DISCLAIMER: None of the Gundam Wing characters, other that Kumi and Sette, are mine! You have NO idea how nice it is to say that something is mine!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's amazing how far you can get a with help from your friends! To Snodin, Tracy, Stormy, Sam, Sky and Beekay, thank you sooo much for the constant support and kind words! It means A LOT! To all redaers, please feel from to contact me at cyclone2996@hotmail.com with your opinions and any ideas that you may have. If it wasn't for readers like you, I wouldn't have gotten this far! Thank you for everything! I hope you like this! Love, SkyLark
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 20: In Justice for All
by Skylark
with help from: Snodin, Traci, Stormy, Sam, Sky and Beekay
Narrator: The destruction of Peace Million was not only shown to the Gundam pilots, but to the Earth and to the countless Colonies in Space. Prior to its ruin, Peace Million was the sign of hope and peace that countless believed would never fade. Now, the people of Earth found themselves grateful that they declared their wish to remain out of the war, not favoring either side, and determined to stay that way at all costs.
For the people of the Colonies, those who made secret alliances with OZ, there was nothing more exciting at this time. The explosion of the mighty craft was to be a turning point like none other, crushing the hopes of those who defied the OZ organization.
Those who did not ally with OZ were regretfully wishing that they had prior to this moment. And yet, in the back of their hearts and minds, there was a small glimmer of faith that somehow, the Gundam pilots and Preventers would rise victorious. While there was little working in their favor, somehow, they would have to rise the ashes and right the wrongs that had been committed.
* * * * * *
Zes and Brian were flying silently towards where Peace Million had been as they returned from the Earth. They held their breath the entire trip. Not even being able to have a warm reunion, they rushed to see if there was anything left of the ship where they had lived the last half-year. When they reached the location, their eyes and mouths fell open as they looked to the sight.
Nothing was left of the magnificent craft. Only miles of debris remained behind. Calvary and the small ship froze side-by-side as the pilots within took all of this in. Relena let out a soft gasp and covered her face behind her hands as tears formed instantly. "I-I can't believe that this is really happening," she whispered.
Brian looked to his wife with a heavy heart. Wanting more than anything to hold her, all he could do was speak through her monitor. He lowered his head and whispered sadly, "I'm so sorry, Relena. This is all my fault." The queen lowered her hands immediately and shook her head. Through tears that coursed down her face, she replied, "This isn't your fault, Brian. Don't ever feel that way. Nobody is to blame for this except OZ."
Something patched in on their radars. As they looked ahead, through the wreckage, they saw Euphoria and Slither making their way to them. Zes sighed in relief, "Milliardo. Delapan." The pilots all met in the middle of the rubble. Milliardo sighed deeply in return, "Thank God you're both all right." As she bit her lip in hesitation, Relena asked cautiously, "Have you heard anything from Noin, Sally or Lady Une?"
Milliardo shook his head, but answered in certainty, "I know they're alive out here somewhere. They have to be." His sister nodded her agreement. Nobody could believe that they had been killed in the explosion. Catherine looked around the sea of metal scraps and other remains. "Where are we supposed to go now? Peace Million was our haven in this war." After a long pause, Milliardo stated, "We can't do anything but search for a Preventer craft that is close enough for us to reach. We'll be able to find Noin and the other survivors then."
No sooner had this been suggested than a male voice came over their transmitters. "This is a message to the Gundam pilots if you can receive this message." The pilots held their breaths when they heard the man's words. Milliardo responded, "This is Preventer Wind."
There was a slight pause as the man's voice sighed quietly in relief. He then asked, "Are you with any of the other pilots at this time?" Wind replied with a nod, "Yes. I am here with Zes and Delapan. King Weatherall is here with me as well. How is this?" The voice answered, "I'm Commander Wilcox. I am here with the survivors from Peace Million." The pilots all gasped in shock, then laughed and cheered in relief. The kind voice laughed as he heard the celebration of the relieved soldiers.
"Where are you located, Commander?" Wind questioned finally. Wilcox replied, "I am on Pulsar, a Preventer carrier much like Peace Million. You can find us at the coordinates that I am sending to you now. We're a good two hours from where you are now, just where the Milky Way begins."
The coordinates came through and Milliardo smiled, "Thank you, Commander. We'll be there in two hours, then." Wilcox answered, "Very good. We look forward to seeing all of you." At this, the connection was cut off. There was a brief moment to allow the young soldiers a chance to get over the fear that they were completely at a loss of where they could go.
Relena smiled, "At least we know that the others are all right." The queen's brother nodded, "Right now, let's just get to Pulsar. We'll know what we have to do when we reunite with them again." There was no argument there. All of the young pilots flew off together.
The debris of Peace Million continued to float quietly...The only remainders of what had been a symbol of peace since the first war. Peace Million along with the Gundam suits were the only things that were seen as sacred in regards to the protection of peace and hope for everyone on the Earth and in Space. Now all that existed of the large craft could only be seen now as scraps and shattered remains...A fear of what may come of this new war.
* * * * * *
Wufei flew off at great speed in Nataku. All that he knew was that Peace Million was no more, and over a hundred lives had been lost...And Sally was one of those victims. This was something that he could not cope with. The only other time he felt this much loss was when he was forced to watch the destruction of his home, L5.
Someone needed to avenge the loss of souls of Peace Million. And the Chinese pilot was more than happy to do just this. Wufei soared through the stars as rage and madness drove him to kill every OZ soldier he came across. And he knew where to start. There was a large OZ ship that he had picked up after searching for something to destroy as the first step of vengeance.
The Chinese pilot did not have long to wait before the ship was in sight. His dark eyes narrowed and he said deeply in a low, deep growl, "Good. This will just be the beginning of repaying OZ for the lives that they've stolen." He shot off in a b-line. The soldiers in the ship came flying out to greet him in effort to protect the carrier. The young Gundam pilot was not the least bit concerned with anything other than killing every last soldier that he came up against.
Nataku shot flames that stretched for a near mile and took out a good number of soldiers that way. Wufei worked through the remaining soldiers without any difficulty, screaming and growling loudly the whole time. The rage and madness in him just grew as he didn't think of the fight so much as the statement he was making with this fight.
Wufei shouted as he continued to struggle, "I have a message for you and your leader...The Gundam pilots and the Preventers are not going to lie down and surrender in this war. We'll would fight to the last of us, if that was what it would take to gain peace again."
Cutting through more soldiers, Wufei continued to cry out, "I'm not going to be happy until Quinze Khushrenadah is dead and all of you with him!" The Chinese pilot shouted and killed more soldiers who just were not prepared for his advances and skills in piloting. It was not a long time before Wufei had wiped out everyone of the soldiers who challenged him. With that, he was clear to soar to the carrier.
Flying straight ahead of the ship, Wufei used the dragon arm's teeth to rip into the side of the craft. As he did this, a chain of explosions coursed throughout the OZ carrier. In a brief moment, there was nothing left after one massive explosion.
Only somewhat satisfied, the Chinese pilot panted for breath as he looked to his monitors. The debris of the carrier floated in before him and he sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Wiping some of the sweat from his face, he said quietly, "It's not enough...I'll never be enough until OZ is destroyed."
