Disclosure: I don't own the characters of Gundam Wing, I'm just borrowing
them for a little while. Some of the terminology used in this story is
borrowed from the anime series Outlaw Star...I don't own that either!
Warnings: 3x4, AU, Angst, Adventure, Some Sap, Lime.
Hoshi Kawakiri (Star Gambit)
Part One
'Enemy vessel sighted on radar, quadrant L3-19.038334. It's a pirate ship captain!'
Forces Marshal Noventa sighed, truly a remarkable figure, at 60 he still stood ramrod strait his bearing that of a man comfortable with authority. The supreme commander of Sasuine's Imperial Forces, years of experience in the harsh climate of space had taught him one thing of nothing else; if you come across a space pirate grappler-ship don't try to fight, just run and hope you can escape it.
Unfortunately, this time running was not an option.
'Ready the main guns, switch to combat mode!'
The captain glanced to his left, why now?! He cursed desperately watching the young man that stood flush against the ship's view screen his attention riveted on the rapidly approaching vessel.
Recently turned twenty and standing just over six foot the youth should have been an imposing presence in any room, somehow though the brunette managed to make his attendance go almost completely unnoticed, unless he decided he wanted someone's attention.
Unruly brown hair fell across the Sasuine prince's face obscuring one of his intense emerald eyes from view. High cheek bones and chiseled features gave the beautiful man an almost wild look about him and the young prince often wore an expression that reminded Noventa of a caged lion.
It had been the prince's idea that they investigate the supernova despite Noventa's warning that straying from the patrolled areas of space was highly dangerous and reckless in the extreme.
However the deject look in the brunette's eyes as he gazed longingly at the navigation screen had torn at Noventa in such a way that against his better judgment he'd conceded and set a new course for the dying star.
He now bitterly regretted the decision, the prince could have lived with the disappointment of yet another uneventful diplomatic mission and would have already returned safely to their home planet, but now his future was far more uncertain.
'I'm bringing up the data on the enemy ship sir!' Davus, the ships tactical operator told the captain.
Noventa nodded in ascent and continued to deliberate, his thoughts tearing through his mind at a near frantic rate as he assessed strategies, discarding each one almost as soon as it came to him.
Irritated by the lack of tactical information on the pirate vessel he glanced across at Davus to see what was holding up the analysis on the enemy ship ready to delivery a stinging reprimand for the man's sluggishness. However any chastising comments froze on his lips as he saw the crewman's expression.
The man had fallen silent his eyes riveted on the screen and his face pale. Callused hands gripped the side of the consol and his voice was a terrified whisper when he spoke,
'I-it's the Sandrock!'
Noventa sighed and his shoulders dropped, strategising was useless then.they would never survive the battle.
'Radio the closest military outpost and inform them of our location and situation.then order all men to their stations, engage combat mode!'
Noventa glanced at the prince, the young man still stood at the window his expression a combination of concern and resignation.
'I guess this is it then, I'm sorry I insisted on us coming here, it's my fault.'
The captain shook his head and walked over to lay a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder,
'It wasn't you're fault Trowa. We're just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I'm just sorry you had to be here.'
Noventa guessed that even living the sheltered life he had, Trowa had heard of the Sandrock.
The lead ship of the space pirate's Central Galactic Fleet, the Sandrock's captain was as merciless as he was mysterious, rumors of him had spread from one side of the galaxy to the other, instilling terror by the mere mention of the ship's name.though rumors were all they were. No one had ever come into contact with the Sandrock and lived to tell about it's crew or it's captain.
Turning away Noventa made his way back to his chair sinking into the soft leather and switching the lights in the bridge to dim allowing easier use of the radars and tracking equipment when engaged with an enemy vessel.
'Sir! Incoming transmission from the enemy vessel!'
Noventa raised an eyebrow and thought he heard Trowa hiss in surprise, what kind of tactic was this he wondered.
'Patch it through.'
A large light screen appeared at the front of the bridge displaying the interior of the Sandrock's own control room. The pirate ship also seemed to be in combat mode the dim lighting meaning nothing could be discerned of the ship's interior.
