Title: ShadowHawk's Rage
Author: Mieko Kagetaka / Meela (Meela76@aol.com)
Chapter: Part 9/?
Date: Saturday, 16 September, 2000 - wow that was a while ago :)
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all it's components aren't mine. So, don't sue me. Strictly entertainment. Although, the other original characters and gundams & OZ's new mobile suits are mine.
Pairings: None for now.
Warnings: None
Notes: This is an AU with my Tiana who interacts with the G-boys. She's a unique character and so is her past. This part discussing everyone's preparations of the upcoming battle. Enjoy!
Feedback: Please!!! :)
Special Thanks: To Nokoru & Okami of Dreamscape Studios, Kwycksylver, Reiko and all who helped me beta and develop my writing skills! Love you bunches! Much thanks to Meqa for archiving me at SDDI. *grins* hehehe
"..." = speech
//...// = thoughts
~*...*~ = flashbacks
***...*** = visionary advice
*~*...*~* = computer voice
~~~...~~~ = visions
===========================
ShadowHawk's Rage - Part 9
===========================
3 weeks later...
Tiana crinkled her eyebrows into one, deep in concentration as she tip-tapped on her laptop. She sat in the safety of ShadowHawk's cockpit as she pulled up screens of Mobile Suits and cross-referenced them with the data she was entering. When she thought she was just about finished entering the data on the ShadowHawk's upgrades, two words douced that thought like a candle that was snuffed out: DATABASE ERROR. She gave an throaty groan and tapped her head against the smooth headrest behind her twice. "Damned thing." Tiana ground her teeth, she'd been working to upgrade ShadowHawk for hours. The battle was getting closer, her back was getting stiffer, and the computer was getting more difficult with each passing moment.
Tiana rebooted her laptop and started again with a fresh database. As she entered the data, her mind was steadily going over the tactics that she, Trowa and Quatre went over after the Squadron conference was over. //Hmm, all the Leo, Taurus, Aries and various mobile suits have been duly upgraded.// As her left screen blinked onto the Scorpio Mobile Suits, Tiana squinted at the screen and started chewing on her bottom lip. //They're like the old Virgos with those shields, fortunately for us it's controlled by Capricorn and not the suits themselves. Although, we need more firepower rather than laser if we're ever to get close to them. // Trowa's Gundam HeavyArms became the best example of utilizing heavy artillery along with evasive manuveurs. This is what all the mobile suits were given upgrades for - the firepower. //The only dark side of the Heavy Artillery strategy is that the suits would weigh heavier so newer evasive manuveurs are needed develop to balance the decrease in speed.//
She sighed as she hit SAVE on her laptop and shutdown the uplink. Moaning softly, she kneeded her tight neck muscles and leaned back against her seat. Her eyes fought against her will to stay open and drooped down to cover her crystal greens. Her mind started to drift into the land of dreams and her head nodded forward slightly. Her long hair fell over her shoulders and enveloped her heart-shaped face.
"Tia," Duo's voice gently invaded her dreams like a polite intruder, waking her conscience like a mother gently rousing her baby. He jumped down from Deathscythe, his boots gave a faint metallic clang as the catwalk absorbed his weight. He folded his arms and casually leaned against the railing, his easy posture not quite a match for the pensive - perhaps evern concerned? - look on his face as he realized she was asleep in the cockpit. "Tia, wake up, come on down, you look beat."
Tiana acknowledged Duo's luring to join the conscious world as she stretched and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and blinked twice as she looked down at Duo. //Concern? I thought I've never see concern from the God of Death.// Willing her body to stand and jump down from ShadowHawk, she lifted herself up and stretched once more. She tugged her hat further down until her green eyes were almost hidden between the shadows it provided. Gingerly she jumped down and joined Duo on the railing, gently brushing her elbow with his. "I am beat. I can't wait for this to be over already."