After a brief moment, the sound of someone clapping slowly came from the transmitter. "What!?!" Wufei hissed as he glared to the radar and monitors, trying to see if there was anything that he could find. A male voice came after the applause ended, "Well done, Wufei. I'm quite impressed." The Chinese pilot growled, "Who are you?" The man replied, "My name is Carter. I am one of Quinze Khushrenadahs's followers."
Wufei remained silent, but his eyes widened for a moment when he heard this. Carter continued, "I have a proposition that I am certain you would love to accept." The Chinese pilot asked, "And what would that be?" Carter chuckled deeply, "I am challenging you to a battle, if you are willing to accept." There was s slight pause and the voice stated, "I have been busy testing a new weapon of OZ. It would be interesting to see how it would work against a Gundam pilot like yourself. I will tell you where I am, if you accept to fight me." Wufei felt the small sneer crossing his lips as he answered, "I accept."
* * * * * *
Delapan and her friends were nearing the location of where Pulsar was to be found. She asked, "Any signs of that ship yet?" Zes shook her head, "No, but from what Commander Wilcox was saying, it'll be pretty hard to miss." Milliardo nodded, "Just keep your eyes opened. Any word on what you've been able to pick up, Brian?"
Brian continued to look to the advanced radar of the ship he was flying. He had been tracking the area of space that he and the others had traveled. The young king stated, "We're the only ones for miles. The only other crafts that I've picked up anywhere near to us are small Preventer carriers and satellites." Just then, something did blink on his radar as his eyes widened and he announced, "Wait a second." As the king looked more carefully to the screen, Relena asked, "What is it?" Her husband replied with a smile, "I think I've found Pulsar."
The pilots were holding back their excitement until they knew that they had not gotten their hopes up. Brian led the others quickly to where the signal was picked up. As they flew off, it was only a few minutes before a ship larger that Peace Million was in sight of the pilots. They all looked in awe towards the ship. When they arrived, the hangar doors opened for them and they entered.
Once inside, the Gundams and Brian's ship landed safely and were secured. The Preventers there were very friendly towards the pilots as they helped them once everything was stable. Commander Wilcox walked to them with a large, warm smile. "It's good to see all of you." Wind smiled back and shook hands with him, "It's nice to meet you, Commander Wilcox." Relena, Catherine and Brian all greeted him and introduced themselves.
After the introductions, Wilcox stated, "There's a few people here that want to say hello to you, as well." The pilots looked behind him as he stepped aside. Noin, baby Mirando, Lady Une and Sally stood there with bright smiles. Their friends breathed a deep sigh of relief as they hugged and kissed each other in a sweet reunion. Wilcox smiled as he watched quietly.
Milliardo had one arm wrapped tightly around Noin and the other held Mirando against him. Relena and Brain hugged and kissed as well, since it was the first time that they were able to do so since Brian had to leave for the Earth. Catherine was embraced tightly by Derek. As the reunion was coming to a close, Lieutenant Keiser walked to the pilots and their friends. He shrugged and interrupted bluntly, "Well, we better get back to work now that everyone's here." Though they hated to admit it, everyone knew that the Preventer was right. They concluded their brief moment of happiness and walked out of the hanger.
Before anyone separated, Relena looked with concern to Lady Une. Zes grabbed her wrist as the leader of the Preventers was about to leave the hanger. Lady Une looked back to the Queen of the World. Relena asked with worry in her voice, "What about the other pilots? How will they know that we're here?" Lady Une smiled and replied, "I'm working on that right now. Somehow, we'll get the word to them."
Relena, Catherine and the others smiled in relief. They knew that their friends must have assumed the worst, with the way that the message had been sent from Quinze of Peace Million's destruction. After everything that has happened, everyone needed to hear some good news for a change. It was the only thing that would keep their spirits up in this war.
Milliardo, Noin, Keiser, Lady Une, Wilcox and Sally all went off to discuss what they should do now. Brian offered to look after Mirando. His parents handed the child to their uncle, who was looking to him for the first time. His wife smiled to her nephew as the baby cooed happily. From there, the others left for their first meeting in Pulsar.
As they walked out of the hanger, Relena looked to Catherine and smiled, "It's nice to have you back. I'm glad that you decided to pilot Slither again." The redhead chuckled and replied, "I am, too." The two friends smiled to each other.
Derek asked with a sly grin, "What do you all say we check this place out?" Brian nodded, "Sounds good to me. This place is going to be our home for quite some time." Everyone agreed and they walked off together, never leaving each other's sight until they needed to.
* * * * * *
When Wufei reached the Colony where he was to meet Carter, Nataku was walking through a war-torn city. There wasn't any telling what exactly happened here, but there were no people around so there wouldn't be the threat of killing or hurting any innocents.
After a good few minutes passed, Wufei was nearing the center of the large city. The devastation there was worse than what he had already come across. He couldn't help looking around him with wide, shocked eyes as a small gasp left him.
"This couldn't have been caused by just those Flare Spheres," the pilot thought aloud to himself. Knowing what those Flare Spheres were capable of, Wufei understood that even a few of those weapons wouldn't have ripped a city of stone an metal like this to shreds. "Admiring my handiwork," he heard Carter's voice chime in, with an amused tone.
Before Wufei could say anything, a four-legged Gundam suit walked from behind the ruin before Nataku. The Gundam suit from the waist down bore the Gundamimum lower half of a horse, much like the centaur of mythology. The chest of the centaur was where the cockpit was secured behind a large, deep red stone. The remainder of the suit was a combination of browns, tans and black. Carter chuckled deeply in his seat as he noted how shocked the Gundam pilot before him was at this moment. "I'd like you to meet Sagittarius," he said in a deep voice.
Upon saying this, Carter removed a golden bow that fell around his Gundam's chest. The Chinese pilot snapped from the state of shock he was in and soon growled as he welcomed the fight. The two suits battled, Sagittarius was able to create laser arrows anytime the bow was pulled back on the bow. Wufei, however, was always very quick with his reaction time. Most of the arrows were avoided or blocked. However, when even one arrow hit, the strike was great enough to jolt him with great force. With a loud growl, the Chinese pilot shot a spray of flames over the other suit.
Carter laughed in the midst of the flames and brushed the attack off as nothing. He shot more laser arrows through the inferno. Wufei was not expecting the OZ pilot to be so strong and was hit badly by every shot. Sagittarius ran from the fire and kicked Nataku with its back hooves at tremendous force. Wufei's suit fell backwards, its pilot shouting in pain and shock. The Sagittarius was faster than anything that he had seen before.
Wufei looked up just as the front hooves of the other suit were about to fall upon him. At the last possible moment, the Chinese pilot managed to get Nataku's right arm up in time to hold the hooves as they were dropped. With a nasty sneer, he gripped the hooves with both hands and spun the OZ Gudam into a collapsed building. Carter couldn't believe how quickly the young man was able to recover and took advantage of the situation.
Sagittarius rose from the stone and metal around him as Carter chuckled deeply, "Very nice, Wufei. I never saw that one coming." Nataku was now back on its feet as the Gundam took to the air. Wufei told himself, "I'll have a better advantage from the air since the other suit's better off on the ground." His suit was about to fall from the sky in attempt to pin the OZ Gundam to the ground.
