Gundam Wing: Desecration
By Mystical Star
A Kitty-Chan Production
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any characters associated with the show/manga. Any character that disappears/dies is for plot purposes only, some of them aren't even actually killed--remember that!! I'm not bashing them by any means.
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Prologue
Desecration-A profanization, the disregard for the sacredness. How many times has peace been disregarded? Is peace not sacred? Should we not prevent its desecration? This, my children, is up to you, for you one day shall inherit the world and decide what is sacred and what is not.
Part I~What is sacred?
Colony L3Z-47990 12:00 PM
Relena, tired from her duties of peacekeeping, sighed as she plopped herself down in her pink car. She was just about to finally head back to Earth after a long four-month campaign in L3 and the dusty blonde couldn't wait to sleep in her own bed.
"Finally, we can go home, Pagan." She sighed, looking at the back of her driver's head. "Oh, you're not going too far, Princess," An unfamiliar voice growled. Relena gasped as the man turned around, this was not her driver. The man flashed a gun at her and smirked.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll follow every direction I give you," He muttered evilly.
Preventer HQ-Colony L2-X1988 12:10 PM
"NOIN! Turn on the TV to channel eleven!" Quatre screamed as he burst into the conference room where the Preventer Executives were meeting. The young boy stopped short, realizing he had just interrupted a meeting. Zechs, Noin, Sally Po, and Chang Wufie eyed him.
"Quatre, what's the meaning of all this?" Lucrezia Noin asked, standing from her chair. "It's Miss Relena! She--she--she's-"
Noin turned on the large video screen to channel eleven. The remains of what appeared to be an exploded automobile scattered about a street appeared and the rambling of a reporter was heard in the background.
"...Officials at the scene have now confirmed that this was the vehicle of the Vice Foreign Minister to the World Nation, Miss Relena Darlian. According to police on the scene, she was just about to leave for her home on earth after a four-month campaign in the L3 area. There are no more details at this moment, but we will keep you posted--"
Suddenly, a different image flashed across the screen, taking over the local news. Everyone in the room watched as a man gave his declaration.
"I am Trente Kumoshiro, former representative of the World Nation. I am a native of the colonies, which are so greatly oppressed, by the World Nation and me and my fellow associates would like to give our statement. We are White Fang and hereby declare that Colony L3Y-2477 is free of the tyranny of the WN, and we shall continue to free the colonies at any cost,"
"WHAT?!" Wufie screamed, pounding his fist on the table.
"White Fang was disbanded years ago! What happened?" Sally wondered aloud.
"Damn," Zechs swore as he pounded the channel changer to turn off the television.
Noin grabbed a phone, which was on the desk behind the table and pushed a button. "Quick, tell everybody in the L3 area to evacuate and return to base! This is a Level One emergency!" She practically yelled into the receiver.
"Yes, Ma'am!" Duo's voice shot back over the phone. Lucrezia hung up just in time to see Zechs walk out of the room, his fists balled up tightly.
"Zechs..."
In space 12:10 PM
A small shuttlecraft sped through space carrying it's pilot to the Preventer base in L2. In the cockpit sat Heero Yuy, former Gundam Pilot. He sat, horrified at the news of Relena.
"My fault...it was all...my fault..." He muttered as he stared at the empty void of the universe before him. As if in denial, he began tapping at his computer, hacking through all of the L3 computers, trying to find a glimpse that maybe it was all a hoax, or a dream. Suddenly, a strange file flashed on the screen, it was one familiar to the former Gundam pilot. It had the same name as the one he used to access missions from the old days of war. The brown-haired young man accessed it.
PASSWORD REQUIRED-ENTER PASSWORD
Heero pulled the password from the back of his memory and typed it.
OWDIN
CHECKING PASSWORD...ACCESSING FILES...WELCOME
A file opened which appeared to be orders for a mission; the file was dated January seventh, AC-200, today.
