"No. Absolutely not. I am not going to Jion."
Amuro Rey was sitting up in bed, shaking his head at Bright Noah. Amuro was recovering well; he'd been moved to his own room here on Kyonpei Island and was wearing pajamas insead of a hospital gown. His arm was in a sling, but that was the only sign of his injury now.
Bright sighed and sat down on the room's only chair. "I can't say I blame you."
"You'd better not! I can see you going to Jion for this coronation, Bright, you're captain of what was one of Earth's most important ships. But me? You think they want to see the Gundam pilot there?"
"The Jions? They might. I understand the Lady Kishiria has a rather bizaare sense of humour."
"Another thing. She's married to Char Aznable, the man who killed Lalla Sun. I can't face him, Bright." Amuro snorted. "I thought on Side 6 that he was in love with Lalla. Looks like I was dead wrong there."
"So what will you do?"
"You guys kept me imprisoned because I was the only one who could pilot the Gundam. There's no more Gundam, so you don't need me anymore. I had Frau make some phone calls for me and it turns out that I've got half a year's pay plus combat bonus sitting in my bank account on Side 7. I'm going back there. I'll buy a house and find a job. With my experience, it shouldn't be difficult. Maybe I'll write a book. But I'm not going back into the service, and I'm not going to Jion!"
Bright nodded. "There isn't much the brass can do to keep you in the military. Very well, Amuro. I wanted to talk to you about it because we were asked to be in the delegation to the coronation, but also because--"
"Because you think you'll be needing a punching bag while you're there?"
Bright blinked for a second, then chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "Amuro, I can't apologize enough for that. But you were very difficult, and I am only 20. No, I was about to say that I've become quite fond of you, as I have of everyone in the crew. Strangely, I find the idea of us all having our last sortie together in posh surroundings to be somehow fitting."
"It is, kinda. Well, all of you have fun. As for me, I'm homeward bound."
"Homeward bound," repeated Sayla when Bright recounted the conversation to the White Base crew. "What a beautiful phrase. I wish I knew where home was for me. I'd go there. I'll settle for joining Amuro on Side 7, though."
"Yeah, me too," said Kai.
"And I," added Frau, putting her hand on Hayato's shoulder. "The kids go with us."
Mirai looked at Bright. "You wouldn't be going to Earth now, would you?"
He gazed into her eyes. "I'm career military, Mirai. I'll go where my orders send me. If you want to go to Side 7 with the others, I'll understand."
She reached up to stroke his face. "I go where you go."
"That sounds like a proposal," Kai observed.
"It was meant to," Mirai said, not taking her eyes from Bright's face.
Bright Noah and Mirai Yashima were married on Kyonpei Island a few days later. The bride fussed for a while about making a dress in time, then settled on uniforms for herself and the bridal party. Flowers were shipped in, and the wedding provided a much-needed dose of happiness in this slow, depressing part of the war. Frau Bow caught the bouquet, which Sayla was seen to dodge.
Amuro left for Side 7 after the ceremony. "I'm gonna miss all you guys," he said at the dock, "but I just can't stay here any longer. I just want you to know that even though this whole experience sucked, and I'm still resenting being drafted the way I was, all of you made it worthwhile."
His friends took turns hugging him goodbye, and he left as the White Base crew saluted him.
"He'll be back, you know," Bright confided to Mirai when they were alone in their room, sipping champagne.
"You think he's that dedicated to his friends?"
"No. They're building more Gundams," he told her.
***** Kishiria Zabi put her hands on her hips and surveyed the police scene. She and Char were in an apartment in a high-rise a good half mile from the royal residence. The place was empty except for a rocket launcher on the floor and a neatly-cut hole in a living room window.
The detective in charge of the scene bowed in front of his monarch. "Your Majesty. Your Highness. This apartment was being rented by one Isvan Nohanian. He'd had the place three months. The building does credit checks on all tenants, and his was clean, if not particularly interesting. Credit cards for the past seven years, paid off on time. He himself paid the rent in cash, which is unusual though certainly not illegal and the building management liked it. The neighbours don't remember him much if at all, but that's not a surprise since he sure doesn't seem to have been living here."
Kishiria strode up to the window, painfully aware that she must not be as awe-inspiring as she was a few months ago. She was helmeted with her mask up, but felt the growing bulge in her middle drawing eyes all around the room. {That's right, boys, I had sex with that man over there. Live with it.} "These windows don't open?"
"No, ma'am. That's federal law: buildings that face any royal residence unimpeded must either have no windows or windows that don't open. Our friend here just cut a properly sized hole in the glass. The cutout's over there. The soundproofing in the building's good, though, and the neighbours didn't hear anything amiss until the boom. People's first reaction isn't necessarily to run out the front door of their apartments in their nightclothes, though, letting Mr. Nohanian get away. No fingerprints on the weapon of course, and we're dusting the rest of the place."
"Any known Deykunite connection?"
