The battle for Gateway
Chapter 17: Prelude to battle
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½.
Authors note: It's coming to the end of the story now.
Every single combat able ship and fighter that was sent to Gateway was now docking and the crew of the outer planet fleet just watched as the crew of the ships and fighters that were sent entered Gateway most of the pilots were fresh from the academy looked around at the more experienced pilots and crews and they could see that the years of combat has taken it's toll on them as the fresh pilots walked past them and find somewhere to eat.
"Well, looks like this is the prelude to the final battle."
"We're at the wars end." Nabiki replied and Ranma looked at her "hey, I've been in this war for twelve years... well, you guys have probably got homes to go back to, me I'm probably going to put in for a posting to a colony or something." Ranma replied making the gang look at him "no boyfriend of mine is getting a posting to a colony." Nabiki replied.
"Heck, even Ranko's got a family to back to."
"You're always welcome to stay with us." Ranko replied when one of the new pilots walked over to them "excuse me, do you know somewhere where I can get something to eat sir?" the gang looks at the fresh faced pilot "yeah, just go to the bottom of the corridor and turn left and you can't miss it." Ranma replied before the fresh pilot heads in the direction Ranma told him before they leave and go find somewhere else to hang around.
Elsewhere the techs for Rogue squadron were going over the fighters "hey Deunan." Shigo shouted to Deunan who was sat in the cockpit of one of the fighters with her laptop "what?" she replied without looking at Shigo "what are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing, I'm going over the systems just like you asked."
"Okay, but put out that cigarette." Shigo replied before he went to talk to one of the other techs as Deunan finished her cigarette and went back to work going over the systems.
Another meeting had been called for all the squadrons and crew of the now combined AEF fleets and it was rather crowded before admiral Travis arrived and they all stood to attention before sitting back down "as most of you know the enemy fleet will arrive here within forty-eight hours, we are all that stands between them and Earth." Travis said before the lesser-experienced pilots started to talk amongst themselves "we have a lot of experienced squadrons here like Rogue squadron." Rogue squadron stand up before everyone looks at them and they sit down "we would have had Alpha squadron but they and everyone else on the Altron was recently killed."
A few hours later they all leave and go their separate ways, Ranma goes back to the restaurant and goes through his kit bag and pulls out a small box and puts it in his flight jacket pocket before doing the bag back up and leaves and meets up with the gang somewhere, elsewhere O'Hara laid on a bed in the barracks for the marines listening to My War by Black Flag, very loudly when some of his men walk in "what the hell is this crap?"
"My War by Black Flag."
"Whatever, still sounds like crap." When O'Hara heard this he stands up and grabs the person who said Black Flag were crap and lifted him off the floor "never ever say that to my face." O'Hara said before letting go of the person "yes sir." Came the reply as O'Hara lay back down on the bed and goes back to listening to Black Flag and his men leave and wonder through the corridors of Gateway and they bump into Rogue squadron.
"Where's O'Hara?"
"Back in the barracks." One of them answered, "You have barracks?" Ranko asked and the marines looked at the pilots "yeah, thought everyone got assigned to barracks?"
Ranko looked like she was going to kill one of the marines if Ranma and the others didn't hold her back "just let it drop." Jonesy said.
Much later
Everyone except Ranma lay asleep in the restaurant and Ranma looks around before pulling out the small box from his jacket and opened it "is that the ring?" Ranko asked making Ranma jump out of his skin quickly closing it "yeah I was going to ask Yui to marry me after the war, but now she's gone along with the original members of the squadron." Ranma replied as he stood up and put the box away "anyway, we got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Yeah, the Sulaco is now repaired and fully rearmed and re supplied, all we need is myself, the bridge crew, the engineers and the gunners and that's it."
"Whilst myself and Rogue squadron along with the other squadrons will be fighting the major battle." Ranma replied before Ranko held out her hand "may I?" she asked and Ranma reached into his pocket and took the box out and handed it to Ranko who opens it and looks at it before handing it back to Ranma.
"What are you going to do with it now?"
"I don't know." He replied as he took it back from Ranko and puts it back in his jacket pocket before he goes to leave "see you in the morning."
"Where are you going?"
"Well, we're on standby." Ranma said before he left and heads to the hangers where the fighters are and climbs into his fighter as Deunan made sure that everything was ready, all of Rogue squadrons fighters were armed to the teeth when she saw Ranma sat in his fighter.
"Anything wrong sir?"
"No Deunan, we're on standby and some of us might not make it back tomorrow." Ranma replied as he took a folded piece of paper out of his breast pocket and hands it Deunan who takes it from him "if I don't make it back tomorrow, contact this address."
"Yes sir." Deunan replied as she saluted.
"Don't call me sir, and get some sleep it's going to be more than a little rough around here tomorrow."
Authors note: Two Black Flag albums I very highly recommend is Damage and My War… R&R