In Conquest Born [2/?]

[Terra]

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing and this is not for profit.


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Chapter II- Treacherous All On My Own
by Terra
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?August 13th, AC 197.

?Early this morning, a panel of meteorologists informed me that a tropical storm would soon obliterate the city of my childhood. Everything from the house which my widowed mother still lives in to St. Gabriel will be washed away. I find?that I cannot sit here idly. I must return one last time to bid farewell.

?But to?whom, I wonder??


The prickly sand scrapes against the bottoms of my bare feet as I walk towards the beach. The sun winks deceptively high in the sky, its wafting warmth failing to counteract the fierce winds of the approaching tsunami. The maelstrom appears like an aberration in the horizon of an otherwise perfect blue sky. I step lightly around the waves crashing mercilessly against rocks littered forgotten along the sand.

I struggle to stand still, my thinly clad body barely able to withstand the onslaught of the wind, on the beach where it had all been set into motion. It was here, I met the Prince of the Stars. My mouth curves into a sneer. Prince. My knight in shining armor. Mi pr?ncipe azul. Mon sauveur.


?Never forget how beautiful the Earth looks from afar, Relena.?

?Yes, Father.? The blue orb of beauty before me was none other than the Earth. It was hard to believe that the world below could look so ethereal from above. Perhaps it was luck or perhaps it was Fate but whatever possessed me to gaze outside my window at that moment was truly Destiny. I spied an eagle, gliding along the thermals of the stratosphere. ?Father, look!?

Immediately, the magnificent bird flew past us at incredible speeds. I stared in disbelief. Did it want to die? It would surely burn up in the atmosphere. Suddenly, I watched as the strange craft that so resembled a bird abruptly shed its metallic skin and transformed?into a Mobile Suit. I caught my breath. It was beautiful. I turned to Father and at once observed his expression. It was one of confirmation?and dread. He knew something I didn?t. ?What is it??

He didn?t answer. I turned back to stare at the Mobile Suit when suddenly two more appeared, except these were the Alliance?s. Of that, I was sure. I had long since dedicated myself to the study of Father?s papers. I, at least, had some knowledge of the situation, however limited it was. It only took a few minutes but before I knew it, it had disappeared along with the military?s mobile suits. I practically snarled in frustration. An interstellar crisis had just occurred right under my nose and I had missed it. ?Relena.?

I turned. ?Yes??

?When we land, I?m going to have to drop you off. I have more business to attend to.?

?I understand.?

Father had a questioning expression on his face. ?Do you really??

?Of course, Father.?


?Even now, I shudder, repulsed as I recall my conduct around him. As the only tangible manifestation of my ideal man, I had clung to him, drawn like a moth to a flame. He had excited me, frustrated me?almost loved me. But now, he restrains me. So I must erase him.

?Even from a youth that most would have considered as nothing but a babe, I was under no illusion that I was normal. Children, as everyone knows, are intuitive in their own rights, and even they shied from me. Perhaps they were right to do so. There has always been an aching, unquenchable fire burning deep in my chest. Both painful and pleasurable at the same time, I have lived a life of paradoxes.

?I?ll admit it. I have a destructive nature. When I was just a small girl, I sometimes secretly took pleasure in small animals? pain. Sometimes it was nothing more than a bug with its wings torn off or someone?s pet ending up as road kill. When I destroyed, I was alive. I had power! To me, ability automatically conferred the right to decide if an animal should live painfully or die quickly. I wanted to play God.

?But then, my first reality check came. How young and foolish I had been in my youth! When my prince appeared to me, my world was torn apart. No longer was I the center of everyone else?s life. I was insignificant, collateral damage at best. He shoved me unceremoniously out of my sheltered life. Set adrift, I needed a focus, something to hold onto. He served that purpose as well.

?Still hopelessly na?ve, I allowed myself to be used and then discarded by countless people. Heero. Treize. Milliardo. But it was not all for naught. In the process, the people have come to see me as the demure Dove of Peace, the former Queen of the World. In my father?s entire life, he has only taught me one thing: the power of a leader rests on public opinion.

?The task of rebuilding a war-stricken world does not surpass me. But I am not so easily satisfied. My entire life, I have owned nothing, created nothing, destroyed nothing. This world is not worth my blood and tears unless I can claim it as my own. I am poised to reign and I will allow no one to hinder me. No one.?


