Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Eternal Betrayal ❯ Necessary Sacrifice ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: Really wished I owned GW, but I don't. Which in some cases is good. Because who'd want to own Relena? Especially my version of her.

 

Chapter 6

Necessary Sacrifice

 

February 3rd, AC 202

It's good to see you again, Duo…

“It's been awhile, hasn't it?” the braided captain said calmly. “How have you been, Hotaru?”

I've seen something go terribly wrong on Earth, Duo… That woman wishes to kill us all…

“I'll be sure to attract her attention somehow. Don't worry.” He raised his other hand to the glass. “Okay, Hotaru?”

The angelic woman placed her hand against the glass. Please… be careful.

“Will you show me what to watch for?” he asked softly, knowing she could hear him even through the thick glass. He leaned down and touched his forehead to the glass. She connected the link. Images of war, death, and destruction raced through his mind. “Where does it all start?” The images stopped. He found himself in the bridge of the Eternity listening to a message. He could barely make out any of the words. “How does it come to this?” Hotaru led him through another series of images. He watched the meeting on Earth last December pass by. Eventually it ended at the Mariemeia Incident. “Here? Is it Relena? Will she start this?”

Yes… Soon…

Duo pulled away from the glass. His body was shaking slightly from the mental trip through time. “Thank you, Hotaru.”

You're welcome…

 

 

“I need to contact Milliardo,” Duo said suddenly over dinner. Heero's head shot up at the sound of his rival. “Something's going down, and I need information from the outside.”

“Can it wait until after dinner?” Hilde asked. Duo sighed.

“I don't know. I really don't know.”

 

 

“Relena's sending an army towards Mars, Duo,” Milliardo said calmly. “Do you need help?”

“Probably,” Duo said. “Try to get here as fast as possible.”

“I will.” The communication ended. Duo turned away from the large screen.

“Sir, there's a message from Earth,” an officer said from below the captain. Duo sighed.

“Put it through.”

Relena's face appeared the large overhead screen. “Mister Maxwell, what a pleasure it is to see you again after you left abruptly last December.”

“Cut to the chase, bitch,” Duo said coldly. “I know you don't send a message out into space for a morning chat.”

Relena's face flashed red momentarily before she regained her composure. “Very well then.” She glared at the captain. “I have an army heading towards your precious little colony. There is no way you can defend it from my attack. Surrender now, and I won't harm anyone on the colony.”

“What about the other Gundam pilots?”

A sinister smirk crossed the woman's face. “A necessary sacrifice.”

Duo's blood ran cold. `She's insane.' “Everyone on the colony will be spared?”

“Only if you come peacefully. You have twelve hours to think about it.” The transmission ended.

The crew looked up at their captain. “What will you do, sir?”

“When Milliardo gets here, send him straight to my house. Also, alert the other captains and squad leaders.”

 

 

Duo watched the group of young men and women he had chosen over three years ago to help lead the group of exiles. Sanji and Ran, as captains of the other two ships, sat closest to the braided captain. Thirteen other squad leaders sat along the table; Milliardo was nearly the middle. “Relena has declared that unless I give myself over to her, she'll destroy the colony,” he said calmly. The other people gasped. “We need to establish escape routes for all of the colonies around Mars. I don't want her getting her hands on any more people than necessary.”

“The closest Earth colony cluster is too small to hide nearly 30 colonies,” Sanji said, pressing a button on a terminal in front of him. A 3D hologram appeared over the table. It featured all of the colony clusters, Earth, and Mars. “But if we Jump here,” he tapped a position on the screen closer to the asteroid belt, “we can hide all of the colonies.”

“I agree,” Ran said. All of the attending officers looked towards her. “There are some Sweeper routes around there that are frequently used in salvaging operations.”

“Once Relena leaves Mars alone again, we can Jump back.”

“Good,” Duo said calmly. “What about a chain of command? We need someone to captain the Eternity.” Duo glanced at Milliardo. “Could you do it, Milliardo Peacecraft?”

“Once Relena finds out my connection with this colony, even I won't be safe.”

Duo took that as a yes. “What about the other Gundam pilots?” one of the squad leaders asked.

“Let them stay. It'll increase our chances of survival,” Milliardo said confidently. “We'll need everyone we can get once this war begins.”

