DISCLAIMER: With the exception of Kumi Yuy and Sette Devion, the Gundam Wing characters aren't mine. You'll be able to tell the originals from the rest! ^_^
Author Notes: Can you believe we've reached the half-way mark!?! I would never have been able to get here without the help of all of the faithful readers of this fic and my friends who go out of their way to support me and offer suggestions! Thank you SO much! This is for all of you!
I also have something to say to everyone...Yes, I am a yoai writer and I understand that not everyone likes this style. That's okay, everyone has their own taste. Now, I received a flame review for Episode 9. While I don't care about what flame reviewers have to say about my stuff, this particular person went on to insult ALL yoai writers. They call themselves Treize Khushrenadah and wrote that yoai writers 'shouldn't even be allowed to post fics' and that we all 'need to get lives.' In response to this reviewer are others like them, in regards to the statement that we 'need to get lives,' look at yourself first! If all you have time to do is criticize people for their opinions and creativity, that's pretty sad. And as far as saying that we 'shouldn't even be allowed to post fics,' ::waves 1x2 flag high and proud:: YOU AIN'T GETTING RID OF THIS YOAI WRITER! I implore all yoai writers to keep up the wonderful work on their fics! Thank you and enjoy Episode 25!
Love Always, SkyLark
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 25: Earth, Wind and Fire
by SkyLark
with help from: Snodin, Star Soldier, Sam, Stormy, Silver Star, Beekay Greeter 600 and Ruby
The Gundam pilots had been staying on the Earth for over two weeks. They were staying in a wooden, two-floored cabin that was rather large. Being the only place that was suitable for living for miles, the safe house was secluded in the thick woods of the Virginian hills and countryside. The furnace of the home was burning and filling the house as the pilots were resting and trying to keep their minds occupied. Regardless of the heat from the furnace, the safe house wasn't the warmest of places as the young soldiers remained bundled.
Sette was reading another book that she had collected during the war and looked up to her comrades as they lounged in the large living room. "Does anyone know what month this is?" Quatre replied, looking up to her from his spot before the furnace, "It's the beginning of January."
The ex-princess's eyes widened a moment as she took this news with great amazement, "We've been fighting this war for a seven months already?" The Queen of the World nodded, "It is pretty scary to imagine." Novem was sitting on a couch near the tomboy as she sighed, "I have a bad feeling that this is going to be a long winter."
Wufei stopped carving into a chunk of wood that he gathered from their pile of lumber as he turned to the other pilots from the corner he was sitting in to ask, "Any ideas as to what we're going to do for the next two-and-a-half months that will help us find out what has been happening on this planet?" The pilots had no ideas to offer. They all had been unable to figure any true answer to this question, the same that they had been asking themselves for the last two weeks. The Chinese just happened to be the first to finally ask it aloud.
Zes lowered her head as she looked out the window of the living room, "I know that coming here has a great risk against our safety, but there must be something that we can do that will help us gain knowledge of the Earth's status." Delapan shrugged, sitting up on the couch where she lied, "Personally, I'm just glad to be on stable ground again. Spending months on a ship isn't the most pleasant of experiences." Her comrades did not argue this in the least.
The Gundam pilots went back to trying their best to stay calm, occupied, anything from screaming or jumping out of their skin as they stayed in silence. Sette looked to her half-sister, who continued to look out the window. With Zes's expression as she gazed out to the miles of evergreens and dead earth gave the image that she was almost hoping peace would come from hiding and knock on their door with open arms. If only...If only it were that easy to find peace.
All these thoughts and more crossed the tomboy's mind as she looked to her half-sister. "We have to fight to gain the things that we desire, especially peace, Zes," the blue-haired pilot spoke her thoughts as soon as they came to her before she could stop them. Not only did Relena turn to look at her oddly, but all the pilots did. They rarely heard any deep statements like this from Sette. When they did, it was enough to make all of them really think.
Now Quatre was more certain than ever that something was wrong with the ex-princess. He turned to his fiancee with a concerned glance. Seeing the Arabian's glance, Sette forced her characteristic smile and waved as if nothing was wrong. The blond pilot wasn't fooled. While the others missed the underlying oddness in the tomboy's behavior, Quatre was all too observant of her to have done the same. Still, he sighed inwardly and lowered his head sadly, knowing that he would never get to know what was wrong with Sette...At least not now. Something told him that she just wasn't ready to share whatever was wrong with her with anyone just yet.
The pilots went on to do whatever is was that they had been doing to keep their minds occupied, but they stayed in silence. Delepan sighed deeply and looked to Novem as she said quietly, "I agree with you...It's going to be a very long winter."
* * * * * *
On Colony V10, a shipyard on one of the many manmade rivers was up and running as soon as the artificial sun announced the morning. The crews awoke and left their bunks and dorms as they prepared for another day of hard labor. Making their way to the location where they would be building more mobile suits, one of the managers of the shipyard walked to several crew members and smiled as he looked up to a Leo that was being built.
There was a young man, in his very early twenties, working at the top of the tall suit as he used a blowtorch to melt some of the metal together at the shoulder of the Leo. The black-clad worker's back was to the manager as he focused only on the task at hand. He had a thick and very long braid that went down his back and the top of is head was covered by a backwards, black cap.
"Hey, kid," the manager called up to the young man. The braided worker turned the blowtorch off and turned to look down to the manager as he lifted the safety goggles from his eyes and placed them to rest over his cap. The smudge-covered face smiled to the older man below as he waved. The blue eyes appeared to be almost violet since they stood out from his dirty face.
The older man laughed, "You've only been here two days and already, you're working harder than anyone I've ever met the last fifteen years." Duo chuckled and shrugged, "I just like keeping busy." The manager laughed and waved, "Well, I'm glad that you decided to come and work with us, pal." The American smiled back before the man turned to leave. Duo replaced his goggles over his eyes and went back to work on the Leo.
That night, the braided pilot walked into his small apartment just past the shipyard. Since so many people were volunteering to help with the construction of the mobile suits to protect the colony, the dorms of the shipyard were booked solid. Therefore, a great number of workers had to live just beyond the site. There were no complaints from the Gundam pilot, since it allowed him to have a chance to remain secluded and work on planning for his mission without anyone getting too close to know who he really was.
The American stepped from the shower with his hair down and soaked as he patted it dry with one towel. Another towel was wrapped around his thin waist as he walked into the bedroom. Once his hair wasn't dripping any longer, he went on to take a laptop out from under his bed, sitting at the edge. Along with this, Duo hooked up a digital camera to the computer. Once the machine was on and he began typing, the long-haired pilot worked on uploading images that he had taken during his stay on V10. Any and everything that he could gather to help him have a successful mission that wouldn't involve the death of any innocents was essential and looked at extremely closely.
Once the pictures that he had taken were uploaded, Duo sighed deeply in content as a small smile crossed his lips. Closing the laptop and removing the digital camera to place them back under the bed, the American lied back on the mattress. Thinking back to the last base that he destroyed, the long-haired pilot thought aloud, "I wonder what was on that OZ transcript that I had sent to Trowa. Hopefully, he'll be able to translate it, since he was the only one of us that spent some time with OZ when he acted like one of their own."
Sitting up again, the American looked to the small desk beside his bed. There were three frames sitting there. One was the gift that Heero had given him for their fifth anniversary, which sat in the middle. To its left, there was a photo of the himself with the other nine Gundam pilots that lady Une and Noin had taken the night before the original seven pilots left for their missions.
The photo on the right was of him and Heero, one that he brought with him wherever and whenever he left for missions. Now, he had enough to make a nice collection to look at, reminding him of better times and the importance of fighting at times like this. He sighed in content and stretched as a large yawn left him. Not bothering to completely dry or braid his hair, the pilot lied in bed as soon as he had switched the towel around his wait with a pair of boxers.
The tattoo on Duo's left shoulder-blade was in plain sight as he went under the covers and lied on his right, the way that he normally would if he and Heero were in the same bed together. The tattoo was of a gold cross encased in a pair of black demon's wings with a yellow flower wrapped around it. The bud of the yellow flower fell perfectly in the center of the cross and was the same as the one the little girl had given Heero. Turning the lights out, the American lied and prepared for a nice night of sleep; hopefully, without nightmares this time.
* * * * * *
Back at Pulsar, Lady Une was looking to some reports in her new office. Looking to the files, the commander heard a knock on the door. Without looking away from the papers in her hands, she called, "Come in." The door opened steadily as Lieutenant Keiser entered. He saluted Lady Une once he closed the door behind him. The young woman rose and asked in concern, "Is everything all right, Lieutenant?"
