DISCLAIMER: The Gundam Wing characters (other that Kumi Yuy and Sette Devion) and not mine. The words to the song in this were written by my friend, Kelly Ann Graham.
This goes out to all of my friends and supporters: Snodin, Traci, Sam, Beekay, Ruby, Mylia, Ryla, GREETER 600, D-max, Stormy, Naz, Akuma, Kai, Enigma, my entire 1x2x1 family and everyone who reads and enjoys this fic. *tackle glomps*
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 41: Final Verdict
by SkyLark
Quinze Khushrenadah was in his darkened office of the largest ship that the organization had. Originally, it was one of OZ's three most important keys to power and victory in the war that he had begun. With Nebula's recent destruction, it was now only one of two keys that remained. The dark-haired young man sat at his desk with his elbows propped there, hands folded together before his face.
The young OZ leader was simply staring off into the darkness ahead of him with no expression on his thin face. The light that had been in his haunting green eyes was missing. Khushrenadah's laptop was closed and resting on the center of the desk's surface. It had been as still and silent as Quince had been since his last conversation with Lieutenant Marx. There was a knock on the office's door, shattering the thick hush of the room.
"Come in," Quinze said in a small, monotone voice, never moving. The door slid open, bringing the light of the hallway with it. Demetris slowly entered the doorway, looking to his commander with a bit of concern in his rough features. Entering the room, the giant asked quietly, "Your Excellency?" There was no response. Demetris turned the lights of the office on and closed the door behind him.
Walking to the desk, he watched as only Quinze's mouth moved for him to say quietly, "All he had to do was follow orders." The tall man nodded and replied gently, as if trying not to anger a hostile animal, "I understand that you're upset, Sir." At this, Kushrenadah turned his head slowly to look to his best soldier with a sudden rage in his green orbs. Demetris froze in place as he looked to the young man with a hint of fear in his own eyes.
The OZ commander rose from his seat, glaring to the giant as he hissed quietly, "What Marx did cost us Nebula, one of the strongholds of this organization. All that son of a bitch had to do was listen to me. Is that such a hard thing to do?" Demetris shook his head, "No, Sir. Rest assured, this will not happen again." Quinze's tenseness and anger faded from his posture and expression and he sighed deeply. He nodded, "I trust that you will see that it doesn't." The older man nodded back, silently grateful that the young man was beginning to calm again. It was difficult to know who was more dangerous between the two of them when they were enraged.
While Demetris had amazing strength and was practically a man-made immortal, Quinze led one of the strongest forces to ever exist in history with no remorse when it came to using it against those who crossed him. Their partnership made them an unstoppable team.
Kushrenadah tuned and walked to his window as he looked to the stars outside. "Nebula was a setback, nothing more," he finally stated sternly after a pause to gather his thoughts. "I won't allow it to be anymore than that," he said with conviction. A smile suddenly crossed the OZ leader's face as he turned to Demetris. "I know what will make me feel better," he said with great amusement.
* * * * * *
All eleven Gundams touched the ground of Pulsar's hanger. Below, the friends of the pilots all gathered as they waited in great anticipation to reunite with them again in the center of the room. Milliardo was the first to join them once he exited his cockpit. Looking to those waiting, he smiled and placed a hand over his mouth as he whispered, "Shhh." He made his way to Deathcscythe while the other Gubdam pilots left their own suits. Trowa made his way to Wing Zero.
Sette chuckled deeply, but quietly as she hugged her friends and explained, "Heero and Duo fell asleep on the way back from A131." Sally Poe nodded with a relieved smile as she turned to some of the medical staff that had been waiting at the entrance of the hanger. They wheeled two stretchers with them as they made their way to where the pilots and their friends were. Zes hugged Wufei, Quatre, Delapan and Sette as they all regrouped in the midst of all of this. Brian did the same as they quietly spoke of the successful battle that they just went through.
Sera Makato bit her lip as Kumi slowly joined them. The exhausted pilot gave a small smile to her before the young Preventer hugged her tightly. "What you did was amazing," Sera whispered, still holding onto her niece. The silver-haired pilot returned the embrace and replied sincerely, "We have Trowa and Howard to thank for that." The old man walked to them and chuckled deeply, "It was a pleasure." Howard hugged the young pilot and stated, "Those designs of yours are a work of art."
When the embrace ended, Kumi asked him, "Can you do the same to Wing Zero and Deathscythe?" The man smiled and replied, "Sure thing. I'd be honored. Now that Deathscythe has those large demon wings, they'll work out just the same as Excalibur and Wing Zero." The 'Perfect Soldier' nodded, "Arigato." She and her friends turned to watch as Milliardo and Trowa walked to them with Heero and Duo sleeping in their arms like babies.
Sera gave a small gasp as she looked to her son for the first time since they had parted months ago. She walked to Trowa and looked to the pilot he held. Trowa smiled warmly to her, allowing her to gently run her hand through the Wing pilot's unruly hair. It was known to everyone that Sera and Heero had worked together for before he had to complete his mission. And it was understandable that she was just as concerned about him as they were. Still, only a very small handful of them knew who she truly was to the Japanese pilot. Feeling small tears beginning to make their presence known, the Preventer bit her lip and stepped back, careful not to let the emotion in her face show. She did, however, move to look over Duo as well to see that he was alright.
Once everyone had a chance to look to their rescued friends, Milliardo and Trowa lied Heero and Duo carefully onto the stretchers. Sally led her team out of the hanger as the others remained behind. Sera let out a deep breath as she whispered, "Thank God they're alright." Wufei smirked, "They might be too stubborn to be killed, but they know how to give you one hell of a scare." Milliardo smiled and wrapped his arm around Sera's shoulders as he said, "I'm sure that Sally could use some help in looking after them in the hospital." Sera smiled back to the young man and nodded as she quickly left the hanger.
As the pilots and their friends continued to talk, there was a handful of armed soldiers that entered the hanger, unnoticed by anyone. Lady Une and Keiser were behind the soldiers with distressed, helpless expressions on their faces as they walked with several suited men and women from the Colony Council.
Quatre smiled, "Well, now that Nebula's gone, we only have to worry about two more weapons that OZ is relying on." Delapan huffed, "Yea, only. We don't even know where we can find the last two keys they're holding onto." Noin smiled, "One step at a time, guys. Let's just try and relax a little got a change." Zes nodded, "I know that we could all use some sleep after everything that just happened." Milliardo said, "She's right. I don't think any of us have gotten a good night's sleep in months."
Kumi had her back to the door of the hanger and was suddenly grabbed from behind. Instantly thrown to the floor, the silver-haired pilot gave a painful cry as she crashed into the metal ground, pinned down from behind. Trowa was the fist of the pilots and their friends to break through their state of shock as he shouted with a look of rage as his lover was handled roughly by a handful of soldiers, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!"
Sette had also prepared to lunge at the young men that were holding her friend down as she yelled, "NICE MOVE ATTACKING FROM BEHING, YOU COWARDS!" Quatre quickly wrapped his arms around his fiancee's waist and held her back, despite her thrashing in his arms as she glared to the aggressors. Trowa was just about to knock one of the guards down as all of this happened in a moment of seconds. The cobalt eyes of the 'Perfect Soldier' looked up through the silver strands that fell in her face as she warned from where she lied on the ground, "Trowa! Let them do their job!" Her partner's advance ended just as he was about to through his fist forward. The tall pilot's eyes widened further as he shouted down to the prisoner, "KUMI!?!"
Wufei's hand shot out to grab onto the European pilot's shoulder. The Chinese pilot pulled him back gently as he shook his head, "She's right. There's nothing we can do." Trowa's green eyes saddened before they closed slowly. He gave a hesitant nod as the guards quickly continued their work. The Japanese pilot's forearms were cuffed before her again. Her ankles were then chained with just enough slack for her to walk. Looking up to the tall pilot, Kumi requested quietly, "Look after Heero and Duo to make sure they're alright?" Her lover frowned but nodded his promise, "I will."
Lady Une lowered her head with a look of disgust as she turned it away from the sight of the seizure. Keiser bore the same disgust on his own face, but continued to watch, placing his hand on the shoulder of the young woman beside him. The pilots and their friends watched with heavy hearts as she was then forced to her feet with a pull on her right arm.
One of the Colony Council members glared to the pilot as he growled deeply, "We've waited enough for this damn trial to take place. One of our most respected Judges will be here tomorrow afternoon. With you recent escape, there won't be anything that can save you now." Kumi remained expressionless as she listened to the gray-suited man, her eyes locked onto his the entire time. The Representative continued to glare to her as he hissed, "Get her back to her cell."
The men holding the 'Perfect Soldier' pushed her forward as they made their way to the doors leading out of the hanger. Before allowing herself to be led away, Kumi looked to her fellow Gundam pilots as they stood as a unit in witness. "About earlier," she began. With a brief pause, a small smile spread across her lips as she said quietly, "Nice work... All of you." Her comrades gave sad smiled and nods to the prisoner just before the was taken from them.
When the doors closed behind the chained pilot and the guards that led her, Lady Une growled to the Council members, "This is insane. You're willing to threaten the safety of your homes and countless lives to prove that you have authority?" The angered man who spoke to Kumi shook his head, "Those pilots are no different from any soldier that
is fighting for us. They will be punished for their mistakes, whether or not they happen to pilot Gundam suits." Keiser glared to him and replied, "They are different from any other soldier for that very reason." Locking eyes with the old man, he stated, "You're making a terrible mistake." The Representative huffed, "That's up to the Judge to decide now." At this, he and his fellow Council members stepped out of the hanger, themselves.
Trowa folded his hands behind his head and paced to control the rage burning in him. All of the Gundam pilots did the same. After a pause, Milliardo sighed deeply and as his eyes closed, "There isn't anything that we can do now. This whole thing is out of our hands." Noin folded her hands and glared to the hanger doors, "That still doesn't make this any easier." Sette shook her head and stated with determination, "There has to be something that we can do other than just stand here."
Trowa replied, "I'm staying in Heero and Duo's room to make sure that everything's okay after I discuss the plans for Wing Zero and Deatscythe with Howard." Quatre nodded and looked to Sette, Wufei and Delapan as he said, "I'm sure the rest of us can find some way to help with the trial." His fiancee's eyes widened as if she just remembered something, thanks to the Arabian's words. Her tenseness faded as she nodded back. From there, the four pilots left the hanger.
* * * * * *
Later that night, Sette, Wufei, Delapan, and Quatre made their way down the dark halls of Pulsar as they made sure not to make any sound or movement that would alert the guards that made their rounds. Occasionally, they had to hide in a doorway or crevice to avoid the watching eyes of a passing Preventer. Quickly, they ran to the door that they were in search of. Entering the room without making a sound, the pilots ran in and closed the door behind them.
