Crossover Fan Fiction / Gundam SEED Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Crossing Barriers ❯ Unexpected Intervention, Discussion and a Case of Foot-in-Mouth ( Chapter 22 )

Crossing Barriers

 

Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed are the sole property of their creators and distributing studios. I have no financial interest in either series. Nor am I receiving any financial gain from this fan fiction work. I do however own all plot elements not part of the original and all self-created characters. Thank you. Enjoy.

 

Special note: Yaoi (homosexual pairings) is a plot element of this story. There will be NO explicit material but there will be sections where it is reasonably clear that sex is happening or has happened.

 

Beta Reader: T'Amara

 

 

 

Unexpected Intervention, Discussion and a Case of Foot-in-Mouth

 

 

“Meyrin?” Voril Joule asked cheerfully. “Where do you want this box of stuff by Yzak's desk filed?”

 

“Are you sure that's a good idea? You know how he'll react if you accidentally put away something he though he was working on.” Adrian Ito warned as he hefted a case of newly delivered copier paper off the cart and into the back of the small store room that sat between Joule's office and Shiho's.

 

“Oh, he's finished with everything in that box Commander.” Meyrin waved a hand in the general direction of the files that lined one wall of the office. “I'll get you the keys for those. We aren't using most of them yet so you shouldn't have any problems figuring out what little there is to the system.”

 

“Don't bother. You've got enough stuff to log in without worrying about keys I can get for myself. Just tell me where they are.”

 

“Right,” Meyrin nodded, happy to have help that didn't need all that much looking after. “They're in the right hand front tray in the center drawer of Shiho's desk then.”

 

Voril fetched the keys while Adrian continued to unload a very mixed lot of office supplies onto the store room shelves and Meyrin went back out to the reception area to continue opening and logging in the supplies, some of which Yzak had ordered as much as a month ago. In as much as they were setting up the renewed FAITH almost from scratch, the pile was significant. Everything from paper to computers to silverware for the tiny galley in the break room was in the stack, or at least, it was supposed to be there. Because the Supreme Council had decided to seal all the records of the original FAITH, they'd had to order everything anew when they'd started setting up here in the new offices.

 

At least they weren't being badgered by the news services. With Yzak, Kira, and Dearka all on the missing list, apparently they hadn't considered there might be anyone left at FAITH headquarters to get a story from. None of the three working so diligently in the offices there were sorry to be overlooked and all were trying to keep things staying just this quite as long as they possibly could.

 

Knowing his cousin and his often straight line thinking, Voril tried the file cabinets closest to Yzak's desk first. His logic proved flawless as he found actual files in the first three and nothing in the next two he checked. The `system' at the moment turned out to be the most basic of alphabetizing, making getting the small mountain of files they kept finding easy to put away. It was very obvious how much Yzak and Kira had been trying to get done before they were hauled off on that disastrous trip for `escort duty'. When he'd finished, both desks were clear of their former piles of files, leaving only a neat handful that Meyrin had identified as important in each in-box.

 

He insisted the other two stop for lunch when they showed every sign of sticking to sorting the steadily shrinking mound of new supplies until they had it done. It proved to be a wise move as the three of them came back to it with renewed interest and energy afterwards. What was left of the pile didn't stand a chance against the three of them.

 

Voril was under a desk in an office that would be Dearka's eventually, setting up the newly arrived computer when he heard Adrian's shocked voice yelp, “What the fucking hell?”

 

Adrian Ito was very chary of overuse of profanity. He wanted it to mean something to the person he was addressing when he got sore enough to descend to that level. So Adrian swearing in shock was unusual enough to bring Voril rolling out from under the desk instantly.

 

He found Ito and Meyrin in Yzak's office, staring at his computer's virtual screen hovering over the desk. His cousin had it set so the image was only comprehendible from one side though so he couldn't tell what the problem was. Still, judging from the unbelievably wide eyes Ito was staring at it with, whatever this was had to be something very, very special.

 

“Adrian?” He asked, worried by the rigid stillness in his friend.

