The Pirate's Soldier

by operation meteor

Heero's career as a Preventers operative takes a strange turn when he gets caught up in a fight between a Juraian royal and a notorious space pirate. As the two alien beauties settle in with him on Earth and more soon follow, the former Gundam pilot soon finds himself to be the target of their affections, with a certain lovely outlaw at the front of the pack! M for some language.

26. Chapter 26

Author's Notes: Hello there! Meant to have this one up sooner, but a combination of work and being a bit under the weather pushed it back a little. No action in this one, I'm afraid, but that'll change soon enough.

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Six: No Need For A Powder Keg!

"How is she?" Ryoko asked the nurse nearest to Washu's bed.

The young woman let out an exasperated sigh. "As I said before, she's stable. At this point, all we can really do now is wait for her to awaken on her own. She's going to be out of it for a while."

Ryoko clenched her fist before taking a deep breath to calm herself; taking out her frustration and worry on the medics wasn't going to help anyone, least of all Washu. "Okay… sorry."

Fortunately for the pirate, the nurse seemed quite understanding, at least if her reassuring smile was anything to go by. "It's alright. You really should sit down and rest for a bit. You look like you could use it."

Ryoko didn't doubt it. There was no mirror handy, but she didn't need one to know that she was a wreck. She'd been getting by on pure adrenaline during the last leg of the battle, and now that the fighting was over exhaustion was hitting her hard. With nothing else to do, she plopped down in a chair not too far from Washu's bed and leaned back to rest her head against the wall.

She was wiped out, and Ryoko could tell that she wasn't the only one. The rest of the group, with the exception of those that had gone with Admiral Fukunaga for whatever that private meeting was supposed to be about, were all in the infirmary of the Ōtaka either having themselves looked over or watching over the others. Everyone had removed their armor to ease the medics' jobs, which had been rather tricky without Washu to provide her usual expertise and oversight. Fortunately, apart from Washu, everyone else seemed to be doing just fine. Sure, Hilde was laying on a bed next to Washu's, but she was still wide awake; it was really just a formality while the medics examined her.

In fact, Hilde actually seemed rather restless. "Come on, doc, how long do you need me here for? I don't feel that bad."

The medical officer examining her, a Juraian with gradually graying hair, gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but this is standard procedure. Continue your cooperation, and I'll have you checked out of here soon enough."

Hilde sighed. "Alright. Just don't take too long. I'm actually a bit hungry."

"That makes two of us," said Duo from his position standing to the right of Hilde's bed, "I could sure go for a good bite to eat right about now."

"Meow!" Ryo-Ohki whined in agreement as she hopped up into Ryoko's lap.

Ryoko shook her head before scratching her faithful companion behind her ears. "Once we're sure everyone's okay, then I'll take you to the closest mess hall so you can pig out, okay?"

"Meow!" Ryo-Ohki cried out with great enthusiasm.

"All things considered, we're not looking too bad," Quatre remarked.

Trowa nodded. "No major wounds on any of us. Given just how fierce the fighting was, that's no small feat."

"Lucky us," said Wufei.

Mihoshi cast a nervous glance towards the door. "I hope Kiyone and the others are okay. I wonder what the Admiral wanted with them?"

Quatre's brow furrowed in thought. "I'm not sure. It looked pretty serious judging from the look on her face before they all took off, though."

"Maybe she just wanted a quick after-action summary before the official debriefing," Duo suggested.

Trowa shook his head. "She'd only really need Heero for that. Maybe his grandfather as well, but no more than the two of them."

Ryoko was about to speak up when their wing of the infirmary became alive with activity. Several medics rushed to the entrance, and the door opened a moment later. Several nurses came in bearing two gurneys, and Ryoko's eyes widened in shock when she saw that they bore none other than Heero and Sasami.

"Heero!" she cried out as she shot to her feet and accidentally sent Ryo-Ohki tumbling to the floor.

"Sasami!" Mihoshi exclaimed in stunned disbelief, "What is she doing here?"

That question was echoing in Ryoko's mind as well, but it was a secondary concern. She barged through the rapidly assembled crowd, making her way to Heero's side as he was laid on the bed to the other side of Washu. Thankfully, he was still conscious, though his breathing was noticeably ragged.

The others flocked around Heero and Sasami, with Ryo-Ohki running straight to the latter's gurney and jumping up onto it. The medics tried to restore some semblance of order, but they had their work cut out for them. Ryoko was only dimly aware of Ayeka, her two guardians, Yosho and Kiyone entering the infirmary as well.

"Heero, talk to me!" Ryoko pressed as she leaned over him, "What happened?"

Heero looked over and gave her a small smile, though it looked distressingly weak. "Ryoko… it's alright. Just… pressed myself a bit harder during the battle than I initially thought."

"He'll be okay," one of the medic's promised, "but he needs room and rest. Please, give him some space."

Ryoko very reluctantly backed off and allowed the medics to look Heero over before casting a worried look at the other new arrival. "What about Sasami? What's going on with her? Why is she even here?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Wufei deadpanned.

"How is this even possible?" asked Quatre with a note of alarm, "She should be back in the palace! Where's she been this whole time?"

"Aboard the Yagami," Kiyone answered as she shot an exasperated look at the unconscious Washu, "She was sleeping in the lab."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"How the hell did she even sneak aboard without us picking up on it?" Duo asked.

"Washu helped her, obviously," Trowa answered, "The real question we must ask is why?"

Ryoko saw Ayeka glowering at Yosho. "Lord Yosho… you know what this is about, don't you?"

"I have my suspicions," Yosho replied, "as I'm sure Heero does, too. Nevertheless, it would be best if we got confirmation from Washu herself."

Ayeka looked like she wanted to press the matter for a moment before letting loose an exasperated sigh. "Very well, then. I'm too tired for an inquest at the moment in any case."

Quatre nodded at the free bed next to Sasami. "Why don't you lie down for a while? You still need to get checked over by the medics; you might as well get some rest while you wait for them."

Ayeka closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, her weariness was impossible for Ryoko to miss. "Yes, I think that would be best."

Returning her attention to Heero, Ryoko saw that his eyes were closed. For a moment, she feared he had lapsed into unconsciousness, but the soft and steady rhythm of his breathing was enough to tell her that he was merely resting.

He's got the right idea, she thought as a wave of exhaustion hit her, I don't have the energy to deal with any of this crap right now…

So, Ryoko simply pulled her chair into the space between Heero and Washu's beds, took one last worried look at both of them, and then leaned back.

She was out like a light just a few minutes later.

….

March 20th, A.C. 199

His eyelids fluttering as he awoke, Heero propped himself up on his elbows. He was still in the infirmary, but it appeared to have quieted down considerably since he'd initially been brought here. His companions were all still present, but the medical staff wasn't interspersed amongst them like before; they had this wing pretty much to themselves. Looking around, he saw Ryoko slumped forward in her chair and resting her head on the side of Heero's bed. Checking himself over, he realized that he was only clad in a black bodysuit and not the armor that was supposed to go over it.

Must've been removed while I was out of it, he mused, I didn't think I could sleep that deeply anymore. I guess yesterday's action took more out of me than I first though.

Tentatively reaching out, he ran his fingers through Ryoko's hair. Her only response was a snore and a slight shifting of her head. Checking the room again, he saw that everyone else was in a similar state; he was the only one actually awake at the moment.

He supposed that the right thing to do would've been to remain in bed until the medics officially cleared him, but Heero was feeling fine. More than fine, come to think of it; he was actually rather restless. With no one to stop him, he climbed out of bed and made his way towards the infirmary's exit. If nothing else, he could at least stretch his legs a bit.

Pausing to take one last look at his friends and make sure they were all relatively okay, Heero left the infirmary. He got a few odd looks from officers and enlisted alike passing by, but no one made any move to usher him back into the sickbay. After a moment of consideration, Heero began making his way towards the bridge.

Much to his surprise, not only did he make it all the way there without any of the carrier's security personnel stopping him, but Admiral Fukunaga was standing at the bridge entrance. The smile on her face was all he needed to know that she'd been expecting you.

"Can't sleep, Your Highness?" she asked.

"I've had my fill of it," Heero replied as he looked past her at the swirling field of light beyond the bridge's viewport, "How much longer until we return to the capital?"

"Several hours yet to go," Mayumi answered, "Would you like to join me in my office? My aide always preps a pot of tea at this hour, and I wouldn't mind sharing."

Heero nodded. "Lead the way, Admiral."

She did just that, and the two of them arrived at her office just a few moments later. It was conveniently quite close to the bridge, and Heero found it to be the perfect mix of functional and comfortable. There was enough space for the Admiral to hold an impromptu meeting with her officers, and indeed a small conference table was set to the right side for just that purpose. Mayumi didn't usher Heero there, though. Instead, she gestured towards the seat across from her desk. Heero settled in as the Admiral went off to fetch the tea, and she returned shortly.

"Here," she said as she passed a steaming cup to Heero, "This blend's actually grown from the gardens in my estate on Jurai."

Heero raised an eyebrow as he accepted the cup. "Your own estate? Jurai pays its fleet commanders well."

Mayumi nodded after taking a sip. "It does, indeed. Such lavish rewards are dangled before promising officers as a performance incentive; driving them to excel by appealing to good old-fashioned greed, really. It's a double-edged sword, though. I've seen several officers with bright futures ahead of them in the Fleet or Army rise through the ranks only to switch over to an administrative position once they've amassed the perks they want. I have nothing against soldiers who perform rear-line work; every massive military organization is going to have a giant load of paperwork to process, and people are needed to carry that task out. That being said, to have officers who show genuine skill at field command being lured away from where their talents are best utilized to sit behind a desk and grow fat simply because they've finally gained the mansion that they sought from the beginning… it's disheartening, to put it mildly."

"You seem to have resisted such material temptations," Heero remarked, "The Second Fleet's a competent and efficient fighting force thanks to your leadership."

Mayumi inclined her head. "Thank you. It's my hope that the Second Fleet is able to maintain such a reputation under my continued supervision, and that we'll be permitted to keep working with you in future operations. I'd hate for this incident with Princess Sasami to disrupt that."

"Is that why you allowed me to come up here unimpeded?" Heero asked in between sips of his tea, "I couldn't help but notice that I met no opposition to my trek up here despite what I'm sure are the medics' sincerest wishes to keep me in the sickbay for observation."

Mayumi chuckled. "Our chief medical officer is very good at his job, but he can be a bit too cautious at times. Fortunately, he does not command this ship's security personnel; I do. Suffice to say that, when I want them to turn a blind eye, they have no objections to doing so. To answer your question, yes, I was hoping to discuss the matter of the princess stowing away aboard the Yagami. It's best if we have our approach to this sensitive issue hammered out and ready for when we face His Majesty and Empress Misaki. It'd be a shame for it to get in the way of our cooperative efforts against Kagato and his followers."

Heero was having a hard time believing his good fortune. "I'm all for minimizing the impact of this incident, but I hadn't expected you to be so willing to play along. I thought you'd be firmly on the side of the Emperor here."

"It's not a matter of 'sides' per se," the Admiral countered, "My oath is to serve the Royal Family and His Majesty, of course, but I've always endeavored to act on the behalf of the Empire of Jurai as a whole. Right now, the Empire is in a very delicate position. If it is to survive the crisis foisted upon it by Kagato, cool heads must prevail. You and your companions are at the forefront of our efforts to resolve this crisis, and it is in the Empire's best interest if you are allowed to continue acting with Jurai's full backing. The Royal Family's personal feelings on the matter with Sasami should not be permitted to interfere with your mission."

Heero couldn't resist a smirk; this was going far better than he'd hoped for. "Perhaps I shouldn't be saying this given the help that you're offering me, but… you play a dangerous game, Admiral. While I fully understand and share your sentiments, I imagine the Emperor might feel otherwise should he learn of your true thoughts. If the fate of the Empire is truly to rest in our hands, then we would both do well to keep those thoughts to ourselves."

Mayumi nodded. "On that, we're most certainly in agreement. It's best that our interrogations of Sasami and Washu be completed before we arrive at the capital. We'll need the two of them to be on the same page as us if we're to weather the Emperor's fury."

Heero's brow furrowed. "That might be a problem. I know you said that we're still several hours from the Empire, but both Washu and Sasami may be out of it for longer than that. Time's not on our side."

"I can give us the time that we need," Mayumi countered, "While the Second Fleet is on course for the capital, our ingress point will actually be at the far edge of the Jurai star system. This is standard Imperial Fleet protocol; the reversion of so many large ships into real space in a system as crowded as the capital is a delicate matter for traffic control, after all. Jurai Star Traffic Administration oversees all non-military flights going in or out of the system, while Fleet Control does the same for the navy. The two services work closely with each other… and I have friends in both. Even the commanding officer of an armada as prestigious as the Second Fleet must abide by the dictates of the JSTA and FC in order to avoid causing a pileup between our warships and commercial shipping."

"So, if both of those agencies order the Second Fleet to hold at the edge of the system…" Heero began.

Mayumi smiled. "We would have no choice but to obey that command."

"Can you really set that up without tipping off the Emperor?" asked Heero.

Now it was Mayumi's turn to smirk. "Trust me, Your Highness; I may be a military officer first and foremost, but I know how to work the Empire's bureaucracy to my advantage. I was close friends with Lady Seto growing up, after all, and I learned much from her with regards to playing the system. If we need a traffic jam to buy us time, then we will have one."

….

Washu felt like she was swimming against an outgoing tide as she struggled to find her way back to consciousness. There was a heaviness that infused her very being, threatening to pull her down into depths unknown. Her head was swirling with a kaleidoscope of images that she had absolutely no control over, and there was a piercing sound echoing in her mind. It was as if a thousand nails were scrapping a chalkboard inside her own mind, and Washu feared her skull would burst open at any moment.

Her head remained in one piece, though, and light slowly began to filter into her vision. Soon she could see a blur in that light, one that drew near as she groaned and tried to shake off a sudden fit of nausea. She felt something strange press against her lips, and it took her a moment to realize that it was a water bottle.

"Drink slowly," a vaguely familiar male voice instructed, "You look like you need it."

Realizing just how parched her throat was, Washu didn't argue. She leaned her head back and opened her mouth so that the blur could assist her with some much-needed hydration. Her vision cleared up further over the next few seconds, enough for her to recognize the young man standing beside her bed.

"Heero…" she murmured.

"Don't talk, just drink," Heero replied, "Believe me, you'll be doing more talking than you'd like to soon enough."

I bet, she thought as her mind began piecing itself back together, Sasami, the repository, Kagato…

After a few minutes of Heero slaking her thirst, Washu felt well enough to prop herself up on her elbows. "How… how long was I out?"

"Better part of half a day," Heero replied as he gently grabbed Washu's shoulders and pushed her back down, "and you're nowhere near ready to be up and about. Trust me, you look like hell."

Washu ruefully chuckled as she submitted to Heero's efforts and allowed her head to rest against the pillow. "I bet… damn it. Nagi… she got me again."

"We'll make her answer for it next time," said Heero, "along with Kagato."

Washu sighed. "He got away, then?"

Heero nodded. "My priority was getting us all out of there alive. Pursuing Kagato was not the most immediate concern in my eyes."

Washu smiled. "I'm not questioning the call you made, Heero. Both your head and your heart were in the right place. Thank you. I mean that."

Looking around the room, it didn't take Washu long to find Sasami on a nearby bed. "Sasami… so, the cat's out of the bag."

"It is," said Heero, "Your little stunt raised quite an uproar back at the palace, and now we have to deal with the fallout."

Washu closed her eyes; she could already picture the fury of the Emperor. "I know. Heero, I'm sorry. I didn't want to get you or the others into trouble, but…"

"You wouldn't have helped Sasami sneak away from the palace if you felt there was an alternative," Heero finished for her, causing Washu's eyes to snap right back open, "My grandfather and I both have a pretty good guess as to what you were thinking here. Still, I need confirmation. It wasn't really Sasami that you needed out here; it was Tsunami, right?"

Washu nodded, rather relieved that Heero was proving to be so quick on the uptake; it would make navigating the fallout from her actions considerably easier. "It was. I needed her together with me so we could find out once and for all if the third member of our rather illustrious trio is at play here."

She saw Heero's eyes narrow. "You were using her and yourself as bait for Tokimi."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Washu couldn't help but smile again. "Your mind works fast. That'll serve you well in the days ahead."

"Were you successful?" asked Heero, pointedly ignoring her flattery.

The boy just can't take a compliment, she mused, I suppose it's a good thing; it means he's keeping his ego in check. Given the raw power he could be capable of wielding, that's more important than he realizes.

"We were," Washu eventually answered, "Tsunami and I made contact with Tokimi… and confirmed our worst fears. She's backing Kagato."

Heero sighed. "The worst-case scenario."

"It definitely complicates things," Washu admitted.

"As if they weren't complicated enough already," Heero grumbled.

It was only then that Washu realized that the only other people in the room with her were Heero and Sasami. "Where's everyone else?"

"Resting up aboard the Yagami," said Heero, "No one's looking forward to going to the palace, to put it mildly. I imagine some of them will be stopping by here to check up on us in a little while."

"How far out are we?" she asked, "If I was out for as long as you say I was, we should either be at Jurai already or pretty close to it."

"The Second Fleet's on schedule for real space reversion in the next hour or so," Heero answered, "They'll be coming out of FTL at the edge of the Jurai System… and holding position until we're ready to proceed."

Washu's eyes narrowed. "I'd think that the Emperor would want us to proceed immediately, what with his youngest daughter sneaking out of the palace and all."

"The Emperor will have Sasami home safe and sound soon enough," Heero replied casually, "After I've finished interviewing you and her."

Washi smiled knowingly. "Does Admiral Fukunaga share your sentiments? Fleet officers aren't known for defying the Royal Family."

"She's not acting in defiance of His Majesty," Heero countered, "She'll be acting in accordance with the instructions we receive from Jurai's main orbital traffic control agencies. It wouldn't do for the Second Fleet to cause a major disruption with civilian shipping in the heart of the Empire, after all."

Washu laughed as she put it all together. "Oh, so that's her plan! Clever. No wonder Lady Seto likes her."

"I thought you'd appreciate it," Heero remarked, "The Admiral and I have come to an understanding on this matter. Play ball with us here, and we should be able to blunt the worst of the Emperor's fury."

Washu nodded, then winced as a wave of dizziness assaulted her. "I'll go along… though I'm not sure that I'm up for an interrogation just yet."

Heero sighed, and the look he gave Washu was surprisingly apologetic. "I can give you a few hours, but no more. We're already walking a fine line here."

"I know," said Washu, "Guess I'd better rest up while I can, then."

"You should," Heero concurred, and Washu saw his eyelids flutter.

She looked at him with concern. "Looks like I'm not the only one. You okay?"

Heero nodded, though the way he sunk into a nearby chair suggested otherwise. "Just a little worn out. I thought I'd gotten enough sleep after the battle, but I guess not."

"It's the Light Hawk Wings," Washu noted, "You used two of them during the battle, and you had them deployed for quite a while. That's not something a Royal that's only recently awakened his powers can recover from quickly."

"I don't exactly have much of a choice in the matter," said Heero, "I can't be stuck in bed while Kagato's on the march. It was only thanks to the Light Hawk Wings that I was able to contend with his sister on an even footing, and even then, it wasn't enough to actually defeat her. I need to improve my ability to employ them quickly and in sustained combat, and I'll need your help to do it."

"Is that why you're really trying to shield me from the Royal Family's wrath?" asked Washu.

"Amongst other reasons, yes," Heero replied.

Washu raised an eyebrow. "What would those other reasons be?"

Heero was quiet for a moment. "I'm not the only one who will need your help. Ryoko will, too."

Washu smiled mischievously. "So, you're helping me for her sake, then. I gotta say, she really did find a keeper in you."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "You owe her, Washu. For lost time… for not being there when she was young and needed you the most."

Washu's smile softened; the young man's concern for her daughter was sincere, and she found it quite moving. "I know. I'm trying to make up for that, Heero. I mean it. Teaching her to control her power and giving her the means to draw out her full potential isn't just me using her as a weapon against Kagato. I want to make sure she's fully capable of wielding the gifts I gave her before abandoning her, both so she can protect herself and live life to the fullest… and so she can protect the man she loves."

She watched Heero carefully to see how he would respond to that, and she was pleased to see a very small smile slowly appear on his face. "I'll hold you to that."

"I'd expect nothing less from you," said Washu.

"There is one other reason," Heero added.

"Oh? What might that be?" Washu asked.

Heero's smile grew just a little bit. "Don't get me wrong; I'm not pleased about you helping Sasami sneak aboard the Yagami and getting her involved in the battle, especially since you did it all behind my back. However, like I said earlier, I understand why you did it. You did what you thought was necessary, and I agree with it. We needed to know if Tokimi is involved in all of this, and you were able to get us that confirmation. You deserve to get called out for how you went about it, but you got us valuable information in the bargain, and that deserves to be recognized. I'm not about to let the Emperor throw you in the palace dungeons over this. He can learn to put his personal feelings aside for the sake of his Empire's safety. If he can't do that, then he doesn't deserve to rule."

Washu's eyes narrowed. "Not that I don't agree with the sentiment, but be very careful who you say that around, Heero. I know that the Juraian military is warming up to you, but you shouldn't push your luck. Talk like that can get you into a lot of trouble."

Heero nodded. "Right. I'll remember that. Thanks."

"Anytime," said Washu before closing her eyes, "If you don't mind, I'm going to take a quick nap. See if that'll help clear my head a bit. When you're ready to start the interrogation, you know where to find me."

….

To say that it had been a very confusing past twenty-four hours for Sasami would be a considerable understatement. She'd never gotten a straight answer from Washu about why the infamous scientist had brought her to the battle at the second repository, and when she'd awoken not in the lab aboard the Yagami but in the infirmary of the Second Fleet's flagship her disorientation had only been compounded. Her bemusement had momentarily been set aside when Ayeka had rushed into the sickbay to embrace her, and it had been comforting to see that the rest of her friends were all aboard the carrier as well, but a feeling in Sasami's gut had told her that something was off. It had mostly come from the way both Heero and Ayeka were looking at her. It was a look that Sasami recognized, though in the past it had come from her parents.

It was the look she'd gotten when they were relieved that she was okay, but it signaled that she had also done something to get herself in trouble.

It wasn't a look she was used to getting from either her older sister or Heero. Sure, Ayeka had chastised her in the past for various things, but those had always been minor matters; the occasional bout of poor manners, asking insensitive questions, or other such quibbles. As for Heero, he'd always done his best to make sure that Sasami's needs were accounted for and had treated her happiness and safety as a priority, mostly leaving discipline to Ayeka. For her part, Sasami had done her best in turn to make sure that Heero didn't have any cause to worry about her and had tried to avoid causing trouble for him, especially after all he'd done to ensure her comfort during her stay on Earth. In a way, Heero had become almost a brother of sorts, calm and somewhat aloof but still clearly caring for her. Of course, that had been before Sasami learned that Heero was family in more ways than what she'd initially felt.

Now, here she was, sitting across a table from Heero and feeling as though she was in big trouble. The fact that said table was in one of the carrier's spartan interrogation rooms certainly didn't help matters, nor did the presence of a naval officer. Tall, slender and with a no-nonsense air about her, Lieutenant Rika Shiraishi did not look like someone Sasami wanted to cross. Possessing neatly-trimmed raven hair and piercing blue eyes, she reminded Sasami of one of her old tutors, a particularly firm and strict instructor that the young princess had quietly come to dislike even if she respected the woman's knowledge. The fact that the Lieutenant stirred memories of that teacher did not bode well in Sasami's eyes, though thankfully the officer had left the talking to Heero so far and was merely standing behind him to observe.

The questions Heero had asked so far were relatively straightforward. How had she gotten out of the palace undetected, when had Washu first approached her offering to smuggle her out, what had she been doing aboard the Yagami; it was all pretty simple. Sasami had answered each one honestly, both out of respect for Heero and also in recognition of the fact that honesty at this point might be the only thing that would mollify her parents when they returned to the palace.

That was when Heero threw a curve ball at her. "Does the name 'Tokimi' mean anything to you?"

Sasami blinked in confusion. She was about to answer 'no' since that would've been the truth, but something stopped her from doing so. Sasami couldn't quite explain it, save that it felt as though some strange force within her was trying to guide her down a certain path. The name 'Tokimi' began echoing in her mind, uttered in a voice that was somehow both Sasami's and yet not hers at all.

She put her hand to her forehead as a sudden lance of pain shot through it. "I… I don't know…"

Rika stepped forward, but Heero held up a hand to forestall any questions from her. Instead, he simply watched Sasami, and the princess had no idea what he was looking for. The pain receded a moment later, leaving Sasami dazed but relieved.

"Sasami, do you want to stop for now?" asked Heero after a moment.

Sasami hastily nodded, not sure why Heero was offering her relief now but not wanting to let it slip away. "Yes, please."

Rika turned to Heero and frowned. "Your Highness, this isn't what we agreed to. This interview isn't finished."

