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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 64 Phoenix Star In transit. Date: 1st March AC 198 Time: 22:40 [Sanc Standard Time] Dorothy Door. Wall. Now that one held a wardrobe of sorts and foot locker for her shoes and boots. It also held in another cupboard that was not obvious immediately, her emergency space suit. She snorted softly. Likely by the time she could don the stupid thing she would be dead from explosive decompression or an explosion if the alert ever sounded. //I want answers. I want more answers than these people have given me. Above all, I want to know the truth. I want to know that He is really alive. I want to see him in front of me, touch him, talk to him. Know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he really is alive. I am taking a chance on believing them, but if He is alive … If he is … Cousin. Are you really not dead?// Second wall containing fold away desk and that thing they called a bed in zero-g. Thankfully on the next wall was an example of the real thing. This ship used gravity generation far more than others that she knew of, and she could enjoy the luxury of sleeping in a proper bunk. The cabin she had been assigned was far from her ideal of comfort, but it was serviceable to her needs. To be honest, she had toured the new ships used by the Preventers and she knew that this cabin was actually the height of luxury in comparison. Inter planetary ships were functional, every inch of space used to best effect. There was no waste on one of these ships, be it owned by Preventers, ESUN or the Mining Consortiums. This ship was far more luxurious than any of the ships she had been on in her tour of the colonies. Yes, admittedly, while most of those had been shuttles, she had been surprised to see the amount of luxuries available on this vessel. She had had cause to tour the interior of a interplanetary ship, the first time as a companion to her late grandfather, an indulgence, most people assumed, but a necessary part of her education, in truth. Later she had had occasion to view the interior facilities of a Preventer cruiser and she knew what advances had been made in both functionality and comfort. This ship was enough to make her burn with curiosity. She was so curious about these people who had come from nowhere. They had simply appeared one day, at her hotel on L3 during her tour. Just who were they? What kind of resources did they have available to them to produce a ship of this type? She had been told by the ship's captain that this vessel was experimental and at the time of her pickup, cleared for only half speed. She had learned that another ship of similar specifications was now undergoing field trials with the new engine design. He had smiled as he told her of both vessels, yet on reflection he had told her very little information that she could later use. They expected that eventually, when the ships were fully operational, that they could cut the time of a flight between Earth and the Asteroid belt down to fifty days, possibly even by more. If that was not idle bragging, then this ship she was on was more than twice as fast as the latest of the ships in the ESUN fleet. Fifty days. Less than two months. At this time it took approximately three months to reach the planet Mars, with two to three months longer required to boost past Mars and reach the asteroid belt, depending on the locations needing to be reached. All ships were carefully charted, their courses computer controlled to get the absolute best economy out of fuel and vessel alike. Then there was this ship, design unknown and its captains boast that she was fast. Beyond fast, actually. This needed investigation. //Just who are these people? They turn up on my doorstep with a letter from a dead man and I find myself on an unknown ship with technology that leaves everything that I know of years obsolete. The letter said nothing really. Absolutely nothing. Just enough to goad me into accepting the offer and keeping quiet about the entire affair. On the off chance that He is alive.// She smirked, closing the book she had tried to occupy herself with, with a soft thump. Just how bright were these people? If they thought her stupid enough to embark on this trip without taking precautions, then they would find themselves sorely mistaken. She had her grandfather to thank for ensuring that she did nothing without due consideration and planning. She was no such fool as to take off on a trip into the unknown without taking measures to ensure her safety. There were certain people both on Earth and in the colonies who would be receiving interesting packages in the mail if she did not return to the Earth Sphere within eighteen months. She had considered the time scale of such a journey without knowing that the ship she would be traveling on was so much faster than the norm, but that was okay. It would allow her plenty of time to investigate. She could cancel the automatic delivery of said packages with a simple radio signal, but she would not do so unless she was convinced that these people were harmless to the peace and that her cousin was alive. Peace? It was far from the ideal that her cousin had planned, but at least it was peace. Given time it could be made into that ideal that he had schemed for, but certain people first must learn how to bend just a little to best effect that peace for all. Most times, they had to learn, that what you wish for, you must work and compromise for. It was a lesson she had learned at her cousin's side. He had been a kinder teacher than her grandfather. //Treize. Are you really alive? It has been nearly three years. Three years of silence. No hint, no indications at all that you might have survived. Of course, no body was ever found, nor much in the way of parts from the Tallgeese II, but no one was really surprised about that. Then a letter out of nowhere, delivered by an unknown. Who are these people? I want answers and no one will give them to me. They say I must wait, but I have never taken waiting well. This had better be good, cousin, or you will hear just what I think of you for your silence all this time.