Vandread Fan Fiction ❯ Vandread: Seed ❯ Simple Plan ( Chapter 1 )

Vandread: Seed

 

By: A-Z Mark II

 

Disclaimer: you know it by now.

 

Chapter 1: A Simple Plan

 

Barnette finished tugging her skimpy clothes on and took one last look back at her bed. Sprawled out in the middle of the bed was a stacked blonde, the sheets twisted around her nude body haphazardly. Unconsciously, the green-haired girl smirked at the unconscious blonde. Tossing her short hair, Barnette exited their shared room. Last night was good, Jura-chan. she thought to herself. But then, they say that crazy woman sex always is - and you are certifiable if you are serious about that little scheme of yours! The Dread pilot had this nagging suspicion that Jura was as serious as she got about her idea.

“Thanks a lot, Jura.” she muttered as she went looking for breakfast. She recalled the blonde's remarks in the shooting room the week before. She had known for a long time that Jura was a rebel; hell, she was the one that suggested that they leave Mejere and become pirates. Of course, she was about to be drafted into in the Mejere military, so maybe it was more than just a whim that time… reflected the pilot, entering the lift to head over to the mess hall. The Nirvana was a larger ship that the original pirate vessel since the Paksis had melded the Ikazuchi and their ship into one.

“Wonder what they're serving this morning?” she mumbled to herself, yawning behind her hand. Her mind turned back to Jura's mad scheme to be a national heroine. She wants to make a baby with a man's `seed', does she? Well, she could at least have the decency to know what the hell that is! she grumbled silently. What do I look like? The Amazing Barnette the All-Knowing?! We're at war with the men, for god's sake!! Exiting the lift, she entered the dining room and automatically scanned the room. Her eyes stopped on a couple at one of the far tables. Maybe he knows… she started to think, before shaking her head sharply. Even if he does, I won't ask Hibiki for any help! she vowed.

“Morning, Barnette!” chirped the ever-chipper Dita, the red-headed Dread pilot and alien-freak sitting where she always sat these days: right across from her `Mr. Alien', also known as Hibiki Tokai. “Wow! You're up later than usual!” she noted. Barnette felt a bit of color touch her cheeks. While all the women on the crew of the Nirvana knew about her and Jura's stormy romance, she was still uncomfortable talking about it in the middle of breakfast.

“I was up late.” she said with a careless wave, moving to the rotating food belt, where dozens of breakfast choices rolled past, each with a small flag noting the calories in each dish. All the women watched their figures, but a few - most noticeably Dita and Meia, but also the majority of the Dread squadron - had high metabolic rates, and therefore could eat like horses. Grabbing two plates of hash browns, scrambled eggs, sausage links and toast, she moved over to a table not too far from Dita and Hibiki, where she joined another woman from her squadron. After she had grabbed her drink, she exchanged basic pleasantries with the woman and fell to eating. Her mind returned to the issue she had been preoccupied with before.

Maybe that doctor knows something. she reasoned. The tall, long-haired male doctor was a bit intimidating to the women, but had proven that he was capable within his area. There was gossip that the head of Engineering was sweet on him. And since he's a doctor, he should know what this `seed' stuff is. she pondered. Shouldn't he? She tossing in another fork-full of potatoes and chewed thoughtfully.

“Morning, Barnette.” came Meia's voice from behind her. “Is Jura going to be up soon?” asked the pale blue haired Dread leader. “I have some new formations I want to go over that should give us an edge against these new cube-type and carrier types.” she explained, pausing behind her section leader. Barnette hastily swallowed.

“She should be.” she replied. Assuming that she feels like getting up, that is! was not voiced. “When's the meeting?” she asked. Meia glanced at Dita and Hibiki.

“Right after breakfast.” she said, her tone slightly distracted. Barnette tossed her head at the seat next to her.

“You're welcome to join us.” said the woman. Meia shook her head.

