The Adventures of Rhett Paruta

Note: First RP post made during December '09 contest period.

During Jack Verse All-Ranges Rhett Paruta

"Come on!" Rhett growled at his suit as it plummeted towards the frosty ground. "Damn you, GO!"

Despite the last-second firing of its thrusters, Rhett's Zaku hit hard, sending a large plume of ice and snow billowing into the air. Rhett's restraints tightened around him as the impact threatened to throw him into his main monitor. Regardless, his chest tightened against the restraints, blowing the air from his lungs and throwing his head forward hard enough to dizzy him. As he blacked out, his external-feed speakers fed him the sounds of machineguns firing blindly in one direction and the thunder of footsteps approaching his position.

When he awoke, his vision was filled with red. Warning lights blinked on and off within the cockpit as the main monitor detailed the damage to his machine: light damage all around, it seemed, but nothing important wasn't working. Somehow, none of his missile pods had gotten hit hard. Voices buzzed in Rhett's ears as he came to and got the Zaku on its feet.

"I hope you bastards haven't left me," Rhett muttered, mostly to himself. "Deserting your commanding officer to find somewhere warm to wait for him in punishable by getting him a decent cup of coffee."

The Zaku stood and looked around, ejecting the damaged pods as dead weight. Dino's Gouf and Genie's Zaku II stood nearby with a pair of Dodais by their side.

"Oh good," Rhett said, making sure his comm was on. "Gang's all here. Let's-"

"Not quite, sir," Genie interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Rhett asked, confused. "You're over there, I'm over here, right?"

"It's..." Genie said before Dino interrupted.

"Private Posada's bomber was shot out from under your feet, sir," Dino stated. "It took a hit that would've cored your Zaku and broke up."

Dino's guts froze. Cora....was dead? The last member of his original team was now another statistic instead of a pleasant young woman who'd become a fine pilot? A dark pit was being dug in his heart as the Zaku walked step by clumsy step to where most of the Dodai's wreckage had fallen.

"Now your failure is complete," the Gundam of Rhett's nightmares whispered in his ear. "Another one bites the dust. HA HA HA!"

"SHUT UP!" Rhett snapped, swinging his Zaku's fist behind him. No specter would mock him...a ghost wasn't going to take advantage of his feelings!

"What's getting mad going to do?" the nightmare whispered again. "Are you going to swear vengeance against me? Going to promise to kill me?"

Rhett watched its imagined form shudder with silent laughter.

"You were already coming to do that though, weren't you?" it whispered once more. "I have nothing to fear from a failure like you."

Further mockery from the vision and any retorts from Rhett were cut off by a banging that faintly rang in the Zaku's cockpit. As Rhett strained to listen, it grew stronger, more insistent.

"Uh...sir?" Genie nervously interrupted. "There's someone banging on your Zaku's leg."

Rhett dismissed his inner demons long enough to check the seals on his normal suit to see if they'd hold back the cold adequately and, once satisfied, opened his cockpit to the arctic and lowered himself to where a shivering green figure was busy slamming a rod or something against the Zaku. Rhett drew his sidearm and shouted to make himself heard.

"Halt in the name of Zeon!" he shouted, ready to loose some rage on whoever this odd assailant turned out to be.

"Get me the fuck in there!" Cora yelled back, shivering. "Do you know how cold it is out here?"

Dumbfounded, Rhett helped her into the Zaku's hand and held her steady as they entered the machine's cockpit.

"Crank the heat, sir!" Cora requested through shivers.

"I...uh...how..." Rhett stuttered, trying to coherently say a dozen things at once.

"I've been out there for almost an hour with just a flight suit to keep me warm!" Cora shouted. "I was wondering when you idiots were going to come look for me!"

She sighed as the Zaku finally warmed up the air in its cockpit. Rhett took ahold of the controls and silently started the Zaku walking.

"The Sergeant had to take a little nap, Cora," Genie said reassuringly. "Benefits of command."

"Well, he needs all the beauty sleep he can get," Cora answered. "That doesn't excuse the rest of you though!"

