But For The Loss Of A Star
(author's note: you ought to read Reunion by Kaser before you read this. If you Don't understand the Dragonwing, I should have the schematics online shortly)
Buckling my harness, I opened the launch bay doors and looked out on the bleak lunar landscape. I hoped that the new system was worth it. It had taken me months to break into the Winner family computer. I raised the difficulty settings on my three training dummies to the highest possible level, and then I typed the four letters that would change the rest of my life.
ZERO I launched the Dragonwing towards the first dummy. The system did seem to be giving me a slight advantage, because the shots seemed to be a little easier to dodge than normal. I rushed past him and took him out with one of my shoulder-mounted dragon fangs. Rolling as I passed him, I locked in on the second dummy and destroyed it with the Dragon cannon. I turned to rush the third training dummy.
An alarm went of inside my cockpit warning me of the approach of a large metallic object. I spun over my left shoulder, and found a large column of dust was being raised from the ground, obscuring the other suit. Once it got within a few thousand yards, however, it stopped and the dust began to settle. The purple paint job was unmistakable. But what was Kaser doing out here on the moon? As I stepped closer, Ryuza fired it's dragon fang. I rolled out of the way and fired my right arm dragon fang, latching it onto the chest. I then extended my hand once again, shoving it through the cockpit door and killing the pilot instantly.
I was screaming as I retracted my dragon fang off of the last training dummy. What had just happened? Where was Kaser? An alarm went off inside my cockpit, warning me of the approach of a large flight of Taurus mobile dolls. Wont they ever learn to leave me alone? But as I observed their flight path, I could see that they were not attacking me. Rather, the seemed to be pursuing another large mobile suit. With a gundanium signature. I fired my vernea rockets to pursue the mobile dolls.
The mobile dolls, not ever really the brightest things, didn't even notice me until I was within firing range. Only after I took out one of the trailing suits with a dragon fang did the attack me. I destroyed the four that rushed at me with dragon fangs also, and took care of the rest with a few well-placed dragon cannon shots. I turned towards the Gundam. It couldn't be. Wufei was supposed to be on the earth. Charging my dragon cannon to a full shot, I obliterated most of the Shenlong, leaving only charred debris.
I was twitching as I approached the Shenlong. Aside from the hole Wufei stabbed in his own back, the suit seemed relatively unharmed. I grabbed it and began dragging it back to my base. Once the landing bay had pressurized, I got out of my suit and went to my training garden. I would repair the Shenlong later, because at the moment I was still upset by what had happened in my suit.
Shortly thereafter, the door to my garden opened again. Wufei entered almost noiselessly. "Konnichiwa, JP-san" said Wufei, bowing to show his respect. "konnichiwa" I replied, without the slightest trace of a bow. "I thought you were supposed to be on the earth." "I was." "Why are you here?" "This is where the battle is." "She went after you, you know. To the Earth." Wufei made no reply. "I'm not weak anymore, Wufei. I've become strong" Again, Wufei said nothing. "I challenge you to duel, to prove my strength" Still no response. Throwing a katana at his feet, I challenged him again. He still did not respond. I charged Wufei with my katana. As I went to strike him, however, he sidestepped and tripped me in one fluid motion. I landed face first in the soft white sand. And I cried.
I had grown up on the A0206 colony, and had gone to school with him as a child. He was still betrothed to Meilan. That was before we met Kaser. Her father was working on the Shenlong. She clearly liked Wufei, but there was nothing she could do about it. I, on the other hand, was completely smitten with Kaser, but she would not give me the time of day. Finally I became so frustrated with her lack of response from Kaser, especially since I cared about her so much, that I cornered her in the halls and asked her to a school dance. She completely ignored me. I stole all of the data I could on the gundams, gundanium, and a transport and left for the moon. There I set up the Base I use now and built my own suit, the Dragonwing. I had always considered Wufei my enemy, since she preferred him to me, but now I was not so sure.