// It had not been easy for her after the One Year War. She had been an outcast from society and she had known it would be so before she had taken herself back to Earth. Returning there had been a decision she had not made hastily and she knew to survive at all she must deal with people she would by far prefer to be safely dead. Knowing how the wind would blow she had made herself scarce, sitting in seclusion, waiting for decisions to be made. War criminals. The worst of the worst. Rabid dogs that needed to be put down. That is what she knew the ESUN politicians would label herself and Milliardo. She knew it was going to happen, and she had not been fool enough to stay around for them to arrest her and they had come. Just a little too late to ensnare her. //Fools.// she smiled sweetly, no one was here to see her, so she did not need to guard her expressions quite so diligently as she needed when in company. Her lawyers, of course, had worked in her favor, though it had not been an easy fight to win. Yet the Gundam pilots had succeeded in fighting a very similar war with officialdom, and they were through and through Terrorists. At least she had been working within the law during most of the war. When she had turned to White Fang she had been hurting over her grandfather's death, but she had nevertheless followed her cousin's grand design. In truth she had been surprised to find herself on the Libra, but something deep within had assured her that she had made the right choice in continuing. //His eyes. I will never forget what I saw in his eyes.// Those crystal blue eyes had been so expressive when he had thought that no one would see. Could no one but she see the heartache in those eyes? The windows to the soul, she mused. If that was true then how had Milliardo carried through with the plan? He had been in such pain. She had followed her cousin's plans, but she had learned that Milliardo had plans of his own. Had only she witnessed how he had struggled to make himself go on with his design? Her cousin's design had been accepted by Milliardo, but he had taken it further and she had not as yet learned exactly why he had thought it necessary to go so far. She had, regardless of her lack of total understanding of the why, been able to see that he had reason behind his driving force, and not madness. //Each and every action that he had made had been carefully thought out. Planned down to the last detail.// Even to her betrayal. He had known she would react to his reaching for that button. At the time she had not realized, but on reflection in the aftermath, while she waited for the axe to fall over her neck, she had been able to realize so much she had missed at the time. She had not been able to stop herself from reacting to the threat he offered to her cousin. Oh, he had shouted at her and had her restrained, but he had had her released from custody just as quickly. He had released her and there had been no accusation or recrimination in his gaze, just cold necessity. He had released her and allowed her to go to that room and to merge once again with the battle system of the Libra's army of Mobile Dolls. * “Do as you must, Dorothy. Allow the system to guide, but never to rule you. You have practiced, but you are not perfect with it yet. You are far from perfect with it and so long as you understand that, you will survive.”* “What did you see when you used Epyon? You never told me what it was you saw, but in hindsight, knowing what I know now, I can guess some of it. Some of it, but not all, I am sure. You designed the Battle System and you made more of it than I did. It was based on the Epyon design, but I know now, having gone over the specifications of the system, that it was more the Zero System than Epyon. You were very careful about that design and you were very particular about what elements of Epyon were merged into the system. If anything, that system was a hybrid between the two systems, one you felt was safe for me to use. You would not allow me in Epyon itself. Was that because it hurt you? I think so. I think that Epyon tore you apart, but you continued on as though the pain was nothing. What did you see?” She was as helpless to understand then as she was helpless to act now. Confined to this stupid cabin while all hell broke out on Mars was aggravating to say the least. She had been approached by these mysterious people during her tour of L3 and she had allowed her curiosity to get the best of her caution. After so long in this ship the mayday they had picked up had fired her blood and become a clarion call to action. The source of the call had sent her into a cold rage she had not felt for some time. Not since the One Year War. No. No, that was wrong. One other occasion since then had fired her to a fine fit of rage. She had been furious when the agents of the ESUN had tried to arrest her, despite the official pardon she had been granted when her lawyers won the right of amnesty for her. Those idiots from the ESUN Security Office had tried to arrest her the very first time she appeared in public. She smirked at the thought of how it had amused her to watch them lie on the ground, moaning in pain. She had hired the very best of body guards, of course, and at the time she had been in the company of one of her lawyers. He had been her grandfather's oldest friend, and he had been disgusted with the entire episode. She sighed. Disgusted, yes, he had been that all right,
but the reasons for it had been because someone in the government
thought they were above the desires of Romefeller. The sick truth
was that it was only through the efforts of the Romefeller organization
that she had become a free citizen once again. Free to walk around
on the Earth and go to the colonies. Free to work under the shadow
