Thread: Metal Resistance [brenda brunette and Sigr]

By the end of every concert, Su was always enthralled by the crowds enthusiasm. The trio had just taken the stage for their second encore. Sweat glistened on Sus brow in the bright stage lights. The Kami Band struck the first chords of Road of Resistance . After the stirring opening came a relatively quiet part, in which Su gestured with her hands like a member of an airline ground crew as the echoes of war throughout the centuries played. Ring! Ring! Ring! Yui and Moa sang. Su ignored them. Ring! Ring! Ring! the two girls repeated. Why were they doing that? Why were Yui and Moa singing Doki Doki Morning ? This section of Road of Resistance had no vocals. Ring! Ring! Ring! When the persistent sound woke Suzuka Nakamoto from her dream, she immediately thought it was the alarm clock. It took her a moment to realize it was the Komyunikeita, a device a bit smaller than a smart phone which provided data and two-way communication with the Galactic Protection Agency. Su leapt out of her bed to see what the incoming alert was about. Whats all the noise? Moa called, putting a pillow over her head to shut out the noise. Yui was less subtle. She threw her pillow at Su. Incoming information about the Crimson Claw, Su said, fully alert now. The three girls were in the middle of one of their world tours. They were currently staying in a luxury suite at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, before traveling by tour bus to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now, in the middle of what was supposed to be a night of rest, the Komyunikeita had awakened them. Yui sprang out of her bed and was at Sus side in an instant. That group of marauders that has been causing so much trouble for the outer worlds? Yui asked excitedly. Thats the one, Su replied gravely. Agents in sector 1138-A show a large ship moving into sector 1138-B. Thats our sector, Moa said, wiping sleep from her eyes as she came over to see the 3-D holographic display Su had called up on the Komynikeita. No kidding , Su thought, but she didnt say it. Telemetric data indicates this ship is a kilometer long, she said instead. Its got to be an asteroid, Yui protested. Asteroids dont leave propulsion traces, Su pointed out. Its a ship. Its big. And its headed straight toward Earth. ETA six hours. Su thought a moment. This is probably the boss. Kobe-san? Moa asked, still half asleep. No, the boss, Su replied. Like in a video game. Weve been battling the bad guys lately. Now were up against the boss. Su stood. At eighteen, she stood a bit taller than the other two girls. Get dressed, she told the other two. Weve got work to do. Were going to intercept them? Yui asked. Were not about to let a group of marauders invade Earth, Su asserted. What about the show? Moa asked. Well be back in time for the show, Su said, sounding smiling. It wasnt so much that she was confident. She knew that in six hours the enormous ship would be in Earth orbit, and there would likely be no concert. Exactly ten minutes later the three girls were dressed in their uniforms, which looked much like the crimson and black costumes in which they performed their concerts. Each also wore a sliver bracelet, which had various controls embedded in them. Each also had a small device which looked much like a handgun which was holstered neatly in a narrow belt at the girl's waist. Yuis hair was naturally curly somewhat unusual for an Asian, but Moa usually curled her hair for concerts so she matched Yui more closely. She hadnt had time to curl it now, so it hung in straight twin pigtails. Each girl pressed a control on her bracelet and was instantly teleported to the Kitsune , in orbit high above Earth. The Kitsune was small, by starship standards, only about twice as large as the hotel room they had just left. It was more or less triangular, looking something like a Kabuki-style fox mask . It consisted of two decks. On the lower deck were the living quarters complete with Murphy beds, a galley, a laboratory, and a compartment for transporting prisoners in stasis. On the upper level were the guidance control system, the teleport pad, and three more stasis compartments. The two levels were connected by both an elevator and a fixed ladder. The Kitsune had artificial gravity, of course. Su called up the data she had first seen on the Komyunikeita and set a course for the mysterious ship. The navigation computer estimated contact in four hours. That was cutting it closer than Su liked, but even hyperdrives have their limits.