"I hear that," he said, cracking a warm smile that caused her to smile in return. "Are you ready for this, Tia?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. I try not to put much emotion to it. Less chance of panicking. Just succeed with the mission and pray for the best." She touched her locket and shook her head from the though of something going wrong.
Deathscythe Hell made a new residence in ShadowHawk's Lair for the past week while Duo had his Falcon Team going over drills on the other side of the colony with Tiana's Hawk group. The secret drills were done without firepower so that they wouldn't make as much sound in the early morning hours after lights out. Deathscythe's new upgrades made it slightly heavier but it was still the fastest of the Gundams. ShadowHawk was a close second.
"Hmmph, now you sound like Heero. Don't plan on killing yourself afterwards, ok? I have enough problems trying to keep Heero from self-destructing," Duo cracked a smile in despite of the heavy feeling he got. He scanned Tiana's face for anything else that was on her mind that she wasn't telling him. Before he could help himself, he pushed a loose lock of hair from her face then pulled his hand back as if the gesture scalded his hand like hot water. Nervously, he took that same hand and ran it through his bangs and looked away.
"Trying to sound concerned, Duo?" Tiana strained a laugh, despite the warm feeling she got from the gesture. Slightly blushing, she looked away as well and nervously touched her locket once more. "For lil ol' me? I'm touched. Wait, you're not planning on taking ShadowHawk as a backup Gundam if I blew up now would you?" Tiana grinned and poked Duo playfully in the gut.
"Oomph" he gasped as he quickly protected his ribs, "what's with it with you people always punching me or poking me? Am I that irresistible everyone has to get a piece of me?"
Tiana snickered and pinched his nose playfully as she turned to walk down the catwalk. "Delusions of grandeur will get you nowhere, Duo Maxwell. See you in the mess hell, ok?"
Duo gave a hearty laugh as he watched she walked almost gracefully down the catwalk. Her long locks caressing the fabric of her jacket mid-way down her back as if they were hands. He tipped his head over to the side and smiled again then looked up at Deathscythe. //Yeah yeah I know, Buddy. Not a chance in hell.//
* * * * * * * *
[Sahara Mess Hall]
Tiana picked at her plate while sitting with her sisters at the table. Picking up a chicken wing, she stood it up on the tip and spun it around over and over between her fingers, lost in thought. Since the battle was coming up, her appetite got less and less. Imani noticed and turned her almond-shaped eyes towards her big sister in concern.
"Tia, what's wrong. You've bearly touched your plate and it's your favorite meal!"
"Just got a lot on my mind," Tia shrugged and poked at the food in front of her in disinterest.
"Well, if you're not gonna eat it, then I'll take it" Duo grinned as he pulled his chair back before he sat down. He grabbed her chicken wing and grinned at her like a cheshire cat before he sat back and devoured the meat. Imani giggled and Leilani grinned and shook her head as she took another bite of her sandwich.
"You hog, " Leilani grinned at Duo, throwing a half-eaten chicken wing at him. Her pecan face distorted in fake grimace as light brown eyes give away her laughter, "get your own food, papi!"
"Here, Duo", Imani handed Duo her chicken wing and blushed a bright red as she smiled up at him. "start off with this until the line at the buffet dies down."
"Why, thank you, missy," Duo smiled and ruffled Imani's curly brown hair before he devoured the wing. "At least *somone* appreciates my appetite!"
Tiana couldn't help but laugh herself. It felt good to laugh again. With the weight of the upcoming battle not far away, it felt good to just be a kid for once. She smiled as she watched Duo interact with his sisters. //Just a kid. I'd love to be just a kid again.//
"Ay, Tia, como estas?" Leilani noticed her older sister's quietnesss. "You look so serious, no? What's the matter?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing, just thinking, cherie"
"Hmmph, that's what I'm afraid of, *hermana*!" Leilani cooed as she deepened her Spanish just to tease her sister. Tiana laughed and threw her chicken wing at Leilani as she blushed slightly. Imani grabbed Duo's hand and half-dragged him to the buffet when she saw the line die dwn. "Hey Tia, really, what's wrong? I mean, you look so serious all of the sudden."