"We're not ending the interview altogether," Heero calmly replied, "This is simply a recess. Sasami, would you be okay if we picked this back up again in about an hour or so?"

Sasami really didn't want to, but Heero's tone suggested it was the best offer she'd get. "Okay."

Heero then gestured towards the door. "Go get a drink and something to eat. Ayeka should be waiting for you."

Sasami got up to leave, but just before she passed through the door, she heard Heero speak to Rika again. "We need to see Washu now. I think I know what just happened."

….

Heero watched Washu intently as a small smile appeared on her face. "My, my… she's trying to reach out sooner than I'd predicted. You were right to come to me, Heero.

"The 'she' in question," Heero replied, his eyes narrowing, "would be Tsunami, right?"

Washu nodded. "Correct."

They were in another one of the carrier's interrogation rooms, just down the hall from the one where they'd been interviewing Sasami. Once again, Heero was taking the lead while Rika stood stoically behind him. He'd initially been hesitant to drop Tsunami's name in front of her, but Admiral Fukunaga had insisted on her involvement in these proceedings and vouched for her ability to keep a secret. Heero could only hope that the Admiral's faith was well placed.

A quick glance at the Lieutenant didn't give Heero much to work with. Despite him dropping the name of Jurai's patron goddess, her expression remained as hard as stone and just as inscrutable. Heero had to give Rika props for her poker face, though her discipline unfortunately worked against his efforts to read her.

Returning his full focus to Washu, Heero struggled with what to make of her answer. "You said that Tsunami reached the limits of how much power she could safely exert without harming Sasami during the earlier battle. Has she now decided that her host's safety is no longer a priority?"

Washu shook her head. "No, not in the least. I know Tsunami, Heero, and trust me when I say that the last thing she would ever want to do is cause any harm to Sasami. It's true that Sasami hasn't rested long enough for Tsunami to project herself like she's done in the past when speaking to me, but that may explain why she tried to speak directly through Sasami instead; I imagine it would be less energy intensive. Sasami would've found it uncomfortable, yes, but no real damage would've been done."

Sasami's pained expression flashed through Heero's mind, and it fueled his skepticism. "I'm not so sure about that. More to the point, I don't like the idea of her taking control of Sasami. She isn't just a vessel for Tsunami; her own agency deserves to be respected."

Washu nodded. "It does, and Tsunami has worked to do just that ever since she began inhabiting Sasami. However, the present circumstances mean that she can no longer afford to remain a passive bystander. I expect that she'll start trying to find ways that she can exert influence on current events, even that influence is only in the form of communication. It's only natural given that we've now confirmed Tokimi's involvement in this affair."

Heero leaned back and carefully considered her words. "Is there a way that Sasami can act to facilitate said communication?"

Washu blinked a few times, clearly taken aback by Heero's question. "I… I'm not sure. I honestly never considered that possibility before. I always felt it'd be best to let the process of Tsunami and Sasami's merger take its natural course, and that eventually Sasami's voice and Tsunami's would be one and the same. It hadn't occurred to me to seek out ways through which Tsunami might communicate through Sasami before the merger was complete."

"Hypothetically, could it be done?" Heero asked.

Washu was quiet for a good long moment. "Perhaps… but it would involve letting Sasami know the truth about who and what she really is. She would have to understand her true nature before even contemplating something like this. She's still so young… Heero, if we do this… she can never go back."

Heero sighed. "She was always going to have to know eventually, right? I can't exactly say I'm thrilled with the idea myself, but if Tsunami has critical information that she needs to convey to us, we need that knowledge as quickly as possible."

"Hard to argue with that," Washu confessed, "Still… I always believed that we'd wait until the time was right."

"Is there ever a 'right' time for something like this?" Heero countered, "Would there ever have been a 'right' time to tell me the truth about who and what I am? Sasami's situation isn't all that different from mine in a way."

"Fair enough," Washu conceded, "and with Kagato now in possession of the data leading to the third repository, we need all the help we can get. If Sasami's innocence has to be sacrificed in the process… so be it."

"Will this involve any risk to the princess?" Rika chimed in, "Beyond the danger you already put her through in smuggling her aboard the Yagami, that is."

Washu shook her head. "I don't think so. Not physically, anyway. Psychologically, though… once she knows the truth, it'll shatter her perception of herself. Sasami's very understanding of who she is will be forever altered. Processing all that is going to be rough on her, to put it mildly."

"What can we do to help her with that?" asked Heero.

Washu smiled. "Be there for her, as you have been since the day she landed on Earth. You and all of our companions. As long as Sasami is surrounded by friends and family as she goes through this process, then I believe she'll pull through."

"Those friends include you," Heero pointed out, "and you can't be there for her if you're rotting in the palace dungeon. All the more reason for us to convince the Emperor to go easy on you."

"The Emperor and the Second Empress," Washu noted, "Funaho won't be too difficult to mollify, but Misaki's going to be a handful. Almost as much as her husband. Might not be a bad idea to call in with Lady Seto first. As Misaki's mother, she's got more influence over her than most."

Heero nodded. "Good point. I'll speak to Admiral Fukunaga about setting that up before we go to the palace. Hopefully she'll play ball."

Washu smirked. "I think she will. She's got a keen interest in our success, and not just for the obvious reasons. She wants to see how far you'll go, and I'm right there with her!"

….

I wish I felt half as confident about all of this as I tried to sound earlier, Washu thought anxiously as she and her companions were led down the palace corridors, I'm sure that waiting on us hasn't improved the Emperor's mood.

Both her interrogation and Sasami's had gone on for a few more hours before both Heero and Admiral Fukunaga abruptly halted them. Washu and the younger princess had then been forced to wait along with the rest of the group while Heero and Mayumi conferred in private before finally being informed that they'd be proceeding to the capital. Heero and his fellow former Gundam pilots had boarded their individual fighters while Washu and the others were making the trip in the Yagami and Mayumi departing the carrier in her own shuttle and dispatching a flotilla of the Second Fleet's destroyers along with a few fighter squadrons to act as an honor guard. Their escort had pulled back upon reaching the outer limits of Jurai's atmosphere, leaving the Galaxy Police patrol cruiser, the shuttle and the five custom fighters to make the descent themselves.

Upon their landing at the palace, they'd been greeted by Captain Suzume Shoji and a contingent of guards. The stern officer had seemed less than pleased to see them, though she did at least keep her conduct professional as she greeted them. Washu suspected that she'd gotten an earful from the Emperor after Sasami's disappearance, and the periodic glares that the Palace Guard commander shot her way seemed to support that conclusion.

"You did take my advice, right?" she whispered to Heero.

Clad in full armor again, the young prince's expression was difficult to read through the visor of his helmet, but he did give her a quick nod. "The Admiral and I were able to contact Lady Seto, and we stalled long enough so that she could get to the palace first. She's had time to speak to Misaki and the Emperor. I also requested that she fill Funaho in as well so she can aid us in the confrontation. We've done all we can to tip the playing field in our favor here."

Washu blew out a long breath as she sought to steady her nerves. "I see. Well, nothing left to do now but roll the dice."

Washu could take some small comfort in that she wasn't the only one stressed out about the impending royal audience. Sasami looked much more nervous than her, although her anxiety also had a strange endearing quality to it. The young princess looked like a schoolgirl who'd been caught hiding bad grades from her stern father and was now being made to face the music.

"Father's going to ground me for years," Sasami murmured, "He'll never let me leave the palace again…"

Ayeka put a reassuring hand on her little sister's shoulder. "It won't be that severe, Sasami. Father will understand… eventually. So will Mother."

"We'll do everything we can to convince them to go easy on you," Trowa added.

Sasami gave both her elder sister and the former Gundam pilot a hopeful smile. "Really?"

Ayeka sighed before smiling as well. "We can make no promises, Sasami… but we'll do our best."

"You acted in the way that you did because you wanted to help us," Trowa pointed out, "Your heart was in the right place. That has to count for something."

"A noble sentiment," Azaka noted, "but even so, those actions were against the express wishes of His Majesty. There must be a reckoning for that, even for a princess."

"His Majesty and the Second Empress will surely be reasonable, though," Kamidake chimed in.

"That is our hope," said Mayumi, and Washu saw the Admiral cast a meaningful glance at Heero, "For both yours and Washu's sake, Your Highness."

"When was the last time your parents got angry with you, Sasami?" asked Quatre.

Sasami winced. "A long time ago… when I snuck out of the palace to go into the city."

"And now you've been caught sneaking out again," Duo muttered as he shook his head, "The old man's probably experiencing déjà vu right about now."

Suzume scowled as she looked over her shoulder. "It's 'His Majesty', not 'old man'. Show due respect!"

"It's not like we're talking to him right now," Wufei quipped.

"No, but we will be soon enough," Heero interjected, "So keep the wisecracks to yourself."

"Don't worry, Heero," said Hilde as she gave Duo a sharp elbow, "I'll keep my husband in line."

"Kiyone, how much trouble are you and I in?" Mihoshi asked nervously, "Sasami was on our ship and we didn't even notice until after the battle!"

Kiyone took a deep breath. "I'm sure he'll understand that we didn't plan an intentional part in Washu's scheme. Still… just to be safe, if he asks us any questions, just leave the talking to me, okay?"

Mihoshi then smiled, as if her worries had just completely vanished. "Okay!"

Must be nice to live in her little world, Washu mused, Mihoshi flips from scared to cheerful in the blink of an eye… wish I could do that.

She watched as Heero turned to Yosho. "If you've got any last-minute advice, now would be the time for it."

"Only what I told you during the ride over here," Yosho casually replied, "Speak the truth, and appeal to the First Empress should it look like His Majesty appear to pass beyond reason. Between her and Lady Seto, they should be able to keep his worst impulses in check."

"What about Sasami's mother?" asked Ryoko, "I'm honestly more worried about her than the Emperor."

"Meow…" Ryo-Ohki murmured anxiously from her perch on the pirate's shoulder.

"And not without good reason," Heero muttered.

Yosho smiled. "Sincerely apologize to her and reaffirm your commitment to Sasami's safety. The Second Empress will accept that eventually."

"The word 'eventually' might be doing a bit of work there," Heero remarked.

Ryoko patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, you got this. Just turn on the charm like you did for us whenever things got out of hand back on Earth."

Washu was surprised to hear Heero chuckle at that. "I'm not sure if my 'charm' worked as well back then as you seem to think it did. You lot are a handful even at the best of times."

Ryoko smiled. "Maybe, but you still managed to keep us all living under one roof without killing each other. That counts for something, right?"

Heero looked at the pirate, and Washu thought she caught a glimpse of a smile behind his helmet visor. "I'd like to think so."

Their procession came to a halt before the massive doors to the throne room. Suzume nodded at the guards flanking the entrance, and one of them whispered into a wrist-mounted comms device. There was a moment's pause before that guard nodded at Suzume, and the doors slowly opened.

Suzume led the way and announced their arrival. "Your Majesty, I present to you Princess Ayeka Masaki Jurai, Princess Sasami Masaki Jurai, Crown Prince Yosho Masaki Jurai, Prince Heero Yuy Masaki Jurai, Admiral Mayumi Fukunaga of the Second Fleet, and their retainers!"

I should feel insulted with being considered just a 'retainer', thought Washu, but I've got much more important things to worry about right now…

Looking around, Washu noted the absence of the usual assembled lords, advisors and servants. Apart from the Emperor himself, the throne room's only occupants were the two Empresses and Lady Seto. Azusa sat in stony silence, his gaze smoldering as he looked at Washu. Misaki's eyes immediately went to her daughters, and Washu was thankful to see that relief appeared to be the dominant emotion in the Second Empress at the moment. Glancing at Lady Seto, Washu saw the noblewoman give her a very small nod and smile; a signal that she'd already started working her magic, and that Washu would owe her one when this was over. Meanwhile, Funaho appeared to be focusing on her son and great-grandson, smiling in welcome.

Suzume stepped aside, allowing Ayeka and Sasami to lead the procession up to the base of the dais upon which the throne sat. The two princesses bowed deeply, with the others following suit.

"We have returned, Your Majesty," Ayeka began, "Our mission was successful, despite some… complications."

The Emperor rose from his seat and slowly descended the dais, with both Empresses and Lady Seto following in his wake. When he reached the base, he stood over his daughters and their companions, and Washu's throat clenched. The tense silence that had engulfed the throne room was nerve-wracking; Washu would sooner take another run through the gauntlet of her repositories than endure this.

Indeed, the Emperor glowered at her for a long moment, but then his expression softened when he looked upon his daughters. Before anyone else could react, the ruler of the Empire of Jurai knelt down, swept up both princesses in his arms and trapped them in a fierce hug.

"Ayeka, Sasami, I'm so glad you've returned safely!" Azusa proclaimed as he squeezed them tightly, "You have no idea how worried I was for the two of you!"

That explains why the throne room's so empty, Washu mused as some of the tension faded, Azusa wasn't sure how long he could keep it together and didn't want an audience. I should've known. When it comes to his daughters, the guy's a big old softy.

"We… appreciate the concern… Father!" Ayeka gasped, wincing in distinct discomfort under the Emperor's mighty grip.

"We're… fine! Really!" Sasami squeaked like a mouse caught in a trap.

"I think Princess Ayeka is starting to turn blue," Azaka noted, "Should we intervene?"

"And risk the wrath of His Majesty? Absolutely not!" Kamidake snapped.

"Aw, he really does care!" Ryoko faux-cooed, looking on in absolute glee at Ayeka suffering within the Emperor's grasp, "Ayeka, you're lucky to have such a loving father!"

Ayeka glared daggers over her shoulder at the pirate even as her oxygen deprivation continued to worsen. "I… will… get you… for that… Ryoko!"

Funaho looked like she was trying her hardest not to laugh as she placed a hand on Azusa's shoulder. "Dear, I'm sure your daughters are grateful for your affection, but perhaps you'd best ease up a bit? It wouldn't do for the princesses to survive a battle only to pass out at the footsteps of the throne, after all. Also, given that one of them is in more than a bit of trouble, you might be undermining any disciplinary efforts here."

Azusa blinked in seeming confusion before quickly releasing the two young women and clearing his throat, giving Sasami a scowl that Washu felt was less than sincere. "Ah, of course. Sasami, you have a lot of explaining to do!"

Before either Sasami or Ayeka could mutter so much as word or even catch their breath, they once again found themselves in yet another crushing bear hug. This one, of course, was courtesy of their mother. If Azusa's embrace had been powerful, Washu could only wince in sympathy as she watched Misaki squeeze her daughters with such might that a trash compactor would be jealous.

"Sasami! Ayeka!" the Second Empress cried, sniffling as she fought back tears of joy, "You have no idea how frightened I was for both of you!"

Ayeka's eyes widened in terror as she practically crumpled within Misaki's pulverizing grip. "Mother… please… have mercy!"

"I… can't… breathe!" Sasami wheezed.

"Are their bones starting to crack, or am I just hearing things?" asked Duo.

"Neither would surprise me at this point," Wufei remarked.

"Should we try to stop her?" asked Trowa with more than a hint of concern.

"Might not be a good idea to pry an Empress away from her daughters," Quatre argued, "Especially given how much hot water we're in right now."

Washu herself was starting to grow worried; Ayeka and Sasami looked like they might faint at any moment. Thankfully, Lady Seto picked that moment to intercede.

"Misaki, perhaps you should give them a chance to breathe?" the aristocrat chimed in with a smirk, "I don't think it's good form for the Second Empress to accidentally strangle two heirs to the throne."

Misaki's eyes widened in surprise before she finally seemed to notice that both of her daughters were purple in the face and fading fast. "Oh, goodness! I'm sorry!"

She quickly released them, with both princesses once again falling to their knees. Ayeka and Sasami looked around warily as they gasped for breath, their gazes soon falling upon Funaho.

For her part, the First Empress raised a hand and gave the two girls a reassuring smile. "Relax, girls. While I'm just as happy as Azusa and Misaki that you've returned to us safe and sound, I can keep my enthusiasm in check."

Ayeka let out a deep sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Tsunami! You are an absolute saint, Lady Funaho."

Sasami gave Misaki a surprisingly sharp look. "Mom! You can't ground me if you choke me to death first!"

Yosho chuckled. "She makes a fair point!"

Misaki blinked a couple of times before realizing what her youngest daughter was getting at and put her hands on her hips. "Ground you… oh, yes. Young lady, you are in a lot of trouble!"

"Not as much trouble as the one who spirited her away in the first place," Azusa grumbled as he glared at Washu, "The penalty for abduction of a member of the Royal Family is death."

Washu was about to speak up when Heero interposed himself between her and Washu. "And if the abductee is in fact a willing participant? Surely this particular situation would allow for a more nuanced approach given the factors at play."

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, Prince Heero is right," Mayumi chimed in, "While Washu does bear responsibility for helping Sasami slip out of the palace, the unescapable fact of the matter is that she would not have been able to get her out undetected in the first place if the princess did not so readily lend her cooperation to the endeavor. Had it been against Sasami's will, the abduction would've been significantly more difficult, and the Palace Guard would almost certainly have picked up on it in time to intercede."

"That's completely irrelevant," Azusa fumed while continuing to glower at Washu.

"No, it's not irrelevant," Heero countered, "Were you in possession of your wits, you would recognize that."

The throne room went silent as the grave, with all eyes now on Heero and the Emperor. Washu had expected Heero to make a stand on her behalf, but he was being much more confrontational here than she'd anticipated.

Your boldness has paid off for you so far, she thought as she watched the young prince anxiously, but please, Heero, don't bite off more than you can chew here.

For his part, the Emperor's furious gaze was now completely focused on his recently discovered great grandson. "What did you just say?"

Heero removed his helmet so that the Emperor and everyone else could see his defiant glare. "You heard me loud and clear the first time. Yes, you have every right to be angry over Washu's scheme to smuggle Sasami out of the palace, but to place blame fully on her is to ignore the totality of circumstances here. Sasami was very much an active participant here; she admitted it herself when interviewed aboard the Second Fleet's flagship."

"I have recordings of the interrogation that can be forwarded to you at your request, Your Majesty," Mayumi added.

Azusa rounded on the Admiral. "You interrogated my daughter?"

"Your daughter and Washu," Mayumi replied without so much as flinching, "Prince Heero was in charge of both sessions, with one of my officers present as an observer. It was strictly a verbal interrogation, Your Majesty, and quite a smooth one at that. Ask Princess Sasami yourself if you have doubts."

Sasami jumped in of her own accord. "It's true, Father! Heero and Lieutenant Shiraishi were both very nice to me. It was perfectly fine."

Azusa took a deep breath, and Washu was relieved to see him relax, if only a little bit. "I see. If you say so, Sasami, then I suppose I can drop that particular matter. The rest, though, still requires attending to."

The Emperor then turned back to Heero. "You do not expect me to simply turn a blind eye while a guest of the Royal Family kidnaps my youngest daughter, do you?"

"For the sake of the Empire as a whole, yes, I do," Heero calmly answered, "The game at play here is much bigger than you think."

Azusa folded his arms. "What 'game' might that be?"

Washu took a deep breath before she stepped forward; it was time to come clean. "The only game that's ever really mattered, Your Majesty. The cosmic game of three goddesses… one of whom we've now confirmed is on Kagato's side."

….

Heero was decidedly uneasy as Washu addressed the Emperor, though he didn't show it. The original plan had been for both him and Admiral Fukunaga to soften the Emperor up more before his focus was fully on Washu, but the scientist had apparently decided to draw his attention early. Heero could only hope that she knew what she was doing.

For his part, Azusa seemed to be keeping his temper in check for the moment. "Which 'goddesses' do you refer to, Washu?"

"You know their names already," Washu replied, "though not their present forms. One of them is responsible for the very power that the Royal Family has used to assert its rule over Jurai, though her might has influenced far more than a mere temporal empire."

Azusa stiffened somewhat. "You speak of Tsunami? She has been silent since the founding of the Empire. She has no part to play in current events."

Washu shook her head. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I'm afraid you're quite wrong about that. Her part in this affair is just as important as those of her fellow Chousin, and she's very much an active participant. She's no longer silent, I can assure you of that."

Heero's eyes briefly darted towards Sasami. He knew where this was going, and he knew it wasn't going to be pretty. Yes, Sasami needed to know the truth about herself, but Heero hadn't thought that she'd be learning right in the middle of a confrontation with her father. Heero had been hoping for that knowledge to be revealed to her in a slightly quieter and more private setting, not in the throne room. He was thankful that Azusa had cleared it prior to this meeting, but that would only help a little bit.

This is going to be messy, he thought as he furtively studied the young princess, Sasami has no idea what's about to get dropped on her…

He glanced at the three women flanking Azusa. Funaho, Misaki and Lady Seto all seemed appropriately apprehensive, but none of them appeared to realize what was about to happen. Their attention was on Azusa and Washu, with not so much as a brief look at Sasami. That was all Heero needed to realize that none of them knew the truth about the younger princess. How they reacted would be nearly as important as how Sasami herself took the news.

Azusa folded his arms, and his brow twitched in growing irritation. "Enough of your cryptic babble. Get to the heart of the matter, or do not speak at all."

Washu actually had the temerity to laugh in the Emperor's face. "When push comes to shove, you're as blunt as ever! I'd expect nothing less from the man who had the gall to actually order the use ofa weapon as horrific as the Array. Very well, then. Tsunami's right here with us. In fact…"

Washu's gaze then fell upon Sasami. "…she's been right under your nose this entire time."

The Emperor's gaze followed Washu's, as did those of everyone else in the throne room. Heero watched as Sasami blinked in confusion at the sudden attention. Sensing the younger princess's growing distress, Ryo-Ohki hopped over from Ryoko's shoulder to Sasami's and began rubbing her face against the girl's cheek.

Doing what she can to comfort her, Heero thought with more than a pang of sympathy, before Sasami's entire world gets turned upside down…

Misaki was the first to openly react, her eyes widening in shock. "You can't be serious…"

Lady Seto tapped her chin as she studied Sasami with something between amusement and curiosity. "Well, now… this is interesting."

Funaho, for her part, simply inclined her head in resignation. "So, this is the form she's taken… I understand."

"Understand what?" asked Sasami as she looked at her friends and family in growing alarm, "Mother? Father? Ayeka? What's going on?"

"Meow…" Ryo-Ohki murmured softly as she licked the girl's cheek.

Washu stepped towards Sasami and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sasami… I'm sorry for keeping it from you this long. Truly, I am. I only wanted to protect your innocence for as long as I could. Please, forgive me."

"Keeping… what?" Sasami asked numbly.

"The real reason why I helped you sneak out of the palace," Washu answered grimly, "was because it wasn't your help that I needed. Rather, it was the help of the entity that resides within you. Or, to be more precise…"

"…the goddess that's chosen you as her next incarnation."

Heero's heart became all the heavier as he watched Sasami take the news. She was far more open with her feelings than him, which meant that it was all too easy for him to recognize what was going through her head. The disbelief, the confusion, the sense of her place in the world being utterly upended; he knew that all too well. Whether Sasami like it or not, the old 'her' be gone by the time this conversation was over.

Just one more casualty in the undeclared war Kagato's ambition had launched.

….

The entire throne room became little more than a blurry background for Sasami, and the faces of her friends and family likewise became indistinct. Her head felt like it had gone completely blank at Washu's words. What she was hearing… it couldn't possibly be real.

The only face she could see right now was Washu's… and the somber look in her eyes. The look that silently told Sasami what she didn't want to hear; that what Washu had just said was real. Even so, the young princess's mind wasn't ready to accept it.

"Washu… that's silly," Sasami eventually said, the words slipping out almost without her bidding, "I'm not… I'm not Tsunami. I'm no one's… incarnation. I'm just… I'm Sasami. I'm me."

Washu gave her a weak smile. "You are 'you', Sasami. No one can take that away from you. Unfortunately, you're also much more than simply 'you'. Believe me, I wish it were otherwise."

"This is preposterous!" Ayeka declared, looking equal parts alarmed and infuriated as she interposed herself between Washu and Sasami, "You already went too far in sneaking Sasami out of the palace, Washu, and now you spout this utter nonsense? Are you trying to get yourself thrown in the palace dungeons?"

"Whoa, whoa, back up a sec!" Duo interjected, "You're kidding, right? The kid here… a goddess? I mean, nothing against you, Sasami. You're adorable and a saint, but I wouldn't go saying that you're divine!"

"It does seem like something of a stretch," Trowa noted.

"Way out of left field, at least," Wufei muttered.

"It's a mistake," Quatre chimed in, "It's got to be a mistake… right?"

Sasami frantically nodded, seizing on the thinnest strand of hope. "That's right. It's a mistake!"

Then Heero spoke up and dashed that frantic hope to pieces. "No… I'm afraid it's not."

Everyone turned to him, and Sasami was at a loss for words. "Heero… you… you're not… not serious…"

Heero sighed deeply, his gaze one of bitter remorse. "I'm sorry, Sasami. I really am."

Ayeka rounded on Heero, both aghast and fuming. "Lord Heero… how long have you known this?"

"Washu told me after the battle at the first repository," Heero answered.

"And Heero told me right after that," Ryoko chimed in before casting Sasami an apologetic look, "Sasami… sorry you had to find out like this."

