By Aryn

Colonel Une waited patiently for her next meeting. The large conference room had been cleared of people, leaving only her at the moment. Large bay windows with deep-set window seats gave a beautiful view of the ocean that bordered one side of the Sanc Kingdom. The afternoon sunlight dusted the rolling water with glimmering sparkles, giving off an air of fairy tale land. Considering all the events the peace loving country had been through, it could classify as a fairy tale kingdom. In AC 182, the kingdom had been destroyed completely by war and the royal family cast out. AC 195 brought on another destruction by war. Now, four years later, reconstruction was still an on-going process, but the people kept going. It was a very reassuring sight. She hoped the Preventers could keep the Neo-Sanc Kingdom from being destroyed again. After all, that is what the Preventers were formed for. The Gundams had been destroyed at the end of the Eve Wars in 196, and peace had reigned successfully ever since then. And Une would do her best to continue that reign.

The large oak door to the room opened on its old hinges to allow a young man through. Une was slightly surprised to see how much he had matured since the last time she had seen him. Not too tall, but just as lean, his dark brown hair was still on the unruly side and fell across his midnight blue eyes. But his face seemed chiseled and narrow, giving him a more serious look.

"Heero Yuy."

"Colonel Une."

She smiled to herself. Perhaps he hadn't changed that much. That was what she was counting on. "Please, have a seat."

With more grace she ever thought he had, he slid into one of the chairs and regarded her calmly. "Why did you call me here?"

"We've just discovered some disturbing news. It appears that there was a disk that held all the construction plans for the Gundams that was made by the five scientists. We need to find that disk and destroy it."

"Why?"

"If it falls into the hands of an OZ sympathizer, it would very simple to just reconstruct the Gundams and start another war."

"How long has this person had the disk?"

"We don't know exactly. It's very possible it was given to them as early as 194, maybe later."

"How did you get this information?"

Une bit back a sigh of exasperation. But all these questions he was asking only assured her that he was the best for the job. "One of the techs that worked with Dr. J and the other scientists just came forward with the information. He said that Dr. J made a copy of the plans and handed it over to one of the other techs."

"Why wait this long before telling you about the disk?"

Une shook her head. "I don't know. You'll have to talk to him about it."

"I will. May I have his name?"

"Gilmore. Cullen Gilmore."

"Do you have a name for the other tech?"

"No, we don't. That's why we called you in. I was hoping you could find them."

Heero nodded his head thoughtfully and gazed out the window. "Why didn't you get Wufei to work this case?"

"He's off with Sally and a new recruit on another mission. There was some unrest out towards China and Tibet. Besides, he can get too hot headed and drive people back into hiding with his direct approach. We needed someone who could go in from the back and do this quietly."

Heero nodded again. "Can you set up a meeting with this Gilmore?"

"Of course."

Heero stood up from the table. "You know where to reach me with the appointment time. I left my hotel number with Noin." A rare smile crossed his face. "Or do you refer to her as Peacecraft now?"

Une responded with a full-fledged smile. "No, we still refer to her as Noin. Old habits die hard."

"I didn't get a chance to tell her congratulations. Would you do so for me?"

"Certainly."

_____________________________________

Heero stepped into his hotel room and pulled his jacket off, throwing it onto a nearby chair. Flopping down onto the couch, he flipped the television on and started surfing through the channels. It hadn't come as a shock to him to find out that Lucrezia Noin had married Zechs Merquise. Or was it Milliardo Peacecraft he went by now? Heero mentally shrugged. He could never keep up with what the man called himself. At quiet times like these, he always found himself wondering what the other pilots were doing. The last person he had been in contact with had been Duo, and that was two months ago. Duo had made it a point to call Heero every now and again, claiming that he wanted to make sure Heero hadn't "self-destructed lately."

According to the phone call, Duo was still running around like he always did and Hilde had given up on him. Heero shook his head. He couldn't imagine what Duo's apartment looked like now without Hilde cleaning up after the Shinigami. Come to think of it, Heero didn't want to picture that apartment. Trowa was still at the circus with Katherine, now working as an animal trainer. From news reports, Winner Enterprises were thriving under the management of the nineteen-year-old heir, Quatre. Occasionally, Heero would see the blond Arabian's face flash across the news. Quatre appeared happy, but then again, he always seemed happy. Wufei, according to Une, was doing wonderfully in the Preventers. He and Sally were top operatives in the organization, with no intentions of retiring early.

Apparently, every one had found their peace after the war. Except for him. Heero still wandered throughout the galaxy, getting temporary jobs here and there to pay for food and travel expenses. Sometimes, when the urge to leave got strong, he would hack into bank accounts, taking a little here and a little there and moving on his way. Ever since the war ended, he had lost his sense of belonging. He had wanted the war to end so he could start his life. But when the chance arose, he found he didn't know what his life was. For a little while he thought it might be with Relena. But she was constantly in the spotlight with politicians and bureaucrats. He may not know what exactly he wanted, but that wasn't it. So, he continued his wandering.

"And that is why we are gathered here today."

Heero stopped his channel surfing when he heard Relena's voice. Her long, dark blond hair was swept up on top of her head and she was dressed in a simple dress. Sometimes, he did doubt his decision to leave.

"We have come to this place to remember those who gave their lives in the Eve War all in the name of peace. We have found that peace, and I sincerely hope that they have found theirs."

Thunderous applause greeted her at the end of her speech, which she responded by politely smiling and bowed her head. Heero realized, he would never be able to fit into that world. After a few moments had passed, she raised her hand to stop the applause.

"I would like to take this opportunity to make a public announcement before I leave the platform."

Heero sat up slightly as a hush fell over the audience.

"I would like announce my engagement to Kenton Sterne, the representative of the L-3 Colony Cluster."

Heero sat back against the couch and turned the television off. In a strange sense, he was happy for her. That was the kind of person that Relena needed, someone who was willing to share the spotlight with her.

The phone next to him rang. Grateful for a distraction, he reached over and picked it up.

"Heero."

"Heero, it's Colonel Une. I've set up the appointment with Cullen Gilmore. You can meet him at the research facility that he works at tomorrow at four in the afternoon."

"All right. Where is the facility?"

"L-1 Colony Cluster. Colony SN-92858."