It had been two weeks since they left the Earth… and still nothing had been done.

Kiyoshi looked at the other pilots. Scarlet still had an ace bandage around her wrist… he wasn't able to tell her he was sorry. She now looked sullen, dead. Her braid was ill made. He pretended that he didn't care.

Max occasionally looked at the sick-looking Scarlet, but for the most part his eyes were ambiguous.

Basim looked more worried about the well being of the Woman pilot, but said nothing. Lian just sat there looking grouchy.

"We need to find out where they're operating." Kiyo said. "I believe we should return to Earth, surely there are places where we can go. I will go to the Peacecraft Institute in Cinq. Max?"

"The circus is performing in Italy and will tour Russia. I will return there."

"Basim?"

"My family has a vacation home in one of the deserts. I shall go there." The blonde pilot replied.

"Lian?"

"I will go to family in China."

"Scarlet, you'll come with me to the Peacecraft Institute, I…"

"Oh I just KNEW you loved me Kiyoshi!" she spat sarcastically.

"… need to keep an eye on you so you don't kill yourself." He finished. Scarlet looked reproachfully at Kiyoshi, but said not a word.

"Then it is agreed. We will leave tomorrow morning."

*~*~*

"We have no idea where we are, we have no idea where THEY are… we have no idea…"

"We're all in agreement Duo, we have no idea." Heero calmly stated. He had his eyes closed as he leaned against a tree, near the fire that Wufei had made. The five pilots were cold and miserable.

"They'll be fine, they all have good heads on their shoulders." Quatre said cheerily, then coughed. Trowa looked at him cautiously from behind his mustard yellow bangs.

"Yeah, you're probably right Quatre." Duo muttered, and lay on the ground, his hands under his head as he looked up at the moon. A shuttle flew across it, and he wondered how Scarlet was holding on.

*~*~*

"NO! NO WAY! NO WAY IN HELL!" Scarlet shouted at the top of her lungs as Max and Lian held onto her arms. She kicked desperately.

"You don't have a choice in the matter." Kiyoshi said. "The school uniform requires skirts." Kiyoshi said. He held up a white skirt, looking for any holes.

"NO WAY! IF I GOTTA WEAR A SKIRT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WEAR ONE KIYOSHI! LET ME GO NOW!" She cried out again

"It doesn't matter. You either get it on or you're staying here all alone. Locked in your room where depending on when we find our enemy, you starve to death."

"WHAT? KIYOSHI YUY YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" she screamed. She landed a kick in the shin to Lian and a left hook to the jaw of Max. Then turned tail and ran.

Kiyo sighed… he had seen this one coming… and locked the door to the mess hall.

Scarlet pounded on the door… then turned and shook her head.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

*~*~*

It was late in the day when the two new students arrived at the Peacecraft Institute for Young Ladies and Gentlemen in New Port City.

Now run by the elderly warrior Milliardo Peacecraft and his wife Lucretzia Noin Peacecraft, the Institute helped to promote peace in he colonies and on Earth, though sometimes it didn't always work. The day the two students arrived, things began to get tense.

One of them was a girl of sixteen, whose long red hair was worn down her back. The other was Mr. Peacecraft's own great-nephew, Kiyoshi Yuy. He had been contacted that he would be taking classes there to help learn the Peacecraft and Cinq policies

They arrived via taxi from the spaceport; Kiyoshi had gotten out first, and was holding a hand to Scarlet (who hadn't gotten used to a skirt yet) when none other than his second cousin, Milliardo Peacecraft the Third, spun him around.

"Well if it isn't my dear little cousin, Kiyoshi." He said blandly, and forced him against the taxi.

"How's Uncle Heero huh? He still alive and kickin'?"

"More than you'll be unless you learn manners." Scarlet said, hoping out.

Kiyoshi cleared his throat.

"Scarlet, this is my cousin Milliardo Peacecraft the Third. Milliardo, this is Scarlet. I gave her a ride here." The Japanese pilot said calmly. Zechs smiled as he dropped his cousin. He stepped over to Scarlet, and kissed her hand.

"A pleasure to meet a woman as beautiful as yourself. I'm sure when you are rested from dealing with my most un-charming cousin, your speech would be as pretty as your emerald eyes."

