Statistically speaking, the Peacemillion II was not an extraordinary fleet carrier. It boasted an average number of high-powered ion propulsion engines, a defensively balanced arsenal that bordered on obscene, and no fewer than three full sized hangars, which housed technology and shuttles for high paying clientele all over the United Earth Sphere Nation. By modern standards it was, in fact, an average ship, more fitting for years past when war was a constant and the need to transport weapons and soldiers was at an all-time high.
The ship had been built to precise specifications after its prototype and namesake was destroyed in the One Year War, and had patrolled the space between the L3, L4, and L5 colonies for years since its completion. It had seemed silly at the time to construct such a heavily armed and armored vessel in times of peace, but now the great ship stood as a symbol of colonial strength and the power of pacifism and democracy, and it served as the primary development site of new technology designed to bring prosperity and quality of life to all human beings, particularly those living and working in space.
So it was that Preventers Special Officer Lucrezia Noin found herself approaching boarding dock two of the enormous ship, her single passenger transport vessel utterly dwarfed, with a mix of excitement and anxiety raging in her gut. How long had it been since she had left—seven or eight years? Perhaps more. Time passed slowly in the Martian terraforming project, and now that life was beginning to become eventful she had opted to return.
It had been three weeks to the day since she landed at Preventers Headquarters on Earth and practically begged for a position. It was effort poorly spent, though. The Preventers unit was close to home and employed at least half a dozen devoted friends or family members, and Noin herself had worked diligently to pilot the program. It took less than an hour to claim her new position as "Special Technology Officer," in charge of overseeing the development of all projects involving weapons or mobile suits. It was a position that she coveted.
As their name suggested, the Preventers were a special branch of the United Earth Sphere Military designed to keep peace between the colonies and Earth, and to quickly divert any uprisings that may have been rumored. By and large it was boring work to sift through all of the anonymous tips and conspiracy theories. Everyone simply wanted peace. Noin's job was one of the exciting few: She had the opportunity to see first-hand the developments of the future and to witness their testing and, ultimately, their release to the public. She had already seen a dozen presentations by the lunar colony of various deep space and asteroid mining tools that almost completely automated the process, but today's presentation, she thought, would trump the lunar colony by leaps and bounds.
A private investor from Earth had been rumored to be working on developing a specially designed and demilitarized mobile suit for use in terraforming and colony building among the outer planets. Apparently the investor had some hearty connections, because when it came to building and testing the machine he had been able to hire the best mechanical engineering crew that Noin had ever heard of—and that was what brought her to the Peacemillion.
As she disembarked from the transport vessel she was greeted by three familiar faces that seemed, for the most part, to be as happy to see her as she was to see them. The first to clasp her hand was Howard, the lead designer and mechanic for the project as a whole. He had to be pushing sixty years old by now, but his lopsided grin and severely outdated wardrobe made him seem a man half that age. Second behind Howard was fellow Preventers officer Sally Poe, who had been aboard the Peacemillion for close to two weeks, overseeing the final stages of the project. She greeted Noin with a muted grin and a stiff salute before turning about and excusing herself.
"The first test run begins at 0600 tomorrow. Do be sure to get some sleep, and I'll see you then I'm certain," said the ex-army medic as she strode through the air locked door.
With Poe gone, Noin turned her attention to the third and most surprising greeter. Heero stood with his arms crossed, wearing the same blank expression as he had worn since the beginning of the One Year War. He looked not a day older than eighteen—though by now was close to twenty-five—and seemed, at least externally, to be the same quiet and unemotional boy as he had been before Noin left for Mars.
"I received your letter," Noin said after a hasty and unreturned salute. "It was thoughtful of you to send correspondence so far out of the way."
Heero shrugged and turned to walk away as well. "Consider it a kindness," he said absently, "because I would have been a dead man had I not sent it."
Noin could not hide the smirk as she watched her brother-in-law disappear into the winding hallways of the ship. Their relationship had always been interesting, if not always pleasant, but over the years had settled into a kind of cordial tolerance motivated by a mutual desire to keep the peace in their wholly unconventional family.
Howard motioned for Noin to follow him out of the hangar, and she graciously agreed.
"Heero sent you a letter?" said Howard with some surprise as they crossed the threshold into the first of a number of long and maze-like hallways which led to the ship's bridge. "Somewhat unlike him."
