Disclosure: I don't own them; I'll put them back just like I found them! Some of the terminology used in this fic is from the anime series Outlaw Star; unfortunately for me I don't own that either!

Warnings: PG-13, 3x4, 1+2+5, AU, Angst, Adventure, Some Sap, Lime.

Notes: Apologies for such slow updates on this one guys! Thanks again for all your lovely comments!!! Also a big thanks to Anne for beta reading this for me ^_^

HOSHI KAWAKIRI

Part Four

Quatre sighed softly as he leant back in the cool hard-backed chair. Trowa kept silent while the pirate shut his eyes and brought his hand up to run it though blond hair, content to let Quatre gather his thoughts before he began.

'Did you find anything useful on the database?' Quatre asked.

Trowa shook his head. 'Not really…'

Quatre raised an eyebrow and sat forward in the chair, his elbows resting on his knees, and his blue eyes fixed steadily on the man in front of him. 'Really…? You weren't looking very hard then were you?' he said, his tone slightly mocking.

Trowa's eyes narrowed as he thought back to the endless stream of useless information he had spent hours shifting though. 'Did you merely bring me here to play mind games, Quatre?' he hissed.

The blond flushed slightly and lowered his head. 'No… I'm sorry, Trowa, forgive me. I suppose I'm just nervous, it tends to bring out some of my less agreeable personality traits.'

Quatre gave him a shy smile then, and Trowa once again found that he couldn't really stay angry with the blond. Somewhere at the back of his brain though, doubt gnawed at him. Was Quatre truly sorry, or was this yet another form of manipulation and control?

Keeping his features neutral, Trowa didn't reply to the blond's apology, and merely waited silently. Disappointment and resignation flickered through aqua eyes. 'I don't expect you to trust me, Trowa, but I think…I think what I am doing…what I have done, is for the best.'

'My father is the leader of the space pirates, I presume you learned that much.' Quatre said and Trowa nodded an affirmative.

'There are many tales told of my people: their cunning, self-centred drive, cruelty…' Quatre got up from the chair and walked across to the window; he pressed his hand against the reinforced covering and sighed.

'Mostly these traits are propaganda, fabricated by politicians to inspire fear and loathing against my people. Most pirates are like my crew and myself, Trowa, you need to understand that.'

Trowa stood up a sudden surge of anger blazing through him. 'Just like you and your crew. Is that supposed to be encouraging? In case you've forgotten, I watched you order the death of over thirty men only hours ago, Quatre. I watched your crew carry out those orders and murder my friends! If anything that only proves what I've heard about pirates,' he shouted, fists clenched at his sides, as the anger and frustration that had been simmering just below the surface since his capture burst forth, and he finally lost control of his composure.

Deep down he didn't really believe what he was saying. The look on Quatre's face when he ordered the destruction of the cruiser had been more than enough evidence to support the blond's claim.

However, lashing out at the closest available source was the only way Trowa could think of to deal with the towering grief and overwhelming confusion currently tearing though him.

Quatre sighed and turned to face him, the terrible weariness and grief etched across the blond's features causing Trowa's anger to begin to ebb.

'I have done many things I'm not proud of, Trowa. Many people have been forced into eternal rest long before their time because of my actions, but…you have to try and understand why! Please…just hear me out; will you at least do that much?'

Slumping back on the bed, Trowa nodded silently. A torrent of conflicting emotions surged through him - anger and grief, confusion, fear, pity, respect. He felt as if someone had taken hold of his soul and was pulling it roughly in two opposite directions.

Quatre watched him sympathetically for a moment before coming back to sit down next to him on the bed. Laying a hand on the other man's shoulder, Quatre sighed as he felt Trowa stiffen under his touch. Removing his hand, Quatre sat back against the side of the ship, drawing his knees to his stomach and wrapping his arms around them.

'My father is a merciless man, Trowa. He seeks only power and control, a star system ruled by him would be a dark and horrific place to live. I-I can't allow him to do that…I just can't!'

Trowa looked over at the blond; Quatre's frame shook slightly, but there was an unwavering conviction in his eyes. 'I don't understand what you're trying to tell me…' he said quietly.

Quatre didn't meet his gaze. 'Have you heard of the planet Lyvius, Trowa?' he asked.

Trowa nodded slowly. 'Legends, rumours…nothing much more. They have no contact with the outside world and forbid other races from landing on the planet.'

'Do you know anything else?'

'Only that the legends of my people say that they have a gift for future sight, and that they use Tao magic.'

Quatre nodded. 'That much is true. The planet is protected from outsiders by a magical force field that keeps the planet hidden. Only the Maganac soldiers from the planet Sitaiox know where the planet is located; they have protected the people of Lyvius for millennia.'

Trowa stiffened slightly. 'How could you know that?'

'Many centuries ago Lyvius went through a period of change and growth. Many young people believed that shutting the world off from outsiders was wrong and that Lyvian magic could be used to heal many ills throughout the universe.'

'To this end the grand council agreed to open up trade negotiations with a nearby planet and lowered the protection barrier to allow them to pass. However information concerning this meeting was leaked to the Space Pirates and they used the opportunity to invade the planet.'

