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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 22 Sanc SancPalace Date: 1st March AC 198 Time: 07:05 Relena Relena Peacecraft considered the view from her bedroom window for a long while, sitting on the window seat, the chill morning air ruffling her hair. Her room overlooked the west gardens and in the distance she could even make out the sea. It was a beautiful view, one she had not taken the time to appreciated before. One she had largely ignored in favor of concentrating on the day to day business and long term plans of her duties as Vice Foreign Minister. She had always leapt out of bed and into the activities she found gave her a deep sense of satisfaction. That was changing though, her interest and enjoyment suffering under the pressures exerted on her. In the past year or so her very secure world had come to a crashing demise. When had she lost control of her world? Not just the politics of the Peace Process, either, but her personal world? Her enjoyment at the challenge was gone, nor was it an overnight occurrence. It had begun within months of the end of the Barton Incursion, but if she looked carefully at the time before that brief war she could see the seeds of her discontent. Even before her brother had reappeared she had been manipulated. Subtly to be sure, but on reviewing the past two years performance it was there to be seen. For a long time she had been fired by the drive to attain and maintain that wonderful state called Peace. The Perfect Peace Principle. What a fool she had been to think that the older, experienced politicians who had held power for years would so willingly give it all up. She had not understood half of what was happening around her. She had been so naïve. Too naïve. Not once had she suspected the string pulling and the deal making that was going on around her until the Barton Incursion had pulled the blind fold from her eyes. Before the Barton Incursion she had seen only what she wanted to see. What she had expected to see. She had understood only what she had wanted to understand, blind to so many subtleties in the actions and speeches of others that now caused her to shudder. She had been so assured that the whole world wanted the same thing she did. The entire world saw the Peace Ideal as she saw it. "Fool." a whisper. "You see it now though, don't you? You are being used by them. Not just by Romefeller. It was not just by the Romefeller faction loyal to Duke Dermail, but other politicians too. Even the group led by Marquis Wayridge. How did you ever have the temerity to think that you could play in the same league as them? Relena, you are a stupid little girl, playing in the big league. Being used by them to amuse them." Men and women who had been in power for twenty, thirty, forty years. How did she ever think they would ever allow themselves to be ruled by a fifteen year old girl? They had forgotten more of the nuances in this game they played than she could possibly know of politics in double the extent of her short life. Queen of the World. She had been named Queen of the World by Romefeller and had at least understood then that she was their pawn. Now she was Vice Foreign Minister. Her foster fathers position. Yes, she had accomplished much, during her time in office, but how much of that was because she was led by the nose by the older politicians who had wanted something done? She was blocked now. Effectively held prisoner to their wills. She had no idea really which politicians held the balance of power over the affair with her brother. There were some ten individuals she was almost certain were involved to some level and certainly five that were definitely key instigators. She knew who they were, but on their own even they could not have arranged this whole sordid episode. There were others who backed them and forced her into this corner. A guided cage, but a cage none the less. These walls and the trappings of influence that the Vice Foreign Minister could claim were a cage surrounding her, imprisoning her. At least hers was a comfortable prison. Still, a cage was a cage, whether it was the comforts of palaces or a red ball of rock floating in space. Mars. Her brother was caged even more effectively that she. While those who controlled this power struggle within the ESUN controlled Milliardo, they effectively controlled her. To her shame she had not realized until he was again, miraculously alive, that she had so desperately wanted to know him. Her brother. When a very young child she had wanted a brother or a sister and over time had come to accept that she would be an only child. When Noin had revealed that the pilot of that massive white suit she had seen in Antarctica was, in truth, her brother, all her day dreams had come crashing back. Then she had ruined it all turning against him without knowing him or trying to understand him. Not once had she tried to see the world through his eyes. She had demanded that he see the world through her eyes often enough. She had turned her back on him and quite bluntly told him that God would not forgive him. "I'm sorry." she whispered to the snow covered view. "I'm so sorry." There was too much responsibility wrapped up in the Peacecraft identity. She had led a privileged life as the spoiled daughter of the wealthy Vice Foreign Minister. The