Noventa could perceive four shadowy figures on the enemy ship's bridge, three sat at the edge of the room at various consoles while one, the captain he assumed, sat in the center of the room in what almost looked like a smaller version of a star-fighter's cockpit.
Trowa walked over to stand next to the captain's chair his attention riveted on the screen in front of him. His heart was pounding so hard he wanted to place a hand against his chest to stop it bursting out of his body and landing in a sticky pile on the metallic floor of the ship.
The three men started as the figure at the center of the Sandrock's bridge began to speak, and they stared insidiously at the com-screen trying to decide if it was all some kind of hoax.
Trowa's eyes narrowed, instead of the coarse and merciless tone he had been expecting to hear his ears were assaulted with a soft tenor, which vibrated through the air sending shivers running down his spine and causing goose bumps to rise on his skin.
'This is the grappler-ship Sandrock. We have our weapons locked onto your position, try to escape and I'm afraid we will have to shoot you!'
As if to reiterate the threat the ship in front of them fired; an intense blue laser shot ripped into the side of the imperial cruiser sending Trowa to his knees under the force of the impact.
'A taste. I trust I have your full attention now gentlemen.'
Noventa swore under his breath and stood up, 'we're listening.'
The voice laughed brightly and the figure in front of them clapped his hands together in delight before gracefully vaulting out of the chair and moving to the back of the ship further concealing his features.
'Splendid! You and I will get along famously my good captain, now then, I am led to believe you have a certain Sasuinian noble traveling with you, his Royal Highness Prince Trowa Barton?'
Trowa stiffened as he heard his name and came to his feet, Noventa held up his hand to keep the young man silent before answering.
'I have no idea what you're talking about, Prince Trowa is not on this ship!'
Trowa heard a tutting sound from the voice link.
'Really my dear captain, do you think I would come all the way out here if I wasn't sure of my information. I'm a busy man, I don't have time for games!'
'But, if that's what you say, I suppose I have no other choice. I'll have to destroy you. That's really is a shame, I don't like doing it, but one must keep up appearances, I know you understand.'
Trowa bit his bottom lip fighting an inner battle between obeying the captain's orders and letting innocent men get hurt because of him.
Damn it! It wasn't really a hard decision at all, give himself up and he would most likely die. Don't give himself up, and he would still die, along with every other man on the ship!
Stepping forward he ignored the violent signals Noventa was directing at him and took a deep breath, 'I am Trowa Barton' he said forcing his voice steady.
'Ah! Wonderful, finally someone willing to talk some sense!' the voice fell silent for a moment and Trowa could hear one of the other men speak, 'got him, location verified, locked on and ready to transport.'
'Well then prince, say goodbye to your friends!'
Trowa opening his mouth to speak but did not get the chance, suddenly surrounded by a blinding bright light he closed his eyes and threw his right arm across his face.
As the light dimmed around him he brought his arm down and tentatively cracked open one eye, he was no longer on the cruiser that much was for certain. The area was dim allowing him to see little, but from the position of the equipment he guessed he was on the enemy ship's command bridge.
Trowa's eyes flew wide as he was grabbed roughly from behind, his arms pulled behind his back. 'Make one false move and I'll snap your neck.' a harsh voice whispered from behind him.
'Now Heero please, that's really no way to treat a guest, especially one of such importance!' The voice sounded even more heavenly close up, verily pulsing through the room and once again sending an involuntary shudder through the brunette.
Trowa raised his head to look at the owner of that luscious voice preparing to spit back a retort, what he saw though struck him dumb and caused the man in front of him to laugh softly.
'Not quite what you expected I suppose, you wouldn't't believe how often I get that reaction.'
Standing about a head shorter than Trowa the young man looked about the same age as the prince, he possessed soft almost girlish features encased in perfect ivory skin and crowned with hair so light it was almost white. Full pink lips and wide aquamarine eyes completed a vision so perfect it literally took Trowa's breath away.
