****

Katarina Soul opened her emerald green eyes to see the same cold metal wall that she woke up to everyday. The room she was sleeping in had no windows, but it didn’t really matter because in space, the sun didn’t shine, so there was nothing to see.

Katarina yawned, sitting up in bed and stretching out her long limbs before planting her feet firmly on the floor and heading into the tiny bathroom. Once inside, she shut the door tightly behind her, let her flaming red hair loose from its usual bun, and stepped into the hot, steaming shower.

After turning off the water, she stood in front of the foggy mirror, toweling her hair dry and putting it up in it’s bun again, pulling two strands of her long bangs down onto her cheeks to frame her face. She stepped back out into the unfeeling recess of her quarters and proceeded to dress herself.

She pulled on the liquid leather pants, letting the cool fabric flow over her legs and hug her hips. She donned her long-sleeved cotton turtleneck, letting it lay against her neck softly as she sat down to pull on her combat boots. She checked the mirror one more time before opening the door and stepping out into the unsettling quiet of the hallway.

As she proceeded towards the hangar, her mind wandered. Operation Meteor was to officially start today, but circumstances being what they were, events were going to take their own surprising turn from the moment that she took off from this compassionless dump.

Operation Meteor was a sophisticated plan engineered by the colonies to take control of Earth. They would drop a colony on the Earth, causing mass confusion, and send an elite team of six mobile suits called Gundams to eradicate the forces that held the colonies in their iron fist. Katarina was a part of that elite team, the pilot of the Gundam Angel. However, she had no intent of killing needlessly or foolishly.

Katarina’s background made war a difficult thing to accept. She was the daughter of General Ventei, a peace-minded aristocrat of the very alliance that she was supposed to fight against. She had left home at the age of 15 to pursue her place in the war, which had ended up being on this junk heap of a satellite training to be a Gundam pilot.

In just one year, Katarina had become well-versed in many areas of combat. She knew several forms of martial artistry, and had been taught how to throw knives and use a variety of artillery. When she was young she had been given fencing lessons, and was lethal when she had a sword in her hand. She knew how to hack into the most sophisticated computer systems, and she knew how to sneak into places undetected. All in all, she had been a perfect specimen for the job.

But her father hadn’t thought so. She was practically disowned as long as she had a part in this war. But she firmly believed that peace could not be achieved without war, and she intended to end that war as quickly as possible. With someone who had her connections on their side, the colonies might be able to work out their differences with Earth with hardly any carnage at all.

Katarina cast her eyes to the side as she heard a skittering sound coming from her left flank. Duo was up and ready for mischief, as always. Playing the role of the oblivious victim, Katarina continued her trek to the hangar. Two could play at this game, and she had become rather good at it.

Duo grabbed her by the shoulder, and she felt the gun that he held (which she knew wasn’t loaded) press into her side playfully. She whipped around, jabbing his wrist and effectively disarming him so that his gun was now pointed at his own head.

Duo smiled sheepishly. "Okay, you got me that time. Can I have my weapon back, please?"

Katarina handed him the gun and turned her back on him, continuing to move towards the hangar. "You’re up early," she commented, waiting for the braided baka to catch up with her as she made her way down the hallway.

"Kat, you know we’re leaving today. I have to make sure that everything checks out with Deathscythe before we go to Earth." Duo was practically skipping towards the hangar. His God of Death persona perked up at any sign of violence. She was a good complement to him. Her alter ego, the Fallen Angel, was more cautious and studious, giving both of them a better chance at victory. Headstrong, steel-fisted will and careful, calculated strategy were good partners.

"Well, Duo," Katarina started, "it’s good to see you on top of things for once, instead of running to catch up from behind." She stepped into the hangar to behold her Gundam as she said these last words.

The Gundam Angel was a remarkable creation, built by Professor G with the leftover Gundanium from the building of the Deathscythe. It was smaller than Duo’s suit, but still just as powerful. A pearly white skin, accented by several patches of light blue, sparkled in the artificial light coming from the harsh halogen lamps in the hangar. A pair of perfectly symmetrical, powerful wings spread out from the Gundam’s back, and its hollow black eyes exuded a menace that was only appropriate for a fallen angel.

