How could it have come to this? This was supposed to be a small observation job. Ever since we fought this thing on Coruscant everything seems to end in a disaster now.
Not that the woman, being under her alias Akira Mustermann right now, ever wanted to think about what she would do in this moment, but leaving the life they lead you inevitably had to deal with the subject of death, even the one of the person you loved.
Not that she had thought often about it, just the thought had made her sick, but she always had supposed that she would burn down everything in a radius of a kilometer in a blaze of rage, surpassing every inferno she ever caused, including in her Cosmic Senshi Form, she would become a living flame. Maybe she would have even burned down herself in the process and maybe turning to ash after loosing her lover would have been her preference.
Sure, this reincarnation of the Inner Senshi had broken the ties to the Shitennou and she didn't even spared one thought to Jadeite after Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury and herself had defeated him. She apparently had been even able to live on without Yuichiro, but this? This sudden and heartbreaking loss of the man she loved? Could she live through it? She didn't know, but she knew what she heard from Pluto about loosing a lover in such way. And her fellow Senshi still hadn't healed from it.
A weak whisper from him brought her back in the moment, she had been away just for a mere second but the blood from the gunshot wound on the side of his neck, which had ripped his carotid artery, was still gushing onto her and she could see, and even worse sense, how his life was gushing out of him as well. Somehow he still had managed to hold on until now without passing out, shielding her with his body, while bullets were still impacting around them, as they tried to cover down behind the bar counter in this restaurant on Pantolomin.
"I love you." That was what he had whispered and then with a last pump of his heart more blood streamed out of the wound and he fell limp in her arms. The man, right now known under the alias Max Mustermann, was dead. At least she thought so. Part of the vision she had, had come true although she wished it never would have and she just had been wrong this time.
She froze, this couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. This Galaxy, the Kingdom, she, all of them, had lost him. Something inside her broke apart.
And then suddenly the glass windows of the restaurant exploded to the inside and the Triad Members stopped shooting while the shattered glass ripped into them, injuring some of them. Three individuals, all clothed in hooded robes, entered through the broken windows. Holding her dead lover in her hands, frozen in shock, the only thing she could sense that these three were immensely powerful. The one in the middle, the most tall one, made a step forward and pulled out a lightsaber, activated it and with the typical sound a lightsaber made when it was activated, a long red blade appeared. His two companions on his left and right pulled out their weapons as well and a purple and a green blade each appeared as well.
36 hours before:
The day after SunTzu was supposed to meet Rei's grandfather both lovers awoke sore and bruised from the night before. Maybe it would have been healthier for their relationship to sit down and talk. But the Sailor Senshi of Passion and the Doitsu no Akuma decided for a different way, with how to cope with the situation. Their fire and passion for each other was still emblazed, and so, instead of talking, they decided to let it out their frustration with each other in a very explicit and at least physically mature way.
Bodies still hurting both went for a morning run together and afterwards, at breakfast, ran into Ami.
The Blunette had been looking for SunTzu, she actually had a job for him as he had asked her for. Just a simple observation job, some goons from the Hong Kong Triads would try to meet with a member of the Black Sun on one of the casino resorts on Pantolomin.
Rei offered to tag along immediately.
"One last job for Max and Akira before they'll officially retire." She said. Since both were getting ever more well known in the Galaxy the days of their undercover missions were over.
Ami was delighted to hear that, as it would make their cover even better and immediately left to get the work on the fake documents and other preparations done.
The couple would take a shuttle to Coruscant, as Rei would sit by in a small meeting of a group of Senators to discuss the fall of Rago, before the Mustermanns would take a shuttle for Pantolomin.
Ami would already be on Pantolomin then. She would stay at her hotel room and oversee the operation.
The seating in the Senate had been pointless, soon it became clear that a retaking of Rago was not up to debate. The Fleet was too scattered and too busy fighting all over the Galaxy to mass enough ships to fight the rogue Vong Domain Shai in a decisive battle.
SunTzu first followed the discussion from the guest tribune and he would have left it after it became clear that there wouldn't be a retaking of Rago, wouldn't it have been for Rei. At least she and a hand full of other senators could secure some financial aid for the government-in-exile and the refugees of the planet.