Noin felt a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth as she thought of the letter. "Well," she explained, "it came as a heavily encrypted data file through the terraformers' internal messaging system, so 'letter' might be an inappropriate description. Plus, it simply read 'Congratulations, come home soon.'"
Howard chuckled. "With an implied 'Please get my wife out of my way', am I right?"
Noin quirked a brow at the humor, and her confusion was not lost on the old man.
"Relena has been quite excited since the news came in. It's been all she can do to keep the secret from the crew and I have no doubt that poor Heero has taken the brunt of it. The boy can only take so much of that kind of thing before he's ready to break out the artillery, you know."
Noin grinned again and the two companions fell into comfortable silence for the rest of the walk to the bridge. The place was full of activity and not a single chair remained unoccupied. Monitors flickered with schematics and charts and graphs while their users chatted away through full over-ear headsets and tapped on their keyboards. None of what must have been fifty crewmen was off task, and the discipline that the Peacemillion was so well known for was obvious.
"You run a pretty tight shift, Howard," Noin said, a high compliment in itself. "I'm impressed that you've managed to wrangle so many people to do this work."
Howard shrugged, taking the compliment in stride. "I've had plenty of help with that. Plus, this is the biggest project we've ever had commissioned—the whole crew is excited to see the payoff for their hard work."
"And what is left to do before the test flight?"
Howard shrugged again. "I have no idea. The suit has been space ready for near two days now, by my count, but Duo won't set foot in the thing until every preflight check has been done at least half a dozen times."
Noin was somewhat surprised by this information. "Duo Maxwell is the test pilot?" she asked.
"Best test pilot I've ever seen," said Howard reverently, and then added in afterthought, "and I'm not speaking out of bias either."
"You don't say?"
Howard grinned broadly. "Rumors around here say that he's why Heero stopped piloting, but that's not entirely true. Duo got better at it after Heero settled down, quit flying, and turned his attention to coding and fine-tuning the machines—there was no need to fuss over the arrangement. It happened naturally."
Noin nodded and contemplated the idea as Howard led her off once more toward the crew's quarters. He was mumbling still over the former gundam pilots, but she was too caught up in her own thoughts to pay much attention. It was not hard to imagine that the pilots would stay near to mobile suits and related technology, nor to believe that Duo had apparently developed some repute as a test pilot, but the thought of the sanguine young man poring over paperwork and checklists suggested that the spontaneity Noin had liked so much in him had gone. Only four years ago, Duo would have jumped into a suit without hesitation, preflight checks be damned.
Howard slid open a small door in a long hallway and motioned Noin inside. It was a comfortably sized bedroom with a simple bunk bolted to the floor, a table, and a desk, but was easily as well-lit and cozy as her room on Earth.
"Primary briefing is at 1700 today," Howard said. "Make yourself at home until then, and if you need anything at all feel free to contact us on the com-link there." He motioned to the wall near the bed where there was mounted a small square speaker box and keypad. "The bridge is 1234, my room is 0124, and Heero is 1337."
"Thank you," said Noin, and she dropped her bags to the ground and made immediately for the bed.
ф
The briefing arrived sooner than Noin would have liked. She sat in a half-sleep-daze beside Sally, who seemed eager and attentive with her tablet close at hand. The two women had exchanged few words since Noin had arrived back on Earth, but now Sally seemed eager to speak. And, if the truth was told, Noin was just as eager to listen despite her exhaustion.
Sally Poe had been around for the long years of Noin's absence, watching as all of their friends, acquaintances, and family grew older and more mature. She had watched as battle hardened soldiers adapted to an almost entirely civilian and overwhelmingly peaceful life. And while Sally had sent some pictures and electronic messages, the conversation was always slow and unreliable, and half of the correspondence never even arrived. It was not a surprise, then, that Lucrezia Noin was slightly more than curious.
"I've got a good feeling that you'll be either amazed or amused by this," said Sally brightly as she flicked the tablet's power switch.
"Why is that?" replied Noin.
"Because you've been away for a long time, Noin."
"You've got me scared," said Noin, and she was not being altogether dishonest. After all, she thought, what more drastic change could there be besides the marriage of Heero Yuy and Relena Peacecraft?
"Just watch," said Sally.
