Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Mistaken Words ❯ A Question Answered ( Chapter 16 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Mistaken Words

AN: To my two amazing editors! You guy rock!

Disclaimer: I don't own!

A Question Answered

Walking into his office early in the morning, Dante wore his best suit, having paid particular attention to his appearance before leaving his house. He did not usually care all that much, so long as his hair was brushed and his tie straight he was set for the day. But it was not every day that he would be standing in front of potentially every eye in the world. Considering what lay ahead of him, Dante felt surprisingly calm; he had been preparing for this moment in one way or another for three years, and now that it was upon him he felt like he could handle it. In his mind Dante went over his speech for the thousandth time, reaffirming that he knew it by heart, and he would not stumble while speaking.

If at all possible, he wanted to keep eye contact with the camera at all times. However, he did feel that there was a downside to all the practice. And that was the words began to lose the original meaning to him. It was not that he did not believe what the speech said, he still did with every ounce of his being, it was only, after saying the words so many times, they began to sound strange to his ears, and he silently worried that might come out in his speech.

Placing everything aside except what he needed to focus on for the next few minutes, Dante offered a warm smile to his receptionist as he walked past, making his way directly to his office. As he walked past he did not miss the almost nervous light in shinning in her eyes. Everyone was aware of what was about to happen, and they'd all be on pins and needles until it was finished. Gripping the knob of his office door, Dante pushed the solid wood open and walked in, not at all surprised to see Ash lounging in his leather chair. What did surprise him was the full respectable suit Ash had donned for the occasion.

"Looking sharp," he commented, pulling his feet off the desk so he could stand. "Everything has been set up, we're ready just as soon as you are," Ash's eyes did not seem to hold any nervous light, but Dante was more than aware of how much better his friend would be at concealing it.

"Zero's in position?" Ash's saying everything was ready didn't stop Dante from asking.

"Yes," was the expected confirmation, "The camera crew has set up in the conference room." Ash offered him a smile, "Whenever you want to begin."

Dante nodded mutely, trying to ignore the butterflies that had suddenly come alive in his stomach. None of these sudden nerves showed upon his face as he stood before his desk, eyes studying his friend, and he worked to suppress them, not wanting any hint of weakness to come out in his voice. "Alright…let's begin," he said with a curt nod of his head, half turning back to the door, waiting for Ash to step around the desk.

Ash came up beside him resting a steady hand upon his shoulder, "You'll do fine," he assured, chuckling at the looked of surprise on Dante's face. He should have known Ash could be able to read him like a book.

Letting a smile slip through, Dante moved back towards the door, Ash falling into step beside him. They walked together out of Dante's office, and into the bustling conference room located off to the right of the main foyer. At their entrance all eyes turned from last minute preparations. Dante offered them a calm face as he moved to take his place near the podium, but still remained off camera. Ash moved to take the centre stage, it was not a place he particularly wanted to be, but it had been decided, that he would be the best to introduce Dante to the ESUN.

Dante was rather intrigued by the sudden change that had overcome his friend as he settled in behind the podium, he started to look surprisingly respectable. Milo, the young man who was directing everything in this room, stepped up beside the large camera, and motioned to Ash. The fingers on his right hand slowly counting down, until the light on top of the camera switched to green. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation…" Ash began in a clear voice.

***

Une sat behind her desk going through the regular day's papers while the news buzzed softly in the background. Very little had happened in the last few days that she considered news worthy, but she always had it on just in case something of importance did happen. It was just as she was about to start yet another page of dry reading that would require her signature that the speakers of her TV screeched loudly drawing her attention. Sitting up straighter Une slowly drew down her glasses, as the screen before her blacked out before changing picture.

A nondescript man stood behind a podium, his hazel eyes looking very serious, as he stared directly into the camera. Curious now, Une picked up the remote and raised the volume, so she could clearly catch the rest of what the man was saying. "…Good morning, please stand by for a very important announcement," the first man stepped aside making way for a man Une knew.

Dante took the podium his face solemn eyes somehow managing to look directly into Une's, she found it rather unnerving, but forgot that discomfort as he began to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, my friends," his voice was clear and true, sounding deeply sincere. "We stand here on a day like so many others before it, in the warmth and security of our peace. A peace, which many gave their lives to attain," he continued hands resting on either side of the polished wood.

