Part Ten;
*Somewhere, Someday...*

         Paato Ten;
         *Dokoka, Itsuka...*
 

It all went by so fast.

A cluster of Mobile Suits in the blackness of space. A young girl that should not have been there. Three other M.S. hanging at the sidelines. It was like a little solar system in itself.

Then it was all washed out in a flash of whiteness.

The light of war had outshone the peaceful light of the stars. One by one five of them fell to the Earth in shame.

Never to return.

Never to feel the peace of space again.
 

Lucretia Noin jerked awake, realizing that she'd fallen asleep at the controls. Shaking her head clear of the fog, she blew her long indigo bangs out of her eyes and sighed. Rilina hadn't returned to the Cinq Kingdom, but Noin knew she could trust the princess' life with Hiiro Yui. Zechs however, could hardly be trusted with anything.

Noin blasted off into the deepening twilight, her Taurus becoming just another star in the sky.

  [##]

Fed up with being alone, Dorothy wandered off into the halls in search of Treize.

  [##]

Colonel Une gazed down her nose at the impudent Doctor 'J' whom had dared to speak to her as such. " Care to repeat that, Doctor? " she blared, her eyes narrowing.

Trent stood by and witnessed the Colonel's drastic change in mood for what seemed the fiftieth time. Quite frankly, she was starting to scare him.

Doctor J grinned up at Une, with absolutely no sincerity it should be noted, and did so, " I said, that if Oz doesn't get it's act together, all the Mobile Dolls in the universe won't win this war for them. "

Colonel Une sneered, " and why is that? "

Doctor J looked behind him to the other scientists for support, then added, " Because you have no pilots suitable for commanding the Mercurious and the Vai-eight. "

It was then that Colonel Une smiled sickeningly, " So you think. " She turned smartly on her heel, " Which one is completed? The Mercurious or the Vai-eight? "

Doctor J couldn't keep the confusion off his face. " The-- the Vai-eight. "

" Trent. "

" Lady Colonel? "

" Show our pilot in. "

" Yes, ma'am, " Trent opened the door he was standing by and wavered in the small frame of a soldier dressed in space fatigues.

" Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Private Hilde, the best Space Leo pilot in the recruit program set up here in the colonies. Trust me, if the Gundams even try to return to Outer Space, she will lead the Mercurious to victory for Oz. "

  [##]

Wandering the hallways, Dorothy once again reveled in her role in this war.

  [##]

Hiiro grunted as he maneuvered Wing around to bring one of the enemy M.S. into his sights. As soon as it locked he pulled the trigger and seared the atmosphere with his buster rifle. Two Oz Mobile Suits were destroyed in it's wake, and another injured beyond continuation of the battle. Wing turned again, and Hiiro hollered a battle cry that rang in Rilina's ears as he impaled yet another Aries with his thermo-energy sword. Slicing downwards, he trashed the power core and the resulting explosion cast Wing into stark light and shadow.

It was then Hiiro noticed the Mobile Dolls approaching.

  [##]

Dorothy paused at one of the floor to ceiling windows and gazed out at the sky.

  [##]

The screen to Duo's right blipped to life just as he was slowing his mad dash to get away from Sergent San'nin and her troop.

" It's about time! " he declared, expecting orders. What he got instead, interested him far more. " Hey! It's Hiiro! " he leaned over and peered at the image of Wing fighting off a number of Leos, Aries, and Taurus Mobile Dolls. Bringing up the coordinates, Duo grinned at the prospect of meeting his old friend (the term being used quite loosely) and headed in that direction.

  [##]

As she watched, a falling star shot across the heavens, and she gasped.

  [##]

Trowa was tired of being passive. Despite thoughts that there might be a reason for why he was here, he was tired of staring at gray walls. His bleeding had stopped, and the camera above him had lost interest. He'd been watching it's movements, timing it's sweeps, trying to figure out a way to avoid it's gaze.

But he had a mission to fulfill on Earth, one that he could not accomplish from within an interrogation room.

" Those who have laid eyes on a Gundam shall not live to tell about it... "

Today he would kill Hitori Yuu, or die himself. For he too, had laid eyes upon a Gundam.

  [##]

Almost as if that falling star had granted her insight, Dorothy turned and approached the door across the hall from her.

  [##]

There was a crack of sound as Sandrock shot into the sky. The M.S. gleamed, having been repaired since it's last battle. It shot through the desert sunshine and over the endless dunes of sand.

[How did Hiiro end up over the desert when he was headed from Canada to Europe? Gooood question.... ~evil grin~]

Withdrawing his twin scythes from where they were strapped to Sandrock's back, Quatre pulled down his goggles and approached the battle. Typing in a few commands, he activated an open frequency and proceeded to make his plea,

" Attention all Oz Mobile Suits, I would advise that you pull back now and no harm will come to you. " Silence met his request, though the fact that the fight continued answered his question well enough. Quatre leaned forward, " I repeat; Attention all Oz Mobile Suits-- "

" What Kind Of An Idiot Are You?! " interrupted another, louder voice over the com. The voice was accompanied by the appearance of a magnificent black and gold Mobile Suit that flew headlong into battle. The pilot of this M.S. punctuated his first attack with, " The Only Way To Deal With Oz Is Like This!! " The deadly thermo-energy scythe the new M.S. carried tore three Leos and a Taurus apart in one swing.

