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Leader	By : mannahpierce Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 2163 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Welcome if you are new to AFF. AFF doesn’t do email alerts but I have an email list and I personally send out an alert every time I post a chapter. You will need to drop me a message. My email address is mannahpierce@ntlworld.com.

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you so much to NobodysAingyl, eunmook, GreenEyedCat, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, maliya, sadie237, melissen and cynaga for reviewing after chapter 21 was posted.
It is readers’ reviews that encourage me to continue writing this story. Whenever I am stuck or dissatisfied with what I am producing (which is most of the time at the moment) it is the reviews that make the difference.
Hits are nice. Rating a story is welcome. Reviews are like a cold drink on a hot, draining day.

Leader
Part 3: Betrayal
22: Hiding

“You could accept the hopelessness of your situation and surrender. Your crew would live. Your children would live. The only requirement is your death. Surely that is a small price to pay?”
Haru ignored what Orochimaru, or more likely the Orochimaru print, was saying. The man had no honour; he would say anything.
“This is Itachi. Akemi, establish a private channel between me and Haru.”
“This is Akemi. Channel 2.”
“Haru, how close are you to a plan for taking out the bombs?”
Haru was modelling a variety of possibilities. Given the constraint of keeping the Sakura and the other ships within the docking bays, behind the blast-proof doors, none of them seemed likely to succeed.
“This is Itachi. Haru, give me access to the model.” Itachi-san demanded.
Haru pulled himself together, tuned his microphone to channel 2 and did as requested. “This is Haru. Have done.”
He watched as Itachi-san, like him, dismissed all the projected outcomes as unsatisfactory. Then Itachi-san did to the model what Haru had not. Once the initial blast was over, he launched the Sakura, the Snow Willow and the Spear to help with clearing the bombs.
It still was not enough.
Next he jettisoned whole levels of the Oak to reduce their mass so improving their acceleration. Finally he changed In-san’s system into attack mode.
To Haru’s surprise it helped; they could withstand more impacts.
Itachi-san’s changes made the difference between no chance and some chance. The estimated probability of success was 14%.
“Well done, Haru-kun.” Itachi assured him. “No one else could have put together such an accurate model in such a short time.”
Then there was a change in tone as he went back to the general channel.
“This is Itachi. Command: Kazuki, change to turret three. Command: Kuuya, go to the Snow Willow and get ready to launch. You will be handling her as a single-seated fighter. Command: Hoshi relieve Dan. Command: Dan relieve Kisame. Command: Kisame get the Spear ready to launch.”
Haru knew why Itachi-san had chosen Kuuya. Like Yuki and Kazuki, Kuuya hadn’t displayed any berserker tendencies. He would not have to decide between losing control and being knocked unconscious by a controller.
“The plan is as follows. We will launch missiles to explode the bombs at a distance while the Oak’s guns will pick off the most dangerous bombs that are close by. Then we will move towards the hole, jettisoning mass and using the ships to take out more of the bombs. If we reach the hole intact and have re-established the field, the ships will dock and we will jump. If not, we will use the chaos we have created to cover our escape as we abandon ship.”
Haru thought that was a pretty good summary. He concentrated on preparing the targeting data for each of the gunners.
Itachi-san added Haru’s bomb-map and the current estimated probability to the projected display.
“This is Akemi. The channel from the enemy is still open.”
As if they could forget; Orochimaru’s image still hung there at the side, pretending to watch them even though he could see nothing.
“This is Itachi. Command: open an audio-only, unencrypted but filtered channel on the enemy’s frequency.”
Akemi gestured that it was ready. Haru knew that Itachi-san would only connect his microphone for the duration of the message; they did not want the enemy gleaning information from the background noise.
“This is Sasuke Uchiha. If I came to you in a one-man craft, would you stop disrupting the field and allow my ship to jump back through the gate?”
Orochimaru smiled. “Of course.”
Haru sneered; as if they would trust a sadistic rapist who bombed innocents and did not see hybrids as people. He only half-listened to Itachi-san’s questions and Orochimaru’s answers. It wasn’t as if the negotiation was real; Itachi-san was filling time until Kuuya and Kisame-san were in position; Kazuki was already in turret three.

Finally they were ready. There was a lurch as Itachi-san jettisoned the levels below the drives. Then Dan-san launched the first wave of missiles and the gunners began shooting.
Bombs vanished from the bomb-map; the Oak shuddered each time fragments from them impacted on the surface.
The estimated probability of success crept up to 16%.
An explosion on the surface; at first Haru thought it was a limpet bomb but it was only one of the bomblets from a cluster bomb. He projected a replica of Hoshi’s console in the control room, so that Itachi-san could monitor the damage.
It was more than Haru had anticipated; if a bomblet did that, what would a limpet do?
Another three of the small explosions and they found out. The ship screamed as metal buckled and tore.

