Chapter 1, Part 3 (2/4)

 

A military coup d'etat has taken place in a small country in the southern part of the former People's Republic of China.

The leader, preaching peace, was murdered by Colonel Bundt, the commander of the Alliance army's remants. Independence from OZ was advocated and the route changed to increased armament. The people are suppressed with tax increases. Against a country with military ambitions growing day for day, one cannot hide anymore suspicious ambitions.

The same thing is happening in small countries all over the world. Earth has turned now into a battle place, with small scale uprisings and rebellions on one side, and on the other side is OZ, who wants to bring the rebellions under control and suppress them through military power.

Before OZ's overwhelming military power is Bundt's republic, like a fortress made of glass....

Deep in the night, in the command headquarters, there are intruders.

The figures of a group of men and women seize the opportunity of a gap in the sloppy security and, without being noticed, steal into the site. After they finish installing explosives in the weapons' storehouse, they run out.

"Get in quickly!"

A suppressed call comes flying from the truck which is watching and waiting outside the wire netting.

"Everyone's out, right?"

After checking whether the whole crew has boarded the truck, a woman comes rushing in. She is holding a remote control in her hand and presses the button.

A thunderous roar resounds from the storehouse and rising smoke covers the night sky. Ammunition and gunpowder inside the house catch fire and cause the explosion to become larger.

"This is Sally. The explosion is a success. We are retreating!"

The woman shouts this into her radio. Then the truck starts running at a mad speed. Having noticed the situation, the army wants to send cars to follow them, but explosions violently cut off the road.

On the loading area of the truck, which is hidden in the forest and covered by a awning, Sally emits a small sigh. Even her trademark, the long, coiled hair, is hanging down, seemingly needing something to support it.

"What's the matter, Sally?"

The man sitting beside her addresses her with a worried voice. He's a fighter named Loh, revolting against Bundt.

"It's nothing."

"I'm sorry, you came home after a long time and ended up getting involved in something dangerous."

"It's okay. I've chosen it myself after all."

Sally smiles weakly and shakes her head.

When the Alliance army, to which she belonged herself earlier, collapsed, Sally quit the army and returned home. At that time, the Alliance commander caused the coup d'etat and wanted to turn her mother country into a military state. Something that stupid cannot be allowed! She knows and feels deeply about the dirty methods of OZ, but she thinks that a military state is just as dirty. They have to at least stop the armament. She intends to continue fighting to this end.

"Politics relying on military power must be terminated...", murmurs Sally.

It seems that humankind will never get rid of this vice. Thousands of years have come and gone, and it keeps being repeated without people getting tired of it.

"The sad thing is, it may be humankind's nature."

"It's time already though that they make some progress."

As Sally is murmuring this with a stern expression, the roaring of an engine comes suddenly down from above.

Sticking out her head from below the awning, Sally looks up into the pitch dark sky, and gets a nasty shock.

"Leos!?"

Three huge cargo helicopters are approaching. Leos are attached to them with wire.

"Go faster!" shouts Sally towards the driver's seat.

"Won't work, they'll catch up with us!" the driver shouts back.

The three Leos are detached and land on the ground while trampling down trees. At the same time, they start attacking Sally and the others with rifles. The sounds of shots boom like thunder.

Sally at once grabs a nearby weapon and jumps off the truck. The two other soldiers on the loading area follow her as well. Sally eases the shock by rolling and follows the truck with her eyes. She can see for a moment how the driver's door is opened, but it doesn't look like it's going to be in time.

Before Sally's eyes, the truck is hit by shots and goes up in flames. Scattering flames around, the truck's wreckage drives into the forest and explodes.

Sally is blown away by the blast and stands up again. Before her, a Leo approaches. Nevertheless, without showing any fear, Sally lifts a antitank missile up and puts it on her shoulder. She wants to aim for the camera eye in the Leo's head.

"I won't tell you to surrender! Colonel Bundt's order is to kill everybody!"

The Leos bring their rifles into position against Sally and the others. If something like a human being is hit by a mobile suit rifle bullet, it disappears without leaving any traces.

At least I will take one Leo with me!

Sally starts pressing down her finger on the trigger.

In that moment, shots from a vulcan canon ring out. They come from somewhere behind Sally.

The cameras in the heads of two Leos are destroyed and they are deprived of their sight.

Sally turns around as a reflex action. In the middle of the dark forest, she can see how the white figure of a mobile suit appears.

