Seaside Laboratory
Trowa was the first one to the kitchen for breakfast. The cook did not arrive until noon so he shoved a couple of poptarts in the toaster, poured himself some juice and grabbed the paper to read. He choked on his juice when he read the headline. TERRORISTS STAGE ATTACK ON PALACE
"What's your problem?" asked Trynity who had come into the kitchen. She was dressed to go jogging on the beach, wearing ratty old black sweatpants and a loose tanktop over a sports bra. Her hair was tied back although not all of it stayed confined. When he didn't answer, she crossed the kitchen to the coffeepot to pour herself a steaming cup of coffee.
"We are in big trouble," he finally said, although he couldn't take his eyes off her. What he needed, he decided, was a girlfriend. There was no lack of girls at school who suddenly found the orphans from Seaside attractive although they had previously dismissed them as useless bums living on the prince's charity. Now that their true identities had been revealed, he could just pick one of them, or more than one if he was to take a page from Lars Nelson's book on dating. Although Catherine didn't really fit his opinion of the ideal girl - dark hair, dark eyes, preferably a soft brown - she had been a good girlfriend.
Trynity sat by him, placing a cup of coffee before him. "I'm sure Relena will explain everything."
"Don't count on it." Duo walked in. "She's scared Zechs will cancel the party, so I guess we will just lay low for awhile." He stopped to kiss Trynity on his way to the refrigerator. They might as well be married, thought Trowa yet again. There wasn't really a chance for the rest of them with her, not even Lars Nelson.
Trowa turned his attention back to the news story, which he found lacking in details due to the late-breaking nature of the event. So he grabbed a remote on the countertop and turned on the telecom screen. The only news reported was the break-in at the palace. The footage from the security cameras was shown, but as it was dark, the images were unclear, although Trowa had little difficulty recognizing every dark shape that was shown to the public.
The telecom buzzed, and when Trynity turned it on, the communication replaced news story on the big screen. It was Miliardo Peacecraft. There were dark circles under his eyes. Trowa cringed. "Miss Stryfe, is your father awake?"
"He is working in the lab," she said.
"At his first opportunity, I want him to report to the palace." The screen blanked.
Trynity glanced from Trowa to Duo. "I think King Miliardo knows."
Trowa picked up his poptart. "Do you think he will cancel the expedition?"
"I doubt it!" Duo sat beside Trynity. "He wants us to train in space even if he doesn't have much faith in Dr. Stryfe's new synthetic fuel."
"I have faith in it!" exclaimed Trynity angrily.
Trowa wondered where they would be traveling with the new fuel. Beyond L10, little was known of space. Some exploration had been done many years ago, but when the ships had not returned, all research had stopped, having been deemed too dangerous. There was what Dr. Stryfe called a space rift a few days journey from L10. Although it had interested him, Stryfe was not an astronomer and he had been far too busy building his gundam to take much time away from his project to explore space anomalies. In fact, L10 had been deserted because of the danger, leaving only Stryfe to spend the greater part of his life designing the destructive Shadowhawk. If Stryfe's fuel worked, people would be able to travel twice the distance in a fraction of the time it now took. A trip to Mars would take a few days instead of a few months. For some reason that Trowa could not define, he was nervous about the trip. There was something out there that he did not want to discover about himself.
Wufei walked into the kitchen and didn't miss a step in snatching the frozen waffle that popped out of the toaster.
"Hey!" exclaimed Duo. "Let go of my Eggo."
Trowa chuckled as Duo lunged for the waffle. Wufei shoved it in his mouth and grabbed a bagel. Duo sat back munching on the waffle although Trynity raised a brow at him before turning to smile at Wufei and say, "Wufei, put some cream cheese on my bagel."
"Whatever you say, Miss Stryfe." Wufei would do it, thought Trowa. So would he if she asked him like that.
His prediction proved correct, and Wufei was placing the bagel before her when Heero trudged into the kitchen wearing a tattered T-shirt over boxer shorts. His eyes were heavily ringed with dark circles, and his face was pale and haggard. Trowa thought he looked like the walking dead. Before Trynity could take a bite of her bagel, Heero grabbed it, took a big bite, then handed it back. She stared at it for a moment before Duo grabbed it and wolfed it down.
Disgusted, she left the counter and began to forage for food.
The box of Eggos was lying empty beside the empty wrapper of for the bagels, the last of which Wufei was eating. Trowa had taken the last Poptart. She picked up the bread, and when she pulled out a slice, half – the green half- fell to the floor.