 

“I thought it was one of the games, he's got a lot of them in the box he's got in the back of the drawer.” Ito said slowly. “Honest to shit, I thought it was a game!”

 

“What is it then?” Voril snapped as he hurried to join the other two.

 

“It's the footage from that warehouse theft, the one all the stupid rumors were about,” Meyrin replied slowly. “I knew he had it, I've just never bothered to watch it. The Commander always made it seem like it was nothing.”

 

She looked up, eyes frightened. “Commander, there's a hole in the air! And someone's walking through it! That can't happen!”

 

“Damn it,” Shiho Hahnenfuss' voice snarled behind him, “can't you ever leave well enough alone, Commander!”

 

Voril ignored her, unsure if she was speaking to him or to Adrian. Besides, his eyes were glued to the record now in front of him as he leaned on the left arm of the chair Adrian occupied to stare at a homely old man in some kind of white lab coat who genuinely appeared to be pushing a loaded lift truck of some kind right through a `hole' in the air! That was crazy enough. But it was the two and maybe-a-half mobile suits on the other side of that impossible hole that arrested his attention.

 

He studied them intently as Shiho and Adrian had some kind of discussion he didn't have enough spare attention to even listen to. He could see detail after detail that matched nothing he'd ever heard of in mobile suit construction before. The hole suddenly closed abruptly and completely as the recording flipped off, then started over again; his gaze never left the suits.

 

“What are they?” He breathed softly, almost afraid the old man would hear him.

 

But it was Hahnenfuss who heard the question. “You aren't authorized to know! Oh, this is a mess! None of you move! I'm going to call Lacus!”

 

The repeating film loop played three more times before it stopped. He was about to ask Adrian what he thought about the impossible bit they'd just seen when a new segment started. This was just an empty space shot over a colony that looked to be in pretty poor shape. It played once, then the resolution was jumped. It played again, but this time he got the distinct impression something was there. The resolution jumped a second time.

 

His eyes widened as he suddenly could make out what had to be a mobile suit moving from right to left across the screen. The image froze when the suit was centered in the frame. As he studied it, it occurred to him that this really looked like that black and gray suit from the first loop. The implications were giving him breathing issues. He continued to stare at it as this one too, replayed many times.

 

It was the completely unexpected voice of Adrian's wife that jarred him out of his hypnotized state. “Hi Shiho! Adrian's Second said he's over here. I seriously need to talk to him, you wouldn't believe the letter I just got from old Charlie!”

 

Voril looked up to see Kayla Ito, one infant in the chest carry pack, one in the back pack and the third on her hip, free hand holding the guide lines of the do-not-stray harnesses the two-year old twins were wearing. She had a rather wild look in her eyes. Whatever the old Native American shaman had sent her, it had thoroughly unnerved her. Considering the courage this woman had shown as both an Alliance mobile armor pilot and a Natural who married a Coordinator and moved to the PLANTs literally before there was a peace treaty at the end of the last war, whatever the sly old man had sent had to be as serious as the two pieces he'd just been watching.

 

“Kayla!” Adrian jumped to his feet, nearly knocking Voril over as he moved. “What's wrong?”

 

“Charlie,” she said flatly, panting a bit for air, “Charlie says there are people from `beyond' here! He says Grandmother of Bears told him there were visiting spirit guardians in our space! We're not supposed to interfere with them. In fact, she wants us to help them!”

 

Voril looked at now blank screen of the virtual monitor in front of him. Visiting guardian spirits? His eyes widened. THAT MOBILE SUIT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THEIR SPACE?!?

 

“Grandmother of Bears told Charlie Yellow Dog there are aliens in the area and we're supposed to help them? Who's supposed to help? ZAFT? The PLANTs? Did that old goat give you any hints?” Adrian asked quickly, whipping out from behind Yzak's desk to hurry over to take the baby off her hip.

 

“I brought the letter,” Kayla fumbled her now free hand into the belt purse at her side to pull out a perfectly ordinary looking intersystem mail envelope.

