Cinq Kingdom Fleet

"Commander Noin, there is a message from His Excellency's carrier."

Noin looked up from the plans she was studying with Sally Po. Although she did not appreciate the distraction, her heart gave a little jump. She hadn't seen or heard from Miliardo in three days, but she was very much aware of his activities. The strong wave of criticism leveled at him by his opponents in the Cinq Kingdom Assembly was widely reported. Even if they did triumph against the Coalition, she highly doubted he would return to rule the kingdom he had worked so hard to protect. The hard-liners in the Assembly had demanded to work out a peaceful solution with the Coalition. Unfortunately their accusation that the first instinct of the man once known as Zechs Merquise would always be to fight hit the mark. Miliardo would consider no other option beside that which was contrary to his Peacecraft heritage. Noin wished he had remained on Earth in relative safety while he allowed her to do her duty to protect him and the kingdom, but there was no stopping the lightening count.

Sally glanced at her. "You had better take the message."

Noin flipped on the telecom to see Miliardo's face. He seemed impatient "What did you need?" she asked.

"Hardly the greeting I was expecting." His face relaxed and flashed her smile that melted her insides. "I can be there in five minutes."

"You shouldn't. The Coalition doesn't know where the Epyon and Valkyrie are. We need the element of surprise." She wouldn't be able to bear parting with him again. Especially not now when the future seemed so bleak for them all. Advanced intelligence reports indicated that the Coalition had three times their number in mobile dolls, Taurus suits and their infamous weapons the Sagitariens. Reviewing the reports with her officers, Noin was also afraid the cloak thrown over the Coalition fleet would give them advantage needed to destroy what remained of the Cinq Kingdom forces. Without the other gundams, there were most likely doomed to defeat.

"I shouldn't, but I am going to be there in four minutes and thirty seconds." Miliardo's face disappeared from the screen.

Sally laughed when Noin frowned and said, "I don't think there is any way of saying no to that man."

An alarm sounded and Noin turned to consult the radar map on the large screen behind them. "Howard, do you see something?" she asked the man running a computer scan on space using the special scope they had devised to penetrate the cloaking field.

"It's too early to tell. Could be an advance guard or a few cocky pilots."

"That would be a foolish tactical error," commented Noin. "They would give away the position of the Sagitariens."

"I don't think it is the Coalition at all," said Sally. "Howard, switch to front visual. I am reading a large amount of energy."

Noin held her breath, fearing the worst, especially with Miliardo approaching in the Epyon. He wouldn't be expecting an attack on the command ship this soon. Although Howard had done everything he could to protect the Epyon from the powerful effect of the Shadowhawk's arrows, she feared that the clever Trynity Stryfe would have other tricks up her sleeve. The Shadowhawk could be right outside waiting in cloaked invisibility. Miliardo would never see what hit him.

But as the viewing screen switched to the front of the spaceship, she realized with a gasp that she was mistaken. Huge bat-like wings unfolded before them, and she was greatly relieved to hear Duo Maxwell's voice.

"Hey, you guys open up. I have a package to deliver."

"If it isn't the head of the nasty little pilot of the Shadowhawk, then forget it."

Duo laughed. "No, it isn't her. She should be following though."

"Following!" Noin was alarmed.

"Don't get in a snit, Noin. She's on our side now."

He sounded confident.

"Wing Zero, Sandrock, Heavyarms and Altron are approaching," stated Sally.

Noin could barely believe what she was hearing. "I don't know how you did it, Duo!"

"How could you doubt the god of death? Now open up for my package."

Noin left the control deck to accompany Howard to the bay where Duo left his 'package', a person, before blasting away to await the Coalition's attack. At the same time, the Epyon landed and entered the bay along with a Cinq Kingdom Taurus, and Miliardo exited the gundam with his ever-present aide following from his own. When the doors were closed and they were able to remove their space helmets, Miliardo went first to help Duo's passenger with his helmet. Noin was surprised to see bright orange and red hair appear, and when the person turned, she was relieved to see that it wasn't Trynity, but an older man.

