Chapter 3
Katoki ColonyThe two blades meet as the combatants continue their match, amidst the cheers of several onlookers. It is widely known that these two are among the best swordsmen on the colony. And despite their heated bouts and intense rivalry, they are still good friends. Silently, a stranger wearing a black trench coat walks in and watches from the small crowd as the fighters, one in red and the other in blue, continue to battle.
The blue swordsman thrusts forward, and the red fighter easily blocks. Blue tries again, this time slashing across from the left. Red ducks and sweeps blue's feet from underneath him, but his resourceful opponent quickly catches his fall and does a back flip, regaining his footing in time to block a hail of thrusts from red. Dodging a powerful thrust, blue gets behind his opponent and strikes red's upper back with the sword's handle. Red spins in mid-fall and slashes at blue, but blue easily dodges the last ditch assault. Blue points the sword at red's mask as he looks up from the floor and the match is over, amidst the applause of the many onlookers.
Heh, so he's an excellent fighter as well. thinks the stranger, as the blue swordsman helps his friend to his feet.
"Arigato," he says, waving at the crowd as he walks towards the locker room, followed by the red fighter. The crowd disperses and soon the mysterious stranger is left alone in his thoughts.
_____
"You've been getting better, Akira," says the red fighter, opening his locker and taking off the mask.
"I can say the same for you," he replies, taking a duffle bag from his locker, "Pkmatrix."
"Yeah, but you've always been better than me in this," replies Pkmatrix, taking off the armor. The Flamedramon takes off the mask, he'd always hated wearing those things, but he would rather wear this than that damn mask he'd been forced to wear years ago back on Earth.
"Have you talked to your parents yet? It's going to be Christmas soon," asks Akira, putting on his usual shirt.
"No, I'll call them tonight. Hey, how about we stop by the Golden Gundam?" replies Pkmatrix, putting on his jean jacket and closing the locker.
"Sure, I could use a drink," answers Akira.
_____
The Golden Gundam Bar, Katoki Colony"God, tonight's slow," mutters Renee, resting her head in her hand.
"Hey, no sweat, just have a drink and forget about," replies Mega Raptor, sipping a Klah.
"But its so boring when no one's here!" she moans, grabbing his Klah and drinking it all in one gulp.
"Hey!" yells Mega Raptor.
"My bar, my rules," she replies with a smile. Mega Raptor just smiles and gets up to get another drink, since the other bartender had the day off.
"I'll have a sake, bartender," says a voice. Renee quickly looks towards the door, surprised at the voice.
"Max? Is that you?" she asks, as Lord Maxwell walks into the bar and sits in his usual seat.
"Yep," he replies, as Renee
practically jaw drops. He just smiles
at her, that same smile he'd given her two years before, before he left to join
Intelligence.
"Heh, welcome back, Maxwell," says Mega Raptor, sliding a sake down to him, "How've you been?" Maxwell picks up the glass and looks over at the Megalo Raptormon.
"Good," he replies, taking a drink and looking back at Renee, who is still in shock, "Hello? Earth to Renee, come in Renee."
"Sorry," she says, shaking her head.
"Uh, do you know these people?" asks a stranger, standing behind Lord Maxwell and looking a bit confused.
"Oh, sorry, Bladed. This is Renee Aarons, a friend of mine," says Maxwell, "And that digimon over there is Mega Raptor. Guys, this is my partner, Bladed Edge."
"Hi," he says, taking a seat in the stool next to Lord Maxwell.
"Welcome to the Golden Gundam, what'll it be? You name it, we got it," replies Renee, grabbing a glass.
"Got El Presidente?" he asks, as in one fluent motion Renee grabs a bottle, opens it, and pours.
"As I said; you name it, we got it," says Renee, pouring herself a glass, "So, Max, this was quite sudden. You just here to visit or is this business?"
"Eh, Renee, you know I would never lie to you…" replies Lord Maxwell, taking a sip of his sake.
"I knew it, business. Dammit, Max, take a vacation already! You've been working non-stop ever since the war!" she yells, attracting the attention of one or two others in the bar.
"Is she always like this?" whispers Bladed, leaning over towards Mega Raptor. He just smiles and takes a sip of his Klah.
"When you've known her for as long as Maxwell and I, you get used to it. Especially when you're her boyfriend," he replies just as quietly.
"What…?!" says Bladed, as Lord Maxwell taps his shoulder, "Huh? Yeah?"
"Your left, far end of the bar. He's wearing a black trench coat and sunglasses," he whispers, putting down his empty glass. Bladed takes a quick glance to his left, spotting the man, and immediately recognizing him.
Preventer! thinks Bladed.
"Renee," says Lord Maxwell, reaching into his jacket.
