, Yuuno, trying to persuade his relative, now leaving the useless attempts to lift the restrainers with brute force and hoping to hold his uncle long enough for his mana to restore to necessary level to teleport. ”We both know that you much more valuable to Scry tribe...
“Tribe can suck my dick!!!” Roraed Kaien, finally snapping by the pressure of satiation. The veins of his forehead bulged his face red as tomato and foam appear in the edges of his mouth. “Kek, the tribe, kek the elders, kek even this fruggle Jewel Seeds, I WOULDN’T LET YOU DIE HERE, YUUNO!!”

The sheer volume of shout and, even more, the burning gaze, make Yuuno try to
dug into seat bask first. Thought, sharp complains of his broken ribs snap him out of this.

“B-but…” he started, but older Scrya don’t let him to interrupt him. “Yuuno, m’boy I was there when you were born, a little screaming lump of flesh, cradled gently in Dria, your mother’s arms. Glem took me, a 13 year old snot-nosed brat and lead me here; he then took you from his wife’s hand and put you into mine. You still sniffed a bit and fidget a little, but when you open you little green eyes and then sailed, while looking at my and your father, I could almost physically fell the love and affection you addressed to Glem and me. Then big bro sad: “Kaien. It’s Yuuno, I and Dria always wanted you to become his godfather. Will you accept our request?” Oh my…” Kaien, whose expression gradually softened during the talk, lowered his eyes, which started to leak again, and smiled gently. “I remember myself to crying out of joy that time: my precious brother entrusted his treasured baby to such idler like me. I stuttered words of gratitude, while crying like little girls, quivering like leaf swallowing snots and trying not to drop you. I saw how you grown before my eyes, and when Glem and Dria died during that incident, I fight with elders for a right to raise you.”

Yuuno stared at his crying uncle with shock, he always thought that Kaien raised him because he was his father closest living relative, but to think that Kaien Scrya would try this hard just to weight a burden of raising him, a little boy at that time, on his shoulders. Blond mage could feel a lump in his throat.

“Uncle Kai-en…” Whispered Yuuno. Hearing his fading voice, older archaeologist lifted his tear-soaked face and continued with a smile.

“You such incredible boy Yuuno: you just a 15 years old boy, but you already know all of my spells and I think, year after you would be as good as I if not better, despite me having an 13 years long advantage, you a true prodigy m’boy. You respected and loved by many in our tribe, for you hard-working nature and kind, generous and compassionate heart. Admit it my boy, even without ability to read minds I know, that you thought of taking my place and let this old perverted drunktard to escape.” Kaien give him a knowing wink, increasing flow of tears. A older mage face, which steadily loose the color after the outburst, now was pale, ragged mask of a tattered flesh strained on a skull as if together with loud shout his uncle released his own life power. Yuuno eyes start to leak too. He couldn’t believe that this dried up old man was his uncle who just few hours ago were full with energy and life. Young man couldn’t believe that this nightmare was real; that their short but memorable vacation on Mid-Childa was now is a unattainable dream. He still couldn’t accept the death of reliable and friendly Kerl and the immediate loose of so many treasures of old. But most of all, Yuuno didn’t even want to think that was the last time he see his uncle alive.

No! Blond mage gritted his teethes, desperately mustering all crumbs of mana, that his Linker Core managed to restore already. He wouldn’t let its end like that, what he need it’s to regain enough mana to cast a teleport! This time, the nausea didn’t came, but the response from his Linker Core was so insanely weak, that he feel it only after few moments of trying. Seems, that Jewel Seeds really suck a lot from him. He won’t be able to restore enough magic power in time at this rate. But he didn`t give up – he still has options left for him.

Yuuno stretched his left hand, desperately hoping that his arm was long enough to reach a container with a survival kit. The Goddess’ merciful gaze reach him this time and his index finger pushed a button on the plastic surface, forcing a small cream-colored cover to open. His eyes meet the view of capacious light-gray colored backpack with a tent, which was attached to a top. The backpack was filled with numerous necessities to survival: a hald-dozen of storage crystals, charged with healing spells a med kit, if the crystals wasn’t enough, food supply, a lamp and many others. But what Yuuno seek was attached to its right side – a big flask, filled with siral water – a sweet liquid that not only good satisfy a thirst, but also give a significant boost to mana restoration. Without spending a second, archeologist mage pulled flask out, open it and make a two greedy swallows from it. The feeling of water against his throat was agonizingly pleasant, seems that he managed to lose s significant amount of body liquids already, but most wonderful feelings was slight but notable tingle deep inside of his being, a stable reaction of Linker Core, his mana rise to a level when he can cast a simple spells, now he need just another five minutes…

Kaien, who already whipped the tears and carefully studied monitor’s ridings, sighed sadly, while glancing at his nephew.

“I can understand your, and I truly admire, your tenacity in this question but I think you should stop this. Believe me, your plan to teleport on the bay and force me to change plan wouldn’t work, simple because shaft, where pod stay is well protected from teleporting spells and wouldn`t allow you to teleport something out or in. Protected by me, if you want to know”

Yuuno cursed. Uncle Kaien always could show a surprising amount of wits and ingenuity, when he was properly motivated, but why this reason was hi adamant resolution to prevent his own nephew from saving him.

“Damn it, uncle.” Snapped Yuuno. Glaring at pale-faced mage with such intwnsw that older Scrya flinched a bit. “Why, you`re so stubborn?! Why can’t you even consider that there IS a chance to save you? How could you so esily to toss your life away?!! HOW COULD YOU IGNORE MY FEELINGS ABOUT YOUR DEMISE?!!!” The last sentence was shout with such force, that Yuuno for a moment lost his hearing and Kaien even step back under the volume of sound and burning gaze, his nephew give him, ironically switching their roles compared to recent conversation.

“I… I`m sorry m`boy.” Softly whispered bald man, after short pause, lowering his gaze. “I really a disgusting robbar for duing this to you. But please…” His voice cracked. “Please, I simply can’t let you die. Not after…” He shook his head sadly and continued. “Not after I lose my dear brother, not after I promised him to look after you. And still…” He chuckled mirthlessly, finally meeting Yuuno’s gaze with his own. “We need someone to take care of Jewel Seeds. We both know what a disaster could occur if they stay here, when hyper-drive explode, they could sheer the power of explosion to a gargantum proportion and we, Scryas, can’t allow this to happens. I used my last remains of mana to create a spell, that would catapult them out of ship, and while they would scatter, since we don’t need them to restart they misbehaving; and I afraid that my teleporting spell will affect them badly, the still don’t scatter too much. I know it`s not ideal, and it`s to put it mildly, but it`s the best what we have. So, after we leave hyper-space there is a two possible outcome: if there no planet nearby, or they not suitable for our species, you would teleport them in (since outside the ship`s hull my block won’t work), one by one and put them into special containment units, luckily I manage to find enough among the all mountains of things in our storage room. Then, you`ll activate the hyper-space emergency beacon and, if needed, use a storage crystal with a three red lines and yellow square, which contain eternal coffin spell. I know it’s overkill, but it would allow you to survive, until Bureau fetch you.” Not his uncle, nor Yuuno himself don’t even dare to think what would happen. if bureau wouldn’t. Though it was an easy to imagine – one teen mage with a company of twenty ones super-powerful ancient artifacts and other priceless relics would gleefully play in refrigerator and ice cream inside of a certain space pod for an end of times. Kaien cleared his throat and continued, glancing of control panel warily. “Heh, our time is running out boy, we would enter normal space in less than two minutes, so listen…” Kaien suddenly chuckled, shrugging a bit and then continued, while pressing pair of icons. The pod`s engines start to hum softly, but steadily becoming louder and louder. “Well, if we met a plane that more or less can support your live, then you… I think you know what to do even without my useless blabbering. So I just said this: Live, Yuuno!” Older mage’s voice start to rise in volume and even his lifeless eyes start to shine, Kaien Scrya mustered his strength for last time in his life. “Just live! I can`t decide for you, so I leave all choices for ya! You can bring them back to TSAB, you can bury them under kilometers of earth, you can toss them into black hole; I wouldn`t suggest such rubbish like becoming a king with their might, as you would be the first to kick my ass for such crap. What I want from you m`boy is to live. To find I girl, who will bring an ultimate happiness into your book-eating live. Or two, if you want. Or a keking harem. Just your own family! LIVE Yuuno!!” Roared his uncle on top of this lung, putting all of his being in this one word. And then the silence consumed the evacuation bay for a moment.

“Attention to crew. The ship leaving the hyper-space. Activate the shunting engines.” The computer`s monotone voice crack the quite atmosphere like a hammer. “I repeat: ship will leave the hyper-space in 10…9…8…7…6…5.”

“Prepare yourself m`boy!” Hissed through gritted teethes older Scrya, his right arm squeezing the side of consol for a possible incidents and his left, raised slightly above the screen with a little green magic circle rotating a centimeter over his slightly relaxed fingers.

“…4…3…2…1…Entering normal space!”

There was a wave of stinginess washing over body, Yuuno get fairly used to this. But he didn’t get used for a fierce fit of a jerking that started a moment after the ship leave hyper-space.

It was almost as bad as what happen to them during fold-storm: Yuuno was almost grateful to his uncle for pinning him down with restrainers – in his state he again would be thrown around by ship’s erratic movements like rag-doll, his broken ribs answer to this with agonizing flash of pain. On the still working magic circle, teen could see his uncle fall on his knees desperately clothing on a consol; still he complete spell without a mistake and Yuuno, could almost see hoe twenty one green tracers ejected from the ship and flow toward their point of destination.

Kaien managed only lightly raise his head and glance at his nephew.
“We`re lucky m’boy, we exit the hyper-space right into the mesosphere of planet. And seems that atmosphere, judging by scanner reading is acceptable for us!! My shields hold up for now. Thank Goddess, Kerl didn’t like fast rides, otherwise our poor van would kiss his ass goodbye very fast, and we together with him!”
Indeed, the speed of ship in normal space was irrelevant to the speed of hyper-jump, with was mostly veiled on a power of hyper-drive, so, in normal practice, the ships flight with an 40% engine’s output before entering hyper-space. Tom out it bluntly – the difference in flight through normal-space and hyper-space was akin to descent by stairs and descent by escalator. Your own speed would be the same, but since the “space” move with you, you’ll go through your rout much faster. But worrywart Kerl prefer to go at 30# of output, before hyper-jump and now it’s give them additional time. Though the ship was doomed anyway: either uncle’s spell will wear out or friction with air destroy the already tattered vessel, or they just crush into planet and explode.

Pod’s engines roar like hungry razorbear, going at full power. Kaein rammed his fist into console and with loud boom external shutter was blasted out by installed explosion spell mixed with normal explosive.
Kaien turned around with visible strain and one last time looked at his most precious relative. A gentle smile, which so rarely was seen on his normally tricky face, lighted up his expression and he said last words with power, that come from the depth oh his heart.

“I love you my boy. Godspeed, Yuuno!!”

The magic screen disappear before Yuuno could say anything in response, the jolts of the dying ships increased with each moments, the streams of flame erupted from small escape vessel’s engines and with a thunderous roar escape pod darted from the shaft.

Because of his injures, and starting overload, Yuuno was barely able to turn his tearing face and toss last glance at his uncle’s would-to-be graveyard.
He was wrong: ship wasn’t destroyed by friction, neither he crush; the numerous stream of white energy smash into shields drowning the small rear window in binding light, but a moment after tear-ripping roar reverberate through air. Yuuno was forced to shut his eyes tight, but even so, he still “saw” how Scrya tribe small cargo ship disappear in sphere of flame.

The planet wasn’t just acceptable for his species, she already was populated by high-advanced race. And this race didn’t like unexpected guests. Yuuno understand, that now it’s a matter of seconds before he also disappear in the blast.

NO! He gritted his teethes in a mix of sorrow, despair and berserker rage. His uncle die, and he wouldn’t allow his death to be useless. He dived deep into his being, summoning every magic he manage to restore, while plunging his hands into special sockets, which allow his magic to mix with pod’s magic amplifiers. Yuuno push his magic sense to maximum, trying to find a destination of just one of Jewel Seeds. Find it! Without thinking, he inscribe founded coordinated in magic formula Young mage twirl all accumulated mana around him like a rope, ignoring the pain in right side of his torso and with a vicious howl release the energy in the tempest of teleporting spell. Spell first hurled into mage amplifiers, installed into nose sections, and then streamed through mana-conductors, which goes through entire hull.

Two large green circles appear on both sides of escape vessel and it’s disappear from the sky a moment before the another salvo of energy pierced a place in air, where it was.

[vic-vic]

Spoiler for part 3:

~***~

Yuuno gasped for breath, desperately trying to calm down his hear which now beat like a jackhammer in his chest, both from over flexing his barely restored mana-pool and… form nearly crushing into the ground right after teleportation. To his credit, blond teen didn’t have enough time to consider that his little ship could materialize in such place and position that will send him right on a collision course with forest below. Thankfully, the auto-pilot of escape pod was fast enough to switch position of engines and activate anti-gravitation spell, which work like pillow. Small craft managed to avoid ramming into ground on a last second, though maneuver really put a lot of strain on his not recovered body.

Now computer completed landing procedure while informing Yuuno that atmosphere outside is suitable for breath (which he know already), atmospheric pressure is in within norm and that he still recommend to use anti-bacteria full-body protection spell. The last advice was vice, even though he could breathe on this planet, who know what type a deadly bacteria could be there. Also, tests show, that escape pod avoid any damages and now the auto-navigator calculated their location. After few minutes, with a low click computer informed blond archeologist that star system, where the crash-landed lay far beyond bureau-controlled space. Well, he expected this, but it didn`t make situation more pleasant. Now, he was forced to rely on the emergency beacon and sensitiveness of bureau radars.

Yuuno finally pulled his arms from the sockets, where they rested all this time and now was covered in sweat, hastily shake them and then curiously turned his gaze on a sole filled container on a right side. Yuuno, pulled restrainers up, slightly stood up and then, somehow reluctantly, pushed the familiar button, opening the container and looked in.

Inside of small niche lye a simple blue sport bag. He was shocked for a moment, until he sense a glimpse of a dimension magic from it. So, there was an alerted space inside of bag, which could store a numerous things. Archeologist mage bent forward for a second, grasp the bag with both hands and pulled it out. Sliding back into the chair, he opened the bag, meeting a pulsating black mist with his gaze, then slide his left hand inside and concentrated.

As he thought, his uncle managed to grab a many pieces of various equipment. He sensed the mentioned twenty one special containment units, a dozen ancient magic books, a few dozen of storage crystals and, to his shock, a plentiful of various Devices: A Storage devices, an Armed Devices and even few Intelligence Devices, created by famous Scrya tribe Device Meister, Bol Scrya. Yuuno chuckled – among the other relics of old, uncle preferred to save Scrya tribe legacy.

The thought of Kaien squeeze his heart with iron grip, green eyes start to sting. It was still to fresh for young mage – the roar of explosion and astonishing flash of light once and for all separated him from his most precious relative. For Yuuno, the most frustrating thing was their total inability to prevent this – the ship worked like a clock, pilot didn’t commit any mistakes and they properly contain and seal Lost Logias on board, but all of this was meaningless before cruel joke of fate – the appearance of extremely strong fold-storm, which destroy the ship, kill Kaien Scrya and Kerl Nibbit and send him, Yuuno Scrya into unknown region if space.

Teen gritted his teethes, blinking the tears away. He can`t drone in sorrow now, he must complete his mission: collect and seal all twenty one jewel Seeds on a planet. His nail dig deeply into flsdh oh his palms, draining the blood. If he fail, it`s would mean that uncle Kaien died for nothing. No, he absolutely wouldn’t allow this to end like that. His teethes furiously chew on his lips. Never!

Yuuno shuddered from sudden pain in the right side and this sharp outburst returned him to his senses. What in the name of Goddess happen to him?! He sat here, drowning in blinding rage while the Jewel Seeds, that can bring utmost destruction on this planet and her habitants, scatter around and was still active, and being in magic field of entire planet was utterly different from being on the small spacecraft. Wasn’t Yuuno himself often reprimand his younger relatives for losing their cool and doing reckless things. What a hypocrite he is. Shivering in both sorrow and humiliation, teen pulled the first Device he summon from extended space of bag, that now lay on his laps – it was a small red orb, as he remember – Intelligence Device, Raging Heart. He swiftly put Raging Heart on his neck, fetch a familiar flask with siral water, and strode toward exit.
The unknown planet meet the young alien with cold but pleasant wind, which bring the smell of flowers and water, green panorama of threes and grass, and reddish sunset sky. This peaceful view lessened a pain in his chest from recent deaths. He need to collect Jewel Seeds and save this beautiful planet from destruction. After quick thoughts, Yuuno climbed on near hill, in order to look around from better position.

After short fly (the climbing up still was a rather tough ordeal for his body), he gently step one the grass and turned around from the forest. Yuuno’s eyes widened when he saw final confirmation about existence of sentient life on this planet.

The city, now red in the ray of sunset sun, seemed like sugar castle. All building in the city was constructed from white metal with addition of glass, the enormous plates of solar batteries, hulked from the roofs of many buildings and numerous snakes of rail-roads streams among the buildings. On even greater height he could see giant superstructure that wield upper districts of the city, eclipsing part of the sky. Moreover, when he glanced back he sae the similar superstructure on the other side of forest…no, now blond teen start to understand, that he actually landed in a park, a big one though. Yuuno gulped, he still didn’t know, what type of creatures live on this planet, but their high advance civilization was out of question. Hey, wait!

Scrya archaeologist cast a spell of far-sign and zoomed in toward one of the skyscrapers, where he could see some type of screen. When he could see the details of image on the screen he could feel the wave of relief washing over his body. The person that appeared on a screen was definitely a human. Well, he know, that after the destruction of Al`Hazardian empire thousands of years ago humankind scatter among the stars, so it wasn’t that surprising that he find another brunch of humankind. Now the question was how much they would be friendly toward an unexpected guest, even if the said guest crushed into their home against his will.

He suddenly freeze when his glance fall on a small logo, which, presumably was a national flag. He saw it somewhere, but when and why his blood grew so cold?
His entire body suddenly jerked: a tremendous magical reaction in the depth of park. The Jewel Seed reacted! He darted forward, skidding into the mass of woods, toward the place, where he sense the growing magical power. The fainting roar, that come from that direction didn`t bring him any comfort. Seems that Lost Logias already start to grown into major disaster.

Yuuno quickly casted Invisibility on a escape pod and with all speed he could muster, blond mage charged into darkness of woods.

~***~

The gentle hum of bus electric engine was lulling and the seats in bus was so comfortable, that Nanoha Takamachi who already half lay at her place, started to slide, but light blow from the right quickly drag her back into reality. Young 15 year old girl turned her head with enough speed to make her long hair, which was tied in a ponytail a swept through air.

Her blue eyes meet a gaze of one of her best friends, Arisa Bannings, an energetic and hot-blooded green eyed blonde, who stared at her with visible entertainment and big grin. From the behind, right above Arisa right shoulder, appear a head of Suzuka Tsukimura, a blue-eyed level-headed girl with lavender hair who hold the position of peacemaker in their group. Both girls wear the identical uniforms – a brown jacket and dark brown pleated skirt, that reach the middle of hips and th black shoes. Right now even Suzuka have the derisive glimmer in her eyes combined with little smile, Nanoha start to feel unease.

“Um, Suzuka-chan, Arisa-chan…” She started sheepishly, fidgeting under their glittering gazes. ”Is there something wrong with me?

Arisa grin grew wider, Suzuka, instead of answer stretched her left hand, with a handkerchief squeezed by her fingers, toward her.

“Nanoha-chan, here.” She offered a piece of fabric to her puzzled brunette friend.

“You drooled in your state wipe you face with it.”

Nanoha’s cheeks reddened a bit, and when she lifted her left hand and draw index and middle fingers across her mouth, she indeed find a large amount of sticky liquid, that gushed from edge of her mouth. The girl blushed even more, which make Arisa snicker and Suzauka’s smile grew a little wider. Hastily wiping the evidence if her little spacing out, the still redcheeked girl returned handkerchief to her friend.

“Mou… it’s not, funny, you two.” Pouted Nanoha, which make her friend only to giggle even more. Nanoha puffer her cheeks and tuned away, demonstratively looking away from Arisa and Suzuka and looking through window, unfortunately, only think she could see through window was a mass of earth, as road was build near rock. Young brunette grumbled disappointedly and turned her gaze at her laps.

Arisa and Suzuka exchanged a glances and nodded slightly, then blonf girl gently stroked Nanoha’s shoulder.

“Sorry-sorry, Nanoha. Seems that we goes too far over such minor incident as our cute modest Nanoha drooling like old drunktard in the moving bus.”
Needeles to say Nanoha pouted even more.

“Uuuu, Arisa-chan you meany.” She decide to have some pay back and poked Arisa in stomach making her to burst in laugh. The view of her friend laughing face make her forget her ire and even smile a bit.

“He-heh! Okay-okay, I’m really sorry, and in order to show you how serious I’m, the great Arisa, I’ll wash the dishes at Midory-ya instead of you.”

“Really!” Nanoha’s face brightened significantly. While young brunette loved to help her family in the work, the dish-cleaning was the duty she very much despise.

“And I help with table layout.” Added Suzuka, clasping her hands together, with small nod. “Nanoha-chan, you need to have more rest.” Suzuka and then Arisa expressions became serious. “Last four days you overwork yourself at school, we know that you have you duties as class president, but you’ll work yourself to death at this rate.”

Arisa nodded in agreement with her lavender hair friend.

“I agree, it was one thing, to come back and overlook (and help) the cleaning of the class-room, since we stay behind that day. Or help with organization of lorry unloading, since it bring the equipment of karate club, which you older brother and sister attend. But to personally finding and reach the agreement with suppliers of details for upgrade of our school server, you come back, as you sister said, almost at 11 PM, and then you was stay for a half of night to finish your homework. Or yesterday, when you fight with mainframe of our class, in order to heal the glitch, that make him confuse the answers on tests. No, many peoples is grateful to you and teachers love you to death, but still… don’t you did enough already.”

Nanoha shrugged, again blushing lightly, squirming under gazes of her friends and desperately trying not to avert her eyes.

“Uh…It’s wasn’t that hard, actually.” Started Nanoha, looking up, in the end unable to withstand the intense gaze of Arisa, now looking at working infoscreen – a narrow tape of special plastic with inbuilt microchips, that was goes across the entire cabin of bus in a long ellipse, holding on special telescopic antennas, which allow the passages to adjust the width of infoscreen by nearby control panel. Unfortunately, the TV set, which fixed right above their seats was off line right now, so she couldn’t try to change the topic by pointing out some random news with great excitement. And she very doubt that Arisa and Suzuka would buy it if she hastily pull out her student ID and use it to activate the screen.

“Well…" continued blue eyed girl, returning her stare toward two girls, who sill glared at her. “The supplier, which whom I talk, is the old customer of our café, Sawanaga Hotohono-san. He live in the same district as my family and he really like our pastries, so I persuaded to give our school a discount, when he visited us on this week. Sawanaga-san is a nice man and he agreed to help, but he wanted to look at the list of necessary details and he said that his friend, which could give us equipment of a lesser price will leave on business trip in two days. That’s why I was so late – I reach Sawanaga household in 9.30 PM and Hotohono-san need some time to look through list and make an arrangements.” Still seeming a skeptical expressions on her friend’s faces Nanoha added. “And I didn’t go myself, the Sawanga-san ride me to his home at his car, and I return on a motorcycle with Hotohono-san’s son, Kazuma, who, also my brother’s friend, though he attend at different school.”
“Hm, I see.” Trailed Arisa, loosing some fierce glimmer in her eyes, much to Nanoha’s joy. “I didn’t know that you so good in establishing a useful connections.”

“It’s not like establishing, I’m simple know that Sawanag-san is a nice man.” Retorted Nanoha meekly.

“But what about the deal with repairing the teacher’s mainframe in our class yesterday.” Asked Arisa, making clear that she not over with the topic to Nanoha’s dismay.

“Well, I didn’t do much. To be honest.” She chuckled, setting her own gaze at Suzuka. “I simply followed Suzuka-chan tips and used the disk with custom programs she write for me.”

“SU! ZU! KA!” Growled Arisa slowly, taking a slow and dramatic turn to address a burning gaze to her flitching friend, who rised her both hands in weak attempt to defend her elf from blond girl’s rightful wrath. “W-wait, Arisa-chan! When Nanoha-chan asked my opinion about possible reasons of system malfunction on the start of week I didn’t know that she would try to repair it herself.” Arisa eyes’ narrowed dangerously and Suzuka quickly continued. “Well, I mean – I hoped that she at last give herself a little rest, especially after suffering from lack of sleep after her “evening negotiation”, but seems that attack of “everhelping heroine syndrome” occurred under my nose.”

Suzuka giggled nervously, still fidgeting a little, but then Arisa sighed deeply and grumbled: “Okay, I hate to ask, since it will allow both of you out of hook. But what’s happened to our computers?”

Nanoha and Suzuka’s expression brightened, the storm was avoided, and then, by wordless signal, Suzuka start to explain.

“ Well.” Started lavender hair girl, putting a right hand’s index finger at her chin and start to lightly tapping it. She often does so when she started to explain something related to her favorite topic – machines and computers.

“It wasn’t actual much of malfunction, rater it was example of fights between rival corporation.”

‘Huh?” Arisa raised her left eyebrow in confusion. “How our school computers could be related to wars between big money bags?”

Suzuka raised her left hand, which also was curled into fist with outstretched index finger, lightly wavering it in air, this common habit earn her nickname “a conductor”. As you know, every computer and infoscreen in our school was manufactured by “Orion Electronics”.”

Arisa nodded.

“Well, and?”

“And you must know that our soft was brought from “Try-Info Corp”.”
Arisa slightly narrowed her eyes again, showing glimpse of rising annoyance. Suzuka’s habit of mixing her explanations with a lectures about new soft, equipment and new technologies may be an interesting but sometimes irritating.

“I know that too. Can we get right to the point.”

“Well, recently, “Try-Info” the signed the agreement of association with “Combine Research and Manufacturing Combine” who is major rival of “Orion Electronics”. And, in order to help to increase the pressure on their partner’s competitor, they inbuilt a little sleeping programs into their soft: when it’s used on every mechanism, built by “Orion”, they start to work with a glitches.”

“Wha…?! How do you know that?” Stammered Arisa, her family firm was one of the Combine contractors, and to think that “Bannings Construction” was involved into a power struggle between a two economic monsters wasn’t pleasant at all.

“Well, as you know, our firm, just like yours, contractor of “Orion Electronics” and when the problems started with our equipment on a regular frequency we started to suspect a slight sabotage. Not a big enough to invoke a investigation from a Department of a Consumer Rights Protection, but serious enough, to dirty “Orion” reputation.”

“Those bastards!” Growled blonde, curling her fingers into tight fists. “I’m so gonna give my parents piece of my mind.”

“Don’t blame them, Arisa-chan. It was “Try-Info” who did this, not “Bannings Construction”. And I’m really doubt that they could force such giant as Combine no to accept this “help”.”

Arisa humphed, but nodded in agreements with her friend.

“Uh, you’re right. Still…” She sharply turned back to Nanoha, causing her to yelp slightly in surprise. “How you manage to repair it?”

“Well, Suzuka-chan write few various programs, that could fool our soft into thinking that it’s work on a Combine manufactured computers…”

“You said, that’s you just give the ODDs to our teacher and report her my suggestion for work. Instead, you stay with Nagamurs-sensei for fifth hours…” Pouted Suzuka, looking at Nanoha with indigence. The brunette blushed and shriveled a bit under her firend accusation gaze.

“I’m very sorry, but she looked so lost, when she tried each of them and failed, she just a new teacher, from countryside, she didn’t have such splendid tutors in Suzuka-chan and Arisa-chan as I did.”

Both girls smiled unintentionally under Nanoha clumsy but sincere praise. Arisa`s scowl disappear and Suzuka`s lightly indigent expression melt under the view of sheepishly smiling Nanoham who hold her hand clutched on her chest, looking at them with wavering eyes.

“You, damned smooth-talking cutie.” Cursed Arisa good-naturedly. “You know, that I can’t be mad at you when you give me that puppy-eyes look.” Consumed by sudden urge, the blond teen lunged forward and catch Nanoha, who shrieked a bit at this sudden movement, into bear-hug. “Please, Nanoha, we worry about you! You should look at yourself, today you resembled a ghost with your blood-shot eyes and pale skin!” Nanoha started to relax unto hug and Arisa continued.

“Please, I’ll wash all dishes we leave today, and Suzuka will help you and you family with dinner, but you need to relax today!!”

“Arisa-chan…” Whispered Nanoha, now consumed by warmth of Arisa embrace and her warmth, the feeling increased, when Suzuka stand from her seat and joined them in hug.

“Arisa-chan is right, Nanoha-chan. Today, we will have a good evening at you home, I and Arisa would help you with homework, and then we stay for night to make sure you’ll have a proper sleep. Okay.”

Nanoha shrugged a bit, consumed by their kind warmth and answered quietly.

“I promise. Thank you, Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan, I couldn’t ask for better friend than you two.”

“And we couldn’t ask for better friend than you, Nanoha.” Nodded Arisa, with a little touch of slyness in her voice. “If only not for your hero-syndrome, it would be much better.”

“But this “heroic-syndrome” is the one of reasons why we love Nanoha-chan so much.”
Giggled Suzuka, breaking the hug.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Agreed blonde girl, releasing Nanoha. Then she noticed the situation behind windows. “Oh, soon we’ll reach our station.”

