Gundam Wing: Destiny's Call

by operation meteor

Sequel to Journey to a New Battlefield. It's been two years since the Bloody Valentine War and tensions are rising. When a shadowy group attacks the colony of Armory One, a certain Gundam pilot takes to the battlefield once again. However, little to his knowledge, some old friends are on a journey to his new world. M for language and violence (again, it's war. What do you expect?)

6. Chapter 6

Author's notes: Hello there, it's been a while! Well, this one took significantly longer to write than I'd initially planned on, and that's after I decided to move some content from this chapter to the one that will follow it! Look, I'm really sorry for the delay, I know you guys were getting anxious, and justifiably so. However, I don't rush my work no matter what the circumstances are.

Chapter focus is actually mostly character development and romance. Love is in the air, folks, especially for some of our favorite pilots! Don't worry, there's some politics mixed in there, too; gotta move things forward and set up for the new war, after all. Also, the long-expected and highly anticipated meeting of the Terminal crew and the Gundam pilots (sans Wufei for the time being) is finally taking place! Fun times to be had by all!

Only two songs for this chapter. In order of appearance: The instrumental version of "Love Deterrence", which is found in MGSV: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, and "I Burn" from the RWBY soundtrack.

Enjoy!

Episode Six: Fragile Peace

As Heero led his friends on a tour of Home One he heard Duo whistle. "Man, talk about a sweet setup!"

"It's very impressive," said Trowa.

"I'll say," said Quatre, "You really made some big time connections to get a place like this, Heero."

Heero nodded. "Cagalli helped us get things started here, but another woman handled most of the project. Her name's Erica Simmons; she's the Chief Engineer for Orb's Morgenroete conglomerate."

Home One was the codename for the seaside estate that some of the core members of Terminal had taken up residence in once they had settled in to their new lives in Orb. Heero had guided his fellow Gundam pilots into the concealed hangar-bunker that was adjacent to the mansion so they could land their mobile suits, and from there it had been a very short walk to get into the luxurious home itself.

"There are guest rooms upstairs," said Heero, "You can take any of those you want."

"Sounds good," said Duo, "It'll beat the hell out of the bunk on the Minerva."

"Where's everyone at?" asked Quatre.

"I imagine most of them were on those two warships or piloting the mobile suits that launched from them," said Trowa.

Heero nodded. "Yes, although I believe two should be home right now."

"I presume you mean us?" said a female voice from down the hall.

Heero and the others turned around to see a man and a woman walking towards them. Both were of North African descent, with the man being fifty years of age and the woman forty-nine. They both shared tan skin, but while the man was tall with black and gray hair and tough silver eyes the woman was shorter, possessed gentle brown eyes and purple-black hair. Both smiled warmly as they approached Heero and his friends.

Heero stepped forward. "It's good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Rehema."

Akila Rehema smiled as she came forward and surprised Heero with a hug. "I'm glad you're all right. You know, you really shouldn't be so formal with your godparents."

Soran Rehema chuckled. "You really are a stubborn one, aren't you, Heero?"

Heero had to smirk as Akila released him. "So I've heard."

He turned around and had the satisfaction of seeing Duo with a look of complete shock on his face. "Whoa, back up there! Did you just say you were his godparents?"

Akila nodded. "Indeed. Heero, do you mind introducing us to your guests?"

"Of course," said Heero, "This is Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, and Quatre Raberba Winner. They're old friends of mine from my old world. Everyone, meet Akila and Soran Rehema. They're Shemei's parents; she's the one that was flying the Epyon Revenant in the battle today."

"I thought as much," said Trowa, "Your briefing did mention her and her old mobile suit, but not what she was flying today. It makes sense though, given what you told us about her."

"I'm surprised she's able to handle it," said Quatre, "Heero, even you couldn't get that beast under control in our war. Why make a new one and give it to her?"

"I felt she'd be better able to grasp the mentality required to use it correctly," Heero replied, "She hasn't disappointed."

"I'll say," said Duo with a smirk, "She was tearing it up out there! Can't wait to meet her!"

"So our girl's doing all right?" asked Akila.

Heero nodded. "She's fine. She should be showing up here later today."

Soran sighed with relief. "That's good to hear. She's been away from home for too long lately, no thanks to that machine you helped built for her."

"Epyon's version of the ZERO System is not to be tackled lightly," said Heero, "Intensive training was the only way Shemei could've achieved true control. I am sorry that she had to spend so much time at the L3 facility training, but it had to be done."

Akila smiled. "Well, at least she'll finally be able to come home for a while. We got a call from the Archangel before you got here. I believe congratulations are in order!"

Soran chuckled. "A mild understatement. A battle like that… you never stop pulling off the impossible, do you Heero?"

Heero smirked and gestured towards his fellow Gundam pilots. "I had a lot of help, these three included."

"Indeed," said Akila as she looked at the others, "Heero's told us a bit about the people he left behind in his old war. I heard that he was one of five Gundam pilots, yet I'm only seeing four of you here. Where is the fifth?"

"Wufei? He's back with the Minerva," said Duo with a shrug, "That guy always does his own thing."

"Even for him, though, it is a bit odd," said Quatre, "I wonder what's going on in that head of his?"

"I wonder if even Wufei could answer that question," said Trowa with the slightest hint of a smirk.

Trowa clearly knew something, but he didn't seem to feel like divulging it. That was fine with Heero. If it was really important he knew that their fellow Gundam pilot would give them a heads up.

"Well," said Akila, "I'm sure you four are hungry after that fight up in orbit. Care for some lunch?"

Duo raised an eyebrow. "Lunch? Shouldn't we be closer to dinner?"

Heero shook his head. "Not in Orb local time. You're going to have to adjust your internal clock while we're here."

"Got it," said Duo, smiling, "In that case, food sounds good!"

Akila smiled. "Excellent! I'll get something going for the four of you!"

"I'll take mine to go," said Heero, "I want to head to the dock before the Archangel pulls in. These three can stick around for a while."

"You sure?" asked Quatre, "I don't mind eating on the road."

Heero shook his head. "There are still parts of the estate that you need to see. Soran, do you mind showing them the armory and comm room?"

The Valkyrie's father nodded. "I'll take care of that after lunch. Best they know where all our hidden bells and whistles are early."

"That bunker and hangar earlier was quite impressive," said Trowa, "It'll be interesting to see how else you've modified this estate to suit your needs."

"Plus it'll be nice to know where all the firepower is," said Duo, "Never know when things might get dicey."

Quatre chuckled. "Dicey? That's the story of our lives right there."

Heero nodded. "Can't argue with that."

….

"Captain, link established with docking control," said Flay, "The red carpet's out and they're opening the front door!"

Murrue nodded. "Helm, bring us to surface! Flay, send docking control's telemetry to helm. I'd rather we didn't drive straight into a wall."

"Aye, Captain!" Flay replied.

Out the front viewport there was nothing but water ahead; the Archangel had taken full advantage of her new undersea capabilities to conceal herself beneath the waves as soon as she had made it down to the surface. Such action was necessary to avoid leading anyone to the secret dock that had been constructed for the vessel in Orb after the Bloody Valentine War. Murrue knew that at right about this time Natarle would likewise be heading for another dock not too far from hers that had been build specifically for the captured Dominion and would be employing the same method of travel as the Archangel.

The warship rumbled slightly as it rose. A few seconds later the bridge breached the surface, but rather than seeing clear skies Murrue saw nothing but fog.

Perfect, she thought with a smile, The mist generation system's working without a hitch. All we have to do now is make it into the dock.

The system wasn't a feature of the upgraded Archangel. Rather, it was a special countermeasure that had been built into the cliffs that concealed the entrance to the secret dock. The fog wouldn't last for too long, but for Murrue's purposes it was more than enough.

"Ma'am," said Neumann from the helm station, "We're lined up. Just give the word and I'll bring us in."

Murrue nodded. "Go ahead. Take it nice and slow."

The ship gradually moved forward. It was a little nerve wracking to not be able to see more than a few meters ahead of the vessel, but Murrue and her crew had practiced this maneuver quite a bit ever since settling into Orb, and they had the procedure down to a science now.

The fog slowly gave way to a giant opening; the camouflaged cliff-face doors had finished opening well before the Archangel had begun her approach. Bit by bit the massive warship entered the top secret facility that was jointly operated by Morgenroete and the Orb military, or more specifically by elements of both groups that owed their true allegiance to Terminal. The dock was completely off the books as far as both the company and the government were concerned, although Cagalli was aware of the facility.

It never ceases to amaze me, she thought as the ship entered the cavernous facility, Orb's engineering prowess truly is top-notch.

The network of catwalks was alive with activity as workers rushed to their assigned areas. The two massive concrete platforms on either side of the Archangel were bustling as well. A huge network of lights was spread out on the ceiling, their powerful beams illuminating the gargantuan facility. The ship had just been through one hell of a fight, and while she hadn't taken any serious hits a thorough look-over and maintenance round was definitely in order.

Eventually the ship came to a stop and the massive doors began to close behind it. Gangways were already being run out from platforms on both sides of the ship, and a whole host of dockworkers were hastily assembling.

"Well done, helm," said Murrue as she stood up, "Lieutenant Tsukino, the bridge is yours until the relief crew takes over."

Her XO nodded. "Aye, Captain."

As the Lieutenant took Murrue's seat the lovely Captain left the bridge. She made her way through the ship's hallways with a slight pep in her step, eager to disembark.

"Someone you're anxious to see, Murrue?" said a familiar female voice from down the hall.

Murrue smiled as both Aisha and Waltfeld approached. The two of them had changed out of their flight suits and were now both wearing the standard Morgenroete attire of khakis and red and black shirts.

"Is it really that obvious?" asked Murrue.

"Come on," said Andrew, chuckling, "We know you better than you think we do."

"You're lover boy's not going anywhere, Murrue," said Aisha, "You'll see him soon enough."

Murrue sighed. "I know, and I realize it's only been a week, but still… it feels like so much longer."

"Well," said Andrew, "it has been one hell of a week. Sure as hell not what I was expecting when we launched Heero's recon mission to Armory One."

"He handled things very well given just how quickly the situation went off script," said Aisha as they all started walking together, "Hell, you could say this whole week's been one giant piece of winging it for him."

Murrue smirked. "Well, Heero's always been good at improvising. He once told me that all the Gundam pilots are. It definitely makes sense when you remember the odds they had to go up against in their old war."

"He certainly didn't have trouble making things up as he went along in the last war," said Andrew, "That sort of flexibility and quick thinking really comes in handy."

"If today's events were any indication, I think we're all going to need some of that," said Aisha, "We stopped the ruins from hitting the Earth, but this isn't over by a long shot."

Murrue nodded. "I'm sure you're right, and we'll have plenty to go over later on. Still, we did win a big one today. There's nothing wrong with taking a moment to celebrate"

Aisha smiled. "Got that right."

"I hear you," said Andrew, "I think some drinks are in order when we all get back."

"Yes," said Murrue with a smile, "I think we all deserve that at the very least."

"I hope the other Gundam pilots can hold their booze," said Aisha.

Andrew chuckled. "I'm sure we'll put them through their paces soon enough."

"Speaking of pilots," said Murrue, "have you two seen Kira, Dearka, and Yzak since coming back to the ship?"

"They're resting up," said Aisha, "Lacus joined Kira once you let her leave the bridge. I imagine Flay will do the same with Yzak once her watch is up."

"Poor Dearka," said Andrew, "He's gonna have to wait until the Minerva returns Cagalli to Orb to see Miriallia again."

"At least she's safe," said Murrue, "From what Heero reported to me she did a very good job on keeping her cover during her time on that ship. Eric's trained her well."

Andrew nodded. "I always thought that guy would've been better off working in an intelligence posting, but he wanted to be on the front lines. He's got a pretty good head for combat, both as a pilot and a commander, but if there's one thing his work for the Clyne Faction proved it's that he's one hell of a spymaster."

"A talent he's put to good use for us," said Aisha, smirking, "Although he still can't help but get in on the action when the time comes for a mobile suit battle. Of course, a lot of that now is because he wants to back Shemei up both on the field and off it."

"I can't blame him for that," said Murrue, "I feel the same way about Heero. We all want to help those we love when they're on the battlefield, don't we?"

Andrew smiled. "Well said, Murrue."

Before she knew it they had arrived at the hatch. Opening it up, Murrue led the way down the gangway. The assembled dockworkers broke into applause and cheers, and Murrue gave them a smile and a wave. She hadn't fought in today's battle for praise and recognition, but she had to admit that it felt pretty good all the same.

"Now this is a homecoming I could get used to," said Aisha with a grin.

"Yeah," said Andrew as he put his arm around her.

A woman was waiting for them out in front of the other workers. Dressed in the typical Morgenroete attire, she had mid-length brown hair and dark grey eyes. She had a friendly smile on her face and stepped forward as Murrue and the others reached the bottom of the ramp.

"It's good to see you all again!" said Erica Simmons, "I'm so glad that you made it through that fight unscathed."

"As are we," said Murrue before gesturing back at the Archangel, "We put some of those upgrades through their paces up there. I'm pleased to say that they performed splendidly."

Andrew smirked. "Understatement of the year. That Buster Cannon packs one hell of a punch."

Aisha nodded. "The fact that both the Archangel and the Dominion have that weapon is crucial for us. Without it we would've had to rely on the Lohengrins, and I don't think those would've done nearly as good a job at breaking up the debris."

Erica nodded. "I'm glad that they worked so well. Heero and I put a lot of work into that beast."

"I'm glad it paid off," said a familiar male voice, and Murrue's heart leapt as she saw none other than her boyfriend step out of the crowd.

"Heero!" cried Murrue.

She wanted to kick herself for not spotting him in the crowd earlier, but given that he was dressed in the standard Morgenroete attire he did blend in pretty well. That didn't matter, though; he was here, now, and that was all that counted.

Not giving a damn that they were in front of scores of people, Murrue rushed over and pulled the Perfect Soldier into a fierce kiss. If she took Heero by surprise he gave no sign of it; he readily returned her passion as he took her in his arms.

This was what I really fought for, she thought as she enjoyed the sensation of holding and being held by him once again, I know it's selfish, but it's the truth, and I'll gladly admit it.

A few seconds later their lips parted, although they still held each other. The crowd around them broke out in wolf-whistles and cheers, and while Murrue definitely felt herself blushing her smile never left her face.

She turned back to Heero, who had a small smile on his face as well. The Gundam pilot seemed almost amused by the attention they were getting.

"I've missed you," said Murrue, "I know we spoke over the encrypted channel, but still… I'm so glad you're back. Welcome home, Heero!"

Heero nodded. "It's good to be back. Thank you, Murrue."

Murrue kissed him again. "Anytime, Heero."

"Good to see you, Heero," said Erica, "I didn't know you were here."

"I got here just as the Archangel started pulling in," Heero replied, "I left three guests at Home One. I'm sure you'll want to meet them eventually."

Murrue nodded. "Definitely. Although… why didn't Wufei come with the others?"

Heero shrugged. "I've got a few ideas, but nothing concrete. It's not too surprising, though; he does things his own way. More so than any other Gundam pilot, really."

"Well, we still get to meet three of your old friends," said Andrew with a smile as he held out his hand, "Heero, glad you made it back in one piece."

Heero let go of Murrue to shake the Desert Tiger's hand. "Same goes for you. Thanks for defending the Archangel."

"Anytime," said Andrew.

"Heero," said Aisha, coming in for a quick embrace, "You put on one hell of a show out there! Nice shooting!"

Heero chuckled as she released him. "Thanks. That wasn't the toughest shot I've had to make, though. Number one's definitely the Libra, although GENESIS would be a close second."

"Hopefully you'll get a break from putting Wing Zero Albion through its paces for a while," said Murrue, "I'm sure you could use some rest."

Heero nodded. "A little vacation would be nice, although I'm not sure how long it will last. We dealt with the most immediate threat to Earth, but I don't think this is over yet."

"I feel the same way," said Erica, "Still, it won't hurt to take a little time for yourself. Besides, you've still got some old friends to introduce us all to."

Andrew chuckled. "That's going to be an interesting meeting."

"Especially once Shemei and her girls show up," said Aisha, "Lan's going to have a field day."

"Speaking of Shemei and the others," said Murrue, turning to Erica, "has the Dominion made it home yet?"

Erica nodded. "I got a call from Beta Dock just as you finished pulling in. Dominion's securely parked. She just needs a tune-up like the Archangel and she'll be good to go."

Murrue smiled. "Glad to hear it. It'll be nice to see Natarle and the others when they get back to Home One."

"Yes," said Erica, "By the way, the Minerva's due to arrive in Orb pretty soon. The dock she'll be staying at is the one that you and Heero are supposed to be working at for your cover jobs. Don't worry; I got you set up with some time off. I figured you'd need a bit of a rest after today's fighting."

"I appreciate that," said Murrue, "I'm not sure how well known my face is to ZAFT, but they definitely know Heero's. It'd ruin his cover if they spotted him as part of an Orb dock crew. I wouldn't mind getting an up close look at the Minerva at some point, though. Perhaps I could head in just for one day?"

"We'll see how things play out," said Erica, "I've mostly got Morgenroete regulars working those crews, but I did slip in a few Terminal staffers too. They'll be able to get an up-close and personal look at the ship."

"I already sent over my report on it," said Heero, "and I included Miriallia's with it. No disrespect to your dockworkers, but I doubt they'll learn much more than we already have."

The Desert Tiger shrugged. "It can't hurt to be thorough. The Minerva's a formidable warship. I'd say she could probably go toe-to-toe with the pre-modification Archangel."

Aisha nodded. "From what I saw in the fight it looks like ZAFT spared no expense for their new battleship. We need every scrap of information we can get on it, especially since we don't know for sure if she's the only one of her kind that ZAFT plans to produce."

"Eric still hasn't gotten any evidence of more of those ships in the works?" asked Murrue.

Andrew shook his head. "From what he told me, his sources within ZAFT's military shipyards indicate current warship construction is still focused on producing more Nazca-class destroyers and Hel-class cruisers to replace the Laurasia-class frigates that they're phasing out. They might be waiting for more combat data on the Minerva before starting up another ship of her class."

"They might also be strapped for resources and can't afford to have more than one of her right now," said Heero, "Don't forget that building the super carrier Gondwana put a serious dent in their military budget, one that they still haven't completely recovered from."

"Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that for now there's only one of those ships that we need to keep track of," said Erica, "I don't suppose Wufei would be willing to act as a source of intelligence for us since he's still on board the Minerva, would he?"

Heero shook his head. "No, he hates that kind of subterfuge. His pride won't let him be part of something like that. In fact, it might be some time before he agrees to work with us in any sort of capacity."

"That's a shame," said Murrue, "Oh well; we'll just have to work around that. At least the other three Gundam pilots show greater flexibility."

"I look forward to meeting them," said a familiar female voice from behind her.

Murrue turned around and smiled as she saw Lacus and Kira coming down the Archangel's gangway. They both smiled and waved as they approached the group, with Kira and Heero sharing a nod of recognition.

"Glad you two could join us," said Erica with a smile, "Kira, Lacus, I'm glad you're both okay."

"Good to see you again," said Kira, "Heero, good job up there!"

Heero nodded. "Thanks for the help."

"Anytime," Kira replied, "That guy you were fighting was pretty good."

Murrue nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Too good. The way he was able to stand against you and survive means he's no amateur. He has to have fought in the last war. Heero, do you have any idea who the pilot might be?"

"I'm not sure," Heero replied, "The mobile suit itself was a new model, but… there was something about the pilot. I think we did clash in the last war, but I'm not completely sure where or when."

"I got a strange vibe from him when I fought him," said Kira, "It was like when I could feel Creuset during that last battle in the last war… but it wasn't entirely the same sensation. There was something different about it… I don't really know how to describe it. Sorry, but I don't have much more than that."

"Even that little bit's enough to make me nervous," said Andrew, his good eye narrowing, "If whoever you fought is related to what went on at Mendel… well, the only good thing to ever come out of that colony was the Hawk of Endymion."

"You really don't think it's another Al Da Flaga clone, do you?" asked Aisha.

Kira shook his head. "Like I said, it wasn't entirely the same feeling that I got with Creuset. Whoever this pilot is, I don't think they're directly related to Al Da Flaga's legacy. Still, there's got to be a link there somewhere. That's the only reason I can think of for having that sensation while fighting him."

"Whoever they may be, I only pray that they do not share Creuset's overwhelming hatred for humanity," said Lacus solemnly, "That brought us to the brink of Armageddon in the last war. We cannot afford a repeat of two years ago."

Agreed, thought Murrue, however, given that this individual seemed to be acting with the intent of disrupting our efforts to prevent the fall of Junius Seven, it's quite possible that he does share that same malice and venom. If that is indeed the case then we can only hope that he lacks Creuset's cunning, charisma, and influence.

"We can have the Wolf and his network do some digging later to see what they can find out," said Erica, smiling, "In the meantime there's no point in us worrying over something that we have no control over. You've all had quite a day; what you really need to do is head home and get some rest."

Murrue nodded and smiled. "I won't argue with that. Shall we, Heero?"

"Yes," the Gundam pilot replied, "but you should probably change first. You can't wear that in public, remember?"

Murrue looked down at her Orb military uniform and realized that Heero was quite right. The uniform was one of convenience; Terminal did not have its own uniforms and Orb military attire had been easy to come by. Still, the organization knew that it could not afford to be seen as directly linked to the neutral nation, so the uniforms were only worn when on Terminal warships.

Murrue smiled. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Let me get changed and then we'll head for Home One. I can't wait to meet your friends, Heero."

Heero nodded and gave her a small smile. "I'm sure you'll like them."

Murrue leaned in and kissed him. "I don't doubt that a bit."

….

Sitting on the bridge of the Minerva, Cagalli smiled as she saw the Orb mainland out the main viewport. "Orb… at last."

She felt a familiar hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Athrun smiling at her. "We made. I have to admit there were times I was a little worried about getting this far."

Cagalli put her hand on his and nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm glad we were able to survive long enough to see it again."

"Not to mention save it," said Athrun, "If one of those chunks of Junius Seven had survived and hit one of the islands or the sea nearby…"

Cagalli shuddered. "I really don't want to think about that, Athrun."

Athrun nodded. "Sorry. Besides, we stopped that from happening. We saved Orb and the rest of the world."

Cagalli smiled and shook her head. "I was just sitting on the bridge the whole time, Athrun. Everyone else fought, but all I could do was watch. You fought for me, though. Thank you."

Athrun smiled. "I'm your bodyguard, remember? Fighting for you is part of my job description. Besides, you're still recovering from your head wound."

I know, she thought, but I still don't like you risking your life while I'm not able to fight alongside you. Besides, my wound's not that bad now. I actually got the bandages taken off just after we touched down in the ocean.

As Orb's Chief Representative Cagalli knew in her head that her place was not on the battlefield, but it was hard to square that knowledge away with the powerful desire to fight in any way she could for a better world. In the Bloody Valentine War her duties as a leader had not stopped her from jumping into the cockpit of the Strike Rouge and joining Athrun on the front line, and if she'd had the chance to do so again during the battle today she would've gladly taken it. Unlike the nobles and other politicians she had to deal with back in Orb, Cagalli was more than prepared to risk her life in combat. In fact, she found that to be far easier than dealing with the ugly politics that came with keeping five aristocratic families and the elected parliament from ripping each other and their country apart.

She couldn't let Athrun see her discontent though, not when he had fought so hard on her behalf. All she could do was express her gratitude and try to make sure his efforts counted for something.

"Captain," Cagalli heard the ZAFT sensor officer say, "We've got incoming aerial contacts! Six units; Murasames in mobile armor form!"

"Must be our escort," said Captain Gladys, "Although with their Chief Representative being on this ship I would've thought they'd send a larger honor guard."

The main monitor shifted to show the Orb machines. Unlike the units flown by Andrew and Aisha Waltfeld up in orbit these machines bore the standard military paint job; a mix of white and black with red trim.

"Contacts are hailing us," said Meyrin, "Patching it through."

A woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, with brown eyes and black hair, and wearing an Orb pilot's flight suit appeared on the main monitor. "This is Lieutenant Yuki Chiba of the Orb military to ZAFT battleship Minerva, requesting confirmation on the safety and well-being of Chief Representative Athha!"

Captain Gladys turned and nodded at Cagalli, who took that as her cue to stand up and step forward.

"This is Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha," she said, "I'm all right, Lieutenant Chiba."

The Orb pilot nodded and smiled. "Lady Cagalli, it's good to see you. I'm the leader of Red Flight; we've been ordered to act as your honor escort. A delegation is eagerly awaiting your arrival at the docks."

"Who's the delegation composed of?" asked Cagalli apprehensively.

Lieutenant Chiba shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lady Cagalli, but I don't know more than what I've already told you."

Cagalli nodded. "I understand. Carry on, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Lady Cagalli," said the officer before turning to the Minerva's commanding officer, "Captain Talia Gladys, with your permission we will form up over your vessel."

The ZAFT Captain nodded. "Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"We'll be arriving shortly," said Lieutenant Chiba, "Orb docking control will be contacting you shortly to update your approach vector. Red Flight, out."

"Hey," said Athrun as the Orb pilot disappeared from the screen, "are you okay?"

Cagalli nodded. "Yeah… I'm just not really looking forward to meeting this delegation."

"The Seirans?" asked Athrun, "You know the Lieutenant didn't say that they were part of the delegation."

Cagalli sighed. "It doesn't matter. I should've known better than to ask. They'll be there whether I like it or not. The only variable is whether I get stuck with one or both of them."

"I never got why they seem to give you such a hard time," said Athrun, "I mean, Yuna's your cousin right? The Seirans are essentially extended family for you; they should be some of your strongest supporters."

Cagalli gave him a weary smile. "I wish it worked that way, Athrun. I really do. Things would be so much easier."

Athrun looked down, clearly frustrated. "I hate politics. Father had a talent for it, but it seems it wasn't passed on to me."

Cagalli reached out and took his hand. "Believe me, that's something I'm grateful for."

Athrun nodded and smiled. "Thanks. Look, if there's anything I can do to help you out in dealing with them, just ask."

Cagalli would happily take all the support she could get, regardless of whether or not Athrun was skilled with Orb politics. "Just have my back, okay? I can handle the rest."

Athrun smiled. "Count on it."

"Pardon my intrusion," said Captain Gladys, and Cagalli was surprised to realize that the Minerva's commanding officer had walked right up to her without her or Athrun noticing, "I couldn't help but listen in, Lady Cagalli. Will there be some sort of problem waiting for us at the docks?"

Cagalli shook her head. "It's an internal matter, Captain. I promise that it will not endanger the Minerva, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that your ship gets proper maintenance. It's the least I can do to return the hospitality you've shown me, not to mention your service in today's battle."

Captain Gladys nodded and smiled. "I appreciate that, Lady Cagalli. As a ZAFT base I know that Carpentaria would be better equipped to help us perform extensive repairs on the Minerva than an Orb facility would be, but I am grateful for any assistance you can offer us. If it is not too much of an imposition, I would like to ask a separate favor of you."

"Please, feel free," Cagalli replied, "I think the least I can do is hear you out."

"Thank you," said the Captain, "As I'm sure you know, this past week has been a rather stressful time for all of us. While we're in your country I would like to give my crew the opportunity to enjoy some shore leave. I think they've earned it after what they've been through."

Cagalli nodded and smiled. "I agree. I'll make the proper arrangements, Captain."

"My crew will be very grateful to hear that," said Captain Gladys, "as am I. Lady Cagalli, we're in your debt."

Cagalli laughed and shook her head. "Your crew helped save the world, Orb included, from catastrophe, Captain. You don't owe me or my country anything."

"You're too kind, Lady Cagalli," said the Captain with a smile, "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Cagalli replied.

Captain Gladys then looked past Cagalli and Athrun. "Ms. Peterson, I presume you'll be disembarking with Lady Cagalli, correct?"

Cagalli turned to Miriallia, a bit surprised that she was still on the bridge. She hadn't even noticed her back there.

Miriallia nodded. "I'll be leaving the ship, although if it's all right with you I'd like to wait until after Lady Cagalli's departed. I don't think it'd be proper for an independent journalist to be part of the Chief Representative's entourage."

Cagalli gave her a smile. "It's all right, Marilyn. I don't mind."

Miriallia shook her head. "I appreciate that, Lady Cagalli, but from what I overheard earlier it sounds like you're going to have your hands full when we arrive. I'll leave separately to avoid causing any inconvenience."

"Is that all right with you, Captain Gladys?" asked Cagalli.

The Captain nodded. "It's fine. If you'll excuse me, I should get back to my station."

The ZAFT officer returned to her chair, and Cagalli watched as the harbor drew closer out the main viewport. All too soon the dock where the ship would be berthing came into view, and Cagalli found herself dreading the coming disembarking. It was inevitable, and with the world in such a tense state of affairs it was her duty to be in her country to guide it through these troubled waters, but she was certainly not looking forward with what that guidance would entail.

The dock grew larger and larger as the Minerva approached, and Cagalli leaned forward to see if she could make out any people on the surrounding platforms. Aside from the typical array of dockworkers and technicians she was able to pinpoint a group of people who appeared to be wearing the high-end maroon suits that were almost the standard attire for Orb's governing nobility. At this distance she couldn't make out distinct features quite yet, but she had a feeling she already knew who was among them.

Cagalli sighed. She'd give just about anything to be back in orbit right now, but that was out of the question. She was here, back in her home country, and her obligations could no longer be avoided.

Eventually the ship came to a stop, surrounded by the concrete platforms and steel cranes and catwalks of the massive facility. Cagalli could no longer see the crowd she'd spotted earlier; they were outside of view from the bridge. She looked over at Captain Gladys, waiting for her signal to leave.

After about a minute the Captain stood up and nodded at her XO. "Arthur, you have the bridge."

Her second in command nodded. "Understood, Captain!"

She then turned to Cagalli and Athrun. "I'll escort you off. Please, follow me."

Cagalli and Athrun both stood up and joined her as she led them out of the bridge. The journey through the ship's corridors to the hatch was conducted in silence, which was fine by Cagalli; she had too much on her mind to really hold a decent conversation at the moment.

They reached the hatch much too soon for Cagalli's tastes. She took a deep breath and did her best to prepare herself for what would be beyond that door, although she knew that no amount of preparation was ever enough when it came to what she was about to face.

"Relax," said Athrun, giving her a nod, "You can do this."

Cagalli smiled. "Thanks."

"I hope you're ready," said Captain Gladys as she tapped a keypad on the wall, "because here we go."

The hatch opened, and Cagalli immediately found herself assaulted by the sounds of a busy dock. Workers were bustling everywhere, moving equipment to and from as they prepared for the maintenance they would soon be called upon to perform. Despite her apprehension, Cagalli did find it good to see so many of her countrymen again, especially ones wearing Morgenroete uniforms; thanks to Erica Simmons's influence she knew that the company always had her back even when her fellow nobles and politicians did not.

Captain Gladys motioned for Cagalli to take the lead. "After you, Lady Cagalli."

Cagalli nodded and stepped forward, with Athrun right behind her. The assembled dockworkers erupted in cheers and applause as she made her way down the ramp, and Cagalli forced a smile for their sake. Whatever friction she had with her fellow leaders of this country, she knew that her people had always believed in her, and she wanted to do her best to show them that she appreciated that and would not let them down.

"So far so good," said Athrun.

Cagalli nodded, but she knew it wouldn't last. Down at the bottom of the ramp was the group of people that she had spotted earlier. Delegates from the other four Orb noble families were indeed among them, and at the front were the two men that she had been dreading meeting again.

Yuna Roma Seiran and Unato Ema Seiran, she thought ruefully, Here we go…

Unato Ema Seiran, a balding 49 year old man with some grey hair along the sides of his head, was both the head of the powerful Seiran noble family and the prime minister of the Orb Union. His sharp black eyes protected by orange glasses, he remained as difficult to read as ever. While his position technically made him second in command to Cagalli, the office of the prime minister was charged with much of the country's day to day administration while the Chief Representative was considered to be the overall leader of the country and dominant in foreign affairs and the military. Cagalli could still make her own domestic policy decisions, but without the cooperation of Unato and the other ministers under his influence it could be very difficult to advance a particular agenda, something she knew her prime minister was well aware of and frequently took advantage of. Even her purview regarding foreign affairs was not completely removed from potential interference from the prime minister; the tentacles of Unato and the broader Seiran family were spread far and wide, influencing the country's diplomatic services and making it harder for Cagalli to pursue certain policy goals. The Orb Union's armed forces had been more resilient in the face of intrusions and interference from the prime minister and his underlings, but even then the Seirans had made a few inroads.

Cagalli was well aware of her prime minister's desire for greater power, but that also did not detract from her knowledge that Unato did care about Orb… after a fashion, at least. The man had his own vision for what he believed was good for the country, and if it conflicted with the ideals of Cagalli and her late father then the man was clearly willing to deal with that. Cagalli wished Unato could be more flexible; she was willing to work with him, but so many of their meetings had felt like little more than exercises in banging her head against a brick wall.

The Seiran family has always been considered a close second to the Athha family, she thought grimly, I never liked these family rivalries, and I have no idea how father managed to deal with them. With him gone, though, Unato's worked hard to expand the Seiran's power base. By now they're likely the equal of my own family in all but name… and for all I know their influence could still be growing.

As tricky as Unato could be to deal with, though, Cagalli found that she still preferred her clashes with him compared to the other member of the Seiran family that was present today. That would be the prime minister's son Yuna Roma Seiran. Twenty-two years old, outwardly he was a man that many would find attractive, with well groomed purple hair, bright blue eyes, and a slender figure. He was smiling, and while he might have considered himself a charmer Cagalli only found him to be tiresome. That was made worse by his arrogance and his almost eager willingness to play along with his father's political games. Behind that civil veneer was a burning ambition that could rival his father's, and that was something Cagalli knew she had to watch out for. He was clever, but Cagalli was aware of the fact that Yuna had a habit of overestimating himself.

"Cagalli!" said Yuna as she hit the bottom of the ramp, coming up to her with open arms.

Before Cagalli could react her cousin took her into an embrace. "I'm glad you're safe!"

"Yuna!" said Cagalli, trying to politely shake him off.

When they were kids this sort of display of affection hadn't bothered her, but now that they were both adults Cagalli found that she was not comfortable with it. Yuna had a habit of trying to be overly familiar with her, and she did not like some of the undertones he brought with that.

After a few seconds she managed to break free of his grip. She shot an apologetic look at Athrun, and to his credit her bodyguard appeared relatively calm, although Cagalli could tell Yuna's actions had made him a little uneasy.

Sorry, Athrun, she thought, Please, I need you to bear with me here for a little while…

Unato stepped forward. "Yuna! I understand how you feel, but you need to exercise more control over yourself. You're a member of the Seiran family; keep your composure in public. I'm sure the ZAFT personnel here are shocked at your behavior."

Cagalli looked back at Captain Gladys, who had quietly descended the ramp behind her and Athrun. To the Captain's credit she seemed fairly at ease, and she simply shook her head and smiled.

"It's quite all right, prime minister Seiran," she said, "I'm sure all of Orb is greatly relieved at the safe return of its Chief Representative."

Unato gave her a rather stiff bow. "Indeed. Thank you for watching over Lady Cagalli and bringing her home."

Captain Gladys nodded. "It was my pleasure."

"Unato," said Cagalli, "I promised Captain Gladys that we would assist with the Minerva's maintenance while it's here. Her crew is also to be allowed shore leave. I trust this won't be an issue?"

Unato shook his head. "No. I believe we owe ZAFT that as a courtesy for bringing you home."

Cagalli sighed with relief. That was one small matter out of the way, and it was nice that she hadn't received any pushback on it.

"Thank you," she said, "Also, I'm sorry that I was absent during such a difficult time. Is there any damage to our country from the remaining fragments of debris?"

"Our coastal patrols and radar spotted a few pieces that touched down in the ocean," he replied, "but there've been no impacts reported on land."

Cagalli smiled. "Thank goodness. What about elsewhere in the world? Has there been any news?"

"We've had some reports of bits of debris hitting the ground in North America and East Asia," said Unato, "but there's been no major damage so far."

Cagalli nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. It looks like Operation Redemption was a complete success."

"Operation Redemption?" asked Yuna.

"I'm sorry," said Captain Gladys, "That was the ZAFT codename for today's mission."

Unato nodded. "I see. The mission certainly did succeed in preventing loss of life on Earth. However, I'm afraid that's not the end of the matter. Captain Gladys, I'm sure you understand what comes next."

The Captain nodded, and Cagalli saw her eyes narrow. "Of course, prime minister. I know that our Supreme Council Chairman will be conducting a full inquiry into the matter, and I'd expect nothing less of Orb and other nations on Earth."

"An inquiry?" asked Athrun, clearly taken aback, "Why? We stopped the colony drop and took out all the radicals involved in the attempt!"

"Questions still need to be answered," said Yuna sharply, giving Cagalli's boyfriend a glare, "The entire world was put at risk and was on the brink of Armageddon. Do you really think that just because disaster was averted that the matter is settled?"

"We already know who the culprits are, and they were dealt with in the battle today!" Athrun shot back, "The Supreme Council Chairman himself admitted that they were remnants of the old regime, and ZAFT took responsibility and eliminated them!"

"That may be so," said Unato, "but there are still issues that need to be addressed. How were these remnants able to amass the force that they did? How were the able to acquire the technology required to move debris as large as the ruins of Junius Seven? I'm afraid that it will be quite some time before this matter can be put to bed."

"I'm sure that my nation will fully cooperate with any investigations carried out by Orb or other nations on Earth," said Captain Gladys.

Cagalli sighed. She'd been home for less than five minutes and already the mood had soured. She understood the need for the inquiries the others were discussing, but she was also well aware of how those could be twisted from fact-finding missions to political stunts. The fact that Unato and Yuna had so eagerly jumped on that did not bode well for the days ahead.

I don't know what they're planning, she thought, but I won't let them play politics with this. If there has to be an investigation then I'll make sure Orb conducts one fairly and impartially.

She gave Captain Gladys a nod and an apologetic smile. "I appreciate your willingness to cooperate, Captain Gladys. I'm sure Chairman Durandal will echo the sentiment. With an open process and investigation I believe we can bring this affair to a reasonable conclusion."

The Captain nodded. "So do I, Lady Cagalli."

"In the meantime," said Unato, "there are other matters of state that must be attended to. Lady Cagalli, are you ready?"

"So soon?" asked Athrun, "Can't she at least rest a little? She's been through a lot this week."

"I wasn't aware that the bodyguard spoke for the master," said Yuna harshly, "I'm sure Cagalli can decide what she can handle without help from you."

Cagalli glared at him; there was only so much she'd tolerate from Yuna. "That's enough, Yuna! As my bodyguard it's his responsibility to look after my well-being. He was well within his right to say what he did!"

Yuna held up his hands in surrender, but the look on his face smacked of faux-apology. "I'm sorry, Cagalli. It won't happen again."

Damn it, she thought, looking at her boyfriend, Athrun, you shouldn't have to put up with this crap. I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess.

She put her arm on Athrun's and smiled. "I'll be okay, Athrun. Besides, you're the one that actually fought in the battle today. If anyone needs a break I'm sure it's you."

Athrun shook his head. "I'm all right, Cagalli. I'll stick by your side as long as you need me."

"I appreciate that," said Cagalli, "but really, get some rest. I know there're some friends that you should catch up with now that we're back."

Athrun nodded, and Cagalli was glad that he took the hint. With all that was going on in the world, not to mention everything that had happened today, it was important that he connect with other members of Terminal as soon as possible. Cagalli would've loved to join him, but with her governmental duties she feared it would be quite some time before she'd get a chance to do so."

"Okay," he said, "but if you need me, call me."

Cagalli nodded. "You got it."

….

Lunamaria's eyes widened at her sister's announcement. "Really? Are you serious?"

Meyrin smiled. "Yup. I just heard the Captain talking to Arthur on the bridge about it before I left. We're gonna get some shore leave!"

Lunamaria was practically beaming at the news. "That's awesome! Guys, did you hear that?"

They were in a lounge on the Minerva that was used by the regular crew as a place to relax between shifts. Supposedly it wasn't as nice as the space the officers and visiting dignitaries had access to, but it was fairly large and comfortable so Lunamaria definitely wasn't complaining. Shinn and Rey were there, along with Yolan from the hangar crews. Standing off to the side, leaning against a wall with his arms folded, was none other than Wufei.

Lunamaria wasn't sure why Altron Custom's pilot had decided to stick around, but despite the arguments she'd had with him up until now she actually didn't mind his presence. It meant that she would have more chances to prove herself to him, not to mention learn more about him; there was no way she could let things stand with that teaser he'd given up in orbit.

If Wufei was psyched at the thought of exploring Orb he certainly didn't show it. Lunamaria supposed that was par for the course when it came to him, and there was always the possibility that he was already familiar with the island nation. If that was the case then she wondered if he'd be willing to show her around later. If not, she could always ask Shinn to do that.

She saw Rey nod. "We heard that quite clearly, Lunamaria."

"That's great!" said Yolan, "I've always wanted to check this place out!"

"Me too!" said Meyrin, "There's supposed to be this big electronics district not too far from here! I can't wait to go there!"

Lunamaria turned to Shinn. "Shinn, this is your homeland, right? What are your favorite hot spots?"

She was rather taken aback to see him clench his teeth before getting up and heading for the door. "Sorry, I'm not interested."

"Huh?" said Lunamaria, raising an eyebrow, "Hey, Shinn! Wait!"

"Let him go," said Wufei as Shinn left the room.

Lunamaria turned to him, surprised at his input. "Why?"

"You can't tell?" said Wufei, his gaze lingering on the door Shinn had just left through, "This might be his homeland, but that doesn't mean he's thrilled to be back."

Lunamaria sighed. "Look, I know he's not exactly fond of Orb, but he lived here for a long time. He can't hate it that much."

"Why do you assume it's only hate that he feels?" said Wufei, "One's past can elicit a wide range of emotions. Thinking only one is at play here is overly simplistic."

Lunamaria folded her arms. "Fine, then. What's your bet?"

Wufei shrugged. "I don't know him as well as you do."

"That's a dodge," Lunamaria shot back, "Come on, you can do better than that."

Wufei nodded. "Fine. He's angry at being back here, sure, but if I had to guess it also hurts him to be here. Something happened that he holds Orb responsible for, whether it was in this land itself or somewhere else. Being here is probably dredging up some old memories that he'd rather keep buried."

That was a surprisingly thoughtful answer, one that Lunamaria did not have an easy answer for. From what Lunamaria knew Shinn had actually come to the PLANTs from Orb's Elysium colony, not the homeland itself. Still, given what had happened when the Earth Alliance had attacked that colony two years ago it wouldn't be too shocking that Shinn might be less than fond of his former country.

Lunamaria sighed. "All right, I guess that's fair. He could still be a little less moody about it."

"How he handles is his past is his choice and his alone," said Wufei, "He has to work through it one way or another though, otherwise he might not last too long as a mobile suit pilot."

Lunamaria's eyes narrowed. "What about you? From what you told me up in orbit a while back it sounds like you've got your own past issues to work out."

"I have worked them out," he replied sharply, "It's the future I'm trying to figure out now, and I don't care to discuss that in front of a crowd."

Lunamaria blushed; she'd completely forgotten that Meyrin, Rey, and Yolan were still in the room with them. "Right… sorry."

Wufei shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

There was an awkward silence before Yolan worked up the nerve to break it. "So… how long do you think we'll be staying in Orb?"

"Probably not too long," said Rey, "The Captain will want to get some maintenance done here, but there's no real reason for us to linger since Carpentaria's not too far away. I imagine we'll be basing out of there until the Defense Council or the Chairman recalls us to the homeland."

"I bet things are pretty tense back there right now," said Meyrin, "I mean, we just fought an entire fleet of holdouts from the old regime, and they tried to drop a colony onto Earth!"

"It won't just be your homeland that experiences tension," said Wufei darkly, "The whole world's on edge. This matter's far from over."

"What are you talking about?" asked Lunamaria, "We won, didn't we? We beat the radicals and stopped the ruins from falling. The world's safe again!"

"We removed one threat," said Wufei grimly, "but that's a short-term victory. The attempted colony drop and the attack on Armory One aren't simply battles; they're skirmishes in a much larger game. There are forces at work here, both in the open and behind the scenes. The way they see it, we're just pawns on the chessboard."

"You speak as though you've seen this sort of thing before," said Rey, giving Wufei a suspicious look.

The Gundam pilot simply nodded. "I have."

"What are you talking about?" asked Yolan.

Wufei closed his eyes for a moment before he spoke again, and when he did he struck Lunamaria as somehow being both here and somewhere very far away. "The endless waltz… even here, it continues onward. That's probably why he stayed…"

"Endless waltz?" asked Meyrin, raising her eyebrow, "I've never heard that term before."

"Me neither," said Lunamaria, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"History is cyclical," said Wufei, "Don't tell me you never noticed. War, peace, and revolution; they're the notes of an endless waltz conducted in three-four time. One way or another, humanity moves from one step to the next."

Lunamaria shook her head. "You're wrong. The Bloody Valentine War is over, and despite what's happened in recent days the Earth Sphere is still at peace. There's no reason for that to change!"

