"With high expectations human beings leave earth to begin a new life in space colonies. However, the United Earth's Sphere Alliance gains great military power and soon seizes control of one colony after another in the name of justice and peace. The year is After Colony 195. Operation Meteor: In a move to counter the Alliance's tyranny, rebel citizens of certain colonies scheme to bring new arsenals to the earth, disguising them as shooting stars. The Alliance headquarters catches on to this operation."


Kyra Banks: An Introduction


15:00, April 10, 195 A.C. (2 days after Operation Meteor) Duo climbed on to the giant Scavenger barge. He tried to help the injured boy up the ladder, but the boy ignored his offer as he ignored his broken leg. Duo respected the boy's independence but part of him found it hard not to laugh at the determined coldness in those cobalt eyes. He had a feeling it would be an interesting couple of days.

That feeling was confirmed as a cheerful feminine voice called out. "Hey Duo, need any help with him?" The speaker made no attempt to hide her amusement at the boy's refusal of Duo's aid.

Heero looked up at the girl, appraising her quickly, but hiding his judgment behind the intensity of his stare. He noted that her gaze was serious as she appraised him, looking straight into his eyes. She spoke in a cultured American accent. Massive quantities of dark, brown hair were piled on her head. Her clothing was black: black dress, black shoes, and black purse. She seemed young, carefree and wealthy.

Heero's observations were noted in the instant it took Duo to turn around. "Kyra," he exclaimed, "I didn't expect to see you here. I heard you went AWOL a month ago."

"Your information was correct," Kyra stated succinctly. "But I'm surprised you didn't expect me, this seems to be a gathering place for rogue terrorists," she added, the amusement once more in her voice.

"I still believe in the cause of the colonists," she continued in a sober tone, "but, I'm used to independence. After your departure I decided to go off on my own. I hitched a ride to Earth on the shuttle that brought Dorlan and his daughter home."

"So how long are you going to stick around?" Duo asked, accepting her explanation for now.

"I leave for Germany in a week."

"Germany?"

"I'll explain later. I have some shopping to do before the stores close. Either of you need anything?" she turned to Heero, "We probably have some basic first aid, but you'll need something special for your leg."

"I'll take care of it," Heero replied coldly. He had listened closely to the exchange, still unsure of the status of both Duo and Kyra, especially Kyra.

"Suit yourself," Kyra replied with a smile, "I'll see you guys later." With that Kyra climbed down the ladder and took off in a small boat.

15:30 In the store, Kyra found herself unable to concentrate on her dress selection. She could not shake the image of the Japanese pilot. Duo she knew, but the other was a mystery, a set of intense eyes, hidden by wild bangs.

'So that is what you've created Dr. J. I'm impressed. He is strong and focused. But is he kind enough? He has so much power. If he lacks kindness, he will only create more destruction. He will be as much a threat as OZ. But if he is kind enough,' Kyra thought darkly, 'war might destroy him.' Kyra abandoned those thoughts, wary of her inner turmoil showing on her face. She forced her thoughts back to the row of expensive black dresses before her, but was still determined to discover more about the intense boy.

How heavy is the weight of the world? Can he be a modern Atlas?*

16:30 The boy known as Heero Yuy sat at his laptop. He had sent Dr. J a report on his capture and his encounter with Duo Maxwell and Kyra Banks. As he wrote the report his eyes were intense with self-hatred for his failure He waited to see what Dr. J had to say about his report with a focused, indescribable calm. He needed more information before he could act. He especially needed information on Kyra. Would he have to kill her?

The response came quickly. He saved it before the connection terminated and started to decode it. The first message was the information on Duo.

Duo Maxwell:
The Gundam pilot from L2, he pilots the Deathscythe. His specialty is stealth. He is trustworthy.

Hardly informative. The response about Kyra was more informative. In face, it was amazingly comprehensive. It seemed like Dr. J had a particular interest in Kyra Banks.

Kyra Banks

Real name: Lily Helena Banks
Rank: Countess of Gurn
Aliases: many
Age: 17
Height: 5' 3"
Nationality: American
Appearance: dark brown hair, nearly black eyes, tan
Skills: computer hacking, languages, martial arts, guns, acting

Kyra is an analytical genius. She remains objective and looks at a situation from all sides. However, she will generally appear either calm or amused, no matter what she is feeling. Her self-control is formidable.

Background:
Kyra's mother was the eldest daughter of Master Winner. Kyra's father was an English aristocrat who worked as an Alliance diplomat. They were both sympathetic to the cause of the colonies and gave us a great deal of information, especially on OZ. However, OZ discovered their activities and they were assassinated in AC 192. Athough it was made to look like an accident, Kyra knew the truth. After their death, Kyra decided to pick up where they left off and become an agent for the colonies. She spent 18 months training and running simple missions on L2. During that time she realized the full extent of OZ's power and become dedicated to its destruction. Kyra spent 9 months in prison as part of a mission. She escaped 3 months ago and has been in rehabilitation for 2 months. She went AWOL a month ago, but is still providing information to specific rebel factions. It is suspected that she left in response to Operation Meteor.


Heero read through Dr. J's report carefully. His main thought was, "I won't have to kill her, yet." He hoped not ever. Heero sent out confirmation that he had received and understood the information. Then he destroyed the note on Maxwell and encrypted the report on Kyra.

In the rafters far above, Kyra returned her glasses to their black case. They looked like ordinary sunglasses but they enlarged things about 25x. She found a more comfortable position and continued to observe the Japanese boy.