Carter sneered, "Clever boy." He pressed a large key on his control panel and large, white wings sprouted from the back of his Gundam. Wufei was still in mid-air, falling from the sky towards Carter when this happened. He screamed, "WHAT THE-!?!" The winged Sagittarius shot into the air and round-kicked Nataku in the face. Wufei fell from the sky upon impact. Bleeding in several places from cuts and bruises, the Chinese pilot hissed as he struggled to get his composure back, "Damn it!"
Again, Carter came before he could react as the Sagittarius began an all-out assault on Nataku. It took a moment for Wufei to get a good grip of his controls again. He finally managed to stop Carter's advances and worked to get this fight in his favor. Nataku stunned the other pilot with a tackle around the waist. Wufei pinned the arms of the Gundam around its back with a death grip. Carter struggled to break free of the hold on him.
Wufei smiled with a small line of blood trickling from his lip. He was finally able to turn the tides again. This moment of superiority was not to last, however. Carter quickly regained control of his suit and broke one arm free. It was enough to take the golden bow and hurl its pointed tip back into Nataku, just over the cockpit. The jolt that this brought was enough to shake Wufei off of him. Once the two pilots were free and looking to their opponent in anger, they quickly went into the fight again.
* * * * * *
The meeting on Pulsar involving Lady Une, Water, Fire, Wind and Keiser had concluded. The soldiers all parted ways as they went to their news tasks. Sally watched as the others left and she quickly began to sprint towards the hanger. Knowing that there wouldn't be anyone in the hanger, Sally expected to make a clean getaway. She would have gotten away unnoticed, but there was someone in the hanger.
Of all people, Catherine was there, in Slither's opened cockpit as she worked on retaining herself with the controls again. Hearing footsteps, Delapan sat up and looked out of her suit. "Sally?" she called to her friend's back. Water was about to enter a small craft big enough for a few suits as when she heard her name being called. After hearing this, she froze and looked up to see the redhead in her restored suit.
Sally watched as Trowa's sister landed on the ground and ran to her. "Where are you going?" the Gundam pilot asked in concern. Water replied, "I'm going after Wufei." Delapan's eyes widened as she gasped and asked, "Is he all right?" Sally shook her head, "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about something." Catherine replied, "You shouldn't go out there alone. I'll go with you."
The Preventer couldn't help but smile at the young pilot's offer. Just a few days ago, she never would have believed that Catherine would ever want to pilot her Gundam again. She was like a completely different person now. Sally shook her head and stated, "You need to stay here with the others. There's no telling what OZ will have planned and you'll be needed here more than with me." Delapan protested, "But-" Her friend cut her off with a smile and explained, "Wufei is not far from here at all. It'll only take me a little more than two days to find him and come back. I'll be fine."
Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to convince Water, Catherine lowered her head. She sighed deeply and nodded, "All right." Looking back up to Sally, she said sternly, "But be careful out there." Sally smiled again and nodded. Placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder, she said quietly, "I will. Thank you, Delapan."
Once this was said, Sally ran off into the ship. Catherine ran into the observation tower and opened the doors for the Preventer as the craft took off. When the doors closed again, Delapan bit her lip and whispered, "I hope that her feeling about Wufei was wrong."
* * * * * *
Back in the ruined city on Colony B298, Wufei and Cater were still fighting fiercely. The Chinese pilot was wearing thin, and he knew it. "I have to get him into Space," he thought aloud as he tried to breathe normally. With all the strength he could gather, Wufei pushed up on his controls. Nataku darted off into the reaches of Space before Carter could realize what he was planning. The OZ pilot smiled as he watched. His eyes narrowed as he shot off behind his opponent.
This was Wufei's last resource, and he was not prepared to go down before everything in him was used. He stopped when he was deep in the ocean of stars. The winged Sagittarius arrived not long after this. Carter chuckled deeply to himself, "You're playing right into my hands, kid." Wufei never managed to catch this and with a loud cry, he advanced towards the other suit.
Even in space, the battle between the suits was as difficult as it was on the ground. Wufei hissed to himself, "Where the hell else can I go? He never has a disadvantage with that Gundam." Carter laughed madly as he shot a rain of arrows towards Nataku. The Chinese pilot was still fighting with every last ounce of energy that he had.
As he continued to strike, Carter was nevertheless amazed that Wufei was holding on as long as he was. There was a good number of times when the dark-haired pilot would block a hit and strike back. All that was driving him now was the rage in him, since the strength in his body had since been worn to nothing.
Again, the battle was shining more than favorably on Carter and his Sagittarius. After nearly an hour struggle, Carter was finally tired of playing this game. It was time to end the struggle. Sagittarius replaced the bow and the Gundam stood still with its arms to its side.
Wufei was at a loss. Through the sweat and tears, he looked in shock towards Carter. He was still struggling to catch his breath. "What the hell is he up to?" he asked himself quietly, still panting for air. Carter smiled and to Wufei, "It's been a pleasure, my friend." At this, the wings of the Sagittarius spanned open to their fullest lengths.
It was not until now when it was noticeable that the lining of the Sagittarius's wings were coated in a bright, golden finish. Wufei couldn't help but watch with great curiosity as to what Carter was planning. The OZ pilot tilted the wings in a snap.
Wufei could not have been prepared for the blow that was about to come. Nataku's back was to the sun at this time, while Sagittarius was facing it. Thanks to the golden finish and with the winged Gundam's last weapon, the sun's rays were shot into Nataku's path in a wide, white beam.
The entire Gundam was covered by the ray. Inside the cockpit, Wufei cried loudly in pain as he covered his eyes from the light around him. The entire cockpit was engulfed in blinding light. After a moment that felt like an eternity, Carter tilted the wings of Sagittarius to the usual span. The OZ pilot looked to Wufei and chuckled deeply. "Such a shame. He really was a good pilot." After saying this, Sagittarius flew off, not concerned with being followed.
Wufei was still covering his eyes as he folded into himself while he sat in the cockpit. Once he caught a staggered breath, he sat up and removed his hands from his closed eyes. With a strain, the Chinese pilot slowly opened his eyes and fought the initial attack of panic when he did so. He couldn't see anything... It was a black as it was with his eyes slammed shut.
The Gundam pilot shook his head and said quietly, "No." He blinked forcefully a few times, still trying to remain calm. He was panting again when he noticed no difference. Wufei frowned and lowered his head. "I brought this on myself when I came into space with that other suit," he said sadly to himself.
After a pause, the blind pilot turned his monitors off, only being able so by memory as to where everything was. Once the suit was shut down, Wufei lied back in his chair and felt a tear fall from his unsighted eye. The small drop fell into him lap and he lowered his head again. With a bitter chuckle, Wufei said, "So this is how it ends, ne?" At this, he lowered his head and prepared to sleep. There was nothing that he could do now.
Lying in his suit like that, the last conscious thought that he had was a wish that some OZ fleet would happen to find him, and finish the job that Carter had begun.
* * * * * *
Cool and collected as ever, Quinze Khushrenadah was in a small office aboard one of the thousands of OZ carriers. As he sat there, he looked to the screen of his laptop as it sat on the desk before him. "Wufei will not be giving us any further trouble, sir. Everything worked according to plan," the young pilot stated. Quinze leaned back in his leather seat. "You kept him alive as I requested?" he asked Carter. The young man replied, "Yes. I don't understand why you want him to float in space. He could be picked up and aided."