"Not at this time, but it's probably an assumed name. We're going through all the records at the spaceports, which were of course sealed as soon as word of the assassination attempt got out."
"That's fine, then. Carry on."
In the car back to the palace, Char asked, "Are you going to be turning this over to the federal police?"
"They're already working on it. I'm content to allow the city police to do their job, too." She drummed on the arm of the car door, as she always did when she was thinking. "We're going to have to arrest the members of the Deykunite party in Parliament and whoever's registered on the voters' lists with them."
"I think that's a bad idea."
Kishiria turned her head to look at him. "Why?"
"Remember what happened last time there was a Deykun purge, after the murder of your brother Cicero? I certainly do. Plus, this whole thing stinks. Okay, there's a sign that asks where Artesia is. Why ask that after I've presumably been killed?"
She considered. "You could be right. I'll hold off."
"What about my father's party? I understand a tame version of them was allowed to exist, even after the purge."
"The Contolists? No. As you said, they're tame, but I know there must be some wild ones still out there. I don't trust Delaz, either, which is why I had his fleet head right back out towards Jupiter without landing back here. I may have begged him enough to get him to consider Jion for Jion's own sake, but that won't last long. Certainly he and any stray Contolists stand to gain the most with the two of us gone."
"In that case, a purge would definitely be a bad idea. Your coronation's a month away and the war has merely entered a cold phase while both sides catch their breath. Let's not put Delaz and the Conservatives' backs against a wall. That'd give us a two-front war when things heat back up again."
Kishiria sighed. "Point taken."
"You're coming too close to acting out of anger, not logic. That's not like you. Stop it."
She chuckled softly. "What would I do without you, Char?"
"Commence mass destruction, probably," he said, matter-of-factly.
Kishiria made a small surprised noise.
"Just because you don't invent doomsday weapons every week doesn't mean--"
"I wasn't commenting on that," Kishiria said. "Char, put your hand here. Quick." She grabbed his hand and placed it on the roundness of her belly. "There. Do you feel that?"
Char's eyes widened as underneath her tunic and her skin he could feel something softly prodding outward. "Is that--?"
"She's moving," Kishiria told him. "It's the first time I've felt it."
"So does this make you feel more loving and maternal?"
"Sure. Like a mother bear. I really want to catch whoever tried to kill us, now. They would have killed her, too."
{And how many will have to die to keep your baby safe, Kishiria?} Char thought to himself gloomily as the car pulled underneath the palace. This time, it had been easy to stop his wife. Next time, he knew he might not be so lucky.
Amuro Rey was sitting up in bed, shaking his head at Bright Noah. Amuro was recovering well; he'd been moved to his own room here on Kyonpei Island and was wearing pajamas insead of a hospital gown. His arm was in a sling, but that was the only sign of his injury now.
Bright sighed and sat down on the room's only chair. "I can't say I blame you."
"You'd better not! I can see you going to Jion for this coronation, Bright, you're captain of what was one of Earth's most important ships. But me? You think they want to see the Gundam pilot there?"
"The Jions? They might. I understand the Lady Kishiria has a rather bizaare sense of humour."
"Another thing. She's married to Char Aznable, the man who killed Lalla Sun. I can't face him, Bright." Amuro snorted. "I thought on Side 6 that he was in love with Lalla. Looks like I was dead wrong there."
"So what will you do?"
"You guys kept me imprisoned because I was the only one who could pilot the Gundam. There's no more Gundam, so you don't need me anymore. I had Frau make some phone calls for me and it turns out that I've got half a year's pay plus combat bonus sitting in my bank account on Side 7. I'm going back there. I'll buy a house and find a job. With my experience, it shouldn't be difficult. Maybe I'll write a book. But I'm not going back into the service, and I'm not going to Jion!"
Bright nodded. "There isn't much the brass can do to keep you in the military. Very well, Amuro. I wanted to talk to you about it because we were asked to be in the delegation to the coronation, but also because--"
"Because you think you'll be needing a punching bag while you're there?"
Bright blinked for a second, then chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "Amuro, I can't apologize enough for that. But you were very difficult, and I am only 20. No, I was about to say that I've become quite fond of you, as I have of everyone in the crew. Strangely, I find the idea of us all having our last sortie together in posh surroundings to be somehow fitting."
"It is, kinda. Well, all of you have fun. As for me, I'm homeward bound."
"Homeward bound," repeated Sayla when Bright recounted the conversation to the White Base crew. "What a beautiful phrase. I wish I knew where home was for me. I'd go there. I'll settle for joining Amuro on Side 7, though."
"Yeah, me too," said Kai.
"And I," added Frau, putting her hand on Hayato's shoulder. "The kids go with us."
Mirai looked at Bright. "You wouldn't be going to Earth now, would you?"
He gazed into her eyes. "I'm career military, Mirai. I'll go where my orders send me. If you want to go to Side 7 with the others, I'll understand."
She reached up to stroke his face. "I go where you go."
