DISCLAIMER: Gundam Wing belonged to Sunrise and co. I’m not making any profits out of this, so don’t sue. Oh, those you think you’ve never heard before belong to me. And feedback is very welcome, people!☺

 

TIMELINE: The story mostly takes place after Endless Waltz. To be more precise, one year after Endless Waltz. That means two years after my very own Treize’s Revenge series.

 

 

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST I: REDEMPTION

By Arayelle Lynn.

 

               It was almost the end of the year After Colony 197. For almost two years, the Earth and the colonies lived together in peace. Each worked together to recover from the aftermath of the Eve War as well as the Operation Meteor conflict. And each finally learned the value of cooperation, trust, loyalty, reliability and love. But most of all, the value of peace.

 

               However, in peace there bound to be a spark of conflict. And this conflict started at the very heart of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, between the representatives of each nation, concerning about one controversial issue. Crime in war. More specifically, the Gundam pilots.

 

               Relena Darlian, Vice Foreign Minister, a girl barely 18 years old listened wearily as the representatives argued about the issue of war crimes, a few argued about convicting those who retaliated against the pacifism but fortunately, there were many who argued against punishment and instead suggested ways to make use of the rogue soldiers.

 

               Seated in the middle of the hall, the President had tried to gain order but to no avail. Now, he was just sitting there, letting the representatives tire themselves out. Relena sighed, trying to block out the noise from her head. It had been a month since the issue was raised but they still couldn’t find any solution.

 

               The issue was first raised by the Defense Minister, High General Duke Geoffrey MacGarth who voiced the issue of the Barton conflict. But not long after that, he began to highlight the issue of war crimes, seeking agreement to arrest soldiers who deserted their posts and joined the forces under White Fang and Treize faction. And this happened right after the end of the Operation Meteor conflict when the Earth Sphere Unified Nation were discussing on where to place the Mariemaia’s Army as well as the White Fang and Treize faction guerillas who had mysteriously turned themselves in to the Preventers, with their numbers kept on piling up.

 

               General MacGarth had suggested that they detain the rogue soldiers with the charge of war crime. That at first, shocked the member of the world organization. But soon afterwards, some of the representatives were influenced by his arguments as Relena and the other representatives tried to argue against arresting the rogue soldiers on the ground that they had voluntarily turned themselves in.

 

               Then two days ago, MacGarth raised the issue of arresting the Gundam pilots on the ground that they were the ones who provoked the Eve War against OZ, Romefeller and the Alliance. That, Relena had fought strongly, knowing that the pilots were not to blame for it and she was glad when most of the representatives agreed with her.

 

               But sometimes, it took one person to stir up trouble. And that person was MacGarth.

 

               Relena spared a glance at him. He was watching the whole argument as if it was just a fencing match to him. Then, as if sensing her, he looked up to her. His lips curled up in a smile that sent a shiver down her spine. A smile of pure evil. And so she sent him a warning look, saying that if he raised the issue of arresting the Gundam pilots, she would fight him to the bitter end. But he just raised his left eyebrow as if saying that she was no match for him.

 

               In a way, she’s not. MacGarth had a way with people. He could make them listen to every word he said which was why he could easily influenced some of the representatives to agree with his argument. And if he kept it up, he could win the vote of half of members of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Maybe even more.

 

               Exhaling, Relena whispered one name. “Heero, help me.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

               ‘Heero, help me.’

 

               The boy looked up, thinking that he heard someone called his name. But no one was there. He then turned his attention back towards the task at hand. He had been at it for almost a while now but still no success. And so he squatted down and placed the plate on the floor.

 

               “Come on, eat something,” he said with a gentleness he himself was surprise to hear. The puppy, a wolf dog half-breed, drew back inside the hole, looking at him hurtfully. Heero Yuy sighed, “Look, I’m sorry I left you behind for two days but there was something I must do.”

 

               Apology. One of the few things he had learned during this one year of peace. And still he was not comfortable with it. Trowa had said it will take time for him to be comfortable with his new civilian life. But Heero seriously didn’t like it.

 

               He didn’t like it at all.

 

               Seeing the puppy was not going to accept his token of apology, Heero decided to give up. He sighed as he rose to his feet and settled down on the grass a few meters away. He looked around him, thinking about his life.

 

               All his life, he often thought that he would die in battle, that he would not live long enough to see himself asking what he was suppose to do when the war was over. Nor did he think that he would see the day when he himself destroyed Wing Zero for the sake of peace. He always thought that he would die in Wing Zero.

 

               How he missed Wing Zero.

 

               Now he finally understood why Wu Fei had joined the Barton Foundation a year ago. But then even the restless Chinese pilot had found himself a goal in life. Being a Preventer agent. In fact, all the other four pilots had found their place in life. Quatre with his inheritance and Trowa was fairly happy with his circus family. Heck, even Duo found his salvage business satisfying enough. All but him.

 

               What was his goal in life now?

 

               Protecting Relena? For how long? As long as it takes? Maybe, but what if she found someone who could truly be there for her? Someone who would not disappear and only to watch over her in shadows? Someone who could hold her when she was at her weakest state? Could Heero stand watching her in the arms of another man?

 

               He honestly didn’t know.

 

               He sighed, wishing he had something to go on with in his life. He couldn’t afford to waste his youth and energy just sitting around. ‘But then again,’ he reminded himself. ‘You were the one who craved for this solitude.’

 

               Then he felt something wet grazed his arm. He looked down to see the puppy licking him. “So, you’ve finally decided to forgive me after all,” he said, stroking the puppy. The puppy, which he named Adin, was his constant companion ever since he had destroyed Wing Zero. He had found it on the roadside, its mother dead being hit by a car. So Heero brought it home and cared for him.

 

               But still nothing could replace Wing Zero’s companionship.

 

               “What do you think I should do, Adin?” he asked the puppy. It stared at him and yelped. “Get a job? Hm… that could help. But I’m talking about my goal in life,” he said, softly. “I need to know if I have a good reason enough to continue to live.”