Quatre sat back and murmured in awe, " Another Gundam... I was right... "

" Yeah, that's me, " came the new pilot's voice. Quatre suddenly realized that he'd left the com open, " You gonna fight, or are you just a spectator? "

Quatre turned grim. He closed his hands around the controls and said firmly, " All right. "

With his propulsion system throwing sand back in it's wake, Mobile Suit Gundam Sandrock entered the battle.

  [##]

Dorothy edged open the door and peered inside.

  [##]

Wufei and Nara walked out of the town, mutually making sure to avoid that old woman's stall. Wufei had gotten the supplies he'd needed, and had them slung over his shoulder in a drawstring sack. Needless to say, the reason for their silence had graduated from being an anger at each other to an anger at the old fortune teller. Still, silence was silence, making them very unassuming of a couple.

Couple...

Nara suddenly smirked.

Wufei looked at her. " What? " he asked irritably.

Nara looked at him with that smirk and answered, " That stupid woman, thinking we were in  love. " She laughed for a moment.

Wufei looked forward again. " Yeah, " he agreed without emotion, although there was a hint of a smile on his face.

Silence overtook them again, until the first drops of rain pattered around them. A chill wind blew down the road, urging them forward in warning of the coming storm. Nara shivered and rubbed her arms, accomplishing nothing to warm herself up. Looking back, she watched as the curtain of rain raced up the road to catch them in a sudden downpour. Nara shivered audibly and faced the direction they were heading in again.

Suddenly something white was thrust in her face.

" Eh? " Nara looked up and over to find Wufei holding out his overcoat to her. He wasn't looking at her, nor did he stop. But already his muscle shirt was clinging to him, and he was offering his overcoat to her. But... he hated her...

Nara pushed his hand away gently. " Then you'll just be cold, " she chided.

Wufei stopped and glared at her. " Take it! "

Fire riled within Nara and she snapped, " No! "

" Onna! "

" I Don't Want It! "

" Damn You! "

" Shut Up! "

" Why don't you both use it as cover and come with me? " inquired an outside voice mildly.

Both Wufei and Nara turned and stared in surprise at the woman standing just outside the trees watching them. She had her hands on her hips, and her kind face smiled at them from within the hood of her Alliance Military-issue rain slicker.

" Sally Po? " Wufei stated her name incredulously.

Sally tilted her head and smiled at him, " I thought I recognized that 'Onna.' Why don't you and your friend come to my camp? We've got an extra tent and some soup and coffee for you. "

Without saying anything to make it seem like he was accepting Sally's charity, Wufei started in her direction. Nara stood where she was.

Sally switched her smile to her. " Aren't you coming? "

Nara looked indecisive for a moment, before taking Wufei's lead. When she passed Sally, though, she grumbled, " I am not his friend. "

  [##]

Dorothy's eyes soon strayed from Treize and Zechs to what stood behind them... a Gundam!

  [##]

Zechs gazed up at the Mobile Suit Treize had shown him, his eyes taking in every detail of the deep purple Gundam M.S. From the Dragon wings to the whip attached to it's right hand. Zechs' eyes froze on that whip.

The heat whip, he didn't need Treize to tell him that's what it was...
 

Somewhere in the darker reaches of space, a deep purple dragon lurked; a dragon with a long tail that could be used as a whip to render it's enemies useless. It moved with amazing grace and speed, weaving in and out of the stars, joining in their dance as opposed to merely observing. It danced to rid it's pilot's mind of his insecurities. Then suddenly something clicked, and the dragon switched forms to that of an equally graceful humanoid form Mobile Suit.

This new Mobile Suit lifted it's buster rifle and aimed it directly at Chikyuu. When the target turned red to signal a lock, it fired, throwing golden flame into the darkness.

But at the last minute it jerked upwards, throwing the fire off course, to just above Chikyuu. There it connected with five other powers to hit home in the heart of Rilina Dorlain Peacecraft. The pilot jerked in surprise and horror at his own actions.

There was a burst of light that drowned out the stars and the dragon-type Mobile Suit.

The light of war had outshone the peaceful light of the stars. Outshone. Light. War. Stars.
 

Zechs put his hand to his head and sank to his knees with a soft moan. The wound caused by his broken mask opened again as the mask shifted and a stream of blood ran down his cheek to collect at the base of his chin, and mar the floor with crimson drops.

Immediately Treize was at his friend's side, placing both hands on his the other man's shoulders and quietly inquiring about his condition.

" I'm fine, " Zechs replied, the rasping of his voice betraying the lie.

Treize smiled at him fondly. " I'd best get you back into bed. "

  [##]

Dorothy watched as Treize aided Zechs out of the room housing the Mobile Suit. As soon as the door latched behind them, she edged in and quietly closed her door behind her. Trying to keep her steps as quiet as possible, Dorothy Katalonia tiptoed across the floor until she was standing right at the base of the Mobile Suit.

" So, " she said softly, not wanting to disturb the god before her, " this is Treizesama's new piece. " She took a deep satisfied breath and smiled. " Interesting. "

She turned and left the room, leaving nothing to indicate that she'd even been there in the first place.

Dorothy knew she'd be seeing that Mobile Suit again. As soon as Zechs was well, the dragon would rise and take a starring role in this war. And she, Dorothy Katalonia, would be at his side.

**

[Gee Dorothy, if you're so into this war, why don't You take Epyon? Huh? Huh? Well, here we have the end of the tenth part of this story. You know what? No spoilers this time because I just have one thing to say about the next chapter; I will be revealing a very important plot point! One that will explain a few things and leave you wondering about a few others! Mwa ha ha ha ha! See you then!]

[Written by Inseiko, 2000]
 

Go to Part Eleven