Transformations   von chelle76
================================================================================
                             Kapitel 1: Homecoming
                             ---------------------


Transformations…

Authors Notes:

Okay. First off it has been YEARS since I have tried to write a fan fiction.
This idea started in my head as a joke, and has since “snowballed.” I have
NEVER written a crossover fic, but as this story began unfolding, it has the
potential to become one. It will eventually be a Saber Rider/GoLion crossover
Fic. I am also using a mixture of the Japanese and American names for the
characters. Examples of names and current ages for the main characters in this
story are as follows:

 
Richard “Saber” Rider – 21 Years Old (Decided to combine the American and
Japanese names)
April Eagle – 18 Years Old
Commander Charles Eagle
Senator Edward Rider
Mary Rider
Sinicia March – 21 years old
Bill “Colt” Wilcox – 19 Years Old
Shinji “Fireball” Hikari – 19 Years Old
General Whitehawk

Akira “Keith” Kogane ‘Chief’ – 21 Years Old
Takashi Shirogane ‘Quiet’ – 19 when he died
Isamu “Lance” Kurogane ‘Moody’ – 24 Years Old
Tsuyoshi Seidō ‘Hothead’ – 25 Years Old
Hiroshi Suzuishi ‘Shorty’ – 17 Years Old
Princess Fala – 19 Years Old
Strategist  Raible of Altea


I will introduce other characters (such as villains) as I decide on who I want
to include. Some may be made up or have basis in another “Voltron” universe
if I get too lazy to think up my own…so deal with it.

 

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Saber Rider, Sei Jushi Bismarck, GoLion, or Voltron,
Gundam SEED Destiny, or any other Anime character(s) I decide to throw into this
story! They belong to their original production companies.


 
 
 
 
Transformations…
Chapter 1: Homecoming


 “You’re coming home soon, Saber?” Sincia asked hopefully.
He nods. “Just as soon as the debriefing is over, Love.” 
She smiles and takes his hands. “Good, then perhaps we can begin planning a
future…our future?” 
He smiles and kisses her lightly on the lips and nods. “Yes. I hope to be able
to officially announce our betrothal when I return.” 
“I look forward to spending time with you again.” She smiles up at him.
He nods. “As do I, with you.” He kisses her again and then hugs his Mother,
then the trio went up the ramp to return to the Highlands, his home. He watches
them until the ship departs, his Mother and Sincia wave as the ship lifts off,
he waves back then turns and heads into the Headquarters of Calvary Command. He
walks along slowly to his quarters, then after changing clothes, he heads
towards Commander Eagle’s office, where he and the other Star Sheriffs are
supposed to meet for the debriefing before taking a much deserved vacation.
Suddenly, the alarms begin blaring and he rushes towards the command center.
Upon entering, he sees soldiers frantically rushing between screens and
computers. He spots Commander Eagle amongst the chaos. “What’s happening,
Sir?!”
 Commander Eagle turns towards him, his face pale and stammers “Go…go to my
office, immediately. Do not leave until I have spoken with you and the others!
That’s a direct order!” 
He nods “Sir!” He turns and rushes to Eagle’s office, where the others
were leaving to go to the command center. He holds out a hand and shakes his
head. “The Commander has ordered us to stay put. We cannot leave until he
comes for us.” 
“What’s going on, Saber?” April asks, eyes wide with concern.
“It can’t be the outriders. We defeated them.” Colt chimed in.
Saber shrugs. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it isn’t good.” He
looks towards April, “Your father looked pale, as if he was in shock.” April
looks visibly shaken at the statement.
“I have a very bad feeling about this.” Fireball says, as he comes around
the corner, the last out the office door.
“So do I, Fireball. If we are needed to fight something, why aren’t they
asking us to meet them in the command center?” Saber mused. 
“Well, if something IS up, let’s go find out what.” Colt says and makes to
pass Saber.
Saber blocks his way and shakes his head, sighing. “The Commander was VERY
direct, Colt. We wait here.” He nods in the direction of the office, pushing
him slightly back towards the door he recently came from.
Colt grumbles, but turns and goes into the office lobby and plops down on a
couch, Saber sits at the opposite end from Colt. April goes and sits on the
other couch, and Fireball comes in, closing the door behind him before sitting
next to April. “I don’t like this. Something is VERY wrong.” Fireball
states. 
April nods, taking his hand subconsciously, “If what Saber says is true, then
it must be bad if Father ordered him” nodding towards Saber, “to leave.
It’s just strange. What could be happening?” April asks aloud.
Just then, the door opens and in walks Commander Eagle, looking pale, shocked
and worn out. The Star Sheriffs immediately stand and salute him, and he nods an
acknowledgment and looks around to each in turn, his gaze falling lastly to
Saber. “Please, sit down.”
They all sit down and look to each other nervously.
“Father, wha-“ April begins.
Commander Eagle holds up his hand to stop her. “There has been an attack…”
He sighs. “This morning, a ship was leaving to return to the English
Federation Colonies…”
Saber looks up shocked, whispers. “No!”
“A passenger ship…there are no survivors.” Commander Eagle goes and places
his hand on Saber’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Saber…I understand if you need
time to-“
“Who? Who is responsible for the attack?” Saber asks quietly, his eyes to
the floor.
“We don’t know, yet. No one has claimed responsibility.” The commander
replies honestly.
“Sincia… Mother… Father…” Saber says barely audible. “Gone.”
April gets up and goes to sit beside him. “We are here, Saber. We will find
out who did this.” She takes his hand and he looks at her. For a moment, she
sees a flash of anger in his eyes, he recovers himself and releases her hand and
stands up.
“May I take my leave for now, Sir?” Saber looks to Commander Eagle.
“Yes. Just don’t leave the base, Saber.” The Commander replies.
He nods. “I’ll be in my quarters, Sir.” He leaves the room and heads to
his quarters, closing the door behind him.



                            Kapitel 2: Revelations
                            ----------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 2: Revelations	


“What the Hell is going on?!” Fireball stands up and asks fiercely.
“As I said, we don’t know. At this time, we are treating it as a terrorist
attack of unknown origin.” The Commander sighs. 
“And Saber has just lost everyone he loved…” April states.
Fireball stands up and walks to the window. “What exactly do you know about
what happened, Commander?” He turns and faces Commander Eagle.
The Commander runs his hands over his face and sighs. “Well, not much at this
point. Everything seemed normal. The passenger ship had just loaded, and had
been granted clearance for take off. It ascended into orbit normally, then
suddenly a blip on our radar, a flash of light, and an explosion.” A long
pause followed. “Then nothing…we tried to communicate with the vessel, but
nothing, no response. Just debris falling back into orbit, burning up as it
entered the atmosphere. No sign of anything on radar. No foreign ships, no
passenger vessel. There was no time, no warning…nothing.”
A shrill whistle is heard from Colt. “That sounds deliberate, if you ask me,
Commander.”
Fireball nods. “It does to me too. But who or what was the target?”
April sighs. “If we knew that, we’d be a lot better off in preventing
another such attack.” Did anyone see the other ship, Father?”
The Commander shakes his head. “The closest to any possible target would be
Senator Rider. Otherwise, there was no one of nobility, nor anything of import
on that vessel. As for the other ship…we aren’t even sure that there WAS
another ship. Just a blip for a split second on our radar, then all Hell broke
loose.” He goes into his office and motions for the others to follow. He goes
and sits behind his desk and logs into his computer. “Here is the radar just
before the explosion.” He points to the screen showing two ‘blips’ on the
screen. “Then here…” He points to several specks on the screen “is just
after the explosion.” 
April walks over and studies several images on the screen. “Look at the
timestamps, that’s…impossible. It’s not even two seconds before the other
‘thing’ is there and gone and then the explosion.” 
Fireball walks over and studies the screen behind them. “Do you seriously
think Saber’s father could have been a target? I mean seriously, if we are at
peace, then why would someone want to kill Senator Rider?”
“He was in support of keeping the Bismarck Peacekeeper Project active, unlike
some of the other delegates.” The Commander responded.
“You mean there was talk of ceasing the project?” April inquires. 
The Commander nods. “Yes. There are those in the High Command that believe in
order to keep the peace, we must be rid of all weapons.”
Colts slams his fists onto the table. “That’s crazy! Don’t they remember
what happened the LAST time we tried that?!”
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s a good idea to repeat such…actions.”
Fireball concedes. “We’d be sitting ducks for anyone…or anything for that
matter to come in overthrow us.”
April nods. “I don’t see the council going for it.”
“Senator Rider was one of the biggest advocates for keeping the project. He
was winning a few over to our side that otherwise might have voted against
it.” Commander Eagle says. He pauses, looking to each of the Star Sheriffs in
turn, “Even though he wanted Saber to resign his command of the project and
make a life with Sincia.”
“What?!” The others say in unison.
“He’d never go for that!” April says.
“He was considering it. He had discussed leading an outpost cadet academy in
New Scotland. With the understanding that if something happened, he could be
recalled. He actually wanted to stay on, but was trying to come up with a
compromise that would suit his parents. General Whitehawk asked him to take a
month to go home and discuss this option with his family before any decisions
were to be made.” 
“How did you feel about it, Sir?” Fireball asks.
“Well, at first I didn’t like the idea, honestly.” Commander Eagle
replies.
“But?” Fireball presses.
“Saber and I had some discussions on what he wanted for his career, I know he
wanted to be with his family, and was to be engaged.” The others looked
shocked. “He was planning on telling you once it was official.”
“I suppose now…” April shakes her head. “I can’t imagine what is going
on in his head right now. I’m not sure what I would do in his situation.”
“Yeah. What if Robin had been on that ship? It just as easily could have been
her and Josh. I’m not sure what I would do if I lost…them, either one or
both.” Colt states.
“Maybe some of us or one of us should go and talk to him?” April states.
The Commander nods. “I think someone should be close by. I honestly am not
sure what his state of mind is right now. I don’t want him left alone for any
length of time.” They all nod. “I will come to his quarters later and tell
you of any new developments.”
“Thank you, Father.” April says and heads towards the door. Fireball follows
her out.
“Sir?” Colt stops at the Commander’s desk.
“Yes, Colt?” 
“May I go and check on Robin and Josh? They are in a hotel just off base.” 
The Commander looks out the window for a moment, then turns back to face Colt.
“In any other circumstance, I would not allow this, but given the unknowns of
the situation, I think it would be wise for you to have them stay here…with
you.” Colt looks at him, shocked. “I can’t afford to have your team more
strained that it is currently. Not knowing Saber’s mental state right now, I
don’t think having your loved ones apart from here would be wise. Do you think
you can manage the three of you in your quarters, Colt?”
Colt straightens up and looks the commander in the eyes. “Yes, Sir. I don’t
think we will have a problem.” He hides a smile. “We have shared close
quarters before, and would again soon anyways.”
“Oh?” The Commander suppresses a smile.
Colt nods, a slight blush on his cheeks. “We were going to be married after I
got away for vacation.”
Commander Eagle nods, “I wish you the best, Colt. Perhaps you could have a
civil ceremony sooner, rather than later? Just in case things get…”
Colt nods soberly. “I know, Sir. I was thinking the same thing. May I take
today to talk things over with Robin and Josh, then report back first thing in
the morning?”
“Yes, just come see me, before talking with the others. I don’t want to
upset anyone.” Eagle replies. Colt nods and goes out of the office, leaving
the Commander alone to think. He leans back in his chair and sighs. 

April approaches the door and knocks, Fireball a step behind her. “I hope he
answers.” April states. “Otherwise, I will override his lock to get in.”
Fireball nods, just as the door opens. 
“Come in.” Saber states quietly, he then turns to go back into the
apartment. The pair follow him inside, allowing the door to close behind them.
The apartment is lit only by daylight, lamps and electronics are off. 
April spots a book lying open, a journal. “Can I do anything for you?” she
asks, not sure what else to say.
Saber turns to her and shakes his head. “No. Thank you.” He sits down in the
chair by the journal and places it again on his lap. He looks to them and nods
to the couch, “Please, sit down.” They sit down on the couch across from his
chair. He studies them for a moment. Noticing their tension he sighs. “Any new
developments?” He asks, trying to sound as if nothing is wrong.
April shakes her head. “Not really. We’re not even sure what happened. The
radar images just don’t make sense.”
Saber studies her for a moment, trying to asses the statement, “What do you
mean?”
“Well, everything is fine one moment. Nothing on radar, but the passenger
ship... then in a span of two seconds, there are two ‘blips’ one vanishes
and one…” 
“Explodes” Saber finishes quietly.
April nods. “The computer people are trying to find satellite images to see if
we can get a better picture of what was actually there.” Saber nods. “I
still think it sounds like an outrider attack, we know that we didn’t destroy
their entire race. They had begun attempting to colonize other worlds, just as
we have done.”
“Perhaps someone wants us to fight amongst ourselves, as a distraction?”
Fireball mused aloud.
Saber turned to face him. “What do you mean?” 
Fireball immediately regretted speaking his thought and swallowed hard. “Well,
you know that there was talk of disbanding the Bismarck Project, right?” Saber
nods. “Well, one thing we discussed was that your father was an advocate for
keeping it active. He was winning votes to his side. Persuading some who were
‘on the fence’ to vote for continuing the project as a means of
self-defense, as opposed as a machine of war. That made some greatly dislike his
influence.” April shot Fireball a warning look. 
“So he was a possible target?” Saber asked. 
Fireball nodded. “It’s a possibility.”
“It’s honestly too early to tell anything, Saber. Everything is purely
speculation at this point. But that was one possibility being discussed.”
April stated.
Saber closes his eyes and sighs, running his hands along the arms of his chair.
“Regardless of the why or who, innocent civilians were killed. Men, women, and
children…all were murdered in an instant, without provocation. That, by
standards of the Calvary Command and Galactic Alliance is an act of War.” He
closes the journal and places it on the table then looks out the window. 
“So what do we do now? Just wait?” Fireball asks.
April nods and sighs. “That’s all we can do.”
“We need to be out there. Searching for wreckage…for anything that could
help us to figure out who or what was there.” Fireball stated.
“They won’t let us out there. Or rather, they won’t let me out there. They
will consider this too personal for me to stay objective and focused. I will
probably be placed on administrative leave until this is figured out. You will
most likely be given someone to replace me.” Saber spoke as he turned back to
face his friends.
“They can’t do that!” Fireball quipped.
“They can and they will, Shinji.” Fireball winced as the use of his birth
name. “If it turns out that my father was indeed a target, then legally they
can’t let me on the case.”
“But you are the one that keeps us focused…” April starts to say.
Saber shakes his head. “Place yourself in your father’s position, April.
Would you let someone who just lost…” He sighs, “...their family to
continue working as if nothing had happened?” April shrugs. “I’m honestly
not sure what I’m going to do at this point. I’m not sure I COULD be
objective. I’m not sure if they will even continue to allow me to be a Star
Sheriff.”
Fireball looks up “What?! Why not?”
“Because, the ‘higher ups’ may believe I’d be out for vengeance, not
focused on the safety of the New Frontier.” Saber replies.
“But…but…you…I don’t think you’re like most other people, Saber.”
He answers.
“If you want my honest answer, I want vengeance, but not just for those I’ve
lost, but for the hundreds that were killed. But the soldier in me wants to get
to the bottom of this. I know that there will be a time and place for the anger
I feel, but it isn’t now. I do know that if my path ever crossed with the
person or persons responsible for it, I could not be held accountable for my
actions.” His fist releases from the tight grip of the pen he didn’t know he
was holding and it falls to the floor “Without seeing any of the data that you
have seen or any other reports, I cannot make any assessment of what
happened.” Saber says.
“But?” April concedes.
Saber nods, “But, my instinct is telling me this is not someone or something
we have personally dealt with before.”
Fireball studies his face “How do you figure?”
“Well, think about it…The outriders cannot just pop in and out that fast.
Not unless they have really advanced their technology in the past six months or
so.” April and Fireball look to each other, then back to him and nod. “I
don’t see that as plausible, because they lost the majority of their people
and their technology when their planet was destroyed.” The pair nod again.
“So, logic states that this…whatever it was is something and/or someone
entirely different.”
“That makes sense, but what? Or Who?” Fireball asks aloud.
“Well, there are other galaxies that we inhabit. Perhaps it was someone from
one of those.” April muses.
Fireball looks to her confused “But we cover the entirety of the New
Frontier.”
April nods “True. In this galaxy. But we have the entire Intergalactic
Alliance that we are a part of. There are other teams, similar to the Star
Sheriffs within other branches of the alliance, Fireball.”
Fireball looks between April and Saber “You both knew this?” They both nod
in response. “Why am I just finding this out?”
April smiles. “We never needed to mention it before. It’s not like it’s
some big secret. Just something that is there, but isn’t at the same time, you
know?”
Fireball sighs “Now I feel like a new family member just learning about an
‘extended family’ for the first time.” April laughs. “Well, that is one
way to look at it.” She pauses briefly before going into an explanation.
“The Bismarck unit was loosely based on some technology from another galaxy,
another part of the Alliance.”
Saber looks up, interested “Really? I hadn’t heard that. I thought it was
solely you and your scientist friends that came up with it.”
April shakes her head “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but no.” She looks
to Saber. “Have you heard of a robot from the ‘Dark Nebula’ Galaxy?”
Saber searches his memory for a minute then nods slightly “The Altean Robot?
What was its’ name?”
“GoLion.”April states.
“Seriously?” Saber asks, surprised. April nods. “I had no idea.” Saber
states. Pausing, he thinks for a moment. 
“ Isn’t that the robot that is five separate lion robots that combine or
something?”
April nods again. “Yes, several years ago, I visited there with father when we
were working with Galaxy Garrison on trying to come up with something to fight
the Outrider technology more equally. The GoLion Team had just lost a pilot in a
vicious attack, so as a Commander, he went to express condolences for our Branch
of the Alliance, and while we were there, father was talking with their Princess
and Court Strategist about the problems we were facing, and they allowed father
and me to see the Robot and we got copies of how it roughly works as a combined
and as separate units. But, even they were still learning about it. No one is
totally sure where it came from.”
Saber smiles weakly “I bet that was a dream for you.”
April grinned. “Yeah. It gave me a lot of ideas. I was like a kid in a candy
shop. Poring over all the schematics and data was my idea of fun.”
Fireball laughed. “I could see it now. You buried with a laptop and all these
papers around you.”  
Saber smiled at the image “I could see you... Pencil in your hair, surrounded
by books, spread out on the floor of your father’s office. You had to be
what…ten…or eleven then?”
April blushes slightly and grins. “Thirteen. I’ll have you know.” She
answers defiantly.
“Oh, forgive me, Princess.” Saber teases, chuckling.
Fireball laughs out loud, getting a sharp look from April. “You two are
impossible,” she adds, laughing.
“You made it all too easy, April.” Saber replies, then sighs sinking back
into his chair. “I needed the laugh, thank you.” He says soberly.
April and Fireball nod, coming back to their current situation. 
 “You hungry, Saber?” April asks.
Saber shrugs. “I suppose I should eat something. I don’t really feel much
like eating right now. I haven’t had anything since…” He sighs.
“breakfast… this morning.” He looks away, fighting back tears and swallows
hard.
“Saber…” April starts. “Um, why don’t I go get us something and bring
it back? It’s almost 18:30 now.”
Saber nods “That’s a good idea.” He answers quietly, trying to keep his
voice steady. 
“I’ll stay here.” Fireball says to April. She nods.
“No, she may need help carrying all the food. Go with her. I’ll be here when
you get back. Just come in, you don’t have to knock.” Saber answers as
normally as he can.
Fireball looks to April, who looks to Saber and studies his face for a moment
before nodding slightly and sighing. “Fine, this goes against my better
judgment but, I’ll take his help. Just know that you won’t be rid of us as
easily tonight.” She looks him in the eyes. 
Saber nods, understanding the unspoken thoughts. “I’ll be good. I may lie
down while you’re out. Just let me know when you come back.”
April nods, and heads towards the door, Fireball following behind. “We’ll be
back as soon as we can.” She glances back once more, then exits, the door
closing behind them.

Saber stands up and sighs, goes over and looks out the window, looking out over
the base of Calvary Command. He looks up to the sky, imagining the ship as it
was leaving just this morning…it seemed like a lifetime has passed since
then…He turns and goes into his room and lays down on the bed. He closes his
eyes and the images come flooding back…His father, Edward Rider. Senator and
Delegate from English Federation Colonies. Gone in an instant. His mother, Mary
Rider. Always with his father, even if she disagreed, she would put up a united
front. Both seemed so full of life, even as they argued, almost pleaded with him
to come home and settle down. Something he wasn’t sure he would be happy
doing, but was willing to come up with a compromise, to please them.
Sincia…the beautiful school teacher who was willing to wait for him. She
understood that he only knew how to be a soldier. She had been the one to
suggest trying to come up with a compromise. She was willing to let him be a
soldier, just wanted him closer than he was now. When he brought up the teaching
suggestion and an outpost command near his childhood home, she was happy to
settle for that, knowing, he could be happier that way. He thought back to that
morning…she had returned his journal, saying that it was only a few weeks at
most, and she wanted him to read the things she had written in his absence.
Tears formed now and flowed freely. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He let
himself grieve over losing his family, his love. Those he held closest to him.
He finally fell into a restless sleep.

April knocks lightly, then she opens the door to Saber’s quarters. Upon
entering, she notices he’s not in the common area. 
Fireball comes in behind her, setting the food down on the table. He turns on a
lamp. “I suppose it didn’t occur to him to turn on a light.”
April glares at him. “Fireball, he’s not exactly in his right mind. He’s
been through a lot in one day.” She looks around his apartment and notices his
bedroom door is closed. “Perhaps he’s resting.” Should I look in, or do
you want to do it?” She turns to Fireball. A knock comes from the door to the
apartment, she turns and goes to the door, opening it.
Commander Eagle enters the noticeably darkened apartment. “How is he?”
April follows him to the main area. “As good as can be expected, I suppose.
Better than I thought he’d be honestly.”
The Commander nods slightly and looks around. “Where is he?”
April nods towards the bedroom. “Sleeping, most likely. We just got back with
some food. He hasn’t eaten since this morning, and that was almost thirteen
hours ago now. We were just discussing who would go and wake him.”
The Commander nods. “I’ll go. Go ahead and get the food out and ready to
eat. Perhaps it will make him more willing to get up.” He heads to the bedroom
door and knocks “Saber?” After waiting for a minute, he enters the room.
It’s dark, and he sees the shadow of a lone figure on the bed. “Saber?”
the figure stirs a bit, still doesn’t answer. He goes over and touches his
shoulder. “Richard?” He turns on the bedside lamp. 
Immediately, the hands go up to cover his eyes “Ugh. Light.” He rubs his
hands over his face and looks around bleary-eyed, sitting up quickly when he
realizes the Commander is standing beside his bed. “Sir?”
The Commander looks over at him, trying to judge his current state of mind.
“How are you, honestly, Saber?”
He shrugs. “I think all things considered, I’m coping well, Sir.” He looks
down and sighs.
“The food is here. Why don’t you come out and eat something?” Commander
Eagle nods towards the door. We can all eat something. Knowing April, she got
enough food to feed a dozen people.” 
Saber smiles weakly. “That sounds like her.” He gets up slowly. “I’ll be
out in a moment, Sir.” He heads for the restroom and washes his face,
assessing his self in the mirror. The eyes looking back are distant, his face
looks tired, but he doesn’t look as bad as he feared. He splashes cold water
on his face, then glancing once more in the mirror, his eyes are a bit more
alert, he sighs as he heads to the living area.
April looks up as he enters, “Hey.”
“Hello.” He replies. “Smells good.” He looks at the spread of food and
smiles slightly, looking towards the Commander. “Your assessment was correct,
Sir.” He nods towards the food. “There’s enough here to feed at least a
dozen.”
Fireball laughs. “I told her it was a bit much for just us. But she wouldn’t
listen.”
April glares at him, then laughs. “I wanted choices. Besides, it can be
reheated.” She fixes a plate, and then sits down, nodding for the others to do
the same.
Saber fixes a plate, the others following his example. Then they are all sitting
down at the table, eating. “Thank you, April, Fireball. This is good.” He
eats quietly for a bit before looking around, eyes finally resting on Commander
Eagle. “Have there been any new developments, Sir?”
He finishes chewing and shakes his head. “Nothing. It’s rather bizarre.
It’s like nothing I have ever encountered. So far, we haven’t even been able
to acquire any satellite images of either ship.” 
Saber nods, processing the information. “Could it be something that perhaps
someone from another part of the alliance has dealt with or seen before?”
Commander Eagle looks up. “That isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.”
He concedes. “Perhaps this is bigger than we thought. Maybe we should ask some
of our other branches.”
Saber looks directly at the commander “Sir, as much as I know everyone will
say I would be too personally involved, I would like the chance to help find out
who and or what is responsible for this…tragedy. I am not the only person…or
soldier that has been impacted by this. I still feel that I can be objective in
this instance, and will gladly remove myself if I feel I begin to compromise the
integrity of the investigation.”
April looks up and watches Saber's expression as he’s speaking. She notices
his resolve to push back his anger, in spite of everything. 
Saber continues, “I know that you need a solid team to work this case, and I
feel that our team is one of the strongest we have. I also know that even if you
pulled me from the case, they” nodding to April and Fireball, “will still
most likely continue to work the case, along with Colt. This would mean they
would not be here much, and at a time I may need support, I feel working with
them as a team can not only benefit myself, by keeping me occupied, but by
keeping those of us together as we have been for these past few years, our team
will work most efficiently.” He turns and looks to April and Fireball. “That
is, if you still feel I can be of use as a member of the team.” He turns back
to Commander Eagle “I would even recommend that the command of our team fall
to either Ms. Eagle or Mr. Hikari”, nodding towards Fireball, “to keep
everything more objective, Sir.” April and Fireball look towards him,
obviously surprised at his last statement.
Commander Eagle looks carefully at Saber, then to the others before his eyes
meet Saber’s again. Holding his gaze, he nods slightly. “I am not against
such recommendations, Captain, however, the decision is not solely my own.”
Saber nods. “I do not see how they could demote you, as you have a stellar
record performance. This situation is not of your doing, so I do not feel it
would wise, or smart of anyone to change your position.” He looks again to his
daughter and to Fireball, “However, your recommendation that perhaps one of
the others assume the command of your crew, may not be a bad one…for the time
being.” He looks back to Saber, “Who would you honestly recommend, given the
situation?”
Saber looks at his friends and sighs, glancing at each one in turn, he meets
their eyes before turning back to the Commander. “Honestly, it would be a
tough choice. Each have their pros and cons, just as it should be.” He nods to
April “Ms. Eagle has more experience in the Command than Mr. Hikari, however,
some people might think that because she is your daughter, she would have an
‘unfair advantage.’ I know that isn’t the case, and I would gladly defer
to her, but she also isn’t as ‘battle trained’ as the rest of us.” He
looks to Fireball, “Mr. Hikari, however has less time within the Command, but
has a vast experience in battle and the ability to make split-second decisions
under pressure.” The Commander nods. “As I said, each have their strengths,
and weaknesses, we all do, Sir. The decision would not be easy.” He looks to
April and Fireball “Answer honestly here. We are not on record, so you can
speak freely.”
April looks between the three people sitting at the table with her, her gaze
finally resting on Saber. “I would recommend Shinji.” 
Fireball looked at her, shocked. “What?! Why?” He stammered.
Commander Eagle studied his daughters face for a moment. He noticed she was
completely serious. “I would like to hear your rationale, April.”
She nods. “Simply put, because he is more battle ready. He has the ability to
think faster on his feet than I do. Also, he is quicker to admit if he can’t
handle something…unlike me. I hate to admit defeat or ask for help.” She
smiles slightly.
Her father nods approvingly. “An honest, straightforward answer, April.” He
turns to Fireball. “Do you disagree with her assessment, Mr. Hikari?”
Fireball looks between his companions at the table, eyes stopping first at
April, then Saber, before meeting the Commander’s gaze and sighing. “I want
to argue with her, but her points are valid.” Saber nods slightly. “I would
admit that in some instances, I may highly consider asking for Saber’s opinion
on things, and following his recommendations, as he still is the more
experienced soldier. Even though I know that ultimately, I still would have to
decide upon what action was taken, taking the brunt of the responsibility if
something should go wrong.” Saber nods approvingly, and Fireball relaxes a
bit, his eyes still meeting the Commander’s.
The Commander looks between Saber and Fireball, then to April and nods. “Well
spoken and honest, Mr. Hikari. I will take all of this into serious
consideration and I may bring it before the Command in the morning.” The
others nod. “This means that each of you may have to make statements similar
to what we have discussed tonight, but this time on record. Could you handle
doing that?” He looks again to each of them, who nod as their eyes meet his.
“Very well then, I will meet in the morning with Mr. Wilcox, then go to the
Command Center and make these recommendations.”
“Where is Colt, anyways?” April asks.
 “He has gone to see about Robin and Josh. I told him to bring them here,
given we don’t know what type of situation we are dealing with. He will come
here after our meeting.” The others nod and he continues, “If for some
reason any of you have doubts of a change of heart, please let me know, even if
it’s the middle of the night. I will be going directly to them in the morning
to make these recommendations.” 
His eyes meet Sabers, who stares back at him with a fierce resolve. “I will
stand by the decision made by the Command, Sir. I just felt I had the right to
express my thoughts to you, informally. However, if you believe we have a chance
to continue to work together, I am willing to go before the Command and speak to
them, just as I have here to all of you, tonight.”
Commander Eagle gets up and goes and places a hand on Saber’s shoulder.
“Promise me one thing, Saber.”
Saber looks up at him “Sir?”
“If you need someone to talk to…” 
Saber nods. “I will, Sir. You have my word.”
Commander Eagle nods and removes his hand. “Goodnight, all.” He heads out
the door, leaving the trio alone.

April stands up and takes the dishes to the sink. Saber comes over. “I can get
this, April.”
She shakes her head. “I’ve got it. Rest. You’re going to need as much as
you can get.” She washes the dishes and sets them in the drain, then joins
Saber and Fireball in the sitting area.
“Well, now what?” Fireball looks to the others.
Saber sighs and shakes his head and looks at his watch. “It’s getting late.
We all need to rest before tomorrow. Why don’t you go and sleep. I’ll be
fine. It’s nearly 23:00 now.”
April looks at him, shaking her head. “We’re not leaving, Saber.”
“I honestly don’t need a ‘baby-sitter’ I will be fine.” He
interjects.
“Our orders were to stay with you. You are welcome to go to bed anytime you
wish. Your couch folds out, right?” he nods. “Then we can sleep here.”
April states.
Saber looks surprised for a minute, then smiles as April blushes, realizing what
she’s said. 
“I take it you’ve been together before?” Saber asks amused at the faces
turning red before him.
“Ummm…well…” Fireball stammers.
Saber laughs. “I’m not entirely surprised. I have had suspicions. I think
it’s fine. I will leave you two alone then and take solace in my room, where I
can brood in peace.” He gives them an amused look as they look away,
embarrassed. He heads to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He goes and
changes for bed, he lays back, eventually falling into a fitful sleep.



                              Kapitel 3: Meetings
                              -------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 3: Meetings	

Commander Eagle enters the room and sits, the others sitting as he does.
“Thank you for coming, gentlemen, ladies.” He looks around the table at the
various members of the board and takes a deep breath, noting the empty seat
where Senator Rider should have been. “As you know, yesterday morning we had
an…incident in our orbit here at Yuma.” Several members nod their heads. 
He continues, “Many people were killed. Included in the dead are Senator
Rider,” he nods to the vacant seat,” and his wife, Mary Rider.” He looks
around at some of the shocked faces, pausing briefly to let the news sink in.
“At this time, we cannot speculate who or what has caused this. It is not in
anyone’s best interest to assume anything. Our initial thoughts of course were
to immediately assume it was an Outrider attack. However, after talking with
different people, it has been determined that it most likely was NOT an Outrider
attack. There are not enough of them left, nor should they have the capability
to appear and destroy a ship and disappear with no warning.” 
He pulls up the radar screens from the attack, pointing out the timestamps. “I
doubt seriously, they would have such technology without the use of their home
planet.” Several heads nod, acknowledging the truth in the statements. 
“I feel that we need to act quickly to hopefully prevent such a tragedy from
happening again. I am prepared to set our best Star Sheriff Team out to
investigate the area to see if they can come up with any ideas. That would
also…” a hand goes up and he looks towards the man. “Yes, King Jarre?”
“Isn’t the son of the Senator on that very team, Commander?” Jarre asks.
Commander Eagle nods. “Yes. Captain Rider is a member of the team that I would
recommend heading the investigation of the incident.” 
Several members look shocked, then look around the room to one another as he
continues, “However, after talking with Captain Rider and the members of his
team, I feel that the team is still the best and most experienced for this
task.” He raises his hands to silence the objections. 
“Please let me finish.” Several people put down their hands and look on,
waiting. “As I was saying, after talking personally with him, I find he feels
that he should allow another team member to take command, offering only his
experience and insight as a soldier. He states that he can separate his personal
feelings from this case, and has given me his word that if it gets too personal,
he will remove his self from it.” He pauses briefly, to assess the members
faces, then continues, “I have spoken to each member of the team, and each of
them has strongly stated that they want Captain Rider to be on the team. They
have the fullest confidence in his ability to stay objective. Each person has
also given their suggestion on a temporary appointment of a new Captain.
Unanimously, it was recommended by each member that Shinji Hikari be given the
helm. They each state, that although his experiences with our command have been
brief, he has strong battle experience and the ability to think and act quickly.
A leader needs all of those skills. I believe that they are correct in their
statements, and I formally ask you each to consider this as a viable option.”

A man at the far end of the table raises his hand “Yes, Colonel Wyatt?”
“How sure are you that Captain Rider would be able to cope? I’m not sure I
would be able to stay objective under such circumstances.” Several others nod,
admitting they too had the same question. 
Commander Eagle looks to each person in turn then nods. “I have full
confidence in Captain Rider and the team. To quote his answer to me to me last
night when I posed the same question to him, he said ‘I know that you need a
solid team to work this case, and I feel that our team is one of the strongest
we have. I also know that even if you pulled me from the case, the others will
still most likely continue to work the case. This would mean they would not be
here much, and at a time I may need support, I feel working with them as a team
can not only benefit myself, by keeping me occupied, but by keeping those of us
together as we have been for these past few years, our team will work most
efficiently.’ That is pretty much a direct quote from Captain Rider himself,
given to me just last night.” 
He looks around the room again, noting several nods of approval. “I have told
the Star Sheriffs that they may have to come before you, and they are prepared
to do so, if it comes to that. My hope is that it won’t. The more time we
spend here, the more time any evidence we can collect has time to disperse,
hampering the investigation even more. As well as significantly decreasing our
chances of solving this case, and bring the responsible party or parties to
justice.”
King Jarre stands up. “I vote that we speak with each member of the Star
Sheriff’s team, individually, so that we can ourselves assess their mental
capacities of this case, asking each of them in turn, their opinions of Captain
Rider’s state of mind, and their choice for a temporary Commander of their
unit.” Several people nod in agreement to the request.
Commander Eagle stands up. “Very well. We shall recess for an hour. Then bring
the first person in for questioning. Who would you like to speak with first?”
King Jarre replies, “Ms. Eagle, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Hikari, and finally Captain
Rider. Is the order that I would recommend.”
Commander Eagle nods. “A reasonable request. Are there any objections?” No
one raises and argument. “Very well, I will inform Ms. Eagle to report here in
an hour.” The meeting adjourns and the people disperse and he heads to
Saber’s quarters.

A short time later, Commander Eagle arrives at Saber’s door and knocks. The
door opens and Fireball stands before him. Fireball steps aside and motioning
for him to enter. He enters the room and looks around, noticing they were all
sitting in the living area, obviously talking. They look up as he enters.
“Well, how did it go, Father?” April asks.
He sighs, and looks around the room. “The committee wants to talk with each of
you, separately.”
Saber nods. “I expected as much.”
“They wish to speak to you first, April.” The Commander replies. April nods.
“You are to report with me in an hour’s time.” She nods again. “They
then wish to speak with you, Colt.” Colt nods an acknowledgment, “Then to
you, Fireball” He nods. “Lastly to you, Saber.” 
Saber nods. “I expected as much, Sir.” He sighs. “I suppose that it will
take the rest of the day?” he asks quietly.
The Commander nods. “They will be asking a lot of the same questions that we
brought up last night.” He looks to each of them. “I expect you to all
answer as truthfully as possible. Be completely honest with your answers, even
if it means saying something negative. I don’t want any doubts you may have to
come out later.” They all nod. “Are there any questions?”
“No, Sir.” They all respond.
Commander Eagle sits down and sighs. “This is not going to be easy, for any of
you. Especially you, Saber.” Saber nods, acknowledging the truth in his
statement. “They will probably ask you about your feelings, and reactions to
the events of yesterday. So if you have any doubts…”
Saber sighs and shakes his head. “I assure you, I will be fine, Sir. I will
try not to be emotional in the meeting, though if I am, I will deal with it. I
plan on being completely straightforward with them, just as I was last night to
you. I will not lie, just to be allowed to work the case. It would do nothing to
honor my parents.”
Commander Eagle studies his face, searching for signs of distress and nods,
satisfied. “I think if you speak as openly as you did last night, and with the
same conviction, there should be no problems.” He looks to his watch.
“April, are you ready to go?”
April looks around to her teammates and nods. “Yes. Let’s go and get this
over with.” She stands up, walks over and places her hand on Saber’s
shoulder. “I have complete faith in you, Saber. I plan on making that
clear.” He nods and she releases him, walking out the door, her father
following behind her.

Colt watches them go out the door and sighs as it closes behind them. “Guess
I’ll be next.” He plays with the rim of his hat. 
“How are Josh and Robin, Colt?” Saber asks.
Colt looks up. “They’re doing O.K. A bit nervous, but otherwise they are
fine.”
Saber nods. “I heard you are sharing your quarters with them.” He suppresses
a smile as Colt blushes.
“Yeah. We would be soon anyways.” Colt mumbles.
“Oh?” Saber says.
Colt nods. “We were going to get married as soon as I could get away.”
“And now?” Saber asks.
Colt looks down. “We were going to do a civil ceremony this afternoon…just
in case…” He mumbles, not looking up.
Saber nods “It’s all right, Colt. You don’t have to tip-toe around me. I
am grateful you are trying not to upset me, I appreciate the effort.”
Colt looks up to him. “How do you do it?”
Saber looks to him confused. “Do what?”
Colt shakes his head. “I honestly don’t think I could be as calm as you
are…you know?”
Saber sighs and looks out the window. “Honestly Colt, it’s not easy. But I
think about if someone else were in my place. How would I want my family to be
if the situation were reversed?”
Colt nods. “And?”
“I would want them to grieve for me, but I would not want them to be so bad
off they couldn’t function. Honestly, it is hardest at night. When I have time
to stop and think, memories come back and I feel depressed...even a bit
overwhelmed at times. It’s then when I feel the most…alone. But, I know over
time, it will get better, and my energy is better focused on here and now,
rather than wallowing in the ‘what could have been.’ I want you to be happy,
so please don’t act afraid to be happy around me. After the Hell you have
endured, you deserve it. We all do.”
Colt listens intently, and nods. “I think I understand. I’m just not good at
things like this…”
“No one is, Colt.” Saber says somberly. “And no one should have to be.”
Colt nods. “True. But we have all been through it, not just me. We have had
good times, too.”
Saber nods. “We can overcome a lot of things…and hopefully become stronger
for it. You should go and marry Robin today, if you can, Colt. After your time
in the meeting hall, that is.”
Colt looks at him and smiles. “You think so?”
Saber nods. “If she is agreeable to it, I would in your situation.”
Colt nods. “I’ll speak with her, afterwards.”
The door opens and Commander Eagle walks in, followed by April.
“I’m glad that’s over.” April sighs and plops down on the couch.
“That bad, eh?” Colt asks nervously.
April shakes her head. “Not really, just long. I just don’t like being in
front of all those people.”
Saber Smiles. “Never took you for the shy type.”
April rolls her eyes. “Not shy. I just hate meetings. They bore me.” She
looks to Colt. “Your turn, Cowboy. They’re waiting.”
Colt stands up and sighs, adjusting his hat. “Wish me luck.”
Saber shakes his head. “You don’t need luck, just be honest, and you’ll do
fine.”
April shouts, just before he goes out the door, “Don’t forget to take that
hat off, Colt!”
Colt leaves, glancing back and grimacing at April for her comment, followed by
Commander Eagle.

April sighs, running her hands through her hair.
“How was it, honestly?” Saber asks.
“Not bad. It’s just several people asking the same questions in as many
different ways as possible.” April replies exasperated.
“Trying to make sure you’d give the same answer, I suppose.” Fireball says
as he walks in from the balcony. 
Saber looks up. “I forgot you were even here.”
“I went outside. I needed some air and time to think.” He replies. “Since
we have to stay in your quarters, the balcony seemed the closest thing to
getting air.”
Saber nods. “I don’t blame you.”
Fireball sits down next to April. “Well, I suppose after Colt, it’ll be my
turn.” April nods. “Then your turn, Saber. I bet you are dreading it. I know
I am.”
Saber shakes his head. “I actually just want to get it over with and have
their decision done. It’s the not knowing that is making me a bit on edge.”
Fireball nods. “I would rather be out doing something than be stuck here,
waiting to be told what I will be allowed to do.”
Fireball smiles, “You don’t like being cooped up, do you?” 
Saber smiles and shakes his head. “Not at all. One reason I wanted to be a
soldier was so I could travel and not be stuck in one place.” He sighs. “But
I was willing to make a concession…” April and Fireball nod,
understandingly. “I was so angry that my parents didn’t understand my not
wanting to be tied down to one place, I almost said I wasn’t coming home…but
I am glad I made peace with them before…now.” He looks out the window and
sighs.
April places her hand on Fireball’s, then glances at Saber, “I know this is
hard for you, Saber. I wish I knew what to say, or do to help, but I am not good
with feelings…I can listen, and maybe that is all you need…that and
time.”
Saber nods. “Thank you, April. I'll keep that in mind.” He gets up and goes
towards the kitchen. “Anyone else want tea?”
April turns towards him, “I'll take a cup, if you're making some. I could use
it to calm my nerves.” 
Saber nods. “Fireball?” 
Fireball shakes his head. “No thank you. Not unless you fix it with something
alcoholic.”
“Fireball!!” April admonishes.
He laughs. “I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Just a joke. I was trying to lighten the
mood.”
“Ha ha. Cute.” She smacks his arm playfully. “Always trying to be
funny.”
“I thought that was Colt, not Fireball.” Saber interjected, handing April a
cup of tea. Fireball rolls his eyes at the comment.
“Thank you.” She says, taking the tea. 
“No problem. I'm just trying to keep busy.” Saber sits down and sips his
tea.
“So, is it like you're in a court room or something?” Fireball asks April.
April thinks for a minute and shakes her head. “Not exactly. You are in the
board room. There's a big table with several people around it. It's almost a
semi-circle. You are on one side, and everyone else is on the other. General
Whitehawk introduces you, and then asks you several questions before opening the
floor for others to basically ask you the same thing in as many different ways
as possible. It can get on your nerves, but just remember, they want to be sure
that you aren't just saying what they want you to say. That you are answering
honestly. Had father not warned me of that, I might have gotten a bit pissed off
and said something I'd regret.” Saber suppresses a smile. “But all I said
was what I said last night...including why I thought you'd be a better Commander
than I would, Fireball.”
Fireball nods. “It makes me less nervous knowing what I'm up against.” He
sighs and closes his eyes, thinking. “I know things will turn out for the
best.” After a while, Fireball looks to Saber, “So, what were you and Colt
so deep into discussion about?”
Saber looks up. “Nothing in particular. We talked about life, why I became a
soldier, things like that. I asked about how Robin and Josh were, and he said
they were doing fine. That they are sharing his quarters now, because of
everything that is happening. He also mentioned that he plans to marry her this
afternoon.” 
They both look up, shocked. “Really?! He wants to get married today?” April
asks.
Saber nods. “He didn't want to tell me, but I drug it out of him. He wanted to
go ahead and get married in a civil ceremony, since we don't know what could
happen.” April nods, and squeezes Fireball's hand lightly. He returns the
gesture. Saber notices, and suppresses a smile. “I was thinking that maybe you
two should consider doing so as well.” 
The sound of someone clearing their throat causes them all to jump and look
towards the door where they see Commander Eagle and Colt standing just inside
the entry way, Colt with a smug look on his face.
“It's your turn, Shinji.” Colt says with a smile.
“Let's go get this over with, Mr. Hikari.” Commander Eagle says, watching
Fireball get up and head to the door without a word, the door closing behind
them. 
“How long were you standing there, Colt?” April asks nervously.
Colt smirks. “Long enough to know the walk down the hall with your father is
going to be worse than being in that room full of people.”
April swallows hard, her cheeks blushing deep red. Colt laughs. “It’s not
funny, Colt!” April retorts, finally finding her voice again.
“Oh yes it is.” He sits down on the other end of the couch from April and
looks to Saber. “I was thinking of waiting until you’re done with your
‘meeting’ to have the ceremony.”
Saber looks to him. “That could be quite a while, Colt. I think perhaps you
should have Fireball and April go with you. At least then you know you could
have it done today.”
Colt nods and sighs. “I was just hoping we could all be there.” 
Saber nods. “I know, but I don’t know how I will feel after this is over
with, and I would not want you to delay on my account.” He pauses. “Perhaps
after these meetings are over we can all go out to dinner or something.” 
Colt nods. “Maybe then we will have more than one reason to celebrate.” He
looks to April and smiles.
April blushes. “Maybe.” 
Colt grins. “Maybe? Yeah, right. I bet your father may see to it…especially
because of the tail end of the ‘conversation’ we came in on earlier.”

A while later the door opens. Fireball walks in, followed by Commander Eagle.
April looks up. “Well?” she asks a bit nervously.
Fireball shrugs. “It went better than I thought it would, to be honest.”
“That’s good, right?” April asks. Fireball nods.
Commander Eagle looks around the room. “The three of you may move about for a
bit and take care of your ‘personal affairs’.” He looks towards his
daughter and Fireball who blush and then nod slightly. “Just be sure to stay
close and to come back here within two hours.”
“Yes, Sir.” They reply.
Commander Eagle turns and looks to Saber. “You ready?”
Saber sighs and stands up, then nods. “Yes, Sir.” He says curtly.
The two then leave the apartment, heading towards the board room.
Colt looks to April and Fireball, “Are you two coming with me?”
They look to each other, then back to him and nod. “I suppose we should.”
Fireball replies.
April smirks. “To make sure you go through with it.”
Colt grins. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.” He heads out
the door, with them close behind him.



                            Kapitel 4: Inquisition
                            ----------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 4: Inquisition	

Commander Eagle and Saber approach the board room. Saber takes a deep breath,
trying to calm his nerves. Commander Eagle places a hand on his Saber’s
shoulder. “Are you sure you’re up to this?” 
Saber nods. “Yes, Sir.” He says, trying to sound sure of himself. He takes
another breath and they enter the board room. All conversations cease as he goes
and stands beside his seat, members of the board fall into their positions. He
stands at attention, waiting to be told to sit.
General Whitehawk calls the meeting to order and the board members sit down. He
walks to where Saber is facing him, making eye contact. “You know that you are
expected to answer as truthfully as possible, no matter what the outcome may be
from your answers, Captain Rider?” 
Saber nods. “Yes, Sir, I do.” 
The General nods for him to be seated and he sits in the chair assigned to him.
“Captain Rider, I want to first express my personal condolences to you for
your loss.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Saber replies, looking down slightly, then looks back up
to meet the General’s eyes.
“The purpose of this meeting is basically to see if you are fit for duty in
general, not just the case that would most likely be assigned to your team.”
Saber nods. “If you are deemed fit for general duty, it will then be up to the
committee to decide whether you will be able to work with your team, or be
reassigned to another duty until the case is resolved. Are you prepared to
accept the decision of this board, whatever the outcome?”
Saber nods. “I am, Sir.”
General Whitehawk nods. “Very well, let us begin.” He studies Saber for a
moment. Tell me about your morning yesterday, Captain.”
Saber takes a deep breath, and looks up at the General. “Well, my parents,
Senator Edward Rider, and Mary Rider came in a few days ago to visit with me,
and discuss a few things. They brought along the woman I planned on becoming
engaged to when I returned home after our debriefing meetings were completed.”
Several members nod, he continues. “We had some…debates as to my future with
Calvary Command. My father wanted me to return home, settle down and get
married.” 
General Whitehawk nodded, “He wanted to you to become a civilian, correct?”
Saber nods. “Yes, Sir. However, I knew that I would not be happy as a
civilian. My fiancé also understood this.”
General Whitehawk watches him closely. “But?”
“My parents were not so…eager to accept this. I came to you and we discussed
other possible options.” The General nods. “There has been talk for a while
of establishing outposts for Calvary Command where some of its delegates
reside.” Again, the General nods. “After speaking with you about the
situation, you had suggested that perhaps I could take a teaching position at an
outpost in my homeland. I was discussing this possibility with Sincia, my
fiancé, and my parents, and it seemed that they would all be satisfied with
such an arrangement.”
The general looks at him for a moment. “But would you be happy with the
arrangement, Captain?”
Saber thinks for a moment, then nods. “I believe I could have been, Sir.”
General Whitehawk pauses before continuing. “So, yesterday morning, you had
met your family, correct?”
Saber nods. “Yes, Sir. We met and had breakfast and said our farewells.” He
sighs. “I had promised to see them as soon as I could get away.” He pauses,
looking down, then continues a bit more quietly, “I had promised that I would
make my engagement official, when I returned, so we could start planning a
future.” He grips the arms of his chair, and sighs. “I watched the ship take
off, I then went to my quarters to prepare for the debriefing meetings. I was on
my way to the meetings when the alarms sounded.”
“What did you do when you heard the alarm?” General Whitehawk inquired.
“I turned and ran towards the Command Center. Upon entering I saw chaos. I
spotted Commander Eagle and started to go to him, to see how I could help…The
moment he made eye contact with me, I knew something was definitely wrong. He
looked, shocked. He told me to get the others, go to his office and not leave
until he had personally come for us.”
“Did you follow that order, Captain?” The General asked.
Saber nods. “Yes, Sir. He emphasized that it was a direct order. I immediately
headed to his office, where the other members of my team were coming from. I
told them we had been ordered to wait in the office until Commander Eagle
returned. Mr. Wilcox started to protest, but after I emphasized that it was a
direct order, we went inside and waited. After what seemed to be hours,
Commander Eagle entered his office.” 
“And what was your assessment of Commander Eagle at that point in time?” He
asks. 
Saber thinks for a moment, “My initial reaction is that something was very
obviously wrong. He looked…tired, pale, in shock. He came in and sat down,
then proceeded to tell us about the…incident.”
“And what was your reaction, Captain?” 
“Honestly, I was…floored. I thought I had misheard for a moment.” He
closes his eyes, fighting back tears. “Then I saw the look in his eyes when
his met mine and I knew…” He sighs. “I knew they were gone.” 
He pauses for a bit. The General waits patiently for him to continue. He looks
around the room, his eyes meeting several of the members of the Council, his
eyes stopping to rest on Commander Eagle’s.
“At that moment, I understood why he looked the way he did. I suddenly felt
that I couldn’t breathe, and that everything was just…wrong. Then I felt
anger. I wanted to find out whom and/or what was responsible for the incident.
Then there was numbness…I just was there, but it was like I was seeing and
hearing everything as someone else…it’s hard to describe.” He sighs.
“Then I just wanted to be alone. I was dismissed to my quarters, where I went
and read the journal Sincia had returned to me before they departed, and I
eventually fell asleep in the chair I was in.” 
He paused for moment, “A bit later, I was awoken by a knock at the door. It
was Ms. Eagle and Mr. Hikari. They came into the apartment and we had various
conversations. After a while, Ms. Eagle and Mr. Hikari went to get us some
dinner. I went to take a nap. I was emotionally spent and needed the rest. About
an hour later, Commander Eagle arrived just as Ms. Eagle and Mr. Hikari came
back with the food. Commander Eagle came in to the bedroom to wake me. We then
joined them and ate dinner. After dinner he told us that no one still knew what
happened. He asked me about my plans, how I was feeling, that sort of thing. I
told him that I knew that most likely, I would be pulled from the team and
placed on Administrative leave, but that if at all possible, I would like to
still be part of the team. He nodded and asked me whether I felt I could perform
my duties in an objective way.”
“And what was your reply?” The General asks.
“That I felt that I could. I will be honest; my gut reaction when I heard the
news of what happened was one of anger. I wanted nothing more than to avenge my
loved ones deaths. But after stepping back and looking at the big picture, I
realize that vengeance solves nothing. I am not the only one who lost people
that I loved in that incident. I know that our team is as good at what we do
because we can remain objective even in the most dire of situations. We each
have our strong suits, and our weaknesses. I think that keeping busy and focused
not only would be beneficial to myself, but it would keep a team together that
has been through hardships before and become a closer-knit team. We are familiar
with how we work, and would know if something was getting to be too much for any
one of us. I do however feel that perhaps it would be best to allow another
member to be in charge of our team. After thinking over each team member's
abilities, I would recommend either, Ms. April Eagle or Mr. Shinji Hikari for
the position of Captain.”
A man at the far end of the table raises his hand.
“Yes, Colonel Wyatt?” General Whitehawk says.
“Why would you recommend either of them, Captain Rider?” Colonel Wyatt
asks.
“Well, Ms. Eagle has been part of the Calvary Command for many years, albeit
as a scientist. She has a logical mind and is good at seeing a bigger picture.
All of those things are positive attributes. However, there are some in the
Command, even some that are in this room that would believe she would only be
promoted because of her father.  She also isn't the most likely to ask for help
if something is beyond her.” 
Several member nod, accepting what he says and he continues, “As for Mr.
Hikari, he has not been with Calvary Command for long, but, he is a quick
thinker. He is good at assessing a situation and deciding what to do in a split
second. He is battle trained, whereas Ms. Eagle is mostly support, as opposed to
being in the middle of the action. He is also not afraid to ask for others
opinions or for help if he feels he is in over his head. So, given those facts
and opinions, I would recommend Mr. Hikari for the position of interim Captain
over this case. “
Another hand goes up. “Yes, Admiral Newly?” The General acknowledges.
“What about your other team member, Mr. Bill Wilcox, Captain Rider?” Admiral
Newly asks.
Saber nods, “I would not recommend him for the position of team leader at this
time. Nothing personally against him, but he is a rather unorthodox individual.
His battle skills are excellent and he is a person that I would want to be
beside me in a fight, but he tends to be quick-tempered and does not handle
authority well. He is also not likely to think about the consequences of his
actions. Which is something that a leader has to take into account.”
Admiral Newly nods. “Well spoken, Captain.”
Another hand goes up. “Yes, Commander Hawkins?” Whitehawk asks.
“Captain, you said that you and your parents were at odds over your future, is
that correct?” Hawkins asks.
Saber nods. “We had some...” he pauses for a moment, “discussions. A few
of them were a bit more heated than others. By the time they left, we had agreed
to come up with a compromise. They had agreed to give me a year's time to decide
on my future with Calvary Command. I had also discussed the future with my
fiancé, who said that she would support any decision I made.” He sighs.
“She seemed to be the one to convince my Father to let me come to a decision
in my own time. She convinced him that forcing an immediate decision would put a
strain on their relationship with me, pushing me further away from them. That
made me realize that she truly understood me and helped me to decide that I
wanted to marry her. I was more willing to look into other options, such as a
teaching position, so I wasn't away for long periods of time.” The Commander
nods, accepting the answer.
Commander Eagle stands up. “Are there any more questions for Captain Rider?”
He looks around the room at the various people seated around the table, making
contact with each person for a moment. Finally King Jarre raises his hand.
“Yes?”
King Jarre stands and looks directly at Saber, “Captain Rider, do you honestly
feel you are up to working this case? I have noticed you coming close to
breaking down in the room today, as I am sure other have. How can we be sure
that you will be able to stay focused on the case and not...collapse under the
emotional strains of finding out what happened out there.”
Saber takes a deep breath, “King Jarre, I admire your boldness in asking me
such a direct question. I do feel that I will be able to work this case and stay
objective. I cannot honestly say that it won't take an emotional toll, I am
human. But I know that there is a time and place for grief. I have also given my
word that if I feel that the case is becoming too much for me, that I will
remove myself from the case. I am even willing to undergo counseling if that
will allow me to continue to work with my team. Working is a distraction and it
also allows me to stay close to my friends. A form of support that I feel I will
need in the upcoming days and months.”
King Jarre studies him for a moment, then nods, sitting down.
General Whitehawk again looks over the room. “Are there any other
questions?” No one makes a motion to raise more questions, and he nods.
“Very well then, I recommend we go ahead and decide the on the fate of Captain
Rider.” 
He looks around the room once more. No one motions to object, “On the question
of allowing Captain Rider to continue to work with the Bismarck Team on this
case, raise your hands if you feel he is competent to do so.” Several raise
their hands immediately, slowly all the hands are raised, King Jarre's being the
last one to rise. 
General Whitehawk nods and turns to Saber Rider. “Captain Rider, You will be
allowed to continue on the Bismarck Team. We will further discuss any
stipulations with you tomorrow. It is getting late and we need to discuss the
matter of who shall be in command of your team.” Saber nods. “You are
dismissed until we come for you in the morning. We shall let you know of any
other decisions we make at that time.” 
Saber nods, and rises from his chair. “Yes, Sir.” Nodding to him and then to
the room in general. “Thank You, Sir.” He then turns and leaves the room to
head back to his quarters. 

A few minutes later he enters his quarters and collapses on the couch and sighs,
running his fingers through his hair. He looks around, noticing how quiet things
are and sighs. He turns and looks at the clock; it's nearly 17:00. Closing his
eyes, he stretches out on the couch. 
“Hey, how did it go, Saber?” a familiar voice calls in the darkness. He
slowly opens his eyes to see April looking expectantly at him, Fireball, Colt,
and Robin peeking at him from over the back of the couch. He looks at them
blankly before waking up enough to move and sit up, rubbing his hands across his
face. 
“Well, I'm still on the team. The rest was still up in the air, and they may
still place restrictions on what I can and can't do. We should know more
tomorrow.” He looks at each of them in turn as they all make their way around
in front of him and sit on the couch and chairs near him. “How are things with
all of you?” he asks, trying to read facial expressions. 
He notices a blush on the faces of April and Fireball. Colt and Robin just
smile. He smiles a bit and looks to Colt and Robin. “I'm very happy for you
both. Congratulations.” 
Colt blushes and smiles, “Thank you. I just wish you had been with us.”
Saber nods. “I would have been, if I had a choice.” He looks to April and
Fireball. “Well?”
Fireball blushes furiously and April nods. “We did it.”
Colt laughs. “Funny how a gun to your back makes you a bit more cooperative,
eh, Shinji?” 
Saber looks confused as Fireball blushes, and Colt, Robin, and April start
laughing.
“He's teasing, Saber. There were no guns pointed at anyone.” April states.
“If there had been, we wouldn't be legal.”
Saber shakes his head and smiles. “You lot are impossible. I am happy for all
of you, congratulations to you two as well.” He says, nodding towards April
and Fireball. He looks at the clock and notices how much later it is. “Is that
clock right?” He asks.
April looks and nods. “Yeah, it's nearly 19:00. Why?”
Saber sighs. “Just means I had a longer nap that I thought. Have you
eaten?”
April shakes her head. “No, we were trying to wait for you.”
Saber stands up. “Well, I haven't eaten since breakfast and I am hungry. Want
to go and get something to eat? We can't leave base, but I think we'd be safe to
eat somewhere other than here.”
Colt gets up. “Let's go to the Galley. We should still be able to get
something there.” They all nod.
“After we are allowed to leave base, I will take all of us out to dinner to
celebrate.” Saber says. Everyone stands up and they head out to find dinner,
chatting about the day's events while Saber was in the meeting.



                           Kapitel 5: Investigations
                           -------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 5: Investigations

A repetitive knock at his door stirs him awake. He looks around, half asleep.
The room is mostly dark, bits of light peeking through the blinds. He sits up,
and notices the alarm blaring on the nightstand. He reaches over and cuts it off
as he gets up and heads for the door, opening it slowly. “Yes?” He asks half
awake. 
Commander Eagle looks startled, realizing he woke him up, he sighs. “Can I
come in, Saber?”
Saber comes to his senses quickly, realizing now who is at his door. “Yes,
Sir…I’m…sorry. Come in, please.” He steps aside so the Commander can
enter, and follows him back into the sitting area. 
The Commander takes a seat and studies Saber carefully. “How are you feeling,
Saber. You don’t exactly look…”
Saber smiles weakly and interrupts him before he can finish his thought.
“I’ve been better, honestly. I suppose we were up a bit late last night, and
when I managed to finally fall asleep, I slept rather soundly. Evidently even
through my alarm.” He chuckles. “Something I haven’t done since I was a
child.” He mumbles under his breath. He looks at the Commander and sighs.
“I’m going to go get changed. I’ll be right out, Sir.” 
The Commander nods and Saber goes into his room to change. He looks around,
noting how things appear normal. Nothing seems out of place. He looks towards
Saber’s room, pondering the discussions yesterday after his dismissal from the
meeting. He begins to wonder if they made the right choice, after seeing him in
such a state this morning. He sighs and shakes his head, no use judging solely
on one appearance. A knock on the door brings him from his thoughts. He hears
the shower running, so he gets up and answers the door. Standing before him are
April, Fireball, and Colt.
“Good morning, Sir.” Colt says cheerfully. 
“Good morning.” The Commander turns and goes back to the chair he had been
in, allowing them to enter behind him, sitting down as they do.
“How’s Saber?” April asks.
The Commander glances towards the bedroom door and shrugs. “Evidently, I woke
him this morning.” They all look slightly surprised. He nods. “He was not in
day clothes when he came to the door half asleep. He said something about all of
you being up a bit late?” The trio nods.
“We were up talking. I think it was close to 2 AM when we finally left here
last night.” April replies.
Commander Eagle nods. “Did he seem…satisfactory at that time?” 
April nods. “Maybe a bit tired, but he seemed Okay.”
“He seemed fine enough that when he insisted we go to our quarters for the
night, we did.” Fireball stated. “If I’d had any doubts, I would not have
left him alone, Sir. Honestly. He seemed normal. Maybe a little down, and tired,
but I expect that.”
“He had seemed relieved when we agreed to leave, actually.” Colt added. “I
think after being around so many people yesterday, he wanted to be alone for a
while.”
The Commander nodded. “Perhaps I’ll not be so quick to judge him. I just
have to be sure that he is truly capable of handling the situation.” The
others nod their understanding. 
April sighs. “I know you do. I honestly think he would admit it if he felt
that he couldn’t handle it. He knows that you basically have put your
reputation on the line for him and I don’t think he would purposely do
something that would tarnish that.” Her father nods. “Besides, he actually
almost seemed eager to get started. Like just doing something normal would help
him cope.”
The Commander looks towards the bedroom door. “I hope so.” 
The bedroom door opens and Saber walks out, looking much better. “Oh, good
morning.” he states surprised, as he sees his living room full of people. “I
didn’t know all of you had arrived.” He goes and sits on the couch beside
Colt.
Commander Eagle watches him making sure to make eye contact. “You seem a bit
more…alert now.”
Saber smiles slightly and nods. “Yes, Sir. I apologize for earlier. I just was
not fully awake.” The Commander nods and Saber looks around to the others.
“After not sleeping well a few nights, I suppose I just…crashed.” Did
everyone else get any sleep?” He smirks as a blush creeps onto the cheeks of
his teammates. “Perhaps I got the most sleep of any of you.”
Commander Eagle smiles at his teasing of his teammates and relaxes a bit before
clearing his throat, causing everyone to look at him. “I want all of you to
hear this, so I am glad that all of you are here, as it pertains to all of
you.” He looks to Saber, “After you left yesterday, there were
several…discussions. Some people were starting to second guess their votes on
allowing you to continue working at this point in time…” Saber nods, noting
the pause. “However, with the arguments you put forth and the others...” he
pauses, nodding towards his teammates, “...testimony on your behalf, we were
able to convince those who were having doubts of your resolve. On a personal
note, I will say that you held yourself together well yesterday. King Jarre was
really testing you. He wanted to break you down.”
Saber sighs, nodding. “I was prepared for it. I knew someone would. I would
have been surprised if he hadn’t tried, honestly. He is always trying to stir
up something, and this was just another chance to do so.”
Commander Eagle nods. “Well, I suppose I should get to the point of this…”
He sighs. “The board wants you to undergo some sort of grief counseling. They
have not said exactly how or when, but I thought you should know it will be
coming.” Saber nods. “I mentioned that you would most likely be traveling as
you work this case, making it harder for you to seek help, so the suggestion was
made that you keep a sort of journal of your thoughts and such as you travel. It
may be that no one ever reads it, but sometimes just putting things into words
is therapy itself.” 
Saber nods again. “I can do that.” He says a bit relieved. “I’ll have to
pick an empty one up.” He says more to himself that to anyone in particular,
then continues on normally, “I am not opposed to doing that. I do find it
therapeutic to write my thoughts out. It sometimes gives me a different
perspective on a situation.”
Commander Eagle continues, “As for the recommendation of a leader of your
crew…” He looks to each one before resting his eyes on Fireball. “After
much discussion, and taking everyone’s opinions and rationales into account it
was decided that you, Mr. Hikari will take the helm for this mission.” 
Fireball nods, looking to each of his teammates, then to Commander Eagle.
“Yes, Sir.”
Commander Eagle stands up and goes over to him, Fireball stands up and meets his
gaze. “You have now been given the title of ‘Captain’ Hikari of the
Bismarck team.” The Commander smiles, “I also hear that you are now my
Son-In-Law.” Fireball nods slightly and blushes. “Just remember that all of
us have put our reputations and faith in you. We will be here for support, so do
not disappoint us.” He nods towards April. “Or her. Or you will regret it,
Captain.” 
Fireball straightens up and meets the Commander's gaze. “Yes, Sir! I will do
my best.”
The Commander smiles. “Congratulations, on both your appointment and on your
marriage, Shinji.” He turns to April and smiles. “I suppose you are going to
take his name, April?”
April looks up. “Actually, Father, I had not thought about it.” She replies.
She looks towards Fireball who shrugs. “I guess it’s something we should
discuss.” Fireball nods.
Commander Eagle looks around at the team and nods. You should figure out what
your plan will be. I assume you will want to leave here with the Bismarck soon,
to begin the investigation. 
Fireball nods. “That would seem the most logical.” He looks at the others.
“I vote that we all leave and get something to eat, then regroup and figure
out how we want to work this.” 
Saber nods approvingly. “It’s never good to try and think on an empty
stomach.” He looks to commander Eagle. “Sir, would it be possible to send
any files pertaining to the incident to our computers on the Bismarck?” 
Commander Eagle nods. “I’ll work on that while you go eat. That should give
me time, seeing as we don’t have much information.”
“Could Robin and Josh come along?” Colt asks. “For breakfast, I mean.”
Fireball smiles. “I didn’t think you meant the mission, Colt.” He laughs
and nods. “Of course they can come.”
“Thanks. I hate I’ll be leaving them so soon.” Colt says.
Fireball comes and places a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Cowboy. The sooner
we start, the sooner we can get back.” He leans and whispers to Colt, “To
the Honeymoon.” He laughs as Colt blushes. “Is everyone ready to go?” He
asks aloud. Everyone nods. “Then let’s go.” They head out to go and get
food. 

