Episode: 1 Falling Star
Written by Shizu-Kun
"My God, how did any of you worthless pilots survive the Second Neo-Zeon War, let alone be chosen for Londo Bell forces?" Commander Bailey yells at the group of seven Federation pilots. Hayate, the second to last, was daydreaming and watching the other MS squad run maneuvers while his was being barked at. "And another thing…., Hayate, are you listening?" Bailey continues, but stops when he realizes Hayate is looking at the sky. "If you ever want to be like them or not die in combat, you will listen to me!" Baily screams in Hayate's face and points at the Mobile Suits in the sky. Yet he continues to daydream, remembering back to his first Mobile Suit fight. It was in space during the Second Neo-Zeon War, he had to cut down a Gera Doga. Then he came face to face to "The Red Comet" know as Char Aznable. Char cut his Jegan in half before the enacting leader of his squad stepped in and locked beam sabers with Char. That ordeal of living through the Jegan's explosion and being stranded in space for a few hours had changed him, making him more eager to get back into a mobile suit. The Commander snaps his fingers in front of Hayate, scowls then smacks him in the face. Hayate rubs his cheek. Bailey takes his place back in front of the group. "Now, we have a training exercise set up for later today. Do not be late or you will have to watch the rest of your squad run maneuvers, dismissed" He yells, and then points towards the hangar.
The group breaks up leaving one person behind and slowly moves to the hangar, meanwhile Hayate keeps his eyes on the old Gundam Mk. II's running maneuvers in the sky as he walks. Wind slowly blows kicking up dust in the desert and rustling Hayate's hair. A Mk. II lands in front of him as the other four land behind him. The force of the impact knocks him to the ground. Hayate looks up towards the right shoulder of the Mk. II "04". The pilot descends from the mobile suit. "Well, Well looks like our new recruit is here." He says as he places his right hand on his hip and helps Hayate up with his left. "No, no I'm not supposed to be in your squad; at least I don't think I am." Hayate states as he brushes the sand off his uniform. A puzzled look washes over the pilot's face. "You are the one they call Hayate, right?" he says and points a finger at Hayate, who nods. "Then you are our new recruit, guys come meet Hayate." The pilot waives the others over, who had gathered in a small circle near the feet of the Mk. II numbered "02". "So, do I get a Gundam Mk. II too?" Hayate asks as the other pilots walk over. "You're really Hayate? The guy that went face to face with Char Aznable and survived! " one of the pilots asks with excitement in his voice. " And don't forget that he stole a Gera Doga too." Another pilot chimes in. Hayate stunned doesn't respond. "Save the guy some of the questions for later, he just got yelled at by Commander Bailey. To answer your question before these guys started talking is yes, you will get a Gundam Mk. II number "06" to be exact," the pilot says with a smile as he fights off the other pilots. "Thanks, but who are you?" Hayate asks. The pilot gets an angered look but calms down. "I'm Hei Lin," he gloats while placing a thumb to his chest. The other pilots scramble to call out their names. "I'm Ino Syraki pilot of 01" ,"Nobu Taiki pilot of 02, pleased to meet you.", "Erik Fall pilot of 03", "Kenta Miu pilot of 05". The wind kicks up again, now Hayate was where he wanted to be. "Nice to meet all of you, but I should be getting to training." Hayate shakes their hands then turns to walk towards the hangar. A hand reaches out grabbing his shoulder. "Your one of the Blue locusts" we don't train when the greenhorns do. You will start tomorrow. Ino will show you to your quarters." Hei says. Hayate turns around with an evil smile. "We're heading back to the hangar, you can come along to get a glimpse of your new MS" Ino cracks a smile and ascends back into his mobile Suit. The Mk. II's power up and leave Hayate in the dust. He looks up to the sky one final time before running off to the hangar.