"I just have a bad feeling, that's all. Can't shake it."
"I see, just don't get yourself killed, you hear me? I don't want to lose you too." For once, Leilani grabbed Tiana's hand and squeezed it. Her eyes turn very solemn and sad. "Just do what you do best and get back here soon."
Tiana sighed and kissed Leilani on her forehead. "I promise, LeeLee. I'll be back before you know it."
* * * * * * *
[Vega - Quatre's room]
Quatre was making Salah Magrib(Afternoon prayer) in his room before he met up with others for the day. He faced east and had his prayer rug underneath his bare feet. He sat down for the last position of prayer and meditated as he spoke to Allah. He sat on his knees, his soft hands cupped towards his face slightly above his knees. His soft aquamarine eyes closed, his golden hair fluttered about his face as he bent his head towards his hands. He whispered his prayers:
~Oh Allah, hear my prayer. Protect us from harm. Forgive us for the souls that we shall be returning into the Afterlife. Give us strength and protect us from fear. Keep us focused and to do what is pleasing in your sight so that we shall meet you in Paradise. Give us strength and courage as we wear our masks of warriors. Please find souls for the soldiers that have none. Forgive those who took their souls away and may the soldiers find their souls in the Afterlife. Give us success and grant us freedom. Free our darkened hearts and save our retched souls and purify us to where we can be simple human beings once again. These prayers I say in your glorious name. Amin.~
Quatre bent his head as he brought his hands to his face as if he was washing the prayer onto his face.[1] He sighed as he put his hands onto his knees and sat a moment longer before he got up. He could feel the battle drawing nearer. News on the peace conference coming up next week brought shivers up his spine. He had faith that they would succeed but he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Someone was going to be badly injured. He walked across his room and closed the door behind him.
* * * * * * * *
[Sigma 5 - Ocean front]
Wufei sat on the shore of Epsilon Ocean in deep meditation. Altron was hidden within the forest behind him and he sat Indian-style on the soft sand as he concentrated on clearing his mind. He listened as the waves crash against the rocks to his right. Soft cries of the seagulls overhead accented the serene scene before him. As if soaking in the very energy around him, Wufei breathed in the salty air and exhaled deeply. As his mind cleared, he could feel his heart beating slowly, the blood coursed through his body warming him up. He felt light-headed yet very aware of his surroundings. His skin tingled and his shoulder-length unbound onyx hair blew in the wind. He nodded his head forward and felt his body surge with pure energy. Finally, he looked up and stared into the horizon before him. Swirls of lavender, orange, yellow and red blended carelessly in the sky as the sun slowly pirouetted on the horizon. As the wind flowed through his hair, Wufei closed his eyes and thought to himself. //Nataku, it's time.//
* * * * * * * *
[Earth - former Zaire]
Heero finally powered down his laptop after sending his information to Quatre on the upgrades for the Condor Squadron. He hated having to be the leader of a squadron. Crowds made him nervous. The fact that the people of the Condor squadron were assigned to him rather than him finding the pilots made things a little harder to take. Not like he knew a lot of people anyway. But he was stuck with them whether he liked it or not. Though he must admit they had the skills. They had something to fight for. He blinked his now-tired cobalt blue eyes. They were running these practices for 2 hours now. He ran an aggravated hand through his unruly hair and stared at his monitors and see his team running manuveurs. He had been teaching them the art of Old World style dogfighting techniques so they can move around the Scorpios. They were having some troubles with the concept.
"Condor 5 watch your back. Condor 6, never leave your wingman. We're a team and you need to depend on each other for this to succeed. Never leave your assigned wingmen. Condor team, check your heat sensors because they may have jam thrusters to where they don't show up on radar like you do."
