Chapter 4: It's Just Junk
Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, Mahou Sensei Negima, or Gundam.
Wars have been a central part of modern human history for as long as humanity has existed…Now let's hear what some people have to say about war.
"Never in the field of human conflict has so many been owed to so few" (Winston Churchill)
"Err…is this thing on? Ummm…war is bad…"(Keitaro Urashima)
"Vini, Vidi, Vici i.e. I came, I saw, I conquered" (Julius Caesar)
"I came, I saw, I kicked Ass, from here, to right over there." (Rayce Farelle)
"Where Napoleon had failed, I shall succeed. I shall land on the shores of Britain." (Adolf Hitler)
"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STILL ALIVE!" (Kaolla Suu)
"Know your yourself, Know your enemy, and your victory shall never be in danger" (Sun Tzu)
"Who am I?" (Trowa Barton, having lost his memory)
"One of the main reasons that it is so easy to march men off to war," says Ernest Becker, is that "each of them feels sorry for the man next to him who will die." (Annie Dillard)
"Anou…anou…anou…AWAWAWAWAWAWA!" (Shinobu Maehara)
"I shall return!" (General MacArthur, while retreating from the Philippines)
"I shall return!" (Duo Maxwell, while leaving all the party food)
"I have returned!" (General MacArthur, as he lands on the Philippines once again)
"I have returned!" (Mitsune Konno, as she arrives at the horse races)
In peace the sons bury their fathers, but in war the fathers bury their sons. (Croesus)
"There is no spoon…" (Sasaki Makie)
The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations. (David Friedman)
"Right…where's that ultra death ray I built before breakfast…?" (Chao Rin Yen)
I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war. (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)
"I hate war too…" (Mei Narusegawa)
"Why does humanity continue to fight? Witness this battle, and find the answer." (Lady Une, Gundam Wing)
"…"(Kanako Yula Hina)
"We shall fight on the shores, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender!" (Winston Churchill)
"How am I supposed to fight! This thing's not built for all terrain combat!" (Rayce Farelle screams as he finds out his MS is not built for all terrain combat)
We make war that we may live in peace. (Aristotle)
"SO YOU'RE STILL ALIVE! THEN DIE! MWAHAHAHAHAHA" (Kaolla Suu, as she self-destructs)
"Those who try not, do not" (Master Yoda, from Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back)
"PEACE!" (The entire Project Gundam Hina Eternity crew)
Important note: Please refer to Wikipedia or MAHQ to see what these MSs look like as some of the models I'm using here are models that aren't very well known as of yet.
On board the abandonned mining colony, MO-6, a few kilometres away from ZO-1 and closing.
"Everyone! A toast! To yet another successful haul!" A bright young man in black, with long hair tied into a pleat, shouted as he raised a bottle of beer. He was standing on what seemed like a pile of junk amidst a huge hangar…filled with junk. The gathering of people in the hangar, comprised of people of all ages and descriptions from toddlers to old men, all cheered and raised their choice of beverages into the air. Amongst the collection of people were a number of freaks…err…people in colourful costumes.
"And may we have many more!" A boy with a pair of goggles on his head beside the man in black shouted, raising a can of soda. More cheers followed. A pair of twin girls spin kicked him and sent him to the ground.
"Excuse me?" A young woman with short black hair came up to the young man in front. "Duo, I think you should come…"
"What is it, Hilde?" the young man in black asked, lowering his beer. "Okay, everyone! Party to your heart's content! We've got more than enough to go around! And please, our circus troupe friends, join in the celebrations" He shouted to more cheers. He turned around to the young woman. "So, is it a mundo grande problemmo? Or is it just another sat-com failure?"
"Well…just follow me." Hilde said, pulling Duo with her.
"Eh…eh…I haven't tried out the food yet…" Duo moaned. "Takato! Food! Pass!" The boy with the goggles looked down at the cream pie in his hands and back at Duo. He shrugged.
"I mean proper food!" Duo shouted, as the cream inched down his face.
They went into the adjoining hangar where three MSs stood. All three had strangely designed thrusters. In the middle of the hangar was a shelter escape pod that seemed heavily damaged. Around it were clustered a number of people in an assortment of custom technician suits.
"What happened?" Duo asked, biting a drumstick as he walked up to the shelter.
"We were sending out a second wave of scavengers when we found this…the other shelters were all escaping that UHR colony, ZO-1, but this one drifted out here… it was way off course and it seemed heavily damaged, so we brought it in." Hilde explained. "The hatch won't open, by the way…apparently it's jammed."
"Oh…well, leave it to me. I'll get those people out. Hey! People!" Duo shouted at the people gathered around the pod. "Hurry up and get me a laser drill! Prepare the metal maw! I want that door opened 5 minutes ago!"