"Not big fans of bread around here," she commented under her breath.
Trowa looked at Heero. "What happened to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Heero walked to the sink, turned on the water and stuck his head under the cold water.
Wufei raised a brow. "I believe we all have our own bathrooms. Is this necessary?"
Trynity opened a cupboard and pulled down a box of cereal. She shook it and found it empty. "No more Cheerios. I suppose I will have to settle for Frosted Flakes."
"I am doomed," announced Heero as he stood with frigid water dripping down his face. Trowa hoped he didn't shake his head like a wet dog.
"I thought we weren't going to have to hear about it," commented Wufei.
"There are no more Frosted Flakes." Trynity tossed the box on the counter with the empty Cheerios box. "I suppose Apple Jacks – nope, no more! Is it too much to hope there are Fruit Loops?" Another box added to the growing pile. Trowa quickly finished his poptart before she expected him to share. Looked like Miss Stryfe wasn't going to get breakfast. Trowa knew for a fact there was no more cereal. Duo had eaten it all the previous morning and afternoon while she was at the palace.
Trynity found an apple in the refrigerator, shoved Heero away from the sink and washed it off. Just as she was about to take a bite, Lars walked in, snatched it from her hand, and took a big bite. He grinned at her, then continued on his way to the refrigerator.
"Hey, are you going to finish that?" asked Duo, eyeing the apple greedily.
Trynity glared at him. "Are you suggesting I give it to you?"
"Good idea!" He smiled at her.
Trowa ducked as she pitched the apple at him. Duo also ducked and it hit Nelson in the head. He fell forward, knocked his head against the corner of the refrigerator – his own fault for being so darn tall – then slid to the floor, half in and half out of the refrigerator. Trowa snorted with laughter, and they all joined in, even Heero managed a smile despite whatever dire predicament bothered him today.
The laughter ceased when the door opened and Quatre waltzed in. "It's a beautiful morning," he sang. But he squeaked when suddenly everyone attacked him but Trynity, who still searched for something to eat, and Lars who hadn't regained consciousness. By the time they finished with him, he wasn't singing anymore. Trowa was pleased to have been the cause of the swelling of his eye.
"We are hunted criminals now because of you," accused Wufei.
Quatre dabbed at his now bloody lip with a napkin. "I was only having a little fun!"
Trowa raised a brow. "I didn't appreciate being the butt of your amusement."
"You should have just stayed put," said Quatre with a frown. "They would never have known you were there."
"They were getting a little too cozy," muttered Trowa, and he shuddered as he thought of what he might have witnessed. "I don't really want to know what goes on between those two. As it is, I already feel like I know too much."
Duo chuckled. "Couldn't possibly match what I saw in the desert a couple months back."
"Does anyone have anything I can eat?" asked Trynity. "Even a crumb?"
"I have some animal crackers," said Quatre as he pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket. They were crushed beyond recognition.
"I'll take those!" Duo snatched them, opened the bag and poured the crumbs in his mouth.
Trynity slapped the back of his head, then walked out of the kitchen. After only a moment she returned, being herded by her father. Dr. Stryfe appeared disturbed.
"I have just finished speaking with King Miliardo," he told them.
"Great! He's canceling the space training, isn't' he!" Heero dropped onto a stood at the counter. "This is my fault."
"How could it possibly be your fault?" asked Trowa. What kind of trouble had he gotten into at the palace?
"It's all because of Relena." His head dropped to the counter with a loud thud. "Somebody stick a knife in my back."
Duo pulled the gun out of the back waistband of Heero's boxers. "This might work more efficiently."
"Put that gun away!" snapped Dr. Stryfe.
Heero reached for it. Duo pulled it away. They jostled, and the gun went off.
The bullet ricocheted around the kitchen for a moment, everyone diving for cover until it buried into a ceiling tile.
Dr. Stryfe scratched his head, then frowned at Duo. "You are a menace."
If that wasn't called the pot calling the kettle black! Trowa almost laughed aloud, but a groan from the refrigerator drew their attention.
"What happened to Lars?" asked Dr. Stryfe.
There was silence until Trynity confessed. "I was trying to hit Duo and…"
Her father put up his hand. "Don't tell me anymore, I don't want to know. Someone help him out of the refrigerator."
They looked at each other before the ritual began. By the time Wufei lost – he still didn't realize everyone now knew he would choose rock – Lars had managed to get up on his own. There was swelling on his forehead.
"Good thing you have such a thick skull," commented Duo, "or you would be dead by now from your own clumsiness."
