Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam.

Special thanks as always to LW for her insightful beta-reading and for her patience.


Gundam Gemini

Episode Twenty-One

The Wolf and the Hound

Part A

.

For three long centuries, the old hangar had lain undisturbed beneath the planet's surface, slowly gathering dust and hoarding its silence. Now that had all come to an end as its shadowy halls were suddenly filled with the echoing sounds of gunfire.

Choosing to shoot first and ask questions later, Laura and Freya simultaneously unleashed a hail of bullets at the Scarlet Wolf with extreme prejudice. Vega dived for cover behind a nearby pillar and the projectiles missed her by a hair, chipping and ricocheting off the solid concrete instead. Advancing on their sworn enemy, the orphans squeezed their triggers relentlessly and the deafening barrage only ended when their empty clips clattered to the floor.

But as they reloaded, a muzzle flash lit up the darkness and Laura and Freya were forced to take cover behind separate pillars as someone other than Vega returned fire.

"It's the other pilot!" Freya swore and peeked around the corner, spying a brunette bob behind a column before she got an eyeful of concrete fragments. "And she sure knows how to shoot!"

"Well, she can't shoot both of us at the same time!" Laura shouted back, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the pillar standing between her and her mortal foe. "Cover me!"

Staying low, Laura dashed over to the next column and out of the shooter's line of sight, trying to flank Vega while Freya provided covering fire. Pressing her back up against the wall and holding her pistol to her chest, the blonde took a moment to steady her breathing before quickly glancing around the corner. Her gaze immediately met the eyes of a white mask as Vega did the same, and the Gundam pilot unloaded a few rounds out of instinct.

Withdrawing back to the safety of cover again, Laura's pulse raced. It was her first firefight outside of a mobile suit and she could taste the adrenaline. The fact she was exchanging fire with the Scarlet Wolf – who she still could not believe had appeared before her in the flesh – did little to ease her nerves but she was determined to be the last one standing.

Preferably over Vega Aurelia's corpse.

"I presume a truce is now out of the question?" a husky, aristocratic voice asked almost nonchalantly, and it took a moment for Laura to register that the Scarlet Wolf was speaking to her.

"A truce…?!" The very notion both confused and angered the technopath, and she found herself shouting back her answer. "Here's a hint!"

Vega listened as more hot lead was pumped into the concrete pillar behind her but she didn't even flinch. In fact, she was smiling.

"Don't be so hasty, Hellhound!" she calmly replied, staying just out of the line of fire. "Look around you – we're both caught in the same death-trap! Like it or not, we need each other to survive!"

The rational argument had Laura gritting her teeth in frustration. She hated to admit it but Vega had a point; their chances of survival were already low and it was only going to get worse as time went on. Working together might give them their best chance at escaping from their predicament. But the very idea of working with the Scarlet Wolf was complete anathema to her.

"Not happening!" she yelled as thoughts of Tully entered her mind. "After everything that's happened, there's no way I could ever work with you! My only purpose in life is to kill you!"

A melodic chuckle echoed throughout the hangar, and the sound only made Laura's eyes twitch in anger.

"Oh, Hellhound…" Vega's voice was almost breathless from laughter. "You don't want to kill me."

"The hell I do!"

"No, you don't… and I can prove it!"

Finally drawing her sidearm – a shiny, silver Sig Sauer – Vega surprised everyone with what she did next.

Hearing something slide across the floor, Laura was shocked to see a pistol bounce off her pillar and into view. Peering cautiously around the corner, she found Vega already standing out in the open with her palms facing up by her sides as if to show she literally had nothing up her sleeves. Narrowing her eyes, the blonde slowly came out from behind her cover but kept her gun trained on the Scarlet Wolf's head.

"You don't want to kill me – not like this," Vega confidently declared, and gently raised her gloved finger so that it pointed at the white Gundam kneeling behind Laura. "You want to kill me like that. Piloting your Orthrus against my Fenrir in battle – in a duel to the death. I know… because I'm the same."

The Scarlet Wolf's words caused Laura's brow to furrow in turmoil for she could not deny the truth in them. She wanted revenge for Tully's death but she also wanted a specific kind of revenge. She wanted Vega Aurelia to suffer the same fate as her victim by dying in battle, preferably along with the Fenrir which had been the instrument of Tully's murder. Laura would never achieve that by killing her in a common gunfight out in the middle of nowhere – especially when she wasn't even fighting back.

Realising this, she found herself wavering. Even though the head of Tully's murderer was there for the taking, she could not pull the trigger. Not like this.

"Major! What are you doing?!" Upon seeing her leader recklessly put herself in danger, Ursula cried out with both fear and fury. She scrambled to come to Vega's defence only to be sent ducking back into cover by a hail of bullets.

"Shoot, Laura!" Freya shouted, wincing as Ursula returned fire with almost deadly accuracy. "She killed Tully!"

Tully's kind face appeared before Laura's vision and all the trauma and rage returned with it. Biting her lip, she made her decision… and a lone gunshot rang out.

Fearing the worst, both Freya and Ursula raced to the scene only to discover Laura and Vega were still standing. The blonde had her gun pointed towards the ceiling, having discharged a single round into the air, and both pilots were unharmed. That left Freya and Ursula still training their weapons on each other but after Laura and Vega raised their arms in front of them they reluctantly lowered their guns.

Wearing an expression of self-loathing, Laura silently picked up Vega's discarded pistol and walked right up to the masked woman. Looking her straight in the eyes, she presented the weapon back to her.

"Do I have your word?" she asked, scrutinising the Scarlet Wolf's face for every detail that the mask did not hide.

"Of course. My word is my oath," Vega nodded before taking the pistol back and holstering it. Without looking away, Laura did the same with her pistol.

"Then… we have a truce."

If Laura was satisfied by the noblewoman's promise, she did not show it. Vega, however, was all smiles and put out her hand. Raising an eyebrow, Laura hesitated before she took Vega's hand and shook it.

"Now we have a truce," Vega grinned, showing off her pearly white teeth. Turning to Ursula, she gestured for her subordinate to do the same. Sighing, Ursula held her tongue and holstered her pistol before offering Freya her hand. The Pink Diva looked horrified but after an elbow nudge from Laura she relented and shook hands with her opposite.

"My second in the Space Wolves: Captain Ursula Roland," Vega proudly introduced the brunette. "You won't find anyone more loyal or professional."

"Someone has to be…" Ursula quietly remarked.

"Freya Valstein, Lieutenant Junior Grade…" Freya warily introduced herself next and eyed the sharp-featured Luxite up and down. "So… you're the woman in the Warg."

"The girl in the pink Garm…" Ursula countered, tightening her grip. Perhaps sensing the tension, Vega chose that moment to interrupt with her own introduction.

"Vega Aurelia, Major in the Lux Imperial Army and Commander of the Space Wolves, at your service… but I suppose you already knew that," she theatrically announced herself with a charming smile before turning her gaze on her rival. "And? May I have the pleasure of finally knowing your name?"

Laura would have rather ground her teeth into dust than respond but as the saying went, she'd made her bed and now she had to lie in it.

"…Laura Hartmann, Lieutenant Junior Grade," the blonde grudgingly answered.

"Laura Hartmann… what an enchanting name," Vega whispered, seemingly enthralled by her discovery.

"Let's not get too comfortable with each other here, Aurelia–"

"Please… call me Vega," the silver-haired woman clasped her hand and crooned, and Laura felt an intense gaze behind the mask. "I knew the White Hellhound was a young woman but I never expected such a beauty…"

"And I never expected such a flirt!" Laura found herself blurting out, genuinely aghast as she yanked her hand back. This was the Scarlet Wolf she'd been fighting against all this time?

"And a ferocious beauty at that," Vega playfully added, admiring the blonde's ireful glare.

Laura wanted to slug the older woman then and there but sadly her better instincts prevailed. Feeling Freya's hand on her shoulder, the two convened in a private huddle while keeping one eye on the pair behind them who did the same.

"Laura, are you sure about this?" Freya whispered, eyeballing their opposition with suspicion.

"No… but we don't have a lot of other options here," the technopath sighed and grasped her friend's shoulder in return. "Just… try and put up with it for now, okay? Until we can get out of here alive."

"Alright… but I'm watching those two like a hawk! Who knows if they're just going to shoot us in the back later!"

"We can hear you, you know?" said Ursula, standing with her arms crossed. "And for the record, I don't trust you either."

While their seconds entered a mini-standoff, Laura asked Vega the question that had been nagging her.

"Where's the Fenrir? I assume it's nearby since you're trapped down here with us."

"In the hangar next door along with Ursula's Warg," Vega replied with a playful curve of her red lips as she correctly deduced the blonde's true concern. "Don't worry… I won't steal your relics if you don't steal mine."

"Good, because our truce will be forfeit otherwise," Laura declared, using the opportunity to draw some lines in the sand. "We're only working with you because it's mutually beneficial. Once we escape this bunker and the Gorgons, the truce is over. Don't forget that, Scarlet Wolf."

"Oh, I won't, Hellhound." Vega flashed her irritating smile again. "Speaking of escape, is it safe to assume by the state of your mobile suits that they are perhaps in dire need of repair and resupply?"

When neither of the RDF pilots answered, the noblewoman chuckled.

"You don't have to hide it. It just so happens we're in the same boat," Vega revealed, sharing a knowing look with her rival. "We were just too energetic earlier, weren't we, Laura?"

"It's because you wouldn't die," the technopath bluntly deadpanned.

"Come now! Enough of this hostility," Vega chided her but judging by the Luxite's incessant smile she was thoroughly enjoying herself. "We may be enemies but down here we have only each other to rely on. Indeed, for the duration of our unexpected stay in this bunker we shall foster a sisterhood among sisterhoods. Now, I believe Ursula and I saw a door earlier that requires investigating. Follow me, ladies!"

After making her dramatic speech, the Scarlet Wolf turned on her heels and marched back the way she came, fully expecting the others to follow suit. Not wanting to let her rival out of her sight for even a moment, Laura growled and went after her. That left only Freya and Ursula who stood somewhat dumbfounded.

