"The last time I saw my friends was the day before the war began. We had made a promise

that no matter what we would always be there for each other-even if we got seperated...and we were."

A young woman with black hair sighed and hid a small black book in a drawer of the desk she

sat at in her small room. It would be two years this up coming Wednesday that the war had been

raging between the Earth Militaria and the Nexis Union-those who lived in the space colonies. From

her room the woman could just make out the left side of the Earth, it seemed so far away and

lonely in the vassness of space. She was deep in thought when a knock at her door brought her

back to reality and she turned around in the small silver chair to face the door of her room.

'Enter.'

she called in a tired, yet commanding voice. A man with shoulder length blonde hair walked in, he

wore the commanding officers colours of red and black, unlike the woman who wore the same

colours, this man had four stars on his shoulder to signify his higher rank.

'Lady Zetsume...'

'How many times have I told you to call me by my first name....'

there was a pause, Taka Zetsume knew it was not her place to correct the commander, but she

hated hearing commander Zash call her by her last name, it didn't sound right to her. Out of all

the officers on the 'Mark Xiii-ii', Zash was the only one who respected her and knew of her past

that would ruine her if any one else were to find out. Zash watched Taka for a few moments with

his icey blue eyes, a slight smirk played on the corner of his lips.

'I'll remember for the next time-but the Captain wants a word with you as of five minutes ago.'

'oh, very well...'

'heh. You make it sound like a chore.'

Taka smiled slightly at Zash' remark, he always made comments on how effortlessly she appeared

to do everything, though she was always one of the hardest working officers on the ship.

'You try being the only female on the Mark Xiii-ii that can operate a Dark Class Unit.'

'How about the only person on this ship...'

Taka frowned at Zash, he knew full well that she wasn't the only person on the ship to be able to

pilot a Dark Class Unit. there were three others, Zash being one of them, Caldin and Siro were the

other two.

'Anyways, can't keep the captain waiting.'

Taka said changing the topic before she found herself in a debate over something trivial with a

great friend and commander.

'Ladies first.'

Zash backed away to let Taka go first, she thanked him. They walked in silence along the halls, the

large battle ship made many noises and as annoying as most of them were, it was comferting as

it ment the ship was in top shape. They soon arrived on the bridge, there were several officers

walking around, but the captain was identified by his long red uniform and large shoulder pads.

Captain Jindros turned and greeted the pair with a large smile, his small brown eyes twinkling with

pleasure of seeing them.

'Ah, Zetsume-glad to see you finally made it. No time for explinations, but the Nexis Union and I

have a task for you. do you except?'

'of course.'

Taka nodded her head, having a feeling that she did't have much of a choice even if she had declined.

she was curious though, the Nexis Union was the orginization behind the war and for them to ask for

her personally made her nervous.

'For us to win this war, we need you to take your DCU down to Earth and capture the last remaining

Earth force Gundams. We have records of six of them in use at the moment.'

Taka listened to her captain with great interest, she had battled ordinary mobile suits, but never had

she ever fought against another Gundam.

'Bring us those suits, Taka...and if you encounter any problems...destroy those suits at all costs. they

may not be ready for space battle yet, but we can't take any chances. understand?'

'Yes sir!'

'we've locked the location to our secret base on Earth into your DCU, that way you can rest and make

any repairs if nessary or anything else while your on Earth. Now you must leave immediatly, or risk

the Earth Militaria catching on to our plans.'

'I understand.'

Taka bowed deeply to her captain and promptly left-she wouldn't waste any time and was headed to

the bay where her Gundam was docked and waiting her. She was scared and excited at the same time,

Gundams were the single most powerful weapon to any human or orginazation, but the Earth's

Gundams were not prepared to face the Dark Class Units. Indeed they were Gundams, but had the

power of three gundams built into them-only Five had ever been made and they had been made only

for the Nexis Union. Four of them were currently being used in the war, and the fifth had been

destroyed as it was defective and was obviously too powerful for anyone human or otherwise to

pilot.

Dark Class Unit One: Dark Fear, this was Zash's Gundam-built for close range battles and speed. it

was the fastest mobile suit known to exist.

Dark Class Unit Two: The Black Death, Taka's Gundam-built for stealth and spying, this gundam

had been built with parts from the Fifth DCU, making this gundam a formidable foe.

Dark Class Unit Three: The Chaos Machine, Siro's 'pet' as he called it. designed to confuse the enemy

by sending out decoy missles while the main power hit the enemy with its built in lazer cannon.

Dark Class Unit Four: Power House, Caldin's gundam, not built for speed, but for power-it has

various guns, missles, lazers and cannons hidden beneith its armour. its usually the first into battles.

Taka pulled herself out of her thoughts when she heard someone following her, she turned

to see Siro and Caldin grinning at her like a child who had just been caught red handed in a cookie

jar.

'What are you two doing?'

she demanded, having a feeling that Zash had sent them-Taka placed her hands on her hips like a

old fashioned mother.

'we've been told to escort you to Earth.'

Caldin replied, his mop of brown hair falling into his amber eyes as he spoke.

'I think I can handle myself-it's not that far and I've done it before in lesser vessels none the less.'

growled Taka, growing annoyed at how everyone was treating her like a delicate flower now that

she had an important mission on her shoulders.

