I don't own Gundam Wing or Escaflowne. These are my interpretations of their characters. I don't want to make any money. Etc........
One chapter after this one and I think the final battle will start. *chews fingernails*
~Crazy Tom~
Lady Une walked into the Private Mess Hall which was reserved for the five leaders of the Baslam-Dragon coalition. Inside, Lord Heero, Wufei, and Duo looked up from their various positions at the large table which was the focal point of the room. Though she was sure she had interrupted some sort of private conference, the Baslam Colonel did not allow her expression to change as she walked steadily over to the counter on which food had been prepared. Staring straight ahead, she listened as the quiet which had fallen over the room dissolved as Wufei continued speaking.
"Asturia is the biggest threat. It has a history of having a unifying affect on the surrounding nations. It is there that they will mass together in an attempt to stand against you, my lord."
"If we are going to strike at Asturia, we need to do it soon," Duo advised as Une pored herself a glass of tea, "The more time we wait, the more troops will have gathered there. Our other options are to strike at the weaker nations in an attempt to force their commanders to withdrawal back their individual countries to defend them. Unfortunately, that latter possibility will take considerably more time."
As Lady Une sat down at the table and quietly sipped her tea, Heero made his decision, "Very well. Wufei, I want you to alert the men. Tell them that we will be marching on Asturia in three days. Make certain that they are ready at that time."
"Yes, my lord," Wufei agreed.
"Duo," the High Lord continued, "You and Wufei will lead our soldiers into battle. Unlike last time, however, I will be fighting alongside you."
Une perked up. The mighty Heero would be joining his soldiers in the battlefield? Evidently Duo was surprised as well, for he gasped and exclaimed, "Does that mean you will be using Wing Zero?"
"That is correct, Duo," Heero agreed, "I think it is time for our most powerful Guymelef to be put to use."
"What is this?" the Baslam Colonel thought, "a powerful Guymelef that inspires awe in the leaders the Dragon Clan. I must alert his Excellency."
"Are you sure that is a good idea, Heero?" Duo asked causing an outburst from his equal ranking officer.
"Who are you to question the High Lord?" Wufei snapped angrily.
Heero reached up a hand and rested it on Wufei's shoulder, having an instant calming effect on the zealous soldier. He proceeded to answer Maxwell's question quietly, "You needn't worry about me, Emperor Maxwell. I am a soldier as well as a leader. I am fully capable of defending myself."
"And what of the suit's mental influence upon the pilot? We still do not know the full extent of its capabilities and dangers, my lord." Wufei asked, keeping his tone ever respectful.
"I am confident in my ability to maintain control, despite the mind altering affects of the Zero system. It was, after all, created as a weapon by our ancestors. As a pure blooded Draconian I have inherited the ability to master the suit," Heero explained, "The Black Dragon will fight, as will I."
"Then I will fight alongside you," Duo asserted.
"Very well," Heero said gravely, raising a hand to stop any outbursts from his other key subordinate, "If that is your wish. Wufei, you do not have to feel obligated to follow Duo's example."
"Thank you, my lord," Wufei bowed, "I will hunt down your foes independent from the rest of your forces."
"I understand," Heero agreed. By now, Une had finished her tea and no longer had an excuse to be in the room. Standing, she set her cup quietly on the countertop and was half way to the door when the High Lord's cold voice caused her to freeze, "I noticed that fifty of my Guymelefs were absent from the rest of our forces over the last two days. Tell me, where did they go?"
"He doesn't miss a thing," Une thought angrily, "Out of twenty thousand soldiers he notices when fifty are missing." Out loud she spoke in her usual composed tone, "All fifty of them were part of Baslam's forces and they were following Lord Treize's orders."
"And what orders would those be?" Heero asked, his tone managing to be both dangerously cold and curious.
From the door, the Duke of Baslam's calm voice floated into the room, "I believe I can answer that."
"Lord Treize," Une whispered, wondering how she had failed to notice his Excellency's appearance in the doorway. Wufei folded his arms with an expectant expression on his face while Heero remained perfectly rigid.