 

               It was then he felt it. He looked up the sky. Somewhere out there, something changed. Something that would give him a good reason to live. Something that would changed his life and the others’ forever. Maybe for better or possibly for worse.

 

               And up there, among the stars, Heero now remembered that there was still one person who still continued to fight. A soldier who was on her quest for redemption. But at that moment Heero felt something ended.

 

               And he also felt something far more dangerous was about to begin.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

               Kylie Rayden Khushrenada watched as the last of the guerilla home base exploded into pieces. Tiny shower of fires seemed to lighten the darkness of space, like fireworks on Earth sky at night. That beautiful sight marked the end of her redemption and the beginning of something new. Something she herself did not know, yet.

 

               Around her, the remaining guerillas were piloting their transportation, mobile suits and space shuttles alike, towards the Earth. Before she had destroyed their base, she had given them the choice of surrendering themselves to the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. And that was after she defeated them in an intense battle. And now, it’s over.

 

               “Mission accomplished,” she said to no one in particular. She let out a long sigh.

 

               “Copy that, Red,” a voice said over the speaker. “Are you coming home now?”

 

               Kylie felt something trickled down her forehead but did not bother to wipe it. She was busy watching some new space ships, which were arriving at the scene. The newcomers gathered the fleeing guerillas, ignoring her red Taurus. But Kylie was not worried about them. She knew who they really were. The Preventers.

 

               “Kylie?” the voice said again. There’s a trace of anxiety in his voice.

 

               She snapped out of her reverie. “Yes, I’m returning to base, Dante.”

 

               She pushed forward her throttle, directing her Taurus towards the unknown. But from the Preventer’s ships, she could sense a pair of eyes watching her leaving the scene, leaving her previous life to venture on her new one. Her mission to protect the peace was over.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

               “All the guerillas are in detention and secured, ma’am,” a male voice reported, breaking through her deep thought. Lady Une broke her gaze away from the darkness of space and turned to see a Preventer agent and Sally Po, standing before her.

 

               “Good,” she said. “Set course back to base.”

 

               The male agent saluted. “Aye, ma’am.”

 

               Lady Une returned her gaze to the stars before her. Sally looked at what she was staring at, seeing a tiny star trailed towards the colony cluster. But she knew that that wasn’t any ordinary star. “You’re worried about her?” she asked, gently. The Preventer’s chief kept her eyes on the vanishing star.

 

               “Yeah, now that her personal mission is over. I was wondering what she would do now,” she answered. Secretly, she had hoped Kylie would stay on to have a few words with her. She had missed her terribly and wished things were fine between them. But for Kylie to return to her side was too much of a wishful thing.

 

               Sally put her hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about her. She is a very resourceful young lady. I’m sure she will find her way in the new world. And maybe one day, she will be ready to find you.”

 

               “I hope so.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

               As soon as Kylie landed her Taurus onto the abandoned hangar, a young man ran up to her. “Is it over, Red?” he asked, as the cockpit door swung open. Kylie jumped out of the Taurus as the artificial gravity cushioned her landing. She looked at Dante, the person who had been staying by her side this past two years.

 

               “Yes, it’s over. The Preventers came to pick up the pieces,” she said, pushing her visor up. “Thanks for contacting them for me.”

 

               Dante’s face beamed with pride. He was really glad to be of some help to her. Actually, Dante had known Kylie since she was little. They both had been living with Alonso Di’Pardi, the thief who had once plagued their lives. He knew everything that happened to her. Both of them and the other children living with the abusive thief had went through a lot together and had been very close. Until, of course, Treize Khushrenada appeared in their life and changed it forever.

 

               Dante was sent to live with a family in Australia. His foster parents had both been very good people. They couldn’t conceive a child because of a disease and had chosen to adopt a child. And they adopted him and Grace, another Di’Pardi’s unfortunate charge. Both of them lived with their new parents, finally found the happiness and love that they had craved since they were little.

 

               But that happiness never lasted. During the war in AC 195, Dante had lost his family. All of them, leaving him all alone in the world. He had been wandering around, lost in the world where he had known nobody until he found Kylie a few months later. Although both had grown so much, Dante still recognized her among the crowd. Her fearless eyes always stayed in his memory, giving him the strength to go on.

 

               But when he had found her, Dante was also struck at how much she had changed.  Her demeanor was cold and serious and she lacked the emotion of a normal person. From what little he learned about her, she had been an OZ soldier before she abandoned her post. Other than that, he knew that she once lived with the late Treize Khushrenada. As for other information, well, he drew a big fat zero. Kylie never offered to tell him what happened to her the last time they saw each other and would ignore his attempts to find it out from her. Despite that, he faithfully stayed by Kylie, helping her out while she hunted down the guerillas and destroyed their many base of operations, never asking why she was doing it. Being with her was satisfying enough.

 

               Now that it’s over, Dante wondered what would happen next. He wondered what he should do with his life. Continue to be with Kylie? Maybe. But what’s next for her?

 

               He was about to voice the question when Kylie shove a manila envelope into his hands. “That’s for you,” she simply said, peeling off her gloves.

 

               Dante looked at it, surprised. “What is this?”

 

               “I’ve done a little research on my own and finished it this morning.” She looked at him. “Your adopted parents and Grace are still alive. They lost you and thought you were dead. They’ve moved to Texas after the war.” She nodded at the envelope. “I have your shuttle pass and their address in the envelope. They’re waiting for you, Dante.”

 

               He felt his tears threatening to form as he stared at the envelope, disbelief. He couldn’t believe this was happening. They’re alive! Sensing that Kylie was still watching him, he looked at her. “B… but what about you? What would you do now?” he asked. ‘Will I see you again?’ he added silently.

 

               Kylie turned away. “I already have a plan.” She paused. “Hurry up and pack. Your shuttle leave tonight.” She started to walk away.

