TUESDAY MORNING (Preventer HQ)

Sally yawned sleepily as she continued working on her terminal. She started early today and had a hard time sleeping last night after hearing what happened to the mission when Wufei and the others returned to the Palace.

Sally, Lady Une and the rest of the girls were waiting patiently in the living room. They all jumped to their feet when they heard the main door opened.

Heero was the first one to walk in. The girls were shocked when they saw him --- covered in soot and dirt, has bruises and slight burns on his face and arms, his clothes torn. But his appearance is not the major cause of their shock. There's something different about him. His face has its usual expressionless mask but his eyes are a different matter all together, conveying a mixture of anger and pain. Also, his body is unusually tensed, his hands clenching and unclenching. He looked scary and hurt, it's a bizarre combination. This is the first time they saw Heero this way, and they want to know why but were afraid to ask. Sally was the only one who had the guts to voice their question out loud. "Heero, what's wrong?"

Heero didn't reply. He just continued walking, never even looking at them, in the direction of Relena's office. Their attention shifted to the remaining five pilots who just entered the room. Noin rushed to her husband, noting the dark expression on each of the men's faces. "Zechs! What happened? Where's Relena?"

Zechs stared at her for a moment, took her hand and handed her something. He and the others then headed to the sofa and sat down, looking drained and tired.

The other girls crowded Noin and looked at what Zechs gave her. The color drained from their faces when they saw a note with Relena's shooting star earrings in it.

Heero Yuy,

So, the the rumors are true afterall. The Perfect Soldier has one weakness. I didn't know you got it in you to be so sweet --- rescuing her, protecting her, the lunch, the earrings. I know you're disappointed that you haven't rescued your Princess yet but unlike the first one, this is the real thing. I'm only interested in keeping her and not your 'gift' so I left them.

D

P. S. I left another gift for you besides the earrings. It'll save you time, you wouldn't have to bother doing it yourself. Hope you like it.

Six pairs of questioning eyes focused on the men sitting on the sofa. "Where did you get this? What does this mean?" Noin asked.

"Yuy found it inside the base where we thought Relena is being kept. It's fairly obvious that the first kidnapping was staged," Zechs answered evenly.

"What for?" Sally queried.

"To lure Heero out. It seemed that he just vanished last December, didn't he? And to know how we or Heero could find Relena," Trowa replied.

"What's the gift that he left for Heero then?" asked Hilde.

"The base exploded just as he's getting out. He's very lucky that he only got some bruises and minor burns," Quatre answered.

Catherine frowned. "How would a bomb save Heero time?"

"He blew up the base where he found Relena so Damon is expecting that he'll blow up this one too. But Damon beat him up to it, blowing the whole base himself," Duo explained.

"Hoping to take Heero with it. He's sick! He blew up his own base, he killed his own men just for what? A chance to kill one man!" Dorothy exclaimed.

"That Damon guy is playing some kind of a mind game with us," Wufei told them.

"But how did he know about the earrings? And the lunch? I wouldn't have known about it if Relena didn't tell us," Noin told them.

"There's a bug in Relena's office," Heero said as he entered the living room. He's holding a small circuit in his hand, showing it to them.

Lady Une was surprised. "Bugged? Impossible! We make monthly security checks in the Palace to look for bugs. And we haven't found any."

"You wouldn't be able to detect this one with the usual equipment. You search for it manually and you can only find it if you know where to look."

"How did it get there? Who would have infiltrated the Palace and planted it?" Hilde wondered.

"Relena's office is the most frequented part of the Palace. Different people come in and out of it everyday, anyone could have put it there. The more important question we should be addressing is, is Relena's office the only part of the Palace bugged?" said Sally.

Everyone looked at each other, realizing the implication of that simple statement. "I'll send agents here first thing tomorrow to look for bugs," Lady Une informed them.

"What do we do now?" Dorothy asked.

Silence.

"I was made a fool. Damon really planned out everything and by the looks of it, everything's going smoothly. But I will not be made a fool again," Heero said icily. "There's nothing we could do now. You should all go to bed. I'll meet you in the conference room we use everynight at 6 am sharp." Dorothy, Catherine and Hilde frowned at this. Quatre, Trowa and Duo met their pointed looks nervously. "And I advise that nobody talk about anything regarding this situation anywhere. The only secure places that we could use are the Preventers Headquarters and the secret conference room here. Do I make myself clear?" After confirming their agreement, Heero left and headed straight to his room.

Maybe that's why we still felt apprehensive even when we know that we could track down Relena because of the earrings. Somehow, we can feel that we wouldn't find her that easily. And we didn't. Damn that female intuition, it's always right, Sally said to herself.

She looked up from her terminal momentarily to sneak a glance at her silent companion. Heero has been working on his laptop for about an hour now since they arrived here. And judging by his present appearance and how the meeting earlier commenced, there's no doubt that he's been working all throughout the night.

UNDERGROUND CONFERENCE ROOM 6 am

When everybody was settled in, Duo decided to start things off himself. "We are on a dead end here, folks. What's our game plan?"

"I really hate the way he's always one step ahead, like he's playing a chess game with us. He has the advantage of having sufficient information about us that enables him to predict our moves with accuracy," Zechs said.

"And we don't know anything about him. He hasn't even shown himself. All we know about him are the data the scientists gave us and they're not recent. For 2 years all that we see are the effects of his maneuverings --- like seeing the ripples in the pond but not the stone that was thrown or the person who threw it," Quatre told them.

"He's sneaky and has no honor. I can't forget how he made a fool out of us all when he kidnapped Relena through that Gundam. He knows that we've taken every security measure to secure the Summit but we are not expecting a Gundam attack. Injustice!"

