Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Dilandau's Revenge ❯ The Citadel ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: The Citadel

Vulcan angled in for a landing on the Crusade's flight deck. He dropped down neatly without causing any damage and the Escaflowne reverted to its standard configuration. He entered the hanger slowly, lumbering into his parking space with calm confidence. Allen smiled as he watched. Ever since he lost the fight with Dilandau, Vulcan's confidence had incongruously increased. It was as if discovering his limitations had allowed him to mature.

“What did you see?” Allen called as Vulcan exited the Escaflowne's cockpit.

“The capitol is on high alert, but there aren't as many patrols as I would have expected,” Vulcan said. “There's a curfew, I think, because the streets emptied out at sunset.”

“Were you spotted?”

“I don't think so, but I was flying pretty high. If they saw me at all, they probably thought I was a dragon. I didn't go in close until after it got dark and then I went under my own power.”

“You father will kill me if he finds out you were flying patrols as a Draconian.”

“It was safer that way, odd as that sounds. Their machines aren't going to detect me on my own and I'm quiet when I fly, especially when I'm gliding.”

Allen nodded. It was all true, of course, and it made perfect sense, but he still suspected that Van would be furious. And Allen didn't want to even think about the skinning Hitomi would probably give him. “No sign of Dilandau?”

“Nothing,” Vulcan replied. “And I don't think Zaibach has any idea where he is either. They've got the whole perimeter under guard and four of their largest floating fortresses are holding station over the city.”

“Damn! That's going to make it pretty tough for us if we have to go in there.” Allen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “How many flying guymelefs did you see?”

“Not that many and most of them were flying patrols around the perimeter. Either Dilandau destroyed a lot of their forces or they've still got most of them spread out throughout the empire trying to engage him.”

“It's probably a little of both,” Allen replied. He chewed his lower lip. “The question is: how fast can they get back here when Dilandau attacks? Because we know he will.”

“Do you really think he's going to try to destroy the whole city?”

“No. If he's after the scientists, he'll go for the Citadel at the city center.”

“That's a long way for the Crusade to fly through enemy forces.”

“I know.” Allen fell silent. There was nothing about this situation that he liked. He did not want to put the Crusade at risk and endanger the lives of his crew, but how else was he to get close enough to the Citadel to rescue Dilandau? Assuming Dilandau would allow himself to be rescued. How mad had he become? Was there any trace of Celena left in him at all?

“He'll probably drop down from above.” Vulcan spoke in a speculative tone. “That seems to be how he's initiated all his attacks so far and Zaibach doesn't seem to be able to counter it.” Vulcan smiled slightly. “Amano and I understand the technique. It's a raptor's attack and few creatures know how to counter it.”

Allen tilted his head to one side and studied Vulcan. “But you're something of a raptor yourself, aren't you?”

Vulcan's smile widened. “You could say that.”

“So you probably know how to counter that attack. What do you think Zaibach will do?”

“Sacrifice someone,” Vulcan replied calmly. “Put someone in his path to cause a collision.”

“Where were those floating fortresses stationed? Was any of them directly over the Citadel?”

“Yes.”

“If I had to plan the defense,” Allen said slowly, “I'd have only a skeleton crew on that station and pack it full of extra fuel and explosives. Then, when Dilandau attacks, I would detonate the station right before he strikes. He would be caught in the explosion.”

Vulcan's eyes widened and Allen nodded. “We need to keep him from attacking that fortress.”

Vulcan saluted. “I'll do that, sir.”

“But we don't know when he'll attack. You can't just hover above the city every night.”

“I don't think we have much choice. I can sleep during the day. Somehow, I don't think he'll attack in broad daylight. He wants to succeed.”

Allen sighed. “You're probably right.” He gripped Vulcan's shoulder briefly. “Why don't you get something to eat and get some rest now? It's nearly dawn, so I don't think anything will happen tonight.”

“Yes sir.”

Allen watched Vulcan walk away. The young man was probably tired, but he carried himself with a samurai's pride. The Fanel boys were turning out to be very impressive young men.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dilandau had his sensors set at their maximum magnification, but it was still difficult to see details on the Citadel. He was just too far away. Nevertheless, he could see the forces encircling the city and the fortresses hanging above it.

“They're expecting me, it seems,” he murmured.

“There are so many!” Celena whispered worriedly.

“But it's fewer than there should be,” Dilandau replied softly. “They're still so afraid I might yet attack somewhere else, they haven't brought all their forces here to protect the Citadel.” He chuckled softly. “I'll make sure they pay for that mistake!”

“But there's only one of us. How can they be so afraid?”

“The prognostication engine was destroyed decades ago. They cannot predict my movements, so they fear me.” He returned the magnification of the sensors to normal. “It will be dark soon. We will wait and strike them in the pre-dawn hours.” He settled back in the seat and closed his eyes. “Rest now, Celena. We will need all our strength for the coming battle.”

