Fic tease...
Oct. 25th, 2003 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calic0catWell, I said I might give a small peek at what kept me from updating yesterday. So, here's a teaser for the fic (which is complete but still needs a bit of editing):
*****************************
Title: Escape
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Genre: Shonen Ai, Crossover
Pairings: Slight 1+2 and 3+4
Rated: PG-13
Warnings: AU, OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV
Notes: Post war.
#################################################
"We have to wait. If we move too soon, do something rash, we'll only make things worse."
"Agreed. But we need to have plans in place so that when - if - the time comes, we will be ready. We will not allow Master Quatre and his friends to be made the scapegoats in this."
"We've been makin' contingency plans since before the Kid ever went out on his first mission. Gettin' them out and away's the easy..."
"Company, boss! Better get in here!"
Howard cut off in mid-sentence at the urgent but soft call from the front office. Rashid made a swift hand-motion and the Maguanacs scattered, fading into the shadowy depths of the hangar as the Sweepers quickly snatched up tools and busied themselves. Rashid took up a silent listening post beside the office door while Howard continued through it.
"What the hell..." Howard muttered as he recognized the young woman getting out of the car. An older woman climbed out too but after a few moments of vehement discussion, she got back in again and Relena continued towards the office by herself. Pargan remained standing patiently beside the black sedan.
Howard met Relena at the door. "Well, well, what a surprise! What brings such a lovely young lady out to visit *this* old scoundrel?"
"A farewell visit," Relena explained.
Howard's gut knotted as he noted the dark shadows and stress lines that even a careful makeup job hadn't quite managed to disguise. Her voice was light but had a forced quality to it. "A farewell visit?" he inquired as he ushered her inside.
"My - mother - is waiting, so I have to be quick. May I speak freely - Howie?" The young blonde tilted her head slightly. She touched one ear and raised her eyebrows questioningly.
'My god... she wants to know if it's *safe* to talk openly... and nobody but the Kid calls me Howie... What the hell's she up to?' "Go right ahead, kiddo. We're all family around here," Howard said congenially. "But why don't you come on through to the back? I'm sure the others will want to say goodbye too." He gently steered Relena into the hangar where white noise generators and other anti-snooping equipment would keep the conversation private.
Rashid raised one eyebrow as Relena spotted him and exclaimed, "Oh *good*. Now I don't have to try to find a way to reach you too." Swiftly and rather bitterly, she explained, "I've basically been told to be a good little girl and run home to my dolls. What little power I had is gone.
"Une is out for Chang Wufei's blood; she wants revenge for Treize's death. Quatre's in trouble over those colonies he blew up under Zero's influence. Several of the councillors had friends or family on that shuttle that Heero took out and they're after *him*. The execution order for Duo is technically still in force from his previous capture by Oz. Trowa - well, they're having trouble finding anything specific to pin on him but I think they're going to end up just condemning all five Gundam pilots as a group anyway.
"Anyone who was part of a recognized military force should come out of this okay, even the White Fang soldiers, but the colonies *repudiated* the Gundams so they're being treated as terrorists, not an official military force. The government is completely ignoring the fact that the Gundams were directly responsible for stopping White Fang from blowing up large portions of the planet."
Relena spread her hands and shook her head unhappily as she continued, "_Libra_ firing on the planet brought the war home to people who had never really thought about it before. They're scared and angry. They *want* someone to blame. Someone to punish. They really don't care *who*, but the pilots were in the news a great deal during the war. They're a very convenient target for all of that fear and outrage. I don't think that there's any question that the World Nation is going to use the Gundam pilots to give the public what it thinks it wants."
Rashid swore, then immediately said, "My apologies, Miss Relena."
"No apology is necessary," she said grimly. "This is a huge mess. Made worse by the fact that other than *this*, the peace accords are shaping up *extremely* well. Earth has made substantial concessions to the colonies' demands. Overall, the chances of this peace lasting look very promising."
She hesitated for a moment, then added, "But I would recommend that - regardless of the pilots - the rest of you be very, very careful. Anyone with ties to the Gundams will certainly be under close scrutiny." Meeting Rashid's eyes, she commented, "Armed forces that are not officially under government control will be on very shaky ground." Switching her gaze to Howard, she continued, "And the Sweepers Organization has a reputation that is..." The young woman shrugged daintily and wrinkled up her nose, "...questionable, shall we say?"
Howard winced and nodded his understanding. The Sweepers had basically been privateers for years, raiding Earth-owned ships to obtain supplies for the colonial rebellion. And the Maguanacs had no ties to government, nor even to the Winner family. Their loyalty was to Quatre Winner himself. Neither group would fit very well into the new government's vision of peace. They would face suspicion and close monitoring at best.
"I must go now; my mother will be getting impatient. I told her that I owed you the courtesy of a visit to thank you for my safety during that last battle; that's the only reason she agreed to bring me here before returning home." Relena hugged Howard and lifted up onto the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear, "Thank you. And give my thanks and my love to the boys. Good luck."
With that, she whirled and was gone, leaving Howard staring thoughtfully at the tiny disk she'd pressed into his hand as she left.