One by one the Mk. II's walk into the hangar and are greeted by eager younger pilots. "Take notes people, these are the Blue Locusts, the best of the best and here is the leader of the Blue Locusts," Commander Bailey yells at the six young pilots in front of him. "Hi, kids I'm Hei Lin leader of the Blue locusts…" he trails off on a big speech. "Oh, and look here is our newest member." He states and points as Hayate walks down the grated scaffolding. A shocked and angered expression appears on Bailey's face. "What, this pathetic pilot was picked to be the sixth member of the Blue Locusts. Are you crazy Hei?" Bailey yells as his face gets red. Hei ignores Bailey's ranting. "This man right here survived a confrontation with the man known as Char Aznable, and three hours in space. In addition he stole a Gera Doga to survive. He is qualified and if anyone should have notes taken from them it's Hayate." Hei speaks proudly as the rest of the Blue locusts join him. Bailey shuffles the six pilots off to their quarters while still ranting about Hayate. "What's his problem?" Nobu asks. Erik shakes his head. Kenta answers the question. "He hates new recruits and he is mad because he's not a good pilot." Hei stretches his wrist and replies in a low tone, "yeah". Hayate steps up, "If you set up a training run with him I'll end it all." All of the pilot's eyes widen and their mouths drop open. "What! You want to take on Commander Bailey?" Ino blurts out. "Done," Hei's voice carries across the air. The pilots look at Hei. "You can't be serious." They all yell at him. Hei shrugs and replies, "It's one way to get Bailey off our back and to see if he's the real deal." Ino lowers his head then waves his left hand at Hayate, signaling him to follow. "See you later guys, and Hei try to get the training run set up for tomorrow." Hayate cheerfully says as he follows Ino out of the hangar and into the barracks. "That guy's crazy, are you sure you made the right choice, Hei?" Kenta asks while his head is stuck in the cockpit of his MS. Hei slowly turns his head around, "I owe him, Lee Hymoto, a former enemy turned friend has died recently, Lee saved Hayate from Char two years ago," Kenta pulls himself out of the cockpit. "So this is a favor for your dead friend?" Hei nods yes. "There is another thing too. He's a NewType." Kenta steps back and drops the wrench that was in his hand. "He's a NewType, like you?" Hei unzips the collar around his suit, bringing the zipper down to the top of his chest, "Yes, he's almost as powerful as Lee and we will need him." Hei says nonchalantly. "What do you mean "We will need him"?" Kenta asks as he picks up his wrench. Hei looks out the hangar door towards the barren desert, balls up his right fist then says, "I have a feeling, call it NewType intuition, which a threat is on the way, Neo Zeon is not dead yet." Kenta closes the hatch on his Mk. II. "So can Hayate feel this too?" The wind kicks up creating a blur of dust outside the hangar. "If he can then he will soon know why I chose him." Kenta shakes his head and joins Hei at the railing. "Some days I wonder about your sanity" he cautiously says. Hei shoots him a glare then starts walking towards the barracks. Kenta walks slowly behind him.
"Well, here it is. It's not much but it beats sleeping out in the sand," Ino chuckles at his on joke as he opens the small closet like door, which Hayate didn't even think it was funny. Hayate sighs, giving Ino a death look causing him to stop laughing. "What? You would rather sleep in the sand. Be my guest; better yet sleep in your Mobile suit cockpit." He states sternly then starts laughing again. "You don't take many things seriously do you?" Hayate asks. Ino lowers his hand from his mouth and in between laughs he says, "You take to many things seriously, out here tomorrow could be your last day, why not have some fun while you're at it." Footsteps sound down the hall stopping the conversation between Ino and Hayate. They both look down the hall towards the footsteps. Out of the darkened hall steps Commander Bailey. Ino grabs Hayate, pushing him in front. Hayate tightens his fists. "So I hear you want to challenge me to a duel?" Bailey smirks. Hayate breaks free of Ino's grasp and walks towards the Commander. "Yes, I see Hei told you, when are we fighting?" An evil smile creeks across Bailey's face before he says, "Tomorrow morning, in front of all the young pilots and Blue locust. This will be a great example of a foolish pilot." Hayate grits his teeth while locking his muscles trying not to punch the Commanding Officer. Bailey pushes Hayate out of the way and continues down the hall. Ino emerges from Hayate's room. "You might want to watch out. He might actually try to kill you tomorrow," Ino says as his voice trembles. Hayate looks back towards Ino, "I won't kill him, but I'll disable his mobile suit. He will learn to respect me." A fire burns in Hayate's eyes. Ino scared by this salutes him and leaves for his own quarters. Hayate shuts the door on his room and goes to sleep.