of Romefeller for their aim to rule the Earth Sphere. //Damn them! I will work for them, but only until it suits me to do otherwise. Only until I find what I am looking for. Even though I have no idea what that is. Is it a cause that I am looking for? Something to believe in?// Damn the old bastards who had ruled her life since her birth. She was not a fool and she had learned very early in her childhood that her grandfather had very powerful allies. Powerful and ruthless. Romefeller. They were much more than that Old Boys Club the world had thought them to be. So much more than that public front that had been displayed as a diversion from the true power base they enjoyed. Her grandfather had entertained such grandiose plans and intended her to take over from him when he retired. He had styled himself to become King of the World, and in the end, thankfully, had realized that he could never achieve it. Quite plainly he lacked the charisma to pull it off. Enter Miss Relena Darlian. Or Princess Relena Peacecraft, as she actually was. //Stupid, naive little bitch. She fell so easily into the plans of Romefeller to bring the world, all unknowing, under their direct collective thumb.// The perfect tool. //The little fool's redemption at the time was that Romefeller had been fighting an internal battle between factions.// Faction fighting had saved the fool from immediate disaster when Old Marquis Wayridge and his cronies had not been convinced of the veracity of the design the ruling body of the organization had constructed. Enter the faction fighting, back stabbing and clawing for power that often erupted in Romefeller's ranks at a crux point in their grand designs. Enter the opportunity for the situation to get out of hand, as had happened so often before in their history. With the survival of the Peacecraft heiress discovered, it had become possible to resolve the issues of sovereign rights that had erupted in the ranks of the hierarchy of the organization. The question of who should rule the Earth had sparked off the infighting that had crippled Romefeller. The ancient, controlled bloodline of the Peacecrafts would draw a response from the world that would change the face of history, if it was handled properly. One thing that Romefeller had was the experience to make certain that Relena would be accepted by the world. The Romefeller propaganda machine had swung into action. That had sealed Relena's fate to be accepted by the world as a Queen, but in truth become a puppet controlled by Romefeller. Whichever faction won the infighting, of course. That Marquis Wayridge was the girl's grandfather made no difference during the internal struggle for control amid the ranks of the organization. So her grandfather had believed, Dorothy mused. In that one neglect he had failed himself and those who followed him. The Marquis had skillfully used his blood ties to allow him to gain strength within his chosen faction and had drawn some of the undecided individuals amid Romefeller to his side of the argument. Wayridge had sat quietly, allowing her grandfather to do all the dirty work in gaining possession of the girl and setting her up as his puppet. How could her grandfather have missed what was coming? Those thought to be undecided who had joined Wayridge then threw their weight behind the Marquis. Yes, they had agreed to allow Relena Peacecraft to take the world throne and they had then gone on to depose the opposing faction of Romefeller. That left themselves, through her grandsire, to rule the world through her. She believed her grandfather had saved her and like the little innocent she was would be certain to take the advice of her grandfather and his friends. Coup complete. Hypocrites. Dorothy sighed and shook her head. It was all water that had long ago passed under the bridge. She should not allow it to bother her and she should let it go. It had no baring on the here and now after all. It was very old, stale news. The real news was what was happening on Mars. For some reason the notorious Raiders were attacking the Martian base. That Terra Forming base had been one of Relena's pet projects and Dorothy was one of the few who knew why. Oh, yes. She was, when all was said and done, her grandfather's heir. Blood of his blood. Trained to be his replacement. She had learned long ago that information was the key to her survival and she made it her business to learn all that she possibly could to smooth her way in the circles of the ESUN. One never knew who one might need to blackmail, after all, or when it might be necessary to do so. She had so much information on the key members of the governing councils of the Earth Sphere, both Earth based and Colony, that if she pulled those strings they would probably dance Swan Lake in an effort to placate her. //Politicians. Necessary evils, yes, but one you need to make certain you control. Miss Relena is too much a goody two shoes to hit them where she needs to, but I am not her. I could take them down or have them groveling at my feet within minutes.// So why did she not? Why had she stood back and allowed Relena to fall under the sway of the faction currently in control of the ESUN? Why had she chosen to not step in and sort out the mess? Revenge? //Perhaps.// she mused, a small smile tilting her lips just a little. Her blue eyes glinted with barely controlled disgust. Certainly she could not discount revenge as a motive immediately. Yet if it was revenge that motivated her then she had to ask the question; revenge for what? The girl had been a fool, yes, that was undeniable, and she was a fool that too many people listened to. She made mistake after mistake and somehow always ended up smelling like a rose, more and more people falling under the little fool's sway. Even after such blatantly stupid mistakes. It was so unfair. It just rubbed her the wrong way that Miss Relena always came out on top, despite her faults which no one ever seemed to see. If they saw it, they forgave her and dismissed her faults and worshipped the ground she walked on. It just seemed so unfair that the elder brother, who had given everything he had ever held dear to him to attain peace, should never be given a fair hearing. She had been there. On the Libra. She had watched it
all happen and she had been a part of it. She had been a party to
the destruction and the birth of peace. They lauded Relena and those
annoying Gundam Pilots with the birth of peace. They spoke of her
cousin with kindness and understanding that he who could have been
the King of the World had died to bring Peace to the Earth Sphere.
