Disclaimer: Never in a million years will I own Gundam Wing.

Warnings: Mild language and violence

A.N: So far Relena is still Rei and Heero is back with the other pilots but has gone to L1 for WingZERO's repairs. He's also given them the flash drive that contains highly classified OZ data; that includes info on Operation ZERO, the Seele units, the Geminis, and Whitenburg. Also, a few conversations were altered from the original due to changed plot points.

ZERO SOUL

Chapter 14: The Final Hours

By: Vegie-kun

*click* *click* *click*

The sound repeated itself numerous times, forming a rhythmic melody that droned throughout the room. "Oh... my," Sally breathed, eyes transfixed on the information filling her vision. "This is... amazing." There was a pause as Wufei leaned in closer to the monitor to see for himself what was so fascinating. "I would have never imagined that OZ would ever have the capability of creating something this complex… At first I was skeptical about this OZ having the ability to come up with such a concept considering the short amount of time they had after the original OZ disbanded… Because of that time constraint I always wondered how they were able to develop such a device."

"Yeah," her partner spoke in agreement. "None of us had any idea that OZ had something like this floating around in their R&D department during the time of the Alliance. I just can't believe we weren't able to find anything on it 'til Yuy was captured."

The older woman moved the mouse to click and explore the other files pertaining to the Seele units. Her mind so deeply absorbed in her work that she couldn't pull away… more like wouldn't, no matter what might come up later on. Never in her entire life had she seen anything so detailed, so advanced, so sickeningly effective; all contained within three small devices no bigger than the size of coins. /If OZ is capable of developing such technologies, then what other things are within their grasp?/

"So, just how do those things work exactly?" Her partner's stern voice broke her out of her reverie and she looked at him with a confused expression.

"Oh, that's right, the Seele units!" the woman exclaimed when the subject of his inquiry finally dawned on her.

"What else would I be talking about, onna?"

"Stop calling me that, Wufei," she warned him. "As you probably already know, those things are divided into three separate units that perform different functions, but all work together to create the person, more correctly, the soldier known as 'Rei'. The three are referred to as the mind, body, and soul unit, respectively."

The door to the sparsely furnished room slid open and the sound of steady footsteps resonated across the metal floor; a uniformed pace that held control and authority. Then it came to a halt.

"Rei," the deep voice addressed, "you're on call. We have another mission for you." The General wasn't one to make it a habit of coming to a soldier's private quarters to personally inform them of missions. Usually Rei wasn't an exception either, but lately he had been staying close to the girl. Maybe it was due to his feelings that this war was drawing to a close or because he felt that until it was actually over, her life was in danger… or maybe it was something else… something he desperately tried to forget. Whatever the reason it made him cautious of his surroundings and the people working there. "We just received word that the fourth division Gemini squad is having some difficulty in the Middle East. We're sending you to assist and collect data on what's happening there. You will leave in an hour so go and prepare."

"Acknowledged."

"Are the repairs done yet?" Heero's monotone voice jolted the scientists from their current tasks. He stood in the doorway and looked stoically at Master O, Professor G, and Doktor S.

"We're going as fast as we can, boy!" Professor G's annoyed voice boomed from behind WingZERO's cockpit. "Do you think it's easy to get rid of this stuff? How did you manage to let them do this to you anyways? I thought that old fool trained you better than that."

The young man looked ready to kill the engineer, but refrained from doing so because he needed his Gundam fixed as soon as possible. He opted for a short response instead. "I ran out of fuel." He turned and walked out of the hangar, making his way towards his temporary room. Looking at his arms and legs, he noted how well the bruises and cuts were healing very. /I wonder if I'll be well enough to survive the next battle. My body is still aching from the last fight and I'm still feeling disoriented. This isn't the time to be either of those, but... dammit I have to snap out of this. If I don't, then we'll never be able to defeat OZ or get Relena back... I can't do this by myself. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to need help... but will it work? Can I guarantee that we'll be able to pull Relena out of this... alive?/ After a short time he reached his destination and proceeded to open the door, ready to enter.

"Heero," his mentor's voice stopped him dead in his tracks, "WingZERO will be fully operational in another day… So, what will you do when you get it back?" There was a twinkle in his mechanical eyes but Heero ignored it and stepped inside his small sanctuary.

