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"Endangered"Written By: Artemis Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi lemon, sap Pairings: 6x2, implied 3x4 Summary: The pilots must separate to talk with
various colonies on behalf of GAIA. "Endangered" 6) Lieutenant Nikol's latest heated diatribe still ringing in his ears, Lieutenant Trowa Barton strode confidently into the mobile suit bay. A trio of mechanics, just now moving the last of their equipment out of the way, paused to salute the young expert pilot, their murmurs tinged with awe. Lady Une had declared that only her premier pilot, Barton, was to fly the newest model, the Vayeate. The other new model developed by the captive Gundam scientists, the Mercurius, wasn't ready for use yet. [Quatre,] Trowa thought as he rode the lift cable up to the giant blue mobile suit's cockpit opening, [you won't believe this place... and I wonder... are you still on Peacemillion? I don't suppose I can talk to you when I call. No time... well, you know I love you, so...] As he strapped himself in and began the warm-up sequence, closing the cockpit hatch, he thought of his friend, Heero. [I could use you here, buddy,] Trowa mused. [Nikol is itching to get his hands on the Mercurius, though he knows and I know he can't handle it. But you can, Heero... and if we can steal these two suits from OZ, we'll go far to disarm them. Though there are more dangers...] In moments, he'd flown the Vayeate clear of Space Fortress Barge, heading out with six of the Taurus mobile dolls for another test run of the newly completed suit. Now that there would be no more mobile dolls manufactured, the Vayeate and Mercurius were all the more critically needed for fighting such things as Gundams. And for now, the current compliment of Taurus mobile dolls assigned to Barge was sufficient to hold off any more Alliance flare-ups. Nikol had argued that Trowa need not take the Vayeate very far to test it; Trowa had argued that he needed to test it away from any colonies so that they wouldn't be at risk as he performed test fights against the programmed mobile dolls. Lady Une had, in a rare stern moment, overridden her second-in-command to favor Trowa's wish. [He'll be simmering for the rest of the day,] Trowa thought, smiling. [I'll just avoid him as usual.] Then his thoughts drifted back again to his friend. [Heero... I wonder if he made friends with Duo yet... I suppose I need to do the same. Heero, are you all right? Are you fitting yourself into our new reality okay?] He set the automatic pilot and leaned back, closing his eyes. [Heero... you were so lost when we were visiting all those relatives of Marshal Noventa. I hope you find what you need...] In about an hour, Trowa reached the position at which he'd earlier determined was the best to contact Peacemillion. He was the farthest from Barge that he'd ever been since going undercover in OZ... and as safe as he could possibly be to contact GAIA. But before making his call, he accessed the programming of the mobile dolls under his command. "Sleep, little dolls," he murmured, tapping out the sequence that he'd discovered that would deactivate them, bypassing their security systems. Since these were expected to be destroyed anyway, sacrificed for the sake of testing the Vayeate, no one would miss them... and Trowa already had a recording of an earlier test run that he'd doctored to take the place of this one. Then he was ready. Taking a deep breath, satisfied that he was finally far enough from Barge and undetectable, he called the flagship of the GAIA Organization, Peacemillion. "GAIA... this is Trowa Barton calling..." On Peacemillion, Dr. Howard was following the progress of the three shuttles and their Taurus escorts when he heard the call from their undercover agent. The sound of the young man's voice sent a wave of excitement through the control room personnel. Howard immediately grabbed the microphone to respond. "Trowa Barton, this is Howard on the Peacemillion. We hear you loud and clear!" "Hey, Howard," Trowa responded. "I have a rather lengthy report to give on OZ's situation here if you're ready to tape it for the Committee..." As he spoke, he looked around the image of the scientist on his tiny viewscreen, but he didn't see anyone else he knew. [I wonder where everyone is...] "Gotcha!" Howard said, activating the recording device. "All set to go..." Just then Sally Po walked into the room. Her face lit up as soon as she saw the young Gundam pilot. "Trowa!" she called out and stepped into view. "Don't you look dapper in your new uniform!" she said with a wink. "Um, thanks. Are the others still around?" Trowa asked. "No, you just missed them," Howard said in his gravelly voice. "They took off about an