Part IV

Yamato returned to Laramie with the 97^th fleet, commanded by Admiral Makabe, in a final attempt to win back the outpost.  The battle continues for nearly two days as Ilydrian forces are continually replenished. They have made it difficult to initiate any kind of rescue mission and have systematically blown out nearly all of the docks.  At this point in the tale, Cosmo Tiger squadrons have engaged enemy fighters in a vicious brawl close to the station. 

“You bastard!” shouted Nakamura, as the enemy fighter she was chasing deftly barreled over to avoid his fire. She had been toying with it in a game of cat and mouse that had dragged on for nearly an hour.  Nakamura engaged her thrusters and began a fresh chase among Laramie’s outcroppings.  The pair wove a complex path for several minutes before the enemy shot back out into open space. 

“Got you now, asshole!” she said with delight as her laser fire clipped the enemy’s left wing. The pilot suddenly veered off, and with a projected path towards Yamato. Nakamura’s radio beeped.  She cursed and opened the channel to listen. “You want to what?” she muttered, and radioed Yamato’s bridge.   

“Captain, we have a situation here,” she said.

“Report.”

“We received an SOS from one of their fighters. Says he wants to surrender.  He’s on a course heading your way, ETA three minutes.”

“Incoming,” said Aihara.  “We’re getting the message, too.  He wants to come aboard.  He said he’ll share military secrets if we let him in.”

Mamoru jumped up face the captain.  “Sounds like a Trojan horse to me, sir.”

“Yet we could learn some valuable information,” said Mr. Sanada.  “Might be worth the risk if the quality of the information helps turn the tide of this war.”

“Sir?” prompted the squad leader.  “It’s dicey out here.  I really need to know if you want us to capture him or kill him.”

Kodai weighed the options.  “Let’s risk it.  Nakamura, guide his plane to the hangar.  Aihara, radio that pilot and give him permission to board.  Tell him if he tries anything foolish we’ll take him out before he knows what hit him.  Nambu, prepare a welcoming party in the hangar.  I want him cuffed and shackled as soon as he’s off that plane.”  Kodai motioned for Mamoru to accompany him and they left the bridge to go to the hangar.  

In sickbay, Yuki hung up the receiver.  She called for the team on duty to gather around her, Miyuki among them.  “We’re about to capture a POW.  Hideki, get Examination Room C ready.  There’ll be a heavy guard presence in here everyone, so be mindful of safety.  We’re going to conduct a full physical and scans to rule out biological contaminants and surgically implanted bombs.  Fuchida, prepare six vials of sedatives staggered by dosage and fresh needles.  Set out extra salve and bandages.  If the pilot’s wounded, we’ll tend to his injuries first.” Suddenly, she broke off her tightly clipped orders and whirled, “What is it, Lieutenant?”

Miyuki had been making faces and signaling to Yuki as she spoke.  “May I accompany you to the hangar?  We should bring a sedative in case he becomes violent.”

“Good thinking.  Permission granted.”  Inwardly, Yuki was smiling as she had planned on that particular medical intervention from the start.  She clapped her hands smartly to end the briefing and sent the crew into action.  After instructing Miyuki on the appropriate tranquilizers and restraints to bring, they left for the hangar.

They arrived just as the enemy fighter taxied in.  A ring of armed crew stood around the perimeter and snipers crouched with their aimed rifles in the upper decks.  The air was wrought with heightened anticipation; all repairs and refueling were at a standstill. 

At a signal from Kodai, one of the crew reached up with his gun to tap the hatch.  After a moment, it lifted and the pilot stood up slowly.  Two crewmembers jumped up to disarm him and check the cockpit for weapons.  They guided the pilot to the floor and immediately secured him per the captain’s orders.

Kodai stepped through the line of guards and stood within arm’s length of the enemy pilot.  He ordered the helmet removed.  Behind them, Miyuki gasped and immediately clamped a hand on her mouth.  Ahead and a little to her right stood her brother, and it was all he could do to keep from turning around and confronting her about Alois’ sudden appearance on Yamato. 

“My name is Kodai, and I am the commander of this vessel.  What do you want?” 

Alois bowed slightly.  “My name is Alois, of the House of Etruvia.  I have come to request political asylum.  In exchange, I will tell you everything I know about the Ilydrian Empire’s military capabilities and strategy.” 

Kodai grunted.  “Surely you understand that at this point, there is nothing about your request that I trust.  You are an enemy to us and a traitor to your people.  Why do you need asylum?”

Alois never flinched.  “This is a needless war,” he replied.  “We hardly lack resources or planets, and should Earth continue to oppose us, does so only at her peril.  I disagree completely with our Emperor’s objectives. I feel that for us to persist in conquering the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies would be a heinous act.  I’m not privy to everything our Emperor intends, but there’s a significant amount of information I can share that will be to your advantage.” 

“I will take your request under consideration,” Kodai responded.  “My crew will accompany you to our medical team who will examine you thoroughly.”  He leaned in closely.  The armed guards took a few steps forward.  Kodai eyed Alois with a rigid gaze.  “There will be no deception here.”

“Understood,” Alois said.

Kodai stepped back.  “After the exam, you will remain in the brig until I call for you.”  To the others he said, “I’ll be on the bridge.  Doctor, report to me when you’re done with him.”