The Senator of Chandrila also praised Sol's quick help for thousands of refugees and reminded the other attendees to take an example on them.
When the meeting was over Rei and SunTzu met at Rei's office and then immediately headed out for the nearest spaceport to take a shuttle to Pantolomin. Not a word was spoken about the senate meeting but at least the couple stayed close together to show each other their support.
They arrived on the planet on their usual aliases and disguises as newlyweds around evening Coruscant Standard Time. SunTzu had to admit that the beautiful resort, built on an atoll, would have made a great place for proposing as well but unfortunately he had forgot the ring inside AICA. And AICA was out with Haruka, Hotaru and Michiru on an exercise with the Earth Space Defence Force and parts of the Taskforce.
But the way things were going on Pantolomin time wouldn't be a problem. He fulfilled Rei every wish, she just had to look at something and she got it. And ever since they had arrived at the Palace yesterday evening they couldn't keep their hands off each other, as if loosing the touch of each other would mean an end for the two of them.
This time SunTzu actually had paid for the suite, AICA hadn't stopped bringing in more money so it wasn't a problem, and SunTzu and Rei made use of all of the rooms.
Tomorrow they were supposed to tail a bunch of the Triad members and find out whom the criminals were to met. The usual surveillance equipment would be stored in Rei's jewelry and after some pics taken to identify the individuals the authorities were ready to take over on Earth.
After a day of togetherness, which the couple had enjoyed to the fullest, being just themselves, while carefully avoiding any difficult topic and rather emphasizing of the time spent together in the very yet moment, the Pilot and the Senator headed out of their suite to closely follow the three Gangster from Hong Kong. The gangster's names and faces were known, they were in the second highest leadership of their triad, but so far no crimes could have been proven to be their doings. A meeting with the Black Sun would be something different though, as the UN and the ESDF respectively, had introduced a law that forbid contact to intergalactic crime organizations, including the Black Sun and various Hutt Cartels.
The couple arrived at the Casino a few minutes after their target persons. Apparently they didn't thought that they would be followed and observed as they pretty soon met with a Twi'lek. Ami, looking on over Rei's fake wedding ring and the installed miniature camera in the ring's fake Diamond, was communicating with them over Rei's earrings.
At least these triad members had a tad bit better taste in fashion than the other various criminal organizations SunTzu and Rei both thought while they began their chase.
The data in her supercomputer immediately identified the Twi'lek as a Vigo of the Black Sun. Officially the couple's job had been successfully done but after a quick talk between them, Senshi and Knight wanted to see what the triad members and the Twi'lek were up to next, and so they decided to follow them through the shopping and restaurant district of the resort.
Rei and SunTzu acted like a regular couple and hand in hand followed the criminals.
The gangsters weren't stupid though and the triads often turned around and checked if someone was following them.
The couple didn't seem to be suspicious at first. At least until one of the triad members recognized them.
Like he had seen two celebrities he told his friends about the famous couple behind them and how cool it was that they were here as well. He told them in their regional Chinese dialect, so both of them couldn't understand what he was saying.
His amped up behavior made the Black Sun Vigo ask what was wrong in basic, with a very heavy dialect.
When the Mobsters told him, now also in basic and also with heavy dialect, although a different one, the Twi'lek went out of his mind.
He immediately drew a blaster and began to shoot at the couple.
"Kill them! They are after us you idiots!"
SunTzu barely had time to grab Rei and dive into cover behind a pot of flowers.
Of course, being undercover and on an observation mission he was unarmed right now and couldn't fight back. Once again.
The triad members also pulled out their weapons now and begin to shoot at the couple.
After the first salvos SunTzu grabbed Rei and ran into the next best building he could find.
People around them were fleeing the scene and Ami yelled in the headset, asking what had gone wrong but SunTzu and Rei were too busy trying to stay alive to answer.
The couple entered a restaurant, and while they ran inside everybody in the restaurant ran outside in panic and with fearful screams. The knot of people blocking the entrance saved the couple a few precious seconds.