20 minutes later…
The cut apart metal hatch fell with a clang onto the hangar floor as a whole group of men pulled on ropes secured onto the hatch. Everyone cheered as finally their hard work paid off.
"Now…what have we here…Oro?" Duo looked inside. A number of important looking people in suits stood up from their seats. But what caught his attention the most was the young, black haired woman in black standing right before him, regarding him with cold, scrutinous eyes.
"Ah…" Duo was at a loss for words. "Ah…um…We…welcome onboard the Junk Guild's home base, Mo-6…" He managed. The girl's freezing stare was drilling into his very soul.
"Thank you." The young woman said. "On behalf of the UHR evacuees onboard this shelter, I would like to extend our gratitude for saving us." She bowed.
"Ahahahaha…that's no problem at all." Duo laughed, blushing, scratching the back of his head. Then he felt another intense stair drilling through the back of his head. He slowly and jerkily turned around to come face to face with Hilde's burning eyes.
"Our shuttles are currently out at work, but they'll be returning shortly and we'd be able to take you to the nearest UHR rescue ship." Hilde smiled, as she strode over. Duo winced as he felt a sharp pain in his back. Hilde continued to smile as Duo tried to keep a straight face, ignoring the painful pinch.
"Thank you…I would like to apologize for the inconvenience." The young girl said, as she stepped out of the shelter. She looked around the hangar before noticing the three MSs. She paused for a moment, looking at the MSs, before looking back at Duo. "Thank you again." She said.
"Well…that's all settled." Duo sighed. "Now, let's get back to the party, shall we?" He laughed. "Come, join our party while you wait for the shuttles, himechi." He gestured at the young woman to follow. The other men in the shelter looked at one another before leaving the shelter.
"Errr…please call me Kanako…" The girl said, nodding slightly at him for the title 'himechi'.
"Hey, do you…" Duo started, before the entire hangar shook violently. There was the deafening sound of a roar from somewhere in the colony. "Wha…what was that?" he shouted, catching the young woman as she lost her balance.
"Duo! The control room just contacted me. They said the colony's main thrusters just fired up!" Hilde shouted, holding onto a radio.
"Well, tell them to shut it down. What's the big problem?" Duo suggested, lifting the young woman back onto her feet.
"That is the problem, Duo! Our link with the boosters have been severed. Something's jamming our remote system controls…" Hilde reported.
"Well…I'm sure you're going to tell me that's not the end of it, aren't you…where's the colony headed?" Duo asked.
"…ZO-1…" Hilde said. The black haired young woman's eyes suddenly narrowed. She turned around and walked away.
Meanwhile, back in the party hall...
"What was that! You're not kidding are you, Hikari, Himari, cause this isn't a very cool joke." the boy with the goggles shouted as a pair of twins whispered in his ears.
"But, Takato-niichan, we're serious!" The twins shouted in his ears, blowing him away down one side of the junk heap.
"Ok, people! Party's over! Proceed immediately to the HOME! We've got to abandon this colony ASAP!" the boy ran up the junk pile and shouted at the people in the hangar. "This is not a drill! We're about to collide with ZO-1! Move it or lose it people!" Everyone in the room, being people accustomed to lives in the wild, immediately ran off to gather what little possessions they had and to rally at the ship.
A young, dark skinned girl in a colourful green and white costume, who had been sitting in the corner, hugging her knees all throughout the party, suddenly looked up. There was a face painting of a tear down one cheek and a crescent across the other eye. She watched as everyone in the hangar scrambled away, some in panic, some with resolute determination to survive. Then something flashed through her mind. The images of fire…of shadows…of crackling sparks in a closed in darkness. There was breathlessness…choking…tears…
She slowly got up and looked up as another violent vibration shook the colony. She started to walk between the piles of tumbling junk as she made her way to the hangar door…slowly…slowly…
Back in the MO-6 hangar...
"So, ZEON's behind this!" Duo shouted. "Damn those pirate-loving…Hilde, please help prepping the HOME for launch! I'll go and do what I can to save this colony! And perhaps ZO-1 too…" Duo shouted, as he ran towards the three MSs. "We're going to protect our home no matter what!"
"H…hey! Duo!" Hilde shouted after him, before sighing. "Damn…that kid…"
"Okay…I didn't think I'd have to use this thing this early in the game…Sorry professor…he's going to go nuts when he hears about this." He looked up at the MS Regenerate….which suddenly started moving of its own accord. "H…huh? The professor never told me that MS had valet parking service…" The MS started stepping towards him.
"Eyaaaaaaagh!" He shouted, as he leaped aside out of the way to avoid being trampled by the 20 ton monster. "Okay…apparently the professor IS nuts…I'll have to take that one…" He looked around at another MS as the MS Regenerate stepped into the airlock, preparing for launch.