“Yes, sir!” said Yuki.  She instructed several of the guards to escort Alois to sickbay.

Miyuki hurried alongside them and took up a position just ahead.  Her heart was pounding.  You’re here! You came for me.  She risked a glance back at him, but either he had not noticed her or was deliberately avoiding looking in her direction.  The trip to sickbay was rather slow as the shackles hindered Alois’ feet.  Miyuki cringed to see him so.  Guards advanced ahead of them to clear the corridor and order back wayward crew who had come to watch the spectacle. 

Once there, Miyuki took her mother aside and begged to assist in the exam.  (“I have to learn!  This is really important experience,” she whispered in her ear). 

“You can administer a mild sedative,” Yuki conceded reluctantly. 

Miyuki placed the items on a tray and attached it to the exam table for easy access.  She asked Alois to sit, and made one of the guards release his hands.  Yuki’s back was to them as she had begun to log a report at one of the monitors.

Miyuki spoke with a robot-like cadence,  “Roll up your sleeve and hold out your arm, please.”

At that moment, their eyes met.  Alois did as instructed.

Miyuki flashed him a devilish grin.  “No, like this,” she said, and reached out to turn his arm palm side up.  She let her fingers slide casually along his skin as she pulled back her hand.  Ever so slightly, Alois bent his fingertips to hers.  He stared ahead and kept his expression neutral.

Miyuki rubbed the crook of his elbow clean with rubbing alcohol.  She cleared the needle of air bubbles and positioned herself for the injection.  “This may sting a bit,” she said.

When it was done, Alois risked another glance at her.  “That didn’t sting at all,” he murmured.  “I wish our nurses had your gentle touch.”

“Nobody asked you,” said Yuki, who had come to take over.  “Take away the tray,” she said to her daughter, and ordered two other nurses to help Alois lay on the examination table. 

The sedative did not put him to sleep; rather, it made him a pliable and obedient patient.  Yuki oversaw the blood draws but performed the scans herself.  The whole process took several hours.  Alois was still groggy when the guards escorted him to the brig.  He dropped onto the cot and fell asleep.  A guard was posted outside.

Miyuki stayed to help her mother disinfect instruments and put sickbay back in order for the casualties that were incoming.  They stood side by side while the sterilizing equipment hummed. 

“What do you think will happen now?”  Miyuki asked.

Yuki looked up briefly then turned back to her task.  “Well, the Captain will certainly have a good long talk with this man.  Probably several.”  The smile she gave Miyuki was tinged with weariness.  “But that’s not for you to worry about.  You did very well today.  You’re past shift; you can go now.”  Yuki took the instrument that Miyuki was holding and put it down.  “I’ll finish up.  I need to report to your father—oops, how I forget!  I mean the Captain!”  Yuki threw out a sly wink as she walked over to her desk. 

Miyuki watched her go, and wanted nothing more than to spill the contents of her heart.  Momma, I met this wonderful man, and I’m in love!  I know you’d like him.  He’s sweet, courteous, and easy to talk to.  He’s beautiful, Momma!  His only flaw is that he’s our enemy right now.  So you and Papa would probably hate him.  Miyuki sighed.  She would bide her time, and wait until Alois built a clear level of trust between him and her father before revealing their relationship.  Oh dear, she thought.  Her eyes briefly crossed.  Alois will want to know who my father is!  She went to her quarters to rest, but found sleep elusive as she hatched ideas on how to contact her lover under her father’s watchful eyes.

Yuki approached Kodai on the bridge. 

“Let’s go where it’s quiet,” he told her.  “Mamoru, you have the bridge.”

“Yessir!”  Mamoru watched his parents left for the Captain’s quarters.  A twinge of panic plucked at his stomach.  I have to talk to Miyuki before she does anything stupid, he thought.  The demands of the battle at hand drew his attention back.  He stood up and began to pace across the bridge.  “Report!”

Using the computer station in the quarters, Yuki pulled up the results of the various tests done on the prisoner, even though she knew Kodai would only give them a cursory glance.  He sat down in front of the monitor.

“So you didn’t find anything?” he asked after a few minutes.

Yuki shook her head.  “Completely healthy.  All the tests for contaminants were negative.  He’s well nourished and in good physical shape.  He has two scars on his left side and a faint one on his forehead, but they’re clearly battle wounds, nothing’s been implanted.  They could’ve stitched him up a little better, though.  When I asked him about it, he said that after being wounded, it was a awhile before he was able to seek proper medical care.”

“So you’re assessment is that he’s clean?”

“Yes.  He didn’t come aboard with anything in his body to harm us.”

“There wasn’t anything to be concerned about in his fighter, either, apart from its standard weapons,” Kodai informed her.  “I’ll go ahead and make a report to Command.  I’m sure they’re going to be very interested in what he has to say.  But I just don’t know what to make of this sudden offer of his.”  He rubbed at his eyes.  “There’s a piece missing, I’m sure of it.”

Yuki walked over and stood behind him.  She began to massage his temples.  “Things will become more clear once you start the interrogation.”

Kodai closed his eyes.  “How’s our daughter doing?”

“Just fine,” said Yuki.  “She showed a lot of initiative today.”

