DISCLAIMER: As we all know, Gundam Wing does not belong to me, nor do the characters other than Kumi Yuy and Sette Devion. Give me some credit, here! :^)
Warnings: Lots of violence!
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 13: The Strong and the Fragile
with help from Snodin, Traci 14 and Stormy
Heero was flying off towards his first drop-off. It was a Preventer craft still a good three days off. Once there, he would replenish the necessities that would be wearing thin by then...Sleep, food, water and more weaponry. While he hadn't come into any struggles or battles, simply flying alone was really starting to bother him. He sighed deeply and lied back in his cockpit. Looking to the controls, he looked to the picture that he always kept there.
It was the picture of the Wing pilot and Duo, on the beach of their home the night that they admitted their feelings. It was sunset and Trowa had used the American's camera to take the shot. It was the first picture that Heero was in where he had a genuine smile, a small smile, but a smile none the less. The Japanese pilot gently ran his fingers over the picture after removing it from its home on the panel. He studied Duo's features, years younger in the photo, but it brought back warm, happier thoughts than what was running through him now...alone.
The 'Heart of Outer Space's' thoughts were interrupted when she sound of a signal coming though his transmitter beeped him into harsh reality. "Heero Yuy? Do you copy?" a male voice chimed in. Heero sat up and replied, "This is Heero Yuy." The other voice came back, "This is Commander Wilcox of the Preventer ship Pulsar. I am sending you our coordinates now. We will actually be your first drop-off point since the original craft is further than we first suspected." Heero responded, "Understood." Once the coordinates were sent, he flew off to Pulsar.
An hour later, the Wing pilot landed in the hanger of Pulsar and was greeted by Commander Wilcox, the man who first warned the Gundam pilots and Preventers of Capricorn when it was seen shooting towards Peace Million. The man smiled to the young pilot and shook his hand. "Heero, it's an honor to meet you. Welcome to Pulsar." The two of them walked out into the halls of the massive ship. It was much bigger than Peace Million and it had a very impressive layout. Heero took in the surroundings as his eyes scanned all around while he walked with the Commander.
Heero asked, "Any word from the other pilots at this time?" Wilcox shook his head, "Not yet. The connection beyond the Milky Way is difficult to control. Even if your friends on were able to send something, the chances of us receiving it are slim to none. We do, however, know what is going on from Jupiter to Saturn, with countless carrier and crew members spread out." The Japanese pilot nodded and looked around the ship again.
The Commander continued, "We have a soldier who will be traveling with you from place-to-place, seeing that all is well with your missions." Heero stopped and looked to the older man. "You man a bodyguard?" he asked deeply, irritated at just the thought of that. Wilcox laughed and shook his head, "You have no need for a bodyguard. I wish you could stay and guard Pulsar." They had reached the door to a small meeting room and entered. The room was deserted and the door closed behind them.
"She should be here any moment," Wilcox smiled as he stood in waiting. "She?" Heero asked quietly, surprised at this statement. No sooner had he said this than the doors opened again. A woman at the age of her late thirties walked in. She was Japanese and had straight, dark hair that fell just beyond her shoulders. The soldier's build was slender, but she stood at a good height, just a few inches shorter than the Wing pilot who stood at 5'8" now. Her brown eyes were friendly as she looked to him. She smiled and offered her hand. Heero took it, looking to the lovely woman with an awkward glance. The woman was very pretty, though that was not anything that Heero was paying attention to. The fact that this woman was to be working closely with him was still something that he didn't understand.
Wilcox introduced, "Heero Yuy, this is Sera Makato." Sere continued to smile and nodded to the young pilot. "It is nice to meet you, Heero," she said gently is a soothing voice. Heero nodded, "Sera." The Commander wrapped an arm around Makato's shoulders and said, "Sera, here, it my best soldier and one of my close friends. She will be the one to update you on any changes in the missions that you are to take part in. She is the one who can translate any misread signals and warnings that have difficulty in getting through clearly. So, she will be your eyes and ears when no one else can be. Sera will only fight when needed, and not any other time. Fighting is primarily your job." Heero looked to him and nodded, "I understand now. Thank you, Commander."
"Take care of her, Heero," Wilcox smiled, but said with a bit of a serious tone. "Sera is a great asset and an even better person." Sere almost blushed and gently pushed the man away from her. "Commander," she chuckled and shook her head. Heero smirked inwardly at the gesture and Wilcox laughed again. He informed the Wing pilot, "I am going to prepare the supplies you'll need to get to your next drop off. More than likely, you'll meet resistance from OZ and we want to see that you have everything you need." Heero replied, "I'll return to the hanger and watch over Wig Zero, then." At this, he turned and walked out of the room.
"So that's the infamous Heero Yuy," Makato grinned to the Commander when they were alone again. Wilcox nodded, "Yes, mam. Pilot of Wing Zero and one of the Gundam pilots responsible for the end to the first two wars." Sera took her reports and walked to the door with her commander. "This is going to be interesting, to say the least. I never thought that I would be working with a Gundam pilot before, let alone Heero Yuy." Wilcox said with assurance, "You'll be fine. I wouldn't have assigned you to this task if I didn't think that you were right for it." Makato was humbled and replied, "Thank you for having such faith in me, Justin." The pair walked off to where the supplies were being prepared before taking them to the hanger.
* * * * * *
Quatre looked to Colony H7 from the window of the Preventer ship where General Churchill was waiting. The Preventer walked to the blonde pilot and informed him, "We have the men ready for the attack when you are...I don't know how you knew that there was trouble, but I have received word recently that Sette is being held in her castle." Quatre replied, "We don't have much time. We have to move now, or we'll be too late." "Before you rush off," the kind soldier warned, "You need to be aware that the people of H7 do have their own mobile suits. They're not the peace-loving colony that L4 once was." The Arabian understood and gave a timid nod.
The door to the room they stood in opened and a young Preventer entered. Churchill smiled to the blonde, who continued to look out the window. "I believe that this soldier is a friend of yours." Hearing this, Quatre turned to the young man that entered. His uncertain face turned into a warm, welcoming one as he smiled, "Derek." Sure enough, it was the same soldier that befriended Catherine weeks prior to now.
Derek Anderson smiled and nodded to his friend, "Good to see you again, Quatre." They shook hands. "I came as soon as I heard that Sette was in trouble. I've worked under General Churchill before, so I thought that you could use help from a familiar face." The Arabian nodded back, "Thank you. I do appreciate it." Churchill looked to Derek and informed him, "You'll be in charge of the Preventers that leave with you for this rescue." Derek saluted, "Yes, sir."
Looking to Quatre, the General asked, "You are aware of the location of the passage that will lead you to the heart of the Colony?" The blonde pilot answered, "Yes." "Very well. Your suit has been secured with by my troops that are waiting on H7 for you. The craft that will take you there is ready when you are." Quatre shook the General's hand and smiled, "Thank you again, for everything, General." "Just get through this alive," the older man replied. "You pilots are the best chance we have at defeating OZ again. Good luck." At this, the kind General walked out of the room.
The Preventer smiled and shrugged to the Arabian. Quatre sighed in relief to him, "You came all this way just to help us?" Derek said sincerely, "Like I said before, any friends of Catherine's are friends are mine. I'll do whatever I can to help all of you." The Arabian smiled, "It's good to have you on our side. Friends like you are hard to come across." There was a brief pause between the two young men before Derek stated, "We better get out while the getting's good. From when I understand, there are OZ troops heading for the Colony. They're a good day's journey away, but it's not anything that I want to take a chance with." At the mention of the approaching OZ soldiers, Quatre's eyes widened. He looked to the Preventer and nodded his understanding. Without saying anything further, the young men ran off to the hanger.
* * * * * *
On Earth, a large courthouse that fell miles from where the Weatherall castle once stood was filled with officials from all around the planet. One man, dressed in a gray suit with stern features over his thirty-year-old face looked to the large assembly from the podium in the center of the room. The people were loudly talking amongst themselves, as they had been for weeks now. There was a grave issue as to what should be done with the Earth and the people there.
One of the assembly members stood and asked over the commotion, "Are you certain that this is the last resource? Don't you think that this is a sign of weakness?" The man at the podium shook his head, "On the contrary, this will be the defining movement that will prove just how powerful we are. Is there any other choice that you can come to?" The man who rose to ask the question replied, "No...There is not." At this, he sat down again. The talk amongst those present started again. After a moment to allow some discussion, the man in the gray suit with his thin, brown hair and brown eyes raised a hand and announced, "We are all in agreement as to what needs to be done, then?"
