Disclaimer: I own Eya Musc, Ron, Shenlong's repairer, and Yasha Usani. Fayla belongs to herself. That one girl with dark hair belongs to herself.

Author's note: Ok, I'm starting this chapter at 2:00 AM. Don't ask why, cause I don't know. You asked for this chapter, now here it is. Lots of surprises in this chapter.

They were big.

They were powerful.

But most of all, they were exactly how the pilots remembered them.

The five pilots and the blonde girl stood in silent awe at the sight of the gundams standing before them. Each one looked almost exactly like its predecessor.

Duo stood absolutely petrified in awe, and then a big grin came upon his face. He ran up to the foot of the gundam that looked like Deathsythe and hugged it.

"I LOVE THIS GUNDAM!"

Heero looked around the large room. Each gundam had a set of stairs leading to the cockpit. The stairs were connected by a long catwalk that intersected the stairways right after the steps ended. Sally stood near the steps to the replacement Deathsythe, watching Duo going on and on about how he will name the gundam "Deathsythe Jr." with an amused smile. Heero approached her, his face emotionless as it always had been.

"Major Po-"

"Just call me Sally." She turned to face him, still smiling at Duo's antics. "We don't like to think of ourselves as an military group. We prefer to be called a collective family."

"Sally," Heero continued. "What information do we have on OZ's new leader?"

Sally's smile faded. "Nothing, I'm afraid. We haven't had any contact with him. All we know is that his soldiers refer to him as Master Kushrenada."

Just then Duo walked up to Sally, the big, happy grin still on his face.

Sally turned to him, a slightly amused look on her features. "Are you happy with your replacement?"

Duo just nodded, still grinning.

It was about this time he heard a noise coming from the stairs to his left. He turned his head just in time to see something come at him. There were two audible "Oof"s as it collided with him. Reflex made Duo close his eyes to protect his sensitive organs of sight.

When he opened his eyes again, he was looking into the green eyes of a girl. She had long red hair that was braided in the back. She had slid down the guardrails of the steps to his left and had run into him at the bottom. They now found each other in an embarrassing situation, as she had landed directly on top of him and they were now nose to nose.

"Hello," said Duo, his shocked mind unable to think of anything else to say.

The girl blushed. "Sorry." She got off of him and onto her feet, then helped Duo to his. She then turned to Sally and saluted.

"You know you don't have to do that," Sally reminded.

The girl just grinned, closing her eyes in a cute manner as she tipped her head slightly to one side. "I know!"

"So, what's the report?"

The girl smiled, opening her eyes. "Gundam 02 checks out A-OK!"

"Thank you, Fayla. Do you remember Duo?"

Fayla nodded, then turned to Duo. "Hi, I'm Fayla. I'll be repairing your gundam." She stuck her hand out.

Duo, still a little stunned from her landing, slowly shook her hand. "Um, Hi?"

Sally still had the amused smile. Both Duo and Fayla blushed.

Wufei slowly climbed the stairs to his new gundam. He looked at it closely. It was almost exactly the way he remembered. He walked up to the cockpit door and ran a hand along the smooth gundanium alloy. Memories of the past wars came to his mind, including Trieze Kushrenada at katana-point. Wufei looked to his right to see two more sets of stairs, the one closest to him had a Mobile Suit docked up to the staircase. He paused, then turned towards Sally and carefully leaned over the guardrail.

"Hey Sally, why is there another Mobile Suit over here?" he called down.

That got the attention of all the Gundam Pilots. Duo pulled his attention from Fayla. "No way! What is it? Is it a Gundam?"

Sally turned to Wufei. "It's a new mobile suit made from gundanium alloy that will be joining you on your missions. Its pilot and repairer are still working, but I'm sure they'd be glad to explain it when they're done."

The five original pilots glanced at each other, a mix of curiosity and worry in their eyes. Another Gundam pilot? What kind of impact would that put on the battles?

Trowa stood mystified as he looked up at the stairway leading to the new Gundam. He wanted to meet this new pilot. He started quietly up the steps, wondering who the new pilot was. Yes, he did think the extra firepower with the new Gundam would help, but he wasn't so sure about the idea of adding another to the group. It just seemed so unnatural for there to be six instead of five.

