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"Regained "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, masturbation, angst, violence,
language Pairings: 6x2, 3x4, mention of 13+11, R+1 Summary: Sequel to Interfacing: Lost. GAIA, the
new alliance, fights its first battle in Antarctica; Duo and Zechs
begin to rebuild their relationship "Regained" Chapter 26
Treize itched to go to the comm center himself, but it would not be appropriate, and he trusted Lance. "You've taken care of the personnel?" he asked sharply. "Yes, sir," Lance promptly replied. "Every man here on duty is one of ours. We've cut off all access to the comm systems from the outside, explaining it away as due to maintenance problems. What comes in from Antarctica arrives here and goes nowhere else. We've also isolated the recording mechanisms." "Yes, we'll want to edit those immediately after it is all over," Treize instructed him. "What are they saying?" "They've engaged the Tallgeese, sir... and from the descriptions of the other mobile suits, it seems they are also facing Gundam 02 and Gundam 04." //Only three!// Treize frowned as he pushed remnants of breakfast around on his plate in his private dining room. "You're certain that the allied forces are only facing Aries?" Lance sounded smug. He'd diverted Acht's Leos himself. "Yes, sir. The Leos have been recalled and their carriers are somewhere near the equator, heading back here. I handled that myself." "Good man," Treize murmured. //But Zechs's forces will have Aries as well... are they fighting with the Gundams? Or hanging back to defend the base?// "So just the three suits fighting Acht's Aries?" "Yes, sir, that's what they're saying. Pretty overwhelming odds, even for the Gundams to face." "Damn... well, keep me informed. Do not hesitate to call me if you have anything to report, Lance." "Yes, sir!" Lance also wanted to tell His Excellency that their group of loyal followers had even come up with a name for themselves - the "Treize Faction" they were calling their elite group of now eighteen hand-picked officers and soldiers who swore allegiance to Treize Khushrenada alone. But Lance knew the nickname would not be welcome, knowing how severe and terrible a risk His Excellency was taking, defying Romefeller to secretly support the renegade Zechs Merquise's new alliance with the Gundams. Personally - and he knew many others felt the same - they were thrilled that Zechs, whom they admired as much as they admired their superior, was striking out against Romefeller, and that he had so brilliantly managed to win the trust of a couple of the Gundam pilots. It was clear that both Treize and Zechs had high respect for those young colonials, and it was their duty now as Treize Faction members to respect them as well, and do everything in their power to support the new alliance from their secret faction within Romefeller. The growing trouble within Romefeller had developed a name finally; Chief Engineer Tsuberov was now Duke Dermail's darling, developing the mobile doll designs that would revolutionize... and escalate... war. Treize and his men knew that it wasn't... noble. It was gross and vulgar to send machines to wage war against human beings. Lance had already managed to assign a couple men to watch Tsuberov, whom they knew was preparing to go to outer space to begin forcing the colonists to build massive numbers of mobile dolls. If Lance had anything to do with it, Tsuberov would never reach outer space alive. Pushing away from the table, Treize rose to go look out the window onto the gardens below. //Zechs, I can't change the numbers and I can't stop them... not this time. May God grace you fine soldiers with luck and the determination to win over the odds.// He sighed, watching fluffy white clouds drift slowly across the sky, their undersides just beginning to darken with moisture. It would rain in a few hours. Fortunately for the GAIA mobile suits, the sight of the Tallgeese flanked by two Gundams caused the Romefeller forces to hold back, appalled and uncertain all at once. The three suits landed just at the vanguard of the Aries forces, directly in front of their leader, a powerful challenge as if in defense of the ice continent. "Zechs Merquise!" the leader called defiantly over an open channel. "You have disobeyed direct orders to destroy Gundam 01! Submit yourself for the retribution you have earned or be prepared to be destroyed here on the battleground!" Zechs felt the heat of anger rise within him and keyed open his end of that channel. "I denounce the body that made the decision to destroy that mobile suit! I will not submit myself to Romefeller or the likes of you!" "Way to go, Zechs!" Duo shouted over their private channel. Zechs Merquise was an ally he never dreamed of fighting alongside or loving so completely. He was very glad for both aspects of their relationship and in this moment was very proud of his warrior lover. //No one can deny Zechs's intentions now... Not even Heero Yuy.