Commander Eagle returns to his office. Upon entering, he notices General
Whitehawk waiting patiently. “Good morning, Sir.” 
The General stands up and shakes hands with him. “Good morning, Charles. How
is Saber doing? I assume you have gone to talk with the team already.”
Commander Eagle nods. “Yes, I just left his quarters. They were all going to
eat something, and then prepare to leave on the Bismarck.” He nods towards his
office. Let’s go inside, where we can talk more…casually.” The General
nods, following him inside where they sit in a couple of chairs in front of his
desk. “To answer your question, I think he is doing remarkably well. I
wasn’t so sure when he opened the door this morning though.” He chuckles.
“Oh?” The General inquires, looking interested. “Why’s that?”
“Well, evidently I woke him out of a dead sleep.” He sighs. “He seemed a
bit…disheveled, but after showering and dressing he looked more like his old
self. He made a quip about sleeping through his alarm, and not having done that
since he was a child.” He chuckles. “He actually seemed a bit embarrassed. I
am glad to know he was sleeping. I don’t think he slept much the night
before.” 
The General nods, processing the information. “What is your feeling of
him?”
The Commander thinks for a bit before answering. “I think that it is going to
be difficult. He may have some…setbacks. I don’t think we will have to pull
him from duty. He seems very determined to get past this. He took to the idea of
counseling better than I anticipated. I also suggested a journal, since I feel
that they won’t be near a base much for some time.” He pauses, collecting
his thoughts. “He seemed to be fine with it. I think he has kept one before.
They have asked that I send copies of what little we do have to the computers on
the Bismarck.”
General Whitehawk nods. “I would expect that.” He pauses. “Do we really
even have any information?”
Commander Eagle shrugs. “Not much. Just some radar images and I heard a tech
this morning saying we may have come across some infrared satellite images. I
was going to check my computer to see if they had sent me anything new.” He
gets up and walks around his desk and logs onto his terminal. Upon opening his
email he clicks on some images. “Not much here, that I can see, but if anyone
can get something from this, it would be April.” He forwards the files to each
team member. “They should have everything that I have here within an hour or
so.” He goes and sits back down across from the General. “Do you have any
ideas on this, Sir?”
The General pauses to decide how to proceed and sighs. “Charles, I don’t
think we have dealt with this before. I think that perhaps it was a freak
accident by something that did not intend to be where it was. At least that is
my hope. I want to believe we can live in peace. God knows we could all use a
break.”
“But?” Commander Eagle presses.
General Whitehawk nods slightly. “But…I have a feeling that we are not going
to like what we find.” He sighs, looking out the window. “I think that we
may be facing an entirely new enemy. Well, new to us, at least.” The silence
that followed was almost oppressive.
Commander Eagle goes and looks out the window, staring out over the Calvary
Command base. “I think that perhaps it’s time for us to realize we may never
truly have peace.” He sighs. “As much as I want to believe the Outrider War
is over, I am beginning to think that perhaps it was just a prelude for things
to come…I have heard rumors, General…” He turns and faces the other man,
still seated in front of his desk. “...Rumors of other empires that are trying
to expand their grip over humanity as a whole. I’d like to think I am wrong,
but the more I stop and think about, the more likely that this is just a taste
of what could be coming… Perhaps this next time it won’t be Outriders we are
fighting. It may be something far worse.” He pauses to collect his thoughts.
“I am more inclined to believe that this incident was not a politically
motivated attack, like we first believed. Those that died, I think were just in
the wrong place at the wrong time. Not that if that is indeed the case, will
make it any better for those that lost loved ones, but it may change how things
are handled.” He goes and sits across from the General again. “I sincerely
hope that I am wrong.”
General Whitehawk nods grimly. “So do I.” He looks closely at Commander
Eagle for a moment, choosing his words carefully, “Is this…feeling you have
the reason why you have allowed a breach of protocol within the Bismarck
Team?”
Commander Eagle looks at him surprised for a moment, and then nods. “Yes, Sir.
It is.” He pauses to think before continuing, “I feel that we could very
well lose one or all of them. I am hopeful that we won’t. But, whatever the
outcome is, I would want to know they had a chance at being happy.” The
General nods, and the Commander continues, “I just wish Saber had been able
to…”
“I know, Charles.” General Whitehawk sighs. “War is never easy, and this
has been rough on him, on all of them. We all just want a chance at happiness.
We want our children to have that chance as well…sometimes even more than we
want it for ourselves. I understand why you allowed them to get married. I’m
not against it. I just hope that we are only planning for the worst, and not
about to have to live it.” After long pause, he continues, “We have to hold
onto a hope that things will work out in the end. Perhaps Saber will find love
again, though I doubt he will want to for a while.” 
Commander Eagle nods. “They are stronger than we think. They have already seen
so much, even though they are so young. All of them have shown a strong resolve
to overcome obstacles. Saber is a good example of that. I’m not sure I would
be as…stoic as he seems to be. I see pain in his face, but in his eyes, I see
a resolve to become better…to get past the pain and move on.” He sighs.
“His father would be proud of him.” 
General Whitehawk nods in agreement. “I know he would be.”

It was mid-afternoon and April and Fireball are sitting in their terminals going
over the files sent to them by Commander Eagle. Saber comes in, carrying a bag,
glances over to them. “Have you found anything of interest yet?”
April looks up and shakes her head. “Nothing yet. I’m about to try and clean
up these infrared satellite images that Dad sent over. They seem a bit more
promising.”
Saber nods and continues on to his quarters, plopping his bag down onto his bed
and sighs. Looking around everything seems to be just as he left it. He shakes
his head to clear it from the memories trying to come to the surface of his
mind. He takes a deep breath and sighs before returning to the area where he
left April and Fireball. He enters the room to see Fireball glancing over
April’s shoulder. “Find something?” He walks over to peer over her other
shoulder.
“Possibly.” She replies. “I’m trying to blow it up a bit more.” She
starts pressing several buttons, before her screen suddenly gets fuzzy before
clearing up and showing what looks to be a faded image of a space vessel.
“There we go.” A stunned silence hangs in the air as the trio stare at the
screen before them. “It’s…it’s definitely a ship…” April manages to
whisper.
“Not one like I’ve ever seen.” Saber comments dryly. “At least we know
that someone else was there.”
“And, they aren’t Outriders.” Fireball adds.
April studies the ship for several minutes. “Perhaps I can clean these images
up a bit more and we can pass them around to the rest of the alliance. Maybe
someone else will recognize this ship.”
Saber nods. “At least then we might know who or what we are dealing with.”



                             Kapitel 6: Traveling
                             --------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 6: Traveling	


A few days pass. A mourning period is held, in conjunction with several public
and private memorials. Commander Eagle asks the Bismarck Team to come to his
office. They enter and sit down.  He looks at them for a moment before deciding
how to continue. “We may have a positive identification of the other ship on
the infrared images.” They all look up, suddenly more interested. “One of
the other planets in the Intergalactic Alliance has contacted us. Their people
seem to be fairly certain that the ship we saw was from a Galran fleet.”
“Galran, Sir?” Saber asks.
Commander Eagle nods. “Yes. Galra was once a planet in the Dark Nebula Galaxy
that was destroyed by the GoLion team from Altea and their Allies several years
ago. It was thought that all of their fleets were destroyed, but evidently, that
is not the case.”
“Does that mean that these...Galran people are going to start attacking
here?” April asks concerned.
“I wish I knew.” Commander Eagle sighs. “I certainly hope not. From what I
remember, the Galrans were ruthless, and believed humans or any other creature
for that matter, to be inferior and to be used as slaves or victims of their
sick tournaments of death.” He closes his eyes, thinking before looking back
to the group. “I have spoken with Strategist Raible, and Princess Fala of
Altea. They are willing to offer assistance to you in any way they can. They
have suggested that perhaps you could go to Altea and meet with their team and
see how they have successfully fought the Galrans, and perhaps learn ways to
prevent such attacks from occurring again.
Fireball nods. “So we are going to Altea?”
Commander Eagle nods. “I think it is a logical place to start.”
“When do we leave?” April asks.
“As soon as possible.” He replies.
Colt shifts uneasily. “Any idea how long we will be gone?” The Commander
shakes his head and Colt sighs. “I thought not.” He turns to Fireball.
“Well, how long do I have until we leave? I'd like to let Robin know.”
Fireball nods. “As quickly as we can manage. The rest of us already are packed
and living on the ship. That just leaves you to pack up and we can go. I want to
get moving, maybe then we can get some answers.” Saber and April nod their
agreement.
Colt nods. “I'll go and be back as quick as I can. I am packed, just wanted
to...”
“It's Okay, Colt.” Fireball interrupts him. “I understand.” He smirks
slightly. “Just get going.”
Colt blushes and laughs. “Be back soon.” He turns and heads towards his
quarters. The others go and begin prepping the ship to leave. Acquiring various
supplies and performing safety checks.

A couple hours later, Saber, April, and Fireball are back at Commander Eagle’s
office. Saber is sitting on a chair, April and Fireball on a couch. “So, how
long should it take us to get to Altea?” April asks aloud.
Saber shrugs. “I don’t have any idea, honestly. Don’t you remember how the
trip was from when you went before?”
April shakes her head. “Not really. I think it was close to a week.” She
thinks for a few minutes. “If I remember correctly, the ship we took back then
wasn’t as fast as our ship. We could probably do it in two days, easy. We just
have to take turns taking watch.”
Saber nods. “Just in case we inadvertently run into someone, we don’t want
to be caught off-guard.”
Fireball nods. “I say we make Colt take the first night watch, since he’s so
slow getting back here.” April laughs. “Well, it only seems fair.”
Saber smiles and nods. “You’re the boss, Sir.” 
Fireball looks at him and smiles. “So I could make him do it.” Saber shakes
his head amused, and April laughs.
“I’ll volunteer myself for the next watch. I haven’t been sleeping well
anyways. I could take say, from, 3:00 to 8:00 in the morning, by then someone
else should be up. I can rest some during the day, so it wouldn’t be an
inconvenience.” Saber offers. “That way, Colt won’t be half asleep if
something does pop up.”
Fireball nods. “If you’re comfortable with that, it is fine with me.”
Saber nods. “At least we have a plan.”
A few minutes later, Colt enters, carrying a duffel bag. “Okay. I’m ready. I
just have to toss this into my sleeping quarters.”
“It’s about time, Colt.” Fireball laughs. “You volunteered yourself for
first watch tonight.”
“Wha…How do you figure that?” Colt asks.
Saber walks up behind him and says quietly, “You were that last one ready,
Cowboy.”
Fireball and the others turn to Commander Eagle. “We will report any findings
we have as quickly as possible, Sir.”
Commander Eagle nods. “Good luck to all of you. Please try and come back in
one piece.” They all nod and head to the Bismarck.

It’s nearly evening when the team breaks to eat, leaving Colt on watch. Saber,
April, and Fireball are sitting in the dining area eating. Fireball looks to
Saber. “How are you doing, honestly?”
Saber puts the cup of tea down he had been sipping and takes a breath before
answering. “Well, I am a bit tired, but I don’t feel like sleeping. Sleep
has not been easy for me to come by.”
Fireball nods. “Do you think you should have not come? That maybe this is too
much too soon?” He asks concerned.
Saber sighs. “I think I’ll be okay, once we are actively doing something.
It’s when I have nothing but time I tend to feel more…depressed.” Fireball
looks to April, several questions in his mind, not sure how to proceed.
Saber notices the look between them and shakes his head. “Honestly, I will be
fine. I just need some time. I do feel that getting to the bottom of what
happened will help bring closure. So I am glad not to be closed up at
Headquarters trapped behind a desk. I believe I wouldn’t cope as well there.
At least here, I feel that I can tell you if something is on my mind. I
wouldn’t feel so…safe to express any doubts I had to those at Calvary
Command.”
April nods. “At least you are being honest with us.” She closes her eyes to
think, then looks at him. “You would tell us if you had doubts, wouldn’t
you?”
Saber nods. “Yes, I would. I would not put you in danger because of my mental
state.”
Fireball nods, listening to the two of them for a bit. “Saber, how do you
think you would do as a strategist and navigator?”
Saber nods. “That’s pretty much what I do anyways, isn’t it?” 
Fireball nods. “But, I think that maybe you should be the one to talk with the
people of Altea. You are a bit more…diplomatic than I tend to be.” 
Saber chuckles. “You have to learn at some point, Captain.”
Fireball grins. “Yeah, but you shouldn’t throw me straight into the fire.
And technically, you are still a Captain. I’m just the one ‘in charge’ of
this particular mission. So your rank would be equal to mine. They should
respect that. Besides, you are the more logical thinker. It makes sense that you
have free access to the information. I’m not as technically inclined as you or
April, so I would have to defer to both of you for advice anyways. I know the
ultimate decisions on action are up to me, but I want us to be able to work on
our own too. If we know what our strong suits are, then we can each focus on
that, sharing what knowledge we gain with each other, and deciding how best to
use the information.”
Saber nods approvingly. “Point taken.” He looks to April. “Any insights
from you?” 
April shakes her head. “Not really. I would like to see GoLion up close. I’m
curious as to what kind of upgrades we might be able to make to the Bismarck.”

Saber smiles and shakes his head. “You’re hopeless sometimes. Not that I
blame you. Not many would get such an opportunity. Besides, I’d like to see
the inside of one of the robot lions, if they would allow it. It could be a
valuable learning experience.” April nods in agreement.
Fireball nods. “I’d love to see it in action. I hear that they are a pretty
close team, a lot like we are.” 
Colt comes walking in from the control area. “So far, so good. A few transport
ships, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
Fireball looks up. “That’s good. I want us to try and relax until we get
there. I have a feeling we might not have much opportunity to once we arrive.”
A beeping is heard coming from the control area. 
Saber looks up. “Sounds like someone is trying to contact us, you want to
answer, Fireball?” 
Fireball shakes his head. “I think you should. I’ll come with you though.”
He stands up.
Saber gets up and heads to his saddle unit, Fireball, April, and Colt follow
behind him. “This is The Bismarck. Go Ahead.”
A middle-aged man appears on the screen. “This is strategist Raible of Altea.
I was checking in to see how your trip has been and your approximate ETA.”
Saber nods. “I am Captain Richard Rider of the Bismarck. Our ETA is
approximately” he pauses as he looks at the navigational maps, “another
twelve hours, Sir. That is, if our current luck holds.”
Raible nods. “You are making rather good time. You must have a good ship.”
Saber nods. “It’s our best ship, Sir.”
A young woman appears behind Raible on the screen. “We are looking forward to
meeting you. I am Princess Fala of Altea.” 
Saber nods. “Your Highness. We also look forward to our meeting. We hope that
it will be beneficial to all of us.” Fala nods. 
“We shall end our communication here until your arrival. If you run into
trouble, just call us. You are close enough now, that we could come to your
aid.” Raible says. 
Saber nods. “Thank you, Sir. Bismarck out.” The screen cuts off and he turns
to face the others behind him. “Well, that seems promising.”
Fireball nods. “And that is the reason I want you to be the one to talk to
them. You speak their language.”
Saber looks up amused. “Do I?” Fireball nods. “And what ‘Language’
would that be, Captain?”
Fireball laughs. “’Noble’, Captain.” Saber shakes his head smiling.
April starts laughing. “Okay you two. Don’t make me separate you.”
Fireball and Saber look up at her innocently. “What did we do?” They all
start laughing.
Colt shakes his head and returns to his saddle unit. “And ya’ll wonder why I
don’t want to become an officer?”
Fireball looks over, “Why wouldn’t you, Colt?”
Colt looks at him, “Two reasons. I don’t like having to answer for other
people’s mistakes. Also, it evidently makes you crazy.” He grins. April
starts laughing.
“Who are you calling crazy, Cowboy?!” Fireball asks.
Saber laughs. “To be in this line of work at all, you have to be a bit…off.
I’d say he’d make the perfect officer, don’t you agree, April?”
April smiles mischievously. “I think you’re right. He would be the perfect
candidate.”
Colt grumbles and turns and faces into his unit, not saying another word. The
others all start laughing.
Fireball catches his breath. “I suppose we should be nicer to the poor Cowboy.
He’s just mad he had to leave Robin so soon.” 
Colt looks over to him. “At least your wife is with you. You don’t have to
sleep alone.” Saber gets up and quietly leaves the room. Colt winces,
realizing what he said.
April glares at Colt. “I can’t believe you said that in front of him!”
Colt looks to where Saber had left and quietly answers. “I wasn’t thinking.
I’m sorry.”
Fireball sighs. “I know it wasn’t intentional. We sort of let it get out of
hand, but the comment was a bit insensitive.”
After a few minutes, April gets up and looks towards the sleeping quarters.
“I’ll go and talk to him.” She goes to his door and knocks. “Saber?”
“Come in.” He replies.
April opens the door and sees him sitting at his desk. “Saber, I’m…”
He holds up his hand to silence her, and shakes his head. “No. I just over
reacted. I was fine once I got out of the room. It’s not as bad as it was a
few days ago. I…I wasn’t trying to upset anyone. No one did anything
wrong.” He sighs. “It will just take time…” He stands up nods towards
the door. “Come on. I need to say something to all of you.” She nods and
they return to the control area. Fireball and Colt look up when they enter,
looking down when he makes eye contact. He sighs. “Look at me, please. I feel
that I need to say something to all of you.” April goes to her saddle unit and
turns to face Saber, Fireball and Colt look up at him, looking a bit guilty.
“I want all of you to know that I do not want you to curb what you say around
me. It causes tension, and that is something we can not afford. I would like to
think we are all good friends here.” He pauses, looking to each of them and
they nod their agreement. He continues. “Then you will just have to understand
that if something you say bothers me, I’ll just walk out to compose myself and
my thoughts. It’s not that I’m not angry at any of you, if I walk out of a
room; it just means I need some space. If I feel you have crossed a line that
you shouldn’t have, I will tell you. Hopefully, you would do the same for
me.” Again the three nod. “I am getting better. It just takes time. Albeit
more time than I would like. I may relapse on occasion, and then just come and
talk to me. I’ll tell you what is going on in my head. I will not allow my
personal feelings to endanger any of you. I don’t care to lose anyone else
I’m close to.” He pauses again then sighs looking a bit tired. “I’ll be
in my room for a while. Please don’t be afraid to come and get me if you need
me before I come out.” With that, he turns and goes back to his quarters, the
door closing after him.
Fireball sighs. “Well, at least we know how he feels.”
Colt stands up. “I really didn’t mean to upset him.”
April shakes her head. “He’s right you know. We need to be honest with each
other. Otherwise, we could have problems.” She looks back towards the sleeping
quarters, “I think he’ll be okay. I think he’s mad more at himself right
now for the little things that still bother him. One of his biggest strengths is
being able to keep his emotions separate, and right now, it’s a bit…tough on
him. Maybe the change in scenery will do all of us some good.” She turns and
looks back to Fireball. “I think this will be a good trip, I just wish we
weren’t on such a depressing mission.”
Colt nods. “I’ll try and not say anything like I did before. I only meant it
in fun.” 
Fireball nods. “I think we should all try and be a bit more…conscious of
what we say. And not just because of Saber. We don’t want to offend the
Alteans...especially the Princess.” 
April smirks. “Taken with the beautiful Princess, Fireball?”
He looks over innocently, “No. I just don’t want to make an enemy of her. I
think we need all the help we can get.”
April smiles. “I was only teasing. I knew what you meant.”
Fireball grins, going over and places his hand on her shoulder. “Sure you
did.”
Colt chuckles and goes back to the screen, watching it for a while, then looks
up. “Think I have time for a nap?”
“Sure, go ahead. I’ll stay up here until we’re about an hour out, then we
should all be up and ready.” Fireball replies.

A few hours later, April goes and knocks on Colt’s door. “Time to get up,
Cowboy. We’re about an hour out.”
Colt grumbles, “That was way too short.”
“Sorry, but I told you it’d only be a few hours.” April replies. She then
goes over to Saber’s door and knocks, “Saber. We’re about an hour out.”
She waits a minute and after getting no reply she enters the room. She notices
he’s sleeping soundly; she goes over to him and shakes him gently on the
shoulder. “Saber?” He stirs briefly. “Saber, we’re almost to Altea.”
He opens his eyes and looks around getting his bearings, then notices April.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I fell asleep.”
She smiles at him and nods. “You actually look a little better than you did
earlier.” 
He sits up. “I take it we’re almost there?” 
She nods. “We’re about an hour out, maybe less.”
He nods and she moves so he can stand. “I’ll be out in a minute. I just want
to wake up a bit more.”
April nods and heads back to the control room. 
A few minutes later, Saber comes out and sits in his saddle unit. “It appears
we are approaching Altean orbit. Should I attempt to request permission to land,
Captain?” He looks to Fireball, who nods. He presses a few buttons, “This is
the Bismarck, calling Altea, come in.” He waits.
A minute later a young man with dark hair appears on the screen wearing a red
and white uniform. “This is Altea. Go ahead.”
“Requesting permission to land, Sir.” Saber replies.
The dark haired person nods. “Permission granted, Bismarck. There is a landing
pad behind our castle. I’m sending you the coordinates now.” He is seen
pressing buttons, shortly after coordinates appear on Saber’s screen.
“Coordinates received. We shall arrive very soon.” Saber states.
The dark haired person nods. “Welcome to Altea, Bismarck. We will meet you on
the tarmac. Altea out.” The screen goes dark. Several minutes pass by.
Saber turns to Fireball. “We should be arriving in about two minutes,
Captain.” Fireball nods. “Tarmac in site.”
They proceed to land. After setting down, the crew gathers before exiting the
ramp as one.
At the bottom of the ramp, they are met by several people in uniform. The older
looking man steps forward. “Welcome to Altea.” He stretches out his hand.
Fireball steps forward and shakes it. “I am Court Officer and Strategist
Raible. This is...” He nods to the Princess, “...Her Royal Highness,
Princess Fala.” The crew all bow.
“Your Highness” Fireball acknowledges. He then nods to his crew. “We are
grateful for your warm welcome. I am Captain Shinji Hikari of the Bismarck.” 
The dark haired man in the red and white uniform steps forward. “I am
Commander Keith Kogane leader of the GoLion team.” He nods to his crew.
“This is Lance Kurogane.” A man in a blue and white uniform steps forward.
“This is Tsuyoshi Seidō” A heavy-set man in a gold and white uniform steps
forward. “And finally, this is Hiroshi Suzuishi.” A teenager in a green and
white uniform steps forward and nods. “We are the GoLion Team, along with
Princess Fala.”
Fireball nods to each. “It is an honor. This is Captain Richard Rider,” He
nods towards Saber, who nods to the crew. “This is Ms. April Eagle” She
steps forward and nods in greeting. “And this is Mr. Bill Wilcox.” He nods
and steps forward. “We are the crew of the Bismarck.”



                               Kapitel 7: Altea
                               ----------------


Transformations…
Chapter 7: Altea	


The crew of the Bismarck were given sleeping quarters in the castle, and allowed
to move around freely within the castle walls. That night, a banquet was held to
welcome them, with everyone gathering afterward in a common sitting room,
talking about their various backgrounds. Saber, Colt, and Lance were sitting
together on one couch, while Keith, Princess Fala, April, and Fireball were on
another, with Hiroshi (Shorty), Seidō (Hothead), and Raible sat on the third
couch. 
The Princess looks to Saber. “You were also introduced as a Captain, weren’t
you?” 
Saber nods. “Yes, Your Highness. I have been the Captain of the Bismarck the
past few years. But because of …” He pauses trying to think of how to
explain, “...the ‘incident’ in which my parents and fiancé were among the
victims, it was decided that one of the others should be in charge.” 
He nods towards Fireball. “We chose Captain Hikari to lead our team.”
The Princess nods. “I am sorry for your loss, Captain Rider.”
Saber nods. “Thank you, Your Highness. It has been a rough few weeks, but I am
glad that Calvary Command has allowed me to remain with the Bismarck team. I
feel that the best way to honor all of those killed, is to find out what
happened, so that we can hopefully prevent another such incident.” 
Keith looks up. “So, what all do you know so far?”
Saber looks to Fireball, waiting for him to reply. Fireball shakes his head. 
“Not a whole lot, actually.” He looks to April “April, you seem to have
the most information. Can you pull up what you have on your computer?”
April nods. “Sure, Fireball. I just have to go get my laptop.” She gets up
to go to her room.
Lance looks up, obviously amused. “'Fireball', huh?” He chuckles. “You
guys seem as…comfortable as we are with each other.”
Fireball looks confused. “What do you mean?”
Lance shrugs. “Well,” He nods towards Keith, “we have our fearless leader,
Keith, we also call him ‘Chief” at times. Then you have Seidō,” nodding
towards him, “We affectionately refer to him as ‘Hothead’.” He nods
towards the teenager, “And lastly, we have ‘Shorty’.” Who glares at
Lance.
“Who isn’t quite as short as he used to be.” Keith adds trying not to
laugh. 
Shorty glares at Lance. “We call you 'Moody' for good reason, you know!”
“I go by ‘Lance’ unless we are at some formal boring ‘royal’
proceeding.” He looks to the Princess. “Right, Princess?” 
She nods, smiling. “We are a bit…unorthodox, but we are good at what we
do.”
Fireball nods. “A lot like us, actually. I got the name 'Fireball' when I was
racing.” He looks towards Colt. “The Cowboy over there we call
‘Colt’.” Colt tips his hat. “And that is ‘Saber’” He nods in
Saber’s direction. 
Hothead looks up. “I’ll bite. Why ‘Saber’?”
Saber shrugs. “I honestly don’t remember the exact circumstance it’s been
so long. My father started calling me that after I started my fencing lessons as
a child and it stuck. I decided I liked it better than ‘Richard’. It sounded
way too formal to me.”
Fireball laughs. “That’s funny, seeing as you’re the most ‘formal’ of
any of us, Saber.”
Saber smirks. “I’m the only disciplined one, you mean?”
They all start laughing and April enters the room looking utterly confused.
“Obviously I missed something.” She says looking around the room.
Fireball smiles. “Well, you called me ‘Fireball’” April blushes and
starts to say something when he continues, “I know you did it out of habit.
It’s fine. It just started a discussion on names we call each other.”
April nods. “I see. Well, I’m April. Fortunately, they don't have a pet name
for me.” 
“Yet.” Fireball and Colt say almost simultaneously.
April rolls her eyes and takes her computer to a table and brings up the
familiar radar images. “As you can see, this isn’t much. You have seen the
satellite images. It’s not much to go on.” She points out the timestamps
from the radar images. “The only thing we can’t understand is the short
amount of time that it took for the attack. We have never encountered a ship
that could just appear and disappear so quickly.”
“Nor attack with such ferocity.” Saber adds.
Keith looks at the screen and sighs to gather his thoughts. “Well, if we are
correct, and this is a ship from the former Galran Empire, it’s not good news
at all. The Galrans were not a good group. They would drink human blood, and
even eat humans, if they got the chance. We were nothing more than slave labor
and food to them.” He looks around at the shocked faces of the Bismarck crew,
during the shocked silence.
“Obviously you left that out of the initial report.” Saber says, finally
finding his voice.
Keith nods and looks to Princess Fala, who continues to explain. “We didn’t
think it would be wise to mention it in a report that could be leaked somehow.
We didn’t want to cause panic. We did not plan on withholding the information.
It was one of the reasons we wanted you to come here.”
Saber nods. “That makes sense. I could only imagine the type of rumors that
could go around with that bit of information. You were wise not to disclose that
in the report.”
Princess Fala nods. “Yes, it would surely cause mass hysteria. Not a good
idea, given the circumstances.” “Perhaps that it what someone wanted to
accomplish.” Saber says, thinking aloud. 
Keith nods. “That is a possibility. The Galrans always loved stirring up
trouble. The more humans fought with themselves, the easier it would be to
overrun them. This just seems so much like their M.O., but we destroyed their
home planet, and killed Sincline and Daibazaal. I’m not sure who would be left
to be able to pull off such an attack. As far as we knew, all of their warships
were on Galra when we destroyed it.”
Saber nods, thinking. “Were there any other factions of their empire, where
they could have hidden a ‘rogue unit’ or something?”
Keith shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine on that. Everything points to
them, but we can’t find enough evidence to support it. I do know without a
doubt that the ship in that image was of Galran dissent.”
Fireball sighs. “So we aren’t much better off than when we left Calvary
Command.”
Saber looks at him. “Patience, Fireball. We will figure this out. At least now
we are fairly certain that this wasn't a personal attack on my father. To me,
that is something.”
Keith looks over at Saber, curious. “Why would someone think of your father as
a target?”
Saber looks up, “Well, he is …was a Senator from the English Federation
Colonies. He was in the process of trying to keep the Bismarck Project up and
running. It was something that not everyone in our branch of the Alliance was in
favor of.”
“Why wouldn’t they be in favor of it? Couldn’t they see that if something
were to happen that your team would be needed?” Princess Fala asks.
Saber shrugs. “I can’t honestly say. Logically, one would think that keeping
our crew as active would serve as a deterrent, but I was hearing that others
felt that it was more of a threat. My father was evidently winning people of
influence to his view, and there was thought initially that someone staged the
attack to make some kind of point.” The Princess nods. “I don’t think that
is the case. What little evidence we do have suggests that this is something we
have not dealt with before. So there is no sense in pursuing such an avenue at
this point.”
Colt looks up. “I still feel that this was a deliberate attack. It was meant
to get our attention. I’m just not sure why someone wants our attention.” 
Saber looks over to him. “You sure seem to believe that, Colt. I just don’t
see how some entity we have never encountered before would want to so
spectacularly draw attention to themselves.”
Raible sighs and looks around at the people in the room. “I think the Cowboy
may have a point.” Everyone turns and looks to him. “Perhaps the goal was to
cause panic and doubt among your people?”
Saber nods. “Okay, I think I see where you’re going with this.”
Raible continues, “They have succeeded in that, have they not?”
Saber nods. “They have caused a bit of a stir.”
“So perhaps, whoever it was that attacked, was merely testing the response.”
Raible states.
“That is not a good thing.” Fireball adds grimly. 
“If that is indeed the point of the attack, it is not a good thing at all.”
Colt says. 
Raible stands up. “It is getting late. I suggest that everyone try and get
some sleep. I will send out a communication to all of the Alliance branches to
be on the lookout for a ship similar to the one your people were attacked by.
I’ll even send a few pictures of similar ships, just to see if we get a hit.
Perhaps if we know where they are based, we can get them before anything else
occurs.” Everyone nods. “Then let’s be off. I have the files together and
will send them off, then be to bed myself. We shall all meet first thing in the
morning. Good night” He heads out towards the control room.
Hothead stands up. “Let’s all get some shut-eye. We can think more clearly
if we get some sleep.” 
Everyone else starts to stand up, and muttering good night as they head to their
rooms.

A few hours later, Saber is sitting in a chair in the common area, writing in a
book. He hears footsteps quietly approaching and looks up, placing the book face
down on his lap.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Princess Fala appears in the doorway.
Saber shakes his head. “I got almost three hours. Lately, it seems that
getting that much is a luxury.”
She nods as she goes and sits down in a chair across from him. “I understand.
I feel uneasy about this whole situation. I can’t quite put my finger on it
though. I feel like we need to be ready for whatever is coming.” She sighs.
Saber nods. “I know what you mean. Whatever we find won’t be good. I can
almost guarantee that.” He absently closes the journal and looks out the
window.
Princess Fala notices the book. “Did I get you from something?”
Saber looks over to her and shakes his head. “No. Not at all, Your
Highness.”
“I wasn’t sure, since you had a book you put down when I came in.” She
replies.
Saber shakes his head. “No. When I can’t sleep any more, I tend to find some
place quiet to sit and write down my thoughts. Supposedly, it’s supposed to
help me clear my head.”
She smiles. “I take it you don’t believe that?”
“I’m not entirely convinced of it, but. I do think writing down my thoughts
does keep me from completely losing my mind.” He replies.
“I’m not sure how I would be in your situation.” She pauses, trying to
think of what to say. “I lost my family as an infant, so I never really knew
them.” She chuckles. “I guess we all have had some strange things happen at
some time or another in our lives.”
They hear another person approach and Keith enters the doorway. “I thought I
heard voices.”
“Did we wake you?” Princess Fala asks.
Keith walks in and sits in the last open chair, shaking his head. “No. I
usually get up about now. I was just surprised to hear anyone else up, so I came
to investigate.”
Saber nods. “I apologize. I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I came in here,
where it was peaceful to try and clear my head. I didn’t mean to wake
anyone.”
“You didn’t wake me. I was having trouble sleeping and was going to go fix
myself something hot to drink, but I saw the light on, and came here instead.”
The Princess states. 
“As I said, I just happened to hear voices, and came to investigate. It’s so
unusual for anyone else to be up this early.” Keith replies. “I normally go
out in my lion on patrol for a bit before anyone else is up.”
Princess Fala smiles, “I wondered why you were always so alert when everyone
else was still getting up.”
Keith looks between the two of them. “Would either of you care to join me?”
The Princess nods. “I’d love to. Let me go and get changed.” She stands up
and heads back to her room.
“Saber?” Keith looks over to him.
Saber blinks for a moment. “Oh. You weren’t just being polite?”
Keith laughs. “Trust me. Not something I would offer unless I meant it.”
Saber nods. “Perhaps you could ride along with Fala. Her lion is less complex
than mine. So maybe you can learn some things about our ships, and later we
could see yours?”
Saber nods. “It would be an honor to be allowed to accompany you.” He stands
up and stretches. “I suppose I was sitting a bit longer than I should
have.”
Keith nods. “You’ll move a bit better after a bit. We’ll meet Fala in the
control room.”
Saber starts to ask something, then thinks better of it and follows Keith to the
control room. They arrive just as the Princess does at the control room.
“Would you be fine with Saber accompanying you, Fala?” Keith asks.
Fala nods. “I figured that he would come with me. Blue Lion is a lot less
complex to operate.” She looks to Saber. “Are you okay with that
arrangement?”
Saber nods. “I am just glad to be allowed to ride along.” 
Fala looks to Keith. “How are we going to get down there?” 
Keith stops for a minute to think. “Well, all of the things here go down to
where the tunnels split off, so you,” he nods towards Saber, “can go down in
the third chute, and then ride with Fala to her Lion.” 
Saber and Fala nod. “I guess I’ll see you in the tunnels then.” Fala says
to Saber.
He nods. “See you in a minute.” 
They all go down and then proceed to the Lions. Once in the blue lion, Saber
stands behind the seat as Fala starts up the lion and takes off, meeting Keith
in the air near the castle. “We’re ready Keith. Which way do you want to
go?”
They choose a direction and after while land in a clearing a bit away from the
castle. Keith comes over the intercom, “Fala, how would you feel about letting
the ‘Captain’ try his hand at piloting?”
She looks over her shoulder to Saber, “Well?”
He thinks for a moment then smiles, “If you trust me that much, then sure.”

She nods and gets up, indicating for him to sit down. “The controls are a bit
touchy.” She says as he sits down. “But I think you can do it. You’ve been
watching me, right?”
Saber nods. “Yes.” He chuckles.
“What’s so funny?” Fala asks.
“April is going to be so jealous.” He replies.
She laughs, as Keith comes back onto the intercom. “Okay, Saber, are you
ready?”
He nods. “I think so.”
“Okay, then pull back slowly, and one you’re moving forward, pull up a bit.
You should then be able to take to the air. There’s not much around here, so I
don’t think you’ll hit anything.” Keith says.
Saber does as he told and slowly the lion starts to move forward, then after
wobbling a bit he starts to become  more steady. “I think you’re doing far
better than I did the first time I attempted this, Saber.” Fala says from
behind him.
Saber nods. “Thank you, Princess. I suppose it helps that I have prior
piloting experience.” 
She nods. “That would have helped me, I’m sure. Even just having the chance
to watch someone operate it before trying might have helped.” She chuckles at
the memory.
Keith laughs over the intercom. “We weren’t very nice to you were we?”
She shakes her head. “You didn’t have the luxury of time to be nice. I had
to learn quickly, Keith. Lives were at stake. I knew that.”
They take to the air and the lion wobbles a bit, dropping suddenly, before Saber
rights it. “Sorry about that.” He says. 
“No worries. That’s not the first time I’ve been in a lion when it
dropped. Try being tossed into another lion once or twice. That hurts.” Fala
says.
“I think I’d rather not, if I could avoid it.” Saber answers dryly. 
Fala laughs. “I would too. Not fun at all.” 

They fly a bit more, practicing various maneuvers and after about an hour they
return to the castle, entering the dining room just as the others begin
arriving.
“Good morning, all” Fala says as they enter and see the curious looks. “I
hope everyone slept well.” Several heads nod as they all take their seats and
begin eating the food that had been put out for them.
Shorty looks towards the Princess, “So, where were you this morning?”
Fala looks over at him. “We went out in the lions.”
“All three of you?” Lance asks nodding towards Saber.
Fala nods. “Yes. Saber came with me in blue lion.”
Colt starts to choke, but recovers quickly, “What?!”
Saber nods. “I was in the study early this morning since I couldn’t get back
to sleep, The Princess,” he nods towards her, “had gotten up, noticed the
light on, she came in and found me. We were talking when Keith came in and
invited us to go out with him. So we all went out.”
April looks over in surprise. “Well?”
“Well what?” Saber asks confused.
“How was it?” April prodded.
Saber smiles. “The lion handles rather well, once you get used to it.”
April looks shocked, turning towards the Princess, “You actually let him
fly?!”
Fala turns to Saber. “I see you were right, Captain.” She laughs, then turns
back to April and nods. “Yes, I did. He has been a pilot, and I thought it
would be a nice gesture.”
“Besides, better to have others that can fly in an emergency, and what better
time to learn that when we aren’t in the middle of fighting,” adds Keith.
“I was the one who invited him.” He looks to the others in the room before
continuing. “I intend to let each of you try to pilot one of the lions, as a
show trust, and that if we ever needed someone, we might be able call on you.”
Each person nods. “It is also my hope that perhaps, we could see your ship and
how it works as well. It is my understanding that your ship was loosely based on
some of the technology of GoLion.”
April nods. “That is correct, Commander. It would be an honor to show all of
you our ship.” 
A soldier enters the dining room. “Excuse me, Your Highness?”
Fala looks up. “Yes?”
“Someone wants to speak with you on the communicator in the control room.”
She stands up and nods. “He says it’s about the ship we were asking
about.” 
Fala looks around the room. Everyone nods as they all make their way to the
control room. In the control room, a young man with dark blue hair and green
eyes dressed in a white and dark blue uniform appears on the screen. “This is
Princess Fala of Altea. I understand you have some information on a ship like we
were inquiring about?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” He bows his head slightly. “I am Captain Athrun Zala
from the colony of Orb. I was on routine patrol a while ago when I spotted a
ship that bears a striking resemblance to the picture of the ship you sent
out.”
She nods. “Thank you for the information, Captain Zala. Could you tell where
the ship was headed?”
Athrun nods. “It appeared that it was headed out of our galaxy towards the New
Frontier Colonies.” Several gasps are heard from the other members of the
group behind Fala. “I thought that was odd, since we had just only spotted it
here recently. One ship that looked similar to the one I saw today tried to
attack Orb a few days ago, but we took it down using a few Gundam Fighters.”
Fala nods. “Thank you very much for the information. Please let us know if you
learn anything else.” 
Athrun nods. “Captain Athrun Zala of Orb, out.” The screen goes dark.
Fala turns to face the group behind her. “Well, it looks like we are going on
a trip.” 
Fireball clears his throat and everyone turns their attention to him.
“Princess, perhaps we should go and investigate this ourselves. We don’t
want you leaving your planet undefended. We could head towards the area of Orb,
and call if we get into trouble. They are basically between here and our
realm.”
Keith nods. “If there is indeed more than one ship, you may need help.  Why
don’t you and your crew head back to the New Frontier, and we will follow,
veering off towards Orb, to see if we can spot the ship that Captain Zala
mentioned.”
Raible takes a step towards Fala. “I think we need to slow down and think this
through. No need to go rushing off based on one report.” He turns to April.
“You are the one that had a hand in the designing of the Bismarck ship, is
that correct?” She nods. “Then let’s go and look at your ship. Perhaps
there are some things we can do to ‘upgrade’ it before you leave. Perhaps we
can make it faster. I feel that would be worth looking into. It could mean the
difference of living or dying in battle.”
Saber nods. “Raible is right. We can’t just rush into this. The little bit
of time I spent in the lion this morning taught me one thing…we need to be
more maneuverable. So, if there is a way to increase our speed and
maneuverability, I think it would be worth waiting a day or so.”
Colt looks up. “I don’t like waiting, Saber. I want to get them before they
get us. I don’t…”
“I know, Colt.” Saber interjects. “The last thing I want is for anyone
else to lose someone. But what good is it if we leave now and get destroyed
after getting there? What good does that do to those we have promised to
protect?” He turns to April. “I think you should give them the tour of the
Bismarck now.” April nods and indicates for the GoLion Team and Raible to
follow her, leaving Saber, Fireball and Colt alone in the control room. Saber
turns to Fireball. “I’m sorry if I took over. I …”
Fireball holds up his hand. “No, you were right. Your points are valid. If I
felt like you were wrong, I would have spoken up. Sometimes Colt and I don’t
see eye to eye. I thought he would take an argument better from you, rather than
me.”
Colt looks between the two men, deciding who to speak to first. “I still
don’t like it. What if this is all a trap or something?” He finally just
blurts out to both of them.
Saber places a hand on Colt’s shoulder. “Yet another reason to take a step
back and sort out all of the available options. We could make things worse just
jumping in head first, Colt. I don’t like the situation either, but at this
point, I feel that is our best course of action.” He sighs and turns to
Fireball, “I think we should try to contact Commander Eagle and pass on this
bit of information. There are other units of Star Sheriffs that could come to
their defense until we get there if need be. Better to give them some warning,
even if it turns out to be nothing.”
Fireball nods. “I think we should join the others. You can call Calvary
Command from the ship.” He turns to Colt. “I know you don’t like this,
Colt. None of us do, but you know Saber is probably right. He is the most
trained in strategy of any of us.”
Colt nods and grumbles, “I know. I know. I’ll go along with it, but I
don’t have to like it.” Fireball nods. “I’ll be good and not fight
it.”
Fireball goes and places his hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Colt.” Colt
nods and they head off to join the others.

A few minutes later, they arrive on board the Bismarck. The others are gathered
around April’s saddle unit as she is showing them the various functions of the
ship. They look up when the three enter. Saber nods and heads to his saddle
unit. “I need to contact Calvary Command and let them know about what Captain
Zala told us. I figure that it’s better to be on the safe side.”
Raible nods. “Good thinking. You could have called them from the control room.
It wouldn’t have been a problem.”
“We weren’t entirely sure of how to work your equipment, so I figured better
to do it here.” Saber admits.
“Ah. Then that is probably for the better. I’ll show you how to use it later
if you would like.” Raible replies. 
Saber nods, he then turns his attention to calling Calvary Command. “This is
Bismarck calling Calvary Command.”
A soldier comes onto the screen. “This is Calvary Command. Go ahead,
Bismarck.”
“This is Captain Rider. I need to speak with Commander Eagle immediately.” 
The soldier nods and leaves the screen, coming back a moment later accompanied
by Commander Eagle. “Go ahead Bismarck.”
“Sir, we put out a query to several branches of the alliance on the ship that
was spotted off Yuma. We have possible information from Orb. A Captain Zala
contacted us this morning and said they recently took down a ship similar to the
one we sent out images of and that they have recently seen another similar ship
heading towards the New Frontier. After talking with the GoLion team here on
Altea, we believe it may be a former Galran Warship. We cannot be certain
without physically seeing it ourselves, but if it is indeed heading in your
direction, you may want to have some defenses ready.” The Commander nods,
processing this information, Saber continues. “We were initially planning on
rushing back to Calvary Command, but I do not think we could be of much use in
time if there was an attack, so our plan at this point is to improve our ship,
then come with GoLion in a day or so, unless an all out attack does begin.”
Commander Eagle listens intently, pausing to decide what to say. “So you are
still on Altea?” 
Saber nods. “Fireball and April are going over possible improvements that
could be done quickly to the Bismarck as we speak, Sir. We did not think it was
wise to just rush in, not knowing for sure what we are dealing with. If we have
a chance to improve our ship, and potentially save more lives in the process,
then we figure this is our best course of action.”
“I agree. I am glad that you were allowed to go with the team, Saber. It seems
you are a voice of reason.” He studies Saber’s face for a moment, “How are
you doing, in all seriousness?”
Saber thinks a moment before answering. “Well, I’m doing better than I
thought I would be, honestly, Sir. Being in a new environment has seemed to
help. The people here are quite friendly, so it is a comfortable atmosphere. All
of them seem to understand…” He pauses, “Perhaps better than most, since
they have all lost loved ones themselves.” 
The Commander nods. “I’m glad of that.”
“I have written in the journal some, as I promised you I would. I’m still
not convinced it’s very helpful, but I am keeping my word.” He sighs,
thinking. “I hope we are doing the right thing. I pray that my feeling on this
is wrong, Sir.”
Commander Eagle nods. “I hope this isn’t as bad as it sounds that it could
be. I will notify a few of the other Star Sheriff Teams to be on patrol. We have
a few units that can come to our aid if needed. I will also start having
practice drills, in case of an attack. As you said, it’s better to be over
prepared, than caught off guard. Keep me informed of any developments,
Saber.”
He nods. “I will, Sir. Bismarck out.” He terminates the connection, and gets
up to join the others. “How are things here?” 
April turns and smiles. “Rather well, I think. Raible seems to think we can
modify the engines to have ‘warp speed’ capability, and not really use much
more fuel.” 
Saber nods. “Could that be how that ship appeared and disappeared so
quickly?” He asked curious.
Keith nods. “That is what I was thinking. I know that some of the newer Galran
ships had something they called ‘hyper-drive’ it’s similar to a ‘warp
speed’ technology we can use with GoLion.” He looks around the ship.
“It’s rather well designed. There’s not much that we can upgrade, other
than the OS and a few range of motion moves and weapons.”
April smiles, “That’s good, right?”
Keith nods. “It means that hopefully by tomorrow, we can go investigate that
ship near Orb.”
Colt comes over, “I’m glad to hear someone talking about starting to do
something. I feel like we need to be out there, not sitting around.”
Fireball comes over and places his hand on Colt’s shoulder. “Easy, Cowboy,
I’m sure we’ll see plenty of action soon enough.”
“Yes, be careful what you wish for.” Fala says as she approaches the group.
She turns to Keith. “I think the techs can take care of the upgrades from this
point, why don’t we go eat lunch, then take the Bismarck crew out in the
Lions?”
Keith nods. “I think that’s a good idea.” He turns to Fireball. “What do
you think, Captain?”
Fireball nods. “Sounds like fun to me.” He looks to April, who is smiling.
“I take it you’re ready?”
She nods. “Oh yeah,” she looks towards Saber. “Won’t be a big deal to
you will it?” She asks teasingly.
Saber smiles. “I’ll have fun watching the three of you. To see how you
do.”
Raible walks over to the gathering group. “Let’s get the ship into the back
hangar closer to the castle, and we’ll get the techs started on the
improvements, while we have lunch and whatever else you are planning. With the
agreement of meeting back at the control room, say mid-afternoon?” Keith and
Fala nod. 
“Then let’s get the ship moved.” Fireball says as he goes to his saddle
unit. “Everyone find a place close to a unit to stand, or sit.” After
everyone is situated, he raises the ramps and takes off, landing the ship in the
specified hangar. “All right, now, shall we all go eat?” Everyone nods, and
the group heads back to the dining room. Various conversations fill the room as
the food is brought in and people begin eating.



                            Kapitel 8: Preparations
                            -----------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 8: Preparations


After everyone finishes lunch, they all meet in the clearing and April joins
Hothead in the yellow lion, Fireball with Shorty in the green lion, Colt joins
Fala in blue lion, and Saber gets into red lion with Moody. “Okay everyone,”
Keith begins. “We are going to do some basic maneuvers for a few minutes, then
if you think your Bismarck counterpart feels comfortable enough, try swapping
out with them, just let us know first.”

Everyone nods. “Okay!” The teams go over the controls each showing to the
other how things work. After a bit, they all land in the clearing again and swap
pilots. Saber takes over red lion. “You sure you're okay with this, Lance?”
Lance nods. “If Chief trusts you, then I want to see what you can do. So go
for it. I'll tell you if you make me nervous.” Saber nods and takes off.
Fala looks over her shoulder at Colt, “You ready, Cowboy?” she asks. 
Colt nods, “Looks simple enough.” They swap places and he slowly starts
forward. He gradually gets enough control that he can run without wobbling, and
he takes to the air.
“Well, Ms. April, you ready to try this?” Hothead asks, looking over his
shoulder.
She smiles and nods. “I've been ready since we arrived. This is like a dream
for me.”  They swap places and she gets the lion moving, quickly taking to the
air, laughing. “This is great!” She begins flying about the others.
Fireball swaps places with Shorty. “This seems pretty straightforward.” He
says as he starts moving, then taking to the air.
Shorty nods. “This is one of the easiest to learn in. Blue lion is the
simplest, but I didn't find it heard to catch on.”
“Well, you were fighting to stay alive, right?” Shorty nods. “That can be
a good motivator.” They are suddenly hit by something. “What the Fuck?!”
“Sorry about that.” Colt says sheepishly.
“Colt!” Fireball quickly fires a laser at blue lion, not thinking.
“Hey!” Fala screams. “You aren't the only people in these lions!”
Saber comes over the intercom “Both of you stop it now!” He places the red
lion between the blue and green lions. 
Lance leans over towards Saber, “Are you sure this is a good place to be?” 
Saber glares over his shoulder, ceasing any other objections from Lance. “You
both are acting childish. Stop it now, or you both are going to be in serious
trouble!” He says in a very threatening voice.
“Fireball, Colt, I think you both need to swap back to the other pilots, if
you are going to act like children.” April states over the intercom.
Colt's voice comes over the intercom. “I swear, it was accidental, Saber.
Honest.”
Saber sighs. “Be more careful. Princess, Shorty, was either of you hurt?” 
“No” they both reply.
Keith's voice comes over the intercom. “Okay people. Perhaps this is a good
thing. We should work on maneuvers. Lance, do you feel Saber is ready to fly on
his own?”
Lance nods. “Yeah, I think he'd be fine.”
“Okay. You two land, and I want you to join me. We'll let Saber fly red lion
and have the others fire at him, to see if he can avoid being hit.” Keith
says.
Saber sounds surprised. “Are you serious?!”
Keith laughs. “Yeah, you don't think you're up to it?”
Saber shakes his head. “I think I'll be fine, I guess we'll find out.” He
takes to the air and almost immediately Colt fires at him, Saber narrowly dodges
the attack. “Nice shot.” Colt fires a few more shots, Saber dodging each
one, almost getting hit when Fireball starts firing at him simultaneously. April
begins firing, giving him a bit more trouble. He gets grazed by one shot,
causing him to drop a bit, before steadying the lion again. 
This continues for several minutes before Keith comes in over the intercom.
“Okay guys, everyone land. We need to give Saber a break.” They all land the
lions and everyone gathers on the ground.
Keith looks to each of the crew members, “Do you feel comfortable letting them
try on their own?” They all nod. He nods in return. “Okay then. We take a
five minute break, then you three,” he points to April, Fireball, and Colt,
“go back up in the lion you were in, and we’ll let you try and dodge Lance
and myself.” The three nod their agreement. He turns to Saber. “Not bad. I
just hope the rest of your team does as well.”
Saber nods. “You mean the rest of his...” he nods to fireball, “...team.
He is technically in charge.”
Keith turns to Fireball. “I apologize if I have offended you. I suppose it’s
the way he acts.” 
Fireball smiles, “No problem. I’m not exactly used to being in charge. I
still think of him,” nods towards Saber, “as my boss in most cases.”
Saber sighs. “And technically, you shouldn’t, Fireball. We’re equals
now.”
Fireball rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m doing my best to remember
that.”
Saber shakes his head and smiles. “Sometimes you’re impossible.”
April chuckles. “At least we know you’re not power-hungry, Fireball.”
Fireball looks at her. “You thought I might be?” He asked surprised.
She shakes her head. “Not really. I was only teasing.”
After a few more minutes of chatting, the three get back into the lions along
with Lance and Keith and take to the air. As soon as everyone is moving Keith
begins firing at them. They are able to dodge the attacks, some narrowly missing
them. Then Lance joins in, making it significantly harder. A few times, April
nearly runs into Colt or Fireball, then one time, Colt gets hit, knocking him to
the ground. “Nice shot.” Colt says as he recovers and takes back to the
air.
A while later, April grazes Fireball while dodging a shot. She knocks him a bit,
but they both recover, almost hitting Colt in the process. After about an hour,
they all land to regroup.
“You all did rather well.” Fala says as they join the group on the ground.
“How did you like it?”
Colt grins. “That was a lot of fun.”
April and Fireball nod in agreement, “Maybe tomorrow, we can let you try your
hand at controlling the Bismarck.” April says.
Fala nods. “That could be fun.” 
Keith nods in agreement. “Let’s head back. We told Raible we’d be back
mid-afternoon, and it’s a bit later than that.” Everyone nods, and they all
meet back in the common room a short time later. Raible is waiting, looking a
bit impatient.
He waits for everyone to be seated, the looks around the room. “We have made
good progress on your ship’s modifications. Our techs are impressed with the
design of your ship, and said the upgrades were fairly easy to make. One thing
they did have to change was the Operating system. It is not a major change, but
it will have a more stable platform. It should function and basically look the
same to you as it did before.” April nods. “As for going out tomorrow, you
may want to rethink that. I received a call just as you were arriving that some
‘alien’ ships were seen close to Yuma. I think it may be wise that we send
all of you to investigate.” He looks around the room, to see if there are any
objections. When no one raises an argument, he continues, “My thought is that
you rest tonight, so that all of you are well rested, just in case this turns
out to be a viable threat. That will give our techs time to complete the
projects they are on, including the ‘hyper-drive’ booster they have equipped
the Bismarck with. With the added speed you could arrive there in about 4 hours,
as opposed to 2-3 days.”
Colt lets out a long whistle. “That’ll be nice.”
Fireball nods. “Yeah, can the GoLion Robot or the individual lions go that
fast?”
Raible nods. “They can go that fast in formation or as individual vessels. If
needed, they could increase speed a bit more, but that would be pushing the
limits. So only in an extreme case would we allow the team to push that hard. We
also updated the weapons systems, so everything has a bit more…firepower. I
wish we had time to do more, but I do not think you can be spared much
longer.”
Fireball nods. “Maybe once things calm down again we can see about returning
for a time. I have enjoyed our time here.” 
Fala smiles, “All of you are welcome here anytime. I am glad we have had the
opportunity to work together, and hope that we can form a strong alliance
between us.”
“I hope so too, Your Highness.” Fireball replies. He turns to the others,
“Shall we try and rest up, and head out first thing in the morning?” They
all nod their agreement. “Okay then, lets go eat, then get some rest. We
should leave as early as possible.” 
They all go and dine, chatting for a while afterwards. Everyone was slowly
dispersing to their quarters to rest. Raible heads back towards the control
room. Saber spots him and calls over to him. “Sir, would it be possible for me
to contact Calvary Command from the control room?”
Raible nods. “Of course, Saber. Come with me.” They head into the control
room, and Raible sits down at the controls, bringing up the video screen. “Go
ahead, Saber. Just hit this button to talk.” He points to a button, and moves
so Saber can sit down at the control panel.
Saber sits down, and after pressing the button makes the call. “Captain Rider
Calling Commander Eagle of Calvary Command, come in.” He waits for a reply. 
A minute or so later, Commander Eagle appears on the screen. “Commander Eagle
here, go ahead, Captain.”
Saber nods. “What is the situation there, Sir? We heard that you have alien
ships close by.”
Eagle nods. “Yes, there are three rather large looking ships. They are very
similar to the pictures sent out from Altea of the Galran fleet ships, although
not exact. They have not tried to engage us, but I have an uneasy feeling about
them. They appeared nearby this afternoon. We have some of the other Star
Sheriffs on standby, just in case they try anything. But, for now, we are taking
a wait and see approach.”
“Yes, Sir.” Saber replies, “As it stands currently, we plan to leave here
early tomorrow to head back to Calvary Command. The GoLion team will accompany
us, so that in the event of trouble, we have some reinforcement. We have now
been equipped with hyper-drive technology, so our trip will be significantly
shorter to return home, than it took us to arrive on Altea. Several upgrades
have also been made, so we shall see if the improvements are working properly. I
feel that is one of the reasons, the GoLion team is offering to come, in the
event that we need some assistance.”
The Commander nods. “I was hoping your team would be in a position to come
back.” He pauses, thinking. “You say the GoLion team is coming with you?”

Saber nods. “I think they are coming in case we need reinforcements. They are
going to detour slightly through Orb, to see if they spot anything unusual
there. That is where we first got a report of a ship sighting.  I think they
want to be sure our ‘upgrades’ are working properly. I have been quite
impressed their technology. The robot lions are very easy to handle.”
Commander Eagle looks a surprised. “You say that as if you have first-hand
knowledge, Saber.”
Saber nods. “I do, Sir. We have all had an opportunity to pilot at least one
lion. I think we may have forged a good alliance with the Alteans. Captain
Hikari has done well.”
The Commander nods. “I am glad to hear things have gone so well.” He studies
Saber’s face for a moment. “Are you still doing okay, Saber?”
Saber sighs and nods. “I still don’t sleep as much as I should, but I feel a
bit better. This has been a good distraction from…everything. I think I will
be all right now, where as a few weeks ago, I wasn’t so sure to be completely
honest.”
“It’s good to know you feel that you are doing better. I feel better knowing
when you tell me that you have had some doubts. That makes me feel that if you
were seriously having doubts about yourself, you would tell me.” Commander
Eagle replies. “We shall see you tomorrow then?” Saber nods, “Commander
Eagle out.” The screen goes dark.
Saber sighs and turns to Raible. “Do you think I covered everything of
importance?”
Raible nods. “I don’t think you missed anything important.”
Saber nods and gets up from the seat. “I should go and try and sleep. Good
night, Sir.”
“Good night, Captain.” Raible replies.
Saber nods and goes to his quarters. After writing for a bit, he finally manages
to drift to sleep.

A few hours later, Saber wakes up, and for a moment, feels disoriented, before
remembering where he is. He gets up and dresses, then heads out to the common
room, noticing a light on, he enters. Looking around, he doesn’t see anyone,
so he shrugs and goes and sits in a chair and begins reading over his journal. 
A few minutes later, Keith and Fala come into the room from the balcony, and
jump when they see him. “Oh, when did you come in here?” Keith asks.
Saber looks up from his journal, startled. “A few minutes ago, I saw a light
on, but no one was in here, so I just sat down to read. Did I wake you?”
Keith shakes his head. “Not at all, we were just outside… admiring the
night, and were a bit surprised to find anyone in here when we came in.”
Saber suppresses a smile and nods. “Ah. Sorry if I startled you.” He
chuckles. “I might not have even noticed you if you hadn’t said anything to
me. I was pretty …absorbed.” 
Keith and Fala sit down.
“What are you reading?” Fala asks.
Saber looks over to her. “Nothing really, it’s the journal I was told to
keep. I decided to read over my previous writings, I’m honestly not even sure
why I’m doing it.”
Fala nods. “Perhaps you’re trying to gage your progress?” she offers.
Saber shrugs. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it.” He closes the
book, and looks out towards the window. “Forgive me for being so…forward,
but are you two…?”
Keith looks to Fala, not sure how to answer. Fala nods, blushing slightly. “We
are…betrothed. I believe is the word you would use.”
Saber nods. “Congratulations.” He says quietly.
“You’re one of the few who actually know outside of the castle. We haven’t
made an ‘official’ announcement yet. It’s a recent…development.” Keith
states.
Fala notices his face and goes over and places a hand on his shoulder. “I’m
sorry. We shouldn’t have been so…”
Saber looks up to meet her gaze and shakes his head. “It’s fine, Your
Highness. I am glad for you. I apologize if it seemed otherwise. I’m just
tired.”
She watches him for a moment, trying to read him, then goes back to her seat.
“Honestly. I’m fine. I was a bit…surprised, is all. I am happy for you
both.” Saber assures her. He smiles slightly. “So I suppose I should tell
you that Captain Hikari and April from our team are married.”
Keith looks at him a bit surprised. Fala nods. “So I did hear correctly when
Raible was assigning quarters.” She states.
Keith looks to her. “You knew?!” 
Fala laughs, nodding. “I was pretty sure. I had noticed they seemed…close.
Always sitting together, things like that.”
Saber laughs. “As you said before, none of us are exactly a ‘typical’
Military-style team. Perhaps that’s why we work well together.”
Keith nods. “You may be right about that.”
Saber smiles. “I’m sure I had an interesting look when I figured out that
they were…um, together. April sort of accidentally admitted to it. Their faces
were priceless.”
“I’m sure they were similar to ours, a few minutes ago.” Keith says.
Saber shakes his head. “You two didn’t look nearly as guilty as they did.
Maybe because they knew they could get into trouble if they were found out.”
Saber replied seriously.
“Did they?” Fala asks.
“No. I don’t think anyone dared to say anything after what happened...,”
He pauses, “...to my family and fiancé. Our C.O. is April’s father. When he
found out about it, it was after the fact, and it was sort of decided that since
they actually wanted to marry, he gave them permission to do so, provided they
go and do it right away.”
Fala nods. “That was nice of him.”
“I think he was more afraid of how things could turn out if they never got the
chance and something bad happened. I don’t think he wanted them to face the
same…fate that I have had to.” Saber says, then adds quietly, “He didn’t
want them to have regrets.”
Fala nods understandingly. 
Keith gets up and looks out the window. “There are signs of first light coming
up. Should we wake the others, or go out in the lions once more before we go?”
He asks turning to Fala.
She shrugs and turns to Saber, “You want one more shot at flying? We could go
out for half an hour or so, then come back and eat before we leave.”
Saber stands up and nods. “Sure. Let me go place this,” He holds the book
up, “in my bag, and then I’ll meet you at the control room.” They nod and
he goes off to his room, meeting them a few minutes later just outside the
control room. They go in together, and see that Raible is already at work.
“Good morning, Raible.” Fala says as the trio enters the control room.
Raible looks up, looking rather tired. “Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Is something wrong?” Saber asks, noting how tired he looks.
“I’m not sure, to be honest.” He replies. “I’ve been unable to reach
your Calvary Command. I thought I saw a transmission from them, but when I tried
to connect, I wasn’t able to.”
“How long?” Saber asks concerned.
“About an hour, I was just about to call for one of your team, Captain. I was
hoping it was just some interference, but I have a feeling that it may not
be.”
Saber nods. “I’ll go and try from the Bismarck; just to be sure it's not an
equipment problem.” He turns to Keith and Fala. “Looks like we will have to
postpone that flight, I’m afraid. Perhaps you could go and wake the others?”
Fala nods and he leaves towards the Bismarck. 

Everyone meets in the control room a short time later. Looking around, Fireball
notices Saber’s absence. “Where’s Saber?”
Raible turns to him, “He is on your ship. He’s attempting to contact Calvary
Command. We fear they may be having a problem. About an hour and a half ago, I
thought I saw a transmission coming in from them, I went to answer it, and it
wouldn’t connect. I tried repeatedly to contact them afterwards, with no luck.
At that time, Keith, Princess Fala, and Saber entered here and I told them what
was happening. Saber went to try and raise a connection from your ship, and
they,” nodding to Keith and Fala, “went to get all of you up.”
“I don’t like it, Chief.” Hothead says.
“Neither do I. I thought Saber would be back by now.” Keith replies. 
“Perhaps he is talking with Calvary Command and getting information? That
could slow him up a bit.” Fala states.
Several others murmur ideas as Saber enters the control room, looking grim.
“The news is not good.” Everyone turns to him. “I was unable to contact
Calvary Command, but I did speak again to Captain Zala of Orb. He said there
appeared to be several ships heading towards Yuma and our area of the galaxy.”
Several of the others look around nervously as he continues. “He said they
appeared to be warships. He has offered to have one of their battleships try and
get a closer look. I agreed telling him that at least some of us would be
heading that way. I did tell him to stay at a safe distance. We don’t need to
pull anyone else into this unnecessarily.” Fala nods her agreement. “I think
at this point, we should continue as we planned. Your team,” nodding to Keith
and Fala, should head towards Orb and see if you can get any intel from them. We
will head back to Calvary Command, and hopefully find that the lines have just
been jammed or something. We can meet up with you there.”
Keith nods. “I think that is the way to do this. We can move a bit faster than
your ship still, so we may be able to time it so that we all arrive close to the
same time, provided we don’t run into trouble ourselves. Contact us once you
know something.” Saber nods. Keith then continues, “Lets grab a quick bite
to eat, and then move out.”