The tall man lowered his hand and replied, "Yes. Everything is fine. I just wanted to express my concern about having those Gundam pilots being on the Earth...again." Lady Une sighed, "I know that you have some sort of issues with the pilots in general, but we've all ready discussed this when we debated the situation before sending the pilots to the Earth in the first place. I would hope that by now, you've put whatever personal ill-will you have against the pilots aside."
The Lieutenant shook his head and answered sternly, "I understand that the original seven Gundam pilots are responsible for the end of the first two wars, but I don't see how you can put so much faith in them and their friends again. There comes a time in everyone's life when their luck runs out. I'm telling you now that no matter how this war ends, they won't all be alive to see it." Lady Une's eyes opened wide at the firm words of her lieutenant as a small gasp left her. Her hold on the papers went a little slack and several reports fell to the ground.
Keiser went on to pick the papers that had fallen before him as his commander did the same. He looked with almost concern for the young woman as he handed her what he picked up. Une looked to him with a glare as she rose again with her retrieved forms and said in a low growl, "Don't you think that I know the risks that they might not all make it out alive? The mere thought of it is enough to make me wish that I could keep them safe elsewhere without having to send them on one mission, if it was the only way to ensure their safety."
Keiser asked immediately with wide eyes, "Then let my men and myself handle this war. Tell the Gundam pilots to come back here and we'll see that other pilots use the Gundams. Trowa Barton and Kumi Yuy will be here before long, we can have the pilots who are on Earth out of there in no time and Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell can let someone else complete their missions."
Lady Une shook her head, "I can't do that. Those pilots are the only ones who can fly those suits. If I was to hand them over to other pilots, that would be the same as my telling them that they don't have a purpose. Fighting wars like this, protecting the people of Earth and Space, it's all they know and all that they've been prepared for. I love every one of them as if they were my children. But children know what is best for them more than their parents. They fight because to them, it was the reason they were brought into this life in the first place. And I won't be the one to tell them that they can no longer do that."
Keiser asked, "Even if the same reason they were supposedly born ends up taking their lives from them?" Lady Une replied with a firm nod, "Yes. I stand beside them with everything in me, even if that means that I have to say good bye to them."
The Lieutenant looked to the young woman in shock and awe. He sighed deeply and lowered his head, "I wish that you would see otherwise. Their luck is going to run out. When that happens and one or more of them die, the hopes and faith of the people we're fighting for will die with them and OZ will win this war." Lady Une remarked, "We'll just have to hope and pray that doesn't happen, for their sakes and for the sakes of everyone we're protecting."
The young man looked to the commander and said quietly as he shook his head, "I'm going to keep giving you and those pilots a hard time, like it or not. They shouldn't have to die in a war like this, not after everything they've already been through." At this, Keiser saluted and turned to leave the room. Lady Une looked watched the whole time he left and gazed to the closed door. In a shocked voice, she said to herself, "So you care for those pilots as well." A small smile tugged at her lips and she chuckled deeply.
Turning to her desk, the commander went to sit in her chair. Folding her arms on the table and lowering her head on them, she sighed deeply. Before her, there was a photo that she had placed in a gold frame. The shot had been taken not long before the original seven pilots had to fly for their missions. All ten pilots were present, some standing and some kneeling as they were posed before one of the banisters of the hanger.
Lady Une and Noin had insisted on taking the shot and made many copies so that each pilot and all of their friends could have it. This picture was one of Lady Une's prized possessions now. Lifting her head, the commander took the flame into her hands and lied back in her seat to have a good look at the image.
In the shot, from left to right and kneeling, it was Zes/Relena, Quatre, Sette, Novem/Dorothy and Wufei. Standing from left to right, there was Delapan/Catherine, Duo, Heero, Kumi and Trowa. Running a finger tip over the edges of the picture, the young commander took a deep breath and whispered, "God forbid anything should happen to any of you."
No sooner had she said this than the sirens of the ship sounded. Lady Une instantly rose from her seat, having placed the frame carefully back onto her desk. She ran down the halls as several soldiers made their way to the control room as well. Just as she reached the door, Nion was passed by Milliardo as he ran out of the control room. The commander spun as she stopped her race and called, "What's going on!?!" Wind shouted as he turned to her, continuing to run down the hall, "I have to help defend a colony!" Lady Une's eyes widened as she ran into the control room.
Noin and Sally were a working at their computers, not far from the entrance. They turned to look to their friend and Lieutenant Keiser ran to the commander, informing her, "I've already sent three fleets along with Wind to Colony I2. It's ten minutes from here and the Preventers closest to it are in need of support." Water assured the commander, "With those numbers along with Wind, there won't be any trouble in keeping the OZ forces from doing much damage to the colony and the people there." Fire continued, "We'll keep a close watch just in case there are any problems that might arise." Une nodded to them, "Very good. And Derek?" Sally answered, "He already took off along with Milliardo." Keiser nodded, "He's one of the best pilots I have. He'll be a huge help in securing the situation on I2."
The Preventers all looked to the screens of their monitors and watched as they looked to the scene on the troubled colony. "Any sign of the Gundam suits that they have?" Noin asked as she tried to scan the images for site of the suits, herself. Marimaya was working at a computer in front of her. She turned back and shook her head, "No. I doubt that they'll show up, they would have done that by now."
Une nodded, "She's right. I think that this is just a challenge." Sally sighed deeply, "Let's just hope they don't keep this up too often the next three months. Without the other Gundam pilots around, Milliardo and all of the soldiers we have will be more than busy holding their own." The Preventers went on to work as they surveyed the situation of the battlefield.
* * * * * *
Milliardo and the Preventers that flew off with him were soon approaching the colony as Derek's image appeared on his monitor. The young man informed him, "There's a few hundred OZ mobile suits, but there haven't been any other methods of attack used at this time on I2." Wind nodded, "Alright. Let's do out best to make this as quick as possible, before OZ has a chance to change that." Derek replied, "You got it." At this, the pilots and the soldiers with them cut their communication and shot for the colony.
* * * * * *
On the Colony, the battle between the Preventers and OZ soldiers that had begun the fight was still going strong. It wasn't safe to say who had the upper-hand, since there would be reinforcements coming to aid both side, most likely. Fortunately for the Preventers, the communication between them and every ship, colony and craft from the closest to the sun to the middle of the gap between Saturn and Uranus was available to them now. This was something that they needed desperately in hopes to defend the colonies there.
One of the OZ soldiers scanned the battlefield in his Aires as he announced over the transmitter, "How the hell were they able to get so many soldiers here this quickly?" One of his comrades replied from his Taurus, "There must have been a miscalculation in how close some of the Preventer crafts were to the colony." The first man shook his head, "No. It must be something else." Not concerning themselves with the details, the soldiers went on to fight their enemies.
It was at this time that Euphoria and the large fleets that left with him arrived. The OZ soldiers were amazed as they watched them swoop to the battlefield. Milliardo took his twin-bladed bow and wiped out three Aires as he reached the surface of the Colony. Derek was shooting down his own opponents as he shot down in his Taurus suit. When they reached the surface of the Colony, they went on to take out the ground forces.
It wasn't long before the next line of OZ soldiers was sent. Wind was having no trouble keeping his own as he piloted his gold Gundam. The Prevneters were fighting well also. However, the OZ soldiers just came at no end. Looking to his monitors to see the third back-up forces for OZ appear and make their way to the fight, Milliardo growled. He and the three fleets of soldiers that Keiser had sent with him had only been fighting for ten fifteen minutes and now OZ managed to get a third round of their own to the Colony. After chopping a Virgo in half, he warned Derek and the other Preventers, "If we stay out here too long, we'll be jeopardizing other colonies near us."
Derek shook his head, "I don't understand how they could have so many soldiers." Without warning, the pilot was shot from behind. Derek cried out as he absorbed the hit. It didn't take long for him to recover as he turned his Taurus. Narrowing his eyes, the young man saw the Aires responsible. Without hesitating, the Preventer fought back and destroyed the opponent. The blonde pilot went on taking out any and every soldier that he came across.
Miliardo shouted and stabbed four suits as he ran through the field in a daring charge. "Everyone who isn't busy, get your asses over here and worry about the Gundam suit!" a young woman called from her Leo as she ran after Milliardo. One of her comrades asked, "What about the Preventers? They'll have more forces coming up before long." The first soldier shook her head and shouted over the explosions and cries of the fight, "It won't matter once that suit's destroyed!" Those fighting with her were not going to argue.
