[Earth-Sank Kingdom Space Port] 3:57 p.m.

This wasn't the first time she had been on Earth. Oh, she'd been there several times before, each time she was on a mission. Did this certain aspect qualify as a mission? She peered outside from the doorway, watching the crew of the Zenith move in and out of the lower section of the ship. There were masses of boxes and crates spread around the rear of the massive ship. Zero, the captain, stood on a crate, giving out commands in a strangely, uncharacteristic 'nice voice.'

She took a few steps onto the diagonal platform and searched the port. She spotted Quatre talking to a very tall man. He was twice as tall as Quatre and had soft brown eyes that contrasted to his full set of dark brown hair. He wore a white, long-sleeved shirt with a red vest and khaki pants. He had three associates who wore the same clothes and each with distinctive appearances. One had glasses, another with a moustache, and the third was indistinct. She turned just in time to see Wufei walk under the platform she stood on and talk to a pretty young woman with blonde hair, that curiously curled and hung just below her shoulders, and blue eyes. She didn't wear the clothes of a port-worker, instead, she had on an army-green suit and a jacket with a stylized P on the side. She couldn't remember at the moment what the P stood for, but she knew that a few years ago, it was very important to the defense of Earth. She saw Trowa, Shin, Duo, and Yume standing by a man with a tropical shirt and dark sunglasses. Why anyone would want to wear sunglasses inside a shuttle-port was beyond her. She stepped off the platform and made her way towards Yume. If Kirin had accepted her, then so would Yume and Shin. She hoped the same went for the others.

"Ayako." Yume acknowledged her presence and nodded. "Have you seen Kirin or Heero?"

"No." Ayako shook her head. "Last time I heard, they were up on deck."

"Yeah." said Shin. "I checked there before I got off. They weren't in there." She looked over her shoulder. "They couldn't have gotten far without passing us in the bridge."

"Maybe they're hiding?" Duo suggested. "Heero's pretty good in disappearing."

"Why and where would he hide?" Trowa asked. "And with Kirin? That isn't reasonable."

"Just a suggestion." Duo said wistfully.

A commotion caught the attention of the pilots and the crew. A side door beside Zenith was kicked open, revealing an ominous silhouette. Snarling, the shadow stepped forward, bring his face into the light. Brown eyes washed over the docking port, growling as he moved towards Yume. "Where's Shido?"

"That's a popular question." Yume replied dryly. "We were just discussing that. What's wrong with you?"

"I just came from Peacecraft's house. She's a little bitch." Mark spat. He wiped at his mouth with his forearm. "Her butler makes crappy tea, too."

"How did you know we were here?" Shin demanded. It was a little unnerving to have Mark as their welcoming committee.

"I tapped into the frequency lines." Mark said quickly. "That's not important. I need to speak with Shido."

"I'm listening."

Mark turned on his heel and stood face to face with Heero. The perfect soldier had his arms crossed, his mouth turned into a cruel frown, and his eyes were a deep blue. He didn't seem to happy with Mark's presence. "What? Do I have to answer to your guard dog, now?"

Kirin shook her head, making strands of silver fall over her eyes. "I was hoping you'd come later so then I could ease up some of my responsibilities onto you, but you have to make everything so dramatic and come prematurely."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mark demanded. "I need to talk to you about Relena."

"And I need to talk to you about Lee." Kirin retorted. Gold eyes flashed to the worried faces of her friends. She drew her arms around Heero's waist and leaned against his shoulder. "Later. For now, tell me what you've discovered about Relena. I need to hear this."

"Relena gave me this sob-story about how you killed her lover. Supposedly she recently met Heero and instantly fell in love with him. Obviously I believed it, so I found out your location, gave it to her, and she gave it to Lee." Mark watched Kirin's reaction. She didn't seem upset. With her nod, he continued. "At her estate she got her story confused. One minute she was telling me how you recently killed her lover, the next, you ruined her relationship with Heero, and then she tells me you killed her lover a year ago. I got suspicious and realized she played me the moment I stepped into the room."

"No, Mark." Kirin shook her head. "She played you the moment you answered her call. And what do you want? Revenge or money?"