Rhett silently cried as he listened to the two women argue, praying to whoever was watching over him that his co-pilot had somehow managed to cheat death once more. Analysis of the battle, getting transport to California, requisitioning a new Dodai...these things could wait until they were in safe territory, though Rhett silently promised himself that anyone coming after him now was flat out dead, no matter what.

Aboard the cargo airliner Dutyfree...

The soft whine of the jet engines thrummed steadily in the background as Rhett Paruta, Cora Posada, and a half-dozen other Zeon personnel being transported to the California Base. The trip from Minneapolis was long and uneventful; Federation units capable of hitting a Zeon aircraft rarely made it past Garma Zabi's patrols and those that did would normally ignore an inconspicuous civilian transport. Such transports, even when hired by Zeon, rarely hauled more than non-combat personnel, though this time the cargo bay was holding Rhett's Zaku Cannon and a Zaku I to be transferred to Mexico Base.

Several of the other men and woman were engaging in card games nearly as intense as mobile suit battles, but Rhett had chosen instead to partake in his favorite hobby that war had interfered with up until now. He carefully examined the small stone he had found during one of his African missions, jotted a note down, and moved on to the next rock. He made an approving sound before examining a small stone he had found in the Arctic before making it into Zeon territory.

Cora glanced at him as he worked, idly filling in a crossword puzzle to pass the time. Zodiac lion, check. Tehran's land, check. Building addition, check. Mets' stadium....who were the Mets? She checked the date on the puzzle....AD? Those newstands were in serious need of updating.

"If I'd known I'd need a computer to look up archaic stadiums, I'd've never gotten into crossword puzzles," she sighed, setting her book and pencil aside.

"You should get a more reasonable hobby," Rhett remarked. "Ooh...this one has a nice color."

Cora sat watching for another minute watching. Rhett would look over a rock, polish it a little, jot down some notes, and then move on to the next rock. Cora sighed.

"I wish Genie was here," Cora thought to herself. "Even talking to Dino about the import/export business is more entertaining than this."

Cora went back to trying her crossword puzzle, getting another few clues before Rhett spoke up.

"Not that it's any of my business," Rhett said, polishing another rock. "But why did you choose to join the armed forces?"

It was a fairly standard question that the other trainees had passed around, but Cora didn't quite feel comfortable telling her commanding officer. She fidgeted for a moment and hesitated to answer.

"Alright, alright," Rhett said, with a laugh. "I shouldn't have asked. Just trying to make some conversation."

Rhett put his rock collection away and pulled out a small device and handbook.

"It's about time we checked on Dino," Rhett said. "They should be waiting for us in California, right?"

"Yes, sir!" Cora answered, glad to be talking shop. "They were scheduled to arrive about two hours ago."

Rhett input the frequency to contact the rest of his team and waited for the signal to connect.

"Brand new satellite phone," Rhett muttered as he waited for the signal to go through. "I think Dino's family manufactures them. Still takes forever to connect."

"Private Kofuta speaking," the phone spoke.

"Private Kofuta, this is Staff Sergeant Paruta calling," Dino replied. "Report."

"I regret to report, sir, that we have not arrived at California Base yet," Dino reported.

Rhett glanced at Cora with a raised eyebrow. "Why not, Private?"

"While en route to California, we got a request for an escort from a VIP," Dino explained. "A Major Kappeler and a group of civilian experts were being moved from some sort of geological survey to an outpost in Miami for transport to more secure facilities."

Rhett paused. A geological survey...? "Did they give you a personnel list?"

"Let me ask Genevieve, sir," Dino said. A moment later, Genevieve's voice came through.

"They did, sir, but I was about to erase it now that we've finished escorting them," Genie answered.

"Can you send that to me?" Rhett asked. "Or at least hold onto it until we meet in California?"

Genie's voice went away for a few moments. "I can't send it over your phone, but I'll hold onto a copy for you. Any name in particular you want to find?"

"Just curious is all," Rhett said. "Make your way to California Base. We'll have some tea and cookies if you're good. Paruta out."

