Chapter 4: The Call to Destiny

Marshall Reeves, the head Delegate assigned from the L1 Colony Cluster, was elated at this turn of events. The arrival of the Alien Armada was sending all of Humanity into a downward spiral, just the kind of environment he needed to fulfill his plan.

He rested his chin on the tops of his folded fists, he was in what he had liked to call his Inner Sanctum. Namely, his office in space. The scene behind him was one of beauty, the Earth in all it's blue and green glory portrayed against a black field dotted with stars. It was possibly the best view of space to be had in the entire L1 Colony Cluster, the man, unlike some of his peers, took full advantage of being the Representative to the Earth Sphere United Nation. He was, though it was unknown to most public interests, the man with the most power and influence in all the Colonies, most of which he wielded behind the scenes. Possibly the richest Delegate of the entire republic of the Earth Sphere, no one knew any of it. If there was anything that Marshall Reeves enjoyed most, it was his privacy.

But he was ecstatic about this turn of events, indeed. He had been planning on somehow disrupting the field of power held by Relena Peacecraft, and this was the most perfect chance he could possibly have. Not to mention that he had an excuse for military buildup in his Colony Cluster......

Things were perfect. After he dealt with that pesky Alien fleet coming, he could turn his attentions to the Earth Sphere United Nation.

United. What a joke.
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The deck of Howard's scavenging ship was dead quiet, as were the seas about them. Not a single wave or overactive current were to be found, it was almost eerie. Most of the crewmen were below deck, talking quietly in the recreation room, or reflecting in whatever space they could be alone. If anyone had bothered to check, they would have discovered that it was much the same all over Earth. The Colonies were a bit different, people were more outspoken about their feelings there then on the Homeworld, but the overall mood was maintained. It was as if a premature day of grieving had begun.

Or it simply could have been a preparation for the battle that was to come. But sooner than that, a war of the words was to take place. Ironically, this argument would be just as important as many other events of the past few days, and would be the deciding factor of the turn of events for days to come.

Hilde Schbeiker jacket closer against her skin, she was unused to weather out at sea. She turned to look at the now dwindling form of the chopper above, still feeling the heat of the vertical afterburners on her face. She turned to take a quick look around, hoping against hope that she was lucky enough to encounter Howard or one of the few crewmen first, for some reason she was reluctant to do what she had come here for.

Today was not Hilde's lucky day.

Across the deck, leaning against the small rail that was the only thing between him and the ocean beneath him, Duo Maxwell stared at her, his jaw seeming to touch the floor. Despite the gravity of her purpose here, she giggled like a schoolgirl. Duo was a good friend, and she had hoped to surprise him, anyway.

Despite that, he didn't move from his position at the rail, still leaning against it. She knew that posture. That was the patented Duo-Maxwell-Sit-Back-And-Relax/Reflect on How Life Blows posture. Even at the age of twenty, the man still wore his priestly garments. She knew he wasn't she'd have to ask him about that someday. Slowly, almost shyly, she made her way to him, stopping a few feet in front of him.

"Hi, Duo."

At this point, Duo realized his mouth was still open, and closed it in a hurry.

"Hilde?! What are you doing here? How did you find me? What....where...?" He seemed genuinely confused.

Again, she giggled, tossing her hair back before answering.

"You are not Heero, Duo. Once I wanted to find you, it only took about two days, and a few favors. What, a girl's gotta be a Gundam pilot to track down her favorite boy toy?"

Duo blushed at that, while glaring at her. At least he was still easy to bother. For her, anyway.

But, like everything else, the mirthful moment passed, and Duo's face took on the expression of one haunted. His single blonde braid lay behind him, over the railing, his arms folded across his chest, one knee bent, and his face grew dark, his jaw taking that stubborn and serious set to it.

"We both know you aren't here to chit-chat, Hilde. What do you want?"

She sighed, it couldn't be put off any longer, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere, Duo?"

He arched a single brow, as if he knew the meaning, but didn't want to hear it. "Somewhere?"

"Like maybe with Zecchs and the Preventers?"

His face grew darker, if that was possible. She sighed inwardly, this was not going to be easy.

"Why, pray tell, would I have reason to be there?"

