Topic: Second storyline: "Dark Lines, double trouble"

[Lum-chan]

By Parias on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 07:47:
Here I am, back, eating noodles, and feeling tired as hell. This is the reason I dislike travelling.... my stomach always protests when I sit in a mobile vehicle for more than 30 minutes.. gurgh!

(RP ON)
Cygni set Terra down at a nearby base, which was mostly abandoned thanks to the ruckus caused at the tourist center, as everyone was rushing over to check it out. Bakuto had jumped off in mid-flight after the explosion had cleared to go and make sure CyBarney was dead.

It took only a moment for Terra to locate another mecha, which was exactly alike the last one she had, and they were soon up in the atmosphere together.

Cygni switched on comms. "So how the hell are we gonna get back? Kinda hard without a sub-space capable ship.."

"Don't worry, I've always got a backup plan here.."

She turned the mecha towards Ploxis V's moon and started flying towards it. Cygni followed.

After a few moments, they were intercepted by a death-black ship brisitling with weaponry. Cygni's comm unit chirped.

"You two have cost me thousands of dollars, my base, my forces, and now my job! I've had enough of you bitches, prepare to die!"

"...What did you call me?" was Terra's icy response.

"I called you a bitch, because that's what you both are!"

The rounded shoulder armour on Terra's mecha opened up to reveal 2 large missile racks. Her left and right hands disappeared to reveal 2 extremely large gauss rifles.

"NOBODY calls me bitch!"

"Terra, wait!" Cygni called after her, but it was too late, she was already plunging towards the vessel. As soon as she was in range, she unleashed a swarm of missiles and opened fire with her gauss cannon, spitting out oversized explosive slugs from the six barrels on each gun. Explosions rippled across the hull, sending chunks scattering everywhere.

As she moved across the ship, various laser, plasma, and missile turrets opened up and turned to track her, sending streams of fire her way. She defty avoided them, taking a couple of hits to the legs and arms in the process.

Cygni watched as a large cannon opened up on the far side of the hull, where Terra was moving towards, and began gathering energy. She could see large glowing particles being drawn in as the buldge on the gun grew larger. Cygni tried again.

"Terra, get the hell out of there! Please!"

"Shut up, I'm busy damnit!"

Terra moved closer towards the gun, which was hidden from her view thanks to the hull of the ship.

"Terra, watch it, there's-"

The large words "CONNECTION TERMINATED" appeared on her HUD. She cussed.

"She's gonna get herself killed!"

("Then I suggest you do something.")

She kicked in the burners of the mecha and began moving towards the gun turret. Right before she entered firing range, Terra's mecha suddenly popped up into the field of vision for the gun. It let out a groan, then unleashed it's hellstorm of energy directly at Terra's mecha. Terra spotted this coming in at the last second and tried to dodge, but it was too late. The beam came too fast and was too large.

Cygni watched in horror as Terra's mecha utterly disintegrated in front of her eyes. A loud scream came over the comm unit, then broke up into static, finally ending in dead silence.

Cygni floated, dead in space, in shock. She began shaking her head, tears filling her eyes. She nearly screamed when the head of the mecha flew past her's at an insane speed, blood trailing behind it.

"No.. it can't be, that's not how it's supposed to happen, it was too damn fast!"

("Cygni..")

"NO! DAMNIT!"

The massive cruiser began slowly turning around to face Cygni's mecha, it's weapons almost in range.

("Cygni, we can work this out later. Dying yourself won't do anything. Get the hell out of here, NOW!")

After a second, she slowly nodded and kicked on the thrusters, and shot away from the cruiser, far out of it's range. After a short time of flying, she stopped and rested at the far side of Ploxis V's moon, where she spent 2 hours sobbing and trying to figure out where to go next.

"All that experience.. all those memories.. gone in a flash..."

("Just another drop in the bucket.")

The comm unit chirped. Cygni hadn't even noticed the large blip that had suddenly appeared on her sensors. She opened comms, not really caring who it was or what happened to her.

"This is Captain Hayes to unidentified Sec. Force mecha. What are you doing floating out this distance from Ploxis V? Engine problems?"

She looked up.

"Hayes.. this is Cygni.."

Hayes looked surprised. "Cygni? Oh hey, what brings you out here? Something wrong? Where's Terra?"

"Hayes.. Terra is...."

She broke down in tears again. Hayes put a dark look on his face and muttered.