In a few hours, this beach along with the city I had called my home for nearly a decade will be washed away, obliterated by nature?s indifference. My thoughts are abruptly interrupted by the sound of splattering footsteps. My personal bodyguard dashes towards me armed with an umbrella. My eyes turn toward the sky. I hadn?t even noticed when the sky began crying, as if in place of my own dry eyes.

?Miss Darlian!? Derek shouts, his normally booming voice barely reaching my ears. ?We must leave immediately!?

?Be that as it may, Derek,? I remind him, softly. ?This is my home. I wish to say goodbye.?

I ignore his protests and turn back to face the churning waters. It is a fitting end that this beach will soon be decimated. I come not to bid farewell to the beach but to him. I have returned to cut my ties to him?and to everyone I have known because of that one chance meeting on this beach.

?Goodbye, my prince.? I whisper to the deaf winds.

I allow Derek to pull me forcibly to the helicopter. On the way up the rocky path, I pick up my discarded shoes. Then, on second thought, I toss them back in a disgraceful tangle on the sand. As we lift off towards the spaceport, I smile ruefully at the quickly disappearing shoreline.

?That was unbelievably reckless!? Trish exclaims. ?Why would you want to risk your life like that, Miss Relena??

?I am allowed to act on impulse once in a while, am I not?? I respond, lightly, quelling my rapidly growing annoyance. It would not do to lose my composure over such an insignificant matter. I make a mental note: only hire unquestioningly obedient servants in the future.

?Of course, but we had thought you?d lost your mind. It?s one thing to take a day off for a walk in the park, it?s quite another to flirt with death in the middle of a tropical storm,? she insists, her eyes widening in concern.

?You?re right. I?m afraid that I did act rather rashly,? I admit, sensing that gracious defeat would end the conversation. ?It?s just that I grew up here. This place is the closest thing I have to a real home.?

?Well, I?m just a little concerned. I mean, I am your personal assistant. I?ve got to watch out for you,? Trish smiled, squeezing me on the shoulder.

I resist the urge to shirk from her touch. I don?t recall ever granting her permission to act so friendly towards me. Then, I acquiesce, remembering that I am in need of her services. Despite her unwelcome maternal habits, Trish is a ruthlessly efficient secretary who zealously guards my time. I twist my nascent scowl into a grateful smile. ?Thank you for worrying about me. You don?t know how much that means to me to know that we?re friends.?

I don?t remember drifting off into a light doze but when I awake, we have arrived at the Lunar Spaceport on the Moon. I slip into a specially tailored suit and prepare myself for another long afternoon ?schmoozing? with old money. As I descend down the steps of my shuttle, I struggle to keep my eyes open against the onslaught of flashing cameras. At the bottom of the ramp, I barely distinguish the outline of the mayor of Lunar City amid the large crowd gathered. These mobs no longer surprise me. I have long come to accept my status as a celebrity.

Plastering a diplomatic smile on my face, I shake his hand. ?Monsieur D'Aubigne, we meet again.?

?It has been too long!? Alphonse D?Aubigne declares, his voice hinting at a French undercurrent. He brings my hand to his lips. ?I hope you have had a peaceful trip.?

My mind flashes back to the maelstrom which nearly swallowed me merely hours earlier. I smile wryly. ?In a manner of speaking.?

?Ah, but I am rude. Please, allow me to escort you to your transportation.? He leads me through the swarm of press to my specially designated car. ?I trust that you will be comfortable, mademoiselle.?

?Je suis s?r de d?il. Je regarde en avant ? voir vous ce soir.?* The syllables roll lightly off my tongue. As he closes the door softly behind me, my staff slips in from the other side. Trish settles down comfortably next to me. My bodyguards choose to sit across.

?Your first appointment is with Lady Une of Preventer,? Trish comments, scrolling down on her palmpilot. ?I had to cancel your original appointment with Yoko Tanaka, the CEO of Hajime, Inc. before the gala tonight.?

?Why does Lady Une wish to meet with me?? I ask, surprised.

?It was scheduled just this morning while you were out?uh?on the beach. She told me that it was an emergency and that I had to clear your schedule for her.?

?An emergency??

?She didn?t give me details?? Trish suddenly recalled, squinting. ?Oh, wait, I have something scribbled here. It?s about?Pilot 01. She told me that you would understand.?