"You're the one who's wrong," said Wufei, giving her a dark glare, "The last war is over, yes, but peace has had its chance and failed. The incidents with Armory One and Junius Seven are no mere brushfires; they're the sparks of revolution. From there humanity's course is inevitable, regardless of what people like Lady Cagalli might try to do to stop it."

"You're forgetting Chairman Durandal," said Rey, "He will not stand idly by while your so-called 'endless waltz' plays out."

"Rey's right," said Yolan, "The Chairman can stop a new war from happening!"

Wufei chuckled. "Can he? Some things are beyond even the most powerful politicians. Authority, charisma, and cunning are powerful assets, but even they have their limits. If your Chairman wishes to prevent a wider war then I think he's very much facing an uphill battle."

"You'd be surprised with what he can accomplish," said Meyrin, "A lot of people were saying that a new colony out at L4 couldn't be built, but Chairman Durandal pushed ahead with the program and proved them all wrong."

"She's right," said Lunamaria, "Things might look dicey now, but if anyone can turn them around and forge a brighter path then it's Chairman Durandal."

If she was hoping for a major turnaround in Wufei's opinion she was sorely disappointed. The Gundam pilot simply shrugged.

"We'll see," he said.

A heavy silence fell over the room before Yolan broke it, just like before. "Well… I've got stuff to do. If you guys hear anything about the shore leave schedules, let me know. Later!"

Rey nodded. "I should go as well."

The two boys left, leaving just Lunamaria, Meyrin, and Wufei in the lounge. Meyrin looked awkwardly between the two of them, as if she was torn between trying to strike up another conversation or simply leaving.

"Well," said Meyrin nervously, "I guess I'll see you both later."

Lunamaria nodded. "Later, sis."

As her sister left the room Lunamaria turned to Wufei. "You know, you can be a real killjoy sometimes. We worked our butts off in the fight today, but the way you're talking you make it sound like it was all for nothing!"

Wufei shook his head. "Your victory was important, but every battle always takes place within a larger context. The end of an engagement sets the stage for future events, and inevitably that includes a new battle somewhere down the line. We managed to save the Earth from devastation today, but the fact that these radicals were able to threaten it at all despite losing power at the end of the last war raises questions that the nations of Earth will want answered."

"So what?" said Lunamaria, "The PLANTs will want those questions answered, too. The Supreme Council will probably have an investigation and then present their findings to the world."

"Perhaps," said Wufei, "but tell me; given the past animosity between the PLANTs and the Earth Alliance, do you think the latter will take the former's findings at face value? ZAFT did construct a weapon capable of ending all life on Earth in the last war, after all. Don't think that the nations on the surface of the planet have forgotten that."

GENESIS, she thought grimly, Damn it, even after that thing's been reduced to bits of scrap it's still casting a shadow over everything.

She sighed. "Fine… I guess you have a point there. So they'll do their own investigations. There's no reason why the PLANTs wouldn't cooperate. They'll come to the same conclusions as the Supreme Council and things will settle down."

Wufei shook his head. "You're forgetting the attack on Armory One. That wasn't just to steal prototype mobile suits. Someone's out to fan the flames of war. The strike on the colony at L4 shot tensions through the roof, and the colony drop, even if it failed, will likely do the same. Remember, those same people that we fought at Armory One and in the Debris Belt were also present at today's battle, and they were trying to sabotage the drilling operation. Their agenda is renewed conflict, not continued peace. If there's a way that they can continue to stir things up, they'll find it. Regardless of the official investigation results there is still the potential for the situation to spiral out of control."

A shiver went down Lunamaria's spine. "What are you saying? You know how bad the last war was, right? Are you seriously telling me that there're people willing to reignite that kind of hell, who will stop at nothing to start a bloodbath like that?"

"There are always those who see war as the preferred means to their end," said Wufei, "That's been true as long as mankind has existed. They seek to start conflicts one way or another. They are the great instigators, and the rest of us get swept up in the hurricane."

She wanted to argue with him, but there was just a sense of certainty in his tone that Lunamaria found impossible to debate. It also carried the weight of experience; Lunamaria knew that he was speaking from what he'd seen and done in his past, regardless of the fact that she didn't have a clue as to what that past was.

"It's a vicious cycle," he continued, "Although… for some of us, it's the only way we know how to live. Spend enough time on the battlefield, and eventually that becomes more familiar than peace."

"And that's you?" asked Lunamaria quietly, "You feel like you belong on the battlefield?"

Wufei nodded. "I do. I know how wrong people find that, but I can't deny that it's the truth. So I have to make sure that I'm fighting for justice. That way I don't lose myself to the chaos."

Lunamaria nodded. "I… I see."

She didn't really get it, truth be told, but she had no idea what the right sort of response was to what he'd just said. A little over a week ago she'd never set foot on the battlefield before. How could she have any idea what it was like to know war better than peace?

"Wufei," she said hesitantly, "why didn't you join your friends when they descended to Earth? Why did you stay with us?"

"The Minerva's been at the center of events ever since the attack on Armory One," he replied, "When the fighting starts up again I have no doubt that she'll be right in the thick of it. Here's where I have the best chance to fight and find justice."

"Really?" she said, raising an eyebrow, "That's it?"

Wufei closed his eyes for a moment. "Well… I suppose that's most of it. Not the entirety of it, but the majority."

Lunamaria folded her arms. "And what's the minority?"

Wufei smirked. "What, you think it's you?"

Lunamaria felt an unexpected surge of heat come rushing to her face. She had been thinking exactly that, although for the life of her she could not figure out why.

"Well…" she said, flustered and caught completely off guard, "I wasn't… I mean… it's not like I really thought you'd stick around just for me."

"No," said Wufei, "although… I suppose you were that other reason."

She didn't think it was possible for her face to get any hotter, but it was definitely making an effort at proving her wrong. "Wait… what?"

"You've got ears," he said, "You know what you heard."

"But… why?" she asked, trying very hard to regain her composure.

Wufei shrugged. "You've been trying to show me that you can grow as a pilot; that you want to reach my level. I want to see how far you can go... before you get yourself in over your head, anyway. I might even pass along a few pointers if you're lucky."

"Wait," said Lunamaria, "are you offering to train me?"

Wufei shook his head. "Don't get the wrong idea. I said I might give you a few tips. I never said anything about making you my pupil. I really just want to see how you'll progress. Knowing you I'll have to bail you out of trouble sooner or later."

Lunamaria's eyes narrowed. "You still don't think I can handle myself, is that it? Well I'm going to shove that elitist attitude of yours right down your throat. Just watch!"

"Whatever you say," Wufei replied before walking out of the room.

…

That girl, thought Wufei as he headed towards the Minerva's upper deck, She's got a lot of nerve…

He kept playing their conversation over in his head as he travelled through the ship's corridors. His arguments about wanting to be at the center of the action to seek fulfillment and to fight for justice, along with seeing the Minerva as the means to do that, made sense to him. They fit in comfortably with whom he was and the sense of honor that had become so deeply ingrained in him over the years.

However…

…the girl was another matter.

He'd never admit it out loud, but Wufei knew that Lunamaria had played a bigger role in his decision than he'd let on earlier. She still wasn't the main reason he'd stayed, but she'd certainly factored into the decision, and he was still having trouble figuring out why.

Was he actually considering mentoring her? That was one thought, and it was the least crazy one as far as he was concerned. Her mobile suit might be a mass production model and she might still be a new pilot, but there was no denying that Lunamaria had some potential for growth. Wufei didn't think it would be to the level of a Gundam pilot, but there was certainly room for development for her. With greater experience and help from a seasoned veteran she could become a force to be reckoned with.

Still, did he really intend to take her under his wing? The notion of being a teacher was a very odd one for Wufei. He didn't know if he had the patience for that sort of thing. That being said, he still found that reason preferable to the other one that was in his mind.

Damn it, he thought as he stepped out onto the upper deck, I came to this world to escape the old one, and that includes my past. So why…

…why does that girl keep reminding me of her?

The bustle of dockworkers and heavy machinery echoed all around him, but Wufei paid it so little mind that the noise might as well have not been there at all. The focus of the Gundam pilot was far too disciplined to be distracted by such a ruckus, even when the center of his intent was in his own mind rather than a target.

Their appearances were markedly different, but in terms of personality Lunamaria was far too much like another girl from Wufei's past for comfort. Her courage, her determination to fight, and her desire to prove herself to others… Lunamaria and her might as well have been long lost siblings despite the superficial differences, not to mention the gap between worlds. The two of them would've gotten along quite well, Wufei had no doubt of that.

It was too bad that the other girl had passed on long ago.

That may have contributed to another reason for Wufei sticking around; to make sure that Lunamaria didn't meet the same fate as her. When the new war broke out, and Wufei was quite certain that it was just a matter of time before it did, Lunamaria would still be on the Minerva, and if that ship was going to be at the center of the action then that meant that she would be too. Despite the arguments they'd had so far, Wufei was surprisingly determined to keep her alive, although he would never admit it to her.

I didn't come to this world for a girl, he thought, I came here for the same reason that Heero stayed; to find a new purpose, and a new battlefield. Helping her is just something I'm doing on the side.

Looking out over the railing, he watched as the Morgenroete crews continued their work on the ship. Their country was officially neutral, but when the chips were down Wufei had to wonder if they'd be able to keep that stance. From the information Heero had shared with him Wufei knew that the nation had suffered considerably at the hands of the Earth Alliance as the price for not joining their campaign against the PLANTs. Their young Chief Representative seemed honest and courageous enough, but would other members of the country's ruling class be willing to stand by her when the superpowers of the world came calling and demanding their allegiance?

Wufei doubted it.

"The land of peace," he muttered, recalling the nickname Orb had in the Cosmic Era, "So was the Sanc Kingdom. They didn't last too long."

Orb had a full military as opposed to the old Sanc Kingdom's complete lack of forces or the short-lived reborn nation's small group of mobile suits, but against the might of the Earth Alliance and ZAFT it only meant that they'd be able to at least put up a fight before being consumed by one or the other. The Treaty of Junius Seven had placed official limits on the sizes of the forces wielded by the two superpowers, but those militaries still dwarfed what Orb could feel, and if what he'd seen in orbit over the past week was any indication then at minimum the Earth Alliance was fielding additional units off the books. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination for ZAFT to have its own undeclared forces, and Wufei knew that even Cagalli was playing fast and loose with the treaty. Heero's Terminal group might not be an official part of the Orb military, but they had a strong if behind-the-scenes presence in the country and had the covert backing of not only the nation's ruler but also the core of its chief armaments manufacturer.

The world stood on the edge of a knife, whether it realized it or not. Orb was like any other neutral nation caught in the middle of an impending clash between the dominant powers; it was at the mercy of the whims of giants. The only difference was that its powerful military made it a much more desirable party, and if both sides hadn't begun courting the ruling elite yet Wufei was sure that it was only a matter of time before the backroom talks began… and that the country's idealistic leader would be completely blindsided by it.

Treize, he thought with a smirk, you would've thrived in a world like this. People being manipulated left and right, the stage being set for a new conflagration. You definitely would've made your mark on this world.

Maybe I will, too.

….

"Thanks for bringing us along," said Kira from the back seat of the convertible.

Heero nodded as he took the black car around a gentle curve. "Don't mention it."

Glancing at the front passenger seat, he saw Murrue leaning back, a smile on her face as her long brown hair flowed in the wind. She'd changed out of her Orb military uniform before leaving the Archangel's secret hangar and was now dressed in standard Morgenroete attire, but to Heero that didn't detract from her beauty in the least.

"It was the least we could do," said Murrue as she looked back at their two passengers, both of whom were dressed in civilian clothing, "I'm surprised the two of you didn't want to go straight back to Reverend Malchio's place."

Behind her, Lacus smiled. "We will in due time, but for now we thought it would be best to stay at the estate. There's so much going on in the world right now that I believe it is best for us to remain nearby."

"Besides," said Kira with a grin, "we can't pass up the chance to meet the other Gundam pilots."

"Three of them, at any rate," said Heero, "If nothing else, you'll find them to be interesting."

Murrue laughed. "It'd be hard not to considering that they're from your old world. If they could keep pace with you then they'd be anything but boring."

Heero smirked. "Can't argue with that."

Duo's reaction alone to my relationship with Murrue will be worth all the trouble his entrance caused at Armory One, he mused, I really should try to catch that on camera. Even I can use a laugh sometimes.

Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw that Lacus had a wistful smile on her face as her long pink hair flowed in the wind. "I wish my father were able to meet them. I'm sure he would've enjoyed that as much as he would've liked to meet you, Heero."

Lacus had shown remarkable resilience in how she had carried the pain of her father's death over the past few years. For someone who looked so fragile on the outside, her inner strength truly was impressive. Heero could only wonder what her parents had been like. It was one thing to hear about them from Lacus and those that had fled the PLANTs along with her, but the chance to make his own first impression with them was tragically lost forever.

I'm sure Duo and the others will draw comparisons between Lacus and Relena, he thought as he took the convertible down a beachside road, I know I did.

Glancing at Murrue, he saw her looking out at the shore and smiling. "What a lovely view. We got back to Orb at a great time, didn't we?"

It was hard to argue with that sentiment. The late afternoon sun beamed down on the sand and the sea. The waves practically sparkled in the light, and even with the wind from the moving car it was still quite warm. It was a stark contrast from the fierce battle that the four of them had been involved in just a few hours ago.

In the rearview mirror Heero saw two black sedans following not too far behind. Normally he would've been concerned, but those two vehicles had been with them since they'd left the docks and were carrying Andrew and Aisha Waltfeld, Dearka Elsman, Yzak Joule, and Flay Allster.

"Do you think Shemei and her girls will be at the estate by the time we get there?" asked Kira.

Heero shook his head. "The Dominion's dock is a bit further away than the Archangel's. I imagine they'll arrive a little bit after we do."

"Don't forget Eric, Natarle, and Mu," said Lacus, "I'm sure they want to meet the other Gundam pilots as much as the rest of us."

"Quite so," said Murrue with a smirk, "and I imagine they'll want to check out their mobile suits too. Heero, please tell me that your friends don't have their machines rigged to blow like you did when you first came here."

Heero shook his head. "We did while we were on board the Minerva, but when we got to the estate's hangar I told them that they didn't need to do that here. There's no risk of an accidental detonation here."

"That's a relief," said Kira, "Hey, what about Miriallia? Do you think she's made it off the Minerva by now?"

"Probably," said Heero, "Captain Gladys treated her well during her stay on the ship, and she has no reason to hold her. I bet she's on her way to the estate as we speak."

"Dearka will be pleased to see her again," said Lacus, "I know he was worried about her."

"We all were," said Murrue, "Her assignment wasn't an easy one."

"No," said Heero, "but it was one she pulled off very well. The changing situation forced her to improvise, but she was still able to keep her cover and continue to help us gather valuable intel."

"At least she's back in Orb now," said Lacus, "She's earned a break after the work she's done."

Kira nodded. "Agreed."

They were relatively quiet for the rest of the drive, which wasn't a very long one. Within minutes Heero could see their estate, and soon enough he was pulling the vehicle into the driveway and then into the large garage, with the other two cars close behind him. The garage door began to close as the last vehicle entered, and Heero was the first to get out of the car.

"Ah," said Murrue, stretching as she got out of the car after him and smiling as she looked around the garage, "It's so good to be home."

Heero nodded. "Yeah."

"Hopefully we can grab dinner soon," said Kira.

"We should wait until the others from the Dominion arrive and all the introductions have been made," said Lacus, "After that a meal would be lovely."

"Agreed," said Andrew as he stepped out of his vehicle.

"That does sound nice," said Aisha as she followed suit.

"Yeah," said Dearka as he got out of the back seat, "Fighting does help work up an appetite."

"So," said Yzak as he stepped out of the other car, "when do we get to meet the new pilots?"

"Yeah," said Flay as she hopped out of the passenger seat, "We've been looking forward to it ever since Heero said they'd arrived. Don't keep us waiting!"

"They're inside," said Heero as he turned to Murrue, "Shall we?"

She grabbed his hand and smiled. "Yes."

The two of them led the way into their home. Since the others had started eating as Heero had gone out the door earlier he knew that the most likely places to find them would either be in the living room or out on the large terrace that overlooked the beach. The Gundam pilot decided to start inside and then work his way out if he had to.

It was only a few seconds later that he could hear the voices of Duo, Quatre, and Trowa coming from down the hall, and Heero knew that he'd made the right decision. Coming around the corner, he found his three friends seated on one of the couches, while Akila and Soran Rehema were on another.

"…and that's how I talked Quatre into doing a keg stand," Duo was saying as Heero and the others entered the room, "In hindsight, that probably wasn't my smartest move. He really can't hold his booze."

"I can hold it just fine when I'm allowed to spread it out," said Quatre, folding his arms but still smiling, "Of course I'm going to throw up when you have me chug it like a college frat boy."

"Aw, come on," said Duo, punching him on the shoulder, "You know you had fun! That was one hell of a party!"

"And to think that we were celebrating Howard's birthday on that occasion," said Trowa dryly, "He didn't strike me as the type to go all out with a party like that."

Akila was laughing, and Soran looked like he was trying very hard not to join her. For his part Heero was pleased to see that his godparents were getting along so well with his old friends. It was a promising omen for what was to come.

"Well," said Soran, "it looks like we'll really have to pull out all the stops to make sure that parties in the Cosmic Era live up to the standards you set in your world."

"They weren't all like that," said Quatre, laughing, "Most of them were significantly more dignified."

"And they were boring because of it," said Duo with a smirk, "A party's not a party until you get completely shitfaced. Setting something on fire also helps."

"That better not include this place," said Heero, "I happen to like it being in one piece, you know."

His three friends turned around, looking quite surprised at his arrival. Of course, it didn't take them long to recover as they all stood up in greeting.

"Yo, Heero!" said Duo, "About time you showed up!"

"Good to see you," said Trowa.

"We've been having a nice chat with Mr. and Mrs. Akila," said Quatre, "They gave us a great tour of this place earlier. You've really got an impressive setup here!"

"Welcome back," said Akila as she and Soran stood as well, "It's good to see all of you in one piece."

"You have some very entertaining friends, Heero," said Soran with a chuckle, "I wish we'd gotten to meet them sooner."

"Speaking of friends," said Quatre as he nodded at Heero's group, "it looks like you've made quite a few since we last saw you, Heero."

"No kidding!" said Duo, "Man, when did you become so popular?"

"Probably comes with being the only Gundam pilot in this world until the rest of us showed up," said Trowa.

"I guess we really shouldn't be surprised," said Quatre with a smirk, "He dropped in here in the middle of a war, which was the best possibly way for him to make an impression. I just hope he didn't threaten to kill any of you first. He does that sometimes."

Duo shook his head and chuckled. "Yeah, that's Heero; death threats first, friendship later."

"I'll admit," said Murrue, smiling, "things were a little tense when we first met. We managed to come to an arrangement, though. One that I'm quite pleased with."

Duo smirked as he looked at Murrue. "If I were him I'd be pleased with it too. Leave it to Heero to meet a total babe and start things off on the wrong note. Had it been me I think you would've been a little more impressed, miss…"

Murrue chuckled. "Murrue Ramius, Captain of the Archangel. I must say that I'm a bit surprised. I know Gundam pilots are bold, but it really takes nerve for one of them to try to flirt with me in front of my boyfriend."

Duo looked at the crowd in confusion. "Boyfriend? Where?"

Heero couldn't help but smirk. This was going to be good.

He looked at Murrue, who was clearly just as amused by the situation as he was. She met his gaze, and the mischievous look in her lovely brown eyes was quite promising.

"I think I'd better put you in your place, Maxwell," said Murrue as she leaned in towards Heero, "What do you say, love?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Heero replied as he accepted her invitation for a fierce kiss.

The warm moistness of her mouth and her aggressive tongue were worth more to Heero than all the money in the world no matter how many times he experienced them. It was even better this time because, while his attention was only on his lover, he was sure that Duo was now giving the two of them his undivided attention.

All right, he thought as their lips slowly parted, time to survey the damage…

Heero and Murrue looked at the three Gundam pilots, and he was not disappointed by what he saw. Quatre had his arms folded and a knowing smile on his face, while Trowa was smirking and shaking his head.

Their reactions paled in comparison to Duo's, though. The L2 native looked absolutely floored. It was quite rare to be able to render Deathscythe Omega's pilot speechless, but Heero and Murrue's public display of affection had certainly done the trick. If Duo's jaw dropped any further Heero was sure that it would fall right off his head and hit the floor, while his eyes looked wider than artillery shells.

"What's the matter, Maxwell?" said Murrue with a smirk, "I thought you were supposed to be a smooth talker. Cat got your tongue?"

Heero chuckled. "That's certainly one way to put it by the look of things."

Duo's mouth started moving, but no words came out. He was clearly struggling for words, and Heero was now really wishing that he was recording this.

"Duo?" said Quatre, waving a hand in front of his face, "Are you okay? Anybody home in there?"

"I think he's broken," said Trowa with no small amount of amusement, "Too bad Wufei's not here to see this."

"You…" Duo finally said, his finger going back and forth between Heero and Murrue, "and her… who… when… how?"

"Surely you can do better than that, Duo," said Akila with a laugh and a smile, "You were quite chatty earlier."

Soran chuckled. "Should we call a medic?"

"No, don't," said Quatre with a smirk, "You have no idea how rare it is to see him like this. We really need to enjoy it while it lasts."

"Hilde would get a kick out of it," said Trowa.

After what seemed like an eternity Duo shook his head and chuckled. "Well… that explains a few things. No wonder you said you weren't coming back…"

"That's right," said Heero firmly, "and that's not changing."

For a moment Heero thought Duo might pick up the argument they'd had about a week ago from where they'd left off, but to his relief his old friend smiled. "Well, if you'd told me earlier that you'd hooked up with a hot older woman then I wouldn't have given you such a hard time about it! You really need to work on your communication, Heero… unless that was intentional."

Heero smirked. "It was, actually."

Duo folded his arms. "Damn, that's cruel even for you, old buddy!"

"Perhaps," said Murrue as she put her arm around Heero, "but it was completely worth it just for your reaction, Maxwell."

"You can say that again," Quatre chimed in.

"Agreed," said Trowa.

Duo sighed. "Fine, everybody gang up on poor old Duo. I guess I did walk right into that one."

"So," said Heero, his eyes narrowing, "does that mean you accept what I told you earlier?"

Duo nodded. "Yeah, it does. I'll drop it, buddy. Although… I still find it hard to believe that you hooked up with a babe like your Captain here! You're really tapping that?"

"Say 'tapping that' again," said Heero, "and I'll kneecap you."

Duo chuckled. "I'm going to take that as a 'yes', then. Good for you, man! Always thought that you needed to get laid. Good thing my wife's not here; Hilde would slug me a good one for the way I've been talking the past few minutes."

Behind him Heero heard Aisha laugh. "Oh, I like this one, Andy."

The Desert Tiger chuckled. "Yeah. Talk about a real card, huh?"

"Must be the comedian of the group," said Yzak dryly, "He'll be trouble."

Flay giggled. "Ease up, Yzak. He's one of Heero's friends, remember?"

"Yeah," said Dearka, "but that doesn't mean that he won't be a handful."

"Good thing they're all on our side," said Kira.

"Indeed," said Lacus, "although I'm sure they all have their unique eccentricities if Heero serves as a good indicator."

"You guys know that I can hear you, right?" said Duo, "I'd at least like know who you all are before you start talking about me."

"As would I," said Quatre, "We're all on the same team now after all, right?"

"It would be nice to be properly acquainted," said Trowa.

Heero nodded and gestured to Murrue and the others. "Fair enough. You just met Murrue. This is Andrew and Aisha Waltfeld, Kira Yamato, Lacus Clyne, Yzak Joule, Flay Allster, and Dearka Elsman. We all met at one point or another during the Bloody Valentine War, and we're all part of the independent paramilitary organization Terminal."

"You three really can't imagine how excited we've been since Heero told us that you'd arrived in the Cosmic Era," said Murrue with a smile, "Back when we first met him we could hardly believe that Heero was from another world, and one that could make mobile suits as powerful as Wing Zero. When he told us about the rest of you during the last war it was quite a shock to learn that there were other pilots like him."

"We never thought you'd come over to our world quite like this," said Andrew, "Although we've all been hoping to meet you someday. Heero set the bar pretty high when he told us that you were each as good as him."

"No pressure," Aisha chimed in with a wink.

Duo chuckled. "So our rep got here before us, huh? I'm good with that!"

"I'm a bit surprised," said Quatre, "Heero's a hard guy to get to open up."

"Perhaps you boys were just going about it wrong," said Murrue as she kissed Heero on the cheek, "Some things require a woman's touch, after all."

I won't argue with that, thought Heero with a smirk.

He saw Trowa chuckle. "I wonder if that'll work with Wufei."

Indeed, Heero mused, Lunamaria Hawke got close to Wufei rather quickly giving the limited time and his aloof nature, at least if his behavior concerning her during the past two battles is anything to go by. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out.

"It's too bad he did not join you in coming here," said Lacus, "It would've been nice to meet him as well."

"He's the one with the green Gundam, right?" asked Kira, "He seemed like a really talented fighter."

Duo laughed. "Sure, Wufei's got the moves on the battlefield, but people skills? Not much talent there."

"I'm sure you'll get to meet him eventually," said Quatre, "Wufei just does things differently from the rest of us. He'll rejoin us sooner or later."

"Well," said Murrue, "in the meantime I think we've got enough of a crowd. Why don't we all take a seat? I'm sure there's a lot for all of us to talk about."

"Roger that," said Heero.

….

Taking a sip from his cup of coffee, Quatre smiled as he savored the flavor. It had been brewed by the Desert Tiger, and the Gundam pilot had to admit that the ex-ZAFT Field Marshal certainly had a talent for this sort of thing.

I'll have to ask him for the recipe, he thought, Rasheed and the rest of the Maganac Corps would definitely like this.

The smile wasn't just from the good coffee. Everyone was relaxing in the living room of Terminal's estate, and at the center of it all was none other than Heero. He was still as calm and centered as ever, but he'd definitely become more talkative and outgoing since he'd left the After Colony world over two years ago. Watching his old friend, Quatre was now solidly convinced that the incident with the Barge reactor that had started this whole chain of events had ultimately been for the best. Heero had saved the Earth Sphere of After Colony one last time before journeying to a new world and not only saving that one but also meeting a host of new friends, not to mention a woman to build a new life with.

Quatre might not have been the most intimidating of the Gundam pilots, but he was definitely at the top of the pack when it came to understanding people. Heero had clearly opened up to Murrue in a way that he'd never opened up to Relena in his old world. Perhaps if he had stuck around his old world and had more time, or if his and Relena's lives hadn't been on such different paths, there might have been a chance for the two of them, but once he'd come to the Cosmic Era and met Murrue it was obvious that the Captain of the Archangel had forged a very deep and meaningful connection with Heero and had done so quite quickly. The bond between the two of them was now impossible to sever, and Quatre wouldn't even make an attempt at it.

He's happy here, thought Quatre as he observed Heero holding Murrue's hand while the two of them exchanged a bit of affectionate banter, This wasn't his world at first, but he's made it his. Our mission really was doomed from the beginning. Sure, we found him, but we'll never get him to return to our world with us. We'll just have to make peace with that.

Fortunately it seemed that the biggest obstacle to that had neutralized itself. Quatre had been worried about Duo ever since the meeting with Heero in the conference room of the Minerva about a week ago, but his reaction to Heero's relationship with Murrue had been surprisingly positive. Whatever Duo's earlier stance on bringing Heero home had been, the L2 native seemed to have let it go. If that was the case then the hardest part about their mission now would simply be getting home and explaining why they hadn't brought Heero with them to the others.

Quatre could worry about those later, though. Right now he was simply a guest in Heero's new home and getting know the Perfect Soldier's new friends. There was no need to worry about the future at the moment. As Duo was fond of saying, they'd figure that out when got to it.

It was interesting to observe the dynamics between everyone. The established couples weren't hard to pick out. Apart from Heero and Murrue, there was Kira and Lacus, Yzak and Flay, Akila and Soran, and Andrew and Aisha. Dearka might've seemed like the odd man out at first, but from snippets that he'd heard so far Quatre knew that his girlfriend was the young woman Heero had introduced to them as Miriallia and had been going under the alias Marilyn Peterson during their time on the Minerva. He assumed that she would be showing up soon enough.

Miriallia clearly wasn't the only person missing from the crowd. From the way the others were talking it seemed that more arrivals were imminent, particularly regarding the pilots and commanding officer of the Dominion. Quatre was looking forward to meeting them face to face as well, with one particular face immediately jumping into the forefront of his mind.

Lan Zhao, he thought, slightly blushing as he replayed his interactions with her during the battle earlier today in his head, She seemed rather… enthusiastic. I mean, I know I saved her life, and she quickly returned the favor… well, at least she appears to be a friendly woman. It should be interesting when she arrives.

Looking at his old friends and new acquaintances, Quatre saw that their gazes all appeared to be on him. Quatre was puzzled until he realized that they were actually looking past him. Turning around, his eyes widened as he saw a group of five women and two men had entered the room behind him, all wearing Morgenroete attire. He immediately zeroed in on one of the women… one clearly of Chinese descent.

Speak of the devil, he thought, That was quick…

His eyes met hers, and he saw that they had a very playful light in them. The smile on her face struck him as downright flirtatious. Her pale skin was a lovely contrast with her raven hair, which was tied up in a ponytail. Quatre couldn't help but take a good look at her lithe figure, one that wore her outfit quite well even if it was the exact same one as her friends had on.

Her smile became a smirk, and Quatre felt his face heat up as he realized that he'd been caught staring. Fortunately she didn't seem to be offended. Quite the contrary if the look in her eyes was any indication…

I really wish I'd asked my sisters for feminine advice before coming to this world, he thought, or paid more attention to Duo whenever he talked about dating Hilde. I get the feeling that I'm a bit out of my league here…

As if the Chinese beauty eyeing him like a panther wasn't enough, the rest of the women with her were no slouches themselves when it came to the beauty department. The woman with the blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and gentle green eyes, whom Quatre recognized from the material Heero had given him as Priscilla Dalca, had a rather bookish sense about her that was nonetheless quite attractive; 'smart cute' was the way that one of his sisters had described that sort of look to him before. A good contrast to her was Adaline Bellerose, whose long and flowing red hair and dark blue eyes went quite well with a body that was quite clearly in tip top shape, and Quatre thought that she would not look out of place on a soccer field or some other sporting event.

The two older women behind the three girls were very attractive in their own right, but they were also clearly taken. The firm beauty that was Natarle Badgiruel had her arm looped through Mu La Flaga's, while the exotic and fierce Shemei Bristow was leaning into her husband, Eric.

Not knowing what else to do, Quatre raised his hand and smiled. "Hello, there."

Lan Zhao's smile only seemed to grow, as did the light in her dark brown eyes. "Hello yourself, handsome!"

Adaline elbowed her in the ribs. "Down, girl."

Priscilla giggled. "Too late for that."

"You'll have to forgive her," said the Valkyrie as she and her husband moved to the front of the group, "Lan gets a little hot under the collar when it comes to cute badass pilots. The fact that you saved her life earlier today certainly earned you some points, and not just from her. Thanks for keeping my little pixy from biting the dust, Quatre."

Lan blushed. "Boss, I told you not to call me that!"

Quatre couldn't help but laugh. "You're welcome. Besides, she saved my life too, so I owe her one."

Eric chuckled. "You shouldn't have said that. Now she'll be trying to think of a way to make you pay up."

"Already got a few in mind," said Lan with a wink.

"Don't let her intimidate you," said La Flaga with a smirk, "You're a Gundam pilot, right?"

"Feel free to play hard-to-get with her," said Natarle with a smile, "Don't make things easy on her!"

"As long as it keeps things interesting," said Lan as she moved forward and leaned against the couch, looking down at Quatre with a grin that was damn near predatory, "I'm all for a good hunt."

"Perhaps you can save the flirting for later," said Murrue, looking rather amused at Quatre's situation, "Apart from Lan, the rest of you have our guests at a disadvantage. I think proper introductions are in order."

"Good point," said the Valkyrie, "I'm Shemei Bristow. I'm the head of Terminal's Valkyrie Team. Lan's one of my pilots, and Adaline and Priscilla are the others. The tall, dark, and handsome one here is my husband, Eric."

"Nice to meet you," said Quatre with a smile.

"Hey," said La Flaga, gesturing with his thumb at Eric, "how come he gets to be the tall, dark, and handsome one?"

"Because you're the one with the roguish charm," said Natarle as she kissed him on the cheek.

La Flaga chuckled. "All right, I'm good with that."

"You're the one that was flying the upgraded Epyon, right?" asked Trowa.

Shemei nodded. "Guilty as charged."

"Man," said Duo, "that thing looks like a real piece of work. Gotta say, you handled it pretty well."

Shemei smiled. "High praise coming from one of Heero's old comrades. Thanks, Maxwell."

Quatre nodded at La Flaga. "You're the pilot of the modified Tallgeese, correct?"

The blond man nodded and smiled. "Yup. Name's Mu La Flaga. I've got Heero to thank for that beast of a machine."

"I thought as much," said Trowa, "The addition of Planet Defensors to the unit was an interesting touch."

"Wonder what Zechs would think of that?" asked Duo.

"Seeing as he moved on to the Epyon later in the war I don't think he'd really care one way or the other," said Heero.

"Another machine that we have your world to thank for," said Natarle, "Heero's given us one surprise after another."

"The new Epyon was flying from your battleship, right?" Quatre asked.

The black haired woman nodded. "Yes. By the way, I'm Natarle Badgiruel, Captain of the Dominion. Believe it or not I actually used to be Murrue's XO when I was on the Archangel."

"And a very capable one at that," Murrue chimed in, "When the Earth Alliance assigned her to the Dominion we wound up on opposite sides of the battlefield, but we were able to get her to join our cause during the final battle of the last war."

Natarle smiled. "And kill Azrael in the process. It felt very good to space his corpse after the fighting was done."

"I'll say," said Flay with a shiver, "I'm glad he's gone."

Yzak put his arm around her shoulder. "That makes two of us. Wish I could've killed him myself… but since Heero got him at least I know the job was done right."

"I did some reading on him earlier in the week," said Quatre, "I don't think we ever ran into anyone like him back in our world."

"Doesn't surprise me," said Lan, "That son of a bitch was a monster in a league of his own. Well, him, Patrick Zala, and Rau Le Creuset. They're all dead and they still have a lot to answer for."

The mischievous and flirty demeanor she'd shown earlier had fallen away, and Quatre was given a new look at the woman who had put him rather off balance since their encounter in the battle earlier that day. There was no smile and no devious glint in those brown eyes of hers. She'd gone from a 'pixy' as the Valkyrie had called her earlier to a rather dark and serious mood. It was a very striking contrast, and one that told Quatre that there was much more to this woman than just her fun side.

It only lasted for a few seconds though. Before he knew it Lan had a friendly smile on her face, and her excited gaze was focused once again on Quatre.

"But, enough about those guys," she said, gracefully sliding over the back of the couch and plopping down right next to Sandrock Saladin's pilot, "Talking about a bunch of dead homicidal maniacs is a real buzz kill, don't you think?"

Quatre met her smile with a nervous one of his own. "You've got a point."

"That she does," said Shemei as she led the rest of the crowd around the couch and they all found places in the living room, "We're not here for the monsters of the past. We're here because you three are old friends of Heero, and you'd better believe that we've got a lot of questions!"

"So it's a friendly interrogation, then?" asked Trowa with a smirk.

"Hey," said Duo with a grin, "if we get to brag about all the ass we kicked in our last war, then I'm all for it!"

"Would that include the time when I stole parts from your Gundam to fix mine?" asked Heero, "Because if we're talking about ass kicking then I'm pretty sure that I kicked yours back then, even if it was through indirect means."

Duo folded his arms and glared at Heero. "That was a cheap shot and you know it! The only reason you got away with it is because I was sleeping!"

Quatre couldn't help but laugh.

This was going to be fun.

….

"This is crazy!" cried Cagalli as she slammed her fists into the table.

The last thing she could be described as having right now was fun. Orb's Chief Representative was stuck in a conference room with both her assembled government ministers and representatives from the other major noble families. Meetings like these were a regular occurrence for her, one that Cagalli had grudgingly accepted as necessary to her duties as the leader of her nation, and they were all the more important in the wake of the momentous clash that had taken place in orbit earlier that day. However, that didn't mean that she had to like them, especially given what her uncle and her cousin had just brought up.

"You want to sanction the PLANTs?" she yelled indignantly, "Their military was crucial in thwarting the attempted colony drop! ZAFT helped save the world! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Her administrative aide, a raven-haired woman in her mid twenties, put a hand on Cagalli's arm. "Lady Cagalli, please calm down!"

Cagalli took a deep breath to try to center herself. It was times like this that she wanted Athrun by her side, and she regretted sending him away even if it had been to shield him from the nastiness of the political reality she had to deal with. If anyone could help her keep her cool, it was him.

I figured this meeting would be bad, she thought, but this? What the hell is going on?

She glared at her prime minister and his son, but when she spoke again Cagalli was much calmer. "At the docks when the Minerva returned me to Orb earlier today you spoke of the need for an inquiry. I understand the need for that, but that inquiry hasn't even officially started and you're talking about sanctions against the PLANTs. This is both premature and highly irresponsible."

"I understand your concern, Lady Cagalli," said Unato, "but a traditional inquiry may not be enough for this situation."

"The world was brought to the brink of ruin today," said Yuna, "Billions of people across the planet could've been killed. The citizens are justly outraged and will demand both answers and accountability, Lady Cagalli."

"I'm aware of the tense state of global affairs and the anxiety of the people," Cagalli replied, "but you're talking about passing judgment before a proper investigation has even started, let alone produced evidence and conclusions. Are you telling me that the Orb Union's afraid to perform its due diligence under pressure?"

"The pressure does not just come from our own people," said Unato, his eyes narrowed to a razor sharp edge, "The Earth Alliance, particularly the Atlantic Federation, is already talking about punitive action."

"We have to look at the way the wind is blowing," said Yuna, "Our embassy in Washington D.C. is already reporting protests outside both the White House and the embassy of the PLANTs."

"The Atlantic Federation is where anti-Coordinator sentiment runs strongest," Cagalli swiftly countered, "Of course there will be extremists demanding action without a meaningful investigation. The bigots in North America have a lot of nerve to demand action against the PLANTs when their nation's own fleet didn't muster as much as a single ship to try and stop the fall of Junius Seven! It seems to me like they should be marching against their own military instead of ZAFT right now!"

"Be that as it may," Unato replied, "the fact is that it was not the Earth Alliance that allowed its ships and mobile suits to be stolen. At minimum this is a sign of gross negligence on the part of ZAFT, and the fact that the terrorists were able to amass such a large force… well, others might draw more drastic conclusions."

Cagalli glared at him. "Are you saying that there are people who actually believe that the PLANTs purposely allowed the radicals to acquire those ships and mobile suits so they could carry out their plot?"

"That's one of the theories floating around," said Yuna, "It may just be one of many fringe conspiracies people are imagining, but the fact that such a theory is out there at all shows just how bad the situation is."

"The enemy force was comprised of forty ships," said Unato, "The ZAFT fleet is far larger, yet the task force they sent to stop the terrorists was numerically inferior. Some people might interpret that as a rather half-hearted attempt to thwart their plan… or even just an act to convince the world that the Coordinators were trying to save the world when they might actually have been in league with the terrorists. There are those who even believe that the terrorists may have sympathizers among Orb's Coordinator population."

Cagalli slammed her fists on the table. "That's enough! Do you have any idea how many ZAFT soldiers, all of them Coordinators, gave their lives today to save us all? I refuse to let their memory be dishonored because of crank theories and fear mongering, and I won't let members of our own population be lumped in with terrorists just because of their genes!"

"A noble gesture," said Yuna with a smug smirk on his face, "but we have to consider every possibility, Cagalli."

Cagalli shook her head. "The inquiry will go ahead as planned, and we will wait for the committee to present its findings before we pass any judgment. Regardless of public opinion or foreign pressure, Orb will not act until we know the truth of this matter. Is that understood?"

Unato slowly nodded, but the gesture did little to convince Cagalli that she had truly swayed him. "As you wish, Lady Cagalli."

How did we get into this mess?, thought Cagalli, How did my country's politics come to this? These sorts of conspiracy theories would never have been entertained under my father's administration. What's happening to Orb?

This was a land where both Naturals and Coordinators were supposed to be equals under the law, yet the Seirans and other members of her government seemed all too ready to assume the worst about Coordinators. Cagalli was determined to stand as a bulwark between them and those who truly needed her protection, but political maneuvering was far from her strong suit. She had no idea what Unato and Yuna had planned, and she feared what they might spring on her next.

"Now," she said, "is there any other business that needs attending?"

Unato shook his head. "That will be all for now, Lady Cagalli."

"You should get some rest," said Yuna with a smile, "I'm sure you could use some after everything that you've been through today."

His concern was far too superficial for her liking, but Cagalli could not deny that her cousin had a point. "In that case, I think I'll retire for the evening. I expect to be kept updated regarding developments with both the inquiry and any other fallout related to today's incident, is that understood?"

"Of course, Lady Cagalli," said Unato.

Cagalli nodded. "Good. This meeting is adjourned. I will see you all tomorrow."

Her assembled nobles, ministers, and aides began filing out of the conference room. However, Cagalli did not fail to notice Yuna lingering, sharing a brief nod with his father as the elder Seiran went out the door but not leaving himself.

So much for getting a little time to myself, she thought wearily.

Eventually it was just the two of them as Yuna closed the door behind the last person to depart before turning to Cagalli. "Good, now we have a chance to talk in private."

Cagalli sighed. "Yuna, now is really not the time. I'm tired, all right? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"There's no need to worry, Cagalli," said Yuna with a smile, "This won't take long."

Cagalli looked out the window, deliberately avoiding his gaze. "What do you want?"

"Come now, Cagalli," said Yuna as he joined her by the window, "I'm simply concerned about you. You have been through a lot lately, after all."

"And you and your father are not helping with that," said Cagalli, "Orb needs to conduct a proper investigation into the attempted colony drop, not turn it into a witch hunt against Coordinators. We're not the Atlantic Federation, but you and your father seem to think otherwise."

Yuna put his hand over his heart. "Cagalli, that hurts! You know that father and I only want what's best for our country."

"By making decisions based on nothing more than hysteria and conspiracy theories?" said Cagalli, glaring at him, "I hardly think that enacting sanctions before an inquiry is complete qualifies as what's best for the Orb Union."

Yuna sighed. "Cagalli, you know it's not that simple. Orb suffered greatly during the last war because we refused to side with the Earth Alliance. We have to take steps to prevent that from happening again."

Cagalli folded her arms. "There won't be another war, Yuna. If you and your father would give diplomacy and due process time to work we can go a long way towards putting this crisis behind us."

Yuna shook his head. "That would be nice, but it doesn't look like the Atlantic Federation is particularly willing to do that."

"It's early," Cagalli replied, "and given that Blue Cosmos and its sympathizers still call the Atlantic Federation home it's no surprise that panic is stronger there than anywhere else. The Earth Alliance may be talking about punitive action, but from what I understand they haven't actually taken any concrete steps yet. They're just talking tough to shore up support from their base voters. It's still early, and the diplomatic process still has time to go through its natural course."

Yuna smiled, but there was something about it that kept Cagalli from finding any measure of comfort in it. "I hope you're right."

Cagalli nodded. "This is the action that father would've taken. The Orb Union will not be ruled by fear and demagoguery. We stand for fairness and equality, and I will not let my country abandon those ideals just because of what happened to us in the past."

"Bold words," said Yuna, "I'm sure your father would be proud."

Cagalli sighed; she did not particularly care for her cousin's flattery at the moment. "Was there anything else you wanted, Yuna?"

Yuna smiled again. "Well, it's been quite some time since you and I have gotten the chance to talk like this. I was hoping we'd have time to catch up."

"I'm really not in the mood for that, Yuna," said Cagalli wearily.

"Just a few minutes, Cagalli!" said Yuna, "Surely that won't hurt!"

Cagalli shook her head. "It's not a matter of harm, Yuna. I've had a very long day. I need to rest."

"I understand that," said Yuna, "I promise this won't take long at all!"

Cagalli sighed in resignation; clearly he wasn't going to let her go. "Fine, but just a few minutes."

Yuna nodded. "Of course! I must say, you've certainly kept yourself busy recently, and that's not counting the trip to L4."

"I'm the leader of our country, Yuna," said Cagalli, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice, "I'm always busy. I don't have time to relax at one of numerous estates or penthouses like you do."

"Cagalli!" said Yuna, the feigned hurt in his voice all to obvious, "It almost sounds like you're accusing me of caring more about my noble privilege than our great country!"

"Prove me wrong," said Cagalli, "I may have disagreements with your father, but at least he actually works at running the country."

Yuna folded his arms and smirked. "Well, for your information I happen to be far more active in affairs of state than you realize."

"How so?" asked Cagalli, quite skeptical of his claims.

"I've been observing military training exercises," he said, "and partaking in simulated strategic exercises. I'm quite gifted, if I do say so myself."

