[FFML] [Fanfic][Ranma][LOGH] Twin Stars - Chapter 02A

[Ignacio Moreno]

Disclaimers:

- Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

- LOGH belongs to Yoshiki Tanaka and Kitty Films.

- This story is made for fun and is meant for the enjoyment of the fans.

- I have to thank Timothy Groves, Shannon Bond and Patti Peterson for
preread this chapter. Thank you very much.

- I thank all kinds of comments and suggestions, as well as illustrations
based on the history.

- Please C&C.

- If anybody wants be a pre reader and help me you only have to e-mail me. I
would be happy to accept. Thanks.

*--Twin Stars: Chapter 02A: Battle in Star-zone Olympus. [Part-1]
*

Shampoo arrived at the end of the mobile path, went up a light ramp and,
after passing between two Doric columns, entered the bridge.

This was a spacious elliptical room with metallic floor. Tall Dorian style
columns located around its perimeter held the ceiling, which, like the
walls, was completely covered with screens that showed the outside of the
ship. The general impression was that the stellar void constituted the walls
and the ceiling.

The front was occupied by the auxiliary stations manned by low ranking
officers located in a trench and, just behind them, the main screen: A large
transparent crystal leaned against two columns. A completely empty meeting
area, where the two access ramps ended, divided this part from the command
center.

This formed an island of two levels in the center of the back half of the
bridge. The lower level, located in the front, contained the posts for
radar, weaponry, systems and damage control, and navigation. A large
staircase, without a banister, split this level in two. At the top of which,
about three meters up, were the post of communications and the post of the
captain of the ship.

Behind was sited the flag bridge; this was simply a higher semicircular
platform with the chair for the commander.

Shampoo went directly towards the command post. Two men wait for her behind
the captain's chair: Commodore Frederic Charles Dreyer and Captain Francisco
Espoz, Shampoo's chief of staff and adviser respectively.

The commodore Frederic was an excellent professional who, before he had
reached the age of thirty, had already attained posts of great
responsibility thanks to his skill and constant work. Although slightly
reserved, he was very pleasant with his friends and, ever fair with his
subordinates. For which reason, the crew appreciated him.

Well-intentioned rumours suggested a possible relationship between the
commodore and the commandant, that both of them denied.

Physically he was a tall and sturdy man, light-skinned and with very short
black hair. His bushy eyebrows didn't hide his small grey eyes. A Greek nose
and a proportionate mouth completed an attractive face.

His uniform was similar to Shampoo's with the only difference being that the
epaulettes were two mere vertical metallic stripes placed in the shoulder's
edge. A single silver line, just like the borders, split each epaulette from
the bottom up.

Captain Francisco Espoz was a forty-five years old veteran soldier, who had
spent two thirds of them in the navy. He was one of the few that, after
enlisting as a recruit, had achieved the rank of senior office only thanks
to his skills and experience in multiple battles and skirmishes.

Optimistic, extrovert, and ever good-humoured, he was, in Akane's words,
"the amusing uncle that all the families had to have." This didn't hinder
him to be serious and professional when the situation required it.

His appearance: average height, hefty but slightly chubby, wasn't very
imposing. Some grey hairs already appeared between the locks of his well
combed black hair. A big well-kept moustache, that nearly hid his mouth, and
a big nose stood out on his round face, and prevented to the casual
observers to notice his inquisitive and intelligent brown eyes.

He wore the uniform of a Senior Officer with the rank of Captain. This
differed from the uniform of a Flag Officer in little details: The ornaments
of the belt and the cuffs and collar of the military jacket were less
elaborate; the epaulettes, crossed with three stripes, had a simple
rectangular shape, and the pectoral's adornment, instead of a triangular
metallic piece, was a rhombus with an inscribed circle in its centre, drawn
with white lines.

When Shampoo arrived at the top of the staircase, both men stood to
attention and saluted her. The commander returned the salute without stop,
went up onto the platform and remained standing beside the chair. Her two
assistants located in their positions, her adviser at her right and her
chief of staff at her left.

Shampoo leaned on the chair, supporting her weight on her left hand. "What
is the situation?" she asked.

On Frederic's order the main screen showed the tactical situation.

Akane and Shampoo's fleets had completed their orders and formed a wall of
ships. The top was constituted by Shampoo's fleet and the bottom by Akane's.
Opposite them, the unknown fleet formed a truncated rectangular pyramid and
approached quickly.

"We have finished the defensive formation," Frederic reported. "We continue
trying to contact with the other fleet, but we haven't received any answer
yet. According to our analysis, that fleet is composed of imperial ships,
but their identification doesn't fit any ship in our data base."

"In short: A fleet that outnumbers us is approaching and we don't know who
they are or what they want."

"Right."

"Well, they are wrong if they think that we are going to wait for them like
sitting ducks." Raising a little her voice Shampoo ordered: "All the fleet;
move back! Keep the distance with the approaching fleet, but don't shoot!"
She turned to the officer in charge of the radar, and asked "How far are
they?"

"Ma'am, we will enter within range in less than four minutes."

'Shit! We aren't going to be able to reach full speed on time!' Shampoo
frowned and added aloud: "Inform me when we enter within range."

"Yes, ma'am."

The seconds passed and the representation of the unknown fleet kept moving
in the screen. Gradually the allied fleets began to move back in an orderly
fashion. Shampoo signalled her approval quietly, turned the chair and sat
down.

Francisco Espoz bent down to talk with Shampoo.

"What is your plan?" He asked.

Shampoo glanced to her adviser during a second, before returned her
attention to the main screen.

"We are not going to be the first to open fire. We will wait and see how the
situation develops."

Captain Espoz straightened up, after hearing the answer of his commander.

"Once I heard that the father of a commander advised him to never start a
fight, but always finish it." Shampoo continued. "We are not going to start
any battle, but I will make sure that, even though not today, we will end
it."

Her words brought a smile from her staff.

'I wonder what they would think if they knew that these words are from a
series a thousand years old'.

Shampoo's thoughts were interrupted by the warning from the radar officer
that arrived at this moment.

"Ma'am, unknown fleet is at six million kilometres. Entering within weapons
range."

Not even five seconds had passed when the sensor officer raised the alarm.

"Detected a great emission of energy from the unknown fleet! They attacked
us!"

The news didn't surprise Shampoo who was waiting something similar. Without
wasting time, she rose from the chair and gave new orders.

"Open fire! Focus your shots in the vanguard of the enemy fleet while keep
moving back!"

Shampoo sat down again in the commander's chair while stared to the main
screen, and waited for news from Akane.

At 9:17 on 23rd January 16 NRC started the battle in Star-zone Olympus.

Tbc…
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