Adagio
Adagio – musical marking, slow and stately (literally, "at ease")
A/N: The lyrics in italics is Cross My Mind by Twin Forks.
Chapter 1: Reunion (Saikai 再会)
AC 197 Spring - Post Mariemaia Army Rebellion
~Why don't you stay for a while? It's been too long since I've smiled~
She thought she could never go back to college again.
Sitting at the back of the storied lecture hall, Relena Peacecraft-Darlian crossed her ankles neatly under her seat. She listened raptly to the distinguished professor of diplomacy speaking at the podium, quietly absorbing and thinking things over, occasionally taking notes in her electronic pad.
Madeleine Albright was the first woman ever to hold the post of Secretary of Alliance in the early AC age. She retired before the coalition took a sharp turn to a much more militaristic tone. Receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree two days before her 70th birthday, she joined the faculty as a research professor of international affairs. Although actively promoting female students' enrollment at the School of Foreign Service, she almost never taught a class – only periodically took up speaking engagements and hosted open lectures. Today was one of such days.
As a female politician only starting her career, at a tender age to boot, Relena felt a keen admiration towards the elderly stateswoman. The way she spoke revealed depths of experience, a steely strength of character shaped through a position of power in a turbulent age. The lady stayed true in her path despite various challenges. Relena read at the time when Mrs. Albright held office, her husband suffered an assault in their home and was injured badly. She wondered if they faced similar challenges to what she was currently facing now.
Ever since the kidnapping incident at Christmas, the security measures around her tightened to an unprecedented degree. She only started her studies at the college the previous year, part time and mostly online, determined to earn her degree. A semblance of normalcy. She considered taking a break from politics after her father's vice ministry tenure ended and focused on finishing her studies. Then a diplomatic mission to X-18999 went awry, and that plan seemed to fly out of the window.
She supposed she was grateful things turned out the way it did. It could have been much worse. She remembered the crowd of cheering people in the 'ground zero' after she was released from captive. The civilians led the effort to scour the bunker wreckage for survivors before government officials took over. She remembered the President of ESUN coming down and giving a speech. She herself delivered a short one, thanking people who came to the battleground to answer her plea to fight for peace, encouraging everyone who listened – in person or through the broadcast – to make the conscious decision to reject violence and share the burden of preventing another war. She remembered the answering roar and cheers and thunderous claps, Earth Sphere flags waved amidst the rubble and smoke. She remembered desperately wishing such a spirit to spread, hoping peace to last. She remembered scanning the faces in the crowd, trying to find a pair of familiar Prussian blue eyes, the promise of never being forced to kill again...
Professor Albright seemed to share the sentiment. Finished dissecting the incident and the end of the emergencies act, she was wrapping up the lecture by offering her thoughts on the recent announcement of the establishment of the Public Order Emergency Commission.
Relena stayed back after the professor exited the auditorium, jotting down notes in her pad and reorganizing her thoughts, waiting until most of the other students had left. Putting up a fight to attend the lecture in person was totally worth it.
Slipping her pad into her bag, she rearranged her cap and scarf, covering most of her face. She stood up and headed to the door, the corner of her eye catching her plain-clothed bodyguard moving to follow. She knew at least two other officers were working in the background to monitor the periphery, out of her sight. With glasses on and hair dyed, she doubted anyone would recognize her. Then again she had been surprised by the number of pictures of her taken without knowledge and circulated in the internet. Only a few years prior she was a relative unknown – it still baffled her how people took so much interest.
Oh she was grateful for the popularity. Her esteemed father used to say it was good for people in their kind of job. On the other hand she felt bad for the seemingly extraneous efforts put into her security. During workday no less than three uniformed Preventers surrounded her. It was no different on day off, except that the officers were in plain clothes. If she would just not think about how her entire house was overhauled and fitted with video cameras and surveillance equipment. About how she had accidentally tripped the alarm only because she tried to open her windows once. About how it took almost four months before they allowed her to attend this one lecture...
