The young Preventer's face showed a mixture of awe and keen interest as he
guided his unexpected guest down first one sterile white corridor and then
another. Relena was used to being regarded by men like agent Tiburon as
something between a legendary heroine and an especially wily politician,
and it was with difficulty that she refrained from informing the young man
that she too put her pants on one leg at a time.
Upon reaching their destination, Tiburon stepped aside.
"I guess she's expecting you, right?"
"Yes--at least, I told her I would be by this morning." Relena rapped briskly on the wooden panel that bore Lady Une's neatly engraved name plate. Within a few moments a dour looking secretary opened the door, nodded to Relena and gestured for her to come inside.
"I'll just wait here, Ma'am, to escort you back out when you're done." Tiburon's tone was apologetic, and Relena felt sorry for him. It must be rather embarrassing to have to tell one of ESUN's top cabinet members that he had been assigned to ensure that she stayed only within those parts of this top secret building that she needed to see.
Nodding her acknowledgment, Relena followed Une's aid into a dimly lit office and took a seat in the comfortable but decidedly utilitarian chair the older woman indicated with a brisk movement of her head.
Clutching her briefcase tightly in her lap, Relena waited for nearly fifteen minutes. Resuming her work, the secretary neither spoke nor gave any other indication that she was aware her office had another occupant. Relena smiled, a tad nervously, only vaguely amused today by the idea that Une had found an aid as taciturn as she herself could be at times.
Ever since that afternoon in the art museum, Relena had been planning word for word what she would say during this interview. Despite her extensive forethought, now that she was faced with the imminent prospect of confiding her secret to Lady Une, ESUN's foreign minister suddenly found herself feeling squeamish. It wasn't that she feared Une would do something rash-- the former OZ leader had mellowed considerably in the five years since the dissolution of that organization. The thing that made Relena feel more than a little uncomfortable was the knowledge of what her upcoming disclosure might mean in terms of the status of ESUN's political and defensive security.
As the door to the inner office opened she rose instinctively, only half paying attention to the person who stepped through it into the dimly lit reception area. She was so focused on collecting her thoughts into some semblance of order that the dark-haired woman had to speak her name twice before Relena realized who it was.
"Have you forgotten me then, Foreign Minister?" Noin's violet eyes smiled down at her kindly.
"Not at all," she responded, extending her hand. "I've just got a lot of things on my mind--I didn't notice it was you." Then, after an awkward pause, "How've you been doing?"
"Well, thank you. I've been in space a great deal these past three years-- I don't think I'll ever get the stars out of my head."
"I see." Another pause. The secretary was frowning at both women. "Well, the next time you're on Earth, you're welcome to give me a call. I'd enjoy your company for a few days--if you'd care to stay." She knew she sounded hesitant, and wished she could suppress the flush she could feel mounting to her cheeks.
"I'd like that. Take care." With a nod and a quick smile she was gone, leaving Relena to proceed into Une's office accompanied by the melancholy thought that but for her brother's mercurial temperament Noin might have been her sister in law by now. Nevertheless, the chance meeting had raised her spirits somewhat and strengthened her confidence.
"Good afternoon, Minister Darlian." Une was seated behind a large paneled desk, stacks of paper and computer printouts arranged before her in what looked like an attempt at order. The former OZ Colonel looked decidedly frazzled, with strands of her chestnut hair curling down from what had probably originally been a prim knot at the back of her head.
"Good morning," replied her guest, moving to stand before the long row of windows that filled one whole wall of the large office. "I only hope it will remain so once I've told you my news."
Best to cut to the chase immediately, she thought, rather than waste time. If she was wrong after all, Une wouldn't appreciate having a mole hill represented as a mountain.
Une had swiveled her chair to face Relena, her eyes suddenly very keen. "If this is about Calisto."
Relena shook her head, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. "I heard about that. Is there any truth to the rumor that what your agents saw was really the headquarters of a new dissident group?" Despite her resolution to get this over with as quickly as possible, Relena eagerly grasped at the chance to turn the subject for a moment. After all, if the rumors were true and Une's Preventers had been overlooking this new cell for years, there could be significant political ramifications. She'd allied herself too many times with Lady Une to be pleased if that were indeed the case. She'd even contradicted her own better judgment and urged parliament to channel more funds into the Preventers' defense research. A lapse as big as this appeared to have been would certainly hurt her credibility. And she'd had more than enough of mud slinging and petty squabbles recently to make the prospect of legitimate criticism seem anything less than wholeheartedly undesirable, not to say disastrous.