Trowa had reached the top of the stairs. He looked at the catwalk for any other traffic, saw there was none, then continued towards the new gundam, still walking silently. A figure came into sight. They appeared to be crouched over something, most likely the cockpit hatch. They had long blonde hair that reached their back. They stood up and backed away from the gundam to get a good look at their work, then wiped their forehead with a back of a gloved hand. Trowa stopped right behind the figure and peered over their right shoulder.

Next thing he knew, something grabbed his shoulders and flipped him forwards onto his back. He let out a small "Oof" as he hit the ground. Then he was looking up into a pair of beautiful blue eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were a pilot!"

He felt a hand on his shoulder that helped him sit up. It was this time he got a good look at the person. It was a girl. She appeared to be almost the same age as him. The bangs on the right side of her face almost completely covered her right eye. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. Her long blonde hair reached down to her back. She was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans. Trowa could see the sincerity in her eyes as she apologized again.

"I'm really sorry. I should learn to look first-"

Trowa interrupted her with a faint smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine." She helped him to his feet and he faced her with a small smile. "My name is Trowa. Trowa Barton."

The girl smiled. "My name is Yasha Usani. It's nice to meet you," she said as she shook hands with him.

They let go of the other's hand. "I'm looking for the pilot of this gundam. Do you know where he is?"

Yasha smiled. "You're looking at her."

Trowa blinked. "You're the pilot?"

She nodded. "Yup. I know; you were expecting me to be a guy. It happens all the time."

"So you're the new pilot..." he drifted off as he thought, his gaze falling to the metallic tread of the catwalk. This was different. Not only was there a sixth Gundam pilot, but she was female. Would this cause difficulties when they had to stay at a safehouse? He knew it wouldn't cause much trouble with Quatre; from what Duo told him, their platinum blonde friend was head-over-heels in love with Eya. But the others he wondered about...

"Trowa?"

Yasha's voice snapped him out of his trance, and he brought his gaze upward to see Yasha's eyes looking up at him. "Nothing," he replied. "So, what's the name of your Gundam?"

Yasha turned and looked to her right at her Gundam. Trowa noticed something change in her eyes; a hint of sadness appeared in the blue depths.

"I named it Journey."

"Journey?..."

Her eyes closed, a weak smile appearing. She turned to face him, opening her eyes. It was like the sadness was never there. There was no trace of the emotion. "I know, it's a dumb name."

"I don't think it is," said Trowa, looking at Journey. It was almost completely black, except for the crown of the head, which was a golden color; the cockpit hatch, which was red, yellow, and black; and what almost looked like a scar though the left eye of the gundam, which was painted red.

"Thanks. I just finished the hatch. She should be locked, loaded, and ready to go," she said as she pulled the gloves off of her hands.

They both turned to walk back down the staircase. "Speaking of weapons, what weaponry does Journey have?"

They started walking down the steps. "Let me think for a moment." Yasha paused as she thought. "It has two blades that come from the arms, two Beam Sabers, two Vulcans, and two of what I like to call Heat Daggers."

Trowa listened to this with fascination. "Two blades and two Beam Sabers. It sounds like it's built for close combat."

Yasha nodded as they finally reached the floor, then she suddenly stopped and stared ahead.

Trowa noticed. "Yasha?"

She continued to stare ahead. "It's nothing." She suddenly gripped Trowa's left arm with her right hand. "Trowa, do you know who those people are?"

He looked ahead to see a platinum blonde Arabian and blonde girl. "Yes. That's the pilot of Sandrock, Quatre Rebarba Winner, and I guess that's his girlfriend Eya."

"Eya? Do you know her last name?" Her voice had filled with a sudden sense of urgency.

"I think it was Musc. Eya Musc." His one visible eyebrow lowered. What had gotten into her?

"Oh." The urgency disappeared and her grip was released. "Come on, I have to report to Sally, anyway."

Trowa was a little confused, but said nothing as they walked towards Sally.

"So this is what Sandrock looked like?" Eya asked Quatre in a quiet voice.

Quatre nodded, looking up at the Mobile Suit.