Cagalli had to resist the urge to laugh. "You mean you play war games on a computer. That hardly makes you a real military leader."

Yuna chuckled. "You can think what you will, Cagalli, but I assure you that I'm quite the strategist."

Please, Cagalli thought, I'd like to see you last longer than five minutes against the strategists I know. Andrew Waltfeld and Eric Bristow would eat you alive…

"I'll take your word for it," she said, "I fail to see how you playing strategy games and watching military exercises contributes to our country."

"Why, that's easy!" said Yuna, "If there's another conflict then my insights will help shape our military campaigns!"

"Is our military brass aware of your plan to involve yourself with matters of defense?" asked Cagalli.

"Of course," said Yuna, "Father cleared it with them."

That was a troubling revelation. The Orb Union's military, particularly the officer corps, prided itself on being above the political jostling of the ruling families and the various ministers. If Unato had made moves to get Yuna access to defense planning and military doctrine beyond what someone in his position would normally be allowed then it meant that her prime minister was doing far more to challenge her power over the armed forces than Cagalli had originally feared.

This is the last thing I need, she thought, I just hope Kisaka and the others can find a way to sideline him.

Picking a fight with her cousin about it now would not accomplish anything, so Cagalli simply nodded and did her best to keep her expression neutral. "I see. I'll trust the prime minister's judgment, then."

Yuna smiled. "Excellent! I knew that you would see the wisdom behind this. When war starts up again I will be at the forefront of our strategic efforts. You'll see then what my contributions to our country are!"

Cagalli sighed. "There won't be a war, Yuna. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Yuna nodded. "Sorry, Cagalli. I know you'll do everything you can to keep Orb on the path of peace."

I will, she thought, no matter what you or your father try to do.

"Look at us now," Yuna continued with a smile, "Just a few years ago we barely had any role in our nation's politics. Our fathers dominated everything. Now we have power of our own and are making a difference. I'm sure your father would be proud of you."

Cagalli nodded, refraining from pointing out the rather public role she had played in Orb's political affairs just two years ago in the war. "I hope so."

"You know," said Yuna with a smirk, "there's another way that we could make our fathers proud."

Cagalli eyed him carefully. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten!" said Yuna, "Cagalli, I know you've been busy, but surely you remember the arrangement that our fathers made back before the war."

Cagalli glared at him. She knew exactly what he was referring to and she was determined to shoot it down at once.

"That was an arrangement that died with my father," she said firmly, "It no longer has any meaning, and it was a mistake to begin with."

"I think you're being unreasonable, Cagalli," Yuna replied, "Nowhere in that agreement did it state that the death of your father or mine would render it null and void."

"Well it didn't say that it wouldn't, either," Cagalli shot back, "Yuna, we were both way too young when our fathers came up with this idea, and it was purely a political stunt. Your father hasn't touched it since mine died two years ago. Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because the Orb Union looks like it will be facing some rather difficult times in the near future," said Yuna with a smile, "The ruling families will need to show strength and unity, both at home and abroad, if our country is to survive and prosper. Our fathers understood that, which is why even two years after Lord Uzumi's death I feel like the arrangement him and my father came to is still both valid and reasonable."

Cagalli folded her arms and looked out the window. "I'm sorry, but it's not happening."

Yuna glared at her. "You know, I didn't want to say this in front of the others, but I think you've grown rather shortsighted lately. You claim to speak for all of the Orb Union and want what's best for our country, but I think what you really want is what's best for your Coordinator boyfriend."

Cagalli turned on him, and though she didn't have a mirror she was sure the fury blazing in her eyes was quite visible. "That's too damn far, Yuna! I've worked my ass off for the past two years for all of my people, Natural and Coordinator! I never wanted to rule this country, but I will do so in order to protect and serve all of its citizens!"

Yuna raised his hands. "I'm sorry, Cagalli! I didn't mean to offend you!"

Cagalli took a deep breath, but she could not stop her heart from hammering with barely contained rage. She had to end this before she did something drastic.

"Yuna," she said carefully, "I think that's enough 'catching up' for the day. I need to get some rest."

Yuna nodded, but the insufferably smug smirk on his face did not help matters. "Of course, Cagalli."

He turned to leave, and as he did so Cagalli gave him a warning. "Yuna? Don't ever drag Athrun into our politics again. If you do then I swear I will make you regret it, and not even your father will be able to stop me."

Yuna bowed, but that smirk did not leave his face. "I understand, Cagalli. I hope you rest well."

As soon as the door shut Cagalli went over to the conference table and slammed her fist into it. "Damn it! God fucking damn it!"

I hate this job!

….

Checking the time, Talia smiled when she saw that her watch was finally over. Between Operation Redemption and coordinating maintenance with the Orb dock crews Talia had been on duty for far longer than an average work day, and some rest was definitely in order.

She stood up and looked at the relief officer that had stepped in when Arthur's shift had ended earlier. "I'm leaving. The bridge is yours."

The officer, a young man in his late twenties with short cropped brown hair and blue eyes, nodded. "Aye, Captain."

She quickly left the bridge. As she went through the exit and the door closed behind her she took a moment to sigh with relief.

What a day, she thought, and I still have my report to write up. Well… I suppose it can wait until tomorrow. The Defense Council will bristle at the delay, but I doubt Durandal will let it ruffle his feathers. Nothing else seems to these days…

As she headed through the corridors towards her quarters she found herself thinking about the country her ship was in now. Talia would be more comfortable if the Minerva was at ZAFT's Carpentaria base as opposed to an Orb Union dock, but the work crews had behaved very professionally so far. As far as Talia had been able to tell the technicians had focused on basic maintenance; if any of them were trying to glean insight into the inner workings of the battleship they would have a rather hard time doing that with the vessel's crew looking over their shoulders. At least they hadn't needed to touch down in Earth Alliance territory. With the way tensions had been ratcheting up since the attack on Armory One, such an event would've only served to needlessly aggravate the situation.

Talia did not consider herself to be particularly adept at politics, but she was far from ignorant on the subject. If an inquiry had not already started in the PLANTs then it soon would, and the same went for the Orb Union and the nations that made up the Earth Alliance. She could always hope that the respective investigative commissions would handle the matter dispassionately and professionally, but Talia was not inclined to take that bet.

The playbook's all too familiar, she thought, The Supreme Council's inquiry will cast ZAFT in a favorable light, and while it's true that we launched Operation Redemption to stop the colony drop that does not change the fact that it was decommissioned war material from our forces that was used in the attack by the terrorists, not to mention the fact that said terrorists were all Coordinator radicals. We did not try to drop the colony, but our intelligence services could've done more to pick up on this plot and give the chance to act against it sooner. As for the Earth Alliance… well, I can hardly speak for the Eurasian Federation or the Republic of East Asia, but given that the Atlantic Federation is the birthplace of Blue Cosmos I doubt their commission results will reflect too kindly on ZAFT.

The only wild card in this situation would be the Orb Union. Talia was sure that Cagalli would speak in ZAFT's favor after Operation Redemption, but based on the confrontation she'd had with her fellow nobles at the dock the Minerva's Captain could tell that other leaders of Orb might not share her views. The Orb Union's traditionally neutral stance meant that its word carried considerable weight when it came to disputes between the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs, so whatever the results of their inquiry were could have very serious repercussions.

Talia shook her head. All of that was beyond her ability to control now, so there was little point in worrying about it. She would simply have to watch over her crew and wait for the chance to leave the Orb Union and head for Carpentaria. Her crew had been promised some shore leave in the meantime, and Talia wanted to make sure that they got the chance to enjoy themselves a little bit after all that they had been through.

Shinn's got some history here, she thought, but the others don't, at least to my knowledge. It'll be a good experience for them to see another country up close like this. As for me, well…

…there're too many old memories here.

Talia sighed. She'd tried to avoid letting her thoughts go in that direction, but given her own personal history with this country that just wasn't possible. Talia had held off those memories for most of the day, but now that she was off duty it was much harder to keep herself distracted and leave the past alone.

How many years has it been?, she thought, Six? Seven? Too long, either way. Would he even recognize my voice?

As she entered her quarters she found herself going towards the desk. Her eyes lingered on the phone, and she started wondering if an old number might still work.

No, she thought as she sat down, don't do this. It'll only end badly, and you can't afford this sort of distraction right now.

Despite her doubts she still found herself picking up the phone and dialing. Her heart was hammering even faster now that it had been during the battle earlier today, and Talia would much rather go through that whole fight again than do what she was doing now.

The phone rang, and Talia hoped that it would simply go to voicemail. However, there was the telltale click of someone answering, followed by a male voice that she hadn't heard in a long time.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Talia thought for sure her voice would catch in her throat, but somehow she was still able to reply. "Adam? Is that you?"

The other voice quickly sighed. "It's you… I thought I told you not to speak to any of us after what happened."

"Adam, please," she said, fighting to keep control over her voice, "I just… I just want to hear his voice. Please…"

"I'm sorry," he replied, "but no. He's been happy these past several years, Talia. He doesn't need you."

"I'm his mother!" she cried, "I have the right to speak to him!"

"The rest of his family decided otherwise," Adam said firmly, "You should've known better than to do this. Goodbye, Talia."

"Adam, wait!" she said, but it was too late; he'd already hung up.

Talia closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself; she refused to break down, even though no one could see her in here.

I should've known better, she thought, I did know better, but I still did it. After how it ended, I was a fool to think that he would let me speak to him. But, still…

…I miss him.

She sighed. Regardless of how much it hurt, she had to bury those old feelings. Perhaps someday she would be able to speak to her son, but now clearly was not the time. An old family had cut her off, but she had another to care for now; her crew. Whether they were aware of it or not they were in the middle of a potentially volatile geopolitical situation. The colony drop may have been stopped, but they were by no means out of the woods yet. As Captain it was her duty to do everything in her power to bring her crew back to friendly territory in one piece.

Shaking her head in an effort to clear hear mind, she checked her computer for new orders. She was relieved to see that nothing new had come in since the ship's arrival in the Orb Union. Talia would like to know what was going on back in the PLANTs, but for now it was enough to know that her current plans remained unchanged.

Stay focused, she thought, You can't change the past no matter how much you'd like to. The future, though… that you do have a say in, not only for yourself but for everyone under your command. They're all counting on you for leadership when the time comes, and you cannot let them down!

….

"Hell of a crowd, eh?" asked Shemei as she sidled up next to Murrue.

Murrue nodded at her friend as she took a sip of her glass of white wine. "We've certainly got some real characters here, don't we?"

Shemei smirked. "That's an understatement."

Dinner had just wrapped up a little bit ago. Miriallia and Athrun had arrived before that, along with Murrue's mother, Katherine Ramius, and everyone had sat down to lovely Japanese-themed meal. It had gone on for about an hour, far longer than necessary to finish their food but hardly enough time to fit in all the banter. After everyone had finished and the dining room had been cleared up the group had migrated back to the living room, where the crowd had once again formed up around the four Gundam pilots as they traded war stories with the Cosmic Era natives.

Murrue had excused herself a few minutes ago to refill her wine glass, and the Valkyrie had joined her. When she'd come back into the living room though she'd found herself leaning against a wall away from the gathering rather than joining her boyfriend on the couch, mainly because she'd become rather entranced at what she was seeing.

Over the two years he'd spent in the Cosmic Era Heero had definitely learned to loosen up and relax with others, thanks in no small part to Murrue. However, even in gatherings with friends he still had a tendency to hold back a bit; it was only with Murrue that he was willing to let himself truly unwind.

However, tonight was different, and Murrue knew it was because three of his old friends were here. Heero was still calm and collected, but there were subtle signs that Murrue had become all too adept at reading that let her know how much this really meant to him. The smirks were more frequent, as were the chuckles and amused shrugs. Heero may have turned the Cosmic Era into his new home, but it was clear that his old friends hadn't completely left his mind, and being able to catch up with them somewhere other than the battlefield was doing wonders for his mental state.

He really needs this, she thought with a smile, and I can't blame him. The whole world's been on edge since the Armory One attack, and even if we stopped the Junius Seven drop attempt and destroyed Bogey One that hasn't done much to lower tensions. In the coming days our efforts will turn towards monitoring the shifting events and preparing accordingly, but tonight's not about that. It's about him reuniting with his old friends and introducing them to us, his new friends and family. The politics and strategy can wait; tonight is a night to unwind and enjoy life.

"Too bad Cagalli couldn't make it," said Shemei, snapping Murrue out of her thoughts.

Murrue nodded. "Yes, but given what just happened it's not too surprising. The battle may be over, but her work carries on long after the fighting does."

"Poor girl," said Shemei, "She should really get the chance to relax. I mean, the whole week's been rough for her. The last thing she needs is marathon conferences with the ministers and nobles."

Murrue sighed. "I agree, but there's not much we can do for her on that front. We're all soldiers, even if we're not officially part of a national army. Our struggle is to protect this world on the battlefield. Cagalli's is to govern, and that's far more complicated and involved than combat."

Shemei nodded. "I know. At least Athrun was able to come. Looks like he's enjoying himself."

Murrue smiled. "Him and the rest of our pilots. I'm just glad that ZAFT didn't try to arrest him once he revealed his identity on the Minerva."

"Nah," said Shemei, "He was never in any real danger. They needed his skills too much at that point. Besides, your boyfriend had his back too, remember? ZAFT's in no hurry to pick a fight with Heero."

Murrue smirked. "Good point."

"It's a shame the other Gundam pilot decided to stick with the Minerva," said Shemei, "It would've been interesting to meet him. Wonder why Wufei decided to hang out with ZAFT after the fight?"

Murrue shook her head. "Hard to say. From what Heero's told me Wufei's always been the most independent minded of the Gundam pilots."

Shemei chuckled. "Coming from a guy who's part of the most independent minded group of pilots I've ever seen… Wufei must be a real wild card."

Murrue nodded. "So it would seem. Heero's not too worried about it, though, so I don't think we need to concern ourselves with his actions."

"I just hope ZAFT doesn't do anything to piss him off," said Shemei, "He may not have the others to back him up right now, but you and I both know from experience that a single Gundam pilot can wreak a lot of havoc."

"Yes," said Murrue, "You have a point there."

The two of them turned back towards the crowd and watched them from their spot by the wall for a bit before Murrue spoke again. "Your girls seem to be enjoying themselves."

Shemei smirked. "The girls in general, or do you mean Lan in particular?"

Murrue giggled. "I suppose the latter would be most appropriate."

Poor Quatre, she thought, He's really got no idea how in over his head he is with Lan…

The Chinese Coordinator had eased up a bit on the flirtation, but there was no denying that she was giving the blond L4 native special attention. After dinner had ended she'd immediately scoped out a spot on the couch that would put her right next to Gundam Sandrock Saladin's pilot and had slipped in with catlike grace the instant he'd sat down. Adaline and Priscilla had joined in her and the others in querying the Gundam pilots, but while the other two girls were splitting their attention Lan seemed to have eyes only for Quatre.

Shemei chuckled. "That boy… he really earned himself some points by saving her life. Of course, the fact that he's both a hotshot pilot and absolutely adorable doesn't hurt either."

"I'm a bit surprised that she's focusing on Quatre," she said, "I would've thought she'd hit on Duo or Trowa."

Shemei shook her head. "Believe it not, Lan's got some rules, and one of those is to not hit on married guys. She always checks for a ring, and Duo doesn't seem to be shy about wearing his. As for Trowa, he seems to be quieter than Heero, which would mean that she'd have to spend more time probing his defenses. She likes a challenge, but since she doesn't know how long the boys are going to be here she's prioritizing the one that she has the best shot at, so to speak."

Murrue nodded, albeit a bit absently; her mind had started to wander once Shemei had mentioned Duo's marriage to Hilde. More specifically, to her own relationship with Heero.

No, she thought with a very small shake of her head, now's not the time to be worrying about that…

Unfortunately her momentary lapse had not gone unnoticed; looking back at her friend, Murrue saw those sharp silver eyes of hers narrow ever so slightly. The Valkyrie was as observant as Heero, and being a woman gave her some advantages that the Perfect Soldier lacked.

Shemei nodded towards the door that led to the back deck. "Come on, what do you say to a little girl time? I could use a bit of fresh air."

Murrue smiled, although she was sure that Shemei had more than just fresh air in mind. "Sure."

She let her friend lead the way as the two of them went outside. The cool evening air felt great on Murrue's skin, and the clear night sky allowed for a beautiful view of the stars above.

"Ah," said Shemei as the two of them leaned against the railing and looked out at the sea, "This is nice! I'm all for a friendly gathering, but sometimes you just need a bit of breathing room, you know?"

Murrue nodded. "Yes, although you're usually not the type to seek it out."

Shemei chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you have a point there."

"As much as I can appreciate a breath of fresh air," said Murrue, "I don't think you invited me out here just for a bit of breeze."

Shemei smirked. "Nothing gets by you, huh? You've always been a sharp girl, Murrue. I'm sure that's just one of many reasons why Heero fell for you."

Even though it was just her and her friend, Murrue could still feel herself blushing. "I'd like to think so."

Shemei gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. "Come on, you can do better than that! You're bright, you know it, and Heero knows it. You should be proud of that!"

"I am!" said Murrue with a laugh, "I just don't feel the need to brag about it."

Shemei took a sip of her wine. "I know. I'm just teasing, Murrue."

"Sure," Murrue replied as she enjoyed a bit of her drink as well.

They were quiet for a moment before Shemei met her gaze. "So, are you worried about him?"

Murrue was puzzled. "Worried? Why would I be?"

"You know why," said Shemei, "Heero's old friends from his old world just drop in out of the blue like this? That's got to make you at least a bit nervous."

Murrue shook her head firmly. "No. Heero already told them that he has no intention of going back, and I have no doubts in him about that. Based on how they reacted when he and I gave them our little show earlier, I think the others have accepted that."

Shemei nodded and smiled. "Too bad I missed that. Aisha said that Duo's reaction was priceless."

Murrue chuckled. "If only we'd taken some pictures…"

"No kidding," said Shemei, "Well, it's good that you've got no worries about Heero heading back with the others. How are things with you and him otherwise?"

Murrue smiled. "They've been great. The past two years… they've been the best of my life. I always knew that we'd have a few problems, especially given his past and the age gap, but the few hurdles we've had have definitely been worth it. Having mother backing the two of us has really helped; I stopped caring about what father might've thought a long time ago."

Shemei nodded. "After all you two went through just to be together in the last war you've definitely earned your relationship."

"Yes," said Murrue, "Mother felt the same way. Even though we've both kept ourselves busy with our activities in Terminal we've still had time to devote to each other. He puts everything he has into what we've built together… I've never seen such devotion from anyone else."

Shemei smiled. "No surprise there. When Heero sets his mind to something he goes all out, whether it's combat or love. Your boyfriend may not be the most expressive guy on the block, but any woman with half a brain can tell that he's crazy about you."

Murrue laughed. "Well, I don't know if I'd call him crazy. Devoted, beyond a doubt, but he's not some infatuated teenager. The love that he carries within… it's as grown up and mature as yours and Eric's."

"Maybe," said Shemei with a smirk, "but I didn't mean 'crazy' in the usual since. I'll agree that he'd not some wet behind the ears boy in caught up in puppy-love, but he's a Gundam pilot; having a screw loose seems to be par for the course with that lot. I bet he gives you the same focus that he shows the battlefield, and don't lie to me about what that translates to when the sun goes down and you're alone with him."

Murrue felt the heat rush to her face, and she tried to hide her blush by raising her wine glass. "Well... you're not wrong about that."

"Hah!" Shemei replied with a triumphant grin, "Called it! And why not? That guy's had two years with you to practice his moves! He's a real tiger beneath the sheets now, right? Come on, don't hide it from me!"

"Stop it!" said Murrue, smiling despite her protests.

"Fine," said Shemei with a sly smirk as she took another sip of her wine, "I'll let you off easy… this time."

Implying that there will be another, Murrue thought wryly, She can be relentless when she wants to be…

"So," said Shemei, "what's next for the two of you?"

Murrue raised her eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you two have been together for over two years now," she said with a knowing smile, "I can tell that you're both happy… but even this isn't enough for you now, is it?"

Murrue looked down, feeling herself blush again. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do," Shemei replied, "Don't think that I haven't been there before, Murrue. I thought what Eric and I had was enough up until Andrew popped the question to Aisha. After the wedding… well, let's just say I kept looking at my hand and felt that something was missing."

Murrue looked at Shemei's hand, all too aware of what was no longer missing from it… but what was missing from hers.

A ring.

"You don't have to hide it from me, Murrue," said Shemei with a gentle smile, "We've known each other for a while now. I know you love Heero with all of your heart, and that he definitely returns your feelings. However, there does come a point where that love needs something more, and I think you're getting there."

Murrue shook her head. "Shemei… I know what you're saying, but… Heero's not like Andrew or Eric. To ask that of him at this point…"

"Wouldn't be right?" Shemei finished for her, "I'm not saying that you should suddenly spring this on him. I completely agree with you; he's quite different from Andrew and Wolfie. He's hardly had anything that's close to a normal life, and it was a monumental leap for him to confess his feelings for you and enter into the relationship you two have now. I'm sure he's learned a lot about love since then, but I also know that there are still things that he needs to figure out."

Murrue sighed as she looked out at the sea. "That's exactly right. What we have now is huge for him… for both of us. At times I've almost felt like I was being greedy, taking such devotion from him, but he gives his affection so selflessly, even if he's not the most expressive guy around. With all of that… it almost feels wrong to want more."

Shemei shook her head. "I think you're wrong. It's perfectly natural to want that next step… and I'm not the only one who thinks so. I've been talking with Andrew, Aisha, and Eric for a few weeks now, and they're of the same mind as me; the time for the two of you to take the next step is coming."

"How many others?" asked Murrue nervously.

Shemei smiled. "Don't worry; it's just those three and me. We're not a bunch of gossips, Murrue. We're your friends and Heero's too. We want what's best for both of you, but we're not going to spread something private around to everyone in Terminal."

Murrue nodded. "I appreciate that."

"Anytime," Shemei replied, "That's what friends are for, right?"

Murrue smiled and took a sip of her wine. "Yes."

"So," said Shemei, "you got a game plan?"

Murrue blushed again. "A… a game plan? I… I don't know…"

"That's fine," said Shemei as she took a sip of her wine, "I wasn't really expecting you to have one yet anyway. I mean, I did kind of spring this up on you out of the blue and all."

"True," said Murrue, "but still… I feel like I should have some idea."

"Well, then let's try to hammer one out," said Shemei, "You know Heero better than any of us, so the ball's in your court."

Murrue sighed. "I know him very well, yes… and that's part of the problem. Even two years on there are still aspects of romance and relationships that he's learning about and trying to come to terms with. I know that he's taking his time to experience all that he can with our relationship as part of the new life he's building in our world, and the last thing I want to do is disrupt that."

Shemei nodded. "You're afraid of forcing the issue and throwing him out of his comfort zone. You don't want all the progress he's made with you to be thrown out the window. Sound about right?"

"Yes," said Murrue softly, "I mean, I know where I ultimately want this to go, and I think that with enough time Heero would ultimately understand and want that as well, but I'm afraid to push him into something that he might not be ready for."

Shemei smiled. "Then don't make it a push. A few soft and gentle nudges would be more appropriate, wouldn't you say?"

"In theory, yes," said Murrue, "but I'm not sure how that would work in practice."

"Well," said Shemei, "then it's a good thing that you got the others and I to help you out, right?"

Murrue smiled. "As long as 'others' is limited to you, Aisha, Andrew, and Eric. I'd rather keep this compartmentalized, as it were."

Shemei chuckled. "Even off the battlefield and out of our old armies we still can't drop the military lingo, can we?"

"Old habits die hard," said Murrue as she took a sip of her wine.

"Can't argue there," said Shemei as she joined her.

It was quiet for a moment before Murrue spoke again. "So… what should I do?"

"Well, talk to him, of course," said Shemei, "Just be careful with the approach."

"That doesn't exactly help," Murrue replied.

"Right," said Shemei, "Well, think about it like this. You two get plenty of alone time, right?"

Murrue nodded. "When he's here and not in the field, yes. That's something I intend to catch up on with him later."

Shemei gave her a knowing smirk. "Of course. Anyway, that means that you've got plenty of opportunities to drop small hints as to where you want things to go. Start casual. Ask him about what might happen once things quiet down in the world, or what he'll do once his old friends have returned to their world. Maybe bring up Duo's marriage in passing conversation and see where that goes."

Murrue smiled. "Those all sound like good places to start."

"Feel free to bring up Eric and me too, if you want," said Shemei with a wink, "It never hurts to have an example that's closer to home. I'm sure Andrew and Aisha wouldn't mind either."

"I hope so," said Murrue.

"You might want to ask your mother about this, too," said Shemei, "It can't hurt to bring her in on this, and you know she's always got your back. Who knows, she might drop a hint or two to Heero for you."

"I'll think about it," Murrue replied, "Although I really feel like this should be something that I should handle."

"And no one's saying that you shouldn't," said Shemei, smiling, "All I'm saying is that we're here to help you out if you need a hand."

Murrue returned her smile. "Thank you, Shemei."

"No sweat," said Shemei, "You know, this isn't a one way street for you. You might not think this right now, but I'm willing to bet that Heero wants the same thing you do. He just hasn't realized it yet, or he doesn't know how to put it into words."

"You really think so?" asked Murrue.

Shemei took another sip of her wine and grinned. "Hell yeah! I wasn't exaggerating when I said that he was crazy about you, after all. He just doesn't have as much experience with romance as the rest of us, so his approach is naturally going to be different."

"You're not wrong about that," said Murrue as she partook in her beverage as well, "I'm just worried about scaring him off."

Shemei put her hand on Murrue's shoulder. "Trust me, that's the last thing that'll happen. After all you two have been through there's no way in hell that he'd run for the hills now. Feel free to be cautious with him, but don't be afraid to start dropping hints and giving him a gentle shove or two. This isn't all about his happiness, Murrue; yours matters too, and I think that's a sentiment that Heero would agree with."

Murrue smiled. "I think you're right about that. Actually, in all our time together, Heero's really been focused on my happiness; he barely gives a thought to his own."

"I know," said Shemei, "That's just one of the reasons why he's one hell of a guy. His heart's definitely in the right place, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need a little help from time to time."

Murrue nodded. "All right. Any other ideas?"

Shemei shook her head. "No right now, but if you ever want to talk about this again just let me know. I'm no shrink like Dr. Claudia, but I'm still pretty good with people and romance, and I'm not the only one. You know, we could always bring Lacus in on this too. I bet she'd like to help out."

"Let's play that by ear," said Murrue, "I think we've got enough people involved in this as it is."

Shemei smiled and held out her glass. "Sure thing. Here's to friendly conspiracies and boyfriends who need a hint or two!"

Murrue smiled and clinked her glass with Shemei's. "I'll drink to that!"

….

"So," said Lan, batting her eyes at Quatre, "how long are you going to be in town?"

It felt good to finally get a little alone time with him. The impromptu Terminal get-together was still going strong, but the crowd had split off into smaller groups as the evening had gone on. Sensing her chance, Lan had made sure to stick with Quatre, and luckily for her Adaline and Priscilla had decided to give her some space and hang out with Trowa instead.

All right, she thought, time to really start working my charm with this flyboy!

"I'm not sure," Quatre replied, "I've got some data that Heero said I should give to an engineer named Erica Simmons that'll help us get started on finding our way home, but I think it'll be quite a while until we're actually able to head back to our world."

"There's no need to rush," said Lan, smiling at him, "None of us are in a hurry for you to leave, after all."

Quatre nodded and returned her smile, looking a little bashful as he did. "I appreciate your hospitality. It's nice to have people so welcoming to us in this world. When we first started this journey I was afraid that it would be one fight after another."

Lan gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "I wouldn't think that that would be a big problem for a Gundam pilot like you. From what I've seen you boys are pretty handy when the bullets start flying!"

Quatre laughed. "Maybe, but I'd still prefer to avoid fighting if at all possible. The Cosmic Era is an entirely new world for us, one that we had no idea even existed until Heero accidently found a way here. I'd much rather our time here be peaceful so we can learn as much about it as we can before we return to our world."

"Oh," said Lan, "Quite the scholar, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Quatre replied, "but I am curious. I mean, how often would someone get the chance to experience something like this?"

"Can't argue with that," said Lan, "and don't worry; the war we fought when Heero arrived here ended two years ago. I know you guys got off to a rocky start here, but the Cosmic Era's not in a state of open conflict right now. Besides, you guys just helped us save the world, so things should quiet down now."

Quatre nodded. "I'd like that. The last thing I'd want would be for us to play a part in starting another war, accidentally or otherwise."

Lan shook her head. "Trust me, if another war gets started it won't be because of you or your friends. We've got plenty of assholes in this world that would want to kick off a new war with or without you. In fact, they'd probably prefer you and the other Gundam pilots weren't here; it'd make their job easier."

"We do seem to have a habit of throwing a wrench into peoples' plans," Quatre replied with a smile, "We're pretty hard to predict."

Damn, that smile, thought Lan, Quatre, you've got no idea just how cute you are, do you?

Lan smirked. "You got that right! Man, you should've seen how everyone reacted two years ago when Heero showed up with Wing Zero. If he didn't count as a wild card back then, I don't know what would."

"Heero gave us a pretty good idea of what happened," said Quatre, "You fought against him twice, right?"

Lan nodded. "Yup, back when I was still with ZAFT. I was on the same team as Shemei, Adaline, and Priscilla. We were one of ZAFT's top mobile suit teams… and Heero wiped the floor with us."

Quatre shook his head. "That's not the way I heard it. Heero seems to hold your team's skills in pretty high regard. From what I learned it seems like you and the others put up a pretty good fight both times you faced off with him in North Africa. You should be proud; there's not a lot of pilots who can say that they survived a fight with Heero, especially when he's flying Wing Zero."

Lan smiled. "Believe me, cutie, I am proud of that, and I know the others are too. However, that doesn't change the fact that Adaline, Pris and I weren't able to last nearly as long against him as our boss was. Heero's one hell of a badass, no doubt there… and you're no slouch either!"

"Thanks," said Quatre sheepishly, "I try, although I don't think that I'm on the same level as Heero."

So modest, she thought with a smirk, He's downright adorable!

She put her hand on his shoulder and leaned in. "I don't know about that, flyboy. From what Heero's told us in the past it sounds like he considers you and each of the others to be individually on his level. You can downplay your talents all you want, but when a guy like Heero offers that kind of praise for a pilot I tend to take him seriously. I wouldn't mind mixing it up with you in a simulator fight some time!"

Quatre nodded. "Thanks, I… I think that'd be fun to try some time."

"Hell, yeah!" she said, "I gotta say, your Gundam's pretty cool! Sandrock Saladin, right?"

"Yeah," Quatre replied with a smile, "An old friend of mine helped me upgrade it before we started this mission. Actually, he handled the upgrades for all of our Gundams. Except Heero's, of course."

"Sounds like this guy's got some talent," said Lan.

"You could say that," said Quatre, "He was part of the team that designed the original Tallgeese."

Lan raised an eyebrow. "You mean the mobile suit that La Flaga's Tallgeese Kai evolved from?"

"One and the same," said Quatre, "I was kind of surprised that Heero had shared the design in this world. Tallgeese was the first combat mobile suit developed in our world, after all. All of our mobile suits, including the Gundams, stem from that design."

"I heard about that," said Lan, "I think Heero also mentioned that very few people could use the Tallgeese due to its powerful acceleration and high top speed."

Quatre nodded. "He's not wrong. Mu La Flaga must be quite a pilot to be able to handle it. From what I observed during the battle earlier today it looked like the thrusters had the same amount of power as the original model."

Lan smiled. "Well, there's a reason he's called the Hawk of Endymion. He was one of the few pilots in the Earth Alliance to master the prototype Moebius Zero during the last war. If it's a mean machine, he can master it. Hell, I'm not even sure if I could handle the Tallgeese Kai, and I'm a Coordinator!"

Quatre smiled in return. "I think you could. You fought very well in the battle today, and your mobile suit seems like it'd be quite tricky to wield effectively. You're a very talented pilot."

Lan batted her eyes at him. "Mmmm, Quatre… keep up the flattery and you'll have me eating out of the palm of your hand!"

Once again the young man blushed, and it was a sight that Lan never got tired of. If he was just a regular guy it'd be one thing, but the fact that he was a Gundam pilot made it special. Here was a pilot who had fought in the same war that the legendary Heero Yuy had, and with his own fearsome mobile suit, and yet he was just so cute and bashful that he was all but irresistible to Lan.

This boy just might be my catnip, she thought, Absolutely addicting!

Knowing that she had him off balance, Lan decided to press her advantage. "So, any ladies in your life?"

"Well," said Quatre, "there are my sisters, and a few of my friends."

"No girlfriend?" she asked.

Quatre shook his head. "No… I've actually never had one."

"Really?" said Lan, "A guy like you? I find that hard to believe."

"I'm telling the truth," Quatre insisted, "I don't know why, I've just never been in a relationship like that. I… I've never met the right girl, I guess. Besides, I've been so busy that I've never really had time to try out romance, although my sisters keep telling me that I should make time for it."

Lucky me, thought Lan, that's going to make the time I get with you all the more fun!

"They're not wrong, you know," said Lan, "A cute guy like you, and a mobile suit pilot to boot… if you put yourself out on the market I bet there'd be a line of ladies a kilometer long ready to take a shot at you!"

Quatre smiled. "Thanks. Maybe I'll be able to find some time eventually. I guess some of my sisters could take over more management duties. Rasheed and the Corps could always help them out too."

Lan raised an eyebrow. "Rasheed and the Corps? Who are you talking about?"

"Sorry," said Quatre, "I forgot that you don't really know that much about me. Rasheed's the head of the Maganac Corps. They're… well, during the war I guess you could've called them my private army. Now they all work for my company."

Lan's eyes widened. "Wait, you had a private army?"

"Well," said Quatre, "I guess that 'army' might be too strong of a word. There are only forty of them in all, but they're all good pilots and fiercely loyal to my family. Since the war ended they're all employed by the Winner Corporation now. They're good friends and hardworking employees, although I think they worry a bit too much about me sometimes. Since I'm over here they're watching over my sisters in my absence."

"You keep mentioning your sisters," said Lan, "How many do you have?"

Quatre gave her a sheepish smile. "Do you promise not to overreact?"

Lan didn't know why he was leading with that, but she nodded all the same. "Sure thing."

"Okay," said Quatre, "I'm the youngest of thirty siblings, and the other twenty-nine are all girls."

Lan was dead silent for a moment. She didn't move, and she didn't even think that she was breathing at that moment.

She had to have heard that wrong.

"Maybe I hit my head during the fight earlier," she said, "because there is no way that you just said what I think you did."

Quatre shook his head. "I don't know about your head, but I can assure you that you heard me right. I've got twenty-nine sisters, Lan."

Lan was glad that her friends weren't paying attention to her right now, because her jaw had dropped so hard that she swore it would hit the floor. "Holy shit… how the hell is that possible?"

"It's complicated," said Quatre.

"I'm all ears," Lan replied, "It's kinda hard to walk away from something like this."

Quatre nodded. "All right. I guess you'd need a bit of background information first. You see, when the development of space colonies first began, the unique and often difficult conditions of life beyond Earth led to serious reproductive abnormalities. For quite some time childbirth was only permitted through artificial means."

"I can understand that," said Lan, "We actually went through something similar in the Cosmic Era, although it didn't take too long for colony and medicinal technology to advance to the point where natural births could occur in outer space."

"I see," said Quatre, "In our world we managed to overcome those issues almost a hundred years ago. However, my family had been in outer space since practically the beginning of the space colony era, and so we still suffered from those abnormalities. In order to have children we had to rely on the test tube method."

"That's rough," said Lan, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

Quatre smiled appreciatively. "Well, there was nothing we could really do except use science to work around it. So my father used test tubes and gained a whole flock of daughters, and eventually a son."

"Why so many?" asked Lan.

Quatre shook his head. "I don't know. That bothered me for a long time… and to be honest, I kind of resented him for it. I thought he didn't really love us as his kids. I was an idiot."

Lan shook her head. "I don't think you're really being fair to yourself here. Look, I'm an only child, so I'll admit that I'd have a hard time relating to someone with even one sibling, let alone the huge family you've got. Still, from where I'm sitting I think a bit of resentment and questioning your father's motives is pretty understandable."

Quatre sighed. "I used to think that too… until I found something in the family archives after my father died."

"What was that?" asked Lan.

It was surprising to her how Quatre was the one leading the conversation now. Lan had expected herself to be the one setting the pace, especially with how bashful he'd been acting with her earlier. Still, she didn't want to pass up on this chance to learn more about him, and she was willing to lay off on the flirting in light of how serious this was for him.

Then again, she thought, somewhat wistfully, I guess family's always a serious topic. Mine sure as hell is nowadays.

"It turned out that of all the children my parents had, I'm the only one that wasn't grown in a test tube," he said, "Mine was a natural birth… and my mother died because of it."

Lan put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, shit… Quatre, I'm sorry."

Quatre gave her a small smile. "It's all right… but thanks."

There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "After finding that out I wasn't sure what to think about my father for a while. Once the war ended I finally worked up the nerve to ask my sisters about it, all of them. I really felt like an idiot for not doing it sooner."

"Hey," said Lan, "you had some really heavy stuff you had to deal with there. I'm sure they didn't mind that you took some time before coming to them about it."

Quatre nodded. "True. They were all really understanding about it."

"So," said Lan, "what did they tell you?"

Quatre's smile grew a little. "The simple truth; my father loved us all, right up to the very end. Even me, and I'm the one that got into the most fights with him."

"You, fighting with your old man?" said Lan with a smirk, "You don't seem like the type. I'd think you'd be more like the son that always makes daddy proud."

She was glad to see him laugh a little at that. "They weren't your typical teenage rebellion fights. It was more philosophical... although I guess rebellion did play a role. Rebellion against Earth rule over the colonies, anyway."

"I take it that your old man wasn't a huge fan of you being a Gundam pilot," said Lan.

Quatre nodded. "My father was a big believer in Heero Yuy's ideals of total pacifism. Armed revolt was the last thing he would ever approve of."

Lan raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Heero, who was talking with Murrue, Shemei, and Eric. "You're going to have to explain that one to me, because I have a very hard time hearing the words 'Heero Yuy' and 'total pacifism' together in the same sentence."

Quatre laughed. "Right, sorry about that. I was talking about the original Heero Yuy, not the one you and I know today. He was a prominent member of the colonial resistance to the rule of the old United Earth Sphere Alliance. He preached the ideas of pacifism and non-violent resistance. He was so charismatic and popular that he was eventually elected the leader of the colonial resistance movement."

"Sounds like a modern day M.L.K. or Gandhi," Lan replied.

"You're not the first to make that comparison," said Quatre, "Unfortunately he shared the same fate as both of those figures; he was assassinated twenty-three years ago. The killer was never conclusively identified, although the broad consensus is that either the old Alliance or OZ sanctioned the hit. After Heero Yuy died the nonviolent part of the colonial resistance more or less folded, and the armed revolutionaries took over. Father hated them; he was sure that they would bring nothing but death and ruin to the colonies."

Lan nodded. "I disagree with him, but I can see why he thought that way. That had to have been rough, having your own father against you like that."

"Yeah," said Quatre, "I don't think that wound ever really healed between us. We never got the chance to try."

He's lost both his parents, she thought, Another thing we have in common… well, except for the fact that I wasn't exactly sad to see my father die. Not after what that son of a bitch did to mom…

Lan shook her head. Thoughts like that were becoming more and more common as the anniversary of her mother's death approached, and she didn't want to be dwelling on them right now. Tonight was a party night, and she had to do her part to get things back on track.

"Well," she said with a smile, "you two may have had your disagreements, but even with his stance against fighting I think he'd be proud of you, especially with what you helped us do today. I mean, we saved the world! No way your old man could frown on that, right?"

Quatre returned her smile. "Yeah, I think you're right."

Lan put her arm around him. "Damn right I am! By the way, I seem to recall you mentioning something about having your own company. What's the Winner Corporation?"

"It's my family's company," said Quatre, "I don't know why my sisters wanted me to take it over; quite a few of them could run it better than I could, I think. They said father wanted me to run it someday, though, so I got put in charge after the war. At least they're all willing to help me keep it running smoothly, and Rasheed and the rest of the Maganac Corps are pitching in too."

Lan nodded and leaned in closer. "That's nice and all, but you still haven't told me what your company does."

"Oh, right," Quatre replied, looking a bit embarrassed, "The Winner Corporation's so diversified now that at this point it'd be easier to list what we don't do, really. Its primary focus is colony construction and resource mining, particularly with asteroids, but we've got a lot of secondary ventures and businesses set up as well. We've been in the colony game since the beginning, really."

Lan whistled. "Nice! So, how big are you guys? How much cash are we talking about here?"

Lan wasn't a gold digger by any means, but she wouldn't deny that the fact that Quatre was by all indicators rich certainly didn't hurt his appeal to her.

Quatre laughed. "That'd be hard to say considering that your world and mine use different currencies. Plus I don't know how I'd adjust for inflation between the two of them."

"All right," said Lan, "forget a dollar amount. There's got to be another way you can describe it."

Quatre nodded. "Okay… you know how business magazines typically have an annual list of the top one-hundred or so companies in the world?"

"Yup," said Lan.

Quatre smiled sheepishly. "Mine's typically in the top five."

If Lan's jaw could have dropped any further it would have hit the floor. "Whoa… you're freaking loaded!"

"Only in my world," said Quatre, "I only brought my Gundam and my friends with me here, not my money."

Lan shook her head in amazement. "Filthy rich, and yet you became a Gundam pilot… I did not see that one coming."

Quatre nodded and laughed. "I have to admit, sometimes even I have a hard time believing it. My family's as high as you can get on the wealth scale, but I had no problem diving right into a warzone."

Lan smiled. "Quatre, I think you're a special kind of crazy… and I like it!"

….

Lacus turned to Kira and smiled as she took a sip of her tea. "This has been quite a lively evening, hasn't it?"

To her left Kira nodded. "Heero's old friends definitely aren't boring."

Lacus couldn't argue with that. It had seemed like everyone wanted to take a turn at interrogating the Gundam pilots, and she was no different. She'd spoken to Heero a few times about his world, but she knew that there was so much more for her to learn. To get the chance to discuss the After Colony timeline with the other Gundam pilots was an extraordinary opportunity that Lacus had not wanted to waste.

A entirely different world, she thought, and yet… it has more than a few similarities with ours.

Lacus had managed to show some restraint with her questioning, but she was sure that part of her excitement had come to the surface regardless of her efforts. Now that everyone had split off into smaller groups the atmosphere had become more relaxed, but there was no denying that the gathering still had an almost festive air to it. It was strange to think that they were here now when just this morning they'd been fighting a battle with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised," she said, "If Heero is any indication then it would seem that any day with Gundam pilots involved will not be a dull one."

"You got that right!" said a male voice from behind her.

Lacus turned around and saw that Duo Maxwell had returned from the kitchen, a refilled wine glass in his hand. A confident and relaxed smile was on his face, and if he was feeling any ill effects from the alcohol he gave no sign of it.

"Room for one more?" he said, nodding at the empty spot to her right.

Lacus nodded and smiled. "Of course! Please, join us, Mister Maxwell."

The pilot of Deathscythe Omega chuckled as he sat down next to her. "Just call me Duo, lady. Everyone else does."

"Very well, then," Lacus replied, "I hope you're enjoying yourself."

Duo grinned. "Free food, free drink, and new friends? I'm a happy guy!"

"Just don't go overboard," said Kira with a smile, "I don't think Heero would like it if you and the others got hammered on your first night here."

Duo shrugged. "Ah, he can deal with it. Besides, this stuff's light. It takes a lot more than a few glasses of wine to take me down."

"I'll take your word for it," said Kira.

"Do you have many parties like this back in your world?" asked Lacus.

"We have a few," said Duo, "It's kind of hard to set up a decent get-together, though. Everyone's got their own thing going, so it takes a lot of work to arrange for a party night. It's a real drag sometimes."

"What do you do?" asked Kira, "When you're not being a Gundam pilot, I mean."

Duo smirked. "Once you're a Gundam pilot you're never 'not being a Gundam pilot' again. It's not like a job that you can clock in and out of."

"Perhaps," said Lacus, "but Heero has work that he does when he's not flying Wing Zero Albion. Surely you have something similar."

Duo nodded. "Yeah, I do. My wife runs a salvage yard on one of the L2 colonies, so I help her out there. Not quite as exciting as mixing things up with my buddy Deathscythe, but it pays the bills, and you'd be surprised how many spare parts for my Gundam I've managed to find in there."

"How long have you been married?" asked Kira.

"A little over a year now," he replied with a grin, "and worth every second of it!"

Lacus smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Your wife's a very fortunate woman."

Duo chuckled. "She might argue a bit with you on that. She's not very happy when I forget to update our inventory whenever I smuggle a part for Deathscythe Omega out of the salvage yard."

"Then you should fill out your paperwork," said Kira with a laugh.

Duo sighed. "I know, but I hate that stuff! I got to sign for stuff enough when she's got me on the clock. I don't want to deal with that when I've got my 'me' time."

"Then you'll keep angering your wife," said Lacus, "That won't solve your problem."

