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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Chapter 161 2nd March AC 198 Sanc New Port City Time: 03:30, New Port City, Sanc Wu Fei Heat radiated from the timbers blackened and burned by the fire from the explosion. The inclement weather he had been considering as a curse for hours had been the saving grace for the rear of the house though he doubted much of the original structure could be saved. Walking around the lower floor after holding innumerable briefing with agents, investigating forensic specialists and police representatives he confirmed the impression he had had that there was considerably more damage than he had expected. It would in no way surprise him to learn the building would need to be demolished in the aftermath of the investigation. The acrid stench of smoke and ash filled the air about him and there was still a faint smoky haze in the air and heat was still being generated from the debris. From somewhere nearby he could hear a rhythmic hiss, the sound of water dripping onto hot timber with a tssss that was beginning to annoy him. The stench more than the sight of the aftermath of his handiwork upset him and he longed to be far from this reminder of times better left behind him. He had rarely stayed around to view the aftermath of his violence in the days of the war. The voices of the fire crew engaged in the last stages of their cleanup impinged on his thoughts and he sighed as he walked through what he had privately considered to be a very nice and surprisingly welcoming home. He had had cause to visit the Lady at home on a number of occasions in the past and had found the house to be of a pleasing design and had welcomed the sense of acceptance it had seemed to generate. That feeling of welcome was gone now, replaced by a sense of accusation and betrayal. To think this house could know his betrayal and accuse or welcome him was idiocy, he knew, but he had felt comfortable here and he supposed a part of that awareness had to come from the owner though he would never have considered the Lady’s demeanour exactly welcoming. He had, after all, killed Treize yet she had invited him to her home on more than one occasion, admittedly on business and once for a barbecue involving her top officers in a social bonding exercise that had not been too excruciatingly painful. She had loved the World Sovereign and had opened her heart to his daughter and made a home for Mariemaia. He had had enough opportunities to observe interrelationships and determined that there was caring between the orphaned girl and her guardian and regretted the necessity of his action in destroying what had been a home not merely a house. He supposed it was not surprising that the face Lady Une showed at Preventers in her position as Preventer Earth was very different to her every day at home persona. It was almost a frightening thought to consider Une might have a human face and he previously had not considered what the woman did with her life after leaving her office each day. In truth he did not understand her or the many facets of her personality especially following the events of the night. How did he equate the Une who had made a home for Mariemaia with the woman who had so coldly and calmly given him the instruction to destroy her house knowing that there were people within the structure? Someone could have died at most or sustained some serious injuries and the fact that there were only a few minor injuries out of this mess was more good fortune than planning. The exercise had been designed to turn the media and public attention away from the events on Mars and it reminded him frighteningly of the almost legendary calculation of Colonel Une. //I must consider if there is any danger of her returning to the Colonel persona. She seemed imminently sensible and aware as she explained her reasons on the drive over here but … I will not be dragged down into ruin because she shifts personalities once more and the coldly logical and ruthless bitch emerges. To destroy her home …// It was either lunacy or brilliance but sometimes the dividing line between the two was fine and hard to determine. Had Une gone too far with this action and was he like a fly caught in amber, captive to the forces of time and exposure? //It has, in the end, proven to be an unnecessary action in light of the developments of the night. It shall make a stir, the appearance of a Kushrenada into the political limelight once more. For the moment I must put my faith in her claim that it is possible this man is who he claims to be. For now I need to trust her judgement and work this assignment but I must not fail to guard my own back. I have seen too much back-stabbing in political circles, both literal and figurative, to presume a Preventer investigator will be considered immune. It is more likely the Preventer identity will paint a larger target on my back. I will be watched and since Preventers will be investigating the appearance of this Station Alliance and in particular Kristian Kushrenada I can expect to be cultivated as a possible information source. I wonder what Mariemaia would make of his claim to be a Kushrenada? Another relation appearing in her path who might have views on how and where she should live or perhaps yet another cousin who is determined to deny her links to the bloodline.