Infinity's Shore, Chapter 7 By James Barnhill Legal Disclaimer: I use these characters without the permission of the people that created them, ie Rumiko Takahashi and others. I also rip those 'Do Not tear' tags off anything I find them on. And I have a dream, in that dream I steal a diesel submarine....I'm still tryin to figure out why......? Psychological Disclaimer: Okay, I'm not thinking of THAT song. I finally managed to get it out of my brain. And no I'm not going to tell you the name of that song! THINKING ABOUT IT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS WAS TORTURE ENOUGH!!! Satisfaction Disclaimer: Refer to Satisfaction Disclaimer at top of Chapter 1 of Infinity's Shore. Failing to read that I will take rightful vengeance upon you in a suitable (read very unhealthy) anime- like fashion! So if your going to flame me ya better tell me whether or not you can take 120VAC electric shocks:P Special thanks go out to my prereader Jerry and the Ranma fanfic Forum for their help and patience. --------------------------------------------- ~20 minutes ago Commander Demetri appraised the efficiency of his troops through the electronic lenses of the IR goggles. The man who had come up with the plan had been dead for more then seventy years. Ever since the Party took control of China they had known about the existence of Phoenix mountain along with the Amazons and the Musk and while criticizing such beliefs to the public the party had several secret think tanks that had come up with plans to take down such groups of people, turn them to Communism or their children while at the same time using the treasures rumored to be locked up in such places to revitalize the economy and possibly for a prelude to attacking and taking over one of its close neighbors. But that had been seventy years ago, in another time when the economy hadn't been that bad. In that time the original plan had called for seven tunneling machines to tunnel into different sections of the mountain to create seven entrances to bypass the main gate. But now there wasn't enough time or funding to create six more machines. And the people who had been part of the think tanks were either transferred to other operations or if they knew too much or didn't seem inclined toward the will of the party they were disposed of quietly, efficiently. He had no doubts that his own political advisor wanted to do such things to him and take over this force. The only thing stopping him were his superiors and the importance of the mission. For the umpteenth time he wondered why he had been put in charge of this mission, if one could call it that. At the moment he had less then a thousand soldiers at his command with additional reinforcements en route to his location for the purpose of surrounding the mountain and preventing the escape of any of its inhabitants. For a moment he wondered if the legends were true and the people inside truly did have wings...but his mind quickly discontinued that train of thought, in these times it was dangerous enough just to mention Phoenix Mountain. To his left several technicians were making final checks on the machine that had been attached to two of the modified tanks. His chest swelled with pride for beside him sat the only machine ever created by those think tanks. Its primary function to drill into the base of the mountain to create a easy approach for soldiers, if it survived long enough. The tanks it was attached to would move it into position while the machine gun crews in the modified turrets would do their best to protect the machine, to that end they had been modified with a sort of armored roof made especially to deflect the powerful weapons the Phoenix people used. But if even one of those tanks survived long enough to put the drilling machine into operation it would be enough for him to start Phase 3. Hopefully. Their were too many 'ifs' and 'maybe's' for his taste. "Having second thoughts commander?" Demetri looked over his shoulder at his political advisor. Where as Demetri was quite muscular Lu de ji was small and frail looking. The only thing that kept the soldiers from tearing the small man into smaller chunks was the political power he wielded in Beijing. The commander sneered at the small man. Lu de ji enjoyed taunting people, rumor said he had sent no less then a hundred fifty people to death for 'crimes against the state'. The only crime most of those people had been guilty of was making Lu de ji angry. With a forced smile that could not be seen, Demetri turned around to look at his political advisor. Despite his voice the small man visibly trembled. "No Citizen, but taking Phoenix Mountain with these forces will be very difficult." "Quit stalling for time. There are other forces en route, by the time you begin sending your troops in they should be here. By sunrise we will have the mountain." "Sir, others besides us have tried and failed. These....people......are not fools. Nor will they just open their doors, lay down their weapons, and let us in." He saw the disapproving frown on the Political Advisors face when he had almost said Phoenix People. Even the people occupying the higher echelons of power chose not to accept reality for all its weird twists and turns. Because of their disbelief his Intelligence data, which had come with a high cost in lives from the previous attempts to take the mountain, was scant at best. The Political Advisor stepped closer to him until only several inches of air separated them. "If you will not take that mountain, then I will kill you myself." Despite Demetri's height advantage Lu de ji managed to look intimidating without trembling. Demetri nearly burst out laughing. One quick glance at the little mans side showed his hand less then an inch from the gun he constantly wore. He had no illusions that if he should die then Lu de ji would take over command of these forces, and get them all killed while he ran away to safety. Before he could respond one of his lieutenants drew his attention to the top of Phoenix Mountain, which was now being illuminated by a signal flare. He turned to the Howitzer commander without another glance or word to Lu de ji. "Begin the bombardment." ---------------------------------------- The metallic tang of blood was the first thing he noticed, the second was that he was on the floor along with Koran. Shaking his head he got up and went over to the older man, turning him over he looked for any injuries but found nothing. Off in the distance he could hear yelling and mangled screams. Propping Koran against one of the walls he ran out of the tunnel. Before he could get past the stone pillars circling the hollow center of the mountain someone dropped in front of him. Standing still Ranma looked at the person, seeing the black uniform, the lack of wings, and the assault rifle the guy was waving about as he scanned the area around him. Ranma moved before the man could see him, using a kick to the right leg that broke a bone or two before moving on to punch the man in his left temple. Seeing him slump forward Ranma cautiously worked his way around him, all the while conscious of anyone else trying to jump down from above. Taking the assault rifle he then took off the weird head piece the man had been wearing around his forehead. A sudden concussion rocked the mountain. Ranma suddenly looked around, , blinking away the minute particles of dust that fell from the ceilings new cracks, above him he saw a cloud of dust erupt from one of the higher levels. Quickly he put his arm through the strap for the weapon and donned the headpiece before jumping up to land on the third level. Reorienting himself again he jumped another three levels. This time taking a few minutes to look at the levels above. Whoever was up there he was sure Pluto brought them here, or rather directed them. Immediately his anger started to rise again, gritting his teeth he pulled himself up another level. The thought that Pluto wouldn't just stop at killing him at this time spurned him on. He didn't know what he could do. But he would do it! Propping his head up first he looked around. Nothing unusual. Cautiously he pulled himself up, still looking for anything that seemed wrong. He took a deep breathe, briefly checking the assault rifle in his hands with a vague notion of how it should work. Satisfied he got to the edge of the floor that overlooked some twenty other levels, looking up he could see smoke still coming out of the tunnel above him. But unlike before there was no dust to color the smoke a light tan color, instead th smoke shifted between translucent white and milky white. Setting what he thought was the safety of the rifle off he preceded to grab the ledge above him, constantly weary of any sounds coming from above as he gently eased himself up. He stopped