Yes, I know that this is the same one that I sent before.  The name change is a reflection of the revision.  This is by no means the end of this story. I hope.

This fanfic is written for the enjoyment of Gall Force fans.  It is not acknowledged or approved by MOVIC/Sony Video, Central Park Media, or any other of the copyright holders for the series.  This fanfic does not correspond with the time lines set out in any other Gall Force series than the original trilogy.  This fanfic may be freely distributed over the net.  I welcome (most) criticisms.  E-mail:  ddiddl1@umbc.edu

* * * * *

Requiem Postponed

* * * * *

    I thought that they were angels, but to my surprise,
    they climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies.
         - Come Sail Away by Styx

* * *

    Lufy jumped down from the cockpit.  She tore off her helmet and looked around the hanger.  She shook her head.  �Girl, not another mess.  You would think that they would move those other fighters out of the landing bay on occasion.  Still not as bad as the one at Sigma Narse though.�  She brushed one of the many locks of stray hair out of her cinnamon eyes and turned them up to the ceiling.  �Four, three, two��  The fire extinguishers began to spray a cold white slush that would eventually evaporate.  Lufy strode out of the hanger into the corridor beyond and brushed off the slush as quickly as she could.  She patted the bulkhead amicably, �At least you remember me.�
    A monitor on the wall powered up.  �What the hell do you think - Lufy?�  Eluza blinked.  �What are you doing here?  No, wait, come on up to the bridge.�
    Lufy didn�t reply or even wait for the monitor to turn off  she ran to the ladder that led to the bridge.  Many of the sections she past, particularly in the lower decks around the hanger, were darkened.  Lufy walked down the short hall which linked the bridge to the rest of the ship.
    Four girls leaned over the sides of their chairs to face the door.  Eluza and Rabby were sitting in the same chairs that Lufy first encountered them in.  It seemed like a lifetime ago.  Pony looked up from the computer seat and Patty watched from the comm-tech chair.  None of them seemed any older than Lufy remembered and none of them spoke.  Pony and Patty seemed almost overjoyed, the emotion lay visible in their wide eyes.  Eluza looked puzzled, like she was unable to figure out some puzzle.  Lufy couldn�t cipher Rabby�s reaction at all.  The red headed officer didn�t twitch.  They all seemed to be waiting for Lufy to speak first.
    Lufy decided something classic was in order.  �You just got lucky.  I�m number sev��  She trailed off.  All four sets of eyes looked pained.  �Rumy? Catty?�
    Eluza shook herself out of whatever private pit of sorrow she had fallen into.  �You�ll have to be briefed on the situation.�  She looked at Rabby then turned to Patty.  �Patty, take Lufy somewhere and tell her - all.�
    Patty stood and led Lufy back out the door.  As it slid shut the three on the bridge heard Lufy shout.  �You got to be kidding me!�
Pony looked worriedly at Rabby.  Rabby still had not moved, but from her vantage point Pony could see something that Lufy had missed.  Rabby�s gloved hand clenched tight around the Attacker�s Medal.  Pony swallowed her comment.

* * *

    Lufy slammed her palm down on the officer�s mess table.  �You and Rabby were the ones who blew up Chaos?  Are you nuts?�
    �We had to.  You weren�t there.  You don�t understand.�
    �You�re right I wasn�t there, and you�re damned right that I don�t understand.  I heard all about the project from it�s source.  It was a failure, and your telling me you ruined Chaos for it?  If I were there perhaps I could have come up with a better solution.�  Lufy�s last words were quieter, but dripped venom.
    Patty�s cheeks flushed red.  She had taken as much of Lufy�s accusations as she could handle.  �Perhaps if you listened to orders instead of going out to fight, you would have been there.�
    The comment seemed to take the steam out of the blonde pilot.  She slumped down into a seat.  �So now I�m stuck in some sort of Hell.�  She looked up into Patty�s blue eyes.  �But where�s Catty and Rumy?�
    Patty also seemed to calm down.  �Rumy must still be alive on Terra.  We don�t know what happened to Catty.  Toil, Ail, and OX-11 never showed up either.  Perhaps as machines they really get to die and don�t have to face this - restlessness.�  She broke eye contact and hung her head.
    Lufy did something she never would have done while still alive.  She placed a comforting hand on Patty�s soldier.  �Hey, at least you get to spend it with me.�  Her voice turned serious, �Perhaps you should all hear my story.�

* * *

    The rest of the diminutive crew sat around the table in the mess hall as well now.  �There could have been some survivors, couldn�t there?� Patty objected, �Surely someone, somewhere?�
    Lufy leaned back and placed her feet on the table.  She crossed her arms and shook her head.  �You never saw the destroyers in action.  You can�t imagine what they are capable of.  No, no one survived.�  With sudden excitement she dropped her legs and leaned forward.  �Hey, perhaps we can find Shildy and the others!�
    Rabby, silent up until that point stood.  With deliberate motion she laid the Attacker�s Medal down on the table for all to see.  �Hope that you don�t.  If you find this Nebulart, I will kill her.�  She stalked out of the mess hall.  By the time the others were able to lift their eyes from the medal and respond, Rabby was long gone from the bridge deck.
    Eluza turned to Pony.  �Find out where she went.  Use the computer.�  Her voice was a mixture of anger and concern.
    Pony nodded.  �Without OX-11, I�ll need to monitor the search from the bridge.�  She dashed out of the mess hall.
    Eluza looked at Lufy and Patty, who were now standing.  �From what we�ve managed to map, we�re not in any known section of space.  We will try to find your friends, Lufy, but it will take time.�
    �We have an eternity to do it.�  Patty did not sound enthused.
    �Lufy, I�m going to need your help plotting the best course.  Follow me.�  Eluza turned to walk to the bridge.
    �The queen has spoken.  Aye, aye your highness.�

* * *

    Pony looked about the bridge.  Lufy and Eluza hung over the command console.  Patty�s monitored the communications channels.  Rabby still had not returned to the bridge.  The course to the most promising sized star had been set for the better part of an hour.  The star was a two day journey from where they picked up the Attacker.  Pony ran another quick scan of the ship.  The computer located Rabby in the same location as it had in the first scan.  Clearing the screen, Pony stood.  �I�ll be right back,� she told Eluza.  She left the bridge in the absence of a reply.

* * *

    Pony�s footsteps echoed in the Blossom�s hanger.  She approached the Breakers from behind and couldn�t see which one Rabby was in.  �Hey Rabby, what are you doing?�  Pony heard Rabby stir and shift in the seat.  Pony walked to the right Breaker and sat on the left wing, between the engine and the cockpit.
    After a pause, Rabby spoke.  �What do you want?�
    �To know what the problem is.�  Pony looked around the darkened hanger.  It was - bleak.
    �They betrayed us.  The Central Guard slaughtered soldier after soldier for their project.  Now I�m expected to warmly welcome one of the heads of that project.  That is the problem.�
    �If what Lufy said was true then Captain Nebulart had the our best interests at heart.�
    �When the Central Guard opened fire on the Akon-Kagu�ya, did they have our best interests at heart, too?�
    �No.  Rabby, you have to let it go though.  It was literally a lifetime ago.  The war is over, and look, little enough real damage was done.�  She paused following Rabby�s derisive snort.  �This isn�t good for you.  If you want, everyone else is waiting on the bridge.�  Pony hopped off the wing and started walking back to the bridge, slowly.  When she didn�t hear any footsteps follow, she quickened her step.