"How can we fight an invisible enemy? One who had outsmarted us in anyway? Come to think of it, he's already * of the way to his victory with Relena in his custody and the Congregation in turmoil. And all of this he accomplished by using indirect methods. Just think what will happen if he make a direct attack," Sally said.

"One must know the enemy in order to defeat it. True, we haven't seen him and he managed to outsmart us many times but we can analyze his moves and base our counterattacks on them. Damon knows that an immediate assault on the ESUN is a bad idea. The colonies are still a part of the ESUN, it wouldn't make any sense attacking the ESUN in the name of the colonies. It's like hitting yourself. That's why he planned on creating an atmosphere that will suit his intentions. All he needed for this is a catalyst. If dominoes are placed standing one right after the other, one push from the 1st domino is all it takes to create a chain reaction that will topple all of them down. Relena is the last domino and with her gone, the right atmosphere Damon wanted to create has been set. All that's left for him is to attack," Heero told them.

"You mean Damon will launch a coup any day now?" Noin voiced out.

"Hn."

"So he wants to party e? I'll give him a party. Though I hope that he waits until Wednesday so we could party full blast with our Gundams," Duo said.

"GUNDAMS!" Dorothy, Catherine and Hilde yelled in unison. Quatre, Trowa and Duo nodded at them nervously.

"I'll have the Preventers on red-alert. We will not be caught unprepared and we will protect the ESUN in any way possible," Lady Une said.

Always the logical one Trowa said, "But even with the Gundams and the whole Preventers on red-alert, we'll still be in a disadvantage. We don't know how large Damon's forces will be."

"There's still a way to stop Damon. He might have planned everything from the beginning but there are certain factors he hadn't included in his earlier calculations," Heero informed them.

"Like what?" Wufei asked him.

"He didn't count on the scientists being alive and for them to rebuild the Gundams. Also, he overlooked or simply ignored the fact that we still have another Peacecraft on our side. And another diplomat."

"I don't understand what you mean," Dorothy said.

"With or without the Gundams, Damon expects that we wont go down without a fight. We are soldiers and he thinks that fighting is all we could do. But what he didn't count upon is our learning of another way to fight, one that Relena has consciously or unconsciously taught us."

"You mean peacetalks?" Catherine asked.

Quatre answered as understanding dawned on him. "The ESUN, specifically the Congregation is like a flock of sheep. Relena is their shepherd and with her gone they would go astray. So we need to find a substitute for her, another figure head, that will guide them to peace and hold them together before Damon gets in the picture and lead everyone to war."

"That's where you and Zechs come in," Heero said as he addressed the two men.

"Huh?"

"What are you talking about, Yuy?"

"Ah, I get it. Quatre will do damage control in the colonies while Zechs will hold the fort here on Earth. It's like separating Relena in half. Am I right, Heero?"

"Hn."

"How can I do that?" Zechs asked at the same time Quatre said, "Why would they listen to me?"

"Quatre, you're a Colony delegate and a Winner. The colonists will listen to you. Aside from that, you're gentle, kind hearted and everyone knows you're sincere in wanting peace. Sincerity and the passion for peace are the qualities that will make them see the light. Like Relena," Sally told him.

"Zechs, you're a soldier, true, but you're also a Peacecraft. Aside from your name, your connections and your charisma as a leader, you're just as sincere as Relena and Quatre are in maintaining peace. You have the makings of a great diplomat, actually you're born for it. The Earth aristocrats and politicians needed someone to look up to and you're perfect for the job," Noin assured her husband.

"But why will having diplomats stop Damon?" Hilde inquired.

"With Relena in his custody, Damon is counting upon the breakdown of ties between the Colonies and the Earth. He could attack the Earth and declare that the colonists will now rule the ESUN and the colonies will back him up. But what if the Earth and the colonies patch things up? How could he justify the attack? Even if he succeeds, he'll not be having his victory as the avenger of the colonies. He'll be just another terrorist who stole the reigns of power. The colonies will not acknowledge him. In that sense he'll fail in his revenge so what's the use of attacking?" Lady Une explained.

"As for me, I'll do my part in helping to repair the Earth-Colonies relations in every possible way that I can. But are you sure that this will work?" Zechs asked Heero.

"Yes. This is an unexpected move, Damon wouldn't have anticipated it. He's assuming that we'll be concentrating in finding Relena. And that even if we try to settle the dispute between the Earth and the colonies, we wouldn't succeed. We need Relena or someone like her and to the best of his knowledge there isn't any," Heero answered.

"Sounds like a good plan to me. I agree to your strategy, Heero and I promise to do my best in convincing the Colony delegates that the Earth doesn't want to wage war with them. But first I have to call Rashid so he could send me a shuttle and ask him to arrange an audience for me with some colony delegates."

"There's no need for that, Quatre. I already arranged everything. Rashid told me that your shuttle will be here by the time we're done with the meeting. And I even arranged a few meetings for you with some colony delegates. Dorothy and Trowa will come with you," Heero informed him.

Everyone looked at him questioningly.

"There's a big possibility that Damon's main base is in outer space. While Quatre and Dorothy do the talking, Trowa will do the searching." Heero then looked at Duo and Wufei. "You two will search around the world for the base, just to be sure. I already mapped out the most efficient path for each of you to take so you'll be able to finish searching the whole Earth in just one day. I'll stay and try to look over some data that will give us some clue where Damon is hiding and when he's planning to attack. The three of us will help Trowa search in outer space tomorrow when we get our Gundams and after we confirmed that the base is not on Earth."

"What about the rest of us?" Hilde said.

"You and Catherine can help the Preventer agents in looking for bugs all over the Palace while Noin and Zechs are away in a diplomatic mission. Lady Une and Sally will make the necessary preparations in the Preventers." He turned to address Zechs. "I already arranged some meetings for you with some Earth delegates. You and Noin are expected at Brussels at 9am. Your shuttle will arrive soon."