"Let's see…I think this one's called the Strike Noir…." He started running towards the second MS….which also suddenly put into its mind that it wanted to stomp on Duo. One side roll later, Duo was on the floor looking up as the Strike Noir entered the airlock for launch. Apparently the Regenerate had already launched.
"What's wrong with these MSs today! Suddenly, they're all trying to kill me…" he looked up at the last MS and leaped onto his feet. He raised both hands in karate fashion and shouted. "Heeeeeyaaaaah! You want a piece of me too, eh punk?" he danced around with both hands raised as he semi-circled the last MS…which, surprisingly…didn't move.
"Okay….I like you…you don't seem to want to kill me." Duo said, lowering both arms. He climbed up into the cockpit, closed the hatch, and activated the MS. "I never thought I'd have to pilot this old thing again…the professor's going to go nuts when he finds out his new MS got stolen…then again, he's already nuts." Duo laughed. "Hello old buddy, ready for another spin?"
The words "GUNDAM system activated, unit name GAT-X13 codename: Deathscythe Forbidden" flashed across the screen as the hum of the reactor grew louder. "Deathscythe Forbidden….become a part of me as we were once before…" Duo said, as he maneuvered the MS into the airlock. (The Deathscythe Forbidden is a fusion of the Deatscythe and the Forbidden, using the Deathscythe's body and the Forbidden's backpack.)
"Hey, take care out there, Duo!" Hilde's face flashed onto the HUD.
"Thanks Hilde. Get those evacuees to safety." Duo said, flipping on a few switches on his console.
"Takato's handling the evacuation. I'm going to try and break through the jamming system and stop those boosters." Hilde said. "I'm in the control room right now."
"Baka Hilde! Are you that much of an airhead! Get out of there!" Duo shouted at her.
"Urusai, baka. You have more important things to worry about, such as coming back safely." Hilde said. "By the way, those two other MSs we salvaged…who were piloting those?"
"I don't know. They just zoomed off." Duo said. "I'll check it out once I get out there. Duo Maxwell! Deathscythe Forbidden! Launch!"
Onboard the UHR colony, ZO-1...
"Team! Retreat! Now!" Raww's face flashed onto Makie, Chao, Mitsune, and Naru's HUDs. "ZEON's starting an offensive."
"What? Retreat now? Of all times!" Mitsune shouted, as she boost-strafed around the Hinata, crossing blades.
Shinobu was barely able to keep up with Mitsune's sword fighting skills. Her Hinata got grazed in a number of places as she narrowly escaped getting impaled a few times.
"I don't think Narusegawa-sempai's quite finished yet…" Makie said, firing a barrage of shots at the elusive Mobius Zero. Behind her, the Strike zoomed past backwards, the Aegis close on its tail, both crossing beam sabers.
"Keitarou!" Naru yelled at the top of her lungs as she aimed a slash at the Strike's head.
"Naru! I seriously don't want to have to fight you!" Keitarou shouted back, slashing his beam blade into Naru's beam blade, trying his best to force the blade down on Naru. Naru released the force on her blade and fell sideways, letting the Strike fall forwards. She raised her beam blade and aimed a slash at the Strike's exposed Aile Striker pack.
"Keitarou-sempai!" Shinobu shouted, firing a VSBR shot at Naru who immediately evaded, aborting her attack.
"Stop interfering!" Mitsune shouted as the Blitz came up from behind the Hinata, firing its Trikeros darts. The Hinata turned around and dispatched them with a quick Vulcan cannon burst. A number of beam shots came through the resulting fireball, straight at the Hinata.
"Auuu…." Shinobu activated her beam shield which extended and deflected the beam shots straight back at the Blitz.
"Hey! Guys! We've got to retreat now, ne! There's an entire mining colony coming this way, yo!" Chao shouted, firing at the Deathscythe as she maneuvered her gundam backwards.
"What! How!" Mitsune shouted, falling into retreat formation beside Chao.
"ZEON's seems to have decided to go over the deep end…" Makie whispered, looking at her scanners as she too fell into retreat formation. "Narusegawa-sempai! We've got to retreat!" She turned around and fired backwards to cover their retreat…though it wasn't as if the Gundam Hinata and Deathscythe were pursuing.
"Keitaro! Realize your mistake!" Naru shouted, before turning her Mobile suit into its claw-like mobile armor mode and roaring off after her comrades.
"Naru!" Keitaro shouted after her, preparing to go after her.
"Don't Keitaro!" Rayce shouted, zooming up beside him. "Our energy reserves are running low. We've got to land, now! The other ZEON and ZAFT forces have also retreated….it's over."