Two other teens hastily sprung at their feet, also noticing, than soon bus will reach point of their destination. Quickly, Nanoha opened the case, above their seats, where their packs rested, pull all three of them in swift motion and toss Purple and yellow pack to their owners, Suzuka and Arisa respectively. Quickly attaching her purple pack to special fixtures on her shoulders, she waited for her friends to do so too and then three girls strode toward the near sliding doors.
Near the exit already stood two boys, both 17 year old, one of them clearly Japanese origin was tall athletic boy with a short bowl-cut brown hairs and emerald green yes, who smiled a bit at his friend joke. The other was a shorter boy, a foreigner, with a blue feathered hair and grey eyes, who gleefully exclaimed how much fun will be the tomorrow drinking competition will be, slightly stirring a spacious traveling bag, which slightly tinkled, revealing a existence a certain quality of glass bottles inside. Both wear rather expensive uniforms: a two pieced suit, consisted from dark blue pants and jacket and they wore a black shoes, from natural leather; on a left lapel, their wear a yellow badge – a stylized tulip. Overall, they seem to be a student of a prestige academy.

Both boys prepare to leaving, on the same station of them, concluded Nanoha, they also say goodbyes to their friend – a mousy looking pale-skinned girl with a dark green hairs, with a two bangs fallen on the sides of her face and indigo eyes, who wear a glass-shaped info-visor, controlled from the touches on a control panel, inbuilt in her wrist communicator. Seems that girl was from rich family, if she could allow herself to buy something like that. The girl wear the red jacket and the short dark blue skirt, judging by similar badge, Nanoha concluded, that girl was from the same college.

The train of her thoughts was interrupted by slight jerk of a floor, when bus stopped, the door slightly goes forward and then slide to a right.

Nanoha, Arisa and Suzuka leave the bus right after the two unknown senpais, but then stop near the station, to have some look around. A day almost totally leave his rights to an evening, and sub was almost gone behind the horizon, still stubbornly sending her rays upon the Uminary-city. The seed-shaped bus with a two humps of conditioners on a roof, with a low hum, quickly leaves the area, Suzuka don’t miss the opportunity to notice, that vehicle soon would need to visit a recharge station. Nanoha glanced on the left, the road left a rock side a few minutes ago, when they reach the newly build square of city, where her home was. Arisa and Suzuka right now looked right, on a dark massive of upper districts that was built on a massive structure, which weight rested on a little artificial mountains of a columns, where Suzuka and Arisa’ families resident lay. A chilly wind come from a dark mass of City Park make her shudder a bit, one of the entrances in this enormous park lay near of her home, where their trio really like to play there. Maybe, she should invite Suzuka and Arisa to come here at weekend. Picnic would be a nice.

Though, being with Aris and Suzuka always was fun. And the fact, that they would stay for night today was a pleasant thought. Suddenly she remembered…
“Arisa-chan! Suzuka-chan! Wait!” Shocked by her sudden shout her friends swiftly turned to her, with worried expressions. “W-what`s happened, Nanoha-chan?””What’s wrong, Nanoha?!” Asked two girls simultaneously, Arisa`s fingers curled into fists, while her eyes take a glances around; Suzuka dashed toward Nanoha and slightly grabbed her fist.

“Uh, sorry, I didn`t mean… to scare you.” Blurted Nanoha, wavering her left hand franticly. “I just remembered, that we don`t have a spare clothes for you two for morning!”

Suzuka and Arisa exhaled in relief, calming down. Arisa though take a quick slightly angry look at her brunet friend. “Damn, Nanoha! You scare us!” Nanoha fidget a bit, trying to slip behind Suzuka, but Arisa already smiled brightly again.
”Still, thank for you concern. Don’t worry, Suzuka ask Noel to bring pair of clothes at your house today.”

Nanoha smiled, well, her friends always could take care of them and prove that numerous times, so she really shouldn’t worry about them not equipped properly. After all, she was the one who drilled this simple notion into their minds. The lighted up streetlights tell her, that they need to hurry up and go toward Midori-ya. The trio nodded and turned into toward the richly lighted streets, which leads to Nanoha’s house.

“Help…me…”

Nanoha froze, in the middle of move. What was that, a voice? She turned around, trying to find a location from where voice come. When she saw that Arisa and Suzuka try to do the same, she come to conclusion, that it wasn’t a hallucination.

“Suzuka-chan, Arisa-chan…do you hear that?” She asked quietly. Both girls nodded, a bit reluctantly, as if they still couldn`t believe it was real.

“…Please…help…”

The voice appear again, now she could hear it more carefully. It was male voice, young male, to be specific, but much more importantly, it was filled with pain and suffering. And Nanoha never would leave someone in the trouble if she could help, it was her way of life.

“…Please…until…it`s too late…”

Now she was certain – voice come from the park. Without hesitation she darted forward the fates in metal fence, which surrounded the little piece of forest.

“Nanoha, wait!” Cried Arisa, following her, Suzuka, also charged after them after a momentary delay. Nanoha didn’t answer she concentrated her mind at the fainting sound of male`s voice, desperately trying not to lose it. The dark masses of woods come closer and closer, while her boots smashed into the stairs, while striding toward the steel semicircle of gates. Brunet neatly avoided pair of students, who slowly walk toward the entrance and, passing a turnstile, dashed in.

Nanoha finally stopped, when she reach a first crossroad after the entrance to have a little rest and, more important, to try to find the mysterious stranger. Numerous plastic benches stood around, mixed with few vending machines and
small fountains with a laser illumination, the typical view of the park’s streets.

“Where is he?” Think Nanoha, franticly looking around, hoping that voice will appear again.

“Dmmit, Nanoha, wait!!!” Come a rather loud yell from behind. She turned around to see arriving Arisa and Suzuka, their cheeks was red, from the sudden dash, through, like Nanoha, they didn’t lose their breath; long history of visits to Takamachi dojo paid off.

“W-what are you doing?!” Snarled now pretty angered Arisa. “Running away like that?!”

“B-but Arisa-chan! You also heard that, aren’t you?” Protested Nanoha, with a resolve not to fall back this time. “How could we leave someone in trouble?!”

“Ugh…Well…” Grunted Arisa. Her anger replaced with confusion and guilt. Despite her thorny behavior sometimes, Arisa was kind and compassionate girl and she wouldn’t leave someone to their pain. But that voice was strange, it’s loom like it come from great distance, but it was very quiet, also the plea for help seems to sound right in their mind, moreover, as she can see, judging by other visitors behavior, nobody, but three of them, could hear it.

“I beg, you, Suzuka-chan, Arisa-chan!” Pleaded Nanoha, tilting forward with begging look in her sapphire eyes. “I just can`t go away when someone in such pain!”

“Uh, seems that we got ourselves into another rescue operation.” Groaned Arisa, smiling wryly. :What do you think, Suzuka?” Asked blonde turning toward lavender haired Japanese.

“I have the same thought, Arisa-chan.” Smiled Suzuka, then she turned more serious and pointed out into the direction of forest, on the hill. “I don’t know how to describe it. But the “feel” of that voice come from there.”
Nanoha eyes flared with gratitude and determination.

“Thank you, Suzuka-chan!! Arisa-chan!!” Passionately said young brunette, clutching her hand over her heart, giving a bow to her friends, and then charging toward dusky hill.

“Well, let`s go then team NAS!” Cried Arisa out, renewing her dash after her Nanoha.

“Team NAS?” Inquired Suzuka, with a raised eyebrow. “What does this mean? Not Accurate Schoolgirls?”

“No dummy, it’s mean Nanoha, Arisa, Suzuka!” Shouted Arisa back. Suzuka could only sign, and chase after her passionate but not very perspective friends.
Nanoha make a half-way up to the hill when she heard mysterious voice again. Now it was filled with panic.

“Oh…no! The…barrier…!!!”

She doesn`t like it, the sheer amount of terror told her, that no matter what’s going to occur, it wouldn`t be pretty.

As is to answer her thoughts, Nanoha could hear something akin to crash of breaking glass, and then id distance she could hear a chilling and fierce roar. It wasn`t take long to a panicking screams of frightened peoples to start to ring out.

“Uh, Nanoha.” Asked Arisa carefully, taking a nervous glance at dark mass of woods before then, visibly losing some of her bravery. “Maybe, we should call the police? Or at last, ask for help?”

Nanoha herself also really didn’t want to enter the place where something obviously big, vicious and dangerous lurks around. But the owner of mysterious voice also was here, and he was badly hurt. Seems that he couldn’t\t run away from the dangerous beast, who scare the peoples, who actually, already desperately run away from the hill, crying for help.
Taking a deep breath, Nanoha turned her head a bit, to meet the eyes of Arisa and Suzuka and said:

“Arisa-chan, Suzuka-chan, call the police and wait for me there, I go there alone.”

“Like hell you do!!!” Roared Arisa, lashing forward and groping Nanoha`s shoulders, her eyes blazed. “Now, I wouldn`t let you go alone! Got it!!”

“B-but, someone must to call the police…”

Nanoha meek answer meet a fierce rebuttal.

“ Suzuka will!! And I more than sure, that some visitors already do this!!”
Blond girl then turn toward Suzuka and ask in much more calm tone.

“Suzuka, please, call the police, I need to make sure that a certain brunette idiot heroine will come back in one piece.”

Tsukimura-heir nodded hastily, still not very happy, that she was somehow left behind, but she know that she need to call for help, even though. Someone in park already could do that.

Nanoha and Arisa exchange glances and dashed forward with renowned determination.

~***~

The threes and streetlights passed before them in fast motion, as two girls run at full tilt. Now, Nanoha also could fell the “presence” of unknown boy, now she was sure that bearer of voice was about the same age as her. At last, she hoped that she get it right. The source of presence got nearer and nearer with every second. The pair of girls hastily take a sharp turn on a badly damaged crossroad, and instead of road, the charged through the bushes, shielding their faces from branched with raised hands. Now, Nanoha and Arisa, was sure, like this they would reach the “voice” faster.

Moreover, they would get away from mysterious roar too, more importantly. The closer they get to the mysterious stranger, then more warmth Nanoha could feel in her chest. Soon she could almost physically feel it and with a final jolt of energy she sprung out from bushes and landed on small glade. Arisa lagged behind for a bit, stumbling over the root.

To her utter surprise, her eyes couldn`t meet anyone until she look down… and her gaze fall on a small tan-furred ferret. The small mammal lay on his left side with his back turn on her, while his right moved up and down, his eyes half closed. He feebly raised his head at her presence and squeaked cutely few times. Nanoha rushed to his side, when she noticed a rather bad gash that goes over the ferret’s back. Hastily dropping at her knees, the brunet gently pick him up and cradled against her chest. Then, she noticed additional wounds and scratches over tiny beast bode, and also a small red gem, that hanged at little string, which was warped around ferret`s body.

There was a series of swears and cracks and with a triumphant shout, Arisa Bannings joined her friend on glade. Just like Nanoha, she was momentary stunned by absence of presumable owner of strange voice.

“Uh, Nanoha… where…” She trailed off, looking around with dumfounded expression on her face.

“I don’t know, Arisa-chan.” Answered Nanoha, walking toward her friend, together with her cute little burden. “When I got there, I find only him.” She slightly and carefully raised wounded mammal, in order not to disturb his damaged body, for emphasis.

“Ferret…” Gaped Arisa, but after giving a little animal a more careful look she giggled. “Aw, he so cute. Maybe it was him, who invite us here?”

Nanoha giggled too, then she gawked when ferret raised his head a licked her chin.

“He-he-he, seems that he already fell in love with you, Nanoha-chan.” Teased Arisa her friend. Nanoha didn’t miss opportunity to blush. Her blushed cheeks sharply contrasted with surrounding twilight, the streetlight’s shone, barely reach this place through thickness of woods.

“Mou, Arisa-chan, what are you saying.” Nanoha wanted to pout but quickly remembered about the voice, and that she still didn’t find him. “We don’t have time for this, Arisa-chan, we need to find the unknown gentleman, who in trouble.”

Before Arisa could say something in reply, the very familiar voices, that bring them here, reverberate through silence of glade.

“Th-thank you for… sav-ving me…” The voice was raspy… tired and sleepy, but now it’s source was undeniable. The ferret!

“Gah!” Yelped Nanoha and Arisa on the same time, and former almost drop wounded animal on the ground. “Y-you’re talking?!!” Gasped Nanoha, trembling
with all her body. The talking ferrets wasn’t something, she was used to. Judging by Arisa, pale-faced bug-eyes expression, she neither. Ferret, noticed the sudden change of atmosphere and quickly said.

“I’m sorry if I startled you, seems that you not accustoms to see magic. I`m Yuuno Scrya, member of Scrya tribe, archaeologist and user of Mid-Childa school of magic. Can I assume that you didn’t know about existence of magic civilization before today?”

“On contrarily.” Answered Arisa in very unusual for her tone – the mixture of awe and fear. “Twenty two years ago evil mages drive entire humankind into terrific war, where four billions perished, and even two planets were destroyed. So we, very aware of existence of magic and how many evil things, mages do to our people.”

Yuuno cringed – seems that natives know about spellcasting and magecraft, but not form good side. The aggressiveness was part of human`s ego, their own sense of self, therefore conflicts was unavoidable. As archeologist he knew many civilizations, which was destroyed by wars, no matter what type they was: pure-magical, pure-technological or techno-magical (who considered as most advanced types); in the end there was no solution against humankind darkest aspects of nature.

But the current star nation he know desperately try if not avoid wars, but at least, make the bloodshed minimal. Interstellar Administrative Bureau, part of whom he was already banished any types of kinetic weapons and approve use only of non-lethal spells. Their neighbor, Belkan Empire used both powerful convention weapons and destructive spell, but always in their wars belkans strictly adhered code of chivalry and always fights on specials “fields of honor”.
He didn`t know, to his shame, many things about another star nations, which surrounded IAB, he was too preoccupied by studying the magecraft and information of ancient empires and great city-states.

But still, he have a brooding feeling, that he have some knowledge about this place, that flag, he witnessed today… he saw him somewhere.
When Yuuno come up from his stream of thoughts he hear the voice of blond girl.

“Nanoha, do you really think we should help him, who know, maybe he was injured when his own monster went berserk?”

“But Arisa-chan, you hear it yourself, Yuuno-san tried to… use a barrier. He tried to stop a beast. Moreover, look at him, he injured so badly, how could we left him behind.”

“Uh…” Girl, called Arisa sighed and answered, rubbing her temples. “It’s not a situation to argue, since the unknown monster roaming free around. Okay, I also don`t want to leave injured behind, but please, at last, let’s put him under tight surveillance.”

The brunet nodded with a smile and waved her head toward the gap between trees, where they come.

“Let`s hurry, Arisa-chan, we need to meet Suzuka-chan and take Yuuno-san to home and give him first aid.”

Two teenage girls exchange nods and sprinted away from the place, where they find a new companion. Though, now the run slower, then before, because Nanoha tried her best not to disturb Yuuno`s injured body, for what he already was grateful for her with all his heart and Arisa run a bit forward, trying to find monster location, who was silent for the recent time.

After a maddened croos through the forest, Arisa barely step on a road, when the upper half of a man in mid of his thirties, wearing a remnants of his ruined brown jacket, slammed into the ground right before her. With a shriek, she backed off almost ramming into Nanoha furiously pointing at corpse with her right hand, while her left desperately clutch on her mouth, but managed to stay on her feet. Nanoha, in her case, simply froze, unable to move at all, her eyes was locked on the dead man face: Pale, smeared in dirt, with a nose, grinded right into skull, his teeth red from the blood, which was all over his mouth and jaw, but the scariest part was his eyes – dark brown gleamed orbs was widely open, even now the girl could see the terror and agony he felt in last moments of his life.
Yuuno could only shoot his eyes in shame and self-hatred. This man, and who know how many else, was dead because of him, because of his weakness, his lack of experience and his inability to use Raging Heart properly. And now innocent bystander lost his life, ripped in half and tossed on a tree, from where he fall right now.

The low menacing rustle nearby, told to one ferret and two girls that man fall not from the tree. Slowly, as if against they wish, they turned toward the sound.

They didn`t find monster. He find them.
.
When the girls appear on crossroad, majority of streetlights here was destroyed and the place, where they ducked into woods was drowned in darkness. So they couldn`t simply see the dark looming shadow until it was too late, the fact that the creature didn`t breath also help. The monster look like oversized bush, with many permanently moving tentacles, growing right from the mass of leafs, many of them was covered in dark red liquid, both girls desperately try to tell themselves that it`s just their imagination, the creature head, which resemble a horned bulb, dangled on a thick tendril. The three purple eyes, which gleam ghastly in the dusk, set right above big mouth.

Paralyzed with horror, Nanoha an Arisa couldn`t move even when the monster shoot one of his tentacles at them. Bundle of killer lianas swept through air with loud whistle, but when it was prepare to strike girls the shining round green circle appear in air and, with a high-pitched crack deflect the strike. Moreover, circle flared brightly, when another two strike collide with it, and with a crack, generated a shock-wave that send flower-monster stumble back. Both schoolgirls gasped, when they noticed the same, but much lesser circle, which shone around the Yuuno.

“Y-Yuuno-kun! You did that?!” Gasped Nanoha, looking at tiny animal with awe and admiration. “Incredible!”

“Wow! You`re so cool, I’ll take my words about you back!” Added her gleeful voice Arisa.

“Ugh, I’m sorry, but we need to hurry, I can’t deal with this monster right now!” Hissed ferret with strained voice.

Arisa and Nanoha have no objections, but when they start to move, monster, with a thunderous roar lunged at them. When it was and the middle of the charge the rock fly form another side of the area, striking it right in the “face”. Monster howled more in annoyance rather than in pain and turned toward direction where it come from. Nanoha and Arisa, do the same, and their gaze fell on their third friend, Suzuka, who, despite being obviously terrified, already raised her right hand, with another rock in it.

“Arisa-chan, Nanoha-chan, run!!” Cried lavender haired girl, sending another rock into monster. The creature, however, prove himself to be much more dangerous, than it was seems on first glance. He stood still for few seconds and then shoot one of his tendrils at Suzuka with astonishing speed. The Tsukimura-heir could barely scream before tentacle warped around her, and with a powerful jerk, lift her in the air.

“Suzuka! NO!!!!” Hollered both Nanoha and Arisa in unison, with tears steaming down on their cheeks. Now, they were powerless, now they couldn’t do anything to help Suzuka, now they would see the death of their beloved friend.
Suddenly, from the near bushes the slim female figure sprung up. It was an attractive and well-endowed girl, with eyes was covered with black glasses and who`s pink hairs reach her waist. She wore the familiar red and dark blue uniform and Nanoha could swear that she notice little badge in girl`s lapel, the unfamiliar was a rather big sword with a hilt, that resemble a gun handle, which she clutch in both arms.

With a fluid motion, girl swirled under the lashed tentacle and, using the momentum and the weight of the sword, she cut one of the tentacles off, drawing the stream of pale blue liquid. Monster bellowed in rage and pain, franticly waving his remaining extremities, dangling poor Suzuka, who screamed, when grip on her waist tightened, like a rag-doll. The mysterious swordswoman didn’t waste her time, quickly threw up her sword, pointing at tentacle, that held Suzuka, and a moment after loud gunshot reverberate through the battlefield. Seems that hilt didn’t resemble a gun handle. It was a gun handle.

The bullet pierced the tendril, extracting another roar from living bush, the wounded tentacle didn`t let Suzuka go, but visibly lose part of its strength. Monster howled and send two of his tentacles in fierce arches at his new adversary. The pinket swiftly jumped back, avoiding first strike, but was forced to quickly raise her sword, protecting her body from second. Seems, that girl didn`t adjust her stance properly, since power of concussion threw her back, but she quickly proved this thought wrong, when she performed a flawless somersault backward and landed on her feet.

The monster scowled angrily, now slowly advancing toward mysterious girl who again pointed her sword at him. The creature pulled his wounded tentacle, which still clutched Suzuka closer to his head, but didn’t dare to lose his concentration at his for even for a moment.

That was his mistake. The familiar brown haired senpai darted from behind monster`s back with unbelievable speed. Without breaking his dash, he jump at the bench, use it as step-stone to leap at the near tree and use it`s stem as catapult to propel himself at monster head. The teen spin in the air and with loud thump, rammed his right leg into monster`s face in a powerful roundhouse kick. Monster yelped in pain, this time dropping Suzuka, too consumed by pain in his smashed visage.

The green eyed boy, quickly rolled down, deftly avoiding monster`s attempt to grab him, and in swift motion catch Suzuka a few centimeters above ground. The pin-haired girl shoot again, now completely blasting the damaged tendril off and, as if it wasn’t enough, from the another side of road a bottle with a burning piece of paper I the neck. With a high-pitched ring it`s crashes against creature`s body, burst, pouring it in burning liquid. Now monster was too consumed by his own pain, to do anything, most important, it totally forgot about brown-haired senpai, who, with Suzuka in his arms darted toward pink haired fencer.

“Run! Help will be here very soon, they will take care of this creature!” Come the shout from the side, where bottle come. Turning their heads, Nanoha and Aris could see their another “familiar senpai” a blue haired boy, who now wave his hands at them, telling them to go away from the road, and then hurl himself into the woods. Girls and ferret have no objections and hastily retreated back into forest, since Suzuka disappeared with pink-haired girl and green eyed boy, who still carry her in his arms. Nanoha and Arisa, run behind a massive oak, which rose twenty meter from the road.

Monster still howled in anger in pain, when the powerful rays of lights crossed on him. Booming roar, was followed with tracing bunches of fire, which smashed into creature`s body, ripping some of its tendrils off and sending parts of its insides, drowning near are in pale blue blood. Monster weakly turned around, facing his new enemies, and to Yuuno, Nanoha and Arisa utter surprise, around two of his biggest tentacles light purple spheres of light start to concentrate.

“He can use a high powered magic attacks now!” Yuuno thought in panic. “The jewel Seed, that give birth to him, increase amount of output, the seal start to break! We need to stop him now!!”

The monster didn`t manage to do anything, since from the direction of attack, come two metallic cylinders, leaving a trail of smoke and fire behind.

“Missiles, so they a either a pure technologic users, or like Belkans and their kind a mixed type.” Concluded Scrya mage inwardly, looking how the projectiles explode, drowning monster in shimmering cloud of red gas.

Yuuno shrugged, even from his place, he could feel, how mysterious gas, fiercely sucked mana both from magic bolts, extinguish then very quickly, and from monster himself, making him shriek pitifully. “Seems that habitants of this world, at least very skilled in anti-magic combat.”

Monster was putted out of his misery very quickly, when the unknown attackers pour an astonishing volley of fire at him, ripping him apart. Yuuno exhaled in relief, when he saw the Jewel Seeds emerging from the remnants of monster head, now in dormant mode, seems that gas sucked enough mana from Lost Logia to put it into “sleep”. Maybe now he can pour some light on his situation.
"Um, sorry.” He called mentally, catching attentions of both, now smiling girls, who was happy to see fall of the dangerous creature. “Can. You please tell me, where I`m? I mean, planet, country? And, if it not bother you, could you tell me a year of your calendar and overall situation.”
“Yo don`t know where you are?” Gasped Arisa, staring at ferret with her eyes wide open. “How could you don’t know this?”
“You see, I’m crash-landed here, in accident. So, please, believe me, I really don`t know!”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Cooed Nanoha, gently hugging him. “You lost. Okay you on planet Earth, the capital planet of Earth Empire of United Directories. Which, in its case, a coalition of nations, who ruled through Council of Lord-Directors.”

Yuuno nodded, thinking about it. So, it`s seems he landed in a capital world of interstellar nation, which was a union of few various countries. Seems like Belka Empire for him. But unlike the Belka, the Earth Emire for some reason bring a rather dark feelings. He hear about this nation before. Something bad.

“And now is 326 year or 2546 AD.” Added Arisa, who looked at the place where Jewel Seed creation meet its end. Judging at increasing amount of light and low hum of engines, the war machines that slay the beast come closer and closer.

“Um, why two dates?” Inquired Yuuno, whose blood suddenly grew cold when the beast-slayers appear in his field of vision. It wasn`t a tanks, how he presumed, instead it was three four-meters tall metal humanoids, with a container-like construction attached to their backs and a long rectangular heads. They was mostly white, with additional colors of blue and red, robots clutched assault riddles in their right hands, and big square shields in left; one of them carry a rocket launcher with a magazine of familiar rocket. One of humanoid faces opened, revealing a shimmering hemisphere with a small red sensor in the centre.

“It`s because our nation use two calendars, her own and general for all earthlings.” Explained brunet.

“KNIGHTMARE FRAMES!!!” This terrifying thought pierce his mind. “So this country must be…”
“You`re in the Uminary city.” Continued Nanoha softly, unaware of his inner turmoil. “In the Special Administrative Area “Japan” of Holy Britannia Empire.”

Author Note: Uh, that was harder than I thought. Still, I like this chapter much more than in my first attempt of write Nanoha/Code Geass crossover. I think you all could say who was those senpais.
Now I need to fight my laziness back and write Stage 2: Road to Camelot.

Whew, it was a longest text I write until now. Somewhow i proud of myself a bit.

Hope you liked it.

[tsunade666]

Originally Posted by Nanya01

Spoiler for RL comments:

Hey guys. I know it's been awhile, but...

Real Life's been kicking me to the curb the last few weeks.

Between getting my car wrecked, (basically) losing a job and worrying about being kicked out of the house, I haven't had the motivation to do much writing.

Plus my muse wasn't cooperating.

But, at least I have this to share. It's longer than usual.

ViVid

Revolution 1-10

Revolution 11

Revolution 12

Spoiler for Blood That Flows - Revolution 13:

Outside...

Arashi rubbed his eyes as he, Corona, Vivio and Einhart got out of that shack. "Ugh, too hot." He couldn't imagine how someone could work in such conditions so easily. "Now what?"

"Hope that Lyos will take us to somewhere we can get into contact the Bureau." Einhart leaned against the shack and sighed heavily. "I'd rather not face things like these Mazoku again." She could barely touch them, how the heck could anyone hope to harm them with anything if they weren't really there? Even with her progress with Black magic, she doubted that she'd be too much more effective against them than she already was. 'Maybe if I had that Dragon Slayer spell that Pokota used?'

Einhart's eyes widened as she saw a large red sphere heading their way. "Watch out!" She tackled Arashi out of the way as the sphere passed by where he was a moment ago, hitting the ground with a thunderous explosion.

Blinking, Arashi looked at Einhart, who was only inches away from his face. "Ah, thanks." She nodded and got off of him as Teo flew over to her and activated, allowing her to go to her adult mode just as Vivio did the same with Sacred Heart.

Corona gripped Brunzel tightly, wondering what she could do in this situation. She gasped and stared in shock, along with the others as monsters of all shapes and sizes moved towards them. "What are they?"

"Lesser Demons!" Corona turned to see Lyos, Nila, Pokota and Nove rush out of the shack. "Damn, there's a lot."

"What's a Lesser Demon?" Nove narrowed her eyes. "Some sort of Mazoku?"

"Incredibly weak though, they're bonded with physical items, so you can beat them with normal weapons and spells, but they're as tough as a boulder." Unsheathing Banisher, the man grinned as water started to spiral around the large blade. "Not that it matters to me in the slightest."

"You might want to reconsider your position." A gruff voice spoke up as a beast man that looked like a humanoid tiger in an unusual armor stepped forward. "After all, Knight of the Aqualord, you'll have to deal with me."

"Duclis!" Pokota couldn't believe that his old friend would work with Mazoku of all creatures. "What's going on? Why are you attacking?! You know that I've..."

"Ah, Pokota," the beastman's growling voice was almost sorrowful as he spoke. "It's been so long, I thought you had died."

"No way!" Pokota swung his arms to the side. "Come on! Help us! We finally have an item that might just break the seal on Taforashia! We can finally."

"It won't matter." Duclis closed his eyes as he shook his head. "The kingdom's long gone and its people forgotten. There's nothing left..." A red blade snapped to life in his right hand. "Except revenge against all those who refused to help.

"Duclis..." Pokota couldn't keep the shock off of his face. "Why?"

"Even with all the advances in technology, especially to medicine, no one has tried to save Taforashia. For that, they will all die."

"I didn't even know there was a Taforashia." Vivio grunted as Einhart elbowed her in the side.

"Not now." Einhart muttered and looked around, wondering how to deal with these things.

"Knight of the Aqua Lord, you're mine, as for your friends..." Duclis raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. "I hope they can handle Lesser Demons, some Mazoku and a magic tank."

"No! You didn't!" Pokota stared in shock as he looked past Duclis and saw what looked like a deformed elephant head on wheels heading his way. "Duclis!"

"Destroy all of them!"

The Lesser Demons let out a scream and rushed through the air towards the group.

A second later, a piercing white light crossed over the group, destroying the lead attackers in an instant. The other Lesser Demons stopped their assualt and looked at the one who had attacked them.

"Nila!" Lyos saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Think you can take them out?"

She nodded and pointed her right index finger at the Lesser Demons again. "Abyss Flare." Was all she whispered when another similar beam of white lanced out, burning away the Lesser Demons in its path.

Lyos smirked at Duclis and ran forward, his sword slammed into Duclis' much thinner energy blade. His eyes widened as the water around his sword dissipated. "What the?"

"Surprised, boy?" Duclis threw his arm to the side, knocking Lyos off balance before grabbing his clothes and throwing him over his shoulder. "Knight of the Aqua Lord you might be, but the Zannafar Armor makes me immune to your magic."

"Zannafar, huh?" Lyos rolled to his feet and narrowed his eyes. "I've heard of that, it's dangerous, but it makes you unkillable normally." Water formed around his blade before hardening and becoming ice. "I wonder, what's better? Your armor or my sword?"

Duclis snarled and rushed Lyos, his energy blade slashing into the Banisher. Duclis' eyes widened as the ice only gave a slight crack but did not shatter. "How?"

"This ice is so dense that I could use it to cut a mountain into pieces." Lyos smirked and pulled his sword back before swinging horizontally at Duclis, which the beastman parried with his energy blade . "You think you're good enough?!" Lyos yelled as he brought his sword around and over his head, dropping it down on Duclis, who leaned out of the way to avoid the strike.