'The Lyvian people are not warriors, and although they drove off the original pirate attack they knew that it would only be a matter of time before the pirates returned with more troops and took the planet for their own.'

Quatre's eyes grew distant for a moment and Trowa winced at the naked pain that swam through those green-blue depths. 'The council negotiated a peace treaty with the pirates. It was agreed that Lyvius would not be attacked again and it's location would be kept a secret; however this freedom was bought at a terrible cost.'

'There are many levels of magic users within Lyvius; revered above all others though are those with future sight. Very few oracles are born to the Lyvian people and such true seeing had always been treated with the utmost respect and care.'

'What the Pirate's demanded was that a female oracle be sent from Lyvius to wed the Kotei, and that this would continue throughout time so that the pirates would always have the power of future sight on their side. Eventually the Lyvians agreed to this, with the condition that Maganac guardians were allowed to stay with her.'

Quatre hung his head, his voice so quiet when he spoke that Trowa had to move closer to even hear him. 'My mother was sent from Lyvius to wed my father and uphold the Lyvian's end of the treaty. She was hauled away from her family and her people to serve a demon of a man.'

The blond lifted his head and caught Trowa's gaze. The brunet felt tears well in his eyes as he saw the depth of Quatre's grief and hatred. 'Serving a man like my father destroyed her both in body and in spirit. She battled on for my sake but a few years ago it all proved to much.'

'W-what happened?' Trowa asked quietly, completely captivated by Quatre's story.

'She died…' Quatre answered simply before looking away.

'How…?' Trowa breathed. He knew he shouldn't ask…but for some reason he just had to.

Quatre was quiet for a moment. 'She just gave up, Trowa. She stopped eating, speaking…she would just sit in the same chair every day, getting weaker and weaker until finally her body didn't have the strength to continue.'

'I hate my father for what he did to her…for what he does to me…'

Trowa laid a hand on the blond's shoulder. 'What do you mean?'

'When my father lost my mother he was so angry…not because he loved her, but because he had lost her power. He was in the process of demanding a new bride when I had my first vision.'

Trowa started and his hand tightened around Quatre's shoulder. 'When y-you what?'

Quatre smiled then, but it was a self-mocking smile that brought a fresh wave of pity surging through the brunet. 'Once my father knew I also possessed my mother's talent he began to look at me with a new interest. He'd always seen me as a failure, too soft hearted to ever make a competent leader.'

'Once he found out that I was useful to him though, things began to change. He gave me Sandrock. I think it's the only gift he's ever given me.' He sighed in frustration.

'I was so naïve, Trowa. I just refused to see why he was doing these things for me. I was so glad to have Father finally paying some attention to me that I didn't even stop to think why!'

'Before I knew what was happening I had taken my mother's place as the pirates' oracle. It was only then I learnt the depth of my father's cruelty…'

Quatre broke off as a piercing alarm began to sound throughout the ship and the craft jolted to a standstill. Swearing, Quatre leaped to his feet, Trowa following only seconds afterwards.

'What's happening?' Trowa asked.

Quatre shook his head. 'I don't know…we need to get to the bridge, follow me.'

Trowa obeyed as they set off through the ship making their way quickly through Sandrock's dull grey hallways before stepping out onto the bridge. Trowa took up an unobtrusive place at the back of the bridge as Quatre hurried forward to where Heero, Duo and Wufei stood.

'What's going on?' Quatre demanded as he walked up to them.

'We just dropped out of sub-ether…' Duo said '…and we have guests.'

Trowa's gaze followed Quatre's as the blond looked out of Sandrock's view-screen. The ship in front of them was much the same size as Sandrock, the long metallic arms at the front qualified it as another grappler ship.

Quatre took a deep breath. 'Open communications.'

Wufei moved to the side of the command bridge and flipped some switches, before nodding to Quatre. Trowa watched as a light-screen flashed up at the front of the bridge. The image of an attractive blonde woman flashed onto the screen, and as she smiled at them, Trowa felt a shiver run down his spine.

'Quatre, so good to see you!'

'Why are you here, Dorothy?'

'Your father sent me to ensure that you returned home safely that's all.' She smiled innocently at them. It reminded Trowa of an old Earth story his mother had once told him…of how the wolf smiled at Red Riding Hood when she asked her 'grandmother' why her teeth were so big. Quatre seemed to feel the same way and his eyes narrowed.

'I'm flattered by my father's kindness, Dorothy, but I am quite capable of completing this mission on my own,' he snarled.

Duo gave a small moan from where he stood over the ship's radar. 'Quatre…three more grappler ships coming out of sub-ether directly behind us.'

Quatre's shoulders slumped slightly and Trowa saw a flash of victory pass across the blonde woman's face.

'Well…Quatre, I assume you won't do anything stupid…especially considering the cargo you carry.'

The blonde captain sighed. 'No, Dorothy…not this time.'

'Excellent. Well then we should get going. Your father will not be impressed if you're any later then you already are. Have your trained monkey's plot a course and speed to follow us and we'll be off!'

Quatre's gaze flicked to Trowa's for a second and the brunet could read the apology in them. Then turning to Heero, the blond sighed.

'Do what she says, Heero, match speed and heading. I guess we'll be returning home…'

TBC…