Inside the pitch room, they all remained still, pressing their backs against the wall they reached upon entering. Turning on their flashlights, they scanned the storage room of the Colony Council's reports. There were red beams that were blocking any movement forward as they covered many different angles, heights and lengths of the walkway ahead. It creates a maze of thin, red lights. If any of those rays caught the slightest movement, their attempt would have been all for nothing.
Wufei managed to locate the panel of buttons that locked and turned off the security of the room. With his flashlight resting on the board, the young pilot moved and punched in the override to remove the lasers. The moment that he punched the last code, Wufei and his friends watched as the beams just ahead of them vanished.
Now able to move freely, but not daring to turn the lights on, the pilots made their way to the shelves and boxes of files and reports with their flashlights. Quickly, they went through everything that they could get a hold of. Delapan and Wufei moved to the far back of the room while their friends remained closer to the front to reach as much ground as possible. Sette quietly noted as she read a through handful of papers, "I knew that Colony Council was hiding something, but I had no idea that it was anything like this." Quatre nodded as he opened another of the many boxes the room provided, "Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover."
* * * * * *
In one of Pulsar's hospital rooms, Heero and Duo lied in a large bed made of two that had been pushed together. While they couldn't hold each other on account of the machines that they had been hooked to, Sally and Sera knew that they would be content to be lying next to each other when they woke up. Sera Makato was sitting at the side of the bed closest to her son. Looking to the Heero's peaceful face, she smiled to herself, fighting off a small round of tears that threatened to form again. She gently ran her hand through his unruly hair and sighed deeply.
Knowing that the door was closed and the two pilots were sleeping deeply, Sera took a deep breath and began to sing quietly, "Sleep, my child... Sleep tight... And please don't cry... Don't cry..." She held the Wing pilot's hand and squeezed it as she continued to sing, "I'm always here for you, no matter what you do... My love, my pride, my child..."
Trowa walked to the door of the hospital room, a tired look on his face as he tried not to think of what had happened in the hanger not long ago. He had just begun to open the door when he heard a familiar voice sing quietly, "For you, I'd gladly give my life... I want much more for you... Not like what you've been through..." The tall pilot's eyes widened as he was instantly taken back to the night that he was nearly killed on M29 after he and Kumi had fought Demetris...
@ @ @ @ @ @
Trowa had been trembling as he battled nightmares. His wounds prevented him from being able to move much without bringing excruciating pain with it. A hand began gently running through his hair as a soft voice sang. Kumi looked over her fallen comrade as she continued softly, "...Just sleep, my child... Sleep tight... And dream sweet dreams of a future so bright... I'll stay with you all night... Together we'll win this fight..."
@ @ @ @ @ @
Standing in the doorway of the hospital room frozen in shock, Trowa could still hear his lover's voice as it harmonized perfectly with that coming from inside as they sang, "Just sleep tonight." The European pilot couldn't remember how to breath a he remained still. It was the same song that Kumi had sung to him, every last word and note. And he knew how she learned it... Finally breaking from his state of shock, Trowa opened and door and looked inside to see, "Sera," he whispered breathlessly. Sera didn't hear his entering and jumped when she heard her name as a sharp gasp left her.
Looking up with wide eyes to the tall pilot, Makato whispered, "Trowa." Turning to see that her hand was still holding her son's tightly, she gently placed Heero's hand back on the bed. The Gundam pilot walked to the seat beside the Preventer and made his place there. "That was a beautiful song," he smiled warmly to the young woman, not wishing to scare her off. Sera rubbed her arms nervously and smiled to the young man sitting next to her, "Thank you."
She knew that there was a good sense of tension coming through her. Still, Sera couldn't think of anything more to say or do that wouldn't be grounds for the tall pilot to figure out that she was Heero's mother. Silently, she hoped and prayed that if she left things as they were, Trowa wouldn't have thought about the song any further. If he had never heard the song before this time, perhaps that might have been the case.
A small gasp left the Preventer as a thin hand wrapped around hers and squeezed it. In one silent gesture, the European pilot told her that she wasn't going to be running away this time. Looking to the joined hands, she bit her lip, knowing that she had been caught... This time by one of Heero's closest friends.
Sera's head was gently lifted by fingertips to meet the green eyes of the tall pilot beside her. Trowa made sure that their eyes met as he said quietly, "Kumi sang the same some to me when we were on M29." A stifled sob left Makato as he continued, "She learned it from Heero while they were training with Doctor J... And Heero learned it from Odin Lowe." Trowa chose to remain silent as he watched the tears filling in the brown eyes before him. Sera lowered her head and sobbed quietly. He wrapped his arms around her shaking form and pulled her into a gentle embrace, silently soothing her as he rubbed her back.
The sobs from the young woman began to calm a bit, as did her shaking. As she sat up, Trowa dried her eyes and whispered, "Sera... I never knew my parents... And there still isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I could have. I admit that the pain gets better, but it never truly goes away." He looked to his sleeping braided friend and continued, "The same with Duo. I was actually glad to know that I had a friend who was orphaned as well. We still talk about the experiences that we had without our mothers and fathers, or knowing who they were."
Sera turned to look to her son's lover with sadness in her eyes as she whispered, "I-I never knew that either of you had to live that way." Trowa gave a small smile and said with a shrug, "Well, Duo always said that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger... I'm finally starting to believe that, myself." Waiting until their eyes met again, the tall pilot frowned and said quietly, "I know that you never wanted to leave Heero when he was young. Hearing only a few things about Doctor J, I know that he was a manipulative and intimidating man that did whatever he wanted to get his way. I can only imagine what that must have been like for you to have to leave you son."
Sera was trying not to become emotional, and lowered her head. Again, Trowa gently lifted it and assured her, "As much as I care about Heero and Kumi, they need to hear this from you and no one else. I understand that and won't say anything to anyone." Turning to the Wing pilot, he concluded, "But the three of you have suffered enough without each other. Doctor J went to great lengths to see that you never reunited." He turned to look to friend's mother. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and smiled, "Don't let Doctor J win in keeping you apart... You're better than that."
A small breath was inhaled by the Preventer as she took the tall pilot's words to heart. Biting her lip, she smiled and nodded as she whispered brokenly, "Thank you, Trowa." The Gundam pilot hugged her tightly again and whispered back, "Don't mention it." Makato took a moment to think before she asked almost timidly, "Mind if I just wait a little while to find the right way to tell Heero?" Trowa chuckled deeply, "Take all the time you need."
Sera then held onto his hand tightly and told him quietly, "I'd be honored to consider you my own son, if you'd like." The tall pilot's eyes widened. "You mean it?" he asked quietly. Sera's smile grew as she nodded, "Feel free to call me your mom anytime you want. Trowa wrapped his arms tightly around her again as he whispered with a stifled sob, "Thank you... Mom." Makato kissed his cheek and sighed deeply as their embrace broke. Together, they turned to look to the sleeping pilots, never releasing their joined hands.
* * * * * *
In the observation lab of the hospital, Sally gasped loudly with wide eyes, "Their hearts are beating in unison!?!" One of her medical assistants nodded with astonishment on his face as he showed the meter readings on the monitors before them. Pointing to the readings of a heartbeat as it pulsated, causing a bounce in the radar as he explained, "This is Heero Yuy's heartbeat." Moving to the monitor beside it, he pointed to another pulsating radar as he said, "And this one belongs to Duo Maxwell."
Typing some controls into the computer, the young man brought the two readings to rest on the same screen, Heero's at the top and Duo's below it. Every pause and beat was in perfect time on the readings. The young assistant smiled as he stated, "This is the first time anything like this has happened." Sally was still looking to the screen in wonder. The sight was beautiful... Never missing a beat, the hearts of the two pilots continued to work as one.
The assistant asked, "Do you think that the laser they were shocked by could have resulted in this?" Water shook her head and answered, "No. If it changed their heartbeats, it would have made them more sporadic from one another... Their hearts must have always beat as one like this." The young blonde was still smiling as he shook his head, "I still can't believe that this is possible."
The braided Preventer smiled and shook her head, "You don't know the Gundam pilots that well... You learn to expect the unexpected from them." Her friend replied, "I'm starting to see that more and more now."
Sally asked him, "Could you print out a report of this for me? Something like this needs to be recorded for the medical reports, since this is the first time anything like this has ever happened... And I'd like to show Heero and Duo when they're awake." Her partner nodded, "Sure thing."
At this he pressed the print key and a long piece of paper revealing the two lines and their waves as they appeared on the computer now. Looking to the sheet as she remover it, Water smiled and said quietly, "They'll have to see this to believe it." Her eyes then turned back to the monitor as it showed the bouncing radars as they continued to capture the heartbeats of her friends. "Even when they sleep, they never cease to amaze me," she whispered in a small chuckle to herself.
* * * * * *
An hour later, in the black room of files, Delapan and Wufei were looking through even more boxes and shelves deep in the quarters. Catherine was lost in her own search as she used her flashlight to look through the folders that she pulled out. A few feet ahead of her, Wufei noticed a small, black safe that was hidden under the countless records that would have taken days to go through one-by-one. The Chinese pilot looked to see that none of the others were watching. Licking his lips, he quickly knelt before the safe and undid the hinges with a thin, metal rod that he pulled from his pocket.
The hinges were not willing to let up without the application of force that the Chinese pilot produced as he bent them forward. Finally, both hinges were bent beyond recognition and Wufei opened the safe's door. Looking to make sure that his friends did not see him, he moved to lean down and peered in the black box with his flashlight. Inside, there was a thick, manila envelope that had been sealed and taped closed tightly. There were large, black letters that read, 'CONFIDENTIAL' on the front of the envelope.
Removing a pocket knife, the Raven-haired pilot took to slicing through the thick tape that sealed the safe's contents. Once he cut through, Wufei reached in the large packet and removed the stack of papers within it. Quickly reading through the files with his flashlight overhead, his dark eyes widened at what he found. The Chinese pilot whispered in shock, "I-I don't believe this."
After scanning halfway through the stack, Wufei's eyes narrowed as he continued to read. Quickly, he put the papers back inside the envelope and placed it inside his Preventer jacket to keep it from his comrades' eyes as he got to his feet. Joining the others, he looked to his watch and announced, "We've been in here for an hour-and-a-half. Quatre's eyes widened as he replied, "It's been that long already?"
Sette growled deeply, "Damn it! It'll talk days to get through all of this crap." Catherine was just as upset to know that they weren't able to help Kumi as they had wished. She replaced the files that she held and sighed deeply, "If we had a few more hours, we might have been able to find those reports."
Wufei shook his head, "If we stay here much longer, we'll be the next pilots on trial." Quatre lowered his head and nodded, "You're right. We have to go before we're discovered." The others reluctantly agreed as they replaced everything to look the way it had when they first entered the room. Sette, however, held onto a handful of papers that she wanted to look through again.
