The shuttle was plunging away from the colony, even before there was visual confirmation of Heero's shot. A plume of flame and small debris engulfed their backtrail, but it was clear that the shot had been on target; all the debris was coming through section four, not out of the side of the colony. Letting himself breath again, Trowa rubbed at his face with one shaky hand and debated whether or not he could actually unclench the other from the controls.
"Howard...switching controls back to you..."
"I got 'em kid." The old man threw him a crooked grin. "Duo was right, you are a damn cold-blooded bastard when you want to be. That was some nice flying."
"Thanks..." Trowa barely noticed as his screens went dead, concentrating on trying to get out of the co-pilots seat without passing out. I was wrong, he thought grimly. This is what it feels like to run out of adrenaline.
Heero's arm curved around his waist, helping him out of the cockpit. Wufei passed them with only a grim nod as he went to help Howard fly the shuttle, and Trowa caught a glimpse of Quatre's white face as Heero tugged him towards the middle of the shuttle's main cabin.
Falling into the row of seats across the cabin from Relena and the kids, Trowa leaned his head back and closed his eyes wearily.
"I'm getting too old for this shit," He muttered softly.
"Just rest." Heero brushed a gentle hand against his face. "I've got to get back up there... you going to be okay?"
"Yeah." He smiled, without opening his eyes. "Nice shot, by the way. Even if Howard would shoot himself in the knee before he would admit it."
Heero snorted, and Trowa could feel him moving away.
"Trowa? Are you alright? Did it- did it work?" Relena asked anxiously.
"Yeah. The colony didn't blow up... it must have worked," He sighed, then opened his eyes to look at her. "And I'm ok. Just been awake too long."
To his surprise, her companion laughed softly, shaking his head a little in amusement.
"What?" He scowled at the older man, not in the mood for humor; especially not at his expense when he might have just killed hundreds of people. "Something funny?"
"You remind me of someone." The man shrugged. "I'm beginning to think the refusal to sleep is a common trait among Gundam Pilots."
"And you know a lot of them?" Trowa frowned at the man, then closed his eyes again. "Or are you more of an expert on us than you are on street kids?"
"I'm not an expert," Lowell scowled at him. "And before today, I only knew two of you." The man stood up, heading for the back of the shuttle where they'd left Cryswell's team. "I wasn't trying to offend you."
"Lowell," Trowa sighed, watching as the man halted to look over his shoulder at him. The man's face was carefully neutral, though Trowa could sense an odd anger just beneath the calm exterior. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."
"Don't worry about it." The man glanced at Quatre, and his expression darkened. "I'm getting used to it." Turning away, he moved back to check on Ivanovich.
Trowa watched him go, a little startled by the dislike in the other Preventer's eyes when he looked at Quatre. That was weird, he thought wearily. Everybody likes Quatre.
"We're heading back into Hanger Bay 1." Howard growled, not bothering to look around as Heero slipped back into the seat behind Wufei and pulled the headset on.
/"What is your status?"/ Une asked grimly. /"Yuy?"/
"The colony is still there- for the moment," Howard answered distractedly. "Chang, get Roy back on the line. Find out what the hell traffic control is smoking out there-"
"Commander," Heero responded, even as he began scanning the monitors on the console before him. "Two colony sectors are completely vented. And we're picking up spikes in the energy readings from Quadrant Two, but so far the seals on the Hangar Bay are holding."
/"How many ships are still docked?"/
"Twelve in Hanger bay 2. Seven in hanger bay 1."
"Why is it taking so long to get the people off?" Relena asked, her voice shaking. Heero looked up with a scowl to see her braced in the doorway again, with Quatre standing at her shoulder protectively.
"The population is panicked. And it would take twice that many ships to completely evacuate the rest of the colony." Quatre's voice was soft. "We're running out of time."
"But nineteen ships?"
"Already carrying full crew complements, at most each ship can only take an additional thirty refugees."
"But..." Her expression was stunned. "That... that can't be."
"Relena, all the ships with a greater capacity have already left the docks. They were the first to fill." Quatre met her anguished eyes sadly. "This isn't like Earth. In space, resources are limited, and so is fuel. Significant changes in oxygen consumption and mass can kill a ship as easily as an explosion."
"Preventer Shuttle Sandstorm heading for Hanger 1. Confirmed ETA at bay 4 in nine minutes," Wufei said evenly. "Quat, get her out of the cockpit."
"Relena," Quatre pulled at her arm. "Come on."
"But..."
"Relena, go sit down and strap in," Heero growled, without looking up from his monitors. "The longer you distract us, the fewer people we'll be able to save."
