Disclaimers: Gundam Wing characters and concept are property of their creators. No copyright infringement intended. Original story is property of the author.
Spoilers: Last three episodes of the series, set before the OAV Endless Waltz.
Rating: PG; Drama.
Among the Rubble
© 2000, Debra Taylor
It began, as it sometimes will, perfectly innocently. Talia and Shawn Malloy were scavengers, flying through space in their own piece of junk, trying to scavenge enough spare parts from dead ships to keep their own vessel in working order. And while neither Talia nor Shawn believed in war, neither could deny that with the massive destruction of the most recent war had been beneficial to them.
And the destruction of the Libra could keep them in spare parts for several years. To be quite crude about it, it was the equivalent of hitting the lottery. Sure, not all parts would be salvageable, but that wasn't the point. They would finally be able to stop being scavengers. The couple debated long and hard about whether or not they would go to the site of the rubble field, just outside the Earth's atmosphere.
But a scant day after the climactic final battle, the husband and wife journeyed to the rubble field. One never knew what might be found floating around in space. During the years she had known Shawn Malloy and his twelve year old daughter Ciara, Talia had found the most amazing things. But this run would prove the most extraordinary of all.
As Talia cut the engines, Shawn murmurered, "Now this can't be right. I was watching the final battle between the two Gundams, as well as the explosion of that last block. Nothing should have even remained intact." Talia satisfied herself that the engines were no longer running, then went to her husband's side. Ciara was asleep, would probably sleep for another few hours. It was just them for right now.
"What do you have?" she inquired, putting her hand on his shoulder, then glanced at the display which held his rapt attention. She scanned the information which was scrolling across, and her eyes widened. She looked at him and said, "That's impossible."
"I know . . . I know. But according to this, there's a life form inside that thing. Tal, we have to get whoever it is. The battle was yesterday, and the life support is probably dwindling," Shawn said, turning to look at her. The young woman rolled her eyes. She was thirty, but there were times when Shawn still thought she was the teenaged girl he and his first wife Elene had rescued thirteen years earlier. However, she didn't comment on it. It wasn't worth her energy.
"I agree . . . but we have to be careful. That thing isn't even a full Gundam, and it's big. What about the Mech Suits we rebuilt? It has enough oxygen for one person to make the trip, and whoever remains can reel both back in," Talia observed. She and Shawn had found spare parts from destroyed Mobile Dolls during this last war, and built their own Mech Suits, for the more . . . delicate parts of their job. Like hooking up the torso of a Gundam and bringing it inside the ship, although this would be a first for the husband and wife.
"All right, I'll go," Shawn said. Talia started to protest, and Shawn reminded her, "You're better with the controls than I am. If you stay here, we all have a better chance for survival. I'll hook the cables to what's left of that, and you can reel it in. Besides, Ciara may be my daughter, but she seems more secure with you right now."
Talia fell silent, conceding this point. But her silence lasted only a moment, as she added, "Be careful, Shawn. Ciara still needs you. She's already lost one parent . . . it would destroy her if she lost you as well." Talia had lost both parents. She knew what she was talking about. Shawn just smiled fondly and kissed her forehead. She could have been his sister, rather than his wife. But Talia was used to it.
"I know," he replied, "but right now, that kid, whoever he is, needs help. I'll raise you on the com system if I need help." Talia had a pretty good idea who was in that suit . . . she had followed the various factions during the course of the war, had seen the shifting allegiances, if only in the changes in design. And she knew the players.
Shawn smiled at her one more time, then strode to the cargo hold, where the Mech Suits were kept. Talia stared after him for a moment, then turned her attention back to her work. The display told her that the Gundam pilot was still alive, though just barely. The vital signs were steadily getting weaker. It occurred to her that she should make sure the med-kit was out. There was no telling how severe his injuries were.
"Mom? Why's Daddy going to the hold?" Ciara asked, entering the cockpit. The girl gaped when she saw the torso of the Gundam. She looked at Talia, then at the Gundam, then back at Talia. She said, "Mom, that's a Gundam. The Gundam in the battle yesterday, I was watching it on the monitor, the one which didn't come out when the Libra exploded!" Talia went to her step-daughter and put both arms around her.
"I know, honey, I know. Listen, I didn't think you would be up for another few hours, but since you are . . . why don't you help me by finding the med-kit? We don't know how badly he was injured when the Libra blew up," she suggested, kissing the girl's soft hair. It was neither brown nor blonde, but a mixture between. Just like her parents . . . or rather, she had a mixture of her father's eyes and her mother's fair hair, though Ciara's hair was somewhat darker than Elene's. Children . . . did that.
"Okay . . . and when Daddy gets the Gundam aboard, I can make up one of the cabins for him. Mom, it's him, isn't it? Zechs Merquis?" Ciara asked, her blue-gray eyes lighting up. The young leader of the White Fang was an endless source of fascination for the twelve year old, especially since he wasn't so much older than she was.