A sudden concentrated burst of water sent Duclis flying backwards. The beastman growled and threw his arms to the side, breaking the water apart. "Fool!" He glared at Lyos as his energy sword shrank in size. "You think that you can stop me with something so pathetic?"

"Well, usually I don't have to work much harder than that." Lyos smirked at him. "Usually my enemies are pretty pathetic." He smirked as the air around him started to waver. "Shall we see just what I can really do with water?"

Duclis just sneered at him as a second energy blade formed in his left hand. "Let's see you be cocky when I'm done with you." He suddenly threw the energy blades in his hands forward like a spear, shocking Lyos enough tha the was just barely able to create a wall of ice to stop the attack cold.

"Didn't know you could do that." Lyos admitted as the air continued to waver. "Guess I can't play anymore." With a yell, he rushed in, his sword held high above his head as he twisted around a couple of more thrown energy spears before slashing downwards, striking Duclis on his chest and getting the beastman to grunt in surprise and his eyes widened as the sword slammed into him with such force that he was sent flying backwards into and through a tree, causing it to break and collapse around him.

Duclis looked up with narrowed eyes, that attack didn't hurt him at all, but it was obvious that he had seriously underestimated the Knight's strength. When Lyos pointed his sword forward, Duclis wondered what was going on, until he saw the air boiling around the sword. "Oh hell."

Lyos smirked as the boiling water spun around his sword before launching itself at Duclis in such a way that it looked like a coiled spring. The water raced at him so loudly it sounded like a thunderclap had gone off as it tore the ground asunder and slammed into Duclis with the force of a stampeding dragon and sending him crashing to the ground several feet away.

Duclis growled as he got up. This was starting to get annoying.

(---)

"Stay back!" Nove yelled at the girls as she called up her Barrier Jacket. "Just stay back here, I'm not losing anymore of you!"

Arashi nodded as Nove used her Airliner to rush towards the Lesser Demons. "Good luck." He whispered and turned around as he heard the door to the shack suddenly opened. "Ixy, we're in trouble."

"It's Ixpellia." She muttered as she held her new sword in her right hand and looked at the descending demons that Nila was destroying from just a few feet away. "This is bad." She muttered and jumped back as several dark hands erupted through the ground. "What the?"

"Come here..." A female voice spoke up from somewhere. "Come play with Grelia."

Turning around, Nila pointed her hand at the ground and several white beams of energy pierced the ground, getting a scream from the shadows.

"Excuse me." Ozel said softly as she chopped another hand apart. "I cannot let you harm these children." She looked at Nila. "Continue to deal with those creatures, these blades were created to harm Astral creatures."

Nodding, Nila turned back to the Lesser Demons and ran forward, launching several large spheres of fire into the group.

"You think normal swords can stop me?" Grelia's voice was heard around the group as the multiple shadow arms lashed out at them. "I'm not so easy."

Ozel slashed through three arms and watched as they disappeared. "Could have fooled me."

"Hey!" Vivio yelped as she formed a multi-colored sphere in her hands. "Watch where you're grabbing!"

"Oh ho?" Grelia chuckled as more hands formed out of the ground and shot at Vivio. "Don't like it when I grab you, huh?"

"Divine... BUSTER!" Vivio let out a scream as she punched the sphere, sending out a burst of magical energy that had Grelia screaming in pain. "Take that!"

"How?!" Grelia hissed as steam came out of the ground. "I'll kill you!"

"Vivio!" Ixpellia yelled as she saw several hands erupt out of Vivio's own shadow and wrap around her body before grabbing her throat and squeezing. "Vivio!"

Vivio grabbed at her throat as her air was cut off but found that she couldn't grab anything as the shadows were completely incorporeal.

"Vivio!" Einhart yelled as she spun around and held an open palm out at her friend. "Hold still! Elemekia Lance!" The energy blade she launched at Vivio hit her square in the chest, but it made Grelia hiss in pain and let go of Vivio's throat.

Vivio dropped to her knees as the hands let go of her body and gasped to get air back into her lungs.

"Vivio!" Einhart ran towards her friend but jumped back as a hand shot straight out at her. "Are you okay?"

Vivio nodded and rolled away, quickly getting to her feet and looking around. "Worse than I thought." She mumbled to herself.

Meanwhile, Corona whimpered as she quickly backed up against the shack. What could she do? Her golems were next to useless in this kind of fight. Even if she could create a golem to fight against those Lesser Demons, what would happen if one of those Mazoku things came after her?

"Why?" She whimpered and fell to her knees. "Why am I so weak?"

A snapping noise drew her attention and Corona turned, only to go pale as she gasped. "No..."

The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was a grinning face.

(---)

Pokota grumbled as he blasted another Lesser Demon while making his way to the magic tanks that were firing down at the shack. Well, trying to, he was quick to intercept the attacks as he got close. "I'll take you out from here, you bastard!"

"Oh? We haven't even met yet, it's quite rude to call me a bastard." A male voice spoke up and Pokota spun around to see a trim man in what looked like a skin tight black body suit, blonde hair that was combed back and a handsome face...

Well, half of a face, the entire right side was just white, as if it was paper for an artist who had grown bored with the drawing and just stopped.

"Do I frighten you? My name is Vizea."

"Mazoku." Pokota growled and glanced at the tank as it took aim at the shack again. "Oh no you don't."

"I think it does." Vizea smirked as black spiraling spears shot out of the white of his face.

Pokota's eyes widened as he had to dodge out of the way of cannon fire and the black spears. "Dammit!" He screamed as he watched the attack got near the shack, sending his companions sprawling.

"Oh, too bad." Vizea smirked at him. "If only you had time to cast the Dragon Slave..." Pokota glared at him and the Mazoku chuckled. "I imagine that the reason you didn't cast it before was because there were too many Lesser Demons between you and the tank?"

"Elmekia Flame!"

"Now, now!" Vizea jumped backwards, twisted to the side and bent backwards to avoid the attacks. "Is that any way to talk to me?" Chuckling, the Mazoku flung his arms out at Pokota, causing more spears of darkness to fling at the rabbit. "After all, Mr. Duclis was so kind as to tell me so much about you over the years." When Pokota stared at him in shock, the Mazoku continued, grinning at him. "Who would have thought that such a puny little animal was actually a prince, hmm? Maybe we should tell your companions what you're hiding? How it was your kingdom that once had these weapons."

Pokota growled and grabbed at his chest, revealing a zipper in the middle of it. "You... Shut up!" Pulling it down with his long ears, he reached inside and pulled out what looked to be a sword hilt. "Light Come Forth!"

For the first time, Vizea looked rather stunned. "What? The Sword of Light? But that's impossible! It was sent back to the Dark staff years ago!"

Pokota would have answered, but he was distracted by a cannon firing. "Damn you!"

"That won't work!" Vizea snapped his hands out as Pokota tried to fly to the tank again, sending several black spikes in front of the rabbit. "You won't be interfering with our plan."

Pokota narrowed his eyes at the Mazoku. "Fine! Dark MIST!" He clapped his hands in front of him and a blanket of darkness covered the immediate area, blocking out all light. Pokota was a bit dismayed to find that he could barely see the Sword of Light in this darkness, but he could live with that, he knew what he needed to do.

"Blocking my sight?" Vizea snorted as he looked around. "My eyes are beyond anything a mere human has. I don't need to see you to find you."

"Oh, I know that." Pokota's voice came from his left. "But I didn't use this to hide from you."

Vizea snorted as he fired several dark spears into the mist. "It doesn't matter, you're going to die."

"Yeah, you are." Vizea's eye widened as he heard Pokota's voice from right behind him. "Got'cha!"

"What?!" Vizea jumped back, but not before his left arm was removed from his body. "GUH!"

"I missed." Pokota muttered as he flew through the mist. "Oh well, that should buy me enough time."

Grunting, Vizea fell to his knees and gripped his arm. "Damn, I was careless, I'll just..."

"Darkness Beyond Twilight...
Crimson Beyond Blood That Flows
Buried in the Stream of Time
Is Where your power grows
I pledge myself to conquer
All the Foes that stand
Against the mighty gift bestowed
In my unworthy hand
Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed
by the power you and I possess..."

Vizea could only gape as the Dark Mist spiraled and gave way to a grinning rabbit holding a red and black sphere above his head. "No..."

"Yep!" Pokota grinned as he thrust his ear-hands forward. "DRAGON SLAVE!"

Vizea's eye widened as his pupil shrank in fear. "Damn you." He muttered as the spell rushed in on him.

Pokota nodded as the Dragon Slave easily destroyed the magic tank and the Mazoku disappeared in the explosion. "That's one less..." He trailed off as a brilliant light caught his attention. "What the heck is that?"

(---)

Nove growled as she kicked another Lesser Demon's head off. At least most of these things seemed made out of gargoyle statues and not something worse. She was thankful for the support from down below, though she suspected something bad was happening. "This is too easy."

"You think so?" Uno's voice spoke up from her left foot. "I mean, it's not like these things are made of granite even. I think it's just some softer stones."

"I'd be more worried about the fact that the shadows seem to be attacking our friends." Jail spoke up and Nove's eyes widened as she spun around on her Airliner and saw the dark hands trying to attack her friends.

"Dammit!" Nove cursed and started to move forward, but stopped as several Lesser Demons got in her way. "Fuck! They're just a distraction!"

"A dangerous one." Jail said as the clawed hands of the Lesser Demons suddenly got longer and sharper than before.

"Obviously!" Uno snorted at him. "Though, I have to wonder, if they're just a distraction, what for? Do any of us have anything their master would want?"

"Now's not the time!" Nove growled as she jumped back and reactivated her Airliner. "Just..." She kicked one in the arm and grinned as she kicked through it. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" The cyborg screamed as she quickly spun around and slammed her feet into the Lesser Demon's face, causing it to fall apart. "...I'm beginning to think that these aren't Demons at all."

"Figured it out?" A whispered voice reached Nove as she looked around for the source of it. Surprisingly, the creatures around her weren't moving. "They aren't true Lesser Demons, but rather stone constructs, similar to your friend's golem that she used before."

"What about Corona?" Nove hissed as she reached for her gauntlet and did some adjusting to the device.

"Oh, is that her name?" The voice whispered some more. "I wouldn't know, all I know is that it was interesting. And making these constructs look and feel like Lesser Demons was so useful."

"You were after Corona, weren't you?" Uno's voice broke into the conversation. "What good is a girl who can only create golems anyway?"

"I'm afraid that's not my place to tell you. But if you survive, maybe you'll find out." A snapping sound was heard and the constructs let out a bellow and rushed in.

Nove smirked and held her arms to the side. "Why don't you just... Chill?" She spun around a few times as a blue cloud erupted from her gauntlets, instantly freezing the constructs and sending them to the ground below, where they shattered into pieces.

Ignoring them, Nove rushed back to the shack and hoped that she wasn't too late. Sure, from what she could see, everyone was still alive and well, but they were still so far away from her. "What I wouldn't give to know how to teleport." She muttered as she moved as fast as she could.

(---)

Duclis smirked as he threw a tree at Lyos. He doubted it would do much to this guy, but it would suffice for what he needed.

Lyos slashed the tree in half, letting it fall on either side of him. "What was the point of that?"

"A distraction." Duclis said from behind him.

Spinning around, Lyos gasped as Duclis' energy sword pierced him in the chest. "D...Damn..."

"You lose." The beastman grinned at him. "Too bad you decided to fight me alone, if you had help you might have..."

"Duclis!" The beastman gasped and jumped away from Lyos as Pokota flew in and swung down with the Sword of Light. "How dare you ally yourself with a Mazoku?!"

Duclis shook his head slowly. "You'll never understand. Even after all this time, all you want to do is restore Taforashia. Don't you get it, Pokota?" He held an open hand out at his friend. "The kingdom's been destroyed, there's nothing left there. Even us, our bodies are sealed away with the rest of them."

"So?! That doesn't mean you have to work with a Mazoku!" Pokota threw his arms to the side while his ears held the Sword of Light in front of him. "Come on!" He begged his old friend. "Please? Whatever you're being offered by the Mazoku..." He trailed off as Duclis laughed at him. "Duclis?"

"You think a Mazoku made me an offer?" He grinned at Pokota. "Vizea works for me! Not the other way around!" He smirked at Pokota's shocked look. "I should let you know, we will soon have completed Zannafars. And with that..." He laughed as he brought his hands up in front of him. "We'll make them all pay."

"Duclis..." Pokota could only stare in dismay.

"You think..." Lyos looked at him and grinned, despite the pain. "That I'd let you?" He chuckled and forced himself to his feet.

Duclis stared at him. "...How?"

Lyos chuckled and removed his hand, revealing that there was minimal damage. "To master Holy magic means that you can control all attributes of that element. My element's water, you know what the human body is made up of?"

Duclis snorted. "So, you can heal. Big deal. That won't be enough when we make our move!" He turned his back to the two of them and started to walk away. "Next time, you won't be so lucky, Knight of the Aqua Lord."

"Duclis!" Pokota screamed and flew after him. "You get back here!"

Lyos didn't try to stop the rabbit, he knew Pokota would be okay, the Sword of Light was one of the two weapons that was said to be able to hurt the Zannafar after all. 'An army? How could he control that? The last Zannafar was supposed to be uncontrollable and destroyed everything.'

(---)

Ixpellia frowned as she watched her friends have to deal with the shadow-like hands that kept raising themselves out of the ground and attacking the group. "Watch out!" She yelled at Ozel, who turned a half a second too late. "No." Ixpellia's eyes widened as Ozel's head was removed from her body, flying several feet and rolling in the grass as her body fell down harmlessly.

"That's one. Who's next?" Grelia sing-songed as the shadow arms danced around the attacks that Einhart and Arashi were launching at her. "I don't know just what you're doing, but I do know that I don't like it."

Ixpellia looked around and frowned as she noticed something unusual about the grass and dirt that they were on. 'Why is it..?'

"You can't fight the shadows, who knows where I'll strike from?"

"Shadows?" Ixpellia muttered before pulling out one of her long, thin blades and throwing it into the ground hard enough to bury it to the hilt. When Grelia let out a scream, she nodded in satisfaction. "Thought so."

"HOW?!" Grelia screamed as the ground seemed to shift and spin before pulling itself upwards, revealing a tall, multi-armed creature with no face. "How did you..?"

"Know? You said the shadows and then I noticed the ground was dark." Ixpellia grinned at the Mazoku. "Now we can deal with you."

"I'll kill you, brat!"

"No, you won't." A soft voice spoke up and Grelia turned around to see Nila pointing an open palm at her. "Blam Blazer."

Grelia let out a scream as the blinding white light tore a hole through her body. "You..." She hissed as she faded away. "I'll kill all of you..."

"Thank you." Ixpellia nodded at Nila and looked at the creatures still in the sky, heading towards them. "This is..."

"Ixy..." Vivio spoke up as she noticed something.

"It's Ixpellia!" The redhead glared at her friend. "What?" She blinked when Vivio pointed at her sword. "What the?"

"The Blessed Blade was designed to absorb miasma, you know." An older voice spoke up and Ixpellia spun around, yelping as she saw Masha smiling at her. "You must have unlocked it's power somehow. That's good news!"

"When did you get out here?"

"It doesn't matter!" Masha shook his head. "Now, I should mention that all my swords have nice effects, that one I can't figure out, but I'm sure that it'll be good."

Ixpellia looked at the sword in confusion and waved it up and down, blinking in shock as the air seemed to be displaced by pure energy. It was only for a moment and the energy dissipated as quickly as it had came.

Looking up at the creatures, Ixpellia held her sword out to the side. "I wonder, old man, Masha, what was it you were trying to do with this sword?"

Masha shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "I'm not sure then."

Ixpellia looked at the sword and concentrated, pouring a small amount of her magic into it. Sure, she didn't use her magic for much these days, but maybe a small amount wouldn't...

"Ixy, what are you..?" Vivio trailed off and jumped back as a magical silver-colored aura surrounded the blade and erupted outwards.

Ixpellia's eyes were focused ahead of her. "Blessed Blade, please, live up to your name and clense the skies."

"Think we should move?" Vivio looked at Einhart, who was already running past her and behind Ixpellia. "Hey!"

Jumping up and onto the roof of the shack, Nila watched with some interest what Ixpellia was going to do next.

Ixpellia gripped the sword with both hands and bit her lower lip as the thing shook in her hands. "What... No... This is..." She looked at the skies with a determined expression. "The Blessed... BLADE!" Letting out a wordless scream, she swung it across her body at the enemies.

For a moment, nothing happened.

"...Was I wrong?" Ixpellia muttered, before falling down in shock as the air shimmered for a moment before a large wave of silver light rushed outwards and towards the creatures in the sky.

"...Woah..." Einhart could only stare, wide-eyed as the energy crashed into the oncoming enemies, causing them to shatter and explode in mid air as the attack continued on, unabated.

"Oh, so THAT'S what it can do after absorbing some energy!" Masha slapped a fist into his open palms. "This is good news! Yes..."

"Hey! Is everyone okay?!" Lyos' voice was heard as he ran back to them. "I saw the light and thought..." He trailed off as he looked at the group. "Looks like everyone's okay then." He looked at Nila as she touched down next to him. "So..?" She shook her head. "Too easy?" When she nodded, Lyos felt like swearing.

Nila looked him over and frowned as she saw him putting his hand on his chest. She was about to touch his arm when she heard a voice interrupt them.

"Hey!" Nove yelled as she rolled over the ground to look at everyone. "What happened? Where's Corona?!"

"Corona?" Vivio looked around and paled as she couldn't see her friend. "Where is she? Arashi? Where are you?!"

"Over here!" Arashi yelled as he came out from around the shack. "I saw Corona was missing awhile ago and I slipped away to make sure she was okay." There was worry written all over his face as he shook. "But, I couldn't find her anymore. She disappeared!"

"DAMMIT!" Nove screamed as she realized she was too late, again. "Corona!"

(---)

Several miles away, Vizea grimaced as he reformed in the real world. "That.... I can't believe that! He could use the Dragon Slave?!" It was no minor miracle that a Mazoku such as himself had been able to survive that. Hell, even Generals and Priests had trouble surviving that spell, and he was nothing more than a minor Mazoku. "And that Sword of Light..." Snarling, the Mazoku disappeared from the world again. He had revenge to plot against that rabbit thing.

"And next time, you will die, I swear it." His voice lingered in the air as he disappeared.

I'm finally able to caught up in the story. I just read it from the start this year. things are getting darker and wilder and I feel that Arashi is just an extra wasted potential character. That's what I feel from someone who has access on chaos power

[NorthernFallout]

I
II
III
IV
V


INFODUMPS, REVELATIONS, INFODUMPS.

Spoiler for Unforgiving VI:

She had slept for an entire day. Twenty-four hours of deep, comfortable sleep made her feel energetic and fresh as she got out of her bunk bed and started to get dressed. The small room aboard the Vengala suited her fine, providing anything she could need while deployed. Not that there was a lot she actually needed, apart from a bed and access to the databases. Raising Heart, as ever, was her constant companion and what she kept closest to her heart.

Especially now when everything else had been destroyed.

She left the room in her normal officer clothing, Raising Heart dangling from her neck in the shape of a pendant, and made her way towards the Lab. Once they had gotten back the day before, after Fate had been handed over to the Triage Team, Hayate had told them to meet her in the Lab once they had rested up. She had a surprise, she'd said, one that might turn the tide of the war. Nanoha sensed what it might be -- sometimes eavesdropping here and there without meaning to -- but still couldn't put her finger on it. It had to be something big and powerful. Or very smart and covert. Either way, she looked forward to finding out what it was. Anything to keep her hopes up would help.

Along with having her thoughts distracted so she wouldn't worry about Fate.

She passed a few of the crew on the way and replied with salutes as was custom. They all seemed nervous and tense, but she could see in their eyes that their focus hadn't diminished. They were as focused, and loyal, as they had ever been. With a crew like that, Nanoha believed Hayate wouldn't have any problems when it came to jumping into the fire.

At the end of the corridors the Lab door lay waiting for her. As she stepped through a small hovering device the size and shape of a thick dinner plate flew up in front of her face. It seemed to observe her for a moment before it said, "Greetings, Cap'. I'm glad to see ye up and runnin' again. I swear I never really had any doubts whatsoever ye wouldn't."

Nanoha chuckled at the device. He always greeted her the same way. His accent was quite pronounced. "Thanks, Luiz. Are the others already here?"

"All are assembled, Cap'. Just ye follow me. Oh, and a greetings to ye as well, Heart."

Raising Heart flashed, but said nothing. The two devices didn't often speak with each other.

The Lab was far larger than one would expect. It stretched for several meters into the ship's structure, filled with diagnostics equipment, heavy machinery, tools and chemicals. It was a mess and she had to be careful not to trip over anything. To her right in a corner she could see Luiz's Master, Obrock, working on something with his glasses pushed up on his forehead, staring at something. He didn't notice her as they passed, fully absorbed in his work.

That crazy old man, Nanoha thought. He doesn't seem to mind his hometown got obliterated as long as he can lose himself in here.

Obrock was one of the few refugees they had picked up from Mid-Childa at the start of the invasion that had any sort of skills that would benefit them. They barely managed to offer him the work before he had accepted, and since then he had made multiple improvements on their current equipment. He'd worked day and night to make final adjustments on their Purge Suits' internal programming. When they'd ask him if he wanted to take a break, all he'd said was, "The Absolution don't, so why should I?"

She put Obrock and his circumstances away in her head once they reached the small group at the very end of the Lab. The entirety of the Unforgiving was there: Signum, Vita, Teana, Zafira, Vivio and Yuuno, along with Hayate and Shamal at the front. All of them were dressed in proper officer clothing. She glanced at Teana's leg, but there wasn't any sign of the wound from before beneath the clothes. It had healed fully thanks to Shamal.

Luiz bowed, if a floating plate could bow, and left her without a word. Hayate nodded at Nanoha as she settled in beside them and all attention seemed to draw towards Shamal at that point, as if a lecture was about to begin. The Healer stood in a relaxed stance, one hand on her hip while her other arm, now fully cybernetic, dangled by her side. It shone in the bright light coming from the strong lamps positioned out in the Lab.

At the sight of that intricate metallic device, Nanoha couldn't help but think back on the invasion when the first Aeon bomb fell. Images flashed past in rapid succession of people who had died, but what stood out the most was Shamal, her arm torn to pieces, dangling from mere muscle fibers and nerve threads. There had been so much blood they'd expected her to die. The Triage Team hadn't had any hope for her either when they'd flown her out in a transport.

But she'd survived, somehow, even if Shamal's personality had changed somewhat from that incident. Nanoha was very thankful that she had survived, but at the same time wondered if it'd be a problem down the road...

"You can start," Hayate said, nodding at Shamal.

"Well then. It's good to see you all again," the woman said, looking at each Unforgiving member one at a time with a smile. "We've had many advances recently and we've also completed one of our major projects, which is why you are here right now. I won't hold your breath for too long, so here you are."

She sent a command to the Lab's AI and the wall behind her opened, revealing a hidden storage compartment where white suits hung on hooks. The suits were white and they all looked the same compared to the customized Purge Suits, but they otherwise shared the hard edges and general appearance. The helmets, hanging next to each suit, were new additions and had a transparent faceplate in the front with protective armor around the helmet itself, sharing the same distinct look as the rest of the suits. On the legs and arms, small thrusters had been equipped along with what looked like heat exhausts. A flat jetpack on each suit's back completed the look.

"The Mage Space Environment Combat Suit," Shamal said, gesturing at the suits with her cybernetic arm. "MPECS, or simply the Pec. While it may look similar to the Purge Suit, you can't summon it with magic. It needs to be put on like a spacesuit, though you can have your ordinary Barrier Jackets while inside them. The Purge Suit, however, won't fit.

"As for propulsion, you won't be able to use your magic to move in space, which is why you have these to do it for you." She pointed at the thrusters. "Just be careful not to go too fast in case you miscalculate the energy consumption needed to stop, or misjudge the distance. It will splatter you over whatever object is in your way unless you have the energy supplies to erect a barrier. Other than that, you fight as you would in normal gravity."

Nanoha flinched a little at the word 'splatter'.

"That... doesn't make it very practical, does it?" Vita said, tilting her head. "How are we supposed to fight stuff if we can't move properly?"

"Vita, you aren't meant to really fight the Absolution with these. Only in grave emergencies would that be considered."

"Then what are we supposed to do with them?" Vita crossed her arms, somewhat annoyed.

Shamal glanced at Hayate, who shrugged. "Boarding action," Hayate said. "We haven't briefed you on the whole plan yet, but I'll make it clear later. For now, just think of these suits as something to transport you from the Harbinger to the enemy ship."

"The what?" Nanoha said. Her theories from before had been somewhat correct when it came to the suits, but she had never heard that name before. She had no idea what it meant.

"The Harbinger," Shamal repeated. She grinned, an unnatural expression for the Shamal Nanoha once knew. Amused, yet predatory at the same time. "Its full designation is Mage Space Environment Mechanical Assault Siege Vehicle, MSEMASV. It's been in development for some time, but the TSAB scrapped it way back because they couldn't find any practical use for it. Until now, that is." She turned to Vita. "The Harbinger is what you are supposed to use for combat, Vita. It's capable of fighting the smaller Fighters the Absolution has. It might even be able to take down a battlecruiser if you work together, but the conditions has to be optimal for that. It hasn't really been used in a combat situation yet, though the simulations are promising."

"How many of them are there?" Nanoha asked.

"Two. Both need two pilots to work, so only four of you can go out there. The rest of you have to stay behind, I'm afraid. Anyway, they are, essentially, gigantic magical devices with pilot integration, compatible with your current devices in case you have one. If you don't, it'll work anyway."

She implied Yuuno and Zafira, but neither of them responded.

"What about its offensive and defensive capabilities?" Signum asked. She had her arms crossed, head tilted. She looked doubtful, but still interested.

"Standard, you could say. Two beam cannons, two missile launchers, four smaller beam guns. All capable of integrating with your own spells, amplifying them." Shamal paused, hesitating. "There is one major drawback, however. One we haven't been able to solve: energy. It doesn't have its own power source."

"So what does it use instead?" Nanoha asked the question, but sensed she already knew the answer. Vivio glanced at her, but said nothing. She didn't have to.

"Yourselves. Through new advancements in magi-tech mana filtration, you can use it to its full potential without worrying about overstraining yourselves, but only for a certain period of time. Around twenty minutes. After that you either have to bring new pilots or rest yourselves up.

"As for defense, Signum, it's the same principle as the weapons: your own magical shields and barriers. There are also two modes you can use: Assault and Siege. Assault allows more maneuverability and a balance between offense and defense. That's its default mode. Siege, on the other hand, shuts down your engines and leaves you drifting in space. All power is routed to offensive and defensive systems. That's what you must use if you're going up against battlecruisers." She paused again and her smile vanished. "Do not overestimate it, though. It won't withstand enemy fire for long. Avoid damage at all costs and only take damage if you have no other choice. If you have to use Siege, make sure the other Harbinger covers you."

"I like the sound of this more and more," Vita said, grinning. "What does it look like?"

A larger screen appeared, covering the entire wall. Images, diagrams and virtual designs appeared over the blue background. "The two beam cannons are located at its front, ahead of the cockpit. Four smaller beam rapid fire cannons has been fitted along the hull on each side. The two missile launchers are beneath it. If need be, it can fly in the atmosphere thanks to its shape and wings, though I don't recommend it. Nevertheless, since it's so flat it has a smaller signature than the Fighters, making it harder to hit as well."

"We will use them a lot," Hayate said. "When the Absolution fleet returns, and they will, we have to be ready. Which leads me to the plan I mentioned before." The screen changed to diagnostics and more diagrams coupled with Absolution ships with notes attached to them. "Since we are having problems taking down hostile ships once we are caught at close range, we needed a new strategy. We can't keep using Dimensional Hotdrops and Arc-en-Ciels, because they will start wearing us down. We'll make mistakes and we'll eventually lose. And that's not even considering the sheer energy usage."

"And to beat them, you want us to try and board them?" Yuuno asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. We have analyzed the ships and found several possible ways inside, noted on the screen. If we can take over a ship, we can turn it against them or disable it. With the Harbingers this should be easier than destroying them. The crew might be a problem, but from what we know they are droids just like the rest, apart from their commander. It should be easy enough."

"But taking over a single battlecruiser would be too slow anyway," Nanoha said. "They'd kill us before we could make a difference."

"Exactly," Hayate said. "Which is why, in larger scale engagements, we will ignore the battlecruisers and instead go for the dreadnoughts."

Nanoha's eyes widened. It sounded outright absurd. A battlecruiser seemed reasonable in comparison. "Taking over one of those monsters? They must have a few thousand troops inside. Each. Not to mention Zealot Generals."

"Or Lords," Yuuno cut in.

"True." Hayate shrugged. "But we don't have a choice. With a dreadnought under our command we can wipe out their fleet more easily."

"I like this," Vita said as she smashed her fists together. "Bring the pain. Go up close. Wipe them out."

"Exactly, Vita," Hayate said, smiling.

"And don't worry about the Harbinger," Shamal said. "The AI is really sophisticated and polite. You'll get used to them quickly."

That marked the end of the briefing and the Unforgiving was dismissed. However, before Nanoha could join the others and leave, Luiz returned, bobbing in the air above them. "Commander Yagami, I think I may have some results ye might be interested in regarding the Absolution."

"Oh? Of what kind?"

Luiz rotated, almost seeming uncomfortable. "In private, perhaps."

"Alright," Hayate said. "But Nanoha stays. I want her to be updated."

"Of course," Luiz said and waited until the Unforgiving had left the Lab. Shamal bowed and went back to doing whatever it was she had been doing earlier. Nanoha checked the surroundings in case Obrock were hiding somewhere nearby, but she couldn't spot him.

"So, Luiz. What's so important?" Hayate crossed her arms.

"Worrying implications. Miscellaneous information about their hierarchy."

"Talk to me."

"I have accessed yer records from yer mission yesterday," Luiz said, indicating Nanoha. "There was a mention of one Lord Veena. We've come across that name several times in our data and it worries us."

