Kira helped Lacus get through the tiny aisle to their seats. He and Lacus had been touring the Orb government center when they had heard about this important political rally that was being held in the high council chamber that night. Not having anything better to do, and quite interested in Orb politics, Lacus had wheedled Kira into reserving some of the last seats available, up near the top of the gallery. They had gone out to an early dinner at one of the many restaurants scattered throughout the government district before arriving almost two hours early to make sure they got their seats. As it was, they were lucky they did not arrive ten minutes later, for the gallery was almost entirely filled when they got there.

"My, everyone does seem very excited." Lacus commented, looking around. Kira shrugged agreement. He'd eaten a lot at dinner and frankly wasn't too interested in this whole speech thing. He'd been planning on something a little more exciting as a cap to the day's fun, something along the lines of a private moonlight walk along the beach and maybe a little more besides, but that whole fantasy had been derailed when Lacus had asked to go to this speech. Given how long winded politicians tended to be, Kira was sure they'd be lucky to get back to the hotel by three AM, given that the speech was starting at eight PM and it was a good two hour drive from the government center to their hotel.

"You don't seem very excited though." Lacus noted with some concern. "Anything wrong?"

Hmm… besides the fact that I'm feeling full and not just a little amorous, but can't do anything about it because of all the crowds, no. Kira thought darkly. "Just a little too much to eat at dinner." He replied.

"I told you it was too much."

"Yes, you did." Kira agreed before lapsing off into silence again.

"You're bored aren't you?" Lacus asked. Kira started. He hadn't thought he was that transparent.

"We don't have to stay for the speech…" Lacus began.

"NO!' Kira cut her off. "You wanted to stay for the speech, and it's high time we did stuff you wanted to do. You always give in. I may not be as interested in this as you, but I can take a few hours of fidgeting in my seat, as long as we're together. That's the important thing, that we're together."

"You're determined to have me assert myself, aren't you?" Lacus said with a slight giggle. "You'd better be careful or I'll start ordering you around. Just because I'm polite doesn't mean I don't have a practical side too."

"Believe me, the only person who knows that more than me is Athrun." Kira replied. A mechanical grinding caused him to look up. "Hey, look at that. They're retracting the roof. I guess they think the weather is nice enough for an open sky meeting."

"I guess you get a portion of your moonlight walk… without the walking part of course." Lacus observed.

"How…" Kira gaped.

"You dropped several hints, wanting to eat an early dinner… planning on getting back to the hotel before dark… you looked at the page of the brochure that talked about romantic sites to see." Lacus informed him.

"I didn't know I was under such tight scrutiny."

"You find it surprising that I can't take my eyes off you?" Lacus breathed, snuggling as close as their seats would allow, resting her head on his shoulder.

"That's a conversation ender if I ever heard one." Kira mumbled. One of those unsafe questions. They remained in that position for the next hour and a half, whispering nothings to each other and sneaking small kisses and generally disturbing everyone around them without noticing in the slightest.

-----------------------------------------

"Attention! The distinguished guest from the Atlantic Federation War Council will be taking the podium soon. We wish to thank you all for your patience and we wish to express our gratitude for the interest you have displayed in the workings of your national government." A speaker nearby crackled slightly with static, most non-Coordinators would never have heard it. Kira and Lacus sat up attentively in their seats. The minutes ticked by like hours, the packed gallery host to hundreds of whispered conversations. The energy and tension in the room was almost visible. Kira felt himself getting interested, almost against his will. Finally the appointed time came. Almost instantly, the doors onto the floor of the council chamber opened and a regal man indeed walked confidently out. He was dressed in the very finest business suit type clothing, but that was nothing special amongst politicians. Rather, what drew the gaze of not only the council members but those of the people in the gallery were the accoutrements.

The man was tall and broad shouldered and though plainly well past his sixtieth birthday, the man walked tall and proud, without the slightest hint of a limp or infirmity. His white walking cane seemed more a flourish than anything else, and the large yellow gemstone affixed to the top caught many an eye with its golden sparkle. A full head of snow white hair descended down past his shoulders and a similarly white moustache and goatee contrasted starkly with the tanned skin of his face. His eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire and Kira felt an electric jolt when he managed to catch a full on gaze into the man's yellow eyes. Lacus let out a small gasp next to him.

"He certainly has a presence." Lacus noted. The entire crowd, probably more than five hundred people, had gone stock still and silent from the moment the man had walked into the room. Kira couldn't help but agree. This was no government drone. This man radiated power.

"My friends!" the man said, in a voice that needed little amplification to reach Kira and Lacus way up at the top of the gallery. "My friends! My name is Cervantes Zunnichi. I am the head of Cosmos Weapon Manufacturers… no relation to Blue Cosmos." Cervantes announced ringingly. The crowd laughed nervously, caught a bit off guard. Kira and Lacus looked at each other in shock. Vanai's elusive father...