The OZ leader shook his head, "Wufei is a pilot of honor. I remember my brother speaking to me of him before his death. He won't request the assistance of anyone." Taking a sip of red wine that he had with him, he smirked, "And even if someone were to find and help him, it just means that we'll have the pleasure of presenting him with an even more gruesome fate than the one he is in now."
Sagittarius's pilot nodded, "Very well, sir. I will be back before long." Quinze smiled, "Nice work, Carter. So the last of our Gundams proves to be a great success, then." Carter smiled, "Yes, sir. Sagittarius is quite an impressive suit. I am honored that you allowed me the responsibility of flying it." Quinze replied with a grin, "Don't mention it. I knew that you would be the best fit for the job."
Carter looked to his leader and asked, "And the Holocausts?" Quinze chuckled deeply and answered, "Don't worry. All of your work will not be spent on only wiping out two Colonies. There will be many more times that we'll be using them." The young soldier gave a look of gratitude as he replied, "Thank you, sir."
After a brief pause, Carter had one last question. "Have you heard from any other Colonies that did not ally with us yet?" Quinze shrugged, "Only five." Carter's eyes widened in disbelief. "Out of the hundreds of Colonies that did not ally with us, only five were shaken by the destruction of Peace Million?" he inquired, still not believing that this was possible.
The OZ leader stretched, and sighed deeply in content as he assured his pilot, "It's just as well. No matter what happens, we'll win this war. Those who sided with us will survive and those who refused will suffer the proper consequences." Closing his eyes, he continued with a satisfied smirk, "We were not able to kill all the lives on Peace Million. And as long as there are Preventers and people who believe in the Gundam pilots, they'll always have a place to stay."
The merciless man's smirk became nasty as his eyes slowly opened, "That's what makes this so much fun...Little by little, we're taking every place and every life that those Gundams fought the first two wars for. It must kill them every day to wake knowing that all of their years of blood, sweat and tears were for nothing. All that they hold dear is slipping through their fingers. And we'll be there to snuff out the last bit of fire that burns in their souls."
Carter couldn't help but smile in agreement after this speech. Quinze was far too proud and strong to allow anyone to stop him. They came too far to be stopped by anyone at this point. With a final salute, Carter nodded, "Sir." The connection was cut off from there. Quinze lied back in his seat again as he took another sip of his wine. "We won't fail," he said deeply to himself, assured that he was right in saying so.
* * * * * *
More than a day later, Trowa Barton reached R58 and looked to the Colony from afar, on the Preventer craft that would be his last official stop. With a tired and relieved look, he sighed deeply, "Finally."
As he stayed there in the hallway, looking out the window, a young solders flew walked toward him. Trowa nodded to him in recognition before looking back to the colony. The Preventer asked quietly, "You're aware of what happened to Peace Million?" Trowa nodded sadly after a pause. He had tried not to think of that at this time.
The soldier then asked timidly, "Do you really think that anything we do from here on in is really worth it? We're lost more than we've gained in this war." Trowa understood the young man's concerns, but replied, "We can't stop fighting...OZ can't win this war. I'll fight to the death if I have to. I suppose that's why I was destined to be a Gundam pilot." As he lowered his head, he continued, "My thoughts are with all of those who died. I just don't want their sacrifices to be in vain."
There was a pause between the two men. The Preventer, moved by Trowa's courage, replied with a salute, "It's a pleasure to know you, Trowa Barton. I have known that you and the Gundam pilots are infamous for your courage. Now I know first-hand who brave you all really are." Extending his hand, he stated, "I look forward to fighting this mission with you in a few hours." The Gundam pilot looked to him with sincere gratitude and smiled warmly, "Thank you." They shook hands firmly.
Another Preventer of the crew there ran to the pilots and shouted, "Trowa! You better get to the control room!" Trowa looked to him in concern, but did as he was requested and ran to the ship's large control room. He didn't bother to ask questions until he entered. Once inside, he looked to the ship's commander and questioned, "What happened?" The older man turned to him and answered with a smile, "You and your friends have a message."
Trowa's eyes widened in shock and uncertainty for a moment. Walking to a computer, the tall pilot sat before it and looked to the e-mail. There was a message that requested a password that only the Gundam pilots knew. Once the password was typed, Trowa's eyes scanned the short notice. It read:
To my dear friends, the Gundam pilots:
We have sufferer a great deal in the explosion of Peace Million. However, a good number of us have also survived. Your fellow Gundam pilots, Water, Fire and myself are alive and well on Pulsar. This ship will replace Peace Million and we look forward to seeing all of you again.
With Love,
Lady Une
Trowa's eyes widened and a smile grew across his lips. Turning the computer off, he sighed deeply and folded his hands just before his face and closed his eyes. He whispered in a staggered breath, "Thank God."
The tall pilot walked out of the room, a little stunned and numb for the most part after everything that had happened. The commander smiled as he watched Trowa walk out of the room quietly. He received the word about Pulsar the same time the message arrived for the Gundam pilot. It was luck that allowed the message to reach them.
Trowa walked back to the window where he could gaze upon R58. A small smile crossed his face again as he looked to the colony. "Looks like we have a place where we belong, after all." This was the best news that he had received in weeks, months. Now in a few hours, if all went well, the forth for the seven missions would be completed. As long as Trowa and his friends had a place that they could consider home together, that was all that mattered.
* * * * * *
Quatre, Sette and the Maquanauts were cheering just after they got the message about Pulsar and the safety of their friends, themselves. Quatre was slouched in his seat as he took in the relief that was flooding him, He just smiled brightly as Sette and his friends shouted and cheered. When the cries began to die down, Sette fell back in her own seat as she sighed deeply, "Finally, something to be happy about for a change."
With a sudden look of uncertainty, the tomboy asked, "Quatre, is Keiser still alive?" The Arabian nodded, "Yes, he made it our safely and he's with the others on Pulsar." Sette hissed, "Damn!" Quatre gave a sharp laugh, "Sette!" The ex-princess smiled and shrugged with a sincere voice, "Just kidding, hon. I'm glad that jerk-off made it okay." Rashid and his men all laughed along with their master. Abdul smiled and announced, "I love this girl!" Sette blushed and chuckled, "Oh, stop!" Again, the pilots laughed as they continued to fly towards their new destination.
* * * * * *
Kumi couldn't help but look to the note as a small smile betrayed her soldier mask. Clicking the message from her monitor, she gave a small nod and rested in her seat. It wasn't long before the 'Perfect Soldier's' stoic look returned.
* * * * * *
Duo was on yet another drop off carrier of the Preventers when he read the note from Lady Une. There were several soldiers in the control room with him. As the American read the letter, his face and eyes brightened with elation. He jumped up on his chair and cheered loudly. All of the Preventers turned to stare at him. Duo looked to all of the soldiers with a look of embarrassment. He cleared his throat as he waved to the soldiers and got off of the seat. He ran out of the room laughing loudly and still cheering as he ran to the hanger.
* * * * * *
Sera Makato and Heero smiled to each other as Heero closed his laptop. Things were finally starting to look up again. While they continued to sit in silence, the body language was enough to give off their relief and subtle anxiety to complete what they were sent to accomplish.
* * * * * *
Somewhere in space, Nataku flew silently. Wufei was slouched forward with a look of loss and hopeless. His sightless eyes were closed, though there was no way that the pilot could know whether they were opened or not.
Nothing mattered any longer to Wufei any longer...Because even if he did care, he knew too well that there wasn't a thing he could do about it... Not like this.