"Oh god...."

Down on Earth, Beavis and Butthead continued wandering the streets of Tomobiki. Butthead suddenly spotted Lum and Ataru wandering around, and nudged Beavis.

"Woa, Beavis, check it out.. it's another hot chick!"

Beavis looked over and his eyes bugged out.

"Woa! This place is like, crawling with beautiful women! Heh, this is cool."

"Beavis, we are in heaven."

"Heh, yea, heaven rules!"

They laughed and began rushing towards Lum.
(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Bladeofkintaro (Bladeofkintaro) on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 19:27:
Cygni arrived on boared Hayes ship still crying about what happened. Hayes said to himself as he realised that Terra was gone "I'll get that bastard! Do you have any idea who he could be?" Cygni said "I dont know... his voice sounded kind of familiar. He sounded like... I should of known! That was Radicus! The bastard followed us here!"
Radicus in his ship removed the mask from his face.It was still burnt like bacon from that bomb that fell on him. "Well... only two more to go." he said to himself.

Bakuto on the surface of the planet saw some people who were carting away a crusty burnt Barney. It's body twitched and Bakuto choped it's head off. "Wow this'll make a great hood ornament if I clean it off!" They ran over and said "You cant take that! Thats evidence!" Bakuto said "I dont care about any stupid evidence! This is my dads roomates grandma! I never did like the old bat!"
He shoved them aside and ran off with the head.

Lum blasted Beavis and Butthead catching them on fire they both started gigling " Hhehehehe fire! hehehehe!"

[Lum-chan]

By Jocko on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 20:39:
(RP ON)

Oyuki snapped her fingers, "I've got it!"

Hudson and Ryouko said in unison: "What?!?"

Oyuki smiled divinely, "all we have to do is destroy all the dimensional spacializing equipment and all the rest should return to their universes."

Hudson shrugged, "...okay." Warren pulled his pistol out and pointed it at one of the spacializers, which Jariten was working on.

"Outta the way Ten!" Hudson shouted, and Ten obeyed. Warren looked to Oyuki who nodded as she used her ice powers to freeze several pieces of equipment.

Warren and Benten began shooting equipment while Ten burned some of the computers.

Oyuki, finished with freezing, turned to Ryouko; "Ryouko-sama?"

Ryouko smiled devilishly and produced one of her favorite granades from her kimono, she pulled the pin and threw it at the ice block as Oyuki and the rest ran for cover behind Warren and Ryouko on the coach.

KABOOM!

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Parias on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 20:52:
(RP ON)
Upon hearing the news, Sergei leaned back in his chair and put a dark expression on his face, saying nothing.

Cygni looked up at Hayes.

"Hayes... take me back to Earth. I've got to let them know.."

Hayes nodded. "I understand. Sergei, take us to the Sol system."

"Aye.."

Sergei slowly put the commands into his console, and the ship opened a sub-space vortex and jumped.

5 minutes later it emerged in the Sol system, above Earth. Cygni nodded to Hayes and turned towards the back of the bridge to walk off, but stopped when she got to Sergei. She kneeled down bringing her to eye level.

"Sergei."

No response.

"Be careful."

She got up and walked off the bridge towards the airlock, the sounds of sobbing filling the silence behind her. She heard a distant cry of "3 GODAMN YEARS!" before climbing into her mecha and palming open the airlock, and moving out into space. Once out there, she set a straight course for the Mendou Mansion.

Down on Earth, Hudson was taking a walk through town by himself to clear his thoughts. Things seemed to have cleared up, but Terra and Cygni were still away, and he was starting to get a little worried.

He saw Ataru and Lum coming up ahead, and stopped them when they reached him.

"Lum, can you do me a favor?"

She nodded. "Of course, anything!"

"Terra and Cygni haven't reported back at all, and while they may simply be lazing back enjoying themselves, I've got to know what's going on. Can you get me in contact with them or something?"

"Yes, from my UFO. Come on, I'll take you up there!"

Before Hudson could say another word, Lum grabbed him by the sides and began flying them both up to her UFO. Hudson looked down and tried not to break into a sweat as the ground rushed away from them.

When they arrived, Lum walked over to the large screen and pressed a few buttons on the console. After hearing a few beeps that sounded suspiciously like errors, she made a face.

"That's wierd... I can't call up Terra's communicator. Maybe she turned it off or something.. where were they going?"