"How come?"

"In the Absolution, through our analysis, we've concluded that they use a sort of caste system. Not counting droids, since they aren't humanoid, the lowest in the ladder are the prisoners of Mid-Childa, obviously. Then we have the Absolution citizens, of who we believe the majority have stayed behind on their home planet or are located somewhere else. After that we have Zealots, which ye could say are regular soldiers. They don't participate in battle on the ground much, instead staying on the ships themselves. Ruling them are the Zealot Generals, which ye've already been in contact with. And then..."

"And?" Nanoha repeated. The device started to annoy her with its hesitant speaking pattern. Luiz was a Social-Research device, which meant he wasn't meant for combat roles. He specialized in social interactions, but right now he seemed distracted. Almost a little scared.

"And then we have the Lords. Veena is part of them and they rule everything: social policies, politics, military. Citizens aren't treated badly, but they lack a lot of rights the others have."

"Why?" Hayate asked.

"Because they lack the potential for battle. The higher one's aptitude for combat, the more important you are in their society." He paused, spinning one turn. "That's what has us worried. Zealots are, theoretically, stronger than yer average mage. However, apart from the Zealots, who seem to be normal citizens with an aptitude for battle, the Zealot Generals and Lords are... strange."

Nanoha thought back on Zelaar and shuddered. There had been something wrong there, but she still didn't know what. "What do you mean by strange, exactly?"

"Please be aware this is speculation, but the Absolution uses energy weapons, yes? No magic as far as we know, except..."

"Except for the Zealot Generals and the Lords," Hayate finished.

"Yes. They use a combination of yer magic and Absolution technology, which to some degree has similarities with yer own. Zealot Generals are as strong as an AA+ ranked mage, at least most of them. Lords, like Lord Veena, are far beyond that. We haven't been able to get proper readings, but that's our conclusion so far."

"Are you saying taking down a Lord is basically impossible for us?" Nanoha said, licking her lips. They had suddenly gone dry and a strange heat built inside her.

"Not impossible, but very hard. It would take yer whole team to bring one down, we think."

"Great. Awesome," Hayate said, looking defeated. "Thank you, Luiz. Is that all?"

The device spun again. "There is one more thing. Somewhat disturbing. Those they take prisoners may be subjected to some kind of brainwashing. Word of warning: Don't trust anyone once ye board one of their ships until we are entirely sure."

"Brainwashing," Nanoha said, shaking her head. "Make the enemy join your army, use them against their former allies. Reinforce your own forces while waging psychological warfare at the same time."

"Basically. We don't know yet if the population itself has been brainwashed. Even the Zealot Generals might have been. For all we know, the Lords may be the only ones that aren't brainwashed and are therefore the true face of the Absolution."

"I don't like those implications," Nanoha said, looking uncomfortable. "All those we've killed would've been innocent."

"Depends," Luiz said. "They aim to kill ye. If ye don't return the favor, they succeed. It's a matter of survival."

"I still don't like it."

"Neither do I," Hayate said, "but we don't have a choice. Get over it, Nanoha. It's war. We don't have the resources right now to research brainwash countermeasures nor can we afford to show mercy at a time like this."

Nanoha glared at her friend, shocked and taken aback by her disregard for the implications. It wasn't only Shamal who had changed; Hayate had too, but more recently. To be fair, all of us has changed. I have to stop thinking about these things.

Nanoha said nothing and silence reigned. Luiz bowed again and hovered away.

"Nanoha," Hayate said when the device was out of earshot. "Go ahead and rest some more, but do what you have to do to keep the Unforgiving updated and ready for a fight. This will be different. We can win this war..."

Nanoha put a hand on Hayate's shoulder, squeezed and smiled. "I know."

*

Nanoha spent the time alone in her quarters, reading up on the Harbingers and the things that had been going on without her knowledge. The situation down on the planet had stabilized somewhat, with TSAB forces pushing back the invaders in some places. In others, the Absolution had wiped out any resistance and conquered several towns. The intel from those towns had ceased shortly afterwards, but they knew enough to say that the population weren't slaughtered. Some had died, but the vast majority were being kept alive in massive camps where they were brainwashed just as Luiz had said. It fit with the Absolution considering how they operated. Their doctrines and religious reasons for war had to use some kind of brainwashing in the first place to make the masses go along with it; no sane person of Mid-Childan origin would join them. Which meant they were even more dangerous since they could get new recruits with ease. If the Absolution were allowed to run unchecked for too long the TSAB wouldn't be able to stop them from taking over the planet.

But something else nagged at her, too, and that was their origins. The clues were far too many to be ignored anymore once she thought about everything she had been told so far, from both friend and foe. The result became that Nanoha had decided that the Zealot Generals and the Lords were connected to the TSAB in some way. There had to be a link somewhere, hidden by layers of information in their own databases; evidence for her theory in plain sight, just that no one would think to search for it.

In a way, Luiz himself was suspicious. All that information they had gathered after less than a week seemed improbable. The possibility that they had somehow managed to hook into the Absolution's data streams popped into her head, but she soon discarded it. They wouldn't discuss social hierarchies over military channels during a war nor did the TSAB have spies. And how the hell had Luiz gotten the information about Zealots in the first place? Not even she had encountered one.

She put the reports aside and rubbed her eyes, questions spiraling out of control in her head. There was too much for her to think about and she felt alone. It was weird, being surrounded by others all the time, yet now she couldn't find anyone she could show her theories to. Hayate had become someone else, the Unforgiving had other matters to focus on, and the TSAB itself had now become suspects.

No, I can't trust them, she thought, shaking her head. I can't share it with anyone... Except...

Someone knocked on the door, rousing her. She took a deep breath to collect herself and then let it open. Yuuno stood there, wearing a troubled expression.

"Am I interrupting something?" He seemed uncomfortable where he stood in the doorway, uncertain if he should enter or not.

"No, Yuuno. Come in.

He walked towards her, hesitated, then sat down beside her on the bed. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright. Tired, but we all are." She paused. "Any news on Fate?"

"Some. She's still asleep, but they've managed to repair parts of her skin tissue." He shrugged. "But the teeth, the fingers. It's going to take time."

"I know." She glanced at Yuuno, observing. "Are you okay? Were you wondering about something, Yuuno?"

"I'm fine."He fidgeted, looked away, and sighed. "There's this thing I've been thinking about. Related to what Zelaar said and everything going on." He looked her in the eyes. She saw suspicion and fear, mixed into one solid emotion of revelation. "The Absolution and the TSAB... There has to be some connection."

Smart, adorable Yuuno. I knew it. She let herself relax and her head grew clear. Her worries lessened. "Don't tell me anymore," Nanoha said and told him about her own theories. A rapid progression of words streamed from her mouth and she had to prevent herself to let the emotional and the more conspiratory parts from slipping out. When she had finished, Yuuno sat deep in thought.

"We can't tell anyone else about this," he said, wrinkles on his forehead. He supported his head with a hand over his mouth and the elbow on his knee.

"I know."

"You don't think Subaru has anything to do with this? Some Black Ops operation we don't know about?"

She shook her head. "I can't say she doesn't, but the timing is too good. I know something is going on. I don't think Subaru actually has anything to do with it, but we can't be certain of who's listening in."

"Spies?"

She could tell from his tone he didn't believe that himself. "No. Well, maybe, but it's absurd. My point is, we can't tell anyone. Unless we really trust them."

Yuuno nodded and stood up, fists clenched. "Okay then. I have to get back and keep researching before you go out with the Harbingers. I'll let you know when--"

She kissed him. She'd grabbed his hand to stop him and let their lips touch. An involuntary move, a reaction to everything around her. Spontaneous. A pleasant warmth spread from her lips to her cheeks as she blushed and squeezed his hand. Yuuno hesitated before accepting her into his arms. She wasn't really sure what she was doing, but he'd always been there in the past. She hadn't looked at him that way then, but now it had all changed. He was there for her and she was there for him. They had an understanding between them, something only they shared. She came to realize that--

Her vision turned red and an alarm blared in her ear. The alert level had been raised on the ship and an order for the Unforgiving to assemble on the bridge was announced.

They broke from their kiss and stared at each other for a brief moment.

"I'm sorr-" Yuuno began, but Nanoha cut him off.

"What do you have to apologize for? Take it later. Come on."

They rushed through the corridors, accompanied by some personnel going the same way, and entered the bridge where Hayate and the Unforgiving stood gathered in the middle. She took one look at the large screen stretched out across the bridge and saw an Absolution vessel just outside their effective range. It sat there doing nothing while the TSAB fleets had started to approach it with caution.

"A single ship," Mariam said from where she stood at her console.

"If it's another Tempest I want it annihilated before it can do anything. Has it identified itself?" Hayate said, arms crossed.

"Yes. It's called... Revolver?" Mariam forced the word out as if it was a bad joke. Nanoha thought the same. The name was weird for the Absolution. Strange, even. It had no connections to their doctrine or their religion as most of their ships did.

"Revolver or not, kill it," Hayate said. "We'll use the Sea if we have to, I don't want to take any chances."

"Wait, don't!" Teana stood behind them with gritted teeth, staring at the screen.

Nanoha raised an eyebrow. "Teana?"

"Revolver. Revolver Knuckle." She looked at each of them to and fro. "It's Subaru. I'm sure of it."

Nanoha's eyes widened as she stared at her.

"What?" they all blurted at the same time as the screen pinged and a figure appeared on it.

Surprised grunts and gasps echoed throughout the bridge.

"Tea." Her head had been shaved, cables prodding out from her skull with rough metallic rings keeping them in place. Her eyes had been replaced by some kind of visor that had been sunk into her skin, hiding two glowing red dots behind it. She wore a smile that froze Nanoha to the core. She had always been a cyborg, but now the last remnants of her humanity had been removed by force. What Nanoha was looking at was an empty husk. "I missed you, Tea. I'm coming to get you now."

As I suck at writing descriptions, here's some theoretical visual aids to help.

Spoiler for Concept Mental Images:

The Purge Suit is a mix between the more stylish and sharp look of Saber Alter's black armor and the general bulky look of the Brute Crusher skin from Tribes (though as mentioned it differs from mage to mage.)



The white Pec Suits are more similar to ODST armor from Halo, except leaner and whiter.

Mentioned jet packs are similar to Tribes as well.

The Harbinger meanwhile is a mix between the Manticore from EVE and a creation by Garland, but more Nanoha-ish. Yeah.



Hope that helps.

Action resumes next time and we are now drawing closer to the end.

[Yasanagi]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

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INFODUMPS, REVELATIONS, INFODUMPS.

Spoiler for Unforgiving VI:

She had slept for an entire day. Twenty-four hours of deep, comfortable sleep made her feel energetic and fresh as she got out of her bunk bed and started to get dressed. The small room aboard the Vengala suited her fine, providing anything she could need while deployed. Not that there was a lot she actually needed, apart from a bed and access to the databases. Raising Heart, as ever, was her constant companion and what she kept closest to her heart.

Especially now when everything else had been destroyed.

She left the room in her normal officer clothing, Raising Heart dangling from her neck in the shape of a pendant, and made her way towards the Lab. Once they had gotten back the day before, after Fate had been handed over to the Triage Team, Hayate had told them to meet her in the Lab once they had rested up. She had a surprise, she'd said, one that might turn the tide of the war. Nanoha sensed what it might be -- sometimes eavesdropping here and there without meaning to -- but still couldn't put her finger on it. It had to be something big and powerful. Or very smart and covert. Either way, she looked forward to finding out what it was. Anything to keep her hopes up would help.

Along with having her thoughts distracted so she wouldn't worry about Fate.

She passed a few of the crew on the way and replied with salutes as was custom. They all seemed nervous and tense, but she could see in their eyes that their focus hadn't diminished. They were as focused, and loyal, as they had ever been. With a crew like that, Nanoha believed Hayate wouldn't have any problems when it came to jumping into the fire.

At the end of the corridors the Lab door lay waiting for her. As she stepped through a small hovering device the size and shape of a thick dinner plate flew up in front of her face. It seemed to observe her for a moment before it said, "Greetings, Cap'. I'm glad to see ye up and runnin' again. I swear I never really had any doubts whatsoever ye wouldn't."

Nanoha chuckled at the device. He always greeted her the same way. His accent was quite pronounced. "Thanks, Luiz. Are the others already here?"

"All are assembled, Cap'. Just ye follow me. Oh, and a greetings to ye as well, Heart."

Raising Heart flashed, but said nothing. The two devices didn't often speak with each other.

The Lab was far larger than one would expect. It stretched for several meters into the ship's structure, filled with diagnostics equipment, heavy machinery, tools and chemicals. It was a mess and she had to be careful not to trip over anything. To her right in a corner she could see Luiz's Master, Obrock, working on something with his glasses pushed up on his forehead, staring at something. He didn't notice her as they passed, fully absorbed in his work.

That crazy old man, Nanoha thought. He doesn't seem to mind his hometown got obliterated as long as he can lose himself in here.

Obrock was one of the few refugees they had picked up from Mid-Childa at the start of the invasion that had any sort of skills that would benefit them. They barely managed to offer him the work before he had accepted, and since then he had made multiple improvements on their current equipment. He'd worked day and night to make final adjustments on their Purge Suits' internal programming. When they'd ask him if he wanted to take a break, all he'd said was, "The Absolution don't, so why should I?"

She put Obrock and his circumstances away in her head once they reached the small group at the very end of the Lab. The entirety of the Unforgiving was there: Signum, Vita, Teana, Zafira, Vivio and Yuuno, along with Hayate and Shamal at the front. All of them were dressed in proper officer clothing. She glanced at Teana's leg, but there wasn't any sign of the wound from before beneath the clothes. It had healed fully thanks to Shamal.

Luiz bowed, if a floating plate could bow, and left her without a word. Hayate nodded at Nanoha as she settled in beside them and all attention seemed to draw towards Shamal at that point, as if a lecture was about to begin. The Healer stood in a relaxed stance, one hand on her hip while her other arm, now fully cybernetic, dangled by her side. It shone in the bright light coming from the strong lamps positioned out in the Lab.

At the sight of that intricate metallic device, Nanoha couldn't help but think back on the invasion when the first Aeon bomb fell. Images flashed past in rapid succession of people who had died, but what stood out the most was Shamal, her arm torn to pieces, dangling from mere muscle fibers and nerve threads. There had been so much blood they'd expected her to die. The Triage Team hadn't had any hope for her either when they'd flown her out in a transport.

But she'd survived, somehow, even if Shamal's personality had changed somewhat from that incident. Nanoha was very thankful that she had survived, but at the same time wondered if it'd be a problem down the road...

"You can start," Hayate said, nodding at Shamal.

"Well then. It's good to see you all again," the woman said, looking at each Unforgiving member one at a time with a smile. "We've had many advances recently and we've also completed one of our major projects, which is why you are here right now. I won't hold your breath for too long, so here you are."

She sent a command to the Lab's AI and the wall behind her opened, revealing a hidden storage compartment where white suits hung on hooks. The suits were white and they all looked the same compared to the customized Purge Suits, but they otherwise shared the hard edges and general appearance. The helmets, hanging next to each suit, were new additions and had a transparent faceplate in the front with protective armor around the helmet itself, sharing the same distinct look as the rest of the suits. On the legs and arms, small thrusters had been equipped along with what looked like heat exhausts. A flat jetpack on each suit's back completed the look.

"The Mage Space Environment Combat Suit," Shamal said, gesturing at the suits with her cybernetic arm. "MPECS, or simply the Pec. While it may look similar to the Purge Suit, you can't summon it with magic. It needs to be put on like a spacesuit, though you can have your ordinary Barrier Jackets while inside them. The Purge Suit, however, won't fit.

"As for propulsion, you won't be able to use your magic to move in space, which is why you have these to do it for you." She pointed at the thrusters. "Just be careful not to go too fast in case you miscalculate the energy consumption needed to stop, or misjudge the distance. It will splatter you over whatever object is in your way unless you have the energy supplies to erect a barrier. Other than that, you fight as you would in normal gravity."

Nanoha flinched a little at the word 'splatter'.

"That... doesn't make it very practical, does it?" Vita said, tilting her head. "How are we supposed to fight stuff if we can't move properly?"

"Vita, you aren't meant to really fight the Absolution with these. Only in grave emergencies would that be considered."

"Then what are we supposed to do with them?" Vita crossed her arms, somewhat annoyed.

Shamal glanced at Hayate, who shrugged. "Boarding action," Hayate said. "We haven't briefed you on the whole plan yet, but I'll make it clear later. For now, just think of these suits as something to transport you from the Harbinger to the enemy ship."

"The what?" Nanoha said. Her theories from before had been somewhat correct when it came to the suits, but she had never heard that name before. She had no idea what it meant.

"The Harbinger," Shamal repeated. She grinned, an unnatural expression for the Shamal Nanoha once knew. Amused, yet predatory at the same time. "Its full designation is Mage Space Environment Mechanical Assault Siege Vehicle, MSEMASV. It's been in development for some time, but the TSAB scrapped it way back because they couldn't find any practical use for it. Until now, that is." She turned to Vita. "The Harbinger is what you are supposed to use for combat, Vita. It's capable of fighting the smaller Fighters the Absolution has. It might even be able to take down a battlecruiser if you work together, but the conditions has to be optimal for that. It hasn't really been used in a combat situation yet, though the simulations are promising."

"How many of them are there?" Nanoha asked.

"Two. Both need two pilots to work, so only four of you can go out there. The rest of you have to stay behind, I'm afraid. Anyway, they are, essentially, gigantic magical devices with pilot integration, compatible with your current devices in case you have one. If you don't, it'll work anyway."

She implied Yuuno and Zafira, but neither of them responded.

"What about its offensive and defensive capabilities?" Signum asked. She had her arms crossed, head tilted. She looked doubtful, but still interested.

"Standard, you could say. Two beam cannons, two missile launchers, four smaller beam guns. All capable of integrating with your own spells, amplifying them." Shamal paused, hesitating. "There is one major drawback, however. One we haven't been able to solve: energy. It doesn't have its own power source."

"So what does it use instead?" Nanoha asked the question, but sensed she already knew the answer. Vivio glanced at her, but said nothing. She didn't have to.

"Yourselves. Through new advancements in magi-tech mana filtration, you can use it to its full potential without worrying about overstraining yourselves, but only for a certain period of time. Around twenty minutes. After that you either have to bring new pilots or rest yourselves up.

"As for defense, Signum, it's the same principle as the weapons: your own magical shields and barriers. There are also two modes you can use: Assault and Siege. Assault allows more maneuverability and a balance between offense and defense. That's its default mode. Siege, on the other hand, shuts down your engines and leaves you drifting in space. All power is routed to offensive and defensive systems. That's what you must use if you're going up against battlecruisers." She paused again and her smile vanished. "Do not overestimate it, though. It won't withstand enemy fire for long. Avoid damage at all costs and only take damage if you have no other choice. If you have to use Siege, make sure the other Harbinger covers you."

"I like the sound of this more and more," Vita said, grinning. "What does it look like?"

A larger screen appeared, covering the entire wall. Images, diagrams and virtual designs appeared over the blue background. "The two beam cannons are located at its front, ahead of the cockpit. Four smaller beam rapid fire cannons has been fitted along the hull on each side. The two missile launchers are beneath it. If need be, it can fly in the atmosphere thanks to its shape and wings, though I don't recommend it. Nevertheless, since it's so flat it has a smaller signature than the Fighters, making it harder to hit as well."

"We will use them a lot," Hayate said. "When the Absolution fleet returns, and they will, we have to be ready. Which leads me to the plan I mentioned before." The screen changed to diagnostics and more diagrams coupled with Absolution ships with notes attached to them. "Since we are having problems taking down hostile ships once we are caught at close range, we needed a new strategy. We can't keep using Dimensional Hotdrops and Arc-en-Ciels, because they will start wearing us down. We'll make mistakes and we'll eventually lose. And that's not even considering the sheer energy usage."

"And to beat them, you want us to try and board them?" Yuuno asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. We have analyzed the ships and found several possible ways inside, noted on the screen. If we can take over a ship, we can turn it against them or disable it. With the Harbingers this should be easier than destroying them. The crew might be a problem, but from what we know they are droids just like the rest, apart from their commander. It should be easy enough."

"But taking over a single battlecruiser would be too slow anyway," Nanoha said. "They'd kill us before we could make a difference."

"Exactly," Hayate said. "Which is why, in larger scale engagements, we will ignore the battlecruisers and instead go for the dreadnoughts."

Nanoha's eyes widened. It sounded outright absurd. A battlecruiser seemed reasonable in comparison. "Taking over one of those monsters? They must have a few thousand troops inside. Each. Not to mention Zealot Generals."

"Or Lords," Yuuno cut in.

"True." Hayate shrugged. "But we don't have a choice. With a dreadnought under our command we can wipe out their fleet more easily."

"I like this," Vita said as she smashed her fists together. "Bring the pain. Go up close. Wipe them out."

"Exactly, Vita," Hayate said, smiling.

"And don't worry about the Harbinger," Shamal said. "The AI is really sophisticated and polite. You'll get used to them quickly."

That marked the end of the briefing and the Unforgiving was dismissed. However, before Nanoha could join the others and leave, Luiz returned, bobbing in the air above them. "Commander Yagami, I think I may have some results ye might be interested in regarding the Absolution."

"Oh? Of what kind?"

Luiz rotated, almost seeming uncomfortable. "In private, perhaps."

"Alright," Hayate said. "But Nanoha stays. I want her to be updated."

"Of course," Luiz said and waited until the Unforgiving had left the Lab. Shamal bowed and went back to doing whatever it was she had been doing earlier. Nanoha checked the surroundings in case Obrock were hiding somewhere nearby, but she couldn't spot him.

"So, Luiz. What's so important?" Hayate crossed her arms.

"Worrying implications. Miscellaneous information about their hierarchy."

"Talk to me."

"I have accessed yer records from yer mission yesterday," Luiz said, indicating Nanoha. "There was a mention of one Lord Veena. We've come across that name several times in our data and it worries us."

"How come?"

"In the Absolution, through our analysis, we've concluded that they use a sort of caste system. Not counting droids, since they aren't humanoid, the lowest in the ladder are the prisoners of Mid-Childa, obviously. Then we have the Absolution citizens, of who we believe the majority have stayed behind on their home planet or are located somewhere else. After that we have Zealots, which ye could say are regular soldiers. They don't participate in battle on the ground much, instead staying on the ships themselves. Ruling them are the Zealot Generals, which ye've already been in contact with. And then..."

"And?" Nanoha repeated. The device started to annoy her with its hesitant speaking pattern. Luiz was a Social-Research device, which meant he wasn't meant for combat roles. He specialized in social interactions, but right now he seemed distracted. Almost a little scared.

"And then we have the Lords. Veena is part of them and they rule everything: social policies, politics, military. Citizens aren't treated badly, but they lack a lot of rights the others have."

"Why?" Hayate asked.

"Because they lack the potential for battle. The higher one's aptitude for combat, the more important you are in their society." He paused, spinning one turn. "That's what has us worried. Zealots are, theoretically, stronger than yer average mage. However, apart from the Zealots, who seem to be normal citizens with an aptitude for battle, the Zealot Generals and Lords are... strange."

Nanoha thought back on Zelaar and shuddered. There had been something wrong there, but she still didn't know what. "What do you mean by strange, exactly?"

"Please be aware this is speculation, but the Absolution uses energy weapons, yes? No magic as far as we know, except..."

"Except for the Zealot Generals and the Lords," Hayate finished.

"Yes. They use a combination of yer magic and Absolution technology, which to some degree has similarities with yer own. Zealot Generals are as strong as an AA+ ranked mage, at least most of them. Lords, like Lord Veena, are far beyond that. We haven't been able to get proper readings, but that's our conclusion so far."

"Are you saying taking down a Lord is basically impossible for us?" Nanoha said, licking her lips. They had suddenly gone dry and a strange heat built inside her.

"Not impossible, but very hard. It would take yer whole team to bring one down, we think."

"Great. Awesome," Hayate said, looking defeated. "Thank you, Luiz. Is that all?"

The device spun again. "There is one more thing. Somewhat disturbing. Those they take prisoners may be subjected to some kind of brainwashing. Word of warning: Don't trust anyone once ye board one of their ships until we are entirely sure."

"Brainwashing," Nanoha said, shaking her head. "Make the enemy join your army, use them against their former allies. Reinforce your own forces while waging psychological warfare at the same time."

"Basically. We don't know yet if the population itself has been brainwashed. Even the Zealot Generals might have been. For all we know, the Lords may be the only ones that aren't brainwashed and are therefore the true face of the Absolution."

"I don't like those implications," Nanoha said, looking uncomfortable. "All those we've killed would've been innocent."

"Depends," Luiz said. "They aim to kill ye. If ye don't return the favor, they succeed. It's a matter of survival."

"I still don't like it."

"Neither do I," Hayate said, "but we don't have a choice. Get over it, Nanoha. It's war. We don't have the resources right now to research brainwash countermeasures nor can we afford to show mercy at a time like this."

Nanoha glared at her friend, shocked and taken aback by her disregard for the implications. It wasn't only Shamal who had changed; Hayate had too, but more recently. To be fair, all of us has changed. I have to stop thinking about these things.

Nanoha said nothing and silence reigned. Luiz bowed again and hovered away.

"Nanoha," Hayate said when the device was out of earshot. "Go ahead and rest some more, but do what you have to do to keep the Unforgiving updated and ready for a fight. This will be different. We can win this war..."

Nanoha put a hand on Hayate's shoulder, squeezed and smiled. "I know."

*

Nanoha spent the time alone in her quarters, reading up on the Harbingers and the things that had been going on without her knowledge. The situation down on the planet had stabilized somewhat, with TSAB forces pushing back the invaders in some places. In others, the Absolution had wiped out any resistance and conquered several towns. The intel from those towns had ceased shortly afterwards, but they knew enough to say that the population weren't slaughtered. Some had died, but the vast majority were being kept alive in massive camps where they were brainwashed just as Luiz had said. It fit with the Absolution considering how they operated. Their doctrines and religious reasons for war had to use some kind of brainwashing in the first place to make the masses go along with it; no sane person of Mid-Childan origin would join them. Which meant they were even more dangerous since they could get new recruits with ease. If the Absolution were allowed to run unchecked for too long the TSAB wouldn't be able to stop them from taking over the planet.

But something else nagged at her, too, and that was their origins. The clues were far too many to be ignored anymore once she thought about everything she had been told so far, from both friend and foe. The result became that Nanoha had decided that the Zealot Generals and the Lords were connected to the TSAB in some way. There had to be a link somewhere, hidden by layers of information in their own databases; evidence for her theory in plain sight, just that no one would think to search for it.

In a way, Luiz himself was suspicious. All that information they had gathered after less than a week seemed improbable. The possibility that they had somehow managed to hook into the Absolution's data streams popped into her head, but she soon discarded it. They wouldn't discuss social hierarchies over military channels during a war nor did the TSAB have spies. And how the hell had Luiz gotten the information about Zealots in the first place? Not even she had encountered one.

She put the reports aside and rubbed her eyes, questions spiraling out of control in her head. There was too much for her to think about and she felt alone. It was weird, being surrounded by others all the time, yet now she couldn't find anyone she could show her theories to. Hayate had become someone else, the Unforgiving had other matters to focus on, and the TSAB itself had now become suspects.

No, I can't trust them, she thought, shaking her head. I can't share it with anyone... Except...

Someone knocked on the door, rousing her. She took a deep breath to collect herself and then let it open. Yuuno stood there, wearing a troubled expression.

"Am I interrupting something?" He seemed uncomfortable where he stood in the doorway, uncertain if he should enter or not.

"No, Yuuno. Come in.

He walked towards her, hesitated, then sat down beside her on the bed. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright. Tired, but we all are." She paused. "Any news on Fate?"

"Some. She's still asleep, but they've managed to repair parts of her skin tissue." He shrugged. "But the teeth, the fingers. It's going to take time."

"I know." She glanced at Yuuno, observing. "Are you okay? Were you wondering about something, Yuuno?"

"I'm fine."He fidgeted, looked away, and sighed. "There's this thing I've been thinking about. Related to what Zelaar said and everything going on." He looked her in the eyes. She saw suspicion and fear, mixed into one solid emotion of revelation. "The Absolution and the TSAB... There has to be some connection."

Smart, adorable Yuuno. I knew it. She let herself relax and her head grew clear. Her worries lessened. "Don't tell me anymore," Nanoha said and told him about her own theories. A rapid progression of words streamed from her mouth and she had to prevent herself to let the emotional and the more conspiratory parts from slipping out. When she had finished, Yuuno sat deep in thought.

"We can't tell anyone else about this," he said, wrinkles on his forehead. He supported his head with a hand over his mouth and the elbow on his knee.

"I know."

"You don't think Subaru has anything to do with this? Some Black Ops operation we don't know about?"

She shook her head. "I can't say she doesn't, but the timing is too good. I know something is going on. I don't think Subaru actually has anything to do with it, but we can't be certain of who's listening in."

"Spies?"

She could tell from his tone he didn't believe that himself. "No. Well, maybe, but it's absurd. My point is, we can't tell anyone. Unless we really trust them."

Yuuno nodded and stood up, fists clenched. "Okay then. I have to get back and keep researching before you go out with the Harbingers. I'll let you know when--"

She kissed him. She'd grabbed his hand to stop him and let their lips touch. An involuntary move, a reaction to everything around her. Spontaneous. A pleasant warmth spread from her lips to her cheeks as she blushed and squeezed his hand. Yuuno hesitated before accepting her into his arms. She wasn't really sure what she was doing, but he'd always been there in the past. She hadn't looked at him that way then, but now it had all changed. He was there for her and she was there for him. They had an understanding between them, something only they shared. She came to realize that--

Her vision turned red and an alarm blared in her ear. The alert level had been raised on the ship and an order for the Unforgiving to assemble on the bridge was announced.