// The leader emitted a surprised gasp, then switched to the OZ channels to speak to his fleet. "Do not kill Colonel Zechs. His Excellency wishes the Lightning Count to be captured, and all Gundams destroyed. Attack now!" The exact order had come from Inspector Acht three days ago, actually, but the man figured it wouldn't hurt to throw around a reference to the OZ Commander-in-chief. //His Excellency does emphatically *not*,// Zechs thought, gritting his teeth. The first wave of Aries headed straight for the three suits, but two shots from Tallgeese's Dober rifle took out three Aries. A couple seconds later, the green thermal scythe had sliced another two in half, and the red-hot shotels had done the same beyond them. The battle had begun! Fortunately, the Aries troops, who'd expected to face only Tallgeese and a number of Aries from Barclay Base, were too spread out as yet to overwhelm the Gundams, of whom they were understandably wary. Still, Tallgeese was cutting a mighty swath through the center lines, and the two Gundams worked to take down the Aries who went to either side. With Deathscythe's hyperjammers on, Duo went in for the kill, the Aries pilots confused by his Gundam's stealth abilities. "Slice 'em and dice 'em, I always say," Duo grinned as he made quick work of two more Aries with his beam scythe. Quatre, too, was having an impact on the attacking Aries suits. He launched a homing missile on one target and then destroyed an unlucky Aries with his two heat-radiating blades. "Sorry," he said, regretting the killing, but not the fight. He was much more inclined to negotiate than to fight, unlike his close friend Duo, but fight he must. Deadly force was the only thing that OZ understood. //Maybe after this battle they'll also understand that they have a new and more powerful enemy. Yes, GAIA is the answer to the freedom the colonies have longed for...// Tallgeese darted in and out, making it difficult for the Aries' chain rifles to catch him in their sights. The powerful Dober rifle struck again and again, but there didn't seem an end to the Aries suits. They just kept coming, as more and more dropped overhead from carriers. "Don't let them grab ahold of your suit," Zechs cautioned the Gundam pilots. "Keep in constant motion. With this many, they'll try to swarm all over you." He paused, assessing the situation for a second. "I'll call up our own Aries troops if we have to," he added. "No need," said a new voice over their private line. Abruptly missiles whizzed past the Tallgeese and Gundams, taking out six Aries at once. "Eh?" Zechs wondered, puzzled, swinging his mobile suit around to see the source of the missiles, for nothing new showed on the radar. A dark shape was homing in on their position fast, firing at the OZ Aries as it came in. "This will give you guys more swinging room," the pilot of the incoming mobile suit informed the allies. "Trowa!" Quatre exclaimed with a bright smile and a great sense of relief. "I knew you'd fight with us!" //I was right to have faith in you... Thank you.// The little blond's mind flashed on the memory of their gentle lovemaking the night before. //Oh, Tiger...// Then suddenly, Sandrock reverberated from being struck by the rapid fire of one of the Aries. Quatre's brief distraction had put him directly in the line of fire. He quickly moved his Gundam around and silently berated himself for his loss of focus. Last night, when he was awash with the sensations of glorious lovemaking, he would've never admitted that a relationship could have consequences on the battlefield. Now he knew better and set his thoughts of his lover aside... temporarily. Heavyarms landed between where Zechs was now swiping at Aries suits with his beam saber, and where Sandrock stood. "Quatre, move off further east," Trowa directed worriedly. He'd caught his lover's hesitation, which had sent a spike of anguish through him. "There aren't as many suits there. You'll have more room to fight. I'll handle the middle with Zechs." "Good to have you aboard," Zechs murmured to the new arrival, relieved. He was busy enough without having to watch over either of his allies. Duo, fortunately, was fairly holding his own, though he was very busy, evidenced by how quiet he was at present. Still, if the Aries suits kept coming... they would all tire eventually. Already he'd seen some of the enemy suits get past them, streaking toward the base some twenty miles behind them. He'd radioed it in, trusting that Bronn, Noin, and the base's Aries team would handle the strays. //If only Heero were here,// more than one of them thought. The Wing Gundam pilot could tip the balance against the masses of swarming Aries. What was already a hard day's work could become an easy rout. At least the outcome was sure now. The addition of the Gundam Heavyarms had already assured their victory. "Hey, welcome to the party," Duo chimed in finally after dispatching another Aries. "Looks like