"I think they said something about Ploxis V..."

Lum snapped her fingers. "Ok, I'll check the intergalactic news.. maybe they might have something!"

Hudson secreted a smile to himself. It figured, whatever the group were doing it was probably enough to make headlines, especially when Terra was involved. That smile quickly vanished when he saw what came up on the screen. A squid-like reporter appeared, and Lum keyed in the translator.

"And in today's news, we have word of an alarming development.. terrorists have hit the main tourist center on Ploxis V!"

The screen behind him shifted to show a scene of destruction on the surface of the barren planet.

"Security forces managed to recover this from their camera records..."

The view shifted to an internal view, from the perspective of a security camera. Hudson watched as one green-haired girl, wearing HIS trechcoat no less that he had loaned to Terra, peered around the corner of an arch in the foreground, while a distance behind her, another green-haired girl, which appeared to be Cygni, was firing a weapon behind a corner. She suddenly had blood spray out from her shoulder and was spun around the arch, smashing into the bulkhead behind her. She dropped her gun and raised a pistol.

Terra waved Cygni over, and they chatted for a bit, then she ran into the open, unravelled the trenchcoat, and performed an action that got immediately blurred and censored.

Cygni apparently knew what to do and took advantage of the distraction. She rushed behind Terra, fired a couple of shots, then they nodded and ran off screen.

The reporter continued. "If you have seen any of these two women, please contact your nearest Sec. Force station immediately! They must be apprehended!"

An enhanced security photo of Terra appeared, then Cygni.

"The name of the first one is Terra, but we are unaware of any details on the second one. If you have any details to report, please notify us immediately! Security is everyone's responsibility..."

Hudson shook his head and held up his hand. "I've heard enough. Take me back down, I have work to do."

Lum nodded and grabbed him again to fly him back down.

Down below, Beavis and Butthead lay in a smoking heap against the side of the street. Their clothes were torn and burnt, and they were laughing.

"Heh, that was cool, lets do it again."

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Parias on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 20:54:
Ack, posted at the same time! Oh well, the posts don't really interfere with each other too much, so it should work. We'll just say that after the events Hudson went out for a walk.

[Lum-chan]

By Jocko on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 21:44:
Yes...but Beavis and Butthead are still there. Can we just forget that little bit at the end and just say they mysteriously disappeared?

Hey! I can do that now!

(RP ON)

Beavis and Butthead just lay on the street for a few moments watching school girls pass by.

A small nighlight appeared beside Butthead's cranium, "Beavis, we are going to the wrong high school, and like, living in the wrong town."

"Heheheh-heh-uh-yeah! I feel-hehe-I'M FINALLY GONNA SCORE-HEHE!"

Suddenly Tomobiki seemed to fade around them.

"NO!!!!" Beavis screamed.

The duo found themselves back in Mr. Van Dreason's class in Highland High School of Texas!

Van Dreason looked up, "oh Beavis and Butthead finally decided to come back from Principal McVickers' office! Please sit down, we're about to have a lesson on Latin American economics!"

Loud guitar screech signaling their doom.

[Lum-chan]

By Parias on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 22:19:
Sounds good *grin*

(RP ON)
A mecha swooped down low over the mansion complex, finally settling down in the middle of the field. A few uneasy soldiers rasied their weapons, untill they saw the Sec. Force insignia on the shoulders of the mecha. The front opened up, and one of the soldiers ran over to greet the person, only to see Cygni.

"Cygni? Since when did you join the Sec. Force?"

She gave him a dark look, mumbled "I didn't", then walked forwards, into the mansion.

After entering and closing the door behind her, a servant asked her what she needed.

"Hudson. I need to speak to him."

"So sorry miss.. he's gone out for a walk. He should be back soon..."

"Is there a problem?"

Cygni turned and saw Ryouko standing at the top of the stairs.

"Yea... yea there's a problem alright..."

"Come, we can discuss it over lunch."

Cygni walked up the stairs and Ryouko began to lead her down the hallway, just as Hudson walked in through the doors below. He looked up and saw Cygni.

"You've got some explaining to do." he said, then noticed the dark look on her face.

"Why don't you join us Hudson? I believe Cygni will explain what is going on." Ryouko held out her hand.

Hudson nodded and scaled the stairs, and the threesome walked down the hallway and turned into a room a short distance away.