On cue, a door slid open near the front of the conference room and a number of faceless, nameless technicians filed in and found their places. Then followed Howard and Heero, both dressed for formal occasion, who sat in designated seats near the entrance, and finally followed Duo Maxwell, somewhat surprisingly dressed in full military regalia—navy blue with tie and various shining medals adorning his left breast—with his arms laden with files and paperwork.
He set everything down between Howard and Heero, and then cast a sloppy grin over the congregation that was his audience. And just as Noin was beginning to believe that all was as it had always been, Maxwell turned to business.
"Welcome, all of you, to the primary briefing for test flight zero-one of demilitarized mobile extraction unit, model X42P9-58," he said, and both his voice and expression were cold and detached. As he paused a projector flared to life, casting detailed schematics and schedules onto the white wall behind him. He continued, "Final pre-flight check begins at 0400 tomorrow morning, May 16 of AC205."
Maxwell continued the timeline for several minutes, affording Noin an opportunity to glance around. Every member of the meeting was rapt, practically hanging from each word. Most took notes; others simply stared ahead with expressions of the deepest respect. Noin looked to Sally, busy herself typing notes against the flat screen of her tablet, but Sally smirked all the same.
"I told you," she whispered.
Yes, Noin thought, you did.
She turned her attention forward once more and watched, analyzing the way that the former gundam pilot commanded the stage. No, there had been no physical changes in the boy except perhaps that he was older, and that was not unexpected nor necessarily a bad thing, but the subtle shift in personality and the way he carried himself was unmistakable and dramatic. No way that this was the same disorganized and spontaneous Duo Maxwell of the One Year War, who was always ready to butt in with a sick joke amongst friends but who would never take center stage before a crowd. There was something new and difficult to pinpoint—a refinement and confidence that could be achieved only through years of dedication to a craft.
Noin was pleasantly impressed.
"Tomorrow's test will focus only on aerial and terrestrial movement systems, and range of motion testing for all moving parts of the machine," Duo continued, making frequent reference to the projected schematics. "Additionally, upon request of the donor, we will test gravitational forces during extreme directional changes. Preliminary calculations suggest that maximum G-force for the Dossier 2.0 engine is 3g on the Y axis and 7g on the X and Z axes. Did you get that, Heero?"
"Roger."
"If possible, we will need to regulate and lock these numbers to avoid liability when the suit is released for civilian use—"
Noin was startled when Sally stood suddenly, and Duo stopped mid-word to address her.
"Master Sergeant," she said formally, "if the maximum theoretical output for the Dossier 2 is fixed, how do you intend to test its upper limits? Furthermore, how easy would it be for a civilian to emulate these maximum settings, and what precautions do you intend to take to ensure the safety of the suit's final operator?"
"Ah," Duo said, a thoughtful but slightly more relaxed look coming over him. "Yeah, thanks for the reminder." This said, his voice shifted again as he continued. "The Dossier is equipped with a factory standard mechanical regulator, which limits the amount of raw power that can be pushed through the engine. Because the regulator is not electronic it can be removed without damaging the engine, if the mechanic has enough knowhow. The average civilian lacks such knowledge, but as a failsafe we have programmed the suit's operating system to recognize compromised equipment. The engines will not fire if the regulator has been tampered with in any way, at least on retail models of the machine. Would you like for me to have Heero explain the code?"
"That won't be necessary," said Sally, and she sat back down. "Thank you, sir."
Sally shot Noin a smug look. An 'I told you so' look.
"Master Sergeant?" Noin whispered incredulously.
"Well spoken, isn't he?"
"Does he ever turn it off?"
Sally suppressed a giggle. "Oh, yeah. This is a formal occasion; it'll be recorded and sent back to his commanding officer. He's in what we like to call command mode right now. He'll be the same as always once the briefing is done."
ф
The briefing lasted another hour and a half, and by the time questions had been asked and addressed and the conference dismissed Noin was indeed famished. Needing no prompting, Sally Poe led her directly toward the galley, following behind two-dozen others who had been in attendance and, apparently, had the same idea. The two women exchanged few words. Sally continued contemplating the notes she had taken during the meeting and Noin was just as busy reasoning through exactly what it was that she had just witnessed. Perhaps the shift was the product of added responsibility: In the One Year War Duo had been responsible for very little outside of completing his missions and piloting his suit, and now he was in charge of a large contingent of technicians and mechanics and the success of a multi-million dollar investment. The pressure must have been enormous.