 

Before she could hand it to her husband, Shiho's quick fingers snagged it. She had it open and was showing the envelope to Lacus on the vid screen. The Chairman of the Supreme Council was eyeing it very thoughtfully.

 

“Please read it,” Lacus said quietly. “I've met the gentleman. He's not the kind to send that sort of message on a whim.”

 

Shiho nodded and began, “Dear Kayla, I'm sending you this straight from Grandmother of Bears. It's a warning and an opportunity. There are strange guardian spirits watching visitors from somewhere beyond. No, I don't know beyond what, her word was just beyond. They are spirits of honor, worthy of respect in our place but they have not come to stay. If anyone sees them, I gather they'll look like they belong here. The only one she specifically mentioned was one that would look like Lion. It probably is Lion in whatever `beyond' they come from. Now, the strangers they guard will need help they can only get from the PLANTs. What they will offer in return will be things that will strengthen the PLANTs and eventually help keep peace between you orbitals and us ground-folk. If the PLANTs help them, their spears will stand with the PLANTs for a brief but vital time. It will be up to Thunderbird's Sons to decide if the PLANTs' spears will stand with the visitors when they need help in their turn. She was quite clear that there won't be any obligation to help but she flat out said that things would be for the better on both sides if someone does. The PLANTs are free to refuse but it will definitely make the peace here weaker, much weaker, if they do. She told me nothing more. I suggest you get this to Adrian immediately and he can figure a way to tell the powers-that-be up there. Be safe, Hawk's Daughter.”

 

She looked up. “That's it. He signed it, there's nothing more here.”

 

Lacus nodded thoughtfully, then focused past Shiho on the Ito's and Voril Joule. “Shiho tells me you've seen materials you shouldn't have. I must wonder now if there was another hand in that `accident'. I have no conviction either way regarding the reality of the `spirits' Mr. Yellow Dog refers to but I have never heard him give bad advice. Very well, Lt. Hahnenfuss will bring you all up to speed on what has happened. Commander Ito, Commander Joule, you will stand ready to support Yzak and Kira however they need you. Lt. Hawk, please organize the Faith office so that it can support whatever absences may be required. None of you are to mention anything you've learned or will learn about this to anyone.”

 

She held up a hand, “Before anything else, do any of you have any idea who the people called Thunderbird's Sons might be? It sounds as though they will have a dangerous level of influence here, I need to find and speak to them as soon as possible.”

 

Adrian and Voril just looked quickly at each other. “Yes we do.” Adrian said quietly. “Or at least we did. Since the message doesn't suggest there've been any changes, it's still Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala.”

 

Lacus' eyes widened. “Kira? My Kira? And Athrun? How did that happen?”

 

Kayla shrugged. “The Spirits do things their own way. They rarely explain either. For reasons of his own, Thunderbird has decided Kira and Athrun are going to be his agents for this time. Honestly, it's not a fun thing to be when you're working for a Spirit with that much power. But it also pretty much assures that you have a better than average chance of living through whatever they want to toss you into just because they've bothered to invest that kind of power in you.”

 

“Ah,” Adrian added thoughtfully, “it doesn't appear to be necessary to know you've been marked out by one of the greater Spirits to be able to do whatever it is they need done. I have told Kira about it, and, come to think of it, I think I told Athrun once too. But I'm not sure either believed me.”

 

“I see.” Lacus had a profoundly thoughtful look on her face for several moments. Then she just shook her head and continued on. “Kayla, I need your silence as well. Please, do not discuss this outside a secure facility! It really could set off a genuine panic and, possibly, a new round of war.”

 

Kayla Ito's jet hair bounced as she nodded vigorously. “You have my promise. I know better than to talk about Medicine stuff. And believe me, Madam Chairman, this is about as serious as Medicine gets! Grandmother of Bears is one of the greater Spirits, when she tells you something, you listen!”

