Hey guys - it's been a weepingly sad nine days without my fanfiction *sobs* but I survived and I'm all better now. As soon as my Ramen noodles cool down I'll get to edit this. It'll be maybe a week or so before 8 comes out because I'm going to write than and chap 9 before I publish again. Later!

AC 208: The Search for Truth (Part VII)

"Shinjite"

It's so hard to comprehend, so hard to believe, she thought. How can this be possible?

The people were friendly, she'd grant them that much. It was just a little overwhelming. Apparently, when Ihminen said that he didn't keep secrets from his officers, he meant it. Anyone who had inquired about her had gotten the full story. It was like being a celebrity.

She'd gotten questions anywhere from how old she was to if humans reproduced the same way as Henkilo (both had been a bit difficult, for different reasons). Officers not on duty followed her around trying in vain to look innocent. She didn't particularly blame them. She would have felt the exact same kind of curiosity if in their position. She didn't see Ihminen around the rest of the ship much, which was fine because she wasn't particularly ready to talk to him. He allowed his officers a lot of license, but Marie found that he didn't need to keep close reins on them. They were just as genuine and honest as their captain was, and the general atmosphere was surprisingly and pleasantly peaceful and open.

Akiko followed her around a lot, after she felt brave enough to put clothes on and get out of bed. The girl wanted to pick her brains about everything. Marie found herself spending a lot of time with the children. Vincent and Raina smiled happily when they saw her, to her pleasant surprise, and Akiko explained that they'd basically left the babies alone and made her take care of them. She didn't know their names, though. The poor thing didn't know that one of them was her own sister!

And Ihminen was right about leaving the children, too. Akiko wouldn't want to leave Marie for people that were essentially strangers to her, even if Vince and Raina would greet their parents with enthusiasm. She was traumatized from the ordeal. Even if she didn't know right from wrong technically, the child could still sense evil. Marie listened to sob-studded stories that horrified her beyond anything she'd dreamed.

But Heero had been through some of that too. He might be able to identify better with her. Marie wasn't the best consultant for comfort, having her own problems that she wouldn't be able to confide in Akiko, and she knew it.

She wandered down to the docking bay where Ihminen had told her Fortuna was housed. The lights were low, but her hazel eyes glowed slightly green. "I know you missed me," Marie said, hiding a grin. "Don't pretend you would have been fine. I know you would have—"

::Enough!:: Yes, she wasn't going to let her finish a sentence as tempting as that one. ::You're in a very good mood, considering all the tragedy upon us tonight.::

"Yes, almighty Shakespearean philosopher. Do I have to pour my heart out for you to tell me what the hell is going on here?" It seemed to her that they understood each other without even having to say the words. This psychic connection thing was a little creepy, but also strangely fulfilling. "I thought you could read my thoughts."

::Some of them.:: She held out her hands in invitation, and Marie climbed into them. She scrambled up and over her arm, the tip of Fortuna's wing following in case she stumbled. Marie grabbed a hold of the slippery feathers and hoisted herself onto the crest of the giant thing.

High perches made her feel a little better, something the gundam must have known well. Fortuna's height barely reached a third of the way up in the room, but it was still a wonderful perch. "How does it feel to be back with your own?" she asked, deduction and reasoning taking over.

There was silence for a moment. ::How did you know?::

"These people know your name well. It doesn't take much to figure things out."

::And I have given you plenty of clues, I suppose. To answer your question, it makes me feel horrible. I had to report on the situation, love, and that's not easy.::

"Nothing's gone the way it's supposed to, has it?" Marie shook her head, trying to clear away the tears in her eyes and couldn't. "Nothing's gone well."

::Some things have gone well. I found you, and that was no easy task.::

"Don't be coy. I know you're worried about something."

::It sounds as though you're truly curious, but I'm going to restrain myself from telling you until you talk to Ihminen. He has important things on his mind. Why don't you go visit him?::

"I don't want to. I want to be with you. Everything is so strange here."

::Is it really that different? I found your ship to be quite similar.::

"It's not home." Well, it wasn't really too different so much as too similar. Everything looked so human, but it wasn't. It was discerning. She knew she sounded like a child, but . . .