***
tbc
***
*****************************
Title: Escape
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Genre: Shonen Ai, Crossover
Pairings: Slight 1+2 and 3+4
Rated: PG-13
Warnings: AU, OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV
Notes: Post war.
#################################################
"We have to wait. If we move too soon, do something rash, we'll only make things worse."
"Agreed. But we need to have plans in place so that when - if - the time comes, we will be ready. We will not allow Master Quatre and his friends to be made the scapegoats in this."
"We've been makin' contingency plans since before the Kid ever went out on his first mission. Gettin' them out and away's the easy..."
"Company, boss! Better get in here!"
Howard cut off in mid-sentence at the urgent but soft call from the front office. Rashid made a swift hand-motion and the Maguanacs scattered, fading into the shadowy depths of the hangar as the Sweepers quickly snatched up tools and busied themselves. Rashid took up a silent listening post beside the office door while Howard continued through it.
"What the hell..." Howard muttered as he recognized the young woman getting out of the car. An older woman climbed out too but after a few moments of vehement discussion, she got back in again and Relena continued towards the office by herself. Pargan remained standing patiently beside the black sedan.
Howard met Relena at the door. "Well, well, what a surprise! What brings such a lovely young lady out to visit *this* old scoundrel?"
"A farewell visit," Relena explained.
Howard's gut knotted as he noted the dark shadows and stress lines that even a careful makeup job hadn't quite managed to disguise. Her voice was light but had a forced quality to it. "A farewell visit?" he inquired as he ushered her inside.
"My - mother - is waiting, so I have to be quick. May I speak freely - Howie?" The young blonde tilted her head slightly. She touched one ear and raised her eyebrows questioningly.
'My god... she wants to know if it's *safe* to talk openly... and nobody but the Kid calls me Howie... What the hell's she up to?' "Go right ahead, kiddo. We're all family around here," Howard said congenially. "But why don't you come on through to the back? I'm sure the others will want to say goodbye too." He gently steered Relena into the hangar where white noise generators and other anti-snooping equipment would keep the conversation private.
Rashid raised one eyebrow as Relena spotted him and exclaimed, "Oh *good*. Now I don't have to try to find a way to reach you too." Swiftly and rather bitterly, she explained, "I've basically been told to be a good little girl and run home to my dolls. What little power I had is gone.
"Une is out for Chang Wufei's blood; she wants revenge for Treize's death. Quatre's in trouble over those colonies he blew up under Zero's influence. Several of the councillors had friends or family on that shuttle that Heero took out and they're after *him*. The execution order for Duo is technically still in force from his previous capture by Oz. Trowa - well, they're having trouble finding anything specific to pin on him but I think they're going to end up just condemning all five Gundam pilots as a group anyway.
"Anyone who was part of a recognized military force should come out of this okay, even the White Fang soldiers, but the colonies *repudiated* the Gundams so they're being treated as terrorists, not an official military force. The government is completely ignoring the fact that the Gundams were directly responsible for stopping White Fang from blowing up large portions of the planet."
Relena spread her hands and shook her head unhappily as she continued, "_Libra_ firing on the planet brought the war home to people who had never really thought about it before. They're scared and angry. They *want* someone to blame. Someone to punish. They really don't care *who*, but the pilots were in the news a great deal during the war. They're a very convenient target for all of that fear and outrage. I don't think that there's any question that the World Nation is going to use the Gundam pilots to give the public what it thinks it wants."
Rashid swore, then immediately said, "My apologies, Miss Relena."
"No apology is necessary," she said grimly. "This is a huge mess. Made worse by the fact that other than *this*, the peace accords are shaping up *extremely* well. Earth has made substantial concessions to the colonies' demands. Overall, the chances of this peace lasting look very promising."
She hesitated for a moment, then added, "But I would recommend that - regardless of the pilots - the rest of you be very, very careful. Anyone with ties to the Gundams will certainly be under close scrutiny." Meeting Rashid's eyes, she commented, "Armed forces that are not officially under government control will be on very shaky ground." Switching her gaze to Howard, she continued, "And the Sweepers Organization has a reputation that is..." The young woman shrugged daintily and wrinkled up her nose, "...questionable, shall we say?"
Howard winced and nodded his understanding. The Sweepers had basically been privateers for years, raiding Earth-owned ships to obtain supplies for the colonial rebellion. And the Maguanacs had no ties to government, nor even to the Winner family. Their loyalty was to Quatre Winner himself. Neither group would fit very well into the new government's vision of peace. They would face suspicion and close monitoring at best.
"I must go now; my mother will be getting impatient. I told her that I owed you the courtesy of a visit to thank you for my safety during that last battle; that's the only reason she agreed to bring me here before returning home." Relena hugged Howard and lifted up onto the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear, "Thank you. And give my thanks and my love to the boys. Good luck."
With that, she whirled and was gone, leaving Howard staring thoughtfully at the tiny disk she'd pressed into his hand as she left.
***
tbc
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-10-25 07:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-25 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-25 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-25 09:29 pm (UTC)Just keep in the back of your mind that this *is* a crossover. Though you won't find out with what till well into the fic. At least it's just a oneshot and only needs a final edit so you won't have long to wait.