The OZ soldiers who were not personally struggling against a Preventer shot and ran off towards Milliardo. Derek was up against three Virgos as they battled with laser blades. Since he was too occupied with protecting himself and destroying the mobile suits, he did not hear the command that the young woman gave.
In the heat of their attack, two of the Virgos stopped and took off while they left the third to remain and handle the Derek. While he was relieved to see that he only had one soldier to take care of, the blonde pilot looked with concern to his monitors to see what caused the sudden retreat of the other soldiers. In great numbers, the OZ troops went after the gold Gundam. "Shit," Derek hisses as sweat poured from his face and he defended himself from a blow that almost hit from the Virgo that remained.
Wind looked to his monitors as he watched the area around him being covered by OZ mobile suits. Milliardo's eyes narrowed, but he welcomed the fight to come all the same. In a swift move, the OZ troops around him shouted and ran to overpower the Gundam with their numbers. Milliardo went on to fight the initial waves of attacks without much difficulty, spinning his bladed bow to slice through the suits at if they were paper. Using other tactics for the growing forces against him, Wing pulled the two swords from their link and used one in each hand to cut through the forces against him.
Derek was trying to get to the site where Milliardo was fighting, only to be stopped when he looked to the skies and watched with wide eyes as he whispered gravely to himself, "Not again." A forth army of at least a hundred OZ troops fell from the sky. The Preventers who were still standing went on to meet the newest forces head-on. While they were fighting quite impressively, the Preventers would not be able to handle all of these soldiers. Everyone that was fighting this battle knew it, too.
Milliardo was still going strong, forgetting the pain of any wounds and not even thinking of the fatigue coming in. There were too many soldiers that he needed to work against. Seeing that the Preventers were up against another line of OZ soldiers, Wind growled, "Damn it." Several soldiers went on to try and charge the Gundam, only to be stopped as the pilot within cut into them before they could do any damage. It was to be the last sign of the Preventer having the upper-hand in his personal battle. From that moment on, the OZ soldiers had doubled in numbers against him and they all went after him at great speed.
Unable to take care of every soldier, Milliardo was feverishly attacking any and every suit that he could see clearly. Those who came from behind were able to get a good number of hits in. Outnumbering the Euphoria was the only means that they had of defeating the gold suit. And not one OZ soldier was about to pass the opportunity up. Seeing that he was in a terrible situation, Milliardo growled deeply and was instantly buried by the suits around him. Unable to see hid friend past the huge army on top of him, Derek shouted to his monitors, "NO!"
A rain of shots from beam cannons fell from the sky onto the OZ soldiers, causing a great number of them to explode in mid-fight. The sudden attack caused a sharp gasp to leave Derek as he quickly turned to look up. A huge army of Preventers swooped down to give aid to their comrades and began to cut the OZ forces down at great speed. Derek sighed deeply as he wiped some of the sweat from his brow, "It's about time." He then returned to the fight and went on to make his way to where his comrades needed help the most.
As he just began to make his way through the pilot of OZ troops that buried him, Milliardo saw a ray of hope as he managed to clear the top half of his suit from his opponents. The moment he did this, he noticed a huge swarm of Preventers come from the original battlefield as they helped take care of the remaining OZ soldiers around him. There was still nearly two hundred soldiers just at this one scene as the relief came.
Milliardo was unable to defend himself as one Aires attempted to fly right into the Gundam pilot, taking out the suit and himself in the process. Bearing a large amount of explosives in his suit, the OZ pilot would have easily taken out Euporia when he made impact. The desperate OZ soldier screamed, "YOU WON'T GET AWAY THAT EASILY!" Wind was helpless as he was held back by countless other soldiers and he struggled to break free from their attack. At the last instant before the suit would have collided into the gold Gundam, the Aries was pierced through by a shot from behind.
Looking up after the massive explosion, Wind's eyes in shock as a Preventer's Taurus suit appeared from the spoke and light. Milliardo continued to fight off the OZ soldiers around him, but sighed to the suit in relief, "Nice work, Derek." The pilot of the Taurus chuckled when their image appeared on the monitor. Noin smiled and winked, "Thanks, love." Wind's eyes widened as he shouted in shock, "NOIN!?!" His wife went on to aid him in the fight against the soldiers that were still surrounding him. Milliardo smiled to himself and quickly got back into the fight with his wife's aid.
Derek and the other Preventers were beginning to make their way through their opponents. The young man smiled and sighed to himself when he saw that Milliardo was able to stay alive and forced his way through the OZ troops with ease again. Now able to find his second wind, the blonde pilot fought with everything that he had and then some.
Noin piloted and worked the Taurus with the same grace and skills that she had always possessed in the wars prior to this. While it had been over a year years since she was in a fight, she never lost any of her abilities. Milliardo was more than impressed as they fought side-by-side for the first time in so long, enjoying the moment. Fire broke through many soldiers as they attempted to ambush her. Noin opened fire as she spun her suit in mid-air, taking out every suit with clean shots that wouldn't miss. Milliardo used his blades to slice any and every OZ pilot that dared to challenge him.
For about ten minutes, the fight continued. The Preventers were wearing down their enemies as they cut their numbers nearly in half. The image of Stacy Stanton appeared on the monitor of one of the young men under her command. She informed him, "You and the others are to pull out this moment." The OZ soldier was beside himself. Bleeding from several deep cuts and bruises, he wiped a great amount of sweat from his brow. He almost shouted back, "But we can take them if another swarm of back-up troops could be sent."
Stanton shook her head, "No. His excellency was correct in believing that the Gundam pilots would not be in Space any longer. We learned what we needed to know and there is no longer any need for more soldiers to be lost." The young man sighed and lowered his head as he growled to himself. Finally, he nodded to his superior, "Yes, General." The dark-haired woman nodded back, "Good. We'll be awaiting your return." At this, her image disappeared.
The OZ soldier growled deeply again as he announced loudly, "OZ soldiers back off!" He shot off into the skies and was soon followed by his comrades as they flew off at great speed before they could be followed. Spent and too caught off guard by the sudden retreat, the Prevnters watched as their foes disappeared into the sea of stars above them.
The exhausted pilots shouted and cheered loudly as they celebrated their victory. Milliardo and Noin smiled warmly to each other as their fellow soldiers went on to applaud and give off their relief and elation. Milliardo sighed and announced with a smile, "All right. let's head home." Leading the way, Wind and Fire took off into the skies with the other Preventers to return to their own haven.
* * * * * *
Carter and Stacy walked together down the long corridors of the ship where they were staying. Carter smirked and kissed his lover's cheek. The young woman gave an odd look to her partner. "What was that for," she asked, somewhat confused. Carter chuckled and shrugged, "We haven't been able to celebrate our successful flights in our Gundams yet. We should do something special." The dark-haired woman shook her head and replied, "I don't know...We still haven't been able to kill any of the Gubdam pilots yet."
The brown-haired pilot ran a hand through his thick bangs to push them back a moment, uncovering his green eyes long enough for his lover to look into them clearly when he stopped her and made her look at him. "We'll kill them soon enough." Stacy shook her head, "You should have killed Wufei when you had the chance. He was incapable of protecting himself once you blinded him." The other pilot replied, "Actually, it was Quinze's idea to have that pilot left like that. He wants them all to suffer before they're destroyed and I agree with him."
Stanton sighed deeply, "I want them to suffer, too. But, I would rather have them killed. The sooner they're dead, the sooner we can bring this war to a close and enjoy the spoils that come with our victory." A deep voice chuckled not far from them, "All in due time, my friends." The pair spun to the doorway not far from them as Quinze Khushrenadah walked out, smiling at the pair. They both looked in shock to the leader, then gave concerned glances to each other, afraid that they had said something that they shouldn't have.
Again, their leader chuckled and assured them, "I understand that you want to be rid of those pilots. Believe me, we'll all feel a lot better when they're destroyed. But, there is far much more pleasure in toying with them first. Then, we'll wipe them out one-by-one." Stacy nodded, "Of course, Your Excellency." Carter nodded, "Please forgive us for our impatience, sir." Quinze shook his head and raised his hand, "Nothing to be sorry about."
Carter then asked, "Sir, if I might ask, how did you know that the Gundam pilots would are no longer in Space?" The OZ leader answered with a smug sneer, "I knew that Relena Weatherall would never be able to stay in Space for much longer without knowing what is happening on the Earth. I ordered the attack on I2 because while we don't know where Pulsar is, the ship would have been close enough to give the colony protection." Stacy nodded in sudden realization, "And you knew that Milliardo Peacecraft would be the only Gundam pilot who would remain." Quinze replied with a nod, "Precisely."