::You're afraid of what he's going to say, aren't you.:: It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I guess I am," she admitted. "I don't want someone to unload on me. I've got enough problems."

::What if the problem is the same? Marie, you know I would do anything for you, but I can't in good conscience go until you let him tell you why you're suffering. If you'd only open your heart for a moment, you'd—::

"Stop," she said. "How would you know?"

::I understand more than you think. I've been through it. It's hard, yes, but you will struggle through. It makes it easier if you listen. Words have the power to heal. Haven't you seen that so many times in just the past year?::

Marie hugged her knees, feeling the feathers shift around her. She'd usually listen to Fortuna's advice. It was obvious she'd been around long enough to know what she was talking about.

::You're afraid to be hurt, catling, and I really don't blame you. I've been through the mill, so to speak, and I understand. There comes an end to the pain. There is something wonderful waiting for you at the end of this journey. Don't doubt that.::

But she couldn't be sure of that. The future's always uncertain.

::You've got me there. No, I can't be sure, but I can be confident of it. You're strong, Marie, strong enough to win this battle, I've no doubt there whatsoever. But because of the way the cards are being played you will need every bit of emotional strength you have, which won't be possible unless you can summon it at will.::

There was a hiss as the pressurized door opened. "Mariemaia? Oma told me you were here." Akiko stepped into the room and looked up. "Wow! What is this? What are you doing all the way up there?"

Marie grinned. Why don't you invite her on?

Fortuna's movement startled the child as she knelt and put her hand to the floor. Marie shouted that it was okay. "Come up here, silly! Don't be scared, I'm not!"

Spurred by the bravery of her newfound heroin, she climbed into the hand. She clutched it when the gundam raised it to meet her wing, but Mariemaia's firm grip chased any fear out of the girl's mind. She observed from her new vantagepoint, and grinned. "What is this?"

"This is my gundam," Mariemaia replied. "I think I must have talked for an hour about her, and you forgot already?"

"I thought you said it was a machine." Akiko studied the green-black feathers with interest. "It looks more like an angel."

Marie heard Fortuna's mental chuckle, and suppressed a laugh herself. ::I'm hardly that perfect!::

"She's one of my best friends, but I wouldn't really call her an angel. She's not so sweet once you get to know her."

::Sarcasm becomes a necessity when you're in my line of work,:: Fortuna shot back with another laugh.

Akiko snuggled closer against the young woman. "Ihminen told me we were leaving soon. He said they were taking us back to our parents. I want to stay here with you!"

Marie squeezed her gently. "But don't you want to see you parents again? They miss you so much."

"It's not like I remember them. You've told me everything, but I don't remember anything. I know you now. Why can't I stay?"

She hated to hear the child upset, but her tears were merely for show, to manipulate Marie into doing something she didn't want to. She wasn't buying. "Akiko, I can't be with you all the time. I have my own things to do, and I can't let my friends down. Your father and mother are good people, and they'll be able to take much better care of you than I will. I don't have the time or the best qualifications to care for you. Now stop that."

She didn't. She just sobbed and grabbed Marie's flightsuit possessively.

Mariemaia pried her small hands from the slippery fabric.

::She's a child,:: Fortuna protested. ::She doesn't understand!::

Bull. Marie held Akiko to keep her from struggling and accidentally falling. "Listen to me, little girl. You told me a while ago that you wanted to be a grownup. You really want to be a grownup? You have to do what people tell you to do most of the time. You can't always have your way. The old Akiko knew that. I have something I have to do. Mostly because everyone tells me I have to, but also because I want to. I can't pay attention to you all the time. Your mother and father have been working very hard to find you, and I'm not going to let them worry more than they already have because you want to stay with me! My job is dangerous, honey. I don't want you to get hurt, too."

"I won't get hurt . . . I promise!" She was pleading now, and the tears were turning more genuine. "I don't know them anymore, my parents I mean. I don't want to be left with strangers!"

Now that her true fears were surfacing, she could comfort the child. "I wish I could make everything all right for you, Akiko, I really do. But I can't, so you have to go back to where you'll be safe. Your mom and dad would kill me if I let anything happen to you. I promise I'll be back." That was the best she could do. Of course she really wasn't sure she'd make it that far, but a promise was all she'd accept. Certainty. That's what a child needs to feel secure. Marie couldn't make her understand. She had to learn.

