Last Resistance to Peace
Chapter 31
by Scarlet Eve
AC 205
Mid-June
Colonel Une wasted no time.
It was from her vantage point in the palace, Relena first saw the mobile suit carriers fly over the country, their cargo bay doors opening, mobile suits dropping into the sky. Relena inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to remain calm. Bursts of fire and smoke erupted throughout the city below.
Relena watched the evacuation of the city below. The roadways were jammed, and the Sanc Kingdom police and the military were doing their best to keep the traffic moving. Surrounding countries already offered to take in the refugees from the Sanc Kingdom. Relena made these deals as quietly as possible, as to not alert Romefeller to her actions and movements. She wanted any many people out of the country as possible before Romefeller and OZ took over the country.
The door behind her opened and Major Sally stepped inside.
"It's time to go," Sally said.
"Is the country evacuated?" Relena asked, not turning from the window.
"About eighty percent," Sally answered. Relena closed her eyes and shook her head.
"That's not enough."
"If you die, there will be no one to lead," Sally said. "We have to go now and get you somewhere safe."
Relena let out a sigh and turned away from the window. "Why should my life matter more than others?" Sally opened her mouth to reply, but Relena shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I just hope…"
She was cut off by an explosion. Relena flinched and closed her eyes, a cry escaping her. Sally rushed forward and grabbed Relena's elbow. "Come on. We can't linger. The shuttle is waiting." Relena nodded and followed Sally from the room.
Together, the two women ducked down the hallway, stopping every so often as an explosion rocked the foundation of the palace. Sally kept one arm around Relena's shoulders and hurried her along as quickly as possible.
"Where will we go?" Relena asked.
"The Colony Alliance has agreed to take us in," Sally said. "They're offering you protection."
"So we're going to space?" Relena asked.
"Yes. To space."
Hidden away in the deserts of Arabia, Milliardo watched the satellite feed of the destruction of the Sanc Kingdom. The footage of the attacks was broadcast all around the world and in the colonies, showing the mobile suits attacking and blowing up buildings and cities. The coastline was devastated.
Milliardo watched as OZ lifted their flag high above the palace, his childhood home, taking control of the entire country. His body shook with rage, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He would never make it there in time to save anyone, and he could never take on the number of mobile suits on his own.
He only hoped that Relena, Noin, and the others made it out safely.
Years had passed since the last time Relena entered outer space. She watched the Earth shrink beneath her, wondering about her people and whether or not they made it to safety before OZ took over. From the helicopter that took her to the shuttle port, she watched as the OZ flag took the place of the Sanc Kingdom flag, fluttering above the palace. The palace was no longer her home.
Looking ahead, Relena watched the space colonies grow larger, and the moon became less spectacular. Up close, it looked like a gray rock floating in the middle of space. As the shuttle passed by, she could see the base that sprawled out across the surface of the Moon, a tourist destination for some and a military base for others.
Sally and Noin appeared beside her, both looking grim. Relena turned away from the shuttle window and faced them.
"We're going to MO3," Sally informed her. Relena raised an eyebrow. "It's where the Alliance has been hiding out."
"I'm a fugitive now," Relena mumbled. "I'll be on the run forever." Sally and Noin shook their heads.
"We will win back the Sanc Kingdom," Noin said, kneeling down beside Relena in the aisle of the shuttle. "OZ will not rule forever. We can combine our forces with the Alliance and stop OZ."
"What forces? We have nothing left," Relena said. Noin and Sally exchanged a look.
"We have you," Sally said.
"For what good?" Relena asked, her voice fierce. "I couldn't protect my own country, and I fled like a coward. What good can I do anyone, now?"
"I understand that you are grieving, your highness," Sally said, straightening her shoulders, putting on an authoritative air. "But you have to understand and accept your significance in this world. You are important because so many peace-minded people look up to you. You did not fail. You came up against a foe with less restraint than you, a foe who chooses to use force to get what they want. You ruled without force for years, and your parents and grandparents before you. One day, we will go back to the Sanc Kingdom, and you will continue to rule under peace."
Relena stared at Sally, then to Noin, who was nodding in agreement with Sally's words. Relena looked back out the window at the distant colonies in space.
"We'll protect you until the bitter end," Noin added. Relena pursed her lips together and returned her attention to Sally and Noin.
"Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Deep inside, she knew she needed to be strong. But for now, she was content to grieve, to feel weak. She had to remember what Milliardo would do in this situation, and what he has already done. He's fighting for peace, with his mobile suit. He's not giving up, and nor should she. "Thank you," she repeated, her voice stronger this time.
-SE