She made a choked sound, then stumbled back from the doorway. A moment later, he heard the soft murmur of Lowell's voice as the man pulled her back into the main cabin.
/"Howard, seals on bay 2 are failing!"/ Roy's voice cut through the comlink abruptly.
"How many people are still on the docks?" The old man asked grimly.
/"Too many. Even filling to standing room only, I don't think twelve ships are going to cut it, but it's too tight in there for more. And there's no other way off that dock, now. When Quadrant three went, it took the atmosphere in two as well."/
"Load as many as absolutely possible. That's all we can do," Howard said quietly. "And do it damn fast, or we'll lose all of them when those seals go."
Heero let the voices wash over him, noting the information absently as he concentrated. But no amount of wishing was going to increase the number of ships around the colony. Every ship that could possibly reach the colony in time had already arrived.
"Final approach to bay 4," Wufei said calmly. "What is the status in Hanger 1?"
/"Bad and getting worse by the minute."/ It took Heero a moment to recognize the voice as Trowa's second in command. /"The population is rioting- they swarmed the docking tubes for Chance Luck and the Mandelay. The surviving crew of the Mandelay is barricaded in the cockpit, but they are reporting that people are crushed against the bulkhead doors inside. There's been no word from the crew of the Chance Luck. At the moment we are trying to hold refugees back from rushing the remaining tubes. If you're coming in- come in ready. We'll hold the dock for you as long as we can."/
"Understood. We are armed. Preparing for docking."
"You boys take the doors," Howard sighed. "I can land this bird on my own."
Heero was already checking his weapons as he slipped out of the seat, Chang a dark shadow at his back. Trowa and Quatre met them in the main cabin, both men also wearing headsets and grim looks.
"Lowell," He looked over at the dark-haired man with Relena. "Take the Senator into the cockpit. I want her strapped in and that door barricaded." Relena looked stunned, her eyes widening at the sight of drawn guns in their hands, even as she was being pulled to her feet.
"Heero-"
"Relena- don't argue. Your safety must not be compromised."
"Senator, he's right." Lowell dragged her bodily towards the cockpit.
"If there's going to be a fight, they're going to need you more than I will," She snapped. "I'll go to the cockpit... if you back them up."
"I promised Zechs that I would protect you, not them," Lowell growled. "And as Duo is so fond of reminding me, they are Gundam Pilots. They can take care of themselves."
"But..." The door closed on any further protest. Heero dismissed the matter for the moment as the ship slipped smoothly into the bay and they heard the docking tube engage.
"Cryswell, you and Frost keep an eye on the kids and that door," Trowa muttered, and Heero remembered the three street kids with a start.
"Captain." Cryswell nodded sharply, standing and bracing himself against the edge of Ivanovich's stretcher. Frost started up the length of the shuttle, swaying a little but looking determined as he took up a position near the center of the shuttle and braced himself.
"Crowley, opening the docking tube."
/"We're ready on the dock, Captain."/ There was an audible note of panic in the man's voice. /"Situation here is turning critical."/
"Open the hatch." Heero glanced at Trowa worriedly as Chang hit the hatch release. The taller man was exhausted, his green eyes dulled but determined. He could tell from his lover's stance though, that arguing was useless.
/"Losing seals on Hanger 2. Get those ships out of there!"/
/"Launching all ships from Hanger 2!"
/"Holy shit."/ The shuttle rocked, and they could hear screeching protests from the docking tube as metal grated against metal; the steel floor of the docking bays rippled and buckled, throwing terrified refugees, Preventers and Sweepers to the ground.
"What the hell was that?" Trowa met his eyes as they emerged from the tube into a nightmare. A mixed band of Sweepers and Preventers were ranged in front of not only their own bay, but also the two on either side, holding back the crowd with guns as they tried to keep the evacuation under control and orderly.
/"Explosion in Quadrant Two... looks like a chain reaction. We lost the Hangar."/
"Did all the ships get clear?" Quatre called urgently.
/"We can't get a response from the Cormorant. Everyone else is clear."/
/"Hate to rush you boys-but we're out of time here,"/ Howard growled. /"That explosion was in the auxiliary gravity generators."/
"Let's go," Heero swore. "Crowley- grab who you can and get your men back to the Sandstorm."
"But Captain-"
"That's an order!" Heero didn't bother to look around, just dived into the crowd and hauled the nearest bodies off the ground. Even in the chaos, he kept one eye on Trowa. On his other side, Chang and Quatre were shoving a group of stunned colonists toward the docking tube.