::That is childish diplomacy. Learn it and you'll never have to worry about messing up any kind of politics.:: Fortuna chuckled again and looked up at them. ::Marie, I think you're ready to go talk to Ihminen, but I won't say anything more. You need to make up your own mind.::

~~@[~*,~]@~~

The bridge was a noisy place, but not unpleasantly so. It was large, much larger than her bridge, and proportionally staffed. Messages were shouted out in random directions in the hope that they would be passed on quickly. If they were, the shouter would receive confirmation, etc. It was a bit mind-boggling, but it seemed to work. Perhaps it was easier for the Henkilo to distinguish, though. Being on the bridge now, she heard for the first time their native language. It was a combination of musical notes sang (and sometimes whistled) and syllables not too unlike most Earth languages used. It was very poetic and strangely beautiful. That's where they got those melodious voices, she realized.

She fought her way to the front, where she found Ihminen standing in a classic captain's pose staring into literal space. He seemed oblivious to the bustle, but he noticed Mariemaia right away. "Ah, Ms. Khushrenada, are you preparing to leave?"

The man was sharp, all right. "I was planning on heading out soon, yes. You said I should see you first."

"I knew you'd see it was necessary," he said, as though relieved. "You're so different from Dekim. It gives me a bit of hope, knowing you aren't all as evil as he was."

"You knew my grandfather?" Marie stopped. "How old are you?"

He smiled again, perhaps a bit wistful. "Forgive me if decline to answer. It might betray my youthful complexion."

An officer nearby chuckled. Marie glanced at him and he winked. Apparently Ihminen didn't look all that young (though she couldn't really tell).

He motioned for her to move closer and stand beside him. "Billions of stars, Mariemaia. Don't you see them? Aren't they beautiful? We have yet to find another race out here in the all of the galaxy. This is such a lonely place, as we have come as refugees from a distant land. We are all refugees. There are more of us, and we are not all the same color or the same creed or the same . . . at all. We ran from something disastrous that destroyed our galaxy. What happened was wrapped in mystery and millions of years of speculation, but the same thing began to happen to this new galaxy— this galaxy that was devoid of life but for Earth, such a strange place— we knew we had to act fast. That's why you're here.

"No one knows the precise nature of the problem, but we know that it lies with this man Beliv. He's upset some kind of existorial balance, and if we don't bring him down, reality for this galaxy will collapse just like it did in our homeland. Nothing can ever live out of the material that survived the aftermath of that destruction, Mariemaia. Life will be obliterated here, too if something is not done."

The news probably had been expected to be more devastating than it was to her. It'd be sad, yes, but no one would be left behind to grieve.

"Yes, I went though those same thoughts," Ihminen said with a chuckle. "Believe me, I wondered! 'But it does eventually boil down to this: do you really want to die? Do you want to give up this beautiful pain and agonizing joy and bleakness and disparity and wonder and captivation, or do you want to continue to suffer since you can also feel joy? In the end, we would rather feel the pain that accompanies elation rather than give it all up.' A good friend of mine said that, before he died." Ihminen again clasped his hands behind his back and turned to the stars.

Marie thought about that for a moment, and realized it was true. Even Dennis had said that he regretted trying to end it all, once he'd realized how much he meant to her. These people seemed no more intelligent than her own, though they were more advanced. From her conversations across the ship, they held many of the same moral points and different views, slight prejudices and earthly desires that humans had. It didn't seem so strange, and she felt right at home with them. "What was his name?" she asked, frankly curious. She might be able to publish that quote back on earth, perhaps.

A smile broke out on that slightly creased, deep copper face of his. "He was an outsider to us, but the only one we found that wanted to help us instead of vice versa. He told me many stories— such sad stories— about his stolen family, his ruined dreams. He wanted to help us find the cause for this dilemma which I have described to you. He found it, but he couldn't get me all the information before he was killed. He was a good man. Quite crafty, but a good man. He was much like you, as I see you standing here, a little unsure, a little angry, a little vengeful. I see him in you through those eyes. You've a fiery determination about you that my friend had. Yes, you may be able to save us all. Oh? His name? He was an earth man, a man born into politics and opposed to the great scheme Dekim and his cronies had concocted behind my back. He hated Dekim with a passion! He wanted nothing more than to get rid of him. He was your dear father, Mariemaia. Oh, I remember Treize telling stories of you, regaling every joyous-but-rare moment that he was able to spend with you. You were his happiness, his pride, his every thought and dream. He fought a war for you, you know, and died because he knew if he got this information to me, Dekim would be ruined and have to surrender you. He was absolutely captivated with you, dear girl. Let me take this opportunity, before I let you go, to tell you that even if you don't want to believe it your father loved you dearly. I could see it in his eyes whenever he spoke, even if it was about something totally unrelated. I just wish he knew you were all right now."