Une's hand reached for her phone, raising the receiver to her ear, "Liz, get me the King."

***

Wufei stood arms crossed over his chest, eyes fixed upon Relena's TV, which they had been watching the morning news on, when the shot had suddenly cut and come back to something entirely different. The two of them were motionless in Relena's living room eyes unable to leave the screen as they heard Dante's words. Both were familiar with the man as one of the many Colonial leaders, he had been a strong supporter of Quatre, but had not been in the spotlight for some time.

Relena gasped, both hands moving to cover her mouth as her eyes became slightly watery with unshed tears, "It's him…" she whispered in a shaking voice, one hand pointing at the screen.

"What?" Wufei burst out in shock, but before she could respond Dante began to speak again.

"The world we once knew is gone, a new greater image has emerged, and we have all been made stronger for it." He raised a hand at this, a simple gesture, but it conveyed so much of his strongly felt emotions, "We listen, where once we could not hear, understand when there was a time we did not comprehend, and love when before we could only hate."

Wufei, totally at a loss for words, reached down a hand to carefully place it on Relena's small shoulder. ~What the hell is going on?~ he wondered silently. Why had Dante kidnapped Relena? This did not seem to fit with his personality at all. He was far too smart a man to use such tactics…wasn't he? Wufei's cell phone rang suddenly breaking his train of thought, and almost in a daze he reached for it.

"Yeah?"

"Wufei, Une wants us in her office," Trowa told him simply, his voice sounding as perplexed as Wufei felt, "I have a bad feeling about this."

***

Dante drew in an even breath, eyes remaining locked upon the camera, as focused as he was on the speech he was delivering to the world, Dante very much wanted to know how the world was receiving it. Yet there would be time enough for that when this moment had passed. Standing there among the bright lights Dante was struck by the momentum of his actions—something the men who had come before him must have felt when they altered the course of the world—he was about to change the future with just these simple words.

"Many would look upon this world and see the utopia it has become, and I myself am thankful everyday to awaken in this world." It was true, he was grateful and relieved every day he woke and found that this peace was not a dream. "To remember the past as little more than a nightmare, but still honour the lives so valiantly given."

Change…

Dante suppressed a shiver keeping his features as they had been from the beginning, mild and sincere, what he hoped was an honest view into what he really felt. ~Nothing will be the same after this…~

***

Zechs stood behind his desk, both hands firmly planted upon its polished surface as his ice blue eyes remained glued on the TV before him. He was completely stunned with Dante's surprise announcement, he had not know what to think when one of his aids informed him that the colonial leader had hijacked all the signals. "What are you thinking?" he mumbled to himself, body rigid as he listened to the older man's words expecting something vital at any moment.

"Zechs, you don't think it could have been him do you?" Une asked from the videophone situated on his desk. Her voice sounded dubious, and when he glanced down it was clear she was still watching the speech.

For a moment Zechs considered what she asked, he didn't know Dante any more than he knew any of the leaders, and since there were so many that was not really very well at all. But he had thought he would have been able to safely say that Dante was too smart a man to attempt such a reckless act. And as his speech said, he was an avid defender of the peace, doing all that he could to see everything remained as it was. So then why now was he doing this? His words almost seemed to say he was leading up to something, and Zechs didn't like the gut feeling he was getting.

"I'm having everyone gather here," Une informed after a moment.

Nodding, Zechs didn't look down, "I'll be there once this is over," he didn't plan to miss a second of it.

After the obligatory pause, Dante picked up the speech yet again, Zechs had to admit, the man was an excellent speaker, his words flowing easily from his tongue, enticing even the most stubborn to listen. "But now even in this utopia, members can be forgotten, left aside, lost in the rush of people searching for what we all need, that inner peace. And it is because of this overwhelming need for attention that I stand before you this day." That feeling of unease grew in Zechs' stomach Dante was clearly leading to something, and it couldn't possibly be good.