"Is she always like this…?" Freya whispered incredulously.

"You don't know the half of it…" Ursula replied with a mixture of exasperation and resignation.

Suddenly remembering they were enemies, the pair frowned and glared at one another before following after their respective partners.

.


.

"Yeah… She's trying to calm her down now… About that, I think it would be best if we gave her some downtime too…"

Speaking quietly into one of the ship's internal phones, Ray had a dark expression on his face as he leaned against the wall with his head down. Usually, after coming back from a dogfight he had a sense of relief in knowing he had survived another day but this time was different. This time, not all of them had come back. It was his worst nightmare – one which he had already experienced once before – and he was so restless he had almost reached for the bottle again. But knowing there were others who were feeling it even worse than him helped Ray keep his head on straight and realise that there were still things he could do to help.

The sound of a door sliding open down the hall caught his attention and upon seeing a figure exit the orphans' shared quarters Ray quickly ended the call.

"She's coming out now… Yeah, I'll let her know. Thanks again, Superintendent."

After hanging up, Ray breathed in and smoothed back his dishevelled orange hair – which was already reverting back to its natural black – before calling out to the figure's retreating back.

"Junko!" He caught up with her just as she turned around. The mobile suit maintainer, usually so chipper and positive, looked more tired than he'd ever seen her. "How's Alice?"

"I… I just got her to go to sleep. She was so upset… I've never seen her like that before…" Junko spoke with a low voice and Ray realised she was doing her best not to break down herself. Her brown eyes were slightly red as if she had shed more than a few tears. "Tully was bad enough… but now Laura and Freya…"

"Don't talk like that, Junko," Ray stepped in immediately. "Laura and Freya are the best pilots we know. They've survived worse and I'm sure they'll survive this too. We're going to do everything we can to find them but you have to keep your spirits up in the meantime. Don't give up on them – not yet."

His words gave the young woman pause and she eventually nodded.

"You're right… I have to believe in them…" Junko whispered, forcing the semblance of a smile to her sagging lips. "Well, I better get back to the hangar…"

"Nope, you're going to get some rest. You're in no condition to do anything right now."

"But my shift…?"

"I already cleared it with Moses. He said maintenance on the Jabberwock and the Hermes is almost done so there's not much left for you to do anyway. You should focus on getting yourself back to a hundred percent instead; that way, you'll be ready for when Laura and Freya need you the most," Ray explained and before she could react he forcefully guided the bamboozled maintainer back to the orphans' shared quarters. "Besides, I think you should be there when Alice wakes up."

Mouth agape, Junko didn't know how to respond… until the door slid open and she saw Alice's sleeping form on the bunk bed. She felt her lips stiffen and her hands clenched into fists. Bringing one up, it looked like she was going to punch the wall but instead she tapped Ray on the chest with it. When the former ace looked down, he found her warm, familiar smile had returned, if only a little.

"Thanks, Ray… Wake us up if you hear anything."

"Leave it to me, Lieutenant."

The door slid shut behind her and Ray breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried for a second there that it would be up to him – old, washed up, barf-prone Ray-Man – to hold everything together but Junko was as tough as they came. As for Alice, she might be weighed down by guilt now but he knew she would pull through. She wasn't like him, after all.

As the only available pilot on duty, Ray's next plan was to go down to the hangar bay and make himself comfortable inside the Hermes. There would be no worse time for the Lionheart to come under attack than now and he wanted to be ready at a moment's notice just in case. But on his way there, he noticed the lights in the simulator room were on and his curiosity got the better of him. Inside, he discovered Sofia pouring over a mountain of simulations, charts and documents on the hologram table.

"Commander, what are you doing?" Ray asked, bewildered by the amount of information on display and how Sofia could possibly process it all. He expected her to look exhausted but instead she appeared fully alert and focused on the task at hand.

"I'm going over every report I can find about recent Lemurian archaeological discoveries while running simulations of possible rescue scenarios…" she robotically replied, barely acknowledging his presence as she speed-read the holographic texts. "Anything that might provide a clue as to what that base was, what we can expect inside and how best to proceed… It could mean the difference between life and death for Laura and Freya."

Ray had suspected Sofia had formed an attachment to the orphans but he never expected her to go above and beyond like this. He wondered if something had happened and that's when he noticed the rescue simulations only included the Hermes and the Jabberwock.

"Are we not expecting reinforcements, Commander?" he tentatively asked. When Sofia shook her head, his heart sank.

"The captain is doing all he can to convince command but as we feared, they're too busy fighting LIRA and safeguarding the evacuation," she explained. "And even if they sent help now it could be days before they get here."

"We don't have that kind of time…" Ray whispered, looking at the simulations with renewed interest.

"That's why I'm here…" Sofia's fingers moved rapidly over the hologram keyboard while simultaneously digesting the information that popped up with her red eyes. As a technopath, Ray was impressed. "I'll be damned if I let anything happen to those girls…"

Ray recognised that look. It was the look of someone who had felt loss and the powerlessness that came with it once before. Rather than beat around the bush, he decided to just come out and ask the question on the tip of his tongue.

"…Did you lose someone, Commander?"

Sofia finally paused and rested her hands on the hologram table with her head bowed. She appeared to be staring at her reflection in the glass which was stoic as always.

"…Something like that," she answered cryptically before looking up again and continuing with her research like nothing had happened. "Maybe I'll tell you about it one day, Mr Mercury."

"Over drinks, I hope," Ray grinned as he opened one of the mobile suit simulators.

"What are you doing?" the commander asked sharply as she spared him a brief disapproving glance before returning to her work.

"Helping. I can do the simulations while you gather intelligence," the former ace explained as he stepped inside the simulator. "Better to have the real deal than some AI copy, wouldn't you say? Plus, I like to think I'm familiar with all your tactics and strategies by now after everything you've put me through."

"Don't get full of yourself, Mercury..." Sofia gave him her signature glare but she didn't stop him. Instead, she added, "…I expect a report every thirty minutes."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Shutting the capsule door, Ray was left in darkness until the simulator booted up and he began inputting a list of scenarios to test. As the first simulation began to load, recreating realistic 3D models of the Lemurian base and its bunker on the monitor, the pilot took a deep breath. For now, that shut-eye he had been hoping to get inside the Hermes would have to wait.

.


.

Although the Space Wolves had suffered their fair share of losses in the past year due to the RDF Relic Hunters and the White Hellhound, Vega had always been there to rally their spirits. She was their goddess of victory who never ceased to find a way forward no matter the odds and they would gladly follow her to hell and back. But now with both Vega and Ursula missing in action, the Space Wolves were in disarray.

As the next superior officer in the chain of command, this meant it was now Luke's responsibility to unite the troops with charisma and gusto. He, of course, had none of those qualities which was why it was the last job in the world he wanted. Being the older, helpful squad mate was one thing but now that he had to actually lead and make decisions and boss people around… It was pure torture.

It didn't help that he had performed poorly as both a pilot and a commander in the most recent battle. He had been so tense and ill-prepared to juggle both roles that afterwards he finally realised how much he had relied on Vega and Ursula all this while. Their return couldn't come soon enough but in the meantime someone had to hold the fort – even if it threatened to kick him in the face. Literally.

"Let go of me, Valorie! Stupid! Creep! Baldy!" Thwarted in her brazen attempt to board her Warg without permission, Charlotte was hurling insults at Luke of increasing hurtfulness. "Lady Vega needs me!"

"What are you going to do?! Knock on the bunker door and hope those Gorgons give you a warm welcome?!" Luke tried to argue with the miniscule blonde while holding on to one of her legs and dodging kicks from the other. "The captain is with her so she's probably fine!"

"That's what I'm worried about!"

Charlotte's anger must have boiled over at that point because the next thing she did was leap off the winch and give Luke twin flying boots to the face. While the taller man was knocked unceremoniously onto his behind, the young girl backflipped into the air before landing perfectly on her feet. Nursing a bloody lip, Luke could only watch from the ground as Charlotte's big red eyes narrowed venomously and she threw what could only be described as a tantrum.

"That harlot is probably seducing Lady Vega as we speak! All alone together and away from prying eyes… Gah! Just imagining it makes me mad!" The petite pilot stamped her foot and screamed, oblivious to the attention she was drawing inside the hangar. "Even though I'm definitely a hundred times cuter than that old crone Ursula, Lady Vega has probably forgotten all about me. I mean, they're probably engaging in all sorts of f-filthy acts…"

"You don't know that…"

"It's what I would do!" With that red-faced admission and a shake of her fists, Charlotte glowered at Luke. "Now I'm going to steal back Lady Vega and there's nothing you can do to stop m–!"

Her rant was cut short when someone picked the troublemaker up by the scruff of her flight suit and she twisted around to find Pavel standing behind her. The gentle giant usually treated the shrimp with kid gloves but something in his pale eyes told Luke he was out of patience. Even Charlotte could tell judging by her surprised reaction.

"P-Pavel…?!"

"Stop it, Charlotte," her pseudo-guardian boomed with his baritone voice which was as commanding as they'd ever heard it. "If you go out there alone, you're just going to make things worse."

"B-But, Lady Vega…!"

"I'm sure the major is fine. I don't believe anything in this world could kill her. If anything, the Space Wolves need you here… and I'm sure she would agree," Pavel calmly and firmly reasoned, pacifying the cub with each word. "Now, do you promise not to stir up any more trouble?"

Orally beaten into submission, Charlotte sulked but quietly nodded and Pavel put her down. Standing there with a massive pout on her lips, Luke thought she was going to cry. Instead, she suddenly spun around and punched Pavel in the belly.

"Pavel, you meanie!" she screamed before storming off.

Unharmed, Pavel silently watched her run out of the hangar before lending Luke a hand.

"Are you alright, Lieutenant?" he asked, helping him up. "Please don't hold it against Charlotte. She's just worried about the major and doesn't know how to express it."

"Yeah… I gathered. Thanks," said Luke, dusting himself off before looking up at Pavel with awe. "You were amazing, Pavel. You should be the one in command, not me…"

"My daughter is Charlotte's age, that's all," the veteran merely passed off the compliment before correcting himself with a frown. "…Or size, I should say."