Marie controlled her temper at the mention of his name. After all, Ihminen had been very kind to her. "Why does everyone think I need to know what a great person he was?" She asked.

Ihminen shifted, and the warm smile was gone suddenly. He evidently thought she was being childish. "Because you seem to ignore who he was for who you think he was. But that is a subject on which you need to devote private thought. I have one thing to ask of you, Mariemaia. Please listen."

"I'm listening," she said, knowing that there was much more here than her father. His part in this was a fact; she couldn't change it, much less forget it, and she needed to finish this interview so she could be on her way back to the Phantom Runners.

"Don't be merciful when it comes Erik Beliv's turn to be destroyed. He has shown no pity, no sympathy. Don't give in to your feelings when you are given the deathblow, because he will not hesitate to turn it on you. That was your father's mistake, and he paid dearly for it.

Well, she certainly didn't want to make the same mistakes he did. "I'll keep that in mind, Captain. What are you going to do with me, though? I have to save the world, and I have the feeling that being back with my people only makes me a bigger target."

"It is the same thing Milliardo Peacecraft will come to realize about his own kingdom. I advise you stay with us, at least for the time being. You will be able to work more freely and have access to all the information we do. Wufei has been asked to lead the Phantom Runners in his absence. He will do for now, because the need for morale boosting is not so strong. Shenlong is a good fighter, though Fortuna may disagree. I have no doubt they'll survive through your absence."

"Let me give it some thought," Mariemaia told him, although she really already knew she was going to accept the offer.

~~@[~*,~]@~~

Sophie awoke to the sound of someone knocking loudly on the door. "Mmn . . . go away," Duo muttered, nuzzling the back of her head.

"Duo, this is a little urgent!" It was Heero's voice, and he did sound excited. An excited Heero was definitely not someone to ignore.

With a groan Duo extricated himself from bed and answered the door. "What is it, man?"

Heero gave him a once over (looking a little nauseated). "Put some clothes on and come outside, both of you. You've got to see this!"

Grumbling, Duo closed the door, pulled on his clothes from last night and found a hair tie. He pulled his loose hair back in a sloppy ponytail and grabbed his wife's arm. "C'mon, Soph. Heero never says it's urgent for no good reason.

She protested sleepily but surrendered. "All right, all right! You don't have to dress me, I can do it myself!"

Duo grinned, arms around her. "But I want to," he teased. He'd always been a morning person.

She hadn't. "Just get me my robe," she sighed, brushing tangled black curls out of her face. "I don't care anymore."

It was a chilly morning, a little strange perhaps for a colony as they staggered sleepily down the hall. There was a crowd down in the lobby, there was a lot of shouting going on, that was for sure. Sophie's pace quickened as she heard snitches of conversation.

"What the hell's goin' on out there?" Duo asked, eyes widening.

"—can't believe it's true—"

"—wild! Imagine that— "

"—just look at that gundam, it's huge!"

"—how'd they know—?"

They were running before they hit the crowd. There were hundreds of people gathered at the entrance to the hotel, and as Duo and Sophie came clear of the awning they could see part of what was so exciting. There was a gundam standing in the parking lot, one he'd never seen before. It was black and dark emerald in color, thinner than any mobile suit he'd ever seen and had wing's like Zero's, giant great menacing things that cast a shadow over the entire block.

When the people in front realized who they were, it parted like the red sea. Standing in a hollow by the gundam's feet were Heero, Relena, Mareimaia and two people that were obviously not human. A child was in Heero's arms, crying. One of the aliens, male by his appearance, grinned and held out the baby he was carrying.