"I was keeping a promise I made to a friend a long time ago," Treize explained, "I apologize if I inconvenienced you in any way. I didn't know you'd be needing those fifty."
For a moment the two young men simply stared into each others eyes. Finally, Heero spoke, "I noticed that you pulled back our troops from the Sanc Kingdom after we'd conquered it."
Treize responded, "The Sanc Kingdom is a peaceful nation. They will offer no resistance to us. The men I chose to position there will suffice."
For a long time there was silence as Heero and Treize continued to evaluate each other. After over half a minute had gone by, Treize continued, "If you will excuse me now, your lordship, I have business to take care of."
The two leaders of Baslam were almost out the door when Heero's cold voice once again broke the silence. "You are treading in dangerous waters, Mr. Treize," Heero warned, "I would suggest you consider your future actions more carefully."
Treize turned his head towards the other dictator and smiled slightly, "I will take that into consideration, Lord Heero."
As Une left the room and the door shut she could hear Heero add quietly, "Much more." The veiled threat was not lost on the Colonel and for a moment, she wondered what his Excellency had gotten them into. However, one other thought remained dominant as she relayed everything she'd heard to her duke. Three days. In three days they'd attack Asturia. Somehow Lady Une knew that everything would be decided there.
The pounding of the horse's hooves seemed to mirror the thumping of Allen's own heart as he road swiftly through the city. The Crusade had just been sighted flying towards the port in Palas, the capital city of Asturia. Now he raced towards the hero of the Gaea war and the brightest hope in their current dilemma. "Van," Allen thought, "We always fought well together before, despite our mistakes. I hope that you will bring good fortune upon us. If we intend to keep our newly won peace, we must prevail. Together maybe we can defeat what either one could not alone."
Behind him, he could hear Noin following him stride for stride. He knew that she was thinking about Zechs even now. After that one moment of grief in Dryden's meeting room, she had pushed aside her personal feelings and put everything towards the upcoming battle. Lucrezia was obviously trying to focus all her attention on her work so that she wouldn't have to think about that pitiful spy's cruel words. It would work for the moment but sooner or later she would have to face the possibility that the creature had been telling the truth.
It was something he himself was dreading. He and Zechs had been more than just associates; they had been friends. To face up to the feasibility that his friend was not that, and was instead a traitor and a mole for their enemy. It was a difficult task and one that affected him more than he led others to believe. The only decision he had made was that he wouldn't make one. Until Zechs had proven himself deserving of the spy's claims, Allen would not make him an enemy. If, however, the declarations were justified, he had come to the conclusion that he was prepared to fight and kill the other man should the need arise. Either way, the knight of Caeli was certain that it would be decided during the upcoming battle. Zechs would make an appearance there, as friend or as foe.
The docks were in sight now and Allen slowed his horse to a trot as his eyes quickly scanned for the familiar shape and crew of the Levi ship. It didn't take very long to spot the group of people which were waving at him. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Allen felt a smile creep onto his face. He had, after all, been leader of the rugged crew until very recently when his duty had taken up too much of his time. As he drew closer, Gaddess and his men began to cheer, causing Allen's cheeks to redden ever so slightly.
"I am assuming that's them," he heard Noin say dryly from behind him. As Allen pulled his horse to a halt, he realized that Hitomi was among the group of men. For a moment Allen froze, expecting to feel the old emotions sweep over him. But to his surprise the passion which he had both expected and dreaded failed to wash over him. What he felt was compassion and warmth, yes, but more like that of an elder brother or old friend. Maybe it was spending so much time taking care of Serena and helping her readjust. After all, his younger sister and the girl from Gaea were almost the same age. After a year of acting as a guardian for Serena he was used to being a parental figure.
The more he thought about it, the more Allen wasn't surprised that his feelings had changed in nature. For a moment he felt almost disappointed that the old fire had faded. However, it was probably better this way. Allen realized he had been sitting on his horse for several seconds staring at Hitomi and quickly dismounted. As he walked over to greet his old friends, he saw that Van's eyes seemed angry and his expression somewhat distrustful. "Of course," Allen thought, "He is worried about competition. Though it seemed like so long ago, Allen and Hitomi had been something of an item the last time they had been together. It wasn't surprising that Van was a little bit on guard."