Trowa laughed. Duo calling Lars clumsy? It was as ridiculous as Dr. Stryfe calling Duo a menace! What next?
"What did King Miliardo have to say?" asked Trynity, returning them to the original purpose of her father's visit to the kitchen.
He tapped lower lip in thought for a moment, then said, "Unfortunately, he now knows the truth." Dr. Stryfe glanced at Quatre.
They all looked at him.
"What? Well, I couldn't let them think some terrorists were trying to attack the royal couple!"
"King Miliardo actually laughed," Dr. Stryfe told them. "He also has sworn us to secrecy. Seems his wife is in better spirits today after the adventure."
"I imagine Noin was pretty bored," said Trowa. Being the queen consort probably didn't have as much excitement as commander of the army and pilot of a gundam.
"So, what did King Miliardo want?" asked Wufei.
"As you know, there has been some trouble in the colonies which he refuses to become involved in. Last night, Cinq Kingdom long-range space radar picked up unique readings coming from the direction of L10. Although there should be no crafts in that sector, radar picked up at least one unidentified spaceship."
"Does he think it was Une?" asked Lars.
"It is possible. He wanted to warn me that they will investigate further and if he believes it poses any threat to our safety, he will cancel the mission."
"I'm sorry, father," said Trynity, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He patted her hand. "Don't worry, pumpkin. It is a slight delay. We do not even know yet, for certainty, that this will cause a problem."
"Well, the dance is still on!" exclaimed Quatre. "Relena called this morning to say her brother didn't blame her for any of it. She will be by this afternoon for a planning session."
"What!?" Wufei was aghast. "Who invited them here? You, Winner?"
"I did," stated Trynity, raising her chin. "I am going to help plan this moronic party so that it doesn't get out of hand."
"The voice of reason," said Trowa. He was relieved. Trynity Stryfe wouldn't allow the party to become some ridiculous event like the Stardust Ball. She had a sensible head on her shoulders.
She walked to the door. "Are you coming, Duo?"
Duo winced. "Sorry. I got a stomachache. I must have eaten too much."
Trowa left the kitchen before the rubber band snapped yet again. He didn't really want to see any more violence this early in the morning.
Heero stepped in front of Duo before Trynity could retaliate. "I could use the fresh air, if you don't mind me accompanying you, Miss Stryfe."
She looked him over with disgust, but she reserved her worst expression for Duo. "I'll give you five minutes, Yuy, to get dressed, then I'm going alone."
Heero noticed that Duo hung his head for but a moment, then as he left the kitchen, he heard Duo say, "Could you get me something for my stomach, Miss Stryfe?"
When he met her on the beach five minutes later, he wondered if she had given him a fist in his gut. Heero would have.
"You don't really want to run, do you?" she demanded when he reached her.
Heero could think of nothing less enjoyable to do. "Listen, Miss Stryfe, I want to know what you have decided I should do about my problem."
Trynity raised her brows. "How has it become my responsibility?"
He folded his arms over his chest. "Your actions led to the situation in the first place."
"My actions?" Trynity put her hands on her hips and leaned toward him. "I was in no danger…"
"Oh yes you were! She gave you a facial!" Heero had no idea what that entailed, but if Relena suggested it, it could not be good for their Trynity. "She announced her intention of doing your nails."
Trynity made a sound of disgust. "You should have trusted me, Yuy! I did not allow her to so much as soak my hands. The garish pink color she wanted to put on them was grotesque. Do you think I have no sense?"
"You stayed at the palace!" accused Heero.
"None of you trusted me!" Trynity was clenching her fists. Heero tensed, expecting her to swing at him. "Do you all think I am a feeble-minded foolish female? After all that we have been through? Well, maybe I am! Solve you own stupid problem, Heero Yuy!" She took off running along the beach.
Heero didn't feel like running, so he didn't follow her. He sat down on the sand and hung his head like a beaten dog. What made him talk to Trynity about Relena in the first place? What made him talk about Relena at all? The thought of what he had said to her made his gut twist. Could he pretend to have been drunk? No, she would never believe that! High on cold medicine? He didn't even have a sniffle.
"What's the worst that can happen?"
A shadow was over him, and he looked up to see that Trynity had returned. Heero sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to know."
"I don't feel responsible, let me make that point clear. I was duped into going over there, but once I started talking to her, I got the feeling she isn't all that bad." She dropped onto the sand in front of him. "What did you say to me?" Although she waited, Heero did not want to voice those comments again. Trynity sighed and put her hands over his. "You like her, don't you?"