Head for PV base in L3. Route suggestion enclosed in encryption. Eliminate any WF in area--do not allow Angel or cargo to be seen until destination. Once there check again for information on WF.
Heero un-encrypted the file and uncovered a map, showing a route beginning in the L2 area and ending at the Preventer Base in L3. Heero immediately changed his shuttle's course.
"Judging from the time of the transmission.... the target should be right there." The soldier spoke out loud to himself, pointing to a spot not too far away from the Preventer's base.
Preventer's HQ 12:30 PM
Chang Wufie stepped into the CCC* of the Preventer's base to find Duo at the controls. "Maxwell!" He snapped, bringing the former Deathscythe pilot's attention towards him.
"Hey, Wu-man!" Duo greeted happily. Wufie twitched. "Maxwell, I have asked you more than enough times not to call me that," The young Chinese man grumbled. Duo smiled a lopsided smirk.
"Okay, Wufie, what's up?" The braided man corrected, making sure to accent Wufie's name. Wufie rolled his eyes.
"You have orders from Noin to rendezvous with the retreating Preventers from L2. The details are all on this disk. Take a cargo shuttle with a medical team to tend to any wounded." The black haired young man directed, handing a small disk to his peer. Duo saluted casually and took the disk from Wufie and was about to leave the CCC, but he noticed a small dot on radar heading in a strange direction. Duo grabbed the controls and put a headset on his head.
"Maxwell! Did you not hear me, I-"
"Heero! Where do you think you're going! The base is over ninety degrees to the north!" Duo shrieked into the small microphone on the headset.
"I'm aware of that," The staticy voice of Heero replied back. "I'm tracking an object traveling in a B-line straight for the base. I'm going to check that out."
"Wait! We haven't confirmed whether it's an enemy or a retreating shuttle, Heero wai--"
The line went dead, more that likely, Heero terminated the connection. Duo sighed and threw the headset onto the computer board. "Idiot," He muttered as he left.
In Space 1:00 PM
Heero, who had arrived at his spot on the route to the Preventer's Base, sat in his shuttle staring at his radar. A small dot moved across the screen getting closer to where he was, soon, the object would be in communicating range. To the former pilot's surprise, the object sped up and suddenly there came a noise over his communications system.
"Attention unidentified craft, state your name and purpose," A staticy feminine voice called. Heero raised an eyebrow.
"Only after you state yours,"
"Please state your name and purpose or I'll be forced to shoot you down, I know you're not a civilian craft!"
"My identity belongs to me, and me only."
"Are you some sort of suicidal idiot? State your name and purpose!"
Heero could now see the craft that he was communicating with through his window. The craft was a shuttle with a very large cargo hold--probably an old mobile suit carrier.
"I've identified your shuttle, there are no weapons on that craft." Heero stated.
"Heh, well, who said anything about there not being one inside?"
"Are you the enemy?"
"Depends on who you are, if you're with White Fang, say your prayers, buddy."
"I'm not with White Fang,"
"Well then, you're either a civilian or a Preventer, and in either case, I'll be needing you to forget you saw me," The feminine voice concluded.
"That won't be happening," Heero sneered.
Suddenly, another voice intruded on the conversation. "Heero, are you trying to get yourself in trouble or are you just being really ignorant today?" It was Duo, approaching from behind to rendezvous with the incoming retreaters.
"Heero? Heero Yuy?" The unfamiliar voice gasped. Heero gritted his teeth, reminding himself he'd get Duo later.
"What is it, Duo?" The perfect soldier snapped back in a gruff voice. "I'm supposed to be rendezvousing with the escapees from the L3 area, and what are you doing here? Wufie's going mad because you're AWOL," Duo informed.
"Duo Maxwell?" The voice asked again. Heero rolled his eyes. "Hey, who're you talking to?" Maxwell asked, finally recognizing another person in on the conversation.
"I was just asking the same question," Heero noted, turning back to the craft ahead of him.