"Kind of you ladies to join us for dinner!"
An arm dropped over Noin's shoulder and she startled back to reality. When she looked up, as expected, Duo was beside her and Heero behind him, and whatever formality Maxwell had displayed in the meeting was well and fully gone. Yes, he was still dressed in uniform but his tie was loose and the button on his collar unfastened, and he wore on his face the same lopsided grin that he had worn since the first time Noin had met him.
"That was a fantastic presentation," Noin said dumbly before realizing that she had not even greeted the pilot.
"A formality," Duo replied happily, dismissively. "But it's good to see you around here again. Things have been too quiet, maybe it'll shake up a bit with some new, old faces around."
"You don't want things to shake up, Maxwell," Heero said blandly.
Duo waved a hand, patting the air between Heero and himself. "Pssh. A little action wouldn't hurt anyone, would it? Any more paper work and I might cut my throat."
"Don't be melodramatic," Heero replied.
"I'm not! At any rate, I'm starving, and 0400 isn't far off. What's for dinner?"
Noin did not know what was for dinner, even after she had eaten it and excused herself for the evening. She felt better now than she had since she arrived on Peacemillion. Everything was as close to normal as could have been expected, considering the length of her absence and allowing for the natural progression of life after war. It was with a vague feeling of happiness that she changed into her nightclothes and sat on her bed, setting her alarm for five o'clock the next morning.
Just as she was lying down for sleep there came a quiet knock at her door, and when she pressed the button and the portal slid open she was only modestly surprised. There stood Duo, in his nightclothes as well, with a lopsided but significantly subdued grin on his face.
"Sorry to bother you so late," he said. "Mind if I come in?"
"Not at all," Noin replied, and as she moved away from the door she motioned to a chair in the corner. Duo sat and rested his head on his hand. "So why the late visit?" she asked.
"I didn't have the chance to say a decent hello at dinner."
"Well, hello," Noin replied.
"Not quite what I meant," Duo said, "but I appreciate the greeting. I have to ask what brings you back to our sector."
"Personal business."
"How vague. Anything at all you'd care to elaborate on?"
Noin was taken aback by the bluntness of his statement. "Is there some reason you need to know?"
Duo shrugged and slumped in his chair. "You're going to be on my six tomorrow, aren't you? If things go pear shaped, you'll be the one flying after me… That's your job, isn't it? Well, I need to be sure that you'll actually have me covered and that you'll be safe doing it. If you can't promise me that then I'll have to find someone else to do the job."
"What specifically are you concerned about?"
"G-force testing. Accelerations."
"I can withstand—"
"I'm well aware of what you can withstand," Duo said somewhat hotly. "But you're not what I'm worried about."
"You know, then?"
Duo shrugged again. "Relena is a notoriously bad keeper of secrets. Everyone knows. Don't feel bad, I don't care either way as long as it doesn't compromise your performance."
The two sat in awkward silence for a few moments before Noin gathered the courage to speak again. Duo seemed off—slightly short tempered and uncomfortable as he sat there, but she could not determine if it was because he was truly worried or if there was some other cause.
"So," she said tentatively, "Howard says that you've been checking the preflight list a lot lately."
"Standard procedure," Duo replied automatically.
"Standard procedure is to delay your flight for two days while you act neurotic about your preflight checks?"
Duo was suddenly clearly ruffled, and Noin's suspicions confirmed. He hadn't been worried for her sake; there was some other factor at play.
"What's wrong?" she asked, and Duo's face screwed up in confusion.
He shook his head immediately but was still seemingly at a loss for words. "I've never been nervous before a flight. I've just got a strange feeling about this whole thing. Did you see the suit?"
"Yes," Noin replied, "when I first got here I saw it. The thing was in immaculate condition, and I saw your checklists and specs in the briefing. It's a gorgeous machine."
Maxwell nodded. "I'm lucky to be the one that gets to fly it."
"I'm sure everything will be okay. Heero and I will be monitoring everything, and Sally will be on standby in case of any malfunction resulting in injury. My passenger vessel is ready for flight on a moment's notice."
Duo nodded, apparently satisfied, then stood and walked to the door. As he pressed the opening mechanism he turned back around with a relieved grin. "See, this is why I wanted you to have my back."
Then he was gone, the door closed, and Noin was left in quiet contemplation.
