A/N: Two chapters left, now we will see scenes that are not in the anime. Such as how McGillis managed to go from Mars' surface to his ship. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.
Falcon of Tekkadan
Chapter 49: McGillis Fareed
It was already nighttime when Kenji and Lafter reached the place McGillis was leading them to. They were at a secluded part of the spaceport. There was a space shuttle with a cargo hold large enough to fit all three of their Mobile Suits waiting for them with a small group of people nearby. They deactivated their Mobile Suits and got out. The group of people came forward with equipment to move the Mobile Suits into the shuttle.
"Who are these people? Can they be trusted?" Kenji asked.
"You recall my other identity, Mr. Montag?" McGillis asked.
"So you were that guy in the mask!" Lafter said. "But doesn't that mean you were the one who knocked out Kenji at that hotel in the Dort Colonies?"
"Yes, these people are from the Montag Trading Company, in other words, they work for me." McGillis said.
"That's right, Mr. Fareed." They turned to see Todo Mirconen approaching them. "It's nice to see you again, Kenji. You should've told me that you were Kenichi Hayabusa's son."
Kenji groaned. "Todo Mirconen. One of the last people I wanted to see..."
"You know this guy?" Lafter asked, creeped out.
Kenji facepalmed. "I'm afraid so, unfortunately..."
Todo approached Lafter. "Well, hello there..."
Lafter slapped Todo in the face. "Back off you creep!"
"If we are all done with introductions. Todo, is everything ready?" McGillis asked.
Todo rubbed his face. "Ow. Of course, Mr. Fareed. Once we have the Mobile Suits stored in the cargo, we'll be ready for takeoff to the low orbit station where your ship is waiting."
"Excellent, is there any news?" McGillis asked.
"The official news is saying that Gjallarhorn will attack Tekkadan HQ at noon tomorrow for not responding to their calls for surrender." Todo said.
"What? We never got any calls for surrender. Our communication lines were cut." Kenji said.
"I see, so Rustal Elion does intend to completely wipe out Tekkadan." McGillis said.
Lafter was concerned. "Akihiro..."
"There's more, my sources tell me that Orga Itsuka was gunned down in front of the Admoss Company building earlier." Todo said.
Kenji was shocked. "What? Orga is dead?"
Lafter covered her mouth in shock.
"I see... who was behind it exactly? It couldn't have been Gjallarhorn." McGillis asked.
"My sources don't know for certain, but they heard rumors that it was ordered by Nobliss Gordon." Todo said.
This pissed Kenji off. "The weapons dealer who got Fumitan Admoss to act as a spy and tried to have Kudelia killed for his profits? Unbelievable..."
One of the Montag workers came up to them. "The Mobile Suits have been stored. The shuttle is ready for launch."
"I believe our ride is now ready." Todo said.
"Of course. Thank you Todo." McGillis turned to his fellow pilots. "Let's be off."
The shuttle managed to reach the low orbit station successfully, from there they had their Mobile Suits moved to McGillis' flagship for maintenance. After some time had passed, McGillis went over the plan with Kenji and Lafter on the bridge.
"Here is what you two need to do. Keep the Mobile Suits from flanking me while I go and kill Rustal Elion myself." McGillis said.
"So, we're just the support." Lafter said.
"That's correct Lafter. I must be the one to take on the Arianrhod Fleet myself." McGillis said.
"You know Gaelio is going to show up to kill you. Do we need to intervene then?" Kenji asked.
"No, I will also deal with him on my own. Kenji, I know that you will not kill him, that would make you a liability. Lafter, you wouldn't even stand a chance." McGillis said.
"If what you said about Gaelio having an Alaya-Vijnana System is true, then I know better than to fight him." Lafter said.
Kenji tried to remind McGillis of his promise. "Almiria told me to..."
"Bring me back to her alive, yes, I know. I also know what I'm doing." McGillis said.
Lafter whispered to Kenji. "This guy has totally lost it."