Sally noted the dark circles around Heero's eyes. He looked tired, pale, distraught. He's trying to hide it but she and the rest can tell how affected he really was. He's worried about Relena, maybe even more so than the possibility of another war. Poor guy, she thought, he's probably thinking that he failed her. She saw Heero yawned.

"Heero, did you sleep last night?"

"Hn."

"What time?"

"Around three."

"What time did you wake up?"

"Five."

"Aren't you tired?"

"No."

Sally studied him for a moment, an idea forming on her mind. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"No."

"Me, neither." She stood up and left the room. After a few minutes, she returned carrying a tray with a box of doughnuts and 2 mugs of steaming coffee. She placed the tray on Heero's desk and sat down beside him. She took a sip from one of the coffee mugs then said, "You need to eat, Heero. We need you to have a clear mind in order to find Relena. Besides, she'll not be happy if she finds out you're not taking care of yourself."

Heero looked at her for a moment, as if contemplating what she just said. He then lifted his coffee mug and drank from it. He continued typing with one hand. Sally carefully watched him and saw him ate a doughnut later on. When Heero finished his coffee, Sally could see that he has having troubles keeping his eyes open. After a few more minutes, Heero laid his head on top of the table and fell asleep.

Sally called a Preventer agent to help carry Heero to the couch. When the agent left the room, she looked at him and whispered, "I'm sorry, Heero. I hope you'll understand that I did this only for your own good."

DAMON'S SECRET BASE

Relena's head snapped up when the door to her room opened. A tall, black-haired man, maybe in his late 30's strode inside the room.

"Expecting someone else, Princess?" the man asked, his brown, almond-shaped eyes flashing in a teasing manner.

Relena quietly regarded him. "No. As a matter of fact I'm waiting for you. Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" she demanded.

The man laughed with genuine amusement at the tone of her voice. "I'm impressed. Even kidnapped you don't lose spirit, ne? To answer your question, I'm Damon Luther. It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Relena Peacecraft." He then noticed the bewildered expression on her face. "Doesn't ring a bell? Maybe you're more familiar with the name DL Walker."

"You're DL Walker? The famed but mysterious consultant and advisor to the President and other Congregation officials?" she said wide-eyed. "I can't believe it."

"I wont force you to believe but it's true. It's a shame that I haven't gotten the opportunity to be your advisor or consultant. Not that you need advising anyways."

Relena studied him for a moment. He seemed sincere with is admiration. "But why? What's the meaning of all of this?"

Damon shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I was under the impression that you're smart Madame Vice Foreign Minister. Isn't it obvious? I want another war. A war that will avenge what the Earth has done to the colonies. And you will help me make that war."

It's Relena's turn to shake her head. She can't comprehend what humans find fascinating in wars, why they always seemed to be drawn to them. She cant understand people who won't be satisfied with what they already have, people who would choose to fight and suffer in a war rather than lead secure lives in peace. "Isn't it too late for your revenge? The Earth and the Colonies have been peacefully coexisting now. Everyone chose to forget the past and look forward to the future. Nobody wants another war."

"You're wrong. It is a false peace we all have been living in. You maybe are sincere in what you're doing but the other Earth officials? I doubt it. You're scarcely holding the threads of this so called peace with your bare hands! And without you, the truth will surface. The ESUN does not really care about the colonies. It's just another elaborate plan to rule us, to subjugate us, like the Alliance and OZ before it. How pathetic, trading one tyrant over the other! It's high time we take control! Peace will only be achieved if the colonists rule over the ESUN!"

"Are you mad? If you try to take over the ESUN you're no different, as you said in your own words it's like trading one tyrant over the other! There shouldn't be any rulers --- we should be coexisting. We are coexisting! And you're trying to destroy everything we worked hard for just because of your incapacity to forget past transgressions and your twisted need for revenge! The colonies are a part of the ESUN, just like Earth. They are contented and happy about it. If you wage war against the Earth or the ESUN, they wouldn't support you!"

"I know. But not because they're contented, rather because they're disillusioned. They were blinded, they didn't know that they are being fooled and used again. That's why I made a little meddling to make them realize the truth. And I'm happy to say that everything is going according to plan. When the time comes that we colonists finally hold the reign of power over the whole ESUN, they will thank me for doing them such a big favor."

Realization dawned on her. "You're the one that caused the political upheaval in the ESUN, the bombings and the assassination attempts on my life. You want to break the Earth-Colonies relations so you can justify another Operation Meteor."

Damon smirked. "You're right, I'm the one calling all the shots here. But this is not Operation Meteor. The real Operation Meteor never happened and will never happen. The information about Operation Meteor II that I planted in the Preventers database is just a hoax. It's a part of my plan. This is my own operation, Operation Domino. Nice metaphor isn't it? The fall of one domino will cause the fall of the domino standing next to it until every piece falls down. And with your capture, the last domino has finally fallen, leading to the commencement of the last phase of my plan."

"But what's my role in this? I'm just the Vice Foreign Minister, I never had real power. Why would my capture mean anything or lead to something?"

Damon looked at her with compassion. "Poor girl, you don't really know how important or how influential you really are, do you? But that's part of your charm. Let me enumerate your usefulness to me. One, the whole ESUN looks up to you as the symbol of peace or peace itself. If you're gone, dead or otherwise, everyone will start blaming each other for your disappearance or death. Peace will crumble and there'll be chaos. Two, even if I succeeded in creating friction between the Earth and the colonies, which I did, you could easily patch things up. With you gone, nobody can salvage it even how hard they try and you know how crucial this break-up is in order for my plan to succeed. Three, your influence can help me gain trust and control over the Earth and the colonies. You will entrust me with the duty and honor of being the supreme ruler of the ESUN. Lastly, you're a bait and in a sense, my most powerful weapon against your brother and those treacherous Gundam pilots."