“I'm going to go tell Dita and Hibiki about the briefing.” she declined, moving off. Barnette considered the changes in the usually taciturn Dread leader since the men were incorporated into the crew. While several groups of women still harbored distrust of the men, most of the one hundred and fifty odd crewmembers of the ship had come to accept the men. A few, like Dita, had come to more than accept the, even to the point of actively seeking them out. She recalled her little mutiny not so long ago. Dita had ignored her call to shun the men, Meia had been indifferent, and Jura had just sidestepped the issue by having a `bad hair day' the entire time.

Like it or not, they are part of us now. she thought to herself, seeing Meia settle next to Dita. The energetic red-head was as spacy as ever, bubbling over with optimism and good cheer. For a moment, Barnette just watched the girl. She could never understand what made Dita tick, and that was like a burr in her tail. She and Dita got along good enough, but they were not really friends like she was with some of the other pilots. Seeing her interact with Hibiki caused a strange tension in her that she couldn't name.

Fortunately, she was saved from more introspection by the arrival of Jura in all her glory. As the vain Dread pilot made her rounds on the way to the food line, Barnette mentally prepared herself for the coming ordeal of dealing with the blonde when she was at her Narsistic best. Fortunately, Jura was usually this way after some good sex, so Barnette was used to her. Seeing her lover settle opposite her at the table, Barnette focused on the blonde, the knotty questions she had been wrestling with being displaced by the ego of the elegant blonde.

-

“Ugh! You're still reading that old thing?” asked Bart as he tossed down another handful of the food pills that men ate on their home world of Tarak. The bald-headed young navigator for the ship was still holding on to the rations, while Hibiki had gone to eating nothing but the women's food, and the other lone male switched between them, but was steadily moving over to a women's food only diet himself.

“Yes. I find it intriguing.” replied the doctor, looking up from his reading. Among the items found in the old, forgotten section of the former Ikazuchi was a book on reproduction. As he had no knowledge of the matter, he was ravenously devouring every bit of information he could. “I have already leaned a lot from treating the injuries, but this is another matter.” he continued. To think that they reproduce internally! he marveled. Watching Ezra's pregnancy progress had be an absolutely spellbinding experience for him. He found himself eager to see her `give birth' as the women called it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a doctor. he thought to himself, his eyes falling back to the pages of the ancient book.

From the style and colors used, he had determined that the book was geared toward the pre-adolescent age bracket, and therefore was not complete in its explanation of the process. Even so, it contained words and concepts that weren't in his vocabulary or experience. Thankfully, Ezra seems willing enough to answer what questions she can, as does Parfet. I just know that if I can ask the right questions to the right women, I can find out what all these strange words mean, and then, I can understand this reproductive system! It took him a moment to realize that Bart was talking again. “Sorry, I wasn't listening.” he said blandly, enjoying the look of annoyance on the other man's face.

“I said, are you going to tell the Cabinet about all that when we get back?” repeated the younger man. Duero frowned.

“I hadn't thought about that.” he admitted. Come to think of it, it has been months since I last thought of the war between us and the women. he mused. Before he could further respond, a holo-vid popped up from the communications box in their quarters and Paiway told him that she needed him in sickbay. Rising immediately, the tall, long-haired doctor headed off, the book tucked under his arm. Bart started to sit back, but the captain called him to the bridge. Sighing heartily, he acknowledged and moved off himself.

“Man, they work a body to the bone around here.” he muttered. It was the first time in two days he had had to drive the ship, but to someone like Bart, that was as hard as he had had to work since he signed up with the Tarak military.

-

Jura massaged her temples as she made her way from the hanger to the sick bay for something for her headache. The nightmare that she, Meia, Dita and Hibiki had shared had left her with a headache. There was still no progress on her mission to have a baby with a man, and it was grating on her nerves. Damn it, I hate waiting for things! Besides, we're almost half-way home and it takes nine months to have a baby, so it's already too late for me to have it by the time we get home. If I can't find this `seed' stuff and how to get it to my egg, I will miss out on this one chance to do what no other Mejerian has ever done! she thought crossly.