Once they were seated, Hudson turned to Cygni, with an angry look on his face.

"I've just seen an intergalactic news report, saying you two blew up a tourist complex! What the hell are you up to? Where the hell is Terra anyways?"

Cygni looked down a moment. Holding back the tears threatening to well up in her eyes, she put on a neutral expression and looked up again.

"Terra.. is dead."

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Bladeofkintaro (Bladeofkintaro) on Sunday, December 26, 1999 - 23:33:
Bakuto #1 was in Atarus room looking up at the window in dog form looking worried. Araru said "Whats up?"
"I split myself in half and sent one half to go look after Cygni and Terra. According from my other half they defeated CyBarney but Radicus killed Terra. my other half is out searching for him right now. Radicus is heading for earth."
Ataru said! "Oh hell I've gotta get Lum and get to the manshion."

[Lum-chan]

By Parias on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 00:21:
(RP ON)
After dropping off Cygni on Earth, the UNO proceeded to a base in a hidden system, where they set down and gathered the remnants of the ex-Shaithan fleet. After the last ship arrived, Hayes walked into the briefing room and addressed everyone.

"Alright people, here's the situation. Terra is dead. She was killed by a destroyer under the command of one 'Radicus Zeus'. I have reason to believe this 'Radicus' may be in cohorts with Dr. Ginkobot."

Behind him, the wall lit up into a star map. 3 systems turned red, Ross 128, Ikeya, and Ploxis.

"As you know, we have been searching for Ginkobot for a long time. Our search efforts have narrowed down his base location to these 3 systems. Terra was killed in Ploxis, and I doubt Radicus was there just 'for the hell of it', so chances are Ginkobot's base could be located in there."

He glanced over the various soldiers and officers crowding the room. What remained of the fleet was one destroyer, ten corvettes, and a few various mecha.

"We're going to split up. I'm going to lead Alpha squadron, which will investigate the Ploxis system. Alpha squadron will consist of the UNO, the Washington, the Aries, and the Bastion. Beta wing, you'll be heading to Ross 128. Beta wing will consist of any ships not assigned to Alpha."

He paused a moment as the display zoomed in on the Ross 128 system.

"Beta wing, if you find any sign of Ginkobot, contact us immediately. He's probably got some heavy defense, and you'll need all the help you can."

The display shifted over to Ploxis.

"And if WE end up finding this slippery bastard, well, keep your jump drives at the ready, because we'll need all the backup we can."

He nodded at the soldiers and officers.

"Dismissed."

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Jocko on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 03:08:
(RP ON)

For a full five minutes Warren sat stunned; unable to feel anything. He managed to ask again.

"...terra's...Dead?" He coughed out.

"Yes," Cygni began to sob.

Hudson looked to Ryouko who was already whiping away tears. He felt sick, very sick. The dam pretty much burst after that as Warren started crying furiously.

"She was...like a daughter to us," Hudson blurted out to Cygni. Cygni looked through her tears at Ryouko who nodded in the affirmative.

"At least she died at peace with herself." Ryouko wept as she went to Warren's side, standing beside him and holding him as he shook with sobs.

After a while Hudson recovered enough to feel white hot rage. "Who did this? I'll kill them with my own two hands!

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Bladeofkintaro (Bladeofkintaro) on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 03:25:
A large ship came out of warp near Mars. It was the same ship that killed Terra. Radicus was on the bridge of the ship. Radicus's assistant said "Lum and Cygni both live on that Island at this point on the map." he said pointing at Japan. Radicus said "I know that! But soon there wont be an Island there were going to throw everything we have at it from orbit and whipe it off the face of this planet! Radicus's assistant scremed and fell to the floor clutching a charred stump where his arm used to be. Bakuto stood behind the assistent with both lightsabers out. Radicus said "You!How did you get on board!" Bakuto #2 said "You fool! I used one of the stealth ships all assasines use! You should of had better sensors on this scrap heap of yours! Now Radicus the time has come to pay for your crimes!" Radicus said "Is that so? You and Cygni badly damaged my body before. I removed 80 percent of my organic tissue replacing it with cybernetic organs. The same type used by CyBarney!My reflexes are twice as fast as yours! You cant hope to beat me! "

Radicus extended Wolverine type claws made of the lightsaber energy. They both prepared to fight.