you're just in time." Duo had been taking note of the continual descent of Aries suits, making the addition of Heavyarms a welcome one. [Looks like they've sent the whole fleet after Zechs... Sheesh.] It was becoming increasingly harder to dodge fire and to combat what was fast becoming an endless stream of attacks. But the pilot of Gundam Deathscythe plowed forward, dashing toward his next target at high speed. "Time to meet your maker," Duo snarled and sliced through another suit. //And I like to think Tallgeese is an intimidating looking machine,// Zechs chuckled darkly to himself, catching a glimpse of Duo's lethal technique. "Trowa, if you can hold the middle for a bit, I'm going to go after some of those carriers, catch 'em before they release their suits." "Roger, that," Trowa smoothly replied, stepping into Zechs's place, Gatling guns blaring. Yet all three pilots paused minutely to watch as Tallgeese shot up into the air, diving for the nearest carrier. He managed to slice open the first one he caught, the ensuing explosion spilling mobile suits reduced to slag onto the ice shelf far below. Duo looked up into the sky, his mouth gaping as he tried to comprehend Tallgeese's speed and strength. It was a white blur against a vivid blue sky, scarred by the fiery explosion of the carrier being destroyed. "Awesome," he said. //Thank God he's on our side,// he thought and then moved ahead as he continued to repel the Aries that were now beginning to swarm. But the image of the white Tallgeese, brandishing its beam saber like the sword of a vengeful angel tickled at the back of Duo's mind. //Just brilliant...// Heading for the next carrier, Zechs brushed hair and sweat out of his eyes with one gloved hand. //There's no retreating from *this* battle,// he mused soberly. //We must completely vanquish this fleet here and now so there are no witnesses. Even so, I'm sure the reports have already reached Bremen. Hopefully Treize can contain them to some degree...// Then he put the thought out of his mind, focusing on controlling Tallgeese, which seemed to want to attack everything in sight, all at once. The second carrier was dispatched handily. Swooping back down closer to the three Gundams, Zechs saw that Duo was having difficulty finding room to swing Deathscythe's beam scythe. One Aries in particular seemed bent on interfering with the great black mobile suit from the back, trying to hold onto the arm with the scythe. "Duo, you've got a bug on your back," Zechs called, then Tallgeese zoomed in to grab the errant Aries, shaking it free. Flying straight upwards with it, Zechs threw the Aries with a powerful heave straight at another that was incoming; the two suits exploded in a tremendous ball of fire. "Whew, thanks!" Duo said, shaking his head at how it seemed Zechs was everywhere at once. "That guy was beginning to annoy me," he chuckled. With his scythe arm again unencumbered, Duo set back to work chopping his enemy into little bits. Quickly flying free of the explosion, which fortunately rained debris away from the others, Zechs caught a glimpse on his radar. "More carriers!" //This is like a bad dream... They just keep coming,// Duo thought with a groan. He was beginning to tire, but Aries mobile suits were all around, seeming to miraculously multiply. Strike two down and three more took their place. "Stop those carriers, Zechs!" Duo yelled in frustration as he sliced his way through another few suits. "This is ridiculous!" "On my way," Zechs called back, grimacing against the frustration in his lover's voice. "Hold on!" In the Barclay Base control tower, Captain Federi was communicating with the base's Aries. "Sangers, how many have come this way?" "Just six so far, sir," Bronn replied smoothly. "We've been able to handle them just fine." "How are they faring?" Noin asked, indicating the intense battle several miles away. "It's rough, from what we can determine," Federi replied, his expression grim. "If they can just hold out." He couldn't help but glance over at Heero, who still sat in silence beside the radar station. "Those boys are good, I'll grant them that," Noin said. "But the numbers..." Heero closed his eyes momentarily as the ex-OZ officers conferred. //Not my fight,// he told himself for the umpteenth time. //Or is it? This may be the largest contingent of mobile suits any of us have faced yet.// Then he realized something - 'us'. //I *am* one of them. Trowa has sided with GAIA, with Duo and Quatre and Zechs. Is this not the response I need to make as well? Zechs called for the glory of the colonies...