"Ryuokai!"
Heero sighed again as he leaned back into his cockpit. He let the practice run go for another half an hour before he dismissed them. He rubbed his temples roughly and got up from the cockpit. He climbed out of Wing Zero and noticed that the moon was out and the sky had dropped its midnight veil with sapphires that twinkled. He simply glared at the moon. He had heard that the supposed peace talks will be starting soon. The thought of facing the Scorpions unnerved him. His eye twiched again before he turned to go back into the barracks. //Never will I be like those pilots again...//
* * * * * * * * *
Trowa sat down at his usual quiet spot at the campfire. It had become more and more harder for him to sneak out at night to go practice with his Raven team. They were ready, just tired. He merely stared at the fire and sipped on his java, deep in thought. He had went over the tactics over and over until his head had been begun to hurt from it. He glanced away from the fire to look at his team relaxing in the distance. Most of them never been in true combat before. //They'll soon learn the true essence of battle. They'll soon understand the meaning of this feat.// He shook his head and got up. He licked his dry lips and looked up at the moon. He cocked his head to the side and realized that he never had the chance to look at the moon in a long time. Never had the time to. //Will this be my last view of the moon and its light? Or shall I see it again?// He turned away and started walking back to the circus camp.
* * * * * * * *
Ananda kissed Rashid's forehead before she retired to her quarters. //I love you, Father.// She opened the door and leaned against it as she had shut it behind her. She bowed her head, slid down to the floor and hugged her knees. The past months had finally caught up with her. All the practicing and code-breaking sessions with Master Quatre left her mentally drained. She had managed to crack into 5 more dummy databases and found a back-door command to possibly crack the last 2 real databases.
She tilted her head to touch her knees and sighed deepily. She was ready for this war to be over. Then things could be normal again. And she could get a chance to get to know her twin. //Funny, I have a twin.// She pondered the fact she was no longer alone - she had a sister who seemed a lot like her. She should be upset for the deception but she wasn't. She understood completely. She bit her lip as she tried to remember what Tiana looked like. Their faces were similar except Ananda had a deep scar running across her left cheek from an old battle. Their hair was definitely different but that was basically where the physical differences ended. She could almost feel her sister's presence surround her. It was very familiar as if she had known it in her heart for all these years. It gave her comfort for the brief moment that she felt it. //What is she really like when she's not in battle? Is she funny? Does she have friends? Could we truly get along?//
She looked up and saw the moon out her window. She smiled at its beauty. It hung low in the sky. Almost yellowish in its luminescence. Her spirit animal was the black wolf so she always had the likeness to the moon. //I wonder if Tiana looks at the moon like I do? Is she a dreamer like me?// She lifted a hand to pull her hair back and got up. She shrugged out of her black Eagle combat outfit and put on a big T-shirt for bed. She walked silently to her bed and sat down on it and felt the firmness of the mattress push up against her as she laid down on her back. She pulled the quilt up to her chin and crossed her slender arms across her chest. She stared up at the ceiling and had a disturbing thought. //Will we even get to know each other? What if one of us doesn't make it?// No, she had to have faith. She had to. With that thought concluded, she turned over and went to sleep.
End of Part 9
[1] Ok, I'm Muslim so I feel the need to explain the prayer that Quatre's doing. As Muslims, we pray 5 times a day. Morning, Afternoon, Dusk, Evening and Night. Quatre was doing the afternoon prayer. Each prayer has a certain number of rakahs (cycles). Magrib has the most: 4 rakahs. Surahs are the actual prayers from the Holy Qu'ran that you would recite in making Salah (prayer). Anyways, Salah has different positions: standing, bowing and finally sitting. He is sitting on his prayer rug on his knees with his hands cupped upwards as if he's holding water in his hands. You whisper your personal prayer to Allah in said hands and in turn wash the prayer against you to cleanse you. That was what he was doing. Just so you know the significance of that part.
