Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Wufei's Justice ❯ Chapter 6

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Wufei's Justice

Chapter Six

Sally adjusted the scan parameters slightly, hoping to discover the weapon's capability of the six ships now closing in on the Preventer shuttle responding to Wufei's original request for help. The results weren't encouraging.

"Each ship has a beam cannon and a compliment of twenty titanium torpedoes," she told Wufei.

"What about the Preventer shuttle?" Wufei asked over his shoulder. He was busy trying to finish reconstructing the scan logs and hadn't taking his eyes off the tiny computer monitor in front of him in a long time.

She frowned, knowing as well as he did what the standard armament was for this class of shuttle: fifteen titanium torpedoes but scanned it without comment.

"It's carrying two beam cannons and thirty torpedoes," she said, surprised. "But the only ship outfitted like that is the President's personal shuttle. This one isn't even the same class of ship." She turned to Wufei. "What's going on?"

"I heard a rumor that Lady Une got the funding to increase the armament on one of our shuttle's. I guess it was true."

"I never heard that. Why didn't you tell me?"

Wufei stopped working on reconstructing the old scan logs to look at her.

"We haven't exactly been speaking to each other the last two weeks."

"Oh. I see." She dropped her eyes momentarily, but quickly met his gaze again. "My own fault. Sorry."

He nodded and went back to work.

Sally smiled as she turned to continue her own task. She couldn't wait to apologize in greater depth when this mission was over.

Married. They were getting married. She wanted to dance around and yell with joy. But, a beep on the communication console broke into her thoughts.

"The Preventer shuttle is broadcasting a message." She pressed a button and suddenly the satellite was filled with Millardo Peacecraft/Zechs Marquise's voice.

"--in. Preventer shuttle S05 come in. This is Preventer Wind in shuttle z06 approaching your last known coordinates, please respond."

"I don't understand. Why is he trying to contact us? You explained our situation didn't you?" Sally asked Wufei as he joined her at the communication console.

"I did." Wufei crossed his arms. "This is distraction. He's buying time 'till the others can get here. If it appears that he's searching for us--." Wufei shrugged. "It may work, it may not. Either way he's got enough firepower to hold them off for long enough for help to arrive. It won't take long for the guys to get to Quatre's mining operation, not in the ship they said they were taking. It's one of Quatre's prototypes and is capable of incredible speeds. Did you notice the call letters Zechs used for us and himself?"

"Yes, I wondered. Our ship doesn't have call letters."

"Zechs wouldn't have used my Gundam's number with your initial nor his own unless he was sure there was going to be a battle soon. He's warning us to be prepared."

"How much longer 'till you finish the logs?" Sally asked.

"I'm done. I know what information was stolen and why." He turned and walked away a few steps. "Get packed," he said with a glance over his shoulder. "We're moving to the skiff."

###

Wufei could feel Sally's curiosity almost like a palpable touch on his skin. She practically stared a hole in his back before jumping up to follow him.

"What did you find out?" she demanded in that total businesslike tone.

"It seems that mining operation of Quatre's is well armed for a reason. He's mining the components for and manufacturing Gundanium."

"What?! But…but, that's illegal! Isn't it?"

"Not if he's doing it under contract for the government for non-military purposes. Gundanium has many potential uses. Think of the structural advantages a colony would have if part of it's outer hull were composed of Gundanium. Think of the deep space exploratory ships that could benefit from having a hull made of Gundanium."

"You learned all this from the scan logs?"

Wufei shook his head. "The logs only recorded the activity of the mining operation, and it's clear from those logs that Gundanium is present in high amounts there. I'm assuming he's doing it with the permission of the government because I just can't see Quatre doing it any other way. Can you?"

"No. I can't. He's too honest for anything else." Sally shook her head. "But, he should have been ready for something like this to happen."

"He was. He just never expected his enemies to use some Preventers as a shield/hostages to get was they want."

"Who is behind all this?"

"You're not going to believe it."

"Wufei! Just tell me!"

"The id code matches that of another major manufacturer here in space. The Woden Company."

"What?!" Sally's expression of total shock would have been funny if the situation wasn't so grave.