The illusion was broken as the blonde's eyes narrowed calculatingly and he turned away from Trowa to make his way back to the command station that sat in the middle of the ship's bridge.
Leaping gracefully back into his station the man threw both legs causally over one of the metallic sides and once again focused his attention on the ship in front of him. A small and almost regretful smile crossed his features and for a moment Trowa imagined he perceived a terrible weariness and grief flash across the blonde's face.
'Captain Noventa, I wish we could have met under different circumstances, but now I'm afraid we must leave. Don't worry yourself, we'll take good care of your prince, and if it's any consolation, I'm sorry.'
The blonde made a curt gesture by his ear to indicate the transmission be cut, standing he heaved a sigh before walking back over to Trowa and placing his hand in a companionable fashion on the brunette's shoulder.
'Heero, please take our guest to the quarters I had assigned to him, I'll be there shortly.'
The man holding Trowa grunted and began to haul the prince in the direction of a small door leading from the bridge.
'Wait!' Trowa demanded.
'Yes?'
'What about the ship, what will you do with them?'
The pirate sighed 'I had hoped to spare you that, but I suppose it can't be helped'
Walking over to one of the men that sat at the edge of the room the blonde leant an arm over the man's shoulder wrapping the pirate's long braid around his wrist as if subconsciously seeking comfort from the act.
'Quatre?' The braided youth asked his voice soothing.
'Yes, I know.' The blonde answered softly.
After one more moment of contemplation he turned back and smiled regretfully at Trowa before lifting his eyes to the view-screen.
'Kill them' he ordered reluctantly before silently leaving the bridge.
'NO!!!' Trowa cried out, straining against the man who held him but it was no use.
The main force cannon at the front of the Sandrock burst into life sending a ferocious blast of energy at the other ship decimating it and it's crew in an instant. Trowa slumped against the man as the blast cleared and the vid-screen showed the debris that scattered the space where the cruiser had been only moments before.
'Come on!'
The man previously identified as Heero shoved him roughly from behind guiding him towards the door. Seeing no other alternative Trowa complied and allowed himself to be led from the bridge.
TBC.
Warnings: 3x4, AU, Angst, Adventure, Some Sap, Lime.
Hoshi Kawakiri (Star Gambit)
Part One
'Enemy vessel sighted on radar, quadrant L3-19.038334. It's a pirate ship captain!'
Forces Marshal Noventa sighed, truly a remarkable figure, at 60 he still stood ramrod strait his bearing that of a man comfortable with authority. The supreme commander of Sasuine's Imperial Forces, years of experience in the harsh climate of space had taught him one thing of nothing else; if you come across a space pirate grappler-ship don't try to fight, just run and hope you can escape it.
Unfortunately, this time running was not an option.
'Ready the main guns, switch to combat mode!'
The captain glanced to his left, why now?! He cursed desperately watching the young man that stood flush against the ship's view screen his attention riveted on the rapidly approaching vessel.
Recently turned twenty and standing just over six foot the youth should have been an imposing presence in any room, somehow though the brunette managed to make his attendance go almost completely unnoticed, unless he decided he wanted someone's attention.
Unruly brown hair fell across the Sasuine prince's face obscuring one of his intense emerald eyes from view. High cheek bones and chiseled features gave the beautiful man an almost wild look about him and the young prince often wore an expression that reminded Noventa of a caged lion.
It had been the prince's idea that they investigate the supernova despite Noventa's warning that straying from the patrolled areas of space was highly dangerous and reckless in the extreme.
However the deject look in the brunette's eyes as he gazed longingly at the navigation screen had torn at Noventa in such a way that against his better judgment he'd conceded and set a new course for the dying star.
He now bitterly regretted the decision, the prince could have lived with the disappointment of yet another uneventful diplomatic mission and would have already returned safely to their home planet, but now his future was far more uncertain.
'I'm bringing up the data on the enemy ship sir!' Davus, the ships tactical operator told the captain.