TBC
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's amazing how far you can get a with help from your friends! To Snodin, Tracy, Stormy, Sam, Sky and Beekay, thank you sooo much for the constant support and kind words! It means A LOT! To all redaers, please feel from to contact me at cyclone2996@hotmail.com with your opinions and any ideas that you may have. If it wasn't for readers like you, I wouldn't have gotten this far! Thank you for everything! I hope you like this! Love, SkyLark
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 20: In Justice for All
by Skylark
with help from: Snodin, Traci, Stormy, Sam, Sky and Beekay
Narrator: The destruction of Peace Million was not only shown to the Gundam pilots, but to the Earth and to the countless Colonies in Space. Prior to its ruin, Peace Million was the sign of hope and peace that countless believed would never fade. Now, the people of Earth found themselves grateful that they declared their wish to remain out of the war, not favoring either side, and determined to stay that way at all costs.
For the people of the Colonies, those who made secret alliances with OZ, there was nothing more exciting at this time. The explosion of the mighty craft was to be a turning point like none other, crushing the hopes of those who defied the OZ organization.
Those who did not ally with OZ were regretfully wishing that they had prior to this moment. And yet, in the back of their hearts and minds, there was a small glimmer of faith that somehow, the Gundam pilots and Preventers would rise victorious. While there was little working in their favor, somehow, they would have to rise the ashes and right the wrongs that had been committed.
* * * * * *
Zes and Brian were flying silently towards where Peace Million had been as they returned from the Earth. They held their breath the entire trip. Not even being able to have a warm reunion, they rushed to see if there was anything left of the ship where they had lived the last half-year. When they reached the location, their eyes and mouths fell open as they looked to the sight.
Nothing was left of the magnificent craft. Only miles of debris remained behind. Calvary and the small ship froze side-by-side as the pilots within took all of this in. Relena let out a soft gasp and covered her face behind her hands as tears formed instantly. "I-I can't believe that this is really happening," she whispered.
Brian looked to his wife with a heavy heart. Wanting more than anything to hold her, all he could do was speak through her monitor. He lowered his head and whispered sadly, "I'm so sorry, Relena. This is all my fault." The queen lowered her hands immediately and shook her head. Through tears that coursed down her face, she replied, "This isn't your fault, Brian. Don't ever feel that way. Nobody is to blame for this except OZ."
Something patched in on their radars. As they looked ahead, through the wreckage, they saw Euphoria and Slither making their way to them. Zes sighed in relief, "Milliardo. Delapan." The pilots all met in the middle of the rubble. Milliardo sighed deeply in return, "Thank God you're both all right." As she bit her lip in hesitation, Relena asked cautiously, "Have you heard anything from Noin, Sally or Lady Une?"
Milliardo shook his head, but answered in certainty, "I know they're alive out here somewhere. They have to be." His sister nodded her agreement. Nobody could believe that they had been killed in the explosion. Catherine looked around the sea of metal scraps and other remains. "Where are we supposed to go now? Peace Million was our haven in this war." After a long pause, Milliardo stated, "We can't do anything but search for a Preventer craft that is close enough for us to reach. We'll be able to find Noin and the other survivors then."
No sooner had this been suggested than a male voice came over their transmitters. "This is a message to the Gundam pilots if you can receive this message." The pilots held their breaths when they heard the man's words. Milliardo responded, "This is Preventer Wind."
There was a slight pause as the man's voice sighed quietly in relief. He then asked, "Are you with any of the other pilots at this time?" Wind replied with a nod, "Yes. I am here with Zes and Delapan. King Weatherall is here with me as well. How is this?" The voice answered, "I'm Commander Wilcox. I am here with the survivors from Peace Million." The pilots all gasped in shock, then laughed and cheered in relief. The kind voice laughed as he heard the celebration of the relieved soldiers.
"Where are you located, Commander?" Wind questioned finally. Wilcox replied, "I am on Pulsar, a Preventer carrier much like Peace Million. You can find us at the coordinates that I am sending to you now. We're a good two hours from where you are now, just where the Milky Way begins."
The coordinates came through and Milliardo smiled, "Thank you, Commander. We'll be there in two hours, then." Wilcox answered, "Very good. We look forward to seeing all of you." At this, the connection was cut off. There was a brief moment to allow the young soldiers a chance to get over the fear that they were completely at a loss of where they could go.
Relena smiled, "At least we know that the others are all right." The queen's brother nodded, "Right now, let's just get to Pulsar. We'll know what we have to do when we reunite with them again." There was no argument there. All of the young pilots flew off together.
The debris of Peace Million continued to float quietly...The only remainders of what had been a symbol of peace since the first war. Peace Million along with the Gundam suits were the only things that were seen as sacred in regards to the protection of peace and hope for everyone on the Earth and in Space. Now all that existed of the large craft could only be seen now as scraps and shattered remains...A fear of what may come of this new war.
* * * * * *
Wufei flew off at great speed in Nataku. All that he knew was that Peace Million was no more, and over a hundred lives had been lost...And Sally was one of those victims. This was something that he could not cope with. The only other time he felt this much loss was when he was forced to watch the destruction of his home, L5.
Someone needed to avenge the loss of souls of Peace Million. And the Chinese pilot was more than happy to do just this. Wufei soared through the stars as rage and madness drove him to kill every OZ soldier he came across. And he knew where to start. There was a large OZ ship that he had picked up after searching for something to destroy as the first step of vengeance.
The Chinese pilot did not have long to wait before the ship was in sight. His dark eyes narrowed and he said deeply in a low, deep growl, "Good. This will just be the beginning of repaying OZ for the lives that they've stolen." He shot off in a b-line. The soldiers in the ship came flying out to greet him in effort to protect the carrier. The young Gundam pilot was not the least bit concerned with anything other than killing every last soldier that he came up against.
Nataku shot flames that stretched for a near mile and took out a good number of soldiers that way. Wufei worked through the remaining soldiers without any difficulty, screaming and growling loudly the whole time. The rage and madness in him just grew as he didn't think of the fight so much as the statement he was making with this fight.
Wufei shouted as he continued to struggle, "I have a message for you and your leader...The Gundam pilots and the Preventers are not going to lie down and surrender in this war. We'll would fight to the last of us, if that was what it would take to gain peace again."
Cutting through more soldiers, Wufei continued to cry out, "I'm not going to be happy until Quinze Khushrenadah is dead and all of you with him!" The Chinese pilot shouted and killed more soldiers who just were not prepared for his advances and skills in piloting. It was not a long time before Wufei had wiped out everyone of the soldiers who challenged him. With that, he was clear to soar to the carrier.
Flying straight ahead of the ship, Wufei used the dragon arm's teeth to rip into the side of the craft. As he did this, a chain of explosions coursed throughout the OZ carrier. In a brief moment, there was nothing left after one massive explosion.
Only somewhat satisfied, the Chinese pilot panted for breath as he looked to his monitors. The debris of the carrier floated in before him and he sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Wiping some of the sweat from his face, he said quietly, "It's not enough...I'll never be enough until OZ is destroyed."
After a brief moment, the sound of someone clapping slowly came from the transmitter. "What!?!" Wufei hissed as he glared to the radar and monitors, trying to see if there was anything that he could find. A male voice came after the applause ended, "Well done, Wufei. I'm quite impressed." The Chinese pilot growled, "Who are you?" The man replied, "My name is Carter. I am one of Quinze Khushrenadahs's followers."
