Chapter Five: Child Of Zeon

"Lora..." Erica said through her sobs, shaking her head. "Lora..."

"What's going on?" Michel asked, yawning.

"Lora's been murdered," Shiro said bluntly. Eyes widened. Lorian gasped and ran from the room. She quickly returned with the rest of Erica's former team and Captain Lezero.

"Lorian said that Lora's...oh my gosh..." Richard clapped a hand over his mouth. Qess began to cry, and her brother put a hand on her arm.

"Don't cry, Qessile," said Nera. "It is your brother who is the new Commander of your team." With that she turned and left.

"How did you find out?" Kelawney asked Erica. She held out a slip of paper with trembling hands. Karen took it, and read it first to herself, and then aloud.

"Your FRIEND won't be joining you this morning, or any other morning, because she's dead. This foolish girl and your precious Captain Adams are only the beginning, idiots. You'll be next, 08th Team, and the rest of you better watch your backs as well. Especially the one they call Shiro Amada."

Erica sniffed, then took the paper back. "I just don't understand this. What did LORA ever do? Or Andrianna, or Captain Adams, or any of those Zeon we've been fighting and killing?"

"More importantly, who did it?" Shiro asked, anger in his voice. By then, Sanders, Aina, and Battalion Commander Lily Matheson, Nera's second, had shown up.

"Erica and Lorian," Lily said, "Captain Lezero wants to see you." The two nodded and left the room quietly, Lily following.

"Lora...I can' believe it...she was the bes'..." Qess sobbed. By now the entire GM team was sobbing. "An' we leave for space tomorrow...I think."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna get to the bottom of this," Shiro said furiously. "08th Team, you with me?"

"Yes sir!" they chorused, and they followed him down the hall.
************

"Both of you are young, considered by some too young to fight; especially you, Lorian. Because of recent tragic events, I am giving both of you the chance to back out of this war and go back into space; back to your ordinary lives.

"However, if you choose to do so, you will be basically isolated for the duration of the war. I understand this is a hard choice to make, but the choice is your own, and I cannot influence you."

Lorian and Erica looked at each other, taking in Captain Lezero's speech. Confinement? Lorain thought-asked.

That's something I definitely want to avoid. But the chance to go home?? That's as phony as Nera herself is.

What are you talking about?

Mind-listen, not for me, but for her. What's she THINKING, not SAYING.

They both heard her thoughts loud and clear after that. I'd rather they stay, really, and have more of a chance to go the conventional way. I might have to get rid of them like I did Adams and that little girl. And they'd never know... Nera looked sternly at the girls, who now wore shocked looks on their faces.

"Well?"

"We're staying," they replied at the same time.

"Fine, go back to your team. And take this to your...COMMANDER." Nera handed them a piece of paper.

"Official-looking," Lorian said as they walked to where the Gundams waited.

"Mm-hmm. I wonder...was what she thought really true? Maybe she knew, somehow, and just thought that to make us suspicious." Erica pulled the note from her pocket and compared it to the paper Lorian held. "Aha!"

"Aha what?"

"They're the same. The handwriting of the note and Lezero's signature are the same, or at least pretty darn close. Come on, we've gotta find Shiro. Oh, by the way, you've got a fighter like Aina's waiting with our Gundams. I saw it yesterday."

"Cool. Think I can actually fly it?"

"You've done pretty well for an eleven-year-old already," Erica said with a grin. "I think you can handle it."

"Yeah, but will anyone else?"

"Karen will, and Michel. Kiki too. They all side with Shiro and I. They respect you, Lorian, and you know it."

"Yeah, I guess so. Hey, um...where are we?" Lorian glanced around. In having their conversation, they'd gotten lost!
************

"WHAT?!?!?!?!" Shiro yelled. Didn't we... Karen thought, and Erica cut her off with a quick Yes,.

"It's true, Shiro," Erica said aloud, for once using her cousin's name. "Both Lorian and I thought-heard it, and the note and signature..." They were out, in the desert now, searching for Aina's brother and sister.

"But...but how..." Sanders was muttering. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Darn it!"

"What is it, Sanders?" Shiro asked urgently.

"That woman...the day Adams briefed us, the kid talked about that...WOMAN from intelligence that tried to shoot you."

"The intel chick! Miller or something! But...Lezero looks like her, but so do Erica and Lorian." The former glared at Karen, while the latter looked puzzled. I'll explain later, Erica thought.

"Yes, but Lezero recognized the name. And it seems unlikely that anyone besides her was close enough to get Adams, and no one would suspect her, as Captain, if she went into an Officer's room...it just HAS to be her!"

I've never seen Sanders angry, thought Erica.

Believe me, this isn't angry, Karen thought-replied. You don't WANT to see angry.

"So? So she looks like Miller. That's no proof." Aina's voice was shaky, however. She didn't like the idea of going after her family, no matter how dangerous they were.

"Well, in any event, it's too dangerous to head back to the base at all for a while. So if we get called back, we can't go. Understand that?" The team, and Kiki, nodded.
************

"I wonder why this Miller character hates Shiro and Erica so much," Lorian commented later that night.