"Both." Mark sniped. "I hate being played like that and I hate being short-handed from my money that I worked so hard for."

"Worked hard for?" Kirin stepped away from Heero and moved in front of Mark. "You gave away my location to my uncle who tried to kill me and my friends! What hard work is in that? You played the snitch and you expect to get paid? He's planning on ruining the Earth and all you can worry about is your money? If you want money, fine. I can provide you with that. But I want your word that you'll help me. And I'll make sure that Heero will make you work for your money. Guaranteed."

"Whoa, whoa." Mark held up his hands. All his anger was gone by the sheer tone in her voice. Cold and demanding. "You want me to work for you?"

Kirin smiled menacingly. "Yes. I have something that needs to be done in secret. But I'll go into details later."

"Wait, why won't you tell me now?" Mark asked. Feeling something dark and ominous crawl into his stomach. He didn't like the way Kirin smiled at him. "I want to know now. And for what price."

"Oh, fine." Kirin waved her hand at him. "Like I said, this has to be done in secret." She grabbed Mark by the wrist and began dragging him towards an empty room.

"Hey, what's so secret that you can't tell us?" Yume demanded. She didn't like it when Kirin was being so hush-hush about missions. Especially when it concerned her brother and a man who tried to get them killed.

"That..." Kirin grinned at Yume. "Is a secret."

"Ooh, damn it, Kirin! Don't bring Xel into this!" Yume cried. She watched as Kirin, Mark, and Heero disappear into the room and lock the door. "Don't that beat all..."

"So what's this all about, Shido?" demanded Mark. He was sat on a crate with Heero the only barrier between him and Kirin.

"You, Heero, and Poa Finnegan will be the saboteurs of Lee's plans." Kirin said simply. "Meaning, within the next week or so, you'll need to memorize every entrance and exit to Lee's colonies and make sure you have an escape route in case of any extreme emergencies. Afterwards, you'll have to employ yourself as one of his soldiers. I'll expect all three of you to gain their trust as well as access to top-secret areas, especially those that pertain to me and everyone of Earth."

"And how are we to sabotage them?" asked Mark. "It'll take months for us to actually get anywhere in there."

"Don't you think I know that?" Kirin paced the small room. "I was one of the heads to personalize the main-computer. I think I can manage getting you the passes. Not to mention a little tattoo on your wrist. It shouldn't be hard."

"You can 'manage'?" Mark repeated. "I want a guarantee. I'm not going to put my life on the line-"

"It's always about you, isn't it?" Kirin snarled. "It's never about someone else. For once, can you get your head out of your ass and do something that could benefit everyone else but you?"

"What about you, Shido?" Mark stood, aware that Heero had stood up, too. "What good are you doing for Earth? They turned you out. Turned their backs on you when your uncle went to jail. They never accepted you. They looked down on you, pitied you, and left you to rot. Why are you doing all this? What good will it do to you?"

Kirin had stopped pacing the room. She made distance between herself and the two males. "I've spent half of my life destroying the lives of others. Each time I did it, I questioned my existence. People that I have met, and have destroyed, left some sort of lesson on me. The only way to atone for what I have done is to stop the man that created me. Maybe it doesn't make any sense to you, but this is the only way I know how."

Mark chewed on his lower lip. It sounded reasonable enough. He gave a loud sigh and crossed his arm. "So, how are we going to get in touch with Poa?"

Kirin turned, to hide the smile. "She's storing parts and material for the Gundams. I'll contact her and she'll be here within an hour or so. I suggest you and Heero get acquainted."

Heero made a noise which sounded like a snarl. Kirin laughed softly and turned to him. "Now, Heero, Mark isn't really a lost cause. You'll like him. In the next life, I suppose."

Mark decided not to reply. He watched with interest as Kirin moved towards Heero and kissed him. "Never thought you were the one for public affection, Shido."

"You always were the one who liked to watch, Mark." Kirin retorted. She gave Heero an affectionate hug and escaped out the door before Heero or Mark could protest.