hour ago..." "Quatre's headed to L4 to see his father," Sally interjected, knowing that the little blond pilot would be foremost in Trowa's mind. "Maybe we can patch you through when you're done with your report?" "Yeah, we can do that... but it'll have to be brief for security reasons," Howard said. "I'd like that... thanks," Trowa said a bit shyly. Then he straightened. The information he had to share was critical, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to come out here like this again. "Now, on to my report. First of all, you'll be happy to know that the reason the OZ space force hasn't reacted strongly to the news from Earth is that the OZ space force is currently embroiled in a civil war." "A civil war?" Sally asked, putting her hands on her hips. She was surprised by the news, but not entirely so. "They're fighting among themselves now... Hmm, that definitely works in our favor." Trowa afforded her a rare smile. "It's been interesting! Well, here it is. Space Fortress Barge has been divided into two main sections, Fore and Aft. Colonel Une and her second, Lieutenant Nikol, are in charge of the Fore faction, and they have the Gundam scientists, the two new mobile suits which they developed, and a fleet of Taurus mobile dolls and Space Leos, though the Tauruses adapted as mobile dolls are mostly for testing. They also have the large Barge beam cannon on their side. This is very deadly - it's what they threatened to destroy a colony with earlier during the Siberia conflict." Howard gave a low whistle on hearing the extent of weapons available. "With that many weapons I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't itching to use them." Sally frowned. "What do you think, Trowa? Is this Fore Faction stable?" "Now, that's a good question," Trowa mused. "Let me get back to that in a minute. Once you have the whole picture, you'll have a better idea what's going on. Sometimes it's like a big soap opera, but considering this is OZ, it can be a little scary. Now..." Trowa dialed up some pictures on his display - two OZ lieutenants. "This is Nikol," he murmured, indicating a man with bushy black hair and heavy eyebrows. "The other faction in the Aft section is headed by Lieutenant Trant Clark, this other guy here." He indicated a thin man with reddish-brown hair. "He has the vast majority of Taurus mobile dolls which we believe he's converted back to regular piloted Tauruses. He is also working on some other weapons, I hear, but I haven't been able to get much information. It seems that the split came after Romefeller proposed the mobile doll push on Earth. Trant was already getting delusions of grandeur, I take it." Trowa paused to shake his head. "Then there's what I've been calling the Treize Effect." "No wonder Treize was concerned for Une," Sally said, remembering conversations from earlier. "And what is the Treize Effect exactly?" "Yeah," Trowa replied, sighing. "Apparently Lady Une - that's the Colonel - before Treize's resignation was already going daffy. One minute she would be all light and happiness, extolling OZ's new Age of Peace in outer space, very idealistic, then next her hardness would come back and she'd be the Old Battleaxe. But when Treize resigned, this second side of her seems to have collapsed completely. Hence, the 'Treize Effect'. Nikol, therefore, is pretty much running the show except for rare moments when Une surfaces to deliver an order, then goes back into her fairyland or wherever her head is." Sally shook her head. "Une definitely needs professional help... and it sounds as if this Nikol isn't about to get it for her. I'm sure it's to his advantage that she is not fit to command." The situation irritated Sally in the deepest way. As a doctor she devoted her life to helping others. "I don't suppose there's any way to get her back to Earth? To Treize? Or would that only make Nikol more dangerous?" Trowa shook his head slowly. "While the situation is delicate, I don't think Lady Une is so out of it that she would allow herself to be extracted from Barge. In fact, having her there has a strong mitigating effect on the rivalry between the two lieutenants. Until their weapons systems can be disabled or destroyed, I think she needs to remain where she is. Now, as for Nikol..." Trowa chuckled, thinking of his blustery nemesis. "Nikol makes a lot of noise... and he hates me. But he goes soft when the Colonel's involved. I've learned to sweet-talk her and ignore him. Une likes me..." He paused to take a deep breath. "And, get this... I have a strong feeling she suspects I'm a Gundam pilot. I already know Nikol suspects, but he follows her lead so far." He tilted his head, considering. "I think he's got it bad for her, actually." "Well, now..." Sally said, smiling