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"Crisis"Written By: Artemis Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi lemon including rimming, angst,
violence, language, reference to past NCS involving a minor, death,
angst. Pairings: 6x2, 3x4 Summary: Sequel to Interfacing: Regained. GAIA
prepares to go into space and announce itself to the world; Duo and
Zechs' relationship goes through its own crisis. "Crisis " 41) "Ah, it's time," Treize Khushrenada said to the group gathered in a parlor in the palace in Sank which had been newly fitted with the latest audio-video equipment. He bowed to his host; Princess Relena, already seated, nodded back solemnly. Then Treize sat down. Around him sat his contingent of Taurus mobile suit pilots, their new captain, Bronn Sangers, and his personal aide, Maura ter Horst. The video screen showed the usual evening news broadcast, but abruptly that picture cleared and another one interrupted. [Now it begins,] Treize thought, his gloved hands folded on top of his knee, his legs crossed. The image cleared to reveal a woman in her mid to late twenties with long, light brown curls, looking pleasantly relaxed and calm. She wore a salmon-colored suit, and a caduceus pin of the twinned, entwined snakes and wings, symbol of her profession as a medical doctor. "Greetings, citizens of the Earth and colonies!" the woman began in a warm, lively voice. "My name is Dr. Sally Po. Please excuse the interruption to your activities, but this won't take very long. I am speaking to you as the spokesperson for a new organization presently on Earth which has taken up the job of working for a new peace on Earth and in outer space... and peace between all entities of same. That organization is named for the Goddess of the Earthsphere, GAIA." Superimposed over the bottom of the screen were the letters GAIA, showing briefly before disappearing again. ++++ "What is blue blazes is this?" Duke Dermail, retired of the Romefeller Foundation, inquired agitatedly of his granddaughter, waving off her fussing with his bedclothes. He stabbed a finger at the televideo screen. "A new organization?" "It seems so, Grandfather," Dorothy Catalonia murmured, retreating from where she had been attempting to arrange her dear, invalid grandfather's pillows. "Let's see what they have to say, shall we?" Dermail grumbled, scowling at the screen. "At present," the woman was saying, "the nations of the Earth are deeply concerned about the fall of the United Earthsphere Alliance and the domination of the organization called OZ, whose sponsor is the Romefeller Foundation. Until recently, the Foundation was determined to embark upon the goal of dominating all the nations of the Earth by use of mobile dolls, programmed by OZ to mindlessly hunt down and subdue any forces that oppose them." "My beautiful dolls," Dermail sighed heavily. "Yes, Grandfather," Dorothy murmured. ++++ "What nonsense is this?" Lieutenant Trant aboard the aft segment of Space Fortress Barge inquired of the video screen he was watching. He'd left off work on his secret project when one of his soldiers alerted him to the sudden news announcement. "Until *recently*?" He ground his teeth in frustration; because of the current split in OZ in outer space, he'd had to develop his own communication network... and evidently something major had happened on Earth of which he hadn't yet learned. ++++ "Until recently?" Lieutenant Nikol demanded of the screen he was watching from the control room in the fore portion of Space Fortress Barge. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Lady Colonel Une entering the room with that... that *kid* at her side. [Already he's trying something!] But then Nikol looked back at the screen to listen. Sally Po was saying, "Fortunately, the new leadership of the Romefeller Foundation is not so inclined. We, the members of GAIA, invite all peace-minded persons, nations, and organizations on Earth or in space to join with us to eradicate the threat of war and restore peace to the Earthsphere." "But that's exactly what we're trying to do," Lady Une said to the screen, a look of bewilderment on her face. [Sally's doing a great job,] thought Officer Trowa Barton. [I was so worried Quatre would try to be the spokesperson as well. That would be far too dangerous for him...] ++++ In the bowels of the Space Fortress Barge, five white-coated scientists huddled around a miniature televideo screen. "Now it's getting really interesting!" declared an old man with long gray hair and a three-prong claw for a left hand. "I wonder who is behind all this?" Another, a very tall bald man, snorted. "Just another group..." A short man with a waxed mustache and thinning black hair chuckled. "I don't think so..." "Therefore," Sally Po was continuing, "we of GAIA invite the Romefeller Foundation formally to join forces with us to stop all war on Earth, and then soon to give the colonies