“Good,” said Kodai.  “And that’s good, too!” he added, in response to her massage.  He swung around in the chair and pulled Yuki onto his lap.  “How long has it been?” he said softly, and started to kiss her.

Suddenly, an alarm shattered the air.

Mamoru’s voice blasted over the radio.  “Captain, I think you’d better come take a look at this!” 

Yuki sprang up.  “I’ll be in sickbay,” she said. 

“Take a break instead,” Kodai ordered.  “Sounds like we may need you later.”

They parted.  Kodai went down to the bridge.  An electrified state of apprehension hung about the crew.  Most were standing and peering intently at the video screen.  When Kodai arrived, Mamoru ran up to him. 

“This just appeared,” he said, and punched in some keys on the captain’s board while his father sat down.  “I’ll re-loop the footage we got earlier.  Very strange incident.”

“What is it?” Kodai asked as he watched the monitor.  One of the Ilydrian battleships had launched a pod into the midst of the EDF fleet.  None of the ships were hit but the pod exploded briefly and disseminated into some kind of dark mass with a funnel extending below it.  Four of the vessels within its range suddenly disappeared from view.  The Ilydrian fleet had subsequently retreated, resulting in an unofficial cease-fire. 

“Some kind of artificial gravitational pull is exerting itself out there,” said Mr. Sanada.  “We’re working on an analysis now.  What you see on the screen was generated when that pod exploded.  It’s growing larger.”

“I have a feeling our guest might be able to enlighten us,” Kodai said.  “Aihara, radio the brig and tell them to escort the prisoner to the bridge.”

“Aye, sir!”

“One of their ships returned!” Ota shouted a few minutes later.  He tapped furiously at keys to get a reading.  “They launched another pod!”

Kodai looked up sharply.  “What?  Where?”

“Toward the far side of the fleet, where they were—two more ships just disappeared!”

Kodai’s brow furrowed.  “Hail the flagship and find out what’s going on over there.  Recall the fighter squadrons.  Tanaka, engage fore thrusters and get some distance between us and that mass.”

“Aye, sir!”

The elevator door opened and two guards accompanied a freshly shackled Alois onto the bridge.  Kodai showed him the footage and pointed to the video screen.  “What is that?” he asked.

Alois studied the screen a few moments.  He asked to see the footage again.  A gleam of understanding lit his eyes.  He turned to Kodai.  “Our military scientists call it the Super Dimensional Vortex weapon.”

“Super Dimensional Vortex?” Mr. Sanada repeated.

Alois nodded.  “We’ve been experimenting with various incarnations of warp technology over the years.  The Vortex was in the development stages the last I’d heard.  I guess they’ve completed it.”

“What does it do?” Kodai asked.

“It creates a swirling mass of gravitational pull, rather like a whirlpool.  Anything in the vicinity gets drawn in.”

“Where does it go?” Mamoru asked.

Alois shrugged his shoulders.  “No one knows.”

“How do we stop it?” asked Mr. Sanada.

Alois turned to look at him.  “You don’t.  Eventually it will slow down and spin itself out, but how long that takes depends on the size.”

“Dammit!” Kodai muttered.  “What the hell kind of—“

“Captain! The second one just got bigger.  Another ship is going down!”

While Alois was being consulted, Ota had tracked the path of the second vortex.  It had suddenly widened and was beckoning an EDF ship into its path.

Everyone turned to the screen.  Ota zoomed in on the Suzuya.  They watched as her anchor launched itself into the hull of the nearest ship.  The pull was too strong, though, and both ships were swept into its core.  Their images blinked off Ota’s radar screen. 

Admiral Makabe radioed Yamato and informed them he was initiating a full retreat beyond the range of the vortexes before any more of his ships were lost.

Briefly forgotten, Alois had been studying the image on the screen.  “Captain,” he said. 

At the science station, Kodai was busy consulting with Mr. Sanada about a way to combat the new threat.  “Captain!” Alois said more loudly. 

Annoyed, Kodai looked over at him.  “What?”

“Your station,” he said matter-of-factly,  “it’s in the path of the vortex.”

Indeed, the wide brim of the mass lapped at Laramie’s edge. The station began to plummet down towards the vortex center.  The far end rose as it sank. 

Kodai strode back to where Alois stood.  He struggled to keep himself from grabbing him.  “Think, man! There’s got to be a way to stop it!  Surely your scientists developed a countermeasure?” 

“The only defense is to stay clear of it.  We lost an entire fleet ourselves once when it was being tested.” One of my brothers went down with that fleet, he wanted to add.  

Kodai spun around.  “Sanada-san!  What about the Wave Motion Gun?”

Mr. Sanada shook his head.  “I think the discharge would only end up being consumed by the vortex.  I need more time to study this than we have.  I think young Alois is correct; our best strategy is to avoid contact at all costs.”

“Dammit!  Aihara, contact Laramie on all frequencies.  Advise them to abandon the station.  Tanaka, set a course for it.  We’ll make a pass above so any shuttles carrying survivors can board the hangar.  Then we’ll rendezvous with the fleet.  Unless anyone has any other suggestions, I believe this is all we can do,” he stared pointedly at Alois as he spoke. 