"Oh my god . . . Vince!" Sophie broke away from her husband and swept down on the kindly-faced man when their son saw them and started to cry, reaching out for his parents. He still remembers us, Duo thought as his heart leapt. Sophie fell against him, on the verge of tears. They're back. They're really back. "Look at how he's grown! I can't believe how big he is!"

"Mariemaia," he heard Heero say, his voice faint, "how—"

"I didn't do anything," Marie said. "I was dog meat when Beliv caught me, but they rescued us and healed me and brought your kids back."

"Despicable," the male alien said, his voice strangely melodious, "what he did to these poor innocent children left us feeling that there was no other choice. We had to pick up Mariemaia regardless."

"Thank you," Duo managed, staring at the man with a combination of respect and curiosity, one hand on his son.

He bowed, thick dark green hair falling over his decorated shoulders. "My name is Ihminen. I am the captain of the cruiser Laiva, which carries the survivors of the Henkilo people. It was no trouble at all, Mr. Maxwell, and your children have brought a renewed hope and joy to us."

"I am Manusia," the female said. She was shorter, with lighter hair and a lighter brown-red complexion "It too has been a pleasure caring for your children. I might say it's a might hard to let them go." amber eyes twinkled with good humor.

As Duo and Sophie fell into attentions of their own children and their liberators, Heero and Relena fell into a quiet conversation with Marie.

"So you're the one that sent Fortuna to us! I kept wondering who in the world would have known," she marveled. "How did you get so involved in this?"

"Zero knows a lot," Heero said, wanting to shout for joy that his daughter was with him again. He could touch her mind without getting pushed out now, and though the memories were gone some information Marie had given her was planting some new sprouts in that wasteland. "He's helped me for a long while with this. He helped me plan, and gave me a way to contact her. I trust things are going well?"

"Wait, wait! You knew about Fortuna all along? Why didn't you tell us?" Relena demanded, Raina watching them with a kind of solemn curiosity.

"Because I didn't see a reason for you to know until everybody does. You know how hard it is to burden secrets." Heero gave her a patronizing look and turned back to Mariemaia. "Please, continue."

"Everything is going fine," she said, a little discouraged after Relena's outburst. "But I don't want to tell all that much, if that's all right."

"No problem. It's really your business now, in any case." Relena realized Heero didn't really want to know, anyway. "How's Wufei?"

"He was fine last time I saw him, I suppose." She said. "He's been very secluded, and I don't really have any messages from him to give to Phailin or anything. I didn't know I'd be here myself."

"We don't know where Phailin is, in any case," Relena told her comfortingly. Her arms were starting to ache from holding Raina— the girl was so heavy! "She went off into the jungles and for all we know she could be seeking the protection of a monastery. She's got a bounty on her head, so I suppose it's best to keep hidden. I've been trying to keep in touch with bounties issued by Shenmu, and hers hasn't been paid off to my knowledge, so I'd say she's still alive and well."

"If I ever see Wufei again I'll tell him." She replied with a kind of humor. Apparently these Henkilo had rubbed off a little on her. She seemed in a very good mood, considering told circumstances.

"You're not going back to the Phantom Runners?" That was a bit surprising. She'd poured a good portion of her life into the independent nation of mobile suit warriors.

"Not yet. I have some things to do. Oh, and Heero, I have something I need you to give Zero from Fortuna." She held out a diskette, unlabeled.

"I'll make sure he sees it," he promised, knowing Zero would try and reject anything from her after his little conversation with her.

"Mariemaia, we should get going. We're going to be mobbed soon, by the press if nothing else." Ihminen called.

"He's probably right," she told them, sighing. "I suppose I should tell you what's happened to your daughter before I go."

"We know," Heero said sadly, cradling Akiko protectively. She responded by burying her face against his neck. The contact was extremely gratifying "I can sense it. She's barely said a word to us, too. Thank you for caring for her as best you could. I'm sure it's been a bit difficult."

She nodded. "Try not to be too hard on her until she gets to know you again. She's been very anxious about meeting you. It was nice seeing you again, Heero, Relena."

As she turned to board Fortuna, and Ihminen and Manusia their atmosphere skipper, the cry went up. Akiko tore herself from her father and ran to Marie, clutching at her with a kind of frightened desperation. "Don't leave!" She cried. "Don't leave me here!"

