I do not own Gundam Wing. This fan fiction has no commercial value and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this.

Chapter 20

            He climbed up into the cockpit and flicked the switch, the control panel blinked on, then off briefly before roaring to life.  Nimble fingers danced over the keypad entering the necessary code to gain access to the flight controls despite the thick gloves of his space suit.  Heero pressed a large red button marked ignition and the engines sparked, caught, and their mechanical squeal soon filled his ears.  The sound stirred an odd feeling inside him like a familiar melody haunting his memory.  He was full of apprehension and fear, and yet he was no longer worried, he finally felt a semblance of control over the situation at hand.

            The shuttle door opened and his co-pilot dropped in wearing an uncharacteristically solemn face and carrying a thick stack of papers – necessary for their trip.  Three men followed behind, with similar looks on their faces but took seats farther back in the cabin.  As each one entered, Heero nodded at them.  He could see confirmation of this action in their eyes through the thick glass of their helmets.  When all the occupants were settled, he pushed the thruster bar forward and heard the pitch of the engine change as the large craft started advancing toward the launch pad doors, slow at first and then picking up speed.  The carrier jostled over the rivets in the metal flooring as it sped up until the runway lights blurred on either side. Heero hit the overdrive switch and kicked the engines on full throttle in order to break through the man-made gravity field surrounding the L4 colony.  In an instant they were launched into the cold darkness of space.   

            Quatre watched from the control room and gave the order to shut the launch pad doors as the shuttle took off into the uncertain future.  “I hope this is right, Heero.” He said to himself and then said a silent prayer for the four men speeding off toward Earth – in a cargo ship marked “Winner Corporation.”

            “Rashid, if anyone asks…”

            “I know Master Quatre.  There’s no need to explain.”

            “Thank you, Rashid.”

            “Relena, dearest Relena – my friend…. Please make the right decision,” he whispered softly before turning to go.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            “No, the tests came back negative, Mr. Holden, there is no use in revealing our relationship to the public.  I know you do not have authorization from him, and you will never have my permission to do so.  Next question,” Relena said irritably from her position leaning up against the far wall of her cell.

            “Relena, you’re missing the point…”

            “No, I know exactly what the point is, and he will not be dragged into this. End of story.  Have they ruled on the change of confinement situation?”  She asked, changing the subject.

            “No, and we haven’t received any word on the appeal decision, either.  We do have an offer that we need to discuss with you – from the prosecution team.  It could be good news in a way, but we’re not sure you’ll like it.”

            Relena took a deep breath before asking shakily, “Wh-what is it?”

            “They’re willing to drop the change of confinement motion, and let you remain under Preventer protection.  And they’re willing to forfeit any appeal that might be made on the unsealing of the vote – if the 5th level court decides in our favor.”

            “That’s wonderful, but most likely they want something in return, and this is the part I’m sure to not like, correct?” She said wryly.

            “They want us to forgo the trial.  If our appeal is granted and you are given a chance at a retrial and the unsealing of the vote, they will not fight the vote recount and any investigation as long as we waive the right to a retrial.  However, if we decide to pursue the trial, then they’ll take this all the way to the High Tribunal.”

            “That’s two more sets of appeals, and what if one of them reverses our decision – assuming we get the right verdict?”

            “We’re pretty confident that they’ll grant our appeal, Relena, and the prosecution team wouldn’t have made this offer already if they weren’t fairly sure we’d win as well.  We’re waiting for the call from the court clerk any minute now, but in the meantime, we need to know what to do as soon as we get that call.  We’re already drafting responses to the prosecution’s appeal on the retrial, we just need your go ahead to pursue that avenue to its fullest extent, and we wanted to prepare you for what you will be facing if it comes to that.  THIS is the part you’re not going to like.  So, please, have a seat.”

            “No thank you, I’d rather stand.”

            “I’m not your jailer, I’m on your side, Relena, stop treating me like I’m your enemy!”

“What is it you’ve come to tell me?”

“Well, Relena, a retrial is going to go over everything about that day, and all the events leading up to the ashes in the box - your motivations, your reasoning, and your intentions.  They’re going to try to say that you did it out of spite towards the government, that you wanted to abuse your power and you intentionally disobeyed a court order and worse yet, a direct order from your superiors.”

Relena looked up from the floor and met his eyes.  “And that’s exactly what I did.  If that’s what I’m being accused of, if that’s treason, then I’m guilty and deserve whatever punishment they deem necessary.  I intentionally disobeyed that order, and I’d gladly do it again.”

Mr. Holden sighed heavily.  “Well, then I guess our defense can’t be that you were just protecting soldiers in your country.  We’ll have to make the case that you were justified in doing what you did because the order was wrong, but that’s really a gray area and much harder to prove.”

“I did the only thing I could do.  I did what I believed was right. ”

“Well, that’s not good enough!  We have to prove you were right in a court of law!”

“Calm down!” Mr. Levy finally spoke up from his quiet corner of the room.  “What if we approached the prosecution and offered up the whereabouts of the Gundam pilots in exchange for…”

“No, absolutely not!” Relena fumed.  “I will never tell ESUN where they are – I’d rather hang.”