There was a still silence in the room at this question. Many of the officials looked to each other, others lowered their heads and others still nodded from their seats. Soon, everyone geld up a bright green card, revealing their votes. Not one red card was to be seen among the hundred-and-fifty present. The young man look around the room and took a note. Finally, he smiled and nodded, "Then it is decided."
* * * * * *
It was mid-afternoon and the castle stood still and tall as always. The people of the city were carrying on as they normally would on this dark, cloudy day. (Most of the Colonies now had a system that could change the weather in the atmosphere so that they would get rain and wind when they needed.) Suddenly, a loud siren rang throughout the city as several Preventer Taurus suits were seen approaching the town. The people looked up in terror when they saw the suits break through the dark blanket of clouds. Everyone ran and screamed as they fled the streets, taking cover wherever they could.
The suits that appeared were not after them, but the castle as they began as all-out assault there. Inside, Duke Vale, Foreign Minister Kirkland and Representative Frantz were in the main gathering room, the same where they captured Sette. As the sounds of the siren, the three men ran to the window. The sights and sounds of the attack came in a flash. They looked to the scene rather calmly. Frantz shrugged, "It will take a lot more than what they have to bring this castle down." His partners agreed as they watched silently. The royal guards now went out in their own mobile suits to block the assault.
In her cell, Sette awoke from her nap with a start as the commotion outside startled her. She looked to the high, small window near the ceiling. She just barely made out a few mobile suits battling and recognized the deep green Taurus suits to belong to the Preventers. [1] The tomboy's eyes widened in hope that this was her chance of escaping her prison. Sette heard the shouting and running of the guards in the hallway beyond her door and knew that this would prove to be quite interesting.
Outside, Derek flew his deep green Taurus suit towards the castle, seeming as though his goal was to ham it at great speed. The guards firing lasers at the top of the castle saw the suit flying right their way and fled, screaming. The Taurus suit pulled up at the last second, taking the lasers out as it passed. Just as the suit pulled up, a small craft meant for only one person came from behind and landed on the top of the burning roof. The Taurus suit landed with him and Derek jumped out. The hatch to the small craft opened and Quatre jumped out as he and Derek began shooting the guards that ran from their posts as they ran back to shoot them. The explosions from the lasers killed most of them off, and there were very few for them to worry about.
The last guard that continued to fire soon ran out of bullets and ran from the pilots. Derek was too quick as he ran up from behind and twisted his neck. The body fell limp in his arms as the Arabian ran up to him. "I have to get back to the fight with the other Preventers," Derek shouted over the sounds of the battle. "You take care of Sette. I make sure you're both covered when you're out of the castle." Quatre nodded and Derek ran back to his suit. Quatre looked to the dead royal guard. The dead man's face was hidden well under the black cap that was part of the black uniform. Quatre took the soldier from under the arms and began to drag him inside the doorway leading to one of the stairwells of the castle.
Derek took off again and went back to slicing through the royal guards in their suits that worked to keep the Preventers at bay. Derek said quietly to himself in his cockpit, "There are a lot more of these guys than I thought there would be." Using his beam cannon, he shot through two Leos. The Preventer wiped some sweat from his brow. "There'll be more of these soldiers before too long if we keep this up." Derek continued to fight with as much fury and fire as the Gundam pilots themselves, determined to see that his friends lived through this ordeal and returned back safely.
* * * * * *
Quatre had made good use of the dead soldier's uniform as he was able to sneak through the castle without being suspected of being an intruder. He was quick in covering the castle from top to bottom in the midst of the confusion within the structure. Finally, he found his way to the cells where the prisoners were held. It took the Arabian a moment to know where Sette was being held. It was the only door being guarded even with the battle raging outside.
It did not take long for the two guards to know that the soldier that approaching was not one of them. He was not anyone that they recognized, even with the cap covering most of his face. "HOLD IT!" one of the guards shouted as he and the other young man pulled their guns at the same time as the young pilot making his way to the door. "I don't want to hurt you," Quatre said quietly, yet stern enough to make an impact of the royal guards. "Bull shit!" the second guard cried and he pulled his trigger. Quatre pulled his trigger first, however, and managed to get out of the stray bullet's path. The guard fell in a bloody heap with a bullet through the heart that passed through his back. The other guard looked in frozen terror.
When his shock wore off, he turned to the blonde that still had their gun aimed at him. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he screamed and was prepared to shoot the pilot. A bulled to the neck silenced him just before he could pull his trigger and he fell just beside his partner. Quatre removed his hat. His face was pale as he looked to the dead soldiers. Falling to his knees, the Arabian caught his breath and wiped the sweat that coated his face. No longer able to look to the men that he killed, Quatre turned to the door that the men stood guard over, replacing the cap again.
Inside the cell, Sette was sitting in a far corner, unable to make out anything that was going on. The sounds of the struggle outside was far too loud to hear anything else. Suddenly, a gun shot off the lock of the door that held her. A young guard entered with damp, short blonde hair, wisps of it coming from under the black cap of the uniform. Sette looked to the guard with uncertainty. When the young man removed his cap, her eyes widened and she gasped, "Quatre!"
The blue-haired pilot flew into his arms in a split second, and held onto him tight. Quatre smiled warmly and breathed a deep sigh of relief as he held onto her in a tight embrace. Sette choked back a sob and the embrace finally broke. The Arabian asked gently, "Are you all right?" Sette nodded, "I'm fine now." The blonde looked to the torn, blood-covered dress that the princess had on. His face instantly turned to show ever greater concern for the other pilot. The tomboy shook her head, "It's not my blood." She was not prepared to discuss the situation any further and suggested, "We better get going." Quatre snapped from his daze and nodded.
As much as the pilots wanted to spend more time alone, they were aware that they had a mission that they needed to accomplish. Quatre handed Sette a gun of her own and they ran through the halls together. Two guards spotted them and began firing at the pair. Quatre and Sette replied with gunfire right back, taking cover behind the stone pillars in the hallway. The tomboy took out one of the guards with a bullet to the chest and the other way picked off by a bullet to the head from the Arabian.
* * * * * *
Duke Vale, Frantz and Kirkland were all together in the main meeting room of the castle when the voice of a guard game over the radio that was sitting in the middle of the long table. "Duke Vale, Sette has escaped from the castle along with a friend of hers." Vale shouted, "WHAT!?!" He took the hand-held radio and yelled, "What the hell have all of you been doing to stop them!?!" The guard replied, "Sir, there are too many Preventers supporting them. We weren't prepared for this sort of attack." Kirkland nodded and said calmly, "We all believed that if this was to happen, it would involve an attack from a Gundam, not an attack within our walls like this."
Vale growled loudly and ordered into the radio. "Don't let those that girl or her friend out of your sights. Follow them to wherever they're headed since it's most likely to a Gundam suit." "We have that covered, sir," the soldier replied as he and the other soldiers took to their mobile suits.
* * * * * *
With the help of the Preventers, the Gundam pilots made a quick escape through the castle. Derek looked to his monitor in time to see them head to the forest. He announced over his monitors, "I have visual that the pilots have made their way out. All troops cover them as they make their way to Unit 04." His comrades received the message and flew off to see that there was no resistance against the Arabian or the princess. Quatre and Sette continued to run through the foliage in the midst of the fight. Too many times for their comfort, they would just miss getting hit by a stray laser or bomb of some sort.
Finally, they were well into the forest and made it to a large opening with a hill in the center. Quatre grabbed his partner's wrist, saying, "Wait right here." At that, he ran ahead of her. The princess watched with wide eyes as the blonde pilot worked away the green net camouflage that appeared to be the large hill. He jumped into his cockpit when he was able to open the hatch. Sette beamed as she watched the massive 'hill' rise. The rest of the camouflage was removed as Sand Rock's large hands ripped it off. Sette laughed loudly and shouted up to the pilot, "GOD, I LOVE YOU!" The right hand of the Gundam was lowered to her and she jumped on. The tomboy jumped into the cockpit and onto Quatre's lap as he strapped them both in and closed the hatch again.
Sand Rock rose through over the tree tops and one of the soldiers working under Vale shouted, "THERE'S A GUNDAM SUIT!" His comrades froze along with their suits at the sight. The Preventers shouted and cheered as the suit joined them in their fight. Most of the royal guards flew off in retreat, but many others braved the opponent. They dropping like flies as the forces against them were far too great now.