Entering the sick bay, she found the doctor discussing Famahs and Omhas with Ezra, who was nearing her delivery date. With the wicked pounding in her head, she rudely interrupted them, asking plaintatively for something for her headache. While the doctor prepared something to ease her discomfort, she smiled as her eyes fell to the holo-display of the child in Ezra's womb. The bridge communications officer was glowing with anticipation.

Looking away, her eyes fell on a brightly-colored book on the counter of the sick bay. She immediately identified the cartoonish figure on the cover as a child, and curiously picked it up. Leafing though it, she realized what it was; and what it might contain. Slipping it into her belt under her long, thick hair, she snuck a peek at the doctor, who was still busy with the medicine making station. This could prove informative. she thought, her headache now a distant memory. Her scheming was cut short by the order from the captain to scramble the Dread teams. Jura hastily gulped the two pills Duero gave her and dashed out of the sickbay, the book secured.

-

“What a day!” groused Jura, flopping down on the bed in her and Barnette's room. The fighting had been chaotic and the red light weapon from their shared nightmares had appeared. Fortunately, Dita and Hibiki had managed to power though it and had destroyed the new Manta-type harvest ship. The objective of the mission was the retrieval of a life-pod.

The pod was secured, and the Nirvana now had another new comer on board. Misty Cornwell came from a time before the war between the sexes, and she seemed very comfortable with men. In fact, her greeting to Hibiki had almost made Dita mad. Given her cheery disposition, angering Dita was a difficult undertaking.

Barnette entered and tossed off her shoulder and arm unit, leaving her in her swim-suit-like daily wear. “I swear, this ship is a magnet for weirdo's.” she complained. Jura just grunted in response. Dropping to the bed beside Jura, Barnette stretched out. “At least the newcomer is a woman and not another man.” she philosophized. Jura started to roll over, but stopped as she felt something against her back.

“Ah! That's right!” exclaimed the blonde, reaching behind herself and pulling out the book. “Barnette, I got this book from the doctor!” she excitedly explained to her partner. “It explains all sorts of things about making babies!” Clearly excited, she opened the book and began to peruse the pages.

Barnette was less excited about the loot. “Great.” she said unexcitedly. “So, what does it say?” she asked, noting that the language was not one she read - and since she couldn't read it, she was betting that Jura couldn't either.

“It says…well, it seems to be in the men's language, but it has pictures!” she defended her find. Barnette closed her eyes.

“The perfect book for you, then.” she muttered.

“I heard that.” noted Jura. “But look, Barnette!” she dismissed the insult. “The pictures show a man and a woman, and that is clear a uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries! So these things must be the `seed' things from men!” she announced triumphantly, pointing as she explained. Barnette was less than impressed.

“Aside from the childish illustrations, does this thing tell you where or how we can get this `seed' stuff?” she asked evenly. God knows Jura isn't the brightest of us! she thought. Still, she is gorgeous, if in a high-maintenance way. her eyes trailed over Jura's form, her groin warming as she eyed the blonde.

“Well, we could get someone to read it for us.” offered Jura, interrupting the visual molesting of Barnette. Blinking, the short-haired woman brought her mind back to the discussion at hand.

“Um, yeah.” she said sarcastically. “Of all the people on this ship, only the men, the Commander and the Captain read that language. So, who are you going to ask to read this to you?” she asked Jura patiently. Jura considered that.

“I…could ask Parfet if she has any ideas.” she protested. There had been some talk from the bridge crew that Parfet had invented an `Interprica' something or other that could translate the language of men into their language, but she wasn't sure if that was fact or a rumor, and besides, Parfet - while a certified genius with machines and the like - tended to be overly-eager to skip testing and move to the build stage, which meant that her devices occasionally blew up. Which just makes her laugh, scratch the back of her head and say `oh, yeah! I forgot to do this or that!'! Fine for her, bad for whoever was using the invention! Maybe that's not a viable option!

