Operation: Capella
By Sailor Saturn
Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing. Pure and simple.
This is part two of my fic. I’d like to thank Angeline for helping me out. If I didn’t clear up that part, the fic would have been…dead. Also I’ve got to thank the author of ‘Symphony’ and her idea of listening to classical music while doing a project. It helped me in this fic!
Now, I know NADA about winter wear, so you people gotta help me out in this area. I live in a warm area, nuff said. Onwards to the story.
Heero Yuy woke up with a start from his sleep. He sat up, panting and sweating. This was the third time for the week, the third time he woke up like that for no apparent reason. He checked his digital clock by his bed. 4:30 am. Hn. Well, he could forget about sleeping now. He got up and switched on his light and walked into the kitchen. Heero poured himself a glass of water and walked over to the window. There was nothing really to see in Antartica, that’s where he was stationed. The snow fell gently on the snow-white ground, as he saw two people obviously walking carefully, looking back occasionally. They then smiled and ran off hand in hand. He recognized them as two lieutenants from Sector 3 (remember, this is a non-yaoi fic!). Just then, the phone rang. Heero went to get it.
“Yes?”
“General Yuy, we need you down here immediately,” a female voice replied, and hung up. Heero put down the phone and sighed. Oh well, at least I’ve got something to keep me occupied.
Fifteen minutes later, Heero was entering the defense room in full military attire. He was greeted by several salutes. He nodded curtly, before proceeding to the panel.
“Good morning, general,” a woman greeted. She had bobbed ebony hair and dark brown eyes.
“Good morning, Celeste. What is the reason for you calling me so early?”
“About a few hours ago, our satellites picked up a disturbance,” she said, walking over to one of the many computers. Celeste turned it on and did some key stroking. “This is what we found.” Heero looked carefully at the image on the screen.
“Hn. Looks like something exploded,” he said, noting the chunks of debris.
“Yes, but actually it was a whole colony, L6 to be exact,” she told him. Heero’s navy eyes widened.
“A whole colony?” he repeated in shock, a very rare occurrence
“Uh huh. News reports say that some Taurus mobile suits were responsible. I can’t….” Celeste continued, but Heero wasn’t listening. His attention was focused on the image on the computer. He couldn’t help but wonder if anyone he knew was there. Like my family. Suddenly, the base’s room turned dark, and an image appeared. He saw a forest, and a woman with long dark green locks clutching two identical looking boys running. They stopped and she whispered something to them and gave them each a kiss on the forehead. Then, she frantically looked behind her and quickly helped the boys up into a tree. As soon as she finished, three OZ soldiers came up and tried to lead her away. She struggled and they gave her a solid blow across the head with the but of their gun. Then, they dragged her off. Heero gasped and started to sweat. Why did he feel a connection to those people? Who were they? Heero placed a hand on his head and leaned forward on the table for support.
“General Yuy?” Celeste asked, concerned. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, yes I am,” he replied, regaining his composure. “Taurus mobile suits. Any idea who they’re from?”
“Nope, none.”
“Hn.” And Heero left. He went to his office and went to work on his computer. He had a good idea where the dolls were from.
~***~
Relena looked out of the window at the white blanket of snow covering the land’s landscape. She had been her before, ten years ago. Relena gave a small smile, remembering the reason why she came here in the first place, to give Heero a letter from Mrs Noventa. She later ended up stopping him from fighting to the death with her brother, Miliardo. Well, she had a different purpose now. Relena checked to see if she had the saved information she got the previous night.
“Ms Peacecraft?” an attendant came up to her. “we’re almost there.”
“Thank you,” she told her. Fifteen minutes later, they touched down. Relena got out and proceeded to the base entrance, where she was greeted by a slender woman with raven hair.
“Good day, Ms Peacecraft. It’s good to have you here with us,” she said with a smile as she led her in. Several soldiers stopped and saluted her.
“Thank you, Ms James,” Relena replied politely.
“Oh, please call me Celeste.” They continued down the hallway.
“Is the general in?” Relena asked.
“Yes, since around five this morning. He should be in his office,” Celeste replied. She showed Relena to the office and left. Relena took a deep breath. Here goes nothing…and she knocked on the door.
“Come in,” came the familiar monotone voice. She walked in. There, Relena found Heero with his back turned to her, typing furiously on his laptop, even though he had a whole PC to himself. His jacket was thrown neatly over the back of his chair and he was just in his crisp, white shirt. Relena pulled her coat closer, even though the room had a heater. And you think I’d be used to the cold. I’m from England after all… she thought bitterly.
“What do you want?” Heero asked, his voice cold with a hint of irritation.
“Hello, Heero,” she said simply. The typing stopped. Heero was stopped in mid-type. He turned and regarded the figure behind of him. His face betrayed a flicker of surprise.
“Relena,” he whispered. She gave a little smile.
“Long time no see.”