"I have come before you, the people of Orb, today as an emissary from the Atlantic Federation, with all the proper fanfare that implies." Cervantes continued with a smile. More laughter from the audience, genuine this time.

"Despite my position on the Atlantic Federation War Council, I have not come before you today with grim tidings. Rather, I have brought rays of new hope for you, the stalwart people of Orb. What is this hope, you ask? Well, before I reveal to you that, let us first take a candid look at Orb as it is today. Orb survived the war, but it was a close thing. No one can deny that. War is hell, simply put. Orb lost much, more than many. Your resource colony, destroyed several months into the war. Followed by the destruction of your mass driver and the unlawful occupation of your peaceful country. An occupation that was quickly rescinded, but the pain of that wound is not quickly forgotten. Am I not telling the truth?" Cervantes expounded. The crowd roared a garbled response, mostly consisting of people agreeing with him. Most were ecstatic to discover a politician who could talk straight and dirty, getting right to the heart of the matter, not beating around the bush and mouthing meaningless mush.

"Because of these tragedies…" Cervantes began to pace back and forth on the podium, using his cane to accentuate important words by either thrusting it upwards or cracking it down onto the floor. "… these despicable tragedies, your nation's economy has been crippled. Sad, I know. Painful, I have no doubt. But that is the facts. And as if that wasn't enough, you are also in the process of reconstructing your military, as is the right of any sovereign nation. Barely had you the time to bury the heroes of the last war and barely had the mourning properly begun when calamity struck once again!" Cervantes cried, slamming his cane down on the word "calamity".

"If your proud, beneficent nation had had strong leadership, perhaps you might have been able to sort through the wreckage and rise from the ashes, like the legendary phoenix. However…" Cervantes beat his cane so hard against floor Kira expected it to split in half. "… however, you were BETRAYED in your time of need! Instead of working to rebuild this great nation, your leaders concentrated on THEMSELVES! They enriched themselves! They hid things from the public! They engaged in scandalous and illegal affairs and attempted to hide them from the public eye in their SHAME! They sought to use the peace process for their own ends, not considering in the slightest how their warping would affect the people of their great nation and indeed the people of the WORLD!" Cervantes was in full flow now, roaring his speech, stomping back and forth, swinging his cane like a madman, and preaching to the crowd, reaching out to the crowd, practically glowing with energy and conviction. The high council members were looking decidedly uncomfortable at this flaming and direct critique.

"As a result of this criminal and immoral conduct, world confidence in Orb has been dealt a STAGGERING blow. The peace talks, our one final hope for the security of the future have all but collapsed! Is that Orb's fault? NO! Is that the PLANTS fault? NO! It is the sole fault of your former leaders. You have already taken a step in the right direction, people of Orb. You have arrested and confined those whose falsities and scandals so harmed your great nation previously. But there is MORE that can be done!" Cervantes paused for a drink of water. The crowd in the gallery was going nuts, eating his words up like fine food.

"Holy shit." Kira muttered. Lacus nodded agreement. Rarely had she seen such a competent speaker, and never one so fired up. Even her father in his frequent plea's for diplomatic negations hadn't been this bombastic.

"PEOPLE OF ORB! Your feet are on the right path. You only require direction. My nation, the Atlantic Federation, is willing to offer you that direction as well as a great deal more. We are willing to forgive the transgressions of the individuals and re-welcome the proud nation of Orb into the circle of nations. We will help you rebuild your nation. We offer trade, economic benefits, political support and disaster relief. What do we ask in return? Only what you would do ANYWAY! Cast off the filthy chains your slanderous leaders have CONFINED you in! Tear away the veil of lies and untruths that they have BLINDED you with! Step forward as a people and do the right thing!" Cervantes pleaded, his eyes practically alight.

"Cast these false leaders down from their pedestals and allow new leaders to rise, leaders who have the best interests of the people of Orb in their hearts and minds, not the sick desire for personal gain or worse, the desire to plunge to world back into the dark times of war. Impossible you cry. Never, you shout. But little do you know. But I will reveal to you a great truth that will cast the ray of light into the darkness. Here, in this report gathered by the free media of the world, I have conclusive proof that your former leader, Cagalli Yula Attha entered into a binding contract with the ZAFT military suppliers to create an entire new generation of death machines, created expressly for the purpose of killing the people of Earth. Each of these machines would have netted Ms. Yula Attha the tidy sum of five billion dollars. Not just a little retirement fund." Cervantes paused, as if waiting for laughter or comments, but if there were any it couldn't be heard in the ruckus.