"Sir Allen," Van greeted him, surprising the older knight by using his title.
"Please, no need for titles among old friends," the normally diplomatic Asturian protested.
"Allen," Hitomi moved to stand directly across from him. Allen bowed respectfully but decided against kissing her hand. It would only serve to confuse his feeling and further provoke Van. In some ways the boy had matured, but he remained a sixteen-year-old, never-the-less.
"Hitomi. I am so happy to see you again. I am sorry you had to visit us in such turbulent times," Allen spoke apologetically, the meaning behind his words genuine.
"It isn't your fault," Hitomi excused, shaking her head earnestly. From behind him, Noin cleared her throat.
"Where are my manners? King Van, Hitomi, this is my most trusted associate: Lady Noin. Miss Noin, this is King Van of Fanelia, Hitomi who is visiting us all the way from the Mystic Moon, and the crew of the Crusade." Suddenly Allen realized that there were two more figures among the group. He hadn't noticed them because one was fairly tall but seemed to blend in and hadn't said a word and the other was smaller and seemed to be dwarfed among the larger men of the crew.
Taking up his pause, Van finished the introductions. Allen also noted that he had reached out and taken Hitomi's hand. The knight of Caeli had to fight the urge to smile. Van's possessive acts weren't as subtle as the young man would like to think. Still, if it helped the teenage king feel more at ease then it was fine with him. "Allen, this is Quatre Raberba Winner and the one on your left is Trowa Barton. They are former members of the Dragon Clan who have defected to our side."
"Of course," Allen said smoothly, already wondering whether the two young men could be trusted, "It is a pleasure to meet you."
The smaller one, the blonde, straightened and, smiling broadly, took a step forward to shake his hand. "The pleasure is all mine," he greeted the Asturian representative. As he grasped Allen's hand, he winced suddenly, giving a small cry of pain.
Immediately, the other boy, Trowa Barton as he had been identified, was standing next to him. "Is he all right?" Allen asked as Trowa helped Quatre sit down on the deck.
"I will be fine," Quatre murmured, partially opening his cloak to reveal a bandage which covered most of his upper body.
"A few days ago an assassin got into Fanelia," Van explained, "It attempted to take Hitomi's life."
Allen saw Van swallow and he realized how traumatic the experience must have been for them all. Hitomi finished the explanation, "But Quatre saved me by pushing me out of the way. In the process he was hurt and is still recovering."
The head knight of Asturia nodded, glancing at Van's face. The other ruler nodded slowly, indicating that the pair could be trusted. Allen looked over at Noin to see if she had caught the exchange. She gave a quick bob of her head to indicate she had. Good, so they had inside information on the enemy. "That will be useful," Allen thought, "As of now we haven't had any knowledge about the Dragon Clan at all."
"On behalf of Asturia, I thank you, Quatre Raberba Winner," Allen spoke aloud, bowing in the direction of the other blonde, "We are in your debt."
Quatre blushed at the older man's onslaught of gratitude and replied quietly, "It was least I could do. Hitomi and Van have done a lot to help me open my eyes about Heero's true intentions."
"Heero?" Noin asked, stepping up to stand beside Allen.
Before anyone could reply, Gaddess leaned forward and slapped Allen heartily on the back, "There'll be plenty of time to talk business later. Boss, what about showing your guests to where they'll be staying?"
"Of course," Allen nodded and smiled at the group, his friends, "Please follow me."
As the group walked away from the Crusade and the sparkling waters of Gaea's ocean, Allen became aware of several voices calling out. "Master Quatre!"
Looking along the walkway which ran parallel to the shore, Allen saw a group of a dozen or so men running toward them. Quickly, his hand went to the handle of his sword and he saw Noin follow suit. To his relief, however, one of the members of their party broke away and ran forward to meet them.
"Rashid!" Quatre yelled, "Abdul! What are you all doing here?"
