SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 12 out, this is Chapter 13 of this fic and the start of Season Two. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Pairings: Tieria/Sasha between Season One and Season Two. Allelujah/Marie and Lockon (Jr.)/Anew in Season Two.
Standard BS Disclaimers: I do not own Sailor Moon, Gundam 00 or the pairings. If I did, the other Senshi would be as powerful as Sailor Moon and kicking MOTD ass more often and VEDA would have least an anti-hacker program installed. The only thing I do own is the plot.
Chapter 13: Twin Drive
Three months earlier...
"GN Drive linkage complete." a purple Haro chirped, floating around in its Karel. "GN Drive linkage complete."
"Connection confirmed." Feldt stated, working on the newest 00 System's combination. "All 00 components reading satisfactory."
"The two solar reactors are operating within normal parameters." Mileina added.
"All right, let's begin the matching test." Ian gave the girls the go-ahead. "Go ahead, Tieria."
"Roger." Tieria started up 00. "GN Drive, disengaging repause." he powered up the twin drives.
"Topological defect changing from ground state to high output." Feldt reported. "Twin Drive's particle synchronization rate is at thirty-five percent, thirty-seven, forty, forty-seven, forty-nine, fifty-five, fifty-eight. We've just broken the sixty percent barrier."
"If it make past eighty percent, we'll be within stable operational range." Ian noted.
"It's looking good." Lasse agreed.
"We've detected an instability in the topological defect." Mileina reported when the error message came up.
"Twin Drive sync rate decreasing." Feldt added. "Fusion rate is also falling."
"We're now tested every possible combination with our present resources." Tieria frowned.
"Why?" Ian cursed. "Why won't it stabilize? What are we missing?"
"It's decided then." Sasha stated plainly. "The only remaining option we have is Exia's solar reactor."
"We've got to get this working before those guys get into action." Ian swore.
"Sasha is right." Tieria concurred. "Our last hope, Exia's GN Drive."
Presently, on Earth...
"What's the deal with you two?" Lyle asked. "You call me out here and tell me you're from Celestial Being.
"Neil Dylandy was a Gundam Meister." Sasha saw no reason to hide the older Dylandy twin's role.
"My older brother was a Gundam Meister?" Lyle asked.
"He piloted a Gundam." Sasha confirmed.
"Piloted?" Lyle echoed. "Don't tell me he's dead."
"In the battle four years ago." Sasha nodded.
"And you telling me I should fulfill his wishes?" Lyle asked.
"Not that." Sasha corrected. "However, if like Neil Dylandy, you also wish to change this world, and if you're prepared to fight for it, you'll find all the necessary information you need in this." she handed Neil a mircofloppy.
"You sure about this?" Neil took the mircofloppy. "What if I hand this over to the authorities?"
"The Security Agency is about to attack the European Katharon bases." Sasha supplied. "Those guys are serious."
On the Ptolemaios II...
"All right." Ian decided. "We'll perform a matching test with Exia's solar reactor on our way back to the base.
"The simulation showed a high linkage ratio between Exia and 0 Gundam's solar reactors." Tieria noted. "This is also in line with Sasha's theory."
"We won't really know until we try it out." Ian reminded. "Aeolia Schenberg sent us this new Gundam engine theory along with the Trans-Am, but is it an impractical theory or an accurate prediction of science two hundred years in the future?"
"By synchronizing two solar reactors, the resulting particle emissions are squared." Tieria relayed the theory. "That's the 00's Twin Drive System."
In Saji's cell...
"We're brought you something to eat." Mileina brought Saji a food tray. "I'll leave it right here, so please enjoy it. And we'll be leaving Red Haro with you."
"Pleased to meet you." Red Haro flew in. "Pleased to meet you."
"If you need anything from me or the others, please just tell Red Haro." Mileina requested. "You'll also be able to access our database."
"How long are you going to keep me here?" Saji asked.
"We know the A-LAWs are looking for you." Lasse pointed out.
"I'm not a member of Katharon." Saji snapped.
"Let's just hope they think the same." Lasse remarked.
"Are you people still planning on performing those armed interventions like before?" Saji glared.