"You knew this whole time?" Ayeka seethed, "You, Lord Heero, Washu…"

"And I as well," Yosho interjected, inclining his head towards his half-sister, "If you're going to be angry, Ayeka, your anger might as well be evenly distributed."

"You, my son?" Azusa muttered in what seemed like genuine shock, "You knew… and you didn't tell me?"

Yosho shook his head before glancing at Funaho. "No, nor did I tell Mother or anyone else. Washu and I felt it best for the knowledge to remain under wraps for the time being. That time has now passed."

"What does all of this mean?" asked Mihoshi before looking at her partner, "Kiyone?"

Mihoshi's fellow Galaxy Police officer was studying Sasami with noticeable concern. "Hey… maybe we should all back off a bit here and take a break. Sasami could probably use it."

"Perhaps that would be for the best," Funaho concurred as she turned to the Emperor, "Azusa, please. I think a recess would do us all some good. Especially Sasami."

Misaki was already stepping forward. "Sasami, why don't you and Ayeka go to the gardens for a bit? We can… cool our heads and think this all through."

Azusa nodded, his brow furrowing as he put his thoughts in order. "Yes… Misaki, take Ayeka and Sasami. Have the servants prepare refreshments. Lady Seto… would you be so kind as to entertain the others?"

Lady Seto bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Except for you, my son," Azusa growled, "You will stay… as will your grandson, Washu, and Admiral Fukunaga."

Funaho placed a hand on the Emperor's shoulder. "Your Majesty… if they are staying, then I would like to remain here as well."

Azusa eyed her sharply. "Was not a recess your idea?"

"Yes, but it was mostly for Sasami's sake," Funaho calmly replied, "If you are to continue this, then I think it best if I remain."

Azusa hesitated for a moment before ultimately relenting. "Very well."

Sasami saw Ryoko turn to Heero. "Hey… you going to be okay?"

Heero nodded. "I'll be fine. Go with the others, Ryoko. I'll fill you in later. I promise."

The pirate reluctantly nodded. "Okay."

"Come, Sasami," said Misaki as she nudged her youngest daughter towards the exit, "I bet you're starving. I'll have the servants bring some treats to the gardens, okay?"

"Meow!" Ryo-Ohki cheered before licking Sasami's face.

For her part, Sasami could only nod and force a smile. "Okay."

As Sasami and the others were ushered out of the throne room, she looked over her shoulder one last time. She caught Heero's eyes, and the young man inclined his head. Sasami saw his lips move, but no sound came out. It took her a moment to comprehend the message.

"I'm sorry."

….

I knew this would be ugly, thought Heero as the Emperor glowered at him and Washu, and I was ready for the worst. That being said, it hasn't actually been so bad… so far, at least. Really hope I didn't just jinx things…

He stole a quick glance at Funaho; the First Empress was the only real lifeline they had now that Lady Seto was out of the room. For her part, Funaho's expression was mostly impassive as she patiently waited for her husband to make the first move. Catching Heero's gaze, her lips twitched in what might have been the beginnings of a smile, but it went no further. She was keeping her game face on, and it was one that she wore well. Heero supposed that she might well be where he'd gotten his own knack for keeping his true emotions concealed from. There were certainly worse family traits to inherit as far as he was concerned.

For one thing, Heero was glad that he hadn't inherited the Emperor's temper. Jurai's monarch looked like he was about to explode at any moment, and it seemed as though only Funaho's calming presence was keeping him from doing just that. Even then, Heero knew that things were on the knife's edge right now.

Someone had to break the silence, though, and Yosho volunteered. "Father… you had to have at least suspected."

"Suspected what?" Azusa fumed, "That my youngest daughter was the vessel for our Empire's patron deity? How in the name of said deity was I supposed to have guessed that?"

"Ayeka mentioned something curious to me while we were on Earth," Heero cautiously broached, "She said that there had once been an attack on this palace. Sasami had been gravely wounded… and that, by rights, she should have died."

Azusa's eyes smoldered with fresh fury. "You need not remind me of the moment that Sasami came closest to death. Given your part in her most recent peril, bringing up a previous occasion where she nearly perished would strike me as most unwise!"

"I bring it up only to illustrate a point," Heero calmly replied, "Ayeka told me that Sasami was miraculously healed. At the time, it was chalked up to her Juraian powers, right?"

Azusa nodded, and Heero was relieved to see his anger recede somewhat as he considered the matter. "It was. She had given no previous signs of being able to tap into her powers, so this was considered as something akin to a survival reflex."

Funaho's eyes widened as she grasped what Heero was getting at. "We believed that at the time, Azusa… but what if there was more to it?"

Azusa stiffened as it finally clicked for him. "You believe that it was Tsunami who saved Sasami's life?"

"It was, Your Majesty," Washu chimed in, "In fact, I can confirm it. Tsunami told me herself."

The Emperor immediately fixed his gaze on the scientist. "You've communed with her?"

Washu nodded. "I have. She has a very limited capacity to communicate with us. Tsunami can cast a projection of herself, but doing so strains Sasami. Not enough to cause any permanent damage provided that Tsunami spaces such instances of projection out sufficiently. I promise you, Your Majesty, that Tsunami places Sasami's well-being among her top priorities, and not just because your daughter's her host."

"You know the founding legends and myths of the Empire better than anyone, Father," Yosho added, "Tsunami was renowned in every one of those legends for her boundless compassion and reverence for life."

Azusa scowled. "Yet she seems to be rather selective about what life gets that compassion and reverence. If she truly is inhabiting my daughter, then she should've taken measures to make sure that she did not sneak out of the palace and go to a battlefield!"

"She determined that such actions were necessary in order to discover the true extent of the danger faced by not only Jurai, but the rest of the galaxy," Washu countered, "Thanks to her and Sasami, we now know who we're really up against here."

"Knowing one's enemy is essential to eventually defeating them," Mayumi pointed out.

The Emperor rounded on the Second Fleet's commanding officer. "You're siding with the woman who abducted a member of the Royal Family, Admiral Fukunaga?"

"I thought we already agreed that an 'abduction' would require an unwilling party," Mayumi argued, "and that there were no such parties here, Your Majesty. Sasami acted in defiance of your wishes, yes, but only because she wished to help her compatriots and the Empire as a whole. With all due respect, I believe that such sentiments in the princess should be commended, not condemned."

"Sasami did what she thought was right," Heero pressed, "She was willing to put her own life on the line for something beyond herself. While I was all for her remaining at the palace and still do not condone her and Washu's actions here, I understand why they both did what they did. Regardless of whether or not any of us approve of the scheme, the fact remains that we were able to confirm the identity of a major foe because of it. That's far more important than our personal feelings about this incident."

The Emperor regarded Heero for a long moment. "Had you known about this scheme before Washu implemented it, would you have stopped it?"

"I would've sought out her motivations first," Heero answered, well aware of the thin ice he was on here, "so that I might better understand the totality of circumstances before making a final decision."

It was a dodge, and Heero was fully expecting the Emperor to call him out on it. Instead, Azusa's gaze took on a more thoughtful air, as if he was fully appraising his great-grandson for the first time since they'd met. Beneath his thick mustache, his lips twitched, almost as if the monarch was about to smile.

The Emperor's demeanor then noticeably relaxed. "I see. You're a man of careful deliberation, then?"

"When I have the luxury of time to deliberate," said Heero cautiously, "On other occasions, I have to gamble. In Earth's past, there was a military organization with this motto: 'Who Dares Wins'. I prefer to think things through, but there are times when you have to roll the dice. The key is making that gamble a calculated one."

"And how calculated is your gamble in defending Washu?" Azusa asked.

"No more or less than any other that I've made before," Heero replied, "As with those past wagers, the risk is worth the reward. If preserving our united front against Kagato means drawing your ire, then it's a danger that I accept."

Azusa glared at the scientist again. "And Washu is a vital component of that united front?"

"She is," Heero answered firmly.

The Emperor regarded him with open curiosity. "How strange… so many who come before the throne do so in equal parts awe and fear. I sense neither in you. Only resolve. The power that my position represents… it means nothing to you, doesn't it?"

"I only care about how that power impacts my mission," said Heero, "It's a tool like any other implement of my trade. All that matters is if it's directed against my enemies or me."

The Emperor's gaze darkened. "And if it's against you?"

"Then it's just another obstacle to overcome," Heero shot back, refusing to yield so much as an inch, "and I'll deal with it like I would any other."

A few seconds of tense silence passed before Azusa suddenly broke out in laughter. "Such directness! Such audacity! Yosho, just how was this one raised?"

"On the battlefield, Father," Yosho answered in grim contrast to the monarch's mirth, "When gunfire and explosions are part of one's daily life, authority figures tend to lose their intimidation factor."

Azusa chuckled. "So I've noticed. Very well, then. Prince Heero Yuy Masaki Jurai… you seek for me to stay my hand regarding Washu's actions? Consider it done."

Washu deeply inclined her head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Azusa shot her another glare. "Do not believe for a second that your transgression is forgotten, Washu. You will bear close watching while you remain within these halls."

"I can accept that," said Washu.

With the danger having passed, Funaho picked now to steer the conversation where Heero had long wanted it to go. "So, you have the confirmation you sought when bringing Sasami out to the second repository? An entity much like her is guiding Kagato's actions?"

Washu nodded. "That's right. Her name's Tokimi. Surely, you've heard that name before."

Funaho tapped her chin in thought. "I can vaguely recall it… a higher-order being of sorts. Legends referred to her as being associated with the creation of the galaxy. Not unlike our own tales regarding Tsunami."

"There's a good reason for that, Mother," Yosho chimed in, "Tsunami and Tokimi are two members of a trio. Washu is the third."

"They're called the Chousin," Heero added, "and the very universe we call home owes its existence to them."

Azusa's brow furrowed as he regarded Washu warily. "A bold claim to make, especially regarding the likes of her being among their number. I don't suppose you have a way to prove it, do you?"

"Wouldn't my history speak for itself?" Washu countered, "The countless millennia that I've spent active in the galaxy's scientific community while my colleagues aged and died? You know full well that I'm not a Juraian Royal, which means I have no bond with a Royal Tree to keep me youthful. Even the most advanced medical science in the galaxy can only do so much to delay the ravages of time. Yet here I stand, still as youthful and lovely as ever!"

"And just as egotistical," Yosho murmured.

Washu winked at her old friend. "We all have our faults!"

"Your point regarding history is an interesting one," Funaho conceded, "You've been well-known in the Empire of Jurai for quite some time, and I'm sure a perusal of our records would not doubt reveal many instances of your name popping up over a long period. That alone, however, will not suffice to back a claim as grand as yours."

Washu shrugged. "I figured as much. Your doubts are understandable, but luckily for me, I've got someone who can put those doubts to rest. We just need to give her host a bit of time to rest first."

Azusa folded his arms. "I do not appreciate Sasami being referred to as a mere 'host' for another entity, even if said entity is supposedly none other than Jurai's patron goddess."

Washu sighed. "Well, given their unique circumstances, I suppose 'host' isn't quite the right word for it. Something between that and symbiote might be more accurate. Honestly, this whole incarnation bit can get somewhat confusing, even for me."

"If it helps, Washu did reveal the truth to me after the battle at the first repository," said Heero, "It's… a bit difficult to explain the manner in which she did so. That being said, I can promise you this, Your Majesty; she's telling the truth. I'll bet my life on it."

Azusa actually chuckled at that. "A bet you seem to make all too readily."

"It's a bet that he would win with no contest in this case," Yosho countered, "Washu is telling the truth, Father. I will vouch for her just as firmly as my grandson has."

That seemed sufficient to settle the question for the Emperor. "Very well, then. This Tokimi… what is she after?"

"The same thing that Tsunami and I have been after since the beginning," Washu replied, "This is merely the latest act in a very long play, Your Majesty… and it's the one where both protagonists finally take the stage. Tokimi is supporting Kagato because she believes him to be the one that us Chousin have been searching for from the beginning; a being that has the potential to surpass us."

Azusa's eyes widened in shock. "Kagato… superior to a being like Tsunami? That's utterly absurd!"

"Tokimi apparently feels differently," Washu calmly countered, "Tsunami and I don't agree with her, though. The two of us have settled on a different candidate."

"And who would that candidate be?" asked Azusa.

That was when Heero saw Funaho look right at him, her face suddenly paling. Heero couldn't blame her. If he had to guess, she had just recalled the conversation he and Yosho had shared with her back when they'd first arrived on Jurai. No doubt she was thinking of how Heero had been able to summon a Light Hawk Wing without having previously bonded with a Royal Tree… and she'd just pieced together how Heero had pulled off such a feat.

Then Washu turned to Heero and gave him an apologetic smile, which was all he needed to know what was coming. "That candidate, Your Majesty… would be your great grandson."

….

The Gardens of Serenity were as lovely as ever, but Ryoko wasn't particularly in the mood for enjoying the beauty. Refreshments had been brought out, yet the pirate was too nervous to have much of an appetite. While most of the others sat either on the grass or around the table in the gazebo, she anxiously paced along the walkways. Her eyes constantly darted towards the entrance, as if she was expecting Heero and the others who had been left behind in the throne room to walk through at any moment.

I hope they're okay, she thought, I hate waiting like this. I get why Heero sent me away with the others, but still… damn it!

Ryoko was so caught up in her frayed nerves that she didn't even see the Second Empress and her daughters ahead of her on the path until she nearly barreled right into them. Fortunately, Misaki was quick on her feet and interposed herself between the pirate and the princesses.

"Careful, Ryoko," she chastised as she gently yet firmly put her hands on Ryoko's shoulders, "We nearly had an accident there."

Ryoko sighed as she stepped aside. "Right… sorry."

Misaki regarded her for a moment. "Would you like to join us for a bit? You do seem like you could use some company."

Ryoko glanced at Ayeka, expecting the crown princess to shoo her away. Surprisingly, Ayeka didn't do that. Her gaze was primarily focused on Sasami, who looked for all the world like a lost girl with no idea where to turn. The younger princess was in a daze, and Ryoko's heart ached at the sight. Sure, she wasn't the biggest fan of most Juraian Royals, but she had nothing against Sasami. She was so used to seeing the girl being cheerful and optimistic, and to have her now so subdued and forlorn was quite jarring. Even Ryo-Ohki couldn't seem to get through to her, despite the living starship constantly rubbing her furry cheek against the princess and licking her.

"I guess," Ryoko finally answered, "If you don't mind."

Misaki smiled. "Not at all! Please, come."

The Second Empress led their little procession over to a small clearing surrounded by high bushes and great white blossoms; a nice and isolated patch of the Gardens of Serenity. Misaki motioned for them all to sit down, and while Ryoko was still more than a little jumpy she suspected it wouldn't do her any good to try to refuse the Second Empress.

"You needn't worry about Heero or Washu," Misaki said, as if reading Ryoko's mind, "I know Azusa's angry, but he's not unreasonable. This'll be smoothed over in time."

"What about you?" Ryoko asked nervously, "Aren't you still angry at us?"

Misaki shook her head. "Not really. Upset, yes, but I've had a bit of time to calm down and think things through. Washu… I can't say that I'm particularly fond of her at the moment, and that won't change for some time. Nevertheless, a valid point was raised earlier; she was not the sole party responsible here."

"I'm sorry," Sasami mumbled, her shoulders sagging as her gaze was seemingly glued to the grass.

Ayeka took a deep breath before putting an arm around her sister. "Sasami, you've already apologized many times today. What's done is done. There's no sense in continuing to ruminate over it."

Ryoko reached over and patted the girl's head. "Don't beat yourself up over it, kid. You wanted to help, and Washu gave you a way to do it. Your heart's in the right place."

"Meow!" Ryo-Ohki cheered.

Misaki looked like she wanted to argue, but one look at the glum state of her youngest daughter was enough to change her mind. "As worried as I was when I found out about your disappearance, knowing what I do now… I suppose I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being proud of you, Sasami."

Sasami perked up a bit at that. "Really?"

Misaki smiled. "Yes. Ryoko's right; you only wanted to help your friends. In the end, I can't stay mad at you over that. Nor can I remain furious at Washu forever over it."

Sasami looked like she was about to smile before her gaze suddenly fell again. "But… it wasn't really me that helped in the end. It was… the person inside of me. The other me… Tsunami."

Ryoko shared a pained look with Ayeka. Neither of them really knew how to respond. They both wanted to help Sasami, but what she was dealing with now was way outside of anything Ryoko or Ayeka had ever encountered before.

Maybe Washu could help her, Ryoko thought before glancing at Misaki, although I doubt the Second Empress would want Sasami spending any time alone with her for quite a while.

Misaki, however, seemed much more prepared for this than Ryoko and Ayeka. "Sasami, that's not entirely true. Tsunami couldn't have helped Washu from all the way back here on Jurai. Washu needed her to be present, and for that, she needed you present. So, you did help her and the others, even if you didn't really understand how you were actually doing so at the time."

Ryoko was relieved to see Sasami actually smile at that, even if the expression was a weak one. "I… guess I did, didn't I?"

"You very much did, Sasami," Ayeka concurred as she hugged her sister.

The four of them sat in silence for a minute or two before Sasami spoke again. "So… what happens now? With the others… and with me?"

"Our priority remains the same," Ayeka answered, "We must thwart Kagato's ambitions at all costs. Father will surely remember that and will continue to support our efforts."

Misaki nodded. "He will. As for you, Sasami, you don't need to worry. Even with Tsunami inside of you, it doesn't change the fact that you're still you. You will always be Sasami to your friends and family."

"Meow! Meow!" Ryo-Ohki added in agreement before licking Sasami's face.

Ryoko felt her heart lighten considerably as Sasami smiled again. Some of her previous cheer and sunny disposition was returning, though the girl was still clearly shaken by all she'd just learned. Misaki's words, while certainly helping the princess's mood, hadn't really answered Sasami's question. Ryoko didn't really understand the details, but it was clear that Sasami and the entity within her had a much larger role to play in this conflict than she'd previously believed. Why else would Washu be willing to put Sasami in danger by sneaking her out of the palace and taking her to an active combat zone?

The last thing Ryoko wanted was for Sasami to face such risks again, but she was no fool. The crisis brought on by Kagato's ambitions was far from over, and Ryoko suspected that Sasami's part in it was likewise nowhere near complete.

Washu owes us all some answers, she thought, especially Sasami. I get that Sasami wants to help us all out, but Washu needs to be honest with her about what's going on and what she's really getting herself into. All the rest of us can do is try to protect her.

Ryoko vowed to do just that. It was strange; mere months ago, had someone told her she'd be willing to risk her own life to protect a Juraian princess, she would've assumed that individual was either crazy or drunk. Now, though, she was silently promising to do just that. It was just one more sign of how strange her life had become since she'd first landed on Earth, and Ryoko knew that the wild ride wasn't anywhere near over yet.

….

Washu sighed as the heavy doors of the throne room closed behind them. "Well… that didn't go nearly as bad as I thought it would. Thanks for saving my bacon."

Mayumi smiled, though there was more than a hint of steel behind it. "Your expertise is critical to the Empire's survival in this crisis. Continued cooperation is in our best interest. I hope that we can avoid further incidents like this one going forward, otherwise it might strain our relationship."

Washu got the message loud and clear; pull a stunt like this again, and you might not be so lucky next time. It was to be expected from the Admiral, so Washu didn't mind the underlying threat. The problem, of course, was that Washu knew she might well have to pull several more such 'stunts' before this crisis was over.

"We're still on thin ice," Heero remarked as he glanced back at the throne room doors, "I get the distinct impression that the Emperor still needs some time to cool off, which is why Funaho persuaded him to let us go for now. We'll need to play things carefully during tomorrow's briefing."

"Quite so," Yosho concurred with a sagely nod, "Any fractures on our side will be ruthlessly exploited by Kagato should he learn of them."

"You got that right," said Washu, "I hope Funaho's able to smooth over the Emperor's ruffled feathers before the meeting tomorrow. There's a lot of data we need to present, and we can't afford constant interruptions from His Majesty."

"You'll be ready to lead the briefing personally?" Mayumi asked with a note of concern.

Washu smiled. "You needn't worry about me, Admiral. Sure, my head's still a bit fuzzy, but not nearly as much as it was earlier. By the time tomorrow rolls around, I'll be firing on all cylinders. Besides, I'll have AIDA to help out with the presentation, and she's good at covering my bind spots."

Mayumi nodded as they reached the elevator at the end of the corridor. "That's good to hear. I'll be looking forward to seeing just what we'll be up against at the final repository."

The elevator moved in silence, with the Admiral getting off at a separate floor so she could catch the shuttle back to her flagship. Washu, Heero and Yosho exited a few floors later and made their way towards the Gardens of Serenity. After the tense meeting with the Emperor, she figured that they could all use some relaxing atmosphere to catch their collective breath.

"You sure you're going to be up for tomorrow?" asked Heero.

Since he still had his helmet off, Washu had the luxury of reading his expression, and she was surprised by what looked like genuine worry in his eyes. She couldn't help but smile; despite all the trouble she'd stirred up, Heero really did care about her.

"I'll be fine, Heero," she reassured him, "I promise."

Yosho sighed. "I wish we had more time to rest. We could all use it."

"We'll have a brief respite after the briefing," Washu pointed out, "It'll take time to muster the resources needed for talking the third repository's defenses. The Second Fleet pulled out a win for us, but they didn't do it without losses."

Heero nodded. "The Admiral showed me the casualty figures. Losses among the fighter squadrons came out to a little over 9%; kill ratios were definitely in the Juraians' favor, but the sheer numbers of drones really started to wear on them. The warships came out better, but having to hold out against the pirate fleet and drones at the same time before the backup battle groups could make their flanking attacks didn't do them any favors. A good chunk of the survivors will need time in the docks for repairs. The Second Fleet can still fight, but they're no longer at full strength."

"Which makes it all the more important that we make a strong case before the Emperor tomorrow," Yosho noted, "We'll need reinforcements if we want to make sure we're ready to meet Kagato's forces in battle again. He's most likely used up the bulk of his disposable assets, which means the next time we clash it'll be against his loyalists. They'll be a much tougher fight than the pirate armada he threw at the Second Fleet as a distraction."

"Definitely not looking forward to that," said Washu grimly, already imagining the future carnage, "Juraian on Juraian… that's going to be ugly."

"Will our fighters be ready?" asked Heero.

Washu smiled. "Don't worry about that. They didn't really take much damage during the battle, which means rearming and maintenance is all I have to worry about it. They'll be in tiptop shape by the time you and your friends need to use them, Heero. Count on it."

"I will," said Heero.

The rest of the journey to the Gardens of Serenity passed in silence. For her part, Washu's mind was already racing as she tried to organize her thoughts. Tomorrow's briefing was only a secondary concern for her; her more immediate worries were her daughter and Jurai's newest prince.

We'll need to step up their training, she thought as she glanced at Heero, I know we won't have much time for it, and I don't want to exhaust Heero and Ryoko, but there's no real choice here. Come tomorrow, Yosho and I will need to put them through the ringer.

Both soldier and pirate had made considerable progress; the fact that they'd both managed to get through this latest fight relatively unscathed was proof enough of that. That being said, Washu knew that they needed to up their game before they met Kagato in combat again. Heero needed to achieve greater proficiency with the Light Hawk Wings and learn to summon more of them, while Ryoko needed to be given access to greater power. That meant giving her the second of the three gems, something that Washu had decidedly mixed feelings about.

Was Ryoko ready for it? From what Washu could tell, she seemed to have a pretty good handle on her powers right now, but the second gem would be a whole new ball game. The boost in energy and potential would be considerable, but controlling that power wouldn't be easy. Washu would've preferred to wait longer before taking Ryoko to that next step, but time simply wasn't on their side. Ultimately, whether Ryoko was ready or not didn't matter. She had to take that next step, and Washu could only hope that it wouldn't blow up in either of their faces.

She glanced at Heero again. If he and Ryoko trained together, there was the chance that Heero's growing control over the Light Hawk Wings could be used to contain Ryoko's power should it begin to cascade out of control. It would take far greater proficiency on Heero's part than he'd currently demonstrated, but the young man had already made extraordinary leaps in his development in a very short amount of time. Then again, maybe simply having him in the same room as Ryoko would be enough to convince the latter of the necessity of controlling her powers; the last thing she would want to do was threaten Heero, after all.

Those two really are good for each other, Washu mused with a smile, in more ways than either of them realize…

….

After briefly checking in on his friends upon entering the Gardens of Serenity, Heero had quietly excused himself. Taking one of the outer walkways, he strolled through the floral vista, his helmet still tucked beneath his right arm. The dazzling array of flowers, bushes, trees and vines all artfully arrayed around him was a most pleasant distraction from his own thoughts, one that he wanted to savor while he could.

Maybe I should take up gardening when this is all over, he mused while admiring a particularly vibrant shrub covered in orange bulbs that were just starting to bloom, I never really considered myself to have a green thumb, but that was before I bonded with a Royal Tree. It might make for a nice change of pace. Growing things slowly, gradually cultivating life rather than dealing out sudden death… I can definitely see the appeal.

