Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Victoria Base Affair ❯ Commrads in Arms ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter 7: Comrades in arms

Getting Zechs went as smoothly as Treize had predicted. In fact, several other unit commanders tried to get him assigned to their units as well, so Treize's request was not seen as unusual. The others complained, some good-naturedly, about Treize using his political connections to get his way, but no one filed a protest. Everyone knew Romafeller controlled the Alliance Military. So four days after graduation, Zechs reported to his new commanding officer, Treize Kushranada, at the Luxembourg Base.

Lady Une and three others were in Treize's small windowless office when Zechs appeared outside the open door, his duffle bag in one hand. He dropped the bag by his feet and saluted smartly, waiting for Treize to acknowledge him. Treize returned the salute casually and waved Zechs into the office at the same time.

"Welcome to Luxembourg, Lieutenant. You remember Lady Une, I trust?"

"Yes," Zechs inclined his head to Une. "A pleasure to see you again, Lady."

Une favored Zechs with a friendly nod, but Treize had the impression she was not particularly happy. He introduced the others, who, along with Lady Une, were his senior officers. Then he introduced Zechs.

"This is Zechs Merquise. He just graduated from the Victoria Base Academy, first in his class."

"Are you the one they call the Lightning Count?" asked one, Cole Vernon. Cole had very dark skin and tight curly hair, and an open countenance that betrayed a tendency to smile easily. At Zechs' nod, he held out his hand with a broad grin. "Then I owe you my thanks."

Zechs accepted his hand with a confused look on his face and everyone laughed.

Treize explained. "When you beat Dalken Curzon at the alumni games three years ago, it cost him a posting here at Luxembourg, which allowed Cole to request a transfer from guard duty at the Moon Base to fill the opening."

Cole pumped Zechs' hand one more time and released it. "I hate the Moon!"

Zechs smiled back. "Glad to be of service. I look forward to serving with you."

"All right, briefing's over, everybody out," Treize announced. "Except you, Lieutenant Merquise. I want to go over Base procedures with you." As the others left, Treize pointed at Zechs' duffle bag and indicated he should bring it in. Zechs did so, setting it just inside the door. Then, at Treize's rather pointed look, he closed the door and bolted it.

"We're in the middle of the Administration building," Zechs pointed out.

"Don't let it bother you," Treize replied. "I just finished my daily briefing and I'm not due for another appointment until the dinner briefing with the Base Commander. I'm on my own for the next two hours." He stepped close to Zechs and wrapped his arms around him. "It's ridiculous, but I feel like the last four days have been longer than the preceding three years."

Zechs slid his arms around Treize's shoulders and pressed his body against him. He touched his lips against the soft skin where Treize's jaw met his neck, just below the ear, and licked gently. A soft sigh of delight escaped Treize and Zechs licked him again, and then again, feeling the growing hardness of Treize's erection pressing against his belly. Treize began to fumble at the buckle of Zechs' belt, suddenly anxious to get his pants down. Zechs didn't resist him, his lips and tongue continuing to work their magic on Treize's neck and ear. As soon as his bottom was exposed, Treize turned Zechs and pushed him up against the desk while undoing his own trousers. Zechs leaned over onto his hands and Treize immediately thrust into him. They both groaned with pleasure, their labored breathing gasping out in unison as Treize pounded them both toward climax.

As quickly as it started, it ended. Zechs sprayed across the desk as Treize came inside him, hunched and trembling against Zechs' back.

"Oh god, I needed that," Treize groaned.

"So did I," Zechs echoed.

Treize pulled out of him and Zechs tugged his pants up, buckling the belt and straightening his uniform. Treize tucked himself away before inspecting Zechs to make sure there were no telltale signs of their passion. Then he turned to survey the mess on his desk.

"You're very wet," he remarked.

"And whose fault is that?" Zechs replied.

Treize grinned at him as he fished his handkerchief out of his pocket. "You better get yours out, too. One hankie is definitely not going to do it."

Zechs just smiled as he produced his own handkerchief.

- - - - - - -

General Catalonia looked grim. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he began as soon as they were all seated. "It looks like we have an uprising on our hands."

Treize glanced quickly around the table to see if anyone looked surprised. Of course, he did not allow his own surprise to show on his face. There were a few startled looks, but most of the officers, like himself, had their poker faces on. Treize continued to serve himself from the platter in front of him as the general continued.