Inside SunTzu told Rei to take cover while he ducked behind a pillar. He waited for the first mobster and swung at him, which the mobster almost couldn't dodge. The criminal tried to raise his weapon but SunTzu's Force-empowered reflexes were faster this time and he hit the man, making the criminal from Hong Kong flinch and SunTzu could grabbed his pistol, turn it around in his hand and shoot the man In the hand, taking him out for the time being.
People bursted apart and SunTzu had a free line of fire on the Twi'lek. Later was trying to aim his weapon properly but SunTzu was faster again and shot the humanoid down.
A fracture of a second later a bullet hit SunTzu in the arm, the bullet going straight through it but the impact broke his bones.
With a painful yell SunTzu dropped the weapon.
This time it was Rei who grabbed him and pulled him away, as the two remaining triad members began to shoot at them again.
The couple ran further through the restaurant while bullets hailed past them.
They jumped over the bar counter and dove into cover there.
But the expensive wood the bar was made off wasn't bullet proof and so SunTzu, clenching his teeth in pain ducked over Rei, effectively shielding her body while bullets penetrated through the wood around them.
And then it happened. A bullet, which would have hit Rei in the head if SunTzu hadn't be in front of her crashed through the wood and into the side of his neck. Because of the impact the bullet changed it's trajectory and didn't hit Rei.
Blood showered over her and SunTzu twitched in pain while his carotid artery began to ooze out blood over them booth and the Bavarian's life began to flow out of him.
At first he was afraid that the impact had broken his neck but somehow he still could move and while he knew that he only had seconds left SunTzu began to pull Rei tighter to shield her better. Blood ran over his neck and throat and down onto the woman he loved.
He fought against the tiredness, the urge to close his eyes, against the pain, all that mattered now was saving Rei. Just a few moments more and when the thugs had to reload she could take them out.
His senses began to fade and he couldn't think clear anymore but he still sticked to protecting the woman that he loved. He couldn't see right anymore if she was getting ready to fight back or how she was. He couldn't see that she was completely frozen in shock.
Suddenly a vision of a light at the end of a dark tunnel came into his view as he failed to keep his eyes open. Also visions of his friends and loved ones, the people he had met and grown attached to ever since he had woken up in that Bacta Tank on Kamino.
He was done, a heartbeat, with luck another one.
With his last bit of strength he whispered "I love you." out to Rei and then darkness followed.
But there was something waiting for him in this darkness. Something in… the Force.
"Not time for you to die yet it is." A voice said, the voice sounded strange and very, very old, but friendly. And immensely wise.
"The Force will guide your way." A more stern and deeper voice said next.
"Captain, the Force still needs you." That was the voice of Darth Vader.
Beginning to violently shake while her mouth let out a voiceless scream Rei still couldn't react to the immediate threat. The loss paralyzed her whole being, while her soul was screaming in anguish. She had had that vision but it couldn't have become true. She couldn't have just lost him. Just so, so out of nowhere. It could not be.
Rei could not, but the Sith that had entered could move, he tossed his red blade out with the help of the Force and decapitated both triad gangsters.
"Krayt, the One of the Prophecy!" A familiar voice motioned before the person who said that deactivated his green light saber.
The one with the purple light saber jumped on the counter and began to look around if there were more threats before the Sith deactivated his blade as well.
The green bladed wielder downed his hood and revealed the face of Jedi Grandmaster Luke Skywalker.
He immediately jumped over the counter and put his hand on SunTzu's shoulder.
"It's not too late. But we have to act immediately." He addressed the Sith.
The Sith sprinted over and jumped over the counter as well, putting his hand on the opposite shoulder of SunTzu.
And a second later Rei could feel immense energy flow through SunTzu as the Jedi and the Sith seemed to give SunTzu new energy.
Rei couldn't believe it, but suddenly SunTzu's eyes opened, glowing a bright, white light and his breathing started again although his eyes fell shut immediately again.
She could feel him healing up and getting back to live. How was this possible?
Of course, the Force! I can sense it running from them into him. They're healing him, reviving him. It's like when Sailor Moon uses the Silver Crystal.
But Rei still couldn't move. Couldn't speak. She couldn't even feel relieve. The shock still was too deep, her heart, her soul, her very being still shattered.
As soon as SunTzu was breathing again, the Sith and Skywalker ended their Force Healing and walked away as if it had been nothing.