When he saw that there was a chance to move on, Quatre announced to the Preventers, "We're moving on with the mission. We'll meet you back at the ship." Derek nodded and ordered the other Preventers, "You heard him, guys. Let's move." At that, he led the charge through the sky. Quatre's suit shot the opposite way as it plowed through the ground. One of the soldiers who managed to stay alive and witness turned pale instantly and screamed through his system, "OH SHIT! THEY'RE HEADING TO THE HEART OF H7!" He turned to his remaining comrades and shouted, "MOVE YOUR ASSES, ALL OF YOU!" He shot off quickly through the hole that the Gundam made with the others right behind him.
Quatre and Sette plowed to the hidden tubing that would lead to the heart of H7. The journey was a high-speed roller-coaster ride as Sand Rock shot through the twists and turns with ease. Back in the castle, Vale, Kirkland and Frantz were biting their nails, holding their breath and staying on their toes, waiting to hear the situation. Knowing that the pilots were heading for the heart of the Colony, they could only hope- for their sakes- that whatever they intended would be stopped. Too afraid to imagine what was happening, they sat and stood in silence as they waited.
The Gundam's pilot managed to predict and maneuver through the obstacle course with ease as the girl in his lap watched ahead in silence, focusing on the mission at hand. This was to be her first step at getting revenge for the wrongs that had been done to her, her father, and her people. With that set in her mind, she glared ahead with narrow eyes and her teeth clenched. After several minutes, they finally reached the 'core' and Sand Rock had to be left behind due to the small opening that led to the heart.
The pilots jumped out of the Gundam and Sette told the Arabian, "I'll finish this." Quatre nodded and the tomboy ran off through the opening. After running and climbing through the remainder of tubing, Sette made it to the heart of H7. The pilot gasped and stared in awe for a moment at the large monitors and massive system that was responsible for the existence and functioning of the place she called home.
Once her daze wore off, Sette quickly went to the main database center in the control room. She looked to the main monitor and chuckled deeply as she turned the system on override. The system requested the password to direct the signal that would be sent out. The princes licked her lips and sneered, "Thank you, Destiny." She typed the code that Churchill had given her and watched as the program accepted the order immediately. The blue-haired pilot smiled brightly and sighed deeply, "One Colony down, six to go."
With a swift swipe across the controls, the young pilot completed her task and ended with the cover-up command. As if nothing happened, the database turned itself in its original mode, so no one other than the tomboy and her friends would know that something drastic had changed. Sette ran off again to return to Sand Rock.
* * * * * *
On Peace Million, Lady Une rose to her feet as she looked to the main monitor with wide eyes. The screen showed that a ring of colonies were charted to their signal. "We got H7!" she announced loudly with a wide smile. The Preventers in the room jumped from their seats as they cheered and clapped loudly. Some threw papers up like confetti and hugged each other as the celebration went on. Sally Poe was smiling from ear-to-ear as she placed a headset on and announced, "That gives us access to the Colonies spanning the axis from Mars to the Milky Way. That's fifty Colonies in total."
"Sette did it!" Relena cheered as her husband picked her up and spun her in his arms. Milliardo and Noin kissed and hugged tightly. Sally Poe typed at her computer and on the main monitor, the span of the signal was shaded in a pale blue ring, to let everyone on board know what territory was now covered and able to be contacted by the Preventers and the Gundams. She fell back in her seat and breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Nice work, Sette," she smiled to herself. The celebration in the control room, and on all of Peace Million continued.
Lady Une crossed her arms and snickered to Lieutenant Keiser, "Not bad for a Gundam pilot, ne?" Keiser closed his eyes and replied, "Hmph. They have a lot more ahead of them before we can say that they're really what they've been cracked up to be." He walked away as the head of the Preventers lowered her head and said quietly to herself, "You are right...They do have a long way to go yet." Looking to the celebration, she smiled again and said to herself, "At least we have something to celebrate for a change." She looked back to the monitor that showed the view of the galaxy, now with a pale blue ring of what they had won.
* * * * * *
Sette ran to Sand Rock, laughing and cheering the whole way. Quatre was waiting outside with wide open arms. They were soon filled as Sette jumped right into them and wrapped herself around the Arabian. "TAKE THAT OZ!" Sette cheered loudly as she landed on him. Quatre fell over since his balance was knocked off. The pair laughed and cheered on the ground. The blonde squeezed the princess and said, "Come on. We have to move." "Right," Sette nodded as they quickly got to their feet and climbed to Quatre's cockpit.
Again, Sette sat on the Arabian's lap again. No sooner had this happened than the soldiers how flew after them appeared. Sand Rock used sliced through the first two suits and shot past the remaining four before they had a chance to react. Quatre piloted the Gundam through the hidden coils of metal tubing for their escape. When they broke through the artificial surface of the Colony, they were back in space in a matter of minutes.
The soldiers who remained behind ran to the heart of the colony found no changes in the system, unaware that the program had been tampered with. It was a relief to the soldiers as they sighed and wiped the sweat from their brows. A soldier announced into his radio, "Duke Vale, they did not have time to do any harm to the system. There are no irregularities in the program and everything is still functioning as it should."
Vale nodded and replied, "Very good. See that the heart is watched over more closely over the next few hours. If there are any changes, I want to be informed immediately. The soldier answered, "Yes, sir." Vale growled and turned his radio off. Kirkland sneered, "Those children don't know who they're messing with. They'll be killed before this war ends."
"Do you really think that they left without tampering with the Colony's heart?" Frantz asked, more than skeptical. Kirkland replied with a huff, "Even if they dad, it couldn't possibly be anything that'll benefit them in the long run." Vale nodded, "Don't worry, Frantz. You are too wound-up to enjoy the fact that we've won this fight. We are the ones in power of H7 and the people believe that their only living heir to the thrown is a failure. Siding with OZ, we will rise victorious and share in the spoils that come with it."
"But with Sette gone, we have no offering to give to OZ in order to ally with them," Frantz remarked. Vale shook his head, chuckling deeply, "We already have an alliance with OZ. Saying that we were to offer Sette was just to get the people to side with us. Our agreement was signed with them at the beginning of the war. I just never told either of you." His friends looked to him with shocked glances. The Duke folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair.
Kirkland laughed and shook his head. "Well done, my friend. You managed to pull one over us," he smirked. Vale smiled and nodded with a satisfied look on his smug face. Frantz sighed deeply in relief, "I'm glad that I'm on your side." Vale pointed to him and replied, "Don't forget that. When this war is over and we have risen victorious with OZ, remember who led us there." "To you, Duke Vale," Frantz grinned as he raised a glass of wine that they had been drinking previous to the attack on the castle. "And to OZ and our victory in this war." The two council members raised their glasses of wind and clicked them together.
* * * * * *
Back in Sand Rock, Sette looked to her Colony through the Gundam's monitors as it disappeared while they flew off. She sighed deeply and rested her head against Quatre's chest over his heart. Her eyes closed as she was feeling the lack of sleep during her stay at H7 catching up. The tomboy's eyes opened only when she felt a hand gently stroking the top of her head. She looked up to see Quatre looking to her with concern. She smiled to him warmly and was rewarded with the same gesture. "Are you all right?" the Arabian asked quietly. Sette's smile faded, but she nodded and rested her head against his chest again.
"You did great back there," Quatre said gently. "Thank you," Sette whispered. She looked back to the screen that showed her Colony. There was almost nothing to see as it faded into the distance. Her eyes narrowed. "This is just the start...I'll be back...And I'll right the wrongs that have been committed," she vowed in a low, quiet growl. The Arabian managed to catch her words as he gave her a squeeze of assurance and finally found the courage to kiss his self-proclaimed girlfriend's forehead softly. He felt Sette tighten her arms around his waist and smiled as he rested his head on hers. He knew that Sette had been through a lot, but he didn't want to force her to tell him anything. Eventually, he would learn when happened while they were separated, at least he hoped.
Sette looked down to her dress and bare feet and chuckled loudly, "Man, I have to get out of this dress!" Quatre's eyes opened as wide as they could as he gasped loudly, "Sette!?!" He was blushing furiously and Sette laughed at his reaction. It was all too precious to see his shock and embarrassment. The female pilot kissed his cheek and laughed, "Oh, honey, I'm not THAT fast! I just meant that I need to get into my jean shorts, t-shirt, vest, sneakers...You know, clothes!"
The blonde pilot's blush faded a bit and he laughed hysterically at his overreaction. He grinned to the princess and whispered into her ear, "Good, because you'll need to save the other plan for our wedding night." Sette's eyes widened as she gave a large, playful gasp. "So when are we getting married!?!" she cried with enthusiasm as she held onto the young man with a death grip. Quatre coughed as he struggled in the lock on him. "Not for a while yet," he answered. "After the war would be a god idea," he chuckled. Sette huffed and crossed her arms as she glared at him. "Oh come on, beloved, stop teasing me." Quatre laughed again as the suit sped off through the stars.