The leader of the group, a tall, burly looking man with a dark complexion and beard reached out his arms. Quatre quickly moved to embrace the man, wincing only slightly as the larger man's arms gently encompassed him. "Master, Quatre," Rashid exclaimed, his voice full of relief and concern, "Thank goodness you are all right."
By now, the rest of the troupe had caught up and stood, watching the group of men surround Quatre, firing question after question and checking him from head to toe. "It is good to see you all!" the young man declared after they had finished examining him.
"Everyone," he said, addressing Allen and the rest of the group, "These are my loyal followers and friends. The three closest to me are Rashid, Abdul, and Ahmad. They have been with me since I was a child. My friends," he addressed the Manganac Corps, "these are King Van, Hitomi, Allen Schezar, Miss Noin, and the crew of the Crusade."
After many handshakes and polite nods, Quatre asked, his voice full of genuine interest, "But how did you find me?"
Abdul quickly explained, "About a week after we returned from dropping you off, there were rumors you'd chosen to side with Fanelia against the Dragon Clan. Knowing that we'd be under suspicion as well, we left immediately in the Peacemillion. We were headed to Fanelia to find you and had set down beside a road to repair a propeller when two young women rode by on horses. They were headed away from Fanelia so we asked them whether they'd met a Quatre Raberba Winner. When they said they had, we explained our situation and they told us that you were going to Asturia. We took off as soon as the propeller was fixed and went straight here. We just arrived less than an hour ago."
"Those young women must have been Miss Relena and Miss Dorothy," Van murmured.
Quatre straightened, and practically beamed at his retainers since childhood, "Well I am happy you came. The rumors were true, I have decided to take a stand against Heero. I believe he is too willing to throw away life in the name of a cause. Trowa has decided to do the same. We are going to help Fanelia and Asturia oppose the Dragon Clan."
"We will support you in whatever path you take, Master Quatre," Rashid spoke for all of them.
"Thank you," the young blonde murmured, his voice thick with emotion, "You all have been so good to me and I have done so little for you."
"Don't worry about us, Master Quatre," Auda waved his hands in protest, "We are happy to do everything we can to help you."
Allen cleared his throat quietly and voiced his support, "Of course you are all welcome to stay at the palace."
"No," Rashid stood and looked the other man in the eye, "Please don't trouble yourself over us. We can find room and board ourselves. However, we have something that needs better protection and storing than we can offer."
"What is that, if I may ask?" Noin inquired.
"When we left the Dragon Clan, we didn't go empty handed," Abdul explained proudly, "Even the Dragon Clan couldn't stop the Manganac Corps. We realized that if you intended to oppose Heero, Master Quatre, you would need your Guymelef."
"You were able to steal Sandrock?" Trowa asked, his voice a mix between surprise and awe.
Rashid glanced over at him and smiled, his voice only partially hiding his pride, "We also realized that you would support Quatre in his decision. Therefor, we acquired Heavy Arms as well."
"Oh Rashid!" Quatre exclaimed in pure pleasure, "Thank you so much! Now we can truly support Van!"
"Thank you," Trowa spoke more quietly and sullenly, but the graduated was evident in his eyes.
"What are Sandrock and Heavy Arms?" Hitomi asked what everyone was thinking.
"They are our personal Guymelefs," Trowa explained in a quiet voice, though Allen thought he caught a hint of pride and excitement in his tone, "They were custom made by Heero when he inducted us as members of the Inner Circle. Those suits are the pinnacle of the Dragon Clan's Guymelef technology. They will be a great asset"
"We will be happy to provide storage for your Guymelefs," Allen voiced, smiling at the group. So Van once again was the barer of good tidings. He had not only brought his own services but that of two other warriors with powerful suits, insider information, a group of loyal men with a Levi ship, and of course Hitomi. Fortune was with them today. Soon they would once again be forced on the battlefield. Cesario, Freid, and Egzardia all had troops which were due to arrive at any time. His contacts had discovered that the Dragon-Baslam forces were all joining together at Baslam with the exception of a small portion in Daedalus. Any day now, the battle for Gaea would begin. Any day...