"You're both Gundam pilots?" The voice continued to interrogate.
"Former," Heero reminded.
"One Shinigami, at your service!" Duo chimed.
"Well, as of now, you're no former Gundam pilots!" The voice giggled over the lines. "Huh?" Duo asked.
"My name is Anya Katsumi**, Heero Yuy, I've been looking for you, Dr. J asked me to give you something," Katsumi said.
Preventer HQ Docking Bay-1:17
If Trowa had to pick out one day in his career as a Preventer to describe as out of the ordinary, this was it. Well, it probably would have been any Preventer's choice, but of course, when you're assigned to work with Duo, it usually is abnormal.
The brown-haired young man was walking around the docking bay in the Preventer's HQ to make sure that there were no bombs or mines or anything planted there and that there were no strange craft. Trowa came upon one that looked to be an old mobile suit carrier with a humongous cargo area and a strange identification number that was not on his list of Preventer craft. He pulled his gun from his belt and readied himself for a shoot out.
Very stealthily, he moved closer to the craft, keeping his eye on the windows and cockpit for movement. Suddenly, something in the cockpit moved. Trowa ducked next to a box on the floor for cover, watching the character move inside the craft. The character appeared to be a male, light brown hair and black clothing. Trowa took careful aim at the person and shot.
The loud cry of pain seeped through the small bullet hole in the cockpit's glass window as the character grabbed his shoulder in pain. Trowa watched him turn around, waiting to see what he'd do. The person's eyes got wide and he muttered a small obscenity before turning tail and dashing further into his craft. Trowa shot a few more holes in the window of the cockpit to allow easy access and pushed off the docking bay floor, utilizing the low gravity to reach the window.
Trowa kicked the remaining glass shards out of his way and entered the craft through his man-made door. He followed the trail of the escapee's blood to the cargo area, where he found a young man bandaging his wounds. The brown-haired newcomer dropped his gauze.
"I'm not the enemy! I'm not the enemy! Don't shoot--awe, dammit!" The boy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and tried to stand, but he tripped and fell backwards. Trowa kept his gun pointed at the boy.
"Who are you," Trowa asked stoically.
"T-Thomas Parks," The brown-haired young man stated in with an Australian accent.
"What are you here for?"
"To deliver something to Duo Maxwell," Thomas responded with his arms still in the air.
"To deliver what?"
"That something, right there," Thomas nodded to the cargo area of the carrier. If Trowa weren't so controlled, he would have dropped his gun at what he saw.
Preventer Escapee Rendezvous point-1:30
Heero and Katsumi both moored their crafts to Duo's large Preventer transport. Duo and Heero met Katsumi on her carrier to discuss what she had brought Heero from Dr. J.
"Hello Duo and Heero," Anya Katsumi greeted. Katsumi was a slender woman of about seventeen. She had rusty brown hair and oceanic blue eyes. She wore a purple space suit like the ones OZ used to use.
"So you're Katsumi?" Duo asked, shaking her hand. "Call me Kat," She said, smiling. Heero stepped forward.
"What do you have for me?" He asked unemotionally.
"Here, I'll show you," The rusty-haired girl said, opening the door to the cargo area. Duo nearly had heart failure.
"GUNDAMS?!" He exclaimed. There in the cargo hold were two Gundams, one appeared to be a rebuilt Wing Zero, and the other looked like Wing Zero with different coloring and different features to the body, but maintaining the design with wings.
"Yes, Dr. J saw this revolt coming a long time ago and got ready just in case, or so he tells me. He rebuilt Wing Zero and built me a Gundam. I was in the training facility with Heero when he was chosen to be the Wing Gundam's pilot. Remember, Heero?" Kat explained. Heero nodded, vaguely remembering a few other children in the training facility with him--all orphans of war.
"Are there other pilots?" Heero asked. Anya Katsumi shrugged. "I don't know, Dr. J said that my orders were to find you and give you Zero, he said the rest would all fall into place after that," She said.