Scarlet bulked slightly, backing away.

"Don't count on it, Bucko."

"Please, call me Zechs. Everyone does."

"Right… Zechs…" Scarlet offered a slight smile. Milliardo melted.

Nicholas came upon the scene, and smiled at Scarlet.

"Well hello Miss tall, red and beautiful. Nicholas Catalonia, may I ask what your name is?"

"Scarlet Erin." She said. She blinked her eyes charmingly. "I hope you three gentlemen excuse me, I need to find my chamber, I am a little sleepy after my flight." She bounced off. Kiyoshi could swear he saw drool coming out of Nicholas Catalonia's mouth.

"What a babe!" he mouthed to Zechs. Zechs heartily agreed.

"She's spoken for I believe." Kiyoshi said blandly, then picked up his pace and left the two drooling nineteen-year-olds in his dust.

*~*~*

The circus was alive when Max returned; the clowns had just gone into the center ring.

"MAX!" Claire shouted as Max stepped into the backstage. She embraced her long time friend, her auburn hair falling over his shoulders. Max simply did nothing.

"Where have you been Max? I've been so worried? Where's Trowa?" she barraged him with questions. Max simply slipped away and got into his outfit.

"Trowa's gone. He retired somewhere." He said plainly. Claire looked at him.

"Fine then Max." she said silently. She looked solemnly at the youth, which had turned into a man. "There's something wrong, Max… I wish you would trust me." She whispered, then followed the man inside.

*~*~*

Basim smiled as one of his nephews leapt upon him, crawling up onto his shoulders.

"Hey James! How's it going?" he laughed as the four-year-old climbed down and opened Basim's suitcase, spilling clothes onto the floor.

"Good. Where's Grandpa? He coming? Where's the presents?"

Kyle, his older brother-in-law walked out of the house as Rose, Basim's elder sister peeked out the window, holding another baby.

"How are you doing, Basim?" he asked, and picked up James. James squirmed in his father's grasp.

"I'm all right… sorry James no presents this time around." Basim smiled kindly, and tussled the young boy's hair. James laughed and hugged his father, grinning as Rose walked out.

"It's good to see you Basim, we were worried. We'll have to tell Grandma Dorothy that you're all right at least… we heard about Grandpa." She said. She hugged her brother.

Basim backed up a bit.

"Yeah…" he said absently.

Miles away, Faris was hidden away in a cave, the eyes darkened.

*~*

Chen Lian sat on the hatch to the cockpit, contemplating. He sighed to himself as he stood and stretched in the dying dusk sun.

He looked up at Shen-Li, Gundam of Spiritual Truth. This Mobile Suit that he had been trained to use… he had given his life to his cause now. He knew there was no turning back. He stood, facing the dusk.

"Good night, Master Chang." He said aloud out of habit, then retreated inside the cockpit of the Gundam.

*~*

Kiyoshi couldn't believe it. Less than a week after coming to the school, Scarlet had almost gotten kicked out five times.

"But I didn't know it'd be that powerful!" about the cherry bombs in the toilets

"I thought that's what you meant by painting!" when she painted a gigantic green dragon swallowing up the art teacher… in graphic detail.

"THEY started it!" when she had beaten the wrestling class… all forty students.

"But he WANTED a new hair cut!" when one boy had insulted her hair… so she shaved his head and was preparing to tattoo "LOSER" on the back… no one knew where she got the tattoo kit.

"Hey! It's MY room!" when she re-painted her room… completely black and red.

Kiyoshi, he had begun to bore of Scarlet… then something happened.

The others started to come to the institute.

Chen Lian was the first to arrive, acknowledging Kiyo, then at a grudge Scarlet. The next was Max, who came when the circus came to town, announcing that he would take a vacation from the troop. The last was Basim, who arrived when his Gundam had nearly been discovered by his nephew.

Kiyoshi couldn't be more miserable.

If the problems with Scarlet weren't enough, the other pilots made it more dangerous.

There was a constant threat, and Kiyoshi knew it. There were too many distractions at this school…

Scarlet was probably the biggest distraction of them all. She kept on flirting with his cousin, Zechs, and Nicholas Catalonia. He couldn't believe that he was becoming jealous of his cousin.