// The point was moot considering his assigned mission and none of his concern as he had not been assigned to investigate the man’s claims. He had matters of greater importance to occupy his attention and the night was far from over for him. He was to head the investigation into the bombing of this house and the Royal Palace and through out all of the paper work and the investigative work he was to ensure that his links to the matter went undiscovered. Should evidence come to light that might even dimly point the finger in his direction he had to be ready to smother it and lose it by bringing doubt to its validity or provide a plausible explanation for any similarities. With the sophistication of forensic techniques he must be alert for the smallest hint of incriminating evidence. It had already been a long and arduous day and he could see no rest for him in the hours to come. He listened for a moment to the movements within the house, marking the voices belonging to the fire fighters. His forensic investigation team were active gathering evidence and compiling preliminary reports he was expected to examine and summarize for Une before he could consider closing his eyes for some much needed sleep. His day had only just begun and he ached in every bone of his body with a weariness that sapped his mental strength. Surviving his walk in the blizzard had taken far more out of him both physically and mentally than he had first assumed. “Agent Chang.” Enough useless musing had been done. It was time he turned his attention to the job he was assigned to do and focus his efforts on the investigation. Nothing must clue others into suspecting that he was not giving his best effort to discovering a nest of terrorists. He straightened his spine drawing his shoulders back and winced at the sharp pain. Somewhere during his walk in the snow when he had struggled through drifts and slipped and slid on ice he had pulled a muscle or two and he determined to have it seen to at some later time. Turning from the shattered remnants of the living room and the falling snow beyond he nodded to the Fire Chief who entered from the foyer and surveyed the damage with a shake of his head. The man did not seem to acknowledge the inclement weather as being worth his concern as he nodded in return greeting and motioned to the wreckage surrounding them with a heavily gloved hand. “The department’s arson investigators will liaison with Preventer forensics as usual.” He was a man in his early fifties, cool and professional with confidence in his own abilities and more than thirty years experience with the Sanc Fire Department. Chang nodded his agreement. “That is acceptable.” He needed to keep as much as possible to the standard routines established since the formation of Preventers. “With the location of the threatened persons you may find yourself and your people stretched a little thin. I believe at least three other prospective targets are in New Port City at this time.” “Our reserve units are on standby in the event there should be more incidents and I understand there is a search underway for unwanted surprise parcels at the hotels in question. We have almost finished here and I will leave a couple of men to keep an eye on the place for the next few hours. With the weather conditions we have forecast for the night and the coming day I don’t expect there to be any resurgence of flame but stranger things have been known to happen.” “That is acceptable, Chief. I will alert my agents to their presence.” He had worked in conjunction with the New Port City Fire Department on numerous occasions in the past and had found that unlike the Police Department there was little in the way of resentment between Preventer Agents and the Fire Department to complicate ongoing investigations. He had learned to his disgust it seemed a common fault with Police Departments around the globe and within the colonies that their investigators and executives tended to feel threatened by the Preventers and resisted working in liaison with his colleagues. His attention was focused on the Fire Chief though he was aware of the sounds of activity in the house that marked the locations of those assigned to take evidence for future examination. He noted a fire fighter poking about in the rubble near the foyer before moving off with a careful scrutiny of the overhead beams supporting the surviving sections of the house. He knew that if they detected any sign of strain in the support structure everyone within the building would be sent out of the house until the structure could be stabilized. Had he targeted the house just a few feet to the west of the actual impact site he thought he might have collapsed the majority of the building and any investigation would have been on hold until engineers examined the structure. It would have also killed the security contingent assigned to the house. //That would have polluted the evidence nicely but I am certain Mariemaia would not want to lose all of her possessions.