"No, we're just gonna crush the A-LAWs." Lasse answered. "It's an autonomous force that reports to the government. They've already committed fourteen acts of mass murder, atrocities they call 'suppression'. They've killed tens of thousands of victims, but all of the records have been erased. You've experienced their methods first-hand."
"What's your point?" Saji pressed. "The Federation Government formed because of your armed interventions."
"That's why we intend to make it right." Lasse countered.
"But if you fight, innocent people will be hurt." Saji argued.
"Whether we fight or not, people will die." Lasse sniped.
"Aeon-san, the test is going to start any minute now." Mileina reminded.
"What about Setsuna?" Saji thought to ask before the doors shut. "What's Setsuna doing right now?"
"He's gone with Peacecraft-san to pick up some people." Mileina replied.
"They're tracking down a few of our comrades." Lasse elaborated.
On Earth...
With Lockon's role pretty much settled, Sasha and Setsuna headed off to a high-rise building where Sumeragi was located.
In Billy's apartment unit, we see the dejected Sumeragi pouring out another glass of brandy.
"That's enough." the long-haired MS engineer took the shot glass from her. "Knock it off. You're drinking way too much. Honestly, I can't keep looking after you."
"I'm leaving then." Sumeragi took it as a hint for her to leave.
"Wait a minute, Kujo." Billy held her back. "I didn't mean it to come out that way. A visitor?" he heard the doorbell. "Someone you know?" he noticed Sumeragi's look when Sasha and Setsuna appeared on the intercom. "I'm surprised you actually told someone you're staying here. That's perfect. Why don't we invite them for lunch?"
"Wait." Sumeragi protested. "Sasha, Setsuna..." she greeted the two youngsters.
"I's been over four years, Sumeragi Lee Noriega." Sasha addressed Sumeragi, exhibiting every bit of her Peacecraft lineage.
"What are you talking about?" Billy was confused. "That isn't her name."
"Her codename is Sumeragi Lee Noriega." Sasha explained. "And Celestial Being's tactical forecaster. You no longer have any place to run off to. Billy Katagiri," she turned to the older man. "Fourteen years ago, your father allowed my elder brother to escape the Russian Moskva Colony massacre and was dishonorably discharged because of it. This contains the actual mission report that was submitted by both the HRL and AEU commanders at that time on that particular mission and is still classified as CTS; listing the real reason for not only the massacre of three and a half million of civilians and also the utter destruction of the entire colony." she handed the man a thin thumb-drive.
On the Ptolemaios II...
"The Exia and 0 Gundam match up has yielded the highest sync rate so far." Ian reported. "But it still hasn't gone above 70%. We're only 10% away from stable territory."
"We can force activation with Trans- Am." Tieria suggested.
"Don't be ridiculous." Ian chided. "If we do that, it could overload and in the worse case, it'll explode."
"Then, all we can do is re-calibrate and check the whole system again." Tieria reasoned.
"Of course we will." Ian relented.
In Saji's cell...
"The Forbidden Gundam, leading a squad of Over Flag, was found responsible for the attack on the Halevy family and the burning of the Halevy Estate." Saji was accessing the Ptolemaios II's database via Red Haro. The reason for that attack is... to assimilate the Halevy fortune to finance Joseph Copeland's cause? Celestial Being was blamed for that attack?"
"He's an enemy." Red Haro chirped. "He's an enemy."
"What do you mean by that?" Saji was confused.
In the space elevator...
"What do you plan on accomplishing by dragging me back?" Sumeragi sighed. "The Federation Government was formed but the world still hasn't changed a bit. Even with all those sacrifices, nothing has changed. Aeolia's plan was meaningless."
"Is that why you drown yourself in alcohol?" Setsuna asked.
"We will fight." Sasha declared. "If leading the world into a terrible reformation is our sin, the only way we can atone for that is to change the world, again."
"Please, you two." Sumeragi begged as Setsuna pulled her out of the station. "Just forget about me."
"We have a new Meister." Sasha stated.
"You're late." Lyle spoke.
"Lockon, is he really alive?" Sumeragi blinked.