Noventa nodded in ascent and continued to deliberate, his thoughts tearing through his mind at a near frantic rate as he assessed strategies, discarding each one almost as soon as it came to him.
Irritated by the lack of tactical information on the pirate vessel he glanced across at Davus to see what was holding up the analysis on the enemy ship ready to delivery a stinging reprimand for the man's sluggishness. However any chastising comments froze on his lips as he saw the crewman's expression.
The man had fallen silent his eyes riveted on the screen and his face pale. Callused hands gripped the side of the consol and his voice was a terrified whisper when he spoke,
'I-it's the Sandrock!'
Noventa sighed and his shoulders dropped, strategising was useless then.they would never survive the battle.
'Radio the closest military outpost and inform them of our location and situation.then order all men to their stations, engage combat mode!'
Noventa glanced at the prince, the young man still stood at the window his expression a combination of concern and resignation.
'I guess this is it then, I'm sorry I insisted on us coming here, it's my fault.'
The captain shook his head and walked over to lay a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder,
'It wasn't you're fault Trowa. We're just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I'm just sorry you had to be here.'
Noventa guessed that even living the sheltered life he had, Trowa had heard of the Sandrock.
The lead ship of the space pirate's Central Galactic Fleet, the Sandrock's captain was as merciless as he was mysterious, rumors of him had spread from one side of the galaxy to the other, instilling terror by the mere mention of the ship's name.though rumors were all they were. No one had ever come into contact with the Sandrock and lived to tell about it's crew or it's captain.
Turning away Noventa made his way back to his chair sinking into the soft leather and switching the lights in the bridge to dim allowing easier use of the radars and tracking equipment when engaged with an enemy vessel.
'Sir! Incoming transmission from the enemy vessel!'
Noventa raised an eyebrow and thought he heard Trowa hiss in surprise, what kind of tactic was this he wondered.
'Patch it through.'
A large light screen appeared at the front of the bridge displaying the interior of the Sandrock's own control room. The pirate ship also seemed to be in combat mode the dim lighting meaning nothing could be discerned of the ship's interior.
Noventa could perceive four shadowy figures on the enemy ship's bridge, three sat at the edge of the room at various consoles while one, the captain he assumed, sat in the center of the room in what almost looked like a smaller version of a star-fighter's cockpit.
Trowa walked over to stand next to the captain's chair his attention riveted on the screen in front of him. His heart was pounding so hard he wanted to place a hand against his chest to stop it bursting out of his body and landing in a sticky pile on the metallic floor of the ship.
The three men started as the figure at the center of the Sandrock's bridge began to speak, and they stared insidiously at the com-screen trying to decide if it was all some kind of hoax.
Trowa's eyes narrowed, instead of the coarse and merciless tone he had been expecting to hear his ears were assaulted with a soft tenor, which vibrated through the air sending shivers running down his spine and causing goose bumps to rise on his skin.
'This is the grappler-ship Sandrock. We have our weapons locked onto your position, try to escape and I'm afraid we will have to shoot you!'
As if to reiterate the threat the ship in front of them fired; an intense blue laser shot ripped into the side of the imperial cruiser sending Trowa to his knees under the force of the impact.
'A taste. I trust I have your full attention now gentlemen.'
Noventa swore under his breath and stood up, 'we're listening.'
The voice laughed brightly and the figure in front of them clapped his hands together in delight before gracefully vaulting out of the chair and moving to the back of the ship further concealing his features.
'Splendid! You and I will get along famously my good captain, now then, I am led to believe you have a certain Sasuinian noble traveling with you, his Royal Highness Prince Trowa Barton?'
Trowa stiffened as he heard his name and came to his feet, Noventa held up his hand to keep the young man silent before answering.
'I have no idea what you're talking about, Prince Trowa is not on this ship!'
Trowa heard a tutting sound from the voice link.
'Really my dear captain, do you think I would come all the way out here if I wasn't sure of my information. I'm a busy man, I don't have time for games!'
'But, if that's what you say, I suppose I have no other choice. I'll have to destroy you. That's really is a shame, I don't like doing it, but one must keep up appearances, I know you understand.'
