As requested, here's the third part. Gracious thanks again for all the reviews, you're all so good to me. I think there will be 2 or 3
more parts to the story, so I hope you're in it for the long haul. DON'T WORRY - All shall be revealed. As always, please R&R.
Thanks! Stella

Formalities: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of these characters. They belong to someone who infuriates me because they won't
make another series! So I wrote my own.

Heero's Peace - Part 3

A door slammed and he looked up from the envelope, startled. He heard footsteps. Someone was heading this way. Heero looked
longingly at Relena's letter and tucked it carefully inside his jacket, safely over his heart. He moved against the wall as the sound
of footfalls grew louder. He felt for the gun he had tucked at his waist. A shadow crept along the wall, getting ever closer. Any
second now! He whirled around the corner, gun in hand. Quite suddenly he realized he was staring down the barrel at Trowa
Barton. Trowa looked at him calmly, never flinching, and put his hand on the barrel, lowering the gun. "Hello, Heero," Trowa
smiled.

The train station was empty save for Quatre and Duo when Heero and Trowa arrived. They greeted Trowa happily, and with great
surprise as Heero looked on. "Everyone was talking about Relena, and the circus isn't far from here right now," he explained. "I
figured you could use all the help you could get."

"You figured right, buddy," Duo said, slapping him on the back. "You up for a train ride?" Trowa nodded affirmatively and the four
friends boarded the train headed for Lowen. They settled at a table in the deserted dining car.

"So what do you know about this country?" Trowa asked as they sipped hot coffee.

"Not a lot," Quatre answered. "It's been a kingdom without a ruler for about 15 years," he continued. "As far as I know it suffered
the same fate as the Sank Kingdom when the Alliance was taking over. Now that all of the countries have been restored to their
original rulers, with all of the royal family dead, they have no one. It's a protectorate of Sank Kingdom right now."

Heero pulled out his laptop and started typing mechanically, pulling up reports on the bombing that had been filed by the guards
and officers "Says here that none of the witnesses recognized the men who delivered the package to Relena." He continued to
scan the screen.

"They were probably just couriers, but we can't take any chances," said Quatre as he pulled out the file folders. He opened the one
containing the intelligence report. "We have to find General Hydek," he said.

Heero replied with more typing and soon had an answer. "General George Hydek of the Sank Kingdom guard. They're stationed at
the embassy in the old royal palace." He turned the screen around so that the rest of the group could see the information and
photo of the general. He looked to be a sturdy man in his fifties, with a gray streaked beard and kind blue eyes.

"Seeking him out should be our first order of business when we arrive," said Trowa. The rest nodded in agreement.

Duo chimed in, "But for right now, I vote for sleep. I've had kind of a rough day, if you know what I mean." He stood up and
headed for the sleeping car, stretching and yawning. Quatre and Trowa stood up to follow suit.

"Are you going to bed, Heero?" yawned a sleepy Quatre. Heero just shook his head in reply. "You'll be all right? Well, good night
then."

When he was left alone, Heero looked sullenly out the window at the passing darkness. The experience of the train ride at night
reminded him of the shuttles to outer space. He felt inside his jacket and took out Relena's letter. He looked at it trying to decide
whether or not he wanted to read it, more like whether he could bear to. His head ached so he leaned back in his seat. His
muscles relaxed and with the monotonous clack of the train on the tracks it was not long before he was overtaken by darkness
and she was with him, the sole light in the sea of black. Relena sat in her garden, dressed all in white, holding a red rose. He
walked across the grass, stepping over flowerbeds to join her. She wasn't facing him, but she turned around when he sat down,
and just stared at him. He looked at her face, noticing that tears were starting to roll down her cheeks. He gently wiped them
away, and she smiled at him weakly. She leaned over, touching her cheek to his. He felt her mouth move, and the warmth of her
breath as she whispered, but he could not hear the words she spoke. She sat back, and continued to regard him as if she was
waiting for him to reply. All he could do was just stare back. She looked so sad. Finally she held out her hand and offered him the
red rose. He hesitated, as she continued to look at him imploringly, tears welling in her eyes once again. She kept her hand
outstretched, waiting...