suddenly, hearing voices conversing in muffled chinese. A second later the voices stopped and several lines were thrown over the ledge. Ranma quickly let go. Swinging the rifle up he aimed it at the first of the two lines where he could see some ones feet and half of their legs sticking over the ledge. He waited. With the cloud of smoke above he was better off letting them come to him, especially when they hadn't seen him. There, the lower torso was coming into view. He pulled back on the trigger, hearing a click, then nothing. He pulled the trigger again, still nothing. The person climbing down the rope was almost low enough to see him! Ranma quickly turned the rifle over, examining it again. Safety, check. Ammo, where the hell was the ammo! He cursed himself for not learning very much about guns. Throwing down the rifle in disgust he darted forward just as the first person cleared the ledge to see him. He almost stopped when he saw the eyes through the breathing mask. Eyes that widened in fear as they caught sight of him running strait toward them. The second rope was now beginning to move as someone started climbing down it. He clenched his jaw, with a sickening feeling he knew he didn't have anytime for a nonlethal blow. His right palm hit the soldier in the chest with a sickening crunch. Despite the uniform and all of its bulging pockets he could tell that the person before him was a man. He expected the soldier to let go of the rope. Amazingly enough the soldier didn't let go of the rope, instead he continued to stare at Ranma in object terror before suddenly reaching out for the headpeice on Ranma's forehead. Ranma panicked, leveling several more blows on the mans body until he fell off the rope without so much as a scream as he fell to his death. Taking the Night Vision goggles with him. No sooner had he done that then he heard a click from beside him. Again panic and something else seized him, driving him to leap back as high and as far as he could amid the sudden hail of bullets that bounced off the spot he'd been standing on moments before. Regaining his breathe he warily looked at the second rope to see no one there. Suddenly he felt something graze the outer thigh of his left leg, grimacing he leaned down, pressing his hands over the wound. A part of his mind registered the sound of chinese words being yelled out, most likely calling for his surrender. Leaning down to the ground, seeing his hands getting covered with blood. The pain became a catalyst, spreading from nerve ending to nerve ending like a fire, slowly consuming all that was him. With a mental scream he faded away. In his place the pain had triggered something primal, something that remembered past pain and hungered for the blood of those responsible. His conscious mind seemed to shut down then, the rest of his body numbed from the flow of adrenaline coursing through his blood. Instead another part of his mind took over. That part didn't care about anything, instead focusing its rage and hatred on who ever threatened it. The part of his mind still human noticed the body suddenly moving, around it ki flared up before disappearing, masking the body with the Yuma-kasin technique. Several more bursts of rifle fire streaked by the body as it weaved in and out of the bullets paths, instead focusing on where they came from. Dark emotions take control and exalt in the killing. In the act of destroying the life of one who meant to destroy him. Anger, fear, dread, hopelessness. All were experienced and at the same time forgotten as Ranma tried to control them to no avail. Instead he became a passenger within his body as it jumped and rolled and dodged the sporadic rifle fire, each second it came closer to its target, its prey. He tried to stop himself, but that part that was him, the suppressed him urged the body onward faster. Frantically he tried to stop, a small portion of his mind screamed that if he lost control now then he would never be able to stop. But then the memories of his parents graves, of friends who would never be friends again, and enemies that looked upon him in contempt assailed his mind. He stopped fighting, instead embracing that dark part of himself that he had long repressed out of fear and idiocy. When he had killed those first two soldiers he had felt exhilaration at seeing the fear in their eyes, but the part of him that was still the old Ranma had distanced itself from the feeling of power and control the fear gave him. No more. He turned the corner just as the rifle barrel disappeared behind the rock column, he saw the soldier leaning over to check his work. With a toothy grin he struck out. His first punched knocked the soldier back into the wall adjoining the column. The second punch crushed half the mans ribs, the kick after that smashed his right knee cap. Grabbing the mans neck after removing the gas mask he saw the fear in the mans eyes, with a sharp crack he broke the mans neck and watched the life fade away from his eyes. Feeling no pulse in the neck he dropped the dead soldier and watched him fall like a sack of potatoes to the hard rock ground. Becoming visible again he turned his head slightly, he heard voices, speaking chinese, coming from above. With a smile he turned to the ropes. Soon, he thought, Ill let Pluto know I'm still alive. --------------------------------------------- With a silent exhale he pulled himself higher up the rope. The Infrared goggles firmly nestled over his eyes were old and bulky, causing him to hit the protruding ends of the delicate optics more then once upon beginning his ascent. Above he could see one of his men standing just inside the newly blasted hole in the side of the mountain, scanning the skies overhead for any dangers. Da wei risked a look down to see that the regular chinese army men were not that far behind him and his men. He managed to make it to the hole while hitting the IR goggles two more times, pausing he took off the goggles and put on the small gas mask. The tunnel before him still reeked of the poisonous gas they had used just after the explosion, several feet away he could see two dead bodies haphazardly moved to the side of the tunnel and dumped one on top of the other. "Resistance?" He queried the man standing watch. "Slight, all of their attention is focused on the gates. This tunnel is secure." Sparing a glance at the man coming in behind him he turned back to the man. "How many of those have you killed?" He asked motioning to the two winged bodies. "Four more besides those two." Da wei nodded briefly to the man before walking into the tunnels light fog, around him he noted the smooth rock walls and passed the four other dead bodies of Phoenix people. He stopped briefly at the last one, looking around to make sure that no one was watching him he reached down to one of the wings and ripped a fistful of feathers off. Quickly stuffing the feathers into his shirt he resumed walking, the feathers would be worth quite a bit of money to some people. Several men carrying several small boxes passed him. The machine guns he reflected. The soldiers coming in behind him were to entrench themselves in the tunnel and make sure none of the Phoenix people that tried to escape succeeded. Two machine guns were being set up, those would be backed by whatever weapons the soldiers brought with them. He and his men were to proceed deeper into the mountain, killing anyone they passed, to the front gate. There they would throw several anti-personal grenades at the defenders and open the gate for the regular army to get through. The fog of poisonous gas was beginning to thin, allowing him a view of the tunnel opening into what seemed a hollow mountain. He held his breath, not daring to say anything before taking it all in. A third of the rock he saw was lit from glowing globes whose light seemed to dim and brighten like it was alive. The rest he could see illuminated by the fire of multiple torches placed in carved niches, beside them the dark spheres that may have once provided light were a uniform black. Beneath his feet the stone floor had the look of intense use from the small irregularities, the dips and valleys that indicated many people had walked here, not people in the regular sense but living beings that had lived here for unknown centuries. "Sir." Looking up he saw the men setting up the machine guns looking at him. "Yes, what is it?" "Three men went down to check the tunnel below. They thought it was too quiet." Da wei suddenly looked out into the center of the mountain, now very aware that besides the dead bodies they had not seen any other Phoenix people about. Was this a trap? The sounds of screaming and sporadic gunfire rang out through the mountain. The two men split up, each taking his own belt fed machine gun. "Get ready!" He bellowed to the men