"And he never did anything to stop White Fang?" Duo questioned. Kat shook her head. Suddenly, a staticy sound from the communications system in the cockpit burst through the room.
"Mayday! Mayday! Preventer Craft 341 is under attack by the enemy!" A familiar voice called. Duo pushed past Kat, nearly knocking her over, and ran to the cockpit.
"Hilde?!" He shrieked.
"Duo! Help!"
"What's your position?" Duo demanded, nearly yelling into the microphone. There was a pause that seemed to last forever while Hilde got her exact position.
"Forty-five north, seventy eight and three degrees south, just outside of L3, Duo! I've got civilians on this craft!"
"Civilians? Hilde, what are you doing with civilians on board?"
"What was I going to tell them, 'No, I'm sorry, I'll leave you here to die when White Fang knocks on your door'?!"
Duo grunted. His companion was nearly thirty minutes away at top speeds for a small craft. He desperately racked his brain for a solution to his problem.
"Help!" The cries of other people came through the communications system. Kat covered her mouth, searching her brain for a way to help her new comrades.
"Hilde, I love you, just hang on!" Duo said as he sent out a distress signal with Hilde's coordinates attached.
"Duo, I love you too, never forget..." Hilde's voice was drained out by the sound of an explosion. "HILDE!" Duo screamed. Sounds of an alarm going off were heard. A masculine voice yelled about the left wing power source being blown out.
"Hilde! Hilde! Stay with me!" Duo cried as he searched for a way to get her out of the situation. It was really no use, Preventer craft had no weapons. Screams were heard and another loud explosion drowned out the cries for help, then static- the most terrible silence for anyone.
"Hilde?!" Duo demanded.
"Oh God.... all of those innocent people..." Kat gasped. Duo began insanely calling his companion's name, expecting an answer as Heero watched on in silence. The braided American finally slammed his fists down on the computer board and let out a battle cry to wake the dead. The rusty-haired girl put her hand on Duo's back as if to comfort him, but he swatted it away and began to head for the ship's cargo hold.
"Where are you going?" Kat asked.
"To save Hilde," Duo replied coldly. Katsumi stopped for a second, pondering Duo's mental state.
"Duo, she's dead, she's not out there for you to save--"
"Then I'll kill whoever killed her,"
"You and what army, buster?"
"That one," Duo answered as he opened the door to the cargo hold and pointed to Wing Zero. Kat rolled her eyes and lunged for Duo's arm to hold him back.
"Oh no you don't, I know that there're only two people who can run the Zero system properly, and neither of them is you," She said, grabbing his arm.
"Then I'll die, who cares?" The braided young man asked coldly. Kat's eyes went wide.
"You're a stupid fool, you know that?" The young woman countered, seemingly offended. Those words struck a strange and unwanted memory of the One Year War and the day just before the final battle when Hilde had risked her life to bring the Gundam Pilots information on Libra. He had used those exact same words to her, partly out of worry and partly out of anger--mostly worry.*** That thought made the man fill with more rage and he exploded.
"What do you know about love and how I feel?! Can you tell me that, huh?!" He screamed, glaring at Kat with unspeakable rage and sorrow. Katsumi glared back at him with the same contempt and swiftly slapped him across the cheek.
"Don't ever tell me that I don't know what it feels like to lose someone important! And don't ever tell me that no one would care if you died! There's always someone that would cry if you did." She yelled back at Duo. The braided American stood there stunned for a minute contemplating her words. Another deadly silence.
"Let's head back to the base," Heero said out of the blue as he headed for the door, breaking the silence of the room. Duo and Kat quietly broke the stare down and said nothing as they prepared for departure for the Preventer's HQ.
Preventer Base Colony L2-X1988-Press Conference Room
Lady Une stood at the podium in the Preventer Building in L2. Reporters swarmed around the stage, which the podium sat on while trying to find their seats. Zechs and Noin stood on either side of the stage behind the backdrop, which was a blue tarp with the symbol of the Preventer Organization on it. Zechs was armed, Noin was not.
