Big Blue Tank I

Okay Ishtarin, I set the ship to autopilot.

Thanks, Jane. What do you say we all take a little break then?

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Huh. I've never been to this part of the Servantverse before, so this might be my first time seeing it too.

Let me see... Hey, Talkie, what kind of planet is this?

Planet Name: Big Blue Tank Primary Industry: Liquefied Gas

A gas giant, Big Blue Tank is named for its external resemblance to ancient spherical gas tanks.

Among the space nomads who live on nearby asteroids and satellites, it is also known as "The Goddess's Brooch."

A goddess's brooch, huh? She must've been crazy huge to wear a whole planet around her neck.

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(Sigh)... If only there really was a jewel that big.

That would be neat and all, but it couldn't be very valuable if there was that much of it to go around.

Sure, I'd have no complaints at all if it was worth a ton of credits too...

But there's just something romantic about the idea of a jewel the size of a planet, don't you think?

The things society at large deems valuable are important and all, but what's most important are the things you value personally, right?

When you find something and its beauty really speaks to you, you've gotta hang onto it. A designer label can't possibly take the place of that.

Take Fujimaru's glowing impression of that planet, for example. It was the most innocent thing I've heard in ages.

Hehe. I'm surprised you're such a romantic, Ishtar.

And why should that be so surprising, exactly?

Anyway, Talkie said it's a gas giant, right? Well, we can't land on a planet that's just one giant ball of gas now, can we?

Oh yeah, good point. And if we can't land on it, we can't make camp for the night there either!

Forget about making camp. If we get caught in its gravitational field, we might never make it back out.

Like they say, the prettier the planet, the graver the danger. Anyway, there's no reason for us to stop there, so let's just keep on moving.

That said, one thing we can do is use Big Blue's gravity to conserve warp fuel. Jane?

On it! Plotting Maanna's course to slingshot around the planet as we speak☆

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I mean we're gonna use Big Blue's gravitational field to swing us around and give us more momentum!

Do they do hammer throws in your universe? It's just like that, only the Maanna's the hammer! Like bwam, boom, pwah! Get it!?

Never mind Jane's attempts at an explanation. Just make sure you're strapped in.

This cockpit's gravity controller's a cheap piece of junk, so if you're not buckled up tight, you're gonna get intimately acquainted with the wall in a sec.

So where are we warping to? Guess it's too much to hope we can jump straight to the forbidden zone, huh?

Unfortunately. The Maanna's a pretty old ship, so it just can't warp very far.

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That's 'cause Ishtarin takes really good care of all her stuff!

I know she acts like a rough and tumble cowgirl, but she's actually more of a dainty dreamer at heart!

Oh for... Our ship looking new has nothing to do with how I take care of my stuff. It's 'cause we can't keep anything for more than a month before you get bored and toss it.

If I didn't know better, I'd think you just never had any material attachments.

Hmm... Maybe I don't.

I just don't feel right hanging on to more than the bare minimum of stuff I need. I guess it's a habit from my space scout days?

Well, for someone claiming to be a minimalist, you sure like to make new modifications to my ship without asking permission.

Hey, I always tell you what I'm gonna do before I do it! And I don't mess with that much stuff anyway!

All I've done is boost the engine and the nav systems, improve fire control, and reinforce the ship's hull!!

Besides that and the cabin expansion, there isn't any... Oh, right, I almost forgot about the consumables. I use plenty of those in secret☆

(Sigh) That's pretty much half the ship right there...

Is that the Space Shinkageryu!?

Can't be! I'm not seeing any Altrium readings on the radar or other spaceship lights outside the

We're taking fire from three and seven o'clock! But it's not laser fire...

It's...arrows. From Archers...

Arrows in space!? What the actual hell!?

Oh man, no wonder I didn't see anything on the radar!

They're using a bunch of space oxen and space horses!

Now I see. Then we must be in space nomad territory.

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I did. I've heard they keep to themselves as long as no one strays into their territory...

...but the way they're coming after us now, I can only guess we're in pretty deep.

So they're not part of Space Shinkageryu? Then we ought to be able to reason with them.

Hey! Stop that, dammit!

Maanna's armor isn't thick enough to handle that much fire!

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You have to ask? Because it's hideous!

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Huh?

Ah.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! External modifications are the one thing Ishtarin always notices right away!

And she absolutely refuses to move the ship an inch until I put everything back the way it was.

I-it's not that! It's because the added weight and reduced space aerodynamics seriously reduce the light-yearage!

Oh hey, we're getting a transmission. I'll put it up on the main monitor.

Hold it right there, Servants of bad civilization. I am Altera, the great king of the shooting star people.

This planet is our goddess's jewelher brooch. We forbid you from approaching any closer.

You're a space nomad? Listen, this is all a big misunderstanding. We're not trying to go to this planet at all.

We're just passersby who want to borrow its gravity for a little slingshot boost.

Could you maybe call off your attack for the moment?

I refuse. You are all surely part of that foul organization. Now, my rainbow sword shall put an end to your wicked natures!

Besides, I can sense an immense evil emanating from your ship.

No doubt you lot are also going around fighting others for Saber Badges to line your pockets and fill your bellies.

I'm guessing you're kin to some fallen goddess? You should be ashamed of yourselves for succumbing so completely to capitalist avarice. I think it's time you lost some of that wealth.