Everyone was on their feet now, shouting and screaming, some in denial, some in support. Cervantes turned up his microphone. "It's all in the report! Verified by several independent sources. It will be made available in its entirety after my speech. Now, Ms. Yula Attha cannot be blamed for this fiasco. Not entirely anyway. The only blames that can be placed on the dear girl's shoulders is a shocking lack of concern for her nation's well being and a DISGUSTING degree of infatuation with a foul manipulator. Yes, I speak of none other than the son of that ZAFT demon who nearly destroyed the world. The son of Patrick Zala. Athrun Zala. Athrun Zala warped your fair princess. Twisted her to his own evil ends. Unsatisfied with his father's failed plan to annihilate the Earth via the Genesis laser, Athrun Zala turned to subterfuge to accomplish his nefarious ends. He SEDUCED your princess over the course of several months, before entering into a sham marriage with her, quite illegally mind you. Athrun Zala used his intimate acquaintance with the dear Ms. Yula Attha to arrange this heinous contract and to undermine the peace talks. For you see, as the recent events in Hawaii demonstrated, the PLANTS had no intention of keeping the peace. Pearl Harbor has been annihilated. Scoured from the surface of the Earth by nuclear fire… the very thing the PLANTS claim to hate so much." Cervantes lowered his voice so it was practically a whisper. The crowd was as silent as a hall of mutes.

Kira felt like he'd been punched in the gut. The venomous hatred evident in Cervantes's every word and gesture was like a physical attack. There was no way the man could bear Athrun such enmity, having never met him. It was like he considered Athrun his personal nemesis or something. Kira half hoped Athrun and Cagalli never saw this, though he knew that was unlikely. He'd hate to have this level of loathing directed at him… it hurt as it was, and it was aimed at Athrun, not him.

"The loss of Pearl Harbor is a blow, a blow indeed. But it has shown the world what the words of those traitorous bastards in the PLANTS are worth! Pleading mercy and forgivness on one hand, while readying a sucker punch with the other! We will not fall because of a single blow! We will not let them win so easily! NO, we will stand strong and tall against the onslaught of darkness, the darkness hiding in space, glowering down upon us with claws of nuclear fire. We will stand together! Will you, the people of Orb stand with us?" Cervantes held his arms out in a beseeching gesture. Nobody in the crowd said anything. A terrible silence fell on what seemed to be the entire nation. Kira twisted around suddenly in his seat, searching the sky.

"What is it?" Lacus breathed, concentrating on Cervantes.

"Thrusters. Mobile suit thrusters. Closing fast." Kira replied. Barely had the words left his mouth when other audience members began to notice the sound too. Soon the noise grew to a steady rumble, then a low roar. Finally, less than a minute later it built to a sky shaking thunder and seconds after that it seemed to drown out the world. Cervantes turned his microphone up as high as it could go, and Kira could still barely hear him.

"I present to you, the people of Orb, proof of the Atlantic Federation's good will! An undeniable presence has graced our ranks with his presence. A presence that is more than familiar to you, the people of Orb!" Cervantes bellowed. At that moment the mobile suit became visible, diving straight down from above the council building. Even at the distance of more than a mile, if closing rapidly, the mobile suit was unmistakable.

"The Freedom!" the cry came from one of the audience.

"Freedom! The Freedom has come back!" the chant spread through the crowd like wildfire.

"Who's in that?" Lacus asked. Kira couldn't hear her. He was still thinking the same thing though. The last time he'd seen this mobile suit, it was participating in an attack on Junius Six.

"Freedom!" the crowd cheered.

"Yes, the FREEDOM!" Cervantes cried back. "The Freedom, the mobile suit that so heroically fought to save your great nation durig the last war, has returned. Listen… LISTEN to what the FREEDOM has to say!"

Static crackled from the Freedom's external speakers. "People of Orb. Last time I was in this fine nation, we were all fighting desperately. For truth. For honor. For Orb. I helped protect Orb from its enemies, though in the end they were too many and I was forced to retreat. But I have returned. Returned to ask that you, the great people of Orb STAND with ME! Stand with us all! STAND against the darkness in space! STAND against ZAFT aggression! STAND against your false leaders. For your own Freedom!"

"Freedom!" the crowd echoed back.

"Freedom!" the man in Kira's mobile suit called again.

"FREEDOM!" the crowd screamed, entirely out of control. Even the baliliffs were in on it, shouting and gesturing as much as the civilians they were supposed to be controlling. The only people who weren't going crazy with fervor were the Orb high council members, who were trying to shout Cervantes down, and Kira and Lacus, who were in total disbelief.

"PEOPLE OF ORB!" Cervantes bellowed, taking the crowd back from his accomplice. "At this very moment an Atlantic Federation relief fleet is steaming into ports all over Orb! They bring supplies! They bring relief! They are your brothers and sisters, standing together with you, the people of Orb, for Freedom! How do we welcome them?"

