A.C. 197 Cinq Kingdom Palace

As he looked out over the city, a deep contentment filled Miliardo Peacecraft, ruling prince of the Cinq Kingdom and chief of security for the newly formed World and Space Alliance. War had torn apart the world nations and the space colonies for so long, the peace that was his family's dream seemed just that: a dream. But the construction underway in the city was real, and he could see his people going about their daily lives without the threat of attack.

Yet peace had been bought and paid for with the lives of many young men and women, and Miliardo would honor their memory by maintaining it. His father had been naïve to believe that man could live with total pacifism. There had been enough war to prove him wrong, and yet Miliardo could not rule with an iron fist either. Peace had its price.

Deep in thought, he didn't hear his aide, Lieutenant Benton, enter until the young man cleared his throat.

"Your Excellency, Commander Noin is here to see you."

Without realizing what he was doing, he ran a hand through his silky, long blond hair and tugged at the sleeves of his jacket. When he saw Benton try to hide his smile, Miliardo chuckled at his own nervousness. "Send her in."

The lieutenant stepped out and a moment passed before the commander of his military, Baronet Lucrezia Noin entered. Their eyes met, but neither spoke until the door closed her.

"It has been fourteen hours and twenty-seven minutes," he said with a smile as he took a step toward her.

Noin took a step toward him, her dark violet eyes still on his. "Twenty-eight minutes," she corrected him, "and forty-three seconds."

Miliardo closed the distance between them. "Fifty seconds." He would have reached out to take her hands, but his aide poked his head back into the room.

"Your Excellency, shall I cancel your appointment with Colonel Nelson?"

Nelson was Chief of Space Operations and had flown in on the shuttle that morning. He had an urgent report that he wished to give in person, so Miliardo knew he must cut this unscheduled meeting with Noin short.

"I will be but a moment." He turned his attention back to Noin. That look she was giving him made it difficult to think. "I wasn't expecting to see you until later tonight, but this is a pleasant surprise just the same."

She looked away from his face, blushing. "I am sorry I will not be able to have dinner with you this evening."

Miliardo swallowed his disappointment and hoped his face did not betray just how upsetting her announcement made him. "I am sorry to hear that." Good, not too emotional.

Not as sorry as I, thought Lucrezia Noin, trying not to look at his blue eyes. If she did, she wouldn't be able to concentrate any more. When he had greeted her, she hoped he would touch her, then feared she would fall at his feet if he did. No man had a right to look like he did, especially not the man who was her leader, the man to whom she must report.

What was she there to report?

"An object has been tracked on space radar headed toward the earth," she told him.

"A meteor?" he suggested.

"Not at the trajectory it is travelling." She looked at his face now. "One of my men reminded me of Operation M. This object is similar. It is an unidentified craft."

"Someone needs to check it out," he stated flatly. So much for dinner, he thought. Even his sister was out of the palace, so he would be eating alone when he had had a far different scenario planned. Was it too late to cancel the roses? He would still pay the violinist.

"I knew you would understand," she said as she thought of how her new dress was quite daring, but would have to wait who knew how long to find out if it was worth the week's pay.

"Take the Epyon and one of the gundams from Seaside." He came to her and was so close he hoped she could not hear the heavy thud of his heart.

"Please be careful, Lucrezia."

She raised her face to him. "I will, Zechs."

Miliardo stared down at her beautiful face, saw her eyelids drop as she looked at his lips, and he realized he was looking at hers. They stood like that for several moments before he let out a breath, lowered his head and…

"Colonel Nelson is here!" announced his lieutenant.

His vision was blurred, but he saw Benton cover his mouth with his hand. Miliardo blinked, saw the humor in his aide's eyes, then looked at Noin whose cheeks were bright pink. What was he thinking?

"I should be going," she said breathlessly. "I will report back as soon

as possible."

"Make it very soon!" Did he actually say that?

She saluted him and left.

