Okay...haven't uploaded for ages...ah well. The usual disclaimers apply, I don't own Gundam Wing, etc., etc. Thank you to Lady Deathstrike for being my first reviewer! And Une is in this chapter!
Chapter 3
He was led around the impressive rebel base by a very enthusiastic Howard. He was shown the situation room and the operations room, both fitted with very sophisticated GPS and computer technology. He was shown his room (shared with Zechs, to both their pleasure and utter annoyance), and then Noin took over to show him the MS hangars.
"Each one of these suits are my pride and joy." Indeed, as she said it, she looked very proud. " I supervised these suits. And the other weapons, but no so much." She would have gone on, if it weren't for a sudden announcement from Dorothy's voice over the speaker system.
"Incoming, Incoming! Une's section entering by point zero-five-three. Incoming!" They started towards the hangar door, and they could already hear the tumult of a large group of people entering the main chamber. A woman was standing among a group of fifty rebel soldiers, and a whole flock of civilians.
"Une!" Noin ran up to her, and the two exchanged a hug. "What happened? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." the woman addressed looked around. "We lost eight men though, and these civilians are ones who have been burned and beaten out of their homes because they were suspected rebels." Treize could only watch as other rebels came from storerooms, and directed the confused women and children to places of further comfort. However, in the midst of all the panic, Noin saw a small, lost looking blonde boy of about Relena's age standing among the soldiers.
"QUATRE!" She cried out, and he, looking up at her, emitted a small, frightened little sob and flung his arms around her waist. No sooner had he buried his face in her midriff that the whimperings ceased and he sagged, instantly asleep.
"Poor little kid." Une looked about ready to cry. "We found him with the murdered bodies of his father and one of his sisters. Her name tag said Irea."
"Irea and Mr. Winner are dead?" Noin hugged the sleeping form of Quatre closer to her. "Oh, poor honey!"
"He hasn't spoken or slept for the past two days because of it." Although her voice was solemn, Une's eyes blazed with anger.
"Oh, Poor Quatre. I know his family, they're great people, Irea was a friend from Primary school." Her voice sunk to a whisper, Noin picked Quatre up and turned to leave.
"Here, I'll carry him." chivalrous as ever, Treize stepped forward.
"Thanks. Oh, wait, you haven't met Une, have you?" Noin introduced them. "Treize Kushrenada, this is Lady Une. Une, Treize."
"Hey." Une inclined her head.
"Hiya." Treize smiled, holding his arms out as Noin gave Quatre's feather-light frame to him. In silence they walked, placing Quatre in Noin's bed, where she sat to look over him.
"Welcome to the war." proclaimed Une bitterly, looking at Quatre's finally peaceful face. However, Treize said nothing, staring only into the distance.
Over the next week, regiments, most carrying wounded or missing men altogether, continued to pour into the base, and still Quatre said nothing. He gained an appetite, slept, and would smile occasionally, but he did not speak. On Friday, when each of the twenty sections had regrouped, a strategy meeting was called. Treize, as well as Une, Noin, Zechs, and a number of others he didn't know, gathered in the operations room, the less dramatic sibling of the situation room, and gathered around the centre, where Howard and Dermail stood, looking oddly out of place in their Hawaiian shirts.
"All operations back, and we have lost one hundred and eighteen men in total." Dermail started off briskly. "Personally, I thought casualties would be higher, but we are still down fifteen percent. We also have another eighty-three men injured, which takes us down to just eighty percent of our strength." Dermail gazed out at the gathered leaders. "The time has come, Ladies and Gentlemen, to decide where we go from here." Silence reigned. As the main operations base for the whole international rebel network, it had suddenly hit all of them that whatever was decided now, would rule the fate of men for years to come.
"Maybe we should carry out small skirmishes." suggested one man in the corner. "We don't have the strength, or the capabilities for much else, but we can keep them on their toes."
"Not that there's much point in that anymore." said Une glumly. "The public would only suffer because of us."
"Maybe not much is worth anything anymore." This time from Noin. "But, we could use the mobile suits in skirmish operations. This would-"
"Is that it?" Treize's voice was low, his eyes downcast, but everyone heard him.
"What-what do you mean?" Dermail looked confused.