"I am not what she wants or what she needs," he said. He hadn't wanted to voice that opinion, but he had to be honest.
"Are you the person who should judge what she wants and needs?" asked Trynity with a smile.
"Did she say something to you?" he demanded, suddenly anxious to know Relena Peacecraft's true feelings.
"If she did, I wouldn't tell you, Yuy. I don't blab secrets." She started to get up, but Heero grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.
"Then don't blab this secret, Trynity Stryfe. She hurt my feelings. What few I actually have, I owe to her and she hurt me by what she said to me at school. I shouldn't be saying this, but I have to. I wasn't looking forward to going into space, of not seeing her for months. But I thought it was for the best. I can't be good for her. She is a gently raised princess who has lacked nothing, while I was raised to kill people and cause destruction."
Trynity laughed. "I don't think you know what she wants or how she sees you."
"And I don't like having feelings," he confessed.
She put comforting arms around him. "You will get used to them. I did. Now I am happier than I have ever been."
Heero chuckled. "Even when Maxwell is taking food from your mouth."
Trynity was still smiling. "Even when I am mixing him some bicarbonate to settle that trash-collecting stomach of his."
"If you have finished jogging, I know a café not too far from here where we can grab a decent breakfast."
When they returned later, Duo was waiting anxiously although he was looking pale and shaken. Dr. Stryfe was also standing in the courtyard as they climbed off Heero's motorcycle.
"What has happened?" asked Heero as Trynity went to check on Duo.
Dr. Stryfe led him inside. "We have been monitoring the radar, and that unidentified craft located near L10 is headed toward Earth. Commander Po called to order gundams into space to intercept."
"I can't go!" whined Duo as he leaned on Trynity.
Dr. Stryfe chuckled. "He is, unfortunately, correct. Both he and Wufei have come down with a virus."
"A virus?" Heero stared at Duo. None of them had ever been sick before. This was not a good sign. "That means five of us…"
"Lars is staying with Quatre to protect the palace in case of attack." Dr. Stryfe looked at Heero. "You are to lead the Valkryie and Heavyarms to intercept the craft before it reaches L2."
"That's my colony," whined Duo. "I want to go…." But he barely finished his sentence before he shoved Trynity away and dashed for the nearest bathroom.
Trynity winced, then looked at her father. "I will be glad to go. When are we to leave."
"As soon as you are ready."
"Are there any sign of the pirates?"
Arora looked up from the panel with which she was scanning space. "They did not follow us."
Her brother frowned as he looked over the view she was observing. "Where are we, Arora?"
"I don't know." She did not recognize any part of the space she was viewing. What was worse, the navigation system of the ship did not either. Arora looked up at her brother. "We appear to have slipped through some kind of hole in space when we entered that disturbance."
"That is ridiculous!" Apolo was furious. "There is no such thing."
"I have read of theories…" she began.
"I do not believe it!" Apolo strode away, running his fingers through his long, dark hair. "This cannot be happening to us! We will be disgraced; our father's house will be dishonored by our failure." He spun to look at her. "What are we to do with Princess Ryana?"
The horror of being stranded in an unknown part of the universe paled in comparison to being trapped with the princess of Bayman. Arora tried to ignore her own feelings of despair by turning back to the view of space displayed by the ship's navigation system. Even if they could return to Calabria, the thought of facing High Imperial Guard Dax made her heart thump wildly. Apolo might be forgiven, but she was a female and there was only one fate left for her, the one she had eluded as an infant. "I will run a thorough scan of the region to see if there is any sign of life nearby." The only sign she had found were the frequent communications she had monitored in the many days they had drifted in this part of space.
The door to the control room of the ship slid open, and they both looked up to see Princess Ryana. "Is their anything new to report?" She turned her big eyes to Apolo and she batted her long lashes. Although he had at first liked the beautiful princess' attention, three long weeks with her had made him now turn away in disgust. "Lord Apolo, why have you not visited me?"
"There is nothing to report," he grumbled. He shot Arora a look that told her if she so much as smiled at his predicament, he would draw his sword.
Arora sighed and looked up from her investigation. "Princess, you are still safer in your quarters. We are traveling in unknown, uncharted space and until we return to Calabrian territory, we should be ready for attack."
Princess Ryana raised her brows. "What do you mean by "uncharted space"? We are either in Calabrian or Bayman territory. There is no unclaimed area of space. Tell your silly sister!" She looked at Apolo.