They pitched and yawed before the stabilisers compensated. Hoshi’s console lit up with amber and red warning lights.
The hull had been breached. Haru checked. It was well away from people or crucial systems. There were thuds as internal doors closed and sealed.
The estimated probability of success had fallen to 9%. As Haru watched, the nine changed to an eight.
“This is Itachi. Gunners, prioritise the limpet bombs. They are shown as green on your display. Command: Hoshi, crack open the doors for docking bays 3 and 5. Command: Blossom, Cherry and Snow Willow launch as soon as feasible. Command: Sakura and Spear standby.”
Haru imagined what would happen if one of the bomblets or, worse, a limpet, got into a docking bay. His calculator agreed; the probability fell abruptly to 4%.
But it was working. The green-labelled limpet bombs were vanishing one by one from his display. They were accelerating towards the hole. The four became a five, a six and then a seven.
The Snow Willow gave the covering fire needed to get the Spear launched. Launching the Sakura was abandoned; the risk wasn’t worth the small increase in firepower.
Haru breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the docking bay doors closed and the probability of success jumped to 26%.
As the gunners could pay more attention to the field-disrupters, the number rose: twenty-seven; twenty-eight; twenty-nine; thirty-one; thirty-four.
“This is Hoshi. All fifty-six of the small craft are accelerating in our direction.”
Even though it was not his job to do so, Haru felt guilty for not noticing.
“This is Itachi. Haru, can you factor them in?”
Haru was momentarily flummoxed; how could he factor them in when he hadn’t any idea what they could do? He pulled himself together. They were worryingly fast; he knew that much. He decided to assume that they had guns like the ones in their small, mobile fighters and began modifying the model.
“This is Hoshi. Launch a missile at them and see how they deal with it. Shoot a couple once they are within range, like with the bombs.”
They were good ideas; Haru was pleased when Itachi-san acted on them. While waiting for the outcomes, he added in the fifty-six craft, their vectors, their acceleration and some basic assumptions about their guns.
“This is Haru, I have a first approximation.”
“This is Itachi. Run it.”
Haru did so and watched the probability fall from 47% to 6%. He watched as Itachi-san experimented with ways of keeping the enemy fighters at bay, up to and including leaving all the other ships behind fighting a rearguard action.
The number rose to eighteen but would go no higher.
Then Kuuya risked taking the Snow Willow into range and shot the front runner.
Haru watched the data flow in. The fighter had exploded. It was not the typical profile of a ship exploding, even with a direct hit to the drive.
The fighter doubled as a bomb; there were fifty-five suicide bombers on their way towards the Oak.

He felt numb as he inputted the data. Kuuya was reporting to Itachi-san.
“I know, Haru-kun,” Itachi-san said quietly over channel 2. “Run it anyway.”
He did and the four of them watched the probability plummet to below 1%.
Itachi-san did not hesitate for a moment.
“This is Itachi. The Oak will not be jumping through the hole. Prepare to abandon ship. Command: Rin, destroy the tissue bank. Command: Akemi, destroy the data crystal array and other designated data banks. Command: gunners set your guns to automatic. All controls should be transferred to the control room on my mark.”
He watched as Itachi-san unstrapped himself and stood up. Haku-san moved as if to follow, but Itachi-san gestured him to stay.
Haru wondered if they were speaking over a private channel. Then Haku-san settled back into his chair and Itachi-san had gone, jogging towards the control room.
“This is Itachi. Haru, are the minigates reprogrammed?”
“This is Haru. Yes. They should find the hole provided they are released within the threshold. The automated engagement is on a delay.”
They were well within the threshold. All they needed to do was to toss them out airlocks, or even from the docking bays.
Whether one of them would make it undamaged to the hole was another matter.
“This is Itachi. Command: any ship already launched stays out. This is the evacuation plan. Dan, Haku, Ran, Kazuki and Haru, you are on the Lancet from docking bay 1. Rin, Akemi, Hoshi, Yuki, Yoshimi, Yasushi and Keizo, you are with Gai on the Sakura from docking bay 3. Kisame, you will be my ride when the time comes. Haru, take one minigate onto the Lancet and deploy within the threshold but well away from the Oak. Akemi, likewise onto the Sakura. Dan, toss the third one out of docking bay 1. Any queries?”
Haru could not think of any. He felt numb. All his energy had been focused on jumping away and now, only a few minutes later, they were abandoning ship.
“This is Itachi. Command: all guns to automatic and gunners evacuate. Command: Haku, Ran and Rin evacuate. I am in the control room. Command: Hoshi evacuate. Command: transfer controls and evacuate on my mark. Mark!”
“This is Akemi. Communications controls transferred.”
Haru took a deep breath. “This is Haru. Data management controls transferred.”
He listened to Dan transferring weapons control as he unstrapped, stood up and went to the lockers. He slung his satchel across his body and a survival pack onto his back.
Akemi saluted him and then was out of the door and gone, running for docking bay 3. As the door opened, Haru saw Haku-san in the corridor, waiting for him.
Haku-san put his hand out, stopping the door closing.

