Duo glanced at Quatre's tired face as he beamed up to the Companion. Quatre's face was tired and warn, like he had been using his brain too much. Duo thanked his lucky stars that he did not have to take part in the strategy meetings being held between the three allied parties. Duo followed Heero and took Quatre's little circle to beam down to the Enterprise.
"Here are the reports, memorize the strategies we came up with and add your own ideas," Wufei's voice commanded.
"Yes, sir Wu," Duo said in mock seriousness as the transporter beam lit up the area around him, blurring the world. He blinked as suddenly he was standing on the Enterprise.
"I don't know if I am every going to get used to that," Duo said, letting his body lean in Heero's direction. He almost fell over before he realized that Heero had already walked off the platform and was heading out the door.
"Wait up!" Duo yelled much louder than necessary. He easily jumped down the few stairs and slid out the closing door before it even had time to register his need to pass.
A glimpse of green told him that Heero was just around the next corner when a screech assaulted his ears and stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Heero! My HEERRROOOOO!"
Duo cringed and realized that Heero had probably been running from Relena, who had some how been held back and unable to wait for him in the transporter room after the meeting. A giddy feeling spread from his gut to his head at Heero's first actual sign that he did not enjoy Relena's company. Not that Duo didn't already know that but knowing and seeing were two entirely different things.
Duo glanced longingly once as he passed the hallway that Heero had turned down, but it was empty, as he walked forward toward the turbo lifts. He silently prayed that Relena would not follow him and that Heero was heading toward where he thought Heero would head… Engineering. Heero was working on some sort of magic and technology fusion and Duo helped when he could.
"Duo, although I despise addressing you, where, pray you, is Heero?" Relena's sweet voice didn't mask the threats buried in the undertones. Duo didn't slow his pace as the witch came up beside him.
"I do not know, Ms. Relena, he is probably headed for the bridge. He and Trowa were talking about some new weapon that Trowa worked out," Duo said as politely as possible. It wasn't a lie; He and Trowa had been working on weapons semi-recently. And Duo really didn't know where Heero had been heading.
"Why don't you contact him with that stick of yours for me," Relena asked. Duo stopped her hand as it reached for his arm to slow him down.
"Like I could even if I wanted to… you band us from using mind speech, remember. Or do I get to add hypocrite to my list of words to describe you by?" Duo asked his voice still firmly polite. He felt Relena stop but didn't stop with her, charging straight into the turbo lift as the people who were waiting for it held the door for him.
He got a glance at Relena's flushed face, her eyes widened in shock but her mouth a thin angry white line. Duo's face crinkled into a smile as he stuck his tongue out at her frozen image, and left it there until the doors to the turbo lift were closed.
"Relena is very bad about holding grudges," A soft female voice said behind Duo. Duo gracefully turned, maneuvering his staff so it didn't hit anyone in the half filled turbo lift. He wrinkled his nose as he had to turn up his face to look at the woman who had spoken to him.
"I think I already got that grudge before I stuck my tongue out at her, Noin," Duo laughed.
"Based on the look on her face I would agree. What did you do?" Noin asked. Her voice was devoid of humor but still gentle – Duo immediately felt at ease with Zech's security officer. Even though this was his first time really talking to her one on one.
"I called her a hypocrite," Duo proclaimed. Noin blanched, loosing her composure for a moment before controlling herself. Duo grinned as a soft chuckle barely escaped her lips.
"Of all the things to call her, why that?" Noin finally asked. Duo wildly gestured as he told a very elaborate version of what Relena had asked. Noin stayed quiet through the entire thing. Her face kept its small smile as the story ended and Duo's arms settled to his sides.
"She will be even angrier now, especially sense it is partly true. Be careful Duo, Relena it not physically strong, but her mind is sharper than any sword I have ever handled. The bridge is my stop, I hope we have time to speak again," Noin said as she exited the lift. Duo watched her go before his mind suddenly registered where he was. Engineering was 20 floors down! He had forgotten to get off.
With a curse he used the voice control to take him to Engineering. Duo spent the ride quiet, one of the extremely rare occasions, his mind dwelling on Noin's warning. A few Starfleet officers came in and out, their black based uniforms all blurring together in his mind before the lift finally got to it destination.