"Yeah. Chasing hot chicks ain't all bad, but you gotta make sure they're within your league." Mwu said, "I'm landing…this thing won't last much longer in the air." he piloted his Mobius Zero straight back to the Arch-Hinata.
"Anou….someone's trying to call us…" Shinobu said, as she too turned back towards the Arch-Hinata. "It's the captain."
"Well done…" Haruka's face flashed onto the HUD. "To be honest, I had my doubts…but not bad. Not bad at all. Unfortunately we've got more trouble."
"Worse than a horde of MSs?" Rayce asked sarcastically.
"An entire space colony." Motoko promptly flashed onto the screen.
"Oh…right…" Rayce said, nodding. "Yeah, that qualifies as worse."
Meanwhile, outside the ZEON flagship, the Halcrest...
"You've got to be kidding me!" Sarah shouted. "No way am I helping out in this operation!" As the Hyperion suddenly came to a halt mid-flight. They had just left the ZEON flagship Halcrest after a quick refuel.
"I know it's…quite a radical plan, but civilian casualties should be at a minimum…" Haitani said, though slightly hesitant as he turned his Astray OT back towards the Hyperion.
"Do you have eyes! The scanners show at least a few hundred Colonist escape shelters in the way. They won't be able to evade fast enough…that mining colony will definitely blast them all along with ZO-1 to space dust!" Suu shouted.
"Hey! What's happening here! You guys are supposed to be out there on the frontlines." A Gelgog custom MS came flying beside them.
"Major Gyunei, We're already on our way." Haitani said.
"…don't let me catch you people messing around. Damn kids…those MSs should be mine…" Gyunei muttered as he zoomed off towards the fight. Ahead of them was the mining colony. In the distance was the crippled colony, ZO-1. In between, the darkness was dotted with many fireballs and crisscrossed with many thruster plasma of many mobile suits and mobile armors.
"Listen…as much as you guys don't like it, the EAF have commited far greater atrocities in the past." Haitani said.
"And you're using such a corny reason to justify your actions? Those colonists are innocent people, jackass. They have absolutely nothing to do with the EAF! They're just UHR colonists!" Sarah shouted, as the huge mining colony's thrusters rumbled away in the distance.
"Your task is only to follow orders. That's all." Haitani said, turning his back on Sarah. "Remember our deal." He said, as he zoomed towards the battle.
"Grrr…" Sarah grumbled, as she threw the throttles to maximum. Suu just remained silent and fell in behind Sarah.
Somewhere in the space close to MO-6...
"Negi! Be careful!" Lee shouted, blasting two ZEON MSs behind Negi with one quick buster rifle shot. Negi's Epyon was destroying ZEON Zakus at an insane rate. He didn't seem to have any thoughts of self-preservation.
"This MS…." Negi gasped, as he whirled around and blasted apart an entire squadron of ZEON MSs with his huge beam saber. "This MS is…" He ripped apart two more Zakus with his heat whip. "This MS is alive!" He shouted, as the Epyon's vulcan sent a barrage of lead rippers at three other Zakus.
"I think he's losing it…" Kotarou said, as he ripped apart another ZEON MS with his Geminass' beam saber. "Hey, who're those!" He asked, as five new blips showed up on the screen. "Hey…these are Gundam models…"
"Ok, stand back guys…this thing is going to take some time to arm…" Mana said, as she slowed down and raised her Physalis' nuclear launcher. "Ok…arming commenced. Asuna, prepare your microwave rail gun! Ku Fei, Kaede, Setsuna, we're going to need some cover!"
"Hai, Taicho (commander)!" Asuna shouted, as she slowed down to a halt beside Mana and armed her Gundam X's Microwave gun.
"Hai, Taicho!" The other three said, as they flew out in front of Asuna and Mana. The three gundams, the gundam Shenlong, gundam Astray RF, and Dragon gundam, all prepared their melee weapons. The Shenlong drew out its beam glaive, while the gundam Astray unsheathed its 'Gerbera Straight' katana. The Dragon Gundam meanwhile, took up a battle pose, one arm extended, another at its hip.
"Hey…can it be…is it really you five?" Kotarou asked, opening up a com-link channel. "I thought I recognized that ID marker."
"Ah, it's Kotaro-bozu…long time no see, de gozaru." Kaede said, smiling as usual. "It's been a long time since we last worked together, ne? de gozaru?" She spun her Shenlong's glaive around above her and slashed through two ZEON Zakus before dodging another barrage from an incoming squadron of Zakus.
"Hey, it is Kotaro-bozu, arune!" Ku Fei shouted. "You're still working for OZ, Aru!" She asked as she kicked the head off a ZEON Gelgog.