back to themselves. It is our believe that if the nations on the Earth can determine their own destinies as they have for centuries, why not now the colonies? We advocate the nationalization of the colonies as well, in hopes that they can join the Earth nations in a lasting peace for the whole of the Earthsphere!" ++++ "Oh, my God," Cosmos Weyridge breathed, feeling the hand of destiny pressing on his back. Around him were his Foundation allies and several others who were now supporting the new leadership. "She actually invited us. We're going to have to respond!" "Oh, that's not so bad," Baron von Strobl chuckled. "We've already decided on this new path. Think of the uphill battle young Townshend faces." ++++ Count Townshend - now Colonel Townshend, Commander-in-Chief of OZ - kept his chin high though he was well aware that many of the visiting OZ commanders he'd invited for dinner this evening were openly staring... or glaring... at him as they watched the announcement. Some were aware that a shift in dynamics had taken place already, and it had to do with far more than the disappearance of newly resigned Treize Khushrenada. And some didn't like it. [I must be firm with them,] he thought, actively forcing himself to remain calm. [Fortunately... money talks. If they know I have Romefeller's blessing, they will understand that any opposition will be unfunded...] "Who are we?" Sally was saying. "You must be wondering that!" She chuckled, still very relaxed. "We are all of you. There are ex-Alliance and ex-OZ personnel in our organization. There are colonial freedom fighters in our organization. There are rebels from many nations on Earth in our organization. We are from diverse backgrounds, but this is what makes us strong... and this is what makes us a voice for peace." ++++ "Did she say ex-*Alliance*, Grandfather?" Alliance commander Gwinter Septum on colony D-120 asked of his elderly relative. He was watching from the massive control room from which the colony's weather and resources were maintained, a function the Alliance had steadfastly kept here despite the disintegration of the United Earthsphere Alliance everywhere else. Unlike in the rest of the colonies, this group of soldiers was vitally involved in keeping life on the colony livable. A move from military domination was very much to their liking. They'd been able to hold their own with OZ so far, but that wasn't expected to last long. Not only was the colony getting restless, but their own defenses were thinning. This GAIA could be the answer to their prayers... if they could just contact them... "Yes," the old man answered his grandson. He himself was short and stooped over with arthritis, and young Gwinter towered far over him as he did everyone else. "Sally Po... we've seen her before, I think. We'd gotten tapes of rebels fighting on Earth..." "Yes, but she's ex-Alliance herself," Gwinter replied enthusiastically. "We must get in touch with them!" ++++ "Colonial freedom fighters?" Dr. J looked at his four colleagues. "Are you gentlemen thinking what I am thinking?" They snickered. ++++ [So, they've announced themselves,] Chang Wufei thought idly, watching on L5 with the old master, Ron Shirin, and others of the Dragon Clan. [This should be interesting... so, what's Treize up to in all this, I wonder?] "Do you know about this?" someone abruptly demanded of the recently returned Wufei. "Sure. I visited their base in Antarctica," he replied with a heavy sigh. "Why don't *you* join them?" Ron Shirin asked, looking over the young Dragon heir curiously. "What, you're tired of me already?" The group chuckled. Wufei did not feel the mirth. [Sally, are you all right? And what *is* Treize doing?? I wish you could tell me...] ++++ [Colonial freedom fighters?] wondered a white-haired man named Quinze, sitting with a few of his associates in a bar on L3-C102. [This could be very important indeed. I wonder... nah... but then, those Gundam pilots *have* been very quiet lately. Hmmm...] ++++ "You're probably also asking yourselves," Sally continued, "is this a new military organization? First we had the United Earthsphere Alliance, then OZ... is this a new group to simply take over? Not in the least!" [Not a military organization?] Dorothy Catalonia wondered with a frown. [How boring...] "We're a peace organization," Sally insisted, her voice hardening just a little, enough to get her point across. "Don't get me wrong - we have our own firepower. We will defend the defenseless and eradicate those who defy the peace process. Yet our purpose is to stop war, not dominate! We seek no permanent position in the politics of Earth or outer space. We seek no control over legitimate national entities. We seek the self-governance of nations as well as colonies." ++++ Relena Peacecraft, trying to appear dignified beside the imposing presence of Treize Khushrenada and his collection of pilots, was having a hard time