Chapter 14: The Final Hours

*click* *click* *click*

The sound repeated itself numerous times, forming a rhythmic melody that droned throughout the room. "Oh... my," Sally let out under her breath, eyes transfixed on the information that filled her vision. "This is... amazing." There was a pause as Wufei leaned in closer to the monitor to see for himself what was so fascinating. "I would have never imagined that OZ would ever have the capability of creating something this complex. At first I was skeptical about OZ having the ability to come up with such a concept in the amount of time they had after OZ disbanded. Because of that time constraint I always wondered at how they were able to come up with such a device."

"Yeah," her partner said in agreement. "None of us had any idea that OZ had something like that in development when the Alliance was still around. I just can't believe that we weren't able to find anything on it 'til Yuy was captured."

The older woman moved the mouse to click and explore the other files that were on the disks about the Tamashii units. Her mind was deeply absorbed in her work and she couldn't pull away, more like wouldn't, no matter what might come up later on. Never in her entire life had she seen anything so detailed, so advanced, so sickeningly effective, all contained within three small devices which were no bigger than coins.//If OZ is capable of developing such technologies, then what other things are within their grasp?//

"So, just how do those things work exactly?" Her partner's stern voice broke her out of her reverie and she looked at him with a confused gaze.

"Oh, that's right, the Tamashii units!" the woman exclaimed when the subject of his question finally dawned on her.

"What else would I be talking about, onna?"

"Stop calling me that, Wufei," she warned him. "As you probably already know, those things are divided into three separate units that operate different functions, but all work together to create the person, more correctly, the soldier known as 'Rei'. The three are referred to as the mind, body, and soul unit, respectively."

The door to the under furnished room slid open and the sound of steady footsteps resonated across the tiled floor. It was a uniformed pace that held much control and authority. Then it came to a halt.

"Rei," the deep voice addressed, "you're on call. We have another mission for you." The General usually didn't come to the soldiers' private quarters to inform them of missions, and Rei wasn't an exception to that either, but lately he had been staying close to the girl. Maybe it was because he felt that the mini war was drawing to a close or maybe he felt that until it was actually over, her life was in danger, or maybe it was something else that he tried to forget. Whatever it was it made him cautious of his surroundings and of the people that worked there. "We just received word that the fourth division Gemini squad is having some difficulty in the Near East. We're sending you to assist and collect data on what is happening there. You will leave in an hour so go and prepare."

"Ninmu ryoukai."

"Are the repairs done yet?" Heero's monotone voice jolted the scientists from their current tasks. He stood in the doorway and looked stoically at Master O, Professor G, and Doktor S.

"We're going as fast as we can, boy!" Professor G's annoyed voice boomed from behind WingZERO's cockpit. "Do you think that it's easy to get rid of this stuff? How did you manage to let them do that to you anyways? I thought that old fool trained you better than that."

The boy looked ready to kill the other man, but refrained from doing so because he wanted his Gundam fixed. He opted for a short response instead. "I ran out of fuel." With that he turned and walked out of the hangar, making his way towards his temporary room. On his way there he looked at his arms and legs, noting that the bruises and cuts were healing very well.//I wonder if I'll be well enough to survive the next battle. My body still aches from the last fight and I still feel dizzy. This isn't the time to be either of those, but... dammit I have to snap out of this. If I don't, then we'll never be able to defeat Rei and get back Relena... I can't do this by myself. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to need help... but will it work? Can I guarantee that we'll be able to pull Relena out of this... alive?// After a short time he reached his destination and proceeded to open the door and enter.

"Heero," his mentor's voice stopped him dead in his tracks, "WingZERO will be fully operational in another day. So, what will you do when you get it back?" There was a twinkle in his mechanical eyes but Heero ignored it and stepped inside his small sanctuary.

The lights weren't on inside, but he had no trouble finding his way around the room. Navigating himself around the furniture with ease, Heero soon came upon a chair and sat down. At first the boy just sat there in relative silence, enjoying the quiet moment that would become few and far between in a matter of days. Sighing heavily, he wearily lifted a hand and turned on the videophone. He punched in the numbers that were at the surface of his mind and waited for the reply. A click announced that the other person had picked it up. "We need to talk."