How quickly public opinion could change.
Une sighed. Relena thought she looked tired. "As far as we know, yes. However, we still don't know the whole story." She lowered her voice to a confidential murmur. Relena suppressed a sigh. So, this disclosure was between friends. So much for helping her case."We've been making subtle inquiries among the agents--you know, "did you see anything odd last time you were out near L5?"--that kind of thing. All of a sudden we're hearing reports left and right of suspicious incidents. The worst part is, most of the people we're talking to say they put detailed accounts in their formal reports, but when we go back and check the paperwork there's nothing mentioned at all." Une ran a hand across her forehead, then rested her elbow on the arm of her chair and put her chin in her palm.
"A bug?" inquired Relena, unable to keep the note of concern out of her voice. This was worse than she'd thought.
"We suspect so, but we're still trying to figure out who--and for how long. I can't tell you more--and I trust this won't go beyond the confines of this office." The Minister of Prevention fixed her comrade, guest and former enemy with a stern frown.
"Of course," Relena responded smoothly, years of training allowing her to keep an equally severe expression off her face.
"And your news?"
Relena approached the big desk, opening her briefcase as she moved. She took out a small wooden box, about the size of the container a ring might come in with delicate engravings adorning it's lid and sides. She laid the box in front of Une as she said, "Several days ago I was visiting an art museum with Vice Foreign Minister Parker." As she spoke she unclasped the necklace she wore--a thin gold chain with a tiny heart-shaped locket dangling from it.
"And?" inquired Une, looking half interested, half suspicious.
"While riffling through a stack of drawings, I came across a roll of diagrams." She opened the locket, withdrew a small silver key and inserted it into an equally small slot hidden among the decorations on the box. It opened with an almost inaudible snap, and as the lid fell away Relena drew out a data cylinder.
"Diagrams? What sort of diagrams--here, let me." she accepted the cylinder the younger woman held out and inserted it into the base of her computer. There was a faint whirring, then images began to scroll across the screen.
"Damn." But she said it absently, as though her surprise was somehow not really surprise at all. "How many?"
"All, I think. And some from OZ." She paused, then added, "Vice Foreign Minister Parker was a technology specialist with OZ. He tells me they're complete--and accurate."
Une rose, slamming her fist down on the desk with enough force to set several of the neatly arranged piles of paper skittering to the floor. "This is ridiculous. We turned every military installation in the solar system upside down after the war in search of just this kind of information." A wry smile quirked her lips, although her eyes still smoldered. "Well, whoever hid these was a pretty smart guy--In the basement of an art museum they might be overlooked as just detailed sketches." She fixed her gaze on Relena. "What happened to the hard copies?"
"They were disposed of." She was looking out the window again. "Parker transferred them himself."
There was a long silence. Relena could hear Une drumming her fingertips on her desk. Finally, she spoke.
"What would your suggestion be, Minister Darlian?"
"With regard to?" she asked, playing for time.
Une made an impatient noise. "These schematics, of course"
Relena turned slowly to face the older woman. Somehow, even in her perfectly fitting business suit and heels, Une could always manage to make her feel like a school girl play acting the role of a diplomat. But that was too bad.
"You know perfectly well that if I had a choice I'd erase the disk."
"You did have a choice," Une pointed out. "Yet you brought them to me."
"I have a responsibility to ESUN--"
"Crap." The word was flung like a dagger. "Do you think I can use these? Especially now, when the Preventers are like a bug under glass?"
Relena squared her shoulders, meeting Une's hot gaze with what she hoped was a coolly reassuring smile.
"I hope you don't use them--but if this new organization is as big as the rumors say." she shrugged and lowered her head slightly, letting her hair fall forward to partially obscure her face. "I don't want things to get out of hand."
Silence reigned again for a few minutes, then suddenly Relena felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into Une's face and found the other woman smiling sadly down at her.
"Thank you." She released her hold on Relena's arm. "If this is as big as it appears to be, you may have just given ESUN the tools we needed to fight back. "She extended her hand, and Relena took it. The hand that had set the bomb that had killed her father lay for a moment in hers, but for perhaps the hundredth time Relena was shaken by the idea that she felt no malice toward this woman.
Then the moment was over and she was striding toward the door. ON the threshold she turned.
"Une, do we even know who these people are?"