"Stop number five! Lowen!" Heero's eyes snapped open and he gave a start as the train began screeching to a halt Light
streamed through the windows and he realized that he had spent all night in the dining car. 'That dream. Relena.' He looked down
and found the letter still clenched in his hand. He still hadn't read it, but he returned it to his jacket pocket, his mind still on the
dream. His palms were sweaty and his face was so hot that it burned. He kept seeing the image of her offering him the rose...

"You're up, Heero. Duo and Quatre are already in the station." Heero gathered up his laptop and followed Trowa off the train. He
glanced out the window and saw the bright pavilion on the train landing of Lowen. The same lion's head and crest was carved over
the entrance to the station. That image again, that lion's head. He could have sworn he'd had dreams about it. 'Dreams...' His
thoughts drifted back to Relena. He and Trowa met up with the others by the phone booths.

"Luna says that there has been no change. Relena's still in the coma," Quatre told him as he hung up the receiver. Duo was on
another phone assuring Hilde that he would be home as soon as he could. Heero swallowed hard and stared blankly at the
ground. As hard as that news hit him, he had a mission to accomplish and that was what he had to focus on right now. When Duo
had finished talking, they began the walk toward the embassy, as the palace was visible from everywhere in the town. It sat at the
crest of tallest hill, pristine white towers spiraling into the sky. They had gotten only a few steps from the station when a black
limousine pulled up beside them. The window rolled down and a young man dressed in the white of the Sank Kingdom guard
looked them over quickly, and then glanced down at a piece of paper.

"Heero Yuy, Quatre Winner, Duo Maxwell and Trowa Barton?" They nodded as their names were read off. "Zechs, er, Milliardo
Peacecraft informed us that you'd be arriving this morning. We've been waiting for an answer from the Peacecrafts on what actions
to take here. You, gentlemen, must be our answer. Allow me to offer you a ride." They climbed into the limousine and answered
the young officer's questions about what had happened to Relena and how she was faring. "It would be a terrible thing to lose
her," the officer said, shaking his head. "By the way, I've not yet introduced myself. I'm General Hydek's assistant, Lieutenant
Marius Kahn." Marius continued to eye this group of fellows. They looked even younger than himself and wore no uniforms. 'How
on earth could they possibly be able to help here?' Regardless, he treated them politely, as an officer should. 'Mr. Peacecraft must
know what he's doing,' he thought and led them through the palace halls to the general's office. "I'll inform him that you've
arrived; please wait here."

Heero had felt uneasy since he'd reached this country, and the feeling had only increased as they followed Marius through the
corridors of Lowen Palace. There was something so familiar, yet terrifying. At first he thought that he was apprehensive because of
Relena and this new threatening faction. Though that was a large part of it, something else was still getting to him. So they sat
and waited for the general, he and Duo seated behind Quatre and Trowa in large leather armchairs. The office was an expansive
room with ample wood paneling and tall windows that reached floor to ceiling, bordered with ornate carvings stretching out on the
beams and moldings. A massive marble-topped desk sat before them covered in papers and ashtrays containing numerous cigar
butts. At last the General entered the room from a side door, walking briskly and carrying a few papers and a cup of coffee. He
looked up to note his guests, his eyes darting from Quatre to Trowa to Duo, and finally resting on Heero. That's where they stayed
as they grew larger and the expression on the man's face made it look as though he'd been shot with an invisible gun. Hydek
froze, the coffee cup dropped and crashed to the floor while the papers flew out of his hand and floated around him giving the
effect that he stood in the center of a mad flock of birds. The other three pilots looked from the general to Heero and back again,
but no one said a word. General Hydek looked as though he were about to faint, his face ashen and his large hands trembling,
when he miraculously regained use of his legs and walked past them all, stopping right in front of Heero, staring. Heero stood to
meet his gaze, and the general finally spoke. All he said was, "Odin."

"Roger that and I'll let him know. Thanks, Sally." Lucretzia Noin punched the button that ended the communication and queued up
the screen to find Zechs.

"Sally says that they've confirmed a half dozen mobile suits hidden in mine shaft C59 on this resource satellite. She thinks that
they're variations on the Aries; Wufei's checking them out right now. No sign of any guards. No resistance."

"Good and bad," he responded from his own mobile suit. "We have to find the people who are responsible for this." He looked
down as if he was finished, but he raised his head quickly. "Noin, any word on my sister?"

"I'm sorry, there's been no change," she responded sadly. 'Pull through, Relena,' she prayed silently. Zechs only nodded.