"So why are they called the Tamashii units?" Wufei interrupted her train of thought.

"Well," she began a bit annoyed, "the reason they are called the Tamashii units, or soul units, is because they, in a way, restrict, or take over, that aspect of a person. The unit labeled the 'mind', the one on the left side of her head, is the part that creates and holds information about the one known as 'Rei'. It's basically a whole different personality that was programmed to make Relena believe that she is an OZ soldier. Actually, it's more than just a personality that was programmed into those things; it's more like an entire life. The self control, the discipline, the alertness, the cold calculating demeanor, the readiness to kill, the lack of empathy... that was," she paused to correct herself, "is 'Rei'. While that unit is active, everything that 'Rei' goes through, and all the knowledge that she acquires, gets stored into the memory chip that the unit houses instead of Relena's brain."

"So," the Chinese youth cut in again, "the time in the lab when Darlian came out of her trance and said that she didn't remember anything, she was telling the truth?"

"Seems that way."

"But," there was a look of confusion on the younger Preventer, "then how did she turn back into 'Rei'?"

"There's a failsafe mechanism installed in it that allows the unit to be deactivated for a few seconds when it's required for a mission. I guess that it deactivated when she needed to gain our trust, but quickly re-started before we knew it," she answered as best she could.

"Is that all it does?" the Gundam pilot asked.

"In a way, but it also works with unit two, the 'body' unit, to keep her... obedient and willing to follow orders," she decided to elaborate further on what she had just said. "Unit two, the one located at the base of her head, regulates the hormones and chemicals that are being used in her body by sending out electrical messages to various organs that control bodily functions. In a way, it has taken over as the master gland and now controls almost every chemical that goes through her. The 'mind' unit conditions her to believe that she is 'Rei' while the 'body' unit signals chemical releases that make her more submissive to following commands."

"And the last one?"

"I was getting to that," she snapped. "Unit three, or the 'soul' unit, located on the right side of her head, is the one that is repressing Relena's memory. It works to prevent Relena from accessing any information that she holds about herself by creating a kind of shield. If 'Rei' tries to get at any of them, the device just sends signals to re-direct the attempt to 'Rei's' memory banks in unit one instead. In that way it creates an eternal loop that keeps Relena at bay."

The youth was puzzled at what she had just said. "Why the hell do they call it the 'soul' unit anyways? It doesn't make any sense."

"In a way it does, Wufei," Sally replied. "A person is defined, more or less, by the experiences that he or she goes through and holds deep within their memories. A person who is denied their past may not be able to get to their present or their future. By taking all that made up that person, you would only be leaving behind an empty shell that has no inkling of the kind of person that they really are. That is all a person is without their memories, without their soul. When combined with the other two units, the Tamashii system creates an artificial entity that has its origins inside of a computer."

"That's disgusting," the Chinese pilot commented, pausing to let the information sink in. "Well, what about her red eyes? Were you able to find the cause for them in those disks?"

The older woman smiled a bit and moved the mouse to access another file. "It's not as difficult to understand how that happened once I saw the data. According to the information that the doctors recorded during their testing of the units, they listed the red eyes as a side effect. The signals that those devices give off cause strange chemicals to be released inside of her. Those things mix with the regular hormones of her body and it causes the discoloration of the eyes. If all three of the units were to be removed, or if they were to stop functioning, then her eyes would eventually return to their original color."

"Is there a way to remove them... without harming Darlian?" Wufei asked as Sally turned to meet his gaze, surprised that she saw concern in those dark orbs.

The former major softened her expression, trying to lighten the atmosphere of the situation. "Sorry to disappoint you, Wufei, but there's nothing in here about it. My guess is that that information is stored in the brains of the people who implanted those things on her... If we're going to remove the Tamashiis, we have to get our hands on one of the doctors." Silence descended upon them, making the doctor uneasy. "So... how did that meeting with Wind go?" Sally queried, taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes were still pinned to the computer monitor.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"It couldn't have been that bad," she replied a bit doubtful, "was it?"