Movement caught the corner of Eya's eye. She turned her head slightly to see Trowa and a girl with long blonde hair walk by. She almost did a double take when she realized the girl was staring at her as they walked by. She could have sworn she saw the glint of recognition in the girl's eyes. What confused her even more was the fact that she felt like she knew that girl from somewhere.

"Eya?"

Quatre's soft voice snapped her out of her trance. She turned her head slightly to see Quatre looking at her, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Eya, are you okay?"

Eya nodded. "I'm fine."

A short silence prevailed between the two. Eya rested her head on Quatre's shoulder, then broke the silence.

"Quatre, I don't want you to get hurt during battle."

Quatre smiled as he looked at her, love filling his eyes. "Sandrock has never let me down before. I'll be fine."

Eya smiled faintly, then looked up at Sandrock. "I hope so."

A while later, the pilots had dispersed except for Heero, who was standing beside Sally. Sally turned to Heero. "So whatever happened to Zechs and Noin?"

Heero, who was still looking up at Wing Zero, didn't move. "Zechs and Lucriza were married last summer. They are now expecting in about four months."

Sally smiled at the good news. "Well, at least things are going alright for them."

Suddenly, the eyes of Deathsythe began to glow. Slowly it raised up, the platform below it lifting the gundam up. A hatch in the ceiling opened and Deathsythe disappeared above.

Sally calmly walked over to a screen and pressed a button. The screen turned on to view the cockpit of Deathsythe. In the pilot's seat sat Duo, a victorious and mirthful grin on his face. In his lap sat Fayla, with two arms around Duo's neck. A similar grin was on her face. It was obvious they were enjoying themselves.

"How's the test drive so far, Duo?" Sally asked.

"Like a dream!" he said as he piloted the gundam forward.

"See Sally? I told you he'd like it!" said Fayla.

Sally smiled, then her smile suddenly fell as she held the earpiece of the headset she was wearing, listening intently. After a few moments, she spoke.

"Affirmative." She turned to Duo and Fayla. "We have a situation. Duo, return to base ASAP and drop off Fayla. I'll give you further orders then."

"Roger that," said Duo, then shut off his communications.

Sally then turned to face the rest of the pilots. "Gundam Pilots, gather 'round, you got your first mission."

The remaining five pilots gathered around Sally. Quatre left Eya standing in front of Sandrock, assuring her that he'll be back. Trowa and Yasha joined in and stood beside Quatre. Wufei left Shenlong and stood beside Sally. Heero stood on the other side of Wufei.

Noting that all pilots were present, she continued. The screen behind her turned on and showed a picture of earth from space. It appeared to be slowly moving towards the planet. Suddenly an OZ Leo appeared then opened fire at the camera. The image turned to static. Sally turned off the screen. "This was a surveillance tape from a civilian transport craft. The tape is dated last week. The craft was destroyed just a few moments after confrontation. It's obvious they mean business. A large fleet of Mobile Dolls is currently above the atmosphere. They pose a very large threat. Your mission is to neutralize the threat. Since they're Mobile Dolls, you shouldn't have to worry about destroying soldiers as you do so. Your Gundams are ready to leave when you are."

Duo had come back, dropped of Fayla, then received new orders and left. The other pilots put on space suits and were settling into their new Gundams.

Heero silently ascended the stairs that lead to his Gundam. It was amazing how much it looked like Wing Zero. The detailing on the angelic wings was exactly as he remembered it. He was just about to open the cockpit door when it opened. A girl with dark eyes stepped out. Her black hair was held up by a red bandanna except for two strands that hung out of the front. She was wearing blue jeans and a gray tank top. At first, Heero was surprised, then his eyes narrowed.

"What were you doing in my Gundam?"

The girl turned to face him. She put her weight on her right foot and put her right hand on her hip. "Well, seeing as how I helped make Wing, I figure I have the right to be in it. Besides, I'm repairing it from now on."

"Not without me your not."

"Whatever you say, Heero."

Heero replied with a "Hn," then climbed inside Wing Zero and shut the cockpit door.

Trowa was approaching Heavyarms when a middle-aged man stepped out of the cockpit. He had soft amber eyes and dirty blonde hair that was almost slicked back. Smile lines etched his face. He wore a well-worn regular blue mechanic outfit with the name "Ron" sown in place of the nametag. He looked at Trowa and smiled kindly.