"Heya Gord," Duo's nickname for Geordi, "Is Heero around?" Duo asked. His braided hair followed his body as he turned a circle looking for his soldier boy.
"I have not seen him. Duo we are kinda busy in here today, could I talk you into maybe using some holodeck time or something," Geordi said distractedly. Duo's insides fell, although he kept his fake smile plastered to his face.
"Sure, I'll catch you guys later," Duo said as he turned and headed for a random hallway. He wandered for a time, disappointed by the lack of people stopping and asking him about his staff and powers. He wandered back to the turbo lift, sure there would be some one there to talk to but it was empty.
"Holodeck," Duo stated. Then his voice dropped to a mumble. "Duo, you're alone again. No, don't feel sorry for you're self. Alone is the best place for you. Imaginary friends are always the best…" Duo stopped talking to himself as the turbo lift doors opened to an empty hallway.
"Yes empty, will Relena take Heero from me? No she can't! Duo, what's wrong with you… you don't get depressed! Bucker up dude!..." Duo walked right past the first holodeck and didn't notice the second one until the door hissed opened right next to his ear. Duo stopped, a fake smile plastered on his face having talked him self back into his usual state of excessive fake cheeriness.
"Duo Maxwell?" An old looking butler said. His voice had an English accent which matched his long 20th century suite and the towel folded over one bent arm.
"Au ya," Duo said dumbly.
"Please come this way, we have clothing you can change into before you enter the dining hall," the old butler said. Duo blinked in confusion, his earlier troubles momentarily forgotten.
"Well Duo, it couldn't hurt to explore," Duo said to himself. His eyes widened as he followed the Butler into what seemed to be an entrance hall… but the holodeck was only a room… wasn't it?
"I am sorry I can not answer your question sense I don't know what a 'holodeck' is. Now through this door over there I have an outfit laid out for you, a waiter will take you to your table once you are dressed," The butler said as he opened the door. Duo blushed faintly, not realizing he had fallen into his old habit of talking out loud to himself.
He curiously walked into the room. It was small and fairly simple. Lush cherry wood walls had minimal decorations, a small table and chairs of the same wood sat on one side while a cushioned love seat next to a dresser of sorts sat on the other. The love seat matched the cream and brown soft carpet that covered the floor. Duo reached down and touched it, expecting to feel the cold hard surface of the holodeck, surprised when it was carpet that he felt.
"Its in the dresser young man, you don't want to keep your benefactor waiting," Duo heard the butler through the door.
"I'm going," Duo automatically yelled. His hand caressed the rich wood of the handle before he pulled it smoothly opened. He raised an eyebrow at the clothing inside.
Black dress pants and shiny black shoes would cover his bottom half. The pants were held up by a snake skin belt. The small dark brown and black scales would match the blood red silk shirt that hung above them. Duo grinned as he slipped into the outfit, leaving the top buttons unbuttoned on the shirt and letting a slim gold chain fill the space. He picked up his staff, unwilling to put the holder back on his back to ruin the outfit.
Duo looked at himself in the mirror. "I proclaim you sexy and fit to be seen," Duo told himself. Just as he said it a door on the other side of the room, opposite the one he came in, opened and a female waiter, dressed is black pants and a white top opened the door.
"Mr. Maxwell, this way please. Duo was stunned as he walked through the lavishly decorated restaurant. Cherry wood made up all the walls and floors, the tables were the same except white table cloths covered their tops. Crystal chandeliers lit most of the room but individual candles lit each table, reflecting off the clean silverware. People of all ages, except small children, talked and laughed. Duo couldn't help but pick up the attitude as he began questioning the waitresses, happy to be around so many people. He barely gave her time to respond before he asked each question; hence by the time the waitress stopped in front of a small door on one of the walls, Duo still had no answers.
"Sir," the waitress said as she opened the door for him. "Your table awaits."
Two seconds later
Heero managed, but barley, to keep the smirk off his face as Duo's chin dropped to the floor. Troy had mentioned this program to Heero and showed him how to use it. And after Quatre had pointed it out, Heero had realized that Duo needed something from Heero. Something that showed Duo how much Heero appreciated his company… maybe even more than appreciated.