My heart suddenly races.


?Believe in me.? He pulled me close. My eyes widened. Was he going to kiss me?

?Hee?? I began. Without warning, he shoved me away. Discarded again, I am tossed aside like a rag doll that someone has tired of playing with. Wing Zero?s thrusters fired up and the cockpit closed in my face. I floated helplessly as inertia carried me away from him.

?HEEEEEEERRRROOOOOOOO!?


Gritting my teeth, I ruthlessly quash a small fear in the pit of my stomach. I can no longer afford to be victim to small insecurities. ?I see. I suppose I have no choice in the matter then.?

The car screeches to a stop. My chauffeur opens the door and I realize that I am standing in front of Lunar Preventer Headquarters. I walk, outwardly calmly, inwardly anxious into the most secure building on the moon, flanked by my two personal bodyguards. As we ascend slowly in the elevator, my mind races with possibilities. Could there be a security breach? Maybe another terrorist threat? Perhaps, this is simply a social call. Lady Une has not been beyond using her authority as the head of Preventer to expedite such matters in the past.

?Lady Une!? I greet her, clutching her hands as if we are old friends reunited for the first time in years. ?I?m so glad to see you. How is Mariemaia??

?She?s recovering. Unfortunately, she?s still paralyzed below the waist,? Lady Une informs me, considerably less enthusiastic. ?We hope the paralysis is temporary but who knows? Unfortunately, this isn?t a social call. We have dire matters to discuss.?

Frowning, I follow her into the conference room. I gesture for my guards to remain outside. ?What?s going on??

Lady Une walks towards the window, her back turned to me. ?We have reason to believe that Heero Yuy may have defected.?


?In that moment, gazing upon the most powerful woman in law enforcement, the first thoughts to occur to me are neither for his wellbeing nor for hers. Finally?I have broken free??





Next entry: SYSTEM ANOMALIES

?I don?t know what their true objectives are but I do know that they are formidable.? Lady Une states, without a hint of hesitation. ?They?re very well-financed. The latest intel from Heero shows that a Japanese corporation, Hajime, Inc., is one of many business fronts for the terrorist cell.?

My eyes widen, startled by the revelation. ?Hajime, Inc.??

?That?s where your role begins. I understand that the CEO, Yoko Tanaka, has attempted to contact you??

?Yes, I believe so. I will need to verify with Trish but I think that I canceled on her today to be here with you.? I inform her promptly.

?I want?no need your assistance.? She admits. ?The last contact we?ve had with Agent Yuy was over two months ago. Since that time, the group?s activities have increased dramatically. It appears that they are now operating with new information, the sensitive kind that Heero would be in the position to divulge.?

?I really do not believe that Heero would betray us.? I insist, stubbornly. ?What kind of sensitive information would he alone be privy to??





*?I am sure of it. I look forward to seeing you tonight.? ? Since French is the language of diplomats, it is logical that Relena would be well-versed in it. She is also fluent in Spanish and is learning Japanese, as you will see later.

^In case there?s confusion, the bold denotes her diary entries as future museum-goers hear them, the italics signify her memories as she recollects them, and the regular, unformatted text indicate events which occurred during that day.^


A/N- Is anyone interested in beta reading for me? Drop me a line! As always, comments/criticisms are welcome.

[Lady Casper]

This is getting really good. I like how you have Relena's attitude towards everything and how its quite different from what others have written. Keep it up, I wish to read more of this. ^ ^

[Terra]

Thank you, Lady Casper.

I'm glad that the different viewpoints are not confusing. I felt that juxtaposing all three Relenas from different points in her life would flesh her out in totality.

[epyon]

yeah i agree with casper this is getting really good, i really like the untraditional relena its great, can't wait for more

[lilac310]

True to what you said...this definitely proves to be VERY interesting....I'd sure love to see you explore more of Heero and Relena's relationship according to your idea of it...Keep it up!

[Terra]

Thanks for your comments epyon and lilac310!

I'm taking my time to develop their relationship. But Heero will definitely enter the picture more definitively soon.

[Morrighan]

Ooh... Interesting. Now I can sort of see where you're coming from. And boy does the future now nothing of what really happened.

[Terra]

Thanks for commenting, Morrighan!

Expect the future to continue to get one side of the story.