Celena's consciousness, coiled in the back of his mind, fell silent. These days, Celena slept when he slept, and was awake when he was awake. Dilandau was starting to understand that it didn't used to be like that. He remembered the past when he had been all alone in his mind, but now, with Celena there, he understood that the long stretches of time that he did not remember were when Celena's thoughts would control the body they shared.

Two minds, one body. Or one person? Did it really matter which? Dilandau was starting to think that it didn't. He dozed off with the warm comfort of Celena's mind cuddled against his own.

“It's dark.”

Celena's whisper woke Dilandau and he opened his eyes. He glanced at the chronometer. It was half way between midnight and dawn, the darkest hour of the night and the time when the human mind was at its worst. He brought Scheherazade's systems on-line and scanned the area. There was nothing.

“It's time to bring an end to this,” Dilandau said. “The scientists will finally learn they are not free to manipulate the lives of others with impunity.”

The Scheherazade was sitting on a ledge on the side of a mountain. Dilandau simply tilted forward and dropped off. The guymelef's wings flared out and they swooped away toward the distant city, gaining altitude rapidly as they flew. The lights of the city reached high into the sky, casting a glow almost like sunrise. Dilandau flew high enough to stay clear of that glow. He did not want to be seen too soon. Fighting his way into the Citadel would be difficult enough.

But as he neared the city, his sensors alerted him to the presence of another guymelef flying at almost the same altitude as he was. He recognized the configuration immediately: the Escaflowne!

Dilandau spoke into his communicator. “Don't try to stop me, Vulcan! This is my fight, not yours.”

“You can't win, Dilandau.” Vulcan sounded worried. “We're sure they've set a trap for you.”

“It doesn't matter. I have to do this.”

“It's the only way to stop the pain!” Celena echoed.

Vulcan didn't respond and for a moment Dilandau was confused. Had the Escaflowne's pilot heard Celena speak?

“Dilandau?” The confusion in Vulcan's voice made it clear he had.

“Just stay out of my way!” Dilandau shouted. He accelerated and flew above the Escaflowne, heading for the Citadel. The Escaflowne turned to follow him.

“Dilandau!” Vulcan called. “Don't attack the fortress over the Citadel! We think it's an ambush!”

Dilandau looked down. A formidable looking floating fortress was centered directly over the Citadel. His normal attack would be to drop down on the fortress and attempt to destroy it so the debris would fall on the Citadel below. In the ensuing confusion, he could then fly into the Citadel and detonate the power generator at its core. But Vulcan's warning made him study the situation more closely. He had used the technique once already and it seemed foolhardy for them to provide him with the identical setup. It probably was an ambush. He slowed down so Vulcan could catch up with him.

“What kind of ambush?” Dilandau asked. If Allen Schezar had analyzed the situation, maybe he had an idea Dilandau could use.

“We think they'll wait for you to drop on them from above, like before, and detonate the fortress to destroy you.”

“Destroy an entire fortress just to kill me?”

“You have caused quite a lot of havoc.”

Dilandau chuckled. “You think so?” He stared down at the fortress again. Destroy an entire fortress? That was just the sort of trade-off the Zaibach commanders would make to stop the destruction he was causing. Suddenly, Dilandau laughed. “But that means they don't have enough crew on board to man all the guns. Help me, Vulcan. Draw their fire so I can knock that thing out of the sky.”

“That's insane!” Vulcan responded. “We shouldn't try to go near it.”

“Hasn't anyone told you?” Dilandau replied, still laughing. “I am insane!” He pulled up sharply and dropped, not toward the fortress, but to one side of it.

“Dammit!” Vulcan shouted and the Escaflowne plunged after him.

Dilandau dropped until he was almost level with the fortress, then he pulled up and banked to the right. “Break left!” he called into the communicator and was relieved to see Vulcan follow his command. They immediately began taking fire from the fortress, but as Dilandau had suspected, most of the cannon were clearly on automatic. They tracked the guymelefs, but they did not anticipate their movements.

More vulnerable in the open cockpit, Vulcan climbed as he flew past the fortress, keeping his distance. But his presence was all Dilandau needed. He flew low and managed to slip under the fortress. With the Citadel and the city below them, they couldn't shoot toward the ground. But now that he was under the fortress, there was nothing to impede his attack on the Citadel. Dilandau pulled the Scheherazade's wings in and dropped.

“Dilandau, no!” Vulcan cried.

Dilandau ignored him. He drew his sword and aimed for the opening in the top of the Citadel. Once, a pillar of green light had spread the Zone of Perfect Convergence through that opening. Now Dilandau was carrying destruction back through it.

“Watch out!”

The cry came only an instant before the Escaflowne flew into him, knocking him off course. They both went tumbling and crashed into the great dome. At the same time, a shattering explosion rent the air above them. The shock wave caved in the dome and the Scheherazade was flung to the ground. Dilandau lost track of the Escaflowne. He staggered to his feet, trying to get his bearings. Fire and debris were raining down around him. The fortress had become a ball of fire and it was dropping out of the sky.

Dilandau threw back his head and laughed. “We did it, Celena! The Citadel will be destroyed! The scientists will die!”

“But it's falling on us, too!” Celena cried. “I don't want to die!”