Seeing her sister upset, Raina began to wail too. "We talked about this," Mariemaia grabbed the child's arm a little roughly. Now really, she'd promised! "You told me you'd be an adult about this."

"But I don't want you to go!" Now Vincent was starting in on the racket, and she gritted her teeth to hide her frustration.

With every bit of self, control, she knelt beside the child. "Akiko, look, honey, I can't stay. I said I'd be back as soon as I can, and I promise I will. But look at your father, Akiko. Look at him." Heero had this look on his face that made her want to cry herself. Akiko wanted to be with Marie over her own father. Akiko gave it a glance and purposefully ignored it. She didn't want to think about him, and that was the key. "He loves you very much, and I can't say I love you nearly so. Look at him again—" and when she flatly refused the young woman seized her small face and forced her to do it. She gave the expression on his face and the crying babes a few moments to sink in, knowing Akiko didn't want to hurt him. She'd said that much.

With another cry, the girl ran for him, and Heero gathered her up, stroking the girl's cropped hair that was almost the same color as his own. She heard him say some things in Japanese to her, and Relena joined in as best as she could. Raina and Vincent were finally calming down. Without another word to draw attention back to her, she boarded Fortuna and started the system.

But before she could even get the door closed, Heero called to her. "So where are you going, Marie?"

She stepped out and looked down at hundreds, ne, thousands of expectant faces, filled with hope and awe and respect and whatever else they may have been feeling for her. She smiled. "Me? I'm going to save the world."

A cheer went up and the two pilots, their wives and children all smiled. Akiko waved, and several people imitated. Marie laughed and waved back.

::I thought you handled that rather well,:: Fortuna observed as she fled the scene with her comrades as fast as her conscience would let her.

"As you are the ultimate expert on raising children, I'll take that as a compliment," she jested, feeling rather satisfied, despite herself.

There was a mental chuckle. ::You've been in good spirits, too. I think we might have a chance, as it is.::

"Thanks for the good faith."

::Anytime, loveling, anytime.::

~~@[~*,~]@~~

"Wufei?"

"What is it?" Wufei asked, sounding a bit irritated even to his own ears. Shenlong was really being a pain in the ass. Why couldn't everybody just leave him alone?

Ben stepped onto the catwalk and looked up at him. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"I'm not the best man to ask for a favor, kid." No, he'd never been all that good at keeping promises.

"Marie's gone . . . everyone's kinda leader-less . . . and you're famous. Could you kinda take charge of things until we get her back?" The boy was perhaps a few years older than Mariemaia, but he sounded quite a few years younger. He sounded lost, in fact.

Great. All Wufei wanted was to go back home and now they were asking to guarantee that he wouldn't. "Look I'm not the best person to lead an army, let along this band. Hell, I'm not even good at that. If you wanted a leader Trowa should have sent Heero or Quatre—"

"I'm not asking you to be another Marie!" he protested. "You're a gundam pilot, so people look up to you by default. I just want you to be a figurehead until she gets back, someone to keep everyone together. You won't be handling everything, hell, we did a lot of the work for her. Dennis has foresight better than the rest . . . he handles strategy. I take care of getting the orders passes around. She just figured out how to fight. We're winning, and the men don't need the kind of inspiration she supplied, but we do need someone who can tell us how to fight, and you're good at that."

"Yeah, thanks," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Boy, he made it sound like a simple job. "Why can't you do it, again?"

Before he could answer, Dennis interrupted him. The boy burst into the bay with a portable vid-messenger in his hand. "Ben, c'mere!"

"What is it?" Ben ran off and they had a miniature conference in the corner, talking excitedly. Ben came back with a look on triumph on his face. "See, you should listen to my advice. Take at look at this, Wufei."

Wufei took the vid unit reluctantly and played the message they'd gotten. Marie's face appeared on the screen. Behind her was the bridge of a starship, one much larger than theirs. It was dim as if on its night cycle. "Hey, guys, it's me. I just called to say I'm all right, so don't worry about us— me and Fortuna, anyway. I'm with some friendlies; I'm sure you'll hear all about them if you're still picking up Earth and colony news. I'm probably not going to be back for a while. I've got some things to take care of, so I don't know when. I've still got orders, though. Tell Wufei he's in charge, but everyone else's jobs are still the same. I think he'll be fine, but if you really have any big objections you can send me a message through Fortuna. Don't call me back at this number. I was just up here and thought to call.