Carter's green eyes widened in excitement as he smiled, "Then let's take advantage of this and take out more colonies since we only have one Gundam suit to worry about." Quinze laughed and shook his head, Now where would the fun in that be?" His soldiers looked to him with wide eyes, then agreed with what he was saying.
"The purpose of taking out time with this war is so the Gundam pilots can watch helplessly as the people that they have defended for years on end are crushed and left defenseless. Those who have sided with them even to this day will suffer and those who know better will side with us." Stacy chuckled, "You know, the victory would be so much sweeter then." Carter smiled and nodded, "That it would." Quinze smiled to his friends, "I'm glad you understand what I am carrying out. Now why don't the two of you go off and celebrate? I have some of the finest wine waiting in the lounge at the end of the hall for you."
The lovers to each other then smiled. Looking back to their leader, they nodded and walked off together. Quinze looked to his watch and smiled to himself, "Off to my next meeting. This one should prove quite exciting." The young man walked off, deep blue cape blowing behind him as he made his way to his office.
* * * * * *
The Preventers who had flown to I2 returned to Pulsar as the soldiers on the ship welcomed them as they cheered and applauded for them in the hanger. Nojn and Milliardo were two of the last to return. When their suits arrived, the shouts grew as everyone looked up to them, two of the first Preventers to exist. Sally and Lady Une smiled brightly and Keiser simply clapped a little as the pilots left their cockpits.
The moment that the couple was on the ground again, they hugged and kissed. From there, they went to Derek as he ran up to them. The three pilots hugged instantly as they laughed and cheered along with their comrades. Looking to Fire, the blonde Preventer smiled, "It's great to have you back on the battlefield." Noin smiled and nodded sincerely, "Thank you. It's great to be back." Derek ran off to reunite with all of his friends he had not seen yet.
Lady Une, Sally and Keiser were walked to the pair, who greeted them with hugs and firm hand shakes. "That was the first time since the beginning of the war that OZ ever retreated from a fight," Sally sighed deeply in relief. Keiser warned them, "We just have to be careful not to get too excited over that just yet. They've been strategizing extremely well, so there was a reason behind the retreat."
Milliardo nodded, "I agree. But, the most important thing is that Colony I2 was protected." Nion's eyes widened as she realized and informed her friends, "The only thing now is that OZ knows the other Gundam pilots aren't here any longer. They'll most likely attack other colonies to draw out more victories." Lady Une replied as she frowned, "I don't think that they'll be attacking any colonies for a while. Quinze is using similar tactics that Treize had used in war. Water gave a reassuring smile as she said, "Well, whatever happens, we'll be ready for it. There is a lot working in our favor for a change."
The others completely agreed as they finally gave relieved glances again. Noin looked to Sally and asked, "Where is Mirando?" Water chuckled and nodded, "In your room. Marimaya is looking after him." Fire sighed in relief and replied, "Thank you." At that, Fire and Wind walked off to see their son.
Milliardo smiled lovingly to his wife as they walked to their room. Seeing her husband's glance, Noin chuckled, "What are you smiling at?" Wind continued to smile as he shrugged, "Just thinking of how ironic it is that I promised to protect you and Mirando, yet you come and save me." Noin laughed, "Just because you promised to protect me doesn't mean that I can't protect you, too."
Wind laughed and nodded, "I know." Taking his wife's hand, he said quietly, "I've missed fighting by your side. I wouldn't have anyone else even try and fill your shoes." His wife smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around his waist, "It means a lot to hear you say that." The couple stooped to share a soft kiss just before reaching their doorway.
When the kiss broke, the door to their room opened as Marimaya wheeled out and smiled to them. She placed a finger over her mouths and whispered, "Mirando's sleeping." Noin hugged the young girl and smiled, "Thank you for looking after him, Marimaya." Wind bent and hugged the redhead as she replied, "My pleasure." Milliardo whispered, "We'll see you in the morning." Marimaya nodded and waced as she smiled back to the couple.
Noin walked into their room first and looked into the small crib beside their bed. Inside, Wind was just beginning to wake at the sounds of the door opening. A small yawn left the baby and his beautiful blue eyes opened. "Hi, sweetheart," his mother whispered affectionately as she smiled down to him.
The baby cooed and smiled as he stretched his arms up to her. The young woman chuckled as she picked up her child and brought him into a secure embrace, resting his head against her shoulder and kissing the back of his head. Milliardo watched not far behind with a warm smile as he looked to his family.
Fire turned to her husband with Mirando and walked to him. Wind kissed the baby's forehead as he smiled to his father. Kissing Noin's forehead, the young man embraced the two of them for a moment. Looking to his son as once the embrace was released, Wind told his wife, "I don't know how you feel about this, but I'm not allowing Mirando the chance to pilot any Gundams or mobile suits when he grows."
Noin smiled and replied, "I couldn't agree more." She chuckled, "He'd make a good pacifist." Her husband laughed at the thought of that. Shaking his head and rubbing Mirando's back, he replied, "Or a Foreign Minister." His wife smiled at that thought and nodded, "Even better." As if he understood everything that they were saying, he child smiled and closed his eyes as a tiny sigh left him, content in the arms and presence of his parents.
* * * * * *
The Foreign Minister and head of V10 was meeting with his council at this time. While it was very late, the day had been busy with meetings like this. Once the gathering was completed, the head of the colony walked from the room, the last to part. The gray-haired, balding man was in his late forties and still in prime health. His green eyes were bright and his build of a man half his age. Foreign Minister Michael Falseon was a man respected and loved not only by his own people, but be leaders of the countless other colonies and on the Earth as well.
Walking into his empty office, the popular minister sat at his desk and lied back in the leather seat, sighing in content. He rubbed his temples and turned to the closed laptop after the brief massage. Looking to his watch, he saw that it wasn't long after eleven that night. With a small grin, Falseon opened the computer and turned the monitor on. After typing in a few commands, he patched into the signal of who he wanted to contact.
Quinze Khushrenadah appeared on the screen as he smiled and greeted, "Hello, Michael. How is everything on V10?" The minister shrugged, "Just fine. You'll be getting the next shipment of suits before the week is out." The OZ leader replied, "Thank you for living up to your end of the treaty. I have more soldiers than I have suits at this point." Falseon chuckled, "Even with the other colonies you've allied with?"
The younger man nodded, "Well, there are just so many people wishing to fight with us. You know I'm not a man who can turn down an offer like that." The head of V10 smiled and shook his head, "I shouldn't be surprised that so many are willing to fight with you. The Preventers are Gundam pilots are foolish for keeping up this fight." The minister's eyes widened a moment and he leaned forward a bit, enough to look closer to the monitor.
"In speaking of those pilots, are you really certain that there is going to be a Gundam pilot on V10." Quinze nodded, "Yes. I have had a very reliable source provide me with that information. I don't know when they'll be arriving on the colony, or which pilot it will be, but I can guarantee you that your colony will be visited by one of them." Falseon asked, "Any ideas to what the pilots are doing with the colonies that they're visiting?"
The OZ leader shook his head, "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to understand that just yet. But, they have been hitting and running from all the sites that they have been flying to. Most likely, the same is what will happen when the Gundam pilot reaches your colony." The minister sat back and sighed deeply, "Very well. The moment that they come, my men and I will not allow them to leave this colony alive."
Quinze said sternly, "I don't want them killed. The pilot is to be captured and held until I have ways of collecting them and bringing them to me." Falseon smiled, "Don't worry. You'll have them in one piece." The OZ leader smiled and replied, "Good. I'd hate to have to go back on my word to protect and defend you in this war should anything go wrong and they are killed."
The minister assured the OZ leader, "I would not be so foolish as to allow something like that damage the treaty I sighed with you." Satisfied with that answer, Quinze nodded and answered, "You are a good man, Falseon. It is no wonder that you're so loved across Space." The foreign minister chuckled, "Well, what can I say?"
The OZ leader smiled, "Just keep your eyes open out there. I'll be waiting to hear about the capture of that Gundam pilot." Falseon sighed in content, "You'll hear that news soon enough. You have my word on that." Quinze sneered and nodded, "Very well. We will speak with you before the week is out, if nothing changes there." the head of V10 nodded back, "That we will." The connection had been cut and Falseon closed his laptop. Lying back in his seat again, he smiled and chuckled deeply.
"So a Gundam pilot will be gracing us with their presence. It will be an honor to hand them over to Khushrenadah." Walking to the window that overlooked the skyline of the city there, he said to himself, "The colony will benefit a great deal for handing them over. And I can only become more loved because of it." The arrogant man chuckled and looked to the sky through the window pane. "We'll be ready for them," he sneered to himself quietly as he looked to the stars above.