"Yeah. I'm guessing you people are trying to stop that colony?" Kotaro asked, raising his beam rifle and blasting a few incoming Zakus. He placed the rifle in its recharge rack in his backpack and took out his beam saber before zooming off after the more elusive ones.
"Definitely. We can't allow any innocent colonists to die." Setsuna said. "Active Spirit Amplifier activated….Shinmei-ryu, hiken, Hyakuretsu Oukazan!" She shouted as her MS blazed white. Her katana flashed bright, a blur of whitish blue following in its wake as she shifted from MS to MS, slashing them apart in quick clean slashes. One Zaku tried to defend with its metal blade. The Astray RF's katana merely slashed through it as easily as if it was made of rice paper.
"Ok, then let's make this a short term alliance. We'll need all the heavy artillery we could get. Those cannons you have seem pretty big." Lee said, gesturing at the Physallis and the X. "We'll cover you."
"Agreed. We need all the help we can get." Mana said.
"Incoming!" Asuna shouted.
"It's…the Hyperion, the Astray Out Frame, and Dreadnought…" Lee said, firing his buster rifle at an incoming barrage of missiles. "They've got ZEON ID markers…" The Wing Exodus was silhouetted against a huge ball of flame as it turned around to face the incoming wave of MSs. "They want some…they'll get some…"
A short while later…onboard the EAF flagship, the Arch-Hinata...
"Ok…recharging complete. We've got to launch immediately." Mwu said, turning on a number of switches on his overhead panel before grasping his controls.
"What! You're seriously saying we're going to launch into the middle of that chaos!" Rayce shouted.
"What's wrong? Chicken? Mwu La Flagga, requesting permission for launch!" Mwu shouted.
"Launch permission granted. Opening launch gates…activating linear catapult…" A seemingly bored face showed up on the screen. "Don't' die out there. It's space this time. You guys ready for that?"
"Huh? What happened to the last operator?" Mwu asked.
"Yue-chan? What're you doing?" Keitaro asked, surprised to see his friend on the screen in front of him wearing a pair of large earphones and a com-link.
"Oh, they're short on hands so I volunteered to be the communications and navigation officer. Nadako's here too, though she'll mostly be dealing with your equipment. She's the temporary Mobile Weapons Remote Assault and Defense Systems Officer" Yue explained.
"…let's call her the 'other girl', shall we? It saves time." Rayce suggested as his MS was lowered into the other linear launch catapult. "Okay. I'm ready. Get me launched…now!"
"Umm…Farelle-san?" Nadako whispered.
"Don't worry Nadako-chan. I'll be fine. I have no time for useless stuff! Just launch me and leave the rest to the master!" Rayce shouted, thumping his armrests. "GO!"
"He says he's ready…" Yue sighs and turns a switch.
"Anou…b…but…Yue-san…" Nadako stammered.
"Never mind. Let him go and do what he wants." Yue said, leaning over Nodoka's console. "Linear launch catapult 2, launch!"
"Rayce Farelle, Gundaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!" Rayce screamed before he had the chance to finish his launch catch phrase as he was launched out into the chaotic abyss outside with such a force that his eyes threatened to drill inside his eye sockets.
Before long, he found himself floating around in space amidst a maelstrom of laser flashes, random missile fire, and the occasional fireball of an unfortunate MS or ship. "Errr…how come I can't maneuver properly?"
"Anou…Farelle-san…the Deathscythe is a land-type mobile suit…it's not suited for aerial or space combat." Nadako whispered over the com-link.
"NANI! Then why the heck did you wait till now to tell me!" Rayce screamed at the screen. Nodoka flinched and tried to minimize herself into a small ball. Yue, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected by all the screaming. In fact, the sound of her empty juice carton was almost a match for Rayce's screaming.
"We were going to…only you were in such a hurry to die." Yue sighed, taking out a new carton of juice.
"Okay, I'll go launch and make sure he doesn't end up as stardust." Mwu said. "Mobius Zero, Mwu La Flagga! Launch!"
"As they said, don't take this lightly. Outer space combat is completely different from terrestrial combat." Haruka said on the com-link. "Prepare for anti-mobile weapon and anti-capital ship combat, prep the Igelstellungs and Gottfrieds!"
"Don't you dare mess up this one!" Motoko shouted.
"Urashima-san…we're loading the Strike's launcher pack…Anou…it says here it's a heavy caliber long range assault pack…though I don't think it would be able to do much against a colony, I'm sure you'll be able to think of something. Gambatte!" Nadako blurted out.
"I'll do my best, thanks. Shinobu-chan, ready!" Keitaro shouted.
"…ummm…ready." Shinobu nodded hesitantly.
"Gundam Strike, Keitaro Urashima, Launch!" Keitaro shouted.