"FREEDOM!" the crowd roared back. Cervantes smiled.

"There are those in this room who seek to take your freedom from you! They would have you go back into the darkness, back into servitude of their twisted schemes! Will you let them!"

"NO!"

"Will you do nothing?"

"NO!"

"Will you help me cast them down so you may be free, free to stand amongst the people of the world once again? Bind them in those chains they sought to bind you with! Blind them with their own veils of hatred! Step forth into the light and welcome your brothers and sisters of humanity! STAND FOR HUMANITY! STAND FOR FREEDOM! STAND FOR ORB!" Cervantes roared.

"FREEDOM! ORB! FREEDOM!" the crowd screamed, overflowing from their seats and pouncing upon the council members in mobs. The police did nothing to stop them, indeed more than a few led the charge.

"We need to get out of here." Kira said, grabbing Lacus by the arm. The Freedom reached down and Cervantes climbed into its palm. He was held over the boiling crowd, shouting down at them like a vision from hell… or heaven, depending on your viewpoint. Kira forced his way through the morass of people, dragging Lacus behind him. He was forced to resort to some of the unarmed fighting techniques James had taught him in order to get to the doors.

"This is scary." Lacus said, quite calm as she surveyed the riot from the doors. "I've never seen people so inflamed. I had no idea things were this tense in Orb. All it took was that man, Cervantes Zunnichi. Just a spark and the whole country is afire."

"He's a hell of a big spark, that man. And the Freedom… that was the clincher right there. When whoever is in the cockpit endorsed him, Cervantes as good as won. Makes me sick, how all the good things I do seem to get twisted back on me and my friends." Kira replied. "We need to get out of here though, Lacus. This place isn't safe."

Lacus nodded agreement and together they fled from the council chambers, the sound of the vicious riot taking a very long time to fade from their ears.

--------------------------------------------

"That man is a devil in human form." Raine gasped, still caught up in the almost tangible fury that had been flowing out of the television screen. She had been channel flipping after a long day of relaxation followed by a few hours of pre-planning with Alkire and Vlad after they returned from intelligence gathering.

"Well, this is just great. Orb has just welcomed Blue Cosmos into its heart with open arms." Victor commented darkly from across the sofa.

"He certainly knows how to give a good rousing speech. I was almost caught up with the whole thing for a bit there." James said.

"Just goes to show, hatred and fear really are the two greatest binding forces in the universe." Vlad added morosely.

"That was cynical enough to hurt." Alkire replied.

"Can you deny it though, given what just happened?" Vlad asked.

"Well, fear and hatred themselves have little binding force. But when stirred up and fed fuel like the rhetoric and bombast Cervantes was spewing, then you are totally right. He went right for the primal instincts in modern man… when there's a problem, blame the people in charge. Do everything you can to avoid taking responsibility yourself. Go for the quick and easy solution. Take the helping hand, without considering what you will be expected to give in return at some later point. There ain't any such thing as a free lunch, after all." Alkire responded.

"Everyone's living for the moment, without a thought for the future. Relief fleet. Hah! Occupation forces, more likely. Bringing food, medical supplies, helping hands… mobile suits, tanks, guns, munitions… heh, it's depressing how so few people are willing to look beneath the surface of what's happening." Raine put in.

"He knew the right strings to pull to get people to not look below the surface. They're all concentrating on Cagalli and Athrun and the PLANTS. Cervantes played those cards well. Let's hope Athrun never fall's into Orb hands after that speech… he'll be lucky if they don't crucify him." Victor said.

"Yeah, that was really a smooth move. He absolved Cagalli of nearly all the blame, since she's still really popular here. He made her out to be an innocent victim of Athrun and the PLANTS. And of course, there will be many who won't look beyond the Zala part of Athrun's name, more than willing to blame the son for the sins of the father." James mused. A phone rang suddenly. Alkire picked up his cell phone and listened a few moments.

"Yeah, we saw it too. It's all over the television. Every channel practically. Yeah, yeah. We saw the whole thing. Okay. Yeah. Glad you made it out okay. See you in a few hours. Goodbye." Alkire turned to the rest of TEMPEST. "That was Kira. He and Lacus got nose bleed seats at the high council chamber. They were there in person during the entire thing. They managed to get out after the crowd jumped the councilers. They're on their way back, but things are slow, of course."

"Glad they made it out safely." James said.

"Cervantes was kind enough to leave his Blue Cosmos dogma out of the whole thing, for the moment anyway. No one paid any real attention to two kids, even Coordinator kids." Alkire replied. He went over to the window of their fifteenth floor suite and looked out at the harbor. Troop and cargo ships from the AF Pacific fleet were pulling in as he watched, unloading thousands of troops and hundreds of tons of supplies. Strike Daggers moved along the docks, toting cargo containers like men would carry crates. "They're well organized. They had this whole thing planned."