More than a third of Laramie had sunk into the vortex when Yamato arrived.  She picked up eight shuttles.  Other vessels ejected as well.  Most left the sector altogether.  A few were absorbed by the vortex during take-off as the station dipped down even further.

The bridge crew watched helplessly as the station rotated and was tossed about, as though it were a sea-faring ship of old in a turbulent ocean whirlpool.  The station’s power grid surged and waned, creating a pulsing, eerie glow.  Lights from explosions flickered briefly and went out as parts of the structure buckled under the pressure.  Nearly forty-five minutes passed before all of Laramie Station was absorbed.

A grim mood circulated among the crew.  The Ilydrian fleet had long since departed.  Briefings were held, and repairs begun for Yamato and the 97^th fleet.  The next day, Kodai began a series of interrogations with Alois while Sanada and his team studied the impact of the Vortex weapon. 

Three days passed after the Battle of Laramie before Mamoru could speak privately with his sister.  He cornered her in the observation port after their shifts ended.

Mamoru wasted no time.  “How did the two of you manage this little feat?”

Miyuki shook her head and grinned.  “I had no idea he would give himself up like that!  He’ll actually help us end the war.”  She clasped her hands together.  “He must really like me!”

“Yeah, how terribly romantic,” said Mamoru, his tone as dry as the Sahara. When were you planning on telling Mom and Dad?”

Miyuki assumed a more solemn expression.  “When he’s granted asylum.  They have to trust him enough first.  Then the fact that I know him won’t seem so bad in comparison.”

“That could take months.  You tell them in two weeks or I’ll go to them myself.”

Miyuki opened her mouth to object.  The look on her brother’s face stopped her short.

“Don’t do anything dumb while he’s on board, either.  I’m keeping an eye on you!”

Miyuki was about to debate the point but hesitated.  He’s only trying to look out for me, she thought.  She smiled sweetly at him and tucked her arm through his.  “I’ll be good!  You’ve been such a nice brother, let me buy you a cup of coffee!”

“It’s free here, you goof.”

She winked at him.  “I know that,” she purred, tossing him a doe-eyed look.  “But you’ll want to be able to account for my whereabouts!”

Mamoru chuckled wryly as they left for the mess hall.

Alois proved to be a cooperative informant.  After the fourth day, the captain allowed him to move about freely in the senior officers’ conference room when they met.  Mr. Sanada and other officers frequently joined them.  Kodai grilled Alois about information ranging from base locations and fleet movement to the history of the Ilydrian race.  The crew gained a strong background of enemy vessel schematics and weaponry.  Kodai dispatched multiple coded reports to EDF command during the course of the interrogations.  EDF began to use the information to wage counterattacks against ongoing enemy assaults.

For her part, Miyuki found every possible excuse to pass by the brig.  Despite her promise to Mamoru, she missed Alois and ached with desire to see him. Being so near to him, she could hardly sleep, and felt distracted during work.  Her first opportunity to make contact came the evening following her conversation with her brother.  While in sickbay, she heard her mother being consulted about the allotted meal portion for Alois.  Miyuki’s shift had just ended.  While her mother did rounds, she swiped some medical supplies.

Miyuki breathlessly intercepted crewmember Tahei as he walked to the brig with a covered tray of food.  “I’ll take it from here,” she said.  “The Doctor ordered me to administer a medication that has to be taken with food.”

He handed over the tray without question.  At the entrance to the cell, Miyuki repeated her story to the guard and waved a pocket-sized med kit she had brought with her.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” he asked.

“Oh, goodness, no, I’ll be fine.  Just wait outside with the door open; this shouldn’t take long.”

He unlocked the door and let her in.  Alois had been lying on his back.  He swung into a sitting position when the door opened.  He blanched in surprise when Miyuki walked toward him.  She put a finger to her lips.

“It’s okay,” she whispered.  She remained standing with her back to the door.  “They think I’m giving you medication.  Here’s your supper,” she added, and placed the tray on the shelf.  She uncovered the food and made him take a few bites.  “Are you all right?”

Alois nodded.  “Everyone is treating me well,” he said in a low voice.  “They’re still very suspicious, but that’s to be expected.  Do you have any way of finding out if the captain will grant me asylum?”

Miyuki blushed.  She busied herself with the med kit.  “That’s what I came to talk to you about.  The Captain is…he’s my father!”

Alois stopped eating.  He was silent for a moment.  He risked a glance at her.  “And the ship’s doctor…?”

Miyuki nodded.  “My mom!”

Alois sat back as he processed the information.  He pretended to take the pill Miyuki gave him.  “It was wise of you to tell me.  That would be in our favor, I take it?”

Miyuki nodded a second time.  “The intelligence you share with the captain will earn you his trust.  Let’s give it a couple of weeks, then I’ll tell them everything.  I have to go!  I’ll come again as soon as I can.” 

She packed up the med kit and left.  She flirted and chatted with the guard a few minutes to get a sense of the best time to risk a future visit.  Miyuki felt almost guilty at the amount of trust everyone had in her.  I really hope this works, she thought, and went back to her post.

Late in the afternoon of the ninth day of interrogations, there was a knock at the door.  Miyuki sauntered in carrying a tray with a pot of tea and some cups.  She set it on the table between Alois and her father.  Nambu and Mr. Sanada were seated at the opposite end. 

