"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"No, not at all, Sailor Venus. The Queen, the King and me all thought that this would be a good moment to train your leadership skills. And please mind your language, you're in an official briefing."
"Sorry Art… Admiral." The First of the Senshi apologized and saluted, staying in the salute way too long, so long actually that Rei lightly slapped her on the shoulders to stop it.
"Owww! Uhm, Sailor Mars will accompany us as well." Minako let out while she rubbed her shoulder at the place where Rei had hit her.
"Wait! What!?"
"Of course, Rei. You don't want to help Ami as well?"
"I… of course I want, but I don't know why I should join you on the Starstruck. I'm way better off here."
"You're the Second-in-Command, it's only right that you train your leadership skills as well."
"Minako, I am the Galactic Senator."
"Exactly, the Fighting Senator. See it as a chance to be close to the troops."
A few benches away SunTzu began to smile, the two Senshi were just too comical.
"What's there to grin, SunTzu? Artemis, I think he wants to come along as well."
"He was noted for that mission anyways. As is his starfighter. In turn Terra Squadron will be relocated to an airfield on Eiattu VI."
SunTzu's smile vanished immediately, this mission yelled boredom. And Mina would be the leader of the whole thing.
Apart from that, there was something else why he didn't really want to participate on that mission. His gaze met Rei's and both saw some unease in each other's eyes. Yes, they talked again with each other and yes there was no antipathy between them, but they definitely would have to spent time together on the smaller ship, something both had tried to avoid up until this point. Not to start with those unspoken things between them.
"Along with AICA and the Starstruck your element also will get one of the Probe-Y-Wings and a LAAT/i as well as a squad of soldiers." Artemis's voice pulled them both back in the here and now. "And of course Major Urawa's equipment and agents."
The only one in the room seeming to be content of the mission was Ami. Her analytical work had brought her across documents and mentions of a former Seperatist-Space Station, which after the Clone Wars, had fallen under Imperial Command. Some documents said, it could have been of use to activate and control shut-down CIS-Equipment, which had been stored in deep space. Apart from the power over the military assets such a station would also be a gold mine for any intelligence service.
Ami just had to investigate it and she was glad that the command of the Taskforce not only had authorized her but even gave her a small force for this mission. The Head of Royal Intelligence was so delighted that she didn't even care about that it would be Minako leading the element, although it was a blatant break in military ranks as Minako was a mere officer cadet and the other Guardians attached were of higher rank or status.
Apart from breaking his head how to not make things awkward while being around Rei SunTzu also hoped that it wouldn't be of negative effect for his efforts to win Setsuna's heart. He was pretty sure she wouldn't be jealous but would she think that SunTzu and Rei still weren't finished?
It gave him a mild headache, after all she just had told him something from her past yesterday again. And this time it was way more personal than before. Had this been a sign?
The very next day the Starstruck set out. The Captain of the Starstruck, Nadrak had been left injured at the Battle of Qat Chrystac and needed a medical treatment on board the Eternal as he still had problems steming from having been wounded. To everyone onboard the Taskforce's flagship's surprise he had not asked his XO but a certain young Lieutenant to command his modified Carrier-Corvette in the meantime.
Although a bit nervous, Helios was more than happy to have the chance to command the ship which had become a second home to him and his first post he did active combat duty.
The small force jumped a few light years away, into a large system with only uninhabited planets and two suns. A large part of the system was covered in vast asteroid fields.
Ami's investigation had lead them into this system. She had found airtight evidence that the space station was somewhere in that solar system, analyzing information from the personal data of an influential politician they could link to the insurgency.
Local, Crystal Tokyo and Galactic Alliance Intelligence had worked together and were able to proof that the man was a leading figure of the rebellion on Eiattu VI.
But the data only said that the station was in this system and not where, this had been hidden even from the politician.
On the bridge of the Starstruck Minako was sitting in the seat of the ship's captain. Of course she had asked Helios what the most authoritative place on board was. And of course Helios didn't gainsay anything when she had claimed the seat, after all she was the commander of this force.
Helios stood behind her seat as the corvette entered the system. Ami was on a console nearby and had her computer linked to it, connected to the ship's sensors.
Rei was standing next to Minako, she still didn't seem to be too content to be on this mission and looked rather annoyed.
"Uhm, Helios, what do I do now?" Minako asked with a hand over her mouth, leaning back to the young fleet officer.
"You give orders what the ship or force shall do next."
Minako nodded enthusiastically but then stopped abruptly and turned back to Helios again.
"And what would that be?"
"Usually, in a non-combat environment, things like telling the crew to activate the systems, get to their stations or get the shields up."
"I see. Thanks." Minako thanked the white haired young man and then turned forward, she cleaned her throat before she made her order.
"Crew. All hands to battle stations!" And then she turned to Helios again, a broad smile on her face. "I always wanted to say that."
For a second everything was quiet on the bridge except the sound of seats and heads turning to Minako as the crew asked themselves why their commander would give out such an order in an completely uncontested area.
"Lady Venus?" Helios asked, his question trying to make her think over her decision.
Minako, surprised by the reaction of the crew, hesitated for a moment before she said something.
"Uhm, execute my order? Please."
Some crewmembers shrugged, a Sullustan at a sensor station even shook his head, but all of them acted and executed the order.
SunTzu was sitting in AICA, ready to disembark any moment if the need would arise. He hadn't been inside the bridge yet at all. Suddenly red warning lights went on and an alarm began to blare.
"All hands to battle stations!" A voice announced over the speakers in the hangar.
Oh shit, seems like we jumped directly onto the enemy!
"AICA, what's the sit? How many enemies we got out there."
It took a moment for the highly-developed AI to respond and SunTzu began to massively worry about how many enemies had to be out there as she didn't answered immediately but AICA did power up her own sensors to confirm the data she was receiving from the sensors of the Starstruck wasn't wrong. It only confirmed the readings of the bigger ship, there was nothing around them, not one sensor had found something.
"AICA?" SunTzu asked, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins, while he made a mental plan to rocket out of the hangar and to immediately begin to draw fire onto him, shifting any enemy attention to him and AICA and away from the Starstruck. And most important the people on the small ship, especially Rei.
"There's no indication for any other starships around us for at least the next 200.000 kilometers. Maybe it's an unannounced exercise."
SunTzu needed a moment to decide what to do next.
"AICA, open a channel to the bridge."
While Rei had silently, judgingly observed how Mina had put the whole ship into immediate combat readiness while nothing except a green sun and a few dead rocks of varying size were around them, Helios had enlightened Minako on what she had just alarmed the ship to.
"Venus-Chan, I'll be in our room, I'll have some work to do." Rei's tolerance was over, as expected this whole trip would be a waste of time. And to make things even worse she had to think about something to not run into Top Gun all the time while they were on this tiny tin can.
Minako, still listening to Helios, immediately turned to her, leaving a dumbfounded Helios mid sentence in his explanation.