They broke from their kiss and stared at each other for a brief moment.

"I'm sorr-" Yuuno began, but Nanoha cut him off.

"What do you have to apologize for? Take it later. Come on."

They rushed through the corridors, accompanied by some personnel going the same way, and entered the bridge where Hayate and the Unforgiving stood gathered in the middle. She took one look at the large screen stretched out across the bridge and saw an Absolution vessel just outside their effective range. It sat there doing nothing while the TSAB fleets had started to approach it with caution.

"A single ship," Mariam said from where she stood at her console.

"If it's another Tempest I want it annihilated before it can do anything. Has it identified itself?" Hayate said, arms crossed.

"Yes. It's called... Revolver?" Mariam forced the word out as if it was a bad joke. Nanoha thought the same. The name was weird for the Absolution. Strange, even. It had no connections to their doctrine or their religion as most of their ships did.

"Revolver or not, kill it," Hayate said. "We'll use the Sea if we have to, I don't want to take any chances."

"Wait, don't!" Teana stood behind them with gritted teeth, staring at the screen.

Nanoha raised an eyebrow. "Teana?"

"Revolver. Revolver Knuckle." She looked at each of them to and fro. "It's Subaru. I'm sure of it."

Nanoha's eyes widened as she stared at her.

"What?" they all blurted at the same time as the screen pinged and a figure appeared on it.

Surprised grunts and gasps echoed throughout the bridge.

"Tea." Her head had been shaved, cables prodding out from her skull with rough metallic rings keeping them in place. Her eyes had been replaced by some kind of visor that had been sunk into her skin, hiding two glowing red dots behind it. She wore a smile that froze Nanoha to the core. She had always been a cyborg, but now the last remnants of her humanity had been removed by force. What Nanoha was looking at was an empty husk. "I missed you, Tea. I'm coming to get you now."

As I suck at writing descriptions, here's some theoretical visual aids to help.

Spoiler for Concept Mental Images:

The Purge Suit is a mix between the more stylish and sharp look of Saber Alter's black armor and the general bulky look of the Brute Crusher skin from Tribes (though as mentioned it differs from mage to mage.)



The white Pec Suits are more similar to ODST armor from Halo, except leaner and whiter.

Mentioned jet packs are similar to Tribes as well.

The Harbinger meanwhile is a mix between the Manticore from EVE and a creation by Garland, but more Nanoha-ish. Yeah.



Hope that helps.

Action resumes next time and we are now drawing closer to the end.

I'm definitely intrigued. Hope you keep this up.

[vic-vic]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

I
II
III
IV
V


INFODUMPS, REVELATIONS, INFODUMPS.

Spoiler for Unforgiving VI:

She had slept for an entire day. Twenty-four hours of deep, comfortable sleep made her feel energetic and fresh as she got out of her bunk bed and started to get dressed. The small room aboard the Vengala suited her fine, providing anything she could need while deployed. Not that there was a lot she actually needed, apart from a bed and access to the databases. Raising Heart, as ever, was her constant companion and what she kept closest to her heart.

Especially now when everything else had been destroyed.

She left the room in her normal officer clothing, Raising Heart dangling from her neck in the shape of a pendant, and made her way towards the Lab. Once they had gotten back the day before, after Fate had been handed over to the Triage Team, Hayate had told them to meet her in the Lab once they had rested up. She had a surprise, she'd said, one that might turn the tide of the war. Nanoha sensed what it might be -- sometimes eavesdropping here and there without meaning to -- but still couldn't put her finger on it. It had to be something big and powerful. Or very smart and covert. Either way, she looked forward to finding out what it was. Anything to keep her hopes up would help.

Along with having her thoughts distracted so she wouldn't worry about Fate.

She passed a few of the crew on the way and replied with salutes as was custom. They all seemed nervous and tense, but she could see in their eyes that their focus hadn't diminished. They were as focused, and loyal, as they had ever been. With a crew like that, Nanoha believed Hayate wouldn't have any problems when it came to jumping into the fire.

At the end of the corridors the Lab door lay waiting for her. As she stepped through a small hovering device the size and shape of a thick dinner plate flew up in front of her face. It seemed to observe her for a moment before it said, "Greetings, Cap'. I'm glad to see ye up and runnin' again. I swear I never really had any doubts whatsoever ye wouldn't."

Nanoha chuckled at the device. He always greeted her the same way. His accent was quite pronounced. "Thanks, Luiz. Are the others already here?"

"All are assembled, Cap'. Just ye follow me. Oh, and a greetings to ye as well, Heart."

Raising Heart flashed, but said nothing. The two devices didn't often speak with each other.

The Lab was far larger than one would expect. It stretched for several meters into the ship's structure, filled with diagnostics equipment, heavy machinery, tools and chemicals. It was a mess and she had to be careful not to trip over anything. To her right in a corner she could see Luiz's Master, Obrock, working on something with his glasses pushed up on his forehead, staring at something. He didn't notice her as they passed, fully absorbed in his work.

That crazy old man, Nanoha thought. He doesn't seem to mind his hometown got obliterated as long as he can lose himself in here.

Obrock was one of the few refugees they had picked up from Mid-Childa at the start of the invasion that had any sort of skills that would benefit them. They barely managed to offer him the work before he had accepted, and since then he had made multiple improvements on their current equipment. He'd worked day and night to make final adjustments on their Purge Suits' internal programming. When they'd ask him if he wanted to take a break, all he'd said was, "The Absolution don't, so why should I?"

She put Obrock and his circumstances away in her head once they reached the small group at the very end of the Lab. The entirety of the Unforgiving was there: Signum, Vita, Teana, Zafira, Vivio and Yuuno, along with Hayate and Shamal at the front. All of them were dressed in proper officer clothing. She glanced at Teana's leg, but there wasn't any sign of the wound from before beneath the clothes. It had healed fully thanks to Shamal.

Luiz bowed, if a floating plate could bow, and left her without a word. Hayate nodded at Nanoha as she settled in beside them and all attention seemed to draw towards Shamal at that point, as if a lecture was about to begin. The Healer stood in a relaxed stance, one hand on her hip while her other arm, now fully cybernetic, dangled by her side. It shone in the bright light coming from the strong lamps positioned out in the Lab.

At the sight of that intricate metallic device, Nanoha couldn't help but think back on the invasion when the first Aeon bomb fell. Images flashed past in rapid succession of people who had died, but what stood out the most was Shamal, her arm torn to pieces, dangling from mere muscle fibers and nerve threads. There had been so much blood they'd expected her to die. The Triage Team hadn't had any hope for her either when they'd flown her out in a transport.

But she'd survived, somehow, even if Shamal's personality had changed somewhat from that incident. Nanoha was very thankful that she had survived, but at the same time wondered if it'd be a problem down the road...

"You can start," Hayate said, nodding at Shamal.

"Well then. It's good to see you all again," the woman said, looking at each Unforgiving member one at a time with a smile. "We've had many advances recently and we've also completed one of our major projects, which is why you are here right now. I won't hold your breath for too long, so here you are."

She sent a command to the Lab's AI and the wall behind her opened, revealing a hidden storage compartment where white suits hung on hooks. The suits were white and they all looked the same compared to the customized Purge Suits, but they otherwise shared the hard edges and general appearance. The helmets, hanging next to each suit, were new additions and had a transparent faceplate in the front with protective armor around the helmet itself, sharing the same distinct look as the rest of the suits. On the legs and arms, small thrusters had been equipped along with what looked like heat exhausts. A flat jetpack on each suit's back completed the look.

"The Mage Space Environment Combat Suit," Shamal said, gesturing at the suits with her cybernetic arm. "MPECS, or simply the Pec. While it may look similar to the Purge Suit, you can't summon it with magic. It needs to be put on like a spacesuit, though you can have your ordinary Barrier Jackets while inside them. The Purge Suit, however, won't fit.

"As for propulsion, you won't be able to use your magic to move in space, which is why you have these to do it for you." She pointed at the thrusters. "Just be careful not to go too fast in case you miscalculate the energy consumption needed to stop, or misjudge the distance. It will splatter you over whatever object is in your way unless you have the energy supplies to erect a barrier. Other than that, you fight as you would in normal gravity."

Nanoha flinched a little at the word 'splatter'.

"That... doesn't make it very practical, does it?" Vita said, tilting her head. "How are we supposed to fight stuff if we can't move properly?"

"Vita, you aren't meant to really fight the Absolution with these. Only in grave emergencies would that be considered."

"Then what are we supposed to do with them?" Vita crossed her arms, somewhat annoyed.

Shamal glanced at Hayate, who shrugged. "Boarding action," Hayate said. "We haven't briefed you on the whole plan yet, but I'll make it clear later. For now, just think of these suits as something to transport you from the Harbinger to the enemy ship."

"The what?" Nanoha said. Her theories from before had been somewhat correct when it came to the suits, but she had never heard that name before. She had no idea what it meant.

"The Harbinger," Shamal repeated. She grinned, an unnatural expression for the Shamal Nanoha once knew. Amused, yet predatory at the same time. "Its full designation is Mage Space Environment Mechanical Assault Siege Vehicle, MSEMASV. It's been in development for some time, but the TSAB scrapped it way back because they couldn't find any practical use for it. Until now, that is." She turned to Vita. "The Harbinger is what you are supposed to use for combat, Vita. It's capable of fighting the smaller Fighters the Absolution has. It might even be able to take down a battlecruiser if you work together, but the conditions has to be optimal for that. It hasn't really been used in a combat situation yet, though the simulations are promising."

"How many of them are there?" Nanoha asked.

"Two. Both need two pilots to work, so only four of you can go out there. The rest of you have to stay behind, I'm afraid. Anyway, they are, essentially, gigantic magical devices with pilot integration, compatible with your current devices in case you have one. If you don't, it'll work anyway."

She implied Yuuno and Zafira, but neither of them responded.

"What about its offensive and defensive capabilities?" Signum asked. She had her arms crossed, head tilted. She looked doubtful, but still interested.

"Standard, you could say. Two beam cannons, two missile launchers, four smaller beam guns. All capable of integrating with your own spells, amplifying them." Shamal paused, hesitating. "There is one major drawback, however. One we haven't been able to solve: energy. It doesn't have its own power source."

"So what does it use instead?" Nanoha asked the question, but sensed she already knew the answer. Vivio glanced at her, but said nothing. She didn't have to.

"Yourselves. Through new advancements in magi-tech mana filtration, you can use it to its full potential without worrying about overstraining yourselves, but only for a certain period of time. Around twenty minutes. After that you either have to bring new pilots or rest yourselves up.

"As for defense, Signum, it's the same principle as the weapons: your own magical shields and barriers. There are also two modes you can use: Assault and Siege. Assault allows more maneuverability and a balance between offense and defense. That's its default mode. Siege, on the other hand, shuts down your engines and leaves you drifting in space. All power is routed to offensive and defensive systems. That's what you must use if you're going up against battlecruisers." She paused again and her smile vanished. "Do not overestimate it, though. It won't withstand enemy fire for long. Avoid damage at all costs and only take damage if you have no other choice. If you have to use Siege, make sure the other Harbinger covers you."

"I like the sound of this more and more," Vita said, grinning. "What does it look like?"

A larger screen appeared, covering the entire wall. Images, diagrams and virtual designs appeared over the blue background. "The two beam cannons are located at its front, ahead of the cockpit. Four smaller beam rapid fire cannons has been fitted along the hull on each side. The two missile launchers are beneath it. If need be, it can fly in the atmosphere thanks to its shape and wings, though I don't recommend it. Nevertheless, since it's so flat it has a smaller signature than the Fighters, making it harder to hit as well."

"We will use them a lot," Hayate said. "When the Absolution fleet returns, and they will, we have to be ready. Which leads me to the plan I mentioned before." The screen changed to diagnostics and more diagrams coupled with Absolution ships with notes attached to them. "Since we are having problems taking down hostile ships once we are caught at close range, we needed a new strategy. We can't keep using Dimensional Hotdrops and Arc-en-Ciels, because they will start wearing us down. We'll make mistakes and we'll eventually lose. And that's not even considering the sheer energy usage."

"And to beat them, you want us to try and board them?" Yuuno asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. We have analyzed the ships and found several possible ways inside, noted on the screen. If we can take over a ship, we can turn it against them or disable it. With the Harbingers this should be easier than destroying them. The crew might be a problem, but from what we know they are droids just like the rest, apart from their commander. It should be easy enough."

"But taking over a single battlecruiser would be too slow anyway," Nanoha said. "They'd kill us before we could make a difference."

"Exactly," Hayate said. "Which is why, in larger scale engagements, we will ignore the battlecruisers and instead go for the dreadnoughts."

Nanoha's eyes widened. It sounded outright absurd. A battlecruiser seemed reasonable in comparison. "Taking over one of those monsters? They must have a few thousand troops inside. Each. Not to mention Zealot Generals."

"Or Lords," Yuuno cut in.

"True." Hayate shrugged. "But we don't have a choice. With a dreadnought under our command we can wipe out their fleet more easily."

"I like this," Vita said as she smashed her fists together. "Bring the pain. Go up close. Wipe them out."

"Exactly, Vita," Hayate said, smiling.

"And don't worry about the Harbinger," Shamal said. "The AI is really sophisticated and polite. You'll get used to them quickly."

That marked the end of the briefing and the Unforgiving was dismissed. However, before Nanoha could join the others and leave, Luiz returned, bobbing in the air above them. "Commander Yagami, I think I may have some results ye might be interested in regarding the Absolution."

"Oh? Of what kind?"

Luiz rotated, almost seeming uncomfortable. "In private, perhaps."

"Alright," Hayate said. "But Nanoha stays. I want her to be updated."

"Of course," Luiz said and waited until the Unforgiving had left the Lab. Shamal bowed and went back to doing whatever it was she had been doing earlier. Nanoha checked the surroundings in case Obrock were hiding somewhere nearby, but she couldn't spot him.

"So, Luiz. What's so important?" Hayate crossed her arms.

"Worrying implications. Miscellaneous information about their hierarchy."

"Talk to me."

"I have accessed yer records from yer mission yesterday," Luiz said, indicating Nanoha. "There was a mention of one Lord Veena. We've come across that name several times in our data and it worries us."

"How come?"

"In the Absolution, through our analysis, we've concluded that they use a sort of caste system. Not counting droids, since they aren't humanoid, the lowest in the ladder are the prisoners of Mid-Childa, obviously. Then we have the Absolution citizens, of who we believe the majority have stayed behind on their home planet or are located somewhere else. After that we have Zealots, which ye could say are regular soldiers. They don't participate in battle on the ground much, instead staying on the ships themselves. Ruling them are the Zealot Generals, which ye've already been in contact with. And then..."

"And?" Nanoha repeated. The device started to annoy her with its hesitant speaking pattern. Luiz was a Social-Research device, which meant he wasn't meant for combat roles. He specialized in social interactions, but right now he seemed distracted. Almost a little scared.

"And then we have the Lords. Veena is part of them and they rule everything: social policies, politics, military. Citizens aren't treated badly, but they lack a lot of rights the others have."

"Why?" Hayate asked.

"Because they lack the potential for battle. The higher one's aptitude for combat, the more important you are in their society." He paused, spinning one turn. "That's what has us worried. Zealots are, theoretically, stronger than yer average mage. However, apart from the Zealots, who seem to be normal citizens with an aptitude for battle, the Zealot Generals and Lords are... strange."

Nanoha thought back on Zelaar and shuddered. There had been something wrong there, but she still didn't know what. "What do you mean by strange, exactly?"

"Please be aware this is speculation, but the Absolution uses energy weapons, yes? No magic as far as we know, except..."

"Except for the Zealot Generals and the Lords," Hayate finished.

"Yes. They use a combination of yer magic and Absolution technology, which to some degree has similarities with yer own. Zealot Generals are as strong as an AA+ ranked mage, at least most of them. Lords, like Lord Veena, are far beyond that. We haven't been able to get proper readings, but that's our conclusion so far."

"Are you saying taking down a Lord is basically impossible for us?" Nanoha said, licking her lips. They had suddenly gone dry and a strange heat built inside her.

"Not impossible, but very hard. It would take yer whole team to bring one down, we think."

"Great. Awesome," Hayate said, looking defeated. "Thank you, Luiz. Is that all?"

The device spun again. "There is one more thing. Somewhat disturbing. Those they take prisoners may be subjected to some kind of brainwashing. Word of warning: Don't trust anyone once ye board one of their ships until we are entirely sure."

"Brainwashing," Nanoha said, shaking her head. "Make the enemy join your army, use them against their former allies. Reinforce your own forces while waging psychological warfare at the same time."

"Basically. We don't know yet if the population itself has been brainwashed. Even the Zealot Generals might have been. For all we know, the Lords may be the only ones that aren't brainwashed and are therefore the true face of the Absolution."

"I don't like those implications," Nanoha said, looking uncomfortable. "All those we've killed would've been innocent."

"Depends," Luiz said. "They aim to kill ye. If ye don't return the favor, they succeed. It's a matter of survival."

"I still don't like it."

"Neither do I," Hayate said, "but we don't have a choice. Get over it, Nanoha. It's war. We don't have the resources right now to research brainwash countermeasures nor can we afford to show mercy at a time like this."

Nanoha glared at her friend, shocked and taken aback by her disregard for the implications. It wasn't only Shamal who had changed; Hayate had too, but more recently. To be fair, all of us has changed. I have to stop thinking about these things.

Nanoha said nothing and silence reigned. Luiz bowed again and hovered away.

"Nanoha," Hayate said when the device was out of earshot. "Go ahead and rest some more, but do what you have to do to keep the Unforgiving updated and ready for a fight. This will be different. We can win this war..."

Nanoha put a hand on Hayate's shoulder, squeezed and smiled. "I know."

*

Nanoha spent the time alone in her quarters, reading up on the Harbingers and the things that had been going on without her knowledge. The situation down on the planet had stabilized somewhat, with TSAB forces pushing back the invaders in some places. In others, the Absolution had wiped out any resistance and conquered several towns. The intel from those towns had ceased shortly afterwards, but they knew enough to say that the population weren't slaughtered. Some had died, but the vast majority were being kept alive in massive camps where they were brainwashed just as Luiz had said. It fit with the Absolution considering how they operated. Their doctrines and religious reasons for war had to use some kind of brainwashing in the first place to make the masses go along with it; no sane person of Mid-Childan origin would join them. Which meant they were even more dangerous since they could get new recruits with ease. If the Absolution were allowed to run unchecked for too long the TSAB wouldn't be able to stop them from taking over the planet.

But something else nagged at her, too, and that was their origins. The clues were far too many to be ignored anymore once she thought about everything she had been told so far, from both friend and foe. The result became that Nanoha had decided that the Zealot Generals and the Lords were connected to the TSAB in some way. There had to be a link somewhere, hidden by layers of information in their own databases; evidence for her theory in plain sight, just that no one would think to search for it.

In a way, Luiz himself was suspicious. All that information they had gathered after less than a week seemed improbable. The possibility that they had somehow managed to hook into the Absolution's data streams popped into her head, but she soon discarded it. They wouldn't discuss social hierarchies over military channels during a war nor did the TSAB have spies. And how the hell had Luiz gotten the information about Zealots in the first place? Not even she had encountered one.

She put the reports aside and rubbed her eyes, questions spiraling out of control in her head. There was too much for her to think about and she felt alone. It was weird, being surrounded by others all the time, yet now she couldn't find anyone she could show her theories to. Hayate had become someone else, the Unforgiving had other matters to focus on, and the TSAB itself had now become suspects.

No, I can't trust them, she thought, shaking her head. I can't share it with anyone... Except...

Someone knocked on the door, rousing her. She took a deep breath to collect herself and then let it open. Yuuno stood there, wearing a troubled expression.

"Am I interrupting something?" He seemed uncomfortable where he stood in the doorway, uncertain if he should enter or not.

"No, Yuuno. Come in.

He walked towards her, hesitated, then sat down beside her on the bed. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright. Tired, but we all are." She paused. "Any news on Fate?"

"Some. She's still asleep, but they've managed to repair parts of her skin tissue." He shrugged. "But the teeth, the fingers. It's going to take time."

"I know." She glanced at Yuuno, observing. "Are you okay? Were you wondering about something, Yuuno?"

"I'm fine."He fidgeted, looked away, and sighed. "There's this thing I've been thinking about. Related to what Zelaar said and everything going on." He looked her in the eyes. She saw suspicion and fear, mixed into one solid emotion of revelation. "The Absolution and the TSAB... There has to be some connection."

Smart, adorable Yuuno. I knew it. She let herself relax and her head grew clear. Her worries lessened. "Don't tell me anymore," Nanoha said and told him about her own theories. A rapid progression of words streamed from her mouth and she had to prevent herself to let the emotional and the more conspiratory parts from slipping out. When she had finished, Yuuno sat deep in thought.

"We can't tell anyone else about this," he said, wrinkles on his forehead. He supported his head with a hand over his mouth and the elbow on his knee.

"I know."

"You don't think Subaru has anything to do with this? Some Black Ops operation we don't know about?"

She shook her head. "I can't say she doesn't, but the timing is too good. I know something is going on. I don't think Subaru actually has anything to do with it, but we can't be certain of who's listening in."

"Spies?"

She could tell from his tone he didn't believe that himself. "No. Well, maybe, but it's absurd. My point is, we can't tell anyone. Unless we really trust them."

Yuuno nodded and stood up, fists clenched. "Okay then. I have to get back and keep researching before you go out with the Harbingers. I'll let you know when--"

She kissed him. She'd grabbed his hand to stop him and let their lips touch. An involuntary move, a reaction to everything around her. Spontaneous. A pleasant warmth spread from her lips to her cheeks as she blushed and squeezed his hand. Yuuno hesitated before accepting her into his arms. She wasn't really sure what she was doing, but he'd always been there in the past. She hadn't looked at him that way then, but now it had all changed. He was there for her and she was there for him. They had an understanding between them, something only they shared. She came to realize that--

Her vision turned red and an alarm blared in her ear. The alert level had been raised on the ship and an order for the Unforgiving to assemble on the bridge was announced.

They broke from their kiss and stared at each other for a brief moment.

"I'm sorr-" Yuuno began, but Nanoha cut him off.

"What do you have to apologize for? Take it later. Come on."

They rushed through the corridors, accompanied by some personnel going the same way, and entered the bridge where Hayate and the Unforgiving stood gathered in the middle. She took one look at the large screen stretched out across the bridge and saw an Absolution vessel just outside their effective range. It sat there doing nothing while the TSAB fleets had started to approach it with caution.

"A single ship," Mariam said from where she stood at her console.

"If it's another Tempest I want it annihilated before it can do anything. Has it identified itself?" Hayate said, arms crossed.

"Yes. It's called... Revolver?" Mariam forced the word out as if it was a bad joke. Nanoha thought the same. The name was weird for the Absolution. Strange, even. It had no connections to their doctrine or their religion as most of their ships did.

"Revolver or not, kill it," Hayate said. "We'll use the Sea if we have to, I don't want to take any chances."

"Wait, don't!" Teana stood behind them with gritted teeth, staring at the screen.

Nanoha raised an eyebrow. "Teana?"

"Revolver. Revolver Knuckle." She looked at each of them to and fro. "It's Subaru. I'm sure of it."

Nanoha's eyes widened as she stared at her.

"What?" they all blurted at the same time as the screen pinged and a figure appeared on it.

Surprised grunts and gasps echoed throughout the bridge.

"Tea." Her head had been shaved, cables prodding out from her skull with rough metallic rings keeping them in place. Her eyes had been replaced by some kind of visor that had been sunk into her skin, hiding two glowing red dots behind it. She wore a smile that froze Nanoha to the core. She had always been a cyborg, but now the last remnants of her humanity had been removed by force. What Nanoha was looking at was an empty husk. "I missed you, Tea. I'm coming to get you now."

As I suck at writing descriptions, here's some theoretical visual aids to help.

Spoiler for Concept Mental Images:

The Purge Suit is a mix between the more stylish and sharp look of Saber Alter's black armor and the general bulky look of the Brute Crusher skin from Tribes (though as mentioned it differs from mage to mage.)



The white Pec Suits are more similar to ODST armor from Halo, except leaner and whiter.

Mentioned jet packs are similar to Tribes as well.

The Harbinger meanwhile is a mix between the Manticore from EVE and a creation by Garland, but more Nanoha-ish. Yeah.



Hope that helps.

Action resumes next time and we are now drawing closer to the end.

Oh, interesting - seems that not only TSAB personnel learn ho to "befriend" your former foes. Though, the bureau method is more preferable IMHO.

Liked the Nanoha/Yuuno sweet moment.

[NorthernFallout]

Originally Posted by Yasanagi

I'm definitely intrigued. Hope you keep this up.

I aim to complete this series compared to my earlier works. Glad to see it's getting more readers.

Originally Posted by vic-vic

Oh, interesting - seems that not only TSAB personnel learn ho to "befriend" your former foes. Though, the bureau method is more preferable IMHO.

Liked the Nanoha/Yuuno sweet moment.

I have something special planned for those two later on... or should I say three. AHUEHUEHUE.

Thx for comment.

[WarpObscura]

That's interesting and creepy at the same time.

[NorthernFallout]

What does tomorrow want with me
What does it matter what I see
If we all walk behind the blind
Tell me where do we draw the line

Poets of the Fall - Where Do We Draw the Line

Spoiler for Unforgiving VII:

"What do we do?"

Nanoha wasn't aware of who had asked the question, but she couldn't find an answer for it anyway. The Unforgiving, Hayate and Mariam stood in silence on the bridge of the Vengala, glancing at each other as if one of them had the answer. The frozen image of Subaru still stared at them from the screen even after the connection had been cut. Nanoha refused to look at it. She'd become an abomination, a tool of the Absolution. Nevertheless, Nanoha felt divided as to what they should do. Killing her was out of the question, though; they could probably revert her back. The problem would be extracting her in the first place—

"We blow it up," Hayate said, arms crossed. Nanoha's eyes widened in shock as her thoughts halted. "I can't risk that ship blowing up our fleet like last time."

"You can't. You can't kill Subaru!" Teana stood in front of her, pointing at the screen. She was close to hysteria, her lower lip trembling and her eyes darting back and forth, searching for agreement. "She's one of us, you've known her for years."

"That thing is not Subaru." Hayate nodded at the screen and sneered. "It's a brainwashed machine that wants to kill us."

"You don't know that. How can you talk about Subaru like that?" Teana's voice began to break, her face a red blush of anger, clenched fists along her side.

"Teana, calm down," Nanoha said and reached out to touch her shoulder. Teana brushed her hand away and Nanoha shrunk back. Anger and pain rose within her, but she still couldn't find the right words.

"No, I won't calm down! You are talking about killing my friend! Our friend!" She seized Hayate's collar and yanked her close to her face before Nanoha could stop her. Her other hand remained clenched, shaking. "Don't do it, Hayate. Please."

"Do you know what one of those ships did to my fleet earlier?" Hayate's tone went cold, angry. Her eyes flared. "Do you know what kind of a risk we are taking right now, staring it down instead of destroying it? Subaru is gone, Teana. Realize it. We have to act now."

The two glared at each other in a way Nanoha had never seen any of them having done before... No, Teana had. Once. But that was to Nanoha, not Hayate, and the situation had been another. Teana had other reasons to be mad now and Nanoha understood her on a fundamental level, but didn't know what to do. Subaru was a threat that had to be neutralized. That much was certain, but killing her outright wasn't the right way to go. How could Hayate intend to kill her off right away without thinking it over? This wasn't the girl she knew from the past. She'd never go cold like that, all analytical. Calculating. Allowing hatred and a thirst for vengeance override her mind and influence her decisions.

Nanoha realized —though she felt stupid since it was so obvious —that it had gotten to her. All the loss and death around her, the responsibility of command, her choices. It all started to break her down.

"Let her go," Signum said as her Purge Suit materialized and Laevateinn flashed into her hand. She stepped forward and pointed the tip at Teana's cheek, prodding the soft skin. "Step back, Lanster."

"You agree with her?" Disbelief filled Teana's voice and she smiled while tears trailed down her cheeks. "You don't all do that... right?"

Nanoha, again, didn't know where she stood on the issue. Vita and Zafira stood at Hayate's side, their choice obvious. They showed no doubt of who they believed in. Yuuno looked at Nanoha with a shrug as if asking what to do and Vivio looked at them all, weighing each face with a sour expression.

Nanoha glanced at Mariam for support, but she shook her head. There wasn't much she could do anyway, even with the power of an XO. She couldn't overrule Hayate —in theory she could since regulations stated that if a Commander was considered unsuited for command, the person could be removed, but it would complicate everything even further —and that was before Nanoha remembered who the fleet's loyalty belonged to. Come to think of it, throughout the argument they'd drawn the attention of half the bridge so far. The guards on duty appeared shifty, looking as if they were going to intervene, but they still hesitated of what to do. Nanoha figured they were partly relieved that Hayate hadn't called them yet. As soldiers they were obligated to follow orders, but they were still humans with their own opinions and morals.

A stalemate between friends with loyalties in different places. Risks waiting around every corner, waiting for one of them to make the wrong decision. Silence reigned on the bridge.

"Are you serious?" Vivio broke the silence with a loud voice. Nowadays she remained in her Adult Form most of the time and that was the case now. She stood with her hands on her hips, back straight, staring at Hayate, Teana and the Knights. "Are you fighting over this? Think of solutions instead of getting at each others' throats! You're faced with a serious situation and you resort to threaten those closest to you? That's not the Unforgiving I know. We wouldn't even think of killing one of our own, no matter how far gone. We would look for other ways to save her." She shook her head. "The Absolution doesn't need brainwashing. We're destroying ourselves from the inside as it is. We're playing straight into their hand."

Her simple words hit home. Everyone gaped at her and Nanoha's heart swelled with pride. Of course that's what she should have said. She sneaked a smile at her daughter, but otherwise kept a straight face.

Teana stared at Vivio before turning back to Hayate and releasing her, head lowered. Laevateinn disappeared at the same time and Hayate took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Fine. But we have to work quickly. What can we do about this?"

