On the Aesculapius, Donovan was looking through paperwork. He scribbled down some notes. The paperwork included bloodwork, physical exam report, medical record history, brain scans, and radiographs. His notes detailed what changes needed to occur to the body. Some where prescriptions of medications and shots while others were genetic modifications to the body. He felt as if he was an artist. The human body was clay. He would mold and sculpt it into the ultimate being. He enjoyed the most broken ones to piece back together.
"Sir," a voice over the intercom interrupting his creativity.
"Yes," he continued to scribble away.
"The peace treaty was signed," it was one of his men keeping him informed. "Earth Alliance will be leaving around the same time as the other delegates which sets our plan back a few days."
"It may be so," Donovan responded. "Keep with the plan. Even if the schedule is pushed back but keep my notified of any other changes. Any news on 0228CE71 and 0228CE71A?"
"No news," the man responded.
"Keep searching," Donovan's nostrils flared. "They are the miracle I created. We cannot let them wander about. They're also a nice bargaining chip."
"Yes, sir." The man followed his orders.
"But they aren't my best creation," Donovan looked down at his papers. "The best ones are yet to come." He continued to work throughout the next hours.
At a PLANT terminal, a small group was gathered to see off two people. It was time for Ergnes and Nahe to make the long journey back to Mars Colony. Setona cried a bit as she hugged her brother goodbye. Ergnes told her to be good. Gatlin promised him that he would take care of her. Jess Rabble gave his goodbyes. Isaac got emotional as he said goodbye. Yzak and Dearka were there, as they were told to escort them to the terminal. Another team was out waiting in space to follow them as far as they could.
Selena and Mikael showed up near the end.
"I knew you would make it," Nahe smiled as he headed to her.
"I said I would be there to see you off," Selena embraced his hug. He gave a quick pec on the cheek.
Ergnes was saying goodbye to Yzak and Dearka but when he heard Selena's voice he paused. The other two glanced at one another before glancing over to them. "Excuse me." The two nodded. Ergnes left them to head to Selena as well.
She figured this would happen. That was why she came near to the last moment. She knew she was all Ergnes could see at times. "Ergnes." She gave him a comforting look. "My dear friend."
He clasped his hands over hers to pull her away from the group a bit so only the two of them could speak to one another. Mikael stayed where they first stood. The group couldn't help but watch the two.
"Do not worry," Selena continued to speak. Her voice only loud enough for him to hear. Ergnes felt like his heart was starting to be squeezed. "I trust that you will do a great job as leader as you trust me."
"I feel as if I will let you down," Ergnes glanced away with downcast eyes.
"You won't," Selena reassured him. He turned his gaze back onto her. "We all will make mistakes. We all are human. That's the what we have to remember. We are only human. And remember you must trust me. No matter the distance, trust me. You will do fine. An admirable young man like you, Mars Colony should be honored to have you as their leader."
Ergnes nodded with a bit of blush on his cheeks. She knew how to drown out his worries. The two walked back to the group. Nahe and Ergnes said their last goodbye to everyone again. The two started to walk away from them heading down the long terminal but Ergnes could not this chance slip by. He turned back around causing Nahe to stop to turn to see where he was going. Ergnes embraced Selena in kiss that he held on for a moment before letting go. There were gasps of surprise as the even unfolded. Ergnes smirked at the stunned princess he just kissed. As he turned back around, he raised his chin as he met with Yzak's eyes before jogging back to where Nahe was.
Nahe let out a sigh but couldn't help but smile. Ergnes was beaming as they made their way again.
Dearka was shocked, he was glancing between a few of them. Setona couldn't help but giggle. Her brother was growing up. Isaac grabbed his heart. He couldn't believe Ergnes would do that. Jess wished he had his camera, but he would write about it. Mikael didn't care. Yzak was surprised but that was the only emotion he showed. Selena blinked away her surprise. She tilted her head to the side and shook her head with a small smile.
The group dispersed afterwards. This was also a special day for a couple. It was their wedding day. It was a private event. Mikael left Selena to see Luka off as he left with the Kingdom of Scandinavia representatives secretly. Selena left on a small ship to head to a different PLANT colony where the wedding was taking place.
It was a beautiful venue. Flowers and gossamer fabric were cascading down white pillars. The stained glass made an illuminating background for the couple being wedded. Selena was sitting near the back in a yellow sun dress. Her hair was braided to the side. She almost looked unrecognizable. Yzak was sitting on the other side of the venue. He wore his pink and green suit.
At the reception, there was a line to greet the newly wedded couple.
"Sel!" The beaming couple brought the princess into a hug. "We're so happy you could make it!"
"I wouldn't miss it," Selena held both of their hands. "My former partner marrying the partner of his dreams and my classmates marrying one another."