                               Kapitel 9: Attack
                               -----------------


Transformations…
Chapter 9: Attack

“Do you think we should try and contact Calvary Command again, Saber?”
Fireball asks as they proceed towards the base.
Saber shrugs. “I suppose I could try.” He hits a few buttons, “Bismarck
calling Calvary Command, come in.” After waiting for several minutes, he gets
no response. “Nothing not even a hint of a response. I don’t like this at
all.” Saber says grimly. 
“Anything on radar, April?” Fireball asks.
“Nothing so fa…wait a minute, I see something, several something’s
actually. It appears to be four ships. Two look rather large.” April states.
Fireball turns to Colt. “Colt, be ready, just in case.” Colt nods and
Fireball turns to Saber, “What do you think?”
Saber scans the screen, pulling up a visual image “I don’t think they’re
the welcoming committee, judging from the looks of the ships.” On his screen
he sees two large looking ships with a type of skull shape on the helm, flanked
by two similar but smaller ships. 
“They give me the creeps.” April says as she pulls up the visual. 
“Saber, what should we do?” Fireball asks. “I really don’t want to do
something stupid here.”
Saber sighs. “Honestly, I’m not sure. We are most likely within firing range
of their ships, but they have yet to fire at us or make contact. Perhaps we
should attempt to land, as normal.” 
“But we have to have permission to land, Saber.” Colt chimes in.
“He’s right.” Fireball adds. “Try calling Calvary Command again.”
Saber nods and tries again to make contact. “Bismarck calling Calvary Command,
come in.” He waits a minute. “Still not even a hint of a reply.”
Just then a strange face comes onto the screen. A woman with pale white skin,
pointed ears, fangs, pink hair, and yellow eyes, wearing a crown appears. “You
won’t be hearing from your Command Center, Bismarck. They’re a little busy
at the moment.”
“Who are you?” Saber asks astonished.
“How did you get our signal?” Colt asks.
“That’s no matter to you. All you need to know is that I am in control of
this base and its inhabitants. Right now, I have only shown them a little of
what I can do.” She laughs as she shows them an image of several places of the
Calvary Command damaged from what looks to be bombs. “I have only begun to
show my power. If you surrender, I might go easy on you.”
Saber turns to Fireball, “Captain?”
“What if we don’t surrender?” Fireball asks.
She laughs. “Simple. I destroy you, like I did that other ship.”
Saber gasps, then looks away from the screen to face Fireball, trying to control
his anger, “Can you get us out of here? Fast?”
Fireball nods. “I’ll try.” He kicks in the drives turning the ship around
quickly. “We can’t do anything for anyone down there at this point.” Just
then the ship is hit from behind, rocking them. “Shit!” Fireball says,
trying to stay in his saddle unit. Saber and April are thrown from their saddle
units. 
Colt manages to barely stay in his, fires back towards the ship. “Fireball, we
need to do something NOW!”
“Are you two okay?” He asks Saber and April. They nod as they scramble to
get back into their units. He turns to Colt. “Activating the hyper drive, fire
at will, Colt. I’ll try and get us out of here.” He starts activating the
hyper drives, increasing their speed, Colt fires towards the ships that are
firing at them.
“Maybe I'll get lucky and knock one of the out.” Colt says as he's firing.
“Head towards Orb, but don’t set the coordinates into the computers. They
may be able to pick up the systems.” Saber states.
Fireball nods. “Right.” The ship accelerates and they are soon a good
distance from Calvary Command and the ships. Fireball sighs, hitting the console
with his fists. “Damn it!”
“Easy, Fireball,” Saber says, a bit harshly. “It could have ended much
worse.” 
“Oh? How’s that?” Fireball replies sarcastically.
“We could be dead.” Saber states matter of factly. “We’re not, so that
witch wants something. I’m just not sure what.”
April looks around worried. “I hope no one was killed.”
Fireball glances over to her. “We can’t do anything about it right now,
April. I hope not too, but we have to figure out what we’re going to do about
those ships.”
Saber nods. “I know what I’d like to do to them…” He says coldly.
Fireball shakes his head. “We can’t just kill them out right, even though
you have every right to. We need to meet up with the GoLion team and tell them
what we’ve seen. Maybe they know the witch woman we saw.”
Saber turns and pulls up the pictures from the conversation on his screen.
“Perhaps they know her, and if they do, maybe they will know how to put an end
to this. We can’t allow her to just kill people.” 
Fireball nods. “I know.” 
Everyone is silent, with their own thoughts for a bit when a voice over the
intercom breaks them from their reveries. “This is Captain Keith Kogane
calling the Bismarck, come in.” 
Saber clicks a button to open the connection. “This is the Bismarck. Go
ahead.”
Keith’s image comes on the screen. “We have you on radar, what’s going
on?”
Saber sighs. “Calvary Command was attacked. It appears that it took a good
hit. We have no word on conditions on the ground. The images we have,” He
clicks a button to send the images to them, “are presumably from the attacker.
I’m sending you the images we were sent of Calvary Command and of the woman
who attacked them and us. Perhaps you will recognize her.”
Keith scans over the images. “She sort of reminds me of Daibazaal, or at least
of his kind. But so far as we knew, we killed all of them off.” He looks at
the images of damage to Calvary Command and sighs. “It doesn’t look good
down there, does it?”
Saber shakes his head. “No, and we’ve still no contact from anyone on the
ground.” He replies grimly.
“We need to regroup. I’m just not sure where. We can’t exactly get to Yuma
right now, and I don’t want to land in Orb. That could bring them problems.”
Keith states. 
“Perhaps we should try and get to Heracles? It's closer than Altea, but far
enough away from the ships, they shouldn't follow us.” Fala says.
“Heracles?” Saber asks. “I've not heard of that.”
“We have an alliance with them. It's our sister planet, so to speak. My
cousins rule there. We should be safe there.” Fala replies.
Saber nods and turns to Fireball. “Captain?”
Fireball thinks for a moment then nods. “Sounds like our best bet. Let's do
it.”
Saber nods and turns back to the screen. “Lead the way, Captain.” Saber
replies. 

They all head towards Heracles, arriving a short time later and landing. Prince
Alor and Princess Amue comes out to meet them as they land. Fala comes out to
greet them first, followed by Keith, and the other GoLion team members. The
Bismarck crew steps in behind them. 
“Please, come in.” Alor says after greeting the crew. After introductions,
he leads them to a meeting room and after everyone is seated, Fala explains the
situation.
“So, what do you need us to do?” Alor asks Fala.
“We basically need a place to regroup, and come up with a plan of attack. We
are hoping only to be here for a day or so.” Fala replies. 
“Can we see the pictures that you have of the woman?” Amue asks.
Fala turns to Saber, “Do you have a way to show them the images, Saber?”
He nods. “Yes, Your Highness. We should be able to pull them up here. I sent
them to all of the alliance when I sent them to you in the Lions.”
Alor nods and goes to a computer, “Let's see if I can find them...” He
begins typing on a computer.
“I sent them to you in email, Alor.” Fala says. “I thought that might
help, when I thought of us coming here.”
Alor pulls up his email and finds the message and opens the images so that
everyone can see them.
“It doesn't look good.” Amue states, “Can we do anything to help? We have
weapons, men and ships.”
“At this point, we're not even sure who we are dealing with, or what firepower
she has access to.” Fireball says. “Obviously, she has a significant amount
of firepower to be able to cause that much damage to Calvary Command and not
take much of a hit herself.” Saber states.
“We have 3 battle ships, and several hundred men that are willing and ready to
help in any way they can.” Alor says. “I can lead them myself. With your
ship, our ships and GoLion, we should be able to stop this crazy witch.”
“We can't just rush in and attack them. We don't know what other weapons they
may have.” Keith states.
“Keith is right. We need to try and send out a reconnaissance crew to see if
there are other ships close-by or if she has some sort of staging area.” Fala
says.
“I could take my red fury and go out and see if I can spot anything.”
Fireball offers.
“You shouldn't go alone. Three of us should go. A better chance of everyone
making it back that way.” Keith states. 
“I'll take red lion and go with him.” Lance says.
“I'll go too. I'm not gonna let race boy have all the fun.” Colt states,
“I'll take my broncobuster. It's fast and quiet.”
“Unlike you.” mutters Fireball, getting a warning glance from Saber.
“I'm not sure about separating the lions, Lance. I think you should go, but
perhaps you can ride with one of them.” Keith says, nodding towards Colt and
Fireball. 
“You could use one of our scout ships, Lance.” Alor offers. 
“I think Keith is correct. We shouldn't separate the lions, in the event that
we have been followed.” Saber states.
Keith nods and turns towards Alor, “Can we borrow a scout ship, Your
Highness?”
Alor nods. “Anything you can use that we have is yours, Captain.” Alor turns
to a soldier near the entrance to the room, “Go and have a scout ship readied
for Lance. Bring it close to the Bismarck ship and GoLion.”
“Yes Sir!” the soldier says and leaves.
“If you run into trouble, we can still send GoLion out to help,” Keith looks
towards Saber, “provided Saber is willing to fill in if needed.” Saber nods.
“Good, then you can all leave as soon as the ships are ready.”
“We need to go and ready our ships.” Fireball states and turns to Saber,
“I know that technically you're not in command of our crew but, you will have
to be now until I return.” 
Saber nods, “Yes Sir.” 
Fireball, Colt, and Lance head to the ships.
Keith sighs, “I suppose all we can do is wait to see what they find.”
“If anything,” Fala adds.
“Why don't we show you to some sleeping quarters, so you can all rest while
you can?” Amue asks. Everyone nods, and she turns to another soldier stationed
by the doors, “Please show our guests to the guest rooms, and after they are
settled, show them to the common area so we can meet again to discuss plans,
once we know what we're up against.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” The soldier replies, and signals for the group to
follow him. After everyone is settled, they are led to a common sitting room
where Alor and Amue are waiting along with Keith and Fala.
Fala looks up and smiles. “Everyone settled?” Each person nods.
“Good. We have not heard back from the scouting unit as of yet, but we are
hoping to at any time.” Keith states.
Saber nods. “I just hope they don't get into any trouble.” 
Keith smiles, “I've been wondering if it was wise for the three of them to go
out together.”
Saber smiles and shakes his head, “Probably not the most thought out plan, but
if something comes up, they are dependable. Lance seems to be a good strategist,
so as long as they don't kill each other, they should be fine.”
Fala laughs, “I'm sure they will be fine. They can be professional, if they
need to be.” 
“Yeah, and Lance can follow orders if he has to.” Shorty chimes in, Hothead
laughing.
A soldier comes into the room, “Your Highness! We received a distress signal
from the scout ship. We haven’t been able to raise a voice communication.”
Alor stands up, “What?!” He heads for the control room, the others following
behind. “This is Prince Alor of Heracles, come in.” No response is received
and Alor turns to Keith. 
“I don't like this. We should go and investigate in the lions.” Alor nods
and Keith looks at Saber. “Are you up for it?” 
Saber nods and replies to Keith, “I'm ready. You're in charge, Captain.” He
turns to face April, “Do anything they ask of you and help them in any way you
can. We'll go get the others.” April nods and he faces Keith. “Let's go.”
Keith nods and hands him the key to Red Lion. “Head out.” The team follows
Keith out and they launch the lions.
“Where was their last location, Keith?” Saber asks.
“Not much further, we're about-” His lion is hit and he dives a minute
before righting it.
“Keith!” Fala screams.
“I'm okay. What the Hell was that?” He replies.
“That's not good.” Hothead says, stating the obvious.
“What is it?” Shorty asks.
“It looks like a robot, but God is it ugly.” Keith states. The robot fires
again, narrowly missing Saber.
“Damn!” Saber says as he evades the attack and fires his tail laser. “I
think I know why we got a distress call,” he says dryly.
Shorty and Hothead follow suit, firing their weapons towards the robot.
“I can't get a fix on any of them.” Keith states as he dodges another
attack. The robot grabs Fala and Shorty, flinging them into each other.
“Fala!” Keith yells as he hears Fala and Shorty scream as their lions hit
each other.
Saber and Hothead fire, hitting the robot, causing it to drop them, “Are you
all right?” Saber asks.
“Yes” They both reply.
“This isn't working. We need a new plan of attack.” Keith says. 
“I've got the others on radar.” Saber says. “They aren't moving, but we're
not exactly in a position to see about them at the moment.” He says while
dodging another attack.
Keith nods, “We need to combine. Saber, I know you haven't had a chance to try
this before, but do you think you can do it?”
“Yes, Captain. I'll do my best with it. Lance went over the sequence with me
once. I'll follow your lead.” He replies.
“All right then, GoLion, combine!” Keith orders. They go through the
combination sequence and the robot attacks almost instantly, hitting them with a
sword. They evade, barely getting grazed by the weapon, the fire missiles from
the lion heads.  They spar back and forth for a bit. 
“This isn't working, Chief.” Hothead says.
“We need to finish this!” Keith says. They form their sword and destroy the
robot. After the explosion dies down Keith asks, “Do you still have them on
your radar, Saber?”
“Yes. Not far from here. I do detect other ships heading this way, so I
suggest we get them and get out of here.” Saber replies. “I've put the
coordinates in. You should be able to see everything as I see now on your
screen.”
Keith nods. “Right, let's go.” 
They head to where the scout ship is, and find the three ships badly damaged,
but everyone still alive. They put the pilots into the lions and a lion each
grabs a ship. They return to Heracles, landing into the hangar bay. They call
for med assistance, and a few hours later, the trio awake in the med bay,
several people anxiously looking at them.
“Fireball?” April asks, noticing he's the first to wake. “Are you all
right?”
He looks around trying to figure out where he is. “How did I get here?”
“We brought you back in the lions.” Saber replies.
“You got to fly again, huh?” Fireball asks. The others begin to stir,
looking around.
Saber nods. “What happened?”
Fireball closes his eyes taking a deep breath, “You want the good news or the
bad news first?”
Saber looks towards Keith, “Bad news.” Keith replies.
“Well, they have some sort of robot army, a lot of them.” Fireball begins.
“Yes, we met one of them on our way to you.” Saber states.
Fireball continues, “Some of them seem to be stronger than others, but they
have dozens of them. They were leaving Yuma and heading to an unknown location;
I guess one of them spotted us, and we were attacked. I suppose we're lucky to
be alive. They have pretty extensive firepower. I was just about to try to
contact Calvary Command when the robot attacked. I figured that if they were
pulling away, that perhaps I could get a message to someone on the ground.” 
“Probably not the brightest idea; that may have been what gave us away.”
Lance says weakly. “But, I understand why you were trying. I would have too if
I knew people I cared for were down there.”
Colt looks over, “The robot came out of nowhere. It was like we saw them
heading away then suddenly, we were being hit from behind.”
“You said there was good news?” Fala asks.
“They apparently have left the vicinity of Yuma, so we should be able to get
to Calvary Command.” Lance says. 
Saber nods, “Well, at least we may be able to get to Calvary Command to assess
damages.”
Keith nods, “It’ll be a day or so before we can go, we need to make some
repairs to the ships.” Saber nods. “We also need to let these three,” he
says nodding towards Fireball, Lance, and Colt, “rest up, so if we need them,
they are able bodied. Since the ships seem to have pulled away, why don’t you
go see if you can contact someone at Calvary Command, Saber?”
Saber nods, “I’ll go see about that. I think I’ll try from the Bismarck.
They might be less likely to accept a call from an unknown system.” Keith nods
and Saber heads out to the Bismarck, leaving April and the GoLion crew with the
wounded trio.
“So, how did you defeat the robot?” Lance asks weakly. 
“We combined.” Fala replies. 
“How?” Lance asks.
“Saber was in red lion.” Lance nods, and Keith continues, “He did well.
I’m glad you had shown him the basics for the combine sequence. We might not
be here otherwise.” Keith answers.
Lance looks to Alor, who is standing back away from the group, “I’m sorry
your ship is trashed.”
Alor shrugs, “I have other ships, losing one is not a huge loss.”
“Good to know,” Lance says with a smirk, “in case I need another one.”
Fala laughs, “Lance, I can tell you’re feeling better.”

Saber gets into his saddle unit and presses the intercom button. “Bismarck
calling Calvary Command, come in.”
After a minute, Commander Eagle appears on the screen. He has a bandage on his
head and stitches close to one eye. “This is Commander Eagle, go ahead,
Bismarck.”
Saber looks a bit startled, but composes himself, “Sir, we know you were
attacked, how bad is it?”
Commander Eagle looks down, “It could have been much worse, honestly. We only
had three casualties, still not a good number, but it could have been much, much
worse. No one that any of you knew personally was killed.” Saber looks
relieved and the Commander continues, “We had some warning this time. One of
our teams was out practicing maneuvers in some fighter ships when the invading
ships appeared on radar. They sent us a warning, and we got most everyone to
shelters. The three casualties were the pilots who warned us.” Saber nods
grimly. “I think Colt’s wife was mildly injured, and her brother Josh has a
broken arm, but there are some a bit worse off, and a lot who made out far
better.”
“April and Colt will be relieved to know that all of you are all right,
relatively speaking, Sir.” Saber says. “We had a distress call we thought
from you, but when Raible couldn’t contact you, we tried to come and check on
the situation, we were attacked ourselves and had to retreat or risk getting
killed.” 
The Commander nods and Saber continues, “We are safe for the moment, and we
hope to return to Calvary Command soon. Not knowing if the lines are being
monitored, I will not give away our location, nor go into timing at this point.
We will be returning soon though, Sir, and we will do all we can to help with
the rebuilding efforts.”
“We shall see you soon then, take care, Captain.” Commander Eagle says. 
Saber nods. “We shall, Sir.”
“Commander Eagle out,” he says closing the connection.
Saber looks at the darkened screen for a moment processing the information
before getting up and returning to the med bay. He enters the room and sees
everyone talking normally. They all stop and turn when he enters, waiting for
any news he has. “Well, I spoke with Commander Eagle,” he pauses and looks
around the room before continuing, “no one we know was killed; however, there
were three casualties.” He sees April wince, but continues, “Robin and Josh
have minor injuries, but will be fine. Commander Eagle had a few stitches and
bruises, but promises he will be fine.” April relaxes a bit. “The three that
died are the ones who gave the Command a bit of warning, or things would have
turned out much worse. There were three pilots out on flight practice, when they
spotted foreign ships and sent out a warning. If it hadn’t been for their
diligence, things might have been far worse.”
Everyone nodded.
“When are we going back, Saber?” Colt asks.
Saber shrugs. “As soon as the ships are ready, I suppose. I would not commit
to a timeframe over the intercom. I also did not tell Commander Eagle where we
are. Hopefully, if the coms are being monitored, that will keep you safe
here.” Saber says turning to Alor who nods. “I figure it will be at least a
day or so, seeing as you three are not in your best condition. There is also the
question of who all is coming to Calvary Command.”
Keith comes over to Saber, “I think we should stay with you. If your ship is
attacked again, you might not get away as you did last time. If we stay
together, we can at least put up a good fight.” He turns to Alor, “However,
that does leave Altea unguarded. Could you possible send a ship or two there as
protection until we return?” Alor nods. “If there is trouble, we should get
there fairly quickly, but this way, there are some defenses in place. Just
don’t leave your home unguarded.”
Alor looks to Keith, “We will send a couple of ships to Altea. I will go with
them. Amue can stay here and take care of things. We will stay as long as
necessary. You focus on terminating this new threat. Otherwise, we may all end
up fighting the witch, a problem I wish to avoid.”
Keith nods. “Thank you, Your Highness. Your generosity is greatly
appreciated.”
Fala comes over to stand beside Keith. Alor smiles at them. “We’re
practically family now, so it’s the least I can do.”
Keith looks quizzically to Fala, who shrugs. “I haven’t said a word to
them.”
Amue smiles, “Raible sort of hinted the other day when we talked. It wasn’t
unexpected.” 
By now the rest of the crew is looking at the couple. Fala blushes and sighs.
“Well, we weren’t going to say anything until this was over,” She pauses
looking to Keith, who nods and she continues. “Keith and I are engaged. We
have not decided anything else yet, like when or anything.”
Hothead laughs. “It’s about time!”
Lance grins. “I thought you were already engaged, like a year or so the way
you two are always around each other.”
Fala blushes and laughs. “A year, Lance? Seriously?
Lance shakes his head. “Let’s just say that I think it’s about time and
leave it at that. I don’t want to get myself into trouble.”
Shorty laughs. “When have you cared about what anyone thought about what
you’ve said, Lance?” 
Lance glares at him. “Ha ha. Real funny, Shorty.”

They talk for awhile about the engagement and upcoming plans before dispersing
to their quarters. Saber enters into his quarters and sits down at a desk at the
end of his bed and sighs, pulling out his journal, a picture falls out of him
and Sincia, he sighs, staring at the picture for a long time before he starts
writing in the journal. A while later, he hears a knock at his door, he gets up
and opens his door to find April standing there. 
“Hi, Saber. Can I come in?” April asks quietly. 
Saber nods and goes back into the room, sitting at the foot of his bed, and
nodding to the chair for her to sit.
She sits down and sighs, trying to figure out what to say. She notices the
picture, and glances at Saber, who looks away briefly, before meeting her gaze
again. “I don’t know how you can do this, Saber…” April begins quietly.
“I’ve been worried sick the last couple of days, barely able to function,
and I had no confirmation that anything bad had happened…I don’t know how
you…”
“It’s easier to continue working than to dwell on…” Saber interrupts
her, then pauses and sighs, nodding towards the picture. “I had forgotten I
even had the picture of us.” He says quietly. “I almost lost it when it fell
out of the journal tonight. There are times I feel that I can move on, then
there are times like…tonight where the pain of loss still seems so, fresh.”
He pauses, looking at April’s face for a moment. “You didn’t come here to
talk about me, April. What’s going on?”
April looks down for a moment, thinking before speaking, taking a deep breath.
“Well, I did partly come to check on you, honestly. I figured that hearing
about Keith and the Princess might have upset you a bit. But also, I’ve been
thinking…”
Saber looks at her and sighs, “I already knew about them. I found out the
morning we were got the distress call from Calvary Command. So, it wasn’t a
shock for me.” He pauses, studying her face for a moment. “But that’s not
what this is about is it?”
April sighs, thinking of how to continue. “Well, I know everyone wants to get
back to Calvary Command as soon as possible, but I think we need to go to Orb
first.” April says.
“Why’s that?” Saber studies her face. “Orb is a neutral colony. Why risk
getting them involved?”
April closes her eyes, thinking for a moment. “I have a feeling things are
going to get worse, before they get better…” Saber nods and she continues,
“As you said, they are neutral…but they do believe in being prepared.”
“Okay…” He replies hesitantly. “But what does that have to do with
us?”
“Have you heard of their fighting ships, the GUNDAMS?” 
He nods. “I’ve heard them mentioned, but I’ve never seen one
personally.”
“Well, I have been working on occasion with them to make a more versatile
version of the Bismarck, sharing the technology we have with them and vice
versa. I want to see how it’s coming along, and I also want to share with them
some of the GoLion updates so that the newer ship we are working on can be the
most technologically advanced fighting machine we can...especially with all of
the unknowns right now.”
Saber sighs, closing his eyes to think. “Have you talked with Fireball about
this?” 
She shakes her head. “I’m not sure he would understand the reasoning behind
it, to be honest. You have a more…military mind than he does. I was hoping you
could back me up if I had to present some sort of rationale to get him and the
others to understand why we need to detour to Orb. I am hoping it would only be
another day or so that we are delayed.”
Saber nods. “I understand your reasoning for going there. I think you are
probably right.” He pauses, thinking. “How long has this project been in the
works?”
“Do you remember when we got Bismarck II during the so-called peace treaty?”
He nods. “It was just before you were informed of that.”
“You’re always trying to stay a step ahead.” He says ruefully. “You are
bit more traveled than I thought you were, April.” He says amused. 
She smiles slightly. “Funny” Then looks serious.  I am glad that I’ve been
lucky enough to have access to so much technology. Not too many people in
Calvary Command know about this. You are one of three.” April says.
“You and your Father being the other two?” He asks. 
April nods. “It’s highly classified. I probably shouldn’t be telling you,
but I will need someone with me I trust, and I value your input.”
Saber nods. “Well, I will back you up, and I can pull rank…if I have to. But
I don’t think Fireball will put up much of a fight. Colt might though. I know
how anxious he is to check on Robin and Josh. But, he will go along with
whatever we decide, because he knows you’re not afraid of tying him up or
something if need be.” April laughs and he pauses, thinking, “Perhaps it
would be best if we just told them that we are going there to try and form a
treaty with Orb. Incase we need the help. It’s perfectly plausible, and I
don’t see Fireball objecting to that.”
April nods. “Thank you for supporting me in this and for humoring me by
talking with me about everything. I’m sorry if I got you from anything.” She
stands up from the chair, looking at the clock. “I suppose I should go and get
some rest. Are you sure you’ll be okay?” 
Saber nods. “I’ll be fine. I’d tell you if I thought otherwise.”
April nods and turns towards the door. “Good night, Saber.”
“Good night, April.” He replies and walks her to the door, closing it after
she leaves.



                          Kapitel 10: Homeward Bound
                          --------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 10: Homeward Bound

They arrive the next day at Orb. After landing, they are met by a group of
people. A blonde woman dressed in a blue and white uniform comes up to April,
clasping her hand. “It’s good to see you again, April.” A young man comes
up behind Cagalli, nodding a greeting to the group.
April smiles and nods, clasping the woman’s hand in return. “Good to see you
too, Cagalli. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
Cagalli nods. “So do I. But it seems that peace never lasts long, does it?”
April shakes her head. “Why don’t we go where we can talk and let they
others get comfortable?” Cagalli asks, nodding towards the other crew
members.
April nods. “I would like Saber to come with us though.” She says as she
nods towards Saber. “He is an adviser to me on certain matters.”
Cagalli looks towards Saber and nods, then nods towards Athrun, “I want you in
on this too, Athrun.”
“Saber, you come with us.” He nods and April turns to the rest of the group
just as a young man, accompanied by a young woman with long pink hair walks up
to the group, “So, the visitors have arrived?” the woman states.
“Yes.” Athrun states. “We have some things to discuss, would you and Kira
mind showing our guests around?”
The woman smiles. “Not at all. We’d be glad to.” She turns towards the
group. “Please, follow us.”
“You look familiar to me…but I can’t place you” Fireball states,
speaking to the woman.
She smiles. “My name is Lacus Clyne.” She nods to the man beside her.
“This is Kira Yamato.” Kira nods to the group. 
Fireball thinks for a minute. “You’re a singer, aren’t you?”
Lacus nods. “I was. Now I help where I can to try and keep the peace.”
Fireball nods. “I think I remember hearing you at a few of the races I’ve
been in…it’s been a while though.”
“Shall we go now?” Kira says.
Lacus nods. “Let’s go. We will show you to a place where you can rest, then
go and find a place to sit and talk.” She and Kira lead the group off to their
quarters.

Cagalli, April, Athrun, and Saber walk down to an office, and they all sit
around a table.
“How is the project going? Did you get the other schematics I sent you?”
April asks.
“Yes, I’ve had the scientists begin trying to incorporate some changes into
the project. Athrun,” She nods to the soldier to her left, who nods to the
group, “has suggested, such as making the Bismarck into four separate GUNDAM
type units that can combine into either a ship, for transport, or as one large
robot for extreme situations.”
“It sounds promising. Can we see it?” April asks. 
“Well, you can see what it looks like so far. It’s not quite done yet,
though it could be operational within the week.” Athrun says.
Cagalli nods in agreement. “We have our best people on this. It has allowed us
to improve the GUNDAMS as well, so I am glad we have had a chance to work
together on this project. I hope that maybe we can eventually attain peace for
all of us.”
“We hope so too.” April states. 
Cagalli nods and stands up, the others following suit. “This way, please.”
She leads them through several corridors to what appears to be a dead end, then
swipes a card in a crack in the wall. The wall slides open and she indicates for
the group to follow her.
They enter a bunker type room where there several people in uniforms actively
working. In the middle of the room are what appears to be a large ship and three
GUNDAM type robots all hooked up to various computers.
“Impressive” Saber mutters to himself.
Cagalli nods. “This will be rather spectacular when it’s finished. I can’t
wait to upgrade a few of our units with some of the changes we’ve done
here.”
April nods. “They are quite impressive looking.”
Athrun and Cagalli take turns discussing the design process of the new unit,
each giving their take on how they would change something as they went along to
improve one thing or another. “Would you like to see a computer simulation of
how they work?” Athrun asks.
April and Saber nod and Athrun leads them down into the bunker to an office type
area. He sits down at a computer and begins typing rapidly. “Here we go.” He
motions for them to come behind him to see the screen. “Each unit can be its
own GUNDAM-type ship. They have their own weapons systems, and are piloted by
one person. The largest unit is not a robot, but a support unit. It gathers
information on enemy weapons and tries to figure the best mode of attack. It is
also the navigational unit. If needed, the four ships can combine, like this”
The screen shows the central unit becoming the head, arms and body, while two of
the units form the legs, and one a rather large blaster type gun. “That is
what we’ve dubbed as ‘battle phase’. Or, if you are just traveling between
worlds, you can connect them like this” The screen first shows the separate
units, then shows them combining to form what appears to be a normal transport
ship. “We have dubbed this the ‘passive phase’.
“Rather impressive.” Saber says, obviously impressed. “It looks like a lot
of good upgrades to this unit, April. I just hope things don’t get bad enough
to have to use it.”
April nods. “So do I.” She turns to Athrun. “Thank you, Captain for
showing us how the unit works and how it’s progressing. I have enjoyed working
with your crew on this project.”
Athrun nods. “It has been an educational venture for us too, Ms. April. We
have a lot of new information that will hopefully make our ships more
maneuverable and hopefully save lives.”
Cagalli comes over to them. “We’ve been in here for quite some time. Should
we go and check on your friends?”
April looks to Saber. “Do you want to leave now?”
“Why don’t you stay and rest for the night. That way, you are rested up in
case of trouble on your way back to Calvary Command.” Cagalli offers. “We
have more than enough room here, if you don’t mind barracks style housing.”
April laughs. “I’d feel at home then. I think I grew up in barracks my
entire life.” 
Saber smiles. “I suppose you make a point. The way this entire ordeal is, we
should rest while we can.”
Athrun nods. “Then let’s go find the others.” 
After some hunting, the group finds the rest of their crew and they all gather
around talking until late. After everyone has discussed their lives, and
similarities and difference, they eat, then head to their quarters. The next
morning, they ready to depart for Calvary Command.
“Thank you, Cagalli for your hospitality. I hope our alliance is the beginning
of a strong friendship between us.” April states as she takes the woman’s
hand.
“As do I.” Cagalli says. “Do not hesitate to call us if you find
yourselves in a bind. It was nice meeting everyone.”
Everyone nods and says their goodbyes, then they load up into their ships and
take off for Calvary Command.

The Bismarck and GoLion crews arrive later at Calvary Command. They are met by
Commander Eagle, Robin, and Josh. 
“Colt!” Robin runs to him, wrapping her arms around him. 
Colt leans into her and sighs relieved. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He turns
to Josh, who is waiting quietly beside Robin. “You seem to have made out
fairly well.”
Josh nods. “I hurt my arm when I was guiding some kids to the shelter.
Something hit me. I’m not sure what. But I’m fine.”
Colt turns back to Robin, looking her over carefully. “Are you really okay?”

She nods. “I’ve got some bad bruises, but nothing too bad. I just have to
move carefully.”
Colt nods satisfied and turns to the Commander, who is being thoroughly
inspected by April. “Father, you should be resting. If the doctor says you
have a mild concussion, then that means you need to take it easy!” She
admonishes.
Colt and Fireball suppress the urge to laugh at the scene before them. Fireball
shakes his head. “I may be sleeping alone for a few days.” He mumbles under
his breath, getting a look of amusement from Colt.
After a few more minutes and introductions, the group moves inside to a meeting
room and everyone sits down.
The Commander looks around the room then he begins, “We are into the clean up
and rebuilding phases now. We found no other casualties, thankfully. We had a
couple unaccounted for, but they were found alive. We still have a couple of
people who are critically injured, but considering the amount of devastation, we
are counting ourselves lucky.” He is met with several nods and he continues.
“I have been notified by the English Federation Colonies that they wish to
dedicate a memorial in honor of the victims of the ship that Senator Rider and
others were on.” His gaze falls to Saber. “Those in charge of the ceremony
would like for you to attend, if at all possible.”
Saber nods, closing his eyes for a moment, before looking up to meet the
Commander’s gaze again. “Yes Sir.” He pauses, “When?”
“Two days from now.” The Commander replies. “That would mean you would
need to leave tomorrow.” He adds.
Saber looks down in thought and sighs. “I know I have to go to this. I can
take Steed and get there fairly quickly if I leave early tomorrow.” He answers
quietly.
“I think all of the Bismarck crew should go. Your father was one of the
biggest supporters of the project.” The Commander states as he looks to the
other members of the crew. The others nod in agreement.
“We will all go with you, Saber.” Fireball says.
“I would however ask that you make one concession…” Commander Eagle adds.
Everyone turns their attention back to him. “Leave the Bismarck here, in case
we are attacked again. We have other Star Sheriffs that could fly it in the
event of another attack. You did say that the ship had been updated,
correct?”
Fireball nods. “Yes Sir. But how do you expect us to get there without our
ship?” He asks.
“We have a few transport ships that are equipped with weapons in the event you
are attacked.” He states. “My hope is that perhaps the GoLion crew could
escort the ship to the colony.” He looks over to Keith and Fala who nod.
“We would gladly escort them, Sir.” Keith states. Fala nods her agreement.
The Commander nods. “Then let’s get your things unloaded from the Bismarck,
and into the other ship.” He turns to the GoLion crew, “I can show you to
some temporary quarters for the night. It’s not much right now, since we are
in a bit of disarray.”
“It’s not a problem, Sir. We can manage almost anywhere.” Keith says.
Everyone is led to their quarters for the night and they gather after eating to
talk about the upcoming journey in a common room. “So where are we staying
once we get to the colony?” April asks.
“I figured everyone can stay at my family’s estate.” Saber replies
quietly.
“Is there room for all of us there?” Fala asks. 
Saber nods. “There’s more than enough room. My parents own a large
estate.” He sighs. “I suppose it's my estate now.” He mutters to himself.
Fala comes over and places a hand on his shoulder. “At least you will have
friends with you to support you. I know this will be hard, but perhaps after
this, it will become easier.” 
He nods slightly. “Thank you.” He mumbles quietly. “Sometimes I think the
distance makes it easier to not think about…things.” 
Fala nods. “I understand.” She goes and sits back down beside Keith.
“So, we leave after breakfast?” Fireball asks to no one in particular.
Everyone nods. “Good. At least we have a plan.”
Colt looks over to Saber and asks quietly, “Would it be all right to take
Robin and Josh with us to your place, Saber?”
Saber looks over and nods. “Yes it would be fine, Colt. I understand you
wanting them closer to you right now. If something comes up, we can always leave
them there temporarily. My family has people that live in and work to take care
of the estate, since my parents were usually away a good portion of the time
anyways. So they would be well cared for there.”
Colt nods. “Thank you.” He says quietly. He then stands up and heads towards
the door. “I’m going to tell Robin and Josh to pack. We’ll be ready before
breakfast.” Everyone nods. “Good night.” He heads out the door.
After Colt leaves, Fala turns to Saber, “That was nice of you to let them
come, Saber.”
Saber shrugs. “If the situation were reversed, I think he would do the same.
Besides, what I said is true. If there is more trouble here, they might be
better off there than here.”
Fala nods. “You make a good point.”
Saber turns to Fireball, “I do plan to take Steed with us. I hope that will be
all right.”
“Steed?” Keith asks.
“My mecha horse. I use it to get around when I don’t have a ship.” Saber
answers.
“Now that I’d like to see.” Shorty says. 
Fireball nods. “I don’t see where there would be a problem. He’s your
horse.”
Saber nods. “I figured I should at least let you know.” He looks at the
time. “It’s getting late. I think I will head to my quarters. I’ll see
everyone at breakfast.” He stands up as others murmur good night, then
leaves.
April sighs after the door closes. “I’m worried about him.” She says aloud
to no one in particular. “He seems a bit more withdrawn.”
Fireball nods. “I thought he seemed a bit more…down. Maybe going home
isn’t the best thing for him right now.”
“He has to go sometime, Fireball. He can’t just run away from it forever. I
went to see him the other night and noticed a picture on his desk of him and
Sincia. He seemed a bit more upset since then. I just hope this doesn’t
overwhelm him. We need to be able to rely on him.” April says.
Keith nods. “I understand your concern, April, but I think after he’s home
and gets through the ceremony and other formalities, maybe it will bring him
some closure, and he will be able to move forward.”
“He’s been through a lot, and all of this is stressful enough without the
emotional baggage he is dealing with on top of everything else. I thought he was
doing well, all things considered.” Fala states. 
“I suppose we shall see. I just don’t know what to expect. I’m not sure
how I would feel if it were me going home for the first time after such a
tragedy.” April says. “I wonder if he will go and see Sincia’s parents.”
April thinks aloud.
“Who’s Sincia?” Fala asks.
“Oh, I guess you never knew her name…she was his fiancé, or was about to be
when…” April replies.
“I see. I’m sure that would be really hard on him, and on her parents. Have
they tried to contact him?” Fala says.
April shakes her head. “Not to my knowledge.” She looks at Fireball. “Have
you heard of anyone trying to contact Saber?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all. I’m not sure what he could say to them if
he did talk with them.”
“I just think we need to make a point of watching him, without it being too
obvious. I don’t want to make things worse, but I saw how he seemed upset the
other night, and I wanted to get him to talk more, but he just seemed to want to
be alone.” She sighs, “He did promise that he would tell me if it got to be
too much. I just hope that he’s telling me the truth.”
“I think he knows to be honest with us. He knows how much your father put on
the line to get him to be able to work at all. I don’t think he would risk
your father’s reputation, April.” Fireball says. “Although I know that
you’re not really worried about how your father looks to the council right
now. I know you’re just worried.”
April sighs. “I know I’m just over analyzing. I’d probably do it for you
or Colt worse than I have for Saber.” She smirks. “I already know the two of
you aren’t playing with a full deck.”
Fireball shakes his head. “Hey!” He feigns a hurt look and the others laugh.
Soon he’s laughing too. He looks to the clock. “It’s really late. We had
better try and get some rest while we can.” The others nod in agreement and
they all head off to their rooms.

The next morning they all have breakfast and head off for the English Federation
Colonies. Not much is said on the trip. They arrive without incident and are
greeted by the dignitaries upon arrival. An older gentleman, presumably the
leader of the group comes forward, greeting Saber, clasping his hand. “I am
very sorry for your loss, Captain. We are grateful you are able to make it here.
The ceremony will be held tomorrow at sunrise. Please get yourselves comfortable
and meet us here in the morning. We have a van waiting for you to use to get
around while you’re here.” The man nods to a lot not far from the landing
area where a large van is waiting. “I think it should be sufficient to
transport everyone. Let me know if you need anything else. I am Prime Minister
Charles Collins.”
Saber shakes the man’s hand and nods. “We will, Sir. Thank You.” The Prime
Minister releases his hand and turns back to the others behind him and they go
off to conclude preparations. Saber turns to the group, “Shall we head to the
estate then?” The others nod in agreement and they start towards the van.
“I’m going to take Steed with us now.” He whistles and Steed comes out of
the ship landing beside him. 
“Now that is an awesome horse.” Shorty says astonished.
Saber turns to Fireball. “Can either you or April drive the van and follow
me?”
Fireball nods. “I’ll drive.” They all load up and Saber mounts the horse
and they leave towards his home.
About an hour later they arrive. An older gentleman with glasses comes out of
the house and greets Saber as he dismounts. “Good to see you, Sir. I’m sorry
that it is under such circumstances.”
Saber nods. “Good to see you too, Thomas. How’s Elaine doing?” Saber asks
trying to sound upbeat and normal.
Thomas nods. “She’s doing well Sir. Thank you for your concern. We have kept
everything in good order. We have rooms ready for you and your guests, as you
requested. Dinner will be in a few hours. Probably close to six.” Saber nods,
and Thomas signals to two younger boys to come out. “Take the luggage in for
the guests and show them to their quarters.” The boys nod and start doing as
directed, the others following the boys into their rooms. Thomas turns to Saber
and says quietly. “I …I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about being in…”
He pauses trying to think of how to say what he wants, “in your parent’s
room, so I made sure your former room was in good order, Sir.”
“Thank you, Thomas.” He replies quietly. He turns and watches as the others
head to see their rooms. “I suppose I should get my things into my room.” He
sighs. “I’m going to take Steed out back, then I’ll be in.” Thomas nods
and heads to gather more luggage to take in, and Saber heads around the back of
the house with Steed, before going in and up to his room. When he arrives, he
sees most of his things have already been place there, he starts going through
his things when he hears a soft knock on his door. “Come in.”
An older woman appears in the doorway, she enters the room quietly, closing the
door behind her. “How are you, Saber?” She asks quietly.
Saber nods slightly. “Hello, Elaine. I’m as well as can be expected, I
suppose.” Elaine nods, watching him as he goes and sits on the foot of his bed
and looks around. “How are you doing? Mother had said you had been sick or
something recently.”
Elaine nods. “I’m better now, thank you.” She pauses, thinking.
Saber watches her curiously for a few minutes. “Something on your mind?”
Elaine shakes her head. “I was just trying to think of how to say
something.” She sighs and pulls an envelope out of her apron, handing it to
him carefully. “It’s from Sincia’s parents. It arrived yesterday. We’ve
not opened it, since it’s addressed to you.”
He takes the envelope, looking at it carefully. He notices it’s dated a week
before. Nervously, he turns the letter over to open it. Elaine turns for the
door, and he looks up to her. “You don’t have to leave, Elaine.” He says
quietly.
Elaine smiles. “You need time to yourself, Saber. Just call downstairs if you
need me before supper.”
Saber nods and she leaves closing the door behind her, leaving him alone in the
room. He turns his attention back to the letter in his hands. He slowly opens it
and unfolds the letter. He looks down, noting her mother’s handwriting and
begins reading:



Dearest Saber,

I can not begin to imagine how or what you are feeling right now. I have no idea
of when or if you will ever receive this. I know that things may seem
overwhelming and that you may feel that life is not worth living, but neither
Sincia nor your parents would want you to feel that way. I am aware that your
intentions were to marry our beautiful daughter. I regret that you will never
get that chance. I know that you loved her and she you. She talked constantly of
you and how proud she was of the job you were doing to protect our way of life.
I know that your parents didn’t always agree with your choice of occupations,
but she was glad that you held fast to your beliefs, and didn’t cave in just
to please them. I am glad that she got to see you again before she was taken
from our lives. At least I know she was happy and that she didn’t suffer.
Things will get better with time. Your wounds will heal, as will ours. Just
remember that the only thing she really wanted was for you to be happy. She was
willing to leave here with you to do that. So the best way to honour her is
continue living. Know that we love you like a son and we are here for you if you
ever need anything. Thank you for coming into our lives.

Always,

Meredith March





Saber lays back on his bed, closing his eyes, the letter lying on his chest. He
realizes he was crying, and didn’t even know it. Taking a deep breath he tries
to relax again. He stays like that drifting slowly off to sleep. A few hours
later, he is awakened by a knock at his door. He takes a deep breath and runs
his hands over his face before sitting up and looking around. A second knock at
the door jolts him back to reality. “Come in.” He folds the letter up, just
as the door opens.
“Did I wake you?” April asks as she enters his room. 
Saber nods slightly. “It’s all right. I need to get up. I didn’t mean to
drift off anyways.” 
April nods, studying him closely. “Are you okay, Saber?”
He shrugs. “I will be…eventually.” He says quietly, not meeting her gaze.
“I suppose everyone is gathered down stairs and waiting for me?”
April smiles. “Yeah. We debated a bit before I was picked to come up here to
check on you.”
Saber smiles weakly. “You got the short stick, eh?” He chuckles lightly.
“I suppose I’d rather have you than Colt.” April laughs. “I’d almost
be scared of what he’d do to wake me.”
April shakes her head and laughs. “No kidding. I’m sure he can be a
bit…much. Although, I was going to just barge in if you didn’t answer after
the second time I knocked.”
“Well, at least you would have only found me sleeping. I suppose we should get
down there before they send a search party up for both of us.” Saber says
dryly as he stands up, placing the letter on the writing desk along side of his
bed.
April notices the letter, but says nothing, turning to go back out the door,
“Come on.” She heads downstairs, Saber close behind her. Everyone looks up
as they come down the stairs. “We’re back.” April states.
“I’m sorry. I fell asleep.” Saber says embarrassed.
Colt laughs. “At least you finally GOT some sleep, Saber.”
Saber nods and goes and sits down in a chair near the others. “Have you all
had a chance to look around the grounds?” Several heads nod. “Good. Perhaps
we can go out for a bit.” He looks at the clock. “Thomas said dinner
wouldn’t be until six, so that gives us an hour or so.” 
“Then let’s go. I’d like to look around a bit more.” Fala says as she
stands up, the others slowly follow suit. They head out and explore the grounds,
eventually having dinner and gather again in the common room after dinner to
talk before slowly dispersing to bed.

The next morning, the group is up and dressed and they arrive at the location of
the ceremony. Prime Minister Collins comes over to greet them. “I am glad you
are all here. The ceremony will begin shortly.”
They stand around talking, a few other dignitaries come over to express
condolences, before the ceremony begins. As everyone is getting into position, a
woman slowly makes her way towards the group, stepping up behind Saber, she
places her hand gently on his shoulder. “Hello, Saber. I'm glad you were able
to make it.” 
He turns and meets the woman's gaze, “Hello Meredith. It's good to see you.”
He replies quietly. “How are you doing?”
She nods. “As good as I can expect. Some days are better than others, as I'm
sure you know.” He nods. “When I saw you, I had to come over and see
you.”
“I'm glad you did. I was not sure if you would welcome me or not, honestly.”
Saber says quietly.
Meredith takes his hands, “Do not blame yourself for this and please don’t
feel that we blame you. It is not your fault that this happened.” She pauses,
“Sometimes fate is just cruel. All we can do is honor them by living. That is
all I ask of you and of myself.” She leans over and kisses his cheek, then
takes his hand. “Keep in touch with me, won't you?”
Saber leans over and kisses her cheek and nods, pulling her briefly into an
embrace. “I will, as much as I am able.”
Meredith nods. “That is all I ask.” She pulls out of the embrace looking up
to meet his face. “I'd better go back with the family. Take care of
yourself.” She releases his hand, and turns heading back across the crowd.
Saber watches her leave, and sighs. 
“Who was that, Saber?” April asks.
“Sincia's mother.” He says quietly.
“Oh.” April whispers. “She seemed glad to see you.” She says in a more
normal tone.
Saber nods. “I think she was. To be honest, I wasn't sure how she would react
to me being here...but she told me that we both need to move on. That if we stop
living, then we aren't honoring their memories.” He pauses in thought before
continuing, “I think she's right.” 
Music begins and everyone turns their attention towards a stage that is set up
at the head of the crowd as the ceremony begins. 

A couple hours later, everyone arrives back at the Rider Estate. 
“Well, it was a beautiful Ceremony, Saber.” Fala says as they gather in the
sitting room.
Saber nods. “Yes, it was. But, I’m glad it’s over.” He says as he sits
down into a chair. “I appreciate that all of you were willing to go along.”
April smiles at him. “It’s what friends do. I know if something happened to
my Father, you would be there for me.” Saber nods. “Hopefully, we don’t
have to test out that scenario.” 
Fireball takes April’s hand. “We will do our best to prevent it.”
A few days pass peacefully. No news is looked at as good news by the group and
everyone enjoys the break. They are all gathered together talking when Elaine
enters the room to tell them that dinner is ready. They all get up and gather in
the dining room, and begin eating after the dinner is presented. Elaine brings
out dessert and she and Thomas take leave to eat their own meal. After dinner,
everyone goes out to the back of the grounds, a few people take a horse and go
exploring, Saber guiding them on Steed. April and Fireball sit around with Lance
and Hothead, talking about plans for the upcoming days.
“I wish we could just stay here. It’s so relaxed.” Hothead says.
“You just like how well you’re being fed.” Lance quips, getting a glare
from Hothead.
“I've not eaten this well since I left home.” he replies.
April laughs. “The food is great. I’m not used to eating so well.” 
Fireball nods. “I agree. But then again being on the go so much, we don’t
exactly have room to make anything like what we’ve eaten recently.”
“I wonder why Saber wanted to leave all of this behind and join up with
Calvary Command?” April mused. “I’m not sure I would. I could see why he
was considering moving back to be with Sincia though. All of this would have
been theirs.” 
A long silence ensues, “I’m not sure he would have been happy here though. I
just can’t see him settling down and working behind a desk or something.”
Fireball says to break the silence.
“Nor could I see him doing his Father’s job. He doesn’t have the patience
for politics.” April states.
“He’s too…military minded for politics. Although, that might not be a bad
combination to have.” Lance adds.
Suddenly, Saber comes racing back, followed by the others, looking rather
serious. April looks up. “Is something wrong, Saber?” 
He dismounts Steed and nods. “Calvary Command is under attack again. We need
to leave as soon as possible.” 
Colt helps Robin down from his horse and Josh comes up from out in the yard.
“You two stay here. We have to go see if we can help.” Robin nods, tears
forming. Colt kisses her lightly and turns to Josh. “Protect her.” He nods.
He looks again to Robin. “I’ll be back as soon as I can be.” 
She nods, blinking away the tears. “We’ll be here.”
The others are coming back out towards the group, bags in tow, Thomas and Elaine
following along behind them. Saber looks to Thomas. “I leave them in your
care. We will be back as soon as we are able.” Thomas nods.
Elaine hands a bag to Saber. “Be careful.” 
He nods. “I will be.” He turns to the others as he mounts Steed, “Let’s
go.” They all load up in the van and go to the hangar, piling into their ships
and taking off.
“What happened, Saber?” Fireball asks once they’re in the air.
“Commander Eagle called my com-link. He tried yours, but said it didn’t
connect. He said they are safe, for the moment, but that the ships could be back
and that they need back up. There is a lot of damage, but since people were
still evacuated to shelters, very few casualties.”
“So the Bismarck did its job then. I’m glad we left it for their
protection.” Fireball says.
After a long pause Saber replies, “I’m reading through the report of the
attack from Commander Eagle. The Bismarck and its crew were destroyed.”
“What?!” April, Colt, and Fireball scream at once.
“Saber, please tell me I heard you wrong.” Colt says.
“I’m afraid not, Colt.” He turns on the com-link. “Keith, come in.” 
Keith appears on the screen. “I just read what you sent me. It’s not
good.” 
Saber shakes his head. “No it isn’t.”
“Saber, we need to go to Orb. Now.” April states firmly. 
Saber looks her direction and nods. “Keith, we have to make a detour to Orb,
can you head towards Calvary Command and assist them in any way you can?”
Keith nods. “Roger that. Be careful and call if you find trouble.”
“We will. Thank you. Bismarck out.” He closes the connection and turns to
Fireball. “Set course for Orb.”
Fireball nods, punching in several keys. “Wouldn’t it just be faster to call
them for help, instead of going there?”
“There is something we have to do there before we can get help.” April
replies. “Trust us, please.”
Fireball starts to say something else, but stops himself and each person is left
alone with their thoughts. 
About an hour later, Saber opens up the com-link,” This is Captain Rider of
the Bismarck crew calling Orb, come in.”
Athrun appears on the screen. “Captain Rider? Why aren’t you on the
Bismarck? I’m reading that the ship you are on is a transport ship.”
Saber nods. “We left the Bismarck at Calvary Command. We were on my home
colony when Calvary Command fell under attack.” Athrun nods. “The Bismarck
was destroyed in the foray.” 
Athrun looks shocked, then gaining his composure, looks serious. “What’s
your ETA?”
Saber checks his computer, “Should be a half hour give or take.”
“We will be ready when you arrive. Orb out.” Athrun closes the connection.
Saber takes a deep breath, and looks to April, who is watching him closely. He
nods that he is fine and looks to Fireball and Colt, both of whom are focused on
their own thoughts. “We are entering Orb air space now.” He says as they
descend and land.



                           Kapitel 11: The Bismarck
                           ------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 11: The Bismarck

They land and find Cagalli, Athrun, and Kira suited up. “We are ready to do
what we can.” Cagalli says. “Come with us.” She turns and they all head
down the corridors to the hidden bunker. Fireball and Colt look around curiously
as they go down the corridors. “I think it’s time, April.” Cagalli says,
turning to April. April nods her agreement.
The doors open and they can all see three Mobile Suits and a transport looking
ship before them, several people in Orb uniforms are busy working. “The
Bismarck III” Cagalli says, sweeping her arm towards the bunker floor below.
Colt lets out a low whistle. “When did you have time to do this?”
April smiles, “It’s been in the works for a while. There are several changes
you should know about.” She looks to Cagalli. “You can probably explain this
far better than I can, Cagalli.”
Cagalli shakes her head. “I think I’ll let someone who has been down here
tell you about the ship.” She looks around the bunker, spotting a young woman
with brown hair in an orange tech uniform, she calls to her. “Erica, please
come here.” 
The woman looks up and nods, coming over to the group. “Yes, Ma’am?” she
asks, as she comes up next to Cagalli.
“This is our lead Tech, Ms. Erica Simmons.” Cagalli says, indicating her
with her hand, she then turns to speak to her, “This will be the crew of the
ship you have been working on.” Cagalli nods to the people behind her. “Can
you please go over the details of the capabilities and design differences of the
new ship with them?”
Erica nods. “Of course, Ma’am,” she nods to the group. “Come with me.”
She leads them down to the bunker floor. “This Bismarck has four separate
units. Each of you will be in one of them. They each have their own weapons and
navigational systems. There are times when they can combine to form two very
different type units. The first combination forms into one big Mobile Suit. We
call that the ‘Challenge Phase’. The main suit is the Head, body, and arms.
These two suits” she points to two of the suits, “form the legs, with the
third suit becoming a new type of laser cannon with unsurpassed firepower
capability that mounts on the right arm.”
“That one’s mine.” Colt says aloud.
Erica glances at him amused, before she continues. “The second combination is
what we call the ‘Transport Phase’ when the units are combined in this
Phase, they form what looks to be a large transport or cargo ship. The pilot
seat from each unit will be utilized in this phase, acting much like your
previous version of the Bismarck. All of the units are equipped with basic
titanium armor and the best weapons we have available. So even as an individual
suit, you shouldn’t have much to give you trouble. Each suit has been based
off your previous saddle unit’s abilities. All of which had specific functions
based on the pilot’s abilities.” She goes to the first suit, a black and
gold mobile suit. “This is a newer version of the Akatsuki developed by Orb.
It has a lot of the same functions that your saddle units have.” She pauses
and looks to the group, “Which one of you is the intelligence specialist also
good at close combat?” 
“That would be myself.” Saber replies. 
“Then this suit will be yours.” Erica continues.  “It is good for
maneuverability and specializes in close combat. It does however posses some
unique armor.  This suit is covered with the ‘Yata-no-Kagami’ anti-beam
defensive reflection system. Basically, it can deflect any laser beam attack
using it’s coating of tiny mirrors on the surface. However, it is not
impervious to blade attacks. It includes several options, depending on the type
of battle the pilot is in. The packs are the ‘Owashi’ sky pack, which mounts
2  Type 73F modified high-energy beam cannons; and the ‘Shiranui’ space
pack, which includes a M531R remote control unit (beam cannon; 2  beam guns;
beam shield emitter). One other choice of weapons for this suit is the
‘Hyakurai’ beam rifle. It is held in the hand of the unit, as if it were
your own gun. We have not fully tested it, but it’s a rather high-powered
beam, that not many enemies should be able to deflect. It also includes a
titanium sword, which is attached to the hip of the suit. It is drawn just the
same as a sword normally would be, and can cut through most anything. When
needed, the unit can transform into the right leg of the larger robot known as
the ‘Bismarck’. The armor changes color to match the rest of the robot when
it’s in its ‘Challenge Phase’ or the central ship when in the ‘Transport
Phase’ otherwise, all of the suits will be the colors you see now.” She then
heads over to the next suit; a red, white, and black mobile suit, she then turns
to look at Fireball. “If I had to guess, I’m betting this one is for you.
This is the Raider 02 Mobile Suit. It has what we call Trans-Phase Armor. It
activates only when you are hit by a weapon, to conserve power for your weapons.
The Raider specializes in reconnaissance. It has two modes, other than the
‘Challenge Phase’ and the ‘Transport Phase’ where it combines with the
other ships. The ‘Standard Phase’ is the one you see before you. It also has
a ‘Flight Mode’ which is equipped with stealth technology to make it easier
to scout out any enemy you need to, while remaining undetected. It has unmatched
speed in either mode, which can be an asset in battle. It comes with a
‘Zorn’ 100mm energy cannon, fire-linked, mounted on mouth; dual 52mm hyper
velocity shield cannon, mounted on right forearm; 2 ‘Ahura Mazda’
short-range energy cannons, mounted on claws, operable only in flight mode; an
M417 80mm machine gun, mounted in nose, operable only in flight mode; 2 M2M3
76mm machine guns, mounted on shoulders, operable only in flight mode. It forms
the left leg of the Bismarck when in ‘Challenge Phase’.” She then turns to
the third suit, a blue and red mobile suit, with white trim, with a cowboy hat
and nods to Colt. “I am going to guess that this suit is for you.” Erica
says with a smile. “I didn’t get the insistence of the hat on the Mobile
Suit until you walked into the room, now I see why.”
At that comment, the group laughs, and once the laughter has died down, Erica
continues, “This is the newest version of the Calamity Mobile Suit. It is
built for the weapons specialist. It has 2 ‘Schlag’ 125mm high-energy
long-range beam cannons, mounted on backpack over shoulders; a ‘Scylla’
580mm multi-phase energy cannon, mounted on its chest, a ‘Kaefer Zwei’ 115mm
dual ram cannon, mounted on shield connected to left arm. It also has an
optional ‘Todesblock’ 337mm plasma-sabot bazooka that can be held in its
hand and fired as an external weapon. It can also be equipped with the METEOR
platform. It consists of 2  120cm high-energy beam cannons; 2  93.7cm
high-energy beam cannons; 77 x 60 cm ‘Erinaceus’ anti-ship missile launchers
(22 per pod, 12 per arm unit, 9 on tail fin). This Mobile Suit becomes the
‘big gun’ of the Bismarck when it combines into the ‘Challenge Phase’.
It has firepower that most soldiers would dream of. There isn’t much that the
beams on this suit can’t severely damage or destroy. The METEOR platform
becomes a shield with firing capability that attaches to the left are of the
Bismarck when in the ‘Challenge Phase’ and it attaches to the back top of
the Bismarck when it is in the ‘Transport Phase’.”
Colt lets out another whistle. “That is very impressive. I can’t wait to try
this thing out.”
Erica laughs, “You’ll get your chance soon enough.” She then goes to the
center of the room where a rather unassuming dark gray/blue ship is docked.
“This is the most advanced of the Agamemnon class of ships. It is not as
heavily armed as the Mobile suits, but the main purpose of this ship is support.
It does have several high energy cannons, and Vulcan cannons, so it is not by
any means defenseless. This is the central unit that has a living area for when
you are traveling, and it also carries all of the optional equipment not mounted
to your suits. It is also the part that forms the head, torso and arms of the
robot Bismarck. Are there any questions?”
Saber nods. “How are the suits powered?”
“They are nuclear powered. So they basically have an unlimited amount of
power. Conceivably, it could run down I suppose, but I don’t think that is
very likely. They also sort of ‘recharge’ after they are docked to the
Agamemnon in its ‘Transport Phase’.” She replies.
Saber nods, mulling the information over. “One other question…how is the
Bismarck controlled in its different phases?”
“When the units are combined, April can give total control to any one of you.
Or, she can set it so that each person has specific functions they can control.
It is a rather versatile system. Eventually, you will figure out what works best
for you.” Erica replies. “Are there any other questions?”
“When do we get to try these suits out?” Fireball asks.
“That is up to Cagalli.” Erica says with a smile.
All eyes turn to Cagalli, who smiles and looks to Erica. “Are the suits ready
to be tested?” 
Erica nods. “Yes, they should be fully operational.”
“It would be a good idea to try them out before heading into battle. That way,
we know if there is something we need to adjust and can do it while you are
still here.” Athrun says.
Cagalli nods. “Yes, I think we should go up in our suits too, so we can show
them how they move around. Remember, this is a bit new to them.”
Athrun nods and looks to Kira. “Are you going to join us?”
Kira smiles, “Sure. It’d be nice to be in a suit and not fighting for my
life for once.”
“Then follow me.” Erica says to the Bismarck crew. They nod and she leads
them to their respective units, showing them how to get into them and boot them
up. After several minutes they are ready, and a wall opens revealing a huge
valley just outside. “Now Launch.” She says and they all take off. A bit
unsteady at first, but they quickly adjust to keeping altitude.
Colt goes out in front, quickly grasping the controls of the suit. “Now this I
like!” He moves around quickly, circling the others as three more Mobile suits
join them.
Saber comes out close to Colt, and after a minute or two is easily maneuvering.
“I thought the controls would be harder to figure out. They seem fairly strait
forward.” 
Athrun appears on a screen slightly to his left, “When Kira became involved
with the Mobile Suits originally, he rewrote the OS to be easier for non
coordinators to handle. This OS is far superior to anything the other people
have. Only the suits from Orb have this OS.” 
“Impressive.” Saber replies. “How long did that take you to write?” He
asks Kira.
“I’d rather not say.” Kira answers quietly.
“I heard it was just a few minutes, according to Lacus.” Cagalli says. “I
thought she was exaggerating, but going by how he’s acting now, I’m not so
sure she was.”
“Now I’m really impressed.” April chimes in. “The lot of you could teach
me a few things, for sure!”
Saber laughs, “You already get that glazed look from Colt. Do you want to
confuse Fireball now too?”
“Hey!” Fireball and Colt say at one time, enticing a laugh from April and
Saber. 
They practice for a bit more, and then they all land at the top of a nearby
hill. “I think you are all doing well.” Athrun states after everyone has
joined them on the ground. “I think after a brief break, we should have you
attempt the combing sequences.” They all nod and he continues, “First we
should try the ‘Challenge Phase’ then practice a bit in that formation,
before separating and then trying the ‘Transport Phase’.”
“I found a bit of information on the OS on how the process works. It seems
fairly simple.” Saber states, getting a bit of a shocked look from Athrun and
Kira.
“You were able to get into the tutorials?” Athrun asks. Saber nods. “Are
you sure you’re not one of us?”
Saber looks at him skeptically. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“You shouldn’t have been able to get into them without us unlocking them.”
Athrun says.
“Oh.” Saber mutters, then asks in a normal tone, “Why would you lock
them?”
“Well, we wanted to see how you did on instinct.” He pauses, studying Saber
for a moment. “How long did it take you to unlock the OS?” 
Saber thinks for a moment, “Not long. A minute or two, I guess. I wasn’t
thinking about it, I sort of did it subconsciously.” 
Kira looks over surprised, then looks to Athrun who nods. “I want you to fight
me. I have the original Akatsuki, so I should be okay to take a few hits.”
Saber nods hesitantly. “Okay…but what do you hope to accomplish?”
“I want to see if I’m right about something, nothing more.” Kira replies.
Saber nods and goes to his suit, taking off quickly. Kira follows and meets him
in the air.
“Okay, your name is Saber, right?” Saber nods and Kira continues, “Draw
your sword, let’s see how you handle that against me.” Kira draws his sword
and waits.
Saber nods and draws his sword, circling a bit to the right, waiting for Kira to
strike. After a moment, Kira launches at him, Saber parries and they fight for
several minutes, neither one having an advantage over the other for long.
“I can’t believe he’s doing so well against Kira.” Athrun says, watching
the two fight. He turns to April and Fireball, who are watching with interest,
“Has he ever piloted a Mobile Suit before?”
Fireball looks to April who shrugs. “Not that I’m aware of.” She replies.

“Then I’m thinking Kira might be right.” Athrun states.
Fireball looks back to Athrun. “Right about what?”
“Your friend there may be a coordinator.” He replies.
“What exactly is a coordinator? I have heard you all use the term, but I’m
not exactly sure what it means.” Fireball asks.
“Simply put, it means that we are genetically engineered to have faster brains
than most natural humans. Some of us were altered in the womb; a few were
completely created in artificial wombs.” Athrun says. “Supposedly,
coordinators are able to utilize their talents more than a natural. Your friend
there,” He nods towards Saber. “appears to posses some rather unique
abilities. Enough that Kira thinks he may be a coordinator.”
April sighs. “It just doesn’t seem likely. He’s not even from this part of
the universe.”
Athrun shrugs. “Then maybe it’s a strange coincidence, and nothing more. But
the fact that he was able to unlock the OS in a matter of seconds tells me
otherwise.” They all turn back up to the fight, the two are still fairly
evenly matched. One seems to get an advantage for a minute or two, then the
other seems to make up lost ground. They eventually begin using other beam
weapons, trying to knock each other out of the air. Eventually, Kira scores a
solid hit and Saber hits the ground, Kira lands beside him. They both come out
of their suits, and walk over to the others.
“I can’t believe you lasted that long against me. Especially since you’ve
not been in a suit before…or have you?” Kira says to Saber.
Saber shakes his head. “I’ve never been in a suit before. It just worked as
if it was made for me. It’s rather well built.”
Athrun looks at him carefully. “Are you sure you’ve never been here
before?”
Saber nods. “Quite positive. I think I’d remember these suits if I had
been.”
Kira looks over to him. “Well, maybe it was before you were born? Maybe your
parents came here, or to one of the PLANT colonies or something.”
“I suppose it’s possible that they did. I have no way of finding out now
though.” Saber replies.
Kira nods. “I just have a feeling that either you are one and don’t know it,
or just one of the rare naturals.” He pauses thinking. “My instinct is that
you’re a coordinator though. I know some really smart naturals, but none of
them could have gotten into the OS as quickly as you did.”
“I really don’t see the big issue with the computer, I was just messing
around with it and got into the system and was reading the tutorials. I
wouldn’t have done that if you had told me you didn’t want them to be read
before we started.”
Kira looks at him amused, “You really have no idea how you got into it do
you?”
Saber shakes his head. “I just went through the screens. It asked for codes,
and I just started typing and it worked. I don’t even remember what I typed in
to be perfectly honest.”
Athrun sighs. “No use in thinking too much on it. It’s just a curious
thing.” He turns back to the others. “Do you feel like going up again?”
They each nod. “Then let’s go. Let’s work on evasive maneuvers. Then,
after Kira and Saber have had a break, they can join us and you can try the
combining sequences.” 
They head to their suits and take off, each taking turns dodging attacks. A
little while later, Saber and Kira join them. 
“Okay. In each unit, there should be buttons on the right hand side of the
main console labeled CPH and TPH. I think you’re all smart enough to figure
out which one does what.” Athrun says dryly, then continues normally, “The
important thing to remember, is that you have to all hit the same button.”
“Gee, you think”?” Colt asks sarcastically.
“Colt!” April and Saber say at once.
“What? I’m sorry, I just think we should try it and see what happens is
all.” Colt says defensively. “We aren’t stupid.”
Saber sighs. “No one was accusing anyone of being stupid, Colt. Better to be
over informed, than miss some vital information. You should be grateful they are
taking the time to show us how to do this, instead of us learning this on our
own in the heat of a battle.”
“He’s right, Colt.” Fireball adds. “This is a luxury not many would get.
We don’t have much time left here. We need to learn what we can.”
Colt sighs. “Fine, but can we get on with it?”
Fireball nods. “Initiate ‘Challenge Phase’ now.” They each hit their
buttons and the ships begin their transformations. They quickly become the robot
Bismarck and go through the air, adjusting to the new formation. They are a bit
unsteady for a moment or two, but then seem to gain control.
“Good job. Now, try pulling a weapon.” Kira says, pulling out a blaster.
“All right.” Colt says, as he aims the blaster and fires towards Kira, who
dodges the attack easily.”
“You’ve got to do better than that.” Kira says. “Try and hit me head
on.” Kira fires a low grade beam at them, and the shield easily blocks it.
“That’s better, but you still need to hit me.” Kira says, firing another
shot, they dodge it and fire back quickly, grazing him. “You’re getting
there. Colt, there should be a button to your left that sort of looks like a
target pointer. Do you see it?”
Colt looks along the console and presses the button. “There it goes.”
Suddenly he sees a heat activated target pointer telling him when he’s locked
on to Kira. “Try this.” He fires a shot, hitting him dead on and knocking
Kira back a bit. “Damn! I wish I had seen that before.” He mutters. “That
is awesome!”
Kira recovers and fires back, the Bismarck dodges the attack and fires back just
as Kira gets off another shot, canceling it out. They practice for close to an
hour, “Okay, now I want you to separate.”
“How do we do that?” Fireball asks.
“Hit the button for the Phase you’re in and it deactivates it, allowing you
to separate.” Athrun says.
“Makes sense.” Fireball replies as they each hit the button and the suits go
back to their previous forms.
“Now, let’s see you try the Transport Phase.” Kira says.
Fireball nods. “Okay, ready?”
“Ready” They each reply.
“Activate Transport Phase.” They all hit the corresponding button and soon
the Bismarck looks like any other transport ship. 
“Well done. Let’s see if you can avoid an attack now.” Athrun begins
firing at the ship. 
“Evade!” Fireball yells as the ship is grazed by a shot. Colt fires back as
they dodge another attack from Kira. After practicing for a bit, they decide to
return to the bunker. After everyone has landed, they meet in the center of the
bunker.
“You did well.” Cagalli says as she joins the group. “It’s not often
that a group can evade any attacks by these two.” She says nodding to Kira and
Athrun.
“The units are incredible, Cagalli. I hope we can work together on future
ventures.” April says. 
Cagalli nods. “I hope so too.” She turns and looks to each of the members of
the Bismarck, “I suppose you’ll be leaving soon?” She asks more to
Fireball than the others.
Fireball nods. “Yes, we have probably stayed longer than we should have.”
Cagalli nods.
Lacus comes down from the entrance of the bunker and over beside Kira. “Why
don’t you stay and eat something before you go. You might not get a chance to
eat again for a while.” 
They all look to Fireball, who nods. “I don’t see where that would do any
harm.” They all follow Lacus and Kira out and eat a good meal. About an hour
afterward, they return to the bunker, ready to board. Kira comes over to Saber.
“Take care of the suit and don’t hesitate to call if you need back up.”
Saber nods. “I don’t like to fight, but I know that fighting is sometimes
necessary to obtain peace.” 
Saber nods. “Fighting is not something I like either, but sometimes as you
said, you have to in order to obtain peace.” He adds solemnly. 
They each say their good byes and board the Bismarck and take off.
“Set course for Calvary Command.” Fireball says.
“Coordinates set, Captain.” Saber replies. 
They all sit quietly lost in their own thoughts as they head towards Calvary
Command.