// Not that it was to have any bearing on the case and he turned his attention back to the Chief. When the forensic investigation was concluded no doubt Une would arrange to have the child’s personal effects removed and placed in storage until temporary accommodation could be arranged. With the child on her way to a safe house there was time enough to worry about that later and looters would not be able to access the house with the Preventer guard in place. He wondered what Une thought of what her decision had done to her home. He had noted her more than once wandering through the wreckage looking at the debris while he had briefed the team she had assembled for him and while he could not say that she looked particularly disturbed he acknowledged that it was not easy to read the woman. She played a mean game of poker and he supposed they were in a very high stakes game at the moment. With the acquisition of Mariemaia this had become her home, not merely a place to stop and sleep so that one might continue working. While Une had made a life for herself centered around the Preventers initially, following the Barton Incident she had changed her life to take on responsibility for the daughter of the man she had loved and making a house into a home had become a priority. From what he had noted it had produced changes in her personality he had approved of. //Until today, at least.// More than once he had found himself wondering if Mariemaia Kushrenada was in fact a Kushrenada but he could not deny that the lady seemed in no doubt of her paternity and out of curiosity he had once attempted to view her genetic records. He admitted that while he had worked for Barton he had accepted what he had been told but when he thought about those days he felt like cringing. Where had his head been? He had such trouble understanding himself and still wondered at his own actions. His inquiry into the girl’s parentage had begun out of curiosity following the lodgment of protests by members of the Kushrenada family against the child inheriting her father’s wealth. The Kushrenada hereditary estates had passed to the nearest male relative and the new Duke had been one of those questioning the authenticity of the documents detailing the child’s parentage. It was all too easy if you knew what you were doing to fake such documents but he was under no false assumptions and knew Une firmly believed the documentation to be authentic. Certainly she had access to resources that would provide her with the means to run private DNA tests on the girl independent of other sources involved in the dispute. To that end he had no doubt Une could place her hands on authentic genetic material from Treize Kushrenada she could use to compare with the child’s DNA and settle the matter of paternity to her satisfaction. Une professed to be in love with Kushrenada but he had to wonder considering the information he had been privy to as a Gundam Pilot if the two had actually been lovers. He was doubtful that their association had ever reached that point despite her fondest dreams. From all that he knew of the man he was inclined to believe the relationship had never actually progressed to the point of intimacy. Kushrenada had first and foremost been a military Commander and had rigidly adhered to the rules he expected others beneath his command to live by. In many aspects he led by example and primary amongst the regulations he had followed was a taboo on personal involvement between a commanding officer and his subordinates. Une had been his personal aide first and a woman second. While he had indisputably trusted her over others, Chang was inclined to believe that Kushrenada would not have crossed that line between professional and personal. There was also the matter of Merquise to be considered whenever the man’s name and personal relationships was to be discussed. The rumours had been there for anyone with ears to hear that the two were not merely friends but lovers. It was said that Kushrenada rejecting Merquise had set Merquise into the spiral to insanity that had resulted in the Libra incident but once again Chang came to the sticking point of military rank and the rules and regulations against personal involvement. Regardless of whether or not Kushrenada had been heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual he would still have set that example and adhered to it. //Why am I thinking of this anyway? I have a job to do and it has nothing to do with Kushrenada or how he liked his sex.// “I don’t think the Lady will be living here for a good long time, Mr Chang.” The Fire Chief shook his head and surveyed the room, casting a glance up at the second floor behind them. “I concur. Is she still present?” “I believe Lady Une has departed for the Palace which is where I should be headed so I will leave the investigation in your capable hands. Our investigators should be here within a few minutes. This storm will slow things down considerably and I suggest you keep a wary eye on the upper story of the house. Any indication there may be trouble from the wind or a build up of snow and I need you to get everyone out. My team know what to look for so be aware of the danger.” He offered an assurance that his team would be wary and the Chief made his farewells leaving Wu Fei glaring at the driving snow and reflecting that it would not be too long before he was ready himself to head for the palace. Within the half hour he expected the cars would arrive to take him and his team of investigators to continue their work. By the time he arrived at the Palace he expected Une to have made her way back to Preventer Headquarters and be waiting for him to check in with her which he could not see happening for at least the next three hours. //I shall need to be careful not to stray from my usual investigative routine. It seems odd that before I even begin to work I know who did it and how it was done and I even know why … I think.