"What is it? Finally decide to take a vacation?!" she yells, but turns quiet when she sees what he is doing, "…Max?"
"Get down," he says silently, as the two agents quickly jump out of their seats and aim their handguns at Preventer Agent.
"Federal agents! Hands above your head!" orders Bladed, as Preventer calmly puts down his shot of bourbon.
"Bladed? Is that you?" he asks, not turning to face the agents.
"I said get your hands above your head, Preventer!" replies Bladed, ignoring his response. Preventer laughs silently, standing from his seat and raising his hands over his head.
"Too bad you never came with me, Bladed. We could've used you, your superior abilities. Oh well, what a waste…" says Preventer slowly turning to face him, a unusually calm smile on his face. As Bladed begins to move towards Preventer, Lord Maxwell notices the reflection in Preventer's sunglasses. His advanced sense of extrasensory perception kicks in, momentarily stopping time for him as the events of the next 60 seconds unfold within his mind.
…Behind us! he thinks as time returns to normal. With speed only matched by another psychic, Lord Maxwell grabs Bladed's right arm and throws him to the side, a mere second before a hail of bullets crash through the window behind him.
"Xeon agents!" yells Lord Maxwell, as both he and Bladed dive into a nearby booth.
"Crap!" yells Mega Raptor, jumping over the bar and pulling Renee down as the bullets smash the bottles in the wall behind them. Preventer effortless kicks a nearby table over to use as a shield, pulls out an Uzi from his trench coat, and blasts the booth Bladed and Maxwell are in.
"Sh-t!" mutters Bladed, pointing his gun back at Preventer and firing blindly in that direction, "We're surrounded!"
"I sense four…no, five agents outside. They've got Ak-47s," replies Lord Maxwell, using his extrasensory perception to help aim his gun, forcing Preventer to take cover behind the table. Behind the bar, Renee quickly reaches under the counter and pulls out her trusted Remington 12-gauge Shotgun.
"What are you doing?!" yells Mega Raptor, as she checks to make sure its loaded.
"I'm not going to let those bastards kill Max, and they're destroying my bar!" she replies.
"Argh…give me the Magnum!" yells Mega Raptor, as Renee tosses him a Desert Eagle.
"Alright, NOW!" yells Renee, as the two jump up and open fire on the Xeon…
_____
Meanwhile… Near Ookawara ColonyThe Moderator shifted uneasily in the captain's chair of the Ra Calium, the flagship of the GP Defense Force Fleet. He hated being in the commander's position, it never suited him. His place was in a mobile suit, battling his opponents in the sea of stars.
"Sir, we've picked up the Kuun-Lan. It is on a direct course for Ookawara," says the tactical officer, a young man not much younger than the Moderator himself.
"Hail them, and order them to surrender the Xeon agents immediately," replies the Moderator, "Then get me Alpha." A moment later, the Moderator code-named Wing Zero Alpha appears on the main screen. Alpha looks up from a magazine he'd been reading in the cockpit of his mobile suit, the Alpha Gundam.
"Hmm? What is it?" he asks, letting the magazine float out of his hands as he shifts his attention.
"The Kuun-Lan is here, get your teams ready to launch," replies the Moderator. WZA smiles at his expression.
"Heh, you really don't like being the commander, do you?" he asks, "Sure you don't want to switch places, Krakenhaus?"
"No, I'm fine. What I'm worried about is that we're working on false information. Is Republic sure this is correct?" replies Krakenhaus, running a hand through his blonde hair.
"According to Republic's report to Mark, the Kuun-Lan is a disguised Xeon warship, and they plan on attacking Ookawara Colony," replies WZA.
"And whatever happened to those agents he sent to Katoki to find their base?" asks Krakenhaus, annoyed at Republic's incompetence. In his opinion, the only reason Mark had appointed him head of the Intelligence Bureau was because he led Gundam Project during the war. The man had no ability in counter-terrorism, something Krakenhaus felt he could do without a problem.
"They're still investigating. Come on, give them some time! They only got to Katoki yesterday," replies Wing Zero Alpha.
"Only yesterday…?!" yells Krakenhaus in disbelief. That plan had been given the ok months ago, and only NOW he sent those agents?!
"Sir! The Kuun-Lan is launching mobile suits!" yells the tactical officer.
"Damn! Alpha, launch! Now!" orders Krakenhaus. A quick salute and Alpha's face disappears from the screen, replaced with a shot of the Kuun-Lan.
"They're firing missiles!" announces the tactical officer.
"Go to red alert! Activate ABM System!" orders Krakenhaus, as the bridge is flooded with red light. In the distance, several flashes of light signal the battle has begun.
Peace in space has come to an end