"No, I mean it. I suck at this job!" Luke groaned, ruffling up his black hair in frustration. "The squad is down in the dumps but I can't cheer anyone up, the shrimp doesn't listen to me and I almost got us all killed in the last battle – I just supremely suck at this leadership stuff! I'm just… I'm just no Major Aurelia or Captain Roland, I guess…"

"No one expects you to be," Pavel declared without hesitation as he placed a supportive hand on Luke's shoulder. "Major Aurelia picked you for a reason so just be you. Not the Scarlet Wolf or Captain Roland but Luke Valorie. Trust in yourself and your instincts… and trust in us. Even without our leader, the Space Wolves are stronger than they know."

Luke wished he had a tape recorder because after a speech like that anyone would feel better about themselves.

"Damn… You really should be promoted," he whispered, almost tearing up. "I'll take your advice… but I still can't wait for the major and Ursula to come back."

"Commodore Sparrhorn should be securing reinforcements as we speak so we can take the bunker and perform a search and rescue. Hopefully before the RDF does."

"Well, that's assuming LIRA High Command allows it. Our leader has a lot of enemies..." Luke pondered and recalled his last communication with the Fenrir in which he had learned the Gundam was also inside the bunker. "No… There's no way…"

.


.

An hour ago, Laura could never have imagined walking side by side with the Scarlet Wolf but that was the outlandish reality she now inhabited. That said, the bunker they were trapped inside of together was turning out to be just as bizarre.

After discovering a flight of stairs in the hangar bay leading deeper underground, the quartet uncovered what must have been the base's living quarters. Due to the electricity having been reactivated, most of the lights were now on and they were given a clear view of a military facility frozen in time. Amongst the strange sights they saw were bunk beds with mouldy sheets that were still unmade, dusty personal possessions which had been left scattered on the floor and unfinished meals that had remained out in the open in the mess hall for centuries.

"Someone left in a hurry…" Freya observed, wrinkling her nose at the unrecognisable sludge that was once food. A quick inspection of the storeroom revealed a mountain of untouched rations but it was anyone's guess whether they were still edible.

"We're not that desperate… Not yet anyway," said Laura, raising an eyebrow at the expiration date on a can of beans she had picked up before putting it back where she had found it.

What had befallen the Lemurian base was the unspoken question on their minds but conversation between the two sides wasn't exactly forthcoming. They were understandably still wary of one another despite the agreed truce and the eerie atmosphere of the abandoned bunker did not help. Although there was electricity, some lights would flicker uncontrollably while others did not work at all, forcing them to walk in near darkness at certain points. The echoes of their footsteps travelled down the long, claustrophobic halls of concrete and steel which were otherwise unnaturally quiet for a facility this large.

The complete lack of people in a place that should have been teeming with them only became more unsettling with each discovery. She didn't believe in ghosts but at times, Laura thought she could feel someone or something watching her. Swivelling her head, she discovered it was just Vega and grunted in annoyance.

"…What?" the Gundam pilot narrowed her eyes and snapped. They were walking side by side down another corridor while Freya and Ursula walked behind them – watching their backs as it were.

"You have the most beautiful eyes… Has anyone ever told you that?" Vega pronounced without a hint of shame, putting on her most charming smile and her most seductive tone.

Laura rolled said eyes to the back of her head.

"If you have nothing better to say, can you not talk to me?" she requested, barely maintaining her civility.

"Oh, come now. It's not every day I have the pleasure of speaking with an RDF pilot…" Vega playfully teased, clearly taking pleasure in Laura's discomfort. "…Especially the White Hellhound."

"Ugh, I'm getting sick of that name…"

"Why? It's a perfectly lovely name. I should know; I came up with it."

"So it was YOU!"

The bunker began to reverberate with their voices as the two ace pilots bickered. Well, to be more precise, Laura yelled while a smiling Vega kept poking at her with a proverbial amusement stick. Their presence forgotten, Freya and Ursula watched from behind with marked disapproval on their faces.

"Tsk…! How dare that Scarlet Wolf try to get all chummy with Laura!" Freya hissed, scowling as she angrily chewed on her thumb.

"And so soon after meeting her…!" Started Ursula… until she saw the mirror image that was Freya's expression. Taking her thumb out of her own mouth, the captain quietly reset her face to 'composed adult' and looked down on the Remian. "…Jealous?"

"J-Jealous?! Of that?" The offended diva pointed at Vega like she was the devil incarnate and her pink twintails almost spun out of control. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Most women would be over the moon to be even near Major Aurelia," Ursula explained, eyeing Freya's reaction with fascination. "That you're not is… mildly refreshing."

"Humph! Sounds like those women need to get their heads checked – you don't even know what she looks like!" Freya pointed her finger at Vega's mask with disbelief before gesturing to her own now smug features. "But I suppose it's only natural she'd want to hide when she has to compete with this."

The Pink Diva haughtily flipped her hair back and laughed, never noticing the vein threatening to burst on Ursula's forehead. Feeling irritation well up inside her, the captain couldn't let the comment slide and went on the offensive.

"The major has accomplished far more than you could ever hope to achieve and deserves all the admiration she gets. As far as I'm concerned, there's no 'competition' to be had." Fervently defending her leader, Ursula glared at Freya like she was one of her own unfortunate subordinates and when the young woman flinched, she dealt the final blow. "She's also more woman than you… Period."

"W-What?! H-How dare you!" Taken by surprise, Freya subconsciously covered her meagre chest with her hands before smirking when she realised she had struck a nerve. "Oh, I get it… You're the one who's jealous! What are you, the Scarlet Wolf's girlfriend?"

"G-G-Girlfriend? H-Hardly!" Ursula stuttered her own defence as her cheeks flushed bright red. "I'm just the long-suffering second-in-command who gets dragged into all the Scarlet Wolf's misadventures… Isn't it the same for you and the White Hellhound?"

"Laura? No way! She can't do anything without me!" Freya proudly boasted with her nose in the air. "She's only an ace because of me, you know. I admit she's just a teensy bit better than me… but I'm so much cuter."

"Right…" Ursula barely hid her scepticism as a strange sense of déjà vu overcame her. "Why do I get the feeling your squadron is a bunch of oddballs who lack discipline? I don't know who your commanding officer is but I feel sorry for them."

"Like I thought, you're the crabby 'all rules and regulations' type, aren't you?" Freya lashed back. "You remind me of a certain demon commander… except you're a bottom."

"And you remind me of a certain underdeveloped brat… except you're not as cute."

The newly acquainted adversaries were so busy glaring at one another they never noticed when the others came to a sudden halt and bumped into them. The reason for their abrupt stop was immediately evident when they saw a set of reinforced steel doors in their path. They were unlike any of the other doors they had seen so far and it was obvious that whatever lay behind them was important enough to warrant extra security. A red light above the entrance indicated an electronic lock and Laura wordlessly put her hand on the door first.

"…Locked," the technopath reported to no one's surprise. "But it shouldn't take too long to crack it."

However, it soon became apparent that the electronic lock was far more complex than Laura had expected.

"Allow me to assist you," Vega generously offered and placed her own hand on the door. However, as she glowered at that all-pervasive smile, Laura could not help but think the ace had an ulterior motive. Her suspicions were confirmed when her eyes caught Vega's masked gaze and, like a starting pistol going off, the race began.

In the mind's eye of the technopaths the electronic lock was like a series of interconnected blue boxes, each with a different and increasingly confounding puzzle inside that had to be solved before the box would collapse. Therefore, the unspoken competition was to see who could solve the most puzzles in the shortest amount of time and be the one to unlock the door. Laura had already solved a third of the puzzles but she was instantly floored by Vega's speed as the technopath began to effortlessly collapse boxes at an alarming rate.

Furrowing her brow, the blonde concentrated and redoubled her own efforts. There was no way she was going to lose to her greatest enemy, she thought, but to her shock the Luxite was already catching up. Like a wave of falling dominos, Laura's solved boxes turned white while Vega's turned red and before long all the puzzles had been solved. The light above the double doors turned green and there was a hiss as the doors slowly parted… only to stall and jam barely a second later.

"Well, I suppose that proves not all Lemurian technology is as impervious to the ravages of time as those Gorgons," Vega joked, not even acknowledging her intense technopathic race with Laura as she studied the narrow gap between the doors. "That said, I believe this quandary requires a solution as old as time – good old-fashioned elbow grease."

"Like you even know the meaning of the word…" Ursula rolled her eyes at the noblewoman as they moved to one side of the doors.

While the LIRA pilots were distracted, Laura subtly wiped a bead of perspiration from her brow and stared at Vega. Unlike her, the masked woman hadn't even broken a sweat which made the result of their race all the more galling. She was so incensed, she didn't even notice when Freya walked up and leaned into her ear.

"So who won?" she whispered, following Laura's gaze.

"Her… but only just," the technopath muttered.

"Didn't you have a head start?"

"Shut up."

Taking positions on either side of the double doors, the women slid their hands into the opening and pulled. Slowly but surely, the steel slabs began to inch apart with screeches and groans before sliding all the way open with a metallic bang. The way forward was still bathed in complete darkness but a second later the lights flickered back to life and the secret behind the doors was revealed. The pilots took in an eyeful of monitors, keyboards, chairs and equipment all at once but the purpose of the room was clear: it was the bunker's command centre.

"Jackpot…" Freya whistled as the four walked inside and examined the chamber.

Although the instruments were over three centuries old by now and yellowing with rust, when compared to the technology of Lux and Rem they appeared to be as advanced if not more so. Furthermore, despite the Lemurian design and arrangement of the equipment and stations, it was still fairly evident what everything was for. Strolling down a row of operator stations, Ursula dragged her fingertip across the desks and studied the thick layer of dust it had gathered.

"No one's been here in a long time…" she observed, looking around the empty room. Like the rest of the bunker, they had yet to find any human remains.

"So it appears. But I'll wager the Lemurians left something behind," Vega replied, already tapping away at the console of the main monitor. "A gift for their dear descendants, perhaps?"