Rhett put the satellite phone away and looked at the handbook he had pulled out.

"So who is it you're looking for?" Cora asked.

Rhett smirked. "So now you're in the mood for conversation?"

Cora's cheeks burned a little. "If I tell you why I enlisted, will you tell me who you're looking for?"

Rhett nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Back when I was in high school, my mother kept trying to hook me up with her friends' sons," Cora sighed. "They were all eager enough to go out with me, but they were, for the most part, in it for a chance for some tail."

"A political thing?" Rhett wondered.

"No, it's just something our family's done," Cora answered. "The Posada mothers have a tradition of marrying off their daughters young. My older sister was set to marry before she graduated high school and my mother was finding men for my younger sister as soon as she turned fifteen."

Cora sighed and turned to look out the window.

"I didn't want to be a part of that tradition," Cora continued. "I want to marry someday, yes, but I want it to be on my own terms. My mother didn't like that idea, so I enlisted to get some breathing room."

Rhett hummed thoughtfully. Not the strangest story he'd ever heard; Marlin's tale back in Beijing took that honor. He noticed Cora's intent stare and stared back.

"So are you going to tell me who you're looking for?" Cora asked. "Or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"I'll tell you when I find him," Rhett answered. "I think I'll get some shut-eye now. Got a big operation coming up."

Cora rolled her eyes as Rhett leaned back for a rest. She shook her head with annoyance as she walked off to get involved with the poker game.

"Well Dad," Rhett thought to himself as he drifted off. "Maybe this army thing is going to pay off after all."

Immediately Following "Rhett Paruta vs. The 77th Brigade"

"I swear to God, Dino," Rhett sighed as his Zaku Cannon slowly navigated to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. "Why couldn't you have fallen somewhere with wheelchair access?"

Genie's Zaku II leaned over to look into the canyon while the team's two surviving Dodais cruised overhead.

"You see him yet, sir?" she asked.

"No, but there's a trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow," Rhett replied, easing his way past bits of discarded Gouf.

Scattered bits from the Gouf had littered the ground when Dino's Gouf rebounded off of the enemy Medea, which helped lead Rhett right to where the severely-damaged Gouf lay.

"I swear to God, someone's already mad at us for losing ANOTHER Dodai," Rhett admonished as he checked the Gouf for signs of life. "Some accountant's going to bite me if I try requisitioning a Gouf too."

The Gouf's monoeye lit up as it tried to stand. Rhett's Zaku reached forward to help pull it up, initiating a hard-line as he did.

"So what's the verdict?" Rhett asked. "Can you walk out of here or do we have to call Triple-A?"

"With as much energy as your mouth produces, sir," Dino answered. "We could power a hundred Goufs."

There was a pause of silence as Dino checked his reinitializing systems.

"Serious damage all around, but I can make it out of the canyon," Dino reported. "Making it to California Base or even Mexico City's going to be impossible though."

A strong vibration running through the ground shook small rocks from their perches. A melon-sized stone smacked into the Gouf's head, causing its eye to flicker.

"Damn thing!" Dino cursed.

"Genie, what's going on up there?" Rhett asked, ignoring the Gouf pilot's complaint.

"A Dobday just rolled up, sir," Genie reported. "It's the Berkhalter and the captain says he can give us a ride to California Base."

"I noticed them earlier, sir," Cora reported. "And asked them, on your behalf, if they'd offer us assistance."

"Just get up here and they'll load our mobile suits aboard!" Genie said encouragingly. "It'll be so nice to actually ride in a battleship instead of having to be stuck in these cramped cockpits for so long at a time!"

Rhett grinned. Ever since he left Beijing, he certainly felt like he had spent more time in the cockpit moving between locations than he did outside.

"You guys up there go ahead and board the ship," Rhett ordered. "Tell the captain I'll meet him at his convenience to thank him."

"Roger that, sir," Cora reported.

The sight of Genie's Zaku disappeared back over the canyon as it made its way to the battleship that had shown up.

"You get that camera back on, Dino?" Rhett asked. "Only need it to work for a few more minutes."