a little. "If Une likes you then maybe Nikol's problem is that he's jealous?" "Better watch out, young man," Howard said, leaning closer to the viewscreen and wagging a finger at Trowa. "Jealousy can make people do crazy things." "He's right, Trowa, you should be careful," Sally said, sensing real danger for their undercover operator. "Are you feeling like you need some backup? Duo and Heero just left for L2, but maybe we can pull Heero out of there in a few days?" "Nah, I'll be fine. They're needed to talk to the colonies," Trowa replied, folding his arms over his chest, relaxed. "They didn't have any trouble accepting one expert pilot, but it'd be taking a risky chance to try to get them to accept another." [Not that I wouldn't mind seeing Heero again, and I could use him for the Mercurius. Hmmm. Oh, well.] "Oh, by the way, I have some data to send you guys... please stand by..." He inserted a disk into the communications system and directed the onboard computer to send the contents. "There. Test data on the Vayeate, the mobile suit I've been testing. Awesome offense system." The download was almost instantaneous. Howard's fingers twitched as he got his first glance at the data. He would spend hours looking it over, but even now he could see the machine was deadly. "That's some suit," he said, almost sounding nonchalant. "How does it compare to the Gundams?" "Very comparable except for that beam cannon," Trowa commented thoughtfully. "That's deadly. But really, it all boils down to one thing. The pilot. I don't think we have to worry about these guys that much. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one here that can pilot either of the new suits the scientists built." "Well, that's certainly good news," Sally said, smiling, continually impressed with these little pilots. "You should know that things on Earth are very quiet. Treize's resignation set off a chain of events that put the peace-minded faction of Romefeller in charge. And Treize seems to be doing quite well in Sank with grooming Princess Relena for her role on the world stage." "Really!" Trowa murmured, impressed. "No backlash from the outlying OZ bases? Who's in charge of OZ on Earth, anyway? As far as I know, communication between Earth and space in OZ has become nonexistent." "Count Townshend has taken over the helm of OZ," Sally explained. "There hasn't been any backlash because these are soldiers we're talking about and not leaders... all the higher-ups have been subdued or booted out of command." She looked then to a new report that was just coming in from their surveillance teams on the Earth. "I wish I could say there haven't been any rumblings of discontent, but the cease-fire is holding." "Amazing... well, that just means the OZ Space Force is the only true threat, then, isn't it?" Trowa offered. "Could it truly be that if we contain OZ in space, that the war will be effectively over? Could it be that easy? Unfortunately, this civil war within OZ is very dangerous. Trant Clark, in particular, is an unknown entity. No one knows what he's really up to. Communication between the two factions is apparently nonexistent. The balance of power is at a stalemate. And I hear the colonies are beginning to get restless, so it's good you guys are starting to talk to them in earnest." He sighed. "Dr. J and the other scientists aren't very hopeful. They say that if Nikol and Trant were to team up somehow, the combined power could easily dominate the colonies. It'd be like the Alliance all over again... and the Earthsphere would be essentially back to where it was before the Gundams were sent to Earth." "We've got all your Gundams here on Peacemillion if it should come to a fight," Howard said to assure the young man of their own firepower. "Your role seems all the more key now," Sally said, resting her hands on the console and leaning forward a bit. "You'll have to keep those two factions apart, Trowa... at least until we can convince the colonies to join us. We should know in a few days how things are looking in that regard." She noticed Howard was nodding to her to wrap things up. "If there's nothing else, we can patch you through to Quatre now." Trowa had already given a curt nod of assent when that last sentence had dropped. "You can?" He quickly looked at all his readouts, assessing his own situation. In a few minutes, he would have finished the test and would need to start back before Nikol got suspicious. "Briefly, then I really need to go, but... thanks," The last came out a bit breathless. [I'm going to get to talk to Quatre!] "We'll route you through our system," Howard said as he keyed in the code to patch the call through. "But it'll be a private call and when you're done you can end the transmission yourself." Before