The monitor powered on and rows of text began to scroll down a blue screen before it became an incomprehensible flood of overlapping letters.

"Looks like data corruption… Lots of it," said Laura, taking the console next to Vega so she could probe the overwhelming amount of information. "This will take a while to untangle… and by a while I mean days."

"Well, luckily, we have four talented technopaths ready to make short work of such an arduous task," the Scarlet Wolf grinned and gestured to the others who were already tapping away at their own consoles. "Isn't this grand? Working towards a common goal despite being on opposing sides? It has a touch of the romantic to it…"

"If by romantic you mean sick to my stomach," the White Hellhound snapped and focused instead on her monitor. "Just shut up and move those hands."

Vega merely chuckled. "My, charming, aren't you?"

For the next hour they worked nonstop, sifting through and deciphering mountains of data searching for anything that could aid in their survival. It was like looking for needles in a haystack as they frequently uncovered useless information such as personnel records, maintenance logs and administration emails. While someone like Milos or Freya's information scientist parents would be thrilled at the contribution this would all make to Lemurian archaeology, none of it was going to help them escape or understand what had happened to the bunker.

"Got anything?" Laura finally asked, pausing to flex her fingers. "A map or the comms system program would be really helpful."

"Well, I know where we are," Freya replied as her discovery filled the main monitor. "We're at some place called Fort Lycia, a Lemurian Military Research and Development Facility based in the city of Lycia if I'm reading these old emails right…"

"Lycia… So the city we saw had a name," Laura murmured, recalling the haunted ruins of the city in the sands. Freya followed up her report with some old photos she had been able to unearth and the jaws in the room all collectively dropped to the floor. On-screen was a dazzling, if familiar, city of unparalleled beauty standing straight and tall without a single sand dune in sight. Being able to witness Lycia in its youth, before the Cataclysm, only made the mystery of what had happened to it all the more tragic for the pilots.

"I… I was able to come across a series of classified documents," Ursula reported once her shock had died down. "While I've only been able to bypass the security clearances of a few so far, it appears it wasn't just this facility that carried out military R&D. This whole region was a centre for high technology and innovation before the Cataclysm, and Lycia and its fort were built with total industrial integration in mind."

The brunette pulled up some images of the research and technology the Lemurians had been working on. A few photos were clearly of the Gorgons and their early mobile suit prototypes but others were of weapons they had never seen before. Notably, there were also pictures showing hundreds of Gorgons undergoing mass production in what they assumed were Lycia's factories.

"According to these documents, they manufactured thousands of Gorgons in the city and hundreds were stockpiled in this bunker," Ursula stressed. "And there are probably even more weapons buried down here with us that we're not even aware of."

"So, even more zombie mobile suits to deal with… That's just great," Freya sarcastically remarked before her expression changed to one of curiosity. "…Were they researching autonomous weapons too?"

"If they were, it's most likely documented in the classified files but declassifying even one is a handful."

"Send them to me and I'll see what I can do," offered Vega who continued to type non-stop as she turned to Laura with a wide smile. "And? Surely, the RDF's greatest technopath did not come up empty-handed?"

Whether it was a challenge or simply flattery, Laura's competitive spirit still lit up like a bonfire.

"As a matter of fact, I did find something," she haughtily replied and brought up a grid of video images. "Live camera feeds from around the bunker. The security system is still relatively intact which made hacking into it only slightly difficult. It should prove useful for getting around and checking for danger."

After deliberately downplaying her efforts, the smug blonde rubbed her achievement into Vega's face by scrolling through the camera feeds. Amongst the soundless footage, they saw mostly Gorgons patrolling or standing guard at various locations inside the bunker. There were also feeds that showed routes that had collapsed under rubble or images that were completely blacked out. But what caught their eyes the most were a series of tankers.

"Those look like refuelling tankers!" Freya pointed out. "And hydrogen for beam ammunition!"

"Not surprising considering they stationed mobile suits here," Ursula calmly stated. "We should expect to find power recharging stations too."

"And with some luck, repair stations and compatible equipment. That should solve most of our problems if we need to fight our way out of here," Laura finished off her report by folding her arms and smirking expectantly at Vega. "Your turn."

Top THAT, you conceited, woman-chasing witch.

Finally giving her fingers a rest from their work at the console, Vega merely chuckled and flipped her silver hair back.

"As expected of the White Hellhound, you did not disappoint," she softly praised her rival before pushing a button and a still image appeared on the screen. "Compared to you, I'm afraid all I could uncover was this jumbled video… of what appears to be Fort Lycia's final transmission before the Cataclysm struck."

"What?!"

Taking a moment to savour the blonde's shocked expression, Vega allowed her lips to curve upwards to their full extent before pressing play.

The grainy footage on the monitor began to move, shifting and transforming until they could make out a man wearing a green military uniform not dissimilar to their own nations'. He was speaking to the camera from the very command centre they were in except it was still new and pristine. Judging from his clouded features they were communicating news of an ominous nature. Although the man's lips were moving, there was no sound at first and the quartet waited with bated breath until they heard a message coming three centuries from the distant past.

"…Lycia, do you read…? …I repeat, Lycia city, do you read? Come in, Lycia… Anyone… Please respond…" Hearing no response, the man hunched over the console in defeat and appeared to sigh heavily before looking directly at the camera again whereupon the static gradually disappeared. "…If anyone can hear me, this is General Jules Allain, Base Commander of Fort Lycia. This morning, at precisely 0600 hours, we suffered a cyberattack the likes of which we have never seen…"

"They were hacked…" Laura whispered, and as the general continued speaking the technopaths had a feeling they already knew where this was going.

"We don't know who attacked us or why but they unleashed a virus that took over everything from our security systems to our environmental controls and even our classified files in a matter of minutes. Despite the best efforts of our technopaths to stop it, so far we've only managed to open a window long enough to send this emergency transmission…" General Allain grimaced but it soon became clear he wasn't done yet. "…That's not all. The virus also infected over ninety percent of our Gorgon mobile suits… causing them to run amok."

The video suddenly shook as an explosion rocked the command centre on the screen and Freya jumped.

"We're holding them off at choke points using the Gorgons still under our control and manually sealing the anti-nuclear bulkheads to shut them in, but it won't be long before the infected horde breaks through and reaches the elevator shafts. If that happens, Lycia will be overrun and thousands will die…" After letting his words sink in, General Allain's face appeared to steel with resolve and the soldier stared straight into the camera like a dead man walking. "…That is why I have authorised the detonation of a Z-15 Thunderbolt EMP bomb inside the fort. While the blast will completely shut down the entirety of the base on top of disrupting the city, it should stop the Gorgons and the virus in their tracks – at least, momentarily. We've managed to avoid it so far but my other great fear is if the virus should discover and infect Project Chimera. I don't need to tell you that the consequences of such an event would be nothing short of disastrous…"

"Project Chimera?" Ursula raised a curious eyebrow, sensing nothing good about the name.

"I'll search the classified files…" Vega offered, setting her fingers back to work as the recorded transmission neared its end.

"My people have already evacuated, leaving only the surviving Gorgon pilots and myself who will be trapped inside once the bomb detonates. If this reaches anyone, please, get word to Lycia City to evacuate immediately and, if my hunch is right, Fort Lenos too. Unless they've already been attacked, they will be next…" With his final words, General Allain took a deep breath and brought his finger up to hover over a button on the console. "God help us…"

He pushed the button and the transmission immediately cut off, leaving the pilots staring at their own reflections as the monitor went black. No one spoke at first, hiding their shock as they tried to process what they had just witnessed. In some respects, they had been left with more questions than answers when it came to the Cataclysm and the fate of Fort Lycia.

"Well, that was intriguing…" Vega was the first to break the silence. "After watching that, I believe we can all hypothesise what happened here."

"The cyberattack cut off their communications and infected their Gorgons with a virus so they sacrificed themselves to save the city…" Laura held her chin in thought as she summarised what they had learned. "I'm guessing the EMP bomb worked since that bulkhead was still intact but it just left the infected Gorgons in a state of dormancy for three centuries..."

"Until you came along and woke them up…" Freya reminded her friend with an accusing stare. "Probably when you blew that door wide open…"

"That wasn't my fault!" the indignant Gundam pilot shouted and gave Vega an annoyed glance. "At least, it wasn't totally my fault. Since this is a bunker, all the electronics must have some protection against nuclear EMP blasts which would explain why everything still works. So blowing up the bulkhead must have triggered an emergency response, jump-starting the reactor and reactivating everything from the defence systems to the Gorgons – which are still 'acting' under the virus' directives."

"A virus of this nature is unheard of in our times and, judging by the general's reaction, in the time of the Lemurians too," pondered a disturbed Ursula. "Was it an attack by an enemy nation? Or an independent group? And was this how the Cataclysm started? Whatever the case, the city of Lycia and its surroundings still lie in ruins."

"Lenos too…" Laura added, recalling Lemuria's moon with disquiet. "He mentioned Fort Lenos being next. Well, whatever happened, a giant crater is now where the fort used to be. Only its bunker survived and the Orthrus Gundam with it."

Freya's ears perked up.

"Does this mean Fort Lycia has a Gundam too? This 'Project Chimera'?" she asked, obviously trying to contain her excitement. "Is that the relic that's stored here?"

"I believe I may have discovered the answers to those questions," Vega interjected, bringing up a file on-screen which read 'Project Chimera'.

"You found it…" Laura's statement had a hint of restrained jealousy, knowing the Scarlet Wolf must have decrypted dozens of classified files before stumbling upon the right one.

"It was only slightly difficult. Nothing you couldn't do, I'm sure," Vega teased, grinning as a pout formed on the younger woman's lips. "Now, give me a moment and we shall lift the veil on another Lemurian mystery…"

With rapid taps of her elegant fingers, the technopath began to bypass the file's security but it wasn't long before the main monitor was bombarded by red pixels.

"What did you do?" Laura demanded, gawking as a red wave invaded the blue screen from above and destroyed the classified file.

