Chapter 2
The next day the band of rebels got all their gear ready and headed for the satellite hanger. They came to a corner just before the door to the hanger when Yusei said "I'll take care of this." He was wearing a long black cloak that cast a shadow over his face. He went around the corner toward the two guards at the door.
"Turn around, civilian" said one of them.
Yusei didn't say a word, but with a flick of both his hands, threw the knives he had concealed up his sleeves, which struck the guards directly in the chests before they even knew what hit them. Quickly, Illuyank and another man rushed forward and started collecting the guards' blood in bags.
"We'll need to distill that later", said Hawat. "We'll need all the water we can get for our journey, provided we survive this raid." When they were done, they all got ready to make an assault rush through the door.
On the other side, two imperial military men were loading boxes onto a delivery ship.
"This sucks", said one. "I can't believe we got picked to work on a holiday"
"Yeah, tell me about it", said the other.
Then the door burst open and the rebels rushed in, pointing their automatic weapons at the two men. "You're more unfortunate than you know", said Hawat. "Illuyank, Lewis, tie them up in a corner of the ship, everybody else, load up and get the ship started."
"I found the ship's identification code on one of them" said Lewis, after tying them up. "We'll be cleared for landing, so that should increase their confusion even more"
"Good work, Lewis", said Hawat. "Okay people, close the hatch and let's get out of here!"
After they landed in the hanger on the Neo Domino City base, they heard an officer outside saying "Okay, men, let's get this shipment unloaded so we can go home and celebrate the holiday." The men opened the hatch and were gunned down instantly. The Officer, who was standing to the side, got out his radio and said "We're under attack, send backup! It's-" then he was also gunned down.
"Backup will be here soon" said Thufir. "Yusei, get to the Gundam! Illuyank, Lewis, see that he doesn't die. Protect him with your lives, because all of our lives depend on him."
"Rodger" said Illuyank and Lewis in unison. Yusei, Illuyank, and Lewis went up the stairs and through the door towards the second hanger.
On the other side of the door there was an "I" shaped corridor with the door to the second hanger on the other side. "This hallway will be a bad tactical position for us" said Yusei. "We'll have no cover, and the imperial troops have body armor, so let's get through this place fast so there's less chance of us meeting them." Illuyank and Lewis nodded, and they ran down the hallway. When they were near the end, an imperial trooper looked at them from around the corner.
Before the man could shoot, Illuyank, True to Hawat's command, jumped in front of Yusei and took a bullet for him.
"No!" Yusei shouted and then quickly raised his pistol and shot the soldier right in between the eyes. Then he leaned over and tried to help Illuyank up.
"No, Yusei, I'm done for. Get the Gundam and exact revenge on the emperor for me. I go to God now." And he died
"I will. Let's go, Lewis, to the second hanger."
They ran through the door to the second hanger and it was full of mobile suits. Lewis got in a Zaku and Yusei found the one with a sign above it reading "Stardust Gundam." The Gundam was mostly white, decorated with turquoise and purple. Yusei climbed the ladder and got in the cockpit in the chest.
When he was inside, a robotic voice said "Yusei Fudo, time to get naked."
"What? Why? And how do you know my name?"
"Answers in order: Get naked. You need to be naked for the mobile trace system to work. I know your name because I was built specifically for you and I recognized you"
"What's the mobile trace system?"
"It's the control scheme for this machine. The Stardust Gundam will follow your body movements."
"I better stop with the questions." Yusei said, and began to undress.
"Good idea, I was starting to get annoyed with them" said the computer.
"That's good, a computer with a personality. Okay, I'm done"
"Then get in the center of the room"
Yusei obeyed, and a circle of film began to descend from the ceiling.
"Get your head through the ring in the middle so the film doesn't suffocate you"
He did, and the film continued to descend, conforming perfectly to the form of his body.
"Now displaying visual" said the computer.
Yusei tested it out a little, trying the martial arts Thufir taught him. He was pleased to see that the Gundam was perfectly synchronized with his movements. "Alright, Rebel One, let's go to the first hanger." He was careful to use a codename for Lewis in case the enemy was listening, so he didn't get identified and his message was automatically transmitted by radio to Lewis's Zaku.
"Rodger" said Lewis, and they headed out the front door of the hanger to see Zakus surrounding the first hanger, pinning down Thufir and Rally and the other rebels. The rebels were already fighting back, though and there were already three Zakus lying dead from EMP blasts. Still, the rebels were losing and Yusei intended to turn the tide.
"They can't ignore me, so I'll take 'em head on. Rebel One, you try to flank them" said Yusei.
"Rodger, Stardust" said Lewis.
"I recommend the beam saber on your left hip, Yusei" said the computer.
Yusei charged forward, grabbing the saber in his right hand and activating it just before he came into contact with an enemy Zaku and cut it in half. He didn't stop there; he cut down 5 more, making the whole present force. He was so fast, they didn't have time to properly react, and Lewis didn't have time to flank them.
Then he was surprised by a voice on the radio. "Sure, it's easy enough cutting down Zakus, but can you fight another Gundam?"
Even though Yusei didn't know it, he was a mentat, so he never forgot anything. "Jack? Is that you? Jack Atlas?"
"The one and only. I'm glad you still remember me, Yusei, but our friendship counts for nothing, because I'm His Imperial Majesty Demetrius Obama's man, and you're a rebel scum, so it's time to duel."