TBC
Author Notes: Can you believe we've reached the half-way mark!?! I would never have been able to get here without the help of all of the faithful readers of this fic and my friends who go out of their way to support me and offer suggestions! Thank you SO much! This is for all of you!
I also have something to say to everyone...Yes, I am a yoai writer and I understand that not everyone likes this style. That's okay, everyone has their own taste. Now, I received a flame review for Episode 9. While I don't care about what flame reviewers have to say about my stuff, this particular person went on to insult ALL yoai writers. They call themselves Treize Khushrenadah and wrote that yoai writers 'shouldn't even be allowed to post fics' and that we all 'need to get lives.' In response to this reviewer are others like them, in regards to the statement that we 'need to get lives,' look at yourself first! If all you have time to do is criticize people for their opinions and creativity, that's pretty sad. And as far as saying that we 'shouldn't even be allowed to post fics,' ::waves 1x2 flag high and proud:: YOU AIN'T GETTING RID OF THIS YOAI WRITER! I implore all yoai writers to keep up the wonderful work on their fics! Thank you and enjoy Episode 25!
Love Always, SkyLark
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 25: Earth, Wind and Fire
by SkyLark
with help from: Snodin, Star Soldier, Sam, Stormy, Silver Star, Beekay Greeter 600 and Ruby
The Gundam pilots had been staying on the Earth for over two weeks. They were staying in a wooden, two-floored cabin that was rather large. Being the only place that was suitable for living for miles, the safe house was secluded in the thick woods of the Virginian hills and countryside. The furnace of the home was burning and filling the house as the pilots were resting and trying to keep their minds occupied. Regardless of the heat from the furnace, the safe house wasn't the warmest of places as the young soldiers remained bundled.
Sette was reading another book that she had collected during the war and looked up to her comrades as they lounged in the large living room. "Does anyone know what month this is?" Quatre replied, looking up to her from his spot before the furnace, "It's the beginning of January."
The ex-princess's eyes widened a moment as she took this news with great amazement, "We've been fighting this war for a seven months already?" The Queen of the World nodded, "It is pretty scary to imagine." Novem was sitting on a couch near the tomboy as she sighed, "I have a bad feeling that this is going to be a long winter."
Wufei stopped carving into a chunk of wood that he gathered from their pile of lumber as he turned to the other pilots from the corner he was sitting in to ask, "Any ideas as to what we're going to do for the next two-and-a-half months that will help us find out what has been happening on this planet?" The pilots had no ideas to offer. They all had been unable to figure any true answer to this question, the same that they had been asking themselves for the last two weeks. The Chinese just happened to be the first to finally ask it aloud.
Zes lowered her head as she looked out the window of the living room, "I know that coming here has a great risk against our safety, but there must be something that we can do that will help us gain knowledge of the Earth's status." Delapan shrugged, sitting up on the couch where she lied, "Personally, I'm just glad to be on stable ground again. Spending months on a ship isn't the most pleasant of experiences." Her comrades did not argue this in the least.
The Gundam pilots went back to trying their best to stay calm, occupied, anything from screaming or jumping out of their skin as they stayed in silence. Sette looked to her half-sister, who continued to look out the window. With Zes's expression as she gazed out to the miles of evergreens and dead earth gave the image that she was almost hoping peace would come from hiding and knock on their door with open arms. If only...If only it were that easy to find peace.
All these thoughts and more crossed the tomboy's mind as she looked to her half-sister. "We have to fight to gain the things that we desire, especially peace, Zes," the blue-haired pilot spoke her thoughts as soon as they came to her before she could stop them. Not only did Relena turn to look at her oddly, but all the pilots did. They rarely heard any deep statements like this from Sette. When they did, it was enough to make all of them really think.
Now Quatre was more certain than ever that something was wrong with the ex-princess. He turned to his fiancee with a concerned glance. Seeing the Arabian's glance, Sette forced her characteristic smile and waved as if nothing was wrong. The blond pilot wasn't fooled. While the others missed the underlying oddness in the tomboy's behavior, Quatre was all too observant of her to have done the same. Still, he sighed inwardly and lowered his head sadly, knowing that he would never get to know what was wrong with Sette...At least not now. Something told him that she just wasn't ready to share whatever was wrong with her with anyone just yet.
The pilots went on to do whatever is was that they had been doing to keep their minds occupied, but they stayed in silence. Delepan sighed deeply and looked to Novem as she said quietly, "I agree with you...It's going to be a very long winter."
* * * * * *
On Colony V10, a shipyard on one of the many manmade rivers was up and running as soon as the artificial sun announced the morning. The crews awoke and left their bunks and dorms as they prepared for another day of hard labor. Making their way to the location where they would be building more mobile suits, one of the managers of the shipyard walked to several crew members and smiled as he looked up to a Leo that was being built.
There was a young man, in his very early twenties, working at the top of the tall suit as he used a blowtorch to melt some of the metal together at the shoulder of the Leo. The black-clad worker's back was to the manager as he focused only on the task at hand. He had a thick and very long braid that went down his back and the top of is head was covered by a backwards, black cap.
"Hey, kid," the manager called up to the young man. The braided worker turned the blowtorch off and turned to look down to the manager as he lifted the safety goggles from his eyes and placed them to rest over his cap. The smudge-covered face smiled to the older man below as he waved. The blue eyes appeared to be almost violet since they stood out from his dirty face.
The older man laughed, "You've only been here two days and already, you're working harder than anyone I've ever met the last fifteen years." Duo chuckled and shrugged, "I just like keeping busy." The manager laughed and waved, "Well, I'm glad that you decided to come and work with us, pal." The American smiled back before the man turned to leave. Duo replaced his goggles over his eyes and went back to work on the Leo.
That night, the braided pilot walked into his small apartment just past the shipyard. Since so many people were volunteering to help with the construction of the mobile suits to protect the colony, the dorms of the shipyard were booked solid. Therefore, a great number of workers had to live just beyond the site. There were no complaints from the Gundam pilot, since it allowed him to have a chance to remain secluded and work on planning for his mission without anyone getting too close to know who he really was.
The American stepped from the shower with his hair down and soaked as he patted it dry with one towel. Another towel was wrapped around his thin waist as he walked into the bedroom. Once his hair wasn't dripping any longer, he went on to take a laptop out from under his bed, sitting at the edge. Along with this, Duo hooked up a digital camera to the computer. Once the machine was on and he began typing, the long-haired pilot worked on uploading images that he had taken during his stay on V10. Any and everything that he could gather to help him have a successful mission that wouldn't involve the death of any innocents was essential and looked at extremely closely.
Once the pictures that he had taken were uploaded, Duo sighed deeply in content as a small smile crossed his lips. Closing the laptop and removing the digital camera to place them back under the bed, the American lied back on the mattress. Thinking back to the last base that he destroyed, the long-haired pilot thought aloud, "I wonder what was on that OZ transcript that I had sent to Trowa. Hopefully, he'll be able to translate it, since he was the only one of us that spent some time with OZ when he acted like one of their own."
Sitting up again, the American looked to the small desk beside his bed. There were three frames sitting there. One was the gift that Heero had given him for their fifth anniversary, which sat in the middle. To its left, there was a photo of the himself with the other nine Gundam pilots that lady Une and Noin had taken the night before the original seven pilots left for their missions.
The photo on the right was of him and Heero, one that he brought with him wherever and whenever he left for missions. Now, he had enough to make a nice collection to look at, reminding him of better times and the importance of fighting at times like this. He sighed in content and stretched as a large yawn left him. Not bothering to completely dry or braid his hair, the pilot lied in bed as soon as he had switched the towel around his wait with a pair of boxers.
The tattoo on Duo's left shoulder-blade was in plain sight as he went under the covers and lied on his right, the way that he normally would if he and Heero were in the same bed together. The tattoo was of a gold cross encased in a pair of black demon's wings with a yellow flower wrapped around it. The bud of the yellow flower fell perfectly in the center of the cross and was the same as the one the little girl had given Heero. Turning the lights out, the American lied and prepared for a nice night of sleep; hopefully, without nightmares this time.
* * * * * *
Back at Pulsar, Lady Une was looking to some reports in her new office. Looking to the files, the commander heard a knock on the door. Without looking away from the papers in her hands, she called, "Come in." The door opened steadily as Lieutenant Keiser entered. He saluted Lady Une once he closed the door behind him. The young woman rose and asked in concern, "Is everything all right, Lieutenant?"