"It's not me…" Vega answered, and for once Laura heard genuine confusion and shock in her rival's voice. It was only when the command centre's emergency sirens began to blare and the room was bathed in red light that they all realised what was happening. "It's the virus! It's deleting everything!"

Without a single word needing to be said, all hands were suddenly on deck as the technopaths desperately worked their consoles trying to stop the virus' onslaught. But despite their united front they could not stem the red tide as it slowly took over the blue screen.

"Damn it! It's too fast!" cried Freya.

"We're barely slowing it down!" yelled Ursula.

"Just save what you can! I'll prepare a virtual operating system!" shouted Vega. The silver-haired woman was moving her fingers so fast they were a blur and for the first time Laura actually saw sweat forming on her brow. The sight was enough to stir feelings of admiration inside the blonde and she momentarily forgot they were enemies.

"I'll help," she simply stated, opening several more windows on her monitor to assist with Vega's plan.

For an intense minute, the two technopaths silently worked in perfect tandem like they had known each other for years and everything was ready just before the main monitor was about to turn completely red.

"Now! Send everything to me!" ordered Vega.

"Roger! Sent!" Ursula and Freya responded.

"Laura!"

"Got it!"

Diving over Vega's console, Laura reached behind it and pulled out every wire except the power cable, severing it from the main system. The result was that the virus' red wave of corruption stopped with only a tiny blue square spared from infection. Without anything more left to satiate its ravenous hunger, the virus paused in its rampage and the sirens stopped wailing. A mere two minutes after the attack had started, calm and relief finally returned to the command centre.

"That was close…" Freya whispered, wiping the sweat off her brow as she gathered around Vega's console with the others. Unlike the main monitor, it was still blue and overflowing with uncorrupted data.

"Did we manage to save anything useful?" Ursula asked as she massaged her aching fingers. "What happened to the 'Project Chimera' file?"

"Gone, I'm afraid. The virus was keen to make sure we never laid eyes on any of the Lemurian's classified information," Vega replied as she browsed through masses of text. "Apart from what we managed to salvage before there does not appear to be anything of value. Wait… the program for the comms system?"

Having a hunch, Vega turned around and saw Laura proudly standing at the command centre's now functional communications console.

"How?" the stunned Scarlet Wolf asked. "Did you find the program by chance?"

Laura grinned and took a moment to enjoy the reversal of their positions before answering.

"I knew from that old transmission that the virus would try and cut off communications first. So, after letting it lead me right to the comms program, I saved it," she explained. "I also prepared a second virtual operating system for the communications console – duplicated from yours, I admit – so we can operate the comms system safely."

"Bravo…. Bravo, Laura Hartmann…" Impressed, Vega smiled widely and began clapping. While it felt strange to be complimented by her hated enemy, Laura still drank up the praise regardless.

"I already sent out an emergency distress signal on repeat. But the sandstorm is still raging outside so we'll have to wait until it ends to see if the comms system still works or not," she explained while giving the system some final adjustments. "In the meanwhile, we should be able to link the system up with our mobile suit comms so we don't have to wait around here for a response."

"Way to go, Laura!" Freya slapped her best friend on the back before aiming a self-satisfied smile at the Luxites. "If you ask nicely, we just might let you aboard the Lionheart when it comes to rescue us."

"For all you know, it will be the Blue Crow coming to rescue us," Ursula firmly pointed out, wiping the grin off the Pink Diva's face. "But regardless, how will they extract us if we can't get out of here?"

"Never fear, my dear Ursula," Vega happily assured her second and showed off something on her monitor. "The White Hellhound wasn't the only one who managed to procure some spoils from the Lemurian treasury…"

With the push of a button, a 3D schematic appeared on-screen, rotating slowly as it zoomed out to reveal its enormous scope.

"You found a map of the bunker," Laura guessed, already leaning forward and studying the graphic.

"A complete diagram of the entire installation – at least, as it was before the Cataclysm. I've already identified several possible exits," Vega explained and pointed to the areas of interest. "Fort Lycia has three main entrances distributed around the edges of the city: one to the north, one to the south-east and one to the south-west. The south-eastern entrance, through which Ursula and I entered the bunker, has already been sealed shut as we discovered when we tried to escape."

"Same with us for the northern entrance," said Laura. "I doubt we'll get them open again while the virus controls the system."

"What about the south-west?" Freya asked but Vega shook her head.

"I cross-referenced with the security camera footage we obtained and the south-western entrance is blocked by rubble," she informed them, bringing up the relevant video-feeds. "But even if we could leave via one of these three exits, we would still need to fight through an army of Gorgons – a perilous task, I'm sure you'd all agree. Which is why I propose an escape by way of a fourth exit."

Vega directed their attention to the very centre of the schematic where another tunnel sprung up from the heart of the bunker and towards the surface.

"Since the fort was built directly beneath the city, there is another shaft nearby that leads straight to the ruins. We'll need to perform some reconnaissance first, but I believe it is a smaller elevator for civilian use that should still be intact as well as less defended and more vulnerable to technopathic interference." The corners of the Scarlet Wolf's lips began to curve upwards as a cunning plan formulated in her mind. "Of course, considering its location, we could be surrounded before we can make good on our escape. Fortunately, so long as we work together, I do have some possible solutions in mind…"

"Oh, I don't like that look on her face…" Ursula whispered only to discover it wasn't just Vega she had to worry about.

"If they haven't already, we can collapse the tunnels here and here…" Pointing with her finger, Laura already found herself making suggestions as the wheels in her mind also began to turn. "It shouldn't be too hard if you use Gravity Mode. Then again, collapsing more than one might be too much for the Fenrir and the bunker's structural integrity…"

"Then we could leave one tunnel intact to funnel the Gorgons into a kill zone. After all, we wouldn't want to risk them coming after us when we make our escape, would we?" Vega proposed and it was almost as if she could read her rival's thoughts. "The Gundam should make short work of them using its Solar Mode. Oh, but please avoid that burning red mode of yours. We don't need another accident…"

"Oh, don't worry. When I use Burst Mode to kill you, it will be no accident…"

The Scarlet Wolf chuckled heartily and for a brief moment she and the White Hellhound considered each other as equals.

"I hate to break up your little party but this plan is moot unless we can repair and refuel our mobile suits!" Freya angrily reminded them, physically stepping between the aces so they weren't so close to one another.

"Freya, was it? You're quite right… and extraordinarily cute, I might add." The offhand compliment transformed Freya into an infuriated yet stuttering mess as Ursula looked on while shaking her head. After stifling uncontrollable laughter with her fist, Vega pulled the security camera feeds back on to the screen and went on. "With some ingenuity and a bit of luck, we should be able to restore our mobile suits to working order using what the Lemurians left behind. However, with the possibility of a rescue incoming, time may now be of the essence."

Laura nodded in agreement.

"We have to be ready before our people come for us," she said, knowing Milos, Alice, Junko and their other friends would never give up on them. "Well… let's get started."

.


.

"Captain Hartmann, was it? I don't have a lot of time so let's make this quick." Inside the captain's private quarters aboard the Lionheart, Milos was sitting to attention as he listened to the gruff and impatient voice coming from his desk monitor. "Your request for a combat search and rescue has been denied."

The words tore through Milos' heart worse than any bullet could have ever hoped to accomplish. In a matter of seconds, the soldier went through a gauntlet of emotions as he tried to process the news. First he felt denial, then numbness as the truth set in, and finally raw anger that welled up and spread throughout his entire body like wildfire. Fighting his rage, it was a miracle he managed to keep his tone civil as he responded to the man on-screen.

"But Admiral Rossi, two of the RDF's best pilots may still be alive down there. Furthermore, we must recover the Garm Beta Prototype and the Orthrus Gundam – the latter of which is a technologically advanced relic we cannot allow to fall into enemy hands." Milos appealed the decision strongly even though he could barely comprehend half of what he was saying anymore. "Please, Admiral, we're running out of time–"

Vice Admiral Rossi put his hand up to stop Milos from speaking further and the captain felt his heart sink a second time. After one of Rossi's subordinates had assisted in finding Laura when she had gone missing during Operation Hammerfall, Milos had hoped he could count on the vice-commander of the RDF ground forces to help too. Sadly, it appeared his hopes had been misplaced.

"This is not a discussion, Hartmann. Your report mentioned upwards of a hundred hostile Gorgon mobile suits and at least a dozen active anti-air defences entrenched at that bunker – meaning any CSAR operation would be suicide. The RDF just doesn't have the manpower or the resources right now to safely engage such a large threat – not when operations to protect the evacuations from LIRA are ongoing." Rossi sighed and tapped his finger on his desk as if he were speaking to a disobedient child. "At best, I can authorise a CSAR operation a week from now–"

"A week?!" Milos exclaimed and almost lost his cool. "That's… That's too long! By then they could be…"

Dead, he almost said except the word would not escape his throat.

"I'll be frank, Hartmann. After reading your report, the chances of survival for your two pilots are virtually nil- No, it's probably in the negative so be a big boy and accept it already. Only the recovery of the Gundam Relic is what matters now." Speaking in his dismissive tone, Rossi didn't even have the courtesy to look Milos in the eye and thus never noticed the darkening of the other man's features. "Fortunately, LIRA probably has their own manpower and resource issues thanks to Operation Hammerfall so it's doubtful they'll get to the recovery site before us. Don't worry, we'll get your precious mobile suits back to you before you know it. And as for the pilots, well… Technopaths are always replaceable–"

"THAT'S MY DAUGHTER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU LILY-LIVERED, PENCIL-PUSHING, POMPOUS ASS!" Slamming his fists down on the table so hard they left indentations, Milos finally let Rossi have it and roared so loudly the admiral actually tipped back in his seat as if he had been hit through the screen by a hurricane. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO LEAVING NO SOLDIER BEHIND?! IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO LAURA, GOD HELP ME I'LL–"

"Stand down, Captain Hartmann!"

The father in Milos was tempted to ignore the order but the military man regained control of himself at the last second and bit his tongue.