Heero turned, finally sizing up Mark. He was physically bigger than he, taller, but not perfect. "If we're going to work together, then you should know that you are responsible for your own actions. Don't expect me to help you out."

"Thanks. What would Kirin say about that? After all, we do have to work together to achieve our goal." said Mark.

"Our actions determine whether or not we reach our goal." Heero answered.

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Mark grumbled. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Let's not keep the General waiting, ok?"

"Hn." Heero stalked towards the door, opening it long enough for him to pass. "You better keep up." The door shut with a loud bang.

"You little..." Mark scurried to the door and swung it open. A thud reverberated through the port. Mark slowly closed the door and stared down at one of Zero's now flat-faced members. "Sorry about that."

"No...problem..." said the pirate.

Mark turned to Heero who stood just arm's length away. "You planned that, didn't you? You're really making me look like an idiot, aren't you?"

"I don't have to. That seems to come naturally to you." Heero retorted. "I didn't swing the door open."

"It seems to me that you're a natural prick!" Mark growled. He pulled his sleeves up, ignoring the fact that Kirin was slowly coming towards them. "You think just because you and Kirin are an item, that you can boss me around and call me an idiot!"

Kirin laughed as she came between the two males. "Is that what this is all about?"

Mark couldn't stop his next words. "It's not funny, Shido! Your boyfriend thinks he's so bad 'cause he's banging you!"

"What?" Kirin boomed. This was one of those times she was glad that she didn't become beet red. But judging the way that all motion had ceased, it was a wonder that she wasn't strangling Mark at that moment. Heero beat her to it.

He moved forward in a blur. His fist planted itself into Mark's face, knocking the six-three man clear across the port and embedding him into the metal-enforced wall. Fists still clenched, he stormed over to Mark's fallen form and stood above him. "You had no right to say that. If you ever mention that again, I won't hesitate in breaking you in half. I don't care what Kirin has to say about that."

"Didn't think you'd take it so personally." Mark groaned. He sat up on his elbows, his right cheek was swollen enough that it puffed his right eye. A trickle of blood escaped his lip and nose. "You're a hell of a lot stronger than you look."

"Don't talk to me as if we're friends. I won't forget what you did to Kirin. I'm putting up with you for Kirin's sake. Watch what you say next time. This will be the only warning you get." Heero stepped away from him and came towards Kirin. "Did you contact Poa?"

"Yeah." Kirin was still steaming, but glad Mark had gotten what he deserved. "She'll be here." She looked over at Mark who was struggling to get up. "I can't believe he said that."

"He won't say it again." Heero replied. He sighed when she stepped into his arms. "I'm doing this for you."

"I know. Thank you, Heero." She tipped her head back, realizing she was still the center of attention. "Hey! Get back to work everyone! This isn't a soap opera!"

Action resumed, some conversations were carried on by hushed whispers. Yume had her hands on her hips as Kirin and Heero sauntered over to where she stood. "I'm not going to be loud about it but, I don't think 'talking on the deck' was the only thing you two did."

"Don't start, Yume. I really don't think Heero would mind punching you clear across this port." Kirin answered. She threw Yume a glance which confirmed Yume's suspicions. "Besides, we have other things to worry about besides our personal life."

"Uh-huh. Sure." A smile spread on Yume's face. She nudged Shin who also broke into a smile. The smile was picked up by Trowa who decided not to betray Heero, and resumed a poker-face. Duo, however, was still clueless.

"What does that mean?" asked Duo. He looked at Yume and Shin for confirmation. They shook their heads and ignored him.

"Poa should be here in an hour or so." Kirin repeated. She called to Quatre who approached her with an armload of paperwork. "What have you go for us, Quatre?"

Quatre dumped the papers onto a nearby table. "I've got three factories that are up and running. There's a fourth one that is stuck in paperwork. We'll have two more by tomorrow."