[Lum-chan]

By Parias on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 03:59:
(RP ON)
Cygni put a dark look on her face. "His name is Radicus Zeus. He's the one who... uh.. 'hired' me to take out Lum..."

She dug into one of her packs and pulled out the various intel documentation she had.

"There's quite a bit of info this guy gave to me about himself on these.. take a look over them..."

She sighed.

"Listen, I've got to go. From what Terra told me of Captain Hayes, he's probably getting ready to go rampaging around the galaxy right now hunting this guy down.. Terra and Hayes were pretty damn close.. they kissed the last time they saw each other."

Hudson nodded. "We'll help from here as best we can."

Cygni broke into a run as soon as she exited the room, flying down the stairs and rushing out the door. She ran to the waiting mecha, hopped in, closed it up, and lept up into the sky on blaring thrusters. She didn't have the slightest clue as to where Hayes would be right now, but the Ploxis system would be a good start. And there was something else bothering her...

She stopped the mecha short. She was getting concerned about Sergei, and began to feel attracted to him. She tried to fight off the feeling, but it kept coming back.

("Accept what's going on, you're not a man anymore.")

"Oh great..."

She sighed and resumed her course into space, then stopped short again when she realized something. She didn't have any method of getting to Ploxis V.

She spun the mecha around and aimed back at Earth. Lum had a jump-capable ship, maybe she'd be willing to help. She kicked in the burners and flew off back to Tomobiki.

At the far side of the moon around Ploxis V, 4 blue-white vortexes appeared and spat out 4 ships, respectively. One destroyer and three smaller corvettes. They gathered together in formation, with the corvettes leading a tight delta formation in front of the destroyer.

Captain Hayes, on the bridge of the Under New Ownership, turned to Sergei. "You've been awfully quiet.."

Sergei simply nodded and said nothing, closely watching his console for lack of anything else to do.

Hayes sighed and returned his view to the front of the bridge, out in space. He keyed in the comms.

"UNO to Alpha squadron. Everyone doing ok?"

"Washington here. We're having some minor problems with our power-grid, but engineering reports it's all under control."

"Ares here. Nothing to report."

"Bastion reporting, we're all in one piece."

Hayes nodded. "Very well, we'll commence our search right away. Washington, head off to Ploxis V and begin searching the planet. Ares, join them just in case trouble arises. Bastion, you're with us, we'll check out Ploxis II, it's the only other planet with tolerable levels of heat and radiation in this system."

Three voices acknowledged, and he watched as two of the corvettes split up in front of him, breaking off to the left towards Ploxis V. He turned to Sergei.

"Lay in a course for Ploxis II."

He grunted in acknowledgement, and Hayes watched as the Destroyer turned towards one of the smaller planets in the distance and the smaller corvette in front of them turned to keep pace.

Ginkobot watched as his instruments showed two small fleets enter the Ross 128 and Ploxis systems. He let loose a small growl under his breath.

"Fortunately they have not stumbled across my base yet, but that idiot Radicus has aroused their suspicions.. I'll have to be careful."

"Huh huh huh, he said aroused... huh huh" came the response behind him. He turned around to the cryo-pods. He had recovered these 2 boys from an unstable sub-space vortex that they had been going through.. somehow they had travelled through time and space itself. He was most interested in how they had done this, and had placed them into his cryo-pods for further examination. If he was able to find a way to duplicate this ability, he would be utterly unstoppable.

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Jocko on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 06:13:
(RP ON)

With nothing else but time on their hands Warren Hudson and Ryouko resorted to simply walking hand-in-hand around the vast mansion and its grounds. News travelled fast, with several servants, guards, and Kuroko expressing condolences.

It was late at night by the time they reached the gardens and the prized Mendou goat statue...which they decided to avoid. In the three hours of walking the couple had not said a word to each other; their sorrow not needing words to express its presence.

Eventually they were sitting on a bench looking up at the stars. Ryouko cleared her throat, "It's getting late..."

"Yeah," Hudson nodded, but didn't move. But he did notice it was starting to get chilly, and they weren't exactly prepared to spend the entire night outside.

And so they ended up back in the mansion, accepting cups of soup from a concerned Kuroko who had nothing to report.

Ryouko yawned, "I'm starting to fall asleep..."