Wufei remained silent, but his eyes widened for a moment when he heard this. Carter continued, "I have a proposition that I am certain you would love to accept." The Chinese pilot asked, "And what would that be?" Carter chuckled deeply, "I am challenging you to a battle, if you are willing to accept." There was s slight pause and the voice stated, "I have been busy testing a new weapon of OZ. It would be interesting to see how it would work against a Gundam pilot like yourself. I will tell you where I am, if you accept to fight me." Wufei felt the small sneer crossing his lips as he answered, "I accept."
* * * * * *
Delapan and her friends were nearing the location of where Pulsar was to be found. She asked, "Any signs of that ship yet?" Zes shook her head, "No, but from what Commander Wilcox was saying, it'll be pretty hard to miss." Milliardo nodded, "Just keep your eyes opened. Any word on what you've been able to pick up, Brian?"
Brian continued to look to the advanced radar of the ship he was flying. He had been tracking the area of space that he and the others had traveled. The young king stated, "We're the only ones for miles. The only other crafts that I've picked up anywhere near to us are small Preventer carriers and satellites." Just then, something did blink on his radar as his eyes widened and he announced, "Wait a second." As the king looked more carefully to the screen, Relena asked, "What is it?" Her husband replied with a smile, "I think I've found Pulsar."
The pilots were holding back their excitement until they knew that they had not gotten their hopes up. Brian led the others quickly to where the signal was picked up. As they flew off, it was only a few minutes before a ship larger that Peace Million was in sight of the pilots. They all looked in awe towards the ship. When they arrived, the hangar doors opened for them and they entered.
Once inside, the Gundams and Brian's ship landed safely and were secured. The Preventers there were very friendly towards the pilots as they helped them once everything was stable. Commander Wilcox walked to them with a large, warm smile. "It's good to see all of you." Wind smiled back and shook hands with him, "It's nice to meet you, Commander Wilcox." Relena, Catherine and Brian all greeted him and introduced themselves.
After the introductions, Wilcox stated, "There's a few people here that want to say hello to you, as well." The pilots looked behind him as he stepped aside. Noin, baby Mirando, Lady Une and Sally stood there with bright smiles. Their friends breathed a deep sigh of relief as they hugged and kissed each other in a sweet reunion. Wilcox smiled as he watched quietly.
Milliardo had one arm wrapped tightly around Noin and the other held Mirando against him. Relena and Brain hugged and kissed as well, since it was the first time that they were able to do so since Brian had to leave for the Earth. Catherine was embraced tightly by Derek. As the reunion was coming to a close, Lieutenant Keiser walked to the pilots and their friends. He shrugged and interrupted bluntly, "Well, we better get back to work now that everyone's here." Though they hated to admit it, everyone knew that the Preventer was right. They concluded their brief moment of happiness and walked out of the hanger.
Before anyone separated, Relena looked with concern to Lady Une. Zes grabbed her wrist as the leader of the Preventers was about to leave the hanger. Lady Une looked back to the Queen of the World. Relena asked with worry in her voice, "What about the other pilots? How will they know that we're here?" Lady Une smiled and replied, "I'm working on that right now. Somehow, we'll get the word to them."
Relena, Catherine and the others smiled in relief. They knew that their friends must have assumed the worst, with the way that the message had been sent from Quinze of Peace Million's destruction. After everything that has happened, everyone needed to hear some good news for a change. It was the only thing that would keep their spirits up in this war.
Milliardo, Noin, Keiser, Lady Une, Wilcox and Sally all went off to discuss what they should do now. Brian offered to look after Mirando. His parents handed the child to their uncle, who was looking to him for the first time. His wife smiled to her nephew as the baby cooed happily. From there, the others left for their first meeting in Pulsar.
As they walked out of the hanger, Relena looked to Catherine and smiled, "It's nice to have you back. I'm glad that you decided to pilot Slither again." The redhead chuckled and replied, "I am, too." The two friends smiled to each other.
Derek asked with a sly grin, "What do you all say we check this place out?" Brian nodded, "Sounds good to me. This place is going to be our home for quite some time." Everyone agreed and they walked off together, never leaving each other's sight until they needed to.
* * * * * *
When Wufei reached the Colony where he was to meet Carter, Nataku was walking through a war-torn city. There wasn't any telling what exactly happened here, but there were no people around so there wouldn't be the threat of killing or hurting any innocents.
After a good few minutes passed, Wufei was nearing the center of the large city. The devastation there was worse than what he had already come across. He couldn't help looking around him with wide, shocked eyes as a small gasp left him.
"This couldn't have been caused by just those Flare Spheres," the pilot thought aloud to himself. Knowing what those Flare Spheres were capable of, Wufei understood that even a few of those weapons wouldn't have ripped a city of stone an metal like this to shreds. "Admiring my handiwork," he heard Carter's voice chime in, with an amused tone.
Before Wufei could say anything, a four-legged Gundam suit walked from behind the ruin before Nataku. The Gundam suit from the waist down bore the Gundamimum lower half of a horse, much like the centaur of mythology. The chest of the centaur was where the cockpit was secured behind a large, deep red stone. The remainder of the suit was a combination of browns, tans and black. Carter chuckled deeply in his seat as he noted how shocked the Gundam pilot before him was at this moment. "I'd like you to meet Sagittarius," he said in a deep voice.
Upon saying this, Carter removed a golden bow that fell around his Gundam's chest. The Chinese pilot snapped from the state of shock he was in and soon growled as he welcomed the fight. The two suits battled, Sagittarius was able to create laser arrows anytime the bow was pulled back on the bow. Wufei, however, was always very quick with his reaction time. Most of the arrows were avoided or blocked. However, when even one arrow hit, the strike was great enough to jolt him with great force. With a loud growl, the Chinese pilot shot a spray of flames over the other suit.
Carter laughed in the midst of the flames and brushed the attack off as nothing. He shot more laser arrows through the inferno. Wufei was not expecting the OZ pilot to be so strong and was hit badly by every shot. Sagittarius ran from the fire and kicked Nataku with its back hooves at tremendous force. Wufei's suit fell backwards, its pilot shouting in pain and shock. The Sagittarius was faster than anything that he had seen before.
Wufei looked up just as the front hooves of the other suit were about to fall upon him. At the last possible moment, the Chinese pilot managed to get Nataku's right arm up in time to hold the hooves as they were dropped. With a nasty sneer, he gripped the hooves with both hands and spun the OZ Gudam into a collapsed building. Carter couldn't believe how quickly the young man was able to recover and took advantage of the situation.
Sagittarius rose from the stone and metal around him as Carter chuckled deeply, "Very nice, Wufei. I never saw that one coming." Nataku was now back on its feet as the Gundam took to the air. Wufei told himself, "I'll have a better advantage from the air since the other suit's better off on the ground." His suit was about to fall from the sky in attempt to pin the OZ Gundam to the ground.
Carter sneered, "Clever boy." He pressed a large key on his control panel and large, white wings sprouted from the back of his Gundam. Wufei was still in mid-air, falling from the sky towards Carter when this happened. He screamed, "WHAT THE-!?!" The winged Sagittarius shot into the air and round-kicked Nataku in the face. Wufei fell from the sky upon impact. Bleeding in several places from cuts and bruises, the Chinese pilot hissed as he struggled to get his composure back, "Damn it!"