"Please contact General Hydek and have him inform Quatre and the others that we've stopped to investigate L1."

"Very good, sir," Noin replied and closed the screen, while Zechs began making his way to the specified location on the satellite.

He landed and entered the mine shaft, going down what seemed to be an endless tunnel until he saw them. The small ship that
Sally Po and Wufei Chang flew had fit easily into the massive cavern. Wufei was busy inspecting one of six suits as Zechs brought
his own to a halt and disembarked. Wufei jumped down to report his findings.

"They're Aries, made of mismatched parts, but complete suits nonetheless, with full weapons. This is serious."

Zechs looked around and noticed Sally walking towards them. "No sign of anyone, sir," she said. "The scanners on the ship
showed no signs of life." She no sooner finished speaking then a massive explosion shook the cavern, showering them with rocks
and dust.

"You two leave. Now!" shouted Zechs. "I'll be right behind you. I'm going to destroy these suits first." Another explosion rocked
the mine shaft and Sally's ship started up, racing for the entrance. Zechs climbed into his suit, making for the entrance as well,
turning back only briefly to send missiles into the line of unmoving Aries, watching them burst into flames and fall.

"You're making a mistake," Heero said flatly, staring up at the general. George Hydek simply shook his head.

"You wear the evidence on your face, boy," he said. "Especially in your eyes. Your father's - the blue Lowe eyes. In all my years
I've never seen another pair of eyes like that. You are Odin Lowe, Jr." The general seemed to feel better having said this, and he
retreated to the chair behind his desk, his gaze never leaving Heero. Duo, his mouth still agape and showing no signs of closing,
glared at the general, and back to Heero.

"I come from colony L1. I have no father, no family. You're wrong, General." Heero bristled at what Hydek said next.

"You were lost. And you're right, you have no father. He died sixteen years ago like so many other good men at the hands of the
Alliance. You're mother, too. You were nearly three years old when they charged me with seeing you safely to a hiding place in one
of the colonies. Our escort was attacked, most of my men killed when we reached L1. We searched for you over a year, but
eventually gave you up for dead."

Quatre had never seen Heero look the way he did right now. Was fate seeking to break him, giving him all this on top of the
thought of Relena weighing on him? Heero shook from head to foot, pale, his face drawn in anger. He walked over and brought
his hand down so hard on Hydek's desk that the marble cracked. "YOU'RE WRONG!" His voice filled the room. Hydek pressed a
button on his intercom.

"Kahn, please join me in my office." The Lieutenant stepped through the same side door, and the general turned to him. "Please
take these three gentlemen to 112 Oleander, tell them everything we know. This young man and I have some issues to discuss."

"Yes, sir," Kahn replied as he lead Quatre, Trowa and a still gaping Duo through the door, leaving Heero and Hydek.
Heero's mind raced. 'Dr. J had always just referred to him as "boy." He'd never known he had a real name. He never asked
questions like how he came to be with Dr. J, or on colony L1. A soldier doesn't question.' Hydek resumed staring at him, and
Heero continued looking ready to kill. The general's hard face softened and he looked piteously at Heero. "Listen, young man. I
wouldn't lie to you. I grew up with your father, I was there when he left to go east and marry your mother. She was the youngest
princess of Dori, a small nation of Japan." Hydek moved out from behind the desk and stood beside Heero. I was there when you
were born, and when your father and mother returned to this kingdom to rule after his brother had been killed. I was there when
your parents died, too. Odin was the brother I never had." He gripped Heero on the shoulder. "Come with me. I want to do a
blood test, for the sake of absolute certainty." Heero followed. Surely the blood test would prove that this foolish man had no idea
what he was talking about.

Quatre, Trowa and Duo followed Marius Kahn silently, still steeped in disbelief. Finally Duo spoke up. "We come here on a mission,
and he finds out he's royalty! Maybe I'm an archduke!" he growled, shaking his head. Quatre turned around, and the four of them
stopped at the end of a long corridor.

"Duo, Heero knows nothing about his past. This could help him, if it's true."

"In the meantime, "Trowa added, "we have somewhere to be."

"It's best if we go on foot. I must change into civilian clothes, please wait here," Kahn said. As he walked to his quarters he
silently wondered, 'Is that what Peacecraft meant to send us... the lost King of Lowen?'

End Part 3 - more to come