"For one thing, I'm just glad that he had to attend another conference on the day we launched the plan. If he had been there, instead of that Schbeiker girl, to hear Heero say that he left Relena behind... then I'd guarantee that we'd have something more important to worry about than OZ," he answered with an amused tone. "It took both Noin and myself to restrain him from leaving the office and flying off to L1 to 'talk' to Yuy."

"Wish I could've seen that."

"Believe me when I say that it was a good thing you didn't," he told her in a serious manner. "Zechs is more like Heero than he'd like to admit, especially when it comes to things that involve Darlian."

"You can't blame them, Wufei," Sally began, "they both care a great deal for her. To them, she is their hope."

"..... Maybe... Argh! What is taking Lady Une so long? I have to make my report to her before I leave," he snapped angrily.

"Will you calm down," the older woman chuckled lightly. "Lady Une doesn't get many chances to spend time with Mariemaia nowadays. It hasn't been that long since the war was over, and they both still have a lot of healing to do. They are human after all, Wufei."

The youth was quiet all of a sudden, seeming to contemplate what his partner had just said. ".... Sally?"

"Hmm?"

".... Do you think that we'll ever have peace?" His eyes betrayed the fear and hope that he usually kept to himself.

"The future is open to many possibilities, Wufei, and peace is one of those possibilities. If we all strive for it, then maybe we will attain it one day. You just have to stay strong and see it through to the end and never ever lose sight of your hopes and dreams," she finished with the most compassionate expression on her face.

The door then opened, breaking their silent understanding. Milliard walked in and the two looked up in surprise; his visit was obviously unexpected.

"What are you doing here, Wind?" Sally queried.

The young ruler turned to her and answered. "I'm here to speak with Une, but her secretary said that she was being detained at the moment. She wouldn't say anything more than that, and I thought that you two might be able to tell me."

"She's just spending some quality time with Mariemaia," Sally informed, "but why do you have to talk to her?"

"I wanted to inform her of a recent conversation I had."

"A conversation? With whom?" Wufei questioned.

"Heero Yuy."

Before the other two could say another word the door opened again, and Lady Une's secretary entered and looked at Milliard. "Mr. Peacecraft, Lady Une will see you now."

Without another word the taller man left the office, leaving them with a stunned expression on their faces. They sat there in disbelief for a few seconds; then Wufei's face darkened into a scowl. "Kisama! I was supposed to be next!"

As the man entered the room a small object brushed by his leg on its way out. His head shifted slightly and he was able to see a crop of red hair before it disappeared around a corner. He let a small smile escape his lips before re-directing his attention to the woman who sat behind the large desk.

"You wanted to speak to me about something, Milliard?" her professional and mature voice broke the ice.

"That's correct."

*FLASHBACK*

Heero sat patiently on his chair until Milliard's face popped on the screen. The older man's face changed from one that was ready to greet to one that was ready to kill. "We need to talk."

"What do you want, Yuy?" he sneered at the younger man. "After hearing that you left Relena behind, I don't think that there's anything left for us to talk about."

Heero's expression to that comment was a dark one, but he showed no signs of losing his control. "... I'm sorry, Zechs, but I had no other choice."

"No other choice?!" The elder Peacecraft was at an utter loss for words, but quickly found them a few seconds later. "Everyone has a choice, Yuy, and you chose to leave her behind! She trusted you, Yuy, and you-"

"And I will live up to that trust," Heero cut in. "She's a trained soldier now and more than capable of defending herself. If I tried to take her with me, then she would have put up a fight, and I guarantee you that one of us wouldn't have come out of it alive. Zechs, I promised that I wouldn't leave her, and I plan on keeping that promise. Will you listen to what I have to say?" He stared at the screen and awaited his answer. Milliard sighed heavily and nodded in agreement.

"Good," the youth exclaimed before beginning. "I believe that it's time for us to set aside our differences, at least until we resolve this situation."

"Is that all you have to say?" That statement held more contempt than the man wanted.