Heero, Heero Yuy, the pacifist leader of the colonies. It was amazing how much a name could reveal about a person. Duo's name picked out of the pieces of his shattered past, revealed the depth of his humanity. Do you deserve that name, 'Heero'? She smiled at the obvious pun and waited for him to finish.

17:00 Kyra strolled into the MS hanger and up to Wing Gundam. She recognized its form from the schematics she had stolen from G's computer as a training exercise. She slowly examined the powerful beast in front of her. Then she turned her attention to its pilot. As she surveyed the young man, a frivolous part of her brain thought that he was rather attractive, if short. Although Heero was undoubtedly aware of her presence, he did not even glance up.

"So what did Dr. J have to say about me?" Kyra asked casually, breaking the long silence.

Heero looked at her with a brief expression of surprise but he quickly regained his composure. His attention returned to the computer screen.

Kyra laughed. "Heero, you're slipping. You just showed emotion. Next time you might even say something," she teased. "When you talk to J, tell him I remember him. You know, the last time I saw him I was so small that he brought me a teddy bear. I left it at home a long time ago." Kyra was no longer smiling.

Heero didn't even look up. Kyra laughed in a slightly bitter way and walked over to where some Scavengers were gossiping over coffee. Heero glanced up to make certain she was gone.

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17:30 Kyra walked into the small room she had claimed as her own. As she passed the stereo system she pressed the play button. She had loaded her special mix earlier. The dark strains of Nothing Else Matters* permeated the room.

//So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trust in who you are
And nothing else matters//

She wondered how long it would be until Duo got here. This song should draw him quickly.

While she waited, Kyra began to stretch. Her extensive training as a dancer had made her extremely flexible, although she had lost some her flexibility while in prison. She had just gotten into a split when Duo walked in. Nothing Else Matters was playing for the second time.

"Youch," Duo commented, sitting casually on the bed.

//Trust I seek and I find in you//

"Hello Duo," Kyra greeted him from her split.

"I like the tunes."

"Thank you," Kyra said politely and then her manner seemed to shift, "We need to talk." How far would Duo trust her? After all they had not even seen each other in one year.

Duo looked at her guardedly, forcing her to continue. His change from teenager to Gundam pilot was abrupt as always. "Why did you leave the rebellion?" she continued.

"How do you know about- never mind," Duo corrected quickly, remembering that Kyra had undergone even more stealth training with Dr. G than he had. "Do you know the true purpose of Operation Meteor?" he asked instead.

"Originally, the leaders of the rebellion planned to drop old colonies onto earth. This would allow them to subjugate the earth," Kyra said in a neutral tone.

"And what do you think of that?" Duo asked just as calmly.

Kyra smiled slightly and moved to sit in a chair. So she would have to tip her hand first. "It disgusts me," she said, allowing her voice to reveal the depths of her revulsion. "Millions of innocent people would die. That plan would sink us lower than OZ or any other group could ever hope to sink."

//Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know//

Duo's eyes were dark with emotion as he listened to Kyra's speech. When she concluded he began to speak, "They were going to use Deathscythe as a weapon of senseless destruction. I couldn't let them use my buddy or me for that. I was going to blow-up Deathscythe, kill everyone in the base and then kill myself. Dr. G offered me a way out." As he recited this litany of sin, Duo's eyes grew darker.

//Never opened myself this way
life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I just don't say//

"Dr. G has always been good at finding a way out," Kyra commented.

"True," he agreed falling silent for a moment. The silence was short-lived, "Ya know, this song is depressing. Don't you have anything else on that thing?" Duo complained, motioning towards the stereo and alleviating the seriousness of the moment.

"The next song is different," Kyra answered with a smile at his abrupt change. Back to teenager.

"Great," Duo commented reaching for the remote. When started the next song, the opening strains of That Girl* poured out. Duo looked over at Kyra with a doubtful look. Kyra was smiling mischievously and moving to the music. "From Metallica to Shaggy," Duo muttered under his breath.

"Like you're one to talk," Kyra answered with a smile.

//That girl, ooo
That kind of girl//

When Duo left, Kyra closed her eyes and sighed. A previously invisible strain showed on her face. She seemed to collapse in on herself, holding her head in her hands. The smiling had taken an effort, but at least Duo seemed to trust her. He would hardly have told her about his plan to destroy the rebel faction otherwise. She shook her head as if to shake off her tension and started a classical selection on her stereo. She started her dance routine again, losing herself in the music and movement.

//Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters//

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Duo was slightly puzzled as he left Kyra's room. Why the music? It was as if she was setting the stage for something. Why would she need to put on a show for him? Kyra had been a partner and, he thought, a friend ever since they started training together two and a half years ago. However, sometimes could be difficult to be friends with Kyra. She was so good a hiding her emotions, and, unlike Mr. Heero "Suicidal" Yuy, she didn't hide them behind emptiness. Instead she hid them behind other emotions, that she felt were more appropriate, making it difficult to tell if she was hiding her emotions or not.

Once, as an April Fool's joke, Kyra had pretended to have a nervous breakdown. Her wild laughter and they havoc she had wreaked on her room had been eeriely convincing. He had been in the know, but it still had been an amazingly convincing performance.

Was Kyra giving another performance? Was the music just a soundtrack to her show? But why? And why for him? It didn't make sense. Duo decided that for now he would trust Kyra, but he would have to watch her. It made him sad to think of it, another person to suspect.

____________________________________________ *Nothing Else Matters © Metallica *Atlas-The Titan doomed to carry the world on his back when the Titans lost the war of the gods. *That Girl © Maxi Priest and Shaggy ********************************************