Heero became so caught up in pondering how he might go about such an endeavor that he completely failed to notice he had company until a familiar female voice spoke up from behind him. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

Whirling around, Heero found himself facing none other than his great grandmother. "Your Highness… forgive me. I didn't notice your arrival."

Funaho smiled. "No need to apologize, Heero. Also, what did I tell you before? When it's the two of us, I insist that you call me Funaho… or great grandmother. Whichever you're the most comfortable with."

Heero still wasn't quite comfortable with either, but he decided to settle on the former. "Very well… Funaho. And… yes, you may join me."

The First Empress took his left arm and gently guided him along the walkway. "Thank you. I understand if you have a lot on your mind and are looking for an escape. The Gardens of Serenity are quite conducive to a calming state of mind, hence the name."

"They more than live up to it," Heero remarked, "though I'm afraid that the effect will likely be limited for me."

Funaho sighed. "The worries you carry are far too much for someone of your age. I wish it were otherwise."

Heero shrugged. "Life throws at us what it will. All we can do is adapt and move forward."

Funaho regarded him with what Heero believed was a mix of pity and pride. "A lesson you've no doubt learned the hard way. For what it's worth, you've clearly come out stronger for it. I doubt many royals could claim to be as resilient as you."

"Well, I hardly count as your typical royal," Heero reminded her.

Funaho smiled. "You're quite right about that. It's been working in your favor so far. You handled Azusa well back there; most other royals I've known would not have put on such an impressive display of nerve."

"I was afraid I'd gone too far," Heero confessed.

Funaho shook her head. "Not at all. Azusa's not used to be stood up to so firmly, so you took him by surprise. He appreciates backbone, and you clearly have that in abundance. He knows now that he can't cow you into submission, which means his dealings with you will be both honest and respectful."

"That's good to know," said Heero.

Funaho then smirked. "You know, for someone with a supposed disdain for politics of any sort, you've got a natural affinity for it. Bringing Admiral Fukunaga onto your side beforehand so that she might reach out to Lady Seto prior to your audience with Azusa was a clever move. It allowed Lady Seto to contact me in turn, and together we were able to ease your ordeal somewhat by counseling the Emperor and Misaki to show restraint. You had a sticky situation on your hands, but you played your cards well and came out with both Washu free and your alliance with our family intact."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "As I said before, my top priority is the completion of our mission. Admiral Fukunaga was on the same page as me, and we partnered in this endeavor to ensure that Azusa's fury at Sasami being smuggled out of the palace did not override his sense of reason and threaten our united front against Kagato. That's all there is to this. Hardly the political masterstroke that you make it out to be."

Funaho chuckled. "Is that what you believe? I think you simply don't want to admit that you might have a talent for what you purport to despise!"

"I didn't come to Jurai to play at intrigue," Heero insisted.

"And I believe you're sincere when you say that," Funaho reassured him, "but others will see it differently. Indeed, they already are. Word of the Second Fleet's return from battle is spreading as we speak. Although people may not know the details of the engagement, they will know soon enough that a hard-fought victory was achieved, and that you were at the center of it."

Heero regarded her warily. "That's not the entire truth of the matter. We got the data, but so did Kagato. At best, this was a draw, and one that didn't come without cost."

Funaho nodded. "You and I know that, but it's in our interest to put a positive spin on these events. We must strengthen your position within both the Juraian royal court and the court of public opinion. I've already spoken to Lady Seto regarding the matter, and she's agreed to aid me in facilitating the required public relations campaign."

"And what if I don't want this public relations campaign?" Heero countered.

Funaho sighed. "There isn't much choice, I'm afraid. As you said, in reality, this was a draw. Kagato has the same data as Washu, which means he has almost certainly begun marshalling his loyalists in preparation for taking the third repository. His branch family has strong support within the systems under their influence, which gives him both considerable military resources and a formidable war chest. We need to give those still loyal to the greater Juraian Empire a figure to rally behind."

"Isn't that the Emperor's job?" Heero asked, "He is the head of state, after all."

"It's not that simple," Funaho replied, "Yes, Azusa sits upon the throne, and he's ruled well, but none of us are blind. There has been a strain of discontent in recent years; it's inevitable when one figure holds power for so long. Kagato is tapping into it and giving dissenters someone to latch onto. Azusa's title and official powers alone will not be enough to stem the tide. A fresh face, though, one supporting the united Juraian Empire but with the courage to stand up to the Emperor himself for the sake of the greater whole… there's power in that, Heero. Power in what you could represent."

Heero shook his head. "I represent nothing beyond Earth's security interests."

"That may be what you want, but it's not how you're perceived here," Funaho argued, "You're a royal with something new to offer the Empire; an outsider's perspective. There's a future to be found there, and I guarantee I'm not the only one who recognizes that."

"The Empire's future is in Ayeka," Heero protested, "She's the crown princess, after all. By rights, the throne will pass to her, and I have no doubt that she'll rule well."

Funaho smiled. "I appreciate your vote of confidence in Ayeka, and I'm sure Misaki will share that sentiment. While I would normally argue that Yosho is ahead of Ayeka in the line of succession, my son's made his stance on the matter clear; he will refuse the throne no matter what, and I know a losing battle when I see it."

"Then you surely understand that you face a similar one with me," Heero pointed out, "I inherited more than just my powers from your son, after all."

Funaho eyed him in curiosity. "I'm not so sure. You definitely take after Yosho in many ways, but I'd hardly call you a carbon copy. Your sense of duty, your desire to help people… I think it's stronger than that of my son. Imagine how many lives you could change for the better if you had the power of an entire empire at your command."

"Kagato's been having such thoughts lately," Heero deadpanned, "or at least, he's using them as a silken veil to cover his lust for power. I have no desire to follow in his footsteps."

"I don't believe you would," Funaho reassured him, "I've known Kagato a long time; his ambitions have never been particularly well concealed. He was simply so useful to the Empire in the past that we were all willing to overlook them. Now that he's revealed the true extent of his desires, though, we have no choice but to take action. You and your friends are already at the tip of the spear in the campaign against him. That makes you an ideal figure to rally around."

"Ayeka's been at the tip of that spear as well," Heero argued, "and I believe she's the rallying figure you're looking for. I gave her a taste of the inner workings of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation's government while she was in my care, and I know she paid close attention. Ayeka's politically astute, far more so than I am. What she learned on Earth combined with her knowledge of Jurai's royal court and the levers of power within the Empire puts her in an ideal position to present herself as a reformer. If the likes of you, the Second Empress and Lady Seto were to provide counsel, I think Ayeka would be the perfect counter to someone like Kagato. She is the vision of the Empire's future that you should promote."

Funaho was quiet for a moment, appearing to seriously considering the notion. "Perhaps. If nothing else, it does make for an intriguing alternate scenario. However, she doesn't have the same outsider credentials that someone like you brings to the table."

"If I were to publicly be seen supporting her, wouldn't that mollify those concerns?" Heero asked.

Funaho tapped her chin in thought. "Possibly. At the very least, it would be interpreted as a sign that you're a part of her powerbase… and given that your most recent action ties you to Admiral Fukunaga, having you on Ayeka's side would also lead others to believe that the military may throw in their lot with her as well should push come to shove. The potential from there…"

The First Empress's voice trailed off as she lost herself in her musings. After a few seconds of walking in silence, Funaho turned to Heero with a devious smile on her face.

"Here I was, all set to keep arguing my original case, and you go dropping such an intriguing alternative," she said with a gleam in her eyes, "Washu was right about you, and in more ways than I suspect even she realizes."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Heero quipped.

Funaho laughed. "As well you should! Few are able to impress her so, and the same goes for me. Very well, then. Let's explore this new path that you've laid out for us. How would you signal your backing of Ayeka?"

"Aren't I already doing so by taking on Kagato?" Heero retorted, "I know his schemes aren't public knowledge as of yet, but any political observer with half a brain should be able to spot his desire for higher station. By moving in opposition to him, I'm implicitly supporting the current power structure, and that includes Ayeka's claim to the throne."

"True," Funaho conceded, "but there are stronger signals that you could send. One in particular would leave no room for ambiguity."

Heero eyed her warily. "And that would be?"

"Why, marriage, of course," Funaho answered matter-of-factly, "An official union between you and Ayeka would signal that you're both more than on the same page, if you will. Your martial skill combined with her innate understanding of Jurai's inner workings, your rising star merged with her established sun, the refined crown princess and the warrior prince? You two would be the Empire's ultimate power couple."

Heero shook his head, though he felt a pang of guilt towards Ayeka as he did so. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Funaho's eyes widened slightly. "Why not? It would be quite easy to make the necessary arrangements, and it serves your mission well."

"My mission is to stop Kagato, not to make a play for the throne," Heero firmly rebutted, "I have no intention of becoming a ruler. I don't have the skillset for it."

"Ayeka could handle most political matters," Funaho countered, "and I believe you'd be a capable administrator yourself with the right tutelage, which could easily be provided."

"I'm sure it could," said Heero hastily, rather eager to nip this alarming development in the bud, "My answer is still no."

Funaho wasn't about to give up so easily. "Is your reluctance really rooted in your distaste for politics, or does it go deeper? Perhaps… this has more to do with your heart than your head. Am I right?"

Ryoko's face immediately flashed through Heero's mind. "There is… someone."

Funaho grinned. "I thought so! Let me guess; a certain roguish woman with a fondness for the wilder side of life? You don't need to hide it from me, Heero. Ryoko was your first dance partner at the debut ball Lady Seto hosted; you made sure to pick her before any other woman present, and I'm not the only one who noticed. From the look of things, you two sure seemed to enjoy yourselves that night. I'll wager you had plenty of time to get to know each other back on Earth, right?"

"We did," Heero admitted.

"Good!" Funaho replied eagerly, "Mind filling your great grandmother in on the details?"

Heero was a bit taken aback by how casually she was treating this. "You seem awfully… relaxed with the idea of me being fond of Ryoko."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Funaho asked, "You're free to love who you wish, and Ryoko was under your care while she was on Earth. She was out of Jurai's jurisdiction, and you had no knowledge of your background as a royal. Are you happy with her?"

Heero couldn't help but smile. "I am."

"Then that's all that matters," said Funaho, "Since she's been promised a royal pardon in exchange for her aid in this crisis, there would be no issue with you continuing to take her as a lover. You could even go a step further and taker her as your second wife. Jurai does allow royals to have more than one spouse, after all; Misaki and I are proof enough of that."

Heero shook his head. "I don't think you understand what you're proposing here. Ryoko and Ayeka can be combative even at the best of times. They're not like you and Misaki in the least."

"They both like you," Funaho countered, "Just as Misaki and I both like Azusa. I think you underestimate the pull you have over the two of them, Heero. If you broached the idea to them, I believe they'd be willing to go along."

Heero sighed as he tried to figure out how best to articulate his misgivings. "Funaho… I can't really say I'm comfortable with this. Ayeka… she's my grandfather's half-sister, right? That would make her… my great aunt? Great half-aunt? You're proposing that I marry someone who's kin to me. That's not something I'd particularly like to pursue, with all due respect to Ayeka."

Funaho seemed genuinely confused. "I fail to see the issue. Yosho was going to marry Ayeka before he vanished, and he is her half-brother. Such unions aren't uncommon for either the nobility or the Royal Family."

"They're not the norm on Earth by any stretch of the imagination," Heero replied, "Not nowadays, at least. In the past, there were royal families in certain states that had such practices. The results… well, let's just say they led to problems in the long term."

"I can assure you that there'd be no such problems here," Funaho argued, "From what you've demonstrated so far, offspring from a union between you and Ayeka would almost certainly be a great boon to the Empire, as would any children you have with Ryoko."

"Be that as it may, my answer remains the same," Heero said, "I will give Ayeka my backing and make whatever signals I have to in order to ensure others get the message, but marriage is off the table."

Funaho was quiet for a moment before finally nodding. "If you insist. I'll still ask that you keep the option in mind, but ultimately the choice is yours to make, and I will respect it."

Heero felt an immense weight leave his chest. "Thank you."

Funaho smiled. "Of course. On an unrelated note, at some point soon we need to get you in touch with the Crafters. They're already quite eager to begin working with you,"

Heero raised an eyebrow; he'd heard the term before from Ayeka, but he was struggling to place the context. "The Crafters? Who are they again?"

"The ones who guide the process of turning the Royal Tree bonded with you into the core of a Treeship," Funaho explained, "They were present in the audience for the bonding ceremony. I've actually had to keep them at bay on your behalf; they were quite excited when they saw the unique shape of your Master Key. They believe that it's a promising sign for your ship."

Heero nodded. "I see. I have no objections to starting the process, but from what little I've learned it sounds like it'll be quite time consuming. Time's not exactly on our side, and I do have a functional fighter courtesy of Washu."

Funaho shook her head. "With all due respect to Washu, the craft she built for you pales in comparison to what a Juraian Royal Treeship can do with its bonded royal. The power you've demonstrated so far is all I need to know that your Treeship will be nothing short of extraordinary when it's completed. More importantly, beginning the crafting process will be another step towards legitimizing you in the eyes of the Empire's elite. Even if the ship itself isn't completed anytime soon, the knowledge that its construction is underway does serve to heighten your profile as a prince."

Heero couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Does everything around here come with a political angle?"

Funaho gave him an apologetic smile. "Most of the time, unfortunately the answer to that is yes. I do wish it were otherwise, especially given that this is your first exposure to the Empire proper. Jurai is truly a beautiful world, and I'd like nothing more than to show it to you in a more leisurely manner. The same goes for our Royal Treeships. Each one is a truly unique work of art, and I'm sure yours will be a wonder to behold. If only you'd been given the chance to craft it in a more peaceful time. The politics would still come with it, yes, but the stakes wouldn't be nearly as high."

Heero shrugged in resignation. "It can't be helped. After this crisis is over, though, if you're still willing to show me the wonders of Jurai and the Empire as a whole, I might take you up on it. It'd be nice to see more of my heritage before returning to Earth."

Funaho's smile grew considerably. "I'd be more than happy to arrange a tour. You, me, Yosho, your friends… perhaps we could even take it aboard your personal Treeship when it's completed. In fact, I can't think if a better way for you to properly get to know the Empire than that!"

Heero smiled as well, though it was more at Funaho's newfound enthusiasm. "It'd be a welcome change of pace. Any rules against me taking the ship back to Earth?"

"Not at all," Funaho replied, "Once it's completed, the vessel will be yours and yours alone. You may do with it as you please. If you brough it back to Earth, I think it'd make a lovely gesture of growing diplomatic ties between Jurai and your homeworld."

"My thoughts as well," said Heero, "I would like for Earth to become more involved in the greater galactic community with time. It would be a slow process, though. The people of our world… the vast majority still believe that humanity is the only intelligent species in the galaxy."

"Rather egotistical of them," Funaho remarked, "Given the sheer size of the universe, it strikes me as the height of hubris for anyone to believe that their species is the only sentient one that calls our cosmos home. Then again, most isolated species tend to believe as much prior to uplifting. Jurai would consider it an honor to bring Earth into the galactic community; I know Ayeka in particular is chomping at the bit for just that. That being said, I believe it should be at Earth's own pace."

Heero nodded. "I appreciate you being so understanding in the matter. Earth and her colonies have only recently come together in true peace and unity after years of war. A sudden shock to the system like an interstellar empire making contact with us will send ripples across humanity no matter how carefully we handle it. Great delicacy will be required in the endeavor."

Funaho inclined her head. "How fortunate for you, then, that I'm more than just the First Empress. As Jurai's Minister of Intelligence, handling delicate matters is a specialty of mine. With you and your friends as go-betweens, I foresee no difficulty in establishing backchannel communications with your world's government. From there, bringing our diplomacy out into daylight, as it were, can proceed at whatever pace is required."

"Director Une will like you," said Heero, "As the head of Preventers, it's her job to keep the peace on Earth and in the colonies. She'll appreciate the understanding and deft touch you'll bring to this affair."

"I'll be looking forward to making contact with her," Funaho replied.

The Second Empress was quiet for a minute or two before speaking again. "There is one more matter that I'd like to discuss with you, then I'll leave you to rest with your friends. It concerns your personal safety."

Heero's brow furrowed. "If you're about to request that I refrain from taking part in future field operations simply because I'm a prince, I'm afraid that I won't be able to comply. I didn't come out here just to sit back while others did the dirty work."

"Believe me, I'm well aware that there's nothing I could do to keep you away from combat," said Funaho, "What I'd like to do is improve your protection, both on the battlefield and off it. I have a proposal that you might find interesting."

Heero eyed her warily. "I'm listening."

"It is customary for heirs to the Empire to have their own protectors," Funaho explained, "You've seen that firsthand with the Royal Guardians we've employed to watch over Ayeka and Sasami. By rights, Yosho should have escorts as well, but he's always refused to let any form of guard be assigned to him. His skills as a warrior allow him to get away with that, though."

"Are you saying mine don't?" Heero asked sharply.

Funaho smiled. "No, not at all. I've seen you spar with both Yosho and Ryoko; I know that you're more than capable of protecting yourself. That being said, I do think it would be appropriate to form a Royal Guard around you given your status as a newly discovered prince. It's not just Kagato and his entourage that you need to be on the lookout for, and the threats to your person will only grow as your profile within the Empire continues to rise."

"I don't require an escort," Heero argued, "whether it's in open combat or not. I'm more than capable of dealing with people who want to kill me, and that goes for assassins just as well as it does for soldiers."

"What if that escort was composed exclusively of people who you already know and trust?" asked Funaho, "From what I've seen, you certainly don't lack for friends who are willing to put their lives on the line for you."

"Everyone who came out here with me did so because they recognize the severity of the threat posed by Kagato," Heero protested, "I'm not about to exploit their bravery and dedication by turning them into my personal guard. They all have lives of their own to get back to once this whole mess is dealt with. It wouldn't be right to bind them to me like Azaka and Kamidake are to Ayeka and Sasami."

"It doesn't have to be a permanent arrangement right now," Funaho countered, "While it's true that Azaka and Kamidake act as full-time guardians for Ayeka and Sasami, they're something a special case. For royals whose personal escorts in the past were made up of individual people rather than special entities like Azaka and Kamidake, it wasn't unheard of for many members to be rotated out. They would often serve for a certain period of time before being released while new protectors were recruited to serve in their stead. Such an arrangement could easily be made for you."

Heero shook his head. "I don't care about precedent. I care about my friends, and I don't like the idea of turning them into my bodyguards. I'd never ask them to take risks that I wouldn't take myself."

Funaho smiled. "The concern you show for your companions speaks volumes to your character. I respect your worries, I truly do, but you need to keep the bigger picture in mind. Just like with crafting your own Royal Treeship, assembling a Royal Guard would be another important step towards increasing your profile within the court and solidifying your legitimacy as an heir to the throne. That in turn will make it easier for figures like Admiral Fukunaga, Lady Seto and myself to rally additional supporters around you and Ayeka if your intent remains to back her rather than consolidate your own powerbase."

Heero sighed. "Even more playing politics?"

"Yes," Funaho conceded, "However, there's another benefit to this… one that would serve a certain dear companion of yours quite well."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "And that would be?"

"Clemency," Funaho answered, "It is tradition for anyone who joins a royal's escort to be granted a pardon for past misdeeds by the Emperor himself. I can think of one member of your party who's certainly in need of that."

"I thought Ryoko was to be forgiven for her crimes as a reward for her fighting against Kagato's faction," Heero pointed out.

"And she will be," Funaho replied, "but that was a promise to be fulfilled in the future, and the future is never certain. As of right now, Ryoko's in something of a legal limbo. Not pardoned, but not arrested either. Useful for the moment, but still a potential threat. It means her personal position is not secure, and since she's aligned with you, any nobles who oppose you can go after her as a proxy attack on you. I'm frankly surprised that none have tried to do so already."

"Is she not under the protection of the Emperor since she's helping us fight a threat to his power?" Heero asked.

Funaho shook her head. "Not in the way you seem to believe. He is not ordering the enforcement of the laws that would obligate her arrest, but neither is he declaring that she's completely immune. This legal grey area serves Azusa well, allowing him to use Ryoko's abilities in service to the Empire while still giving him the option to arrest her should he no longer view her as an asset."

"Rather slimy of him," Heero growled.

"Any good politician keeps their options open, and that's what Azusa's stance accomplishes here," Funaho argued, "Please understand that I'm not trying to excuse my husband's stance in this matter, though; I would personally prefer that he pardon Ryoko here and now. She's already demonstrated great courage in the fights at the first and second repository. In my eyes, any harm she's done to the Empire in the past is outweighed by the service she's performing now, and I have no doubt that she'll continue to fight alongside you against Kagato."

"So, her bravery's good enough for you, but not for the Emperor," Heero grumbled, "I suppose his gratitude only extends so far."

"You can force him to extend it to Ryoko properly," Funaho countered, "Announce that you're going to induct Ryoko into your Royal Guard, and Azusa will have no choice but to pardon her."

"Can't he override my choice of protectors?" asked Heero.

"No," Funaho answered firmly, "Juraian tradition is sacrosanct amongst the court, and on this matter it's clear; a royal has the right to pick their own protectors, and while others may object to the choices, ultimately it's that royal who has final say over the matter. Rumors will fly should you announce Ryoko as a member of your Royal Guard, but those would pale in comparison to the reaction Azusa would face if he forced you to recant your decision."

She then reached over with her other arm and placed a hand on Heero's shoulder. "I may not know what all has transpired between you and Ryoko, but it's clear to me that you care deeply for her. If you don't wish to play the Juraian marriage game and take her as a wife along with Ayeka, then taking her as your Royal Guard is the best possible way for you to protect her and keep her close. I urge you to do so as quickly as you can."

Heero appreciated her concern and could definitely understand the merits of her proposal, but he was still uneasy over it. "I'll consider it, but… I'm not going to force Ryoko into this. Something like this is an important choice, and I want it to be her decision to make."

Funaho smiled. "You're absolutely right… and if my read on her is correct, I think you'll be surprised by the answer you get."

….

Ryoko was idly munching on some snacks that had been brought out to the gazebo tables by servants when she caught sight of Heero coming her way. To say he looked preoccupied would've been quite the understatement; in Ryoko's eyes, Heero appeared to be wrestling with the metaphorical weight of the world. Then again, given their circumstances, he almost certainly was doing just that. Fortunately, the others had scattered across the gardens, leaving the pirate and her favorite soldier with the gazebo all to themselves.

"Hey," she said cautiously as he drew near, standing up and pulling out a chair for him, "You want to join me for a bite? You look like you could use it."

Heero blinked a couple of times, as if taken aback by Ryoko's preemptive hospitality. She supposed that she couldn't blame him; etiquette had never been her strong suite, but she'd endeavored to learn a bit, mostly for his sake.

"I… I would," he eventually answered before taking the seat she'd offered, "Thank you."

Ryoko gave him what she hoped looked like a friendly and relaxed smile as she sat down next to him. "Don't mention it. Looks like dealing with the Emperor took a lot out of you."

Heero closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "That obvious?"

Ryoko reached over and put her hand atop his. "You can't hide these things from me, Heero. Not anymore. I know you too well."

Heero actually smiled at that, though there was a hint of melancholy in the expression. "Do you, now? Better than most, I suppose… and less than you deserve. No thanks to me."

Now it was Ryoko's turn to blink in confusion. "Heero? Something wrong?"

Heero gave her a thoughtful look before answering. "Not with you. The fault lies with me."

Ryoko shook her head as she tried to puzzle things out. "I don't think you've done anything wrong."

"Oh, believe me, I have," Heero replied, "You've been dragged into one hell of a mess, one that you wouldn't be involved in at all if it weren't for me... and it's going to be quite some time yet before any of us are out of it."

Ryoko's eyes narrowed. "Heero, I chose to come along. Yeah, sure, I was living with you when Nagi's attack kicked off this whole mess, but just because I was under your 'observational custody' doesn't mean I didn't have a choice here. I'm here because I want to be, so ditch the self-blaming, you got that?"

Heero's eyes widened slightly before he respectfully inclined his head. "Of course. Forgive me. I didn't mean to discount your own agency in this matter."

Ryoko rolled her eyes before smiling. "Save the fancy talk. We're in this together, Heero, and I'm not leaving your side."

"My side…" Heero murmured as he regarded her for a moment, "Ryoko… that's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

Ryoko was curious. "Oh, yeah? What's up?"

He looked down for a moment, clearly conflicted. "I… what I'm going to ask you… it's strictly voluntary. If it's not something you want, just tell me. Believe me, I'd understand it."

"Okay, now you're making me nervous," said Ryoko, "Heero, whatever it is, just spit it out already. If I don't like it, I'll be straight with you. I always am, remember?"

Heero nodded, seemingly to reassure himself. "Right. Well, then… I was talking to Funaho earlier, and she brought up something concerning. Your status within the Empire… it's not as secure as we might like it."