 

               “Wait a minute!” said Dante. “What about this?” he asked, gesturing at her red Taurus, which was standing proudly still in the hangar. Kylie stared at it. Her constant companion and partner. The very thing that gave her a lot of victories and saw a lot of her emotional loss. The only thing that gave her a meaning in life. Her only friend.

 

               “Destroy it,” she said, recalling what the Gundam pilots did to their own mobile suits. It was time for her to bury the life of endless fighting and death. Time for her to start over. “Destroy it and send the parts to the salvage guy in L2.”

 

               “The usual one?” he asked. Whenever they need parts, Dante was usually sent to deal with the same guy, Duo Maxwell. He doesn’t know the ties between Kylie and Maxwell but Kylie had instructed him to never indicate his connection to her or even mention her name to the guy. So, Dante usually thought that Kylie wanted to maintain her identity a secret.

 

               “Yeah,” she said, walking away. She felt as if she needed a good bath. As she was passing a mirror, she pulled off her helmet. It was then she caught her reflection and froze. There, staring back at her in the mirror was a total stranger.

 

The hard and cold winter blue eyes were still there, marked by the serious look on her face. But even as she stared at her face she saw a stranger. She saw a girl she was suppose to be. Her red hair was a shade darker and damp by the sweat but it fell slightly longer on her shoulder reaching her backside, indicating how much her hair had grown over the years. Ever since she had started her mission to destroy the guerillas, she never had time to look at herself in the mirror.

 

Now, she could see why males turned their heads towards her whenever she was in the streets. She looked like a girl! However, that thought didn’t pleased her at all. So was the question of what next for her in life.

 

She knew she had lied to Dante. She honestly had no idea what she’s suppose to do. Her full attention was focused only to destroy the guerillas that she never stop to ask what she would do once her mission was over. Now, she was clueless.

 

What was Treize’s final words to her?

 

Live and love.

 

Only until then she realized that she hadn’t understood fully the meaning of the words. What did Treize meant by asking her to live? And love? Or was there something else she was supposed to interpret between the two magic words?

 

That thought made her wondered about the Gundam pilots. Did they wondered the same thing after they destroyed their Gundams? She knew Duo, Quatre and Trowa didn’t. The three already had their path laid before them. What about Wu Fei? Was that the reason why he joined the Mariemaia’s Army? But even now Wu Fei had found his path in life, with the Preventers.

 

And what about Heero Yuy? What was he doing now? Still protecting Relena? Until when? Kylie sighed at the questions that was playing in her mind. When she was once Treize’s Revenge the assassin, the question about her future was never brought up. She was determined to kill herself once she destroyed those who had destroyed Treize Khushrenada.

 

But now that she had completed her mission to destroy the guerillas before they disturb the peace of humanity, she realized that she didn’t have a plan for her future. That she didn’t have a path of life laid before her. Was death her ultimate gift for completing her mission?

 

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t see Dante walking up to her, scratching his head. “That’s funny,” he said, breaking her thoughts. Kylie turned to him.

 

“What is?”

 

He nodded at the Taurus. “There’s a message coming in but I don’t think it’s for you. I think someone must’ve made a mistake.”

 

Kylie’s senses came into full alert. “Who was it for?” she asked, quickly.

 

“I don’t know. The receiver’s name was Treize’s Revenge but…” Before he could finish, Kylie was already running towards her Taurus. She leapt up to the Taurus, letting the artificial gravity bounced her to the cockpit. She settled on the seat and tapped a few keys.

 

‘Treize’s Revenge. I have a proposition that might be of some interest. Meet me at the Old Pier 4, San Francisco. Midnight.’

 

Kylie frowned. Nobody was suppose to know that Treize’s Revenge was still alive. She’s sure that Lady Une handled it. Even she herself had erased any indication that Treize’s Revenge was connected with Kylie Khushrenada or Kyle Rayden. She wanted to buried Treize’s Revenge the assassin, deep into the past along with his sins. Now, someone had decided to dug him out of his grave.

 

In any other circumstances, Kylie wouldn’t have gone, knowing her appearance would only confirm he was indeed still alive. But she was curious of what this new job this person was referring to, plus, she wanted to know how this person figured out that Treize’s Revenge still live.

 

“Trouble?” asked Dante, popping his head into the cockpit. Kylie quickly deleted the message.

 

“Something I need to take care of,” she said, surprised to hear how cold her voice sound. She rose from the seat.

 

“In that case, I better stay,” said Dante, frowning.

 

She whipped her head to him. “No! You’re going home and that’s it.”

 

“B… but you’ll need my help,” he protested.

 

“You can’t help me with this one,” she said, jumping down. “Nobody can,” she whispered.

 

Dante followed her. “B… but why? We’re a team, remember?”

 

“We are NOT a team,” she snapped, her anger rising. “I don’t need you to run any errands for me anymore. I don’t need you to run to the grocery store to buy food. Most of all, I don’t need you to watch my back!” Then she drew a deep breath. She looked at him in the eye. “I need you to be with your family now. Go back to them, Dante. They need you,” she said, softly. ‘At least there’s someone who need one of us,’ she thought.

 

Dante’s eyes reflected his concern. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “Once this is over, I’ll come by to see you, okay?” she promised. ‘If I live long enough that is.’

 

He surrendered. “Alright, I’ll go. But don’t you let anything happen to you.”

 

Kylie’s face hardened. “I won’t. I’ll make sure of it.” Then she started to walk away, to prepare for her journey to Earth.

 

“Um…Red?” Dante called back. She froze in the middle of her stride. She turned. “What?”

 

“What do you want me to do with your Taurus now?” he asked. Kylie stared at it once more and sighed. ‘Looks like you and I are needed, big guy,’ she thought.

 

“Leave it alone. I have a need for it.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

The dock was dark as the fog was rolling in from the bay. It was a cold October night and November was just around the corner . As she walked towards the old and abandoned Pier 4, she thrust her hands inside the pockets of her long overcoat. She didn’t know why but lately, she had taken a liking to wearing long overcoats. Maybe because it could cover her slim feminine figure, making it hard for people to determine her gender. Or maybe because she could easily hide the silencer tucked inside her belt.