He had seemed so alone. //Milliardo. Is it for you that I have let her wallow in this mess of her own making? Is it because of the way that she treated you on the Libra? I had my hand in that, yes, to my shame. Is it for the way she ignored you, her own brother, to faun all over that gundam pilot? Damn. That's so soppy. Eww. No. No, I have to get off this stupid ride of looking back over the past and second guessing myself and others. Who am I kidding? Myself?// The simple truth was that the girl deserved to learn the hard way that reality was not the sweet smelling rose garden that she thought it was. It appeared that simply telling her where she was making mistakes would not work. Some people had to learn the facts of life the hard way. She was learning that lesson now. Oh, yes, Miss Relena Darlian … the girl would not even acknowledge the ancient heritage of her blood line by accepting her true name… was certainly learning that all of her troubles would not all just fall into place for her this time. Someone had to teach her a lesson. //Raiders? Raiders attacking Mars?// No, she did not think so. Possibly, yes, she did admit that it was possible, but she was far more inclined to think that it was the ESUN gathering in Milliardo and his family. //The children must be over two months old now.// So like their father to look at too, from the reports she had read. Tiny new born lives, yet caught up in political scheming and such a stir they would cause if Romefeller found out they existed. It had not been easy, but she had been very careful to ensure that word of his presence on Mars had not leaked to Romefeller. Those in charge of this fiasco in the ESUN Council, she was certain, would not have wished for the mother organization to learn of either the man or the children. That would have ruined their power play. He needed to be assumed dead or lost, beyond their reach. In her opinion he had paid his dues to Romefeller and deserved whatever freedom and happiness he could gain for himself. //Why did you have to be caught up in this mess? You went through enough when you chose to command the White Fang. That little bitch turned her back on you and you took it in your stride, but I saw the hurt in you. I'm sorry that you have to be caught up in this mess now. She never cared about you. She just cared about chasing that suicidal automaton, Yuy. So let Mister bloody Perfect Soldier get her out of this mess she fashioned by being Miss Perfect I Can Do It All Myself Darlian. I could pull the plug on those bastards pulling her strings even from here, but what good would it do? She would learn nothing.// She sighed, glaring at the walls of the room assigned to her. She had accepted the offer presented to her by the unknown individual who had presented himself at her hotel room with a letter designed to tweak her curiosity. That individual had turned out to be the captain of this ship. She had accepted his proposal, but not before she had made arrangements on the quiet, of course, to act as security for her safety. She had, regardless, accompanied him onto his shuttle and then onto this ship that lurked beyond the usual space lanes, cloaked from discovery. They had some very nice technology, and she had been very interested in the idea of the new engines and the idea of cutting so much time off the travel involved to reach their destination. Then, too, there was the cloak that shielded their ship from discovery. Arriving on the ship she had learned that they had not been a part of a regular flight to the Earth Sphere. Their people had other ships involved in secret operations and only this experimental ship had been available for this flight to fetch her. They had come to L3 specifically to meet with her, at the behest of one they claimed to be her cousin. Her very dead cousin. Treize had died when the Tallgeese II had exploded after that stupid farce of a duel at the end of the One Year War. It had been a farce, she knew. To her sorrow she knew that Treize had had no intention of surviving that war. He considered his death a necessary part of the cause for peace. Yet these people now appeared and claimed that he was alive and that he wished to speak with her, which necessitated that she journey to him beyond the Asteroid Belt. Why? Why did she need to go to him? Why did he not come to her? Well, Treize had always preferred people pander to his needs. Of course he would not consider doing the traveling to her. One traveled to him. It always had been so. She had not been easily convinced, but in the end she had chosen to accompany them to this base of theirs, but not before placing certain safe guards that only she could manipulate. The Phoenix Star had indeed proven to be faster than the Earth Sphere ships, as they were some ten days ahead of what she had projected they would be to reach this point in space, even allowing for additional speed. She had severely underestimated the resources open to these people to produce such a wonder of modern technology. Then the Mayday had been received. She had insisted that they change course for Mars and offer some assistance and it had not taken much to convince