"I ask you, what of the soldier who fought bravely for this world and lived? Are they to be forgotten, cast aside as nameless, and called only obsolete? We do not recognise ourselves as such; we retain a strong will to protect this peace in the same way we always have." Dante's eyes took on a very solemn cast at that moment; and it was those few sentences, which truly jumped out at Zechs.

"Treize…" Une breathed barely above a whisper.

"Yes…" Zechs agreed, there was no mistaking the sound and measure of the words; it was a definite quote, a little paraphrased but his all the same.

"What are you thinking…" he whispered again, the tiny hairs on the back of his neck rising in warning.

***

Trowa was following the speech carefully using his cell phone, it was a feature he had never thought of using before, but considering the circumstances he was glad to have it now. With the ear piece in Trowa didn't bother to watch the screen as he made his way through the base. Every hall he moved through was empty, and glancing into offices it was easy to see why, everyone was crowded around the TVs. The world—he figured—had come to a near standstill with this broadcast.

He had made the necessary calls before leaving the circus, letting the others know Une wanted them all to be in her office by the time the announcement was done. And now he was on his way there himself, mind turning over different possibilities of why Dante had chosen to do this, and where his speech was heading. He didn't like anything that came to mind, and he began to wonder if it was possible that Dante had a hand in the kidnapping of Relena. As impossible as that sounded, it was the only thing that really made sense, when one considered how out of the blue this announcement was.

"The men and women of colony LX185 wish to remain ever locked in the peace that we have finally achieved, yet we wish to govern ourselves, apart from the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Forever in contact with, but nevertheless our own mind and body."

Trowa's only reaction to this was a blink of surprise, ~He's declaring independence…then why would he need Relena…if he was the one to take her…~ Trowa's thoughts could find no answers, and so he merely continued on towards Une's office. With each door he passed Trowa's sharp ears caught short almost whispered communications.

"…Not this again…"

"…It's like Mariemaia…"

"…He's going to start the war…"

"…Is there no end?"

His stride quickened, they would put a stop to this before it got out of hand.

***

Quatre sat in stunned silence, his mind racing to digest what he had just been told, that one of the colonies he so loved, that he had worked so hard to keep together, had decided to fall away from him. It was the last thing he had expected from a man such as Dante, Quatre had thought they had always been able to communicate very well, easily being able to see eye to eye. So then why this?

He sat in a large conference room various advisers and even a few colonial leaders sat about the table, all eyes fixed upon the large screen TV which hung from the wall on the far side of the room. Quatre's tea rested at his elbow cold and forgotten in the wake of these sudden events, a part of him wanted to contact Une, to see what she thought of all this, but he did not want to risk missing something crucial.

Dante's expression was one of compassion, not at all what was expected of a man who had just declared independence, after such a declaration had ended in war only four years before. "I do not stand before you to declare war, or any such hostilities. Please put your fears to rest, and understand that I would do anything in my power to keep the peace, I would give my own life."

"Yet at the same time the needs of my people cannot go unmet, and we have struggled long and hard in the shadows of the ESUN." His face looked truly saddened as he spoke those words, "It is time that we step forward and make our lives our own."

If Quatre had been stunned before, his mind had totally frozen now. He had never thought one particular colony had been neglected in these three years of peace. It was clear now he had been horribly mistaken. "Why didn't you come to me?" he asked softly of the image displayed before him, his blue eyes filled with remorse and guilt. He should have known; he should have been able to stop this before it happened, ~why did I not seen this coming? I'm the leader of the colonies, they're supposed to be in my care…how could I let this happen?~

"This is my fault…" he breathed dropping his head into his hands.

***

Blinking away the sudden wave of heat, Heero blearily glanced about his surroundings. He could not make sense of what had happened to leave him in such a weakened state, nor where he was for that matter. He felt vulnerable, unable to defend himself or even move, his limbs refused to answer his call, and his mind did not seem to want to focus for more than three seconds at a time. It was this damned heat; it came in waves blinding him to everything but its intensity. He wanted to push the coverings off him, in a vain attempt to cool himself, but he found his uncoordinated movements hampered by restraints.