Kenji whispered back to Lafter. "What does Almiria see in him?"
Once the fighting on the surface started, the three of them were still on the bridge where McGillis was giving a speech to his men.
"The fighting below must have commenced. Thank you for coming with me this far." McGillis said.
The men saluted McGillis.
"I'm surprised your men are still loyal to you." Lafter commented.
"The day I kill Rustal Elion and take over Gjallarhorn, all glory and promotions will be yours." McGillis said.
"Yes, sir." One of the soldiers said.
"Now, if you'll all disembark." McGillis ordered.
The soldier tried to object. "But..."
"I alone am enough from this point forth. The two Mobile Suit pilots behind me are only here because they have no other choice." McGillis said.
"Mac, you are crazy." Kenji commented.
The soldiers complied with McGillis' orders and left. Leaving only McGillis, Kenji, and Lafter alone on the bridge. Todo Mirconen eventually got on the bridge for one final talk with McGillis.
"I have much to owe you, too." McGillis said.
"It's nothing. Mars is like my own backyard. Arranging a shuttle to bring you three up here is nothing to me. But, are you sure about this?" Todo asked.
"Those who reign are destined to be solitary. And solitude is freedom. You'll see my power can bring anything into submission now that I have freedom." McGillis explained.
Kenji and Lafter were both glaring at McGillis at this point.
"Good day then, sir. I wish you luck." Then Todo left the bridge and the ship altogether.
"Now you two, get into your Mobile Suits, I'll have this ship go on a collision course with one of the Arianrhod Halfbeak ships. Once it explodes, that's when you'll play your parts, and I will play mine." McGillis said.
The two pilots made their way to the hangar bay where Bael, Phoenix, and Lafter's Hekija were waiting.
"Kenji, I cannot believe you roped me into this." Lafter said to Kenji.
"Lafter, Akihiro ordered you to go with me, I didn't ask you." Kenji said.
"We'll be lucky if we get out of this mess alive." Lafter said.
The two of them got into their Mobile Suits and waited, they then felt the ship was moving. After a few minutes, McGillis arrived in the hangar to get into Bael.
Kenji was still waiting for the ship to start exploding, as crazy as that sounds. He looked at his Yin necklace, he hoped it wouldn't be the last time for him and thought about Almiria.
"Almiria... wait for me..." Kenji said.
Then Kenji heard McGillis was starting to monologue. "Rustal Elion. The battle over the hegemony of Gjallarhorn is in your favor now."
"Now Mac is giving a monologue out loud. Great..." Kenji felt a sudden impact and grabbed hold of the controls. "Game time."
"Let's do this." Lafter said.
"Yet." McGillis continued his monologue. "Under this situation... The world I really hoped for... I could grab it in my hand."
The ship exploded, Phoenix, Bael, and Hekija are all ready to fight.
"I'll show you, Rustal. A world of truth... which only pure power can create." McGillis said.
"Come and get us!" Kenji and Lafter yelled.
Meanwhile at the Fareed estate back on Earth…
Almiria was sitting on the couch while wearing her Tekkadan jacket. She stared at the bloodstained gloves she was holding, the same gloves she was wearing when McGillis stopped her from killing herself.
"Almiria." A voice said. "Almiria!"
Almiria looked up to see her father.
"You can't stay here forever. We must return to the Bauduin mansion." Gallus said.
"I will not." Almiria said.
"That man betrayed us! Are you saying you forgave him?" Gallus asked.
Almiria clenches the gloves. "I have not forgiven him."
This confused Gallus. "Then why...?"
Almiria stands up. "Yet! I am McGillis Fareed's wife."
"Almiria..." Gallus said.
"McGillis' sins are my sins. I will wait for my husband here. And atone for his sins together. And... it's not just him I'm waiting for..." Almiria said.
"Almiria. Are you referring to Kenji Hayabusa?" Gallus asked.