A badly damaged mobile suit enters the atmosphere, heating up creating a red glow around it. Hayate wakes up to Ino banging on his quarter's door, "Hayate, you have to fight the Commander. Get up!" Hayate slowly gets up, sliding on his pilot suit, and grabbing his helmet he opens the door. "Good, come on." Ino says while dragging Hayate out of his room and down the hall. They reach the hangar where the Blue Locusts are waiting. Hei steps up gaining the attention of the squad, "We will all launch, now once in the air we run Delta Formation then break off leaving Hayate. Understood?" Collectively the pilots salute and yell, "Yes, Sir" They all enter their Mobile suits. Hayate straps himself in and grabs the control sticks. The service equipment retracts from the suits as the hangar ceiling opens. "Whoa! This hangar is a MS catapult?" Hayate asks as his Mk. II is raised up in the launch position. Hei replies back over the com., "Yeah, hang on the rides going to get a bit bumpy." Hayate closes his eyes, lowers his head, tightens his grip on the control sticks, fires the thrusters, and leaves the hangar. He is shaken some by the force of the catapult but steadies the suit. Hei is the next to launch, as he makes his way to the front of the squad he calls out for roll call. "Nobu, Present" "Ino, here" "Hayate, to your right, sir" "Erik, got your six" "Kenta, to your left" Hei nods and calls for Delta Formation. Ino falls in behind him, Erik takes his place to the right of Ino, Kenta moves to the left of Ino, Nobu moves up and to the left of Hei. "Hayate, stay where you are we will be braking formation in a second." Hei orders over the comm. Hei's Mk. II holds up five fingers, in that instant everyone rolls out of formation and lands leaving Hayate. Maneuvering the mobile suit carefully Hayate insures he doesn't fall when landing, but still stumbles. "That's ok, Hayate. You will get used to it." Hei reassures him. So far Hayate and the other young pilots where the only ones there. "Is the Commander going to be a no show?" Ino's voice plays through all five mobile suit cockpit speakers. Hayate zones out on the conversations that the rest of them are having and fixes his attention to a dust cloud moving very fast towards him. Suddenly the dust cloud dissipates, leaving Hayate stunned that nothing was in it. He raises the mobile suit's head unit to look up; the sun's glare on the main camera leaves a huge blind spot.
Out of the glare and into Hayate's sight is the tip of a heat whip. Hayate dodges it by engaging his left thrusters. The whip hits the ground creating a blanket of sand and dust. As the dust clears Hayate gets a look at his opponent's mobile suit. Spots of light blue armor plates and a single pink mono eye shine through the dust cloud, as the heat whip breaks through. Hayate dodges it again. "Damn, that's got to be a Gouf, but those are really old." He thinks to himself as he engages thrusters to doge a third swing of the heat whip. A burst of 75mm artillery breaks through the cloud making contact with the right shoulder of the suit. Hayate retaliates by firing three beams through the cloud, with no hits on the target. The Mk. II's sensors pick up the signature of the Gouf again this time above him. Hayate raises the shield just as the foot of the Gouf comes down. "You can't keep dodging me all day, Hayate. Come on fight me. Don't hold back." Bailey yells across the communications link. Hayate narrows his eyes. The Gouf pushes off the shield and wraps the heat whip around the Mk. II's beam rifle. Hayate releases the mobile suits grip on the rifle, while enacting the feet thrusters pushing the suit farther away. The Gouf throws the beam rifle behind it. Hayate realizes he can't win conventionally, so he detaches the shield and throws it at the Gouf. The shield smacks the Gouf in the head knocking it onto its back and creating a dust cloud. A pink beam waves through the dust. "Now, you can admit defeat or we can continue Commander, your choice," Hayate's voice projects out into the desert. Everyone watching holds their breath, even Hei is on edge. The Bailey maneuvers the Gouf's right arm towards its shield. In a split second the Gouf's heat sword is out and locked with the beam saber. "I will not give up until this suit is destroyed." Bailey yells and pushes the beam saber away. Hayate connects the left Mk. II leg to the Gouf's head, knocking it back down. Hayate backs off to catch his breath. The Gouf stands up, rushes the Mk. II with the heat sword drawn. Hayate brings the beam saber up to block, but the Commander ducks the sword and places the 75mm machine gun hand in front of the Mk. II's head unit and fires. The shells break through the main cameras and bust out the back of the head unit mangling it. Hayate reacts quickly and throws the left knee up catching the Gouf's front hose intakes. The Gouf lifts off the ground as Hayate puts the beam saber up and throws a punch into the fuselage of the Mobile suit. Bailey's cameras go off for a second then come back on just in time for him to see the pink blade of a beam saber rip through the left arm of his Gouf. The arm with the shield falls, sinking into the sand as the Commander realizes he might not win. The Mk. II's white arm beaks through the sand cloud created by the arm headed for the Gouf's head unit, camping down on the hose intakes sending the Commander Bailey into a panic. As the dust clears everyone sees the suits locked in battle. The young cadets start to cheer and even Hei smiles. "Guys, told you he was good," Hei says with an evil smile as he looks at the Mk. II.