Duo slowly picked his chin off the ground and stepped into the room so that the waitress could close the door, dimming the sound of laughter from the main room. The small chamber Heero had picked out looked much like the main dining hall, a crystal chandelier filled the room with rainbows and dim light, while candles allowed them to see what they were eating. The cherry wood made up the walls, but the floor was the nice carpet from the changing room and the walls were decorated with medieval tapestries.
"Sit," Heero asked.
"Yes, master," Duo replied with a grin. Heero ignored Duo's teasing as he watched his slim sexy body slide into the chair across from him. "So what is the occasion?" Duo asked, "And who picked out these close for me, it could not have been you."
"Quatre, no occasion," Heero deadpanned. Duo's bottom lip stuck out in a pout, Heero resisted the erg to reach forward and kiss it. He did not need those kinds of distractions… although over time he was finding that he wanted them.
"Oh well, I thought you were going so fast to escape Relena… and that's why Gord told me to go away – it hurt my feelings – oh but I had the funnies run in with Relena…" Duo began to ramble. Heero sat back in his chair and crossed his arm over his chest. Duo's rambling would be fine for this evening.
Active time event
"HHHEEEERRRRROOOOOOOO!" Relena screamed into Engineering. Although she had checked the bridge once, she had come straight to Engineering after… she knew her Heero better than his pesky sexually confused friend. The twit that dared call her, master of all diplomacy and peace, a hypocrite among other names. And he dared even think that he could take Heero from her.
"I'm sorry ambassador, but Heero is not here and has not come this way today," Data's fingers didn't miss a beat as they flew over the consol in front of him at speeds unattainable by humans.
"I wonder where he could be," Relena said. Her voice was filled with dramatized worry, no longer yelling but soft and wistful.
"I believe he is taking some time for himself, after today everyone will be pulling nonstop overtime to try and complete the projects and prepare the ship for battle," Data absently responded.
So absorbed in his work, Data didn't see the cunning smile that flitted across Relena's features as she glided behind Data's chair.
"Do you know where he is?" Relena said in the same voice, trying to coax the information out of the artificial intelligence.
"Yes, but as I said before he is taking time for himself…" Data started.
"And he will want his finance with him!" Relena firmly interjected.
"I do not believe so…" Data started.
"Data, start working on those probes, we want them ready for Heero's infusion tomorrow," Geordi's voice barked. "I'm sorry, Ms. Relena but we are extremely busy. Please go else where for entertainment today."
Relena forced her face into its diplomatic mold and nodded.
"I'm sorry for bothering you, I know this is an important time and will leave you to your duties," Relena said politely. She gave a slight bow and turned, her hand clasped in front of her. If no one would tell her where Heero was… than she would find him herself!
A few hours later
Duo scraped the last of the steak drippings off the plate with the last of the pasta that came with the chuck of delicious red meat. He almost didn't wait to finish chewing before he continued the story he was on.
"…and so then they decided to chase me through the back streets - back streets that I knew better than the rats that were born in them – anyway, they chased me for a few minutes before I dived into one of my holes that led into the cellar of bakers room. But the baker had moved the flower and so I landed on the barrel and flower went every where!" Duo stopped to finish off his glass of whine.
"Heero you're still listening right?" Duo asked suspiciously as he looked across from him. Heero's face was still as cold as stone, only the slight drop in his shoulders told Duo he was relaxed. Shoulders that were covered in a dark blue silk shirt, buttoned all the way up with a black tie set perfectly in the center. His pants were much like Duo's except dark brown. Heero nodded slightly, his unruly hair slightly bouncing with the movement.
"Heero, you look good," Duo said, his story forgotten. "It's kinda lonely over here," Duo said, a sly smile spreading over his face. Without asking Duo picked up his chair and very noisily, still half sitting in it moved it next to Heero. "This is better," Duo said. He started to lean over onto Heero but a knock came at the door.
"Are you ready for desert?" the waitress questioned.