Heero's first thought was to panic, struggle until he was free, but his body would not respond. So he lay there trying to wake himself, to gain a greater feel for his surroundings, but finding little success, as the moments—which were more like hours—ticked by. The muscles around his stomach clenched, and he fought back a groan as the flames rose with renewed vigour. As the wave subsided, Heero became aware of another's presence in the room, and he tried to search them out, with eyes that would not focus.

He had not found the person when something else caught his clouded attention. Filtering through the haze of his fogged mind came words that he could not comprehend, but he listened none the less. "As a sign of my solidarity to the peace and all that it means to every man, woman, and child, I have but a simple display to make." The voice was one he recognised, and it sparked an unknown anger in him.

"I have attained as you can now see, a Gundam, Wing Zero to be precise. Please do not fear, it has been my intention from the beginning to see this weapon destroyed, as a sign." Something in that line of unknown words struck Heero and he looked in the direction of speaker's voice, his eyes clearing just long enough to see a TV near him. Displayed on its glowing surface was a large mobile suite, and one he recognised very well, even in this state.

His mind tried to work out what this meant, and why it caused him such great anger, but he was met with no success. Staring all the rest of the world forgotten, Heero watched through a thick haze as the Gundam—his Gundam, he realised suddenly—was lost in a massive explosion. Confused and weakened, Heero's eyes fell shut despite his best efforts to keep them opened, and though the words fell upon deaf ears, Heero's mind still caught them.

"We the people of Freedom's Point, wish you no harm. Let us continue to build this world of peace together."

***

Dante breathed a sigh of relief as the small light on top of the camera changed from green to red, signalling that the announcement was over. Milo stepped forward then, as wide smile on his young face, "Excellent speech sir," he commented enthusiastically.

"Thank you," Dante breathed, in his mind he was fast working through everything he said, now praying that it had all come out right.

"You did fine," Ash cut through his thoughts a little smirk playing on his face; "Stop worrying about it, you have other things to focus on now."

"That's right sir, everything has been set up in your office," Milo informed walking beside Dante and Ash, "And I've just been told, sir, that President Winner is waiting for you."

The Free Born's leader tried not to sigh, he had known this moment would be fast coming, and had done everything he could to prepare himself. But still his mind was having trouble organising what it was that he wanted to say, he was however sure he'd be able to do it when the time came. "Alright, I'll speak with him first, then I want a direct link to Lady Une, the others should be there with her."

"Yes sir, just let us know when you're ready," the young man smiled once more before disappearing into another room.

Continuing on to his office, Dante kept his head down, eyes studying the floor as he tried to prepare himself for what was needed now. "Don't look so sad," Ash bade, his voice cutting though Dante's deep thoughts, "You'd never know you were standing on the doorstep to a new future, one you yourself have brought about."

Dante offered his friend a wane smile, "Yes we are on the doorstep, but what will it take to safely walk through?" he sighed, "This is only the beginning my friend."

Ash pulled him to a stop; "Quatre will come to understand."

Sighing, Dante glanced at the heavy wooden door, the last barrier; "He'll blame himself, I think…" he breathed, pulling a hand through his hair.

"And then looks at you like a kicked puppy," Ash finished the sentence, face completely straight.

Dante blinked in surprise at that, considering the statement for a moment, "Yes you're right…" he agreed slowly, "But one who knows exactly what effect he can have." Anyone who looked at Quatre would instantly see an innocent boy, just barely a young man. And many a politician had gone to him fully intending to come out on top in the given discussion. It never ceased to amaze Dante the number of times Quatre could pull the cute little boy act and get his way.

It was not a tactic any of the politicians were familiar with; they were used to throwing around their experience and political weight. Quatre had quite stunned them all, when he came on the scene, his attitude at times almost seeming like a disappointed child, being told Santa wasn't real. That tactic—and yes Dante was positive it was intentionally done—was something these masters of the political arena had no armour against. It was very hard to defend yourself when the one you were up against was not angry or purely enraged, but rather disappointed, and he was disappointed in you. It was that deep need to do whatever it took to make him smile again that won Quatre so many victories.

Ash chuckled softly, "He does wield that cute little boy look rather ruthlessly."