behind him, immediately he could hear them scrambling for weapons while some of them helped the regular chinese soldiers climb the last few feet of rope. To his sides two men half crouched on the floor with their rifles firmly held against their shoulders. They stood their watching the ropes and the edge for any activity, waiting to be attacked and possibly overrun. the machine gunners though looked more worried, of them all they had the worst positions, the original plan had called for both to have a small wall of sandbags to protect their legs. One small comfort to them was the report that none of the Phoenix People had guns of any sort. But still, the right injury could cause severe blood loss if not death altogether. Da wei kept his sights on the ropes, in his left hand he held a light machine gun that had been modified with a laser sight. Officially he had taken it to use in confined spaces against the mountains defenders, unofficially he had taken it to use against their wings and take out their air advantage. More soldiers were coming up behind him, mostly regular army. They kept nervously glancing at one another for reassurance and or orders as to what to do. Most of them were still fresh out of the training camps, their posture and somewhat shaky aim gave them away while the ones that had seen battle were more calm and collected. The middle rope was pulled taut. Some of the regular soldiers fired at it until their commanding officers ordered them to stop. Cursing their foolishness he almost ordered his 'experienced' men to kill those irresponsible soldiers as a example to the others. But no matter how much he wanted to give the order he couldn't, the mere fact that at this moment his position could be overwhelmed by winged men gave him cause to pause and stare at the rope while running the tactics through his head. There were about ten to fifteen tunnels in all on each level, the exact number depended on how large each of those tunnels was. Assuming twelve tunnels per level and twenty levels, nineteen discounting the bottom level ground entrance, that meant two hundred twenty eight tunnels in all and if say fifty people lived in each tunnel then that meant that there were possibly more then twelve thousand inhabitants. He could have been wrong, most likely he was, but overestimating his enemies was what kept him from dying in Japan all those years ago. With a gesture two of his men stepped forward and cautiously made their way to the edge of the tunnel floor with their rifles ready. With a nod to the other the man to his left kneeled down to look over the edge while the other watched his back and the surrounding area. The kneeling man gave the middle rope a experimental tug and pulled up several feet of rope, laying it aside he looked over. A foolhardy maneuver but there had been precious little time to train any of the soldiers on what to expect. Miraculously nothing happened, the soldier brought his head back up and gave the all clear sign. Da wei frowned slightly, then ordered the men to go down and take a more detailed look. He sent two more men to watch them and guard their backs in case someone was hiding in one of the lower caves. Several minutes later his men came up and reported the dead body they had found with the rifle. Curiously the rifle was missing its ammo clip and the man looked like his chest had been crushed. Curiosity overcame Da wei and he stepped forward to the edge of the tunnel though he kept his sights on the end of the floor hoping to find something out of place that would explain what had happened. Could the dead man have set off some sort of booby trap? If so how? Or were these Phoenix People stronger then normal men? Walking back he went to the radio man and used the bulky phone strapped to the mans back. The units before them that had tried to take the mountain had great difficulty communicating with anyone via radio. The pack the radioman wore consisted of a standard military radio with numerous filters and signal amplifiers that in practice 'should' keep his team in touch with the larger military force stationed near the front entrance. Should but didn't. Before blowing out the metal hatch leading to this tunnel from the outside the explosives expert had called out for assistance from artillery using the modified radio which didn't work, forcing him to use his flare gun to signal the howitzers. When they started bombarding the front entrance there would be too much noise for anyone inside to notice a smaller explosion halfway up the mountain side. But again there had been uncertainties as to whether or not the howitzer shells would make enough noise to cover the explosion of the demo pack, or if it did then who would be there near the tunnel to stop them. Picking up the bulky headset he put it on and adjusted the small microphone until it was close enough to his mouth to hear his voice without forcing him to shout at it. Through the headphones he could hear static, then he tried calling for his captain several times. The static cleared up for a moment leaving silence in its wake before coming back worse then before. The radioman fiddled with some of the dials, watching the small digital displays but Da wei could not hear any change. He took off the headphones and dropped them unceremoniously on the stone floor, the radioman looked up with a fearful expression that relaxed somewhat when he saw his commander walking away. Looking to the backpack sized radio the man took off one of the exposed covers and started examining the circuit boards inside. Da wei got back to the front where the men continued to watch the entrance to the rest of the mountain. He strode to the front and was about to turn around when something caught his eye. Looking to the end of the tunnel he couldn't see anything different at first, the rock looked okay and the ropes. The ropes! He could see the middle rope had been cut several inches before reaching the edge of the floor. He felt something brush his arm but discounted it as he stared at the edge. Turning around he was about to motion for more rope and several volunteers..... Thats when two of his grenades went off. --------------------------------------------------------------- ~10 minutes ago Ranma stared down at the dead body, its rib cage smashed into the softer organs underneath. It had felt so good ending that threat, for once feeling in control of his life and immediate surroundings. Far away he could hear chinese voices speaking, their above him. Running back to the rifle he discarded earlier he picked it up and ran over to the dead soldier to exchange it with his 'loaded' gun. Smiling, his body was again surrounded by ki, masking it from anyone or things eyes. The darker parts of him still wanted blood, to exert more control over their new environment and ensure continued survival but caution won out for the moment. He grabbed the middle rope and gives it a pull, almost immediately gunfire erupts up above. He let go of the rope and stepped back, seconds later two people come down wearing bulky masks like the first one. Getting behind them he watched as one preceded to check the body while the other stayed back sweeping the immediate area in front of him with the rifle. After checking the body the first soldier that had examined the body talked to the second soldier, what sounded like several sentences in several seconds to Ranma's ears. The second one replied but was cut off by the first one, hesitantly both stepped further into the cavern. He looked at the two soldiers, then the ropes. Indecision warred within his mind over whether to stay where he was and watch them or go ahead and kill the others. At length he decided to watch them, then kill the others. Quietly he snuck up behind them, noting their clothing and weapons. Dark brown uniforms with matching belt and boots. The belt had two sets of holes one on the bottom with one on the top and two pouches that were attached to it. A series of straps that went over both shoulders also had a series of small holes alternating with pouches that held something bulbous with a pin and ring sticking out from the top side. Looking down at the boots he saw that a knife hilt protruded from each soldiers boots. Noting nothing else of interest he watched them study the cavern before them, one proceeding before the other while the one that hung back crouched down with the rifle firmly pressed to his shoulder. They continued like that for what must have been ten minutes. Before they got up onto the floor above he took the knife and mask from the dead soldier and followed them Part of him thinking that they would not shoot their own recon soldiers. Fortunately he'd been right. Above he found that the fog he'd seen earlier had dissipated until it could not be seen. Looking around he saw