Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Gundam Wing, Endless Waltz, Outlaw Star, or any songs that are used in this story. All copyrights belong to their respective owners.
Readers Note: This contains some spoilers for Outlaw Star, so if you haven't seen the whole series I wouldn't recommend reading this.
Gundam Wing
&
Outlaw Star
Gundam Outlaw
Chapter 6: Ship vs. Suit
Q
The battlefield was set, the Preventers had the Wing Zero, the DeathScythe, The Heavyarms, the Sandrock, the Nataku, the Ryu, the Nemesis, the Clockwork, the Tallgeese III, and the Outlaw Star. Back on the Preventer Ship Tabris, the Maganacs and the Desbats sat in waiting. Rashim as well as Kazuki stood on the bridge of the Tabris watching their comrades' head out into the battlefield.
Kazuki thought to him, "Reminds me of the old days when I and my friends were pirates. Perhaps I've been in this business too long."
Lady Une interrupted this train of thought; "You two should head to your mobile suits."
Kazuki and Rashim saluted and headed out the door and headed to Mobile Suit bay 2. This is where they would be deployed if they would be needed. The two entered the second mobile suit bay and looked at the enormous place. Along one side of the bay were the Desbats mobile suits while one the other side were the Maganac mobile suits.
Kazuki headed to his Waterproof when Slayzer came up to him. Kazuki looked at Slayzer out of his one good eye to look at his shoulder length brown hair and deep blue eyes.
"You look concerned, Kazuki." Slayzer stated
"I was just in thought." Kazuki shrugged
"About what?"
"I've been thinking about leaving Preventer."
Slayzer's expression became serious, "Why?" He asked earnestly
Kazuki sat at the feet of his Gundam, "I've been watching the Gundams in action for a while now. I realize the power that they all possess. I think that I'd just be in the way, plus I'm a Peacecraft remember? I'm not supposed to be a pilot."
Slayzer crouched down to Kazuki's level, "But your relatives are mobile suit pilots and they're fighting too."
"They only fight because they desire to, plus I did a headcount of how many suits we have and it's just about the size of a small army. I think that the Gundams should be enough, I'd just be in the way."
Slayzer sat down next to Kazuki at the feet of the Gundam Waterproof with the battle going on outside in space.
"You know what you have to do if you leave Preventer." Slayzer pointed out.
Kazuki reluctantly nodded, "In this time of peace, we have to discard weapons. So if I leave I have to destroy my suit. I'm hesitant to destroy Waterproof but what other choice do I have other than stay here and just be a burden."
"But, sir." Slayzer pleaded, "you're our leader, Kazuki Peacecraft, the leader of the Desbats. If you leave, then I'm going with you and I'm sure that applies to my sister Laramee and Valos. We'll follow you anywhere, sir."
Kazuki laid his hand on Slayzer's shoulder, "You've always been loyal to me, Slayzer. But remember you're an individual now, whatever you choose is your choice."
Slayzer hung his head, "I understand, sir."
Q
Meanwhile, out in space, The Outlaw Star had engaged in combat with the Ki. All of them were so tied up in the battle that they didn't know what was going on with the Gundams against that mobile suit. It was a good thing that they didn't know because the Violator was dodging all of the attacks.
The Heavyarms brought up both Twin Vulcan cannons and fired as much ammunition as he could at the target. As the bullets showered out into space, the Violator was their one-minute and then vanished. Then the Heavyarms as well as the Clockwork tried missiles on it, but that didn't work. As soon as the missiles were closing in on the target, the red shield plats came into position and began to shine blue. The missiles impacted the shield and exploded, as soon as the smoke cleared the suit and the shields had no damage. There wasn't even the single hint of a single scratch on the paint.
Inside the suit, Hotana wasn't even piloting the suit. He sat in the pilots' seat with his hands in a prayer form and chanting.
"Pacoa Sumfa." He chanted, "Pacoa Sumfa. Pacoa Sumfa. Pacoa Sumfa."
