PROLOGUE 2
MC 12:: L3 X-18999
July 12th, First Summer
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Duo grumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets. He and Quatre were busy loading a ship to return to Earth.
"Of course; we have to go. Sally and Wu Fei need our help on this one, and Heero—"
"—We saw it on the news; there's no way that girl survived!"
"Don't say things like that, Duo!" Quatre snapped, his hands shaking. "We have to hope that Miss Relena managed to survive. And even if… even if…well, there are a lot of people who need our help right now. There's been such a scramble to see who's left to take orders from that the recovery effort's been almost null. People are still buried under the rubble, just trying to survive…" the blond looked down, shedding a tear onto the control panel he was seated at. "Everything's ready here," he murmured, wiping his eyes.
"Still, I'm just sayin', the Romafeller building took a direct hit, and they wiped out her whole street, too. Come on. They already found the butler's body; everyone knows it's just matter of time. Heero's lucky he made it outta there when he did. It's probably not good to get him all full of false hope, you know?"
"I know what you mean, but, I can't…" Quatre's eyes darted away. There was no sense in trying to explain this to Duo; this was just one of the ways that Quatre still differed from the other pilots, even after ten years.
"But, Quatre; tell me somethin'" asked Duo, leaning back in his chair. "Doesn't the whole thing seem kind of odd to you? They're talkin' about it like it was just some random nutjobs from an anti-colony group on Earth. No military affiliation or anything. Nuts or not, where did a bunch of civilians get a bunch of old Taurus units like that? I thought they were all destroyed. And even if they weren't, it's not like anybody can just climb into a mobile suit and do that much damage in just a few minutes. They weren't amateurs."
"I guess what I'm wondering is if it's a coincidence that this happened right when most of the Preventers were out here, at X-18999," said Quatre, narrowing a brow. "Including most of the ESUN's Defense Force."
This wasn't a theory that had garnered any attention from the remaining ESUN investigators, and delegates sent from the colonies. The world, it seemed, was more willing to accept a single, isolated group of insane terrorists, rather than a direct act of sabotage. The idea hadn't even crossed the minds of Sally Po or Lady Une, both buried so deeply in paperwork and angry phone calls, that neither had the time to question the perfect scenario that a small fraction of an anti-ESUN organization, and several freshly-used Air-type Taurus units matching those identified by survivors, were discovered in an abandoned Mobile Suit factory just five-hundred kilometers away from the scene of the crime. It was too perfect for coincidence. Even to the former Gundam pilots, such evidence could not be ignored. Turning the mounting evidence over in his head, even Duo began to wonder if perhaps he was just looking for a war that didn't exist. Sighing deeply, he rose from his chair.
"I'll go load some more stuff on the ship."
"Right." Quatre murmured, keeping his gaze low.
"Hey, Quatre, remember. There's nothing any of us could have done—"
"—It's all my fault you all were here. I should have never asked you here. Maybe, if you'd been there… if Heero had been there with Miss Relena—"
"—He'd be—" Duo stopped himself, watching as tears formed in Quatre's eyes. Dead right with her. "Listen," he said, scratching the back of his head. Comforting Quatre would be no short task, and it was a task, regardless, that Duo was poor at. "We're not Gundam pilots anymore. The ESUN Defense Force doesn't even have any damn Mobile Suits. No matter what we're trying to tell ourselves, we're just as helpless as any other civilians now." He sighed, deeply. That hadn't quite come out as well as he'd hoped it would have, and now Quatre looked even more miserable. "What I'm saying is, we probably couldn't have changed anything. Hell, who knows? Maybe you bringing us up here saved one of us."
Through his tears, Quatre let off a chuckle. "Thank you, Duo."
"That help?"
"Maybe a little."
"Only a—"
"—Would you mind doing a favor for me?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. Whatdja need?"
"Could you check in on Heero for me? I'm worried. He still hasn't said anything, and—"
"—I don't need anyone checking up on me."