the tunnel almost full of soldiers, though most of them wore the usual green colored army gear he had seen before except for the occasional soldier wearing better camouflage gear. Those that were near the front of the cave had there weapons trained on where he was and for a moment he feared that they could somehow see him. But as soon as that thought came there weapons were lowered and the two soldiers he had followed moved to their commander. But that didn't matter, all that mattered now were the new targets. He stayed behind the two soldiers, kneeling down and cutting each rope with the stolen knife while the soldiers walking ahead of him provided enough cover for the men with guns not to see the ropes being cut. He didn't want any of them escaping. Alive that is. Pushing his way through the crowded tunnel he spied the hole blown into it and the soldiers coming through, his smile took on a feral quality at hearing what must have been chinese swearwords. Then he heard the commander alongside another soldiers fiddling with a large backpack, yelling into a bulky headset then taking it off, almost throwing it down on the ground before walking back to the front of the cave. The dark parts of his mind screamed for more blood. At this time, sweating heavily from exerting so much ki to make himself invisible, he was more then happy to comply. Quickly running up to the man he pulled the pins from two grenades while the man took notice of the shortened ropes, then darted back, pushing his way through the soldiers toward the hole. The explosion from the two grenades threw him and the soldiers nearer to him to the ground. Dropping the invisibility technique he strode over to the hole uncontested and looked down, below he could see several ropes leading down to the ground, all of them had soldiers clinging to them. Checking himself he found the knife missing, around him the soldiers, those that had somehow survived the blast and the fires from their burning comrades dimly noticed him. Looking around he couldn't find any available knives. He turned back to the hole with a scowl. As the living soldiers around him started shouting at him he got angry. His ki came into existence around him, its dark red hue tinged with wavering lines of black that radiated out from his body. Those soldiers closer to him screamed and backed away, others aimed their rifles at him with shaky hands. From the first floor a squad of phoenix soldiers heard the explosion above and ran out of the cave leading to the underground shelters. On the floor they found several dead humans and bits and pieces of burning debris, looking up the squad leader could see where the smoke and flames of the explosion still lingered and motioned for his men to come with him to investigate. In Ranma's left hand he held a sphere of dark red ki while the red/black aura about him diminished and came back to full strength. The smile never left his face as he leaned forward and used the ki sphere to burn through the ropes, taking his time to hear the screams of those soldiers that fell to their death as their ropes were cut from the anchors. Maybe some of them would land on their fellow soldiers below and kill them, the darker part of his mind mused. His smile widened as he raised his hand, pointing it at the center of the small army that was the center of all those cries of chaos and panic, amid those the soldiers and officers that still lived and tried to bring some semblance of order to their forces, the dark red ki sphere cupped within his palm glowed brighter and became larger. Now the soldiers behind him that had managed to survive the grenade's explosion starting jabbering when they saw the ki attack he was readying. Some tried to point their guns but a mere look from his red glowing eyes was enough to make them step back and mumble whatever prayers they could remember. Within him he focused on the dark desire for death and destruction, his other emotions were too weak or ill focused for what needed to be done next. With a scream the squad of Phoenix soldiers rushed into the tunnel uncontested, those chinese soldiers that tried to defend themselves were quickly cut down though several of them managed to kill a few of the armored warriors of Phoenix Mountain. With the commotion going on behind him Ranma released his attack with a scream of rage. The ki sphere traveled near vertically down the mountainside before the slope of the rock and soil caused its path to curve but it never lost speed as it hit the dead center of the mass of soldiers below. Ranma managed to get one last look at some of their terrified faces and running bodies before the explosion from the attack made him close his eyes. Yet even through his eye lids he could see the light from the explosion and the hear the howl of the wind that filled the vacuum left by the attack. With the dark emotions drained for the moment he stared at the carnage around him in shock before looking at his blood covered hands, it wa all he could do to stop himself from fainting at what he had done. Instead the tumult of emotions and the smell of burned flesh assailing his nostrils made him empty his stomach on the cavern floor, which was presently occupied by a dismembered hand that had been heavily burned. This caused him to miss the sensation of being watched. But he could hear through the hole the sounds of heavy explosions coming from around the mountain. ------------------------------------------ "Force two, report." He scowled again at the radio, then at the radio man who hastily turned several knobs before motioning that he should try again. "Force two, this is Commander Demetri. Report!" Taking his finger off the send button the harsh sound of static assailed his hearing once again. Then the 'whump' as another howitzer shell hit what remained of the wall surrounding the main gate and exploded, blowing another hole halfway up the wall that caused the walkway above it to collapse in a rain of broken rock. So far there had been no sign of Phoenix soldiers readying to counter attack which confirmed Intelligence's estimate that the main gate was the only way into and out of the mountain. At least, that is what he hoped. Reaching down and past the startled radio man he turned the dial marked power to its full setting then used the other button in the handset to send out a stream of morse code, reasoning that if the mountain and or something else was causing enough interference to block out his voice then perhaps a boosted morse code signal might get through. "Is there a problem, Citizen Commander?" Demetri handed the microphone back to the radio man and turned his full attention to the small man smiling at him. "Yes, there appears to be some interference coming from the mountain. The third phase may have to be postponed until communication can be restored." "There will be no delays commander, not until that mountain and its people are ours! After that fell free to delay as much as you want." Demetri scowled. "If I cant coordinate my forces here on this side of the mountain with force two then my soldiers will not have the information they'll need to keep from walking into a trap." Demetri looked back to the side of the mountain where the flare of crimson light had come from earlier, turning back he saw the advisor had followed his motion and was now looking at the same side of the mountain. "Force two may already be dead." Lu de ji's head immediately turned to face Demetri so fast that it seemed he would break his neck. "These barbarians cant defeat the People's army, look at them cower in there mountain! By sunrise it will all be over." Lu de ji's hand moved over the holster for his gun, snapping the restraining strap off. "Now begin Phase 3 Citizen Commander." The staff inside the command tent stopped what they were doing to see the interplay between their Commander and the Political Advisor, not a few of them wished for their Commander to kill the small man and save them a lot of trouble. Instead Demetri turned away to look at the radio man who nodded his head to indicate no. "Begin Phase 3." Saying that he turned away and left the tent, not wanting to see the smile on the small man's face. Using the binoculars around his neck he looked at Phoenix Mountain. As expected more then half the wall had been destroyed but still there was no sign of Phoenix soldiers rushing out to meet his own entrenched men. Looking away from the wall he focused the binoculars on the mountain behind it where several howitzer shells had hit. Frowning he refocused the binoculars again, there....where a howitzer shell had hit the rock had been blown away revealing some odd dull red metal behind it. Quickly looking at the other spots where howitzer shells had hit the mountain he saw the same dull red metal underneath. His unease at