"Yes," Heero deadpanned. Duo wanted to drop his head onto Heero's chest so he could feel the rumble of Heero's voice. With out hesitating he dropped his head on Heero's shoulder, his eyes widened slightly as Heero brought his arm over Duo's shoulder and hugged him tightly. Duo didn't need any more encouragement as she slipped out of his chair and into Heero's lap, snuggling against his chest.
The food and waitress were both forgotten as Duo felt Heero's arms come around his body and chin rest on the top of Duo's head. Duo wished that this moment would last forever.
As they hug
Cassandra smoothly trailed her hand in front of the blank consul on her left as her eyes scanned the semi transparent screen in front of her. The pitch black of her room receded slightly as the wring of her computer fought its way to life.
The reflection of Heero and Duo's bodies, pressed as close together as clothing would allow, vanished from her eyes as her left hand danced over the key pad, switching the screen to the black void of space.
The screen moved, as if flying, to zoom in on a fleet of star ships, fighters coming to try and take the new land in the neutral zone. Cassandra's telepathic abilities easily sensed the cloaked ships more than doubling the fleet on her screen. A sudden small strike on a visible ship's flanks drew Cassandra's attention, she let her consciousness drift… hearing the sounds of battle.
The ship being hit was on read alert, it rocked with a symphony of screams and thuds as volleys of photon torpedoes hit it on all sides. Then, just as fast as it had started, it ended… the attackers were never even seen and the ship was left dead in space.
Cassandra watched the fleet for long enough to see it check for salvageable parts and picked up the lone escape pod to survive the strike. She moved her vision back across space, the stars blurring into lines of vivid white until it slowed and then halted on the Mage's planets. She allowed her self a moment to pause and look at the planets, the star formation creating the perfect conduit for magical channeling… and big enough to open a portal to the closest dimension. The make up of the planets and their energy lines matched perfectly.
Cassandra's right hand typed in a password on a key board in her native language - long gone much like her species and home. But Cassandra didn't allow her self to even have those thoughts as a 3D map appeared in front of her, only obstructed by the dim screen showing the planets she had yet to turn off.
Her left hand began to craw over the consul as more screens popped up, data running across them at speeds even Data would have trouble computing.
"Gundam 01 and Pilot data," Cassandra's voice was ruff from lack of use.
She couldn't help the slight up turn of her lips as she fed all the information into her computer. It would take a few hours to crunch all the numbers. Cassandra's eyes lingered on the image of Gundam 01, and for a piece of time so short it wasn't even registered; Cassandra felt an intense erg to share her plans with the only creature in the universe that understood her at some level… Heero.
For she was going away from this mortal dimension, with its petty menial concerns. And the energy generated by this battle was all she needed to open the gate to a place where she could start over – for a time at least.
2 days till attack
"Caption Quatre, I have something you should see," Geordi stated at the moment the young blonde walked onto the bridge. He turned before he saw the look of concern on Quatre's face or the arm that briefly squeezed the blonde's shoulders in reassurance. Quatre's ever present companion and body guard.
"We have been monitoring the area, with the enemies so close, and we found two very interesting things," Geordi began to explain. "Now assuming that the reading our computer can't understand is your magic, than there is an odd flux coming from your ship as well as a slight build up. The second thing we found is a shuttle that has just started flying around the planets. I have already confirmed that it is not one of White Fangs, Romefellers or ours."
"Do you know what this vessel looks like?" Quatre asked, his mind flying through possible reason these readings could be appearing.
"Yes, in fact we have a full scan of it," Geordi said as he brought up the image. Quatre squinted forward as what looked like the image of Beta, the only shuttle on the Companion.
"That's our shuttle," Quatre said absently as the crystal of mind lit up on his staff. He quickly contacted his four ship mates, waking up Heero and Duo in the process. "But none of them are on it… What are the life signs?" Quatre's voice gained the barest hint of worry at the end of the question.
"That's what was confusing us… there aren't any signs of life," Geordi said slowly, as if trying to convince him self.
Heero, where is Cassandra?Quatre immediately questioned through the staff mind link.
BetaHeero's mind was as emotionless as his voice.
What is she doing?Quatre asked, his mind voice gaining a hint of impatiens.