The princess was spoiled, annoying and anything but intelligent. Her small brain could not comprehend that there was anything beyond the empires of Calabria and Bayman or that she could be in any danger. When the pirates had attacked, she refused to believe they would do her harm.
Apolo ignored Ryana to look at the same view Arora was studying. "What are those things? They do not appear to be natural satellites."
Arora ran a thorough scan and consulted another screen to read the data. "They appear to be manufactured planets of some type. There are many life forms similar to our own on them. If you look in the Beta sector you will see readings of military action."
"We should stay away from there," announced Ryana. "Who knows what kind of creatures are there."
Arora looked at Apolo. "We will soon run out of fuel." She wasn't about to bring up the fact that they had little food left. She and her brother ate sparingly so that they could feed the princess in the manner to which she was accustomed because they did not want to alarm her.
"Scan the nearby planets and moons for a source," he said as if she didn't know what to do. Arora didn't argue as she did as he ordered.
"In that sector," she told him, pointing to an area on the screen. "There is a planet which suits our needs, but it is heavily populated."
"We will set a course for that planet." He zoomed the viewing screen to the planet in question. Arora saw that it was mostly blue – a good sign as their ship relied heavily on salinated water.
"I will monitor the military activity." Arora sat before her scanning screen, and as Apolo tried to ignore the chattering, complaining Ryana, she viewed the activity. In the following days, she was horrified to see large, metal creatures firing upon one another until one or both exploded, scattering their remains about space. Some of the creatures seemed to have a biological entity inside while others were devoid of life, yet continued to fight. It all seemed pointless to her. Arora glanced at her sword that was hanging near Apolo's. When they fought, it was in honorable sword against sword combat where they could see their opponent. There was no devastating war such as she was now seeing. There had not been any for many generations. The ruling dynasties of Bayman and Calabria had agreed to peaceful coexistence. To solidify the peace, the ruler of Bayman had offered his only daughter to the house of Calabria. Glancing now at Ryana, Arora wondered how long it would take for her to cause more trouble than she already had. Because of her, Trey was gone.
Arora spent most of her time learning the language she monitored from various sources of communications, and she in turn taught Apolo and the reluctant Ryana. Fortunately, some of the words were familiar, having been introduced in Emperor Zeno's court by his wife, Prince Trey's mother. The language was easy enough to learn quickly.
"Your brother is very handsome," commented Ryana one day when Apolo had escaped to his quarters.. "Are you and he…"
Arora winced. "I do not know what customs you have on your planet, princess, but on mine, such a thing is unheard of!"
Ryana smiled. "My father's wife is also his sister. When she is old enough, he will breed a pure heir from her as well as his future mate."
Arora curled her lip in disgust. "We have no such customs on Calabria."
"Then you have no claim on him?"
"You are destined to be the bride of Prince Dilan," Arora reminded her. She wondered if Apolo had already gotten to know the princess more than he should. Had she failed in protecting her?
"Not until I arrive on Calabria!" Ryana frowned. "Perhaps not at all if you cannot get me safely there."
Arora sighed and turned her attention to the map of space. "Our ship was driven in the direction of that space disturbance by the pirates."
"You should have surrendered to the pirates," declared Ryana with a lift of her head. "They would have ransomed me to Calabria or to Bayman or to both."
Perhaps she was right, thought Arora, but they could not take that chance after Trey had not returned from his fight with the pirates. Arora did not even understand why the pirates had attacked. She and Apolo were disguised. Only Prince Dilan, Emperor Zeno and Dax knew of their mission. None of them would have a reason to delay the fulfillment of the treaty with Bayman. The pirates had ordered them to ready for boarding after they had left Bayman, so they must have known the princess was aboard. Did their attack have something to do with Ryana?
"Do the pirates harass the Bayman ships?" asked Arora.
Ryana looked away. "No. They have only attacked a few Calabrian ships."
"How do I not know they were not sent from Bayman to stop you from leaving? Is there a faction on Bayman that does not wish to see your house joined with Calabria?"
"I do not know!" cried Ryana as she marched away. "I have never left the palace in my life until the moment I came to board your ship. It was your duty to keep me safe, and I have no proof yet that you are capable of the task." She sniffed. "Imperial guard? Ha! Perhaps my father should forget this ridiculous marriage and take over Calabria."
She stalked out, leaving Arora pondering her words. Was this marriage, then, an elaborate scheme to take control of Calabria? Would the king of Bayman be so despicable? What role did the pirates play? What difference did any of this have on their present predicament? They were in unknown space, far, far away from Calabria and Bayman, running out of fuel and food, avoiding hideous creatures.