I pulled myself upright. I should not cry like that anymore. I am stronger than that. I stepped out of the garden. Wufei was waiting for me, with two bowls of miso soup. I sat down opposite him. "She found me, you know. On earth." I looked up at him. "Tell me one thing. Do you love her?" I watched as Wufei's face went from indignant anger to a calm, happy expression. "Thanks, that was all I needed to know" I stood up and left for the launch bay.
A few hours later I had completed sufficient repairs to the Shenlong for what I intended to do. I went looking for Wufei. I found him looking at the only picture of Kaser that I had. I tapped him lightly on the shoulder and then bowed deeply. "Owufei-sama, I have completed the repairs to the Shenlong. However, I would like your help to test my strength. I wish for you to pilot my Dragonwing against me in your Shenlong. I will expect your arrival in 15 minutes." I left and began the startup on both gundams.
Fifteen minutes later, despite my doubts, Wufei entered the hangar, apparently ready to pilot. I entered the Shenlong and we wordlessly launched. As I left the hangar, I could feel the disadvantage that the Shenlong would put me at. This suit was so slow compared to my Dragonwing, and Wufei, as the champion of our colony and as the recipient of her love, deserved only the best. I stabbed toward Wufei with my beam pike. He dodged it easily. I stabbed again. He dodged again. "You aren't trying, Wufei. You could have disarmed me by now." I threw the Shenlong's shield at his head. Again he dodged. "If I beat you, I will take Kaser from you." Wufei tore the pike out of my hands and quickly I was on the defensive. "Wufei, I can see that you love her. You deserve better than the Shenlong." I opened the panel inside the cockpit. "Now Wufei, I have one request. Take care of her, and always love her." I armed the button. "Goodbye" I pushed the button ------------ The torso of the Shenlong glowed brightly before exploding. All that was left of the cockpit was a picture and a lock of hair. ------------ Questions/comments constructive criticisms appreciated. When you review, what is the picture of, and whose hair is it?
Kazumasa
(author's note: you ought to read Reunion by Kaser before you read this. If you Don't understand the Dragonwing, I should have the schematics online shortly)
Buckling my harness, I opened the launch bay doors and looked out on the bleak lunar landscape. I hoped that the new system was worth it. It had taken me months to break into the Winner family computer. I raised the difficulty settings on my three training dummies to the highest possible level, and then I typed the four letters that would change the rest of my life.
ZERO I launched the Dragonwing towards the first dummy. The system did seem to be giving me a slight advantage, because the shots seemed to be a little easier to dodge than normal. I rushed past him and took him out with one of my shoulder-mounted dragon fangs. Rolling as I passed him, I locked in on the second dummy and destroyed it with the Dragon cannon. I turned to rush the third training dummy.
An alarm went of inside my cockpit warning me of the approach of a large metallic object. I spun over my left shoulder, and found a large column of dust was being raised from the ground, obscuring the other suit. Once it got within a few thousand yards, however, it stopped and the dust began to settle. The purple paint job was unmistakable. But what was Kaser doing out here on the moon? As I stepped closer, Ryuza fired it's dragon fang. I rolled out of the way and fired my right arm dragon fang, latching it onto the chest. I then extended my hand once again, shoving it through the cockpit door and killing the pilot instantly.
I was screaming as I retracted my dragon fang off of the last training dummy. What had just happened? Where was Kaser? An alarm went off inside my cockpit, warning me of the approach of a large flight of Taurus mobile dolls. Wont they ever learn to leave me alone? But as I observed their flight path, I could see that they were not attacking me. Rather, the seemed to be pursuing another large mobile suit. With a gundanium signature. I fired my vernea rockets to pursue the mobile dolls.
The mobile dolls, not ever really the brightest things, didn't even notice me until I was within firing range. Only after I took out one of the trailing suits with a dragon fang did the attack me. I destroyed the four that rushed at me with dragon fangs also, and took care of the rest with a few well-placed dragon cannon shots. I turned towards the Gundam. It couldn't be. Wufei was supposed to be on the earth. Charging my dragon cannon to a full shot, I obliterated most of the Shenlong, leaving only charred debris.
