Secret lives by Ebonyswanne
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The new chief of security Dr. Nambu sat at his desk solemnly looking at the pictures before him.

How could this have happened?

He should have been able to protect them, these three men, the Red Impulse Squadron had given up so much to save Earth; the least he could have done is protect their kin better.

Tears stung his eyes and he said a silent prayer for their families, and an apology that he felt was no where near enough to compensate for this.

 So he waited for his team to arrive.

So much had happened over the past twenty years of Dr. Nambu’s life. He had lost his closest friend and raised his son. He had put together the Science Ninja Team to protect the Mantle Project and the possible threat of Galactor was to world peace, but even their role in the world had changed since the beginning, they were taking on more combat missions that were becoming extremely dangerous.

How many times over the years had he prayed for their safe return? The Doctor had lost count.

The team that was to put together by him for information gathering missions and special skills to defend them against the oncoming threat of the Galactor syndicate and highly advanced group of scientific terrorist.

Now it seemed more was required of them, new weapons need to be developed and not much time to do it in. Budgets were tightened due to the cost of the war. Galactor’s new leader had different strategies that almost cost the lives of the team when the God Phoenix was destroyed.

Chief Engineer Saburo Kamo had introduced them to the new ship the Gatchaspartan about two months ago, a design he had been working on for sometime to make them more effective on missions.

Jinpei made a paper plane when he saw it but was very impressed, and Joe asked if the design crew were having a bad creative day when they came up with it, and wondered how effective the new Victory Missiles were going to be against Galactor, still it looked better than the chicken design of the last God Phoenix.

Ken looked on as the mecha’s were presented and gave Jun a knowing smile as the power of the vehicles were explained to them

Dr Nambu then put in a tight training schedule in between missions to get them working fast with the hook ups and assembly of the new ship.

The new style of ship the Gatchaspartan was assembled from their individual mechas. This meant you needed all five vehicles to assemble the ship. So without anyone of the team the Gatchaspartan could not come together as a ship.

 The team were reluctant to give up what little they had of their private lives, but the time was coming were they were going to need to stay closer to base, but war with Galactor was escalating out of control.  

He looked back at the pictures again and the sense of dread washed over him.

A price was paid for the planets protection, and the people in these pictures paid the ultimate price. The Science Ninja Team should have been sent to protect them.

 Ken will be furious when he sees this, and finds out the identities of these people. This was personal to the team and to him; these people were kin in many ways.

 Not blood kin, but still in the sense that they had given up a loved one unknowing to the cause of the Mantle Project and saving the Earth from Galactor.

There was some else they now needed to protect; a young woman and he hoped they were not too late.

 They still had to find her before Count Egobossler did.

“Dr Nambu” Ken addressed him as he walked through the door. “We have barely gotten out of here and you want us back. What could be so important has Galactor attacked again?” He questioned as the rest of the team came through the door behind him into his office.

The Doctor looked at his desk and the put his palms flat on the smooth surface as he used them to leverage himself as he slowly stood up.

Something important has come up, Team gathered around…” his hands motioned to the table, and he waited for their reaction.

Holy shit!” Jinpei exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening as he looked at the pictures, Jun shot him a “watch your mouth” look but it went unnoticed.

 Then she looked in horror the pictures before her, and the other faces of the team mirrored hers. Ken picked one up and the Doctor waited a moment before he went on, mainly to gather his own thoughts for what was to come.

 “Who are these people?” Ken asked in a quiet voice as he looked towards the Chief.

The dreaded question had come.

He cleared his throat.” They are Oniishi’s of Red Impulse’s wife, their son Roni.” Dr Nambu pointed to the other photos.

” That’s Roni’s wife and two of his young children. Only his eight week old son survived. The baby was hidden during the attack. He is being flown here for protection” Ken looked speechless as he listen to him explain” the local authorities do not know that the baby lived it is better that way, UN special forces arrived only moments after it happened…We received the intel on the impending attack too late. ”

 He spoke as he finished pointing to the bodies in the photos and turned away to look out the window. Ken’s voice was full of disbelief and questions, “Why….Who did this?