Ryoko snorted. "Well, no kidding! I'm a pirate, and the only reason they haven't arrested me is because I'm useful to them right now. Even if they've said they'll pardon me after this mess with Kagato's taken care of, it's hard to think of a way we can get them to hold to that. Ayeka can talk about the Royal Family's honor all she wants, but I don't think the Emperor's nearly as high and mighty as she might think he is."

"Not a bad assessment," Heero complimented, "It mirrors my own. That being said, there is a way we can not only force him to honor it, but to make him grant you a pardon early. It wouldn't be contingent upon defeating Kagato, either."

Ryoko perked up. "Really?"

Heero held up a hand to curb her excitement. "There is still a catch, though."

"There always is," Ryoko replied, not particularly caring about that right now, "Come on, stop stalling. Give it to me already."

Heero took a deep breath. "Funaho… she wants me to have a Royal Guard… and I'd like for you to be its first member."

Ryoko blinked a few times as she tried to process what Heero had just said, not entirely sure if she'd heard him right. "Hold up… a Royal Guard for you… that includes me? A pirate protecting Jurai's newly discovered prince? Your great grandmother… the First Empress… wants someone like me guarding you?"

Heero met her gaze, and the intense look in his eyes caught Ryoko by surprise. "I want you guarding me so I can protect you in turn."

A surge of heat rushed to Ryoko's face. "Heero…"

"Funaho brought it up as a way to improve my standing in the court," Heero continued, "To be honest, though, I couldn't care less about the political side of it. The only thing that matters to me is the clemency aspect; if you agree to this and I make the announcement, the Emperor will have no choice but to pardon you during the ceremony. I'm sure he'll have his objections, but according to Juraian tradition not even the Emperor himself can override my choice of protectors. If I want you as my guardian, and you consent to it, you'll have clemency and genuine legal protection within the Empire. They can't come after you without coming after me, and I sure as hell won't make it easy for them."

Of all the things Heero could've proposed to Ryoko, her becoming the founding member of his Royal Guard had not been what she'd expected. It was completely out of left field, a wild notion that Ryoko would've shot down not too long ago…

…before she'd met the young man who had made the offer.

"I'm not going to force you into this, though," said Heero, "and even if you did say yes, it wouldn't have to be permanent. Once this whole mess with Kagato is done and we leave the Empire, you'd only have to ask and I'd release you immediately. The choice is entirely yours, Ryoko, and no matter what you decide I'll respect it."

Ryoko couldn't help but smile as she mulled it over, already imagining the most likely reaction of Ayeka, not to mention that of the court. "A potential heir to the throne making a notorious criminal his bodyguard… talk about a scandal! The aristocrats are going to lose their minds. I'm in!"

Heero's eyes widened slightly. "Ryoko… I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this isn't really something you should just jump into. I think some careful consideration should be in order."

Ryoko laughed. "Screw that! Come on, Heero; it's me we're talking about here. Since when do I 'carefully consider' anything?"

Heero sighed in exasperation. "Ryoko, please try to be serious about this."

"I am being serious about this," Ryoko replied, "I get a pardon along with an excuse to stay close to you? Easy call in my book. Getting to watch the nobles flip out is just going to be bonus."

Heero actually chuckled at that. "I can definitely understand the sentiment. That being said… Ryoko, I know how much you value your freedom. Becoming my Royal Guard means trading that in for being tied to me, at least for as long as you hold that position. I just don't want you to agree to something that you might regret down the line."

"Even if what you want is for me to take the position?" Ryoko asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you to agree to this," Heero confessed, "but that's mostly because I want to make sure you have solid legal protection for the rest of our stay in the Empire. You've already been protecting me in our field operations, and I know you'd continue to do so whether or not I made you my official guardian. I want to keep the Empire from backstabbing you, and you becoming my Royal Guard is the best way to accomplish that. Even so, I refuse to do without your consent. This is your choice, Ryoko. No matter what you decide, I just want it to be a decision that you're happy with."

Looking around to make sure no one else was watching them, Ryoko then leaned over and gave Heero a quick kiss on the cheek. "That's sweet of you, but I've already made up my mind. You want me as your bodyguard? I'd take that job even without the pardon that comes with it. You looked out for me while we were on Earth and have kept doing that ever since we left. The least I can do is return the favor."

"This isn't about favors," Heero protested, "I think you and I are well past that by now."

"Fine, then I'm doing it because I want to," Ryoko shot back, "Simple as that."

Heero looked at her for a long moment before cracking a small smile. "Thank you, Ryoko."

"Don't mention it," said Ryoko, "I do have one condition, though."

Heero nodded. "That's fair. What is it?"

Ryoko grinned deviously. "I want to be the one to break the news to Ayeka, just so I can see the look on her face!"

Heero sighed. "I do wish you two would get along better. I don't like you rubbing something like this in her face… but if it's your single condition to becoming my Royal Guard, then I'll abide by it. Just try not to rib on her too hard, okay?"

Ryoko winked. "No promises!"

….

March 21st, A.C. 199

As she took her seat at the conference table, Washu cast an approving look at Heero and Ryoko. Funaho had notified her yesterday of the suggestion she'd given to Heero regarding forming a Royal Guard, so Washu hadn't been completely caught off guard when Ryoko had made the announcement that morning, but she had been surprised with how decisively Heero forced the issue. He'd wasted no time in putting the Emperor on the spot, and though Azusa had tried to dissuade Heero and suggest different candidates, the Preventer operative had not budged. Knowing a losing battle when he saw one, Azusa had ultimately relented and conducted the ceremony right then and there. Now, here was Ryoko, sitting to the right of Heero at the conference table with a proud smile on her face, no longer simply just another member of his retinue but with an official position and a clean legal slate.

This should make operating within the Empire a little bit easier, Washu thought as she smiled at Heero and Ryoko, Azusa looking like he had food poisoning while he conducted the ceremony was just a bonus.

Glancing over at Ayeka, Washu fought to suppress a chuckle as she saw Jurai's crown princess openly stare at Heero and Ryoko in a strange state between jealousy and utter shock. It certainly wasn't helped by the smug looks the pirate kept shooting her way, and part of Washu wished that her daughter would show a bit more maturity, yet the devious side of her couldn't help but enjoy the show. Washu had feared a blowup on Ayeka's part, but luckily Quatre was staying by her side and acting as a calming influence. Heero would still have a lot of work to do if he wanted to smooth things over between Ayeka and Ryoko, though, and Washu could only hope that the young man's diplomatic skills were up to the challenge. He'd managed the two women well enough back on Earth, but now the stakes were infinitely higher.

At least Ayeka was the only princess who Heero would have to worry about. Sasami had been quite enthusiastic about the announcement, and Misaki had been forced to restrain her from cheering loudly during the ceremony. Now the younger princess was sitting to Ryoko's right, with Ryo-Ohki happily laying on the table between them while Sasami scratched behind her ears. Washu was pleased to see her daughter's growing fondness for Sasami, even if much of it was driven simply by sympathy for the girl's unique situation.

I wonder what Tsunami thinks of all this, Washu mused, I suppose she never had any objections to Ryoko. Maybe she'll be able to help her with her powers. She always had a knack for providing insight and counsel, and Ryoko will definitely need that after I give her the second gem.

Washu still had concerns regarding her plan to give the second gem to Ryoko, but there was simply no choice in the matter. Things were quickly coming to a head, and her daughter would need the power boost. All the more so now that she was officially Heero's protector.

The rest of the gang had already taken their seats around the table, along with both the First and Second Empresses. Only the Emperor and Admiral Fukunaga were missing, and Washu had caught sight of them conferring earlier in the throne room. They'd be along shortly, and then the briefing could get under way.

Looking around the table, she saw Duo lean back and stretch his arms. "Hope this doesn't take too long."

"It's not like we have any other pressing engagements at the moment," Hilde pointed out.

"Flight training's always a pressing engagement," Trowa countered.

"Beats the hell out of meetings," Wufei concurred.

Quatre sighed. "Come on, guys. I know this isn't our usual thing, but it's important."

"I'm hungry!" chirped Mihoshi.

Kiyone rolled her eyes. "Mihoshi, we just had breakfast like half an hour ago."

"But I'm nervous, and I get hungry when I'm nervous!" Mihoshi protested.

"Meow!" Ryo-Ohki cried out in agreement.

Sasami giggled as she scratched beneath the living starship's chin. "Ryo-Ohki, I already gave you two carrots today! You can wait a bit."

Ryoko chuckled. "Two carrots will never be enough for her. I don't think any number would be."

"As greedy as her master," Ayeka huffed.

Ryoko shot the crown princess a taunting grin. "You got that right. Food, riches, now titles; we'll take it all!"

"To think that the likes of Ryoko is now in our line of work," Azaka murmured.

"I never would've imagined a pirate becoming a Royal Guard," Kamidake remarked, "How in the name of Tsunami has this come to pass?"

Funaho casually shrugged, though not before shooting a knowing smile at Heero and Ryoko. "Stranger things have happened in Jurai's long history. This is barely more than a blip on the radar… albeit a rather interesting one."

Misaki giggled. "I'll say! Mother will have a field day when news of this reaches her ears, assuming it hasn't already."

"Glad I can keep you all entertained," Heero quipped.

It was at that moment that Azusa and Mayumi finally entered the conference room. Ryoko reluctantly rose with the others in greeting. Washu knew that Ryoko hated standing on ceremony, but her daughter understood that it now was expected of her given her new position. Washu saw the Emperor shoot a scowl Ryoko's way, and the pirate-turned-Royal Guard replied with a smug smirk; he'd been most reluctant to perform the ceremony knighting her as the first member of Heero's Royal Guard, and she'd enjoyed every second of watching him squirm. Washu was right there with her.

You can't touch her now, big guy, she thought with satisfaction, Ryoko's protected by your Empire's laws, her crimes have all been pardoned, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it! Better get used to having her around, at least whenever Heero's in town.

As much as Washu enjoyed the fact that Ryoko could treat her elevation as essentially one giant troll of the Royal Family and aristocracy, in truth she knew that her normally devil-may-care daughter took her new responsibilities quite seriously. It wasn't as if she'd required any incentive in the past to watch Heero's back, but there was a new urgency to it now. Before the ceremony, Funaho had pulled both Washu and Ryoko aside to make it quite clear that this position would be far more than just for show.

"My great grandson's reputation is growing, and with it comes an escalation in the threats he faces," she said, "Kagato is far from the only enemy he needs to worry about, but I know that's the one he's focused on. It's your job now to look out for the threats that he may not see coming. As a criminal, you know who and what can lurk in the shadows, and I assure you that the nobles do as well. Many of them will have no compunctions about reaching out to the underworld for pawns to test Heero with. His life is now in your hands."

Would any of the aristocrats be so brazen as to make an attempt on Heero's life within the palace itself? Washu wasn't willing to rule anything out. Most nobles were, in her eyes, as slimy as they came. It was all too easy for her to imagine one of them contracting a hitman, and Heero had already made at least a few notable enemies as early as his debut ball. Even so, she doubted that any of them would try to launch an attack while Heero was in the presence of the Emperor himself. The risk of something going wrong was far too high, and the security within the heart of the palace was incredibly tight.

As both Washu and Ryoko looked furtively around the room to make sure no one had followed the Emperor and Admiral inside, Azusa addressed the gathering. "Thank you for your patience. Admiral Fukunaga has finished briefing me on the current status of the Second Fleet. We can begin this meeting straightaway."

The Emperor took a seat, with everyone else following suit. Washu had AIDA's chip at the ready; her AI would be driving the presentation today. However, she didn't insert it into the console at her part of the table just yet. Azusa was already in a less than pleasant move thanks to the earlier ceremony, and preempting him would likely not help matters.

Heero, however, didn't seem to have Washu's reservations. "How are repairs coming along, Admiral? Will the Second Fleet be in fighting shape when we take the field again?"

"The Second Fleet is always in fighting shape, Your Highness," Mayumi replied, "That being said, it will be some time before we're back up to full strength. We'll be keeping the dockworkers busy for a while, and I'm not above admitting that we'll need help during the next operation."

Heero nodded. "That's about what I figured. How much of Jurai's military power will be at our disposal for the strike on the third repository?"

"Depends on how much we need to retain for threats closer to home," Mayumi answered, "Given the nature of our adversary, it's not just at the repositories where our forces will be required to deploy."

"All too true," Funaho reluctantly concurred, "especially given the report I just received this morning. Reservists stationed in the Kiryuin branch family's core territories are being called up, and mothballed warships are undergoing rapid conversion back to operational status."

Misaki's eyes widened. "So soon? I thought we had more time."

"We do," Funaho reassured her, "Kagato's being cautious about this; he's not bringing all of his assets online at once. Official announcements are framing this as increasing anti-pirate patrols. Lies, of course, but ones that are easy enough for him to sell to any neutral nobles and therefore maintain a semblance of deniability as to his true intentions."

"We know his damn intentions already," Ryoko interjected, "We've fought him twice now! What more's needed for the Empire to take some damn action and arrest his ass already?"

"Our helmets have active sensors and data recorders," Quatre pointed out, "and they were running when Kagato made his little speech at the first repository. They were still active when we fought his entourage at the second one. If you require any supporting evidence to bring charges against him, we have all the data you'd need."

"It's not a matter of charges or evidence," Funaho replied grimly, "Battlelines have already been drawn, and those nobles who are in Kagato's camp know full well what his true intentions are. We may be able to sway some of the fence-sitters, but at this point an attempt to arrest him, let alone a trial, would be little more than a farce."

Ayeka sighed. "I'm afraid Lady Funaho is right. While I am normally loathe to cast stones upon the Empire's legal system, when it comes to trying aristocrats of any sort, it can be… well, a circus. Going after a cadet branch royal in the courts, even when the charges are well substantiated, would just give us one giant headache."

"One that Kagato could use to buy more time as he mobilizes his forces," Mayumi added, "Besides, any verdict rendered by the courts won't be worth the paper it's written on should he get his hands on the Array."

"Then let's forget the courts and strike him directly," said Wufei, "We know the threat he poses, and the Empire has the advantage of numbers and firepower. Bring down an armada on his seat of power and be done with it."

Azusa bristled. "And trigger a full-blown civil war in the process?"

"Civil war is upon you already, Your Majesty," Trowa pointed out, "It simply hasn't been openly declared yet."

"He's right," Duo chimed in, "We've already fought the opening skirmishes."

"All of which were outside the Empire's borders," Quatre countered as he studied the Emperor intently, "Striking directly at Kagato's base of operations within the Empire is another matter altogether."

Azusa inclined his head. "You speak the truth. While are already in conflict with Kagato, the fighting has remained mostly beyond the Empire's frontier, which has thus far spared Jurai's citizens the horrors of war."

"Those serving in the Second Fleet would beg to differ," Hilde bitterly shot back, "They lost a lot of people at the repository."

"Losses that we were prepared to take for the sake of the mission," Mayumi gently and solemnly riposted, "We fought out there so that our friends and families would not have to experience that fighting on the home front."

Heero folded his arms. "And that's your strategy going forward, isn't it? Wait until Kagato's forces move outside the Empire's borders and fight them there."

"It'll be the cleanest way to fight this war," said Azusa.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, there's no such thing as a 'clean' war," Kiyone remarked.

"You of all people should know that," Washu added as she locked gazes with the Emperor.

Azusa met her glare with one of his own before sighing heavily a moment later. "Indeed, I do. Nevertheless, I will endeavor to keep as much of the fighting out of Juraian space as possible."

"Then it's all the more crucial that we confront Kagato decisively at the third repository," Heero interjected, "It's not enough for us to simply claim the data before him. If we want to bring this undeclared war to an end before conflagration sweeps the entire Empire, then we need sufficient forces to meet his loyalists in the field head on and crush them."

"On that, we are in agreement, Prince Heero," said Mayumi, "I have already put calls out to my fellow fleet commanders. When the Second Fleet sorties again, it will not be doing so alone."

"What sort of opposition can we expect?" asked Yosho.

"For that, perhaps it would be best to start with the third repository's defenses," Mayumi replied, her gaze turning towards Washu.

Washu nodded and raised AIDA's core chip so everyone could see it. "Is everyone ready?"

Azusa inclined his head. "Begin."

Washu inserted the chip into the table console. The lights in the conference room dimmed, with primary illumination now coming from the sapphire holographic pixy that sprang to life from the table's central projector.

AIDA bowed to the Emperor in greeting. "Your Majesty, it's a pleasure to see you again. I regret that it's not under better circumstances."

Azusa nodded. "As do I. Please, share what data we need."

AIDA glanced at Washu, and her creator gave her a small nod. A much brighter blue light shone from the central projector, quickly resolving itself into a massive floating disk with many curved arms; the Milky Way Galaxy. Two blinking orange dots appeared, each practically on opposite ends of the disk from each other, and AIDA started with them.

"These are the first and second repositories," said the artificial intelligence, "As you're all well aware, the second repository's defenses were markedly more potent than those of the first. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that trend continues for the third."

"We expected as much," Mayumi casually remarked.

Ayeka shook her head and sighed heavily. "Always an escalation… I dread to imagine the price Jurai will pay to claim the data held by the third repository."

"Knowing Washu, the interior defenses are going to be just as nasty as the exterior ones!" Azaka bemoaned.

"How many gauntlets must we run?" Kamidake lamented.

Azusa gave them a harsh look. "Are you Royal Guardians or mewling brats? I expect my daughters' protectors to be made of sterner stuff than this."

"Forgive us, Your Majesty!" Azaka and Kamidake squeaked in unison.

"Father, be nice to them!" Sasami pleaded, "They always do their best!"

Azusa's expression softened considerably, and he almost looked proud of his youngest daughter's intercession. "Well, seeing as they have protected you and Ayeka thus far… I suppose I can ease up on them a little bit. Even so, I will not tolerate either of them shirking their duties; I expect both to leap right into the fire with Ayeka once again, since I know keeping her out of the action is a fool's errand."

Ayeka smiled proudly. "You're most certainly correct in that regard, Father."

"My interior defenses will give both you and your guardians a workout, I promise you that much," Washu interjected, "However, that's all a moot point if we can't contend with the exterior defenses first."

"Simply getting there may be somewhat problematic," AIDA noted, "Observe."

A blinking red dot appeared on the map, its position forming a rough triangle with the prior orange dots. Washu already knew what the issue was going to be, and from the looks on Funaho, Misaki, Yosho, Azusa, Ayeka, Kiyone and Mayumi's faces, so did they. The others, however, were blissfully ignorant.

Mihoshi was the first to give voice to that ignorance. "I don't see what the problem is. That looks like a pretty remote region of space. It might take a bit of time to get to from Jurai, but that's no big deal."

Kiyone groaned. "Mihoshi… you of all people should be able to see what the problem is here!"

Mihoshi turned to her partner and blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about, Kiyone?"

Kiyone sighed in exasperation before turning to the artificial intelligence handling the briefing. "AIDA, do you mind illustrating the point for her?"

The holographic fairy gave Kiyone a sympathetic smile. "Of course, Kiyone."

A large patch of the map suddenly became a sea of blinking green stars as AIDA continued her presentation. "This is the Empire of Jurai. The third repository is to the galactic southwest, and a considerable distance away at that. Mihoshi, you're right in that travel will take a while, and also that the journey's time is no major issue. None of us present are concerned about that, though. What worries us is the power that lies along the most direct path between the Empire of Jurai and the third repository."

A large swath of stars bordering Jurai starting from the southwest and stretching upwards suddenly became purple. Washu closed her eyes for a moment as memories from long ago flashed through her mind. To her, those stars were more than just places on the galactic map, and the people who lived there were more than just fellow citizens of the wider universe. A fair number of them could, thanks to some 'youthful' indiscretions on Washu's part, actually trace their ancestry back to her.

"This is the Seniwa Domain," AIDA explained patiently as she fixed a certain cute and well-meaning but definitely ditzy Galaxy Police officer in her gaze, "Mihoshi, perhaps now you understand the complications we are facing here?"

Mihoshi smiled. "Oh, that's what you're worried about? I can just talk to my family and they'll smooth things over. It'll be fine!"

Washu saw Heero turn to her quizzically. "Am I missing something here? Mihoshi, I know that your grandfather is the Grand Marshall of the Galaxy Police, but I fail to see how that helps us out with traversing an independent galactic power like the Seniwa Domain."

"Does he have connections there we can use?" Quatre asked.

Mihoshi giggled. "Well, yeah; the rest of my family! The Seniwa Domain is ruled by the Kuramitsu Clan!"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Washu nearly burst out laughing as she saw the eyes of Heero and all his friends from Earth widen in shock as they looked upon Mihoshi. It wasn't often that she got to see Yosho's grandson in particular get caught so spectacularly flatfooted, and she wanted to savor every second of it.

To be fair to the Earthlings, they weren't the only ones who needed a moment to process this information; if Ryoko's stammering was any indication, she hadn't done her homework. "Wait a second… Mihoshi… Kuramitsu… you're… one of those Kuramitsus?"

"Yup!" Mihoshi chirped.

Washu fought hard to repress a smirk as she watched her daughter then round on Kiyone. "You mean your clueless partner is an heiress of one of the most powerful families in the galaxy, and you didn't feel like letting us in on that? Even I knew to watch out for Seniwa forces back when I was doing… well, what I did best. No one in the pirate scene wanted to mess with those Kuramitsus!"

Kiyone simply shrugged. "It was never really important until now. Sorry."

Quatre looked over at Heero. "Heero, you didn't know any of this? I thought Ayeka was tutoring you in galactic politics, and the Kuramitsus sound like pretty major players."

Ayeka sighed. "I… hadn't yet gotten to the Kuramitsus or the Seniwa Domain in my lessons for Lord Heero. Clearly, this was due to negligence on my part. Please forgive me, Lord Heero."

Heero shook his head. "No need to apologize, Ayeka. The lessons I requested from you were specifically on the inner workings of the Empire of Jurai, not galactic politics as a whole, and what you've taught me so far has focused on Jurai just as I asked. You've done nothing wrong."

"Just how powerful is the Seniwa Domain?" asked Trowa.

"On the galactic political stage, they're second only to Jurai," Funaho explained, "They're a major player in both economic and security circles."

"The Galaxy Police gets no small measure of its funding from the Seniwa Domain," Misaki added.

"Explains why Mihoshi's grandfather is the Grand Marshall of the Galaxy Police," Wufei noted.

"Seniwa Domain shipyards are amongst the most productive in the galaxy," Ayeka elaborated, "They supply the Galaxy Police with a significant portion of their vessels, ranging from patrol craft to battleships. Of course, those shipyards also provide for the Seniwa Domain's own navy, and their armada is very powerful. Only the Empire of Jurai could hope to take them in a straight up fight… and I imagine victory would be achieved only through a steep price paid in blood."

"Are they… friendly with the Empire?" asked Duo nervously.

"Friendly enough to not throw their weight behind Kagato?" Hilde added urgently.

Azusa's brow furrowed. "The answer to both of those questions is rather complicated."

"The Seniwa Domain is somewhere between a perpetual competitor with the Empire of Jurai and an ally with us," Funaho explained, "As the two largest galactic powers, we're both naturally always seeking to expand our spheres of economic and political influence, which unfortunately does lead to our respective nations butting heads on occasion. That being said, we've always strived to cooperate in matters of security, and we have strong trade ties with them as well. Our forces often conduct joint anti-piracy operations, along with staging interventions in conflict zones where our interests align."

"The Imperial Fleet has a good working relationship with our Seniwa counterparts," Mayumi added, "Perhaps there's some rivalry between us, but we're always able to put that aside and do the jobs that are required of us. Even so, the Seniwa Domain's fleets are fiercely territorial, and they won't take kindly to our forces passing through their borders without permission."

"What about Kagato's forces?" asked Heero.

Funaho shook her head. "Forces of a rogue entity like him would be even less welcome than ours."

"Something Kagato would be well aware of," Misaki remarked.

"Meaning he'd also plan for it," Washu noted, "We can't be certain that he hasn't reached out to them in some capacity."

Funaho reluctantly nodded. "That is a distinct possibility. While our current relations with the Seniwa Domain are in good standing, they have factions within their political elite just like we do, including an old-school hardliner clique that clings to ancient rivalries like the most determined of barnacles."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Ancient rivalries?"

Azusa sighed. "Though the Empire of Jurai and the Seniwa Domain have stable diplomatic and security relations now, in times past it wasn't so. Our respective nations have fought our share of border skirmishes and turf wars, but the last major conflict between us was many thousands of years ago. The fires of that war died long before I had even ascended to the throne."

"You or your predecessor," said Misaki with an exasperated shake of her head, "We've enjoyed thousands of years of peace with the Seniwa Domain since, yet there's still a set of bitter reactionaries within their elite who would like nothing more than to inflame past hatreds. It's all so pointless, really."

"Pointless grudges can still cause real problems," Yosho reminded Misaki before turning to Funaho, "That hardliner clique; are they in a position of serious political influence?"

"Our latest intelligence shows that they remain on the margins of Seniwa's political scene," Funaho replied, "Of course, that could always change, particularly with a sufficient application of outside funding and disinformation. It would not be out of character in the slightest for Kagato to provide both of those."

"Such a campaign would take time to reach full potency, though," Washu argued, "Time is not on anyone's side here."