"No. I am going to need your help, as well as that of the others, to release Relena from OZ's hold. From the data I gave you, you already know that OZ plans to launch an all out attack on the Earth and colonies in two days," he paused to see that the Sank ruler nodded in acknowledgement. "Their numbers are great, far greater than what five Gundams can handle. Quatre has already sent word to the Maganacs to ask for their assistance and they have agreed; however, that is not going to be enough. The Maganacs would give us more numbers, but their mobile suits aren't as advanced as the Geminis."

"What are you trying to say, Yuy?" Milliard wanted him to get to the point, feeling that the conversation was being stretched out longer than it had to be. A bored look was etched on his face and he did nothing to try and hide it.

"I know that you still have it, Zechs," the simple statement caused the other man to react strangely. "I want you to take off its locks and use it to help us."

"Do you know what could happen to me and the welfare of the Sank Kingdom if people were to find out?" It wasn't exactly a ënoí, but there was doubt. "For Relena's sake, I have tried to keep the nation in a state of peace... despite my unworthiness to rule over the country. If I step into that machine once again I would throw our goals and objectives into question and jeopardize the standing of the Sank Kingdom. Everything that my father and Relena worked for will be for nothing, and we'll be labeled hypocrites, lose our respect, and much more."

"Relena's more important. I have a plan, but I can't do it alone. Will you help or not?" There wasn't much emotion in his voice but there was concern in his eyes.

"Alright, Yuy, so what's the plan?"

*END FLASHBACK*

"I understand, Milliard," Lady Une responded. She then proceeded to unlock the top drawer of her desk, pulling out a card. Getting up and walking over to Milliard, she handed him the card with a smile on her face.

"You know where it is, just be sure that you still know how to pilot it," she said in good humor.

"Piloting a mobile suit is not something one forgets so easily," he replied before exiting the room.

"Dammit! The sandstorm's too fierce, we can't see anything through it *static* and the enemy is still here," an OZ soldier shouted over his com-link to his fellow comrade.

"How many are still out there?" his friend asked over the static filled com-link.

"... We only managed to take down a few of the unidentified suits, but we haven't taken down any more than that." There was panic in his voice and his hands shook on the controls of his mobile suit. "The static is getting worse as well. At this rate we'll lose all communications, then we'll be fighting blindly in this storm." He waited for his friend to respond, getting nervous when it took him longer than expected.

"It doesn't matter," static interfered, cutting him off momentarily, "if we're having so much trouble then we have to expect that they're going through the same thing as well." More static erupted. "Just keep your eyes open and be ready for anything-AHHH!!!!" His scream resonated on the communications, the device carrying the death cry to the others in the squad. Before another second could pass by the sound of an exploding suit was heard in the desert.

His comrade froze in fear and soon he met the same fate, his Gemini suit sliced in half by an unseen weapon. "Rashid," Quatre's voice called out, "how many of those Geminis are left out there?"

"We counted around twenty-five when they first arrived, Master Quatre, and so far we've taken out only eleven of them," the Arabian man replied. "They've managed to hold up well, and I doubt that they will go down easily anytime soon."

"That's fine with me, Rashid, as long as we can take them down, that's all that matters right now," the youth said firmly. "Based on the data that Heero gave us, we're not even close to putting a dent in their numbers." He finished by destroying another one of the Geminis.

"Master Quatre! An unidentified mobile suit has just landed forty meters away from our location," one of the Maganacs informed him.

"An unidentified mobile suit?" there was fear in Quatre's voice as he said those words. "Give me a description of it now!" He said forcefully, very unlike his nature.

"I wasn't able to see much through the sand, but it was red," the man responded.

Quatre went numb and his grip on the controls tightened.//No... It's Miss Relena. What am I going to do? I can't do anything to harm her, but if I don't then I'm guaranteeing my own death. There has got to be another way around this... there has to be-//

"AHHHHHH!!!!!"

The young Arabian's head snapped up as the scream filled his ears; a horrified look was etched on his face, and he fought to find his voice. His body began to tremble and he shook his head in denial.//This can't be happening... it can't be... but it has happened before... We fought her before and there was no blood spilled between us... I can't... I can't do this... I can't fight her!// Another explosion was heard and Quatre's eyes went wide before clamping shut.//Pain.// His hands clutched at his chest and tears started to make themselves present at the corners of his eyes. The youth's breathing then became labored and forceful.