Dr Nambu looked down at his feet and let out a slow breath he glanced out the window again before turning around. “Galactor, I believe its Count Egobossler’s doing. A man who fits his description was seen leaving the scene, and look at the wounds.” Now things were getting confusing for the team, why would the Count go after the kin of Red Impulse?

And that was the question they all put to him at once, Dr. Nambu held up his hand and he waited for them to become silent again before he continued.

I’m not entirely sure myself, but he is. “ The Doctor’s voice low as he told them the rest.” I received Intelligence while you were out on your last mission that he was hunting down the kin of Red Impulse. Since Oniishi and Masaki did not tell me much about their families, I had sent out threads for Intel about 12 months ago on them. They deserved at least our protection from Galactor.”

 He remembered the depth he had to go to in the search, they had covered their tracks well. He only knew Ken because Kentaro was his closest friend.”Oniishi’s family I found about a month ago. There seemed no threat at that time, so I posted a watch for any possible future threat but that was all, and left them to get on with their lives. They know nothing about Red Impulse or us. To them he died many years ago. Kentaro was always hazy in information about them.”

 He paused and waited to be sure that they all had taken in the information. The team stood silent waiting. Kens eyes were ablaze, he could tell this would be personal to him.

Masaki’s daughter I have yet to locate. He did well in hiding her considering your father reservations on how he went about it.” He was now looking at Ken’s icy blue stare and grim expression.

There was only one thing I ever knew Masaki to disagree on with your father, and that was the total estrangement from his daughter that Kentaro said he had to do for her protection. “

 Doctor Nambu shook his head” He followed His Captain to the grave we know that. But he raised her on his own until she was at least 6 years old. He felt it cruel to die on her like that, especially since her mother died when she was only a few weeks old. He chose to hide her identity instead. That much I know, he still saw her occasionally but where, I have no idea. After Kentaro died in the one meeting I had with Masaki I advised him to send her here for protection, but I never heard anything after that.” The Doctor remembered the argument well between Kentaro and Masaki, it was the only time he ever heard Masaki speak back to Kentaro about an order.

So where is she now do you have any clues for us to go on?” Ken was still looking at him his expression softened a little as he spoke his thoughts out loud.”I never thought about Oniishi and Masaki having families, and leaving them like my father did to me and my mother.”

This was Red Impulse and as far as Ken was concerned, the kin of Red Impulse Squadron was his family too.

Nambu was shaking his head “I don’t really have a lot of clues, he had records changed along with her name. He called her by another name from the time she was a small child. He had death certificates made to look like she died in the accident. He must have gotten into official records somehow. I know she didn’t die in the accident because that was what he argued about with Kentaro.”

Dr Nambu looked over at Joe who had taken to his customary stance in the corner with his arms folded and hearing everything as usual.” That sounds familiar, someone giving you a new identity and you don’t know about it. My parent called me George and then I became Joseph,” he stood there with a frown on his face his brows knitted together as he went over the facts in his mind. “Have you found any other leads for us doc anything?

 Dr Nambu addressed him. “Some are still sketchy, but we know that she lived in France, and may have relocated to another country I have agents out in England and in other parts of Europe continuing to look for clues.” Joe’s face seemed to pale and he looked lost in thought as he began pacing the office.

Ken walked over to him and he stopped and took a good a look at his brother.

Joe stopped pacing and looked Ken directly in the eye.” I know who she is…the woman we’re looking for is Madeline”

Are you sure Joe, what makes you say that?” He was still looking Joe in the eye.

Joe looked like he wondering were to start and he his eyes darkened a he spoke to Ken with his had resting on his chin “Her mother died in an accident when she was six weeks old…  Ken she told me about her father. He went missing six years ago, she said in her last meeting with him he was wearing a red uniform, and another man was present in the same uniform. Red Impulse are the only pilots I knew who wore red uniforms.