Kodai looked at her in puzzlement as she approached.  “Miyu—Lieutenant, what are you doing?”

“Bringing you the tea!”  She smiled brightly at him.

“I didn’t order any tea!”

Miyuki frowned and gestured behind her.  “But I was told to bring some refreshments.” 

Kodai glared at her. 

She put her hands on her hips and pouted.  “Well, I can take it back, but it’d be a shame if it went to waste!”

Kodai let out an exasperated sigh.  He turned to Alois, who was rubbing his face to keep himself from laughing.  “Do you want some tea?”

Alois cleared his throat and looked up with a guarded expression.  “Yes, that would be lovely, thank you.” 

Miyuki poured the tea and placed one cup before her father.  She handed a second one to Alois.  “Be careful, it’s hot,” she said.   Their hands met as he took it from her.  Miyuki squirmed with delight at his touch.  “Would you like some sugar with that?”

“That will be all, Lieutenant.  Dismissed!”

Miyuki quickly removed the tray’s contents to the table.  Stepping back with the tray in one hand, she clicked her heels together.  “Aye, sir!” 

Outside the door, she leaned against the wall to catch her breath.  Hugging the tray to her body, she whispered his name.  Oh darling, I’m sorry I can’t just sit down and talk to you!  She replayed the previous moment over again in her mind.  His hands had tightened against hers ever so slightly, almost to be something imagined.  Miyuki’s eyes started to close as she daydreamed.  She considered running back into the room and doing away with this clandestine charade altogether—but not quite.  Miyuki knew the captain far too well to take that kind of risk.  He can’t help but to trust Alois soon, she thought.  It’s better this way. 

A week passed.  EDF forces easily corroborated Alois’ intelligence.  Already, four secret enemy bases were uncovered and destroyed.  Mr. Sanada pooled his analyses of Ilydrian technology with the EDF database.  Command officers were able to more effectively recognize certain attacks and developed improved strategic defenses as a result. 

In light of the value of the intelligence gained, Kodai broached the subject of Alois’ asylum request with Commander Todo when he made a live report.  Todo granted the request, but asked that the Ilydrian be secured in the brig until Yamato returned to Earth.  Todo ordered Yamato to continue its reconnaissance, and advised Kodai to be ready for reassignment at any moment.

Later that night, Mamoru tipped Miyuki off that Alois was to be granted asylum, and he told her he thought the captain would formally present it to him sometime in the next couple of days.  Just before her shift began the next morning, Miyuki brazenly prepared Alois’ meal herself and took it to the brig.  She rushed in and tossed down the tray.  She bade Alois to stand up and turned him around so that his back was to the door.  Her eyes were shining as she gazed up at him.

“There’s been a lot of communication with Command,” she whispered excitedly.  “The fleets have had great success with the information you’ve provided. They’re close to granting you asylum.  Soon we can tell them about us!” Miyuki pressed up against him and laid her head on his chest.  “We can be together finally!”

“Miyuki!” Alois said.  He slid his arms around her and he rested his cheek against her hair.

They stood there embracing, basking in the closeness and warmth of each other.  Alois was the first to hear the door slide open.  He immediately dropped his arms.

Sensing him turn rigid, Miyuki’s stomach tightened.  She leaned to the side and peered around him.  “Oh, no!”

Kodai was heading for them, his face contorted with rage.  “What the hell is going on here?” he said, and pushed them roughly apart.  Yuki and Mamoru came into the cell behind him. 

“Papa, I can explain!” Miyuki said.

Kodai grabbed his daughter and shoved her towards Yuki.  “Get her out of here!”  He whipped around to face Alois and sent him crashing into the wall with a roundhouse punch.

“No, Papa, don’t!” Miyuki said.  She wrenched herself out of Yuki’s grasp and surged toward her father. 

Kodai had punched him again and was aiming for a third when Miyuki seized his arm.  “Stop it!  I love him!  He’s here to help us.”  She pushed down on her father’s arm as she spoke and tried to insert herself between them.  Alois had slumped onto the cot.  A trickle of blood seeped from his mouth.  His left eye began to swell.

Kodai pushed her away once again, his eyes flashing with anger.  “Report to my quarters at once!  Yuki!  Take her away!  Clear this cell immediately.”

Yuki dragged her from the cell with strength Miyuki didn’t know her mother had.  Miyuki continued to vehemently protest.  Her last view was of her father latching onto Alois’ shirt and slamming him against the wall.  Miyuki’s cries lapsed into tears as she was taken away from the brig. 

As Mamoru herded the guards out of the cell, he looked back to watch as his father delivered several blows to Alois’ abdomen.  Alois never lifted a hand against him, even to ward off the kicks and punches that followed.  With a sorrowful expression, Mamoru let the door close behind him. 

In the captain’s quarters, Yuki sat her daughter down at the table.  She admonished her to calm down and handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes. Yuki sat down across from her.  Miyuki had never seen her mother look so stern.

A moment later, the door opened and Mamoru walked in.  He strode over to Miyuki and slammed his fist down on the table.  “What were you thinking?” he asked. 

“Leave me alone!” Miyuki snapped.

“Be quiet, both of you!” said Yuki.  “Where is the captain?”