Duo smiled. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You let me worry about that, lady. Besides, Hilde's pretty cute when I get her worked up!"

"If you say so," said Kira.

Duo smirked. "Come on, Kira, don't tell me you've never riled your lady up a bit just to see what might happen later!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Kira.

"Kira's not really the type to 'rile me up' like that," said Lacus.

Duo shook his head. "Really? You two are together, right?"

Lacus smiled as she grabbed Kira's hand. "Yes, we are."

"We have been for over two years now," said Kira.

"So you two have… you know…" said Duo with a devious look in his eyes, "… gotten frisky, let's say?"

Kira blushed furiously. "That's private!"

Lacus quickly nodded, feeling a rush of heat come to her face. "I… I agree with Kira! Sorry, Duo!"

Duo chuckled. "No worries. At least it looks like you two have a… healthy relationship, heh heh!"

Despite her gift with words, Lacus really could not come up with a proper response for that. It was quite rare for someone to fluster her like this, but Duo had pulled it off with surprisingly little effort. Kira likewise appeared to be at a loss for words, and his face was still quite red.

"So," said Duo, "when are you two getting hitched?"

Lacus didn't think it was possible, but she saw Kira blush even deeper than before. The head in her face likewise increased, and Lacus really wanted to find a way to redirect this conversation.

"That… that will happen when the time is right," said Lacus.

Kira nodded. "Yeah… she's right."

Duo shrugged. "All right, I won't push things then. Just don't take too long, Kira. She's going to want a ring sooner or later!"

"I'll… keep that in mind," Kira replied.

Lacus smiled at Kira. "You needn't worry about that right now, Kira."

Kira looked relieved. "Thanks."

Duo shook his head and smirked. "You're lucky, Kira; she looks way too nice to put pressure on you over something like that."

"I'd like to think so," said Lacus.

"You said you two got together two years ago," said Duo, "That would've been during the war, right?"

Kira nodded. "Yeah. It was right before the final battle, although we met several months before that."

"Kira saved my life when we first met," said Lacus, "and he's continued to protect me since then."

Duo smiled. "Well, he's got a good reason to. What guy wouldn't want to protect a cute lady like you?"

Lacus smiled. "It wasn't because I was… cute, Duo. Kira's the kind of person that helps anyone."

"I know," said Duo, "I can tell just by looking at him. You remind me a bit of Quatre, you know that, Kira?"

Kira looked a bit surprised at that. "Really?"

Duo nodded. "Sure. Nicest guy you'll ever meet, and he goes out of his way to help people. I think the two of you will get along just fine. Plus you're a pretty good pilot, so that helps too."

"You think so?" asked Kira.

"Well, yeah," Duo replied, "I saw you fighting up in orbit earlier. You're a good shot, and that machine of yours looks like it's pretty trick to wield properly. That thing's called the Freedom, right?"

"Correct," said Lacus, "My father and I helped Kira steal it from ZAFT during the last war. It was one of their first nuclear powered mobile suits, able to operate despite the N-Jammers due to prototype N-Jammer Cancellers."

"Heero sent us copies of the designs," said Duo, "That was your world's first real Gundam, right?"

"According to Heero," said Kira, "He told me that he could consider the Freedom to be a Gundam because of its power and the potential it had to be truly decisive on a battlefield in the hands of a skilled pilot even though it wasn't made of Gundanium alloy. I guess you could say that he thought of it as a new kind of Gundam."

Duo nodded. "I can follow that. So that'd make the Strike and the other units from Heliopolis proto-Gundams."

"Yes," said Lacus, "or at least, that's the way Heero described them to us. While I always thought that they were powerful machines in their own right I can see why he would think of them as a level below a Gundam."

"What do you think about the mobile suits from Armory One?" asked Kira.

Duo looked down in thought. "Hmmm… I guess the 'proto-Gundam' label fits them pretty well. I think the only one that could really qualify as an actual Gundam would be that one nuclear powered machine that the attackers used."

"That's the one with the gun drones, right?" asked Lacus.

"Yup," Duo replied, "Pretty mean machine, and its pilot has to be pretty good if he can survive three fights with Heero."

"Did you guys ever have to go up against tech like that in your world?" asked Kira, "The gun drones, I mean."

Duo shook his head. "No one ever thought of trying something like that to my knowledge. We did have to deal with the opposite, though; shield drones."

"You mean the Planet Defensors on the Tallgeese Kai and the Mercurius Kai," said Kira, "Those are pretty impressive."

"They must've saved a lot of soldiers' lives in your last war," said Lacus.

"Well," said Duo, "only a few, really. Apart from the original Mercurius those things were only mounted on Mobile Dolls."

Lacus raised an eyebrow. "Mobile Dolls? I've heard Heero use that term before, but it was only in passing."

"What are they?" asked Kira.

"Long story short, they're mobile suits without the pilots," Duo replied, "They're controlled by A.I.s rather than humans; that's where the 'Doll' part of the name comes from."

Lacus's eyes widened. "Your world actually has the technology to do that? That's incredible!"

"No kidding!" said Kira, "It was hard enough for us just to create viable operating systems so humans, Coordinator or Natural, could pilot mobile suits. To have a computer program capable of operating them without human input is way out of our league, at least to my knowledge."

"Well, there was a lot of money and influence behind the program, and OZ and Romefeller were eventually able to pull it off," said Duo, "They started by modifying mobile suits that were traditionally piloted by humans, but eventually they came up with machines that were designed from the ground up as Mobile Dolls. Those were the ones that used the Planet Defensors; the operating system behind those shield drones is really too complex for most humans to handle. It's a lot easier to have that be controlled by an A.I."

"They must've been formidable weapons," said Lacus.

Duo chuckled. "At first, yeah, but we figured out how to beat em eventually. Over the long term I think they actually caused more problems for OZ and Romefeller than they'd bargained for."

"What do you mean?" asked Kira.

"Too put it bluntly," said Duo with a smirk, "they caused a split within OZ that quickly turned into a full-scale civil war."

"A civil war over Mobile Dolls?" said Lacus incredulously, "I don't understand."

"Me neither," said Kira.

Duo sighed. "I guess that's not too surprising; it's a bit complicated."

"We have plenty of time," said Kira.

Lacus nodded and smiled. "The night's still young, and I for one am all for another story or two about your world!"

Duo smiled. "All right, then. I guess I'd better start with Romefeller and OZ. In a nutshell, the former was the biggest embodiment of the military-industrial-complex. They were incredibly wealthy, and that wealth primarily stemmed from the profits they made in the arms industry. OZ was their armed force. Publicly they presented themselves as an elite group within the military of the old Alliance, but in reality they were the armed wing of the Romefeller Foundation and helped them control the policies of the government that ruled the Earth Sphere."

"They were the ones that you fought your rebellion against, correct?" asked Lacus.

Duo nodded. "In large part, yes; we knew that they were the real power behind the United Earth Sphere Alliance, although the public government was a real piece of work all on its own. Anyway, once we launched Operation Meteor we became a real thorn in the side of the powers that be, and so they accelerated their plans."

"What do you mean?" asked Kira.

"Simply put, OZ overthrew the Alliance in a coup d'état," Duo replied, "It was with Romefeller's backing, and I'm pretty sure that long term they were going to get rid of the old Alliance anyway and rule on the world stage as well as behind the scenes. The chaos that the five of us caused with our rebellion simply motivated them to step up their timetable for the coup."

"Did they use their Mobile Dolls in the coup?" asked Lacus.

Duo shook his head. "No, those came later, but I have to imagine that they were in development for quite some time. When the Romefeller Foundation introduced the prototypes and announced their plans to go into mass production with them that caused Treize to rebel."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "Treize? I think I've heard Heero mention that name before, but he never went into detail about him."

"Who is he?" asked Lacus.

Duo smirked. "Ah, Treize Khushrenada… of all the enemies we faced, he was the cagiest. Also the strangest; he had a weird sense of honor. I think the only ones among the five of us who really got him are Heero and Wufei. Long story short, Treize hated the idea of Mobile Dolls. He felt that it was humans risking their lives on the battlefield that gave war meaning. Take that away and it just turned war into a game that anyone with enough money could play with giant toys. Treize was pretty damn charismatic, so when he split with Romefeller and OZ a lot of soldiers followed him. They became known as the Treize Faction, and Romefeller wasted no time in putting the Mobile Dolls into mass production. Once they had enough of them they launched Operation Nova."

"What was that?" asked Kira.

Duo chuckled. "Basically it was a sheer numbers knockoff of our version of Operation Meteor. Mobile Doll production was based in outer space. Operation Nova involved shipping armies of them to Earth, where they proceeded to do battle with the Treize Faction. In the middle of all that you had the five of us, just trying to stay alive and wreak a little havoc on the side."

Lacus nodded. "I see. Were the Mobile Dolls powerful?"

"Yes and no," said Duo, "We had a hard time dealing with them at first, but once we got our Gundams upgraded and had a better understanding of how they operated we could take them on."

"What are they like in a fight?" asked Kira.

"Kinda creepy, to be honest," said Duo, "The fact that they're A.I. controlled means that they can move with greater precision than most human pilots, and they can coordinate pretty well. White Fang came up with a modified version of the ZERO System that allowed someone to take that coordination to the next level, but we were able to stand against it. Romefeller spared no expense in making sure that they had the latest high-tech weaponry, and White Fang upped that even further. Mobile Dolls don't tire, so there is an advantage to using them in a prolonged battle. With enough time an army of them can wear down a group of skilled pilots, and we would've been overwhelmed if we hadn't been able to work together."

"They must've had a weakness of some kind," said Lacus.

Duo smiled. "Yup. Their A.I.s were actually pretty limited in capability. They couldn't innovate like human pilots can. Once you find the weak point in their formation and disrupt it they become a lot easier to pick off. No tactical flexibility whatsoever, and you can forget about long-term strategy. Also, they're not very good when it comes to one-on-one fights, so if you can isolate units you can eliminate them without too much trouble. In short, they're good only if you can field them in overwhelming numbers. The perfect weapons for a bunch of rich arms dealers and despots, along with the revolutionary fanatics that stole them, but pit them against real pilots with good mobile suits and they fall apart."

"I'm glad you guys were able to beat them," said Kira with a smile, "It's a good thing that no one's been able to develop those in the Cosmic Era."

Duo looked down, and Lacus was surprised that he suddenly appeared to be quite thoughtful. "Not the ones I'd recognize from my world, but they might be on the way."

"What do you mean?" asked Lacus.

"The battle we fought in the Debris Belt," Duo replied, "One of the ships in the battle group flying with Bogey One deployed a bunch of mobile armors without human pilots. They were pretty weak and didn't last too long against us, but they were A.I. controlled. From there the next step would be to apply a system like that to mobile suits."

Lacus shivered. "You don't really think that they're on the cusp of achieving that, do you?"

Duo shrugged. "You're asking the wrong guy, Lacus. All I do is blow them up. Mobile Doll R&D is over my head."

"Would the Earth Alliance really use such weapons?" asked Kira, "I mean, with the way the extremists in their government hate genetically modified humans you would think that they might also have qualms about A.I. on the battlefield."

Lacus sighed. "I don't know."

Duo smiled. "Well, if they do deploy them, me and the rest of the gang would be more than happy to lend you our expertise on blowing them to bits!"

Kira laughed. "Thanks, though I hope we don't need it."

Lacus nodded. "Indeed."

Duo raised his glass and took another sip of wine. "Well, if we get lucky then we won't have to worry about that at all. It's not like we're in a shooting war right now, and since we stopped the colony from falling I'd say we're sitting pretty good."

Lacus smiled. "I agree."

"Yeah," said Kira, "We'll deal with that when and if the time comes."

"Now that's more like it," said Duo as he took another drink, "Okay, Kira, what do you say you and me go shot for shot?"

Kira's eyes widened. "That's wine! You can't just throw it back like tequila!"

Duo smirked. "Sure you can! No rule against it!"

Lacus had to laugh at that. "Perhaps no written rule, but there is some informal decorum that should be observed."

"That's not really my thing," Duo replied, "which is probably why I don't get invited to too many fancy parties."

"Sorry," said Kira, "but I don't do drinking games."

Duo sighed. "Fine, be that way."

He's certainly an interesting one, Lacus thought as she watched him take another sip of his beverage, Gundam pilots truly do come in all varieties. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to them. What a fascinating group of individuals.

Her smile turned wistful as her musings went off to the past.

Father… I wish you could be here today.

I think you would've liked the new friends I've made.

….

"So," said Yzak, "what do you think of our guests?"

Athrun smirked as he took a sip of his wine. "Good question."

"I don't know what I was expecting," said Dearka, "but it definitely wasn't this."

The three of them had gone into the kitchen, both to refill their drinks and to get just a temporary breather. It had been a while since Athrun had been able to hang out with his old friends like this, so he wasn't particularly in a hurry to go back into the living room with the others quite yet.

I'm with Dearka on that one, he thought, I spent about a week with then on the Minerva and I still don't quite know what to make of them. Then again, I suppose I stayed with Cagalli most of the time rather than hang out with Heero and the others.

"I thought that they'd all be like Heero," said Yzak, "but the only thing they've really got in common is their piloting skills."

"And the badass mobile suits," said Dearka with a smirk, "We definitely could've used those in the last war."

Athrun nodded. "I'm with you there."

Yzak chuckled. "They would've been a real pain to fight against, that's for sure. If they'd all shown up with Heero when he did then those of us who were attacking the Archangel earlier in the war probably wouldn't be alive."

"I'm surprised you managed to survive with just Heero on the field," said a new voice.

The three of them turned to see Trowa standing in the entrance of the kitchen. "Staying alive in a fight against Wing Zero is no small feat."

Athrun nodded. "Well, Heero definitely didn't make it easy on us."

"No kidding," said Dearka.

"You're the pilot of Heavyarms Arsenal, right?" asked Yzak, "The one with all the Gatling guns and missiles."

"Along with the Double Assault Beam Cannon, yes," said Trowa as he walked in and grabbed a bottle of wine.

Athrun and the others were quiet for a moment as they watched Trowa pop open the bottle and pour himself a refill. Athrun didn't know how many drinks the Gundam pilot had had so far, but he seemed no worse for the wear.

As Trowa filled his glass he turned to Athrun. "To be honest I'm surprised you made it here tonight. I thought you'd be with Cagalli."

Athrun was a little taken aback at that sudden change in the direction of the conversation, but he went along with it all the same. "Cagalli wanted me to come over here so I could spend time with everyone… and to keep me out of Orb politics. She had to meet with her ministers and fellow nobles after we arrived. Those meetings usually wear her out, so by now I'm sure she's asleep."

Trowa nodded. "That was nice of her to keep you out of the fray. Politics can be ugly, regardless of the nation."

It was strange listening to him talk like this. Trowa was as calm as Heero, but the way his hair came down over his right eye somehow made him even harder to read than Wing Zero's pilot. Yet despite his inscrutable appearance his tone was quite casual.

Trowa turned to Yzak and Dearka. "So, what do you think of our world's old machines?"

Yzak raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Which ones?" asked Dearka.

"Mercurius and Vayeate," said Trowa, "You two pilot the upgraded versions of them, don't you?"

"Oh, those," said Dearka, smiling, "They're pretty sweet. Vayeate packs a real punch!"

Yzak nodded. "Heero told us that the original models were built to act in concert. They function quite well as a pair, and they're definitely superior to the mobile suits we flew in the last war."

"Indeed," said Trowa, "I have to admit that I was surprised to see those two on the battlefield again, whether upgraded or not. Heero must really trust you guys if he's willing to share the technology of our world with you."

"We're his comrades," said Dearka, "Of course he trusts us."

"We are flying out of the Archangel now, after all," said Yzak, "Since that's Captain Ramius's ship Heero wouldn't let us anywhere near it if he didn't trust us, especially with advanced mobile suits."

Trowa nodded. "That sounds like Heero."

The Gundam pilot then turned towards Athrun again. "Heero's given you and the others a great gift; the technology from our world's mobile suits can turn the tide of any battle when paired with the right wielder. Can Cagalli leverage it properly?"

Athrun's eyes widened a little at that. The way Trowa had so suddenly switched track was a bit unnerving, and that wasn't helped by the nature of his question.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"As events continue to unfold, Orb will find itself once again caught between the giants of the Earth Alliance and ZAFT," said Trowa, "From what I understand, the Treaty of Junius Seven forced both superpowers to reduce their armed forces, but the militaries they maintain are still the strongest in the Earth Sphere. Orb's stance of neutrality won't keep it out of the fighting if they decide to go to war again, and both will be looking to draw Orb's military into their fold. Cagalli's connection to Heero and the others is a unique advantage, and it could serve as a useful deterrent if utilized properly."

Yzak folded his arms. "I think you've got the wrong idea. Heero may be friends with Cagalli, but if she openly acknowledges him and the rest of Terminal then Orb will be in violation of the treaty."

"Yeah," Dearka chimed in, "Don't forget; Wing Zero was supposed to be destroyed per the treaty, but Cagalli helped Heero hide it by demolishing a dummy instead. That mobile suit's very survival is enough to potentially drag Orb into a fight with the Earth Alliance and ZAFT."

"And that's not counting everything else Heero's data and expertise have given us in the years since the war ended," said Athrun grimly, "The Buster Cannons on the Archangel and the Dominion, Epyon Revenant, the Mercurius Kai and Vayeate Kai… we've got a great arsenal thanks to him, but our greatest armaments could be perceived as enough of a threat by the Alliance and ZAFT to start another war."

"Another war's already on the horizon," said Trowa, and there was a very dark look in the eye that wasn't obscured by his bangs, "The strike on Armory One and the attempted colony drop did not occur in a vacuum. There are forces at work that are actively courting conflict, and the power that they've demonstrated so far indicates that they may very well have the means to kick off a new war. At the very least, the tension that their actions have created breeds a climate of fear, mistrust, and anger; that's all the fuel anyone skilled enough at incitement would need to start a firestorm."

Athrun shook his head. "You're wrong. We're not there yet."

Trowa was silent for a moment before responding. "We'll see."

The Gundam pilot then took a sip of his wine and nodded. "Enjoy the party."

Athrun and his two friends watched as Trowa calmly walked out of the room. No one spoke until they were reasonably confident that the Gundam pilot was out of earshot.

"Man," said Dearka as he took a drink, "talk about a buzz kill."

"He may have a point," said Yzak grimly, "Thanks to the Wolf we have a network of intelligence sources in the PLANTs and ZAFT, so we're able to monitor their activity. The Earth Alliance is another story; we don't have nearly the same level of information access regarding their activities. The activity of the past week reeks of their doing, with the exception of the attempted colony drop. If someone wanted to stir up some violence then the attack on Armory One was as good a way as any to do it."

"Only if hardliners loyal to Blue Cosmos were able to put them up to it," said Athrun.

"You know as well as I do that there are plenty of them in the Atlantic Federation," said Yzak, "The Americans didn't try all that hard to clean house after the war when compared to the actions of Canaver's provisional government and the following Durandal administration."

"Maybe," said Dearka, "but it's not like they can field a fleet as big as the armada they assembled for Second Jachin Due."

"Neither can the PLANTs," said Athrun, "It'd be a bloody war of attrition. At least neither side can field nukes or gamma ray lasers now."

"So the lack of super weapons and the likelihood of a long, drawn out war should serve as a deterrent?" said a familiar female voice, "I hope you're right."

The boys turned to see two young women standing in the doorway. The speaker was Miriallia, and right next to her was Flay.

The red-head smiled and shook her head as she looked at her silver-haired boyfriend. "Yzak, only you could go off and find a group to talk about something as grim as a new war in the middle of a party."

Yzak shook his head. "It wasn't my fault. Trowa was the one that started it."

Flay giggled as she walked in and kissed him on the cheek. "Blaming a guest? That's bad manners, Yzak."

"Trust me," said Yzak as he put his arm around her, "If you'd been here you would've sided with me."

"Whatever you say, Yzak," Flay replied as she put her head on his shoulder.

For her part, Miriallia was looking at Dearka and shaking her head in what appeared to be both amusement and exasperation. "Another glass, Dearka? How many is that now?"

Dearka smiled. "Hey, I know my limit. I'm fine, really!"

Miriallia sighed before smiling. "All right, but if you wake up hung over tomorrow you'd better not expect me to make you breakfast."

"Well that's mean!" said Dearka.

Miriallia smirked as she kissed him. "You deserve it."

Athrun had to smile as he watched both couples interact. It was rather strange given that the girls had served on the Archangel while the boys had been hunting it during the war, but here they were now, not just friends but also in love. It was a testament to the ideals that Lacus had preached and that the Three Ships Alliance and Terminal had been founded on; peaceful coexistence and friendship between Coordinators and Naturals. For Athrun it was all the proof he needed to know that he had made the right choice in leaving ZAFT to be with Cagalli and Kira. He just wished that Cagalli could be here with him at the moment rather than dealing with her government duties.

"Yo, Athrun?" said Dearka, "You okay?"

"What's up?" asked Yzak.

Athrun shook his head as he realized that the others were staring at him. "It's nothing."

The guys looked convinced, but there was something about the way Flay and Miriallia were looking at him that told Athrun they didn't quite buy it.

"I hope Cagalli will be able to come by sometime this week," said Miriallia, giving Athrun a knowing look, "I think she'd like it here with all our guests."

Flay nodded. "I think it would be good for her."

Athrun smiled. "I'm sure she will when she has the time. Unfortunately her schedule's got her pretty busy right now, especially with the recent events."

"She's got ministers," said Dearka, "Can't they handle some of the work?"

Yzak shook his head. "Come on, Dearka. Our parents were part of the Supreme Council during the war; you remember how they were always at the office, right?"

Dearka nodded. "Yeah, I guess you've got a point."

"It was the same way with my dad," said Flay softly, "He was so busy with his government work that I didn't get to see him all that much."

And then ZAFT killed him, thought Athrun grimly, Just like a ZAFT soldier killed my father in the final battle of the war… although I suppose the circumstances surrounding his death are quite different from the demise of Flay's father.

"I bet Cagalli went through the same thing with Lord Uzumi," said Miriallia, "That's probably one of the reasons why she clashed with him so much; they didn't get as much time to really understand each other as they should have."

Athrun sighed. "Politics… it's hard on families and sometimes the world."

"No argument there," said Yzak.

"That's why we need to make sure Cagalli has a place to relax here when she gets the chance," said Miriallia with a smile, "Lord Uzumi's gone, so we're her family now."

Athrun nodded and smiled. "You're right about that."

Flay raised her wine glass. "To family."

The others smiled and followed her lead.

"To family," they all said.

A real family, Athrun thought as he took a sip, One that I won't have to fight against… and one whose legacy I won't have to defend the world from.

Cagalli…

I'll protect you and the rest of our family with everything I've got!

….

"Well," said Murrue, "it looks like we had a few casualties."

Heero nodded and smirked as he looked at Duo, who was passed out on one of the couches. "At least they kept the furniture clean… although that'll change if Duo starts drooling."

The party had wrapped up a little bit ago, but due to the amount of alcohol that had been consumed no one would be leaving the estate tonight. That was fine with Heero; they had plenty of room, with both spare beds and a few couches for their friends to sleep off the night's festivities.

Most had retired to their own rooms or the spares, but a few were unable to make the journey up the stairs thanks to all the wine they'd had. A few of them were people that Heero had expected to end up like this; Duo, Dearka, and Lan. However, there were some victims that had taken the young man by surprise, including Priscilla, Yzak, Flay and, most unusually of all, Quatre.

Lan's work, no doubt, he thought as he looked at the pilot of Sandrock Saladin, whose shoulder was serving as an impromptu pillow for the Chinese Coordinator, and it seems she fared little better.

Murrue turned to him and smiled. "At least we know that they enjoyed themselves."

"I think everyone did," Heero replied, "It's good to blow off some steam every once in a while."

Murrue put her arm around him. "That's really something, coming from you."

"What do you mean?" asked Heero.

"Just that you didn't use to be the type to embrace a sentiment like that so openly," said Murrue with a smirk before she kissed him on the cheek, "You're grown, Heero."

Heero nodded and gave her a small smile. "I suppose I have."

Murrue lowered her arm and slipped her hand into his. "Come on. Why don't we call it a night?"

"Sounds good," said Heero.

Taking one last look around to make sure their passed out friends were relatively comfortable, the two of them headed out of the living room and made their way upstairs. No lights were on in the house, but the light of the moon shone through the windows and gave them all the illumination that they needed. Heero let Murrue set the pace, and while it was relatively slow, he didn't mind that; it was like she was trying to get him to savor the aftermath of what had been a very entertaining evening.

"How long do you think they'll be able to stay?" asked Murrue.

"I'll introduce them to Erica Simmons tomorrow," said Heero, "They can give her their data and she can start figuring out a way to get them home. It'll probably take a while, though. You sure you're all right with them staying here until then?"

Murrue smiled. "Of course, Heero. We've got plenty of room, after all. They can stay as long as they want."

Heero nodded. "Thanks. I know they can sometimes be a handful, but we couldn't ask for better allies right now."

"They're Gundam pilots, like you," said Murrue with a smirk, "I think being a handful comes with the territory, and I'm just fine with that."

Heero chuckled. "I appreciate that. I just hope that the others don't mind."

"They get along just fine with you, don't they?" said Murrue, "If tonight's any indication then I think that extends to your old friends. Trust me, Heero; you've got nothing to worry about."

Heero nodded. "All right."

As the two of them walked down the hall towards their room Heero found himself lookout out the window and up at the sky. The moon was quite beautiful tonight, but Heero wasn't admiring it at the moment. Luna was more than Earth's sole natural satellite; it was where the bulk of the Earth Alliance space fleet was based out of. He remembered that the modified Salvager-class ship that had fled the battle in the Debris Belt had been heading towards the Lunar Perimeter, all the proof Heero needed that the ship and the force that had been with it were connected to the Alliance.

"Heero?" said Murrue as the two of them stopped in their tracks, "Are you all right?"

Heero nodded, although his gaze remained on the moon. "Just thinking."

Murrue followed his gaze. "I wish we had the same level of intel on the Earth forces as we do on ZAFT. It'd be nice to know what they're planning to do with their fleet."

"They didn't spare a single resource to help stop the fall of Junius Seven," said Heero grimly, "and Bogey One only showed up to try to sabotage the efforts to break it up. That's all I need to know that they want another war."

"Then we'll stop them," said Murrue firmly, and Heero could feel her hand tightening its grip on his, "Just like last time. ZAFT too, if we have to. I won't let them destroy the life we've built together in our world."

"Agreed," Heero replied as he turned back to Murrue, "and this is our world. Murrue, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I am not going back with the others when they leave. My part in that world is done; this world is my home now."

Murrue smiled as she reached out and put her hand to his cheek. "I know, Heero. I've never thought for a moment otherwise. I know that the Cosmic Era is where you belong now, and that the life we've built together will remain here."

Heero nodded. "That's good. I don't like to make you worry."

Murrue smirked. "This coming from the man who took on Avalon and GENESIS head on?"

"You know what mean," said Heero.

"I do," she said as they started walking again.

All too soon, they reached the door to their bedroom. Heero opened it, but before he could step inside Murrue grabbed his arm.

"Heero," she said, a smile on her face, "thank you."

Heero was confused. "For what?"

She responded by pulling him in for a kiss. "For coming back to me today."

Heero nodded and returned her smile as their lips parted. "Anytime."

Still holding his arm, she brought her other hand up to his cheek. Her gaze met his, and there was a hunger in her eyes that had become a familiar and welcome sight to the Gundam pilot over the past two years.

"The others may be done partying for the night," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper, "but I've still got some energy left, and we've been apart for nearly a week. What do you say, Heero? How about we end this night with a bang?"

Heero nodded and smiled. "I'm game if you are."

Murrue grinned. "Lead on, love."

Without further adieu Heero pulled her inside the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

….

October 9th, C.E. 73

"You're late," Lord Djibril hissed.

Nazara scowled under his mask. "Forgive me, Lord Djibril."

Truth be told, Nazara felt that his delay in filing his report and contacting his superior was quite natural given the turn of events. The Nosferatu could've made it to the Lunar Perimeter by itself just fine, but the Gaia and Ronin were battery-powered, forcing the Colonel to keep pace with Stella and Rodrigues while covertly arranging for a Typhoon-class destroyer of the Black Fleet to pick them up. Fortunately the rendezvous had gone smoothly enough, giving Nazara time go over the day's events and properly compile his report. The fact that he was speaking to Lord Djibril in the very early hours of the day following the battle at the ruins of Junius Seven should've been testament to his efficiency as a commander rather than a mark of tardiness, but the Colonel knew that fighting with the head of LOGOS and Blue Cosmos at this point would only serve to prolong a conversation that he wanted to keep as brief as possible.

"You were not pursued?" asked Djibril.

Nazara shook his head. "We made a clean break from the engagement zone, and no one observed our rendezvous with the Pickett."

Djibril nodded. "At least you're good at retreating."

A biting reply was on the tip of Nazara's tongue, but he held it back. It was better to bide his time than start a confrontation now.

"The Girty Lue, two more Extended and their mobile suits, and four additional machines lost," said Djibril continued icily, "Your losses are becoming quite expensive."

This time Nazara could not help but protest. "If they were lost it is because the C.I.A. and fleet reconnaissance dropped the ball. The Archangel and Dominion should've been accounted for long before the battle took place."

"They went missing at the end of the last war," growled Djibril, "but the moment Wing Zero showed up on the scene at Armory One you should've assumed that the warships that fought alongside it would make their presence known sooner or later. Intelligence may have failed to find their hiding places, but it was you who did not adequately prepare for a possible encounter with them!"

"My preparations were the same any commander would've made under the circumstances!" snarled Nazara, his restraint beginning to weaken, "The Girty Lue was cloaked and within perfect position to release her mobile suits, but the disruption of the Mirage Colloid by the launches was an unavoidable risk, one that was minimized in all ways possible given the demands of the operation! You can blame ZAFT for letting the enemy steal the Wraiths in the last war for the Girty Lue's detection and destruction!"

"I blame the Coordinators for many things," Djibril sneered, "but the loss of Phantom Pain's flagship is squarely on your shoulders! The only reason I'm not more pissed off at you than I already am is that the completion of the Harbinger and Sovereign will eventually make up for the battleship's destruction."

Djibril raised an eyebrow underneath his mask, his anger temporarily displaced by curiosity. "Then Project Reaper is on schedule? I was under the impression that the yards on Luna and at Heaven's Base had fallen behind."

"They had," said Djibril offhandedly, "but executing the foremen at both facilities provided some much needed incentive for increased productivity. The yards have redoubled their efforts; the dreadnoughts will be operational as planned."

"Then the loss of the Girty Lue is inconsequential in the grander scheme," said Nazara, "The two dreadnoughts may lack her stealth capability, but they more than make up for it with firepower and mobile suit capacity."

Djibril glared at him. "Don't think for a moment that the progress made in Project Reaper is enough to dilute the price of your failure. If you hadn't sent the combat footage taken during the battle then it would've been a complete loss. As it is, the fact that no fragments of meaningful and damaging size made it down to the surface forces us to alter our timetable; riling the world up for war will take a little longer now than I was hoping it would."

"The people of Earth will fall into line soon enough," said Nazara, "They haven't changed one bit since the last war; the prejudice and mistrust they have for Coordinators is still quite fresh."

Djibril nodded. "Yes, in no small thanks to the media outlets that are under our influence. All we have to do is word the results of the Atlantic Federation's inquiry regarding the attempted colony drop the right way and we'll have our people howling for blood."

"What about the Orb Union?" asked Nazara, "They're small, but they enjoy a disproportionate influence in global affairs, thanks in no small part to their bitch of a Chief Representative."

Djibril chuckled. "Lord Uzumi's daughter may be popular domestically and internationally, but she's not as big a threat to our plans as you make her out to be. Thanks to divisions within the noble families that we've cultivated over the years she's already outflanked. Orb is already in our pocket; Cagalli just doesn't know it yet."

"The Seirans?" said Nazara, trying not so sound dismissive, "Your predecessor tried to make use of them in the last war. Apart from a handful of dead Coordinators they didn't produce much in the way of results."

"That was then," said Djibril with a smirk, "This is now. The political guard in the Orb Union has changed since the Lion and his cabinet committed suicide during the invasion. Cagalli may be committed to her father's ideals, but she's surrounded by a new breed of nobles, ministers, and advisors. Few have the nerve to stand against either us or the PLANTs. The Orb Union will be forced to pick one side or the other, and thanks to the fear engendered by the devastation they suffered at our hands two years ago they will pick us. The Seirans are our most powerful puppets, and they will seize control of the country soon enough."

"What about the Orb military?" asked Nazara, "They were loyal to Uzumi in the last war, and they've shown no signs of abandoning his daughter for the Seirans."

"Their loyalty to Cagalli will make them that much easier to control," Djibril replied, "Unato and Yuna already have a plan in motion that will turn the young Chief Representative into little more than a puppet ruler. Behind the scenes true power will rest with the Seirans, and by extension LOGOS. Cagalli will be a useful stage prop; having her act as the public face of the Orb Union will keep the military behind her and in line."

"It'll be easy enough to fool the enlisted ranks," said Nazara, "but what about the officer corps? They won't be blind to a shift in Orb's internal balance of power."

"By the time they notice the change it will be too late," said Djibril with a smile, "Any action on their part would pose a risk to their beloved young ruler. They won't do anything that would endanger the Lion's daughter."

Nazara nodded but said nothing. Djibril's reasoning was sound, but there was one factor that could throw all their plans into disarray, just as it had in the last war and in more recent events.

Wing Zero.

What's your play, Heero Yuy?, he thought, You were more than just a mobile suit pilot in the last war; you were a political force in your own right. Your appearance on camera in the prison break at the PLANT capital, the viral video of the duel with the Valkyrie, your assassination of Azrael and the final attack on GENESIS… your influence stretches far beyond the battlefield.

Heero Yuy may have disappeared at the end of the last war, but the popular theory both within the Earth Alliance and the rest of the Earth Sphere was that he was somewhere in Orb. Recent events had only further convinced Nazara of that, and his friendship with Cagalli was an open secret. There was no doubt in Nazara's mind that Uzumi's heir had arranged the destruction of the dummy Wing Zero after the war, and she had likely played some behind the scenes role in securing the resources and expertise needed for its upgrade. The same went for the upgraded Archangel and Dominion, not to mention all the new mobile suits that had shown up over the past week; there was just no way to confirm the full extent of the resources that were at the disposal of the former Three Ships Alliance.

Nazara kept his doubts to himself. Djibril sounded fairly set as far as his current schemes for the Orb Union were concerned, and as Nazara was more of a battlefield commander than a politician such intrigue wasn't his primary focus right now. Whenever Heero Yuy made his move the Colonel would notice soon enough; the actions of Wing Zero's pilot had hardly been subtle in the last war, and the same had gone for the events of the past week.

Besides, he thought, suppressing a smile, having him in the mix makes things interesting. It'd be boring if events followed Djibril's script to the letter. As far as wild cards go the Demon Lord of Avalon is the biggest one out there. Sooner or later he'll enter the fray, and when he does I'll meet him with the Nosferatu, and next time I will not lose.

Of course, in order to improve his chances of victory the Colonel would need to make some changes. It was clear that the upgraded Wing Zero in the hands of the Angel of Ruin outmatched the Nosferatu, despite the fact that the nuclear powered gun-barrel wielding mobile suit was the most advanced unit in the Earth Alliance's arsenal. Nazara's machine would require an overhaul if he was to triumph over his rival, and the Colonel already had a few ideas in mind for that. As soon as he got the chance he would submit them to Phantom Pain's R&D section; he was sure that the brain trust of the Atlantic Federation's secret army would more than be up for the challenge.

"Very well," Nazara said, "That takes care of the Orb Union, but while it may be easy enough to gin up anti-Coordinator sentiment amongst our own people we'll still have to provide convincing justification to declare war."

Djibril nodded. "The battle footage from your machine and the other two will help with that. Our information control specialists will be working overtime to make the necessary edits and alterations in order to provide the public with imagery that will excite the passion within them. Once full domestic support for a new campaign is achieved the rest will fall into place quite easily."

"How long will we give our inquiry?" asked Nazara.

"Leave that to me," Djibril replied, "I want you to focus on your more immediate duties."

"And those would be?" asked the Colonel.

"Force preparation," said Djibril, "Your destroyer is currently headed for the Lunar Perimeter, correct?"

Nazara nodded. "Yes."

"Good," said Djibril, "I want you to go to the Arzachel Lunar Base. Vice Admiral Abbott is already there. You'll begin preparations for fleet mobilization there. Make sure the necessary commanders have their orders and that their battle groups are on standby, but you are not to amass a strike force until you receive explicit orders from me; we can't betray our hand until the time is right."

"A strike force," said Nazara with a smirk, "I take it that force's target will be L5. Will we be prepping our hidden arsenal as well?"

"Yes," Djibril replied, "The fleet we launch will only need to keep the Coordinator forces occupied until we can use our nuclear missiles on the colonies."

"What about Requiem?" asked Nazara, "That weapon was designed to guarantee our dominance over the Earth Sphere; I can't think of a better time to unveil it than in the assault on the Coordinator homeland."

"Requiem is not ready yet," said Djibril, "That weapon requires further work, and even with our plans being set back by yesterday's events it still will not be fully operational by the time the new war begins."

"That's a pity," said Nazara, "I had hoped to see it in action."

Djibril smiled. "All in good time. We can use that weapon for more than just destroying colonies, after all. Surface targets will need to be dealt with as well, and when it is ready Requiem will provide a unique way to accomplish that."

"As long as we don't need to capture those targets intact," said Nazara dryly.

"The only ground the Coordinators hold on earth is Gibraltar and Carpentaria," said Djibril, "While it would be nice to reclaim it, the fact of the matter is simply removing the infection from those two points will be satisfactory. It will also serve as a powerful example of Requiem's power and help keep the rest of the world in line."

Nazara nodded. "So that's our plan? A nuclear strike on L5, and then we let the survivors on the surface linger until Requiem is ready to finish them off?"

"We'll have to deploy our surface forces to contain the Coordinators on Earth, naturally," Djibril replied, "but that's only a temporary measure. Once Requiem is fully operational we can finish them off at our leisure. The C.I.A. will then be able to track down whatever small pockets of Coordinators might remain on Earth for us to exterminate."

Nazara smirked. "A swift and orderly cleansing. No long war like last time."

Djibril chuckled. "Thanks to the Coordinators developing N-Jammer Cancellers during the last war we can use their own technology against them. Our forces may be smaller than the armada assembled in the last war, but we still outnumber the Coordinator forces and any other military in the Earth Sphere, and with the Orb Union in our pocket our advantage will be decisive. No one will be able to stand in the way of the fulfillment of our grand design this time!"

Once again the elephant in the room, Heero Yuy, was not mentioned. Once again Nazara held his tongue. If Djibril was not going to mention Wing Zero and not account for that machine and its pilot in his plans then he would have only himself to blame when the Demon Lord of Avalon inevitably entered the fray. Nazara would carry out his orders and take a wait-and-see approach regarding the mobile suit that had interfered with the operations of the last week.

"The world will soon be brought back into its natural state," Djibril continued, "For too long the Coordinator infection has been allowed to fester and grow. This new war will set everything right!"

"I'll make sure that the fleet is ready to play its part," said Nazara.

Djibril nodded. "Yes, and make sure your Extended is ready as well. We will need her abilities and her machine in perfect working order."

"Will I be getting any additional Extended?" asked Nazara.

"Given your propensity for losing them I'm tempted to say no," Djibril replied, "However, with such a momentous operation before us it would be foolish to leave such an important asset on the sidelines. I will contact the Lodonia facility and make sure the appropriate transfers are made. You'll have your Extended; I suggest that you use them wisely."

Nazara nodded and refrained from a biting reply. "Understood, Lord Djibril."

"One more thing," said Djibril, "Your mercenary, Rodrigues; I want him sent back to Earth."

Nazara raised an eyebrow under his mask. "Are you sure? I may not particularly like him, but his talents are useful."

"I'm well aware of that," Djibril replied, "and that's why I want him returned to the surface. Desperado Enforcement will be playing a role in our surface efforts. They're the best PMC operating with us, and I want them to be at full strength for their missions. Whether they'll be deployed against Carpentaria or Gibraltar remains to be seen, but either way they'll be seeing heavy action in our containment efforts while Requiem is brought up to operational status."

Nazara nodded. "Very well. I'll send him and his mobile suit back as soon as I can arrange transport."

"Good," said Djibril.

"Is there anything else that needs to be attended to?" asked Nazara.

"Only that you make sure our preparations proceed with the utmost secrecy," said Djibril, "Keeping our efforts clandestine is vital. If word leaks out about what we are doing the consequences will be severe, especially for you."

It was a threat with all the subtlety of a gunshot, but Nazara didn't let it rattle him in the slightest. "Understood, Lord Djibril."

Djibril nodded. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world. Dismissed, Colonel."

Nazara leaned back in his chair as Djibril disappeared from the screen. That had gone about as well as could be reasonably expected under the circumstances. The fact that he would be operating from Luna for the immediate future was a bonus; having access to the expansive facilities and staff of Arzachel Base would be useful for starting the upgrading process for the Nosferatu. Phantom Pain maintained a discreet presence there, as it did at all major Atlantic Federation bases, so he could also use that as an opportunity to check up on other activities the covert organization was conducting.

Managing battle group commanders and going over my organization's current agenda, he mused, Looks like I'm going to be playing the role of administrator for a little while. No matter; if all goes well I'll be back on the battlefield soon enough.

….

"Quite the view, huh?" said a familiar female voice from behind him.

Quatre turned around and smiled as Lan Zhao came out onto the terrace behind him. Her attire was quite casual, a simple pair of blue jeans and a red blouse, but she looked quite lovely all the same.

"Good morning," he said, "How are you feeling?"

Lan smiled as she came up on his right and joined him at the railing. "Better, although contrary to what Shemei says I'm pretty sure it's not due to her 'hangover cure'. That thing was disgusting!"

Quatre winced, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Don't remind me. What did she call that concoction again? A prairie oyster?"

"Whatever it was, it needs to be killed with fire," she replied, "I mean, I can actually think without my head threatening to explode now, but I still feel like I want to throw up."

"The fact that you haven't so far would seem to be a good sign," said Quatre, "I'm pretty sure you handle your liquor a lot better than I do."

Lan grinned as she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Yeah, you're a real lightweight, aren't you, cutie? No need to worry; I'll help you build up some tolerance while you're here. I'll have you drinking your buddies under the table in no time!"

Quatre laughed. "I'm not sure if my liver will survive that. Besides, I'd like to actually remember the time that I spend here."

Lan nodded. "All right, I'll lay off on that one for a little while."

"Thanks," said Quatre as he looked back out at the waterfront, "You know, you weren't wrong about the view. I could get use to this."

"You mean you don't have a beach house or two back in your world?" said Lan with a smirk, "Rich guy like you should have no problem getting his hand on something like that."

Quatre smiled and shook his head. "Money's not the issue; it's simply a matter of time and location. I'm usually up in the colonies, and when I come down to the surface it's typically for short business trips. So I don't really have a reason to invest in a seaside estate."

"Not even as a pad to take a lady to for a romantic vacation?" said Lan with a wink.

Quatre found himself blushing, something that he realized he did quite frequently around this woman. "Well… like I said, I'm just not down on Earth that much."

"Relax, flyboy," said Lan, "I'm just having some fun with you."

Quatre wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he simply nodded and looked back out at the ocean again. To his right Lan leaned forward, and while an untrained observer might think she was simply joining him in admiring the view Quatre could tell she was studying him out of the corner of her eye. The young man was curious as to why he was getting so much of her attention when compared to the rest of his friends, but as strange as it was he actually didn't mind it.

"Mind if I ask you something?" she said to him after a moment.

Quatre smiled. "Go ahead."

"It's about your name," said Lan, "Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I'm just having a little trouble placing the background. Your middle name in particular sounds Arabic, while 'Winner' has a more Western vibe to it."

Quatre nodded. "My family's descendants came from the Middle East and North Africa. We've actually got some pretty strong Berber blood in us. I guess overall you could say that we're Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, merging Arab, Berber, and some European ancestry into our clan."

"Neat," said Lan, "Quite the background you've got. A lot more interesting than my ancestry; just plain old Chinese."

"I wouldn't call that plain," said Quatre, "China's a vast land; there's plenty of diversity there, and I'm sure your ancestry's no exception."

Lan smiled at him, and Quatre was struck by how genuine it appeared; there wasn't a hint of that teasing and playful light that he'd seen from her so far. "That's sweet of you to say… thanks."

"Anytime," Quatre replied.

"Well, 'China' as a country no longer exists in this world; it's actually the Republic of East Asia now," said Lan, "I don't know if it means anything to you, but I was born in Shanghai. My mom was from one of the western provinces, way out in the sticks; she came to the big city looking for work. As for my dad, he already lived in the big city when they met."

There was something in the way that her tone had changed as she'd brought up her father that told Quatre that he was a subject that she'd rather avoid talking about. The Gundam pilot was curious, but he decided that he wouldn't pry into the matter unless she offered up details of her own will.

"Did you ever make it back out to where your mother was from?" he asked.