"So what do we do?" Raine asked.

"Heh." Alkire snorted slightly. "This doesn't change a thing, though it might complicate leaving the nation. I hadn't counted on trying to evade an entire battle group from the Atlantic Federation. But that's in the future. We'll be leaving early in the morning, to a more suitable staging area closer to the prison. I believe Vlad already has a place lined up for us."

"What about the kids?" Victor asked.

"Call 'em in. I'll give them the news."

"Dearka and Miriallia are the only ones in the hotel right now." Raine replied.

"Where's everyone else? It's getting close to ten o'clock. Well, everyone besides Kira and Lacus anyhow."

"Athrun and Cagalli went touring on the far side of the island; they should be getting back any minute now. Ysak and the girls disappeared into the shopping malls around here at about noon and I haven't heard anything from them since." James answered. Alkire glowered at him.

"So much for hourly check ins. Shoulda known. Teenagers." Alkire picked up his phone again. Before he could dial anything, it rang. He answered instantly. "Ah, so you made it back. Good. Come right up. We need to talk. You seen the news? Heard it on the radio, eh? Yeah… yeah, I can imagine. Get up here, quick before she does something stupid. Wait… what? Uh… okay, hold on… I'll send James and Victor down to help. Just contain the scene until they get down there." Alkire cupped his hand over the phone. "Lobby, get there, now. Cagalli's going a little nuts." He put the phone back up to his head. "All right, just keep calm. Tell the manager that I'll re-imburse him for the damages later. Oh god. Wait… wait… don't! GODDAMN!" Alkire dropped the phone as if it had bit him. Victor and James were already in the elevator going downstairs.

"What?" Raine asked in slight concern.

"Sounded like really bad jamming. You know… the kind that squeals and shrieks right in your earphones! I'd guess Cagalli is either causing a bigger scene than I thought or she just broke Athrun's phone. Shoulda told Victor to bring some more of that sedative."

"Well, I can understand why she'd be a little upset." Raine said.

"So can I, but from I could make out, she really was out of control. We're just lucky the cops weren't called."

"That bad?"

"I've been in assaults that were less noisy. And that was over a PHONE!" Alkire replied, completely serious. They didn't have too long to wait. About five minutes later the elevator dinged open and Victor and James struggled out. They kicked open the door to the suite and half carried, half dragged Cagalli in.

"Christ, guys, be gentle!" Raine snapped.

"It's not worth the risk!" Victor growled back.

"She nearly tore one of the bellhop's faces off." James clarified. "And she got Athrun but good, just before we got down there."

"Is he all right?" Vlad asked with a frown.

"Sort of." Athrun replied from the doorway. He held a large bath towel wadded up to the side of his head, containing a rather large red stain that was slowly contaminating the fabric. Glass dust coated half of his head and his shoulders, and his clothes were pretty ripped and torn up. "My phone took most of it." He held up a shattered cell phone, also coated with glass dust.

"What did she do?" Alkire asked, shocked.

"Well, she was a little out of her head. Angrier than I'd ever seen her, even just after her father died. I'd managed to keep her reasonably calm during the cab ride, but it was clear that she was simmering." Athrun replied. "The bellhop touched it off. Said something about how he'd like to roast a certain Zala over a pit of coals. She's always been protective of me. That little comment was all she needed. I was in the middle of my call to Alkire at the time, so it took me a few moments to pull her off him. We struggled for a while, and she caused a bit of property damage… ruined a few chairs, knocked some people over. Then she seemed to calm down."

"And then?" Vlad prompted.

"Well, I released her, as she seemed calmer and went back to the phone call. That's when Cagalli grabbed a glass vase from the registration counter and started swinging it about. I tried to stop her but she kept out of my reach. She turned on me and caught me by surprise and well… clocked me on the side of the head with the vase. Which broke of course, after smashing the phone and giving me a nasty cut on the head. That's when Victor and James appeared and subdued her. That's all." Athrun continued.

"You subdued her?" Raine said dubiously. Victor and James had deposited Cagalli on the couch, where she was still struggling slightly.

"I had to use a modified stranglehold." James said sheepishly. "Cut off the blood to the brain. She'll come around in a minute or two. There was no helping it, she was like a mama bear defending her cub, there was no reasoning with her. And with Athrun already down and bleeding rather copiously, the situation had to be contained."

"I'm not blaming you, James." Raine assured him.

"Oh… good."

Cagalli chose this moment to wake up. She jerked up from the couch. "Aagh!" she cried before realizing her surroundings. She lay back with a heavy thump. "Oh god, I really did it this time." She moaned.