"Master Quatre!" Rashid's commanding voice broke through the youth's mind. "That mobile suit is too powerful for us to handle, we need your help!"

"Rashid... I-I can't," his voice was weak and barely audible.

"Master Quatre, we're getting beat out here," Abdul shouted, "We won't be able to hold out much longer! Why can't you fight?" There was silence so he began again. "Master Quatre! -"

"I refuse to fight Miss Relena!" he shouted in anger and fear.

"Darlian?" Rashid said in disbelief. "Master Quatre, why didn't you tell us about this?"

The blonde pilot was quiet for a moment before he replied. "Because I had and still have a hard time believing it myself," he finally answered quietly. "That mobile suit is the Neo Epyon and Miss Relena is its pilot." The sandstorm cleared momentarily and the three of them caught a glimpse of the red machine. It was engaged in a battle with two other suits belonging to the Maganacs. The other OZ suits were nowhere in sight, abandoning the scene with the arrival of the monstrous Gundam. They watched in stunned silence as the Neo Epyon brought its terrifying heat sword down on a suit that was trying to defend itself with its gun. The sword sliced through the machine like butter, and the resulting explosion silhouetted the machine, making it nothing more than a shadow for a few seconds. The beast then swung sideways and took out the other suit as well.

"Retreat and regroup at Preventer Headquarters!" Quatre ordered the remaining Maganacs.

"But Master Quatre-" Abdul began but was cut off.

"Now!" the young pilot seethed. "There's nothing more we can do here! Go!"

With heavy hearts they left the desert scene, Quatre being the last. He stood there motionless with Sandrock Kai, watching as Neo Epyon took out two of the Oliphants with extreme ease. Firmly setting his jaw, he took one last look back before taking off on the Maganacs' trail.

The shadow of a figure came upon a door, its dark hands reaching out to press a few buttons, unlocking and opening the barrier. A second, smaller shadow appeared and stood beside the first, turning to it and receiving a nod. Their heavy footsteps could be heard on the metal floor as they made their way down the black corridor. Once at the end, they came to an abrupt halt in front of a massive metal door. The taller shadow moved its hand into its jacket pocket, pulling out a card a second later. It slipped the small object into a slot that was above a panel and proceeded to punch in a code that was known only to itself. The metal door parted in two and the lights automatically turned on.

"Are you sure about this, Zechs?" Noin asked.

He turned to look at her for a second then averted his gaze to the object inside. His eyes started at the bottom and made their way up until they rested on the face of the mobile suit. "Tallgeese III," the former pilot acknowledged. "Noin, I can no longer run away from this. Being the ruler of the Sank Kingdom has kept me away from it thus far, but it can only do that for so long. I'm a soldier, Noin; I've lived my whole life as one... and although I can't deny my past, I can do something about the future."

"What if the other nations find out?" she inquired.

"Like Yuy said, Relena's more important." There was no doubt in his voice and Noin knew that his mind had been made up. "I won't lose her again; not to OZ or anyone else."

"Be careful when you do get out there, Zechs; they will outnumber all of you at least seventy-five to one, and a majority of them are mobile dolls."

"Those are numbers that I'm not unfamiliar with, Noin," he replied somberly. "I more worried about you and your part."

"That's very kind of you, but you don't have to worry about me, Zechs," she said with a smile, "I'm a soldier just like you. Whatever you can handle, I can as well. I did place second at the Academy after you, remember?"

"That's only 'cause you let me be first." They both looked at each other for a moment before continuing inside, heading towards the inevitable.

"You left her behind!" Whitenburg spat at the returning pilots. There was unbridled rage behind his eyes and the others backed away slightly in fear. "She was sent to assist you and you end up leaving her to deal with whatever obstacle was at that location! How many were there?!"

"F-forty sir!" a young private answered hesitantly.

"Just forty?! You couldn't handle forty by yourselves?" The young pilots were treading on thin ice with each breath that they took.