Did she just swing her sword at us from way out there!? I can't believe she's got that kind of reach!

That's no fake Saber, Fujimaru! She's the real deal, and as premium as they come!

Ugh, dammit! I wasn't planning on fighting anyone who isn't part of Space Shinkageryu, but now I'm PISSED!

I'm going out there to give her a piece of my mind!

Ishtarin!? All right, I'll hit the brakes and turn us around!

X, you handle the controls for a while, okay!? Come on, let's go, Fujimaru!

Hey! Who do you think you are, scratching my ship like that!?

That's what you came to tell me? Hah!

You've got a lot of nerve being angry about a scratch...

...after your Space Shinkageryu allies drove that accursed stake into the heart of this holy planet to steal its blessings!

Huh!?

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Hold it! Did you just say Space Shinkageryu!?

Well, no more. I'm going to return you all to space dust and offer you up to the great shooting star.

For it is the great shooting star's teaching that all civilizations must be reset.

So you really are refusing to listen to reason, huh? Okay then, you leave me no choice.

Stand back, Fujimaru! I'm going to make her calm down and listen to us, one way or another!

...So you truly aren't part of the Space Shinkageryu?

Hell no! In fact, we were just on our way to take them all down!

You want to take Space Shinkageryu down? I find it hard to believe such a thing is even possible...

But very well. For the moment, I will hear what you have to say, retro-futuristic Servant.

(Retro-futuristic...?)

I-I'm not really sure what you mean by that, but thanks. And I'm sorry we barged into your territory without asking permission.

Anyway, is it true that there are Servants from Space Shinkageryu on this planet?

It is. And not only outside the planet, but inside it as well. Take a look at that.

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That looks like...the top part of a space elevator? We're close enough now that I can tell it's huge.

The Space Shinkageryu have been making off with fragments of the Goddess's Jewel from the head of that stake.

Hey, Jane! Didn't you say this planet's only export was condensed gas?

That's what Talkie said, at least.

...Then something doesn't add up. That's way too much equipment just for shipping out gas.

They wouldn't be able to sell it quickly enough to offset the cost of upkeep, let alone make a profit.

So what's going on?

Heh. There used to be many more of those wretched stakes before we destroyed them. We enjoyed that part a lot.

Unfortunately, that last one is much bigger than the others, and it's also guarded much more heavily.

Whenever we try to get close, they run and hide in the planet's cloud cover, where we can't go after them.

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Our people are forbidden from approaching the holy planet. If we did so, we would risk incurring the goddess's wrath and being trapped in a sea of ice for all of time.

So your goddess gets angry at you? Like Ishtarin angry?

And just what the heck is that supposed to mean? How is my anger different from anyone else's!?

Besides, it's not like I go around flying off the handle at every little slight.

And only a seriously evil goddess would doom someone to an icy eternity just because they passed by too closely.

No, if this goddess is real, she should never let anyone mess with her jewels like this.

Seems to me like this one needs to reexamine her priorities.

I don't think that's it, Ishtar. I'm pretty sure that's just the nomads' way of saying that it's dangerous to get too close to the planet.

Their ships don't have powerful enough enginesor sturdy enough hulls for that matterto escape the planet's gravity well.

So they tell the young nomads not to get too close lest they incur the goddess's wrath.

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Shush! It's not like I HAVE to have something sweet to perform coolheaded analysis!

Though yes, since I didn't get to do anything in that battle, I AM downing it by the four-pack as we speak!

Really? Then would teatime be a good time for chitchat?

You bet! I've always wanted to do girl talk and tea!

(So there's a Space Shinkageryu base on that planet... Which means there's a chance that swordfighter is there...)

...Hey, Altera.

Just because you guys can't go there doesn't mean we can't, right?

It's not that simple. Just letting you go there would set a poor example for the new nomads, after all.

That being said... You have certainly proven that you are not our enemy, and that your bravery rivals ours.

If you were to demonstrate your bravery even further, we could be willing to look the other way if you were to visit the Goddess's Brooch.

Ahh, I got you. It must be tough, being a leader in your position.

All right then, if we get rid of the Space Shinkageryu people hanging around above the planet first...

...that should prove that we're brave enough to go to the planet itself, right?

Glad to see you're paying attention. I'm reminded of a clever man who visited here once some time ago.

Very well then. Once you have proven your bravery, we can let you visit the Goddess's Brooch.

But be warned, we will be watching you closely. If you should betray us, we will not warn you again.

Phew... Thank goodness we managed to work something out.

So on that note... I hate to ask, but would you guys mind if we made a little pit stop?

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Right you are. Only cowards would run away without helping these people now, and we're definitely not cowards!

Thanks, guys. So how are things looking with the Space Shinkageryu, Jane?

It's just like Altera said. They're all hanging out near the space elevator.

This is great! We can stock up on Altrium and kick some Space Shinkageryu ass all at the same time!

Got it. Then I'll put Maanna on autopilot and set it to remain in geostationary orbit.

This way, you'll be able to head out whenever you want. If there's anything else I can help with, just let me know!

Trust me, it's been a dream come true getting to take down Sabers without worrying about the legalities!

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Will do! All right then, let's get this cleanup operation started, shall we!?