"I will never entrust you with anything! I will never allow myself to be used!" Relena yelled. She then stopped as his other words sank to her mind. I was already used. I was already used to lure out Heero and the rest. "What do you mean treacherous? The Gundam pilots never betrayed anybody. Actually they saved us twice! They are heroes!"

"No! They were never heroes! They are traitors! Those brats were ordered to fight for the colonies not for the Earth. And your brother, who had forsaken the planet of his birth and swore allegiance to the colonies betrayed us too! They will pay for their betrayal. All of them!"

"They are not traitors! They did what they think was right at that time. They didn't betray the colonies. They didn't want to fight but they had to. They fought to save the whole ESUN, not only the Earth. They fought to protect, to save. They fought so we could have peace. And I can't say the same for you, who still choose to fight even if there's no need for it. You fight to destroy! And it's just because you're drowning in your own twisted ideals! The Preventers will stop you. The Gundam pilots will stop you, like they stopped the real Operation Meteor, OZ, the White Fang and Dekim. You will be stopped!"

Damon gave her a devilish grin. "They could try. I'm guessing by now that Heero Yuy has probably figured out my plan and is already devising some counterattacks. But I bet he doesn't know the most important details like where this base is, or when I will attack or how large my army is. Give him 2 more days and he'll figure it all out but I'm not a fool to give him that chance. Besides, how can they fight me? The Preventer forces are scarcely enough to fend off 1/5 of my army and the Gundams are no more. Though even with the Gundams I doubt that they stand a change against me. I've planned everything, I'm prepared in everyway. Nobody can stop me."

Relena glared at him defiantly. "No. Someone will. Even if everybody else fails, Heero will stop you. He has this uncanny ability to overcome impossible situations and triumph over every adversary. He always has given everyone hope. Don't celebrate yet, Damon."

"You really have strong faith in that boy, huh? Well, we will see about that. But don't expect your Prince Charming to walk in here and save you anytime soon. I still have a special treat for him. I always wanted to see how he measures up against my HAVOC pilot, my own Perfect Soldier. I always believed that only another Perfect Soldier can defeat the Perfect Soldier. Now I will have the chance to know who really is the best," Damon chuckled.

"You mean, Heero and---" Relena trailed off as she grasped the implication of Damon's statement. "C-can-may I talk to ---"

"My pilot?" Damon cut off. "Of course. Your wish is my command, Princess. But maybe later." He looked at his watch.

"I have to go now. Sorry if I have to cut our conversation short but I still have some things to take care of. Make yourself as comfortable as you possibly can, Relena. You're going to be here for quite a while," Damon told her as he turned and left the room.

PREVENTER HQ 1 pm

Heero groaned as he opened his eyes then quickly stood up. What happened? he asked himself as he scanned the room. The room is empty. Hn. Lady Une must still be at the hangar making the necessary preparations and Sally probably went out for lunch. He then remembered breakfast as his gaze fell upon the coffee mug on the table near his laptop. Sally. She drugged me. Heero then narrowed his eyes. Is she the enemy? He shook his head. No. She couldn't be. She's one of my oldest allies. She'll never betray me or the others. He's walking towards his laptop when he caught a glimpse of his reflection on the nearby mirror. Now I know why she found it necessary to drug me. I look like hell. I guess I should be thankful to her then. He now felt rested and refreshed. He knows that Sally was right when she said that they needed him to have a clear head and that Relena will not be pleased when she learned he's overdoing himself.

"Relena," he muttered. He gets worked-up thinking that she's still out there, alone, helpless. He failed her. He failed to protect her and now the whole ESUN is heading towards another war. I promise that I'll find you, Relena. Soon. Just wait for me. And while you're not here, I promise that I'll do whatever I can to maintain this peace that you, we, worked hard to achieve. And if ever I discover that they hurt you nor lay even one finger on you I swear I'm going to find the most horrible way of inflicting pain on them before killing them. With renewed vigor and determination, he continued on his work.

FIVE HOURS LATER

"How did your search go?" Lady Une greeted as Duo and Wufei walked in her office.

"Not good. We've searched everywhere and we didn't see any sign of Damon's base or Relena," Wufei answered dejectedly.

"Yeah. We practically searched every corner of Earth and still found nothing," Duo added. He then saw Zechs and Noin sitting on the couch. "Hey Zechs, how's your first day as a diplomat?"

Zechs opened his eyes and grimaced. "Tiring. Exhausting. Boring. Did I already say tiring? Talking to those arrogant and stuffy bastards is harder than I thought. Fighting in a Mobile Suit is a lot easier and a lot more fun. I don't know how Relena can stand it."

Duo grinned at him albeit with sympathy. "Welcome to the wonderful world of politics my friend. I'm sure you'll get used to it, it's in your blood afterall. It's your destiny. You're supposed to be a Prince, remember?"

Zechs heaved a big sigh before closing his eyes again. He's been running away from that truth for a long time now. He believed that as bloodstained as he is, he could no longer consider himself a Peacecraft therefore unworthy to be the heir and ruler of the Sanc Kingdom. He decided to leave that responsibility to Relena, and being Sanc Kingdom's chief representative is just a cinch compared to being a Vice Foreign Minister. And luckily, Relena managed to somehow merge the two positions together, the dividing line between being the Sanc Kingdom's leader and the Vice Foreign Minister unclear, oftentimes just refering to both as her job as the Vice Foreign Minister. But now, he can fully see the full implication of what he's done. I've been a coward. I ran away because I can't accept who I really am --- a soldier and a Prince of a Pacifist Kingdom. I thought I couldn't be both, that I have to sacrifice one over the other. And I chose to be Zechs Merquise because it's easier than to be Milliardo Peacecraft. Besides, Milliardo Peacraft died the day he spilled the first blood of his victim. But the truth is, I'm just being a coward. And in my cowardice I dumped a heavy burden on my little sister, making her sacrifice her youth and eventually her life and future. Oh Relena, I'm so sorry. Maybe now that I have faced my demons, I could ease your burden, taking back the responsibility that's supposed to be mine. And also, I could help you with yours.