The lights weren't on inside, but he had little difficulty finding his way around the room. Navigating himself around the furniture with ease, Heero soon came upon a chair and sat down. At first he just sat there in relative silence, enjoying the quiet moment that would soon become few and far in between in a matter of days. Sighing heavily, he wearily lifted a hand and turned on the videophone. He punched in the numbers that were at the forefront of his mind and waited for the reply. A click announced that the other party had picked it up the call. "We need to talk."

"So why are they called the Seele units?" Wufei interrupted her train of thought.

"Well," she began a bit annoyed, "the reason they are called the Seele units, or soul units, is because they, in a way, restrict or take over, that aspect of a person. The unit labeled 'mind', the one on the left side of her head, is the part that creates and holds information about the soldier known as 'Rei'. It's basically a completely different persona programmed to replace Relena's personality while it's being suppressed. Well, to be more precise, it's more than just another personality; it's like they've created an actual person. The self-control, the discipline, the alertness, the cold calculating demeanor, the readiness to kill, the lack of empathy, even te fact that she's left-handed... that was," she paused to correct herself, "is 'Rei'. While that unit is active, everything that 'Rei' goes through, and all the knowledge she acquires, gets stored into the memory chip the unit houses instead of Relena's brain."

"So," the Chinese youth cut in again, "the time in the lab when Darlian came out of her trance and said that she didn't remember anything, she was telling the truth?"

"Seems that way."

"But," there was a look of confusion on the younger Preventer, "how did she turn back into 'Rei' then?"

"There's a failsafe mechanism installed in it that allows the unit to be deactivated for a few seconds when it's required for a mission. It's highly probable that it deactivated when she needed to gain our trust, but quickly re-started before we knew it," she answered as best she could.

"Is that all it does?" the young man continued to probe.

"In a way, but it also works with unit 2, the 'body' unit, to keep her... obedient and willing to follow orders," she decided to elaborate further on what she had just said. "Unit two, the one located at the base of her head, regulates the hormones and chemicals being used in her body by sending out electrical messages to various organs that control bodily functions. In a way, it has taken over as the master gland and now controls almost every chemical that goes through her. The 'mind' unit allows 'Rei' to become the dominant conscience while the 'body' unit signals chemical releases that make her more submissive to following commands as well as enabling her superior fighting capabilities during battles."

"And the last one?"

"I was getting to that," she snapped. "Unit 3, or the 'soul' unit, located on the right side of her head, is the one repressing Relena's memory. It works to prevent Relena from accessing any information that she holds about herself by creating a kind of shield. If 'Rei' tries to get at any of them, the device just sends signals to re-direct the attempt to 'Rei's' memory banks in unit one instead. In that way it creates an eternal loop that keeps Relena at bay. If that unit were to be damaged, like Heero mentioned had happened, there's the possibility of a memory backlash. That is to say that the memories stored directly in unit one will threaten to transfer into Relena's mind directly and vice versa, ultimately blurring the boundaries that define the two identities."

The youth was puzzled by what she had just disclosed to him. "Why the hell do they call it the 'soul' unit anyways? It doesn't make any sense."

"In a way it does, Wufei," Sally retorted. "A person is defined, more or less, by the experiences that he or she goes through. A person who is denied their past may not be able to get to their present or their future. By taking all that made up the person, you would leave behind an empty shell that has no inkling of the person they really are. They become something malleable, a vessel to be filled… a blank state. While memories aren't quite the same as souls, losing one or the other achieves the same effect. When combined with the other two units, the Seele system creates an artificial entity that has its origins inside of a computer."

The Chinese pilot shook his head. "That's just loathsome," he muttered to himself, pausing to let the information sink in. "Well, what about her red eyes? Were you able to find the cause for them?"

The older woman smiled a bit and moved the mouse to access another file. "It's not as difficult to understand how that happened once I saw the data. According to the information the doctors recorded during their testing of the units, they listed the red eyes as a side effect. The signals those devices give off cause an inordinate amount of chemicals to be released inside of her. The excess chemicals combine with her regular hormones to cause the discoloration of the eyes. If all three of the units, or at least the 'body' unit, were to be removed or if they were to stop functioning, then her eyes would eventually return to their original color."

"Is there a way to remove them... without harming Darlian?" Wufei asked as Sally turned to meet his gaze, surprised to see concern in those dark orbs.