Several hours later, when Apolo re-joined her, she told him of Ryana's comments. He raised his brow, but he did not speculate aloud. They could not afford to mistrust Ryana of Bayman because they had sworn an oath to protect her. Arora must protect her with her life if necessary.
They left the area of the military disturbance and continued toward the planet. Arora monitored transmissions from the planet and found their language remarkably easy to learn. There seemed to be more than one ruling clan on the planet they referred to as Earth. That did not encourage her, especially as she discovered in her scans that the action in space had some correlation with the Earth government. As they drew closer, she noted the debris in space that had been caused by a cataclysmic battle between two factions of what was known as the Cinq Kingdom. Arora discovered that the kingdom considered itself neutral and removed from the other ruling body of the Earth. The kingdom advocated peace. Arora decided that it was that kingdom they would approach. She located it and saw that it had access to the fuel they needed.
But as they drew closer, Arora noted three bright star-like shapes approaching their ship.
"What is that?" she asked her brother who was watching them.
"Shooting stars!" exclaimed Ryana with a giggle. "Silly Arora! You really should look at the night sky more often."
Apolo frowned. "Get to your quarters, princess. They are not shooting stars."
Arora did a scan. "They are composed of…" She looked at her sword. The swords of the imperial guard were made of the strongest metal known in the Calabria system.
Her brother followed her gaze. "You are not saying they are made of imperial alloy? That is impossible! Such a large amount does not exist!"
The stars drew closer and they could see that they were not stars at all, but mechanical creatures similar to those she had seen engaging in combat days before.
"What is that?" shrieked Ryana.
"Get to your quarters!" ordered Arora.
But the princess crawled under a control panel and curled into a ball. Silly fool, thought Arora as she powered the systems to the ships defense. "The shields are at maximum power," she told Apolo.
"I will man the laser."
"Do not shoot immediately. They may have peaceful intentions."
Arora doubted such creatures could be peaceful. She scanned them and got no reading in return. They had jammed the signal, so she concluded they did not intend peaceful interaction. As they came into viewing range, she saw that they were armed.
One carried a long pole that was glowing, another seemed to have arms deformed in the shape of some weapon that would shoot, and the last activated a glowing saber.
"We can't fight that," snapped Apolo. "We are not equipped."
Arora was afraid they would be slaughtered in space like the creatures she had seen near the colony further out in space. Their only hope was to contact the creatures and hope they could listen to reason.
She opened a line of communication, and using the language she had studied, she hoped they listened and understood. "We come in peace," she announced. "We are not armed for battle."
To her surprise, there was a response. "Prepare to be boarded and inspected. We come in peace from the Cinq Kingdom."
"Peace!" scoffed Apolo. "How can those creatures be considered peaceful? And how do they plan to board us?"
Ryana was whimpering under the control panel. "Protect me, Arora! Remember that it is your duty!"
How could she forget? Arora fought her own fear as the mechanical creatures advanced until she felt them bump against their ship. "Open the hatch," she ordered Apolo as she went to take up her sword, the sword of the emperor. And stood ready to protect the trembling princess.
"They will crush our craft," remarked Apolo, but his prediction did not come to pass. They waited in tense silence, not knowing what to expect, and when he heard footsteps, Apolo raise his sword as the door opened a creature walked in wearing what Arora supposed was a suit to protect it from space. Neither she nor Apolo dared move as the creature reached up to remove the helmet to its suit. And when the man had set it aside, she felt as if the breath had been knocked from her. Those eyes! She knew those eyes! They haunted her dreams every night.
He spoke no happy words of reunion. "We have orders to determine your intentions. Do you understand my language?"
Apolo was as struck silent as she.
The man looked from her to Apolo, then back. "Are you the only passengers?"
There was no mistaking the voice although he spoke words of a strange language.
Apolo dropped to a knee and raised his head to the man. "My lord prince!"
Arora was about to do the same, but the door opened and a man and woman entered, both carrying weapons. Instinct forced both Arora and Apolo to raised for their swords, and turning to face the newcomers, a loud sound warned them of an attack. Arora saw the projectile and stopped it with her blade. It ricocheted around the cabin before it buried in the control panel, making it pop and sizzle.
Apolo leapt to his feet to stand protectively before Prince Trey.
"Did you see that?" The female's exclaimed incredulously.