“On his way.”  Mamoru kept his eyes locked onto his sister as he paced the room.  “He’s meting out his own special brand of justice.”

Miyuki gasped and turned around.  “Is he hurt badly?  Didn’t you tell him—”

Kodai opened the door and stormed into the room just then.  “Lieutenant,” he said,  “stand up and make your report!”  Kodai turned the captain’s chair around to face her and sat down.  His clenched fists only made the scrapes and redness on his knuckles stand out all the more.

This is it, Miyuki thought.  Please understand, Papa!  She stood up slowly and positioned herself in front of him.  She clasped her hands behind her back and took a deep breath.

“I met Alois during the Battle of Cepheus.  I saw his ship crash and thought it was one of ours.  I didn’t realize it was an enemy plane until I arrived to perform the rescue.  When he emerged from the fighter, I tended to his wounds.  After he recovered, he repaired his radio and called for help.  His people came and rescued him.” 

Kodai shifted his gaze to his son.  “Did you know about this?”

Mamoru looked slightly uncomfortable.  “Not until way after the fact,” he said.

Kodai gave him a look that said I’ll-deal-with-you-later.  His eyes swung back to Miyuki.  “So you would have us believe that you encountered absolutely no resistance when you laid hands on this man to perform first aid?”

“Well…um…no,” Miyuki faltered.

“Don’t let me find out later that you left important details out of your report, young lady,” Kodai warned her.

“You have to understand!  He was delirious with pain and was just trying to protect himself.”  She bit her lip before continuing.  “He sort’ve had me at gunpoint before he would let me help him.”

At that admission, Yuki stood up.  Miyuki could hear her sharp intake of breath. 

“But you see, I’m fine!  I convinced him that I was there to help.  And he was too much of a gentleman to kill anyone in cold blood like that.  He hates this war—he wants it to end as much as we do!”

“You seem to know a lot about him,” Kodai said.  He gritted his teeth.  “How many times did you say you saw him?”

Miyuki opened her mouth to tell him, Well, I didn’t say, but thought the better of it.  She looked at the floor.  “About five or six.”

“Miyuki!” exclaimed her mother.  “Is that any way for a soldier to behave?  Fraternizing with the enemy during battle?”

Kodai raised a hand for silence.  “I want to make sure I understand.  His ship crashes and you see it land.  You rush over to help and provide medical assistance even when it’s clear it was an enemy pilot.  He threatens to kill you, but due to your amazing powers of persuasion he backs off.  You fail to notify your superior officers, or at least your brother, about the crash.  You spend time and use supplies (food, too, I would guess) to care for him at the expense of your own comrades.  You make five or six secret visits to the crash site to do heaven knows what with this man—”  

“I only tended to his injuries!  Nothing more!”

“—and you obviously have more than one conversation with him (here Kodai stood up, his anger gaining a typhoon’s momentum).  You think nothing of the fact that he could have been planted there to trap you, or to spy on us.  You send him along on his merry little way, and you wonder why I’m upset?”  His last sentence was a shout.  He leaned forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.  “You could’ve been killed!”  Abruptly, he let go and turned around. 

Miyuki was shaken by her father’s outburst, but she was determined to win him over.  “Can we help whom we love, Papa?  I don’t know why, but my instincts said to trust him.  I know it’s hardly convenient, but I started to grow fond of him.  He had been fighting a long time, and was ready for this war to end.  He’s here now because I asked him to find a way to stop the fighting.  So he and I could be together.  I had no idea he would actually try it.” 

Kodai’s shoulders sagged.  He turned to face her and spoke more softly.  “Do you understand the severity of this?  Do you realize, Miyuki, that you could be charged with treason and court-martialed?”

Miyuki bristled at the accusation.  “How could my actions constitute any such thing?  I helped someone in need and now he’s giving us all of their military secrets so Earth can defend itself better.  We should be thanking him, not beating him up and wasting time with baseless charges!”  Her right hand balled into a fist and she matched her father glare for glare.

“You lied to us, Miyuki,” Mamoru piped in.  “You acted impulsively and put yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“Oh, so if I told you I met a guy I wanted to date, who just happened to be our enemy, you’d be like, sure, whatever, have a great time, just be in by midnight?”  She stomped her foot.  “It just happened, okay?  I knew if I told you—any of you—you wouldn’t even give us a chance or try to understand.  I trusted him, and look what we gained!”

“This is war, Miyuki,” said Kodai.  His tone grew deadly quiet. “There is no trusting the enemy.  Especially where my family is concerned.”

“But there is!  I didn’t go looking for it, but when I found it, I held on tight because I knew it was the right thing.  Look, Papa, I’m sorry the Gamilons killed your parents, but that doesn’t mean that every enemy soldier we meet is a cold-blooded murderer.  I—”

Her father slapped her into a stunned silence.

The breath was knocked out of her.  Her hands went instinctively to her face and she looked back at him in shock, mouth agape.  Yuki took a step towards them.  She laid a hand on Kodai’s arm.

“You’re restricted to quarters until further notice,” Kodai ordered.  “Dismissed.”

Miyuki burst into tears.

“Mamoru,” said Yuki.  “Please escort the lieutenant to her quarters.  Reassign her roommates for the time being and post a guard.”