the unexpected development grew when he saw a explosion over the first patch of revealed metal and turning his sight to it he was dismayed to find the metal unharmed. Between the mobile howitzer platforms and Phoenix Mountain a small force started moving toward the base of the mountain. ------------------------------------------ The Outer Senshi stood stiffly at attention, staring at the sight before them, beside them Luna and Artemis looked worriedly to each other before turning their attention back to the Time Gate. One moment they saw the battle raging around Phoenix Mountain with the chinese troops either stalled and or attempting to retreat and getting shot by their fellow soldiers. Overhead the artificial storm continued to rage about, every few moments sending down lightning bolts that happened to hit either soldiers or vehicles. Several of the wrecks were fuel tankers that had been hit early on to provide light for the defenders of the mountain to use to counterattack their foes in the middle of the night. The image swung around until they were looking at the opposite side of the mountain there away from the light of the burning fires and lightning the Time Gate added artificial illumination to the picture, allowing them to see the blackened trench extending from the crater some twenty feet above where something had exploded. The next moment they were looking through a hole halfway up the side of the mountain, above the impact crater. The corridor beyond was somewhat blurred as if they were looking through water. But that did not detract from the images of the dead men and Phoenix Warriors that lay on the floor. beyond them they could see more soldiers and other people attending to the injured, some of the soldiers were nodding and pointing to the hole before splitting into two groups with the latter heading for the opening. Just under the edge of the hole they could see someone moving. "Ranma....." Artemis looked up at Pluto, her face had taken on a far away look. From her expression, or lack of expression, it was hard for him to tell what she was feeling, if anything at all. But he had seen that reaction before, many years ago. He did not know what she planned, but he instinctively knew it could not be good. Luna had thoughts quite similar to Artemis, though the person they concerned was Io. The look of sheer malice on the Senshi's usually cool face made Luna step behind Haruka as the way the Sensi of ice kept clenching and unclenching her hands it was a sure sign that she was anxious to break something, maybe anything and Luna most definitely did not want to be that 'thing'. In the Time Gate's portal Ranma managed to stand up, wiping some of the bile off of his face when several Phoenix men in armor guided him back through the tunnel and beyond the Time Gate's ability to 'see'. With no further signs of movement the Time Gate automatically shifted its view to the battlefield in front of the mountain. The chinese Red Army now had to face two attacking forces, one coming from the mouth of the cave they had created with their drilling machine and the other coming from the main entrance above. Several Phoenix soldiers flew over the battlefield looking for likely targets. The ground battle was something they would remember for the rest of their lives. The dead and dying, both Phoenix and man, lay upon the battlefield while those still living clashed and fought in hand to hand combat that reduced wings to strips of loosely muscled bone when small arms were used. The clouded sky overhead crackled with streams of lightning that swirled around the top of the mountain like some spinning disk, bathing the ground below in eerie electric blue light that did not phase the combatants below. Farther beyond the close in fighting the main mechanized force of the Chinese Red army was in full retreat, pursuing it were several dozen air born Phoenix soldiers and lightning bolts that hit with shocking precision. If they could have heard the radio traffic through the Time Gate they would have heard the calls of frightened men asking for reinforcements or the screams from others as they died before managing to say anything along with the screams from the higher ranking officers that tried to re instill some order to their operation. The scene through the portal slid back until it was centered on the fighting. Sporadic flashes of automatic fire lit up before disappearing amid the death and destruction. Between the mountain and the Chinese soldiers stood almost three hundred Phoenix soldiers garbed in dull silver fighting armor, but a very few wore the bright golden armor of Saffrons personal guard. Against them were less then five hundred chinese soldiers that fought like caged lions to either get through or as was the case with most of them to flee and hide somewhere. Also standing with those Phoenix soldiers was Akane who held the power staff of Io. Behind her the remains of the excavation machine and its two modified carrier tanks belched a greasy black smoke into the night sky as the cut open fuel tanks fueled the fires inside the vehicles. "Io?" Uranus and Neptune looked at the equally startled Io. Entranced, she stared at the image, her mind coming to the horrible realization. "K-kima." Hataru looked from Io to her doppleganger, trying to find any distinguishing characteristics to tell them apart but besides the different clothes they could have been identical twins. "You left your weapon there?" Pluto's emotionless tone underlaid the fire in her eyes. "IT wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know Kima could use my staff in her cursed form?! You should've told me!" "I cant see into the mountain 'Akane'. And your weapon was your responsibility, not mine. I suggest you retrieve your weapon before they use it to harm the time stream anymore." Pluto's voice had by this time reached the temperature of her so named planet. Io sniffed disdainfully before disappearing. Saturn hesitantly spoke up. "Haruka-pappa.....why didn't Pluto-san just get Io's staff before this happened?" "Because," Pluto answered in the same frosty tone she had used on Io. "whatever that mountains made of it wont let anyone look or teleport into it." Saturn returned to viewing the Time Gate, with Pluto the way she was for the moment she decided that her other questions could wait for another time. Pluto looked into the Time Gate, but her mind was much further away in a place where the other Senshi would never see her. From there she controlled the Time Gate, applying her will to one part or another to bring about the desired results. But something was blocking her will when she tried to look inside the mountain, forcing her to stay away from it. That scared her in a way that neither Beryl or Wiseman ever could because it proved that her control over time was not absolute. Extending a part of herself forward in a different direction she watched the area around the mountain for something she could use to effect the present/future. Frowning ever so slightly she refocused her will and extended her viewing range, this time including the Musk Citadel and the Amazon Villages for something. Speeding forward she watched hours pass away in seconds with nothing to show for it, then a blur. Puzzled, she sped back and watched the area around the Musk Citadel at a slower pace and saw them. Increasing the viewing speed just a bit more she started to smile very slightly. Pluto turned to Uranus, Neptune and Saturn. "I have a plan." --------------------------------------------------- Around them the flaming hulks of vehicles continued to burn and pour their greasy black smoke into the night sky. Obscuring the much needed illumination the Phoenix warriors desperately needed against the chinese soldiers and their weapons. Around the battlefield the cries of the wounded and dying were lost amid the shouted orders and crackle of automatic gunfire. Barely half an hour ago Kima and the Phoenix soldiers had poured out of the newly created entrance after the first wave of chinese soldiers had tried to establish a beach head inside the mountain. They fell upon the surprised Chinese soldiers like birds of prey in a terrible slaughter that had already claimed too many innocents and unarmored soldiers alike. With Io's staff in hand Kima-chan stormed through the artificial tunnel with the Phoenix soldiers, taking the battle to the surprised chinese soldiers on the other side while several Mages blew the top off the mountain that had been their home and ascended until they could use their powers to command the clouds above while using the mountain around them as protection. Now the Phoenix soldiers formed a protective circle around the new tunnel entrance with Kima-chan at its center, several large armored vehicles served as their protection from small arms