"Six? Wow, Quatre." Kirin awarded the blonde with a kiss on the cheek. "That's fast work that gives us a good start." She almost laughed, feeling Heero's body edge closer to hers. She disregarded the action and took the top sheet of the Quatre's pile. She read it carefully before speaking. "All right, there's one factory that's several miles from here. Another is on the outskirts of the Sank border and the third is miles from our safe house. The one in question is just within Sank City limits. There's another in the vicinity, but clearly across the city, more or less by Peacecraft Estate. Then there's one on the Eastern border. We have three and a half of six. I have a friend who is bringing in the parts and materials for the Gundams. She's also bringing in some dolls and suits. The dolls will be stationed at each factory for protection. The suits will be used for any who want to pilot them and will be stored here for the time being. Until we receive confirmation on the fourth location and the last two, we'll begin production now."

"Where will the production of the Gundams begin?" asked Quatre. "There's only three secure locations and five Gundams. Can we fit Gundam production all in one factory?"

"Of course not. Once Poa gets here, we'll station the dolls at the factories. As much as possible it has to be done in secret. Once you get the last three, we'll begin simultaneous production. Five of the six factories will be producing Gundams, the sixth factory will be my personal workstation." Kirin spotted a map and pointed to the six locations. "Comparing the addresses to the locations on the map, the factories are spread wide. We have to work fast and efficiently and make sure that our pace doesn't break. I'll station two of you to each factory, we'll build up an underground command center, and from there, we begin phase one."

"We should have a code name for it." said Quatre. "In order for us to keep it secret in case someone intercepts our messages."

"Um, ok." Kirin glanced at the others. "Well, uh, we'll call this Operation: Evolution. Phase One: Preemptive. Second Phase is Incursion and the third phase is Annihilation."

"Nice names, Kirin." Shin murmured.

"Quiet you." Kirin scowled. "It's the best of what I can come up with at such short notice."

Zero hurried beside Kirin, poking her with her finger. "Shido, Shido, Shido!"

"What, what, what?" Distracted, Kirin turned and glared at the Captain. "What crawled up your butt?"

"Look who's here, our favorite person." Zero tilted her head to the entrance of the port. "She's looking peachy."

Ever-so-slowly, Kirin turned her head. A flash of pink and the glint of metal wheels caused her lip to curl in a teeth-baring smile. "Just the person I wanted to see."

She was wheeled into the port by her faithful and trusty manservant, Pagan. Her blue eyes widened when she caught sight of Zero's ship, Zenith. She looked worn out and trampled. Literally. Apparently Mark had managed to step all over the regal Vice Foreign Minister. Wheeled further into the port, hands almost brushing against Zenith, she spotted the group, huddled in a corner, one-or two- in particular, were glaring at her.

"If she so much as touches my ship..." Zero could imagine spending days afterward with her and her crew, cleaning the massive ship, front and back, top to bottom, and inside and out. She shuddered, resigned. "I'm gonna have to burn my ship."

Kirin felt her temper rise each centimeter Relena Peacecraft came closer. Her hands were clenched tightly enough to break their own. Just a few more inches and Relena would be in range of her fist. She was almost hysterical at the idea. She'd been dying to break some bones.

Heero stepped forward, blocking her view of Relena. He didn't bother to look at her. "I'll handle Relena."

Relena had come close enough to hear her name. She smiled, arm and leg still in a cast. "You're safe, Heero."

"Hello? Forget about us?" Kirin growled. She stayed behind Heero's outstretched arm. He knew her too well. "Thanks for almost getting us killed, Peacecraft. Good to know you think about our safety."

"I didn't intend for any of you to get hurt." she tried to implore Heero. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"The right thing is to keep your mouth shut to a man like Lee Ikuza!" Kirin growled. "For your information, he's my uncle and he's a crazy bastard! The next time you feel you are doing the 'right thing,' just imagine what he'll do to Heero! He's managed to impale me and God knows what he's planned for every one else!"

Just the thought of being impaled made Relena's face lose color. Kirin had been impaled? The elegant Lee Ikuza, a man whom she spoke to over the phone, was capable of such violence? Then she thought of Heero, possibly impaled as well and probably worse. She shuddered. "I'm truly sorry."

"We don't want your apology, Peacecraft." Kirin said coldly. "We just want to be left alone. Could you get that idea through your hard-head to honor that?"