"Yeah… you did." Victor replied.

"Shut up, Victor." Raine pushed him aside. "Are you okay, Cagalli?"

"Yeah… oh god, ATHRUN!" Cagalli sat up suddenly again.

"I'm okay." Athrun assured her, stepping into view. Cagalli stared at his towel-bandage.

"Did I do that to your head?" she asked.

"You weren't yourself at the time, Cagalli." Athrun shrugged it off. "It's not the worst thing you've ever done to me."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Cagalli retorted.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I let my rage get the better of me. The things that man said about you…"

"So you're both sorry. That's good to have out of the way." Victor commented. Raine sent him a glare that had him backing from the room mumbling something about getting Dearka and Miriallia.

"We both know that he was lying through his teeth, love. We'll fix things, eventually." Athrun replied, sitting down next to Cagalli on the couch.

"Aren't you angry?" she asked.

"Furious. But there is little point in me beating up random people who don't know better. I'll save it for Cervantes Zunnichi." He answered.

"Well… on that positive note, let me give you both some good news." Alkire stepped forward. "Vlad's contacts got us quite a bit of detailed information on the prison Kisaka is being held at. We've already done a good bit of pre-planning. In the morning we'll be moving inland, to a more appropriate staging area, where we'll put everything together for the prison break. Kira and Lacus observed the whole speech in person, but they made it out fine and are on their way back. Dearka and Mirialla are already here. The only people we're missing are Ysak and the girls."

"We're not missing." Ysak said from the door. Chanel and Katie crowded close behind him, carrying several parcels and with mysterious grins on their faces. Ysak stared at Athrun. "Geez… he's not only a seducer, he's a brawler too. Guess Mr. Zunnichi left that part out." He joked lightly. Cagalli sat bolt upright and casually leaned over the coffee table in front of the couch. No one noticed her hand closing around the swan neck of the flower vase…

---------------------------------------

"An excellent speech, sir." Asmodeus said. "You had the entire nation eating out of the palm of your hand." He leaned back in the rear wraparound seat of the official limousine and sipped at a cup of rich coffee.

"Yes… I did, didn't I? I felt like a god, Asmodeus. No… not a god but GOD singular. I could have started preaching blood sacrifice and they would have gone along with it." Cervantes replied, still twitching slightly with pent up energy.

"You should have. Would have made this whole trip a lot more interesting." commented Frost, from where he was handcuffed to the far seat, near the window partition separating the driver from the passengers.

"Maybe later." Cervantes shot back, refusing to be put off his good mood by his minion. "How much longer until we reach the prison?"

Asmodeus checked his watch. "Ten minutes, sir. Are you sure you want to interview ex-colonel Kisaka tonight?" Asmodeus stifled a yawn. He was beat, and the caffeine from the coffee wasn't enough to fully offset that.

"This can't wait. I have a good feeling about this right now. I've already come so far, I think we're really close to a breakthrough that will put us in the winner's seats for sure." Cervantes answered.

"Okay, whatever you say, sir."

"You have doubts."

"Well… yes, sir. Colonel Kisaka strikes me as one of those fiercely loyal unto death sorts. He'd sooner bite off his own testicles than give us information." Asmodeus replied.

"That's a nice image." Frost put in. Both men ignored him.

"Well, that's probably true. There is the outside chance, however. And if nothing else, it will give Frost a chance for a bit of exercise."

"You just want someone to gloat to, sir, if you don't mind my bluntness." Asmodeus said.

"Ha ha… you're right. Barbaric of me, I know. It's the speech. Stirred up all sorts of primal instincts in me. I haven't permitted myself to get that worked up in over a decade. I've got this crazy urge to have a humiliated enemy lying broken and bloody before me. Atavistic, really. My blood is boiling."

"Do… you have these urges often, sir?"

"You know I don't. But tonight is a great victory. A giant step forward in the plan. Can you blame me for being excited? Aren't you excited? Didn't you feel the power when the crowd roared and chanted and hung on your every word?"

"I'm just tired, sir. I'm sure I'll be more excited after a good night's sleep." Asmodeus replied, having felt nothing of the sort.

"Of course. Just hang on for another hour or so, my friend and then you can sleep for a day, if you want."

"Eight hours will do, sir." The car lapsed into silence for several minutes, until the driver pulled into the prison yard. Several guards holding automatic rifles and holding the leashes of a trio of mean looking dogs came bustling up.

"Mr. Zunnichi?" one guard, who looked to be in charge, asked.

"That's me. This is my aide, Asmodeus Sark, and my bodyguard, Zacharis Frost." Cervantes volunteered, gesturing at Asmodeus and then Frost. The guard frowned when he saw how Frost was handcuffed to his seat. Frost smiled back at him.

"Why is…" the guard began.