The one that had guarded them now deactivated her purple lightsaber as well and ducked down to Rei as SunTzu slowly began to properly wake up again and almost in a motherly way laid her hand on Rei's head. Rei could see a smile form on the lips under the hood.
"That was close, Senator. Good thing Farmboy had that vision and we got here in time. You two are too gorgeous to cease to exist." The woman said and than left as well.
When SunTzu opened his eyes again, he felt like a new human being. No pain, no injuries, even his arm was healed and moveable again, he felt full of power.
Below him Rei shuddered violently and as he pulled her tight into an embrace she broke down, crying hysterically.
And SunTzu finally noticed that both of them were full with blood. His blood.
He remembered what just had happened to him and an immense feeling of guilt shot into him.
As gently as he could he grabbed his Rei from the floor and lifted her up in his arms before he rushed back to their hotel suite with her.
Ami had constantly tried to reach them and although she had seen what happened nobody had answered her calls yet. She was also sick with worry.
As soon as she saw that SunTzu was heading back to the Hotel she sent a message to the Palace, grabbed a blaster and made her way over there as well.
SunTzu opened the door and carried Rei inside the suite. He had used a side entrance and was relieved nobody had seen them.
Rei still hadn't said a word and he carried her directly into the shower.
He gently sat her down and cupped her face.
"It's good now Rei! I'm good. I'm here. We're fine."
"You should be dead. You should be dead. You were dead." Was everything she could stutter out.
"But I'm here. I'm here, my love." He told her reassuringly. "It's all good Rei. I'm here and I will always protect you." He said and caressed her face, trying to calm her down.
"Let's get this blood off of you, okay?" Between shudders she nodded and he began to carefully undress her bit by bit before he turned on the shower. After that he pulled off his clothes as well.
Warm water rained down on them and the blood on their faces mixed with the water and disappeared in the drain.
After they were clean he carried her out the shower again, pulled towels around here, dried her with them and carried her over to bed where he bedded her in blankets.
She sat upwards and although she didn't shivered anymore her eyes still showed shock and she still didn't speak.
SunTzu sat down opposite of her and hugged her as tight as he could.
Rei began to cry again, although not as hysterical as before, it were rather small sobs. But after a moment she finally hugged him back.
SunTzu shared his tears with her, he had been so close to die. Probably he had been dead even. He had almost lost her. Rei, AICA, Hotaru, the others, he had almost lost them all through his death. And they almost had lost him.
In that moment the door swung open and Ami entered the room with the spare key she had, her face showing a shocked expression as well.
Before she could say anything she saw the couple on the bed and rushed over.
Seeing the state in which Rei was and the worried, red eyed look SunTzu shot her, she sat down behind Rei and hugged her as well.
Together they tried to calm Rei down, at least to a point where she would sleep a bit. She needed rest.
On Earth the newest informations, which Ami had transmitted before she left for Rei's and SunTzu's room had been read.
Motoki personally had woken Mamoru up and brought him to the office of the Intelligence Service so he could get briefed on the bad news.
After three minutes in the office of Agent Smith, who had given him a quick headsup what had happened on Pantolomin, including the info that SunTzu had been so badly injured that Ami reported his death first, Mamoru gave out orders. The young King was furious.
"Get the Outers here and have them ready to leave for Hong Kong immediately. I want retaliation, no criminal gang, no matter how big or powerful touches my Knights."
Rei had finally fell asleep on the hotel bed. As soon as she had laid down, Ami had left the room while SunTzu had made sure she was comfortable and then put on clothes.
SunTzu and Ami were now in the living room of the suite, both had a glass of brandy in their hands and Ami was observing SunTzu closely. Ami had just gotten the order that SunTzu was to wait on Pantolomin for new orders from the Jedi Order.
"Did you really… die?" She finally asked.
SunTzu took a sip of his glass.
"I guess I was pretty much done for, yes. I already saw the tunnel. Even the following darkness." He snorted and then looked to the ground.
"Did you also see your life flash by as they always say?" The genius asked further, taking a sip as well.