Still with me here? :)
Meela
Author: Mieko Kagetaka / Meela (Meela76@aol.com)
Chapter: Part 9/?
Date: Saturday, 16 September, 2000 - wow that was a while ago :)
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all it's components aren't mine. So, don't sue me. Strictly entertainment. Although, the other original characters and gundams & OZ's new mobile suits are mine.
Pairings: None for now.
Warnings: None
Notes: This is an AU with my Tiana who interacts with the G-boys. She's a unique character and so is her past. This part discussing everyone's preparations of the upcoming battle. Enjoy!
Feedback: Please!!! :)
Special Thanks: To Nokoru & Okami of Dreamscape Studios, Kwycksylver, Reiko and all who helped me beta and develop my writing skills! Love you bunches! Much thanks to Meqa for archiving me at SDDI. *grins* hehehe
"..." = speech
//...// = thoughts
~*...*~ = flashbacks
***...*** = visionary advice
*~*...*~* = computer voice
~~~...~~~ = visions
===========================
ShadowHawk's Rage - Part 9
===========================
3 weeks later...
Tiana crinkled her eyebrows into one, deep in concentration as she tip-tapped on her laptop. She sat in the safety of ShadowHawk's cockpit as she pulled up screens of Mobile Suits and cross-referenced them with the data she was entering. When she thought she was just about finished entering the data on the ShadowHawk's upgrades, two words douced that thought like a candle that was snuffed out: DATABASE ERROR. She gave an throaty groan and tapped her head against the smooth headrest behind her twice. "Damned thing." Tiana ground her teeth, she'd been working to upgrade ShadowHawk for hours. The battle was getting closer, her back was getting stiffer, and the computer was getting more difficult with each passing moment.
Tiana rebooted her laptop and started again with a fresh database. As she entered the data, her mind was steadily going over the tactics that she, Trowa and Quatre went over after the Squadron conference was over. //Hmm, all the Leo, Taurus, Aries and various mobile suits have been duly upgraded.// As her left screen blinked onto the Scorpio Mobile Suits, Tiana squinted at the screen and started chewing on her bottom lip. //They're like the old Virgos with those shields, fortunately for us it's controlled by Capricorn and not the suits themselves. Although, we need more firepower rather than laser if we're ever to get close to them. // Trowa's Gundam HeavyArms became the best example of utilizing heavy artillery along with evasive manuveurs. This is what all the mobile suits were given upgrades for - the firepower. //The only dark side of the Heavy Artillery strategy is that the suits would weigh heavier so newer evasive manuveurs are needed develop to balance the decrease in speed.//
She sighed as she hit SAVE on her laptop and shutdown the uplink. Moaning softly, she kneeded her tight neck muscles and leaned back against her seat. Her eyes fought against her will to stay open and drooped down to cover her crystal greens. Her mind started to drift into the land of dreams and her head nodded forward slightly. Her long hair fell over her shoulders and enveloped her heart-shaped face.
"Tia," Duo's voice gently invaded her dreams like a polite intruder, waking her conscience like a mother gently rousing her baby. He jumped down from Deathscythe, his boots gave a faint metallic clang as the catwalk absorbed his weight. He folded his arms and casually leaned against the railing, his easy posture not quite a match for the pensive - perhaps evern concerned? - look on his face as he realized she was asleep in the cockpit. "Tia, wake up, come on down, you look beat."
Tiana acknowledged Duo's luring to join the conscious world as she stretched and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and blinked twice as she looked down at Duo. //Concern? I thought I've never see concern from the God of Death.// Willing her body to stand and jump down from ShadowHawk, she lifted herself up and stretched once more. She tugged her hat further down until her green eyes were almost hidden between the shadows it provided. Gingerly she jumped down and joined Duo on the railing, gently brushing her elbow with his. "I am beat. I can't wait for this to be over already."