 

“I will remember that.” Lacus promised. She accepted formal salutes from the four ZAFT officers and signed off, leaving the five of them to go over what was known so far. It proved to be startling and more than a bit unnerving to the four who were hearing it for the first time. Still, when they were done going over the data, they managed to refocus on planning for whatever unknown aid might be needed. The key was flexibility, and all five of them were good at that.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Duo Maxwell did not consider himself particularly paranoid. That was Heero's specialty. But the simple fact that Yamato had slipped out the back way and was doing something he couldn't get a handle on in his mobile suit seriously bothered him. It was worse, in his opinion, because he honestly liked the guy. He knew he was a respectable judge of character; you didn't live long enough to actually grow up on the streets of L2 if you weren't. And he'd pegged all three of the locals as decent people. Problem was, even the decent guys could knife you in the gut if they thought they and theirs were in danger from you.

 

He knew Yamato could see him as he headed for Wing Zero's maintenance rack but that might be a good thing. He just might be drawn out of the mobile suit. Then some questions could be asked, politely of course, but asked just the same. So he did nothing to indicate he was interested in the Strike-Freedom as he waited for Heero to complete his shut-down of Wing Zero.

 

The hatch opened quickly enough and Heero swung out, helmet tucked under his arm. “Why is Strike-Freedom semi-powered?”

 

Yep, that was his Heero all right. Suspicious of everything and noticed it all. Direct as a sledgehammer too.

 

“I don't know,” Duo said very quietly, not sure how good the external pickups on the local machine might be. “I can't get any reading on what's happening. He's hooked into the mainframe though. I can't hack his work, he's got super-administrative privileges on the system and he's got me locked out of almost all of it while he's in there.”

 

He watched Yuy's eyes take on that completely internal look that meant he was thinking very fast. “When did he leave the meeting? What was going on before he did?”

 

“He left about forty minutes ago. Nothing special was going on. Relena and Zechs were trying to probe about possible tech trades, same as they were when you left.” Duo paused thoughtfully, “come to think of it, Joule was hinting he wanted to learn our language but that's about it. Nothing serious or any tension or anything.”

 

“Learn our language? Did he say why?” Heero was on that instantly.

 

“Nothing beyond what you'd expect. You know, the usual stuff about promoting understanding and improving relations. The same crap Relena spouts most speeches.”

 

Heero gave him a sharp glare. “We know a good deal about them. They don't know much about us. But if they could understand our language, and if Yamato's good enough to find and hack J's files, then they'll have access to all the data J's been sending us since we came over here.”

 

The implications hit Duo instantly, so did another thought. “'Ro, just how well did J bother to protect his work over here?”

 

Cobalt eyes met his in immediate understanding. “He didn't.”

 

“How bad is `he didn't'?.” Duo asked with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

 

The glare Heero directed at the bay wall closest to the site of their portal to home rivaled a solar flare. “He tucked his files deep into the colony's oldest and dullest records and used a simple password lock.”

 

“Yamato's got anything he wanted then.” Duo said flatly. “You watched him yesterday, how fast and how sure he is on a keyboard when he figured the stabilizing burn. If that's all that idiot did to protect stuff, he'll find it in a heartbeat.”

 

Heero just nodded once. “You say he has super-admin rights on the system. That means he can use it to send anything he wants back to those PLANTs. Our language advantage just went out the window.”

 

“We all speak more than one language.” Duo reminded him. “We can just use a different one.”

 

“We can, but what we have in the files is all in the one language and the translation program will be simple to invert to give it to them. No, we need to find out what they intend to do with their knowledge. That matters more than picking another tongue to chat in.”

 

“How do you suggest we do that?” Duo asked facetiously.

 

Heero gave him a single raised eyebrow stare that implied maybe he'd left his brains in the shower drain that morning along with the usual hair wad before he replied coolly, “We ask him.”

 

Duo returned the favor with both eyebrows up. “You think we'll get an honest answer here?”

 

The Japanese pilot shrugged. “As you've pointed out many times, we won't know until we ask.”

 

“Besides,” Heero added quietly, “he's opening his hatch right now. We're not going to get a better chance.”