"Gundam Hinata, Shinobu Maehara, Launch!" Shinobu shouted.
"Huh? What MS is that?" Rayce asked as he tried to fire up his thrusters. He ended up spiralling off uncontrollably. "Whoaaaaaah!" The jet black MS he just referred to was shredding a number of nameless ZEON Zakus with pin point precision.
"…it's a GAT-X105 Strike model" Yue said, reading the computer analysis that just came out.
"Another Strike?" Keitaro asked.
"But…I thought all the new G-models were unique…" Motoko shouted. "That means…the UHR…"
"Well, I guess that's what we get for entrusting some other nation to build weapons for us…" Haruka sighed. "Who does it belong to?"
"It's transmitting an UHR ID marker. It's using a Striker pack that we can't identify…" Yue remarked. "By the way, incoming broadcast from the unidentified Strike."
"Patch it through. On screen." Haruka commanded.
"…I repeat, to all combat forces in the area. This is Kanako Yula Hina of the UHR. Please aid us in preventing the colony collision. If this is indeed an act of war, we must remind you that the Geneva Convention prohibits military assaults on civilians! There are many innocent civilians still trapped onboard both ZO-1 and MO-6. We are also afraid that the assault may harm other civilians trying to evacuate. Please, to all combatants, please aid us in stopping MO-6. To those perpetrating the assault, please remember that you are about to wipe out the lives of millions of innocent civilians." The face on the screen said. It was a dark haired, cold-eyed girl.
"Kanako Yula Hina?" Haruka mused. "What's she doing piloting an MS?"
"The daughter of the Head Regent is piloting that thing!" Keitaro shouted.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield...
"What? You've gotta be kidding me? That girl was Kanako Yula Hina!" Duo shouted. "And she stole that MS right from under my nose…quite a gal…"
"That doesn't matter right now, Duo." Hilde's face flashed onto the screen. "Listen. If you could destroy the jamming device's array onboard that ZEON ship, we'd be able to regain some control over the colony. Evacuation is almost complete anyway. The HOME's go for launch. The only issue are those UHR evacuation shelters."
"Right…right…I gotcha. Well, at the very least, it won't be our people getting killed." Duo said, firing up his thrusters as he set a course towards the ZEON fleet.
"Duo! We've got to do our best to help those people!" Hilde reproached him.
"Yeah, yeah…don't worry. I wasn't suggesting we abandon them either." Duo said. "Hey…there's the MS Regenerate…it's engaging the ZEONs…I guess the pilot's on our side." Duo said as he reached the ZEON fleet behind the colony.
"Careful Duo, we don't know who he or she is or what he or she intends." Hilde said.
"H…hey! What about defense!" Duo shouted as he realized that the junk guild's flagship, the HOME, wasn't built for warfare.
"Don't worry. We've got a few mobile weapons guarding it. I don't think ZEON's after the junk guild anyway." Hilde said. "Get to it, Duo. Opening launch gates…completing final phases of evacuation…" She shouted as the dock gates opened to reveal a huge Marseille class scavenger's ship.
"Wait…if the HOME is launching…WHAT IN THE NAME OF SPACE DEBRIS ARE YOU DOING ONBOARD MO-6!" Duo shouted at the screen showing Hilde's face. A number of custom mobile suits floated out from the docks to cover the HOME's launch.
"Don't worry about me. If things get critical, I've still got a ticket out. But I still have to do everything I can to stop the collision." Hilde said. "Hurry Duo! We're only about 350 km away from ZO-1…we haven't got much time left."
"Reckless as always." Duo sighed. "Don't die, Hilde."
"No worries. That's a promise." Hilde smiled as her face faded from the screen.
"Now…where's that jamming device?" Duo mused as he activated his beam scythe. "WHO WANTS SOME!" He shouted as he zoomed towards a squadron of unfortunate ZEON Zakus.
Meanwhile, a distance away, the MS Regenerate was methodically ripping apart another squadron of ZEON Zakus. Its fluid movements and graceful maneuvers were as if it was merely dancing while spreading a massive field of destruction.
"What the hell is that?" One of the ZEON pilots said, mesmerized with pure horror and awe at the MS Regenerate's pilot's skill and speed.
"It's…not human…no human can kill that many pilots at that rate…" Another pilot breathed.
"Did you see that? There's at least six or seven of those!" Another pilot shouted. "They've got a whole squadron of those things."
"No…it's only one MS." Haitani said as his Astray OT reached the area. "There can't be an entire squadron…each and every G unit is unique."
"B…but sir…the scanners show multiple readings of the same MS…not only that, just look. That MS is all over the place." Another pilot said. Sure enough, the MS Regenerate seemed to be at multiple places at the same time, all engaging ZEON Zakus.
