Battle Tactics

The Naked King

"Kaiba to Home Base, Kaiba to Home Base, do you read me?"

On the other end of the receiver there was only static and Noah Kaiba, ace operator for the Centauri League of the Galactic Empire, cursed. Much to his chagrin, his partner offered only his usual barking laugh as he squelched the butt of his cigarette beneath his heel.

"Stalled on Kemet's moon … All we can do is wait, kid," Bakura's voice was mellow and sweet, a far cry from his grating laughter. "Wait to be caught. The best we can hope for is to fight our way out, guns blazing, and take a few of those es-oh-bees with us," he slurred, looking to light another cigarette as was his habit when they were under pressure.

"For the love of all that is holy!" Noah Kaiba slammed his hands against the terminal, the sound echoing through the control center. "Bakura, how many times do I have to tell you not to smoke in the Mecha?" His voice rose in annoyance, and he threw his headset to the floor with a clatter. "Your smoke is going to kill us before the Rebels do!"

Bakura arched an eyebrow but said nothing, shrugging and staring into the smoke haze, blinking console lights glaring at them like eyes from the depths of the jungles of the oasis moons.

"What are you gonna do?" Bakura asked, though Noah could already see the inkling of a plan in his senior's eyes. "We can't stay here forever, you know. Our supplies already have dwindled down to a few days at best," he took a drag on his cigarette despite Noah's sullen stare."We've gotta make a move soon or die of starvation, and as Operator -"

Noah cut him off with an impatient wave of his wrist. "Yes, yes, I know. It's my call. Honestly, Bakura, we've had this conversation about one thousand times." He leaned forward, resting his weight on his elbow. A resigned sigh pushed past his lips. "Okay. What do you want to do? Because obviously you won't consent to waiting for help … "

"I told you," Bakura drawled, "We try to escape."

"But the Blue Destroyer and the Goddess of Light will be waiting for us!" Noah stood up, beginning to pace the room frantically. "Maybe you can out pilot one of them, but both? Bakura, let's be serious -!"

"Don't."

The word rang out like a single shot, and Noah's mouth snapped shut with an audible click.

"I can out-pilot Seto Kaiba and Atem any day of the week," he replied, dark eyes distant. "You forget that my ancestor fought Atem in the First Galactic Civil War. These tactics have been in my family for thousand years." He threw his still burning cigarette onto the floor. "Strap up and get weapon systems online." He aggressively dug his heel into the butt, extinguishing its light even as he spun away. "I'm going to get us out of here."

Noah called out to him, but he was already gone, the doors whooshing closed in his wake. For a moment the young man stared after him, but he knew Bakura and realized that he had no choice but to follow the pilot's orders. Kneeling down, he picked his headset off the floor and readjusted the mouth piece before placing it back on his head. He stood and pushed the hesitation from his mind, just like his father had taught him.

It was time to get to work.

"Bakura, do you copy?" Noah asked, taking to his chair, readouts spreading panoramic before his eyes, information about systems and schematics playing out in front of him. To a lesser man they might have seemed like riddles, but to the skilled eyes of an operator they revealed much.

"Loud and clear," buzzed Bakura's response. "I'm all strapped in and ready to go. Anything I should know before I fire em up?"

"Damage to the hull is minimal," Noah's fingers tapped, fleet, across the keypad. "Invasive scans show a small leak in one of the fuel cells, though the cause isn't apparent." A few more clicks sounded through the darkness as Noah ran diagnostics. "I suggest not putting the engines into hyperdrive. Our plan should involve making it to the Imperial Flagship. Try to avoid hard combat."

"Copy," Bakura's voice was light, and Noah wondered at it, because their situation was impossibly grave. "Best to pull up the view, kid. Enjoy the show. I'm gonna get us out of here!"

Noah pulled up the view to the outside world, just like Bakura had suggested. Already their mecha roared to life, and Noah could feel the great machine lurch as it rose into the air. Below them the ground faded away and the sky grew ever larger until they rose at last beyond the point where the atmosphere made the stars glint like diamonds in the heavens.