“Milliardo's right. If anything, it'll keep them away from Relena. She's not afraid to kill them as well,” Duo said. “But we have more pressing matters. How is the MS production coming along?”

Sanji frowned. “We don't have nearly enough to defend the colony for any measure of time. If we had about 3 more months, we'd stand a fighting chance against the ESUN,” he stated calmly. “The programs are all set already.”

“Good.” A red light went on above the table. “She must be here already. Do we have everything set?”

“Yes, sir!”

“For freedom, we fight!”

“And for freedom, we die!”

 

 

“Have you made your decision, Maxwell?” Relena asked. Duo glared at her. He knew her overconfidence was going to cost her dearly someday but not today.

Duo sighed. “As long as you promise to not harm the colony.”

“You have my word as leader of the ESUN.”

Duo knew she was lying, but he was prepared for it. “Fine. I surrender.” She smiled, victorious.

“Good. I'll send a shuttle over right away.”

“Before you go, can you tell me who your spy was?”

Confident of her victory, Relena wasn't hesitant about giving away her scapegoat. “Erik Hister.” Duo frowned. “He was the one to tell me where you and your colony were.”

“Figured as much…”

“The shuttle will be there in 10 minutes, Maxwell. Be at the port by then, or the colony will be destroyed.” Duo waved her off as he walked out the door.

 

 

The four pilots knew something was wrong the moment Duo stepped in from the sudden rain. Instantly he went over to Hilde and whispered something to her. The young woman broke down. Duo held her as she cried into his shirt. Three minutes later, the woman stopped crying. She hugged Duo one more time, ignoring his wet clothes and hair. The braided captain turned and walked back out the door. The door closed behind him.

Wufei frowned. “When's Maxwell going to be back?”

Hilde turned away from the group. “Duo…Duo won't be back for a while. He has important business to attend to tonight. I don't know when he'll be back.”

Heero ran out the door after Duo. He knew something was seriously wrong with the situation if Hilde didn't know when Duo would return to his own home.

Heero followed Duo to the space port. An ESUN shuttle was waiting there. The Japanese man frown when he saw Relena standing next to the braided pilot with a victorious grin on her face. She noticed Heero's presence and said something to Duo. The captain spun around; his face paled as their eyes locked. “Duo…” Heero walked over to the pilot. Duo looked away from the piercing cobalt blue eyes.

“Please, Heero, let me do this…” Heero lifted Duo's chin. Violet eyes again locked with Heero's eyes. “If I don't…”

“I won't stop you, Duo.” Heero brushed his fingers over Duo's pale skin. He leaned down and gently kissed the American. Duo didn't protest to the embrace as Heero wrapped his arms around the slender torso. It only lasted a minute, and the pair soon parted.

“I've…I've had lots of fun with you guys,” Duo whispered into Heero's ear. The Japanese man let him slip from his loose grip. Duo walked back over to Relena. She glared at the captain before she led him into the shuttle. Duo looked over his shoulder as the door closed tightly.

 

 

Hotaru drifted in the misty liquid of the tank. She could feel Duo's presence leaving the colony, but he remained in the infinite tapestry upon which she watched time flow past. She allowed the song to well up in her throat before she let it go.

Singular and ageless

Perpetually bound

Through the tempest

Be it deluge or sand

A singular voice

Speaks through the torrent

Sacrifice is his gift

One that cannot be equaled

She barely noticed the other Angels singing along with her as she began the song again.

 

 

“Destroy the colony,” Relena ordered.

Duo jumped at her. “You lying bitch!! You promised not to harm the colony!!”

Two large men grabbed the captain. Duo struggled to break free, but the men's grip only tightened. Relena turned towards him. “The ESUN does not negotiate with terrorists, Mister Maxwell.” She walked over to him. “And Professor Dominique only needed you for the project. The others were failures to him and me.”

“Ma'am, the colony just disappeared!”

“What?!” The woman spun around. “Where did they go?”

Duo laughed. “Guess I was right to make those plans before you got here, and in three months, you'll have a massive problem on your hands.”

“In three months, Maxwell, you'll be just another tool to use.”

Duo grinned. “We'll see…”