Part Eight
*The Freedom of Outer Space*

         Paato Eito
         *Uchuu no Jiyuu*
 

He rather fancied he heard music.

The music of outer space that called the stars to dance.

The light of this dance glinted off the skin of his mobile suit, but his was not a Gundam, and he therefore could not join in. It did not sadden him, he took it in stride, watching as the dance came to it's inevitable conclusion.

Five powers met in the heart of Rilina Peacecraft, and blotted out the stars, the darker reaches of space, the dragon-type Gundam doomed to always be an outsider in the dance, everything.

The light of war had outshone the peaceful light of the stars.

One by one, five of them fell to the Earth in shame.

Never to return.

Never to feel the peace of space again.
 

Treize Kush Renada opened his eyes to the sight of Dorothy's face. She was looking worried, but at the same time a bit of elation gleamed in her eyes.

Of course. Were Treize to fall ill, that would put quite the twist into the game she'd made out of this war. Offering her a smile of apology in all cases, Treize moved his knight forward.

Reflecting on the dream, even as he beat Dorothy at chess again, Treize reaffirmed his decision to go against Duke Dermail and keep the Talgeese. If Epyon would refuse him and not Zechs, then a trade was in order.

He had not introduced Epyon and Zechs yet.

But he had a feeling they would get along fine.

  [##]

Lady Une, now in full Ambassador attire, smiled at the assembly as she began her speech.

  [##]

Hiiro flew straight into the horizon, making it a point to ignore Rilina's presence.

Suddenly the computer blipped and a tactical image was brought up on the left screen. Both Hiiro and Rilina looked. The message got through to one person, but not the other.

Hiiro altered course.

" Hey! Hiiro! " Rilina's voice sounded in his ear as she leaned over to look him in the face (or as best as she could manage)        " Why'd you change course? "

" Hang on, " said Hiiro again.

Rilina made sure to do so this time. Clutching with a white-knuckled grip onto the seat, she turned her attention back to the display on the left screen, reading as the information scrolled by.

" Oz Leos, " Hiiro heard her whisper in fear, " a whole contingent. Heading for us... "

  [##]

" People of the colonies, it is time for your period of existing in fear to end... "

  [##]

There were no further orders from the computer to signify whether the voice over the comlink was telling the truth or not.

But it couldn't be true! He couldn't be ordered to surrender! Impossible!

Then again, the self-assurance in that voice couldn't be all bravado. Duo sneered. He could picture her now, some worn out old bag of a soldier, with her pale hair pulled back into a tight bun more severe than Wufei's ponytail. She'd wear no makeup, except on special occasions when she'd pull out a too-bright red reminiscent of her near-forgotten youth. There was NO WAY Duo Maxwell was going to be held prisoner of that. No. Way.

The voice returned, " If you don't believe us, I have reports. Why don't we step outside? "

" If you try anything funny... " Duo wheezed. The pain in his shoulder had beaded his brow with sweat, and flooded his cheeks with a fever. He was going into shock from the pain, he could feel it.

" Perhaps I can help you with your injury as well, mm? I'll bring the first-aid kit. " The comlink crackled out, and Duo watched while one of the Aries dropped from the sky to land before him and Deathscythe.

Not one to go back on his word (not that he'd really agreed...) Duo forced himself out of the seat, and staggered out of the cockpit to stand on the bottom part of the door.

The Aries' cockpit opened then, and out emerged the woman whom had owned the voice.

Duo could only stare for a moment, because...

The owner of the voice was not a shriveled old hag...

.. she was a babe!

  [##]

" ... with Oz, you can find your freedom after years of the Alliance's tyranny... "

  [##]

" None, " answered Trowa, refusing to mention a meeting not too long ago with the other Gundam pilot, Quatre, " but that doesn't mean that I won't find it in the future. "

[Hey! I said this was a NON YAOI fic! Cut that out!]

Hitori Yuu jumped on that. " What is there to prove that you will? "

" My faith in that my mission is correct. I am fighting for the good of the colonies. "

Yuu sat down. " Oz is working for the good of the colonies as well, we have freed them from the rule of the Alliance. "

" Yes, " agreed Trowa, " by becoming another Earth's Sphere Alliance yourself. Oz is merely the Alliance with another face. The charming, charismatic face of Treize Kush Renada. "

Trowa felt the sharp sting of Yuu's smack across his face, before his head connected with the floor and that pain overrided for former.

" How dare you, " Yuu seethed.

Trowa sat up and gazed at Yuu without fear. " It bothers you, because deep down inside, you know it to be true. "

  [##]

" ... take the reins of your own destiny... "

  [##]

He could feel the bandage against his scalp, his forehead, his cheek, his arms, his legs, his chest... Quatre was not in very good shape. But he... nngh... had to get to... space...

Gazing up at Sandrock, he knew that the M.S. alone could not take him where he wanted to go. Nor could he alone accomplish what had to be done.

" There are others... " he whispered to the wind that whispered past and tousled his fine blonde hair, " others beside Trowa and I... "

  [##]

" ... prove to the people of Earth that you are not a nation to be taken advantage of... "

  [##]

To say Wufei was irritated would be an understatement.

To say he was infuriated too, would be insufficient.

She was sitting on Shenlon's shoulder. She was touching Nataku. She was still around.

" Why are you still here? " Wufei demanded over the comlink to outside.