"A Gundam!?"

Unintentionally, Sally raises her voice, and looks up to the gigantic, white figure.

Even more shocked, the Leos panic and change their target.

The Gundam is being shot at. It's totally as if he's waiting for a child to get tired of playing. But, maybe his patience has reached its limits, he suddenly ignites the Vernier engines, flies up and lets his halberd-like beam weapon flash up in sideways sweep. In one instant, two Leos are cut in two.

Maybe he's afraid of this destructive power? The only Leo left behind immediately proceeds to retreat. Without the intention to pursue him, the Gundam remains standing where he has landed.

"Why is a Gundam here?"

Sally approaches the feet of the Gundam, which is standing still and not moving.

Then, the armour on the chest slides away, and the hatch appearing there tips forwards. The pilot steps out of it. It's Wufei Chang.

A boy.... but it's not Heero. He's of Chinese descent after all.

As Sally is judging the pilot in the light of the moon, the boy clad in popular Chinese clothes raises his voice, as if he's losing his patience.

"A weak person shouldn't fight!"

"What are you saying!?"

Sally raises her voice in anger. Her anger rises when her fight is so belittled.

The boy hangs onto the wire for ascent and descent and comes down from the cockpit. Looking straight at Sally he asks "Why do you fight against an enemy you cannot defeat?"

"Because this is a battle which has to be fought!"

Sally answers indignantly to the boy who seems to shoot looks with his eyes.

"Are you receiving orders from somebody?"

"No, we are fighting out of our own free will."

"I don't understand."

The sharp look suddenly loses its power and Wufei lowers his head with a worried expression.

In this situation, Sally totally changes her so far defiant attitude.

"You seem to be pretty tired. Won't you rest at our place?"

"Sally!"

Loh raises his voice. It can't be that they show the hideout to an unknown person.

"I guess it's okay. At least he's not our enemy."

However, Sally decides this forcibly, and puts her hand gently on Wufei's shoulder.

 

**********

 

The next morning, Sally leaves the hideout of the anti-government army in the truck and heads towards the nearest city in order to procure provisions. Even if the town is said to be close, it takes four hours from the hideout on the mountain road through the forest.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

Sally asks Wufei who is looking out the window from the passenger seat.

"Yes."

Wufei answers without even looking in Sally's direction.

"You don't have to necessarily help us."

"I pay back my debts."

"If it's a debt, there's one here too."

"It wasn't me who saved you. It was Nataku."

"Nataku? Is this the Gundam's name?"

Only silence comes back to Sally's question.

"I see...."

Sally nods, taking this as silent agreement.

Certainly there is a tale of a robot with such name in the old fiction of China. It may be a fitting name for a Gundam, which seems to be a kind of whole-body-weapon.

Nevertheless....

Sally feels something in the term Wufei used now.

Who saved them was not the pilot himself, but the machine as such. There seems to be some mental damage. He doesn't believe in his own strength. Maybe it's because he was defeated by somebody.... As a former army doctor, she would like to do something for him....

Glancing briefly at the silent Wufei, Sally shakes her head in her mind.

On the contrary, clumsy sympathy can only deepen the injury.

A few minutes later, the truck with the two people on board arrives in the city.

The city is totally worn out. In the shops, the goods are not standing one beside the other, and the people going through the city are walking without strength, giving off the sensation of walking with their heads hanging down. High-spirited are only the former Alliance soldiers, who are walking around looking like they owned the place.

When Sally finishes loading the cardboard boxes with the food inside into the truck with Wufei's help, shouting can be heard from a nearby restaurant.

"You want to take money from us, who protect the country at the risk of our lives?!"

Sally's face turns grim and she steps towards the shop. When she looks inside, three soldiers are kicking to the owner, who is lying on the floor. It looks like they don't want to pay for their food.

"What are you saying you're protecting?"

Sally calls out in spite of herself. She just has to call out.

With bloodthirsty eyes the soldiers return Sally's sharp look.

"The only thing you guys do is stick to Bundt and trample on the peace in this country."

"What was that, you bitch!?"

One of the soldiers grabs at Sally. Easily shaking off his two hands, Sally grabs his chest and throws him out onto the street. Stinking of wine, the soldier is easily thrown onto the ground.

The second soldiers follows Sally out of the shop and strikes at her. Avoiding the direct attack by stepping aside, Sally hits his face with her elbow. However, she receives a blow from behind by the third soldier who is attacking at the same time. Sally is knocked down onto the street.