* * * * * *
A half-hour later, The Preventers and pilots in the control room of Peace Million had concluded their celebration by now, but they all went on with their business with a lighter air about them. Lady Une and Sally Poe were the closest to the large monitor as they looked over notes and reports that they had gathered. "Lady Une," a Preventer called from his seat. "We are receiving some signal from the Earth. Instantly, Relena, Brain, Milliardo, Noin, Dorothy and Catherine's ears perked up as they heard this and turned their attention to the front of the room.
An image came onto the screen of every computer and monitor on Peace Million. A man of the age of thirty appeared on the screen. It was the same man who stood before the large assembly on the Earth. The channel managed to pass to every Colony and transmission in the galaxy. Brian looked to the huge monitor in the control room. "What the-" he whispered. The man on the screen cleared his throat and began, "For those of you do not know me, my name is Senator Reynolds, second in command under King and Queen Weatherall. I am here to address where the Earth stands at this point."
Relena walked to stand at her husband's side. They held hands and never took their eyes from the screen. Reynolds continued, "We, the people of Earth have been torn as to where we should turn to help..." Kumi looked to her monitor with the senator's image as she watched and listened closely, still flying out to her destination. "Our King and Queen have disappeared ever since the beginning of the war and we have yet to hear anything from them..."
Trowa crossed his arms as he sat in his cockpit, watching and listening as the man on his screen continued. "Meanwhile, we are living in terror and uncertainty as this war rages on. Countless cities have been attacked and our forces and thinning out..." Wufei's eyes narrowed as he looked to the brown-haired man. Something about him just struck a bad note to the Chinese pilot, as it did for his comrades as well. "I am certain that their majesties have their reasons for not contacting those of us here. However, there is a grave matter that comes into play..."
Quatre and Sette arrived back to the Preventer craft where they first arrived before they split to go to their colonies. They were standing with Derek and General Churchill in the control room there when they caught the image and announcement. "For years, we have relied on the protection that the Gundam pilots and the Preventers have provided since the first war and after the Maramaya incident. They were the foundation of peace and justice that all people could count on..." The quartet looked to each other with uncertain glances before looking back to the screen.
Duo looked up to the monitor in the control room of the first drop-off Preventer ship that he was to meet with before his first mission. His teeth were clenched as well as his fist. "Now, the Gundam pilots and the Preventers seem to only be concerned with the protection of the people in space, and not the lives of us here on the Earth. On top of this, they have failed to save two colonies from destruction at the hands of OZ. These colonies are only the ones that we are aware of. More than likely, there are others that are in danger and others that have been lost already..."
Heero growled as he looked to his laptop while he sat in the dark hanger of Pulsar. The Senator was on his screen and continued, "As it stands, the only forces capable to reach this signal that would reach everyone from the Earth to the furthest Colony past Pluto are those from OZ and here on Earth. We would like to send our message to everyone..." Wilcox and Sera Makato watched from their screens in the control room of Pulsar with shocked glances. "This is something that has been a long time coming. And it is with great pleasure that I am the one to send this message to all of you..."
Relena and Brian held their breaths as they listened closely. Everyone aboard Peace Million was on their feet and watching anxiously. After a pause, the Senator announced, "We, the people of Earth, hold the Gundam pilots and the Preventers responsible for the deaths of everyone who has been killed this far in this war." The king and queen gasped loudly and a cry left some of the soldiers in the control room with them. In disbelief and shock, Relena and Brain continued to watch helplessly. Milliardo lowered his head gravely as Noin watched on with wide eyes and a pale face.
Lady Une closed her eyes and lowered her head as she whispered, "You fools." Relena shook her head, hoping that she just misheard Senator Reynolds. But the man continued, "We do not hold OZ as the ones responsible for their deaths, or the destruction that this war has brought. While we are not allying with OZ, any Gundam suit found on the Earth or Preventer craft that is detected will be seen as an enemy craft and destroyed, along with those who pilot them."
The Gundam pilots watched with wide eyes and shocked faces at this announcement. Reynolds went on, "The Earth no longer supports these soldiers any longer. They have let down everyone as they have failed their soul responsibility to give us hope, peace and safety from those who threaten us. The people of Earth will not stand for that any longer as there is far too much at stake in this war. We will fend for ourselves, with the help of no one.
"I cannot stress enough that the Gundam pilots and Preventers are seen in our eyes as worse foes than the OZ organization. They will be destroyed if they are ever found. That is a promise. The Earth will stand alone from the Colonies as well. To those of you who live in the Colonies, I implore you to take matters of protection into your own hands and not count on those who have failed you...Those who have failed all of us. Good luck to those of you who struggle in this time. I will be the one to speak for the Earth and I will lead the people here, since our King and Queen have abandoned us. Good luck to all of you fighting this war against for freedom." At this, the image disappeared as the screens turned to static.
* * * * * *
Quinze Khrushrenada smiled widely to the static on his small screen. After turning the personal computer off, he sighed deeply and leaned back in his seat. "Everything is working according to plan...Those fools on the Earth are far too impatient and weak. They always have been. The fact that they held out this long before making this stand surprises me." He closed his eyes, still smiling. "Still, the timing is more than perfect with the Gundam pilots split apart now. Even those that have stayed behind would never be as foolish to make a trip to the Earth now."
After a brief pause, he chuckled deeply, "Well, not every pilot." At this, he turned his computer back on and typed away. The image of Queen Relena Weatherall appeared in the screen. Licking his lips, Quinze sneered to the picture, "Yes, your highness. I know that you must be itching for the chance to return to the Earth now...The question is whether or not you'll be taking Unit 06 with you." He stopped his thoughts and typed at the keyboard again. The image of Brian Weatherall came to the screen. "Then again, I could see your husband making the trip to keep you safe. Either way, I'll be perfectly happy with the outcome."
The computer beeped as the screen changed to reveal an OZ soldier as he saluted to the young man. "Sir, Sette Devion has escaped from H7 with the help of Quatre Rabarba Winner." Quinze's eyes narrowed, but his anger only showed for an all too brief moment. He laughed and shrugged, "It doesn't matter. Duke Vale and the others on the Colony kept their bargain. They did manage to capture the young woman at any rate. Our alliance with them will remain. Their actions help prove that those Gundam pilots are not invincible. Sette will be in our hands along with all of her comrades." The soldier nodded and saluted again, "Sir."
The screen went black again. Quinze sighed deeply, "Those pilots are more difficult keep a grip on than I thought." His smug smile grew once again. He chuckled, "Good. I was beginning to worry that they weren't as strong as I made them out to be. This war wouldn't be nearly as interesting if that was the case."
* * * * * *
Late that night, Relena looked to the Earth through the window of the room that she and her husband shared. She seemed to be at a great loss after everything that had happened as she looked to her home planet. The silence was broken when the door opened and Brain entered. "Relena," he began as he looked to his wife. She turned and nodded to him, "What is it, dear?" "I'm leaving for the Earth first thing in the morning. I can't stay here any longer and I don't want you to be in danger by flying off, yourself." Relena shook her head quickly, "I want to go with you. If anything happens to you-" Her words were cut off as Brain gently pressed his lips to hers.
When the soft kiss broke, Brain smiled to her, "I'll be fine, sweetheart. I promise I'll come back to you safely." Hesitantly, Relena agreed and nodded, "All right...Though I'd rather be with you when you leave." Brian held her tightly and whispered in her ear, "I know that you want to go, Relena. But please, you're needed here as a Gundam pilot. Besides, Noin will be going into labor any day now. There is no way to be certain as to how long I'll have to stay on the Earth. You should be here with her and Milliardo." His wife replied quietly, "Of course...You're right."
Brian kissed her forehead and vowed, "We'll see that there's a brighter future for everyone." He walked off out of the room to finalize his plans to leave in the morning with the Preventers. When she was alone in the room again, Relena rubbed her stomach gently and said quietly as she looked to it, "A brighter future for the next generations."
TBC
Notes:
1) Okay, to distinguish the colors of the mobile suits that OZ and the Preventers have, here you go:
OZ: Preventers:
Leos- Light Green Leos- Dark Red
Virgos- Light Brown Virgos- Deep Purple
Cancer- Bright Red Cancer- Dark Gray
Pieces- Dark Blue Pieces- Brown
Taurus- White Taurus- Dark Green
Aires- Dark Purple Aires- Tan
I hope that helps!