with her composure. [This was my father's dream... both my foster father's and my real father. Oh, Milliardo, are you truly now committed to peace? If this is true, if this is really so, then you can come home... But I hope GAIA is sincere about their intent not to fight except in defense.] She glanced around at the serious expressions on the pilots' faces. [All of you...] Sally Po paused to let her audience process her words a little. [Are you safe, Wufei? When will you see how you must join us?] Then she continued, resolute. "I leave you with this. We of GAIA invite the Romefeller Foundation to respond. We invite OZ to respond, hopefully with a new sense of changing the path on which they'd once been set, the military domination of the Earth. That is no longer needed. And we invite others to join us, to declare that they will join with GAIA for a new day of lasting peace. Won't you please walk along that great path with us? Thank you for your time. This is Dr. Sally Po for GAIA." The transmission ended. Sally blew out her breath, relieved, her heart still pounding a bit fast. "Wow, I never thought I'd ever have that big an audience," she commented to those gathering around her. "You were wonderful," Zechs proclaimed, smiling, his arm around Duo. "Thank you very much!" "Yes, it was perfect, Miss Po," Quatre declared, grinning. "This is a great day," Federi reassured her, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm sure the nations will gather around our rallying call. I feel it in the air!" "Yeah, you gave it just the right amount of oompf and softness," Duo added with a grin as he leaned a bit closer to Zechs. A woman's touch was exactly what was needed... especially after the harsh days of OZ and Romefeller. "Well, I was scared to death," Sally murmured. "Nonsense!" Noin spoke up. Now that she was back on Antarctica, she wore the GAIA pilot's uniform. "You were great!" "Thanks." Sally beamed. "Now," Zechs sighed, "we wait." "What are we waiting for, exactly?" Heero murmured, arms folded over his chest. As usual, he was a bit apart from the others, deep in thought. "The birth-cries of the new Earthsphere, a home where peace... and love... may flourish," Zechs replied quietly, looking down into the wide, happy gaze of his very precious Dancer. An hour later, Barclay Base's "announcement party" for all base personnel was still going strong in the dining hall with no signs of ending for hours, which was as it should be as today's announcement of GAIA to the Earthsphere represented a new era after nearly a month of hard work. But the base commander had decided on a more private celebration with the one person who had made his part in all of this possible. However, one of his best friends got to him first. Lucrezia Noin had been eyeing Zechs from across the room. Her conversation with Howard and Heero had taken a serious turn towards mechanical issues with the Gundams and she was rather anxious for lighter fare. Once Zechs slipped away from the small group of tower personnel gathered around him and began to cross the room, Noin went into action. And none too subtly. She didn't want her best friend getting away from her again. He'd been spending an indecent amount of time with his young lover, Duo Maxwell, and she suspected that was where he was headed now... back into the boy's eager embrace. She couldn't be happier for her friend now that everything had worked out. The day of Zechs's panicked call to her in the Sank Kingdom concerning his deteriorating relationship with Duo, had been one of her worst in a long time. She had seen the anguish on her friend's face and grieved for him, but at the same time had every faith that Zechs would find a way to put things right, and that Duo, too, would fight for their love. But she had fretted all the same. Thankfully, Zechs and Duo did find a way back into each other's arms. Zechs had sent her a brief message to assure her of that before the big televideo conference with Treize and she'd been tremendously relieved - especially since she didn't have to sit through the meeting wondering. On her return to Barclay Base, Noin saw immediately for herself what she thought she'd seen in the meeting, namely how very happy and in love the pair were, and delighted in that fact immensely. But Zechs had really been too busy making plans for outer space and seeing to his lover's needs to sit and chat with her about old times or even new times. She didn't hold it against him, and probably was equally to blame for not finding the time to talk since she had made a new friend in Sally Po, but now Noin felt a certain desperation to speak with him. Just to reconnect a little. As he made long strides to cross the room in as few steps as possible, she darted out at him, grabbing him forcibly by the arm. "Hey, you, don't run off so fast," Noin said with a conspiratorial smile. "We've hardly talked since I got back. I know you've been