"Stryfe!" Howard strode forward and slapped the other man on the back before shaking his hand. "You old fox!"

"I'm not that old," grumbled Ivan Stryfe. He turned to Miliardo. "I have several topics I want to discuss with you, Prince Miliardo Peacecraft. Not the least of which is the fact that my sweet, innocent little girl was thrown in with a wild bunch of boys. I expected a little better when I chose you as guardian for my daughter."

"Sweet, innocent girl!" exploded Noin as she stepped forward. "That devil-child almost killed me!"

Dr. Stryfe turned to look at her. "Ah, you must be Commander Noin!" He shook her hand as if his daughter hadn't held a gun to her head, blew apart her Aries suit and knocked he to Earth in the Epyon. "I am very pleased to have the opportunity to meet you! Anyone who can survive my Trynity when she is determined is truly leading a charmed life."

If Miliardo hadn't put his arm around her shoulders, she might have popped the older man in the nose. "We are glad that you are safe, Dr. Stryfe."

"Now that I am, my daughter will have no reason to remain with Nelson. That man is insane. Unfortunately he attracts not only his kind but also those who are unhappy with the peace you try to maintain. Prolonged wars such as we have seen these many years breed those who are addicted to the thrill of the battle." As he sighed tiredly, Noin didn't look at Miliardo. Was he one of those men? "I only wish," continued the scientist, "that I could have spoken to Trynity before I left, but there was no time or opportunity. She probably would have talked me out to attempting to escape out of fear for my safety. With the preparations for battle going on, it was actually quite easy to slip out. Young Maxwell suggested tucking me under the wing of his gundam. Quite ingenious. We both thought it would be better if Trynity didn't know until I was safely aboard. Now I am eager to contact her."

"Let's get to the control deck." Howard put his arm around Stryfe's shoulders. "Now, old man, you must tell me about that cloak. How can we read it? What should we search for?"

"I'm not an old man," Noin heard Dr. Stryfe grumble again as they walked out. "And since someone stole my preliminary research and incorporated it on the Deathscythe, you must have some knowledge."

Noin watched as they disappeared, then turned just as Miliardo took her arm and pulled her to him. "You shouldn't have come over here," she scolded him.

"Shut up and kiss me. That is a direct order from your commander and chief."

She sighed and put her arms around his neck to pull his head down to hers. No, he shouldn't have come over to the command ship that carried the Valkyrie, but she wouldn't give up this for any amount of common sense. Their odds for success had increased dramatically with the inclusion of the gundams in their ranks, but as a military commander, Noin knew anything could happen to turn the tide of battle. For a few moments she could forget their danger in his arms.

A throat cleared, and Miliardo raised his head from their kiss to look at Benton who had accompanied him. Noin frowned at Benton. What was he doing interrupting their private moment? Annoyed, she pushed back from Miliardo and went to the console in the hangar to view the empty space that would soon fill with mobile suits. As she searched the scope hoping to see the enemy, Benton left them alone. There was nothing and she suspected they wouldn't see the Coalition until they were on top of them thanks to Dr. Ivan Stryfe. At least his daughter and her nasty gundam would be on their side! Noin hoped she could keep herself from taking a few swipes at the little witch. Perhaps when the fighting was over…

Miliardo slid onto the seat beside her. "Do you see anything?"

"No. We should be entering what they consider their territory in a few minutes. I suppose we should be getting ready to fight." Noin stared at the empty screen for a moment, then looked at Miliardo. The words to tell him how much she loved him seemed so inadequate. She could not describe her feelings in the few short minutes before she would have to get into the Valkyrie to face an uncertain future. They might never be together again. Instead she said, "I would give my life for you, Miliardo."

He smiled and took her hand in his. "As you have tried to do so many times, Lucrezia, I am beginning to think that is your mission in life. I have something better in mind." The door opened and Benton re-entered the hanger, this time with Sally Po. "Sally," said Miliardo without taking his eyes from Noin's face. She couldn't take her gaze from his intense blue gaze. "Are you captain of this ship?"