fire. Beyond that the chinese soldiers were crouched behind their own makeshift barriers, trying to hide themselves among the debris lest one of the Mages see them. Beside Kima's force were fifty soldiers from the main gate, most of them armed with assault rifles instead of their ceremonial staffs, who pressed the entrenched army from the side. Kima didn't quite know what was happening beyond the battered tank that served as her protection, but the screams were something she knew she would remember for the rest of her life. Through the ash that was beginning to cover her face she could see small sporadic burst of light from the muzzles of weapons. Shifting the weapon to her right hand she leaned to her left, still unaccustomed to her cursed form and its small faults like its delicate skin that would bruise at the slightest injury and the lack of wings. She knew she could do without the wings but she caught herself looking back as if searching for something almost every minute only to remember that she had no wings in that form. It irritated her to no end. Sudden movement caught her attention, her eyes narrowed for a moment as she looked more intently at the spot, again seeing motion and able to recognize it as several of the black clad chinese soldiers trying to circle around. She pressed herself up against the tank tracks, signaling to several of the nearby soldiers she pointed at her eyes to tell them they should be alert. Seeing the signal being passed on she turned around to look and frowned, despite the sounds of the storm the mages had released it was quiet. Much too quiet as she could no longer hear any weapons fire. The explosion knocked her to the ground. Looking at where the explosion had come from she could see several dozen soldiers rushing toward the tunnel entrance while several others provided covering fire. Kima struggled to her feet, wiping away some of the mud on her face then with a savage cry she ran toward the attackers. The first one looked at her wide eyed before the weapons blade took his head off. The next soldier had time to turn his weapon on her, the bullets were deflected by the staff though a few of them managed to get through and cut her before she sliced his rib cage open. Behind Kima the Phoenix soldiers had abandoned their positions to directly attack the chinese soldiers, using short swords and daggers to kill their enemies. The millet of bodies and weapons, both hand and automatic, amid the screams of pure blood lust or terror was enough to chill the blood of those soldiers in the mountain that watched. Never had they seen such carnage, nor would they thought it possible. More Phoenix soldiers were killed when several grenades were used against them. The fighting grew fiercer and more confused. Some of the chinese soldiers were going so far as to shoot anything that moved, no longer able to differentiate between friend and foe. She could just make out two of them trying to fire into the tunnel entrance when they just exploded. Kima blinked her eyes against the blinding light, in seconds it dissipated leaving behind a cloud of smoke. Her breath came in short gasps, trying not to breath in much of the smoke. The sounds of fighting died down, allowing her to hear the screams that sounded like they were occurring closer to her position. Kima-chan swung the staff around to face the new threat, through the smoke she could see the outline of a small skirt and short hair blown by the winds of the storm, backlit by the fires from one of the destroyed fuel transports. Before she could clear the smoke Kima jumped in front of her and swung the blade at where the neck should have been. But instead of the staff connecting with the neck and severing the head it stopped and sent a massive surged of power through Kima-chan, screaming she staggered back, somehow managing to keep her tight hold on the staff. Sailor Io came out of the cloud of smoke, smiling at Kima-chan's stunned expression. "Did you think a bird brain like you could understand a human, let alone Senshi, weapon?" Io broke into a gale of laughter, the centers of her eyes forming twin pools of shadow that reflected Kima- chan standing strait as she took on a defensive stance with the staff firmly held before her. The first attack was parried by the staff, the second, third and fourth ended in the same way. Kima tried to use the staff against Io but it kept shocking her before it could even scratch the Senshi's skin. Around them the battle died down as most if not all of the chinese soldiers retreated to regroup, soon afterwords all of the Phoenix soldiers outside were drawn to the battle. Io came again at Kima-chan, this time instead of trying to kill her the Senshi sweeped the cursed womans legs out from under her and coincidentally sending the staff out of the Phoenix womans hands. With the staff firmly in her hands Io turned to Kima-chan with a small smile upon her face. "Now it ends, freak." "NO!" Several soldiers simultaneously yelled out as they leapt in front of Kima-chan just as the bladed end of the staff swung out toward her. They were neatly cut in half, shedding droplets of their blood across Kima-chans terror stricken body before finally falling to the ground. Io smirked as she readied her staff again, while Kima-chan stared across the ground at the two at the two bodies, at the people that had given their lives to save her in an act that was both foolhardy and unexpected. "NNNOOO!!!" With a scream she leapt at Io as she swung the blade at her, instead of slicing her cleanly in two it stopped an inch from her skin and sent a jolt through Io's body. Gasping she stepped back with the staff still held firmly with her white knuckled hands. The explosion that sent her crashing into the tank remains behind her was totally unexpected. "Akane." Io looked up at the voice, afraid of what she would find, and finding herself looking up into two bright red eyes as Ranma advanced toward her, behind him Kima-chan and the Phoenix soldiers flanked out around, cutting off several avenues of escape. With a snear at Ranma she extricated herself from the tanks armor. "This isn't over yet." Then she was gone. Ranma kneeled down on the ground, Kima-chan was instantly at his side. For a brief moment she saw his red eyes, but when they focused on her their color faded back to their original blue. Despite that Kima-chan could only stare at him in fear of what was to happen next. Above them the storm continued to rage and build in strength. -------------------------------------------- Demetri grit his teeth, looking back at the carnage. Half of his mechanized forces destroyed, along with all of his fuel transports and supply vehicles. He didn't want to abandon his troops back there but with the lightning actually targeting his vehicles he had to retreat to a safe distance and hope that whatever controlled the lightning would not turn it upon measly soldiers. He kept repeating that over and over in his head, all the while hoping for some way to take back the momentum. Looking away from the carnage around him he allowed his IR goggles to adjust to the darkness away from the electrical storm so that he could see what was left of his forces. Eleven tanks, seven of those were type 85-II main battle tanks while the other four were regular type 85-I main battle tanks. Tearing up the surface in front of them were three of the surviving 155mm self- propelled howitzers, out of twelve. Plus his own modified HJ-8 anti- tank missile launcher that had been modified before the mission with anti-air weapons consisting of heavy calibre machine guns and crude short range cluster munitions rockets. In all barely half of his mechanized forces had survived without incurring some damage. The situation became worse when he took an inventory of the surviving vehicles fuel status and found that none of the vehicles could make it to safety without siphoning fuel from other vehicles. That was a best case scenario where half the surviving vehicles would reach friendly forces, Demetri instead thought of the worst case scenario where two thirds of his mechanized forces would be cannibalized to fuel the three self-propelled howitzers that would in turn have to be stripped of all dead weight to carry all the men to safety before scouts for one of the other main powers in the area spotted them One of his lieutenants called all the vehicles to stop and their crews to inspect the damage they had sustained retreating. Demetri looked at the small computer screen before him that outlined the disposition of his forces along with other IFF beacons from incoming forces in green and black. If he could keep his forces together then he had a chance to hold this pass while other forces blocked off all available avenues for escape, if they were lucky he might be able to