Relena had the gall to challenge Kirin. "Who do you think you are? I have just as many rights of being here than you. All you are is some defunct guinea pig."

This time Heero was the one who spoke, eyes hardened and fist clenched. He spoke lowly and dangerously. "Don't you ever talk about Kirin like that again, Relena. That is the only warning I'm giving you."

Relena's eyes widened at the sheer tone in his voice. Oh, she was used to his monotone voice, but he actually seemed to have difficulty restraining himself. If she had said anything more insulting, he probably would have killed her without another conscious thought. She regarded Heero closely, watching his body move protectively in front of Kirin. Kirin, on the other hand, had a mass of Heero's green tank top curled in her fist, obviously holding him back.

Heero's jaw clenched as he spaced out his next words. "From this point on, you better listen carefully, Relena. I'm not in any mood or position to repeat myself more than once. Stay away from us if you don't want to get caught in the cross-fire. This isn't just another public debate for peace or one of you patented speeches on Pacifism. This is a war and we intend to see it through. You get in our way and I won't hesitate in permanently removing you from existence. Is that clear?"

Relena's head moved up and down once. A cold shiver ran up her spine. The ruthlessness and conviction in his voice made her heart shatter. She had tried once to prove to Heero that there was more than battles and war and violence. She had failed miserably and now, a fight to the finish battle would probably end everything for Heero and the other pilots. "Understood."

Heero moved aside, pushing Kirin against his back. The others followed suit and watched with solemn faces as Relena was wheeled towards a ship that was chartered especially for her.

"Smooth move, bro." Yume beamed. She turned to Kirin. "So what now? And don't tell me we're going to wait."

Kirin shook her head, waving a hand at the piles of paperwork. "Poa's got the parts and the materials. I've got the plans. We can't do anything else but wait."

[Space Port] 9:43 p.m.

Poa Finnegan pushed the wire frame glasses higher up the bridge of her nose. Just to annoy Kirin, she was going to waltz into the space port a few minutes late. Actually, she was seven hours late. She'd just have to explain to the impatient girl that getting several dozen storage facilities to open for a special delivery and obtaining every available big rig at the last minute was a lot harder than it seemed. She practically had to hire bums off the street just to drive the damn trucks as well as local teens to come along for the ride to pack-up the materials and unload them once they arrived at their destination. Kirin would have to understand, it wasn't like the old times with UPS or federal express or even one-hour shipping. This was the real world.

Poa was one of prestigious and regarded mercenaries in New Ireland, selling services to the highest bidder and even incorporating her own mercenary business. She had nothing but the best for herself and for those she kept close to her. Kirin Shido was one of those people who she kept a close eye on.

To Poa, Kirin was one of the best investments she had. Sure, they were friends, when the occasion called for it, but aside from that, they were business partners. Poa had always tried to dig under that tough demeanor that made up Kirin Shido, but always came across Kirin's two associates, Yume Okinawa and Shin Kin'Youbi.

Upon hearing of Kirin's escapades on earth and in space, Poa had a distinct feeling she'd be meeting with Kirin again. It had been almost a year since she heard from the General and already she was getting bored. Her business as a secret mercenary agency was getting a little strained. Most of her clients couldn't pay her people all at once, instead, tried paying in intervals or not paying at all which resulted in execution. Her people were beginning to complain and some have even gone rogue. At least that was a highlight. In those cases that her people had gone haywire, she had taken it upon herself to execute them personally. She couldn't get attached-wouldn't. She was in a dirty business where you had to watch your own back.

Her green eyes adjusted slightly when her limo pulled into a darkened port. She didn't bother looking out, knowing that this was Kirin's way of welcoming her. Darkness. It didn't help that a few hours ago, twilight had settled and she had to actually coax the driver that there was a space port in Sank. Apparently he had never been in Sank before.

She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, a smile curving at her lips. She had disbanded her business, distributed the money to her people, and said good-bye to all of them. Sitting in a mansion in New Ireland, leisurely watching the world pass her by, she realized peace and quiet wasn't her ideal lifestyle. With Kirin, all the money she had now was nothing compared to the excitement of anticipation, the rush of adrenaline, and the power of what you knew that differed from enemies. Intelligence, power, and survival. She missed those things.

