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The pilots floated in space, no one was speaking to anyone. They were all left with their own thoughts, as if they had never met each other.

Kiyo stared, un-blinking in the fact that his grandfather was dead. Grandfather Heero was a stern man, true, but he was kind to those he loved. He had always been a fair, if not strict, trainer and man. He watched with a horrid fascination as the monitors registered farther and farther from Earth.

Scarlet was perhaps hit the worst. Mr. Maxwell had raised her from a little baby, when she was abandoned on his doorstep in a blanket; the black ribbons that tied a message to the blanket now held her braids together. She had never called him "grandfather"; she had only known him as Mr. Maxwell. She put a gloved hand against the monitor, as if hoping that somehow things would reverse.

Max Barton was a boy of little words. He had almost the same looks as his Uncle Trowa, except he didn't have his hairstyle. His emerald green eyes misted over with tears, and he turned his head away, he couldn't bear to look at the Earth.

Basim was in shock. His grandfather was dead? How? Why? HE couldn't stand the thought of his granddad dead… his eyes were open wide, tears threatening.

Chen Lian sat in the cockpit of Shen-Li, silent. Master Chang was gone… how would he train? Who would he turn to for advice? He closed his eyes, knowing that now everything would fall apart.

Then something came over the comm.

"Hey, guys…" Scarlet's voice rang over the comm, thick with tears. "Bran's got something on the sensors… I've hailed it for nothing, but the bays opened, and a typed message has appeared on screen. It says to enter, this craft is friendly."

"Should we?" Lian asked Kiyo. Kiyo's voice came over clear.

"Let's. If not, we die like our trainers."

"Aren't you bright and cheery? No wonder Mr. Maxwell always called you grandfather a bore." Scarlet chirruped obviously that only made her sadder. "I'm sorry Kiyoshi. That wasn't nice of me."

The five New Gundams entered the egg-shaped craft, and gasped at what they saw.

It was a full maintenance deck, with six places for six mobile suits. The five pilots opened their hatches as the bay door closed, and exited their Gundams. A door opened to the side.

"Let's go and see where it leads." Scarlet yelled from her hatch. Taking off her helmet, she shook out her two long braids. Lian couldn't help but notice, and raised his eyebrows. He turned to the door. Kiyo also turned, trying to ignore the blonde woman pilot. Basim and Max started down their suits.

Scarlet grabbed the lead rope and dangled down until she was three feet off, then fell the last few feet. She looked up as the others started for the door.

She went first, drawing a gun.

"Where'd you get that?" Basim asked. Scarlet turned to them

"Don't tell me none of you have guns? And they say that Girls are dumber than boys… give me a break." She rolled her eyes.

Lian growled a slur, but she ignored it.

They walked to the control deck, where a red button flashed at the console.

Scarlet started walking towards it.

"Pilot!" Kiyo barked. Scarlet turned towards him.

"You're not my mother, Yuy. And my name's Scarlet." She shrugged, and pressed the button.

They all readied for an explosion… but none came.

"To the New Gundam Generation pilots, and if you too have come my fellow pilots…" a voice started.

They all looked up, to see a woman with gray hair, and vibrant eyes. She had a face that had seen sorrow more than once.

"I am Lyla Moore, the pilot of the Gundam Atermis. As the sixth and final member and field medic of the original Gundam force, and the sole survivor of the Scorpio Colony, I welcome you to Pod-Hopper II."

"There is no colony Scorpio." Lian muttered.

"Unfortunately, when I had been contacted about the training of new members, I was both too old and with the lack of people on the Scorpio colony un-able to train a replacement. So as my contribution I give Pod-Hopper II to you new pilots, to use as an operational base and home. It is equipped with guns, living quarters, and a medical bay. I have my field notes in the computer.

"I am hoping that your trainers came with you, so in case they did… Duo… I'm sorry. As I save this into PH2's memory… I'm dying. I… never got to say everything I wanted to Duo… and I'm hoping that you can somehow forgive me."

The woman's voice began to waiver, and the picture showed she was crying.

"I hope to god that you found another Duo… because I know what I did was wrong, I never should have left you… I miss you Duo. I miss you too much for words to say."

The message stopped there…

"There… there was a sixth… that's why there were six places…" Lian said, his eyes surprised.

Scarlet was shocked… there had been an old photo of two people, a young man with a braid and a woman with short blonde hair in Mr. Maxwell's room back on L2… was this the woman?

She turned away, in shock, she fell to her knees, and she couldn't breath!

She choked out a "HELP!" as she tried to cough up what ever was in her throat.

*~*

Warm light… no it was still blackness… but a comforting blackness…

"Am I dead?" she thought as she looked around into the dark… then a soft red light penetrated the black.

"She's breathing on her own, Kiyo." She heard Basim say

"Wonderful. She really IS…"

"Finish that sentence, Chen Lian… and you'll get more than a bloody nose!" she coughed as she tried to stand

"Lay down." Kiyo said, pushing her back into a laying position gently.