Mamoru nodded solemnly and put his arm around Miyuki’s shoulders.  With his soft words of encouragement, she docilely allowed him to lead her out the door.  Kodai stared after them, his face a mixture of concern and remorse.  He sat down and covered his face with his hands.

“Yuki,” he moaned.  “I made her cry.” 

Yuki brought her hands to her chest.  “We should be careful not to push her away.”

“I know, I know!”  He slouched into the chair and frowned.  “What am I going to tell Command?”

“The truth, of course,” said Yuki.  “Unless you plan an even grander collusion than your daughter?”  She bent down to examine his hands.

“Oh, I’m fine,” he said, brushing her off.  “I need some time to think.  You’d better go check on that…on Alois.  I left him in pretty bad shape.”  Kodai stared forward, and avoided his wife’s look of consternation.

Yuki left for sickbay and packed up a cart with first aid supplies.  She rolled it to the brig.  She made a silent note of the change of guard, and wondered briefly about the fate of the crewmember on duty who had allowed Miyuki into the cell.  Much later, she learned he had borne a backhanded slap himself before being demoted.

Yuki found Alois sitting on the floor against the wall, his legs splayed out before him.  His breathing was labored and he clutched his torso.  Disheveled strands of hair obscured his face.  Yuki knelt beside him.  She opened up his shirt to probe his chest and abdomen for injuries.  Purplish bruises marked his skin, but his ribs were intact.  Alois flinched when she reached out her hand to smooth back his hair.  His left eye was nearly swollen shut.  Yuki reached for a medicated cloth and began to sponge up the blood on his mouth and chin.  The way she looked, her touch, reminded Alois painfully of Miyuki, who now seemed forever lost to him.  He felt horribly vulnerable.

A tear rolled down his cheek.  “What is this game that you’re playing?” he asked in a hoarse voice.  “Is this how you intend to break me:  One of you maims, the other heals?  I came to Yamato freely and put my life in your hands.  Miyuki’s actions led me to believe that Earth people had more honor than this.”

“Our honor is hardly in question,” was Yuki’s pert reply.  “We had no knowledge of your prior relationship with our daughter.  The Captain thought she was in danger.”  Yuki picked up a syringe.  “This medication will speed healing and reduce the swelling.”  After the injection, she put on a pair of latex gloves.  “Now let me check your teeth and mouth.”

It took her a few minutes to finish, as she had to mop up the fresh blood that spurted from his mouth as she examined him.  “Luckily, the blood was only from a cut on your gums.” She rubbed some salve on it and pulled off the gloves.  “I’ll leave you an ice pack to put on your eye.  If your eye feels like it’s burning or sharp pain develops, ask the guard to call for me.”  Yuki was silent for a moment as she stared at Alois.  “Do you love Miyuki?” she asked.

“Very much so.  I think she’s an exceptional person.  Someone who took a risk like she did to help a person in need is worth knowing.”

Yuki packed up her things.  She looked at him thoughtfully.  “Well, I’ll see what I can do.  I may have some influence with the Captain.  But if you hurt Miyuki, you’ll have me to deal with.”  She leaned in close to whisper in his ear.  “And I’m a hundred times worse than her father.”

Without a second glance, Yuki stood up and walked out. 

Mamoru stood beside the closed door as Miyuki, still sobbing, collapsed on her bed.  He would have to hunt down her roommates later as both of them were out.  Mamoru shifted nervously from one foot to the other.  He felt loathe leaving his sister alone. 

“Miyu,” he began, with the nickname he usually reserved for when they were at home, “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.  Think of how he felt.  It seemed like Alois was trying to hurt you or something.  He was only trying to defend you.”

Miyuki sat up.  Her eyes were red and her face smeared with tears.  “Can you leave, please?  I need to be alone right now.”  She jumped up and ran to the bathroom.

“Miyu!” Mamoru said, then he stopped himself.  I suppose she’ll be all right, he thought.  I guess she wouldn’t try anything as long as she believes she’ll see Alois again.  A sudden recollection lit his eyes.  Mamoru found someone to stand guard at her door and raced back up to the captain’s quarters.

He knocked and let himself in.  “Kodai Mamoru reporting, sir.”

Kodai was seated with his back to the door.  “What do you want?”

Mamoru cleared his throat.  “Sir, there’s something I thought you should know.”  He waited nervously for his father’s response.

“Make it quick.”

“During the attack on Laramie, I followed up on Miyuki to make sure she was okay.  This…this was before I knew about the Cepheus incident.  Anyway, I came upon the two of them in one of the corridors.  He must have been doing some sort of reconnaissance, because he was alone.  They obviously hadn’t expected to run into each other.”  Mamoru pointedly left out the part involving their kiss.  “Alois made her return to the ship.  She wanted to go with him, but he told her not to.”

Kodai spoke sluggishly.  “And your point is…?”

“They didn’t know I was there.  If Alois had any ill intentions, we would have known by now.  The point is, he could have done something to her, or used her to his advantage, but he didn’t.”

Kodai was quiet for a long time before he spoke.  “Is that all?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then you’re dismissed.”

Mamoru felt disappointed.  He thought this new information would have a bigger impact.  “Yes, sir,” he said, and exited the room.

They were the longest days of Miyuki’s life. 