The doctor softened her expression, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Sorry to disappoint you, Wufei, but there's nothing in here about it. My guess would be that only the people responsible for implanting those things on her know the way to take them off... If we're going to remove the Seele units, we have to get our hands on one of those doctors." Silence descended upon them, making them both uneasy. "So... how did that meeting with Wind go?" Sally queried, taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes still pinned to the computer monitor.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"It couldn't have been that bad," she began doubtfully, "was it?"

"For one thing, I'm just glad that he was away on a reconnaissance mission the day we launched the plan. If he had been there, instead of that Schbeiker girl, to hear Heero say that he left Relena behind... then I'd guarantee that we'd have something more imperative to worry about than OZ," he answered in an amused tone. "It took both Noin and myself to restrain him and prevent him from leaving the office to fly off to L1 to have a 'talk' with Yuy."

"Wish I could've seen that."

"Believe me when I say it was a good thing you didn't," he told her in a serious manner. "Zechs is more like Heero than he'd ever admit to, especially when it comes to things that involve Darlian."

"You can't blame them, Wufei," Sally began, "they both care a great deal for her. To them, she is their hope."

"... Maybe... Argh! What is taking Une so long? I need to make my report to her before I can leave," he snapped angrily.

"Will you calm down," the older woman chuckled lightly. "Commander Une doesn't get many chances to spend time with Mariemaia nowadays. It hasn't been that long since the war ended, and they both still have a lot of healing to do. They are human after all, Wufei."

The youth suddenly became silent, contemplating what his partner had just said. "... Sally?"

"Hmm?"

"... Do you think we'll ever have peace?" His eyes betrayed the fear and hope he usually kept to himself.

"The future is open to many possibilities, Wufei," She reassured him, "and peace is one of those possibilities. If we all strive for it, then maybe we will attain it one day. You just have to stay strong and see it through to the end and never ever lose sight of your hopes and dreams," she finished, giving him a compassionate smile.

The door opened abruptly, breaking their silent understanding. Zechs walked in and the two looked up in surprise, his visit quite unexpected.

"What are you doing here, Wind?" Sally queried.

The tall man turned to her and answered. "I'm here to speak with Une, but her secretary said she was being detained at the moment. She wouldn't say anything more than that, and I thought you two might be able to tell me."

"She's just spending some quality time with Mariemaia," Sally informed, "but why do you have to talk to her?"

"I wanted to notify her of a recent conversation I had."

"A conversation? With who?" Wufei questioned.

"Heero Yuy."

Before the other two could say another word the door opened again and Lady Une's secretary entered and looked at Zechs. "Preventer Wind, Lady Une will see you now."

Without another word the man left the office, leaving them with stunned expressions on their faces. They sat there in disbelief before Wufei's expression darkened into a scowl. "Dammit! I was supposed to be next!"

As the man entered the room a small body brushed by his leg as it made its way out. His head shifted slightly and he caught sight of a crop of red hair before it disappeared around a corner. A small smile escaped his lips before he re-directed his attention to the woman behind the large desk.

"You wanted to speak to me about something, Zechs?" her professional and mature voice broke the ice.

"That's correct."

*FLASHBACK*

Heero sat patiently in his chair as Zech's face popped on the screen. The older man's face changed from one ready to greet to one ready to kill. "We need to talk."

"What do you want, Yuy?" he sneered at the younger man. "After hearing about how you left Relena behind, I don't think there's anything left for us to talk about."

Heero's expression darkened, but he showed no signs of losing his poise. "... I'm sorry Zechs, but I had no other choice."

"No other choice?!" The angry Preventer was at an utter loss for words, but quickly found them a few seconds later. "Everyone has a choice, Yuy, and you chose to leave her behind! She trusted you, Yuy, and you-"

"And I will live up to that trust," Heero cut in. "She's a trained soldier now and more than capable of defending herself. If I had tried to take her with me, she would have put up a fight, and I guarantee you that one of us wouldn't have come out of it alive. Zechs, I promised that I wouldn't leave her, and I plan on keeping that promise. Will you listen to what I have to say?" He stared at the screen and awaited his answer. Zechs sighed heavily and nodded in agreement.

"Good," the youth exclaimed before beginning. "I believe that it's time for us to set aside our differences… at least until we resolve this situation."

"Is that all you have to say?" That statement held more contempt than the man intended.

He shook his head. "No. I am going to need your help, as well as that of the others, to release Relena from OZ's hold. From the data I gave you, you already know that OZ plans to launch an all-out attack on the Earth and colonies in four days," he paused to see that the Preventer had nodded in acknowledgement. "Their numbers are great, far greater than what five Gundams can handle. Quatre has already sent word to the Maganacs to ask for their assistance and they have agreed; however, that is not going to be enough. The Maganacs would give us more numbers, but their mobile suits are vastly inferior to the Geminis."