The tall man lowered his hand and replied, "Yes. Everything is fine. I just wanted to express my concern about having those Gundam pilots being on the Earth...again." Lady Une sighed, "I know that you have some sort of issues with the pilots in general, but we've all ready discussed this when we debated the situation before sending the pilots to the Earth in the first place. I would hope that by now, you've put whatever personal ill-will you have against the pilots aside."
The Lieutenant shook his head and answered sternly, "I understand that the original seven Gundam pilots are responsible for the end of the first two wars, but I don't see how you can put so much faith in them and their friends again. There comes a time in everyone's life when their luck runs out. I'm telling you now that no matter how this war ends, they won't all be alive to see it." Lady Une's eyes opened wide at the firm words of her lieutenant as a small gasp left her. Her hold on the papers went a little slack and several reports fell to the ground.
Keiser went on to pick the papers that had fallen before him as his commander did the same. He looked with almost concern for the young woman as he handed her what he picked up. Une looked to him with a glare as she rose again with her retrieved forms and said in a low growl, "Don't you think that I know the risks that they might not all make it out alive? The mere thought of it is enough to make me wish that I could keep them safe elsewhere without having to send them on one mission, if it was the only way to ensure their safety."
Keiser asked immediately with wide eyes, "Then let my men and myself handle this war. Tell the Gundam pilots to come back here and we'll see that other pilots use the Gundams. Trowa Barton and Kumi Yuy will be here before long, we can have the pilots who are on Earth out of there in no time and Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell can let someone else complete their missions."
Lady Une shook her head, "I can't do that. Those pilots are the only ones who can fly those suits. If I was to hand them over to other pilots, that would be the same as my telling them that they don't have a purpose. Fighting wars like this, protecting the people of Earth and Space, it's all they know and all that they've been prepared for. I love every one of them as if they were my children. But children know what is best for them more than their parents. They fight because to them, it was the reason they were brought into this life in the first place. And I won't be the one to tell them that they can no longer do that."
Keiser asked, "Even if the same reason they were supposedly born ends up taking their lives from them?" Lady Une replied with a firm nod, "Yes. I stand beside them with everything in me, even if that means that I have to say good bye to them."
The Lieutenant looked to the young woman in shock and awe. He sighed deeply and lowered his head, "I wish that you would see otherwise. Their luck is going to run out. When that happens and one or more of them die, the hopes and faith of the people we're fighting for will die with them and OZ will win this war." Lady Une remarked, "We'll just have to hope and pray that doesn't happen, for their sakes and for the sakes of everyone we're protecting."
The young man looked to the commander and said quietly as he shook his head, "I'm going to keep giving you and those pilots a hard time, like it or not. They shouldn't have to die in a war like this, not after everything they've already been through." At this, Keiser saluted and turned to leave the room. Lady Une looked watched the whole time he left and gazed to the closed door. In a shocked voice, she said to herself, "So you care for those pilots as well." A small smile tugged at her lips and she chuckled deeply.
Turning to her desk, the commander went to sit in her chair. Folding her arms on the table and lowering her head on them, she sighed deeply. Before her, there was a photo that she had placed in a gold frame. The shot had been taken not long before the original seven pilots had to fly for their missions. All ten pilots were present, some standing and some kneeling as they were posed before one of the banisters of the hanger.
Lady Une and Noin had insisted on taking the shot and made many copies so that each pilot and all of their friends could have it. This picture was one of Lady Une's prized possessions now. Lifting her head, the commander took the flame into her hands and lied back in her seat to have a good look at the image.
In the shot, from left to right and kneeling, it was Zes/Relena, Quatre, Sette, Novem/Dorothy and Wufei. Standing from left to right, there was Delapan/Catherine, Duo, Heero, Kumi and Trowa. Running a finger tip over the edges of the picture, the young commander took a deep breath and whispered, "God forbid anything should happen to any of you."
No sooner had she said this than the sirens of the ship sounded. Lady Une instantly rose from her seat, having placed the frame carefully back onto her desk. She ran down the halls as several soldiers made their way to the control room as well. Just as she reached the door, Nion was passed by Milliardo as he ran out of the control room. The commander spun as she stopped her race and called, "What's going on!?!" Wind shouted as he turned to her, continuing to run down the hall, "I have to help defend a colony!" Lady Une's eyes widened as she ran into the control room.
Noin and Sally were a working at their computers, not far from the entrance. They turned to look to their friend and Lieutenant Keiser ran to the commander, informing her, "I've already sent three fleets along with Wind to Colony I2. It's ten minutes from here and the Preventers closest to it are in need of support." Water assured the commander, "With those numbers along with Wind, there won't be any trouble in keeping the OZ forces from doing much damage to the colony and the people there." Fire continued, "We'll keep a close watch just in case there are any problems that might arise." Une nodded to them, "Very good. And Derek?" Sally answered, "He already took off along with Milliardo." Keiser nodded, "He's one of the best pilots I have. He'll be a huge help in securing the situation on I2."
The Preventers all looked to the screens of their monitors and watched as they looked to the scene on the troubled colony. "Any sign of the Gundam suits that they have?" Noin asked as she tried to scan the images for site of the suits, herself. Marimaya was working at a computer in front of her. She turned back and shook her head, "No. I doubt that they'll show up, they would have done that by now."
Une nodded, "She's right. I think that this is just a challenge." Sally sighed deeply, "Let's just hope they don't keep this up too often the next three months. Without the other Gundam pilots around, Milliardo and all of the soldiers we have will be more than busy holding their own." The Preventers went on to work as they surveyed the situation of the battlefield.
* * * * * *
Milliardo and the Preventers that flew off with him were soon approaching the colony as Derek's image appeared on his monitor. The young man informed him, "There's a few hundred OZ mobile suits, but there haven't been any other methods of attack used at this time on I2." Wind nodded, "Alright. Let's do out best to make this as quick as possible, before OZ has a chance to change that." Derek replied, "You got it." At this, the pilots and the soldiers with them cut their communication and shot for the colony.
* * * * * *
On the Colony, the battle between the Preventers and OZ soldiers that had begun the fight was still going strong. It wasn't safe to say who had the upper-hand, since there would be reinforcements coming to aid both side, most likely. Fortunately for the Preventers, the communication between them and every ship, colony and craft from the closest to the sun to the middle of the gap between Saturn and Uranus was available to them now. This was something that they needed desperately in hopes to defend the colonies there.
One of the OZ soldiers scanned the battlefield in his Aires as he announced over the transmitter, "How the hell were they able to get so many soldiers here this quickly?" One of his comrades replied from his Taurus, "There must have been a miscalculation in how close some of the Preventer crafts were to the colony." The first man shook his head, "No. It must be something else." Not concerning themselves with the details, the soldiers went on to fight their enemies.
It was at this time that Euphoria and the large fleets that left with him arrived. The OZ soldiers were amazed as they watched them swoop to the battlefield. Milliardo took his twin-bladed bow and wiped out three Aires as he reached the surface of the Colony. Derek was shooting down his own opponents as he shot down in his Taurus suit. When they reached the surface of the Colony, they went on to take out the ground forces.
It wasn't long before the next line of OZ soldiers was sent. Wind was having no trouble keeping his own as he piloted his gold Gundam. The Prevneters were fighting well also. However, the OZ soldiers just came at no end. Looking to his monitors to see the third back-up forces for OZ appear and make their way to the fight, Milliardo growled. He and the three fleets of soldiers that Keiser had sent with him had only been fighting for ten fifteen minutes and now OZ managed to get a third round of their own to the Colony. After chopping a Virgo in half, he warned Derek and the other Preventers, "If we stay out here too long, we'll be jeopardizing other colonies near us."
Derek shook his head, "I don't understand how they could have so many soldiers." Without warning, the pilot was shot from behind. Derek cried out as he absorbed the hit. It didn't take long for him to recover as he turned his Taurus. Narrowing his eyes, the young man saw the Aires responsible. Without hesitating, the Preventer fought back and destroyed the opponent. The blonde pilot went on taking out any and every soldier that he came across.
Miliardo shouted and stabbed four suits as he ran through the field in a daring charge. "Everyone who isn't busy, get your asses over here and worry about the Gundam suit!" a young woman called from her Leo as she ran after Milliardo. One of her comrades asked, "What about the Preventers? They'll have more forces coming up before long." The first soldier shook her head and shouted over the explosions and cries of the fight, "It won't matter once that suit's destroyed!" Those fighting with her were not going to argue.
The OZ soldiers who were not personally struggling against a Preventer shot and ran off towards Milliardo. Derek was up against three Virgos as they battled with laser blades. Since he was too occupied with protecting himself and destroying the mobile suits, he did not hear the command that the young woman gave.