"Oh Rei, why don't you stay? I wouldn't mind another someone with authority here."
Rei, just in the motion to turn around to the door, stopped and took a deep breather before she replied.
"Although I really honor the ship crew's ability to immediately act in times of danger at the word of their commander, Coruscant and it's snake pit of political dignitaries also aren't slacking and I have to make sure the funding for keeping our war efforts up is secured. So, if you'd excuse me now, I'll make sure you can travel through space with an armed and fuelled warship next time as well."
And then she turned around and walked away from the captain's seat.
Rei had crossed halfway to the bridge when the ensign on the communication console turned to Minako.
"Commander Aino, I have an incoming call from Captain SunTzu from the hangar."
"Oh, how nice. He's probably calling to see how I am. Patch him through to here." Minako ordered and the ensign did as he was told to. He motioned Minako with a thumbs up that the transmission was running, and a second later Helios showed Minako which button to press to be heard on the radio.
"SunTzu, how nice from you to call. Haven't seen you all morning."
A pause followed, unbeknownst to Minako, SunTzu's eyebrows went even further up his forehead as they already were, while he was sitting in AICA, red lights still flashing in the hangar.
"Uhm, Minako? Could you guys explain to me what's going on? We're on battle stations but AICA is telling me we're completely alone out here."
Minako's eyes widened and she looked over at Helios who now had stepped next to her chair.
"Uhm, wait a moment."
Minako leaned in to Helios again.
"Any ideas?" She asked him with a whisper.
Helios needed a moment to reply as he was too much in disbelief of the whole situation.
"You could call it an exercise to test the readiness of the ship." He finally leaned in as well and let her know.
"Perfect." Minako nodded and sat up straight in the chair again.
"Crew, the exercise is over. Good work everybody. We're definitely ready for this mission."
While SunTzu still was on the line, waiting for an answer the red lights stopped flashing.
"Battle alert is lifted." AICA let her pilot know while SunTzu shook his head in anger.
Why would Minako do this at this point?
"Commander?" SunTzu's voice came in again on the bridge, Minako had completely forgotten about him again and so she jolted up after hearing SunTzu talk.
"SunTzu! It was an exercise. Don't worry. But thanks for your call."
"Copy." Was the short response of SunTzu before he ended the line.
SunTzu closed his eyes and took a few deep breathers.
And then his eyes snapped open again and pulled off his flight helmet.
"Open the canopy AICA. Since we're apparently safe here I'm having a cigarette."
After having been heavily damaged at Qat Chrystac the Starstruck had been rebuilt as carrier after the FarStar-Modification-Modell, meaning that a hangar area had been laterally built onto the right side of the corvette, all the way from the end of the bridge's superstructure to the beginning of the superstructure of the engines.
This meant that most of the 150-meter-long ship was easily accessible from the hangar, including the one small common room in the middle of the ship, located right before most of the quarters, in which smoking was allowed.
SunTzu had entered the room and just lighted his cigarette, when the door opened again.
SunTzu had been alone in the room and busy asking himself what he had done to be on this command instead on the frontlines instead so he didn't see and sense that the person who had opened the door looked at him for a moment, considering if she should really enter.
Face it Rei, you definitely need a cigarette before the next conference. Even if it means you will be alone with Top Gun in here…
"Uhm, hey." The Senator of Sol said as she finally stepped inside the room, closing the door, behind her.
"Rei. Hi." SunTzu replied way too fast to sound normal and unbothered.
Rei nodded at him again while she put a cigarette in her mouth and SunTzu used a motion to ask her if he should light her cigarette with his lighter but she shook her head and produced her own. Not that she would had needed any lighter at all.
Rei took the first draw and crossed her arms in a way she still was able to use one hand for smoking.
"How's smoking less going?" She asked after blowing out the smoke from the first draw.
"Trying my best. Alarm moments caused by unplanned… exercises don't make it easier."
"Hahaha, I heard your radio call on my way off the bridge. You were so pissed."
"Was that really that obvious?"
"For someone who knows you as much…" Rei stopped talking as their gazes met and both awkwardly looked away.
For a few draws they were smoking in silence, taking good care to not make eye contact.
"I gotta go." Rei suddenly announced, moving toward an ashtray to extinguish her cigarette. The awkward silence was weird for both of them and she wanted to get away from it.
"Work?"
"Yeah. Defence Board Meeting." She replied and leaned down to extinguish her cigarette.
SunTzu let down a small whistle. "You're part of the Defence Board now?"
Rei stopped dead in her movement and turned back to SunTzu, who continued.
"That's.. wow. Congrats Rei." SunTzu continued with a honest smile. The Senatorial Defence Board of the Galactic Alliance was one of the most prestigious and highest institutions one could be part of as Senator yet in the Galactic Alliance.
A smile came back from Rei, after she had extinguished her cigarette and had turned fully to face him.
"Thank you. A certain Alderaanian Princess made me part of her inner circle. Guess I'm her favorite pupil now."
SunTzu's eyes widened in surprise and he nodded in acknowledgement of Rei's upsurge. "That's awesome. I always knew you would make a fast career."
"Thank you. Yes, you always believed in me."
Blue and hazel eyes locked and for a moment time seemed to freeze, while both ex-lovers were reminded of their past together and were almost instantely interrupted as a voice came out of SunTzu's chrono.
"Hey Meatbag, time to get back to your favorite Fresian. Minako and Ami want us to scoop around a few quadrants in this system."
Both Guardian's gaze fell on the chrono, SunTzu was the first to say something again.
"You heard AICA, guess I'll be out there doing recon for the next hours."
"I remember how much you love recon missions. Especially if it makes you miss lunch."
"Yeah." SunTzu took a last draw and extinguished his cigarette as well, he had been smoking slower than Rei. "Have a pleasant meeting. Put some bigwigs into their place for me, Senator."
He gave her a two finger salute and began to walk to the door, crossing her.
"Hey Top Gun. Take care out there, will ya?"
Rei said as SunTzu just had put his hand around the doorknob.
With a smile SunTzu looked back to her and smiled, while he opened the door for her and him.
"Affirmative Ma'am."
He winked at her as she left the room and he stayed in front of the door for a moment, lost in thought about what that moment between them just had been before he wheezed and left as well.
For six hours SunTzu had piloted AICA through the system, through the void, into planet's atmospheres and through asteroid fields.
For some reason the small linking up with Rei had lifted his spirits and so at least at the beginning of the mission he hadn't felt that bad but after the first hour the task got stall. It was exhausting, a search for a needle in a haystack, and nobody even knew if the station would be armed and could pose a threat, so he had to keep his guard up as well.
In the instances where he didn't have to fully concentrate on his sensors, thankfully AICA helped him with his tasks, his mind began to wander, most of the time to a certain tall emerald-haired beauty.
SunTzu wondered how Setsuna was doing, she hadn't been at the briefing yesterday, word was that she had joined the troops on the ground, just as Hotaru had done at the beginning of the offensive.
It gave him some reliance that at least both were together, watching over the other. Nonetheless he'd rather be around on the battlefield than to fly around through space without much to do or seeing much of a sense in it.
As he landed back in the hangar, compared to Eternal's it was rather small, he noticed the Recon-Y-Wing in the other corner of it.
It was the two-seater one and SunTzu asked himself who would fly it but then he remembered that Ami was qualified to fly that thing. Maybe she would take over recon now?
SunTzu left AICA's cockpit and the hangar. On his way to the bridge to report back he almost ran into Ami, as she was more or less jogging towards the hangar, wearing a flight suit, confirming his theory that she would take over. She just said a quick hi as she rushed past him.
SunTzu wondered why she was in such a hurry but, on the other side, it was Ami, if someone should have their picture next to the word dutiful it should be her. And maybe she was just happy and excited to fly.
His brief visit at the bridge confirmed it, Ami would take over the recon flights and SunTzu had some downtime to grab something to eat and get some sleep in.
AICA glided trough the asteroid field and notified her pilot as she found danger in front.
"Magnetic mines ahead."
"Launch an EMP-Missile." Her pilot ordered and a moment later a missile shot away and exploded a few hundred meters in front of the starfighter.
The electro-magnetic impulse deactivated a large amount of the mine field, more than enough to pass through.
The ship and it's pilot passed the mine field and AICA came in again.
"I'm reading something ahead, seems to be that base. And also another mine field around it."
"Roger, any defensive measures activated on that base?"
"Negative. Only the mine field."
"Make another EMP-Missile ready. And then it's time to land at that base."
SunTzu, who had been lucky as he got one of the three quarters for pilots, cabins with two bunk beds each, on his own, had been sleeping soundly and way better than he had thought to, he had been having a pretty nice dream with a certain someone starring in it, when he was rudely awoken.
Rei not only had knocked loudly on the door to the room, she also had immediately entered.
"Get up SunTzu. Ami's gone!"
Said pilot jumped up from his bed in shock, good thing he had taken the bottom one so he wouldn't fall out, although he almost hit his head, and only fully opened his eyes as he was sitting.
"What?" He asked while he wiped the sleep from his eyes.
"Are you deaf? Ami is missing! Head to the bridge immediately!" Rei commanded him to and then vanished again.
SunTzu took a deep breather and then grabbed for his clothes nearby. Rei's mood was a clear indicator that she was really worried about their blue-haired genius.
A couple of minutes later SunTzu arrived at the bridge. Gathered around a map table were Minako, still wearing her uniform of the Medical Corps, Helios in his service uniform, Sailor Mars, the XO of the Starstruck and two agents of Royal Intelligence SunTzu only know rudimentary.
While SunTzu was fully awake now, Minako looked tired, she probably hadn't slept yet. Judging from the look on her face, she was worried as well.
"Guys, what's going on. Where's Ami?" SunTzu said as he stopped on the table, next to Rei.
Heads turned to Minako, she was the commander of this mission after all.
Minako in turn let her gaze wander over the people on the table before she fixed it on SunTzu.
"It appears Ami left the ship and began her own search."
"I saw her on the way to the hangar, right after I came back from my recon flight. She seemed to be in a hurry."
The two agents at the table exchanged looks.
"That's when she took off. She disappeared from the sensors soon after, but we would have noticed if something would have been with the ship." Helios explained.
"Well, it's just a Y-Wing. Let me take AICA and I'll find Ami in no time."
All heads now turned to Minako again and Rei's face turned even more dark than it already had been.
"SunTzu, Ami took AICA." Minako dropped the bomb and for a moment SunTzu just froze.
"What?"
His gaze fell upon Rei and her face told him that Minako was right and Ami had done it again, just like on Glee Anselm she had taken AICA and left without saying a word.
SunTzu began to massage his temple against the upcoming headache and sighed, what was it with all those Senshi constantly trying to give him a hard time?
Did Ami had any idea which horrors could be out there? A whole enemy bomber squadron could lie in cover in those asteroid fields.
After mentally counting down to ten, trying to calm himself down, SunTzu looked at the people present at the table.
"I'll take the Y-Wing and search her." He said and turned around, heading for the door. He didn't came far though.
"I'm coming along. If she found that base it's better to be a pair if we need to search her."
"No. I don't think you're coming along, Rei."
"And I do think so very much."
"But I'm not gonna take you along. For your own safety."
"Ha, you do know I can command you to do that."
Minako and Helios exchanged a side glance with each other.
"You don't have a pilot suit fitting for the flight. That thing is not AICA, you can't go without one." SunTzu stated, thinking he had won this argument.
"If that's all. Minako, the transformation pen." The raven-haired's eyes fell onto the blonde.
Minako hesitated a moment, but then she pulled the disguise pen out of her uniform jacket's inner pocket.
"Thank you." Rei said, her voice not really friendly and SunTzu began to frown.
After announcing to turn her into a spacefighter pilot, Sailor Mars's Sailor Fuku transformed into a starfighter pilot suit, including a helmet appearing.
SunTzu opened his mouth but then closed it again, swallowing his comment down. There was no arguing with Rei in this matter, even if it would be out of concern for her, he know her well enough to know that.
Goddamit woman, why you always have to be so hardheaded… And apart from that, I really have to find out how this goddamn magic really works.
"Well then Top Gun, shall we?" Sailor Mars in a flight suit the colors of her fuku asked him, challenge in her voice.
Just a few minutes later the double-seater Recon-Y-Wing, dubbed Longprobe by pilots, left the hangar of the Starstruck and headed out into the void.
AICA had switched in stealth mode almost instantly so nobody really knew where she went.
There were still unprobed asteroid fields, one of them even covered by ion-storms, but there was no trace of the Head of Crystal Tokyo's Intelligence Service.
SunTzu was in the front, piloting, while Rei was in the backseat, eyes closed and concentrating.
"Any idea where to begin our search?" SunTzu asked and quickly turned his head towards her.
Rei kept her eyes closed as she answered in a snarky voice. "I'm trying to sense her. If you'd let me concentrate that is."
SunTzu immediately fell silent and turned back to the front.
Of course Rei could sense SunTzu as well, and of course she had sensed that sting when she had snapped at him, making her lips twitch. He was very worried too and very intend to find Ami as well.
"I'm sorry SunTzu. I didn't meant to get at you. I'm worrying just as much as you do."
Under his helmet, looking out front of the window SunTzu had to smile, classic Rei.
"It's okay. Just a typical Rei Hino-reaction." He told with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll find her." He then reassured his ex-lover.
"I hope so. Yomi, it's always the same with her ever since she got into that damn Intelligence Job. It's just like Glee Anselm."
SunTzu nodded in acknowledgment.
"Although I have to admit Glee Anselm sure had it's ups as well." Rei said, her voice giving away a certain kind of melancholy. "Things were different back then. We still had this feeling of invincibility." She added, her voice almost a whisper at the second sentence.
SunTzu didn't answer at all, just steered the Y-Wing through the darkness of space, further away from the Starstruck.
"I guess I'll get back to searching for Ami." Rei announced in an uncertain voice, after realizing what she just had said.
Mars tried hard, with highest concentration and all her available psychic power available but no matter how good and powerful she was, the system was huge.
For a few times she thought she had sensed something but it was too far away to say in which direction they should head.
"Kuso!" She yelled out after loosing that sentiment again.
"Nothing?" SunTzu asked from the front seat.
"I'm can't grasp it, it's too far away. I'm just draining my energy here."
For moment SunTzu stayed quiet, but then he pushed a few buttons and turned on the auto pilot, before he took his hands of the joystick and throttle and pulled off his glove.
"Remember on Glee Anselm, when we searched for Ryo?"
Rei's eyes widened, why hadn't she come up with that? Well, maybe because it wasn't sure it worked. Back then they were very accustomed to each other's aura and their psychic powers, their souls able to mingle. But back then they still had been lovers and in touch with the other on a whole other level. A level that Rei hadn't even attained with Minako or Yuichiro, at least not in that way. She took a glance at the white glove on her right hand.
Nevertheless, they had to find Ami. And what else would be left to try? They could search nonstop for days in space and not find her.
She took the glove off. "I hope this works."
SunTzu's hand appeared on the side of his chair and she moved her hand towards his.
A few centimeters before touching his hand, Rei hesitated again, she was nervous, her heartbeat was fast and she was getting warm. And sensing SunTzu having a similar reaction didn't make it any better.
Her eyes widened again, when she noticed that she could sense his feelings clear again and she looked up to him through the cockpits rear mirror. His eyes were closed and he was breathing slow and steady. He had already opened up to the Force, which made his psychic powers stronger. And more palpable for Rei.
She nodded to herself, and although she felt a sting of guilt towards Yuichiro to connect with SunTzu in such an intimate way, she finally put her ungloved hand into his. And when their fingers intertwined she couldn't help but wonder how natural and familiar it still felt.
Next she sensed the Force flowing through him and into her because as his energy flowed into her over their touch. It was almost as phenomenal as back then on Glee Anselm. The enormous power that the Force was, this all-binding flow of energy. Like she felt the very being of the Galaxy.
And all of his feelings.
Concentrate Rei, we're not here so you get lost in SunTzu's touch. We need to find Ami.
Sailor Mars took a deep breather and closed her eyes. She really had to focus to not loose herself in the sensation of SunTzu's aura, these warm, Inviting feelings for her still around. As was love, although it had changed sligthly and was not as immense and bright-burning as it used to be. Rei forced herself to sense out, she had to focus on the reason why they were doing this and not on these feelings of love for the other that still were lingering around in both of them.
Steady, deep breaths and years of meditation, experience and training kicked in and after a moment she found that sensation of power out there again.
And this time she didn't loose it. Contrary, it grew, she could finally make out where it was. With every breath the sensation became more clear and it became apparent that it was Ami's, Sailor Mercury's, power.
Rei could sense the direction where Ami was exactly now.
"10'o clock, but it's quite far away." She let SunTzu know and the pilot immediately opened his eyes. For a second longer their hands stayed intertwined before he slowly pulled his hand away, while Rei's hand remained in the air there for another moment.
SunTzu began to steer the Y-Wing into the direction Rei told him and gave all the large starfighter had into the engines.
For a few minutes none of them said a word, making the already awkward situation in the cockpit even more weird. Not only Rei had felt the other's emotions and both had felt that there indeed were feelings for the other still lingering in them, and not only lust.
Soon a vast asteroid field came into view and SunTzu turned around to Rei, to confirm they were still right.
Rei nodded at him and SunTzu turned back around, flipping switches and pushing buttons he took out speed from the Longprobe and activated the shields.
"You're strapped in firmly?" The Pilot asked the Senator. "Might become a rough flight soon."
Rei briefly checked her harness before she answered.
"I am."
"Good. Hold on tight."
SunTzu entered the asteroid field, of course it was the one with the ion-storm, and cautiously began to navigate the Y-Wing through it.
It wasn't an easy process at all, if flying through an asteroid field wasn't hard enough he had to search for openings in the electromagnetic storm as well.
The ion impulses would affect the shields and he definitely wouldn't fly through an asteroid field without one. Each rock the size of a golf ball could kill them.
They had just made it through the storm, when the Y-Wing's advanced sensors picked up the next obstacle.
"Holy… there's mines out there."
And then the sensors picked up something unusual, there was a corridor cleared clean through the mine field.
"Let's take the way Ami and AICA took." SunTzu announced and carefully advanced through the corridor.
Just being out of the first minefield, the second followed brief, again with a corridor cleared through. The sensors also picked up two more things. First was a space station, not the largest but still fairly big considering it's location. And second, something was jamming all communication devices.
"Comms are out, jammed." SunTzu told Rei and she leaned forward in interest. "Hold up, let me try something." SunTzu added and brought his chronometer on his arm up and pushed a button on it, only to receive scrambled sounds of transmission.
"Just as I thought, AICA is the one jamming every piece of communication she can. I don't know if she does that on her own or Ami overwrote her orders."
"So what are we going to do? We can't reach the Starstruck to tell them where we are." Rei replied from the backseat. Outside the station, cylindrical shaped, at least three hundred meters in diameter, with dozens of antennas and sensors on it's top, came into full view. There were also two hangar gates visible, although one of them was closed with a huge blast door.
"Ami is inside there, right?" SunTzu asked while the station began to fill their vision.
"Yes." Rei confirmed.
"Then hold on, we're going to land there."
SunTzu hadn't said a word about it, and he hoped that Rei wouldn't sense his thoughts, but he was partly surprised that the station's defensive weapons didn't shoot at their ship when they were approaching the station.
SunTzu finally sat the Y-Wing down in the second hangar, the open one, weapons and systems activated.
But thankfully nobody, or nothing, was inside the hangar.
Nonetheless the pilot pulled his pistol from his belt.
"Stay here, I'll check out the surroundings." He let Rei know, before he got out, carefully, ready to shoot.
SunTzu had just taken a few steps away from the ship when a sound made him turn back.
Sailor Mars, transformed back into her Fuku, had jumped out of the cockpit as well.
For a moment he shot Rei an angry glare but the raven-haired just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
SunTzu began to inspect the hangar and just had checked behind a few stacked crates before he lowered his pistol. The hangar was clear. Meanwhile Rei had tried to reach Ami over her Senshi Communicator but it was jammed as well.
"I bet AICA is in that other hangar." SunTzu announced after holstering his pistol.
He walked to the door leading out of the hangar, and before he left he turned to Rei, who was walking behind him.
"Stay here."
"Uhm… nooo."
SunTzu stopped, an annoyed look on his face as he stopped and turned around again.
"Rei."
"I told you it's better to search as a pair. And this means I can watch your back as well."
"Rei, if someone protects someone here it's me. And now, please, go back to the Y-Wing and wait there." SunTzu's voice sounded like the one of a parental figure.
"I will not wait here, SunTzu. You know who you're talking too. Just for the record, in case you forgot about it, Sailor Mars doesn't run from a fight."
SunTzu rolled his eyes and then sighed loud.
"Fine, but you stay right behind me."
"Right now I got more firepower than you, shouldn't you stay behind me?"
"Don't push it."
Rei's eyes fixed him for a moment, her RBF rivaling Setsuna's.
"Fine. Lead the way, Guardian of Guardians."
Having walked over to the door leading from the hangar to the rest of the station, the two guardians stationed themselves each next to it. SunTzu pulled his pistol again and Sailor Mars casted a Fire Soul in her hands.
"Sensing anything?" The Senshi of War asked her ex-boyfriend.
"Negative." And then they nodded at each other and SunTzu got in front of the door to open it and moved through in a fluid motion, Rei behind him, following close and facing the opposite side of SunTzu as soon as she passed.
But the corridor was empty and so Rei let the ball of fire in her hand dissolve.
Both took a breather, so far they were safe, but they shouldn't let their guard down here.
After scanning their surroundings they moved up to the door to the other hangar.
Only to end up in front of a door that wouldn't open.
"I bet that's AICA's doing as well." SunTzu explained, quickly contemplating to mess with the door wiring. But he wouldn't have any idea what he would be doing so he discarded the idea.
Rei took over the initiative and banged on the door, earning her a surprised look from SunTzu.
"What? You have a better idea?"
SunTzu didn't answer, she was right in a way and now both banged at the door again.
"AICA, it's me, Rei. Open the door."
Another glance from SunTzu but the pilot recognized that maybe talking to his ship actually wasn't the worst idea as well.
"AICA, Darling. Open the door for us. Darling?"
SunTzu knocked again at the door but then stopped in mid movement, when a cold shiver run through his spin, making the hair on his neck stand up.
Rei noticed his sudden freezing and was about to say something when SunTzu suddenly grabbed her and throw both of them down to the floor.
A fracture of a second later a blaster bolt hit the door where Rei just had stood.
SunTzu had landed on his side, in a way that Rei would not land on the floor and also would be covered by his body.
Within I a second the Guardian of Guardians had his gun up and aimed.
"Roger, Roger. Intruders." One of the two B1 Battle Droids that now moved forward taking aim again said. A second later his head was blown off of his metallic frame, followed by two shots into his upper body making him fall down.
The other droid followed immediately and when Sailor Mars propped up she noticed a fleeting yellow glimmer in SunTzu's eyes, his face still grim.
After a moment, making sure the droids were out of order, his eyes fell on his ex-lover.
"You okay?"
Once again, only because of you saving me, Top Gun…
"I'm good." She replied and got up.
SunTzu followed suit and got up as well, both recognizing in this moment how close they had been, not only to getting shot, but also in proximity to each other, their both cheeks blushing. While Rei fixed her Fuku, SunTzu secured their proximity, pistol raised and ready to shoot.
Suddenly a sound was to be heard, a mixture of clicking and something rolling on the floor.
"Oh no…" SunTzu let out before he quickly turned to Rei. "Get to cover!"
Both ran a few steps back and got to cover behind the framing of a blast door, when suddenly a copper colored circle, almost as tall as SunTzu appeared.
Before SunTzu could shoot the Droideka already extended his limbs and had his shield up.
"Ugh… another one of this mechanical cockroaches!" Ducking behind the framing Rei casted a Fire Soul and then threw it at the slowly approaching droid, while immediately getting back to cover. A blink of an eye later two blaster bolts hit the point where her upper body just had been while the ball of fire deflagrated on the droid's shield.
"We do this like last time, Top Gun. You weaken up the shield and I give him the rest!" She yelled over to SunTzu on the opposite side of the door.
SunTzu back against the frame, both hands on his pistol looked over to her, his face all but reassuring.
"That's a MK2, it has better shields. No way I can get this shields down just with my pistol."
"Want me to do it on my own?" Sailor Mars yelled out as she hurled two more Fire Souls against the shields of the slowly advancing combat machine. Unfortunately to no effect.
"It's better we fall back and shake that thing off." SunTzu yelled after he shot at the droid to draw it's fire away from Rei.
"You do know who you're talking too? Sailor Mars doesn't run from…"
"Rei!" The Senshi casted another Fire Soul while SunTzu interrupted her. Her face clearly gave away her anger when she hurled the attack at the droid.
"Moeru Shōjo!" SunTzu yelled at Rei again, using his old nickname for her.
This pulled her out of her anger just when a pair of blaster shots hit her cover again.
SunTzu's mouth formed a silent fuck before he jumped out behind his cover and crossed the distance to Rei.
He let out a salvo from his pistol while he pulled an arm around Rei and shoved her forward.
Both ran down the corridor, SunTzu close behind Sailor Mars.
After a few dozen meters and passing a few frames of blast doors, Rei abruptly stopped and held her arm up to stop SunTzu as well.
In front of them another Droideka was rolling in, while from behind the sound of the other came in.
SunTzu's mind was racing to find a way out and then he noticed an elevator next to them.
Immediately he pushed the button to open it and pulled Rei into behind him, right in front of the elevator's door.
SunTzu prayed to anything that was holy that the elevator would get here in time.
Three long seconds later, both Droidekas had stopped rolling and were extending into their full forms, the door opened and SunTzu and Sailor Mars immediately squeezed themselves through the door's slit as it opened.
Like a maniac Rei went on to push the button to close the door and while from outside the sound of the droids slowly walking up came in, the door finally shut close again.
While Rei took a breather, SunTzu knew that this wouldn't be enough and instantly checked the ceiling of the booth.
As soon as he found the service hatch he grabbed Rei with one arm and sent a Force Push upwards with the other hand to blow the hatch away before he used his second arm as well to raise a suprised Rei up to the ceiling.
"Through the hatch." He urged her. Thank the Kami, years of training and being a Senshi had made her so agile that she immediately pulled herself up and trough the small hatch. As soon as she was outside the cabin with her body she let her arm down and SunTzu grabbed it, using it to help himself up and through the hatch as he jumped upwards.
A second after his feet had left the cabin, the first red colored blaster bolts hit the cabin and now the droids began to riddle it with blaster fire.
Rei used all her strength to pull SunTzu up faster and she almost fell backwards as he came shooting out the hatch. But SunTzu, having immediately rolled up, grabbed her hand and saved her from falling.
Below them through the hatch flashing red lights and the Staccato of four full auto firing blasters came in.
"Weiter!" It escaped from his lips in German, his hand still around her hand, pulling her close to him, before letting her hand go and looking around for a way off the elevator.
Another cold shiver ran down his spine when he recognized that they weren't on Earth. This wasn't a traditional elevator, moved by cables. This was, as usual in the Galaxy, a turbolift, moved by a repulsor.
Below them the sound of the blaster fire was now joined by the sound of screeching metal.
"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!" SunTzu began to curse, as he knew what that meant.
"You're not very reassuring right now."
The last part of Rei's sentence was drowned out by the sound of ripping and bending metal and the elevator subsiding a few dozen centimeters, making Rei almost slip, one side of the elevator now slightly higher than the other.
SunTzu knew they only had seconds left when he found it. A maintenance shaft, on his opposite side. Rather small and broader than high but large enough that they could force themselves inside.
Rei was still struggling to gain her balance on her high heels again when SunTzu began to run and jumped up. Only because of his Force-powers he was able to jump high enough to somehow reach the shaft and finding grip on it's frame.
Rei had now understood what he was doing and what would happen and had started running two seconds after him, in the same moment a gut-wreck crunch sounded off.
"JUMP!" SunTzu screamed out, one hand holding him in the shaft and the other raised to catch Rei.
Rei's feet just had left the elevator's ceiling when it began to subside again, first very slow for the fracture of a second and then it fell down with staggering velocity.
SunTzu almost dislocated his arm trying to stretch out to Rei as far as he could, a sharp pain rushing from his hand all through his arm up to his shoulder.
Rei was in the air, eyes closed, praying to her mother to not die, and for the longest blink of an eye ever she felt nothing around her but air.
And then the firm grip of a hand around hers. A hand that had saved her life uncountable times before. Instinctively she put her legs In front and used them to absorb the impact on the wall.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the wall of the elevator shaft in front of her. Forcing herself to not look down she looked up. A pair of hazel eyes, and the hint of a glad smile through gritted teeth greeted her.
"I got you." SunTzu let her know, his voice strained. And then he began to pull her up to him.
It was exhausting, his body was crying out in pain, but when she finally had reached the height of his waist he began to pull them both up.
Somehow he found the will to concentrate enough in the Force to open for it and with a last Force-enforced pull he swung both of them into the shaft.
Heavily breathing, eyes closed, SunTzu laid on his back for a moment, trying to block out the pain in his body and the exhaustion. Because of these sensations it took a moment before he noticed that he had Rei pressed onto him, her head on his chest, her hands wrapped around the collar of his flight suit.
He let go of her but even after a moment he still could feel her weight on him, her core on his, although she had lifted her upper body. SunTzu opened his eyes and his gaze was immediately catched by these beautiful blue eyes of hers, her face just a few centimeters from his, her sensual lips slightly parted. Her, Rei Hino, forever that fine piece of art.
One of her hands moved up to his cheek and gently stroked over his beard.
"You did it again. You saved my life."
"I always will." SunTzu replied with a low voice, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her and let his lips crash onto hers.
"You're so afraid of doing wrong but you always do right when it comes to saving one of us."
SunTzu didn't reply, he licked his lips and turned away. He wasn't brave enough to look her in the eyes when he said the following words.
"I never stopped caring for you Rei. As I never stopped loving you."
Her hands gently grasped around his face and turned his gaze back to her.
"As have I. But love was never our problem." A sad sigh left her lips. "I really, really, really wanted it to work out, I really wanted to be with you forever. But then…"
"It was Rago."
Rei closed her eyes for a moment, sadness written over her face.
"Yes. Rago changed everything. Me, you, us. I had that vision before. And I knew it would happen, but I was too afraid to do something. And then came that horrible mission and you drifted into anger and despair. I saw it back then. I felt it back then. Hell, I even called you Doitsu no Akuma back then as it meant nothing but a moniker. If I would have taken action back then… I could have had prevent so much pain and sorrow for you. You were mine after all and I should have protected you."
"My way was always destined Rei. It's not your fault. Or the fault of the Force or God or the Kami or anybody else. It's my destiny, it's why I'm here, to embody War itself. To end this War."
"SunTzu, I am the Reincarnation of the Goddess of War. But it took me till now to understand that it doesn't mean that I have to fight all my life to fulfill my role. I am not here to fight, I am here to remind people how malicious war is, to safe the innocent from it, to raise those up affected by it and redeem this Galaxy from it. And the one that I should have safed first and foremost from war was you. I thought I loved you above everything but it would not be fair and right to say this was right, as it would meant I should have watched out for you. As much as you did for me. As you still do. I shouldn't have foresaken you when you became War's embodiment. I know to how much hurt and despair it lead for you. It's way too late for this now but I'm so, so sorry." Her head slumped down as tears began to stream down her face.
"Failed? No, you gave me a purpose and a place to come back to, a reason to live. And you accompanied me to become what I needed to become. I'm not proud of a lot of things I did but I did it for the sake of this Galaxy. For the people I love."
He had sat up now and his hands were wiping away her tears and caressing her face, making her open her eyes again.
"What's one person to all of the inhabitants of this Galaxy? The enemy killed so many people, on Rago, on Linta , on so many places, so many of our troops, what's one more? I'll gladly sacrifice myself if I can end all of this. You know what's at stake and therefore we both are needed in this fight. You, the Goddess of War will purify this Galaxy from it, and I will fuel the fire that will make this possible. And for this I will always be here to save you from harm."
A small smile crept over her saddened face as she took a breather to calm down. And then, as if they sensed it both laid their arms around each other and embraced the other, Rei's head resting on his, still sitting on his lap.
"I'm sorry I left, Rei. But we both know it couldn't go on like that anymore. Yet alone, the danger I was drawing onto you."
She didn't answer and just held him tight.
"I heard about that soul bonding thing of the Senshi." SunTzu continued. "I'm glad you found your bound soul, even though it's not me."
Rei closed her eyes and tightened her embrace even more. He really was one of a kind, but she wanted and needed to let him know, how it was for her.
"I was a wreck after you left. I didn't want to get up anymore, I just couldn't. I felt so defeated, so miserable. As soon as I was back I retreated home to the Shrine. For days I was like paralyzed. Not only because of the heartbreak but because the guilt and the shame that I was the reason you left not only me but all of us. Until Yuichiro came to the shrine and didn't leave my side anymore. He reminded me who I was and that the Rei he knew and loved always had gotten up, no matter what life or her enemies or who- or whatever had thrown at her. Because she's a fighter. And in that moment i realized why I had always loved him. Because he always had believed in me. And he ahd always catched me and built me up, no matter how bad or defeated I had felt. I'm not whole without him. That's why I fell for him again." A pause. "I decided for him. Just like after the first time he went away." She paused and shot SunTzu a wry grin. "Minako still lowkey hates me for letting you go. Apart from her probably never coming to terms with Yuichiro herself."
She paused for a moment, looking away, her eyes becoming sad for a second, before she let her chin rest on his head again.
"You and me, we two have this unique bond but Yuichiro, it's… you know, it's even more than we were. More than me and Minako were. I am bound to Yuichiro and love him more than anything else in this universe. Don't get me wrong, you made me a better person and I loved you almost as much as him but I would not be the person I am today without Yuichiro. He caught me while I was down and built me up too many times." She let out a big sigh, letting this out had been hard but necessary.
"But please also know that I'm bound to your soul as well. Apparently we shouldn't be but never forget that you will always have a very big place in my heart."
SunTzu looked into her eyes, her tears had dried up by now and a tiny smile appeared on her face as their gazes met again.
"I hope Setsuna will one day feel the same for you as I do for Yuichiro."
His head rested on her chest and she pulled him tight against him again.
"You know." He replied, a statement not a question.
SunTzu didn't see the smile which grew on Rei's lips.
If he only knew... Damn, if Setsuna wouldn't have been so traumatized, these two could be so perfect together.
"I think I'm qualified enough to say, that if someone deserves such a great person like you as partner than it's her. Unfortunately she has been traumatized before, deeply, and so she will need time. It won't be easy but you could be the one to heal her. And if you succeed, she will love you even more than I did. And ever could."
SunTzu thought about the words Rei just had told him, he never had loved Anniten as much as he had loved Rei. Not even close to it. Could he love Setsuna more than Rei? To his own surprise he immediately knew the answer to this question. Yes, and for that he would fight. He would do whatever It would take to win her over, to make her fall in love with him.
Sailor Mars leaned back a notch to stretch before she put her hands around his face and leaned back towards him, their faces now almost touching.
"Don't fuck this up, Top Gun. I want to see the two of you happily together."
And then she kissed his forehead and started to grin broadly.
"I'm glad we got to talk about this but now I really have to get off of you or I forget about my man at home."
Her sitting on his lap, including her movements, plus being so close together had taken an effect on both of them and SunTzu swore she grinded on him on purpose, before she moved off of him. SunTzu laid down on his back and closed his eyes.
Rei let out big breather and then looked at him again.
"Any idea how we get away from here? We still have to find Ames."
SunTzu opened his eyes and sat up again. She was right, they really had to find Ami now. He looked around, on his left was the elevator shaft, with no way to climb up or down. And probably a pair of Droidekas waiting for them to show up at the closest floor. Behind Rei was a grid. No, not a grid, but a door he recognized, and the cables went trough under the door.
"Rei." He motioned over to the grid door.
"Help me." The Senshi said and both turned around so they could kick the door.
Both bend their legs and in synchronization then kicked the door, which made it burst open. Behind it was a tunnel, which after a few meters got big enough to at least walk upright in it, although SunTzu would had to duck.
They exchanged a look and SunTzu motioned to her to lead the way.
It didn't take long and they reached the end of the tunnel, a ladder led to another floor above them.
"There you go! I think our streak of luck is back." Rei let out cheerily, SunTzu was less enthusiastic though.
"Took long enough to get there again."
Suddenly the sound of blaster fire came in, from above.
"Thank you for decrying it."
"If there's a fire fight up there, it means one thing."
"Ami!"
SunTzu nodded and Rei looked up again. He pulled out his pistol and reloaded the handgun with a full magazine before he looked up. The ladder apparently led up to a hatch.
"I'll go in first." He began to climb up and Rei followed suit behind him.
Within a few seconds they had climbed the ladder and SunTzu hurried through the hatch, pistol at the ready. Fortunately the room the hatch was located in was empty. It was a small maintenance room, apart from the hatch, racks with tools and spare building material were also in the room. The door leading into the room was closed.
SunTzu was still scanning the room when Rei climbed through the hatch as well.
While they had been climbing the shooting had stopped but Rei just had gotten up from the leaving the hatch, when more salvos of blaster fire sounded off, not far away.
"Droidekas."
SunTzu and Rei immediately placed themselves left and right of the room's door. They had to get out there and find Ami, alone it would be next to be impossible to fight off the war droids for the Senshi of Wisdom.
"Ready?" SunTzu asked with a low-kept voice and put his hand on the doorknob.
Rei shook her head and took a step away, it was time to take the risk serious, these robot cockroaches needed to be dealt with. And she could sense it, she was now able to step up a notch. While SunTzu shot her an questioningly look, she shot him a grin before she raised her hand. And then her eyes began to glow red, her Fuku changed and she transformed into Cosmic Sailor Mars.
"Now I'm ready." She said when she got back to her spot near the door, her left hand emblazing in flames.
SunTzu was about to move the doorknob when suddenly Sailor Mars's unburning hand was on his.
"For Ami."
SunTzu nodded and together they pulled the doorknob.
As soon as the door opened both repeated their entrance into the station from leaving the hangar earlier.
Again there were no droids outside, but this time, from down the long corridor, an icy chill came breezing in.
And the shots had fallen silent as well.
"That cold…" SunTzu said carefully crossing the corridor to the opposite wall, pistol raised.
"Mercury! I can sense her."
Cosmic Sailor Mars suddenly yelled out and pointed down the corridor, where the cold was coming from. And she was right, now SunTzu could feel her as well.
Both shared a glance and began running down the corridor. Around them it was getting colder and colder.
At the next turn they abruptly had to stop, as the almost crashed in the smoking, half standing remains of a Droideka. And a few meters further down the corridor was another wrecked destroyer droid.
Wondering what the hell happened here they carefully moved on, Sailor Mars's hand enwrapped in flames and SunTzu pistol raised. By now it was so cold that their breath was visible.
At the next crossing they found out, what was causing the cold. A small layer of ice covered the floor and the walls. And a whole bunch of partly frozen and broken B1 Battle Droids was sprawled around the corridor.
"Ami." Both Guardians stated at the same time, with sharing a glance at each other. They sensed her nearby although they only could tell that she was further down the corridor to their right.
Suddenly another pew from a blaster shot came in from nearby and both started running towards where it came in from. As they were running screeching metal was heard for a moment and when they ran around the over next corner they found Sailor Mercury between a destroyed group of B1-Droids.
"Machines… always so predictable." Sailor Mercury stated, shaking her head, while she looked at the remains of the battle droids, which were partly covered in ice.
"Ami!" Rei yelled out and Ami turned her head towards her.
"Finally, I found you. AICA told me someone came, and I was pretty sure that it was SunTzu. Although I rather expected Minako to tag along. Where have you guys been all that time?"
"Found us? Ami we almost were shot by mechanical cockroaches trying to save you!" Rei bursted out in irritation.
"Save me? But Rei, I had everything under control. It just took some time to loosen up the enemy formations and take them out one by one."
Rei wanted to retort something but the she felt SunTzu's hand on her shoulder while he shook his head at her.
Meanwhile, dutiful as always, Sailor Mercury had pulled out her computer and her headset.
"AICA, I found them. And I also neutralized the last droids. I'm heading back to the control room now."
"Copy, I'll inform the Starstruck and let them send a team over."
Mercury's headset and visor retracted and she looked back at her friends.
"I'm going back to this station's control room. I'll tell AICA to open the hangar door and to turn off my override control."
She had already been moving before she ended the sentence.
Sailor Mars took a step forward.
"Ami? What the Yomi?" She asked with a question gesture, making adressed Senshi stop and turn around again.
"I'm sorry, but if this control station controls most of the droids in the sector I have to immediately find out how to turn them off, to save countless lives. I'll explain everything later but I really gotta go now. See you later on the Starstruck!" And then she ran away.
SunTzu's and Rei's gazes followed her departure.
"You know, sometimes I miss the more shy, quiet, cautious pre-spy-Ami." Sailor Mars told the First Knight with a sigh. "Anyways, I guess you want to check on AICA?"
SunTzu just nodded while he observed Ami disappearing down a few crossings away.
On the Starstruck's bridge a very, very tired and bored Minako tried her best to stay awake, still sitting on the captain's seat, observing the gunship they had brought along leaving for the coordinates Ami had sent them, Helios standing behind her. She yawned and turned back to the young officer.
"Now that we sacked that space station, can I finally go to bed?"
"I'm sorry Commander, but normal procedure is that the commanding officer of an element is attending mission critical activities."
"Ughhh… fine. But could you at least get me a cup of caf then? Or better a whole pot!"
SunTzu and Rei made their way back to the area where the hangars were located. On their way they stumbled over several groups of destroyed battle droids or Droidekas.
Almost back at the hangar they also found the two Droidekas who had attacked them earlier. All the droids had been destroyed with the use Mercury's powers, either with water or with ice.
They stopped at the wreck of the war machine that had chased them first. The machine was collapsed, ripped apart from ice that had formed around it's moving parts, which than had been shattered.
"Fucking robot-bug was still waiting for us." Rei looked down at the broken droid, she was standing next to SunTzu who took a quick glance into the empty elevator shaft and then stepped back again.
"Without you, I would be dead now. You think you need any more reasons to stay with us again?"
SunTzu didn't answer but laid his hands around Rei's, which she had laid around his stomach from behind while she had asked him her question.
"If you ever think, that you're a monster, don't forget how many times you saved me, Ami and the others. And how many people still live just because of you." She laid her head on his back. "I love you."
"Death couldn't separate me from you, Rei. You're still a big part why I keep going." He swallowed hard. "Thank you for believing in me. I will always love you."
Rei let her hands go from his body and used them to turn him around to her before she laid them around his face, drawing it close to hers. Their eyes were drowning in each other's and SunTzu also put his hands around Rei's face. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do, maybe it was exactly the right thing to do, maybe it was to find out if their decision was the right one or maybe to find out if it wasn't, but then their lips met for a last, final kiss.
The affectionate, tender kiss initiated something in their psychic bound. For the duration of their kiss, visions of their life, a life together which could have been, flowed as vision through them. Holidays on foreign places, their wedding, the birth of a beautiful daughter, growing old together.
After just a few seconds the kiss ended, although it had felt like an eternity for the two of them.
"Wow." Rei gasped and then let her head rest on his chest as SunTzu began to stroke her silky smooth hair.
"Our life would have been beautiful." Rei quietly spoke after a moment.
"It would be. But I want these things with Setsuna now. And you want them with Yuichiro. We both sensed that."
"Yes. But never forget."
"Never. I always will."
"Me too." And then her lips curved up and a smile appeared on her face.
"I'm so glad we get along together again. I hated this situation the last few days, not knowing how to deal with it. Or you."
Both tightened the hug for another moment before they slowly ended the embrace.
The ex-lovers entered the hangar in which AICA stood just a few seconds before the Larty from the Starstruck crossed inside through the atmospheric shield and landed.
They gave a rough overview to the soldiers and intelligence officers arriving and then boarded AICA. Ami had called AICA and told her that she would stay on the station for some more time and later would take the Y-Wing back. AICA also emphasized on the fact them that Ami never had needed help, she just wanted to act as fast as possible and alone, without jeopardizing anyone else's security, so taking AICA had been the most effective way. All the time the blue-haired genius had everything under control and everything had been planned out from her in the beginning.
Rei and SunTzu both shook their heads and laughed when they heard with how much finesse Ami had acted. Group by group, droid by droid, she had taken them out with ambush-like attacks.
A few minutes later AICA took off with SunTzu and Rei inside her cockpit and headed back to the Starstruck.
Rei had the data-pad for the backseat in her hands and was typing something.
"That's it AICA. Play this."
With furrowed eyebrows SunTzu used the rear mirror above him to look back at Rei, wondering what she was doing.
"Remember Princess Teta? I think this song is fitting." She asked and then the tunes to a certain song began to play. A song he had hummed when he had acted as her bodyguard and came to her help as they got attacked.
"That was beautiful, Rei."
"Thank you, SunTzu."
Both had tears in their eyes after she had finished the song, but then Rei began to giggle.
"But if you ever tell someone about that kiss I will kill you." With a smile SunTzu turned around to her and motioned to her that his lips were sealed.
The two former lovers spent the rest of the flight without saying a word, but content having had the chance to talk things out, now fully knowing that they would always be there for the other, their bound deeper than romantic love, a connection for eternity. And although they had feelings for different people now, they still needed the other.
Back at the Starstruck, Minako received them along with Helios.
Rei and SunTzu had just left the cockpit when she walked up to them.
"If this isn't our successful rescue team! You found her! All of the boys and all of the girls, If you seek Ami." She greeted them and earned a dumbfounded look from SunTzu and disapproval from Rei.
"Really, Minako?"
"Sorry, couldn't resist. Helios told me that an debriefing is the usual thing to do after such a mission and I want to get that done asap so I can finally get to sleep. I'm running solely on caffeine right now."
They explained the situation to Minako, of course not bringing up their conversation, yet alone the kiss. Minako was happy and on the verge of leaving for her room when Helios reminded her about the necessity to inform the leadership of the Taskforce about the successful mission as well.
Wordlessly Minako discarded her plans to go to her quarters, she was just too tired to start a discussion at that moment.
Three minutes later they were on the bridge, Minako back in her seat, with Helios standing beside her, like most of the night. Except that now Rei and SunTzu were sitting on the arm rests on each side of Minako's chair.
When the video connection was established, Neo Queen Serenity, King Endymion and Admiral Artemis saw a tired looking Minako in between a smiling Rei and a smiling SunTzu. Both seemed to get along really well with the other again, as the trio explained that Ami was safe, the space station secured and Intelligence, under the close eyes of their boss personally, busy getting the enemy droids in the sector offline and securing as much data as they could.