"You all know we've been getting reports of the occasional theft of Alliance equipment in the Balkans. Well, it seems that this is much more widespread than we were lead to believe. The Base Commander at Pancevo has been relieved of duty." This evoked murmurs of surprise from more than a few people. "They've been losing everything from spare parts to ammunition to entire Leos. Senior Command is now convinced that a coordinated uprising is being planned in the Balkans. Because of the trouble in Pancevo, units from several other bases, including Luxembourg, will be taken by carrier to Pancevo to put an end to these thefts and nip this uprising in the bud."

"How many units from Luxembourg will be posted?" Treize asked immediately.

"Four, initially," General Catalonia replied. "I plan to use the Specials units for this." He smiled grimly at Treize. "This is the sort of thing the Specials have been trained for."

Treize smiled back. This was indeed exactly what the Specials had been trained for. The Specials were units that reported directly to General Catalonia, no matter where they were based, and were comprised entirely of men and women who were personally loyal to the general. The general had created and trained these units so they stood outside the normal chain of command, and were therefore immune to corruption in the upper ranks. Of course, not everyone knew this. To everyone else, the Specials were just highly trained, anti-guerilla combat forces. To Treize and those who knew, the Specials were a fifth column, the Oz Organization, ready to step in when corruption within the Alliance and Romafeller threatened to upset the security of the Earth Sphere.

"Commander Kushranada, your unit will be the first to deploy. I want you ready to go first thing in the morning."

"Yes, General."

- - - - - - -

Pancevo seemed hot and muggy after the cool Luxembourg weather. Zechs mopped his sweating face with his handkerchief and then smiled when he remembered the last thing he'd used it for.

"It's pretty hot here," Sheldon Davis, his patrol mate, remarked.

Zechs nodded. "It was worse at Victoria, though. Middle of summer, you could fry eggs on your own skin."

"Damn!" Sheldon grinned. "And I used to think it was bad in the cold up in Alaska!"

Zechs grinned back. They'd been in Pancevo a month. The first two and a half weeks had been spent hunting down the elusive bands of guerillas and wiping them out. General Catalonia had not been inclined to show mercy, unless the insurgents threw down their arms and gave up. Few had been willing to do that. But now the Alliance had suppressed most of the region and maintained order with regular patrols. They worked in two man teams, keeping a high profile to instill fear and keep the locals in line. Zechs had been patrolling with Sheldon for the past week and a half. Sheldon was a good man, if a little too inclined toward practical jokes.

They hiked down to the airfield where their carrier was parked. Treize preferred to keep their Leos stored in the carrier, rather than use the Pancevo Base hangers, just to make sure only their own mechanics could get at their mobile suits. Although an effort had been made to re-check everyone working at the Base, Treize chose to rely on a healthy paranoia. Zechs didn't have a problem with that. He liked to maintain a personal relationship with the mechanic who maintained his suit. It just made sense.

It was cool inside the carrier, but noisy. A patrol had just come in, and from the sound of it, there'd been trouble. He and Sheldon exchanged a look, and then broke into a run in the direction of the commotion.

Treize stood with arms crossed, listening closely as Cole recounted events from his patrol. A medic was patching a bloody wound in Cole's upper arm as he spoke.

"…claimed he didn't hear a thing, but the door was ripped clean off the hinges," Cole concluded as Zechs and Sheldon reached the group.

"The warehouse was cleaned out?" Treize asked angrily.

"Down to the mouse droppings," Cole said. "They practically waxed the floor."

"Dammit!" Treize exclaimed. "No one was supposed to know about that warehouse. The supplies were only going to be there three days!" He chewed his lip, his face dark with suppressed fury. "And you're pretty sure the ones you found didn't do it."

"I'm positive." Cole inspected the medic's work by flexing his arm and making a fist. "They fought like sons of bitches, but they didn't know anything about the warehouse. They just had the misfortune to be hiding close by." Cole looked at Treize knowingly and Treize nodded.

"We've got a leak." Treize saw Zechs and Sheldon at the edge of the group and beckoned them forward. "I'm changing your patrol. Do the Yellow 3 patrol today instead of Green 6. And watch yourselves. There's now an extremely well-armed group out there."

"Aye, sir," Zechs and Sheldon said in unison. They saluted and sprinted off toward their mobile suits.