Author's note: Others own the rights to the G-Gundam characters.  All other characters are my creations.  Please do not use them without my permission.

Shadow Life – Part 14

By:  Diane Maher

          As Claus watched the scenery fly by the car, he considered his alliance with Prime Minister Wong.  Everything he asked for had been given to him.  The only provision was that if the Neo-Austrian fighter won the Gundam fight, then the Dark Gundam would remain the sole property of Wong.

          A feminine hand touched his cheek then, interrupting his train of thought.

          "What is it, my dear?" Claus asked.

          "That woman was terribly rude to you," the secretary said.

          "She's our nation's gundam fighter.  All fighters are rude, they can't help it, you know," Claus said.  "She was good in bed though."

          "How could you actually sleep with her?" the woman asked, disgusted.

          "It was necessary.  I wouldn't be the President now if I hadn't slept with her," Claus replied with a shrug.

          "She has no respect for you and refuses to address you properly," the woman said.

          "She is nothing like you, my darling.  You know how to address me and you're a proper Austrian woman, worthy to be at my side," Claus said.  Karla is my unwilling pawn in this game.  She will be sacrificed to the gundam fight when she meets the new and improved fighter from Neo-Switzerland.  When the game is over and I have won, then her fate will not be important anymore.  His mind returned to reality once more.

          "I hope that you enjoy sleeping with me more than you ever did her," the woman said.

          "Of course, I do, darling," Claus replied.

          By this time, the car arrived at the Neo-Austrian embassy and entered.  When the car parked inside the garage, Claus and his secretary went to his office.

          Claus paused at the door, turned around and said, "I have a few calls I need to make.  Please do not disturb me."

          "Yes, mister President," she replied.

          After he closed the door behind him, Claus went to his computer and placed a call.

          "Hello," Claus said.  "Have you made any progress since we last spoke?"

          "Yes.  This new man that you sent is working out far better than the original fighter.  He will be able to defeat Karla Geist," Master Asia said.

          "I'll contact Wong and make the arrangements for this man to be considered the official Neo-Swiss fighter," Claus said.

          "There's no need.  I already made the request to Wong and he approved.  He told me that he spoke with the Neo-Swiss people and they had no problems with the arrangement," Master Asia said.

          "Good.  This fighter will take care of Karla?" Claus asked.

          "Yes.  He will take care of the Neo-Austrian fighter before she gets to the semi-finals," Master replied.

          Claus smiled wickedly.  "I will be anxiously awaiting his victory over Karla.  Good-bye."  He hung up.

          When Niklas woke the next morning, he found Karla fast asleep next to him.  He eased himself out of bed, crossed to the closet, pulled out some clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower.  He came out fifteen minutes later, dressed and his face was shaved.  Karla was still asleep and sprawled across the bed now and he smiled.

          Niklas left the bedroom, closing the door securely behind him.  He had some work to do on some modifications to Midnight Gundam's weapons and decided to get an early start.  As he left the transport and walked across the hangar to where the gundam stood, he heard footsteps behind him.

          Niklas paused and asked, "Who's there?"

          "It's just me, Niklas," Schwarz said as he came out of the shadows.

          "Oh.  Do you need me for something? I'm going to be busy for the next few hours," Niklas said.

          "How is Karla doing after that little spat with Claus?" Schwarz asked.

          "She's still asleep right now.  As to how she feels, I believe that she's fine," Niklas replied.

          "Hmmm," Schwarz said.  "That's good."

          "Except when Claus calls; Karla is generally very cold towards him," Niklas commented.

          "Claus betrayed her and she was then arrested by the Neo-Austrians.  Karla needs to deal with her emotions regarding Claus," Schwarz said.  "Claus isn't the only one that she's been cold to over a communication."

          "Surely she hasn't been that way with you?" Niklas asked.

          "No.  It was with the Neo-German chancellor," Schwarz replied.

          "Her father.  Humph! I should have known," Niklas grunted.  "I haven't asked her about what happened to her when she was arrested, perhaps I should."

          "Be careful, you don't want to lose her trust," Schwarz said.

          "Honestly, I don't want to lose any part of Karla.  I love her!" Niklas whispered.  "Deep down inside you father, you know how it feels to lose someone you love."

          Schwarz closed his eyes for a moment before replying, "Yes, Niklas.  I do remember losing your mother when you were born.  Seeing you as I do now, I know that she would have been proud of you."

          "I wish I had known her," Niklas whispered.

          "I wish you had known her too," Schwarz said.  "You'll do the right thing for Karla because you love her."

          "I will talk to her," Niklas said.

          "Perhaps you should," Schwarz said.

          "I must work on her gundam.  Anything else will have to wait for a while.  Good bye, Schwarz," Niklas said.