"What are you trying to say, Yuy?" Zechs wanted him to get to the point, feeling that the conversation was being stretched out longer than it had to be. A bored look was etched on his face and he did nothing to hide it.

"I know that you still have it, Zechs," the simple statement caused the other man to react strangely. "I want you to take off its locks and use it to help us."

"… What makes you think I still have it?" Heero gave him a skeptical look. "Of course… you always did have your ways… it's not going to be easy though." He began, leaning back in his chair. "At the end of Mariemaia's coup d'état we informed the neighboring countries that we'd destroyed it, as a show of good faith. Even if the Preventers were an organization mobilized to maintain the peace, the idea of one group holding that kind of firepower didn't sit well with them... Do you know exactly what you're asking us to do?" It wasn't exactly a 'no', but there was doubt. "Yes, I realize that the Gundams' presence has already been made known to the public and that they know the pilots are working with us… but the Gundams and its pilots have always been seen as an independent force, neither siding with Earth or the colonies, just the people." His voice soon took on a note of seriousness. "If I step into that machine once again I risk jeopardizing the integrity of this agency. Everything Une, Noin, myself and Relena have worked so hard for will be for naught; we'll be labeled hypocrites and lose our standing within the E.S.U.N."

"Relena's more important." Heero stated simply. "I have a plan, but I can't do it alone. Will you help or not?" There wasn't much emotion in his voice but the concern clearly showed in his eyes.

"… Alright, Yuy, so what's the plan?"

*END FLASHBACK*

"I understand, Zechs," Lady Une responded. She unlocked the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a card. Getting up and walking over to the tall man, she handed it to him with a smile.

"You know where it is, just be sure you still know how to pilot it," she said in good humor.

"It'll be just like remembering how to ride a bike; it's is not something one forgets so easily," he replied before exiting the room.

Une quirked an eyebrow at his retreating back and shook her head, laughing. "Not exactly like remembering how to ride a bike..."

"Dammit! The sandstorm's too fierce, we can't see anything through it *static* and the enemy is still here," an OZ soldier shouted over his com-link to his fellow comrade.

"How many are still out there?" his friend asked over the static filled com-link.

"... We've managed to take down a few of the unidentified suits, but we haven't taken down any more than that." There was panic in his voice and his hands shook on the controls of his mobile suit. "The static is getting worse as well. At this rate we'll lose all communications; we'll be fighting blindly in this storm." He waited for his friend to respond, getting nervous when it took him longer than expected.

"It doesn't matter," static interfered, cutting him off momentarily, "if we're having so much trouble then we have to expect they're dealing with the same setbacks as well." More static erupted. "Just keep your eyes open and be ready for anything-AHHH!" His scream resonated over the com-link, carrying the death cry to the others in the squad. Before another second could pass by the sound of an exploding suit was heard in the desert.

His comrade froze in fear and soon he met the same fate, his Gemini suit sliced in half by an unseen weapon. "Rashid," Quatre's voice called out, "how many of those Geminis are left?"

"We counted around twenty when they first arrived, Master Quatre, and so far we've taken out only eight of them," the man replied. "They've managed to hold up well and I doubt they will go down easily anytime soon."

"That's fine with me, Rashid, as long as we can take them down eventually, that's all that matters right now," the youth stated firmly. "Based on the data Heero gave us, we're not even close to putting a dent in their numbers." He finished by destroying another one of the Geminis.

"Master Quatre! An unidentified mobile suit has just landed forty meters away from our location," one of the Maganacs informed him.

"An unidentified mobile suit?" there was fear in Quatre's voice as the question left his lips. "Give me a description of it now!" He said forcefully, very unlike his nature.

"I wasn't able to see much through the sand, but it was red," the man responded.

Quatre went numb and his grip on the controls tightened. /No... It's Miss Relena. What am I going to do? I can't do anything to harm her, but if I don't then I'm guaranteeing my own death. There has got to be another way around this... there has to be-/

"AHHHHHH!"