They ran at a steady pace to docking bay 1. As they arrived, Dan was launching one of the minigates over the edge and Kazuki was manhandling the other into the larger of the Lancet’s two airlocks.
Haru guessed that Ran was already aboard.
Dan held up three fingers, indicating that they would be using channel three for internal communications and gestured them aboard. Haru chinned his microphone to the correct setting and ran up the gangplank. Both doors of the airlock were open; the ship, like the docking bay, was unpressurised.

The Lancet had three decks above the drive. The one they were entering was airlocks and storage. Above that was the crew room and at the top was the control room. Haru started up the ladder behind Haku. He was halfway up the first deck when the rungs shook with the force of the outer door of the large airlock closing.
“This is Dan. Ran, take communications and get us connected to the Oak. Kazuki, you are gunner. Haru, connect up whatever you brought with you and get us as good an idea of what is going on as you can. Haku, get us ready for launch and then take second seat.”
Haku stepped off the ladder into the crew room. “Pack,” he mouthed as Haru climbed past him. Haru wriggled out of his backpack and continued upwards. Behind him, Dan was closing the airlock and Kazuki was already on the ladder.

Ran had a smile for him as he entered the control room. Haru tried to smile back but could tell from Ran’s eyes that it wasn’t convincing.
His console was already activated. He undid his satchel and lifted out the leather case that contained his data crystal array. Within a minute he had it secured and connected to the console.
He refastened his satchel and went to take it down to the crew room, only for Kazuki to gesture for him to pass it to him.
The satchel was passed from Kazuki to Dan-san to Haku-san.
“This is Itachi. Lancet, Sakura, are you ready for a data transfer?”
“This is Ran at communications on the Lancet. We are ready.”
“This is Akemi on the Sakura. Ready.”
Haru watched the data flow in and began generating the battleboard and the bomb-map. The Lancet only had a fraction of the sensors on the Oak; it would be difficult to maintain an accurate picture of the situation once the connection was lost.
Kazuki, Dan-san and Haku-san took their places.

He studied the battleboard. The Snow Willow, the Spear, the Cherry and the Blossom were trying to keep the enemy fighters away from the Oak. Haru’s gut twisted. By now the Blossom should have disengaged and be hiding; keeping Papa safe until there was a chance of rescue or, maybe, of slipping through the hole with an enemy ship.
“This is Dan in command of the Lancet. We are ready to undock.”
“This is Itachi. Docking bay 1 doors opening.”
“This is Dan on channel 3. The jettisoned levels of the Oak have been broken up and scattered by bombs. We are going to hide among the wreckage and move away before the enemy fighters eyeball us. Everyone plug in so that we can avoid using radio signals for communication. Kazuki, only shoot when there is no option. Haru, keep the map as accurate as possible.
As the doors opened, Haru realised that the debris was as much of a hazard as the bombs and the enemy fighters. There were pieces of all sizes; some were five times as big as the Sakura while others were little more than shrapnel.
The data from the Oak included sensor data. He hurried to map the debris, calling up programmes from his array to predict their movement. Keeping the map accurate with only the data from the Lancet’s sensors would be a challenge.
“This is Haru. Request permission to focus all sensors on immediate surroundings.”
“This is Dan. Do what you think best, Haru.”
He would use the information from the Oak to predict the movement of the bombs and the debris. Once an object was close to the Lancet, its position and velocity would be corrected by the data from the Lancet’s sensors.
“This is Haru. The close by map should be real-time accurate but the map further away is a prediction. That means there will be discontinuities when objects cross the boundary between the two.” Haru hesitated but decided he should make the suggestion. Dan-san wasn’t Itachi-san; he didn’t know them nearly as well. “Dan-san, maybe Kazuki should pilot the ship.” The kits had competed to be the best pilot every since they had got the simulators. Ka-chan was always the winner; Tayuya-san had once commented that he could make a freighter pirouette.
“This is Dan. Kazuki, you are pilot. Transferring controls.”
“This is Kazuki. Accepting piloting controls.”
Haru could hear the growl in his voice; trust Ka-chan to be excited rather than scared.