“You're using the thing, if you want to go that route.” stated Barnette. “Getting blown up is bad for my complexion.” she added. Jura didn't like the implications of that comment, so she silently marked that option off her mental list.

“Well, that leaves the men.” she murmured to herself. The doctor is off the list, because I swiped the book from him. That Bart guy is an annoying moron, so that just leaves…Hibiki. The more she thought about it, the more she liked that possibility. After all, I already have a working relationship with him, thanks to Vandread Jura. And, hey! if we combine, I can ask him in private! True, it will be in the middle of a fight, but if the shield is up, it's no big deal! Barnette saw the gleam in Jura's eyes and groaned.

“Hibiki, it is.” she muttered. “Why me?” she complained.

Jura lunged over and pinned her to the bed. Nibbling Barnette's neck she replied “Because you love me.” Moving up, she kissed her lover passionately. “So find out for me, will you?” she asked, her tone husky and hot. Barnette blinked.

“Me?! Why me?!” she repeated. Jura slipped the other girl's top off and fastened her lips to Barnette's nipple. Once it was hard and stiff, she answered.

“Because I could never ask something so embarrassing.” her lips returned to work on the other nipple. Barnette felt her resistance crumble as her clothes were peeled off her by Jura's expert hands. Argh! She always does this! thought the green-haired woman as Jura's warm breath caressed her wet opening for a moment, before the older woman's tongue dove into her inner passage. Barnette moaned in arousal. Could be worse, I guess. she reasoned, her hands burying themselves in the obsessively-maintained golden tresses of her lover as she spread her legs, urging the aggressive tongue of Jura deeper into her sex.

Jura smiled as she felt Barnette open her legs and urge her deeper. After a few minutes of happy pussy licking, Jura pulled back from the dripping meal, licking her lips as she did so. Easily wiggling out of her own clothes, she moved up to kiss Barnette, who was panting in anticipation of their union. “I think someone deserves a treat.” growled the blonde, rubbing Barnette's wet opening with one hand as she twisted and tweaked her nipples with her free hand. Aside from a heated moan, Barnette made no reply. Smiling, Jura pushed two fingering inside her lover's sheath and went right for the woman's G-spot.

“Ah! Right there!” yelled Barnette as Jura rubbed the nerve junction in her sheath mercilessly. Years of being lovers had taught them about each other, and Barnette was not without options. Hungrily, she returned the attention of her stacked blonde lover. Finding Jura's engorged nipples with her hands, she gave each of them a firm, even pinch and a sharp tug.

Jura hissed in pleasure. The elegant blonde had a taste for a certain level of roughness in her lovemaking, and Barnette was happy to oblige her. “Want more?” she husked. Jura responded by shoving a third finger into the shorter girl's passage as her thumb came down to press against Barnette's clit, which was standing straight out from under its protective hood. “Guess so!” purred Barnette, reaching down between their bodies and touching her lover's damp lower lips. A moment of searching yielded her target, and the Dread pilot took Jura's clit between the sides of her fingers and began to twist it side to side as she stroked it. Almost instantly, she was rewarded with a marked increase in the amount of fluid leaking from Jura's pussy. Stopping her hand's motions, she waited for Jura to beg.

“Barnette!” whined Jura, furiously pumping her fingers into her lover's snatch. Barnette waited. “Please, Barnette! I'm so close!” wheedled the blonde, trying to hump against Barnette's hand. Barnette decided to give in to the other woman's request.

“Ok, because you asked so nicely.” she purred, feeling her own orgasm closing in on her. She pinched the blonde's clit between her fingers like they were scissors, then pushed both fingers into Jura, forcing the blonde's clit to drag between her tightly-closed fingers - much to Jura's delight. Once she had reached the top knuckle, Barnette pulled her fingers back out and repeated the process as she used her other hand to stretch, squeeze, pinch and pull on Jura's large nipples.