The young Arabian's head snapped up as the scream filled his ears; horror was etched on his face, and he fought to find his voice. His body began to tremble and he shook his head in denial. /This can't be happening... it can't be... but it has happened before... We fought her before and there was no blood spilled between us... maybe the same thing can happen this time… I can't... I can't do this... I can't fight her!/ Another explosion was heard and Quatre's eyes went wide before clamping shut. /Pain./ His hands clutched at his chest and tears began to collect at the corners of his eyes; his breathing becoming labored and forceful.

"Master Quatre!" Rashid's commanding voice broke through the youth's mind. "That mobile suit is too powerful for us to handle, we need your help!"

"Rashid... I-I can't," his voice was weak and barely audible.

"Master Quatre, we're getting beat out here," Abdul shouted, "We won't be able to hold out much longer! Why can't you fight?" There was silence so he began again. "Master Quatre! -"

"I refuse to fight Miss Relena!" he shouted angrily, fearfully.

"Darlian?" Rashid said in disbelief. "Master Quatre, why didn't you tell us about this?"

The blond pilot was quiet for a moment before he replied. "Because I had and still have a hard time believing it myself," he finally answered quietly. "That mobile suit is the Neo Epyon and Miss Relena is its pilot." The sandstorm cleared momentarily and the three of them caught a glimpse of the red beast. It was engaged in a battle with two other suits belonging to the Maganacs. The other OZ suits were nowhere in sight, abandoning the battle with the arrival of the monstrous Gundam. They watched in stunned silence as the Neo Epyon brought its terrifying heat sword down on a suit trying to defend itself with its gun. The sword sliced through the both gun and machine like butter. The resulting explosion created a silhouette, turning it into nothing more than a shadow. The red monster then swung sideways and took out the other suit.

"Retreat and regroup at Preventer Headquarters!" Quatre ordered the remaining Maganacs.

"But Master Quatre-" Abdul began but was cut off.

"Now!" the young pilot seethed. "There's nothing more we can do here! Go!"

With heavy hearts they left the desert scene as Quatre defended their evacuation. He stood there motionless with Sandrock, watching as Neo Epyon took out two Oliphants with extreme ease. Firmly setting his jaw, he took one last look back before taking off on the Maganacs' trail.

The underground corridor was absent of both light and sound, abandoned for the past two years. That all changed when the entrance slid opened and a shadowy figure entered triggering the automatic floor lights which lit a pathway to a much larger door at the end. A second, smaller shadow appeared and stood beside the first, turning to the taller one and receiving a nod. Their heavy footsteps on the metal floor reverberated off the walls as they made their way down the black corridor. Once at the end, they came to an abrupt halt in front of the massive metal door. The taller shadow moved his hand into his jacket pocket, pulling out a card and slipping it into a slot above a wall panel as he proceeded to punch in a code only he knew. The metal door parted in two and the lights within automatically turned on.

"Are you sure about this, Zechs?" Noin asked.

He turned to look at her for a second then averted his gaze to the object inside. His eyes started at the foot and trailed their way up until they rested on the face of the mobile suit. "Tallgeese III," the pilot acknowledged. "Noin, I can no longer run away from this. I've tried so hard to make amends for the things I've done in the past… The Mars Terraforming Project was my way of atonement… A way for me to help create a new future for the people in space and that has kept me away from this thus far. But I can't deny the fact that I'm a soldier, Noin; I've lived my whole life as one... and although I can't erase my past, I can help write a new future."

"What if the other nations find out?" she inquired.

"Like Yuy said, Relena's more important." There was no doubt in his voice and Noin knew that his mind had been made up. "I won't lose her again; not to OZ or anyone else… Besides Une says she'll take care of the small details."

"Be careful when you do get out there, Zechs. The data says they will outnumber us at least fifteen to one, and a majority of them are mobile dolls."

"Those are numbers I'm not unfamiliar with, Noin," he replied somberly. "I'm more worried about you and your part in this."

"That's very kind of you, but you don't have to worry about me, Zechs," she said with a smile, "I'm a soldier just like you. Whatever you can handle, I can as well. I did place second at the Academy after you, remember?"

"That's only 'cause you let me be first." They both looked at each other for a moment before continuing inside, heading towards the inevitable.

"You left her behind!" Whitenburg fumed at the returning pilots. There was unbridled rage behind his eyes and the others backed away in fear. "She was sent to assist you and you end up leaving her to deal with whatever obstacle was at that location by herself!? How many were there?!"

"F-forty sir! But we managed to take out five of them," a young private answered hesitantly.