"I don't know, baby. I just don't know. Listen, while you're getting the med-kit, I have to get ready to operate the controls. Remember, the Gundam pilots don't wear helmuts inside the Gundams. So we'll tow the Gundam inside," Talia said. Her step-daughter nodded and bounded from the room, leaving the young woman with the sense that their lives had just gotten a lot more complicated.
However, her life had been complicated ever since the destruction of the Sank kingdom. Why should things be any different now? She shook her head and turned her attention back to the monitor. The pilot, whoever he was, was in trouble. And as she had been taught when she was a child, when someone helped you, you passed it on. Talia grimaced, remembering her childhood. Her teen years. Petyr. She shook her head. No, she wouldn't think about that right now. Concentrate on this pilot.
* * *
As salvage missions went, it had been among the easier ones Shawn had attempted. After he suited up and left the ship, his wife kept a gentle hand on the controls of the cable which kept him attached to the ship. Shawn drifted toward the Gundam. The arms and legs had been blown off, leaving only the giant torso of the Gundam floating in space.
Shawn had come prepared. If necessary, he could weld handles into the damaged hull of the giant torso, handles for the cable. But it proved un-necessary, as there were natural hand-grips, probably for the pilots. Shawn easily looped the cables through the grips, latching them onto the metal. Once Talia began operating the controls, both Shawn and the Gundam would be towed back into the salvage ship.
He peered into the ship . . . as he had feared, the pilot had been knocked unconscious before he had a chance to put on his helmut. He looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, twenty at most. Shawn, who was thirty-five, was shaken to realize this boy could be his son or nephew. Just a child, and fighting a war for God only knew what reason. Why was there ever war? The Ireland of his ancestors, of his own childhood, had been torn apart by war and conflict, and for what?
Shawn keyed the mike in his suit, telling his wife, "Cables are fastened, and I'm holding onto the grips. Get us back on board. Once we get the kid out, and into his own cabin, we'll strip this thing for parts, and blow the rest of it up. I have a feeling leaving that thing out here would be a mistake. Too many crazies running around. Never mind that the war is over, there are still too many crazies."
"Agreed. Ciara is getting out the med-kit out for the pilot. How is he doing?" Talia asked as Shawn and the Gundam were pulled back to the ship. The pilot remained limp in the cockpit, and it occurred to Shawn that the boy might be dead. His blood ran cold, but he shook off his fear. No, the boy was alive. He had to be. They hadn't just expended all this energy, just to rescue a dead man.
"Unconscious . . . I hope. He hasn't stirred," Shawn answered. They were nearing the salvage vessel now, and he added, "Almost there. I'll get the Gundam in first, and close the door behind me." Shawn reached for the hold of the ship, maneuvering the Gundam torso inside, then pulled himself in. He hit the button which closed the door, as promised.
Now came the delayed claustrophobic fit, as Shawn began to feel the walls closing in on him. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself in the delayed panic attack. His heart was racing, it was hard to breathe, but Shawn forced himself to calm down. The kid, whoever he was, still needed their help. And Talia would need help getting him to one of their cabins, even though Ciara was awake.
He began deactivating the heavy Mech Suit. A half second later, Talia was in the hold with him with the med-kit in her hand, and said, "I put the ship on auto-pilot." Shawn nodded and got out of his Mech Suit, while his wife crawled onto the torso of the Gundam and shimmied open the door. Once it was open, Talia lowered herself into the cockpit.
Once he was free of that damn suit of his own, Shawn crawled up onto the torso, and held his arms out. Talia was unbuckling the boy from his restraints, and for the first time, Shawn saw the blood trickling from the corner of the boy's lip. Shawn's insides turned to ice. The kid had internal injuries. This didn't look good. He didn't know why it was so important to him that this boy lived . . . but it was important. It was damned important.
Talia gently lifted the pilot from the seat and Shawn reached down for the unconscious boy. He got his hands under the youngster's arms and lifted him from the cockpit, with Talia guiding his legs. Once Shawn had the boy out on the torso, Talia pulled herself out of the cockpit, and she said breathlessly, "I'll lower him to the ground from here."
Shawn nodded and slid to the ground, barely aware that his daughter had entered the hold and was now watching them curiously. Talia sat down beside the unconscious pilot, then drew him into her arms, his head resting against her shoulder. She dug in her heels and propelled them both down the Gundam. Shawn caught the injured boy, lowering him to the ground, and Talia landed on her feet easily. Like a damn cat she was, but there was only affection in the observation.
"Here's the med-kit, Mom," Ciara offered as Talia began to pull the protective suit away from their guest. Shawn lowered his head gently to the ground, and Talia held her hand out for the med-kit. Ciara handed it to her, then sank to her knees beside the pilot. She looked up, her eyes shining. There was more than a touch of hero worship in her face.