“They don’t hang people when they put them to death, Relena.  Have you ever seen what they do during an execution?  Maybe we should tell you before you make a decision about whether you’re willing to compromise…”

“James, don’t, let’s leave her to think awhile on her own, we really need to get back to the office and wait for the call from the court clerk there,” Mr. Levy said placing a restraining hand on his colleague’s shoulder.

“No, she needs to know what she’s facing. It’s not real to her, yet.  She still thinks it’s a dream or perhaps some sort of game.  Well, let me tell you something, Relena, an execution isn’t a pretty thing.  We’ve evolved since the time of the guillotine and the gallows.  The death sentence is now carried out by a more humane method – supposedly.”

Relena held her chin up defiantly and glared at the man through narrowed eyes.  “I’m well aware of the method of lethal injection.”

“Oh no, this isn’t the ordinary form of lethal injection.  It’s something new they’ve developed in the past couple of years,” Mr. Holden said darkly.  He really didn’t want to torment her this way, but she needed to help them help her.  As long as she was going to be obstinate, they couldn’t do their job and defend her.  He hated to tell this story, but he felt it was absolutely necessary.  He could see her already pale complexion turn white as he began.  “They anesthetize the white of the eye.  And then they take a three inch long needle and insert it into the inside corner all the way through to the brain cavity, and inject a chemical into the living tissue.”

Relena shuddered involuntarily, and broke eye contact to stare at the ground.  She felt herself turn green with nausea.

“This chemical freezes the brain’s ability to send impulses to the muscles of the body, in essence paralyzing the subject.  Then it begins to shut down the various systems one by one like its turning off the lights in a house.  The victim is only vaguely conscious during the whole process, they can feel their body being shut down, but they’re not fully aware of what is happening….” Mr. Holden stopped as Relena rushed by them with a hand over her mouth to the little bathroom attached to her room, and shut the door.  They could hear the retching sounds echoing off the tile walls.

“I told you to leave her alone,” Mr. Levy admonished him.  “I feel like joining her,” he said dryly, and grimaced.

“It was for her own good,” Mr. Holden replied.

“We should go.”

“No, we need to know if she will let us pursue the retrial, if it’s a possibility.”

“We can ask her later, after the decision, let her alone James. You’ve done enough damage for one day.”

            They were saved from further argument by the sound of Mr. Holden’s cell phone ringing.  “James Holden speaking,” he said in greeting.

            On the other side of the door, Relena sat on the cold tile floor, breathing heavily while her body trembled and quaked with fear.  Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she tried to think of anything but her own death.  “I’m not going to die,” she said to herself, and felt her chest close in on her again.  Oh God, I don’t want to die, she thought in a panic before she was able to gain control again. 

I always knew this could be a result of my position, of my duties. She took another deep breath, and was able to steady the shaking of her hand.  Heero wouldn’t be afraid. 

She closed her eyes and thought of him, he was her strength….her love.  Yes, she loved him more than her own life.  With that realization, her pulse and her breathing slowed, her eyes opened and her body stilled the tremors that threatened her resolve.  She stood up from the ground, and was just about to open the door and re-enter her room when a knock sounded and an excited voice cut through her thoughts.

            “Relena, the court has made their decision!”

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Prime Minister Talmadge watched the news report on the television monitor.  He hadn’t been completely sober in days, but he was now as the reporters excitedly announced the latest break in the Peacecraft v Leinsford case. 

            “We have just received word that the 5th level court of appeals has ruled in favor of the defense team motion for a retrial and the unsealing of the infamous vote that happened more than two years ago.  We have not heard whether or not the Peacecraft lawyers have filed a motion for a retrial already or if they plan to do so in the near future…”

            The old man switched off the monitor and stared down at his old tired hands.  He’d seen enough blood and death in his day – he’d helped Dermail and that infernal Romafeller foundation almost bring the world to extinction before those Gundam pilots had managed to save them all.  It wasn’t that he didn’t feel a sense of gratitude towards the young men that idealist Treize seemed to admire so much, it was just that he felt a greater need for money and power.  And the policies of economics in a universe with no restrictions on trade or resources had been a drain on his family’s finances, as well as those of the well-bred aristocratic persons around him. 

“…To create boundaries that everyone can agree on, one must instill a sense of distrust on the part of those that seek to protect what they have.  What better way, than to create an enemy?  A threat to peace would be the only thing to move the populations of earth and the colonies to greater economic strength and stability…

            She was never supposed to get in the way...

            Please, send my apologies to Marquis Wayridge, the last of my true friends.

            Sincerely,

            Stanford A. Talmadge

            Prime Minister

            West European Region”

            In the hallway, Catherine stopped to knock on the Prime Minister’s door.  He quickly replaced a few objects into his top desk drawer and called out that she could enter.  He finished sealing the manila envelope and handed it to her.  She smiled kindly at the old man, before reading the address label.  She was surprised but didn’t show it. 

            “Please have that delivered right away,” Prime Minister Talmadge commanded.

            Catherine nodded, “Yes, sir.  Do you need anything else?”

            “No, that will be all. Thank you, Catherine.”

            She turned and exited the room, practically running down the hallway to her room.  She needed to contact Colonel Une immediately!  She suddenly stopped short when she heard the loud crack of a gunshot coming from the opposite direction.