Walking to the wall where the door was, the pilots allowed the Chinese pilot to replace the sensor radars of the room's security. Once the beams appeared again, the Chinese pilot gave a nod and opened the door. Sticking his head out to see that there were no guards, Wufei led the way out of the room and into the hallway. Quatre and Delapan followed right behind their friend.
Sette continued to read the papers in her possession, not paying attention to anything before her. As she walked to the door, she failed to see that a single red beam darted across the space before her ankles. The tomboy walked right through it, instantly setting off the room's alarm. The other pilots gasped loudly at the beeping siren as they turned back to the door.
The queen of H7 was now walking out slowly, eyes wide and her expression saying, "I. Can't. Believe I just did that." Her friends looked to her in terror as the sirens continued and Wufei grabber her shoulders as he asked quickly, "Sette, what did you do?" The tomboy responded quickly back with fear in her voice, "Nothing." He asked immediately again, "What did you do?" "Nothing," came the quick reply. "What. Did. You. Do?" Wufei asked with narrowed eyes and with much more clarity. "N-nunnin-no-na-noth-nothingIdidn'tdoanything," Sette answered in a quick blur, with shock and nervousness in her tone.
A few lights flashed on the four pilots as several guards looked to them from the end of the hall. One of them shouted as he gazed with his flashlight, "THERE THEY ARE!" Delapan shouted as she lunged at Sette, "YOU STUPID BAKA!" The blue-haired pilot screamed, "AAHHHHH!!!" at the top of her lungs with wide eyes as she was about to have her neck strangled by Catherine. Quatre grabbed his fiancee's hand and yanked her away just as Wufei did the same with Delapan just before either of them got hurt. They sprinted down the halls with the Preventers that found them running quickly behind.
The pilots ran as fast as their feet could carry them, managing to sprint a few feet ahead of the soldiers. Running through the darkened halls, they made it through almost a mile of the ship. The Preventers turned a corner that their mysterious trespassers rounded, never looking back. They continued to run past the dorms that were located down this section.
Inside one of those closed rooms, the four Gundam pilots panted and wiped the sweat from their faces as they gathered themselves. Fortunately for all of them, they knew who this particular dorm belonged to. Milliardo and Noin looked to their friends in concern as they walked to them. Wind asked, "What happened?" Wufei glared to Sette, who smiled and waved with a nervous chuckle. He sighed deeply, "Nothing." The tomboy's smile grew as she nodded to his answer enthusiastically.
Noin's eyes widened and she inquired, "Did you find any of the reports on the Colony Council that we heard about?" Quatre frowned and shook his head, "We didn't have any time." Milliardo and Noin looked to their comrades with sadness. Wind assured them, "At least you tried. It was just a rumor that those reports actually exist, anyway." Delapan said quietly, "Looks like we'll never know if those rumors really were just rumors or not." Noin gave a small smile and said gently, "Just because we don't have them doesn't mean that Kumi will be found guilty at the trial." Sette lied flat across the floor and nodded, "Yea. You're right."
Looking up to the married Preventers, the tomboy asked, "Can I just request one favor?" She yawned, "Could I just stay right here tonight?" Her brother and sister-in-law nodded. Milliardo answered sincerely, "You're all more than welcome to stay here tonight." Sette chuckled deeply with her eyes closed, "Good cause I can't move." The other pilots chuckled deeply along with Milliardo and Noin. They all gave the pair soft expressions of gratitude as they stretched themselves out on the carpet.
Wind and Fire provided them with their spare blankets and pillows to help them get comfortable. Once their friends were taken care of, Milliardo and Noin poured into their bed, wrapping their arms tightly around each other under the covers. Exhausted what beyond words could describe, the Gundam pilots were taken by sleep the moment their eyes closed. Even their minds had been too worn to produce any nightmares. For this, they were grateful. Not having to dream was the only benefit from pure fatigue.
* * * * * *
The next day, everyone on Pulsar was getting ready for the trial that was to take place in a matter of hours. Heero and Duo had left their hospital room the moment Sally released them early in the morning and they made their way down the halls of the ship. With determination on their faces, the lovers reached the prison. Walking past the stunned guards, they entered the penitentiary. Not paying any mind to the shocked glances of the Preventers who stood watch, the Gundam pilots made their way down the halls of confinement.
There was no mistaking which door was the one that they were in search of. It was the only cell being watched over by guards of the Colony Council (as apposed to Preventers) as they stood in their red uniforms. Heero glared to the guard standing right next to the door and stated, "I'm here to see Kumi." The young man looked to him with wide eyes, but quickly glared back, "She is not permitted to see anyone by orders of the Colony Council." The Wing pilot grunted as he slammed his fist into the soldier's face, knocking him out instantly.
The Council guards standing by shouted. One of them instantly ran to the pair as he yelled, "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" while he raised the back of his gun overhead to strike. He was suddenly punched at great force by the braided pilot and fell to the ground at Duo's feet. The American glared to the remaining soldier's as his lover located the keys that were on the first soldier that was knocked down. Duo growled deeply and asked them, "Anyone else?" The Colony guards looked to the pilots in shock and rage, but none of them made any advances. Heero had located the unconscious man's keys and utilized them to open the door.
The Wing pilot and his partner entered the room quickly the moment that they were able to do so. Kumi was sitting in the opposite corner of her cell, leaning her right side against the wall as she slept. When the light hit her eyes, they tightened closed a bit before opening slowly. Looking up, the silver-haired pilot gasped with her eyes wide as she looked to the sad face of her cousin. She whispered, "Heero." He gave a small, sad smile as he replied quietly, "Hi, Kumi." She rose to her feet and saw another visitor. With a small smile, the prisoner nodded, "Hey, Duo." The braided pilot smiled back, "Good to see you, doll."
Heero unlocked the armcuffs on his cousin as he told her, "You weren't being taken into that courtroom before I had a chance to see you." Kumi chuckled deeply, "I'm glad. I've been worried about the two of you." The moment that her arms were freed, the Wing pilot tightly wrapped his arms around the silver-haired pilot and rested his chin on her shoulder. Kumi gladly returned the favor. They just hugged tightly in silence as Duo watched with a heavy heart a few feet away. As wonderful as it was for him to see his lover reunited with his cousin, Duo just wished more than anything that they could have met under better circumstances.
"We're going to get you out of this somehow," Heero whispered his word through the stillness after kissing Kumi's cheek. She smiled and nodded, "I know… I don't have any doubt in that." The Wing pilot sighed deeply and loosed his hold on the other pilot as he pulled back to look at her. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled warmly, "Thank you for taking such good care of Duo for me." Kumi gave a sharp laugh and replied, "He can be a handful at times, but overall, he was alright." Duo chuckled as he walked to them, "Well, someone has to keep you on your toes."
The American's comrades chuckled back as the braided and silver-haired pilots hugged tightly. All the while, Heero kept stroking the back of Kumi's loose hair as a comfort for the both of them. Duo and Kumi pecked lips as they pulled out of their embrace and smiled to each other. The 'Perfect Soldier' told her friend, "I should be thanking you. Heero wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for you." Duo blushed and shrugged, "I know that Heero would have done the same for me." Duo's right hand was squeezed tightly by his koi before being embraced against Heero's chest.
Looking to the rejuvenated pair, Kumi felt a wave of relief in knowing that they had made it through their terrible ordeal with OZ. Just then, three soldiers made their way to the entrance as they gave death glares to the pilots within. The 'Perfect Solider' smirked, "You guys better get out of here before those Council guards send the dogs on you." Heero sighed deeply and nodded, "Yea."
Duo hugged his captive friend and told her, "We'll see you soon, Kumi." She responded, "Thanks for coming, Duo." Heero hugged her tightly as they pecked on the lips. He whispered, "I love you." Kumi answered the same, "I love you, too, Heero." One of the guards entered and retrieved the armcuffs that had been dropped to the floor. Duo and Heero walked back to the door, unable to watch as Kumi's arms were chained once again. They had said their 'good bye's' and that was enough.
The Wing pilot's head was a bit downcast and his hands were in his jean pockets as the pair walked down the halls of the prison. His braided love placed an arm around his shoulders and they walked back to their room that way in silence.
* * * * * *
Ships as large as Pulsar were always equipped with a courtroom for urgent cases such as the one that was about to take place. In that large room, the space was filled with over a hundred onlookers that managed to fit inside. Meanwhile, there were countless more men and women waiting outside to hear what they could. The Gundam pilots and their friends took up the front row of the witness seats, behind where Kumi and her representative would sit.
Brian and Relena Weatherall walked in, hands joined, and made their way down the middle isle towards the front of the room. When they saw their friends in the first isle, Zes smiled to them and kissed her husband 'good luck' as they released their hands. Relena made her way to the middle of the group, sitting between Sette and Noin. The King of the World took his place at the Defendant's desk as he looked to the four Prosecutors, who entered from the Judge's chambers. The Prosecution team consisted of two male and two female representatives of the Colony Council. They took their seats and eyed the young king across the room from them.
Once they were seated, the back doors of the room opened as two armed guards walked on either side of the prisoner. Kumi remained chained at the arms and ankles as she was led down the isle. The courtroom came to life with her arrival as everyone present spoke or grumbles amongst themselves. Many of those present got to their feet to have a better look at the silver-haired pilot. All eyes followed her carefully, never blinking. Stoic as ever, Kumi continued to walk down the long isle without turning to see the people on either side of her, blocking out the conversations taking place all around.
The Gundam pilots all rose from their seats, Trowa, Heero and Duo being the first to do so as they watched their partner make her way towards them. Just as she passed, Kumi paused just to look to all of them. The smallest of smiles crossed her lips as she saw that everyone had come to give their support. Several smiles were returned from those who were able to get past their concern and nervousness.
The Japanese pilot's right arms was grabbed tightly and pulled forward by one of the guards to hurry things along. Turing her head forward again, Kumi allowed herself to be forced to the long Defendant's desk. Brian rose and gave his friend a warm smile with a nod as she moved to stand beside him. Still chained, Kumi gave a small grin back to her lawyer and a nod of her own.
Just then, a tall and muscular bailiff entered and called loudly, "All rise!" Everyone rose to their feet as the Judge entered. "The Honorable Judge Hughes is now presiding," he announced the black-robed woman entered. In her late twenties, the slender African-American made her way to the high seat. Her thick, dark hair fell to her shoulders and accented her thin facial features and brown eyes. Looking to everyone before her, she smiled in an alto voice, "Thank you. Please be seated."
Once everyone took their seats again, Judge Hughes folded her hands on the desk before her as she explained, "In cases as vital as this, there is no jury that will make the decision in the end of the trial. I will hear both the Prosecution and the Defense and make my decision from there as I see fit. It is also my decision who will go first and who will have to wait."
Turning to face the Prosecutors, she stated, "I have chosen to allow the Prosecutors to open this case." The men and women at that bench smiled at this choice. Judge Hughes informed everyone, "The verdict will be made strictly the facts that both sides of this case wish to make. No witnesses will be called upon and there will be no second trial once the judgment has been passed. The verdict made here will be final."