Funaho nodded. "True enough."

"So, we either find a way to convince the Seniwa Domain to allow us to pass through their territory while denying Kagato the same passage rights, or we go around," said Heero, "AIDA, what's the difference in travel times between the respective routes?"

"Considerable," AIDA answered as she plotted two courses, "The direct path through the Seniwa Domain's territory would only take about 50 standard hours or so. Diverting around their borders, though, ups the journey's length to nearly 90."

"Nearly twice as long," Duo muttered under his breath.

"Every hour counts, given the nature of our target," Trowa remarked.

"Is there any chance of us securing travel rights for the direct approach?" asked Quatre.

"I have backchannel connections within the Seniwa Domain that I can reach out to upon the conclusion of this meeting," said Funaho as she scratched her chin in thought, "It'll at least get the ball rolling for diplomacy, but… well, even the most direct route's not a straight shot. That means whatever fleet we dispatch will have to stop within Seniwa territory to adjust its course before making the next FTL jump. A Juraian armada reverting to real space in the middle of the Domain is most assuredly not going to go unnoticed."

"If the fleet's in and out quickly, what does it matter?" asked Ryoko, "We'd only be passing through, and we could just take the long way back once we're done at the repository. It might ruffle some feathers, but we can deal with that."

Ayeka's eyes practically bulged out of her head in dismay. "Ruffle some feathers? Do you even hear yourself? This isn't the same as you sneaking Ryo-Ohki through an Imperial picket line, Ryoko! The ramifications of such trespass would be profound. Wars have been started over lesser offenses!"

"Ayeka's right on this one," said Heero, "We need to tread damn carefully here. Empress Funaho, your connections within the Seniwa Domain… how high up do they go?"

Washu watched as Heero's great grandmother smiled. "To the very top. I can't guarantee that they'll sign off on what we want without a fuss, though, and I can all but promise that they'll want something in return if they do agree to play ball."

"You'll have the authority to negotiate on my behalf, Funaho," said Azusa, "I trust you'll be able to reach a suitable agreement with the Seniwa Domain."

Funaho inclined her head. "I shall do my utmost to ensure that the negotiations bear fruit, Your Majesty."

Misaki gave her fellow Empress a confident smile. "You can do it, Sis!"

Funaho gave Misaki a warm smile. "I certainly hope so."

"I wish you the best of luck on the diplomatic front," AIDA politely interjected, "In the meantime, may we move on to the repository itself? I can assure you that its defenses will require far more than a silver tongue to get through."

Azusa nodded. "We expected as much. Please, continue."

AIDA floated over towards the blinking red dot on the map. "The star system located here was given the designation RP-X378529. Just as with the previous repositories, it was of no interest to any major parties… well, before this whole fiasco, at any rate."

The holographic projector flashed as the galactic map was replaced by one of the star system in question. At first glance, it wasn't much to look at. A B-type main-sequence star, in this case a blue giant, dominated the center. Orbiting it were five planets, with the two inner ones being little more than large and very hot balls or rock while the outer three were all gas giants, with the middle possessing such brilliant and thick rings that they made those of Saturn look like cheap knockoffs by comparison.

"Ancient survey records from the Empire of Jurai, the Seniwa Domain and the Galactic Mining Guild all came to the same conclusion regarding RP-X378529," AIDA continued, "Namely, that it's worthless. There are rich mineral veins on the two innermost worlds, but the temperature extremes are such that even the most hardened of mining equipment and drones wouldn't last more than a few minutes before being reduced to molten slag. The rings of the middle gas giant did appear more promising for a time, but the system's so far out of the way that it just wasn't considered economical to invest in operations for returns that would start diminishing in fairly short order."

"Criminals might still take interest in such an isolated system," Kiyone noted.

AIDA shook her head. "Not this one. It's too far removed from even the most dead-end of galactic trade routes. There are plenty of remote systems that are still much closer to established regions of commerce and possessing sufficient stellar obstacles and debris to serve as cover for any pirates, smugglers or other ruffians looking to establish a base of operations away from prying eyes."

"Where's the repository?" asked Heero.

"Here," AIDA answered, and the map suddenly zoomed in on the middle of the three gas giants.

The hologram's focus became the rings of the gas giant in question, and a blinking red dot appeared. Adjusting the projection, AIDA quickly zoomed in on the dot until it became not a dot at all, but a massive octahedron monolith floating amongst chunks of ice and rock.

Duo whistled. "Well, now… that's something new."

"I'll say," Quatre murmured as he leaned closer to get a better look, "AIDA, just how big is this thing?"

"The monolith is forty kilometers in height from tip to tip," AIDA replied, "and forty kilometers in width."

Ayeka's jaw nearly hit the table. "By Tsunami… you could park a dreadnought inside that object!"

"Why the need for such a large facility?" asked Trowa, "If it serves the same function as the previous two repositories, then such size for the third makes no sense."

"That's because it's more than just a data storage center," Washu chimed in, "It's part of the Preservation Program."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Preservation Program? You've lost me."

Washu sighed deeply. "Although I designed and built the Judgement Array to end the Imperial Civil War, I knew that I was creating a weapon capable of rendering entire ecosystems devoid of life. The Preservation Program was conceived as a measure to counteract at least some of the damage that I knew would be done. In addition to the data that we'll need to find the Gate of the Arbiters and, by extension, the control center for the entire Array, that monolith was designed to house one of several genetic material repositories. Replication facilities are also included, along with artificial habitats to allow for species acclimatization before specimens were transported back to their homeworlds to begin repopulation efforts."

Azusa's harsh gaze fixed upon her. "This is the first time I've heard of this scheme."

"Because I kept it hidden from you," Washu casually elaborated, "I set up the entire infrastructure in secret. Automated shipyards to build the transports, specialized stealth drones to collect the genetic samples; all that and more, I did behind your back. It would never be enough to make up for the countless lifeforms that we rendered extinct when the Array was fired, but… I wanted to plant the seeds for life to grow anew. After the Array was activated, your forces ran brief reconnaissance sorties over the effected worlds to confirm that the deed was done before declaring them off-limits to all. That gave me the space I needed to enact the reseeding phase of the Preservation Program."

Azusa's eyes narrowed. "I issued the off-limits order on your recommendation. At the time, you advised me that we needed to keep the general public from finding out the truth regarding how we actually ended the war."

Washu smiled. "That was one reason why I advised you to cordon off those worlds, yes."

"You used me," the Emperor growled.

Washu shrugged. "Just as you used me to build the damn weapon in the first place. Our working relationship was purely transactional, and you knew that from the beginning. Funny how nothing's really changed since then, eh?"

Azusa folded his arms. "Should I order elements of the Imperial Fleet to examine those worlds now, what might they find?"

"Fragile gardens, slowly spreading," Washu replied, "The work of the Preservation Program was never going to be enough for complete biosphere recovery. I was only able to bring certain regions of the affected planets back to life. Still, life does find a way, given enough time. Let a few thousand years pass, and I'll wager what we'll find on those worlds will be quite remarkable."

"I want to see them sometime!" Sasami chirped, "Life returning to ruined worlds, slowly spreading… it sounds amazing."

Washu regarded the young princess with interest. Sasami was clearly speaking of her own accord, but the sentiment she'd given voice was perfectly in line with how Washu knew Tsunami tended to think.

Their merger might be further along that I'd previously suspected, Washu mused, or perhaps Sasami's simply much more like Tsunami than I had originally thought…

"Maybe we can arrange a private trip someday," said Misaki, "If life is coming back to those worlds, then I think it should be studied."

Azusa sighed heavily. "Those worlds will remain off limits… even to members of the Royal Family. Too many people in recent days have already learned the truth that was meant to remained hidden. If the Empire of Jurai is to survive, that truth cannot spread further."

"With all due respect, Father, I fail to see how we can continue to hide it," Ayeka argued, "Especially given the nature of the threat that the Empire faces now."

Azusa gave his eldest daughter a stern look. "Ayeka, surely you must understand why that truth has been kept suppressed. If our citizens learned that we commissioned a superweapon to end the Imperial Civil War, one that scoured worlds belonging to Jurai and rendered them lifeless…"

"It would undermine our reign?" Ayeka finished for him, her voice taking on a surprisingly sharp tone, "It would cause the people to question the decisions our family has made in ruling the Empire? Given the staggering bloodshed that the final act of the Imperial Civil War involved, perhaps our stewardship of Jurai should be questioned!"

Azusa looked genuinely taken aback by the crown princess's suddenly confrontational turn. "Ayeka…"

For her part, Ayeka took a deep breath before continuing. "Father… I understand that hard choices had to be made back then, just as they do now. However, that does not change the fact that countless lives were snuffed out with but a single command and action, and you cannot tell me honestly that every single person killed by the firing of the Array deserved such a fate. That's not even getting into all the non-sentient life that was slaughtered in its firing. Your order to fire the Array ended a horrific war, but the means by which the conflict was concluded was no less horrific. Our family committed the worst war crime in galactic history, and we don't have the courage to even acknowledge it."

"We have far more important things to worry about at the moment than an accounting for past sins," Azusa argued, sounding more than a bit defensive.

Ayeka shot him a glare. "Believe me, I am well aware of that. Rest assured that I will do all I can to save both Jurai and the galaxy from Kagato and the Array. When this is all over, though, there must be a reckoning. We have gone too long without one."

The Emperor studied his daughter for a very long moment. "You've never been this combative with me in the past… what brought about this change?"

Washu looked on as Ayeka turned to Heero and smiled. "My time on Earth was very educational. I had a host who was gracious enough to do more than simply look after me, but to teach me. The Empire of Jurai needs to change, father, and what I learned on Earth can help facilitate that change."

The crown princess then turned back to her father, and her expression hardened. "Father… I love you, and I always will. That being said, I'm afraid that I can no longer be merely the dutiful successor that you wanted me to be. When this crisis is resolved, reforms will be needed within the Empire to ensure that our internal strife does not pose such a grave threat to the galaxy again. Jurai needs to evolve, and I intend to become a driving force for positive change."

Azusa was quiet for several seconds before he eventually inclined his head in respect. "If that is the path you seek to walk in the future, then I look forward to seeing where it takes you."

He took that better than I'd expected, Washu thought, Ayeka, it seems even a stubborn old mule like your father can adapt with the times… eventually.

Ayeka nodded at her father before turning to AIDA. "That being said, we do indeed have more pressing concerns that must be attended to. AIDA, where would our point of entry be on this monolith?"

Two blinking yellow dots appeared on each side of the octahedron's equatorial edge as AIDA responded. "Unlike the previous repositories, we're not limited to simply one entrance. This facility has eight primary hangars, each with more than sufficient space to house vessels such as the Yagami or Ryo-Ohki. Any of them would suit our purposes just fine."

"Nice," Wufei remarked, "We can keep our options open."

"How would we get in, though?" asked Trowa, "These hangars must have defenses."

"I have the stand down codes needed to bypass them," Washu chimed in, "We'll need to transmit them over a particular frequency, but I can provide that when the time comes. There's a catch that comes with that, though; the facility's systems will only accept the stand down codes if they're broadcasted by a ship that's within a certain range… and that range is close."

"How close are we talking?" Duo inquired.

A red ring appeared around the octahedron as AIDA spoke. "Thirty kilometers or less."

Mayumi grimaced. "That's practically point-blank-range for most anti-ship weapons. Even a relatively small craft like a Galaxy Police patrol cruiser won't be able to get into that position before it's blown to bits."

"It might not have to," Quatre interjected with a sly smile, "Washu, those codes; they can be transmitted by any craft, right?"

Washu nodded, pleased to see that the L4 native was one step ahead of the others. "They can. I'll forward them to each of your fighters. Once you boys get in range, you can then trigger the stand down. However, there's another catch here."

"Isn't there always?" Ryoko deadpanned.

Heero looked concerned. "That catch being?"

Washu sighed. "The stand down codes will only work for the monolith's innermost ring of defenses. They won't work on the outer ones, and getting through those will be no easy task."

The gaze Heero fixed her with was one of grim resignation. "How bad are we talking here?"

Washu took a deep breath before meeting Heero's eyes with a somber look. "Bad enough to make the last one look like a walk in the park."

….

Heero had known going in that tackling the third repository's defenses would be a hefty challenge, but Washu's foreboding expression still caught him off guard. It was rare to see her look so anxious and grim, as if she were positively dreading what was to come.

Bracing for the worst, Heero leaned forward as AIDA adjusted the holoprojection again. The map zoomed out from the monolith, but only so far as to show the entirety of the gas giant within whose rings the third repository was nestled.

"Now, it's time to play a game we all know and hate," said AIDA, "I have good news and bad news. What do you want first?"

"Let's start with the good news," Quatre answered.

"Ever the optimist," Duo muttered.

AIDA nodded. "As you wish. The good news is that the third repository's outer defenses are all concentrated within the rings of this gas giant."

"In other words, they don't span the entire system like the drone swarms of the previous one," said Trowa.

"That actually is good news," Wufei chimed in, "It gives the Second Fleet and any other supporting forces much greater freedom to maneuver and pull back if they have to."

"They'll also have greater options with reversion points from FTL to real space," Hilde remarked.

"At first glance, that would indeed be accurate," said AIDA, "However, as is often the case these days, appearances can be deceptive."

"Is this where we get the bad news?" asked Ryoko.

"Unfortunately, yes," AIDA confirmed.

The rings around the gas giant suddenly lit up scores of red dots. Broad scarlet cones emanated from the rings, encompassing a disturbingly large chunk of the star system. Heero's mind instantly leapt to an alarming conclusion; those cones represented firing arcs. Very broad firing arcs, and with a worryingly long range.

Mayumi's brow furrowed. "What are those?"

"The outermost line of defense," AIDA answered, "and the most immediate threat to the Second Fleet and any other naval forces that will be involved in this operation."

The hologram shifted again, this time zooming in on a section of the gas giant's rings. Several of the red dots became what at first glance appeared to be little more than large chunks of rock, but Heero's sharp eyes immediately picked up the tube-like openings on their ends.

"Those rocks are concealing anti-ship weaponry, aren't they?" Heero surmised.

AIDA bowed in his direction. "Quite astute, Heero. The planetary rings are concealing an entire network of extremely high-yield plasma cannons with overlapping fields of fire. A single shot from one of these bad boys can take out an entire destroyer. I'm sure you don't need me to extrapolate from there what concentrated fire from multiple emplacements can do to larger vessels."

Mayumi grimaced. "How many are there?"

"Surrounding the planet? Hundreds at least," AIDA replied, "and bear in mind that though this intelligence does come from the second repository's databanks, it may not be a complete picture. There is the distinct possibility that even more cannons are concealed within the rings."

Azusa turned to Mayumi. "Admiral Fukunaga, can our forces contend with such weapons?"

Mayumi slowly nodded, though her expression was grave. "We can, but we'll to have to play things carefully. If it comes down to it, a full fleet assault would be able to overwhelm them with sheer weight of numbers, but our casualties would be significant. Far exceeding the losses that we suffered in the previous fight, I can promise you that much. I would prefer to employ more refined means to counter such a threat."

"It's probably not just the cannons we'll have to worry about, either," Kiyone remarked, "AIDA, I'm assuming drones will be in play here as well, yes?"

AIDA nodded. "The monolith alone houses entire fighter wings worth of them, and there are hangars floating within both the rings and the upper layers of the gas giant itself concealed by the constant clouds and storms."

"That's going to be ugly," Mihoshi noted with an uncharacteristically grim tone.

"One hell of a meat grinder," Wufei concurred.

Trowa looked thoughtful. "The hangars housing the drones… are they only in the monolith, the gas giant's upper layers and the rings?"

"They are," AIDA confirmed.

"That means the rest of the system is clear of those buggers until they launch," Duo noted, "We'd at least have some room to maneuver before going in for a strike."

Heero saw Quatre's eyes narrow as the L4 native looked at the God of Death, and idea clearly in the works. "We don't have to take on the entire defensive array. The gas giant itself provides a significant obstacle for many of the emplacements. If we can strike just on one side and eliminate a good chunk of the cannons, we could clear out a relatively safe operational zone for fleet support to move into."

Taking another look at the map, Heero's mind raced as he started to put details into Quatre's broader scheme. "We'd need a stealth insertion to map out the highest-priority targets, followed up with a hard and fast precision strike. Eve Squadron is uniquely suited to just such an assignment."

Duo smiled as he realized what his role would be. "Send me in first. I can enter at the outer edge of the system and then cloak. Once I'm concealed, I can move in and start marking the emplacements that pose the most immediate threat to the fleet. Then you guys come in and do what you do best."

Ryoko grinned. "I like this plan!"

"Meow!" Ryo-Ohki cheered.

Kiyone looked doubtful. "You guys have the maneuverability needed to evade the big guns, but the Yagami… she's quick, but in turns she handles like a brick. I don't think we'd be able to back the rest of you up during the opening strike."

"Kiyone, we can't just let our friends take all the risks!" Mihoshi protested.

Washu shook her head. "No, Kiyone's right on this one. It would be better if the Yagami came in after enough of the cannons were cleared out to allow for larger ships to operate with at least a degree of safety."

"So that leaves five fighters plus Ryo-Ohki to deal with not just the cannons, but the swarms of drones that will launch to defend them?" Hilde countered skeptically, "I know you guys like long odds, but that's just suicide."

"Only if Eve Squadron were to make the first attack alone," said Mayumi as she turned to Heero, "If the 232nd Fighter Wing and all other Juraian squadrons currently outfitted with the new Tempest space superiority fighters join you in the opening strike, you'd have a good escort and significant striking capabilities against a wider selection of targets."

"The Tempest model's not widespread in our forces as of yet," Funaho pointed out with a note of concern, "If the battle at the second repository was any indicator, any advanced fighter force we dispatch will be heavily outnumbered."

"Which is why we'll need to make our opening shots count," Heero countered, "If we can clear out enough of the emplacements quickly, naval support can jump in carriers and start launching interceptors to back us up as we move deeper into the rings."

Mayumi nodded. "With proper coordination, we can make this work. The timing's going to be the tricky part."

"We can hammer that out later," said Quatre, "AIDA, what else is waiting in the rings for us?"

Hundreds of smaller red dots immediately appeared on the holographic projection as AIDA answered his question. "Lighter weapons emplacements similar to those you found guarding the second repository are scattered throughout the rings. Their firepower and defenses will be more or less the same as their past iterations, so the same tactics in taking them down will apply."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Trowa remarked.

Duo groaned. "Trowa, buddy, why did you have to say that? You know that you just jinxed us, right?"

Wufei waved dismissively. "Save the superstitions, Duo."

AIDA gave the former Gundam pilots an apologetic smile. "Actually, Wufei, I'm afraid Duo isn't wrong to hold such superstitions. There's another nasty surprise hidden within the rings."

Countless tiny red specks flooded the projection, and AIDA quickly zoomed in on one of them. The image shifted to show a scarlet ovoid, probably only a little larger than a standard missile in Heero's estimation. Sensors mounted in spines jutted out from both ends, and Heero suspected he knew what AIDA's 'nasty surprise' really was.

"Drones and emplacements weren't enough for you, were they?" said the young prince as he turned to Washu, "You set up a damn minefield."

Washu merely nodded. "I did."

"Well, that's going to be fun to deal with," Hilde deadpanned.

"How powerful are the mines?" asked Yosho.

"They're small, so naturally the space for explosive ordinance is limited," AIDA replied, "Still, they pack a wallop. A single mine can take out a JI-45 Whirlwind Interceptor even if the fighter's shields are at full strength. Their sensors are linked to powerful electro-magnets which trigger when hostile contacts come into range. Maneuvering thrusters and a small main engine combined with the magnets guide the mines to their targets. They can detonate via either contact or proximity triggers, the latter of which can be activated from a maximum range of five meters. Their lock-on range is strictly limited, though; only 100 meters. They're not exceptionally quick, either, so a fighter can outrun them. Protection is non-existent; a single plasma blast from any fighter in Jurai's arsenal would be more than enough to destroy one."

"The problem is the sheer quantity," Mayumi noted, "Combine their numbers with the fast-paced dogfights that will be taking place within those rings between our fighters and the drones, and it will be all too easy for our pilots to fly right into range of multiple mines without even realizing it."

"So, we'll need to clear a path through the minefield in addition to contending with the drones and heavy emplacements," Heero remarked, "No small feat."

"If we can clear out the most dangerous of the heavy emplacements first, we can then call in area bombardments from heavier fleet units," Quatre suggested, "Saturation strikes should help thin out the minefields significantly."

Heero saw Washu turn to Duo. "The missiles on your fighter will be just as effective at disabling mines as they are at shutting down my drones. Save at least a few for that task."

Duo nodded. "You got it."

"I can make clearing strikes of my own if you guys cover me," Trowa chimed in, "My fighter's rather well-suited to dealing with high quantities of weak targets."

"Ryo-Ohki and I can join you in that," Ryoko volunteered, "We've got enough firepower to suppress them and the agility to outmaneuver them."

"Meow…" Ryo-Ohki murmured nervously.

Ryoko folded her arms. "Oh, come on! Don't be such a baby, Ryo-Ohki! We've dealt with worse than this."

"You're still going to be putting her in grave danger," Sasami shot back, "It's okay if she's afraid."

"Anyone would be, given such a task," Heero acknowledged, "but we all have to face that fear and power through it to get the job done. There's no other choice in the matter."

"All too true," Mayumi concurred, "The fleet has dedicated mine sweepers that we can deploy for this operation, but they'll be vulnerable to the heavy emplacements. Those will have to be cleared out before we can start neutralizing the mines in large quantities."

"And they'll still need to be protected from the drones as well," Wufei noted.

"The Second Fleet has plenty of fighter squadrons that can handle such work," Quatre reminded him.

"We're going to have our hands full," Trowa remarked "and that's just with the repository's defenses. We haven't even gotten into Kagato yet."

Duo sighed heavily. "Right… his forces are going to be real pain in the ass to deal with here."

Heero's brow furrowed in thought as he turned to Admiral Fukunaga. "Last time, he sent in his pirate fleet after your primary force was engaged with the drones. It stands to reason that he'll probably let us dive in first again here and then strike while we're contending with the outer defenses."

Mayumi nodded. "My thoughts exactly. Like last time, I'll keep reserve battle groups just beyond the outer edge of the system; they can jump in to pincer whatever ships Kagato attempts to hit us in the rear with."

Washu folded her arms. "Kagato might not be a master military strategist, but he's no fool. He won't make the same mistakes that he did at the second repository. These will be his personal forces coming into the fray, not an expendable outlaw armada. They're a resource that he won't spend lightly, which means he'll be using them with much greater tactical cunning than the brigands."

"What can we expect him to hit us with?" asked Heero.

"Heavy fleet units for sure," Funaho answered, "His armada might not be powerful enough to take on the combined forces of the Empire, but against an expeditionary force occupied with the defenses of the third repository they'll be more than formidable. Dreadnoughts, carriers, battlecruisers, destroyers; he has all that and more. Individual ships are mostly conventional Juraian designs, though some of the shipyards in his core territory are known for being at the cutting edge of research and development. The likelihood of you being confronted by advanced prototype units serving alongside the more conventional models is quite high."

Misaki shook her head in despair. "Even if they're loyal to Kagato rather than the throne… this will still be Juraian-on-Juraian combat. How awful…"

Ayeka sighed heavily. "It cannot be helped. Kagato will have much to answer for when this is all over."

A dark look came to Azusa's eyes. "Any Juraian who fights under Kagato's banner is no longer a subject in the eyes of the throne. They are traitors and will be dealt with as such."

Heero's brow furrowed as he caught the Emperor's gaze. "I understand your position, but if that translates to a death sentence even if they surrender, then all you'll really accomplish is convincing our foes to fight with everything they've got even after the situation becomes hopeless for them."

"Heero's got a point," Quatre remarked, "It might be a good idea to provide an off-ramp here. I doubt that every single rank and file grunt in Kagato's personal forces are truly loyal to him. They're just soldiers following their superiors and the lord of the territories they live in. Giving them an out could help undermine Kagato and make our jobs easier."

Azusa glowered at them. "You would seek mercy for those who'd seek to slay you in combat?"

"We're soldiers, just like them," Trowa pointed out, "It's not that hard to understand their position."

"Your average enlisted trooper isn't in it for the politics," Duo added, "It's a job first and foremost."

"Some things remain the same no matter where you're at in the galaxy," Wufei noted, "Being a soldier for the paycheck is one of them."

"Your Majesty, Prince Heero and his compatriots raise a valid concern," Mayumi interjected, "A foe that knows they will receive no quarter will meet us with unmatched ferocity in combat. We're already expecting heavy casualties, and those will only grow if our opposition is convinced that the only two available outcomes are victory or death. Washu's drones cannot be reasoned with or intimidated into capitulation, but flesh-and-blood sentients can. When we achieve a favorable position on the field, we should offer Kagato's troops a chance at honorable surrender. Kagato himself along with the senior ringleaders of his insurrection must be dealt with decisively and harshly, but an amnesty for the rank-and-file soldiers who lay down their arms will save many lives on both sides."