"Heavyarms is all ready to go, Trowa."

Trowa smiled faintly and nodded in return, then put on his helmet and climbed in, making a mental note to visit with Ron later. He seemed like a pleasant man.

Quatre couldn't help but to feel fifteen again, wearing a space suit and gazing at Sandrock. He found it hard to believe that he had ever used the self-destruction, it looked so familiar. He looked to his right, where Eya was standing beside him and looking at Sandrock. There was no fear of the mobile suit in front of her in her eyes. Instead, she was more afraid for Quatre's safety.

"Quatre," she said, turning to face him. "Promise me you'll be careful. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

Quatre smiled, his eyes reflecting the love he had for the young woman he now faced. He gently put both arms around her shoulders and held her close. "I promise I'll be careful. Take good care of yourself, and I'll see you when I get back."

With that, Quatre started up the steps that lead to the cockpit of his beloved Sandrock. Looking up at the mobile suit, he felt the familiar sense of companionship coming from the Gundam. He suddenly felt his apprehension disappear. He didn't need to worry about anything but his friends and himself. Sally would take care of Eya. And the Maganacs would be coming soon as well. He was sure he could trust them to watch over his beloved.

He finally walked up to Sandrock's cockpit hatch, which was left open. He walked in and sat himself down in the seat. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he began to franticly dig into his back pockets. "Ah ha....." he whispered as he pulled out the snapshot of Eya he had taken a few months ago, when they had taken a walk through the park on a sunny day. Finding the edging of the screen in front of him, he slid the picture into the crack and made sure it would stay there for the time being. It was only temporary until he could get a hold of some tape.

He smiled. There. Now he was ready.

Wufei approached his new Gundam, noticing the form standing near the open hatch. He took a second look, and he froze.

Master O.

He felt his blood run cold.

'It can't be!' he mentally told himself. 'He wouldn't be here! It's not possible!'

After a moment, he gathered enough nerve to look closer. Upon closer inspection, he realized the man wasn't Master O as he had first thought. The man was tall and bald, but Latino, not Chinese.

Wufei began to walk again as he inwardly fumed. He couldn't believe he made such a mistake. He hoped no one else had noticed as well.

The man looked up as the young pilot neared. He greeted the teen with a small smile and brown eyes. Wufei nodded in response, then climbed into the cockpit and sat down, placing his helmet on his lap as he strapped himself in. The embarrassment of his earlier mistake was still burning in his mind as he shut the hatch.

Yasha stood in front of her Gundam, her right hand opening the hatch to the cockpit while her helmet was held in her left arm. She felt her stomach do flip-flops. She had been though all the training simulations, but this was going to be her first actual battle. And in space, where gravity had no say except when you get close to a planet. She was extremely nervous, but she tried her hardest not to show it. She needed to be strong for both the mission against OZ and for the mission of her own.

She climbed in and strapped herself in. The restraints were similar to the ones inside the other Gundams, except the shoulder straps didn't separate until about chest level, otherwise it would be rather uncomfortable for a female like her.

Once done, she let her head rest on the back of the seat as she sighed. Now all she could do was wait.

Sally walked towards Eya, who was still at the base of the stairs leading to Sandrock, as Wing Zero began to rise towards the ceiling, followed by Heavyarms, Sandrock, Shenlong, then Journey. Eya, with her right hand in a loose fist over her heart, mournfully watched Sandrock until it disappeared above. She apparently hadn't noticed Sally, as she jumped when a hand rested on her left shoulder. Her heart jumping into her throat, she quickly turned to see Sally giving her a reassuring smile.

"Quatre's a good pilot. He knows better than to get killed when he has someone waiting for him. If you're hungry, I could show you to the cafeteria," she offered.

"Well, I am a little hungry," she said quietly once her heart had dislodged itself from her throat.

Sally walked slowly towards an open doorway, and Eya followed. She felt so alone, being in a military base without anyone she knew. Quatre was the only other person she really got to know. But then again, she might make some friends here. One never knew.

But there was one thing she was sure of: she would wait for him so they could go home together. And if Quatre never comes home, well then neither would she.

Author's note: Next chapter is already done; I'll try to post it as soon as I can, hopefully right after I post this one.