“Yes!!” sighed the blonde, tittering on the edge. Grabbing the smaller breast of her lover in one hand, she massaged it while her lips sealed to Barnette's lips. Feeling Barnette single out her nipple with her fingernails, Jura knew her lover was about to send her over the edge, and took action to bring Barnette with her. With the pinky finger of the hand buried in the short-haired girl's snatch, she tickled her puckered anus. For reasons that she had never figured out, Barnette went nuts when she did that, and this time was no exception.

A wordless sound in her throat warned Jura that Barnette was about a half-second away from launch. Mentally growling in arousal, Jura shoved her soaked pinky into Barnette's ass, which was all it took to shove the smaller woman over the edge. In her orgasmic bliss, Barnette pinched Jura's nipple a bit harder than she meant to, but it was just a case of more of a good thing as far as the blonde was concerned, feeling her groin explode into orgasm. The two lovers clung to each other as they rode out the storm of pleasure.

As they wound down, they began to kiss and cuddle, preparing for round two. As they began to get more into the proceeding, they were interrupted by the alarm and the sound of the Captain ordering the Dread teams to scramble. Angrily, Jura hurriedly tossed back on her clothes as Barnette did the same. “Damned Earthers!” she spat. I was all set for rounds two through ten, too!

“Let's just destroy them and get back to what we were doing.” suggested Barnette, tugging on her shoulder and sleeves get-up. “Did I miss anything?” she asked her lover, spinning once. Jura gave her the once-over.

“Looks fine. Come on!” said the blonde, running out the door, with Barnette on her heels. The two made for the flight deck, splitting up as Jura had to move to the secondary hanger where her Paksis-altered Dread waited. Arriving, she saw that Hibiki's Vanguard was still there, but he was nowhere to be seen. Glancing at the three bays for the Dreads that had been swallowed up in the first attack, she saw that Dita's blue Dread was in it's bay, but Meia's silver unit was - of course - gone.

“Jura! Get out here!” came Meia's voice over the ship PA. throwing herself into her Dread, she cranked up and headed out even as she got the last of the systems up. Arriving on the battlefield, she found the normal Dreads fully engaged with a swarm of cube-type drones. Meia's larger Dread was heading up the defense of the Nirvana.

“Where are Dita and Hibiki?” asked Jura over the tac net.

“They were taking Ezra to the sick bay when we got hit.” said Meia. “Ezra's baby is on the way.” announced the Dread leader. Just then, there was a transmission from the Nirvana bridge.

“Meia, we've had a system failure.” came BC's calm voice. “Our shields are down, and we've lost nearly all the emergency systems. Dita and Hibiki are stuck in an elevator with Ezra, so you and Jura are on your own. Guard the Nirvana while we try to get the systems back up.” ordered the Commander.

“Roger that, BC.” acknowledged Meia. “Barnette, take third and fourth group and guard the Nirvana. Jura, take second group and follow me. First group, let's go push them back.” directed the cool and collected Meia. Hearing a chorus of `Rogers' over the tac net, she focused on the task at hand.

“I really wanted to be there to see Ezra's baby being born!” complained Jura.

“Shut up and stay focused. These cubes are faster than the last bunch.” commanded Meia. The two super Dreads lead the charge into the thick of the cube-type ranks, intent on bagging the cruisers that spawned the smaller units.

-

Jura and Barnette were finally back in their room, but they were too tired to pick up where they had left off before the attack. The fight had turned nasty. Then, the power came back up on the Nirvana, but the elevator where Dita, Hibiki, Ezra and her newborn daughter were had suffered a mechanical failure and almost dropped them to their deaths. Fortunately, Pyoro - the annoying Paksis interface unit - had performed a feat that Parfet swore was impossible given his limited lift fields and caught the falling car.

Naturally, there was a big `ooh and aww' party over Ezra and her new baby, and the doctor had taken the time to double check Ezra's condition while the girls cooed at the infant. Misty had come to from her recovery sleep and come out to join the crowd of girls around the baby. When Hibiki and Dita had shown up after their own recovery from Hibiki's fainting spell, Misty had lit up and laid one on Hibiki that had sent him back into unconsciousness. Dita was not a happy camper about that at all.