I was twitching as I approached the Shenlong. Aside from the hole Wufei stabbed in his own back, the suit seemed relatively unharmed. I grabbed it and began dragging it back to my base. Once the landing bay had pressurized, I got out of my suit and went to my training garden. I would repair the Shenlong later, because at the moment I was still upset by what had happened in my suit.
Shortly thereafter, the door to my garden opened again. Wufei entered almost noiselessly. "Konnichiwa, JP-san" said Wufei, bowing to show his respect. "konnichiwa" I replied, without the slightest trace of a bow. "I thought you were supposed to be on the earth." "I was." "Why are you here?" "This is where the battle is." "She went after you, you know. To the Earth." Wufei made no reply. "I'm not weak anymore, Wufei. I've become strong" Again, Wufei said nothing. "I challenge you to duel, to prove my strength" Still no response. Throwing a katana at his feet, I challenged him again. He still did not respond. I charged Wufei with my katana. As I went to strike him, however, he sidestepped and tripped me in one fluid motion. I landed face first in the soft white sand. And I cried.
I had grown up on the A0206 colony, and had gone to school with him as a child. He was still betrothed to Meilan. That was before we met Kaser. Her father was working on the Shenlong. She clearly liked Wufei, but there was nothing she could do about it. I, on the other hand, was completely smitten with Kaser, but she would not give me the time of day. Finally I became so frustrated with her lack of response from Kaser, especially since I cared about her so much, that I cornered her in the halls and asked her to a school dance. She completely ignored me. I stole all of the data I could on the gundams, gundanium, and a transport and left for the moon. There I set up the Base I use now and built my own suit, the Dragonwing. I had always considered Wufei my enemy, since she preferred him to me, but now I was not so sure.
I pulled myself upright. I should not cry like that anymore. I am stronger than that. I stepped out of the garden. Wufei was waiting for me, with two bowls of miso soup. I sat down opposite him. "She found me, you know. On earth." I looked up at him. "Tell me one thing. Do you love her?" I watched as Wufei's face went from indignant anger to a calm, happy expression. "Thanks, that was all I needed to know" I stood up and left for the launch bay.
A few hours later I had completed sufficient repairs to the Shenlong for what I intended to do. I went looking for Wufei. I found him looking at the only picture of Kaser that I had. I tapped him lightly on the shoulder and then bowed deeply. "Owufei-sama, I have completed the repairs to the Shenlong. However, I would like your help to test my strength. I wish for you to pilot my Dragonwing against me in your Shenlong. I will expect your arrival in 15 minutes." I left and began the startup on both gundams.
Fifteen minutes later, despite my doubts, Wufei entered the hangar, apparently ready to pilot. I entered the Shenlong and we wordlessly launched. As I left the hangar, I could feel the disadvantage that the Shenlong would put me at. This suit was so slow compared to my Dragonwing, and Wufei, as the champion of our colony and as the recipient of her love, deserved only the best. I stabbed toward Wufei with my beam pike. He dodged it easily. I stabbed again. He dodged again. "You aren't trying, Wufei. You could have disarmed me by now." I threw the Shenlong's shield at his head. Again he dodged. "If I beat you, I will take Kaser from you." Wufei tore the pike out of my hands and quickly I was on the defensive. "Wufei, I can see that you love her. You deserve better than the Shenlong." I opened the panel inside the cockpit. "Now Wufei, I have one request. Take care of her, and always love her." I armed the button. "Goodbye" I pushed the button ------------ The torso of the Shenlong glowed brightly before exploding. All that was left of the cockpit was a picture and a lock of hair. ------------ Questions/comments constructive criticisms appreciated. When you review, what is the picture of, and whose hair is it?
Kazumasa