* * *

    Lufy sat in the comm-tech chair.  She had not noticed that Pony had left, so deep was she in her thoughts.  she stared at the smashed attacker�s medallion in her hand without really seeing it.  She would occasionally run  her thumb over the surface to make sure that the medal was really there.  Lufy herself was out reliving the battle for the Starleaf after Alpha 12.
    Patty�s voice startled her out of the haze of combat and reverie.  �She kept it �til the end.  I guess that�s how it showed up here with her.�
    Lufy closed her hand around the battered hunk of metal and slowly looked up at Patty.  Her cinnamon eyes were surprisingly deep.  Deeper than any expression Patty had ever seen on Lufy.  The second round really changed her.  Lufy opened her mouth to say something, closed it, then managed, �Why?�
    Patty shrugged.  �I think she blamed herself for leaving you behind.�
    Lufy�s eyes softened.  �But that�s crazy.�
    Patty smiled.  �So was what we did to Chaos.�  The smile vanished.  �Don�t tell her that I told you.�  Lufy nodded, both reverted to their own thoughts.
    Eluza looked up as Pony entered the bridge.  �Did you speak with her?  What was the problem?�
    �She still won�t let go.  She wants to have revenge on the Central Guard for what they did to us and - others.�  Her voice trailed off.
    �She promised with the rest of us to leave that behind.�
    �Sometimes it�s hard to forgive and forget, Eluza.�
    �Don�t you think I know that?  Do you think I want to forgive the Paranoid for killing the rest of the crew?�  She paused her head.  �I�m sorry, I shouldn�t have snapped like that.  I�m supposed to be the Captain now.  It�s just��
    �It�s okay.�
    Lufy looked up at the command station.  �What did happen to the rest of the crew?  Why didn�t they show up here?�
    �Hopefully we will find that out when we manage to find the main fleet.�  Eluza pressed her thumb  and forefinger against her temples.  �It�s getting late.  We can worry about everything in the morning.�  Eluza stood and left the bridge.  Pony and Patty followed her out.
    Lufy sat watching the stars.  They don�t streak by like most people would think.  They did move out near the sides of the ship.  But before the ship floated a void.  Total blackness.  If the shielding failed the bridge, and the rest of the ship would be flooded by cosmic radiation.  The darkness ahead reminded Lufy of a well that would swallow your sanity if you stared down it too long.  Lufy shook her head to clear her mind and rose.  She walked out of the bridge, leaving the gaping maw of insanity to its own devices.

* * *

    Lufy stalked through the darkness of the hanger.  One gloved hand felt for obstacles she might not see.  The other wrapped itself around the attacker�s medallion.  She peered into the darkness.  The left Breaker looked empty.  She approached the one on the right.  Gradually she was able to distinguish the sleeping form of Rabby.  Lufy hopped up on the left wing, near where Pony had sat.  Rabby slept slumped forward in the cockpit, her tawny hair obscuring most of her face.  It reminded Lufy of the looks of the pilots who had come back alone.  They sat just like that.  Lufy listened to Rabby�s slow breathing.  Those who came back alone gasped for air in short quick gulps.  �You and I,� she said, �We each did great things.  Together we might have set the galaxy ablaze.�  She leaned back against the engine case and closed her eyes.

* * *

    Pony laid on her side, facing the wall.  In the direction of her feet, she heard the door slide open.  She feigned sleep.  The door slid closed again.  Obviously, I�m not the only one having trouble sleeping, she thought.  Pony considered the incident some more.  I don�t think I�ll ever understand how she can be so sensitive to the lives of others and still be such an accomplished combatant.  Aside from Lufy, she and Rabby are the best pilots on the Starleaf.
    Pony rolled over.  �Maybe if I knew more about them.  I can check their records tomorrow, when I run the diagnostic.�  Having finalized the idea in her mind, she dropped off to sleep.