After that there was no time or energy left for anything other than constantly updating the map so that Ka-chan had the best possible chance of getting them clear.
Haru was aware that the rest of the Oak was breaking up. The map showed that he had lost track of the Snow Willow, the Blossom and the Cherry.
A change in the enemy’s tactics attracted his attention. He spared a split second and realised that the Sakura had been hit and crippled.
He had no capacity to consider meaning; no space for emotions. Ka-chan was managing the impossible because he trusted in the accuracy of the map Haru was providing.
Finally they were clear, drifting on the opposite side of the hole; masquerading as a piece of wreckage.
Maybe, just maybe, some of the others were too.
“This is Dan. Ran and Haku are going to push the minigate out of the airlock. Kazuki, continue to keep all manoeuvring to a minimum; they will be looking for us.”
Haru wondered if they could avoid collisions by pretending to collide; if their change in velocity was consistent with a collision then they might escape the enemy’s attention. He waited for a suitable gap and sent an example to Kazuki.
Ka-chan spared a split moment to turn his head and grin his approval.
If they could avoid collisions using the technique, perhaps they could do more. In the end they would have to risk moving away or the enemy would eyeball them.
And it was another problem to solve; another reason to delay thinking about what had just happened.
“This is Haru. Dan-san, we may be able to travel using pseudo collisions to explain changes in velocity. Shall I model some possibilities?”
“This is Dan. Do that. Send them through to me when you have some suggestions. Once the minigate is out there we will pressurise the control room so that we can open our helmets. I expect Kazuki has exhausted the food supply in his suit.”

Haru concentrated on developing his model of pseudo collisions; the trick was to combine a perfect hit from the guns with a precise change in velocity. The hit made the other object change direction, as if the collision had been real.
Once he had refined the model he went looking for places they could hide and possible routes to get them there.
“Haru,” Ran called quietly over the link.
He looked up from his console reluctantly. Ran was crouched in front of him; his helmet pushed back and his gloves dangling from his wrists.
Haru was fine about taking off his gloves; it would make the interfaces easier to use. He was less sure about the helmet. While his helmet was closed he could pretend it was all a sim.
“Haru, let me hear your voice properly. Please,” Ran asked.
He took off his gloves and then, slowly, he opened his helmet. “Ran,” he murmured.
“Haru,” Ran whispered.
“I mustn’t lose track of what’s happening,” he said, silently begging Ran not to push. If Ran pushed the weird walls inside him might break and then he would be thinking about Papa and Yo-chan and Ya-chan and Kuu-chan and Kei-chan and Hoshi and Yu-chan and To-chan.
He couldn’t afford to do that.
Then Haku-san was there. He attached a bottle with a long, flexible straw to the arm of Haru’s chair. “This isn’t very exciting but it will keep your energy levels up.”
“Thank you, Haku-san,” Haru replied, because Haku-san always insisted on good manners.
“You are welcome, Haru-kun. Ran-kun, now that everyone has food it is time for us all to concentrate on getting us somewhere safer where we can rest.”
Haru realised that Haku-san understood. Maybe Haku-san had often gone on when, inside, he wanted to curl up in a corner and pretend that nothing had happened.

Dan-san had decided that they should make a move before the enemy got around to searching for them. Haru displayed his favoured route; a ten day journey to the outer of the two standard-ecology planets following a path that could be explained by collisions and gravity.
He watched Dan-san’s face as he examined it. He was sure Dan-san was going to say it was too ambitious and that they should head for somewhere closer.
“We agreed with Papa that we would all try to get to that planet,” Ka-chan explained, which was good because Haru didn’t know if he could say ‘Papa’ at the moment.
Dan-san smiled. “That planet it is then. Let’s get a timeline set out. We need to include all the false collisions and potential collisions so we can be properly prepared. Haru-kun, make sure the sensors are focused on spotting enemy ships before they see us.”

That gave Haru lots to do. He sorted the timeline and sent it to Dan-san and Kazuki. Then he started on an automated alert system for spotting enemy ships.
He was on version three when he began to drift away and then back. He felt a hand on his arm.
“Bedtime, Haru-chan,” Haku-san ordered.
Haru realised that Haku-san was out of his suit; they must have pressurised the crew room.
“Now,” Haku-san emphasised.

Ran must have set up the bunks because his was in a corner with Kazuki’s above and Ran’s adjacent.
“Suit off and go use the head,” Haku-san instructed. “A shower can wait until you have slept.”
When he came out of the head he found some pyjamas laid out for him. Haku-san found things to do around the crew room while he changed and then was back, folding back the bedcovers.
Haru looked at his discarded clothes.
“I’ll see to that,” Haku-san told him. “In you get.”
Haku-san slipped the spare pillow under the covers for him to hug and tucked him in.
“Your Papa is very proud of you,” Haku-san told him, “and he will be even prouder when he hears what a wonderful job you have done today. You gave everyone their best possible chance. Without you none of us would have got away.”
Haru remembered that Haku-san very rarely praised him and never when he did not deserve it.
Perhaps he had not failed. Maybe he had done the best that the circumstances allowed.
“Do you think some of the others got away too?” Haru whispered.
“I am sure of it,” Haku-san replied with absolute conviction. “Now go to sleep.”
And he did.
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Leader