Noin patted his husband's hands. She can feel the turmoil he's having and she will stand by his side all the way. She smiled when she felt Zechs squeeze her hand in response. She then turned her attention to the two silent figures working on their computers.

"Found anything new, Heero? Sally?" she asked.

"None," Heero answered.

Sally looked up from her terminal and addressed Noin and Zechs. "By the way, Catherine and Hilde checked in earlier with the other agents and told me that they haven't found any other bugs in the Palace besides the one Heero found in Relena's office."

"So Damon is only interested in what's happening inside Relena's office then," Noin commented.

"Speaking of Hilde and Cathy, where are they?" Duo asked.

"They just went out to grab a snack. They'll be back soon," Lady Une informed him.

As if on cue, the 2 aforementioned girls entered the room.

"Duo! You're back," Hilde exclaimed as she ran to him.

"Hi, babe. Missed me?" Duo crooned while hugging her.

Wufei rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't guess that they just saw each other this morning by the way they're behaving."

Duo turned to look at him. "I'll let that pass, Wuffie. I know that you're just envious coz Sally didn't jump up and hug you when we came in."

Wufei's going to start yelling 'INJUSTICE' when Catherine asked, "Did Trowa report in yet?"

"Nope. But he'll call anytime soon," Sally told her.

Just then a beep was heard and the image of Quatre appeared on the big screen. Behind him are Dorothy and Trowa.

"Hi, guys. I see that you're all there," Quatre greeted.

"Good to see you three. How's your end holding up?" Lady Une asked.

"As well as can be expected from the present circumstances. The delegates seemed to have listened to my reasoning and promised not to declare autonomy from the ESUN just yet. They want to wait for Relena. But one wrong move from Earth and they'll be declaring independence and war. DL Walker apparently promised them military aid," Quatre told them.

"It's the same here. The officials promised to behave themselves for the sake of peace and Relena. But if ever the Gundam attacks again or they see any sign of aggression from the colonies like declaring independence or war for that matter, they'll not hesitate to fight back. They're fairly confident that the Preventers will fight at their side. Aside from that, DL Walker seemed to have promised them some military reinforcements too," Zechs said.

"Where did those pompous jerks got that idea?! The Preventers will fight to protect the whole ESUN not only Earth!" Lady Une yelled indignantly.

"Damon also promised the Earth delegates military aid? Why?" Duo asked.

"It's obvious that it's just a hoax, Maxwell. We know that Damon's loyalty is on the colonies. He just wants the Earth delegates to be confident in waging war."

"It's good that they're both waiting for each others moves and not willing to go head-on in an all out war. It'll buy us some time. But we have to find Damon's base and get Relena back ASAP," Heero said. "Trowa, did you find anything?"

"Negative. I finished searching L4 but there's no trace of Damon's base or any clues for that matter," he answered.

Everyone was startled when a beep was heard from Heero's laptop. He quickly pressed a button. "Dr. J."

"Heero, my boy. I have some good news and bad news."

"Spill the good news first please? We're in dire need of them right now," Hilde pleaded. Heero typed some commands to transfer the transmission to the big screen and for it to be received in Quatre's end too.

"Ok. Good news first. The Gundams will be fully operational by 6 am tomorrow."

"You guys really have good timing huh," Duo said, violet eyes dancing at the thought of being reunited with his beloved Deathscythe. "This is great! Shinigami is back in town!"

"They're not supposed to be finished until tomorrow night but we rushed it. You five can fly back here tonight for some last minute instructions, and if you want to make some minor adjustments to your Gundams."

Trowa nodded. It is a relief to hear that they could finally use the Gundams. "With our Gundams, it'll be easier to look for Damon's base."

"But that's not the only good news. We finished decoding all the files we retrieved from Dekim's mainframe. And we found two important files that will give you a clue to what or rather whom you're going to face."

"What do you mean? The HAVOC's pilot?" Dorothy asked.

"Yes. We found 2 journal entries of Professor Arbus. I'm sending them right now."

April 5 AC 195

Knowledge is truly a dangerous thing. This same knowledge that made me renowned all over the Earth and the colonies is also the cause of my eternal damnation. Oftentimes I think that I'm better off without this knowledge and just be a simple happy man living with his family. But alas, that wasn't the case.

I fully acknowledged that the Gundam HAVOC is a mistake from the very beginning. Nothing as powerful as that beast should have been created. It'll be the end of everything if it falls to the wrong hands. And ironically, it will consume the life and soul of its pilot too. That's why my colleagues and I decided to drop it and just work on another project --- the Wing Zero, which is ironically, just as monstrous as the HAVOC excluding the strong physical demand on its pilot. Looking back, I don't know if we're in our right minds then, planning to create a weapon of destruction to achieve peace, to avenge the death of Heero Yuy whom we know will never approve of such actions. We were wrong, everything is a mistake. I don't know what this mistake cost my colleagues. It certainly cost me everything.

At first, it cost me my life. Somehow, Dekim and Damon learned of the HAVOC and commissioned me to work for them. I refused. That's why they planned to kidnap me and fake my death so I'll be forced to obey their orders. It was pure luck that I managed to avoid capture and escaped the bombing of my house. That was when I started to go in hiding. I severed all ties except the ties I have with my only daughter and her family, not daring to contact any of my collegues and friends for fear of the Barton Foundation finding me. I have the original plans and I'm the only one who could build HAVOC. It's for the best that I remain 'dead' to everyone except my family.