                              Kapitel 12: Answers
                              -------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 12: Answers


“They just keep coming, Keith!” Fala says as she fires more missiles.
“I’m not sure how much longer we can hold out.”
“I know. I hope they get here soon.” Keith replies as they dodge more lasers
that are being fired at them.
“I’ve got something on radar, Chief.” Shorty states.
“What is it?” Keith replies.
“I’m not sure. It seems to be a transport ship.” Shorty replies. “Though
I’m not sure why one would be coming this way.” Just as he says that, the
ship breaks apart into four ships. “What the…”
“You look like you could use a little help.” Fireball states, popping onto
Shorty’s screen.
“Man, are we glad to see you.” Fala says.
“Seems like you’ve had your hands full.” Colt says. “Let us have a
little fun.” He grins as he unleashes the METEOR pack firing at several
beastmen, killing about half of the ones he hit.
“Don’t take all the fun, Cowboy.” Fireball says as he starts firing lasers
at several other beastmen, hitting several.
“Sorry we’re late.” Saber says, using the sword to slash several beastmen
in half.
“We’re just glad you made it. I was beginning to wonder.” Keith replies.
Several more beastmen are killed, and the few that remain retreat. “Aren’t
you in a different…you have a new suit, I see.”
Saber nods. “Four, actually. We can explain later.” 
Keith nods. “Shall we land, seeing that the remaining enemy has left for the
moment?”
“Sure. I’d like to see how things look on the ground.” Saber replies.
They land on the ground and exit their suits. The GoLion team comes over to
them, along with Commander Eagle.
“Nice suits.” Lance states, looking at the three Mobile Suits. “What does
that one do?” he says, nodding to April’s ship.
“It’s a support vessel, basically. They have the real fire power.” April
replies nodding towards the three robot suits.
“We noticed.” Keith says. “We were really glad to see you. I’m not sure
we would have lasted much longer.”
Saber looks around at the amount of damage. “I suppose it could be worse. As
you said, most people are still in shelters, so the buildings were largely
unoccupied. It will take a bit to rebuild.” He turns to the Commander, looking
him over. He notices a few new bruises and a cast on his arm. “I see you were
in the thick of it again, Sir.”
The Commander nods. “They hit the command center. Thankfully, no one was
killed. We were lucky. The only ones we lost this time were the four pilots that
took out the Bismarck.” Saber nods solemnly, and the Commander turns to April.
“I see you’ve been to Orb. What new weapon do you have now, April?” He
asks mildly amused.
“Well, this is the Bismarck III.” He looks at the suits, waiting for further
explanation. “They can combine into a large robot, if needed, or they can
combine into a transport ship when we are traveling.”
“These units combine?” He asks astonished.
April nods. “They are more versatile than any of the previous Bismarck units.
They also have a lot more firepower.”
“We noticed.” Lance says dryly.
April glances at him amused. “Jealous.”
“Maybe.” He smirked.
The others laughed.
“Perhaps I’ll let you see if you can handle my suit later, Lance.” Saber
says.
“It can’t be that hard.” Lance retorts.
Saber chuckles. “I suppose we will see.” Lance nods. “Shall we go inside?
I don’t think we want to be outside when the enemy returns.” Everyone nods
and he looks to Commander Eagle. “Is there somewhere we can park the suits out
of sight?”
The Commander nods. “There’s a large hangar just over the hill there.” He
points to the remnants of a building at the top of the hill. “The hangar is
over there. It’s where I thought we’d park the ship you took to the
colonies. I suppose that ship is now on Orb?”
Saber nods. “Yes, Sir. We decided that the suits would be more beneficial to
bring back than the other ship. We can send for it later, once things are better
here.” He nods. “Why don’t we all take the units to the hangar and meet
there?” 
They all agree and head to the hangar. After leaving the suits, they go to a
small meeting room, just inside the hangar. “Here is some footage of the
attack where we lost the Bismarck.” Commander Eagle says as he plays footage
of a battle where the ship is obviously overwhelmed by a number of beastmen.
After a bit of time, you see several attack at once, then a large laser shot and
the ship exploding, then smoke and destruction. “Once we stopped fighting and
went into hiding, I guess they thought we were done for and left…until GoLion
showed up. It was as if they were hoping they would show. They hadn’t even
landed when they came from nowhere and began fighting them. However, I don’t
think they expected you. I think they thought you had been destroyed with the
other Bismarck ship.” 
Several heads nod. “As I said before, if you hadn’t shown up, we might have
been done for. We were plenty strong enough, but grossly out numbered. It looked
like one-hundred to one odds out there.” Keith says. 
“We got here as quick as we could, Keith.” Fireball says. “We had a bit of
‘training’ before we came, so that we weren’t learning on-the-fly.”
Keith nods. “That and one of the Orb people, maybe more than one was
rather…surprised at Saber’s abilities with his suit. They asked him if he
was some type of coordinator or something.” Saber glanced to Fireball, giving
him a look like he had shared a bit too much information. Commander Eagle turned
and studied Saber for a minute. He looked ready to say something, then thought
better of it and turned back to Fireball. “How did the training go?” he
asked as if he never heard the last statement. 
Fireball nods. “It went well. It helped when they finally told us how to do a
few things.”
Commander Eagle nods. “I’m glad you had a chance to try them out, but I’m
also glad you got back here in time to help us. I’d hate to see how this would
have turned out otherwise.” He looks to April. “So this is the ‘project’
you and Lady Cagalli were working on?”
April nodded. “Yes, Father. It was. It has come out far better than anything I
could have anticipated.” She pauses and looks to the other members of the
Bismarck crew. “Of course it helps that they are already skilled pilots.” He
nods and looks around at the tired faces seated before him. “Let’s all go
and get some rest. We don’t know when the enemy could return, so it would be
best to rest while you can.” He hits a button and an intercom becomes active.

Yes Sir?” a voice asks through the speaker.
“Please come and lead our friends to their quarters.” The Commander replies.
He then looks back to the group as a uniformed soldier enters the room. “He
will show you to your quarters.” Several of the crew get up and start for the
door. The Bismarck crew lag behind, but soon file in to follow the others.
“Captain Rider?” Commander Eagle says as Saber rises.
“Sir?” he replies.
“I need to speak to you for a moment before you go.” Commander Eagle
replies. Saber nods and moves to a chair beside the commander. After everyone
has left, Commander Eagle studies him for a minute, trying to figure out what to
say. He sighs, thinking. “What happened on Orb, Saber?”
Saber sits for a moment, thinking. “What do you mean, Sir?” He asks, trying
to find out what information he wants specifically.
The Commander smiles slightly amused at the redirection of his question. “I
think you know what I mean. I saw the look you gave Shinji when he said what he
did about what some people at Orb think of you.”
Saber closes his eyes, thinking. “I’d never heard the term before today, and
I think they were just talking. I’d never been there before, so I knew it
couldn’t be true.” He replies matter-of-factly.
“So why did you give him the look that you did?” Commander Eagle presses.
Saber sighs. “Because, I didn’t see the point of him mentioning it to begin
with; It was just a random thought that had no basis on the outcome of the
situation. I figured it would just prolong discussion here, and I really
wasn’t up to trying to explain how I can’t be what they seem to think I am.
When I’m not even one hundred percent sure of what they are referring to
anyways.”
Commander Eagle listens intently as he speaks, watching him closely. When he’s
done speaking they sit in silence for a while before he sighs and looks Saber
directly in the face. “What exactly is a ‘coordinator’, Saber?”
Saber looks up at him. “Well, if I understood Kira and Athrun correctly, a
coordinator is someone that is...” he pauses, trying to think of how to
continue. “Genetically…engineered, I suppose. Someone who has been created
with certain things about them enhanced. Such as a talent or skill; supposedly,
some scientists had found a way to include certain genes into embryos that then
developed into what they have dubbed as ‘coordinators’. Kira said that he
thought I must be one when I somehow unlocked the tutorials that they had
locked, so that I knew how to operate the suit faster than the others.”
“How did you unlock the computer?” He asks curious.
Saber shrugs. “I just was looking at the OS and it asked for codes, and I
started typing things that seemed logical, and I came across the tutorials, so I
went through them. It wasn’t anything abnormal.”
“How long did it take you?” The Commander inquires.
“A minute or two, I suppose.” Saber replies honestly.
“And you don’t see that as odd?” Saber shakes his head. A knock is heard
on the door, and they both turn towards the door.
“Come in.” Commander Eagle says.
April opens the door. “Father, I need to…” She stops when she sees Saber.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were busy. It can wait.” She starts to turn back to
leave the room.
“April, come in. I want to ask you some questions too.” Commander Eagle
says, indicating for her to sit on his other side. She goes and sits beside him,
glancing a bit nervously between him and Saber. “April, what is your take on
the new OS for the Mobile Suits?”
April sits for a minute, thinking before answering. “Well, it is rather
sophisticated, but, once it is fully accessible, it is rather easy to figure
out.”
The Commander nods. “Did you unlock your computer to find the tutorials?”
She looks at him curiously. “No, Sir. I didn’t see a way to do that. It
seemed to be in a sort of ‘Training Mode’. I played with it a bit, but I was
not able to unlock it from that mode myself.”
Commander Eagle sighs and looks between his daughter and Saber, trying to think
of how to proceed. He finally rests his gaze upon Saber, who meets his gaze.
“Was your suit in the ‘Training Mode’ when you got into it?”
Saber thinks for a moment and nods. “I believe it was, Sir.”
“And yet, you were able to unlock it in seconds?” He asks.
“It could have been several minutes, Sir.” Saber replies.
“But, the fact remains that you did indeed unlock it without much effort. Is
that correct?” Commander Eagle presses.
He sighs. “I suppose it was with little effort. Subconsciously I did it I
guess. I honestly don’t remember how I did it. I just suddenly had access to
it. I don’t see what the big deal is about what I did.” He says a bit
exasperated.
April looks over and her gaze softens as she sees him frustrated and defensive.
“Saber…” She begins quietly. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Please
don’t get defensive. We just are trying to figure out how you were able to do
that. Is it possible that you had some prior training when you were in the
Queen’s elite service before you joined the Bismarck Crew?” Saber shakes his
head and April continues, “It’s just amazing that you were able to do it. As
a scientist, I just want to understand how you were able to. That’s all.”
“Well, I don't have an answer for you. So why don't you tell me if you come up
with one.” He replies a bit coldly.
Commander Eagle clears his throat, causing them both to look towards him.
“April, I think I'd better talk to Saber alone for a while.”
Saber looks up. “She may as well stay. She'll hear about whatever you have to
say one way or another.”
Commander Eagle nods, “Well, I know for a fact that your parents had been to
some of the PLANT colonies in the past. Maybe not Orb itself, but to that region
at least. It started a few years before you were born. Your parents made several
trips there. Your parents were interested in some of the technology they were
developing for fertility treatments.” Saber nods, listening. “They had been
trying for several years...Your mother lost three children before she became
pregnant with you.” He pauses, trying to think of how to continue. “The
technology that was available on the PLANT colonies far exceeded anything that
we had here, and the success rate was much higher. When your parent's came back,
your mother was pregnant with you. She was into her second trimester by then.”

“So, it was a 'normal' pregnancy?” Saber asks quietly.
Commander Eagle nods. “As far as we knew, yes. However, I vaguely remember
your father saying that you had to be implanted, but that otherwise, everything
was normal. Perhaps the doctors implanted some extra genes or something before
you were placed in your mother's womb, Saber. That can't be ruled out as a
possibility.” Saber sighs. “I suppose it can't be. Although I don't see what
difference it would make now. I just am who I am. I don't see any reason to get
all up in arms over something that we can't prove. Even if they could prove that
I am a coordinator, I don't see why it's important.”
“It is important because you could be of more use in the alliance to those you
might not want to be associated with. If the wrong people found out that you had
the skills of a coordinator, there are some that would want to try and sway you
to work for them, for their own agendas. That is something I want to avoid. I
feel that it's your life, and you should be able to do as you wish with it. The
wars in the galaxy where Orb is have been between the 'coordinators' and the
'naturals' from what I understand. Although, the people in Orb are both naturals
and coordinators and live together in peace. They seem to accent each other well
there, and it seems that slowly, the other people are following that example. My
guess is, you may be a very early version of a coordinator. Perhaps you aren't
even listed in their database, because you were not born there.”
“So what if I am? I'm sure a there are a lot of people like I am. Does that
mean I  or anyone else that was created the same way has to go and join with
them?” Saber asks exasperated.
Commander Eagle shakes his head. “No, Saber, it doesn't. It would however
explain how you are so much better at certain things than other people if you
are indeed...enhanced.”
Saber shakes his head and sighs. “I'm sure this is all very interesting to
you, isn't it, April?” he asks quietly, a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
April looks at him sympathetically. “Honestly, it is, but I don't want you
feeling...weird, you know?” She pauses, trying to figure out what to say. “I
think that it's amazing that you have the skills you do. And then, the whole
thing with the OS in the suits, well that just blew my mind. When Kira said he
thought you were a coordinator, I was shocked, but in a way, I wasn't completely
surprised.  But, if you are a coordinator, wouldn't that make you one of the
oldest ones?”
Saber shrugs. “How the Hell would I know? I hadn't heard of them before we
visited Orb.” He sighs. “April, I'm sorry. I shouldn’t be taking this out
on you...or any of you for that matter. I just want to move on, and now, this
coordinator thing seems like it will hold me back. It's like every time I think
I'm doing better, something takes me backwards. It's rather frustrating.” He
finishes quietly.
Commander Eagle sighs. “Richard,” Saber looks over at him, April looks up
shocked of the use of his birth name. “I know this isn't easy. I know you are
upset that we are making a...an issue out of this, but believe me when I tell
you this, it doesn't matter how you were created. Your parents loved you. You
were the best thing that happened to them in a very long time. And I know that
despite your differences in opinion of how you should run your life, your father
was very proud of you. I think he would have been no matter what path your life
took, even if he never said so. So, here is what I ask of you, then I will drop
the matter altogether if you want.” Saber studies his face for a moment, then
nods, indicating he's listening. “Let me have a doctor I know that once worked
for PLANT run a couple of tests on you...to see if your genes are any different
than say...April here.” he nods to his daughter. “Then, I will tell you, so
you know the results, and I will seal them off, so that no one else has access
to the test results. Then we can put the whole thing behind you and you can move
on.”
Saber sighs, closing his eyes and running his hands across his face before
looking at the commander again. “Could they also test to see if my parents are
truly my parents?” He asks quietly, getting a look of shock from the commander
and April. “Well, think about it...it could be that I am entirely test tube
and my mother only carried me. I want to know if I am truly human, if that can
be determined with these tests. It could affect how I decide to live my life. As
you've said before, April,” He looks to her. “Knowledge is power. And
evidently, I have something different about me, I may as well find out the
entire truth if I can.”
The Commander nods. “I'm sure that is possible. If you're sure you want that
information, I will not stop you from inquiring. I am fairly certain though that
your parents are genetically your parents.” He turns to April, “Would you
mind submitting to the same tests, so that we have a control subject, April? I
know how you were created.” He smiles slightly and she nods.
“Of course, Father.” She smiles slightly and looks to Saber. “Let me know
when you want to go, and we will. We'll go together, so that you know we have
the same thing done. Fair?” Saber nods and she turns to her father. “When do
you want us to go?”
He looks between them for a minute. “How about I call the doctor now, and see
when he could do it?” They both nod in agreement, and he picks up a phone and
places the call, hanging up a couple of minutes later. “Well, he said I can
take you both now, or first thing in the morning. Your choice.”
“Saber nods. “Let's go. I want this over with.” He stands up. 
April nods and stands up. “Tell us where to go.”
Commander Eagle nods. “Come with me.” He leads them through the shelter area
of the base to a door that requires a badge to be swiped. Swiping his badge,
he's allowed entry, and they follow behind him to a medical laboratory. He
knocks and a man's voice is heard telling them to enter, and they do. “Hello,
Doctor.”
A man in a white coat looks up at them and nods. “Ah, Commander. I didn't
expect you so soon.” He notices Saber and April behind him. “So, which one
of  you is the one to be tested?” 
“They both are, Doctor Izumi. I won't tell you which one is which until after
the tests.” Commander Eagle states.
Dr. Izumi nods. “Fair enough.” He nods, indicating for them both to sit down
into a chair that is for drawing blood.  “Please, take a seat, both of
you.”
Saber and April look to each other and nod, each taking a seat. “Will this
take long to get the results? Commander Eagle asks.
Dr. Izumi shakes his head. “Just a few minutes, Commander.”
“Good. Oh, and I want you to run DNA tests on both of them too, and run the
data you get in the database so we can confirm their parents as well, if that is
possible.”
The doctor nods. “Easier to do now, since I can just get an bit more blood
when I draw from them.” He goes over to April and takes a long band, tying it
around her arm, then inserts a needle, drawing out several tubes of blood. He
then goes over to Saber, and repeats the action. “I wouldn't try and get up
for a few minutes, you might get a bit dizzy.” He turns to the Commander.
“Can you get them some orange juice from the refrigerator over there?”
nodding to a fridge in the corner. “It will make them feel better a bit
faster.”
Commander Eagle nods and returns quickly with the juice, handing one to each of
them, and looks to the doctor, who is busy placing blood in various machines.
“How long before we know something?”
Dr. Izumi looks up, “Probably about fifteen to twenty minutes, Sir.” He
continues working.
Commander Eagle goes and sits close to Saber and April. “Do you wish to wait
here, or go back to my office?”
“Here.” They reply simultaneously.
He nods, smiling a bit. “Understood.” After a brief silence, he adds,
“Probably a good idea. I don't think this information should leave this room.
No matter how it turns out.”
April nods, studying her father's face. “There isn't anything you want to tell
me is there?” She asks a bit hesitantly. Saber looks over to her, then to her
father, interested in the reply. 
He thinks for a moment and shakes his head. “No. I have no secrets from you,
April. I assure you that I am your father, and that you were created in 'usual'
way.”
Saber masks a smile and looks away as April blushes a bit. “Sorry I asked.”
She chuckles.
Several minutes of silence follow, the sound of various computers whirring and
beeping as data is collected. Finally, Dr. Izumi comes over to them. “Well,
the results are interesting, to say the least.”
“How so?” Commander Eagle asks.
“Well, they both show some signs of enhanced DNA.”
“What?!” They all three say at once.
Dr. Izumi holds up a hand to silence them. “The young lady here,” He nods to
April. “Has the DNA of you, Sir.” nodding to the Commander, “and of your
wife, Natalia Eagle. What is interesting, is that Natalia evidently had enhanced
DNA.”
Commander Eagle looks surprised. “Enhanced? How so?”
“Well, she has traces of genes that seem to enhance science and mathematics
understanding. However, I suppose that it could be a natural enhancement. But
something tells me it isn't. It appears very similar to the earliest types of
DNA strands that were attached to a few...'subjects' when the coordinator
project was first being developed. Perhaps she was one of the few adult
volunteers. I am trying to see if her name comes up anywhere in the research I
have, but so far, I haven't found her.” He nods to Saber, “You, however are
a completely different case. Your parents are Edward and Mary Rider. I'm sure
you already knew that. What is different, is that your genes are
altered...enhanced rather. In a way that most coordinators have been altered. Do
you tend to be able to fight off infection?”
Saber nods slowly. “I don't remember ever really being sick...not even a cold,
actually. But that doesn't mean I'm a coordinator.”
The doctor nods. “Actually, combine that, with the fact that you show
exceptional abilities in swordsmanship and marksmanship, in addition to I'm
willing to bet your abilities with a computer, you are indeed a coordinator. If
I am right, you are one of about five that were enhanced while you were still an
embryo, just after implantation in your mother's womb. Your parent's might not
have even known that the doctors enhanced your genes. There were a handful of
embryos that we added genes to, without the knowledge of the parents. Just so we
could see if the enhancements were able to thrive without stimulation.” He
looks away, seeing the glare he is getting from Saber.
“So I'm a lab rat, is that what you mean?” Saber asks forcefully.
The doctor nods slightly. “I suppose that's one way to look at it. However,
you should be proud of what you are. You are one of a very few people that were
raised as a natural, but still was able to thrive without the extra effort we
put forth for the usual coordinators.”
“What do you mean?” Saber asks.
“Well, normally, the coordinators are raised around other coordinators, so
that they are all advanced and sort of...feed off each others knowledge. They
challenge each other intellectually. It helps sharpen their minds even more than
just their enhanced abilities. It has been shown that when left alone to hone
their talents, only the specific genes that were enhanced excel, but in your
case, it appears that you became rather well rounded. Something that isn't
exactly typical. Your parents never knew that we had enhanced you.”
Saber sighs and closes his eyes, thinking, he then turns to Commander Eagle.
“Well, at least that answers why I was able to do some of the things I have
been able to do. I hope that satisfies your curiosity, Sir.” He then turns
back to Dr. Izumi. “Are there any other effects I should know about? Like what
happens if I ever decide that I want to have children? Would they be at risk for
some genetic deformation or something?”
Dr. Izumi shakes his head. “Actually, they would be less at risk to inherit
any genetic deformities. Your enhanced DNA should pass on to any children you
have. So they should be at least as good in the areas that you are proficient
in, and should you happen to join with someone else who is also enhanced, they
would get those genes as well. Everything should be normal, in regards to such
matters.” Saber nods, not asking any more questions.
April looks over to him, then up to the doctor. “So you are saying my mother
was a coordinator?”
Dr. Izumi nods. “In a way, yes. She was sort of a prototype. She allowed her
body to be injected DNA-enhanced  genes, though she was probably never told
whether it worked or not. If I remember correctly, she died in childbirth.”
April nods slightly. “So we wouldn't have known until you were older whether
or not the injection worked. She would have been too old for it to have affected
her. Of course, your mother was already a brilliant woman, so no one would have
thought anything of you being gifted, because she was naturally gifted. I think
you are just a bit more so than she was. Perhaps on a wider scale, or more areas
than she was.” He turns to Commander Eagle, “Does that give you the
information that you were looking for, Sir?”
Commander Eagle nods. “I believe it does. What they decide to do with the
information is completely up to them.” He turns and studies April and Saber's
faces. Each seem to be lost in their own thoughts. “Thank you for taking the
time to do this, Doctor. I appreciate it. Please remember to keep this
information just to us in this room.”
Dr. Izumi nods. “Of course, Sir. I will send you a copy of the test results,
and I will send Captain Rider and Ms. Eagle a copy as well, then I will delete
this from my computer, as if it was never there.” 
“Actually, Doctor, I think it would be better to just purge these tests and
the results from your system and the back up databases. I don't want any of this
information leaking into the wrong hands. ” Commander Eagle replies. 

“As you wish, Sir.” Dr. Izumi replies and he goes over to his computer and
starts deleting the files, and tosses the tubes into the biohazard container.
“There. I have purged all the tests and the results from our system
entirely.”
Commander Eagle nods satisfied. “April, would you mind double checking the
files to make sure no one can recall them from the cache' or anything?”
April nods. “Of course.” She turns to Dr. Izumi as she approaches the
computer and starts typing. “No offense, Doctor.”
“None taken, Ms. Eagle. I understand the consequences that could come of the
knowledge leaking out to the wrong people.” Dr. Izumi replies.
April finishes her searches and turns to Commander Eagle. “It's all clear,
Sir.”
Commander Eagle nods and turns to April and Saber. “Come on. You both need to
go and rest.” They nod and stand up and follow him back to his office.
They enter behind him and sit down, not sure what to say.
“I am glad we know; now you can decide what to do with your knowledge. That
goes for both of you.” They both look up and nod. “I know it is getting
late. Go and try and get some sleep.” Commander Eagle says. April gets up and
leaves, leaving Saber and Commander Eagle alone once more.
“Well, I hope you're happy to have your answers, Sir.” Saber says almost
bitterly.
Commander Eagle nods. “I'm sorry, Saber. But I figured it was better to know
for sure. What you choose to do now that you know is completely your decision. I
hope you will just continue as you always have. But at least if someone says
something, you know why you are...different.”
Saber stands up and nods curtly. “Good evening, Sir.” He turns and heads out
the door.



                          Kapitel 13: Calvary Command
                          ---------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 13: Calvary Command


Saber sits up and looks around. A bit of light is making it's way into the room
from the tiny window above his bed illuminating the room just enough for him to
make out shapes. He looks around and sighs, looking at the clock. “1:30 AM.”
He groans and flops backwards onto his bed. After laying there a while he gives
up on getting more sleep and gets up and dresses, then quietly heads out of his
room, through the common area and towards the door.
“You're up really early.” A familiar voice states from the darkness.
Saber turns and sighs. “Look who's talking.” He replies back, a bit
agitated.
The figure stands up from his chair and walks towards Saber. “I couldn't
sleep. So I came out here.”
“I was going to go and ride. You want to join me?” Saber asks.
He nods. “If you don't mind, I'd like to.” 
Saber nods. “I'll take the Suit; you take your Lion, for now.” The figure
nods. “Perhaps once we're away from anything with people, I could let you try
the suit.” He adds with a smirk, “If you're up to it.” 
Lance smiles. “Let's go.”
They head out the door and a short time later, they arrive a good distance from
the base. They both land and meet on the ground. “You think you're ready for
this?” 
Lance nods.  “I've been dying to try it since you showed up with it.”
Saber laughs. “I'll warn you. It's rather complex, a bit different from your
Lion.”
Lance shrugs. “I'm sure if you can do it, I can.”
Saber smirks. “Just don't damage it, or yourself, okay?”
“Sure. Are you going up in the Lion?” Lance asks.
Saber nods. “I think I'd be safer in it than on the ground.”
“Funny.” Lance tosses him the key to Red Lion and heads to get into the
suit. “This should be easy.”
“So you know, I put it in training mode, so you don't accidentally blow
something up.” Saber says wryly.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Lance retorts as he gets into the suit
and Saber climbs into Red Lion and they take to the air. Lance is quite unsteady
at first. “How the Hell did you make this look easy?” He says as he starts
hitting buttons, trying to get the suit to steady.
Saber laughs. “Not as easy as you thought, eh?” 
Lance continues messing with random buttons. Saber finally sighs and starts
walking him through how to steady the suit. “Take the main control stick and
pull back a bit, like you would with the Lion.” He does so. “Okay, now, just
hit the two buttons to the left, that should give you control using the
stick.” Lance follows the directions and the suit starts responding better.
“Good, now practice moving around until you get it.”
“How long did it take you to figure this out?” Lance asks. “There are so
many different buttons and modes that it makes my head spin.”
“A minute or two I think.” Saber replies honestly. “That includes
unlocking the training mode and reading the tutorials on the weapons and such as
well.”
“Huh?” Lance replies. “You unlocked it you mean, in a matter of
minutes?”
Saber shakes his head. “No, I unlocked and did the tutorials in a matter of
minutes.”
“Damn! No wonder you didn't have trouble with my Lion.” Lance replies.
They practice for a bit, and Lance becomes more steady and confident in the
suit. “Do you want to try and dodge a few attacks?” Saber asks.
“Aren't you afraid of damaging the suit?” Lance asks.
“Not really.” Saber replies.
“Sure. Bring it on.” Lance retorts confidently.
Saber smiles, “If you insist.” He fires the tail laser at Lance, hitting him
squarely in the chest, causing him to drop quickly, but he manages to right
himself before hitting the ground.
“Damn!” Lance swears under his breath.
“Try moving when I fire at you.” Saber says dryly.
“Gee, you think?” Lance replies sarcastically. They spar for a bit before
landing on the ground. Lance meets Saber in front of the suit. “I think for
now, I'll stick to the Lion. But you have to let me try that once in a while. I
might actually get better at it.”
Saber nods as he tosses him the key to Red Lion, “You'll get better. I don't
think you did too badly for not having a clue of how it works. I should have let
you read the tutorials first. But the others didn't have that luxury, so I
thought I'd put you to their level that way.”
“How were you able to unlock that system so quickly?” Lance asks impressed.

Saber shrugs. “I'm not really sure. I'm just sort of...lucky, I guess with
computers.” 
Lance nods; not sure he's getting the whole truth, but doesn't push it. “So,
why were you up so early?”
“I couldn't sleep.” Saber replies quietly.
Lance nods. “I'm not good at sleeping in strange places, especially sharing a
room with Hothead and Shorty. They both snore something fierce.”
Saber laughs. “I wish I had that as an excuse.” His smile quickly fades and
he gets quiet.
Lance notices and nods, “I can only imagine what it must be like.” He says
quietly. “I don't know how you manage to do as well as you do. I don't think I
could hold it together like you have.” 
“It's not easy.” Saber says quietly.
Lance nods. “Come on, let's get back. We've been gone a couple of hours. I
wonder if anyone has noticed our absence.”
“And if they have?” Saber asks as he heads to his suit and takes off. 
Lance gets into his Lion and takes off. “Then we tell them we went to a bar
and had a few drinks. I bet we get some looks then.”
Saber laughs. “Yeah I can imagine the looks now. We'd be under constant guard
after that.”
“Seriously, what should we tell them if anyone asks what we've been up to?”
Lance asks.
“The truth, we couldn't sleep, so we went out for a bit.” Saber replies as
he enters the hangar and sets down.
Lance nods as he sets down in the Red Lion. “I suppose no one will think
anything of it. Pretty much everyone knows you haven't slept much, and well, I
have a rep as doing what I want, not caring what others think.”
Saber chuckles. “And yet, you were picking on me?” He shakes his head
amused. They head back to the sleeping area, entering the common area quietly,
only to find Fala, Keith, and Commander Eagle sitting up waiting for them.
“Good morning.” Saber says as if nothing is amiss. 
“Been up long?” Keith asks sarcastically, looking towards Lance.
“You try sleeping with two loud snoring guys in the same room.” Lance
retorts, causing Keith to blush slightly.
“Saber, are you feeling any better than yesterday?” Commander Eagle asks.
“I got a couple of hours of sleep, Sir.” He replies not fully answering the
question.
Commander Eagle sighs, but doesn't press the matter. “Well, I came to let you
know that so far, we have not spotted any enemy ships in the area. I noticed
that you were out in your suit and then I spotted Red Lion, so I figured the two
of you had gone off.”
Saber nods. “I wanted more practice time in the suit. I figured I'd make use
of the time others were sleeping to practice, since I couldn't sleep.”
Fala looks at him sympathetically. “You really should try and sleep more. Not
sleeping can catch up to you.”
“I appreciate your concern, Your Highness. I am sleeping more than I was a few
months ago. I'm sure with time I'll be able to get more sleep.” Saber
replies.
Fala nods, “I hope so.” 
Slowly, everyone starts waking and joining them in the common area.  “Good
Morning, everyone,” April says as she comes into the common area. 
“Morning,” Several others reply in unison.
She looks around and spots her father, and goes over and sits beside him. “So,
any news we should know about?”
Commander Eagle shakes his head. “For once, I'm glad to have nothing to
report.” She nods in agreement. “Perhaps that will allow all of you time to
become more acclimated to your suits.”
April nods. “Yeah, I know that I can use some practice. I'm sure the guys can
use it too.” She sees Saber coming out of the kitchen area carrying a cup of
something. “How are you doing this morning, Saber?”
“I'm all right.” Saber replies, sipping his drink. “You?”
“I'm good. Did you manage to sleep at all? You look a bit tired still.” She
asks concerned.
“I slept. Not as much as I should, but that's almost a habit now.” He
replies quietly. He looks around the room, and walks over to Commander Eagle.
“I think since you said there is no sign of enemy activity, I'm going to try
and rest for a bit, if that is okay, Sir.”
Commander Eagle studies him for a moment and nods. “I think that's a good
idea. Try and rest while you can.”
Saber nods. “I have so much going through my head right now; it's hard to
concentrate so I thought resting might be a good idea, if I can get my mind to
shut down for a bit.” Saber turns and heads back to his quarters.

“Is he all right, Commander Eagle?” Fala asks concerned after Saber leaves.

Commander Eagle shakes his head, “I'm not entirely sure, Your Highness. I
think he will be, but I'm not sure how long that will take.”
“It's like he improves a little, and then relapses. He seems a bit more
withdrawn than he has been of late,” Fala says sounding concerned.
“He's just feeling overwhelmed. He's been through a lot, and then having to go
home for that ceremony, didn't seem to help matters.” The commander replies
before turning to speak to Colt, “I take it you left Robin and Josh at Saber's
Family Estate?” 
Colt nods, “Given the situation here, I think they are safer there.”
“I think that is a true statement. I am hoping we can put an end to this
quickly. We need to focus on rebuilding the base here, but all of you need to
practice adapting to the new Bismarck and how it works.” Commander Eagle
replies.
“It's a rather remarkable unit, Sir. But we do need to practice a bit. But, I
worry that if the enemy is watching us; couldn't they see the suits and gage the
weaknesses we have with them if we practice too much?” Colt asks.
Commander Eagle nods. “That is a possibility, Mr. Wilcox. But, it's a chance
where I think the benefits would outweigh the risks.”
“He's right Colt. We need the practice. We need to become as familiar with the
controls as we were in the other Bismarck unit.” April adds.
Fireball comes into the room and stands behind April, “She’s right, Colt.”
He looks around the room, “Where’s Saber?” 
“He went to rest. He’s been up quite a while, so when I told him there was
no sign of the enemy, he decided to try and rest for a while.” Commander Eagle
replies.
“Ah.” Fireball says, “That’ll make it a bit hard to practice the
combination phases.”
“I’m sure you can practice maneuvers and such without him.” Commander
Eagle says, “If he says he wants to rest, then we certainly should let
him.”
“Yeah, it’s not like he admits that he needs a break that often.” April
adds.
“Um, I could go up in his suit.” Lance suggests hesitantly. Everyone turns
and looks to him a bit shocked. “Well, he let me try it for a little this
morning.” He adds quickly.
April recovers from her shock, “That might not be a bad idea. It would give us
some practice. And Saber could still get a break.” She looks to Fireball.
“What do you think?”
He thinks for a few minutes before answering, “I think we should get Saber’s
permission before letting someone else into his suit. Even if you were in it
this morning, it would be better to have his permission first.”
Commander Eagle nods. “I’ll go and ask him.” He gets up and heads to
Saber’s room, knocking on the door.
Saber hears the knock and sighs. “Come in.” He responds irritably. 
Commander Eagle enters the room and closes the door behind him. He sees Saber
lying on his bed, not bothering to sit up. “Are you all right?”
“I was almost asleep.” He replies gruffly. He sighs and sits up once he
realizes who has entered his room. “What do you need, Sir?”
“Well, I was coming to see if you would allow Lance of the GoLion team to use
your suit, so the others could practice. He mentioned that he piloted the suit
some this morning while the two of you were…out.” He replies hesitantly.
Saber runs his hands across his face, trying to wake up a bit. “I don’t see
the harm in it. I let him this morning, in the training mode. That way, he
couldn’t blow something up by accident.” The Commander nods. “I suppose I
should go and set it for training mode. I don’t believe it is right now. I
think I just have it locked, so that no one else could activate it.” He sighs.
“Either way, I need to get up again.” He turns and gets up off the bed.
“Let’s go, Sir.” He heads towards the door, the Commander just ahead of
him.
“You can come back after they take off, Saber. I know you need to rest.”
Commander Eagle says as they head to the common room. 
Saber nods slightly, “I may try, Sir. I think I’m starting to feel the
effects of the lack of sleep lately. I don’t want it to affect my actions when
I’m needed.” The Commander nods. “I told you that I would tell you if I
started feeling like it was too much…I fear that I’m getting near that point
right now. Though I’m sure it’s just fatigue.”
The Commander nods, looking a bit concerned. “I’m glad you’re admitting
that you feel that way, Saber. I’ll do my best to make sure you get some
rest.” They come out to the common room and the others look up as they enter,
several notice how tired Saber looks, but don’t say anything.
Saber looks to Lance, “Come on. I’ll unlock the suit and set it in training
mode for you.” Lance nods and Saber smirks slightly, “This time, I’ll let
you access the tutorials too.” 
“Thanks.” Lance adds dryly, “How considerate of you, Captain.”
Saber turns and heads to the bunker. Going over to his suit, he climbs in and
unlocks it, setting it for the training mode. “There. I set it to allow access
to the tutorials and low-grade firing capability. Try not to damage it.” He
climbs out and turns to the Commander, “Anything else, Sir?” the fatigue
obvious in his voice.
Commander Eagle shakes his head. “Not for now, Captain. Go and get some
rest.” 
Saber nods and heads back towards the quarters, Commander Eagle watches him
closely. 
“He’s not well, Commander.” Fala states as she watches him leave.
“Something is really bothering him.” The Commander nods in agreement.
“Should someone go and try and talk to him?” She asks.
“I’m not sure. He may just be overwhelmed by all the new changes and his
personal situation. Maybe going home wasn’t in his best interest after all.”
Commander Eagle replies with a sigh. “I was hoping the ceremony and familiar
scenery would help with closure, but it seems that it may have had the opposite
effect.”
“I’m not sure it was going home that made him…relapse, Sir.” Fala says
as she turns back to where the Mobile Suits had been a few minutes before.
Commander Eagle looks to her with interest. “I think it had to do with
something on Orb, or perhaps specifically with his Mobile Suit. He actually
seemed okay when we were there, even after talking with his fiancé’s
Mother.” 
Commander Eagle looks over to her surprised. “He spoke with Sincia’s
mother?”
Fala nods. “Yes. She came over to him at the ceremony. She seemed glad to see
him. He seemed relieved of that, actually. They didn’t speak any more after
that, as far as I know of.”
Commander Eagle nods, processing the information. “So you seem confident that
it was something to do with Orb?”
Fala nods. “Or the Suit itself perhaps… He has seemed a bit more distant
since they got the suits.”
The Commander sighs. “It’s rather complicated, Your Highness.” 
She looks over with interest. “How so?”
Commander Eagle looks around and notices that the others are a good distance
away watching the Bismarck Team and Lance in the suits. “Well, Saber did
something remarkable when he got into the suit.” He pauses trying to figure
out what all to tell her. “He…was able to figure out the Operating System of
the Mobile Suit in a rather short period of time…to the point of unlocking it
and reading the tutorials.”
“So he’s good with computers.” She states as if it were obvious and not
out of the ordinary. “I don’t see what the big deal is. He seems to be
rather competent.”
“He shouldn’t have been able to access the tutorials, Your Highness. They
were purposely locked to keep the pilots out to test their initial abilities. It
also only took him a matter of minutes to read a day or more worth of
tutorials.” Commander Eagle replies quietly. Fala looks over a bit dumbfounded
and he continues. “He is evidently genetically enhanced, as most of the Orb
Military is. They call them ‘coordinators’. I think that is what is
bothering him more now than anything. He isn’t quite sure how to take that bit
of information.”
“So you think he is doubting his humanity?” She asks.
Commander Eagle shrugs. “That’s one way to look at it.” He sighs. “I’m
not entirely sure what is going through his head right now. He seems to have put
up a wall between us. It’s almost as if he resents knowing that he
was…enhanced. I thought that knowing would be helpful, that maybe he would
want to try and improve his skills more, instead it seems to have made him more
withdrawn.”
“Someone should talk to him, Sir.” She looks up to the Commander who nods
slightly. “I’m just not sure who to recommend.”
Commander Eagle looks out towards where the others are. “I’m not sure
either. He won’t talk to me, so I’m not sure who to suggest. He seems to
have some rapport with Lance, though I don’t see him opening up about feelings
to him.”
Fala laughs. “No, most definitely not Lance, he couldn’t be serious if his
life depended on it.” She looks around to the others, thinking. “Maybe
April?” 
The Commander shakes his head. “He seems distant even from her right now.”
He sighs. “I briefly thought of Fireball, but thought better of it. Perhaps
you or Keith would have better luck?” 
Fala looks over surprised at the suggestion. “One of us, Sir?”
He nods. “He seems to respect both of you, and perhaps being close in age, he
wouldn’t feel strange talking to you.” He pauses then adds, “And you have
also both lost your families, something else you can relate to him with.”
Fala nods, considering the suggestion for a while before speaking again.
“I’ll try and talk to him first. Keith isn’t exactly the best person to go
to about feelings. He might do well, but I’m not sure even I could talk him
into trying to talk to Saber.” 
Commander Eagle nods. “I appreciate it, Your Highness.” He says quietly. 
They watch the others for a while and she turns to go inside. “I think I’ll
go on in. Maybe it will go better if no one else is around.” Commander Eagle
nods. “If they ask where I went, just tell them I’m checking on something
and I’ll be back soon.” He nods again and she goes back into the sleeping
area, entering through the sitting room. 

She heads to Saber’s door and knocks softly after hesitating for a moment.
After a long silence she goes to leave just as the door opens a bit. “Yes?”
Saber asks quietly.
Fala looks at him apologetically. “I woke you. I’m sorry. I will just come
back later.” She goes to leave.
“No. It’s fine. I’m up now.” He sighs and opens the door a bit more.
“Can I help you with something, Your Highness?”
She looks at him a moment, trying to figure out what to say, “Well, I wanted
to talk to you…without anyone else around.” She stammers out quietly, not
sure of what else to say.
He looks at her hesitantly. “All right. Um…give me a minute and I’ll be
out.” 
She nods. “I’ll be in the sitting area.” He nods and closes the door. She
goes and sits down on the couch to wait for him.
A few minutes later he comes out, looking a bit better than before. “So, what
do you need to talk about, Your Highness?” He says as he sits down across from
her.
She sighs, not sure what to say and looks around. “Well, it’s a bit of a
private matter…is there somewhere else we can go to that someone can’t just
walk in on our conversation?”
He studies her face for a moment, trying to figure out what she’s thinking,
then nods slightly and stands up, indicating for her to follow him. “Is
everyone still outside?” She nods as she stands up. “Then we can use the
Commander’s office. Let’s go there.” He leads them through a few hallways
and they enter the Commander’s office. He sits down in a chair and she sits
across from him on another chair. “So, what’s on your mind?” He asks as
casually as possible.
She looks down nervously trying to figure what to say, then looks up, meeting
his gaze as he watches her closely. “Well…” She sighs before continuing,
“Several of us have noticed that since you came back from Orb, you have been
more…withdrawn, even more tired than you had been. We are all worried about
you. No one else is brave enough to come out and ask you if you are okay, so I
am.” She states as she takes a deep breath, waiting for a reply.
Saber closes his eyes and sighs then looks up at her meeting her gaze briefly
before looking away again. “I’m surprised it was you that came. I figured
April or Commander Eagle would corner me, I didn’t see it being you.” He
begins quietly. He looks back at her and her gaze softens a bit. “I don’t
know a definite answer to your question.” He pauses thinking, “Nothing I
say, would be the whole truth. I have so much going through my head right now
that I honestly don’t know what I am feeling.” He sighs. “I feel a lot of
things…anger, grief, confusion…so many different things. I am glad I am
alive, but at the same time I feel that I don’t deserve to be. That someone
else should have been given that chance.” He pauses, sighing to sort though
his thoughts before continuing, “I was doing better for awhile. I felt
like…okay, my parents are gone, Sincia’s gone…how can I honor their
memories? I can live. It seems simple enough. I start to feel better after the
Ceremony, then Calvary Command is attacked, the Bismarck is destroyed. We go to
Orb and we get the Suits.” He pauses, trying to compose his thoughts. “And
when I got in that suit…it was strange. Something in my mind changed. It was
like I suddenly could understand all of the computer stuff in front of me, and
suddenly I’m operating the suit without thinking. Next thing I know, Kira and
Athrun are saying I must be some kind of ‘coordinator’ or something and
basically freaking out, while I’m still trying to figure out how I knew what
to do. Then we come back and end up saving all of you, again, it was like I was
there, and I wasn’t. It’s like my mind over-takes the rest of me when I’m
in that suit. That starts to bother me.” He pauses, studying Fala’s face.
She gazes back, trying not to look shocked, but remains attentive, waiting for
him to continue. He sighs and continues, “Then Fireball mentions the whole
coordinator thing to Commander Eagle, who insists on some sort of blood test.
The test confirms that I am indeed one of those…coordinators.” A long
silence ensues. “I don’t like this not being in control…How do I explain
that to say…Commander Eagle? Or Fireball? Or April? I just don’t know what
to tell them. As for how I’m doing in regards to losing my family…I have
come to terms with it. I still want those responsible to pay for what they did,
but not just because of my family, but for all of those who lost loved ones. My
fight is with that witch Merla or whatever her name is. It is for all of those
lost, not just those that I lost. Every life has value to someone. Every time I
close my eyes, I see the day I lost my parent’s and Sincia. I hear our last
conversations, I see the chaos in the command center, I see Commander Eagle’s
face…I keep asking myself, what could I have done differently? Should I have
asked them to stay one more day…or something…but then I remember something
that Sincia once told me.” He pauses briefly. “That everyone is here for a
time. Sometimes it seems too short, but we have certain people to meet and
certain lessons to learn. Once those are done, we are taken, leaving those
behind who still have more to learn. So I am constantly trying to figure out
just what the Hell I am supposed to have learned from all of this.” His voice
breaks as he finishes, and he looks down to the floor.
Fala sits quietly for a while, studying his face and sighs. “So it’s not
just trouble sleeping that is bothering you?” He shakes his head slightly and
she goes over, kneeling beside him, and places a hand on his shoulder. “Saber,
I know this is all happening so fast right now. I know this seems overwhelming.
But…Sincia is right. There are lessons here, lessons for all of us. We have
all met one another for a reason.” She pauses thinking and he looks up from
the floor to meet her gaze. “Perhaps because we have met, we can improve the
lives of those we know now, the ones still alive. Perhaps we can prevent more
from needlessly dying. We have become technologically stronger. The Mobile Suits
are evidence of that. Just think, if those events hadn’t happened, we probably
wouldn’t have met. I for one am glad we have, I’m just sorry for the
circumstances under which we met. You are a strong person, Saber, but you have
to remember, you can’t take on everything by yourself. Believe me, I have
tried, and it doesn’t work.” He smiles weakly at her and she gets up,
returning to her chair. “I know that we will make the witch pay for the deaths
she has caused. I think we have now been given what we need to be better
equipped to end this fight. Not much can stop us, once we become familiar with
this new technology and as long as we remember that we can rely on each
other.”
Saber nods. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he says quietly and sighs. “I just
wish I could get a peaceful night’s sleep. But the images keep coming…they
won’t stop.” 
Fala nods understanding. “Have you tried literally writing down every detail
onto paper?” He looks at her skeptically. “I’m serious. Have you tried
writing down every detail of that day and the days that followed? The smells,
the conversations, everything you can remember…What the weather was like, what
clothes everyone was wearing…your thoughts during various conversations you
had with people. Your thoughts as you hugged your mother…kissed your
fiancé…literally every little detail?”
Saber shakes his head. “No. I haven’t. I had not thought of that.”
“Try it then. Try literally writing out every little thing. Then read it. It
will affirm that you have done everything that you could have done and will help
you remember the good parts of that day. Then…shred it or better yet, burn the
papers.” He looks at her surprised. “It’s good therapy, actually. It’s
like you are finally releasing all of the emotions tied to those events. It’s
a visualization of those feelings being released. I have done it and it has
helped, maybe it would help you too,” she says, noticing he has relaxed a
little.
Saber studies her face for a minute and notices she’s completely serious.
“So you really think it could help the dreams stop?” he asks quietly. She
nods. “At this point it’s worth a try. I’ve tried everything else I could
think of.” He looks over and nods. “Thank you, Your Highness…for letting
me vent to you. I suppose I haven’t been the most friendly person lately.”
She smiles. “I think everyone understands. Everyone has been worried about
you. But no one was brave enough to corner you about it.”
He chuckles. “How’d they con you into it?”
“Commander Eagle asked me to. He thought about asking Lance or Keith, saying
that you had already seemed a bit distant to the others in your crew, including
him. So after thinking of how it could possibly go if he asked one of the guys,
I volunteered to come and talk to you. I figured that I can sort of understand
how you feel. I have lost my family too, even though I was very young when it
happened. I can still relate.”
Saber nods. “I think you were probably the better choice. You tend to be
better at expressing your thoughts, than say…Lance.”
Fala laughs. “Somehow, I just can’t see a serious conversation like we just
had going well with Lance…or any of the guys for that matter.”
Saber nods, smiling. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Lance is most assuredly not
serious, if he can help it.”
They both stand up and Fala smiles at him. “You seem to look a little better.
I’m glad of that, Saber.”
He nods. “I do feel a bit better. Thank you. If it’s fine with you, I think
I am going to go and eat something, and then try as you suggested.” She nods.
“Please let Commander Eagle know. I will be in my quarters if anyone needs
me.”
Fala nods. “I’ll let them know. If you ever need to talk and don’t want to
talk to your crew, you can talk to me any time. I will keep what is said between
us.” She turns to leave, Saber following behind her.
“Thank you. And I’ll remember your offer,” he replies as they continue
towards the sleeping quarters. She turns and waves, heading back to the hangar
area and Saber heads back into his quarters, stopping to fix something to eat.

Fala returns to the hangar just as the others are heading back. Commander Eagle
spots her and she nods, coming over to him. “Well?” He asks quietly. “How
did it go? You were gone quite a while.”
She nods. “I think it went well. He looked a lot better after we talked. I
gave him some suggestions to try and help his sleeping.” Commander Eagle nods,
waiting for her to continue. “As for what all was said, I promised to keep it
in confidence. Since what we discussed doesn’t pose a threat to anyone. I plan
on keeping that promise to him, Sir.”
Commander Eagle looks as if he wants to object, but stops himself and nods. “I
understand. Just promise that if he does say something that could cause harm to
himself or someone else you will speak up.”
Fala nods. “Of course.” A few minutes later, the crews come back to where
Commander Eagle and Fala are standing. “How did it go?” Fala asks.
Keith looks over at her confused. “Weren’t you watching?”
Fala shakes her head. “I had something else I was doing. I just got back.”
He looks confused for a moment, then shrugs. “I think it went well.” He
looks to Lance. “Although Saber might have to pry Lance from that suit now.”
He laughs as Lance glares in his direction.
“Ha ha really funny, Chief.” Lance retorts. “It’s not as easy as it
looks. I’m glad he allowed me the tutorials this time.”
April looks around. “Saber still not up?”
Commander Eagle shakes his head. “He’s asked us to let him rest unless we
need him today. I’m inclined to allow it. He’s been pushing himself too hard
lately.”
April looks worried. “That’s just not like him,” she mumbles to herself.
Fala comes over to her and whispers. “He’ll be fine, I think. He just needs
time to clear his head after…yesterday. He looked better after he and I talked
for a while.”
April looks over to her surprised, but nods. “He talked to you?”
“It took a bit of coaxing, but I got him to talk. I think he is just really
tired. He hasn’t slept more than an hour or two a night since his parents were
killed. You’d be tired too.” Fala says quietly. They all head back to the
living quarters and eat and talk for a while. 

Early evening, Commander Eagle knocks and then enters the living area where most
of the crew members are sitting talking amongst themselves. He scans the room,
everyone ceasing conversation and looking at him as he enters. “Good, most of
you are here. We have some information that a few enemy ships were spotted
getting closer to us again. At this point, we are not sure whether we are the
destination, or if they are trying to draw us out to see what our weapon
capability is. I would like opinions on how we should act.” He says as he
comes in and sits down.
“Let us go out in the Lions, Commander. We can do a recon trip and try to see
what they are up to. That way, we don’t show our hand and give them a chance
to fight the Mobile Suits unless they are needed.” Keith says.
“Why don’t you let me go out in my suit? It’s made for recon missions.
I’ve not had a chance to try out the stealth mode yet. This could be the
perfect time to do so, Sir.” Fireball states.
“I say we just go after them with everything we have and blow them out of the
sky.” Colt says standing up. “Why else would we have all this great
firepower for?”
“I’m with the Cowboy.” Hothead adds.
“Me too.” Shorty chimes in.
“I don’t think going out there with guns blaring is the best idea, even if
I’d like to see that witch dead myself.” Saber adds, leaning against the
wall at the back of the room. Everyone turns to look at him.
“How long have you been there?” April asks.
“Long enough to hear what’s going on,” he replies, looking around the
room. “Keith and Fireball both have valid points. As much as I’d love to see
that witch killed, going out full force isn’t the way to do it. I’m sure
this is more of a test than a real attack. They know we have better weapons, and
they want us to tip our hand, so that they can see just what we have. We can’t
fall for it or we’re as good as done for.” He pauses looking for objections,
when no one argues, he continues. “I think the best plan would be for Fireball
to try out his stealth mode, while Keith and the GoLion team make a
more…visible attempt at recon, acting as sort of a distraction. We need to
know how many ships, what kind they are, what their firepower is like, and how
many of those beastmen are on board the ships and their weapons, if possible.
Then, once we know, we can plan a surprise attack and catch them when they
don’t expect it. The more we know of them, the better we can find a weakness
to exploit to our advantage.”
Keith nods. “He’s right. They know what we are capable of, but they don’t
know for sure that the suits are even still here. For all they know, they came
in to help, then return to where they came from. So right now, we have the
advantage.” He looks to Fireball. “How soon could you be ready to leave?”
“Five minutes.” Fireball replies.
Keith nods. “Good. Let’s leave then.” He turns to the other GoLion crew
members. “You ready to head out?” They nod. “Let’s go.” They get up
and head for the Lions, Fireball behind them. Keith stops in the doorway and
turns to Commander Eagle. “We’ll contact you on the com in the Command
Center.” 
Commander Eagle nods and gets up, heading towards the door.
“Shall we join you in the Command Center, Sir?” Saber asks.
Commander Eagle stops and looks to Saber and nods. “I think that’s a good
idea.” He looks to April and Colt. “Are you coming as well?” They nod and
follow the Commander and Saber to the Command Center. 
April lags behind a bit to walk beside Saber. “Are you feeling any better?”
She asks quietly.
He nods slightly. “A bit. Thank you.” He replies quietly. They walk the rest
of the way in silence.



                              Kapitel 14: Mission
                              -------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 14: Mission

“All right team, we need to be on alert for any possible traps.” Keith says
as they approach the area where the ships were spotted.
“Thanks for that bit insight oh fearless leader.” Lance quips, getting a
laugh from Shorty and Hothead.
“Lance, this is serious you know.” Fala says.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. But talk about stating the obvious.” He replies.
“Hey, Chief, I think I see something on radar coming this way. It’s at about
nine o’clock.” Shorty says.
“I see it. Be on your guard, but don’t make the first move. Let’s separate
a bit. Fala, you come with me. Lance, Shorty, Hothead, you spread out the other
way. Let’s try and not be such an easy target.”
“Right.” They reply in unison as they spread out.
They continue towards the enemy ships “So far, so good.” Keith says. 
They get almost all the way past the ships when an alert sounds. “What's
coming?” Keith says as he scans his equipment. 
“Uh, Chief...” Lance says.
“Yeah, I see it. Damn it! How did they come up so fast?!” he dodges as
something hits close to where he had just been. “How many are there?” Keith
says as he continually dodges attacks and fires back.
“I can’t count them all.” Shorty says. “Should we just start fighting
back?”
“Yes. We don’t have much choice.” Keith replies. 
“Oh shit!” Lance says.
“What?” the others reply in unison.
“The beastmen…” he stammers. “It looks like they’re combining.”
“What?!” Keith says as he checks his screens. “Well, let’s do the same,
team.”
“Right.” They reply and begin the combination process. Soon they are face to
face with two large beastmen. Both begin firing at them. They dodge the first
attempt, but the second attempt The right leg is hit. “Ahhh!” Fala screams,
and fires a missile back.
“Fala! Are you all right?!” Keith asks.
“Yeah, I’m okay. But damn that hurt. Let’s get this over with.” Fala
replies.
Keith nods. “Let’s form the sword, team. I’ve had enough of these two.”
They form the sword and are quickly attacked by both beastmen; the first one
pulling a bladed weapon and striking towards the midsection of GoLion. They
block the attack, but do not prevent some damage. After several attacks, they
manage to destroy one of the attacking beastmen, cutting it in half, causing an
explosion that knocks them back several hundred feet. Before they can get their
bearings again, the second beastman grabs them, throwing them through the air.
They grab for an arm and mange to piece its’ skin biting down with the
lion’s head of green lion, causing the beastman to release its grip. It then
starts swinging a whip towards them, latching onto the sword, pulling it from
the grasp of GoLion. 
“Shit!” Keith says. “Double sword!” Two blades are pulled from the wings
of GoLion and attached end to end, and it is thrown like a javelin, cutting the
whip and releasing the sword before returning to the wings. GoLion grabs the
sword and slashes the other beastman before it has time to attack again. “That
was not good, guys. They are stronger than we thought.” Keith states. They
turn around, and notice that the bulk of the ships have left and the last few
are retreating.
“I think it was just a test, Keith.” Fala says. “I’m not seeing anything
on radar now.”
Keith nods. “I don’t see anything either.”
“I think we should go back to Calvary Command for now.” Lance states.
“Yeah, let’s go. Separate first.” Keith says and they separate. They then
return to Calvary Command, where the others are waiting.
Keith comes out first, the others following. “Well, we learned that they can
combine to make even bigger beastmen.”
“Uglier and more powerful too, it seems.” Hothead adds.
Saber nods. “Yes. We noticed. I think it was a test to see if they could draw
us out again.” He turns to Fireball, who is just joining the group after
parking his unit. “Did they seem to notice you?”
Fireball shakes his head. “I don’t think they had a clue I was there.”
“Did you learn anything?” Saber asks. Everyone comes closer to hear the
conversation.
Fireball nods. “Well, you noticed that they can combine, obviously.” Several
heads nod. “Evidently, that weakens the main battleships defenses. From what I
could tell using my computer scanners, as soon as they began combining, the ship
put up a shield, but had we attacked it, it wouldn’t have held, it seemed to
weaken as the beastmen kept fighting. I’m not sure that the big ship that was
there is the main ship though.” I was picking up some scrambled signals that
went to somewhere closer to Orb. I couldn’t unscramble or listen in though
because it would have given me away. I figured that just getting any information
I could was more useful than giving away my presence.” 
Saber nods. “That is useful information. The beastmen are stronger when they
combine, but the price of that strength is a loss of protection for their base
ship. That is something we might be able to use as an advantage.” Everyone is
silent for several minutes. Commander Eagle pulls up the radars showing the near
orbit to Calvary Command. “It appears that the enemy ships have left our
region and headed back towards Orb. However, apparently, they aren’t going all
the way to Orb. I have contacted Lady Cagalli and Captain Zala of Orb and
neither of them have any knowledge of any skirmishes with the ships. Captain
Zala says that it is possible that they could be using an abandoned satellite or
PLANT as a base. They are looking into that possibility.” Several people nod.
“So what do we do now, Commander?” Colt asks.
“We wait, Mr. Wilcox.” 
Colt sighs. “I’d rather go and get them now, while they’re on the run.”
He mutters under his breath.
Saber goes and places a hand on his shoulder. “I know you want to see Robin
and Josh again, Colt, but rushing off and getting yourself killed won’t make
that happen.” Colt looks over to him as if to object. Saber shakes his head.
“What if they want us to think they are retreating and we rush in there, only
to find out that they had something far more powerful waiting for us?” Colt
starts to speak and thinks better of it. Saber nods. “Exactly. They may not be
showing their full hand to us. They may want us to think this is the best they
have. If we went rushing in now, we very well could all be killed. What good
does that do anyone?” A long silence ensues and he continues, “I understand
you want this to end. Believe me, I would love to just go in there and kill the
witch and all of her soldiers before they knew what hit them, but I know that it
won’t be that easy. It’s never as easy as it seems it should be. We need to
be methodical; so that we can be sure we get them and come out of this alive
ourselves. Rushing in and getting ourselves killed does no one any good.”
Keith steps up, “Saber is right. If we rush in, who knows what surprises this
witch is capable of. Not knowing anyone who has previous experience with her, we
need to proceed with caution. Our best plan for now is to keep training
together, so that we can anticipate one another’s most likely moves, without
having to blurt it on the intercoms. We know she can monitor our com links, so
we need to be good enough to anticipate one another’s moves or possible moves
and be ready to react quickly.”
“Is that even possible?” Colt asks.
“I think so.” Keith replies, eying the several skeptical faces around him.
“It will take a bit of practicing, but it can conceivably be done.” Saber
affirms. “We already tend to have similar fighting styles in battle, as you
may have noticed.”
“It sounds impossible to me.” Fireball mumbles.
“Yeah,” Hothead agrees.
Saber sighs, looking a bit tired and flustered. “Let me try it this way…I
don’t mean we have to know exactly what the other people are doing. I mean we
need to be able to make educated guesses. Say we are in the middle of a battle
and the GoLion team is at a disadvantage while fighting some beastman, and loses
their sword, as happened earlier.” He looks around and notices everyone is
listening and following the thought, so he continues. “We are in the midst of
our own fight and can’t just go over and kill their beastman and give them
their sword back. What could we do?” He asks to the group in general. Several
members of the group look around to each other, hoping someone else will answer.