"I'll teach you what happens when you oppose the army!"

One of the soldiers points his gun at the fallen Sally.

In that moment, a white figure comes jumping between the two. He hits the neck of the soldier with a whip-like kick, causing him to drop the weapon.

His fellow soldiers want to hurriedly draw their guns, but the enemy is quicker. He has already picked up the gun fallen to the ground and is taking aim at them.

"Stop it! It ends here!!"

Wufei is taking posture with the gun. As if his voice gave them strength, the people who were only standing by so far approach the soldiers with farming tools and sticks in their hands. In this town there's nobody who doesn't have bitter feelings towards the army.

The three men look at the surroundings as if they were afraid, then they run off with a parting shot.

"Thank you, Wufei. You have saved me again."

"Why do you fight, even being weak?"

Sally has gotten up and thanks Wufei. He spits out the same text at her as the evening before. Then he throws the pistol onto the street and murmurs weakly "I am a coward."

"I don't understand why you should be a coward."

"I was defeated by an enemy stronger than myself. I am a coward who can only deal with enemies weaker than myself."

"Are you saying this is why you're giving up? Haven't you come to fight for the colonies, to win back peace?"

As if shaking off Sally's words, Wufei turns his back on her and walks away towards the river flowing alongside the city.

"I am not qualified to fight with Nataku."

"But you have saved me yesterday."

Sally raises her voice towards Wufei's back.

"That's because you are weak."

"Yes, indeed... we are weak. But we do not give up. Exactly because we're weak our number of friends will have to increase. It's the same for you."

"I am not qualified to fight with Nataku...."

Repeating this weakly, Wufei steps onto a small boat fastened to a pier and, as if fleeing, drifts away on the river.

"Wufei...."

Knowing the depth of the wound on Wufei's soul, Sally can only look after Wufei in a daze.

 

**********

 

When the evening comes, Sally returns to the hideout. At the entrance, Loh, who has attacked the base with her, welcomes her.

"Oh, Sally, thank you very much for your troubles. Huh, and the kid?"

"Well, there was something...."

Loh nods at Sally who is giving a vague answer.

"I see. Well, I guess he won't be going anywhere and leave this behind."

Saying this, he points to the Gundam which is covered with a camouflage net and hidden under a cliff close to the hideout.

"Won't that kid fight with us?"

"Right now, nobody should be forcing him to fight."

"Why?"

"He is confused. Because he couldn't live up to what was expected of him in the war, he thinks that he has disqualified himself."

"If you say so. You are truly an army doctor."

"A former one that is."

Sally's face is showing a bitter smile when it suddenly freezes up. Through the air, she hears the screaming of something which comes flying from afar.

"Missiles!"

Immediately after Sally has shouted this, an explosion is occurring in the direction of the hideout. Twice. Three times. It's a missile attack from a remote place.

"Enemy attack!"

Thundering noise resounds in between the explosions.

The two of them rush into the mounds surrounding the still intact antiaircraft canon and immediately start the counterattack against the combat helicopters. The damage is not yet that bad. If they can shoot down the combat helicopters before the Leos arrive, they still have a chance.

However, Loh notices that Aries are the sky, which shouldn't be there, and calls out "Shit, damned Bundt! He has sold this country to OZ!!"

Aries were never deployed in the Alliance. They were exclusive to the 'Specials'.

"It repeats itself! It's a repetition of a stupid fight by stupid men!"

Maybe Bundt has passed information about the Gundam to OZ in exchange for a guarantee to his own position. Sally feels anger mixed with compassion towards Bundt's imprudence. There no reason why OZ should be trustworthy regarding such a guarantee.

Sally shoots like crazy, as if she were venting her anger on the enemy suits. But the mobility of the Aries cannot be compared to the combat helicopters. She is targeted in return and missiles are shot at her. Sally can escape by a hair's breadth by jumping aside.

The soil heaped up into the mound swells up through the explosion and Sally is thrown sideways.

Elsewhere, Loh has somehow destroyed the propulsion system of an Aries and succeeded in shooting it down. Then, in order to destroy the Aries, which has fallen to the ground, he wants to drag out the antitank missiles from the storehouse. Just then, he is attacked by another Aries.

A missile explodes very close to him and the splinters cut him up. He remains covered in blood.

Just then, Wufei comes running.

"Hey, hang in there!"

Wufei holds Loh in his arms and raises him up.