"That sounds like a proposal," Kai observed.
"It was meant to," Mirai said, not taking her eyes from Bright's face.
Bright Noah and Mirai Yashima were married on Kyonpei Island a few days later. The bride fussed for a while about making a dress in time, then settled on uniforms for herself and the bridal party. Flowers were shipped in, and the wedding provided a much-needed dose of happiness in this slow, depressing part of the war. Frau Bow caught the bouquet, which Sayla was seen to dodge.
Amuro left for Side 7 after the ceremony. "I'm gonna miss all you guys," he said at the dock, "but I just can't stay here any longer. I just want you to know that even though this whole experience sucked, and I'm still resenting being drafted the way I was, all of you made it worthwhile."
His friends took turns hugging him goodbye, and he left as the White Base crew saluted him.
"He'll be back, you know," Bright confided to Mirai when they were alone in their room, sipping champagne.
"You think he's that dedicated to his friends?"
"No. They're building more Gundams," he told her.
***** Kishiria Zabi put her hands on her hips and surveyed the police scene. She and Char were in an apartment in a high-rise a good half mile from the royal residence. The place was empty except for a rocket launcher on the floor and a neatly-cut hole in a living room window.
The detective in charge of the scene bowed in front of his monarch. "Your Majesty. Your Highness. This apartment was being rented by one Isvan Nohanian. He'd had the place three months. The building does credit checks on all tenants, and his was clean, if not particularly interesting. Credit cards for the past seven years, paid off on time. He himself paid the rent in cash, which is unusual though certainly not illegal and the building management liked it. The neighbours don't remember him much if at all, but that's not a surprise since he sure doesn't seem to have been living here."
Kishiria strode up to the window, painfully aware that she must not be as awe-inspiring as she was a few months ago. She was helmeted with her mask up, but felt the growing bulge in her middle drawing eyes all around the room. {That's right, boys, I had sex with that man over there. Live with it.} "These windows don't open?"
"No, ma'am. That's federal law: buildings that face any royal residence unimpeded must either have no windows or windows that don't open. Our friend here just cut a properly sized hole in the glass. The cutout's over there. The soundproofing in the building's good, though, and the neighbours didn't hear anything amiss until the boom. People's first reaction isn't necessarily to run out the front door of their apartments in their nightclothes, though, letting Mr. Nohanian get away. No fingerprints on the weapon of course, and we're dusting the rest of the place."
"Any known Deykunite connection?"
"Not at this time, but it's probably an assumed name. We're going through all the records at the spaceports, which were of course sealed as soon as word of the assassination attempt got out."
"That's fine, then. Carry on."
In the car back to the palace, Char asked, "Are you going to be turning this over to the federal police?"
"They're already working on it. I'm content to allow the city police to do their job, too." She drummed on the arm of the car door, as she always did when she was thinking. "We're going to have to arrest the members of the Deykunite party in Parliament and whoever's registered on the voters' lists with them."
"I think that's a bad idea."
Kishiria turned her head to look at him. "Why?"
"Remember what happened last time there was a Deykun purge, after the murder of your brother Cicero? I certainly do. Plus, this whole thing stinks. Okay, there's a sign that asks where Artesia is. Why ask that after I've presumably been killed?"
She considered. "You could be right. I'll hold off."
"What about my father's party? I understand a tame version of them was allowed to exist, even after the purge."
"The Contolists? No. As you said, they're tame, but I know there must be some wild ones still out there. I don't trust Delaz, either, which is why I had his fleet head right back out towards Jupiter without landing back here. I may have begged him enough to get him to consider Jion for Jion's own sake, but that won't last long. Certainly he and any stray Contolists stand to gain the most with the two of us gone."
"In that case, a purge would definitely be a bad idea. Your coronation's a month away and the war has merely entered a cold phase while both sides catch their breath. Let's not put Delaz and the Conservatives' backs against a wall. That'd give us a two-front war when things heat back up again."
Kishiria sighed. "Point taken."
"You're coming too close to acting out of anger, not logic. That's not like you. Stop it."
She chuckled softly. "What would I do without you, Char?"
"Commence mass destruction, probably," he said, matter-of-factly.
Kishiria made a small surprised noise.
"Just because you don't invent doomsday weapons every week doesn't mean--"
"I wasn't commenting on that," Kishiria said. "Char, put your hand here. Quick." She grabbed his hand and placed it on the roundness of her belly. "There. Do you feel that?"
Char's eyes widened as underneath her tunic and her skin he could feel something softly prodding outward. "Is that--?"
"She's moving," Kishiria told him. "It's the first time I've felt it."
"So does this make you feel more loving and maternal?"
"Sure. Like a mother bear. I really want to catch whoever tried to kill us, now. They would have killed her, too."
{And how many will have to die to keep your baby safe, Kishiria?} Char thought to himself gloomily as the car pulled underneath the palace. This time, it had been easy to stop his wife. Next time, he knew he might not be so lucky.