It occurred to him, not for the first time, that his little girl was growing up. She would be thirteen in six months . . . and dammit, she was starting to notice boys. Worse yet, she had developed a monumental crush on the leader of the White Fang, a boy not even out of his teens yet. He was handsome and mysterious . . . definitely someone to appeal to a young girl like Ciara.
But that wasn't the responsibility of the young man. Zechs Merquis, Miliardo Peacecraft, whatever name he used . . . he needed their help. Shawn could only hope that his daughter had enough wisdom to understand that. Then again, Talia had helped him to raise Ciara, even before their marriage. He should have more faith in them both.
* * *
Talia had no idea what kind of injuries the Gundam pilot had suffered when his Gundam was so badly damaged, although the blood trickling from his mouth told her that there were some internal injuries. Her heart turned over, seeing for the first time just how young he was. Oh, she had known how many years he had lived as soon as she saw his face. She knew quite a lot about Miliardo Peacecraft. But until now, it hadn't struck her how young he was.
Nineteen or twenty, she thought as she gently caressed the long blond hair back from his forehead, the same age as Petyr. My little brother. The comparison was not a reassuring one, as the pilot's eyes were still closed, and his breathing labored. Talia closed her eyes, remembering her brother. Killed in the same war which had resulted in the death of King Peacecraft of the Sank kingdom.
And the father of the boy now lying on the floor of Talia's vessel. She said softly, "Miliardo Peacecraft . . . Zechs Merquise." As she had suspected. Ciara's pale eyes were shining with excitement. She had been right as well. Shawn was silent, quite possibly knowing what she was thinking, and Talia said, "Well, I should get this off him, so I at least know if I can save him." She began easing the space suit from his body. She took her time, knowing that it might mean his death if she rushed him out of the suit, if she moved too quickly in any way.
Once that was done, she passed her diagnostic over him, murmuring, "Broken ribs, bruised muscles. Can't tell if he's bleeding internally yet, so we need to be careful when we move him." She was talking more to herself than to the rest of her family. Talia waved the diagnostic around his head, grimacing, and muttered, "Looks like he took a severe blow to his head. Probably knocked the back of his head against the chair when the Gundam took the big blast."
For the first time, she noticed that his lips were turning blue. Frowning, the young woman moved the diagnostic back over his chest, and nodded grimly. She had been afraid of that and told Shawn, "One of his broken lungs punctured his lung, I think. His lung hasn't collapsed yet, but we have to hurry. Hand me the oxygen mask. Ciara, honey, I need you to get all of our med equipment set up in the cabin you made up for him." Ciara nodded and jumped to her feet, then ran from the cargo hold which had suddenly turned into a combination of emergency room and salvage parts. Talia was vaguely aware that the parts they could get from the Gundam would keep them in parts for several years.
Talia turned her attention back to the unconscious pilot. God, but he was so young! With everything which had happened in the last year, it was hard to believe that Zechs Merquise . . . Miliardo Peacecraft . . . was only nineteen years old. His sister Relena was only fifteen, the ruler of the Sank kingdom. It all made Talia feel very old, until she remembered what she had been doing when she was sixteen years old.
That had been the year before Ciara was born, the first year she had spent with Elene and Shawn. A year of nightmares, of waking up screaming. A year of finding herself curled up in Elene's arms as the blonde woman stroked her hair and murmured that she was safe now. Most of the time, Talia had been able to believe her. At least, until she fell asleep and visited the nightmares of her past.
A nightmare which had created this young man, this boy, as well. The teenaged Talia had ceased to exist on the same day Zechs Merquise replaced Miliardo Peacecraft, small prince of the Sank Kingdom. They had taken different paths, to erase the nightmares, but somehow, they had ended up in the same place. Talia decided she would think about that later. She had to concentrate on the now. But it wasn't that easy.
As she gently placed the oxygen mask over the boy's face, she gently stroked the blond hair back from his eyes. If she were to close her own eyes, she could almost pretend that her little brother was still alive. Almost. But her brother had been dead for many years. Nothing could bring him back. She had to remember that, and help this boy. He had a sister as well, and she would need him. Talia was no psychic, couldn't see the future. But she didn't need to, in order to know that.
Once she was satisfied that further moving their unexpected guest wouldn't cause more damage to his already battered body, Talia said softly, "We need to get him to the cabin. I'll stay with him." Shawn started to protest, and Talia smiled at him, saying softly, "You're the better pilot, and I'm the better medic. We can switch roles another time."
Shawn closed his mouth with a snap and replied, "You're absolutely right. I'm sorry. I'll take his feet, you take his shoulders." Talia bobbed her head, smiling, and gently slid her hands under the boy's shoulders. His head fell lightly against her arm as they picked him up. Ciara met them at the door, leading them to the cabin she had arranged.
Once more, Talia was reminded of her lost brother. The way his head had lolled limply against her forearm as he died. He had died in her arms, his small lifeless body cradled against her own thin, impossibly fragile body. Talia forced the memories back. She would have to face them later, but for now . . . for now, she would see to this child.
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