And so they started upstairs to her room; which had become Hudson's place of crashing over the past two months, what with most of the guest rooms being destroyed or uninhabitable. A few weeks ago he had tried to go back to his apartment and work in his office at the embassy...but it just didn't feel right. With Terra needing help setting up her new life and fallout from Ginkobot's war, for anyone needing to be "on top of things" as it were in Japan, the Mendou mansion was the place to be.

Hudson was feeling so much sorrow and anger at Terra's murder, that he knew he could not sleep, at least not until he went done to the shooting range, picked out a prime machine gun, and bleed off ammo until some news came in from Cygni.

But Ryouko had other plans, she asked him not to go off so quickly, but to help her get ready for bed. Normally Warren would've been blushing, but tonight he just nodded numbly and helped Ryouko, equally numb, out of her dress while they talked and cried.

"Warren-kun," Ryouko said as she put on simple pajamas, "why...don't you have any children?"

He shrugged, "I suppose you're wondering after all the guidance I've been giving to the kids in Tomobiki? Well, except for your brother...and I guess Megane didn't benefit much from my help."

Ryouko took his hands in hers, "no, its more from the pleasure and pride I noticed you got from every inch of progress Terra made in putting violence behind her."

Another tear slipped down Hudson's cheek as he helped Ryouko into bed and pulled the covers up to her chest. He pulled up a chair, and sighed, "Lucilla couldn't have any children."

Ryouko, still holding his hand, "why?"

"She was a Sorceress," Hudson said quietly, "Magic users sometimes develop severe health problems along with their abilities."

Ryouko knew this, "but...that only happens when-"

"They're in the later stages of their lives, yes. Ryouko, my wonderful Lucilla was 174 years old when she died. I know she only looked fifty in all the pictures of the time, but that's how old she was. Her powers adversely effected her blood chemistry, her heart, and bones."

"My...Warren-kun," Ryouko teared up again and squeezed his hands tighter.

"Most of the times," he pressed on, "a condition of her type in a magic user just means that they can only have children before they turn one hundred, or middle age. When I met her thirty-five years ago, I simply accepted the fact I would not be having children with her. We both believed she would outlive me and live until the sorceress average of her 250s But around 1969, she started to have...complications...t his led to Lucilla's not running for Nebraska's other Senate seat in '72," Hudson smiled, "she always had this thing for joining me in the Senate to 'keep an eye on her husband,' as it were."

Hudson brushed away tears with a tissue, "her health continued to worsen, and she died as you know in '73."

Ryouko sat up in bed and reached out, she hugged Warren for a while. She asked quietly, "and why did you run for President?"

He looked up, "In 1964 or 1976? Oh, you already know why I ran in '64-" he laughed, "to 'stick it to the man!'"

Ryouko laughed too, which made Warren laugh harder.

Eventually laughter died down and Warren continued, "Lucilla wanted me to run in '68 and '72, but it just wasn't in the cards, she then insisted I go for broke in '76. And so I did, I hoped my campaign would represent a glimmer of hope in a cynical and corrupt time."

Ryouko smiled, "and it did."

Hudson shrugged, "before or after I thiefed the entire mid-west?"

"My Political Science tutor says you were a sensation by the New Hampshire primary."

"Your tutor was wrong," he chuckled, "I was a crack-pot who wouldn't shut up in New Hampshire. I made all my speeches and all the debates into parties, encouraging my supporters to play with 'Hudson '76' beachballs in the snow and crowds. I brazened my way into second place."

He looked at a clock on Ryouko's nightstand, it read 12:46 AM. He felt tired and more at peace, Hudson could shoot up targets in the morning. And so he took a shower and crawled into bed beside Ryouko and was almost immediately asleep. But before that he prayed for Terra, and all involved in the search for Radicus and Ginkobot.

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Parias on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 07:04:
Wow Jocko, that's one of your longest posts in quite awhile.. I'm impressed! >)

(RP ON)
By the time Cygni had found Lum's UFO and worked up enough courage to go hunt her down, it was already late at night. She rubbed her eyes, she hadn't slept in practically a week, and was beginning to feel a bit fatigued.

She had quietly landed the mecha in Ataru's back yard (as quietly as could be expected when you were in a hulking war machine with large thrusters on it's back and feet) and floated up to the second floor window. Surprisingly enough, Lum and Ataru were both sleeping. She sighed, this was going to be tough.

She floated in through the window and landed softly on the floor, then walked over to where Lum was sleeping. She kneeled down and touched her shoulder.