As he continued to chant the suit continued to evade more of the Gundam attacks. The next onslaught came from the Wing Zero and the Sandrock. The Sandrock tried to slice at the Violator but the blades came into contact with nothing. The suit was simply too slow to catch up with the enemy. It frustrated Quatre to try this hard to fight it and yet it was dodging him as if it were as easy as skipping stones.
Next the Wing Zero tried using it's buster rifle against the suit. Heero brought the rifle forward and aimed at the Violator. He watched as the target light stayed green until it was right on target, it turned red and beeped loudly. He pulled the trigger, the particles gathered at the barrel of the Buster Rifle and then it discharged like a Roman candle. Still, even the beam from the buster rifle was too slow for the Violator.
It evaded the attack and came up to the Wing Zero with it's gun out and ready to fire. It's end shinned yellow as Heero starred down it's barrel, he grabbed the controls and drew out his beam saber. He went for the powerhouse on the suits shoulder. He rammed in the saber into it while it was still working. It caused the powerhouse to chain react within itself and exploded leaving the suit with one arm.
This reaction angered Hotana; he brought up the left arm of the Violator against the Wing Zero. It's heat rod whipped out of the shield burning with its own internal fire. The heat rod was powerful enough to slice through the Wing Zero. It made an upward swing, it sliced through the right Gundanium feathered wing as well as the right arm. It had become an eye for an eye, except Hotana wanted an extra sweetener to his revenge against this Gundam.
Heero didn't know how to feel about this, now only had he lost the right wing and the right arm but he had lost the beam saber. Heero reached for the caster feeling it's weight in his hands while he watched the next planned move made by Preventer.
The Gundam Nemesis came up behind the Violator and held it tightly. The Violator tried desperately to get free, but it was no use. The Nemesis had its heat rod wrapped around its legs like a lasso.
Haruka called to Heero, "Heero, do it now!"
Heero opened the door of the Wing Zero with the caster in his hand. He aimed the odd gun at the Violator as it tried to spread its Tao shield. The shield came up shinning blue but also sparking from the foreign object on the Violators back. Heero pulled the trigger expecting something to happen instantly like a normal gun but he watched as two rings began to glow yellow and spin in opposite directions and the blast came out. The blast fired out of the caster and right at the Tao shield. The blast engulfed the shield and it disintegrated leaving the shield plates useless. They began to float like dead fish in a pond, now the Violator was defenseless and powerless.
Haruka was the one to say the line, "Kei Pirate Hotana, you are in violation of the World Nation and Space Colony code that no personnel other than Preventer officers are allowed mobile suits for military purposes. You are also found guilty of conspiring to commit murder. You have the right to surrender."
"Never!" Hotana screamed from within the mobile suit, "I won't be beaten! Pacoa Sumfa! Pacoa Sumfa! Pacoa Sumfa!"
"Heero!" Haruka called, "Use another caster shell!"
Heero was already on the task; he opened up the caster to find that the shell he had fired was gone. Where had that shell he loaded gone? He fired it but normally when a gun is fired the shell is left over. Though that didn't take over his mind, all he could concentrate on was loading another caster. He looked into the gun belt and pulled out whatever caster shell he could grab onto. He didn't notice that the shell that he grabbed onto was a number 9 shell. Still his logic wasn't in motion in the heat of battle. He loaded the shell and pulled the trigger.
Along the casters shaft the rings that spun yellow were now spinning in opposite directions with the color purple. The gun itself began to shake as if somewhere within it there was a motor making it shake and wobble like a rumble pack for a video game. Heero brought up his other hand to keep it steady and from the casters nozzle came a black sphere that sparked purple as it headed to the Violator.
Heero watched as the sphere blended itself into the background of space only giving away its position by blocking out the light of the stars. The sphere landed right on the door of the cockpit and in one burst of action and energy the parts, paint and all other miscellaneous items that used to be the Violator flew apart like an exploding modeling kit. All that was left of the Violator was the half-scrapped cockpit that sat floating in space with the Gundam Nemesis still in tact behind it.