"Where are you from?" asked the other male, the one holding the weapon. "Which colony sent you?"
"We come from no colony," said Arora, not standing down from her protective stance. The princess was curled in a tight ball, hiding quietly for once.
"We did not come to harm," said the man she did recognize.
She lowered her sword, and her brother stepped before her, still holding his sword, but looking suspiciously at the man. "Are these your guards, Prince Trey?"
The two others exchanged questioning glances with each other and Prince Trey.
"I don't know what they are talking about," he told them.
Arora took her eyes from him to see what the other two were doing. They merely watched with raised brows. These creatures were the same as them! The female had bright orange hair and the other male had short, dark hair. Arora saw in their eyes that they were warriors.
"Do you come from the Cinq Kingdom?" she asked, purposely keeping her attention from the third man.
"We do," said the female. "I am called Trynity Stryfe. This is Heero Yuy, and the one you have called Prince Trey," she paused to laugh and glance at the red-faced other man, "he is Trowa Barton."
"Trowa Barton?" repeated Apolo. He lowered his sword, but he continued to stare at the one called Trowa Barton.
Arora looked back at the other two. "I am Arora, imperial guard of Calabria. This is my brother, Apolo, also imperial guard."
"Calabria?" Trowa Barton spoke. "Where is Calabria?"
How could he say such a thing? Arora looked back at him and saw that he seemed surprised. Could it be that he was not Prince Trey? He had not greeted them although the three of them had grown up together. Surely he knew them! Surely he knew her! How could he forget?
Apolo must have had similar thoughts because he stepped toward Trowa with his fists clenched. "I know not what game you play, Prince Trey, but I do not find it in the least amusing!"
"Prince Trey!" The squeal came from the Princess Ryana who crawled out from under the control panel. Arora quickly raised her sword and stepped in front of her. The princess tried to look around her. "Is it true? Could it be Prince Trey?"
"Who is that?" asked Heero Yuy, waving his weapon toward her.
"Nobody important!" snapped Apolo.
But Ryana spoke up. "I am Princess Ryana of Bayman, bride of the crown prince of Calabria." She turned her big eyes to Trowa Barton. "I was to be the bride of Prince Trey! Perhaps I still can!"
Trynity Stryfe chuckled. "Perhaps you can!"
Trowa Barton's face became a shade darker. He could not be Prince Trey, Arora told herself. There was absolutely no recognition in his eyes. She turned away to look at Heero Yuy who appeared to be the leader.
"We are not from this part of space."
"That would be obvious," he remarked.
She ignored his sarcasm. "Some disturbance in space brought us here after we were attacked by pirates. We do not have the fuel to return, even if we did know how to do so. Your planet has a source of the fuel we need, so we have come to seek help."
Trynity Stryfe crossed her arms. "Sounds too much like a sci-fi story."
"Don't you believe in life on other planets?" asked Trowa.
She looked at him. "Apparently you do, Prince Trey." Trynity and Heero Yuy laughed while Trowa looked uncomfortable. Arora knew that they were mocking him, but he didn't seem too bothered. "I will contact our king to ask for his orders," said the female warrior.
After she left, Heero went to the control panel that was still smoking. "Can you fix this?" he asked Apolo.
Apolo looked at Arora who shrugged. Neither of them had been given anything but the most rudimentary technical training. Their lives had been dedicated to nothing but the protection of the royal family, Prince Trey in particular. A larger ship might have a crew capable of making repairs, but this ship was not designed for a crew any larger than a pilot and possibly a navigator.
Heero raised his brows. "Looks like you have bigger problems than lack of fuel." He spoke into a microphone on his spacesuit. "Miss Stryfe, tell Zechs we need a transport shuttle to bring the craft to Earth. It needs repairs."
"His Excellency welcomes the delegation from Calabria," she answered after a few moments. "A transport should be arriving from Dover in about an hour."
Trowa looked at the princess who stood smiling at him like a dumb cow. She was beautiful, but he didn't find her interesting in the least. Her hair was long and light brown, not the dark hair he preferred. She had strange markings on her forehead and cheekbones, probably what passed for makeup on her planet. There was no doubt she thought highly of herself. He glanced at Apolo of Calabria and caught him glaring at him. Trowa wondered what sort of man Prince Trey had been to cause such enmity from his imperial guard. His stare made him feel uncomfortable, so he looked at Arora who stood watching as Heero tried to re-route circuits on the control panel. She was obviously serious and dedicated. He wouldn't forget how she had deflected the bullet with her sword. Trowa looked at the sword she still held in her hands. There was no mistaking the metal, the same metal used in his gundam. Could they be lying? Perhaps they had been sent from a colony with their fantastical story about being from another planet from distant space. They would easily be able to infiltrate the Cinq Kingdom and cause destruction from within.
