Chapter 1 / 20
Written by Jessi Maxwell - send C&C to Megami_no_Remon@hotmail.com
Taulis crowed with pride, amazed and surprised all at once. He couldn't believe his luck! When his fellow base-members ran out the door after the enemy, he had followed eagerly to get a piece of the action. But when he found himself up against five Gundams, he gulped, eyes wide in fear. He knew that hundreds of Leos couldn't stand up against these 5 awesome mobile suits; he strongly doubted that the handful of troops on this island base would even scratch the enemy paint job. Though he thought it cowardly, he did what he thought would save his life. He let his Leo fall to the ground as if shot down.
And there he had lay, watching the Gundams make short work of his comrades. When their numbers had fallen to four, they had run in separate directions. Promptly, the Gundams separated, four chasing the escapees, and the one with the wicked curved blades staying to demolish the base. He knew that the pilot of the remaining Gundam would most likely search for biological traces, and should he be found, he would be killed. So, before he could talk himself out of it, he lunged at the feet of the Gundam as it finished firing missiles at the base. The pilot within had not expected this in the least, and the Gundam tumbled to the ground.
Taulis immediately leaped to his feet, prepared to flee in this moment of confusion on the part of the Gundam. Wouldn't his Excellency be pleased? He was going to get away, the last living creator of the worm they had named Guenivere. He dove in the opposite direction of the fallen Gundam, and then slowed down. The Gundam wasn't moving.
A huge grin spread on Taulis's face. He cheered happily. Somebody loved him today! Not only did he survive the attack of the Gundams, he took one down BY HIMSELF, INTACT! He reached for the radio in his Leo to call his Excellency. He frowned as he remembered it couldn't reach their headquarters from such a distance with their communication satellite down. Oh well. OZ did check up on the Guinevere base occasionally. The radio was only for emergency; OZ hadn't wanted any chance of their enemies picking up on any messages transmitted.
Taulis looked at the demolished base. He knew he would just have to hide here. OZ would come, and find the main base destroyed. Then, logically, they would check their underground bunker. What a great place to hide! It had plenty of food for an entire army for a span of a month or so, a place to store his mobile suit, and a perfect place to store the Gundam where radio signals wouldn't reach it. Happily, he tapped in the code to open the base, watching the perfectly camouflaged door open. A 30' wide patch of ground lifted away from the rest, revealing the underground bunker.
The purpose of the bunker had been great. If the enemy is going to attack you, move to the bunker, taking your computer disks and what not. Through special metals and scramblers, the place had been shielded from making or receiving any type of signal, rendering it completely undetectable. And it was huge. It had ten or twenty Leos and a pair of old Aries lined against the walls. There was a room packed with non-perishable foodstuffs, and a room with a well pump. A troop of twenty or thirty men could easily live here for a couple months in comfort, with plenty of room for their mobile suits. There were even a few rooms that could be considered bed rooms, and a cell for holding prisoners should the need arise.
Going over the layout of this underground hiding place, Taulis suddenly remembered the Gundam's pilot. What had become of him? Or her? Were they dead? Alive? Waiting as he had done to trick him? Taulis decided that if this was the case, he would be dead. He wrapped his Leo's arms around the arms of the Gundam, hoisting it into the air, far enough that he wouldn't be dragging it across the ground and leave his enemies, who would certainly come back for their friend, a clear trail.
After a half-hour of maneuvering and hauling, he managed to drag the Gundam into the bunker. He did a quick scan to make sure he had left no traces of himself or that would answer the question of the missing Gundam. Seeing nothing, he closed the door.
Taulis smiled as the door shut and the florescent lights flickered on. He unstrapped his seatbelt and opened the cockpit, climbing out of his Leo. He pulled off his helmet and tossed it aside, running his fingers through his short, sweat-dampened black hair. He unhooked his parachute and heavy pilot's suit, letting them drop to the floor of his temporary home.
Taulis grinned, in high spirits. He pulled out a gun and approached the motionless Gundam. After a bit of searching, he located the hatch of the cockpit and flipped it open. He jumped up and peered inside. A gorgeous blond with quite a lump on his head lay unconscious inside. Taulis unstrapped the unconscious boy and slung him over his shoulder. He hummed happily as he carried the blond pilot like a sack of potatoes to the room that had been designated as a jail. He unceremoniously deposited the boy on the floor, and then set his gun down. He drug the slim, petite blond pilot to a sitting position, chaining his arms above him in a manner that left him dangling, so he couldn't quite sit on the floor; he would have to kneel when he regained consciousness. Taulis whistled as he left the room, closing the barred door and locking it behind him with the keys that hung nearby on the wall.