// He scowled at the blizzard and shook his head. //There is something about this entire mess that stinks to high heaven and I doubt anything good will come out of it. If Une has involved me in a mess that will place my head on the block it will not only be me who takes the fall. I will take her down with me.// What good could come of this deception? Une planned more than he knew, he suspected. She had gained an excuse to have an elite agent poking around in political circles that previously had been barred to her investigations though he suspected that had not stopped her. At the least he could be used by her to attract attention away from clandestine investigations she might have underway that had thus far escaped notice. It was a possibility that he would not discount and he could think of a dozen or more places he could better spend his efforts than playing decoy. He doubted that even Une would waste the resource that an elite agent represented. //What is in it for me? I suppose I do get exposure to persons of influence and I had already determined that I will not spend my life as a Preventer agent but I was not intending to enter political circles either. As for men of influence, well there is Winner and I am no stranger to Relena Darlian either. They have influence enough for whatever I might need when I determine where my future lies.// A flash of coppery bright hair teased his memory and he was thankful nobody was in his immediate vicinity to see the blush he could feel heating his face. Perhaps something of merit had come from the affair and it was far more pleasant than the prospect of tiptoeing around politicians. He would not have met such an intriguing creature if not for this assignment and perhaps he might be fortunate enough to meet her again. Perhaps he might make certain he would meet her again. He had once intended to be a scholar … //Distractions, no matter how pleasant, will not help me concentrate on keeping the identity of the terrorist secret. Can this deception be successfully executed given modern investigative techniques? Just who are these people I am supposed to place the blame on? I have had no time to examine the file Une had prepared but knowing Kushrenada if this is a scheme he had devised I can bet it will be elaborate. Une has adapted this to her use and I need to speak with her in more detail though knowing the woman she would be infuriating enough to smirk and tell me I am the investigating officer so investigate or some such nonsense.// She had best not be involving him in a deception that would be to the detriment of the peace. He needed to find the time and peace to think things through and assure himself he was not once again making a mistake that would have wide reaching repercussions. He was under observation, as were all of those who had piloted the Gundams, by government sources and while Une was assured none were observing him whilst he played terrorist he personally was not so certain. Regardless of the agreed upon conditions of his parole he personally thought during his past assignments there had been instances where he had been observed. To the best of his knowledge, at least in this instance, his part in this elaborate game Une had initiated was secure, a secret known to only one other person but he had learned long ago to take nothing for granted. There always seemed to be eyes or ears where you least wished them to be. Certainly he had caught no hint of the usual tail since he had departed for the shuttle on that now debunked investigation he had been assigned to. “Hey! What are you doing there?” His head snapped around at the shout and the sudden sound of running footsteps and the bellowed instruction to halt or be fired upon. Preventer agents were running off into the blizzard and he cursed his position amid the debris that prevented him from immediately taking off in pursuit himself. His curiosity aroused he picked his way across the ruined lounge room toward the group of men and women now sheltering from the main force of the wind in the hallway leading to the kitchen. His glance swept over them noting who was absent and the presence of one of the firefighters before turning to the highest ranked Preventer in the group. “What is happening?” “Commander Chang.” A brief nod from the forensic specialist in greeting and he inclined his head toward the raging blizzard. “Someone was going through the rubble, calm as you please.” The investigative teams knew each member personally and the security staff was likewise familiar with everyone admitted to the estate. The firefighters would have been marked and identified speedily as they worked and any strange face would draw interest. He wanted to know how a non Preventer managed to get as far as the house. His gaze flicked to the firefighter in the midst of the agents and he was quick to shake his head, “Not one of ours.” //So how did they make it this far and what were they looking for? I blew up the bloody house so who is this?