Still, the incident had shown the assembled men and women the difference between Misty's views and their own. She viewed it as natural that men and women were together, and she certainly seemed entirely comfortable with men. Too comfortable, in the opinion of certain girls aboard the Nirvana. Dita in particular seemed to be…jealous of the way that Misty acted around Hibiki.

Seeing that had given Jura a new idea. It had also given Barnette a new idea. Now, the two prepared for bed to catch some shut-eye, and as they did so, Barnette opened the discussion. “Hey, Jura?” she began.

“Yeah?” came the reply.

“About you little idea,” continued Barnette, “I was thinking that we might want to feel Misty out to see if she knows what this `seed' stuff is.” she suggested. Jura smiled.

“My thoughts exactly.” she said. Barnette and I think alike so often it's scary! Still, that's probably why we get along so good. mused the blonde. “So, if Misty will help us out, do you think you can get me some of this `seed'?” she pressed.

“Uh, I suppose.” replied Barnette. “You are planning to use Hibiki's seed, right?” she demanded the blonde. “I mean, yeah, the Doctor's ok, but he is so…weird. And there is no way that I'll collect anything from that Bart flake!” she said hotly.

“I had planned on using Hibiki's seed.” confirmed Jura. “He's probably the best of the men anyway.” she reasoned.

“Well, I guess we'll get to know Misty better starting tomorrow.” said Barnette, pulling the sheet up over them. She felt Jura lean over to her and kiss her lightly on the lips.

“Night, Barnette.” said the blonde.

-

Hibiki hotfooted it into the men's living quarters and hit the lock on the door. Looking up from his latest book, Duero quirked an eyebrow at him. “Problems, Hibiki?” he asked the younger man. Hibiki was panting a bit as he made his way over to his bed and dropped onto it, unconsciously tucking the Dita-made alien pillow under his head.

“It's those crazy women again!” complained the young man. “What is it with them?! I mean, what could they want with me?” he wondered aloud. Duero hid a smile. He had come to like the Third-Class Citizen Hibiki Tokai during the course of their little sojourn. The younger man never ceased to entertain him.

“I believe that you did promise Dita that you would try her new dish.” he noted. Hibiki flinched at that reminder.

“I didn't mean to promise her that! It just…kind of came out that way.” he grumbled.

“Rather you meant to or not, you gave her your word, Hibiki.” needled Duero. “The man you once were would have been adamant about keeping his word, even if he didn't mean to give it.” he observed.

“Hey! I never break my word!” bristled Hibiki, sitting up aggressively. Duero was unimpressed by the confrontational attitude.

“It's not like you don't eat women's' food anyway, right?” he patiently reasoned. “What could it hurt to eat some of Dita's cooking? You seem to like it a lot anyway.”

“It's not the food.” admitted Hibiki, feeling his mouth water at the thought of the food he had come to crave so much. “It's this `date' thing that they're talking about.” he mumbled.

“What exactly is a `date', Hibiki?” asked Duero, looking interested.

“How should I know?!” exploded Hibiki. “It's not like I'm an expert in women, you know!” Especially since Misty showed up! The newest arrival made Dita seem tame in her pursuit of Hibiki. In point of fact, he had been running not from Dita, but from Misty when he sought the safety of the men's quarters/prison.

“Have you thought of asking one of the women what this `date' ritual is?” wondered the doctor. I might ask Parfet when I see her later today. he thought to himself. Knowing something that Hibiki didn't could be fun; and unlike Hibiki, he didn't have a problem asking women about their strange customs, words or behavior. Well, certain women, anyway. he amended the earlier thought. Parfet is a lot more open than the others. Hibiki was deep in thought.

“I'll be back later.” he said, moving to the door and listening for sounds of females waiting in ambush for him. Not hearing any, he unlocked the door and peeked out, then dashed off. Duero had a feeling that he would end up in the Register, playing cards with Gascogne, the head of that particular department.