The limo came to a gradual slow. She could hear faint voices all around and waited, wanting to make a dramatic entrance. As quickly as she decided to make a grand entrance, the lights in the port came to life, illuminating a large space ship and the group who stood to its right, apparently waiting for her arrival. Then the door closest to her opened and a young man with wayward hair offered his hand. She saw a glint of silver and she knew this man must have been one of Kirin's people. She took the hand, surprised of the strong grip, and even more surprised of his tall demeanor. From what she could tell, he had green eyes-er...eye. She nodded at the man. "Thank you."

The whimsical and heavily accented Irish lilt caught Kirin's attention. Instead of being annoyed-she was more likely pissed off, she managed her own smile and walked towards Poa. She took up the younger girl's stature and shook her head.

Poa wore a necklace of an old Celtic heritage, a shield, that meant something along the lines of protection. A black shirt that centered around a dark fairy, faded blue jeans, and dark shoes. As usual, her hair was pulled back in a tie, glasses that always slid further down her nose, and a primal wristwatch. She crossed her arms, wondering why Kirin was giving her the 'look.'

"First you're late then you have the gall to come in here looking like that. Poa, you have all that money and you don't even spend it to buy some new clothes or a digital watch or even to get yourself a haircut." She didn't mean any of that as an insult. She was being playful. "What am I going to do with you?"

"First, you could tell me why I had to bring all of your stuff out of storage. It's been a year without a word from you and then you call me as if we've been friends for years." Poa replied. "I want an explanation then I'll see what you can do with me."

Kirin let out a soft laugh. "All right, you got me. For the past year I've been busy, you know, planning on escaping ONI. Well, just about a week ago, my plan finally went into action, but with the less than satisfactory results. In a nutshell, I'm out of ONI, Lee's gone mental-not that he isn't already, and we're going to war. We need Gundams, Riot, Sentinel, and Kamikaze suits, and you have all of my stuff."

Poa considered the prospects of joining Kirin's little group. There were seven that she couldn't identify. If she heard names, then she could maybe found some common ground. "On one condition."

"What?" Kirin completely missed what Poa was getting at. "What are you talking about?"

"Your stuff is with me, right?" At Kirin's nod, Poa continued. "I'll give back your things on one condition."

"Oh." Kirin weighed the prospects of Poa joining her little group. It was, after all, on her agenda of things to do. Mark and Heero were already compliant in helping her out and Poa would add in to the mix. Thinking a little ahead of herself, when the Gundams were finished, Zero and Poa would hold down the fort while Ayako was off doing another mission. "One condition."

"One." Poa repeated. "It's been awhile since I've seen any action. My group broke apart a few months ago and to be frank, I'm bored. I want some part of this, I don't care if you don't mention my name or pay me. I'm in it for the fun."

"Another one bites the dust." Kirin murmured. "I have one condition, too. You have to follow my orders." She glanced at Heero. The look on his face made her take back her last statement. "Our orders. Mine and Heero's. I'm in charge of production here and he'll be in charge of the mission objectives."

A loud groan escaped Duo. "Why Heero? He's going to get us all killed!"

"What's wrong with that?" Heero demanded. He obviously didn't think getting killed for a mission was a big deal.

"You guys fight amongst yourselves." said Kirin. She turned to Poa again. "I agree to your terms if you agree to mine."

"Deal." Poa and Kirin shook hands. "There are several more rigs coming later tonight. These were as many as I could get today."

Five rigs, one behind the other, stood in a line sticking out of the space port entrance. There were several workers standing around the rigs, waiting for their next orders.

"Quatre," Kirin turned to the blonde Arab. "Make copies of all locations of production. Give a set to Poa and distribute the others to everyone else. I'll be going to the first location with two of the rigs." She looked at Poa. "You'll have to send the other rigs to two other locations. The last of the rigs will remain here for the rest of the night. Early tomorrow morning we're moving out and starting the production of the suits."