CHAPTER V - Don't Cry
The stars wheel above us, glittering and beautiful.
What people once graced those glorious satellites?
What people lived in that empty blackness?
Where have they gone?
The dream of the stars grows brittle and turns into ash,
So that the specks of dust glitter in the moonlight,
Dead and gone, dead and gone,
Where have our star cousins gone?
Will you take me with you?
-Ancient text from A.C. 542, scholar uncredited
<Remains of New Port City, Eastern Europe>
The screen went black and 'Message Ends' flashed in the upper right hand corner.
Rashid grinned, "We're all going to be rich!"
"No, you're all going to be dead," the small group of excited archeologists turned as Reo lifted his gun.
His eyes, so much like the man's in the film, were apologetic as they turned to fix on Elens', "I will kill you."
Elen's smile faded away, "What are you doing?"
He shook his head, "This information is classified. I'm afraid I can't let any of you to leave."
Her eyes were wide, "What do you mean?"
"You heard me."
Trae pushed his blond hair out of his eyes, "But you saw them. You saw those people. This means that some of the legends are true. Can you believe it? Relena Peacecraft was an actual person!"
Reo narrowed his eyes, "It doesn't matter. All of this data has been classified by the ESUN."
Elen looked shocked, "Why?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try us."
He shook his head, "It is the people's ignorance of war that keeps the peace. If people glorified past battles, then they would eagerly take it up as the best was to resolve conflicts.
"Now, you can either sign a testament stating you will never speak about any of this again, or I will be forced to make the Preventers arrest you on charges of treason towards the ESUN."
Trae's expression became that of understanding, "The mysterious coincidences in Brussels. The fire in Brazil that destroyed many ancient documents. You caused all of that! The ESUN has been destroying our great archeological discoveries for all this time?!"
Reo nodded, "Yes. Now will you all just-"
"No."
Reo moved his gun towards the speaker, eyes widening as Elen moved forward regally.
"What did you say?" he growled.
"I said 'no.'" she stated, "I said 'no' to the cover-up. I won't allow this to happen."
Reo looked over to the others, "Speak of this and you will be imprisoned, your families will be imprisoned, and your friends will be imprisoned. This is the way it has worked for centuries. You can't change it."
Elen shook her head, "Then it was the wrong way to live for centuries. The truth is more important than idle threats."
Reo's eyes narrowed, "I will kill you."
And for some reason, that phrase sparked a chain of understanding that exploded in her mind like fireworks.
<Ruins of Lunar Colony 4-N2>
"So, Doctor Lyas, what do you think we found here?" the man following the doctor was saying.
Lyas was not paying attention. She pinned back two rolled braids and yanked a mask over her face. She began fastening the clasps on her space suit as she moved through the corridor, mind focused solely on what lay beyond the heavy metal door.
Lyas was not going for a stroll through space. She was going to enter a lab.
"I said," the annoying little man continued, "'What do you think we found here?'"
Doctor Lyas gave him an angry glare, "You found death."
<Somewhere in the forests around Munich, Germany>
"I swear, sometimes I think we're only made up of conspiracy theorists and trigger-happy lunatics," Aubrey was saying grumpily, "Hilde, you created this rebellion, It failed so horribly, and I think it just might happen again."
The woman was small and wiry, her blue black hair reaching long past her waist and her cerulean eyes glinting with danger. Her clothing was said to conceal countless weapons, but nobody had dared stray near enough to her to find out.
She, like her female Germanic ancestors, was a warrior. An untouchable warrior who could not be thwarted.
Aubrey, who was an undisputed leader, was wondering about her competence. After learning of her distant relation to Hilde Shiebecker from her mother, she had tried to restart the rebellion against ignorance that had been wiped out so many years ago.
Rumor had it that Hilde was the one who destroyed the colonies and attempted to liberate Earth.
Aubrey was proud of her heritage, even if she wasn't sure what was myth and what was fact.
She sauntered into the communications room and opened up a video link with her best spy, "Doctor Lyas, what have you found?"
The woman shook her head, "It is indeed the plague that played the first part in killing off the inhabitants of the colonies on the lunar base, and I have begun taking steps to destroy it before the ESUN can ge ttheir hands on it."
Aubrey's eyes widened, "But we wanted it, Lyas! We wanted the virus to threaten the government!"
Doctor Lyas shook her head, "I'm sorry, Aubrey, but I as a doctor cannot let anyone get their hands on this plague. It's a danger to all of humanity."
Aubrey's face darkened dangerously, "You know that we do not take betrayal lightly, Lyas."
She looked proud, "I am prepared to die, Aubrey."
Lyas reached over and terminated the link.
Aubrey stood up and threw a knife at the wall.
"DAMN!"
<A.C. 197; location unknown>
"Ms. Peacecraft-"
"Darlian." She corrected, her eyes on the metal bands that enclosed her wrists and ankles.
"Excuse me?"
"My name is Relena Darlian."
"I see."
She looked like a queen, "You may continue."
"Ms. Peacecraft, is it true that you manipulated the people? Is it true that you are twisting them to get power?"
"No! You are trying to force me into saying that so that you can eliminate all memories of the war. Ignorance is not the answer-"
A jolt of electricity ran through her, "I did not ask for a speech, Ms. Peacecraft, and you gave me the wrong answer." The interrogator stood up, "Did you know that my wife was killed by the gundam pilots? She was visiting her brother at an OZ base when it suddenly went boom."
Relena lowered her head, "I'm sorry."
"Don't feel sorry, Ms. Peacecraft. You are, after all, friends with most of the pilots, are you not?"
"They didn't have a choice, they were fighting for peace-"
He hit her, "My wife was innocent! She had never touched a gun in her life!"
"No one is innocent in war," Relena replied harshly.
He rose his hand to hit her again, but stopped, "We are done for today, Ms. Peacecraft, but don't worry, it will only get worse."
They left her alone, strapped in the chair, biting back tears and hunger.
Elen collapsed with the force of the memory, and Reo, much to the surprise to everyone including himself, rushed to her side.
He dropped the gun and propped her up in his arms, "Elen? Wake up."
She blinked bleary eyes and looked around, confused, "What just happened?"
"Good question?"
"I was in a room...a little black room. They had me in this chair..."
"Who? What are you talking about?"
She sat up, "I don't know...perhaps I got sunstroke."
Reo stood back up and reach for his gun, "This doesn't change any-"
But his gun wasn't there.
Trae was pointing it at him, and Triton had heaved a rifle up to his shoulder. Several of the others had pulled out weapons as well.
"Mr. Lowe," Trae said calmly, "If you value your life, I suggest you call off those Preventers you called and let us discuss this like civilized gentlemen."
He glowered at all of them, but finally pulled out is hand-held computer, "Code Black has been aborted. Will report back soon."
He raised his arms as his quick mind worked for a plan of escape.
The blond Arabian helped Elen up, who yanked out of his grasp angrily, "What are you doing, Trae? Don't you dare hurt him?"
"What do you mean? He was threatening to kill you!"
She shook her head, "I guess I'm not feeling well, but I just have this urge to protect him for some reason..."
A/N: Oooo! Reincarnation Guide!
Elen: Relena
Reo: Heero
Trae: Quatre
Triton: Trowa
Aubrey: Hilde
Lyas: Sally Po
(soon to appear characters)
Zechs: Milliardo
Lourdes: Noin
Wufei: Fei
Duo: Shinma
Hmmm...and maybe other people but I haven't thought of them yet!