Short Story: Version 2.0 "Kaki," said Keve, the Captain of the Fury, "you have been selected to observe and report on the effectiveness of the new breed. You will transfer to the scout ship within two cycles." Fighter Leader Kaki shook his head and said, "But surly they will need fighter support? Ground troops can't attack a space station, even a small one as target B-23, without some backup." In his hands was the computer pad showing the information not only on the new breed of ground troops, but their new model of battle suits. Keve chuckled, tugged on his blue captain's uniform and said, "That would defeat the whole purpose of the test. You have your orders. The ground troops will be using a new, hyper-fast and highly mobile powered suit developed just for them." "I don't understand why you would give up so much firepower and armor." Kaki checked through the pad's data. "You've given them a class five combat computer and only enough missiles for four volleys. They'll be blown out of the sky." Captain Keve glared at Kaki and said, "We'll see. I suggest you keep an open mind." The station was manned by a race long loyal to the Goddess. Hundreds of years of serving her had made them into a very warlike race. Therefore the station, while very small and unimportant, was heavily armed and manned with both a crew and many armored warriors. They patrolled both the inside and also the very hull of the station, clumping about with their rusty colored suits, the laser weapon that made up the right arm of the suit ready for anything. At first nobody noticed anything. The radar had not picked up the cloaked transport ship as they released their cargo into the vacuum of space. The Haven Tactical Suits (as the R&D section had called them) were much smaller then anything built before them. In fact, they looked top heavy, with tiny limbs, huge shoulder pads and back facing jets. It was only when the thirty red suits engaged their main engines and shot towards the station that they become noticed. The huge defenders, at least the ones not already waiting outside the station, rushed to the airlocks. The station's gun ports snapped wide open, ready to launch bolts of particles and plasma at any large ships stupid enough to get too close. The station's armored warriors already on the hull launched themselves into space to meet the threat, laser guns warming up, sensors looking for targets. They did not have to wait long. The race, known as the Hive, was a perfect one for the Goddess. They had very little in the way of fear within their emotional makeup and this made them the elite among her armies. Strong, fast and ruthless, they were hatched from eggs, prepared to do what ever job their queens demanded for them. For the last hundred years, most of the eggs had hatched out warriors, as the Goddess had demanded of the queens. The Hive's warriors were about to meet their match. They opened fire with their lasers, the invisible beams destroying two targets. The rest of the crimson invaders started to dodge. Not by zigzagging or jerking here and there. They started to spin and twist and even to bend their body, moving out of the way of the incoming beams WITHOUT slowing down. In fact some of the Haven Tactical Suits increased speed. None returned fire. At this point the second wave of Hive warriors were collecting on the hull of the space station. They were about to launch themselves into the fight, when the Haven pilots finally responded. The shoulder pads popped open and out chain fired volley after volley of long range missiles. The Hive warriors in the first wave braced themselves, some trying to dodge. It did no good, because they weren't the targets. The missiles converged onto the station's hull. The explosions rocked the tiny structure and many of the defenders were thrown into the night, limbs and armor blasted off. A few fired their lasers, but trying to hit a moving missile at such speeds even with an energy weapon set at wide beam was too much to ask. Some were able to launch themselves to the safely of space before the station dissolved under their metal feet in a series of secondary explosions. The first wave of Hive warriors barely had time to reform into a group before the Haven suits were among them. The Haven pilots were not using their missiles or beam weapons. In each of their hands appeared energy SWORDS. The fight was swift. The Hive warriors had massive armor and their lasers were better suited for close work than the enemy's missiles. But they were slow and the Haven pilots were using a weapon none of the Hive had ever had to fight against. The fight was not totally one sided, but many more of the defenders died than attackers. Here a rusty battle armor of a Hive warrior was sliced into four pieces as a Haven suit shot past it with her two swords already searching for another target. There a defending warrior was blasted to shards by the backwash of an attacker's backpack. A Hive warrior tried to dodge a burst of missile fire as an attacker used her launchers at close range, while at the same time the Haven pilot fired her leg jets and leapt backwards out of the blast radius. The Hive warrior was able to knock one missile off course with its massive left fist before it was ripped apart by the rest. It was like watching hyperactive rabbits attacking turtles who were drunk on cough syrup. The battle space lit up again and again as the Hive warriors fought to the last defender. The space around the shattered station had become so full of wreckage and destroyed suits that the lasers could now be seen, wide yellow beams of light mixed with reddish darts, as the Haven mecha responded with the last of their missiles. The Hive fought to the last defender and died to the last defender. Kaki stepped away from the viewing station. "My God." He leaned against the wall and pulled off his cap, crushing it in his right hand. Thirty pilots against sixty Hive warriors. Nineteen pilots were returning. None of the Hive had survived. "Plus one tracking station of the Goddess, with a crew of twenty gone," the shocked veteran whispered to himself. All around him at the other stations were scientists, technicians, engineers, army officers and even medical officers. They all were reacting to what they had seen but in many different ways. They were already reviewing the battle, again and again, analyzing the data from the tactical suits' onboard logs. Kaki was not the only naval officer, but he did seem to be the only fighter pilot present. He glanced at the viewing screen again to see the last of the Tactical Suits landing in the cloaked transport ship. Already white suited crew were swarming over the mecha, helping the pilots out, checking heat levels of the vehicles and starting to break down the suits to prepare them for storage. One of the pilots slipped off her control helmet and her long, black hair flowed down her shoulders, framing her yellow cat eyes. She looked like a copy of the new suits, unbelievable slim but for the slightly muscular shoulders. She grinned playfully at the docking technicians around her and seemed to be ready and willing for another battle. 'And the bust is a tad too big for such a tight cockpit,' thought Kaki to himself. 'I guess the scientists didn't wish to mess with the original DNA too much. Why try to fix something that isn't broke? Just add the DNA from our pilots and warriors that is needed and made sure they get the right imprint during their stay in the training modules.' "Look at this," said a medical officer behind him, "the pilots' heart rates shot up to twice the normal and their energy levels are still at 80% by the end of the battle!" "Did you notice how well they were able to target the station EVEN with an inferior targeting system?" remarked a scientific officer in the yellow and white uniform of the Space Weapons Division. Kaki sighed, rubbed his chin and said, "Looks like Ryoko 2.0 is everything they wanted. Lets hope they don't replace me next!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- Ryoko's DNA and Tenchi Muyo! and related products are owned by AIC and Pioneer. My need to have battle scenes is my own problems. Somebody help me! I've been watching too many Robotech DVDs!