One chapter after this one and I think the final battle will start. *chews fingernails*
~Crazy Tom~
Lady Une walked into the Private Mess Hall which was reserved for the five leaders of the Baslam-Dragon coalition. Inside, Lord Heero, Wufei, and Duo looked up from their various positions at the large table which was the focal point of the room. Though she was sure she had interrupted some sort of private conference, the Baslam Colonel did not allow her expression to change as she walked steadily over to the counter on which food had been prepared. Staring straight ahead, she listened as the quiet which had fallen over the room dissolved as Wufei continued speaking.
"Asturia is the biggest threat. It has a history of having a unifying affect on the surrounding nations. It is there that they will mass together in an attempt to stand against you, my lord."
"If we are going to strike at Asturia, we need to do it soon," Duo advised as Une pored herself a glass of tea, "The more time we wait, the more troops will have gathered there. Our other options are to strike at the weaker nations in an attempt to force their commanders to withdrawal back their individual countries to defend them. Unfortunately, that latter possibility will take considerably more time."
As Lady Une sat down at the table and quietly sipped her tea, Heero made his decision, "Very well. Wufei, I want you to alert the men. Tell them that we will be marching on Asturia in three days. Make certain that they are ready at that time."
"Yes, my lord," Wufei agreed.
"Duo," the High Lord continued, "You and Wufei will lead our soldiers into battle. Unlike last time, however, I will be fighting alongside you."
Une perked up. The mighty Heero would be joining his soldiers in the battlefield? Evidently Duo was surprised as well, for he gasped and exclaimed, "Does that mean you will be using Wing Zero?"
"That is correct, Duo," Heero agreed, "I think it is time for our most powerful Guymelef to be put to use."
"What is this?" the Baslam Colonel thought, "a powerful Guymelef that inspires awe in the leaders the Dragon Clan. I must alert his Excellency."
"Are you sure that is a good idea, Heero?" Duo asked causing an outburst from his equal ranking officer.
"Who are you to question the High Lord?" Wufei snapped angrily.
Heero reached up a hand and rested it on Wufei's shoulder, having an instant calming effect on the zealous soldier. He proceeded to answer Maxwell's question quietly, "You needn't worry about me, Emperor Maxwell. I am a soldier as well as a leader. I am fully capable of defending myself."
"And what of the suit's mental influence upon the pilot? We still do not know the full extent of its capabilities and dangers, my lord." Wufei asked, keeping his tone ever respectful.
"I am confident in my ability to maintain control, despite the mind altering affects of the Zero system. It was, after all, created as a weapon by our ancestors. As a pure blooded Draconian I have inherited the ability to master the suit," Heero explained, "The Black Dragon will fight, as will I."
"Then I will fight alongside you," Duo asserted.
"Very well," Heero said gravely, raising a hand to stop any outbursts from his other key subordinate, "If that is your wish. Wufei, you do not have to feel obligated to follow Duo's example."
"Thank you, my lord," Wufei bowed, "I will hunt down your foes independent from the rest of your forces."
"I understand," Heero agreed. By now, Une had finished her tea and no longer had an excuse to be in the room. Standing, she set her cup quietly on the countertop and was half way to the door when the High Lord's cold voice caused her to freeze, "I noticed that fifty of my Guymelefs were absent from the rest of our forces over the last two days. Tell me, where did they go?"
"He doesn't miss a thing," Une thought angrily, "Out of twenty thousand soldiers he notices when fifty are missing." Out loud she spoke in her usual composed tone, "All fifty of them were part of Baslam's forces and they were following Lord Treize's orders."
"And what orders would those be?" Heero asked, his tone managing to be both dangerously cold and curious.
From the door, the Duke of Baslam's calm voice floated into the room, "I believe I can answer that."
"Lord Treize," Une whispered, wondering how she had failed to notice his Excellency's appearance in the doorway. Wufei folded his arms with an expectant expression on his face while Heero remained perfectly rigid.
