Deep within the bowels of the Preventer's headquarters was the labyrinthine set of corridors and server rooms that made up the Preventer database

Deep within the bowels of the Preventer's headquarters was the labyrinthine set of corridors and server rooms that made up the Preventer database. The hallways were cramped and difficult to navigate. Lighting was poor and it was easy to become lost if you did not know where you were going. Thus it was jokingly dubbed the pit of despair by the technicians who were its regular inhabitants and the agents who were forced to descend into its confines when they needed the unfiltered resources of the system.

Preventer Agent Trent Jacobs was at home within these dim confines. He was an expert code analyzer as well as a retired pilot. He had defected to the preventers during the end of the Cobalt crisis, bearing crucial information that had turned the battle in the preventers' favor. After a tour of active duty as a pilot, he had transferred to technical where his natural aptitude with hardware and his above average IQ had led to several swift promotions.

Now he lay on his back under a server bank and examined the tangled mess of wire from the glow of a pen-light clenched between his teeth. Experimentally, he tapped one of the wire with a solder iron. It hissed angrily and dropped sparks onto the patient technician. The instrument panel flickered to life and the server began to hum as it resumed normal operation.

Trent slid out from under the bank and found himself staring up at the shadowy silhouette that could only belong to his boss. Chang Wuffie dropped a disk which Trent deftly caught. Trent rolled to the side and turned to face Wuffie. "What's this?"

"Sally received a strange message this morning. That's the message log with the conversation. I want a voice match."

Trent nodded. "Any idea how wide a search to use?"

Wuffie looked a tad bewildered. "Huh?"

Trent stood up, twirling the disk in his fingers. "Well, if we know we're looking for a Preventer, let's say, or a member of the government, It would be simple, I could use one of the upstairs units to get a match. If you want me to search the rest of the banks," Trent shrugged, "well that could take days and I'd have to spend them all in the central archive room."

Wuffie looked pensive. "We don't know where to start searching."

"Damnit. If that's the case, I might even have to go into the old Oz files we captured, check their databases as well. Hell, I might even be forced to break out those Barton foundation files we seized, encrypted, I might add, and check against those."

Wuffie did not appear to approve.

Trent gave him a helpless look and twirled the disk again. "Minimum, one week, and that's with no sleep and my own archive block."

Wuffie merely nodded. "Fine."

Trent sighed. "Glad you agree." So much for sleep. God bless coffee.

* * *

Releena Darlain Yui sat behind her cumbersomely large desk and stared pensively out of her ridiculously large window. Screw proper manners, she thought with an ironic smile. She leaned back and put her feet up on the expensive mahogany surface. Piles of important documents and mail littered her desk and her computer monitor stood ready, displaying her half completed Senate address.

An overly flourishing tone sounded at her door. The small security intercom on her arm chair growled, "He's clear."

Releena sighed and swung her legs back down under the desk. After smoothing her blouse and composing her face into an appropriately regal expression, she spoke. "Yes? Please enter."

The expensive oak door opened to permit a brown haired man dressed in a dark brown suit. His wild brown hair had been combed a bit and his eyes glinted happily. Releena immediately dropped the regal expression and replaced it with one of surprised delight. "Heero! I didn't expect to see you today!" In her mind she thought, Damn secret service. They actually had to clear my own husband!

Heero smiled ruefully. "They took my gun."

Releena burst out laughing. She came swiftly around her mammoth desk and embraced her husband. "I wouldn't need security if I had you here all the time."

Heero shook his head, "But then you'd never get any work done."

Releena laughed again, then rested her head on his shoulder. "If you keep bringing your gun here, you're going to get into trouble."

Heero pulled away from her with a smile. "I know. Come on, let's get lunch somewhere we can talk."

Releena looked back her desk with worry. "Heero, I wish I could but the Senate Address-"

"Is three days away." Heero said firmly. "You've been working yourself too hard lately and deserve an hour of relaxation."

The ironic smile returned to Releena's face. "Yes sir, mission accepted."

Now it was Heero's turn to laugh, though there was something a kin to sadness in his eyes for a brief moment. Then he smiled and took her arm, "Right this way my dear."

As they departed from her office, they entered the main corridor of the Presidential wing. The bombed out Peacecraft estate had been restored into a senate hall and several new modern wings had been added to house the rest of the government's upper hierarchy. Plush red carpet covered the floor and expensive portraits covered the walls. Passing aids nodded in greeting. Releena's press secretary hurried up to meet her. "Madame President, Mister Yui-"

Releena shook her head, "Not now Frank."

