The battle for Gateway

Chapter 1: New pilots

Summary: Ranma Saotome, a deep space fighter pilot in the infamous Rogue Squadron who are on their way home after fighting on the frontlines of a war, and are reinforced with new pilots and one of them turns out to be Nabiki. They head to gateway station, the last stop between earth and space.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ and no, this is not a star wars crossover.

Authors note: AU.

AEF Sulaco orbiting Jupiter

Squadron leader Ranma Saotome lies on his bunk wearing his flight suit trousers, black tank top and dog tags staring at the steel grey ceiling when his wingman John McQuade comes running in.

"Hey, Ranma the new pilots are coming in." the wingman said before Ranma sat up and McQuade left before Ranma follows him to the launch bay where he finds the rest of his squadron leaning on a railing above the launch bay where they watch as a fresh batch of pilots land their fighters, swept wing fighters with the cannon barrels just showing in the wings and missile launchers under the wings with gun pods housed in the nose cones. The ground crews get to work as the pilots climb out of the cockpits and take off their flight helmets when Ranma notices Nabiki and he goes down the steps and goes to talk to her.

"What brings you to the frontlines Nabs."

"That you Ranma?" Nabiki replied as she walked over to him, her flight helmet in her hand. "Yep, and it's squadron leader now." He replied making Nabiki salute.

"We're off duty."

"Sorry sir." Nabiki replied.

"Don't call me that, we've known each other long enough." Ranma replied before Nabiki goes back to were the rest of her squadron where officers are briefing the new pilots "welcome to the AEF Sulaco, as you can see this is where Rouge squadron are stationed." The officer points out where the pilots are and their fighters before continuing "my friend here will show you all to your quarters." The officer said pointing to the officer next to him.

"Okay, if you will all follow me and I'll show you all to your quarters."

The new pilots follow the officer past the members of Rouge squadron to their quarters. The other members of Ranma's squadron look at Ranma "I take it you know one of them?"

"Yeah, my old man made a deal with an old friend of his to unite his and my family together. I got stuck with the psycho one and after the wedding that failed I was given two choices, either commit seppuku or join up." Ranma replied.

"Yeah we kinda get the idea, but who was the girl?" McQuade asked.

"My ex fiancée's older sister Nabiki Tendo."

Ranma leaves and goes back to his quarters and lies down on the bed before he looks at a photo of his former girlfriend who was killed in action a few years ago.

Flashback

Ranma sits in the cockpit of his deep space fighter waiting for clearance, when it comes he starts up the engines to his fighter and takes off forward and joins the rest of his squadron as they fly in formation before they are attacked by enemy fighters and they break formation. One enemy fighter tails Ranma as he tries to get rid of it looking back in his fighter.

"Damn, can't shake him."

"I got him." A female voice said.

"Thanks Yui." Ranma said as he manoeuvred his fighter between missiles and laser blasts bringing his fighter on the tail of an enemy fighter and pressed the firing button letting loose a volley of lasers from his guns before he flies through the wreckage of the fighter that he had just destroyed before bringing his fighter round and sees Yui's fighter being chased by two fighters trying to shake them of her tail but to no use. He could only watch as her fighter blows up before he brings his fighter behind them and launches his missiles at the two enemy fighters and watches as they both blow up.

"Let's go home."

The survivors of Rouge squadron head back to the Sulaco and land, the tech crews scramble to reload the fighters and check the damage on the fighters as the pilots climb out, Ranma takes off his helmet and throws it to one side and heads to the mess hall, which was empty and breaks down into tears when the captain of the ship walks into the mess hall.

"I heard from Turner."

Ranma turns round and sees the captain before standing up and saluting "no need for that Ranma, just thought I'd let you know that there will be a funeral service for Yui later."

End flashback

Elsewhere

The new pilots get together and go to the mess hall for something to eat and drink, when they do that they find a table and sit down at an empty table and begin to eat "so Nabiki, how do you know Ranma?"

"We're old friends." Nabiki replied.

"Oh aye." One of them said earning a glare from Nabiki, "look, can we drop the subject." Nabiki replied as Rouge squadron minus Ranma enter the mess hall and sit at a different table "McQuade, what have we got planned for the new pilots?" Turner said as a few of them look at the new pilots.

"Well, in a few hours time we're going to give them a shock in their first proper combat situation." McQuade replied as Ranma walked into the mess hall and walked over to his squadron "we on for later?"

"Yep, just talked to one of the techs five minutes ago. Everything's ready."

"Good." Ranma replied as he sat down with his squadron and they go over the plans for the new pilots when one of the techs walks in and goes over to Ranma's squadron and tells them the news and they all follow the tech to one of the launch bays and finds a squadron of black delta wing fighters with gatlin barrels housed underneath the nose and missile launchers underneath the wings.

Hours later

The new pilots fly in formation a few hundred meters in front of the Sulaco in formation "okay, there's no enemy fighters around here and remember what the captain said." Nabiki said over the intercom in her helmet.

"Hey, I got something on radar."

"How many?" Nabiki asked "I can't see anything." She finished, checking her radar and equipment before Rouge squadron in their other fighters descend on the new pilots. "BREAK FORMATION AND HEAD BACK TO HOME!" someone shouted through the intercom making the squadron break formation trying to out fly Rouge squadron.

"Remember, we're just here to get them used to combat." Ranma said as he looked at his radar and saw that one of the new pilots had gotten behind him "bet that's Nabs" he said to himself as he brought his fighter round and decided to play chicken with her, Nabiki's fighter is the first to move as she joins the rest of her squadron heading back to the Sulaco who are firing their forward lascannons and the two squadrons dodge the blasts and the new pilots land and they quickly get out and take off their helmets and Nabiki walks over to one of the techs.

"I thought there was no enemy fighters in the area."

"There isn't, watch." The tech replied pointing towards the hanger as Rouge squadron land and get out of the fighters and take off their helmets as they walk up to Nabiki and the tech "engines were shaking it too much." Ranma said to the tech.

"I'll get on it right away sir."

"Take your time." Ranma replied as he motioned for Nabiki to follow him "welcome aboard Nabiki Tendo." Ranma said to Nabiki.

"You bastard!"

"Well, that's what we do for new pilots around here to get them used to an actual combat situation." Ranma replied as he leaves and Nabiki follows him to his quarters where Nabiki notices the photo.

"Who was she?"

"Someone I loved killed in action a few years ago. How is everyone back home?" Ranma asked as he sat on his bed and Nabiki sat on a chair "after you left father engaged Akane to Ryoga, they're married now." Nabiki said.

"When we get home and finish this war, I might go visit them.

"I'm sorry for all the crap that happened to you in Nerima." Nabiki said as Ranma layed down on his bed "relax, this is possibly the best thing that happened to me, when did you join up?"

"Just after you left Earth a few years back." Nabiki replied.

Authors note: Guess the match up and R&R