"The prospect of mass executions will only harden our adversaries," said Yosho, "A modicum of mercy for the least among them removes a motivation to fight to the death for their master."

Azusa was silent for a long moment before he finally relented. "Very well, then. Admiral Fukunaga, I will leave the offer of surrender terms up to you. However, Kagato, his sister and the rest of this would-be rebellion's leadership cannot receive similar mercy."

Mayumi's gaze hardened. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"That should go without saying," Funaho commented.

Misaki nodded solemnly. "It's regrettable that matters have come to this, but Kagato and his co-conspirators have brought this judgement upon themselves. They all surely know the price that must be paid for their sedition."

"Sedition that will sunder the Empire itself if their plans come to fruition," Ayeka added with a determined look in her eyes, "I refuse to let it come to that."

"As do we all," Heero reassured her.

….

"About damn time," Ryoko groaned as she leaned back against the wall and stretched her arms, "I thought we'd be in there the whole day!"

Ayeka gave her a smug look. "Is the newly-minted Royal Guard fatigued by a few hours of sitting around a table? If you can't handle something as simple as a meeting without issue, then I do have to wonder just how long you'll last in your new position."

Ryoko held out her hands, and crimson sparks began dancing across her fingertips. "You trying to start something?"

The air around Ayeka became filled with wooden cylinders, and energy crackled between them. "I'm only pointing out your deficiencies as Lord Heero's protector."

As if the crown princess had summoned him, Heero picked that moment to step between the two of them and decisively intervene. "Enough, both of you. Ryoko, I'm sorry, but meetings like these are going to be a big part of our foreseeable future, so you really need to acclimatize to them. That being said, I don't mind you voicing discontent over them. Truth be told, I'm not too fond of them myself."

Ryoko sighed as she lowered her hands and allowed the energy she'd started gathering to dissipate. "Well, as long as we're both on the same page there."

The pirate then had the satisfaction of watching Heero turn to give Ayeka her own dressing-down. "Ayeka, you really should know better than to cast stones from within a glass house. I saw you craning your neck and trying to stretch when you thought no one was looking. The meeting wore on you just as much as it did Ryoko. Don't try to deny it."

Ayeka's shoulders sagged as the wind was stolen from her sails, and her barrier vanished. "Well… I suppose it was starting to drag on a bit."

"Perhaps some refreshment would do us all some good?" Quatre chimed in, eager as ever to play the role of peacemaker, "We're all a bit on edge right now, so a little downtime certainly wouldn't hurt."

"If it's downtime you're looking for, I know just the place where you can enjoy some quality leisure!" called a familiar female voice from down the hall.

Ryoko and the others turned to see Lady Seto striding briskly towards them. The pirate reflexively bristled at the Devil Princess's approach; even if Lady Seto had played nice towards her since they were on the same side here, the woman's loathing for brigands and her past crusades against them still made Ryoko understandably uneasy.

Hopefully me becoming Heero's Royal Guard will soften her opinion of me a bit, thought Ryoko, I really don't want to get on her bad side.

Ryoko saw Washu raise an eyebrow. "Lady Seto… I had expected you at the briefing."

Seto gave a theatrical sigh as she drew near. "I had intended to join you all, but I'm afraid other matters came up at the last minute. Thanks to the data you sent me last night, I at least have a rough idea as to where things will go from here. Misaki and Funaho will fill me in on the particulars later."

Glancing over her shoulder, Ryoko saw the two Empresses along with their husband heading off away from the others. The trio gave brief looks of acknowledgement to Lady Seto before continuing on their way.

Guess they've got other fish to fry right now, she mused, Royals are always so busy… no wonder they never lighten up. Well, most of them, anyway. At least Heero appreciates the need to take it easy every now and then. I just need to make sure he doesn't become as stiff as the rest of his family.

Turning to the young man she was now charged with protecting, Ryoko saw his eyes narrow slightly as he studied Lady Seto. "What last minute matters could be more important than our ongoing campaign?"

Seto smiled mischievously. "Ah, wouldn't you like to know, Your Highness! What if I told you that those 'other matters' were in fact related to the efforts to combat our mutual foe?"

"Then I would like to learn of them," Heero replied.

"Preferably over a strong drink," Duo chimed in.

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Duo, it's way too early in the day for drinking!"

"Hey, it's happy hour somewhere!" Duo countered.

"What's happy hour?" asked Sasami.

"Something you're a bit too young for at the moment," Trowa cautiously answered.

"Actually, I think in our years she's well past Earth's legal drinking age," Wufei pointed out.

"I don't think the Second Empress would approve of us introducing her youngest daughter to alcohol," Quatre pointed out.

"No, she most certainly would not," Ayeka emphatically agreed.

"But I want to try happy hour!" Sasami protested, "It sounds fun! It has such a nice name!"

"Sometimes I worry about you, Princess Sasami," Azaka muttered.

"I fear that Ryoko and her pet may be rubbing off on Her Highness," Kamidake added.

Ryoko grinned; she was quite happy to play the bad influence. "Hey, Sasami! Want me to teach you how to pound back shots?"

Sasami blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Ayeka scowled at her. "Ryoko!"

Heero put a hand on Ryoko's shoulder. "Let's hold off on that until we know for sure that the Emperor won't throw us all in a dungeon for getting his youngest daughter drunk, okay?"

Ryoko gave an exaggerated sigh of disappointment, though she couldn't help but notice the mildly amused look in Heero's eyes; she wondered if he was picturing her leading Sasami through a line of shots at the bar, and found the mental image to be quite entertaining. "Oh, fine. Ruin my fun, why don't you…"

"Sasami, you don't want to do shots," Mihoshi reassured her, "Trust me, hangovers aren't fun."

Kiyone eyed her partner with confusion. "Not that I'm disagreeing with that statement, but… Mihoshi, are you feeling okay?"

Mihoshi blinked a few times. "Yeah, why?"

"You're sounding awfully reasonable today," Kiyone noted nervously, "It's starting to worry me."

Then Mihoshi gave one of her care-free smiles, and all became right with the universe again. "I just want Sasami to have fun when she drinks! That's why shots are a bad idea. It's better for her to have a relaxing glass of wine."

"And now you're back on brand," Kiyone remarked with both a sigh and a relieved smile.

The group followed Lady Seto down the corridor and to one of the central elevators. A few minutes later, they found themselves near the very top of the massive tree that housed the palace, with Lady Seto leading them into a posh lounge and observation area that overlooked the sweeping front vista. Far below stretched the main approach to the palace's front entrance, along with the sprawling roots of the gigantic tree and the skyline of the capital city beyond. A bar was set up along the backwall, while couches, chairs and tables were arrayed in a broad and gentle arc along large windows that gradually curved up and over the occupants in a semi-dome.

Ryoko couldn't help but whistle at the sight. "Damn… that's one hell of a view!"

"Would've been nice to know sooner that the palace had a room like this," Heero remarked as he glanced over at Yosho, "You've been holding out on us."

Yosho chuckled. "Apologies. I have many fond memories of nights from my younger days being passed in here. In the company of dear friends…"

Ryoko caught sight of Washu smiling wistfully. "Innocent days, long gone…"

Lady Seto raised her hands and clapped, summoning several servants. "Order what food and drinks you desire, then make yourselves comfortable. I'll give you all a little time to relax before filling you in on what's unfolding outside this palace."

Ryoko turned to Heero and winked. "Buy your new Royal Guard a drink?"

Heero chuckled. "I doubt we'll be paying for anything here, but given that my family runs the place, I suppose I can treat you on their dime."

The two of them headed over to the bar, with Ryoko immediately sighting in on a bottle of what was undoubtedly very expensive wine. The barkeep wasted no time in popping it open and filling glasses for the prince and his bodyguard, with Heero and Ryoko then taking their drinks and heading over to one of the couches near the windows. Looking around, Ryoko saw the others likewise approaching the servants to place requests before spreading out into small groups.

"Mind if I join you two?" asked Washu as she approached, a glass of sparkling white wine in her hand.

Ryoko, of course, would've preferred to have Heero all to herself, but that wasn't her call to make. She turned to the young man she was now charged with protecting and saw him give Washu a small nod. The red-headed scientist plopped down to Heero's left while Ryoko remained on his right.

"You two did well back there," Washu noted as she sipped from her glass.

Ryoko shrugged. "It was just a meeting. Nothing to write home about."

Washu shook her head. "I disagree. We got quite a bit hammered out there, though of course there's still plenty of work to be done."

Heero nodded. "You're not wrong. We've at least got a working plan for contending with the outer defenses and the inevitable appearance of Kagato's forces. However, there wasn't nearly as much intel on the third repository's interior defenses as I was hoping for. I'm worried about what we'll run into when we finally get inside."

Ryoko couldn't argue with Heero on that. While the data presented during the conference had allowed them to come up with a solid scheme for dealing with the drone swarms, heavy weapon emplacements and minefields that guarded the approach to the monolith, information on what sort of nasty surprises awaited them inside the gargantuan structure had been sparse. Naturally, Ryoko and the others fully expected to encounter similar models of drones as the ones that they'd fought in the prior two facilities, but the matter of what else Washu might have in store for them remained unsettled. This, of course, was deliberate on Washu's part; she'd kept key information regarding the third repository's inner defenses out of the data that had stored in the second repository in order to maintain an element of surprise in case someone like Kagato also got the data.

Meaning that if Kagato got there first, he might at least have some trouble, Ryoko thought, but with our luck, we'll probably be the ones who have to fight our way through all those damn robots and whatever else Washu has in there. Kagato will get to just run along the trail of destruction that we blaze again. That bastard will have it easy…

Washu sighed. "I'm sorry that I didn't have more to offer back there. I gave you everything I had on the place's interior, but there were always going to be gaps for security's sake."

"It wouldn't be quite so bad if we had backup," Ryoko remarked, "The problem is that we're way faster than any dropships that the Juraian's have in their fleet, so we'd be on station well before any reinforcements could show up. I know that we're good, but I don't like the idea of having to fight a holding action while we wait for friendlies to reinforce us. It'd leave us vulnerable to attack from behind by Kagato."

"And you can bet that he'll be hot on our heels," Heero added, "He definitely has intelligence sources within the Imperial Fleet; how else would he have been able to follow us to the second repository with his pirate armada? Even if he hadn't stolen the data on the third repository's whereabouts from you, he'd still be showing up on the field shortly after our own arrival. With Nagi guiding Ken-Ohki through the outer defenses, it'll be a simple matter for him to insert right after us and follow in our wake like before, assuming he doesn't take the initiative and get there first."

"Nothing's stopping him from doing just that," Ryoko muttered grimly, "Damn it! While we spend all this time planning and talking, he's probably already got his fleet put together and ready to launch!"

Washu shook her head. "No, he hasn't. If that were the case, Funaho would've already brought it to our attention, and the Second Fleet along with other loyalist naval forces would be scrambling as we speak. We have time. It's just a matter of how much and how we use it."

Ryoko eyed Washu in skepticism. "What makes you so sure of that?"

To her surprise, Washu didn't answer directly, but instead looked at Heero. "Care to take this one? Military matters are more your forte than mine."

"Of course," said Heero before he turned to Ryoko, "Kagato's faced with the same obstacles as us. The same defenses to overcome, the same travel barriers to work out; none of this can be resolved so quickly. He'll also have his own fleet commanders that he needs to brief and strategize with, meaning he's probably going through meetings similar to the one that we just got out of. Long story short, he can't afford to make his next move carelessly. None of us can."

Washu nodded. "Exactly. This won't be a cakewalk for either side involved. Whether it involves battling my defenses or figuring out how to approach the matter of passing through the Seniwa Domain's territory, he's got some dicey decisions to make. Kagato's brilliant, and he can be reckless at times, but he won't rush something like this."

Ryoko sighed before taking a substantial swig of her wine glass. "So, this is all a matter of timing now? Make as many preparations as we can while on a tight clock and hoping we move before the enemy does? I don't like it."

"None of us do," Heero replied, "but it's the situation we find ourselves in. All we can do is try our best to plot out a path forward. We at least made some progress on that today."

Ryoko watched in curiosity as Heero suddenly stood up and went over to the window. His gaze appeared to be on the magnificent vista below, but the way his brow was furrowed suggested to Ryoko that his focus was inward. As dire as the situation was, Ryoko had to admit privately that Heero was rather handsome when he was brooding like this.

Wish I could get in his head at a time like this, she thought, Heero… where's that cunning mind of yours taking you now?

"When Kagato moves out will be dictated in no small part by his chosen route," Heero said after a long moment, "The same goes for us. In the end, this all really comes down to the Seniwa Domain. Whoever can secure passage through their territory will gain a massive lead over the other."

Washu nodded. "I'm hoping that Funaho's back-channel contacts can swing things our way, but it's difficult to say for sure how everything will play out."

"What are the odds that Kagato convinces them to let him take a shortcut through their turf?" asked Ryoko.

"Low," a familiar female voice answered from behind him, "I know the rulers of the Seniwa Domain. To them, Kagato is the devil they don't know, while the current Royal Family ruling Jurai is very much the devil they do know. Keeping the current status quo will be infinitely preferable in their eyes to dealing with a potential wild card."

Ryoko and the others looked over their shoulders to see Lady Seto standing behind them. She'd already downed more than half of her glass of wine, yet she appeared as sharp as ever. Ryoko suspected that Jurai's famed Devil Princess had quite a high alcohol tolerance, especially given how many lavish parties she tended to host.

Washu gestured at an empty seat to the left of the couch. "Care to join us, old friend?"

"Don't mind if I do," Seto replied, immediately claiming the chair for her own.

She then gave Heero an appraising look, causing the Preventers operative to raise an eyebrow. "Need something?"

Seto smirked. "Just now, you looked very much like a proper scheming prince. For all your disdain of our politics, you play your part in them much more fittingly than you might realize! Your great-grandmother will be proud."

Heero shook his head before returning to the couch. "I'm sure you intended that as a compliment, but I can't say I'm inclined to take it as such."

Seto glanced at Washu. "A real stubborn one, isn't he?"

Washu smiled. "It's part of his charm."

Seto chuckled. "So it is!"

Heero was having none of it. "Enough of the idle chatter. What makes you so certain that the Seniwa Domain will turn down Kagato should he make an entreaty for safe passage through their territory? I know that the Domain works in cooperation with Jurai on security matters and is a strong trading partner, but that doesn't change the underlying fact that both are rival powers. Members of the Domain's leadership must at least be considering how the recent tensions here can be exploited, and Kagato provides them an avenue for just that."

Seto nodded. "Believe me, I'm well aware of that. My own experience with the Seniwa Domain's leadership simply tells me that they'd see aiding Kagato as too big of a risk. The potential for blowback is too great. If he finds any help within the Domain, it won't be from the Kuramitsus."

Ryoko looked across the lounge at Mihoshi, who looked as bubbly and carefree as ever while she shared a drink with Kiyone. "You sure about that? They can't all be as innocent and sweet as Mihoshi."

Seto smirked. "I never said that they were. Members of that family can be just as cold and ruthless as any noble or Royal you might find within the Empire of Jurai. That being said, above all, the family leadership is made up of pragmatists. Whatever past or present rivalries the Seniwa Domain has had with Jurai, the simple fact of the matter is that our current economic and security arrangements are mutually beneficial, and the Kuramitsus have always been keen to preserve a status quo when it's profitable for them. This one most certainly is."

The Devil Princess of Jurai then took on a more serious tone. "I trust Funaho to conduct successful negotiations with the Seniwa Domain, and if my assistance is called for in that matter then I will do my utmost to support her. The Kuramitsus are not what I'm concerned about at the moment. You asked earlier what I was attending to that made me miss the meeting? My answer to that is why I've brought you all here. While you busied yourself with military matters, I've been in touch with my contacts throughout the Empire's nobility, attempting to gauge support for our side versus Kagato's. What I've found has been rather concerning."

….

Settling back onto the couch with Ryoko and Washu, Heero watched as Seto positioned herself to address everyone present. "As much as I might like to let you simply rest after that marathon conference with the Emperor, I'm afraid Jurai's affairs of state aren't done with you lot yet. Not by a long shot."

"They never are," Yosho ruefully muttered, "Times like this remind me of why I decided to remain on Earth in self-imposed exile."

Heero could hardly blame his grandfather for that. "The quiet life on Earth is infinitely preferable to court politics."

Yosho chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea how true that statement is! Seems you picked up more from me than just my skill with the blade."

Ayeka sighed. "While I'm well accustomed to court life, I'll admit that our time on Earth was a lovely reprieve. I find myself missing that lovely little planet and the carefree lifestyle we enjoyed there."

"It was fun there," Sasami added wistfully, "and safe. At least, I felt a lot safer there than I do back here now."

"Princess Sasami, the palace is the safest place in the entire galaxy!" Azaka protested.

"Your protection here is absolute!" Kamidake insisted.

Kiyone shook her head. "Not with the political storm that's raging now. Perhaps Jurai can guard well against external threats, but your present foe is an internal one."

Mihoshi shuddered. "Kagato can't get at us here… can he?"

"Not directly," Seto answered, "but he's not without allies in the capital."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Duo groaned.

"How bad is the current political situation?" asked Trowa.

"Dicey, to say the least," Seto admitted, "Here in the heart of the Empire, support for the Royal Family remains strong. However, Kagato's been sending out covert feelers to nobles who rule over the outer systems, and it seems they're making headway."

Heero leaned forward. "What's the current balance of power?"

Seto scratched her chin in thought. "It's tricky to pin down. From my own sources, I'd put core support for our side at somewhere between sixty to sixty-five percent of the nobility. I'd give at least thirty percent to Kagato, possibly thirty-five. What makes matters difficult is that some noble houses, particularly many of the more newly-established ones, are clearly trying to play both sides here."

"Meaning that whoever can make the most compelling offer will sway them into their camp," Quatre surmised.

Seto nodded. "My thoughts exactly. I have allies making the rounds as we speak, and I have a whole list of calls to make once we're through here. We can still solidify a bulwark against further erosion, but some wheeling and dealing will definitely be involved."

Ayeka scowled. "If their loyalty is for sale, then perhaps these nobles are not worth our efforts!"

Seto shook her head. "I understand the sentiment, Princess, but we must be realistic here. Politics is a game of ambition and greed; it always has been, and it always will be. Lofty notions of fealty to the throne or duty to the Empire as a whole are seldom enough to win decisive backing."

Duo nodded. "It's dirty business here, just like it is back on Earth. I guess some things really are universal."

Trowa shook his head in disappointment. "One would think that avoiding a bloody civil war would be incentive enough for nobles to reject Kagato's entreaties, but avarice and lust for power can win out over common sense if the price is right."

Wufei sneered in disdain. "Parasites and vultures, the lot of them."

"I'm assuming money alone won't be enough to purchase the support of the fence-sitters," Quatre chimed in, "Promotions and new privileges will have to be on the table."

Seto nodded. "At least we'll have chips to bargain with. If nothing else, we can always promise to divvy up the spoils that are gained from the defeat of Kagato and his loyalists amongst those whose loyalty to our cause must be bought materially."

Sasami sighed. "I don't think Father's going to like that."

"Indeed, he won't," Ayeka concurred, "He has a strong distaste for such craven opportunists."

"Believe me, I'm well aware of that," Seto reassured her, "Your father can be stubborn, but he's ruled Jurai long enough to understand the unsavory nature of the game. Between Misaki, Funaho and myself, I'm confident that we'll be able to convince him of the need to engage in such horse-trading for the sake of the Empire."

Yosho folded his arms. "It strikes me that some of these 'bargaining chips' are not strictly ours to give just yet. They'll have to be pried out of the dead hands of our enemies, and victory is not guaranteed. Perhaps some of the younger and more inexperienced nobles may be swayed by such offerings, but the older hands will want more assured currency, if you will."

Seto shrugged. "We can always play at the marriage alliance game. The Royal Family is blessed by an abundance of eligible candidates at the moment. Two princesses returned home, along with the discovery of a new prince? That gives us leverage."

Ayeka suddenly became very uncomfortable. "I… would rather leave that as a last resort."

Sasami agreed. "I'm not ready for marriage just yet."

"You are still a bit too young for it," Azaka noted.

"His Majesty might try to attack any potential suitors," Kamidake added.

Heero tensed as Seto's gaze turned to him, and he wasted no time in shooting her down. "I didn't come out here to indulge in matchmaking."

"You're a prince. It comes with the territory," Seto argued.

"I won't be sticking around long enough to make pursuing a marriage alliance worthwhile to any potential suitor," Heero pointed out.

Seto smirked. "Your suitors don't have to know that. More to the point, you're sending mixed signals regarding your intent to 'stick around' once this affair is concluded. You've already appointed the first member of your personal Royal Guard, after all, not to mention completed a bonding ceremony with a Royal Tree. You may claim to want to leave the Empire after Kagato's been dealt with, but I have to wonder if you really mean that."

"Rest assured that I do," Heero firmly stated.

"If Heero doesn't want to get involved with any of your aristocratic bimbos, then he shouldn't have to!" Ryoko snapped.

Seto chuckled. "You seem quite sensitive regarding the topic, Ryoko! You know, I was quite surprised when I heard how quickly you agreed to become Heero's Royal Guard. I would think that such a posting would be a poor fit for a pirate, even if the position came with a pardon. Looking at you now, though, I suspect that the pardon wasn't your primary motivator."

Ryoko bristled. "I want to keep Heero from getting backstabbed by you slimy nobles. I know how your kind operate. Flowery words in public, assassins in private. None of them are going to lay a hand on Heero!"

Seto laughed. "I think I might like you! Never thought I'd say that to a pirate. Oh, but you needn't worry about any assassins coming after Heero on my employ. We're on the same side, after all. Besides, his arrival has shaken up the royal court, giving me no end of entertainment. The last thing I'd want would be for him to fall to a cutthroat. I've been having so much fun with you lot, after all!"

"It's a moot point in any case," Ayeka hastily chimed in, "No noble family, no matter how powerful, would dare send an assassin after Lord Heero."

"What makes you so sure of that?" asked Yosho, "Attempts against the lives of Royal Family members are not unheard of in Jurai's history, a fact that you should be well aware of."

Ayeka stiffened somewhat. "I did pay attention during my history lessons, Lord Yosho, so I am indeed aware of the past incidents of which you refer to. Nevertheless, given how thoroughly Lord Heero trounced that pompous fool Seiryo in their duel at the debut ball, I should think that such a demonstration of martial superiority would be enough to deter any thoughts of targeting him."

Sasami eagerly nodded. "That's right! Heero can take on anyone they throw at him."

Heero shook his head. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, Sasami, but I have a more realistic appraisal of my own capabilities. No one is invincible. The moment someone begins to think that way about themselves is when they invite catastrophe."

"I know we ruffled some feathers at the debut ball," Kiyone remarked, "and I'm sure that plenty of the nobles don't appreciate the wrench thrown into the dynamics of the royal court that Heero's arrival as a new prince represents. Even so, his actions have repeatedly demonstrated willingness to risk his life on behalf of Jurai. In that light, how could any aristocrat justify sending an assassin after him?"

"Heero's trying to save them from Kagato!" Mihoshi protested, "We all are!"

"And with that, you've just answered your partner's question, Detective Kuramitsu," Seto replied, "The nobles most likely to commission a hit against the Empire's newest prince are those who would seek to curry favor with Kagato."

"I'm frankly surprised there hasn't been an attempt on your life already, Heero," Trowa noted, "We've definitely been in the capital long enough for someone to try."

"And we've definitely made enough enemies for it," Duo muttered.

"Ryoko, I don't suppose you got any contacts in Jurai's underworld who might know if any assassins here have taken out some new and juicy contracts, do you?" asked Hilde.

Ryoko shook her head. "Wish I did, but I've always avoided the Imperial capital like the plague. I'd hit shipments in the frontier systems of the Empire, maybe go after a big score in one of the inner worlds, but I'd never been to Jurai itself before coming here with the rest of you. I wouldn't know where to start running down leads."

Seto smirked. "Luckily for the lot of you, we won't have to rely on our boxed crook here for such information. Funaho and I have our own network of sources within the less savory parts of the Empire, including the capital's underbelly. If any of the more notorious contract killers within the galactic underworld take out a royal hit, we should at least have a heads up on it."

"Famous assassins eventually become dead assassins," Wufei interjected, "It's the contract killers who know how to keep a low profile that we really need to watch out for."

Quatre nodded. "Lady Seto, with all due respect, no matter how good your intelligence sources might be, it's simply impossible for them to account for all potential attackers."

Seto sighed reluctantly. "Yes, I'm well aware of that. We'll cast the net as wide as we can, but we have to accept the unpleasant reality that someone's going to get through sooner or later. That's when it becomes a job for our young prince's personal security to handle."

"Security that's now in your hands, Ryoko," Ayeka pointed out with a rueful glare, "Yours alone… and that's not an arrangement that I'm comfortable with. It's wholly insufficient."

Ryoko glared fiercely at her. "If any of these bastards get to Heero, it'll be over my dead body!"