Darlian's were old money and used to prestige and privilege. She had been raised in luxury and never once considered the world beyond the mansions of her foster parents and their friends. Her safe, sheltered existence had ill prepared her for the realities of the world. Yes, her father had been a politician, but she had grown up to resent his work and the way it always took him away from her. She had hated him being a politician, always at the beck and call of the rest of the world and of the colonies, in particular. She had hated that. Hated that he always had been called away... "Oh, listen to yourself. Big baby. Spoilt child. That's what you were and that's what you still are." she watched as two birds landed on the hedge and vanished within its green depths, just a soft dusting of snow clothed the top of the hedge. "You haven't changed at all. Still resenting him for what he had to do to keep the peace. Still angry that he would leave at a moments notice no matter what he had been doing. It cost him his life. Politics cost you both your fathers lives, and one mothers life so far. When will you learn, Relena Darlian Peacecraft? When will you learn? Politics. It has cost me so much and it is very likely to cost me more, and not just my brothers life. I wonder what is happening on Mars? The shuttle must be just about due to land." A light tap on the door turned her from the window and she smiled in greeting as her mother answered her call to enter. Her smile faded slowly at the serious look in her mothers wide blue eyes. Slowly Relena closed the window and faced her. "Mother?" "We will go down to breakfast shortly, dear. I needed to talk to you first." "About what is to happen on Mars?" Sudden cold fear crawled its way through her. Was it too late? She HAD misjudged the time. Had she waited so long that nothing could be done? She should have spoken up sooner. Her silence was going to cost her brother the only family he had had that he could call his own. Was it all over? Was her brother dead? Mrs. Darlian settled on the bed and motioned to her daughter to join her. "Yes, Relena. We need to discuss some things about what is to happen on Mars. I am sorry, dear, but from what I have learned there appears to be little that we can do. It is too late to call off the agents. Their instructions have already been issued. They were issued before the agents departed from L4, where they were training. We can not stop whatever happens on Mars. Between the distances involved and the radio delays in reaching Mars, even with the relay and booster stations, it is simply too late to have the orders changed." "Did you at least manage to learn what orders had been given? What they are to do when they get there?" "You must understand dear that I am not deep into the confidence of the people involved. Nor are the people I contacted, but they did know certain things. I don't know it all, but I know enough to make some very astute guesses. I believe your Lady Une knows more, but we have never been on speaking terms and are not likely to be." Mrs. Darlian took Relena's brush and absently began to brush out her daughters dark blonde hair. "Are they going to kill him, Mother? Are they going to kill my brother?" "It appears he is not easy to kill, dear. From what I have learned the colony on Mars will be placed under martial law should he protest in any way the actions of the agents sent to Mars. I was told that your brother and his family will be taken into custody and the children will be brought to Earth. No one could tell me if your brother and Miss Noin would be brought with them or remain on Mars. I have lobbied those politicians I have known for some years through the medium of their wives and I believe that, perhaps, it might be possible to have custody of the twins assigned to me, so that you will have access to them. Your Grandfather, by the way, has wasted no time in putting forward his bid to have custody of the children assigned to him. It will be a close thing as to who wins custody. He has a lot of influence in the council and the government. The ESUN Security Office intends the children be reared in secret, their identities hidden under false records. For their own protection from those who may blame them for their fathers sins. Relena, you need to think carefully before you make a decision here. If we are not careful we could find ourselves in deeper than we really want to be. I need to know just how far you want to go with this matter." Relena looked around her bedroom, at the pale cream walls touched with gilding, at the artfully arranged flowers and the antique furniture. The cream and pink bed suite and quilt on the bed and then her eyes settled on the teddy bear given to her as a gift from Heero on her sixteenth birthday. Happier days. She had been blissfully unaware of the true currents and eddies in the political circles she had had the temerity to think she knew so well. //Welcome to the real world, Relena. This is the extent of the power you wield. Nothing. You are just as helpless as the maid who keeps your room tidy. As the gardener who weeds the flower beds and the child who sleeps at her mothers breast in the city. What am I to do?