Walking in the corridor between two buildings, she noted the ivy branches climbing the old walls of the historic university building were lush with green. Turning to the main road of the campus, she saw flowers blooming in carefully curated pots along the street. Throngs of students were walking and chatting, most benches and patio tables were filled with people. A few people glanced at her, but most were not paying her any heed, figuring her to be just another student. How nice would it be to linger for a spell? Getting a drink, striking conversation, making friends.
Taking a deep breath, she resolutely banished the wishful thinking out of her head. The early spring air was refreshingly crisp. Lifting her face up slightly, she saw there was hardly any clouds in the sky. She loved how warm the sunlight felt. She slowed her pace, trying to be present, soaking in the beautiful weather and the liberating feeling of anonymity. It was such a wonderful day. She knew her ride back would arrive soon, the least she could do was to enjoy the minutes to the last.
~And if I'm being honest, from time to time you crossed my mind~
Heero Yuy stopped short upon catching a familiar name.
He was walking down the crowded street of L1 colony, taking his time getting to the inter-colony rail station. He held a laptop cased in a protective sleeve and a few books, easily blending in with the crowds. He had nothing to hurry for. It felt different to simply walk along with everyone else amidst the rush hour traffic.
It had been months since Wing Zero was destroyed. He had spent that time bouncing around from place to place, closing up 'safe houses' and cleaning up his haphazard personal history file, leaving behind a neat – albeit scattered – history of one Heero Yuy. With all the gundams gone he had no need for his former way of life.
He was still very much alert to his surroundings. It wasn't easy to get used to the fact that he no longer had anything that might raise a potential threat – and therefore didn't warrant being monitored. He was training himself to get adjusted to things, going out to public places, floating in and out of crowds and consciously trying not to suspect anything. He would unintentionally catch snippets of conversations, still learning to hear without searching for key words and phrases.
"Good afternoon! One minute for quick questions please."
Zeroing on the voices, he picked a spot against the rail station gates and discreetly observed the group. It was a journalist of sorts, conducting interviews. A general opinion poll for politics, he figured. He watched the journalist moved to a group of girls wearing the same uniform, asking questions. They shook their heads indicating they didn't know most of the politician names, before nodding vigorously upon catching Relena's name.
He let his curiosity take over. Stepping away from the gate's guardrail, he casually walked over and took a seat on the opposite side of the plain metal bench from the girls. He pulled out one book he had with him, feigning to read.
He overheard the group talking animatedly, a round of giggles mixed with answers, emphatic agreements, and all-around resounding support. It didn't surprise him that Relena had positive popularity among colony residents, though he didn't quite expect she had a schoolgirl fanclub. It was somewhat amusing. Apparently being one of the youngest female politician ever automatically granted oneself under-aged following. He could only imagine how many additional votes would come in the ballots a few years down the road. Knowing her, those would actually be well-deserved.
Noting the interview was almost over, he quickly stood up and headed back to the gate. Behind him the journalist moved to others, shoving the recorder in front of a stranger and repeating the same questions.
"Good day! May I have a minute of your time?"
Checking the station's screen, it showed two more minutes before the train arrived. Above the clock, the upper display was showing news across the sphere. It was springtime. The colony didn't have any particular thing to commemorate – what with its carefully controlled weather, artificial sunlight, and year-long mild temperature. The news coverage was on several cities on Earth. Apparently there were seasonal blossoms and cultural festivals being celebrated down there.
He couldn't help remembering that her birthday was in spring.
He supposed he should prepare something. She did tear up his card last year. Her security measures these days could prove challenging but nothing that he couldn't get past through if needed.
The wind picked up through the tunnel and the train came into the view. Stepping into the closest train car, he wondered what she would like.
Do you know Relena Darlian indeed...
~Look, I'd be lying if I said to you, that I know exactly what I should do~
Commander Une blinked at her monitor screen, briefly surprised.
Having lost two of her best Preventer agents to the Mars terra-forming project, she was quite glad to welcome new members. Wufei Chang had quickly proven to be a good hire, forming an interestingly dynamic duo with Sally Po.
She supposed she was the one to ask him to extend invitations to the other former pilots, checking if any of them were interested in joining her fledgling organization. She never expected any of them to respond, let alone accept. She took Winner's polite rejection in stride, replied to Maxwell and Barton's lackadaisical agreement for occasional help with civilian badges.