"I got the backups running, but you'll have to be in front," Dino answered.

Rhett nodded and began to move his Zaku back past the path he came down. Progress was slow, but the two mobile suits managed to reach the top of the canyon. Lording over them was a massive green tank, a Dobday-class battleship.

"Guess we should go introduce ourselves," Rhett remarked. "You can stay behind since you don't look presentable at the moment though."

Rhett wondered what kind of man this captain would be, trying to smooth the wrinkles out of his flight suit as the battleship's crew secured his Zaku.

"Good-bye!" Cora shouted as the Berkhalter began to cruise away from California Base. "I'll miss you!"

Rhett watched from behind his disco glasses as Cora walked over with her duffel bag in hand. The other members of his team were off looking for the team's replacement for K'Dar Biqam, who had fallen in battle against the 77th Brigade.

"I think that's the best rest I've had since joining this team!" Cora exclaimed.

"A ship bunk does looks like a luxury matress compared to a sleeping mat," Rhett agreed. "If you don't mind choking on cats every five minutes."

"Oh, Captain Gruenewald's cats are so nice!" Cora replied. "You're just not a cat person, I think."

"I'd get along with them as well as you to if they thought my chest was softer than my face too," Rhett smirked.

Cora's cheeks puffed out as she pouted to Rhett's back. The heat was cooking him in his leather jacket, but he'd grown attached to it since his last visit to the base. The walk to the base HQ was stifling-but-uneventful.

"Master Sergeant Rhett Paruta and Corporal Cora Posada, reporting as ordered," he said to the orderly with a salute.

"If you'll have a seat, sir, I'll have someone out here to brief you," the orderly replied before getting back to work on his desktop.

"Time to settle in, I guess," Rhett said, getting out a deck of cards.

Twelve hands and four changes of disco sunglasses ownership later, an officer finally came out to brief Rhett, Cora, and the other members of the 25th team.

"Ladies, gentlemen," the officer began. "I'm sure you'll all be pleased to hear that your days of wandering independently are currently at an end. I'm pleased to inform you that you've been assigned to a new carrier that is currently stationed here and is awaiting your arrival."

Cora and Genevieve quietly fist-bumped while the officer reached into his desk and pulled out a sealed folder.

"These are orders for you and the captain of the ship you are assigned to," the officer stated, handing it to Rhett. "Your mobile suits and fighters have already been loaded aboard and all units will be restored to peak condition shortly."

Rhett accepted the envelope and slipped it into his jacket pocket next to his disco glasses. "Thank you, sir. We'll head there right away."

"I'll have a vehicle brought around," the officer offered. "He'll know where to take you."

The 25th saluted the officer and walked out to wait for their ride.

"A permanent station aboard a carrier!" Genevieve cheered. "What a lucky break!"

"You think it'll be aboard a Dobday like the Burkhalter?" Cora asked.

"We're one of the best aerial teams in North America," Dino injected. "We have to be getting aboard a Gaw, because our talents would be wasted on a slab with treads."

"You think it might even be Lord Garma's new personal ship?" the new guy asked.

"Nah," Rhett disagreed. "The moment they heard the Viktoria Luise was destroyed, they brought in a load of pilots hand-picked by Admiral Dozle."

"Or so I hear," he added.

Within minutes, the vehicle had parked near the airfield where several Gaw carriers were waiting.

"So which one of these is our new station?" Rhett asked the driver.

"Um..." the driver muttered as he looked as his papers. "None of them, sir."

"Then one of those Dobdays over there?" Rhett wondered, growing confused.

"No, sir."

"That Gallop over there?"

The driver shook his head, looked around, and carefully pointed behind the team. Rhett turned and gasped.

"You mean...?"

"Yes, sir," the driver confirmed. "The Zanzibar-class Shooting Star. I heard this is even her first tour."

The members of the 25th stood and admired the ship's sleek shape, making appreciative sounds as they did.

All except Rhett, however, who was crouched next to the vehicle they had rode over in, retching.

"Of all things," he thought to himself. "Why a spaceship? Our stuff doesn't even work in space."