// His eyes flew open. "It's inevitable that the fleet drive the battle closer," Federi was saying. "The shuttle you brought has lasers, does it not, Noin? We might need to use them." He glanced again at the Gundam pilot, then looked back out the window. "Sure, but I'd better come in now," Noin said. "So I can be ready for that." Federi looked again, then started, surprised. Heero Yuy was nowhere to be seen. "Ah... belay that, Noin. I think we will shortly have some more help after all." A minute later, the base's Aries troops were treated to the sight of Wing Gundam arrowing away from the base at top speed toward the battle. In the meantime, Quatre was also feeling bombarded. Sandrock had been designed for hand-to-hand combat, but the Aries were not cooperating. They swooped down on him, making him swing out his heat shotels every which way, and his few missiles had long been depleted. "Tro... I really could use your help," he admitted. The young Arabian had never faced so many suits at once... none of them had... and they just kept coming. //Allah, please give us the strength to defeat our enemy!// Knowing the allies were facing Aries mobile suits, Trowa had rigged up Heavyarms with a beam saber... just in case. Now, his massive Gatling gun depleted of bullets, he shed the massive weapon and switched the saber to the right hand. "I'm right beside you, Quatre," Trowa replied firmly. "Right beside you where I should be." Without hesitation he waded in with his Gundam, the yellow-green beam slicing through one oncoming Aries after another. "Thank you," Quatre said, his heart filling with the warm rush of love he could feel from his Tiger even on the battlefield. "Thank you, Tro... together we'll defeat them." And together their strength seemed to more than double as they fought side-by-side. Zechs had managed to destroy four more carriers when he fell back to catch his breath. //Tallgeese is doing all this,] he had the thought, even more impressed with his ancient suit. [I'm just holding on for dear life...// Then he caught a glint of blue and red sparking in the mid-morning sun. It was... "Wing!" he shouted, directing all their attention to the Gundam zeroing in on their position in bird mode at high speed. "Huh?" Duo wondered. Unable to break away from the fight, he flipped a switch to show the incoming Gundam on his vid screen. It definitely was Heero. "Well, I wonder what made him change his mind?" he asked with a sigh, and then took another hard swing at an Aries. He was almost completely surrounded now, but he had yet to cry for help. //Gotta keep going...// he thought, gritting his teeth as sweat began to roll down his temples. Quatre set his vid screen to see the new arrival. "Heero... welcome," he said, grinning. This was a victory. Now all the Gundams were fighting together and GAIA had truly formed. //Just need his word that he's joined us... but I can see that's only a formality now,// he thought with great satisfaction. It seemed this battle was the best thing that could've happened to the new alliance. "Glad you could make it, Heero," Zechs radioed to the Wing pilot, relief flooding through him as well. "I'm sure you can determine where you're needed most." //Yeah, like helping Duo... I'm stuck playing cat and mouse with the leader, and I think Duo's in trouble...// "Mission accepted, Zechs, Quatre," Heero responded in a firm but quiet voice. Already the mighty buster rifle was making short work of the Aries closest to Duo, though it was clear he was going to have to wade in at short range to help until Duo had more room. "Hang on, Duo, I see you could use a hand..." He set Wing's buster rifle down where he could retrieve it when he had a chance, and advanced on Duo's position with the beam saber at the ready. "Yeah, one, two or three... how ever many hands you can spare," Duo snorted. He was grateful for the help, but still puzzled by Heero's change of heart. //Maybe he was just itching to fight? I know what that's like...// he thought. Swiftly, Aries were cleared away by Wing, and Duo had his elbow room once again. "Thanks," he grinned and began charging at his enemy with renewed zeal. "Take a good look!" he shouted on the open channel to the OZ suits. "Coz the God of Death is here to put you out of your misery!" And with hacking blows, the suits were sliced and exploded before him. Deathscythe waded through the destruction like the Grim Reaper himself. The addition of Wing Gundam seemed to fill all the pilots with a new surge of energy, for within a handful of minutes, the ice shelf was dramatically less crowded, and within ten minutes, what had been a heated battle was rapidly turning into a mop-up operation. Zechs had destroyed the leader and the last carrier to show up, and was busily coordinating with Federi over the radio to locate all the stragglers. There were a lot, some actually retreating back out to the sea. "We must not let any mobile suits return to their ships. No eye-witnesses to the presence of Gundams on Antarctica!" "You're doing fine, Duo," Heero noted, falling back. "Zechs, what's that about ships? Where are they?" Zechs had been on the verge of heading off to confront the battleships himself, so Heero's inquiry caught him off guard. "What?" He flipped open the video channel to Wing Gundam. "I was going to take on the ships myself. Unless you're interested