She didn't think much of the characteristic radio silence from Heero Yuy. Earlier in the day when Chang forwarded a secured electronic mail to her, she figured it was a somewhat similar response to what the other pilots had sent.
It was quite a shock to find the contrary. His note was short but unmistakably outlined his intent to accept the job offer.
Considering skills alone, the zero one pilot was no doubt highly competent. Out of the five ex-gundam pilots he might be the most lethal – perfect in both close-quarter and ranged combat, computer hacking, and mobile suit piloting. Out of all the pilots though, she pegged him as the least likely to join.
She guessed there was no accounting for sheer providence.
Better to make the arrangements now before he changed his mind. Thinking things over, Une deemed that he would easily make it into agent rank. She still had one vacancy open after all. Though never knowing the full extent of his rivalry with Zech, she figured Yuy didn't need to know that he was backfilling his former enemy's seat.
She needed to give thought to his placement. Yuy's versatility was suited to a lot of roles. His technical skills were fit for intelligence gathering and analysis. He would work adeptly in defusing tricky situations, though perhaps not a quiet infiltration. She figured he didn't have experience nurturing a team, so placement with younger cadets would be out of the question. He would be well suited for hunting down suspects and carrying out arrests. An away mission it was then.
Scrolling the list of missions, she considered which was the best one to assign him first.
An open post caught her eyes. Ever since the kidnapping incident, the higher-ups were pressing for more robust security measures for Relena. They had all the technological improvements implemented, though she knew gadgets could only do so much. She still had not found a good person to lead her security team.
She leaned back in her chair and drummed her fingers on the armrest, having second thoughts. She honestly didn't think they would make the best pair, him being a former assassin and her an advocate of pacifism. On the other hand he did prove to be critical in saving Relena from tight spots, including his latest stunt destroying the enemy shelter holding her captive. He was naturally good at surveillance, keeping tabs and protecting a government official shouldn't prove to be too challenging for him. He seemed especially good at sniffing out death threats. Having the mindset of a hitman was no doubt an advantage in preventing assassinations. His familiarity with colony facilities and protocols also didn't hurt escort duties. And if Noin was to be believed, he always had a soft spot for her.
Reaching a decision, she filed his profile to the HR department. He could use more polish on diplomacy and his teamwork was dubious at best, but they would make it work.
Une quietly wondered whether the young politician had any sway in why the former pilot decided to accept the offer. For better or for worse, Relena tended to attract the oddest company.
~I know you've been lost, so I'm glad you got found~
Heero nodded to Wufei, letting the other agent walk him through the complicated blueprints of the area.
It was his first day of work. He was sitting in an office that Wufei shared with his current partner Sally Po. He landed in Brussels a week ago, securing a convenient housing inside the capital of ESUN, relatively close to the Preventer headquarter.
He had actually retrieved the blueprints as soon as he got the reply from the Commander. It was a basic step to scout the perimeters in advance. On paper he had found the security measures in the area to be adequate. But Wufei had been working here for several months, he would have additional perspective to offer. The other former pilot seemed to understand, skipping the general information and delving deeper into more crucial parts.
They covered three main things: the Preventer office, the ESUN building, and the surrounding areas.
Aside from the main center where they are currently sitting in, the Preventer had a secondary center off-planet. It used a lunar base as a remote operational quarter, where several cruisers were stationed, acting as liaison for the colonies and a communication contact point for Mars.
The Preventer primary headquarter on Earth was located in the southern part of the city, where several other government buildings also stood. Generally called the Hill, it functioned as the seat of the Sphere's federal government. The entire area was remarkable and visually striking, with several landmarks located on a promontory overlooking a natural-made river.
The building which housed the Preventer office had originally begun life as a large brick hospital. It was a three-sided square, simply and sturdily built with smaller glass windows dotting the multiple levels in precisely the same distance.
Directly across the street was the parliament building, which housed the ESUN president office and its ministers. Multiple passageways connected the two structures. One newly constructed glass bridge arched over the highway between the buildings, glaring the morning sun out at passerby. Three passageways sat underground, one big tunnel connecting the main block and two side tunnels connecting the left and right wings, respectively. Much further under a safety bunker was housed, big enough to accommodate several thousand people, with several hidden escape hatches branching out across the entire hill, some opened up to helipads and spaceports, a few extending further to the edge of the river.