"What I said." Treize looked back, his eyes almost disturbingly penetrating. "Is this it? There are over ten thousand soldiers in the United Earthspere Alliance's mobile suit units alone. What can seven hundred-odd hope to do against that force?" Silence reigned, each rebel affronted, but knowing the truth in his words.
"What we can" replied Howard, gravely.
"But it's a losing battle." Treize looked up again, inspired. "Start something...there are so many people, there's got to be...what I mean is that there are over twenty billion people in this earthsphere, most of whom dislike the alliance - how come you've only got seven hundred of them?"
"So what do you suggest we do about it?." Une asked.
"Obtain allies. Merge with other rebel groups. Be something worth reckoning with. Defend the local people. Make sure that they hide you because they love you, not just for their hatred of the alliance. Unite everyone behind a figurehead, someone inspirational, like-like a saint, almost!" Treize stood, in full swing, unaware his voice had risen.
"And for God's sake, give your men hope! They need to believe they can do something! Lie low, give them time to recuperate, keep the UEA off your back. Rally them around you and your figurehead. Keep their spirits up. Make the monty python song-the bright side of life-a compulsory song if you have to. Keep them alive, and while so doing, lull the Alliance into a false sense of security." Treize stopped, his eyes glittering inspiration.
"And then?" smiled Zechs, although he had no need to ask-he knew what was next.
"Then, you go to war." he said, a strange smile on his face.
"So, will you fight with us Treize?" Just realizing everyone was looking at him, Treize turned to reply to his friend.
"Yes." was the simple answer.
"I want to fight, too." A small, wavering, but determined voice came from the back. Quatre stood, having entered so silently no one had heard. "I can't shoot, like Ms Une and Ms Noin, or make speeches like Zechs and Treize, but I want to fight too, if only to repay you." Gathering himself up, Quatre set his jaw.
"You owe us nothing, Quatre." smiled Noin
"The I will fight for my father and my sister." he said, not to be dissuaded. "I don't know how-no, wait! I can cook! It may not be the most valuable of skills, but I can." Zechs laughed, although kindly and not in spite.
"I would be glad to have you as one of my men." placing one hand on his shoulder, Zechs looked down at him.
"Then it is settled." Dermail looked pleased. "We have a cook and a master strategist joining us." Treize blushed slightly at the compliment.
"So," asked Zechs. "How do we go about cheering the troops up?"
"I think" replied Treize, after a moment's deliberation "It would be good to have two figureheads. It's kind of a symbol of unity, if there's two people. They need to be people like the rest of the soldiers. Of course, they have to fight, but...they have to be approachable...you know...ordinary."
"Yeah, I get it!" Zechs nodded, enthusistic. "Someone who can make speeches, but yet make everybody laugh as well." Lost as they were in their train of thought, it took a moment for the pair to notice everyone was looking at them.
"Wha-you mean us?" Zechs looked incredulous.
"Nah, really, I was thinking of someone more like Howard, or Noin, or" Treize stalled.
"Cheers for the comparison." Noin commented, drily. "But for someone with a nickname of "Big mouth Kushrenada", you're suprisingly authority shy."
"Yeah, but, I- I mean, look at us..."
"He's right, you know, I mean, we're just...surfers, you know...we couldn't possibly make speeches...and stuff."
"That's funny, I thought you just made one." Une began to giggle.
"I say we vote." Knowing full well the outcome, Howard took control. "All those against?"
Zechs and Treize's hands flew instantly up, only to sag a little when they realised they had no support.
"For?" Everyone else rainsed a hand. "So, it's settled."
"Well," Zechs shrugged, "we always said you'd earn a living for talking one day." Considering, Treize reflected that it probably wasn't all that bad. It might actually be fun....
Over the next two years, it grew. From the simple gathering of people in that operations room, it became something ten times bigger. Wires grew, lengthened-a communications system that spanned the entire earth and some of space. The base grew. The seven hundred became a thousand, and the thousand two thousand, and the two thousand ten. And those ten thousand were linked via miles of communications to other thousands, and other technology. And so, now, in AC 195, it has grown. Two-hundred-thousand people are rallied behind Treize Kushrenada and Zechs Marquise, all bearing the same emblem; URA, the United Rebel Army.
This war has begun!