The Lady shook her head. "We suspect, of course, but we won't know for certain unless they come right out and make a statement. Will I see you at the conference this weekend?"
"Of course," she replied, then carefully shut the door.
Upon reaching their destination, Tiburon stepped aside.
"I guess she's expecting you, right?"
"Yes--at least, I told her I would be by this morning." Relena rapped briskly on the wooden panel that bore Lady Une's neatly engraved name plate. Within a few moments a dour looking secretary opened the door, nodded to Relena and gestured for her to come inside.
"I'll just wait here, Ma'am, to escort you back out when you're done." Tiburon's tone was apologetic, and Relena felt sorry for him. It must be rather embarrassing to have to tell one of ESUN's top cabinet members that he had been assigned to ensure that she stayed only within those parts of this top secret building that she needed to see.
Nodding her acknowledgment, Relena followed Une's aid into a dimly lit office and took a seat in the comfortable but decidedly utilitarian chair the older woman indicated with a brisk movement of her head.
Clutching her briefcase tightly in her lap, Relena waited for nearly fifteen minutes. Resuming her work, the secretary neither spoke nor gave any other indication that she was aware her office had another occupant. Relena smiled, a tad nervously, only vaguely amused today by the idea that Une had found an aid as taciturn as she herself could be at times.
Ever since that afternoon in the art museum, Relena had been planning word for word what she would say during this interview. Despite her extensive forethought, now that she was faced with the imminent prospect of confiding her secret to Lady Une, ESUN's foreign minister suddenly found herself feeling squeamish. It wasn't that she feared Une would do something rash-- the former OZ leader had mellowed considerably in the five years since the dissolution of that organization. The thing that made Relena feel more than a little uncomfortable was the knowledge of what her upcoming disclosure might mean in terms of the status of ESUN's political and defensive security.
As the door to the inner office opened she rose instinctively, only half paying attention to the person who stepped through it into the dimly lit reception area. She was so focused on collecting her thoughts into some semblance of order that the dark-haired woman had to speak her name twice before Relena realized who it was.
"Have you forgotten me then, Foreign Minister?" Noin's violet eyes smiled down at her kindly.
"Not at all," she responded, extending her hand. "I've just got a lot of things on my mind--I didn't notice it was you." Then, after an awkward pause, "How've you been doing?"
"Well, thank you. I've been in space a great deal these past three years-- I don't think I'll ever get the stars out of my head."
"I see." Another pause. The secretary was frowning at both women. "Well, the next time you're on Earth, you're welcome to give me a call. I'd enjoy your company for a few days--if you'd care to stay." She knew she sounded hesitant, and wished she could suppress the flush she could feel mounting to her cheeks.
"I'd like that. Take care." With a nod and a quick smile she was gone, leaving Relena to proceed into Une's office accompanied by the melancholy thought that but for her brother's mercurial temperament Noin might have been her sister in law by now. Nevertheless, the chance meeting had raised her spirits somewhat and strengthened her confidence.
"Good afternoon, Minister Darlian." Une was seated behind a large paneled desk, stacks of paper and computer printouts arranged before her in what looked like an attempt at order. The former OZ Colonel looked decidedly frazzled, with strands of her chestnut hair curling down from what had probably originally been a prim knot at the back of her head.
"Good morning," replied her guest, moving to stand before the long row of windows that filled one whole wall of the large office. "I only hope it will remain so once I've told you my news."
Best to cut to the chase immediately, she thought, rather than waste time. If she was wrong after all, Une wouldn't appreciate having a mole hill represented as a mountain.
Une had swiveled her chair to face Relena, her eyes suddenly very keen. "If this is about Calisto."
Relena shook her head, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. "I heard about that. Is there any truth to the rumor that what your agents saw was really the headquarters of a new dissident group?" Despite her resolution to get this over with as quickly as possible, Relena eagerly grasped at the chance to turn the subject for a moment. After all, if the rumors were true and Une's Preventers had been overlooking this new cell for years, there could be significant political ramifications. She'd allied herself too many times with Lady Une to be pleased if that were indeed the case. She'd even contradicted her own better judgment and urged parliament to channel more funds into the Preventers' defense research. A lapse as big as this appeared to have been would certainly hurt her credibility. And she'd had more than enough of mud slinging and petty squabbles recently to make the prospect of legitimate criticism seem anything less than wholeheartedly undesirable, not to say disastrous.
How quickly public opinion could change.