Howard completed the transfer Sally smiled once more at their undercover agent. "Good-bye, Trowa... and continued success in your mission." "Thanks, Sally... Howard. Appreciate it." Trowa gave them a short, firm nod, then, when the screen went blank for a moment, took a deep breath. [I get to see my kitten...] En route to L4, Noin and Quatre were having a pleasant discussion about places they would like to travel to someday when the viewscreen beeped. "Incoming call," Noin said as she looked at the readout. "Hmm, it's from Peacemillion." Quatre reached over to activate the viewscreen and gasped as the image of his lover appeared before his eyes. "Trowa!" the blond boy called out as his heart swelled with happiness. "Hi, Quatre," Trowa replied, smiling. He turned pink as he noticed Noin lurking in the background. [He's not alone. Darn.] "Hey, there, Noin." "Hi, Trowa," Noin said smiling. Her eyes darted between the two boys... she knew all too well they were lovers and they would most certainly appreciate some privacy. "I think there's something I need to check on..." And with that she quietly retreated from the cockpit. "Oh, Trowa..." Quatre said, his hand coming up to touch his Tiger's face on the screen. "Where are you? It doesn't look like you're on Peacemillion." Trowa smiled and lifted his fingers to touch his lover's image, too. "No, they're channeling this through Peacemillion's communications system. I just called in a report. I'm sitting out here in space in an impressive mobile suit called the Vayeate, built by the Gundam scientists." He paused, searching the sweet face before him. "It's so very good to see you, Kitten. I've missed you." Hearing his pet name again and the words of feeling made Quatre's eyes go moist with tears. He had thought he was doing okay without Trowa, but now he knew he wasn't. "I've missed you... terribly," Quatre said, holding back the tears, but just barely. He studied the precious image on the screen, aching for his lover, and noticing signs of loneliness in those lovely, green eyes. "Are you okay, Tiger? I wish... I wish I could hold you." The sheen to his lover's eyes betrayed the tender feelings, and Trowa felt his own twinge in his heart that his dear Quatre was missing him so badly. "I'm fine, Quatre," he replied warmly but firmly. "I wish I could hold you, too. We'll be all right, Quatre, you and me, because a lot depends on what we are doing right now, so we must be strong. I have to go back in a moment before Nikol thinks I'm halfway to Earth with this mobile suit, and you have to see how things are on L4, tell them about GAIA and the new hope for peace. Tell them what Sally and Howard just told me, about how Earth is settling down. There's no more need for the colonies to arm themselves... you must tell them." Trowa picked up the pace, speaking quickly, very conscious of the time. "I'm in contact with the scientists, too, Quatre. OZ has no more battles to fight, and soon they, too, will see that. It'll be fine. We're strong, and soon we can be together, Quatre." [Please, be all right... don't fall apart missing me... we have to do this...] The little blond closed his eyes tightly and curled his hands into fists. This call, though a very welcome surprise, had shaken his resolve to manage missing his lover. [I have to get a grip. I did so well when he left... I don't want him thinking I can't handle this...] "You're right... I'm sorry," Quatre said, opening his eyes again. "I just wasn't expecting to see you..." He let out a shaky breath and then smiled bravely. "You're doing great work, Tro... and I'm about to on L4. I'll convey the progress that GAIA has made and show them that there is hope for a peaceful future." "That's my Kitten," Trowa replied, smiling more easily. "That's something I love about you, Quatre. You're really strong." He glanced quickly at his panel; it was time to go. "I've got to go, Kitten. Keep my love close to your heart and I'll do the same." "I will," Quatre said, touching the viewscreen again, trying to physically connect with his lover. "It was good seeing you... I love you, Trowa." Trowa stroked the screen lightly where the image of Quatre's fingertips lay. "I love you, too, Quatre. Take care." Then he bowed his head and closed the connection. In the next fifteen seconds, the Vayeate erupted into action, activating the massive beam cannon. The six quiescent mobile dolls were ruthlessly blasted into nothingness with a mere three sweeps of the cannon. "Hmph," Trowa muttered to himself. "Not much of a test." Still scowling from the forced necessity of breaking contact with his lover, he turned the Vayeate around and blasted off to head back to Space Fortress Barge.
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