"I hear that," he said, cracking a warm smile that caused her to smile in return. "Are you ready for this, Tia?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. I try not to put much emotion to it. Less chance of panicking. Just succeed with the mission and pray for the best." She touched her locket and shook her head from the though of something going wrong.
Deathscythe Hell made a new residence in ShadowHawk's Lair for the past week while Duo had his Falcon Team going over drills on the other side of the colony with Tiana's Hawk group. The secret drills were done without firepower so that they wouldn't make as much sound in the early morning hours after lights out. Deathscythe's new upgrades made it slightly heavier but it was still the fastest of the Gundams. ShadowHawk was a close second.
"Hmmph, now you sound like Heero. Don't plan on killing yourself afterwards, ok? I have enough problems trying to keep Heero from self-destructing," Duo cracked a smile in despite of the heavy feeling he got. He scanned Tiana's face for anything else that was on her mind that she wasn't telling him. Before he could help himself, he pushed a loose lock of hair from her face then pulled his hand back as if the gesture scalded his hand like hot water. Nervously, he took that same hand and ran it through his bangs and looked away.
"Trying to sound concerned, Duo?" Tiana strained a laugh, despite the warm feeling she got from the gesture. Slightly blushing, she looked away as well and nervously touched her locket once more. "For lil ol' me? I'm touched. Wait, you're not planning on taking ShadowHawk as a backup Gundam if I blew up now would you?" Tiana grinned and poked Duo playfully in the gut.
"Oomph" he gasped as he quickly protected his ribs, "what's with it with you people always punching me or poking me? Am I that irresistible everyone has to get a piece of me?"
Tiana snickered and pinched his nose playfully as she turned to walk down the catwalk. "Delusions of grandeur will get you nowhere, Duo Maxwell. See you in the mess hell, ok?"
Duo gave a hearty laugh as he watched she walked almost gracefully down the catwalk. Her long locks caressing the fabric of her jacket mid-way down her back as if they were hands. He tipped his head over to the side and smiled again then looked up at Deathscythe. //Yeah yeah I know, Buddy. Not a chance in hell.//
* * * * * * * *
[Sahara Mess Hall]
Tiana picked at her plate while sitting with her sisters at the table. Picking up a chicken wing, she stood it up on the tip and spun it around over and over between her fingers, lost in thought. Since the battle was coming up, her appetite got less and less. Imani noticed and turned her almond-shaped eyes towards her big sister in concern.
"Tia, what's wrong. You've bearly touched your plate and it's your favorite meal!"
"Just got a lot on my mind," Tia shrugged and poked at the food in front of her in disinterest.
"Well, if you're not gonna eat it, then I'll take it" Duo grinned as he pulled his chair back before he sat down. He grabbed her chicken wing and grinned at her like a cheshire cat before he sat back and devoured the meat. Imani giggled and Leilani grinned and shook her head as she took another bite of her sandwich.
"You hog, " Leilani grinned at Duo, throwing a half-eaten chicken wing at him. Her pecan face distorted in fake grimace as light brown eyes give away her laughter, "get your own food, papi!"
"Here, Duo", Imani handed Duo her chicken wing and blushed a bright red as she smiled up at him. "start off with this until the line at the buffet dies down."
"Why, thank you, missy," Duo smiled and ruffled Imani's curly brown hair before he devoured the wing. "At least *somone* appreciates my appetite!"
Tiana couldn't help but laugh herself. It felt good to laugh again. With the weight of the upcoming battle not far away, it felt good to just be a kid for once. She smiled as she watched Duo interact with his sisters. //Just a kid. I'd love to be just a kid again.//
"Ay, Tia, como estas?" Leilani noticed her older sister's quietnesss. "You look so serious, no? What's the matter?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing, just thinking, cherie"
"Hmmph, that's what I'm afraid of, *hermana*!" Leilani cooed as she deepened her Spanish just to tease her sister. Tiana laughed and threw her chicken wing at Leilani as she blushed slightly. Imani grabbed Duo's hand and half-dragged him to the buffet when she saw the line die dwn. "Hey Tia, really, what's wrong? I mean, you look so serious all of the sudden."