"Illusions?" Haitani asked, zooming up towards one of the MS Regenerates.
On the other side of the battlefield...
"Hey! Shinobu-chan! Are you ok?" Keitaro shouted. A ZEON zaku had flown up and aimed a Zaku bazooka at the Hinata. Keitaro quickly dispatched it with a well-aimed laser shot from his Strike launcher.
"I'm…I'm ok…but…I'm feeling a bit sick…" Shinobu hiccupped. "Ulp…" she cupped a hand over her mouth.
"Come to think of it, you didn't look too good back at the hangar, Shinobu-chan." Keitaro said, with concern. "You'd better retreat for now. We'll finish the operation."
"No…I can make it." Shinobu took a deep breath and steadied herself. She fired up her thrusters and zoomed up to flank a group of incoming pirate MSs.
"Rayce, keep watch over the Arch-Hinata. I'll go and cover Shinobu-chan." Keitaro said as he went after the Hinata.
"Right…er…yeah, just leave me floating about here, eh?" Rayce said, his MS's arms flailing about as he tried to maneuver properly.
"Set a course for the colony MO-6. All ahead full!" Haruka shouted.
"B…but! Captain! They sent that thing this way TO destroy us…we'd be playing into their hands." Motoko shouted.
"Even so, we must protect those civilians." Haruka said.
"Our orders were to proceed immediately to our fleet's location at L2. We should do so as soon as possible." Motoko said, frowning.
"No. Stay on course. Prep the Lohengrin positron cannons. We're going to have to destroy that colony…" Haruka said. "Send a message to MO-6, just in case. Make sure they know our intentions. There might still be civilians onboard…they might even be held hostage by ZEON."
Onboard the UHR colony, ZO-1, Morgenroette laboratories, UHR space.
"All right! Secure those last two units! We must not let those fall into enemy hands!" A girl with huge glasses and long flowing black hair shouted. Her long white lab coat flowed behind her as she ran down a cat walk, a number of technicians following close behind. Dust fell down from the ceiling as the entire building shuddered.
"Haruna-san! We must get off this colony immediately. ZEON's sent a mining colony towards us!" One of the technicians reported.
"Nevertheless, those last two units must make it back to Japan…" Haruna shouted. "The fate of the UHR depends on those. Ok…here's the Astray Gold Frame…" The small party of technicians stopped in front of an MS with gold coloured limbs.
"Ma'am! The colony is losing stability…the support structures are collapsing!" The building suddenly shook violently. "Ma'am! Incoming! Take Cover!" the technician shouted. Haruna didn't lose a single moment as she leaped for cover behind a pile of metal boxes. The wall behind her was suddenly blown apart, throwing smoke and debris everywhere. She clutched her head as she more plaster and debris came raining down on her.
"Holy…People! Sound off!" Haruna shouted. Nobody replied. "No…it can't be…" She got up and looked around. "No…" The technicians were nowhere to be seen. She looked up a the new opening in the wall. There was a custom Ginn standing by the opening, holding out what seemed to its pilot.
"Greetings…I'm just here to pick up a little something." A cheerful voice said. The pilot leaped down onto the damaged catwalk and walked over to the Astray. "I'm not disturbing anything, am I?"
"Wh…Who are you!" Haruna stammered, slightly shell-shocked.
"Nice to meet you. Serpent Tail Mercenary Pilot, Yuna Akashi, at your service, for a fee." She smiled as she placed one hand on her hip. "I'm interested in this machine here." She gestured at the Astray GF that was gleaming slightly in the sunlight streaming in through the hole. "Mind if I have it?"
Meanwhile…somewhere obscure...
"Heero Yuy…Duo Maxwell…Trowa Barton…Quatre Raberba Winner…Wu Fei…the plan can finally be set in motion…" One silhouette said, as a large holographic screen before it showed four blazing rays of light zooming towards a blue planet.
"Duo Maxwell seemed to be slightly detained at the moment…we'll have to carry out the plans without him, unfortunately. We can't afford to lose any time… the new G units out by ZO-1 is a threat to our campaign."
"It was a wonder we could get our 4 G units out of that area so quickly though." Another silhouette said.
"While they steer up a bit of chaos down on Earth and attract the EAf and OZ's attention…we'll make our move and take over the space surrounding the Earth Sphere. Not even ZEON or ZAFT's orbital forces would be able to stand in our way…"
"The plan is full proof…the Order cannot be foiled this time…" All the silhouettes faded out into the pitch black darkness as the holographic screen faded to nothing. "It is…our moment…"
To be continued…
OMAKE! OMAKE! (SPECIAL SUMMER BATTLE ROYALE EDITION)
The cast from 'Love Hina: Children of the Exodus', 'Final Hina Fantasy', 'New Mobile Suit Gundam Hina Eternity', 'Love Hina Alternative', 'Soul Requiem', and 'Forevermore', gathers around a campfire in a small summer campsite.