Again, Carter came before he could react as the Sagittarius began an all-out assault on Nataku. It took a moment for Wufei to get a good grip of his controls again. He finally managed to stop Carter's advances and worked to get this fight in his favor. Nataku stunned the other pilot with a tackle around the waist. Wufei pinned the arms of the Gundam around its back with a death grip. Carter struggled to break free of the hold on him.
Wufei smiled with a small line of blood trickling from his lip. He was finally able to turn the tides again. This moment of superiority was not to last, however. Carter quickly regained control of his suit and broke one arm free. It was enough to take the golden bow and hurl its pointed tip back into Nataku, just over the cockpit. The jolt that this brought was enough to shake Wufei off of him. Once the two pilots were free and looking to their opponent in anger, they quickly went into the fight again.
* * * * * *
The meeting on Pulsar involving Lady Une, Water, Fire, Wind and Keiser had concluded. The soldiers all parted ways as they went to their news tasks. Sally watched as the others left and she quickly began to sprint towards the hanger. Knowing that there wouldn't be anyone in the hanger, Sally expected to make a clean getaway. She would have gotten away unnoticed, but there was someone in the hanger.
Of all people, Catherine was there, in Slither's opened cockpit as she worked on retaining herself with the controls again. Hearing footsteps, Delapan sat up and looked out of her suit. "Sally?" she called to her friend's back. Water was about to enter a small craft big enough for a few suits as when she heard her name being called. After hearing this, she froze and looked up to see the redhead in her restored suit.
Sally watched as Trowa's sister landed on the ground and ran to her. "Where are you going?" the Gundam pilot asked in concern. Water replied, "I'm going after Wufei." Delapan's eyes widened as she gasped and asked, "Is he all right?" Sally shook her head, "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about something." Catherine replied, "You shouldn't go out there alone. I'll go with you."
The Preventer couldn't help but smile at the young pilot's offer. Just a few days ago, she never would have believed that Catherine would ever want to pilot her Gundam again. She was like a completely different person now. Sally shook her head and stated, "You need to stay here with the others. There's no telling what OZ will have planned and you'll be needed here more than with me." Delapan protested, "But-" Her friend cut her off with a smile and explained, "Wufei is not far from here at all. It'll only take me a little more than two days to find him and come back. I'll be fine."
Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to convince Water, Catherine lowered her head. She sighed deeply and nodded, "All right." Looking back up to Sally, she said sternly, "But be careful out there." Sally smiled again and nodded. Placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder, she said quietly, "I will. Thank you, Delapan."
Once this was said, Sally ran off into the ship. Catherine ran into the observation tower and opened the doors for the Preventer as the craft took off. When the doors closed again, Delapan bit her lip and whispered, "I hope that her feeling about Wufei was wrong."
* * * * * *
Back in the ruined city on Colony B298, Wufei and Cater were still fighting fiercely. The Chinese pilot was wearing thin, and he knew it. "I have to get him into Space," he thought aloud as he tried to breathe normally. With all the strength he could gather, Wufei pushed up on his controls. Nataku darted off into the reaches of Space before Carter could realize what he was planning. The OZ pilot smiled as he watched. His eyes narrowed as he shot off behind his opponent.
This was Wufei's last resource, and he was not prepared to go down before everything in him was used. He stopped when he was deep in the ocean of stars. The winged Sagittarius arrived not long after this. Carter chuckled deeply to himself, "You're playing right into my hands, kid." Wufei never managed to catch this and with a loud cry, he advanced towards the other suit.
Even in space, the battle between the suits was as difficult as it was on the ground. Wufei hissed to himself, "Where the hell else can I go? He never has a disadvantage with that Gundam." Carter laughed madly as he shot a rain of arrows towards Nataku. The Chinese pilot was still fighting with every last ounce of energy that he had.
As he continued to strike, Carter was nevertheless amazed that Wufei was holding on as long as he was. There was a good number of times when the dark-haired pilot would block a hit and strike back. All that was driving him now was the rage in him, since the strength in his body had since been worn to nothing.
Again, the battle was shining more than favorably on Carter and his Sagittarius. After nearly an hour struggle, Carter was finally tired of playing this game. It was time to end the struggle. Sagittarius replaced the bow and the Gundam stood still with its arms to its side.
Wufei was at a loss. Through the sweat and tears, he looked in shock towards Carter. He was still struggling to catch his breath. "What the hell is he up to?" he asked himself quietly, still panting for air. Carter smiled and to Wufei, "It's been a pleasure, my friend." At this, the wings of the Sagittarius spanned open to their fullest lengths.
It was not until now when it was noticeable that the lining of the Sagittarius's wings were coated in a bright, golden finish. Wufei couldn't help but watch with great curiosity as to what Carter was planning. The OZ pilot tilted the wings in a snap.
Wufei could not have been prepared for the blow that was about to come. Nataku's back was to the sun at this time, while Sagittarius was facing it. Thanks to the golden finish and with the winged Gundam's last weapon, the sun's rays were shot into Nataku's path in a wide, white beam.
The entire Gundam was covered by the ray. Inside the cockpit, Wufei cried loudly in pain as he covered his eyes from the light around him. The entire cockpit was engulfed in blinding light. After a moment that felt like an eternity, Carter tilted the wings of Sagittarius to the usual span. The OZ pilot looked to Wufei and chuckled deeply. "Such a shame. He really was a good pilot." After saying this, Sagittarius flew off, not concerned with being followed.
Wufei was still covering his eyes as he folded into himself while he sat in the cockpit. Once he caught a staggered breath, he sat up and removed his hands from his closed eyes. With a strain, the Chinese pilot slowly opened his eyes and fought the initial attack of panic when he did so. He couldn't see anything... It was a black as it was with his eyes slammed shut.
The Gundam pilot shook his head and said quietly, "No." He blinked forcefully a few times, still trying to remain calm. He was panting again when he noticed no difference. Wufei frowned and lowered his head. "I brought this on myself when I came into space with that other suit," he said sadly to himself.
After a pause, the blind pilot turned his monitors off, only being able so by memory as to where everything was. Once the suit was shut down, Wufei lied back in his chair and felt a tear fall from his unsighted eye. The small drop fell into him lap and he lowered his head again. With a bitter chuckle, Wufei said, "So this is how it ends, ne?" At this, he lowered his head and prepared to sleep. There was nothing that he could do now.
Lying in his suit like that, the last conscious thought that he had was a wish that some OZ fleet would happen to find him, and finish the job that Carter had begun.
* * * * * *
Cool and collected as ever, Quinze Khushrenadah was in a small office aboard one of the thousands of OZ carriers. As he sat there, he looked to the screen of his laptop as it sat on the desk before him. "Wufei will not be giving us any further trouble, sir. Everything worked according to plan," the young pilot stated. Quinze leaned back in his leather seat. "You kept him alive as I requested?" he asked Carter. The young man replied, "Yes. I don't understand why you want him to float in space. He could be picked up and aided."
The OZ leader shook his head, "Wufei is a pilot of honor. I remember my brother speaking to me of him before his death. He won't request the assistance of anyone." Taking a sip of red wine that he had with him, he smirked, "And even if someone were to find and help him, it just means that we'll have the pleasure of presenting him with an even more gruesome fate than the one he is in now."