"I should have you court-martialed for insubordination!" Rossi bellowed, scowling as he fussed over his dishevelled hair. "Luckily for you, even I understand the importance of the Lionheart's role in this war… Which is why I'm ordering you to stay away from that bunker!"

"What?! You can't–"

"That's an order, Captain Hartmann! Do you understand me?!"

Gritting his teeth, Milos swallowed his disgust and forced out the words his superior wanted to hear with a low growl.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Having reestablished his dominance, Rossi nodded with satisfaction before signing off. "I'll get back to you about the recovery operation in a week. Until then, pull your head in and try not to lose the RDF's best ship too."

Milos saluted robotically but as soon as the infuriating piece of human refuse that was his superior officer had disappeared from his monitor, he smashed his fist down with an almighty bang. The resulting tremor was powerful enough to make the contents around his quarters jump and wobble, including the photograph of Laura on his desk. Quickly reaching out to steady it, the veteran paused to look into the piercing purple eyes of his daughter and felt his anger melt away, leaving him with only all-consuming guilt.

Laura had gone MIA before but this time was different. This time, there was no one he could contact to confirm her safety or ask for a rendezvous point where he could go and pick her up. For all he knew, she and Freya were trapped inside that bunker alone, scared and hungry – or worse – and the very act of waiting was killing him because it was all he could do. His negative thoughts eventually drifted to the darkest corners of his psyche and he wondered what he would tell his wife Clara and the Valsteins if the worst came to pass. He wondered what Captain Turner would do but even the ghost of his old mentor had no sage advice to offer him in his moment of powerlessness.

Drowning in self-pity, Milos was about to break out the whisky when there was a buzz and his intercom lit up with a call from the bridge.

"What is it?" he snapped, putting the call on sound-only as he prepared the biggest glass he could find with a scoop of ice.

"Um, Captain, someone is trying to make contact with the Lionheart on an old RDF channel…" the operator on night duty reported nervously.

"Who is it? Is it Rossi? Tell him I'm busy," Milos barked, pulling open the whisky decanter stopper with his teeth and pouring himself a glass.

"It's not Vice Admiral Rossi…" the operator replied before lowering their voice to a whisper. "…I think it's a LIRA ship…"

Sounds of a coughing fit filled the comm as Milos inadvertently breathed cold whisky straight into his lungs. A LIRA ship? His mind raced between explanations but for this to happen now of all times… It couldn't be a coincidence. After quickly weighing the risks, the captain decided to take his chances and put the glass down.

"…I'll take the call in my quarters," he instructed before adding, "And if anyone asks, this never happened. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir…"

Milos adjusted his cap and moments later the face of a stranger materialised on his monitor. Judging by their black and green uniform and cap, they were most definitely a LIRA officer and Milos considered his enemy warily. While they appeared to be a harmless old man with lean features and an impressive, bushy white moustache, behind their thin eyes Milos spied cunning and intelligence.

"This is Commodore Jonas Sparrhorn of LIRA, Captain of the Blue Crow," the older man introduced himself with a salute. "With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

"Milos Hartmann of the RDF, Captain of the Lionheart," Milos saluted back, and his gaze narrowed as he realised who the commodore was. "The Lunar Fox…"

A light chuckle escaped from Jonas' throat.

"I see my reputation precedes me amongst Rem's Relic Hunters," he smiled and appeared surprisingly relaxed. "I'm honoured, Captain… Hartmann, was it? Of the Lionheart? Ah… Worthy names for worthy rivals. It feels like our meeting has been a long time coming, wouldn't you agree?"

If the enemy was trying to butter Milos up, he wasn't falling for it.

"Commodore, this is highly irregular as I'm sure you're well aware; contacting an enemy ship whilst our nations are in the midst of hostilities," he cut to the chase, and compared to Jonas his features were still tense and rigid. "I'm assuming you didn't call just to make small talk?"

"Ah, straight to the point. I can respect that," Jonas nodded. "But, Captain Hartmann, you already know why I'm calling."

"Enlighten me."

"We both have a… mutual problem."

The eyes of the two soldiers met and Milos felt like an open book. Still, he was careful to reveal nothing and kept his cards close to his chest.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he dismissed Jonas' insinuation before pausing. "But if we did have a mutual problem, are you suggesting we… help each other out?"

"I believe it would be, as they say, mutually beneficial."

"And what can you possibly do to help me?"

The question unexpectedly caused Jonas' lips to curl up ever so slightly at one corner and Milos felt a bead of sweat form on his brow.

"I know I can help you a lot more than that glass of whisky."

Realising the glass was still on his desk, Milos' mask finally cracked and his eyes twitched with irritation. He was about to slide the offending drink off-camera but, after studying the Lunar Fox for a second longer, he realised the famous tactician had him by the balls. Instead, he downed the remainder of the whisky in one swig before slamming the glass back down on the table and looking Jonas straight in the eyes.

"How much do you know?" he demanded, leaning forward on his desk with interest.

"I know you're still hanging around this quadrant despite the danger which leads me to believe you want to return to the ruins post-haste for something – or someone," Jonas calmly deduced. "But you can't return to that Gorgon-infested hollow without reinforcements which I assume you have been denied because of the RDF's ongoing operations and evacuations. This has left you with the unenviable quandary to either abandon those you left behind or risk going it alone. Am I correct so far?"

"You're so correct I think you sobered me up…" Milos' dry remark was followed by a long sigh. "…I guess there's no hiding anything from the Lunar Fox, eh? You're right. Two of my best pilots never made it out of the bunker and RDF command just told me they won't get off their fat asses to rescue them until a week from now. They all but said out loud that my pilots were expendable."

"My sympathies," offered Jonas who was sadly unsurprised. "But I did not glean this information because of some prodigious foresight. As I said, we have a mutual problem. Two of my own pilots are also MIA inside the bunker… One who you know as the pilot of the Fenrir."

"The Scarlet Wolf…" Milos murmured. "I suspected as much but it's still hard to believe…"

"According to her last communication, Major Aurelia was engaged in combat with your White Hellhound. So I know one of your missing includes the pilot of the Gundam," Jonas revealed before he shook his head with a groan. "If they're both stuck together in that bunker, I can only imagine the mischief Vega is getting up to..."

Something about the commodore's tone told Milos they had a lot in common.

"It sounds like we've both suffered for failing to keep our aces on a short leash…" he joked and Jonas chuckled but neither of their actions held a hint of mirth.

"Vega has always been a risk-taker and a survivor but this time I think even she has bitten off more than she can chew. Like the RDF, LIRA cannot or will not organise a rescue operation." Jonas grunted and clasped his hands together on his desk, perhaps disguising his concern before it was his turn to look Milos straight in the eyes. "What do you say, Captain Hartmann? We both want the same outcome."

"A joint operation between RDF and LIRA units? Your Blue Crow, my Lionheart and both our mobile suits teams working together?" Milos carefully mulled over the proposal as he tried to stare into the Lunar Fox's soul. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I don't think either of us have much of a choice," Jonas threw up his hands before placing one on his heart. "But you have my word, from one soldier to another: Until both our people are rescued, I won't shoot you in the back."

Milos chuckled and paused to deliberate the consequences of what they were actually planning.

"You know, we could both be court-martialed for this – and something tells me it won't be some slap on the wrist."

Jonas' response was swift.

"I won't tell if you won't."

Catching sight of Laura's photo on his desk, Milos' eyes lit up with rediscovered purpose and he boldly gave his answer.

"Commodore Sparrhorn, you have a deal. Now, let's go rescue our people."

.


.

Having kept their hopes of a rescue alive by sending out a distress signal, the pilots turned their attention next to their damaged mobile suits knowing they would be instrumental in the event of any escape. Prioritising their repair, they formulated a plan of action and worked in teams of two.

The first order of business was recharging the mobile suit batteries for without power nothing would be possible. Laura and Freya rectified this easily with the discovery of an intact charging station at another hangar which allowed them to tap into the fort's fusion reactor power source. Using a mess of extension cables, they were able to improvise a connection from the station directly to their charging docks so they could begin re-energising their batteries. However, this required moving all the mobile suits into the same hangar for accessibility, leaving Laura with the odd image of the Orthrus and Fenrir standing side by side.

Meanwhile, Vega and Ursula snuck past the Gorgons and located the fuel and hydrogen tankers from the security footage. Unfortunately, centuries of disuse had left all the vehicles in the bunker with flat batteries but the two Luxites had an ingenious solution. With the help of the intact charging station and some cable chargers, it only took a few hours for them to have working batteries that could simply be switched between transports as needed. The sight of Vega triumphantly rolling in and honking her horn was irritating for sure but even Laura appreciated the vital provisions of propellent and ammunition.

With the issues of power and resupply resolved, the quartet focused next on repairing the damage their mobile suits had sustained. Using what parts, materials and tools they could scavenge from the fort – as well as their own blood, sweat and tears – they patched up their respective machines as best they could, dividing up the task by what was RDF and LIRA property. More than once, Laura wished Junko was there to help with her technical expertise – not to mention the positive vibes her bubbly personality brought – but she did get a kick out of seeing Vega wear a welding mask over her own mask. Watching the Scarlet Wolf work tirelessly without complaint, she supposed the noblewoman wasn't as snobbish as she'd first appeared.

Losing all concept of day and night underground, they worked continuously until the mobile suits were battle ready. What breaks they did take were spent sharing rations and strategising as they went through the fort's layout, the number of enemies and every contingency they should prepare for in the event of their escape. Finally, almost a day after they had first become trapped, they completed their final maintenance checks and were satisfied they had done everything possible in time for a potential rescue. Short of a new coat of paint and a polish, the Orthrus and the Fenrir were as good as new and fully functional. The same could almost be said for the Garm and Warg which now had Gorgon arms in place of their missing appendages as the result of a successful graft – something that had required sacrifice on Freya's part as the sight of purple clashing with her pink Brunhild had left her horrified.

All that was left now was to rest up and conserve their strength for either a possible rescue or, if it came to it, an escape of their own making. Collecting whatever flammable materials they could find, they built a fire to sleep around and keep warm as the virus had shut off the bunker's environmental controls, leaving the hangar freezing cold. On top of that, with their mobile suits gathered in the same place, the four pilots agreed to take turns keeping watch while the others slept in case someone might try to contact them.