the captain to respond to the mayday. Obviously the man had a heart and a sense of honor. He had responded to the unwritten rules of succor for those who needed aid. The ship had altered course but her satisfaction had turned sour when the bloody fool had informed his flight control of the change of course. The order had come back with uncommon speed to return to their approved course and under no circumstances were they to push the engines into untested limits. Others would respond to the mayday, and she had been escorted to her cabin and quite promptly locked in here. Others indeed. She felt that she needed to go to Mars with all speed. She felt that she needed to be there to offer support to Milliardo. To apologize to him for not having taken action to get him off the planet before the ESUN could act against him. It had been in her power to get him off that rock, if she had taken the time to do so. //I am sorry. I should have acted.// That his location had been known to the ESUN Security Office before he had even left the Earth for Mars she had known. From the safety of her retreat she had monitored the Barton Incursion and she had known immediately who the pilot of the Tallgeese III was. His fighting style could never be mistaken. She had heard from her agent in the Preventers of the debacle when Miss Spoiled ex Queen of the World had turned yet again on her brother, screaming at him like a banshee. It had been after that report that she had determined to take action to see that little Miss Perfect grew up. Someone had to. No one else seemed to want the job. At least Sally Po and Lady Une had had the sense to see Milliardo to safe quarters. It was both a pity and a miscalculation on their part that they had not had sense enough to allow him to leave. There would have been less chance of the ESUN getting their hooks into him and using him against Miss Perfect. Yes, so Miss Perfect had made an effort at reconciliation after a good day's sleep. So what? Nowhere near enough of an effort had been made in her view to make up for the unforgivable display Miss Relena Darlian had put on. Darlian. Always with the Darlian. Would the brat never acknowledge the truth of her ancestry? //I should have arranged for you to get off Mars months ago, but with Noin pregnant I knew you would not willingly go. You have been forced into things all of your life and I could not force you to leave when your children would soon be born. I'm still not certain if you want to be with Noin. She always seemed to be a pushy bitch to me, but who am I to judge? I'm more than a little pushy myself.// No, there was no help for it. She had to sit tight and see how this panned out. She had no chance at this time to alter the outcome on Mars personally. This ship did have the potential power to get her to Mars in rather short time, but there were factors which stopped her from playing a part in whatever happened out there. The engines were an experimental design and unknown to her. She had to trust that these people knew what they were doing and would not leave those on Mars to face massacre. Be it massacre by Raiders or by another threat. One she suspected to be ESUN in origin. They had told her that others were responding to the call. Others who would arrive before this ship could get there, but still it rankled. She did not like leaving matters to others. She who prided herself on knowing all the secrets of those in power needed to learn more. Information was her key, and information she would get. She just had to accept the limitations. Everything in life had limitations. Somewhere in this busy place called space was a man who claimed to be her cousin and where he was would be answers. Therefore, she must exercise patience and wait. The information was out there and she would learn it all. What she did with the knowledge when she learned it would remain to be seen. She had a possible cousin out there, but she also had an old friend who she knew was definitely on Mars. She just had to hope that once again Milliardo did not end up paying the price for simply existing. It seemed that he had been born to be used. Even by her cousin, she admitted. Yes, even Treize had used him and then abandoned him when it had suited his design. All a part of the grand design for peace. She could not blame Milliardo if he still hated the man, though she suspected he had too much heart to hold onto hate. On reflection, she decided, the only person she could ever recall he had ever hated, was the bastard who had killed his parents. To get to him Milliardo had allowed himself to be used, knowing it to be the only way he could win access through the Alliance forces to exact his justice. Justice. Yes, more justice than revenge, she decided. He would not even realize the distinction, she knew, but he had never regretted pulling the trigger and that she knew for a fact. For now she must trust these strangers. She had no choice and somehow she was certain that she would again meet Milliardo face to face. She would trust for now. After all, she had insurance. She never did anything without insurance.
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