Warnings: Lots of violence!
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 13: The Strong and the Fragile
with help from Snodin, Traci 14 and Stormy
Heero was flying off towards his first drop-off. It was a Preventer craft still a good three days off. Once there, he would replenish the necessities that would be wearing thin by then...Sleep, food, water and more weaponry. While he hadn't come into any struggles or battles, simply flying alone was really starting to bother him. He sighed deeply and lied back in his cockpit. Looking to the controls, he looked to the picture that he always kept there.
It was the picture of the Wing pilot and Duo, on the beach of their home the night that they admitted their feelings. It was sunset and Trowa had used the American's camera to take the shot. It was the first picture that Heero was in where he had a genuine smile, a small smile, but a smile none the less. The Japanese pilot gently ran his fingers over the picture after removing it from its home on the panel. He studied Duo's features, years younger in the photo, but it brought back warm, happier thoughts than what was running through him now...alone.
The 'Heart of Outer Space's' thoughts were interrupted when she sound of a signal coming though his transmitter beeped him into harsh reality. "Heero Yuy? Do you copy?" a male voice chimed in. Heero sat up and replied, "This is Heero Yuy." The other voice came back, "This is Commander Wilcox of the Preventer ship Pulsar. I am sending you our coordinates now. We will actually be your first drop-off point since the original craft is further than we first suspected." Heero responded, "Understood." Once the coordinates were sent, he flew off to Pulsar.
An hour later, the Wing pilot landed in the hanger of Pulsar and was greeted by Commander Wilcox, the man who first warned the Gundam pilots and Preventers of Capricorn when it was seen shooting towards Peace Million. The man smiled to the young pilot and shook his hand. "Heero, it's an honor to meet you. Welcome to Pulsar." The two of them walked out into the halls of the massive ship. It was much bigger than Peace Million and it had a very impressive layout. Heero took in the surroundings as his eyes scanned all around while he walked with the Commander.
Heero asked, "Any word from the other pilots at this time?" Wilcox shook his head, "Not yet. The connection beyond the Milky Way is difficult to control. Even if your friends on were able to send something, the chances of us receiving it are slim to none. We do, however, know what is going on from Jupiter to Saturn, with countless carrier and crew members spread out." The Japanese pilot nodded and looked around the ship again.
The Commander continued, "We have a soldier who will be traveling with you from place-to-place, seeing that all is well with your missions." Heero stopped and looked to the older man. "You man a bodyguard?" he asked deeply, irritated at just the thought of that. Wilcox laughed and shook his head, "You have no need for a bodyguard. I wish you could stay and guard Pulsar." They had reached the door to a small meeting room and entered. The room was deserted and the door closed behind them.
"She should be here any moment," Wilcox smiled as he stood in waiting. "She?" Heero asked quietly, surprised at this statement. No sooner had he said this than the doors opened again. A woman at the age of her late thirties walked in. She was Japanese and had straight, dark hair that fell just beyond her shoulders. The soldier's build was slender, but she stood at a good height, just a few inches shorter than the Wing pilot who stood at 5'8" now. Her brown eyes were friendly as she looked to him. She smiled and offered her hand. Heero took it, looking to the lovely woman with an awkward glance. The woman was very pretty, though that was not anything that Heero was paying attention to. The fact that this woman was to be working closely with him was still something that he didn't understand.
Wilcox introduced, "Heero Yuy, this is Sera Makato." Sere continued to smile and nodded to the young pilot. "It is nice to meet you, Heero," she said gently is a soothing voice. Heero nodded, "Sera." The Commander wrapped an arm around Makato's shoulders and said, "Sera, here, it my best soldier and one of my close friends. She will be the one to update you on any changes in the missions that you are to take part in. She is the one who can translate any misread signals and warnings that have difficulty in getting through clearly. So, she will be your eyes and ears when no one else can be. Sera will only fight when needed, and not any other time. Fighting is primarily your job." Heero looked to him and nodded, "I understand now. Thank you, Commander."
"Take care of her, Heero," Wilcox smiled, but said with a bit of a serious tone. "Sera is a great asset and an even better person." Sere almost blushed and gently pushed the man away from her. "Commander," she chuckled and shook her head. Heero smirked inwardly at the gesture and Wilcox laughed again. He informed the Wing pilot, "I am going to prepare the supplies you'll need to get to your next drop off. More than likely, you'll meet resistance from OZ and we want to see that you have everything you need." Heero replied, "I'll return to the hanger and watch over Wig Zero, then." At this, he turned and walked out of the room.
"So that's the infamous Heero Yuy," Makato grinned to the Commander when they were alone again. Wilcox nodded, "Yes, mam. Pilot of Wing Zero and one of the Gundam pilots responsible for the end to the first two wars." Sera took her reports and walked to the door with her commander. "This is going to be interesting, to say the least. I never thought that I would be working with a Gundam pilot before, let alone Heero Yuy." Wilcox said with assurance, "You'll be fine. I wouldn't have assigned you to this task if I didn't think that you were right for it." Makato was humbled and replied, "Thank you for having such faith in me, Justin." The pair walked off to where the supplies were being prepared before taking them to the hanger.
* * * * * *
Quatre looked to Colony H7 from the window of the Preventer ship where General Churchill was waiting. The Preventer walked to the blonde pilot and informed him, "We have the men ready for the attack when you are...I don't know how you knew that there was trouble, but I have received word recently that Sette is being held in her castle." Quatre replied, "We don't have much time. We have to move now, or we'll be too late." "Before you rush off," the kind soldier warned, "You need to be aware that the people of H7 do have their own mobile suits. They're not the peace-loving colony that L4 once was." The Arabian understood and gave a timid nod.
The door to the room they stood in opened and a young Preventer entered. Churchill smiled to the blonde, who continued to look out the window. "I believe that this soldier is a friend of yours." Hearing this, Quatre turned to the young man that entered. His uncertain face turned into a warm, welcoming one as he smiled, "Derek." Sure enough, it was the same soldier that befriended Catherine weeks prior to now.
Derek Anderson smiled and nodded to his friend, "Good to see you again, Quatre." They shook hands. "I came as soon as I heard that Sette was in trouble. I've worked under General Churchill before, so I thought that you could use help from a familiar face." The Arabian nodded back, "Thank you. I do appreciate it." Churchill looked to Derek and informed him, "You'll be in charge of the Preventers that leave with you for this rescue." Derek saluted, "Yes, sir."
Looking to Quatre, the General asked, "You are aware of the location of the passage that will lead you to the heart of the Colony?" The blonde pilot answered, "Yes." "Very well. Your suit has been secured with by my troops that are waiting on H7 for you. The craft that will take you there is ready when you are." Quatre shook the General's hand and smiled, "Thank you again, for everything, General." "Just get through this alive," the older man replied. "You pilots are the best chance we have at defeating OZ again. Good luck." At this, the kind General walked out of the room.
The Preventer smiled and shrugged to the Arabian. Quatre sighed in relief to him, "You came all this way just to help us?" Derek said sincerely, "Like I said before, any friends of Catherine's are friends are mine. I'll do whatever I can to help all of you." The Arabian smiled, "It's good to have you on our side. Friends like you are hard to come across." There was a brief pause between the two young men before Derek stated, "We better get out while the getting's good. From when I understand, there are OZ troops heading for the Colony. They're a good day's journey away, but it's not anything that I want to take a chance with." At the mention of the approaching OZ soldiers, Quatre's eyes widened. He looked to the Preventer and nodded his understanding. Without saying anything further, the young men ran off to the hanger.
* * * * * *
On Earth, a large courthouse that fell miles from where the Weatherall castle once stood was filled with officials from all around the planet. One man, dressed in a gray suit with stern features over his thirty-year-old face looked to the large assembly from the podium in the center of the room. The people were loudly talking amongst themselves, as they had been for weeks now. There was a grave issue as to what should be done with the Earth and the people there.
One of the assembly members stood and asked over the commotion, "Are you certain that this is the last resource? Don't you think that this is a sign of weakness?" The man at the podium shook his head, "On the contrary, this will be the defining movement that will prove just how powerful we are. Is there any other choice that you can come to?" The man who rose to ask the question replied, "No...There is not." At this, he sat down again. The talk amongst those present started again. After a moment to allow some discussion, the man in the gray suit with his thin, brown hair and brown eyes raised a hand and announced, "We are all in agreement as to what needs to be done, then?"