"Just forty?! You couldn't handle forty by yourselves?" The young pilots were treading on thin ice that only got thinner with each breath they took.

"There was also a Gundam there, sir!" another pilot quickly added.

"Gundam?"

"Yes, sir!"

Without warning, the General lashed out at the smaller man, backhanding him across the face. "All the more reason why you shouldn't have left her there alone!"

"If she's such a good pilot, then thirty-five mobile suits and a Gundam shouldn't be as they say 'a piece of cake' for her," came a condescending voice from the back of the hangar.

"I don't have time for this, Dereks," Whitenburg said in a low, even, and dangerous voice. His back was turned to the other man, but he made no move to face him. "If she doesn't come back, someone's going to be held responsible for this."

"Sir!" One of the soldiers at the computer terminal shouted. "I just received a transmission from Neo Epyon."

The General's blue eyes went wide and he rushed over to the terminal. He briskly shoved the soldier out of the way, making it easier for him to talk to the girl. "Rei!" There was silence as he waited for a response.

"Present."

The man let out a sigh of relief and his shoulders slumped from the released tension. "What's your status?"

"The enemy retreated before I could finish them off. Damage to the Neo Epyon is inconsequential."

"How difficult were they? Were you required to activate the ZERO system?"

"Negative. They presented no trouble."

"Good. Come back to base as quickly as possible."

"Acknowledged."

Whitenburg brushed back a loose strand of hair and his cold blue eyes hardened. "You're all dismissed," he commanded the soldiers who dispersed as quickly as they could. "The rest of you as well." The console operators left all too quickly, leaving the hangar empty with the exception of the two officers.

"You have too much of a soft spot for that girl," the Captain began, "or more accurately, the person that girl reminds you of. It's a weakness that should be corrected without hesitation. She's dead. It's about time you moved on with your life."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, get off it, will you?!" Dereks snapped back. "Who are you trying to fool? Me? The rest of the people here? Or are you trying to fool yourself? Ever since the day she died, you've changed. How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

"I don't want to hear it, Dereks!" the dark-haired man seethed.

"Well you're going to," the shorter man retorted. "It's very unhealthy to live in the past; you'll never be able to move on if you do... Look," his voice softened a bit, "I know that I haven't been much of a supportive friend during this whole ordeal, and I'm sorry, but you have to let go."

"Friend?" he gave a mocking chuckle. "You've more than tried to undermine this whole operation. Do you know how many reports I've received that have to do with you threatening the girl? It's a wonder why I still let you live."

"Wonder all you want, but I'm not leaving until you come to your senses. Anna wouldn't want to see you like this-"

"What would you know?!" the taller man cut in, his patience thrown out the window. "You weren't there with us when we were young and starving on the streets, stealing food so we could keep our families fed. You weren't there when it rained and we had to take shelter under anything we could find. You weren't there when our friends and family died of illness and hunger. You weren't there to see our faces light up when OZ came to our village, offering us a chance at life. No. You were warm and safe in your comfortable little mansion, free from the diseases of war and poverty that plagued the rest of the world."

"You're right," the other man said firmly, "I wasn't there, but I was there when she fought. I was there when she died during that battle at New Edwards. I was the one to receive her last transmission before her suit was blown up. I was there to hear her last words, and do you know what they were?" He paused and saw the haunting look of a man who'd lost the most important thing in the world.

"What?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Look after him for me."

An eerie silence blanketed them and the young Captain thought he had gotten through the other man's barrier. "Leave." The General had heard enough and refused to hear any more. When he realized that the other man had yet to make his exit, he pulled out a gun and aimed it at the Captain's head, "I said leave!"

Dereks' lips thinned, but his eyes remained soft and sympathetic. He gave a quick salute then did an about-face and left the hangar. Once he was gone Whitenburg dropped the gun and slumped to the floor. His hands buried themselves in his hair and he hung his head, frustrated and exhausted. The thirty-year-old was too much in his own thoughts to register the sound of the opening hangar doors and the large platform elevator descending down into the base. Quiet footsteps made their way to him, but he made no move to show that he was even aware of the other's presence. As he stared down at the floor, a pair of black boots came into his field of vision. Showing no surprise, the General got up and looked down at the smaller girl.

"Welcome back, Rei."

-to be continued-

Author's Note: Since Zechs is no longer the ruler of Sanc the conversation between him and Heero wasn't as poignant as the original, but hopefully I was still able to convey the same sense of urgency that the two felt.