The looks that the young woman who called herself Yukiko Masque was getting were few and far between. Mostly young people about her age, who envied her freedom. After all, being merely a high school student, taken here for a joy trip, her life was much easier than the normal dock worker at the space station. She could just walk blithely through the station, eyes wide at the wonders of space. The two men unloading cargo from the freighter Autumn Rain grinned at her through their dirty masks of faces and talked loudly about her.

                "That little girl looks like this is her first trip into space." The first said, ruffling the coal dust and dirt from his graying hair.

                The other younger one smiled at her, "I don't know. She doesn't look too little. This could just be her first trip to a space station. She is, after all, the cousin of one of the best spacefaring men ever."

                "Oh yeah?" said the other.

                "Yup. News travels fast don't it?" the younger one said, "She reminds me of Relena Darlian. But of course, The Foreign Minister's not related to Zechs Merquise."

                Miss Masque just smiled and nodded cordially at them as she walked by. The two men found themselves lifting their caps to her, even though she was just a child.

                They stared at her as she walked by.

                "Wow." Said the older man, scratching his balding head, "What a lady."

Gundam Wing: Star's End

Chapter Three: So Many Masks

                A muffled snicker sounded from the tall man walking next to Miss Masque.

                'Yukiko' turned to the man, "And what, may I ask, is so funny?" she said, hands on hips.

                The woman on the other side turned, and smiled, "You can't really blame him, now can you?" she said with a grin.

                Zechs grinned, "I don't think I've ever seen my sister looking so…" he paused, searching for thought, "Um.. Youthful."

                'Yukiko' crossed her arms, "I don't know. I feel so…" she frowned, "Naked. Look how much of my legs are showing." She said, gesturing, "They really ought to change these uniforms. How can anyone get anything done in schools these days?" she asked.

                Noin shook her head, "You sound like my mother." She said.

                Relena blushed, "You're right. I'd better play my part better." She said. She widened her eyes, "Oh, wo-ow, it's so big!" she said in an awestruck voice.

                Zechs grinned, "We-ell…" he started, "It needs to be big. All the ships coming and going from this colony dock here, and some are really really big."

                "Yeah." Said Noin, "Maybe someday you'll be able to fly on one of those ships."

                "That would be so cool…" Relena breathed with a grin.

                Just as she said that, she realized that they had reached the first stop point. However, instead of the bureaucrat that they  had expected to see coming out of the corner customs office, it was Trowa.

                "Hello, Miss Relena.." he said, smiling secretively.

                Relena blinked, and raised her hand to her face, "Ah-hahahaha.. O, I'm sorry, I'm afraid that you have me mistaken for someone else. Ahahahahah…" she said, giggling girlishly.

                "Right.. Um.. what was it now.." he mumbled, "Elizabeth Tudor?" he said with an uncharacteristic smirk.

                "No, you've got me mistaken for yet another person.." Relena said, taunting, "My name is Yukiko Masque!" she said, sticking out her tongue.

                "Of course, Miss Masque. Well, the colony leader has time to see you now, so I'll send you in." he said.

                Relena nodded, and smiled, letting Trowa usher her into the corner office. However, it was empty. She turned to him with a questioning look.

                "Oh, I've got to go get him." Trowa said, in explanation, "Bye now."

                Relena nodded, seating herself on the couch.

                After a time, she heard voices on the outside of the door.

                "But Trowa, I'm very busy.. What could be so important as to draw me away from the trader's union?" Quatre asked, sounding harried.

                "Oh, you've got a visitor." Trowa said.

                "I do?" Quatre said, sounding astonished, "But there's no one scheduled!" he protested.

                "Her name is Yukiko Masque, and she's a teenager that wanted a tour around the settlement. She needs to speak with you." Trowa said.

                Quatre was doubtful, but since Trowa thought it was this important, he conceded. Trowa didn't usually joke around. He walked through the door.

                Relena smiled, and waved her fingers weakly, "Hello, Quatre." She said.

                Quatre's eyes went wide, and he took her in from head to toe. He looked somewhat beleaguered, his pale face and tousled hair setting off the almost militaristic cut of his three piece suit. He let forth a strangled laugh, but cut it off. He shut the door, which revealed nothing but Trowa's smirk.

                Once he was sure the door was locked, he turned, "Miss Relena!" he breathed in a stage whisper, "What are you doing here? I told you to stay home!" he said, not quite angry, more desperate.

                Relena was matter of fact, "Well did you expect me to just stay put? I have to do something, if it's my fault he's been taken." She said, shrugging.