Frank frowned, "Madame, this is rather important-"

"Frank, I'm on lunch break, no shop-talk."

"Releena, we're trying to pass a unilateral disarmament bill, you can't just-"

Releena pulled up short and swiveled to face Frank. "Not now.'

The press secretary scowled. "Ma'am, it's an election year, the Defense league is looking for any excuse they can get to take a shot at us, the Colonial party's got a majority in both the upper and lower senate, and the Senate Address is only-"

"No."

"But-"

"Listen Frank, I'm going to be back in my office, at my desk, in one hour. At that point, I will deal with whatever our newest crisis is. Until that point, I will be having lunch with my husband. Understood?"

Frank hung his head in defeat. "Yes ma'am. Enjoy your lunch."

Heero and Releena made their way, uninterrupted, to the executive dining room. It bustled with staffers and aids, all of whom were chatting quietly amongst themselves. Releena led Heero to her private table which overlooked the well manicured Peacecraft lawns. The attendant secret service agents who had been following silently since Releena had left her office detached themselves discreetly and took seats at nearby tables with good vantage points of all the entrances.

Releena clasped her hands in front of her as the waiter scurried forward to take their order. He was soon gone, promising to return soon with drinks. Releena turned her attention back to her husband. "All right, Heero, out with it."

"Hn?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Come on, You didn't just come here to take me to lunch and since you haven't brought up whatever it is that's bothering you directly, I have to assume it's bad."

Heero took a sip of water. "Not bad, just troubling."

Ah ha! Releena thought triumphantly. He should no better than to try and avoid a subject when he's talking to a diplomat. Especially when it's the diplomat he lives with! "Well what's the matter?"

"Sally called."

A bit of color drained from Releena's face. "Oh."

Heero nodded. "And it wasn't a social call either."

"And since she didn't call me through Preventer lines, I can only assume…" Releena trailed off.

Heero nodded grimly. "Right, she thinks it's personal."

"How personal?"

"'The fox has spied the dove.' She got that from a very cryptic message warning of potentially dangerous situation in Jordan."

"Jordan?" Releena looked startled.

"Yes, why?" Heero looked at his wife curiously.

"Quatre called me a few days ago. You knew about his business trip to Jordan right?"

Heero nodded.

"Well," Releena continued. "He called me when he got back and told me that tension is very high in that region. He said someone might be stirring up trouble, he seemed really worried."

Heero looked down at his place mat. "I can't blame him."

Releena sighed. "Neither can I"

* * *

Interlude 1

Dekim was fool.

Worse yet, he was an arrogant fool. His plan for domination could have been flawless. But he cut too many corners, trusted too many outsiders, and worst of all, got too greedy too soon. The Barton foundation, more importantly, the Barton family could have swept aside all opposition easily. But instead, Dekim made a number of irreparable mistakes at absolutely critical times.

Mistake number one: Gundam scientists. He should have expected such eccentric and brilliant minds to rebel against his plan. He gave them the resources to single-handedly destroy his plans. His own schematics would have sufficed perfectly, and foundation scientists could have ensured completion of his plan long before any of his enemies could amass forces to stop him.

Mistake number two: Trieze Kushrenada. He should have recognized the fact that Trieze was far too smart to be a pawn in any of Dekim's little games. Dekim also should have recognized that Trieze had plans of his own for the Earth Sphere. Simply speaking, Trieze should have been eliminated before he could gather enough of a following to be dangerous.

Mistake number three: Romafeller. Dekim could have had a much better time if he had attempted to ingratiate himself into that society of aristocratic half-wits. He would have found it easy to pull strings since ambitious and lethal people thrived in Romafeller.

Mistake number four: Quinze/White Fang. Getting himself involved in an ideal driven society such as White Fang was guaranteed to cause problems. He should have expected that in the end, Quinze would never have the stomach to go through with something as brutal as Operation: Meteor.

Mistake number five: Marimaia Kushrenada. The fatal mistake. By manipulating Trieze's daughter and revealing himself, he made himself a target and thus doomed himself to failure. The Gundam pilots were finally given a tangible way to go after the one who had so perverted their lives. There was no possible way for him to survive.

But now, after the world has forgotten, I will bring power back to my family. I've been forced to change my name and hide, but now I'm finally ready to began. Operation: Meteor will be carried out to the fullest extent of its original perimeters. And no one, not even the scientist, ever knew what that would entail.

I will have control, and I have my fool of an uncle to thank for it. Funny how the universe works.