Unfortunately, in AC 186 they managed to capture me. But I'm resolute with my decision, I would rather die than forever be tortured by my conscience in unleashing such a monster in the world. Damon then offered me a bargain I couldn't refuse. The HAVOC already has a designated pilot and if I don't build the Gundam there wouldn't be any reasons for keeping the pilot alive. And when I saw who their choice of a pilot was, I readily agreed. It was my 6 yr old grandchild! Now I know how they found me. They used the kid to force my daughter to reveal my location then killed her and her husband. How could I save the Earth and Colonies if I couldn't even save my own flesh and blood?

The years of torment and despair started as I continued building the HAVOC, all the while training my own grandchild to be able to control it perfectly and to become a ruthless killing machine, as well as a competent leader of an elite team of ace pilots and assassins. The guilt of agreeing to make my own flesh and blood pilot the HAVOC consumed me everyday and to lessen the risk of intense physical and mental burden that the HAVOC will cause, I decided to make its Zero system be activated manually. That way, it could only be used in extreme situations. In this regard, I made sure that my pilot would be the best and the strongest, someone who would never need the Zero system to win a battle. And I succeeded. My pilot proved to be strong, smart and formidable --- simply the perfect candidate for the job. Though I don't know if I should be happy or sad about it. Quinze, Dekim and Damon were surely pleased with the results. The pilot and the suit complemented each other and by the age of 15, she undisputedly became the Goddess of War, ironically living up to her name.

"What? An onna?"

"Athena," Heero said.

"Huh? Are you talking about Relena's assistant ?" Sally asked.

"Athena. The Greek Goddess of War and Wisdom," Catherine informed them.

"Come to think of it, the archives said that she was trained to be the perfect infiltrator, using her emotions to her best interests. Being Relena's assistant is a good cover, having access to important files and always being at the center of things. She's probably the one who hacked into the Preventers' database and placed the bug on Relena's office," Zechs assessed.

"You mean all this time the spy is right under our noses and we don't know about it? And she's also the one who used the HAVOC to kidnap Relena," Noin said with disbelief.

"Hey can you keep it down? I'm still reading. There are more stuff written," Duo told them.

The knowledge that I managed to save her life in exchange for her soul gnawed upon every fiber of my being. It kills me bit by bit everytime I see her come back from a mission, her face blank and her eyes cold. It's not that I managed to make her devoid of emotions, she still has them. She was trained to use these emotions whenever and wherever she deems it fit in order to complete a mission. The worst part is, she believes that she's doing all of this for the colonies, that her soul is a sufficient enough sacrifice so that the colonies will be at peace. She learned to bear this responsibility with calm acceptance and quiet resignation. Still, she cannot block out the guilt and the pain of what she's doing, somewhat strengthening and hardening her more, making her wear that expressionless soldier's mask of hers everyday unless the present circumstance calls for another one of her masks. It drives me crazy to think that my Athena sacrificed her soul and her future for a ruckus, a lie. We are not doing this for the colonies, or for peace. We're doing this because we were forced by a few people who wanted power and revenge. We are being used.

I couldn't bear this any longer. I had enough of this lie. I will not just sit down and let my granddaughter and my creation be used as tools for destruction, as means for a few people to attain domination. I refuse to be a part of a massacre. And I think neither does Athena. I could feel that for the past days she's beginning to see the truth. We will not proceed with Operation Meteor. We will make our own mission to free the colonies and find peace. Instead of destroying innocent people in a meaningless massacre, we will destroy OZ.

Professor A

"So Professor Arbus altered the orders to Athena too," Lady Une commented.

"But we didn't see the HAVOC or Athena even once during the war," Quatre said.

"And if Professor Arbus didn't like to be used, why is it that they are still working for Damon?" Sally asked.

"The answers are in the 2nd journal entry," Dr. J informed them.

January 25 AC 196

I don't know why fate has to be so cruel to me and my granddaughter. Athena and I planned to disregard Damon and Dekim's orders and just proceed to wage guerilla war against OZ. And by certain twist of fate, I learned afterwards that my fellow scientists have plotted to do the same and succeeded as can be proven by how the Gundam pilots won peace during the Eve Wars. But we didn't. It was April 7 AC 195. We decided to commence earlier than the intended schedule of Operation Meteor. Unluckily, Damon discovered our plan and tried to stop us. Athena was left with no choice but to self-detonate, planning to take me and Damon with her to the grave. Killing one of the masterminds of Operation Meteor, the only scientist who could build the HAVOC and the only pilot at that time capable of operating it is a good plan indeed. But the self-destruct system malfunctioned, emitting a sufficient blast to only destroy the Gundam and not the whole resource satellite we are in. Athena's sacrifice was in vain again--- Damon and I still live. She and I failed but I thought that it is the end of our misery.

But I was wrong. Being as strong as she is, Athena survived self-detonation. It's truly amazing. Even with the way she was synchronized with the HAVOC she managed to survive, and I cannot imagine how horrible and painful it was for her. Though her body survived, her mind suffered from severe shock, making her slip into a coma. Damon knew that I cannot afford to pay for Athena's medical treatment so he promised to be in-charge of her treatment if I rebuild the HAVOC. He believes that Athena will wake up soon and he doesn't want to train another pilot. Besides, it's very hard to find the perfect person that can be trained to pilot HAVOC. I should never have accepted his offer. I should have just let her and me out of our misery. But being her grandfather, I'll do anything in my power to keep her alive. So I let Damon bully me in rebuilding HAVOC.