"I was keeping a promise I made to a friend a long time ago," Treize explained, "I apologize if I inconvenienced you in any way. I didn't know you'd be needing those fifty."
For a moment the two young men simply stared into each others eyes. Finally, Heero spoke, "I noticed that you pulled back our troops from the Sanc Kingdom after we'd conquered it."
Treize responded, "The Sanc Kingdom is a peaceful nation. They will offer no resistance to us. The men I chose to position there will suffice."
For a long time there was silence as Heero and Treize continued to evaluate each other. After over half a minute had gone by, Treize continued, "If you will excuse me now, your lordship, I have business to take care of."
The two leaders of Baslam were almost out the door when Heero's cold voice once again broke the silence. "You are treading in dangerous waters, Mr. Treize," Heero warned, "I would suggest you consider your future actions more carefully."
Treize turned his head towards the other dictator and smiled slightly, "I will take that into consideration, Lord Heero."
As Une left the room and the door shut she could hear Heero add quietly, "Much more." The veiled threat was not lost on the Colonel and for a moment, she wondered what his Excellency had gotten them into. However, one other thought remained dominant as she relayed everything she'd heard to her duke. Three days. In three days they'd attack Asturia. Somehow Lady Une knew that everything would be decided there.
The pounding of the horse's hooves seemed to mirror the thumping of Allen's own heart as he road swiftly through the city. The Crusade had just been sighted flying towards the port in Palas, the capital city of Asturia. Now he raced towards the hero of the Gaea war and the brightest hope in their current dilemma. "Van," Allen thought, "We always fought well together before, despite our mistakes. I hope that you will bring good fortune upon us. If we intend to keep our newly won peace, we must prevail. Together maybe we can defeat what either one could not alone."
Behind him, he could hear Noin following him stride for stride. He knew that she was thinking about Zechs even now. After that one moment of grief in Dryden's meeting room, she had pushed aside her personal feelings and put everything towards the upcoming battle. Lucrezia was obviously trying to focus all her attention on her work so that she wouldn't have to think about that pitiful spy's cruel words. It would work for the moment but sooner or later she would have to face the possibility that the creature had been telling the truth.
It was something he himself was dreading. He and Zechs had been more than just associates; they had been friends. To face up to the feasibility that his friend was not that, and was instead a traitor and a mole for their enemy. It was a difficult task and one that affected him more than he led others to believe. The only decision he had made was that he wouldn't make one. Until Zechs had proven himself deserving of the spy's claims, Allen would not make him an enemy. If, however, the declarations were justified, he had come to the conclusion that he was prepared to fight and kill the other man should the need arise. Either way, the knight of Caeli was certain that it would be decided during the upcoming battle. Zechs would make an appearance there, as friend or as foe.
The docks were in sight now and Allen slowed his horse to a trot as his eyes quickly scanned for the familiar shape and crew of the Levi ship. It didn't take very long to spot the group of people which were waving at him. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Allen felt a smile creep onto his face. He had, after all, been leader of the rugged crew until very recently when his duty had taken up too much of his time. As he drew closer, Gaddess and his men began to cheer, causing Allen's cheeks to redden ever so slightly.
"I am assuming that's them," he heard Noin say dryly from behind him. As Allen pulled his horse to a halt, he realized that Hitomi was among the group of men. For a moment Allen froze, expecting to feel the old emotions sweep over him. But to his surprise the passion which he had both expected and dreaded failed to wash over him. What he felt was compassion and warmth, yes, but more like that of an elder brother or old friend. Maybe it was spending so much time taking care of Serena and helping her readjust. After all, his younger sister and the girl from Gaea were almost the same age. After a year of acting as a guardian for Serena he was used to being a parental figure.
The more he thought about it, the more Allen wasn't surprised that his feelings had changed in nature. For a moment he felt almost disappointed that the old fire had faded. However, it was probably better this way. Allen realized he had been sitting on his horse for several seconds staring at Hitomi and quickly dismounted. As he walked over to greet his old friends, he saw that Van's eyes seemed angry and his expression somewhat distrustful. "Of course," Allen thought, "He is worried about competition. Though it seemed like so long ago, Allen and Hitomi had been something of an item the last time they had been together. It wasn't surprising that Van was a little bit on guard."