Sagittarius's pilot nodded, "Very well, sir. I will be back before long." Quinze smiled, "Nice work, Carter. So the last of our Gundams proves to be a great success, then." Carter smiled, "Yes, sir. Sagittarius is quite an impressive suit. I am honored that you allowed me the responsibility of flying it." Quinze replied with a grin, "Don't mention it. I knew that you would be the best fit for the job."
Carter looked to his leader and asked, "And the Holocausts?" Quinze chuckled deeply and answered, "Don't worry. All of your work will not be spent on only wiping out two Colonies. There will be many more times that we'll be using them." The young soldier gave a look of gratitude as he replied, "Thank you, sir."
After a brief pause, Carter had one last question. "Have you heard from any other Colonies that did not ally with us yet?" Quinze shrugged, "Only five." Carter's eyes widened in disbelief. "Out of the hundreds of Colonies that did not ally with us, only five were shaken by the destruction of Peace Million?" he inquired, still not believing that this was possible.
The OZ leader stretched, and sighed deeply in content as he assured his pilot, "It's just as well. No matter what happens, we'll win this war. Those who sided with us will survive and those who refused will suffer the proper consequences." Closing his eyes, he continued with a satisfied smirk, "We were not able to kill all the lives on Peace Million. And as long as there are Preventers and people who believe in the Gundam pilots, they'll always have a place to stay."
The merciless man's smirk became nasty as his eyes slowly opened, "That's what makes this so much fun...Little by little, we're taking every place and every life that those Gundams fought the first two wars for. It must kill them every day to wake knowing that all of their years of blood, sweat and tears were for nothing. All that they hold dear is slipping through their fingers. And we'll be there to snuff out the last bit of fire that burns in their souls."
Carter couldn't help but smile in agreement after this speech. Quinze was far too proud and strong to allow anyone to stop him. They came too far to be stopped by anyone at this point. With a final salute, Carter nodded, "Sir." The connection was cut off from there. Quinze lied back in his seat again as he took another sip of his wine. "We won't fail," he said deeply to himself, assured that he was right in saying so.
* * * * * *
More than a day later, Trowa Barton reached R58 and looked to the Colony from afar, on the Preventer craft that would be his last official stop. With a tired and relieved look, he sighed deeply, "Finally."
As he stayed there in the hallway, looking out the window, a young solders flew walked toward him. Trowa nodded to him in recognition before looking back to the colony. The Preventer asked quietly, "You're aware of what happened to Peace Million?" Trowa nodded sadly after a pause. He had tried not to think of that at this time.
The soldier then asked timidly, "Do you really think that anything we do from here on in is really worth it? We're lost more than we've gained in this war." Trowa understood the young man's concerns, but replied, "We can't stop fighting...OZ can't win this war. I'll fight to the death if I have to. I suppose that's why I was destined to be a Gundam pilot." As he lowered his head, he continued, "My thoughts are with all of those who died. I just don't want their sacrifices to be in vain."
There was a pause between the two men. The Preventer, moved by Trowa's courage, replied with a salute, "It's a pleasure to know you, Trowa Barton. I have known that you and the Gundam pilots are infamous for your courage. Now I know first-hand who brave you all really are." Extending his hand, he stated, "I look forward to fighting this mission with you in a few hours." The Gundam pilot looked to him with sincere gratitude and smiled warmly, "Thank you." They shook hands firmly.
Another Preventer of the crew there ran to the pilots and shouted, "Trowa! You better get to the control room!" Trowa looked to him in concern, but did as he was requested and ran to the ship's large control room. He didn't bother to ask questions until he entered. Once inside, he looked to the ship's commander and questioned, "What happened?" The older man turned to him and answered with a smile, "You and your friends have a message."
Trowa's eyes widened in shock and uncertainty for a moment. Walking to a computer, the tall pilot sat before it and looked to the e-mail. There was a message that requested a password that only the Gundam pilots knew. Once the password was typed, Trowa's eyes scanned the short notice. It read:
To my dear friends, the Gundam pilots:
We have sufferer a great deal in the explosion of Peace Million. However, a good number of us have also survived. Your fellow Gundam pilots, Water, Fire and myself are alive and well on Pulsar. This ship will replace Peace Million and we look forward to seeing all of you again.
With Love,
Lady Une
Trowa's eyes widened and a smile grew across his lips. Turning the computer off, he sighed deeply and folded his hands just before his face and closed his eyes. He whispered in a staggered breath, "Thank God."
The tall pilot walked out of the room, a little stunned and numb for the most part after everything that had happened. The commander smiled as he watched Trowa walk out of the room quietly. He received the word about Pulsar the same time the message arrived for the Gundam pilot. It was luck that allowed the message to reach them.
Trowa walked back to the window where he could gaze upon R58. A small smile crossed his face again as he looked to the colony. "Looks like we have a place where we belong, after all." This was the best news that he had received in weeks, months. Now in a few hours, if all went well, the forth for the seven missions would be completed. As long as Trowa and his friends had a place that they could consider home together, that was all that mattered.
* * * * * *
Quatre, Sette and the Maquanauts were cheering just after they got the message about Pulsar and the safety of their friends, themselves. Quatre was slouched in his seat as he took in the relief that was flooding him, He just smiled brightly as Sette and his friends shouted and cheered. When the cries began to die down, Sette fell back in her own seat as she sighed deeply, "Finally, something to be happy about for a change."
With a sudden look of uncertainty, the tomboy asked, "Quatre, is Keiser still alive?" The Arabian nodded, "Yes, he made it our safely and he's with the others on Pulsar." Sette hissed, "Damn!" Quatre gave a sharp laugh, "Sette!" The ex-princess smiled and shrugged with a sincere voice, "Just kidding, hon. I'm glad that jerk-off made it okay." Rashid and his men all laughed along with their master. Abdul smiled and announced, "I love this girl!" Sette blushed and chuckled, "Oh, stop!" Again, the pilots laughed as they continued to fly towards their new destination.
* * * * * *
Kumi couldn't help but look to the note as a small smile betrayed her soldier mask. Clicking the message from her monitor, she gave a small nod and rested in her seat. It wasn't long before the 'Perfect Soldier's' stoic look returned.
* * * * * *
Duo was on yet another drop off carrier of the Preventers when he read the note from Lady Une. There were several soldiers in the control room with him. As the American read the letter, his face and eyes brightened with elation. He jumped up on his chair and cheered loudly. All of the Preventers turned to stare at him. Duo looked to all of the soldiers with a look of embarrassment. He cleared his throat as he waved to the soldiers and got off of the seat. He ran out of the room laughing loudly and still cheering as he ran to the hanger.
* * * * * *
Sera Makato and Heero smiled to each other as Heero closed his laptop. Things were finally starting to look up again. While they continued to sit in silence, the body language was enough to give off their relief and subtle anxiety to complete what they were sent to accomplish.
* * * * * *
Somewhere in space, Nataku flew silently. Wufei was slouched forward with a look of loss and hopeless. His sightless eyes were closed, though there was no way that the pilot could know whether they were opened or not.
Nothing mattered any longer to Wufei any longer...Because even if he did care, he knew too well that there wasn't a thing he could do about it... Not like this.
TBC