Yet another tragedy strikes. When she woke up last week, we discovered that she has amnesia. After 9 months of waiting, I learned that my Athena doesn't remember who she is or who I am. The doctor said that there's a big possibility that she would never remember at all. Damon was ecstatic with the recent turn of events. He now has the chance of fulfilling his dream of having his own Perfect Soldier. He barred me from talking to her. He kept me imprisoned, only letting me go out to finish the repairs of the HAVOC afterwhich I'll be sent back to my room/lab again. He didn't let her see me or know of my existence. But sometimes I see her in the hangar where HAVOC is, or when we're practicing synchronization though I wasn't able to talk to her because of the guards watching our every move. He now owns her body and soul. He told her that she's a soldier who pledged her loyalty to avenge the colonies. He created memories for her just so he could control her and use her for his own agenda. Though I'm not really sure now what is his real agenda. I heard him arguing with Dekim just minutes ago in the vidphone. Dekim was asking Damon to help him organize an attack that will be executed on Christmas Eve this year but Damon refused him, saying that it wasn't time yet. Dekim was adamant about it so Damon just hung up.

Athena might have lost her memories but there are some things that she hadn't lost. Like her spirit, dedication and instincts. She still knows how to fight. She retained all of her skills and abilities. She retained her personality. She can even still speak in Japanese, her father's native tongue. It's like she's still my Athena and yet not. My Athena died when HAVOC self-destructed. Or did she die on the day I trained her to be what she is now?

Her retraining will start tomorrow, when she's fully recovered. Damon wants her to be in tip-top shape so I'm guessing that Damon is planning something. I just hope someday she'll remember and be free from all of this.

Professor A

Everyone was speechless after they finished reading.

"I can't believe it. Athena is the pilot of the HAVOC," Lady Une said.

"I really pity Professor Arbus. He had a lot of bad breaks and tough lucks," Hilde told them.

"Yeah. He sounded pretty beaten up to me. He's so sad and tired," Dorothy added.

"That's why she seemed so strong for her built. It takes great strength to pilot that Gundam," Wufei commented.

"And it's scary to think that she's been trained since she was a kid. She's just like Heero. And Trowa too who has been a soldier ever since he can remember," Duo said.

"Wait a minute. You said that you have some bad news. What is it, Dr. J?" Catherine asked.

"We received an encoded message earlier. It was sent in a frequency channel that only my colleagues and I used. I'll send it to you."

A man in his late 50's with silver hair and beard, wearing thick glasses appeared on the screen.

"J, G, H, S, O I have a distinct feeling that you're still alive somewhere. So I'm taking this chance to reach you, like sending a message in a bottle across the vast sea. You and the Gundam pilots are the only ones I could think of to warn."

"Damon is planning to attack tomorrow, I'm not sure what time. He'll be targeting the ESUN Earth officials, mainly the President, to surrender and hand over the reign of power to the colonists, particularly to himself being the colonies' chief representative. The Preventers wouldn't be able to stop him, having a much superior army if ever the President refuses. He has more or less 3000 Virgo Mobile Dolls that are Zero system controlled but operated not by a human but an AI computer with the data of the 5 Gundam pilots, 500 Taurus Suits, the HAVOC and one secret weapon that aside from Damon only 3 other people knew of. I don't know how you'll stop him but I'm pretty sure that you'll think of something."

"One last thing, can I make one selfish request? Please help Athena find her way. She can help you. At this rate, you'll need all the help that you can get. Remember the real Operation Meteor. With the six Gundams and their pilots working together, they'll be virtually invincible."

"Thanks. Goodluck and Godspeed."

The image disappeared.

"So, that's what Professor Arbus looks like," Duo said.

"Have you tracked down the transmission's source?" Trowa asked.

"We tried but we can't. Maybe Heero can."

Heero started to work on the transmission, his face intent on his laptop as his fingers typed furiously. After a few minutes he announced, "I found it." He pressed a button and the coordinates were transferred on the big screen.

"Hey, I remember those coordinates. Im pretty sure that those point to one of the oldest colonies located at the far side of the moon. But that's impossible. They cant be there," Sally told them.

"Why?" Quatre questioned.

"It was deserted long ago and deemed inhabitable. It's just too old, it couldn't support life anymore."

"If that's the case, how can Damon and his troops survive there?" Noin asked.

"And if I can remember correctly, the last time we checked that sector we haven't found any life form readings there. Even electrical impulses," informed Wufei.

"Maybe Damon has a technology that can make that colony habitable again," Zechs suggested.

"He certainly has jammers and other sophisticated cloaking devices which helped him hide from everyone efficiently," Trowa added.

"Hn. He's really smarter than we give him credit for. He had his base on the only place we wouldn't search --- an inhabitable colony. And even if we search the area, we wouldn't find him," Heero said.

"We better start planning our attack. How large is the Preventer army, Lady Une?" Quatre asked.

"We have 200 Serpent suits, 300 Taurus suits and 20 armed shuttles."

"Oh boy, this is going to be one tough fight," Duo said grimly.

Relena paced back and forth in her room. Now she knows what her dream meant. It's definitely some kind of a premonition. It's a warning, she told herself. We've longed for peace for so long that it became somekind of an impossible dream for all of us. And now that finally we have attained a sense of peace, a new threat is here to destroy it. The HAVOC, I saw it in my dream. It's the key.

She stopped pacing when she heard the door opened. She stared at the slender figure in a soldier's uniform framed in the doorway.

"Athena."

Athena closed the door and coldly regarded her before addressing her in a flat voice, "Damon said that you wish to speak to me."