* * *

    Eluza laid in her bed gazing at the ceiling.  She twisted onto her side.  The chronometer on her nightstand ticked off the seconds with agonizing slowness.  She sat up and cradled her forehead with her hands.  Without looking she reached out and grabbed the bottle that sat beside the chronometer.  The bottle rattled loudly, it was almost empty - again.  The red haired Captain opened the bottle and dumped a small yellow tablet into her hand.  She tossed the pill in her mouth, threw her head back and swallowed the tablet dry.  She sat the bottle back on the nightstand.  The medication didn�t do much.  She thought about taking another pill but the bottle was empty enough already.
    She climbed out of the bed and walked to the bathroom.  The bathroom was entirely tiled in sterile white ceramic.  It was soulless, but it had a shower.  She twisted the knob that controlled the temperature and turned it on.  She stepped under the flow of the warm water.  The warm water splashed across her  shoulders and slowly she began to relax her tense muscles.  She bent forward and let it cascade across her entire back.  The tension drained from her body leaving her feeling weak.  Her knees began to tremble.  She stepped out of the shower and toweled herself off.  The headache was back with double the force of before.
    She staggered out of the bathroom sat down on her bed.  �The hell with it,� she muttered.  She took another two tablets from the bottle and swallowed them.  She laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling again.  The chronometer continued to tick slowly along.
    Eluza heard the door slide open and turned her head to look at the silhouette in the hall light.  �What is it Patty?�
    �I couldn�t sleep, so I thought I�d make rounds and check on everyone.  Another headache?�
    The Captain nodded.  �Come in, don�t stand around in the hall.�  Grunting, Eluza sat up and swung her legs off the edge of the bed.  �What was keeping you up?�
    �I�m just nervous, I guess.�  Patty sat down next to Eluza on the bed.  �After all that happened, I�m not sure that I�m ready to go back to the rest of our people.  I know that the chances of finding them this soon is small but it still bothers me.�
    Eluza opened her mouth to reply when she clutched at her temples.
    �Eluza!�
    The red haired officer waved her off.  �I�m okay, it�s not as bad now.�  She gently lifted Patty�s hand from her shoulder
    The blue haired girl looked at her superior critically.  �I think it�s time that you got that scan that you�ve been putting off.  And don�t argue or I�ll get Pony up now and we�ll declare you unfit for command until you take the scan.�
    Eluza caved, not that it took Patty�s persuasion by this point.  The headaches were getting worse.  �All right, but pulling my rank is not much of a threat on this ship.  I�ll report to the infirmary first thing tomorrow.  I need to sleep now, while I can.�  She laid back down on the bed.
    Patty got up from the bed and crossed to the other side of the room where she sat down in a chair.
    �What are you doing?� Eluza asked her.
    �Since I can�t sleep anyway, I�m going to keep an eye on you, in case you have a relapse.�
    Eluza sighed.  �Why was I cursed with such a stubborn crew?�  She fell asleep in record time.
    Patty listened to the slow rhythm of Eluza�s breathing.  �Because we learned it from our Captain,� Patty whispered.  She squirmed in the chair until she was comfortable and ready to face the sleepless night ahead.

* * *

    The pink haired officer awoke to the insistent buzzing of her chronometer.  She got up, showered, and dressed.  She yawned as she walked to the mess hall.  No one else was up yet.  Printouts of the new starcharts were still lying on the table from last night.  She made a large cup of coffee.  She took a swallow.  It was strong.  Pony carried her coffee with her to the computer room.
    She sat the coffee down on the arm of the chair and turned back to lock the door.  Only the Captain could override the locking code she had.  She left her keycard in the slot.  Pony slid into the chair and began typing.  She rerouted the diagnostic so that it wouldn�t monopolize all the memory while it ran.  Her fingers continued to fly over the keyboard as she called up the search engine that was used with the fleet roster.  First, she brought up Patty�s record.  Measurements, description, age, and other data streamed across the screen.  The girl paused the computer when she came to history.  It wasn�t much - Patty had served on the Starleaf for her whole career.  Nothing that would explain her sensitivity.  The original Captain had placed a recommendation for officer�s school, necessary for Patty to be promoted to Captain or higher.  Pony brought up Rabby�s record.  She scrolled down to the history.
    �This is interesting,� she commented as she read the file.  Rabby had mentioned one that she had had surface combat training, but she never said why or where she had been posted.  Pony copied the file to a disk.  �Hold on, this file�s too large, there�s more here.  Someone�s encrypted some of the file.�
    Pony was about to begin to try to break through the encryption when a small video window opened in the screen.  Patty�s face filled the window.  �Pony, we need you in the infirmary.  Eluza�s finally agreed to the scan.�
    �How did you get her to do that?�
    �I told her that pull her rank until she submitted.�
    Pony chuckled lightly.  �All right, I�m on my way.�  She closed the window and backed out of the files, erasing the fact that she had accessed them.  It wasn�t important, but it made good practice.