Compared to the Preventer office, the parliament buildings were much more impressive with its Gothic revival suite of buildings, their architectural elements a national symbolic importance. Originally the site of a military base in the 18th century, the Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in the 19th century. It housed notable organizations throughout history before the ESUN government moved in. The area had largely remained unscathed by the past wars, but age had taken its toll. An extensive renovation and rehabilitation project was underway throughout all the precinct buildings, approximated to take 20 years in total, the work was not expected to complete until after AC 210.
He was pleased to find the primary complex was already fully functional: the Center block which housed Parliament and adjoined the Library and the Peace Tower; and the East and West wings. On the West wing's third floor were the offices of the Foreign Minister and his associates, including the Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian.
He mentally calculated the distance between her office and the closest exit points, noting it would be prudent to test out the route in person.
Having completed the necessary paperwork and gotten his badge, access cards, and a standard-issued side arm, he declined Wufei's offer for a quick tour of the Preventer building. He could find his own way later.
Sally took over the guide role, offering to lead him to the ESUN building. He didn't see the need but she insisted. Something about easing him into the role and introducing him to the ministry staffs. She had worked here even longer than Wufei so he figured there was something to gain by letting her show him around.
Heading into the ESUN building, they made their way through several scanners before even reaching the main security gate. It was made out of shatterproof and bomb-resistant resin, designed to quickly close down in emergency. From what he observed, the number and placements of surveillance cameras were more than satisfactory. The acting officers conducting the security protocols were sufficiently trained.
Not bad at all.
~Found an old picture of you on my phone, had a new feelin', now I won't let go~
Today had not started the way she planned it to.
She finished her virtual presentation on the effects of positive colonial marketing way over the allotted time, with more than a dozen questions and revision points noted down. She had a distinct feeling that the Representative was nitpicking the details. She would need to get a hold of the man in question for a private chat before the next round of update.
Her next meeting reminder had popped up an hour ago. She clicked the button to remind her again in 30 minutes. It was an appointment with Sally for an introduction to her new security commander. She guiltily glanced at the manila folder neglected in the corner of her desk. She had not yet had the time to review the new agent's resume. She figured she should do it now.
Shifting the folder closer, she started to lift open the cover. Except that her intercom beeped. Pushing the switch on, she quickly closed the folder and shoved it back to the corner. "Yes?"
"Miss Relena, we received a call from the consulate office. It seems urgent. The ambassador candidate is not able to start on the appointed date."
She held back a sigh, "I'll answer it. Please hold my other calls."
"Understood," her aide nodded. "Would you like me to contact Agent Po and reschedule your next meeting?"
"No. I'll be quick," she replied, "Please ask them to wait in the conference room, I'll head there as soon as I can."
To her relief, the call did end fairly quickly. Quickly standing up from her chair and snatching the folder with one hand, she took quick strides towards the door.
"Miss Relena," her personal aide greeted her warmly. "The agents just entered the building."
"Thank you Justine," she returned, "Meeting room 12, isn't it?"
"Yes, the one in the corner."
She nodded and resumed her brisk pace towards the area. Glancing at her wristwatch, she should have at least 20 minutes to read through the materials. She hoped they were not early.
Unlike most of the other conference rooms, it was a smaller one, enclosed by a regular door instead of glass. She rapped her knuckles on the door quickly before opening it, glad to find it empty. There were four chairs encircling a round table, a speakerphone sitting in the centre, no screen or projector visible. She chose the furthest chair facing the door, sat down, and quickly opened up the folder.
The neat little file held six pages of information clamped together, several letters and red stamped certificates slipped in the left pocket. Paper-clipped neatly in the right corner was a picture. A pair of Prussian blue eyes stared back from the picture, dressed in the brown stripes of Preventer's uniform.
The folder shook in her hands. She slowly put it down to the table. Taking off the paper clip, she separated the passport-sized photo from the other papers.