 

Duo looked around to find Yamato already starting to descend to the gantry. There was an open tension in the Coordinator and his eyes were focused down, assuring he would make a clean landing. Heero suddenly brushed past him, clearly intent on catching the other before he could get out of the bay. Duo instantly followed him.

 

Rather to Duo's surprise, Yamato waited for them by the hatch to the living quarters. His expression was focused but the American couldn't find any particular anger or any thing like it in the other. Whatever had his attention was clearly something he intended to share.

 

“The closest of the `rescue' ships is now just over ten hours out,” Kira told them calmly as they reached him. “The Kusanagi is a good two hours ahead of the ZAFT ships and better than three ahead of the ones the Alliance is sending.”

 

“Cool.” Duo tried for bouncy but didn't think he'd gotten very far with it. When both Yamato and Yuy gave him slightly irritated looks, he knew it was a complete failure. He just shrugged.

 

“Will that leave enough time for the stabilizing burns you still need to calculate?” Heero asked.

 

“Yes. I need to do the next one in two hours and it shouldn't take more than five to six hours before the last one can be figured. There should be no issue with that last burn even though they'll be well inside long range sensor limits by then. We're going to have to admit we got into the colony anyway or it'll be difficult to explain how Yzak's wounds got tended. If we leave right after the second burn, we should be able to get over to a point where it would imply we're coming up from the small mid-colony docking bay too. I really don't want anyone in the rescue fleet considering any other options right now.”

 

“That'd be bad.” Duo agreed as he glanced at Heero.

 

Yuy had a very thoughtful frown on his face. “They are getting here sooner than I expected.”

 

Kira nodded. “I suspect General Kisaka is pushing the ship for all she can give. My sister is likely to have been yelling at everyone in Aube.”

 

He turned serious eyes on them both. “You should also know, they've launched the Archangel. She appears to be making for the Moon at the moment. At a guess, she's going to pick up Captain Ramius and the others. Given the travel times, we should be headed back to the PLANTs by the time they've completed their stop there. Since I expect they'll want first hand reports, I believe they will meet us back there rather than coming here.”

 

“You believe this ship would pose a danger to us?” Heero asked flatly.

 

“Yes,” Kira nodded. “They have an excellent sensor suite and very experienced people manning it. If they got close enough, they would pick up the energy usage in this small block and that would make it very obvious to them that there were people here. None of the current recovery teams on the colony are working this close to the colony's skin. It will attract attention should they see it. Unfortunately, I know they will come here and do at least some investigating. Cagalli wouldn't have sent them up if she didn't want them to check here, but if I can talk to them first, I may be able to keep them focused on the far side where the battle was fought. Not even Archangel can spot you with the whole bulk of the colony in the way.”

 

“Why would they need to come here?” Duo groused. “They've already seen the fight. And you'll be home safe. What's the attraction in one banged up old colony?”

 

Heero gave him a look that suggested his brains were leaking. Yamato just shook his head. So, well, that one hadn't worked very well either had it? He wasn't doing so hot with the smart remarks here today. But he honestly wasn't expecting the answer Kira gave him.

 

“The flare of light from Captain Yuy's buster rifle will have been seen. While I doubt anyone got a good reading on it, what they will have picked up will have been very different from any weapon my mobile suit carries. And frankly, the expectation will be that I got the last of the pirates by myself. Just about everyone has at least some idea of just how much damage I can do when I put my mind to it.”

 

“That's not good.” Quatre's voice suddenly announced over the intercom speaker. “Please, will you all come back in here? There's been an announcement from the PLANTs that I'd like to discuss with you. We're in the comm center.”

 

Heero grabbed the lock-bar on the hatch and swung it open. Yamato trotted thru when Duo hung back for a moment. They followed him as he skipped quickly down the stairs and sped off to the comm center.

 

“Duo,” Heero said very softly as the Coordinator disappeared around the corner of the corridor that led to the center. “We'll discuss what he was doing in the system later. I want to make my own check now first. It is possible the only thing he was doing was checking on his people.”

 

“Ah, yeah, you really believe that?” Duo asked skeptically.