Neither of the other two ex-pilots had noticed Heero enter, nor knew how much he'd managed to overhear. But, there he was, looking and sounding so much like his old self that seeing him now, one couldn't fathom the great pain he felt inside. Silence. Duo and Quatre exchanged an awkward glance, neither sure what to say to the man.
"Come on. We're ready to go," Heero continued. "We loaded the ship while you two were chatting."
"Heero, if you need anything—anything…" Quatre interrupted, a tad more frantically than he would've hoped. "Anything."
Without another word, Heero turned and left the room, his knuckles still white from balled fists. If I need anything? There was nothing they had to give that he needed now. He stopped, propping himself up against one of the exterior walls in the hallway. Through the window, Heero could see a tiny blue speck in the distance; Earth appeared as if not a thing had changed, even when his world was falling apart. "I need…" Grunting, he sent his fist toward the wall… only to stop, when a peculiar sensation crept down the side of his face.
Tears.
MC 12 :: Mars Federation Cruiser
July 18th
When Relena awoke this time, she found that the painful sensations in her body had nullified if only just a bit, and now, her thoughts were becoming clear. She remembered that day just as any other—meeting, meeting, meeting, meeting—and then finally, taking care of some extra work before leaving home. She stayed late that night, knowing Heero wouldn't be home to greet her, and so that she could begrudgingly get ahead on enough paperwork to allow for a doctor's visit the next morning. Alone with only a few other agents from Foreign Affairs, Relena suspected the building had been mostly empty when the first explosion happened. Being who she was, Relena had run towards the flames instead of away, searching for survivors of what she'd expected was a gas explosion, or a defect in the building's electrical system, or, frankly, anything but 16-meter-tall mobile suit that greeted her when she turned the corner, and entered into a hall that had become part of the courtyard outside.
After ten years, Relena had forgotten that feeling of paralyzing fear, but there it had returned, burning deep inside her. For that, she was almost disappointed in herself. She couldn't remember much from the time after her eyes had met with the mobile suit. The ceiling had collapsed in with the second hit, and then… nothing. How had she survived? She opened her eyes only just a crack. A hospital? Yes, that was right. Her eyes widened. She remembered two men fighting, and voice—her brother's voice—and then nothing, once again.
"Are you finally up, Sleeping Beauty?"
"Noin?"
"It's been six days, Relena," she replied, her lips curving into a small smile. It was a relief to hear her voice, even if it meant the start of a difficult conversation. "Are you in any pain? I can see if they can get something for you," she said. When she moved, she found Relena's eyes locked on her, already demanding an explanation.
"Six days?" Relena murmured, looking away from the woman. Her body suddenly felt so very distant once again, had it truly been that long? "What…happened?"
"It looks like some terrorists attacked Brussels. An anti-ESUN group made up of Earthlings, of all things." said Noin, without skipping a beat.
She couldn't bear to tell Relena the real truth, the truth that her own brother's orders may have lead to Relena's near-death, and what was in reality an attack on the Earth Sphere. She knew that, had she known the truth, Relena wouldn't have acted with her own safety in mind, and would've ran straight back to Earth, and to danger, to preach peace to Mars and the rest of the colonies. Noin had spent days rehearsing the version of events she'd impart to the younger woman, watching as the news unfolded for all of Earth and the colonies to see— watching as the world slowly began to give up, and to mourn Relena. Even if she would make an enemy of the woman this way, Noin had convinced herself that this was what was right. This was the only way that she could keep Relena Peacecraft and her child alive.
Noin went on to tell her a virtual carbon copy of what the rest of the world knew—that the three guilty men, part of an anti-ESUN organization, had collected the old mobile suits and stockpiled them in what appeared to have been a long-planned act of terror. She added that while the three had been captured, the rest of the organization, including the suspected figureheads, had vanished underground, and were on the run. In the hideout, the Preventers had found documentation suggesting specific targets, including Relena and many other government officials. That, she said, was where the Mars Federation came in. It was her own brother, Zechs, that had pulled Relena out of the rubble and brought her in secret to the cruiser where they were now. Fearing that the perpetrators would come to make another attempt on her life, not a soul had been informed of Relena's current whereabouts.