Dilandau stared up at the fire, mesmerized. “But it's burning. Everything must burn.”

“But not us!” Celena whispered. “Not us.”

She reached for the controls. Celena knew how to fly the guymelef. She had watched Dilandau do it for weeks now. She grasped the controls and propelled them into the air and away from the conflagration. As they fled, a massive explosion sent an enormous fireball into the air as the fortress crashed into the Citadel.

“I hope the boy got away,” she whispered, looking back. “He helped us. I don't want him to die.”

“He did,” Dilandau murmured in the back of her mind. “I see him.”

Celena looked again and saw the white dragon shape circling the fire and heading toward them. “He's following us!” she exclaimed in alarm.

“There are guymelefs ahead,” Dilandau said.

“No more fighting!” Celena cried and she pushed the Scheherazade to full speed. They flashed past the flying guymelefs moving to intercept them and sped away from the city. “I don't want to kill anymore!”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Even from their distant vantage point, the explosion of the floating fortress shocked the Asturians onboard the Crusade.

“Vulcan!” Allen cried into the communicator.

“He would know better than to go near that fortress, wouldn't he, Allen?” Amano asked anxiously.

The burning fortress looked brighter than the sun as it began to fall.

“They didn't use enough explosives!” Gaddes exclaimed. “The fortress wasn't blown apart!”

“It will be when it hits the ground,” someone muttered.

“Vulcan, answer me!” Allen shouted.

“I'm all right!”

Allen sagged with relief at the sound of Vulcan's voice. “What happened? Where's Dilandau?”

“He's making a run for it. He should be heading right toward you.”

“I see him!” Gaddes said suddenly. He pointed and Allen saw the bright golden shape of the Scheherazade speeding toward them.

“Celena! This is the Crusade! I order you to stop!” Allen wasn't sure if he should be speaking to Celena or Dilandau.

“Too much death!” The voice that rang out of the speakers could have been Celena's. The Scheherazade did not slow down.

“Get after her!” Allen ordered as the golden guymelef flashed by, followed a moment later by the white dragon.

“I'll keep her in sight!” Vulcan called as he whizzed by.

The Crusade turned to pursue them.

“We'll never catch them,” Amano said with a worried frown. “What if Dilandau attacks Vulcan again?”

“Vulcan won't let that happen,” Allen reassured him. “He knows better.”

“I hope so,” Amano whispered. He stared anxiously after the rapidly disappearing guymelefs.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Vulcan didn't try to speak to Dilandau again. The last few communications from the Scheherazade had not sounded like Dilandau at all. Neither did he try to overtake the other guymelef. There was something going on that Vulcan did not completely understand, so he maintained his distance and simply continued the pursuit. But when they had traveled a good distance from the Zaibach capitol, Dilandau abruptly slowed down and dropped down to a landing on a wide plateau. Keeping a careful distance, Vulcan landed as well.

As Vulcan watched, Dilandau exited the cockpit and took several paces toward him. When he stopped, Vulcan exited the Escaflowne and moved to meet him.

“Why are you following me? What do you want?”

Vulcan stared at Dilandau. His mannerisms and speech were not the same as when they'd met before. In fact, his voice didn't even sound the same. A sudden insight struck him.

“Celena?”

“What do you want from me?” she repeated, and this time Vulcan could really here the feminine pitch to her voice.

“Allen's worried about you, Celena. He wants you to come home.”

“Allen?”

“Your brother.”

Celena's wide eyes looked bruised, as if she had not gotten enough sleep. “My brother, Allen Schezar,” she said. When she spoke Allen's name, she sounded like Dilandau.

“You did what you came to do, Celena,” Vulcan continued softly. “The Citadel was destroyed. The scientists must all be dead.”

“But we don't know that.” This time, she really sounded like Dilandau.

“It's enough,” Vulcan said. “There's been enough killing.”

“Yes!” Celena said earnestly. “No one else has to die. I don't want to kill anymore.”

“We can wait here for the Crusade.” Vulcan watched Celena's face as he spoke, watching for signs of Dilandau. “He'll take us home.”

“Allen's home?”

“It's your home, too. You were born there.”

A wave of darkness washed over Celena's face and Dilandau looked out of her eyes. “I was born on a surgical table in the Citadel.”

Vulcan shook his head. “You were made there, Dilandau, but that's not where Celena was born.”

“I thought I died there,” Celena whispered.

“You're not dead,” Dilandau whispered back.

Vulcan watched this exchange, trying to keep the curiosity off of his face. Celena fixed her eyes on his.

“I remember you,” she said softly. “We hurt you.”

“I'm fine now,” Vulcan replied.

“I'm glad.”

“Shall we wait for Allen?”

“Yes.” Celena sat down on the ground and Vulcan sat down next to her. “Did you see the fire? It burned so brightly. The flames were red and gold and orange.” Faint laughter echoed under her words.

“It was very pretty,” Vulcan agreed.

Celena nodded. She looked toward the horizon, where the first faint light of dawn was just beginning to show. “It's a new day,” she murmured.