 

“No,” Yuy replied honestly. “But it would be smarter to verify there is something to be upset about before we start accusing anyone of anything.”

 

“Ya got a point there,” Duo conceded.

 

When the two of them arrived, they found everyone else already there and a pair of chairs from the dining room waiting for them. A glance around showed they'd augmented the limited seating in here with several dining room chairs in fact. It was Noin's watch so she had the center seat at the boards and was fiddling with the system.

 

“Thank you for coming so promptly.” Zechs made it sound like there had been a choice. “We've just picked up a newscast from Aprilus City. The Supreme Council Chair has addressed the PLANTs regarding the situation as they see it. There were some interesting questions and answers at the end. We'd appreciate your thoughts on it.”

 

Duo watched with interest. Not only was the lady who represented the PLANTs very pretty, she was sharp too. The address was very short, just an announcement that the rescue ships were getting close, nothing could be found yet of their missing people due to sensor limitations, and, most interestingly, no, the PLANTs didn't know what the weird gold light seen just after the battle was. There were several suggestions for it raised by the various news people on location but Miss Clyne did not show any favoritism for any of them.

 

“Left it wide open there,” Duo noted with a sharp grin.

 

“Wise of them,” Noin agreed.

 

“Yes,” Joule agreed irritably. “But it is no help for us. We need to come up with an explanation of some kind. We were here after all. Everyone will expect us to know!”

 

Quatre smiled gently. “No, even you can say you don't know. For all they know, it was something on one of those pirate ships that blew up so spectacularly when `Kira' destroyed it.”

 

“There's nothing I know of that would have generated anything like the energy pattern off Yuy's buster rifle,” Yzak growled.

 

“We don't have to know what it was,” Kira disagreed. “All we have to say is it was something we've never seen before. We don't have to have any more explanation than that.”

 

Yzak glared at his Second, making Duo rather glad he wasn't glaring at him. Something about this Joule being ticked off was somehow more worrisome than having Heero mad at him. Maybe it was his confidence that Yuy wouldn't follow through on the threat. He had a nasty feeling Joule might.

 

“Do you have any idea just how stupid that would make us sound?” Yzak snarled.

 

“About as stupid as Lacus sounded.”

 

There was something of a warning in Yamato's reply. They all caught it and eyes looked back and forth between Joule and Yamato. Dearka Elsman was busy staring off at the ceiling. Joule on the other hand, went very still, eyes watching Yamato warily.

 

After several uncomfortable seconds, Relena leaned forward. “I'm sorry, I don't understand. What is the difficulty?”

 

Neither Joule nor Yamato replied. Yamato wasn't looking at anyone while Joule glared at the whole room. Yet unless Duo was really, really misreading the situation, Joule had just somehow stepped in it but good and wasn't finding any way out.

 

Elsman finally sighed and said, “Lacus is Kira's fiancée.”

 

Whoa! Yamato was engaged to the Supreme Council Chair? Wasn't she the effective equivalent to being President of the ESUN? Suddenly, the abrupt chill between the two Commanders made a lot more sense.

 

“Oops.” Quatre said quietly.

 

“Large oops,” Trowa agreed.

 

“Commander Joule,” Zechs spoke gently. “Perhaps it is a better thing to suggest ignorance than to try to find a lie you can sustain?”

 

“I do not think you want to be giving those reporters the truth.” Wu Fei noted dryly.

 

Kira stood abruptly. “Please excuse me. I seem to be getting in the way.”

 

He turned and marched out the door without waiting for an agreement from anyone. Everyone winced as the door closed firmly behind him. Duo glanced over, but Joule was now staring at the floor.

 

“Yzak,” Elsman said bluntly, “get off your ass and go apologize. You can insult Kira just about as much as you want, but insulting Lacus was plain stupid.”

 

“I know!” He snapped back. “I wasn't intending it as an insult to Lacus!”

 

“For something unintended, it was spectacularly effective,” Dorothy remarked, one bifurcated eyebrow raised as she studied the blank face of the closed door. “I take it this engagement is not a secret here?”