"Quat, you and Chang get inside. Start getting people strapped in."
"Hawes... watch it!" Trowa shoved the man out of the way as the floor buckled again. "Get back to the shuttle!"
Someone screamed in the bay as a second explosion ripped through the dock.
/"We're losing the seals from Quadrant 2!"/ Howard yelled. /"Yuy-get your asses back on this shuttle, now!"
Hauling another woman off the dock with one hand, Heero backed quickly towards the docking tube. Trowa was right behind him, a colonist in either hand. On the docks, the crowds were beginning to surge again, realizing that the clock had run out. Sweepers closed around them protectively, and he saw the same frantic retreat at the tubes on either side.
/"Shit-we just lost the last of the generators!"/
He felt the ramp behind him, as the last of the lights went out and they lost gravity completely. Forcing himself to ignore the screams that were suddenly all around them, he thrust the woman in his arms into the tube and caught hold of an external handgrip.
Around him, the screams were swelling... and spreading. He had no doubt that anyone too far from a handgrip was on the way into freefall.
Emergency lights cut on in the docking tubes, generated by the ship's feeds, and he saw Trowa on the other side of the tube, one hand locked onto Hawes' belt in a death grip. There was a small ring of sweepers and colonists that had managed to catch hold on the bulkhead just past the docking tube.
/"Life support is going- get into the tube and get that hatch shut, Yuy!"/
"Tro!" He reached across the opening, taking Hawes as Trowa swung him towards the tube. The man's arms were wrapped around a woman and her child, though from the blood on the child's face, he wasn't sure that they were going to be in time to save him. Shoving them bodily into the tube, he saw Crowley and Chang reach out pull them the rest of the way into the shuttle.
"Let's go!" Trowa yelled at the sweepers. "The seals are going-"
One of the sweepers nodded, and they began peeling the terrified colonists off the bulkhead and passing them bodily to the two gundam pilots. Heero didn't bother to look closely at the people, just shoved them into the hands of the Preventers lining the tube. He deliberately didn't look out at the docks. It would do no good. There were far too many people that they weren't going to be able to save, and there was no time to mourn them. He recalled his words to Trowa earlier, that they had to save the ones they could.
Then the remaining Sweepers were launching themselves at the end of the tube. He reached out, catching hold of the last one by the hand. As he started to drag her inside the shuttle's docking tube, there was a final explosion from the bay. This time it was accompanied by the howling winds signaling a hull breach. Heero tightened his grip instinctively as the woman screamed, his other arm locking around the handgrip.
He heard Trowa yelling, though words were unintelligible over the din. It was one of the few times he could remember feeling grateful for the enhanced strength Dr. J had given him, as he hauled the sweeper painstakingly slowly into the tube. Trowa's arm locked around his waist, then another hand was reaching past him to lock onto the woman's free arm. Together they got her into the tube. No sooner had her boots cleared the hatch than Chang hit the controls to seal the tearing winds out.
The silence was deafening, and he found himself nearly crawling up the ramp. There was little air in the tube, and he realized that the inner hatch to the shuttle had been sealed. Even as that realization hit him, it was opening again, and they spilled into the main cabin in a heap of arms and legs.
He tried to take a deep breath, only to realize that the sweeper was locked onto his torso with a deathgrip.
"Tro?"
"Here..." He heard the hoarse voice of his lover practically in his ear, and it took him a moment to realize that Trowa was holding onto him nearly as tightly as the sweeper was. "You fucking scared the crap out of me..."
He coughed on a laugh. "Me too."
Hands were peeling the sweeper off of him, and he felt the lurch as the shuttle rolled away from the Hangar. "What's happening?"
"Every ship that got off that dock is trying to get the hell away from the colony before the last of the fuel cells blow." Chang reached down to give them a hand up, and they fumbled for seats as the shuttle rolled again. "Strap in. We're not out of this yet."
"Did we lose any?"
"We lost the Chance Luck. That was what blew the hole in the Hangar Bay." Chang shook his head. "They tried to launch without unlocking from the tubes. We- suspect that none of the crew was left alive by that time. The crew of the Mandelay managed to seal the hatch from the cockpit. Not sure how many people are on that ship... or how many are still alive. It made it off the dock though."
"Damn." He looked around the crowded cabin. The Preventers and Sweepers had gotten the colonists into the shuttle's seats and strapped in, and there were very few empty spaces.
/"Hold on! It's about to get rocky..."/ Howard called from the cockpit. The shuttle rolled again, and he heard screams as a shockwave slammed into them. /"We just lost colony L2-v08997."/
TBC