"May I make a suggestion, Commander?"

They turned as one towards Mariam who observed them quietly. She wore her usual stone facade with no openings.

"Go ahead," Hayate said.

"Take the Harbingers and board it. Make the fleet ready to jump in case she makes a move towards us. Bring her back here."

Silence again.

"Well, that was easy," Yuuno said.

"Please, Hayate," Teana said as she bowed, her anger blown away. "Save Subaru and bring her back to me!"

"Nanoha," Hayate said after a few seconds of consideration, still looking at Teana. "You and Vivio take Harbinger 1. Vita and Signum will take Harbinger 2. Go now." She paused. "Bring back Subaru. Now."

Nanoha nodded, smiling. "I will."

*

Once they had gotten on their Pec suits, which despite their appearance were easy to put on — even if they were a bit too tight for Nanoha's liking — they settled into the Harbinger. It stood in the middle of the vast hangar next to its sister ship where Vita and Signum were getting off one of the mobile catwalks and seated themselves inside it. To one side in the hangar a few shuttles lay docked, but the rest of the room lay empty. Most of the transports had been used at beginning of the invasion. The majority had been destroyed.

The cockpit had the shape of an egg once the canopy sealed around them, shrouding them in darkness. Her suit secured itself against the soft seat with tiny hooks aligned along her back. Nanoha grasped the joysticks on either side of her and pressed a button situated on the side of the right joystick. A distant hum started vibrating in her back and a blue, pleasant light flooded the cockpit as the system took a few more seconds to properly boot up. The screen on the console in front of her lit up and data scrolled across it, making systems checks. It informed her that she was chosen as the default pilot and Vivio as the co-pilot.

Nanoha turned to face her daughter in the slightly elevated seat behind her. “Want to swap?”

“No,” Vivio said, cracking her knuckles. “You’re more experienced with flying anyway. I want to shoot the bastards.”

Nanoha chuckled and confirmed the settings, her seat adjusting itself to an optimal position. A HUD on her helm’s visor materialized with visual sensor output from outside the enclosed cockpit.

[Welcome, Captain Takamachi, ] a digital voice said. It came from inside of her helmet.

"Harbinger AI, is it?" Nanoha said. She could get used to this voice. It was deep and male. Soothing in a way, the way it rumbled. It carried respect and wisdom.

[Indeed it is, my Lady. However, I would very much enjoy if you would call me Huginn.]

"Huginn it is then," Nanoha said. "Is that your given name or something you came up with yourself?"

[It is what I personally prefer. Those who created me do not mind.] Huginn paused until visuals of the hangar appeared on her visor, showing the other Harbinger. There were no windows on the machine as it relied on external sensors to provide an image. [My brother is named Muninn. Like me, he prefers to be called that.]

"Sorry to interrupt," Vivio said, "but we don't have much time. Can we get a move on?"

[Certainly, my Lady. ]

The hum behind her increased and the entire vehicle shuddered as it became encased in magical energy. From the outside it would appear as if it was caught in a bubble that could barely be seen with the naked eye. What gave it away was a faint shimmer stroking over it from time to time.

[Allow me to begin the undock sequence and enable Cruise Control. Your input is appreciated, but I can handle myself for a start.]

While Huginn assumed control, Hayate appeared on the screen in front of her.

"I'm talking to all four of you right now. I just wanted to update you on the situation: The hostile ship isn't making any suspicious movements at the moment, which is strange in its own right. We are sitting ducks while the Harbingers undock, though, so wrap it up quickly, alright?"

A resounding 'Understood' came over the channel from all of the pilots. Nanoha noticed she could see the name Harbinger Two in a column at the edge of her visor. It pulsed along with Signum's and Vita's voices as they spoke.

"Then good luck. Hayate out."

She disappeared from the screen. Ahead of them the hangar bays opened as the Harbinger moved closer. Stars glinted in the extreme distance outside and she came to realize this was the first time she would be able to fly more freely in space than on a Warship. Her stomach fluttered and, despite the situation, she couldn't help but smile, amazed and thankful for the opportunity.

[Ignition.]

Her body became squashed against the seat, pushing her eyes back into her skull, as Huginn shot forward and left the hangar in a blur. Once outside it tilted to the side — Mid-Childa becoming their sky — and set a course for the Revolver. Harbinger Two moved up beside them after a few seconds. The sun, close to disappearing behind the planet, lit the Harbinger up. Its black metal shone, blinding Nanoha until the visuals adjusted to a lower setting on her visor. The Harbinger's magical bubble glowed in the sun's rays while the Vengala drifted away from them, becoming smaller and smaller.

That's when Nanoha saw how battered the Warship actually was. Scorch marks, dents and long gashes ran along its hull. In a few places its paint had changed into a dull grey. It looked worse than it seemed, since it was cosmetic damage, but Nanoha shuddered anyway. The ship was living evidence of what had transpired in the past week.

"Subaru isn't moving," Vivio said from behind her. "She's not showing any signs of hostility for some reason."

"Maybe she got lucky," Nanoha said. "Subaru is stronger than we give her credit for. I didn't want to bring Teana's hopes up earlier, but she might have resisted the brainwashing. She might be holding herself back."

"Let's hope that's the case," Vivio said.

The battlecruiser grew in size as they got closer. This close up the details looked a little different compared to the 2D images she'd analyzed with Hayate. Weapons seemed larger and its metal seemed bruised as if it had been in battle before, though there weren't any visible scorch marks from TSAB weapons. In fact, besides from the bruising, it looked almost brand new. Almost as if it had been recently put together and shipped out. However, that implied that the Absolution had the ability to construct ships at will and send them to distant locations in a short amount of time.

Nanoha didn't like that prospect and hoped she was wrong.

The Harbingers tilted again and put the battlecruiser above them, searching for the entry points they had noted down. The linked metal plates were endless. It took them a fair while to search the entirety of the hull on that side until they found one of the entry points close to the stern. It appeared to her as a small hatch, part of the metal itself, hard to see if it hadn't been for Huginn's help.

"Signum, Vita", Nanoha relayed through a channel, "we found an entry point. Prepare to board."

"Roger that," came the reply.

Both Harbingers slowed to a halt close to the hull. From three points near the cockpit, metallic poles extended out. At the tip there were super-powered magnets designed to attach to the hull, which they did soon enough, the Harbinger shaking slightly. Properly secured, Nanoha and Vivio checked their suits one last time. Everything checked out.

"Huginn, let us out."

[As you wish, my Lady.]

The Harbinger vented air from the cockpit through small ventilation shafts and then slowly opened the canopy. Everything became muted to Nanoha. She could hear her own breathing and the soft sound of touching the Harbinger through her suit as she climbed outside, but she heard nothing else. She gave a gentle push with her foot and drifted upwards towards the entry point, flipped in mid-air with the help of the thrusters, and landed with her feet on the hull. Her magnetized soles secured her against it with a sudden snap. Vivio joined her a second later. Signum and Vita were on their way over from Harbinger Two.

The view was breathtaking from where she stood. To her right and left, the metallic hull went on forever, having its own horizon. When she looked up, towards the planet, she could see the sun half-occluded behind it. Everything else around them, bar the stars, was black. It was disorienting, looking up while standing upside-down or whatever direction she could define it as, but still an overwhelming experience. The might of empty space stared into her soul, paralyzing her. For a few seconds, her heart beat was the one thing she could hear.

"Mom, are you alright?" Vivio spoke into her ear through the suit's internal comm system. Her voice boomed on the inside, piercing Nanoha's ears.

"Yes, but keep it down. The volume is a bit high..."

"Sorry."

Nanoha squatted down and pulled out a cord from her suit. It was a thin rubber cable with a plug on the end, designed to fit into Absolution interfaces. She thanked Shamal and Obrock in her mind as she opened a small panel next to the hatch and plugged the cable into one of the ports.

As Signum and Vita landed, they resorted to wait as the suit's codebreaker program began cracking the security measures. While it would have been impossible in normal circumstances, their programmers had managed to salvage enough working Absolution technology to make up solutions for this exact situation. If it hadn't been for them, the alternative would be to blow the hatch up, a solution Nanoha was glad she didn't have to utilize.

Her suit pinged after a while and the hatch opened, leading into an airlock. Nanoha nodded at Vivio who went first, followed by Signum and Vita. Nanoha was the last one to go inside, but before she closed the hatch she took one long look at Mid-Childa with a variety of emotions rushing through her head.

"See you soon," she whispered and shut the hatch.

*

Pure carnage met them inside the Revolver. Droids lay strewn in the corridors, their innards destroyed, limbs bent and heads crushed. A few of them still moved, but Vivio made short work of them as she scouted ahead, smashing their heads with a fist. Everywhere there were signs of battle, a one-sided one. The walls were scorched from the droids' fire as they'd missed whatever they had aimed at. The furniture, consoles and other things that had once served a function had all been destroyed. Sparks flew from broken monitors when they passed a control room lying in darkness. Each spark acted as a light source, revealing more broken droids inside.

From the layout so far, this battlecruiser was different from the normal ones. This one had the bare necessities, further proving the fact that it was meant for droids, not humans. Judging from the amount of droids they found as they walked towards the bridge, it added more evidence to their theory. They couldn't find a single drop of blood on any of the droids, or any clothes for that matter; no signs of humans could be found.

When they reached the bridge — spending over ten minutes walking through identical corridors with bare walls and more droids —the door opened by itself as soon as they got close to it. Surprised, looking at each other in wonder, they stepped through, half-expecting to find either a dead Subaru or an ambush.

"I held back."

They found neither. Subaru stood in the middle of a heap of crushed droids, holding a Zealot General above the floor with one arm. The man groaned, still alive. His clothes had been ripped to shreds and the machines meant to keep him functional hung in loose cables from his body. He twitched in her grip, kicking his legs, but he didn't have the strength to break free. Teeth gritted, he stared at her defiantly.

"Subaru, you're back to normal," Vivio said, failing to hide her amazement.

"I never left," Subaru said and grinned. "Not willingly, anyway. I remember the message I sent you guys, but I broke away after that. This guy here," she said and shook the Zealot General, "tried to stop me. It didn't work."

"But your head..." Nanoha murmured. Her head was still shaved, cables sticking out from pretty much the entirety of her scalp. The red orbs behind her visor glowed.

Subaru shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. It's not the most beautiful thing in the world, but I feel more powerful than ever. They brought about their own destruction trying to... 'improve' me. After they kidnapped me, they analyzed and went through my whole body. I'm glad I was sedated for the most of it. The things they did, opened me up and...

"Anyway, since they thought they had successfully brainwashed me, I've had access to their database. There's a lot of information you might find interesting there."

Nanoha's interest peaked and she remembered her theories. The evidence she needed might be here on the ship. "I'll take a look," she said and plugged in the cable into a console. The codebreaker program began its process again.

"Do we need him for anything?" Subaru nodded at the Zealot General.

"Can he give us anything we can't from the database?" Vita asked. Subaru shook her head. "Then do as you wish."

Subaru grinned and carried the Zealot General out of the bridge, shutting the hatch behind her. Lamenting screams soon echoed through the ship. Nanoha shuddered.

"She's mad," Vita said.

"Naturally," Signum said. "She was suppressing rage as far as I could tell. That girl... she was about to explode."

Nanoha nodded, half-listening. The codebreaker was done and displayed information on her visor. She drew a sharp breath and scoured through one particular entry of interest, authored by someone named Tikin Hyoka. The name itself indicated it wasn't an Absolution name. It sounded like a name from Earth. Japanese. So why was it in this database? It had to be related to something, research perhaps. Ties to Earth.

The implications worried her and she started reading the entry. It read like a diary, not at all as if it had been written by an academic or a soldier, which was strange in itself. She had the feeling someone wanted her to read it, but she shrugged it off.

My grandmother served on Redemption's Light. It was a Black Ops TSAB Warship that set sail about one-hundred and twenty years ago with a mission that has fallen into the shadows of old memories. Two days after it left dock, it suffered critical engine failure and was forced to leave the Dimensional Sea, crash-landing on a planet as they had lost all manner of control. That planet, with billion to one odds, was Cherubim, the birthplace of the Absolution. Though it wasn't called that back then. It was called something else that has been forgotten, purged from official records.

The TSAB personnel intermingled with this peaceful civilization that had just a year prior achieved space travel. Love appeared among some, camaraderie among many. They formed bonds that would last them for centuries since the TSAB never came to look for them. It bred disdain and hatred as time passed. Plans were drawn up in an attempt to eventually return to their rightful place in the universe.

Then it all went wrong. My grandmother told me that when the meteorite struck the planet, no one realized the utter horror it had brought with it. This thing, an invisible plague, spread quickly over the continents. Theoreticians said it was an alien weapon. I don't know what it was, but it killed a lot of us. Too many to count. Those who survived became very ill, doomed to live a sad existence since their bodies had stopped functioning as they should, except they couldn't die. They found solutions, though. Technology flourished. Immortality was a fact, if an eternal torture. And it had a side-effect: We all became insane.

I'm one of the of few sane ones left. They might find me soon and get rid of me, for all who aren't with them are heretics and must be punished. They pray to the stars, expecting a savior. It's dangerous around here now. A select few, those descended from those with TSAB origins has grown powerful with their forefathers' magic and their own technology developed on Cherubim. They've become demigods, leading the people towards a new life.

I pray to someone as well, but I'm not sure who. I pray that their leader won't find me. If she does, I hope I'll have a quick death. I shudder every time I hear her name. She's a monster. She wants to destroy the TSAB, to punish them for what they brought onto us. She cites gods and prophecies. Projects of war has been set into motion that cannot be stopped. I think she's lying about the gods and prophecies. All of them are lies. No, it's simpler than that. She's a fraud, using her knowledge to rally the people behind her. And she won't fail.

Because she's already won.

Nanoha's eyes widened. It all made sense. She had to take this to Yuuno herself in case the fleet had spies. She had to inform him of who the Absolution actually were and find out who led them. But something cold wrapped itself around inner being. If she had trouble with Zealot Generals, who knew what a Lord was capable of? What Luiz had said... the person this Hyoka talked about was the ultimate enemy. They'd have to regroup and draw up a battle plan before they faced a Lord. They had to—

Hayate's voice burst into her ear, interrupting her thoughts. "Unforgiving, emergency situation. An Absolution fleet just warped in."

Subaru returned at this point, wiping blood off her hands with eerie indifference, and sat down at the helm. Nanoha didn't ask what she had done to the Zealot General. Subaru summoned a screen in front of them and they observed as five battlecruisers and the Messiah emerged from warp, too close for comfort for the TSAB fleet. As soon as they landed, Hayate's fleet started to move away from them in a haste, engines burning with energy as the ships aligned.

"Go," Subaru said without turning from the screen. "Go and fight. I'll do what I can from here. Judging from their comm chatter they think I'm still with them."

"Subaru, Teana is waiting for you," Nanoha said, touching Subaru's shoulder. "Come with us, you can't stay here."

"I can and I will. I have to protect her." She paused, turned and looked Nanoha straight in the eye with her red orbs. She smiled. "Go. Please. I don't want her to see me like this right now. I have to prepare myself."

"But..." Nanoha said, words sticking in her throat. She looked at Subaru with a heavy knot of sadness in her chest. She had to tell her about Caro and Erio. She wanted to ask what the Absolution had done to her during the time she was gone. Nanoha had questions she needed to be answered. She wanted to put some things to rest so she wouldn't be distracted later on.

Vivio pulled at Nanoha's arm — her expression suggesting she didn't like it either, but that they didn't have a choice — and she let herself be pulled outside the bridge. She didn't try to fight it, reason winning her over. The hatch closed behind them and they started to run through the corridors towards the Harbingers.

A battle was about to begin. Nanoha couldn't shake off the feeling that something horrible was about to happen.

3 chapters to go. Been writing furiously, close to done.

[Craxuan]

You know, I've always wondered that the name Unforgiving just doesn't fit the Nanoha crew, and what Vivio just said made me feel it even more so. The name Unforgiving gives a sense of forbidding and unrelenting vengeance, but Vivio's actions suggested, well, the exact opposite.

[vic-vic]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

What does tomorrow want with me
What does it matter what I see
If we all walk behind the blind
Tell me where do we draw the line

Poets of the Fall - Where Do We Draw the Line

Spoiler for Unforgiving VII:

"What do we do?"

Nanoha wasn't aware of who had asked the question, but she couldn't find an answer for it anyway. The Unforgiving, Hayate and Mariam stood in silence on the bridge of the Vengala, glancing at each other as if one of them had the answer. The frozen image of Subaru still stared at them from the screen even after the connection had been cut. Nanoha refused to look at it. She'd become an abomination, a tool of the Absolution. Nevertheless, Nanoha felt divided as to what they should do. Killing her was out of the question, though; they could probably revert her back. The problem would be extracting her in the first place—

"We blow it up," Hayate said, arms crossed. Nanoha's eyes widened in shock as her thoughts halted. "I can't risk that ship blowing up our fleet like last time."

"You can't. You can't kill Subaru!" Teana stood in front of her, pointing at the screen. She was close to hysteria, her lower lip trembling and her eyes darting back and forth, searching for agreement. "She's one of us, you've known her for years."

"That thing is not Subaru." Hayate nodded at the screen and sneered. "It's a brainwashed machine that wants to kill us."

"You don't know that. How can you talk about Subaru like that?" Teana's voice began to break, her face a red blush of anger, clenched fists along her side.

"Teana, calm down," Nanoha said and reached out to touch her shoulder. Teana brushed her hand away and Nanoha shrunk back. Anger and pain rose within her, but she still couldn't find the right words.

"No, I won't calm down! You are talking about killing my friend! Our friend!" She seized Hayate's collar and yanked her close to her face before Nanoha could stop her. Her other hand remained clenched, shaking. "Don't do it, Hayate. Please."

"Do you know what one of those ships did to my fleet earlier?" Hayate's tone went cold, angry. Her eyes flared. "Do you know what kind of a risk we are taking right now, staring it down instead of destroying it? Subaru is gone, Teana. Realize it. We have to act now."

The two glared at each other in a way Nanoha had never seen any of them having done before... No, Teana had. Once. But that was to Nanoha, not Hayate, and the situation had been another. Teana had other reasons to be mad now and Nanoha understood her on a fundamental level, but didn't know what to do. Subaru was a threat that had to be neutralized. That much was certain, but killing her outright wasn't the right way to go. How could Hayate intend to kill her off right away without thinking it over? This wasn't the girl she knew from the past. She'd never go cold like that, all analytical. Calculating. Allowing hatred and a thirst for vengeance override her mind and influence her decisions.

Nanoha realized —though she felt stupid since it was so obvious —that it had gotten to her. All the loss and death around her, the responsibility of command, her choices. It all started to break her down.

"Let her go," Signum said as her Purge Suit materialized and Laevateinn flashed into her hand. She stepped forward and pointed the tip at Teana's cheek, prodding the soft skin. "Step back, Lanster."

"You agree with her?" Disbelief filled Teana's voice and she smiled while tears trailed down her cheeks. "You don't all do that... right?"

Nanoha, again, didn't know where she stood on the issue. Vita and Zafira stood at Hayate's side, their choice obvious. They showed no doubt of who they believed in. Yuuno looked at Nanoha with a shrug as if asking what to do and Vivio looked at them all, weighing each face with a sour expression.

Nanoha glanced at Mariam for support, but she shook her head. There wasn't much she could do anyway, even with the power of an XO. She couldn't overrule Hayate —in theory she could since regulations stated that if a Commander was considered unsuited for command, the person could be removed, but it would complicate everything even further —and that was before Nanoha remembered who the fleet's loyalty belonged to. Come to think of it, throughout the argument they'd drawn the attention of half the bridge so far. The guards on duty appeared shifty, looking as if they were going to intervene, but they still hesitated of what to do. Nanoha figured they were partly relieved that Hayate hadn't called them yet. As soldiers they were obligated to follow orders, but they were still humans with their own opinions and morals.

A stalemate between friends with loyalties in different places. Risks waiting around every corner, waiting for one of them to make the wrong decision. Silence reigned on the bridge.

"Are you serious?" Vivio broke the silence with a loud voice. Nowadays she remained in her Adult Form most of the time and that was the case now. She stood with her hands on her hips, back straight, staring at Hayate, Teana and the Knights. "Are you fighting over this? Think of solutions instead of getting at each others' throats! You're faced with a serious situation and you resort to threaten those closest to you? That's not the Unforgiving I know. We wouldn't even think of killing one of our own, no matter how far gone. We would look for other ways to save her." She shook her head. "The Absolution doesn't need brainwashing. We're destroying ourselves from the inside as it is. We're playing straight into their hand."

Her simple words hit home. Everyone gaped at her and Nanoha's heart swelled with pride. Of course that's what she should have said. She sneaked a smile at her daughter, but otherwise kept a straight face.

Teana stared at Vivio before turning back to Hayate and releasing her, head lowered. Laevateinn disappeared at the same time and Hayate took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Fine. But we have to work quickly. What can we do about this?"

"May I make a suggestion, Commander?"

They turned as one towards Mariam who observed them quietly. She wore her usual stone facade with no openings.

"Go ahead," Hayate said.

"Take the Harbingers and board it. Make the fleet ready to jump in case she makes a move towards us. Bring her back here."

Silence again.

"Well, that was easy," Yuuno said.

"Please, Hayate," Teana said as she bowed, her anger blown away. "Save Subaru and bring her back to me!"

"Nanoha," Hayate said after a few seconds of consideration, still looking at Teana. "You and Vivio take Harbinger 1. Vita and Signum will take Harbinger 2. Go now." She paused. "Bring back Subaru. Now."

Nanoha nodded, smiling. "I will."

*

Once they had gotten on their Pec suits, which despite their appearance were easy to put on — even if they were a bit too tight for Nanoha's liking — they settled into the Harbinger. It stood in the middle of the vast hangar next to its sister ship where Vita and Signum were getting off one of the mobile catwalks and seated themselves inside it. To one side in the hangar a few shuttles lay docked, but the rest of the room lay empty. Most of the transports had been used at beginning of the invasion. The majority had been destroyed.

The cockpit was larger than Nanoha had imagined, though she suspected it was an optical illusion. It was quite dark and cold on the inside once the canopy had sealed them in. The seats were situated in such a way that Vivio had an elevated position behind Nanoha's seat, and each of them had a separate screen on the console in front of them, together with an internal HUD on the inside of their helms' visors. The pilot system of the Harbinger allowed Vivio to control the weapons and defense while Nanoha focused on piloting. Both could switch if they wanted to, but Nanoha decided to let it be as it was since that seemed like the optimal layout for the two of them. The seats themselves were cushioned and fairly comfortable, clad in black and blue colors, and the controls were basic; a joystick on either side of the seat, on the armrests, along with control pads situated on the side of the joystick itself.

When they'd made themselves comfortable, Nanoha grabbed one of the joysticks and pressed a button on it. She could feel a distant hum vibrate in her back and blue light flooded the cockpit. It felt more pleasant in an instant. Her seat adjusted itself further to her liking, securing her against it with claws hooking into her suit.

[Welcome, Captain Takamachi, ] a digital voice said. It came from inside of her helmet.

"Harbinger AI, is it?" Nanoha said. She could get used to this voice. It was deep and male. Soothing in a way, the way it rumbled. It carried respect and wisdom.

[Indeed it is, my Lady. However, I would very much enjoy if you would call me Huginn.]

"Huginn it is then," Nanoha said. "Is that your given name or something you came up with yourself?"

[It is what I personally prefer. Those who created me do not mind.] Huginn paused until visuals of the hangar appeared on her visor, showing the other Harbinger. There were no windows on the machine as it relied on external sensors to provide an image. [My brother is named Muninn. Like me, he prefers to be called that.]

"Sorry to interrupt," Vivio said, "but we don't have much time. Can we get a move on?"

[Certainly, my Lady. ]

The hum behind her increased and the entire vehicle shuddered as it became encased in magical energy. From the outside it would appear as if it was caught in a bubble that could barely be seen with the naked eye. What gave it away was a faint shimmer stroking over it from time to time.

[Allow me to begin the undock sequence and enable Cruise Control. Your input is appreciated, but I can handle myself for a start.]

While Huginn assumed control, Hayate appeared on the screen in front of her.

"I'm talking to all four of you right now. I just wanted to update you on the situation: The hostile ship isn't making any suspicious movements at the moment, which is strange in its own right. We are sitting ducks while the Harbingers undock, though, so wrap it up quickly, alright?"

A resounding 'Understood' came over the channel from all of the pilots. Nanoha noticed she could see the name Harbinger Two in a column at the edge of her visor. It pulsed along with Signum's and Vita's voices as they spoke.

"Then good luck. Hayate out."

She disappeared from the screen. Ahead of them the hangar bays opened as the Harbinger moved closer. Stars glinted in the extreme distance outside and she came to realize this was the first time she would be able to fly more freely in space than on a Warship. Her stomach fluttered and, despite the situation, she couldn't help but smile, amazed and thankful for the opportunity.

[Ignition.]

Her body became squashed against the seat, pushing her eyes back into her skull, as Huginn shot forward and left the hangar in a blur. Once outside it tilted to the side — Mid-Childa becoming their sky — and set a course for the Revolver. Harbinger Two moved up beside them after a few seconds. The sun, close to disappearing behind the planet, lit the Harbinger up. Its black metal shone, blinding Nanoha until the visuals adjusted to a lower setting on her visor. The Harbinger's magical bubble glowed in the sun's rays while the Vengala drifted away from them, becoming smaller and smaller.

That's when Nanoha saw how battered the Warship actually was. Scorch marks, dents and long gashes ran along its hull. In a few places its paint had changed into a dull grey. It looked worse than it seemed, since it was cosmetic damage, but Nanoha shuddered anyway. The ship was living evidence of what had transpired in the past week.

"Subaru isn't moving," Vivio said from behind her. "She's not showing any signs of hostility for some reason."

"Maybe she got lucky," Nanoha said. "Subaru is stronger than we give her credit for. I didn't want to bring Teana's hopes up earlier, but she might have resisted the brainwashing. She might be holding herself back."

"Let's hope that's the case," Vivio said.

The battlecruiser grew in size as they got closer. This close up the details looked a little different compared to the 2D images she'd analyzed with Hayate. Weapons seemed larger and its metal seemed bruised as if it had been in battle before, though there weren't any visible scorch marks from TSAB weapons. In fact, besides from the bruising, it looked almost brand new. Almost as if it had been recently put together and shipped out. However, that implied that the Absolution had the ability to construct ships at will and send them to distant locations in a short amount of time.

Nanoha didn't like that prospect and hoped she was wrong.

The Harbingers tilted again and put the battlecruiser above them, searching for the entry points they had noted down. The linked metal plates were endless. It took them a fair while to search the entirety of the hull on that side until they found one of the entry points close to the stern. It appeared to her as a small hatch, part of the metal itself, hard to see if it hadn't been for Huginn's help.

"Signum, Vita", Nanoha relayed through a channel, "we found an entry point. Prepare to board."

"Roger that," came the reply.

Both Harbingers slowed to a halt close to the hull. From three points near the cockpit, metallic poles extended out. At the tip there were super-powered magnets designed to attach to the hull, which they did soon enough, the Harbinger shaking slightly. Properly secured, Nanoha and Vivio checked their suits one last time. Everything checked out.

"Huginn, let us out."

[As you wish, my Lady.]

The Harbinger vented air from the cockpit through small ventilation shafts and then slowly opened the canopy. Everything became muted to Nanoha. She could hear her own breathing and the soft sound of touching the Harbinger through her suit as she climbed outside, but she heard nothing else. She gave a gentle push with her foot and drifted upwards towards the entry point, flipped in mid-air with the help of the thrusters, and landed with her feet on the hull. Her magnetized soles secured her against it with a sudden snap. Vivio joined her a second later. Signum and Vita were on their way over from Harbinger Two.

The view was breathtaking from where she stood. To her right and left, the metallic hull went on forever, having its own horizon. When she looked up, towards the planet, she could see the sun half-occluded behind it. Everything else around them, bar the stars, was black. It was disorienting, looking up while standing upside-down or whatever direction she could define it as, but still an overwhelming experience. The might of empty space stared into her soul, paralyzing her. For a few seconds, her heart beat was the one thing she could hear.

"Mom, are you alright?" Vivio spoke into her ear through the suit's internal comm system. Her voice boomed on the inside, piercing Nanoha's ears.

"Yes, but keep it down. The volume is a bit high..."

"Sorry."

Nanoha squatted down and pulled out a cord from her suit. It was a thin rubber cable with a plug on the end, designed to fit into Absolution interfaces. She thanked Shamal and Obrock in her mind as she opened a small panel next to the hatch and plugged the cable into one of the ports.

As Signum and Vita landed, they resorted to wait as the suit's codebreaker program began cracking the security measures. While it would have been impossible in normal circumstances, their programmers had managed to salvage enough working Absolution technology to make up solutions for this exact situation. If it hadn't been for them, the alternative would be to blow the hatch up, a solution Nanoha was glad she didn't have to utilize.

Her suit pinged after a while and the hatch opened, leading into an airlock. Nanoha nodded at Vivio who went first, followed by Signum and Vita. Nanoha was the last one to go inside, but before she closed the hatch she took one long look at Mid-Childa with a variety of emotions rushing through her head.

"See you soon," she whispered and shut the hatch.

*

Pure carnage met them inside the Revolver. Droids lay strewn in the corridors, their innards destroyed, limbs bent and heads crushed. A few of them still moved, but Vivio made short work of them as she scouted ahead, smashing their heads with a fist. Everywhere there were signs of battle, a one-sided one. The walls were scorched from the droids' fire as they'd missed whatever they had aimed at. The furniture, consoles and other things that had once served a function had all been destroyed. Sparks flew from broken monitors when they passed a control room lying in darkness. Each spark acted as a light source, revealing more broken droids inside.