What happened next was difficult to remember, but it involved a high amount of lightning coursing through her body, and then finding herself lying in the corner of the room with a massive bruise on her stomach. Lum shrieked, yawned, and stood up, then squinted at Cygni in the darkness.

"Terra? What are you doing out here so late?"

Cygni slowly let out a breath. "Terra is dead Lum."

Lum's eyes widened in surprise, then lowered in anger. "Then.. you're that girl who tried to kill me!"

Cygni was waiting for this, but she still wasn't sure what she was going to say. A thought entered her mind.

"Yea.. but the person who sent me had given me the wrong target. Now he's betrayed me, and he killed Terra. I need your help Lum."

Lum lowered her fists and dispersed the flashes of lightning coursing through them. She still had a glare on her face.

"Speak."

"I need transit to the Ploxis system. Your ship is jump-capable, correct?"

Lum nodded. "But now do I know you won't just kill me again?"

Cygni's face hardened as she pulled out her Desert Eagle from her hip, flicked on the laser sight, and aimed it at Lum's head. Lum froze with a surprised look on her face.

"If I wanted to kill you, I'd do it right now. But..."

She hit a button on the side of the gun and the clip fell out of the bottom onto her lap. She lowered the gun.

"...I'm not here to kill you."

("Wasn't that a tad extreme?")

"I know what I'm doing."

Lum recovered from her shock. "Oh.. okay.. I'll take you there.."

Cygni replaced the clip into the gun, sliding it in with a click, and returned it to her hip.

"Thanks, I mean it."

Lum nodded, then kneeled over Ataru. "Darling, we're going on a little trip, and you're coming!"

Ataru grumbled in his sleep and did nothing. Lum put a smile on her face and touched Ataru on the shoulder, sending a shock of lightning into him, waking him up and sending him into the ceiling.

"Come on darling or we'll leave without you!"

Ataru managed to wiggle out of the gaping hole he was stuck in on the ceiling and fell back to the floor. He struggled to his feet and rubbed his head.

Lum nodded, grabbed Ataru's arm, and flew out the window, throwing a "Follow me!" over her shoulder. Cygni jumped out the window, ran over to the mecha, brought the thrusters online, and followed Lum into the sky.

Cherry watched from below. "It's fate. Any minute now." he muttered.

On Ploxis II, the UNO and the Bastion were flying low over the red, barren terrain, searching for anything out of the ordinary. So far they had found nothing.

Hayes turned as his comm unit beeped.

"This is the corvette Wink to UNO, please respond."

"Hayes here, what's up Wink?"

"Our search of the Ross 128 system has revealed nothing yet. Have you found anything?"

"Negative Wink, keep up the search, he's somewhere around here."

"Roger tha- what the HELL IS THAT? FIRE ALL GUNS!"

Various explosions and laser fire was heard over the comm unit, and static rippled through the transmission.

"Wink? What the hell is going on over there? Report!"

Sergei looked up from his console, worry in his eyes.

"-ome kind o- mon--er! It's ri--ing our hull to pi-ces!! We g-t to-----"

The transmission broke up in static.

"Damnit! Hayes to Alpha group. Rendevouz back at the far side of the moon, I believe we've found Ginkobot in the Ross 128 system."

The ships acknowledged, and Sergei aimed the ship out into space.

"Sergei, can you get a fix on where that transmission came from?"

"Aye sir, the surface of the second planet in the Ross 128 system."

"Alright, take us there once we rendevouz with the fleet."

"Aye.."

Hayes smiled. The excitement of combat had brought Sergei back from the brink, so maybe he'd quit worrying for a little while.

(RP OFF)

[Lum-chan]

By Bladeofkintaro (Bladeofkintaro) on Monday, December 27, 1999 - 19:37:
Back on Radicuses ship the remaining assistent had pointed the most powerful cannon on the ship at Japan. Radicus chaopped Bakuto#2 in half. Radiscus said "You were good but not good enough... what the?" both halfs regenerated into two midget sized Bakutos. Each had one of the double edged lightsabers. One ran up and jammed the lightsaber into the controls. The cannon went out of control nuking various places of the earth! Radicus shouted "Get away from those controls!" He took a swipe at them and destroyed the controls himself!
The ship carreened out of control and plunged headfirst into Japan whiping out half of a large city.

However the ship was still intact for the most part. Radicus got out of the ship the two Bakutos had dissapeared.