She nodded to the first representative of the Council, "You now have the floor." The young man nodded, "Thank you, Your Honor." The man stood in the center of the front chambers and looked to those seated in the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are just going to cut right to the chase with the situation of this war being as difficult as it is." Pointing to the stoic pilot in chains, he glared to her and announced loudly, "We are in the presence of a traitor named Kumi Yuy. Together, my team and I will lay down the facts that prove just this. And in the end, you all will understand that the only fair judgment in this case is that of 'Guilty.'"
For the next hour-and-a-half, each of the Prosecutors made their statements and proved valid points as to why the prisoner could be correctly charged with treason. The courtroom was silent as everyone paid the best of attention to every word. The Gundam pilots were beginning to grow even more nervous for their friend as they were more aware now than ever that it would be a difficult job for Brian to clear Kumi's name. Duo occasionally squeezed Heero's hand when he saw the look of uncertainty and concern on his love's face. The Wing pilot gratefully returned the squeeze every time, never releasing his partner's hand the entire trial.
* * * * * *
In the midst of the trial, Colony O22 had been busy with activity as the people there were being attacked by OZ far beyond the reach of any Preventer craft. The men and women fighting the OZ soldiers off were amazed at how quickly their foes managed to charge upon them. At they battled their enemies, one of the Colony soldiers shouted, "We should be able to hold them off for a few hours at this rate! They're not giving us any real challenge." His friend nodded as he sliced through an Aries, "The first Preventer fleet should be arriving soon. We'll push the rest of these OZ soldiers out the moment they get here!"
Something suddenly caught the young man's eyes as it blinked in the heavens far above. With a look of uncertainty, he turned to have a better look as he squinted through the bright sunlight. Just then, he realized what that the strange light was actually a wide golden beam that covered the entire sky of O22. With wide eyes, the soldier screamed at the top of his lungs, "WHAT THE-!?!" Before he had a moment to say anything more, the pilot and everything on the Colony was taken by the golden light.
* * * * * *
Meanwhile on Pulsar, the Prosecution rested their case. Judge Hughes turned to Brian Weatherall and nodded, "The floor is now yours, Your Highness." Brian smiled to her and nodded, "Thank you, Your Honor." Stepping to the center of the 'stage,' the King of the World faced those that witnessed as he paced the floor and began, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Kumy Yuy is not guilty of anything other than doing what she could to bring peace back, and to save the only family she has.
"Now I could stand here all afternoon and make a statement that would back this up. However, I am not going to do that. You see, if Kumi is to be judged fairly, then the only way that could happen would be to hear this from someone who knows her situation better than anyone. And that, my friends, can only be another Gundam pilot." He stopped before the desk of Judge Huges and announced to her, "Your Honor, I call upon Wufei Chang to speak on my Defendant's behalf."
There was a loud commotion of gasps and shouts throughout the large courtroom at this. Many of those present jumped to their feet, shaking their heads and shouting over one another. The Gundam pilots looked to each other in shock with wide eyes and dropped jaws as Wufei simply rose and made his way to the front where Brian was waiting. As the noise increased, the first Prosecutor rose and shouted in rage, "OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR! You made it clear that we are not to call upon any witnesses in this trial! Wufei Chang cannot be permitted to stand witness for the prisoner!" The sounds around the large space increased and Judge Huges pounded her gavel, "ORDER IN THIS COURTROOM!"
Finally, the noise began to die as everyone took to their seats again. Brian and Wufei stood side-by-side as they looked to the Judge indifferently. The young woman looked to them and asked with narrowed eyes, "Exactly what is going on here?" King Weatherall placed a hand on the Chinese pilot's shoulder and replied, "Your Honor, Wufei is not acting as a witness, but as the voice that Kumi Yuy does not have the right to use in this trial. It is only right that he is the one to provide us with full knowledge of their side of this story and speak in my place."
Kumi watched the pair before the judge with wide eyes, biting her lip against her nerves. Looking to the raven-haired pilot, the Judge reclined in her leather seat, her right index finger on her chin as she was deep in thought. After a long pause, she stated, "The objection is overruled." A collective gasp left those who watched yet again. In response, Hughes raised her gavel as a threat. The room was hushed again and she nodded to the Gundam pilot, "Wufei Chang, the floor is now yours." The Chinese pilot smiled and responded, "Thank you, Your Honor." Brian smiled and nodded to the young woman, himself, before returning to his seat beside Kumi.
Wufei turned to the audience and walked across the floor as he began, "I met Kumi Yuy a few months prior to this war. Working closely with her from that point to today, I know that she is many things. But she is not a traitor. Heero Yuy, the only blood relative that Kumi has, was being held in Nebula and his life was in great danger. Therefore, Kumi did the only thing that she knew she could, and that was do whatever it took to keep him alive. But the fact remains that she was thinking of all of you when she made that choice.
"If Heero died, we never would have the chance to win this war the way we presently do. And when she made the choice to attack the ship and presented her decision to myself and my fellow Gundam pilots, she didn't hold a gun to us or threaten our lives if we didn't agree to fight. There was no force involved. We knew that there was a great risk involved, but we've dealt with that since the day we trained to become Gundam pilots. Knowing the seriousness of the situation, we were willing to do whatever it took to bring Heero back safely.
"What we were not told of was the pact that Kumi and Duo Maxwell had made to each other. Duo willingly offered to sacrifice himself to be captured if the battle was too difficult, regardless of what would happened to him." Heero turned and looked to his koi with soft eyes as he took all of this in. Duo smiled lovingly to him and shrugged. The Wing pilot brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of the braided pilot's hand gently, closing his eyes as he did so. Duo kissed Heero's temple and rested his forehead there. All the while, Wufei continued, "Kumi knew that the only way her cousin would live a while longer was in his knowing that Duo was still alive. Risking everything, this was how she went about the attack.
"Now what amazes me is that Kumi made the right decision, despite all of the odds. And yet, there are still countless people amongst us who are willing to judge her as a traitor because she didn't await orders to attack. I was there with her and I can assure you that there. Was. No. Time left. If we had not attacked Nebula when we did, Heero Yuy would not be here today."
Taking a deep breath, the Chinese pilot shook his head, "I don't know anyone who wouldn't do everything in their power to save someone they loved. And if I'm wrong, someone correct me." Walking to the Defense desk, Wufei stated, "As Gundam pilots, we are not only used to taking risks, but we are used to being judged constantly... Some of those judgments are valid... Most are not... But the last thing that any one of us should be judged as are traitors."
Brian pulled out a briefcase that he brought to the courtroom with him and opened it as the Chinese pilot continued, "Now that we're on the subject of judging others, let's look at the Colony Council." The eyes of the Prosecutors widened as they looked to one another in fear. There was a lot of talking between those in the room at this. Kumi watched as Brian handed Wufei a manila envelope marked, 'CONFIDENTIAL' on the front. Wufei held the evidence over his head and announced, "I have here the identifications of some of the highest ranked members of that Council. Ladies and Gentlemen, most of the men and women of that assemble acted as OZ soldiers during the Eve Wars, and or as Marimaya Soldiers soon after."
Instantly, there were loud cries and shouts at this announcement. A panic among those in the crowd began to turn pale as they rose to their feet and hollered in shock and disbelief. The judge was in shock, herself, she used her gavel and shouted, "ORDER! ORDER!!!" The Council members that acted as the Prosecutors slumped in their seats with their heads down. It took some time, but the mob finally simmered down again, allowing the trial to continued. The Gundam pilots, even Kumi, and their friends were smiling to the Chinese pilot as he made his way to the center of the court of the courthouse again with the envelope.
"I am not here to say that those members are bad people. In fact, they're some of the best leaders for peace to this day. They have changed their points of views since the wars and now understand that organizations such as OZ cannot exist..." He scanned his eyes across the room and smirked, "But all of you were about to judge them blindly, weren't you?" The room was silent as everyone looked to one another or lowered their heads in guilt. Wufei nodded, "See how easy it is to but labels on someone before you truly understand who they really are?" Again, there was silence as all those present swallowed a bitter pill.
Turning to Judge Hughes, Wufei stated, "You see, Your Honor, everyone is guilty of making judgments before looking clearly. I am no different. There are no traitors here before you. Not Kumi, not myself or my friends... and not anyone of the Colony Council. In the end, we're fighting for the same thing... peace and a chance to live freely." He tore the envelope of files in his hand. Holding up the pieces of paper, he told everyone, "None of this matters... Leave the past where it is."
There was a long pause as everyone took all of this in. The Council Members looked to each other in wonder, shocked that a Gundam pilot would not look to the pasts with OZ as something to hold against any of them. Wufei turned back to the Judge and told her, "The Defense rests." He walked to the desk where Brian and Kumi were sitting. The Chinese pilot looked to the prisoner, who gave him a warm smile. He gave her a nod and firmly shook hands with Brian as he took the seat beside him.
All was silent as Judge Hughes sat far back in her seat, hands folded before her face as she rolled her seat from side to side slowly. The Gundam pilots looked to each other nervously as they all joined hands tightly and held their breaths. After a long pause that felt like an eternity, the young woman leaned forward and looked to the Chinese pilot. She smiled, "You missed your calling, Wufei. You would have made a wonderful lawyer." Wufei chuckled deeply, "Thank you, Your Honor, but I'm quiet happy with my calling as a Gundam pilot." Hughes's smile grew as she nodded, "I'm not at all surprised. You and your friends are to be commended for all that you do."
Sitting straight and tall, the Judge announced, "The court finds Kumi Yuy not guilty!" At this, she gave a swift pound from her gavel. Everyone jumped to their feet with cheers and shouts before the small hammer hit the desk. Kumi remained in her seat, stunned at the decision as everyone around her celebrated. Before she knew it, a pair of hands helped her to her feet. One of the Preventers there smiled to the silver-haired pilot as he removed the key to her shackles. Before he could unlock the ex-prisoner, a deep voice from behind the guard asked, "May I?"
Kumi and the soldier looked to Wufei as he smiled to his friend. The 'Perfect Soldier' smiled back to him as the Preventer chuckled deeply and nodded, "Of course." The Chinese pilot was handed the keys. Wufei undid the ankle chains first followed in suit by the armbands. The moment she was free, Kumi hugged him tightly and whispered, "Thank you, Wufei." Her comrade returned the tight hug and replied, "Glad I could help." The two pilots were quickly joined and hugged tightly by their friends as they reunited and joined in the celebration.
* * * * * *
In the far reaches of space a moment later, three large fleets of Preventer mobile suits were making their way towards Colony O22 in their efforts to help defend the people there. One of the soldiers in the lead looked ahead and fell back in his seat as he looked to his monitors. His eyes were wide and his face was quickly turning pale as his breath quickened. His comrades had similar reactions as they looked ahead. The Preventer took a deep breath as he looked to the miles of floating debris before his team. "colony O22..." he whispered breathlessly. "...it's gone...."
