Chapter One: Abandoned and Scared
"Lt. Cassie?" Asked a soldier that stood in the doorway of the room.
"Lt. Cassie, they are waiting for you." Answered the soldier.
"Are all my things ready?" Asked Lt. Cassie as she closed the portfolio and places it on the table next to her.
"Yes ma'am. All loaded and ready." The soldier replied with a bow.
"Thank you for all you have done." Lt. Cassie answered with a smile and bow.
"It's all part of my job, Lt." The soldier answered with a smile.
"Lt. Cassie." He answered as he stood in front of her and saluted. "My name is Ryo Li."
"Ah, yes." Cassie replied with a smile. "My father told me you'd be joining me on my mission. He said you were an Ace Pilot...almost as good as the 'Lightning Baron'."
"Yes, ma'am. That's true." Ryo answered, blushing a little.
"Well, Ryo Li," Cassie answered, holding a hand out to him. "I'll be hoping my father was right."
Ryo shook Cassie's hand.
"Speaking of my father," Cassie replied, looking back at her soldier escort. "Did he say anything to you?"
"He told me he wouldn't be able to make it today." Answered the soldier. "He said he was very sorry but something important had came up and he needed to go ASAP."
"Right." Cassie answered, looking a bit sad. "Something important..."
Cassie headed up the steps of the aircraft with Ryo watching her.
"You are to just do a quick survey of the area." Answered a man that stood in front of the several OZ soldiers, including Cassie. "You will be using the Desert Type Leo suits. You have limited amount of ammo, so try not to use it up."
Cassie mixed her tea with a spoon as she listened to the instructor.
"Any information you find, report it back to us." Spoke the man as he folded his hands behind his back. "But be careful. There is a Guerilla Base hidden somewhere in the desert. They might attack us, so keep your guard up."
"Yes sir." Shouted all the soldiers with a nod.
"Lt. Cassie will be in charge of you while you're down there. So listen to her every command." Replied the man as he looked at Lt. Cassie in the back.
"Yes sir." The soldiers replied with a nod.
"We leave in one hour. Dismissed!" Shouted the instructor.
"Lt. Cassie, the meeting's over." Ryo answered.
"Huh?" Cassie asked, shaking her head and looking up at Ryo.
"The meeting just ended." Ryo replied, looking down at Cassie.
"Sorry. I was thinking about something else." Cassie answered as she grabbed her cup of tea and stood up.
"Are you worried?" Ryo asked.
"About the mission?" Cassie asked with a little laugh. "No. I'm not worried. I was just taking in the scenery."
Ryo looked out the window at the desert floor.
"How about you? Are you worried about the mission?" Asked Cassie, looking out the window.
"Maybe a little. But I'm more excited then worried." Ryo answered, glancing at Cassie.
"Just remember to keep your head." Cassie answered, patting Ryo on the shoulder.
Cassie walked out of the room, leaving Ryo alone.
"There's a heavy sandstorm down there." Answered the co-pilot as he looked back at the instructor. "Should we let them go down there?"
"This mission is important to OZ." Spoke the instructor. "We'll need to send them down there no matter what the cost."
"Yes sir." Answered the co-pilot as he faced the front of the aircraft.
The instructor grabbed a little microphone from the control pannel and held it up to his lips.
"All pilots, report to your designated posts."
"Lt. Cassie, there's a sandstorm down there." Spoke the instructor as he appeared in Cassie's Leo suit's monitor.
"I understand." Cassie replied as she strapped herself in. "We'll try to be careful, but it'll be awfully hard to see anything down there with the sand blowing around."
"We can't call off the mission now." Answered the instructor. "Your father, as well as OZ, needs to know if there is a Gundam down there or not."
Cassie just remained silent as her Leo suit stepped onto the launch pad first.
"Are you sure we should go down there, Lt.?" Asked Ryo as he appeared in her monitor.
"If my father wants conformation on a Desert Gundam, he'll get it." Cassie replied as she pushed a button on her control panel.
"Well, at least let me go first." Ryo answered. "There's no telling what could be waiting for us down there."
"That's nice and all, Ryo. But I'll go first." Cassie answered with a smile. "As soon as I'm clear, you follow. Along with the rest of this unit."
"Yes Lt." Ryo replied with a nod and disappeared from the screen.
"I can't see anything." Ryo replied, as his Leo MS landed next to Cassie.
"Keep your guard up. There's something out there." Cassie answered, as he Leo looked side to side.
"It's so....abandoned." Spoke an OZ soldier as he looked around.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Shouted a shocked OZ soldier.
"We're being attack!" Shouted another OZ soldier.
"We can't see the enemy because of this stupid storm." Hissed Cassie.
"Instructor, our forces are being attacked." Replied a system's operator on the OZ aircraft.
The instructor just sat in his seat, silently.
"Sir, Lt. Cassie's down there! Shouldn't we do something?" Asked the system's operator, as he looked back at the instructor.
"We will not do anything as of now." The instructor replied, folding his hands neatly in his lap.
"But, sir--"
"That's an order." Answered the instructor as he glared at the system's operator.
"Y-yes sir."
"Pull back! All of you!" Shouted Lt. Cassie.
"What about you?" Asked an OZ soldier that was in a Leo MS behind her.
"Just go!" Shouted Lt. Cassie.
The three Leo MS grabbed onto cords lowered by the OZ aircraft.
"Lt. Cassie! Come on!" Souted Ryo as his Leo MS grabbed onto one of the remaining cords.
"GO!!" Cassie shouted as bullets began to rain down on her. "I ORDER YOU TO GO!"
"LT. CASSIE!!" Shouted Ryo.
Arabic Prince - CrystalKeeper 01-02