Lan shook her head. "No, I spent all my childhood in Shanghai until mom and I ran away to the PLANTs. She used to talk about it, though. Mom said that she was from a small village. It was quiet, but the countryside around it was very pretty. I wish I could've seen it with her. I'm not exactly a country girl, but I'm all for checking out new places."

"You've never tried to go out there since then?" asked Quatre.

"Too risky," she said, "The Republic of East Asia may not toe the Atlantic Federation line on all matters, but they are part of the Earth Alliance. I'm not exactly welcome in their territory, and the same goes for everyone that's part of our little group."

Quatre nodded. "I see. I'm sorry."

Lan smiled. "It's all right. I've seen pictures of the area online. It's not the same as going in person, but it's enough for now. Maybe someday in the future I can sneak on out there, but it's not like it's a top priority. Besides, Orb's got more than enough sights to see and places to explore to keep me occupied for a while!"

"I certainly wouldn't mind checking some of those out," said Quatre, "From what I saw on the flight in Orb looks like a very beautiful country."

Lan nodded and winked. "Well, if you're looking for a tour guide then I'm pretty sure I can help you out there!"

Quatre laughed. "I might have to take you up on that."

"Either that or I'll drag you out myself," said Lan with a predatory grin, "Someone's gotta show you a good time while you're here!"

Quatre nodded and smiled. "Well, as long as you don't get me into too much trouble."

Lan smirked. "No promises there, flyboy."

"I'm serious," said Quatre, "If I agree to let you show me around the island's hot spots then I want to avoid any difficulties with the locals, including the authorities."

"Relax," Lan replied, "I'll keep us out of the slammer."

She was entirely too casual about that for Quatre's liking, but he supposed that he would have to take what he could get. One thing was for sure; any time spent with this girl would not be dull.

Lan sighed. "Well, much as I might like to, I can't stick around here all day."

"You mean you don't live at this estate?" asked Quatre.

Lan shook her head. "I share an apartment with Adaline and Pris. It's pretty nice; decent size, three full bedrooms, and one hell of a view of the city. Plus it gives me easy access to most of the fun spots downtown. Anyway, I know the three of us are going to be heading back there pretty soon."

"I see," said Quatre.

"That's why I wanted to make sure you got this before I left," said Lan as she fished into her pocket and pulled out a smart phone.

"Thanks," said Quatre as she gave it to him, "Where did you get this?"

"Shemei," Lan replied, "and she got it from her husband. He's got one for each of you Gundam pilots; we figured whatever phones you boys might have probably wouldn't get service in our world."

Quatre smiled. "I hadn't even considered that. Good thing Bristow thought ahead."

Lan nodded. "Most of our numbers are already programmed into that, including mine. I've also got your number set into my phone. Don't worry; I'll give you a little bit of breathing room before I call! I know I can be a bit of a handful, so I'm sure you could use a bit of a break from me."

"I wouldn't put it like that," said Quatre, "You're energetic and forward, and you've been very welcoming to me. I appreciate that."

Lan smiled. "You really are a sweetheart, you know that? Do I have your sisters to thank for that?"

"Maybe," said Quatre, "They certainly had an influence there."

Lan leaned in and took Quatre completely off guard by giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm not complaining. See you around, Quatre. Keep the phone handy; my name will pop up on that screen soon enough."

Quatre nodded, furiously trying to keep from blushing. "I'll keep an eye out for it."

Lan smirked. "You'd better."

….

"Whoa!" said Lunamaria, "This is awesome!"

She'd just arrived in the downtown shopping district of the city, and she wasn't alone. Accompanying her were Shinn, Rey, Meyrin, Vino, Yolan, and, rather surprisingly, Wufei. The Gundam pilot stood out amid the ZAFT soldiers; his casual blue tank-top and white pants were a stark contrast to the military uniforms of Lunamaria and the others.

Lunamaria wasn't unaccustomed to cities; growing up in the PLANTs meant that she'd basically spent her entire life in an urban environment. However, that didn't keep her from being impressed by Orb's capital. For a small island nation its primary city was both large and bustling with activity, and Lunamaria and the others were right in the heart of it. Their shore leave had just begun, the day was young, and Lunamaria was intent on making the most of it.

There were shops of all kinds up and down the street. Clothing and footwear, electronics and entertainment, foreign and exotic goods, more restaurants and smaller eateries than she could count… if she had to pick a place where she could spend her shore leave, this would be right at the top of her list.

While Lunamaria had eyes for the clothing stores, her sister was ogling the electronic shops. Lunamaria still didn't quite get her sister's fascination with the latest gadgets and consumer tech, but she'd long ago stopped arguing with Meyrin about it; she had her interests, and Lunamaria had hers.

"You got that right," said Yolan, and Lunamaria saw him looking at what appeared to be a video game store, "I think we're going to have some fun here! Good thing they let us collect our pay before they dropped us off!"

"Oh, yeah," said Vino, his eyes locked on two local women as they walked past the group, "This is gonna be great!"

Lunamaria shook her head. "Boys…"

"I wonder if there are any decent bookstores around," Rey mused aloud.

"Down the block that way on your right," said Shinn, pointing, "Biggest bookstore in the city."

Lunamaria smiled. "Hah! I knew you'd get into the tour guide spirit sooner or later, Shinn!"

Shinn shook his head and folded his arms. "Don't get the wrong idea! I just wanted to help out Rey. I'm not showing you guys the sights!"

"Why not, Shinn?" said Meyrin, "You grew up in Orb! You're the best person for us to ask about stuff like this."

Shinn shook his head and started walking off. "Sorry, but ask someone else to show you around."

"Hey!" yelled Lunamaria, "Where are you going?"

"None of your business!" Shinn shouted back.

Lunamaria was going to chase after him when a firm hand grabbed her shoulder. Turning around, she was surprised to see that it was none other than Altron's pilot that had stopped her.

"Wufei?" she said, her eyes widening.

Wufei shook his head. "Let him go."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because he clearly wants to be alone right now," said Wufei, "It's better to just let him be."

Lunamaria took one last look at her friend before he was swallowed up by the bustling downtown crowd. Why had Shinn come along with them today if he was just going to split off from the rest of the group as soon as they'd been dropped off.

She sighed; it was pointless trying to find answers now. "Fine. I just hope that he doesn't get himself into trouble."

"If he does it will be his responsibility to deal with it," said Wufei.

"Shinn can take care of himself," Rey added.

"When he's not being a hothead," Vino muttered.

"As long as he doesn't pick a fight with the locals and get his ass arrested he'll be fine," said Yolan.

"It's too bad," said Meyrin, "He would've been nice to have as a guide."

It occurred to Lunamaria that they might have a replacement guide with them. "Hey, Wufei? Are you familiar with this town?"

Wufei shook his head. "Not particularly."

Lunamaria raised an eyebrow, and she wasn't the only one giving the Gundam pilot a questioning look; Rey appeared to be studying him carefully.

Not familiar with this city?, she thought, That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's an open secret that Heero's friends with Lady Cagalli, and rumors flew around like crazy that he was living in Orb after the war. If Wufei works with him then he should've spent time in Orb as well, right?

It was strange, but Lunamaria decided that there wasn't much she could really do about that for now. She would just have to hope that that question would be answered with time as she learned more about Wufei.

Rey seemed to be of a similar opinion, because she saw him shrug before walking off in the direction Shinn had pointed earlier. "I'll be at the bookstore for a while if any of you need me. Take care."

Meyrin smiled. "Have fun, Rey! I might join you later."

Rey simply nodded as he continued on his way. Lunamaria wasn't worried; Rey could be cool and distant at times, but he got along well with Meyrin. If her younger sister did join Rey at the bookstore later then she'd be in the presence of someone who could keep an eye on her, although Lunamaria had a hard time seeing Meyrin getting into any real trouble, especially at a bookstore.

"Well, I'm off too," said Yolan as he started heading toward the video game store, "Vino, you want to check this place out with me?"

"Sure," said his fellow mechanic, "Let's go!"

"Hey, Luna?" said her sister as Yolan and Vino walked off, "Do you mind if I go check out that shop over there?"

Lunamaria smiled as she saw Meyrin point over at an electronics shop. "Sis, you don't need my permission for that. Go wherever you want. Just take care of yourself, okay?"

Meyrin nodded. "All right. You want to meet up later for lunch?"

"Sure," Lunamaria replied, "Give me a call and we'll figure something out."

Meyrin smiled. "Sounds good. Have fun! See you later, Wufei. Take care of my sister, okay?"

To Lunamaria's surprise she saw Wufei nod. "All right."

As her younger sister walked off Lunamaria turned to Wufei and folded her arms. "Take care of me? What, you still think I can't handle myself?"

"She cares about you," said Wufei, not phased in the least by her reaction, "I might as well keep an eye on you if we're going to be together today."

Lunamaria smiled. "That's… nice of you. I thought you'd be going off on your own too."

Wufei shook his head. "There's nowhere here that I'm in a particular rush to get to."

Lunamaria looked around, and her eyes settled on a nearby clothing store. "Well, in that case, I'm sure you won't mind if I spend a little time updating my wardrobe. Shall we?"

Wufei sighed, clearly not thrilled by the prospect. "All right. Let's go."

Lunamaria took the lead, occasionally glancing at her companion as they headed towards the store. She didn't quite buy his excuse about keeping an eye on her for Meyrin, but given how hard Wufei was to figure out and how reluctant he was to divulge any real information about himself or his motives she knew that trying to get the truth out of him would be an exercise in futility.

Oh, well, she thought, I still get to spend some time with him, right? Might as well enjoy it.

She took another look at Altron's pilot, an odd thought coming to mind.

This was almost like…

… a date.

Lunamaria shook her head. A date? With Wufei? Sure, he was handsome, could clearly handle himself in a fight, and his past was a giant mystery that Lunamaria was chomping at the bit to unravel, but his personality… well, to say that it was a bit prickly would be a considerable understatement.

It's not a date, she silently told herself, Sure, he's spending some of his shore leave with you, and you're going shopping, but it's not a date.

That would've been quite fine if Lunamaria didn't have the feeling that she was trying a bit too hard to convince herself of that.

….

"Ah," said Lunamaria as the two of them walked out of the clothing store, "That was fun!"

Says you, thought Wufei, We spent an hour in there, and for what? Just so you could try on a few outfits? Why did I agree to this again?

He supposed that things could've been worse. She'd only bought a few things, and their stay could easily have lasted longer. Everything Lunamaria had bought fit into one bag too, so she didn't Wufei's help with carrying anything. Still, spending about an hour inside a clothing store wasn't exactly Wufei's idea of a good time.

Why had he agreed to this again? His excuse about keeping an eye on her for her younger sister's sake rang hollow even to him. Meyrin seemed like a nice girl, but Wufei didn't know her nearly well enough to consider doing her a favor like that. Besides, it wasn't like Lunamaria particularly needed someone to look after her off the battlefield. Despite Wufei's opinion that she was still an amateur in the art of combat the fact remained that Lunamaria still had her basic military training, and that would've included instruction in hand-to-hand fighting. That plus her enhanced abilities as a Coordinator meant that she would be quite capable of handling herself in the event that she got into trouble with any of the locals.

He couldn't say that he was using this time for mentoring her either. It was shore leave, so it would be hardly appropriate to engage in combat training when it was clear that Lunamaria needed to blow off some steam thanks to the events of the past week. Wufei could've stayed on board the Minerva and let her be or he could've gone off and explored Orb on his own and maybe make contact with Heero and the others… but he'd chosen instead to stay with Lunamaria.

What the hell's gotten into me?, he thought, I came to this world to find a battlefield where I could fight for justice, not to get preoccupied with some girl.

"Hey," said Lunamaria, "What's up?"

Wufei shook his head. "It's nothing."

She didn't look like she was buying it. Wufei couldn't blame her for that; he was trying to convince himself more than anything else, and he was failing at that too. Still, for now it seemed like she wouldn't press the matter, much to his relief.

"Well," said Lunamaria, "thanks for waiting around in the store for me while I tried on those outfits. Is there anything that you want to do? Fair's fair, after all."

Wufei appreciated the sentiment, but he shook his head. "I don't know the area well enough to decide on anything."

Lunamaria smiled. "Come on, there's gotta be something you like to do off the battlefield! Name it, and I bet we can find a place around here that caters to it."

Wufei thought for a moment before chuckling. "Well, in that case… how about that bookstore Rey went to?"

Lunamaria looked a bit taken aback by that. "Really?"

Wufei smirked. "You might not believe this, but I was actually quite the scholar in my home colony before I became a Gundam pilot."

Lunamaria raised an eyebrow before smiling. "You really are full of surprises, aren't you? Okay, then; bookstore it is!"

Wufei nodded. "Let's go."

It didn't take them too long to find the place. Wufei was impressed as they walked in; the store had two levels, with a café taking up part of the second one. It was bigger than he'd thought it would be, and he couldn't help but smile as his mind turned to the past.

Before I became Nataku's pilot, he mused, I could've spent all day in a place like this. I won't make Lunamaria endure anything prolonged here, though; I already have an idea about what I'm looking for.

He spent a few minutes looking around, and while he was sure his wanderings seemed aimless to his companion they were actually quite deliberate. They passed by Rey along the way, with Lunamaria giving him a friendly wave while Wufei simply nodded and continued on his way. It didn't take long for him to find the general section he was looking for; world history.

"Huh," said Lunamaria as they strolled down the aisle, "A guy like you, I thought for sure you'd be going for one of those dark and gruesome fantasy stories that are all the rage these days."

"I can understand the appeal books like that have," Wufei replied, "In many ways they're closer to real life than classic fairy tales, so one can relate to them more. However, that's not what I'm looking for today."

A few moments later he found the particular subsection he'd been seeking; Chinese history. Wufei was well versed in the topic in the A.C. world, but he was interested in where things had diverged between that world and the Cosmic Era. It was more than just curiosity; he had a personal stake in this, and it was at the forefront of his mind as he browsed the titles available.

I could always just do a search on the web, he thought, but I won't get nearly as much detail that way as I would through something like this…

"What are you looking for?" asked Lunamaria.

"I'll know it when I see it," said Wufei as he scanned the shelves.

A few seconds later a particular title caught his eye, and Wufei leaned in closer. Picking up the book in question, he nodded with approval as he read the title.

This should do, he thought as he studied the cover of the thick tome.

He could practically feel Lunamaria looking over his shoulder. "Houses of Iron: The Great Warrior Clans of China? Modernized edition, updated C.E. 72... why this?"

"Because," Wufei replied as he opened the book and skimmed the table of contents, "I'm looking for answers."

"To what?" she asked.

Wufei ignored her as he scanned the first couple pages. His heartbeat quickened ever so slightly as one chapter title leapt out at him.

Indomitable Dragons: The Long Clan.

This is it, he thought, closing the book before Lunamaria could find what he'd singled out and tucking the tome under his arm.

"Let's go," he said as he started walking towards the purchase counter.

"Wait, that's it?" asked Lunamaria, "We only just got here!"

"I have what I want," he replied, "Unless you want to browse for a while I see no reason to linger."

Lunamaria sighed. "Well, I guess I wasn't planning on buying any books for myself today. All right then, let's get a move on."

It didn't take long to get to the cashier. Wufei reached into his pocket and pulled out the credit voucher he'd received from the Minerva's paymaster before he and the others had come into the city today; a token of gratitude from ZAFT for both his service in yesterday's battle and for his continued presence on the ship.

Having a Gundam on their battleship is a useful deterrent for them, he mused, A lot more so than mobile suits like the Impulse, at any rate.

"So," said Lunamaria after he had paid and they were walking out the door, "where next?"

Wufei shrugged. "I don't care either way."

Lunamaria folded her arms. "You know, you could show a bit of enthusiasm. Who knows when we'll get another break like this? We should be enjoying it."

"I am," Wufei replied, "I just don't see the need to make a fuss over it."

Lunamaria sighed. "I swear, I do not get you…"

The feeling's mutual, thought Wufei, although he refrained from voicing that sentiment.

After a moment Lunamaria shook her head. "Fine, I guess the ball's in my court now. I saw a nice park when they were driving us into town earlier. It shouldn't be too far from here. Want to check it out?"

Wufei nodded. "Sure."

They started walking again, and as they made their way down the sidewalk Wufei noticed that some people were looking at them. Covertly studying their watchers, he surmised after a moment that the real object of their stares was Lunamaria. It made some sense; she was wearing her ZAFT uniform after all, and he doubted that was something the Orb locals saw in their homeland too often. Most of the onlookers seemed simply curious, but Wufei did detect hints of hostility from a few of them.

The result of yesterday's battle, no doubt, he thought, Even in this supposed land of peace and coexistence there are those who are, at the very least, uneasy around Coordinators. No surprise; Coordinator radicals did try to unleash Armageddon with the ruins of Junius Seven. The real question is just how many people in this country blame the PLANTs and Coordinators in general for the attempted colony drop… and how far they'll go with that hostile sentiment.

It was a very interesting situation. Wufei was simply used to the dividing lines being between Earth and the colonies, a holdover from his last war. To have race and genetics thrown into the mix apparently made suspicions and hatreds much more volatile.

For her part Lunamaria didn't seem to be aware of the hostility some of the onlookers apparently had for her. Wufei saw no reason to clue her in; if she couldn't pick up on it by herself then she didn't deserve to know about it. He would, however, keep a careful eye on their surroundings to make sure that no harm came to her.

A couple blocks later he saw his companion smile and point across the street. "Look! There it is!"

Indeed, just up ahead Wufei could see the park that was their destination. For being located in the middle of a dense urban area like this it was of fairly decent size. It mostly consisted of open grass with some paths winding through it, along with a central concrete plaza for events that included a fountain and a pond off to the side. There were small scattered groupings of trees as well to add to the scenery. It looked like there was a decent crowd there today, which wasn't surprising at all given the pleasant weather.

Lunamaria looked both excited and rather impatient as the two of them waited for a chance to cross the street. "It's bigger than I thought it was!"

"What's got you so worked up?" asked Wufei.

Lunamaria put her hands on her hips. "For your information, I happen to like places like this!"

"There are parks back in the colonies, right?" said Wufei, "I don't see why you need to get so excited about going to one in Orb."

Lunamaria shook her head. "You don't get it. It's different down here because it truly is open air. I've spent my whole life in the PLANTs; this is the first time I'll be able to lay back on the grass and actually see real sky above my head instead of just another colony shaft and walls!"

Wufei was a bit taken aback by her words; he hadn't expected her to be the kind of girl who would care so much about something like this. It prompted a bit of pondering from him; perhaps there was more to this young woman than he'd been willing to admit.

Wufei shrugged as the light changed. "All right, then. I hope you enjoy it."

Lunamaria sighed as the two of them started crossing the street. "You could at least act like you're happy for me."

Wufei didn't both replying. Once they were on the other side of the road it didn't take them long to find one of the park's main entrances.

"This way!" said Lunamaria, smiling again as she led him down one of the paths.

Wufei wasn't the type to simply follow someone just because they told him to, but he saw no harm in going along with her. The atmosphere at the park was very relaxing, and it was definitely a nice change of scenery from the battleship Minerva or even the rest of the city for that matter.

He saw Lunamaria take a deep breath, seemingly savoring the fresh air. "Ah, this is great! It's nice to actually have some green around me that's just part of a military uniform. And there's hardly a cloud in the sky, either!"

Wufei nodded. "It's… refreshing."

"I wish mom and dad were here right now," she said, "or Meyrin. They'd like this place."

"What do your parents do for a living?" asked Wufei.

"Dad's an architect," said Lunamaria, "and mom's a grade school teacher. I don't think either of them pictured Meyrin and me becoming soldiers."

"When was the last time you contacted them?" he asked.

"I emailed them after the fight yesterday," she replied with a smile, "and so did Meyrin, so they know that we're both okay."

Wufei nodded. "You should keep in touch with them as much as you can. Don't take your parents for granted."

"You're speaking from experience on that, aren't you?" said Lunamaria.

"Yes," said Wufei.

"What happened to yours?" she asked.

"They died," Wufei replied, not bothering to elaborate.

Perhaps sensing the futility of pressing the matter, Lunamaria sighed. "Well… I'm sorry about that."

Wufei shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

After a moment Lunamaria smiled. "I guess now's not the time to really be talking about stuff like that. Let's just enjoy today and forget about the past, okay?"

"Sounds good," said Wufei.

He was surprised when she grabbed his arm and started pulling him off the path. "Come on, let's go over there!"

Wufei didn't know where 'there' was, but he didn't fight Lunamaria as she led him across the field. A few moments later he realized where she was taking him; it was a small hill.

When they arrived at the top of the hill Lunamaria released him before putting her bag down and laying down on the grass. "Ah… that feels great!"

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "You dragged me over here for this?"

Lunamaria sighed. "You idiot… lie down here and look up at the sky with me. Then you'll see what I mean."

Not knowing what else to do, Wufei joined her down on the grass. It was quite comfortable, and made even more so by the pleasant breeze that was blowing through the park.

"See?" said Lunamaria, "After the week we've had, doesn't it feel good to just lay back and chill like this?"

"Did you do this back in the PLANTs?" asked Wufei.

Lunamaria smiled. "Yeah. Whenever I was stressed out I'd go to a park on whatever colony I was at. Just kicking back with the grass and the trees… it helped calm me down. Of course, ever since I joined ZAFT I've had less of a chance to do that. Nowadays I'm more likely to blow off steam at a firing range. I… I really missed this."

Studying her, Wufei saw that she was more relaxed now than she'd been at any time since he'd met her. All the tension that she'd been carrying around since the attack on Armory One seemed to be gently flowing out of her. It was like the grass she was lying on was soaking up all her worries.

She really needs this, he thought, Well, I suppose that there's worse ways to calm down after an eventful week.

"Did you have a park like this in the colony you're from?" asked Lunamaria.

Wufei nodded. "Yes. I used to go there and read quite a bit. It was… refreshing."

Lunamaria looked over at him and smiled. "How about that… looks like you and I have something in common."

Wufei smirked as he turned back towards the sky. "Maybe."

The two of them lay there for a moment, simply enjoying the grass, the cool breeze, and the bit of peace that they'd found in a rather chaotic world. After all that had happened over the past week Wufei realized that Lunamaria wasn't the only one that needed this little break; he could appreciate a bit of breathing room like this as well.

The battlefield may be where I feel the most alive, he thought, but even I need some distance from it now and then. It helps me keep perspective.

"Hey, Wufei?" said Lunamaria.

"What?" he replied.

"Is there… someone in your life right now?" she asked, "Someone… special?"

Wufei closed his eyes for a moment. What she was really asking was all too obvious. The easiest thing to do would be to just tell the blunt truth, which was 'no', and be done with it. However, for Wufei that was only part of the truth.

She passed on from the world of the living, he thought, his mind going back to a battle long since fought and a colony long since destroyed, but… her spirit remains with me. As long as I pilot Nataku, her will remains, and her fight for justice will continue.

"There was, once," he finally replied.

"Oh," said Lunamaria, and as he looked over at her he couldn't help but notice her very keen interest, "What happened between you two?"

"She burned with a fire of justice," said Wufei, "but the world couldn't accept it. She gave everything she had for her ideals… including her life."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, and from what Wufei could tell she seemed quite sincere about that.

Wufei looked back up at the sky and smiled. "It's okay. Believe it or not… you remind me a bit of her."

Glancing back over at Lunamaria, Wufei had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen considerably. "Really?"

Wufei nodded. "Yeah. You two probably would've gotten along great… and driven me crazy in the process."

Lunamaria smiled at him. "She must've been an amazing woman."

Wufei turned back to the sky. "She was."

The most amazing woman in the Earth Sphere, he thought, None could match the fire that burned in her heart.

Meilan Long…

…my wife.

….

His gaze focused out the window, Shinn was jolted by the announcement over the bus's intercom. "Now arriving at Memorial Park."

Shinn shook his head as the bus came to a stop and he stood up. It had arrived faster than he'd expected it would, but then again he'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he'd barely paid any attention to the journey.

It took him mere moments to make his way down the aisle and get off the bus. His uniform drew a few curious stares, but Shinn had long stopped paying onlookers any mind. Any other day and he might enjoy the attention he was getting, but right now he had much more important things on his mind.

So this is it, he thought as he looked around, It's… not what I expected.

He could've done some more research online, but Shinn's expectations had been so low for his former government that he hadn't done anything more than look up the bus route he'd need to take to get to his destination. He'd figured that the Orb Union had done some sort of small, out of the way memorial for those who had died during the war, but what he saw now was actually much more than that; clearly someone had put serious work into it.

It was a broad park built on a cliff that overlooked a field of flowers that lay just behind the beach. A long central walkway went right through the heart of it, and it was framed on both sides by rows of trees. These weren't just any trees, though; as Shinn started walking forward he could see that they were artificial, likely some sort of metal. Their 'leaves' were actually white tassels secured to the branches. Examining one closely, Shinn was shocked to realize that there were names engraved in the surface.

"No way…" he said softly as he walked around the tree.

Sure enough, there were names all the way around it, and as he inspected the 'tree' right next to it he saw the exact same thing. None of the names in particular stood out to him, but he knew instinctively that they belonged to someone from Orb who had perished in the war, whether they had resided in the homeland or the colonies.

Shinn started walking down the path again. He had no idea what sort of system the designers had used for placing the names, so he highly doubted that he would be able to find his family in all of this. Shinn regretted his earlier negligence; if he'd bothered to do some basic research he might've been able to find the names of his parents and sister here.

It looks like someone actually did care about the people who died in the war, he mused, and they were able to get some money to put together a decent memorial. That's… something, I guess.

The artificial trees weren't the end of the memorial. Up ahead Shinn saw that the pathway he was on opened up into a broader circle. At the center of that circle was a slightly elevated platform with a tapered white spire built on it, and at the top of that spire there was a golden sun. There were no memorial trees surrounding this part; here it was open, with a clear view of the field of flowers down below the cliff and the beach beyond that. As Shinn approached the spire he could see that there was an engraving at the base of it; a dedication to all Orb citizens and refugees who had taken shelter in that country and had perished in the war.

Shinn didn't know why, but he could feel his hands turn into fists as he looked at the memorial. Sure, it was a nice tribute, but that didn't change the fact that the people that the Orb Union had pledged to protect had been slaughtered during the war. Orb had failed in its duty to defend its citizens; did the government think that they could just wash that failure away with a pretty memorial?

Almost without thinking about it, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. It wasn't his; the casing on this one was pink, and Shinn didn't really go for that particular color. That wasn't why he had this phone, though; it was all he had left of someone very dear to him.

Instinctively he pressed a button, and the voice message started to play. "Hi there, you've reached Mayu's voicemail. I'm sorry I can't come to the phone, but leave me a message and I'll get right back to you!"

Shinn clenched the phone so hard that he wouldn't be surprised if the case cracked. "Mayu… why…"

Why did you have to die?

He missed his parents as well, but for some reason Mayu's death on that terrible day in the Elysium colony had hurt the most. Was it because she was the youngest of his family members to perish, and therefore the most innocent? Was it because of the countless hours they'd spent both playing and fighting together as kids, hours that Shinn could never have again now? Was it simply because the bright future that she'd deserved had been so cruelly taken away from her?

It was all of the above and more.

"Orb…" he hissed under his breath, "You… you were supposed to protect Naturals and Coordinators! So then why… why did we have to suffer the most?"

Orb's casualties in the last war were mixed. While Naturals made up the majority of both the civilian population and the members of the armed forces, the Coordinator minority was still quite sizeable and well represented. As far as battlefield losses were concerned Shinn hadn't bothered to look up the figures, but he had researched the numbers on civilian deaths… and a disproportionate amount of those were Coordinators.

And a good chunk of them were Coordinator refugees who had been murdered at the Battle of Elysium.

Refugees who had been left out in the open, completely exposed when the Earth Alliance forces had penetrated the colony's defenses. Sure, the citizens who had lived in the colony were for the most part able to get to the shelters, but hardly any effort at all was made to get the refugees to a safe place. That should've been done at the first sign of an attack, but what paltry efforts that did take place had done so mere moments before the enemy had broken into the colony, by which time it had been too late to avert the bloodbath that followed.

It was that negligence and failure on the part of the Orb Union that had caused Shinn to turn his back on the country. As soon as he was able to once the war was over he applied for and was granted asylum status in the PLANTs, and had become a full citizen shortly thereafter. Adjusting to his new home had been quite easy, apart from the pain that he had carried in his heart ever since the day his family was murdered. He'd never planned on returning to Orb, even if it was just for a short stay, but here he was now.

"Birdee!"

Shinn almost jumped out of his boots as he looked for the sound of the high-pitched chirp. He found it just a few meters above his head in the form of a green and yellow bird, one that Shinn quickly realized was mechanical.

"What the hell?" he said, his eyes widening.

The strange machine flew off to the left, and as Shinn followed it he saw that it was heading towards a young couple standing not too far from the cliff. Their backs were to him, but they both appeared to be in their late teens. The boy was wearing black pants and a jacket, while the girl had on a simple blue and white dress with thin straps that exposed her rather pale shoulders. The boy's hair was brown and not exactly out of the ordinary, but it was the girl's hair that caught Shinn's eyes. It was long and flowing…

…and bright pink.

"No way…" he said softly, "It can't be…"

He slowly walked towards the couple. As Shinn approached he saw that they were standing before what appeared to be a pair of memorial markers that were separate from the main spire that dominated the end of the pathway. Shinn wasn't sure what these particular markers were for, but they were secondary concerns; what really had his attention was the girl…

…who looked an awful lot like Lacus Clyne.

The famous singer had completely vanished after the war, along with many of her associates. Rumors had flown around like wildfire about where she'd gone, with more than a few centering on the belief that she was now on Earth. The Orb Union was on the list of suspects, but Shinn had never thought for a moment that he might actually run into her here. Of course, this girl might not actually be the legendary singer; for all Shinn knew she could just be a fan who had copied her appearance.

"Birdee!" he heard the mechanical bird chirp from up above, and a few seconds later Shinn saw it land on the boy's shoulder.

The young man turned and smiled at his artificial pet. "Did you enjoy yourself, Birdee?"

It was at that moment that he appeared to catch sight of Shinn, because he looked over at him and nodded. "Hello."

The girl that was with him turned around and smiled as Shinn approached them. "Oh, hello there! How do you do?"

The two of them appeared to be around Shinn's age, maybe a year or two older. It was striking just how much the girl's face looked like that of the famous songstress from the PLANTs; she was a splitting image of Lacus Clyne. Shinn felt like he should've recognized the young man that was with her from somewhere, too, but for the life of him he could not figure recall having ever seen him before.

Not knowing what else to do, Shinn just nodded. "Fine. Uhm… did you make that thing?"

"Oh, Birdee?" asked the young man, "No, a friend of mine did years ago. Pretty cool, huh?"

Shinn had to agree with that, and to his surprise he even found himself smiling slightly. "Yeah, it is. Your friend must be pretty talented with robots."

The pink-haired girl nodded and smiled. "Oh, yes, absolutely! He made me some robot companions as well! I wish I'd brought one with me today…"

"Do you two come here often?" Shinn asked.

The young man shook his head. "Actually, this is only our second time."

"We felt it was appropriate given what happened yesterday," said the girl, "A great tragedy was averted, and many lives were saved."

"Who knows what would've happened had the ruins of Junius Seven been allowed to impact the Earth?" said the boy, "Even if it had been as fragments it still could've been a disaster."

"People still died," said Shinn bitterly, "A lot of ZAFT soldiers lost their lives to stop those ruins from falling."

"Yes," said the girl, "and we're profoundly grateful for their sacrifice. They deserve a memorial like this one at the very least for what they've done for humanity."

"Speaking of memorials," said Shinn, pointing at the two markers behind them, "what are those for? I thought that spire back there was the memorial for the war victims."

"Well," said the boy, "we were just reading them. They're separate ones. The one on the right is for those who died during the Alliance's invasion of the Orb mainland, and the one on the left is for those who were killed in the attack on the Elysium colony."

Shinn stepped forward to look at the second one. "Let me see."

The boy and the girl moved aside for him, and Shinn saw that the second marker had an engraved image of the Elysium colony on it. Words were carved in beneath the image, but Shinn didn't pay them much attention; his eyes were fixed on the image of the colony.

"Are you okay?" asked the boy.

"Did you know someone who died at Elysium?" asked the girl.

Shinn nodded and answered without thinking. "My family."

The girl closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," said Shinn absently.

He looked past the memorial and out at the field of flowers. "All this would've been flooded if the debris had come down, and all the plants would've died. It just goes to show that you can't hide the truth."

"What do you mean?" asked Kira.

"Humans keep saying how life is precious and beautiful," said Shinn bitterly, "but they don't hesitate to destroy regardless of value and beauty. Human lives are snuffed out without a thought by monsters, just like this field of flowers would've been. People don't care about anyone other than those closest to them."

The girl shook her head. "No, humans aren't all like that. There are only a handful of these 'monsters' that you describe; the vast majority of mankind is made up of good people."

"She's right," said the boy, "You can't paint mankind as a whole with a brush that broad. Yes, the people that attacked your colony and murdered your family were evil, but I know that the vast majority of people, whether they're Natural or Coordinator, were appalled at that massacre and all the other atrocities that took place in the last war."

"You cannot lose hope in people," said the girl, "I understand that you've suffered a terrible loss, but would your family want you to hold the rest of mankind with in such contempt?"

Shinn looked down. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to be so morbid."

He didn't know why, but at that moment Shinn felt so flustered that he couldn't bring himself to meet the gazes of either of them. Was it frustration? Shame? Anger? All of the above?

It didn't matter. All Shinn wanted to do at that moment was to get out of there, and that's exactly what he did.

"Hey, wait!" he heard the boy yell behind him as he took off.

Shinn didn't stop. He rushed for the parking lot as fast as he could. Coming here had been a mistake. All it had done was reopen old wounds. Shinn didn't care where he went next as long as it wasn't here.

I'm never coming here again, he thought, This park and this country! The sooner the Minerva leaves Orb the better!

….

"That poor boy," said Lacus softly.

Kira nodded. "Yeah…"

The young ZAFT soldier had run off so suddenly that Kira and Lacus didn't have a chance to follow him. Perhaps that was for the best, though; Kira doubted the boy wanted to talk to anyone else right now.

Still, his words were troubling. His red uniform meant that he was an elite ZAFT pilot, charged with defending the lives of Coordinators, but his attitude about humanity was dark and pessimistic. It reminded him, rather uncomfortably, of a certain ZAFT Field Marshal that he had fought against in the final battle of the last war.

Rau Le Creuset.

The boy didn't appear to have sunk to that same level of despair, hatred, and madness, but Kira could tell that the ZAFT Red was in a rather precarious position. The murder of his family during the last war was a powerful scar for him to bear, and having survived the hell of that conflagration Kira could definitely understand how it would shape the boy's psyche even two years later. However, if the boy could not find a way to offset that pain with some sort of positive motivation and hope for the future then he would be threatened by the same dark path that Creuset had gone down, and he could endanger countless lives in the process.

"That must be one of the Minerva's mobile suit pilots," said Lacus, "We should ask Athrun and Heero about him. It might provide some insight."

Kira nodded. "Yeah… maybe."

He felt Lacus grab his hand. "Kira? What's wrong?"

"That pilot," said Kira, "I… I feel like I've met him before."

"Really?" asked Lacus, "Where from?"

Kira shook his head. "I can't remember. I think it was during the war, but beyond that… I don't know."

Lacus nodded. "I see. He seemed so angry… and so sad. I don't think he's really found a way to heal from the pain he suffered when he lost his family. I wish we could help him."

Kira nodded. "If he took the time to really talk to you I think you could help him. I mean, you can relate to him when it comes to the loss of a family member."

Lacus closed her eyes solemnly. "Yes. When my father was murdered, I felt as though my heart had been torn to a thousand pieces. Were it not for you and the others I would've been lost to grief forever."

Kira shook his head. "That's not true. You're a strong woman, Lacus. You would've moved forward eventually."

Lacus smiled. "That's nice of you to say, Kira, but I know the truth; it was only thanks to my friends that I was able to heal from that tragedy. Andrew and Aisha, Shemei and Eric, the girls… and you. You more than all the others, Kira."

Kira felt himself blushing. "I… I wouldn't go that far…"

Lacus giggled. "Modest as ever… at least some things never change."

Kira didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply smiled while his girlfriend held his hand. The two of them looked out past the memorial markers at the field of flowers and the beach and sea beyond.

If that pilot has friends on the Minerva with him, thought Kira, I hope that they're able to help him. He can't keep letting the past define him; otherwise he could go down a very dark path…

Kira shook his head. Ultimately that boy's path would be his choice and his alone. If he let his grief and anger guide him to the point that he became a threat then Kira and the others would deal with that when the time came.

He turned to Lacus and smiled. "Come on, let's get going. We're supposed to meet up with Dearka and Miriallia for lunch in a little bit, remember?"

Lacus nodded. "Right. I wish Yzak and Flay could come as well."

Kira nodded. "Me too, but it sounded like they wanted to have some time with just each other right now. We can always meet up with them some other time."

Lacus smiled. "You're right. Let's go."

….

"Well, look at you, tiger!" said Aisha with a smile as she approached Heero, "Haven't seen you dressed up in a while, Heero."

To her right, Heero saw Waltfeld chuckle and nod. "Looking good, Heero. Where's the lucky lady?"

Heero nodded up the stairs. "She's freshening up. Murrue should be down here soon; Akila said that dinner was just about ready."

"That was so sweet of you to ask her to help you with this little romantic dinner idea of yours!" said Aisha, "I know how much she loves to help you out, and I'm sure Murrue's going to enjoy it… especially since you freshened up a bit yourself, you handsome devil!"

It wasn't a full tuxedo, but Heero was definitely treating tonight's dinner as more than a casual affair. He'd decided to keep it a step below black-tie, but Heero had still put some work into his appearance and had given Murrue time to do the same. He wore a dark blue button-up shirt, black dress pants and polished dress shoes.

"I thought you two were going out tonight," said Heero, "Dinner and a movie, wasn't it?"

They were certainly dressed up for a date night. For Aisha her choice of attire was a light red blouse and a black skirt, while Andrew had gone with dark jeans and a dark green button-up shirt. Both of them looked like they had cleaned up a bit too, and Heero could smell a hint of perfume coming from Aisha.

The Desert Tiger nodded. 'That's the plan, but Aisha wanted us to check up on you before we headed out."

Aisha winked at him. "I just wanted to wish you luck with your little date night, Heero, although from the looks of things I doubt you'll need it!"

"Thanks," Heero replied, "I hope you two enjoy yourselves."

"We plan on it," said Andrew with a smile.

"Have fun!" said Aisha as the two of them headed for the door.

Heero nodded as he watched them leave before turning back towards the stairs. The two of them deserved a night out; their work for Terminal had kept them quite busy the past few weeks. Then again, the same could be said of Heero.

Not that he hadn't had a chance to relax since coming home yesterday. The party they had thrown the night before had certainly been fun, and today so far hadn't been too shabby either. Heero had spent some time with Duo, Quatre, and Trowa enjoying the considerable amenities the estate had to offer. These included a hidden firing range for target practice, a basketball court, a billiards table, and a small gym complete with exercise equipment and a sparring ring.

Hanging out with his old friends like that, off the battlefield, had been a nice change of pace. However, Heero had also wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend, and it hadn't been too hard to arrange that. Murrue had spent much of the day with her mother, but she had also spoken with Heero and had arranged with Shemei and Eric so that they would show the three visiting Gundam pilots a few of the sights outside of the estate in order to give the Perfect Soldier and the lovely Captain of the Archangel some space.

Tonight will be nice, he thought, I know Murrue's wanted to do something like this for a while now. So have I, but the prep work for my scouting mission to Armory One kept us busy, not to mention the events that took place after I arrived there. Tonight we can make up for lost time.

He heard footsteps coming from above, and a few seconds later the lady of the hour appeared at the top of the stairs. "Sorry for the wait."

Heero smiled as he looked up at the woman of his dreams. "Worth every second."

That she was. She'd kept with their mutual agreement about tonight's date being 'semi-formal', but she still looked absolutely stunning regardless. While white was usually Murrue's color of choice when it came to a special occasion, tonight she'd gone in the other direction. Her dress was as black as night, and the way its straps wrapped up around her neck made it bare the soft, light skin of her shoulders in a lovely contrast. Her long brown hair flowed as freely as ever, but there was a special lustrous sheen to it tonight. Small blue stones dangled from the earrings she wore, which matched perfectly with the blue stone of the necklace that she wore; the Tear of Isis that he'd bought her during their time in North Africa over two years ago. The lipstick she wore tonight was a darker shade of red than what she normally preferred, but to Heero it was quite appropriate for the evening.

She smiled at him as she slowly walked down the stairs, batting her eyes and putting just a hint of extra movement into the sensual sway of her hips as she gradually, almost teasingly approached him. "I've always said that you clean up nicely. Looking sharp tonight, Heero."

"Thanks," he replied as she reached the bottom of the stairs, "You look beautiful."

Murrue leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'd call you out on flattery, but I know that's not your style."

Heero chuckled. "I'm too honest for my own good."

"That's a feature, not a bug," said Murrue with a smirk, "Never change it."

"Is than an order from you as my Captain?" said Heero.

"Your Captain and your lover," Murrue replied with a wink, "I trust you'll have no problem following it."

Heero smirked. "Roger that."

She looked him up and down, her smile only growing as she teasingly ran her hand up his chest and neck, resting it on his cheek. "Dressed to kill… are you expecting combat tonight, Heero?"

"Only if you're planning on sparring in that dress," said Heero.

Murrue giggled. "As much as I enjoy working up a sweat with you in the ring, I'd rather save any physical exertion for later tonight. I trust you're up for the challenge?"

"Always," said Heero, knowing exactly what kind of 'challenge' she had in mind for when they got behind closed doors later on.

She then slipped her hand into his. "Well the, shall we?"

"I was hoping you'd say that," Heero replied as the two of them started walking towards the back door.

They were outside a few moments later, a light and pleasant evening breeze blowing through the air. It wasn't hard to spot their table; it was illuminated by a trio of candles, and standing right next to it was none other than the Valkyrie's mother.

"Akila," said Murrue with a smile as Heero and her approached, "You shouldn't have…"

Akila shook her head and smiled in return. "Please, it was nothing, Murrue. When my godson asks for help with setting up a date, I find it awfully hard to say no."

"Thank you for your assistance with this," said Heero as he pulled a chair out for Murrue.

Akila nodded. "You're welcome, Heero. Now, I think I'll get out of your hair. The food's good to go, so you two feel free to dig in!"

"We will," said Murrue as she sat down, "This looks delicious!"

Heero had to agree with that. As he took a seat across from Murrue he eyed the meal that the Valkyrie's mother had prepared for them. The main dish was smoked salmon, with a baked potato and a roll on the side of each. Two empty glasses sat on the table, and in the middle there was a bottle of red wine with an opener lying right next to it.

"Care for a drink?" said Heero as he grabbed the bottle and opened it up.

Murrue nodded. "Absolutely."

After filling both their glasses Heero raised his. "To a night just for us. No distractions and no company."

Murrue smiled and gently touched her glass to his. "I'll drink to that."

They took a sip of their wine, savoring the rich flavor. After that they started digging into their respective meals.

"What a lovely evening," said Murrue as she started carving up her salmon, "You picked a perfect night for this, Heero."

Heero chuckled as he buttered his roll. "Well, I got lucky with the weather. If things went south I was going to have us do this inside. I'm glad I didn't have to do that."

Murrue nodded. "As am I."

Heero watched as she looked out at the night sky, her gaze on the stars and moon above. "It's so beautiful… you know, sometimes I still can't believe how far we've come. If you'd told me during the war that we'd end up living at a place like this when it was over I might've called you delusional, Heero."

"I would've agreed with you," Heero replied, "I never pictured myself living in place like this, in this world and my old one."

Murrue smiled. "And to think some of the people we fought against would've taken accommodations like these for granted. Azrael, the Atlantic Federation High Command, Patrick Zala… they were the ruling class of their societies, and yet we triumphed over all of them. A ragtag group of renegade soldiers, civilians… and a pilot from another world. Talk about an unlikely coalition, especially one that was able to survive and triumph in humanity's largest war."

Heero nodded. "Those were long odds, even by my standards. Still, we made it."

"That we did," said Murrue, "and here we are, two years later. I'm glad we were able to settle down in Orb. It's a beautiful country."

"Yeah," said Heero, "and it's recovered quite well from the invasion."

Murrue nodded. "Yes. All things considered, the recovery was very quick. Cagalli did an excellent job with that. Her father would be proud if he could see her today."

"I'm sure he would," Heero replied, "Although I doubt governance is what Cagalli particularly wanted to be involved in after the war. She's not the type to really have the patience for administration and politics."

Murrue sighed. "I know what you mean. It would've been so much better if Cagalli could've assumed a role that didn't involve such grave responsibilities. Still, due to the way Orb's system works she was the natural successor to her father. I'm not usually a fan of hereditary power, but I'm willing to make an exception for Cagalli; she truly cares for her country and her people. They couldn't ask for a better leader and protector."

"I agree," said Heero, "and it's our responsibility to help her protect her people. It's the least we can do after she allowed us to build a new home for ourselves here after the war."