In the heat of their attack, two of the Virgos stopped and took off while they left the third to remain and handle the Derek. While he was relieved to see that he only had one soldier to take care of, the blonde pilot looked with concern to his monitors to see what caused the sudden retreat of the other soldiers. In great numbers, the OZ troops went after the gold Gundam. "Shit," Derek hisses as sweat poured from his face and he defended himself from a blow that almost hit from the Virgo that remained.
Wind looked to his monitors as he watched the area around him being covered by OZ mobile suits. Milliardo's eyes narrowed, but he welcomed the fight to come all the same. In a swift move, the OZ troops around him shouted and ran to overpower the Gundam with their numbers. Milliardo went on to fight the initial waves of attacks without much difficulty, spinning his bladed bow to slice through the suits at if they were paper. Using other tactics for the growing forces against him, Wing pulled the two swords from their link and used one in each hand to cut through the forces against him.
Derek was trying to get to the site where Milliardo was fighting, only to be stopped when he looked to the skies and watched with wide eyes as he whispered gravely to himself, "Not again." A forth army of at least a hundred OZ troops fell from the sky. The Preventers who were still standing went on to meet the newest forces head-on. While they were fighting quite impressively, the Preventers would not be able to handle all of these soldiers. Everyone that was fighting this battle knew it, too.
Milliardo was still going strong, forgetting the pain of any wounds and not even thinking of the fatigue coming in. There were too many soldiers that he needed to work against. Seeing that the Preventers were up against another line of OZ soldiers, Wind growled, "Damn it." Several soldiers went on to try and charge the Gundam, only to be stopped as the pilot within cut into them before they could do any damage. It was to be the last sign of the Preventer having the upper-hand in his personal battle. From that moment on, the OZ soldiers had doubled in numbers against him and they all went after him at great speed.
Unable to take care of every soldier, Milliardo was feverishly attacking any and every suit that he could see clearly. Those who came from behind were able to get a good number of hits in. Outnumbering the Euphoria was the only means that they had of defeating the gold suit. And not one OZ soldier was about to pass the opportunity up. Seeing that he was in a terrible situation, Milliardo growled deeply and was instantly buried by the suits around him. Unable to see hid friend past the huge army on top of him, Derek shouted to his monitors, "NO!"
A rain of shots from beam cannons fell from the sky onto the OZ soldiers, causing a great number of them to explode in mid-fight. The sudden attack caused a sharp gasp to leave Derek as he quickly turned to look up. A huge army of Preventers swooped down to give aid to their comrades and began to cut the OZ forces down at great speed. Derek sighed deeply as he wiped some of the sweat from his brow, "It's about time." He then returned to the fight and went on to make his way to where his comrades needed help the most.
As he just began to make his way through the pilot of OZ troops that buried him, Milliardo saw a ray of hope as he managed to clear the top half of his suit from his opponents. The moment he did this, he noticed a huge swarm of Preventers come from the original battlefield as they helped take care of the remaining OZ soldiers around him. There was still nearly two hundred soldiers just at this one scene as the relief came.
Milliardo was unable to defend himself as one Aires attempted to fly right into the Gundam pilot, taking out the suit and himself in the process. Bearing a large amount of explosives in his suit, the OZ pilot would have easily taken out Euporia when he made impact. The desperate OZ soldier screamed, "YOU WON'T GET AWAY THAT EASILY!" Wind was helpless as he was held back by countless other soldiers and he struggled to break free from their attack. At the last instant before the suit would have collided into the gold Gundam, the Aries was pierced through by a shot from behind.
Looking up after the massive explosion, Wind's eyes in shock as a Preventer's Taurus suit appeared from the spoke and light. Milliardo continued to fight off the OZ soldiers around him, but sighed to the suit in relief, "Nice work, Derek." The pilot of the Taurus chuckled when their image appeared on the monitor. Noin smiled and winked, "Thanks, love." Wind's eyes widened as he shouted in shock, "NOIN!?!" His wife went on to aid him in the fight against the soldiers that were still surrounding him. Milliardo smiled to himself and quickly got back into the fight with his wife's aid.
Derek and the other Preventers were beginning to make their way through their opponents. The young man smiled and sighed to himself when he saw that Milliardo was able to stay alive and forced his way through the OZ troops with ease again. Now able to find his second wind, the blonde pilot fought with everything that he had and then some.
Noin piloted and worked the Taurus with the same grace and skills that she had always possessed in the wars prior to this. While it had been over a year years since she was in a fight, she never lost any of her abilities. Milliardo was more than impressed as they fought side-by-side for the first time in so long, enjoying the moment. Fire broke through many soldiers as they attempted to ambush her. Noin opened fire as she spun her suit in mid-air, taking out every suit with clean shots that wouldn't miss. Milliardo used his blades to slice any and every OZ pilot that dared to challenge him.
For about ten minutes, the fight continued. The Preventers were wearing down their enemies as they cut their numbers nearly in half. The image of Stacy Stanton appeared on the monitor of one of the young men under her command. She informed him, "You and the others are to pull out this moment." The OZ soldier was beside himself. Bleeding from several deep cuts and bruises, he wiped a great amount of sweat from his brow. He almost shouted back, "But we can take them if another swarm of back-up troops could be sent."
Stanton shook her head, "No. His excellency was correct in believing that the Gundam pilots would not be in Space any longer. We learned what we needed to know and there is no longer any need for more soldiers to be lost." The young man sighed and lowered his head as he growled to himself. Finally, he nodded to his superior, "Yes, General." The dark-haired woman nodded back, "Good. We'll be awaiting your return." At this, her image disappeared.
The OZ soldier growled deeply again as he announced loudly, "OZ soldiers back off!" He shot off into the skies and was soon followed by his comrades as they flew off at great speed before they could be followed. Spent and too caught off guard by the sudden retreat, the Prevnters watched as their foes disappeared into the sea of stars above them.
The exhausted pilots shouted and cheered loudly as they celebrated their victory. Milliardo and Noin smiled warmly to each other as their fellow soldiers went on to applaud and give off their relief and elation. Milliardo sighed and announced with a smile, "All right. let's head home." Leading the way, Wind and Fire took off into the skies with the other Preventers to return to their own haven.
* * * * * *
Carter and Stacy walked together down the long corridors of the ship where they were staying. Carter smirked and kissed his lover's cheek. The young woman gave an odd look to her partner. "What was that for," she asked, somewhat confused. Carter chuckled and shrugged, "We haven't been able to celebrate our successful flights in our Gundams yet. We should do something special." The dark-haired woman shook her head and replied, "I don't know...We still haven't been able to kill any of the Gubdam pilots yet."
The brown-haired pilot ran a hand through his thick bangs to push them back a moment, uncovering his green eyes long enough for his lover to look into them clearly when he stopped her and made her look at him. "We'll kill them soon enough." Stacy shook her head, "You should have killed Wufei when you had the chance. He was incapable of protecting himself once you blinded him." The other pilot replied, "Actually, it was Quinze's idea to have that pilot left like that. He wants them all to suffer before they're destroyed and I agree with him."
Stanton sighed deeply, "I want them to suffer, too. But, I would rather have them killed. The sooner they're dead, the sooner we can bring this war to a close and enjoy the spoils that come with our victory." A deep voice chuckled not far from them, "All in due time, my friends." The pair spun to the doorway not far from them as Quinze Khushrenadah walked out, smiling at the pair. They both looked in shock to the leader, then gave concerned glances to each other, afraid that they had said something that they shouldn't have.
Again, their leader chuckled and assured them, "I understand that you want to be rid of those pilots. Believe me, we'll all feel a lot better when they're destroyed. But, there is far much more pleasure in toying with them first. Then, we'll wipe them out one-by-one." Stacy nodded, "Of course, Your Excellency." Carter nodded, "Please forgive us for our impatience, sir." Quinze shook his head and raised his hand, "Nothing to be sorry about."
Carter then asked, "Sir, if I might ask, how did you know that the Gundam pilots would are no longer in Space?" The OZ leader answered with a smug sneer, "I knew that Relena Weatherall would never be able to stay in Space for much longer without knowing what is happening on the Earth. I ordered the attack on I2 because while we don't know where Pulsar is, the ship would have been close enough to give the colony protection." Stacy nodded in sudden realization, "And you knew that Milliardo Peacecraft would be the only Gundam pilot who would remain." Quinze replied with a nod, "Precisely."