"I've also got some messages, for Shenlong and Wufei, so let him see this once you get it."

There was a password Mariemaia had given him (evidently every officer had one), and she'd somehow managed to password her message. Wufei hastily entered it in the unit and waited impatiently for it to come up.

Marie's face appeared again on the screen, distorted for a second as the pad loaded the message. "Sorry for the hassle, Wufei, but I didn't think you'd appreciate it if I made an announcement for everyone to hear, am I right? I've got some good news for you; We found the kids and they're back with their parents now, and Heero and Relena told me that Phailin's doing all right and still hiding successfully— since the bounty on her head hasn't been paid off. I hope that put you in a better mood, because I've got some bad news too. Beliv captured me, but I escaped and he's probably pretty angry about that. I'm safe, but as I said I probably won't be able to join back up with you. I know you're probably disappointed that I want you to lead this brood, but frankly you're the only one I trust to get it done properly. And now that you know my reason, I'd like you to know something else. Fortuna told me Shenlong's been withholding information from you, and that you may not know all you should. I've included some information at the end of this message, but I advise that you don't plug it into your gundam because he might not let you see it. Give him a stern talking-to for me— I'm sure Fortuna will do the same once she has a free moment."

She turned at a sudden light source and a strange sound. "It's me, Ihminen."

"Oh," he heard, "it's you, Mariemaia! I wondered what someone would be doing up this late."

"Sorry I disturbed you." Mariemaia stared off to her right, Is everything all right? I didn't think you'd mind me using your messenger— Fortuna's drains her when I'd rather not."

"Of course, there's no trouble. I haven't been sleeping well, is all."

She chuckled. "Noisy neighbors?"

"Unfortunately. Oh— are you sending a message now?"

She must have motioned to him, because the man stepped into view. He was the strangest looking person he'd ever seen in his life— large buggy eyes under thin brows over a small flat nose and the deepest coppery tan impossible on skin. It might have been him, but the man's hair was green. "Wufei, this is Ihminen, the captain of the ship I'm with, the Laiva. If you need me urgently and can't get me contact him. You can trust him."

Ihminen made a small bow. "Hello Wufei, I look forward to having the honor of meeting you one day."

With a small mumbled exchange he left Mariemaia to the rest of her message. She leaned forward on the console, the shadow cast from her face making the screen almost black except for those piercing green eyes. "I thought I could confide you in this, and I'm almost afraid to tell anyone else. Cam got captured too, and Beliv killed him to get at me. These people have been wonderfully supportive of me, but . . . I still feel guilty. I didn't know he loved me so much— God I feel like a fool! Please, Wufei, don't tell anyone he's dead. It would crush spirits. I'll make the announcement myself when I return. I have a lot of soul-searching to do.

"And now more than ever my father's name is on my head. They knew him, Wufei, and loved him. I can't say I hate him. I don't have the courage. Tell me, was he wishing for death that day, or did he truly want to live and see that the peace became a lasting one? You were there. You're the only one that can tell me."

The message fizzed out, and Wufei stared at the vid-pad with a kind of horrific curiousity. She seemed so uncertain, but she'd never looked more satisfied in her life. And to make things worse, he didn't know what he'd be able to answer. The fulfillment he'd felt when he'd heard that his wife was safe suddenly was no longer so comforting. He'd had no idea the child was so lost.

But he had to make sure she came back to a crew that accepted her. He stored the pad in his pocket and set to work.

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That's it for this chapter. I'm really kind of tired right now so I'm not going to do much but advertise: I'm working on reediting AC 206 and I should have chapters 1-3 up (if now I'm going to kick someone's @$$, so eloquently put) and I just put out chapter 9 of my Nameless Soldier's fic. If you haven't read Nameless Soldiers, you should because it's a great GW angst number (I got 20 reviews in 4 days) and it's really short. I mean really short, as in shorter in entirety than just one of the chapters in AC 208. Stick around for AC 208: The Search for Truth (Part VIII): "Losing Faith"