"As in Brandon Woden Vice-President of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation? Why would he or any member of is family be doing-?" her voice trailed off. "Oh no. He couldn't. They wouldn't-"

"They are." Wufei said. "I'll show you in the skiff, but it's obvious that they're aim was to take over the mining operation so they could get their hands on some Gundanium and the only reason why anyone would want it illegally is to manufacture weapons."

"But why? He'd be throwing his political career away. It doesn't make sense."

Wufei shrugged. "We'll have to ask him that when we arrest him."

Sally shook her head and sighed then stood up a little taller. "I'll clean up here and meet you in the skiff. I have the feeling that it won't be long till the fireworks start."

"Agreed," Wufei said with a nod. He grabbed his equipment, threw it all into his duffel bag and exited the satellite. Once there, he powered up the main computer, scanners, and communications equipment. They were going to need to know where all the players were in this deadly little game and what they were doing at all times.

A few minutes later, Sally entered the skiff and closed and locked the hatch to the satellite. They could now depart on a moment's notice.

"Any change in the tactical situation?" she asked, taking her seat next to him. He caught a whiff of her feminine scent and had to concentrate hard on answering her question. Visions of touching her silky soft skin, of how perfect she felt as he entered her, of the arousing sounds she made in the back of her throat as she climaxed flashed through his head. Damn it. Now was not the time to indulge in fantasy, no matter how attractive or available that fantasy was sitting next to him.

"No. Zechs is still pretending to search for us using a standard search pattern and following every procedure in the book. The six enemy shuttles have taken up positions all around him, but are far enough away as to pose little threat at this point. It's like Zechs can't even see them. He hasn't acknowledged that they are there, even though they should be showing up on his scanner. I imagine that has them a bit confused."

"Unless this plays into their plans somehow," Sally mused.

"Their strategy is flawed," Wufei said coldly. "They have enough firepower to easily overtake a normal Preventer shuttle, but they didn't consider what would happen if we got away or what would happen if we turned out to be better armed than them. They assumed too much and now what they don't know will kill them."

Sally stared at him. "That seems kind of harsh."

"They set a trap and ambushed us, Sally. If we hadn't seen it coming we'd be dead already." Wufei thrust his chin out toward the ships in space dancing their intricate waltz of death around each other. "This isn't harsh. This is justice in action."

"Justice Wufei? I'm not so sure. Yes, I know they would have killed us, but we're not them." She laughed, but it contained no humor. "My mother was fond of the saying, 'two wrongs don't make a right'. I believe that applies here. I don't think the right thing to do is kill them just because we can."

"So we let them win?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I mean we disable their ships and bring them in for questioning. If Brandon Woden is behind all this we need evidence and witnesses. They may be able to tell us something that we don't know about this operation. That alone is worth the effort to bring them in alive."

Wufei stared out at the stars for a moment considering her words. She was right. He wanted all of the people responsible for this attempt on their lives, for this attempt to disrupt the peace he had fought so hard to achieve. He would not let anyone, no matter their station destroy it. He had lost too much to war already, he would lose no more.

"You are…correct. I apologize for my hasty thinking."

"I understand. You're angry. Well, so am I," She smiled grimly. "I hope I can follow through with my high minded words when the time comes."

The tactical display changed on the monitor in front of them. Several small blips appeared, coming from the direction of the mining operation. And coming fast.

"What are those? More enemies?" Sally asked.

Wufei typed a series of quick commands into the computer and the blips were replaced by a real-time image of four small strangely shaped vehicles.

"No, I believe that is the cavalry."

"In what?" Sally looked like she was either going to start laughing or crying. "They look like a cross between a can opener and a lawn mower."

"Those must the equipment used to mine the components for Gundanium. They may look odd, but remember, they're armed to the teeth."

A new voice projected through the communications console. "Hey there, uh, Preventer shuttle. We're from the Winner mining operation just a little ways off. We heard your broadcast over the radio, looking for another shuttle and we're offering our assistance in the search, over."

"This is Preventer shuttle Z06 to the Winner Mining group. I appreciate your offer and accept. Please continue on your present course. I will give you further directions when you arrive at my coordinates."

"Sounds good. We'll be there in a jiffy," Duo Maxwell's voice replied.

"This will be an interesting battle," Wufei said, settling into his seat.

Sally shook her head and watched with interest as the mining vehicles quickly approached. "You can say that gain."

TBC…