The Reunion
Brekke rubbed her eyes tiredly as she stumbled into the main room in the shuttle, where she had been summoned. Her bare feet made no noise as she wandered down the hall, and her hair was mussed from her brief nap. Quatre was there, looking fresh as ever, and Trowa, who looked expressionless. Well at least he still acts like his old self. she thought absently.
“What’s up?” she asked. And yawned. Noin glanced at her.
“An Oz carrier is headed directly towards us.” she said. Brekke sighed. Not again.
“How many?” she asked.
“Some Aries and a fleet of mobile dolls.” Quatre told her.
“I’ll get my shoes.” she muttered. Damn Oz anyway. She wanted to go back to sleep.
“Brekke wait.” Noin called. The girl turned. “Quatre isn’t going out. Sandrock was damaged too badly in the last battle. Your Gundam didn’t look like it was in that great a shape either.” Brekke eyed her. She didn’t like where the woman was going with that thought.
“My suit is fine.” she said levelly.
“I can’t afford to let you die yet.” Noin told her.
“If Oz takes us captive, we all die.” Brekke pointed out.
“I’ll go out.” Trowa said, surprising then all. “Noin, may I use your Taurus?”
“Trowa, I…I suppose.” the woman stuttered, caught off guard. Brekke’s eye flared.
“If he goes out, I get to go out too.” she said stubbornly.
“Brekke-” Noin started.
“Brekke, promise you’ll only back Trowa up.” Quatre said over the top of her. The girl focused her bright green eyes on him, then gave a short nod.
“That’s fair.” she said, taking the compromise. “I’m going to get my shoes.” she repeated, and she turned and left before there were any more arguments.
“Take care of yourself Trowa.” Noin warned, staring after the girl.
“I will.” he said compliantly, and followed the woman to the mobile suits.
The Oz fleet would have been no problem for three Gundam pilots. Even two pilots would have been sufficient. But a young man with amnesia in a Taurus and a tired girl in a beat up Gundam were pushing their limits. Trowa flew forward to meet them head on, and true to her word, Brekke hung back, protecting the shuttle. She would aid Trowa only if he needed it. For the first part of the battle, it seemed that while Trowa had lost his memory, his battle skills had been ingrained into his system. The mobile dolls fell slowly, but one by one he picked off their numbers. But once a handful were gone, they changed tactics. They no longer came at him randomly, just trying to place a hit, they synchronized. They started using battle formations against him. It was beyond the power of the Taurus suit, and Trowa buckled under some serious blows.
Oh shit.” Brekke said, watching the change in tactics. “Oh shit. Sorry Quatre, but I can’t sit this one out.” She sped forward inconspicuously, then drew her saber at the last moment and slashed through a mobile doll. Circuits came to life with an over-surge of electricity as the shield of the mobile doll took her blow, then broke beneath it, releasing a surge of energy back into her suit. She gasped. She hadn't realized her suit was so badly damaged. But she didn’t back off. The doll continued to come and she decided to dodge them, and go for the suits. They were less equipped, and once the soldiers were gone, the mobile dolls would be useless.
“Brekke, there are too many of them!” Noin’s face appeared on her communication screen.
“What else can we do?” she demanded. “We can’t flee and I won’t surrender. We have to keep fighting.” She slammed her thermal blade into another suit. And winced at the electrical backfire. Hold on, Guardian. We’re not through yet. she silently willed her Gundam, then she darted back towards the shuttle to regroup. A movement to her right caught her eye. It was Sandrock. She smiled. “It’s good to see you, Quatre.” she called to him, coming across on his screen. She gave him a grim smile. He smiled faintly back.
“Thanks, Brekke. Trowa, how are you doing?” he asked.
“Alright. But I could use some help out here-aggh!” he gasped as his suit was hit. Brekke shot forward and buried the saber in the attacking suit. Quatre turned on another suit, slicing it neatly in half with his sickle. But the dolls were closing in on them.
Another glimmer caught Brekke’s eye, and she pulled the image up on her screen. Slowly the shadow around the object dissipated, then it revealed itself. Brekke stared at it in shock for a moment, then laughed exuberantly.
“DUO!” she shouted happily as Deathscythe sliced through two mobile dolls at once. “Welcome to the party!” She turned her back to him, her strength renewed. She heard Quatre laughing as well.
“Some party!” Duo’s face appeared in her cockpit. “You guys look like you could use a back-up plan.” She grinned and winked at him.
“You are the back-up plan.” she told him. “Good thing you showed up in time.”
“We’re glad to see you Duo.” Quatre said. “Now let’s get this over with.”
“Sounds good to me.” Duo said, and flew into the middle of the mobile dolls. He worked quickly, slashing here, slicing there, and a good old fashioned smash thrown in every once in a while for good measure. Brekke took on the shaken Oz soldiers one at a time, with Trowa’s help, and Quatre caught anything that slipped by the other three. It took little time for them to finish the battle. When they were through, they gathered their mobile suits and Brekke came out of her cockpit. The others followed. She glanced around.
“Duo, does this mean you’re going to join us?’ she asked hopefully.
“I suppose it does.” he said with a smile and a shrug.
“That’s great.” Quatre told him.
“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here!” Duo said to Trowa. “How ya doin’?” Trowa’s brow wrinkled slightly as he glanced at the boy.
“Huh? Do I know you?” he asked. Duo looked affronted.
“Hey, don’t tell me you forgot me already. Right now I’m one of the best friends you’ve got!” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Trowa said, startled.
“I was just kidding!” Duo told him. Geez, can’t this guy take a joke? he thought.
“Duo Maxwell. We’re glad you decided to join us.” Noin’s voice came through to all of them.
“Don’t get your hopes up too high.” he warned her. “I’m not that dependable of a guy.”
“Right now, we’re taking all the help we can get.” Noin told him. “Everybody, let’s get back on board and see what we can to about you’re damaged suits.”
“Maybe I can help with that.” a voice said, surprising them all. They looked around quickly, trying to spot the craft that the speaker was on. Appearing from the shadows as Duo had, a huge ship came into view. “My name’s Howard, and this here is the Peacemillion.”