 

“No,” Dearka agreed, “everyone knows about it from the last corner of the PLANTs to the backwaters of the Alliance. It's one of the big reasons no one wants to start trouble with Lacus. No one in their right, or wrong, mind wants Kira that pissed at them. He's one of the most easy going guys you could ever meet, right up until he thinks someone might upset her in even the smallest way. He can get pretty nasty at that point.”

 

“Got one kick-ass mobile suit to back his nasty up with too,” Duo noted thoughtfully.

 

Dearka grinned. “Yeah, Strike-Freedom figures into most considerations regarding offending Kira.”

 

“When someone has a unit like his, only a fool would ignore it,” Noin said as she gave Yzak a very pointed look.

 

“Mr. Joule,” Mariemaia said with a bright chirp, “I think you should listen to Mr. Elsman. You will get this over with much faster if you do.”

 

Duo managed not to laugh at the expression on Joule's face but it took a huge effort not to. Everyone else was pretty obviously strangling laughter too. Well, all but Heero, but then, if he didn't want you to see any expression on his face, you just didn't. But Duo had looked at his eyes; he knew Yuy was just as amused as everybody else.

 

“You're outvoted ten to one here Commander,” Duo grinned. “Ya might as well just admit you're gonna hafta do it. I don't know him all that well but I kinda doubt he's gonna forgive ya real quick.”

 

“Eleven to one,” Elsman said coolly.

 

“Yzak,” he continued, suddenly very serious. “You know Kira doesn't hold a grudge. But you also know if he's ever going to, it'll be over something done to Lacus.”

 

There was an importance being attached to this Duo was dying to understand. Unfortunately, he kinda doubted anyone was going to explain it just to satisfy his curiosity. Still, he was willing to bet whatever it was went back to the two wars, when Joule and Yamato had fought on different sides.

 

Commander Joule suddenly slammed to his feet and stormed out the door without a word to anyone. Relena looked startled but Quatre was looking more concerned. Apparently, this wasn't really all that good a sign.

 

“Does Commander Joule need a referee?” Mariemaia asked quietly.

 

“Not normally,” Dearka replied unhappily as he too stood up. “But at the moment, I don't think they should talk to each other alone. I really don't need Yzak in the mood Kira'll put him in if they get off on both their girlfriends. He's not willing to admit he has one yet and Kira is just angry enough to really dig at him about it.”

 

“Not,” Dearka admitted, “that he doesn't need it. If he doesn't let himself admit how much he cares for Shiho pretty soon, he's gonna be in even deeper hot water with her than he'll be with Kira and Lacus after he tells her what Yzak said. So, if you'll excuse me, I think I'd better follow them.”

 

“Of course,” Relena agreed with a gentle smile.

 

Heero barely let Elsman get out the door before he moved over to his favorite computer station and began working at high speed. The others stared at him, leaving Duo the job of explaining what it was all about. Once everyone understood though, Heero found himself with Zechs watching from the right side and Quatre from the left. His ferocious scowl didn't move either of them, which amused Duo greatly.

 

Noin checked with the security net to see where they were and if she could listen in. “Damn! Yamato and Joule have gone to sulk in their mobile suits. Looks like Elsman is about to join them.”

 

“They want a secure channel for their conversation.” Dorothy tapped her lip thoughtfully. “It makes sense, but I want to hear that one. We need a better understanding of the dynamic between those three. And we also need a much better grasp of where they fit into the local political structure.”

 

“We already understand a good deal of that,” Mariemaia objected. “The local news reports have given a quite clear picture. It only made it easier to understand once Dearka explained Kira is the Chairwoman's fiancée.”

 

“It may be more complicated than that,” Relena said quietly. “They're very close to my age but they are in positions of authority usually held by people decades older. And it isn't just one young person, as my position was, but a number in the same age group. Recall, the Chief Representative of Aube is Commander Yamato's twin sister. Even the majority of the people they trust don't seem to be that much older than they are. Commander Waltfeld seems to be the oldest. Certainly Captain Ramius and Captain La Flaga aren't that old.”