* * *

    Rabby woke slowly.  The dream felt inescapable, though finally it gave way to reality.  She opened her eyes.  There were no trees that dwarfed even those of Chaos, only the Blossom�s hanger.  She looked around what she could see of the hanger from the cockpit.  She couldn�t see Lufy asleep on the wing.
    The strawberry blonde stood up quickly to jump down from the Breaker.  Her vision dimmed to fuzzy black and her balance rebelled.  She fell over the side of the craft and landed on the outside of her right foot, which then gave out from under her.
    Lufy woke to the sound of Rabby cursing.  She stretched a bit where she sat to get the blood flow moving and slid down from the wing.  She saw Rabby sitting on the floor holding her right ankle.  �You swear like a proper pilot,� the Attacker joked.
    The injured girl glared at Lufy.  She stood and began to limp out of the hanger, visibly favoring her right leg.
    �Whoa, wait up.�  Lufy ran over to Rabby and grabbed her right hand.  Rabby stopped.  Lufy draped Rabby�s arm over her own shoulders to take some of the weight.  �It�s a long walk to the infirmary.  Let me lend you a hand.  She took a step forward.
    Rabby didn�t move.  She stood there trembling slightly.
    Lufy frowned.  �If that�s the way that you want to do it,� her frown changed to a grin, �it looks like I�ll have to carry you.�  Lufy reached down and scooped the strawberry blonde into her arms.  �Jeez, how much do you weigh?�
    �Lufy!�
    �What?  It was an innocent question.�
    �Put me down!�
    Lufy let Rabby down.  She helped Rabby walk about a half dozen meters before she felt the injured girl begin to tremble again.  �You sure you can make it?  You�re shaking again.�  She felt Rabby try and lift off of her.  Lufy had a good grip on her hand though.
    �I can make it on my own.  I don�t need help.�
    Lufy narrowed her eyes, she was becoming annoyed with Rabby�s stubborn attitude.  �I know what this is about.  You�re still upset that I got left behind and you didn�t.�
    Rabby practically yelled back at Lufy, �Who told you that?�
    Lufy began to yell as well.  �Nobody told me,� she lied.  �I�m not some stupid throttle jockey.  I learned a lot since then.  You better let go of that stupid idea while you can.  There was nothing you could have done.�
    Rabby�s face was flushed red.  She opened her mouth but had no response for what she had heard.  After a moment�s hesitation she replied, �Don�t think that I�ll forgive the Central Guard or you�re Catty though.�  She let some of her weight back on Lufy.
    Lufy continued to help her walk to the infirmary.  I don�t think that you�ve really forgiven yourself yet, she thought.

* * *

    �Eluza,� Pony casually asked as she and Patty fiddled with the scanner�s settings, �how much do you know about Rabby�s background?�
    Eluza thought for a moment.  �Not a lot.  We�re pretty good friends but she doesn�t talk much about her past.  What about you Patty?�
    �Nothing.  She would sit for hours and listen to me talk about my life here on the Starleaf, but she never told me anything about her past, now that you mention it.  Why the sudden interest in her anyway?�
    �I wanted to see how much you knew.�  Pony looked about with a little guilt.  �While I was checking the computer, I decided to check the personal database.  Rabby�s was one of the names I brought up.  After all the more you know about a person the better you can understand her.�  Pony realized she had just made a mistake.
    �What do mean, �one of the names�?� Eluza queried.  �Who else�s files did you look at?�  She looked at Pony sharply.
    �Um, Patty�s.�
    �What!?� the blue haired officer exclaimed.  �Why mine?�
    Pony took a step back from the other two.  �I heard you visit my room last night.  I wonder how such a kind person could fight so well.�
    Patty blinked once - twice.  �You could have asked me.�
    Pony pressed her index fingers together.  She shook her head.  �I�ve always been better with machines than with people.�
    Eluza cut in.  �Well what was it that we need to know about my first officer?�
    Pony inhaled deeply.  �Well, part of the file was encrypted, I didn�t get a chance to break it yet.  I don�t know what it conceals, but the part that I could read said��  She stopped when she saw the two figures in the doorway.
    Rabby leaned heavily on Lufy.  Her voice wasn�t angry when she spoke.  Instead she sounded tired and resigned.  �Don�t keep them waiting.  You were about to tell them that I was a part of the Central Guard, weren�t you?�


__
/__\    David Diddlemeyer
/\  /\   Imperial Solnoid Navy
\_\/_/   ddiddl1@umbc.edu
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