"I'll begin taking questions now," Une said in a madly calm voice. About five people raised their hands. The brown-haired woman pointed her finger to someone in the back.
"What do the Preventers plan to do about the L3 colonies?" The reporter asked.
Zechs scanned the room for any suspicious looking characters, even though he wasn't really expecting anybody. He was mostly preoccupied with his self-loathing over the death of Relena. He should have been with her, he should have saved her.
Suddenly, the Lightning Count noticed a girl with long, light brown hair standing in the back of the room with her arms crossed. The girl was wearing a black tank top and black ankle-leg pants and boots. She was wearing a black coat also, and as she moved her arms to change positions, Zechs noticed something glint on her belt. He whipped out his gun.
BANG!
"Awe, dammit!" The girl yelled as she grabbed her elbow. The reporters all turned to stare at the young woman who had just been fired at. The girl kicked the door open and ran for it, Zechs following.
The young woman ran without any regard for the people traveling down the hallways, shouting warnings as she ran. "Out of my way! Move it! Look out!" She called. Zechs kept in quiet pursuit as he could hear his comm link shouting at him, "What was that all about?! Zechs, answer me! Zechs!" Noin's voice shot at him through his mechanical communication device, he paid it no attention.
Finally, the girl got outside and ran across the street to the park, where he could get a shot at her. Just before she could disappear into the trees, the Lightning Count took another pot shot at her. He hit right behind her foot, but it was enough to startle the escaper. Zechs heard the girl growl.
"Okay, that's it! Time to meet Miss Unsmiley!" She raged as she glared at Preventer Wind.
"Who are you!" Zechs demanded with his gun pointed right at the girl. The young lady sighed and with lightning quick reflexes, she took out her own gun, aimed, and shot Zech's weapon right out of his hand. Preventer Wind grunted as his hand throbbed from the impact of the bullet as his own gun landed on the ground a few feet from him. The woman held her gun at him to keep him from moving to get his weapon.
"There, now you won't have any more bright ideas," She said with her gun pointed at him now. "I am Severina Yamato, I'm not with White Fang, if that's what you want to know," The up until now nameless girl said. Zechs growled under his breath and narrowed his eyes at Severina, knowing better than to trust anyone.
"I came to speak with Quatre Rabarba Winner, he is a Preventer, isn't he?" Severina asked. The Lightning Count raised an eyebrow to the girl, wondering what in the world she wanted to talk to Quatre for.
"What for?"
"I have something from Instructor H. for him,"
Same Time-Docking Bay
Duo, Heero, and Katsumi docked and exited their crafts in an uneasy silence. Trowa and another young man met them there.
"Ello!" The new young man said in his Aussie accent. Trowa greeted his compatriots with a silent nod like he always did.
"Who's this?" Duo asked, motioning to Trowa's friend.
"Thomas Parks, at your service. You can call me Tom," The young man said, shaking Duo's hand. Shinigami nodded and didn't say anything. "Duo, I have your Gundam Deathscythe," Tom added. Heero glanced at Duo, realizing just how hard Hilde's death was hitting him. The young Aussie raised his eyebrow.
"He's been through a lot today," Katsumi excused for Duo. Tom looked at Kat.
"And who might you be?" He asked out of curiosity, and perhaps intrigue.
"Anya Katsumi, pilot of Gundam Angel, you can call me Kat," The rusty haired girl introduced. Tom smiled at her.
"Noin and Une will want to meet you two, let's go find her and tell her what's going on." Trowa said as he began to walk towards the entrance to the main building.
Preventer Conference Room, 3:14
Heero, Duo, Trowa, Lucrezia Noin, and the two newcomers filed into a conference room where Zechs Marquis was sitting with a girl who looked to be the pilot's age. She wore all black that contrasted with her wild green eyes and light brown hair. Her bangs were wildly askew, covering her eyes.