Great silence engulfed them, a silence that made Noah uneasy. There was nowhere to hide in the void of space, but ambush could come quickly, and they were so close to the enemy base …

"Oi, Noah, I can't hear over your heavy breathing," Bakura snapped, startling Noah enough to make him flinch. "I can smell your nervousness over the connection."

"Well excuse me," Noah snapped, but he didn't say anything else.

Bakura was right; he needed his wits about him, especially considering that the chances of a dogfight were high.

He pulled up another screen so he could watch Bakura maneuver the Dark God, their mecha. The mechanisms of the pilots were more complicated than that of the operators, and Bakura was suspended in space, held aloft by strands of light that connected him to the mecha's control grid. On the other screen space loomed, vacuous and bleak.

"Sensors pick anything up yet?" Bakura let then drift steadily through space, though Noah could see how tense he was, prepared for every possibility no doubt.

"No. Not yet," Noah replied, his eyes scanning the readouts for any signs of danger. "Thermals don't pick up energy yet, though. We're still too close to the moon and its magnetic field. I don't think I need to tell you to stay on guard."

Bakura didn't respond, but he seemed to be expecting something to happen, because even though Bakura wasn't there with him, Noah could feel an air of anticipation seeping from his pores.

For awhile longer all was still until a voice suddenly commandeered his control center, booming through the speakers and issuing orders that made Noah bristle with rage. "Turn back to the moon or face the penalty! If you continue to advance we will shoot you down!"

Noah's breath escaped with a hiss from in between his teeth, grasping the console in front of him so hard his knuckles turned white with strain. It was Seto! Blast his stepbrother! Damn him to hell!

"We have orders to rendezvous with Command," he heard the grin on Bakura's voice, the wicked inflection of his tone as he dared Seto Kaiba to try him, his tone dripping with challenge. "If you attack us you will regret it."

There was a loud noise and a click as the transmission switched channels, cutting off Seto's argument. This voice was different, calm, but to Noah it was sickeningly arrogant, as if speaking down to two disobedient children, leaving no doubt whom it belonged to. "Bakura the Dark, Noah Kaiba, you have entered our airspace. I do not claim to understand your reasons …" there was a sharp intake of breath, "However; if you continue to advance I'm afraid I must enforce Kaiba's threat. This is your last chance to alter your course."

Bakura laughed, the noise several octaves higher than it was it was not so long ago in the command center. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my old buddy Atem," he laughed again, his voice growing bitter. "Not content just to keep to yourself, are you? You just had to ruin our fun, didn't you? Hm? What does it matter to you if one little Imperial Unit makes it back to Command alive? What do you have to lose by letting us go?"

Atem's voice lost patience and warmth, becoming hard and cold. "You will not dampen my resolve. Quit playing the victim. We both know you are far more than a simple Imperial Unit. Now stand down," his voice dropped to little more than a growl, "or I will be forced to act."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Your Highness, and talk is cheap," Bakura's voice was full of venom that would have burned any man more sensible than Atem, but only served to goad their assailant. "It's time to dance. Why don't you show me what you've got?"

"So be it," came the terse response.

The transmission was cut, and Noah watched in grudging awe as the two mechas finally revealed themselves.

Of course he recognized the Blue Destroyer, a colossal white dragon with a majestically arched neck and powerful wings. It didn't look aerodynamic, but Seto could maneuver it expertly, and in his hands it was a dangerous weapon.

However, he had never seen the Goddess of Light before and was struck by her gold and silver plating and her graceful form. She looked intimidating, the opposite of their Dark God in every way conceivable, clearly built for speed instead of power.

"Keep your eyes on the prize, Noah," Bakura's voice sounded in his ear. "We're not far from the Imperial Flagship now, and then you can stop your bitching."

Without another moment of hesitation, the Dark God blasted forward, straight toward their enemies. Seto and Atem dispersed, Noah frantically typing in an attempt to track their movements.

Bakura was one step ahead of him when he dodged a blow from Blue Destroyer that came from above, the blow just scrapping against the hull of the God. Noah heard Bakura scoff and the God doubled back to engage in battle with the Destroyer.

"Activate weapons, kid," Bakura ordered. "It looks like we're going to have to fight to run away."

"But the fuel cell -!" Noah protested even as he checked their scanners for sings of enemy activity, though he knew he wouldn't see anything.