Katarina used the small hand crane to haul her way up to the Gundam’s open cockpit. As she sat inside the now-familiar shell, she felt a certain sense of peace fall over her. This machine, this remarkable creation, would lead the Earth and the colonies into an everlasting reign of coexistence, making humanity human once again.

She listened to the gentle hiss of the computers booting up, watched the flashing lights on the screen illuminate the interior of the Gundam in a blinding sheet of white light. She punched a few keys, quickly running a systems check. Everything was ready and in order. Katarina wanted to fly.

She stepped onto the cockpit door of her Gundam, and instead of using the hand crane, flipped down to land squarely on the floor, one knee bent under her to cushion the fall. She smiled at Professor G, who had just entered the hangar, scowling under his mushroom mop of hair.

"I hope that I know exactly what I’m getting you kids into," he muttered. "The situation is worsening as we speak. OZ is becoming suspicious. You two will have to act quickly."

Duo smiled, emerging from his Gundam as well. "Well, well, well… Ain’t that always the way? Gotta rush into things before working it all out, eh G?"

Katarina leaned against the wall and said, "I, for one, prefer the tactical advantage of laying low for a while."

Professor G grunted. "You may not have that luxury, Katarina."

Katarina brushed the sleeves of her turtleneck with her hands. "I’ll make the time for that luxury, Professor."

He shrugged. "Whatever you wish, I suppose. Once you leave this hangar, that suit will be under your control. Just don’t do anything stupid," he snapped, looking pointedly at Duo.

"What?" Duo asked innocently, walking over to Katarina and leaning against the wall next to her. "My only objective is to destroy OZ as soon as I can so that we can end this war and come back home. Isn’t that right, Katarina?"

Katarina looked at Duo, her green eyes suddenly vacant. "I don’t have a home anymore, Duo," she intoned monotonously, turning away to stare at the Gundam leaning against the wall of the hangar.

Duo bit his lip, cursing himself for not thinking before he talked. Not like he usually did that anyway, but with Kat it was different. He didn’t want her to be sad.

He had an overwhelming urge to take her into his arms and comfort her. But he steeled himself and quelled the feeling. That wasn’t what she would want, and he only wanted to make her happy.

He just hoped that she couldn’t see it in his eyes.

****

Katarina folded herself into the cockpit of her Gundam once again and prepared for takeoff. She felt the shifting movements as the machine slipped into bird mode, disguising her identity as a mobile suit pilot – at least for the moment.

There were rumors floating around that OZ knew what was going on up here in space – she didn’t want to confirm them just yet.

"Ready to go," she said, leaning back and watching the door of the hangar open into the gaping maw of space.

"Good luck, you two. You’ll be receiving periodic updates and orders. Don’t forget to check in."

"We won’t!" Duo said cheerfully. "Now let’s get out here!"

Katarina slowly piloted the Gundam forward, dropping silently and smoothly into space. The wings of the Angel spread and she set a course for Earth.

****

Duo watched Katarina fly away with tears clouding his eyes. She was a girl who had given up everything she had to fight so that others could be safe. She was completely selfless, and it burned in his heart to know that she was flying away from him so soon after they had met.

But he would find her again, somehow, when they arrived on Earth. And then they would fight side-by-side, joined in their cause. They would destroy OZ once and for all and then come back to space and a happy ending.

That was what he wanted for them: a happy ending. He wanted her to live happily ever after in his arms, here in space, away from the memories that fighting in the war would cause.

He plotted his own course for Earth, imagining that he could still see her flying away in the distance, even though she was long gone by then. He wished he could be like her for a moment and fight for everyone but himself.

But that was impossible. He had seen too much death and destruction in his life to want anything but revenge.

Revenge… and her love.

He slipped slowly into space, his thoughts dominated by a red-haired beauty that had fallen out of the sky and into his life.

*She fell from heaven,* he thought. *She fell from heaven… right into my arms.*

~Owari~