// It was always possible that a looter had appeared like the vultures they were to pick over other peoples misfortune but in his view it would have to be more than an opportunist to have made it through the security cordon around the estate and into the house. Opportunists generally did not have that kind of training which left him with the obvious conclusion that they must be dealing with a professional intent on some specific purpose. Who would have an interest in the bombing of the home of the Chief of Preventers? “Are any of the security cameras in the house still operational? I want the tapes checked to see if the intruder can be picked up entering the house and check all of the grounds feed.” “The front cameras are dead, taken out in the blast but I think the cameras on the west side were still working. I’m not certain about the east side of the house, though, but considering the backup system installed here I would think the rear cameras should still be working.” “Check them out and see if you can place a face to this person. I want to know how they made it past security to get this far.” He was not amused and he glowered as he stalked his way through the house and to a rear window overlooking what should have been the rear garden. He glared out into the darkness at the wind driven snow that proved to be all he could see in the encircling band of lights set up around the house. Pursued and pursuers were hidden by the blizzard and he could only wait. //Did they manage to take something? Could it have been a souvenir hunter? No, it makes no sense. Opportunists surely would not have made it past security and the perimeter guard is on full alert, their numbers trebled since the attack. It is true that the storm would offer them some amount of cover but the immediate exterior of the house is encircled by guards well within sight of each other. To get past that guard you would need to flash a Preventer approved ID.// This intrusion was going to annoy the hell out of him until he had an answer to the riddle. Someone had breached security and he did not believe they could have done so by simple good luck. It would have taken considerable skill to get past the guards which screamed professional skills were used. Certainly that was one intrusion he would be following the investigation of very closely and perchance he might dare use it to add credibility to the deception that terrorists had struck against the Peace? It might be a government agent of some skill assigned to investigate the matter in a clandestine manner independent of the Preventers which was not so improbable, he reflected. It might have been an attempt to check that he was working as he had been removed from another case and the watch dogs were checking on the validity of the assignment. Or a skilful freelance journalist, perhaps with past military training who sought to gain a scoop? Or … //There is another possibility. Could it be that one of the agents Kushrenada and Une originally lined up for this terrorist front during the war might be looking into the matter? To my knowledge she is using all information unmodified at this time which means the groups name would be the same and an agent, recognizing it, might seek her out for instructions. Perhaps they seek a confirmation that the group is now activated?// The more he thought about the possibility of undercover agents belonging to the intelligence and covert ops agencies established by the Specials the more the idea appealed to him and worried him. A sleeper resident in Sanc, hearing the news broadcasts and recognizing the identity of the group from the announcement released to the media might well come seeking Une as contact if such had been arranged in past years. If this was not supposition and instead fact might he not need to fear a Sleeper activating without checking in for updated instructions? //Wonderful. Ancestors, that is not a pleasant thought. I need to consult with Une over this and determine if there is a possibility of the original group activating though she seemed confident they would not when she briefed me. It is something I cannot ignore. I must take nothing for granted in this and cover all bases and Une must ensure that the group knows not to interfere. Being the professional she is I do not doubt she has the means to contact her old agents. The last thing I want is to be chasing a group that actually does exist.// The more he thought on it the more he loathed the idea of this mission. He was going to find himself moving within the very halls that contained the people who insisted he was not trustworthy to live beyond surveillance. He would be rubbing shoulders with the politicians who had voted to have the pilots and certain key war time individuals monitored around the clock and now there was the potential that other players might enter what seem to him to be an already crowded game of deception and deceit.. //I would have more privacy if I lived in a goldfish bowl. I am not a trusting soul and I do not trust politicians who worry over the upcoming elections and I do not trust them to drop the surveillance when they say they will. I am tired of looking over my shoulder and seeing those tails wagging in the breeze. They are not even subtle.