"Stop," Bakura's voice was deadly. "Just do it. It's a risk we have to take."

Noah, knowing Bakura was right, brought their weapon systems online. "Okay, give them all we've got."

"Don't worry," Bakura said with a deadly grin. "I won't."

The God darted forward again, a deadly negative particle charge building in his hand, which Bakura launched at the Destroyer. Seto piloted the Destroyer up and back, a glow growing within the dragon's massive jaws that shot forth to meet the negative energy blast in a collision of energy.

"It's a proton blast," Noah explained. "He's trying to neutralize your attack."

Noah had barely finished speaking before their entire mecha shook with the force of impact. The God spun around, facing its second opponent, The Goddess, who was moving in for a second attack, her saber glowing golden with energy. Bakura blocked, barely managing to pull up his shields before Atem withdrew and doubled back for another attack.

"Shields are holding at 75%!" Noah shouted. "And be careful of -!"

"Shut the hell up!" Bakura growled. "I can't think over your constant chattering! Let me concentrate!"

Noah was taken aback; too stunned to manage what would have usually been a sarcastic response. Instead he watched the screen as Bakura rocketed up, above the heads of both Destroyer and Goddess. From above he began to launch a barrage of energy at them, a few of the projectiles managing to clip Destroyer's wings. This temporarily impeded Seto's advance but Atem maneuvered Goddess out of the way swiftly and rose to meet the God.

Bakura blocked Atem's blow again, pushing the Goddess back, though not before she released a pulse of energy that scrambled Noah's systems. Noah cursed loudly and tired to get systems back online, unable to see what was going on outside of his command center.

He felt the God rattle around him.

The lights flickered.

He tried to stop his fingers from shaking and ignore the sound of his heart pounding in his own ears, concentrating his energy on what he had to do. Frantically, Noah began to type at the controls, trying to get systems back online. The God shuddered again, and Noah made an attempt to reroute the power away from their damaged fuel cell. If he didn't they would start to fall or else be destroyed by Seto and Atem.

A few more frantic taps and the lights flickered back on, and Noah breathed out a long sigh of relief. "Bakura … Do you copy?"

"I'm alive," Bakura growled from over the transmission.

Noah looked back to his screens to find that the Destroyer and the Goddess were gone. A low oath sounded from Bakura as he flew up, trying to find their opponents. "Where the hell are you? How the hell can you hide in open space?"

Noah knew they wouldn't have the energy to fight and make it out of here alive. It would be one or the other, and at this rate it looked like they would die fighting, especially considering Bakura's attitude toward Atem.

Another hit rocked their mecha and Bakura spun, facing their assailant, the Destroyer. A bright white charge grew in its mouth, ready to release at any moment, surrounding them in searing white light. It was a hit Noah knew their shields couldn't withstand.

Bakura did not back down or turn away, instead, he stood his ground, putting most of the energy they had left into one final attack. Then Bakura charged, releasing the blast within a short distance of the Destroyer's massive head, sparking a noiseless explosion that sent them both flying backwards a great distance.

The lights in the command flickered but did not die as they were pushed through the void of space. A bit jostled by the impact, Noah barely noticed when Bakura stabilized them, but the moon was rapidly receding, and the Goddess and Destroyer were shrinking shapes on Noah's screen.

"Y-you used the blast to give us a push into space," Noah muttered in breathless awe. "You used his own attack against him …"

" … Tch. I would have liked to have done more damage, but now isn't the time. The mecha is damaged …" Bakura trailed off and heaved a sigh. "I'll get my revenge yet, just you watch. Turn off the weapons and let's head back to the flagship."

Noah gulped and nodded, doing what he was told without comment. He didn't know Bakura was capable of something like that even though they'd been flying together for about a year now. He guessed he'd come to understand why Bakura was so valued by the Empire, even if he was a lose canon.

That kind of ingenuity … That kind of tenacity … Was rare in pilots, and it was definitely valued. Suddenly, he had a new respect for his surly partner, one born of begrudging awe at his maneuvers.

As they flew through the silent void of space, Noah dwelt on Bakura and his new appreciation for the roguish pilot, bitterly anticipating the many hard battles that were surely ahead of them.