She was also at Cross Karakoram when we were there, she found me before Dr Raphael did. There are details I still don’t know about yet, but that’s for her to tell. I don’t think she realizes it was me that she found there. But it all adds up, and my gut instinct tells me it her.”

Joe was looked to be filled with frustration and something else. The pieces of a puzzle that even Madeline may not be fully aware of were coming together. The Doctor knew Joe well and could see his emotions were going into overdrive as he look at the table with the photo’s, the people in them had been run through with a sword, a gruesome act.

Damn that bastard...Count Egobossler, he’ll go after her I know it. If he hasn’t found her before us already” Joe’s voice was low and deadly as he walked over and looked at the photos with frustration and slammed his fist on the desk.

  Everyone in the room was looking at Joe in amazement. Dr Nambu muttered under his breath that she was right under his nose all this time.

Ken turn to look at Dr Nambu for confirmation, they all were” Go find her team.” He said as he turned around but Joe was already gone from the room.

But they didn’t have to be told to follow him.

****

Joe in birdstyle drove the G-2 machine like a maniac through the streets of Utoland, in the direction of her apartment. He ran through red lights and sparks flew as metal hit tar as he rounded corners barely slowing down enough to make the turns with rolling the G-2 machine, most cars got out of his way, the people of Utoland knew better than to get in the path of the Condor at high speed.

Joe sped ahead of the rest of them, and was out of the vehicle, before Jun pulled up in the Gatcha-3 hover craft.

Ken flew over in the in gatcha-1 as Jinpei in the Gatcha-4 and Ryu in the Gatcha -5 were still coming.

Joe made a quick surveillance of the building hoping things were normal. Then he spotted the broken window and his heart sank. He pulled out a shuriken and his Jaw tightened as he leapt up to the open window and tried to prepare himself for what he might find.

He stepped in carefully through the broken glass as the Swan came up the window behind him. With caution, his eyes roamed the darkened room for clues of any attackers that could still be present, they began quietly checking the upstairs rooms and after finding no one he made his way down the stairs to the large open living area.

The moon highlighted that who ever came in through the window was already gone.

He looked back at Jun and nodded for her to turn on a lamp.

The room was a mess, draws had been emptied and contents spread across the room and there was no sign of Madeline anywhere.

There were signs that there had been a struggle, Ken came in through the window as Joe stood looking around for clues as to were they may have taken her.

We’re too late” he voiced what Joe and Jun were thinking. The Eagle nodded to Jun and she spoke in her communicator to Ryu and Jinpei. “You two can came in the traditional way” and went over and pressed the security door button. They were up in moments.

Ryu walked in and looked around”Nice place” he observed with an impressed look on his face and was silenced by a death look from the Condor.

Jun walked over to a spot and picked up a small dart in her hands and examined it.

 She looked up at Ken and said. ”This is a tranquilizer dart” Ken joined her for a moment and nodded a confirmation as he looked back at Joe who had walked over to something that had caught his eye, when he picked it up it confirmed that she was at Cross Karakoram.

A feather Shrunkien, the style he had in the first war. There was a picture of a familiar shaped face and he realized it had to be Masaki.

 The face behind the mask he thought as he looked at it, we never did see their faces at all during the time we knew them.

Ken walked over to Joe and put his hand on his shoulder.” He must have taken her prisoner to a base some where Joe she’s not here. You know he can be cunning and doesn’t always kill his enemy straight away. He may use her as bate or something. I don’t know what Red Impulse did to piss him off…“Joe turned and looked at Ken with pained eyes full of determination.

Then lets go find were the blue bastard is hiding. If he’s touch on hair on her head I’ll burn him to the ground Ken and you won’t get a look in with your sword in that fight.” Joe’s rage was building but Ken was keeping level. “We head back to base and find out what Intel Nambu has on possible locations and we start from there.

 Ken’s blue eyes darkened as he noted the change in Joe’s expression. “You’re not going out on your own; if we need the Gatchaspartan we can’t assemble the ship without you. Besides we waste more time floundering around then. Move out everyone” With that order they headed back to base to start the search for Count Egobossler and Madeline…

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