"That's above your security clearance." Asmodeus cut in. He tossed Frost the key to the handcuffs. In seconds Frost had his cuffs off. Cervantes and Asmodeus quickly exited the car, Frost following slowly. "Are you sure this is a good idea, sir?" Asmodeus whispered to Cervantes. "What if he goes for one of them?"

"Too bad for them." Cervantes whispered back. "Sergeant." He said. The guard who had addressed them before looked over. "Please, keep your men well away from Zacharis. He's a very dangerous and slightly unstable individual. He's very protective of me. Do not approach closer than five feet to any member of my party and you should be fine."

The guard looked like he was about to say something, but then one of the dogs, the most vicious looking of the bunch, snarled at Frost. Frost, of course, just snarled right back. The dog retreated as if whipped, whimpering and hiding behind the guard holding the leash. The sergeant just nodded acceptance.

"You're here to see Colonel Kisaka, right?"

"Ex-colonel Kisaka, yes." Cervantes answered. "And I'd like to have a private meeting too. No cameras, no listening devices, no witnesses. You understand right?"

"I can't allow…" the guard started to say. Asmodeus laid a hand on his shoulder and led him a short distance away. They talked for a minute or two.

"Problem?" Cervantes asked when they finished.

"No, sir!" the sergeant said smartly. He turned to his detail. "You men are dismissed. Go back to your regular patrols. But avoid cell block delta. Nothing is happening there, understand. Nothing."

"Yes, sergeant." The guards chorused and then left, almost pulled along by the dogs who were quite eager to be away from Frost.

"Can they be trusted?" Cervantes asked.

"They understand confidentiality, sir. We've had a few sensitive prisoners here before." The sergeant assured him.

"All right then. Sergeant, lead on, if you would."

"Of course, sir." The sergeant led them through long hallways of pale concrete; through a half dozen steel doors and twice as many barred gates.

"Reminds me of home." Frost said, looking around. The sergeant jumped, clearly unnerved by Frost.

"Here we are, sir. Do you want me to show you to his cell or…" the sergeant said, indicating another steel door that had "Block Delta" stenciled above it.

"Just switch off the surveillance devices, if you would. And wait here and let no one pass until we leave." Cervantes instructed him. The guard saluted and tapped a few commands into a small keyboard he wore attached to his belt. "Very good, sergeant. The block is soundproof, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. We shouldn't be more than thirty minutes." Cervantes said. He led the way through the thick steel door, which Asmodeus made sure was securely shut and locked behind them. "What did you tell him, that changed his outlook so?"

"I informed him that you were a high level interrogator from the secret service. I of course had all the proper credentials ready. They get visits from that sort of person episodically, because of the military nature of some of the criminals committed here." Asmodeus replied. It didn't take them long to find Kisaka's cell, number one-nine-six-two. Kisaka was lying stretched out on his cot, clad in standard grey prison coveralls, his head pillowed on his arms as he lay on his back. He was staring at the ceiling quite intently.

"Mr. Ledonir Kisaka?" Cervantes said.

"What do you want?" Kisaka replied instantly, turning his head to look at them. "Who are you people?"

"My name is Cervantes Zunnichi. This is my esteemed colleague, Asmodeus Sark."

"So, what brings the leader of Blue Cosmos and his intelligence director to my cozy cell at this time of night?" Kisaka asked. "Come to gloat?"

"We're here to ask a few questions." Asmodeus cut in.

"Feel free to ask." Kisaka replied. "Though I'm pretty sure you're both smart enough to know what my answer will be."

"We just want you to confess your sins. Admit to covering up for Ms. Yula Attha and her boyfriend, Zala. Tell the public you're sorry for betraying their confidence." Cervantes said reasonably.

"Like hell. I won't be a party to your schemes. Frankly, you disgust me, using people who sacrificed so much of themselves to save everyone from a war of extermination for your own selfish ends. Where does it stop, Cervantes? When will it be enough?"

"When all Coordinators are dead, of course. Mr. Azrael and I did not differ on that subject."

"What did the Coordinators ever do to you, to cause you to hate them so much?" Kisaka asked.

"Personally? Not a thing. It's more a principle than a personal loathing. Do you understand what they can do? They could replace us! Do you have any idea what it's like to have your greatest achievements surpassed by a boy of fourteen? Who makes it all look easy? Can you understand how frightening that is?"

"So extermination is the answer?"

"Of course it is. Like any plague, which breeds of its own accord, it must be burned ruthlessly away until nothing is left."

"You are aware of the difficulties Coordinators have with fertility after the first generation? They need Naturals to survive. Besides, Coordinators aren't innately better than Naturals, they just have a greater potential, that requires hard training and work to fully unlock."