 

“We haven't seen everyone,” Trowa said slowly. “It would be very interesting to find out just who the people behind the scenes are around here.”

 

“That will be difficult, Trowa.” Quatre said clearly. “They are not in the database available to us and really, I don't think we will be able to infiltrate any more up-to-date sources.”

 

“I might,” Heero said bluntly, speaking as his hands continued to fly over the keyboard. “The transmitter for this colony has a good range. But I won't be able to do it quickly enough to have the information available before they have to leave.”

 

“Then we learn it a bit later,” Zechs said. “Because Barton's right, we need to know what we're going to be dealing with here. We aren't hidden any more and we can't go home yet. We have to find out all we can. It may end up affecting our chances of getting home safely.”

 

Heero suddenly stopped working. “Damn! Yamato got it all. He's got some kind of rider attached to J's data too. It looks like it'll send him any updates as soon as they arrive. Whatever it is, its one complex piece of work. It will be very difficult to get it out without damage to our databases.”

 

“Then leave it alone.” Quatre stood abruptly. “We have to create a basis of trust here. There really isn't anything going into any of those four sections that we actually can't afford to have them reading. Some of it will require explanations, I'm sure, but it won't disrupt a developing relationship between us. In fact, it should improve it. They honestly can't afford to trust or perhaps even trade with us operating from ignorance.”

 

“Q-man's got a point there,” Duo noted. “I wouldn't trust or trade with someone when I didn't know as much about his cards as I possibly could. I for sure wouldn't do it if I couldn't see any of his deck at all! Just because I like these guys, that doesn't make them genuinely trustworthy. They can't afford to trust us blind, any more than we can afford to trust them blindly. Even the good guys'll kill ya if they're convinced you're gonna get them killed.”

 

“That's quite true,” Dorothy agreed, eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

 

“Do we truly have anything about the war back home we need to hide?” Wu Fei suddenly asked. “Won't sharing the information be wiser than trying to withhold it? We've already learned enough about this place to know who some of the most honorable of the people in it are. And all three of our guests are on that list. We need to have them understand we are as honorable as they are. We need them to see what kinds of injustice Crimson Dawn represents too. Full access to J's data should do that for us.”

 

“We need to understand just what someone being a Coordinator really means.” Lucrezia Noin added. “We need to understand what it is about Kira Yamato that is so different from the norm of Coordinators too. Because while they all move with a grace I don't see in the footage we have of the Naturals, Kira is just that much more than the other two are. He's just . . . . . different.”

 

Heero shut down the computer. “I'm going up into the building above us. From the way they act about it, the answers are there. I want to find that lab too.”

 

He turned. “Duo, I'll need your skill with hidden doors.”

 

“Heero!” Relena cried.

 

Duo winced. That wasn't the way to convince Yuy not to do something. She ought to know that by now.

 

“Go ahead,” Zechs cut in firmly. “We do need that information. Besides, I think keeping you and Yamato apart for a bit might make him a bit less jumpy. Not that he is particularly, but it's obvious that he sees you as the team's hacker. We'll just tell him the truth, that you're off continuing our exploration of the area. Take a full recording pack with you.”

 

Heero nodded and went to pick up the necessary gear. Duo paused though. He had a feeling he was trying to forget something. Oh, yeah, he was!

 

“Zechs,” Duo said seriously enough to assure he had the man's attention. “Don't let Yamato sit in that mobile suit too long. He needs to figure the second stabilizing burn in just about an hour from now.”

 

Ice blue eyes widened slightly, then he nodded in understanding. Duo bounced out the door. It wouldn't do to have Yuy getting too far ahead of him. He'd gripe about it for the next year.

 

The door into the main building above was somehow easier to face now that they had some idea of why it seemed to carry such a powerful negativity. It didn't make it any easier or more comfortable to be close to it but it took most of the `unknown' fear factor out of it. He followed Heero through the door and into the maze of hallways beyond.

 

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