Almiria grabs her Yang necklace. "Yes. Even if Kenji hates Macky for what he did to me. He is still willing to help him if it means he can stay by my side. And I want him by my side." Then Almiria silently thought. "So Macky... Kenji... You two better come home to me alive."
Back in Mars' orbit...
Kenji and Lafter were engaged with the enemy, keeping Mobile Suits off of McGillis while he does most of the work fighting the Arianrhod Fleet. They were conserving their ammo as much as possible.
"There's so many of them!" Lafter complained.
"At least Mac is making the most kills, that gives us fewer enemies to face." Kenji said.
Then they saw Kimaris Vidar appear and attack Bael.
"Gaelio... whoa!" Kenji managed to dodge a few melee attacks, then he countered with his sword.
"Hey Kenji, what's going on? Why are all the Mobile Suits after us now?" Lafter asked.
"Mac is engaged in combat with Gaelio, that guy is really tough. I think the other Mobile Suits are trying to keep us from intervening." Kenji said.
"Didn't McGillis already said not to interfere?" Lafter asked.
"Yeah, he did. But they didn't get the memo..." Kenji said.
The two of them kept fighting back at the entire Mobile Suit force, but eventually, both Phoenix and Hekija ran out of ammo. They switched to their melee weapons instead and charged at their enemies. After a few minutes of nonstop melee fighting that felt like hours, they both saw Bael getting pinned to the hull of Rustal's flagship and Kimaris stabbing it with a broken drill bit. Bael and Kimaris then flew into one of the hangar bays of the ship, causing an explosion.
Kenji was silent for a minute before he spoke. "I think Gaelio just won."
"Is that good or bad for us?" Lafter asked.
Kenji looked around and noticed the Mobile Suit squads have stopped attacking them, they are just standing by with their guns pointed at them.
"They stopped attacking us. But I need to make sure Mac is still alive." Kenji tried to contact McGillis.
"Mac!" Kenji yelled into his communicator. "Answer me! Are you okay?"
"Kenji?" McGillis was breathing heavily. "I'm still alive..."
"Are you injured?" Kenji asked.
"A piece of metal is in my side..." McGillis answered.
"Oh god! Tell me where you are! I can use Phoenix to bust right through the hull and get you out!" Kenji demanded.
"No. Not yet..." McGillis answered. "I still need to kill Rustal..."
"Don't tell me you're going over to the bridge right now to shoot him yourself!" Kenji yelled. "You're probably losing a lot of blood! I need to get you out and keep you alive!"
"Not yet, Kenji. Just a little more..." McGillis said. "And the world I've aimed for..."
"Don't you get it? It's over!" Kenji said. "It was over the moment we lost that battle over Earth! Don't be stupid!"
"The doors of that world are almost... almost about to open." McGillis said.
"I promised Almiria to bring you back alive! Don't make a liar of out me!" Kenji then heard some noises from McGillis' end. "Mac? What's going on? Say something. Mac. Mac!"
After a few seconds, Kenji heard McGillis' voice. "Gaelio!" Followed by a gunshot and the sound of clanging metal.
"What? Gaelio? What happened? Say something!" Kenji demanded, but the transmission was cut.
After a few tense minutes of waiting, they get a call, from Gaelio Bauduin. They both answer the call.
"Gaelio? What happened? Where's Mac?" Kenji asked.
"McGillis is dead, I just killed him..." Gaelio said.
Kenji needed a moment to take in the news, he wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad. "I promised Almiria to bring him back alive..."
"It's good that you are very loyal to her, that's why I must ask both you and your friend to surrender. Surrender, and I will ensure that you are both taken in alive. Please, do this for Almiria's sake." Gaelio pleaded.
"Kenji, this could be our way out." Lafter said.
Kenji took a deep breath after a minute. "Fine, but you better not backstab us."
Kenji and Lafter then fired their ceasefire signal flare.
"Thank you, now just follow the Mobile Suits to one of the available Hangars." Gaelio ended the call.
The two of them did so, hopefully, they aren't letting themselves into a trap.
