Last Resistance to Peace
Chapter 14

by Scarlet Eve

A.C. 204

December 25

Lieutenant Lucrezia Noin pushed a hand through her dark hair and leaned up against the wall. A small group of patrol soldiers passed by her hiding place, their boots thumping on the floor. Once they were past her, Noin slid out from her spot and hurried down the hall towards a locked door. At the door was a keypad, where she input a "borrowed" code. The door to slide open. Noin rushed in and closed the door behind her.

But she wasn't done yet. Several more guards blocked her way to the cells. Straightening her jacket and smoothing her hair, Noin strode over to the guards. They looked up as she approached.

"Can we help you, Lieutenant?" one of them asked. With her best stern expression, she replied, "I need to see the prisoner." The guards glanced at each other.

"Queen Relena said no one should be allowed in there," the other guard said. Noin nodded.

"I understand. However, the Queen is recovering from yesterday's incident, and she wished me to pass a message on to her brother," Noin said. The guards exchanged looks again, but finally stepped aside and unlocked the door for her. With a nod, she passed them by. "Thank you."

She waited until the door closed behind her, then she broke out into a run down the hall. She skidded to a halt when she reached the tall metal door with a small, barred window, where the prince was currently being held. Noin stepped up to the door.

"Milliardo!" she called out. In the semi-darkness of the room, she saw the prince rise up from the bed, unfolding himself and stretching to his full height. His long hair fell down his back, looking worse for wear since being locked away. He walked to the door, and upon seeing Noin, smiled.

"Hello, Noin," he said. "I'm happy to see you, but how did you get down here?"

Noin pressed her hands up against the door, wishing the metal slab wasn't separating them. "I had to lie my way through," she said. "And I borrowed an access code."

"Borrowed?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Noin smiled sheepishly.

"It's Christmas! She'd have to understand," Noin said. Milliardo chuckled.

"December already? Where has this year gone," he said. Noin couldn't believe how flippant he acted about his incarceration.

"I have been tempted to ask her to release you," Noin admitted. "You've been locked up for eight months."

Milliardo shook his head. "Even if she wanted to release me, she'd draw anger on herself from Romefeller. Besides, I broke her trust. I went against the laws of the country, the ideals of my family, and the promise I made to her. She may forgive me for betraying her, but not for the other two."

"But she is just as guilty for breaking those ideals," Noin countered. "Romefeller put a ban on the manufacture of all mobile suits. When they find out this country is armed, the consequences will be devastating."

"I know, and sometimes I think the Sanc Kingdom will be the sacrificial lamb, so to speak, for worldwide peace," Milliardo said. Noin paled and her mouth fell open.

"You can't mean that," she whispered. Milliardo shrugged his shoulders.

"That's why I am making plans to protect the Sanc Kingdom, if I can, and to carry on the ideals in my way," he said.

"What do you mean? Is it that project that Howard is working on?" Noin asked. He smiled and held a finger to his lips.

"Let's not speak of this anymore. You said it's Christmas? Well Merry Christmas, my dear Noin," he said, reaching his fingers through the window. Noin grasped his fingers in hers and pressed a kiss to his knuckles.

"Merry Christmas, Zechs," she whispered.

A.C. 204

December 25

Quatre Winner did not understand why the majority of the people in the room were shooting him angry looks. Commander Treize called an emergency meeting to discuss the events of the previous evening. The OZ leaders, the Gundam pilots, and high-ranking Romefeller leaders were in attendance while Treize explained the situation.

"The attack came from a group of insurgents out of a region in the middle east. The Gundams encountered this group a few months ago, during an attempt to bring the region under OZ control. The mission was unsuccessful, however. We have discovered that the insurgents are loosely associated to a group of rebels that call themselves the "Maganac Corp." The rumors out there say that this corp is associated with Zayeed Winner," Treize explained, speaking at the head of the room. Behind him, images were projected on the screen, showing the faces of the rebels, some of their mobile suits, and the weapons and bombs they had used, along with the damage done to the Romefeller ballroom.

Zayeed Winner?

Duo nudged him in the arm. "You have the same last name as that guy," Duo whispered.

Quatre frowned and glanced around him once more. Some OZ and Romefeller leaders were still shooting him dark looks. Other than Duo, the Gundam pilots appeared to be disinterested.

He hardly listened to the rest of Treize's presentation. Even Heero was working away at something on his phone. Memories ran through Quatre's mind - images of his training with OZ, disjointed pictures of a desert landscape, of outer space. He felt nervous and impatient, and fidgeted often.

Treize wrapped up the meeting by informing the leaders and Gundam pilots that when the dissenters were found, they would be required to bring them under control. The meeting adjourned, and the room breathed a collective sigh of relief.

It was Christmas day, after all, and most wanted to get home to their families. Except for the Gundam pilots.

Quatre waited until the other four filed out of the room ahead of him. Colonel Une lingered behind as well, though Quatre couldn't begin to guess what she was up to. Releasing a slow breath, he rose from his chair and approached the Colonel.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said, saluting her. She nodded to him.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering - Commander Treize mentioned someone named Zayeed Winner. Is it… is it possible that I am some relation of his?" Colonel Une's eyebrows rose behind her glasses. "Of course, it's a long shot, right? I mean, there are likely many people with that last name. I just seem to have these memories of a desert -"

Une cut him off by placing a friendly hand on his shoulder, which Quatre found to be a strange gesture from her. "Quatre, why don't you come with me for a cup of tea," she said, and guided him from the room.

-SE