"But, I don't understand. What was my brother doing on Earth?" Relena questioned. While she didn't consider for a moment that what she was told wasn't true, that detail stuck out in her mind as odd. "And—six days, my God—we have to tell Sally, and Heero, and the others that I'm all right. They must be—"
"—We'd been keeping tabs on them ourselves, of course," Noin interrupted. She exhaled deeply. Lying had been an easy feat compared with her next task. "Relena. That might not be the best idea."
"And why not?"
"You need to think of your own safety right now. Maybe… maybe it's better if the world thinks you're dead for awhile." Before she could protest, Noin continued. "Relena, these people are after your life. Until they're captured, you need to take as many precautions as possible."
"I can do that on Earth. I have Heero to protect me—and I'm not helpless. I can protect myself—"
"—Don't you get that your life isn't just about you anymore?! Relena, for the sake of your child, listen to me. You're a twenty-nine-year-old woman now. Don't you see? You may still be young, but you don't have many chances at happiness left if you keep putting yourself in danger, Relena. The world is at peace. You don't need to keep on fighting like this—"
"—My what?"
Noin froze. "You didn't know?"
"I'm…" Relena couldn't quite bring herself to say the word. Pregnant? No, no, it wasn't possible; it wasn't as if she didn't take precautions against this sort of thing. "No."
"Yes, definitely. Two months already. Trust me, Zechs was hoping for a no, too," said Noin, muttering over the last part. Even if his sister was an adult now, and he was a parent himself, Zechs didn't take too kindly to the idea that the bratty kid of a Gundam pilot he once fought had gotten intimate with his sister. "Congratulations."
"I can't be... oh, Noin, you couldn't understand. I'm not… and Heero…" Relena trailed off. Heero. Even after ten years, she could barely manage to keep the man from running off into space every other week. How could she ask something like this of him when she wasn't even sure if she could ask it of herself? The two had hardly ever discussed having children, and never in a serious manner. She covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, God…"
"Do you understand what I mean, now?" Noin sighed. "Relena, I know it might not seem like something you'd ever expected to see yourself doing, but believe me when I say I would do anything to be in your position right now. Having the chance to start somewhere new with the twins…to just be their mom," she stopped, letting off a solitary giggle as her cheeks flushed a mild pink. "I'm sorry; I'm not used to talking like this."
"I think I do know what you mean," Relena murmured. She flopped back on her pillow, letting out a sigh. This certainly wasn't what Relena had expected her next meeting with Lucrezia Noin to have been. She'd imagined that one day, they could get together; that she and Heero could see her niece and nephew; that they would celebrate her engagement. This, of course, would come when Relena could finally manage to sneak away from work—or rather, whenever it occurred to her to make it a priority. Even Relena knew this was the real reason that it'd been so long. "What have I been doing, Noin? My ideal has been realized, hasn't it? Peace. Total Pacifism. And here I am, just burying myself in paperwork…"
Noin winced at the word. Peace. She wasn't sure how much longer she could manage to lie to the face of a friend. "Life gets away from you," she murmured. "Some days I feel like I was just changing diapers, and yesterday, Naina told her brother she hated him. She thought he lost her doll. It was right in her room, but you couldn't tell her that," she sighed, deeply, cupping her face in her hand. "She's like a little Zechs sometimes, I swear. And when those two go at it, it's… ugh. I won't lie, Relena. It's hard. They're only two and it's hard."
Relena smiled. The thought of her brother as a father was comforting. Perhaps, if he could manage it, maybe even someone like Heero could. "Two already?" she murmured.
"Mhm. Zechs' is taking them to Mars soon. We've been stationed on this cruiser since they were babies. I thought it was about time they had a real home," said Noin. That much was true. It was time for them to have a real home, and, to be safe. "If you'd like, we can arrange for you to go, too."
"I'll think about it," Relena murmured. "But only until the baby's born. I won't let the world think I'm dead forever, Noin. And Heero has to know that I'm alive," she said. A chill went down her spine. "Oh, goodness, how am I going to tell him this?"