Keitarou: We actually made it to this chapter…in a space of only a couple of months…my, you've been busy.
BTB: HAhahaha…hard work's my middle name!
Asuna: And 'grammar mistakes'…
Lee: And 'cliché'
Rayce: Not to mention 'obviously out'
BTB: Ok…what have I done wrong this time?
Lee: We're having a bit of an issue with the 6 stories you're writing…
BTB: What exactly is the issue?
Naru: The fact that there ARE 6 stories. I mean, what kind of fanfiction writer could manage to juggle 6 stories?
Mitsune: Not to mention 2 different versions of Soul Requiem…that makes it 7 stories.
BTB: Errr….I guess I did mess up a bit there…
Haruka: You'll have to prioritize. Choose one to focus on and finish it off first.
BTB: Errr…how should I decide? I mean, I like all of them just as much…
Motoko: Well, BTB, it's definitely Soul Requiem, my version, isn't it? (Unsheaths katana an inch)
Shinobu: Anou…anou…demou…can we please make it Love Hina Children of the Exodus? I like that one.
Rayce: Hey! Hey! I like my part in New Mobile Suit Gundam Hina Eternity! Let's continue that one! It's the most epic anyway!
Tsuroko: Oro…but I think BTB's got plenty of good ideas for 'Forevermore'. Let's continue that.
Nodoka: Anou….can it please be…aah…Love Hina Alternative?
Makie: Yeah, definitely. I like Love Hina Alternative! It's the best! We get to live together like that! What can be more fun!
Kaede: Zazie says she likes Final Hina Fantasy best, de gozaruyo. (Zazie stands in the background, the infamous T-rexaur beside her.)
Naru: Well…you've gotten us into quite a mess, haven't you, BTB? Now what?
BTB: I dunno. Vote, perhaps?
The votes were tabulated…
Asuna: They're all…equal…
Setsuna: What a coincidence…
Fumika: Now what?
Fuuka: Let's just fight!
Rayce: Let's decide this with a contest.
Fuuka: Yeah! A fight! A fight!
Rayce: Contest rules: Everyone forms groups according to the story they're supporting. Every group may use the abilities they have in the story they chose. For example, since Shinobu-chan has chosen the 'Love Hina Children of the Exodus', she's allowed to use her white mage abilities.
Haruka: Interesting…what kind of contest will it be? (everyone separates out into different corners of the large field that suddenly materialized according to each group. They all start preparing their stuff.)
Rayce: Yagyu Janken…(baseball janken, from Mahou Sensei Negima)
Asuna: IDIOT! (busts Rayce on the head with a paper fan)
Lee: Then let's make it a quick game of janken (rocks, papers, and scissors) and get it over with. (everyone face faults) BTB-san?
BTB: Yeah, whatever.
Lee: All right, everyone, JANKEN!
Everyone: JANKEN! (nobody wins in the end. Frustrated, everyone starts fighting. All hell breaks out as magical spells, positron laser blasts, phantoms, katanas, and even mobile suits fly about.)
Tama: mii
BTB: As Tamago said, please wait while the democratic decision making takes place. As you can see, Love Hina has a very good idea of democracy. It's power to the masses. It's especially useful when the said masses are at gunpoint. Now, since we're out of time, we'll have to skip the battle-royale scene. Sorry…
After a long and grueling fight….
Haruka: Nothing was resolved, BTB…
BTB: No worries, I've decided the story I'm going to continue anyway.
Everyone: WHICH ONE!
BTB: 'The Amazing Adventures of Urashima Hinata-chan!'
Everyone (with the exception of pacifists such as Shinobu and Nodoka): NANI!
Hinata-chan: Yatta! Arigatou, BTB-san!
Motoko: Can't be….beaten by a 7 year old!
Naru: BTB….(eyes flash)
Everyone (with the exception of pacifists such as Shinobu and Nodoka): Let's kill him instead.
BTB: Haha! I'm ready for this, this time! Which is why I brought this! Transform! (takes out a ninja scroll which explodes into a cloud of smoke. After the cloud of smoke dissipates, BTB was gone, leaving a log in his stead.
Motoko: as if we'd fall for that. (unsheathes katana)
Rayce: let's kill him. (takes out Scythe)
Naru: Yeah…(puts on gloves)
Everyone(with the exception of pacifists such as Shinobu and Nodoka): (bears down on the log, which sweat-drops. They start beating up the log.)
Lee: All right, everyone! Please have an enjoyable summer holiday and remember not to try this at home. See you after the summer! Thanks for your support so far!
Everyone: Till next time!