Murrue smiled. "Home… yes, it is. When I was growing up in the Atlantic Federation I couldn't imagine calling another country home, but that's what the Orb Union has become for me. For both of us."

"Any regrets?" asked Heero.

Murrue shook her head, and her smile grew. "None whatsoever."

The two of them spent a few minutes eating in contented silence. Occasionally their eyes would meet from across the table, and the light Heero saw in Murrue's eyes was all the evidence he needed to know that tonight was exactly what she needed.

I think I needed this, too, he mused as he enjoyed the food and his girlfriend's company, Before I met Murrue I wouldn't really have thought of setting up a quiet night like this, one where I could just relax with someone and forget about the rest of the world for a while. After a week like the one we've had, though, I think a night like this was definitely in order.

"How's your mother doing?" he asked after another minute or so of eating, "The past week couldn't have been easy on her."

"She was stressed for a while,' Murrue replied, "but ever since we returned to the surface she's been much more relaxed."

Heero nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. The fact that she was stressed shows how much she cares about you."

"And you," said Murrue with a smile, "The first thing she asked me when she heard about the attack on Armory One was if you were okay. Believe it or not, she worries almost as much about you as she does about me."

"Really?" asked Heero, not quite sure what to make of that.

"Of course," said Murrue, "She really does care about you, Heero, and it's not just because you make me happy or that you saved my life in the last war. You helped arrange to bring her here after the war so she and I could be reunited. She's never forgotten that, and she practically considers you to be family now."

"Family…" said Heero softly, "I see…"

"Something wrong?" asked Murrue.

Heero shook his head. "I'm just not used to so many people thinking of me like that. Family's not something I've got a whole lot of experience with."

Murrue smiled. "Well, then it's a good thing you've got all of us around to help fix that, isn't it?"

Heero gave her a small smile in return. "Yeah, you're right."

Murrue reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "You've come a long way, Heero. I know you feel that there's still so much that you have to learn and adjust to, but believe me, the progress you've made since I've met you has been nothing short of remarkable. You've moved well beyond finding meaning only on the battlefield; you have a life outside of combat now, and it's with us."

Heero nodded. "Yes… and you most of all, Murrue. Without you I'd be completely lost in this world."

Murrue shook her head. "You're strong and resourceful, Heero. You would've found your way to where you wanted to be eventually."

"You're wrong," Heero replied, "I may have been able to survive, that much is true, but as for where I wanted to be, that's a different matter. I didn't know where I wanted to be. Not until I met you."

He had the satisfaction of seeing her blush a little at those words. "Heero… I think you might be overstating my role a bit there."

Heero shook his head. "No. I know for a fact that I wouldn't have become who I am today without you, Murrue. I wouldn't have found the purpose that this new life has given me. I owe all that to you, and it's a debt I'll be repaying for the rest of my life. Thank you, Murrue."

Murrue smiled. "You're most welcome, Heero."

The two of them continued to eat, enjoying the savory food and the pleasantly cool evening breeze. There was no need for additional words; they would've been superfluous at this point.

Eventually the two of them finished their meal and drink. Heero stood up, and Murrue followed his lead.

"What now?" she asked.

"The night's young," said Heero, "and Akila told me earlier that she'd be willing to clear the table once we were done. How about a walk on the beach?"

Murrue smiled as she slipped her hand into his. "I'd like that."

He slowly led her down the stairs and onto the sand. Down here the scent of sea salt on the wind was more pronounced, but Heero didn't mind a bit. Quite the contrary; he'd come down here many times since they'd moved to Orb in order to think and relax, and the smell was part of this area's charm.

"I don't think I wore the right shoes for this," said Murrue, looking down at her heels.

"Then lose them," said Heero, "We'll come back here soon enough."

Murrue nodded and winked. "Fine, but only if you do the same."

"I think my shoes are just fine for the beach," Heero replied.

"Perhaps," said Murrue, "but fair's fair; if I'm walking barefoot out here then so are you."

Heero chuckled. "When you put it that way, I suppose I can't refuse."

Start "Love Deterrence (MGSV Instrumental)"

So he followed her lead, and a few seconds later the two of them were walking barefoot down the beach, hand in hand. They'd done this before, and to Heero it never got old.

"I love it down here," she said with a smile, "The smell, the breeze, the sound of the waves… this is paradise for me."

Heero nodded. "I know what you mean. Growing up in the colonies, all I knew about life down on Earth was what I could find online. When I first got to the surface I was amazed at what I found around me when I wasn't in the middle of a fight. I think seeing the ocean was one of my favorite parts."

"Back when I lived in the Atlantic Federation we would take family trips to the beach in the summer," said Murrue, "I always looked forward to those outings. Having a beach here has definitely made it easier for mother to adjust to being out here as well."

"I'm glad," Heero replied, "She sacrificed a great deal when she let us smuggle her out of the Atlantic Federation after the war."

Murrue shook her head. "Not as much as you think. From what she told me, our old homeland lost its appeal to her the moment it tried to set you and I up at Alaska. Sure, mother had to leave the life that she was familiar with behind, but since I was already in Orb it made the transition a lot easier."

"Having the rest of our friends greet her with open arms helped as well," said Heero.

Murrue smiled. "Without a doubt. I know that having people like Akila and Soran made a huge difference for her since their closer to her age; it's much easier for her to relate to them, all the more so since their daughter's a soldier as well."

"They do have a way of making people feel welcome," said Heero.

"And inviting them into their family," said Murrue with a wink, "You've got some special godparents, Heero."

Heero gave her a small smile in return. "You're right."

They walked along in silence for a few minutes before Murrue tugged on his arm. "Come on, this way!"

Heero let her guide him towards the water. "I like the ocean as much as you, Murrue, but we're not exactly dressed to swim."

"Your point?" she replied with a smirk.

Heero chuckled. "Fine, but you're the one that gets to clean that dress once it's done in the saltwater."

"Oh, I'm shaking at the thought of it," said Murrue with a laugh as she pulled him closer to the water.

A sudden chill went through Heero's body as his feet hit the water. It wasn't too cold, but the suddenness of it had caught him off guard. After a few seconds he could already feel himself adjusting to it.

"Ah," Murrue sighed as she stood next to him, the last vestige of a wave lapping over her feet, "I love this feeling."

Heero nodded, glad to see that she was enjoying herself. "It's nice."

Murrue smiled at him, and Heero could see a playful look in her eyes. "You know what I love even more?"

"What's that?" asked Heero, a small warning bell going off in the back of his mind.

"This!" Murrue replied as she kicked water up at him.

Heero chuckled as the spray hit his chest and face. "You know what this means, right?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Murrue with a wink as she sent another splash of water his way, "You tell me!"

"I'll do more than that," said Heero with a smirk as he retaliated by kicking up a splash of his own.

Murrue giggled as Heero's counterattack hit her on the stomach and chest. "Mmmm, I'm wearing the wrong dress for this. I should've gone with the white one. Too bad; you would've enjoyed the show."

"I already am," said Heero as he sent more water her way.

This time Murrue ducked down and used her hands to fling water at him. "Are you cold yet? If you want to surrender then I'll gladly accept it!"

"Not a chance," said Heero as he returned fire.

Murrue gave a small yelp as the water hit her right in the face. "Oh! You're going to pay for that!"

Rather than splash him again, Murrue took Heero completely by surprise by charging him. Before he could react she tackled him, and the two of them tumbled down into the surf. They were still well into the shallows, but the soft sand was more than enough to cushion their fall.

Murrue landed on top of him, but before Heero could get up she proceeded to pin him. She straddled his waist and held both his hands above his head.

"Gotcha!" she said with a smile.

Heero smirked. "You really think so?"

He could turn the tables on her in an instant, and they both knew it. Murrue had picked up a few new moves thanks to Heero's tutelage, but the Perfect Soldier was by far the superior close-quarters combatant. However, Heero had no intention of taking advantage of his considerable skills at the moment, and from the look in Murrue's eyes it was clear that she was well aware of that; she knew him far too well by now.

"Absolutely," she replied before leaning down to kiss him.

Their lips met, and their mouths opened to allow their tongues to commence that familiar and oh so welcome warm and wet dance. The small remnant of a wave washed up around them, but the cool water did nothing to deter the two lovers from their passionate lip locking.

All too soon they were forced to part for air, but Murrue did not yield her position over him. She smiled at him as her hair fell down around her, wet, wild and free.

"Look at you," she said, a fierce fire burning in her eyes, "The greatest of the Gundam pilots, the deadliest soldier that this world, any world, has ever seen… and you're mine. Mine, and mine alone."

Heero nodded and gave her a small smile in return. "And you… the best captain I've ever seen, the bravest officer in existence, and the most devoted commander a crew could ask for… and you gave yourself to me. I'm never letting go."

"Same here," said Murrue, "I don't care what this world or any other throws at us. Nothing is going to come between us. If there's a new war and we have to fight again, then so be it. The Alliance, ZAFT, and anyone else who tries to plunge our world into darkness will have to deal with both our might."

"Just like the last war," said Heero, "and just like then, we'll stop them all. I won't let them ravage our world and destroy the new life that we've built for each other. I'll fight them with everything I've got."

"As will I," Murrue replied, "We'll protect each other and this world. You, me, Kira, Lacus, the Waltfelds, the Bristows, and all of our friends and allies; we will defend this world and our future in it."

Before Heero could respond Murrue leaned down to kiss him again. Once again the Gundam pilot lost himself to her lips and tongue, savoring every second that he could get with this incredible woman.

When they once again parted for air she smiled down at him. "I love you, Heero Yuy."

Heero returned her smile. "And I love you, Murrue Ramius."

End "Love Deterrence (MGSV Instrumental)"

….

October 11th, C.E. 73

Standing out on the tarmac in the warm morning sun, Samuel Rodgrigues smiled as he drew his katana. The Hawaiian heat was amplified by the asphalt he was on, and as a result Jetstream Sam had forgone his shirt for the morning's exercise; he was dressed only in jeans and a pair of tennis shoes. Had there been any ladies around they no doubt would've appreciated the display of his athletic torso in the sun, but the Atlantic Federation's exclusion of women in all but a very select few cases from their armed forces in the years after the Bloody Valentine War robbed them of that chance. That was too bad as far as Sam was concerned; he didn't mind showing off for the opposite sex when the occasion was right.

The sword glistened in the morning sunlight. Carefully maintained and polished to a mirror sheen, it was a blade that Sam had possessed ever since his teen years. It was a family heirloom, one that he had taken up after his father's murder by a former student who had robbed the dojo for spare cash and shot him in the process. That former student hadn't long survived the crime; he had become Sam's first kill a few weeks later, and he had used this very sword to do it. This blade was far more than mere decoration. Even in this modern and mechanized world of mobile suits and advanced firearms, Sam had always kept it on him whenever he ventured onto the battlefield, and it had spilled plenty of blood in its time.

And I'm sure it'll spill plenty more before my time is done, he thought, I certainly don't plan on retiring it anytime soon.

Raising the katana in a traditional kendo opening stance, he brought it down in a lightning fast strike. In the blink of an eye he brought the blade back up again in another slash, and with fluid grace and lethal speed he proceeded to run through a sequence of attacks. He'd trained so long with the sword that it was now harder to remember a time when he hadn't practiced with this particular blade. He could still use a wooden sword if he had to, but the hilt of his blade felt so much more natural in his hands now. A true swordsman made his blade into an extension of himself, and Sam had more than done that by now.

He grinned as he put himself on the back-foot, switching over to defense as he weaved a cocoon of blocks and parries around his body. There was a fierce energy to his movements even when he wasn't attacking; the thrill of wielding the blade always coursed through him once he got his exercises going.

The only thing that could beat it was the rush of actual combat.

He chuckled as he recalled the battle that had unfolded a mere three days ago. It hadn't mattered to him one bit that his actions in it had endangered the lives of countless people on Earth. All he cared about was that he had found an enemy that was truly worth fighting.

Chang Wufei, he thought with a smirk, He's good…

The pilot of the new green mobile suit was definitely superior to the one that he had faced off against at Armory One at any rate. True, the pilot of the Impulse had shown some promise, but he was green and too easily controlled by his emotions. Wufei was quite another matter. His skills and experience were genuine, and his mobile suit was clearly designed for close-quarters-combat. More importantly that that, though, was that Sam could tell just from their two clashes that his new adversary was a man who knew how to enjoy a good fight.

It was too bad that their battle three days ago couldn't have lasted longer, but Sam wasn't overly concerned. A new war was just around the corner, and he was sure that he would meet Wufei on the battlefield again soon enough. In the meantime he would have to keep his skills sharp; he couldn't let a brief period of leave on the surface go to his head.

Well, perhaps it didn't quite qualify as leave, but since he wasn't engaged on a battlefield he didn't really have anything better to call his reassignment to the surface. He had only just arrived at the Atlantic Federation's Pearl Harbor base the night before, along with his mobile suit. His orders were simply to remain there on standby until he was contacted again, which meant that until that moment came along he had to find a way to kill the time. Training with his sword would help him keep things from getting dull, but he hoped that this interlude between combat assignments did not last too long.

As he continued his exercises he was aware of someone approaching just outside his peripheral vision. Glancing to the side, he smirked as he saw who it was.

"I was wondering when they'd make you get off your ass," he said, "Or did you just miss me that much?"

The approaching man chuckled, more than a hint of an American southern drawl in his voice. "Real funny, Sam. I heard you got your ass kicked by some new guy up in space. You shouldn't go around embarrassing us like that."

"The only embarrassment I see is your ugly mug," Sam replied without missing a beat, "Not even your mother could love your face, Sundowner."

Wearing the back and red uniform that was customary to the elites of Desperado Enforcement LLC., Sundowner cut an imposing figure. Tall and bulky, he was one of the Winds of Destruction, a captain in the mercenary organization and part of its top elite. Sam didn't know his real name, and he didn't care one way or the other. As his accent suggested, the bald and grey-eyed pilot hailed from what had been considered 'The South' of the former United States; more specifically, the Alabama region. He was actually the de facto field commander of Desperado, but Sam wasn't inclined to show him much deference or respect. To put it mildly, Sundowner was a dick, an assessment Sam knew was shared with both him and the other members of the Winds of Destruction. Still, he had skills and the company's CEO had designated him as the head of combat operations, so Sam and the others played along with him and his attitude. A particularly large handgun was holstered at his hip, and Sundowner was rather fond of flaunting it in front of civilians or Alliance regulars who were stuck with standard-issue sidearms.

Sundowner smirked. "Is that so? If your momma had been half the mother mine was she would've slapped that shit-eating-grin off your face a long time ago."

"Too bad she was such a softy," said Sam as he continued with his exercises, "She couldn't hurt a fly, let alone her only son."

"No shit," said Sundowner, "So what's this I hear about you facing off against the same asshole twice and not being able to kill him?"

"Not all of us can content ourselves with slaughtering two-bit militants who spend their spare time fucking little girls," Sam quipped as he went through a series of diagonal slashes, "Some of us actually seek out people who can put up a decent fight."

Sundowner chuckled. "Finally found an enemy that can give you a good workout, eh? You got a hard-on for this guy after only two fights?"

"Why don't you try fighting him or one of his friends?" said Sam casually, "If you survive the experience you might actually enjoy yourself."

Sundowner laughed, but the look in his eyes was not one of humor. "Maybe. So the big cheese from the last war is back, and he's brought some new friends with him… I even heard he upgraded his precious Wing Zero."

"So it seems," Sam replied, "Not that I got the chance to face off with him directly, but from what I saw it looks like Heero Yuy lives up to the hype. His new friends are no joke either."

"Good," said Sundowner, "This new war would be boring otherwise if all we got to do was cut down ZAFT's children."

Sam smirked as he recalled the Impulse's pilot. "Some of those children have potential. If they survive long enough they might actually be able to give you a run for your money."

Sundowner folded his arms. "Pretty big 'if' there."

"They did well enough in the orbital battle," said Sam as he went through a series of stabs and cuts.

Sundowner chuckled. "Only because those high-and-mighty saints from the last war showed up to save their hides. Defectors and traitors, the lot of them."

"They might have abandoned their countries," said Sam, "but not their fighting skills. They're some of the sharpest players on this field of ours."

"About the only thing they got going for them," Sundowner sneered, "That and some big guns."

Sam laughed. "You sound jealous."

Sundowner glowered at him. "Please. If they think that they can pull the same crap that they did in the last war this time then they're deluded. That shit's not gonna fly this time. Not if we have anything to say about it."

Sam's eyes narrowed at the word 'we'. "You didn't come here alone, did you? Who all did you fly in with?"

Sundowner smiled. "Oh, just a small crowd. The other Winds and a few support specialists for the new mobile suits. We actually just landed about an hour ago. Why didn't you come out to greet your comrades?"

"Funny," said Sam, "You never struck me as the type to get worked up about that. You're not exactly sentimental, Sundowner."

"Aw, now that just hurts," said Sundowner, without the slightest hint of pain in his voice, "You should know that I'm a very sentimental man, Sam. In fact, I'd say this coming war's gonna put tears of joy in my eyes."

"And money in your pockets," said Sam as he switched over to a sequence of up and down slashes.

"Yours too," Sundowner shot back, "Don't forget that you're a dog of war just like the rest of us. Besides, you don't need to hide it; you're about as excited for the fireworks as I am, aren't you?"

Sam smiled. "Maybe. If who I fought up in orbit is any indication, it looks like there'll actually be people worth fighting when the show starts."

Sundowner laughed. "Now that's more like it! Get yourself nice and worked up for the fight like I am. Dream of your blade cutting down those fools that preach peace and coexistence! It'll make it all the sweeter when we finally taste blood again."

"Just as long as it's not your own that you're tasting, boys," said a female voice with more than a hint of a French accent.

"Sooner or later we all taste that blood, one way or another," said a male voice, this one also familiar if lacking the French accent of the woman, "That's just nature running its course. It's kill or be killed. Always has been, and always will."

Well, now, thought Sam as he lowered his sword and faced the new arrivals, it looks like the gang's all here.

Standing before him were the remaining two Winds of Destruction, Mistral and Monsoon. Both of their real names were a mystery to Sam, and he had no intention of finding out what they really were. All he cared about was their fighting prowess, and that they both had in abundance.

The two Winds were wearing their Desperado uniforms, but that was about the only thing that they had in common. The woman with the French accent was Mistral, and despite that accent she was actually only half French. She hailed from the North African region once known as Algeria, a land that had once been a colony of France long ago. Her codename was derived from the dry northern winds that blew down from the Alps into the Mediterranean. In her mid-twenties, there was no denying that Mistral was a beautiful woman. The way her long pink hair fell covered the left side of her face, shielding half of her pair of piercing blue eyes. Her skin was an exotic dark tan, testament to her North African heritage. Her athletic figure, with curves in all the right places, would be the envy of any model walking the Paris runway, but Sam knew all too well that Mistral was not the type of girl to be preoccupied by such mundane things as fashion. Unlike Sundowner, the gun strapped to Mistral's side was smaller and more streamlined, a much more practical weapon that Sam knew from experience that the woman was absolutely lethal with, along with the knife that she kept concealed inside her right boot.

In some respects, Mistral was a kindred spirit to Sam. She enjoyed herself on the battlefield, and she had once remarked to him that combat made her feel truly alive. He had certainly believed her when she'd said that; the joy that she derived from fighting was quite clear on the comms whenever they operated together. However, while she might've enjoyed a clash with a skilled opponent she also seemed equally pleased with wading through a horde of weaklings and drowning them in their own blood. Sam also felt that she was looking for something a bit different than him on the battlefield. While Minuano desired an opponent who could push him to his limit, Mistral appeared to be searching for a distinct cause of some sort to believe in. It was rather unusual for someone who was part of the mercenary business to be preoccupied with ideals, but Mistral had been wandering more and more in that direction as of late. Sam didn't know what to make of it, and in the end he supposed that it didn't matter; as long as her skills remained sharp and she continued fighting as part of their group then that was all he really cared about.

In many ways, Mistral's fellow Desperado captain was a sharp contrast to her. For starters, Monsoon was a good deal older than her. In fact, Sam wasn't sure if he was in his late thirties, early forties, or potentially even approaching fifty. Matters weren't helped by the large, crimson shell-like device that covered his upper head and most of his face, with the exception of his lower nose, his mouth and chin. The device was actually a cybernetic visual aid that had restored his sight after he had been blinded in a particularly gruesome close-quarters gang brawl in his past. Sam knew that the man's ethnicity was Khmer, but an outside observer would've had trouble figuring that out with the white hair and prominent mechanical shell obscuring his face. Like the other Desperado captains he had a pistol holstered at his side, but on each hip was also sheathed a more exotic weapon; a set of Sai.

Like Mistral, Monsoon was a killer who eagerly waded into the thick of the fighting. However, his outlook on battle was significantly different than the French-Algerian's. While Mistral increasingly saw the battlefield as a place where she could search for a cause truly worth fighting for, Monsoon regarded it with a much more Darwinian perspective. War, as Sam had heard him put it, was the ultimate expression of nature's survival-of-the-fittest. It was where mankind finally revealed its true nature, where the strong devoured the weak until they themselves were devoured by someone stronger. When in combat, Monsoon saw himself as fulfilling a natural purpose by slaughtering anyone who wasn't strong enough to stand against him. It was fine if a foe could put up a decent fight, but finding a worthy adversary wasn't particularly high on Monsoon's priority list.

"That's really pretty," said Sundowner with a sneer, "You gonna start waxing poetically on us all, Monsoon?"

Monsoon shrugged. "Make light of the natural order if you wish, Sundowner. Not even you are immune to it."

"Do you have to reduce it to something so bland?" said Mistral, "Those who fight according to their own beliefs are more than simply animals ripping each other apart in the wild."

Monsoon smirked. "What good are beliefs when they're not strong enough to uphold them in combat? Anyone can try to be noble and fight for a greater cause, but all that means nothing when they fall victim to the rules of nature."

Sundowner rolled his eyes as he glanced over at Sam. "They were like this the whole flight over here."

"My sympathies," he replied half-heartedly.

"So," said Mistral, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Sam, "I heard that you found some new enemies."

"Including one that can give you a run for your money," said Monsoon with a smile, "That's promising."

Sam nodded as he sheathed his sword. "I'd say so."

"What do you know about them?" asked Mistral.

Sam shrugged. "Beyond the fact that they're good and that their mobile suits appear to be spinoffs of Wing Zero, not much."

Sundowner scoffed. "That figures. And here I was hoping you'd be able to give us some real intel."

"You have the Ronin's combat recordings," Sam shot back, "That should give you plenty of information."

"But information that focuses on the one that you fought," said Monsoon, "Valuable to be sure, but it's too narrow a picture."

"The one that you fought," said Mistral, "what was he like?"

"The combat data showed that you did speak to him," Monsoon added.

Sam nodded. "That I did. If you listened to that then you should be able to form your own conclusions about him."

"But they would not be valid," said Mistral, "because we did not fight him. You crossed swords with this 'Chang Wufei' and lived to tell the tale. Is he merely a highly skilled warrior, or is he something more?"

Sam chuckled and shook his head. "If you're asking me what he's fighting for then I think you're going to be disappointed. I don't think he's chasing those illusive ideals that you are, Mistral."

Mistral looked disappointed. "So he's just another samurai looking for his worthy adversary? Sounds like you found your dream foe."

Sam shrugged apologetically. "Hey, that's just the feeling I get from him. For what it's worth, I can only speak for him since I fought him. There are four others, including Heero Yuy. I bet one of them will be more to your liking."

Mistral smiled. "Ah, yes, the Angel of Ruin… and now his mobile suit matches the name with those new wings. Now he would be a man worth fighting."

Monsoon smirked. "The apex predator of the last war… and it looks like he's kept his fangs sharp. The blood of the weak will flow in rivers from his blade once this war gets going. He's the embodiment of nature's rule on the battlefield."

Sundowner sneered. "Heh. 'Apex predator' my ass… he just got lucky that he never ran into me during the last war. He's good, but this time we'll put him six feet under where he belongs."

Sam smirked. "Careful there, big guy. Azrael underestimated Heero Yuy in the last war, and he wound up with a knife through his heart."

Sundowner laughed. "That's because Azrael was nothing more than a pansy politician. He couldn't win a fight against a dog, let alone a soldier. Once his flagship was stormed he was as good as dead. All the cannon fodder he'd packed onboard the Dominion didn't do him two shits worth of good. In the end it all comes down to your own strength."

"Yes," said Monsoon, "Azrael had a powerful army, but all his soldiers and mobile suits couldn't save him from a superior predator. He was weaker than his lowliest grunts; he got what he deserved."

Really?, Sam mused, He deserved to die only because he was weak and not because he was a raving psychopath and mass murderer? I do wonder at how Monsoon's head works sometimes…

Mistral shook her head. "The man was a pig. He was out for his own power and nothing more. His beliefs were nothing but a pile of shit. No wonder he got butchered."

"Now, now," said Sundowner with a smirk, "At least he got one thing right. He helped start one hell of a war. Mankind should thank him for that."

"I'm sure everyone who died is very grateful," said Sam with a smirk.

"Hey," said Sundowner, "it was thanks to that war and what happened after that our company was able to form. All those official force downsizings put a lot of soldiers out of jobs. Groups like ours give those proud men a purpose!"

"And you an excuse to kill again," said Mistral dismissively.

"You too, princess," Sundowner shot back.

All of us, Sam mused, Our philosophies and outlooks may be different, but if the four of us have one thing in common it's that we're all dogs of war. War is not just how we make a living; it's what makes us feel truly alive. We're all a bunch of killers…

…and we wouldn't have it any other way.

….

October 15th, C.E. 73

Standing in the bathroom holding up two dresses in front of the mirror, Lan's brow furrowed in frustration. "Argh, damn it! I can't make up my mind!"

When was the last time this happened?, she thought, Ah, Quatre… you come rolling into town in your badass Gundam and I turn into a schoolgirl.

Lan shook her head. No, she was supposed to be the one that was controlling events. She was the one that was taking the lead when it came to her and the cute blond pilot who had saved her life in the battle a week ago. It was she who had brought things to this point.

Does it really matter?, she mused, I mean, he seemed to like that blouse and skirt I wore the other day when I showed him around town. He wasn't exactly complaining about my workout outfit the day before, either… I bet he'd be happy with either of these. Ah, what am I thinking? Of course it matters which one I wear!

True to her word, Lan had given Quatre a bit of space after the party. However, only a couple of days had gone by before she'd succumbed to the urge to call him and ask if he'd wanted to hang out. Much to her relief he'd said 'yes' without a hint of hesitation, and Lan had wasted no time in hauling ass over to the estate.

The first day she'd spent with him had been simply her taking him out into the main city and showing him the sights. They'd hit the mall, checked out the park, went to the big seafood market, played at the arcade for a while, and just generally had a blast and forgotten about everything else in the world. For their next encounter Lan had decided on a more personal setting, so she'd convinced Quatre to exercise with her in the facilities that Terminal's estate had to offer. She'd been suitably impressed with the young man to say the least. Lan had already been well aware of his piloting skills, but his physical prowess was nothing to sneeze at either. Despite being a Natural he'd done a pretty good job with keeping pace with her, whether it was in the weight room or on the basketball court.

Those were some pretty fun times, she thought as she studied herself and the two dresses in the mirror again, but they were also just practice runs as far as I'm concerned. Tonight's the big night! Full-court press, blitz in the fourth quarter… I gotta go all out!

Deciding that she needed a little help, she left the bathroom and went to the apartment's living room, where both Adaline and Priscilla were going at it in old school Street Fighter. "Hey, Pris? Adaline? Can you two pause that and give me a hand?"

Her two friends looked over at her. When they saw what she was holding they turned and nodded at each other before stopping their game.

"So you're really going through with this, aren't you?" asked Adaline.

"You know," said Priscilla, "you're not meeting him for another four hours. Do you really need our help with this?"

"Yes," said Lan, a bit exasperated, "If I didn't need your help then I wouldn't be asking for it!"

"Lan," said Adaline, "are you okay?"

"You seem a bit… worked up," said Priscilla.

Lan blinked. "Worked up? Me? Come on, you two know me better than that."

"We do know you," said Adaline, and Lan was a bit taken aback by how serious she had become, "and we're worried."

Lan raised an eyebrow. "Worried? Why?"

Priscilla sighed. "Come on, Lan. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Lan shook her head. "Pris, I seriously don't have a clue what you two are talking about. All I want is a little help figuring out which dress to wear for when I see Quatre. What's wrong with that?"

"Don't play dumb, Lan," said Adaline, "We all know what tomorrow is."

"I don't care about tomorrow," said Lan, her tone becoming way more defensive than she had meant it to, "All I care about right now is tonight."

"You care about tonight because of what tomorrow is," said Priscilla, her eyes narrowing, "Lan, those dresses… they aren't exactly what you'd call modest."

Lan held up the red and black dress. "So what if they're a little risqué? They're not see-through or anything like that."

"They still show plenty of skin," said Adaline.

"Yeah?" Lan shot back, "Well, it's not like I'm one to shy away from that. I work hard on maintaining my body; I've got the right to show it off a bit."

"No one's arguing that," said Priscilla, "and if this were any other night we wouldn't be giving you a hard time about it."

"But it's not any other night," said Adaline, "and you damn well know it's not."

Lan sighed; she knew they were both right on the money, however reluctant she was to admit it. "Look, you don't need to remind me. I'm the last person who would forget that, believe me. So what's wrong with me cutting loose for a little while? I think it's natural, especially with that hanging over my head."

"And normally we'd say have at it," said Priscilla, "We're all for you trying to relax and keep your mind off of what happened, but you're going for more than that."

"How so?" asked Lan.

"Those dresses are a big hint right there," said Adaline dryly, "No matter which one you go with you're going to be showing off a lot more than just a little bit of leg."

"And you're going to be showing off for the guy that saved your life," Priscilla added, "A guy that you made a beeline for the instant we showed up at the estate for the party."

"A guy that we both know you haven't been able to keep out of your head for a second since he arrived on the scene," Adaline stated.

Lan forced a smile. "Well, can you blame me? There aren't a whole lot of guys out there like Quatre. You sure you're just not jealous because I made a move before either of you two could?"

"Making a move is the problem," said Adaline firmly, "Lan, it was nice and all that you gave him some space after the party, and time you've spent with him since then has been a good way for you two to get to know each other better…"

"There's a 'but' there," said Lan, "I can always tell when a 'but' is about to appear."

Priscilla nodded. "The 'but' is that you're moving way too fast with this, Lan. Tonight's not just about taking him out for drinks and some dancing."

"What else would it be about?" asked Lan, her eyes narrowing.

Adaline rolled her eyes. "Lan, stop trying to hide it. Anyone with half a brain can tell what you're planning."

"It's a bad idea," said Priscilla, "At least when you're like this. Maybe after the anniversary's past and you're thinking clearly… can't you wait a little longer? It's not like he's leaving right away."

"Wait for what?" asked Lan, her voice getting a little sharper than she meant it to, "Just get to the damn point already!"

"You're looking for a distraction," said Priscilla, "A pretty big one, too."

It Priscilla was cryptic, Adaline was brutally honest. "You're going to grief-bang him, aren't you?"

Lan had to take a step back at that. "What? Grief-bang him? What the hell, Adaline?"

"Don't play the indignation card with me," said Adaline, her voice surprisingly stern, "Instead of trying to deal with your pain like a mature adult you're looking to jump into bed with a guy you just met a week ago."

Lan shook her head. "Adaline, I know that I like to have a bit of fun when it comes to boys, but you're going way too far here."

"I don't think she is," said Priscilla, "With the way you've been after him since the fight and your feelings about what tomorrow is, I think she's perfectly within her right to come to that conclusion. I happen to agree with her."

Lan's eyes widened at that. "You serious? Pris, what the hell?"

"Don't 'what the hell' her or me," said Adaline, taking a step forward, "Lan, this isn't the way to deal with your problems. If you were just looking for some company from Quatre, someone to talk to, then I'd say that it would be good for you, but we all know that's not what you have in mind."

"You're planning on getting him alone and on his back at the first chance you have," said Priscilla, "Lan, please tell me you haven't booked a room for this already."

Lan shook her head. "Jesus fucking Christ, Pris… no, I haven't. I promise."

Her blonde friend sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

"So where do you plan on taking him after the club?" asked Adaline, giving her an uncomfortably piercing look.

Lan shrugged. "I figured I'd play that by ear. I hadn't really planned past the club."

"Are you sure?" asked Priscilla.

"For the last time," said Lan, more than a little exasperated at this point, "I don't plan to 'grief-bang' Quatre! There, happy?"

Adaline sighed. "I suppose it will have to do."

"We really couldn't stop you if you wanted to," said Priscilla, "but even so… Lan, please don't do it."

Lan shrugged. "Whatever. Look, can you two just help me pick between one of these two dresses already?"

"You're not going to go with something else?" asked Adaline.

"Nope," said Lan, "My mind's set on one or the other; no middle ground, no alternatives."

"If that's the case," said Priscilla, her eyes narrowing in thought, "then… I have to go with the black one."

Adaline nodded. "Yeah, I'm with her. It goes perfectly with your hair."

Lan smiled. "Thank you. Was that really so hard?"

"Don't think that we're letting you off the hook that easily," said Adaline, "Pris and I will both be here tonight, so if you bring Quatre back here for a romp in your room we're both going to chew you out for it in the morning."

"And we'll bring in Shemei too," said Priscilla firmly, "I know she's cut you some slack in the past, but I'm pretty sure that she'd side with us here."

Lan shook her head. "Man, you two are just brutal today, aren't you? All right, I promise that I won't bring Quatre back here tonight. Are we good now?"

Priscilla sighed. "I guess so. Have fun tonight, Lan."

"But not too much, right?" Lan quipped.

"You know what she meant," said Adaline, shaking her head, "Come on, Pris."

As the two of them went back to their game Lan shook her head before heading to her room and putting the red dress back in the closet. She then went into the bathroom carrying the black dress and shut the door behind her.

That was way more of a hassle than it had to be, she thought as she held up the dress in front of her while she looked in the mirror, I mean, seriously… if I didn't know those two better I'd almost say that they actually are jealous. 'Grief-bang'… never thought I'd hear Adaline say something like that.

She could act as indignantly as she liked, but a small part of her mind was keenly aware that the words of her friends had struck a nerve with her. They were a bit too close to home for Lan's liking, especially considering that her thoughts on where tonight could go weren't entirely suitable for family viewing.

The truth was that Lan was looking for a distraction, and felt that she could find it in Quatre. It wasn't just because he was a cute guy or because he had mad piloting skills. She'd only had a week to get to know him, but from that first night at the party she'd already gotten a pretty strong impression of him. He was a genuinely nice guy, someone who was sincere and compassionate. Lan might've thought of herself as a bit of a 'bad girl', but she could definitely go for a good guy if the right one crossed her path, and Quatre seemed to fit the bill.

In the brief amount of time that they'd spent together, Quatre had shown himself to be not just kind but also intelligent, insightful, and he even had a gentle sense of humor. Sure, he could play the bashful type, but to Lan that just made him even more fun to be around. She could tease him and get a genuine blush out of him; he wasn't just playing along in the hopes that she might do more than simply flirt.

I want to be with someone tonight, she thought, and not just any guy. Adaline and Pris are wrong; I'm not just looking for a hookup here. I want to be with someone that I can truly relax and be myself with. I want someone I can trust, someone who'll treat me seriously and let me have my fun. Quatre's that guy. He doesn't know what tomorrow means for me, but I can share that with him eventually. Tonight's a night for me to have a good time, and I want that good time to be with Quatre. If it goes further than just drinks and dancing, I'm not going to complain… and I only promised the others that I hadn't booked a room and that I wouldn't bring him back here.

I've still got an option open.

Lan smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. Posing with a hand on her hip, she held up the dress again and winked.

"Watch out, Quatre," she said softly, "I'm on the hunt, and I'm after you!"

….

"Hey!" said Duo, "Looks like someone's trying to look sharp tonight!"

Quatre sighed as he combed back his hair, studying his reflection in the mirror carefully. "Duo, not now."

"Not now what?" he said as he leaned against the bathroom doorway, a confident smirk on his face, "You can't hide it from me, buddy. So, what's the big plan?"

Quatre knew that there was no point in hiding it any longer. "If you have to know… I'm seeing someone tonight."

Duo grinned. "Hah! Someone's got a date! Let me guess; that pretty little Chinese minx, right?"

"That 'minx' has a name," said Quatre, "and it's Lan Zhao."

Quatre didn't think it was possible for Duo's smile to get any further, but the Gundam pilot from L2 quickly proved him wrong. "Wow! Way to go, Quatre! I always knew that there was a lady-killer buried beneath all that shyness. So that's why you're dressed to the nines."

Quatre wouldn't exactly his current attire to make him 'dressed to the nines', as Duo put it, but it was certainly a step or two above his casual wear. When he'd packed for the mission to find Heero Quatre'd naturally had no way to know what sort of situation he and his friends would be flying into. He'd done his best to prepare for any eventuality, and that prep work had gone right down to his wardrobe. The black dress pants and shoes and the white button up shirt he was wearing was what he considered to be respectable, semi-formal attire, and based on what Lan had told him over the phone it seemed to be appropriate for tonight's date.

A date, he thought, more than a bit nervous at the prospect, Is that really what this is?

Looking at things objectively, it was hard to see it as anything else. That took Quatre considerably off guard; he hadn't come to the Cosmic Era to chase girls. Still, there was something about Lan that actually made him a little excited about the prospect.

Quatre would freely admit that Lan was a very attractive woman, but he wasn't the type to involve himself with a girl based solely on physical appearance. Lan had shown herself to have far more than just good looks to bring to the table. She was quick-witted and good humored, a skilled pilot, and a very welcoming person in a situation where Quatre and his friends had definitely needed some good will. The Cosmic Era might still have Earth and space colonies, but despite all the similar features to the After Colony world that still did not change the fact that Quatre and the others were about as far from familiar territory as they could get. They were fortunate that Heero had made so many new friends and allies during his time here, and Quatre was grateful that one of them was Lan.

Quatre could not deny that he was generally interested in the Chinese Coordinator. The way she had approached him at the party and flirted with him had taken him quite off guard, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. For Quatre it was new turf, and a girl like Lan was quite different from his sisters or any other woman that he had met before. While the two of them had spoken at length both at the party and their subsequent encounters Quatre was sure that there was still much more to her than what he had experienced so far. He was curious to find out what else was beneath that rather lovely exterior of hers.

If nothing else, he thought, unable to completely suppress a smile, she seems to be a really fun person. We're not going home anytime soon, so I see nothing wrong with hanging out with her and getting to know her more. My sisters were always telling me to get out more and 'let my hair down', as they put it… tonight might be a good opportunity to do that.

Unfortunately for him, his smile did not go unnoticed by his friend. Duo had a knowing smirk on his face, and Quatre doubted that it would go away anytime soon.

"So," said the L2 native, "where are you two meeting?"

"She's picking me up here," Quatre replied.

"Nice!" said Duo, "What time?"

"I think she's supposed to be here in a few minutes," said Quatre.

"Cutting it pretty close then, aren't you?" said Duo.

Quatre shook his head. "I'm fine. It doesn't take me that long to clean up, after all."

Duo nodded. "That's good. So, need any words of wisdom before your girl gets here?"

Quatre sighed. "Do I have a choice in the matter?"

Duo laughed. "Maybe, maybe not. Depends on what you're looking for!"

"Duo," said Quatre, "Lan was the one that extended the invitation. I'm just going along for the ride."

Duo shook his head. "It's more than that, buddy. Just the fact that you're dressed like this means it's not a casual hangout. I think that girl wants something more out of this. The real question is; do you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Quatre.

Duo chuckled. "I think you do. The girl came right at you at the party, and I think you liked that. She's flirty and fun; don't both denying it. The fact that you saw her again this week and are going out with her tonight tells me that you want some more of what she's got to offer."

Quatre shook his head. "You know, if Hilde could hear you right now she'd probably have some choice words for you."

Duo smirked. "Sure, but she's not here right now, is she?"

"Unfortunately for me, no," Quatre deadpanned.

"That's right!" said Duo triumphantly.

Checking himself over in the mirror, Quatre then turned to Duo. "I don't have time for this. She's going to be here any minute now, Duo."

Duo held up his hands. "Relax, buddy. I don't plan on holding you up."

"Then what are you planning?" asked Quatre.

"Just to drop a bit of advice," said Duo with a wink, "and I'll keep it short and sweet, okay?"

Quatre nodded. "All right."

"Go with the flow," said Duo, "and don't over think things."

Quatre blinked. "That's it?"

Duo smiled. "Hey, I said I'd keep it short, didn't I? I don't believe in overcomplicating things."

"That's an understatement," Quatre replied.

Duo punched Quatre on the shoulder. "Relax, pal. You'll be fine! Loosen up and enjoy yourself, okay?"

Quatre smiled and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Duo."

"He's right," said a female voice, "Just be yourself, Quatre. Lan wouldn't want it any other way.

The two of them turned to see Shemei standing in the hallway. Her arms were folded, and she had a knowing smile on her face.

"You all set?" she asked.

Quatre nodded. "I think so."

"Good," said Shemei, "because Lan just got here. I told her to wait downstairs while I grabbed you."

That was fast, Quatre thought, Well, here goes nothing.

Duo grinned. "Well, time for me to make myself scarce. Later, buddy! Let me know how it goes!"

The L2 native walked off, leaving Quatre alone with the Valkyrie. He saw her smirk and shake her head as she watched him leave.

"What a card," she said, "He's lucky my girls were able to spot that ring on his finger. Otherwise they'd be all over him."

Quatre nodded and smiled. "He'd probably enjoy that, but despite how he seems Duo isn't the type to cheat. He and Hilde can drive each other crazy sometimes, but they really do love each other."

"Glad to hear that," said Shemei, "It must be tough on him to be separated from her to this extent."

"Yeah," said Quatre, "but Duo'll be fine, and so will Hilde. He'll get back to her one way or another, and she'll wait for him."

"I'm sure he will," Shemei replied.

"Speaking of waiting ladies," said Quatre, "I'd better get down to Lan."

He started moving forward, but he was taken off guard when Shemei put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "In a minute, Quatre."

Quatre was puzzled. "What is it?"

"It's about Lan," said Shemei, and Quatre was surprised to see that she looked quite serious, "I need a favor from you."

Quatre nodded. "What would that be?"

"Lan hides it pretty well from those who aren't too familiar with her," said Shemei, "but… well, believe it or not, she's going through quite a bit right now."

"What do you mean?" asked Quatre.

Shemei shook her head. "If Lan hasn't told you herself then it's not my place to say. At the rate she's going, though, I wouldn't be surprised if she brings it up with you at some point. Regardless, when she does that is her call, not mine."

Quatre nodded, not sure what was going on but not knowing how else to reply. "Okay. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do this favor of yours though if I don't know what's going on."

Shemei smiled. "It's not that hard, but it would mean the world to me. I admit that I don't know you too well, but from the impression I've gotten so far I think you're the kind of guy that can do this."

"And that would be?" asked Quatre.

"Take care of her," said Shemei.

"She seems like she can take care of herself," Quatre replied.

Shemei chuckled and shook her head. "I know she can, but that's not quite what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" asked Quatre.

"Let her have her fun tonight," said Shemei, "and join her in it. However, I want you to be there for her for when she needs you. Trust me; she'll never admit it, but what she really wants is someone to talk to about what's going on with her. It can't be me or the other girls, though; we've been trying pretty hard lately, but she won't let us close. You, though… I think you're the one that can make the breakthrough."

"I appreciate that vote of confidence," said Quatre, "but it would really help if you could clue me in as to what I'm supposed to let her talk to me about."

"Sorry," Shemei replied, "Like I told you before, that's not for me to say. Just be ready for when the time comes. Also, try to keep her from going overboard, especially with the booze. It's fine for her to knock back a few drinks, but with what she's carrying around inside there's definitely a chance that she could take it too far."

Quatre nodded. "I'll do my best."

Shemei smiled. "Good. That's all I can ask."

"Anything else?" asked Quatre.

Shemei shook her head and smirked. "Nope. Go get her, tiger!"

Quatre smiled, hoping he looked more confident than he felt. Shemei might've been trying to prepare him for whatever Lan was keeping bottled up inside her, but the fact that she hadn't really given him any details didn't do Quatre much good. All he could do now was move forward and play things by ear.

Improvise as I go, he mused as he headed for the stairs, That's the Gundam pilot way to handle things… although I've never tried it with a girl before.

This was completely unknown territory for him. However, while Quatre wouldn't deny being nervous, there was also more than a little bit of excitement running through him at the moment. One way or another, tonight promised to be a unique experience, and he wanted to make the most of it.

As he came to the top of the stairs he heard a whistle come from below, followed by a familiar female voice. "Damn… if I'd known that you cleaned up this nicely I would've set this thing up a lot sooner!"

And I would've let you, thought Quatre as he looked at her, if I'd known that you'd be like this…

She wore a dress that was as black as her hair, one that provided a stark contrast to her light skin. It also showed off quite a bit of that skin; the shoulder straps were so small that they were nearly invisible, and if the hem went up any higher then it would almost defeat the purpose of wearing a dress in the first place. Her arms and shoulders, her legs and thighs… the way the dress exposed them was beyond tantalizing, and Quatre could feel his heartbeat quicken considerably. Black dress slippers adorned her feet, while her raven hair flowed freely and had an alluring luster to it. A small black purse was held in her left hand, capping off the midnight ensemble. She was an absolute vision; any other girl that Quatre had seen before absolutely paled before the display that Lan was giving him now.