There was a still silence in the room at this question. Many of the officials looked to each other, others lowered their heads and others still nodded from their seats. Soon, everyone geld up a bright green card, revealing their votes. Not one red card was to be seen among the hundred-and-fifty present. The young man look around the room and took a note. Finally, he smiled and nodded, "Then it is decided."
* * * * * *
It was mid-afternoon and the castle stood still and tall as always. The people of the city were carrying on as they normally would on this dark, cloudy day. (Most of the Colonies now had a system that could change the weather in the atmosphere so that they would get rain and wind when they needed.) Suddenly, a loud siren rang throughout the city as several Preventer Taurus suits were seen approaching the town. The people looked up in terror when they saw the suits break through the dark blanket of clouds. Everyone ran and screamed as they fled the streets, taking cover wherever they could.
The suits that appeared were not after them, but the castle as they began as all-out assault there. Inside, Duke Vale, Foreign Minister Kirkland and Representative Frantz were in the main gathering room, the same where they captured Sette. As the sounds of the siren, the three men ran to the window. The sights and sounds of the attack came in a flash. They looked to the scene rather calmly. Frantz shrugged, "It will take a lot more than what they have to bring this castle down." His partners agreed as they watched silently. The royal guards now went out in their own mobile suits to block the assault.
In her cell, Sette awoke from her nap with a start as the commotion outside startled her. She looked to the high, small window near the ceiling. She just barely made out a few mobile suits battling and recognized the deep green Taurus suits to belong to the Preventers. [1] The tomboy's eyes widened in hope that this was her chance of escaping her prison. Sette heard the shouting and running of the guards in the hallway beyond her door and knew that this would prove to be quite interesting.
Outside, Derek flew his deep green Taurus suit towards the castle, seeming as though his goal was to ham it at great speed. The guards firing lasers at the top of the castle saw the suit flying right their way and fled, screaming. The Taurus suit pulled up at the last second, taking the lasers out as it passed. Just as the suit pulled up, a small craft meant for only one person came from behind and landed on the top of the burning roof. The Taurus suit landed with him and Derek jumped out. The hatch to the small craft opened and Quatre jumped out as he and Derek began shooting the guards that ran from their posts as they ran back to shoot them. The explosions from the lasers killed most of them off, and there were very few for them to worry about.
The last guard that continued to fire soon ran out of bullets and ran from the pilots. Derek was too quick as he ran up from behind and twisted his neck. The body fell limp in his arms as the Arabian ran up to him. "I have to get back to the fight with the other Preventers," Derek shouted over the sounds of the battle. "You take care of Sette. I make sure you're both covered when you're out of the castle." Quatre nodded and Derek ran back to his suit. Quatre looked to the dead royal guard. The dead man's face was hidden well under the black cap that was part of the black uniform. Quatre took the soldier from under the arms and began to drag him inside the doorway leading to one of the stairwells of the castle.
Derek took off again and went back to slicing through the royal guards in their suits that worked to keep the Preventers at bay. Derek said quietly to himself in his cockpit, "There are a lot more of these guys than I thought there would be." Using his beam cannon, he shot through two Leos. The Preventer wiped some sweat from his brow. "There'll be more of these soldiers before too long if we keep this up." Derek continued to fight with as much fury and fire as the Gundam pilots themselves, determined to see that his friends lived through this ordeal and returned back safely.
* * * * * *
Quatre had made good use of the dead soldier's uniform as he was able to sneak through the castle without being suspected of being an intruder. He was quick in covering the castle from top to bottom in the midst of the confusion within the structure. Finally, he found his way to the cells where the prisoners were held. It took the Arabian a moment to know where Sette was being held. It was the only door being guarded even with the battle raging outside.
It did not take long for the two guards to know that the soldier that approaching was not one of them. He was not anyone that they recognized, even with the cap covering most of his face. "HOLD IT!" one of the guards shouted as he and the other young man pulled their guns at the same time as the young pilot making his way to the door. "I don't want to hurt you," Quatre said quietly, yet stern enough to make an impact of the royal guards. "Bull shit!" the second guard cried and he pulled his trigger. Quatre pulled his trigger first, however, and managed to get out of the stray bullet's path. The guard fell in a bloody heap with a bullet through the heart that passed through his back. The other guard looked in frozen terror.
When his shock wore off, he turned to the blonde that still had their gun aimed at him. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he screamed and was prepared to shoot the pilot. A bulled to the neck silenced him just before he could pull his trigger and he fell just beside his partner. Quatre removed his hat. His face was pale as he looked to the dead soldiers. Falling to his knees, the Arabian caught his breath and wiped the sweat that coated his face. No longer able to look to the men that he killed, Quatre turned to the door that the men stood guard over, replacing the cap again.
Inside the cell, Sette was sitting in a far corner, unable to make out anything that was going on. The sounds of the struggle outside was far too loud to hear anything else. Suddenly, a gun shot off the lock of the door that held her. A young guard entered with damp, short blonde hair, wisps of it coming from under the black cap of the uniform. Sette looked to the guard with uncertainty. When the young man removed his cap, her eyes widened and she gasped, "Quatre!"
The blue-haired pilot flew into his arms in a split second, and held onto him tight. Quatre smiled warmly and breathed a deep sigh of relief as he held onto her in a tight embrace. Sette choked back a sob and the embrace finally broke. The Arabian asked gently, "Are you all right?" Sette nodded, "I'm fine now." The blonde looked to the torn, blood-covered dress that the princess had on. His face instantly turned to show ever greater concern for the other pilot. The tomboy shook her head, "It's not my blood." She was not prepared to discuss the situation any further and suggested, "We better get going." Quatre snapped from his daze and nodded.
As much as the pilots wanted to spend more time alone, they were aware that they had a mission that they needed to accomplish. Quatre handed Sette a gun of her own and they ran through the halls together. Two guards spotted them and began firing at the pair. Quatre and Sette replied with gunfire right back, taking cover behind the stone pillars in the hallway. The tomboy took out one of the guards with a bullet to the chest and the other way picked off by a bullet to the head from the Arabian.
* * * * * *
Duke Vale, Frantz and Kirkland were all together in the main meeting room of the castle when the voice of a guard game over the radio that was sitting in the middle of the long table. "Duke Vale, Sette has escaped from the castle along with a friend of hers." Vale shouted, "WHAT!?!" He took the hand-held radio and yelled, "What the hell have all of you been doing to stop them!?!" The guard replied, "Sir, there are too many Preventers supporting them. We weren't prepared for this sort of attack." Kirkland nodded and said calmly, "We all believed that if this was to happen, it would involve an attack from a Gundam, not an attack within our walls like this."
Vale growled loudly and ordered into the radio. "Don't let those that girl or her friend out of your sights. Follow them to wherever they're headed since it's most likely to a Gundam suit." "We have that covered, sir," the soldier replied as he and the other soldiers took to their mobile suits.
* * * * * *
With the help of the Preventers, the Gundam pilots made a quick escape through the castle. Derek looked to his monitor in time to see them head to the forest. He announced over his monitors, "I have visual that the pilots have made their way out. All troops cover them as they make their way to Unit 04." His comrades received the message and flew off to see that there was no resistance against the Arabian or the princess. Quatre and Sette continued to run through the foliage in the midst of the fight. Too many times for their comfort, they would just miss getting hit by a stray laser or bomb of some sort.
Finally, they were well into the forest and made it to a large opening with a hill in the center. Quatre grabbed his partner's wrist, saying, "Wait right here." At that, he ran ahead of her. The princess watched with wide eyes as the blonde pilot worked away the green net camouflage that appeared to be the large hill. He jumped into his cockpit when he was able to open the hatch. Sette beamed as she watched the massive 'hill' rise. The rest of the camouflage was removed as Sand Rock's large hands ripped it off. Sette laughed loudly and shouted up to the pilot, "GOD, I LOVE YOU!" The right hand of the Gundam was lowered to her and she jumped on. The tomboy jumped into the cockpit and onto Quatre's lap as he strapped them both in and closed the hatch again.
Sand Rock rose through over the tree tops and one of the soldiers working under Vale shouted, "THERE'S A GUNDAM SUIT!" His comrades froze along with their suits at the sight. The Preventers shouted and cheered as the suit joined them in their fight. Most of the royal guards flew off in retreat, but many others braved the opponent. They dropping like flies as the forces against them were far too great now.