TBC
This goes out to all of my friends and supporters: Snodin, Traci, Sam, Beekay, Ruby, Mylia, Ryla, GREETER 600, D-max, Stormy, Naz, Akuma, Kai, Enigma, my entire 1x2x1 family and everyone who reads and enjoys this fic. *tackle glomps*
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 41: Final Verdict
by SkyLark
Quinze Khushrenadah was in his darkened office of the largest ship that the organization had. Originally, it was one of OZ's three most important keys to power and victory in the war that he had begun. With Nebula's recent destruction, it was now only one of two keys that remained. The dark-haired young man sat at his desk with his elbows propped there, hands folded together before his face.
The young OZ leader was simply staring off into the darkness ahead of him with no expression on his thin face. The light that had been in his haunting green eyes was missing. Khushrenadah's laptop was closed and resting on the center of the desk's surface. It had been as still and silent as Quince had been since his last conversation with Lieutenant Marx. There was a knock on the office's door, shattering the thick hush of the room.
"Come in," Quinze said in a small, monotone voice, never moving. The door slid open, bringing the light of the hallway with it. Demetris slowly entered the doorway, looking to his commander with a bit of concern in his rough features. Entering the room, the giant asked quietly, "Your Excellency?" There was no response. Demetris turned the lights of the office on and closed the door behind him.
Walking to the desk, he watched as only Quinze's mouth moved for him to say quietly, "All he had to do was follow orders." The tall man nodded and replied gently, as if trying not to anger a hostile animal, "I understand that you're upset, Sir." At this, Kushrenadah turned his head slowly to look to his best soldier with a sudden rage in his green orbs. Demetris froze in place as he looked to the young man with a hint of fear in his own eyes.
The OZ commander rose from his seat, glaring to the giant as he hissed quietly, "What Marx did cost us Nebula, one of the strongholds of this organization. All that son of a bitch had to do was listen to me. Is that such a hard thing to do?" Demetris shook his head, "No, Sir. Rest assured, this will not happen again." Quinze's tenseness and anger faded from his posture and expression and he sighed deeply. He nodded, "I trust that you will see that it doesn't." The older man nodded back, silently grateful that the young man was beginning to calm again. It was difficult to know who was more dangerous between the two of them when they were enraged.
While Demetris had amazing strength and was practically a man-made immortal, Quinze led one of the strongest forces to ever exist in history with no remorse when it came to using it against those who crossed him. Their partnership made them an unstoppable team.
Kushrenadah tuned and walked to his window as he looked to the stars outside. "Nebula was a setback, nothing more," he finally stated sternly after a pause to gather his thoughts. "I won't allow it to be anymore than that," he said with conviction. A smile suddenly crossed the OZ leader's face as he turned to Demetris. "I know what will make me feel better," he said with great amusement.
* * * * * *
All eleven Gundams touched the ground of Pulsar's hanger. Below, the friends of the pilots all gathered as they waited in great anticipation to reunite with them again in the center of the room. Milliardo was the first to join them once he exited his cockpit. Looking to those waiting, he smiled and placed a hand over his mouth as he whispered, "Shhh." He made his way to Deathcscythe while the other Gubdam pilots left their own suits. Trowa made his way to Wing Zero.
Sette chuckled deeply, but quietly as she hugged her friends and explained, "Heero and Duo fell asleep on the way back from A131." Sally Poe nodded with a relieved smile as she turned to some of the medical staff that had been waiting at the entrance of the hanger. They wheeled two stretchers with them as they made their way to where the pilots and their friends were. Zes hugged Wufei, Quatre, Delapan and Sette as they all regrouped in the midst of all of this. Brian did the same as they quietly spoke of the successful battle that they just went through.
Sera Makato bit her lip as Kumi slowly joined them. The exhausted pilot gave a small smile to her before the young Preventer hugged her tightly. "What you did was amazing," Sera whispered, still holding onto her niece. The silver-haired pilot returned the embrace and replied sincerely, "We have Trowa and Howard to thank for that." The old man walked to them and chuckled deeply, "It was a pleasure." Howard hugged the young pilot and stated, "Those designs of yours are a work of art."
When the embrace ended, Kumi asked him, "Can you do the same to Wing Zero and Deathscythe?" The man smiled and replied, "Sure thing. I'd be honored. Now that Deathscythe has those large demon wings, they'll work out just the same as Excalibur and Wing Zero." The 'Perfect Soldier' nodded, "Arigato." She and her friends turned to watch as Milliardo and Trowa walked to them with Heero and Duo sleeping in their arms like babies.
Sera gave a small gasp as she looked to her son for the first time since they had parted months ago. She walked to Trowa and looked to the pilot he held. Trowa smiled warmly to her, allowing her to gently run her hand through the Wing pilot's unruly hair. It was known to everyone that Sera and Heero had worked together for before he had to complete his mission. And it was understandable that she was just as concerned about him as they were. Still, only a very small handful of them knew who she truly was to the Japanese pilot. Feeling small tears beginning to make their presence known, the Preventer bit her lip and stepped back, careful not to let the emotion in her face show. She did, however, move to look over Duo as well to see that he was alright.
Once everyone had a chance to look to their rescued friends, Milliardo and Trowa lied Heero and Duo carefully onto the stretchers. Sally led her team out of the hanger as the others remained behind. Sera let out a deep breath as she whispered, "Thank God they're alright." Wufei smirked, "They might be too stubborn to be killed, but they know how to give you one hell of a scare." Milliardo smiled and wrapped his arm around Sera's shoulders as he said, "I'm sure that Sally could use some help in looking after them in the hospital." Sera smiled back to the young man and nodded as she quickly left the hanger.
As the pilots and their friends continued to talk, there was a handful of armed soldiers that entered the hanger, unnoticed by anyone. Lady Une and Keiser were behind the soldiers with distressed, helpless expressions on their faces as they walked with several suited men and women from the Colony Council.
Quatre smiled, "Well, now that Nebula's gone, we only have to worry about two more weapons that OZ is relying on." Delapan huffed, "Yea, only. We don't even know where we can find the last two keys they're holding onto." Noin smiled, "One step at a time, guys. Let's just try and relax a little got a change." Zes nodded, "I know that we could all use some sleep after everything that just happened." Milliardo said, "She's right. I don't think any of us have gotten a good night's sleep in months."
Kumi had her back to the door of the hanger and was suddenly grabbed from behind. Instantly thrown to the floor, the silver-haired pilot gave a painful cry as she crashed into the metal ground, pinned down from behind. Trowa was the fist of the pilots and their friends to break through their state of shock as he shouted with a look of rage as his lover was handled roughly by a handful of soldiers, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!"
Sette had also prepared to lunge at the young men that were holding her friend down as she yelled, "NICE MOVE ATTACKING FROM BEHING, YOU COWARDS!" Quatre quickly wrapped his arms around his fiancee's waist and held her back, despite her thrashing in his arms as she glared to the aggressors. Trowa was just about to knock one of the guards down as all of this happened in a moment of seconds. The cobalt eyes of the 'Perfect Soldier' looked up through the silver strands that fell in her face as she warned from where she lied on the ground, "Trowa! Let them do their job!" Her partner's advance ended just as he was about to through his fist forward. The tall pilot's eyes widened further as he shouted down to the prisoner, "KUMI!?!"
Wufei's hand shot out to grab onto the European pilot's shoulder. The Chinese pilot pulled him back gently as he shook his head, "She's right. There's nothing we can do." Trowa's green eyes saddened before they closed slowly. He gave a hesitant nod as the guards quickly continued their work. The Japanese pilot's forearms were cuffed before her again. Her ankles were then chained with just enough slack for her to walk. Looking up to the tall pilot, Kumi requested quietly, "Look after Heero and Duo to make sure they're alright?" Her lover frowned but nodded his promise, "I will."
Lady Une lowered her head with a look of disgust as she turned it away from the sight of the seizure. Keiser bore the same disgust on his own face, but continued to watch, placing his hand on the shoulder of the young woman beside him. The pilots and their friends watched with heavy hearts as she was then forced to her feet with a pull on her right arm.
One of the Colony Council members glared to the pilot as he growled deeply, "We've waited enough for this damn trial to take place. One of our most respected Judges will be here tomorrow afternoon. With you recent escape, there won't be anything that can save you now." Kumi remained expressionless as she listened to the gray-suited man, her eyes locked onto his the entire time. The Representative continued to glare to her as he hissed, "Get her back to her cell."
The men holding the 'Perfect Soldier' pushed her forward as they made their way to the doors leading out of the hanger. Before allowing herself to be led away, Kumi looked to her fellow Gundam pilots as they stood as a unit in witness. "About earlier," she began. With a brief pause, a small smile spread across her lips as she said quietly, "Nice work... All of you." Her comrades gave sad smiled and nods to the prisoner just before the was taken from them.
When the doors closed behind the chained pilot and the guards that led her, Lady Une growled to the Council members, "This is insane. You're willing to threaten the safety of your homes and countless lives to prove that you have authority?" The angered man who spoke to Kumi shook his head, "Those pilots are no different from any soldier that
is fighting for us. They will be punished for their mistakes, whether or not they happen to pilot Gundam suits." Keiser glared to him and replied, "They are different from any other soldier for that very reason." Locking eyes with the old man, he stated, "You're making a terrible mistake." The Representative huffed, "That's up to the Judge to decide now." At this, he and his fellow Council members stepped out of the hanger, themselves.
Trowa folded his hands behind his head and paced to control the rage burning in him. All of the Gundam pilots did the same. After a pause, Milliardo sighed deeply and as his eyes closed, "There isn't anything that we can do now. This whole thing is out of our hands." Noin folded her hands and glared to the hanger doors, "That still doesn't make this any easier." Sette shook her head and stated with determination, "There has to be something that we can do other than just stand here."
Trowa replied, "I'm staying in Heero and Duo's room to make sure that everything's okay after I discuss the plans for Wing Zero and Deatscythe with Howard." Quatre nodded and looked to Sette, Wufei and Delapan as he said, "I'm sure the rest of us can find some way to help with the trial." His fiancee's eyes widened as if she just remembered something, thanks to the Arabian's words. Her tenseness faded as she nodded back. From there, the four pilots left the hanger.
* * * * * *
Later that night, Sette, Wufei, Delapan, and Quatre made their way down the dark halls of Pulsar as they made sure not to make any sound or movement that would alert the guards that made their rounds. Occasionally, they had to hide in a doorway or crevice to avoid the watching eyes of a passing Preventer. Quickly, they ran to the door that they were in search of. Entering the room without making a sound, the pilots ran in and closed the door behind them.
Inside the pitch room, they all remained still, pressing their backs against the wall they reached upon entering. Turning on their flashlights, they scanned the storage room of the Colony Council's reports. There were red beams that were blocking any movement forward as they covered many different angles, heights and lengths of the walkway ahead. It creates a maze of thin, red lights. If any of those rays caught the slightest movement, their attempt would have been all for nothing.