From the layout so far, this battlecruiser was different from the normal ones. This one had the bare necessities, further proving the fact that it was meant for droids, not humans. Judging from the amount of droids they found as they walked towards the bridge, it added more evidence to their theory. They couldn't find a single drop of blood on any of the droids, or any clothes for that matter; no signs of humans could be found.

When they reached the bridge — spending over ten minutes walking through identical corridors with bare walls and more droids —the door opened by itself as soon as they got close to it. Surprised, looking at each other in wonder, they stepped through, half-expecting to find either a dead Subaru or an ambush.

"I held back."

They found neither. Subaru stood in the middle of a heap of crushed droids, holding a Zealot General above the floor with one arm. The man groaned, still alive. His clothes had been ripped to shreds and the machines meant to keep him functional hung in loose cables from his body. He twitched in her grip, kicking his legs, but he didn't have the strength to break free. Teeth gritted, he stared at her defiantly.

"Subaru, you're back to normal," Vivio said, failing to hide her amazement.

"I never left," Subaru said and grinned. "Not willingly, anyway. I remember the message I sent you guys, but I broke away after that. This guy here," she said and shook the Zealot General, "tried to stop me. It didn't work."

"But your head..." Nanoha murmured. Her head was still shaved, cables sticking out from pretty much the entirety of her scalp. The red orbs behind her visor glowed.

Subaru shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. It's not the most beautiful thing in the world, but I feel more powerful than ever. They brought about their own destruction trying to... 'improve' me. After they kidnapped me, they analyzed and went through my whole body. I'm glad I was sedated for the most of it. The things they did, opened me up and...

"Anyway, since they thought they had successfully brainwashed me, I've had access to their database. There's a lot of information you might find interesting there."

Nanoha's interest peaked and she remembered her theories. The evidence she needed might be here on the ship. "I'll take a look," she said and plugged in the cable into a console. The codebreaker program began its process again.

"Do we need him for anything?" Subaru nodded at the Zealot General.

"Can he give us anything we can't from the database?" Vita asked. Subaru shook her head. "Then do as you wish."

Subaru grinned and carried the Zealot General out of the bridge, shutting the hatch behind her. Lamenting screams soon echoed through the ship. Nanoha shuddered.

"She's mad," Vita said.

"Naturally," Signum said. "She was suppressing rage as far as I could tell. That girl... she was about to explode."

Nanoha nodded, half-listening. The codebreaker was done and displayed information on her visor. She drew a sharp breath and scoured through one particular entry of interest, authored by someone named Tikin Hyoka. The name itself indicated it wasn't an Absolution name. It sounded like a name from Earth. Japanese. So why was it in this database? It had to be related to something, research perhaps. Ties to Earth.

The implications worried her and she started reading the entry. It read like a diary, not at all as if it had been written by an academic or a soldier, which was strange in itself. She had the feeling someone wanted her to read it, but she shrugged it off.

My grandmother served on Redemption's Light. It was a Black Ops TSAB Warship that set sail about one-hundred and twenty years ago with a mission that has fallen into the shadows of old memories. Two days after it left dock, it suffered critical engine failure and was forced to leave the Dimensional Sea, crash-landing on a planet as they had lost all manner of control. That planet, with billion to one odds, was Cherubim, the birthplace of the Absolution. Though it wasn't called that back then. It was called something else that has been forgotten, purged from official records.

The TSAB personnel intermingled with this peaceful civilization that had just a year prior achieved space travel. Love appeared among some, camaraderie among many. They formed bonds that would last them for centuries since the TSAB never came to look for them. It bred disdain and hatred as time passed. Plans were drawn up in an attempt to eventually return to their rightful place in the universe.

Then it all went wrong. My grandmother told me that when the meteorite struck the planet, no one realized the utter horror it had brought with it. This thing, an invisible plague, spread quickly over the continents. Theoreticians said it was an alien weapon. I don't know what it was, but it killed a lot of us. Too many to count. Those who survived became very ill, doomed to live a sad existence since their bodies had stopped functioning as they should, except they couldn't die. They found solutions, though. Technology flourished. Immortality was a fact, if an eternal torture. And it had a side-effect: We all became insane.

I'm one of the of few sane ones left. They might find me soon and get rid of me, for all who aren't with them are heretics and must be punished. They pray to the stars, expecting a savior. It's dangerous around here now. A select few, those descended from those with TSAB origins has grown powerful with their forefathers' magic and their own technology developed on Cherubim. They've become demigods, leading the people towards a new life.

I pray to someone as well, but I'm not sure who. I pray that their leader won't find me. If she does, I hope I'll have a quick death. I shudder every time I hear her name. She's a monster. She wants to destroy the TSAB, to punish them for what they brought onto us. She cites gods and prophecies. Projects of war has been set into motion that cannot be stopped. I think she's lying about the gods and prophecies. All of them are lies. No, it's simpler than that. She's a fraud, using her knowledge to rally the people behind her. And she won't fail.

Because she's already won.

Nanoha's eyes widened. It all made sense. She had to take this to Yuuno herself in case the fleet had spies. She had to inform him of who the Absolution actually were and find out who led them. But something cold wrapped itself around inner being. If she had trouble with Zealot Generals, who knew what a Lord was capable of? What Luiz had said... the person this Hyoka talked about was the ultimate enemy. They'd have to regroup and draw up a battle plan before they faced a Lord. They had to—

Hayate's voice burst into her ear, interrupting her thoughts. "Unforgiving, emergency situation. An Absolution fleet just warped in."

Subaru returned at this point, wiping blood off her hands with eerie indifference, and sat down at the helm. Nanoha didn't ask what she had done to the Zealot General. Subaru summoned a screen in front of them and they observed as five battlecruisers and the Messiah emerged from warp, too close for comfort for the TSAB fleet. As soon as they landed, Hayate's fleet started to move away from them in a haste, engines burning with energy as the ships aligned.

"Go," Subaru said without turning from the screen. "Go and fight. I'll do what I can from here. Judging from their comm chatter they think I'm still with them."

"Subaru, Teana is waiting for you," Nanoha said, touching Subaru's shoulder. "Come with us, you can't stay here."

"I can and I will. I have to protect her." She paused, turned and looked Nanoha straight in the eye with her red orbs. She smiled. "Go. Please. I don't want her to see me like this right now. I have to prepare myself."

"But..." Nanoha said, words sticking in her throat. She looked at Subaru with a heavy knot of sadness in her chest. She had to tell her about Caro and Erio. She wanted to ask what the Absolution had done to her during the time she was gone. Nanoha had questions she needed to be answered. She wanted to put some things to rest so she wouldn't be distracted later on.

Vivio pulled at Nanoha's arm — her expression suggesting she didn't like it either, but that they didn't have a choice — and she let herself be pulled outside the bridge. She didn't try to fight it, reason winning her over. The hatch closed behind them and they started to run through the corridors towards the Harbingers.

A battle was about to begin. Nanoha couldn't shake off the feeling that something horrible was about to happen.

3 chapters to go. Been writing furiously, close to done.

I have feeling that soon Nanoha would be forced to fight not only with Absolution, but with... her vengence obessed friends too.

[NorthernFallout]

Originally Posted by Craxuan

You know, I've always wondered that the name Unforgiving just doesn't fit the Nanoha crew, and what Vivio just said made me feel it even more so. The name Unforgiving gives a sense of forbidding and unrelenting vengeance, but Vivio's actions suggested, well, the exact opposite.

You may have a point. However

Spoiler for potential answer:

Their name goes a bit deeper. True, Vivio's words and actions does point to the opposite, but as a group they've become unrelenting and "unforgiving" against the Absolution as time goes on. They are, however, still individuals, which means their opinions will clash from time to time. But in a general whole, they will probably never "forgive" what the Absolution has done.

Further, in canon, we know very well how Nanoha and Co tends to "befriend" and show mercy, etc (pre-Force anyway). In Unforgiving they kill a whole lot more without prejudice, rampaging around without much second thought (at least in later chapters) and diplomacy takes a backseat. They change and grow more relentless.

As for Subaru in particular, she is still one of their friends, and knowing them right, they would do anything to bring her back if the chance was there. Which it now was. Unforgiving they might have become, but they have not become emotionless.

[bhl88]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

You may have a point. However

Spoiler for potential answer:

Their name goes a bit deeper. True, Vivio's words and actions does point to the opposite, but as a group they've become unrelenting and "unforgiving" against the Absolution as time goes on. They are, however, still individuals, which means their opinions will clash from time to time. But in a general whole, they will probably never "forgive" what the Absolution has done.

Further, in canon, we know very well how Nanoha and Co tends to "befriend" and show mercy, etc (pre-Force anyway). In Unforgiving they kill a whole lot more without prejudice, rampaging around without much second thought (at least in later chapters) and diplomacy takes a backseat. They change and grow more relentless.

As for Subaru in particular, she is still one of their friends, and knowing them right, they would do anything to bring her back if the chance was there. Which it now was. Unforgiving they might have become, but they have not become emotionless.

And if Subaru is dead, they'd most likely become more ruthless and torture them until they are dead.

[NorthernFallout]

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Fight your foes, you're not alone
Holy war is on the phone
Asking to please stay on hold
The bleeding loss of blood runs cold
Faunts - M4 (Part II)

Spoiler for Unforgiving VIII:

Nanoha and Vivio entered their Harbinger again, canopy sealing around them. The systems came online, illuminating the cockpit in its serene blue light and the magnets detached from the battlecruiser. The Harbinger shuddered as the poles were pulled back in and, with a gentle nudge from its thrusters, started to drift away from the ship.

[Welcome back, ladies,] Huginn said. [All systems optimal. I have also received new coordinates from the Commander.]

A 3D map appeared over Nanoha's visor, showing the two fleets on a grid. The hostiles were a bit above their allies and a red dot pointed out their next objective: The [Messiah]. It was time.

"Vivio, you seeing this?" Nanoha knew she did, but wanted to reassure herself. She didn't want a simple communications error to spell doom for them all.

"I am."

Their comms pinged. Hayate talked over the Global channel, set to transmit to everyone in the fleet: "To all TSAB forces: The Absolution support fleet is our primary objective. Keep them busy and support Harbinger One and Two. They need to complete their mission at all costs. Everything is lost if they can't. Reinforcements should arrive within the hour. If we can hold out until they arrive, we'll be able to push back and pursue. Godspeed, everyone."

The channel went quiet and Huginn's ambience settled in Nanoha's ears. Here and there a console would ping with information the AI would filter, check and reorganize, before sending the necessary information to whatever component needed it. She'd been annoyed at the ping at first, but the longer she stayed in the cockpit, the more it blended with the background.

"Let's move," Nanoha said and gripped the joysticks. Her own authorization overtook the AI's and she assumed control of the craft. The computer would correct her input to a certain extent, but she otherwise had full control over the Harbinger.

The battlecruiser obstructed her view of the battle for a start, though she wouldn't be able to see much from this distance if it hadn't been for the Harbinger's own sensors. They cruised along the battlecruiser's hull for about twenty seconds before the hull's horizon fell away below them and the rest of space revealed itself. Nanoha drew a quick breath. The sun had now settled behind the planet, covering their side in darkness, but the rays still reached the Absolution fleet. Their hulls glowed in the light, the Messiah turning into a blinding miniature sun since its gray hull reflected more light than the darker battlecruisers. The filters Harbinger's sensors dimmed so Nanoha could see without squinting. A beautiful lightshow about to turn its ugly head.

"Why are they so few?" Vivio said. "We outnumber them to start with. Do they think the dreadnought will be enough to support them?"

"This is the Absolution, after all," Nanoha said. "They've underestimated us from the beginning." Though sometimes justified, she added in her own head. As much as she hated to admit it, the TSAB had lost more than they'd gained. The Absolution were stronger, though maybe not as numerous; she didn't know the total number of their main fleet, and neither did the rest of the TSAB.

She hoped Hayate was right about things changing, because if she wasn't...

She pressed the joystick forward and the Harbinger accelerated, adjusting its speed based on her brainwaves and physical input. She was amazed at how well it responded to everything she did; every single detail and sensitive motion translated into a movement for the Harbinger down to the millimeter. Much like Raising Heart was an extension of herself, the Harbinger became an outer shell of her own body. A gentle touch on her part caused the small ship to move just the way she wanted it to. Huginn remained quiet during their flight, ambience keeping them company.

The Harbingers soared above the battlecruisers, who in turn ignored them and instead focused on the TSAB fleet once they had recharged their drives. Energy beams crossed paths with magical beams, criss-crossing across space and splattered over shimmering shields, throwing vast amounts of energy into the vacuum. Among those white beams, Fighters burned towards the Harbingers head-on. Since Fighters were smaller than the Harbingers, they made a better counter than a battlecrusier.

And there were far more to spare.

[Assault Mode Engaged.]

Huginn's speed increased further and the controls became more responsive. She rolled the vessel over, targeting reticles appearing over several Fighters on her HUD as Huginn locked onto them automatically. Vivio took over from there and fired the dual front beam lasers with pin-point accuracy. Before the Fighters reached their effective range, Vivio had shot down three of them after sustained beam fire.

The remaining Fighters closed the distance in a heartbeat and fired.

[Boosting defensive measures.]

The Fighters flew past them at high speed. Nanoha performed a barrel roll, dodging some of the shots, though a hint of nausea rose in her stomach from the sudden change. Thanks to Huginn, the Harbinger's shield absorbed the fire that managed to hit them, but there were no vibrations, no sound. All she experienced were the G-forces and ambience inside the cockpit.

She jolted the joystick backwards, tapped the front thrusters to reduce her speed a little, and flipped the Harbinger around. With a clear shot at the Fighters who started to turn back themselves, Vivio opened fire again. The Fighters were too slow to dodge, as the beam turrets cut them to shreds one by one. Nanoha continued drifting backwards, accelerating as she did, which meant the Fighters were forced to accelerate and try to get into range. The maneuver provided Vivio with ample time to destroy them all.

However, a few of them survived the volley, and smarted up. The three Fighters still alive split up on three different paths and came around from several sides: From underneath, above and the Harbinger's starboard side. Nanoha checked the grid laid out on her visor, but she couldn't call for help from Harbinger Two; they were having their own problems, fighting off a small horde of Fighters.

"Vivio, lock them up." She gripped the joystick hard and double-checked the Fighters' positions. She went through the maneuver in her head and nodded to herself. It could work if she timed it right. "You have to be quick."

She could sense the grin across Vivio's face behind her as she said, "I'm always quick."

She waited for two seconds more. The Fighters were getting closer, still holding their fire. Maybe they planned to fire at once, overwhelming her shields. That wouldn't happen as far as Nanoha was concerned, adrenaline flowing through her veins, every sense alert.

"Now!"

She twitched the joystick. The Harbinger spun to face the Fighter coming from above head-on. The four smaller beam weapons on the starboard side powered up and the missile launcher underneath turned to face backwards. All Fighters were confirmed locked. Vivio fired.

With six beam weapons and one missile launcher firing at once, vibrations shook the Harbinger. After a second's pause, four beams pierced the Fighter to starboard, cutting it in half along the hull, followed by the Fighter above exploding into scrap metal, debris bouncing off the Harbinger's shield. The missile from the launcher picked up speed, adjusted its flight path to coincide with the last Fighter, and hit it straight into the rear fuselage. Its hull ruptured from its aft towards the bow, splitting it apart.

Nanoha exhaled and relaxed. With debris lying as cloud around them, she checked the grid again and found Harbinger Two safe and sound, having destroyed their pursuers as well. She pinged them and opened a channel. "Harbinger Two, let's go for the Messiah before another squad of these arrive," she said. A resounding 'roger' met her.

Unwilling to lose their momentum, she turned the craft around and flared the engines. The Harbinger shot forward, heading straight for the dreadnought. Now when she had time to assess the battlefield again, hope filled her heart. The TSAB fleet were holding their ground. The Absolution battlecruisers had lost one so far, and another would soon follow. However, she worried about the dreadnought's delay in firing; they might still have time to stop it, but it could also fire at any moment. It would spell certain doom for one of the Warships and she wanted to do everything she could to prevent it.

They crossed the distance quickly, the ships growing in size on her visor. No new Fighters came to pursue them, though the battlecrusiers tried to shoot them from time to time. The Harbinger, however, was far too fast and small for their tracking to lock onto and Nanoha dodged the beams with ease, weaving side to side.

"How do you want to do this?" Vivio asked. "The Harbingers will be sitting ducks outside."

Huginn answered her. [Fear not, my Lady. Once you leave us, my brother and I become invisible on enemy sensors thanks to the interference from the battle. We will not be harmed as long as we stay immobile and inactive until your safe return.]

"I guess that clears that up," Nanoha said and chuckled.

Another battlecruiser disappeared from the grid, its remains joining the rest of the lifeless fragments floating around in space. The distance between the ships themselves in the fleet were now far enough to avoid any potential collision as they went down. There wouldn't be any lucky collateral damage for the TSAB this time around that they could use to their advantage. They had to rely on their remaining firepower.

[Energy output detected.]

Terror seized her as the Messiah's front-mounted weapons started to glow. She checked the distance they had left. Too far. No matter what it would fire. One of the Warships would die. She didn't bother to call it in. Hayate knew the situation better than she did. She prayed that the Vengala wasn't the target. Hayate and Fate. Yuuno. All of them would die. The selfish thoughts disgusted her, but she reminded herself it was a natural reaction. It didn't help much. Drenched in cold sweat, she listened to her pounding heart as the seconds ticked by.

The dreadnought fired. Miademes was the victim, much to Nanoha's relief and grief. The massive beam dissolved the warship's shield, melted the armor in an instant and roasted the inner structure. The beam lasted for less than five seconds, leaving the wreck of the warship floating away without tearing it apart further. Space swallowed the scorched hull of death, preserving it as a massive gravestone with its crew buried inside it.

Nanoha kept the rage within. She could unleash it soon. Right now she had to focus. It wasn't time for grieving, not yet.

They avoided the battlecruisers once they got closer and started searching for the entry points on the dreadnought's hull. TheRevolver was nothing compared to this. A horizon rose as they swooped past its edge, flying so close to its hull Nanoha feared they would crash into it.

But they didn't and found the entry point a few minutes later, this hatch having the same design as the previous one. Huginn repeated the procedure from earlier and latched onto the hull with its magnet-equipped poles. Acting in haste, the canopy opened and Nanoha pushed away from her seat before it had managed halfway. She looked to her right once she was outside and saw Harbinger Two attaching itself, opening its canopy. Like earlier, she flipped and her soles stuck to the hull with a clunk. The cable extended from her suit and she plugged it in, waiting for the codebreaker to finish. When she looked up she could still see beams cutting through space. The strange sensation of deafness filled her senses. Her brain told her, against all logic, that she should have been deafened by the sound of war. Massive explosions and the familiar noise of beams. She started inventing the sounds. When a beam appeared, she imagined its roaring noise. When it hit, the searing sound of flesh against a hot plate rung in her ears.

She shook her head and the noise went away. She calmed herself down and stared at her visor as the codebreaker counted down the seconds to completion. Vivio, Vita and Signum joined her on the hull, weary, but ready to go.

"We're in," Nanoha said and looked at them one by one. "Let's do this."

*

The layout sketching itself out on Nanoha's visor was a mix between facts and theory. It displayed the dreadnought as a multi-story building and a clear red line illustrated the route they needed to follow to reach the bridge. The layout's scale appeared small , but the reality was another; when they'd left the airlock, the sight of a giant, wide corridor greeted them. It stretched on forever as they followed the route. The walls and roof were bare, a sleek, gray metal stretching onwards. A dull repetition following them.

They'd removed their Pecs when they'd gotten inside and stuffed them in a hidden place. They did run the risk of losing them if the corridor itself became exposed to vacuum, but they didn't have a choice; the suits were not apt for close quarters combat and they were a hassle to carry around. They'd summoned their Purge Suits instead which would make life easier for the time being. Besides, they were much more comfortable than the Pec as it wasn't as tight. Nanoha rubbed her neck in an attempt to loosen it up. As comfortable as the seat in the Harbinger was, it didn't help against a stiff neck.

The entry point didn't lie far from the bridge, but there was a problem of a different nature: Droids. The route lead them through a gigantic area which led Nanoha to believe they were close to the center of the ship. They walked on a catwalk high up on the roof of what could only be described as a dome. Down below, droids marched in ordered lines back and forth, preparing, supplying and sorting through their gear. The Unforgiving were observing an army ready for battle and if they were detected they would have a hard time making progress.

"Isn't this a bit weird?" Vita said in a hushed voice as they walked. "Don'tcha think they'd have security systems in place for a potential boarding?"

"Now that you mention it, it is weird," Signum said and glanced around, suddenly suspicious.

Nanoha thought over their worries in her head. There was one possibility, but she didn't like it. The one outcome she really didn't need.

"Are they planning an ambush?" Vivio said. "They might have planned the same thing on the Revolver, but Subaru broke free before they could trigger it."

Nanoha nodded, more to herself than to anyone else, as if to confirm her suspicions. She tensed up, straining her senses. "Let's be very careful around here, then. I don't want any nasty surprises."

They passed over the army without incident, entering a new area drenched in darkness. It didn't make sense; the gate hadn't been shut off, so why were there no lights on in here? The layout of the ship indicated this was supposed to be a drydock for Fighters, but they didn't detect any energy signatures.

Nanoha tapped her one-eyed visor and the image for that eye changed into a greyscale filter, using the little light peeping through from the other room as a source to light up the room's contents. She froze, her feet rooting themselves to the floor.

"Nanoha?" Signum tapped her own visor and also stopped.

One light in the ceiling turned on, followed by another. Like a wave passing by, light after light illuminated the room, revealing its contents: a Zealot General standing in front of over two dozen droids. All of them wore heavier armor than usual, armed with heavy pulse rifles. The Zealot General wore the most self-satisfying grin Nanoha had ever seen. Of course there would be an ambush. They'd walked right into it.

"What do you think we are?" the man said, spreading his arms and cocking his head. "Stupid? That we wouldn't see you coming here? Others might have fallen by your hand, but I won't let you pass me, Zealot General Kaleen! If only you could realize the—"

Vivio flew forward before the man had finished talking, pulling back her arm as magic gathered around her fist and shouted, "Accel Smash!" Combined with the speed she had, the upper cut attack crushed his chin in one hit, pulverizing his teeth with a satisfying crunch in the process and snapped his head backward at an awkward angle. The man remained standing for about two seconds, eyes wide open and his throat emitting a gurgling sound, until he fell into a heap on the floor, dead.

The trio gaped at her.

"Weaker than the other guy," Vivio said. "Didn't even activate his shield. Has to be new."

Regaining their senses, they got rid of the droid squadron blocking their path. Graf Eisen crushed them under its iron body, Laevateinn cut them into tiny metal slices and Raising Heart blasted through the remaining droids. Their heavy armor, far bulkier and heavier than their standard one, couldn't withstand the power of four mages assaulting them at once. They were crushed without much resistance.

When the smoke cleared, small fires burning everywhere in the large room, they moved on towards the bridge and found no further resistance. Nanoha was amazed. A whole army on the ship and no one came looking for them after that fight. They must have made enough noise to rouse the entire ship. What the hell was going on? They were waltzing around in an enemy flagship as if they owned it. As if someone had given them permission.

She put the thought away. She'd had enough of lowering her guard because of unsupported theories. She wouldn't do that again.

The bridge itself was large, but only featured one console with a seat. The whole vessel had to be designed to work with just one pilot, the rest taken care of by droids. Nanoha approached the console and plugged in the cable. The codebreaker barely had to work for a minute before cracking the system. Inside the database, she found the sector for turning off the droids and did so.

"Army is deactivated," she murmured, thinking.

"Is this a joke?" Vita said, Graf Esien on her shoulder, eyebrow raised. "Did we just take over a dreadnought without breaking a sweat?"

"It would seem so," Signum said.

Nanoha shook her head at the code. "Can't be."

"A trap?" Vita brought Graf Eisen to a battle stance, tensing up. It rippled through all of them as they became alert.

"Maybe," Nanoha said. "But if that ambush was intended to be an ambush, it was a terrible one. There has to be something we're missing... Ah."

Information streamed across the console as the codebreaker exported it into a format she understood, eyes darting across it. "All of its weapons are offline. I guess that beam was all it had left. All of its defenses are weakened. Warp drive is busted. Sabotaged. This ship... it's a wreck."

"So they abandoned it?" Vivio chuckled. "One hell of a present for us. Don't they know we can reverse-engineer?"

"Can't be," Nanoha repeated, an itch in the back of her mind worsening.

"A diversion," Signum said, tensing up. Nanoha's eyes widened as the realization set in. "They wanted us to split up. They are more desperate than I thought."

The console pinged. A holographic grid appeared over it, revealing multiple dots. The TSAB ships were far off, firing at the Absolution. Only a few battlecruisers remained now when they had lost their flagship, the dreadnought. None of them tried to fire at it, though. They probably knew about its uselessness from the start and didn't care about it anymore.

However, behind and a little above them, new dots started to appear. Dozens upon dozens of dots filled the grid and ice crawled up Nanoha's spine. Absolution reinforcements had arrived on the field. Dreadnoughts, battlecruisers and Fighters emerged like a swarm of angry hornets from their warp, joining their brethren who fought for survival.

"How many ships are there?" Signum asked once the warp-ins decreased in frequency.

"Seventy-three Fighters, forty-two battlecruisers and four dreadnaughts," Nanoha said. Numbness washed over her, head spinning. They couldn't take those ships on. Hope ran away from her. "They've come to finish the job," she whispered. She clenched the console, frustration and anger boiling within her. "Why? Why now? Aren't they busy in other sectors?"

"We still have a shot at this," Vivio said, ever the optimist. "If our reinforcements can get here before the main fleet is destroyed, the Absolution will lose anyway! If we can hold until then, we stand a chance of defeating them!"

Nanoha doubted it. It required perfect circumstances. And nothing was ever perfect.

Vita grunted something and Nanoha turned to face her. Signum and Vita, expressions taut, were staring at a screen beside the console, showing enhanced visuals of the ships in space. Her heart missed a beat. The chill worsened. Silence reigned on the bridge as they observed a new ship arriving on the battlefield.

It arrived above the Absolution fleet. However, it didn't arrive through a warp. Instead, space bent, turning a portion of space pitch black — Nanoha could tell due to the glinting stars disappearing in the background —and vast arms of energy connected with the battlecruisers closest to it. Energy danced like lightning along their hulls, bouncing between them, causing no damage. Then the blackness above the ships exploded with a light radiating outwards in a bright shockwave. Instead of the void that had been there a second ago, a ship the size of Nanoha had never seen before had materialized.

If it could be called a ship. Dreadnoughts were huge in themselves, dwarfing a battlecruiser twice over. Being thrice the size of a single dreadnaught, it stretched on for miles, consisting of several modules. Each one was a different size and shape, creating one single, horizontal construct, its bow and stern wide and short, but its middle thin and long, with various spikes or left-over metal stuck onto it, as if they'd been put on in a haste without the proper resources. Compared to the other sleek ships of the Absolution, it was a horrifying sight; a vessel of war from hell itself. A Titan amongst giants.

The screen pinged again and a notification appeared, large red letters spelling out a word. Nanoha stared at the letters. A message from the Absolution fleet. The single word gazed back at them from the console, antagonizing them.

"Lucifer..."

Before the TSAB fleet managed to get out of range, the Absolution fleet lay down judgment.

Apologies in advance for 9 & 10. The pacing is weird, but that's what I get writing on the fly.

[vic-vic]

Originally Posted by NorthernFallout

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VII

Fight your foes, you're not alone
Holy war is on the phone
Asking to please stay on hold
The bleeding loss of blood runs cold
Faunts - M4 (Part II)

Spoiler for Unforgiving VIII:

Nanoha and Vivio entered their Harbinger again, canopy sealing around them. The systems came online, illuminating the cockpit in its serene blue light and the magnets detached from the battlecruiser. The Harbinger shuddered as the poles were pulled back in and, with a gentle nudge from its thrusters, started to drift away from the ship.

[Welcome back, ladies,] Huginn said. [All systems optimal. I have also received new coordinates from the Commander.]

A 3D map appeared over Nanoha's visor, showing the two fleets on a grid. The hostiles were a bit above their allies and a red dot pointed out their next objective: The [Messiah]. It was time.

"Vivio, you seeing this?" Nanoha knew she did, but wanted to reassure herself. She didn't want a simple communications error to spell doom for them all.

"I am."

Their comms pinged. Hayate talked over the Global channel, set to transmit to everyone in the fleet: "To all TSAB forces: The Absolution support fleet is our primary objective. Keep them busy and support Harbinger One and Two. They need to complete their mission at all costs. Everything is lost if they can't. Reinforcements should arrive within the hour. If we can hold out until they arrive, we'll be able to push back and pursue. Godspeed, everyone."

The channel went quiet and Huginn's ambience settled in Nanoha's ears. Here and there a console would ping with information the AI would filter, check and reorganize, before sending the necessary information to whatever component needed it. She'd been annoyed at the ping at first, but the longer she stayed in the cockpit, the more it blended with the background.

"Let's move," Nanoha said and gripped the joysticks. Her own authorization overtook the AI's and she assumed control of the craft. The computer would correct her input to a certain extent, but she otherwise had full control over the Harbinger.

The battlecruiser obstructed her view of the battle for a start, though she wouldn't be able to see much from this distance if it hadn't been for the Harbinger's own sensors. They cruised along the battlecruiser's hull for about twenty seconds before the hull's horizon fell away below them and the rest of space revealed itself. Nanoha drew a quick breath. The sun had now settled behind the planet, covering their side in darkness, but the rays still reached the Absolution fleet. Their hulls glowed in the light, the Messiah turning into a blinding miniature sun since its gray hull reflected more light than the darker battlecruisers. The filters Harbinger's sensors dimmed so Nanoha could see without squinting. A beautiful lightshow about to turn its ugly head.

"Why are they so few?" Vivio said. "We outnumber them to start with. Do they think the dreadnought will be enough to support them?"