                Frowning deeply, Quatre swept over to his desk, "You don't understand." He accused.

                Relena drew herself up to her full height on the couch, "Oh really?" she said, "All I understand is that if Heero gets killed, and it's because of me, I wouldn't…" she broke off, looking down.

                Quatre sighed, "I know." He said, "I didn't believe truly that you would stay there. Not if Heero meant as much to you as I thought." He finished desolately.

                "He does." Relena said shortly, "and I won't allow him to be hurt or killed on my account."

                "You do realize, Miss Relena, that if you do go, there's a chance that you could be killed." Quatre said seriously.

                Relena stood, bringing airs of aristocracy around her like a blanket, "Come, Quatre, there's always a chance that I could be killed. A piano could have fallen on me as I walked down the street yesterday morning." She said, with a hint of a smile, "But I don't think I could be killed this time." She finished.

                Quatre frowned, "Don't get illusions of immortality, Miss Foreign Minister.." he warned.

                Relena scoffed at the mere notion of the thing, "Please!" she said, "I don't even think about that. What I meant was that if the pirates want anything at all for kidnapping Heero, then they won't kill me, because that would lose everything on their side."

                "What do you mean?" Quatre asked.

                "What I mean is, if they want me, they can't hurt Heero or me. If they killed me, they would gain nothing. That much I'm confident in."

                "Oh.. Well." Quatre said, "Where do you expect to go from here?"

                "I want to join Heero's ship. What was it? Zero Angel. That way I can help them find Heero, and perhaps sort all this out." She said.

                Quatre frowned, but seeing the look on her face, he demurred, "Fine.. All right. But please be careful. They should be docking in a little while. They need to restock."

                Relena, now confident that she would be able to do something, relaxed a bit, "So, Quatre, I'm glad to see you've adjusted to normal life."

                Quatre smiled in a self-effacing manner, "Well, remember, Miss Relena, I was normal before the whole pilot episode." He turned towards the painting on his wall, "I suppose that was a side effect of this whole war thing… After a while, people forgot that the 'Gundam Pilots' were people first." He turned sideways to Relena, "It's a common mistake."

                "Oh, of course. Even back Before Colony, family members would come back from war, and people would think they had changed." Relena said, "But then, as far as I can tell, not all of you pilots were 'normal' before the whole Operation Meteor episode. Duo was a war orphan, Trowa a nameless mercenary, Wufei was the last survivor of a colony clan, and then Heero. Well, he doesn't say much about his past. But since then, everything is different." she finished.

                "It's true. We have all changed." Quatre said, reflectively, "Perhaps for the worse, perhaps for the better."

                "Oh, for the better, definitely." Relena said, encouragingly.

                "Do you know who painted this?" Quatre asked, abruptly changing the subject.

                Relena lifted her face up to the painting. It was a beautiful muted space-scape, dotted with lazily spinning colonies, the earth holding precedence in the background. Soft colors were brushed over the top, making the deep purple canvas glow with celestial warmth.

                Relena breathed a sigh of awe, "No… But it's beautiful." She said.

                "Wufei painted that.." Quatre said proudly.

                Relena glanced at him, her face astonished. She regained her composure and smiled, "I never would have guessed…" she said.

                "Yes, I guess he took it up as a hobby when he was on Sally Po's ship. The last time he visited me, he gave me that as a gift. Well, truthfully, he was going to throw it away." Quatre grinned lopsidedly.

                "No…" Relena said.

                "Well, I guess he didn't really like it. I'm sure you've seen that type of thing. Even some truly great artists see their work and think it's not good enough. Besides that, he took up the painting as something to relax himself, he never thought he'd come out with something worthwhile." Quatre gazed up at the painting, "Well, it's nice to have it anyway.." he said.

                "Hm." Relena agreed, "It must be nice to remember that at any given time, you have friends that are wandering about the system."

                "Even if they're missing?" Quatre said, his eyes dark.

                Relena's lips pressed together, "Yes.."

                "Not too long after that, Wufei was sent on a mission." Quatre said, avoiding Relena's eyes, "It was top secret. And… he hasn't been heard from since."

                "Oh, Quatre…" Relena said, sighing.

                "That was three months ago. But, I guess I have no right to be worried, for Sally Po isn't. I assume that it was a covert mission, so it's necessary for there to be no contact." He said.

                "But that can't keep you from worrying, hm?" Relena said.

                "It's that obvious?" he asked, smiling wearily.

