C.E. 73. It was more than a year since the treaty of Junius Seven was signed. So far, there had been peace, but how long would it last?
Athrun Zala was a little nervous. Although he was now regarded as a senior Red Coat, somehow, he didn't find it appropriate to share his experiences with a graduating class of redcoats who were only slightly younger than him. He tried to decline the invitation, but under the persuasion of his father and Lacus, he agreed.
There had been some changes to his life. Now that he was a husband, he had to think about matters more seriously. His father and Siegel Clyne visited each other regularly; the two former chairmen were now actively having chess matches against each other. Lacus had resumed her career as well, although some over-zealous fans had been disappointed that she was married at such a young age. Nicol had left ZAFT, feeling that taking part in one war was enough for him. He became an accomplished piano player, even lending his talents in the Songstress's concerts. (This time, Athrun made it a habit not to fall asleep.) As for kids, that would have to wait (He still felt like one sometimes.).
After a short introduction by another officer, Athrun began his talk. He warned the redcoats of their responsibilities, which were greater than the average soldiers. He related the death of Rusty Mackenzie, his teammate during the attack on Heliopolis. The other redcoats were talking among themselves whenever he made an important point; they now realised what the term "war veteran" truly meant.
As he mentioned the battle of Orb, he heard a voice coming from the audience.
"What was a member of ZAFT doing at Orb?" Athrun looked at the boy. His black hair distinguished him from many of his peers.
Athrun repeated the official story: he had defected to Orb and taken the Eternal along to "prevent them from falling into the wrong hands". He noted that the captain, Andrew Waltfeld and his deputy, Martin Da Costa, were still serving on board the ship. The teen was a little impressed.
"I used to live there. During the battle, the Coordinators were evacuated to the PLANTs, and I enlisted, so that I may protect the ones I care for."
"What's your name?" Athrun was curious about this boy; he was particularly interested in his confidence.
"Shinn, Shinn Asuka."
In September, Cagalli Yula Athha officially took over as the Chief Representative of the Orb Union. Ever since the end of the first war, her father had groomed her for the position. Although she was somewhat better at her manners, her fiery temper meant that she stepped on many toes, and was unapologetic about it. Uzumi hoped that Kira would be able to restrain her. However, the father stood firm when Cagalli protested against her betrothal. Like it or not, she would eventually marry Yuna Roma Seylan, the son of one of Uzumi's allies.
With pressure from Lord Djibril of the Earth Alliance, Cagalli, as the representative of a neutral side, decided to schedule a meeting with Gilbert Durandal, the current Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council. The lord had charged that ZAFT was rearming and Cagalli decided to see for herself whether that was really the case. When she consulted Athrun about the matter, the teen had refused to comment, citing "military secrets".
October 2, Armoury One.
Cagalli was in a business suit. A dress might be better for such informal settings, thought Kira, but his sister was more comfortable when she was NOT in a dress. Looking around, Kira's eye caught a trio of youngsters hanging around. He looked at the only girl among them. She's beautiful, thought the Orb ace.
The Representative of Orb, along with her bodyguard, was greeted warmly by Durandal. Cagalli didn't like the man much; she distrust anyone who smiled so readily at total strangers. The Chairman looked at Kira.
"You have a distinguished air about you, young man. May I have the pleasure of knowing who you are," asked Gilbert.
"My name's Kira Yamato." Kira saw no need to hide his name.
"Kira Yamato... I've heard stories about you." Turning towards Cagalli, the Chairman waved her ahead. He intended to show her the extent of ZAFT's facilities. As she surveyed the area, she was silently outraged by ZAFT's extensive armaments. She questioned the Chairman.
"Don't you think that such strength is redundant?"
"No, Princess. Strength is a necessity because there will always be conflict," came the reply. Cagalli bristled; she hated being reminded of her status. It seemed that more discussion was needed, as the rep pondered over her options.
Athrun Zala had a smile on him. His companion was busy staring at a blonde teenage girl who was waltzing on the sidewalk. He wanted to burst out in laughter after the two collided. As the girl left, he joked, "Looks like you were spellbounded by her."
Shinn blushed. After that speech, he had caught up with Athrun and wanted to learn more about him. As he befriended the older teen, he had grown to respect him. However, the fact that he was already married was a bit shocking. As for Athrun, he didn't mind the younger boy hanging around him. He thought that Shinn reminded him of his best friend; it seemed that they had similar energies.
"This was getting nowhere." thought the representative. The Chairman had vigourously defended ZAFT's right to bear arms "for the defence of the PLANTs". Even Kira was a little uneasy. None of them could have known what was going to happen next...
Shinn and Athrun hurried to their MSes. Clearly, they weren't expecting any trouble. Armoury One was one of ZAFT's most well-guarded bases. How the hell did it come under attack?
Meanwhile, Kira and Cagalli were finding a way to escape from the chaos. The ace spotted a downed Zaku Warrior. Grabbing his sister, he entered the cockpit of the MS and proceeded to power it up. The Gaia saw the Warrior getting back up on its feet. As Stellar closed in, the Warrior suddenly counterattacked. It then flew out of the way of the Gaia's attacks. As she was pondering over this, the Impulse and the Justice came into the picture. Kira used the intercom.
"Athrun?"
"Kira, what are you doing here?" The ZAFT pilot didn't know of Cagalli's visit to the armoury.
"Cagalli's here with me, but we can talk later!"
"Come on! We have MSes to recover," reminded Shinn. The Justice and the Impulse were on the heels of the stolen Suits. Suddenly, Kira had a disturbing sensation. Someone was around here, he thought
In his ZAKU Phantom, Rey Za Burrel had the same feeling. He quickly shrugged it off; the enemy was getting away...
Afterthoughts
-Please RnR! This retelling is based on my previous series on GS.