Trowa bit his bottom lip fighting an inner battle between obeying the captain's orders and letting innocent men get hurt because of him.
Damn it! It wasn't really a hard decision at all, give himself up and he would most likely die. Don't give himself up, and he would still die, along with every other man on the ship!
Stepping forward he ignored the violent signals Noventa was directing at him and took a deep breath, 'I am Trowa Barton' he said forcing his voice steady.
'Ah! Wonderful, finally someone willing to talk some sense!' the voice fell silent for a moment and Trowa could hear one of the other men speak, 'got him, location verified, locked on and ready to transport.'
'Well then prince, say goodbye to your friends!'
Trowa opening his mouth to speak but did not get the chance, suddenly surrounded by a blinding bright light he closed his eyes and threw his right arm across his face.
As the light dimmed around him he brought his arm down and tentatively cracked open one eye, he was no longer on the cruiser that much was for certain. The area was dim allowing him to see little, but from the position of the equipment he guessed he was on the enemy ship's command bridge.
Trowa's eyes flew wide as he was grabbed roughly from behind, his arms pulled behind his back. 'Make one false move and I'll snap your neck.' a harsh voice whispered from behind him.
'Now Heero please, that's really no way to treat a guest, especially one of such importance!' The voice sounded even more heavenly close up, verily pulsing through the room and once again sending an involuntary shudder through the brunette.
Trowa raised his head to look at the owner of that luscious voice preparing to spit back a retort, what he saw though struck him dumb and caused the man in front of him to laugh softly.
'Not quite what you expected I suppose, you wouldn't't believe how often I get that reaction.'
Standing about a head shorter than Trowa the young man looked about the same age as the prince, he possessed soft almost girlish features encased in perfect ivory skin and crowned with hair so light it was almost white. Full pink lips and wide aquamarine eyes completed a vision so perfect it literally took Trowa's breath away.
The illusion was broken as the blonde's eyes narrowed calculatingly and he turned away from Trowa to make his way back to the command station that sat in the middle of the ship's bridge.
Leaping gracefully back into his station the man threw both legs causally over one of the metallic sides and once again focused his attention on the ship in front of him. A small and almost regretful smile crossed his features and for a moment Trowa imagined he perceived a terrible weariness and grief flash across the blonde's face.
'Captain Noventa, I wish we could have met under different circumstances, but now I'm afraid we must leave. Don't worry yourself, we'll take good care of your prince, and if it's any consolation, I'm sorry.'
The blonde made a curt gesture by his ear to indicate the transmission be cut, standing he heaved a sigh before walking back over to Trowa and placing his hand in a companionable fashion on the brunette's shoulder.
'Heero, please take our guest to the quarters I had assigned to him, I'll be there shortly.'
The man holding Trowa grunted and began to haul the prince in the direction of a small door leading from the bridge.
'Wait!' Trowa demanded.
'Yes?'
'What about the ship, what will you do with them?'
The pirate sighed 'I had hoped to spare you that, but I suppose it can't be helped'
Walking over to one of the men that sat at the edge of the room the blonde leant an arm over the man's shoulder wrapping the pirate's long braid around his wrist as if subconsciously seeking comfort from the act.
'Quatre?' The braided youth asked his voice soothing.
'Yes, I know.' The blonde answered softly.
After one more moment of contemplation he turned back and smiled regretfully at Trowa before lifting his eyes to the view-screen.
'Kill them' he ordered reluctantly before silently leaving the bridge.
'NO!!!' Trowa cried out, straining against the man who held him but it was no use.
The main force cannon at the front of the Sandrock burst into life sending a ferocious blast of energy at the other ship decimating it and it's crew in an instant. Trowa slumped against the man as the blast cleared and the vid-screen showed the debris that scattered the space where the cruiser had been only moments before.
'Come on!'
The man previously identified as Heero shoved him roughly from behind guiding him towards the door. Seeing no other alternative Trowa complied and allowed himself to be led from the bridge.
TBC.