// What was annoying as hell was that he was stuck with an investigation that was superfluous to their needs. Une had triggered the terrorist assault specifically to take public attention away from the events happening at the Mars Colony and that had been well enough at the time. A rather ingenious solution, he had to admit even though he hated begin mixed up in the business but to compound his distaste it had proven to be unnecessary. The sudden appearance of the Station Alliance had caught the media’s attention and shifted the spotlight firmly away from Mars. //It is too late to do anything about it now of course. We are committed to continuing the play of terrorist faction until such time as one can believably remove the threat. That being the case it will be interesting to see what develops as she has initiated a media circus over terrorists who don’t exist and I must explain to the satisfaction of all parties that the threat is void. The appearance of this Station Alliance leaping out of the shadows cannot be ignored and they have far more substance than terrorists to upset the balance of power within the ESUN. The large business conglomerates and corporations involved with space resources will be well aware of the threat to their mining settlements within the asteroid belt and other business concerns. I do not wish to even contemplate the chaos that would ensue if the Alliance dares to claim the Belt as their territory. I do not wish to fight another war.// He was very tired of thinking about war. For too long had it ruled his life and he would not again see those days of fighting and dying return. Perhaps he should resign this very minute and return to the days when his dream had been to become a scholar. That might be nice, he mused and cringed from the very thought in the next breath. One could not go back. Something different then. Something far from the every day routine of a Preventer field agent and roughly a galaxy away from the possibility of returning. //I enjoyed my days of study but I am too jaded to return to philosophy at this time and while I have learned much I can not see myself now as once I was. That was a childhood dream and I am no child now. If not a scholar, then what? A student certainly. Poetry? History … no, that is laced with war and I would have it far from me. Archaeology?// Again that memory of the flash of copper bright hair and deep eyes that seem to draw him in. //Could I study archaeology? One could study archaeology without focusing on war. Or perhaps palaeontology? Hmmm. I am not much of a poet and I have never been fond of history though there is more to history than conflict. Archaeology would prove to be interesting.// Why Archaeology? Why did it now leap out at him and beckon? He needed to examine his motives and determine why he might suddenly consider the previously ignored field. It was not enough to make such a leap away from his current lifestyle because of a pretty face and soulful eyes that seemed to suck him down into the promise of something more that he had only briefly played at in his marriage. No, that was the last reason he should consider taking such a step. Engineering had always held an interest but it, like so many other things brought to mind the days of war and working on his Gundam. Days he would sooner not remember and the same haunting memories would be sparked should he consider mechanics. Everything in one way or another seemed to turn him around and bring him face to face with war. //Is war truly the only driving force within man?// “Commander Chang?” Dragging his mind back from useless speculation to the task at hand he half turned to face the security guard. The man seemed to freeze for an instant and snapped a crisp salute causing him to wonder what he must have looked like to startle the man into so formal a stance. He had not thought his mood was particularly threatening and surely considering a career change would not produce a threat to anyone observing him. ‘You have found the intruder?’ The swallow was clear and he knew they had lost their prey. “No, Sir. The intruder has escaped but we have dog handlers out searching the grounds for any trace. We believe he is still on the grounds. Your car is here.” Had so much time passed while he was lost in thoughts of a new life? Deplorable, and Une should kick his ass, he would deserve it. “Very well, I want the security tapes forwarded to headquarters as soon as possible along with a report on the means used to trespass on the grounds.” “Sir.” The man nodded. Chang moved through the lounge, ignoring the crunch of glass under his boots. “See to it there are no repeat instances or you can explain it to Preventer Earth personally. I will be at the Palace for at least two hours and there after I expect to be at Headquarters.” “Yes Sir. The forensics team have finished and the unit is withdrawing to headquarters. The second unit report they have found a possible location for the strike against the palace.” //And about time too. It was not such a hard place to find, even in this weather.// “See that my driver is briefed on the location. I will attend that site before going on to the palace.” The sooner he put in an appearance at the site the better. In this wind he might lose a strand of hair or a twig might scratch him or snag fibers of his clothes that might contain DNA evidence or a dozen other minor contaminations could occur that would explain a trace of him in that clearing in the woods. When they found the car he would need to do the same thing. It was time to get back to business.
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