Dante smiled at his friend, feeling the tension from before fade away. It never ceased to surprise him how well Ash could read him. Knowing exactly when he needed the mood to be lightened to help him focus. It was easy for Dante to bring his mask back into place, and stride forward to his office, confident that he would be able to handle whatever came his way.

Together they walked in, but only Dante went around to his desk, seating himself in front of the large screen videophone that had been set up there. Ash took an inconspicuous seat across from him, resting rather comfortably in one of the chairs, a leg draped over the arm. Forgetting about his friend for the moment Dante focused his attention fully upon the face waiting for him. As he had expected, Quatre looked greatly upset, his youthful face holding the burden of sadness and self-reproach that few could understand.

"Dante, why didn't you come to me?" expecting that question or not, it was hard to be fully prepared to answer Quatre when he was looking at you in that way. Dante knew, however, that unlike many times, this expression was truthful. The young man did feel hurt, and perhaps even a little betrayed.

Off to the side Dante's peripheral vision caught an obvious motion, and glancing subtly over he was slightly horrified to see Ash making kicking motions. Working doubly hard to keep his face as it was Dante began to speak, "Mr President I would not have you blame yourself for what has happened today…"

"The colonies were placed in my care, I'm supposed to look after you, who else should be blamed?" The young president cut in.

"No one, very little will be changing after today. I put on that display to show the world, war was the last thing any of my people wanted." Dante leaned forward hands folded before him on his desk, "We don't intend to shut ourselves off from the rest of the ESUN, we just want to be making our own decisions."

"What was it, exactly, that made you decide this was the only option?" a certain amount of resignation had entered into Quatre's voice.

Dante thought about that for a moment, searching for the best way to phrase what he wanted to say. "You have to be the most talented leader I've ever had the pleasure of working with Mr President, but no one, no matter how talented could hope to appease everyone," he raised a hand to cut off what Quatre was going to say, wanting to finish his thoughts first. "Granted you've done an excellent job, but my people simply do not want to be in the shadows any more."

"This isn't to say we felt that we've been neglected or snubbed by the rest of the ESUN," Dante breathed trying to form what he wanted to convey into the right words. "The vast majority of my citizens were at one time or another soldiers in the war. We have, perhaps, the highest population of former soldiers. And it is because of this, I think, that my people have often felt like outsiders."

"Dante, that was all put aside after the wars finished, it doesn't matter who fought and who did not," Quatre countered with all sincerity.

"It's one thing to say it's all behind us, and out of the three it's the easiest to do, but accepting that and putting it into practice are two entirely different matters."

Quatre sighed sadly, "There're going to be a lot of people who'll need reassurance after this…" it sounded to Dante as though the young president had just given up on him, and suddenly Dante wanted to take back what had been done. But he shook his head. That was just silly, this is what he and his people wanted, what they had worked towards for three years, there was no going back now.

He blinked in surprise, realising that Quatre was once more speaking to him, "It was you wasn't it, who took Relena…" it was not really a question.

Dante knew that had been coming for a while, "Yes," he replied softly knowing there was no denying it now.

The young president looked truly shocked, believing it already or not, hearing confirmation put everything into a whole different light. "Why?" Quatre asked quietly.

"I needed the name of a Gundam pilot, something I was fairly sure Relena would know," he ran a hand down the side of his face, remembering the time he had spent with the princess. "I would have you know that I didn't resort to the VR right away, I explained everything to her, in the hopes that she would help of her own free will."

Quatre's expression had changed to utter disbelief as he stared out of the screen, and slowly he shook his head. "Why on earth would you have needed her for that when you had Heero all that time?"

"He didn't exactly make the fact that he was a Gundam pilot public knowledge," Dante told him, his voice taking on a rather regretful note.

"Where is he now?" Quatre demanded eyes suddenly bright, almost as if everything that happened before had been forgotten. And Dante did not miss the spark of anger and betrayal burning in the back of the young man's aqua orbs.

"He's safe," was all Dante felt comfortable saying, "Mr President, we'll be in touch, but if you will excuse me, there is still one more call I have to make."