"There was also a Gundam there, sir!" another pilot quickly added.

"Gundam?"

"Yes, sir!"

Without warning, the General lashed out at the smaller man, backhanding him across the face. "All the more reason why you shouldn't have left her there!"

"If she's such a good pilot, then forty mobile suits and a Gundam shouldn't be all that difficult for her to deal with," came a condescending voice from the back of the hangar.

"I don't have time for this, Dereks," Whitenburg said in a low, even, and dangerous voice. His back was turned to the other man, but he made no move to face him. "If she doesn't come back, someone's going to pay dearly."

"Sir!" One of the soldiers at the computer terminal shouted. "I just received a transmission from Neo Epyon."

The General's blue eyes went wide, and he rushed over to the terminal. He briskly shoved the soldier out of the way to make it easier for him to talk to the girl. "Rei!" There was silence as he waited for a response.

"Hai."

The man let out a sigh of relief and his shoulders slumped from the released tension. "What's your status?"

"The enemy retreated before I could finish them off. Damage to the Neo Epyon is less than minimal."

"How difficult were they? Were you required to activate the ZERO system?"

"Iie. They were no trouble."

"Good. Come back to base as quickly as possible."

"Hai."

Whitenburg brushed back a loose strand of hair and his cold blue eyes hardened. "You're all dismissed," he told the soldiers who obeyed by dispersing as quickly as they could. "The rest of you as well." The console operators left all too quickly, leaving the hangar empty with the exception of the two officers.

"You have too much of a soft spot for that girl," the Captain began, "or more accurately, the person that the girl reminds you of. It's a weakness that should be corrected without hesitation. She's dead. It's about time you moved on with your life."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, get off it, will you?!" Dereks snapped back. "Who are you trying to fool? Me? The rest of the people here? Or are you trying to fool yourself? Ever since the day she died, you've changed. How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

"I don't want to hear it, Dereks!" the dark-haired man seethed.

"Well you're going to," the smaller man retorted. "It's very unhealthy to live in the past, you'll never be able to move on if you do... Look," his voice softened a bit, "I know that I haven't been much of a supportive friend during this whole ordeal, and I'm sorry, but you have to let go."

"Friend?" he gave a mocking chuckle. "You've more than tried to undermine this whole operation. Do you know how many reports I've received that have to do with you threatening the girl? It's a wonder why I still let you live."

"Wonder all you want, but I'm not leaving until you come to your senses. Anna wouldn't want to see you like this-"

"What would you know?!" the taller man cut in, his patience was thrown out the window. "You weren't there with us when we were little and starving on the streets, stealing food so that we could keep our families fed. You weren't there when it rained and we had to take shelter under anything we could find. You weren't there when our friends and family died of illness and hunger. You weren't there to see our faces light up when OZ came to our village, offering us a chance at life. No. You were warm and safe in your comfortable little mansion, free from the diseases of war and poverty that plagued the rest of the world."

"You're right," the other man said firmly, "I wasn't there, but I was there when she fought. I was there when she died during that battle at New Edwards. I was the one to receive her last transmission before her suit was blown up. I was there to hear her last words, and do you know what they were?" He paused and saw the lost look in his friend's face.

"What?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Guide and look after him."

An eerie silence blanketed them and the young Captain thought that he had gotten through the barriers of the General. "Leave." The General had heard enough and didn't want to hear any more. When he saw that the other man was still there, he pulled out a gun and aimed it at the Captain's head, "I said leave!"

Dereks' lips thinned, but his eyes remained soft and sympathetic. He gave a quick salute then did an about-face and left the hangar. Once he was gone Whitenburg dropped the gun and slumped to the floor. His hands buried themselves in his hair and he hung his head, frustrated and exhausted. The thirty-year-old was too much in his own thoughts to register the sound of the opening hangar doors and the large platform elevator descending down into the base. Quiet footsteps made their way to his location, but he made no move to show that he was even aware of the other's presence. As he stared down at the floor, a pair of black boots came into his field of vision. Showing no surprise, the General got up and looked down on the smaller girl.

"Welcome back, Rei."