Sally laughed. "You know that I am, Your Excellency."

Still looking at Noin, Miliardo reached out to press a few buttons on the console. "I think we have the requisite number of witnesses."

"What are you talking about?" Noin glanced at Sally and Benton. They were both grinning foolishly.

"Lucrezia, I am not worthy of the loyalty you have given me. Without you, I would not be where I am today." He brought her fingers to his lips and she felt warm inside as he kissed them. Then he unfastened and reached inside his spacesuit, searched about for a bit, then frowned. He looked over his shoulder at Benton.

With a chuckle, the younger man stepped forward. "Allow me, Your Excellency."

Noin was stunned to see Benton hand Miliardo a ring that looked very familiar. "What would I do without you, Colonel Benton?"

"If I were you, I wouldn't try," Benton replied with a wink at Noin before he stepped back.

She watched with wide eyes as Miliardo slipped the ring on her finger. "Lucrezia Noin, I love you. I have loved you so long and so deeply that you have become a part of me. I regret that I have taken you for granted, and from this day forth, my life belongs to you, my Valkyrie. If you would consent to marry me, Sally Po, as captain of this vessel, has the authority to validate our marriage here and now."

Noin was struck speechless. Her eyes went to the ring, and tears stung her eyes as she stared at the two crossed lightening bolts. The ring fit her perfectly but was otherwise the same as the ring she had foolishly thrown away the night of the Stardust Ball. How could she have ever doubted his feelings? Noin had always known deep inside that he loved her, but to hear him say it was a dream from which she did not wish to awaken.

Unfortunately, she was awakened from her dream when Howard's voice came over the telecom. "Commander Noin, we are detecting irregular energy fluctuations. Stryfe tells me it is the Coalition fleet approaching."

She turned from Miliardo to give her attention to Howard. "Have you made contact with the Shadowhawk?"

Miliardo reached around her to flip off the communication to Howard. "You haven't given me an answer."

Noin frowned at him. "Now is not the time, Miliardo." She wanted it to be, but there was a battle to fight. Why did he have to choose these completely inappropriate times to be prince charming?

Miliardo seized her elbows to prevent her from walking away from him. "The only thing that is important here, Lucrezia, is you and me. If tomorrow the Cinq Kingdom slips from my fingers for good, I won't care as long as you are at my side for the rest of our lives."

Warning signals sounded to indicate that the enemy had been detected, and Noin turned to Sally who gave her an encouraging smile. Benton stepped forward, took her hand, and in it he placed the ring she had disposed of in the conservatory pond. She looked at the young man's face.

He smiled at her. "Admit it, commander, that you, too, would be lost without me."

Noin smiled at him, then looked back at Miliardo. This was destined to happen. "I imagined that marrying the prince of the Cinq Kingdom would be a bit grander than this," she commented as she took his hand and slid the ring on his finger."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Lucrezia."

"You could never disappoint me, Miliardo."

Sally laughed and put her hands on their shoulders. "I suppose this is the part where I declare you, Miliardo Peacecraft and Lucrezia Noin, husband and wife."

"Not a moment too soon!" Miliardo released Noin's hands and stood. Grabbing his helmet he headed toward the Epyon. "Let's go, Colonel Benton."

Noin jumped to her feet. "What about my kiss?"

He waved to her without looking back. "Later, woman! We have a war to win."

She put her hands on her hips, then looked at Benton. He grinned, then turned on his heel and headed to his own mobile suit.

"You had better go," said Sally.

"You are right." Noin dashed across the hangar and reached Miliardo just as he took the cable that would carrying him up to the Epyon cockpit. "You are not getting away that easy, loverboy," she said in her sexiest Roxy Rivera voice. She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck, and she kissed him for a moment as the cable began to ascend. At the last possible moment, she released her hands from behind his neck, then dropped several feet back to the ground.

Their eyes locked until he disappeared into the Epyon. Then she headed to the Valkyrie.