in coming along?" He looked intently at the other pilot, a challenge in the glint in his pale blue eyes. Heero narrowed his eyes. Though he'd missed his chance to fight against Zechs again, here was a new challenge... to fight alongside the ex-OZ ace pilot. "No sense in one suit going alone," he returned, a matching glint to his dark blue eyes. "Ours are the only truly long-range suits." He paused. [Now I bind myself to their cause,] he thought, beginning to feel in himself the rightness of his decision. "I'll go with you." Zechs nodded curtly, accepting though within he felt strongly that this must be, he and Heero Yuy fighting each other no longer, fighting side by side from here on out. //It is my place now to fight with all of them,// he thought, quietly rejoicing, then he contacted the others, opening a channel to the control tower as well. "Gundam pilots, base control, this is Zechs," he began, appearing on each ally's video screen. "Heero and I will go to deal with the battleships, which I estimate are about fifty miles off the coast of the ice shelf." He did not add any orders; Zechs did not consider himself their commander even now, and he was trusting in his new allies to contain the rest of the enemy completely. They all knew how critical it was that this victory be final and definitive. "Roger that," Trowa responded simply to Zechs. //Soon, kitten, you'll be out of the fighting... how I wish I could keep you from it. But you're a fighter, too...// "Good luck," Quatre said looking at Zechs's image. "We'll be just fine here." He couldn't help but feel almost giddy with their success... even if the battle wasn't quite over. //And I know just how I want to celebrate tonight!// he thought and swallowed an uncharacteristically wicked grin. Duo felt a little surge of something vaguely like jealousy as he listened to Zechs talk of fighting with Heero. But it only made sense. Their suits were best equipped to fly out and attack the ships. The young fatigued pilot shook off the feeling as he took in the face of his equally tired lover. //He looks exhausted, but there's no sense in trying to stop him.// "Zechs, we'll clean things up here... no worries," Duo said. "See you back at the base... soon," he grinned. "Sangers reports all is clear here," Federi responded, sounding distinctly smug. "Our Aries will wait until the radar shows clear. Good luck, gentlemen!" Zechs closed down the vid connections, but left one open as Tallgeese and Wing Gundam, both transformed into bird mode, took off toward the open sea. "Duo... it was a joy to see you fight," he admitted, flexing his hands which were cramped from gripping the controls so hard. He smiled, beginning to relax a little. The pilot of Deathscythe was surprised by this private moment, but he was just as anxious to reconnect. "You were... brilliant," Duo said, breathing a little hard from the fight and from this conversation. Oh, there was so much he looked forward to saying to Zechs when they were next alone... So many images he wanted to replay in his mind and incorporate into his fantasies. "Make fast work of them, love," he said. "Will do," Zechs murmured. "Take care... Zechs, out." He shut off the screen; Duo still had work to do. They'd talk later. //My sweet Dancer... my little warrior...// It was still sobering to think of Duo as a soldier and mobile suit pilot like himself. //Just as his gentle Wolf and the blood-stained Lightning Count reside in the same person,// Zechs reminded himself solemnly, //so also Dancer and the God of Death.// He'd felt a chill, hearing Duo name himself so to the enemy, but being in the heat of battle himself he ruthlessly kept those images - Duo with the gun trained on him, firing - far from his awareness. //And this isn't over yet.// In Bremen, Treize's experts in intelligence were already at work altering the recordings coming in from Antarctica. What the video recordings would show was a massive ice storm overwhelming the Aries troops there. There would also be a recording showing a single Gundam - Heavyarms, the one who had taken down Acht personally - attacking and destroying the two battleships in the Weddell Sea. His men would be thorough. No one would ever know of the total victory of the new alliance over Acht's fleet. Duke Dermail was already too distracted with the prospects of the mobile dolls to concern himself with the minor activities of a single Gundam on a hostile continent. No other Romefeller officials had any interest in the day-to-day running of OZ. Except, now, for Marquis Weyridge. The old man noted the stepped up activity in the intelligence center, Dermail's distraction, and the fact that Treize was keeping to his rooms rather more than usual. //What are you up to, Treize?// he mused, //and is this something Milliardo needs to know about?// To that end, he sent a secured e-mail off to a private mailbox that his grand-nephew had told him about.
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