She grinned at him as he stood there staring, a playful glint in her dark brown eyes. "What's the matter, flyboy? Cat got your tongue?"

Quatre couldn't help but smile as he started down the stairs. "Wow… you look incredible!"

It was a major understatement, but the normally charismatic Gundam pilot truly was at a loss for more eloquent words at the moment. Still, he was relieved to see that his rather meager reply had an effect on her; Quatre could spot just a hint of red on her face.

"Thanks," she said, batting her eyelids at him, "I thought tonight deserved a little extra effort, and I'm more than happy to put the work in if it's for a guy like you!"

"I'm flattered," said Quatre as he came to the bottom of the stairs, "and quite honored."

She winked at him as she stepped forward, raising her hand to his right cheek before running it slowly down his face and neck before stopping at the collar. "You should be, Desert Prince."

Quatre smiled at her use of his unofficial call sign; he'd shared it with her during the party a week ago. "You remembered. It's too bad that I don't have a similar name to use for you."

"Give it time, cutie," said Lan as she reached down and took hold of his hand, "The night's young; I'm sure you can think of a fitting call sign for me before it's over. In fact, I think you have to, now."

"No promises," Quatre replied.

Lan smirked. "Don't think that I'll let you off the hook just because you've got good looks and a badass mobile suit."

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Quatre.

"Good," said Lan before nodding at the door, "Shall we?"

"Ladies first," said Quatre.

She smiled as she took lead, gently pulling him out the front door and towards the black sedan that was parked off to the side of the driveway. It was in excellent condition and appeared to be either government or corporate issue.

"That's yours?" asked Quatre.

"Wouldn't be driving it otherwise," said Lan with a smirk, "Call it one of the perks you get when you help save the world. The Alliance and ZAFT might not have thought too highly of our efforts, but the Orb government was another matter."

"The Orb government?" said Quatre with knowing smile, "Or Morgenroete?"

Lan laughed as she reached into her purse and pulled out a key. "Can't get much past you, can I? Okay, it was a combo of Cagalli and Erica. She told her to use the Morgenroete funds that had been set aside for us to make sure we could live comfortably; our modest hero's reward, as it were. As long as they didn't stand out in a crowd Erica had free reign to set us up however she wanted to. This baby's mine, and Adaline and Pris have their own cars as well. We actually don't drive separately that often though; most of the time we go as a group, so it's typically easier to use a single car."

"It's nice," said Quatre as she unlocked it.

"Thanks," she replied, "but you can't fool me; this baby's nothing compared to what you got back home, right? Don't lie, mister 'I-have-my-own-company'; how big are the limos you ride around in?"

Quatre had to laugh. "Hey, they're normal sized limos! A lot of the time I don't even use those. The company's got a fleet of town cars, and I'm quite happy with them. The limo only gets used when I have a lot of company or have a big meeting and need to make an impression."

"So," said Lan, smiling as she opened her door while looking at him, "if things were reversed and we were back in your world, would a girl like me rate one of your town cars or the limo treatment?"

"Definitely the limo," Quatre replied without missing a beat.

Lan grinned. "Good answer, flyboy! Now come on; get in."

As soon as he got in the car and closed the door Lan turned the key and the engine purred to life. Looking over at her, Quatre saw that she was still smiling; clearly she was excited about tonight.

"So," he said, "what's the name of this place you're taking me?"

"It's called Purgatorio," Lan replied as she started driving the car down the driveway, "Pretty new club in the downtown entertainment district."

"Have you been there before?" asked Quatre.

Lan nodded. "Scoped out the place with Adaline and Pris a few months back when it first opened. Good vibes, great beats, a kickass DJ, and mean drinks. You'll like it!"

Quatre smiled. "I'm sure I will."

She glanced over at him and smirked as she turned out onto the main road. "You look nervous. What's the matter? Don't know your way around a night club?"

Quatre's smile became a bit sheepish. "Well…"

Lan's eyes widened, but to Quatre's relief she didn't look worried. Far from it; she was absolutely grinning again.

"Wow," she said, her eyes all but glowing with eagerness, "I hit the nail right on the head, didn't I? Well, you'd better brace yourself, cutie! You're about to get a crash course in the nightlife scene!"

"Just as long as we don't get caught up in anything... shady," said Quatre.

"Relax," Lan replied, "This place is as legit as you get. Well, mostly. I'm pretty sure the owner rents out extra bouncers from a local gang, but they don't give the patrons trouble unless some jerkoff's asking for it. They're not gonna do anything that'll risk hurting the place's reputation and bottom line. Scaring people off is bad for business, after all, and the staff behaves themselves."

"Good to know," said Quatre.

"Besides," said Lan with a smile, "the bartender makes an awesome Strawberry Sunrise."

"What's that?" asked Quatre.

Lan's eyes widened again. "Oh, you poor boy… you mean you've never heard of a Strawberry Sunrise? Does your world even have those?"

"If it does, I've never encountered one," Quatre replied.

"Well, then," said Lan, "We're going to have to fix that tonight!"

Quatre nodded. "Sounds good."

Looking out the window, Quatre saw that the sun was just about gone. Turning back to Lan, Quatre became a bit concerned.

"Aren't you going to be cold?" he asked, "That dress is nice, but it doesn't look like it'll keep you warm."

"I'll be fine," Lan replied, "The nights in Orb this time of year are actually fairly warm. That's sweet of you to worry like that, though. Thanks."

Quatre smiled. "Anytime."

It wasn't long before the lights of the city were visible on the horizon, and they grew closer with each passing second. The traffic was fairly light, so they were able to make excellent time as they drove towards the downtown area.

"I usually just do this sort of thing with the girls," said Lan, smiling at him, "It's nice to have a boy come along for a change."

"Well," said Quatre, "It's a new experience for me, and you did say that you'd show me where the local hotspots are."

Lan laughed. "That I did!"

"Speaking of your friends," said Quatre, "what are they up to tonight?"

Lan shrugged. "Adaline and Pris are taking a night in. They're hanging out at the apartment."

"They didn't want to come along?" he asked.

"They might've," said Lan with a wink, "but I want you all to myself tonight!"

It was impossible for Quatre to miss the gleam in her eye. It looked downright predatory, and not for the first time Quatre found himself wondering just what he'd gotten himself into by agreeing to this.

Too late to back out now, he thought, I'll have to see it through to wherever it might lead.

Now they were well within the city limits. Skyscrapers rose up around them, the blare of car horns and the dull roar of crowds came from all directions… it was a familiar sight to anyone who had grown up in an urban environment, whether it was down on Earth or up in one of the space colonies.

"Ah," said Lan, "I love this. I don't care what people say about the traffic or the noise or the crowds; I'm a city girl at heart, and I always will be."

Quatre smiled. "Nothing wrong with that."

Lan nodded. "There's just an energy that flows in the air when you've got a ton of people mixing and mingling in a confined area. It's so much more vibrant and alive than anywhere else. Kira and Lacus can have their quiet, out of the way home with the reverend and the orphans; I'll take the city any day."

"Speaking of the city," said Quatre, "how much further until we get to this club of yours?"

Lan smiled and pointed out the front window. "See that brown building up ahead? It's on the third floor."

Quatre followed her finger. "That one? Doesn't exactly look like a place where you'd find a modern club."

"Well, you know what they say about looks being deceiving and all," Lan replied, "Trust me, you're gonna love this place."

Quatre nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing it."

Lan grinned as she pulled off into a nearby parking lot. "Hope you don't get seizures, because this place has some pretty mean light shows!"

"I'll be fine," said Quatre as Lan slowly drove into an empty slot in the lot.

She turned off the engine and looked over at him. "You ready?"

"Yeah," said Quatre, "Let's do this."

The two of them stepped out of the car, and after locking it Lan quickly slipped her arm through Quatre's and smiled at him. Quatre gave her a nod and a smile in return and let her take the lead.

A cool evening breeze blew through their hair as the two of them crossed the street and climbed up the concrete steps that ended at the building's front door. Moving forward, Quatre held the door as Lan stepped through before following her into the building.

"Up this way," she said, pulling him to the right towards a staircase.

A little bit later they were on the third floor. Quatre could see a modest line up ahead, and at the front there was a table positioned between the crowd and a set of sliding doors.

"Don't worry," said Lan, "They usually check people in pretty quick. The door charge is a bit steep, but since it's for all night and your first two drinks it's totally worth it!"

"Sorry that you're picking up the tab," said Quatre a bit sheepishly, "I don't think my money's any good in your world."

Lan shook her head and smiled. "Nah, don't worry about it. Trust me, I don't mind it one bit!"

"How do they keep track of your drinks?" he asked, "Don't they have a way to tell who's on their free drinks and who has to pay up?"

"They give you a little line on your wrist with a marker," said Lan, "Once you've got two of them you start paying for drinks."

Quatre nodded. "I see. I'll stay within the limit."

Lan gave him a playful elbow. "Don't hold back on my account, cutie! I told you that I don't mind dishing out a bit of cash tonight. Feel free to pound back some shots! I know I will!"

"Another reason for me to drink in moderation," said Quatre with a smile, "Someone needs to stay sober for the drive home."

"Hey!" said Lan, putting her hands on her hips, "I'm more than capable of telling when I've had enough, thank you very much! I've had practice at this, unlike you!"

Quatre held up his hands in mock surrender. "All right, point taken… but I still might take your keys from you if I think that you've had too much."

Lan gave him a fierce grin. "You'll have to fight me for them, flyboy. Think you're up for it?"

"Now that's just not fair," said Quatre, "How am I supposed to fight you when you're the one treating me to all this?"

Lan smirked. "So are you throwing in the towel already? I thought Gundam pilots didn't run up the white flag."

Quatre folded his arms. "I never said I wouldn't fight you, just that I'd prefer not to. I got a rule about not hitting girls, and I'd prefer not to break it."

She surprised him by slipping her arm back through his. "Such a gentleman… well, I guess that I can let you have the keys tonight if it comes down to that. However, if you put a single scratch in my baby I'll make you pay for it!"

Quatre smiled. "All right, I promise that I'll be careful with it."

"Thanks," replied Lan as they stepped up to the table.

Quatre watched as she dug into her purse and pulled out some cash. She handed it to the lady sitting behind the table before holding out her hand. The woman reached over and placed a small stamp on her wrist.

"What's that for?" asked Quatre.

"Reentry," said Lan, "It's good for the whole night. Your turn."

Quatre nodded and held out his hand for the woman to stamp. The lady then turned back to Lan, who handed over her purse.

"Name for the tag?" asked the woman.

"Lan," she replied.

The woman nodded. "We'll keep it here for you."

"One sec," said Lan as she grabbed the purse and pulled out some cash.

Passing the purse back to the woman, Lan then turned to Quatre. "You got pockets, so do you mind holding onto this? It's our drink money for after we get through the ones that are on the house."

Quatre nodded and accepted the bills. "Sure thing."

Lan smiled. "Thanks. Well, you ready to party?"

Quatre chuckled as he pocketed the money. "As ready as I'll ever be."

She took his hand. "Follow me, Desert Prince."

He let her guide him around the table towards a pair of grey sliding doors. As they opened up Quatre saw that behind them was a hallway unlike any other that he'd seen before. The walls were black as night, but the floor was a transparent grid with white lights flickering beneath it. More while lights flashed on the ceiling and also created a snowflake effect of sorts on the black walls. At the far end of the hall was another set of sliding doors, and Quatre could hear the distinct thumping of a bass coming from up ahead.

"Whoa!" said Quatre as he blinked, adjusting to the light.

Lan smirked. "You think this is impressive? Just wait until we actually get through those doors up there!"

Quatre nodded. "After you."

Once again he let Lan gently pull him along. As they got closer towards the sliding doors at the other end of the hallway Quatre could hear the distinctive sound of techno music in addition to the bass. The doors would occasionally open as patrons passed through, and in those brief glimpses Quatre caught some bright flashes of white light similar to what he was seeing in the hallway.

A few seconds later they were standing before the doors, and Lan turned to him and grinned. "Prepare to have your mind blown."

Quatre smiled. "Lead on."

The two of them stepped forward, and the doors slid open. As they walked through Quatre's eyes widened even more so than they had when he'd seen the hallway.

"Wow…" he said softly.

It was a considerable understatement, but it was the best that he was currently able to come up with. Quatre found himself standing with Lan at the top of a white staircase. To the right and left stretched a balcony that wrapped all around the large chamber. There were chairs and tables spread out along that upper level, but they were at the periphery of Quatre's vision; his concentration was on what was at the bottom of the stairs.

Spread out in the center of the room was a broad dance floor. It wasn't made of wood or metal, but consisted of a large glass grid much like what he and Lan had walked through in the hallway. The walls of the club were black as well, which served all the better to contrast with the bright lights that were engulfing the room. Beneath the glass and on steel brackets that were hanging from the ceiling were large arrays of lights that were currently bathing the room with flashes of white. The dance floor was framed by six pillars, three on each side. These weren't just simple support columns, though; they were clear like the dance floor, and there were lights set up inside them as well. Also along the sides of the dance floor were two white trees, which Quatre initially thought were ceramic but then realized were actually holographic. At the moment their 'branches' were bare, but Quatre had to wonder if they would stay that way. Spread out along one of the side walls in the lower main area was a very long bar, and the broad shelves appeared to be very well stocked. At the far end of the room on a raised platform was the DJ, and to Quatre's surprise it was what appeared to be a man wearing a tuxedo and a big fuzzy bear mask.

"Are you just going to stand there in awe," said Lan, leaning so close that Quatre could feel her breath on his ear, "or are you going to come with me?"

Quatre turned towards her and was struck by the smile on her face. There was something incredibly enticing about it, almost intoxicating. When combined with the glimmer of light in her eyes it was all but irresistible. All he could do was nod and let her slowly pull him down the stairs.

As they made their descent Quatre could feel the temperature going up. It wasn't surprising given that the club already had a significant crowd, especially on the dance floor. However, the heat wasn't overly oppressive, something that Quatre credited to the club's ventilation system. It might also have been because he'd been to the deserts of North Africa; he could handle much greater heat than what he was currently dealing with.

They reached the bottom of the stairs in short order, and Lan started guiding him towards the dance floor. As they approached Quatre saw the lighting begin to shift, slowly transitioning from white to red. The dead branches of the holographic trees began to shift too, sprouting crimson 'leaves' that soon engulfed them.

The dance floor was slightly elevated, and as they climbed up on it Quatre could feel his heartbeat begin to increase. He was totally out of his element here, and he'd be lying through his teeth if he said that he wasn't nervous. However, he appeared to be in very capable hands; Lan was guiding him through the throng of moving bodies with practiced ease.

"This is a good spot," said Lan after a few moments, all but yelling so he could hear her over the thrum of the bass and the techno beat.

"Are you sure?" said Quatre, wondering if he would lose his voice and his hearing before the night was over.

Lan nodded and grinned, waving her arm around to gesture at the crowd. "Yup! Right in the middle. Now, come on, cutie; don't leave a girl hanging!"

Quatre could feel his face turning beat red, and that wasn't counting the shift in the club's lighting. "Well… the thing is…"

Lan smirked. "What? Can't dance?"

Quatre sheepishly smiled. "I can dance classically, but not like… well, this."

Lan stepped up to him, her smile softening. "Trust me, it's not hard. All you have to do is relax and let the beat take over."

"Easier said than done!" Quatre replied.

Lan turned around, looking over her shoulder and winking at him. "Then let me lead. Hands on my hips, flyboy!"

Quatre could've sworn that his face would catch fire if it got any hotter. Hesitantly, he took a step forward and did what she'd told him to. The fabric of her dress was quite smooth, but also rather thin; the way he could feel the curves of her body left very little to the imagination.

This has got to be a dream, he thought.

But it wasn't; the way she started moving her hips, perfectly in time to the beat, was proof enough of that. She raised her arms over her head and reached back with her right hand, bringing it to Quatre's cheek.

"Relax," she said, smiling over her shoulder at him, "Loosen up your body, and let the music take over. Let instinct take over. Don't over think it; feel the beat, the bass. Your body will figure out the rest."

Quatre could only nod and take a deep breath, inadvertently inhaling her sweet perfume in the process. He was completely out of his depth here, but somehow he found himself starting to move. Letting her set the pace, Quatre started to shift back and forth with her, all the while keeping his hands on her hips.

"Mmmm," he heard her say, her voice almost a moan, "that's more like it, babe."

"You think so?" said Quatre.

"Yeah," she said, "Now, don't be afraid to explore a little."

Quatre was very glad that Duo wasn't here right now; his face was redder than the lights of the club. The way she was looking at him made it quite clear what she had meant by 'explore'.

No, he thought, I'm not that kind of guy…

All the same, he found himself almost unconsciously shifting his grip on her, gently moving his hands up and down as she shifted and turned with the beat. At the same time as his hands were acquainting themselves with her body he realized that his eyes were joining in, taking in this beautiful pixy that had placed herself before him and invited him into a whole new world. Already there was sweat beginning to show on her skin from the heat of the club, but the way it slowly ran down her face, neck and shoulders only served to enhance the intoxicating aura that now surrounded her.

As if all this weren't enough, Quatre was soon confronted by Lan once again reaching back over her shoulders towards him, this time with both hands. They slowly ran their way along his face and neck, and even though she wasn't looking directly behind her they effortlessly found his collar and undid the top two buttons of his shirt before Quatre had realized what happened. The moment the opening presented itself one of her hands slipped inside his shirt and teasingly ran it along his chest before withdrawing.

"Very nice…" she said, and while she might've had to raise her voice for him to hear him, with the blare of the music and thrum of the bass it sounded much more like a whisper one would save for a particularly intimate setting.

Her hand was out of his shirt now, but she wasn't done with him by a long shot. While her left hand went up to caress his neck her right worked its way down his torso. At the same time she took a step backwards, pressing her body against his. She continued to twist and turn to the music, picking up her pace as the song reached its peak and taking Quatre along for the ride.

Then she dipped low and pulled him down with her. He kept his hands on her hips while hers ran down his legs before she rose and brought them back up again. For a split second he felt her right hand brush along his inner thigh, but it was enough to practically set Quatre on fire.

Lan looked over her shoulder at him, and from the smirk on her face and the light in her eye Quatre was all but certain she knew the effect that she was having on him. "You're getting into it now, aren't you, flyboy?"

All Quatre could do was smile and hope that he didn't look too nervous. "I think so…"

She brought her hand to his face again and ran it down his cheek. "Oh, I know so, cutie!"

The beat of the music was rapidly building up again, and Quatre could feel that they were going into the home stretch of the song. Clearly Lan could too; she was now all but writhing against him, her hands flung into the air, and had an almost blissful look on her face. When they hit the final note she suddenly twirled around and threw her arms around him. Holding herself up by his neck, she raised her right leg and wrapped it around his waist.

"Not bad for your first time, Quatre," she said with a grin, her face mere centimeters from his.

Quatre nodded. "Well… I had you guiding me."

"That you did," Lan replied as she lowered herself back to the dance floor, "Now… are you ready for round two?"

As if on cue the DJ struck up a fresh beat, and the lighting of the club began to shift again. This time it became a mix of white and black, with the six pillars in particular looking almost like they were filling up with grey smoke as the contrasting lights mixed things up.

Quatre smiled. "I think so."

"Good," said Lan as she once again raised her hands in the air and pressed herself up against him, "because I know I am!"

All Quatre could do in response was put his hands on her hips again and let the beat carry them both away.

….

Wiping the sweat away from her brow with one hand while pulling on Quatre's arm with the other, Lan smiled at him as the two of them stepped down from the dance floor. "Whew, I'm frying! What do you say we get a couple drinks before diving back in for another round?"

Quatre nodded and returned her smile. "Sounds good to me!"

Guiding him towards the bar, Lan felt like she was in her own little slice of heaven at that moment. The night was going better than she'd ever imagined it would.

This was totally the right call, she thought, I don't care what the others say. I'm having a ball, and I think it's safe to say that my date here is too!

Sure, Quatre had been hesitant at first, but that was a quality that Lan had actually found to be endearing with him. The fact that such a powerful pilot could be completely out of his element in a place like a nightclub was rather cute, and Lan was greatly enjoying getting him acclimatized to this new environment. Quatre was making great progress under her guidance, and Lan wondered what she could try with him next when they went back out onto the dance floor.

Multiple images flashed through her mind, each more risqué than the last. Lan couldn't help but look over at Quatre and grin. If only he knew what she was thinking right now…

Then again, she mused, it's probably for the best that he doesn't. He was pretty nervous when we started off, and I don't want to scare him. Still… there's a lot more fun that I can have with him once we get back out there!

Before they could do that, though, some refreshment was definitely in order. Even a nightclub veteran like Lan could only go so long before she needed a break, and she was willing to bet that Quatre could use one too. He'd actually kept pace with her surprisingly well considering that this was his first time at a place like Purgatorio. Lan supposed that that was testament to the endurance he had build up with his combat training and experience on the battlefield.

Quatre whistled as the two of them walked up to the bar. "Wow! Quite the selection they've got here!"

Lan nodded; the broad bar spread all along the wall, and the shelves behind it were fully stocked with bottles from end to end. "Oh, yeah; this place has one of the best drink spreads in the city! You name it and Purgatorio has it!"

"Good," said Quatre, "because I'm not really sure what I want."

"I'll get you started," said Lan as she leaned against the bar and flagged down the barkeep.

When he approached her she smiled. "Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. Oh, and one of those cute little umbrellas!"

The bartender nodded. "And your friend?"

"Same for him," said Lan before Quatre could even open his mouth.

The barkeep nodded and pulled a marker out of his pocket. "Hands, please."

Lan held her right hand out but stopped Quatre from doing the same with her left. "Put them both on me."

"Are you sure?" asked Quatre, "That's both of your house drinks right there."

Lan shrugged and smiled at him. "It's cool. You can return the favor later, flyboy!"

Quatre nodded. "Okay, then."

"All right," said the bartender as he put two small black marks on Lan's wrist, "They'll be up a minute."

"Sound good," said Lan as she took a seat, "We'll be right here."

As the bartender went off to take another patron's order Quatre sat down beside her. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Lan replied, "Like I said earlier, I gotta have you try a Strawberry Sunrise before the night's over!"

"I appreciate that," said Quatre with a smirk, "although… don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like chick drink."

Lan grinned. "So what if it is? I'm getting you one, and you're going to enjoy it! If someone gives you crap about it, feel free to punch them in the face! Hell, I'll join in!"

"I'll pass on that," said Quatre, "I'm not the type to start up a bar fight."

"That's a shame," said Lan with a wink, "because I bet that a guy like you could hold your own in one."

Quatre laughed. "Maybe, but I don't want to test that tonight. I'd hate to ruin what you had planned for us tonight."

Lan nodded. "Yeah, I guess it would kinda suck if they kicked us out before our second round on the dance floor."

"Your drinks," said the bartender as he passed over two glasses, each filled to the rim with a pink-red liquid and topped off with an umbrella.

"Sweet!" said Lan as she grabbed hers.

"Thank you," said Quatre as he took his.

The bartender nodded before heading off to take another order. Lan turned to Quatre and raised her glass.

"To a fun night out," she said with a smile.

Quatre returned her smile as he touched his glass to hers. "A fun night and a lovely tour guide."

Lan continued to smile, but she was surprised to feel her face get just a bit warmer; was she actually blushing? If she was, she wasn't about to let it throw her off her game.

"Keep it up with the silver tongue, Desert Prince," she said, batting her eyes at him, "and I'll let you carry me off to your Arabian palace!"

Quatre chuckled. "I don't have one of those, but I do have a penthouse in the colonies that I think you'd like."

"Is that an invitation on the off chance I make it out to your world?" asked Lan with a smirk as she took a sip from her drink, "You and me in your ritzy apartment way up in the stars?"

"On the off chance… maybe," said Quatre as he tested his Strawberry Sunrise, "Hmmm… that's pretty good."

Lan nudged him with her elbow as she took another swig from her glass. "See? I told you that you'd like it!"

Quatre nodded. "The flavor's great. It definitely lives up to its name."

"Yup," said Lan, "and the umbrella's a nice touch. You can never go wrong with one of those cute little umbrellas in your drink!"

Quatre laughed. "I won't argue with you there."

The two of them spent a few minutes enjoying their drinks. The whole time Lan had a smile on her face as she savored the combination of her beverage, the atmosphere of the club, and the company that she had for the evening. She knew that she had lucked out in convincing Quatre to go out with her tonight, and she was enjoying every second of it.

I really snared myself a keeper, didn't I?, she mused as she looked over at her date, So bashful at first, but he loosens up pretty well… Quatre, I would've killed to meet you sooner.

She found it pretty hard to believe that a guy like him didn't have a sweetheart waiting for him back in his world. Lan knew that Quatre had been telling her the truth when he'd said that he was single, but in her view the odds of a man like him actually being on the market were incredibly small. He was rich, good-looking, nice, a complete badass in a mobile suit, and he had a shy and nervous side to him that was absolutely catnip to a girl like her. Really, in Lan's eyes it was almost an indictment against the women of Quatre's world that none of them had managed to win his heart by now.

Whoa there, girl, she silently warned herself, You're not thinking of making a serious play for him, are you? You know that he's going to be headed back home sooner or later, and where he's from is way beyond even the most dedicated long-distance relationship. Nothing wrong with the two of you having some fun while he's here, but you can't go getting too attached to him…

And yet…

…part of her wanted to get attached to him.

Lan looked down at her drink. It was easy enough to tell herself that she was just out to enjoy herself tonight with some decent company, but her heart seemed determined to complicate things. Her earlier conversation with Adaline and Priscilla was creeping into her thoughts again, as much as she might wish otherwise. Was she really just after a casual night at the club tonight…

…or did she want more?

Lan thought back to their first round on the dance floor. The feel of his hands on her hips, her body pressed against his, her hands wandering over his face, down his neck, and even slipping into his shirt… Lan wouldn't deny that she was a flirty girl, but her actions tonight had been bold and forward even by her standards. The way she was treating Quatre so far was not that of a young woman just looking for a fun night at the club with no pressure drinks and dancing; she was definitely putting some effort into making it more… meaningful.

Ah, crap, she thought, This was supposed to be casual fun, but now… damn it, maybe Adaline and Pris were onto something.

She stole another glance at her male companion. Would it really be a bad thing if she enjoyed herself with him in more than just the club? The two of them were both adults, after all; no legal barriers to speak of. They were also mobile suit pilots; partakers in a very dangerous profession. There was always the chance that if they were forced to return to the battlefield that the next fight could be their last. In that light, was it really so wrong for Lan to indulge her desires when the opportunity presented itself?

She turned back to her drink before Quatre could catch her staring at him. It was the damn anniversary that was making everything so complicated, as much as she wanted to keep it out of her mind. Poor Quatre had no idea what Lan had dragged him into, and part of her wanted to keep it that way. Why drop her emotional baggage onto his shoulders on a night when they were supposed to be having fun and relaxing?

And yet…

…she was very tempted to do exactly that.

He's a good guy, she mused as her eyes covertly darted towards him again, and you heard him back at the party; he's no stranger to losing family members. He'd get where you'd be coming from, and you already know that he's about the best damn listener you could ask for. Why not just fess up? He's not the type to judge you for that, right?

He certainly didn't seem to be that way, but Lan had her reservations all the same. She'd extended her invitation to him under the guise of having a good time, and if she revealed that she had an ulterior motive she had no way to know if that would damage her standing with him. Lan didn't want him to see her as simply using him to distract herself from her own pain, and the fact that she already cared so much about what he thought of her was as sure a sign as any that he had grown on her significantly in the week that she'd known him.

Lan sighed. Suddenly it was she who was in over her head rather than the cute blond pilot who had zero nightclub experience. A place like Purgatorio was home turf for a girl like her, but with her head and her heart at war with each other she was considerably off balance. The thought of coming clean with him clashed with her desire to chuck it all to the back of her mind and simply keep on enjoying the night for what it was. She could keep things beneath the surface for now, but Lan had to wonder how long she could maintain the front that she was putting up.

"Hey," said Quatre with a friendly smile, "what's on your mind? You're staring pretty hard at your drink."

Shoot, she thought as she smiled back, hoping that it looked innocent enough, I keep forgetting how perceptive this guy is. I guess that's a hazard you court when you're chasing a Gundam pilot…

"Yeah," said Lan as she took a big gulp of her beverage, "Totally good. Just kinda spaced out there for a moment. Sorry!"

"It's fine," Quatre replied, "as long as it's not because of me. I'd hate to be boring you on a night like this."

Lan shook her head. "Trust me, flyboy, that's not it. Hell, I don't think an interesting guy like you could bore me! Besides, I'm the one who extended the invitation, remember? It's up to me to provide the entertainment."

Quatre laughed. "Maybe. I guess I'm just old fashioned that way."

Lan grinned as she took another swig of her drink. "Nothing wrong with that, Quatre."

"Thanks," he said as he joined her.

"Speaking of old fashioned," said Lan once she'd swallowed, "You mentioned earlier that you can dance classically. What kind of dancing were you referring to?"

Quatre smiled. "Well, for starters I know waltz and tango. Then there's ballroom, bachata, and salsa. Basically, if it involves two people and it's not a nightclub, I can take a decent stab at it."

"Nice," said Lan, nodding appreciatively, "I don't suppose you could take me for a twirl sometime, could you?"

"Maybe," said Quatre, "although I'd need different music, and I'm a bit rusty."

"How do you know those styles in the first place?" she asked.

"My father," Quatre replied, "or at least, the instructors he hired, along with a few of my sisters. Being the only heir of the Winner family means more than just having to know my way around the boardroom; I have to be deft on the ballroom floor as well. Consider it a high society obligation."

Lan giggled. "Oh, sounds like you have it so rough, mister multi-billionaire!"

It spoke greatly to his credit that he was able to laugh along with her even though she was making fun of him. "Hey, I'd like to see you survive five-hour dance courses with my older sisters and hired tutors! You'd have blisters the size of cherries by the time they'd be through with you!"

Lan smirked. "Sounds absolutely terrifying."

"You have no idea," said Quatre.

"Well, then," said Lan as she raised her glass, "here's hoping that I'll never have to find out!"

She took another gulp of her drink, and Quatre followed suit. Lan was surprised to realize that they had both already finished their drinks; she'd forgotten that the beverages served here usually came in smaller sizes than at a regular bar. No doubt it was a cost cutting measure cooked up by management.

"Damn," she said, "that didn't last as long as I thought it would."

"Well," said Quatre with a smile, "looks like the next round's on me. What do you want?"

Lan winked at him. "Surprise me."

"All right, then," said Quatre as he flagged down the bartender.

It didn't take long for the man to make his way over to them. "What can I get you?"

"Two shots of bourbon," said Quatre, "One for each of us. They're both on me."

The bartender nodded as he grabbed their empty glasses and marked Quatre's hand. "Coming right up."

Lan smirked at her companion. "Well, now. I didn't see that one coming."

Quatre chuckled. "You did say to surprise you, right?"

Lan nodded. "True. I just didn't see you as a guy that really went for the hard stuff like that."

"I like to indulge on occasion," said Quatre, "I just don't pound them back one after another. Remember what happened at the party?"

Lan laughed. "You mean before you and I passed out? Yeah, I do."

"And now you know why I try to avoid that," said Quatre, "I seem to recall you nursing a rather painful hangover the morning after."

"Ugh," groaned Lan, "Don't remind me. I don't know which was worse; the hangover or Shemei's so-called cure."

"Exactly," said Quatre, "So what do you say to avoiding a repeat of that?"

Lan had to laugh at that. "Now that I can drink to."

"Here you go," said the bartender, sliding over two full shot glasses across the bar to her and Quatre.

"Good timing," said her blond companion as he caught them both and passed one to Lan.

Lan took hers and smiled at Quatre as the two of them raised their glasses. "To avoiding horrible hangover cures."

Quatre returned her smile as he touched his glass to hers. "Cheers."

Lan pounded back the shot, enjoying the flavor of the bourbon. It was an excellent contrast to her Strawberry Sunrise from earlier, and it was made even better by the fact that it had been Quatre's choice.

"Ah," she sighed, "that's good stuff!"

Quatre nodded. "Yeah. Think that'll be it for me, at least for the time being. It's pretty strong."

"Plus that's the last of our house drinks," said Lan, "We'll be dishing out the dough from here on out."

"No sense in rushing things," said Quatre, "We've still got plenty of time to hang out here before ordering more, right?"

Lan smiled. "Yup. Plus I'll be taking you back out on the dance floor soon, so we can work off some of that booze. In fact, I think you'll have even more fun out there now that you've got some alcohol in your system!"

Quatre laughed. "You might be right. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Why wait?" said Lan with a wink, "What do you say we head out there right now?"

"In a little bit," Quatre replied, "Mind if I hit the restroom first?"

Lan nodded. "Sure thing."

"Good," said Quatre, looking around, "So, uh… which way is it?"

Lan pointed off to the left. "Far end of the bar. Can't miss it."

Quatre nodded as he hopped off the barstool. "Thanks. I'll be back soon!"

"And I'll be right here, Desert Prince!" she replied with a grin.

No way in hell am I going anywhere, she thought as she watched him walk off, her eyes lingering on his toned rear-end, The night is young, and I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest!

She smiled as she shifted on the barstool and leaned back against the bar, her eyes on the mass of people out on the dance floor. She and Quatre would be back out there soon enough, and she could hardly wait to see what having a couple drinks in his system would do. He didn't appear tipsy by any stretch of the imagination, but Lan new from experience that even a single drink could help the right person loosen up a bit.

Lan sighed as the minutes went by. "Ah… what a night!"

"Miss," said a familiar voice from behind her.

Lan turned around to see the bartender slide another shot glass full of bourbon towards her. She raised an eyebrow; she hadn't ordered anything, and she said as much to him.

"It's from the guy down there," he said, pointing off to the right.

Lan followed his hand and saw a man sitting further down the bar. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a black vest over the top, a red tie, black gloves and black dress pants and shoes. He was definitely on the taller side and appeared to be of Asian descent, with light skin, gray eyes and back hair that included a well trimmed beard and mustache. Lan saw that he was looking at her, and he smirked when he saw her looking back.

Lan shook her head and pushed the shot glass back towards the bartender. "I'm with someone tonight. Besides, he's not my type."

"You might want to reconsider that, miss," said the bartender.

"No," said Lan dismissively, "I really don't."

"You sure about that?" asked the bartender, "He's the manager of this club."

"I don't care," said Lan, "and he doesn't hold a candle to the guy I'm with tonight. Tell him to go hit on someone else."

The bartender shook his head. "Miss, you're going to regret it if I pass that message along to him."

Lan chuckled. "Please. I've pissed off people way more dangerous than your manager. Tell him to buzz off. I'm waiting for my date to get back."

The bartender nodded. "Very well. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Noted," said Lan dryly.

The bartender disappeared and Lan tried to put the whole matter out of her mind. However, it appeared that the club manager couldn't take a hint; Lan could see four guys in full suits walking towards her, each wearing sunglasses and bowler hats.

Oh, great, she thought, Must be some of his muscle. Can't this guy take a freaking hint?

She shrugged as the four toughs approached her. Quatre wasn't back yet, but Lan wasn't worried; she was more than capable of handling herself.

"Excuse me, miss," said the one that was leading the group, "Our boss would like to have a drink with you."

"So I noticed," she replied, "I was hoping that the bartender had relayed my reply to him. If he didn't then I guess you boys will have to serve as my messengers."

"It would be in your interest if you accepted the boss's invitation," said one of the others, trying to sound intimidating but to Lan clearly putting too much effort into it.

"I wouldn't call it interesting," said Lan with a smirk, "More like boring as hell. Come on, boys, don't you have anything better to do than harass a paying customer? That can't be good for business, you know?"

"Our boss doesn't take kindly to being rejected," said a third guy, "He's offering to be quite generous to you, but he can take that offer away just as easily."

"Good," Lan replied, "then tell him to take his generosity and share it with some other girl. I'm not interested, okay? Tell him to take a hint already. If he wants to prove he's not completely without a pair then he can come over here himself. My answer's still going to be the same, but at least then he'll have shown that he has some balls."

The quartet was clearly thrown off balance; they obviously weren't used to someone talking back to them and defying their boss so blatantly. It was very amusing for Lan, and if their boss wasn't being so pushy she might actually have felt sorry for them. However, she was seriously starting to get annoyed with all the attention, not to mention it was souring her opinion of the club.

If this keeps up I'm going to have to scratch this place off my list of favorite hotspots, she mused, It's too bad, really; it's got a lot to offer.

The four men were still standing there, so Lan waved them off dismissively. "Well, what are you waiting for? Either go and fetch your boss so I can shoot him down in person or take a hike. In fact, take a hike either way."

The four men looked at each other for a moment, clearly at a loss for what to do. Eventually two of them headed off, and Lan assumed that they were going to get their boss. The other two stuck around, folding their arms and doing what Lan assumed to be their best to intimidate her. Needless to say, the effort was falling flat.

Come on, Quatre, she thought, Hurry up and get back here. The sooner you and I get back out on the dance floor the sooner I'll be rid of these bozos.

A minute later she heard a deep chuckle, and as she looked up she saw that the manager himself had shown up, along with the two flunkies that had gone to fetch him in the first place. He had a cocky smirk on his face, but Lan had a feeling that it wouldn't last too long.

"Well, now," he said, "You're feistier than you look."

"I get that a lot," she said dryly.

"I like that in a woman," he said with a smile, "You've got spine, lady."

"I get that a lot, too," she replied, her eyes narrowing, "It's usually right before I break someone else's spine."

The manager raised his hands, but that smug smirk did not go away. "Calm down, miss. Just offering my compliments."

"I don't want them," said Lan, "I want you and your schmucks here to back off. What part of that don't you get?"

The bearded man folded his arms. "Girl, do you know who I am?"

Lan shrugged. "Besides being the club manager? Not a clue."

"The name's Xiong," he said, "Junior Xiong."

Lan had to fight very hard to keep from laughing. "Wait, Junior's your first name? Dude, you need to go home and slap your parents."

She saw his right eyebrow twitch; she seemed to have struck a nerve. "Don't you know the Xiong name, girl?"

"Sure," said Lan offhandedly, "I'm assuming your daddy's the head honcho of your clan. The Xiong family owns most of the top tier nightclubs in this city, and apart from that you guys act as facilitators and go-betweens for several of the gangs around here. That bit's all behind the scenes, of course. Did I leave anything out?"

"So," he said, "you know all of that, but you're still turning me down?"

"Yup," Lan replied, "Now, why don't you and your pals buzz off?"

Junior chuckled. "And let a little girl like you boss me around in my own club, in front of my men? That's not going to happen."

He looked over his shoulder and nodded. Behind him Lan could see several other men in suits standing not too far away, doing their best to look menacing.

He's really serious about this, she thought as she scanned the club, If it comes down to it, I think I can take them on, but I really wouldn't mind some backup. Come on, Quatre; any minute now would be great.

She sighed. Junior clearly wasn't about to back off, so she would have to step things up. She'd have to get a little physical now, and she hoped that what she had planned would send the right message with just the right amount of force.

She crooked her finger and motioned for him to come closer, batting her eyelashes to entice him. "Well, if you're going to be like that, why don't step up here?"

Junior smirked as he leaned in. "Warming up to me, now?"

Lan waited until he was at just the right spot before smirking in reply. "Hardly."

Striking with lightning speed, she slapped him across the face. The blow was carefully calculated; not enough to knock him off his feet, but sufficient to rattle his cage. If this didn't get her point across then nothing short of a brawl would.

"You know," she said, "I really hate pushy guys. Why don't you take your pathetic excuse for charms and your entourage and get the hell away from me? No means no, you douchbag!"

A big red mark was on Junior's left cheek, but it wasn't nearly as red as the rest of his face was getting. Lan had the sinking feeling that her slap was not having the desired effect, and she supposed that things would only escalate from here. She slid off the barstool, bracing herself for whatever came next.

"You bitch," Junior growled at her, "You're going to regret that!"

"Hey!" said a familiar male voice, "What's going on here?"

Lan smiled; her backup was here. "Quatre! About damn time!"

"Sorry," he said as he approached, "Are you okay?"

Before Lan could answer sever of Junior's henchmen moved between her and Quatre. Junior himself stepped forward, giving the Gundam pilot a look that held nothing but contempt.

"Who do you think you are, blondie?" he asked.

If you knew the answer to that question I guarantee that you'd be pissing yourself right now, punk, Lan thought, If you pick a fight then you're going to find out the hard way.

Quatre looked completely unfazed by Junior and his posse's attempts at intimidating him. "I'm her date. Do you mind if I come through? I owe her another round on the dance floor."

One of Junior's thugs reached out and pushed Quatre back. "Beat it, kid. She's coming with our boss."

Quatre raised an eyebrow and looked past him at Lan. "Did I miss something?"

"I'm not going with them," Lan replied firmly, "No matter how much they insist otherwise."

"That's where your wrong, lady," said Junior, "You are coming with me, and there's nothing you or your friend can do about it."

"You're the one who's wrong," said Lan, her eyes narrowing, "Quatre?"

"Yeah?" he said.

Start "I Burn"

She grinned. "Let's dance."

Quatre nodded, and the light in his eyes was all she needed to know that he'd gotten her real message. "All right."

The lights of the club once again shifted to red, which Lan thought was quite fitting given what was about to happen. Without further adieu, she turned to Junior…

…and punched him in the face.

The club boss went down hard, and from the quite audible 'crunch' Lan was sure that she'd broken his nose. Before Junior's backup could react Quatre took a swing of his own, catching the tough that had pushed him in an uppercut right under the chin and sending him flying into the bar.

"What the…" one of the thugs began.

Lan didn't let him finish. With a swift roundhouse kick she caught him right in the side of the head and sent him down to join his boss. At the same time Quatre followed up his initial attack with an immediate strike on a second member of Junior's posse, kicking him in the gut and knocking the wind out of him.

"Bastards!" snarled another man, "Get 'em!"

Now the thugs started swinging back, for all the good that it did them. Lan effortlessly ducked one guy's punch before grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the ground. Meanwhile Quatre had actually caught the arm of a man who had tried to hit him and turned his force against him, throwing him over his shoulder and behind the bar.

Blocking another man's kick with her arm, Lan countered by grabbing his leg and throwing him into one of his comrades, sending them both tumbling to the floor. For his part, Quatre ducked the punch of another guy before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him forward and head-butting him, knocking him out of the fight.

Lan smiled. "Nice!"

"Dance floor!" he replied, "We need more room!"

Lan nodded. More of Junior's henchmen were approaching, and if she and Quatre kept fighting where they were now they'd get pinned against the bar. The dance floor offered much more room to maneuver; it was already clearing out thanks to scared patrons who had caught sight of the growing bar brawl.

"Let's go!" she yelled as she grabbed a barstool and broke it over a hapless goon's back.

"Right behind you!" said Quatre as he slammed his knee into another man's gut.

Junior's men were disorganized, so it was relatively easy for Lan and Quatre to fight their way through the few that stood between them and the dance floor. Seeing that the brawl was heading their way, the patrons reacted exactly the way Lan had hoped that they would; they were now fleeing en masse towards the club exits.

"I thought you said that you weren't the type to get into bar fights," said Lan with a smirk as she kicked a man in the groin.

"I didn't have much of a choice with this one," Quatre shot back as he kicked a thug in the face, "I don't care if you can handle yourself; I wasn't going to let you take on these guys alone!"

Lan smiled as she climbed up onto the dance floor. "Aw, you really are a sweetheart, aren't you?"

"Save the compliments for later," said Quatre as he joined her, "We've got incoming!"

He was right about that; suited thugs were coming in from all directions. In a few seconds Lan and Quatre were surrounded by at least a dozen members of Junior's security crew, and they looked pissed. Instinctively she moved so that she was back to back with Quatre and raised her fists, ready to take on the crowd.

"Think you're good for half of them?" she said.

Glancing back, she saw him looking over his shoulder at her and smirking. "If you want I'll take more and you can grab the leftovers."

Lan smiled. "And let you show me up? If Shemei found out she'd never let me hear the end of it!"

Quatre nodded, his eyes narrowing. "All right, then. Get ready!"

"Take 'em down!" yelled one of the men.

The group rushed in, trying to swarm and overwhelm them. Blocking one man's punch with her arm, Lan countered with a strike right to the guy's face. The blow sent him stumbling back into one of his friends while Lan made a high kick which caught another goon right in the side of the neck, taking him down. A third man tried to tackle her, but Lan simply caught him by the arm and chucked him back at his comrades.

On his end, Quatre was showing his half of the crowd why it was a very bad idea to mess with a Gundam pilot, even if he currently lacked his Gundam. The man who had led the attack against him quickly found himself on the floor gasping for breath as Quatre's fist connected with his throat. The second threw a right hook, but his arm was caught by Quatre, who quickly proceeded to bend it behind the man's back so he could position the goon between himself and the others. Taking full advantage of his improvised shield, Quatre pushed the man forward so that his head intercepted a punch from one of his comrades. The Desert Prince then made a hard kick at the man's leg, and even over the chaos of the fight Lan heard the sickening crunch of bone breaking.