"Howard, I'm not getting any readings on the Shadowhawk." Duo double-checked the scope for any sign of Trynity's gundam. Two mobile dolls appeared before him, preparing to aim beam rifles, but Duo easily took care of them with a swipe of the scythe. He looked out over the battle, desperately hoping to find Trynity, but the Shadowhawk was not among the first wave of Coalition forces. Nor was the Artemis.

"She is not on our radar either," It was Dr. Stryfe's voice. "I have modified the sweep to find her even if she is cloaked. She's not in space yet. She must be back at the base."

Duo couldn't believe Trynity would stay behind! Was she going to do something foolish at the base? Was she staying back with Lars Nelson? In his anger and frustration, Duo knocked out a Sagitarien and was not even gratified to see it explode and destroy another mobile doll. He swung his scythe blindly and almost hit a Cinq Kingdom Taurus suit.

"Knock it off, Maxwell!" snarled Heero Yuy. "Or I will have to consider you a hostile threat."

Getting a grip, Duo turned back to fighting the Sagitariens. He hated to admit that the suits were of superior design to the Taurus suits, and that Lars Nelson had trained his pilots well. Then again, Noin had trained Nelson, and he, in turn, had trained Trynity to fight the Deathscythe to a standstill. The crossbolts from the Sagitariens jolted his gundam now each time they hit; yet they caused no significant damage. They were like mosquitoes against the superior armor of the gundams. Duo saw the Epyon dart through a line of them, taking them out with his charged heat rod as the Valkyrie slashed through mobile dolls. Although Dorothy did a commendable job controlling the Cinq Kingdom dolls, the Sagitariens easily took them down. In the end, Duo knew they would prevail. Nelson didn't have gundams on his side. He had not a single one he could rely on.

As he had that last thought, he saw a flash of light streak from nowhere, and Quatre raised Sandrock's shield just in time to take the arrow shot from nowhere. Suddenly the Artemis appeared uncloaked, and soaring past it towards the mobile dolls was the Shadowhawk. Duo watched with stunned inaction as Trynity's gundam smashed at the dolls controlled by Dorothy with the double-edged saber.

"Trynity!" He tried to contact her, but there was no response. He contacted the command ship. "Howard, can you reach the Shadowhawk? Trynity is not responding to my calls!" She continued to hack away at the mobile dolls and blowing them to bits. The heaven's tears scattered in space like thistle seeds in the wind, then honed in on the unmanned weapons, rendering them into space debris.

"I can't reach her," Howard finally responded to Duo. "Her communicator is either disabled or switched off."

And Trynity was following the battle plan agreed upon in Nelson's office. Duo felt betrayed, and yet he wouldn't be able to stand it if something happened to her. None of the other gundams attacked her as she methodically eliminated the dolls. Heavyarms was busy strafing Leo suits while Wufei and Heero continued to battle the Sagitariens. In the distance, Duo could see the Epyon flying toward the Coalition base, flaying any opposition with his beam saber and heat rod.

"Attack the Shadowhawk!" Duo heard Noin order.

"No!" He couldn't believe Trynity wasn't on their side! The Shadowhawk was leaving the destruction it had wrought on the mobile dolls. Duo saw a Taurus suit charging to intercept, and when he realized it was Hilde, he boosted Deathscythe forward. Trynity spun her double beam saber, creating that fantastic array of color, but when she tried to use it on the Taurus; Duo shot it with his vulcan guns. The staff flew from the hand of the gundam, spinning out into space. Without so much as a pause, she spun, and pulled her bow, nocked it and sent the energy charged shaft flying towards the Taurus. Knowing it would kill Hilde, Duo snapped in the wings of the Deathscythe and flew between the Taurus suit and the arrow. The blow jolted his gundam, and energy crackled all around him. Duo even felt his hair standing on end, but despite the surge in levels, the Deathscythe had withstood the arrow. He knew damn well it wouldn't take another hit like that.