Wufei managed to locate the panel of buttons that locked and turned off the security of the room. With his flashlight resting on the board, the young pilot moved and punched in the override to remove the lasers. The moment that he punched the last code, Wufei and his friends watched as the beams just ahead of them vanished.
Now able to move freely, but not daring to turn the lights on, the pilots made their way to the shelves and boxes of files and reports with their flashlights. Quickly, they went through everything that they could get a hold of. Delapan and Wufei moved to the far back of the room while their friends remained closer to the front to reach as much ground as possible. Sette quietly noted as she read a through handful of papers, "I knew that Colony Council was hiding something, but I had no idea that it was anything like this." Quatre nodded as he opened another of the many boxes the room provided, "Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover."
* * * * * *
In one of Pulsar's hospital rooms, Heero and Duo lied in a large bed made of two that had been pushed together. While they couldn't hold each other on account of the machines that they had been hooked to, Sally and Sera knew that they would be content to be lying next to each other when they woke up. Sera Makato was sitting at the side of the bed closest to her son. Looking to the Heero's peaceful face, she smiled to herself, fighting off a small round of tears that threatened to form again. She gently ran her hand through his unruly hair and sighed deeply.
Knowing that the door was closed and the two pilots were sleeping deeply, Sera took a deep breath and began to sing quietly, "Sleep, my child... Sleep tight... And please don't cry... Don't cry..." She held the Wing pilot's hand and squeezed it as she continued to sing, "I'm always here for you, no matter what you do... My love, my pride, my child..."
Trowa walked to the door of the hospital room, a tired look on his face as he tried not to think of what had happened in the hanger not long ago. He had just begun to open the door when he heard a familiar voice sing quietly, "For you, I'd gladly give my life... I want much more for you... Not like what you've been through..." The tall pilot's eyes widened as he was instantly taken back to the night that he was nearly killed on M29 after he and Kumi had fought Demetris...
@ @ @ @ @ @
Trowa had been trembling as he battled nightmares. His wounds prevented him from being able to move much without bringing excruciating pain with it. A hand began gently running through his hair as a soft voice sang. Kumi looked over her fallen comrade as she continued softly, "...Just sleep, my child... Sleep tight... And dream sweet dreams of a future so bright... I'll stay with you all night... Together we'll win this fight..."
@ @ @ @ @ @
Standing in the doorway of the hospital room frozen in shock, Trowa could still hear his lover's voice as it harmonized perfectly with that coming from inside as they sang, "Just sleep tonight." The European pilot couldn't remember how to breath a he remained still. It was the same song that Kumi had sung to him, every last word and note. And he knew how she learned it... Finally breaking from his state of shock, Trowa opened and door and looked inside to see, "Sera," he whispered breathlessly. Sera didn't hear his entering and jumped when she heard her name as a sharp gasp left her.
Looking up with wide eyes to the tall pilot, Makato whispered, "Trowa." Turning to see that her hand was still holding her son's tightly, she gently placed Heero's hand back on the bed. The Gundam pilot walked to the seat beside the Preventer and made his place there. "That was a beautiful song," he smiled warmly to the young woman, not wishing to scare her off. Sera rubbed her arms nervously and smiled to the young man sitting next to her, "Thank you."
She knew that there was a good sense of tension coming through her. Still, Sera couldn't think of anything more to say or do that wouldn't be grounds for the tall pilot to figure out that she was Heero's mother. Silently, she hoped and prayed that if she left things as they were, Trowa wouldn't have thought about the song any further. If he had never heard the song before this time, perhaps that might have been the case.
A small gasp left the Preventer as a thin hand wrapped around hers and squeezed it. In one silent gesture, the European pilot told her that she wasn't going to be running away this time. Looking to the joined hands, she bit her lip, knowing that she had been caught... This time by one of Heero's closest friends.
Sera's head was gently lifted by fingertips to meet the green eyes of the tall pilot beside her. Trowa made sure that their eyes met as he said quietly, "Kumi sang the same some to me when we were on M29." A stifled sob left Makato as he continued, "She learned it from Heero while they were training with Doctor J... And Heero learned it from Odin Lowe." Trowa chose to remain silent as he watched the tears filling in the brown eyes before him. Sera lowered her head and sobbed quietly. He wrapped his arms around her shaking form and pulled her into a gentle embrace, silently soothing her as he rubbed her back.
The sobs from the young woman began to calm a bit, as did her shaking. As she sat up, Trowa dried her eyes and whispered, "Sera... I never knew my parents... And there still isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I could have. I admit that the pain gets better, but it never truly goes away." He looked to his sleeping braided friend and continued, "The same with Duo. I was actually glad to know that I had a friend who was orphaned as well. We still talk about the experiences that we had without our mothers and fathers, or knowing who they were."
Sera turned to look to her son's lover with sadness in her eyes as she whispered, "I-I never knew that either of you had to live that way." Trowa gave a small smile and said with a shrug, "Well, Duo always said that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger... I'm finally starting to believe that, myself." Waiting until their eyes met again, the tall pilot frowned and said quietly, "I know that you never wanted to leave Heero when he was young. Hearing only a few things about Doctor J, I know that he was a manipulative and intimidating man that did whatever he wanted to get his way. I can only imagine what that must have been like for you to have to leave you son."
Sera was trying not to become emotional, and lowered her head. Again, Trowa gently lifted it and assured her, "As much as I care about Heero and Kumi, they need to hear this from you and no one else. I understand that and won't say anything to anyone." Turning to the Wing pilot, he concluded, "But the three of you have suffered enough without each other. Doctor J went to great lengths to see that you never reunited." He turned to look to friend's mother. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and smiled, "Don't let Doctor J win in keeping you apart... You're better than that."
A small breath was inhaled by the Preventer as she took the tall pilot's words to heart. Biting her lip, she smiled and nodded as she whispered brokenly, "Thank you, Trowa." The Gundam pilot hugged her tightly again and whispered back, "Don't mention it." Makato took a moment to think before she asked almost timidly, "Mind if I just wait a little while to find the right way to tell Heero?" Trowa chuckled deeply, "Take all the time you need."
Sera then held onto his hand tightly and told him quietly, "I'd be honored to consider you my own son, if you'd like." The tall pilot's eyes widened. "You mean it?" he asked quietly. Sera's smile grew as she nodded, "Feel free to call me your mom anytime you want. Trowa wrapped his arms tightly around her again as he whispered with a stifled sob, "Thank you... Mom." Makato kissed his cheek and sighed deeply as their embrace broke. Together, they turned to look to the sleeping pilots, never releasing their joined hands.
* * * * * *
In the observation lab of the hospital, Sally gasped loudly with wide eyes, "Their hearts are beating in unison!?!" One of her medical assistants nodded with astonishment on his face as he showed the meter readings on the monitors before them. Pointing to the readings of a heartbeat as it pulsated, causing a bounce in the radar as he explained, "This is Heero Yuy's heartbeat." Moving to the monitor beside it, he pointed to another pulsating radar as he said, "And this one belongs to Duo Maxwell."
Typing some controls into the computer, the young man brought the two readings to rest on the same screen, Heero's at the top and Duo's below it. Every pause and beat was in perfect time on the readings. The young assistant smiled as he stated, "This is the first time anything like this has happened." Sally was still looking to the screen in wonder. The sight was beautiful... Never missing a beat, the hearts of the two pilots continued to work as one.
The assistant asked, "Do you think that the laser they were shocked by could have resulted in this?" Water shook her head and answered, "No. If it changed their heartbeats, it would have made them more sporadic from one another... Their hearts must have always beat as one like this." The young blonde was still smiling as he shook his head, "I still can't believe that this is possible."
The braided Preventer smiled and shook her head, "You don't know the Gundam pilots that well... You learn to expect the unexpected from them." Her friend replied, "I'm starting to see that more and more now."
Sally asked him, "Could you print out a report of this for me? Something like this needs to be recorded for the medical reports, since this is the first time anything like this has ever happened... And I'd like to show Heero and Duo when they're awake." Her partner nodded, "Sure thing."
At this he pressed the print key and a long piece of paper revealing the two lines and their waves as they appeared on the computer now. Looking to the sheet as she remover it, Water smiled and said quietly, "They'll have to see this to believe it." Her eyes then turned back to the monitor as it showed the bouncing radars as they continued to capture the heartbeats of her friends. "Even when they sleep, they never cease to amaze me," she whispered in a small chuckle to herself.
* * * * * *
An hour later, in the black room of files, Delapan and Wufei were looking through even more boxes and shelves deep in the quarters. Catherine was lost in her own search as she used her flashlight to look through the folders that she pulled out. A few feet ahead of her, Wufei noticed a small, black safe that was hidden under the countless records that would have taken days to go through one-by-one. The Chinese pilot looked to see that none of the others were watching. Licking his lips, he quickly knelt before the safe and undid the hinges with a thin, metal rod that he pulled from his pocket.
The hinges were not willing to let up without the application of force that the Chinese pilot produced as he bent them forward. Finally, both hinges were bent beyond recognition and Wufei opened the safe's door. Looking to make sure that his friends did not see him, he moved to lean down and peered in the black box with his flashlight. Inside, there was a thick, manila envelope that had been sealed and taped closed tightly. There were large, black letters that read, 'CONFIDENTIAL' on the front of the envelope.
Removing a pocket knife, the Raven-haired pilot took to slicing through the thick tape that sealed the safe's contents. Once he cut through, Wufei reached in the large packet and removed the stack of papers within it. Quickly reading through the files with his flashlight overhead, his dark eyes widened at what he found. The Chinese pilot whispered in shock, "I-I don't believe this."
After scanning halfway through the stack, Wufei's eyes narrowed as he continued to read. Quickly, he put the papers back inside the envelope and placed it inside his Preventer jacket to keep it from his comrades' eyes as he got to his feet. Joining the others, he looked to his watch and announced, "We've been in here for an hour-and-a-half. Quatre's eyes widened as he replied, "It's been that long already?"
Sette growled deeply, "Damn it! It'll talk days to get through all of this crap." Catherine was just as upset to know that they weren't able to help Kumi as they had wished. She replaced the files that she held and sighed deeply, "If we had a few more hours, we might have been able to find those reports."
Wufei shook his head, "If we stay here much longer, we'll be the next pilots on trial." Quatre lowered his head and nodded, "You're right. We have to go before we're discovered." The others reluctantly agreed as they replaced everything to look the way it had when they first entered the room. Sette, however, held onto a handful of papers that she wanted to look through again.
Walking to the wall where the door was, the pilots allowed the Chinese pilot to replace the sensor radars of the room's security. Once the beams appeared again, the Chinese pilot gave a nod and opened the door. Sticking his head out to see that there were no guards, Wufei led the way out of the room and into the hallway. Quatre and Delapan followed right behind their friend.