The first page was a copy of the appointment letter. On the top left there was the diamond shaped Preventer's logo, in black and white. The block letters in the middle read "MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD. SUBJECT: Appointment of Security Mission Commander, Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian." Further down, it listed the rank and name of the appointee: "Special Agent / Heero Yuy". At the very bottom it stated the period of service: "Until officially released or relieved from appointment in writing."
Flipping through the papers, she saw everything was signed and dated. Background and security checks were all completed and signed off. There was a letter of recommendation signed by Commander Une herself. Health and fitness reports were filled with specific numbers, training sessions were given valid reason for waiver.
Before she could try making sense of it, the meeting room door opened. She almost jumped to her feet.
"Relena!" Sally greeted her, "Your aide said you would be late."
His familiar back was to her as he slipped into the room behind the more senior agent, closing the door.
"No I..." she stumbled, "There were calls since morning. I was occupied."
The older lady nodded, "We understand. One of those days, eh?"
He turned to look at her, and she was suddenly at a loss.
"All right, I don't think you two need an introduction," Sally cheerfully continued, stepping to the side and giving them full view of each other.
There was a long pause when no one said anything. Sally looked back and forth between the two of them.
"...don't tell me Commander Une said nothing?"
She shook her head, still finding her voice. "I was briefed on the appointment, though the folder just came in yesterday."
Sally struggled to keep her face straight, "And I was apparently not of much help either, outlining the newcomer's credentials but omitting the name."
Relena's face twitched, but she remained silent. Heero quietly observed from her side, also not speaking a word.
Sally looked between the gazes of the two youngsters and effectively took the hint for desired private time. "Well. I'm going to let you two catch up," she murmured.
Neither showed indication that they heard her, though Heero stepped farther into the room and cleared a path to the door.
Holding back the snicker, she paused at the door and added, "This room is one of the private ones. There is no monitoring camera inside."
Relena visibly blanched, having momentarily forgot about the surveillance measures. Heero simply sent her a small nod. Closing the door behind her, Sally grinned to herself. She knew she was being nosy arranging a formal introduction, but she definitely got more than what she bargained for. Oh just wait until she told Wufei...
~'Til I can, I can tell you for myself~
Heero watched Relena taking a deep breath and composing herself.
His eyes softening to an almost-smile, he nodded. "Vice Minister."
"Agent Yuy." The titles sounded foreign to their ears. She cracked a small smile. "Please have a seat."
He sat down across from her. She apologetically ventured, "I didn't know you were coming."
He blinked at her, "Do you mind?"
"Mind?" she started. "How could I mind?"
"Sally Po told me you are not too keen on getting a new security commander."
Heero watched, fascinated, as her hands fluttered over the papers, over the large manila folder, and brushed the edge of the round table, as though she expected it all to disappear on her without warning. It was the closest to being outwardly flustered that Relena would ever be.
His heart beat strangely at the sight. The knot which had formed in the pit of his stomach after hearing Sally's casual remark loosened.
She folded her hands together on her lap and finally turned her gaze to him. "I have my thoughts on the security measures. The last commanding officer thought it was a good idea to put cameras in my bedroom and insisted I wear an active tracker at all times."
He nodded, "He didn't get his way."
She lifted her brows slightly, "No."
One corner of his mouth quirked, a gleam of humor flickered in his eyes. She slowly relaxed, quietly noting the friendly atmosphere between them. She had not realized how tense she had been the whole morning.
"It is good to see you again Heero," she said softly.
He let the smirk slip away, looked her in the eye. He took out a plain envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table. She shot him a questioning glance, opening it up. It was a pop-up card.
"Happy belated birthday," he said. "In person."
A wide smile spread across her lips, blue eyes lighting up with joy. The loosened knot in his stomach turned into a fuzzy feeling. He instinctively squashed it down.
She put the card back on the table. Still smiling, she cocked one eyebrow at him.
"All of these," she patted the manila folder with one hand, then the card with the other hand. "Just for this?"
He shook his head no. "I heard you needed help."
"With my security?" she threw him another grateful smile. "It'd be great if we can have a conversation about it."
"Hn," he nodded. "There are a few things."
She grinned at him. Well, since he always seemed to be able to bypass her security... "I'm all ears."