"How come?" Scarlet sets between coughs. "I'm all right."

"You can tell me that after we fix you up. The diagnostic program the woman left is trying to find out what is wrong." He replied, and switched something on. The gurney that Scarlet was on moved backwards and she lay stark still.

"Nothing is wrong physically, the computer says you had a panic attack."

"I WHAT? I can't! I'm a Gundam pilot! I CAN'T have panic attacks!" she insisted. She tried to sit up again, banging her head against the ceiling of the chamber.

"Just stay still, Scarlet." Kiyo said, he peered at her through the window, and gazed at her. She had a strong spirit, and probably the death of her trainer would take a heavy toll on her. He knew that it was wrong that she was weak… many girls he had gone to school with would have broken down and started bawling. He hated girls like that… but he did not hate this one. She was strong-willed, and wouldn't give up… she could be either a worst enemy or a favored ally.

Basim sighed as he stood off to the side. Max stood near; his hair combed back to reveal the emerald eyes that also belonged to his great uncle Trowa.

"So, there was another Gundam pilot…" Basim said softly. Max nodded.

"Uncle Trowa, he mentioned her once or twice." He said softly. He blinked his eyes as he looked at Basim.

"My grandfather never mentioned her…"

Lian came over to the group.

"Neither did Master Chang."

Soon, Kiyo and Scarlet, who was holding a glass of water and two pills, walked over, arguing.

"I am NOT going to take pills! I'm FINE!" Scarlet complained, Kiyo, who was very much like his grandfather in looks, but not attitude, snickered.

"You were just complaining about a headache. Maybe you shouldn't sit up in the medical scanner any more?" Lian even grinned at this. Scarlet scowled, shoved both pills into her mouth and drank down half the water.

"You boys are SO immature. I don't know how they ever expected us to work together."

"I don't know how Master Chang expected me to work with a woman."

"You scared of the female gender or something, Lian?" she smirked. Lian scowled.

"Chen Lian fears no woman." He said smugly. Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"Yeah… sure."

*~*

By the evening, the pilots had found living quarters… and explored the living area of Pod-Hopper Two.

There was a library, many of the books older than they were. It was packed, old classics, new classics, of every description and size. Scarlet had nearly wept with joy… the one difference between herself and her mentor; she had a distinct love of books.

That's where Kiyoshi found the American pilot. He stepped into the room, looking around. She sat in one of the huge overstuffed chairs, a royal navy blue velvet seat, so big it made her seem no more than a young child. She was curled up, a mug of cocoa on the table in front of her, a book in her lap. He couldn't help but grin, she looked like she belonged in some other life… not the life of a warrior. His grin vanished like a shadow as she looked up. She took off her glasses.

"Can I help you, Kiyoshi?" she inquired as she reached for her cocoa.

"Yeah. You're prone to black outs aren't you?" He asked her. She shifted un-comfortably.

"Don't deny it. I heard my grandfather and your mentor discussing it. As it seems that was two strikes against you… the second should have gotten you removed from the team. How come you told no one?"

"I can handle it Kiyoshi. And if that's it, then leave." She put her glasses back on.

He pulled the book out of her hand.

"HEY!"

"Scarlet, how long have you known about it?" Kiyo asked her. Scarlet sighed as she took off her glasses.

"It started when I was a child. When I was five years old, I had gone to save a dog from being shot on the range Mr. Maxwell was practicing at… and I was accidentally shot… though the head. I should have been dead…

"Mr. Maxwell brought me to the hospital, he said he couldn't stop crying and he felt like a mother fretting over a sick baby… well… he kinda was." She half chuckled at that. "Years later, I was practicing barrel rolls with him in a fighter… I blacked out and almost crashed into a resource satellite. We went to the doctor… and the diagnosis was that because of the damage to a part of the brain, if too much pressure was added or reduced too soon, it sometimes results in a panic attack, and I'll faint. I guess with all the added weight of the stress of Mr. Maxwell's death… it just came on a little too quick for me to catch."

"And that's what happened." Kiyoshi said. He turned to Scarlet "How do you know when one comes on?"

"Well… it usually starts with shortness of breath… and an extreme nervousness. Then I can't breathe, and that usually lasts for a few seconds before I black out."

"What do you do to stop it?" he took a step closer to her.

"Well… I just ease up on the throttle if I'm fighting, and if it's emotional pressure I do have a medication…" she said silently. She looked up. "Kiyoshi… do me a favor… if the other pilots knew, they could kick me off. I don't want to leave… all I have left is the battle. You all have family… Mr. Maxwell was all I ever had." She turned away. "If I leave now… I… I know I'll just die of loneliness!"

Kiyoshi stood and walked to the door. He paused, his face half in light and half in dark. He closed his eyes.

"I won't tell them… Scarlet."