"Talking isn't my strong point," Sanders grunted.

"Frankly, I don't care," Lorian replied, making Sanders grin. She was learning. "Fighting isn't my strong point, but I still try."

Emphasis on the TRY, came Eledore's thought.

In case anyone wants to know- Erica started.

WE DON'T!! Eledore and Michel thought at the same time, and all three of them laughed out loud.
************

Lorian looked at herself in the mirror the next night. They had moved out of desert and were in grassland. But Lorian still felt like it was 120 degrees out.

Maybe it's time I told them my secret, she thought.

"What secret?" Erica asked as she and Shiro came up behind her. Lorian spun and gulped.

"Um...nothing..."

"It's not nothing, Lorian. You can trust us."

"I know that. I just want to stay on this team. And if I tell you, I can't." Lorian hung her head. I just can't.

"Yes, you can. There's not much that's worse than the whole Miller deal, so spill it." The rest of the team was there now. Lorian made a mental note to think guardedly if she wanted her thoughts to be private.

"Well, I...that is, I...I'm not what I seem."

"We all knew that the day you showed up, Lorian. The average 11-year-old couldn't handle this kind of thing," Michel said, making a good point.

"That's not what I mean, guys. You see, I'm...I'm a...a...I AM A CHILD OF ZEON!!!"

The reactions to this were mixed ones. Karen and Sanders grew angry, as did Eledore. Erica looked first shocked, then puzzled. Michel was obviously stunned, and Aina seemed happy. Kiki smirked, and Shiro just stared.

"You're a what?" Karen asked menacingly.

"A child of Zeon," Lorian whispered.

"So am I, you know," Aina said quietly. That seemed to shock Shiro back into reality.

"Sometimes I forget. But, Lorian, why didn't you TELL? You know you can trust us!" Shiro sounded angry. Erica glared at him with a look that said 'would you lighten up already?'

"I...didn't, sir. Know I could trust you, I mean. I didn't exactly feel like you respected me, you know. You don't even all respect HER." At this, Lorian jerked her thumb at Aina.

"I wouldn't have told," Erica said. "And Sanders, she is NOT a traitor, to us or the Zeon, so stop thinking it! And yes, if it's thoughts like that I WILL announce them."

"I...I'm sorry. I suppose I have to turn myself in and head back home...wherever home is now..."

"YOU CAN'T!" Michel cried suddenly. "THEY'LL SHOOT YOU!!! You'll be..." he shook his head. Sorry, Phoenixbird, he thought.

It's ok. It just hit me now, anyway, Erica thought back, tears in her eyes. Michel's words had brought back her thoughts of Lora. Lora had a sister, she knew, and a twin brother. I wonder if someday they'll know... she thought privately.

*Ben and Amelia Seroli* Erica heard in her head. What? she thought, but the voice hadn't been a thought.

"Aina...you know my brother, if anyone does. Jim Hawkfeather, he calls himself. He's my twin. But that's not his last name, nor is Jamison mine." Lorian blushed and looked down at the ground.

"What is your name, then?" Karen asked, surprisingly gently for her looking so mad.

"Lorian Nilhari."

"I suppose you're all mad now, but too bad!" Michel suddenly said. Kiki nodded in agreement. "She's just told us her deepest darkest secret, one that might get her imprisoned or killed, and half of you are treating her like she's a disease! Stop it! You don't treat Aina that way! She can be on our side, if she wants to!"

"Why DO you want to be on our side, Lorian Nilhari?" Shiro asked seriously.

"Because what the Zeon are doing is wrong. I want to fight for peace. Jim would too, but they caught him trying to escape. He's in prison up there," Lorian gestured to the starry sky.

Guys? Come on, it shouldn't matter! What do you say? Let's give her a chance. Agreed? Erica's eyes were pleading. She'd do it for you.

Agreed, was the unanimous thought. They all smiled. Lorian had heard the whole thing, of course.

Thanks, guys. I promise I'll do what I can.
************

Captain Lezero's voice echoed through the halls of the base. "Attention, attention, everyone in the base report to the main conference room for an announcement!"

The remaining members of the GM Team shuddered, thinking of how they'd have to face Lora's murderer, for that's what they knew she was. Erica had thought it to them as soon as she was sure, and they'd told no one.

"Let's not, an' see how long it takes 'em to realize we aren' there," Qess suggested bitterly. "Betcha all the money I've go' tha' they won'."

"I'm with you. Let's get outta here," Richard said, and the team hurriedly left the building.

Qess and Kelawney had the perfect view when it happened. The base exploded. And, standing and looking at it all was Captain Nera Lezero, laughing crazily.

"She's crazy! How in the world di' she blow up the base?" Qess cried, shocked. "People I knew were in there!"

Jonathan noticed it first. People were fleeing from the wreckage. But they all heard Lezero's shout.

"YOU ALL KNOW NOW!! I AM THE FAMOUS ALICE MILLER! I'LL GET YOU YET, AMADA, AND I'LL GET THAT FOOL PHOENIXBIRD AS WELL!!!!"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Any suggestions for what should happen in future chapters?? Reviews are appreciated, and I'll check for them regularly.