 

And with her long hair safely tucked inside a wool cap, she knew there was no way her mysterious contact could determine her true identity. Well, provided if he or she didn’t know about it already.

 

She walked cautiously, her eyes wandered around, searching for signs of an ambush. At the same time, she was looking for anyone who might be watching her. She had surveyed the blueprint of the place and had planned many escape routes in case she was being led into an trap. She was well-aware of the conflict in the Earth Sphere Unified Nation regarding rogue soldiers and knew the price on her head would be high if they knew that she was Treize’s Revenge. And this secret meeting could be an attempt to catch her.

 

Then she reached the meeting spot. Seeing no one was there, Kylie decided to remain in the shadows, waiting for the appearance of this sorry fellow. She didn’t have to wait long before she heard the sound of footsteps. ‘Good, he or she is alone.’

 

It was a man. He was tall and very military-like. And his face was scarred all over.

 

“Treize’s Revenge?” said the man. Kylie was able to detect a very distinctive trace of fear in his voice. Whoever this guy was, he’s certainly afraid of Treize’s Revenge. Probably because the assassin had targeted only military-related people.

 

“Talk,” she simply said in a deep voice. She still didn’t move away from the shadows.

 

The guy cleared his throat, trying to appear tough. Bad move. “Right. My reports told me that you don’t talk much. Anyway, I’m Parkins. I have an interesting proposition for you.”

 

He waited for her to prompt him or at least showed a little interest. But Kylie didn’t give him the luxury. She patiently waited for him to continue. “The person I’m working for would like you to remove someone from this existence.”

 

“Why me?”

 

He was surprised by her question. “Because you’re the best there is. I mean, you survived your ordeal with the Gundam pilots. And, you managed to hide yourself over these years from them and the Preventers.”

 

Good. That means he doesn’t know about what happen between her and the Gundam pilots.

 

He looked at her, carefully. “What do you say? Are you interested to be back in the business?”

 

“Let say that I am. Who’s the target?”

 

Parkins took out a manila folder and handed it to her. What Kylie saw startled her. But still she maintained her composure and read over the file. Parkins continued to brief her, “You are to kill the person in the picture. Use any means necessary just as long as this person is out of the way.”

 

“Why?”

 

“My boss has his reasons. Inside the folder there’s an envelope with 50 thousand credits, your first payment. The rest you will get once you’re done with the job.” He paused. “Unless, you don’t agree with 6 millions worth of credits.”

 

“Looks like your boss really wants this person out of the way,” she commented, ignoring the money. That was not her main concern. She looked at Parkins. “When will I get to meet your boss?”

 

Parkins looked at her, his face darkened. “You don’t,” he said. “You will only contact me and me alone.”

 

“So, I take it that you contact this boss of yours directly?” she prompted.

 

He laughed. It wasn’t a pretty sight. “I don’t even know who hired me to find you assassins.” Kylie’s head snapped at that. “You mean there are more?”

 

“Yeah, just in case any of you failed. Because if you want to kill this person, you would be dealing with the Gundam pilots and they’re a tough bunch to defeat.” He winked. “Though, my money is on you, kid. You’ve tangled with them before. I’m sure you’ve learned a thing or two by now.”

 

“Who are the other assassins?” she demanded.

 

Parkins smiled sadistically. “Checking out your competitions, huh?” He shook his head. “I’m not telling. All of them rather keep their involvement to themselves. So kid, you will have a lot of competition over the 6 millions credits.”

 

Seeing that Parkins wasn’t talking, Kylie decided on another approach.

 

“How did you know I was alive?”

 

“I have my sources,” this Parkins said, defiantly. He’s probably feeling very proud to have uncover her existence that she herself had been trying to hide. Another bad move. “But in case you want to know, I made a follow up research on you ever since they reported you dead. When I couldn’t find any record about your description or what happen to your remains, I know something was fishy. It’s either they made a cover story to hide their failure to find you or you’ve staged your death very well. My money is on the former because, well, you’re still hiding, kid.”

 

That’s the third time he called me kid. So, he did know who I am. “So you know my true identity.”

 

Parkins grinned. “Of course. Your disappearance from your band and the disappearance of the assassin was too much of a coincidence, Kyle Rayden.” He titled his head, proudly. “I know that you used to be Treize Khushrenada’s apprentice, that you then went AWOL when he was killed to avenge his death.”

 

“But you failed to kill the Gundam pilots when one of them nearly killed you. And then the authorities spread the word that you were killed. So I assumed that somehow you escaped and have been in hiding ‘till this day.”

 

Kylie frowned. It looked like this Parkins knew about the Kyle Rayden- Treize’s Revenge connection. But did he knew about Kylie Khushrenada? She seriously doubted it. The only people who knew about that were Lady Une, the Gundam pilots and herself. And she knew they would never talk.

 

Now, as she stared back at the man before her, she saw a look of pure satisfaction as well as triumph beamed on his face. She knew that he was mighty proud of himself for discovering her supposedly real identity. But he gloated too much. And that’s a fatal move.

 

“So, we assassins don’t contact you until we finish the job, right?” she asked, her hand snuck inside her overcoat, pretending to store the folder.

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

She nodded. “Hmm… congratulations, Mr. Parkins. You must’ve been a very intelligent and resourceful man to have been able to find out that I’m still alive.” She paused. “Tell me, do any others share this information? I need to cut a little deal to maintain my secrecy.”

 

Parkins cleared his throat. “Nope. I’m the only one who knows about you.”

 

“Good,” she said. “That made the deal even sweeter.”

 

He smiled greedily, seeing half the 6 millions payment in his hands. A price for his silence. He was about to state his 50-50 deal when suddenly an unimaginable horror crossed over his scarred, ugly face. A faint shot interrupted the silence of the night as Parkins stared at the gaping hole in his heart.

