Mako felt her skin redden and chafe and decided she'd best cooperate. She would not dare endanger her daughter's life. She sighed and admitted defeat.

She grimaced and faced the two. "What is it you want from me?" She replied grudgingly.

"Our opponents have five weapons of mass destruction. It would seem Oz is on the losing side, we have no such weapons, no such pilots as those who pilot those Gundams. You will not be our only weapon Kino, your friend Usagi Tsukino will soon join our ranks." Treiz grinned at her. Mako spat on the ground. "I'd rather be picked apart by crows than join you!" Mako snarled back.

"Fine it's your choice. But either you join us and become our weapon or this baby dies!" Treiz said threatingly.

Mako looked horrified as Treiz held a gun to the soft fuzz on Lexi's head.

"IIE! I'll do it! Just let her go! Let her live!" Mako was hysterical.

Treiz lowered his gun. "She'll live, as long as you don't do anything stupid." He uncuffed Mako and instructed Unne to lead her to the training facilities. "As of today Mako, you're getting a new mind education."

In the command center of the Siberia Base

A young lieutenant stops Triez.

"Mr. Kushrenada, we have an incoming transmission from Fire." Treiz looked very pleased.

"He's finally reporting. It's about time. I sent him on that spy mission months ago. Link him up." The subservient officer obeyed his commanding officer and Codename Fire appeared on the screen.

"Fire, I thought you had deserted us." Treiz commented to the man on the screen. "No sir, I've just had trouble getting away long enough to get back to you. After all I can't be seen by anyone else."

Treiz nodded. "So what's the latest on Tsukino?"

Fire paused for a moment. "I've been told she'd gone looking for Makoto Kino, and she has another pilot, Duo Maxwell with her."

Treiz nodded happily. "Good, she should be easy enough to wear down with time. Maxwell could make a very nice bargaining chip with the other pilots. Any thing else to report Fire?"

Fire paused for a moment. "Nothing new at the moment sir."

Treiz studied his spy for a moment. "Very well, keep digging for new weaknesses." Fire gave a military salute. "Roger sir." And the screen went blank.

To Duo and Usagi, flying towards Siberia

"Are you telling me Mako had a baby while she was in Siberia, and that Treiz is the father?" Usagi felt herself going numb from the copious amount of information Duo had just relayed to her.

"Yes, and Treiz had kidnapped her and lured Mako in." Usagi thought Mako had been reckless, and she deduced that nothing good would come of this. Treiz liked to have his way, and would use any means to get it.

"I have a feeling somebody's watching us." Usagi announced to Duo, who was dwelling on thoughts of his beloved Mako. He was heartily concerned for his koi's safety, and more concerned that Treiz would drive her over the edge.

"Who could be watching us?" Duo asked.

Usagi shrugged her shoulders in true bafflement. "I don't know. Demo, I have a feeling that someone out there wants to kill us all." Duo checked his scanners but could see no enemies on radar, or in the general vicinity.

"You believe there's someone on the inside leaking out information to Oz?" Duo questioned Usagi.

"I think that's a distinct possibility. They always seem to find out where we're operating and what we plan to strike. They also seem to know far more about me than I have ever let on. I know Mako would never do a thing like that. It's just trying to figure out who the Benedict Arnold is that is still a mystery to me." Duo sighed, his heart heavy. He'd find Mako, no matter what the cost.

Back to Mako

Her body ached, she felt as if she was on fire, as if she'd been drug through the mill and left out to dry. Her muscles screamed in agony. Her thoughts had always been of her koibito, Duo. She'd give anything to be wrapped in his loving arms, curled together as they slept peacefully. Instead she was put through rigorous tests of physical and mental strength, and attempts to brainwash her mind from all previous thinking and ideology. She would not be moved, she would not allow them to wear her down. She would die before she'd kill innocents, or her koibito and his comrades. They'd always hold the card of maternal instinct over her head. Even though she had no intent of raising Lexi herself, she was still the child's mother, biologically, and she did love Lexi.

Even if she didn't like the fact of what she'd done, Lexi was totally innocent. It was not her fault Treiz was her father, it was not her fault she'd been born in such tragic and difficult circumstances, that blame lay solely on Mako, who was now paying the price for her idiocy. Every time she made the minutest movement, her body screamed in agony and she felt herself once again in a very hard spot. She could not maneuver when she was so exhausted, and she had a sneaking suspicion either Treiz or his minions had drugged her without her knowledge. Treiz stepped into the room, his pompous aura glowing around him. "I see we're starting to erode a little of that stubborn pride you hold so dear. No doubt your boyfriend Duo taught you that!"

Mako's weary eyes glanced into the cold hard orbs of Treiz's. "Nani? How did you get information that I was involved with Duo?" She snarled. She did not want Duo to be a part of this; she could not live with herself if they found a way to hold another person captive just because of her.

" A little birdie told me," Treiz grinned. Mako felt a dying urge to punch the baka who stood before her. However, she fainted as she attempted to stand.

"Iie, Mako. You are far weak to do anything rash, which I know you would like to." Treiz forced her to sit and gave her a hard look. "I'll permit you to see Lexi, she's been impossible to quail, and I grow tired of her incessant crying." Mako nodded and Treiz had Unne bring in the tiny child. Mako cradled her, she was a precious child, and she wouldn't let Treiz lay a hand on her.

"I'll be back soon." Treiz threatened as Mako began to control the frightened baby. This young infant had been torn away from the only parents she had known, and was now at the hands of madmen. She looked up at Mako with frightened eyes. She'd didn't fidget as she had moments ago, instead she seemed calmer, as if she recognized Mako in a way. Mako recalled that she'd read that newborns recognized their mothers by scent, so perhaps because Lexi was still so young she still had a faint recognition of Mako because of her scent.

Mako slowly rocked the tiny girl slowly feeling an odd emotion overcome her suddenly. It wasn't the maternal instinct of protection she'd felt but regret? What was there for her to regret besides ever getting involved with Treiz in the first place? There was no way she was fit to raise a child, she just wasn't the motherly type and Lexi was much better off with parents who were prepared for this sort of thing. She groaned, Treiz knew all her weak buttons, one being she was about as softhearted as it got. Which was part of the reason she had a tough time being a Gundam pilot, she didn't have the skills of a samurai, nor did she have the mindset.

"You're the same sap then as now Makoto." Treiz laughed hollowly.

"You'd have to be pretty cold-hearted to kill innocents. Then again I forgot you have no heart!" Mako growled. Treiz viscously snatched Lexi out of Mako's arms. Lexi started wailing again and Mako felt her instinct to protect and serve flail up in dangerous levels. "LET HER GO!" Mako bolted forward and felt something stab her back.

She pulled out the offending dart quickly. She saw purple liquid spill out of its tip. He'd drugged her. "I shall wear you down Mako, easily." He sneered in her face as Mako fell over on the ground limply.