“You could toss us a weapon?” Fala suggests hesitantly.
Saber nods. “That is a possibility. But what weapon should we toss to you?”
Fala thinks for a moment. “It would depend on what you were using yourself,
wouldn’t it?”
Several others look between the two, watching the exchange with interest.
“Yes, it would vary, depending on what type of mode we were in, if we were
separate or combined, and what our current major weapon being used is.” Saber
replies.
“Well, from what I’ve seen, your robot mode’s primary weapon is some sort
of blaster, so you could possibly toss us your sword,” Fala states. 
Saber nods in agreement and Fala continues, “We could also break apart, hoping
to confuse the beastman long enough to retrieve the sword ourselves, or use one
of our other weapons, as we did today.”
“Precisely,” Saber replies satisfied. “The point is, we need to know what
your most likely action would be, so that we don’t accidentally endanger you,
or you us.”
Fala nods. “That makes sense. It’s not that we need to literally be
practicing this, a lot of this could be computer simulation, that’s your
point, right?” She asks.
“Yes. We need to talk out the scenarios, we all need to study the tutorials
and become familiar with the weapons we all have, so that we know if someone
goes to use a certain weapon, we know just how far to be out of the way. So, a
lot of this will be done in a simulated environment, I think there is a way to
use the tutorials in the Mobile Suits to create a video type simulation that we
can watch on a screen to see what happens when you do certain things. The
unfortunate thing is, we don’t know how much time we have to do this. We will
need to practice in the suits more at night than in the daytime, so that we
aren’t as easily monitored. That means spending the day using simulations and
discussions to figure out how we would act under certain types of situations. We
should start as soon as possible, though I think resting tonight would be a good
idea. People tend to think more clearly when they are well rested.” Several
people nod their agreement. “Shall we call it a night then and agree to meet
first thing in the morning?”
“I think that is a good plan. I’ll see about getting a room set up for the
simulations, so that you may begin in the morning.” Commander Eagle says.
Saber nods and Commander Eagle turns and heads out the door.
Over the next several days the groups go over multiple scenarios and watch them
play out on the screens before them. Several seem to work, others don’t. They
have all decided to take a break and have broken off into groups, each going
their own way to get something to eat or rest. Saber is sitting in the commons
of their living area when Keith and Fala walk in. He looks up and nods to them
in greeting. Keith and Fala come in and sit down across from him. “How are you
feeling, Saber?” Fala asks, watching him closely.
Saber shrugs. “I’m still a bit tired, but I am sleeping better than I was.
So progress is being made, I suppose.”
“I’m glad of that.” She replies.
Keith looks to Saber a bit nervously. “Fala says that you are good with the
computer systems of the suits.” Saber nods, a bit uncertain. 
“Do you think you could show me how one of the suits work? I’d let you learn
how to fly my Lion as well. I just think it would be beneficial for both of us
to be familiar with how both…” He pauses, trying to think of how to
continue.
“Yes, I think you’re right. It would be a good idea for you to know the
inner workings of at least one Mobile Suit, and I could see the advantages of
one of us knowing how to work your Lion in case of an extreme emergency.”
Keith nods. “It’s my understanding that your Lion is the most complex of the
five.” 
“Yes. Because of how it combines with the others, it is a bit more complex. It
took a while, but Fala could do it, if absolutely necessary. She has piloted it
in the past.” Keith replies.
Saber nods. “From what I can tell, my Mobile Suit seems to be the most complex
to operate, although they all have some differences in how they work, depending
on the use. I’ll be glad to let you try it out. Shall we try it this
evening?” 
“I was hoping you would be up to it.” Keith says relaxing a bit.
Saber watches him closely. “You weren’t sure about asking me, were you?”
Keith shakes his head. “I know you have been a bit…stressed, so I wasn’t
sure if it was…appropriate for me to ask.”
Saber shakes his head and laughs. “I let Lance in it and you thought you had
less of a chance than him?” 
Keith laughs, “I didn’t think of it that way.”
Saber chuckles and mutters, “I’ll try and be a bit nicer to you than I was
to him. At least you have seen some of the tutorials, a huge advantage over
him.”
Fala laughs. “I’m sure watching him was amusing.”
“It was tempting to let him suffer a bit longer. He can be so…” Saber
says.
“Brash?” Fala offers.
Saber nods. “Yes, that’s a good word for him. It was fun to see him struggle
a bit. Once I talked him through the basic controls, he picked it up quickly,
though I don’t think I’d want him using it in a battle situation.”
Keith laughs. “Yeah, he can be a bit…impulsive, and I’m not sure how
he’d do in one of those suits in battle.” He shakes his head. “It would
have been amusing to see him the first time you let him try the suit though.”
Saber smiles. “It was rather funny. He wasn’t the least bit appreciative
when I told him I’d locked him out of the tutorials.” 
Fala smiles, “I could only imagine his face.”
Saber looks around the room and stands up. “Shall we go on and let you try out
the suit? I think by the time we get out there, it’ll be dark enough. I
don’t want to be out too late if I can help it. All of us need to rest while
we can.”
Keith and Fala nod in agreement as they stand up. 
“Would it be okay if I came along to watch?” Fala asks.
Saber nods. “It would be fine. How would you get there?”
“I could ride in Black Lion, and watch from the ground or just stay in the
back of the Lion as you try it out.” She replies.
Saber looks to Keith. “I have no objections. How do you feel about it?”
Keith shrugs. “I’m not sure about her coming along, though it might be good
for her to be there to talk you through things if you start to have trouble.”
He looks to Fala. “Why not take your Lion?”
“I figured the fewer vehicles we have out the less likely we are to be
noticed.” She replies, getting a nod from Keith.
“That makes sense.” Saber says.
Keith nods. “Let’s go and get the Lion and suit and go to the same clearing
as before.” Saber and Fala nod, and they go to leave.
A short time later, they land and meet on the ground. Keith steps forward,
holding out the key to the Black Lion. “I think you should do fine with it.
Just ask Fala if you have questions.” 
Saber nods. “I enabled the tutorials for you, though you will mostly use the
buttons on the left and the control stick to maneuver.” Keith nods. “It is
still in training mode, so you won’t have full access to the weapons. But,
I’m letting you have more freedom and information than I did for Lance.”
Keith chuckles. “Thanks. Shall we try this?” Saber nods. “Then let’s
go.” Keith goes and gets into the Mobile Suit, as Saber and Fala get into the
Lion. 
Saber sits down and inserts the key, activating the Lion. He slowly gets the
Lion moving and takes to the air. “This isn’t so bad.” 
Keith takes to the air at almost the same time. A bit unsteady for a moment,
then he seems to catch on quickly. “This seems fairly straightforward,
Saber.” Keith says. “How did Lance have trouble with this?” He is now
moving around easily.
Saber seems to have grasped the controls for Black Lion and they are facing each
other. “Shall we try a few attacks?”
Keith nods. “Sure. I’ll try and not allow you to damage the suit.”
“I’m not worried about that.” Saber says as he fires at Keith. Keith
dodges easily and fires back, Saber moving easily out of the way. “Nice
shot.” He fires again in rapid succession, Keith managing to dodge all but the
last shot; it glances off of him and knocks him back momentarily.
“I thought you said this was complex.” Keith says, still firing and dodging
attacks. “It seems pretty logical to me.
Saber watches him on the screen; he sees that he is easily controlling the suit.
“Have you gone through any of the tutorials?”
Keith nods. “I skimmed them all.” Saber looks a bit surprised, but nods.
“I don’t know why they seemed so freaked out about you doing it. They
don’t take long to read.”
Saber chuckles. “That’s what I said, and you heard how they reacted.” They
fire at each other a bit more, then decide to land and swap again, after meeting
on the ground. Saber hands Keith the key to his Lion and studies him for a
minute and nods slightly.
“What?” Keith asks a bit unnerved.
“I think you may be like me, Keith.” Saber replies nonchalantly. .
“What are you talking about?” He asks confused.
“I think you may be what the people on Orb call a ‘coordinator’. Saber
replies.
“How? When? I don’t see how that is possible.” He says a bit bewildered. 
Fala comes over and places her hand on his shoulder. “Let’s talk about it
back at the base, all right?”
Saber nods. “I think that’s a good idea.” He goes and gets into the Mobile
Suit.
Keith nods and they return to his Lion and they all take off, landing a short
time later in the hangar, where the other suits and vehicles are.
They meet in the hangar area and Saber walks over to Keith. “Would you be
averse to having a blood test?”
Keith looks at him skeptically. “A blood test, what for?”
Saber sighs. “To see if my suspicion is correct.” Keith looks at him, not
sure what to say. “I think you may be like I am. It only takes a blood test to
know for sure.” Keith nods hesitantly and Saber leads them through the maze of
hallways towards the medical ward. He stops at one of the offices and knocks.
A young man in a white lab coat opens the door and smiles. “Saber, it’s good
to see you again. Are you um, feeling better since I last saw you?” 
Saber nods slightly. “Yes, I am a bit more receptive to the, news that you
gave me last time we spoke. That’s actually why we’re here.” He nods
towards Keith. “I have a feeling that Captain Kogane here may be also be a
coordinator.”
Dr. Izumi looks over to Keith, appraising him visually. “Why do you think that
is the case, Captain Rider?”
“Well, I let him into my suit, and he was basically able to do the same thing
that I did with it.” Dr. Izumi looks a bit surprised. “I suppose you’d
call it instinct, but I have a feeling that my instinct is right. Would you mind
performing the same blood tests that you did on me?”
Dr. Izumi looks between the three people standing before him and nods towards
Fala. “So why is she here?”
“She is with me. I don’t keep things from her.” Keith says somewhat
defensively. 
Dr. Izumi nods, “Very well, come with me and sit in that chair over there.”
he says indicating a chair across the room. Keith does as he’s told. Dr. Izumi
turns towards Fala and Saber, “You two wait here.” 
They nod and he goes over to Keith and draws the needed blood, then tells him to
join the others as they wait for the results. After a while, the doctor comes
over to them. “Well, Captain, you seem to be correct.” He says to Saber
before turning to face Keith. “The strange thing is I haven’t been able to
find out who your parents are.”
“I don’t know who my parents were.” He says quietly. “They were killed
shortly after I was born. I was adopted, but that family was killed years ago,
before I ended up on Altea.”
Dr. Izumi nods, “Well, it’s not a big problem. It was more idle curiosity on
my part. At least you know, and perhaps now you can find a way to use that to
your advantage.”
Saber nods. “Thank you, Doctor. As before, please delete all traces of the
tests and results. This information doesn’t leave this room.” Dr. Izumi
opens his mouth to speak, but Saber cuts him off, “That includes not
mentioning this to Commander Eagle. If Captain Kogane chooses to enlighten
anyone of this newfound ability, it will be on his terms. Are we clear on
this?” Saber says rather forcefully.
Dr. Izumi nods hesitantly. “Yes Sir, I understand fully and will do as you
have requested immediately.” He heads off to eradicate the data and the traces
of the blood tests.
Saber sighs and turns towards Keith and Fala. “Well, what now? It’s getting
late.”
Keith looks up a bit tired, “Could we find somewhere to talk briefly? I have a
few, questions for you.”
Saber nods, “Of course, I’m sure they are some of the same questions that I
had when I found out.” He leads them back to the common area. “Let’s go
into my quarters. It’s a bit tight, but I don’t think anyone will bother us
there.” They nod and quietly go through the darkened common area and into his
room. He sits in the chair by his desk and indicates for them to sit at the foot
of his bed, “Now, what kind of questions do you have?”
Keith takes a deep breath, trying to compose his thoughts. “I’m not even
sure what to ask…I guess how did I get this way for starters.” 
Saber chuckles. “That seems a fairly easy question; most likely you are a case
similar to my own. I was made this way during some fertility treatments my
parent’s had done when they were trying to have a family. Evidently it was
done without my parent’s knowledge.”
“Another question I have is what about if I want a family, you know later?”
Keith asks a bit hesitantly.
“One of the same things I asked.” Saber replies, “According to Dr. Izumi,
everything should happen normally. The only difference is that any children you
have will be naturally enhanced from your genes. They should be resistant to
illness, and have similar abilities as you do. So I suppose it isn’t all
bad.” He replies with a chuckle, “Aside from feeling like a lab rat.” He
adds dryly.
Fala chuckles and Keith smiles, “Thanks for that lovely analogy,” Keith adds
ruefully.
“Well, that’s what I felt like when I found out.” Saber answers honestly.
Keith nods, “I can understand the comparison. That doctor looked rather
interested in knowing I was ‘another one’.”
Saber nods. “Apparently, there were a few of us that they ’lost track’ of
around the same time. Kira from Orb was also one of those. However, some of us
supposedly were created with the parent’s consent.”
“Why would anyone want to have their child altered like that?” Fala wonders
aloud.
“Probably to try and create their idea of a ‘perfect child’; I think
because of so many people wanting to have such control over the features of
their children, they decided to end that program. It was causing too many
problems, especially for the kids who didn’t ‘meet’ their parent’s
expectations.” Saber says almost bitterly. “That’s what I’ve been able
to mull through in our databases on the subject at least.”
“Shouldn’t you have been sleeping?” Fala asks a bit amused.
“I told you, I am sleeping better than I was. I never claimed to be in a
normal sleep pattern.” Saber replies innocently.
Keith looks between them a bit confused. 
“Saber and I talked a bit about two weeks ago about how everyone was worried
about him. I gave him some suggestions on things to try to help him sleep,”
Fala clarifies. Keith nods, understanding.
“It has helped, Your Highness. I am up to about four to five hours at night
most of the time now. That’s a good deal better than I had been.” Saber
says.
Fala nods, “I’m glad of that. I can tell you’re feeling a bit better
because of the extra sleep too.” He nods in agreement.
“Speaking of sleep...” Keith says standing up. “We should all try and get
some. It’s nearly midnight now.”
Saber looks over to his clock and nods. “Yes. We should. I’ll see you at
breakfast?” Fala and Keith both nod. “All right. Well, goodnight to you
both.”
“Goodnight.” They reply and head out the door.
Saber closes the door after them and changes before flopping down onto the bed.



                      Kapitel 15: It Takes A Little Time
                      ----------------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 15: It Takes A Little Time


A month or so passes fairly uneventfully. The GoLion team and the Bismarck crew
have been working together on maneuvers and helping with the rebuilding efforts
of Calvary Command. The base is now beginning to resemble how it was before it
was attacked. It has been a hectic schedule, and everyone is taking a well
deserved break. 
“I think we should just lie around and rest while we can.” Lance says to
anyone that will listen.
“Yeah, we have been going at it for a while without much rest. Who knows when
something will happen again,” Hothead agrees. 
“Be mindful of what you say, you don’t want to bring trouble.” Fala says.


The room gets quiet for a while, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Saber
stands up and starts for the door, “I think I’m going to go out for a while.
Call if you need me,” he says as the door closes behind him.
April watches him leaves without a word. Colt looks up as he leaves, but
doesn’t say anything. 
“Do you think he’s all right?” Fala asks aloud.
“I’m sure he’s fine. He has seemed better these past few weeks. Perhaps
this break has been what he needed.” April replies.
“Some break. We’ve worked like slaves.” Colt grumbles.
“It’s better than fighting all of the time, Colt.” Fireball retorts. “I
do think he’s doing a bit better though. He has seemed more like his old self
in the last few weeks.”


Saber takes Steed and heads outside of the base compound. He rides in a random
direction for a while, slowing down when he comes close to a small village. He
rides slower, looking around as he passes through. There are several people out
working in some fields; he notices that here there seems to be no sign of the
struggles and destruction that Calvary Command has faced. He relaxes a bit; glad
to see people living peacefully, wondering as he goes just how long it will
last. He comes closer to what appears to be a schoolyard. A large group of
children are outside playing and they stop when they notice him. Several turn
towards him and he slows down, eventually stopping as the children approach
him.

“Hey Sir, that’s a nice looking horse. I’ve never seen one like that
before,” A tall boy who appeared to be oldest of the group says. 
Saber dismounts, leading Steed over to the children, allowing them to look at
him. “He’s a rather unique horse. He was made for me.” Saber replies as
the children come over and study both of them closer. 
Suddenly a young auburn-haired woman comes rushing over, “Children, come back
here! You know better than to talk to strangers!” she yells, as she approaches
the group. She stops, startled when she sees Saber, noticing his uniform. “Oh,
I didn’t realize you were from Calvary Command, Sir. I apologize; I only
wanted to protect the children.” 
Saber smiles, shaking his head, “It’s quite all right, Miss. I’m glad that
you are so conscientious about the safety of the children.”
The teacher nods. “I am the only teacher in this village, so I know my
students fairly well. I suppose the excitement of seeing you and your horse
brought them over this way.”
Saber nods, “It would appear that we have captured their interest,” he says
with a chuckle. “I’m sure that they have not seen a mecha horse before. I
believe there is only one other horse similar to him, so I can understand their
curiosity.”
The kids are starting to touch Steed and begin walking around them studying both
the horse and the rider. “Are you really from Calvary Command?” A small girl
asks timidly.
Saber kneels down to her level and nods. “Yes I am. I am a captain with the
Calvary Command Star Sheriffs.”
Several of the kids gasp astonished. “Then why are you way out here? Aren’t
you a long way from your base?” the little girl asks curiously.
Saber nods, “I am just out for a ride. There wasn’t much happening, so I
decided to come exploring for a while,” he replies.

“We were about to have some lunch, would you care to join us?” the teacher
asks quietly. The children look up at him, anxiously awaiting a reply.
Saber looks to his watch and nods, “I don’t see why I couldn’t sit with
you for a while. I don’t have other plans for the day.” 
The children race back towards the school grounds, the teacher and Saber
following behind. The children all go and gather under a tree and sit down with
food and begin eating. The teacher goes inside and gets a small bag, then goes
and sits close to the children. Pulling out food from the bag, she begins to
eat. Saber sits down between the teacher and the kids, all of them chatting away
and eating happily. Occasionally, a child looks his direction, but they don’t
say anything to him. 
After a few minutes of watching the kids, the teacher turns and faces him, “My
name is Amanda Kelly, I just realized that I never introduced myself. I
apologize for that.” She says sheepishly.
Saber nods, hiding a smile, “My name is Saber Rider. It’s nice to meet you,
Miss Kelly.”
Amanda smiles back and looks at him thoughtfully, “You are a ways out from
your base, is everything all right there?” she asks, trying to make
conversation. 
Saber turns and faces her nodding slightly, “Things are quite a bit better
than a few weeks ago,” he says quietly. “The base had been badly damaged in
an attack.”
Amanda gasps, “I hope no one was seriously hurt.” she says a bit worried.
“We lost three good soldiers during that attack; although because of their
quick thinking many others were out of harm’s way.” Saber replies solemnly.
“Did you know them?” she asks hesitantly.
Saber shakes his head, “I didn’t know any of the ones that died in this
latest attack.” He looks over towards the children. “Hopefully, the problems
there don’t reach you this far out. Has anyone here lost any family?” he
asks curious.
“One student I think has a brother who is a cadet, but I’ve not heard of him
being injured or killed. News spreads quickly around here, so I’m sure I would
have heard if anything did happen. Otherwise, we are pretty much a
self-contained community. We grow our own food, trade and barter mostly for
goods and services, and take care of each other. It’s one of the reasons I
moved here, I enjoy being away from the chaos.”
Saber nods, listening as she talks, the children are finishing up and they start
coming back towards them. The smallest girl comes over and sits beside Saber,
looking up shyly at him.
“Are you going to come and visit us everyday?” she asks quietly.
Saber smiles at her and shakes his head. “I can’t promise anything, I never
know where I’ll be from one day to the next.”
A short time later, Saber and Amanda stand up as she prepares to take the
children back inside. “I hope you have a chance to visit us again, Captain
Rider. It was nice meeting you,” Amanda says as he mounts Steed.
“I hope to come back this way too, perhaps when this situation is over. It was
nice meeting all of you,” he says as he turns Steed to the road leading back
to the base.
“Bye!” several of the children say after he mounts.
“Good-bye,” he says as he takes off back towards Calvary Command. 

“I hope Saber is all right, he’s been gone for hours,” April says looking
at a clock in the common area.
“I’m sure he’s fine. We would have heard from him otherwise.” Fireball
replies trying to soothe her.
Keith and Fala come in to the room, seeing several of the others just sitting
around. “I suppose all of you have really taken it easy today?” Keith asks
as he and Fala go and sit on one of the couches.
“I don’t see where that’s a problem, Chief. We’ve been busting our asses
trying to rebuild this place the last few weeks. Between that and all of the
practicing scenarios, I’m a bit tired, so I’m sure everyone else is too.”
Lance says a bit harshly.
“I know you’re tired, Lance, so are we. I didn’t mean to sound like I was
angry; I was trying to pick on you.” Keith retorts. 
Lance rolls his eyes, and shakes his head, “I was trying to tease you back,
Chief.” he replies, “I’m sure you two have enjoyed your time off today.”
He adds with a smirk.
Fala looks around the room pointedly ignoring the comment, and notices that
Saber is absent from the group. “Is Saber lying down? I don’t think I’ve
seen him at all today,” Fala asks to no one in particular.
“He left this morning on Steed and we haven’t heard from him since.” April
says, sounding a bit worried.
A knock at the door draws their attention and Fireball gets up to answer it. A
soldier is at the door, looking a bit nervous. “Yes?” Fireball asks.
“Commander Eagle requests that you all come to his office immediately,” the
soldier replies.
Fireball turns to the group, “I guess we’d better see what’s up. Let’s
go.” The others all get up and they follow the soldier to Commander Eagle’s
office.
Commander Eagle greets them as they arrive, “Thank you for coming, please sit
down.” He says and they all take a seat. He scans the room, and turns to
Fireball, “Where’s Saber?”
“I’m not sure, Sir. He left this morning to go riding and to my knowledge,
he hasn’t returned.” Fireball replies.
Commander Eagle looks concerned but tries not to show it, “We’ll have to
deal with that later. I called you here because we have intercepted a distress
signal from one of the PLANTS that are between here and Orb. I think it bears
monitoring, but I’m not sure if we should take action or just wait and try and
get more information.”
“Where is the signal from, Commander?” Fireball inquires.
“It is coming from a PLANT called ‘Sextilis.’ The city is ‘Sextilis
Eight.’ Thus far, we have been unable to make direct contact with them,” the
commander replies.
“It sounds like a trap to me.” Colt says.
“Yeah, I think so too.” Lance adds. “It’s just too fishy. No activity
and suddenly…boom, we get a distress signal. That reeks of a trap to me.”
“Be that as it may,” Keith interjects, “we could be dealing with a
legitimate attack. People could be dying there. We can’t risk not
responding.”
“We can’t risk tipping our hand to that witch Merla either, Captain.”
Fireball replies frustrated. “Like Lance said, this screams ‘trap.’ I
don’t like it. It’s a bit far out anyways, and they are under Orb’s
protection, aren’t they?”
Commander Eagle nods, “I understand both sides of this. That’s why I have
brought you here, so we can discuss how to handle this.”
“We don’t need to talk, we need to act.” Keith says getting a bit
perturbed. “If people are being killed, as soldiers, it is our duty to try and
stop it.” Several people look between Keith and Fireball, not sure what to
say. 
“How long ago was this signal received, Sir?” A voice asks from the doorway.
Everyone turns to see Saber entering the room. “Sorry I’m late. Someone
could have called me.” He goes and sits down in a vacant chair.
“We received the distress signal approximately forty-five minutes ago,”
Commander Eagle replies.
“At this point the argument is whether or not to go and check it out?” Saber
asks, getting a nod in return. “Well, I agree that it very well could be a
trap, but as Keith says, we have a duty to protect people.”
Keith stands up, obviously frustrated. “Look, I can’t just sit here while we
debate what to do any longer. I am going to check it out, be it alone or with
help.” He heads towards the door; the other members of his team get up and
quietly follow him. “We will call once we know something,” he says as they
exit the room, heading to the Lions.

“Damn it!” Fireball says, slamming his fists onto the table. 
“Easy, Fireball, Keith is just doing what he feels is right.” Saber says
trying to calm him down.
“But I know it’s a trap!” he replies exasperated.
“We don’t know that for sure, Shinji.” Saber says harshly, making Fireball
cringe. “There’s no need to get into a fight over it. We are on the same
side; you need to understand that it’s his crew, so he made the decision to
go. We will be here if they need help, otherwise, we should use this time to try
and contact either the PLANT that sent the signal or Orb and see if they know
anything.”
“Where the Hell have you been anyways?” Fireball snaps back at him.
Saber sighs and meets his gaze, “I went out riding to clear my head. You could
have called me if you needed me for anything.”
“For all we knew you went off and did something stupid.” Fireball says,
immediately regretting it. “I’m sorry, Saber, that was low.” he says
quietly.
Saber shakes his head and looks down at the table, trying to control his anger,
“Thank you for caring enough to be worried, but I promise you, I’ve not had
such thoughts for a while now.” he replies barely audible.
Fireball looks at him a bit shocked, then gains his composure, “Saber, I
crossed a line that I shouldn’t have. Even if I had that type of thought about
you, this was not the time or place to bring it up.”
Saber looks up, meeting his gaze, “No, you were out of line, but I know that
you were well intentioned. You are doing your best, I know that. We all are,”
he continues, looking around to the remaining people in the room. “I don’t
know what is going to happen, but you need to understand that in a group like we
are, you have to choose your battles. Getting angry with me or with Keith solves
nothing. He is doing what he feels his team should do, respect that and move on.
We are doing what is probably the best thing for us to do at this point without
further information, we are waiting. We will be available if needed, but if we
all went out for one distress call, it could very well tip our hand and be our
downfall. I am not saying that either one of you is completely right. In a way,
you both are. But do not turn your anger into a personal attack, not to me, or
to anyone else that is allianced with us. You do not want to make an enemy of
Altea, and if you had said something like what you said to me to Keith or even
the Princess, you very well could have cost us a great deal. Part of being a
good Captain is knowing when to keep your mouth shut. Remember that.” 
The room is deathly silent for a long time after that. No one dares to say
anything. Fireball sits there quietly, not sure what to say, he looks to each of
the people in the room, trying to read expressions. Most of what he sees is
shock; April looks between him and Saber, almost as if she’s scared to speak.
Commander Eagle and Colt are both sitting back and waiting to see what will
happen. Finally, Fireball faces Saber again he takes a deep breath before
speaking, “I will remember your advice, Captain Rider. I do hope you will
forgive me, eventually.” He adds quietly.
A beeping is heard and everyone looks towards Commander Eagle, who is pulling up
the com screen. “This is Commander Eagle go ahead.”
“This is Captain Zala of Orb, Sir. We have received a distress call from the
GoLion team. We are on our way to them and will keep you appraised of the
situation once we arrive. I don’t think both of us coming to their aid at this
point would be beneficial, since we’re closer to them, I feel it makes the
most sense for us to see about them.”
Commander Eagle nods, “A good call, Captain Zala. We will wait for news and be
ready to launch if we are needed. Thank you.” The connection terminates and
the commander looks once again to the team before him. “Has the air been
sufficiently cleared?”
All eyes fall to Fireball and Saber. Saber looks to Fireball and places a hand
on his shoulder, “I know you were only trying to do what was right. I
appreciate that you were worried, let’s just move on, all right?” Fireball
meets his gaze and nods, relaxing a bit. “Good. I don’t have many friends,
and I don’t wish to lose any.” Saber says quietly. He then turns and faces
Commander Eagle, “I think we’re fine now, Sir.” 
Commander Eagle relaxes and smiles, “I know things are tense, I just hope this
is the worst we have to deal with. I also hope that all of you have gained
something from this.” Each person nods slightly in reply to his question.
“I’m glad of that. A strong bond like you have forged is hard to come by. It
is why you work well as a team; I don’t want to see that unravel here after
you have been through so much together.”
“I don’t think that will happen, Sir. We may not speak for a while or
something, but I have no doubts that if something were going on, we would come
to each other’s aid, putting our differences aside.” Saber says, the others
nodding in agreement. “The only grudge I bear is for the witch Merla,” he
adds harshly.



                             Kapitel 16: Sextilis
                             --------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 16: Sextilis

“What’s the plan, Chief?” Lance asks as they approach the place from where
the distress signal was sent. 
“I’m not picking up anything as of yet,” Keith replies. “As for a plan,
we’ll have to wait and see. It will depend on what we find.”
“Do you think we upset the Bismarck crew, Keith?” Fala asks as they continue
towards the PLANT colony.
“Perhaps a little, but I think they will understand. Saber seems to have a
good head on him, I’m sure he can get them to understand why we left and that
we would be back.”
“I was relieved to see that he looked fine when he arrived in the room, I was
a bit worried since we hadn’t heard from him.” Fala says. 
Keith nods, “Yeah, I was beginning to wonder if he was alright, since he was
gone for so long, but maybe it’s what he needed.”
“Hey Chief, I think we’re close now. From the images I’m getting it looks
like there may have been some sort of attack down there. I’m also starting to
get a lot of little things showing up on my radar screen, do you see it too?”
Shorty asks.
“Yeah, I see them. Can you tell what it is yet?” he replies.
“Not yet. I’m trying to see if I can make out anything.” Shorty says, as
he hits several buttons. “Oh shit! This is not good.” 
Suddenly, the lions are surrounded by what looks to be several robots that look
similar to small mobile suits. As soon as they realize they are there, the
robots begin combining, and begin shooting at them.
“They came out of nowhere!” Lance complains as he tries to dodge the
oncoming attacks. “How could they get that close without us knowing they were
there?”
“I don’t know but we are in trouble. I put out a distress signal. Hopefully
the Bismarck team can come help us,” Keith says as he continually dodges an
onslaught of lasers and missiles. 
They fight back and forth for a while, finally the Lions have time and they
combine. This evens the field temporarily. They start making headway when the
robots suddenly multiply and combine again, making several larger robots, two
pull out a laser-type sword and begin slashing at GoLion. They hold one off, but
they are severely damaged by the second one. They begin losing ground when
suddenly, large groups of the robots explode, and gradually more robots explode
until none are left except the two they are fighting. They use the distractions
of the explosions to destroy one of the two remaining robots, getting hit in the
process, the lions separate and fall to the ground just as the final robot is
destroyed.
“What just happened?” Keith scans his screens looking bewildered. 

Athrun appears on his screen, “We received your distress signal, Captain. We
have contacted the Bismarck crew and told them we were on our way, so they are
waiting to see if they are needed. It looks like you took quite a beating.”
“Yeah, we were ambushed, evidently. I’m not even sure if it was a real
distress signal at this point,” Keith replies. “I’m glad you got here when
you did or I’m not sure we would have survived.”
Athrun nods, “We came as quickly as we could. The distress signal is real.
There is a good deal of damage to the colony, but I think the intent was to try
and lure all of you out. If they had wanted to, they very easily could have
decimated this PLANT.”
“Well, we are thankful for your assistance. Is there some place we can land
down there? We need to do a damage assessment.” Keith replies.
“Yes, follow us down; I found a place that seems safe to land.” Athrun
replies as he leads them down to a clearing. They all land and get out of their
vehicles, meeting in the middle of the clearing. “The worst of the damage is
to a city called Sextilis Eight. That is where the distress signal originated
from. The damage there is extensive, I’m sure there was an extensive loss of
life.”
“I’d be surprised if there wasn’t,” Kira replies. He turns and appraises
the lions. “It appears that you will need some repairs done before you can fly
those again.”
Keith looks over the lions and nods, “I just hope we can find a way to get
back to Calvary Command. I’m sure we can make some repairs there, and then get
back to Altea if it’s too bad.”
Just then, another ship is seen closing in on the group on the ground.
“Who is that?” Fala asks a bit worried.
“That would be Lacus and her ship, the Eternal,” Kira replies. “I’m sure
we can load the lions onto the ship and get them back to Calvary Command.” 
The ship lands and Lacus exits down a ramp, going straight to Kira’s side.
“I’m glad to see you made it in time,” she says as she looks over the
damage. “It looks like you are in need of some extensive repairs to your
ships,” she says to Keith, who nods in reply. “If we can get them loaded
into the cargo area, I believe we have equipment that can scan them to see how
bad the damage really is. We may even be able to fix them and possibly add a few
upgrades once we get back to Calvary Command.”
“You would do that for us?” Fala asks astonished.
Lacus nods, smiling “We are on the same side; I find that it is beneficial to
help out our allies so we can defeat our common enemies in a more timely
manner.” Fala nods in agreement. “Shall we see about getting the lions
loaded? We don’t want to be here in the event that reinforcements come
back.”
The GoLion crew goes and gets into the lions, and loads them into the ship; and
then meets the others on the command bridge. The ship takes off, and they do a
fly-over of the worst of the damage, before changing course towards Calvary
Command.

A couple of hours later, they arrive near Calvary Command and are granted
permission to land. Upon landing, the lions are brought out to a hangar; the
Bismarck crew comes out to meet them. 
Colt lets out a whistle. “Looks like you got whipped.”
“Yeah, we nearly didn’t make it back.” Keith replies. “If they,”
nodding to Kira and Athrun, “hadn’t shown up, we would have been done
for.”
“I’m glad to see that you made it in time,” Fireball says to Athrun and
Kira. “I’m not sure we would have been quick enough to save them.”
Athrun nods slightly. “We should see about getting some repairs done. Cagalli
has sent an envoy to help the colony, but we may be needed again in the event of
another attack.” 
Lacus goes and meets with some of the techs in the hangar, telling them how to
run certain machines and talking with them about possible upgrades.
Fala approaches Saber from behind, “Are you doing alright, Saber?” 
He turns towards her and nods. “Yes, Your Highness, I’m doing well. I’m
glad to see that none of you are seriously injured; looking at the lions, I’m
a bit surprised.”
“The lions are made to take the brunt of the damage. I’m sure we’ll all be
a bit sore in the morning,” she replies. “Several people were worried when
you were gone for such a long time today,” she adds quietly.
He nods, “So I’ve heard,” he says wryly. “But honestly, I’m fine. It
felt good to get away from everything for a while. I ended up at a farming
village several kilometers from here. A group of school children spotted me on
Steed and want to check both of us out, once their teacher decided that I
wasn’t a threat, I and ended up visiting with them a good bit of the afternoon
before returning here.”
“That sounds nice,” Fala says smiling. “I’m glad you were able to get
away. It sounds like you needed it.”
Lacus comes over as they are talking, “Excuse me, Your Highness,”
“Yes?” Fala replies.
“I would like your permission to possible add a couple weapons to the GoLion
robot. I can’t do too much, but perhaps if you have a few things that the
enemy isn’t aware of, you may be able to get of out a bad situation should it
arise again,” Lacus asks.
“Of course, Ms. Lacus, I am grateful for any help that you are able to offer
us. Being away from Altea so long has been hard, but I feel that if we don’t
stay and help fight this threat, it could very well wind up in our own backyard.
I don’t even care to think of my world being destroyed again, we have finally
started thriving after the rebuilding efforts following the defeat of Daibazaal
and Sincline.” Fala replies.
Lacus nods. “War is a terrible thing. If more people were like we are, able to
work through our differences and embrace them, perhaps humanity as a whole would
thrive and we could wipe out those that wish to eradicate us.”
“I feel that we are not the only species worth saving. Even the Galrans have
the right to survive, just not at the expense of another race.” Fala says.
“It was the same with the Outriders in this galaxy. They wanted our worlds for
the natural resources, but at the price of countless human and Outrider lives.
They were willing to sacrifice their own kind just to get ahead. I don’t think
I could ever understand that logic.” Saber adds quietly. 
“Perhaps one day we can truly have peace. We have to believe that, or we would
just give up.” Fala says quietly. Lacus nods in agreement.
Kira comes over to where the trio is talking. “We think the worst of the
damage can be repaired by the end of the day. As for the weapons to be added,
the techs need some schematics and explanations, Lacus. I told them I would come
and get you, since a lot of it is your design.”
She nods, “Thank you Kira. I’m coming. Please excuse me.” She says to
Saber and Fala who nod in reply and she follows Kira back to where there are
several people working around a computer.
Saber chuckles, “I didn’t expect to hear that she had a hand in the design
of the weapons. She seems so much against violence.”
Fala smiles, “So it’s not because she’s a girl that you are surprised?”
she asks teasingly.
“No,” he replies, shaking his head, “You’ve met April. She came up with
the idea for the original Bismarck, and had a hand in all three designs. I do
not think that women are inferior in the least, Your Highness.” Fala starts to
say something and he holds his hand up, smiling, “and I’m not just saying
that to you because of your station.” He adds a hint of amusement in his
voice.
Fala laughs as Keith comes up behind them. “What’s so funny?”
“The Princess was trying to trap me, Keith.” Saber says amused.
“I was not!” Fala replies laughing. “I actually didn’t mean for what I
said to come across as entrapment, though I quickly realized that’s what it
sounded like.”
Keith looks between the two of them confused, shaking his head. “I don’t
think I even want to know.” He looks to Saber, “Are you doing alright?”
“Yes. I’m doing well. Much better than I was even a week ago,” he replies.
“I suppose my extended absence today cause a bit of an uproar. It was not my
intention to upset or worry anyone. I just needed to be alone for a while, away
from everything.”
Keith nods, “I can understand that. You’ve been under an extreme amount of
stress.”
“We all have,” Saber replies. “I’m not the only one. Everyone has had to
deal with difficulties, not just me.” He turns and looks out the window to the
fields outside. “I just hope we can end this soon. I don’t want more
innocent people to lose their lives. Perhaps we should send some others out to
the place that sent the distress signal.”
“I’m not sure that would be the best idea. Apparently, Merla has a base some
place close to there.” Keith replies.
“Why do you think that?” Saber inquires.
“Because the robots that attacked us came out of nowhere; so either they have
some type of radar jamming technology, which would most assuredly not be a good
thing, or they have a base hidden somewhere close to there. My hope is that
there is some sort of base close by, and not the other option.” Keith
replies.
“Yes, I could see where that could be a problem. If she has such technology
available, it could cause a bit more trouble for all of us. Not an idea I
particularly care to think about,” Saber says.
“Perhaps we should look into trying to attack her first,” Fala states. Saber
and Keith look towards her. “Well, it worked when we were fighting Daibazaal
and Sincline. If we can find a weakness, and exploit it, perhaps we could end
this before more people are killed.”
“It’s how to go about finding that weakness that could be problematic,”
Saber replies. “However, I think you may be on the right track.”
Lacus, Kira and Athrun come walking over. “Well, the worst of the damage is
almost repaired; the Lions should be able to fly again by tomorrow afternoon, I
say we all get some rest. We plan on heading back to Sextilis Eight as soon as
the repairs and upgrades are completed. After talking with Lt. Ramius from the
Archangel, they could use our help getting things done there after the hit that
city took.” Lacus says as they arrive at the group.
Saber nods, “If you need help, I’m sure we could arrange to return with
you.”
Lacus shakes her head, “Thank you for your offer, but I think between the
Archangel crew and the people that we have on the Eternal, we should be fine.
Sextilis has people that can help as well. But I will let you know if anything
changes. It may turn out that you are needed here. I could almost see them using
this to draw you out, then attack here, as you leave your base undefended.”
“A valid point, Ms. Lacus,” Fala says. I am not sure that either of our
teams leaving here is a good idea. At least until we know what is going on.”
“Shall we go and get some rest, Kira, Athrun?” Lacus asks, receiving a nod
in return. “All right, we shall see you in the morning then.” They leave,
heading to their ship to rest.
“An interesting woman,” Keith says as the three leave, getting curious looks
from Saber and Fala. “Well, it’s obvious she’s the one in charge, I just
find that amusing. She definitely seems to have the brains for it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Fala asks a bit harshly, while trying not
to laugh as Keith begins to look a bit uncomfortable.
“She’s a coordinator, Keith.” Saber interjects, trying to diffuse a
potential argument, while trying not to laugh. “Perhaps her skill set is
planning and strategy. It would make sense to defer to her if she is the best
suited for a job.”
“Is everyone on Orb a coordinator?” Keith asks surprised, and pointedly
changing the direction of the conversation.
“I don’t believe so. I seem to remember someone saying that there are both
‘naturals’ and ‘coordinators’ living and working in Orb. The whole point
that they were trying to make is that they can all coexist, or something like
that,” Saber replies.

They talk for a while longer before retiring for the evening. The next morning,
everyone meets in the hangar to check the status of the repairs and upgrades.
Lacus comes up to the group as they gather, “Well, are you ready to try out
the lions?” she asks brightly. Several heads nod and she continues, “I think
you’ll like that we have increased their speed, and some of the weapons that
you already had are now a bit more powerful. We were also able to give the
GoLion robot a stronger sword, and I have added a surprise or two that I hope
you will see as beneficial to GoLion. I’ll explain those once you are in
formation.”
Keith nods and looks towards his crew, “Let’s go, team.” They nod and head
for the lions, taking off and heading for the clearing. The others watch as they
take off.
“Shall we head out in our suits?” Fireball asks. The others nod and they get
into their suits and catch up to the GoLion team. Kira and Athrun follow them in
their suits as well.
“Okay, why don’t you get into formation so we can show you how your weapons
are different, the biggest changes are the weapons for the robot,” Athrun
states as they catch up to the others.
“Alright, GoLion combine,” Keith says and they go through the combination
sequence. “Let’s see what we have.”
“You still have your other sword, but should it be knocked away from you,
there is a way to pull out a secondary laser-type sword. It would form the same
way as the original, only there is a blue button that you hit now, just to the
right of your console.  It can be activated by either black, red, or green lion.
The button activates the formation and the sword form. It has the ability to
deflect lasers and can cut through almost any type of metal,” Lacus voice says
over the intercom.
Keith nods, “Okay, let’s try out this new sword.” He hits the button and
the sword forms. 
“Nice,” Lance says. “I could get used to using this.”
“You also have the ability to hold a shield now. I have created a sort of
METEOR-type shield. It can fire weapons, like the Cowboy’s METEOR unit can,
but it can also be used to block laser and sword attacks,” Lacus says as the
GoLion robot practices handling the sword. “To activate the METEOR shield,
Keith has to hit the purple button with the crest shield of Altea on it, next to
the blue button. It is pulled from your back, from the wing area. After that,
any lion can fire with it, using the plain purple button on the right of the
console.”
“Saber, do you think you could come at them with your sword?” Athrun asks.
“What? Are you serious?” He replies a bit shocked. 
“Yes, I’m serious. Your sword isn’t a laser sword, but is made from metal
that is practically indestructible, you could actually fight them and not waste
your sword. I want them to see how it handles.” Athrun replies.
Saber nods, “Alright.” He pulls out his sword and heads for GoLion, they
block the attack with their sword and parry back to him, causing him to block,
this continues for several minutes, neither one gaining an advantage. “Not
bad,” Athrun states. “Would you mind fighting them with the METEOR
shield?”
“If you think it’s safe for me to do so, I’m fine with it. I’m still
learning the limitations of my suit as we go.” Saber replies.
“Since you’re good with your sword, and your suit is practically
indestructible, I figure you would give them some good practice, without
seriously putting yourself or them into danger,” Athrun replies. “Just
remember that you can use your sword to help block the lasers they fire, and
they won’t harm your suit anyways. Worst case is you get knocked around a
bit.”
“Let’s go then,” he replies as he gets into a fighting stance, the other
members of his crew hanging back to watch. He fires at them, and then pulls his
sword as they engage the shield, deflecting his attack back at him. He blocks it
with his sword and narrowly misses getting hit by another attack. They begin
firing back in more rapid succession; he manages to block the majority of the
attacks, with a bit of effort. Occasionally, he pulls back and regroups,
managing to fire at them before they can fire first, each time having the attack
deflected back so that he has to dodge it. This continues for nearly half an
hour before they break and land in the clearing below. “I’m impressed. I
don’t think you have to worry about losing your sword again. Not with having
that shield and secondary sword,” Saber says as they all gather on the
ground.
“Yes, it is rather impressive, he replies to Saber. “Thank you Miss Lacus,
these upgrades are going to help us quite a bit I think,” Keith says as he
turns to face Lacus.
She smiles and nods, “I’m glad we were able to take some time to help you.
Now I’m afraid we need to be off. We are needed to help on Sextilis; you
should take time and practice with your new weapons, maybe even letting the
Cowboy shoot at you a little. I think you will get better with the weapons the
more you are able to practice. It will also allow the Bismarck crew time to
workout in their suits as well.” She turns and nods to the others, “We will
call if we need assistance. I hope we find a way to end this soon.” Kira comes
over and places a hand on her shoulder; she looks up and smiles at him,
“Let’s go, Kira.”
He shakes his head, “I don’t think we should go to Sextilis yet, Lacus.”
he says quietly. She looks up at him curiously. “Athrun and I were talking,
and we feel that perhaps we should try and find this base that we believe is
near Sextilis,” he pauses, trying to think of how to continue, “For her
robots to have just appeared as quickly as they did to attack, they had to be
close by. I’m sure she expects us to just all show up to help with Sextilis,
but we just spoke with Lt. Ramius, and she said that they are fine and have
enough help. So, I said we would return to Orb. Our thought is, we take a crew
to seek out the base, I don’t think Merla would expect that. Perhaps we could
find some weakness in her forces that way.” Keith and Saber both nod as he
speaks. 
“It makes sense, strategically speaking,” Saber says. “I think your
assessment is correct, I doubt she would expect us to seek her out. As you
stated, perhaps we could figure out some weakness in her defense pulling an
unexpected move on her and her army and exploit it.”
“The question would be who to send,” Keith adds. “We know how the last
scouting mission turned out.”
Saber nods, “Yes, not the best results, although it just was bad timing on our
part I think.” He looks to Lacus and Kira, “Should we call a meeting then
and discuss the possibilities?”
Kira looks to Lacus then nods, “I think we should have an open discussion
about it. Perhaps we can come up with a better plan, and have a back up plan in
place in case something goes wrong.”
“Let’s do that then. Should we meet in the board room in say…fifteen
minutes?” Saber asks, looking between Kira, Lacus, and Keith. They nod and all
go to arrange everyone to meet in the board room.



                             Kapitel 17: Scouting
                             --------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 17: Scouting



“I think we should all step back and look at what we have available to us.”
Saber says becoming a bit agitated. Everyone suddenly stops arguing amongst
themselves and looks towards Saber, a bit shocked at the outburst. “I want
this done just as much as any of you, but if we just pick an idea seemingly at
random and charge in, we will most likely end up getting ourselves or someone
else killed.” Saber says as he looks around at the faces seated around the
table, everyone is tired, but no one wants to stop and think. He sits back in
his chair and sighs exasperated, closing his eyes before looking towards Athrun
and Kira, “You both are military, you of all people should understand why we
need to take the time to plan this. You are also familiar with the abilities of
the vessels involved. We are all still learning, so any input you have is
greatly appreciated.”
Athrun nods, “You are right. I feel at this juncture we are sure that the base
is between Orb and Sextilis, there are a couple of moons and satellites that
could easily mask a base. That being said, I think that for the sake of keeping
just how powerful we are a secret for as long as possible, we should perhaps
take the Eternal and the GoLion crew to see about finding the base. We could
easily store the lions inside the ship until they are needed. If it appears that
all we are doing is returning to Orb, perhaps she won’t bother with us. We
could then deploy Kira and myself in our suits and see if that draws her
out.”
“If we can distract her, maybe then the GoLion team could then directly attack
her base. By leaving you here, but ready to launch in the event that we are
overwhelmed, or she splits her forces and attacks here again, you could help
defend the base and/or us if need be.” Kira adds.
Commander Eagle looks around the room, meeting the eyes of each person, finally
resting his gaze on Saber before speaking, “You make good points, Captain Zala
and Captain Yamato, and I think that is perhaps the best idea for the type of
mission that needs to be carried out. Saber, what is your feeling on this plan?
I know you are good at strategy, and you know the capabilities of the crew. I
want you to speak openly here.”
“As if he wouldn’t anyways,” Colt mutters under his breath, getting an
elbow from April and a glare from Fireball.
“I think the plan is the most logical one that anyone of us has come up with
thus far, Sir.” Saber replies, pointedly ignoring Colt’s comment. “We can
come to their aid fairly quickly, even if we are here. So I don’t see much
about the plan to raise an argument against it. What about anyone else?” He
asks to the room in general.
The room is silent for several minutes, no one daring to raise a question,
everyone turning to read the reaction of someone else in the room. 
“It’s late afternoon by now, so why don’t we all take a break and get
something to eat. We can meet back at the hangar in an hour’s time. By then
the sun will be setting, so we can use that to our advantage. Also, maybe some
food will do everyone some good,” Commander Eagle says.
Several people get up and gradually file out of the room. No one says much, but
a few murmurs are heard as people leave the room. Saber is the last person to
get up and slowly files out behind the last of the others. He turns the opposite
direction of the others, hoping to find solace for a while.
“Saber?” A female voice calls from behind him. 
He hears the footsteps catching up to him and sighs before turning around,
“Yes?” he replies a bit strained, as he meets the concerned gaze of April.
“Um, I came to see if you were all right. You seemed pretty upset back
there,” she says as she catches up to him.
“I’m fine, April,” he replies a bit distantly. “I’m just tired. I let
things get to me that I shouldn’t have.” He looks away and adds quietly,
“I’m sorry.”
“What you said was the truth, Saber. Why should you apologize for being a
voice of reason? I know that we can be a bit…difficult sometimes, so you know
that getting angry is sometimes the only way to get a point across. Especially
when it involves Colt and Fireball,” she adds trying to lighten the tension.
“I think the plan that has been pitched is probably the best that we can do,
at least without already knowing what we are in for, but that is part of the
purpose of the mission, isn’t it? To learn what artillery she has at her
disposal?”
Saber nods slightly, “That is the primary focus of the mission.” He looks
back in the direction he was headed, then back to April, “I have something
I’d like to do, why don’t you go and check on Fireball and Colt. I’ll come
and apologize to them in a bit, after I clear my head. I’ll get to the hangar
in about forty-five minutes, we can talk more then if you’d like.” 
April nods, “All right. I suppose I’ll see you then,” she adds a bit
hesitantly. He nods, and they turn and go their separate ways.

Saber walks quietly back to his quarters, opening the door, he steps inside and
goes and sits quietly on the couch, allowing his body to relax for the first
time in several hours. He closes his eyes for several minutes before slowly
opening them and looking out the window to the fields outside. He remembers the
school kids and teacher he met weeks before and how peaceful the area seemed.
“We have to prevent them from being pulled into this. No one else should die
needlessly,” he mumbles to himself, barely audible. He sits quietly, unmoving
for a while; he is jolted back to reality by a knock at his door. Sighing, he
gets up and opens it, to find Fala and Keith on the other side. “Is it time
already?” he asks. Keith nods.
“Are you all right?” Fala asks concerned.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Saber replies. “I’m sorry for being so…”
“You had every right to be.” Keith interrupts. “You made some valid
points. It got others thinking and a plan was made, so you had the desired
effect. I don’t think anyone can fault you for speaking your mind.”
“If they do, then they are in the wrong,” Fala adds.
Saber shakes his head and smiles weakly, “I hope the tension is significantly
lower than before. I could have handled myself better than I did though.”
“What’s done is done. Let’s just go in there as if nothing happened. If
you have that attitude, you may be surprised to see that others will too,”
Fala says, placing a hand on Saber’s shoulder momentarily. 
He nods in thanks, “Let’s go. I want this over with as soon as possible,”
he adds quietly. They all turn and heads towards the hangar, walking in silence.

Upon arriving, they notice that most of the others had already arrived and were
sitting around talking. Several people look up when they enter. “Glad you made
it Saber,” April says lightly.
Saber smiles slightly, “Late again, eh?” he replies.
“Nah, you still beat Colt. I don’t think that makes you late, does it?”
Fireball quips. 
Saber shakes his head and smiles, “I suppose I’m not late then.” He looks
around the room, noting that most people seemed relaxed, no hint of the earlier
tension and he relaxes a bit. A firm hand is place on his shoulder and he turns
to see Commander Eagle beside him. “Hello, Sir.” 
“Are you doing better? I noticed that you went your own way when we dismissed
earlier,” Commander Eagle says, looking him over carefully.
He nods in reply, “Yes, Sir. I am doing better. I just needed to sit in
silence for a while and clear my head.”
“I’m glad it helped. It seems that the break did everyone some good,” the
commander replies as he looks around the room. “Shall we begin?” He says
loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone gets up and heads closer to where
they are standing. “Are we agreed that the GoLion team will board the Eternal
and accompany them to scout out the base, then, upon finding it, make a decision
on whether the Bismarck crew is needed right away or if we regroup to plan a
more formal attack?” Everyone nods their agreement. “Good. I am glad that we
are on the same page. Working together will be of the utmost importance from
this point on. If any of you have any doubts, this would be the time to say so,
otherwise, go with what those in charge of your group say.” 
“Yes, Sir!” several crew members say in unison.
The crew of the Eternal and the GoLion team members all board the ship, then
after getting permission to take off they head towards space in the cover of
near darkness.

“Where is Colt?” Fireball asks obviously agitated.
“I haven’t seen him since we left the meeting earlier,” April replies.
“Maybe he called Robin or something. It has been a few months since he’s
seen or talked to her.” 
Just then, the door bursts open and Colt comes running in. “Sorry I’m late.
Have I missed anything?”
“Just everyone rehashing the plan and the others leaving to look for the
base,” Fireballs says sarcastically.
“Is that all?” Colt retorts. “At least I made it.”
“What did keep you, Colt?” April asks a bit concerned.
“I was trying to call Robin.” He answers quietly. “I’ve tried several
times and she’s always unavailable to come to the phone. I’m afraid
something is wrong.”
Saber comes over and places a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure it’s nothing
serious, Colt. If there was an issue, Thomas or Elaine would have contacted me.
Perhaps she is just actually getting some rest. She and Josh both seemed to
enjoy exploring the grounds. Maybe you have just had bad timing.” Saber says,
trying to soothe him.
“I suppose you’re right.” Colt admits begrudgingly. “I’m sorry for
earlier, Saber. I didn’t mean what I said.” Colt adds barely audible.
Saber chuckles lightly. “We’ve all been under a bit of stress, Colt. I
wasn’t exactly nice either. So let’s just forget it and move on, all
right?”
Colt nods. “Seems fair to me, I owe you anyways for allowing Josh and Robin
sanctuary at your place.”
Saber shakes his head, “You owe me nothing, Colt. I am doing what I would do
for any friend.” He walks over to the monitor that is following the progress
of the Eternal. “It looks like everything is good so far. Let’s hope their
luck holds.”
April comes over and presses an apple into Saber’s hand. He looks up at her
curiously. “It’s an apple.” She says matter-of-factly.
“Really?” he smirks. “I wasn’t sure.” He says, trying not to laugh.
April laughs and shakes her head. “I’m pretty sure you’ve not eaten, and I
don’t want you passing out on us if we have to go and fight, so eat the damned
apple.”
Saber laughs and takes a bite of the apple. “Thank you,” he adds quietly. 
She nods and smiles, “It’s what friends do.” They all sit quietly for a
while, everyone lost in their own thoughts. “Why don’t you run and get
something, Saber?” Aprils asks quietly.
“I don’t want to be too far, in case something comes up.” He replies. 
“Just go and bring something back. We should be fine for five to ten minutes.
The radar seems fine so far.” She answers.
Saber thinks for a moment and nods, “All right. Does anyone else want
something?” 
“A stiff drink,” quips Colt. 
“Colt, you know alcohol is not allowed on base.” Commander Eagle admonishes,
trying to hide his smile.
Saber laughs, “I wish. I think all of us could use one about now. Sorry, but
not happening.” He heads out to get some food.

“I think I see something, Ms. Lacus.” Mr. Waltfeld says as he puts an image
on the screen. Everyone focuses on the screen.
“What exactly are we looking at, Mr. Waltfeld?” Lacus asks as she examines
the screen. 
The images become clearer and several gasps are heard. “I believe we have
found Merla’s base, Ma’am.” He replies. “It appears to be a well
fortified castle and some rather worrisome looking buildings that I’m not sure
I want to know what is in them.”
“Do you think we can get closer?” Fala asks “Or would that be too
risky?”
“I don’t think we can get much closer without arousing suspicion.” Mr.
Waltfeld replies.
“Let’s take the lions once we are a bit past here and loop back to see if we
can get a closer look.” Keith says as the ship continues slowly on its course.

Lacus nods, “Head for the ship bay, and prepare to launch. I’ll send a
signal when I feel it’s safe to do so.” 
“Should we suit up too, Lacus?” Kira asks.
She shakes her head. “Let’s wait and see what happens. We don’t want to
tip our hand too soon. If they believe we are just a supply or crew ship
returning to Orb from Sextilis, they may not bother us.”
“That’s why you suggested the GoLion crew get below deck?” Athrun asks.
Lacus nods.
“We have an incoming signal, Ms. Lacus. Should I open the connection?”
Waltfeld says, she nods. “This is the Eternal, go ahead.”
Merla appears on the screen. “Hello, Eternal. I am Merla Queen of this realm.
Why do you invade my air space?”
“I was unaware that space belonged to anyone, Madam.” Lacus says. Merla
sneers but regains her composure. “We are simply returning to Orb after
working to help the victims of the colony of Sextilis.” Lacus says, her gaze
not venturing from Merla’s. 
“Well, this is my territory, and I will not be talked down to by some pretty
little face. Surrender at once or I will attack you. Do not attempt to send a
distress signal, I have jammed all of you other communications. I am aware that
you are harboring two Mobile suits and their pilots, one wrong move, and I will
destroy you. Your lives mean nothing to me.”
“Then why haven’t you already killed us?” Lacus asks.
“Simple, I want your technology. With what I already have, once I get my hands
on your little units, I will be completely unstoppable. Now, land your ship and
come out with your hands up. I will give you two minutes. If you have not landed
by then, I will destroy you.” Merla says harshly.
“We will do as you say.” Lacus says without emotion. She turns to her pilot.
“Land the ship. We go out as instructed.” 
“But Ma’am…” Waltfeld begins to argue. 
Lacus holds up her hand to quiet him. “Just do as you’re told.” She says
making eye contact.
He nods, understanding the unspoken request and begins hitting a series of
buttons as they begin their decent. Kira and Athrun look to her with questions,
but her face remains unreadable. They tense up, waiting to see what happens.

“Um, Chief it feels like we’re going down.” Lance asks a bit
suspiciously.
Keith nods. “I noticed. Get into the lions and be ready to launch if that door
opens.”
“What do you think is going on?” Hothead asks.
“I’m not sure, but I don’t like it. I think Ms. Lacus expected this, so
she had us come down here to be ready. Perhaps it’s not known that we are on
board and she may ditch us, so we can look around.” Keith replies. A minute
later, the hangar door opens, allowing them to leave the ship. “I don’t know
what’s going on, so go fast and head for the mountains there in the distance.
We’ll regroup there.” They get into the lions and take off. Several minutes
later, they land in a valley a ways from the castle, no evidence of anyone
following them. They all come out and meet on the ground. “It appears that we
weren’t noticed.” Keith says looking around to the group. The lions are well
hidden here, so I think we need to try and do some recon and see if we can tell
what weapons she has available.
Fala looks towards the castle and sees the Eternal landing. “They are landing
now. I hope they will be all right.” She says concerned.
“I’m sure they will be.” Keith says. “We need to focus on our mission. I
saw a few outer buildings that seem to be some sort of industrial buildings or
possible hangars. If we can get to one or two of those, see what’s in them and
possibly destroy them, we can do some damage. At least long enough to allow us
to come up with a better plan. There are four buildings; two are closer to us,
so I vote that we try for them first. We should break into two groups, but we
cannot use our com-links, as that would most likely give us away.” They all
nod. Lance, you, Hothead, and Shorty go and investigate the building to the
left, Fala and I will go to the building a little further up. We meet back here
in one hour to discuss what we’ve seen and decide what our next move is.”
They all nod again. “If one team doesn’t make it back within say…fifteen
minutes past the time, leave and try to get either back to Calvary Command or to
Orb and report whatever you have seen. Are we agreed?”
“Yes Sir!” They all reply in unison.
“Let’s go.” Keith says. He and Fala take off for their designated building
with the other three heading in the opposite direction.
“What do you think we’ll find, Keith?” Fala asks as they move towards the
building, staying close to various rocks.
“I have no idea. I just have a feeling that we won’t like it.” He replies.
She nods and they continue for several minutes, neither one saying another word.
Occasionally, they duck for cover as a guard makes a round near the building,
but so far, they seem to have avoided being detected. 
As they approach the building, they begin seeing humans that are being used as
laborers. Some are obviously very young. The people are entering an underground
shaft of some sort, then go into the building hauling buckets, then returning
down the shaft. They watch for several minutes, staying in the shadows. Keith
leans close to Fala and whispers to her quietly. “I think they are mining
something.” She nods. “I wonder what it’s used for.” He whispers again
to her, barely audible. “Let’s try and see what’s in the building. Follow
me.” 
Several minutes pass before there is a brief halt in people coming and going,
they take the chance to move closer to the building, heading for the far side,
away from the shaft, hoping to remain undetected. They find a small window
hidden by what appears to be a generator of some sort, so they duck behind it
and peer into the window. Fala gasps as she looks in and sees a large cannon.
Keith gives her a look, but then sees it too. “Not good.” He mouths. She
shakes her head and turns to watch the activity in the building. 
Fala takes an item from her belt and holds it up. Keith looks at her
quizzically. “Camera.” She mouths. He nods, a small smile escaping his lips.
She leans down and begins taking pictures for several minutes. 
Keith looks to his watch and taps Fala on the shoulder. She looks up and he
touches his watch, indicating they need to leave. She nods and as soon as they
see a break, they make a loop back towards where they came from. After almost
giving up their presence twice, they finally make it back to the clearing.
Lance, Shorty, and Hothead are waiting, looking a bit nervous.
“Cutting that a bit close, aren’t you?” Lance asks pointing to his watch.
“Sorry. We almost got caught.” Keith replies. “Did you find anything
useful?”
Lance turns to Shorty. “You explain it. You seemed to know what was going
on.”
Keith shakes his head. “Not here. We need to get out of here. It’s too risky
to stay here any longer. Should we head to Orb or Calvary Command?”
“Calvary Command.” Fala says. “That way, if we get into trouble between
here and there, they are closer to us, than if we head towards Orb.”
“The Princess is right, Chief. We don't know if Orb would have anyone that
could readily help us in the event of trouble. Especially since the Eternal is
still being held by Merla. That other ship of theirs is probably still tied up
on that colony.” Lance adds.
Keith nods. “I think you're both right. It's almost dark here, so let's hide
out for say about twenty more minutes, then take off and head towards Calvary
Command, take care to stay low until we are behind the mountains, then we'll
head up and go to Calvary Command.”
They all nod in agreement. Once darkness begins to fall, they get into their
lions and take off.

Saber enters the hangar, carrying a drink. “Have I missed anything?” he
asks, coming over and scanning the various screens.
“We think Merla has the Eternal.” April says not looking away from the main
screen.
“That's not good.” Saber says quietly. “Has there been any word from
anyone?”
Commander Eagle shakes his head, “Nothing as of yet.” 
“Is that GoLion?” Colt asks, pointing towards one of the screens.
April hits a few buttons, pulling up a visual of the five lions. “It is. Open
the hangar doors, Fireball.” He nods and quickly goes to open the doors.

A minute or two later, the lions land and the team comes out to meet them.
“I'm glad we made it back.” Keith says, walking over to the Bismarck crew.
“We weren't sure what to expect when we saw the Eternal land on the base.”
April says as everyone returns to the control area of the hangar.
“Evidently, Ms. Lacus had a feeling it could happen. She sent us below deck
and told us to launch when we got the signal. We felt the ship descending, and
the doors opened, so we went. We were lucky not to be caught. We have some
pictures that all of you should see.” he nods to Fala, who nods back and goes
into her lion and hits some keys. “Fala is sending you some pictures that she
took of an outbuilding of the base. Merla has some kind of laser cannon, and
she's mining something to either help run it or that is used to create the
laser. Either way, it's not good.”
A screen pops up indicating a file transfer, then images begin appearing as they
are downloaded.  Fala comes back to join the group, “I took these from the
outside near a window. They aren't the best, but it's something to go from. I
took a few pictures of the layout as we left, but it was too risky to try to
take too many pictures.”
Everyone is focused on the screen and the images before them. “If that cannon
is as powerful as it looks, this really is not good news.” Saber says
following a long silence. “That cannon looks like it could easily wipe out the
majority of this base from quite a distance.”
“Yes, that was my thought too.” Keith says quietly.
“We have a few pictures to share as well,” Shorty says as he heads to his
lion.
“We found a factory where she makes those annoying robots that she seems to
have a limitless supply of.” Lance says as more images appear on the screen.
Shorty comes back as the last of the images appear. “I thought about trying to
get inside, but they told me it wasn't worth the risk.”
“They were right.” Saber says. “Well, now we need to firm up what we do
from here.  Have you already placed a few older model homing beacons on the
desired targets?”
Keith nods. “They are all in place and set to go off in 15 minutes. That
should allow us time to get back there and to distract Merla, while you go for
the targets. Perhaps the crew of the Eternal can find a way to make a break for
it. They are all battle trained, and I'm sure they can handle themselves. I
don't see them giving up easily.” Keith says.
“We could call for the Archangel to help with a distraction.” April says.
“They were heading back to Orb from that colony.”
“They most likely would have civilians on that ship right now, unless they are
already back at Orb. We don't want to risk more lives than necessary.” Saber
says. 
Fala nods. “You're right, Saber. We will already be risking the lives of the
humans we saw, but...”
“A risk we must take, Your Highness.” Saber says grimly. “It's not a
pleasant thought, but we have to choose the lesser of two evils in this
situation. If we try to warn them, we could alert the whole base. We just have
to try and hit soon, you said it was nightfall there now, correct?” Keith
nods. “Then let's hope they get a rest time and that it's far enough away from
the targets that loss of life is minimal.” Everyone nods. 
“I say we leave now. You would have maybe five minutes before you'd need to be
there and ready to attack. We could be there, and begin our distraction in say,
ten minutes.” Keith says.
Saber nods. “That sounds like our best bet. Lacus and her crew are very
resourceful, but if it looks like they are having trouble, I will try and see if
I can help them, though I doubt it will come to that.” 

“Everything is ready to go, Chief.” Shorty says. 
“Good. Let's head out.” Keith says.
“So, can we start shooting at things near her castle once it's in sight?”
Hothead asks as he gets into his lion.
Keith nods. “Yes, you can start shooting once the castle is in sight, just try
and draw the fire away from the Eternal.” He adds. “Maybe we'll get lucky
and they can break away in the chaos. Are we agreed on the plan?”
They all nod, and everyone takes off. 

“Let's go.” Saber says as they take off for the base. “We will have five
minutes to destroy the targets. Until that's done, no more communications via
com-link.”
“Right.” The others say simultaneously.
They arrive a short time later as the Bismarck robot. In the distance, they see
evidence of GoLion's attack on the main base. They quickly fire the blaster
easily destroying the targets, several internal explosions happen after the
initial blasts. The scene below is one of chaos, but quickly, some of Merla's
army begin to show up and they start firing at the Bismarck. 
“Separate. Draw them apart. It's our best chance.” Saber says as they
disperse into four units and begin taking on the robots.
Colt begins firing the METEOR, hitting several robots simultaneously, “I love
these new toys!” Colt says as he continues firing.
 Fireball fires several shots in succession, hitting several targets while
dodging attacks at the same time. “It seems like we have  fewer than we
did.”
Saber uses his sword to destroy several robots, his suit deflecting a lot the
shots being fired at him. “I think we are at least making some headway.” he
says as he continues fighting.
Several more robots are destroyed, and then suddenly even more seem to explode
out of nowhere. 
“What the Hell?” Fireball says looking at his screens.
“It's Kira and Athrun.” Saber says. “The Eternal is heading for space.”
“I see you did as we had discussed.” Athrun says, appearing on Saber's
screen. 
Saber nods. “I knew that's what you wanted. Is everyone all right?”
“A few bruises, but nothing too bad. Merla is not happy though. We've laid
waste to her base.” Athrun replies.
Saber flips to another image and sees several places of the castle blowing up.
“Ah, an 'inside' job.  Good for you. This should keep her busy for a while. I
think we've taken out her robot factory and a rather large cannon.”
Kira comes onto the screen. “It looks like we've done what we needed to do.
Let's get out of here.” he says as the last few robots are destroyed.
Keith comes on the com-link, “Kira's right. Let's regroup far away from
here.”
Everyone agrees and they head back to Calvary Command. 

An hour or so later, everyone is sitting in the hangar, studying the screens of
the base they just attacked. “It seems you were successful.” Commander Eagle
says. Several heads nod.
“I don't think Merla expected us to attack her directly.” Keith says.
“We will have to keep an eye on her. We have a few ways to do that, since she
was 'unloading' things off of our ship. We can track any of those items, and
know where they are at least. I was surprised that she kept us so close to the
ship. That was a good thing for us, but not her best move”
“Perhaps she didn't think you were capable enough to escape.” Fala says.
“I know she didn't expect to be attacked. She had no clue that the lions were
on our ship, so I'm glad you weren't on the bridge when she came on the
com-link.” Athrun says. “Otherwise, this might not have ended the way it
did.”
“We need to return to Orb.” Lacus says suddenly. Everyone turns to look at
her. “Our ship took a bit of damage, so we need to make repairs. We need the
equipment available on Orb, so while Merla is otherwise occupied, we should head
back and make the repairs, so we are ready in the event that she tries to attack
us or one of you in the future in retaliation for today.”
Commander Eagle nods. “When do you wish to leave?” 
“As soon as possible, Commander. We can rest once we are on Orb.” Lacus
replies. She looks to her crew, who all get up. “Thank all of you for your
help. We will be in touch. Do not hesitate to call if you require our
assistance.”
“Nor you hesitate to call if you need us.” Saber replies.
Lacus nods and looks to Kira and Athrun, who start for the Eternal. “We'll see
you soon, so we can figure out a way to end this for good.”
Everyone nods and the crew boards their ship and it takes off for Orb.

A week goes by of constant practicing; no other attacks or distress signals are
received. The group is all sitting in the common room talking when Commander
Eagle enters, causing everyone to look up. “I have just talked with Ms. Lacus
of the Eternal. The rebuilding effort is going well and thus far, they have had
no sign of any enemy activity,” he pauses, studying the tired faces in front
of him. “I’ve been thinking, things seem to be relatively calm here at the
moment, why don’t all of you go back to Saber’s Estate and get some rest. I
know Colt would like to see Robin, as it’s been almost four months since you
left there. I’m sure a change in scenery will do all of you some good. Or, if
you wish, your crew could return to Altea, I know it has been much longer since
you have been home.”

Everyone looks around to each other in a sort of stunned silence; finally Fala
speaks up, “Would it be all right if we all went back to your place,
Saber?”
Saber nods slowly, “I wouldn’t mind going back for a bit. All of you are
welcome to come,” he looks towards Colt and smiles slightly, “I know you
won’t complain about going back.” Colt blushes slightly, but says nothing,
getting a laugh from most of the others in the room. “When would you want to
leave?” Saber asks to the group in general.
“How soon could we leave, Sir?” Fireball asks Commander Eagle.
“Whenever you’d like,” he replies.
“With the speed of the new units, we could make it there in a couple of hours,
so we could leave this evening in the cover of darkness, and possible avoid
alerting anyone to our absence, or wait until early morning, if you prefer.
Either way is fine by me,” Saber says looking around to the group around him.
“I say we go now,” Fireball says standing up.
“I agree,” Keith says, getting up as well. “If we wait, we might tempt
fate or something.”
Saber stands up and nods, “Then let’s go get packed and meet at the hanger
in say, half an hour?” 
Several heads nod and Commander Eagle nods in return. “Very well, I’ll keep
you apprised of the situation here and let you know if anything changes. Perhaps
you can manage to stay for a couple of weeks; from there we can decide on how to
handle this threat.” Everyone leaves to pack and shortly thereafter, they
leave for Saber’s home.



                            Kapitel 18: Home Again
                            ----------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 18: Home Again

“I’ve called ahead and alerted Thomas and Elaine of our arrival,” Saber
says over the com-link. “Thomas said that the rooms should be ready for us
when we arrive.”
“We’re not that far now, are we, Saber?” Fala asks.
“No, a few minutes at best,” He replies as the colony comes into view.
“I’ve just received permission for us to land in the same area as we did
before. Let’s go.” They all follow him into the landing bay, and meet on the
ground. Prime Minister Collins is there to greet them when they arrive,
“Captain Rider, how good to see you again,” he says as he nods to the rest
of the group eying the ships. “Are these new ships?”
“Yes Sir,” Saber replies. “The former Bismarck ship was destroyed during
the last attack on Calvary Command; this is the new model of the Bismarck.
It’s quite different from its predecessors.”
“So I see,” Collins replies astonished. “I take it you are here to see
about your estate?”
“And to get some rest Sir,” Saber replies.
“Very well, I hope you enjoy your stay, Captain. We have the same vehicle
ready for you; the keys are in the ignition.” Collins says, nodding towards
the parking lot before he turns to go about other business.
“Thank you Sir,” Saber says as Collins leaves. He turns to Fireball, “Are
you driving again?” He nods in reply. “I’m going to take Steed, I’ll
lead the way.” They load up and he mounts Steed and they head off towards his
estate. They arrive a short time later, Thomas, Elaine, Josh, and two smaller
boys are waiting for them.

Saber dismounts as the others get out of the van. “Hello, Thomas. How have
things been here?”
“Very well Sir,” Thomas replies. “We have had a few... developments” he
adds with a smile.
“Oh?” Saber asks curiously. 
“I think the anxious Cowboy should go in and see his wife. They need to talk
privately,” Thomas says quietly, a smile on his face. 
Saber turns back towards Colt, “Hey, Colt, come over here, please.” 
Colt comes over, still looking around a bit anxiously. “Yeah?” he asks
anxiously.
“I think you should go in and see about Robin. Josh will make sure your things
get brought in.” Saber replies to him quietly. Colt nods and rushes into the
house. Saber chuckles to himself, shaking his head amused.
“Is everything all right, Saber?” Fala asks, coming over to him and looking
towards the direction that Colt left towards.
“Everything is fine. Colt is just worried, I think a bit needlessly,” he
replies a bit amused. Josh comes over to the pair. “How are you doing,
Josh?” Saber asks as he approaches.
The boy nods in reply, “I’m doing well, Sir. Robin is doing better than
she...had been. At least she’s not sick all the time now.” 
Saber nods, “If it is what I’m thinking, then she should start feeling
better about now.”
Josh grins and nods, “It is, Sir. She’s nearly four months now.” Josh says
quietly.
Fala’s face lights up as she realizes what is happening. “Is Robin…?”
Josh nods, “Yes, Ma’am. We found out about a month and a half ago. She has
been dying to tell Colt, but she didn’t want him to be distracted from his
duties. I had to threaten to tie her up to keep her from calling him.”
Saber laughs, “I’m not sure you would have succeeded, Josh. She seems to be
a rather strong-willed woman.” Josh laughs. “She’d have to be to live with
Colt though.” Saber adds quietly.
The others come over to see what the commotion is. “Is something wrong,
Saber?” April asks. 
Saber shakes his head, “Nothing is wrong. Let’s go and get settled, then in
about an hour, we can meet for dinner.” Everyone nods and the crowd disperses,
leaving Saber alone with Thomas and Elaine.
“How are you, Saber?” Elaine asks quietly, looking him over carefully.
Saber smiles and leans down and kisses her cheek, “I’m much better than I
was the last time I was here. I still have bouts of depression, but I feel that
I am improving and moving on, as I know they would want me to do.”
Elaine nods and smiles, “I am glad to hear that. I have been worried. Your
eyes looked so distant the last time I saw you.” She pauses and meets his
eyes, “Now I actually see a bit of mischief when I look at your eyes, a lot
more like your old self.”
Saber nods, “We have seen some really bad things these past few months, but we
have also seen how people with a common goal can pull together to overcome
anything.”
“Let’s head inside Sir,” Thomas says as they put Steed in the back.
“Dinner won’t be much longer and I’m sure you would like to rest a
little.”
“Yes, let’s head inside. I’m sure everyone is a bit curious as to what is
going on with Colt and Robin,” he remarks lightly.
“They will find out soon enough. As soon as you look at her it’s obvious,”
Elaine says happily. “Of course when we first realized what was wrong, she was
a little upset,” She adds.
“Why’s that? I would think she’d be thrilled,” Saber asks as they enter
the kitchen area.
“I don’t think it occurred to her that it was a possibility, to be honest.
She seemed to be in shock. But, the next day, it was like she embraced it fully
and we had to keep her from trying to call Colt to tell him. I thought Josh was
going to have to physically restrain her a few times,” Elaine says amused.
Saber shakes his head, smiling. “It seems things haven’t been dull for you
here. I am grateful that you were fine letting them remain here, especially
given Robin’s current state. I’m afraid that we may yet have to leave them
here a while longer.”
“They are welcome here as long as you wish them to remain here, Sir. This is
your house, and we will do as you request. They have been very agreeable
guests,” Thomas says.
“Oh, at some point, I would like to talk to both of you about some questions
that have regarding myself,” Saber states, eying the pair carefully. They
glance to each other and then back to him and nod a bit nervously. “You’ve
done nothing wrong,” Saber adds, noting their hesitation. “The questions I
have are just about me and a few things I have learned about myself. It’s more
of a curiosity to see if you were aware of certain situations that occurred a
long time ago. I have learned that I am different than a lot of people, and I
have learned the reasons behind it. I would like to discuss these things with
you later this evening, if possible.”
Elaine nods, “I’ll answer anything that I can, Saber. I don’t promise that
I’ll have much information for you.”
He nods, “Thank you, Elaine. I’m going to head up to my room now. I’ll be
down in a little bit.” He heads up the stairs to his room, closing the door
behind him.

Thomas looks to Elaine, “I wonder what that’s all about?” She shrugs.
“Well, I suppose we’ll find out eventually. Perhaps when he sits to talk
with us, we can broach the subject of relocating him to the master’s
quarters.”
“Let’s see what his state of mind is before saying anything. It may still be
too soon, Thomas.” Elaine says. Thomas nods in agreement. “I’d better go
and finish up dinner.” Elaine says and heads off. 

A little while later, Saber comes down and finds nearly everyone sitting in the
common area, waiting for dinner. “Have I missed anything?” he says as he
sits down in an empty chair.
Fala shakes her head, “Not really, we’re just chatting about things until
dinner is ready. It smells really good.”
Saber smiles, “I figured it was getting close to time, the smells are stronger
than earlier, it’s why I came on down.” He looks around and notices that
Colt and Robin are absent from the group. “Has anyone seen Colt since we
arrived?”
“Not since you said something to him and he took off for the house.” April
replies. “We were just discussing whether someone should go and check on
them.”
Saber shakes his head, “Leave them be. I’m sure that we will see them when
they’re ready to come out.”
Everyone talks a little longer, but stops abruptly when Colt and Robin enter the
room. Robin is showing just enough to be obviously pregnant. “Sorry for taking
off earlier,” Colt begins as he looks around the room, everyone suddenly
realizing why he’s been otherwise occupied. Colt grins, “I take it ya’ll
have figured out why Robin hasn’t felt like talking to me.”
April gets up and goes over to Robin and hugs her. “How far along are you?”

Robin laughs. “How long have you been gone?”
April thinks for a minute, “Ohhhhhhh. So just before we left….” She laughs
and turns to Colt, “I suppose you have a reason to want this over with even
more quickly now.”
Colt nods, “I’m really glad that they are here, and not with us; especially
now.” He adds, looking towards Robin. “I’m glad that they were here when
she started with the symptoms, I don’t think too many people at Calvary
Command would have been much help.”
“Thomas and Elaine have been very wonderful to me, Saber.” Robin says,
“Thank you for allowing Josh and I to stay here.
Saber comes over to her and smiles. “Stay as long as you want. I think
you’re safer here than at Calvary Command anyways, especially now.”
“Why’s that?” Robin asks a bit worried. 
Saber immediately regrets his last words, “Well, let’s just say we have made
Merla a bit, angry.”
“Yeah, we wasted her base. As soon as we can, we’re going back to finish her
off. We’re just waiting for Orb to be ready.” Colt adds. “It’ll be fine.
But I am glad you and Josh are here, and not at Calvary Command.”
Robin nods, a bit nervously, but says nothing else. Several people come and
offer congratulations, and they are all sitting around and talking about the
upcoming birth and preparations to be made when Elaine enters the room,
“Dinner’s ready.” Everyone migrates to the dining area and eats.

A few hours later, most people have dispersed to bed or other rooms, so Saber
enters the kitchen. Looking around, he only sees Elaine. “Hello, Elaine. Is
Thomas nearby as well?”
Elaine looks up as she finishes the last of the dishes and nods, “He’s in
our study, Saber. You can go on in. I’ll be there momentarily,” she adds as
he nods and knocks lightly on a door before entering into a den.
Thomas is sitting near the fireplace reading, he looks up when Saber knocks then
enters. “Ah, I figured you’d be here soon, Sir.” He says as he stands up
to greet Saber. Elaine follows in behind Saber, closing the door behind her. 
“Please, both of you sit down.” Saber begins as they all three sit down. He
looks between them for a moment, trying to figure out how to begin, “How much
do you know about my past?” he asks, getting a confused look from both of
them.
He sighs, not sure how to continue, “All right, how about tell me about
everything that happened with my parents before I was born up to just after I
was born.” He prods, hoping to get some type of reply.
Elaine studies him for a moment, “Saber, is everything all right? Why would
you ask such a strange question?”
Saber is quiet for a moment, “Well, I have recently learned that I am
different than most people.” He begins.
Thomas smiles, “Do you think you were adopted or something?” Saber shakes
his head. “I promise you, Saber, adopted you are not.”
He sighs, “No, it’s just that…well…are you familiar with the term
‘coordinator’?” he asks.
Thomas and Elaine look to each other, before returning their gaze back to him,
“I think I heard your father mention something about a coordinator at some
point, but it was in passing, I don’t think he was referring to you, Sir.”
Thomas replies. “What is this about?”
“I am a coordinator. I am genetically altered, pre-programmed, if you will to
be less prone to illness and become more skilled than someone who isn’t a
coordinator.” He pauses, allowing the information to sink in.
“But how? When? I was here when your mother was pregnant with you. It was a
perfectly normal pregnancy, Saber.” Elaine quarries.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I want to know if it was done on
purpose, or if I am one of the ones that the parents didn’t know their child
had been tampered with. I know that mother and father had trouble conceiving and
had gone to get treatment. Perhaps it happened then?” Saber asks quietly.
Elaine studies his face for a moment, “Your mother did have a couple of
miscarriages before she had you. They both wanted a child, and after several
years with no luck, they told us they were taking a vacation for a month or two.
When they came back, your mother was pregnant with you. I always assumed that
getting away from everything is what helped, but perhaps they got medical help,
that doesn’t mean that you are different. They still loved you, Saber.”
“I know they did, Elaine. I also know that biologically they are my parents.
My question is whether or not they purposefully allowed my genes to be altered
or was it done without their consent. I suppose it’s more a curiosity than
something important to anyone other than myself. It won’t change who or what I
am now.” Saber replies.
“I remember when you were small that your father noticed that you seemed more,
intelligent that he thought was normal. We always just said that you were lucky.
He never said anything about you being considered different, even when you began
your fencing lessons and became an expert at that so quickly, he was just proud
that you seemed graced with the abilities. He was a bit over protective of you
when you were younger though, perhaps he suspected something, though he never
voiced his concerns to me.” Thomas says.
Saber nods, “Thank you for sharing what you know. I’m sure it seems
pointless for me to even be asking, but I feel that just knowing might help me
come to terms with it.”
Elaine looks at him for a moment, “It doesn’t make you any less human,
Saber. You still have free will and you have emotion, two things that separate
humans from other creatures.”
Saber nods and smiles slightly, “Not the first time I’ve heard that
lately.”
“Hopefully not the last time, either.” Elaine quips. “Now, stop feeling
like you’re some freak and enjoy your differences.” She pauses then looks at
him seriously, “I do have a question for you, though it might embarrass you
and if so, tell me to butt out.”
Saber looks at her curiously and smiles, “What is your question? If I know the
answer, I’ll tell you what I know.” Elaine stumbles for a moment, not sure
how to ask. Saber chuckles, “You’ve always been direct, so just ask.”
Elaine smiles and takes a breath, “Okay, fine, are you able to have children?
If you ever find anyone that you’d want to with, eventually. Or does that
genetic thing prevent that?”
Saber smiles slightly, “I actually had the same question. The doctor I talked
to told me that everything works as it normally would. The only difference would
be that any children I have would be resistant to illness and probably excel at
the same things that I do. Or if I somehow ended up with another coordinator,
any children we had could inherit traits of both of us.”
Elaine relaxes and smiles, “So even after everything you haven’t ruled out
finding someone else?” she asks quietly, almost immediately regretting
speaking as she watches his reaction.
Saber looks down for a moment before once again meeting her gaze, “Not
entirely.” He replies, barely audible. “If I happen to meet someone at some
point, and we hit it off, then I suppose it’s a possibility. But I don’t
plan on actively pursuing anyone.” He adds, still barely above a whisper.
Elaine nods and looks at him sympathetically, “I shouldn’t have said
anything. I’m sorry.”
Saber shakes his head, “It’s all right, Elaine. It’s something that
occasionally I think about, even though it upsets me still at times. I am trying
to move on, and if I just avoid a subject because it sets off a raw emotion, I
can’t move on. So honestly, it’s all right.”
She nods slightly. “I still didn’t mean to upset you, Saber.”
“I know it wasn’t your intention. You meant well. It’s all right.” He
looks to the clock on the mantle. “It’s rather late, I think I’m going to
go and rest. I’ll see you in the morning, all right?”
They both nod and stand up, walking with him to the door. “Good night, Sir.”
Thomas says as they return to the kitchen.
“Good night.” Saber replies as he goes into the common room and heads
towards the stairs.

“You’re still up? I thought you went to bed hours ago.” A voice says from
a darkened corner.
Saber turns towards the voice. “Funny, I could say the same thing to you, Your
Highness.”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I came out here.” Fala replies.
Saber heads to a nearby chair and sits down. “Are you all right?”
She nods slightly, “I just can’t help but feel that something is about to
happen.”
“A premonition perhaps?” he inquires.
She shrugs, “Perhaps. Keith says to just enjoy the peace while we can. I’m
trying to, but…”
“The feeling keeps nagging at you.” He finishes for her. She nods. “I
understand. I have the same feeling. I don’t think this is over and I feel
like I need to be ready to bolt at any moment. Sometimes I wish we had just
finished her off completely. I could have gone in and killed her myself.”
“That wasn’t the goal of the mission, Saber. And by doing so, you could have
jeopardized the whole mission. So I am glad you didn’t make such an attempt.
We weren’t in a position to do that…at that point in time.” Fala says
quietly.
Saber nods, “I know. I’m just rambling. I suppose the stress is starting to
get to me, as well as everyone else. God only knows if Colt will even come and
fight with us now. He’s been inseparable from Robin since we arrived.”
Fala chuckles lightly. “He’ll come, especially if we tell him that if he
doesn’t he could be conceivably putting her life and the unborn child’s life
at risk by not fighting.”
“Point taken,” Saber replies, chuckling slightly. “A bit harsh, but
effective.”
“War is never easy. And telling him that is just stating the facts. It’s not
like we’d be lying to him.” Fala says quietly. 
“True.” He replies. “I can’t believe it’s nearly three in the
morning.” He says sounding fatigued. “I suppose I’m still not used to the
change in time. No wonder Thomas and Elaine looked so tired.” He mumbles to
himself.
“So that’s where you’ve been all this time?” Fala asks curiously.
Saber nods, “Yes, I had some things I wanted to discuss with them. I think
there was a few things that they wished to discuss, but by the time we got to
that point, we were all too tired to continue our discussion.”
“Ah. I’m sure you aren’t exactly excited about that.” Fala says wryly.
“I think I have an idea of what they want to discuss already. It’s one
reason I was ready to get out of it for the evening. I’m not ready to allow
what they want me to do.” He replies.
“And what would that be, if I may be so bold as to ask.” Fala says.
“I’m sure they want me to take over my parent’s section of the house.
Something I don’t think I can handle just yet.” He replies quietly.
Fala nods, “I understand your hesitation. I know that once Keith and I marry
I’ll have to take over the suite that belonged to my parents, but until then,
I can’t bring myself to go into there.”
“Why once you’re married?” Saber asks confused.
“Because that is when I’ll be crowned Queen; until then, I can get away with
sleeping in the quarters that I do now…when I’m at home.” Fala replies. 
“I see. I suppose it makes sense.” He chuckles, “I wonder what they’d
say if I told them they could move me into my parent’s quarters once I get
married?”
Fala laughs, “They’d probably want a date.”
Saber laughs and shakes his head, “Something I couldn’t give them.” He
sighs, closing his eyes. “At least I can laugh at it now.” He adds quietly.
“I can't believe we've been gone so...oh no.” She says a bit surprised.
“What's wrong?” Saber asks concerned.
“I just realized something.” She replies.
“What?” He asks.
“We're supposed to get married in less than two weeks.”
Saber laughs, “You forgot you're supposed to get married?”
“We've had a lot going on recently. Time just sort of slipped away.” She
says slightly defensively.
“Ah. I can attest to that. I can't believe it's been nearly six months since
my parents were killed,” he replies quietly. “Although there are times it
seems a lifetime ago.” He adds barely above a whisper.
Fala watches him for a moment, “Do you think you’ll ever…?”
He looks towards her, “Ever what?” he asks.
“Fall in love again?” she finishes quietly.
Saber sits for a while, his eyes closed, thinking, “I suppose I’d be lying
if I said ‘no’…”
“But?” She persists.
He nods slightly, “But, as I told Thomas and Elaine earlier, I’m not going
to be actively looking for someone. Although I suppose it’s possible that I
could meet someone. I’m just not sure if I’d be…willing to allow someone
to…”
“Get that close to you again?” Fala asks.
Saber nods. “Yes, exactly.”
“I understand that. You seem to be guarded as to whom you will say certain
things to. I’m sure that you only discussed certain things with Sincia that
you wouldn’t discuss with just anyone.” Fala says.
“Yes, there are things that I can’t bring myself to discuss, things that I
muddled through with her, things that I don’t see myself talking about to
anyone other than the person I choose to share my life with.” He says quietly.
“I have been able to have rather frank discussions with you, some of the time,
I later ask myself why I said some thing or another, but I can’t explain it. I
finally decided that if I say the wrong thing, you would tell me.” He adds
almost inaudibly.  They sit in silence for a while, neither one willing to give
in and go to bed. A little while later, they hear footsteps coming down the
stairs.
“Over here, Keith.” Fala says quietly.
He turns in their direction and walks over. “Have you been up all night?”
She nods and he turns to Saber. “You too?” 
Saber nods, “Yes, I was heading up to attempt sleep about an hour ago, and ran
into Fala and we started talking.”
Keith shakes his head. “You both should be resting. You don’t know when
something could come up and we need to be clear-headed.” He turns to Fala,
“Why don’t you try and get some rest, I can come up if you’d like, or just
leave you to rest in peace.”

“If you wish to come and lay with me, I won’t complain. But I know that you
like to get up early, so I won’t make you come and rest with me. I was just
too awake to lie down before. I am really tired now.” Fala says.
“I actually am still tired. I haven’t adjusted to the change of time yet. I
woke up enough to realize you weren’t there, so I came to make sure you were
all right.” Keith says. 
Fala nods. “Then let’s go and get some sleep. I doubt anyone else will care
if we’re not down here first thing in the morning, especially when we tell
them we need to pack up to head back to Altea.”
“What for? Has there been an attack?” Keith asks concerned.
Fala shakes her head, hiding a smile. “No, but I bet we get in trouble for not
being back until right before our wedding.”
“Have we been gone that long?!” Keith asks.
Fala nods. “Yes, we have. I'm sure Raible is not happy. But, I need some rest,
so let's rest up before we break the news to the others. We'll see you later,
Saber.”
Keith nods. “Goodnight, Saber. Try and get some sleep yourself.”
He nods, “Goodnight, to you both.” Saber replies. Fala and Keith head
upstairs, Saber hangs back a little sitting in silence for a bit, eventually
heading upstairs to his room.

Later the next morning most everyone is down stairs when Keith and Fala come
down. 
“Good morning, you two,” Lance quips smiling.
“Good morning,” Fala says as she looks around the room. “It looks like
most everyone is here. I suppose Saber is still asleep?”
Colt shrugs. “I haven’t seen him today. He wasn’t at breakfast, but
neither were either of you.” He adds with a smile.
Fala smiles back. “We were up late and busy packing.” She replies, ignoring
his implication.
“Packing? What for, Princess?” Lance asks.
“Well, we need to head back to Altea.” Fala replies. “The wedding is not
far away, and I’m sure that Raible is not happy that we aren’t already
there.”
“Have we been gone that long?” Hothead asks.
Keith laughs. “That’s exactly what I said when she told me last night.”
“I figure we’d leave after lunch, so that everyone has time to pack” Fala
adds.
The others nod. “All right, it won’t take long to pack, Princess. We’ll be
ready.” Lance says. Shorty and Hothead nod in agreement.
Fala nods, “Thank you. I apologize for the short notice.” She says as she
heads towards the kitchen, leaving Keith and the others in the common room
talking.
“Good morning, Your Highness.” Elaine says cheerfully. “Can I fix you a
bite to eat, you slept through breakfast.”
Fala smiles, “Good morning. I was coming to see if you had some fruit or
something. I was up far too late and over slept.”
Elaine nods, pulling a bowl of fruit from the fridge. “Here you go,” she
says, placing it on the table and indicating for Fala to sit down.
“Thank you.” She sits down and eats a few bites as Elaine busies herself in
the kitchen. “Ms. Elaine, have you seen Saber this morning?”
Elaine looks up, almost concerned. “No, Your Highness, I haven’t seen him. I
knew he was up really late talking to you, so I wasn’t too worried, but I can
go and check on him if you’d like.”
Fala shakes her head. “No, it’s all right. He seemed okay when I went to
bed; I was just surprised that he wasn’t already up. He tends to be an early
riser.”
Elaine nods as Thomas enters the kitchen. “Good morning, Your Highness. How
are you this morning?”
Fala nods, “Good morning, Thomas. I'm doing well.”
“We were just discussing that no one has seen Saber this morning. Have you
seen him by chance, Thomas?” Elaine asks trying to hide her concern.
Thomas shakes his head. “I've not seen him personally, however, I don't
remember seeing his horse in the back when I was out there earlier, so perhaps
he's gone out riding. That seems to be a favorite past time of his lately.”
Elaine nods. “That would explain no one having seen him. I just hope he's all
right.”
“I think he is doing better than he was last time he came here. I feel more
confident of that after our discussions last night.” Fala says as she finishes
her fruit then heads back out to the sitting room, where Keith is sitting
talking with Colt, Robin, Fireball, and April. “I take it the others went to
pack?” She asks.
Keith looks up and nods, “Yeah, a bit begrudgingly, but they are packing.”
Colt laughs, “I don't think they want to leave. I can't say as I blame them.
It's nice here.”
Keith nods, “Yes, it is. This reminds me a lot of Altea. Everyone seems
friendly, and willing to help where needed.” 

They continue talking for a while when Saber comes into the room from the
kitchen. “There you are.” April says as he enters the room.
“I was unaware I was missing.” He says absently as he sits down in an empty
chair.
“Is everything all right?” Fala asks.
He nods, “I had some things to take care of. I figure that since you are
leaving, we will have to head back to Calvary Command, so I needed to get the
estate in order. I don't think I will be here much until this is all over, and
maybe not much after that, other than vacations and such.”
“Ah. I figured you'd say that, Saber.” April says.
“Say what, April?” He asks.
“That you don't plan to live here full time after everything is over.” She
replies.
“I'm just not sure I'd like staying in one place for any length of time. I
know that could change, but as things are right now, I don't see a change for me
for a long while.” Saber says quietly. April nods, understanding.
Fala sighs, looking towards the clock. “I wish all of you could come with
us.”
April smiles, “If times were different, we could.”
“But not with all of the uncertainty going on right now.” Saber adds.
Keith nods. “I know what you mean. It feels like we need to be ready for
anything, but we can't just put our normal lives on continual hold. If we did,
then Merla would win anyways.”
Saber nods. “Precisely. Unfortunately, with you leaving, we will need to head
back soon, so as not to leave them unguarded for too long.”
“What? It seems like we just got here, Saber.” Colt complains.
Saber looks to him and Robin apologetically, “I know you want to be here with
Robin, Colt, but if Merla finds out that GoLion is not around, that could
significantly increase the chances of another attack on Calvary Command. And
with Orb still trying to make repairs to their ships, they are also vulnerable.
That leave us in a position to be a sort of guard for both places, and the
longer we stay here, the more we risk Merla trying to attack here, to draw us
out. I don't think you'd be willing to risk everyone here, would you?”
Colt looks to Saber and his expression hardens, “No. I don't want anyone here
at a higher risk.” He replies, placing his arms protectively around Robin.
Saber nods, “Then you understand why we need to leave.” 
Colt nods. “Yes, I do. When do we need to leave?”
“I figure we should leave tomorrow, that way, you have time to say your
good-byes.” Saber replies, then adds, “That should give me enough time to
finish the last bit of business I need to see about.” The GoLion crew comes
down the stairs carrying their luggage, and placing it on the floor at the
bottom of the landing.
“All right Princess, we're packed and ready to leave when you are.” Lance
says.
“You are at least waiting until after lunch, aren't you?” Saber asks.
Fala nods. “That's what I told them we would do.” 
“It shouldn't be too much longer before lunch, and I'll drive you to your
ships after we finish, if you'd like.” He replies.
“You don't mind?” Fala asks.
Saber shakes his head, “Not at all. I can do that, and a few things I need to
see about while I'm there, before we leave tomorrow.” Fala nods and Saber
stands up. “I'm going to talk to Thomas and Elaine, I'll let everyone know
when it's time to eat.” he says as he heads towards the kitchen.

He enters the kitchen to find Elaine busy fixing lunch. He looks for Thomas, but
doesn't see him. “Is Thomas around, Elaine?”
Elaine looks up and smiles, “He's in the study of our quarters, Saber.” She
replies looking him over carefully.
Saber nods, “Thank you, Elaine. I'm going to get him, so the three of us can
talk briefly.” He goes and knocks on the door to their quarters before
entering, the door closing after him. He goes into the study area just inside
the door, “Thomas?” he says, seeing Thomas looking over some papers. 
Thomas looks up and sees Saber. He places the papers down on the table beside
his chair and stands up. “Ah, you're back. Is everything all right, Sir?”
Saber nods, “Yes, it is. The GoLion team is leaving after lunch, and the rest
of us, minus Robin and Josh, will be leaving tomorrow. This may be the only time
you and Elaine can speak with me before we leave. I know Elaine said you had a
few more questions, and I have a couple of things to tell you as well.” 
Thomas nods and stands up, coming over to Saber. “Shall I get someone to
finish lunch up so we can talk?”
“Do you have someone else capable enough to handle it?” Saber asks a bit
surprised.
Thomas smiles and nods, “Of course Sir. We can't afford to starve if Elaine is
sick.”
Saber chuckles and shakes his head, “I see your point. It would be better to
be able to speak here, as opposed to the kitchen.”
“You sit down, Sir. I'll go and see about getting someone to finish up so
Elaine can join us.” Thomas says as Saber goes and sits in a chair. 
A few minutes later, Thomas and Elaine enter the room and sit down. “So, what
is it you wanted to discuss, Sir?” Thomas asks.
Saber looks between them a moment before replying, “Well, I want you to know
that I have set it up for you both to have the same authority you had before to
handle the money and daily operations of this estate. You have access to about
half the assets, in addition to your salaries. You have the power to hire as you
see fit. I won't be here much to manage things, so I am entrusting everything to
you. This should be a similar arrangement to what you had with my parents.”
Thomas and Elaine look up to him in surprise. “Half of the assets, Sir?” 
Saber nods. “Is that not sufficient?” He asks, not sure.
“It's more than sufficient. Your parents had us run this place on a third of
the assets, and we rarely needed that much.” Thomas replies.
“Well, you have a few more wards than you did before.” Saber says.
“Wards, Sir?” Thomas asks.
“Robin and Josh.” He replies. “Wards would be the correct term, wouldn't
it?”
Elaine nods slightly, “I suppose so. Although it typically is used for
minors.”
Saber nods, “Well, we are going to have to return for a while to Calvary
Command. I feel that we have been pressing our luck staying here as long as we
have, and I don't want to run the risk of drawing the battle here and risking
even more people. The GoLion team must return to Altea for a little while, so we
wouldn't have the back up that we have now.”
“Is everything okay on Altea?” Elaine asks.
“Yes,” he smiles, “Princess Fala and Keith are to be married soon. They
should have already returned to Altea. They lost track of time, with all that
has been happening.”
Elaine smiles, “Well, at least it is for a happy reason that they return
home.” Saber nods and Elaine watches him for a moment, “There were a couple
of things I wanted to bring up with you, Saber.”
“I know, Elaine. It's one reason I wanted to be sure we had this chance to
talk. So, speak freely, no one else is here but us.” Saber replies.
Elaine looks to Thomas who takes a deep breath before speaking, “Well, we were
wondering when you would take your place in the 'Master's quarters' as you are
the head of the house now. It seems a bit awkward not having someone in the
master suite.”
Saber sighs, “I figured that was going to come up at some point. I'm sure
you'd rather it be sooner, rather than later, and perhaps you're right, but I'm
not sure I can make myself do it.” he says the last part barely above a
whisper.
Elaine looks to him sympathetically, “I know that it is hard on you,
especially since they were taken so... abruptly, but you are a grown man now,
and you should be in the master's quarters since you have been given the title
as head of the estate.”
Saber nods, “I know you are speaking the truth.” He sighs and closes his
eyes for a moment before looking up to meet Elaine's gaze, “I know this is a
lot to ask, but could you possibly take care of it while I'm away this time?”
he pauses before continuing, “I suppose you can find someone to take most of
mother and father's clothes, I don't see myself ever wearing anything of
father's, so perhaps you can donate it. You might ask Robin or Josh if there is
any of it they would like, seeing that they left so much of their stuff behind.
I'm not sure Robin can wear anything of mother's right now though,” he adds
with a chuckle.
Thomas and Elaine nod, “I'll personally see to it, Saber. I want this
transition to be as easy as it can be on you. Perhaps us doing it with your
blessing, while you're away will make it easier.” Elaine says.
Saber nods slightly, “Thank you for understanding. Is there anything else you
wish to discuss before I leave tomorrow?”
“I think you have covered everything we had wanted to talk about, Sir.”
Thomas replies. “I do feel that you should know that we won't be using all of
the allotment you have allowed us to have access to in the running of the
household. I don't know why you thought we needed so much.”
“You want my honest answer?” Saber asks a bit amused. Thomas nods.
A knock is heard at the door and a young woman enters, “Lunch is ready.” She
says.
“Thank you. We will be out shortly. Please tell everyone else to go ahead and
begin eating.” Saber replies. The woman nods and leaves, closing the door
behind her. He turns his attention back to Thomas and Elaine, “I've never had
to worry about money, or overseeing anyone other than soldiers. I have no clue
what it takes to run a household. I went through the paperwork and such, I knew
how much mother and father had allowed, but things aren't exactly the same as
they were then, there have been more guests for an extended period than there
usually was when they were here. For just those type of reasons, is why I
decided to increase the household allowance. If it's used, that's fine, if you
don't need it, then it's there for another time if it's needed. I trust you and
Elaine. I don't feel you will do anything unnecessary.”
Thomas nods, “Very well then, Sir. We will do as you have requested.” 
Saber stands, followed by Thomas and Elaine. “Let's go and eat something.”
Saber says as he heads for the door.
“You go on and join your friends. We'll eat later.” Elaine says, following
him to the door.
Saber looks back like he's going to say something, but doesn't. He nods, and
heads out to the others in the dining room. He enters as everyone else is in the
middle of various conversations.
“Hey, you made it to lunch, I see.” Lance says as Saber sits down beside
him. “I thought you were skipping out on us.
“And miss the chance to harass you?” Saber retorts.
“Ha ha.” Lance replies laughing. “Is everything okay?”
Saber nods. “I just had some things to take care of,” he says as he begins
eating. 
They converse for a while until everyone is done and they say their good-byes.
The GoLion team loads up into the van, Fala riding in the front with Saber, the
others taking various seats. They head for the hangar where the lions are
parked. “I wish all of you could be there for the wedding.” Fala says
aloud.
“It would have been nice to see, Your Highness, but given the situation, it's
just not possible. I do hope everything goes well, and I wish you both all the
best.” Saber replies.
Fala smiles, “Thank you.” They hear snippets of conversation behind them,
but neither one says much for a bit. “Did you have that talk with Thomas and
Elaine that you were dreading?” Fala asks quietly.
“Yes, I did.” He replies. 
“And?” Fala asks.
“I told them we are leaving tomorrow to go back to Calvary Command, so they
said that while I'm gone this time, they would take care of moving my things
into the master's quarters, as well as seeing that my parent’s things are
dispersed accordingly. I thought that was a fair compromise.”
Fala nods, “So they seemed to understand your reluctance?”
“I think so. They were a bit hesitant to mention it, but as they said, I'm a
grown man, and need to do the right thing.” He replies.
Fala chuckles lightly, “Is that the words they used?”
“Not exactly, but the tone was there. Elaine may as well have said that.”
Saber says.
Fala laughs, “What would you have said if she had actually used those
words?”
“I probably would have acted the same way as I did. Elaine has always been
like a grandmother to me, so I respect her as such. I never knew my real
grandparents.”
“It's seems a lot like how I feel about Raible, he's like a Father to me.
Although if I had to, I can now overrule any complaint he has about my actions,
but I do trust his advice. I know he tries to act in the best interest of
Altea.” Fala says as they pull into the parking lot.
Saber nods as he parks the van and everyone gets out.
They all gather close to where the lions are parked. “Thank you for
everything, Your Highness, Keith, Lance, Shorty, and Hothead.” Saber says,
acknowledging each one in turn. “I know for a fact we would not be here if not
for all of you. I am glad we have had a chance to get to know one another.”
Fala nods to him, “We are thankful for your friendship as well, Saber. I am
sorry for the circumstances that led to our meeting, but I am glad for the
friendships that have resulted. We owe our lives to you as well. We are all
bound by that knowledge. We will see you soon.”
Saber nods bowing slightly, “I wish you both a happy marriage.” 
“Thank you.” they reply and then they all go to their lions.
“Hey Lance,” Saber says as Lance is getting into his lion.
“Yeah?” he replies, turning to face him.
“Stay out of trouble.” Saber says with a smirk.
“You too.” Lance replies.
“Always.” Saber says as Lance gets into his lion.
The team take off and head for Altea. Saber goes to the office close by and then
heads back to his estate to prepare for the following day.



                          Kapitel 19: A Royal Wedding
                          ---------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 19:  A Royal Wedding	

“All right team, we're almost home.” Keith says as they enter Altean
airspace.
“It looks like there's quite a crowd waiting for us down there.” Fala says.
“It'll be nice to be home again.” Hothead says as they go in for a landing,
just behind the castle.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Shorty chimes in. 
They all head towards Raible, who greets them before turning to Fala and Keith.
“You should have been back weeks ago,” he admonishes, looking between them.
They both look back a bit guilty, but neither one replies. “This wedding is a
huge ordeal. Your Highness, your dress is ready for you to try on. Since we are
short on time, I decided that you will try your mother's dress, and we will hope
it fits well enough that only minor alterations will be needed. Both of you come
with me. We have a lot to discuss, and not much time. I also want a briefing of
what you have been up to while you were away.” Keith and Fala nod and follow
Raible towards a meeting room.
“Hiroshi!” A young woman with big brown eyes and shoulder length
reddish-brown hair calls out; running up to Shorty and wrapping her arms around
him, kissing him briefly. 
Shorty smiles and places his arms around her. “Tammy, I'm glad to see you
too.” She smiles up at him.
Everyone stops and turns to look at the couple. 
“Um, when did Shorty get a girlfriend?” Lance quips, a bit shocked.
“I dunno.” Hothead replies, “But I think I've seen her around him a few
times.”
“No one calls him by his real name.” Lance grumbles, looking away from the
couple.
Hothead laughs. “Are you jealous, Lance?”
“What?! Me, jealous? Hell no! Why would I be jealous of that pipsqueak?”
Lance says a bit harshly.
“Because he got a girl before you?” Hothead offers, getting a death glare
from Lance. He looks away, laughing when he spots a young brown haired woman
wearing an apron, carrying a parcel, looking anxiously through the crowd and
smiles. He turns to Lance, “See you later. I have someone I need to go see.”
He turns and heads towards the woman, “Sara!” He says, waving.
The woman turns towards his voice and smiles, “Seidō!” She says, coming
over to him. “I heard you were coming back today, so I made you something.”
She says quietly, as she hands him the parcel. 
He takes it and smiles down at her and kisses her cheek. “It looks delicious.
Do you have time to come and sit with me for a little?”
She nods slightly, “I can for a few minutes. I've been really busy. I'm in
charge of preparing the wedding feast, and making sure the wedding cake is
completed in time for the wedding.” He nods as he leads her over to the
courtyard and to a bench where he opens the parcel she handed him. “Thank you
for the food, Sara,” Hothead says quietly.
“You're welcome. I had to do something to show you that I missed you.” She
replies sweetly.
Hothead smiles, “I've missed you too. How have things been here?” he asks in
between bites.
“Unusually quiet,” she replies. “Perhaps I've noticed it more since you
haven't been here.” She adds quietly, blushing slightly.
He smiles at her, “I'm glad that you've missed me. Hopefully, we won't have to
leave for so long again.”
“I hope not. Maybe things will be calmer now.” She replies and sighs. “I
should be getting back. I have a lot to do before the welcome home feast
tonight.” 
Hothead nods, “I'll see you later then?” She nods, and he smiles and kisses
her cheek, causing her to blush. “All right, take care. I'll see you this
evening.”
“Okay,” she says brightly, then stands up and smoothes out her apron before
walking quickly back towards the castle.
Hothead watches her leave and sighs happily as he finishes the plate of food.
“So when did you hook up with her?” Lance says as he approaches Hothead from
across the courtyard.
“We've been friends for a while.” Hothead says smiling.
“Friends huh? Looks like a bit more than that to me,” Lance says a little
sarcastically.
A blush creeps to Hothead's face, “Yeah, friends. Maybe one day, we can be
more. But not while we're still fighting.”
“You sure looked like more than friends to me, especially when you kissed
her.” Lance says mockingly.
Hothead rolls his eyes. “You are jealous!” He laughs, getting another glare
from Lance.
“I am not!” He replies a little too quickly, getting an 'I don't believe
you' look from Hothead. “I just don't see how you and Shorty could get girls
before me.” He grumbles as he walks off towards the castle.

Raible is sitting in a small meeting room with Fala and Keith, “So, at least
here we have had no sign of enemy activity.” Raible finishes. 
“I wish we could say the same.” Fala says. “We have seen a lot of things
while we were away, some good, and a lot of not so good things. The one
responsible for this chaos is named Merla. Evidently she is Daibazaal's
daughter. She says she is seeking vengeance for his death at the hands of
humans, and plans to wipe out the human race, according to her.”
“She has killed several people, and attacked the Calvary Command base,
basically laying waste to it. We helped with the rebuilding of the base, and we
spent some time visiting Captain Rider's Estate, sort of a vacation away from
everything.” 
Raible nods, “I take it that is where you were when you realized how soon your
wedding was approaching?”
Keith and Fala nod. “Yes, it was,” Fala replies quietly. “We had all been
fighting and working so much, that we just lost track of time, to be quite
honest. If the situation were different, I would have asked the Star Sheriffs
and the dignitaries of Orb to attend the wedding. But realistically, I know they
can't leave their areas unguarded, as long as Merla is still lurking about.”
“Well, we have agreed on your dress, your Highness, now we need to decide what
you will wear, Keith.” Raible says, looking over him as he speaks.
“I figured that I'd wear a dress uniform, isn't that proper protocol?” Keith
asks, looking between Raible and Fala to see their reaction.
Raible nods, “If we could get an Alliance uniform, I would say that would be
most appropriate. I can look into that if you are both fine with that.”
“Why not allow him to wear an Altean uniform, Raible? He has already sworn to
protect this world with his life, and very nearly has lost his life on more than
one occasion. He is an honorary citizen, so I feel that he should have the same
rights as a native-born Altean does.”
“But your Highness, he is not formally in our military,” Raible states.
“How is that so? He and the other members of the team are higher-ranking than
any of the other soldiers we have that have been formally trained. They all have
risked their lives on numerous occasions. If it were not for them, we would all
be dead or enslaved by now.” 
Raible nods, “You have valid points, Your Highness. I am just trying to follow
proper procedure that is all. I mean no disrespect to either of you.”
“If needed, I will give all of them suitable military titles before the
wedding. It is probably long overdue anyways.” She turns to Keith who has been
sitting quietly listening to the exchange. “Do you have a preference,
Keith?”
Keith shakes his head, “I don't care what I wear, as long as we get married,
Fala. If Raible feels a regular alliance dress uniform is appropriate, then I'll
see if I can acquire one. Or if you feel it is appropriate for me to wear an
Altean uniform, I will wear that. I just do not want to dishonor your
traditions.”

Lance is out walking near the outskirts of the castle, not paying much attention
to anyone. A young woman is sitting along the shore of the lake; she looks his
direction and stands up in greeting. “Lance!”
He turns in the direction of the voice, his hands still in his pockets and takes
in a breath, “Noriko” he says quietly. He heads to where she is waiting.
“I heard you had arrived today.” She says quietly as he approaches. She sits
back down, and a small black cat hops into her lap, nuzzling her hand as she
pets it.
Lance comes and sits beside her and notices the cat. “I don't remember the cat
from before.”
“She's new. I named her Akuma. She showed up a couple of months ago. I suppose
you can say she adopted me.” Noriko replies.
He studies Akuma, “Does she have two tails?” He asks a bit surprised.
Noriko nods, “Yes, evidently a birth defect, she seems okay otherwise. She was
a bit malnourished when she first showed up, but she is healthy now.”
Akuma climbs up into Lance's lap, nuzzling his arm. He reaches out and scratches
her head. “She seems friendly.”
“She is. I don't think she'd hurt anyone or anything.” Noriko replies
proudly.
“Well, if you ever come to the castle, you'd have to keep her confined. There
are resident mice there that have run of the place.” Lance says, chuckling at
the surprised look. “They are considered heroes.”
Noriko laughs. “Heroes? Seriously? How does that work?” She asks amused.
“Well, let's just say that they are not ordinary mice and leave it at that. If
I tried to give you a detailed explanation you would probably try and have me
committed for being insane.” he adds dryly. 
She laughs and sighs, looking out at the lake, “You've been gone a long time.
I thought maybe you found a reason to not come back...or were injured or
killed.” she adds quietly.
Lance looks at her for a moment, “You actually noticed how long we were
gone?”
Noriko nods, a blush creeping to her cheeks. “Yes, I noticed. You’re the
only person who ever takes time to just talk with me. Most people tend to stay
away from me after that, incident.”
“That wasn't you're fault, Noriko. You just were in the wrong place at the
wrong time. I'm glad that I was able to help you get out of that situation.” A
long silence ensues, “Are you still working in the village?” She nods.
“Good. No one gives you any trouble at the school?”
“No. I suppose no one else wants the job, so they are happy to let me have it,
as long as it keeps me from having to ask for support from the other citizens.
It also gives me a place to live.” Noriko replies.
Lance nods, “I'm glad you are doing well. You look like you are doing better
than when I last saw you.” She smiles at him and he smiles back before looking
back towards the castle and sighs, “I guess I should head back in to the
monotony of the castle.”
“Will I see you again?” Noriko asks hopeful.
Lance smiles, “Maybe tomorrow. I'll try and walk this way after dinner.
Perhaps I'll see you then?”
Noriko smiles, “I'd like that.”
Lance stands up, “Then I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Noriko.”
“Good night, Lance,” she replies.
Lance turns and walks back to the castle, looking back once at the figure
sitting peacefully by the lake, he then heads inside the castle, towards the
common room. The door opens and Lance sees Shorty and the girl from earlier,
Tammy, scoot apart quickly, a slight blush on their cheeks. “Back already,
Moody?” Shorty asks a bit quickly, as he straitens up a bit more.
Lance smirks, “A bit too soon for your liking eh, Shorty?” Shorty opens his
mouth to speak, but Lance holds his hand up. “Don't even try; you'd just dig
your own grave.” He turns to leave, “Oh, and a word of advice, I wouldn't
choose a public area if you want to be alone.” He winks at them and walks out,
chuckling to himself at the pair's obvious embarrassment. 

A week goes by and everyone is busy with preparations. Fala has designated that
the other members of the GoLion crew have uniforms made similar to the ones they
wear in battle, but made from a nicer material and with the Altean crest on
them, to designate them as 'dress' uniforms. So the guys are busy with fittings
and practicing the duties they will have at the actual ceremony. Hothead is
going through the kitchen when Sara stops him, “You look tired, would you care
to take a break with me?” She asks shyly.
He smiles at her. “Sure. Let's get something to eat and we can go sit in the
courtyard. I know you've been busy and could use a break.” He takes a basket
as she finishes packing it and they head out together into the courtyard. They
sit and are enjoying lunch when a small black cat with two tails comes up. 
“That's a strange looking cat.” Sara says as the cat comes up and rubs
against her. “It seems sweet.” She says petting it.
“I've never seen a cat with two tails before.” Hothead says. “I wonder
where it came from.” He says aloud looking around for any clues. Suddenly a
woman comes around the corner looking worried. “Have you seen a small black
ca-” She stops as she spots it. “There you are, Akuma.” She says scooping
up the cat. “I hope she didn't bother you.”
Sara shakes her head, “Not at all. She seems like a sweet little cat.”
Noriko smiles, “She is. She’s a bit small, but very friendly.”
“Why does she have two tails?” Hothead asks.
Noriko shrugs, “I’m not sure, that’s just how she was when she started
hanging around me. I figure it’s some sort of birth defect, the poor
thing.”
“It doesn’t seem to bother her, so I wouldn’t worry about it. At least it
makes her easy to tell apart from the other cats around here.” Sara says. 
Noriko nods, “You both work at the castle; I was wondering if you’ve seen
Lance around today.”
“You mean Moody?” Hothead replies getting an amused look from Noriko. “He
was out close to the lake a while ago, I don’t know if he’s still there,”
he finishes.
Noriko smiles, “Thank you for the information. I’ll go and see if he’s
still there.” She nods to both of them and hurries off, carrying Akuma in her
arms.
“Lance has a girlfriend.” Hothead says amused.
“What’s wrong with that?” Sara asks.
“Nothing, I just think it’s funny. He was grumbling the day we came back
because Shorty had a girl waiting for him and he didn’t.” he replies.
Sara laughs. “He doesn’t seem that…”
“Jealous?” Hothead offers.
“Not exactly the word I was looking for…petty is a bit closer to what I was
thinking.” Sara replies.
“Ah, well, trust me; we call him ‘Moody’ for good reason,” Hothead
replies.
Sara shakes her head, laughing, “And just what is it that the others call
you?”
“Hothead,” He replies, grinning widely.
“You know what? I don't want to know.” She smiles and looks off towards the
castle.

Lance is leaving the lake area, looking a bit disappointed when he hears someone
call his name. He turns toward the voice, perking up a little as he sees Noriko
running towards him, carrying Akuma in her arms.
“Hi, Lance.” she says as she reaches him, trying to catch her breath.
He smiles at her as she sets down the cat, “Hello Noriko. It’s good to see
you again. I was hoping I'd run into you today.”
“You were?” she asks, looking at him a bit embarrassed. 
“Yes, I was. I wanted to ask you if you'd like to be my date to the
wedding.” he says trying to hide his nervousness.
A blush creeps onto Noriko's cheeks and she looks down. “I'd be honored,”
she replies barely above a whisper.
He takes his index finger and lifts her chin so she's looking at him, “I'm
glad you agreed. If you need me to help get you anything, let me know.”
She nods, “I will, thank you,” she replies quietly.
“How about you come to dinner with me this evening?” Lance asks. “I could
meet you here and bring you in to meet everyone.”
“Um, sure. But how should I dress? I don't have many fancy things.” she
mutters a bit embarrassed.
“What you have on is fine, Noriko. This isn't a formal dinner or anything.
It's just the crew and a few guests,” Lance replies. “I figure if you come
to something less formal, maybe you won't be as nervous at the wedding.”
Noriko nods, “That makes sense. Would it be all right if I brought Akuma with
me? She's a good cat, and I'll keep her confined. I don't like leaving her at
the schoolhouse all alone.”
Lance nods, “I don't see a problem with it, as long as she's confined.”
“Thank you, Lance.” she says and smiles at him. 
“No problem,” he looks back towards the castle. “I'd better get back. I'll
meet you here around 16:00?”
“16:00?” she asks confused.
He chuckles, “Sorry, old habit. It's the same as 4 PM. We tend to use military
time.” he replies.
“Oh, okay. I'll be here,” she replies.
“Good. I'll see you then,” he leans down and kisses her cheek, causing her
to blush, he smiles at her and heads back towards the castle.

That afternoon, Lance meets up with Noriko and they enter the castle together.
She looks around wide-eyed, “This is amazing!” She says as they walk through
several corridors.
He leads her to a door where you can hear several voices coming from inside,
“This is where we're gathering until dinner. Are you ready to meet a lot of
people?”
She swallows nervously and nods slightly, “I think so.” She says as her
hands nervously stroke Akuma in her arms.
He places a hand gently on her shoulder, “You'll be fine. They are all very
nice, I promise.”
“Will the um, Princess be there?” she asks a little more nervously.
Lance nods, “Of course. But she's very nice. If you forget someone's name,
don't worry, no one is going to tease you. I think you will like this group,”
he says reassuringly. 
She takes a deep breath and nods, “Let's go then.” 
He nods and opens the door and they enter. Several people stop talking and look
up to see Lance and Noriko enter, her cat held in her arms. She smiles nervously
at the group. “Hi guys,” Lance says. 
“Hey Moody,” Shorty says as they enter the room, the door closing behind
them. “Who's your friend?”
“This is Noriko. She works at the school in the village outside the castle.”
Lance replies.
“Hello,” several of the group reply at once. She nods in acknowledgment.
Lance leads her over to Keith and Fala. “Noriko, this is her Highness,
Princess Fala, and her soon to be husband, Keith.”
Noriko curtseys to Fala, “It is an honor, Your Highness.” she says sounding
astonished. 
Fala smiles to her, “It is nice to meet you, Noriko.” she looks at the cat,
“That is an interesting cat you have there. Does it have two tails?” she
asks curiously.
Noriko nods, “Yes, Your Highness. She has two tails. She is very friendly; I
hope my bringing her isn't a problem. I have a leash for her, so I can set her
down while we eat. Otherwise, I'll keep her in my arms. I have heard about your
mice, and I don't want to cause any trouble.”
“I told her it would be all right to bring her cat in, Princess. With the
stipulation that she be confined, so if there is a problem, let me know. She did
ask before bringing her,” Lance says, looking between Noriko and Fala.
Fala nods, “That is an amenable solution. Thank you for thinking of the safety
of our mice. That is very kind of you.”
Introductions are made around the room and they all talk for a while until the
food is served. After dining, they all return to the sitting room and talk for a
while longer. Noriko starts feeling tired, so she whispers to Lance who nods,
and they excuse themselves from the group and he walks her home.
“Thank you for inviting me, Lance. I had a lovely evening,” Noriko says.
Lance smiles, “I'm glad you came. I hope they didn't overwhelm you.”
She shakes her head, “They all seemed very nice. Everyone was nice to me, even
the Princess.”
“I told you they were. Even if we bicker amongst ourselves at times, we are a
very accepting group of people,” he replies. They arrive at the entrance to
the schoolhouse and she stops turning to face him. 
“I really did have a good time. I hope we can see each other again soon,”
she says.
He leans down and kisses her briefly and nods, “I'll see you tomorrow. I'm not
sure when, but if you aren't by the lake; I'll come and find you. Good night,
Noriko.”
She smiles and nods, “Good night, Lance.” She turns and goes into the
schoolhouse, the door closing behind her. 

Lance walks back to the castle, and is passing the sitting room when Hothead
comes out, grinning at him. “What?” Lance asks.
“She's cute, Lance.” he replies.
Lance shrugs, “I know. What's your point?”
“I just think it's funny,” Hothead replies.
“What's funny?” Lance asks, getting annoyed as he walks down the hallway
trying to be left alone.
“That not so long ago, you were complaining because you didn't have a
girlfriend. Now suddenly you do,” Hothead states as if it were obvious. “She
seems like a sweet girl, try and not screw it up.” he adds a bit tactlessly.
Lance glares at him, “I happen to really like her. I don't plan on screwing it
up, as you so eloquently put it,” he replies annoyed.
They stop outside of Lance's door, “How did you two meet anyways?” Hothead
asks curiously.
Lance sighs, “She was involved with some bad people a while back, and I
happened to be out walking and heard her scream for help. I went to where I
heard some commotion and saw three men trying to hurt her,” he replies. “I
don't just mean beat her either, if you get my meaning,” he adds a bit coldly
before continuing normally, “Anyways, I fought them off and she escaped with
some bruises and cuts, but otherwise she was fine. A lady I knew in town was
looking for help at the schoolhouse, so I got her hired on there. She seems to
be turning her life around. She's really nice, so I thought I'd ask her to be my
date to the wedding. I brought her to dinner tonight, so she wouldn't feel as
overwhelmed at the wedding.”
Hothead nods, “It sounds like you probably saved her life, Lance.” He says
seriously. “She seems shy, so it was probably a good idea to let her meet the
rest of us before the wedding.”
“I figured maybe meeting you in a more informal setting, you might not scare
her off,” Lance says with a hint of sarcasm.
“Yeah, we tried to behave. I could tell she was nervous.” Lance nods and
Hothead continues, “What’s the deal with the cat? I thought it was a little
odd that she brought it with her.”
Lance shrugs, “She said she doesn’t like to leave it alone in the
schoolhouse. It was abandoned, so maybe she is afraid it would feel abandoned
again if she left it alone for a while.” Hothead nods. “It was well behaved,
so I suppose it’s not a big deal. The Princess didn’t seem to mind.”
“I don’t think she did. The cat seemed to like her too. I just can’t get
over the two tails. I still think that’s strange,” Hothead adds. 
“Well, I figure it’s fitting,” Lance says quietly.
Hothead looks to him curious, “How so?”
“Well, in a way, they are both sort of outcasts. She is because of her past
and the cat because she has two tails. Maybe they are made for each other,”
Lance replies.
Hothead laughs, “What’s scary is that it makes sense.”

The wedding proceeds as planned, everyone meeting afterwards at the reception.
Shorty and Tammy are sitting towards the edge of the crowd, watching several
people dancing. “Don’t you want to dance, Tammy?” Shorty asks her.
She shakes her head, looking down, “I can’t dance,” she mumbles.
He smiles and places an arm around her, “Neither can I. So why let it bother
us? It looks like a lot of them are just faking it, so I doubt anyone would
notice us.”
She looks up at him and smiles weakly, “I’ll go out if you want me to, if
it’s a slow song. I’d probably hurt myself during a faster song.”
He laughs, “You and me both!” They sit quietly watching other people dance
until a slower song is being played and they make their way out to the dance
floor. They start mimicking other people’s example and swaying with the
music.
“This is nice, Hiroshi,” Tammy says her head on his shoulder.
He holds her closer and nods, “I think so too.” They continue for a while,
watching other people as they come and go on the dance floor.
Lance and Noriko dance close to the couple and Shorty smiles at Lance, who
doesn’t seem to notice him. “Glad to see you’re having a good time,
Moody,” he says causing both Lance and Noriko to look in his direction.
“I could say the same about you, Shorty,” Lance replies. “I figured
you’d be off to someplace secluded by now,” he adds with a smirk.
“Lance, that’s not polite,” Noriko scolds him while trying not to smile at
the other’s obvious embarrassment.
“What? He knows I’m only teasing him,” he replies trying to sound
innocent.
She shakes her head and laughs, “Don’t try and sound innocent. You act just
like some of the siblings I have at the school.”
Lance fakes a hurt look, getting a laugh from Noriko, “I’m not buying it,”
she says shaking her head.
He grins and kisses her cheek, “Okay, I’ll try and behave.”
She smiles, “That’s all I ask.”
“Are you having a good time?” he asks her quietly, watching her face for a
reaction.
She nods and smiles, “Yes, thank you. Oh, and thank you for allowing me to
leave Akuma in your room. I know she would have been a handful with all of these
people, even on a leash.”
“I thought that would be a suitable compromise. I know you don’t like
leaving her alone in the schoolhouse,” he replies.
The festivities continue and Hothead and Sara are out in the courtyard. They are
sitting on a blanket, a large spread of food laid out before them. 
“I can’t believe you went to all of this trouble, Seidō,” Sara says
smiling. “How did you get this much food and I not notice you with it?”
He looks to her and smiles, “I had a little help from some of your staff,”
he says quietly. 
“Oh?” she replies.
He nods, “I told them that I knew you don’t care for crowds, so they
arranged to have a basket in a specific location while I occupied you on the
dance floor. Then all I had to do was pick it up on our way out here.” 
She looks at him and smiles, then sits up and kisses his cheek. “That’s very
sweet of you. Thank you,” she says as she sits back down beside him.
They sit quietly and talk for a while, eating some of the food they had laid
out.

Keith and Fala are finally walking back to their quarters, both barely able to
move after all of the dancing, and moving about talking with the guests. The sun
is nearly up when they get to their room, he lets her enter first, then follows
behind her, both of them flopping down onto the bed in total exhaustion. Keith
starts laughing and Fala turns her head and faces him, looking amused. “What
is so funny?”
Slowly he manages to turn so that he’s facing her and manages to stop
laughing, “Well, you know what everyone is going to assume, right?” Fala
nods and he continues, “I don’t think either of us could as tired as we
are.” 
She looks at him for a moment and laughs, “You know what, you’re right.
I’m not even sure I can get back up off this bed to change into a nightgown
and get out of this dress,” she says sounding completely wiped out.
Keith looks at her sympathetically, “Would you like me to help you change,
Fala?” he asks quietly. “I know you have to be tired.” 
She nods slightly and he slowly gets up and then offers his hand to her. He
helps her change, and then changes himself before getting into bed beside her;
she turns and snuggles against him, quickly falling asleep. “Goodnight,
Fala,” he says before allowing himself to drift to sleep.

A few months pass, with the crew acting as they normally would; going on
patrols, practicing with the upgraded lions, and dealing with the political
aspects of court life. Most of the crew is gathered in the common room talking
one afternoon when Shorty comes in, Tammy close behind him her hand intertwined
with his. Everyone looks up as they enter, the conversations ceasing. “Oh good
you’re all here,” Shorty says looking around the room. “I wanted everyone
to be here when we told you,” Shorty begins quietly, a blush creeping onto his
cheeks. “Tammy and I are officially engaged,” he says, a big smile on his
face.
Fala stands up and comes over to them, hugging them both. “I’m very happy
for you. Congratulations to you both.”
“Thank you.” The couple stammers.
“Can we see the ring?” Fala asks happily. 
Tammy nods and timidly holds out her left hand, displaying the white gold ring,
with a large diamond, in the middle of a circle of emeralds. Lance, Hothead and
Keith all come over to see the ring.
Lance lets out a whistle, “You must have sold your soul, Shorty.”
Shorty shakes his head, “I’ve been saving for several years.” He replies
proudly.
“For her or just in general?” Lance says sarcastically.
Shorty glares at him, “For Tammy. I’ve known for a couple of years that I
wanted to marry her.” 
A blush creeps onto Tammy’s cheeks and Fala gets in-between Lance and Shorty,
“Okay you two. I will make you sit in separate corners if I have to.” She
says as she glares at Lance.
“What? I was just asking.” Lance retorts.
Fala shakes her head and looks apologetically at Tammy, “You'd better get used
to their bantering, they act like this constantly. Don't be afraid to bang their
heads together, sometimes it does come to that.” she adds laughing as Tammy
looks at her a bit perplexed.
“I'll try and remember that, Your Highness,” Tammy replies quietly, hiding a
smile.
Fala nods, “They are like brothers, they fight with each other, just don't let
someone else pick on them, or they are the others most fierce allies. It can be
amusing at times.”
“So, when are you thinking of getting married?” Fala asks.
“Well, my mother wants us to wait until after next summer, so that I'm a true
adult,” Tammy replies.
“Oh, I see,” Fala replies. “You know, that'd be close to when our
coronation is, wouldn't it Keith?”
Keith nods, “I believe so.” he replies.
“Coronation?” Hothead asks confused.
“I thought you were already Queen,” Lance adds equally confused.
Fala shakes her head, “I have the title, since I am of age and married, but to
be proper, we cannot be officially crowned for one year after our marriage. It's
to help ensure that the heir didn't marry to just get the title. It's been that
way for as long as anyone can remember. It's supposed to help protect the royal
line from impropriety.”
“Ah. I suppose that makes sense,” Lance replies.
“So, that would put your wedding close to the same time as our coronation,
wouldn't it, Shorty?”
“Yes, it would, Your Highness. I don't want to impede on your day, so just let
me know when it would be an acceptable time, so that we may begin to work on the
arrangements,” he replies.
“Why not do it all on one day?” Lance suggests.
“Would that even be possible, Fala?” Keith asks curious.
Fala shrugs, “I personally wouldn't have a problem with it, I don't know how
Raible would feel about it. He's the one who's up on all the court protocols and
such. If you are truly interested in trying to get married on the same day as
the coronation, I will gladly ask Raible and see if we can work it out
somehow.”
Shorty looks to Tammy, who has been sitting quietly beside him, her hand tightly
gripping his, “What do you think of the idea? Please be honest. It is
something we don't have to rush to decide on.”
Tammy looks around the room, glancing at each of the rooms occupants before
letting her gaze rest again on Shorty, “Honestly, I think it's a good idea. I
don't personally want a large wedding. I'm not a person who likes large crowds,
so if we could maybe do a small ceremony a little bit after the coronation that
would be fine by me. That is of course if my mother is also amenable to the
idea.”
Shorty nods, “Good answer.” He turns to Fala, “Could you look into the
possibility of the plan with Raible and let us know what he says, then once we
know that, we can talk to your mother,” he says turning his attention back to
Tammy who nods in agreement.
“Then it's settled, I'll go and talk to Raible this afternoon and get back
with you,” Fala says as she stands up from the chair she had been sitting in.
“Now, if you will excuse us, we have a few things we need to take care of,
including talking to Raible.” Keith stands up as she does and takes her hand
and they leave the room.
Lance chuckles as the door closes.
“What?” Hothead asks.
“Nothing. I think I'm going to go out for a while. I'll be out by the lake if
anyone needs me,” Lance replies standing up and walking towards the door.
“Oh, and congrats you two,” he adds as he leaves.
Hothead gets up and stretches. “Yes, congratulations, I am happy for you. Now,
I'm going to go see about finding a snack,” he says walking towards the door.
“Yeah, a snack. You're going to go see Sara,” Shorty replies a big smile on
his face.
“Seeing her just makes the idea better. So what if that is my motive? It's not
like you have room to talk, Shorty,” he replies laughing.
“I think it's sweet and I'm happy for you. Maybe you'll get brave enough to
ask her before too long,” Shorty adds as Hothead blushes and heads out the
door without another word. 
Tammy laughs, “I can't believe you said that to him!”
“What?” he asks innocently.
“You embarrassed him,” she replies.
“Oh, he's tough. He'll be fine. Would you like to go out in the lion?” he
asks pointedly changing the conversation.
“Sure. Let's go,” she replies as they stand up and head for the door hand in
hand.



                          Kapitel 20: As Time Goes By
                          ---------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 20:  As Time Goes By

The crew of the Bismarck spends the next few months going between Saber's estate
and Calvary Command. As the months go by, Robin becomes less enthusiastic about
Colt leaving her side, so for the last few weeks; they have stayed at Saber's
Estate. Saber, wanting to get away from everything, decides to return to Calvary
Command to see if there have been any developments. He is in Commander Eagle's
office chatting with him when they receive a call. Commander Eagle accepts the
call and Athrun appears on the screen before them.
“Hello, Captain Zala. How are things progressing with the repairs to your
ships and the colony?” Saber asks.
Athrun nods, “Things are progressing well. Lacus has made some, shall we say
interesting changes to the Eternal, and our mobile suits are better than before.
As for the colony, things are fairing well. We have gotten most of the people
back into normal housing, not just shelters and life is almost back to normal.
We've not noticed any enemy activity since the attack on Merla's base. I was
wondering if you had any news.”
Saber shakes his head, “We’ve had no reports of any activity. I've also been
frequently going between here and my family's estate, and I've not seen anything
personally either. I noticed you said that there have been some interesting
changes made to the Eternal, what kind of changes, if I may be so bold to
ask.”
Athrun hides a smile, “Well, it can now transform into a robot, much like the
former version of the Bismarck was able to do. The weapons were also upgraded,
so it has a bit more firepower.”
“I'm glad that the upgrades are done. It will be interesting to see the
Eternal in it's new state. I wish that I had news for you, everything here is as
normal as it can be.”
“Are you all back at Calvary Command?” Athrun asks.
Saber shakes his head, “We are mostly staying at my estate. Colt's wife Robin
is due to have their child in the next few weeks, so moving her back here didn't
seem like a good idea. I have been going between here and there. Sort of
patrolling as I go in between the two, looking for any signs of unusual
activity.”
Athrun nods, “Probably a good thing that you are doing that. You might notice
something that could easily be missed otherwise”
“So, how are things with all of you?” Saber asks.
“We are doing well. Kira and Lacus have been busy with the upgrades and
Cagalli has been overseeing the rebuilding efforts. I have been monitoring for
any sign of Merla or anyone else and practicing in my suit, so I can adapt to
the upgrades,” Athrun replies. “I'm not sure how to take this extended break
from fighting. I don't wish to fight, but I can't help feeling that we haven't
seen the last of Merla.”
“I know what you mean. I have the same uneasiness about it. I don't like that
there has been no sign of her since we destroyed her base. It's one of the
reasons I keep patrolling between the two places. I want our presence to be
known,” Saber says. “I won't be fully able to relax until we've killed
her,” he adds coldly.
Athrun looks a bit startled by his tone but nods in agreement, “I fully
understand your sentiments, Captain. I feel the same way. She has killed far too
many people, and I know that more could die the longer she remains alive.”
“I agree. If I knew where she was, I'd suggest attacking her outright before
she has a chance at us, but since that's not possible, we just have to remain
vigilant and try and stop her when she shows herself,” Saber says. 
Athrun sighs and nods, “I'll keep you abreast of any changes from here. Please
let us know when the cowboy officially becomes a father. We'd like to come and
visit then, if things are still relatively calm.”
Saber nods, “I'll let you know of any developments, on either front,” he
adds with a slight smile. The connection terminates and Saber turns his
attention once again to Commander Eagle. “Well, what are your thoughts on the
current situation, Sir?”
Commander Eagle sits silently for a minute, “I think that you should enjoy the
break while you can. I feel that this isn’t over, and that when she shows
herself again, it will not be good. I just hope that we are prepared well enough
to defeat her once and for all.”
Saber nods, “So do I, Sir.” They both sit quietly for a while, each lost in
their own thoughts. Saber eventually breaks silence, “I think I’m going to
go out for awhile. Please contact me if there are any developments.” 
“I will, Saber,” the commander replies. 
Saber stands up and nods, then leaves the office and gets Steed before heading
out towards the farming village with which he has become well acquainted the
past couple of months. 
He rides at a steady pace, relaxing as he ventures further away. After a while,
he arrives at the outskirts of the village. Several people wave to him as he
passes; he nods in reply, continuing on until he reaches the school yard. A
group of children see him approach and call to him. He slows down as he reaches
them and dismounts. Almost immediately he is surrounded and having several
questions thrown to him at once. He holds up his hands, laughing, “All right,
All right, one question at a time, please. I can't make heads or tails of what
any of you are asking when you all speak at once.”
The children fall quiet and the oldest one steps forward, “We were wondering
if you were going to visit for a while today.”
Saber nods, “I was planning on it.” Several children start talking excitedly
at once again and he laughs, “As I said before, I can't understand you when
you are all talking at one time.” 
Again the children fall silent, just as Amanda comes rushing out of the
schoolhouse, “Oh, hello there, Captain Rider.”
Saber and the children all turn towards her, “Good afternoon, Miss Kelly.”
he replies.
She smiles as she reaches the group, “Are you just stopping for a brief
visit?” she asks.
“I was going to see if I could stay for a while. It's a lot less hectic here
than back at the base or my home for that matter,” Saber replies.
The children start talking excitedly again and Amanda shushes them. “Well,
today is their field day. You are welcome to stay and watch with me if you'd
like,” she says, the kids all looking up at him hopefully.
He sees the kids watching him and smiles, “I'll stay as long as I can.” 
The kids start yelling excitedly and Amanda pulls out a whistle and blows into
it, creating a loud shrill sound that quickly silences the kids. “Now, I want
two teams, and it needs to be a mix of boys, girls, big and small. If it isn't I
will pick the teams for you. Do you understand?” Several heads nod and the
children break off into teams. Amanda watches them and once satisfied, she
tosses the ball to them.”I'll be keeping score. The losing team has to do
cleaning duties all of next week.” Several children groan, but then they begin
their game. Amanda and Saber both sit and watch silently for a while. “So,
what made you decide to come all this way?” Amanda asks quietly, while marking
down a goal on her tablet she has on her lap.
Saber looks over to her briefly, then back out to the children, “It's a lot
more peaceful here, than at Calvary Command, or at my home right now. Besides, I
enjoy the company,” he adds quietly.
A slight blush creeps to Amanda's cheeks, but she pretends not to have heard the
last comment, “So what makes it so hectic at your home, Captain?”
He chuckles, “Please, call me Saber. And to answer your question, I live on
the English Federation Colonies and one of my team members is having a baby, so
things are not very peaceful. I come to Calvary Command to escape the chaos at
home, but at times, even that isn't enough, so I come out riding. I somehow tend
to keep returning here.” Amanda hides a smile as he continues, “I rather
enjoy my time out here, it's peaceful and you and the children are pleasant
company,” the last part spoken barely above a whisper.
“Well, I'm glad you came, and the children really enjoy you coming. It's like
a treat to them. You don't look down on them, like so many of the adults do
around here,” Amanda replies.
“They act like children, Miss Kelly. Why should anyone expect them to act like
adults, they will be grown soon enough,” Saber states quietly.
Amanda nods, “I feel the same way, Ca- Saber,” she replies quietly,
hesitating momentarily before saying his name. “Oh, and please, call me
Amanda. It seems only fair, that if you wish to be addressed by your name, that
you address me likewise.”
Saber smiles and nods, “I'll try and remember that.” He notices the other
team score. “Looks like they're back to even score again. This could play out
a while,” he says amused. “They seem to really take the game seriously.”
Amanda laughs, “They do. None of them enjoy doing chores, so this is their way
to get out of them.”
“Is that why you threatened to choose the teams if they didn't seem to be
fairly dispersed?” Saber asks.
“Yes, and I know that if left to their own devices, they would have very
uneven teams and it wouldn't be much of a game. They know if I pick the teams I
will purposely separate certain friends, so they would rather run themselves.”
They suddenly hear a scream from the field and both jump up, heading out towards
the children. One child is on the ground crying, several others are gathered
around her as the adults reach the group. “What happened?” Amanda asks,
kneeling beside the injured girl. 
“She got a ball to her face, Miss Kelly. She went to follow it and got caught
in a bad kick. It was an accident,” an older girl says, looking down nervously
at the crying child in Amanda's arms.
Amanda looks up to Saber, “Would you mind watching the kids, so I can take her
in and tend to her?”
Saber nods, “Not a problem.”
“Thank you,” Amanda replies, helping the girl stand and leading her into the
schoolhouse.
“All right everyone, go back to the game. I'll keep score while Miss Kelly is
inside,” Saber says and the kids slowly return to their game. He goes back to
where they were sitting and sits down, picking up the tablet and placing it on
his lap as he watches the game; occasionally marking down a goal. 
A little while later, Amanda and the injured girl come out, the child holding an
ice pack to her face. They both sit down one on either side of him. “Are you
feeling better?” Saber asks the girl, concern evident in his voice.
The girl looks up and nods, “Yes Sir, I will be okay. Thank you for asking.”
She lowers the ice pack and he can see some slight bruising. “Can I go back
out and play now, Miss Kelly?” she asks enthusiastically.
“If you promise to be more careful and you feel up to it, I suppose you
can,” Amanda replies, amused. The girl nods and rushes back off to the playing
field, quickly joining the game.
Saber watches her with amusement and laughs, “That didn't seem to keep her
down for long.”
“It usually doesn't. She'll be showing off her black eye for the next several
days,” Amanda says shaking her head and laughing. She starts looking around
where she's sitting when Saber holds up the writing tablet,
“Looking for this, Amanda?” he asks, amused.
Amanda looks and sees the tablet, looks down trying to hide her embarrassment.
“I was wondering what I did with it,” she says quietly, trying not to
laugh.
“I grabbed it when you took the girl in to tend to her, so they could continue
playing. As far as I know it's accurate,” Saber replies.
They sit quietly for a while, watching the game. “I suppose I should call half
time, so they can take a break and get a drink and a snack. I don't want them
getting too tired out.”
“Would you like some help?” Saber offers.
“Sure. Let me get them to sit down, then we can go and get the drinks and
snacks,” she replies. She calls them over and the kids all find shade under
the trees and sit down to rest. Once they seem to be settled, Saber and Amanda
go and get the snacks and drinks and pass them out before returning to where
they were sitting. “Thank you for all of the help today,” Amanda says
gratefully.
Saber nods in acknowledgment, “Glad I was able to be of use.”
“You said earlier that you're actually from the English Federation
Colonies?” Amanda asks.
“Yes. That's correct,” he replies.
“So are you related to Senator Rider? The one who was killed in that attack on
the ship a few months ago?” Amanda asks quietly.
Saber nods slightly, “Yes, he was my father.” he replies barely audible.
“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up such a painful memory,”Amanda says,
sounding embarrassed.
“No, it's all right, Amanda. It is still a hard thing for me to talk about,
but I don't mind. I lost a few loved ones on that day, actually.” he pauses
and takes a breath before continuing, “My mother and fiance' were with him on
that ship.”
Amanda gasps, “I'm sorry.” she replies sympathetically.
Saber shakes his head, “It's all right. It cannot be undone, those that
survive have to continue living. It hasn't been easy, but I have accepted that
and I am trying to move on. I think once we defeat the one responsible for the
attack, I will be able to finally have peace over the situation.”
“I admire your resolve, Saber. I'm not sure how I would be in your
situation,” Amanda says quietly.
Saber shrugs, “There are days that aren’t so easy for me, but I know that my
family would want me to get past this. The woman I was engaged to once told me
that people come into your life to teach you certain lessons, and that once they
are done meeting the people they need to and teaching the lessons they are sent
to be taught, they are set free, so that those left can apply the lessons they
have learned.”
“That sounds very logical to me. It sounds like she was a very wise woman,”
Amanda replies.
“She was,” Saber replies quietly.
Amanda marks down another goal and watches the kids silently for a while, “May
I ask what her name was?” she asks hesitantly.
Saber turns and studies her for a moment before replying, “Her name was
Sincia,” he says quietly. “She was also a school teacher, come to think of
it,” he adds absently.
Amanda nods, not sure what to say. They lapse into silence again, each one
involved with their own thoughts. “So, are you going back home today?”
Amanda asks, trying to break the silence.
Saber comes back to reality,  “I'm sorry, what did you ask?” he says, a bit
embarrassed.
Amanda smiles, “I asked if you were planning on going home today. It's Friday,
so the weekend is approaching.”
“Ah, Sorry that I was out of it,” he replies quietly. “I haven't actually
decided if I am going home or just staying at Calvary Command tonight. I suppose
it will depend on how long I stay here with you,” he says lightly.
Amanda nods, “You're welcome to stay as long as you want.”
“Thank you, Amanda,” he says sincerely. “I enjoy the time I get to spend
here with you and the children. It's nice to have conversation that doesn't
involve fighting or strategy,” he adds. 
She smiles at him and relaxes a bit, looking back towards the field in time to
see a goal scored by the team that was behind. “Well, this game could go on
forever at this rate,” She says laughing.
“Is there some sort of time limit?” Saber asks curious.
Amanda looks at her watch, “They have about ten more minutes before I call
game.”
“What happens if it's tied?”
“They have a shootout,” She replies matter-of-factly.
“Shootout?” Saber asks hesitantly.
Amanda smiles, “It where each team takes three shots, sort of like a penalty
shot. One player versus the goalie. Each team gets three chances. They have to
choose three different players to make the shots, it can't just be one person to
do it. Usually one team comes out ahead by the end of it.”
“Makes sense. I'd just never heard the term 'shootout' referred to in a game
before,” Saber replies.
“I'm not sure who came up with it. But it's just a term I've always heard, so
I use it. It seems to be a logical use for the term,” Amanda says. Saber nods
and Amanda stands up and blows into her whistle, “Two minutes!” she yells to
the players.
Saber stands up and stretches, walking over to where Amanda is standing.
“What's the score?” he asks, trying to glance at the paper.
“They're tied at seven each,” she replies without looking up. Just then, the
girl who was hit earlier scores a goal and Amanda blows into her whistle.
“That's game people!” she says walking towards the children. Several kids
groan and complain about lack of time. “You've been playing all afternoon.
It's time for a water break, then it'll be time for you to pack up and head
home.” Several kids start to grumble about the outcome. “Unless you want me
to assign homework for the weekend,” she adds, laughing as several kids quit
complaining and scurry into the schoolhouse.
“You wouldn't?” Saber asks, amused at the response.
“Why not?” Amanda asks, trying to sound serious.
“That's a bit harsh, isn't it?” He asks, hiding a smile.
“I don't think so,” she says nonchalantly.
Saber shakes his head and laughs, “You're tough on them, aren't you?”
Amanda nods, “Yeah, but not so much that they despise me,” she replies.
“And I wouldn't actually give them real homework, just don't tell them
that,” she adds mischievously.
“I think I'm glad to be out of school. I'm not sure I'd make it in your
class,” he says teasing her.
“You'd probably be a troublesome one, wouldn't you?” she taunts, trying not
to laugh.
“With you as a teacher, I would have been tempted,” he replies, trying to
sound serious.
She laughs, “I'd have been rough on you then. Made you do cleaning and such
until you learned I was a force to be reckoned with.” 
The kids start coming out of the schoolhouse carrying various bags. “Bye, Miss
Kelly. Have a good weekend! Bye Captain Rider!” Several of the kids say, as
they dash past the pair towards the gates to the school yard.
“Good-bye children. Have a good weekend,” Amanda says as the children leave
the school yard. Saber waves to them as they leave.

After several minutes, the children have all left and Saber follows Amanda
inside the schoolhouse as she gathers her things. “Is there anything I can do
to assist you?” he asks, feeling a bit unsure of what to do.
Amanda looks up from her desk and smiles, “I'm almost done; thank you for
offering.” She finishes writing down a few things, and then gathers up a
couple of books and a small bag, placing them in her desk drawer. “Would you
like to have some dinner?”  she asks a bit nervous.
Saber looks at her, a bit surprised, “I don't want to keep you from
anything.”
“You wouldn't be. I usually just go home and read on Friday evenings,” she
replies. “I know it's late, so I don't want to make you feel obligated or
anything,” she finishes quietly.
Saber listens quietly and nods, “If it's not any trouble, I'll eat with you. I
just don't want you to go to any effort.”
Amanda smiles, “Trust me, it's nothing fancy. I made stew in a crock-pot and I
figured I'd eat off of it most of next week. So all we have to do is dish it
out.”
Saber smiles, “All right, then that sounds good. Lead the way.”
Amanda leads Saber out of the school house and to a small cottage adjacent to
the school yard. “Well, this is it. It's not much, but it's all that I
need,” she says as she unlocks the door and opens it, indicating for him to
follow her inside. She goes in and turns on a light, as they enter the smell of
the stew hits them.
Saber looks around as they enter the cottage, “The stew certainly smells good,
Amanda. Thank you for the invitation.”
They make their way into the kitchen area and she takes a couple of bowls out of
the cupboard, placing them on the counter, then dishes out some stew. Placing
the bowls on the small table, they sit down and dine, chatting about various
things. Eventually they wind up sitting on the front porch talking when Saber
realizes just how late it is as he notices that the sun is almost set. “I
didn't realize how late it's gotten, I suppose I'd should be going,” he says
as he stands up, sounding apologetic.
Amanda stands up and nods, “I didn't realize we've been talking for so long, I
hope I haven't caused you any problems.”
Saber shakes his head and smiles, “Not at all. I'm not afraid of being out
after dark, but it's probably not wise to go the whole way in darkness, if I can
avoid it. I have thoroughly enjoyed today. The children, the dinner and your
company, all of it has been nice. Perhaps we can do it again sometime,” he
replies honestly, causing her to blush slightly.
“I'd like that,” she says quietly. “I've enjoyed this evening. It's not
often that I am able to have a stimulating conversation with an actual
adult.”
Saber laughs, “I'm flattered that you think I'm stimulating conversation. I
look forward to seeing you again, Amanda.” 
They start walking back to the school yard, where Steed is waiting. Saber
whistles and Steed comes over, stopping not far from where they stop to talk.
“Thanks again for visiting with the children today, and with me, Saber.” 
He smiles and leans in a kisses her cheek before mounting Steed. “I hope we
can see each other again soon,” he says as he takes the reins.
Amanda nods, “Come by anytime. You can come on the weekends if you want. I
don't usually do much, so I won't mind company.”
Saber nods, “Perhaps I can bring you to Calvary Command to spend a day with
me, to give you a change of scenery.”
“I'd like that. Just let me know when,” she replies. 
“Perhaps tomorrow?” Saber asks a bit nervously. “Seeing as I never know
when something could happen,” he adds quickly.
Amanda smiles, “Sure. If it's not too much trouble.”
“All right then, I'll come by in the morning. If something changes, I'll do my
best to find a way to get a message to you,” Saber replies. Amanda nods.
“Then I'll see you in the morning, Amanda. Good night.”
“See you then, Saber. Good night.” Saber turns towards Calvary Command and
rides off, Amanda watching him for a brief time before going inside her
cottage.

Commander Eagle is waiting for Saber when he returns to base. He watches him
closely as he takes Steed into the hangar area. “Is everything all right,
Saber?” Commander Eagle asks sounding a bit concerned.
Saber nods as he turns to face him, “Yes. Funny I was about to ask you the
same question, Sir.” he replies.
Commander Eagle studies him for a moment before answering him, “Everything is
fine here. I was just worried when you were gone for such a long time.”
Saber chuckles, “Evidently, there seems to be a consensus that I am some sort
of fragile person that could go off the deep end at any moment. I assure you, I
am fine. I'm actually better than I've been since this whole thing started.”
“Well, I am relieved to hear that. Although I'd like to know just what you've
been up to when you go off for so long recently,” the commander prods as they
enter his office.
Saber goes and sits in a chair in front of the desk and watches the commander
closely, trying to decide how to reply. “Well, I've been going to the village
a few kilometers outside the base. I have made friends with the children
there,” he replies.
Commander Eagle listens closely and notices that Saber seems more relaxed than
he has in a long time, “How about we talk about this over dinner? I'm sure
you've not eaten today.”
Saber chuckles, “Actually Sir, I've eaten already,” he replies casually.
Commander Eagle looks at him surprised, “Really?” Saber nods. “Was it a
real meal or something like a piece of fruit?”
“It was a real meal, Sir. Nice company and conversation as well,” Saber
replies.
“So you ate with some of the children and their parents?” the commander
asks.
“No, I dined with their school teacher,” he says, trying to hide a smile.
“Her name is Amanda Kelly. We have been talking the last several weeks when I
went to see the children, and when she offered me a meal, I debated for a while
whether I should or not.” he pauses briefly before adding, “I'm glad I
stayed.”
Commander Eagle smiles and nods, “I'm glad to hear that you have found a
distraction, Saber. It does explain your frequent and extended absences. Is this
the same village that you went to a few months ago when the PLANT colony was
attacked?” 
Saber nods. “Yes, it is,” he replies. “You know, I thought I'd feel worse
about spending time with someone, but I don't really. I'm actually looking
forward to seeing her again tomorrow, provided nothing changes overnight. Does
that mean that I didn't feel as strongly as I thought I did for Sincia? Am I
lessening her memory by doing so?” he asks frankly.
Commander Eagle's gaze softens as his eyes meets Saber's and he sees the
conflict within his eyes, “No Saber, it doesn't negate her memory. If
anything, it proves that her influence is strong. You said that she would want
you to live your life, and not wallow in despair, right?” Saber nods slightly.
“That is what you're doing, isn't it?”
“Not intentionally,” he replies, suddenly sounding unsure of himself.
“Saber,” Commander Eagle begins, “you are finally allowing yourself to
move forward. That's a good thing. If something works out with this woman,
great, if it doesn't, then at least you know that you can still feel something.
I wasn't sure if you would ever allow yourself to even think about being with
someone again, to be perfectly honest. But when you arrived back here tonight,
you were like a different person. You were relaxed. That is something I've not
seen since the day that your parents and Sincia were killed. To me, that is
progress.”
Saber takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, “I just don't want to hurt
Amanda. What if ...what if I decide I can't go through with this?”
“With what?” Commander Eagle asks.
“I'm not even sure what I'm actually trying to ask. I plan on seeing her
tomorrow, so what if things don't go well?” he asks sounding a bit agitated
and nervous.
Commander Eagle smiles, “Then you take her home, bid her good night, and you
don't go back. You both move on. It happens, you'll figure it out. How did you
figure out what to do when you were with Sincia?”
“It was an arranged marriage,” he replies quietly. “Our parents betrothed
us when we were children. So I've never had to think about such things.” He
pauses as he sees the commander's reaction, “But I do not doubt that I loved
her,” he adds firmly.
Commander Eagle looks startled for a moment, but regains his composure quickly,
“I know you did, Saber. I have no doubt of that. I was just surprised when you
said it had been an arranged marriage. I never knew that.”
“No one other than our parents knew,” Saber says quietly. “Perhaps that's
why this is all strange to me. When I told you of my impending engagement, I was
referring to my formally giving her a ring, not actually proposing. I knew our
engagement was different than others, but it was all I knew, so it was
normal.”
“Well, take this one day at a time, That's really the best advice that I can
give you. Spend time with her, talk to her about everything, including your
relationship with Sincia. It's better if she knows about that upfront. Don't be
afraid to admit you're nervous, you don't know, she may be having the same
thoughts as you are. Have fun and relax. You have your whole life ahead of you,
take your time and get to know her. If it works out, good, if it doesn't, learn
from it,” Commander Eagle offers.
Saber listens intently, nodding his head on occasion, acknowledging the points
being made, “Thank you, Sir for listening to me. I suppose I'd better head to
bed, as I told her I'd see her in the morning. I may bring her here for a while,
to show her what my life is like, if that is all right, Sir.” 
The commander nods chuckling as Saber stands up, “It's fine, Saber.”
“What's so funny, Sir?” Saber asks.
“I find it humorous that you are calm and collected in battle, and yet this
woman that you've met has you thrown off. It just strikes me as amusing,”
Commander Eagle replies.
Saber smiles slightly, “Well, goodnight, Sir. I'll bring her by to meet you
tomorrow if things are going well,” 
“I look forward to it,” he replies as he stands and escorts Saber to the
door. 
Saber stops and turns back to face the commander, “By the way, could I borrow
your car tomorrow?” he asks, sounding a bit embarrassed.
Commander Eagle laughs, “Of course you can. Don't want to bring her in on
Steed?” he asks teasingly.
Saber chuckles, “Somehow I'm not sure how that would go over. I don't know how
I'd feel with a passenger, either.”
Commander Eagle walks back to his desk, opening a drawer, he pulls out a set of
keys and tosses them to Saber, “Here. It should have fuel, if not let me know.
Otherwise, have a good time.”
“Thank you, Sir,” he says and goes to his quarters, getting up the next
morning and heading back to the village to meet Amanda.

He arrives at the school yard to find Amanda outside waiting for him. “Good
morning, Amanda,” he says as he parks and gets out of the car, walking over to
her.
“Good morning, Saber,” she replies brightly as she looks over the car
curiously.
“It isn't mine,” he replies to her unasked question. “It belongs to my
commander. He let me borrow it for the day.”
“Ah, I see,” she replies and chuckles to herself. 
He looks to her amused, “What?”
“I guess I still expected the horse, although I'm not sure how well that would
have worked,” she says grinning.
Saber laughs, “I almost forgot that Steed might not be the best mode of
transport for two people. That could have been, interesting to say the
least.”
He opens the car door for her, then gets in the driver's side and they head off
for the day. Over the next couple of weeks, they meet up several times. They are
on their way back to Calvary Command when Saber's com-link goes off, “This is
Saber, go ahead.”
Commander Eagle's voice comes over the link, “Saber, I've just spoken with
April and I think you might want to head home.”
“Is everything all right?” he asks, sounding concerned.
“Robin is in labor, and I thought that you might want to be there,” the
commander replies.
“Thank you, Sir, I'll be as quick as I can. Saber out,” he replies closing
the connection. He then turns to Amanda, “We're almost to Calvary Command, you
said earlier that you have vacation next week, so would you like to just come
with me?” he asks a bit hesitantly.
Amanda looks surprised for a moment and thinks before answering, “I suppose I
could, it would certainly save some time for you.”
He notices her hesitation, “You would have your own room and we can get you
some clothes, if you're concerned about that. If you don't want go, I will take
you back home, I'd understand.”
Amanda studies him for a moment then she nods, “Let's go. It could be fun.”
Saber smiles and nods, “I'm glad you're coming, if you change your mind, let
me know, all right?” he adds quietly.
Saber's com-link comes to life again, this time Thomas is on the other end,
“Sir, I thought you should know that Ms. Robin is in labor.”
“I've heard, Thomas. How is she?” he asks.
“According to Elaine, everything is progressing normally. Are you coming
back?” Thomas replies.
“Yes, and I'll have a guest with me. Please get a room ready for her. We
should be there in a few hours,” Saber replies.
Thomas' voice falters slightly, “Yes Sir. I'll personally see to it.”
Saber smiles at the thought of Thomas' face, “Thank you,” he replies amused.
“We're arriving at Calvary Command and will be leaving for home shortly. Saber
out.” He closes the connection and notices Amanda staring at him curiously.
“What?”
“I thought you were a Captain, not a king,” she says trying not to laugh.
He parks the car and comes around helping her out of the car, “Well, you know
my father was a senator, and even before that he was a nobleman. I inherited the
entire estate, so I am sort of treated differently I suppose, though I
personally prefer being a solder, I'm not one for all of the political aspects
of the game as my father was.” They arrive at Commander Eagle's office and
find him eagerly waiting.
“Do you need me to give you a ride back, Amanda?” he asks. Amanda shakes her
head in reply.
“She's coming with me, Sir,” Saber replies, getting a look of surprise from
the commander. “Thomas already knows and is preparing a room for her.”
Commander Eagle suppresses a smile and nods, “Then why don't you take one of
the scout ships. It's big enough that you can load Steed into it and for the
both of you to be comfortable.”
“Thank you,” he replies, handing the car keys to him. “I need to go and
grab my bag, and then we'll go.” He turns to a soldier that is walking past,
“Would you be so kind as to load my horse onto the scout ship they are
preparing for launch?”
“Yes, Sir!” the soldier replies scurrying off.
Saber looks back to the commander, “I wish you could come, Sir. But I know
that it's not possible. I'll keep you updated.” Commander Eagle nods and Saber
and Amanda make their way to his quarters and to the ship. They get seated and
everything loaded and they take off for Saber's estate.



                           Kapitel 21: A Son Is Born
                           -------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 21:  A Son Is Born

They arrive at the colony a couple of hours later, landing at the now familiar
hangar. They descend the ramp and walk over to where Thomas is waiting.
“Hello, Sir,” Thomas says looking between Saber and Amanda who offers a shy
smile in return.
“Hello Thomas, how are things here?” Saber asks.
“Robin is still in labor, although the way Elaine was talking, she may have
had the child by now,” he replies.
Saber nods and turns towards Amanda, “Thomas, I’d like you to meet Amanda
Kelly. We've been spending time together, and when you called, we decided she'd
just come back with me, since she is off from work for the next week.”
Thomas extends his hand to her; she clasps his in return, “Nice to meet you,
madam.” Then he adds with a smile, “I see now why he's preferred to stay at
Calvary Command rather than here.”
Amanda smiles at him, a slight blush on her cheeks, “It's nice to meet you
too, Sir.”
“So, how do you want to do this, Sir?” Thomas asks Saber. “I don't think I
could ride Steed back to the estate, so perhaps Lady Amanda can ride with me,
you leading on Steed?”
Saber starts to speak when Amanda pipes in, “Could I just try and ride with
you on Steed, Saber?”
He looks at her a bit surprised, “I suppose you could. I could let you ride in
front of me, to make sure that you don't fall.”
“Then why don't we try that, unless you're not comfortable with that. I'd
understand if you weren't,” Amanda replies a little nervous.
Saber shrugs, “That works for me. You're in jeans, so you should be all right.
If you change your mind, we can always stop and let you ride with Thomas.” 
Amanda nods and Thomas loads up Saber's bag. “Lady Amanda, are you sharing
luggage with Saber?”
Amanda looks at him blankly for a moment then shakes her head, “No Sir. I um,
don't have any luggage. We left in a bit of a hurry. After things settle down,
I'll go and buy a few things.”
Thomas nods and gets into the van as Saber helps Amanda onto Steed, then
carefully gets on behind her reaching around to grab the reins. “Please let me
know if you become uncomfortable,” Saber says settling into position before
they begin their trip.
“I will,” she replies, chuckling. 
“What is it?” he asks amused.
“I've never been on a horse before,” she replies.
“Well, hold on then,” he says as he tightens his grip on the reins and
stiffening his arms a bit to steady her as they take off towards the estate.

They arrive to little fanfare much to Saber's relief. Thomas takes them in the
rear entrance and shows Amanda to her room and Saber continues down the hall to
the room that is now his. Thomas tosses the bag onto the bed and Saber looks
around, “I just can't get used to being in this room, Thomas.”
Thomas chuckles, “You will, Sir.” He nods towards the door, “The young
lady seems nice.”
Saber nods, “She is. I apologize for springing her arrival on you so
suddenly.” Thomas looks over obviously amused. “I actually can't believe I
invited her,” Saber adds quietly. “It just sort of came out as a logical
solution.”
Thomas comes over and places a hand on Saber's shoulder, “Sir, if you are
worried about what the others or Elaine or myself think, do not worry. I am
actually glad to see you with someone who seems to be genuinely interested in
you.”
Saber studies Thomas' face for a moment before speaking, “Thank you,” he
says finally showing little emotion.
“I hope you don't think I meant something bad by that comment, I know you
loved Sincia. That isn't what I meant,” Thomas says quickly, realizing what
Saber was thinking by his expression. “I just actually wasn't sure you were
willing to move on, so I am glad to see that you seem to be.”
Saber nods, relaxing a bit. “I should go and check on her before she runs into
someone else that could scare her off,” he says lightly, a hint of amusement
in his voice. “Where are the others waiting?”
“Most everyone other than Colt, Elaine, Robin and the doctor are in the common
room,” Thomas replies.
“Thank you,” Saber replies and goes down the hall and knocks quietly on the
door to Amanda's room.
Amanda opens it timidly and smiles, “I wasn't sure where I should wait, so I
stayed here.”
“Are you ready for the bombardment of looks and questions?” Saber says a bit
nervously, a smile forming.
She nods and smiles, “Sure. This could be interesting.”
He takes her hand and they head down the stairs towards the common area where
the room is full of people waiting and talking. April is conversing with
Fireball and stops mid-sentence, as she spots Saber coming down the stairs with
a strange woman. Everyone turns upon seeing her expression.
Saber offers a smile to the curious on-lookers and he and Amanda come down and
sit on an empty couch.  No one says anything, but look to him expectantly.
Amanda shifts a bit, not sure of how to act until Saber finally takes a breath
and laughs, “Have I missed anything?” he asks casually.
April looks at him, trying to form a reply when Fireball bursts out laughing.
“I can't believe it, you got her speechless!”
Saber chuckles and April looks between Saber, Amanda, and Fireball, not sure
whom to address. “I guess I should make introductions,” Saber says finally,
amusement evident in his voice. “This is Amanda Kelly. She is from the village
I've been frequenting these past few months.” Amanda nods in greeting, still
unsure of the others reactions to her presence.
Fireball comes over to her and extends his hand, “Hi I'm Fireball.”
“Hello,” she replies, clasping his hand briefly, her other hand still
tightly intertwined with Saber's. “It's nice to meet you, Fireball.” she
says a bit hesitantly.
“That's not his real name, it's a nickname. He used to be a racer,” Saber
explains quietly. Amanda nods understanding. “His real name is Shinji
Hikari,” Saber adds as an afterthought.
April stands up after regaining her composure, and comes over smiling broadly,
“Hi Amanda, my name is April.” She extends her hand and Amanda takes it,
“It's nice to meet you.” April turns to Saber and smiles, “Now we know
what you've been up to, Saber.” 
Saber goes to reply when a door opens and Elaine and Colt come out, both
smiling. They both look a bit shocked when they see Saber and Amanda, but
recover quickly. “Well, we have a son,” Colt announces proudly. 
“Both mother and child are healthy,” Elaine announces. “They are currently
resting, as they should be.”
Colt walks over to Saber and smiles, “I wanted to talk to you for a minute, if
you don't mind, Saber.” Colt says looking curiously at Amanda, who reluctantly
lets go of Saber's hand. 
“I'll be right back,” he says quietly to her. She nods and he follows Colt
to the room he had just come out of.

“What's wrong, Colt?” Saber asks concern evident in his voice.
Colt smiles, “Nothing's wrong, I wanted to ask if we could name our son after
you and your father.”
Saber tries to suppress a look of surprise. “What?” he finally stammers, not
sure he's heard correctly.
Colt chuckles, “Has that girl messed your brain up?” he asks amused tapping
Saber’s forehead. “Robin wants to name our son 'Richard Edward Wilcox' I
wanted to ask your permission before committing to it, but you've obviously been
otherwise occupied,” he adds with a smirk, nodding towards the door.
Saber smiles, finally understanding where the conversation was heading. “If
that’s the name you want, then I am honored, Colt,” he replies finding his
voice once more.
Colt looks at him for a minute and laughs, “Here I thought you were actually
working all that time you were gone.”
“I was,” Saber replies, “part of the time. Things just sort
of...happened.” Colt grins as Saber continues, “Amanda and I had planned on
spending the day together and were almost back to Calvary Command when I got
word that Robin was in labor. It would have taken me two hours to take her back
to her place, then another four to get here from there, so I just asked her to
come along. I don't know what I was thinking, I suppose I wasn't, but it seemed
like a logical solution.”
Colt chuckles, watching Saber shift a bit uncomfortably, “I'm happy for you. I
hope it works out.” He nods towards the door where Robin and the baby are
sleeping, “Would you like to come and see him?” Saber nods, smiling. “I
figure if we're naming him after you, you should be the first to see him,”
Colt says quietly as they enter the bedroom. Robin looks up and smiles looking
tired, holding the sleeping baby against her.
“Hello Robin,” Saber says quietly as he looks at the child in her arms.
“He agreed to the name, Robin,” Colt says as he approaches the bed from the
other side.
Robin looks up and nods, “Thank you, Saber. I thought the name was fitting.
You have allowed us to stay here, and I wanted to honor the memory of your
father.”
Saber nods, “It's an honor, Robin. He's beautiful,” he replies quietly.
“You should rest now, you look tired.”
“Now, you'd better get back out there before Elaine and April scare Amanda
off,” Colt says quietly. 
Saber chuckles, “I guess I did abandon her in the lion's den. Hopefully she'll
forgive me.”
“Who’s Amanda?” Robin asks quietly, looking confused between the two men.
Colt takes the infant from Robin, cradling him carefully in his arms. “She’s
Saber’s girlfriend. He brought her with him here and evidently it’s been a
bit of a surprise to some of the others,” Colt replies, obviously amused. “I
think I'll take him out for the others to see, so you can rest, Robin,” Colt
says. 
Robin smiles at Saber, “I’m glad you’ve met someone,” she says obviously
exhausted. 
“Thank you, Robin,” Saber replies quietly as Robin hands the baby to Colt
before drifting off to sleep. 
Saber gets ahead of the new father and child and holds the door for them,
following them back out into the room of people. He spots Amanda and goes to
her, giving her an apologetic look.
She smiles at him and looks at him with concern, “Is everything all right?”
she asks him quietly as he sits down beside her.
He nods, “Yes, everything is fine. They wanted my permission to name their
child a certain name.” She looks at him curiously, and he smiles, “I suppose
I should tell you that my birth name is actually 'Richard',” he says quietly.
“Saber is a nickname my father gave me when I was younger. I liked it better,
so that's what I use. The other sounds so formal to me.”
Amanda smiles and nods, “I like either one. I was just curious as to what was
going on.”
“Everything is fine, Colt just was a bit thrown off by your presence and
wasn’t sure if he should ask in front of you, or the others for that
matter.” he nods towards Elaine and April, “Did they give you too much grief
while I was otherwise occupied?”
Amanda shakes her head, “Not at all. Ms. Elaine came over and introduced
herself. I told her my name and that I came with you from Calvary Command. She
just smiled and made small talk telling me to let her know if I needed anything.
April was asking where I was from and such, but some of her questions were a bit
more direct than I felt like answering, I think Elaine realized this and came to
my rescue.”
“I’m grateful for that then,” he looks around and spots Elaine, who comes
over and places a hand on Saber’s shoulder. 
“I’m glad to see you made it back, Saber. I was a bit surprised by your
friend here though,” Elaine says amused.
Saber smiles, and takes Amanda’s hand again. “Elaine, would it bother you if
we went shopping for a little? We didn’t have time to gather any clothes for
her, before we came here, so I told her we could get her some things once
everything seemed settled,” Saber says quietly.
Elaine nods, looking around the room, “Everyone else seems occupied, so I
don’t see where there would be any problem. Why don’t you take our car,
rather than your horse? It would make it easier to transport anything you buy.
You know where the keys are?” He nods. “Dinner will be a little late,
perhaps closer to seven, so take your time,” Elaine finishes.
Saber nods, “Thank you, Elaine,” he says, kissing her cheek. “If anyone
asks, you can tell them where we went. I’m sure April will be inquiring soon
enough,” he adds before leading Amanda through the kitchen and getting the
keys as they quietly go out the back door.

Several days pass, Saber and Amanda come back from riding around the grounds.
Several visitors have come and gone, including a few from Orb. Amanda dismounts
and joins Saber as they walk up towards the house. “I can’t believe the week
is nearly over,” she says sounding a bit disappointed.
Saber looks over to her and smiles, “You don’t sound too thrilled.”
“I don’t want to go back,” she says quietly. 
Saber chuckles, “I wish you didn’t have to either. I’ve enjoyed having you
here,” he replies. “Hopefully, I can still visit you and the children at the
school.”
“Anytime you want to. I will definitely enjoy it, and I’m sure the children
will,” Amanda says. “They like having you around.” They sit quietly in the
kitchen and grab a bite to eat, sitting at the small table. Both seem lost in
their own thoughts. “I’m glad that your friends seem to have accepted me;
even though you’ve had to endure some teasing because of it.”
“You are welcome here any time you wish, Amanda, just as they are. I just wish
you could stay longer, as I’m afraid of fighting breaking out again at any
time. I feel that this place is safer than any place close to Calvary Command,
but I know that you have your own life and the kids to worry about,” Saber
says quietly.
“Maybe one day I can stay for a longer time,” Amanda says. “If I haven’t
run you off by then,” she adds with a smirk.
“Funny, I’m more afraid of scaring you off, than the other way around,” he
replies honestly.
“I don’t see that happening, Saber. You have been good to me, making sure I
felt comfortable and everything. If this is how you are normally, then I don’t
think you have to worry about scaring me off any time soon, unless you just tell
me to leave,” Amanda says while looking down at the table.
Saber takes her hand, “I don’t see that happening,” he says quietly. After
a few minutes he breaks the silence that has fallen between them, “Well,
you’re not leaving today, so let’s make the best of it, shall we?” he asks
trying to sound cheerful.
Amanda looks up at him and smiles, “Yes, let’s. We’ve gone riding already,
but I don’t mind going out again if you want to.”
Saber nods, “We could pack a lunch and go off and see where we end up. There
are plenty of places we could have a picnic.”
Amanda grins, “Let’s do that then. It sounds like fun.”
Saber laughs, “All right. Let’s get things together. I think I know where
Elaine keeps a blanket we could take to sit on as well.” They get everything
ready and before long they head off.

A couple of weeks later, Saber is heading out towards the school from Calvary
Command. The route is now very familiar to him and he rides it with ease. The
farmers and workers are out in the fields, clearing the summer crops to begin
preparations for the fall planting season just a few months away. Saber waves as
he passes the workers, they nod back. He sees the school yard ahead and sees the
children just returning to the building from lunch. He slows down and dismounts,
just outside the school yard, leaving Steed near the gate. He walks casually up
to the schoolhouse and opens the door quietly. He steps inside unnoticed by the
children, Amanda sees him, but continues giving her lesson, allowing him a very
brief smile. He goes and sits quietly at the back until she finishes giving her
assignments. She comes to the back after she sets the children to work and
greets him quietly.
“How are you?” he whispers, so as to not disturb the class.
She smiles, “I’m doing fine. How are things with you?”
Saber sighs, “Chaotic at home, so I came back to the peace of Calvary
Command,” he says wryly. 
“I didn’t think it was so bad at your place,” she replies trying not to
laugh.
“You were a welcome distraction. I was able to leave and no one worried about
what I was doing; now they try to keep tabs on me, it’s irritating. So I
decided to come back here for peace and quiet,” he replies.
Amanda chuckles and shakes her head, “I’m glad you’ve come back, no matter
the reason.” She turns and looks out at her class, a few of them casting
glimpses in their direction and whispering. She gives them a warning glance and
the students quickly turn back to their work. “Would you like some dinner
after class let’s out? We could talk more then.” 
Saber nods, “I’d like that, provided you have enough for both of us without
extra effort.” He smiles, “You do know that I am capable of feeding myself,
don’t you?”
She grins, “I know, you are. But I enjoy having dinner with you.”
After school lets out, Saber and Amanda are sitting talking over dinner. “I
had no idea that you literally lived in a castle, Saber.” She says amused.
Saber finishes the bite he’s on before answering with a smile, “I suppose
that was a bit of a surprise to you, wasn’t it?” She nods. “I don’t
really think about it anymore, it’s just where I’m from, so it’s normal
for me. Although I’m still not used to the idea of being the ‘head’ of the
household; that gets a bit tedious at times, so I am grateful for Thomas and
Elaine.”
“I’m glad that you couldn’t see my face when we arrived, I’m sure you
would have laughed at it,” Amanda replies amused.
Saber shakes his head, “I wouldn’t have. I would have smiled, but I
wouldn’t laugh at you.”
“I guess I should have expected something like that though when you mentioned
being a nobleman. It’s just that you don’t come off as snobbish, like others
that I have met,” she adds quietly. 
“I know I’m not like a lot of others in my position, I am much more attuned
to being a soldier, rather than dealing with other noblemen,” Saber replies.
They sit quietly for a while enjoying the food and company. They finish dinner
and go and sit on the couch and he looks over to her, “Well, you know where
I’m from, I was wondering where you’re from. You alluded to being from
somewhere else, but never said more, so I’m just curious,” Saber asks,
watching her for some sort of reaction.
Amanda nods looking a bit nervous, “Well, I lived in Yuma for most of my life.
I was born there, but my parents separated when I was young. My father wasn’t
in love with my mother; he only married her because she became pregnant with me.
When I was fifteen, I came home to find my mother dead.” Saber gasps
involuntarily, and Amanda looks down, fighting back tears as she continues,
“The police decided that she had taken a bad combinations of cold pills or
something. But since I was a minor, I was forced to go and live with the father
I had never met. Neither one of us was exactly pleased with the arrangement. We
would argue constantly. I finally just left. He never tried to find me. I lived
with various friends and managed to finish school. The last family that took me
in was moving so I had to find somewhere else to live. My friend’s mother
heard about this job from her sister, so I applied and got it. I’ve been here
for the last several years.” She takes a deep breath as she finishes, not
wanting to look up.
“It sounds like you’ve overcome a lot, Amanda. You have a strong will and
resolve, both are admirable qualities. Perhaps that’s why you are good with
the children,” Saber says quietly. “If you’re worried that your past will
bother me, don’t. It has made you who you are, and I enjoy being around you.
You have nothing to be ashamed of. You should be proud of the person you’ve
become.” He takes her hand and she looks up and smiles weakly at him. They
chat for a while when Saber’s com-link goes off, causing both of them to jump
slightly.
“This is Saber, go ahead.”
Commander Eagle’s voice comes over the com-link, “We need you back at
Calvary Command as fast as you can get here.” 
“What’s going on?” Saber inquires as he stands up getting ready to leave,
casting a nervous glance to Amanda.
Commander Eagle’s voice replies, “Sextilis has been destroyed. We don’t
know how yet. We’re still gathering data.” 
Saber’s face pales, “I’ll be there as quick as I can, Sir. Saber out.”
He turns to Amanda, “Promise me you will go to a shelter if things seem to go
wrong?” She nods and he embraces her briefly and kisses her. “I’ll be back
when I can.” 
She nods as he turns and is out the door as she whispers, “I love you”. He
stops as he’s mounting Steed and looks back briefly before leaving and taking
off towards Calvary Command as fast as he can.
She goes to the doorway he has just left through and stands there as he leaves,
her heart pounding in fear. “Please stay safe, Saber,” she whispers as he
fades into the distance.



                             Kapitel 22: Betrayal
                             --------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 22:  Betrayal

Keith and Fala are entering the common room when Raible stops them. “Your
Highness, I have a few questions about the coronation ceremony tomorrow.
Fala turns to face him and smiles, “Of course, should we ask Shorty and Tammy
to join us, since they will have their ceremony following ours?”
“It might be a good idea, so that everyone knows what will happen when,”
Raible replies.
“I'll go and get them, Fala. I believe they are out in the fields behind the
castle again. I'll call them from the control room,” Keith says. “I'll meet
you two in the boardroom shortly.”
Fala and Raible nod and continue towards the boardroom as Keith heads for the
control room. He arrives and goes to the communication center and calls up
Shorty on the com-link, “Hey Shorty, are you there?”
A few seconds go by before Shorty's image appears on the screen with Tammy
behind him, “Yeah, what's up, Chief?”
“Raible wants us to get together and go over the ceremonies tomorrow, so that
we all know how things will go and not do something wrong,” Keith replies.
“All right. When does he want to get together?” Shorty asks.
“Now, if not sooner,” Keith says with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Shorty rolls his eyes, “As if we haven't practiced how many times this week
already?”
“Believe me, I know. But he just wants to make sure nothing goes wrong. He's
trying to help,” Keith says.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. We'll be in shortly. We're a little further out than
usual. We went to see Tammy's mother,” Shorty replies.
“All right. We'll be in the board room, just come as soon as you're able. I'm
sure we'll be there for a while.”
“You got it, Chief. See you soon,” Shorty says closing the connection.
Keith gets up and leaves, making his way back to the boardroom.

Lance is sitting with Noriko and Akuma near the lake, on blanket, an empty
basket beside them. Akuma is curled up napping close to Noriko, who is resting
her head on Lance's shoulder. Lance chuckles to himself before thinking aloud,
“Just think, this time tomorrow Keith will officially be king of Altea and
Shorty and Tammy will be married.”
Noriko looks up and nods, “It's funny isn't it? The youngest is the next to
get married.”
Lance laughs, “However, I think technically, they have been together the
longest of anyone.”
“How do you figure that?” she asks curious.
“Well, they apparently started seeing each other when they were twelve or so,
which is like five years or something like that”, Lance replies.
“That's a little young, isn't it?” Noriko says.
“Well, he's always been ahead of other kids his age, and she seems to be
rather intelligent, so I guess it works for them,” Lance replies.
Noriko gets up and looks back towards the far side of the lake, “Are we still
on for the dinner tonight?”
“If you’d still like to come,” Lance says.
Noriko nods, “I just have some things I need to go and do before tonight. What
time would you like me to meet you?”
“4:30ish? That way we can be at the dinner before it starts,” Lance says as
he gets up.
“Okay, I’ll see you then, Lance,” she replies. She kisses his cheek and
Akuma gets up and follows her as she heads back towards the schoolhouse.
Lance collects the remnants of their picnic and goes back to the castle,
noticing Hothead and Sara talking just outside the servant’s entrance. He
smiles to himself as he goes and returns the items to the kitchen before heading
off to his room to rest.

“Will you be able to join me as my date tonight, Sara?” Hothead asks as he
leans against the door frame.
Sara smiles sweetly at him, “If you really want me to be there, I might be
able to work it out, however, wouldn’t it be better if I was with you
tomorrow? Tonight is just a rehearsal, right?”
“I suppose you’re right. I just like spending time with you, but I don’t
want you to get into trouble,” he replies a bit dejected.
Sara giggles and kisses his cheek, “Well, how about we meet when
everything’s over? I’ll bring us something to snack on and we can enjoy our
time in peace?”
Hothead grins widely, “I’d like that, Sara. But shouldn’t you be heading
to bed before it’s too late? I don’t want you tired tomorrow.”
“I won’t stay up too late. Besides, I think it’d be worth it,” she
replies honestly.
“Then I’ll look forward to tonight then,” he says smiling. He leans in and
kisses her briefly. “I’ll see you later.”
She smiles broadly, “See you tonight, Seidō.” She turns and enters the
kitchen once more.
Hothead sighs and heads towards the common rooms in the castle. Finding no one
there, he plops down into a chair and looks out the windows, relaxing.

Tammy and Shorty come rushing in from the control room, Shorty in his uniform
and Tammy in jeans and a t-shirt. “I hope they aren't mad that we took so
long,” Shorty says nearly out of breath as they reach the boardroom where
Raible, Fala and Keith are waiting.
Tammy stops beside him, breathing heavily, “I can't believe we ran the whole
way. I'm sure they'll understand. You told them we went to see my mother.”
They both catch their breath before entering the room, the three occupants look
up when the door opens.
“Sorry we took so long,” Shorty says sheepishly.
“It's all right. You haven't really missed much. We were just going over how
the coronation will proceed. We figure that after the coronation, the
dignitaries can leave and then we'll move to the courtyard for your ceremony,
that way it's a bit more cozy, if you both are fine with that,” Fala says as
the two teens sit down at the table with the others.
Shorty looks to Tammy who nods, “That sounds amenable to me, Your Highness,”
Tammy replies. “I do have one question, but I'd like to ask you about it when
Hiroshi is otherwise occupied,” she says glancing towards Shorty who gives her
a confused look. She smiles at him in return, further confusing him.
Fala smiles, “Of course. We can talk in a few minutes, I think we're just
about done here, once we make sure of how you want the courtyard set up.”
“I say keep it simple. Maybe an arch where we're standing and some flowers,
it's about the vows, not the decorations, right?” Tammy asks aloud.
Shorty smiles, “That's what we had discussed, we wanted your opinions on
it.”
Keith looks between the pair and nods, “It sounds like you agree on what you
want; that is what matters. As long as you are both satisfied.” The couple nod
in agreement. “Well Shorty, why don't you and Raible and I go to the courtyard
and plan out the set-up and let the ladies talk for a few minutes?” Keith
asks.
“Sure. That's fine with me, Chief. Raible?” Shorty asks.
Raible stands up and nods, “Let's go and do that, allowing these two time to
talk.” He looks to Fala and Tammy, “I'll see you at the dinner tonight.”
They boys all go out the door, heading for the courtyard.

“So Tammy, what was your question?” Fala asks with interest. 
Tammy smiles shyly, “Well, it's about my dress, Your Highness...” Tammy
begins, trying to figure out how to convey her thought, “I was going to wear
my dress to your coronation so that I didn't have to rush off to change in
between ceremonies, but I wanted your opinion on the matter. I don't want to
detract from your ceremony.” She pauses thinking, “I'm not wearing a
'typical' wedding dress; I have decided to wear a formal dress that is an ivory
color, with some pink trim. I'm not one for dressing up, so I decided to get a
dress that I can wear more than once.”
Fala smiles at her, “Of course you can wear the dress to the coronation,
Tammy. It makes the most sense to do so. I do appreciate that you wanted to make
sure it was okay beforehand.” She adds with a chuckle, “I just don't know
why you wanted Shorty out of the room when you brought it up.”
Tammy grins, “He hasn't seen the dress yet. He won't see it until I arrive at
your ceremony tomorrow. So I didn't want him around when I described it.”
Fala laughs, “That's really sweet of you. I won't say a word. I look forward
to seeing his face tomorrow when you arrive.” They both stand up. “Shall we
go and see if the boys are done?”
“Sure,” Tammy replies and they head out the door.

Lance is walking up to the schoolhouse when Noriko comes out in a light blue
dress, her hair loosely pulled back, “Hello Lance. You're here a few minutes
early.” She meets him at the edge of the school yard and he kisses her cheek
in greeting. She gives him a smile as he looks around a bit confused. “Where's
Akuma? I thought she went everywhere with you,” Lance asks.
“Oh, she's sleeping. I think she'll be fine for tonight. I left a window open
enough that she can get out if she wants. I don't think anyone will bother
her.” 
Lance looks at her a bit surprised, but smiles, “So for tonight it really is
just us?”
Noriko blushes slightly and smiles, “Yes, it is.” 
Lance takes her hand and they walk back towards the castle, chatting as they
walk. A short time later everyone is gathered for dinner together. Several
conversations are going on at once. Noriko starts to look a bit overwhelmed, so
Lance takes her aside and they find a quiet place in the courtyard to sit and
talk.

It's rather late in the evening when Sara comes out into the courtyard looking
around hesitantly. “There you are, a familiar voice says coming from the
shadows.” Hothead walks up to her and offers to take the basket from her.
“Hello, Seidō. How are you?” Sara asks sounding tired.
“Better than you sound. Are you all right?” he asks concerned.
She nods, “Just a little tired. We have everything ready for tomorrow, so I
can finally relax,” she says as she finds a grassy spot and plops down,
Hothead sitting beside her.
“Well, I could have come and helped you,” he offers, causing her to giggle.
“What?” he asks confused.
“Nothing, I just don't see how you could have helped. I don't see you as a
chef,” she says, amused.
“I could have moved tables, chairs, dishes, anything you needed. I can follow
orders,” he says dubiously.
Sara grins and kisses his cheek, “I'll remember that for next time.”
They continue talking for an hour or so before he walks her back to her quarters
and they both settle in for the night.

The next morning everyone is up early, busy trying to dress for the coronation
and the wedding ceremony. Several enlisted soldiers are at the gates, greeting
the dignitaries that have arrived from several branches of the alliance in
support of Fala and Keith’s coronation. Everything is set up on the balcony at
the front of the castle so that as many people as possible are able to catch a
glimpse of the newly crowned Queen and her King. Raible has ordered all of the
GoLion team, save Keith to stand to the side as witnesses to the crowning. The
guys are shifting a bit as the time fast approaches, none more so that Shorty,
who has his own reasons to be nervous.
“Would you stop squirming so much, you look like a worm on a hook,” Lance
grumbles under his breath.
“I'm a little nervous,” Shorty retorts quietly.
Hothead chuckles, “All right you two, we promised to behave. Shorty, I know
you're nervous, but I think you should look just a bit to the left of Raible,
then you'll see you have no reason to be nervous,” Hothead says with a hint of
amusement.
Both Shorty and Lance look in the direction he suggests and Shorty gasps as he
spots Tammy in her dress. Her hair is pulled back, and she has a string of ivory
and pink pearls on her neck. She sees him looking and smiles his direction
nervously. “Wow,” both Shorty and Lance say at the same time. 
“She looks beautiful,” Shorty says barely above a whisper.
Lance smirks, “Just think, she's all yours in a couple of hours. Though I
thought she'd be in white.”
Shorty glances at him, “What do you mean by that?” he quips.
Lance goes to say more when Raible clears his throat, indicating that the
ceremony was starting.
After a long speech, and the pomp and circumstance of vowing their loyalty to
the Altean people, Fala and Keith are officially crowned as Queen and King of
Altea. The crowd erupts into cheers and the newly crowned couple go to the edge
of the balcony and wave to the people. Lance looks around and notices Noriko
heading towards them. He starts to go to greet her when she is suddenly at
Fala's side, then grabs her and vanishes. Everyone stares in shock, taking a
moment for the concept to sink in. Shorty looks towards Tammy who looks pale,
but is looking for any sign of Fala or Noriko when screams erupt from the ground
below. Everyone turns to look and below they see a cat similar to Akuma
launching towards the crowd, grabbing a person it it’s jaws, crushing them.
Several of the soldiers rush in, trying to distract the beast so that others can
get away. They fire their weapons, only to find that it just enrages the cat
more. Lance starts looking around wildly for any sign of Fala or Noriko when
Keith appears at his side, “We need the lions, Lance. We will get her back and
deal with Noriko.” 
Lance nods as he takes off for the control room, grabbing the key on his way to
his lion. He is soon in the air, only to find that the cat he knew as Akuma has
significantly grown in size and ferocity, “What the Hell is it?!” he asks to
no one in particular.
“I think it used to be that little cat of your girlfriend, Moody.”
“Gee, you think? Did the two tails give it away?” Lance replies
sarcastically as he fires lava at the cat, trying to draw it away from the
crowd.
Hothead fires several missiles at it, but they prove to be ineffective 
“We need a plan,” Shorty says as he tries attacking the beast head on,
grabbing it with the lion's teeth, but almost immediately being thrown off and
hitting a group of trees.
“You sure know how to pick 'em Lance,” Hothead says, enraging Lance
further.
“Yeah, I get it, all right?! I was played, it's not like you saw this coming
either!” he replies coldly.
“This is no time to be arguing amongst ourselves. We need to focus on keeping
the people safe. We need to get this cat away from here. Then we need to find
Noriko and see if we can figure out where she's taken Fala,” Keith states,
trying to hide his anger and concern. Just then, the cat launches into the air
and grows twice the size of the lions, “This is not good,” Keith says. “We
need to combine.”
“Uh, Chief, we can't! Fala is the only other pilot we had on the planet. I
don't think we can call Saber to come and help out,” Hothead says as he is
grabbed in Akuma's teeth and slug into the side of the castle. “Damn it!” he
screams after the impact.
“This isn't good,” Lance says soberly. He starts looking around for Noriko,
dodging Akuma's attacks towards him. Narrowly being missed a few times, he sees
something on the radar. “What the?”
“Sorry I'm late. Raible had to find the key for me,” A female voice chimes
in over the com-link.
“Tammy?!” Hothead and Lance yell simultaneously.
“Hello, guys!” She replies, “It looks like you could use some help.”
“How...When did you learn to fly a lion?!” Lance asks astonished.
“Hiroshi's been teaching me, with the King and Queen's blessing, of course,”
she replies.
“You knew?!” Lance asks.
“Yes, Fala and I thought it would be a good idea, just in case something
happened. Although, this wasn't the 'just in case' we were thinking of at the
time,” Keith adds dryly. “Now, let's combine and finish this cat off. Then
we can find Noriko.”
“Right!” they all reply at once. They combine into the robot GoLion and
Akuma immediately charges. They dodge the attack and manage to fire at it,
hitting it. Akuma screeches in pain then lunges at the red lion arm of the
robot, piercing the metal.
“Damn cat!” Lance says firing his lava beam, causing Akuma to release him.
They continue fighting, finally wearing the cat down after a while. They form
their sword and as the Akuma launches at them, they slice it in half, the
carcass falling to the ground and disappearing in a plume of smoke and fire.
“Well, that's the end of the cat, now we need to find Noriko and Fala,”
Keith says anger apparent in his voice. They separate and land the lions at the
head of the cliff near the castle. The crew all climb out of the lions and for
the first time, they all see Tammy in a purple and white uniform. 
“What happened to your dress?” Shorty asks coming up beside her.
Tammy removes her helmet, revealing a cut across her face, rather close to her
left eye, “I took it off when Raible went to get the key and I changed into
this uniform. It's got a little blood on it from where I got this cut.”
Keith comes over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Thank you for coming
to our aid. I know we made the right choice.” He looks at her wound, “You're
going to need to get that looked at when we're through.” 
She nods and they turn their attention to the valley below. There is Fala, a
knife to her neck, Noriko holding it perilously close. 
“Give me the keys to the lions and I'll release her,” Noriko says her voice
cold and emotionless. 
Lance glares down at her, anger apparent in his eyes, “You used me!”
“After a while, yes; but initially, it was Noriko that won you over. Once I
killed her and took on this form, it was easy to keep your trust,” she
replies, with a hint of amusement. “You humans are so fickle with your so
called emotions. You want to believe that everyone can live in peace. Well, that
just isn't the case. Your emotions will be the end of you.” She presses the
blade against Fala's neck, causing a bit of blood to trickle down. 
Lance joins her down in the valley, his hands balled into fists, every muscle
tense from anger, “How long have you been Noriko? Has it been you from the
start? What are you?” he asks coldly, paying no attention to Fala, focused
solely on the woman he knew as Noriko.
The woman laughs, “You actually cared for that waif? She wasn't worth it. I
did you a favor. My name is Sakaki, human,” she says as her form changes,
showing a similar woman with raven black hair, and skin that is a bluish-white
color. Her eyes turn yellow and her lips a dark purple with fanged, vampire-like
teeth protruding from them. “Feels good to be myself again,” she says as her
body finishes its’ transformation.
Lance pulls out his blaster and points it at the woman, while from above he
hears the cries of protests and ignores them, “Let her go. This is between
us.”
Sakaki laughs, “You are just a pawn in this game. But to answer your question,
I killed her about six months ago; before she had a chance to back out of seeing
you. It was easy to get you to fall for her once I saw you save her. I'm the one
who sent the men to attack her.”
Lance's eyes go dark and he fires at her, hitting her hand. The blade she was
holding to Fala's neck lurches back cutting into her flesh a bit more before
falling to the ground, “I said let her go,” he says coldly.
Sakaki grabs Fala's arm tighter and smiles evilly, “We'll see you around,
Moody. For now, your queen has a date with my queen,” she says as they
vanish.
Lance lunges for them, barely missing Fala as they vanish. He drops to the
ground and punches the dirt, screaming in frustration.
The others finally reach him and Keith places a hand on his shoulder. “We'll
get her back, Lance,” he says trying to sound more sure of himself than he
feels.
He looks up to Keith, “I'm sorry.” he mumbles barely audible. “This is my
fault.”
“No, it isn't. Now pull yourself together and let's regroup. We need to head
to the castle and see if we can figure out where she took Fala and who her queen
is. That may help us find out where she's gone.”

Back at the castle, Raible is trying to sort out the day's events. The team
returns to the control room and Shorty has someone tend to the gash on Tammy's
face. Once they are all changed, they gather in the board room to decide on a
course of action.
Keith looks to Tammy and sighs, “I suppose you won't be getting married
today,” he says apologetically.
Tammy nods, “I know that, Your Highness. We will when this is over. Perhaps
then everyone can be here.”
Shorty takes her hand as he sits beside her, his eyes focused on hers for a
moment before speaking, “How would you feel about Raible marrying us now, and
then having a ceremony when this is over?”
Her eyes widen in shock for a moment then she nods slightly, “I think given
the situation, that is an agreeable solution. I think my mother would
understand.”
Shorty nods and looks around the room, “Are there any objections to this
idea?” He looks to each of the others, trying to read their expressions. After
a moment, they all nod their heads slightly in agreement, and everyone looks to
Raible. “Would you be agreeable to this, Raible?”
Raible studies the couple for a minute before speaking, “Given this situation,
I think it is a wise idea. Ms. Tammy has already shown her desire to protect the
people of Altea, so I say we do this now, and as you stated earlier, we'll have
a real ceremony later.” He looks around for objections and when none are
raised, he indicates for Tammy and Shorty to stand before him. He goes over the
basic vows and marries them. Afterward, they all return to the control room,
looking for any signs of Sakaki or Fala.
Shorty gets on the computer and starts typing away furiously. After several
minutes, he stops, looking up at the large screen. “I think I may have found
her.”
Everyone comes over to where he's typing.
“Where?” Keith asks.
“Judging by the location of her communicator, she's apparently headed towards
Orb and Calvary Command.”



                      Kapitel 23: When It All Comes Down
                      ----------------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 23:  When It All Comes Down

Saber arrives at Calvary Command about the same time as Fireball, April and
Colt. They are gathered in Commander Eagle’s office, waiting to be briefed on
the situation.
“So how’s Amanda, Saber?” April asks trying to lighten the mood.
Saber looks up from his thoughts, “She’s fine, or was until I left,” he
replies quietly.
April studies his face for a while, trying to read him. “You care for her,
don’t you?” April asks.
Saber stares at her for a minute before replying with a slight nod “Yes,” he
replies quietly, barely above a whisper, “I do.”
Commander Eagle comes into the room and they all stand up in greeting, sitting
down when he does. He looks to each one, his eyes meeting theirs for a moment.
He takes a deep breath before speaking, “All of you know that the PLANT colony
of Sextilis was destroyed a few hours ago. Captain Zala of Orb is sending the
little bit of information they have to us. They are amassing their forces to try
and be ready for whatever is coming. We need to be vigilant, that means all of
you must remain here, unless somewhere close is threatened.” Each of them nods
their head, acknowledging the truth in his statements. He looks to Colt, “I
know this is difficult for you, in light of your son and Robin being elsewhere,
but I think they are still safer where they are than rather than here.
“I know they are, Sir,” Colt replies.
The commander looks to his daughter, her hand tightly holding Fireball’s, fear
obvious in her eyes. “We will win this. We have come too far to fail,
April,” he says trying to sound sure of himself.
“He’s right. With everything we have been through, we have to believe in our
abilities and the technology that we have,” Saber offers. “We will find a
weakness and exploit it.” 
The room falls silent for several minutes, each person sorting through their own
thoughts. “We should do a bit of scouting. We need to know if she has any one
closer to us that Orb. She could be trying to draw all of us out,” Saber says
thinking aloud.
A beeping noise is heard and everyone looks up. Commander Eagle opens the
com-link and Keith's face appears. “This is Commander Eagle, go ahead.”
Keith looks around the room and notices they are all there and takes a breath
before speaking, “Fala has been taken by someone who works for Merla. They are
headed in your general direction in some sort of transport. Fala is injured,
although we aren't sure of the severity of her injuries.” His tone is fairly
serious and it's obvious that he is trying to stay objective.
Saber is the first one to speak, “How were they able to get close enough to
take her?” he asks.
Keith cringes, “She had someone infiltrate into our trusted people. They
killed a woman and had someone replace her. We didn't know until it was too
late.”
Saber nods grimly, “So you are headed this direction?” he asks, getting a
nod from Keith. A beeping is heard and the screen splits into two. The other is
a radar showing a rather large fleet heading in the direction of Calvary
Command. “Well, it looks like we've got company coming,” Saber adds dryly. 
Keith nods, “We'll be heading your general direction. Take care; I'm not sure
just what this witch has at her disposal.” The connection closes and the
satellite images show three battleships, flanked by several smaller fighters. 
“There are dozens of them!” Colt says annoyed.
“They are headed right for us,” April says.   
Commander Eagle stands up, “We need to start the evacuations to the shelters
and send up some sort of defense.”
They all nod in agreement. “Let us head out and see if we can slow them down.
Perhaps we can buy enough time for everyone to evacuate safely,” Saber says as
everyone stands up. Commander Eagle heads quickly out of the room, the others
following him out before turning in the opposite direction, towards the hangar
area.