I was not informedHeero returned. Quatre let out a frustrated sigh physically and leaned on Trowa for support.
"I will look into this, Cassandra is on the shuttle and she does not inform us of her plans," Quatre said tiredly.
Heero and Duo I need you two to take mine and Trowa's placethe mind of Quatre's staff glowed, reflecting off the image of Beta.
But we just got off a few hours ago!Duo wined, If Quatre could have turned down the volume off his staff he would have.
ConfirmedHeero's mind was almost a whisper compared to Duo's whining, which got even louder as his target switched to Heero. Quatre tuned them out and headed for the transporter room.
"I don't trust her," Quatre said as the doors to the room hissed opened. The engineer working the station nodded to them, acknowledging their presents.
"It is understandable," Trowa quietly responded.
"Energizing from the Companion," the engineer stated. The forms of Heero and Duo slowly materialized. If Quatre had been paying more attention instead of dwelling on Cassandra, he would have reprimanded both of his friends, although Heero's hair always looked something like that, on their rumpled clothing and messy hair.
But instead he walked purposefully to the transporters.
"Hey, Q-master! Watz' up?" Duo asked, the barest hint of concern touched his voice.
"Cassandra is doing something on Beta, and now that I feel for it, there is a large build of up our magic on the Companion," Quatre quickly explained. "Two to beam up to the Companion please," Quatre asked, although his voice commanded.
"Wait…" Duo started to ask for more of an explanation but Quatre was already beaming.
A few seconds later
Wufei, calmly received Quatre and Trowa on the Companion. Although he had been angry when Heero had disturbed him from his work on the Gundams for a simple transporter, he had managed to calm. His tired arms and sweaty body needed the break anyway.
After fixing Nataku, Wufei started to check and add federation technology to the Gundams. The technology was still nothing compared to their staff magic, but anything would help when out number 8 to one.
"Wufei, did you open the bay for Beta?" Quatre asked, distractedly.
"No, I wasn't aware it was out," Wufei replied.
"Hum, she must have done it her self… Trowa check the ships logs so that we know how long she has been out," Quatre started to walk toward the bridge.
"Cassandra did run this ship alone before we came along," Wufei stated, be began to follow Quatre.
"That's true, but we don't really know anything about her other than that," Quatre started. As he spoke his voice gained worry. "For example, why was she mapping our planets? What has she done with all the data we collected? How did she make all the scanners that looked for magic that had been out of this demotion for over 200 years? How was she producing Gundainum on this tiny ship? When did she know…" Quatre's voice was hysterical at this point as questions and suspicions jumped from his mouth, as if they had a mind of their own.
Wufei shook his head, his slanted eyes crossed as Quatre's questions continued to roll over him in waves. As if Quatre had opened a flood gate and suddenly all the questions and suspicions that he should have felt washed over him.
"Quatre, calm down," it was Trowa's voice that cut through Quatre's. An ax couldn't have cut Quatre off faster as the blondes mouth closed; wide eyes looked into Trowa's. His pupils were dilated, making his blue seem almost none existent against the black.
Wufei couldn't move just watch as Quatre began to fall, as if in slow motion. Only Trowa's fast reaction saved him from hitting the cold metal floor of the bridge.
"He over used his empathy, Wufei you have bridge duty," Trowa stated. Wufei looked into Trowa's eyes, his mind grasping the situation slower than it was actually occurring. Trowa waited until Wufei was able to node before he picked Quatre up in his arms and disappeared toward engineering and the lifts to the other floors.
Wufei couldn't stop starring at the place that Quatre had fallen as his mind seemed to try and fight some sort of barrier that was having trouble processing everything that Quatre had just said.
"This is not a surprise… we did not trust her in the first place," Wufei said to himself, although it sounded more like a question. "Stop being so weak and figure it out!" Wufei suddenly screamed at the walls. As if the words broke a barrier suddenly the spiral of thoughts and emotions that had taken over and confused his mind straightened out.
Wufei moved his eyes, followed by his head to the bridge.