The fourth day after Basim arrived, things got a little… sticky.

*~*

Basim, Kiyo and Scarlet were walking down to class, since Scarlet, the youngest of the group had been moved up a grade from 10 to 11th. Some senior kids paused and smirked as the checked Scarlet out. Scarlet pretended not to notice them. Nick and Zechs walked up.

"Hi, Scarlet, want me to carry your books? They sure look heavy."

"Jeez, I've never seen that school uniform look as good on any other girl, what's your secret, huh Scarlet?"

"C'mon Scarlet. You don't want to be late for class." Basim said, glancing at his cousin.

Nick grinned.

"Why, if it isn't little Basim Atif Winner, Grandpa's favorite little suck-up." He said

Basim glowered silently, then shrugged.

"I was never a suck-up, Nicholas." He said.

"You were a brown noser, Basim. You ALWAYS sucked up to Grandpa Quatre." He smirked as he took Scarlet's books for her. Zechs grinned from behind Nick.

"Uh… Nick I'm quite capable of carrying my own books, besides, if my arms got tired… Kiyo or Basim I'm sure could carry them for me, I wouldn't want to trouble you by making you late for class." She explained in a sickeningly sweet tone. Kiyo swore he could feel his teeth aching.

Basim blushed slightly, and Kiyoshi rolled his eyes.

"All right, let's go, Scarlet." Kiyo took Scarlet's books, handed them to Basim, grabbed Scarlet by the hand and led the way down to the class. Scarlet turned, and waved coyly at the two.

Lian and Max walked out from their class as Kiyo, Scarlet and Basim passed. Max spotted Basim and walked over to him.

"New girlfriend?"

"Kiyo's orders." Basim replied. The bell rung and all five students rushed to class.

*~*~*

Around a campfire, the five pilots sat; their Gundams loomed behind them in the shadows.

Kiyo stared intently into the fire. His yellow bandana held his moss green hair back, and his jeans were slightly dirty at the knees. His pale blue eyes glanced up at the grouping around him.

Scarlet leaned back, her arms behind her head. She glanced up at the stars through her rimless glasses, the shine of the moon like pale eyes on the glass. Her braid was over her shoulder, tied in a neat bow with black lace. He could see a lock pick shining through the crimson hair like a diamond. Her loose black pants, black boots, and black sweatshirt seemed so dim compared to her personality.

Max was listening to Basim chatter on, wearing a long red sweatshirt, and skin-tight jeans. His forest green eyes had their dazed, dreamy look about them. His tawny colored hair was swept to the side, in the classic Barton uni-bang. He was spinning a silver coin on a rock in front of him.

Basim chattered as he tended the fire, wearing his light blue shirt, navy blue vest and a pair of dark jeans. His blonde hair fell into his deep colored eyes as he talked on about his family. Max listened, fascinated by the different life from his.

Chen Lian sat a little apart from the others, his face was calm and he was centered. He glared at Scarlet angrily. His black pants and dark gray shirt seemed to make him appear just a floating head with a scowl.

Scarlet sat forward, the firelight shining into her eyes. She glanced around.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have a funny feeling Mr. Maxwell's alive." She said, standing up. Her glasses reflected the firelight beautifully, making her seem almost comical.

"No one could have survived that blast, Scarlet." Lian said.

The other boys silently agreed against the young woman. Scarlet glanced around.

"I can't believe this! You don't even want to go out and fight against these people! We're endangering people who don't know there's a war coming by staying here! You think these Gundams here are part of the naturally occurring environment! We're hiding here thinking they can't find us… you, Kiyo, your father kept on fighting and nearly died fighting the Scorpions and Neo-OZ when they were our age! We have to do something!"

Kiyoshi looked at the angry pilot with stern, empty eyes.

"What are you proposing we do?"

"Go find our mentors. They know what we should do."

"And the first thing they'd say, would to boot you. They're dead, Maxwell." Lian said, his voice cold.

Scarlet sighed, then sat on the foot of Bran.

"Believe what you like, Lian. I KNOW Mr. Maxwell's still alive." She whispered.

The pilots were silent, until one by one they left for the campus.