Une sighed. Relena thought she looked tired. "As far as we know, yes. However, we still don't know the whole story." She lowered her voice to a confidential murmur. Relena suppressed a sigh. So, this disclosure was between friends. So much for helping her case."We've been making subtle inquiries among the agents--you know, "did you see anything odd last time you were out near L5?"--that kind of thing. All of a sudden we're hearing reports left and right of suspicious incidents. The worst part is, most of the people we're talking to say they put detailed accounts in their formal reports, but when we go back and check the paperwork there's nothing mentioned at all." Une ran a hand across her forehead, then rested her elbow on the arm of her chair and put her chin in her palm.
"A bug?" inquired Relena, unable to keep the note of concern out of her voice. This was worse than she'd thought.
"We suspect so, but we're still trying to figure out who--and for how long. I can't tell you more--and I trust this won't go beyond the confines of this office." The Minister of Prevention fixed her comrade, guest and former enemy with a stern frown.
"Of course," Relena responded smoothly, years of training allowing her to keep an equally severe expression off her face.
"And your news?"
Relena approached the big desk, opening her briefcase as she moved. She took out a small wooden box, about the size of the container a ring might come in with delicate engravings adorning it's lid and sides. She laid the box in front of Une as she said, "Several days ago I was visiting an art museum with Vice Foreign Minister Parker." As she spoke she unclasped the necklace she wore--a thin gold chain with a tiny heart-shaped locket dangling from it.
"And?" inquired Une, looking half interested, half suspicious.
"While riffling through a stack of drawings, I came across a roll of diagrams." She opened the locket, withdrew a small silver key and inserted it into an equally small slot hidden among the decorations on the box. It opened with an almost inaudible snap, and as the lid fell away Relena drew out a data cylinder.
"Diagrams? What sort of diagrams--here, let me." she accepted the cylinder the younger woman held out and inserted it into the base of her computer. There was a faint whirring, then images began to scroll across the screen.
"Damn." But she said it absently, as though her surprise was somehow not really surprise at all. "How many?"
"All, I think. And some from OZ." She paused, then added, "Vice Foreign Minister Parker was a technology specialist with OZ. He tells me they're complete--and accurate."
Une rose, slamming her fist down on the desk with enough force to set several of the neatly arranged piles of paper skittering to the floor. "This is ridiculous. We turned every military installation in the solar system upside down after the war in search of just this kind of information." A wry smile quirked her lips, although her eyes still smoldered. "Well, whoever hid these was a pretty smart guy--In the basement of an art museum they might be overlooked as just detailed sketches." She fixed her gaze on Relena. "What happened to the hard copies?"
"They were disposed of." She was looking out the window again. "Parker transferred them himself."
There was a long silence. Relena could hear Une drumming her fingertips on her desk. Finally, she spoke.
"What would your suggestion be, Minister Darlian?"
"With regard to?" she asked, playing for time.
Une made an impatient noise. "These schematics, of course"
Relena turned slowly to face the older woman. Somehow, even in her perfectly fitting business suit and heels, Une could always manage to make her feel like a school girl play acting the role of a diplomat. But that was too bad.
"You know perfectly well that if I had a choice I'd erase the disk."
"You did have a choice," Une pointed out. "Yet you brought them to me."
"I have a responsibility to ESUN--"
"Crap." The word was flung like a dagger. "Do you think I can use these? Especially now, when the Preventers are like a bug under glass?"
Relena squared her shoulders, meeting Une's hot gaze with what she hoped was a coolly reassuring smile.
"I hope you don't use them--but if this new organization is as big as the rumors say." she shrugged and lowered her head slightly, letting her hair fall forward to partially obscure her face. "I don't want things to get out of hand."
Silence reigned again for a few minutes, then suddenly Relena felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into Une's face and found the other woman smiling sadly down at her.
"Thank you." She released her hold on Relena's arm. "If this is as big as it appears to be, you may have just given ESUN the tools we needed to fight back. "She extended her hand, and Relena took it. The hand that had set the bomb that had killed her father lay for a moment in hers, but for perhaps the hundredth time Relena was shaken by the idea that she felt no malice toward this woman.
Then the moment was over and she was striding toward the door. ON the threshold she turned.
"Une, do we even know who these people are?"
The Lady shook her head. "We suspect, of course, but we won't know for certain unless they come right out and make a statement. Will I see you at the conference this weekend?"
"Of course," she replied, then carefully shut the door.