'Zash said we have to, he says this time is different.'

pipped Siro-who had his blue hair slicked back with too much gel. Taka sighed, if it was 'Zash''

wishes then she knew that she would lose this arguement.

'Alright, but remember this' my mission....'

'Correction, it's our mission now...'

The three pilots turned to see a group of men holding guns at them, they must be the suspected

traitors that Zash had told her about-she growled in frusteration and balled her fists.

'We're going to take the Dark Class Units and win this war for Earth!'

boomed a tall bald man, he grinned darkly at the pilots, his gaze sizing up each of them and stopping

on Taka.

'We only need the woman, she knows where the secret base is-do what you like with the other two-

they are useless to us as of now.'

Taka could only watch helplessly as her friends were shoved into a small room-fear for their lives

filled Taka as the bald man shoved her towards the docking bay.

'Don't worry-I'll save you guys...'

she thought, as they walked through the door to the bay. The traitors were shouting and demanding

all the mechanics to lay face down or be shot.

'What's the meaning of this!?'

Came Marion's voice, He was head Mechanic and one of Taka's trusted friends as he personally

helped with the work on The Black Death.

'We said get down-Dirtbag!'

there was a loud blast and a yell as Taka watched Marion's body fall to the groud-blood dripping

from the bullet hole in his chest.

'You Bastards!'

Taka yelled, twisting and trying to excape the bald man that held her arm tightly. Anger and hatred

filled her soul as she was only hindering herself more then helping. the man laughed, that's when

Taka elbowed him in the gut-taking the opertunity to grab his gun and turn it to him, aiming for

his head.

'DIE!'

She pulled the trigger and screamed as a wave of pain ran through her hands and up her arms to the

rest of her body. She fell to her knees and gasped for air, tears blurring her vision, she had lost the

gun to the left of her. the man laughed and grabbed Taka by the hair-she was too weak to defend

herself, trying to understand what happened to her, why had she been hurt when she pulled the trigger?

'That gun's got a lock on it-anyone other then myself try's to shoot it, will get a lovely dose of

electricity through them. not enough to kill them, but enough to immobilize them long enough...handy

idea, don't you think?'

'You saddistic B....'

"TAKA!!!!!'

Zash had arrived on the scene as soon as he found out that there was a disturbance in the bay area.

Taka couldn't see anything,but she had to try and warn Zash, if the other pilots were dead and she

was good as dead, he would be the last one to manage a DCU and win the war, he couldn't die here.

'Zash! Run for it! let them....'

She was cut off by gun fire, and yells of both men and woman. Taka felt the bald man let go of her,

but she had been thrown off of the cat walk and landed with a loud 'thud' on a pile of used boxes.

She had her eyes shut, it sounded like mass chaos as she listened to the firing and screams of pain-

she laid there for a moment willing herself to not be there anymore.

'Taka? Taka if you can hear me....crackle get to your gundam...crackle and go!'

it was Zash, he had found a safe spot and was commanding Taka to move, she nodded at the com.

link though she knew that Zash couldn't hear a nod. She opened her eyes, and instantl wished that she

hadn't, it was worse then it sounded. blood, and bodies all over the place-luckily she was only a few

yards from her suit-if she was lucky she would be ableto make it. She hesitated for a moment, she

didn't want to just abandon her friends and her ship at this time of need-however she had orders to

fulfill and it wouldn't do any good if she was killed while fighting in a meaningless scrap. Taka

took a deep breath and lept from the safety of the boxes and ran as fast as she could towards her

gundam-cursing her short skirt the entire way-it was slowing her down. She also had to evoid the

burrage of bullets and explosions, which was harder then she had thought originally. She was almost

there when a sharp pain ran through her body-she had been hit in the right shoulder by a stray

bullet. she stumbled, but kept going until she had finally made it to her gundam, ignoring the pain

and dizziness from lack of blood.

'Go Taka! Get out of here, I'll be right b-Agh!'

Taka turned just in time to see the limp body of Zash fall off the cat walk and land on the cold floor.

'"ZASH!"

She screamed, but was now locked in the cockpit of her Gundam, this wasn't right-if anyone it

should be Zash to live, not her. Taka thought as she numbly punched in the order codes to start her

machine. Within moments it was powered up and with a giant 'clang' she had made it obvious to all

the others that this Gundam was active and ready to strike. All firing had stopped as people watched

the massive suit take a few large steps towards them-soon everyone was scattering, none of their

guns could even scratch the Gundam. Taka had a dark look on her face as she held on finger over

the firing button, but she knew better then to fire any weaponry inside the ship. She turned and

flipped a switch over head, watching the states on a small screen to her left.

'Unit Two, Launching!'

She yelled into the com. link to let the ship's control room know that she was alright and on her way.

Alarms sounded and a robotic voice was warning all those on the floor to move to safety as the

Gundam stood facing a opening door. a huge force hit Taka's unit from the back and sent her

hurling into the silence of space. Taka turned her gundam to take one last look at the ship she had

grown to know as home.

'You all had better meet me there...'

she whispered to herself, referring to her friends and fellow pilots.

'Wish me luck!'

with that The Black Death was nothing more then a flickering light in the distance heading towards

the sapphire jewel that was Earth.