"I'd rather avoid that," Heero remarked as the beginnings of a plan took shape in his head, "Your death, at least. That being said, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if a hired gun or two was allowed to slip inside the net. In fact, perhaps a few gaps should be left open to encourage just that."

Ryoko eyed him in no small amount of concern. "Heero… what exactly are you thinking here?"

Rather than answer her directly, Heero turned to Seto. "We know that a certain faction of nobles is conspiring to aid Kagato, but I'm assuming we lack sufficient evidence to move openly against them. If we had it, the Emperor would've already ordered their detainment, right?"

Seto nodded. "Most certainly. As I'm sure you know, going after powerful nobles without copious amounts of proof is a recipe for disaster."

"And you and Lady Funaho are having trouble gathering enough proof to facilitate such a move," Heero continued, "but what if we were able to engineer a situation where an accomplice of one of these treacherous nobles were to fall right into our laps?"

Seto smirked as realization hit her. "Are you suggesting… oh, you are, aren't you? Heero Yuy Masaki Jurai, I knew there was a reason why I liked you!"

Ayeka now looked very worried. "Lord Heero… with all due respect… what mad scheme are you concocting now?"

"Confronting Kagato's forces on the battlefield is an inevitability," Heero replied, "and we're in the process of preparing for that. However, we'd be foolish if we didn't explore opportunities for weaking him before a decisive engagement. If we can remove some of his aristocratic backers from the equation ahead of time, we should absolutely do so. What better way to accomplish that than to encourage them to play their hands too soon?"

Washu grinned, having already put two and two together. "You'd use yourself as bait and see who takes a bite at you? Bold, reckless… and entirely in keeping with who you are. I'm in!"

"Well, I'm not!" Ryoko protested in alarm as she rounded on Heero, "Heero, are you nuts? These guys have deep pockets! The assassins they'll send your way won't be common street thugs, but pros!"

"I would expect as much," Heero calmly replied, thought he was inwardly heartened at Ryoko's genuine fear for his safety, "Good thing I was trained by one of the best assassins in the Earth Sphere."

"And that you've got a bunch of lunatics backing you up here, buddy!" Duo eagerly chimed in, "Let's stick you on a hook and see who we reel in!"

Hilde rolled her eyes. "You sound way too excited about that! Seriously, Duo, what the hell?"

Duo pointed an accusatory finger at Heero. "Hey, I haven't forgotten how he stole parts of my Gundam to fix his back when we were wreaking havoc on Earth! If we're making a plan where I get to turn him into a piece of bait, I'll happily accept that as payback."

Heero looked at Duo in genuine bewilderment. "You're still sore about that?"

"It was a complete dick move, and you know it!" Duo shot back with a malicious grin, "You still owe me for that, and I'm getting what I'm owed here. You can take tough shit like that, can't you, old pal?""

"Duo, watch your language in front of Sasami," Trowa chided him.

"What's a 'dick move'?" asked the younger Juraian princess.

"Oh dear," Azaka murmured.

"I fear that she's already been infected with the human's vulgarity," Kamidake bemoaned.

Ayeka looked downright mortified. "Sasami, please never use such a term again! Mother and Father would be furious if they heard you talking like that."

"But I want to know what it means," Sasami persisted with childlike innocence, "Dick move… it's so fun to say!"

Wufei looked on in obvious amusement. "I think we need to expand her vocabulary further. Earth has so many vulgar phrases for her to play around with here."

"You're not helping, Wufei!" Ayeka snapped.

"I think Sasami's old enough to learn some words like that," Quatre chimed in, "but maybe we should save those lessons for another time."

Ayeka looked at the L4 native in abject horror. "Lord Quatre…"

Pointedly ignoring the crown princess for the moment, Quatre's gaze was focused on Heero. "If we're going to make this scheme work, Heero, then we need to plan it out damn carefully. We'll need to pick just the right kind of setting for it; somewhere that an assassin would be convinced they can get a shot at you in while at the same time still being a place that we can control and monitor. We also need to make sure that we can take them alive, something that I imagine will be easier said than done."

Washu rubbed her hands together eagerly. "Give me a couple days, and I'll work up some gear that should help you out with that!"

"It'll have to be capable of rendering any targets unconscious instantly, or as close to it as possible," Seto instructed, "Any assassin willing to operate within the heart of the Empire will know how Jurai treats such contract killers if they're captured. Therefore, it's prudent to assume they'll have means of quickly killing themselves if they believe they're at risk of detainment. Poison capsules disguised as false teeth are the most commonly known method."

"Not unlike the old black ops forces of OZ and the Alliance," Heero remarked, "Some things really never change."

Ayeka eyed him curiously. "Lord Heero, I recall you mentioning those names before. The forces that governed your world before you and your friends rebelled against them, yes?"

"One and the same," said Duo.

Seto smirked. "Sounds like you've got quite a few interesting stories tucked into that mysterious past of yours!"

"You don't know the half of it," Heero muttered, remembering dark deeds that he had long wished to forget.

Some of his bitter reminiscences must've leaked through to his face, because Ryoko put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey… you okay?"

Heero looked at her for a long moment. Of all the new friends he'd made since the pirate and Jurai's crown princess had literally dropped into his life, perhaps Ryoko was the one who might best sympathize with his worst misdeeds. He was suddenly struck by the temptation to pull her aside after this little meeting and reveal all, but something stopped him. Looking around the room, he took in the faces of all the other alien women who had lived with him at that quiet countryside safehouse back on Earth…

…all blissfully unaware of the innocent blood staining his hands.

It wasn't just Ryoko that deserved to know the truth; they all did. Before this whole affair with Kagato was over.

Yet Heero restrained himself, mostly out of need to focus on the current task at hand… but also, shamefully, out of fear. "It's nothing."

Ryoko didn't look like she completely buy it, but she ultimately let it slide for now. "Alright."

Heero then turned his gaze back to Seto. "It's not just assassins hired by Kagato or his underlings that are a concern here. I may not be a fan of the political game, but I still know how to pay attention and understand its nuances. I know enough to understand that I ruffled quite a few feathers at the debut ball you set up for me, even amongst those aristocrats that may still be firmly committed to the current ruling family. This scheme of ours has the potential to reel in fish that come from more than Kagato's side of the pond, if you will."

Seto nodded. "An inevitable complication, but also something of a blessing. If any of the noble families who are otherwise loyal to the Emperor make an attempt on your life, we can use this opportunity to attend to them as well. Put our own house in order a bit, as it were. You have a toehold in the royal court, Heero, and now we need to consolidate and reinforce it. Showing your potential foes within the loyalist faction that they can't get rid of you no matter what underhanded methods they might attempt will help to solidify your position."

"Should any loyalist families take the bait we so generously set out for them, we'd best show a bit more discretion in dealing with them than we will with Kagato's minions," Ayeka interjected, "While I would normally be the first to advocate for harshly punishing those who target a royal, we still need the resources of loyalist families in our struggle against Kagato's faction."

Seto smiled wickedly. "Rest assured, Princess, that I've already taken that into consideration. We're quite fortunate that practically every noble family worth its title understands the need for multiple offspring to cover unforeseen eventualities. All we need to do is target those members that directly work against us while promising those who are more cooperative the chance to take the power and wealth of their treacherous relatives for themselves once we've swept them from the board."

Ayeka gulped nervously. "Ah… of course."

Duo whistled as he beheld Seto with equal parts admiration and dread. "Lady, you are scary when you've got your game face on. Glad you're on our side!"

"Getting into the weeds here, it's not just conventional attacks that we'll have to worry about," Kiyone chimed in, "Heero, I know you're good in a shootout or knife-fight, but we need to watch out for more subtle threats as well. The Galaxy Police's homicide division has investigated more than a few killings in aristocratic circles involving poison as the weapon of choice. Your combat skills won't do you much good against that."

"She's right," Mihoshi chirped, "You can't fight against poisoned food or drinks, Heero."

Heero was well aware of that, which was why he turned to Washu. "I can't meet them with my usual methods, but I trust there are other ways to counter such an avenue of attack?"

Washu smiled. "Oh, there most certainly are! Swing by the lab tomorrow morning. I'm going to have some fun with you!"

"I don't like the sound of that," Ayeka muttered nervously.

"That makes two of us," Ryoko grumbled.

Heero merely shrugged. "I'll be there."

"How will we handle interrogations?" asked Quatre.

"We could leave that to Funaho's subordinates in the intelligence sector," Seto suggested, "They're quite skilled at such work, I can promise you that."

"Do they conduct actual interrogations, or just torture?" Duo pressed, "One's effective, the other's just an exercise in sadism."

"I can assure you that those working under the Second Empress are consummate professionals," Seto replied, "They know what works."

Ayeka gave Duo an indignant glare. "The Empire of Jurai isn't some institute of barbarism, Duo Maxwell! Our intelligence officers are hardly some gang of vicious thugs."

"You can't blame us for being wary," Trowa remarked.

"You didn't see what we had to deal with when we took on the old rulers of our world," Wufei added.

Ayeka took a deep breath to calm herself. "I understand where your concerns stem from. I know that the Empire's form of government is of a sort that humanity's relegated to its past, and that such governments don't have the best track record when it comes to the rights of sentient beings on your planet. Jurai is not like those regimes."

"Says the oldest daughter of a man who slaughtered billions to end a civil war," Wufei quipped.

Hilde scowled at him. "Wufei, that was uncalled for!"

"No, it's quite alright," Ayeka reassured her, though Heero couldn't help but notice how she was clenching her kimono tightly in her fists, "My father's historical actions regarding the Imperial Civil War do deserve criticism… and as the heir to his throne, I know that it is my responsibility to avoid repeating his sins. I understand why you may look upon my promises warily; given what the Royal Family has condoned in the past, your skepticism is not without merit. Nevertheless, I would ask that you give us a chance to show that we are not as… brutal now as we were back in those desperate times."

Wufei eyed her warily. "We'll see."

"Let's keep our priorities straight," Heero interjected, "This is all a secondary operation. Our primary focus needs to be on preparing for the assault on the third repository. We'll work this little game of cat and mouse with the nobles and whatever hired guns they send after us around the training exercises that we'll be conducting in anticipation of the next big engagement. Capturing assassins and using any intel gained from them to undermine and neutralize our opponents within the aristocracy is only a small front in a much larger campaign."

Seto nodded, though the anticipatory smile that graced her face suggested she remained quite eager to put the plan into motion. "Of course. No need to worry, Heero; I can keep my eye on the big picture while tending to the details, as it were."

"Let's hope we can all demonstrate such balance in the days ahead," said Yosho, his gaze focused on the sky beyond the lounge window, "We will definitely need it."

….

A few hours later, as the group was heading for the lounge's exit, Washu felt a tug on her arm and found the source of it to be Heero. "Need something?"

"A word," he answered, "in private."

Ryoko looked on in concern. "Heero…"

"We won't be long," Heero reassured her, "Ryoko, you can go with the others to get some rest. You don't need to be watching me constantly while we're in the palace; you're allowed to take a break, you know. I'm pretty sure you could use one."

Ryoko tried and failed to stifle a yawn. "Guess I can't argue with that. All this damn talking's been more tiring than our training sessions. Still… are you sure?"

Heero gave her a small smile. "Consider yourself off the clock for now, Ryoko. I'll come find you later."

Ryoko looked back and forth between Heero and Washu before nodding. "Okay, then. Catch you later."

When it was just the two of them in the lounge, Heero made his way over to the observation area. Washu followed, eyeing him curiously. His demeanor remained much the same as usual, but there seemed to be a subtle undercurrent of tension. Something was clearly bothering him, and Washu found it intriguing that she was the one Heero had singled out as a confidant for it rather than Ryoko.

"I take it you're not about to ask me for a private drink together?" Washu asked jokingly.

Heero shook his head. "Afraid not. It's regarding the tools you'll be preparing for us to take on these potential assassins with."

Washu raised an eyebrow. "What, you don't trust me to do the job right?"

"It's not that," Heero quickly reassured her, "Between the armor, weapons and fighters you've made for us, your track record for providing quality gear is solid. I don't doubt your workmanship in the least."

Washu couldn't help but smile; she knew that Heero didn't dispense such compliments lightly. "I appreciate the vote of confidence. In that case, were you perhaps looking for a custom piece of equipment?"

"Not exactly custom per se," Heero replied, "More like… one that's almost certainly illegal in this part of the galaxy."

Now Washu was intrigued. "Oh? This should be good!"

Heero looked out the window, and in Washu's eyes he suddenly appeared very uncomfortable. "You might think otherwise when you hear my request."

Washu's eyes narrowed. "Well, I won't know until you lay it on me. Let's have it, Heero."

Heero took a deep breath. "The memory extraction device that Nagi used on you… I want one for this operation."

Washu folded her arms. "You don't trust Funaho's specialists to get any of these hypothetical hitmen to talk?"

"I want to cover all our bases," Heero answered, "We can't afford to leave anything to chance here."

Washu slowly nodded. "Well, that nasty little bit of gear was one of my creations, so making one for your own use won't be difficult. Can't say I'm thrilled about it, but I do get where you're coming from here."

"Believe me, I don't like asking this of you," said Heero, sounding genuinely regretful and perhaps even ashamed, "You've been on the other end of that thing twice now, so you know the effects far better than most. It's not the sort of tool that I'd prefer to utilize in a mission, but…"

Washu reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to justify it to me, Heero. I know you're not making this request lightly. With the stakes involved, I understand completely why you'd be willing to resort to this."

Heero was quiet for a long moment before he spoke again. "Will the others be so understanding?"

Washu winced. "Some, sure, but… well, I think you and I both know who among them will have issues with it."

Heero nodded. "Ayeka would raise objections, and not without just cause. I imagine that Kiyone and Mihoshi would likewise be opposed."

"Without a doubt," Washu concurred, "Leaving aside morality, there's the simple issue of legality. Devices like this one are outlawed for a very good reason, after all."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "The interrogations will take place under Funaho's jurisdiction as the head of the Empire's intelligence apparatus. Would her authority be sufficient to convince the official interrogators to look the other way?"

Washu could not resist a devious smile. "Almost certainly."

"Then you and I will apprise her of the plan together," Heero declared, "She'll understand the necessity of it."

Washu eyed Heero with an approving look. "Going straight to the top to get what you want, knowing who you have to convince and the likelihood of her playing along… you do play the game well. Far better than you're willing to admit."

"I'll do what must be done for the sake of the mission," Heero replied in a somewhat forcefully manner, "That's all there is to it."

Washu folder her arms as she studied him. "Are you trying to convince me of that, or yourself?"

Heero closed his eyes for a few seconds. "Both."

Washu had to respect the honesty. "At least you're self-aware enough to recognize that."

"Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril," Heero quoted.

Washu raised an eyebrow. "One of humanity's philosophers… Sun Tzu, yes?"

"That's right," Heero admitted, "I didn't realize you'd taken the time to study his works."

Washu shrugged. "Your species has quite a few interesting minds buried its past. Their tomes make for interesting bits of light reading when I'm bored."

"I'm not sure if some of those would qualify as 'light' reading," Heero deadpanned.

Washu grinned. "Don't forget who you're talking to!"

She was relieved to see him chuckle at that. "Right… the greatest genius in the universe. My apologies."

Washu winked. "I'll let it slide, but only because you're cute and dating my daughter!"

Heero's gaze went back towards the lounge door, thought Washu knew his thoughts were on the woman he'd left beyond it. "Speaking of Ryoko… are you alright with her becoming my Royal Guard?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Washu asked, "She gets to be close to the man she cares for, you get a powerful protector, and she gets a clean slate within the Empire. I see that as a win all around."

"Even so, the risks that her new position demands she take…" Heero began before his voice trailed off.

He was silent for a few seconds before looking down at the floor, almost as if in shame. "I don't like the thought of her putting herself in harm's way for my sake. Regardless of whether or not it's expected of her in this role. You can't honestly tell me that you don't feel the same way."

Washu sighed heavily. "I suppose I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned, but… my daughter's more than old enough to make her own decisions. Whatever reservations I might have, I have no right to stop her from following this path. I know that you didn't compel her into this against her will; you're not that kind of a guy, Heero. Ryoko decided to become your protector out of her own free will, and I will respect that choice."

"I'll do all I can to defend her," Heero promised, "Even if it's supposed to be the other way around… I won't let this conflict claim her life. No matter what. You have my word."

Washu met his gaze, and a pang of sadness lanced through her heart as she absorbed the full weight of his words. "You place a higher value on her life than your own."

Heero's verbal confirmation was scarcely needed, but he gave it just the same. "Yes. Her life… yours… and those of all our other companions."

"Is this because of the blood debt you believe you owe?" asked Washu, "The red that you feel's been soaking your ledger since your old war? I've read your file, Heero. The full one that Preventers thought they had so carefully sealed away. I know what haunts you… what you still haven't forgiven yourself for, even though I believe it's well past time that you did exactly that."

Heero eyed her warily. "If you have that knowledge, why have you kept it for yourself? Not the least bit tempted to spill the beans to the others?"

Washu shook her head somberly. "Not with something like this. Your past deeds are something you must come to terms with on your own, Heero. If doing so requires that those closest to you learn of them, then it should be you yourself that presents the information to them. Besides, with all the innocent lives my creations have claimed over the millennia, I have no right to call you out for having skeletons in your closet. Believe me, I understand the weight of a bloody past quite well."

Heero seemed to evaluate her for a few seconds before nodding. "I suppose that you would. In that case, I guess you're probably the best suited for this question; what should I do?"

"What do you want to do?" Washu asked softly.

Heero looked out the window for a moment. "I… I don't know. I feel guilty hiding it all from them, especially from Ryoko. Part of me suspects that being able to come clean with her, at least, would remove some of the weight from my shoulders. The other part, though… is afraid."

Washu reached out to take his hand. "I thought as much. I can probably put myself in your shoes there. When I told you all about the Array and my part in it, along with how we ultimately used that weapon, part of me was terrified that you'd cast me out. I wouldn't have blamed you for it in the least. Of course, I was relieved when that didn't turn out to be the case, but… the fear was there just the same."

Heero met her gaze again, and Washu was struck by just how vulnerable he looked in that moment. He was genuinely conflicted and lost, warring with a fear inside him that Washu understood far too well. She was suddenly struck by the temptation to say screw it all, to take him and go somewhere far away from Jurai, from Kagato, from Earth, from everything that the two of them knew.

Somewhere that the two of them could leave their pasts behind.

As if such a place could ever truly exist, Washu thought bitterly, I can't run from the past any more than Heero can, no matter how far either of us might go.

Instead, she simply stepped forward and took the young man into a gentle embrace. She felt Heero stiffen for a second in surprise, but it didn't last long. The two of them stood there together for a few minutes, with Washu reaching up to run a hand through Heero's hair. From another woman, the gesture might've come across as romantic, and perhaps a part of Washu wanted that to be the case, but that wasn't the intent. Instead, she simply wanted to give him what he'd been denied for all of his life; maternal affection, even though he wasn't her offspring.

He's dating my daughter. That's close enough.

Eventually they parted, with Heero inclining his head. "Thanks… don't know why, but I think I needed that."

Washu gave him a soft smile. "Anytime."

They were quiet for a minute or two before Washu ventured a question. "If you don't mind me asking, what's brought this all on? You seem to have had little trouble in burying the unpleasant parts of your past before. Why dwell on it now?"

"When I was fighting Ragyō at the second repository, she said that she knew about my past," Heero answered, "Kagato apparently commissioned a spy to infiltrate Earth and acquire the relevant data."

Washu grimaced. "Damn it… I really should've anticipated that. It was just a matter of time before those two took a genuine interest in you. If I could hack Preventers, Kagato would easily have the resources to do it as well."

"I think we both were counting on Earth receding into the background and being beneath his notice once we left it," said Heero, "We believed his focus would remain solely on seizing the Array. It seems we were mistaken."

Washu scratched her chin. "Knowledge is power, a lesson that Kagato has always taken to heart. I'm surprised he hasn't used the information he's gathered on you, though. Beyond that taunt from Ragyō, anyway."

"Why sit on it?" asked Heero, "There's data in there that would be useful for him on the political battlefield. My past activities would make useful fodder and provide a bit of distracting scandal if nothing else."

Washu nodded as the gears in her mind turned swiftly. "Kagato's a canny political operator, so it's odd that he would let something juicy like that just sit idly in his back pocket. It's just a hunch, but… I don't think he was after that data to use it as a tool in the political arena."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "What else would he want for, then?"

"Two possibilities come to mind," said Washu, her eyes narrowing, "One is that he might be seeking to use it to divide us, and is simply waiting for the most opportune moment to start dropping those knowledge bombs, as it were. I can think of a few deeds in your file that might give some of the more upstanding members of our party pause, after all."

"No argument there," Heero replied, "What's the second possibility?"

"That he's still hoping to sway you over to his side," Washu answered.

Heero folded his arms. "He's already tried the sales pitch, and it fell flat. We've fought him directly twice now with the intent to kill. How the hell can he think that knowing about my past will give him the means to convince me to join him after all of this?"

"Don't underestimate his cunning and persistence," Washu cautioned him, "Yes, you've fought him and his allies on close to even terms and definitely tried to kill them, but that actually makes you more attractive to him as a potential ally. He's seen your power grow over two battles, and he's smart enough to recognize your potential. If he can persuade you to defect to his cause, it would be a coup of epic proportions."

"His plan is to hold the entire galaxy hostage with the Judgement Array so he can seize the throne," Heero remarked, "If he truly has my file from Preventers and has actually studied it in full, then he should know that I'd never go along with that."

"If one only looked at the battles you fought in your wars, especially that grand clash at the Libra, then one might come to the conclusion that you'd be as adamantly opposed to his scheme as you are now," Washu confirmed, "However, that's not the only conclusion that can be drawn from understanding your past. Tell me, Heero; during that final battle at the Libra, what were you ultimately fighting for?"

"To end the war and save mankind from the threat posed by that battleship," Heero answered firmly.

Washu nodded. "Simple enough, and you did achieve both of those objectives. However, look at what stemmed from you accomplishing that mission; the first genuine peace that your world had known in centuries. You may have had no way of knowing that your actions would have such far-reaching consequences, but would I be correct in assuming that, had you possessed such foreknowledge, your decisions would not have changed?"

"You assume correctly," said Heero, "Why does that matter?"

"It matters because your actions played a decisive role in overturning the old world order and ushering in a new one," Washu replied, "In doing so, you demonstrated your potential to be more than just a gifted pilot and soldier; you showed that you're a fulcrum, a pivotal point upon which entire wars can be won or lost. You have experience in casting down established systems, which is something that Kagato would find quite appealing. More importantly, you've shown that you're willing to engage in such fights out of genuine belief that you're doing the right thing. You don't fight for personal gain, but for what you feel to be the greater good. That's something Kagato doubtlessly believes he can use… because I think part of him genuinely believes that his campaign is for the greater good."

Heero looked more than a little skeptical. "If he's as smart as you think he is, he wouldn't really start believing his own lies, would he?"

"He would if he didn't think that they were lies," Washu countered, "Kagato possesses that dangerous combination of ambition, brilliance, and certainty that his cause is for the greater good. He's no mere conniving aristocrat, Heero. He's a visionary, or at least he fancies himself as one. You should know better than most the kind of threat that people like him can pose."

"I do," Heero confirmed, "Even so, one man's 'greater good' is another's madness. I don't care what Kagato believes about his own plan or his odds of convincing me to go along with it. His scheme revolves around a weapon capable of threatening the entire galaxy. That alone is enough of a reason for me to firmly stand against him. No argument he can make, regardless of what he thinks he knows about me, can change that."

Washu took a deep breath and looked upon the young prince in equal parts admiration and trepidation. "I'll hold you to that, Heero."

And may the galaxy forgive me if my faith is misplaced.

Preview for next time!

Duo: Alright, enough sitting around and talking! Can we start shooting stuff again?

Hilde: Duo, you're starting to sound like Wufei.

Wufei: Well, he's not wrong. We could use a bit more excitement.

Trowa: We'll have plenty of that in the training exercises with the Juraians.

Quatre: Not to mention tangling with assassins.

Ayeka: I can't believe we're seriously letting Lord Heero use himself as bait like this!

Sasami: Heero, be careful!

Mihoshi: Don't worry, we'll be watching his back.

Kiyone: It's almost like an old sting operation. Haven't done one of those in a long time. Hope I'm not too rusty.

Ryoko: You two cops can just sit and back and watch. I'll take care of anyone who comes after Heero!

Washu: Hey, you and Heero have your own training to deal with! I'm not going to let some assassin get in the way of you two further honing your abilities.

Yosho: Must be tough being so popular.

Heero: It's definitely not my idea of a good time.

Funaho: Next time, in Chapter Twenty-Seven: No Need For Assassins And Exercises! So much going on… I do hope you lot remember to take a bit of time for yourselves.

Heero: Something tells me we're not going to have that luxury for a while.

Author's Notes: Ah, next chapter's going to be fun! Fleet exercises, swordfights, training with strange powers passed down from two of the goddesses that forged the very universe, a game of cat and mouse with a hired gun or two… what's not to like?

Hope you all liked the chapter. Feel free to review, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time!