"For the moment, maybe. But they have so many scientists working on their fertility problems that it is only a matter of time before they find a way around it. Then they'll be truly self sufficient. What's to stop them from wiping us out then?"

"The fact that as a people, they are much more peace loving than we are."

"Peace loving! The GENESIS didn't seem very peaceable to me!" Cervantes said vehemently, cracking his cane against the cell bars.

"I'd call that the pot calling the kettle black. After your organization orchestrated that nuclear sneak attack on Junius Seven and then reduced Boaz to a heap of radioactive slag, I found myself not totally blaming the PLANTS. Poke a sleeping bear hard enough and long enough and it's sure to take a good swipe at you."

"You're just prejudiced against Blue Cosmos." Cervantes retorted.

"Wow… a Blue Cosmos calling someone else prejudiced. That's the funniest thing I've heard in months."

"You've let past experiences sour you on our organization." Asmodeus put in.

"Now why would I do that?"

"Any man would be angry if his fiancée and children were killed."

"So… you've been looking into my history." Kisaka said, taking a deep breath.

"Not yours specifically. Your pupils. You just came up as a side bar. That brings me to the next question. Where are Robert Jones and his friends hiding?" Asmodeus said coldly.

"Heh. Well, maybe if you hadn't thrown me into prison a month ago, I might have known. But I've been here, in this cell. Last time I saw Robert he was in Switzerland… but I'm sure you're aware of that, considering that's where your son got killed."

"Ledonir… how can you be okay with the dear Ms. Yula Attha being in the care of a monster like Andre Forkav?" Asmodoeus fired back, gritting his teeth at the mention of Ray.

"That doesn't make me happy, you are correct. But she's more in Robert's care than Andre's… or Vlad, as he is now known. And truth be told, I'd rather she be in his care, than yours. At least I know Vlad would kill her, rather than use her to destabilize the world."

"It's a bit late to be worrying about that, Kisaka." Cervantes said in a friendly tone. "As of several hours ago, Orb has rejoined the circle of nations. The Earth Alliance is currently welcoming its newest member. I was there when the people collectively cast down the former high council that had been governing Orb since your imprisonment."

"Is that so? So who did the people elect to lead them next?"

"Why… me, of course." Cervantes replied. "It hasn't been formalized yet, but by process of acclamation, I was the clear victor."

"I don't suppose anyone was running against you?"

"Well… Asmodeus came in a close second. Being the pilot of the Freedom is a terrific boost after all."

"I think once the people have calmed down a bit they might call for a re-count."

"Yes… that is why my occupation forces are currently entrenching themselves all over this beautiful island. Oh, of course, they aren't called occupation forces yet; they're relief forces, coming to aid this great nation."

"I suppose you want me to get upset?" Kisaka said with a yawn.

"I don't really care about your reaction. Are you going to answer our questions or not?"

"No, I'm not. Go away."

"I think we can convince you, actually."

"How? Your man Asmodeus there will tell you, torture won't work and even drugs can be resisted. Of course, that's besides the fact that both are illegal in Orb and the guards would stop you."

"Well, the guards aren't looking right now. As you can see for yourself, the cameras and sensors are quite safely in the off condition. And this cell block is very well soundproofed."

"So the guards are going to believe I tortured myself? The marks won't be that easy to hide."

"The wounds will have been acquired during the course of your aborted escape attempt."

"That's stupid. How could I get through these bars? Bars which incidentally prevent you from getting in here to torture me in the first place. I believe you when you say the cameras are off, but I doubt the guards unlocked the cells for you."

"Well, as it so happens, we brought along our own little cell unlocker. May I introduce Zacharis Frost? You may have heard of him." Cervantes said with a tight grin. Kisaka sat up. "Yes… I thought you might have. You've heard about what he is capable of."

"I know he isn't human. Entirely. As for what he can do… I've heard a few rumors. They sound pretty far fetched."

"I tired of banter." Cervantes sighed. He turned to Frost. "As long as he isn't dead, I don't care what you do. It'd be best if there is no maiming or crippling, as we might have to parade him before the public at some point and such would be hard to explain. Other than that though… have a good five minutes."

"That's the best thing I've heard in a long time. It's like an early Christmas. Usually I only get coal." Frost said. He turned to the cell door, which consisted of a steel frame with six half inch steel bars set into it. It took him less than thirty seconds to pry the bars wide enough apart for the diminutive monster to slip through and into the cell. Kisaka stood in the far corner, in a combat ready stance.

"So all I have to do is keep you away from me for five minutes?" Kisaka said.

"Yeah." Frost said. "Try and last at least five seconds, if you could." He advanced toward Kisaka in no particular rush and with his guard completely down. He paused a moment. "You're not a bleeder, are you?"

"I try not to be." Kisaka retorted, launching a flying kick straight into Frost's face.