 

He looked up to see the person who shot him. His eyes filled with dread as well as betrayal. The person who shot him hadn’t been a boy after all. He was a girl of seventeen years old. “You’re… you’re a girl!” he gasped, silently cursing at this turn of event. He backed away, still trying to escape even without half of his heart, when a second shot splattered his brain. Then he felt a rush of wind, followed by a sudden cold and numbing feeling. The last thing he saw was the one of steel cold blue eyes of a teenage girl.

 

Kylie watched as Parkins toppled over the railing and fell into the waters. She then tucked her silencer back under her overcoat and walked over to the railing. She saw Parkins, staring back up to nothingness. “Sorry,” she said. “Can’t let anyone who knows about me live. It’s part of my training.”

 

She stared back at the picture of her next target. “Whoever hired me to hit you paid dearly to do you away,” she said to the picture. “Perhaps, now it’s time for me to resume my life as an assassin. After all, you were in my hit list since day one.” She paused. “I wonder if the Gundam pilots would interfere with this.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

Relena listened wearily as the four representatives talked or rather argued about the war crime issue. Two of the representatives had dragged her into the conversation so they could counter-argue them. But she was already tired of all the verbal sparring. No matter how long they argued, they’d never find any solution. Why not just shut up and think of a solution? Isn’t that more productive?

 

For the first time in her life, Relena wished that she was somewhere else. Somewhere where she could be the girl of her age. Do what teenagers would do. But she had to attend the President’s birthday bash because this was when she could meet the other representative from the colonies. And of course, she was after all the Vice Foreign Minister. She’s the liaison between Earth and colonies.

 

Suddenly she found herself staring at a very familiar set of blue-green eyes. “Hello, Relena,” said the person. He handed her a fruit punch. “Long time no see.”

 

“Quatre Raberba Winner!” she exclaimed, surprised to find him at this prestigious party. But more surprise to find him on MO IV. “What are you doing here?”

 

Quatre smiled. “I was invited,” he answered. Relena waited for him to continue and so he did. “I was chosen to represent L4 colony cluster,” he explained. Then he sighed, “When they voted me, they didn’t even bother to tell me how tiring the job could be.”

 

Relena wished she could hugged him there and then. She had missed him and the other Gundam pilots terribly. Sometimes she even wished that they were all together, risking their lives in the war. “I guess that the Winner’s family heir is back on his rightful seat.”

 

“Yeah,” he said. “My sisters thought that it’s time for me to take control of father’s business. And I guess that’s the only thing I could do after I destroyed Sandrock,” he said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Then he smiled. “And then the representatives of the colony cluster made me their representative. I guess they thought they could atone for my father’s death and bring back the total pacifism policy my father fought for before he was killed.”

 

Relena nodded. “I see.” Suddenly a representative from L5 interrupted their conversation. “Mr. Winner. Could we have a word?” he said, nodding at a group of other representatives who was waiting for him. Quatre gave her an apologizing look, “I’ll be back,” he said, following the man.

 

Once again, Relena was alone. She watched as Quatre joined the other representatives from the space colonies. As they discussed something, Relena watched Quatre carefully. He had indeed changed physically. He had grown taller these past few years. He’s now stood at 5 feet 9. He still kept his hair short and neat. His eyes, she noticed, still reflecting a great kindness and innocence but there’s a hint of maturity and great intelligence in it. His blond hair, blue-green eyes and soft feature made him one of the most attractive young man Relena had ever met. All in all, Quatre Winner was the perfect image of an angel.

 

“Whoever manage to capture his heart would be the luckiest girl in the whole universe,” she whispered, watching him making his way back to her.

 

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “We had to have a little emergency conference among ourselves.”

 

Relena was curious. “About what?” she asked.

 

“Well, you’re planning an official visit to outer space early next year, right?”

 

“Yeah but it’s not confirm yet?”

 

Quatre shrugged. “Well, the colonies are already excited about hearing you’re coming.” He winked. “And they want me to be your personal escort.”

 

“Personal escort?”

 

“Well, the official term is the Ambassador of InterSpace Colonies. I’m suppose to drive you around while you’re making your visits around the colony clusters. I guess they thought you would be more comfortable having someone of your age traveling with you.”

 

“But I heard that you’re trying to win the contract for Project Jupiter right now. How can you managed all these?” asked Relena.

 

Project Jupiter. Its main purpose was to build a colony on Jupiter following the success of Project Mars. It was actually the main part of Relena’s last year project, the Terra Formation Project. It’s to ensure enough settlement for the growing population. Not only that, humankind now was concentrating on exploring outer space beyond Pluto, searching for the unknown life form. So they need new settlement in space.

 

After Relena’s brother, Zechs Merquis and Lucrezia Noin gave the green light to start the Terra Formation Project on Mars, the Earth Sphere Unified Nation had decided to turn the project to a company owned by various member of the ESUN. That’s how the Project Mars came to be. People from Earth and the colonies came to Mars to help built a settlement there, making it as successful as the formation of the colony clusters. Due to Project Mars’ success, the ESUN felt that they need to build another settlement, this time on Jupiter. Its main purpose were to find resources in the asteroid ring as well as ESUN’s new space research.

 

However, before the company could even start the new Project Jupiter, it announced its bankruptcy due to internal reasons. So now, all multi-billionaire people were fighting for the project. And the Winners were no exception though their motive was different from others. While the others thought only in term of profits and opportunity, Quatre Winner fought for it so he could offer more jobs to the people in outer space and Earth. Especially to the ex-soldiers of both the Eve War and the Barton Foundation crisis. It’s better than charging them for war crime.

 

Quatre just smiled. “Don’t worry. The matter is still far from over. The Earth Sphere Unified Nation has a lot of other offers and still considering to whom they should give the contract to. And I know I could handle both things at once. Just as long as everything goes as planned.”