"You forgot the most important one," Darren smiled.
"Getting the two of us together," Fiona brought her into a hug again. She whispered into her ear. "If you hadn't asked me to switch for the competition, I would have never have seen him in a different light."
Selena shook her head. "You two would have been together one way or another." She looked at both of them. "It was just a selfish request of mine that you went along with."
"Speaking of the competition," Darren spotted Yzak. "Get over here!" He pulled Yzak out of the line for the four of them to be together. "Now, its official. The best pas de deux of our class are all together again. Thank goodness they placed each of us in a different division or we would have tied for first in both."
"Same outcome though," Fiona teased.
The four got a picture together. Selena was on the other side of Darren who was next to Fiona, and Yzak was on the other side of Fiona. The newlyweds did wish for Luka, Gatlin, and the rest of the troop to be there but this was the best they could do. Luka had met up with them earlier. Gatlin sees them the most. He paid for their honeymoon. Some of the troop members were there while others had fought in the war and lost their lives or was escorting nation representatives.
Yzak left the wedding reception early, since it was a noon wedding and the reception was going to end soon, allowing the couple to get a head start on their honeymoon. He walked past some vehicles when he stopped. Something out of the corner of his eye caught him off guard. He took a few steps back to see Selena leaning against a sport motorcycle with two black helmets with tinted face shields.
He didn't have to glance around to know they were alone. He walked over to her. Selena grabbed one of the helmets and handed it to him. He placed it on, while she placed on hers. As he put on the helmet, a map was shown of the location he was supposed to drive to. Yzak got on the bike, starting it up. It had been warmed up and ready. Selena sat behind him, her arms wrapping around him. Yzak smirked as he revved the engine up before shifting gears to burn rubber on his way out.
He followed the navigation system, cutting through traffic at high speed. He slowed down for some turns but kept the high speed up. He never felt her arms tighten around him in fear. It was a warm embrace. He would love for Ergnes to see them now. Yzak imagined the gloating smugness would be wiped off his Ergnes face with a look of jealousy and shock.
Yzak slowed down to enter a gated community that had beach front housing. He kept driving until he came to the very end. The garage opened up automatically. It closed automatically when he parked it inside. Selena got off as he turned off the machine. She didn't even wait for him as she headed inside the house to only leave it out the back patio doors. He took off his helmet setting it by hers. He loosened his tie, taking it off and dropping it on the counter. He noticed she left her shoes by the doors. Yzak did the same. She was out by the water with her feet
It was a serene look as he headed towards her. He had also undone some of the top buttons to breathe a bit easier. He rolled up his pant legs. The water was clear and warm still as it touched his feet. He noticed she had let her hair out of the braid. They didn't have to speak any words with one another. The two walked the beach together. At one point he stopped, leaving her to walk on a for small distance from him. She turned back round, picked up speed. She performed a jete with Yzak catching her in his arms. He turned the both of them around. They performed a series of maneuvers before they ended in an elegant pose. Selena thought he would let her down but instead he placed her over his shoulder and carried her back to the house like that. She let out a laugh instead and rested her head on her hand as her elbow was resting on him.
While they were enjoying the time they could finally have together, Cagalli and Athrun were getting ready to head back. They said their goodbyes to Lacus and Kira. It was time for them to head back.
Their departure was early that morning. It was earlier than the rest of the nations as it would be safer. The two were going to stay on the vessel that night to be safer as well. None of the Orb representatives noticed they were being watched. None of the Orb representatives noticed when the ventilation system was wired to release an anesthetic to knock everyone out. Each of them fell asleep, just floating in the gravity. A team in all black came in, they shifted through the bodies to get to Cagalli, floating by Athrun. They pushed him aside to reach her. They tied her up, put on a blindfold, and gagged her.
Some of the mysterious crew placed a remote device inside one of the navigations to make the vessel leave on its own, to keep it on schedule. They carried Cagalli to another vessel, taking off back to the Aesculapius.
The next morning, Yzak woke up with Selena curled into his arms. He didn't want this to end. He closed his eyes again, pulling her in closer. This was the second time they have been together like this. He remembered their first time. It was in the cockpit of a ZAKU at the academy. The two had snuck out to meet there. He was the first to arrive, or so he thought. The cockpit locked by itself and Selena was waiting behind the chair. She came round when the cockpit closed.
It was a magical moment, as it was now. This time he was more comfortable. More room to sleep but, her sleeping in his arms was still the same. He couldn't get back to sleep. Yzak just laid there, basking in this moment. He didn't want to think about the future. He didn't want to think that someone else would have her in his arms instead of him. He didn't want to think about but those thoughts still came. It was heart wrenching.
Selena moved a bit in his arms. He looked down but could only see pink hair. She stretched and pulled him in closer. "I don't want this to ever end." Her soft voice filled the room. Yzak caressed her tighter. "I like that our paths have crossed again."
