The battle for Gateway
Chapter 15: Arrival at Gateway
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½.
Ranko sits in the captain's chair reading some files when Ranma walks onto the bridge with his hands in his flight jacket pockets before Ranko looked at him "anything from the fleet?" he asked leaning on a railing and looks at everyone else working "the usual." Ranko replied before Ranma left.
Elsewhere on a battered looking carrier a lot of mercenaries were going over their weapons before their leader entered the room "alright, we just want the Sulaco, we got paid good for this one." Their leader said before leaving and goes to the bridge "how far till we reach the Sulaco?"
"Not long, we're practically behind them."
"Good, get your weapon ready." He said before the other person leaves to get their weapon ready to board the Sulaco and kill everyone on board the Sulaco leaving the person in charge of the mercenaries on the bridge looking at the view screen and looks at the rear of the Sulaco as they catch up to it before they come up beside it and attaches a docking tube to the hull of the Sulaco before the mercenaries walked down and cocked their weapons before turning the safety off their weapons before someone runs a bypass and the airlock opens and they quickly enter.
"SOMEONES OPENED THE AIRLOCK!"
"What?" Ranko replied before one of the helmsmen puts it onto the screen and they see the mercenaries heading down to a junction and they split up "go to red alert." Ranko ordered before the Sulaco goes to red alert, Rogue squadron were sat in the mess hall when they heard the siren go off "that's not the scramble siren!" Ranma shouted before he ran out of the mess hall and bumped into O'Hara.
"WHAT THE FUCKS GOING ON!"
"How should I know?" Ranma replied before they heard gunfire "I think we should head to the armoury." O'Hara said before they head to the armoury, back at the mess hall the crewmembers realise that something is wrong when all the marines suddenly run out of the mess hall as does everyone else. At the armoury the armourer was wondering what the hell was going on when O'Hara and Ranma ran into the armoury grabbed some body armour and took two pulse rifles and some magazines for them before heading off to find the mercenaries as most of the crew head down to the armoury and grab the weapons and a few magazines and head off.
O'Hara and Ranma head down a corridor as several mercenaries head their way and they meet as the both turn the corner "SHIT!" Ranma shouted before he fired a quick burst as O'Hara dragged him back round the corner "you see that insignia, they're mercenaries." O'Hara said as Ranma looked round the corner "I thought they wiped each other out during the mercenary war?" Ranma replied as he looked round the corner.
"Well, here they are."
In the corridors of the Sulaco the mercenaries and the crew were fighting, the bridge bunnies had mad a makeshift barricade at the bottom of the corridor leading to the bridge, meanwhile Ranma and O'Hara had put on the body armour and stood back to back fighting "WHAT I WOULDN'T GIVE FOR A SMART GUN!" O'Hara shouted as he changed the magazine and opened fire once again "why?" Ranma replied.
"The smart gun can hit multiple targets at once."
"YOU MEAN TWO SMART GUNS!" Ranma replied as he quickly changed magazines and opened fire again as the body count for the mercenaries began to rise, the others of Rogue squadron were holding out on their own just outside the armoury "Ranma never speaks about the original line up of the squadron." Whistler said as she opened fire with the rifle in her hands before changing magazines quickly and opens fire as the armourer walked out with a smart gun "OUTTA THE WAY, I'LL SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE!" the armourer said making Rogue squadron move out of his way as he stands in the middle of the corridor and opens fire and the others watch as mercenaries started to fall dead.
A few hours later all the mercenaries were dead and the crew of the Sulaco started to put the bodies back onto the mercenaries ship before they closed the airlock and detached the docking tube and quickly destroyed the mercenaries ship before rejoining the fleet as the crew started to hand the weapons back in and went about their daily business when word got passed round the fleet that they were arriving at Gateway in an hour making Ranko breathe a sigh of relief "well, guess I better tell the ship." Ranko said before she stood up as someone turned on all communications on the Sulaco.
"This is acting captain Ranko Hakubi, we will arrive at Gateway in an hour."
Everyone cheers and goes to pack their stuff leaving Ranma and Rogue squadron sat in the mess hall "if they think this war is over, they have another thing coming." Ranma said and everyone agreed before they go and pack their gear away, Ranma didn't have much to pack away and packs all his items except his flight uniform and best uniform and leaves his case on the table and takes one last look at the room in which he had slept in for the last twelve years before going back to the mess hall and sits at an empty table as other pilots walk in and they all start to talk about the past.
An hour later the fleet had docked at Gateway and were in the process of moving their fighters from the carriers to the main hanger of Gateway, on the bridge of the Sulaco Rogue squadron look at Gateway station "I cant believe they based the design for Gateway on space station Libra from Gundam Wing." Nabiki said and everyone on the bridge looked at her "well, our tech crew should be moving out with our fighters." Ranma said as he put his arm around Nabiki's shoulder "well, I guess we should leave so the repair crews can get to work." Ranko said before they leave as Rogue squadron's fighters were transported to Gateway.
On Gateway the gang walk down one of the corridors as the locals walk around them, they turn the corner and look down at the lower floor to see the crew of the fleet and the locals of Gateway walking around going on with their lives as the gang walk down the steps and disappear into the crowd and find a place to sit and try to finally relax until the major battle begins.
"That you Ranma?"
Ranma stops dead in his tracks and turns round to see Ukyo "Ukyo, how've you been, sorry I haven't written but I've been busy fighting." He said as they shook hands for the first time in twelve years "Ukyo." Nabiki said.
"Nabiki."
"So, what's everyone up to these days?" Ranma asked.
"Well Mousse is dead and so is the old bat, tried to get access to your files on where you were and they were shot… Shampoo's up here running a restaurant with me." Ukyo replied who noticed Ranko "this is my squadron, comprised of Jonesy, Whistler, Ritchie, Nabiki and me." He replied.
"Who's this?" Ukyo asked pointing to Ranko.
"I'm Ranko Hakubi, acting captain of the AEF Sulaco."
"Long story, I'll tell you when we got some time now we got to find a place to bed down." Ranma replied as he lifted his duffel bag over his shoulder "why don't you stay at mine and Shampoo's place?" Ukyo asked and Ranma looked at his squadron and Ranko and they nodded back in response "sure, why the hell not."
Ukyo leads the way to the restaurant that she shared with Shampoo and once they get there they go in "make yourselves at home." Ukyo said as they drop their bags and Ukyo heads into the back to get Shampoo and Ranma spots a purple blur heading towards him before getting glomped "ack… can't… breathe!"
"Where Ranma been for twelve year?"
"Well, if you'd let him go he could tell you." Ukyo said and Shampoo let him go and he started to get his breath back "I fought at the battle of Pluto and many other battles on the way here." He replied before he introduces Rogue squadron and vice versa to Shampoo before they start to talk about what's been going on in their lives in the twelve years that the old NWC had seen each other.
"I can't say I'm sorry that the old ghoul's gone but Mousse, what a waste of a good soldier."
Later
Everyone had bedded down, most of Rogue squadron slept on the tables or chairs that they had put together, Ranma and Nabiki sleep on the floor and Ranma was holding Nabiki as she slept with her head leaning on Ranma's chest as Ranma ran his hand through her hair.
Authors note: This story is far from over, the mercenaries war is something I borrowed from Mirai 12 and if you want a sequel or prequel just let me know… R&R