"Sir Allen," Van greeted him, surprising the older knight by using his title.
"Please, no need for titles among old friends," the normally diplomatic Asturian protested.
"Allen," Hitomi moved to stand directly across from him. Allen bowed respectfully but decided against kissing her hand. It would only serve to confuse his feeling and further provoke Van. In some ways the boy had matured, but he remained a sixteen-year-old, never-the-less.
"Hitomi. I am so happy to see you again. I am sorry you had to visit us in such turbulent times," Allen spoke apologetically, the meaning behind his words genuine.
"It isn't your fault," Hitomi excused, shaking her head earnestly. From behind him, Noin cleared her throat.
"Where are my manners? King Van, Hitomi, this is my most trusted associate: Lady Noin. Miss Noin, this is King Van of Fanelia, Hitomi who is visiting us all the way from the Mystic Moon, and the crew of the Crusade." Suddenly Allen realized that there were two more figures among the group. He hadn't noticed them because one was fairly tall but seemed to blend in and hadn't said a word and the other was smaller and seemed to be dwarfed among the larger men of the crew.
Taking up his pause, Van finished the introductions. Allen also noted that he had reached out and taken Hitomi's hand. The knight of Caeli had to fight the urge to smile. Van's possessive acts weren't as subtle as the young man would like to think. Still, if it helped the teenage king feel more at ease then it was fine with him. "Allen, this is Quatre Raberba Winner and the one on your left is Trowa Barton. They are former members of the Dragon Clan who have defected to our side."
"Of course," Allen said smoothly, already wondering whether the two young men could be trusted, "It is a pleasure to meet you."
The smaller one, the blonde, straightened and, smiling broadly, took a step forward to shake his hand. "The pleasure is all mine," he greeted the Asturian representative. As he grasped Allen's hand, he winced suddenly, giving a small cry of pain.
Immediately, the other boy, Trowa Barton as he had been identified, was standing next to him. "Is he all right?" Allen asked as Trowa helped Quatre sit down on the deck.
"I will be fine," Quatre murmured, partially opening his cloak to reveal a bandage which covered most of his upper body.
"A few days ago an assassin got into Fanelia," Van explained, "It attempted to take Hitomi's life."
Allen saw Van swallow and he realized how traumatic the experience must have been for them all. Hitomi finished the explanation, "But Quatre saved me by pushing me out of the way. In the process he was hurt and is still recovering."
The head knight of Asturia nodded, glancing at Van's face. The other ruler nodded slowly, indicating that the pair could be trusted. Allen looked over at Noin to see if she had caught the exchange. She gave a quick bob of her head to indicate she had. Good, so they had inside information on the enemy. "That will be useful," Allen thought, "As of now we haven't had any knowledge about the Dragon Clan at all."
"On behalf of Asturia, I thank you, Quatre Raberba Winner," Allen spoke aloud, bowing in the direction of the other blonde, "We are in your debt."
Quatre blushed at the older man's onslaught of gratitude and replied quietly, "It was least I could do. Hitomi and Van have done a lot to help me open my eyes about Heero's true intentions."
"Heero?" Noin asked, stepping up to stand beside Allen.
Before anyone could reply, Gaddess leaned forward and slapped Allen heartily on the back, "There'll be plenty of time to talk business later. Boss, what about showing your guests to where they'll be staying?"
"Of course," Allen nodded and smiled at the group, his friends, "Please follow me."
As the group walked away from the Crusade and the sparkling waters of Gaea's ocean, Allen became aware of several voices calling out. "Master Quatre!"
Looking along the walkway which ran parallel to the shore, Allen saw a group of a dozen or so men running toward them. Quickly, his hand went to the handle of his sword and he saw Noin follow suit. To his relief, however, one of the members of their party broke away and ran forward to meet them.
"Rashid!" Quatre yelled, "Abdul! What are you all doing here?"