She suddenly turned her eyes to his. For a moment he read confusion in her large, brown eyes, then she looked away. Trowa swallowed and looked away also, and he met Apolo's dark gaze.
"If you hurt my sister again," he said in a low voice, "I will personally end your miserable life, Trey of Calabria."
"I am not who you think," Trowa told him emphatically. "I do not know of Calabria. I am not Prince Trey."
"You had better not be," hissed Apolo before he walked to the princess and seized her arm. "You are going to your quarters, princess."
"But…but I like it here!" she whined as he led her to the door. She looked over her shoulder at Trowa and Heero Yuy as she left.
"You have a conquest," remarked Heero when she had gone.
Trowa chuckled. "I think I will pass on that one."
"What is wrong with the princess?" demanded Arora indignantly.
Trowa looked at her. "The lights are on and no one is home."
She glanced at Heero who tapped his head and rolled his eyes, then she looked back at Trowa with anger in her eyes. "Are you saying that she is feeble minded? How dare you suggest such a thing of the bride of Calabria!"
Trowa shrugged. "I hope your Prince Dilan will be happy with her."
"I had been against the match." Arora smiled and he thought she was quite beautiful, more so than the Princess Ryana. He couldn't help being attracted to her. "But now I would like nothing better than to get her to Prince Dilan. They deserve each other."
Heero raised a brow and looked at Trowa for a moment before turning his attention back to the control panel. "This is hopeless. Dr. Stryfe and the guys at Seaside should know what to do."
"If he's not still trapped fighting the Trolls under the bridge to the castle," commented Trowa, thinking of the fierce battle they had been watching on his computer screen before taking off for space.
Arora raised her sword. "I will help him."
Trowa chuckled and reached out to touch the blade of her ornate sword. "No need to assist. He is merely playing a game." To his surprise, the blade seemed to hum under his hand, and he quickly drew it away. His entire body had shuddered from a shock that left him feeling disoriented.
The sword dropped from her hand, and she stared down at it.
Then Trowa noticed her other hand was on the control panel. He nodded to it, and she smiled as she bent to retrieve her sword. "There must have been a power surge through the weapon," he told her.
Arora laughed nervously. "I have not had sleep in many hours."
"You can trust us," said Heero. "Go get some rest."
She seemed reluctant.
"If you don't get some rest now," pointed out Heero, "you will be exhausted when we reach Earth, and if we meant you harm there, you would be unable to protect yourself and your precious princess."
"You are right." She carried her ornate sword with her as she left, and she paused for just a moment at the door to give Trowa one searching look before she disappeared down the corridor.
Trowa was still staring at the door when Heero spoke.
"How do you know you are not Prince Trey?"
Trowa looked quickly at him. "Are you crazy? How could I be?" The idea was preposterous!
"We both know that you are not Trowa Barton."
That was true. Trowa had been nameless until he had taken the name of the slain heir of the Barton Foundation. Yet he could not believe what he was hearing suggested now.
"You don't remember your past," pointed out Heero, folding his arms and half-sitting on the fried control panel. "You were found on L3 with no memory and no name."
Trowa remembered almost nothing of those days although it had been little more than four years ago. His new life had completely supplanted what little memory he had of his rescue. He wanted to find his past, and yet he could not believe that he was a prince from a far away planet in another system. How would he have gotten here? Why could he not remember?
"I am going back to Heavyarms," he said. He didn't want to discuss this with Heero until he had time to think about it.
"I know you, Trowa. You are going to bounce it around in your head." Heero reached out to touch his arm. "Think about this: you called their crown prince by name."
"So?"
Heero did not smile. "They never mentioned his name, Trowa, and yet you knew it. She did not correct you."
As Trowa thought about it later sitting in the cockpit of his gundam, he realized Heero was right. Neither the princess, nor her two defenders had mentioned the name of the crown prince. Prince Dilan. The name had simply flowed off his tongue. Trowa closed his eyes and tried to put a face to the name, but he saw nothing but darkness until he saw her eyes, Arora's soft brown eyes. But in their depths he saw great sadness before the image disappeared.
He remembered Apolo's warning, and Trowa hoped that he was not Prince Trey of Calabria. He didn't want to think that he had hurt that girl.