Having drawn the last shift, Laura tried to sleep but her slumber was plagued again by dreams of the Lemurian desert and the impenetrable storm which concealed its secrets. After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, she eventually awoke to the unflattering sight of Freya's sleeping face.

Trust this diva to get her beauty sleep even at the worst of times, she thought bitterly.

Rising from their makeshift bedding of old mattresses covered by survival blankets, the blonde pulled a blanket over her shoulders and wandered through the dark over to the Orthrus. Something told her she'd rest more easily in the cockpit but before she could get inside a voice spoke to her.

"Can't sleep?"

Laura turned around and saw the silhouette of a masked figure sitting in front of the crackling fire. The Gundam pilot smothered a curse; she had totally forgotten who was on watch duty before her.

Reclining in an ornate wooden chair she had borrowed from one of the officer's quarters, Vega had positioned herself directly in front of the Orthrus. It didn't surprise Laura, having caught the Luxite staring at the Gundam more than once during the day. In fact, Vega was certainly making herself comfortable with a blanket over her lap and… was that a glass in her hand?

"Is that… wine?" she stared with open-mouthed disbelief and Vega's lips curved at her reaction.

"Indeed. It appears a Lemurian officer had the good taste and foresight to store this fine gem in a safe place so it could mature into this exquisite ambrosia," she boasted of her discovery by tapping on the bottle of red sitting in the bucket of ice by her seat before taking a sip. "Oh, magnifique! Would you care for some?"

"Er, no thanks…" Laura muttered, wondering how long Vega had been drinking. "You're not drunk, are you?"

"Heavens, no. This is barely enough to even make me tipsy. Besides, I like to savour these things…" Vega swirled the glass of red in her hand before gesturing to another chair in front of her. "If I can't offer you a drink, why don't I keep you company? Only if you wish, of course."

Eyeing the seat across from Vega, Laura considered the offer with suspicion. Before today she would have outright rejected the idea of spending any time with the Scarlet Wolf – with Tully's killer – upon whom she had sworn an oath of vengeance. But now, after having been forced to collaborate with her nemesis in such close quarters, she could not deny that her loathing for the woman had diminished. On the contrary, the more time she spent with Vega the more she felt her admiration growing despite her best efforts.

Laura knew she should just walk away – to shut her eyes and block her ears so she could remain true to her oath. Killing someone was so much easier when the enemy was a faceless stranger, after all. But she could not look away – not from Vega and, most of all, not from herself. She was curious and, for the first time today, alone with the ace. It was an opportunity that might never arise again.

The opportunity to know her enemy… and then determine whether or not her heart still cried out for vengeance once she did.

"I won't bite," Vega smiled seemingly in response to Laura's dilemma. The Gundam pilot frowned at that but steeled herself and just bit the bullet.

"Only for a bit…" she relented, pulling the chair further away from the fire to put more space between them. Once seated, she noticed the Fenrir looming behind its mistress like a guard dog, basking in the flickering light of the flames which were reflected in its red armour. Slightly intimidated, Laura wrapped her blanket protectively around herself and crossed her arms until she remembered she could call on the Orthrus standing to attention behind her to even the odds. It then dawned on her that Vega could have made contact with the Gundam while they were asleep and, with the skills Laura had seen firsthand, made quick work of its technopathic locks.

"I didn't touch the Gundam, if that's what you're thinking," Vega read her mind again and grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Although I was very tempted to..."

"Don't even think about it…" Laura growled but something told her she could believe the Luxite. "Just so you know, I've never even thought about making contact with the Fenrir."

"Why not?" To her surprise, Vega was visibly offended. "Anyone with eyes can see my Fenrir is a magnificent creature! At the very least, it has a much more colourful personality than the plain Gundam…"

"Orthrus is not 'plain'!" Laura found herself responding heatedly. "He's fine just the way he is! In fact, I'd like to remind you that Orthrus can mode change into three other colours – which is a lot more personality than hideous variations of red."

"Ah, but can the Orthrus control gravity at will?"

The blonde grimaced and hid her jealousy with a quick retort.

"Can the Fenrir accelerate to Mach speeds in a heartbeat?"

Now it was the masked woman's turn to pout but it was so brief Laura almost thought she had imagined it.

"You know, that relic would have been mine if not for a certain bumbling fool…" she murmured while gazing into her drink.

"Who?" Laura cocked her head.

"Exactly." Vega cryptically smiled and raised her glass to the other pilot before admiring the Orthrus again. "The other modes aside, I do find the Orthrus quite fetching in red."

"Of course you'd think that…" Laura rolled her eyes.

"From what relic did you acquire such a mode anyway?" Vega pressed inquisitively. "An ancient Lemurian weapon? Superconducting fusion technology?"

Laura smirked and made Vega wait before giving the answer.

"…A mining drill."

"A Drill Relic! Of course!" Vega exclaimed, chuckling. "When I first laid eyes on it back on Arcturus it gave me quite the shock…"

"Well, I was trying to kill you with it," the blonde bluntly stated and suddenly found herself feeling more comfortable.

"You very nearly succeeded," the masked woman smirked back. "It's a shame our duels always seem to get interrupted…"

"Lenos, the Asteroid Station, the Halo Colony, Undine, Arcturus… and now Lemuria," Laura counted off their unforgettable encounters on one hand before asking a query of her own. "What even happened to you after the battle on Arcturus? I heard rumours you were stranded on the planet for a while before you escaped with a new mode."

"Ah, well… Suffice to say, we of the Blue Crow were treated to an island vacation after the Fourth Fleet's defeat. The discovery of the Camouflage Relic there was just a fortuitous coincidence," Vega happily explained. "Ghost Mode ended up coming in very handy against those ill-mannered pirates who interrupted our holiday. As it did on my return to Lux when murderous terrorists tried to spoil the Winter Festival and kidnap the princess."

The fantastic claims caused Laura to raise a puzzled eyebrow but something told her the Scarlet Wolf didn't need to tell tall tales.

"There's never a dull moment with you, is there?" she said with muted awe. "The most notable thing that happened to me after Arcturus was a boring awards ceremony..."

"Boring?" Vega gave her rival an amused look. "Surely your homecoming must have been the event of the century on Rem. A week-long accolade of cheers and adulation for the victorious White Hellhound by the end of which your name was on the lips of every man, woman and child! Were you not at least a little intoxicated by the attention?"

"I don't know what happens on Lux but no," Laura quickly shut her down. "I don't do this for the attention."

"I suppose not. But you must admit, being an ace has its benefits…"

"And here I thought our team had the biggest diva…" Laura muttered with disgust before she found her gaze focusing on Vega's white visor. "Is that why you wear the mask? For the attention?"

The Scarlet Wolf's red lips curved as if she had been asked this question many times.

"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'A secret makes a woman'?" she answered the question with a question. "Like moths to a flame, people cannot help but be captivated by a mystery… and there is no greater mystery than the Scarlet Wolf."

Laura had expected a cryptic answer but to her surprise there was something honest to what Vega was saying. To the Gundam pilot, being an ace was simply a burden that brought unwanted attention but for the Scarlet Wolf, it was a means to achieving power and influence. To what end, she did not know… but the sly twist to the masked woman's lips gave her the chills. Furthermore, she was still not totally satisfied with what she'd heard.

"…Mystery my foot. You're the heir to a Lux noble house, not to mention a celebrity; there must be pictures of your face somewhere!" countered the sceptical blonde.

"Oh my, so you know that much about me? I'm flattered…" teased Vega, putting a hand to her mouth and chuckling. While pride prevented Laura from ever admitting she'd researched everything she could about her nemesis, the fact she was blushing in silence said everything. "Like other high-ranking nobles, House Aurelia has an arrangement with the Lux media: I give them access to me and all the promotion that comes with it, and they erase any old pictures I deem unwanted. And for any who do not… Well, as you know, it's not difficult for technopaths of our calibre to make our own adjustments."

"I don't know whether to be frightened or impressed…" Laura remarked, pulling her blanket closer around herself. "Even if you can kill the stories, there's no way you can kill the interest. I mean, isn't the Lux public interested in what their national hero looks like? The tabloids must be around every corner…"

Laura sadly spoke from experience, having run from more than one camera on her return to Rem.

"There've certainly been attempts at unsolicited photography around the Aurelia estate but my maid Dorothy is ever so good at thwarting their efforts – usually with a pack of ravenous hounds." Vega laughed but it was clearly no joke. "However, even if they did come away with a few photographs they would have been disappointed. I do not cease to be the Scarlet Wolf just because I'm in the safety of my den…"

"You have your own maid? What a charmed life you must lead…" Laura sarcastically derided the noblewoman before her face did a double take. "Wait… You mean you wear it at home too? What does your family think?"

Vega responded with an elegant shrug.

"It's not as strange as it may seem. In fact, everyone in the household has been rather accepting of my decision… including my father."

Laura tried to imagine what Milos and Clara would do if she suddenly started wearing a mask and talking like a flamboyant aristocrat. They'd probably have me committed to an asylum, she thought sardonically. From what she knew of these pretentious nobles, the only thing they cared about was their status and wealth which probably meant Vega's family didn't care what she did so long as she wasn't besmirching their name. It was a thought that informed her next choice of words.

"Let me guess, your mother doesn't care either?"

Vega's smile lost some of its lustre and she became very quiet.

"…My mother died some years ago."

Laura was rapidly assailed by guilt and regret, something she'd never thought she'd feel for the woman before her.

"I'm sorry…" she apologised instinctively but chose to stare at the fire's dancing flames rather than face the noblewoman.

"Don't be. My grief is my own." Vega chuckled softly and downed the remainder of her wine. Once the glass was empty, her smile returned like nothing had happened. "Oh, but listen to me, prattling on about myself. I want to hear about you!"

"Me?" Laura guardedly asked as she wrapped her blanket even tighter around herself.