"Do you think they will cross again?" Yzak thought out loud.
"Maybe," Selena listened to the sound of his heart. "I hope so."
"Will you," Yzak paused. He didn't want to ask it but also wanted to. "Love him?"
"Hm?" Selena moved away to look at him. He stared at her. "Him? I will always and only love you." She placed her head back on his chest. "Who knows if he's still alive? Besides, he's someone my parents picked, remember? Let's not talk about him." Yzak glanced away. His silence made her get back up to stare at him. She raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to become my mister-ess, a paramour?" He gave her a look of disappointment. "I tried." She gave him a kiss. The two enjoyed themselves once more before it was time to depart for them as well.
Mikael was waiting for Selena in a PLANT vessel. It was just him. The two headed back to the Konungr.
"Did you enjoy yourself, Your Majesty?" Mikael gave a side glance to her as he piloted the vessel.
"Shut up," she teased. Mikael let out a laugh.
When the two got back on the Konungr, Selena met with her crew before heading off to her enclosed glass case. This was a safety for her as this was her weakest point.
The Minerva and the Joule team had been sent out to escort the representatives. Each of the representatives' vessels descended back to Earth. Earth Alliance had descended yet.
On the Orb Union vessel, the anesthetic that was throughout the vessel finally dissipated. All of the crew had woken up in confusion. Athrun looked around trying to find Cagalli. He asked around the soldiers. She couldn't be found. Athrun got in touch with the PLANT vessel that was escorting them. There had been no other vessel around them.
"Bring this vessel back to PLANT," Athrun ordered. "The last place we were at was the docking station. That was the last time we all saw Cagalli. I also need a strict inspection of everything on this vessel." The soldiers followed his orders.
On the Aesculapius, Donovan was looking at the newest patient's records. He was excited that the plan was coming together, piece by piece.
A voice interrupted him again on the intercom. "Sir, we have been in touch with Earth Alliance, they are ready to hear what you have to say."
"Good, good," Donovan dropped his papers. "I will be there in a few."
Back on the Konungr, the pod Selena was in, secured itself into the escape pod it was built into. The escape pod was ejected into space. An alarm set off in the whole vessel.
"We only have a minute, everyone to your stations and escape orderly without panic!" The captain ordered. Mikael grabbed his stuff heading off to the mobile suit that was all in black. The white GUNDAM next to had already left. It had left to find the escape pod. It was an orderly and easy evacuation. The mobile suits grabbed the escape pods while heading away from the Konungr.
The Konungr was built to sense any type of target on it. Royal escape pods would eject first, notifying the rest there was a target on them. This target is not something they could easily evade. The question now, was how did this target happen when the Konungr was using the Mirage Colloid Stealth System?
Donovan addressed Earth Alliance. They could not see him from the nose up. Just from the nose of his mask down. "Greetings. I hear you have signed the peace treaty and your voices weren't heard. I know you turned my offer from the start but let me try my hand again. As you can see," part of the screen was split in half to show a part of space. "Please keep your eyes on this part of the screen. Nothing there, but here I will reveal it to you."
A large red beam came from the Earth and shot the Konungr, blowing it up to pieces. The explosion brought the attention to the other vessels.
"Was that any of our vessels?" Declan spat out in shock.
"All our vessels are accounted for," Arthur relayed. "None of the ZAFT, PLANT or other nation's vessels were in that area."
Athrun watched the explosion. "This may be related to Cagalli's disappearance. Find out any and all information about that explosion."
Yzak and Dearka watched with the captain. They had just confirmed the same thing Declan had. It was not one of theirs.
"Commander, our vessel is acting up!" One of the soldiers shouted out. Yzak and Dearka turned to him. "Our launch pad for the mobile suits just opened and closed on its own as if a mobile suit was entering."
"Huh?" Dearka raised his eyebrows.
"Go take a look," Yzak ordered him. Dearka nodded before heading off.
Back with the Earth Alliance, they were shocked to see what happened. Donovan spoke again. "This was Her Highness, Princess Selena's vessel. A vessel so special, it hid in plain sight. I have heard she had backed you into a corner, well with my power, I can back her into one as well."
This brought power hungry smiles to the Earth Alliance representatives. "What is it that you want from us?"
Donovan chuckled. "Now that I have your attention, I would like your forces, but not your forces as Earth Alliance. I have read the binding treaty and there is a way around it. It may seem throwing away your pride, but it still has the same end result that you want. Have your men cut ties with Earth Alliance and join my forces. That way it will seem that Earth Alliance is complying. I have the machines; I just need the manpower. However, you will still need people in Earth Alliance to know what's going on, so choose wisely. I will let you think this over. You know how to contact me." The screen went black.