Heero’s POV:
“Hello, Heero,” the voice said. Immediately, he froze. That voice…It couldn’t be… He turned to make sure his ears weren’t lying to him. There she was, sure enough, standing in the doorway. She looked…radiant. Relena took on a more sophisticated look. Instead of mid-back length hair, with two braids at the sides of her head, her hair was now cut shoulder length in gentle layers, and the braids long gone. She looked more grown up, no longer the naïve fifteen year old he once knew. Her face was more serious, more mature, the sign of a true diplomat. How many years has it been? Eight? No, nine. Nine long years, since they last spoke to each other, and she really changed. He looked at her, and then caught himself. He knew that he showed some shock. I can’t make her see…, so Heero put back on his mask and turned back to the laptop coolly.
“How may I help you?”
Relena could not believe it. One minute, she thought Heero was just going to sweep her up into his arms, then, he goes total frosty and acts like nothing’s new. It’s been nine whole years since he last saw me. You think he’d be a bit more enthusiastic. But then again, she was lucky he even looked at her for that long. That’s Heero Yuy for you! But, back to his question.
“I got some very interesting information last night,” she started in her most diplomatic tone. “I believe you know about the L6 tragedy.”
“Yes, I do.” Heero was now turned away from his laptop, partially facing her. She continued.
“Well, last night, someone from the organization responsible for it sent me an email by accident, I think that he got the addresses mixed up. Care to see?” she asked as she produced the floppy diskette.
“By all means,” he replied calmly. She walked over to him and gave him the diskette. Heero placed it in the drive and went in. He silently read the message. A few times, she saw something like raised eyebrows, but with Heero, it was impossible to tell. Then, he leaned back in his chair.
“Very interesting.” Relena started to pace.
“But the thing is, what should I do? The person who sent it should know by now that it was misplaced and they’ll be out to find out who got it instead. I’ll probably have to make a series of speeches in the next few weeks, considering I’m Foreign Minister, and I can’t keep this information from the authorities because that would be unjust, but at the same time, information might leak and the wrong people might hear it, and well, I need to protect my life. So what to do?” She asked, after give the whole rundown of her situation.
“Give me the diskette, and I’ll keep it. You can stay here for a few days, until you have to go back,” Heero said, typing again.
“Yes, but what about the information? If we trace it, these people can be stopped.”
“I just sent a link to Duo and the others, telling them to come here as soon as possible, so we can decide what to do then.” Relena gaped. That whole time sitting there while listening to her yammer, he already can up with a solution and already sent messages to the other pilots? You never cease to amaze me…
~***~
Meanwhile, General Okwara sat in his armchair in his luxurious living room. The fireplace roared and he watched on as he sipped his red wine coolly. A voluptuous woman entered the room, wearing a long, semi-sheer night gown.
“Good morning, Masaru,” she said as she sat on his lap.
“What do you want, Claire?” he asked, annoyed.
“Are you upset about something?”
“Nothing that you’d understand,” he replied coldly. Claire was used to this.
“Try me,” she said, leaning forward seductively. He sighed.
“I wanted some information on a project I did and I haven’t received it yet,” Masaru said silkily. He was more than pissed now.
“It’ll come,” she whispered in his ear. “don’t worry…” and she started to stroke his cheek. He closed his eyes. Her touch calmed him somewhat. She leaned forward and they were locked in a passionate kiss. She carefully undid his shirt and rubbed his chest. Masaru moaned. Claire ran a hand through his dark brown hair, as he slipped a strap of her nightie off her shoulder. Suddenly, the intercom buzzed. Masaru pushed her off, literally, and pressed it.
“Yes?”
“Lieutenant Marshals here to see you,” the secretary’s voice replied. Masaru perked up. Maybe now his report would come.
“Send him in Monica,” he replied. Masaru fixed himself and Claire took that as her cue to leave. A few minutes later, the lieutenant entered. He was in all smiles.
“Good morning, sir,” he said. They saluted each other and Masaru sat down in his armchair and signaled for him to do the same. Mr Marshals took the one opposite him.
“Did you hear about the L6 colony?” he asked.
“Yes, David. Now, where’s the report?” Masaru asked impatiently. David paled.
“D…didn’t you get it?” he asked weakly. Masaru felt his anger unconsciously surge.
“No, I didn’t,” he growled. The lieutenant paled farther.
“B…but…I sent…it to you by…email last night…” he answered. Masaru’s eyes widened. Didn’t I check….
“You did what?!” he shouted. He couldn’t believe the bakas he was forced to work with. “Because I know you didn’t just say you sent it by email. Do you know how many messages get lost by email?” David was now deathly white.
“Uh…”
“And do you know that this particular piece of information is highly confidential?!” he roared. “Now any civilian can have access to it!” David began to speak.
“S…sir,” he began, but Masaru cut him off.
“For your sake, you had better hope that it could not find the address and it is safe and sound in your message box, do you understand me?” he asked, his voice silkier than humanly possible.