Quatre seemed for a moment to be on the verge of refusing his request, perhaps to demand more information, but finally he nodded, and the connection was terminated. Dante sighed falling back in his chair, eyes immediately seeking out Ash's face. "Thought I was going to have to step in there for a moment," Ash commented, eyes looking up from the smaller screen he had been watching, his face not looking quite as amused as it had before the phone call.

Dante rubbed at his eyes with one hand, a tired sigh escaping his lips, "No it's alright, it's just that face…"

"Probably practices it. You should ask him sometime." Ash offered in a complete deadpan, which was what got Dante laughing despite the moment.

"The things you think up," Dante chuckled, offering his friend a smile for his efforts. For his part Ash just shrugged, face wearing his usual mischievous expression.

Pulling his leg off the arm, Ash leaned forward in his seat, "Are you ready for the next? It won't be as easy as this one was."

"I know…" he responded calmly resolute, "Shall we begin?"

"Whenever you're ready," Ash returned; one hand reached for a small panel on Dante's desk. At the leader's nod, he pressed a small switch, "Milo, we're ready patch the link through."

"Right away sir," the young man's voice spoke over a little speaker, and Ash sat back once more resuming his original position.

Dante was given a moment to readjust himself in his seat, needlessly straightening his coat, before the screen on his desk lit up once more. This time to reveal a long conference room table lined with more people than Dante had originally expected. He recognised all of them, from Lady Une, to Relena, and her brother, also among the group were all of Relena's remaining bodyguards. That seemed an odd addition to such a meeting but even more so was Sally Po's presence, what was a doctor doing at the table?

He was not given anymore time to ponder as his presence became known and Une spoke without hesitation. "Ah Dante, just the man I wanted to speak to." Out of the corner of his eye Dante caught Ash shivering, Une's voice sounded terrifyingly calm. "What the hell are you thinking!" she bit out her expression still calm, though her voice now betrayed the emotions she was working hard to keep in check.

"What would you have said if I had come to you directly?" he questioned back with as much calm, it was something he had tried to do more than one occasion, but he had never been able to get anywhere.

"We would have told you the peace was far too fragile to have colonies trying to break away," Zechs growled out, ice blue eyes shooting daggers right through the screen.

Dante shook his head, "It's been three years, the peace isn't going to fall away beneath our feet. The people are ready to handle this," of this Dante was sure, he just needed to make all of them see that.

"I don't see how that could possibly have been your decision to make!" Duo barked clearly tired of keeping his peace.

"Neither is it a bodyguard's place to question what I choose to do for my people," folding his hands before Dante leaned forward slightly, "But none of this really matters now, the fact of the matter is it's done, and there's no going back now. I have declared my intentions, that be to keep the peace and govern my colony as I see fit, none of which I assure you will lead to war."

"You're right, none of this does matter now," Une took up the conversation eyes glancing over to both Zechs and Duo, it seemed to Dante that she had taken it upon herself—perhaps as the most level headed—to do the talking. "What does matter is the fact that you kidnapped Relena, and that in itself is an act of terrorism. Something you, a peace loving man should have done anything to avoid."

Her words stuck straight and true, hitting Dante right at his core, some of the pain it caused he let show on his face, as he really had not wanted to take Relena. "Yes that…" he said slowly blue eyes looking over to the very girl in question who watched him with mixed emotions. "I apologise for having to resort to such tactics, but I assure you I did explain everything to Relena, and requested her assistance before finally resorting to VR."

"That information is far too compromising to simply give to anyone," a soft but compelling voice spoke up as Relena leaned forward on the table, a spark of life in her eyes.

"I understand that," Dante began, but was quickly cut off by a once more angered Duo.

"Obviously you don't!" he slammed a hand down on the table, face red with anger, "If you did you wouldn't have pressed for it, you wouldn't have done this! You wouldn't have brought him into it!" there was no mistaking which `him' Duo meant.

But Dante merely nodded, not letting anything show, "Speaking of bringing people into this, if the information pertaining to the Gundams is so dangerous, what, may I ask, are you're bodyguards doing here? Surely this can't possibly concern them…" despite the cool face he was setting forward Dante felt anything but calm, but calm was what he needed to be in these moments.