Sitting in this torn up version of the cockpit was Hotana who sat dumbfounded, he couldn't' believe that someone in this universe would have a caster. Then after all of this had happened he felt tired and fell unconscious into endless black.
That wasn't the end of it. They'll drain your life away, Gene had warned Heero, and now it was time to pay the price. Heero saw purple sparks come from the same position that the sphere had landed. They reached for him and he felt like someone was sucking every ounce of power that his body was producing like a juice pack.
"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Heero screamed as the caster catalyst was taken from Heero Yuy.
He sat back in the Wing Zero's cockpit grabbing his chest through his space suit. He breathed in the artificial air heavily. It almost sounded as if he was having a heart attack, and his head was feeling very dizzy like coming off of a face paced roller coaster.
"The damn thing was supposed to drain my life away huh?" Heero asked, "I should have checked which shell I was using."
Q
On the other side of the battlefield, the Outlaw Star was having a hell of a time trying to beat the Ki. It was like watching a boxing match in space, both ships circled around each other throwing fists from their grappler arms at one another's hulls. This was the distraction; they didn't want to destroy the ship because Gene had a feeling that this ship was the key to getting back home. As he vigorously piloted the Outlaw Star he thought about when he watched the Ki slip into the gate. He noticed that the ship was needed to do it. The ship needed to be in tact, so a plan had to be devised in order to secure the ship.
"Jim!" Gene shouted
"What?" Jim asked holding onto his seat making sure that he didn't fly out of it like a crash dummy. He did this even though the seatbelt was holding him in.
"Can you sabotage the computer to disable it?"
"I don't think I can." Jim stated still bracing his body into his seat, "We need to launch the anchors into the Ki, and even if we did that he'd pull away from us!"
"Shit!" Gene cursed as he kept pulling and tugging the controls to avoid the Ki's onslaughts, "Let's hope the Preventers can figure out something."
Q
"You're finished, Hotana." Johan said sitting in the cockpit of his Gundam Ryu.
"I think not." Hotana smiled as he reached for something in the pocket of his space suit. He pulled out a small pad that looked something similar to a palm pilot. On the little LCD screen of this palm pilot looking controller there was a message that read, PLEASE CONFIRM SEQUENCE. Hotana pressed the screen with his space-gloved hand like a man trying to dial a cell phone with ski gloves on. Yet, the command was given and Hotana was laughing at his own actions. He let go of the controller as he sat back in his half-scrapped cockpit that used to be the Gundam Violator. The controller floated off into space as the screen displayed numbers counting down from 30.
Heero's keen eye caught a glimpse of the controller and his instincts told him to act quickly. In his woozy state from firing the caster shell he climbed back into the cockpit to make a call to the Outlaw Star.
His eye caught the numbers on the pad.
25…
He pressed the call button and made the warning, "Outlaw Star! Outlaw Star, come in!"
The response was less than quick, "I'm a little busy, Heero." Gene stated
Heero ignored this and had to tell, "Gene, get out of there! The Ki is about to self-destruct!"
20…
On the Outlaw Star the message was heard by the whole crew, all of them knew that if they were this close to the Ki they could be killed along with it. Gene on the other hand had to face a grim reality that if the Ki were to be blown up then there would be no chance of getting home. Still he felt that his life as well as the life of his crew outweighed the possibility of ever getting home. He decided to use all the weapons he had.
"Jim!" Gene called, "Fire all missiles at the Ki."
"Got it." Jim complied as he pushed the firing button several times sending all the cache of missile that the Outlaw Star had right at the Ki. They were close enough to watch the missiles impact the hull and when the missiles came within visual range, Gene pulled hard back on the controls throwing the Outlaw Star into full reverse. He wanted to get as far away as possible. With only a few milliseconds before impact Gene could only get a few hundred yards away before the missiles detonated.
The Ki exploded with an enormous burst of light and energy from whatever kinds of missiles and other explosives that were in its hull. They watched as the ship of the enemy went down in flames like a sinking ship but also watched the only ticket the Outlaw Six ever had of getting home. Watching each part combust, flame and then be extinguished by the vacuum of space was like watching a house burn down to ashes on the ground. A truly heart wrenching experience to watch even for the Outlaw Six.
"How we will get home now?" Gene asked aloud
While in the middle of the Gundams, Hotana was still laughing maniacally from the action he took. He knew too that the ship was the only way home and he had just destroyed it. Thus trapping himself and the Outlaws here with him. It was so farcically sad that he couldn't help but laugh about it all through the intercoms of the Gundam cockpits and the Outlaw Star Bridge.
Q
Back on the Preventer Ship Tabris, the situation was assessed. The Ki was destroyed from a self-destruct sequence from Hotana, who is held in Tabris' brig. However to make sure that Hotana wouldn't try any Tao magic on anyone, Gene was given guard duty with the caster gun and the shells he had on hand. The idea was that if Hotana would try anything funny he would use the caster against him.
The debriefing was made to both the Preventer officers and the Outlaw Six. The feeling among all of those who were in that room was grim and nearly hopeless.
"Looks like we're stuck here." Jim sulked, "There goes our 1 billion Wong bounty we went for. Gene was right, big bounties are always a problem, but I never expected this."
"Cheer up." Quatre smiled, "This place isn't that bad, if you stay here, you'll get used to it."
"But we don't belong here." Jim moaned, "Our place is back in the Toward Star World, even now I miss being back on Sentinel 3 and always worrying about our money situation."
"Not only that," Asia pointed out, "But also how's a Ctarl-Ctarl supposed to make it in a universe like this? The people here have never even seen a proud Ctarl-Ctarl before. How am I supposed to live with that?"
"Would you rather have died when that ship blew up?" Heero coldly asked. The statement was cold hearted yet it was true. Which would have been better? To have been killed by a ship that was about to self-destruct or try to live in an unfamiliar place?
"Heero does have a point." Johan agreed, "It is a perplexing situation to deal with, however I don't buy the fact that you are stuck here."
The Outlaw Six looked over to Johan with questioning faces, "What do you mean?" Sazuka asked.
"We experienced a similar problem like this a month or so ago." Johan told, "The persons who visited us had lost their method of getting back home. Then suddenly without any expectations the tear reappeared and they went home. So my guess is we just have to keep our eyes open and the tear will present itself."
There was hope hidden in the face of Sazuka like a snake under a rock. Yet the hope was very well presented on the joyous looks of Asia and Melphina. Except Jim still looked questioning at Johan.
"You said you've experienced this before." He restated, "You mean you've had other visitors to this universe?"
"Yes." Johan answered, "I think about four times, your group being the fourth."
Jim cupped his chin; "It almost sounds like there's a wormhole in this universe. One end here and the other choosing alternate time lines and alternate worlds at random."
Trowa shook his head, "I'm not so sure if it's random." He said, "It almost seems like there's a higher power controlling it, perhaps God or fate. Who knows."
Jim shrugged, "At least there's some hope in all this."
Quatre stood and made his suggestion, "In the meantime you can stay and enjoy all that we have to offer you."
"Thank you, Quatre." Jim smiled
Q
Down in the brig, Gene Starwind stood with the caster in his hand and looking at Hotana chained up like a beast in a cage behind bars. That was all he could do ever since Gene took over as a guard for this despicable creature. Finally, after a few minutes the laughing got to Gene, he had to know.
"What the hell's so funny, buddy?" He asked pointing the caster at him
"You're trapped here Outlaw." Hotana laughed, "The Ki brought us here and now it's gone, your stuck here with me."
Gene knew that Hotana was right and his laughing made Gene's anger grow even more. It was like being the kid whose picked on a playground. It feels infuriating as well as feeling hopeless. Gene wanted nothing more than to just aim the caster at Hotana and pull the trigger, but he couldn't. Even though the situation looked grim, Gene remembered how his own good luck brought him out of the most dire of situations. All he had to do was be patient.
Gene kept looking at the maniacally laughing Hotana hating him even more with each passing moment.
Beep! Beep!
A call was coming in for Gene on his personal COM device. The Com device was actually the dot of an earring on his left ear lobe. He answered the call.
"Yeah?" He answered
As if listening through a phone Gene heard Jim's voice.
"Hey, Gene!" He called, he sounded as giddy as a school boy not knowing what to do with his hands.
"What is it, Jim?" He asked
"We found the tear! We found it! We found it!"
The news sent shivers and chills all through Gene's body. He knew that he could go home, he felt as if he had been in this place for a very long time.
"At least." He thought, "I can pay off my debts, watch out Fred Lowe, here comes Lucky Star Gene, and he's got money!"
Q
The Preventer Ship Tabris sat at the foot of the tear waiting to drop off its passengers. Inside there was a small farewell for the Outlaw Six. Meanwhile, the Outlaw Star was ready to go, with Hotana under sedation and fast asleep. All of them stood within the mobile suit bay, the Outlaw Six in a single file line with the officers of Preventer on the other side in the same single file fashion.
At least until Quatre came forward with a special gift in his arms. He was hauling an enormous steel box that was the size of a tower computer case. The case was so heavy for Quatre that Asia came over to him and helped him carry it. The two brought the box to the feet of the Outlaw Six.
"What's in the box?" Gene asked
"This is your reward for helping us capture this pirate of yours." Quatre explained as he reached for the lid. He opened it and in the box the Outlaw Six gazed at gold bars. They gazed with money hungry eyes into the box as the bars cast their yellow highlight across their faces.
"How much is this worth?" Gene asked
Jim quickly pulled out his computer and looked at the gold estimating their weight, mass and value. He pushed the enter key to find out the total value. But the value that came up on his screen was so big that he calculated the value again. It was the same, he turned his head towards Gene with eyes that looked like they wanted to cry with joy.
"5…" He paused to tell the amount, "5 million… Wong."
Gene smiled, "With this gold we can pay off Fred. With this 1 billion dollar bounty that means we each get 20 million Wong each."
Jim looked to the officer of Preventer and he wanted to hug each of them for their enormous generosity.
"How can we thank all of you?" He asked
Johan stepped forward, "Our reward is that another flame has been stomped out before it became a fire."
"Damn." Johan thought in silence, "That was probably the corniest thing I've ever heard."
Gene looked at the Gundam pilots to see all those faces that reminded him of his lost youth. Ever since he was 14 he had to survive on his own, never relying on anyone. The faces of the Gundams showed him that he wasn't the only one that had lost something in his past.
He reached down to his gun belt and pulled out two of the remaining caster shells. He looked at them thinking of how he used these and his caster gun against pirates. Suddenly, he felt as though the fight was over. He tossed one caster shell to Johan and then the other to Heero. Thanks to the low gravity, the shells floated ever so slowly to Johan and Heero.
The two Gundam pilots caught the shells looking at their designs and patterns on the golden case.
"What are you giving them to us for?" Johan asked
Gene smiled, "Keep them as a souvenir, I don't need them anymore."
Johan slipped the shell into his pocket, "Thank you." He said, "May your days be long and happy."
Heero smiled holding the caster shell in his palm.
Trowa and Wufei waved
Duo and Alexandria gave thumbs up to the Outlaw Six.
"Take care of yourselves." Quatre wished
Gene nodded, "Thank you all for your hospitality."
Jim winked, "It's been fun here."
Asia raised her fist, "May you all have the strength of the Ctarl-Ctarl."
Sazuka bowed her head to the officers of Preventer.
"It was wonderful being here." Melphina smiled
Asia took the steel box of gold and held it over her head, while Gene turned to his crew, "Let's go home." He said.
Q
From behind a protective barrier of glass the officers of Preventer watched the red grappler ship called the Outlaw Star fire up their engines like something out of the Batman series. Slowly it made its way out of the mobile suit bay like a great tortoise. It became smaller and smaller until the Outlaw Star was within the tear. After a few minutes of watching the Outlaw Star leave it was enveloped by the tear and the Outlaw Star vanished.
Meanwhile onboard the Outlaw Star, Gene was overjoyed that was shown by the cat-like smile on his face. He was home, the tear was closed, Hotana's gate was destroyed after they came through the tear. Not only that but Gene was sitting on a really big bounty.
"Jim." He called laughing in between each phrase, "Make a call to the Space Forces, tell them we have Hotana and lets call up Fred Lowe and tell him we can pay him."
Jim made the call and the Space Forces reluctantly paid the Outlaw Six the 1 billion Wong bounty that was promised. Though when the Space Forces didn't want to pay up, Gene simply threatened that he'd let Hotana go unless he was paid. The space Forces had no choice, they had to pay and thus Hotana was turned in.
Fred Lowe on the other hand was in a bit of disbelief to find Gene and Jim returned safely. Though he wanted to know what is to be done about Gene's extensive bill.
At the time that the question was asked, Asia brought in the steel box and flung it onto Fred's desk to show him the gold.
Fred's accountants told him that the gold actually came to 6 million Wong, but Gene decided to give that 1 million to Fred as a savings for when he might need parts.
Then again with the money they raked in, they wont' be worrying about debt for a very, very long time.
If they didn't live happily ever after, at least they didn't have to worry about money anymore.
Q
Back in the Gundam Universe, Lady Une sat at her desk working on the reports of what has happened in the last few days. She had come to the part about the last battle between the Pirate Hotana and Preventer, when a knock came at the door. She looked up at the door and wondered who it was.
"Come in." She said
The door opened, in walked Miliardo Peacecraft and Kazuki Peacecraft, brothers standing side by side. Lady Une brought her hands together and laid them on her desk.
"Miliardo." She said, "Kazuki, what can I do for you?" She asked
Both Kazuki and Miliardo stood at attention.
"Lady Une." Kazuki stated very clearly, "I Kazuki Peacecraft code name: Preventer Shark, request a resignation as a mobile suit pilot and a transfer to the Mars colonization project. The same request has come in from the Desbats."
Miliardo made his statement, "I, Miliardo Peacecraft. Code name: Preventer Wind, request the same resignation and transfer."
Lady Une took in a deep breath and slid back into her hair. She looked at the brothers and saw the genuineness in their eyes. She knew that they had been Gundam pilots long enough. Not only that but the Mars project was short on manpower and these men are the kind they could use.
Lady Une stood up straight and tall, "Very well" she said, "I will make the formal resignation and transfer official. Both of you know what to do with your mobile suits."
"Yes, Ma'am." Kazuki and Miliardo said in unison.
"You're free to leave as soon as you're able." She smiled and saluted, "Good luck to you both."
Kazuki and Miliardo saluted and left the room quietly leaving Lady Une to deal with the paper work of this latest event. She knew that Miliardo wanted to be with Noin but she felt that Kazuki simply wanted to be in a different line of work.
"Let them be happy with the path they chose." Lady Une wished as she continued her work.
End . . .?
Author's Notes: I've liked happy endings such as this, where all the problems are solved, but I do know that not all problems can be solved with money. Someone once said to me, "Money may not be first, but it ain't second or third, baby!" However with the resignation of Kazuki and Miliardo Peacecraft I figured that I should do that because in the original story Miliardo was already on his way to the Mars Project, so I figured that Kazuki should join him. As for Kazuki's reasons to leave Preventer, he already made them clear.
Come back soon for more stories that I may create in the future.