Sette continued to read the papers in her possession, not paying attention to anything before her. As she walked to the door, she failed to see that a single red beam darted across the space before her ankles. The tomboy walked right through it, instantly setting off the room's alarm. The other pilots gasped loudly at the beeping siren as they turned back to the door.
The queen of H7 was now walking out slowly, eyes wide and her expression saying, "I. Can't. Believe I just did that." Her friends looked to her in terror as the sirens continued and Wufei grabber her shoulders as he asked quickly, "Sette, what did you do?" The tomboy responded quickly back with fear in her voice, "Nothing." He asked immediately again, "What did you do?" "Nothing," came the quick reply. "What. Did. You. Do?" Wufei asked with narrowed eyes and with much more clarity. "N-nunnin-no-na-noth-nothingIdidn'tdoanything," Sette answered in a quick blur, with shock and nervousness in her tone.
A few lights flashed on the four pilots as several guards looked to them from the end of the hall. One of them shouted as he gazed with his flashlight, "THERE THEY ARE!" Delapan shouted as she lunged at Sette, "YOU STUPID BAKA!" The blue-haired pilot screamed, "AAHHHHH!!!" at the top of her lungs with wide eyes as she was about to have her neck strangled by Catherine. Quatre grabbed his fiancee's hand and yanked her away just as Wufei did the same with Delapan just before either of them got hurt. They sprinted down the halls with the Preventers that found them running quickly behind.
The pilots ran as fast as their feet could carry them, managing to sprint a few feet ahead of the soldiers. Running through the darkened halls, they made it through almost a mile of the ship. The Preventers turned a corner that their mysterious trespassers rounded, never looking back. They continued to run past the dorms that were located down this section.
Inside one of those closed rooms, the four Gundam pilots panted and wiped the sweat from their faces as they gathered themselves. Fortunately for all of them, they knew who this particular dorm belonged to. Milliardo and Noin looked to their friends in concern as they walked to them. Wind asked, "What happened?" Wufei glared to Sette, who smiled and waved with a nervous chuckle. He sighed deeply, "Nothing." The tomboy's smile grew as she nodded to his answer enthusiastically.
Noin's eyes widened and she inquired, "Did you find any of the reports on the Colony Council that we heard about?" Quatre frowned and shook his head, "We didn't have any time." Milliardo and Noin looked to their comrades with sadness. Wind assured them, "At least you tried. It was just a rumor that those reports actually exist, anyway." Delapan said quietly, "Looks like we'll never know if those rumors really were just rumors or not." Noin gave a small smile and said gently, "Just because we don't have them doesn't mean that Kumi will be found guilty at the trial." Sette lied flat across the floor and nodded, "Yea. You're right."
Looking up to the married Preventers, the tomboy asked, "Can I just request one favor?" She yawned, "Could I just stay right here tonight?" Her brother and sister-in-law nodded. Milliardo answered sincerely, "You're all more than welcome to stay here tonight." Sette chuckled deeply with her eyes closed, "Good cause I can't move." The other pilots chuckled deeply along with Milliardo and Noin. They all gave the pair soft expressions of gratitude as they stretched themselves out on the carpet.
Wind and Fire provided them with their spare blankets and pillows to help them get comfortable. Once their friends were taken care of, Milliardo and Noin poured into their bed, wrapping their arms tightly around each other under the covers. Exhausted what beyond words could describe, the Gundam pilots were taken by sleep the moment their eyes closed. Even their minds had been too worn to produce any nightmares. For this, they were grateful. Not having to dream was the only benefit from pure fatigue.
* * * * * *
The next day, everyone on Pulsar was getting ready for the trial that was to take place in a matter of hours. Heero and Duo had left their hospital room the moment Sally released them early in the morning and they made their way down the halls of the ship. With determination on their faces, the lovers reached the prison. Walking past the stunned guards, they entered the penitentiary. Not paying any mind to the shocked glances of the Preventers who stood watch, the Gundam pilots made their way down the halls of confinement.
There was no mistaking which door was the one that they were in search of. It was the only cell being watched over by guards of the Colony Council (as apposed to Preventers) as they stood in their red uniforms. Heero glared to the guard standing right next to the door and stated, "I'm here to see Kumi." The young man looked to him with wide eyes, but quickly glared back, "She is not permitted to see anyone by orders of the Colony Council." The Wing pilot grunted as he slammed his fist into the soldier's face, knocking him out instantly.
The Council guards standing by shouted. One of them instantly ran to the pair as he yelled, "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" while he raised the back of his gun overhead to strike. He was suddenly punched at great force by the braided pilot and fell to the ground at Duo's feet. The American glared to the remaining soldier's as his lover located the keys that were on the first soldier that was knocked down. Duo growled deeply and asked them, "Anyone else?" The Colony guards looked to the pilots in shock and rage, but none of them made any advances. Heero had located the unconscious man's keys and utilized them to open the door.
The Wing pilot and his partner entered the room quickly the moment that they were able to do so. Kumi was sitting in the opposite corner of her cell, leaning her right side against the wall as she slept. When the light hit her eyes, they tightened closed a bit before opening slowly. Looking up, the silver-haired pilot gasped with her eyes wide as she looked to the sad face of her cousin. She whispered, "Heero." He gave a small, sad smile as he replied quietly, "Hi, Kumi." She rose to her feet and saw another visitor. With a small smile, the prisoner nodded, "Hey, Duo." The braided pilot smiled back, "Good to see you, doll."
Heero unlocked the armcuffs on his cousin as he told her, "You weren't being taken into that courtroom before I had a chance to see you." Kumi chuckled deeply, "I'm glad. I've been worried about the two of you." The moment that her arms were freed, the Wing pilot tightly wrapped his arms around the silver-haired pilot and rested his chin on her shoulder. Kumi gladly returned the favor. They just hugged tightly in silence as Duo watched with a heavy heart a few feet away. As wonderful as it was for him to see his lover reunited with his cousin, Duo just wished more than anything that they could have met under better circumstances.
"We're going to get you out of this somehow," Heero whispered his word through the stillness after kissing Kumi's cheek. She smiled and nodded, "I know… I don't have any doubt in that." The Wing pilot sighed deeply and loosed his hold on the other pilot as he pulled back to look at her. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled warmly, "Thank you for taking such good care of Duo for me." Kumi gave a sharp laugh and replied, "He can be a handful at times, but overall, he was alright." Duo chuckled as he walked to them, "Well, someone has to keep you on your toes."
The American's comrades chuckled back as the braided and silver-haired pilots hugged tightly. All the while, Heero kept stroking the back of Kumi's loose hair as a comfort for the both of them. Duo and Kumi pecked lips as they pulled out of their embrace and smiled to each other. The 'Perfect Soldier' told her friend, "I should be thanking you. Heero wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for you." Duo blushed and shrugged, "I know that Heero would have done the same for me." Duo's right hand was squeezed tightly by his koi before being embraced against Heero's chest.
Looking to the rejuvenated pair, Kumi felt a wave of relief in knowing that they had made it through their terrible ordeal with OZ. Just then, three soldiers made their way to the entrance as they gave death glares to the pilots within. The 'Perfect Solider' smirked, "You guys better get out of here before those Council guards send the dogs on you." Heero sighed deeply and nodded, "Yea."
Duo hugged his captive friend and told her, "We'll see you soon, Kumi." She responded, "Thanks for coming, Duo." Heero hugged her tightly as they pecked on the lips. He whispered, "I love you." Kumi answered the same, "I love you, too, Heero." One of the guards entered and retrieved the armcuffs that had been dropped to the floor. Duo and Heero walked back to the door, unable to watch as Kumi's arms were chained once again. They had said their 'good bye's' and that was enough.
The Wing pilot's head was a bit downcast and his hands were in his jean pockets as the pair walked down the halls of the prison. His braided love placed an arm around his shoulders and they walked back to their room that way in silence.
* * * * * *
Ships as large as Pulsar were always equipped with a courtroom for urgent cases such as the one that was about to take place. In that large room, the space was filled with over a hundred onlookers that managed to fit inside. Meanwhile, there were countless more men and women waiting outside to hear what they could. The Gundam pilots and their friends took up the front row of the witness seats, behind where Kumi and her representative would sit.
Brian and Relena Weatherall walked in, hands joined, and made their way down the middle isle towards the front of the room. When they saw their friends in the first isle, Zes smiled to them and kissed her husband 'good luck' as they released their hands. Relena made her way to the middle of the group, sitting between Sette and Noin. The King of the World took his place at the Defendant's desk as he looked to the four Prosecutors, who entered from the Judge's chambers. The Prosecution team consisted of two male and two female representatives of the Colony Council. They took their seats and eyed the young king across the room from them.
Once they were seated, the back doors of the room opened as two armed guards walked on either side of the prisoner. Kumi remained chained at the arms and ankles as she was led down the isle. The courtroom came to life with her arrival as everyone present spoke or grumbles amongst themselves. Many of those present got to their feet to have a better look at the silver-haired pilot. All eyes followed her carefully, never blinking. Stoic as ever, Kumi continued to walk down the long isle without turning to see the people on either side of her, blocking out the conversations taking place all around.
The Gundam pilots all rose from their seats, Trowa, Heero and Duo being the first to do so as they watched their partner make her way towards them. Just as she passed, Kumi paused just to look to all of them. The smallest of smiles crossed her lips as she saw that everyone had come to give their support. Several smiles were returned from those who were able to get past their concern and nervousness.
The Japanese pilot's right arms was grabbed tightly and pulled forward by one of the guards to hurry things along. Turing her head forward again, Kumi allowed herself to be forced to the long Defendant's desk. Brian rose and gave his friend a warm smile with a nod as she moved to stand beside him. Still chained, Kumi gave a small grin back to her lawyer and a nod of her own.
Just then, a tall and muscular bailiff entered and called loudly, "All rise!" Everyone rose to their feet as the Judge entered. "The Honorable Judge Hughes is now presiding," he announced the black-robed woman entered. In her late twenties, the slender African-American made her way to the high seat. Her thick, dark hair fell to her shoulders and accented her thin facial features and brown eyes. Looking to everyone before her, she smiled in an alto voice, "Thank you. Please be seated."
Once everyone took their seats again, Judge Hughes folded her hands on the desk before her as she explained, "In cases as vital as this, there is no jury that will make the decision in the end of the trial. I will hear both the Prosecution and the Defense and make my decision from there as I see fit. It is also my decision who will go first and who will have to wait."
Turning to face the Prosecutors, she stated, "I have chosen to allow the Prosecutors to open this case." The men and women at that bench smiled at this choice. Judge Hughes informed everyone, "The verdict will be made strictly the facts that both sides of this case wish to make. No witnesses will be called upon and there will be no second trial once the judgment has been passed. The verdict made here will be final."