"Hilde, get out of here!" he shouted.

"I want to fight that bitch!"

"You are no match for her!" Too bad guys needed women, thought Duo, because they were too emotional, jealous and vindictive.

Turning his gundam back towards the Shadowhawk, he saw the Artemis dart towards Trynity's gundam, passing off the double beam saber she had lost. That jerk! Even in battle, Nelson couldn't stay away from her! "Time to meet your maker, Lars Nelson."

Duo left Hilde to fend for herself as he chased after the Artemis. Nelson slashed at the Cinq Kingdom forces with his beam saber as he sped away, then when the battlefield had been left behind; he stopped and spun to meet him. In one hand he held a shield, and in the other the beam saber, glowing bright and deadly. Regardless of the vulnerability of his own protection, Duo charged the beam on the scythe with one thing on his mind, and he boosted forward. Nelson deflected his first blow with the shield, and Duo read on his scanner that the shield was constructed of gundanium. The body of the Artemis was titanium, however, so Duo was confident that with the right, well placed hit, Lars Nelson would be history. He swung the scythe, but the Artemis ducked it and pounded down hard with the beam saber. Duo felt the hit down to his toes. The bastard was better than Duo had thought. Maybe he could have piloted a gundam.

"Heero, get the Shadowhawk now!" he heard Noin order.

Duo took his eyes from the Artemis to search his viewer for the Wing gundam and saw it racing toward the Shadowhawk which was attacking a Taurus and oblivious to the danger. Heero pulled to a stop behind it and pulled out his double beam rifle. Something streaked by Duo, and he realized Nelson had let loose an arrow that flew straight and true to blast the deadly gun from the hands of the Wing zero gundam just as it began to fire. As the blast from the gun destroyed Cinq Kingdom and Coalition mobile suits alike as it careened out of control, Duo didn't know whether to thank Nelson for saving Trynity or continue beating on him.

The decision was taken from him when Deathscythe warned him of the approach of an enemy. Turning, he saw the Shadowhawk soar over him, then swing around to fire an arrow straight at him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nelson charging for an attack with his beam saber raised high. Duo gritted his teeth. He was going to meet his own maker.

The space around her became bright light as the arrow buried itself and exploded. Trynity stared at the light until she couldn't stand it anymore, then turned her head away with a sob. Her heart was pounding frantically, and with each gasped breath she took, she felt the scythe charm warm against her skin. Duo couldn't be dead! He couldn't! Why had she fired at him? Was protecting her father worth his life? Why was she fighting at all? Who was controlling her? When had she lost the ability to think for herself, to control her own destiny?

Trynity frantically punched at the buttons on her communicator, but none responded. Her communications system was dead! She pounded at the panel with her fists. "Duo!" Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and as the light subsided from the blast, she raised her head to view the destruction her attack had caused. She expected to see the damaged Deathscythe drifting dark and lifeless, but as the debris cleared, she was horrified to see the Artemis floating, a detached arm caught in the wing of the Deathscythe, a dismembered leg sailing past her. The cockpit door was hanging open, and she could see Lars slumped forward. She had shot his mobile suit instead of the Deathscythe!

"Lars!" She tried again to reawaken her communications, and she was relieved when the screen suddenly activated. "Lars, are you all right?"

But Colonel Nelson's face appeared on the screen. "Lieutenant Stryfe, you have done a commendable job. I am promoting you to captain. I need you back here now. The base is under attack and you have proven yourself capable of defending it."

"But Lars needs my help," she protested. The Deathscythe had not moved, and she wondered if Duo had been injured in the blast that had torn apart the Artemis. His gundam did not appear to have taken any damage.

"Lars doesn't need your help." Colonel Nelson smiled, and the sight churned her stomach. "I have already send a command to the remaining mobile dolls to recognize him as an enemy."

"He is not an enemy!" Trynity clenched her fists impotently.