// "Is there truly nothing I can do for Milliardo?" "We are too far away to affect what will happen on Mars, dear. As I said, instructions had already been given and will not be changed. With the delay in radio signals even reaching Mars from Earth, what ever is to happen will likely already be over before any new orders could be sent. I am not certain, but I believe it likely the agents on Mars are to maintain radio silence with their command until after they have completed their mission." "Then...then I have to assume the worst, don't I? I have to accept that they will kill my brother and steal his children if he or Noin resist them." a frightened whisper. Alice Darlian did not even hesitate. Her daughter was no longer a child and had to face reality. "Yes. Yes, that would be fairly safe to assume. He will be either be killed or contained in some fashion." `Oh, Mother. I have no choice in this." "There is always choice, Relena. Always. You may not like the choices, but there is nothing that can be done about that. Once you have the information there is always choice." Mrs. Darlian began to braid her daughters hair. "So what are my choices? I can ignore what is to happen on Mars and go on and rip out the throats of those power hungry old bastards-" "Relena!" "My pardon, Mother." soft apology accompanied by a deep blush of mortification. She certainly had not intended to say that in her mothers hearing. Think it, yes, oh what a pleasure to think it! But to actually say it, certainly not. Well bred young ladies did not behave in such a manner. "I know you are upset, dear, but losing control and common sense will do nothing to help the situation. If we wish to gain anything out of this situation we need cool heads and informed decisions." "Yes, Mother. I know that. Its just that its so unfair. I want to know my brother and I don't have even a chance to get to know him. I ruined any chance of that when we first met. I've done nothing but accuse him of atrocities and abuse him. I never tried to talk to him. When we spoke on the Libra I never talked to him, mother, I talked AT him. I even went so far as to order him in my best Queen of the World voice. I tried to force my ideals down his neck." Mrs. Darlian winced. She knew her foster daughter and she knew only too well how strong willed Relena could be. How stubborn. Yes, she had spoiled this child outrageously as she grew, but Relena was proving to her that she had learned sense as well. Alice Darlian was not a politician, but she was a politicians wife. She had known her foster daughter was royalty of a house that could trace its lineage back over a thousand years, and she had trained her accordingly. She had found a natural arrogance that could be traced back to the bloodline which could be traced much further than many other of the old noble houses could seek to prove confirmed bloodlines. All that old blood, all that natural confidence and arrogance could still stand her in good stead. Those who sought to dominate her little girl would find that the Peacecraft bloodline did not bow down easily to the will of others. Unfortunately Relena was not the sole existing Peacecraft child to have that natural defiance and strong will. Likely there was going to be serious bloodshed on Mars in the next few hours. "Perhaps you were never meant to know him. It is regrettable, but personally I think the king would have disowned him for what he has done, but that is neither here, nor there. Done is done. I do not see how he could have survived that explosion, but he did. He seems very hard to kill. Perhaps he will survive this too. Hopefully he will realize that he really has no chance against the agents and resign himself to the situation. If you wish it, I can try to gain custody of the babies. There are certain venues that I can try that may influence the decision of who takes the children in hand. Perhaps you can get to know the children, where you have had no chance to know the father. You could teach them the Principles of their grandparents. Perhaps that is the very best we can hope for." She met her foster daughters eyes, her own gaze serious but gentle. "If you want to take the chance, Relena. It is a very dangerous thing to do. The ESUN is already watching you. Keeping you in protective custody, as it were." "Keeping me as much a prisoner as they have my brother." "Yes. You have realized it, have you? He's a prisoner so that while they control him, they keep you in their control. You are as much a prisoner to ensure his good behavior as he is contained to secure your cooperation. There is the matter that should it be widely known that Milliardo Peacecraft survived the battle there would be panic. That much is true, though perhaps not as serious as certain people have played it to gain the cooperation of others who were not so eager to back this action. I do not know a great deal about your brother, but I have learned something of him overnight. I have spoken to a few people who had occasion to speak to him in the past. He loves you and he will do whatever he can to ensure that you are not hurt. There is speculation that he may let them take the babies Relena. If the agents threaten you, he may allow them take his children." "Noin won't. I want custody of my nephew and niece, if the worst happens and it comes to the children coming to Earth. But Mother," slowly and with certainty Relena shook her head. "Noin will not allow them to take her children." ~ * ~
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