The door opened only for meals.  The first day, Miyuki let the trays sit where they were left.  Consumed with feelings of self-pity and discouragement, she cried and sobbed into her pillow.  On the second day, when her tears were spent, she started to panic about Alois’ fate.  She worried that he was somehow disabled for life from the captain’s beating.  Then remorse would rush in and chase away her anxiety.  Alois, I’m so sorry!  How careless I was.  Please be all right!

In the few days that followed, Mamoru and Yuki came in separately to check on her briefly.  (“Have faith, Miyu,” her brother whispered.  “It’s not like he’s dead, you know.”)

Then they would be gone, the silence would deepen, and her thoughts raced anew. 

Miyuki had nothing to do.  The Captain restricted her access to the ship’s computer system.  She could not log in from her quarters for either updates or correspondence.  The room filled with her groans as she stared at the walls.  You want me to sit here and reflect on my sins, Papa, eh?  I must be such a disappointment to you.  So what if I were secretive?  It was for a good cause.  What good is it for you to be so worried after the fact? 

Hour after hour, she shied away from the guilty thoughts, and pushed them out with pacing, crying, or fits of anger.  She pushed them out until boredom swung open its door for them to creep in.  It began to dawn on her just how precarious the situation was.  Would I have been restricted if I weren’t their daughter?  she wondered.  Are they that worried?  Her father had been angry with her before, oh yes; she had gotten into her share of trouble.  But a late night out was nothing compared to this.  A scolding was better than this infernal silence. 

Miyuki got up and knocked on the door.  When it opened, she grabbed the guard’s arm and begged him for news of Alois.

“Lieutenant,” he said, “I’m not even supposed to talk to you.”

Miyuki cried out impatiently and stormed back inside. 

A day later, there was a knock on the door.  Miyuki swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up just as her mother walked in.

“You can return to duty,” Yuki said.  She sat next to her.  “Earth is under attack and we’re heading there now.  I told your father I needed all of my nurses.”  Yuki reached out to smooth her daughter’s hair.  “You’ll be under very strict supervision, but it’s for the best.  The Captain has decided to keep Alois with us indefinitely.  You’d be wise not to do anything that would change his mind.”

Miyuki nodded and went to freshen up before accompanying her mother to sickbay.

Yamato warped continuously to reach Earth as quickly as possible.  Every EDF ship that could be spared was recalled to home, for one hundred Ilydrian fleets of varying size and configuration had descended on Earth.  Upon arriving, the bridge crew gazed at the tableau before them in disbelief.  Skirmishes had broken out in multiple quadrants surrounding the planet.  The Ilydrian fleets were attacking with the mentality of a swarm of locusts. 

“Where do we even start?” said Mamoru.

“Where do you think?” Kodai asked him.

Mamoru started.  He didn’t think the captain had heard him.  “Ota, feed the battle schematics onto the video screen.”

A panoramic simulation detailing the hundreds of ongoing clashes appeared.  Mamoru studied it a moment. “There,” he said, and reeled off the coordinates.  “Looks like the heaviest concentration of fighting.”

“As good a place as any,” said Kodai.  “Tanaka, take us in!”

Yamato dove into the fray, and her presence helped to level the playing field.  The enemy seemed to have no greater objective than to wipe out the EDF fleets.  Earth herself was left virtually untouched.  So too was Yamato.  Kodai felt highly skeptical about the Ilydrian fleet maneuvers.  A brief consult with Alois did little to solve the puzzle.  He had been too long removed from his people to have knowledge of current strategy.  The battle went on for several hours more.

“Captain, I’m detecting a localized energy build-up on one of the lower decks,” Mr. Sanada reported.  “Like nothing I’ve ever seen.  Wait, there it is again!”

“Have we been hit?” said Kodai.  “Delayed response?”

“Negative,” Ota told him.  

“Tokugawa, go to the engine room.  Let’s rule out any problems with the engine.”

“Aye, sir!”

Sanada stood up.  “I ought to go to there myself and check it out.  I’ll take some readings.” 

Kodai nodded and turned his attention to the battle at hand.

Down in sickbay, casualties were moderate but coming in steadily.  Yuki called to her daughter and handed her a bulky satchel.  “Take these supplies to the satellite infirmary.  Report in when you get there!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Miyuki replied, and dodged incoming wounded as she ran out the door. 

It was slow going.  The corridors buzzed with the activity of crew streaming this way or that.  Miyuki was hard pressed not to stop and attend to the injured she encountered crawling or limping their way to sickbay.  But she had to cross nearly the entire ship to reach her destination.  She ran on.

She had descended two decks and was heading aft when she noticed a sudden change in the air pressure.  She slowed her pace.  Instantly, the view ahead of her in the passageway shifted.  It became like looking through water or translucent glass.

Three Ilydrian soldiers materialized as though summoned from the air.  Miyuki spun around only to find two more behind her.  Though their guns were drawn, she started to hit one of them with the satchel.  The contents spilled out onto the floor as she flung it about.  Two of them grabbed her from behind and she shrieked.  As a gloved hand clamped over her mouth, she felt her stomach wrench as if she were about to tumble into a steep fall.   Then a terrifying, disorienting nothingness enveloped her as she was taken from the ship.

End of Part IV

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