Relena is at loss how to react. She can't believe that this person in front of her is the same Athena that she knew for more than a year now, the one she considers as a friend. This Athena is very different from her thoughtful, vibrant and cheerful friend, almost the exact opposite and if not for the auburn hair and gray-green eyes which are uniquely hers, she wouldn't accept the fact that this is really Athena. Relena gazed on her emotionless face, focusing on her eyes. She shuddered. So cold. So intense. Just like Heero's. Then it clicked. They're the same. Heero and Athena. They were trained for the same purpose --- to fight, to kill. That's why the first time I saw her, I thought of Heero. They have the same expression in their eyes, the same enhanced strength hidden in their slight frames, the same aura of danger that seems to envelop them. She couldn't help but feel sad for them. Both were stripped of their innocence and forced to live a sad and dangerous existence in the battlefield. But the wars are over, she doesn't have to be a soldier anymore.

"Why, Athena? Why are you doing this?"

"For the colonies," she answered evenly.

"Can't you see that Damon is just using you? That he himself is drowning in his own ideals? You're not going to help the colonies with another war."

"This is not just another war. This war will decide the future of the colonies. When the colonists rule over the ESUN, it will be a dawn of a new era. Peace will finally be achieved."

"The new era has already dawned, Athena. We are already at peace. The Earth and the Colonies are coexisting, isn't that enough?"

"You're mistaken. This is not peace. And we are not 'coexisting' as you like to put it. Nothing has changed. The colonies are still the underdog, still being ruled by the strong Earth. As always, we are being subdued, used, exploited. You know all the facts, Relena. You know how those Earth aristocrats and officials treat us, as if we're dirt, as if we belong to them and in that sense we should cater to their every whim. This has got to stop. And I'll be the one to put an end to this."

"But that's it! Don't you know that Damon is behind the gradual political upheaval in the Congregation? That he's the one who caused all of that trouble? He maneuvered things so that the ties between the Earth and Colonies will go awry and if it wasn't for his meddling there wouldn't be any problems or tension! He intended the Earth officials to behave like that so the colonies will get angry and retaliate, hereby supporting his operation. Don't you get it? He made everything up! And if he really has good intentions, he shouldn't have done some sneaky maneuverings. I don't know how you bought the crap he's been telling you."

"But you want me to buy the crap your telling me, isn't that right, Relena?" Athena said, smirking. "You can say what you want but it wouldn't matter. Nothing would ever change my mind. I was born and trained to fight for the colonies, I will die fighting for them. It's my destiny. And I will not be a traitor like the other Gundam Pilots."

"How can you say that? Of all people, I thought you're the most likely to understand. You're one of them. You should have understood by now that they did what they believed was best for everyone. They didn't choose sides, they didn't just fight for the colonies or save the Earth. They fought for us, the civilians, the citizens who are always caught in the middle of this power struggle. You and the other 5 pilots are all alike, you hope for the same thing --- to put an end to all of this turmoil and to finally achieve peace. And in the process, you sacrificed everything so that you're the only ones who would have to go out and fight, who would have to die. Your goals were finally achieved, Athena. We managed to put an end to the suffering. But if you continue with this madness, everything will start all over again. More civilians and soldiers will have to be sacrificed again."

"As long as the Earth remained the ruler, there'll always be more people that has to be sacrificed."

"No. As long as someone claims dominion over the other, more people has to be sacrificed and peace will never be achieved. Let it go, Athena. You don't have to fight anymore. I know that you're hurting, you don't have to do this. It's all over."

"You're wrong. It's not yet over. The colonies are still suffering. They're counting on me to deliver them from this miserable existence, to avenge them. And I will fulfill their wishes."

Relena is getting desperate. "Can't you see that you're being stubborn? That you're just like Damon who is wallowing in his warped sense of ideals and beliefs? Please Athena, open your eyes. Accept the truth. Damon's wrong. You're wrong. You're fighting for the wrong side. Join the others in maintaining peace. Help me stop Damon from his madness." In her desperation to talk sense into her friend, Relena didn't realize that she crossed the distance separating them and she's now shaking Athena violently. Relena regained her senses when she found herself at the wrong end of a gun's barrel.

"You're way in over your head, Relena. I wouldn't commit treason if that's what you're suggesting. Don't try anything stupid. You have probably known by now that I mean business. I wont hesitate to kill you if I have to."

Relena removed her hands on Athena's shoulders but she maintained eye contact. She wont be scared of a gun. Having known Heero, she has sufficient experience in having someone point a gun at her all the while threatening to kill her aside from the many assassination attempts on her life. And she was never afraid of her death. But this, Athena pointing the gun at her, threatening her, and the thought that their friendship is just a lie, this is too much. It hurts too much.

In a quivering voice, Relena asked, "You mean, all this time, you've been fooling me? That you just befriended me because of a mission, a ploy for you to get close to me and get inside the Congregation?"

Athena's face softened and she lowered the gun. Her countenance reverted back to the Athena that Relena knew so well. "It is, at first. But after a while, I learned to accept you as a friend. You have that effect on people, Relena-sama. Even to those battle-weary and hardened, like me and Heero. Actually, you're the only friend that I ever had. Everything that I've shown you for the past year is real. The concern, the care, the friendship, the camaraderie --- they're all genuine."

Relena looked at her wistfully. "How can I know that you're telling the truth? How can I know who's the real Athena?"

Athena smiled sadly at her. "They're one and the same. If I haven't been trained to be the HAVOC's pilot, I'll be just like the girl you've met." Suddenly, her expression hardened again, her soldier's mask back in place. "But that's not the case. I was trained to be a soldier, to obey orders and to fight, to become the perfect weapon. I will assume my position as the defender of the colonies and the leader of the Gundam Pilots. I will fulfill my responsibility. I will accomplish my mission. Even if it kills me," she said with finality. And with that, she strode out of the room, leaving Relena alone once more.

Dun dun dun dun.... Time for the final confrontation. Chapter 9 is next...