"Just from waking up in Kamino I guess. But I saw you, Rei, Marvin, Hotaru, Haruka and all my other friends. And that gave me somehow a last push to not immediately give in and get lost in the darkness. And then Master Skywalker and that Sith-Lord arrived and somehow I felt the Force strongly flowing through me a few moments later and the Force healed me, filled me with life again."
Ami nodded and both took another sip.
"Listen Ami, i want you to bring Rei home. She needs to rest. And she needs her friends around her. I rather would be there for her as well but you heard the Jedi. And I don't know how to feel about all this, maybe a meeting with the Jedi can give me some insight ."
"I understand. I'll inform the palace. Do you stay here so?"
"As Grandmaster Skywalker ordered, I'll wait here. But you girls have to take care of Rei for me."
A few hours later, Rei and Ami entered the Royal Yacht and were soon, accompanied by the other two Inner Senshi, who were sent along with the Yacht, on their way back to Crystal Tokyo.
Rei still was in a state of shock and her friends worried about her. Although she had stopped crying and shaking, she still was pale and didn't speak much, not even with the other Inners.
SunTzu and her had said their goodbye in private before. They had embraced each other on the bed.
"The girls will take you home, my love. I'll have to wait here, I'll have to meet with some Jedi to discuss what happened."
"SunTzu, you were dead." She stated, her voice being firm for the first time since the mission went wrong.
"But I'm here now. And we, you, are safe. It is all good now."
"You were dead."
"I am here and alive now. Rei listen, when I can protect you, I gladly will do so and I'll do everything for it. Even if it means to die. Again. I love you with everything I have, you matter more than me."
She looked at him for a moment and then flung her arms around his neck and sobbed onto his chest.
"I love you, I don't want to loose you."
He began to caress her.
"Shhh, it's all good. We were lucky."
SunTzu could feel her grip around him tighten.
"I come home as soon as I can, okay?"
He could feel a nod on his chest and he kissed her forehead.
SunTzu stayed back as told and soon got the order to wait until Cilghal and Ada would arrive and question him. Cilghal, as highest ranking Healer in Luke's Jedi Order would also examine the Pilot again.
In the meantime the Outer Senshi had arrived in Hong Kong and with Intel from the Intelligence Service, as well as from Interpol, searched out various hangouts and businesses of the local triads.
Dozens of triad members died that night and word was, that especially Haruka and Hotaru, enraged by the fact that some gangsters had almost killed SunTzu, didn't show any mercy and with sword and hlaive they wreaked a massacre in the enemy's ranks.
As Rei finally arrived in Crystal Tokyo the other Inners, joined by their Queen, brought her to her room together.
All of them offered her to stay with her but she declined, even for Minako and Usagi. She needed to be alone with her thoughts. And she needed to rest.
She still had the thought that if she wouldn't fight, he wouldn't have to protect her and this would mean he would be safer as well. Maybe today wouldn't have happened then. The thought made her tear up again.
He had literally given his life today to save her and it was too much to bear anymore. Yes, he didn't die, or rather stayed dead, after all and yes he was back, apparently even healed, but what about the next time? He had said, he would die for her. Again. She didn't know what to do anymore, everybody expected her to fight, after all SHE was the Senshi of War but she couldn't do it anymore. All the times she had been fighting lately had ended in disaster. She needed to stop, she felt like she needed to concentrate on politics, on her work in the Senate.
But not even SunTzu would understand. Especially he would, or could, not understand this, as he was more and more slipping into someone who wanted to fight the enemy without pause. And without remorse. As much and as often as he could, with any means. Like he was about to become War itself. And this scared her maybe even more, than what just had happened on Pantolomin. What if the other part of her vision would come true as well?
Rei came to the conclusion, that maybe spending time with someone neutral would help take her head off of things and maybe also would help her find some answers and a solution. Someone who knew her but stood outside the Inner Circle of the Palace. Someone who wasn't involved in the War.
She checked her handbag and found the number that Yuuichiro had given her a few days before at the shrine.
While SunTzu was still on Pantolomin, Rei called her ex-fiancé's phone.
"Yuichiro Kumada?" He took the phone.
"H-Hey… I got some stuff going on and wouldn't mind to get my head off of it. You're up to meet me for a tea tomorrow before noon?"