Carter's green eyes widened in excitement as he smiled, "Then let's take advantage of this and take out more colonies since we only have one Gundam suit to worry about." Quinze laughed and shook his head, Now where would the fun in that be?" His soldiers looked to him with wide eyes, then agreed with what he was saying.
"The purpose of taking out time with this war is so the Gundam pilots can watch helplessly as the people that they have defended for years on end are crushed and left defenseless. Those who have sided with them even to this day will suffer and those who know better will side with us." Stacy chuckled, "You know, the victory would be so much sweeter then." Carter smiled and nodded, "That it would." Quinze smiled to his friends, "I'm glad you understand what I am carrying out. Now why don't the two of you go off and celebrate? I have some of the finest wine waiting in the lounge at the end of the hall for you."
The lovers to each other then smiled. Looking back to their leader, they nodded and walked off together. Quinze looked to his watch and smiled to himself, "Off to my next meeting. This one should prove quite exciting." The young man walked off, deep blue cape blowing behind him as he made his way to his office.
* * * * * *
The Preventers who had flown to I2 returned to Pulsar as the soldiers on the ship welcomed them as they cheered and applauded for them in the hanger. Nojn and Milliardo were two of the last to return. When their suits arrived, the shouts grew as everyone looked up to them, two of the first Preventers to exist. Sally and Lady Une smiled brightly and Keiser simply clapped a little as the pilots left their cockpits.
The moment that the couple was on the ground again, they hugged and kissed. From there, they went to Derek as he ran up to them. The three pilots hugged instantly as they laughed and cheered along with their comrades. Looking to Fire, the blonde Preventer smiled, "It's great to have you back on the battlefield." Noin smiled and nodded sincerely, "Thank you. It's great to be back." Derek ran off to reunite with all of his friends he had not seen yet.
Lady Une, Sally and Keiser were walked to the pair, who greeted them with hugs and firm hand shakes. "That was the first time since the beginning of the war that OZ ever retreated from a fight," Sally sighed deeply in relief. Keiser warned them, "We just have to be careful not to get too excited over that just yet. They've been strategizing extremely well, so there was a reason behind the retreat."
Milliardo nodded, "I agree. But, the most important thing is that Colony I2 was protected." Nion's eyes widened as she realized and informed her friends, "The only thing now is that OZ knows the other Gundam pilots aren't here any longer. They'll most likely attack other colonies to draw out more victories." Lady Une replied as she frowned, "I don't think that they'll be attacking any colonies for a while. Quinze is using similar tactics that Treize had used in war. Water gave a reassuring smile as she said, "Well, whatever happens, we'll be ready for it. There is a lot working in our favor for a change."
The others completely agreed as they finally gave relieved glances again. Noin looked to Sally and asked, "Where is Mirando?" Water chuckled and nodded, "In your room. Marimaya is looking after him." Fire sighed in relief and replied, "Thank you." At that, Fire and Wind walked off to see their son.
Milliardo smiled lovingly to his wife as they walked to their room. Seeing her husband's glance, Noin chuckled, "What are you smiling at?" Wind continued to smile as he shrugged, "Just thinking of how ironic it is that I promised to protect you and Mirando, yet you come and save me." Noin laughed, "Just because you promised to protect me doesn't mean that I can't protect you, too."
Wind laughed and nodded, "I know." Taking his wife's hand, he said quietly, "I've missed fighting by your side. I wouldn't have anyone else even try and fill your shoes." His wife smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around his waist, "It means a lot to hear you say that." The couple stooped to share a soft kiss just before reaching their doorway.
When the kiss broke, the door to their room opened as Marimaya wheeled out and smiled to them. She placed a finger over her mouths and whispered, "Mirando's sleeping." Noin hugged the young girl and smiled, "Thank you for looking after him, Marimaya." Wind bent and hugged the redhead as she replied, "My pleasure." Milliardo whispered, "We'll see you in the morning." Marimaya nodded and waced as she smiled back to the couple.
Noin walked into their room first and looked into the small crib beside their bed. Inside, Wind was just beginning to wake at the sounds of the door opening. A small yawn left the baby and his beautiful blue eyes opened. "Hi, sweetheart," his mother whispered affectionately as she smiled down to him.
The baby cooed and smiled as he stretched his arms up to her. The young woman chuckled as she picked up her child and brought him into a secure embrace, resting his head against her shoulder and kissing the back of his head. Milliardo watched not far behind with a warm smile as he looked to his family.
Fire turned to her husband with Mirando and walked to him. Wind kissed the baby's forehead as he smiled to his father. Kissing Noin's forehead, the young man embraced the two of them for a moment. Looking to his son as once the embrace was released, Wind told his wife, "I don't know how you feel about this, but I'm not allowing Mirando the chance to pilot any Gundams or mobile suits when he grows."
Noin smiled and replied, "I couldn't agree more." She chuckled, "He'd make a good pacifist." Her husband laughed at the thought of that. Shaking his head and rubbing Mirando's back, he replied, "Or a Foreign Minister." His wife smiled at that thought and nodded, "Even better." As if he understood everything that they were saying, he child smiled and closed his eyes as a tiny sigh left him, content in the arms and presence of his parents.
* * * * * *
The Foreign Minister and head of V10 was meeting with his council at this time. While it was very late, the day had been busy with meetings like this. Once the gathering was completed, the head of the colony walked from the room, the last to part. The gray-haired, balding man was in his late forties and still in prime health. His green eyes were bright and his build of a man half his age. Foreign Minister Michael Falseon was a man respected and loved not only by his own people, but be leaders of the countless other colonies and on the Earth as well.
Walking into his empty office, the popular minister sat at his desk and lied back in the leather seat, sighing in content. He rubbed his temples and turned to the closed laptop after the brief massage. Looking to his watch, he saw that it wasn't long after eleven that night. With a small grin, Falseon opened the computer and turned the monitor on. After typing in a few commands, he patched into the signal of who he wanted to contact.
Quinze Khushrenadah appeared on the screen as he smiled and greeted, "Hello, Michael. How is everything on V10?" The minister shrugged, "Just fine. You'll be getting the next shipment of suits before the week is out." The OZ leader replied, "Thank you for living up to your end of the treaty. I have more soldiers than I have suits at this point." Falseon chuckled, "Even with the other colonies you've allied with?"
The younger man nodded, "Well, there are just so many people wishing to fight with us. You know I'm not a man who can turn down an offer like that." The head of V10 smiled and shook his head, "I shouldn't be surprised that so many are willing to fight with you. The Preventers are Gundam pilots are foolish for keeping up this fight." The minister's eyes widened a moment and he leaned forward a bit, enough to look closer to the monitor.
"In speaking of those pilots, are you really certain that there is going to be a Gundam pilot on V10." Quinze nodded, "Yes. I have had a very reliable source provide me with that information. I don't know when they'll be arriving on the colony, or which pilot it will be, but I can guarantee you that your colony will be visited by one of them." Falseon asked, "Any ideas to what the pilots are doing with the colonies that they're visiting?"
The OZ leader shook his head, "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to understand that just yet. But, they have been hitting and running from all the sites that they have been flying to. Most likely, the same is what will happen when the Gundam pilot reaches your colony." The minister sat back and sighed deeply, "Very well. The moment that they come, my men and I will not allow them to leave this colony alive."
Quinze said sternly, "I don't want them killed. The pilot is to be captured and held until I have ways of collecting them and bringing them to me." Falseon smiled, "Don't worry. You'll have them in one piece." The OZ leader smiled and replied, "Good. I'd hate to have to go back on my word to protect and defend you in this war should anything go wrong and they are killed."
The minister assured the OZ leader, "I would not be so foolish as to allow something like that damage the treaty I sighed with you." Satisfied with that answer, Quinze nodded and answered, "You are a good man, Falseon. It is no wonder that you're so loved across Space." The foreign minister chuckled, "Well, what can I say?"
The OZ leader smiled, "Just keep your eyes open out there. I'll be waiting to hear about the capture of that Gundam pilot." Falseon sighed in content, "You'll hear that news soon enough. You have my word on that." Quinze sneered and nodded, "Very well. We will speak with you before the week is out, if nothing changes there." the head of V10 nodded back, "That we will." The connection had been cut and Falseon closed his laptop. Lying back in his seat again, he smiled and chuckled deeply.
"So a Gundam pilot will be gracing us with their presence. It will be an honor to hand them over to Khushrenadah." Walking to the window that overlooked the skyline of the city there, he said to himself, "The colony will benefit a great deal for handing them over. And I can only become more loved because of it." The arrogant man chuckled and looked to the sky through the window pane. "We'll be ready for them," he sneered to himself quietly as he looked to the stars above.
TBC