The battle for Gateway
Chapter 13: Heaven is falling
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½.
Authors note: I've been listening to too much Bad Religion.
"Everything ready for the game?" Whistler asked as Jonesy pulled out a box from one of the spare hangers "just need to take all this poker gear to the mess hall and set up the table." He replied before they left and head to the mess hall and pass Ritchie and someone else as they carry a round table down to the mess hall "geez, I can't believe it's time for our yearly squadrons only poker game." Ritchie said and the other person nodded back as they headed to the mess hall where Ranma was helping to set up the seats for their game that would start in an hour as soon as the table and deck arrived and were set up.
"Tell me Ranma, why are we doing this?"
"Well love, it's our annual squadron only poker game." Ranma replied as the table and deck arrive and are quickly set up the table and got the deck and chips ready as the other twelve squadrons based on the Sulaco enter before someone goes to the door with a sign that said 'SQUADRON MEMBERS ONLY POKER GAME! DO NOT ENTER!' and they all sit at the table "you play poker?" Nabiki asked Ranma who looked at her "yeah, got into it at the academy and it's become a yearly event for squadrons." He replied as someone started to deal the cards.
On the bridge Ranko was getting used to her new position as acting captain and looked around the bridge and looks at the repair crews at work repairing the damage that was caused yesterday "I'm never going to get used to this." She muttered to herself, meanwhile the poker game was in full swing and the more experienced pilots were talking about the old days "whatever happened to the crew of bomber NX-6178 'heaven is falling'?" someone asked.
"They got shot down, went down in a blaze of glory." Ranma replied before picking up a card.
"Oh yeah, what was the name of their tail end Charlie?" Jonesy asked and everyone looked at each other trying to remember the name of the tail gunner "don't think any of us can remember his name." Whistler replied as she picked up a card "how'd they go down?" Nabiki asked.
"Completely shot up before being cut in half and their tail end Charlie kept on firing as the rear half went down."
"Well, heaven did fall for them." Ritchie said making everyone groan before he got slapped around the back of the head "that was bad, even by my standards" Jonesy replied before putting his cards down "I'm out." He said before pushing his chips into the middle of the table and opening his beer and taking a mouthful before sitting back in his seat and watches the others continue to play the squadrons only poker game and talk and laugh about their days at the academy.
"Anyone remember old man Harrison?"
"Jesus Christ, he still alive?" Whistler asked and the others laughed, "He's dead." Nabiki replied putting her cards down and everyone looked at Nabiki "whoa, how'd the old man die?" Ranma asked.
"Heart attack."
"I think I'll speak for the more experienced pilots here… a heart attack, we thought that he'd die in a midair collision or something… the man was practically immortal." Ranma replied.
"Well, he wasn't."
They all lift their bottles of beer up "TO OLD MAN HARRISON THE FINEST FIGHTER COMBAT INSTRUCTOR!" they all say before going back to their game whilst O'Hara and his marines sat in the reccy room looking rather bored "hey O'Hara, what's going on with all the squadrons?"
"It's their yearly poker game." O'Hara replied.
"Well, this sucks." One of them replied and the others replied in their own way before a few of them decided to play some pool whilst the others decided to get some sleep, the poker game went on and the crew were doing their own things Deunan and Shigo were sat in the hanger with Rogue squadrons fighters in and they were working on Nabiki's fighter by repainting it and added 'Rogue two, tamer of the wild stallion.'
"When Ranma finds out, we're in deep shit."
"Relax Deunan, I'll take the rap." Shigo replied as he finished with the painting before stepping back and looking at their handiwork before they leave, on the bridge Ranko is contemplating on telling her crew about their situation "captain, anything wrong?"
"No."
Meanwhile at the poker game only three people were left in Ranma, Nabiki and Whistler and everyone else was drinking and someone turned on a c.d. player and put Bad Religion's Generator album and put Heaven is falling on as Whistler leaves the game before the sirens go off and they all groan and run to their fighters and strap themselves in and launch and Ranma spots a enemy landing carrier with fighter escort and dives and the other fighters follow and open fire on the fighters quickly getting rid of them before opening fire on landing carrier and cuts it in half before having flashbacks of NX-6178.
Flashback
During the battle of Pluto Rogue squadron were flying escort duty on a bombing raid on enemy positions "this is Rogue one to NX-6178, we're coming up to target and flak is pretty thick tonight." Ranma said through the intercom in his helmet.
"This is pilot of NX-6178, roger that Rogue one."
Enemy fighters appear out of nowhere and start to strafe the bombers and the fighters go to take care of the fighters and several enemy fighters converge on NX-6178 and strafe it before the mid gunner nails one and stares at it as it cuts the bomber in half and Ranma watches as the tail end Charlie keeps on firing as his half goes down with the front half in flames.
End flashback
"Ranma, HEY RANMA!" Nabiki shouted making Ranma snap out of his daze "what's wrong?" Whistler asked as they headed back to the Sulaco "nothing." He replied as the landed and head back to their poker game as the techs refuelled the fighters as well as rearming them "what happed out there, you froze." Jonesy said.
"Remember what happened to NX-6178? I just had a flashback of it."
"Jesus man, you've really let this war get to you." Jonesy said as they go back to their poker game and a few hours later the game was over, Nabiki had won by calling Ranma's bluff and once they've packed the stuff away for another year they go their separate ways. Nabiki and Ranma head off to his quarters.
Authors note: I might do a one off story about what happened to NX-6178… R&R