In respectful but firm disagreement with T.S. Eliot: The greatest treason is to do the wrong thing for the right reason. I've had a lot of issues with the Zechs/Noin relationship down the years, some of which I've alluded to earlier in the story. This interlude is not based upon that frustration, but rather Zechs is alluding to future story events of which he is aware and Noin is not; and we have already established via the series proper that Lucrezia Noin will not defect for love...
Zechs Interlude: The Greatest Treason
"Noin." She looked happy, to be back in the cockpit. As well she might. But this was wrong, this was all wrong. Noin couldn't be here. He'd made her leave, at great pain to both of them, to get her off Mars and out of danger. "I didn't really intend to come meet you either."
Noin smiled. "But the heart wants what it wants?" The man behind her, who was actually a little taller than Zechs himself, had one of the better poker faces Zechs had seen. He wasn't quite to Heero Yuy levels, as his body language gave away his displeasure with Zechs quite clearly, but his face was an excellent blank. And he did not leave them to a private conversation. Admittedly, he didn't have much room to maneuver to get out from where he was unless Noin moved.
"Yes." Zechs agreed. The man, probably one of her subordinates, was now obviously staying put because he didn't feel like leaving his commander alone with the greatest mass-murderer in the last fifty years. Zechs did not find that attitude blameworthy. Noin might forgive and forget but Zechs certainly didn't forgive himself. If he didn't then anyone else not doing so was only being prudent. "You've done many things that are...more than likely to kill you, lately." This had all gone wrong and he didn't know what to do. He wasn't being eloquent here, he wasn't getting any use out of whatever rhetorical or interpersonal skills he had. He knew it. But Noin couldn't be here.
"The nature of the job, Zechs." Noin said softly. "You know that. I let you climb into Tallgeese after it nearly killed you." Her expression was a bit hurt, that she had to say such things out loud. They were soldiers, and the other being in danger was not a new condition to either of them. They worried about each other, but they accepted that they had chosen perilous lives and that they found them fulfilling. Neither thought there was anything to be gained by fighting over it. Before now, at least.
For Zechs there was a perverse pleasure to having Noin actually fight him rather than just acquiesce. It scared him that she was doing it, but it was also a sign of her newfound independence and success, both things he was proud of in her. It might also kill her. At his hands. That scared him far more than anything else ever could. Even the idea that he'd go full Libra-dropping crazy again didn't scare him nearly as much as the possibility of having to fly combat against Noin and shoot her down. "Noin...it practically tears me apart."
Now she was frowning in anger, because Lucrezia Noin would not be babied, not by friend or foe or even lover. She was a combat pilot first, a soldier next, a woman a distant third. Even her position as part of a noble family ranked ahead of her female nature in Noin's self-image when it came up. Making her suspect she was being told to stay in the kitchen reliably infuriated Noin. "Zechs, what are you trying to say here?"
"I want you to quit." It was a stupid thing to say. It was an obviously stupid thing to say. Especially now, when she was riding the adrenaline of a victorious flight, feeling good about her chosen profession and now angry enough that some violence-as-therapy sounded excellent. He hadn't thought before opening his mouth, and Zechs actually opened his mouth again to curse his own stupidity.
"No." The refusal stopped him with his mouth open. Noin had opposed him before, but at a distance. Never so directly, never announced to his face that he could not have what he desired. Zechs didn't fail to note the rapidly passing expression of amusement on Noin's male companion. Or the raw anger Noin was showing. "That's too much, Zechs. You know that's too much."
That left him with one gambit to play. One which he doubted he'd ever forgive himself for, but which might save her life. "Noin-" But to play a gambit, your opponent has to not flip the table.
"I am not having this conversation with you." Noin hissed. "You know better than to act like this and I will not dignify this bad behavior by pretending to listen." She pushed off the floor hard enough to overcome both the weak magnets in her boots and the very weak gravity here, going up and past him. The fact he nearly got kicked in the face by her boots in the process was probably intentional.
"Excuse me, I don't think we've been formally introduced." Zechs got halfway around from the tap on his shoulder before a fist crashed into his face and he saw stars. The low gravity here and the light magnetic grip of his boots was overwhelmed by the force of the blow, sending him flying into Noin's subordinate, and that man remained standing only because he braced himself against the ladder.
"Duo Maxwell," the same voice continued. "Since we've never met face to face."
"Maxwell!" That wasn't Noin, but her male companion, who was monumentally angry from the sound of his voice. "You're an officer for fuck's sake. We're starting at confined to quarters and working up, get me?" Zechs started to make to get his feet securely on the decking again, and was surprised when the man he'd crashed into set him upright.
"Thank you, Lieutenant...?" Zechs began. Noin had disappeared to somewhere while he was still seeing stars. He...wasn't entirely surprised. A bad plan, like a bad day, is bad to the end. Only there are no good plans here. Zechs wasn't sure if he believed it, or if he was trying to convince himself.
"Dyer. Don't miss," the man replied.
"What?" The comment hadn't been apropos of anything, at least that Zechs could figure out.
"Lot of people have scores to settle with you, Merquise, and you just pissed off the only person who'd have your back. Somebody comes at you now, don't miss. Nobody's got your back and nobody's going to save you if you do." Dyer turned and stalked away, gesturing to another person who had officer's insignia. "Focht, we need to talk right now!" Focht, whoever he was, took one look at the scene and immediately assigned two other pilots, whose vacsuits had White Fang patches, to get Zechs out of the hanger.
Zechs did not have the heart to resist.