"I just have a bad feeling, that's all. Can't shake it."
"I see, just don't get yourself killed, you hear me? I don't want to lose you too." For once, Leilani grabbed Tiana's hand and squeezed it. Her eyes turn very solemn and sad. "Just do what you do best and get back here soon."
Tiana sighed and kissed Leilani on her forehead. "I promise, LeeLee. I'll be back before you know it."
* * * * * * *
[Vega - Quatre's room]
Quatre was making Salah Magrib(Afternoon prayer) in his room before he met up with others for the day. He faced east and had his prayer rug underneath his bare feet. He sat down for the last position of prayer and meditated as he spoke to Allah. He sat on his knees, his soft hands cupped towards his face slightly above his knees. His soft aquamarine eyes closed, his golden hair fluttered about his face as he bent his head towards his hands. He whispered his prayers:
~Oh Allah, hear my prayer. Protect us from harm. Forgive us for the souls that we shall be returning into the Afterlife. Give us strength and protect us from fear. Keep us focused and to do what is pleasing in your sight so that we shall meet you in Paradise. Give us strength and courage as we wear our masks of warriors. Please find souls for the soldiers that have none. Forgive those who took their souls away and may the soldiers find their souls in the Afterlife. Give us success and grant us freedom. Free our darkened hearts and save our retched souls and purify us to where we can be simple human beings once again. These prayers I say in your glorious name. Amin.~
Quatre bent his head as he brought his hands to his face as if he was washing the prayer onto his face.[1] He sighed as he put his hands onto his knees and sat a moment longer before he got up. He could feel the battle drawing nearer. News on the peace conference coming up next week brought shivers up his spine. He had faith that they would succeed but he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Someone was going to be badly injured. He walked across his room and closed the door behind him.
* * * * * * * *
[Sigma 5 - Ocean front]
Wufei sat on the shore of Epsilon Ocean in deep meditation. Altron was hidden within the forest behind him and he sat Indian-style on the soft sand as he concentrated on clearing his mind. He listened as the waves crash against the rocks to his right. Soft cries of the seagulls overhead accented the serene scene before him. As if soaking in the very energy around him, Wufei breathed in the salty air and exhaled deeply. As his mind cleared, he could feel his heart beating slowly, the blood coursed through his body warming him up. He felt light-headed yet very aware of his surroundings. His skin tingled and his shoulder-length unbound onyx hair blew in the wind. He nodded his head forward and felt his body surge with pure energy. Finally, he looked up and stared into the horizon before him. Swirls of lavender, orange, yellow and red blended carelessly in the sky as the sun slowly pirouetted on the horizon. As the wind flowed through his hair, Wufei closed his eyes and thought to himself. //Nataku, it's time.//
* * * * * * * *
[Earth - former Zaire]
Heero finally powered down his laptop after sending his information to Quatre on the upgrades for the Condor Squadron. He hated having to be the leader of a squadron. Crowds made him nervous. The fact that the people of the Condor squadron were assigned to him rather than him finding the pilots made things a little harder to take. Not like he knew a lot of people anyway. But he was stuck with them whether he liked it or not. Though he must admit they had the skills. They had something to fight for. He blinked his now-tired cobalt blue eyes. They were running these practices for 2 hours now. He ran an aggravated hand through his unruly hair and stared at his monitors and see his team running manuveurs. He had been teaching them the art of Old World style dogfighting techniques so they can move around the Scorpios. They were having some troubles with the concept.
"Condor 5 watch your back. Condor 6, never leave your wingman. We're a team and you need to depend on each other for this to succeed. Never leave your assigned wingmen. Condor team, check your heat sensors because they may have jam thrusters to where they don't show up on radar like you do."
"Ryuokai!"