negotiate some fuel from one of those other commanders. By keeping the Phoenix people pinned down to this one area he could buy time for reinforcement that he could then use to crush them. For the first time since the mission started he was glad not to have any air support, the thought of that lightning swatting the jet fighters out of the sky didn't settle well with him, or the thought of where all that burning debris might have landed, as it was he had lost too many soldiers already. Demetri closed his eyes, trying to find his center. The events he had been put through and the outcome so far kept that center away from him, disrupting his focus. "Order all vehicles to assume barricade positions. Well set up here for now until reinforcements arrive." "No." Lu de ji pulled his un from its holster, carefully aiming it at Demetri's head. "Citizen Commander Demetri, I am relieving you of command for orders and actions against the enemies of the Party. "What?" Demetri's voice had become ice cold, the personal around them stopped what they were doing and looked at the two. "Instead of pressing the attack as you should have you retreated and have now allowed those....things, time to regroup, time to prepare themselves with whatever other weapons they didnt have ready before." Lu de ji said contemptuously. "Stand down and I will merely have you tied up before I lead your forces back to Phoenix Mountain, and on to victory!" The IR goggles he had on didn't allow Demetri to see all of his political advisors face, just the sickening smile. Jumping down from the vehicle he stalked toward the little man. "YOU CANT....!" The gunshot was deafening in the sudden silence as the people around Lu de ji stared at the fallen body of their commander. With a flourish of the gun he slowly turned a full circle, aiming his gun at one person, then the next one over. "I'm assuming command of this force." With a slight motion he put several more bullets into the dead commanders cooling body. "Any questions?" Not hearing any dissent he put the gun away and motioned for a few soldiers to take the carcass away. Dutifully they complied, thinking it was the least they could do for the their former commander without coming under suspicion from the political advisor. -------------------------------------------- The people were restless, that much was evident in the way they talked and grouped together for comfort and security. The chamber they all stood in was more then large enough to hold them and the relics that were scattered about the rough rock floor, shaped like a dome it was about four hundred feel from side to side and just less then half that much high. The old and the children had been put near one of the exits they could use in case of an emergency. On one part of the floor Benar and the other Keepers were hastily arranging the books they had brought down from the library. From where she stood Kima could actually her Benar chewing out one of the Keepers in training for misplacing one of the books. Around that small group were assembled some ten modified mining carts filled above the brim with books and boxes of scrolls though several of the carts were being unloaded in their search for that illusive book. At least he was giving them something to do instead of letting them sit around and ponder the destruction of their way of life. From the center of the cavern Kima, along with various Workers, Warriors and Keepers were trying to organize everything and get the people settled down. Parties of Workers were cleaning out bunkers while checking to make sure that none of the explosions from above had weakened the stone walls or supports. In another part of the cavern lay several dozen civilians that had been buried when their bunker collapsed, not many of them were expected to survive but the Healers attending them were doing everything they could to ease they're suffering. Spaced equally around the base of the chamber were ten doors. Two of the doors led up to Phoenix Mountain while the other eight led to smaller chambers or tunnels who's purpose they no longer knew. Four of the doors had been blocked off by other parties of workers that had found the areas beyond too dangerous for anyone to use or stay in for any length of time. It was from out of the first of the two doors leading into the mountain that the small party of soldiers come through. Several of the injured ones were handed off to Healers, but when one of the healers tried to guide the lead warrior he just shrugged out of the healers grip and marched directly toward Kima. When she saw him step out of the throng of civilians she saw that he had severe injuries as well. "Lady Kima. First Captain Droth. Mission accomplished." The captains voice was as cold as his eyes, eyes that held a mixture of fear and confusion. Adding to his expressionless face were the dents and ragged holes in his armor and wings. To Kima he looked like he had died but refused to believe it. Kima led him to the map that had been set up on one block of stone. The map showed the immediate area around Phoenix Mountain, its weakest points such as the new tunnels created during the attack and in bright colored ink the known positions of the Chinese Army's forces. Captain Droth pointed to one part of the map and made a sweeping motion. "My men managed to search these parts here to here before they knew we were above them. I lost more then half my soldiers coming back, but we only managed to get half a mile out." Grabbing the nearest quill he started marking different spots with triangles to represent soldiers and squares for tanks. Kima looked across the map to Ranma who continued to study it in silence, the madness and anger she had seen in his eyes had dissipated leaving him a hollow shell with memories and actions that would haunt him for the rest of his life. On the other side of the map Saffron did the same, occasionally putting his finger to one of the concentrations of tanks and soldiers. "What is your opinion Captain, given the situation?" Captain Droth just stared at her for several seconds, his eyes widening slightly before he collapsed into a chair someone had thoughtfully placed behind him. His skin was quite pale though it was hard to tell whether it was from blood loss or from the implications of what he and his soldiers had seen. Looking up he stared into her eyes. "We cant hold them off, not like those other times. Too many, there are just too many of them." Before he could continue Kima put her hand on his shoulder. "You did well Captain, go, let Healers tend to your wounds." Droth got out of the chair and made his way unsteadily toward the waiting Healer without asking for her leave. Before this it would have gotten him suspension and some menial task, as it was Kima was amazed that he could even walk. "We have to evacuate." Kima turned around to see Saffron looking at her, his voice almost too soft for her to hear he repeated what he had said. At first she couldn't understand what he had said even though the second time she managed to hear it clearly, but as its meaning began to sink in she still couldn't bring herself to acknowledge him. The thought of abandoning her home, going out into the strange world where they had no friends or allie's to depend upon. She looked to Ranma to see him looking at her with sympathy as he slowly nodded his head in agreement with Saffron. "If they don't get us the Senshi will." Saffron pointed at the symbols on the map that surrounded the mountain like a noose. "How are we supposed to get through that? I'm not at full power, your probably running low and we don't have enough of their weapons to fight on equal terms!" Ranma smiled, his dead eyes giving the smile a sinister air. "Then we change the terms." He started tapping the portion of the map showing the Amazon village closest to them. -------------------------------------------- "Come on." The scout said in a low whisper. Ranma had to strain to hear the scouts voice above the din of the growing storm behind them over Phoenix Mountain. Carefully he picked his way through the loose rocks and soil, trying as hard as possible not to dislodge any of the rocks or make any sounds that could clue the nearest chinese soldiers to their presence. Behind him two Phoenix soldiers followed close behind, one of them wearing a large backpack while the other carried a dead body. The backpack was full of army uniforms and several weapons ranging from simple pistols to grenades and two rifles. He hoped it was enough. The climb got a little easier as they reached the top, stopping every several feet to listen for approaching foot steps. Several times the soldiers behind Ranma had fiercely whispered that they could feel someone watching them. They sped up as much as they dared to without disturbing their already