When he saw that there was a chance to move on, Quatre announced to the Preventers, "We're moving on with the mission. We'll meet you back at the ship." Derek nodded and ordered the other Preventers, "You heard him, guys. Let's move." At that, he led the charge through the sky. Quatre's suit shot the opposite way as it plowed through the ground. One of the soldiers who managed to stay alive and witness turned pale instantly and screamed through his system, "OH SHIT! THEY'RE HEADING TO THE HEART OF H7!" He turned to his remaining comrades and shouted, "MOVE YOUR ASSES, ALL OF YOU!" He shot off quickly through the hole that the Gundam made with the others right behind him.
Quatre and Sette plowed to the hidden tubing that would lead to the heart of H7. The journey was a high-speed roller-coaster ride as Sand Rock shot through the twists and turns with ease. Back in the castle, Vale, Kirkland and Frantz were biting their nails, holding their breath and staying on their toes, waiting to hear the situation. Knowing that the pilots were heading for the heart of the Colony, they could only hope- for their sakes- that whatever they intended would be stopped. Too afraid to imagine what was happening, they sat and stood in silence as they waited.
The Gundam's pilot managed to predict and maneuver through the obstacle course with ease as the girl in his lap watched ahead in silence, focusing on the mission at hand. This was to be her first step at getting revenge for the wrongs that had been done to her, her father, and her people. With that set in her mind, she glared ahead with narrow eyes and her teeth clenched. After several minutes, they finally reached the 'core' and Sand Rock had to be left behind due to the small opening that led to the heart.
The pilots jumped out of the Gundam and Sette told the Arabian, "I'll finish this." Quatre nodded and the tomboy ran off through the opening. After running and climbing through the remainder of tubing, Sette made it to the heart of H7. The pilot gasped and stared in awe for a moment at the large monitors and massive system that was responsible for the existence and functioning of the place she called home.
Once her daze wore off, Sette quickly went to the main database center in the control room. She looked to the main monitor and chuckled deeply as she turned the system on override. The system requested the password to direct the signal that would be sent out. The princes licked her lips and sneered, "Thank you, Destiny." She typed the code that Churchill had given her and watched as the program accepted the order immediately. The blue-haired pilot smiled brightly and sighed deeply, "One Colony down, six to go."
With a swift swipe across the controls, the young pilot completed her task and ended with the cover-up command. As if nothing happened, the database turned itself in its original mode, so no one other than the tomboy and her friends would know that something drastic had changed. Sette ran off again to return to Sand Rock.
* * * * * *
On Peace Million, Lady Une rose to her feet as she looked to the main monitor with wide eyes. The screen showed that a ring of colonies were charted to their signal. "We got H7!" she announced loudly with a wide smile. The Preventers in the room jumped from their seats as they cheered and clapped loudly. Some threw papers up like confetti and hugged each other as the celebration went on. Sally Poe was smiling from ear-to-ear as she placed a headset on and announced, "That gives us access to the Colonies spanning the axis from Mars to the Milky Way. That's fifty Colonies in total."
"Sette did it!" Relena cheered as her husband picked her up and spun her in his arms. Milliardo and Noin kissed and hugged tightly. Sally Poe typed at her computer and on the main monitor, the span of the signal was shaded in a pale blue ring, to let everyone on board know what territory was now covered and able to be contacted by the Preventers and the Gundams. She fell back in her seat and breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Nice work, Sette," she smiled to herself. The celebration in the control room, and on all of Peace Million continued.
Lady Une crossed her arms and snickered to Lieutenant Keiser, "Not bad for a Gundam pilot, ne?" Keiser closed his eyes and replied, "Hmph. They have a lot more ahead of them before we can say that they're really what they've been cracked up to be." He walked away as the head of the Preventers lowered her head and said quietly to herself, "You are right...They do have a long way to go yet." Looking to the celebration, she smiled again and said to herself, "At least we have something to celebrate for a change." She looked back to the monitor that showed the view of the galaxy, now with a pale blue ring of what they had won.
* * * * * *
Sette ran to Sand Rock, laughing and cheering the whole way. Quatre was waiting outside with wide open arms. They were soon filled as Sette jumped right into them and wrapped herself around the Arabian. "TAKE THAT OZ!" Sette cheered loudly as she landed on him. Quatre fell over since his balance was knocked off. The pair laughed and cheered on the ground. The blonde squeezed the princess and said, "Come on. We have to move." "Right," Sette nodded as they quickly got to their feet and climbed to Quatre's cockpit.
Again, Sette sat on the Arabian's lap again. No sooner had this happened than the soldiers how flew after them appeared. Sand Rock used sliced through the first two suits and shot past the remaining four before they had a chance to react. Quatre piloted the Gundam through the hidden coils of metal tubing for their escape. When they broke through the artificial surface of the Colony, they were back in space in a matter of minutes.
The soldiers who remained behind ran to the heart of the colony found no changes in the system, unaware that the program had been tampered with. It was a relief to the soldiers as they sighed and wiped the sweat from their brows. A soldier announced into his radio, "Duke Vale, they did not have time to do any harm to the system. There are no irregularities in the program and everything is still functioning as it should."
Vale nodded and replied, "Very good. See that the heart is watched over more closely over the next few hours. If there are any changes, I want to be informed immediately. The soldier answered, "Yes, sir." Vale growled and turned his radio off. Kirkland sneered, "Those children don't know who they're messing with. They'll be killed before this war ends."
"Do you really think that they left without tampering with the Colony's heart?" Frantz asked, more than skeptical. Kirkland replied with a huff, "Even if they dad, it couldn't possibly be anything that'll benefit them in the long run." Vale nodded, "Don't worry, Frantz. You are too wound-up to enjoy the fact that we've won this fight. We are the ones in power of H7 and the people believe that their only living heir to the thrown is a failure. Siding with OZ, we will rise victorious and share in the spoils that come with it."
"But with Sette gone, we have no offering to give to OZ in order to ally with them," Frantz remarked. Vale shook his head, chuckling deeply, "We already have an alliance with OZ. Saying that we were to offer Sette was just to get the people to side with us. Our agreement was signed with them at the beginning of the war. I just never told either of you." His friends looked to him with shocked glances. The Duke folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair.
Kirkland laughed and shook his head. "Well done, my friend. You managed to pull one over us," he smirked. Vale smiled and nodded with a satisfied look on his smug face. Frantz sighed deeply in relief, "I'm glad that I'm on your side." Vale pointed to him and replied, "Don't forget that. When this war is over and we have risen victorious with OZ, remember who led us there." "To you, Duke Vale," Frantz grinned as he raised a glass of wine that they had been drinking previous to the attack on the castle. "And to OZ and our victory in this war." The two council members raised their glasses of wind and clicked them together.
* * * * * *
Back in Sand Rock, Sette looked to her Colony through the Gundam's monitors as it disappeared while they flew off. She sighed deeply and rested her head against Quatre's chest over his heart. Her eyes closed as she was feeling the lack of sleep during her stay at H7 catching up. The tomboy's eyes opened only when she felt a hand gently stroking the top of her head. She looked up to see Quatre looking to her with concern. She smiled to him warmly and was rewarded with the same gesture. "Are you all right?" the Arabian asked quietly. Sette's smile faded, but she nodded and rested her head against his chest again.
"You did great back there," Quatre said gently. "Thank you," Sette whispered. She looked back to the screen that showed her Colony. There was almost nothing to see as it faded into the distance. Her eyes narrowed. "This is just the start...I'll be back...And I'll right the wrongs that have been committed," she vowed in a low, quiet growl. The Arabian managed to catch her words as he gave her a squeeze of assurance and finally found the courage to kiss his self-proclaimed girlfriend's forehead softly. He felt Sette tighten her arms around his waist and smiled as he rested his head on hers. He knew that Sette had been through a lot, but he didn't want to force her to tell him anything. Eventually, he would learn when happened while they were separated, at least he hoped.
Sette looked down to her dress and bare feet and chuckled loudly, "Man, I have to get out of this dress!" Quatre's eyes opened as wide as they could as he gasped loudly, "Sette!?!" He was blushing furiously and Sette laughed at his reaction. It was all too precious to see his shock and embarrassment. The female pilot kissed his cheek and laughed, "Oh, honey, I'm not THAT fast! I just meant that I need to get into my jean shorts, t-shirt, vest, sneakers...You know, clothes!"
The blonde pilot's blush faded a bit and he laughed hysterically at his overreaction. He grinned to the princess and whispered into her ear, "Good, because you'll need to save the other plan for our wedding night." Sette's eyes widened as she gave a large, playful gasp. "So when are we getting married!?!" she cried with enthusiasm as she held onto the young man with a death grip. Quatre coughed as he struggled in the lock on him. "Not for a while yet," he answered. "After the war would be a god idea," he chuckled. Sette huffed and crossed her arms as she glared at him. "Oh come on, beloved, stop teasing me." Quatre laughed again as the suit sped off through the stars.