It was odd that she and Hibiki had formed an odd sort of friendship. Except for the three women who had been with him in the initial accident, Gascogne was the closest friend Hibiki had - even closer than the men. Somehow, the two of them understood each other. Which is more than I can say; what he thinks is a complete mystery to me. chuckled the doctor. Rising, he set aside his book and made his way toward Engineering, where a glasses-wearing woman was doubtlessly creating chaos out of order just to see if she could.

-

“Misty! Got a minute?” called Barnette, seeing the new girl sipping some coffee in the dining hall. The castaway looked up and smiled.

“Barnette, right?” she said. She was still learning all the girls' names and what they did. It had been decided to start her training to be an operator on the bridge, since they were the group with the fewest reserve members. The girl had proven to be a quick study. Right now, she was on break.

“That's right.” confirmed Barnette, sitting opposite the girl. “That's a nice outfit.” she complimented the girl. Since Misty hadn't had any clothes other than her cold-sleep suit, the girls on the ship had held an informal swap meet and put together a few outfits for her from spares the other girls had. With a couple of minimal adjustments, they fit nicely. On her left shoulder, Q-chan smiled at Barnette.

“Thanks. I understand that I have Ezra to thank for most of it.” she replied. Barnette knew that the majority of the donated clothes had come from the bridge and Reg crews. For various reasons, the Dread, Security, Services and Maintenance departments tended to have less clothing to spare. In Barnette's case, her clothes were just too extreme for the younger girl.

“Ezra's a nice person.” agreed Barnette. “Still, we couldn't let you just run around naked, now could we?” she smiled. Misty sent her a half-smile.

“I guess not, though I wouldn't mind being naked sometimes.” she hinted. Barnette wasn't really sure what that was supposed to mean, but that was why they were befriending the teenager. “Say, do you know if Dita is Hibiki's boyfriend or not?” asked Misty, leaning a bit closer to Barnette. “She acts like it, but claims she doesn't know what that is. What's the deal with that?” she asked.

“Well, I'm not really sure what that word means, either.” admitted Barnette. Misty sighed.

“I thought you all might have been kidding me about the situation here.” she said, sounding amazed. “But I guess you all really don't know about men and women.” she marveled. Barnette seized the opportunity.

“Well, we have been at war with men for three generations, so it's kind of a reflex now.” she said, baiting the hook. “But some of us are curious about what it was like before.” she said. “Could you tell us about this `dating' thing; and maybe some things about when men and women used to live together?” she asked as casually as she could. Misty blinked at her.

“I suppose I could.” she said. “But, if you're at war with the men, why are you letting the men run free?” she asked. Barnette plastered a fake smile on her face. If it were up to me…! she thought.

“It's a long story.” she said. “If you want to hear about it, why not come to Jura's and my room later tonight?” she asked. Misty smiled.

“Sure. Why not?” she agreed. Barnette managed to wait until she was out of the room before pumping her fist in glee.

-

Hibiki studied his cards intently. Looking up at Gasco, he studied his cards. Gascogne watched him with a bemused look on her face, the thin, toothpick-like memory metal rod in the corner of her mouth. “Any time now, Hibiki.” she said, flicking a finger at the clock on the counter. Hibiki growled.

“I'm going.” he muttered. Gasco smirked. Hibiki looked at his cards once more. “I call!” he yelled, slapping his cards down. “Four aces!” he crowed. Gasco put her cards down on the table in a single stack.

“You're getting a little better.” she admitted, using one finger to spread them out, face up. “But you have some room for improvement.” she said blandly. “Royal flush.” she smiled.

Hibiki growled in impotent rage. “One more game!” he demanded. Gascogne considered the lack of markers in front of Hibiki and toyed with her choices. Fine. So I'm a meddler. she decided.