          "Good bye, Niklas, and good luck," Schwarz said.  He blended in with the shadows and was gone.

          Niklas pulled out a small, handheld device, pressed a few buttons and a display came up on the screen as he approached Midnight Gundam.  It showed the location of the parts he was modifying.

          Karla turned off the listening device.  She thought it was odd that Schwarz hadn't removed it from his coat's pocket.  He knew it was there as she had told him.  She saw Niklas out in the hangar working on her gundam and then smiled.  Turning away from the window, Karla went to get dressed.  A few minutes later, she pulled on her mask and left the hangar to take a walk and stretch her legs.

          A van came around the corner, its side door open as it stopped and Karla was pulled into the van.  The door was slammed shut and a black bag pulled over her head.

          "Hey! Who are you and where are you taking me?" Karla demanded.

          "That is none of your concern," a man said in German.  "Do it," he said to someone else.

          Karla felt a needle stick her arm and shortly, she lost consciousness.

          A mobile phone rang a few minutes later.  The man who had spoken to Karla asked, "What do you want us to do with her?" The man listened for a moment before replying, "We'll bring her to you."

          The van drove across town, pulled into an underground garage, stopped and several men took Karla's unconscious body out of the van.  One of these men handed the man with the mobile phone a wad of cash.  The man took the cash, closed the door and the van drove away.

          Karla woke some time later, found that she was tied to a chair and whoever was holding her had taken her mask.

          "I see you're awake," a familiar voice said.

          Karla looked up and found herself facing the Neo-German chancellor.  Her lips pursed into a straight line and her eyes narrowed in anger.

          "Why am I here?" Karla asked.

          "I wanted to speak to you.  I understand that you have assisted our nation's fighter, Schwarz Bruder."

          "Yes, so?" Karla asked.

          "I thought that might fall into the category of treason," von Geist said.

          "What are you going to do about it?" Karla asked.  "Haven't you already sacrificed me to the Neo-Austrians?!"

          Von Geist backhanded Karla.  "Whore! You have disgraced our family enough! Why add treason to your list of crimes?"

          "Humph! You know nothing about the bigger picture, father.  There is more at stake in this gundam fight than the honor of our family and your political reputation!" Karla replied.

          "How dare you!" von Geist exclaimed.  He backhanded Karla again.  "You have no right to speak to me of my family name or its reputation!"

          Karla's brow furrowed in anger.  She whispered sibilantly, "There is something called the Dark Gundam out there, father.  It's malevolent, pervasive, and doesn't care if it destroys the Earth."

          Von Geist sat in the chair behind his desk and turned to face her.  "I have heard the rumors of such a monster, but I don't think there is any substance to them.  I can't believe that you would accept these unsubstantiated stories as the truth."

          Karla said, "I believe in the existence of the Dark Gundam because I have seen the monster and the unbelievable damage that it is capable of doing first hand."  She closed her eyes and bowed her head.

          Von Geist stood and left the room.  A young man entered, untied Karla and gave her a glass of water.  Karla looked up and found her younger brother was the one helping her.  "Wolfgang, why are you here?"

          "I'm here because I care about you, even if he doesn't.  Mother is angry that he abandoned you to the Neo-Austrians and even threatened to leave him," Wolfgang said.

          Karla inhaled sharply.  "Is she really going through with it?"

          Wolfgang shrugged.  "I doubt it.  I think she did it to try and persuade him not to let them do more to you than they already have."

          "I see," Karla said.  She picked up her mask from her father's desk.

          "How are you faring in the gundam fight?" Wolfgang asked.

          "I made it to the finals, now all I have to do is survive them," Karla replied.  She drank the water and added, "Danke, Wolfgang."

          "You're welcome," Wolfgang replied.

          "Good-bye, Wolfgang," Karla said as she walked past him and vanished.

          As Karla left the Neo-German embassy, she wondered why her father had wanted to speak to her.  With a shrug, she walked over to a train station where she found a map of Neo-Hong Kong and she traced her finger over the route she would follow to return to the Neo-Austrian hangar.

          Heinrich von Geist watched as his estranged daughter left the embassy.  He had seen the anger, the bitterness and the sadness in her eyes when she looked at him.

          Without turning around, von Geist asked, "Is it in place?"

          "Yes.  You can monitor her every move using the device I sent you.  Has it arrived?" a man replied over a video link.

          "Yes.  Danke," von Geist replied.

          "This will give your fighter the advantage over her when they meet in battle," the man said.

          "Good.  I have seen to it that the agreed upon amount has been transferred to your account, Herr Ulube.  Neo-Germany appreciates your assistance in this matter," von Geist said.