The Eternal is launched towards the battleships that are hovering perilously
close to Orb. Lacus is at the helm, Kira and Athrun ready to launch in their
suits when ordered. They are flanked by the Archangel, and several other fighter
ships. They come up even with the ships, no one seeming to want to fire the
first shot. They are waiting somewhat impatiently for something to happen when
an image of a woman holding Fala appears on their communication screen. 
“Do not try and stop this ship or the queen will die,” Sakaki says
perilously. They can see that Fala is injured, blood trickling slowly from her
neck, and she is looking a bit pale. 
“Kill her! Save your people and mine,” Fala says before being thrown to the
floor and collapsing.
Several gasps are heard from the crews of the Eternal and the Archangel. Lacus'
face becomes cold and emotionless, “You have caused harm to one of our allies.
She has requested our aid, and we will oblige her request and protect our people
and hers. You are responsible for killing millions of innocent lives without
provocation, and for that you will pay.”

As she says this, Mobile Suits are launched from both ships. Kira and Athrun are
in their suits, they are joined by Mu and Shinn from the Archangel. They start
destroying ships quickly before the enemy has time to react. A firefight breaks
out seemingly very one-sided at first, the advantage being for Orb and the
Mobile Suits. Just as they think they have the upper-hand; several dozen more
fighters appear from nowhere and begin combining. 
“This isn't good,” Kira says over the com-link. “Where are they coming
from?”
“I'm not sure Kira, but we need to break them apart or we don't stand a
chance,” Athrun replies.
“They just keep multiplying,” Shinn grumbles, firing at any enemy fighter he
can.
Soon the combined robots have grossly outnumbered the Mobile suits and they
attack several to one. The suits quickly begin taking damage. 
“We can't keep this up, Athrun,” Kira says taking another hit. “We destroy
two and four more show up from nowhere.”
Suddenly, there is a flash of light and a large portion of Orb's support fleet
is obliterated. The Eternal narrowly manages to evade the beam. “What the Hell
was that?!” Athrun says looking around wildly. They look to where the light
came from and see a large cannon type laser gun mounted to a huge battle ship.
“Surrender or meet the same fate as your comrades,” Sakaki says as she
begins charging up the ray once more, pointing it towards Orb. “This ray can
take out most of your forces, and decimate a good portion of your colony. I
recommend surrendering now, while I'm feeling generous.”
At the last comment, Kira, Athrun, Lacus, and Shinn all go into their SEED
modes, their pupils shrink and their iris' expand, their natural abilities are
heightened one-hundred fold. The three Mobile Suit pilots begin simultaneously
destroying a large number of ships, faster than what is seemingly possible.
Sakaki fires up the ray and it fires towards Orb. Mu jumps in front of the ray
in his suit and it appears that he absorbs the brunt of the attack. 


The Bismarck crew quickly launches and almost immediately engaged in fighting.
“Damn!” Fireball yells as he's hit, knocking him back a little before he
regains control and starts shooting down enemy crafts. “They’re
everywhere.”
“No kidding,” Colt says as he dodges an onslaught of firepower, narrowly
avoiding being hit.
“Okay boys, we need to come up with some sort of plan,” April says trying to
get them to focus. A large explosion is heard and she glances to her screen and
gasps, “We just lost three ships. Let’s do something!”
They start firing rapidly at the enemy ships, but seem to be making little
headway. “We need to combine. Perhaps then we can use the larger blaster and
do more damage,” Saber says.
“Right,” the others reply and begin the combination sequence. The Bismarck
robot is formed and they immediately pull out the blaster and start firing,
hitting several of the ships at a time.
“This is more like it!” Colt says as they continue shooting down ships.
The battle ensues, with the Bismarck seeming to be at the advantage when they
see several larger robots coming towards them.
“This doesn’t look good,” April says nervously.
The largest robot fires its weapon at them, hitting them and knocking them back.
They all scream as they fight to regain control. They return fire as they right
the robot only to find they are now surrounded by several large robots. One of
the robots pulls out a sword and slashes towards them; they dodge, narrowly
avoiding being hit.
“Separate! We stand a better chance!” Saber yells and they break into their
individual suits again. They spread out, April heading back from the battle,
firing her cannons at one robot that is in pursuit of her.
Colt activates his METEOR and starts making little work of destroying one large
robot and breaking apart several others.
Fireball and Saber are each deep in their own battles, neither side seemingly at
any advantage. This continues for a long time, enemy robots reappearing as
quickly as some are destroyed.
On the ground at Calvary Command, Commander Eagle is leading people into
underground shelters. He orders any available fighter pilots to launch and
assist the Bismarck crew in any way they can. After making sure that the people
are as safe as possible, Commander Eagle goes to the command center, to see how
he can be of assistance. After being briefed by the soldiers that are already
there, he starts watching the radars when he notices a rather odd configuration
of ships perilously close to the English Federation Colonies, “Can someone get
me a visual on this cluster here?” he says pointing to the area near Saber’s
home. 
“Yes Sir,” A soldier replies and starts typing furiously. After a minute or
so, an image appears that makes the soldier’s face pale, “Sir, you need to
see this!”
Commander Eagle hears the fear in the soldier’s voice and comes quickly,
looking over his shoulder, “What have you found?” The soldier points to what
seems to be a floating asteroid. A few ships are looming close to it, but
nothing looks unusually threatening. “That’s nothing abnormal.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about, Sir,” The soldier replies. “It’s
what’s on the asteroid that worries me,” he finishes as the visual comes up
of a large nuclear laser cannon that is pointed towards the area where the
soldiers including the Bismarck crew are fighting.
Commander Eagle lets out an involuntary gasp. “Get me on the com-link, now!”
he yells as the soldier scrambles to comply. “This is Commander Charles Eagle,
if you can hear me, get out of the area quickly; the enemy has a nuclear weapon
ready to fire at you! Abort the mission.” Just as he says this, the laser is
powered up and fires a small shot. The room falls silent as all anyone can do is
watch as several of their fighter ships are destroyed. April manages to pull
back, but is hit, flinging her down towards Calvary command and severely
damaging her ship. Colt misses being hit by the ray, but the force of it locks
up his suit and he is suspended in space, unable to move. Fireball is knocked
into another ship, causing the ship he hit to catch fire. His suit takes some
bad damage and he is knocked unconscious. Saber turns just as the laser fires
and narrowly escapes the beam. He is blown backwards, spiraling out of control
several hundred yards. Many of the ships that had just been close to him were
obliterated, including enemy ships. Saber drifts in and out of consciousness,
his vision blurred as he tries to make heads or tails of what’s happened. 


Just as it seems hopeless for Orb, the ray explodes in an expansive ball of
light, destroying a large number of enemy ships and a few of Orb's fighter
ships; the force of the explosion also causes the battleship that the ray was
mounted on to crash towards Orb. Lacus' orders the Eternal to follow the
descending ship, and after it crashes, a few of her crewman board the wrecked
aircraft and search for Fala. After several minutes Andrew Waltfeld finds Fala
unconscious and bleeding, and carries her out of the wreckage. 
GoLion arrives just before Waltfeld comes out carrying Fala. They land close to
the wreckage and Keith is the first out of his lion. He meets Waltfeld at the
ship and takes Fala from him, moving closer to the lions he lays her down,
trying to assess her condition. As this is happening, Shinn, Athrun, and Kira
finish off the few remaining enemy ships before landing beside Eternal. Mu's
suit comes out heavily damaged, but he manages to return to the Archangel, as it
hovers protectively above the Eternal and the allies on the ground. Athrun, Kira
and Shinn land close to the lions and the wreckage. After they land the Mobile
Suits, Athrun starts to lead Kira into the wreckage of the ship to search for
any other survivors. 
“I’m coming too,” Lance says, anger and rage apparent in his voice. Athrun
goes to object when Lance holds up his hand and shakes his head, “That witch
killed a woman I cared for. I plan on making her pay for that. You can try and
stop me, but you would have to kill me to do that.”
Kira touches Athrun’s shoulder and nods slightly, indicating to Athrun to
allow Lance to accompany them, “Let him do this. It’s not worth arguing
over.”
Athrun turns to Lance, “Let’s go,” he says as he turns around and leads
them into the ship. They reach the command center and find Sakaki crumpled in
the corner. Several of her crewmen are around her attempting to guard her. 
Lance enters the room first and aims his blaster towards Sakaki, “You will die
here.” He fires a blast towards her, one of her guards leaps into the way,
protecting her, and dying from the injury. “You have millions of deaths on
your hands,” Lance continues as he fires another shot, striking her in the
shoulder. She winces in pain, but watches him as he approaches, his eyes cold
with rage. He fires once more, but misses when she manages to barely move from
the spot. 
“You will not survive beyond today, human. I’ll take you with me,” Sakaki
says an evil smile on her face.
Lance shrugs, “You think after everything I’ve seen that I’m afraid of
death?” He laughs bitterly. “At this point, if I take you with me, then my
death will not be wasted.”
An alarm starts blaring and the doors begin to close to the control room.
“Self-destruct will commence in t-minus sixty seconds,” an automated voice
says.
“Lance! Let’s go!” Athrun yells as he struggles to keep the door from
closing, Kira carrying a badly injured woman in his arms.
Lance turns and fires his blaster once more, hitting Sakaki in the neck then
runs to the door, just barely making it through before Athrun loses his grip on
it.
“Self-destruct will commence in t-minus thirty seconds,” the automated voice
says, continuing the countdown.
Athrun, Kira, and Lance run as fast as they can trying to make it out of the
wrecked ship before it explodes.
“Self-destruct will commence in t-minus ten seconds,” the automated voice
says, continuing the countdown, “nine, eight, seven, six…two, one…” The
explosion begins from the center of the ship; They are at the entrance when the
force from the explosion throws them several hundred feet. They manage to roll
behind some rocks, but then they black out from their injuries.
Shinn rushes over, Hothead and Shorty in close pursuit; Athrun wakes first and
looks around, “The ship?” he asks still a little disoriented.
“It’s gone. You barely made it out,” Shinn replies as Kira and Lance start
coming around. He takes the woman from Kira and rushes her to the Eternal for
medical treatment.


Amanda is outside with the children when a few of them start commenting on the
'shooting stars'. Curious, she comes over and looks in the direction they are.
After watching for few minutes, her heart stops as she realizes that they are
probably seeing pieces of things re-entering the atmosphere from a battle. Soon
larger pieces start coming down and appear to be getting closer to the village.
She notices a couple of soldiers coming towards the town, they stop at the first
lands near the edge of town and appear to be talking. After a minute or two, the
people in the fields start yelling and the soldiers continue on, arriving at the
edge of the school yard. Amanda walks quickly over to the soldiers.
“Ma'am, we need you to take the children to a designated shelter. There have
been things falling from space because of fighting, and we cannot guarantee your
safety outside of a shelter,” a young soldier says, trying not to sound
frightened.
Amanda nods, “Of course sir,” she replies trying not to sound frightened.
She turns around to the children, who are coming closer to her and the
soldiers.
“Hey, you don't have a horse like Captain Rider. Is he okay?” One of the
older boys asks before several questions are thrown to the perplexed soldiers
all at once.
“Children, go and gather your things. We need to go to the shelter down the
street quickly,” Amanda says forcefully, ceasing the onslaught of questions.
The tone of her voice sends the children running to the school house to gather
their things.
“Thank you both for venturing this far to warn us of danger,” Amanda says to
the two soldiers.
“The children mentioned knowing Captain Rider, does he come out this way?”
the older of the two soldiers ask curiously.
Amanda nods slightly, “He was here when the attack began. I just hope he's all
right.”
“Well, we've not heard of him being hurt or killed, so I would take that as
good news, Miss.” the older soldier says as he turns his horse towards the
town, “Stay safe. There are tunnels underground from the individual shelters
that lead to a large area where families can reunite. Someone will get word to
you when it's safe to come out.”
“Yes, thank you,” Amanda replies absently as she rushes to the school house
to gather her things and the children. The soldiers take off, to warn others of
the impending dangers from the battle going on above them.
They all gather at the front of the school house and head to the closest
shelter. There are already many other people gathered. Once everyone is
accounted for, a tall heavyset man closes the doors and bolts them from the
inside.
“How will we know when we can leave?” Amanda asks nervously.
“Someone from Calvary Command will come through the tunnels and let us
know,” the man replies before heading off to help secure other areas.
Amanda takes the children to an area free of people and they all sit down and
begin talking, waiting for word from their families.


Lance sits up, holding his head and looks around. He notices that he is no
longer on the ground. He looks to his right and sees Fala on a cot with Keith
sitting beside her. She looks pretty beat up, but the constant beeping of the
monitor indicates that her vitals are good. To his other side the woman that
Kira was carrying is laying still on the bed, hooked up to various pieces of
medical equipment, most of her face covered in bandages.
Keith notices Lance's movements and turns towards him, “How are you
feeling?” 
Lance swallows trying to wet his mouth before answering, “Like I've been
through a bomb going off.” he says barely audible.
Keith chuckles, “Well, that's an accurate description. You're damned lucky to
be here. All of you are,” Keith replies quietly, glancing towards Fala.
“How is she?” Lance asks, looking towards Fala.
“She'll be fine,” Keith says. 
“What about her?” Lance asks, looking briefly to unknown woman in the bed on
his other side.
“I'm not sure. We don't even know who she is at this point. She needs help
breathing, and she has some sort of infection in the gash on her face, so the
doctors are treating that. I think I heard Lacus say that she has some broken or
fractured vertebrae as well,” Keith replies.
“Where are we?” Lance asks, looking around.
“We're at Orb's base. Kira and Athrun were injured, though not badly, they are
up and about already. Both you and Fala are stable, so we are trying to find out
how things are at Calvary Command.”
“How long has it been?” Lance asks, not sure he wants to know the answer.
“Three hours,” Keith replies.
Athrun comes into the room and clears his throat, causing both of them to look
up at him. “I just spoke with Commander Eagle at Calvary Command. Evidently
Merla has attacked them and they are not faring well. He has lost contact with
the Bismarck crew and they have lost numerous ships. Kira and I feel that we are
well enough to go and try and be of assistance,” Athrun says.
Keith looks to Lance, who starts disconnecting the leads to his monitors,
“Let's go. Tammy can still pilot Blue Lion, right?” Keith nods and Lance
stands up, looking a bit unsteady, but refuses help. “I'm fine. If they need
our help, we should go and do what we can. They would do the same.”
Lacus comes in, followed by Kira. “I'll stay with Queen Fala. Nothing bad will
happen while you're gone,” she says placing a hand on Keith's shoulder. 
Keith gives her an appreciative look and turns to Lance, who is suiting up,
“You sure you're up to this?”
Lance nods, “Let's go end this once and for all.”
They go to the control room where the other team members are waiting. They all
look up surprised to see Lance. “I thought you'd be in bed, Moody.” Hothead
says.
“And miss the fun?” Lance replies sarcastically.
Athrun taps the table to get everyone's attention. Once everyone is looking his
direction he pulls up some images on the screen, “The information we've gotten
is sketchy at best. Commander Eagle says that Merla has a laser cannon bigger
than the one we destroyed here. She evidently fired a test shot and wiped out a
rather large chunk of Calvary Command's reserve fighters. The Bismarck crew was
caught in the fire, but they all seemed to be alive, though possibly
unconscious, as no one is replying to repeated requests for contact. Several
people look around the room to see shocked and worried faces.
“Let's get going then. The sooner we can get there, the better the chance of
helping them,” Lance says. Several people nod in agreement.
Athrun turns to Shinn and Mu, “You two stay here in reserve, in case we need
back up or if there are more people that try to attack.” They nod. “Let's
move out.” Athrun says to the others, who follow him to the hangar and take
off towards Calvary Command.

Saber is startled awake by laughter. Confused and disoriented, he looks around.
He sees a lot of debris, he looks over himself, but doesn't see much blood, so
he starts scanning the radar and image screens. He spots Merla on top of her
battleship, she's in what appears to be a type of Mobile Suit, only a bit larger
and she is working on aiming her cannon. 
“Ah, you're finally awake,” Merla says, appearing on Saber's screen.
“You're just in time to watch the destruction of your precious base and the
two nearby colonies.”
“You can't.” Saber stammers, his eyes becoming glazed over with rage.
“I can and I will, then I'll kill you. After you watch the demise of your
home,” Merla replies laughing. She reaches the base of the laser cannon and
begins firing it up, aiming it right between Calvary Command and Saber's home
colony. “After this I destroy this, no one will dare oppose me.”
Something inside Saber snaps. His pupils shrink and his iris expands, his
breathing becomes shallow and steady. “I will not allow you to destroy any
more lives. You have killed countless lives, all for your own gain, without
provocation. You killed my family, and many other families, none of which can be
brought back. This ends here and now, Merla,” Saber says, voice dripping with
rage.
Merla laughs, “You think you can stop me? You're all alone, human. Your
comrades are either dead or unconscious. All of you together couldn't stop me
before, why do you think you can do it now?” she says taunting him. She aims
the ray and fires, moving back as it releases.
Saber instinctively places himself in front of it, his suit heating up, then a
blast so strong it blows Merla farther back, the beam deflects back to the
cannon, destroying it. In that instant, Saber notices a button to his right, he
hits it and Colt's METEOR detaches from his suit and reattaches to Saber's,
“Now, you will pay for all of this needless death and destruction.” He fires
the METEOR towards her, barely missing her, but decimating the remnants of her
fleet. He draws his sword as she comes at him, firing her weapon at him, the
shots deflect she realizes a split second too late. Saber pulls his sword back
and slices her suit in half, then follows through a second time, causing her and
the suit to explode. 

Just as he moves in front of the beam, The GoLion crew and Athrun and Kira get
close enough to see him deflect the beam, destroying the cannon. They are about
to contact him when they see the METEOR detach from Colt's suit and go to Saber,
“What the Hell?” Lance asks astonished.
“Athrun?” Kira asks.
“I think so, Kira. This should get interesting,” Athrun replies. “Stay
back, he may not be aware that we're not a threat. We should pull back a bit and
just watch what transpires,” Athrun says to the group with him.
“What's going on, Athrun?” Keith asks.
“It's hard to explain...But right now isn't the time. Perhaps when this is
over,” Athrun replies.
They all watch as Saber destroys Merla and her remaining forces. After Merla's
suit explodes, Saber ceases movement. 

Saber looks around unsure of what exactly came over him. He looks around and
sees no sign of the attack, other than debris. Scanning his screens, he notices
that Calvary Command looks fairly intact, with a few exceptions of debris that
has fallen from the battle. He sees Colt's suit and goes over to him.
“Colt?” he says hesitantly. “Colt, can you hear me?” Saber says,
sounding a bit more worried when he gets no reply.
Just then, his screen comes to life and Commander Eagle appears, he sees that
Saber is alive and seemingly unhurt and relief washes over his features.
“Saber, what happened?”
Saber looks a bit bewildered, “I wish I knew exactly, Sir. It's a bit of a
blur. I remember Merla saying she was going to fire that cannon and I saw it
power up, after that, I remember feeling anger, and fear of losing everyone I
care for and something just...snapped. Next thing that I consciously remember is
looking around and the cannon being gone, and Merla exploding with her suit.”
Colt comes around when he hears talking and looks on his screen. “What's going
on?” he asks.
“She's gone, Colt. We're safe,” Saber replies, still not entirely sure of
what happened himself.
“The others?” Colt asks, referring to April and Fireball.
“Shinji has yet to answer us, but he is alive. April was hurt, but she will be
fine,” Commander Eagle replies soberly. 
“Hey, that was one helluva battle, Saber,” Lance says piping in over the
com-link.
“I don't remember much of it, Lance. Although I'm glad that we won. I see you
are all fine, as you have all of the lions once more,” Saber replies.
“We are mostly all okay. Fala is on Orb in their sickbay,” Keith replies.
“Then who is in blue lion?” Saber asks curious.
“My name is Tammy, Sir.” she says as her image pops up on the com-link.
“She's my wife, Saber,” Shorty says grinning as he appears on the screen.
Saber smiles, “Then congratulations, and I'm glad that you've found someone to
help fill in when necessary.”
“What is going on? Where's April?” Fireball asks as he becomes aware of his
surroundings.
“Good, you're awake. Can all of you land here at Calvary Command?” Commander
Eagle asks.
“Yes, Sir!” they all reply in unison.
A few minutes later, they are all in the hangar of Calvary Command. Commander
Eagle looks over the remaining crew of the Bismarck. He notices they are all a
bit beat up, Fireball is favoring a leg, and Colt an arm. He looks at Saber,
noticing a cut on his head. “You should probably all go and be checked out at
the medbay,” Commander Eagle says to the crew. Fireball and Colt nod and leave
for the medbay. 
“Sir, I know there was some damage here, what about the outskirts?” Saber
asks a bit apprehensively.
“We know that there was some damage, but we don't know to what extent,” the
commander replies. “I am sending out some soldiers to investigate.”
“I wish to go and check on Amanda myself, Sir,” Saber replies, concern in
his eyes.
Commander Eagle studies him for a minute before replying, “I want you to be
checked out first, then I will allow you to go and check on her, if we haven't
heard anything by then.”
Saber goes to protest, but the commander gives him a look that means no
arguments, he sighs knowing it's of no use to argue and heads for the medbay. He
enters the area and is immediately led by a nurse to a bed. After a while, the
doctor comes in and begins stitching up his head, “You're very lucky, Captain.
You could have fared much worse.”
“How is April, doctor? I heard that she was hurt pretty badly.” Saber asks.
“She has a couple of broken ribs, a mild concussion, and some bad bruising,
but she will be all right,” the doctor replies. “Colt has a fractured radius
and ulna on his right arm, but we will cast it and he will be all right. Shinji
has a moderate concussion and some bruised ribs, so he won't be able to pilot
for a few weeks. Overall, considering the severity of the battle and how many
were killed, all of you were extremely lucky.” He finishes stitching him up
and cleans the dried blood from around the wound, “You will have a bit of
bruising close to your eye, but you don't seem any worse for wear. I'd be
careful of your knee though, it looks a bit swollen. It's probably just a bad
sprain. So walk carefully on it.”
“So I am clear to go and check on some people in the village?” Saber asks
hopeful.
The doctor looks at him closely for several minutes and is just about to speak
when Athrun appears in the doorway, Kira not far behind him. They both look up
and the doctor nods, allowing them to enter before returning his attention to
Saber, “If you have someone accompany you, I will allow you to do so.” Saber
starts to protest, but the doctor holds up his hands, “I don't want you alone
in case you have a mild concussion or some other issue that has yet to present
itself. You can agree to my terms or I will admit you as a patient here.”
Saber nods, acknowledging defeat. The doctor turns to check on his other
patients, leaving Saber alone with Kira and Athrun.
“We need to talk...” Athrun begins as he and Kira sit down beside Saber's
bed.



                        Kapitel 24: A Long Time Coming
                        ------------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 24:  A Long Time Coming

Amanda is sitting with a group of adults and children, shuffling her feet
restlessly. A few of the children are playing with a ball not far from her feet,
rolling it between them. She watches them for a while, jumping occasionally when
she feels some dirt fall on her from the cavern above. The children start
getting restless when a few of the adults bring around some food and drink.
“This is all we can pass out for now,” an older man says apologetically.
Amanda takes her portion and smiles, “I'm grateful for anything you have, sir.
Has there been any news from above?”
The man looks around and seeing that the children have joined their parents for
food, he steps a bit closer to Amanda and whispers, “We have heard a few
reports, Miss Kelly. It doesn't sound good.” She struggles to keep her
features neutral and he continues, “The enemy has some sort of super weapon
and it wiped out a lot of our ships.”
“What about the Bismarck?” she asks barely able to speak.
The man looks at her sympathetically, “We know at least part of it has fallen
back to the ground. It took a lot of damage. I don't know what or who was in the
part that fell.” He sees her stiffen at his words, on the brink of tears and
he quickly adds,  “The pilot was alive at least, so there is hope for
that.”
Amanda tries to relax and nods an acknowledgment of thanks to the man. He turns
and continues passing out food to other people throughout the cavern. Amanda
goes and sits down in a fairly remote corner, eating her food in silence.
Several hours go by with no word from above. The cavern shaking fiercely on
occasion, causing several people to become hysterical with fear. Eventually,
they are calmed down and people try and make small conversations, as if nothing
unusual is happening around them. She is almost asleep when she senses someone
approaching her. She looks up to see three of her students looking frightened.
She pats the ground beside her and they come and sit down.
“Miss Kelly, are we going to be all right?” the little girl asks, fear
obvious in her voice.
Amanda looks to each child in turn and nods slightly. “I think we will be,
eventually. We are strong people and we can get through this,” she replies
trying to sound positive.
“What about Captain Rider? I heard my father say that at least part of the
Bismarck ship was severely damaged,” the older of the two boys asks.
Amanda swallows hard before replying, “Captain Rider is careful, so I'm sure
he's fine,” she says hoping she sounds more sure than she feels.
They all lapse into their own thoughts, the little girl curling up into her lap
and falling asleep. Gradually over the next several hours the shaking and
rumbling diminishes. After several hours of nothing, Amanda stirs at the sound
of voices. She gently wakes the sleeping girl and they both go to find the
child's mother. After reuniting her with her family, she heads for a group of
adults that are talking in low whispers. 
A man stops when he sees her approach and looks to be sure no children are with
her before continuing, “I will take several of you up with me.” He looks to
Amanda, who is looking at him hopeful and nods, “Yes, Miss Kelly, I will allow
you to be one of the first to go above ground.” 
She smiles her thanks and listens as the others make plans to check for above
ground shelter and food supplies and similar things. After what seems like
hours, she and a group of ten others are called together to go to the surface. 


Athrun and Kira look to each other, then to Saber, who is watching both of them
closely. Athrun takes a deep breath before speaking, “What do you remember
about the battle, Saber?”
Saber thinks for several minutes, closing his eyes, trying to remember what
transpired, “Well, it's still all a bit of a blur, but I remember Merla saying
she was going to fire that cannon towards Calvary Command and that it was large
enough to hit the other colonies nearby. One of those being my home. I have a
vague recollection of seeing her power it up, after that, I recall feeling this
pure anger, and a fear of losing everyone I care for and it was like something
just...snapped. Next thing that I consciously remember is looking around and the
cannon being gone, and the flash of an explosion. Then looking around and Merla
is gone, and so much debris.” He releases a breath he didn't realize he was
holding and look up to see both Kira and Athrun watching him with a sympathetic
look. “What happened?”
“Well, it's something rare called SEEDing. It can happen to someone who is a
natural, but it is a little more common among coordinators. You basically
reached a state of  heightened reflexes and extremely quick information
processing. It was probably triggered when Merla basically threatened to kill
off you and everyone you care for. It's like you became so enraged, that your
body exceeded its' normal capacities and fueled your desire to protect yourself
and everyone else.” Saber looks at him a bit shocked.
“What is unusual in your case, is that you seemed to be in control of your
mind. You told Merla that you would end the battle and that she was the one who
would die,” Kira adds. 
“That is not common when someone is in SEED mode. Typically, when a person has
SEEDed, they don't speak, they are on 'autopilot' for lack of a better term.
Their natural reactions are multiplied a hundred-fold and they can do things
above even what some would think possible,” Athrun adds, getting an even more
bewildered look from Saber.
“So am I...dangerous? Could I unintentionally hurt someone I care for?”
Saber asks, not sure if he wants to hear the answer.
Athrun shakes his head, “I don't think so, Saber. When you SEEDed, as soon as
the threat was over, you came out of it. That is a good thing. It means that you
have some natural talent to control it, not everyone does.” 
Saber relaxes a little. “So what now?”
Athrun smirks slightly, “Try not to let anyone piss you off.”
Saber laughs, “I'll try and remember that.” He holds his ribs and winces
slightly.
“Are you okay?” Kira asks, noticing the movement.
Saber shakes his head, “It just hurt to laugh, I'm probably a bit bruised up.
Nothing major. I feel fine other than a headache from where I was cut
somehow.”
A knock at the door and they look up to see Commander Eagle and Hothead at the
door. Kira and Athrun stand up. “We'll see you in a little while. We need to
contact Orb. Let us know if you have more questions,” Athrun says. 
Saber nods, “I will. Thank you.” They turn and leave the room, allowing the
commander and Hothead to enter.
“So, what did the doctor tell you?” Commander Eagle inquires.
“That other than the head wound and bruising, I seem fine,”Saber replies.
“What about you going off to the village?” the commander asks.
Saber sighs, “He says I can't go alone. Just in case I have a concussion or
something that hasn't shown up on the tests or something yet,” he mumbles,
obviously a bit mad at the situation.
Commander Eagle looks at him slightly amused, “So ask someone to go with
you?”
Saber gives him a look, “Like who? Everyone is injured and mostly
bedridden.”
“I could go, Saber,” Hothead replies. “Keith, Lance, Shorty, and Tammy are
planning to return to Orb, but I could go with you. It would be better than
sitting in a sick bay for hours on end.”
Saber musters a smile, “You're not afraid of being with me after the
battle?”
Hothead smirks, “I don't plan on pissing you off, so I figure I'm safe,.” he
retorts.
Commander Eagle laughs, “We heard a bit of the conversation with Kira and
Athrun. So we know that you aren't a menace, Saber. If I honestly thought you
were a danger to yourself or anyone else, I'd have you locked up. I don't feel
that is the case.”
“Thank you, Sir. I am relieved to hear that,” Saber replies. “Has there
been any news from my home or the outer villages?” Saber asks.
Commander Eagle shakes his head, “Nothing from the villages, though I have
sent soldiers out to tell them that it's safe to come out of the shelters and
inspect their properties. I have spoken with Thomas, and he says that they got
very minor damage. None of it to structures, just on the grounds around the
estate. He did say that a few buildings on the colony were damaged or destroyed.
So it seems they fared far better than here.”
Saber nods, processing the information before looking up to Hothead, “Are you
sure you won't mind coming with me?”
“Of course not. It should be far more entertaining to see you and Amanda hook
up again than to sit with a bunch of sick and injured people,” he replies
grinning.
Saber smiles, “Funny.” He looks over to Commander Eagle, “Sir, may we take
one of the patrol vehicles? I figure if there is a lot of damage, a normal car
might not fare well and I know I'm not up to riding Steed.”
The commander looks amused but nods, “Probably a good idea. But may I suggest
that you change clothes before you leave, Saber.”
Saber looks down and notices blood on various places of his uniform and nods,
“Thank you, Sir. I'll see that I change before we head out.”
Commander Eagle studies him for a minute then gives a nod of approval, “Be
careful, and come back as soon as you can, all right?”
“We will, Sir. I'd like to be able to return home for a while as soon as it's
safe to do so,” Saber states.
“Yeah, with Amanda in tow, I bet,” Hothead says, getting a 'shut up' look
from Saber.
Commander Eagle hides a smile and turns to leave, “Check in with me once you
return, both of you.” he looks between the two men and then leaves.
Saber gets up from his bed slowly, “Let's go to my quarters so I can change.
Then we can leave, unless you need to do anything before we depart.”
“I'll go and tell Chief that I'm going with you. How about I meet you at the
hangar area in say, fifteen minutes?” Hothead replies.
Saber nods, “I'll see you then.” They both leave, heading in opposite
directions.

Amanda is at the back of the group as they slowly approach the doors leading to
the surface. “I don't remember there being so many steps when I came down
here,” she thinks to herself as they ascend a flight of stairs. The head of
the group reaches the door and with help, they get the bolt off and the doors
are swung open, letting in blinding sunlight. She covers her eyes for a minute,
allowing them to adjust before going up the final bit of stairs, joining the
others as several people gasp at the sight before them. Amanda exits the shelter
and looks around. The landscape she sees is nothing like what she remembers. She
involuntarily gasps, placing her hand to her mouth. “Did we come out the same
door we went in at?” she asks barely above a whisper.
“Yes, ma'am. This is the same place we went into the shelter from,” The
older man from before replies. “Over that way should be the school and your
cottage,” he points to an area where there is a charred building, and about
half of a structure still standing. Pieces of the schoolyard fence are still
standing, but not much else, including trees.
She slowly walks towards where her home and job had been. She turns towards the
horizon in the direction of Calvary Command and sees huge plumes of smoke. Her
heart starts racing and she feels weak, so she sits down on a large piece of
debris not far from where she's standing. 
One of the fathers of her students approach from behind, “I'm sure someone
will allow you a place to stay, Miss Kelly. Not all of our houses are
destroyed.”
She turns and looks at him, “I know I'll be all right, thank you. I'm just
worried about...”
“The Captain that's been visiting you lately?” the man finishes with a
sympathetic smile.
She nods, allowing tears to fall, “Yes. I've not heard from him and if it
looks this bad here, I can't imagine what the base must look like.”
The man nods, “Try and think of it as 'no news is good news'. That is how I am
thinking. I have a son who is a cadet, and I've not heard from him either.”
“I pray that he is all right. I'm sorry for sounding so selfish,” she says
quietly, getting a chuckle from the man.
“You have every right to be, Miss Kelly. Just as I do. I would hope if I were
gone off fighting that someone would care so much for me as you do your young
man,” he says getting a smile in return.
“Thank you,” she replies quietly as she stands up to go and inspect the
what's left of the school.
“Come see me if you need a place to stay. I'll make sure we find you a place
until things settle back down.”
She nods and heads for the remnants of the schoolhouse. She goes to her desk,
one of the few pieces of furniture that is still recognizable and begins sifting
through it.
“It appears that you kept your promise and went to a shelter,” a tired male
voice says from behind her, with a hint of amusement.
Amanda turns her head around quickly and spots Saber leaning against what's left
of the doorway to the schoolhouse. She gets up quickly and runs to him, crying
in relief and he pulls her against him, relaxing in relief that she seems
unharmed. She feels him wince in pain and she pulls back, finally looking at him
and gasps, “You're hurt. Please, come and sit down.” She drags him over to
the single chair not scorched and he sits down, obliging her, a hint of
amusement on his face. Hothead watches the spectacle, trying not to laugh.
Amanda looks over him and starts to speak several times, but is unable to find
the right words.
Finally, Saber takes her hands and makes her stop and look at him eye to eye,
“Amanda, I'll be fine. Please, just relax, all right? I'm just glad to see
that you are safe.” he says quietly, watching her closely, trying to be sure
she really isn't injured.
She sits on the edge of her desk, tears falling looking him over, “How badly
are you hurt?” she finally manages to ask, looking at the stitches on his
head.
Saber is quiet for a minute, trying to think of the best way to answer, “Well,
you see the cut I have,” she nods and he continues, “I think I have some
bruised ribs, I don't think any are broken, if they are, it didn't show in the
scans they did. My knee is swollen, so it's either sprained or dislocated
slightly, but I can walk on it. I have a bit of a headache and bruising around
my left eye, probably from whatever cut me. So I may have a mild concussion,
hence the reason I had to have a chaperone.” he adds indicating Hothead, who
is still hanging close to the doorway watching the couple with amusement.
“Overall, considering how bad it got, I could have come out much worse.”
Amanda nods, taking a breath before speaking, “What about the others?”
“Well, April I think is the worst, her ship was knocked to the ground and she
has several injuries, but the doctor said that she will be fine. Colt has a
broken arm and a few other ailments, and Fireball has a pretty good concussion,
all of which will heal over time. We lost a lot of good soldiers though,”
Saber finishes quietly.
Hothead walks over to them, “Saber is the one who finished off Merla, so at
least we know it's over.” 
Saber gives Hothead a warning look for saying more than he wanted said.
Amanda looks between them, “What do you mean?”
“He killed her. If he didn't, all of us would have been nuked with that cannon
she was firing,” Hothead replies getting another warning glance from Saber.
Amanda notices the look from Saber and places a hand on his shoulder, “You did
what you had to do, Saber. I won't ask any more questions. Maybe one day you can
tell me, but I can see that it's not something you wish to discuss right now. I
can understand that.”
Saber takes her hand from his shoulder and pulls her closer to him into a half
embrace, his eyes meeting hers, “Thank you for understanding, Amanda,” he
says barely above a whisper. He looks around the remains of the schoolhouse,
“It looks like you don't have a job right now. What do you think you want to
do?” he asks, almost sounding unsure of her answer.
Amanda looks almost startled at the question, “I honestly haven't had any time
to let it sink in,” she replies looking around at the ruins of the school and
in the direction of where her cottage once stood. “I literally have just what
I can carry.”
“Why don't you come back with us?” Saber asks quietly. 
Amanda turns and looks at his face, seeing that he's serious, “You wouldn't
mind?”
He smiles, “I actually want you to come back with us, but I know that it is
ultimately your decision. I don't want you to feel like you have to come.” he
adds quietly.
Amanda studies his face for several minutes, starting to speak several different
times, each time stopping to try and find the right words, she sees that he is
hopeful, but willing to be resigned to any decision that she makes. “Well, I
don't have anything here, would I stay someplace at Calvary Command?” she
asks, not sure what exactly to say.
Saber nods, “You can stay there if you wish. I heard Commander Eagle saying
that he would be allowing people who have lost everything to live in base
housing while things are rebuilt, in exchange for their help with the rebuilding
efforts. I'm sure if you wanted, you could be a teacher on base for the
children.”
“What about you? What will you do now that...” she starts to ask and stops.
“I suppose I'll go home for a while and see what happens,” he replies.
“You are welcome there too, if you wish to come.” He watches her face for
some sort of reaction, he sees her smile slightly and continues, “I would like
for you to come back with me. You have some things there already, so it wouldn't
be a problem. I'm just not sure how long I'll be at Calvary Command before I can
go back home.”
Amanda nods, “I want to be with you. If it means staying at Calvary Command,
I'll do that. If it means going back to your estate, I'll do that too. I just
don't want to not be around you again. I love you too much to risk losing
you.” she says quietly, fighting back tears. 
Saber smiles, “I love you too, Amanda,” he says quietly, running a finger
across her cheek, wiping away the few tears that have fallen. He kisses her
briefly, when Hothead clears his throat.
“We probably should be going, Saber. It's getting dark and I don't think
driving around in all of this is a good idea,” Hothead says, adding with a
smile, “Although I'm rather enjoying this little conversation you two are
having.”
Amanda blushes slightly and Saber gives him a look of amusement and carefully
stands up, “Do you need help gathering anything else?”
Amanda shakes her head, “This is all I can salvage,” she says holding up her
small bag. “The rest is scorched, charred, or smells too bad to bother
with.”
He nods and they slowly make their way back to the vehicle, she tosses her bag
into the back seat and climbs into the back. They then head back towards Calvary
Command.


“So Chief, why did you let Hothead stay at Calvary Command?” Lance asks as
they exit their lions and start walking through Orb's base.
Keith shrugs, “He said he wanted to go with Saber so that he could check on
his girlfriend in the village. I figure we know that Merla and her forces are
gone; so him taking one more day shouldn't be too hard on us. It's not like
we're heading back to Altea today or anything.”
Lance nods and they continue on towards the sick bay, where Fala is still
resting. They enter the room and see Lacus and Kira talking quietly. Both look
up and nod as they enter.
“How is she?” Keith asks, concern evident in his voice.
Lacus smiles, “She's doing well. We have backed her off of the pain meds, so
she could be waking up any time now. She seems to be healing well. I think the
infection she had is gone now.”
“What about the other woman?” Keith asks, nodding towards the other bed.
“She has been awake some. We have learned that she was captured by Sakaki, the
one who captured Queen Fala. The little bit of information she has given us
indicates that she is probably Altean. She has endured a lot of abuse, but she
seems to be healing now. I think given time, she will recover physically and
emotionally,” Lacus replies. “She still has not given us her name, saying
she doesn't remember it. It could be a form of post-traumatic amnesia.
Hopefully, her memory will return over time.”
Keith goes and sits beside Fala, taking her hand in his. She squeezes it
slightly, but shows no other sign of waking. He sits there, watching her sleep,
not sure what else to do. 
Kira gets up and starts to leave when Lance stops him. “Tell us about Saber,
please. What happened to him?” Lance asks, blocking the doorway.
Kira sighs and looks between Lacus, Keith and Lance for a minute before taking a
vacant chair and sitting back down between them. “He did what’s known as
SEEDing. His mental and physical abilities were extended beyond his normal
limits, and well beyond most anyone else. It is what allowed him to do what he
did. He is not a danger, if that's what you want to know.”
Keith nods, processing the information. Lance looks over Kira's expression, then
moves from the doorway, so that he can leave if he wants, “Thank you for
explaining it. I know there is more to it than what you've said, but you have
given us a good enough explanation.”
Lance notices that the unknown woman is stirring, so he walks over to see her,
he studies her features, thinking he's seen her before, just not sure where.
Keith looks over from Fala's bedside and Lacus comes over beside Lance, checking
the woman's vitals.
She slowly opens her eyes and looks around groggy and dazed. Her eyes meet
Lacus' who gives her a reassuring smile, and then her eyes meet Lance's. She
looks into his eyes and her eyes widen in shock, “I...I know you. We've met
before, haven't we?” she asks, her voice barely audible.
Lance's face falters when he hears her speak, “N...Noriko? You're alive?” he
asks shocked.
She looks at him confused, “That might be my name, but I can't remember,”
she replies embarrassed.
Lance shakes his head, trying to clear it, “Don't try and force your memory.
It'll come back eventually. We're all friends here, so you don't have to be
afraid.”
She nods slightly and yawns, “My head hurts and I feel sleepy. Can we talk
more later?”
He nods in reply, “Of course. Get some rest. My name is Lance, if you need
anything and Ms. Lacus isn't here.”
“Thank you,” she replies quietly as she drifts back to sleep.
Lance walks over to Keith and sits down beside him, “I don't know what to
think after last time.”
“I think it might actually be her, Lance. We can run her fingerprints against
the Altean citizen database, if she will allow us to. But, it would have to wait
until we go home. I don't think we can get to it here,” Keith replies.
“Shorty or Tammy might could, but I think they may be a bit preoccupied at the
moment,” Lance says with a smirk.
Keith chuckles and shakes his head, “I'm not even saying a word. I don't want
to think about what you are insinuating.”
Lance laughs. “Oh, come on. You and I both know-” A male voice clears his
throat and Lance stops and looks to the doorway to see Hothead grinning.
“Aw, don't stop talking on my account,” he says getting a look from Keith.
“How is she?” he asks, nodding towards Fala.
“She'll be all right. She squeezed my hand when I took hers earlier. So
perhaps she'll wake up soon.” Keith replies. Hothead nods. “How are things
at Calvary Command?”
“Well, they all took quite a beating. But Commander Eagle said that since they
are all awake, he would allow them to fly to Saber's estate to recuperate
tomorrow. They have good doctors there, so that would free up beds for others
that are worse off than they are. I'm not sure who will fly the ship to his
home, since I think all of them have at least a mild concussion. I might
volunteer to do it, as I could load my lion into the transport, and fly it back
here after we arrive,” Hothead replies.
“Did Saber find Amanda?” Lance asks.
Hothead smiles, “Yes, he did. She is going back with him.” He laughs, “I
doubt she will let him out of her sights for a while, not that I see him
complaining about it. I loved the look on her face when she turned around and he
was there. But the relief he had knowing that she was all right was obvious
too.”
 
A few days pass and Fala is awake and talking. Shorty manages to get access to
their databases and with the woman's permission, he scans her fingertips and
runs them. After what seems like hours, a match displays and he calls Lance and
Keith into the room. 
“Well?” Lance asks impatience nagging at him.
“See for yourself,” Shorty replies, pulling up the screen.
Lance and Keith gasp in shock. “It is her,” Lance says barely above a
whisper. “But Sakaki said she'd killed her.”
“She obviously lied, Lance. She wanted you to lose control and probably die
too trying to avenge the death,” Keith says, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Why don't you go and talk to her. Tell her what we know. Don't force anything
on her, just state the facts. Who knows, perhaps she'll remember you eventually
and you will get a second chance.”
Lance nods and leaves for the sick bay.
Keith looks over at Shorty, “So, are things going okay for you?” he asks as
casually as possible.
Shorty blushes slightly and nods, “We told her mother.”
“And?” Keith presses.
“She understood. She wasn't thrilled, but she understood. She still wants us
to have a wedding ceremony once we are back on Altea.”
Keith smiles, “I'm glad it's worked out for you. I'm glad Tammy is here. She
will make a good member of our team.”
“Thank you, Chief,” Shorty replies.
Keith leaves and heads back to check on Fala.


The ships land on Saber's home colony and everyone slowly exits the ships. Robin
holding their son, Thomas, Elaine, and Josh are all waiting at the hangar when
they come down the ramp. Robin and Josh rush over to Colt, eying him carefully.
He kisses Robin briefly and then kisses his son's head and nods to Josh, who
gives him a relieved smile. April and Fireball slowly make their way to the
waiting van, Thomas coming over to offer assistance. 
Elaine comes over to Saber and Amanda, her smile wide, but looking over Saber
carefully, noticing his injuries. “Saber, will you be all right?” she asks
worried.
He offers a weak smile, “Yes, Elaine. I will be. We all will be. It will just
take time.”
Hothead comes over and places his hand on Saber's shoulder, “I need to be
going. We're leaving for Altea in a few hours.”
Saber nods and smiles, “Please have a safe trip and thanks for everything.
Give our regards to everyone.” Hothead nods. “Perhaps after everyone is
well, we can all get together again to have a real vacation,” Saber says with
a smile.
“I hope so. See you soon, Saber. Take care of her,” he says grinning and
nodding to Amanda.
Amanda smiles, “I don't think you need to worry about that. I'm not going
anywhere.”
They all three laugh and Hothead turns and goes to his lion, taking off for
Orb.
Saber and Amanda make their way to the van and they all head for his estate.



                          Kapitel 25: One Year Later
                          --------------------------


Transformations…
Chapter 25:  One Year Later


“So, how much longer until we're there?” Tammy asks shifting uncomfortable
in her seat.
Lance laughs, “Not much longer. Maybe a half hour.”
“We'll be there soon, Tammy.” Shorty says, holding a small sleeping child in
his arms. 
“I'm not used to being in such cramped spaces,” Tammy grumbles, getting
laughter in response.
“It's a transport ship, surely it's more comfortable than the lion,” Lance
retorts.
“Yeah, but I'm not in control,” Tammy replies.
Fala laughs a young boy in her arms, “I wonder how everyone is doing. I can't
believe it's been so long since we've seen each other. I wonder if they have
changed as much we have.”
“Okay team, I've got clearance to land. Our ETA is five minutes,” Keith
says. “Everyone fasten in...as best you can,” he adds as an afterthought.
“Ha ha, Chief. So funny,” Tammy retorts, getting laughter from the rest of
the group.


“Come back here, Richard!” Colt yells, running after his young son, the
child squealing in delight.
April is watching him, laughing at the sight.
“That very well could be you and Fireball in a year or so, you know?” Robin
says laughing, her hand touching her protruding stomach.
April looks up and smiles, “Yeah, I know. It's funny how things change. It all
seems so long ago.”
Robin nods, “Yes, it does. Well, most of the time anyways.”
Fireball comes from inside the house, carrying a tray of food, followed by
Elaine and Thomas.
“What's all that?” April asks curiously.
“We will soon be having guests, Ms. April,” Thomas replies with a smile.
“Who's coming?” Robin asks as Colt joins the group, holding a squirming
Richard in his arms.
“We aren't quite sure. Master Saber and Lady Amanda wouldn't tell us. I can
tell you that it will be a few people, as we were asked to get several rooms
ready for guests,” Thomas replies.
“Where are Saber and Amanda anyways? I've not seen them at all today,” April
says.
“They went out at dawn, came home briefly, then left to meet the guests. They
should be back fairly soon,” Thomas replies with a smile.


The transport arrives and the GoLion team and guests descend the ramp. Almost
immediately Lance spots Saber and Amanda standing to the side, his arm around
her waist. They are talking with Lacus, Kira, and Athrun. They wave and he waves
back. 
“Who are they, Lance?” A woman asks curiously, holding onto Lance's arm.
“That's Saber and Amanda, Noriko. He's the one that killed Merla,” Lance
replies. “Amanda is his...well, I'm not exactly sure what they are, but
obviously they are closer than the last time I saw them,” he adds with a
smile. “The others are from Orb. The pink-haired lady holding the kid is
Lacus, the one beside her is Kira, and the slightly taller one to his left is
Athrun.”
Hothead isn't far behind Lance, Sara holding tightly onto his arm and looking
around wide-eyed, “Wow, I've never been off of Altea before. What are we going
to be doing here, Seidō?”
Hothead laughs, “Anything we want. We're on vacation.”
They all meet down at the bottom of the ramp and Keith makes introductions for
Noriko and Sara. 
“It's nice to meet both of you. This is Amanda, my wife,” Saber says
smiling.
Fala smiles, “You're married?!” Saber and Amanda nod. “When?” Fala
asks.
“It's been what, seven months now?” Saber asks looking at Amanda, who nods.

“Something like that. It seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?” Amanda
replies.
“Yes, it does,” Saber replies. “But in a good way.” he adds laughing at
the looks from the others.
“So, did you have a large wedding?” Lance asks.
“No. Just the two of us, Thomas, Elaine, and the Prime Minister; who performed
the ceremony, that’s how we wanted it,” Saber replies. 
“Were the others upset?” Hothead asks curious.
“Perhaps a little at first, but we did it while they were all away at Calvary
Command, it was sort of a spur of the moment thing,” Amanda says as they start
walking to the van.
“Spur of the moment?” Lance asks looking over Amanda with a smirk.
“Not because of that!” Amanda retorts giving him a look. “We just decided
we wanted to get married that day while we were out riding, so Saber made a
couple calls, and we did it that afternoon,” Amanda says. “The others came
back a few days later and we told them then.”
Everyone loads up in the van and they head for the estate. There is constant
talking throughout the ride and they arrive before anyone realizes it. Everyone
goes inside and then meets later for a meal. Afterward, they are all gathered in
the back courtyard talking when Fala notices Amanda and Saber quietly slip away
from the group. Curious, she makes sure that Keith has their son and she follows
them to see where they're headed.

“Saber, Amanda?” Fala says as she comes around a corner. She stops when she
spots them, sitting with their their backs against a brick planter, talking
quietly. Amanda turns to face her when she hears her approaching. 
“I'm sorry,” Fala says, noticing Amanda's serious expression. “I'll talk
with you later.”
“It's all right, Your Highness, you can come over if you wish.” Amanda
replies quietly looking tired.
Fala nods and comes to where they are sitting; she looks down at them and sees
that they both look rather tired. “Are you all right, Saber?”
He looks up and smiles a weak smile, “I will be. Sometimes things are still a
bit, overwhelming.”
Fala sits down in front of them and looks to them both with a worried
expression, “What's going on?” She looks between them, waiting for an
answer.
Amanda looks to Saber who nods slightly, “Well, since we came back from
Calvary Command, Saber hasn't always been sleeping well. It's getting better
than it was. When we first came back, we were in separate rooms, as we had been
before.” Fala nods and Amanda continues, “One night, I couldn't sleep and I
came out to get a drink, and I found Saber in the study. We started talking and
I found out that he'd been having nightmares, which meant he wasn't really
sleeping.”
“I'd been having flashes of what happened in the battle with Merla,” Saber
adds quietly. “Some of it was rather graphic; I could see the other ships
being destroyed, the faces of the pilots of the ships, it was like the
heightened senses that happened when I snapped subconsciously picked up on all
of it. Almost like I was some omnipotent third person seeing everything from my
own point of view and the unknown all-seeing third person. The dreams were so
real that I could even smell the fires from the explosions. It got to where I
wasn't sleeping again, like after the first attack, and one night, other people
were up later than usual so I asked Amanda to sit with me in my room and we
talked for a while. We eventually fell asleep, her beside me. The next morning,
I woke up and she was still with there, sleeping against me. It was in that
moment that I realized I had slept all night for the first time since I killed
Merla. I wasn't sure if it was because of her being there with me or not, but I
remember how peaceful I felt. I knew then that I wanted to ask her to marry me.
I waited a few weeks before saying anything to her. We fell asleep talking
several times in the study, only to have Elaine come in and wake us early in the
morning before anyone else got up. Anyways, I recently started having flashes
more frequently again. This time even while I was awake. I'm not sure what
brought it on, but we just came out here to talk about it. It seems to help to
do so.”
Fala nods, “Perhaps it's because of us coming to visit that has done it? Maybe
that has brought the memories back to the surface, I'm sorry if that's the
case.”
Saber shakes his head, “It has been happening off and on for a while now, it
might be a bit more noticeable right now, but it will pass. This is just how we
deal with it.”
“Besides, we wanted to avoid being there when most of the others are drinking
the wine,” Amanda adds quietly.
“Oh? Why's that?” Fala asks, a smile forming.
Saber smiles at her and nods, “We found out for certain this morning.”
“So no more going out for our morning rides for a while,” Amanda says with a
sigh.
Saber kisses her cheek, “We'll find some other excuse to escape the house for
a while. Eventually, we'll have to tell the others, but I think we'll wait for a
while.”
Amanda smiles and takes his hand, “I figure let them wonder for a while;
it’s fun watching them try to figure out what we’re up to.”

They talk for a while longer before returning to the party. Fala filling them on
on the various events on Altea, including the birth of their son. A few people
look over curiously at their arrival, but no one asks any questions. Varied
conversations continue throughout the evening, passing around the children that
are born, and some lighthearted teasing of the obviously pregnant women, Tammy,
Robin, and April.
“So, when are you due, April, Robin?” Tammy asks.
“I have about two months left this time,” Robin replies, her hand on her
stomach.
“It could be anytime in the next few weeks. You?” April replies.
“About five more months. I'm surprised they even let me come, since they were
afraid of my having problems.” Tammy adds laughing.
“Like you would have let me bring Daniel with us without you.” Shorty adds
as he leans down and kisses Tammy's forehead and scoops the boy from Tammy's
arms and taking him towards Keith and Colt, both who's children are sitting on a
blanket playing with a ball.
Lacus comes over to where the women have gathered, holding a small girl in her
arms. “It looks like most all of us are parents now.” She says cheerfully as
she sits down and plays with the child on her lap.
April laughs, “Yeah, I would have lost a bet with Colt though.”
“What do you mean?” Lacus asks curious.
“Well, when I found out I was pregnant, we went to Calvary Command so we could
tell my father, and fill out paperwork and such. Colt, Robin, and Josh came with
us to show off Richard to father as well, and to gather some personal
possessions they had left behind to bring here. Josh has also registered for the
cadet academy. He starts in a couple of months, so that is good. Anyways, when
we came back, I was leaving my room rather early and saw Amanda and Saber come
out of his room together. It seemed like they had been together all night. So
when I got down to the kitchen and saw them talking, I noticed their rings, and
I said something. They told me they got married while we were gone on the spur
of the moment, so of course I assumed it was because Amanda was pregnant.
Evidently, I was wrong, because she would look like me now if she had been.”
Lacus smiles and shakes her head. “I don't see either of them marrying just
because of something like that.”
“That's what Colt said too. And I told him I thought that she was because they
were always disappearing in the mornings and such, so it seemed, convenient.
Glad he didn't take me up on that bet,” April replies with a smile.
Lance and Noriko come over and sit with them. “So, were you surprised when you
found out about Saber and Amanda?” Lance asks looking to Lacus.
“I was happy for him. I know he has had to overcome a lot, including losing
another woman he was engaged to before. So I was glad to see that he looked so
happy when we arrived. She seems like a nice woman and they both seem to really
care about each other. She seems to know about everything that has happened, and
she still chose to be with him, so I hope it all works out for them,” Lacus
replies.
“It was amusing after the battle ended with Merla, he was so eager to check on
her, that he wanted to forgo being checked out by the doctor. Commander Eagle
refused to let him go until he did. It was funny to me, knowing he was so eager
to see that she was all right he was like a trapped animal barely able to wait
to be set free. Hothead said their reunion was rather touching though,” Lance
says.
“Oh?” April asks interested.
“Yeah, he was saying that Saber was rather tense during the drive there,
because the closer they got, the worse the area looked,” Lance begins.
“Are you talking about the road trip I took with Saber?” Hothead asks as he
and Sara join the group, Sara sitting in the last vacant chair.
“Yeah. I was telling them your take on how Saber is with Amanda,” Lance
replies. “It's a much better story if you tell it, since you were actually
there, so go ahead.”
Hothead looks around and sees Amanda and Saber deep in conversation with Fala
and Keith, so he smiles and starts telling the story, “Well, as Lance said,
Saber got more and more tense the closer we got to the village. I was glad he
let me drive, probably only because of hurting his knee did he let me. Anyways,
once we are in the village, we go towards the place where the schoolhouse is, or
was rather. We pull up and he looks where her cottage should have been and sees
just a smoldering slab and some huge chunks of metal debris. I saw him start
looking around and he got out and started for the remains of the schoolhouse. He
gets to the doorway, and I knew he saw her and she was alive because his body
relaxed. I got out and was close behind him when I heard him make some remark
about her actually doing as she promised. She whirled around and as soon as she
saw him she practically tackled him, almost knocking him over.” he says,
trying not to laugh. “He winced in pain and she immediately pulled away from
him and looked over him, she realized he was injured and drug him to a chair to
see just how bad it was. By this time, he was grinning at her and grabbed her
hands, making her stop and look at him. She had tears flowing down and started
asking for a rundown on him and everyone else. If anyone he knew was killed or
hurt, things like that. She seemed genuinely concerned. I could see him checking
her out to be sure she wasn't hurt either. He eventually mentioned that he
wanted her to return with us, and ultimately going back to his home with him.
They talked for a bit longer, eventually both of them admitting that they were
in love with the other. I about fell over when Saber said it to her. I honestly
wasn't expecting such an admission from him. The rest of the story, I'm sure you
can figure out for yourselves,” he finishes with a grin.
“That is rather sweet,” Sara says quietly.
“I just wish I could have been there. I would have loved to have seen the two
of them like that. Not too many people are brave enough to try and give orders
to Saber,” Lance says laughing. “Especially after how he finished the war by
himself. That was rather,”
“Frightening?” Saber offers, causing Lance to jump and the others to look up
at him. He laughs and shakes his head, “You know, if you want to talk about
me, you shouldn't be so loud about it,” Saber says amused.
“I was just-” Lance stammers.
“It's okay, Lance. I'm sorry that you saw what you did, I'm sorry that it took
that to end it,” Saber finishes quietly.
“But it's over now, and we have all survived, so we move on, right?” Amanda
says brightly, trying to change the direction of the conversation.
Several heads nod in agreement, and people start breaking off into varying
conversations once more about life changes in general.

A couple weeks later, everyone is preparing for their trips back after having
time to fully relax. Everyone is gathered talking when Saber and Amanda come
into the room from their quarters. The conversations stop as everyone looks up
to see both of them smiling.
“You two look rather happy this morning,” April says.
“Well, we thought we'd talk to everyone at once, before everyone leaves for
their homes once more,” Saber begins as Commander Eagle enters the room from
the kitchen. “We wanted to share with you that we are going to be parents.”
April grins, “Really?!” Amanda nods, smiling. “How far along are you?” 
“About three months, according to the tests the doctor did,” Amanda
replies.
Several other people offer congratulations, to them and gradually everyone
leaves to take the visitors to the hangar for departure, leaving Saber and
Amanda alone as they sit down and rest from all of the commotion.
“Well,” Saber says sounding amused, “I think they were surprised that you
weren’t pregnant sooner.”
Amanda lays her head against him and he places his arms around her, she looks up
at him and smiles, “We should have started a betting pool against everyone. We
could have made some money off of them.”
Saber laughs and kisses her lightly, “That wouldn't have been a fair bet,
Amanda.”
“So?” she says as innocently as possible. “You know they all thought we
were together before we married. It would have been an easy win.”
He smiles at her, “I don't make fool's bets. It's not right to do so.” They
laugh and talk for awhile, enjoying the peace of the empty estate before the
other live-in guests return.



                   Kapitel 26: Epilogue: As the Years Go By
                   ----------------------------------------


Transformations…
Epilogue: How the Years Go By

Nearly six years have passed since Merla was killed and peace was restored. No
other major threats have appeared and life has continued for everyone. Fala and
Keith rule Altea together and are enjoying their two children, their son, Akira
age 4, and their daughter, Elena age 2.  Altea has thrived in the years of
peace, and the monarchs are well loved by their people. Shorty and Tammy have
three children, two sons, Daniel, age 5 and Andrew, age 2, and  daughter, Anna
age 4, and Tammy will soon add one more to their family. Hothead married Sara
and they have a daughter, Samantha who is 2 years old. Lance and Noriko have
been married for a couple of years. All of them are living on Altea near or in
the castle. Colt and Robin have two children, their son Richard, who is 6 years
old, and a daughter, Megan, who is 4 years old. They are living on Saber's
colony on some land that Saber gave them to have their own farm. Fireball and
April are living at Calvary Command, where April still works as as scientist.
They have a daughter Shizuka, who is 4 years old. Lacus and Kira live on Orb and
help out where they are needed. They have two children, a daughter, Flay who is
4 years old, and a son Jyou, who is 2 years old. Athrun still works closely with
Orb on peacekeeping projects. He is not currently married to anyone. Saber and
Amanda are living on their estate and as is their yearly custom, the GoLion
team, the team from Orb, and the crew of the Bismarck, and their families, are
all gathering to mark the yearly anniversary of the end of the war and celebrate
the lives of their growing families. This year they have gathered at the Rider's
estate for the first time since the one year anniversary. They are also marking
the opening of a new Calvary Command cadet academy not far from Saber's home,
named in honor of his father.

There is a group of children playing in the yard. The adults have gathered in
the backyard, sitting around talking as they watch the children playing. 
“So Athrun, are you ever going to get married?” Lance asks getting a look
from Athrun.
“Perhaps eventually. There is a girl that I've seen more on than off lately.
Her name is Meyrin Hawke. Meyrin and I have seemed to find mutual ground, so who
knows what will happen in the next year or so?”Athrun replies.
Noriko comes out and joins the group, plopping down into an empty seat, “I
don't know how anyone could have more than one child,” she says out of breath
as she tries to find a comfortable position to sit in.
Tammy laughs, “You still have a few months yet, I'm sure you'll be fine. You
tend to forget the actual discomfort of being pregnant once you hold your child
for the first time.”
“You would know, wouldn't you?” Lance says with a smirk.
Tammy glares at him and throws a cushion at him, he ducks and the pillow hits
Hothead instead. He starts to get up when Tammy starts laughing, “You wouldn't
hit a pregnant woman, would you?” she asks giving him her best 'puppy dog
look'. 
He walks over and smiles, taking the pillow and says “After three, you're
exempt.” as he drops it on her head, and then walks off as if nothing is
amiss. Several of the others are laughing when Saber and Amanda come out
followed by Keith and Fala. Saber is holding his son Dylan, and their twin girls
Eryn and Mackenzie come running up to them when they come out.
“Can we eat now, daddy?” Mackenzie asks hopefully.
“The food will be out shortly, Kenzie,” Saber says smiling down at her. They
sit down with the group and the girls run back out to play.
“It’s good that we can find the time to get together like this,” Lacus
says as she watches the children playing happily.
“Yes, it does seem rather hard to believe that we've had five years of
peace,” Fala says thoughtfully. “But that is why we get together, to
remember the price of peace.” Several heads nod quietly agreement. “So many
were lost needlessly, that is why we must always be ready, just in case. As much
as I hate to say it, one day it will be up to the children to protect our way of
life.”
The adults all fall silent until the food arrives, watching the children play
without a care in the world. As the food is set out and everyone is gathered to
eat, they have a moment of silence and then scattered conversations as the meal
progresses.

Later that evening, Saber and Amanda enter their room after making sure the
children are settled into bed, they are changing and unusually quiet. 
“Are you all right, Saber?” Amanda asks, eying him with concern.
He looks over to her and nods, “I’m fine, Love,” he replies walking over
to her and hugging her from behind.
“You’ve just been unusually quiet tonight,” she replies, placing her hands
on top of his.
“I’ve just been thinking about things,” he replies quietly.
“Oh?” she asks, turning around to face him.
He nods slightly, “I've been thinking about how differently my life has turned
out than how I thought it would have say, six years ago.”
“Good or bad?” she asks curiously.
He shrugs, “Perhaps a little of both, honestly. Bad in that I lost my parents
and Sincia,” Amanda involuntarily flinches at his words and he brushes a hand
across her face and then pulls her close, “but good in that I met you, Amanda.
I wouldn’t trade this life we have together for anything.” He feels her
relax a bit and continues, “My life is different than I thought it would be
before the fight with Merla. But, if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have what I
have now. I wouldn't have grown as a person. I would have married for duty and I
would have loved her, I did love her. But it's not the same way that I am in
love with you.” He sighs trying to compose his thoughts as they go and sit
down on the edge of the bed and he takes her hands in his and he meets her gaze,
“I'm not even sure if this makes any sense. I guess this dedication has
brought up these memories. My love for you is deeper that I thought love could
be. I can say anything to you, I can talk freely with you and you'll listen,
even if it isn't interesting to you. I don't have to worry about what you're
thinking, I can usually tell by looking at you, something I had heard others say
was true, but until I met you, I never believed. So I can honestly say that war
has transformed my outlook on life and my idea of what love is. I know it has
changed my priorities. I understand that there is a time for duty, but that
it’s okay to allow your feelings to show; and that showing emotion doesn't
necessarily equate to weakness. Something I wouldn’t have allowed myself to
admit to six years ago. Back then it never would have occurred to me that I
could meet someone by chance and end up falling in love. I am glad that it
happened, I just wish that it hadn't come at such a heavy price.”
Amanda nods and kisses him briefly, “I know what you're trying to say, Saber.
So many have lost loved ones and so many lives were forever changed. I know that
my life has turned out nothing like I expected either. I never planned on
getting married, let alone having children. I never planned on falling in love,
I always thought it was meant for other people, not for me. So when I met you, I
never imagined that we'd actually end up like this. If someone had told me six
years ago that I'd be married to a legendary member of the Bismarck team and
living in a castle with three kids, I would have laughed until I was unable to
breathe.” Saber smiles at the statement and she adds, “So I suppose we have
all undergone our own transformations.”




Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)