Hayate once again states to everyone, "Commander, this is the final warning. Give up you will not win. I don't want to damage your Gouf to much." Bailey's eyes get really small as he yells, "This is war, and you do what you have to. Take your enemy down!" Hayate takes a deep breath and rips the front of the main camera out of the head unit of the Gouf, then kicks it in the chest. "I'm done. I've shown you what I can do." Hayate says quietly. He throws the front of the main camera into the sand. He opens the hatch. The crowd starts cheering as he steps out onto the hand of his Mk. II. "Well done Hayate, I knew you were the right choice," Hei thinks to himself. Hayate removes his helmet and tucks it under his arm. The warm sun illuminates his black hair, and gives him a sense of peace. Hei signals for the others to get into their suits.
The rest of the Blue Locusts join Hayate, while proceeding back to the hangar the Gouf gets back up. "Hayate, you are a reputable pilot. You have my respect from now on, Good job." Bailey's voice plays through Hayate's cockpit speakers. Suddenly something affects Hayate, a sharp pain in his head as if someone was drilling into it. He looks to the left and sees something falling, and is long black smoke trail. "Guys, ugh look. Damn this pain," Hayate grits his teeth from the pain. "I know. Ino, go with him to see what it is." Hei orders while waiving the Mk. II's left arm. Ino and Hayate break off formation and head towards the object. "Hei, you can feel the pain too?" Hayate asks over the comm. channel. Ino scans the falling object, which reveals something startling.
Ino stutters as he talks, "Umm- umm Hei, this thing is a mobile suit." Shocked expressions wash over Hei and Hayate's face. "I knew it," Hei mutters under his breath then answers Hayate's question, "Yes, I can. I'll tell you more when you get back, but right now the recovery of that mobile suit is your main objective." Ino maximizes his speed, trying to keep up with Hayate. "Yes, sir," He says then lands the Mk. II as the MS crashes into the sand. Loud metal creaking sounds fill the desert air while the suit pulses bright red from the heat of reentry. Ino lands beside him. They both enhance their zoom as a pilot appears to climb out of the mobile suit. The pilot walks a few steps before falling down. Hayate pops his hatch and descends to pick up the pilot, as he rolls him over he sees a blood covered and cracked visor. The pilot also had several major wounds to his body leaving his suit ripped and with dark red stains on the white parts. "Ino, get the MS. I have the pilot. He seems to be unconscious but barely alive." Hayate says as he throws the pilot over his shoulder and ascends into the Mobile Suit. "Affirmative, get him out of here." Ino states over the com. while picking up the mangled remains of the mobile suit. Hayate's MS leaves the desert floor with great speed. The pilot was slowly dying and he had to save him. Something told Hayate he had met this person before, his pilot suit was familiar. The white and red color of the suit resembled that of a Gundam's color scheme.
Hayate had an uneasy feeling about this but that wasn't in the orders he puts aside his feelings, besides his main objective was to save this person. They reach the hangar; medics carry the wounded pilot to the infirmary. Hei is waiting for him. "It's time we talked about some things," He coldly states. He waves Hayate into a conference room. The door shuts; Hayate's heart starts to beat rapidly. The rest of the squad enters the room. Hei encourages Hayate to have a seat, and then the discussions begin.
Continued in the Second Episode "Ultimatum Reviled"