At that, Hilde jerked her head in a motion to the sky, meaningfully, and she became a bit flustered.

"I don't know, maybe a silly little thing like One and half Million Alien warships heading towards us?"

The hard set of his jaw seemed to crack a little, but he only became more stubborn.

"It has nothing to do with me."

"Nothing to do with you? Nothing to do with you?! Duo, this has everything to do with you and everybody else!"

He stared into her eyes, so hard she almost looked away. But she didn't.

"I've done my share, Hilde. You of all people should know that. One more Mobile Suit pilot wouldn't make a difference, not with what they face. I just want to stay where I am."

This sentence almost broke Hilde's heart. It was true, if Fate dealt out shares, Duo had done enough for a few of them.

"Duo, I'm sorry you feel that way. But it isn't about you. It's about the people that need you, up there and down here."

"Why would they need me?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

"People look to you Gundam pilots for hope, Duo. Five years ago, when everything was turned upside down on it's head, you were the only people who knew what to do, the only ones who made the right stand, the right choice. If you abandon them now, you'll have done all that for nothing."

Duo finally broke his stare, looking dejectedly at the floor.

"It was all for nothing, Hilde. Don't you see? We're all going to be destroyed, conquered, enslaved, whatever those damn aliens want to do with us. There is no hope, not with what we have now."

Again, her heart almost snapped, but she refused to give up on this.

"So you're just going to give up?!"

He seemed startled by the volume of her voice, and his head jerked back up, an unreadable expression on his face. She continued, not giving him the chance to say anything:

"Just like that, huh? Two years of constant fighting, back then. Trial after trial, and in the end, you won, despite the odds. And now, you're just going to give it up?! No, Duo, that's not the Duo I know."

His face twisted in an expression of despair. "The Duo you know is gone, Hilde. I've grown up."

"Don't give me that! You haven't grown up, you're just feeling sorry for yourself!" She outright screamed this at him, and he looked even more dejected. This wasn't working.... She spoke up in a quieter tone, but one that pierced through him as sharp as a knife:

"Listen, Duo. The people out there don't need another wimp, right now. They need heroes. Like it or not, you have the strength, skill, and the obligation to do this. No one else can do it, Duo, everyone else is weak. Whether you like it or not, you must. I know I'll be out there, I'll be fighting. Because it's the right thing to do, Duo."

With that, she turned around, not ready to hear anymore. She stormed off, to where, she knew not, it was not like she could get away from Duo on a ship in the middle of the Pacific. But he didn't try to stop her, only let her go. She headed below deck, intent on finding Howard, the old man was good at calming people down.

Behind her, Duo stared, in shock.

The right thing to do.......
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The Preventer Mobile Suit Simulation Room was more full than it had ever been. There was a line to use the Taurus and Leo machines, something unprecedented in the room. Most pilots were revolted by simulations, instead preferring the hands-on expertise of piloting the mobile suits in the Training arenas. Those, however, were currently already full, and here yet more people were training, in any way they possibly could. The Preventers might be nervous, but they were a family, they would fight together, as one. They would die together if necessary, they had fought for a greater purpose, the high ideals of the Earth Sphere United Nation. Now, they fought for it's very survival.

Lady Une smiled gently from where she stood near the officer's exit of the room. She was proud of them, they were rising to the occasion as best they could. This was not enough, surely, if they were to do battle with the aliens they would need a lot more than this group. But for now, no matter how dire the outcome looked, their determination and heart made her proud. It made it seem like this was enough.

On the giant vid-screen on the southwest wall, the real time video of a battle was taking place. The competitors were again Wufei and Zecchs, piloting Altron and Tallgeese, respectively. Their battle was more fierce, more desperate, than any they had ever displayed over the course of the years, and for a moment Lady Une was concerned for their safety. She quickly dismissed that, however. They were veterans, they knew what they were doing. But despite the ferocity and majesty of the battle on the screen, no one watched. They were all too absorbed in their own preparation to worry about the skill of anyone else. Admirable.

All the preparation in the world wouldn't be enough, but she was glad for it, just the same.

She ran her eyes over the room, startled as always to notice how young most of those present were. They were all boys, the oldest of them being maybe nineteen, if even that. Nowadays, combat was instilled at a younger age, the success of the Gundam pilots had been a testament to that practice.