“You're out of chips, Hibiki.” she noted. The young man froze for a moment. “But, I'll make a deal - just this once! I'll stake you a stack, but if you lose, you have to go on the date with Dita.” she said. Hibiki's brow furrowed at that condition. Gasco smirked at him. “Come now, you're saying your going to lose?” she taunted him. That was all it took.

“You're on, Gasco!” he said hotly. “I'm gonna win back all I've lost to you!” he boasted.

“Uh huh.” replied Gasco, shuffling the cards. “Cut the deck, Hibiki.” she directed. He did so and she dealt the hands. As they slowly played, Gascogne waited for him to ask her what he had really come to ask her.

“Just out of curiosity, Gasco, what exactly is this `date' thing, anyway? Not that I'm going to lose or anything!” he hastily added. Gasco hid her smile.

“Course you won't.” she agreed insincerely. “But since you asked, a date is very special to a woman.” she began. I guess I can't help but root for the girl; she's so honest and open - even with men. thought Gascogne as she wiped the floor with Hibiki; exactly as she always did.

-

Jura and Barnette sat on their bed, absorbing what Misty had told them. “I don't think that I can do this, Jura.” said Barnette. The blonde was silent. “Jura? Are you listening? I don't think that I can do this!” she repeated. It's so…weird! And to get his seed - or `sperm' as Misty called it - I have to let him…ugh! she thought, shivering.

“Misty doesn't seem to find it troubling.” mused Jura. “She even said it felt good.” she noted. “In fact, she seems to be quite eager to do this with Hibiki.” she added.

“Well, she is from the ancient past.” protested Barnette. “She had all sorts of strange ideas.” Jura was thinking about something else.

“Barnette, you wish you could combine with the Vanguard to make a new Vandread, don't you?” she asked her partner. Barnette blinked at that.

“No! I can't stand men, Jura!” she protested. But all that firepower wouldn't suck… she mused. Jura watched her lover intently.

“Do you really mind Hibiki that much?” she asked.

“Of course I do!” assured Barnette. Jura slowly nodded.

“Then you won't mind if Misty beats you to the mark.” Barnette considered that. She had always been a fierce competitor, and loved a good challenge. Jura was planning to use that against her. “Oh, and let's not forget Dita.” she added, knowing that the red-head drove Barnette crazy with her overpowering optimism and the fact that her Vandread was still the most powerful one of them all. “Guess you aren't feeling up to competing against those two.” she stung.

Barnette grimaced. “Fine.” she spat, knowing that Jura was using her own nature against her. Even worse was the knowledge that she was letting the blonde manipulate her. “I'll get you your damned seed.” she muttered. Jura smiled at her.

“Thank you, Barnette!” she breathed in the green-haired woman's ear. “I knew I could count on you!”

-

Misty was sitting in her quarters, considering the information she had gathered that evening. It certainly explains a lot of things! she thought. She could understand now why things were as messed up as they were aboard the ship. Unfortunately, putting the puzzle together had put her in a debate between her ideals and her lust.

Turning over, she buried her face in her pillow. Misty had never been one to be shy or conservative, and even though she was biologically 14, she was far more advanced in certain areas of knowledge than all the women on the ship. So, she could either use that knowledge to claim the man - or men, if she chose - that she wanted, or she could try to repair the rift between the sexes. Looking over to her dresser, she saw the crystal that had been given to her as she was entering the sleep capsule.

Misty was fully aware of the information contained in that message. Her enclave had been the last to fall of the inter-system colonies. But fall it had. As either a last act to save their daughter, or as a last act of retribution, they had sent her off in a high-velocity escape pod toward the worlds that had been colonized, hoping that she could beat the Harvest fleet there and raise a defense.

Misty was a gambit. She was also the one most likely to be able to stop Earth's plans cold. And here I am. she thought. Seventy years too late, stuck on a ship from a planet system where the men and women separated and declared war. Great. Still, I can use my knowledge to try to heal the damage, or I can use it to profit myself. The girl rolled back over and stared at her ceiling.

Fuck it. she thought. I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning. she decided.