"He saved the enemy from destruction. That makes him an enemy." Nelson's face disappeared from the scene momentarily to be replaced by what Trynity realized was a replay of the battle. She watched with horror as she fired the arrow, then the Artemis flew in front of the Deathscythe, turned and put up its shield in an attempt to deflect the shot. The rest was obscured by the blast. Tears pricked at her eyes as she realized how noble a sacrifice Lars had made for her.

"Now get back here to protect the base or your father will be the first to die."

His face disappeared, and Trynity sat unmoving as she viewed the scene in space. Another wave of Coalition mobile dolls was approaching, and she knew Lars would be doomed. She couldn't let that happen! Drawing the double beam saber, she swooped forward to hack at the approaching mobile suits. Behind her, the Deathscythe had awakened and joined her attack. She fought furiously to protect her injured friend. The Sagitariens were attacker her now also, but for the first time, she had a clear view of what was right and wrong. It was wrong to protect her father to the exclusion of others! It was wrong to ignore her conscience! And she did still have a conscience despite the attempt of her trainers from the Barton Foundation to drive it out of her. Trynity wasn't part of the Shadowhawk. It was a machine that followed her commands. And now she would use it to do what was right.

The Valkyrie flew past in the direction of the Coalition base. Trynity could have stopped it, but she watched it go as she blasted Sagitariens and Coalition Taurus suits. Enough innocent people had died because of her!

Colonel Nelson's face appeared on her screen, and even as he glared silently at her, she continued to swing her saber and blast the Coalition forces. "Unfortunately, Captain Stryfe, you have proved my suspicions correct."

Trynity shot two arrows that disabled several Taurus suits. "What are you talking about?"

"You cannot be trusted."

She paused to survey the battle and noted that the Coalition forces had dwindled dramatically. The gundams were cleaning up, and she knew the Cinq Kingdom had won the battle. So Trynity turned her attention to Nelson who was still staring at her with his eerie black eyes. "You have lost."

"Perhaps I have, Trynity Stryfe, but I will have one last victory and you will achieve it for me."

"I am done fighting for you!"

"My dear, you are going to destroy the gundams for me."

"You are insane! I have no intention of helping you."

Nelson threw back his head in laughter, then settled to a smile, as he looked her in the eye. "I have control of your gundam's self-destruct mechanism, Captain Stryfe. When I activate it, you will have ten seconds to reflect upon the foolish choices you have made before the blast of your exploding gundam destroys the others."

"You're lying!" But Trynity knew he wasn't, and she knew that their communication was monitored because the Cinq Kingdom forces began a hasty retreat.

"Don't rely on your father's little self-protection mechanism. I took the liberty of having it disabled although it took a dozen experts to figure out his security codes. You and the Shadowhawk are the ultimate weapon, and with you both I will defeat the gundams." He gave her one last grim smile before his face disappeared and an alarm sounded in the Shadowhawk.

Trynity double-checked her spacesuit and pressed buttons to release the hatch for the cockpit, but the door remained closed. She didn't bother trying to open it manually. Nelson had devised the ultimate revenge against her and the Cinq Kingdom.

She fell back against her seat and listened to the whining sirens and glanced at the countdown to destruction before looking out at space to see the gundams retreating rapidly. The Wing zero had attempted to stop the Deathscythe from returning to her as Sandrock hauled away what remained of the Artemis. She wished Duo would get to a safe distance. The blast would kill him as well as her. But the Deathscythe came to her, and although he couldn't communicate with her, the gundam reached out its arms. Trynity had little control of her gundam, so she could not respond, but she could try one last thing so that her death would not be in vain. She punched a few buttons, then sighed with relief as the bow detached from the gundam. There was only one arrow left.

Duo paused only a moment before blasting away to catch the bow and head toward the coalition base.

The countdown had reached three seconds when she suddenly saw the horrifying sight of the monstrous dragon fang of Altron gundam flying towards her viewing screen. As the deafening sound of crunching metal filled her ears, the Shadowhawk began to glow. Trynity felt herself lifted as her gundam began to explode.