"It's you.... I am weak, so I got killed too. You're strong, take care of OZ!"

Loh clutches at Wufei's chest. Blood sticks to Wufei's white clothes. Exclaiming this at the end, Loh draws his last breath.

"Wufei! What is...."

When Sally, covered in mud, comes running with another fighter, she sees Wufei and Loh and remains speechless. Then, as if she had come to a decision, she states with a quiet voice "Wufei, run. It's over here. If we can hold on any longer, it will only be a little while. Quickly!"

"What are you saying there, Sally!? Hey kid! Why don't you fight!?"

The large-built fighter shouts at Sally and draws nearer to Wufei.

"I am.... powerless."

"Don't make any jokes! If there is such a power... if I had this power...."

As if the rage stimulated his body into motion, the fighter grabs Wufei's collar.

In that moment, a roaring sound approaches from afar.

"Lie down!"

At Sally's shout, the fighter holds Wufei in his arms and lies down.

An Aries passes through above and the bullets devastate the ground.

"Are you okay, kid?"

Straightening his body, the fighter says this as if he's in pain. Then he collapses on Wufei's body.

"I'll leave it to you to end this miserable era."

After murmuring this in a broken voice, he immediately afterwards dies. His back which has been protecting Wufei is torn to shreds by the bullets.

"The war plays with people's lives. That's why it won't work without a firm belief."

After bringing the machine gun, which was turned to lie on her shoulder, into position, Sally walks off towards the approaching Leo.

"Sally! What are you doing!"

"Wufei, you are a man to save weak people. Don't lose sight of neither your kind heart, nor the target you're fighting for!"

Sally points the rifle to the Leo heading towards her.

"Sally! Why are you doing something this stupid?!"

"That's because my heart concluded that mending your soul is more important than my life."

Gritting his teeth, Wufei grabs the antitank missiles from where Loh has abandoned them and fires all the shots at the Leo.

"Run, Sally!"

After shouting this, Wufei starts running towards the cliff where Shenlong is hidden.

"Nataku, I am not qualified to ride in you. But lend me your strength for now!" raises Wufei a roaring howl.

Wufei gets into Shenlong, one step ahead of the OZ army which is approaching with the intention to steal the Gundam.

The warriors fight and then die even if they're weak. The warrior died in order to protect him. Sally sacrifices herself, wishing to mend his soul.

These figures drive Wufei on.

Why do you fight?

He has the feeling that part of the reason becomes visible.

As soon as he has set the system into motion and warmed-up the engines, he unsheathes the beam glaive on the back.

Starting with hacking down one approaching Aries with one stroke, Wufei's Shenlong crushes the enemy suits like an angry dragon.

The large-sized helicopter starts retreating, supported by the two remaining Aries.

"This must be the commander's machine! You won't get away!!"

Shouting this, Wufei ignites the Vernier engines with full throttle and takes off. Mowing down one Aries which gets into his way with the beam glaive, he steps with his foot onto the other Aries blocking his way, using it as a springboard to jump further.

The large-sized helicopter wants to change its course. Wufei pushes the beam glaive towards its cockpit.

With this one stroke, the leader Colonel Bundt and the OZ officer evaporate in an instant.

 

**********

 

The fight is over, and the sun goes up.

Wufei has settled on top of the rubble of the hideout, which is as good as in ruins now and from which smoke rises here and there.

"Wufei."

Sally steps closer and addresses him.

"It seems that Bundt was on board the helicopter from before. The soldiers are confused and many seem to have fled. But even if Bundt is not around anymore, OZ will probably come to take over the control over this country."

"Do you feel like continuing the fight?"

Sensing a strong will in Sally's words, Wufei asks this as if he were astonished.

"Justice.... how that word seems to be cheap. Because both the Alliance and OZ have been advocating peace and justice. But I have my own justice. Everybody has his own justice. You too must have it, your justice."

"A just person has to be strong. A weak guy is not qualified to use the strength of Nataku."

"The heart is different. Your heart is strong. Is a force, which is not in the heart, indeed necessary? Wufei, once you can fight again together with Nataku, help us please."

"You want to fight still, even if you're weak?"

"I want my heart to be strong."

At Sally's words, Wufei shows for the first time a smile around his lips.

The strength of the heart....

Wufei feels how the bad feelings inside himself start to be dispelled.

 

Back
On to Chapter 1, Part 3 (3/4)
Back to Chapter 1, Part 3 (1/4)