Briefly, she wondered how many parents would be child-less in a few days.

The thought terrified her, so she pushed it out of her mind. She had a unit to command, and though many might, and in all likelihood, die, she would be sure that the cause of their premature deaths was a fault in training, or lack of dedication. It was the best way to honor Mr. Treize's memory, so she had little choice, if she was to be a living example of his beliefs.

Still, quietly, she said a silent prayer.
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Marameiya Khushrenada cried out in protest, not the first time this hour. Dorothy smiled at her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I have to go, Mara. I'm needed."

The two of them stood in the airlock of two adjoined ships, a cargo freighter. The half to the right would be returning to Earth, the one left would be on it's way to the L3 Colony Cluster. It had been a trial to even find a freighter going out this far, the L3 Colony Cluster would be the first thing the alien's massive armada would reach when it arrived on the Earth Sphere. Needless to say, ships bound for that destination were few and far between. People who wanted to leave even had trouble, all those with any kind of interstellar transport had used it long ago, within a few hours of Relena Peacecraft's initial broadcast. Dorothy needed to get on this flight, it was the only way she could reach the Cluster in time.

Mara's bottom lip stuck out stubbornly. It was amazing how childish the girl could be, even with a mind greater than that of most adults.

"I want to go with you!"

Dorothy smiled again, resting a hand on the child's shoulder. "Not this time, Mara. I couldn't possibly take you into what is going to be the first Battlezone of this War. Don't worry, I've left a message, when you arrive back in Brussels Ms. Relena will pick you up and take care of you while I'm away."

This didn't seem to appease the girl any. It just appeared to make her even more upset. But she said nothing, instead looking at her friend with an expression of childlike anguish. Dorothy kneeled down until she and the daughter of Treize Khushrenanda were face to face, and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll be back within the week, Mara. Be good for Ms. Relena, okay?"

The girl scoffed at that, but after a stern look from Dorothy, nodded. At that moment, red lights around both hatches of the tube lighted, and sirens started blaring. A voice called from the cockpit of the ship on the right:

"Hurry up, ladies! Takeoff in two minutes!"

Marameiya then did something completely unexpected, by either of them. She threw her arms around Dorothy's shoulders, and hugged her fiercely. Despite the words of Dorothy, they both knew that there was a large risk involved here, one that was entirely dependent on the nature of her task. Reluctantly, Mara let go, and took a few step backwards into her side. Dorothy followed suit, and the chamber disconnected. They were left staring at each other as the space between them grew, and finally, dwindled to nothing as the stars filled the viewport.

Dorothy Catalonia pressed a hand to the window, resting her head against the glass. She had a job to do, one that Mr. Treize had entrusted to her, one that she could not fail in. It had been his last request, and no matter what, she had to fulfill this, if she had ever had any respect for that great man. She just hoped she would see Mara again, and soon. She and the girl had begun to develop a bond, a mutual understanding and affection, and she didn't want to lose that.

And the two of them would see each other again, although not soon, and in circumstances that would have been better being avoided at all costs.
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Howard watched Hilde closely in the crowded compartment that was the "Bridge" of the scavenging ship. More like a room with monitors spread sporadically, and the only steering mechanism on the ship, but it was the closest thing they had to one. The girl before him held a mug of coffee, and seemed very troubled. She had bursted in on Howard while he had been going over the inventory about an hour ago, and subsequently, she had confessed her feelings and the nature of her conversation with Duo to him. Howard knew that there was little he could say that would help, so he kept his peace, only offering her a drink and a few moment's rest.

As she brought the mug up to her lips to take another sip, the hatch opened. Howard turned to see Duo walk in.

Something was wrong.

He knew it from the boy's entire posture. His head was bent down, he was looking at the floor, even as he walked inside, into the bridge he knew by heart. His normal, confident stride was gone, in it's stead was a slow and hesitant walk. The shadows of the poorly lit bridge room cast the man's face in eerier shadows, making him seem darker already then he had. There was a small mini-disc case in his hand.

In a voice quiet, deadly quiet, but carrying an undercurrent of resignation, or maybe determination, Howard wasn't sure, Duo spoke:

"I need you to build something, Howard."