There were explosions everywhere in the abandoned colony Lionel Nelson had chosen as his headquarters. Miliardo had left the Epyon outside the former military headquarters. Although men wearing Coalition uniforms fled, they paid no attention to him as he calmly walked through the wreckage. There were like rats fleeing a sinking ship, and Miliardo had every intention of disposing of the king rat himself.

He found Nelson standing on an observation deck staring at what remained of the battle. For a moment, Miliardo had to look away as a bright light made his pupils painfully dilate. When he turned back, Nelson was facing him, a gun pointed directly at him.

"Zechs Merquise. So good of you to join me in my moment of triumph."

Miliardo looked past him to the screen. The space was filled with debris. How did Nelson see any victory in that sad sight? Miliardo could make out the drifting form of the Altron gundam amongst the debris, one of its long claws extending, detached from the body and drifting. He hoped Chang Wufei was not injured in the explosion although he could not see how he could have been protected. The Shadowhawk had been blown to bits, and Miliardo could see that much of the Cinq Kingdom fleet was damaged.

"The Shadowhawk was an excellent gundam, and Trynity Stryfe was a most useful tool."

Miliardo looked back at Nelson. "Why? Why did you betray the trust I placed in you? What have you gained by this!" He swept out his hand to indicate the mess in space.

"What have I gained? A little bit of this, a little bit of that, my dear Zechs Merquise." Nelson snorted with laughter. "Where do I start? I grew tired of taking your orders. I could have had a brilliant career in OZ on my own, but I chose to follow Noin. She never once turned around to look at me." Nelson laughed to himself and Miliardo wondered if he would be able to draw his own gun in this moment of insanity. "Did she ever tell you that we were involved?"

"She mentioned it." Miliardo didn't really want to hear about their relationship.

"I was amused by her at first, but as I grew to know her better, I found that I intensely disliked her."

Miliardo could think of a number of reasons why.

Nelson decided to expound on the subject. "Her habits are deplorable, and I found her demanding and pushy."

"I hadn't noticed." A little lie wouldn't hurt.

Nelson snorted. "Oh, you will notice! That bitch will get on your nerves too!"

Miliardo pulled his gun and fired, but Nelson dived out of the way. "This can't be about Noin."

A bullet whizzed past his ear. Miliardo aimed in the direction from which it had been fired and pulled the trigger of his gun. The bullet ricocheted harmlessly.

"Why would this be about her?" asked Nelson with a laugh. "She is merely a player. Oh, I admit that I wanted her back, but I knew I would never get her, and if I did, I would eventually have to kill her." Nelson shot at him again and Miliardo ducked behind the desk as he fired. He saw Nelson scurry toward the door and he fired a few more bullets that missed him by scant inches. Noin was a much better shot. If she were here…

"So what is it Nelson? What are you gaining?"

"I followed you because I craved the excitement that flowed from your wake. First OZ, then the White Fang, then the counterattack against the Barton Foundation. I was there too, a member of the Preventors, fighting alongside you and Noin. But then you chose to take the reigns of government from your pathetic sister! You chose to rule an insignificant kingdom when you could have used your power to have so much more. I watched with despair as you let a bunch of old men in a decaying kingdom dictate to you. And when I realized you finally noticed the delightful Lucrezia Noin creeping around in your shadows, I knew something had to be done to bring back the Zechs Merquise worthy of legend before you settled down to make your nest with her."

"I don't believe you!" There was more. There had to be more. He saw Nelson's head and fired a few more rounds until his gun clicked empty.

Nelson stood with a pleased smile on his lips. "Too bad, Lightening Count. You are out of ammunition. Noin would have killed me with the first bullet." Nelson was aiming his gun at him.

Miliardo stood. "Now what?"

"Now I will kill you. Consider it a blessing that you do not have to live to see yourself completely domesticated. There are certain members of the Cinq Kingdom Assembly who will be rewarding me significantly for your removal."

Betrayed by his own countrymen. Miliardo was sick with disgust.