tenuous holds on the mountainside, moving any faster could cause get any or all of them killed. When Ranma got to the top he reached over to help the other two up, ahead of them the scout was scanning for trouble. When the soldier with the dead body was safe Ranma walked close enough to the scout to whisper. "Where are we?" The scout pointed down into what looked like some crater covered in shadow, the pale moon light that illuminated its edges did little to help, though he got the impression that there were darker things on its floor. "Jusenkyo." Ranma's eyes widened in surprise, turning back he was about to ask the scout a question but the scout had gone on ahead down the path. With the two other soldiers hurrying after him he ran down the path. The crossing in front of what had once been the springs of Jusenkyo made all of them nervous as they sought to keep as far away as possible, as if they unconsciously they expected something to come out and grab them and drag them into one of those dark holes. Every shadow they passed seemed to move closer to them, as if reaching out to trap them. Behind Ranma the two soldiers were talking in urgent whispers, looking back he could see them animately pointing at something and turning to see he caught a glimpse of something glowing faintly in the distance. Nudging the scout ahead of him he pointed at the phenomena, the scout looked and started walking faster. Past the guides hut, its windows dark and its door somehow seeming more ominous then the dried springs on their other side. Almost imperceptibly the rock faces lining both sides of the path gave way to low ground plants that in turn gave way to larger plants and finally trees as they reached a fork in the well worn path the scout ducked into the forest past some bushes. The path ahead was tougher with plants like vines laying all along the ground, grabbing at unwary people who were not careful, more then once they had to stop in order to avoid tripping over dense undergrowths of such plants. Several times they stopped when the scout ahead motioned them to, in the distance they could hear noises of he forest, then dimly human voices but from the background forest noises and the distance it was hard to tell if they were Amazons or chinese soldiers. Kneeling amidst the bushes and struggling plants of the forest floor they waited in tense silence. Through the pant legs fabric Ranma could feel the sharp pain of a rock point, grimacing he shifted slightly until most of his weight was on the other leg. Putting his hands to the ground he felt around for the rock point and sought to move it but the rock stubbornly refused, instead he felt around, discovering the floor of the forest they crouched in to be littered with such rocks. Ahead in the dim moon light he could see the scout waving for him and the two other soldiers to follow. Keeping low to the ground they made their way toward the voices. Through the trees ahead they caught site of small torches shining brightly in the night, as they got closer they could see the Amazon guards keeping watch over another path. The scout and Ranma stopped when they heard something from the two soldiers behind. “Hre! Gimme a hand here!” The one carrying the dead soldier asked in a low but insistent whisper to the first. His feet had become entangled with some of the ground creeping vines. Putting a hand over his friends mouth Hre went to work on the vines using one hand to grope blindly in the dark undergrowth, feeling for the vines entangled around the ankles. The three Amazon guards looked their way, the scout and Ranma automatically tensed their muscles, ready for anything. “This isn't right.” The scout softly whispered to Ranma, keeping his gaze on the third Amazon that stood behind the other two. Behind those Amazons the torch’s light highlighted what looked like the corners or two rice paddies with a wide dirt road separating them. Ranma kept looking at the third Amazon as she scanned the area around her. His concentration was disrupted when he heard a slight rustling sound coming from the direction of the two soldiers They both turned to the soldiers who were still struggling with a few vines just as someone crashed through the bushes beside them. The scout rammed into the Amazon and sending them both into the bushes, a moment later Hre joined the fight. The Amazons war cry attracted the attention of the others, two of them started running right for Ranma as the third Amazon ran toward the village nearby. Cursing he took quick look back to see the scout holding his own with the Amazon. Jumping out he dove for the first Amazon, putting as much force as possible into the chop directed at her adams apple, the force of impact sent the Amazon sprawling onto the ground while the other rushed him. They traded a furious barrage of punches and kicks, either dodging or blocking the others. Ranma was the first to falter, giving the Amazon a chance to pull out her sigh and throw it at him. Ranma ducked under the flying weapon and delivered a kick to the amazons knee that smashed her kneecap and faster then she could react he tore the sigh out of her hand and drove it through her ribcage. The young warrior died almost instantly. Tearing the sigh out of her chest Ranma threw it at the last Amazon before she could get out of his sights. Moments later he heard a short cry of pain, then nothing. Running after her he got to the dirt bridge and just beyond the torchlight when he tripped over something, tucking and rolling he came out in a low stance ready for anything. "Watch where your running!" The fierce whisper came from in front of him. Ranma waited for his eyes to adjust to the pale moonlight. He saw the soldier that had gotten tangled in the vines earlier crouched close to the ground. Looking down he could barely see the unmoving form of the Amazon. "Damm, I missed." *THOUGHT: Have Ranma and the Phoenix soldiers tie three of the Amazons dead bodies, that is two of them would be tied up in such a way that they appear to be leaning against the pole while the third one is sitting down behind them as if sleeping wile the third is away, supposedly on recon. In ch8 another Amazon, or possibly a relief squad comes and finds them dead but before they can warn anyone the Great Library in the center (actually near center) of the village is destroyed. Ranma grimly nodded. "Last one, right?" "Right." The scout said as he came up the path along with Hre beside him, the scout was now carrying the dead body. The unnamed guard grabbed the dead amazons shoulders. "Help me push her off the dirt path, then well hide the other bodies." Hre put a hand on his friends shoulder. "NO, wait...what if we, I mean.." Ranma discretely looked around him, the feeling that someone was watching them had not left him since they had traveled through the remains of Jusenkyo. The soft moonlight painted everything about them in shadow and dull grey colors, unless whoever was watching them moved loudly he couldn't tell where the person(s) were. Stuttering slightly the unnamed soldier, who's name turned out to be Herc, outlined his plan. As fast as possible they gathered the bodies and set to work, yet where part of the plan called for rope they instead used a small whip from the dead amazon that had first attacked them and the belts/sashes of the other amazons to complete the effect. Without another word between them they moved down the dirt bridge toward the Amazon village. Behind them, just beyond the reach of the torch's light a faintly glowing blue ripple appeared for a brief second before suddenly disappearing. ------------------------------------------ Authors Notes: The authors notes here have been deleted and will instead be added to the end of CH8 by order of high ranking officials in a super secret government working within the government that has the weirdest intentions for the rest of mankind in mind. With that said please look into this flashy thing.....*FLASH*...... Comments, ideas, random thoughts, and flames if you feel thats the only way you can express yourself can be sent to my E-mail address at: Mecvolve@zdnetonebox.com P.S. Some of my other works can be seen on these pages below, if your interested that is. http://phu.anifics.com/ Phu's collection of fanfics, quite a few good stories here so try it out. http://ranmaxovers.tripod.com/ The Lost Ones page contains quite a few crossover stories, he even keeps a collection of non-Akane stories there if yer interested in that. http://tannim.anifics.com/ And here, last but most certainly not least, is Tannims webpage. It really surprised me when he first asked if he could add my Ranma of BORG story to his site. And to this day Im still getting E-mails from people that want me to continue the story, boy do I have to work on that! Until next time, Ja Ne!