 

But Relena was still unconvinced. She had seen a tired look on his face and knew his new duty was taking a toll on him. Sometimes, she could almost see a frail and vulnerable boy standing before her. But knowing the Gundam pilots, they always refused to display their weakness before others.

 

And so she just smiled, hoping that her visit might offer him the rest he badly needed. And she knew exactly how she could make him enjoy the visit with her. “Yeah. Who knows, maybe we’ll ended up having fun ourselves,” she said aloud. “It’s a date then, Mr. Winner.”

 

She was surprised to see him blushed. “I guess,” he said, suddenly feeling very shy. Then, a soft music played in the background and some of the leaders led their partners to the middle of the ballroom. Quatre looked at them for a second before glancing at her. “Uh, do you want to dance?”

 

“Funny, I was about to ask her the same thing,” said a new voice they’d never heard before But to Relena it sounded surprisingly familiar. She turned to see a tall young man, even taller than Quatre. His handsome face marked a great sense of intelligence but there’s a trace of amusement in his striking green eyes. He wore his brown hair a little long but neat. His manner indicated that he was properly brought up as an aristocrat. Though Relena was sure she had never met him before, there’s something about him that was awfully familiar.

 

Then he winked and saluted her, playfully. Relena suddenly remembered who he was. “Vincent Dupree! It is you!” she exclaimed, really surprised. He took her hand and kissed it.

 

“In the flesh. I’m so glad that you still remember me although it took you… oh… about a minute and ten to recall your childhood memory,” he said. Relena hit him playfully.

 

“You’re still a lunatic as ever. How was I suppose to recognize you since we part ways when we were just little? And why didn’t you tell me you’re invited?”

 

Vincent smiled teasingly. “Well, when I heard that the infamous Relena Darlian was attending this party, I couldn’t help myself from teasing you. But it’s good to know you still remember me.”

 

Quatre watched the whole exchanged quietly. Remembering Quatre, Vincent turned to him. “Forgive me my manners. I should’ve introduce myself.” He extended his hand. “I’m Vincent Dupree.”

 

“Yeah, I recognized you,” said Quatre. “You’re the late Duke Armand Dupree’s son. The one who were involved in Project Mars.”

 

Vincent shrugged. “I only contribute a little money to the project. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to help the homeless war refugee.”

 

“Yeah but 35 percent of the budget is not little,” said Quatre. “That’s consider generous since you didn’t claim the profit made. By the way, I’m Quatre Raberba Winner.”

 

“Yeah, I know who you are, Mr. Winner,” said Vincent. “And let me offer my long overdue condolences for the death of your father. That was a cruel thing a man could ever done to another fellow man.” He continued. “And let me express my appreciation for your effort to help rebuild L3 as well as helping out with the war’s aftermath effort. If only there were more financially-able people like you, we would’ve finished resettling the refugee by now. And I’m sure you will get Project Jupiter.”

 

“Thank you,” said Quatre, glancing at Relena.

 

“Vincent went to the same school as I was when he was eight and I was six. He was my best friend,” Relena explained. “When his father died when Vincent was 13, he was forced to move back to Northern Europe to be with his mother. I guess we lost contact.”

 

He nodded. “Sorry about that. I had a lot to do since I was to handle all the estates and businesses my father had left me. Somehow, I must’ve gotten myself lost in all the paper work.” He grinned. “But look at you. You’ve certainly been busy, Vice Foreign Minister.”

 

Relena blushed. She had never thought she would be able to get this far. Before she met Heero, before any of this happened, her only thought was to make her foster father spend a little time with her. Who could’ve thought she ended up being Princess Relena Peacecraft, later on Queen Relena Peacecraft and now Vice Foreign Minister Darlian?

 

“Yeah, things have changed alright,” she admitted.

 

Vincent smiled. “Things have to change, if not, we would learn nothing,” he said. Then remembered something. “Oh, I forgot.” He turned to Quatre. “You were asking Relena to dance.”

 

Quatre shook his head and smiled. “That’s okay. I guess you guys got a lot to catch up on.” He looked at something behind Relena. “Excuse me. I think I’ve just spotted someone I was looking for,” he said, excusing himself.

 

Vincent and Relena watched Quatre made his way towards a woman standing at the corner of the room. Both recognized her as Erea Winner, Quatre’s older sister and his date for the night. “He’s a very nice guy. Is there something going on between you and him?” he asked, as he led her towards the dancing floor.

 

Relena was struck at the thought. She had never thought about Quatre that way. “No. He’s a friend. We went through a lot together during the war.”

 

“So I’ve heard.”

 

“Why did you say that? What have you heard?”

 

Vincent looked at her, mischievously. “Well, the guests here have been talking about how good you two look together. Some even go as far as planning your wedding ceremony.”

 

She shook her head in dismay. “Quatre is a good friend. He helped me through countless times. Besides, both of us are too busy to think about marriage,” said Relena. ‘Plus there’s the fact that my heart belongs to Heero,’ she thought, wishing he was with her now.

 

Vincent winked. “Maybe I could change that. I heard that you’re making a visit to outer space after the Christmas ball. I will be in outer space too. Maybe you and Quatre could meet up with me sometimes.”

 

“I’d like that,” said Relena. Maybe then they could finally relax from all the official business. Then, she decided to change the subject. “So, tell me what happen to you after we parted?”

 

Vincent shrugged. “Nothing much. I handled my father’s affairs. And then, my mother died of a heart disease.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

He sighed. “It’s okay. She had been really heart broken when father died. I guess now they could truly be together,” he said with a faraway statement. “I’m just glad she didn’t lived long enough to witness the war. She was a very passionate pacifist and the war would’ve stressed her.”

 

“So what happen to you during the war?” she prompted, curiously.

 

“When the war struck, I was busy relocating the refugee to my estates. I tried fighting the Romefeller’s decision to send in OZ but Duke Dermail had threatened me that he would destroy my estates if I said one more word.” He sighed. “If I hadn’t placed the refugee in my estates, I would’ve fight on. But I can’t jeopardize their lives after all they’ve gone through. So, I just help out by granting asylum to the refugees.”