Nelson smiled smugly. "Did you think they would accept Zechs Merquise as their king? Did you think the World and Space Federation would allow you to cast off their yoke? Vice Minister Une contacted me, offering me an enviable position in the Federation to cut short your little rebellion against the rule of the Federation."

"You would sell me out for that? You had almost as much power as I." Miliardo had to keep the king rat talking. Where the hell was Noin?

"Yet I am still answerable to you. Even if you do return to Earth triumphant, I am content to know that you will lose your peaceful little kingdom. The Assembly will toss you out in favor of your sister and then beg the Federation to accept it back."

The room shook as an explosion rocked the colony. Miliardo turned to look at the viewing screen and saw that two of the gundams were attacking the colony as well as a contingent of Taurus suits. Sagitariens tried to defend but were no match for the deadly Wing zero and Heavyarms gundams.

Nelson was shaking with rage. "How…how did they survive?"

Miliardo took a step toward him, but Nelson aimed the gun at his chest.

"Goodbye, Zechs Merquise!"

The door suddenly opened and Miliardo watched as Noin stepped in, raised her gun and fired at Nelson. His own gun did have a chance to fire before it clattered harmlessly to the floor and he clutched his bleeding shoulder.

"I don't creep around in shadows," she declared. Miliardo saw that she was wearing a headset and had probably heard the entire conversation from his own open communication line. She had most likely issued the orders to the gundams to attack the base.

Nelson staggered to his desk. "You will regret this, Lucrezia. I have no intention of taking you back now, no matter how much you beg."

Miliardo saw Noin smile. "I am sorry to hear that. I guess I will just have to make do with Miliardo Peacecraft." She motioned to him with the gun, and Miliardo moved to stand behind her. "Thank you for allowing me to rescue you," she said, then added, "for once."

"We will tell our children about it some day," he remarked with a smile.

Noin turned to look at Nelson and her eyes suddenly widened. Miliardo spun, expecting Nelson to be aiming a cannon at them. But in the observation window, he saw the Deathscythe gundam, wings outspread, wielding the bow of the Shadowhawk, a glowing arrow already nocked and ready to fire directly into the heart of the Coalition base.

"Hold it Duo!" she shouted into her headset. "Give us two minutes." She hoped Duo was in the frame of mind to obey the order. She looked at Nelson who had turned to stare incredulously up at the glowing eyes of the gundam filling his window, the arrow pulsing with leashed power. "Your little plan was doomed to failure and has cost the lives of innocent people. As for using the Shadowhawk as the ultimate killing device, Dr. Stryfe was able to devise a shield to absorb most of the blast or you might have killed thousands. I never really liked you, Lionel. When I got past your façade, I realized that you were too meticulous, too arrogant, too conceited, and too judgmental. Did I forget to mention how stupid you are?"

Noin grabbed Miliardo's arm and pulled him out of the room, shutting the door behind, then grabbing her space helmet, she kicked Miliardo's at him from where he had left it on the floor in the hall outside the office. After he grabbed it, she took his arm, and as they raced away, they could hear Nelson's insane laughter. They had little time to reach the Valkyrie and Epyon, which were waiting side by side outside the Coalition headquarters building. Noin released Miliardo and started to pull on her helmet, but he caught her arm.

"Should I be worried?" he asked.

She raised her brows in silent question.

He shrugged. "Well, you think I am meticulous, arrogant and conceited," he pointed out with a smile, "not to mention judgmental."

Noin laughed. "Today not withstanding, just don't do anything stupid."

Miliardo threw back his head in laughter as he grabbed the cable to his gundam. "I'll try to live up to your lofty expectations."

"Don't bother! I've been creeping around in your shadow, nipping at your heels and licking your boots so long that I have absolutely no expectations for you anymore."

There was no more time for banter as they had only precious moments before Duo would fire on the base. As they blasted away from the coalition, Miliardo turned the viewer to watch as Deathscythe released the arrow, which would obliterate the Coalition. The blinding light closed the past, and Miliardo raced the Epyon after the Valkyrie, into his future.