Miliardo sighed realizing he had missed his chance to kiss her and hold her in his arms because of his inaction again. "Why am I always so spineless?"

Before he could further berate himself for the missed opportunity, Colonel Lionel Nelson strode into the room. They greeted each other with a handshake.

"Zechs, it's good to see you! Was that Noin I just passed? She is looking very good. Very good indeed!" The other man chuckled. "Do you think she'd be interested in a space dog like me?"

Over my dead body. But Miliardo smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. "That would be something to ask her." He turned to see Benton smirking. If he didn't like the young man, he would reprimand him. "Benton, get Colonel Nelson some tea with a dash of whiskey."

"So you remember," remarked Nelson with a laugh as he sat on a chair by the window overlooking the city. Benton returned with the tea and left again. "It has been a long time since our days at the academy."

"Yes," agreed Miliardo. "There have been a lot of changes."

"Your name, for one. Who would have believed that Zechs Merquise would, in reality, be Miliardo Peacecraft, crown prince of the Cinq Kingdom?
"Who would believe there would be peace?"

Nelson sipped from the tea. "Some things have stayed the same. You are still number one, Noin your second, while I…"

"We are not in competition," Miliardo reminded Nelson. Although they had been friends at the academy, Miliardo found something almost sinister lurking in Nelson's black eyes and in the way he stroked his long black mustache as he stared at him without blinking.

"No," the other man responded after a moment of tense silence, "we are not."

"I doubt you endured the long flight to earth to reminisce."

"I wanted to report to you in person that my men have uncovered evidence that several resistance movements in the colonies have been in contact with each other and with others on earth."

Miliardo sighed. "There will always be resistance to peace." He was not foolish enough to believe otherwise. It was their job to keep resistance from becoming battle and battle from becoming war.

"One of my patrols intercepted, and was forced to fire upon, a shuttle from the outer scientific colony L10."

This news angered Miliardo. "We cannot make people understand our ideals unless we live by them!"

"We had no choice. There are rumors that the resistance have obtained a gundam mobile suit. On board that shuttle was Dr. Ivan Stryfe."

"You murdered Dr. Stryfe!?" Miliardo was shocked and outraged.

Colonel Nelson's black eyes were cool and unfeeling. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made. But in answer to your question, my patrol merely persuaded Dr. Stryfe to turn back. However, he never returned to L10 colony."

"What happened to Dr. Stryfe?"

"We are still investigating."

"Keep me informed." Miliardo turned back to his contemplation of the city, effectively dismissing his old friend, an old friend whose ideals were diametrically opposed to his own.

When Nelson had been gone several moments, Benton stepped into the room. "Do you need anything, your excellency?"

Sighing, Miliardo did not take his eyes from the city. "What is my schedule for the week? Am I free tomorrow evening?" He knew the answer before Benton consulted the schedule from the computer.

"You are to attend the opening of the Cinq Kingdom Assembly."

"The next night?"

"A meeting with the delegation from North Africa."

"Then?" Miliardo was hopeful.

"You planned to visit the newly rebuilt hospital on the east side of the city."

Miliardo had difficulty hiding his frustration. Obviously he failed when he caught Benton's knowing smile.

"You are free in exactly six days, thirteen hours, twenty one minutes and seven seconds."

Miliardo raised a brow. Was his lieutenant mocking him? But Benton was still grinning and he realized it was good-natured teasing. Miliardo managed to smile at himself. "Good! Don't schedule anything!"

"Yes, your Excellency." Benton strode to the door, but he paused and turned back. "Did you forget that Commander Noin will be leaving that morning for the Lake Victoria base to review the graduation of the Special Forces?"

Benton didn't wait to hear him swear before he slipped out and quickly shut the door. Miliardo spun to look out the window and in the twilight sky he saw a bright ascending light and recognized the form of Epyon. As it soared higher, Miliardo reached out to trace its flight on the window.

"Be careful, Lucrezia."