She nodded to the first representative of the Council, "You now have the floor." The young man nodded, "Thank you, Your Honor." The man stood in the center of the front chambers and looked to those seated in the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are just going to cut right to the chase with the situation of this war being as difficult as it is." Pointing to the stoic pilot in chains, he glared to her and announced loudly, "We are in the presence of a traitor named Kumi Yuy. Together, my team and I will lay down the facts that prove just this. And in the end, you all will understand that the only fair judgment in this case is that of 'Guilty.'"
For the next hour-and-a-half, each of the Prosecutors made their statements and proved valid points as to why the prisoner could be correctly charged with treason. The courtroom was silent as everyone paid the best of attention to every word. The Gundam pilots were beginning to grow even more nervous for their friend as they were more aware now than ever that it would be a difficult job for Brian to clear Kumi's name. Duo occasionally squeezed Heero's hand when he saw the look of uncertainty and concern on his love's face. The Wing pilot gratefully returned the squeeze every time, never releasing his partner's hand the entire trial.
* * * * * *
In the midst of the trial, Colony O22 had been busy with activity as the people there were being attacked by OZ far beyond the reach of any Preventer craft. The men and women fighting the OZ soldiers off were amazed at how quickly their foes managed to charge upon them. At they battled their enemies, one of the Colony soldiers shouted, "We should be able to hold them off for a few hours at this rate! They're not giving us any real challenge." His friend nodded as he sliced through an Aries, "The first Preventer fleet should be arriving soon. We'll push the rest of these OZ soldiers out the moment they get here!"
Something suddenly caught the young man's eyes as it blinked in the heavens far above. With a look of uncertainty, he turned to have a better look as he squinted through the bright sunlight. Just then, he realized what that the strange light was actually a wide golden beam that covered the entire sky of O22. With wide eyes, the soldier screamed at the top of his lungs, "WHAT THE-!?!" Before he had a moment to say anything more, the pilot and everything on the Colony was taken by the golden light.
* * * * * *
Meanwhile on Pulsar, the Prosecution rested their case. Judge Hughes turned to Brian Weatherall and nodded, "The floor is now yours, Your Highness." Brian smiled to her and nodded, "Thank you, Your Honor." Stepping to the center of the 'stage,' the King of the World faced those that witnessed as he paced the floor and began, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Kumy Yuy is not guilty of anything other than doing what she could to bring peace back, and to save the only family she has.
"Now I could stand here all afternoon and make a statement that would back this up. However, I am not going to do that. You see, if Kumi is to be judged fairly, then the only way that could happen would be to hear this from someone who knows her situation better than anyone. And that, my friends, can only be another Gundam pilot." He stopped before the desk of Judge Huges and announced to her, "Your Honor, I call upon Wufei Chang to speak on my Defendant's behalf."
There was a loud commotion of gasps and shouts throughout the large courtroom at this. Many of those present jumped to their feet, shaking their heads and shouting over one another. The Gundam pilots looked to each other in shock with wide eyes and dropped jaws as Wufei simply rose and made his way to the front where Brian was waiting. As the noise increased, the first Prosecutor rose and shouted in rage, "OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR! You made it clear that we are not to call upon any witnesses in this trial! Wufei Chang cannot be permitted to stand witness for the prisoner!" The sounds around the large space increased and Judge Huges pounded her gavel, "ORDER IN THIS COURTROOM!"
Finally, the noise began to die as everyone took to their seats again. Brian and Wufei stood side-by-side as they looked to the Judge indifferently. The young woman looked to them and asked with narrowed eyes, "Exactly what is going on here?" King Weatherall placed a hand on the Chinese pilot's shoulder and replied, "Your Honor, Wufei is not acting as a witness, but as the voice that Kumi Yuy does not have the right to use in this trial. It is only right that he is the one to provide us with full knowledge of their side of this story and speak in my place."
Kumi watched the pair before the judge with wide eyes, biting her lip against her nerves. Looking to the raven-haired pilot, the Judge reclined in her leather seat, her right index finger on her chin as she was deep in thought. After a long pause, she stated, "The objection is overruled." A collective gasp left those who watched yet again. In response, Hughes raised her gavel as a threat. The room was hushed again and she nodded to the Gundam pilot, "Wufei Chang, the floor is now yours." The Chinese pilot smiled and responded, "Thank you, Your Honor." Brian smiled and nodded to the young woman, himself, before returning to his seat beside Kumi.
Wufei turned to the audience and walked across the floor as he began, "I met Kumi Yuy a few months prior to this war. Working closely with her from that point to today, I know that she is many things. But she is not a traitor. Heero Yuy, the only blood relative that Kumi has, was being held in Nebula and his life was in great danger. Therefore, Kumi did the only thing that she knew she could, and that was do whatever it took to keep him alive. But the fact remains that she was thinking of all of you when she made that choice.
"If Heero died, we never would have the chance to win this war the way we presently do. And when she made the choice to attack the ship and presented her decision to myself and my fellow Gundam pilots, she didn't hold a gun to us or threaten our lives if we didn't agree to fight. There was no force involved. We knew that there was a great risk involved, but we've dealt with that since the day we trained to become Gundam pilots. Knowing the seriousness of the situation, we were willing to do whatever it took to bring Heero back safely.
"What we were not told of was the pact that Kumi and Duo Maxwell had made to each other. Duo willingly offered to sacrifice himself to be captured if the battle was too difficult, regardless of what would happened to him." Heero turned and looked to his koi with soft eyes as he took all of this in. Duo smiled lovingly to him and shrugged. The Wing pilot brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of the braided pilot's hand gently, closing his eyes as he did so. Duo kissed Heero's temple and rested his forehead there. All the while, Wufei continued, "Kumi knew that the only way her cousin would live a while longer was in his knowing that Duo was still alive. Risking everything, this was how she went about the attack.
"Now what amazes me is that Kumi made the right decision, despite all of the odds. And yet, there are still countless people amongst us who are willing to judge her as a traitor because she didn't await orders to attack. I was there with her and I can assure you that there. Was. No. Time left. If we had not attacked Nebula when we did, Heero Yuy would not be here today."
Taking a deep breath, the Chinese pilot shook his head, "I don't know anyone who wouldn't do everything in their power to save someone they loved. And if I'm wrong, someone correct me." Walking to the Defense desk, Wufei stated, "As Gundam pilots, we are not only used to taking risks, but we are used to being judged constantly... Some of those judgments are valid... Most are not... But the last thing that any one of us should be judged as are traitors."
Brian pulled out a briefcase that he brought to the courtroom with him and opened it as the Chinese pilot continued, "Now that we're on the subject of judging others, let's look at the Colony Council." The eyes of the Prosecutors widened as they looked to one another in fear. There was a lot of talking between those in the room at this. Kumi watched as Brian handed Wufei a manila envelope marked, 'CONFIDENTIAL' on the front. Wufei held the evidence over his head and announced, "I have here the identifications of some of the highest ranked members of that Council. Ladies and Gentlemen, most of the men and women of that assemble acted as OZ soldiers during the Eve Wars, and or as Marimaya Soldiers soon after."
Instantly, there were loud cries and shouts at this announcement. A panic among those in the crowd began to turn pale as they rose to their feet and hollered in shock and disbelief. The judge was in shock, herself, she used her gavel and shouted, "ORDER! ORDER!!!" The Council members that acted as the Prosecutors slumped in their seats with their heads down. It took some time, but the mob finally simmered down again, allowing the trial to continued. The Gundam pilots, even Kumi, and their friends were smiling to the Chinese pilot as he made his way to the center of the court of the courthouse again with the envelope.
"I am not here to say that those members are bad people. In fact, they're some of the best leaders for peace to this day. They have changed their points of views since the wars and now understand that organizations such as OZ cannot exist..." He scanned his eyes across the room and smirked, "But all of you were about to judge them blindly, weren't you?" The room was silent as everyone looked to one another or lowered their heads in guilt. Wufei nodded, "See how easy it is to but labels on someone before you truly understand who they really are?" Again, there was silence as all those present swallowed a bitter pill.
Turning to Judge Hughes, Wufei stated, "You see, Your Honor, everyone is guilty of making judgments before looking clearly. I am no different. There are no traitors here before you. Not Kumi, not myself or my friends... and not anyone of the Colony Council. In the end, we're fighting for the same thing... peace and a chance to live freely." He tore the envelope of files in his hand. Holding up the pieces of paper, he told everyone, "None of this matters... Leave the past where it is."
There was a long pause as everyone took all of this in. The Council Members looked to each other in wonder, shocked that a Gundam pilot would not look to the pasts with OZ as something to hold against any of them. Wufei turned back to the Judge and told her, "The Defense rests." He walked to the desk where Brian and Kumi were sitting. The Chinese pilot looked to the prisoner, who gave him a warm smile. He gave her a nod and firmly shook hands with Brian as he took the seat beside him.
All was silent as Judge Hughes sat far back in her seat, hands folded before her face as she rolled her seat from side to side slowly. The Gundam pilots looked to each other nervously as they all joined hands tightly and held their breaths. After a long pause that felt like an eternity, the young woman leaned forward and looked to the Chinese pilot. She smiled, "You missed your calling, Wufei. You would have made a wonderful lawyer." Wufei chuckled deeply, "Thank you, Your Honor, but I'm quiet happy with my calling as a Gundam pilot." Hughes's smile grew as she nodded, "I'm not at all surprised. You and your friends are to be commended for all that you do."
Sitting straight and tall, the Judge announced, "The court finds Kumi Yuy not guilty!" At this, she gave a swift pound from her gavel. Everyone jumped to their feet with cheers and shouts before the small hammer hit the desk. Kumi remained in her seat, stunned at the decision as everyone around her celebrated. Before she knew it, a pair of hands helped her to her feet. One of the Preventers there smiled to the silver-haired pilot as he removed the key to her shackles. Before he could unlock the ex-prisoner, a deep voice from behind the guard asked, "May I?"
Kumi and the soldier looked to Wufei as he smiled to his friend. The 'Perfect Soldier' smiled back to him as the Preventer chuckled deeply and nodded, "Of course." The Chinese pilot was handed the keys. Wufei undid the ankle chains first followed in suit by the armbands. The moment she was free, Kumi hugged him tightly and whispered, "Thank you, Wufei." Her comrade returned the tight hug and replied, "Glad I could help." The two pilots were quickly joined and hugged tightly by their friends as they reunited and joined in the celebration.
* * * * * *
In the far reaches of space a moment later, three large fleets of Preventer mobile suits were making their way towards Colony O22 in their efforts to help defend the people there. One of the soldiers in the lead looked ahead and fell back in his seat as he looked to his monitors. His eyes were wide and his face was quickly turning pale as his breath quickened. His comrades had similar reactions as they looked ahead. The Preventer took a deep breath as he looked to the miles of floating debris before his team. "colony O22..." he whispered breathlessly. "...it's gone...."
TBC