busy with Duo," she winked, "but have things changed so much that you can't even talk to your best girlfriend anymore?" Zechs glanced across the room; Duo was regaling a cluster of the newer pilots with some wild tale of Gundams, no doubt. [I'll let him have his audience,] he decided, relaxing as he turned his attention fully to his friend. [He deserves that.] Pivoting back around to face his "best girlfriend", Zechs relaxed further and gave her a little smile. "Noin. Sorry, I've been making up for lost time with him, I'm afraid. I'd let myself get too busy; that's what caused some of the problems in the first place." He sighed, laying a hand on her upper arm. "It's good to have you back, Noin. It couldn't have been easy for you there. I'm sure you found yourself keeping Treize and Relena from going for each other's throats at first." "Well, in some ways they're more alike then they'd like to admit, but I managed... somehow," Noin smiled at him. "I enjoyed my time with Relena, but really I'm glad to be back here. Politics was never my forte and I'd much rather be in the company of these brilliant young pilots." She scanned the room for Quatre, Heero, and Duo. They were very precious to her, almost as much as Zechs. "So, you say you've been making up for lost time? I can see it's made a difference in him," she said, nodding toward Duo. "He was a happy young man when I left, but nothing like this. He's absolutely beaming now! And you, too. I've never seen you look so... effervescent." Zechs chuckled, not minding that she widened her eyes at him in surprise; Noin probably hadn't seen him this jovial since their Academy days. "He's done so much for me, Noin. I never expected to find such happiness... and a good part of me wonders how I could possibly deserve that after the life I've led. But I've learned to savor the gifts of each day as they come. Duo's taught me that. No matter what happens now, I know we'll be together." "It *is* a gift, Zechs," Noin said a bit seriously as she placed her hand tenderly on his arm. "Love is not easy to come by and what the two of you have is certainly even more rare." Her face was bright again as she looked from Zechs to Duo, watching the younger man's animated features for a moment. "He's delightful," she said with a sigh. "But no matter what I don't want you thinking you don't deserve him, because you do! Maybe you're not proud of some of things you've had to do, but your heart has always been pure and your intentions good." He laid his hand on hers and squeezed it, smiling easily. "Thanks for saying that, Noin. I admit I do feel differently about myself since... falling in love." Zechs shook his head, amazed. "I really did not expect this... not me, and certainly not now." He glanced over to where his little lover was animatedly waving his arms to make a point. "I feel... alive. I think..." He trailed off, shaking his head again as his hand dropped back to his side. She smiled at him, looking up into his handsome face, and quite honestly seeing a new man there. "I would love to know what you think, Zechs. You can't imagine how fascinating this is for me... as your friend. I mean, to see these changes in you." [But not all your friends are quite as pleased, Zechs, dear... I think Treize disapproves of your choice. Oh, well, I won't burden you with that foolishness.] She followed Zechs's gaze halfway across the room to Duo. The Gundam pilot was in the middle of what looked like a very good story, but somehow he felt his lover's eyes on him and looked over his shoulder briefly, throwing the most brilliant smile Zechs's way. It made Noin ache a little to see how these two connected, but she knew her time would come. [Just looking at them makes me want to be in love, too...] Zechs bowed his head for a moment, his pale blue eyes hidden behind the veil of platinum strands. "I think that before I met Duo I was set upon a perilous path from which I have now been diverted. After the incident with Alex and Mueller... something inside me was trying to die quietly... but with Duo's help, it came back..." [*He* came back, the Prince... Duo found the Prince in me again. He came back to life...] He looked up at his friend again, meeting her wondering gaze. "Noin... someday I'll explain... I promise. I don't think I have all the words yet." He managed a smile to reassure her. "I know you will," Noin said, feeling a chill race down her spine. The sense that something very profound happened to her friend because of this new relationship trembled through her. It was beautiful and little awesome all at once. "Someday we'll have that long chat," she said, holding his gaze. "Now I think you two need to be together." "Thanks, Noin," Zechs murmured, giving her a wink, which she returned along with a chuckle as he sketched a quick bow to her, then strode off across the room. (to be concluded)
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