"This is the Absolution, after all," Nanoha said. "They've underestimated us from the beginning." Though sometimes justified, she added in her own head. As much as she hated to admit it, the TSAB had lost more than they'd gained. The Absolution were stronger, though maybe not as numerous; she didn't know the total number of their main fleet, and neither did the rest of the TSAB.

She hoped Hayate was right about things changing, because if she wasn't...

She pressed the joystick forward and the Harbinger accelerated, adjusting its speed based on her brainwaves and physical input. She was amazed at how well it responded to everything she did; every single detail and sensitive motion translated into a movement for the Harbinger down to the millimeter. Much like Raising Heart was an extension of herself, the Harbinger became an outer shell of her own body. A gentle touch on her part caused the small ship to move just the way she wanted it to. Huginn remained quiet during their flight, ambience keeping them company.

The Harbingers soared above the battlecruisers, who in turn ignored them and instead focused on the TSAB fleet once they had recharged their drives. Energy beams crossed paths with magical beams, criss-crossing across space and splattered over shimmering shields, throwing vast amounts of energy into the vacuum. Among those white beams, Fighters burned towards the Harbingers head-on. Since Fighters were smaller than the Harbingers, they made a better counter than a battlecrusier.

And there were far more to spare.

[Assault Mode Engaged.]

Huginn's speed increased further and the controls became more responsive. She rolled the vessel over, targeting reticles appearing over several Fighters on her HUD as Huginn locked onto them automatically. Vivio took over from there and fired the dual front beam lasers with pin-point accuracy. Before the Fighters reached their effective range, Vivio had shot down three of them after sustained beam fire.

The remaining Fighters closed the distance in a heartbeat and fired.

[Boosting defensive measures.]

The Fighters flew past them at high speed. Nanoha performed a barrel roll, dodging some of the shots, though a hint of nausea rose in her stomach from the sudden change. Thanks to Huginn, the Harbinger's shield absorbed the fire that managed to hit them, but there were no vibrations, no sound. All she experienced were the G-forces and ambience inside the cockpit.

She jolted the joystick backwards, tapped the front thrusters to reduce her speed a little, and flipped the Harbinger around. With a clear shot at the Fighters who started to turn back themselves, Vivio opened fire again. The Fighters were too slow to dodge, as the beam turrets cut them to shreds one by one. Nanoha continued drifting backwards, accelerating as she did, which meant the Fighters were forced to accelerate and try to get into range. The maneuver provided Vivio with ample time to destroy them all.

However, a few of them survived the volley, and smarted up. The three Fighters still alive split up on three different paths and came around from several sides: From underneath, above and the Harbinger's starboard side. Nanoha checked the grid laid out on her visor, but she couldn't call for help from Harbinger Two; they were having their own problems, fighting off a small horde of Fighters.

"Vivio, lock them up." She gripped the joystick hard and double-checked the Fighters' positions. She went through the maneuver in her head and nodded to herself. It could work if she timed it right. "You have to be quick."

She could sense the grin across Vivio's face behind her as she said, "I'm always quick."

She waited for two seconds more. The Fighters were getting closer, still holding their fire. Maybe they planned to fire at once, overwhelming her shields. That wouldn't happen as far as Nanoha was concerned, adrenaline flowing through her veins, every sense alert.

"Now!"

She twitched the joystick. The Harbinger spun to face the Fighter coming from above head-on. The four smaller beam weapons on the starboard side powered up and the missile launcher underneath turned to face backwards. All Fighters were confirmed locked. Vivio fired.

With six beam weapons and one missile launcher firing at once, vibrations shook the Harbinger. After a second's pause, four beams pierced the Fighter to starboard, cutting it in half along the hull, followed by the Fighter above exploding into scrap metal, debris bouncing off the Harbinger's shield. The missile from the launcher picked up speed, adjusted its flight path to coincide with the last Fighter, and hit it straight into the rear fuselage. Its hull ruptured from its aft towards the bow, splitting it apart.

Nanoha exhaled and relaxed. With debris lying as cloud around them, she checked the grid again and found Harbinger Two safe and sound, having destroyed their pursuers as well. She pinged them and opened a channel. "Harbinger Two, let's go for the Messiah before another squad of these arrive," she said. A resounding 'roger' met her.

Unwilling to lose their momentum, she turned the craft around and flared the engines. The Harbinger shot forward, heading straight for the dreadnought. Now when she had time to assess the battlefield again, hope filled her heart. The TSAB fleet were holding their ground. The Absolution battlecruisers had lost one so far, and another would soon follow. However, she worried about the dreadnought's delay in firing; they might still have time to stop it, but it could also fire at any moment. It would spell certain doom for one of the Warships and she wanted to do everything she could to prevent it.

They crossed the distance quickly, the ships growing in size on her visor. No new Fighters came to pursue them, though the battlecrusiers tried to shoot them from time to time. The Harbinger, however, was far too fast and small for their tracking to lock onto and Nanoha dodged the beams with ease, weaving side to side.

"How do you want to do this?" Vivio asked. "The Harbingers will be sitting ducks outside."

Huginn answered her. [Fear not, my Lady. Once you leave us, my brother and I become invisible on enemy sensors thanks to the interference from the battle. We will not be harmed as long as we stay immobile and inactive until your safe return.]

"I guess that clears that up," Nanoha said and chuckled.

Another battlecruiser disappeared from the grid, its remains joining the rest of the lifeless fragments floating around in space. The distance between the ships themselves in the fleet were now far enough to avoid any potential collision as they went down. There wouldn't be any lucky collateral damage for the TSAB this time around that they could use to their advantage. They had to rely on their remaining firepower.

[Energy output detected.]

Terror seized her as the Messiah's front-mounted weapons started to glow. She checked the distance they had left. Too far. No matter what it would fire. One of the Warships would die. She didn't bother to call it in. Hayate knew the situation better than she did. She prayed that the Vengala wasn't the target. Hayate and Fate. Yuuno. All of them would die. The selfish thoughts disgusted her, but she reminded herself it was a natural reaction. It didn't help much. Drenched in cold sweat, she listened to her pounding heart as the seconds ticked by.

The dreadnought fired. Miademes was the victim, much to Nanoha's relief and grief. The massive beam dissolved the warship's shield, melted the armor in an instant and roasted the inner structure. The beam lasted for less than five seconds, leaving the wreck of the warship floating away without tearing it apart further. Space swallowed the scorched hull of death, preserving it as a massive gravestone with its crew buried inside it.

Nanoha kept the rage within. She could unleash it soon. Right now she had to focus. It wasn't time for grieving, not yet.

They avoided the battlecruisers once they got closer and started searching for the entry points on the dreadnought's hull. TheRevolver was nothing compared to this. A horizon rose as they swooped past its edge, flying so close to its hull Nanoha feared they would crash into it.

But they didn't and found the entry point a few minutes later, this hatch having the same design as the previous one. Huginn repeated the procedure from earlier and latched onto the hull with its magnet-equipped poles. Acting in haste, the canopy opened and Nanoha pushed away from her seat before it had managed halfway. She looked to her right once she was outside and saw Harbinger Two attaching itself, opening its canopy. Like earlier, she flipped and her soles stuck to the hull with a clunk. The cable extended from her suit and she plugged it in, waiting for the codebreaker to finish. When she looked up she could still see beams cutting through space. The strange sensation of deafness filled her senses. Her brain told her, against all logic, that she should have been deafened by the sound of war. Massive explosions and the familiar noise of beams. She started inventing the sounds. When a beam appeared, she imagined its roaring noise. When it hit, the searing sound of flesh against a hot plate rung in her ears.

She shook her head and the noise went away. She calmed herself down and stared at her visor as the codebreaker counted down the seconds to completion. Vivio, Vita and Signum joined her on the hull, weary, but ready to go.

"We're in," Nanoha said and looked at them one by one. "Let's do this."

*

The layout sketching itself out on Nanoha's visor was a mix between facts and theory. It displayed the dreadnought as a multi-story building and a clear red line illustrated the route they needed to follow to reach the bridge. The layout's scale appeared small , but the reality was another; when they'd left the airlock, the sight of a giant, wide corridor greeted them. It stretched on forever as they followed the route. The walls and roof were bare, a sleek, gray metal stretching onwards. A dull repetition following them.

They'd removed their Pecs when they'd gotten inside and stuffed them in a hidden place. They did run the risk of losing them if the corridor itself became exposed to vacuum, but they didn't have a choice; the suits were not apt for close quarters combat and they were a hassle to carry around. They'd summoned their Purge Suits instead which would make life easier for the time being. Besides, they were much more comfortable than the Pec as it wasn't as tight. Nanoha rubbed her neck in an attempt to loosen it up. As comfortable as the seat in the Harbinger was, it didn't help against a stiff neck.

The entry point didn't lie far from the bridge, but there was a problem of a different nature: Droids. The route lead them through a gigantic area which led Nanoha to believe they were close to the center of the ship. They walked on a catwalk high up on the roof of what could only be described as a dome. Down below, droids marched in ordered lines back and forth, preparing, supplying and sorting through their gear. The Unforgiving were observing an army ready for battle and if they were detected they would have a hard time making progress.

"Isn't this a bit weird?" Vita said in a hushed voice as they walked. "Don'tcha think they'd have security systems in place for a potential boarding?"

"Now that you mention it, it is weird," Signum said and glanced around, suddenly suspicious.

Nanoha thought over their worries in her head. There was one possibility, but she didn't like it. The one outcome she really didn't need.

"Are they planning an ambush?" Vivio said. "They might have planned the same thing on the Revolver, but Subaru broke free before they could trigger it."

Nanoha nodded, more to herself than to anyone else, as if to confirm her suspicions. She tensed up, straining her senses. "Let's be very careful around here, then. I don't want any nasty surprises."

They passed over the army without incident, entering a new area drenched in darkness. It didn't make sense; the gate hadn't been shut off, so why were there no lights on in here? The layout of the ship indicated this was supposed to be a drydock for Fighters, but they didn't detect any energy signatures.

Nanoha tapped her one-eyed visor and the image for that eye changed into a greyscale filter, using the little light peeping through from the other room as a source to light up the room's contents. She froze, her feet rooting themselves to the floor.

"Nanoha?" Signum tapped her own visor and also stopped.

One light in the ceiling turned on, followed by another. Like a wave passing by, light after light illuminated the room, revealing its contents: a Zealot General standing in front of over two dozen droids. All of them wore heavier armor than usual, armed with heavy pulse rifles. The Zealot General wore the most self-satisfying grin Nanoha had ever seen. Of course there would be an ambush. They'd walked right into it.

"What do you think we are?" the man said, spreading his arms and cocking his head. "Stupid? That we wouldn't see you coming here? Others might have fallen by your hand, but I won't let you pass me, Zealot General Kaleen! If only you could realize the—"

Vivio flew forward before the man had finished talking, pulling back her arm as magic gathered around her fist and shouted, "Accel Smash!" Combined with the speed she had, the upper cut attack crushed his chin in one hit, pulverizing his teeth with a satisfying crunch in the process and snapped his head backward at an awkward angle. The man remained standing for about two seconds, eyes wide open and his throat emitting a gurgling sound, until he fell into a heap on the floor, dead.

The trio gaped at her.

"Weaker than the other guy," Vivio said. "Didn't even activate his shield. Has to be new."

Regaining their senses, they got rid of the droid squadron blocking their path. Graf Eisen crushed them under its iron body, Laevateinn cut them into tiny metal slices and Raising Heart blasted through the remaining droids. Their heavy armor, far bulkier and heavier than their standard one, couldn't withstand the power of four mages assaulting them at once. They were crushed without much resistance.

When the smoke cleared, small fires burning everywhere in the large room, they moved on towards the bridge and found no further resistance. Nanoha was amazed. A whole army on the ship and no one came looking for them after that fight. They must have made enough noise to rouse the entire ship. What the hell was going on? They were waltzing around in an enemy flagship as if they owned it. As if someone had given them permission.

She put the thought away. She'd had enough of lowering her guard because of unsupported theories. She wouldn't do that again.

The bridge itself was large, but only featured one console with a seat. The whole vessel had to be designed to work with just one pilot, the rest taken care of by droids. Nanoha approached the console and plugged in the cable. The codebreaker barely had to work for a minute before cracking the system. Inside the database, she found the sector for turning off the droids and did so.

"Army is deactivated," she murmured, thinking.

"Is this a joke?" Vita said, Graf Esien on her shoulder, eyebrow raised. "Did we just take over a dreadnought without breaking a sweat?"

"It would seem so," Signum said.

Nanoha shook her head at the code. "Can't be."

"A trap?" Vita brought Graf Eisen to a battle stance, tensing up. It rippled through all of them as they became alert.

"Maybe," Nanoha said. "But if that ambush was intended to be an ambush, it was a terrible one. There has to be something we're missing... Ah."

Information streamed across the console as the codebreaker exported it into a format she understood, eyes darting across it. "All of its weapons are offline. I guess that beam was all it had left. All of its defenses are weakened. Warp drive is busted. Sabotaged. This ship... it's a wreck."

"So they abandoned it?" Vivio chuckled. "One hell of a present for us. Don't they know we can reverse-engineer?"

"Can't be," Nanoha repeated, an itch in the back of her mind worsening.

"A diversion," Signum said, tensing up. Nanoha's eyes widened as the realization set in. "They wanted us to split up. They are more desperate than I thought."

The console pinged. A holographic grid appeared over it, revealing multiple dots. The TSAB ships were far off, firing at the Absolution. Only a few battlecruisers remained now when they had lost their flagship, the dreadnought. None of them tried to fire at it, though. They probably knew about its uselessness from the start and didn't care about it anymore.

However, behind and a little above them, new dots started to appear. Dozens upon dozens of dots filled the grid and ice crawled up Nanoha's spine. Absolution reinforcements had arrived on the field. Dreadnoughts, battlecruisers and Fighters emerged like a swarm of angry hornets from their warp, joining their brethren who fought for survival.

"How many ships are there?" Signum asked once the warp-ins decreased in frequency.

"Seventy-three Fighters, forty-two battlecruisers and four dreadnaughts," Nanoha said. Numbness washed over her, head spinning. They couldn't take those ships on. Hope ran away from her. "They've come to finish the job," she whispered. She clenched the console, frustration and anger boiling within her. "Why? Why now? Aren't they busy in other sectors?"

"We still have a shot at this," Vivio said, ever the optimist. "If our reinforcements can get here before the main fleet is destroyed, the Absolution will lose anyway! If we can hold until then, we stand a chance of defeating them!"

Nanoha doubted it. It required perfect circumstances. And nothing was ever perfect.

Vita grunted something and Nanoha turned to face her. Signum and Vita, expressions taut, were staring at a screen beside the console, showing enhanced visuals of the ships in space. Her heart missed a beat. The chill worsened. Silence reigned on the bridge as they observed a new ship arriving on the battlefield.

It arrived above the Absolution fleet. However, it didn't arrive through a warp. Instead, space bent, turning a portion of space pitch black — Nanoha could tell due to the glinting stars disappearing in the background —and vast arms of energy connected with the battlecruisers closest to it. Energy danced like lightning along their hulls, bouncing between them, causing no damage. Then the blackness above the ships exploded with a light radiating outwards in a bright shockwave. Instead of the void that had been there a second ago, a ship the size of Nanoha had never seen before had materialized.

If it could be called a ship. Dreadnoughts were huge in themselves, dwarfing a battlecruiser twice over. Being thrice the size of a single dreadnaught, it stretched on for miles, consisting of several modules. Each one was a different size and shape, creating one single, horizontal construct, its bow and stern wide and short, but its middle thin and long, with various spikes or left-over metal stuck onto it, as if they'd been put on in a haste without the proper resources. Compared to the other sleek ships of the Absolution, it was a horrifying sight; a vessel of war from hell itself. A Titan amongst giants.

The screen pinged again and a notification appeared, large red letters spelling out a word. Nanoha stared at the letters. A message from the Absolution fleet. The single word gazed back at them from the console, antagonizing them.

"Lucifer..."

Before the TSAB fleet managed to get out of range, the Absolution fleet lay down judgment.

Apologies in advance for 9 & 10. The pacing is weird, but that's what I get writing on the fly.

Now the situation is officially FUBAR!!

[NorthernFallout]

I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII

OH, IT'S ON NOW.

I've wrestled with angels all my life
It's always the haloes and the wings that keep you blind
And if I'd fought with all the strength I held inside
I wouldn't be out here
Alone tonight
Above & Beyond - Alone Tonight

Spoiler for IX: Yagami's Bet:

Before the TSAB had a chance to gain range, the Oriasen suffered the brunt of the attack. Compared to the single beam of a dreadnought, the combined firepower of over forty ships annihilated it in a blinding tube of light, so quick that Hayate didn't have time to hail them. Dust and metal scraps were flung out of the fading light, the Warship's existence erased. Watching, the Vengala and Cranagan's Glory pushed their engines to their maximum, gaining range on the Absolution ships before they were able to fire again. It would buy them some time before the battlecruisers' engines had recharged from the warp. After that, all bets were off.

How many more had she lost now? A few hundred? Hayate couldn't remember. The ships in her fleet had at some point turned into numbers, the lives aboard them into mere statistics. In the span of two days she had lost an entire fleet and all she could do while the crews were cooked alive was watch. Beyond her power to interfere, the war had spiraled out of control. This lack of control, she realized, scared her to the core. She depended upon it to make a difference and if she didn't have control, then...

Behind her on the bridge stood Yuuno and Teana, watching the spectacle with their own eyes. A large screen floated above the bridge, showing the field. The Absolution were small specks in the distance, beam fire shooting past the Vengala at times; bright lines of light, doing no damage. Range was on their side.

"Our Dimension drives are still undergoing repairs," Mariam reported, her fingers racketing on the keyboard. "Cranagan's Glory is ready to jump if necessary."

"Get Tamil on the line," Hayate said. A screen appeared to her right. Tamil looked at her with sweat on his brow, jaw shut tight. People shouted orders in the background. "Commander, I want you to remain on the field for as long as you can. Use your drive to jump ahead if needed."

"And you, Commander?"

Genuine worry slipped out in his voice. Tamil was showing his real colors, though she was impressed he'd kept it hidden for so long. He hadn't voiced disagreement again after the first battle, either. "I'll draw their fire if necessary. We're still out of their range, but it's just the two of us. I won't lose another ship."

"Yagami, I must object. We won't leave without you."

She found herself smiling on the inside, taken in by Tamil's sudden switch. None of it showed on her face, but her tone softened. "I'm giving you an order, Tamil. I know I don't outrank you, but at least take it into consideration. Think of your crew. Don't waste their lives."

Tamil frowned and shrugged. "I'll think about it. Though, it's probably you who should think it over—"

"Commander!" Mariam's shrill voice broke through the chatter. "The dreadnoughts are up to something. We are receiving some weird data from their weapons systems... I am not sure what they are doing."

"They plan to fire from that distance? It won't even touch us. Is the Lucifer doing anything?"

"Not yet."

The dreadnoughts were brought up on the screen, the titan — it was the one word Hayate had thought of the first time she saw it — lurking behind them. Threads of light started to form between the massive dreadnoughts, linking them together. At each front-mounted weapon, a strong glare started to grow, discharging energy particles. The data streaming across the screen changed to new numbers carrying a new meaning.

"They are sharing energy and data between themselves," Mariam said. "With these energy levels they might be able to hit us."

Raw panic. So many times tension and panic had swelled inside her, but this feeling was different. There was nothing she could do but watch as the inevitable stared into her face; they couldn't dodge once it fired and they couldn't escape into the Sea. All they could do was wait, staring death square in the face. Seconds ticked by as the center of the links grew in brightness and space around it grew thick with energy.

Hayate gritted her teeth, clenching her armrest. The noise on the bridge tuned out to her own heartbeats as she stared at the dreadnoughts without blinking.

"New ship on the field," Mariam said, perplexed. "Absolution battlecruiser, portside... but it has a friendly tag."

"Can't be," Hayate whispered, eyes widening. "Subaru?"

"Subaru?" Teana said. She stared at Miriam. "What do you mean?"

"The ship is moving behind us. My guess is it is trying to place itself in the line of fire."

"What is Subaru still doing on that ship?" Teana faced Hayate, pointing at the screen. "Nanoha said she would bring her back, didn't she? What is she planning?"

"She's. No." Horror dawned on Hayate and she grew pale. Teana picked up on her line of thought and supported herself against Yuuno as her legs gave. Utter terror spread across her face. "No," Hayate said. "She can't. Can't! Mariam! Give me Subaru right now, god dammit!"

Mariam worked. Subaru appeared on the large screen. Tears dripped out from under the visor as she smiled. "Sorry, Tea."

"What are you apologizing for, idiot," Teana said, voice faltering. "What are you doing?"

"I have to protect everyone, Tea. Please understand."

"There's nothing to understand." Hayate interrupted them, knuckles growing white as she clutched her armrest. "Turn back now, Subaru. Get the fuck out of there. It's an order so don't dare to disobey!"

Subaru showed no sign of hearing, looking down and avoiding eye contact. "I told Nanoha to go. It isn't her fault, ya'know. It was my decision... though I didn't think it would come to this, honestly."

"Subaru..."

"I just wanted to tell you, Tea. I've wanted to for a long time, but I couldn't gather the courage." She chuckled and looked up. "Ironic, isn't it? I'm actually weaker than Tea when you think about it."

"Shut up! Turn back and come back to me right now!"

"I can't do that, Tea. But I want you to know that I love—"

The connection cut out. The tag on the grid disappeared. A beam flew past the Vengala, shaking it violently. Hayate had to hold on to stop herself from falling off, but Mariam wasn't so lucky. She was thrown to the side, smashing her head into a panel. Yuuno and Teana somehow remained standing, probably with the help of Yuuno's magic.

When the shaking subsided and the beam dissolved after what seemed like an eternity, all that remained of the Revolver was half of its stern drifting away into space, oxygen venting with small fires erupting from its ruptured body. The other half had been annihilated, cut off clean. The innards of the ship lay bare, droids and wreckage drifting off into space.

"Ah..."

The hostile battlecruisers closest to it started shooting at the wreck —Hayate had never witnessed the Absolution do that before. Every other time they had ignored the disabled wreckage — and made sure nothing would remain of the traitor's ship. Its armor melted and eventually disintegrated until only particles remained. The sheer overkill and brutality of the attack spoke of a personal insult brought on by Subaru's betrayal.

That thought brought color back to Hayate's pale face, but it wasn't enough to get rid of the numbness she felt in her heart. She'd just watch a friend die in an attempt to protect her. Her crew. The ship. The same friend she'd thought of killing. Now someone had done it for her and she couldn't help but think it was somehow her fault. As illogical and unreasonable that thought was, she couldn't shake it off.

That was nothing compared to Teana, however. She sat on the floor, clinging to Yuuno's legs, staring at the screen with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and empty. Her mind had gone.

"Mariam, tell them to..." Hayate faltered, sorted her emotions and recovered. She had to focus on something. Carry on. Don't make her sacrifice count for nothing. "Mariam, status report."

Mariam climbed back up from the floor, holding her blood-stained head in one hand and tapping away on the keyboard with the other. Pain was absent from her face. "All systems green. No damage reports."

Hayate nodded and raised Tamil. "How is your ship, Commander?"

"Holding together. We're fine." A short bow of his head. "I'm sorry about your friend, but we have other things to do."

"I know."

"So, what's the plan? With just the two of us there isn't much we can do but run away. Except you won't be able to move fast enough."

"Like I said before, you run if you have to. Don't worry about me. We'll buy you time if we have to."

"I don't like turning my back and running, but I've thought it over like you said, so you're the one who should stop worrying. I won't risk my crew or my ship. However, I won't just run either. I'll do what I can to protect you until reinforcements arrive or you can get your drive working. If that's not up to your liking, you're welcome to ask the Absolution for help."

Hayate smiled. "Fine with me. I'm not in a bargaining position right now."

"As long as we understand each other. Talim out."

After he disconnected, Hayate said, "Mariam, hail the Unforgiving. I need updates."

"I can't hail them, Commander," Mariam said. Hayate raised an eyebrow. "That beam went close enough to disrupt our communications array. I did not see it before. "

"Shit. Alright." She tapped a finger on the armrest and turned to Yuuno. "Yuuno, take Teana to the infirmary. I don't want her on the bridge. Keep her safe."

"I understand."

Yuuno picked Teana up and began to drag her out of the bridge, but she stopped him before the door. "How can you two be so calm?" she said, looking at each in turn. "Subaru died. We have to... make preparations..."

"Teana, let's go rest, okay?" Yuuno said and lead her away. "You'll feel better later, I promise."

Hayate took a deep breath and exhaled once they'd left. Focusing. Teana was out of the way and she could return her attention to the battle. "Alright. Pick several targets and fire everything we got. I don't intend to take any of them down, but it might create enough of a confusion to buy us some time."

"Roger that," Mariam said and relayed the commands.

A few moments later, five beams cut across space and glanced off the shields of the battlecruisers. They replied with several volleys of their own, neither of which reached the Vengala. The beams went wide, their composition dissolving as they went outside their effective range. However, the ships themselves were getting closer every second and shuttles emerged from within the Lucifer, heading towards the planet with a new invasion force. Hayate could feel the pressure on the bridge building up as people started to fidget, moving in their seats and looking at each other with furrowed brows. They had to put a stop to the invasion, somehow.

"Dimensional drive status?"

"Still undergoing repairs, Commander. ETA, five minutes."

"We don't have five minutes. Arc-en-Ciel status?"

"Also damaged. Priority lies with the drive. I can tell the mechanics to prioritize the Arc-en-Ciel, though."

Hayate sighed. "No, keep them working on the drive. Fucking... Is there nothing we can do?"

The worst thing about waiting for inevitable death was the time left to think about regrets and what she could have done differently. There were too many variables, though. Too many different outcomes. No, she had to focus. Focus. Throw out everything else and do something. Shut off her emotions and do everything in her power to save her ship.

She looked at the screen, at the numbers. Her ship's engines had performed well, but the range kept shrinking nonetheless. The battlecruisers grew in size, beams reaching closer, and no assisting fire came from the Messiah. Had they failed as well? She couldn't believe that was the case, not when it came to Nanoha. The entire bet she had made on this game couldn't have failed. Or had it? She'd done something wrong, somewhere, missing a vital—

Ten battlecruisers blinked out of existence and appeared close to the Vengala in an instant; the same maneuver the Tempest had done. She gritted her teeth, sweat beading her forehead, and watched as the ships encircled hers. Their weapons charged, warning sirens deafening her.

One of the battlecruisers blew up, splitting in half. Cranagan's Glory fired all of its weapons against the detached squadron, wrecking as much mayhem as it could before the Absolution would catch on. Tamil kept his distance, but he was still too close for Hayate's taste.

Hayate hailed him and shouted, "Tamil! Get out of here, you idiot!"

"Stop underestimating me, Yagami." He flashed a grin. "I have a plan in place."

Whatever that plan was remained a mystery as the ship shook, throwing her out of the seat and onto the floor. Dazed, head spinning, she rose and supported herself on her seat. "Damage report!"

"Hit to starboard," Mariam said. She hadn't fallen down this time. "Weapons offline. Cranagan's Glory is also hit."

No. She stared at the screen and saw the other ship with one of its 'arms' blown off, drifting off while fire spewed out of the wound before the vacuum suffocated it. Its weapons and propulsion systems still worked, unleashing a blazing inferno of beams at its aggressors until it ran out. Some of the battlecruisers were heavily damaged, their shields flickering and hull scorched, but still operational.

"I'm sorry, Yagami," Tamil said, looking her straight in the eye. She found no shame in them, but also no relief. "This is as much as I can do. Godspeed."

Cranagan's Glory disappeared into the Dimensional Sea, out of harm's way.

Hayate drew a breath of relief. The alarm blared in her ear, red light flooding her vision. The ship took another hit, shaking it. Fire emerged from several consoles while the crew tried to extinguish it. A few side panels blew up, raining down hot chunks of metal, and filled the air with irritating smoke. Their shield had long since been destroyed. Parts of the ship floated off into space, propelled by explosions and pummeled by beams.

Hayate took it all in surrounded by numbness. She heaved herself up into her seat and squeezed the armrests. Everything on the bridge was muted and slow. The events drifted past her eyes as she blinked, listening to her own ragged breath.

"Commander."

She'd come to terms with it. Her own death. She could finally take a rest. She didn't have to take responsibility anymore. Someone else would take over. Someone—

"Hayate!"

Mariam's voice broke through her daze and Hayate turned around, every single sound on the bridge tuning into her ears. "What?"

"TSAB reinforcements has arrived." Mariam grinned, a trail of blood across her eye. "We are saved."

At first she thought she'd heard her wrong. She turned to her screen and brought up the grid along with visuals just as forty-four Warships tore a hole in the space-time fabric and emerged from the Dimensional Sea. As soon as the Sea closed behind them, they lay down combined fire on the nine battlecruisers, obliterating them before the Vengala drew its last breath. Flowery explosions surrounded the ships as each battlecruiser broke apart.

"Sorry we're late, Hayate." A familiar face appeared next to her, smiling.

"Admiral..." That Admiral. Chrono. Speechless, she stared at him.

"Your ship is too damaged to continue fighting. Retreat for now. We'll take it from here."

"Chrono," she said, words forming in her mind. Rage flared in her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Kill every last Absolution fuck you can find."

"Will do. Harlaown out."

She watched the new TSAB fleet go to work and the Vengala aligned away from the battle. Explosions lit up space with hundreds of beams intersecting the debris littering the field as the two fleets clashed, the largest battle Mid-Childa had ever seen above its atmosphere playing out its final symphony.

But her part was over now. She wasn't dead. She was somehow still alive, heart beating in her chest. She couldn't believe it.

She could finally rest.

[WarpObscura]

Nanoha and co. are still on that wreck though?

[NorthernFallout]

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

Nanoha and co. are still on that wreck though?

They moved from the battlecruiser to the dreadnought in Ch8.