 

Then his face brightened. “But I’m glad you and the Gundam pilots managed to stop more bloodshed. My only wish is that I could meet them and tell them how I admire their spirit. They are the truest human being that ever existed.”

 

Hearing the regret in his voice made Relena almost wished she could tell him that Quatre was a Gundam pilot. But she and those who knew the pilots had agreed to keep their identity a secret. Let the people think that the Gundam pilots were like phantom heroes sent to protect peace and the entire human population. Most of all to let the young pilots continued living among them as civilians not as celebrities.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

“This picture was taken by an interstellar satellite near the orbit of Uranus,” said Sally, showing Lady Une the photo. She pointed at a dark spot on the photo. “See that tiny shadow near Pluto? That’s what concerns the deep space research department.”

 

“What is it?” asked Lady Une, staring at the picture carefully.

 

“Unknown,” Sally answered. “The department first thought it was some spatial anomaly but they discarded it because it was moving towards the inner part of our solar system. And I don’t think it’s a comet.”

 

Lady Une looked at her. “What do you think?”

 

“It could be anything. The satellite is too far away to get a good visual.”

 

“Hm… it’s time like these that I wished that Project Jupiter is set and that we have our own deep space research. Then we can determine what is it and how dangerous this spatial anomaly is.”

 

“Or it could be the remaining guerillas,” said a quiet voice, presenting another alternative. The two woman turned to the young man, sitting before them. “We’ve probably missed some of the guerillas and now they’ve gathered away from our grasp to prepare to attack us.”

 

“Do you think so, Wu Fei?” asked Sally for confirmation.

 

“Yes,” he said. “But it could be something else too.”

 

Lady Une frowned. “Yeah. Though I know it’s possible that we might have missed a few guerilla groups, I doubt Kylie might too. She’s a very thorough person.”

 

“But then, even she failed to detect the early signs of Dekim Barton’s plan to recommence Operation Meteor last year,” Wu Fei Chang reminded her. “She’s a human, isn’t she? She could make mistakes.”

 

“I guess you’re right,” Lady Une admitted. She looked at Sally. “Was there any success in contacting Noin and Zechs?”

 

“Negative,” the female Chinese agent answered. “Their last location that we were able to detect was near the rim of Saturn. But we lost them right after. Still, we’ll keep our search until we find them.”

 

Lady Une sighed. They had their best agents far in outer space but they can’t contact them to check on this strange image. She wished that she had told the two to keep in touch but then she had thought they would need some time alone.

 

Suddenly Wu Fei stood. “Requesting a leave of absence, ma’am,” he said. Lady Une and Sally looked at him, surprised. “You need your best agent to check this one out. I’m volunteering.”

 

For a moment, Lady Une was silent. Wu Fei rarely requested to lead a mission. He would usually waited until she gave him an order before pursuing it. But then again, he had been edgy ever since General MacGarth suggested the arrest of the Gundam pilots. Maybe an outer space mission far away from Earth would cool off his temper.

 

She stood, handing him the photo. “Very well, the case is yours,” she said as Wu Fei stared at the photo. “Good luck and be careful.”

 

“Don’t worry about me. Just pray that it’s only the guerillas.”

 

“What are you saying?” asked Sally, surprised.

 

Wu Fei placed the photo back on the desk. “Like I said earlier. It could also be something else. Something we could not explain. Something alien.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

Quatre sighed as he finished signing off a stack of papers. He then turned to deal with another stack. It was already lunchtime but Quatre decided to keep on working so he would have a free evening at home that night.

 

Then someone entered his office, Quatre looked up and drew a surprise breath. “Dorothy!” he said softly, startled by her sudden and unexpected appearance. The girl before him was as beautiful as ever but he saw something in her eyes that was usually war-thirsty, but now somewhat softened.

 

“Hello, Quatre Raberba Winner,” she said in that soft voice of hers. She looked at him, but not meeting his eyes. “It’s been a long time.”

 

He rose to his feet. “Uh… sit down,” he indicated the seat before her.

 

But Dorothy Catalonia didn’t move. Instead, she looked around her uncomfortably. “Um… I was thinking of asking you to have lunch with me.” She quickly added. “If you’re not busy that is.”

 

“No, I mean sure,” he said, pushing the stack of papers aside in a feeble attempt to hide them. “I can finish up later. Besides, it’s been two years and I would really love to hear what you’ve been up to.” The heiress smiled and turned but Quatre managed to catch her blushing face. He then told his secretary where he’s heading and followed her.

 

 

They stopped at a café a few blocks away from his office. They’d both placed their orders and now were looking at each other, wondering who should talk first. Quatre stared at the girl before him, wondering why she was here, looking for him. In the back of his mind he was concerned if she was in any trouble.

 

“You look great,” she said.

 

Quatre smiled. “You’re not so bad either.”

 

There was silence. Then Dorothy stared at his left side. “How was your wound? Did it hurt so bad?” she asked softly, biting her lips. Quatre was taken aback by her question. The wound had healed two years ago, why was she still carrying the guilt for injuring him?

 

“It’s already healed, Dorothy,” he answered, gently. But that made the girl looked even guiltier. So, he quickly added. “It’s not your fault, Dorothy. You were caught in the moment of the war and I was careless. I should have seen your blade coming. If anything, I was the one who injured myself because of my incompetence.”

 

“No! It’s not your fault, Quatre Winner. It’s truly mine,” she said. She knew this blond Gundam pilot would somehow take the blame on himself to make others feel better. She took a deep breath, to calm the raging guilt in her heart. “I came to ask for your and Trowa’s forgiveness. I’d made a very huge mistake.”

 

“We all made mistakes, Dorothy. That’s how we learn from it,” said Quatre. “But I could understand why you did what you did. You lost your father at a very young age and of course you would resent the world. When we Gundam pilots appeared, it’s natural for you to blame us because we were, in a way, an enemy to your father as he had represented OZ.” He lowered his eyes. “I guess we pilots not only stirred up peace, we also stirred up hatred in a few people,” he said, thinking about Mariemaia who grew up hating them and also MacGarth who were trying to disfavor the Gundam pilots.