"Something is not right here," Wufei said to him self as he took the few steps that allowed him to sink into the main consul of the bridge. And it would make sense if he could only find more information. "Computer, display all captions longs and transmissions from this ship in the last five years," Wufei ordered. He slowly leaned back in his chair and began to read and watch.
The captions logs were worthless in his search; Quatre was the first and only person to make entries. All transmissions had also been deleted; the first one was from the mages as well. All of the ships records had been deleted except for the most basic, where the ship had been. But not what it had done or how long it had been there. Wufei growled and rubbed his temples… information was not going to be easily gained.
A few hours later
The slightly crinkled skin around Trowa's eyes was the only sign that he was worried as Quatre's eyes fluttered opened. Once again quick reflexes saved Trowa has he moved his head away from Quatre's quickly sitting up body and his hand to Quatre's chest.
"Don't move," Trowa said as he pushed his lover back down onto the bed.
"But…" Quatre started.
"You can tell me lying down," Trowa stated. He left his hand on Quatre's chest an instant longer before he took it off, trusting that he would not try to get up again.
"It was like I realized that something was important and then I focused on it and suddenly everything came pouring in at once. All these emotions and realizations! No we have to stop Cassandra!" Quatre almost yelled as he tried to get up again. It took both of Trowa's arms and most of his body weight to force Quatre to stay on the bed this time. It was easy to forget Quatre's strength when he never used it.
"Quatre, you are warn out. If what Cassandra was doing was really evil Heero would not allow it," Trowa tried to reason. Quatre froze, as if stung.
"Heero doesn't know what she is doing… he said it him self!" Quatre started to struggle again, Trowa glanced down, unwilling to put his full weight on his smaller companion. Despite his strength at this rate he would hurt himself. With no other choice Trowa grabbed his staff and channeled all his mind powers into one spell. Quatre's body went limp as his mind was forced into a dreamless sleep.
1 day till attack
"Wufei! We are tired and have been on the enterprise for three shifts now!" Duo's voice screamed over the com. Duo was calling from a personal com in the room they were barrowing because of their extended shift due to extreme circumstances. Wufei looked up from his place on the bridge. Dark circles had formed under his eyes and the screen doubled out a few times before he managed a reply.
"Maxwell!" The name was slowly yelled, but still yelled none the less. "Quatre is still unconscious, Trowa is finishing my job so that the Gundams will be prepared for battle and I have not slept in two days between fixing my Gundam – which you blew apart – and trying to figure out what is going on. STOP YOU WINING AND DEAL WITH IT!" The last words were screamed so loud it echoed through out space.
"Fei, I didn't know you felt so passionately about it," Duo said. Not fazed by the yell he could feel on a different space ship.
"Have you compared the data Cassandra collected to the rout she is taking now?" Heero's dead voice inquired. Wufei's drooped eye lids took a moment to register the question and then they snapped up.
"Cross referencing as we speak," He said. His hand flew over the consuls that if he didn't before he now had memorized.
"This is… what is this?" Wufei asked no one in particular. His eyes crossed, making the data and star picture in front of him triple out this time. "Heero, Duo. I don't care what you have to do but get up here. When Quatre wakes we need to - just the five of us - look at this. I don't know exactly what is going on, but I didn't even know that magical symbols were this big."
Wufei cut off Duo's protests and transferred all the data on a disk. As he started moving toward the conference room Heero's voice confirmed that Duo and Heero were beaming up.
Trowa, what is Quatre's state?Wufei didn't stop walking as he asked Trowa.
He is awake and calm, we will join you in a few momentsTrowa responded.
Wufei sent back a mental nod and hurried into the conference room. He loaded the information he had found and then paced… for pacing was all that his body would do. After what seemed like an eternity, although was actually around 10 minutes. The five mages were gathered.
"I'll just show you what I found," Wufei plainly stated. His voice much calmer than his adrenalin powered body. He pressed the screen on; already there was the map they had made, with all the 'lines of power' as Cassandra had called them that her sensors had picked up. Wufei quickly zoomed the map out to show the galaxy and then enlarged it to take up the entire wall.