"Maybe try writing it in a letter. It might be easier. And, hey, it's a better idea than opening up a communication channel from here. It'd be risky to leave a trail like that," she said.
The real question, she feared, was how to get Relena Peacecraft off the ship. Noin shifted her eyes away. There was still the problem that even she had no idea why the Federation attacked the ESUN, or why they'd brought Relena back alive when the goal was clearly to kill her. Whoever was behind this certainly wouldn't let their prisoner go without a fight. Whoever…
That was another problem.
From the time that the Noinheim Konzern, her father's organization, had joined forces with the Mars Colonization Project, her father had sworn to her that his only goal was that of any capitalist—to grow a profitable economy and make on his investment in Mars. The fact that over time, the Colonization Project's staff was almost entirely replaced by agents of what was little more than a financial conglomerate, and that the son of said conglomerate's head had become the first sitting President of Mars, while perturbing, wasn't illegal. How they'd done it, however… Noin couldn't help but wonder just how many signs she'd missed, and what, precisely, was about to unfold. What are you up to, Father? And why do you need Relena Peacecraft to do it?
"Noin?"
The blue-haired woman snapped back to reality. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"About?"
"That this definitely isn't the way I thought I'd be catching up with you."
That night, Noin sat up in bed until her usual late hour, waiting for her husband to return. She kept her eyes on the clock. With all that was unfolding, him being late, even if entirely typical, was giving her cause to worry. When the doors opened, she instinctively reached for the gun she kept on her nightstand, until a flash of golden blonde hair caught her eye.
"Zechs! Where've you been?"
"Sorry. It seems someone mentioned to Milou that Auntie Relena is having a baby. He was awfully curious about where those come from. The bird… it's a sturgeon, right?"
"A…what?" Noin narrowed a brow. "It's a stork, I thought. Isn't a sturgeon one of those ugly fish things?"
"Oh."
A look of realization dawned on the man's face, and the two shared a strange glance before breaking into a small fit of laughter.
"How did she take it?"
"Pretty well. She had her own demands, of course, but she agreed to leave with you tomorrow," said the woman, eyeing an envelope on the nightstand. Even though Relena had sealed it with her name over the flap, the best she could do without a proper seal, the stationary they'd managed to scrape up looked wholly unlike her handiwork. "I don't even know if I should give it to him. If he comes after her… if we can even get her off this ship…" Noin ran her fingers through her hair. There were far too many 'ifs' in this situation for her to feel any good about it.
"Don't worry," said Zechs, a peculiar smirk growing across his lips. "I have a plan."
Notes: To clarify for readers who are not familiar with Frozen Teardrop, Relena's having a child is my creation. Once it's born, I'll leave you a note as to why I did this. Naina and Milou Peacecraft are canon characters from Frozen Teardrop, and not my own creation. Their official ages aren't released, but given that they appear a little older than the rest of the pilots in MC 22, I think their age gap is similar to Zechs' and Noin's from the pilots in the Gundam Wing series. That being said, I could be wrong in this. It's very difficult to discern the ages of people from Mars in particular, seeing as in Frozen Teardrop, living on Mars apparently makes some people age slower or faster. For instance, Zechs is supposed to be 51 in FT MC 22, but still looks the same as he did in Endless Waltz, while Duo Maxell is said to have aged quite significantly.
Also: The Mars Century timeline uses actual Mars years, which means two of them equals one Earth year. Given that this can be very confusing, I will list everything in both AC and MC. As long as you try not to over think it, it's really not very difficult at all. Feel free to ignore this weird time business altogether; it's not essential to understanding this story. J I'm just a perfectionist.
Your support has been really quite wonderful. 's new Story Stats system has allowed me to see where your IPs are from, and I'm really quite flattered to see that there are people reading this story from all corners of the globe! At the time that I'm posting this, there are people from thirty-two countries reading this story. Even though only a small fraction of you have left comments, I'm really quite touched to see that many people are apparently enjoying this. Thank you all!
The next chapter will be posted by New Years, 2013. Please stay with me!
ケネディ