"It doesn't matter why we're here, we are" Wufei spoke up, "And it no longer matters that the information got out, there's nothing we can do about it now. My question is, why didn't you just use Heero to begin with, he was working for you, and leave Relena out of this."

"As I told Quatre, Heero didn't make that information known to us," that small amount of information left the rest of the room in stunned silence.

Une was the first to recover from the shock, and hit him with something he had not been expecting, "Are you admitting to harbouring a known fugitive?" She looked at him with an almost sad expression in her eyes, and a certain amount of disappointment, which rivalled Quatre's for potency. "That doesn't look good, Dante…"

"Peace can't exist without rules, and working governments," Zechs put in on Une's lingering silence, eyes not looking at Dante, but rather studiously watching the far wall, as though he were seeing something else. "For a man so for the peace, I would have thought you'd know better…"

"I believe in the peace," Dante stated, "But I also believe in second chances--"

"Would he have given me a second chance?!" Relena demanded her voice trembling but still strong.

Dante's voice took on a gentle note as he spoke directly to her; he knew how Heero really felt, even though he couldn't begin to understand. "I'd say the fact that you're here now, would be your second chance…" A part of him wanted to ask her, to see if she knew he was still in love with her, but he could not bring himself to speak the words, Heero must have had his reason. "He didn't hurt the peace while he was with me--"

"He must answer for his crimes," Trowa said, softly yet pointedly.

"I believe he already has," that was the utter truth, from all that Ash had told him, Dante knew Heero was beating himself up rather badly for all that happened.

"Unfortunately," Une broke in, "that's not a matter for you to decided, where is Yuy now?"

"I don't intend to disclose that information," he told them all resolutely.

Une nodded as though she had been expecting that, "Not that we want it to come to this, but we do have the means to search your colony if it comes to that."

"As an independent nation, I'm now outside your jurisdiction. I don't intend to close off from the rest of the ESUN over this, but I also don't intend to hand Heero over to you."

Zechs' eye blue eyes locked on Dante's; "You aren't doing yourself any favours by refusing us this. We have a right to the answers he has, and to see that he meets with the proper justice."

"I'll let him know that," he leaned back in his chair once more, "But I intend to do what I feel is right. I've accepted everyone who sought out this colony for asylum, I won't turn him away simply because the act he committed fell outside the bounds of the war. To me that's just splitting hairs." He sighed softly looking everyone in the face as best he could, "I've said my piece, all I'll be doing now is repeating myself, I believe we all have a few tough days ahead, but I'm completely confident that our people will surprise us and the peace will remain. Now unless there are any other questions, I'm afraid I have much work to do…" Dante waited out the silence for several seconds before terminating the connection.

"They're all around her…" Ash breathed with a certain amount of disbelief in his voice, Dante looked to his friend with exhausted eyes.

"What?"

Ash looked at Dante excitement in his hazel eyes, "There's a perfectly logical reason why Relena's bodyguards were present," he began coming to his feet, "Did you see their eyes?"

Dante looked up at his friend curiously, "Can't say I was really paying all that much attention to details."

"They're just like Heero's," he folded his arms across his chest, with quite a bit of satisfaction, "They all have that same looked about them, They're the other--"

"Gundam pilots?" Dante finished with some disbelief, he didn't know why that should be so shocking, considering Heero, but it still was.

"I'd bet my life on it!"

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Silent Apologies:

"Do you know why…" a harsh voice finally spoke up, and Dante's head snapped back around to see Heero's face contorted with rage. "Do you have any idea why we destroyed all information on the Gundams? Why, even when you had Relena, she didn't give me over to you?!" the last was said with such bitter self hatred, that Dante was left stunned.

"They're a uniting figure, something to give power to even the smallest rebellious group, searching for anything to draw more numbers to their ranks." Heero's hands clenched into tight fist, "Do you even realise what you've unleashed?"

"Relax," Dante was quick to placate, "All the information of the Gundam's schematics was not saved in any hard form, there is nothing left for anyone to get."

"And the men?" Heero demanded back quickly.

"I would trust each and everyone of them with my life, they are good men," he hoped his words would assure Heero, but some how he doubted there was much that would.

Morganeth Taren'drel