"Zechs, these are two new pilots, Anya Katsumi and Thomas Parks. They'd like to help out," Noin announced. Relena's brother looked up to regard their presence, and then turned his gaze back to the wooden table that was supporting his elbows while his chin rested on the knuckles of his hands.
"New pilots?" The girl sitting across the table from Zechs asked.
"I take it you are too?" Katsumi deducted. The girl nodded.
"Severina Yamato," She introduced as she shook Kat's hand. "Call me Kat,"
Zechs interrupted the pleasantries with a gruff clearing of his throat. Noin glared at him as if to remind him of his manners.
"Zechs Marquis, we have come here to help you destroy the White Fang--"
"There will be no fighting," The former Peacecraft interrupted Thomas.
"Pardon me?" Duo asked, clearly out of surprise.
"No fighting," Zechs said with more emphasis, "It's what Miss Relena died for, and we as Preventers shall honor that,"
"Wait a minute, did I find the wrong people or is this the PREVENTER institution, you know the people who PREVENT war?" Tom noted.
"We failed in our mission, we failed to prevent anything," Zechs said pitifully.
"If what you are saying is really what you plan to do, then Relena Darlian died in vain," Severina stated, with a waiver in her voice as she tried to control her rage. She obviously had been carrying on this debate with Zechs before the others arrived. Zechs didn't respond.
"Ask anyone in this room what they think Relena'd call for and they'd say that she'd want us to fight for what we believe in, am I right?" Yamato looked at the others in the room, who solemnly nodded their heads.
"I will not fight, and neither will anyone who calls themselves a Preventer," Zechs said darkly.
"You're living a lie, Milliardo Peacecraft," Severina hissed. "You claim that Preventers fight to keep the peace, but when peace is threatened, you don't really fight at all, you hide behind your little curtain of a hope for a better world and hope that people will get along."
Zechs narrowed his eyes at Severina and glared at her coldly.
"If you won't fight, I'm taking my Gundam and leaving to fight on my own. I'll leave Quatre's new Sandrock for him if he wants it." The brown-haired girl said, sighing as she walked out of the room. Zechs watched her leave and stared at the door after she left, then looked at the other pilots.
"I'm leaving too, I won't let Hilde's sacrifice be in vain," Duo said, following Severina's example. Katsumi nodded and left with Duo.
"I didn't come all this way for nothing," Tom added as he walked out. Trowa followed with only one comment to add, "Never give up to the very end, that is what my Gundam taught me, as well as what Relena has practiced ever since the beginning,"
Heero was the last to leave. He said nothing and looked at no one, just as he always had.
Zechs ruffled his white bangs with his gloved hand and growled to himself, closing his eyes in deep thought. Noin stood watching, trying to think of something useful to say, but nothing came to mind.
To Be Continued
Next Time: Zechs is forced to make a decision, either join the pilots or sit and watch as they are called to their first mission to destroy a mobile suit manufacturing base on the moon. Will the pilots survive or will they be overthrown just as easily as the peace was? The third beat of the Endless Waltz comes into play in Chapter Two: Fight for Peace
Author's Note: Just letting you know that I own Katsumi, Thomas, and the idea of Severina. The idea for her name came from Zero. Thanks much, Z!
Notes
*Central Communications Center
**I'm doing Japanese styled names, so the her last name come first, making her name Katsumi (For those of you who may not know this)
***Way back in the last few episodes of GW, Hilde sneaks on Libra and downloads information that could help the Gundams in the final battle and nearly dies getting it back to Peace Million. Duo saves her and asks her, "Why, why'd you risk your life like that?" "Because, because I just wanted to," Duo responds with the phrase: "You're a stupid fool!".
****Referring to Mariemia's quote, "History is much like an endless waltz, the three beats of war, peace and revolution never stop,"