He's a lot tougher than he looks, she thought with approval as she ducked beneath a foe's kick, He may be cute, but he can be downright brutal in a fight if he wants to!

Of course, Quatre wasn't the only one who could get vicious during a brawl. Grabbing the leg of the man who'd just tried to kick her, Lan then proceeded to bend that leg in a direction it was not supposed to go. The goon's agonized scream only ended when Lan's palm met his chin in a hard strike and knocked him out cold. Another thug was on her a split-second later and took a hard swing, but Lan simply caught his arm with one hand before bringing her elbow down on it. There was a very audible crack, followed by a howl of anguish from her target as his arm now hung uselessly at his side.

She grinned, although from her enemies' perspective it probably looked more like a lioness baring her fangs. "Come on, boys! I'm just getting warmed up!"

They looked at her hesitantly, clearly intimidated; none of them wanted to make the first move. That was fine by Lan; she'd do that for them.

She rushed forward, and before they knew it she was on them. Her first strike was a high kick that caught one man right in the head and sent him to the floor. As she landed she went into a spin, and another kick nailed a goon in the gut. Ducking to avoid a punch, she jabbed her fingers into her attacker's throat, and as he started gasping for breath she followed up with a punch to the face that knocked him out cold.

"On your right!" called Quatre.

Lan raised her arms and turned, and not a second too soon; a particularly big bruiser took a swing at her, and even though she blocked the attack the force behind it still pushed her back a bit. Before she could retaliate, though, Quatre did the job for her by making a sweeping low kick that knocked the big guy's legs out from under him. The goon hit the floor face first, and as he tried to get back up Quatre brought his foot down hard on his shoulder; an audible crack and subsequent scream told Lan that the Gundam pilot had broken his adversary's collar bone.

"Thanks!" she said as she caught a man's punch and flung him over her shoulder.

"Anytime!" Quatre replied before kneeing another man in the gut.

The fight went on, but their opposition was starting to wear thin; Junior simply didn't have enough hired muscle to take on the likes of a veteran Coordinator and a warrior from the same world as Heero Yuy. A few of the thugs that they'd knocked out had rejoined the fray, but they were shaky on their feet, not particularly eager to face off against the duo that was handing them their asses so handily.

Too bad Shemei's not here, she mused as she choke slammed a foe, She'd enjoy a good brawl like this!

Raising her arms again to meet the next foe, she was surprised to see that no one was approaching her. The same went for Quatre. In fact, the few men still on their feet were starting to back away.

"Monsters…" one of them muttered, "They're goddamn monsters!"

"Screw this!" said a second, "We're not getting paid enough to fight fucking commandos!"

She heard Quatre chuckle. "Commandos? Not quite, but close enough."

"Forget this shit!" yelled another goon, shaking his head, "I'm outta here!"

Lowing their arms, Quatre and Lan watched as Junior's men began to head for the exits. Lan thought that the fight would be over right there, but her hopes were dashed by a loud and familiar male voice.

"You cowards!" yelled Junior, "No one's leaving until these two have been thrashed! Do you want the head honchos to hear about how you all got your asses kicked by a chick and her blond pretty boy?"

Lan smirked. "Bold words coming from the guy who went down at the start of the fight, Junior!"

He sneered at her. Blood was streaming from his clearly broken nose, but he wasn't letting that stop him. He strolled up onto the dance floor and rolled up his sleeves, ready to throw down even when his subordinates were quitting the field. For their part, his henchmen didn't seem in a hurry to back him up.

"Give it up," said Quatre, "You can't win. Let us both walk out of here peacefully and no one else needs to get hurt!"

Junior shook his head and shot Quatre a venomous glare. "And let my father and the other bosses hear how I got rolled in my own club? That's not gonna happen, blondie!"

Quatre took a step forward, but Lan intercepted him and put her arm out in front of him. "Don't. Let me take him."

Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Lan smiled. "As much as I love the thought of you stepping up to be my knight in shining armor, I don't want that this time. This punk started all this because he doesn't know how to take 'no' for an answer. I want to be the one that puts him in his place."

Quatre nodded and stepped back. "All right. Be careful."

Lan leaned forward and surprised him, and herself, by kissing him on the cheek. "Just sit back and watch, sweetheart. This won't take long."

Quatre smiled, and she had the satisfaction of seeing him blush. "Okay."

As Quatre backed up Lan moved to the center of the dance floor. Raising her hand, she gave Junior a classic 'come and get me' gesture.

Junior scowled as he raised his fists in a guard position. "You're gonna pay for this."

Lan smirked. "Oh, I don't think so."

He rushed at her, moving surprisingly quick for a man as big as he was. However, as far as Lan was concerned that only gave her more momentum to use against him. She could see his muscles tense before he wound up for his punch, and when his right fist came forward Lan grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over her shoulder.

Junior's back hit the floor, but he jumped back to his feet quite swiftly. He wasted no time in coming at Lan again, but she was ready for him. This time she ducked low and made a sweeping kick, knocking Junior's legs out from under him and sending him back to the floor again.

"You bitch," he growled as he got back on his feet again.

Lan chuckled. "Keep it coming, Junior. I can do this dance all night if I have to."

He charged again, but this time it was a more deliberate move. His arms were held in close to his chest, and this time when he made his punch Lan was forced to block. She struck back by kicking him in the shins, but this time Junior didn't go down. He took another swing at her, and when Lan blocked this one he quickly followed it up with a kick, forcing Lan to duck and roll to the right to avoid getting hit.

Junior smirked as she came back up. "You caught me off guard earlier. It won't happen again."

"It doesn't matter," Lan replied, "You still can't beat me."

"That's what you think!" Junior snarled as he brought up his knee.

Lan sprung back to evade the blow, doing a flip in the process. When she landed she then rolled to the left to avoid a one-two combo from her foe. Coming up from her dodge, she retaliated with a flurry of punches and kicks, her training combined with the speed of a Coordinator resulting in an overwhelming barrage. A fist found Junior's solar plexus, and a foot nailed him in the kidney.

Junior wheezed as he went down on one knee, struggling just to breath. He looked up at Lan, and she grinned; it was time for the coup de grace.

"Lights out, boy," she said before nailing him on the side of the head with a hard right hook.

End "I Burn"

Junior fell face first to the floor, and this time Lan knew that he was out cold. She rubbed her right fist with her left hand; Junior's skull was rather thick.

"You okay?" asked Quatre as he walked over to her.

She looked over at him and smiled. "Yup. He's just got a hard head, and in more ways than one!"

Quatre looked down at Junior, his eyes narrowing. "He should've backed off. Trying to force you to go along with him like that was disgusting."

He looked genuinely indignant at Junior's behavior, something that actually made Lan's heart flutter a little. Her cute date really was a gentleman, brought up with classic ideas of how to treat a lady. It was quite refreshing, and Lan adored him all the more for it.

She reached over and took his hand. "Well, thanks to you backing me up I was able to teach him a lesson. I owe you one, Quatre."

Quatre shook his head and smiled. "No, you don't. You're the one who invited me out tonight. Having your back was the least that I could do."

Lan smiled back. "You really are just about the nicest guy I've ever met, you know that?"

She had the satisfaction of seeing him blush a bit. "Well, my sisters were very clear on how they wanted me to treat girls. I guess I'm just following their advice."

"I'll have to thank them for that if I ever meet them," said Lan.

She then looked around the club, surveying the damage she and her date had wrought. Any property damage was minimal, but the body count was another matter. There had been no fatalities, thankfully; Lan and Quatre had both shown at least that much restraint during the fight. However, the number of injured men around them was definitely in the double digits. Some were knocked out cold like Junior, while others were massaging bruises and limping away to tend to fractures and broken bones.

"Well," she said, giving Quatre another smile, "that was a thing, eh?"

Quatre chuckled as he looked around the club. "Yeah… we really did a number on them, didn't we?"

"No kidding," said Lan with a sigh, "Looks like I won't be able to come back here anytime soon. A real shame, too; this place really is a great nightclub."

"Too bad the manager and his subordinates don't reflect that," said Quatre, "You told me earlier that they tend to behave themselves. So much for that."

Lan shrugged. "That was during my first time here. I guess I didn't catch the manager's eye back then. Lucky me."

"So, what now?" asked Quatre, "We can't stay here."

Lan nodded and smiled. "I know. No worries; there's more than one club around here, you know."

Quatre's eyes widened. "Wait, you still want to do this?"

Lan gave him a playful elbow. "What's the matter, flyboy? Did the big fight wear you out?"

Quatre shook his head. "No, I just would've thought that after something like this…"

"That I'd decide to head home and call it a night?" Lan finished for him, smirking, "Quatre, please. I'm not about to let a club brawl get in the way of my fun. I want at least one more round of dancing with you, and I'm gonna get it!"

Quatre smiled. "Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?"

"You can't!" said Lan triumphantly as she looped her arm through his, "Come on, Desert Prince. The night's still young, and I intend to enjoy every minute of it!"

….

October 16th, C.E. 73

Man, thought Quatre as he enjoyed the cool breeze flowing through the open car window, what a night.

That it was. The club fight at Purgatorio hadn't slowed Lan down at all. She'd wasted no time in dragging him into another club and out onto the dance floor, and Quatre had quickly lost track of time as he and his date gave themselves over to the music. By the time they'd finally left he was sure it was the very earliest hours of the morning. It was still dark and the stars were out, but Quatre's internal clock was telling him that this was the latest he'd stayed out in quite some time.

And it had been worth every second. Their first round of dancing and drinks at Purgatorio, their second round at the new club... Quatre had enjoyed it all. In fact, he was surprised to realize that he could even include the fight with Junior and his thugs on his list of entertainment for the evening. Quatre had a hard time believing that since he wasn't the type of guy to chase after a fight like that, but he had to admit that part of him had enjoyed it all the same.

It's because of her, he thought as he looked over at his lovely date, I went to not one but two night clubs, danced like I've never danced before, and got into a bar fight… and it was all because of her.

Lan Zhao…

I've never met a woman that was anything like you before.

The window on her side of the car was open too, and her raven hair flowed freely in the breeze. Her pale skin was still glistening with sweat from the heat of the club they'd left, and when combined with the smile on her face and the light in her eyes it made for a very enticing image. The fact that her short black dress left very little to the imagination was the icing on the cake.

She glanced over at him and winked. "See something you like, cutie?"

Quatre could feel his face practically burning in response. "Yeah…"

He was surprised to see a hint of red appear on her face as well, although her smile did not fade. "Well, I could say the same here. How was that for a fun night on the town?"

Quatre smiled. "It was… really something else."

Lan nodded. "You got that right. I really don't want it to end…"

Quatre found himself in complete agreement with her. It was really too bad that she was driving him back to the estate now, but it couldn't be helped. They'd both had a very energetic evening, and despite their reluctance to end it he knew that they were both tired and needed the rest. Still, part of him wanted to fight that weariness, if only to extend this night for just a little while longer.

What's gotten into me?, he thought, his eyes never wavering from their gaze on Lan, I've never felt this way about any girl before…

"Well," said Lan with a sigh, "there it is."

Looking ahead, Quatre could see the long driveway that led to the estate. The car slowed down to turn onto it, and he knew that they'd be at the mansion all too soon.

For some reason, he found himself desperately wanting to fight against this night coming to an end. It only grew the closer they got to the estate. It was an urge unlike anything he'd ever experienced before, and as he looked at Lan again he wondered if she was feeling it too. The way she kept glancing at him with that light in her eyes suggested that she definitely felt something towards him. It was almost like there was some silent argument raging in the back of her mind, and she was torn between one action or another, and while Quatre knew that it was egotistical of him to think this he was absolutely sure that whatever she was mentally debating had to be about him.

Far too soon, they reached the mansion. Pulling the car off to the side and parking it, Lan shut the vehicle off and turned to him. "Come on. The least I can do is walk you to the front door."

Quatre smiled as he opened his door. "Thanks."

The two of them got out of the car and headed up towards the door. Quatre immediately felt Lan grab his hand, and without thinking he gave it a squeeze in reply. He looked at her and saw that she was smiling at him again, and he couldn't help but return it. Their pace was slower than normal, yet another sign of their reluctance to bring this night to a close.

Before he knew it, they were both standing before the front door. Quatre reached into his pocket and grabbed the spare key he'd been given by Heero soon after his arrival. He unlocked the door, but did not actually open it yet.

He turned back to Lan. "Well… thank you, Lan. Tonight was… really something else."

Lan nodded, and although her smile remained the same as before there was a new light in her eyes, one that Quatre felt he should recognize but couldn't really think of what it was at the moment. "Yeah, it really was. Thanks for being my date tonight, Quatre."

Quatre could feel himself blushing under her gaze. "Anytime. You're… really an amazing woman, Lan."

What's gotten into me?, he thought, feeling his heart hammering in his chest, Why am I acting like this?

She stepped closer, and before Quatre could react both her arms were over his shoulders. Her left hand went to the back of his neck, while she raised her right to stroke his left cheek.

"And you're one hell of a guy, Quatre," said Lan softly, her eyes never leaving his, "Desert Prince… you really do live up to the 'Prince' part of your codename, you know?"

His face was all but burning now, and her words did nothing to calm his racing heartbeat. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely," she said, her voice little more than a whisper as she leaned in…

…and kissed him on the lips.

It was a soft and moist caress, but to Quatre it was absolutely exquisite. The lingering taste of her last drink of the evening, another strawberry flavored beverage, seeped into his mouth, and when combined with the scent of her perfume it made for an incredibly potent cocktail. Before Quatre realized what he was doing he began to return the kiss, his arms unconsciously embracing her and pulling her closer.

It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime all in its own. As their lips parted Quatre looked deep into Lan's beautiful brown eyes again. That light was there again, an energy of sorts that Quatre had been struggling to put a name to but now desperately wanted to identify. Surprising both his date and himself, he leaned back in for another kiss.

It was a gesture that Lan eagerly returned. Quatre may have initiated this second lip-locking, but Lan had instantly moved onto the offensive. This time Quatre could feel her mouth open and her tongue rush forward, and he readily surrendered to it. His lips parted just enough to allow her access, and soon enough their tongues intertwined in their own embrace. Now his heartbeat could match the rate of fire of any of Heavyarms Arsenal's Gatling Guns, and the fire in his chest felt like it would easily eclipse the searing power of Sandrock Saladin's Heat Shotels.

Once again their lips eventually parted, but this time it was a much slower process. Once again Quatre met Lan's gaze and saw that same energy in her eyes, this time radiating like the light of the moon overhead. This time he knew exactly what it was, and he had no doubt that that same energy could easily be seen in his eyes as well.

"Come inside with me," he said, his voice a husky whisper the likes of which he'd never heard himself utter before.

He saw Lan's eyes widen ever so slightly before she gave him a fierce and passionate grin. "As you wish, my prince."

Without a word he opened the front door, pulled her inside, and shut it behind him. He barely had time to lock it before he felt Lan pull him towards the stairs. From there it was a race to his bedroom and the night's grand finale.

….

The morning sunlight streamed through the window as Quatre slowly woke up. Blinking his eyes and trying to rub the sleep out of them, he gradually became aware of something warm lying against him. His eyes widened as he realized that it was none other than Lan Zhao. Her head was resting on his right shoulder, her body snuggled up with his under the sheets…

…and neither of them was wearing any clothes.

Wow, he thought, his face flushing red as images from last night rushed through his mind, That really wasn't a dream…

The lovely Chinese pixy next to him stirred and moaned. Quatre watched as she raised her head slightly, her eyes slowly opening and meeting his.

She smiled, and Quatre saw a slight blush on her face. "Hey, there. Did you sleep well, handsome?"

All Quatre could do was return her smile. "Yeah. You?"

She leaned over and kissed him. "Thanks to you. You gave me quite the… workout… last night. Gotta say, I'm impressed… especially since it was your first time."

Quatre's blush only grew at that, but he still managed to keep smiling all the same. "Well… I had you leading me."

Lan lay her head down against his shoulder again, reaching over and running her hand through his hair as she did so. "And you rose to the occasion. Talk about a night to remember, huh?"

Quatre gave a small laugh, more out of relief than anything else. "You've got that right."

She rose again and move until her face was over his. "Listen, Quatre… I know I asked a lot of you last night, and you really stepped up to the plate. The two clubs, the fight, and when we got back here… that was amazing, every second of it."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming up," said Quatre, his eyes narrowing.

Lan giggled. "Yeah, there is. I… I need you to do something else for me."

Quatre smirked as he reached up to caress her face. "Don't you think you're being a bit greedy?"

"Maybe," she replied, giving him a surprisingly gentle smile, "but… it's important. Please, Quatre, say yes. If you do I promise that I'll explain everything to you."

Quatre sighed. "You know, your flight lead gave me a little warning before you picked me up last night. She said that you were going through a lot right now and asked me to take care of you… but she didn't really go into the details beyond that."

Lan nodded. "So, Shemei talked to you, eh? Well, I guess that's not surprising. I'm glad that she didn't tell you the 'why', though. It's something I actually wanted to tell you myself, but I didn't know how. Look, there's something I need to do today, and I want you by my side when I do it. If you do this, it'll help you understand me a little more, and I'll fill in everything else for you. You've got my word on that."

All Quatre could do was give her a reassuring smile. "All right, Lan."

Lan leaned down and kissed him again. "You really are a sweet guy, you know that?"

"So you keep telling me," Quatre replied.

"And I'll keep telling you that as much as I want to," Lan replied before rolling off him and pulling back the covers, "Come on, Desert Prince; let's get cleaned up and grab some breakfast. After that, we've got a little trip to make."

….

"Those look very lovely," said the woman behind the cash register.

"Thanks," said Lan.

What the woman was referring to was the bouquet of white flowers that Lan proceeded to pay for. There were a dozen of them wrapped up in it, and Lan took the woman's appraisal of them to be a good sign. Quatre had already given his approval of them, even though Lan hadn't yet told him what exactly they were for.

I've kept him out of the loop for longer than he deserves, she thought, but that'll change soon enough. Once we get to the next stop it'll be time to come clean about it all. I just hope he understands…

So far things seemed to be going along the right track, but Lan had to admit that she was still nervous. Quatre had been very accepting when she'd told him that they needed to run an errand before she could finally tell him what was really going on. This little flower shop was that errand, and Lan wondered if Quatre suspected what the bouquet she had just purchased was really for.

It hadn't taken the two of them long to clean up and get on the road. Since it was expected that members of the core Terminal crew would be using the mansion fairly regularly even if they didn't actually live there it was well stocked with spare clothing. Lan and Quatre were both using it now; they were dressed in the simple attire of Morgenroete company employees, and even though it was rather plain Lan had to admit that Quatre still looked sharp in it. She hoped she looked decent. Her hair was tied up back in a pony tail, and she'd made sure to scrub up thoroughly in the shower, but she still found herself concerned about her appearance.

That's not like you, she mused, Probably just nerves. You've got good reason to be a little anxious, after all.

She felt a hand gently grab her arm, and she glanced over at Quatre. The young man had a concerned look in his eyes.

"Are you doing okay?" he asked.

Lan forced a smile for him. "Yeah. Thanks, though."

"Sure," he replied, although he still looked a little worried.

It's easy to forget how perceptive he is, she thought, I mean, he's just so cute; you don't really expect the adorable ones to be quite so observant.

"Thank you for your business," said the woman behind the counter as Lan finished paying for the flowers.

Lan nodded. "You're welcome. Come on, Quatre."

"Right behind you," he replied.

They left the store and hopped in the car. As they shut their doors Lan passed the flowers to Quatre.

"Do you mind holding those?" she asked, "It won't be for long. I just don't want them to get messed up before we get there."

Quatre nodded and smiled as he took the flowers. "No problem."

She then started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Heading out on the main road, Lan stole a quick glance at the car's built-in GPS system to make sure she was going the right way. She hadn't been this way in a long time, and as she drove along she couldn't help but feel her heartbeat begin to increase.

Keep it together, she silently told herself, You're better than this. You're not going to break down, especially not in front of him.

She needed fresh air, so she hit a key on the armrest along the driver's door causing her window to go down. On the other side of the car Quatre lowered his window as well, and soon the vehicle was filled with a pleasant and cool breeze. It provided some respite, but given Lan's growing internal turmoil it was but a temporary relief.

"It sure is lovely out today," said Quatre, "I can definitely see why you and the others decided to settle here after the war."

Lan nodded. "Yeah, that and the fact that almost nowhere else would've been willing to take us in. We did fight against both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, after all."

"And they both still hate you for it," said Quatre, "That's rough. At least when our war was over we didn't have to worry about the government being after us. The only ones who might've wanted us dead were the diehard remnants of the old order and the survivors of the insurgent factions."

"Well, lucky you," said Lan with a smile, "It'd be nice if the Atlantic Federation and the PLANTs could learn not to hold a grudge, especially since we wound up saving both their hides in the final battle."

Quatre shrugged. "Some people have a harder time letting go and moving on than others."

"Ain't that the truth," said Lan with a sigh.

As they continued to drive along they left the city behind. The road now ran along the coast, and it took all of Lan's discipline to keep her eyes on the street ahead and not on the lovely view of the beach and the ocean off to her right. Of course, her passenger was under no such constraints.

"Wow," he said softly, "That's beautiful…"

Lan smiled. "A regular island paradise, right? The best part is that it's like this pretty much year-round."

"Must be a popular tourist destination," Quatre replied.

Lan nodded. "Yeah, and not just with people on Earth. Since Orb's neutral we get a lot of traffic from the colonies too, including the PLANTs. This is one of the few places on Earth Coordinators can come to and know that they'll be safe."

"Is the stigma really that bad?" asked Quatre, "I would've thought that it wouldn't be so severe by now."

Lan sighed. "Well, it used to be a lot worse, but even back then Orb was always the one place on the surface we knew that we could go if we wanted to be accepted and remain on Earth. Of all the nations on Earth the worst place to be if you're a Coordinator is the Atlantic Federation. The other Earth Alliance nations aren't exactly friendly towards us either, but they're not blatantly hostile like North America is."

Quatre shook his head. "Heero gave me plenty of information on this world, but I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the sheer venom behind the hatreds that led to the Bloody Valentine War. Sure, in our war I saw some pretty nasty individuals who were willing to kill billions of innocent people, but even that wasn't quite as… I don't know…"

"Visceral?" Lan filled in, "Primal? Disgusting?"

Quatre nodded. "I guess any of those would work. In our world the big divide was between Earth and the colonies, but here it's racial… I don't know why, but somehow that just makes it worse."

Lan nodded. "I'm completely with you there. When people are out to kill you just because of how you were born… well, I'll just say that it ain't pretty and leave it at that."

"Probably for the best," said Quatre quietly.

A few minutes later Lan saw her exit and turned off the main road. The car was now going up a hill, and Lan knew that their destination was at the top of it.

"Almost there," she said softly, talking more to herself than Quatre.

All too soon the car had reached the top of the hill. A cemetery was off to the side overlooking the cliffs, the beach and the water below, and it was into its parking lot that Lan pulled into. Finding a spot and stopping the car, Lan shut the vehicle off and took a deep breath.

Come on, she thought, closing her eyes and trying to center herself, You can do this…

Her eyes opened when she felt Quatre gently lay his hand on hers. Turning towards him, she once again saw that concerned look in his eyes.

"Lan," he said, "You don't have to do this."

Her eyes widened. "Quatre…"

"Look," he said, "I may be in the dark here, but I still recognize a graveyard when I see one. Whoever those flowers are for probably wouldn't want you to be working yourself up like this just to see them. You can come back another time."

Lan shook her head and smiled. "Thanks, but… I have to do this. Please, Quatre… I need you with me, now more than ever."

Quatre nodded. "All right. Let's go."

The two of them got out of the car, and Lan led the way towards the front entrance. Slipping through the gate, she walked towards the rear of the cemetery. Most of the grave markers were simple bronze and stone plaques, but even if they all looked alike Lan knew exactly where the one she sought was.

All too soon she found it. It was at the far end, at a vantage point that overlooked the sea. Such spots in the graveyard did not come cheap, but Lan's friends had called in a favor with Cagalli, who had made sure that they'd gotten this exact plot of land. She looked down at the marker. It had recently been cleaned and polished, and the inscription and name were easy to read.

In memory of a beloved and devoted mother,

Lian Zhao.

March 11th, C.E. 31, to October 16th, C.E. 72

Lan knelt down and gently placed the flowers in front of the grave marker. "Been a long time… mom."

She looked over her shoulder up at Quatre and gave him what she knew was a weak smile. "Hey, would it weird you out if I… talked to her… for a little bit? I mean, I know she's gone and all, but still…"

Quatre crouched next to her and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her an understanding smile. "It's all right. I can wait out front if you want some privacy."

Lan reached over and put her hand over his. "No… I want you to stay. This won't take long. If she really is watching from beyond, I want her to see you here with me."

Quatre nodded. "Okay."

He stood up and stepped back to give her a little room, and Lan turned back to the grave marker. "Sorry I haven't come out here sooner. I… I couldn't really work up the nerve. I mean, in my head I knew that you were gone… I was there for the funeral, after all. Still, I always felt that… if I came out here again… I'd be making it final. Stupid thought, I know, but… well, I was never the brightest girl, we both know that."

Lan smiled. "Well, I brought you some flowers. Pretty sad way to make up for lost time, but you won't mind, right? I know you always liked the color white, so that's why I got these. They reminded me of the snowfall you told used to tell me about… what you saw back when you were growing up in the country. I wish that you and I could've gone back there during the winter so you could show it to me."

She glanced back at Quatre before looking at the marker again. "By the way, I hope you don't mind that I brought someone with me. His name's Quatre Reberba Winner. He's from the same world as Heero; funny how that works out, right? Anyway, he's a really great guy. Nice, smart, good in a fight, and very cute. I think you'd like him. I know I do."

Lan closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. "I… I got revenge for you. It was after the funeral. Me, Shemei, Adaline, Pris… even had some help from Bristow, Heero, and Murrue. I know it probably wasn't what you would want your little girl to do, but there was no way I was going to let that scumbag get away with what he did to you. So, dad's gone now, and if there's any sense of justice in the afterlife then he didn't go to the same place you did."

Lan sighed. "It didn't make me feel any better. I guess it wasn't supposed to. You were still gone even after he bit the dust. Still… I had to do it. Now he can't hurt anyone else. No one like you and me has to suffer at his hands any more. It's over."

Lan looked up at the sky, and wondered if anyone was looking back. "I miss you. I'd give almost anything to have you back here, you know that. Still… what's done is done. Coming here… this is how I finally put it to rest… put you to rest. A year late, I know, but better late than never, right?"

Lan smiled again. "I don't know when I'll be able to work up the courage to come here again, so it might be awhile before I stop by to say hi. Even so… I want you to know that I love you, mom. Always have, and always will. Rest in peace… and dream of the snow you loved all those years ago."

Lan stood up and turned to Quatre. "Thanks. I needed that."

She could feel something warm on her face. Lan was about to raise her hand to touch it, but Quatre beat her to it. There was his gentle hand…

…wiping the tears from her cheeks.

There eyes met, and before Lan knew what was happening Quatre embraced her. His arms were strong but gentle, and Lan wanted nothing more in that moment than to just lose herself in them.

"Go ahead," he said softly.

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "What are you…?"

He simply raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "You're not done yet. I think we both know that. You can let it out. It's just us here. Us and her."

Lan smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Then she buried her face in his chest and let her tears flow again. She didn't make a sound, but she could feel herself shaking. All the while Quatre simply held her, one hand on her back and the other behind her head.

A couple minutes passed before she felt her body begin to relax, and she knew that it was over. Quatre seemed to sense it to, for he let go of her and took a step back. His eyes met hers again, and she was struck by the gentle smile on his face.

"Better?" he said.

Lan couldn't help but smile in return. "Yeah… thank you."

"Anytime," he replied, "So, do I get the back story now? I can make a few guesses, but I'd still like the details to fill in the blanks."

Lan nodded. "You do. I owe you that much."

She looked down at her mother's grave for a moment before turning back from him. "When I told you that I was from China, and that my mom was from way out in the country, I didn't tell you anything about my dad except for the fact that he was from Shanghai. My mom went there looking for work. She got a job as a waitress at a pub. It was a nice place… except for the fact that it was owned by the Red Serpent Triad."

Quatre's eyes widened slightly. "I've heard that name before… they're active in my world."

Lan chuckled. "Funny how that works out. I wonder if that's the only gang our worlds have in common."

"I wouldn't be surprised if there were others," said Quatre.

Lan sighed. "Anyway… my father was the local boss. He managed the pub, along with Red Serpent's gambling, racketeering, theft and prostitution rackets that were based out of there. My mom caught his eye while she was working one night, and he made her his mistress. She… didn't have much of a say in the matter."

"I'm sorry," said Quatre softly.

"That's not the worst part," Lan continued, "My father had his fun with her, but when he found out he'd gotten her pregnant he decided he wanted something more than just a bastard; he wanted a super-human enforcer that was bound by blood to him."

She could see the proverbial light bulb turn on in Quatre's head. "So he made you a Coordinator."

Lan nodded. "Yup. Mom took care of me when I was little, but when I got old enough my father hired some martial arts instructors to start training me. Since I was a Coordinator I quickly exceeded all expectations. All but one…"

"Let me guess," said Quatre, "Your blood tie to him didn't translate into loyalty."

Lan smiled. "Got that right. As soon as I was old enough to understand what was really going on I started plotting my escape with mom. We caught a lucky break; father had this thing for precious gems, and I learned exactly where he kept them. Cracking the safe was child's play; the lock code was his birthday, which I figured out just by watching him unlocking the safe once. When he made me a Coordinator I don't think he took into account the fact that my mind would work much faster than his. As soon as I got an opening I stole the best stones that he had, grabbed my mom and got the hell out of there. The money I made selling them on the black market was more than enough to cover the costs of immigration to the PLANTs."

Quatre nodded and smiled. "Sounds like you really stuck it to him. Plus you got you and your mother out of a pretty bad situation. She must've been very proud of you."

"She was," said Lan, "She always said it was one of the greatest stories ever, but it was too bad that she couldn't tell her friends about it. Then again, who would've believed her? We stopped thinking about it after a while anyway and focused on our new lives in the PLANTs. The years went by, I joined ZAFT, met Shemei and the others, fought in the war, defected and got my mom into hiding, helped save the world… and you know the rest of the story."

"All but two bits," said Quatre, his eyes narrowing, "How your mother died, and how you got your revenge."

Lan sighed. "Right. Well, the first part… Quatre, do you know what one of the problems of having fought against big enemies and survived is?"

Quatre shook his head. "No. What is it?"

"When you've taken on and triumphed against foes that have the power of entire fleets and armies behind them," said Lan, "you tend to forget about the smaller enemies you've fought before. When compared to the might of the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, the likes of the Red Serpent Triad seem like schoolyard bullies in comparison, don't they?"

Quatre nodded. "That's a good way to put it."

"When we came to Orb," Lan continued, "we took precautions to avoid being discovered. However, those were aimed primarily at hiding us from the likes of the Atlantic Federation and the PLANTs. I didn't think for a moment about anyone else being a threat. Up in the PLANTs I never had to worry about Red Serpent or any other gangs from Earth. Sure, the PLANTs have their own organized crime rings, but those are small potatoes compared to the ones on Earth, and they're completely separate entities in any case. I didn't need to hide from Red Serpent once I was at L5… and I didn't even think about having to hide from them when I came to live in Orb."

"But they have a presence here, don't they?" said Quatre, a dark look in his eyes.

Lan nodded. "Yeah. It's small; a few illegal gambling dens, along with a racketeering ring and one smuggling operation. Still, it's here… or at least it was. They aren't anymore. You'd have to go a few dozen kilometers out to sea and a few down to the ocean floor to find their corpses."

"You eliminated them," said Quatre; it wasn't a question.

"They were our first targets," Lan replied, "When mom and I ran and stole those gems, my father put out a syndicate-wide bounty on our heads. No one was in any position to act on it, though… not until we settled in Orb after the war. Mom took on another waitressing job. She didn't have to thanks to the resources we had available, but she said that she wanted to have an actual job, one that she was qualified for. The place she worked at was really nice. It was even Chinese themed, so she felt right at home. That should've raised a red flag for me; Red Serpent and other triads naturally gravitate towards places like that to use them as fronts for their operations. I was sloppy and never considered it. Mom worked there for quite a while, but her luck eventually ran out; one of the customers happened to have worked in Shanghai back when she and were there, and he recognized her. He informed my father, and he set up the hit."

"How did it go down?" asked Quatre.

Lan sighed. "Well… it was quick… for my mom. She was on a break, she went outside to have lunch since it was a nice day out… and two guys came up and gunned her down right there."

"How were you able to identify them as members of the Red Serpent Triad?" asked Quatre.

"It wasn't hard," Lan replied, "mainly because they left a calling card; a white paper with the Chinese characters for 'divine retribution' written on it. It's something Red Serpent leaves behind whenever it kills people they consider to be traitors."

"That's sloppy of them," said Quatre.

Lan nodded. "It was. After… after I got over the initial shock, it wasn't hard to find the local branch that had carried out the hit. Shemei, Adaline, Pris, everyone else in Terminal… they were more than ready to make those bastards pay for what they'd done. We hit them commando style… and killed every last one of them. They outnumbered us, but it didn't matter. With our skills it wasn't anywhere close to a fair fight. After that we used our resources to arrange for the disposal of the evidence. It wasn't really hard; the Orb police still have no idea who wiped those guys out, and they never will."

"But that wasn't the end of it," said Quatre knowingly, "It could never end while your father was still alive."

"You're right about that," said Lan, "This would have to be a smaller crew, though; the government of the Republic of East Asia is a signatory member of the Earth Alliance, after all. We couldn't just waltz in and go about our business. So we did infiltrated with a group of seven; myself, Shemei, Adaline, Pris, Bristow, Heero and Murrue."

"I'm surprised those last two agreed to go along with it," said Quatre, "Since it was a personal matter for you I would've thought that Heero and Murrue would limit themselves to logistical support."

Lan shook her head. "Heero wanted in; said it was the least that he could do. As for Murrue, well, she wasn't about to let Heero take on the triads without her backing him up."

Quatre smiled. "She really does love him, doesn't she?"

Lan nodded and smiled. "Yeah, she does. Lucky woman… but, then again, I met you eventually, so luck swung my way as well."

"That's one way to put it," said Quatre, "So, how did you and the others take out your father?"

"Right," said Lan, focusing back on the topic at hand, "Well, we spent about a week and a half planning our raid. My old man had actually gone up a bit in the Triad world, and was now working out of one of their office buildings. Security was tighter than it would've been at his old pub, but nothing that we couldn't handle. The actual combat unit consisted of myself, Shemei, Adaline, Pris, and Heero. Murrue and Eric were in a van nearby that they'd set up to monitor the communications of both Red Serpent and the local police."

"We infiltrated through the sewers," she continued, "We'd already scoped out the place and knew who was civilian and who was a full-time Red Serpent thug. We waited until sundown before attacking. Our opening strike was a series of well placed grenades; we wiped out about half of their on-site forces in about three seconds. From there it was just a few floors and some freaked out goons separating me from my old man."

"It probably didn't take you long to get to him," said Quatre.

Lan shook her head. "Nope. We cut through them faster than when we blitzed the Avalon Line during the war. I was in my father's office before I knew it… and looking the bastard right in the eye, too."

"How did you kill him?" asked Quatre.

Lan closed her eyes for a moment before responding. "Quickly… and that was way more than what that son of a bitch deserved. Two bullets between the eyes; I wanted to be damn sure that he wasn't getting up again. After we confirmed that he was dead we got the hell out of dodge; we were clear of the country and in international waters less than two hours after it all went down."

Quatre nodded. "Sounds like a very clean operation."

"It was," Lan replied, "I might've actually felt proud of myself had it been back during the war and it was a special op. But this… all I felt when it was over was tired. Tired… and empty. My old man was dead, but mom was still gone… nothing I do can ever bring her back."

Lan nodded at the grave marker. "Look at the date of death, Quatre… and tell me what today is."

"The one year anniversary of her death," said Quatre.

He hadn't even looked, but Lan supposed that he didn't need to. He'd probably seen the date when she was 'talking' to her mom.

"So," she said, "does that help you put last night into context?"

Quatre nodded. "Yeah… it does."

Lan stepped towards him and put both her hands on his shoulders. "Quatre… to tell you the truth, I've been dreading this day for months now. The one year anniversary of my mother's death? I had no idea how to cope with that. I was able to temporarily forget about thanks to the colony drop attempt and the battle up in orbit, but after that I would have nothing. Nothing… until I met you during that fight."

She fought to keep her gaze locked with his; she refused to look away as she told him the truth. "I know how this looks, Quatre. I can't blame you for thinking that I was using you as a distraction last night… and for the past week, either. I'd be lying if I said that that didn't play into it at all, but Quatre… there's so much more than that to this."

"Like what?" he asked.

She looked deep into his eyes, trying to gauge where he stood. There was nothing incriminating in his gaze, which she took as a good sign, but he did appear to be somewhat guarded. He was withholding judgment until she'd laid everything out, and Lan honestly could've kissed him just for that.

"Quatre," she said, smiling, "even if it hadn't been the anniversary of my mother's death… I think I still would've done exactly what I did with you last night. You… you're an incredible guy. I mean, I've only known you for a week and I can hardly stop thinking about you! You're gentle and kind and understanding, but at the same time you're one hell of a fighter and a badass mobile suit pilot! You're shy and awkward when it comes to girls and the nightlife, but you're also smart and insightful and considerate! I know that I act like a party girl, but the truth is that a guy with a similar mentality as mine isn't what I'm attracted to. I like guys who actually have depth and substance to them, who can hold their own both in a fight and in a conversation and have a solid brain inside their skulls. In all my life I've never met a guy that was anything like you!"

She raised her right hand to his cheek. "I… I know that you'll have to go back to your world when this is all over. Not just because it's what you call home, but because of everyone that's waiting for you. Your sisters, Rasheed and the rest of the Maganac Corps; there's no way that I could ask you to abandon them, and I won't. When you have to return to your world, I'll accept that. Until that day comes, though… I want to be with you. I want to show you my world, and not from the perspective of the battlefield. I want to spend as much time with you as I can, and I want to enjoy every second of it… and I want you to enjoy it. You can tell me more about your world and your family, and I'll do the same with my world and my new family."

Lan then lowered her hands and took a step back. "However… I'll only do that if you say yes. If… if you just want to be casual friends while you're here, I'll accept that. I promise you, I will. I know that I've moved pretty damn fast, here… way faster than I have any right to, especially after all that you've done for me. I won't put any pressure on you, and what happened last night we can just chalk up to the heat of the moment. So… what's it gonna be, Quatre?"

She watched as he closed his eyes for a moment. Her heart was racing now like never before. She had absolutely no way to know what he would say, how this would all play out. She'd laid everything out for him; the ball was now completely in his court.

Whatever you decide, she thought, I will accept. After all that you've done for me, Quatre, I owe you at least that much.

He opened his eyes, but he didn't speak. Lan didn't know what to do…

…until he stepped forward and kissed her.

It was just like their second kiss last night, and Lan eagerly gave herself over to it. Her lips were open and her tongue darted into his mouth in the blink of an eye, and she threw her arms around him and hoisted herself up, wrapping her legs around his waist in the process. For his part, Quatre held her in his arms and continued to kiss her with every ounce of fire that he could muster.

Eventually they were forced to come apart so they could breathe, but they did not let go of each other. Lan looked at him and saw that he was smiling. His face was absolutely radiant, and Lan knew without a doubt that hers was as well.

"I'll… take that as a yes," she said softly.

Quatre nodded. "Yes."

Lan leaned in and kissed him again, and the graveyard around them seemed to fade away. Nothing else mattered in that moment except for the two of them, and Lan wanted it to last for as long as possible.

….

Nazara sighed as he cleared yet another report from his computer. Desk work really wasn't how he preferred to pass the time, but ever since he'd arrived at Arzachel Base it seemed that the tedious bureaucracy of running both Phantom Pain and prepping the larger Alliance military for war had consumed his life.

At least he'd been able to make measurable progress in a few key areas. Upon his arrival his first order of business had been to review the base's inventory, particularly its hidden stockpiles. After confirming that everything was in satisfactory order his next task had been to communicate with the various fleet commanders to make sure that the right units were on standby and ready for when the time came to mobilize. To an extent this was still an ongoing process; Djibril's orders to keep everything under wraps and concealed from ZAFT made it a tricky business. Still, things were moving along at a reasonable pace, and Nazara was sure that when the time came the fleet would be ready to move out.

Matters were a bit more mixed when it came to his personal organization. Phantom Pain's resources had taken a beating ever since the raid at Armory One, thanks in no small part to Wing Zero and the four new mobile suits that had shown up shortly after its arrival. Reorganizing and refilling the ranks with personnel and equipment transfers was a time consuming but necessary task. He'd made progress in that area as well, but not enough for him to be satisfied at this point.

In between his administrative duties he'd also been monitoring the base's technical and research staff. After a series of discussions he had hammered out with them what he wanted to be done to his Nosferatu in order to make sure it was ready to fight Wing Zero again. They'd assured him that the work he'd requested was feasible and could be done, but it was taking them longer than he'd hoped for to actually turn theory into practice. Nazara was growing impatient with them, but he was able to keep things in perspective; the modifications he was asking for were complex, so some delay was perhaps to be expected.

Finally, he'd been monitoring news and intelligence reports regarding the political scene down on Earth. Djibril was in charge of ginning up support for the drive to war, and a big part of that would be the inquiry that was supposedly being handled by the Atlantic Federation Senate. The very thought made Nazara smirk; the 'inquiry' was really such in name only. It was really just a piece of theatre, a means to justify renewed conflict and a second shot at annihilating the Coordinators once and for all.

Window dressing, nothing more, he mused, but it's a necessary formality. The people have grown a little more wary since the Bloody Valentine War, after all… but not enough to completely overcome the fear and anger that we've nurtured within them for all these years. If they feel that they have legitimate reason to act upon that animosity towards the Coordinators they will do so; our precious Senate's 'inquiry' will offer them the perfect cover to do so.

Enough time had gone by for the foolish masses to believe that a serious inquiry had been made into the events of what had become known as the Break The World Incident. He was sure that Djibril's mind was on the same track. It wouldn't be too much longer before the Senate would produce it's 'results', which in reality would simply be whatever was fed to them by the executive branch, which in turn received its marching orders from LOGOS and Blue Cosmos.

Nazara's only area of concern was the Orb Union. If they could get the island nation's backing it would go a long way towards both legitimizing a new war and shortening the process of purging the Coordinators from the Earth Sphere once and for all. The main obstacle to that was its Chief Representative; it wasn't exactly a state secret that Cagalli was no friend of Blue Cosmos. Djibril claimed to have found the answer in the form of the Seiran clan's ambitions, and while Nazara had his doubts he knew that ultimately that part of the plan was outside his scope of responsibility. If it worked out then all would be well. If it failed then they would simply have to adjust their plans accordingly.

Adjusting his monitor, he brought up a simple map of the Earth Sphere. He zoomed in on the region composed of the Moon, L1 and L2. This was where the preparations to crush the Coordinators once and for all were underway, clandestine but in the making all the same. Sure, once the moment came to fully mobilize and strike their enemies would realize what was up and move to counter, but with what the Earth Alliance forces had up their sleeves Nazara knew that this time they would succeed where they had previously failed.

I'm so glad that you and your friends went down to the surface, Heero Yuy, he thought, a cruel smile forming on his face, You'll be too far away to act when the time comes. All you'll be able to do is sit in Orb and watch as we burn the L5 colonies to ashes. I'm sure that we'll have to contend with you eventually, but for the opening act you will be powerless to interfere.

For the preservation of our blue and pure world…

…and our seizure of absolute power over the Earth Sphere!

Preview for next time!

With the release of the findings of the Atlantic Federation inquiry regarding the Break The World Incident, tensions begin to rapidly escalate between the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs. Caught between growing pressure and veiled threats from both superpowers, Cagalli tries to keep the Orb Union's status as a mediator and neutral third party viable, but her efforts are undermined by Unato and Yuna Seiran. Sensing that their vacation is coming to a close, Heero, Murrue, and the rest of Terminal prepare for the worst case scenario. However, when the Earth Alliance issues an impossible ultimatum to the PLANTs, even the legendary Gundam pilots and their allies may prove powerless to stop the world from plunging into full scale war. Next time, on "Destiny's Call", Episode Seven: Freefall.

"The hour is later than you think."

Saruman the White, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring".

Author's notes: First of all, a huge thanks to all of you for your patience. Seriously, I can thank you guys enough for putting up with my writing style and the pace of chapter updates. I'll do all I can to make the next chapter shorter than this one!

Special thanks to Venas; your idea for the memorial in Orb that you posted with your review of Episode 31 of Journey To A New Battlefield was the basis for the memorial that I came up with in this chapter. Hope you liked it!

By the way, that bit about Wufei once having a wife and some of that information regarding Quatre's rather large family? I didn't make it up. Check out the Gundam Wing: Episode Zero manga; that stuff's canon, folks!

Until next time! Please review!