The intake of breath could be felt as the five mages recognized the symbols that the lines made up. The bright color of each planet glowed with streaking lines of even brighter color making up symbols. The biggest symbol was of each element surrounded by symbols designed to channel energy, store it and release it. These same symbols also tied all five planets together… giving them the ability to come together as one again some day.
"And this is what Cassandra has been doing," Wufei felt his energy leaving him now that he had gotten what he had been looking for. Cassandra's path was white where it was in space and black over planets.
"She is drawing symbols around the sun and connecting them to the planets, why and how does she know our magical symbols is my question," Wufei stated as he sat down. He studied the chart once again. The black lines over the sun almost reminded him of Duo's graffiti, but then they were too organized and drawn with the precision of a master mage. Each one connecting to a matching symbol already present on the planet just activated.
"What is the main symbol on the sun?" Duo suddenly broke into the comtemplative silence. "Call me an idiot but I just don't recognize it as a whole… I mean I see the elements are part of it, as well as space and power and time and move and… Shit. Is anyone else putting this together?"
"It's the dimensional shift," Trowa quietly answered. "But I thought that magic was lost…"
"It was," Heero deadpanned. Trowa raised an eye brow but didn't comment.
"Does Cassandra have anything to say," Quatre's voice was quiet, even meek. It was the first time he had talked sense entering the room.
"I have not contacted her," Heero responded.
"Don't Heero, she is evil. She does not act with good intent," Quatre suddenly said. His voice gaining emotion.
"I thought you didn't sense anything from her," Wufei pointed out. Quatre pulled his legs up on to the chair and into his body.
"I don't, I still don't. I can't even tell if she is alive… but you know why I lost it, and why we never truly questioned her motives?" Quatre asked. He didn't give anyone a chance to respond just plowed on. "Because she is telepathic and used her abilities to make us turn a blind eye to our feelings and instincts when it came to her."
"Why did only you and Wufei have trouble than," Duo asked. His head truly cocked in curiosity.
"I don't know!" Quatre almost shouted. Duo blinked and backed down. "Look I'm sorry. My nerves are on edge, and all of us are tired. Heero how is it that all five of us are here with out breaching contract?"
"All three ships have a tracterbeam on our ship," Heero stated. If so much had not already happened Quatre might have worried about the fact that the Companion could be easily torn into three as they spoke.
"Fine, Heero did you finish you work with the Enterpirse?"
"Yes."
"And Trowa you as well?"
"No, but of us, I am in the best shape to finish it."
"Fine but don't wear your self out, and before you go set up an automatic transporter beam to your Gundam's cockpit. We will take turns now, when Cassandra comes back to the ship I want to talk to her. If she doesn't return and our enemies are in range, I'm sorry Heero, but fire on Beta and destroy the ship. She can not finish what she is doing."
"What is she doing?" Wufei repeated the question.
"I don't know, but what ever it is there is something wrong about it," Quatre's voice was frustrated and he brought one of his fists down on the table. His eyes moved to it has he flattened out his fingers, his voice calming. "I don't know what part, but something is wrong. Where is all the power going to come from to charge up the symbols she has… where has she gotten the power already stored? I just don't know what if it kills everything on our planets? There are too many unknowns," Quatre almost whispered the last part. The room went quiet; it seemed that nothing even breathed.
Heero stood; the movement seemed sudden in the silent room.
"Heeerrroooo! Where are you going?" Duo said in a perfect mimic of Relena.
"To follow Quatre's orders," Heero deadpanned as he walked out the door. The doors whispering opened for him to pass let fresh air into the room from the hall, making a chill pass through the remaining mages.
Duo quickly jumped up and followed after… his action suturing the remaining three into action.
"I'll beam you down," Wufei offered to Trowa as the tall mage tried for the third time to get Quatre's attention. "He needs time to think."
With a silent node Trowa agreed and the two left, Wufei hoped that Quatre would figure out what he needed to soon. According to his calculations their enemies were less than a day away.
mtc
AN: There are one and a half chapters left (give or take), and I have two working endings. One leaves room for a sequel and one doesn't. Here is where I need you feed back, either in email or review form. If I get enough responses than I will write it with a sequel… if not than I will give it a final ending. Thank everyone who reads, and especially the few that leave feed back.