                "Oh, well…" Relena said, "Not to the untrained eye, but of course, to one experienced…" she pointed to herself, "I can see the lines on your face, and the sunken eyes."

                "We're kindred in that, I see." Quatre said.

                "Yes.." Relena laughed bitterly, "It all comes from too much responsibility, too young." She leaned back, and sighed, "All we need is a little rest, right?"

                "Hm." Quatre agreed. There was a sharp beeping, not annoying, but so utterly impregnating that it was impossible to ignore. Quatre sighed, "No matter what happens, though, that sound always interrupts…" he said, smiling with chagrin. He tapped the comm button.

                "Yes?" he said, forcing himself to sound somewhat cheerful.

                "Sorry to interrupt your meeting, Mr. Winner, but the Zero Angel has docked, and they want to give you an update." The voice was unfamiliar to Relena.

                Quatre pressed the button again, "All right, send them in." He gave Relena a doubtful look.

                The door flew open, admitting Duo, who was as cheery as ever,  "Hey Quatre my man!" he called, grinning. He stopped short, "Aw, you've gotta lady in here! Well, why'd ya let us in, then?" he beamed. He was wearing a one-piece spandex suit that looked ideal for space travel.

                "Well, she's not exactly my lady.." Quatre said.

                Relena rose from her chair and offered a hand, "Hello Duo." She said.

                Duo's eyes flew open wide at the sound of her voice, "No way…" he said, "Whoa, no way!!"

                "What's the matter, Duo?" said the young woman behind him.

                "Ah! Hilde, come meet Relena Darlian!" Duo shouted behind him.

                "Relena Darlian!" she said, in shock.

                The people behind her blinked in surprise.

                Thinking fast, Duo leapt out from behind her, "She's… uh… got Tourette's Syndrome.. Yells stuff, you know.."

                Though suspicious, the dock workers shrugged and went back to their work.

                He keyed the door shut, and turned back to Relena, "Whoa, Miss Relena! What are you doing here?" his voice changed from excitement to wariness, "Didn't Quatre tell you not to come?"

                Relena screwed up her lips, "A fine welcome…" she said, just a touch of poison in her voice.

                Hilde's eyes widened, "Duo… She's the Foreign Minister…" She said, a hand on his shoulder.

                Duo grinned, "Yeah, OK, sorry, Relena. It's good to see you again." He said.

                "It's all right, Duo. You've the right to be mad, anyway." Relena said.

                "Why's that?" Hilde asked.

                Quatre leaned forward in his desk, "Because, as of now, Relena is part of your crew."

                Duo' s eyes widened, "Quatre, that's way too dangerous. I thought we agreed that it was best to keep everyone else out of this."

                Quatre's face was doubtful, "Hey, you try to tell her otherwise." He said, gesturing towards Relena.

                Duo turned to her, prepared to try, even though he knew he would fail, "Miss Relena…" he said, pleadingly, "You can't be in any danger… What would the Earth and Colonies do without you?"

                Relena's hard face gradually melted, "Doesn't anyone care about me?" she said, close to tears.

                "Oh!" Hilde said, "Don't cry…" she rushed forward and pressed her hand on Relena's shoulder.

                Aware of the comforting hand, Relena wiped away her tears, and smiled, "I'm all right… Weary,  I guess." She stood, strong, and faced Duo, "Well, Duo… All I can say is, what will I do without Heero?"

                Duo's face was blank. Then he grinned, "Well, can't argue with that logic." He said with a sigh.

                Relena's face broke into a smile of relief.

                "Well, now… You look lovely, little Yukiko." Zechs said, coming in the door with Noin not far behind him, "I hope that you can still smile like that when this is all over."

                "Oh, Milliardo…" Relena said, embracing him, "I couldn't smile like that even before this started."

                "Take care, sister…" Zechs said, "I don't want to have to come get you."

                "I will.." Relena said, "And thank you." Breaking the embrace, she quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek.

                Turning to her, Noin smiled, "I hope to see you again soon, Miss Relena."

                "Goodbye, Noin." Relena said, "Goodbye, Quatre."

                "Goodbye, Miss Relena.." Quatre said, albeit with a worried face.

                "Come," Relena said to Duo and Hilde, "Let's go."

                Duo sighed, "Always with the orders… No wonder they made you Foreign Minister."

                "Yes, well… You follow them so well, no wonder they made you a soldier." Hilde retorted, half-ironically.

                The three of them walked out the door, and Relena felt her heart lift. Soon, she would be able to help Heero. Soon, she would finally get to see Heero again.

TO BE CONTINUED