"It's only fair since I answered all your questions," the Scarlet Wolf grinned as she leaned forward. "Under ordinary circumstances, the two of us would never have met… but here we are in the flesh, as the fates must have intended. You can be sure I will not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass me by until I learn everything I can about my honoured rival…"

Laura inaudibly cursed and wondered if this was what Vega had been planning all along.

"I don't know what to tell you…" the defiant blonde replied while avoiding eye contact. "I'm just an ordinary person from an ordinary family whose only dream was to become a mobile suit pilot."

"No need to be modest, Hellhound. A technopath of your ability is hardly ordinary," Vega corrected her. "Were you always so extraordinary as a child?"

"You mean as a technopath? I guess. It's always been easy for me," she lazily answered. "But when I figured out I was better than everyone else at it… It kind of became my thing."

Until you came along. The memory of witnessing the footage of the Scarlet Wolf in action for the first time crossed her mind along with the sharp pangs of jealousy she had felt.

"How adorable. I can just imagine you as a little girl, using your technopathic powers to cause mischief…" Vega laughed, and Laura reddened because it was true. "Let me guess… Free games at the arcade?"

"How did you…?" the younger woman opened her mouth before realising who she was talking to. "Of course…"

"You're not the only one who was an Arcade Queen," Vega smirked before changing the subject. "So your dream was to become a mobile suit pilot. Why?"

"Being gifted made me competitive, I suppose. I wanted a challenge – to see how far I could take my own abilities – and saw mobile suit piloting as the pinnacle of what I could achieve." The question caught Laura off guard and she found herself becoming introspective. "Duty played a part too – all technopaths on Rem are encouraged to join the RDF and contribute to the war effort – but I already knew from a young age that piloting was where my talents would shine the most."

"And shine you did," said Vega, who could attest from personal experience. "Your family must be proud."

Laura was uncomfortable talking about her family in front of the enemy – especially since Milos was her superior officer – but after Vega had already been candid about her parents, she felt compelled to answer.

"They are… although I probably worry them more than anything," she carefully replied, leaving out the key details. "But we're a military family, so we believe it's an honour to serve."

"Hmmm…" Vega leaned forward and Laura felt a pair of eyes penetrating her from behind the mask. "…What's your secret, Hellhound?"

"I… I don't have any secrets," Laura denied but her voice was shaky.

"We all have our secrets…" Vega smiled as if she could see straight through her opposite before laughing at her reaction. "It's not as if you have to divulge your deepest, darkest secret. Just tell me something I don't know – keep in mind that I did open up about one of mine earlier just for you."

The blonde grunted but honestly couldn't think of a secret worth talking about or even hiding apart from Milos. So she said whatever came to mind first just to get Vega off her back.

"Well, it's not really a secret or anything but… I'm an orphan."

For a split second, Vega's mouth appeared to contort with surprise before her usual cool manner returned.

"Interesting…" she whispered, sounding genuinely curious. "So, your real parents…?"

"I never knew them. I'm told they passed away in an accident while I was still young," said Laura, thinking nothing of the masked woman's reaction. "I spent my early years at an orphanage. We all did."

"Who's 'we'?" Vega pressed, appearing increasingly engrossed by what she was hearing.

"Team Orthrus. We're all from the same orphanage and we… we all ended up joining the RDF. All five of us…" The younger woman's voice gradually petered to a stop as emotion overtook her. "There's only four of us now…"

Like a multi-pronged assault, Laura suddenly felt a whirlwind of grief, anger and confusion. What was she doing talking to the Scarlet Wolf like they were friends? Buddying up and sharing secrets like they were on a camping trip... Had she forgotten who the She-Wolf was? She was the enemy. The one who had taken her best friend away. Vega was Tully's killer and the murder weapon was standing right behind her.

Upon seeing her rival's torn expression, Vega understood immediately and gave Laura a moment before speaking.

"…What happened to your friend?" she eventually asked despite already knowing the answer.

There was a pause as the question triggered another flash of memories and emotions but it did not last long. An instinctive touch of her necklace allowed Laura to find her centre and she steadied her breathing. When she finally responded, her mind was no longer in turmoil.

"…You killed her."

Laura finally looked up and stared straight at Vega with her piercing purple eyes but the ace didn't even flinch. With only a few words, the atmosphere inside the hangar had palpably shifted. It was as if a bottomless chasm had materialised to divide them and the temperature had dropped a dozen degrees.

"I remember. She was brave." Vega nodded, her tone solemn. "She saved your life."

"She did. I'll never forget what happened that day," said Laura, adding after a pause, "or forgive."

The crackling and warmth of the fire could not disguise the grim silence in the air which only served to sharpen their voices. As they spoke in turn, one could have heard a pin drop.

"What do you seek?"

"Vengeance. Plain and simple."

"Revenge…" Vega rolled her tongue over the word, having fully expected Laura to say it. "Such a funny thing. So human. So foolish. It creates nothing and achieves nothing but we are driven by it, again and again…"

"All I know is that this aching wound inside me will never heal until I avenge her," Laura claimed as she squeezed her fingers into a tight fist. "She wasn't meant to die... I was meant to die. I seek revenge to right a terrible wrong… and for that I need you dead."

"If you're hoping to be absolved, don't hold your breath," Vega scoffed, surprising Laura with the hint of venom in her tone. "That hole in your heart you're feeling will never heal, period. Whatever self-deluded satisfaction you think your revenge will grant you, it will sadly be short-lived – if you can kill me, that is."

"I will… as soon as our truce is finished," warned Laura as her eyes narrowed. "And how the hell would you know how I feel?"

"You're not the only one who's felt loss. Some of my friends died by your hand too, I might add," Vega coldly reminded Laura of the Space Wolves she had killed and it stung the Remian. "How many enemies have we killed between us, Hellhound? How many cycles of retribution have we started? Yet one death and it becomes personal for you…"

"Are you really going to argue about morality and hypocrisy after everything you've done?" Laura shot back with barely contained rage only for the masked woman to mock her with a bitter smile.

"I will. I can. I pulled the trigger, remember? I severed your friend's mobile suit in two before leaving her to die. I'm to blame!" Baring her fangs, Vega's voice rose to a sudden crescendo before softening just as quickly as she homed in on her point. "But before you blame me, perhaps you should blame this war… and those who started it."

Vega's words held surprising emotion – as if her mask had fractured for an instant before she quickly covered up the cracks – and it was enough to give Laura pause. Tully may have died at the hands of the Scarlet Wolf but it was the war that had allowed the conditions for her death to happen. A war in which complete strangers slaughtered one another despite never having even met because the leaders in charge had arbitrarily decided the two peoples were enemies.

But after meeting Vega and Ursula, and thereby giving a human face to her enemies, it was becoming abundantly clear to Laura how perverse the Lemurian Conflict really was. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy; the more blood that was spilled, the more vengeance that would sprout, thus allowing the cycle to begin anew and further entrenching their nations' views of each other as enemies. Deaths like Tully's only fueled the war and Laura was helping to drive it along.

But despite recognising the state of functional stupidity they were locked into, the Gundam pilot could not let go of her vendetta. Vega had killed Tully and that was a fact. But in order to avenge her, was she going to continue participating in and contributing to the evil system that had caused her death to begin with? She may hate Vega but the Lux ace was not evil.

Suddenly, Laura realised her worst fears from sitting down with the Scarlet Wolf were coming to pass. She was questioning herself. Questioning her oath of vengeance. Wavering in her desire to see Vega Aurelia dead. She mentally and physically willed herself to resist such thoughts, reminding herself of all the suffering her nemesis had caused her. The war could not be helped, she reasoned, but Tully could still be avenged. Since the day of her death, the clash between Laura and Vega had always been inevitable and she could not allow herself to be distracted now. Even if she had to close her eyes and block out her ears, Laura was determined to see her revenge through.

"This was a mistake…" the blonde declared, getting up from her seat and staring the Scarlet Wolf down. "You and I are just not meant to coexist."

"That's a shame. I think our conversation has been very fruitful," Vega replied, boldly giving her would-be killer a tiny smile. "In fact, I believe what I said yesterday even more than before – that we are alike."

"Maybe that's the problem."

Their stand-off proved short-lived when an unceremonious yawn echoed throughout the dark of the hangar bay and they saw Freya getting up from her mattress.

"Laura… bathroom…" she mumbled, still half-asleep and with her pink hair hanging over her face.

"Go by yourself, Freya…" an embarrassed Laura sighed while Vega stifled a giggle. "We already established there are no ghosts down here, remember?"

"I… I know that!" The diva's blue eyes stretched wide awake at the g-word and she smoothed her hair back before walking nervously into the dark with a blanket thrown over her shoulders. She didn't get very far when an unearthly wail stopped her in her tracks and she yelped. "What was that?!"

Laura and Vega had heard it too. Opening their ears, they caught the faint but familiar sounds of crackling static and a woman's voice. Sharing a surprised look, the two aces glanced at each other before jumping up and rushing to their respective mobile suits to check their comms. The transmission turned out to be coming from the Orthrus and Laura pumped up the volume so the others could hear.

"…Orthrus… Come in, Team Orthrus… This is the Lionheart… Come in… God damn it, Laura! Freya! Answer me!"

"It's Junko!" Laura shouted with delight as the others gathered below the Gundam.

"Can you respond?!" asked Ursula.

"Junko! Junko, I'm here!" Laura excitedly tried to answer while fiddling with the comm but her expression fell. "I can't get through – it's one-way!"

"Well, I know you two are alive down there so just shut up and listen!" Junko instructed and the four pilots quieted down so they could listen in. "We got your distress signal so we're coming back to save you! And you won't believe this but we're not coming alone…"

.

END OF PART A


.

I hope the very first meeting of our protagonists and their subsequent interactions met expectations. This momentous event was a long time coming in my head and on paper, so I'm very happy to have gotten the first half of this two-parter out. BTW, kudos to anyone who thought of Evangelion when the virus attack happened!

No ETA on Part B, but writing is already underway. Next time, we will actually get to see the Orthrus and the Fenrir fighting together, so look forward to it and thanks for reading!