“Y…yes….s…sir,” he stammered as he got up.
“I expect you to come here tomorrow at this time with such information.”
“Yes sir,” he replied, his face as white as a ghost’s. David stumbled out and closed the door behind him. Masaru picked up his goblet and threw it into the flames. He watched the glass blacken, as his anger rose. Not now. Not after I’ve come so far…
~***~
Gabriela walked into the hanger in the Spanish countryside. It looked like a barn or something from the outside, but it was more than that…much more. She proceeded and walked up to it. Gabriela did what she always did when she came here, marvel at its beauty. It was so majestic, yet so deadly. She remembered the day she first saw Andromeda as clear as day…
Flashback:
Sixteen year old Gabriela walked into the hanger, cracking her gum loudly. She had pulled on a pair of tight blue jeans, with rips in the legs, and a black belly top, which exposed her naval tattoo, a jeweled sun. Suddenly, she felt someone gently, but firmly take her mouth, opened it and took the gum out with her pinkie nail.(My aunt does that constantly!)
“Professor G!” she whined at the woman with cropped dark green hair. She just smiled.
“Alertness is one of the many things you have to learn in this profession,” she replied and walked off. Gabriela folded her arms and mocked her. “I saw that, young lady.” Gabriela sighed and followed her. The woman was a bloody psychic or something.
“So, why are we here?” she asked. The professor smiled again.
“To meet your new challenge,” she jogged off and a few seconds later, a bright light was put on. This illuminated a crisp white object. It was like a giant, towering over her. Gabriela gaped as she looked up at the object. What did they call it again? Oh, yes a Gundam. She remembered watching them on the television four years back, during the Eve Wars.
“So, what do you think?” Professor G came back and asked her gaping student.
“This Gundam ain’t mine!” she said with a slight laugh. The professor tilted her head.
“Why not?” she replied. Gabriela gaped at her.
“You mean you think I’m good enough to pilot one?” she asked eagerly. Professor G nodded.
“You are very talented, Gabriela. This should be nothing for you to master,” she told her. Gabriela shook her head.
“Uh, G, I’m not that good,” she said.
“Any sixteen year old girl that can matador half as good as you is blessed. Your reflexes are exceptional and your reasoning is too. That’s why you are the best of the best. These two skills are required for piloting a Gundam, especially one this powerful.”
“Powerful? What do you mean?”
“Andromeda is like Wing Zero. The Zero systeming is just as complex, and that takes strength to conquer. You remember what I told you about the Zero system, right?” Gabriela nodded.
“Yes, it makes you hallucinate and confuses you, making you think everyone is your enemy. If you don’t master it, it could have serious effects on you.”
“Very good. Andromeda comes equipped with several weapons: a beam cannon; a lance and flaming sword, both kept in the sheaths on its back and a machine gun. The beam cannon is updated from Wing Zero’s and it is automatically charged after every use. The swords are kept on the back for easy maneuvering. The flaming sword doubles as a beam saber. The machine gun is easily accessed by flipping the left hand of the suit. It can fire up to 200 rounds at one time, but be careful with the use, since bullets are limited. Any questions?”
“Yeah,” Gabriela said ,secretly chewing on another stick of gum . “When do I get to pilot it?”
“Right now if you want to.”
“Cool!” Gabriela started off towards the Gundam.
“Ah ah!” Professor G shouted. She turned and saw her with her palm upturned. “Gum.” Gabriela sighed and gave it to her. “The rest.” She emptied her pockets. “Your shoes.” Gabriela groaned and gave her the sticks hidden craftily in her boots. “ You know I hate gum,” she said softly.
Gabriela started off again, gumless.
End Flashback
Gabriela looked at Andromeda’s white and silver color scheme, artfully chosen by Professor G. She held on to the cord and pulled herself into the cockpit. Andromeda had a very complicated setup. Several buttons controlled one thing, it took excellent memory to remember all of them. It took months just to remember one function. But Professor G never got frustrated, and she never rose her voice, instead she coaxed her along gently. It was as if she thought of Gabriela as her own daughter. She sighed. The day had finally come. She had a mission, and she was going to do it to the best of her ability. She flipped on the controls. Here goes nothing…
Professor G regarded the young woman with a secret pride. She reminded her of herself at twenty one. Gabriela had a certain passion about mobile suit piloting she had never seen up close before. This reminded her of someone she knew a long time ago, and she still kept dear to her heart. She still felt sad whenever she thought of him, the way he made mobile suit fighting almost some sort of dance, a waltz if you may. We were so happy together until… her mind trailed. Too many painful memories that she’d rather forget.
“Hey, G!” Gabriela called, snapping her out of her reverie. “Andromeda’s OK. Can we go now?” the professor smiled.
“I’m coming, Gabriela!”
~***~
Well, that’s Chapter two! I’ll do Chapter three soon, so look out for it Please email me with your questions, comments or thoughts . Ja Ne!