Heero sighed again as he leaned back into his cockpit. He let the practice run go for another half an hour before he dismissed them. He rubbed his temples roughly and got up from the cockpit. He climbed out of Wing Zero and noticed that the moon was out and the sky had dropped its midnight veil with sapphires that twinkled. He simply glared at the moon. He had heard that the supposed peace talks will be starting soon. The thought of facing the Scorpions unnerved him. His eye twiched again before he turned to go back into the barracks. //Never will I be like those pilots again...//
* * * * * * * * *
Trowa sat down at his usual quiet spot at the campfire. It had become more and more harder for him to sneak out at night to go practice with his Raven team. They were ready, just tired. He merely stared at the fire and sipped on his java, deep in thought. He had went over the tactics over and over until his head had been begun to hurt from it. He glanced away from the fire to look at his team relaxing in the distance. Most of them never been in true combat before. //They'll soon learn the true essence of battle. They'll soon understand the meaning of this feat.// He shook his head and got up. He licked his dry lips and looked up at the moon. He cocked his head to the side and realized that he never had the chance to look at the moon in a long time. Never had the time to. //Will this be my last view of the moon and its light? Or shall I see it again?// He turned away and started walking back to the circus camp.
* * * * * * * *
Ananda kissed Rashid's forehead before she retired to her quarters. //I love you, Father.// She opened the door and leaned against it as she had shut it behind her. She bowed her head, slid down to the floor and hugged her knees. The past months had finally caught up with her. All the practicing and code-breaking sessions with Master Quatre left her mentally drained. She had managed to crack into 5 more dummy databases and found a back-door command to possibly crack the last 2 real databases.
She tilted her head to touch her knees and sighed deepily. She was ready for this war to be over. Then things could be normal again. And she could get a chance to get to know her twin. //Funny, I have a twin.// She pondered the fact she was no longer alone - she had a sister who seemed a lot like her. She should be upset for the deception but she wasn't. She understood completely. She bit her lip as she tried to remember what Tiana looked like. Their faces were similar except Ananda had a deep scar running across her left cheek from an old battle. Their hair was definitely different but that was basically where the physical differences ended. She could almost feel her sister's presence surround her. It was very familiar as if she had known it in her heart for all these years. It gave her comfort for the brief moment that she felt it. //What is she really like when she's not in battle? Is she funny? Does she have friends? Could we truly get along?//
She looked up and saw the moon out her window. She smiled at its beauty. It hung low in the sky. Almost yellowish in its luminescence. Her spirit animal was the black wolf so she always had the likeness to the moon. //I wonder if Tiana looks at the moon like I do? Is she a dreamer like me?// She lifted a hand to pull her hair back and got up. She shrugged out of her black Eagle combat outfit and put on a big T-shirt for bed. She walked silently to her bed and sat down on it and felt the firmness of the mattress push up against her as she laid down on her back. She pulled the quilt up to her chin and crossed her slender arms across her chest. She stared up at the ceiling and had a disturbing thought. //Will we even get to know each other? What if one of us doesn't make it?// No, she had to have faith. She had to. With that thought concluded, she turned over and went to sleep.
End of Part 9
[1] Ok, I'm Muslim so I feel the need to explain the prayer that Quatre's doing. As Muslims, we pray 5 times a day. Morning, Afternoon, Dusk, Evening and Night. Quatre was doing the afternoon prayer. Each prayer has a certain number of rakahs (cycles). Magrib has the most: 4 rakahs. Surahs are the actual prayers from the Holy Qu'ran that you would recite in making Salah (prayer). Anyways, Salah has different positions: standing, bowing and finally sitting. He is sitting on his prayer rug on his knees with his hands cupped upwards as if he's holding water in his hands. You whisper your personal prayer to Allah in said hands and in turn wash the prayer against you to cleanse you. That was what he was doing. Just so you know the significance of that part.
Still with me here? :)
Meela