* * * * * *
A half-hour later, The Preventers and pilots in the control room of Peace Million had concluded their celebration by now, but they all went on with their business with a lighter air about them. Lady Une and Sally Poe were the closest to the large monitor as they looked over notes and reports that they had gathered. "Lady Une," a Preventer called from his seat. "We are receiving some signal from the Earth. Instantly, Relena, Brain, Milliardo, Noin, Dorothy and Catherine's ears perked up as they heard this and turned their attention to the front of the room.
An image came onto the screen of every computer and monitor on Peace Million. A man of the age of thirty appeared on the screen. It was the same man who stood before the large assembly on the Earth. The channel managed to pass to every Colony and transmission in the galaxy. Brian looked to the huge monitor in the control room. "What the-" he whispered. The man on the screen cleared his throat and began, "For those of you do not know me, my name is Senator Reynolds, second in command under King and Queen Weatherall. I am here to address where the Earth stands at this point."
Relena walked to stand at her husband's side. They held hands and never took their eyes from the screen. Reynolds continued, "We, the people of Earth have been torn as to where we should turn to help..." Kumi looked to her monitor with the senator's image as she watched and listened closely, still flying out to her destination. "Our King and Queen have disappeared ever since the beginning of the war and we have yet to hear anything from them..."
Trowa crossed his arms as he sat in his cockpit, watching and listening as the man on his screen continued. "Meanwhile, we are living in terror and uncertainty as this war rages on. Countless cities have been attacked and our forces and thinning out..." Wufei's eyes narrowed as he looked to the brown-haired man. Something about him just struck a bad note to the Chinese pilot, as it did for his comrades as well. "I am certain that their majesties have their reasons for not contacting those of us here. However, there is a grave matter that comes into play..."
Quatre and Sette arrived back to the Preventer craft where they first arrived before they split to go to their colonies. They were standing with Derek and General Churchill in the control room there when they caught the image and announcement. "For years, we have relied on the protection that the Gundam pilots and the Preventers have provided since the first war and after the Maramaya incident. They were the foundation of peace and justice that all people could count on..." The quartet looked to each other with uncertain glances before looking back to the screen.
Duo looked up to the monitor in the control room of the first drop-off Preventer ship that he was to meet with before his first mission. His teeth were clenched as well as his fist. "Now, the Gundam pilots and the Preventers seem to only be concerned with the protection of the people in space, and not the lives of us here on the Earth. On top of this, they have failed to save two colonies from destruction at the hands of OZ. These colonies are only the ones that we are aware of. More than likely, there are others that are in danger and others that have been lost already..."
Heero growled as he looked to his laptop while he sat in the dark hanger of Pulsar. The Senator was on his screen and continued, "As it stands, the only forces capable to reach this signal that would reach everyone from the Earth to the furthest Colony past Pluto are those from OZ and here on Earth. We would like to send our message to everyone..." Wilcox and Sera Makato watched from their screens in the control room of Pulsar with shocked glances. "This is something that has been a long time coming. And it is with great pleasure that I am the one to send this message to all of you..."
Relena and Brian held their breaths as they listened closely. Everyone aboard Peace Million was on their feet and watching anxiously. After a pause, the Senator announced, "We, the people of Earth, hold the Gundam pilots and the Preventers responsible for the deaths of everyone who has been killed this far in this war." The king and queen gasped loudly and a cry left some of the soldiers in the control room with them. In disbelief and shock, Relena and Brain continued to watch helplessly. Milliardo lowered his head gravely as Noin watched on with wide eyes and a pale face.
Lady Une closed her eyes and lowered her head as she whispered, "You fools." Relena shook her head, hoping that she just misheard Senator Reynolds. But the man continued, "We do not hold OZ as the ones responsible for their deaths, or the destruction that this war has brought. While we are not allying with OZ, any Gundam suit found on the Earth or Preventer craft that is detected will be seen as an enemy craft and destroyed, along with those who pilot them."
The Gundam pilots watched with wide eyes and shocked faces at this announcement. Reynolds went on, "The Earth no longer supports these soldiers any longer. They have let down everyone as they have failed their soul responsibility to give us hope, peace and safety from those who threaten us. The people of Earth will not stand for that any longer as there is far too much at stake in this war. We will fend for ourselves, with the help of no one.
"I cannot stress enough that the Gundam pilots and Preventers are seen in our eyes as worse foes than the OZ organization. They will be destroyed if they are ever found. That is a promise. The Earth will stand alone from the Colonies as well. To those of you who live in the Colonies, I implore you to take matters of protection into your own hands and not count on those who have failed you...Those who have failed all of us. Good luck to those of you who struggle in this time. I will be the one to speak for the Earth and I will lead the people here, since our King and Queen have abandoned us. Good luck to all of you fighting this war against for freedom." At this, the image disappeared as the screens turned to static.
* * * * * *
Quinze Khrushrenada smiled widely to the static on his small screen. After turning the personal computer off, he sighed deeply and leaned back in his seat. "Everything is working according to plan...Those fools on the Earth are far too impatient and weak. They always have been. The fact that they held out this long before making this stand surprises me." He closed his eyes, still smiling. "Still, the timing is more than perfect with the Gundam pilots split apart now. Even those that have stayed behind would never be as foolish to make a trip to the Earth now."
After a brief pause, he chuckled deeply, "Well, not every pilot." At this, he turned his computer back on and typed away. The image of Queen Relena Weatherall appeared in the screen. Licking his lips, Quinze sneered to the picture, "Yes, your highness. I know that you must be itching for the chance to return to the Earth now...The question is whether or not you'll be taking Unit 06 with you." He stopped his thoughts and typed at the keyboard again. The image of Brian Weatherall came to the screen. "Then again, I could see your husband making the trip to keep you safe. Either way, I'll be perfectly happy with the outcome."
The computer beeped as the screen changed to reveal an OZ soldier as he saluted to the young man. "Sir, Sette Devion has escaped from H7 with the help of Quatre Rabarba Winner." Quinze's eyes narrowed, but his anger only showed for an all too brief moment. He laughed and shrugged, "It doesn't matter. Duke Vale and the others on the Colony kept their bargain. They did manage to capture the young woman at any rate. Our alliance with them will remain. Their actions help prove that those Gundam pilots are not invincible. Sette will be in our hands along with all of her comrades." The soldier nodded and saluted again, "Sir."
The screen went black again. Quinze sighed deeply, "Those pilots are more difficult keep a grip on than I thought." His smug smile grew once again. He chuckled, "Good. I was beginning to worry that they weren't as strong as I made them out to be. This war wouldn't be nearly as interesting if that was the case."
* * * * * *
Late that night, Relena looked to the Earth through the window of the room that she and her husband shared. She seemed to be at a great loss after everything that had happened as she looked to her home planet. The silence was broken when the door opened and Brain entered. "Relena," he began as he looked to his wife. She turned and nodded to him, "What is it, dear?" "I'm leaving for the Earth first thing in the morning. I can't stay here any longer and I don't want you to be in danger by flying off, yourself." Relena shook her head quickly, "I want to go with you. If anything happens to you-" Her words were cut off as Brain gently pressed his lips to hers.
When the soft kiss broke, Brain smiled to her, "I'll be fine, sweetheart. I promise I'll come back to you safely." Hesitantly, Relena agreed and nodded, "All right...Though I'd rather be with you when you leave." Brian held her tightly and whispered in her ear, "I know that you want to go, Relena. But please, you're needed here as a Gundam pilot. Besides, Noin will be going into labor any day now. There is no way to be certain as to how long I'll have to stay on the Earth. You should be here with her and Milliardo." His wife replied quietly, "Of course...You're right."
Brian kissed her forehead and vowed, "We'll see that there's a brighter future for everyone." He walked off out of the room to finalize his plans to leave in the morning with the Preventers. When she was alone in the room again, Relena rubbed her stomach gently and said quietly as she looked to it, "A brighter future for the next generations."
TBC
Notes:
1) Okay, to distinguish the colors of the mobile suits that OZ and the Preventers have, here you go:
OZ: Preventers:
Leos- Light Green Leos- Dark Red
Virgos- Light Brown Virgos- Deep Purple
Cancer- Bright Red Cancer- Dark Gray
Pieces- Dark Blue Pieces- Brown
Taurus- White Taurus- Dark Green
Aires- Dark Purple Aires- Tan
I hope that helps!