"Do I really look like my older brother t hat much?" Lyle chided.
"This is Lyle Dylandy." Sasha introduced.
"You're wrong, Princess." Lyle corrected. "My name is Lockon Stratos. I'm a Gundam Meister for Celestial Being."
In the Copeland estate...
"What are you looking at, Copeland-sama?" Ribbons asked, seeing his new master focused on the information he had just received. "That's fantastic information." he peered over the older man's shoulder to reveal the coordinates Wong Liu Mei had had sent him. "Just as expected from a former Celestial Being agent. Should we contact Homer Katagiri?"
"I'm already writing up a report." Joseph countered.
On the space shuttle near Ptolemaios II...
"An urgent coded message from the Ptolemy." Sasha opened the message.
On the Ptolemaios II...
"I have information from Wang Liu Mei." Lasse reported. "She says the A-LAWs knows our location."
"I'll take Seravee out." Tieria proceeded to the launch pad. "Feldt, go and help Ian. We need to hurry up the matching process."
On the space shuttle near Ptolemaios II...
"Enemy formation." Setsuna cast a look out of the shuttle window.
"Are those A-LAWs mobile suits?" Lyle wondered.
"Setsuna, what is our current fighting strength?" Sumeragi asked.
"We just have Tieria's unit right now." Sasha answered.
"However, we have another unit that's almost ready to roll out." Setsuna supplied
On the Ptolemaios II...
"Aeon-san, we're receiving an emergency coded message from Noriega-san." Mileina reported. "It's a tactical plan and scheduled to begin at 0032."
In the battlefield...
"Enemy vessel sighted." Barrack informed his squad. "One mobile suit confirmed. Team Two, destroy the transport. All other units, on the Gundam. Mines, huh?" he mused, his Ahead was bombarded by a cluster of missiles from the Ptolemaios II. "If this is all they've got... they're disrupting our sensors?" he realized the true objective of the bombardment. "Are they trying to buy more time? Adjust course. We're go around."
"Seravee, intercepting the targets." Tieria aimed his twin GN Bazookas. "Charging with high density compressed particles. GN Bazooka, compressed particles releasing." he fired his weapons, taking out Barrack's Team One.
"Team Two, attack the spaceship." Barrack ordered. "I'll keep the Gundam occupied for now."
Activating his GN Field, Tieria fought Barrack with his twin Buster Cannons, as the two Aheads headed towards the Ptolemaios II.
On the space shuttle near Ptolemaios II...
"Ian, send out the 00." Setsuna instructed.
Wait Setsuna, we're not done yet." Ian protested.
"We don't have time, Ian." Sasha insisted. "Setsuna, I'm taking over the controls. Head over to the Ptolemy. Mileina, initiate 00's launching sequence."
In the battlefield...
"Where's the 00?" Tieria demanded, recovering from a kick from Barrack's Ahead.
"What's that light?" one of the two Ahead pilots inquired, seeing the swirling green light emitting from the 00 Gundam. "It's a new model!" he exclaimed, seeing 00 fly out of the launching hatch. "We'll crush it with our Aheads."
"00, ready to eliminate targets." Setsuna maneuvered out of the Aheads' gunshots and shot down an Ahead with his GN Sword II Rifle.
"Take this!" the second pilot tossed a disrupting bomb at 00 after his partner was take out. "now your beam weapons will be useless. And in close combat, the advantage is mine." he charged straight at 00 with his beam saber.
Setsuna countered with his GN Sword II, slicing the Ahead unit into two.
On the Ptolemaios II...
"Welcome back, Sumeragi-san." Feldt beamed when Setsuna led their commander onto the bridge.
"The same reckless tactics as always." Lasse joked.
"I just..." Sumeragi trailed.
"Lockon?" Lasse gawked when Lyle came into view.
"Now that's one hell of a welcome." Lyle teased.
"What the..." Lasse turned to Setsuna and Sasha.
"This is the younger brother." Sasha explained. "Or who I like to call, Lockon Jr."
No. Tieria floated in, spotting Lyle at the bridge's door. That man is not him.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.