The leader of the group, a tall, burly looking man with a dark complexion and beard reached out his arms. Quatre quickly moved to embrace the man, wincing only slightly as the larger man's arms gently encompassed him. "Master, Quatre," Rashid exclaimed, his voice full of relief and concern, "Thank goodness you are all right."
By now, the rest of the troupe had caught up and stood, watching the group of men surround Quatre, firing question after question and checking him from head to toe. "It is good to see you all!" the young man declared after they had finished examining him.
"Everyone," he said, addressing Allen and the rest of the group, "These are my loyal followers and friends. The three closest to me are Rashid, Abdul, and Ahmad. They have been with me since I was a child. My friends," he addressed the Manganac Corps, "these are King Van, Hitomi, Allen Schezar, Miss Noin, and the crew of the Crusade."
After many handshakes and polite nods, Quatre asked, his voice full of genuine interest, "But how did you find me?"
Abdul quickly explained, "About a week after we returned from dropping you off, there were rumors you'd chosen to side with Fanelia against the Dragon Clan. Knowing that we'd be under suspicion as well, we left immediately in the Peacemillion. We were headed to Fanelia to find you and had set down beside a road to repair a propeller when two young women rode by on horses. They were headed away from Fanelia so we asked them whether they'd met a Quatre Raberba Winner. When they said they had, we explained our situation and they told us that you were going to Asturia. We took off as soon as the propeller was fixed and went straight here. We just arrived less than an hour ago."
"Those young women must have been Miss Relena and Miss Dorothy," Van murmured.
Quatre straightened, and practically beamed at his retainers since childhood, "Well I am happy you came. The rumors were true, I have decided to take a stand against Heero. I believe he is too willing to throw away life in the name of a cause. Trowa has decided to do the same. We are going to help Fanelia and Asturia oppose the Dragon Clan."
"We will support you in whatever path you take, Master Quatre," Rashid spoke for all of them.
"Thank you," the young blonde murmured, his voice thick with emotion, "You all have been so good to me and I have done so little for you."
"Don't worry about us, Master Quatre," Auda waved his hands in protest, "We are happy to do everything we can to help you."
Allen cleared his throat quietly and voiced his support, "Of course you are all welcome to stay at the palace."
"No," Rashid stood and looked the other man in the eye, "Please don't trouble yourself over us. We can find room and board ourselves. However, we have something that needs better protection and storing than we can offer."
"What is that, if I may ask?" Noin inquired.
"When we left the Dragon Clan, we didn't go empty handed," Abdul explained proudly, "Even the Dragon Clan couldn't stop the Manganac Corps. We realized that if you intended to oppose Heero, Master Quatre, you would need your Guymelef."
"You were able to steal Sandrock?" Trowa asked, his voice a mix between surprise and awe.
Rashid glanced over at him and smiled, his voice only partially hiding his pride, "We also realized that you would support Quatre in his decision. Therefor, we acquired Heavy Arms as well."
"Oh Rashid!" Quatre exclaimed in pure pleasure, "Thank you so much! Now we can truly support Van!"
"Thank you," Trowa spoke more quietly and sullenly, but the graduated was evident in his eyes.
"What are Sandrock and Heavy Arms?" Hitomi asked what everyone was thinking.
"They are our personal Guymelefs," Trowa explained in a quiet voice, though Allen thought he caught a hint of pride and excitement in his tone, "They were custom made by Heero when he inducted us as members of the Inner Circle. Those suits are the pinnacle of the Dragon Clan's Guymelef technology. They will be a great asset"
"We will be happy to provide storage for your Guymelefs," Allen voiced, smiling at the group. So Van once again was the barer of good tidings. He had not only brought his own services but that of two other warriors with powerful suits, insider information, a group of loyal men with a Levi ship, and of course Hitomi. Fortune was with them today. Soon they would once again be forced on the battlefield. Cesario, Freid, and Egzardia all had troops which were due to arrive at any time. His contacts had discovered that the Dragon-Baslam forces were all joining together at Baslam with the exception of a small portion in Daedalus. Any day now, the battle for Gaea would begin. Any day...