To which she answered simply, " You're still alive. "

" That doesn't answer my question, Onna, " he snapped. No kidding he was still alive, no thanks to her. Shenlon was a little beatup, but otherwise he'd escaped unscathed. Unfortunately, so had she.

" I made you a promise. "

" To be a pain in the ass? I think Oz is doing a good enough job without your aid. " Wufei never was the champion of stinging comebacks.

" I promised you that I would make you a grave marker, " was the answer when she finally gave a straight one.

Wufei shouted an obscenity, then shot back, " Not if I make yours first! "

" Ooh, " she countered sardonically, " big talk from the otoko in the Mobile Suit. " Wufei seethed through her next words, " I swear, all this machinery must be to hide a widespread epidemic of impedance. "

" Silence Onna! "

" Or cowardice. I'll bet you can't even hit a girl, " she leered antagonizingly.

" Of course not! " Although you're steadily changing my mind...

Nara Sorou laughed outright at that one. " Typical. I have no trouble hitting a man. "

" That's different! "

" How so? "

" A man can take it. "

Well. He'd struck a nerve. Now she was standing. (on Nataku...) " You wanna come out here and say that? "

Miserably, Wufei muttered, " No... "

There was a pause, and then he added, " hmph, women, " at the precise moment in which Nara sat back down and commented, " hmph, men. "

They glared at each other. (or as best they could, one looking at the computer screen, another forced to look at Shenlon)

  [##]

" ... that you are a force to be reckoned with... "

  [##]

Rilina screamed as she was thrown into the wall of the cockpit. They had been under attack for seemingly forever. (forty seconds) Hiiro was grunting, fighting with the strain it took to keep Wing under the control and as level as he could. But without a seatbelt, Rilina was being tossed around the cockpit like a rag doll.

Finally Hiiro stated, " Climb down here. "

" Nani? " Rilina breathed. How could she climb anywhere? Every time she attempted making a move another hit on Wing sent her careening in the opposite direction from where she wanted to go.

" Climb down here, " Hiiro enforced again, " you'll be safer. "

" O-okay... " Rilina carefully edged her way down, only for a missile hit on the top of the suit to send her crashing down into Hiiro's lap. If it hurt him any, he didn't show it.

" Put your arms around my neck and hang on, " he ordered, reaffirming his grip on Wing's controls.

Rilina obeyed and closed her eyes tight, burying her face in Hiiro's shoulder through the whole encounter. She didn't realize at first, when the battle ended, and Hiiro continued on towards the Cinq Kingdom.

When she finally did, she lifted her head, and looked Hiiro in the face. Not being able to ignore their closeness any longer, she blushed slightly and said softly, " Thank you. "

He regarded her stonily a moment before asceeding, " You're welcome, " and then looking ahead.

Although.

He never told her to get out of his lap.

  [##]

" ... I have been sent by Oz to make sure you achieve that dream... "

  [##]

Zechs slept without dreaming.

When he awoke, he wandered out into the halls of Treize's Luxembourg home on his own. Something was drawing him, almost as if in a trance. Something was drawing him further and further into the walls of the home, further and further into the darkness residing in his heart. Far into the despair and depression that had made Zechs Marquis out of Milliardo Peacecraft. Deeper into the longing for strength that he found in Mobile Suits. First in the Leo, then the Talgeese, and now, now this...

... this that was the epitome, the embodiment... that absolute solidification of all that Zechs Marquis was and wanted to be.

A Gundam.

  [##]

" ... to help you become strong enough to leave the nightmares of the past behind... "

  [##]

" Do you like it Milliardo? " inquired Treize's soft voice from behind.

Zechs turned, Milliardo now with his mask off, to address the other man. " What's it called? "

Ah, yes, that was Zechs; brisk and to the point. He never wasted time, if anything else. Treize would miss his company dearly.

" I called it Epyon. A graceful name for my graceful dragon. " Treize smiled fondly at the deep purple Gundam that stood before he and the man who was everything he half-wished he could be. " Would you like to give it a try? In experimenting with the computer system, I discovered something remarkable. "

" What's that? " It didn't seem that Milliardo could take his eyes off the Mobile Suit. Treize knew they'd get along.

Treize smiled at Milliardo. " It can tell the pilot his future. "

  [##]

" ... and escort the colonies into a new era of peace! "
 

" Marvelous speech, Ambassador, " commented one of the colony leaders as he escorted her out of the auditorium.

" Thank you, " she said with uncharacteristic modesty, and with an out of place smile. Never having met Colonel Une, the colony leader never realized this.

As they parted, he realized, " I'm sorry, Ambassador, I never caught your name. " He flushed slightly at his impoliteness, which became and all-out blush as the pretty woman in blue reached up to take his glasses and held them to her own face.

" My name is Lady Une, " she said serenely, then replaced the glasses, " Good evening, sir. "

" ... good-bye... "

**

[Well, Quatre's bound and determined to get the Gundam pilots together now so that he can head off to outer space. But what awaits him there? Lady Une? Colonel Une? Ambassador Une? Une's got more names than Buu's got forms. They should get together for tea or something. But I'm off topic. (~snicker~ Colonel Une and Majin Buu having tea....) Will Wufei ever be rid of the girl? Will Rilina and Hiiro ruin my chances to keep this a citrus free fic? Will Trowa EVER get around to killing Hitori Yuu? Be here next time to find out! (and yes, I know Treize got two scenes in this part, he's special.)]

[Written by Inseiko, 2000]
 

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