 

“Stop it, Quatre. I knew you would somehow turned all these into your fault,” she said, reaching for his hand. Quatre was startled by the gesture. “It’s not your fault people like me hate you. Like you said, we only hate those who seemed to oppose you.” When she realized she was holding his hand, she drew it back.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “And I’m sorry for being such a nuisance to you, Miss Relena and your friend Trowa.” She paused. “I guess I realized my mistake when Trowa told me how heartless I’ve became. And when you told Trowa to lead me to safety and leave you, I guess, that’s when I learned the true meaning of kindness that you’ve been trying to tell me when we fought. That, and also what makes you Gundam pilots so pure-hearted.”

 

She looked at him. “You two showed me that I can become the person that I wanted to become and leave the past in the past. I’m sorry for injuring you and causing you and Trowa more trouble than I’m worth.”

 

Quatre looked at her gently. “Actually, there was nothing Trowa and I could forgive. We both agreed that whatever happened, happened for a reason. And we’ve never blame you for any of it. That include Miss Relena too. She knew you would someday see her point for total pacifism. And we’re glad that you do now.”

 

“Thank you,” said Dorothy, relieved. “I’ve tried to get in touch with Miss Relena but she had been quite unreachable and I’ve tried to find Trowa first but couldn’t get to him.”

 

Quatre smiled and sipped his tea. “Trowa is among us pilots that is a little hard to reach. His circus family kept on moving from one place to another that even both of us hadn’t been in contact for a few months now.”

 

He then paused. “Anyway, we heard what you did during that Barton Foundation conflict. And I’m sure Trowa and the others would like to say thank you. We really appreciated what you did back there. We were really ready to end our lives back then but when the people started to retaliate against Dekim Barton and the Mariemaia’s Army, it really gave us new hope. It was then we truly realized that our decision for destroying the Gundams was the right one.”

 

“Really?” asked Dorothy, obviously surprised by his words.

 

“Yes, thank you.”

 

She blushed. They looked at each other for a moment before Quatre spoke up, “So, tell me what you’ve been up to all these years?”

 

Dorothy smiled. “After that Treize’s Revenge incident, I went back home. Now, I’m handling my inheritance which was entrusted to me by my father and my grandfather, Duke Dermail.”

 

“Wow, that’s a lot of inheritance.”

 

“But not as much as yours,” she said, winking. “I saw all the paperwork, Quatre Winner. You’ve been very busy. As for me, well, I sold some of my estate to the Earth Sphere Unified Nation so they could relocate the refugee there. I guess I didn’t want to worry so much about lands. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do with my life besides handling properties.”

 

Quatre chuckled at the similarity. “You and me both, Dorothy. I guess I was a little lost when I destroyed Sandrock. When he was there, I can only see my future with him. Now, I have to figure my future all by myself.”

 

Dorothy grinned. “Maybe we could figure out our futures together. Who knows, maybe we’ll find ourselves in the same path.”

 

“It’s possible,” said Quatre, blushing at the prospect of having Dorothy by his side. She was, in his opinion, the most beautiful girl he ever met save Relena Darlian. But he had never thought about her that way before. However, fate had a way with human lives. He and Dorothy could find themselves involved with each other if they let it happen.

 

But somehow, Quatre felt something existed between both of them. It wasn’t that she used to be their enemy or that the fact she nearly bleed him to death. It was something else. Or it could also be someone else.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

               “Aww… come on, Hilde. It wasn’t that serious. It was just a peek,” said Duo Maxwell, trying to extinguished the burning temper of his longtime companion and girlfriend. Hilde looked at him skeptically, ready to burst out. So, he raised his hands in defense. “Okay, so it wasn’t a peek. But a guy has to look at other girls every point in his life.”

 

               Hilde stood nose-to-nose with him. “Yeah, well, not towards the extent that the girl came over and kissed you. You must’ve sent her some kind of signal or something.”

 

               “If I sent her a signal, she must’ve interpreted it wrong. Besides, I only helped her fixed her car. It’s not like we’re going to see each other any time soon.” He raised his left eyebrow. “And not only that, she is after all, a customer. And you know I take my work seriously.”

 

               “Oh yeah, by flirting with every female that comes along the doorstep?” asked Hilde. “I’ve had it, Duo Maxwell! First Deathscythe and now your so-called business. I’m leaving,” she said, walking towards the door.

 

               Duo moved to stop her. “Hey, where are you going?”

 

               Hilde glanced back at him. “Some place that is away. And I won’t return until you learn how to treat me like your girl.” With that she slammed the door. Duo felt his own anger raising and shouted back.

 

               “Fine, don’t come back then. You’re the one who wanted to be with me. I didn’t even ask you to stay and I won’t.” It was then his anger subsided and he realized what he had just said. He sighed. Of course, he didn’t mean what he had said. He and Hilde had been together for a long time now that it was natural for them to argue once in a while. But lately, their arguments had became rather serious and continuous.  Duo didn’t know what was playing in Hilde’s mind since she was the one who started most of the fights and he’s almost afraid or too busy to ask.

 

               Sighing, Duo picked up a stained cloth and wiped his dirty hands with it. Sometimes, he almost wished for the times when he was piloting Deathscythe and destroying OZ and the Alliance military group. He missed the danger and the adrenaline rush. But that time was long gone. All he had now was his salvage business and Hilde.

 

Then, he heard the clock hit 6 o’clock. Dinnertime would be coming soon. “Well, looks like I’m going to have to eat alone again.” He went to the bathroom to clean himself up.

 

On the other side of the door, Duo failed to hear the sniffing sound of Hilde, crying over her wounded heart. She wished Duo would know what she was trying to tell him about. But being Duo, she doubted he notice how fragile their relationship was now.

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED…