Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction ❯ Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Revolution ❯ Chapter 25

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: RevolutionBook Two: Part Eight

“Well,” Dorothy Catelonia said as the bitter smoke of battle drifted through the air, “I suppose it will have to do.” The blonde stood by her Tallgeese unit on the broken street, the inside of the colony L1-BO4467 now battered and broken by their invasion.

Docking their shuttles peacefully the OZ troops had launched a surprise blitz of the command decks of the outer colony defenses, then moved in the waiting troop shuttles. The residents of the peaceful colony had been woefully unprepared for war, and the take over had been painless... at least for the OZ troops.

“Ma’am,” Helen hurried to her side, the black haired officer dressed in her snug uniform, “we’ve found a facility to use as a command center.”

“Make sure that we have a solid communications link with Meuller in the outer defense headquarters,” Dorothy ordered briskly as she and a team of bodyguards followed Helen, “I don’t want any surprises.”

Helen touched the earpiece she wore, “Tech teams are already moving.” She paused, “Ma’am, why not use the moon base?”

“I wondered when you’d ask,” Dorothy smiled slightly. Seriously she said, “The moon base is less defensible, and if Une attacks again I want a location we can evacuate quickly.”

Helen dropped her voice a bit, “You’re certain it was Une?”

“Trant seemed fairly certain,” Dorothy kept any trace of grief for the lost officer out of her voice, “and he was a reliable man.”

“True,” Helen agreed as they made their way to the nearby building Helen had chosen. Picked for both how it could be defended as well as rapid access to their Mobile Suits, it was a bit of a compromise. Built into a false hill it almost looked like a bunker, but it had been intended for a user who wanted to be close to ‘nature.’

“What’s the status of the pilots?” Dorothy asked crisply.

Helen pursed her lips as they went into the office she intended to give to Dorothy. “Shiori had one of her moments again,” she said flatly, “she slashed a nurse quite badly.”

Dorothy sighed, once more wondering if Shiori was really worth the trouble. “And the others?” she asked.

“Winner continues to test out well in the Gemini,” Helen consulted her notes, “but we lack elite pilots for our surviving Tallgeese units.”

“I never should have lost Po and Noin,” Dorothy made a face.

“Meuller is qualified....” Helen offered tentatively.

Dorothy shook her head, “No, his main loyalty is to Treise’s faction in OZ. I can’t give him such a weapon until I know which way he’ll jump.”

“Ma’am,” one of her engineers, Maiser, stuck his head in the door, “we’ve reestablished contact with Earth!”

“Oh lovely,” Dorothy muttered, taking a moment to tidy her hair and uniform. Activating the standard communications rig built into the desk she said, “Earth Command, this is Captain Dorothy Catalonia.”

“Hello Dorothy,” Treise Khushrenada smiled, the brown haired officer back in uniform and sitting in the command center.

Dorothy clenched her fists hard, but kept them out of sight under the table as she thought, ‘How did he maneuver back into power?!’ Keeping her confusion off her face she nodded respectfully, “I regret to inform you Fortress Barge has been destroyed.”

“We received the distress signal a short time ago,” Treise agreed. He frowned exaggeratedly and added, “The involvement of my former subordinate is disturbing, so much so Romafeller asked me to assist them.”

‘I wonder if you knew this would happen...?’ Dorothy mused as she maintained her poker face. “As a emergency measure we’ve taken over colony L1-BO4467 as a base of operations, and we’re requesting reinforcements.”

“That won’t be easy,” Treize answered, “we’re struggling to recoup losses of ships and men from previous campaigns. However, we’ll send what we can.”

“Thank you,” Dorothy answered as she thought, ‘Obviously, you’re putting me on the back burner, damn you.’ Aloud she asked, “What are your orders?”

“Hold you position, refuel and rearm,” Treise ordered, “we need to see how the situation develops before we act.”

“Understood, Catalonia out,” she said formally.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Sally,” Noin said quietly, the black haired woman leaning against the wall of their cell, “I’ve made up my mind.”

Sally Po looked up, her long brown hair a mess as she asked, “Yes?”

“The information the Gundams have given us,” Noin looked pained, “it’s not faked. Oz and Earth have committed atrocities... hell, I was there to stop a massacre at one point.”

“You think it’s time to...?” Sally asked, a little surprised that in the weeks since their last conversation on the subject Noin could change so.

“I can’t fight for OZ any more,” Noin confessed her feelings with a sigh, “if nothing else, Dorothy saw to that.”

“Then let’s get someone’s attention,” Sally smiled.

Noin and Sally got up, taking turns banging on the doors as Noin asked, “Not going to talk me out of it?”

“I hate to say it,” Sally banged the wall as she said, “but I made my mind up weeks back. I was just waiting for you.”

“I get the odd feeling I was just insulted,” Noin muttered. Hammering on the door she yelled, “Hey, guard!”

A few moment’s later the window in the door opened up as Duo Maxwell looked at them cheerfully. “Sorry, folks, the guards are kinda busy.” The brown haired young man smiled charmingly, “Can I help you?”

“I think so,” Sally said, looking pointedly at Noin.

Noin took a deep breath then said, “As a officer of the Specials... I’d like to defect to the colony forces.”

“Seriously,” Duo perked up. He paused a moment in thought, “Do ya think you could hold out another week?”

“Why?” Sally blinked.

“I bet on you lasting that long,” Duo confided.

Sally smiled slightly, “Will you give us a cut of your winnings?”

“Twenty for you, eighty for me?” Duo proposed.

“Hey, we’d be staying in jail a extra week.. Fifty fifty!” Sally protested.

“You’re cutting into my profit,” Duo complained.

Noin cleared her throat as Sally smiled, “Sorry, Duo.”

“Just joking,” he said then Duo became more serious. “We’ll let you out on your word you won’t try anything,” he said, “but be aware we’re keeping an eye on you.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” Noin answered gravely. Meeting his eyes she said, “What’s the situation? If it involves taking down Catelonia, we want to help.”

To be continued....