That in itself was not an unusual request, the boy asked for relatively small things to be constructed from the materials of the wrecks they had been to rather frequently. But something in his tone of voice....

".......sure, Duo. What is it?"

Saying no more, Duo only pressed the mini-disc case into Howard's hand. Then, the enigmatic boy turned, and walked just as quietly from the room as he had came. When he was gone, the girl looked at him, her face full of curiosity. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't intrigued, so he turned the case over in an attempt to get a good look at it's label. He did, and immediately wished he hadn't. Hilde gave a small gasp of shock, and the two of them were quiet for a long time afterwards. Howard didn't want this, but if he needed to, he needed to.

The label on the case was rather straightforward, and written in simple black marker:

"DEATHSCYTHE HELL" CONSTRUCTION PLANS
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Zecchs Merquise sat quietly as his desk in the Commander's office room of Preventer HQ. He had returned from his training session with Wufei a few minutes earlier; the somber young man was still out there practicing. Zecchs had deigned to quit the battle for the day, he needed time to think, and to lay out their strategy. The lives of a race were resting on his shoulders. It was a burden he abhorred, but one that had rested on him before, and one that he tolerated.

The image of Noin forced it's way into his mind, despite his attempt at concentration. He devoted all his willpower to push it away, he didn't need this, not right now. The woman was something special, but if Zecchs was too distracted, or failed, the chance for him to discover what they truly felt for each other would be gone, just the same. No distractions.

At his moment if quiet conflict, a sharp rapping could be heard on the wooden door directly across the expanse before him.

"Come in," said Zecchs in that noble, commanding tone he had mastered so well.

A young blonde haired boy entered, looking rather sheepish. His name tag read "Slade", which Zecchs did not really take into consideration. The name of one trainee was unimportant compared to the task before him.

Not wasting precious moments for the boy to gather up his courage enough to speak, Zecchs took the initiative.

"What is it?"

The boy's sheepish manner seemed to disappear at the commanding tone, his back arched a bit straighter, and his eyes focused. It was as if he had turned into a soldier merely on that one interrogative of his. A good trait in warriors, and found within most of the higher echelons of the Preventers, but within a trainee? That was strange....

"Sir, Lady Une had sent me with a message. Three ships have pulled away from the formation of the Alien Fleet and increased their speed. At this rate, and their current trajectory, they will reach the L3 Colony Cluster in approximately 5 hours."

This was not welcome news. Zecchs had depended on having three weeks to go over mass battle tactics with his soldiers, but it seemed Fate was not so forgiving. Three warships? With the size of those monsters, he would need every Preventer he could muster, depending if they had smaller combat units inside, or not, there was no way to tell, really. There was only one real decision, so Zecchs made it without thinking twice, something he would regret later.

"Tell the Lady to put all of HQ on full mobilization. I need as many Mobile Suit carriers as she can procure. The Preventers will be there when the aliens arrive."

"Yes, sir." the enigmatic boy turned and practically marched from the room, also an unlikely trait in a trainee. However, Zecchs was too busy with his decision making to take anymore notice of the boy's strange behavior.

L3 Colony Cluster. He was certain that there would be the first battle of only an upcoming War. It would be the deciding place, it would give him information on the enemy's capabilities and tactics. Three ships, it was as if they wanted to be tested...

No matter. He had a mobile suit to prepare, Tallgeese III.

Time for battle.
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Everything was dark, and muddled. His senses seemed to be coming alive, albeit slowly. A sharp twist of pain tore through his right side, and he winced. Flexing his muscles experimentally as his vision slowly returned, he came up to a sitting position. Whatever was beneath him, was hard and unforgiving as a bed.

And then his vision, as well as his memory returned, and he immediately wished it hadn't.

The room he was in was a dark purple, the surfaces seemed to glow with a kind of radiance he had never witnessed in normal metal. The entire room was bare except for the hard metal shelf beneath him, and a viewport to the side. It was the sight from the viewport that made him wish he was blind again, or preferably dead.

A million black warships, bristling with weaponry, blocking out the stars. And they were very, very close.

It was at this point that Earth Sphere United Nation Private Akira Tomino realized two simple things:

His attack had failed miserably, and he was on an alien spacecraft.

And two, he was in really deep shit.
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